This is a great week in Warren. Just seeing the old Panther up on the scoreboard in Mollenkopf Stadium makes my heart soar. It’s a great week for memories and fun conversations with people all over town who are equally excited. I don’t know who decided to do this or what their motivation was, but it was a brilliant idea and a wonderful opportunity to heal the rift that has separated the town for more than a decade.
Panther week began for many of us on Monday when Cloyd Abruzzo, Allen Anderson, Tom Daily, Ric James, Dan Sferra, Craig Simons, Bob Speicher and I, Panther teammates from the late ‘60s, got together to honor two of our teammates who are no longer with us. We sponsored the conversion of a lot on Atlantic directly across from the stadium as part of the gregg’s garden initiative, and Monday evening we dedicated the lot to Don Campbell, who died young and was a genuine hero, and Bill Schumacher who died a year ago last week after living the kind of life about which books are written.
The ceremony was brief and irreverent (as I know both Don and Bill would have wanted); when we finished we walked across the street to the football complex to meet with Coach Steve Arnold and his team, who will don the red and white and the black cat patch on Friday.
While I don’t know whose idea this was I do know it would not have happened without Steve Arnold’s support and his ability to get his players to buy into the idea – even though they were all born after they stopped making new Panthers.
We told the team three things. First, that we are proud of having them wear the old colors because they play with their heads and their hearts as well as their bodies. Second, we wanted to remind them that, if you are lucky, your teammates are your teammates for life, and there we stood – black and white, east-siders and west-siders — living proof of that fact.
Finally, we are looking forward to seeing them beat the snot out of Bedford and get into the playoffs. If you haven’t seen them play, do yourself a favor and come out Friday night for Panther Throwback Night. This is a talented, disciplined, blue-collar team that has no quit in it. They represent Warren very well.
So, then it was on to the BV for a couple of drinks and a few more stories. There was a booth full of other former Panthers who were actually older than us; we didn’t know them but of course in Warren it’s never more than 1% of separation so the party expanded. Then Mayor Franklin stopped in to pick up dinner and that lead to more talk and one more drink. What better place to end the evening than under the gaze of Uncle Nick’s photo?
The fun continues. Tonight’s bon fire begins at 6:00 p.m. in the Atlantic Street parking lot at the north end of Mollenkopf. Friday’s game starts at 7:00 p.m. The Old Panther Pride will hold down a section on the south end of the east (old) stands. Stop by and share a growl.
Throwback week started last week with the band and team wearing the WWR colors and the band playing the WWR fight song.
Very true William, and I don’t mean to slight WWR grads, but I was a WGH Panther so I hope you’ll forgive my slight obsession.
Does anyone know who paid for all of the uniforms and how much they cost? I heard a rumor and found it sad that so much went into something that is so fleeting and temporary.
I mean, if I had that much money, I would be buying and ripping down that vacant right across the street from the school…
Josh — I believe it worked like this. A Warren marketing firm (I forget the name) got the rights to sell sponsorships and marketing packages to businesses and in exchange the school got uniforms and other considerations. I have been told that there was a small net gain for the school by someone who should know but I have not tried to verify that independently.
This being Warren, I am sure there are alternative theories — probably involving grassy knolls and Cuban exiles.
Hell, silly question… I woke up late and I’m still drunk from last night… Move along, move along…
Though I do wish that those huge patrons of the sport locally, who volunteer hundreds of thousands of dollars towards people catching balls, would think that Harding would be helped way more with money spent on other things… Like moving heaven and earth (and the six figure sum I heard all these uniforms cost someone) to get rid of that freaking boarded up home across the street.
My opinion, of course. I don’t count the money of others nor do I think my opinion is important…
Though I am lying on that last part. I love counting the money of others!
But as I sad, move along, move along!
6-figures sounds like a highly inflated estimate for 75 uniforms. $20k maybe? and again, I don’t think they were a gift.
As I said, I heard a rumor! I will always call a rumor a rumor and report it as such!
For I am a responsible gossiper!
My last word on this, in order to justify why I would care, is this: It kills me that there is a boarded up home across the street from where thousands of people visit to see sports and events and where thousands of kids go to school everyday.
