<p>Sure, take the wager to the Yale board. I'll be surprised if they are up for it though. 307 years of perpetually being in second place has no doubt worn down their spirits. They may concede the bet even before the game begins. They're used to it.</p>
<p>Suggestion for wager from Admiral:
Here's an fun idea for a wager:</p>
<p>The gambler whose team loses has to write a couplet, haiku, limerick, sonnet, or villanelle extolling the opposing school's team- and then set it as their signature for one week. </p>
<p>Whos in? New wager suggestions always welcome.</p>
<p>Wow -- I had not heard about that prank before! That was great!</p>
<p>One of my friends successfully stole the official Harvard University flag before The Game our sophomore year, and raised up (upside down) at the Yale Bowl during the game. It was an impressive operation, which included stealing some stationary from an appropriate Harvard office, renting a van, and creating the accoutrements of a fictional high-end institutional dry-cleaning service. That, and some other pranks (not all of which were as successful), got the perpetrator tapped for Bones, which in turn ultimately led to a significant position in the Department of Homeland Security.</p>
<p>"The Bulldogs lead the Crimson 65-51-8 heading into the 125th meeting but Harvard has won six of the last seven. Yale is 28-23-5 at Cambridge, 30-27-3 at home and 7-1-0 at neutral sites. There have been 54 shutouts since the first meeting in 1875, and the Elis are 28-19-7 in those contests. The Blue has outscored the Crimson 1,675 to 1,515. Yale is 11-12-1 against the Cantabs when The Game has league title implications."</p>
<p>and</p>
<p>"1. If Yale wins and Brown falls, the Elis, Crimson and Bears would be tied for first. Penn could share the crown with a win. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>If Harvard and Brown win, both schools share the title at 6-1. Yale could share second if Penn loses. </p></li>
<li><p>If Yale and Brown win, the Bears have the outright title. </p></li>
<li><p>If Harvard wins and Brown goes down, the Cantabs have the outright championship. "</p></li>
</ol>
<p>and finally:</p>
<p>"REDEMPTION DOGS </p>
<p>The Bulldogs don't forget who bit or kicked them. In its last four losses, where the Elis have allowed 30 or more points, Yale has come back to defeat the same opponents the following season by an average margin of 12 points. Harvard won by 31 last year. However, the last two losses to Harvard by more than 30 points (45-7 in 1982, 35-3 in 2004) were followed by close Crimson wins."</p>
<p>You’re a brave soul, riverrunner. Last time I posted on the H board, a H parent questioned what a Y parent was doing on the H forum. I haven’t been back since. ;)</p>
<p>A Harvard-parent spy here . . . H's legendary Chaplain, Peter Gomes, welcomed the guests at Parents Weekend on Nov. 8th with a special taunt to those parents who are H alumni themselves: "You can be especially proud that your students are here because admission has become even more selective than when you left us. How humbling to see your children surpass your own achievements. Alas, it's true - if many of you were starting your own college experience today, you'd probably be at Yale."</p>
<p>In college I was renowned as a composer of limericks, though I fear that the body of my college work would mostly appear on CC as a collection of asterisks. Hey JHS - only a Yalie would brag about hanging a block "H" upside down to produce . . . well . . . a block "H."</p>
<p>I don't remember it as being a block H. I think it had the university seal on it.</p>
<p>The whole thing was a pretty big deal. The theft was discovered before the game, and of course everyone assumed that the flag had made its way to New Haven, and criminal prosecution wasn't out of the question. Getting the flag into the Yale Bowl and up a flag pole without an arrest was not so simple, either.</p>
<p>There is also a link on this page to footage of the 1968 game.</p>
<p>I was there that day, and this brings back bitter memories. But as the QB Brian Dowling has said, if Yale had won, no one would remember that day.</p>
<p>Riverrunner, since you so looked forward to checking out my limerical skills, perhaps this will help get your creative juices flowing:</p>
<p>The Yale parents' trash-talk was crass
And it lured them into this morass
They may claim that we cheated
But Yale was defeated
And basically kicked in the knee :)</p>
<p>dang. Did I really take that "Ten Thousand Men" bet? I thought I just agreed to a limerick.</p>
<p>The day dawned damned inclement
The ball seemed made of cement
Yale barred the door
But couldn't score
For my gloating, I repent.</p>
<p>This I will say: I was at a H-Y Game event yesterday, a small gathering of about 20 with ties to either or both schools. At the final whistle, a charming and ancient H-man in a vintage cardigan sang "Ten Thousand Men" to the cheers of all. I guess I'm just not a "hater."</p>
<p>My Y freshman daughter is on her way home for Thanksgiving and has been stuck in the fog overnight in another city. I'm sure she'll set me straight on compassion for H, if she ever gets here...</p>
<p>A most elegant verse, Riverrunner! And you get intellectual extra credit for the Shakespearean allusion in the title of the thread and the option for a villanelle in lieu of a limerick.</p>