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skymike 03-07-2011 08:11 AM

Vintage Fans: Tell Us a Tulane Stadium Story?
 
("Vintage Fans, haha... Like that?)

This one's for YOU. You are one of our best resources here at blackandgold.com, and I am glad you are here.

--Tell us a Tulane Stadium Story.
--Also, I'd like to know if you really liked the old stadium.
--and one more thing: Do you think the modern Saints Fans could
take the elements there now?

I think it would toughen us up, and I think losing some amenities would turn more of the focus on the football. I think we'd actually be even better fans.

I could be totally full of it.

44Champs 03-07-2011 09:40 AM

OK, I'm not "old" but here are my memories there as a kid from both the Tulane and Saints games:

1) Fans stomping on the metal bleachers in unison while chanting "Block that kick, block that kick". Damn that stadium would get loud!

2) The beer vendors wearing Dixie Jet Packs and watching them pour and drink beer straight from the hand-held spigot

3) I remember thinking Archie Manning was the next best thing to Superman out on the field

foreverfan 03-07-2011 10:25 AM

It was December 10, 1972 New England Patroits game.
Jim Plunkett was in his 2nd year as QB of the Pats. This was my 1st actual Saints game and I was 14. It was late in the season and the Saints sucked so naturally my friend'd dad had some tickets left over and took us. After the game, we went down and saw the players leave. I got to see Plunkett up close. He was actually much uglier in person.

Personally, I think the dome can't be beat. I love the fact that it's indoors and you don't have the heat, rain, sun, wind all of which means that you are sitting on an aluminum bench without a back.

GIVE ME THE DOME. Plus the dome has easier traffic flow around it.

http://www.krakov.net/si/images/1971/0215_large.jpg

st thomas 03-07-2011 02:33 PM

i was there on the opening of the saints game i was 9 or 10. my old man was well looped and i did'nt know if it were the stadium swaying or him. gillium ran back a kick it was crazy.there was passionate fans from the start. we were brand new, it was 1967

jeanpierre 03-07-2011 10:05 PM

Mom and Dad were barely getting by; Dad managed a local industrial supply business...

They get invited by some people on a "business trip" to watch the Saints in Tulane Stadium; weather was cold/nasty so they left with their hosts...

While arriving at a restaurant, Antoine's or one of the old line restaurants, there was a big commotion; Dempsey had just kick the then longest field goal in NFL history to beat the Lions...

My parents hosts told my parents they were only making one mistake today; they eventually helped Dad establish his business and he did well for thirty years till he past away...

skymike 03-08-2011 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44Champs (Post 288339)
1) Fans stomping on the metal bleachers in unison while chanting "Block that kick, block that kick". Damn that stadium would get loud!

Man!!! If we're still doing renovations in the Dome-- people, this is a must. Forget the amenities, I want stompable bleachers!

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44Champs (Post 288339)
2) The beer vendors wearing Dixie Jet Packs and watching them pour and drink beer straight from the hand-held spigot

Why??? Why do we not still have this??? some namby pamby rule, I'm sure. This is outstanding.
Quote:

Originally Posted by 44Champs (Post 288339)
3) I remember thinking Archie Manning was the next best thing to Superman out on the field

Archie is getting a whole thread to himself here soon. I think Archie got forgotten during our SB year, and I think its time to give him the love.
Quote:

Originally Posted by foreverfan (Post 288344)
It was December 10, 1972 New England Patroits game. Jim Plunkett was in his 2nd year as QB of the Pats. This was my 1st actual Saints game and I was 14.

Cool stuff, FF. That guy deserved his SB ring, which he didnt get till 12 years afterward.
Quote:

Originally Posted by foreverfan (Post 288344)
I got to see Plunkett up close. He was actually much uglier in person.

and he was one ugly mo'. Good thing he was a QB, or he'd never have found a lady. Kind of like musicians, huh Strato?
Quote:

Originally Posted by foreverfan (Post 288344)
Personally, I think the dome can't be beat. I love the fact that it's indoors and you don't have the heat, rain, sun, wind all of which means that you are sitting on an aluminum bench without a back.

