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121-453: The Axe was originally a standard 12-inch lumberman's axe. It made its first appearance on April 13, 1899, during a Stanford rally when yell leaders used it to decapitate a straw man dressed in blue and gold ribbons while chanting the Axe yell, which was based on The Frogs by Aristophanes (Brekekekèx-koàx-koáx): Give 'em the axe, the axe, the axe! Give 'em the axe, the axe, the axe! Give 'em

242-489: A 14-point lead. Trailing 21-7 towards the end of the third quarter, Cal scored 17 unanswered points to rally back to a 24-21 win. Following a field goal by Ryan Coe, Fernando Mendoza found receiver Jonathan Brady for a 30-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 21-16. A Stanford punt pushed the Golden Bears back to their own 2-yard line, requiring them to drive 98 yards to take the lead. Mendoza connected with Nyziah Hunter for

363-521: A 20–20 tie and earn the Rose Bowl bid. In the 50th Big Game, winless Stanford led the 8–1 Bears with less than three minutes left in the game, but Cal scored on an 80-yard touchdown pass to clinch a 21–18 victory. Stanford quarterback Dick Norman threw for 401 yards (then an NCAA record, and still a Big Game record), but it was not enough to hold off the Bears, who won 20–17. Cal drove 62 yards in

484-441: A 36 yard gain, found tight end Jack Endries on a pivotal fourth-down conversion and later, on third-and-11, he found Jonathan Brady again for a 22-yard score and a 2-point conversion by Jaydn Ott pushed the lead to 3 with 2:40 to play. The drive is referred to by Cal fans as “ 98 Yards With My Boys ” because of Mendoza’s emotional postgame interview. Cal's defense forced a sack on quarterback Ashton Daniels and turnover on downs on

605-474: A carefully constructed replica of the Axe across the court of Stanford's Maples Pavilion during the Cal-Stanford basketball game. This "Fake Axe" stunt led to erroneous reports in the following day's papers that the Axe had been stolen, therefore some sources report 1978 as the most recent theft. Depending on which school holds the Axe, the trophy's recorded score for the 1982 Big Game is changed. This

726-555: A certain amount of knowledge, so as not to appreciate the fine points of what you say, don't worry about that, since that is no longer the case. For they are seasoned veterans and each one has a book and understands the clever stuff. Their minds are superior anyway, but now they're really sharpened. So fear not, but scrutinize every topic, for the audience's sake at least, since they're so sophisticated." -Chorus, The Frogs ( lines 1110-1118 ) In an Athens filled with educated citizens, dramatic performance traditions can be scrutinized for

847-607: A chase ensued through the streets of San Francisco, first followed by Stanford students and fans and second followed by the San Francisco police. During the chase, the Axe's handle was broken off. Cal student Clint Miller, who was wearing an overcoat so he could easily conceal the axe head, was the last to handle the Axe. As he reached the Ferry Building , he noticed the police inspecting the pockets of every boarding male passenger. Miller described what happened next in

968-405: A first attempt to end the debate, a balance is brought in and each are told to tell a few lines into it. Whoever's lines have the most "weight" will cause the balance to tip in their favor. Euripides produces verses of his that mention, in turn, the ship Argo , Persuasion and a mace . Aeschylus responds with the river Spercheios , Death and two crashed chariots, each with a dead charioteer. Since

1089-583: A later Axe Yell rendering the last two segments "croax croax", which was used by the University of California and Stanford University . In his book Jesting Pilate , author Aldous Huxley describes listening to a performance of a poem on the subject of Sicily by the Panjabi poet Iqbal, recited by a Mohammedan of Arab descent at a party in Bombay. Huxley summarized the performance with the statement: "And in

1210-411: A less stubborn end to the war, Aeschylus' advice (1463–5) lays out a plan to win and not a proposition of capitulation . Also, The Frogs contains solid, serious messages which represent significant differences from general critiques of policy and idealistic thoughts of good peace terms. During the parabasis Aristophanes presents advice to give the rights of citizens back to people who had participated in

1331-598: A letter he wrote in 1912: As we approached the Ferry Building I saw several policemen and the President of the Student Body at Stanford searching the boys. I thought the jig was up. I suddenly saw a girl with whom I had gone to High School but whom I had not seen for two years. She was going into the narrow gauge (ferry) slip. I turned and waved goodbye to the boys and ran and took her arm and went with her to

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1452-455: A list of all his scholarly achievements. Hope Mirrlees 's Paris: A Poem (1920) cites the chorus in the opening of her modernist poem: "Brekekekek coax coax we are passing under the Seine" (line 10), which also performs the sound of the metro train. Finnegans Wake references this play with the words "Brékkek Kékkek Kékkek Kékkek! Kóax Kóax Kóax! Ualu Ualu Ualu! Quaouauh!" The call of

1573-410: A pass attempt to McCaffrey to set up a field goal fell short, but officials assessed Cal a 15-yard penalty after Palumbis was roughed on the play, moving the ball to the 22-yard line. With five seconds remaining, Hopkins kicked a 39-yard field goal into the wind, giving Stanford a 27–25 victory as time expired, with Stanford fans, players and team officials invading the field in celebration. The roughing

1694-676: A play forever immortalized by Stanford Axe Committee members as "The Block." Cal attempted an unsuccessful onside kick, and Stanford recovered the Axe four plays and 11 yards later, taking it back to the Farm for the 10th time in 11 seasons. Cal and Stanford met in Berkeley in their first Big Game as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference . Stanford came out strong with two first quarter touchdowns by Justin Lamson to build

1815-401: A touchdown pass to Ed McCaffrey in the end zone to make it 25–24, Cardinal coach Dennis Green quickly went for a two-point conversion, with no overtime, and despite the fact that a tie would keep the Axe at Stanford for another year. After Palumbis' pass into the end zone was intercepted by John Hardy, Cal fans, players and team officials – believing they had won the game and the Axe – invaded

