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Grungy Offline
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Post: #101
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
(03-19-2020 12:46 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  
Quote:
Quote:As a student, loved watching Rice ALMOST take down (H)Akeem and PSJ.... think it was 1982?

That was 1984, in the SWC tournament semifinals, when the Owls nearly erased a 15-point second-half deficit to fall to the Cougars 53-50. For Houston, which wound up as NCAA tournament final runners-up, it was its lowest point output in a game all season.

Wow, I would have guessed earlier than 84. For some reason I remember Ty Washington TORCHING (H)Akeem (at least relatively) and I thought Ty graduated before then. Thanks for the update

That's how I remember it.
The basketball band was at court-level in the Summit, watching from behind the basket.
At some point in the second half Washington was either turned loose, or decided that he was going to carry the load, and the cougars simply couldn't stop him.
03-23-2020 04:49 PM
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Post: #102
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
(03-23-2020 04:45 PM)Grungy Wrote:  
(03-21-2020 10:06 AM)tanqtonic Wrote:  The fact that the Aggie band switched away from non-whistle commands after that game is telling.

And, that is a fact (that they relied at least in part on whistle command, then switched *strictly* to baton command immediately after) that in later years I verified with people who had been in the Aggie Corps Band at that time.

We'll continue to counter your version.
My now-ex was the drum major of The MOB that year.
She didn't blow a whistle.
Ken Dye had the other whistle.
He didn't blow a whistle.
Were there whistles blown in the stands?
I don't know.

One of her high school classmates was in the FTAB, playing trombone.
It was a trombone rank that turned early.
When we ran into him at the 10 year high school reunion, she asked him if it was whistles or what.
He said "Nah - we just screwed up."

I suspect this is the closest version to the truth
03-23-2020 05:56 PM
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Post: #103
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
(03-23-2020 04:49 PM)Grungy Wrote:  
(03-19-2020 12:46 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  
Quote:
Quote:As a student, loved watching Rice ALMOST take down (H)Akeem and PSJ.... think it was 1982?

That was 1984, in the SWC tournament semifinals, when the Owls nearly erased a 15-point second-half deficit to fall to the Cougars 53-50. For Houston, which wound up as NCAA tournament final runners-up, it was its lowest point output in a game all season.

Wow, I would have guessed earlier than 84. For some reason I remember Ty Washington TORCHING (H)Akeem (at least relatively) and I thought Ty graduated before then. Thanks for the update

That's how I remember it.
The basketball band was at court-level in the Summit, watching from behind the basket.
At some point in the second half Washington was either turned loose, or decided that he was going to carry the load, and the cougars simply couldn't stop him.

That was an amazing game and Tyrone, whose name came to mind when someone mentioned that game, but I couldn't quite remember. Brutal loss and another one of those $^%$%^$ losses to UH where we outplayed them and they just out-talented us.
03-23-2020 06:30 PM
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Post: #104
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
(03-21-2020 09:45 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  
(03-21-2020 07:24 PM)Jonathan Sadow Wrote:  
(03-20-2020 06:20 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  If only KTRU had continued to carry Rice sports...

If only KTRU had continued to exist in that form....

Indeed. I feel certain that if KTRU had continued its commitment to Rice sport (which by the early 2000s had expanded from to include women's basketball as well), it never would have been secretly sold. I never understood why KTRU decided to pivot so decisively away from relevance to Rice.

The broadcasting of women's basketball began in 1984, when the Southwest Conference began sponsoring women's sports (before then, Rice had been a member of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Division II, along with TCU; the other seven SWC members were AIAW Division I schools). By the late 1990s, the student and alumni game announcers were replaced by Athletic Department personnel, so the broadcasts had essentially become a mouthpiece for the Athletic Department rather than KTRU people commenting on the games. In the end, I guess the Board of Trustees figured it was worth more to sell the frequency than whatever public relations benefits could be obtained from sports broadcasts.

