44 Years Ago Today...

[F101Voodoo]

The CT equivalent of saying you caught Hendrix at Woodstock?

Yes I believe so. Funny that I heard that there are 10 times the number of people who claim to have been at Woodstock than there really were. I remember after I returned to college after Vietnam a fellow. Vet claimed to have been at Woodstock the exact times that I was there which included Woodstock. I do not recall the military giving us R&R to Woodstock. SURE, the Air Force said ok we will put you guys on a C 130 and paratroop you over the concert. Yup that really happened. False memory is wonderful thing. LOL,,!,

 

[microfich]

I was asleep when my Mom, up early as usual for her nursing shift, burst into my room just after 4 am to see if I had come home from the game safely. Turned on the tv and gulped. Of all the luck.

Just weeks later I was caught still on I91 just north of New Haven on the way back from my first real job interview in Greenwich that didn't happen because they had closed early due to the latest storm of the century. Low on gas I sat in with a trucker for a couple of hours and then shared the Chips Ahoy I had presciently picked up at the Norwalk toll plaza with a mom and her 3 anxious young kids for another hour. Eventually, 6 1/2 hours later, my 1970 Dodge Dart was freed by a plow using the tactic - plow a few feet, chain up to a car, pull it forward, plow a few feet..." I had a one lane polar express at 20 mph into Hartford at 10 pm and riding on fumes. Incredibly, I came upon a tiny gas station glowing like angel on Albany Avenue in the midst of the storm's fury. I filled up and eventually made it one mile from home before I had to pull over and walk the rest of the way through thigh-deep snow.

Yes, I got the job due in no small part to my infamous experience that told them I'd do anything for that job.
Grew an awful lot that winter.

 

[F101Voodoo]

One problem! The roof collapse was Jan 18 , 78. BLizard Larry was Feb 78.
I know because I spent 3 1/2 hours driving from Hartford to Newington and was at a stand still for a half hour in fron of a store. I asked the guy behind me to move my car a few inches while I was in the store buying baby formula fir my 2 month old daughter. That was before cell phones so I had to use the store phone to call my wife to get the exact type of formula since my daughter was born with lactose intolerance. Roof collapse was before b,Izard Larry not after. Roof collapse was caused by a snow store but most importantly rain on top of the snow which. Add it way too heavy for the type of roof struts.

I was asleep when my Mom, up early as usual for her nursing shift, burst into my room just after 4 am to see if I had come home from the game safely. Turned on the tv and gulped. Of all the luck.

Just weeks later I was caught still on I91 just north of New Haven on the way back from my first real job interview in Greenwich that didn't happen because they had closed early due to the latest storm of the century. Low on gas I sat in with a trucker for a couple of hours and then shared the Chips Ahoy I had presciently picked up at the Norwalk toll plaza with a mom and her 3 anxious young kids for another hour. Eventually, 6 1/2 hours later, my 1970 Dodge Dart was freed by a plow using the tactic - plow a few feet, chain up to a car, pull it forward, plow a few feet..." I had a one lane polar express at 20 mph into Hartford at 10 pm and riding on fumes. Incredibly, I came upon a tiny gas station glowing like angel on Albany Avenue in the midst of the storm's fury. I filled up and eventually made it one mile from home before I had to pull over and walk the rest of the way through thigh-deep snow.

Yes, I got the job due in no small part to my infamous experience that told them I'd do anything for that job.
Grew an awful lot that winter.

Sorry I miss read your post. I thought that you were blaming Blizrad Larry on the roof collapse. I extend my sincere apppologies.

 

[F101Voodoo]

You know I think I’ve read this before, but, wow, what a cacophony of errors from bad design, to poor project management, to the ignoring of fairly obvious warning signs. It seems that the live load was the straw that broke the camels back, but, that failure was inevitable.

The design failed to include the weight and stress caused by rain falling soon after a significant snow storm which we get here in Southern New England,

 

[Chin Diesel]

Yes I believe so. Funny that I heard that there are 10 times the number of people who claim to have been at Woodstock than there really were. I remember after I returned to college after Vietnam a fellow. Vet claimed to have been at Woodstock the exact times that I was there which included Woodstock. I do not recall the military giving us R&R to Woodstock. SURE, the Air Force said ok we will put you guys on a C 130 and paratroop you over the concert. Yup that really happened. False memory is wonderful thing. LOL,,!,

Same with Wilt scoring 100 at Hershey. Actual attendance was 4k but it seemed like 100k remember beign there.

 

[F101Voodoo]

There we go datin' ourselves again. Remember it well.

I did not realize how many of us oldies are on this site. Wow we are all grads from the venerable olde Yankee conference and fans of Wes Baleksukiniya. My shpelling shucks.

 

[CL82]

The design failed to include the weight and stress caused by rain falling soon after a significant snow storm which we get here in Southern New England,

That has always been my recollection, but if you read the article that was linked in the post that I replied to it shows that there were very significant problems even without the additional weight of the rain and snow.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Wow, so many of my contemporaries on this board. I was at trinity when it collapsed and went up to Springfield to watch a couple games. Got to see one of the greatest lines ever when Bobby Hull, Wayne Gretzky and Ulf Nilsson came to town. Boy they could fly.