Wait, did those aluminum benches have any more butt room than my Terrace seat? I dont know, FF, I sure would like stompable bleachers.
Quote:

Originally Posted by foreverfan (Post 288344)
Plus the dome has easier traffic flow around it.

never thought about that. wow. I probably wouldnt get back to Houston till 3am. great post, thanks!
Quote:

Originally Posted by st thomas (Post 288378)
i was there on the opening of the saints game i was 9 or 10. my old man was well looped and i did'nt know if it were the stadium swaying or him. gillium ran back a kick it was crazy.there was passionate fans from the start. we were brand new, it was 1967

hahaha... pure poetry right there, thanks much Tom.
Quote:

Originally Posted by jeanpierre (Post 288427)
Mom and Dad were barely getting by; Dad managed a local industrial supply business...

They get invited by some people on a "business trip" to watch the Saints in Tulane Stadium; weather was cold/nasty so they left with their hosts...

While arriving at a restaurant, Antoine's or one of the old line restaurants, there was a big commotion; Dempsey had just kick the then longest field goal in NFL history to beat the Lions...

My parents hosts told my parents they were only making one mistake today; they eventually helped Dad establish his business and he did well for thirty years till he past away...

You are not serious. That is right out of Forrest Gump, JP. You cant make that kind of stuff up.

Well, already this thread is online gold. Remember who started it.

nevergiveup3 03-08-2011 08:01 AM

Love the thread.... So many memories.... The beer induced brain cell loss didnt really begin until the dome....

I remember taking my very first date to a Saints pre-season game.... Only it was one of those August monsoon rains.... We huddled under the umbrella for the first half... I asked her if she wanted to leave and she gave me one of those "what ever you want"... So naturally we stayed..... Women should really say want they really want.... Never had a date again with that one....lol...

But what I remember the most was that first or second year... the atmosphere was almost like a Super Bowl.... Al Hirt leading the cheers... Mardi Gras Floats and baloons and the pigeons... It was electric....

Jimmy Taylor being introduced... the place would explode

Steve Stonebreaker getting into a fight in New York (I know this is about Tulane Stadium.. but hang in there) and when they returned there was a group collecting money outside of Tulane Stadium to pay his fine.

The debates over Billy Kilmer (who I loved).... Trivia question answer... the first Saint to ever be booed...

The game we held OJ under 100 yard (he forgot his knife)... and the 17 minute delay against Philly (I think) because we were so loud....

I do love the dome but every now and then when it is 75 degrees and sunny on a Sunday afternoon in late September, my thoughts do drift back.....

primadox 03-08-2011 09:18 AM

Wow, great thread, Mike. I remember the Youth tickets that were something like $15 for season tickets...those wonderful, LOUD metal bleachers that burned your butt if it was a sunny day...the stadium swaying...my mom hauling her very pregnant self to the games in '71, swearing that she'd have that baby at the stadium and have them announce that Billy Kilmer had returned to Tulane Stadium (yes, my sister would have been named Billy if she was a boy)...going to a preseason game against the Lions during a tropical depression (missing the game never crossed our minds)...when fans behind us would scream "We want Hargett", and my sister and I would scream back "No we don't!!"...the beer vendors with the jet packs...the halftime shows: ostrich races, REAL marching bands, a re-enactment of the Battle of New Orleans when a cannon backfired and blew off three fingers of one of the re-enactor soldiers...Danny Abramowicz running into the bushes in the end zone...and again, that stadium literally rocking. That thing would MOVE.

Ah, good times. The Dome is magical in it's own way, but so was Tulane Stadium. I'd love to see some metal bleachers in the terrace; that would be a blast...but in all likelihood some drunken fools would stand on them and tumble down to the field, LOL. Frankly, I think a lot of our fans who have jumped on the bandwagon in the last couple of years would not be willing to brave the elements at Tulane Stadium, especially if the Saints weren't having a great year. They'd say they're "big Saints fans", but when it comes down to a lack of winning and comfort, I don't think they'd stick around...bandwagon jockeys, for sure.