1936-479: A touchdown three plays later and giving Stanford their first lead of the game, 17–10. Trailing 24–17 with 4:28 left in the fourth, Cal completed a 14 play, 90-yard drive starting from their own 10 yard-line to score a touchdown with 58 seconds remaining in regulation. Now trailing by just one point with the score at 24–23, Cal coach Justin Wilcox signaled for a 1-pt PAT, which was blocked by Stanford's Thomas Booker, in

2057-514: A touchdown, and added a two-point conversion to lead 25–18 with 6:03 left. Stanford stopped Cal on a third and 6 on the Stanford 46 with 2:06 left to play. After Cal's punt, Stanford took its final possession on its own 13 with 1:54 left. Escaping two near interceptions and converting a 4th and 6, Stanford moved the ball to the Cal 19 with seventeen seconds left. After quarterback Jason Palumbis threw

2178-632: Is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes . It was performed at the Lenaia , one of the Festivals of Dionysus in Athens , in 405 BC and received first place. The play features the comical katabasis of the god of theater Dionysus , with his slave Xanthias , in order to revive the late tragedian Euripides . Dionysus is frustrated with tragedy's decline in quality after

2299-607: Is a key part of the rivalry's history, having been stolen on several occasions by both sides, starting in 1899, when the Axe was introduced when Stanford yell leader Billy Erb used it at a baseball game between the two schools. In March 2007, the National Football League announced that it intended to trademark the phrase "The Big Game" in reference to the Super Bowl , but soon dropped the plan after being faced with opposition from Cal and Stanford. In 2013,

2420-404: Is answered by the chorus "Brek-ek-ko-ex-ko-ex-SEX! Brek-ek-ko-ex-ko-ex-SEX!" Other colleges imitated or parodied the long cheer, including Penn, which adopted the cry, "Brackey Corax Corix, Roree". One of these parodies was the first Stanford Axe yell in 1899, when yell leaders used it during the decapitation of a straw effigy: "Give 'em the axe, the axe, the axe!" The Frog Chorus also figured in

2541-456: Is arguing that it is in human nature to be involved in politics and being uninvolved is a negative trait. The Frogs can be examined through this lens, relating its emphasis on the political change to the attitudes sustained in Athens regarding education and civil duty. Aristotle further claims that theatre is used to comment on societal issues, and present solutions through their demonstration and

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2662-525: Is driven by the play's three main characters: Aeschylus, Euripides, and Dionysus. Aristophanes himself acts as an educator and advisor regarding political issues through his writing. This is most prevalent during the Parabasis in which the chorus pleads to the audience for the return of exiled oligarchs who had been cast out during the Athenian democracy in 410 . This parabasis has been credited as one of

2783-420: Is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal. And he who by nature and not by mere accident is without a state, is either a bad man or above humanity; he is like the: Tribeless, lawless, hearthless one,’ whom Homer denounces—the natural outcast is forthwith a lover of war; he may be compared to an isolated piece at draughts.” - Aristotle, Politics 1.2 Here Aristotle

2904-743: Is generally displayed in the lobby of the Martin Luther King Junior Student Union Building. During the Big Game, the Axe is displayed by the school that won the Big Game the previous year. The Axe is transferred at the Big Game during what is known as "The Stare Down." With two minutes remaining in the game, the Axe is brought to the 50 yard line, where members of the UC Rally Committee and the Stanford Axe Committee wait until

3025-524: Is gone, not Euripides. The parodos contains a paradigmatic example of how in Greek culture obscenity could be included in celebrations related to the gods. The Frogs was written and performed during the final stages of the Peloponnesian War . Sophocles and Euripides , two Greek playwrights regarded as some of the most talented poets of their time, had recently died. During the creation of

3146-437: Is jealous of the other's place as the greatest tragic poet. Dionysus is asked by Pluto to mediate the contest or agon. Charles Paul Segal argues that The Frogs is unique in its structure, because it combines two forms of comic motifs, a journey motif and a contest or agon motif, with each motif being given equal weight in the play. Segal contends that Aristophanes transformed the Greek comedy structure when he downgraded

3267-520: Is notably characterised by its extensive literary criticism and references: the second half's agon between Euripides and Aeschylus examines both figures' differing approaches to tragedy. In 1974, the play was loosely adapted into a musical of the same name by Stephen Sondheim and Burt Shevelove . This adaptation features the English playwrights George Bernard Shaw and William Shakespeare , in place of Euripides and Aeschylus respectively. Dionysus

3388-534: Is part of the continuing dispute surrounding The Play , the last play in the final seconds of the 1982 game, which ended with a kickoff return marked by five laterals. During the play, the Stanford Band , believing the game was over and that Stanford had won, ran onto the field; the touchdown run through the band featured the last Cal returner, Kevin Moen, running through a Stanford trombone player, Gary Tyrell, in

3509-405: Is the quickest to get to Hades, Heracles tells him that he can hang himself, drink poison or jump off a tower. Dionysus opts for the longer journey, which Heracles himself had taken, across a lake (possibly Lake Acheron ). When Dionysus arrives at the lake, Charon ferries him across. Xanthias, being a slave, is not allowed in the boat, and has to walk around it, while Dionysus is made to help row

3630-417: Is travelling with his slave Xanthias to the underworld . Xanthias, carrying Dionysus' baggage, attempts to make fun of his heavy load with toilet humour - the jokes he believes the audiences are expecting from this situation - but the god frustratedly pre-empts his remarks. To find a reliable path to Hades, Dionysus seeks advice from his half-brother Heracles , who had been there before in order to retrieve

3751-464: Is used as a tactic to educate and advise the public. There are many passages within the play that paint poets and playwrights as educators and teachers. There is a particular section in which the character “Aeschylus” claims that after he produced his play “Persians”, he educated Athenian audiences to be resilient in vanquishing their enemies. The theme of poets functioning as advisors within The Frogs

