Was THERE!

[TAF]

Took the day off from working at "The Family Fun Fair" (where all the rides were along the River) area of the World's Fair to be at the game...help tear down the goal post and carry it DOWN Cumberland to place it inside "The Last Lap" *watch close for the LL sign in the news piece...there has GOT to be someone here that was part of that, too?

OH What a night!

 

[DonDiego]

I was at that game. An incredible experience!

 

[Nico ee-ah-MAH-LAY-ah-va]

We used to be a proper country.

This was before my time, but I remember all the old timers talking about the ups and downs of the 80s under Majors when I was starting to become a fan in the early 90s. That shot of Majors on the shoulders shaking the Bear's hand is iconic and perfectly encapsulates why college football is fun. I read that Majors regretted being carried like that, but the fans loved it.

 

[Gandalf]

Took the day off from working at "The Family Fun Fair" (where all the rides were along the River) area of the World's Fair to be at the game...help tear down the goal post and carry it DOWN Cumberland to place it inside "The Last Lap" *watch close for the LL sign in the news piece...there has GOT to be someone here that was part of that, too?

OH What a night!

That was before my time but I was there and led the charge out of the stadium with the goalposts in '89 against #4 Auburn. Meaning I really was the shirtless idiot in front leading it. It was awesome. 82 was in our minds for sure.

Also was there when R.E.M. played at the Library.

 

[jrwvol]

I was there in LL. The day after my 13th birthday. We got iron on t-shirts to commemorate!

 

[SpookyAction]

The video of the crowd is very interesting. Very little orange in the stands. It was still a year or two before you could find lots of orange UT clothing in stores. By 1990, everyone was wearing orange to the games.
I had several UT shirts and hats by the Sugar Vols game.

CFB was so different prior to large-scale merchandising and all games available for TV.

 

[TAF]

Also was there when R.E.M. played at the Library.

I actually preferred Love Tractor...but they never made it like REM and the B-52s...

 

[HoptownVol]

Not a dry eye in the house that night. One of UT's most memorable games, and a much needed emotional release!

 

[Big Orange Rob]

I remember that day. I was dove hunting with some buddies behind our house. My Mother came out in the back yard and yelled to us that we had beat bama. My Mom is in heaven now, but she loved the Vols. What a great memory!

 

[adam.vol]

I never got to see any of these things before YouTube. It’s hard to believe we had so many ups and downs over the years.

 

[SpookyAction]

Listening to John Ward's broadcast of this game cemented my supercharged love for the VOLS.

 

[1985volunteer]

Took the day off from working at "The Family Fun Fair" (where all the rides were along the River) area of the World's Fair to be at the game...help tear down the goal post and carry it DOWN Cumberland to place it inside "The Last Lap" *watch close for the LL sign in the news piece...there has GOT to be someone here that was part of that, too?

OH What a night!

Yep. And neither confirm nor deny rumors related to a bread truck incident on the strip.

 

[BigOrangeGirl]

Wow, so cool to see! My birthday is October 17th which is usually right around the TSIO. Growing up, my dad always let me know it was close to that special game and that he thought that was special.

 

[Alto1]

I was there with my bride, Dad, and a good friend of his.
It was PRICELESS!! GB!!

 

[sami]

Took the day off from working at "The Family Fun Fair" (where all the rides were along the River) area of the World's Fair to be at the game...help tear down the goal post and carry it DOWN Cumberland to place it inside "The Last Lap" *watch close for the LL sign in the news piece...there has GOT to be someone here that was part of that, too?

OH What a night!

You and I then shared a spot tearing down that goal post and carrying it down the Strip. I've seen a ton of live sporting events, and that game remains the pinnacle, never to be topped. The loudest crowd I've ever heard, especially when the Vols came through the Power T in all orange (after warming up in orange/white), and the Walter Lewis fumble on the first play. Deafening.

I lived a couple of blocks up from the Strip in Fort Sanders on Clinch Ave., near the World's Fair, and I got in around 4am, and woke up at about 8 still hearing the celebration going on Cumberland. Just an unforgettable day and night.

I remember buying a t-shirt on the Strip that night that said "We Beat Bama and the Bear Sh*t". Wish I still had it, but it might not have even made it back to my apartment that night. I remember there were cops all over the Strip, but they had relaxed the open alcohol on the street rules for the night - some were imbibing themselves.

 

[05_never_again]

The video of the crowd is very interesting. Very little orange in the stands. It was still a year or two before you could find lots of orange UT clothing in stores. By 1990, everyone was wearing orange to the games.
I had several UT shirts and hats by the Sugar Vols game.

CFB was so different prior to large-scale merchandising and all games available for TV.

There is a good amount of people in orange, but you're right, it seems like 40-50% of the crowd was there just wearing regular clothes. In those days, if you wanted Tennessee-branded gear you probably had to buy it on-campus from the campus store. It wasn't for sale at other retailers, and obviously ordering off the internet wasn't an option.

Also, by modern standards, the goalpost teardown and walk-off are pretty modest/calm. As a society, I think we're simply more passionate about sports today than that time and have higher expectations for the teams that we're a fan of. For better or for worse.

 

[sami]

Also was there when R.E.M. played at the Library.

I worked at WUTK, the school station, in the early '80's, and the local music scene was phenomenal. R.E.M. came through a few weeks after the TSIO, about four months before releasing Murmur (we were playing the Chronic Town EP ad nauseum) to play a couple of nights, and did an interview at the radio station in the afternoon of the 10th. There couldn't have been more than 100 people at either show, but they blew the roof off of both of those dives. Here's the timeline I found online:

9 November 1982 - The Place, Knoxville, TN
support: Peter Holsapple

10 November 1982 - WUTK 90.3FM, The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
notes: Radio interview with Berry, Buck, Mills and Stipe.

10 November 1982 - Hobo's, Knoxville, TN
support: Peter Holsapple, Smokin' Dave And The Premo Dopes
set: Gardening At Night / 9-9 / Pilgrimage / Shaking Through / Wolves, Lower / Romance / Sloop John B / Sitting Still / Moral Kiosk / After Hours / Pretty Persuasion / Catapult / 1,000,000 / West Of The Fields
encore: Last Date / Ages Of You / We Walk / Judy / Neverland / Carnival Of Sorts (Box Cars) / There She Goes Again
notes: Peter Holsapple guests on 'Sloop John B', 'Judy' and 'Neverland'.

 

[TAF]

I worked at WUTK, the school station, in the early '80's, and the local music scene was phenomenal.

The background music of my youth! Gabby's hosted a few folks ("Progressive' & 'Punk") on the Strip, as well.