Good times, good memories.

http://football.ballparks.com/NFL/Ne.../oldaerial.jpg

HouYat 03-08-2011 03:26 PM

Love the posts on this thread, Mike. For me, go back to a sunny, hot September day in 1967. I'm standing on the field in the northwest corner of the end zone next to one of the cars that Paretti Pontiac had on display right next to the field (this would never happen today....cars on the field and me on the sideline!) My dad had a moving company back then and we would move the Saints equipment every week and get field passes. The crowd was really pumped, not only for the regular season opener but also for the fact that the Saints had gone 5-1 in preseason games. So at that point, the NFL crown seemed to be ours (Ha!). Rams kick off to John Gilliam, who breaks through the front line of Rams defenders and untouched, and he's off to the races, coming straight to the side of the field where I was standing. I had never heard such a loud and thunderous noise in my life, it was unbelievably loud! When he scored and turned to go to the sidelines, I could swear he hadn't even broken into a sweat on his 94-yard run! At that point we just knew that we would win that game, but that didn't happen. This was the NFL and the games were now for real, a rude awakening into the league. Roman Gabriel had a good day, and the Rams running game wore the Saints down to give us an opening day loss. But our spirits weren't dampened at all since it seemed like we always had 80,000 screaming fans at all the games.
Billy Kilmer, Jimmy Taylor, Doug Atkins, Flea Roberts, Charlie Durkee (everybody called him Charlie Turkey), Danny A, The Wheel Ernie Wheelwright, Little O Obert Logan, Dave Whitsell, there were so many names that became fan favorites that first year.

I've got tons more memories, a lot of bad ones, but some great ones also. That will have to be covered in future posts.

Thanks for this thread, Mike. Great stuff for the offseason.

lynwood 03-08-2011 07:36 PM

"and he was one ugly mo'. Good thing he was a QB, or he'd never have found a lady. Kind of like musicians, huh Strato?"

Ha!

skymike 03-09-2011 09:03 AM

Primadox, HouYat, NGU! (and thanks for the Turbo Dogs, Lynwood.)
I knew you Yats wouldnt disappoint. Thanks for popping in & teaching me some things, as well as probably ringing up some real memories for other posters & lurkers.

Honestly, the more I know, the more realize I dont know, and my curiosity
drives me bananas:
Quote:

Originally Posted by nevergiveup3 (Post 288456)
...that first or second year... the atmosphere was almost like a Super Bowl.... Al Hirt leading the cheers... Mardi Gras Floats and baloons and the pigeons... It was electric...

Did I hear that opposing teams were complaining about Al Hirt? Was he a part owner? And I also heard Pete Fountain was there? I'd like to hear more about Al Hirt & Pete Fountain.
Quote:

Originally Posted by nevergiveup3 (Post 288456)
Steve Stonebreaker getting into a fight in New York (I know this is about Tulane Stadium.. but hang in there) and when they returned there was a group collecting money outside of Tulane Stadium to pay his fine...

I've heard about Stonebreaker, and I cant remember what was special about the fight. I'll bet there's no video.
Quote:

Originally Posted by nevergiveup3 (Post 288456)
The debates over Billy Kilmer (who I loved).... Trivia question answer... the first Saint to ever be booed....

I'm sure I would have been Pro-Kilmer. Im usually Pro- whoever everybody else is hating on. except kickers.
Quote:

Originally Posted by primadox (Post 288462)
I remember the Youth tickets that were something like $15 for season tickets...

Can you imagine somebody proposing something like that now?
Quote:

Originally Posted by primadox (Post 288462)
those wonderful, LOUD metal bleachers that burned your butt if it was a sunny day...the stadium swaying...

HAHAHAHA! never thought about that, but I still WANT stompable bleachers back.

--when yall talk about the stadium swaying, you're exaggerating, right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by primadox (Post 288462)
...going to a preseason game against the Lions during a tropical depression (missing the game never crossed our minds)...

Does anyone else remember the Giants game in the 80's as a Hurricane was coming? John Madden does. He was scared, and said he wished see thru the roof, and know what was coming.
Quote:

Originally Posted by primadox (Post 288462)
the beer vendors with the jet packs...

those jet packs again -- we need these now!
... If I owned a bar where Saints fans hung out...
Quote:

Originally Posted by primadox (Post 288462)
Frankly, I think a lot of our fans who have jumped on the bandwagon in the last couple of years would not be willing to brave the elements at Tulane Stadium, especially if the Saints weren't having a great year.

You know I'd be there, regardless. Remember our 2 Reliant tailgates. 1st one cold and rainy. 2nd one 400 degrees. Say hi to Drew!

Quote:

Originally Posted by HouYat (Post 288512)
I'm standing on the field in the northwest corner of the end zone next to one of the cars that Paretti Pontiac had on display right next to the field .