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3872-423: Is with Hades' janitor, who mistakes Dionysus for Heracles due to his attire. Still angry over Heracles' theft of Cerberus, he threatens to unleash several monsters on him in revenge. Frightened, Dionysus trades clothes with Xanthias. A maid then arrives and is happy to see Heracles. She invites him to a feast with virgin dancing girls, and Xanthias is more than happy to oblige, but Dionysus quickly wants to trade back

3993-549: The San Francisco Bay Area . First played in 1892, it remains one of the oldest college rivalries in the United States. The game is usually played in late November or early December and its location alternates between the two universities every year. In even-numbered years, the game is played in Berkeley while odd-numbered years are played at Stanford. The Big Game is the oldest college football rivalry in

4114-452: The oligarchic revolution in 411 BC, arguing they were misled by Phrynichus' 'tricks' (literally 'wrestlings') . Phrynichus was a leader of the oligarchic revolution who was assassinated, to general satisfaction, in 411. This proposal was simple enough to be instated by a single act of the assembly, and was actually put into effect by Patrokleides' decree after the loss of the fleet at Aegospotami . The anonymous Life states that this advice

4235-511: The "Big Game" but it is not official. In women's basketball, the meetings are simply called the "Battle of the Bay." "The Big Game" is the common term when used as a standalone noun: "I am going to The Big Game next week." In all other uses, "The" is dropped: "We are happy to report that the 2024 Big Game was won by Cal." "Cal defeated Stanford's Hall of Fame Big Game quarterback John Elway three out of four years." Stanford University and its fans drop

4356-581: The 1946 Big Game. Scenes for the Harold Lloyd silent classic The Freshman were filmed at California Memorial Stadium during halftime of the 1924 Big Game. Since 1933, the victor of the game has been awarded possession of the Stanford Axe . If a game ended in a tie, the Axe stayed on the side that already possessed it; this rule became obsolete in 1996 when the NCAA instituted overtime. The Axe

4477-406: The 5th century BCE, serving the goal of preserving cultural memory. According to Kenneth Dover, the structure of The Frogs is as follows: In the first section Dionysus' has the goal of gaining admission to Pluto 's palace, and he does so by line 673. The parabasis follows, (lines 674–737) and in the dialogue between the slaves a power struggle between Euripides and Aeschylus is revealed. Euripides

4598-415: The Axe and used it to chop up blue and gold ribbon after every good play by the Stanford team, while shouting the Axe yell. However, Stanford lost the game and the series, and the yell leaders debated if the Axe was a jinx and whether to dispose of it. As Stanford students discussed the Axe's fate, a group of Cal students seized it and ran off with the Axe. It in turn was passed from student to student, and

4719-427: The Axe as a trophy, California still has held the Axe for a longer amount of time due to their 31 year possession before the recapture of the Axe by Stanford. During the time the Axe has been used as a trophy, Stanford has held it 48 times to California's 38. The Frogs The Frogs ( ‹See Tfd› Greek : Βάτραχοι , translit.   Bátrakhoi ; Latin : Ranae , often abbreviated Ran. or Ra. )

4840-399: The Axe at the time was intense—it was kept in a Berkeley bank vault and brought out, in an armored car, only for spring baseball and Big Game rallies. The Stanford group decided that their best chance would be right after the spring Axe rally, held that year on April 3 at Cal's Greek Theatre After the rally, four Stanford students posing as photographers temporarily blinded Norm Horner,

4961-492: The Axe by organizing a search party away from the direction of the getaway cars. Although several of the raiders were caught, the Axe made it back to Stanford where it was paraded around the campus. For three years after the raid on Berkeley the Stanford Axe lay in a Palo Alto bank vault while both universities decided what to do with it. In 1933, both sides agreed to designate the Axe as the annual trophy to be awarded to

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5082-477: The Big Game Bonfire Rally was cancelled due to excessive rain and flooding. For decades, Stanford also has held a bonfire on the dry lakebed of Lake Lagunita , but this was discontinued in the 1990s due to the lake being a habitat for the vulnerable California tiger salamander . Stanford now holds a Big Game Rally on Angell Field organized by the Stanford Axe Committee. With appearances from

5203-403: The Big Game's winner; in the event of a tie, it would be kept by the side already possessing the Axe. However, the agreement did not stop students from both schools from stealing (or attempting to steal) the Axe. Since 1933, Cal students have stolen the Axe three times and Stanford students four times; the most recent incident occurred in 1973. On January 28, 1978, a group of Cal students paraded

5324-548: The Big Game. Another part of Stanford's tradition was the annual hanging of the substantial "Beat Cal" banner upon the four story Meyer Library building. This tradition came to an end in 2014 before the building was demolished. Since 2015, the banner has been hung over the western entrance to Green Library . Both teams came into the game unbeaten with a berth in the 1925 Rose Bowl on the line. With its star Ernie Nevers sidelined due to injuries, Stanford trailed 20–6 with under 5 minutes to go, but rallied to score twice to force

5445-455: The Cardinal's following possession, and the Bears retained possession of the Stanford Axe for the fourth consecutive season. In other sports, matchups between Cal and Stanford feature their own nicknames based on the word "big." Examples include: In rugby , the two schools have a trophy of their own called the "Scrum Axe". In men's basketball the semiannual matchups are sometimes labeled

5566-727: The Frog Chorus, "Brekekekéx-koáx-koáx" (Greek: Βρεκεκεκέξ κοάξ κοάξ), followed by a few of Charon's lines from the play, formed part of the Yale "Long Cheer", which was first used in public in 1884, and was a feature of Yale sporting events from that time until the 1960s. Lake Forest Academy 's teams are known as the "Caxys", a name derived from a similar cheer. The Long Cheer was echoed in Yale graduate Cole Porter 's song "I, Jupiter" in his musical Out of This World , in which Jupiter sings "I, Jupiter Rex, am positively teeming with sex," and

