jasonk, Tulsa (11/27/2007 5:59:32 PM)

I think we all know who the douche bags are.

AG, Tulsa (11/27/2007 6:17:11 PM)

The intent wasn't to be mean or insulting." Is there any other way to take being called a d-bag other than insulting?

Lance, Broken Arrow (11/27/2007 6:31:30 PM)

I couldn't believe this story when I read it. I think the President of Rice University should demand the resignation of this band director for displaying such poor judgement. I agree with the last poster...how can be called a "douche bag" be taken as good natured fun?

tb, Tulsa (11/27/2007 7:02:12 PM)

#3 - Lance - And that term is also really offensive to a lot of people. I certainly wouldn't want my kids to hear something like that!

J, Tulsa (11/27/2007 7:06:30 PM)

Whatever happened to marching bands just playing music? Last time I checked, marching bands weren't funny.

R.D. , Tulsa (11/27/2007 7:07:48 PM)

Now I see why he left. He found some real quality at TU.

OwlfromOK, Enid/Houston (12/3/2007 10:04:01 AM)

And ignorance is not a good advertisement for most states, but then again you are in Oklahoma.

And I'm from Oklahoma dang it. Be quiet and open up your eyes for a second. You were probably a lot like me before I started looking for colleges. All I knew about Rice is that it had a good baseball team. Other than that it can't be that different from any other school. I mean...its in Texas, it has to suck.

Oklahomans have this stereotype against Texas for some reason, and that's just plain ignorance. We're pretty much exactly the same just on different sides of the Red River. Its time to grow up Oklahoma.

After being at Rice for 3 years, I know my ignorance was misplaced. Rice is by far the best school in the South. It's the only school in the South that I know would deny a kid with a perfect SAT or ACT. Maybe you should check out our website to see exactly what our students, alumni, and faculty have done over the years. You might be impressed.

So please Oklahoma, stop embarrassing yourself and me. I really would like to go back and live there again someday, but you're making it hard.

Brain, Tulsa (12/3/2007 10:26:07 AM)

First off, Rice University's academics could never be questioned. It speaks for itself.

In this case, I really don't see the big deal. "Douche Bag" is definitely a crude and offensive term which it was why it was selected.

Rice's band has for years had the reputation of pushing the limits (I remember a great Texas A&M performance one year). They did it with this performance. Like they said, its just band nerds being band nerds.

Tulsa has the right to protest and did so according to the rules of Conference USA.

The apology is pretty ridiculous.

Lets all move on - most good comedy is borderline offensive.

Steve, Houston (12/5/2007 9:49:19 PM)

Very interesting spread of comments here - from "get over it" to "your school doesn't deserve to exist"; some erudite some clumsy, just like life in general. The thing that struck me as most telling was the unbelievable number of misspelled and misused words - you're for your, there for their, etc. from college students who should know better. Well, that and the obviously uninformed but, nevertheless, stridently proclaimed opinions about Rice being an inferior school. Rice ranks with Stanford and U of Chicago in the number of Nobel laureates on the faculty, and students who are regarded as stars at average schools such as Tulsa can't figure out how to complete the admissions forms at Rice. And finally, the number of comments from imbeciles trying to connect the dots between the band and the school at large was pretty sad. Anyone who knows anything about college bands knows the connections run the gamut from total institutional reflection (think of the Aggies) to traditional school spirit focus (any Big 10 school) to all-out professionalism (Grambling) to complete anarchy (Stanford, Rice). Chuck made a mistake, probably, but used the term "apology" repeatedly, and without irony. Graham broke a contract and his supporters seem to be passing it off as "business as usual" so it's not anything to take him to task for. And besides, it's football. It doesn't matter. It's a game. It's for fun. Like the band.

Grungy, Baytown, TX (12/6/2007 12:40:53 PM)

"94. 11/29/2007 11:04:46 AM, Former MOBster,

Rice copied someone, but no one is still around to remember which band actually gave us the idea. I don't know of any directors from that era (late 60s) who were from California. Any MOBsters reading this remember where McNeely or Roth came from? - I assume a lot of the influence was theirs, but that's before my time."

The change in format happened during Bert Roth's watch, not Mac's. But it wasn't Bert's idea or ideal. Those responsible still join The MOB each year at homecoming. One of them was the drum major in '69 & '70, and the latter was the first year that The MOB "scattered" during a half time show. Another of them has a son in The MOB (but he just graduated, too). The first use of scattering was the last change in formation of the last show (TCU) in '70. The drum major in '71 didn't much care for scattering, so the shows were a mix of scattering and marching.