You have to show up on a video somewhere.
Quote:

Originally Posted by HouYat (Post 288512)
...it seemed like we always had 80,000 screaming fans at all the games...

Ah, this brings me to a big architectural question I've had for the longest. This drives my brain bananas.

Take the roof off the Dome, and just show the bowl. (man, I wish there was a way to draw or doodle here) How do you get 80,000 in Tulane Stadium, which appears 50-100 feet shorter than the bowl of the Dome, and the Dome holds 72,000? Even w/o the roof the Dome looks twice as big. I drove by Rice Stadium last week, and thought the same thing. My corner endzone Terrace seats dont even exist in Rice. Its like Tiger Stadium, where the sides go up, but the bowl just has the lower level. boggles my mind.

--and heres another Tulane question: I notice in pictures, Tulane seems to be built in sections, not all at once. Did these sections appear while the Saints played there, or was it all there by the '67? Did they HAVE to put some new sections for the Saints?

Were there bad seats?

Classic posts from classic posters. Thank you much!

nevergiveup3 03-09-2011 09:23 AM

SM,
For some reason the "quote" button is not functioning but you will get the gist of what I am responding to.

The Stonebreaker fight was/is interesting and telling. We were playing in New York and the game was within reach... maybe 27-23 or something like that. We are driving with under 2 minutes to play and Kilmer throws a sideline pass. Our receiver catches the pass and his momentum carries him out of bounds. Some Giant player on the sidelines, not even in the game, lays our receiver out with a forearm. The next thing you see is Stony run completely across the field but does not hit him... You see him pointing his finger in the guys face and the camera catches the guy putting his helmet on, and you knew that was not the end of it... So the game ends, we lose, and Stony, true to his word obviously, runs across the field again and lays the gujy out.. And all hell breaks lose.... John Mecom, all of 30 years old, actually gets involved and breaks his hand punching a Giant player with a helmet..... That should have said something about his intellect...lol.... So we meet the team at the airport and Stony is an instant folk hero.... and like I said they were taking collections to pay his $10,000 fine... I think they collected $50,000... It was all sent to charity...

As to bad seats at Tulane Stadium... Our Season Tickets were really good... 30 yard line maybe 25 rows from the field... I do remember getting tickets to a New Years Eve Sugar Bowl.... Alabama (with Bear Bryant coaching) against Notre Dame.... for the NC.. Tickets were hard to come by, there was no internet and Stub Hub at the time... WWL had some guy call in and say he had extras and my dad got them... 50 yard line... no kidding... 1 caviat... It was the very TOP row in the stadium and it was friggin cold... The wind was blowing and if memory serves the back of the top level was a chain link fence.... it was howling and freezing but one of the best NC games I have ever seen....

One other story... SB 4 (didnt use Roman Numerals then, I think), we had tickets because we had Season Tickets... I think the price was $25... The trouble was our seats were in the end zone, not our regular Season Ticket location... my dad was pissed so he sold the tickets for face value and got us sideline tickets for like $15.... Not quite the same demand as now...

Oh and my dad was probably the original ticket broker in front of the stadium... I would go into the stadium and he would "buy cheap-sell high" and make $40 -$50 a game....a ton of money back then....

Good memories.... hope to see more

RaginCajun83 03-09-2011 09:43 AM

Good thread indeed, good to see my dad wasn't the only one to leave the Lions game before Dempsey's kick

skymike 03-10-2011 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nevergiveup3 (Post 288623)
...Stony is an instant folk hero.... and like I said they were taking collections to pay his $10,000 fine...

Quote:

Originally Posted by nevergiveup3 (Post 288623)

... SB 4 (didnt use Roman Numerals then, I think), we had tickets because we had Season Tickets... I think the price was $25... The trouble was our seats were in the end zone, not our regular Season Ticket location... my dad was pissed so he sold the tickets for face value and got us sideline tickets for like $15....

Love the Stony story. I wonder how many people on the board here remember that?

And wow, $15 dollars for a Super Bowl ticket. That explains why the halftime show was "Up With People."

I'll bet the crowds back then were much more alive. A lot less "look at me," and a lot more fun.


