Randy Rahe on Timmy Falls

[EverettGriz]

Neil McCarthy was terrorizing the conference. A big, strong, imposing guy with a temper, and almost violently so. Hated "Montana." That was only fair. "Montana" hated him. I think everybody else did too. The "Zoo" taunted him mercilessly. The "Pizza Order" was a highlight of UM Sports.

Tell me more about this pizza order ordeal.

1985 - zoo gave a pizza to Neil McCarthy just before the opening tipoff/during the pre-game warm-up. Bill delivered the pizza (in box) to McCarthy. It was a hot-pepper cheese and Jalapeno pepper pizza. :thumb:

the mental picture of Bill walking over to the weebs bench holding that pizza is permanently burned into my brain. I thought I was going to die laughing. [emoji38]

Wasn't his son on the team that year?

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That season or shortly thereafter. That punk was a big a waste of air as his dad.

 

[CatGrad-UMGradStu]

What I remember about McCarthy was his academic fraud and vacated seasons. He had something like a ten percent graduation rate...

 

[Gaeilge1]

Yeah, McCarthy was not well liked, but I gotta say that some of those battles between Jud, Jim, Mike and Neil McCarthy were among the best UM games I've ever seen!

 

[rocklobster]

Not bad in '67, Swarthout's first year. Brian Magnuson was a beast. Should have beaten USU. Still in maroon and silver and at the on-campus Dornblaser.

Swarthout was a locally popular coach, no doubt, and gave Jack Elway his start. After Hugh Davidson's disastrous final year, 1-8, Swarthout was middling, 2-2, then 0-4 in conference. The years 1969 and 1970 really took off for him (10-1 overall both years, trips to the "Camelia Bowl"), but his final five years were very lackluster (13-15 conference). That, and the "Scandal." The "move" from on-campus Dornblaser to Golf Course Dornblaser, a second rate "temporary" field with rickety bleachers, didn't help. By the time of Swarthout's lackluster final year, 1975, Jud Heathcote was getting the attention and starting ... the Dynasty. He had taken the team to the thrilling game with UCLA.

"The Grizzlies defeated Utah State 69-63 in the first round, sending them to Portland and the Memorial Coliseum to face off against the mighty UCLA Bruins. The Bruins were led by coaching legend John Wooden and eventual NBA star Marques Johnson. One of Heathcote's players from Washington State, who followed him to Montana, Eric Hays, had the game of his life against a team that went on to win its 10th national championship in 12 years. In the final game of his college career, the 6-foot-3 Hays racked up a game- and career-high 32 points, almost singlehandedly willing his team to stay right with UCLA."

It was quite an era. Football was in eclipse. Basketball was "packing the house."

And "the house," then, had 9700 seats.

My first memory of college basketball!

 

[EverettGriz]

Yeah, McCarthy was not well liked, but I gotta say that some of those battles between Jud, Jim, Mike and Neil McCarthy were among the best UM games I've ever seen!

Have to include Monson in that group as well. I recall a game in 1983 — the year after the Shot Heard Round the World — Don brought another very good Idaho team into Dahlberg. During pregame warm ups, he was rubbin his temples. And of course the Zoo, which had been packed for 90 minutes already, started yelling, “Got a headache, Don?!? Got a headache, Don?!?”

Those were some fantastic times in that place. Travis is doing all he can to build the team to that level again, it’s time for the fans to do their part.

 

[NativeGriz]

Not bad in '67, Swarthout's first year. Brian Magnuson was a beast. Should have beaten USU. Still in maroon and silver and at the on-campus Dornblaser.

Swarthout was a locally popular coach, no doubt, and gave Jack Elway his start. After Hugh Davidson's disastrous final year, 1-8, Swarthout was middling, 2-2, then 0-4 in conference. The years 1969 and 1970 really took off for him (10-1 overall both years, trips to the "Camelia Bowl"), but his final five years were very lackluster (13-15 conference). That, and the "Scandal." The "move" from on-campus Dornblaser to Golf Course Dornblaser, a second rate "temporary" field with rickety bleachers, didn't help. By the time of Swarthout's lackluster final year, 1975, Jud Heathcote was getting the attention and starting ... the Dynasty. He had taken the team to the thrilling game with UCLA.

