Balls and Walnuts
more than you ever wanted to know
Cal-Stanford Big Game, 1982
November 20, 1982: After racing through a sea of red (the Stanford band), Kevin Moen carries the ball into the end zone, making it Cal 25, Stanford 20.
I listened to this on the radio. I don’t even like football, and my heart was in my mouth. Good God. The Stanford band lost them the game!
You can watch the video here, and you can read the transcript of Joe Starkey’s play by play here. Tell me if you don’t feel at least a bit of schadenfreude, thinking about what the team did to the band members after the game. Blow me a tune through that hole, trombonist.
Now meet the Republican party’s version of the Stanford band.
Evangelist James C. Dobson recently opened his trap on the subject of George W. Bush’s Supreme Court nominee, Harriet E. Miers. From the New York Times story:
On his radio program last Wednesday, Mr. Dobson said, “When you know some of the things that I know – that I probably shouldn’t know – you will understand why I have said, with fear and trepidation, that I believe Harriet Miers will be a good justice.”
Seems Karl Rove has been whispering sweet nothings in Jimmy’s ear. Seems certain Senators, certain powerful Republican Senators like Arlen Specter, ain’t too keen on Amrrrka becoming a theocracy. Seems Jimmy D. might jes have to testify before a whole passel o’ angry Congressmen on this one.
Seems Jimmy D. done run out on the field before the game was up, shore ’nuff.
You can read the New York Times story here.
D.
Ha, that’s wonderful. I see that guy with the ball knocked at least one band member into next week. Good job the poor guy didn’t have his tuba at the wrong angle.
I must admit I like US football. I have a reasonable understanding of the rules, though how that result could stand I don’t know…
keith
Hiya 🙂
Just found your blog. Nice it is.
Just my two cents … I may not be on his team, but I have to give Arlen Spector, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, some props. He has every intention of interrogating Dobson. When asked this Sunday if that was his intention, he replied “You bet.” 🙂
Glad you enjoyed that, Keith.
Fanatic, welcome to my blog. Yeah, I like Specter, too. I have nothing against Republicans as such, but that’s only because I’m such a liberal that I refuse to be prejudiced even when it comes to Republicans. You can take the boy out of Berkeley, but you can’t take the Berkeley out of the boy.
Now I’m going to have a look at that photo of yours close up . . . what the heck is that? A bunny with explosives strapped to its back?
What never fails to get me is the number and variety of asshatted things this administration has done while the majority of citizens just shrug their shoulders and go back to watching the aftermath of Lindsey Lohan rear-ending someone (and like events). We’ve become like the island of the Lotus Eaters with everyone wandering about for years in dopey wonderment. What exactly is it going to take to wake up the citizens of this country?
I read yesterday on a blog at washingtonpost.com this from an interview with Stephen Colbert:
“The most common thing that real reporters say to me is, ‘I wish I could say what you say.’ What I don’t understand is, why can’t they say what I say, even in their own way? . . . Does that mean they want to be able to name certain bald contradictions or hypocrisies that politicians have?”
Anyway.
I have a vague recollection of that Cal/Stanford game and of seeing that ending broadcast during the sports segments on the various news episodes that night. When these touchstone moments in sports come up and I get that blank look on my face that says ‘I don’t know that of which you speak’, I always get the feeling my husband is just itching to do that thing one of the characters did to his girlfriend in Diner and put me on a course of study with a test at the end (multiple choice, written and verbal!)
Hey Doug,
Been readin’ your blog for a bit… thanx to This! Christine for pointing me here. I’m not at all your usual reader, I think. Anywhoo… coming from a position I’m not sure you’ll respect, I have to agree that I’m pleased, in this instance, that Specter is not an administration loyalist. I am a conservative Republican and an evangelical Christian, and I am displeased with the Miers nomination, and perplexed that Dobson has a right to “inside” info that the rest of us aren’t privy to. This nomination smacks of cronyism, which is not acceptable when GWB’s pick has life-time tenure, which will long outlast his term in office. I’ll be interested to hear what Specter can ferret out about Miers and the Dobson info.
Jenn
5&4: I’d fail that test hands down. All I know is that a touchdown is worth six points, and a field goal is worth two. Or is it one?
Jenne: one of the most interesting things about the Miers nomination is that it’s uniting folks who are polar opposites. I suspect I couldn’t get much farther than you politically or religiously (well . . . I’m not a Satanist, so I suppose I could get farther from you religiously), but we agree on this one. Cronyism and all-around bad judgment on Bush’s part.
I’m paraphrasing . . .
“I listen to my Senators. And they said to me, why not choose someone who isn’t a judge? So that’s why I’m nominating my Beanie, my bean bag chair.”