Candy Stripe Warm Ups

#26
#26
Thunder Good-Oil said:
Mears was out recruiting, possibly driving through Kentucky, and he saw a billboard for Marlboro cigarettes that had the slogan "This is Marlboro Country". A light in his head went off and he adapted it to "This is Big Orange Country".

I don't know if the candy stripes were used before Ernie & Bernie, but I'm pretty sure that Indiana was first. I don't think that Roger Peltz (and then
Bill Seale) wore the candy striped warmups while riding the unicycle. They wore shorts while riding. But they did use an orange and white basketball. Spun it on their finger as they rode the unicycle in for a layup.

They had a warm up routine that started with a line of the players (running out from the locker room) bouncing the ball off of the backboard. After one cycle the last guy threw the ball to the opposite side of the backboard and everybody bounced the ball off of that side. Then after everybody tapped the ball off of each side the last guy in line dunked the ball.

They formed two rows for the passing/dribbling routine. Dribbled through their legs in a figure 8. Circled the ball around their waist. Paired up and passed behind their backs to each other. The finale was the unicycle ride.

For the starting lineup intros the lights dimmed and there was a guy operating a huge spotlight from the balcony. There was a big T rolled out, the opening filled with a sheet of orange paper. The first guy introduced, usually the fan favorite, would bust through the paper and run out to the center circle. Then the next 4 were introduced 1 by 1 as they ran through the T.

The band used to march in in uniform (minus the hats). There was a paper mâché orange mascot (shaped like an actual orange). The Smokey costume came along at some point. It was made out of felt or a similar fabric. It looked more like a rat or a bunny than a hound dog.

They also played a whistling recording of Sweet Georgia Brown as the team went through the warm up routine.

I think that Haywood Harris manned the microphone. It wouldn't have surprised me if Gus Manning was inside the orange costume... but I'm sure it was a student.
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Haywood Harris was on the mic. I remember all this like it was yesterday. Thanks for sharing all this.
 
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#27
#27
Only 2 games I saw in SAC were UT v UTC, where Tony White went off for @ 30pts in @ 1982 or thereabouts? The other was 1983 fo sho when Dr. J, Moses Malone, and the 76ers played a pre-season against the Lakers iirc.
 
#28
#28
Stokely was almost always sold out, too. Pretty sure, it seated 12,700. One of my favorite memories was when UT blew out Bama in the early 80s and everybody was chanting, "Go to hell, Bama, go to hell". Being around 10 years old, it was awesome because the energy and noise was amazing and I got to say "hell", which would have normally got me into trouble at that age.
 
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#29
#29
livefaith said:
Only 2 games I saw in SAC were UT v UTC, where Tony White went off for @ 30pts in @ 1982 or thereabouts? The other was 1983 fo sho when Dr. J, Moses Malone, and the 76ers played a pre-season against the Lakers iirc.
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Tony White, "The Wizard", still to this day, my all-time favorite basketball Vol
 
#31
#31
Imo the pinnacle of Mears showmanship was when he set up a wrestling match between games of the old Volunteer Classic back in '71 and I was there to see it. Victor the Wrestling Bear vs Roger Peltz and Big John Paschal...they set up a "ring" at halfcourt and had a ref and everything. Victor won easily, Peltz got thrown around w/o injury, and it was a great time had by all. However, the bear broke free in the Stokely loading dock afterwards and was headed back into the arena before it was subdued. heh

I mean, can you imagine Barnes or Calipari or Coach K letting a reserve forward wrestle a bear minutes before a game? Those were very special days in hindsight...Mears was unique, a real TN treasure.
 
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#32
#32
I'm going to speculate here.

The warm up tune SWEET GEORGIA BROWN came from the Harlem Globe Trotters and I'll bet you if you find old film of their warm up, they had the striped warm ups.

That is where Ray Mears got the warm up routine, and the song, and the striped paints.

And I remember Goose Tatum and Marcus Hayes and I even remember the year Wilt Chamberlan played for them while he waited to become old enough to play in the NBA!
 
#34
#34
The first UT game I attended was in the second half of the 60's (in Memphis by the way) Don't remember who we played, but seem to remember the striped worm ups. They reminded me of the Harlem Globe Trotters that came to little old Savannah in the late 50's. Goose Tatum was still shuffling along. I was still in awe of being in the presents of the "great Goose" and am proud to tell my grandkids and other basketball knowledgeable kids about seeing him in person.
 
#35
#35
Thunder Good-Oil said:
Mears was out recruiting, possibly driving through Kentucky, and he saw a billboard for Marlboro cigarettes that had the slogan "This is Marlboro Country". A light in his head went off and he adapted it to "This is Big Orange Country".