5687-496: The Grand Custodian of the Axe, with camera flashes. In the subsequent scuffle, the Stanford students grabbed the Axe while several others disguised as Cal students tossed a tear gas (or smoke, depending on account) bomb at the Cal students who guarded it. The Axe was taken to one of three cars which sped off in different directions. Several other Stanford students (disguised as Cal students) further delayed attempts to recover

5808-579: The Greek Theatre was already booked for the Bob Dylan concert. This was the first time the bonfire had not been held since 1892. The bonfire portion of the rally was cancelled again in 2015 due to the ongoing drought . In 2016, the Fiat Lux torch was added as a symbol of light, with, "For the flames of the past, spirit of the present, and light of the future" engraved on it. In 2018, the big game

5929-566: The Haka performed was written in the 1960s by a Cal rugby player of Maori descent. The traditional Axe Yell is also made and visits from the UC Men's Octet and Golden Overtones are always expected. The University of California Marching Band is also present, playing traditional Cal songs throughout the duration of the Rally. The highlight of the Rally is the lighting of Big Game Bonfire itself, with

6050-530: The Ink Bowl, a touch football game between the members of the two schools' newspapers. The Big Game Bonfire Rally is a pep and bonfire rally that takes place at University of California, Berkeley in Hearst Greek Theatre on the eve of Big Game. More than 10,000 students gather to hear the history about The Stanford Axe and Big Game. The University of California Rally Committee is in charge of

6171-462: The West. While an undergraduate at Stanford, future U.S. President Herbert Hoover was the student manager of both the baseball and football teams. He helped organize the inaugural Big Game, along with his friend Cal manager Herbert Lang. Only 10,000 tickets were printed for the game but 20,000 people showed up. Hoover and Lang scrambled to find pots, bowls and any other available receptacles to collect

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6292-408: The admission fees. By 1900 the match was already referred to as the "Big Game". In 1898, Berkeley alumnus and San Francisco Mayor James D. Phelan purchased a casting of Douglas Tilden 's The Football Players bronze sculpture and offered it as a prize to the school that could win the football game two years in a row. Berkeley responded by shutting Stanford out in 1898 and 1899, and the sculpture

6413-440: The audience's amusement. Within the wider net of social and political judgment, critiquing poetry can reveal what the audience values and what ideas they promote within the city of Athens. The Frogs can also be identified as a piece dedicated to the poetic tradition as it is reaching the end of its era with the deaths of Sophocles and Euripides. Within the story, poets debate about cultural politics ranging from poetry to education in

6534-487: The axe, give 'em the axe, Give 'em the axe, where? Right in the neck, in the neck, in the neck! Right in the neck, in the neck, in the neck! Right in the neck, right in the neck, Right in the neck! There! The Axe made its second appearance two days later on April 15, 1899, at a Cal–Stanford baseball game played at 16th Street and Folsom in San Francisco . Led by Billy Erb, the Stanford yell leaders paraded

6655-610: The biggest reasons for The Frogs' success at the Lenaea of 405. Its 1st place victory at Lanaea may have assisted in the development of a political environment that held more favor towards those exiled . In 405 those exiled, although not ordered to, were granted the ability to return to Athens and re-collect their citizenship rights under a set of conditions preserved in Andocides’ speech “On the Mysteries”. The Frogs deviates from

6776-522: The boat. The eponymous chorus of frogs (the only instance of frogs in the play) sing the parodos , the first choral interlude. Their croaking refrain – Brekekekèx-koàx-koáx ( Greek : Βρεκεκεκὲξ κοὰξ κοάξ ) – greatly annoys Dionysus, who engages in a mocking debate ( agon ) with the frogs. When he arrives at the shore, Dionysus meets up with Xanthias, who teases him by claiming to see the frightening monster Empusa . A second chorus composed of spirits of Dionysian Mystics soon appear. The next encounter

6897-607: The book by Nathan Lane . Big Game (American football) The Big Game is the name given to the California–Stanford football rivalry . It is an American college football rivalry game played by the California Golden Bears football team of the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University . Both institutions are located in

7018-428: The citizen-body to reject the leadership of those whom it now follows, upstarts of foreign parentage (730–2), and turn back to men of known integrity who were brought up in the style of noble and wealthy families" (Dover 33). Kleophon is mentioned in the ode of the parabasis (674–85), and is both "vilified as a foreigner" (680–2) and maligned at the end of the play (1504, 1532). W. Geoffrey Arnott argues that The Frogs

7139-457: The clothes. Dionysus, back in the Heracles lion-skin, encounters more people angry at Heracles, and so he makes Xanthias trade a third time. When the janitor returns to confront the alleged Heracles, Xanthias offers him his "slave" (Dionysus) for torturing, to obtain the truth as to whether or not he is really a thief. The terrified Dionysus tells the truth that he is a god. After each is whipped,

7260-460: The contest or agon which usually preceded the parabasis and expanded the parabasis into the agon . In Aristophanes' earlier plays, i.e., The Acharnians and The Birds , the protagonist is victorious prior to the parabasis and after the parabasis is usually shown implementing his reforms. Segal suggests that this deviation gave a tone of seriousness to the play. Sophocles was a very influential and highly admired Athenian playwright who died after

7381-546: The deaths of Euripides and Sophocles, the importance of written work in Ancient Greece became highly regarded throughout the region. Although the two authors could no longer produce new plays, their previous works could remain in the minds of Geek audiences through the form of written text. Since the plays were written down, they could also be reperformed. The Frogs presents the beginnings of the Greek literary canon by displaying Euripides, Aeschylus, and Sophocles as some of

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7502-475: The direct mention of Alcibiades' name, which occurs in the course of Dionysus' final test of the poets, seeking advice about Alcibiades himself and a strategy for victory . Though Euripides first blasts Alcibiades, Aeschylus responds with the advice to bring him back, bringing the subtle allusions to a clearly stated head and concluding Aristophanes' point. The Frogs proved to be a revolutionary piece of media. Through its fascination with education and authorship,

