Quarterback Shaun King celebrates a touchdown in the end zone at the 1998 Liberty Bowl.

12 and Oh-So-Sweet
by Carol Schlueter

Funny, it seemed like any other trip to the New Orleans airport. But on this chilly Dec. 30, there was definitely something green happening at the Northwest Airlines gate for the flight to Memphis.

Green baseball caps. Green sweatshirts. Even telltale green-and-blue socks above preppy loafers and a green-and-blue pompom peeking out of a travel bag.

"What you need is a ‘Wave Head.’ "

That was my greeting from the Northwest gate agent, noticing my Tulane sweatshirt. I must have looked puzzled; could he mean a new hairstyle?

"You know," he said, "like the ‘Cheese Heads’ in Green Bay. Except a wave." He did a wave motion in the air over his head. "So everyone will know you’re from Tulane."

That’s the moment I knew this was going to be a new experience for long-suffering Tulane football fans who had waited 20 years for a winning season. All the wishes, prayers and novenas finally paid off in a bigger way than anyone could imagine. An 11-0 season, a Conference USA championship and a Liberty Bowl berth in Memphis on New Year’s Eve against Brigham Young University? Is this really happening?

On the plane, excitement was in the air as Tulane fans chatted about BYU, hotels and the cold temperatures in Memphis. And cold and windy it was in the home of Beale Street, Elvis and Graceland as your hearty Tulanian staff members headed for their first big event, the Liberty Bowl parade.

Rounding the corner onto Beale Street, throngs of Tulane fans filled the sidewalks, bundled against the chill. They were throwing familiar cheers back and forth across the street– "Green!" "Wave!"

It was an amazing change of pace for anyone used to the laid-back atmosphere of the Louisiana Superdome at Tulane home games.

Families with handmade signs were everywhere. Six youngsters each held a letter of the word "TULANE," although the "E" holder was a smaller tyke who made for an uneven presentation. They were cousins whose families are longtime Tulane supporters. Other signs proclaimed "AttiTUde is Everything" and "The King is Alive at Tulane" (that’s quarterback Shaun King, not Elvis).

It was not exactly a parade by New Orleans standards, but Scott Cowen, Tulane president, and Sandy Barbour, athletics director, rode in convertibles and waved joyously to the crowd. Motorcycle groups and riders on a few floats threw candy to the cheering fans. High school marching bands, flag processions, horse-drawn carriages, clowns and an appearance by the "Secret Order of Bowl Weevils" made for a long and energetic procession.

When the massive BYU band rounded the corner, led by cheerleaders tossing each other high into the air, weak cheers came up from the BYU fans. It was clear who would own Memphis streets and the Liberty Bowl field–the Tulanians yelled and clapped with joy when the Wave cheerleaders, mascot Rip Tide, and the Tulane band streamed by.

Wait a minute–the Tulane band? Tulane doesn’t have a band.

But, obviously, you can’t go to a major bowl game without a band. Lacking time and sufficient funds to draft a local marching band and fly the group to Tennessee, the Tulane athletics department hired a nearby high school band to perform for the occasion. With green windbreakers and Green Wave caps, they played the fight song nicely, and the Tulanians cheered right along with them.

Nothing, it seemed, would deter Tulane from a storybook ending to the perfect season.

As the parade ended, Tulanians packed a drinking establishment on Beale Street, sipping on icy green drinks and cheering the comments of Cowen and Barbour as they gave a mini pep-rally from the stage.

"It’s like New Orleans, just 20 degrees colder," Cowen told the exuberant crowd. "I can’t tell you how much it means to have you here, showing such great spirit."

Barbour added, "Tulane has taken over the city of Memphis!"

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