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When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - Printable Version

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When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - Canalejas - 05-07-2012

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120505/OPINION03/205050382#ixzz1uDAUgSVE


The story linked to above is an opinion piece which speculates about a possible Pac-12 opponent for Michigan in 2014.  If part of a home and home series, the author would like to see Michigan play USC.  But in the case of a one-game guaranteed-payout home game for Michigan, the author suggests Stanford. 

That led me to wonder, has the Cardinal ever accepted a guarantee game?

Re: When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - terry - 05-07-2012

That columnist is insane if she thinks Stanford will play a road game at Michigan without getting a home game in return. It has been at least 30 years since Stanford played a road game without getting a home game as part of the deal. If you go back to the 1970s, you can find a few examples of that. For instance, in the mid-1970s, Stanford played three road games in exchange for one home game with both Michigan and Penn State. But Stanford hasn't done anything like that in the last 30 years. It's sheer arrogance for her to assume Stanford would play a one-off road game at Michigan.

Re: When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - Farm93 - 05-07-2012

Hmmmm, let's see.  With the Pac-12 in need of programming for their new network, I think it is safe to say that the Pac-12 will not be fond of any Pac-12 seeking a guarantee game on another conference's network.  And with the Pac-12 revenue ready to come rolling in, I doubt any Pac-12 program will see the need for that type of deal, at least for 2 or 3 years.

HOWEVER, a Stanford v Michigan game in Shanghai or Beijing that is broadcasted on both the Pac-12 and BigTen Networks... now that is quite a different story.  But someone working for the Detroit News is not going to be very popular implying that the opportunities to reach 1.3+ billion people China are more important than any new viewers here in the USA and/or fans in Southeastern Michigan.

Re: When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - 82lsju - 05-07-2012

(05-07-2012, 12:51 PM)Farm93 link Wrote:HOWEVER, a Stanford v Michigan game in Shanghai or Beijing that is broadcasted on both the Pac-12 and BigTen Networks... now that is quite a different story.  But someone working for the Detroit News is not going to be very popular implying that the opportunities to reach 1.3+ billion people China are more important than any new viewers here in the USA and/or fans in Southeastern Michigan.

Scott said in a telephone interview Saturday that he expected the Pac-12 to play games in China in the next three to five years, and that he hoped the league’s cable network would someday be available there.

....

Notre Dame and Stanford have discussed playing their 2013 football game in China instead of in California.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/sports/pac-12-hopes-to-establish-presence-in-china.html?pagewanted=all

Re: When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - Farm93 - 05-07-2012

The ND Game in 2013 in China works IF the 2014 ND game is at Stanford.  This, of course, will not happen because SC owns the even year Thanksgiving visit from ND.

Since ND is not going to be off cycle against our Big Game on their side, it might be possible to break the peak and valley problem by moving the Big Game cycle.  Big Game 2013 in Shanghai would solve that problem.

No doubt that Stanford and C.a.l are the two schools that would actually draw a crowd in China.  Ex-pats, locals fond of the schools, and school alums willing to travel would make it viable.  I am almost not kidding.  Hard to imagine any other two schools in the conference doing a better job at drawing a crowd.

Then we would see which school has the most REAL loyal fans.

Re: When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - washingtonismoney - 05-07-2012

Funny indicator of the amount of respect we have: just enough where Random Columnist X thinks, "Hey, it'd be cool if they played"; not enough where Random Columnist X thinks, "Hey....this'll be a home-and-home."

Re: When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - yvonne - 05-07-2012

(05-07-2012, 04:32 PM)Farm93 link Wrote:The ND Game in 2013 in China works IF the 2014 ND game is at Stanford.  This, of course, will not happen because SC owns the even year Thanksgiving visit from ND.

Since ND is not going to be off cycle against our Big Game on their side, it might be possible to break the peak and valley problem by moving the Big Game cycle.  Big Game 2013 in Shanghai would solve that problem.

No doubt that Stanford and C.a.l are the two schools that would actually draw a crowd in China.  Ex-pats, locals fond of the schools, and school alums willing to travel would make it viable.  I am almost not kidding.  Hard to imagine any other two schools in the conference doing a better job at drawing a crowd.

Then we would see which school has the most REAL loyal fans.

I can't tell whether this is tongue-in-cheek.

Re: When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - Extra Point - 05-07-2012

The last "guarantee" game was at Michigan in 1975. There was such an uproar about it that Chuck Taylor, the AD at the time, said Stanford would never do it again. Stanford only had 4 home games that year and fans did not like it. Mike Cordova was the quarterback and the game ended in a19 to 19 tie.

Do I win some kind of trivia award for this?

Re: When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - yvonne - 05-07-2012

Well, right now your post is tied for second as Message of the Week.

Re: When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - 76lsjumb - 05-07-2012

(05-07-2012, 07:17 PM)Extra Point link Wrote:The last "guarantee" game was at Michigan in 1975. There was such an uproar about it that Chuck Taylor, the AD at the time, said Stanford would never do it again. Stanford only had 4 home games that year and fans did not like it. Mike Cordova was the quarterback and the game ended in a19 to 19 tie.

Do I win some kind of trivia award for this?

Well, only if you also remember to point out that, following that game, the legendary "Go Blue! M Club Supports You!" banner that the Michigan team traditionally runs under and slaps as they enter the stadium for each game made a fast, if short-lived, cross-country trip from Ann Arbor to visit the West Coast. 

