The Beloved BU Hoodie!
Before I actually made my move from The Lone Star State to the Lob-Ster State in Sept. of ’85, I paid a brief visit to The Hub. I’m guessing it was February or March. It’s pretty much a blur, but I got a tast of the raging Boston rock scene. I know one place Lisa took me was Jumpin’ Jack Flash in the Fenway, and I’m pretty sure Scruffy The Cat was playing. While I was here I bought a hooded Boston University sweatshirt; white with red letters. (I had been accepted by BU in 1978, but had opted not to go there).
Back in Dallas, sweatshirt weather was almost over, but I wore that sucker like a uniform, pretty much every day. One such day I was walking down Greenville Ave, daydreaming as I usually do, when a voice awoke me from my reverie. An odd shout. “Hey Flutie!” I looked up to see this dude walking my direction, but on the opposite side of Greenville. “Flutie!” Dude shouted again. It took me a minute to get it, but then it hit me. The BU shirt! Dude was referring to Doug Flutie, the Hail Mary Hero of The Orange Bowl. His Miracle in Miami was still fresh in America's mind. Now you and I and everyone knows Flute went to Boston COLLEGE, but it’s doubtful that Dallas Dude knew the difference between BC and BU. My reaction? Pretty lame. I think I said, “Yeah! Boston! WooHoo!” or something to that effect. I focused forward, quickened my pace, and walked on. Wow! I guess you could say it was my first “Flutie-Call!”
For years to come and almost right up to this day, I have heard the familiar chants of “Floo-tie, Floo-tie!” and "Flutie did it! Flutie did it!" For a while it actually became an inside joke among myself and a few close friends. Back in ’85, walking down Greenville Ave, it was all new. I was excited to be moving to Boston!
*An interesting footnote to this blog: Myself and all other life-long Dallas Cowboy fans know that the term “Hail Mary Pass” was coined in 1975 by our all-time great QB, and an amazing scrambler himself, Hall-of-Famer Roger Staubach.
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