For those who aren't aware of what happened after the Board sold the frequency and transmitter to the University of Houston, UH tried to use the frequency as a compliment to KUHF-FM's National Public Radio programming by moving all of its music programming to 91.7 (now dubbed KUHA-FM). This turned into a debacle. After a couple of disastrous funding drives, KUHA fired most of its personnel and went to a satellite programming model; after a couple more disastrous funding drives, UH dumped the station (probably for a lot less than they paid for it), and the last I heard the 91.7 frequency was owned by a regional chain of stations broadcasting alternative-rock programming. At least KTRU now has the low-power transmitter, like the old KOWL days, and everything old is new again....
03-23-2020 06:54 PM
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Post: #105
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
Rice Athletics just posted a link on Facebook to the full UCSB game - comeback from 22 down.

https://www.facebook.com/RiceAthletics/p...4749719586
http://RiceOwls.co/GreatestGames
03-23-2020 08:18 PM
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Post: #106
Favorite Rice Sports Memory
Grungy Wrote:  When we ran into him at the 10 year high school reunion
Hee hee 03-wink
03-24-2020 05:00 AM
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Almadenmike Offline
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Post: #107
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
(03-23-2020 04:45 PM)Grungy Wrote:  ...
My now-ex was the drum major of The MOB that year.
She didn't blow a whistle.
Ken Dye had the other whistle.
He didn't blow a whistle.
Were there whistles blown in the stands?
I don't know.

One of her high school classmates was in the FTAB, playing trombone.
It was a trombone rank that turned early.
When we ran into him at the 10 year high school reunion, she asked him if it was whistles or what.
He said "Nah - we just screwed up."

A MOB insider who witnessed the incident and was involved in its review (with Ken Dye) for President Hackerman has passed on to me this recollection:

Quote:The Ags were performing their split-band block T maneuver, which meant that the two halves of the band were technically marching separately under the control of their Assistant Drum Majors on either side of the field. (Aggies have 3 Drum Majors.) I was on the side that screwed up. I remember hearing the distinct whistle pattern and seeing part of the band turn, and a lot of confusion from several individuals, who made it seem like individually they had missed their turns. ...

I realized it was a royal screw-up when I saw a trombone player ... run smack-dab into another bandsman (it was either a tuba or a bass drum) and severely bent and dented his trombone. I can still picture in my mind that tall, lanky kid with glasses having a very confused look on his face as blood streamed down his chin onto his uniform because of the mouth injury due to impact.

We watched the video in the staff meeting afterwards. After several replays, I distinctly remember pointing out with my finger on the TV screen the exact instant that the Asst Drum Major on that side blew his whistle 10 yards too soon. It was easy to tell, because the DM’s had a very distinct head-bob (visual) along with their whistle pattern.

That was the “smoking gun” evidence that Ken took to the Rice Admin as proof that it was most likely the Ag’s DM that messed up. Interestingly, the video (of which we had no copy) was never returned by Hackerman after Ken gave it to him. Sort of similar to how the Aggie Band no longer has their video of it either.

This recollection is consistent with that of Aggie band member Gary Thorpe (http://www.aggieband.com/story/thorpe.html):

Gary Thorpe Wrote:As a sax player, I was up there close to the front where it happened and the first thing I saw was the Inf Band drum major countermarch early (complete with command whistle) and then 3 bugle rank members followed his lead.

(The "Inf Band drum major" -- "Inf" for Infantry, I believe -- could have been the Assistant Drum Major mentioned in the MOB person's remembrance.)

To get a sense for the complexity of the manuever (a countermarch staggered in three phases: here's what Aggie Band member Doug Moore said (http://www.aggieband.com/story/moore.html):

Doug Moore Wrote:I was Bugle Rank (BR) member #11, or second from the right as you face the band. It was a standard follow the leader part of the drill behind the bugle rank. ... As I recall, ... Bugle Rank members #1, #4, #7, and #10 were suppose to counter march on say the 20 yard line, then BR #2, #5, #8, and #11 were suppose to counter march on say the 15 yard line, then BR #3, #6, #9, and #12 would counter march on the 10 yard line. ... I think it was BR #10, who counter marched too soon, say on the 25 instead of the 20. I followed suit a set number of paces later, and #12 followed me.

It's also noteworthy that the furor over whether the error was due to some Rice band member or a fan in the stands blowing a whistle aimed at confusing the Aggie band members was intense enough to involve President Hackerman.

To their credit, it does appear to me that Aggie Band members realize that "The Incident", as they call it, was due to a mistake on their part. But some Aggie alums, the general public, and even some Rice partisans still believe the lie that it was a Rice plot to embarrass the Aggie Band. Sigh.