It is disgusting and a travesty and is sadly a perfect representation of what this city has become.
Have I killed enough bandwith on my BS with this?
I agree. That house and the lot next door have been planted as gregg’s gardens and a group of us are looking into acquiring the house to make further improvements.
Josh you are correct in that the boarded houses are a big issue BUTTTT, this week the Plain Dealer had a huge article about the revitalization of downtown Indianapolis. Many years ago they understood that sports was going to be the key element. It is no different than Dave Grohl alley or the Amphitheatre. These are things that really don’t affect your personal everyday life but they breath life into the City.
Agree completely Janet. It is a quality of life issue. The more fun and interesting things we have to offer people the better the future will be. But not everything is going to resonate with everyone.
I hope that works out, with you folks perhaps acquiring that house. That is a huge black eye to the high school and to the city. One would think that getting that property taken care of would have been a huge priority for many, including the school board.
I’m a person who wishes Scrapper’s stadium had ended up in Warren. I’ve heard conflicting reports as to why that didn’t happen. I’m not a fan of this high school fandom/religious fervor (as it seems you and Dennis have figured out thanks to my ill-considered first comment on this board), but I certainly can see the appeal and benefits of organized sports on a downtown area.
Well Janet and I are well-known as unstable followers of the HS football god. in our off time we pass rattlesnakes around amongst our friends while speaking in tongues.
Beautifully written, Dennis. Wish I could tap my ruby slippers and be there with all of you.
I’l be in town because of Panther night,so will many others, eating, drinking & spending money in Warren.
Josh, I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas for how to aquire the house.
Wow – I have been away from Warren too long – great job you are doing. I would love to hear from Bob Speicher and Stephanie Poulos.
As always, Dennis, beautifully written!
I am a tried and true westsider whose blood runs black and gold. These throwback games have been so much fun! I have been ribbed by my Panther friends, and I have done a fair amount of ribbing back at them.
There was no better time in the City of Warren than through the 70s and 80s when football was king and the rivalry between the Raiders and Panthers was rampant. Houses were decorated, signs were hung across streets from telephone pole to telephone pole, and true fans wouldn’t get caught wearing their rival’s colors. I have very fond memories of those times.
My husband and I have continued to support Warren Harding and the Warren City Schools. We live in Warren and have sent our sons to school here. Our oldest son graduated from WGH last year and is away at college, and our youngest son is currently a junior at WGH. Both have received an excellent education at WGH.
It is exciting that people are getting involved in these games, and I hope that those who have left Warren for whatever reason will see that Warren is still a proud city with promise for the future!
We are Warren, and We are Warren G!
That’s great to hear Ann. The bonfire tonight was awesome. I’ll be posting some photos tonight.
I love it. They should just ad RED to the current color scheme. Red, gold/yellow & black would look sharp.
Come on, Dennis. I know I’m not the first person to liken High School football fandom to religion…. I have no original thoughts, after all. Speaking of which, let me parrot some of the thoughts I’ve absorbed from the people doing things at TNP:
Gaga, if the taxes are paid up, about the only thing that could be done would be to try to buy the house from the owner, whom I hear lives in Florida or one of the Carolinas. I know a councilman who can settle that question as we were talking about it just last night.
If this owner is not keeping up with the taxes, it needs to be seized by the county landbank. At that point it could be given to someone, torn down by a new owner, fixed up by a new owner or town down by the county/city.
As this is right across from the high school, making the argument that the vacant is a safety risk would be a very easy one to make, even for Warren authorities, and the property could be seized I would think.
In my view there are no original thoughts — but we can, and do, find new and creative ways to implement old ideas.
As for football religion, I acknowledge its existence but I’ve never thought of high school football that way — at least not for myself and the vast majority of people I know who enjoy it. It is more of a communal activity and a way for one generation to connect to those that follow. Panther week was a good example; Coach Arnold understood this and encouraged a bunch of “silver panthers” to meet with his team of 16 and 17-year-olds to share our common bond. It was a beautiful thing. And while I’m very glad they won Friday, I wouldn’t have lost faith in the existence of the bond or the true of the heritage.