Tackled for a Loss

Tommy Towery

LHS '64

Last week I asked you readers to comment about a football memory to share with your classmates. I even gave some suggestions such as:

A memorable football game as a player or spectator.

A memorable date to a football game.

A favorite outfit to wear to the games.

A memorable weather incident at a football game.

An interaction with a cheerleader or football player that was memorable.

Keeping ticket stubs.

A band, majorette, or cheerleader memory about a football game.

A rivalry note with another team.

A favorite food or drink memory about a game.

A memory of the field.

A road trip to another game.

A favorite cheer or song from a game.

Any other football game memories which happened prior to your graduation.

The newsletter goes out to over 300 of you. Of that number, I received only two comments. I can't believe that only two folks had any memories of our football games.

Personally I have some good and bad memories of going to the early games at Goldsmith-Schiffman Field. One memory is that I used to love to get a cup of hot chocolate during the cold winter games, and it always was a weak watered-down cup of liquid, but was always hot. I remember sitting in the wooden bleachers with my friends. How could one ever forget the smell and sight of the restrooms at Goldsmith-Schiffman? I also remember how "old" the stadium felt, and the newness of the new Huntsville Stadium when our games moved there. 

Cecilia LeVan Watson , LHS ‘68, wrote "I remember the marching band playing at half time. It had to be 1967 or 68. We had recently heard of a classmate that died in Vietnam. The band played an old song called My Buddy. The lyrics were "My buddy. my buddy your no bodies buddy now."  Such a sad time in our lives."

Linda Kinkle Cianci, LHS ‘66, added "What I remember about football games, as a band member, is that some of the girls (I was one) had big rollers in their hair under those hot, sweaty hats, so that we'd look decent for dates or activities after the games.  Sort of like the military, band members were supposed to do things in unison. When commanded to keep hats on - everyone had to keep hats on. Hats off - everyone had to take their hats off ... that is, except we rebellious girls with the rollers under those hats, in horror,  just flat out refused to obey that command.  At least that's the way I remember it. Anyone else remember differently?"

As for me (Tommy), I remember cuddling up with a special person under a blanket at the new stadium. I always loved to watch the cheerleaders and participate with them doing their cheers. I wrote earlier I always loved the "Fee-Fie" cheer, and memories of "Push-'em back" still linger in my old brain.

I find it hard to believe that no one else had any memories of that special time in our lives.

The Wayback Machine

"What It Was, Was Football" is a monologue by actor-comedian Andy Griffith. The monologue is a description of a college football game, as seen by a naive country preacher who attends the game by accident and is entirely puzzled by it. Colonial Records sold nearly 50,000 copies of the record and ultimately sold nearly 800,000 copies. It also shot into the Top 10 in the Billboard record charts, peaking at #9 in February 1954.

"What It Was, Was Football" (which remains one of the biggest-selling comedy records of all time) was instrumental in launching Griffith's career in television, stage, and film. 

More Toy Memories

Craig Bannecke

LHS ‘65

Tommy I sent this back in August by email thinking it might be too long for this submission here. And also included two pictures which I could not attach here. But I wrote the following after reading and enjoying your story about cap guns.                                             

I enjoyed the article on cap guns as it brought back a lot of memories for me and is probably the reason that even today at the age of 77 I am still "playing" with guns. I have a small group whom I shoot Skeet and Sporting Clays with each week out at the Turkey Federation Shooting Complex. I guess all the smoke from fired cap guns gets in your system and is hard to shake !

My gun interests, like the rest of the guys in our generation began with cap guns. I had several different kinds over the years and the great TV westerns we had in our day only contributed to that interest. I can remember as a small boy on Saturday mornings putting on my cowboy hat, gun and holster  and throwing a bathroom towel over the arm of the sofa. That sofa arm was my horse and the towel was my saddle and if I had a piece of rope that would be my reins. I would watch the cowboy westerns and ride my sofa horse right along with them shooting an hollering. Chasing outlaws and fighting Indians right along with Hop-a-long Cassidy, Roy Rodgers, Tex Ritter and my favorite, Lash LaRue. 

My cap gun of choice was the Mattel Fanner 50 with a Mattel holster. Mattel had the best gun holsters as they were so realistic. The one gun that was my favorite was the Mattel Winchester Model. I never owned one, but had friends that had them. Toy's in our day were not something Mom and Dad just went out and bought you anytime you wanted something. Our toys most of the time came as gifts at either Birthdays, Christmas, or we saved our money and bought them our selves. I have attached a picture of some of the cap guns of our day. Good article Tommy and it did bring back some special memories even as I still shoot today!

I'm disappointed we did not get any more feedback about our memories of the football of our times, but I can't force anyone to participate. I know there are many, many other stories left untold.

SAVE THE DATE

Lee Lunch Bunch

Classes of ’64, ’65, ‘66

Date: Thursday, October 24, 2024

Time: 11:00 AM

Place: Logan’s Roadhouse

Balmoral Dr.

Huntsville, AL

Reservations Required through the following:

Patsy Oldroyd ‘65

C (256) 431-3396

H (256) 232-7583

keithandpatsy@att.net

Getting this together this time was more difficult than ever before. Logan’s now requires groups to go through a reservation agency. Also, I had to do some tall talking to avoid the expensive reservation fee they now require along with a contract. Our history of the past fourteen years there for our LLB is the only thing that saved me this time from all of that. I was lucky to only have to do the reservation agency. So… PLEASE do let me know if you plan to come, and do show up! Sorry no last-minute show-ups without a reservation. Thanks! 

Last Week's Questions, Answers, 

And Comments

Craig Bannecke, LHS ‘65, "Was so sorry to hear of Mrs Nelson's passing, but at the same time, passing after having such a long life at the age of 91, was certainly a blessing as well. Mrs Nelson was one of my favorite's, as my Junior and Senior years I spent most of my study halls at the Library. The study hall's I was assigned to would allow you to sign out and go to the Library if you needed too.... and I always needed too !  Enjoyed talking to the various friends and young ladies who were in the Library at the same time and  I arranged a few dates there as well. Mrs Nelson was always very personable and knew everyone by name. If I recall correctly, I even helped her create a few of her Library bulletin board displays while doing "study hall" in the Library. We were so blessed at Lee to have had so many wonderful teachers and Mrs Nelson was certainly one of them."

Elizabeth Weinbaum, LHS ‘65, "I loved Mrs. Nelson. I worked for her in the library as an assistant and she was wonderful to her students. I suppose that began my love for libraries which extended to my working at Amelia Gayle Gorgas at Alabama and the library at Mississippi State. Thank you for sharing this loss, Tommy. Joel snd I both celebrated her long life and her gifts given to us while we were at Lee."