The Greatest Haltime Show Ever

[Stallion]

saw this official recap of the exact halftime routine by the Rice Mob which caused a near riot. What's funnier is that Rice won. That must have been a glorious day.

On that infamous Saturday in October 1973, the perennially bottom-dwelling Owls football team had taken a surprising 17-0 halftime lead over the Aggies at Rice Stadium. Unintentionally rubbing salt into the wound, the Rice band had satirized A&M tradition by saluting the Aggie mascot (a collie named Reveille) with a giant fire hydrant marching formation. A deliberately sloppy spoof of the Aggie band's flying-T formation performed to March of the Wooden Soldiers and the introduction of goose-stepping and rubber boots -- a jab at the military footwear reserved for A&M Cadet Corps seniors -- drew obscenities and a shower of litter from the A&M section of the stands.

"The Aggies didn't like it," recalls John "Grungy" Gladu, who had joined the Rice band that fall. "Maybe we went places we shouldn't have."

When Rice managed a 24-21 victory, stunned and angry Aggie fans surrounded the Rice band, which took refuge in the stadium's cavernous exit tunnel. With police on hand, Rice food service trucks provided escape vehicles for an outnumbered Mob.

Burned but not beaten, the Rice band came back for the Baylor game that season with the show I witnessed from the sidelines: a "Salute to nothing at all," in which the Mob, in a tongue-in-cheek effort to be inoffensive, formed a circle and then exited -- in memory of their escape just weeks earlier -- to the theme from Exodus.

Here's the play-by-play of what the MOB did to a&m:



Rice vs. A&M (1973)

ACTION: Band lines up on north end of field. Called to attention.


ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the 1973 Marching Owl Band, or MOB -(pause) the only thing funnier than a good Aggie joke. The MOB is directed by Mr. Bert Roth, with twirlers Janet Breston, Suzan McCorkle, Liz Moy and Karen Blackwell. And, in his last appearance with the MOB today, the person responsible for pulling together the halftime shows this year, Drum Major Bob Hord.

MUSIC: fanfare


ANNOUNCER: Today the MOB salutes Texas A & M and the Aggie band. So to begin, the band will warm up with a little old- fashioned military marching. (In German accent) You will enjoy!

ACTION: Band goosesteps out to old Germanesque march. Stops, Marches into chicken leg.

ANNOUNCER: Before we go any further into our halftime festivities, the MOB takes time to pay tribute to Mr. Marvin Zindler. (Pause) Yes, you heard correctly - the MOB has formed a large chicken thigh, and Marvin Zindler, the (most hated man in Lagrange) will twirl to that famous greeting "Hello, Dolly."

MUSIC: "Hello, Dolly"

ACTION:Band marches into boot to cadence.

ANNOUNCER: The MOB has formed a famous Senior Boot, the greatest thing to happen to Aggieland since the manure spreader. (Pause) Aggie freshmen will agree that at the base of every Senior boot is a big heel.

MUSIC: "Get It On."

ACTION: Marches into fire hydrant to cadence.

ANNOUNCER: The MOB now salutes Reveille, the mascot of the Aggies. This is a little dog with a big responsibility. But even Reveille likes to make that pause that refreshes. (Pause) So the MOB has formed a fire hydrant and plays "Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?"

MUSIC: "Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?"

ACTION: Band marches into giant T.

ANNOUNCER: The MOB now salutes the Marching Band from Aggieland by forming their famous marching T. (Pause) Watch now as the MOB has it their way.

ACTION:Band plays bugle call intro to the Aggie War Hymn and transitions into

MUSIC: "Little Wooden Soldier" March.

ANNOUNCER: There you have it, fans, the band that never sounds retreat. Thank you and goodbye.

ACTION: Band runs off while trumpets blow "Retreat".

[Peruna2001]

I can not stand the MOB, but this is legend.

[SMU Football Blog]

I like the MOB, but the problem is they sit around and come up with ideas that might sound funny if you talk about them for thirty seconds before and after the fact, but to actually sit and watch it for eight minutes is tedious.

[EastStang]

This was of course inspired by the fact that Revelie had died the summer before and it was reported nationally that the Aggies had kept Revelie in a cooler all summer so that there could be a proper funeral when school started in the fall. Also during the fire hydrant number the twirler's reportedly dropped their batons and were carrying those "invisible dog" collars. Then they went into the Aggie War hymn etc and all heck broke loose. The game was of course at Rice.

It was a tough stretch for the Aggies as SMU fans had also had fun at the expense of the Aggie Band. They discovered that when forming their signature block T formation the Aggies only knew when to turn when someone blew a whistle. As they got into the middle of the song, 100 whistles started blowing throughout the Cotton Bowl. The Band marched into a lopsided y. The Aggies lost that game, too.

So, perhaps there is a lesson there. When the Aggies come to SMU, it might be time to embarrass the Aggie Band. It seems when they get humiliated, the Aggies lose the football game.

[MustangStealth]

If only they could still come up with ideas that are remotely clever...

[Peruna2001]

If only they could still come up with ideas that are remotely clever...

...they would still suck, but at least earn a shred of respect.

[LonghornFan68]

what's a haltime?

[Peruna2001]

what's a haltime?

It's like halftime, but just a little bit shorter.

[Peruna2001]

Or maybe, it's just because Rice had to get the 'f' out of there to avoid being killed.

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

Or maybe, it's just because Rice had to get the 'f' out of there to avoid being killed.

*rim shot*

[westexSMU]

[quote="LonghornFan68"]what's a haltime?[/quote]..........That is when a bunch of Aggies surround the Rice Band and threaten to kick their [deleted].

[westexSMU]