"The Grizzlies defeated Utah State 69-63 in the first round, sending them to Portland and the Memorial Coliseum to face off against the mighty UCLA Bruins. The Bruins were led by coaching legend John Wooden and eventual NBA star Marques Johnson. One of Heathcote's players from Washington State, who followed him to Montana, Eric Hays, had the game of his life against a team that went on to win its 10th national championship in 12 years. In the final game of his college career, the 6-foot-3 Hays racked up a game- and career-high 32 points, almost singlehandedly willing his team to stay right with UCLA."

It was quite an era. Football was in eclipse. Basketball was "packing the house."

And "the house," then, had 9700 seats.

The final game of Hays career was against #16 UNLV losing by 8 pts. Unfortunately they didn't play as well as they did against UCLA or they would have finished the year ranked in the top 20

 

[coyote]

1985 - zoo gave a pizza to Neil McCarthy just before the opening tipoff/during the pre-game warm-up. Bill delivered the pizza (in box) to McCarthy. It was a hot-pepper cheese and Jalapeno pepper pizza. :thumb:

the mental picture of Bill walking over to the weebs bench holding that pizza is permanently burned into my brain. I thought I was going to die laughing. [emoji38]

Wasn't his son on the team that year?

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

That season or shortly thereafter. That punk was a big a waste of air as his dad.

I remember the student section was really on him. He was clearly rattled.

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[Proud Griz Man]

McCarthy's son Aaron was the starting point guard on the 1985 team, when the pizza was delivered to coach McCarthy on the bench during pre-game. The zoo chanted "Aaaaaa-ron" everytime he touched the basketball. It wasn't personal, the zoo just wanted to create a challenging atmosphere for opposing teams. Don't know the man and can't opine on the quality of his character and likeability. I think he later went into coaching in Europe.

Weber State 43-17 Neil McCarthy Aaron McCarthy, G Aaron led the Big Sky Conference in assists as a senior in 1984-85 with 7.2 per game. He played for the Wildcats' conference champion and NIT team the previous year after transferring from SIU-Edwardsville. Aaron previously paced UC Santa Barbara in assists and steals in 1980-81.

Published: November 30, 1988 12:00 am
Former Weber State basketball player Aaron McCarthy has been chosen to coach the Belgian National basketball team for the next four years, McCarthy 27, is currently coach of the B.B.C. Bobcat Gent Blackbear team here. McCarthy is the youngest coach to take charge of a national team in Europe, and if his squad succeeds in making the Olympics in 1992, he will be the youngest Olympic basketball coach ever. Awards: Coach of the Year, Finland (1995-1996, 1996-1997)

1985 - zoo gave a pizza to Neil McCarthy just before the opening tipoff/during the pre-game warm-up. Bill delivered the pizza (in box) to McCarthy. It was a hot-pepper cheese and Jalapeno pepper pizza. :thumb:

the mental picture of Bill walking over to the weebs bench holding that pizza is permanently burned into my brain. I thought I was going to die laughing. [emoji38]

Wasn't his son on the team that year?

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

That season or shortly thereafter. That punk was a big a waste of air as his dad.

 

[Dillon]

Those were the days my friends - The Zoo holding up Kaimans when the opposing team was announced, spuds thrown on the floor for Idaho & of course the Chanting at the visitors bench. Yep those were the days.

 

[michaelsol]

Those were the days my friends - The Zoo holding up Kaimans when the opposing team was announced, spuds thrown on the floor for Idaho & of course the Chanting at the visitors bench. Yep those were the days.

The "Zoo" really was an integral part of the popularity of Basketball then. Put a bunch of students front and center, install some organizers -- I remember Mike Pantalione being one ringleader -- and they really made it an event. The "potatoes!" With red russets rolling across the floor, an angry Ref came over and threatened to call a technical foul on the Griz if just "one more potato is rolled across this floor!"

A moment of uncharacteristic silence and then, plop, a box of freeze-dried potatoes lands in front of the Ref. Even he had to smile, and naturally, that "brought down the house."

 

[kemajic]

Not bad in '67, Swarthout's first year. Brian Magnuson was a beast. Should have beaten USU. Still in maroon and silver and at the on-campus Dornblaser.