7623-399: The end of the game to determine who will take the Axe. Once the game ends, the winner of the Big Game takes possession of the Axe until the next Big Game is played. Currently, California has possession after winning the 127th Big Game on November 23, 2024 by the score of 24–21, continuing their four-year hold on the Axe. Although Stanford leads the all-time series before and after the use of

7744-407: The end zone. Referees declared the touchdown as legal, and California won the game. However, Stanford contends that one of the five laterals on that play was an illegal forward pass, and that a Cal player was tackled before he lateraled the ball. As a result, whenever Stanford wins the Axe, the 1982 score is changed on the trophy from "California 25-20" to read "Stanford 20-19." Despite this practice,

7865-469: The fact that Sophocles' tragic style was reminiscent of Aeschylus', whereas Euripides represents a new style altogether. This is consistent with the central theme of contrasting old ways and new ways. In the Gilbert and Sullivan light opera The Pirates of Penzance , Major-General Stanley, in his introductory song , includes the fact that he "knows the croaking chorus from The Frogs of Aristophanes" in

7986-437: The field and caused a lengthy delay before police, stadium security and officials restored order, with officials assessing Cal a 15-yard delay of game penalty. Now kicking from the 50-yard line with twelve seconds left, Hopkins bounced the ensuing onside kick off a Cal player and, after being touched by seven players, the ball was recovered by Stanford's Dan Byers on the Cal 37. With nine seconds left and no time outs remaining,

8107-403: The final 1:13, culminating in a Vince Ferragamo touchdown pass to Steve Sweeney for a last-second 24–22 Cal victory. Mike Langford nailed a 50-yard field goal on the final play for a 22–20 Stanford triumph over the 19th-ranked Bears. The conclusion of the 85th Big Game on November 20, 1982, would go down as perhaps the most remarkable play in college football history. Cal held a lead late in

8228-435: The fire reaching its zenith at over eight stories. The Big Game Bonfire Rally always ends with the reciting of a speech known as the " Andy Smith Eulogy" or "The Spirit of California". Written by Garff Wilson in remembrance of the fabled Cal football coach, who led the Bears to five straight undefeated seasons starting in 1919 before tragically dying of pneumonia in 1925, the speech closes the Rally annually since 1949. During

8349-469: The game, but Stanford, led by John Elway , drove down the field to retake the lead, and seemingly elevate Elway to the first bowl game of his college career, since a Stanford victory would have resulted in an invitation to the Hall of Fame Bowl . In what is now known simply as " The Play ," four Cal players lateraled the ball five times on a kickoff return with four seconds left on the clock. Kevin Moen, who

8470-468: The game. Cal linebacker Evan Weaver sealed the 24–20 victory for the Bears with a dramatic fourth-and-one stop on Cardinal running back Cameron Scarlett on the subsequent possession, setting off a raucous celebration on Stanford's home turf as the Axe returned to Berkeley after nearly a decade away. In the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season , both Cal and Stanford entered the game with 0–2 records on

8591-415: The hell hound Cerberus . Dionysus shows up at his doorstep dressed in a lion-hide and carrying a club. Heracles, upon seeing the effeminate Dionysus dressed up like himself, can't help laughing. Dionysus explains his motivation for travelling to Hades: to bring the playwright Euripides back from the dead, in order to correct what he sees as the sorry state of Athens' tragedians . When Dionysus asks which road

8712-564: The history of college football!" The legitimacy of The Play has remained controversial among some Stanford fans. The final outcome was a Cal victory by a score of 25–20. There is contention as to whether the play was correctly officiated, however. In 2007, as part of the buildup to The Play's 25th anniversary, the Bay Area News Group asked Verle Sorgen, the Pac-10 Conference's supervisor of instant replay, to review

8833-458: The janitor admits he is unable to tell which one is a god, and takes Dionysus to be verified offstage by Pluto and Persephone . In the parabasis , the chorus comments on the political state of Athens, criticizing its inconsistency with granting citizenships, and its lack of meritocracy. Working in Pluto's palace, Xanthias and another slave delight in mocking their own masters: the latter explains

8954-457: The kick and preserve a 19–19 tie. As Stanford was the holder of the Axe going into the game, the tie meant the Axe returned to the Farm for another year. The result was celebrated in the stadium as a victory by Stanford as the Axe was paraded by the Stanford Axe Committee and football players before jubilant Cardinal fans, with stunned Bears fans looking on. This was the only Big Game to end in a tie after 1953 and, under current overtime rules, may be

9075-527: The last Big Game to end tied. This game had echoes of the 1982 game due to late seesaw scoring, the critical role of fans on the field, and the winning points being scored as time expired. It has been called "The Payback" or "The Revenge of the Play" by Stanford fans. After trailing since the first quarter, left-footed Stanford kicker John Hopkins kicked his fourth field goal of the game with 9:56 left to give Stanford its first lead at 18–17. Cal responded with

9196-499: The latter verses refer to "heavier" objects, Aeschylus wins, but Dionysus is still unable to decide whom he will revive, so he reveals the intent of his visit: to save the city of Athens , currently at the losing end of the Peloponnesian War , and its dramatic scene by extension. He decides to take the poet who gives the best political advice: firstly, what the Athenians should do with the exiled Alcibiades , and secondly, how each of

9317-431: The most witty, eloquent, topical, and culturally influential playwrights of the time. The Frogs highlight Athenian cultures' transition into a more literary society. Many passages in the play reference the sophisticated intellectualism that became associated with Athenians who could and would often read and write. The play’s focus on featuring famous playwrights of the time emphasizes the scholarly advances occurring during

9438-409: The narrative, Sparta and its allies had blockaded Athens and within six months after the production of The Frogs , Athens was defeated in a battle at sea , surrendering to Sparta. Kenneth Dover claims that the underlying political theme of The Frogs is essentially "old ways good, new ways bad". He points to the parabasis for proof of this: "The antepirrhema of the parabasis (718–37) urges

