[Spiny_Norman]

The first football game I saw as a Stanford student was a loss to Army. Two weeks later I celebrated after Ken Naber kicked the longest FG in Stanford history on the last play of the game to beat UCLA. Later in the season, Stanford came back from a 21-0 halftime deficit to tie #1 U.SC.  It was the only blemish on the T.rojans’ record that season. A few weeks later, Stanford lost to Oregon State, one of the worst teams in the country. It was the Beavers’ only win all year. And Stanford’s season ended with a Big Game loss on the final play of the game.

That 5-5-1 season firmly defined the emotional rollercoaster of being a Stanford fan.  There would be euphoric highs. And crushing, perhaps inexplicable losses.  I wrote on the other thread about some of the latter that I have experienced.  These are some of my favorite memories from nearly 40 years watching Stanford across all sports in person, on tv and on web streams.

I keep a list of top games that I have attended. #1 is 1990 Big Game.  I don’t think anything could ever top it which is why I have not been back to Berkeley since for a football game.

1986 UCLA – first time I ever attended a game at the Rose Bowl. Stanford won 26-23 thanks to Brad Muster who rushed for nearly 200 yards. The Band was banned for this trip. So I borrowed a band jacket from a friend and wore it to the game to show my support. AD Andy Geiger did a double take when I walked past him.

1991 U.SC – first Stanford win vs. U.SC in 16 years.  Bob Whitfield was a freshman starting LT. His family and friends were in the rows in front of me. The game was great but the memory is still vivid because of how much fun they had and how loudly they cheered.  And how satisfying it was *finally* to beat the T.rojans.

2000 U.SC – Chris Lewis to Jamien McCullem for a TD on the final play of the game to beat the T.rojans.

2011 U.SC – Another all time great game. We along with the other Stanford fans had such crappy seats behind the end zone that we were 150 yards from the game’s final play. The only way I could tell what happened was to watch the video board.

2013 Rose Bowl – never thought I would live to see Stanford win a Rose Bowl. And I got to enjoy the game and share the experience with my brother, also a Stanford alum. I cried when Stepfan Taylor moved the chains one last time to allow Stanford to run out the clock.

Other sports

1981 MBB win over UCLA.  I was one of the managers for this team and was working the bench when Stanford upset the Bruins which had 4 starters returning from the prior year’s national runner up.  Stanford stars included frosh Keith Jones, John Revelli and the late Hans Wichary who coolly drilled a jumper from the corner to seal the win. Probably the 2nd greatest upset at Maples in the 1980s.

1999 MBB season opener. Stanford beat Duke at Madison Square Garden in OT and I got Bill Murray’s autograph before the game.  That was a really good day.

Stanford has won 111 NCAA team championships. I have seen one in person – 2015 women's water polo over UCLA.  Tangible evidence of a job well done.

In 2013 I was at the reception in LA for the coaches while Stanford women’s tennis was playing Texas A&M for the NC. I watched the final set of the final match on a phone alongside one of the AD staffers in the back of the room. When Kristie Ahn won her match the staffer signaled Bernard Muir who was about to address the group. He told the crowd, “When we began the evening, Stanford had 103 national championships. We now have 104.” You can imagine the cheers.

And the highlights keep coming – women’s tennis last year was the height of drama, match after match in the tourney. WVP this year was unbelievable.  But the one that for me stands above all of those NC runs was women’s golf in 2015. What Mariah Stackhouse and her Baylor opponent pulled off on the final holes of their match was phenomenal. With all of the pressure of a national championship on her shoulders and no margin for a single mistake after falling 2 holes down with 2 to play, Stackhouse finished birdie-birdie then won on the 19th hole. I get chills just writing about what happened.

I’ll close with some words about U.SC 2007. I’ll never forget the date of that game – October 6, 2007. But the reason that date is forever in my memory is that is the day my mom told us that she had leukemia. Everything else that happened that day was kind of surreal.  Her note included a quote whose words always come back to me – “Circumstances do color life  . . so, what color is it going to be?”  I’ll take mine cardinal and white.