I don't know if the candy stripes were used before Ernie & Bernie, but I'm pretty sure that Indiana was first. I don't think that Roger Peltz (and then
Bill Seale) wore the candy striped warmups while riding the unicycle. They wore shorts while riding. But they did use an orange and white basketball. Spun it on their finger as they rode the unicycle in for a layup.

They had a warm up routine that started with a line of the players (running out from the locker room) bouncing the ball off of the backboard. After one cycle the last guy threw the ball to the opposite side of the backboard and everybody bounced the ball off of that side. Then after everybody tapped the ball off of each side the last guy in line dunked the ball.

They formed two rows for the passing/dribbling routine. Dribbled through their legs in a figure 8. Circled the ball around their waist. Paired up and passed behind their backs to each other. The finale was the unicycle ride.

For the starting lineup intros the lights dimmed and there was a guy operating a huge spotlight from the balcony. There was a big T rolled out, the opening filled with a sheet of orange paper. The first guy introduced, usually the fan favorite, would bust through the paper and run out to the center circle. Then the next 4 were introduced 1 by 1 as they ran through the T.

The band used to march in in uniform (minus the hats). There was a paper mâché orange mascot (shaped like an actual orange). The Smokey costume came along at some point. It was made out of felt or a similar fabric. It looked more like a rat or a bunny than a hound dog.

They also played a whistling recording of Sweet Georgia Brown as the team went through the warm up routine.

I think that Haywood Harris manned the microphone. It wouldn't have surprised me if Gus Manning was inside the orange costume... but I'm sure it was a student.
Click to expand...

Excellent Memory!!!
Along these lines, does anyone remember a guy named "Slaughter" (I think) Remember him being x military, about 6'4 or 5" tall rough and tumble guy who was a terror in the middle? Was on some of the first "turning the corner" Vol teams late 60's or early 70's??
 
#36
#36
Seems like I've seem a pic of Kosmalski wearing the striped, long warm up pants but it might have just been his senior year, Grunfeld's freshman year. This pic s/b from 1973-74 and Bill Seale has the stripes on the sleeve. The entire team MIGHT have removed the long pants after the warmups. image.jpg

I kind of remember Grunfeld wearing solid white too. Maybe they ditched the stripes around 1976-77.
 
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#37
#37
savannahfan said:
Excellent Memory!!!
Along these lines, does anyone remember a guy named "Slaughter" (I think) Remember him being x military, about 6'4 or 5" tall rough and tumble guy who was a terror in the middle? Was on some of the first "turning the corner" Vol teams late 60's or early 70's??
Click to expand...

I couldn't find a record of "Slaughter". Of course Devoe had Kevin Nash in his early years at TN, but Nash was closer to 6'10".

1973-74 Tennessee Volunteers Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Rupert Breedlove was on the team briefly in the early 1970s, but was maybe dismissed before officially making a box score. Don't think he was military. Might have come from Austin-East.
 
#38
#38
Does anybody remember the riot in Stokely during a high school game? Might have been around 1971. Austin-East versus Fulton or Rule possibly. Pretty sure it was A-E but not so clear on the opponent. Threw the folding chairs at each other and did some damage to the trophy cases in the concourse. Really tore the place up and earned a lifetime ban on the high school ever playing at SAC again. It was ugly.
 
#39
#39
therealitytheory said:
Imo the pinnacle of Mears showmanship was when he set up a wrestling match between games of the old Volunteer Classic back in '71 and I was there to see it. Victor the Wrestling Bear vs Roger Peltz and Big John Paschal...they set up a "ring" at halfcourt and had a ref and everything. Victor won easily, Peltz got thrown around w/o injury, and it was a great time had by all. However, the bear broke free in the Stokely loading dock afterwards and was headed back into the arena before it was subdued. heh

I mean, can you imagine Barnes or Calipari or Coach K letting a reserve forward wrestle a bear minutes before a game? Those were very special days in hindsight...Mears was unique, a real TN treasure.
Click to expand...

I think that Peltz came back and wrassled the bear the year after he graduated. His last year was 1970-71 and his last Volunteer Classic was 1970.

It was really kind of sad. The bear was declawed and drugged. Most likely had it's teeth pulled as well. Pretty funny that it's handlers let it get loose. They were probably drunk as well.

One cool thing they did during the Volunteer Classic was to change out the team names between games on the scoreboard. The center scoreboard was lowered down to the court and the plastic signage got changed out in the middle of the court. The flag used to be mounted on a motorized spindle and would be lowered for the NA. Those things used to fascinate me when I was a young 'un.
 
