Band on the run
A band member emailed today regarding the fact the band is no longer allowed to play at UCLA. With their permission, I felt it was worth everyone reading.
Dear Mr. Wolf,
I read your blog post "Band Ban" just now and I can't believe what UCLA is doing to the Trojan Marching Band and the rivalry. I was at the women's basketball game at Pauley this year. We were expressly warned to be on our best behavior at that game. When we got to Pauley, we were seated in the very top corner section (where they turn the lights off once the game starts). The stadium was full of little kids (similar to what they do at Galen Center to get big crowds for the women's USC-UCLA game). We had NO contact with any UCLA fans. In fact, all we did was give "fight on" signs to the little kids that were walking past where we were playing. We won the game (one of the lowest scoring, most anti-climactic games I've ever seen). We waited for the arena to clear out. We left. Trust me, if anything remotely serious happened, I would have seen it. This is totally fabricated.
One of my friends subsequently told me they might be talking about something that happened in San Jose at the women's Pac-10 tournament where a UCLA mouthpiece disappeared and then reappeared. If this is what they're referring to, is this really grounds to ban us from all future UCLA sporting events?
Speaking of incidents involving the TMB and UCLA, at the football game this year there was a UCLA booster/former player/coach (we never found out who he was, but he had sideline privileges) who refused to move off the sideline even once the band's pregame show had started and he was literally standing in our ranks. A band member warned the guy to move, because if he didn't, he would probably get hit by an instrument of someone trying to get on the field. The guy
didn't move and the band member’s instrument hit him as he was marching out.
He took the instrument and bent it, which destroyed it. The band member spent three quarters of the game trying to defend himself to DPS.
You don't have to tell me the TMB has a reputation for mischief and trouble-making, but in these particular instances I just want the facts to get out. Thank you.
I hate the Cal (oops, ucla) fight song. Better to keep them out of our midsts.
High up in the hills of Westwood
Sprawled offensive to the eye
Lies a Cal extension campus
Known as Westwood High (high high high)
Home of all the Bruin bearcubs
UGLY is its name
The student body's vile
The football team's a pile
and the campus is a shame!
U (clap clap clap) G (clap clap clap) L (clap clap clap) Y (clap clap clap)
U G L Y Eat My Shorts!
As much as I like the Trojan Marching Band, I don't believe that they are always as innocent as this band member would like us to believe. This past season I remember seeing a TMB member repeatedly shining a bright light at several Cal player's faces while they were shooting free throws. Eventually the TMB member was escorted out.
Tremayne is right. TMB band members have been known to shine laser pointers at pilots doing flyovers at the Coliseum and other venues, as well as dropping laxatives and GBH in the opposing teams' Gatorade jugs.
Hmmmm, the words have changed a bit, gotten a bit more "PC ".
The first verse used to go
High up in the hills of Westwood
Mighty unsightly to the eyes
There's a place the Jews all go
They call it Westwood high
I'd appreciate if you could remove Rah Rah's ignorant comments, as I find them offensive. And as a former band member with copies of their "hymnals" dating back to the 70's, I can tell you those were not the words we ever sang to that song. And not all Jews go to Westwood - many are diehard Trojans. Idiot.
I agree TroJen. Never heard Rah Rah's version in all my years. He bites.
The band isn't horrible despite what some think. There are always a few mischief-makers, but I was at that women's game and they were classy. The way UCLA shoves them, and USC fans, up there is classless. At least USC lets UCLA fans/band sit in a relatively decent area.