Regarding video evidence -- or lack there of -- that might be seen today, Aggie Band member Gary Merka mentioned seeing "the disaster" on a video on the history of the Aggie Band titled, "Recall, The Story of the Fightin Texas Aggie Band" (http://www.aggieband.com/story/merka.html):

Gary Merka Wrote:My own personal opinion of what happened (and this is based on watching a replay of the disaster on the video "Recall, The Story of the Fightin Texas Aggie Band") is that someone on the Bugle Rank, for whatever reason, missed an assignment and then everything went to hell from there.

Worldcat says this 70-minute-long videotape is available in the A&M library (OCLC Number 49848130) (https://www.worldcat.org/title/recall-th...49848130). It might be worth another look, when libraries re-open. :-)
(This post was last modified: 03-24-2020 06:33 PM by Almadenmike.)
03-24-2020 06:30 PM
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Post: #108
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
What I think the Aggie Band incident demonstrates is the incredible complexity of what they do, and how utterly remarkable it is that they have done it so many times with only one apparent screw-up.

I was standing on top of the press box (my standard halftime post when I did stats) along with IIRC a colonel, whose relationship to the band I did not know, but who was obviously a senior guy at aTm. As soon as it happened, he got a look on his face that combined shock and anger.
03-24-2020 07:04 PM
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texowl2 Offline
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Post: #109
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
When I was little, my dad would take me each year to see the aggie game (this would be in the 60's). Apparently I used to think the Aggie War Hymn was the Rice song. Bit older in 73, which was a real turn of events as I never really had an issue with them before that (UH-never ever). All things being said, there was just nothing like the big SWC games at HRS, seeing the aggies on the East side and around to the North endzone and the entire section swaying back and forth. Frankly, their halftime show is just incredible and when they start the end section-it kinda gives u chills-saw them at the Texas Bowl this year.

When my oldest was a senior in HS-this would be 2011, I think, I took all three of them to see a game at Kyle Field, so they could experience what a real SWC game (ok well it was vs La Tech or some such, but still) was like as opposed to seasons like 2005, 2007, 2009-2011, etc. etc. where the entire home attendance was less than one Aggie home game. They (and I) did enjoy 2008-geesh that was 12 years ago.
03-24-2020 07:42 PM
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Post: #110
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
To date, over 100 replies and nearly 5K views and only one mention of any Rice sports memory in the past decade (and that was down on a long list of things) even worthy of mention. Think about that...an entire decade of sports.

Usually on these 'best of all-time' lists, the most recent things appeal to least common denominator and thus tend to get mentions (vs. the Bob R. list that pre-dates most of us here..which was great by the way).

Of course all here wish it was not the case and we had plenty to talk about in the present... but the fact there is nothing to point to on a 'best of' list in any sport over past decade says it all about where things are right now for Rice Athletics. And not like Rice Athletics history over past century is looking at countless banners, big upsets, and national championship teams to choose from. Not a bare cupboard but also not one that is over-filled and crowding-out the present accomplishments.

Hope this downtime can cause some reflection and a plan by the powers that be to be more aggressive pursuing a different, more radical/aggressive course than 'biz as usual' agenda to drive things that can make this type of list. My $.02 is that a C-USA championship in any sport should never make any 'all-time best' list of anything.
03-24-2020 11:37 PM
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Almadenmike Offline
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Post: #111
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
(03-24-2020 11:37 PM)owl40 Wrote:  To date, over 100 replies and nearly 5K views and only one mention of any Rice sports memory in the past decade (and that was down on a long list of things) even worthy of mention.

If I lived in Houston, I could imagine that watching Erica Ogwumike would likely have been a Top 10 experience. Like watching Anthony Rendon ... not a single play or game, but rather their entire Rice career.

But I guess that the resent-highlight drought you lament comes from the combination of 1) fewer single, impressive really-mattered games in the past decade ... and 2) that I suspect many of us more-active Parliamentarians skew toward Reinhold-territory and saw so many significant and stirring contests/wins in those long-ago days.

And while "a C-USA championship in any sport" may not make any "any 'all-time best' list" for you, I'd hope that it would for current students and young alums. It's a start ... and Rice athletics needs to be impressive and successful every year.
(This post was last modified: 03-25-2020 01:37 AM by Almadenmike.)
03-25-2020 01:37 AM
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Post: #112
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
When you have fallen to the foot of the stairs, your best view is of the first step back up.