Swarthout was a locally popular coach, no doubt, and gave Jack Elway his start. After Hugh Davidson's disastrous final year, 1-8, Swarthout was middling, 2-2, then 0-4 in conference. The years 1969 and 1970 really took off for him (10-1 overall both years, trips to the "Camelia Bowl"),

All of Davidson's years were "disastrous" (8-20). Swarthout was 7-3 in his first year, '67 - all three losses were by 6 or fewer points.

 

[michaelsol]

All of Davidson's years were "disastrous" (8-20). Swarthout was 7-3 in his first year, '67 - all three losses were by 6 or fewer points.

Davidson, if I recall correctly, was a successful high school coach at Great Falls, and came highly-touted, but, like many making the transition, it didn't pan out.

Davidson spent three lackluster seasons as head football coach of the Montana Grizzlies during the university’s sports “de-emphasis” period of the mid-1960s. He was fired after the 1966 season and offered the Davidson home in Missoula’s South Hills to a coaching friend from Washington, Jack Elway, who was on Jack Swarthout’s incoming staff.

However, he went on to a fairly illustrious career as a scout for the Denver Broncos. http://ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_8b7afe60-8b9d-11e3-96c7-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[michaelsol]

Interesting to see a lot of discussion of Jack Swarthout in "Football Revolution: the Rise of the Spread Offense and How it Transformed College Football." University of Nebraska Press, 2013. Lots of conversation about Montana, Dennis Erickson, etc.

https://books.google.com/books?id=4UM7AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&dq=Hugh+Davidson+coach&source=bl&ots=rexiwWaXrd&sig=H4tccxQp5LPX-E7JdVE9Lrku5G0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwifh7O_59XZAhVB5mMKHWq7CeMQ6AEIaTAM#v=onepage&q=Hugh%20Davidson%20coach&f=false

 

[michaelsol]

Jud Heathcote definitely overshadowed Jack Swarthout in Swarthout's final 2-3 years; too, Swarthout was stuck out on the temporary field, while Heathcote got the benefit of the new facilities in the renovated University Field House. And Heathcote was a natural showman, whereas Swarthout could be "stiff" to talk to, at least he was for me. He probably didn't appreciate "newby" questions such as "why does the football have that funny shape?" Well, enquiring minds wanted to know. At least, I did. Judging by the look on his face, apparently I was the only one that hadn't figured it out ... or had the nerve to actually ask. He was affable enough, but not like Jud.

 

[AZGrizFan]

All of Davidson's years were "disastrous" (8-20). Swarthout was 7-3 in his first year, '67 - all three losses were by 6 or fewer points.

Davidson, if I recall correctly, was a successful high school coach at Great Falls, and came highly-touted, but, like many making the transition, it didn't pan out.

Davidson spent three lackluster seasons as head football coach of the Montana Grizzlies during the university’s sports “de-emphasis” period of the mid-1960s. He was fired after the 1966 season and offered the Davidson home in Missoula’s South Hills to a coaching friend from Washington, Jack Elway, who was on Jack Swarthout’s incoming staff.

However, he went on to a fairly illustrious career as a scout for the Denver Broncos. http://ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_8b7afe60-8b9d-11e3-96c7-001a4bcf887a.html

Holy Stitt. Stop the presses. An entire 75 post WITHOUT a single quotation mark!!! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

 

[NativeGriz]

Those were the days my friends - The Zoo holding up Kaimans when the opposing team was announced, spuds thrown on the floor for Idaho & of course the Chanting at the visitors bench. Yep those were the days.

The "Zoo" really was an integral part of the popularity of Basketball then. Put a bunch of students front and center, install some organizers -- I remember Mike Pantalione being one ringleader -- and they really made it an event. The "potatoes!" With red russets rolling across the floor, an angry Ref came over and threatened to call a technical foul on the Griz if just "one more potato is rolled across this floor!"

A moment of uncharacteristic silence and then, plop, a box of freeze-dried potatoes lands in front of the Ref. Even he had to smile, and naturally, that "brought down the house."

I was at that game. It was hilarious. The student section would fill up about a half hour before the game. Those zoo guys would study the opponent and be ready to rib people about family or whatever. Seattle U player-Oleynick was averaging almost 30 points a game when He played in Missoula and was an emotional wreck after all the taunting from the zoo. I dont remember exactly but he only had about 10 points at end of game. He finished the year averaging 25.1, so the guy was good, but not with the zoo.