She's A Great Recruiting Tool....

FirefightnRick · November 1, 2007

I would like to try and arrange for David Thomas to spend an evening with Boomer's cannon crew for a home game next season. He might come to the understanding that hearing something loud is one thing, feeling it is a whole other experience.

Rick

http://www.star-telegram.com/college_sport...ory/287645.html

It lights up, blows smoke and, mostly ... it's LOUD

By DAVID THOMAS

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

STAR-TELEGRAM/DARRELL BYERS

When FrogHorn sounds off, fans can't help but pay attention. There are some mistakes you can make that slip by unnoticed. An ill-timed FrogHorn blast isn't one of them.

So my goal when allowed to spend a TCU football game as the official handle-puller of FrogHorn: Don't sound the horn at the wrong time.

Not to put me over team, but it was a successful night when Utah beat the Horned Frogs 27-20. Hey, TCU lost, but I went 8-for-8.

FrogHorn is that big "thing" -- there doesn't seem to be a simple description for FrogHorn -- that sits behind the south end zone at TCU football games, makes an ear-busting noise, blows smoke, lights up and rings bells.

Imagine your nightmare's worst beer-belching, cigar-smoking, football-loving couch potato and paint him purple. Except FrogHorn is 10 times louder and at least that much more lovable.

FrogHorn first appeared at TCU during the 1994 season as a donation from Burlington Northern Railroad. She has strobe lights and two bells that came off working trains. But it's the sound and smoke she's best known for.

Bells can be used to celebrate first downs or big plays. The big boys -- the sound and the smoke -- are reserved for players and points. My job was to sound FrogHorn when the players came onto the field at the start of each half and after every Frogs score.

The good thing about being the sound guy is that the handle is at the back of FrogHorn. That puts you behind the horns.

I went through a pregame training session with FrogHorn's three main handlers -- FrogHorn operator Jim Garvin, his son Justin and Jason Lesikar. But there was no chance to practice because, well, everyone would hear that.

So I made my loud debut when the Horned Frogs came onto the field right before opening kickoff. I grabbed the handle and let her rip for a good 10 count.

Someone who happened to walk in front of FrogHorn about that same time waited until the echoes had stopped and said, "Don't do it that long again."

Party pooper.

My ears hurt a little after the first blast, and that wasn't a good sign. Apparently, there's a sweet spot in the handle that, when you find it, is like an extra gear for noise or something.

"If it hurts just a little," Jason said, "you don't have it all the way."

The next time, though, my ears hurt a lot. Bingo!

When Stephen Hodge returned a blocked punt for TCU's first points of the night, I gave two good five-count blasts. On the second one, said Jason, I found the sweet spot.

I just wish the guy from pregame had been standing in front of us then.

Jim, Justin and Jason became FrogHorn's caretakers before the 2005 season. Jim has been attending TCU games since 1972. Justin and Jason are 2002 TCU graduates, former roommates, and work with logistics for TCU's band.

Working FrogHorn is a volunteer venture. But there are perks other than a good place to stand for home games.

All three were in San Diego last December for the Poinsettia Bowl. On his cellphone, Justin has a picture of him and FrogHorn posing with LaDainian Tomlinson, who set FrogHorn off a few times during his TCU days.

Jim drove FrogHorn from his home in Cleburne to San Diego. The load turns heads on road trips, and Jim made it all the way to Granbury before his first FrogHorn chat with a curious onlooker.

It was a Granbury police officer.

"We visited for about 10 minutes about FrogHorn," Jim said, "then he finally told me I had my lights on high beam and he pulled me over to let me know."

On the way to San Diego, two newspapers dashed reporters onto the scene for a quick story when FrogHorn made pit stops. There also were the other folks who asked if they could pose for photos next to FrogHorn. Then there's the most common request.

"I'm amazed at how many people want to blow it," Jim said. But he has to turn down those requests. There are channels to clear through school officials before you can sound FrogHorn.

(We did consider, however, short-circuiting those channels when Miss America, who had sung the national anthem, came near us. I offered to let her take one of my turns -- it's Miss America! -- but I think we were all too shy to ask her.)

FrogHorn also makes appearances at local parades, and TCU officials would like to get her out more for community activities. She's a great recruiting tool.

That's why Jim, Justin and Jason want to spruce her up a little after this season. She needs new tires and new fenders, for sure. The handle's broken and needs repairing because it digs into the palms of the sound man's hands.