9559-418: The narrow gauge ferry-which went to Oakland and not Berkeley. (The boats of the ferry connected with a railroad line, commonly called "narrow gauge" because the rails lay closer together than standard width.) I had no ticket to get me on the boat and I had decided to dash past the ticket collector when I got to the gate. Had I gone to buy a ticket I would have had to pass cops. Jimmy Hopper saw my game. He went to

9680-488: The new Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara was proposed as the site of the 2014 Big Game, which according to the traditional rotation should be played at Cal's Memorial Stadium. The 2015 game would then be held in Berkeley, reversing the current rotation of odd-numbered years at Stanford and even-numbered years at Cal. However, several days later Cal declined the offer. In the week before the game, both schools celebrate

9801-443: The newly democratic city. These arguments present questions about what drama should be about, what poets actually teach to their audiences, and the type of language poets and playwrights should use. The Frogs exhibit the ways in which civic life and drama are intertwined, enabling the analysis of theater’s impact on politics and cultural development that has continued today. The Frogs acts as an early form of Greek canonization. After

9922-460: The occasion with rallies, reunions, and luncheons. Early in the week, Cal celebrates in San Francisco with an annual cable car rally, usually held on the Monday of Big Game Week by the UC Rally Committee. Various other rallies and celebrations take place at Cal throughout the week, including noon rallies, night rallies that go to all the dorms, singing competitions, and alumni reunions. The highlight of

10043-538: The official score (California 25-20) must be on the Axe prior to the start of each Big Game, no matter who has it at the time. When Stanford has the Axe, it is guarded by the Stanford Axe Committee and kept in a secret location, when not on display in the lobby of the Arrillaga Sports Center. When California is in possession of the Axe, the Chairman of the UC Rally Committee acts as its custodian. It

10164-477: The ongoing contest between Euripides and Aeschylus . Euripides, who had only just recently died, is challenging the great Aeschylus for the seat of "Best Tragic Poet" at the dinner table of Pluto , the ruler of the underworld. (It is explained that Sophocles has foregone participation in the contest, due to his deferentiality towards Aeschylus.) A contest is held with Dionysus as judge. The two playwrights take turns quoting verses from their plays and making fun of

10285-497: The other. Euripides argues the characters in his plays are better because they are more true to life and logical, whereas Aeschylus believes his idealized characters are better as they are heroic and models for virtue. Aeschylus mocks Euripides' verse as predictable and formulaic by having Euripides quote lines from many of his prologues , each time interrupting the declamation with the same phrase " ληκύθιον ἀπώλεσεν " ("... lost his little flask of oil "). (The passage has given rise to

10406-406: The passer penalty was contested by Cal team coaches and Cal fans alike. The late passing and kicking excitement overshadowed two excellent running performances by Cal's Russell White (177 yards and 2 TD's) and Stanford's Glyn Milburn (196 yards and 1 TD). Milburn also led Stanford receiving with 9 receptions for 66 yards and had 117 return yards: His 379 all-purpose yards set a Pac-10 record at

10527-484: The pattern of political standpoint offered in Aristophanes' earlier works, such as The Acharnians (425 BC), Peace (421 BC), and Lysistrata (411 BC), which have all been termed 'peace' plays. The Frogs is not often thus labeled, however – Dover points out that though Kleophon was adamantly opposed to any peace which did not come of victory, and the last lines of the play suggest Athens ought to look for

10648-493: The planning and setting up the bonfire, as well as refueling it during the rally. Specifically, freshman members of the UC Rally Committee, as well as freshman band members are sent out with pallets to the chanting of "freshmen, more wood." Several alumni show up to perform traditional rituals. A tradition unique to Cal is the performance of the Haka , a traditional Maori war dance/chant. Traditionally performed by an alumni Yell Leader,

10769-403: The play . Sheppard also cites Aeschylus during the prologue debate, when the poet quotes from The Oresteia : Subterranean Hermes, guardian of my father's realms, Become my savior and my ally, in answer to my prayer. For I am come and do return to this my land. This choice of excerpt again relates to Alcibiades, still stirring his memory in the audience. Sheppard concludes by referencing

10890-401: The play greatly advances ideas on criticism in theatre that are still seen in contemporary debates and cultural politics. The text is dissected and analyzed, quite literally weighted, within the play itself, prompting the audience to also do so in their viewership. Lines throughout the play point to the intelligence of the newly literate Athens: "But if you're both afraid that our spectators lack

11011-444: The play had already been written, during the first phase of its production. Aristophanes did not have enough time to rewrite the play with Sophocles in it, so he simply added in scattered references to Sophocles's recent death, referring to him as a worthy playwright. When Aeschylus leaves the underworld at the end of the play, Sophocles takes his throne. The decision to put Sophocles in the same camp as Aeschylus makes sense, in light of

11132-452: The playwright's recent passing, and concerned about theatre's future as the city of Athens struggles in the Peloponnesian War . During the pair's journey through the underworld , the god cravenly and unsuccessfully attempts to evade trouble after masquerading as Heracles , still infamous for his prior kidnapping of the guard-dog Cerberus . At the palace of Pluto , Dionysus then adjudicates a fierce debate between Euripides and Aeschylus for

11253-448: The poets thinks the city can be saved. Euripides gives cleverly worded but essentially meaningless answers while Aeschylus provides more practical advice, and Dionysus decides to take Aeschylus back instead of Euripides. Pluto allows Aeschylus to return to life so that Athens may be succoured in her hour of need and invites everyone to a round of farewell drinks. Before leaving, Aeschylus proclaims that Sophocles should have his chair while he

