The more Did You Know’s, I uncover…the more fascinated I become with College Football.
Today we’ll continue with our traditional DYK’s and then close with a combination Did You Know/They said it.
Hopefully, it’s as interesting to you as it is to me.
Did you know that Ball State’s original nickname was Hossieroons? (I have no idea what a Hossieroon is, and too be honest, I’m afraid to ask.)
Did you know that Army’s colors of Black, Gold and Gray signify the components of gunpowder? (Anybody know if those colors also signify the blanks that they’ve been firing lately?)
Speaking of Army…Did you know that while it is still proper to call them “Cadets,” in 1999 they officially changed their nickname to “Black Knights?”
Did you know that between 1925 and 1970 Notre Dame would not accept a bowl invitation? (Since 1993, we’ve discovered the reason why.)
Did you know that the University of Washington’s first nickname was Sun Dodgers? (I bet the Seattle Chamber loved that…huh?)
Did you know that Tulane lost their first-ever football game to the Southern Athletic Club 12-0? (Don’t shake your head like you don’t care…there’s more) Did you know that Tulane’s coach, T.I. Bayne, played in the game…For the Southern Athletic Club. (Talk about a conflict of interest…)
In 1926 Notre Dame was cruising along with an 8-0 record. They had outscored those eight foes by a combined 197-7. Their 9th game was a contest vs Carneige Tech, to be played in Pittsburgh. Did You Know, that Irish Head Coach, Knute Rockne decided to attend the Army-Navy game in Chicago rather than go with his team to Pittsburgh? Notre Dame lost that afternoon 19-0. (Funny, but I don’t remember that part being in the movie)
Did you know that during Oklahoma’s 31-game winning streak between 1948 and 1950, Sooner School President, Dr. George Cross, said, “We’re trying to build a University that our football team can be proud of?” (Ya gotta love an honest man)
Did you know the actual sequence that enabled tiny Slippery Rock University to become the darlings of College Football for the past 70 years? The annual post-season debate was in full swing in 1936 trying to determine whether Minnesota or Pittsburgh be called mythical National Champions. Well one sports scribe who grew weary of the debate made an indepth study of both schedules and announced that neither one deserved to be #1. That honor belonged to Slippery Rock State Teacher’s College. (Which is what it was known as in 1936) Using common sense and logic he very skillfully pointed out that
Slippery Rock beat Westminister
Westminister beat West Virginia Wesleyan
West Virginia Wesleyan beat Duquense
Duquense beat Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh beat Notre Dame
Notre Dame beat Northwestern
Northwestern beat Minnesota
(Kinda sounds like a BCS formula…doesn’t it?)
Did you know that there is one sure-fire way to determine if a Coach is a legend? Mention him to your friends but only use a first name and see if they know whom you are speaking of…examples…”Bo” “Woody” “Bear” “Bobby” “Knute” “JoePa”
Ahhhh, JoePa. Did you know that there was a time when an Ivy League coach got the last word on the Penn St legend?
It happened in 1970 and the villian was Bob Blackmon of Dartmouth. The Big Green had just completed a 9-0 season and had been awarded the Lambert Trophy, which signified Eastern Major College Supremacy. Well, JoePa argued that his 7-3 Nittany Lion team should have been the winner. He then challenged Dartmouth to meet his Lions in a post season game.
Blackmon was immediately notified of the Penn St challenge. He told scribes that Ivy League rules forbid any league school from participating in post-season play. Then he added, “but if they would allow us to play, I would prefer to play a team with a more deserving record.” Touche’
Did you know what happened, when the President came calling on a Michigan practice? Gerald Ford was running the show in D.C. and the former Michigan center and co-captain, decided to visit practice while he was in Ann Arbor. After speaking with Bo and the team, the President decided to stay and observe a portion of the practice session. Well, Bo called a play and when his team lined-up they noticed that a Secret Service Agent was standing where the play was going to be run. The players, nervously looked back at Bo. Bo acknowledged and asked the agent to move back. The Agent refused. Bo turned to his team and shouted…”Run the play and if he’s in the way…run his ass over.” The agent moved just in time.
Bo would later write…”Nothing, I mean nothing…interferes with practice.”
You know in the world of the politically correct, these coaches are one of the very few breath’s of “fresh air.”
Following the 1999 National Championship game, during the celebration in the Florida State locker room, Bobby Bowden was informed that the President of the United States was on the phone. Down home Bobby, picked up the phone and said, “Hey Buddy, how come you’re not working tonight?” (Refreshing…simply refreshing)
And speaking of being blunt. We close with a Woody Hayes story. Ohio State had scored in the final minutes of their 1968 battle with Michigan and led 48-14. Woody shocked the stadium crowd and stunned a national TV audience when he ordered his offesne back onto the field and they went for two. The conversion was good and the Buckeye lead ballooned to 50-14. The game ended seconds later and at the post-game press conference, the first question to Woody was…”Coach why did you go for 2?”
Woody’s reply…”Because they wouldn’t let me go for 3.” (Ya gotta luv it)
That’s it for this edition…Later.