But there's a little debate as what to do with her face. FrogHorn wears this bright, wide smile up front, and just above the right corner of her lip is a dent and scratch marks.

According to the tale that's been told, an opposing player upset with a loss to TCU made a helmet-first, full-speed run into FrogHorn. He made quite an impression on her.

"It's character," Justin said. "That's a story. Stories you leave alone."

"Story or not," Jason countered, "I'd like to have it fixed. My frog has a broken jaw."

After all, FrogHorn has been good to them. She shares her warmth on chilly nights.

At the Utah game, we just wished we could have had more chances to make her sing. But I did get eight turns at the handle -- pregame, to start the second half, two touchdowns, two PATs and two field goals.

And, most important, no mistakes. Not to rat out Justin, but he can't make that claim. Earlier this season, he wrongly thought TCU had scored a touchdown. So he turned FrogHorn loose.

"It was short," he said, "but you could hear it."

Always.

David Thomas, 817-390-7760

dthomas@star-telegram.com

GreenAlums · November 1, 2007

I agree Rick, Boomer is 10X better, plus it's our tradition. Now, a cool item like this "thing" would be nice for marketing. The thing is, it has to fit in the marketing plan. When they drove this thing to San Diego the newpaper articles were written but the interviews were preceded by a marketing campaign that called the towns ahead of time and let them know they would be there. I'd love to have a good marketing plan that would support something like this. I think your point is, we have what we need. I think the Model A needs a shot in the arm. It could be worth marketing around.

FirefightnRick · November 1, 2007

I agree Rick, Boomer is 10X better, plus it's our tradition. Now, a cool item like this "thing" would be nice for marketing. The thing is, it has to fit in the marketing plan. When they drove this thing to San Diego the newpaper articles were written but the interviews were preceded by a marketing campaign that called the towns ahead of time and let them know they would be there. I'd love to have a good marketing plan that would support something like this. I think your point is, we have what we need. I think the Model A needs a shot in the arm. It could be worth marketing around.

The model A and/or the Victory Bell can tow Boomer and it's Limber and in fact, people can ride on all three. North Texas alumni have donated a trailer that will carry any of the three as was done for the New Orleans Bowls. The trailer sits out in the weather near the stadium along with the Bell and the Model A. With all three, the bell, the car and cannon we have MUCH more to show off than anyone around the region has. But the calling ahead and marketing thing...... :blink:

Rick

UNTLifer · November 1, 2007

Speaking of traditions, and I'm not sure this qualifies, but I remember it from the Fry days.

What ever happened to the go cart that Scrappy used to drive around the track? It was painted Granny Apple Green and had the "stylized eagle" on the sides.

GreenAlums · November 1, 2007

Speaking of traditions, and I'm not sure this qualifies, but I remember it from the Fry days.
What ever happened to the go cart that Scrappy used to drive around the track? It was painted Granny Apple Green and had the "stylized eagle" on the sides.

As best I remember, I forget the guys name but that was a private go-cart that was loaned to us by an alum. It was a lot of fun to drive around. Nobody really managed it or took care of it. It seems the alum just brought it whenever he came to the events/games.

mini_green_cooper · November 1, 2007

Nobody really managed it or took care of it. It seems the alum just brought it whenever he came to the events/games.

some things never seem to change. I would really like to see the athlectic dept or SOMEBODY on campus step up to the plate and take care of these great things we have that were either already a part of the universtiy or donated by alumni and fans, etc. Many of us have tried til we're blue in the face to get this done and still our pride and joys are ignored and left to rot until the next gung ho alumni decides to fork out some dough and refurbish or buy new. Please, somebody at the universtiy... TAKE PRIDE in what we have and appreciate those things given to you and HELP PROTECT THEM!!! I don't know what else to do except keep trying. OK, I'm thru ranting. Sorry.

Boomer23 · November 1, 2007

I say we just get a TCU game scheduled that way they can have their horn in one endzone and We can bring our whole entourage and park in the other endzone. We'll show them what loud is.

UNTLifer · November 1, 2007

BTW, that thing that TCU uses is ridiculous.

the green rokemi · November 2, 2007

We have a friggin cannon and in boy-law cannons are cool...we win

Edited November 2, 2007 by the green rokemi

gksmith · November 3, 2007

FrogHorn - Creative...but...

I'LL TAKE OUR BOOMER CANNON ANY DAY

Who plays with "horns" as a kid? Who didn't have the green army men with a CANNON as a kid? I even had Cival War army men with a great cannon to go with it.