Instead of demeaning things like CUSA championships and CUSA opponents, we need to start winning them consistently, not as goals in themselves but as steps back up.

For all of our sports, major and minor, we need to win often and consistently to show we have have outgrown CUSA.

Just win.

I have lots of good memories about Rice athletics, from 1963 to 2019. I must say the best is watching Anthony Rendon play. Any play, any game.
(This post was last modified: 03-25-2020 08:38 AM by OptimisticOwl.)
03-25-2020 08:36 AM
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Post: #113
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
(03-25-2020 08:36 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  When you have fallen to the foot of the stairs, your best view is of the first step back up.

Instead of demeaning things like CUSA championships and CUSA opponents, we need to start winning them consistently, not as goals in themselves but as steps back up.

For all of our sports, major and minor, we need to win often and consistently to show we have have outgrown CUSA.

Just win.

I have lots of good memories about Rice athletics, from 1963 to 2019. I must say the best is watching Anthony Rendon play. Any play, any game.

+1
03-25-2020 12:16 PM
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Post: #114
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
(03-24-2020 11:37 PM)owl40 Wrote:  To date, over 100 replies and nearly 5K views and only one mention of any Rice sports memory in the past decade (and that was down on a long list of things) even worthy of mention. Think about that...an entire decade of sports.

Other than baseball, there haven't been a lot of things since the 1960s.

I came to Rice because I thought I could get an Ivy-League-quality education while enjoying big-time athletics. There weren't many places that offered that combination. I think I got the first part, but Rice has spent the last 55 years going out of its way to deny me the second.

One thing about that education, and I would like to see how others feel about this. I don't really have that many memorable classes or professors. Where I feel I learned more than anywhere else was from the interactions with truly amazing fellow students.
03-25-2020 01:53 PM
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Post: #115
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
(03-25-2020 12:16 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  
(03-25-2020 08:36 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  When you have fallen to the foot of the stairs, your best view is of the first step back up.

Instead of demeaning things like CUSA championships and CUSA opponents, we need to start winning them consistently, not as goals in themselves but as steps back up.

For all of our sports, major and minor, we need to win often and consistently to show we have have outgrown CUSA.

Just win.

I have lots of good memories about Rice athletics, from 1963 to 2019. I must say the best is watching Anthony Rendon play. Any play, any game.

+1

Second best was watching Thor, Chase, and JD in 2008.
03-25-2020 01:58 PM
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Post: #116
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
(03-25-2020 01:37 AM)Almadenmike Wrote:  
(03-24-2020 11:37 PM)owl40 Wrote:  To date, over 100 replies and nearly 5K views and only one mention of any Rice sports memory in the past decade (and that was down on a long list of things) even worthy of mention.

If I lived in Houston, I could imagine that watching Erica Ogwumike would likely have been a Top 10 experience. Like watching Anthony Rendon ... not a single play or game, but rather their entire Rice career.

But I guess that the resent-highlight drought you lament comes from the combination of 1) fewer single, impressive really-mattered games in the past decade ... and 2) that I suspect many of us more-active Parliamentarians skew toward Reinhold-territory and saw so many significant and stirring contests/wins in those long-ago days.

And while "a C-USA championship in any sport" may not make any "any 'all-time best' list" for you, I'd hope that it would for current students and young alums. It's a start ... and Rice athletics needs to be impressive and successful every year.

Correct - as I don't live in the Houston area, I rarely get to see Rice games in person these days, and I only count events I see in person. In that vein…

(03-25-2020 08:36 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  I have lots of good memories about Rice athletics, from 1963 to 2019. I must say the best is watching Anthony Rendon play. Any play, any game.

… let me provide my favorite Anthony Rendon moment. In 2011, the Owls played two midweek games against the University of Arizona in Tucson. The Tucson area is great for both hiking and birding, so I resolved to spend some time in the southeast Arizona area and catch the games while doing these other activities (an account of which can be found deep in The Parliament archives). In the second game, Rendon came to the plate with a couple of teammates on. It was a long at-bat, with lots of pitches, and it soon became apparent why. After a few pitches, Rendon had figured out that the pitcher wasn't going to beat him with the assortment of pitches he'd thrown. At this point, Rendon was simply fouling off any pitch near the strike zone and waiting for a pitch he could drive. That came after about eight pitches, when he smacked a pitch into the right-field corner for a 2-RBI double. It was an entirely clinical at-bat. If you didn't realize it before then, you knew now that this was a ballplayer.
03-25-2020 05:38 PM
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OptimisticOwl Offline
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Post: #117
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
(03-25-2020 05:38 PM)Jonathan Sadow Wrote:  
(03-25-2020 01:37 AM)Almadenmike Wrote:  
(03-24-2020 11:37 PM)owl40 Wrote:  To date, over 100 replies and nearly 5K views and only one mention of any Rice sports memory in the past decade (and that was down on a long list of things) even worthy of mention.