11374-498: The previous record that had stood for 83 years when Stanford beat Cal 41–0 in 1930. The 76 total points scored by both teams broke the record of 66 set in 2000. With the victory, Stanford clinched the Pac-12 North Division Championship while Cal ended its season at 1–11, the most losses in one season in Cal football history. The 2018 Big Game was originally scheduled to be played on November 17, but

11495-460: The rooftop collapsed , resulting in well over 100 men falling to the factory's floor and more than 60 directly onto the massive, blazing furnace. In total 23 men and boys were killed, and more than 100 severely injured. To this day, the "Thanksgiving Day Disaster" remains the deadliest accident to kill spectators at a U.S. sporting event. In 1906, citing concerns about the violence in football, both schools dropped football in favor of Rugby , which

11616-476: The score tied, Cal marched to the Stanford 3-yard line with 4 seconds remaining in the game. Called "the Cadillac of kickers in college football" by Cal coach Bruce Snyder, all Pac-10 and future all-American Robbie Keen lined up for a 21-yard field goal attempt to win the game on the final play. When the ball was snapped, Stanford redshirt freshman Tuan Van Le raced from the left end of the defensive line to block

11737-501: The season, with each team previously having a game cancelled due to COVID infections. Cal opened scrimmage with a dominant 8 play, 75-yard touchdown drive. However, three punts each by both teams, a muffed punt recovered by Stanford at Cal's 16 (resulting in a touchdown), and a last-second blocked field goal attempt by Cal from the Stanford 32 as time expired left the game tied at 10–10 to enter halftime. A third-quarter fumble at Cal's 41 provided Stanford with good scoring position, leading to

11858-711: The senior football players and various performance groups, it serves to kick off Big Game Week. The story of The Stanford Axe is told by Hal Mickelson, and the Axe Yell is performed by the Yell Leaders of The Stanford Axe Committee. The rally ends with a performance by the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band and a fireworks show. A student-produced play called "Gaieties," an annual Big Game week tradition since 1911, pokes fun at Cal and serves to pump students up for

11979-490: The speech, candles are passed out among the attendants and are lit for the singing of the campus alma mater, " All Hail Blue and Gold ." In 2012, the Big Game Bonfire Rally was moved to Edwards Stadium and the bonfire was cancelled due to a scheduling conflict with a Bob Dylan concert. Due to TV contracts, the Pac-12 Conference rescheduled the Big Game from its traditional season-ending slot to October 20, and

12100-455: The storms and fight for Athens at your side!" — Murray translation, from l. 697 He states that though this text ostensibly refers to citizens dispossessed of their rights, it will actually evoke memories of Alcibiades, the Athenians' exiled hero. Further support includes the presentation of the chorus, who recites these lines, as initiates of the mysteries . This, Sheppard says, will also prompt recollection of Alcibiades, whose initial exile

12221-698: The suspended notes, in the shakes and warblings over a single long-drawn syllable, I seemed to recognize that distinguishing feature of the Euripidean chorus which Aristophanes derides and parodies in the Frogs ". A musical adaptation with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Burt Shevelove premiered in 1974 at Yale University's Olympic-size swimming pool . The ensemble cast included then Yale students Meryl Streep , Sigourney Weaver and Christopher Durang . It later premiered on Broadway in 2004 with additional songs by Sondheim and revisions to

12342-461: The term lekythion for this type of rhythmic group in poetry.) Euripides counters by demonstrating the alleged monotony of Aeschylus' choral songs, parodying excerpts from his works and having each citation end in the same refrain ἰὴ κόπον οὐ πελάθεις ἐπ᾽ ἀρωγάν; ("oh, what a stroke, won't you come to the rescue?", from Aeschylus' lost play Myrmidons ). Aeschylus retorts by mocking Euripides' choral meters and lyric monodies with castanets . In

12463-491: The ticket office, bought a ticket, rushed over and dropped it into my pocket just as I entered the gate. We got safely to Oakland that night and put the Axe in the safe of Morris the Photographer. Recent research indicates it is possible Miller may have used the historic Southern Pacific steam ferryboat Berkeley ( Maritime Museum of San Diego ) as the getaway boat. From there Miller took the Axe back to Berkeley where it

12584-420: The time and remained Stanford's record until it was eclipsed by Christian McCaffrey 's 389 all-purpose yards in the 2015 edition of the Big Game. Stanford's Casey Moore caught the winning touchdown on the final play of the first-ever Big Game to go into overtime . Cal's Michael Mohamed intercepted an Andrew Luck pass at the Cal 3-yard line with 1:36 left to preserve a Cal win over #14 Stanford, 34–28. It

12705-432: The two disputed laterals according to modern NCAA instant replay review rules. After watching enhanced footage on a modern, large-screen monitor, Sorgen opined that the fifth lateral from Ford to Moen "was released at the 22 and touched at the 20-1/2. From that, it clearly appears forward." Asked for his "ultimate call," Sorgen replied, "I would be tempted to reverse it...then go out and get the motor running in my car." Cal

12826-476: The underworld's throne of tragic drama. Aeschylus wins due to his pragmatism, and Dionysus ends up reviving him instead. The play's title derives from the first choral interlude ( parodos ), where the chorus , a group of frogs, exasperate Dionysus in song. A defining work of Old Comedy , The Frogs contains a mix of irreverent humor and highbrow satire of Athenian politics, religion and theatre, commenting on poetry's moral role in civic and political life. The play

12947-430: The use of realism in theatre : “...supposing the charge is "That is not true," one can meet it by saying "But perhaps it ought to be," just as Sophocles said that he portrayed people as they ought to be and Euripides portrayed them as they are...” - Aristotle, Poetics 1460b J.T. Sheppard contends that the exiled general Alcibiades is a main focus of The Frogs . At the time the play was written and produced, Athens

13068-558: The week is when Cal students hold a traditional pep rally and bonfire at the Hearst Greek Theatre on the eve of the game, known as the Big Game Bonfire Rally. Stanford students stage the Gaieties, a theatrical production that both celebrates and pokes fun at the rivalry. The week also includes various other athletic events including "The Big Splash" ( water polo ), "The Big Spike" ( volleyball ), "The Big Sweep" ( Quidditch ), "The Big Freeze" ( ice hockey ), "The Big Sail" ( sailing ), and