There sure have been a lot of great stories here, already, and keep em coming. For now, this one kind of sums it up for me:
Quote:

Originally Posted by nevergiveup3 (Post 288456)
I do love the dome but every now and then when it is 75 degrees and sunny on a Sunday afternoon in late September, my thoughts do drift back.....


foreverfan 03-10-2011 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skymike (Post 288622)
How do you get 80,000 in Tulane Stadium, which appears 50-100 feet shorter than the bowl of the Dome, and the Dome holds 72,000?

http://www.presentationsunplugged.co...2/sardines.jpg

44Champs 03-10-2011 08:40 AM

Love this thread!

One more thing, because those bleachers would get so damn hot, we would bring these foldable seats to sit on. There was a a metal part that would slide under the bleachers to keep it in place. I remember that ours had the Saints logo and colors. It would be cool if I could find one of those again.

skymike 03-10-2011 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foreverfan (Post 288810)

hahahahahaha! your best one of the offseason so far.

OK, that's a new question, and its a big one. Strain your memories here, and be honest:

Which has/had more buttroom?
-an average Tulane Stadium seat?
-or a Terrace seat in the Dome? (non-padded)

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44Champs (Post 288813)
Love this thread!

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44Champs (Post 288813)

One more thing, because those bleachers would get so damn hot, we would bring these foldable seats to sit on. There was a a metal part that would slide under the bleachers to keep it in place. I remember that ours had the Saints logo and colors. It would be cool if I could find one of those again.

Whadya mean "one more thing?" You pile on as many things as you want here, Champs. There all gold to me.

Somebody has to have a foldable Saints logo seat out there.
I'm seriously considering looking online for a Dixie Jet Pack.

nevergiveup3 03-10-2011 03:55 PM

I don't remember anyone complaining about Al Hirt.... may be I just dont remember.... He was on some sort of pla tform during the games and would bellow.. and I mean bellow.... GO SAINTS GO every so often.... and of course would belt out his version of When the Saints go Marching In..

Does anyone remember Charlie Saints Marching Club? We were members even though we lived in lafayette... Since it was a 4.5 hour drive back then and the games started at 1 pm we would normally drive home immediately after the game... But Charlie's Club would have a parade after each victory (I know.... not too many parades back then) around their neighborhood (does anyone remember where the Club was located?)...

And they would make bus trips to out of town games.... $35 would get you a bus ride to Atlanta, all the Dixie beer you could drink, a ticket to the game and one night in a motel (4 people to a room).... The party would begin in the Club House, onto the chartered bus and would not stop until you passed out on the bus or the bus returned in the wee hours Monday morning... When we would get to Atlanta Saturday afternoon people would take a shower and then we would head down to Underground Atlanta and party all night.... Houston, Memphis (Pre season game), Jackson (also pre season) were some of the other out of town games.... They did a train trip to chicago also, although I didnt make that trip... i heard it was epic

Budsdrinker 03-10-2011 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44Champs (Post 288813)
Love this thread!

One more thing, because those bleachers would get so damn hot, we would bring these foldable seats to sit on. There was a a metal part that would slide under the bleachers to keep it in place. I remember that ours had the Saints logo and colors. It would be cool if I could find one of those again.

Today's version.
North Pole 109535 Folding Stadium Seat-Saints

skymike 03-14-2011 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nevergiveup3 (Post 288897)
...Does anyone remember Charlie Saints Marching Club? We were members even though we lived in lafayette... Since it was a 4.5 hour drive back then and the games started at 1 pm we would normally drive home immediately after the game... But Charlie's Club would have a parade after each victory (I know.... not too many parades back then) around their neighborhood (does anyone remember where the Club was located?)...

And they would make bus trips to out of town games.... $35 would get you a bus ride to Atlanta, all the Dixie beer you could drink, a ticket to the game and one night in a motel (4 people to a room).... The party would begin in the Club House, onto the chartered bus and would not stop until you passed out on the bus or the bus returned in the wee hours Monday morning... When we would get to Atlanta Saturday afternoon people would take a shower and then we would head down to Underground Atlanta and party all night.... Houston, Memphis (Pre season game), Jackson (also pre season) were some of the other out of town games.... They did a train trip to chicago also, although I didnt make that trip... i heard it was epic

$35 for a road-trip, beer, hotel, and party? Man, this is getting amazing. I think I have a girl who remembers this. Let me ring her up.

SaintsBro 03-14-2011 01:43 PM

I don't know which game it was, but there was one time when AL Hirt cussed like a sailor after some bad Saints play, which got picked up by the microphone that he would blow his trumpet into, and thus a string of Hirt-ful profanity got broadcast over the stadium PA...


