Mall Rat is 18 and in college. I just sent her this.
I figure she is old enuf to learn that the Great Spirit wears Blue and Gold.
Subject: Joe Starkey and The Play (very,very long)
From a gift from my sister who was there, the highlights tape produced by
KGO radio of the 1982 Big Game, November 20, 1982 (transcribed without
permission, please excuse spelling of any names as I was only starting high
school that year, didn't know anything, and still don't):
[Joe]
"....So with 31 seconds to go, they [Stanfurd] still have that time out left
but still need to get a little further down field.
"Here's Elway, bringing 'em up. Pitch back, breaking to his left is Doderer.
Doderer may go all the way!!! He is dropped at the 17 yd. line! He swept
to his left in a beautiful play; Anderson and Rogers made the tackle; but
Stanfurd is now in position to win with a field goal. Oh my goodness,
what a finish!! Clock has 23 seconds remaining. And they still have their
time out left.
"Clock begins to run again; it's down to 18. Let's see what Elway does.
Pitch back; gives it to Doderer, sweeps to his right, he is dropped to the 18
yd. line. And now with 8 seconds to go...Kevin Moen makes the tackle,
Stanfurd calls the time out and sets themselves up to win the game with
a field goal--35 yards....What a finish. I'll tell you this is something. And
for John Elway to pull this out after being 4th and 17 on his own 13 yard
line, with less than a minute to go is one of the most remarkable finishes
you'll ever see.
"Harmon's a great kicker. This is a gimme for Harmon from the 35. A 35
yard kick, 8 seconds to go. Mark Harmon, 35 will win it.... Listen to the
crowd. Here's the snap; here's the kick; it is long and up, and it's GOOD!!
Stanfurd hits it with 4 seconds to go! And takes the lead 20-19! Only a
miracle could save the Bears as Stanfurd piles out on the field.
"Now there will be a 15 yard penalty against Stanfurd on the kick-off for
exuberance is about what it comes down to."
[Jan]
"Joe, so this is the Big Game?!"
[Joe]
"Awesome, flow of emotion back and forth, great football. Well, this is
some show I'll tell you. And now the Bears in a seemingly impossible
situation. They have only one time-out left. They pretty well have to
run it back... to save the game and boy, talk about a heartbreaking way to
lose....But what a great way to win if you are a Stanfurd fan. 8 seconds to
go, 35 yard kick by Harmon. [Nauseating Stanfurd fans and band heard in
the background.] It'll go right up there with Langford's kick in '74, which
was further of course...a 50 yarder at the buzzer.
"The Bears' problem is...that although the kick-off will now come from
the 25 yard line, it's unlikely that Ford can get the ball and get out of
bounds far enough upfield to set up one try at the field goal. What a
recovery by Stanfurd; you have to give them all sorts of credit. 4th and 17
at their own 13 yd. line, and it beats staring at them in the face, and they
saved it. They pulled it out. What a show.
"Alright here we go with the kick-off. Harmon will probably try to squib
it and he does. Ball comes loose and the Bears have to get out of bounds.
Rogers along the sideline, another one...they're still in deep trouble at
midfield, they tried to do a couple of...THE BALL IS STILL LOOSE as they get
it to Rogers. They get it back to the 30, they're down to the 20...Oh the
band is out on the field!! He's gonna go into the endzone!!! He got into
the endzone!! [voice quite hoarse at this point] Will it count? The Bears
have scored [CANNON GOES OFF] but the bands are out on the field.
"There were flags all over the place. Wait and see what happens; we
don't know who won the game. There are flags on the field. We have to
see whether or not the flags are against Stanfurd or Cal. The Bears may
have made some illegal laterals. It could be that it won't count. The
Bears, believe it or not, took it all the way into the endzone. If the penalty
is against Stanfurd, California would win the game. If it is not, the game
is over and Stanfurd has won. We've heard no decision yet. Everybody
is milling around on the [crowd and Joe getting very, very loud now]
FIELD!!! AND THE BEARS!!! THE BEARS HAVE WON!!! THE BEARS
HAVE WON!!! Oh my God, the most amazing, sensational, traumatic,
heart rending... exciting thrilling finish in the history of college football!
