pakruse Wrote:From reading the Tulsa threads, here, it's fairly obvious that they either weren't personally at the game, didn't watch the halftime show, or simply missed the point. The Tulsa fans I saw at the game getting riled up over the halftime show were most upset over the "Sellout" segment, rather than the "Your Mom" joke that they seem to be focusing on currently. I noticed at least one Tulsa fan shouting "He never signed the contract" over and over again during the playing of "Sellout".

Also, for the record (I can't post this on their forums, as there's a minimum two day waiting period before posting, but they've been speculating that there were only 200 Rice fans and 1000 Tulsa fans at the game), the official attendance was 11742, according to Rice Athletics

Hey, welcome to the Parliament!

As far as the Tulsa rivals boards go, you'll also notice that they bash a Tulsa fan for pointing out that their defense gave up 700+ yards to us today and that their D might just be a problem in the CUSA title game. Logic be damned.

As far as the show goes, I was most amused by that one lone guy who was yelling "Rice sucks" and trying to defend Toad's honor. I was running around in a circle on the field, but I think he was the one looking silly.

I just want to say, as a UAB fan: Our loss to you at your place was painful, saddening, and depressing. It has now been made even more so because the MOB didn't do anything near this original and funny about Watson during halftime of the game. Shame on you MOB for missing a great opportunity... SHAME ON YOU!

BlazerMatt Wrote:I just want to say, as a UAB fan: Our loss to you at your place was painful, saddening, and depressing. It has now been made even more so because the MOB didn't do anything near this original and funny about Watson during halftime of the game. Shame on you MOB for missing a great opportunity... SHAME ON YOU!

There's a few differences between Brown's situation and Graham's situation at Rice:

1. When Brown left Rice, he was completely honest about the situation. He didn't try to pull any tricks with his contract buy-out, and he didn't sign an extension just a couple of days before he left.

2. Brown hadn't brought any great success to Rice; the team went 4-18 in his two seasons as coach. When he left for Vanderbilt, the general attitude was, "Well, if they want a 4-18 coach that badly..." (a sentiment that UAB perhaps should have had before it hired him).

3. Perhaps most importantly, it had been 21 years since Brown had left. Virtually no one in athletics was around who had any memory of him (and most of the few that were left were fired by Graham when he was hired). It would've been like playing Georgia Tech and doing a halftime show slagging on Homer Rice....

I am getting a few private messages complaining about Tulsa fans although to be honest, I don't think it's horrible and I think Rice fans here need to be mindful that the banter back and forth has been pretty intense the past week. I don't see any additional reason to take action from a moderator standpoint.

However in an attempt to deflect some of the posts, can I suggest to Tulsa fans that if you're that upset, you send your comments directly to the MOB? Their website for their forum is https://mob.rice.edu/forum/

Bylaws are bylaws, and the NCAA expects that you follow them, regardless of what aspect of the program they cover. Perhaps this is a lack of institutional control by Rice over their 'band'.

stannous Wrote:Bylaws are bylaws, and the NCAA expects that you follow them, regardless of what aspect of the program they cover. Perhaps this is a lack of institutional control by Rice over their 'band'.

No such luck, stannous. If you had taken 30 seconds to search the NCAA bylaws (as I did - really, it's not that hard), you would find the word 'band' mentioned in the Division 1 bylaws exactly 4 times. Thought you might enjoy seeing where the NCAA has jurisdiction here (I'll make it easy for you and other fanatics):


13.4.2.1 Highlight Film/Videotape/Audio Tape.

An institution may show a highlight film/videotape/audio tape to a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's coach but may not send it to or leave it with the prospective student-athlete or coach. Highlight films/videotapes/audio tapes are "game clips" that contain informational material that is related to a particular event or sports season. Any narration on the highlight film/videotape/audio tape must relate specifically to the event or sports season. Highlight films/videotapes/audio tapes may include only clips of actual athletics contests and activities that occur on the day of the contest that are directly related to the contest (e.g., pre-game player introductions, half-time band and cheerleader performances, locker-room talks, crowd reactions, sideline coaching staff activities, post-game on-field award presentations). The highlight film may not include clips of other activities that are only indirectly related to the contests (e.g., team travel, team meals, entertainment activities, practice activities, institutional facilities). (Adopted: 1/11/94 effective 8/1/94; Revised: 2/22/01)

Associated Enforcement Cases
Major Cases: 1

Associated Proposals
Proposals: 1


13.7.2.5 Visit Unrelated to Recruitment.

The limitations on providing entertainment to a prospective student-athlete shall not extend to a visit to the institution's campus for a purpose having nothing whatsoever to do with the prospective student-athlete's athletics recruitment by the institution (e.g., band trip, fraternity weekend, athletics team's attendance at a sporting event with the high school coach). The institution's athletics department or representatives of its athletics interests may not be involved in any way with the arrangements for the visit, other than providing (in accordance with established policy) free admissions to an athletics event on a group basis, rather than personally to the prospective student-athlete.

