Anyone who’s been reading this stuff for a while knows how fond I am of Norman Hackerman, who I think was a good guy and an underrated president. But as much as I admire him I never expected to see this:
I was hoping against hope that he’d stepped in and taken over during a real game but alas, it was just the pre-season intrasquad game. The opposing coach was Frank Vandiver! Even better, the half time entertainment was the Derrick Dolls from the Houston Oilers. I’d have paid money to see that.
I have no idea who won but I bet the victory party was a blast. A lot of fun was had in the 1970s.
Bonus: I’ve learned over time that if you see something inexplicable on campus it’s probably either art or some sort of experiment. I’m betting this is art.
Extra Bonus:
The Nov. 20, 1978, Thresher covered the game with a front-page photo and three more photos and a short report on page 11.
https://scholarship.rice.edu/bitstream/handle/1911/67269/thr19781120.pdf?sequence=1
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The final score of the intersquad Blue-Gray basketball game Friday, November 17 was 89-82 in favor of the Gray team. Sid Rich and Lovett led the turnout with Sid Rich winning one keg for having the most students attending, although Lovett should have won one keg for the best hats.
The Owls looked good and the freshmen are a definite asset. With school support like last Friday night, the Owls have a chance to be on the winning side.
Photo captions included:
The Blue and Gray teams performed before a capacity crowd at Autry.
Much to Lovett s disappointment, only two of the Derrick Dolls showed up to perform at halftime.
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Small wonder that the Grays won, with Willis Wilson and Bobby Tudor on their roster.
Not surprised to see Dr. Hackerman as coach. When we met with him in 1974 about selecting a replacement coach for Don Knodel, he offered to take his place. He told us that he was a star player at John Hopkins in the early 1930s and that he helped perfect the bounce pass and fast break. He said he was too old at the time to join us in our slam dunk contests.
It’s ahht. It’s a collaboration between Architecture and Grounds to create an environmental installation based on prairie species.
Some day I should tell you about what my mother, Dean of Undergraduate Affairs Katherine Tsanoff Brown, said about Hackerman.
Please do.
Your mom said something I will never forget.
S.L.O.B. (the club) was taking its group picture for the Campanile, posing at Willy’s statue in the quad, and she said, while walking by, “it IS his TOMB, you know…”
She was fun…
Quit teasing and spill the beans.
The new garden next to the Gibbs Rec center?
I was at that “game” and remember it as being a very good time (the beer flowed before and after). The Hack was a great guy and a lot of fun. I don’t even think he minded the number of times we swam in his pool when he was home.
The late 1970s were certainly fun!
I recall quite a few basketball games where Sid had the largest contingent. They often led the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, then proceeded to select an opposing payer and heckle them mercilessly.