 

[F101Voodoo]

Wow, so many of my contemporaries on this board. I was at trinity when it collapsed and went up to Springfield to watch a couple games. Got to see one of the greatest lines ever when Bobby Hull, Wayne Gretzky and Ulf Nilsson came to town. Boy they could fly.

I lived near Trinity when we first came to America. Used to sneak into FB games through the black iron fence. Once my parents realized that the only way to become really good Americans was to first get a single family home in the city then escape into the Burbs and away from the rising crime hole that Hartford became after the riots of the 1960’s.

 

[Waquoit]

I might have seen the ultimate Whaler game in Spfld. Young Gretzky had 4 assists for Edmonton yet the Whale still won 5-4.

 

[F101Voodoo]

I might have seen the ultimate Whaler game in Spfld. Young Gretzky had 4 assists for Edmonton yet the Whale still won 5-4.

Wow! I was a casual hockey fan s but I had to learn quickly after we found out we had family in Canukhistan. My cousins do not like me joking that they live in Canukhistan. I kept forgetting to bring them sense of humor pills and teaching them that it is ok for them to root for their Blue Jays. There are other sports not just hockey.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

That was pre Big East
Attendance in the mid 80’s as the Big East caught on improved dramatically even in the Perno years. National names coming to Ct was a big deal.
That event did have a positive effect on my crew and I attending games.
We started going to games in New Haven and got hooked on live games then followed them back to Hartford. I still have a program signed by Karl Hobbs.
The original AzHuskie among other handles was 9 when I took him to his first game ( 1980) he posts a lot on recruiting.
Previously it was George Erlich on radio or a rare TV game on channel 8. I think Dick Galiette did the games. Nothing like bringing a kid to a live game to create a fan.
I listened to the game earlier that night .

 

[Ha Who]

I remember one time in particular coming home in a snowstorm that was pretty hairy. And I looked over my dad and he seemed perfectly calm negotiating an unplowed 91 and the back roads to get home in a snowstorm. I’ve done the same thing myself, including most recently the last Syracuse game at MSG and I realized that calm exterior is a dad thing.

Got to pull my old line out. Scott Haney is predicting flurries, so I can’t drive to the game tonight

 

[HooperScooper]

I lived near Trinity when we first came to America. Used to sneak into FB games through the black iron fence. Once my parents realized that the only way to become really good Americans was to first get a single family home in the city then escape into the Burbs and away from the rising crime hole that Hartford became after the riots of the 1960’s.

They charged money to attend D3 NESCAC football games back then? They don't now.

 

[F101Voodoo]

They charged money to attend D3 NESCAC football games back then? They don't now.

After a few illegal entries the admin people began to look the other, literally as we made believe we were sneaking in. We were kids and any size college was big time to us. Do you remember the hill near the chapel across from the civil war or Rev war cannon? Us local kids used to go sledding there and the administration did not bother us. You remember the cemetery behind and north of the school? My paper route ran along the cemetery road almost to the school. As kids we dared each other to sneak into the cemetery on Halloween and challenge each as to who would go in the furthest. NO WE NEVER EVER TOPPLED TOOMB. STONES. Us children of the late fifties / early sixties were mischievous but not criminal.

 

[jdb50]

So few people attended, you could sit where you wanted. I chose right next to one of the tunnels out. No premonition regarding the storm, the scoreboard was so huge and hanging from the center of the ceiling, and the whole roof didn't look supported for it, so I never trusted it. I still think the scoreboard took it down with help from the snow, rather than the storm being the key cause. When you entered a tightly packed bar I would take note of the exits without really thinking there would be a fire. This was sort of the same thing. Kudos to you guys remembering the game itself. I've got nothing in that regard

We actually went down at halftime and sat at press row near the UMass bench. Got the halftime stats that were on a piece of paper on the table at each seat courtesy of Tim Tolokan. Saw the second half from there. There was just under 5000 fans.

 

[huskyharry]

I was 14 and watched the game with my Dad. Excited to see Al Lewis have a career night. Four years later I started in Civil Engineering at UConn which included case study about the collapse

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Wow, so many of my contemporaries on this board. I was at trinity when it collapsed and went up to Springfield to watch a couple games. Got to see one of the greatest lines ever when Bobby Hull, Wayne Gretzky and Ulf Nilsson came to town. Boy they could fly.

It was Bobby Hull, Ulf Nilsson, and Anders Hedberg for the Winnipeg Jets and yes they could fly.

 

[NEforceUConn]

I stand corrected, thanks. Don’t know why I thought Gretzky.

That line, the Hot line, was fantastic!!

 

[F101Voodoo]

It was Bobby Hull, Ulf Nilsson, and Anders Hedberg for the Winnipeg Jets and yes they could fly.

Someone remind me please. Weren’t the Whalers still playing in the WHL when the Civic Center roof collapsed? NFL period came a year or was it two later?? Geordie must have played right after that ? I being a casual fan did not get into hockey until the Whalers came to Hartford. Of course by the time we beat the Moskovliysky gang and went on to the gold beating Findland I was fully on board.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Yes, the WHA lasted through the 1978-1979 season, after that four teams (Oilers, Jets, Whalers, Nordiques) were added to the NHL.

The Whale played in the WHA for the remainder of the second to last and entirety of the last WHA seasons after the roof collapsed.