If I lived in Houston, I could imagine that watching Erica Ogwumike would likely have been a Top 10 experience. Like watching Anthony Rendon ... not a single play or game, but rather their entire Rice career.

But I guess that the resent-highlight drought you lament comes from the combination of 1) fewer single, impressive really-mattered games in the past decade ... and 2) that I suspect many of us more-active Parliamentarians skew toward Reinhold-territory and saw so many significant and stirring contests/wins in those long-ago days.

And while "a C-USA championship in any sport" may not make any "any 'all-time best' list" for you, I'd hope that it would for current students and young alums. It's a start ... and Rice athletics needs to be impressive and successful every year.

Correct - as I don't live in the Houston area, I rarely get to see Rice games in person these days, and I only count events I see in person. In that vein…

(03-25-2020 08:36 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  I have lots of good memories about Rice athletics, from 1963 to 2019. I must say the best is watching Anthony Rendon play. Any play, any game.

… let me provide my favorite Anthony Rendon moment. In 2011, the Owls played two midweek games against the University of Arizona in Tucson. The Tucson area is great for both hiking and birding, so I resolved to spend some time in the southeast Arizona area and catch the games while doing these other activities (an account of which can be found deep in The Parliament archives). In the second game, Rendon came to the plate with a couple of teammates on. It was a long at-bat, with lots of pitches, and it soon became apparent why. After a few pitches, Rendon had figured out that the pitcher wasn't going to beat him with the assortment of pitches he'd thrown. At this point, Rendon was simply fouling off any pitch near the strike zone and waiting for a pitch he could drive. That came after about eight pitches, when he smacked a pitch into the right-field corner for a 2-RBI double. It was an entirely clinical at-bat. If you didn't realize it before then, you knew now that this was a ballplayer.

His batting was great, but it was his plays in the infield that took my breath away.
03-25-2020 06:22 PM
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Post: #118
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
For many of us, there are quite a few decades of Rice sports from which to sample, when crafting a favorite moments list.
This makes it difficult for the current Owl teams and athletes to elbow their way onto the list.

I am primarily a football fan - so the other sports are at a disadvantage in my list-making.

That said - the volleyball team's victory over UT this season was a lot of fun to watch (and I cannot pretend to have a grasp of the rules or the nuances of the game).

The team was clearly having fun playing their game, and having the coach's game plan work.

Let me create a separate list for the ladies, and it easily makes that list.
03-25-2020 07:48 PM
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Post: #119
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
(03-25-2020 05:38 PM)Jonathan Sadow Wrote:  
(03-25-2020 01:37 AM)Almadenmike Wrote:  
(03-24-2020 11:37 PM)owl40 Wrote:  To date, over 100 replies and nearly 5K views and only one mention of any Rice sports memory in the past decade (and that was down on a long list of things) even worthy of mention.

If I lived in Houston, I could imagine that watching Erica Ogwumike would likely have been a Top 10 experience. Like watching Anthony Rendon ... not a single play or game, but rather their entire Rice career.

But I guess that the resent-highlight drought you lament comes from the combination of 1) fewer single, impressive really-mattered games in the past decade ... and 2) that I suspect many of us more-active Parliamentarians skew toward Reinhold-territory and saw so many significant and stirring contests/wins in those long-ago days.

And while "a C-USA championship in any sport" may not make any "any 'all-time best' list" for you, I'd hope that it would for current students and young alums. It's a start ... and Rice athletics needs to be impressive and successful every year.

Correct - as I don't live in the Houston area, I rarely get to see Rice games in person these days, and I only count events I see in person. In that vein…

(03-25-2020 08:36 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  I have lots of good memories about Rice athletics, from 1963 to 2019. I must say the best is watching Anthony Rendon play. Any play, any game.