I was reeeeally young, probably my first game, but I remember seeing the Dolphins kinda beat up on the Saints at Tulane Stadium during their heyday. Bob Griese, Larry Czonka, Mercury Morris, the No Name defense, all those dudes. I don't think it was the actual undefeated season, but just before or after that, and those guys were already living legends. And like ForeverFan with the Jim Plunkett story, we went and watched them leave, just some plain NOPD barricades between us and them, and those guys looked so badass and mean up close. Guys were limping, bruised, hobbling down the tunnel into the showers, just like the famous Mean Joe Greene commercial, LOL. But now I look back at it this way: that classic Dolphins team, had the same kind of swagger that our guys have now....

st thomas 03-14-2011 02:04 PM

this thread is really cool. i had to ask my mother how did my dad get tickets to my first saints game which was the first in tulane stadium, remembering we were'nt set as with money to afford things like that. here cames the cool part. my old man was a ford car salesman at the time and he was involved with the areas Punt,Pass,& Kick competition which was sponsered by ford at the time and the tickets were a promo award given to him. my mom told my dad to bring me instead of her, man it just blew me away, thanks pop i know ur in heaven.

nevergiveup3 03-15-2011 08:29 AM

Sts Bro's post reminded me of another story. The locker rooms were under the stadium and the players would walk, as he said, between the NOPD barricades. You could reach out and slap hands or get a chin strap which was awesome.

Anyway towards the end of his career, Danny Abramowich (sp??) asked to be traded to SF so he could play with a winner... Well as fate would have it they had a lousy year and we had a "great year" by our standards back then... maybe 6 wins.... So anyway I made my way down to the barricades where SF passed and yelled.. "Hey Danny... how's life with the winners??" He stopped and I thought he was going to be pissed, and just smiled and waived the peace sign.....

skymike 03-16-2011 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by st thomas (Post 289517)
this thread is really cool. i had to ask my mother how did my dad get tickets to my first saints game which was the first in tulane stadium, remembering we were'nt set as with money to afford things like that. here cames the cool part. my old man was a ford car salesman at the time and he was involved with the areas Punt,Pass,& Kick competition which was sponsered by ford at the time and the tickets were a promo award given to him. my mom told my dad to bring me instead of her, man it just blew me away, thanks pop i know ur in heaven.

Your Dad & Buddy D up there rooting for our Saints, Tommy.
Nice story. Thanks. So what stuck out in your head about the Stadium and the game experience, when you were a kid?

Saint_LB 03-17-2011 06:39 AM

OK...here's my Tulane Stadium story. I know you all have been anxiously waiting! :)

I was in high school and my best friend's girlfriend's father (she was my girlfriend about 5 years previously for about a week) took my friend and I to a game. I guess his wife and daughter didn't want to come that week.

Anyway, I remember the game was against the Cardinals when they were the St. Louis Cardinals, and if my memory serves me correct, Jim Hart was the QB at the time. I remember one thing in particular about this game because it was one of the few times that I've seen any team try what I believe is called a free-kick. You are allowed to try a FG unopposed, another words, the other team cannot rush, if you try it on first down just after your team has received a punt and called for a fair catch...which was the situation that day. They elected to do this because there was only a couple of seconds left on the clock before halftime. I don't remember whether they made it or not...but that's not the story.

The story is regarding the guy that took us to the game. Just before half, he decided to go to the concession stands and get us all a soft drink and peanuts or whatever. While I was watching the game, my buddy starts poking me in the ribs and laughing. I turned to him and said, "What?"
He is pointing down the aisle...we were sitting in the first 3 seats next to the aisle down towards the concession stands. When I looked, I see the guy that took us to the game preceeding down the aisle and he is about 10 rows or so down from us. Stuck to the back of his pants was a wad of gum, and trailing him from his pants all the way back to his seat was a string of gum. It was hilarious. I guess he wanted to make sure that he could find his way back to his seat. :)

skymike 03-18-2011 06:09 AM

Love it. Thanks, LB. I would bet money you saw Jim Hart.
I saw a "free-kick" once on MNF. Dallas did it in the 80s once, out of desperation. It failed.

I know you've got another one in your memory bank, when you feel like it.