California has won...the Big Game...over Stanfurd. Oh excuse me for my
voice, but I have never, never seen anything like it in the history of I
have ever seen any game in my life! The Bears have won it! There will
be no extra point! Hold it right here, don't anybody go away....[crowd
roaring wildly]
"After just about everybody on the kick-off team handled the ball, Kevin
Moen finally did it. And he ran through 15 members of the Stanfurd
band, nobody tackled him. The Fool!....Glenn Shapiro, our statistician,
has just held up a card and it says the truth. The Stanfurd band just cost
their team that ball game. The Stanfurd band ran out on the field, it left
all the defenders in an impossible situation to get to the Bears carrying the
ball. They couldn't tackle 'em. The band, in effect, served as extra
blockers, the official had no choice but to let the play go as was. The Bears
have scored on the kick-off, brought it all the way back. At least 5 men
handled the ball on one lateral after another. I thought Rogers was dead
at one point. He got rid of the ball [CANNON GOES OFF, CROWD GOES
WILD] I believe it was Kevin Moen that Jan said that scored the winning
touchdown as the kick-off came from the 25 yard line. This place is like it
has never been ever. Stanfurd can't believe it."
[Jan]
"The field is covered with people. Stanfurd is standing around in a daze.
The band is in the corner, doesn't know what to do. Blue and Gold is all
over the field jumping in joy! 25-20 is the final score. The University of
California has won the 85th Big Game!"
[Joe]
"The only thing were not sure of, Jan, is we'd like to credit the Stanfurd
tuba player who threw the key block on the drive! We will be back,
believe it or not, if we can compose ourselves. Right after this with a
recap of today's unbelievable game. [Station identification]
"Welcome back to Bezerkely. It is indescribable here. The field is
absolutely overwhelmed with Cal fans. The Stanfurd band is besides
themselves with disappointment. They can't believe what happened to
them in effect, because they were on the field before the Play ended, but
they thought the Play was over. They in effect blocked and allowed Kevin
Moen to score the winning touchdown. To recap it from the top, I know
we got crazy because it was an hysterical scene. There were so many
laterals, so many times it appeared that the Bears were finished, that the
ball was simply being stopped cold, that it was impossible to even follow
who had the ball because the Bears when they finally got down into
Stanfurd territory, had the problem of having to run through the
Stanfurd band. We literally couldn't see who had the ball, or who was
running with it.
"I guarantee you, if you watch college football for the rest of your life, you
will never again see or hear a game to match this one for pure dramatic
excitement in the most spectacular...crazy, amazing remarkable games I
have ever seen. You cannot believe the sight here at Berkeley as the Axe
is now being carried. The Axe is now being carried around the field by the
Bears. Rich Dixon, I believe, has got his hands on it. Rich Dixon's got it
in his hands. It looks like, uh, trying to pick out some of the other players
down there, Jan, but again we should point out it's Kevin Moen. If it
does not sound like a credible broadcast of the final play, my apologies.
But believe me we didn't know how to call it until it was over either."
[Jan]
"I don't want to apologize. It was just so wonderful to be a part of this
event today. And down at the end, it looks like the Old Blue rugby team.
The Old Blues that have been the national champion year after year had
put that play in, because at least 6 or 7 different Bears touched the ball as
they lateraled it. All good legal laterals moving down field before Moen
finally ran through the Stanfurd band into history."
[Joe]
"I don't think a single person in the entire sellout crowd has walked
outside the confines of the stadium yet. Even to go underneath the
stands to party some more. The field is indescribable yet. It is so packed,
so full that the players for California are trying to go around the field
carrying the big Axe which they have won back as they finish their season
7-4, have had to have a path cleared for them to walk around the
stadium. And what is more dramatic than anything, is the
overwhelming movement, action, and excitement of Blue and Gold
against the red sea down to our right that is stunned into absolute silence.
They are virtually immobile. I have not seen a member of the Stanfurd
band so much as move in the past 3 minutes. They are just now
beginning to try to get some semblance of sanity back into their lives as
they reflect on the fact that they in a way helped the California Golden
Bears win the 85th Big Game here today by a score of 25-20. Once again
from here in Berkeley...where the serenading and the songs and the
music and the parties will go on late into the night as people years from
now...will say they were here today for what has to be as of this moment
the greatest Big Game in history. The California Golden Bears win it.
Once again the final score: California 25, Stanfurd 20....[Fight for
California is played...]
Go Bears!!
Wendy '91
UHCO '96
Dare to be a Bear!!!
csua.berkeley.edu
Shit. I'm crying :>)
"The Bear will not quit, the Bear will not die"...Joe Kapp
Mall Rat's Ma and eye were at the game. |