[Spiny_Norman]

The first football game I saw as a Stanford student was a loss to Army. Two weeks later I celebrated after Ken Naber kicked the longest FG in Stanford history on the last play of the game to beat UCLA. Later in the season, Stanford came back from a 21-0 halftime deficit to tie #1 U.SC.  It was the only blemish on the T.rojans’ record that season. A few weeks later, Stanford lost to Oregon State, one of the worst teams in the country. It was the Beavers’ only win all year. And Stanford’s season ended with a Big Game loss on the final play of the game.

That 5-5-1 season firmly defined the emotional rollercoaster of being a Stanford fan.  There would be euphoric highs. And crushing, perhaps inexplicable losses.  I wrote on the other thread about some of the latter that I have experienced.  These are some of my favorite memories from nearly 40 years watching Stanford across all sports in person, on tv and on web streams.

I keep a list of top games that I have attended. #1 is 1990 Big Game.  I don’t think anything could ever top it which is why I have not been back to Berkeley since for a football game.

1986 UCLA – first time I ever attended a game at the Rose Bowl. Stanford won 26-23 thanks to Brad Muster who rushed for nearly 200 yards. The Band was banned for this trip. So I borrowed a band jacket from a friend and wore it to the game to show my support. AD Andy Geiger did a double take when I walked past him.

1991 U.SC – first Stanford win vs. U.SC in 16 years.  Bob Whitfield was a freshman starting LT. His family and friends were in the rows in front of me. The game was great but the memory is still vivid because of how much fun they had and how loudly they cheered.  And how satisfying it was *finally* to beat the T.rojans.

2000 U.SC – Chris Lewis to Jamien McCullem for a TD on the final play of the game to beat the T.rojans.

2011 U.SC – Another all time great game. We along with the other Stanford fans had such crappy seats behind the end zone that we were 150 yards from the game’s final play. The only way I could tell what happened was to watch the video board.

2013 Rose Bowl – never thought I would live to see Stanford win a Rose Bowl. And I got to enjoy the game and share the experience with my brother, also a Stanford alum. I cried when Stepfan Taylor moved the chains one last time to allow Stanford to run out the clock.

Other sports

1981 MBB win over UCLA.  I was one of the managers for this team and was working the bench when Stanford upset the Bruins which had 4 starters returning from the prior year’s national runner up.  Stanford stars included frosh Keith Jones, John Revelli and the late Hans Wichary who coolly drilled a jumper from the corner to seal the win. Probably the 2nd greatest upset at Maples in the 1980s.

1999 MBB season opener. Stanford beat Duke at Madison Square Garden in OT and I got Bill Murray’s autograph before the game.  That was a really good day.

Stanford has won 111 NCAA team championships. I have seen one in person – 2015 women's water polo over UCLA.  Tangible evidence of a job well done.

In 2013 I was at the reception in LA for the coaches while Stanford women’s tennis was playing Texas A&M for the NC. I watched the final set of the final match on a phone alongside one of the AD staffers in the back of the room. When Kristie Ahn won her match the staffer signaled Bernard Muir who was about to address the group. He told the crowd, “When we began the evening, Stanford had 103 national championships. We now have 104.” You can imagine the cheers.

And the highlights keep coming – women’s tennis last year was the height of drama, match after match in the tourney. WVP this year was unbelievable.  But the one that for me stands above all of those NC runs was women’s golf in 2015. What Mariah Stackhouse and her Baylor opponent pulled off on the final holes of their match was phenomenal. With all of the pressure of a national championship on her shoulders and no margin for a single mistake after falling 2 holes down with 2 to play, Stackhouse finished birdie-birdie then won on the 19th hole. I get chills just writing about what happened.

I’ll close with some words about U.SC 2007. I’ll never forget the date of that game – October 6, 2007. But the reason that date is forever in my memory is that is the day my mom told us that she had leukemia. Everything else that happened that day was kind of surreal.  Her note included a quote whose words always come back to me – “Circumstances do color life  . . so, what color is it going to be?”  I’ll take mine cardinal and white.