Today's Tidbit... Halftime Serpentines Get Your Goat

RPPC from the 1913 Oregon State-Oregon game. (Personal collection)

Today’s Tidbit looked at Oregon State’s scoreboard yesterday, and we are back in Corvallis today. Instead of discussing a scoreboard location officials would not tolerate today, we look at fan behavior that no longer cuts the mustard.

Before schools formed marching bands and made them the center of our halftime attention, students often entertained themselves and others by forming serpentine lines that wound around the field. Then, more formal security at the future stadiums and John Philip Sousa ended halftime snake dances.

Still, the picture has another element of interest. Check out the guy leading the snake dance. He is close to the sideline and slightly in front of the banner. The closeup below shows him walking a goat; a species never used as Oregon State’s mascot, as far as I can tell.

Let me know if you have information about Oregon State's goat.

---

Subscribe for free and never miss a story. If you are a regular reader, consider becoming a paying subscriber to support my work.