#40
#40
CampBlount said:
I can say for a fact that they existed under Ray Mears because I was a student at the time. I cannot speak to prior to Mears.

And for you younger folks, Mears was the consummate showman. As someone mentioned above, they'd dim the lights in Stokely, turn on a spotlight for the UT introductions, have somebody on a unicycle, etc.

But the best thing he did (IMO) was walk up and down the aisles at Candy's Memorial Gym in the pre-game, wearing his Orange blazer. Absolutely loved the guy.

Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Mears coin the phrase "Big Orange Country"?
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He got a lot of oranges thrown at him by Vandy students at Memorial gym. Really fired the UT team up
 
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#41
#41
Memories do fade, but as I recall students had choice seats on the west side and the Orange Tie club and donors made up the majority of Stokely's east side. My father had season tickets in sect. U behind the north side basket.

Another gimmick Mears had during the late 60's - a couple of kids in orange blazers each had a sign on a pole ("SWISH", "BOTTOM"), and each would run up and down the steps in the middle of the Orange Tie seats after a made UT basket. I was probably the same age as those kids.
 
#42
#42
savannahfan said:
The first UT game I attended was in the second half of the 60's (in Memphis by the way) Don't remember who we played, but seem to remember the striped worm ups. They reminded me of the Harlem Globe Trotters that came to little old Savannah in the late 50's. Goose Tatum was still shuffling along. I was still in awe of being in the presents of the "great Goose" and am proud to tell my grandkids and other basketball knowledgeable kids about seeing him in person.
Click to expand...



More about "GOOSE"

He left the Globe Trotters and formed his own team and toured the country with a similar routine as the Trotters and I happened to see his team in the old Chilhowee park where they had three basketball courts in place for the rec leagues.. After the game Goose treated us to a sample of his unique ability with the basketball. He stood at the foul line on the other end of the floor some 81 feet from the basket and palmed the ball and threw one after another through the hoop on the other end. That's right he stood at the foul line on the other end and made one after the other! I kid you not...the most incredible thing I have ever seen on the basketball floor.
 
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#43
#43
OneVolNation said:
@Freak I would like to buy a pair of those pants from the VolNation store here but having trouble locating a link for the listing if they are in inventory. Does anyone know if they are in stock or could post a link in this thread to them? I know someone else that wants to buy them too.
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finally found them and in stock now Orange & White Striped Basketball Pants (order today and 20% off with code Daylight)
 
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#44
#44
#45
#45
For the NCAA Tournament, I would like to see us ditch the old school uni's and warm ups and go with the modern look. We are not some uptight blue blood program trying to relive past glory.
 
#46
#46
I ordered a pair of these for myself to watch the tourney in a few weeks ago. They are on the way as of today. So maybe they’ll be here in Florida by the time I watch us play Colgate on Friday? That would be Sweet!! Here’s hoping I have them on to watch us play in the Final Four in a few weeks and to win it all!!
 
#47
#47
VOLsome said:
Mine are en route from volshop, and look more like the teams imo and just $36. These are nice though, but idk if I'd pay $56 let alone $70 for em. University of Tennessee - Knoxville - PANT VERTICAL STRIPE WARM-UP (they say they are preorder only but I just got my shipping tracking number and ordered em after the last KY game)
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Had to return mine - Im 5 10 and ordered medium - way to long -- guess AH were player cut -- I might try Volshop since you said they shipped out already
 
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#49
#49
508mikey said:
Had to return mine - Im 5 10 and ordered medium - way to long -- guess AH were player cut -- I might try Volshop since you said they shipped out already
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I just got my pants, they are a bit long but not terrible, for me at least. I wear a 32 length pant and I'd say these are probably 34 inches long (edit: just measured them and they're a 33in inseam).

I love them, they are comfortable as all get out. Lmk if you have any other questions.

Props to the volshop though. I was originally told they'd be delivered Friday here in Austin and I got them today! They always get things here quicker than expected making that $4.99 shipping fee worth it.
 
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#50
#50
VOLsome said:
I just got my pants, they are a bit long but not terrible, for me at least. I wear a 32 length pant and I'd say these are probably 34 inches long (edit: just measured them and they're a 33in inseam).

I love them, they are comfortable as all get out. Lmk if you have any other questions.

Props to the volshop though. I was originally told they'd be delivered Friday here in Austin and I got them today! They always get things here quicker than expected making that $4.99 shipping fee worth it.
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that should work for me Thanks for the info
 
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