ALLSAINTS66 03-19-2011 06:50 AM

Yanno y'all, the Dome *does* have the equivalent of metal bleachers as far as sound! If you sit in the VERY LAST SEATS AT THE TOP, you can bang on the metal wall behind you like a mofo. Highly recommended fun!!! : D

skymike 03-19-2011 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALLSAINTS66 (Post 290190)
Yanno y'all, the Dome *does* have the equivalent of metal bleachers as far as sound! If you sit in the VERY LAST SEATS AT THE TOP, you can bang on the metal wall behind you like a mofo. Highly recommended fun!!! : D

HAHAHAHAHA... So YOU are that guy! I see you all the time. You've been there since the 80's.

If you are sitting on the top row, and you are NOT banging the wall, you are not doing your job. Please trade seats with a fan who will do it.

Marlboro Man 03-19-2011 11:34 PM

I remember the day I was at Chalmette High School for a game on Fri. night and they announced over the speakers that New Orleans had been awarded a franchise. Everyone went insane, jumping up and down hugging each other and screaming and crying. It was wild.

The team was going to start play in 1967 and I just had to be involved in some way. There was this company called Andrew D. Frain Security and they were hiring ticket takers and security for the games at Tulane Stadium. While I'm not one of those guys that looks older than he is, I went in and applied for the job even though I was under age, and got the job.

I turned 14 in August of the Saints inaugural season and was in the stands looking for people throwing glass beer bottles down onto the walkway or sitting in the wrong areas and helping people to their seats. All of a sudden, a huge roar came up from the crowd and people started standing up and as I turned to the field, I saw John Gilliam (SP) take the opening kick all the way back for a touchdown!!

It was an incredible and exciting moment in a young man's eyes and cemented my love for the Saints through all the hard years to come.

One thing I will also relate is that we used to take tickets at the gates to the games too, and there were some really dark back alley gates there. we used to sell ticket stubs to people who didn't have tickets to make extra money as they didn't pay us all that well back in those days. I guess cause we were kids. I was also able to be at the game where Dempsey kicked the record field goal. Lots of great memories and moments but nothing compared to losing my job to watch the Saints beat Indy in Super Bowl 44.

Saint_LB 03-20-2011 03:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marlboro Man (Post 290284)
but nothing compared to losing my job to watch the Saints beat Indy in Super Bowl 44.

I'm not sure if I missed something in one of the previous posts or whether you are saying that this happened to you...but whichever doesn't really matter because it reminds me of a similar story.

This is not a TS story, but what the hey...

I can't remember exactly which year it was, but I'm thinking it was September of 1979. I was living in Hattiesburg, MS, my wife had a math degree and was working as a secretary for the math dept. (for all of you that are wondering, that's what kind of job a math degree got you back then)

I had been attending USM as a student myself for that last year and a half after getting out of the Navy in '77. I had been drawing GI Bill and unemployment, but they both eventually ran-out and I had to go out and get a job.

I was working for a company called Martin-Decker, and they sold and serviced oil rig instrumentation. I had just returned home the Friday night before the opening game of the season from a trip down to the mouth of the Mississippi River, I think it was Belle Chase, where we were installing some equipment on a jack-up rig. One thing I remember in particular about that was that my boss waited until they jacked the rig 400 feet into the air before he decided to run the cable from one end of the drill floor to the other. The cables ran under the floor and I had to get out on a cable run that was under the floor and catch the cables as he dropped them through holes and hand them back up to him on the other end. I was 400 feet above the river with nothing in between me and the river but those cables I was laying on. It literally freaked me out for a good long while. When driving back across the GNO I was barely moving and could not look to the side at the river.

The reason I had to go down to that rig with my boss was so that two of the more Sr. guys could stay behind and finish building some portable drilling stations for Shell.

Well, I finally made it back to Hattiesburg and got a call on Sunday afternoon just at the opening kick-off of the first regular season game...and I can't remember whether it was in Tulane Stadium or where. All I know is that my boss is calling me right then and telling me that he needs me to come to the office and help him finish those portable stations that the other guys didn't finish. It was right then that I no longer worked for Martin-Decker.

Edit--It just came to me...that game couldn't have been in Tulane Stadium...because I remember that when that rig was jacked up 400 ft. I could actually see the Superdome.

ALLSAINTS66 03-21-2011 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skymike (Post 290214)
HAHAHAHAHA... So YOU are that guy! I see you all the time. You've been there since the 80's.