Not that the Band had anything to do with it, and not that I'm admitting to any knowledge of it

...and, besides, I'm pretty sure the statute has run anyway.

Re: When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - Embo - 05-07-2012

(05-07-2012, 07:17 PM)Extra Point link Wrote:The last "guarantee" game was at Michigan in 1975. There was such an uproar about it that Chuck Taylor, the AD at the time, said Stanford would never do it again. Stanford only had 4 home games that year and fans did not like it. Mike Cordova was the quarterback and the game ended in a19 to 19 tie.

Do I win some kind of trivia award for this?

You are correct on some points, but the "guarantee" was in 1976, and the AD who caused the uproar was Joe Ruetz, not Chuck Taylor.  Here's the way it happened:

Yes, in 1975, Stanford shocked the college football world by tying Michigan, led by Bo Schembechler at the Big House, 19-19.  Stanford actually came very close to winning that game, as a pass into the end zone late in the fourth quarter was just a little past the outstretched hands of Tony Hill.  Unfortunately, that game was not televised (back then, each school was limited to just two broadcasts a season, max).  As a result of that shocking tie, Stanford actually earned votes to enter the AP top 20 (it was 20 back then, not 25) despite a 0-1-1 record (the previous game was a loss at Penn State).

Here's what happened in 1976: The followup Stanford-Michigan game was to be played at Stanford Stadium.  It was non-conference, so it was scheduled in early September - before school started.  Hence, attendance was not expected to match what Michigan Stadium would hold.  Michigan's AD offered then Stanford AD Joe Ruetz the opportunity to return to the Big House, for a larger share of the purse (that would have to be the main incentive).  In a decision that was criticized by writers for the Chronicle, Ruetz took it - leaving Stanford with four home games in 1976.  And it indeed turned into a disaster.  Coach Jack Christiansen made an ill-advised pregame comment - something along the lines of "We're not going for a tie this year, we're going for a win!"  And the Wolverines would not be surprised the second time.  The final score was 49-0 - and Stanford was booed for attempting a long FG near the end of the game to break the shutout.

Joe Ruetz did atone for this mistake a year later by replacing Christiansen with some guy with white hair.  But that acquiescence to Michigan was an all time doozy.

Re: When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - yvonne - 05-07-2012

Jack Christiansen, the only coach ever carried onto the field for Big Game.

Re: When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - Farm93 - 05-08-2012

(05-07-2012, 06:41 PM)Yvonne link Wrote:[quote author=Farm93 link=topic=5902.msg43513#msg43513 date=1336433530]
The ND Game in 2013 in China works IF the 2014 ND game is at Stanford.  This, of course, will not happen because SC owns the even year Thanksgiving visit from ND.

Since ND is not going to be off cycle against our Big Game on their side, it might be possible to break the peak and valley problem by moving the Big Game cycle.  Big Game 2013 in Shanghai would solve that problem.

No doubt that Stanford and C.a.l are the two schools that would actually draw a crowd in China.  Ex-pats, locals fond of the schools, and school alums willing to travel would make it viable.  I am almost not kidding.  Hard to imagine any other two schools in the conference doing a better job at drawing a crowd.

Then we would see which school has the most REAL loyal fans.

I can't tell whether this is tongue-in-cheek.
[/quote]

In truth I was torn.  I don't really want it to happen, but I would probably be willing to bet decent money that in the next 30 years a Big Game will go to China or another venue outside of the Bay Area, at least once.  And I would definitely be willing fly to that country to see it too.

I was serious that Stanford would draw better than any other program if the game was in China.  Beijing and Shanghai have ex-pats that would probably be more likely to check out Stanford than say ASU.  And the China love affair with top tier USA universities means that the Stanford brand is far stronger than Colorado, Utah or SC.

If the Pac-12 turned the game into an opportunity to learn about the universities AND football, I would guess the crowd could be significant for that Stanford game.

Odd, but true, IMHO that Stanford is the Pac-12's best brand for an event in China, even if that event is a football game.

Re: When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - Kathy - 05-11-2012

(05-07-2012, 10:00 PM)Embo link Wrote:The final score was 49-0 - and Stanford was booed for attempting a long FG near the end of the game to break the shutout.

No, it was a bit worse than that. Stanford lost 51-0.

I remember being thrilled when I heard the game had been moved to Ann Arbor. As a new grad student at Mizzou, I was still going through withdrawal pains and thought it would be grand to visit my old Storey House roommate, who was a grad student at Michigan, and catch my favorite football team in action.

The game was excruciating. It seemed as if we were the only two Stanford fans among the 100,000+ in the stadium.

The capper came after the game. As we were walking back from the stadium, a headline caught my eye; TWA had gone on strike that day and the airline was grounded. Of course, I'd flown on TWA. A perfect end to a perfectly awful day.


Re: When (if ever) did Cardinal football last take a guarantee game? - Farm93 - 05-12-2012

Must not have been fun at that 1999 game, but I DEFINITELY remember thinking that the 1999 Stanford team looked better than the 1998 edition.  I really did think the team played better than the score indicated, and that maybe the team would be able to win against slightly less talented teams.

Never thought 1999 would turn into 1999, but believed I just watched a 5 or 6 win type team.  It probably was harder to see the positives if you were watching from the stands in Austin.