Not really sure which other band or bands got them thinking that 'this might be fun', but I can ask.

Bill, San Angelo (1/12/2008 10:37:22 PM)

#24. Your eye for an eye hit it on the nose. Unfortunately, seems like Tulsa alum/fans didn't like having to fork over the eye Rice was owed.

I would suggest observing how other schools have responded to the MOB through the years (google it). UT fans love them. Aggie Fans hate them. While neither school are not in the same class as Texas Tech, it is telling that the Aggies can't stand to be joshed, and therefore, are endlessly ridiculed.

I only wished Tech's band would have such a show prepared in the event that Tulsa and Tech ever play again, if "sources" are right about Tulsa's untrustworthiness in scheduling games. It would seem that Tulsa's integrity is equal to their Coach's signature on a two day old contract.

dylan, pittsburgh (12/1/2007 2:27:46 AM)

Is Graham now to be found in the 11th circle of hell for being a tattletail and a cry baby? If you are a public figure you should come to expect these things...

And douche-bag is a word commonly used in TV-14 shows.

Way to go, MOB.

jnj, Tulsa (12/1/2007 9:38:40 AM)

Get over Tulsa. If you haven't figured it out yet, this is what RIce's MOB does. Their primary reason for existence is to evoke emotion and reaction through creative presentation methods at the holy venue of the football halftime show. Their satirical and always sardonic half-time displays are legendary, and in the case of the recent Rice-TU game delivered precisely the intended message. Unlike other thought-control schools, Rice encourages its students to push the envelope, question authority and attack hypocrisy without limiting student demonstrations to back alley, campus quad demonstrations or heavily redacted student newspapers. The MOB is only one of the many outlets for accomplishing this. If feelings are hurt in the process, there's usually a good reason. Once again, the MOB's stinging halftime show may have been slightly too much for TU's delicate fans to handle, but do not for a second mistake any Rice apology as any form of contrition for the message delivered. Pity ORU doesn't have a football team or better yet one that plays Rice........the MOB can only dream of such glorious halftime opportunities.

Darren, Tulsa (12/1/2007 10:19:48 AM)

Although it may have been a little much. Graham showing no loyalty and bolting after one year meant he had it coming. Be a man.

Zach TU '01, Tulsa (12/1/2007 11:00:21 AM)

I remember people being upset when Bill Self, Buzz Peterson, Tubby Smith and Steve Kragthorpe left. But I can promise you, there would never be such a shameful display as what the mob put on if any of them came back.

Stay classy Tulsa!

RiceAlum28, Houston (12/2/2007 9:31:23 AM)

The MOB performance did go too far. Comparing Coach Graham to a douche bag is an insult to the feminine hygiene industry, which should be the recipients of any MOB apologies.

Dave from Afton, Miami (12/2/2007 9:54:58 PM)

Rice represents the continuing legacy of the old South West Conference as in SWC standing for sure we cheat. Rice is a pitiful little institution and obviously academics are not a priority if they have been planning their stupid little halftime show since August.Rice you suck. No one wants to coach there and only a moron would stay there when presented with an oppurtunity to leave and more money.They should fire their Band Director and put the participants on probation, both financial and academic.Classless behavior like this is not a good advertisement for most schools but then they are in Texas.

Billy Bob, Albuquerque (11/29/2007 7:17:51 PM)

Tulsa once again proves itself as a town of small-minded, self-righteous hicks. Perhaps the whole city needs a huge DOUCHE BAG to clean out the obvious fungus that rots within their collective VAGINAS.

Whether or not you like the MOB, they peformed on their home turf. If you don't like the show stay the f^ck away from Rice Stadium. It's not as if they marched into Tulsa and violated your primadonna sense of decency.

Go back to reading your bibles...especially the parts about incest, rape, and prostitution.

Whoa to ye brood of moral hypocrites.

die, (11/30/2007 1:53:43 AM)

Hey, I've got a comment: who cares?

The MOB does dumb stuff all the time. Maybe this time they crossed the line, maybe they didn’t – it really doesn't matter, so lighten up.

Also, how is this a matter of class? How does this make Tulsa any classier of a school? Rice is the 17th best school in the nation. Tulsa is what...91st? Wow. That's awesome. Throckmorton permitting the use of the word “douchebag” will definitely rocket you up into the top ten, right? Wrong. Bag my groceries, losers.