Associated Enforcement Cases
Major Cases: 0

Associated Proposals
Proposals: 0

13.15.2.5 Use of Bands Comprised of Prospective Student-Athletes.

An institution may hire a band (e.g., marching band, pep band) comprised of prospective student-athlete-aged individuals to perform at its regular season home contests and/or postseason home or away-from-home contests, provided the band is paid commensurate with the going rate in that locale for similar services and the organization providing the band is located within 150 miles of the competition site. (Adopted: 11/1/01 effective 8/1/02)

Associated Enforcement Cases
Major Cases: 0

Associated Proposals
Proposals: 0

31.1.8 Logo Restrictions -- Noncompeting Participants.

The logo restriction on student-athletes' apparel set forth in Bylaw 12.5.4 shall apply to commercial logos on uniforms worn by band members, cheerleaders, dance team members and the institution's mascot during NCAA championship events. (Adopted: 8/11/98 effective 8/1/99)

Associated Enforcement Cases
Major Cases: 0

Associated Proposals
Proposals: 0

sarcoog2010 Wrote:Having read a description of the show (and being an english major) the divine comedy stuff sounds very funny. I can really appreciate that kind of humor (tulsa fan seems incapable of this).

In Tulsa, they think divine comedy is Larry the Cable Guy.

OptimisticOwl Wrote:

sarcoog2010 Wrote:Having read a description of the show (and being an english major) the divine comedy stuff sounds very funny. I can really appreciate that kind of humor (tulsa fan seems incapable of this).

In Tulsa, they think divine comedy is Larry the Cable Guy.

Well said, Optimistic.

CTRice10 Wrote:

sarcoog2010 Wrote:Having read a description of the show (and being an english major) the divine comedy stuff sounds very funny. I can really appreciate that kind of humor (tulsa fan seems incapable of this). Doesn't hurt that it was a lil cold and miserable today too...

Kudos to anyone who was watching football in this weather today.

Coming back from Boston, where it was 20 degrees when I left, this weather was positively balmy once the rain stopped.
The MOB show was as hilarious as it had been cracked up to be all season by my friends and acquaintances in the MOB (even though none of us in the student section could figure out why YMCA was played when it was). The inclusion of "Sell Out" into the MOB's repertoire, which I first noticed at a basketball game, made me (and the others who know the song who were standing around me) incredibly happy (made better by the fact that I imagine few in the Tulsa section knew the song, or they would probably be throwing a hissy fit about it now). This show bought the MOB a lot of goodwill among those students who usually grumble about the MOB (for those who weren't there, the MOB got cheers and applause and whatnot from the student section when they came over to play "Louie Louie" after the halftime show, more support than I've ever seen for the MOB at a football game). And the show was so funny, the last joke wasn't even really necessary, it was like the profane little cherry on top that made it all the more memorable. Can't wait to send the link for the script to my Mom (Jones '73) who used to tell me stories of the MOB's glory long before I was even thinking about college.

edit: This show was well worth any potential fine, and if y'all need some help paying it, don't be shy about letting us know on the board here. I know I'm willing to chip in an entrance fee and I bet my Rice-grad relatives would pony up a bit too after hearing the whole story and seeing the script or a youtube video. Tulsa can whine all it wants, if they had brought their band, I would've watched respectfully. Maybe Rice fans just know how to take an insult or, I dunno, a joke (we've certainly had to put up with a fair amount of it from the likes of UT, Tech, Houston, etc.)...

I wouldn't exactly call what transpired this week as Rice fan knowing "how to take an insult or, I dunno, a joke"

The MOB show sounds funny, wish I had seen it in person.

Owlmaha Wrote:Yes, finally we are recognized as one of the most liberal universities even it is by a bunch of tards who still think w is doing a great job. I thought we were commies, damn it! That Tulsa thread is worth the read. I am officially changing all references to them from tcu light to douchebag U. God I wish they played baseball! They get us pretty good on the game turnout though (2000 might have been high). I applaud the MOB as well- it is good to have you back from wherever the hell you went to in the last century.

They fail to remember that we played a game at their place around 2003 when the weather was just like it was yesterday. I promise there was no more than 500 people. We sat there in the rain and counted the bodies. They want to throw up their basketball success from a decade ago and then forget that same era of football and act as it did not exist. They have a couple of decent years in CUSA and act as if they are going to grow this thing into FL State. We beat them last season and they beat us this season. Both were close games.

RE: Rice-Tulsa game thread


13thOwl Wrote:

Tulsa Fan Wrote:
Your halftime show was classless and I can only hope that C-USA and the NCAA order sanctions.

I can see it now...Says the C-USA and NCAA, "you MOBsters will be sanctioned. Next year you have to spend two weekends in Tulsa instead of just one!"


