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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Tailgating, Beer, Short Skirts, and Pirates....

I just couldn't get all the pictures in with the last post, so here is the rest of the story! Mike Leach is fascinated with pirates, and now the pirate has emerged as a symbol for Tech fans, along with the Matador, and double T. This skull is painted on the street by the southeast stadium entrance. Someone said that one time Leach lectured the team for about an hour (after losing a game). The lecture had nothing to do with football, but was all about pirates! After that set to, the boys went out and won the next game, because they didn't want any more pirate lectures. I have no idea if this is true; it may be a legend.

Here are some of the students waiting to go in to the stadium.

Tailgaters are all around the stadium and down on the campus too. They drag their cookers and coolers in, and have a party. There is some good food turned out in these spots.


Here I am, ready to go to my first Tech homecoming game in the fall of 1966. No, I was not overdressed--maybe a little underdressed for that time. Some of the girls with money really dressed to the nines with heels and clothes from Neiman's. Me? A country girl fresh from Montana just settled for a suit I made--not even red or black, and my little leather gloves.

This was taken in West Hall, the first dorm I lived in at Tech. Actually, during the first week or so I lived with Dr. Sheldon, who was head of the Home Ec. Dept, because all the dorms were "full." After about a week of classes, the dorms figured out all the cancelations, and shuffled kids here and there, and I got to move into West. I don't remember who I went to the game with, but I did get a mum to wear--a real one, white with a black and red double T on it made out of pipe cleaners. That's how the Lubbock florist did the mums, and they had plenty of business.
Well, hello ladies! Times have changed haven't they? These two graciously posed for me as we were about to cross the skywalk.


Here is an Aggie....
and here is her Raider counterpart. The little strapless dresses are in.

Short skirts--they got this short back in the 60's--there really is nothing new under the sun.

The beer and mixed drinks (see the red Solo cups) are all over the place, but not in the stadium. Bobby was enjoying a beer, when he noticed a cop. His heart turned flips, and he put the beer on someones tailgate hoping he hadn't been caught. It's legal if you are 21 and behaving yourself. Robert added good comments about about the horse, and I want to add one more thing.

Tech Beauty, a mare that was foaled on the Tech farm, was the horse the Masked Rider was using in 1963. She was stolen just before the Tech -A&M game, and wasn't found for three days. She had been hobbled and left in a shed near Idalou without feed and water for the three days. Someone had sprayed AMC (maybe A&M College--A&M Corp)on her with aluminum paint. It's hard to believe that anyone would be so stupid and cruel as to take their hatred out on an animal that just happens to be a mascot. I have other words for people who do things like this, but I won't put them here.


There is a lot more I could say about Tech, but I will leave that for another time (I hope Cactus adds a few comments). Maybe Bob and I will get back to another game within the next ten years, and that is when I'll tell more stories. Until then--Guns Up!

9 comments:

  1. This is a great post! I love it...

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  2. I love the picture from your college days!! :)

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  3. I love the picture of you at your first homecoming! You are so cute! I also love reading your blog. It was so good to see you Saturday. My knee is doing so much better - must be from your prayers! I hope you have had a great week and have a great weekend. Love you,
    Lindsay

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  4. Loved your homecoming pic from "days ago". It doesn't seem that long ago does it???
    Wasn't college just yesterday!?
    Gads, can I be that old???
    Good pics! Clothes are certainly changing.

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  5. Mercy! I have to tell you, here in the cold, frigid North, I can't quite wrap my brain around dresses at homecoming! As you know, we usually end up basing our wardrobe choices during football season on layers. And it's tough to look really great with about 3 layers on and mums would freeze.

    I love how you captured the feel of the game, and I laughed about Uncle Bobby ditching his beer like a 16 year old! (Do you think they'd card him? Wouldn't that make his day?)

    (You looked so NICE in your homecoming suit! Do you still have it?)

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  6. No, I don't have my suit anymore. It wouldn't fit me anyway. Lubbock (the city) just voted to go "wet", which means people can go to the grocery stores to buy beer and wine. Yes, I know that this is hard for anyone from the state of Montana to understand; I was amazed when I arrived in Lubbock. Not to fear, however, the locals could go to "the Strip" just outside of the city limits and buy all the booze they were big enough to haul out the door. I guess the two owners of The Strip finally lost the battle, but I know they made a killing while it lasted. When Bob was at Tech, alcohol was a banned substance on campus, and I am sure they won't be serving it in the dorms, the sub or street vendors, but during the games I guess it is accepted in the tailgating community.

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  7. That's right. Montana is beyond "wet". Sadly, at times we would be considered downright "soggy". Or maybe that's just Jordan.

    I wish you had some of your wardrobe from those days...I love it. I've always thought your wedding dress was lovely, too. You BETTER have kept that one...

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  8. A cute aggie girl? I'd heard of these, but didn't believe they existed. I guess I stand corrected.

    I wish the cop could have sensed Dad's anxiety and slapped the cuffs on him for a good laugh.

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