If you are sitting on the top row, and you are NOT banging the wall, you are not doing your job. Please trade seats with a fan who will do it.


Faddarekkid, I'm that *chick*, but as far as noise, who cares
who's makin' it, as long as it's MADE! But I agree with you,
if you're goin' to sit in the last row and not be part of that
racket, trade seats with someone who will. It's AWESOME
NOISE!!!

st thomas 03-21-2011 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skymike (Post 289746)
Your Dad & Buddy D up there rooting for our Saints, Tommy.
Nice story. Thanks. So what stuck out in your head about the Stadium and the game experience, when you were a kid?

mike , it was the most people i've seen in my life, i remember holding my dads pants pocket so i would'nt lose him getting to our seats, we were on the saints side about the 25 yardline 20 rows up about.it was so loud,nothing like the dome. i was in jaw dropping mode for the game. the uniforms were the best i ever saw. i remember my dad loved jimmy taylor because he loved him at lsu. i later became a abramowich fan. gillium ran back kick right in front of us. it was pandomonium. can't remember if we won or loss. i was 9 lol

skymike 03-21-2011 04:36 PM

Is anyone else surprised at how many vintage fans we have on B&G.com? I was not expecting all this!
Quote:

Originally Posted by SaintsBro (Post 289511)
...I remember seeing the Dolphins kinda beat up on the Saints at Tulane Stadium during their heyday. Bob Griese, Larry Czonka, Mercury Morris, the No Name defense, all those dudes. ... we went and watched them leave, just some plain NOPD barricades between us and them, and those guys looked so badass and mean up close. ...

wish we could still have that up-close-personal barricade thing again. those of you who went to Tiger Stadium after the Storm, might have got that deal, as the teams left behind barricades--since Tiger doesnt have the Get Smart tunnel system the Dome has. It was cool seeing the players up close. One of the few positives of that year. thanks, Bro.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marlboro Man (Post 290284)
I remember the day I was at Chalmette High School for a game on Fri. night and they announced over the speakers that New Orleans had been awarded a franchise. Everyone went insane, jumping up and down hugging each other and screaming and crying. It was wild...

It started that early -- wow. I didnt realize everyone was that excited even before we had a team. would love to hear more stories about this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marlboro Man (Post 290284)
...nothing compared to losing my job to watch the Saints beat Indy in Super Bowl 44.

enquiring minds want to know. I know its a Tulane Stadium thread, but go for it. We'll stay on track, dont worry.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALLSAINTS66 (Post 290435)
Faddarekkid, I'm that *chick*, but ...if you're goin' to sit in the last row and not be part of that

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALLSAINTS66 (Post 290435)
racket, trade seats with someone who will. It's AWESOME
NOISE!!!

BANG BANG BANG BANG! "Defense!" Our chicks know more than other teams dudes. good to have you here.
Quote:

Originally Posted by st thomas (Post 290442)
mike , it was the most people i've seen in my life, i remember holding my dads pants pocket so i would'nt lose him getting to our seats, we were on the saints side about the 25 yardline 20 rows up about.it was so loud,nothing like the dome. i was in jaw dropping mode for the game. the uniforms were the best i ever saw. .... it was pandomonium. can't remember if we won or loss. i was 9 lol

See, I get the feeling that the NFL experience in those days was much more powerful than now. They didnt have extra breaks for tv timeouts. You didnt have every inch covered with ads, and most of all, the people decided when to make noise-- it was spontaneous & real. I love going to the Dome, but I think I really missed out, not sitting in Tulane Sta.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saint_LB (Post 290301)
...I was 400 feet above the river with nothing in between me and the river but those cables I was laying on. It literally freaked me out for a good long while..

As someone who worked up high for years, I dont consider discomfort a "fear," so much as a sign of intelligence. I never know when its going to bother me, sometimes. just have to remind myself to look at objects and focus on something. Thats my trick.

Great story, as always, LB.

skymike 04-14-2011 04:48 PM

bumping this thread up for our new members-- I notice we have some vintage fans recently joining.

One question I did have, and dont remember seeing an answer for:

Tulane Stadium was apparently built in sections, not all in one piece. Did this happen while the Saints were already playing, or was this pre-Saints?

Does anybody remember the earlier stages of Tulane?


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