Well played, 13thOwl...and please, no!

All Tulsa Fans should realize that this was Todd Graham's first return visit to Rice. After the way he left here, he deserved a "public flogging."

I would have performed today's show even if Todd Graham had been standing in front of me the entire time -- so firmly do I believe that it was not "over the line." And had he been standing there, I firmly believe that Graham would have "taken it like a man" (and laughed at the surprisingly ridiculous "your mom" joke).

It's a pity that more people cannot "take it" in the same spirit. But don't worry...we're done with you (and him) now. By next year, we'll be concentrating on ridiculous politicians or re-enacting an epic pirates vs. ninjas battle.

Thanks,
Chuck Throckmorton
Director of Bands
director@mob.rice.edu


Here's a reply from Chuch Throckmorton that was in the game thread.

I sure hope the MOB will keep the edge that it demonstrated yesterday. I realize it's hard to get better material than Todd Graham, but I sure hope the MOB doesn't revert back to "re-enacting an epic pirates vs ninjas battle"......because that type of show is what has made the MOB almost irrelevant and embarassing the past 10-15 years. The support the MOB has received here and from the crowd yesterdayis evidence enough that what the Rice fans want is that edge...the humor directed at the opposing school or perhaps A&M or UT.

It seems to me that people are being a little unfair to our friends from Tulsa. It is quite an academic institution, ranked by US News and World Report as tied for 91st in the country with some really intellectual institutions - Alabama, Nebraska, Missouri, and Clark. And it is only about 15 places behind Baylor.

Rumor has it that a full 63% of its graduating seniors can pass a high school proficiency exam in reading, and 42% in math.

Rumor also has it that there is one graduate, nicknamed the Brain for his amazing academic feats, who even scored as high as 813 on the SAT (back in the old days when 1600 was the max). It is unclear however whether he got the 813 on the pre 1996 SAT, or the restated one.

ctt8410 Wrote:I wouldn't exactly call what transpired this week as Rice fan knowing "how to take an insult or, I dunno, a joke"

The MOB show sounds funny, wish I had seen it in person.

I know I laughed when UH made fun of our alphabet soup of SATs, GPAs and BLTs. They did a good job with that, but they forgot one key element: always write your script knowing you could be losing at halftime!

kaf Wrote:I sure hope the MOB will keep the edge that it demonstrated yesterday. I realize it's hard to get better material than Todd Graham, but I sure hope the MOB doesn't revert back to "re-enacting an epic pirates vs ninjas battle"......because that type of show is what has made the MOB almost irrelevant and embarassing the past 10-15 years. The support the MOB has received here and from the crowd yesterdayis evidence enough that what the Rice fans want is that edge...the humor directed at the opposing school or perhaps A&M or UT.

It's interesting that you point out the time span of the last 10-15 years, and the prevalence of the MOB's more off-beat shows (pirates vs. ninjas being a proposed example). That time frame happens to coincide with the dissolution of the SWC and its member institutions which were an unending fountain of material for MOB satire. Post-SWC, it became difficult for the MOB to write scathing satire of its opponent, mostly when the schedule is filled with the Fresno States, UTEPs, and East Carolinas of the collegiate football world.

You saw what the MOB can do when furnished with material (the Texas show earlier this year, the Tulsa show yesterday). If only every opponent had a Todd Graham or a litany of arrests, or at least a well-known stable of sacred cows to poke fun at, the MOB could return to its glory years.

CTRice10 Wrote:The MOB show was as hilarious as it had been cracked up to be all season by my friends and acquaintances in the MOB (even though none of us in the student section could figure out why YMCA was played when it was).

FYI, "YMCA" was selected because it was chosen as part of the "Soundtrack in Hell."

Yeah, that was a bit too much of a head-scratcher for me.

I don't know how the MOB's relationship with the administration is nowadays, but in the past, when they had the opportunity, they censored much less offensive things and made their displeasure clear (apparently they were upset about the duck/cluck show because of what the words rhymed with).

I can't say we didn't mean to say what we said. (We did.) However, in light of some of the recent misrepresentation of our statements, and for those of you who missed the show...

Here's what we really said.

There have been quite a number of good scathing shows that the MOB has performed. Two jump out to me personally since I was at both and helped to write one. Both involve UH. I am talking about the infamous GED show and the Salute to Zero. The former turned out not quite how we wanted it to and led to hurt feelings and misunderstandings. But at least it kind of renewed interest in the UH/Rice rivalry. The latter was a thing of beauty. Go read the show scripts on the MOB website.

I missed it when it happened (I think my ears were frozen), but the ever observant Tiki caught it. As the MOB was leaving the field, rather than the traditional "...5,6,7,8" followed by Louie, Louie, the MOB shouted "...5,6,6,6".

Great show MOB! Well done!