"What else can you expect from a college named after a grain." Is that a question? See that symbol I just used to let people know I was asking a question? Mike from Tulsa - just kill yourself already.

“Throckmorton,or whatever the crap his crappin name is, needs to think about the consequences of what he is doing should he shouldnt have to apologize later.” John from Muskogee, you are clinically retarded. Your comment is barely a sentence, and you are barely a human being. I hate you.

“By the way, I know Throckmorton and he like to wear women's underwear.” Good one, Rice-a-Roni. Next time try conjugating the verbs in your insults. Otherwise you just end up LOOK like an idiot.

Everyone who is arguing about the origins of the MOB in relation to other band programs needs to stop. You’re embarrassing yourselves, and only the anonymity of the internet prevents the rest of us from beating you up and stealing your lunch money.

Impartial Outsider, Atlanta (11/30/2007 7:11:20 AM)

Funniest thing I've seen in years.

"As you sow so shall ye reap."

"There will always be a Douchebag in Tulsa."

Current Rice student, and not a fan of the MOB, Houston (11/30/2007 11:05:15 AM)

You know, I've been at Rice long enough to remember two relevant things. First, Todd Graham was offered a wonderful opportunity, and at the time the Thresher (a better representation of the campus than the MOB) expressed understanding and sympathy over the situation. The administration and Graham completely mishandled the departure, but it was understandable why he would take the opportunity. Calling Graham a douchbag wasn't called for then, and it isn't called for now.

Second, when we joined C-USA, one of the columnists pointed out that there were different rules about sportsmanship and that the MOB was going to bring trouble down upon the university -- this is not unexpected, and Throckmorton should have known better than to greenlight this script as long as it contained the insult. The fact that the one liner wasn't even funny is a large part of the problem. Edgy humour(Daily Show and Colbert and such), that's entertaining; sour grapes are not.

I read about this Wednesday, and I'm still shocked and appalled at the spectacular misjudgment shown here.

(If you're wondering, it's not hard at all to verify that I am indeed a Rice student.)

Love for the MOB, Houston (11/30/2007 4:34:48 PM)

Tulsa fans need to quit whining. Seriously. Douchebag is used on SNL and other comedy skits to get a rise out of people. The MOB usually has horrible shows but they finally got it right. Graham should've realized it was coming. He knew he left on bad terms and should just grow a spine and shut up. Good job Tulsa - your band can't be creative and witty but at least you're "classy."

Cindy Sue, Houston (11/30/2007 5:20:53 PM)

I personally think it's hilarious when I read posts from people attempting to belittle Rice. Like one post online complaining about how "offensive" the half-time show was and then another (in support of it being offensive) saying "What do you expect from one of the MOST liberal universities in the country"... this in itself is a non sequitar... Rice being a douchebag towards Todd Graham has nothing to do with the "liberalness" of a university. Perhaps what this person meant is we are liberal in terms of poking fun/making fun of people. Also, didn't Todd Graham get 2nd place for "Sports Jerk of the Year"??? I think this deserves a bit of ridicule if you ask me.

In case you failed to notice, I just called my own school a douchebag. I will admit we can do some pretty far-out-there things some times, but I do not think this justifies people saying Rice has no "class". Rice has collaborated with MD Anderson in making advances towards solving cancer and some of the most brilliant minds in the world research at Rice. So we like to be "edgy" and push the limits in terms of what humor we can get away with. But I think there is one important thing people are failing to mention...

It is a group of college kids.. what do you expect.

Former MOBster, (11/29/2007 11:04:46 AM)

sctrojan25,

The MOB copies no one. Stanford didn't have the idea first, and neither did we, but we've all evolved in different directions. We've had discussions with other scatter bands in the past, and we've found that Stanford and Rice are both fairly different from our Eastern 'scramble band' relatives, and are both very different from each other. If you really want to get technical, Stanford copied one of the Ivys that copied Harvard, who copied Columbia. Rice copied someone, but no one is still around to remember which band actually gave us the idea. I don't know of any directors from that era (late 60s) who were from California. Any MOBsters reading this remember where McNeely or Roth came from? - I assume a lot of the influence was theirs, but that's before my time.

C-USA coach, (11/29/2007 11:59:06 AM)

maybe you should think twice about being so loyal to Graham Tulsa fans. If you notice there are a lot of coaching staff shifts in college football at the end of this year. I happen to know Graham inquired about a couple of them. Had they been offering more money you guys would have been sayin goodbye to your beloved d-bag too...