13189-413: Was 1–9 in the conference, while Stanford was 7–2 and ranked 16th in the nation. Cal's defense dominated the game – Stanford's quarterback John Paye was sacked seven times, while Stanford's running game was held to 41 yards. Cal won the game 17–11. It was the last game of Cal's coach Joe Kapp , who also coached the Golden Bears in 1982, his first season, when Cal won the Big Game following The Play. With

13310-403: Was also a rare Big Game where both teams were nationally ranked. Sixth-ranked Stanford, in a 48–14 victory, ties Cal's 1975 record for most points scored in a Big Game. Winning 63–13, #10 Stanford set the record for most points scored in a Big Game, shattering the previous record of 48 shared by Cal in 1975 and Stanford in 2010. The 50-point victory margin also set a Big Game record, breaking

13431-420: Was also the initial ball carrier, ran for a touchdown while knocking down the final Stanford "defender," trombone player Gary Tyrrell, who had run onto the field with the rest of the band to celebrate prematurely. The Play is often recounted with KGO radio announcer Joe Starkey 's emotional call of The Play, which he hailed as "the most amazing, sensational, dramatic, heartrending, exciting, thrilling finish in

13552-538: Was first stored in a fraternity (Chi Phi), and later in a bank vault. Two days later, Cal held its first Axe Rally. For the next 31 years, the Axe stayed in Berkeley as a prize of conquest. In 1930, 21 Stanford students plotted to take back the Axe from Cal. This group became known in Stanford lore as the Immortal 21 (including Gerald Bettman and Ed Soares) ; Cal partisans call them the Immoral 21 . Cal's protection of

13673-656: Was in dire straits in the war with the Peloponnesian League , and the people, Sheppard claims, would logically have Alcibiades on their minds. Sheppard quotes a segment of text from near the beginning of the parabasis: "But remember these men also, your own kinsmen, sire and son, Who have oftimes fought beside you, spilt their blood on many seas; Grant for that one fault the pardon which they crave you on their knees. You whom nature made for wisdom, let your vengeance fall to sleep; Greet as kinsmen and Athenians, burghers true to win and keep, Whosoe'er will brave

13794-491: Was installed on the Berkeley campus atop a stone pedestal engraved with the names of the players and the donor during a dedication ceremony held May 12, 1900. During the 1900 Big Game, played at the Recreation Park stadium on Thanksgiving Day in San Francisco, a large group of fans were observing from the roof of the nearby S.F. and Pacific Glass Works factory. With somewhere between 600 and 1,000 spectators atop it,

13915-403: Was largely based on impiety regarding these religious institutions . Continuing this thought, the audience is provoked into remembering Alcibiades' return in 408 BC, when he made his peace with the goddesses. The reason Aristophanes hints so subtly at these points, according to Sheppard, is because Alcibiades still had many rivals in Athens, such as Kleophon and Adeimantus , who are both blasted in

14036-563: Was played for the Big Games of 1906–1918. During that time the matches were played under Union rules of rugby per an agreement between Stanford and Cal coaches along with other West coast teams, including Nevada , St. Mary's , Santa Clara , and USC (in 1911) The first incidence of card stunts was performed by Cal fans at the halftime of the 1910 Big Game. In 1915, Cal switched back to American football. Its official reason for withdrawal from its 1915 rugby match against Stanford

14157-476: Was rescheduled due to the unhealthy air quality caused by the Camp Fire . All fire/pyrotechnical elements were cut from the rally. The UC Rally Committee immediately began preparations to re-invent the traditional wood burning structure, as they did not want the fire to extinguish like it had almost 30 years earlier at Stanford. In November 2019, a new sheet metal bonfire structure was unveiled. The 2024 edition of

14278-460: Was rescheduled to December 1 at 12:00 noon, because of unhealthy air quality in the Bay Area caused by the Camp Fire . Stanford continued its streak, winning for the ninth time in a row, beating Cal 23–13. Down 20–17 with 2:23 remaining, the Cal offense engineered a six-play, 75-yard drive culminating in a 16-yard touchdown run from quarterback Chase Garbers to give the Bears their first lead of

14399-401: Was the basis of Aristophanes' receipt of the olive wreath, and the author of the ancient Hypothesis says admiration of the parabasis was the major factor that led to the play's second production. The Frogs ' influence on political issues at the time of its performance are clear. This can be used as an example to support Aristotle ’s claims about society and political participation: “Hence it

14520-761: Was the disagreement over Stanford's play of freshmen on their varsity team, however it was apparent that Cal intended to withdraw from the agreement to play rugby and instead play football against western schools that continued playing football or switched back several years earlier. Cal's Big Game was played in the years 1915–17, against Washington , games which aren't listed in Big Game records. Cal lost its 1915, home Big Game to University of Washington 72–0, while Stanford played rugby against its new Big Game opponent Santa Clara University , which would take Cal's place for three successive seasons. California resumed playing football in 1915, but Stanford's rugby teams continued until 1917. From 1915 to 1917, California's "Big Game"

14641-912: Was their game against Washington , while Stanford played Santa Clara as their rugby "Big Game". The 1918 game, in which Cal prevailed 67–0, is not considered an official game because Stanford's football team was composed of volunteers from the Student Army Training Corps stationed at Stanford, some of whom were not Stanford students. In 1919, Stanford officially switched back to playing football. The game resumed as football in 1919, and has been played as such every year since, except from 1943 to 1945, when Stanford shut down its football program due to World War II. A handful of Stanford starters—including guards Jim Cox , Bill Hachten and Fred Boensch , running back George Quist and halfback Billy Agnew—shifted to Cal in order to continue playing. Quist returned to Stanford, playing against Cal in

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