Friday, lanu©ry 9, 1976
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page seven
Friday, January 9, 1976 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page ~even
Oran 0 W/:Zs The
Sooners
By LEBA HERTZ
STRAIGHT from the Florida
sunshine tree, strutting down
Biscayne Boulevard, leading a
battalion of flag bearing band
members, America's own Anita
Bryant heralded the opening of
the King Orange Jamboree Pa-
rade with her rendition of I'm
a Yankee Doodle Dandy and
It's a Grand Old Flag. And the
crowd loved it.
In the 42nd annual Orange
Bowl parade, over 600,000 spec-
tators watched as 32 floats and
25 bands glittered and shone in
what was to be a prelude to the
showdown between Oklahoma
and Michigan and the National
Championship.
With such showstoppers as
McDonald's Boston Tea Party,
Burger King's Architects of
Freedom, and Michigan and
Oklahoma's marching bands, the
crowds showed their approval
with thunderous applause.
W7HISTLES and hoots greeted
Copverstone's float of smil-
ing bathing beauties as it pass-
ed the obviously excited crowd.
When Michigan's band passed
the grandstand, partisan fans
waved homemade "Go Blue"
annenrs and their choruses of
"Hail to the Victors" drowned
out the other bands.
Oklahoma fans were no less
ouiet. Boomer Sooner r a n g
through the bleachers and the
entrance of Big Red, super fan,
riding in his vintage crimson
car, sent the crowd into a fever
pitch.
Just as the parade was its
usual sparkling pool of indul-
gence, the Orange Bowl game
also lived up to its hype. The
momentum accelerated immedi-
ately prior to kickoff, when
Sooner and Wolverine fans real-
ixed that mighty Ohio State was
,bo'it to be upset by the UCLA
Bruins. Suddenly, the Orange
Bowl herame a battle for the
cweted National Championship.
A S PREDICTED by sports an-
alysts, the game became a
d11f nsive strug-le. Quarterback
ck Leach and running back
Cnrdon Bell were stifled by the
strong and quick Oklahoma de-
fsn. At the same time, Mich-
)'s bhivhl touted defense was
--,ressivelv containing t h e
S--r's nriaier runner, Joe
W s' irngton.
But a few big plays, highlight-
Sbetter
ed by a stunning 39 yard touch- The people of all ages who
down run by Oklahoma's un- donated their sweat and blood
heralded Billy Brooks, pushed seemed to breathe a collective
the momentum over to the Soon- sigh of relief and satisfaction at
ers. When the game was over, the extravanganza's end. An-
and the confetti had floated to tiqu relics and 18th century
the ground, there was no ques- uniforms were tucked away to
tion as to who was the best be used for other Bicentennial
team in the nation. celebrations.
The parade's glittering patrio- But the greatest victory seem-
tism and commercialism was ed to belong to the corporations
revived and intensified during who sponsored their "spare no
the half-time show. Continuing expense" floats. They had shone
the Odyssey to Freedom and l-ke never before. All the maga-
Bicentennial theme, the Orange zine and television ads in the
Bowl Committee staged a half- world could not surpass par-
time affair which could put the ticipation in the parade for pure
Rockettes to shame, p.r. value.
Beneath a cloud of American
figs waving in the cool Miami (['LOAKED IN a tribute to
air tutu clad dancers, baton '" America's revolution, the pa-
twirlers, spruced up bands, rode and bowl activities were in
fancy floats, and Uncle Sam reality an ovation to America's
converged on the playing turf commercial past. America had
in one cymbal-crashing, cannon- changed from the days of "Give
blasting tribute to America's me Liberty or Give me Death."
2001h anniversary. The Bowl festivities were more
interested in flaunting America's
XND SO IT was-another pa- f u 11 e s t pagentry, and gilded
rade, another game, another snlendor. Riding high above the
year, and another heartbreaking parade and half-time show,
defeat for a Michigan team overshadowing the simple fun
which season after season just of a college football game, was
can't seem to clinch the big one tie belief that money buys hap-
to ice the cake. p:ness.