Wednesday, December 27, 2006
'I Want Every Man, Woman and Child'
During the week, Geoffrey Strand seems normal enough. The 59-year-old works for a Santa Monica financial services firm as a senior advisor. But on Saturdays in the fall, he puts on short pants, short socks, a baggy sweater and a newsboy cap and becomes the alumni cheerleader for UCLA. "No question, what I do is a little goofy," Strand told the L.A. Times in 2004. "People are surprised I do it. They say it's kind of quaint or odd. But that's the passion we have at UCLA. It's not contrived or marketed. It's real." This all started in 1976, when former Bruin coach Terry Donahue asked Strand to lead cheers for the alumni. Strand's fame is such today that he is invited to work Bruin birthday parties and pep rallies. To fulfill his commitments, he has to show up five hours before home games. On Wednesday night, Strand be leading the cheers when UCLA plays Florida State in the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco.
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10 comments:
Do people booking him for birthday parties get a discount if they also book the Towel Waver? Add in the juggler and you have a sideline full of clowns.
Seriously, a towel waver, a juggler, the Hamster Dance at half time & this clown. Welcome to UCLA Football.
13 - 9
Welcome to UCLA football.
Skirt wearing male mascot with a broom on his hat.
Welcome to USC football.
Typical Trojans.
You guys don't get it.
Towel Waver?
Juggler?
The team with the towel waver and juggler just spanked you butt wipes when you were 14 point favorites.
13-9!
Deal with it for another 11 months.
For you whiny rock throwin' Cardinal and Gold types, it doesn't get more fruity than the guys on the tables in their li'l white sweaters and matching tennis shorts doing school spellouts. Oh, and Freud would have a field day with the gladiator mascot riding Mister Ed, too!
Now, for real long-in-the-tooth fans, does anybody remember what happened to that hawker who used to yell "Get yer SEEEEUUUUUUUUVENEER Programs?" That guy was a real fixture at the games in the 70's, 80's and even into the 90's. His turf seemed to be mostly Coliseum, but I think I caught his schtick at the Rose Bowl once or twice, too.
Prove it wasn't a fluke, KD! Beat the Bowden bunch.
Thanks for proving it was a fluke KD!
Har! Har! Har!
it's easy to criticize - but it's hard to do what he has been doing for a long long time - - he gets the 'ol alumni & student crowd to do more more often than anyone ever has - is it a little odd yeah, but he makes the games fun and drives sc fans nuts - - that's OK w/ me
While he may be a little crazy, he brings a passion to the game in a way few ever had. He doesn't care about the few that critize, he does it for the hundreds who praise him. I've always been impressed with how he does what he loves and doesn't care about looking silly. And if you've ever met him, he's a terrific fater, husband and person. Not a senile old man
i've gone to every UCLA home game for the past 5 years and hes is one of the most passionate college football fans that the world has every seen just because we dont have to pay 50 grand a year for school, it doesn't make him carzy for supporting his team
This guy is a complete fruitcake. Fits right in with all the other lunatics from Westwood. Truly sad the Taxpayers of California have to subsidize that complete waste of time.
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