Michigan State v. Alabama

When I was a kid there were 4 bowl games only.  None of the BCS stuff and the Big Ten winner went to the Rose Bowl. Now MSU has a sensational season and they are playing at the Capital Bank bowl or something aganst Alabama which was long suspected as not even having a university within the state.  I still have my Michigan State Band jacket with the Rose Bowl emblem sown inside. So I've been an MSU faithful for a long time...yes I have my MSU sweatshirt on this morning.

In the fall of 1968 we traveled by bus down to Ohio State (we lost 25-20 and the fans were still hostile). Driving into town our bus got stopped at a light on High Street right outside the George Wallace for President local headquarters.  This brought out the best in a bunch of mostly anti-war college bandies and after the first doughnut was hurled something like bedlam ensued. The police of course showed up and we were detained as the Wallace boys were trying to press charges for assault (with a jelly doughnut).  We are talking 244 bandies v. dozens of Wallace supporters and the rest of Columbus Ohio suddenly turned vicious by the sight of green band uniforms.

The Govenor of Michigan had to get on the phone with the Govenor of Ohio to defuse the mess. there were several more incidents that day - in particular one after the game that had to do with the band buses being rocked by OSU fans and fighting back by emptying the bus lavatories onto the parking lot (hey it was self defense)...anyway, we escaped and it was thrilling.

The music building at MSU sits immediately behind the President's home...literally in his back yard and on return to campus Clifton Wharton, the president was there to greet the band. What an honor.  "Mr. House".  "Yes Sir".  "You are the president of this band?" (wow he knows my name!!) "Yes Sir".  "Please come with me Mr. House".  "Where are we going sir?" "Mr. House, considering the band's escapades today and the phone calls I've received, the only two words I expect to hear from you in the next interval are 'yes sir'".

Ahhh the memories. Go State.