… let me provide my favorite Anthony Rendon moment. In 2011, the Owls played two midweek games against the University of Arizona in Tucson. The Tucson area is great for both hiking and birding, so I resolved to spend some time in the southeast Arizona area and catch the games while doing these other activities (an account of which can be found deep in The Parliament archives). In the second game, Rendon came to the plate with a couple of teammates on. It was a long at-bat, with lots of pitches, and it soon became apparent why. After a few pitches, Rendon had figured out that the pitcher wasn't going to beat him with the assortment of pitches he'd thrown. At this point, Rendon was simply fouling off any pitch near the strike zone and waiting for a pitch he could drive. That came after about eight pitches, when he smacked a pitch into the right-field corner for a 2-RBI double. It was an entirely clinical at-bat. If you didn't realize it before then, you knew now that this was a ballplayer.

I remember watching another memorable at bat in 1999 on TV but was none the less memorable.
The Alabama-Rice CWS elimination game. Alabama was up 4-1 when Damon Thames hit a HR in the 7th to make it 4-2. He then came up in the 8th with 2 runners on base. He foulded off 3 pitches then hit one off the foul pole in left to put Rice up 5-4. It was epic. Unfortunately, Alabama scored 1 in the 8th and 9th to eliminate Rice, 6-5. But the battle in the 8th with Thames' second HR in 2 innings to take the lead coming after 3 consecutive foul balls was something to watch.
03-26-2020 01:45 PM
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georgewebb Offline
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Post: #120
RE: Favorite Rice Sports Memory
(03-26-2020 01:45 PM)ruowls Wrote:  
(03-25-2020 05:38 PM)Jonathan Sadow Wrote:  
(03-25-2020 01:37 AM)Almadenmike Wrote:  
(03-24-2020 11:37 PM)owl40 Wrote:  To date, over 100 replies and nearly 5K views and only one mention of any Rice sports memory in the past decade (and that was down on a long list of things) even worthy of mention.

If I lived in Houston, I could imagine that watching Erica Ogwumike would likely have been a Top 10 experience. Like watching Anthony Rendon ... not a single play or game, but rather their entire Rice career.

But I guess that the resent-highlight drought you lament comes from the combination of 1) fewer single, impressive really-mattered games in the past decade ... and 2) that I suspect many of us more-active Parliamentarians skew toward Reinhold-territory and saw so many significant and stirring contests/wins in those long-ago days.

And while "a C-USA championship in any sport" may not make any "any 'all-time best' list" for you, I'd hope that it would for current students and young alums. It's a start ... and Rice athletics needs to be impressive and successful every year.

Correct - as I don't live in the Houston area, I rarely get to see Rice games in person these days, and I only count events I see in person. In that vein…

(03-25-2020 08:36 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  I have lots of good memories about Rice athletics, from 1963 to 2019. I must say the best is watching Anthony Rendon play. Any play, any game.

… let me provide my favorite Anthony Rendon moment. In 2011, the Owls played two midweek games against the University of Arizona in Tucson. The Tucson area is great for both hiking and birding, so I resolved to spend some time in the southeast Arizona area and catch the games while doing these other activities (an account of which can be found deep in The Parliament archives). In the second game, Rendon came to the plate with a couple of teammates on. It was a long at-bat, with lots of pitches, and it soon became apparent why. After a few pitches, Rendon had figured out that the pitcher wasn't going to beat him with the assortment of pitches he'd thrown. At this point, Rendon was simply fouling off any pitch near the strike zone and waiting for a pitch he could drive. That came after about eight pitches, when he smacked a pitch into the right-field corner for a 2-RBI double. It was an entirely clinical at-bat. If you didn't realize it before then, you knew now that this was a ballplayer.

I remember watching another memorable at bat in 1999 on TV but was none the less memorable.
The Alabama-Rice CWS elimination game. Alabama was up 4-1 when Damon Thames hit a HR in the 7th to make it 4-2. He then came up in the 8th with 2 runners on base. He foulded off 3 pitches then hit one off the foul pole in left to put Rice up 5-4. It was epic. Unfortunately, Alabama scored 1 in the 8th and 9th to eliminate Rice, 6-5. But the battle in the 8th with Thames' second HR in 2 innings to take the lead coming after 3 consecutive foul balls was something to watch.

I remember following that game on KTRU at my office. Those last two innings were crushing!
03-26-2020 04:41 PM
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