No Big Red?

[mauconnfan]

No more hangings........fleudy and I will take you to the water balloon shed!

 

[GemParty]

He's been at both of the Gampel games I went to. Maybe he just couldn't make it to NYC

Great avatar.

 

[huskyjawz]

He was at the Yale game at the XL.

As far as not being at MSG. It's not like the school pays his way.

Be that as it may, he is usually at all NYC games and I often see him on the train.

 

[UConn9604]

Years ago he was given a sweatshirt or something on the floor at Gampel.

He was named Grand Marshal of the Homecoming Parade in 1993 or 1994 or so.

 

[UConn9604]

I was a student when he started the U-C-O-N-N against NC state. Chris corchiani and Rodney Monroe. It was a loss, but the legend of big red was started

It goes back farther than that -- that game you referenced was in 1991, and he's been doing the chant since at least the 1980s.

 

[huskyjawz]

It goes back farther than that -- that game you referenced was in 1991, and he's been doing the chant since at least the 1980s.

From article with link posted above:

Big Red doesn't remember the exact year, either 1976 or 1977, but he knows it was a cold night at the old Greer Fieldhouse. The story of this incredible tradition goes something like this. Red and a friend were watching the Huskies struggling and the cheerleaders were not getting the crowd into it. As the squad does now, the cheerleaders spelled out the letters of UConn to the fans, but Red said the students weren't getting excited enough. That's when Big Red became a legend.

He stood up and yelled, "Are you ready?" and spelled out "UConn" with his arms while the crowd screamed, "U…C…O…N…N, UConn, UConn, UConn."

 

[hthusky74]

From article with link posted above:

Big Red doesn't remember the exact year, either 1976 or 1977, but he knows it was a cold night at the old Greer Fieldhouse. The story of this incredible tradition goes something like this. Red and a friend were watching the Huskies struggling and the cheerleaders were not getting the crowd into it. As the squad does now, the cheerleaders spelled out the letters of UConn to the fans, but Red said the students weren't getting excited enough. That's when Big Red became a legend.

He stood up and yelled, "Are you ready?" and spelled out "UConn" with his arms while the crowd screamed, "U…C…O…N…N, UConn, UConn, UConn."

And the legend lives on! Tom is a great guy. I've spoken with him in the hallways at XL and Gampel several times and he is the most genuine, enthusiastic fan you'd ever see. One time before a game with some nationally ranked team (I forget who) he was telling someone he recently had gall bladder surgery or something of that nature. He said the doctors told him to take it easy for awhile and he told them I'm going to the Blank game and if you don't discharge me I'm going anyway! Well, hopefully they discharged him based on their wishes and not his, and he was at the game, and led a few cheers to boot.