Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Hark Upon the Mace

William & Mary and Richmond play the South's oldest football rivalry every autumn, meeting for the right to keep the Capital Cup on campus for a year. The Tribe narrowly leads the all-time series, which commences for the 121st time on November 19th in Richmond. The Capital Cup was cleverly known as the I-64 Trophy from 1990 - 2008, before Binkie Trinite Trophies created the just-slightly more creatively named new prize.

Old Dominion has a slightly less storied football rivalry with the alma mater, carrying an 0-1 lifetime mark into this season's contest in Williamsburg. That hasn't stopped the two schools from naming the contest. And in the tradition of the folks that brought you the Griffin, W&M and ODU will play the annual "Battle for the Silver Mace" as part of an overall athletic competition between the two schools. Says here that the Tribe had better get the Monarchs now, 'cause they're building a really strong program down on the southside.

In the academic competition, the schools will...sorry, that's not very nice of me.

(Photo of Igor's predecessor as Norfolk's mayor, Paul Fraim, with the Norfolk Mace.)

12 comments:

zman said...

What did you expect? The duel for the iron mic?

rob said...

monarchs vs the tribe - i expected some swords and shields and bow and arrows kinda shit.

Dave said...

not to brag (actually, this isn't claiming very much) but pretty much the best sentence i've ever written over at SoD.

rob said...

that's some false advertising right there

Squeaky said...

So W&M spent public money on the Griffin and now a large medieval club. Good thing money is flowing freely in this economy. And I don't get two calls a day from them asking for money.

Couldn't they just find a used condom, bronze it and make it the Tidewater Championship Ring?

zman said...

W&M is freakishly fascinated with being very old and having lots of traditions, yet it fabricated a brand new (albeit faux old-timey-looking) trophy to commemorate a "rivalry game" that has only been played once before. I'm honestly surprised that they ginned up something so forced.

rob said...

the mace itself has a long and storied history. the game will be played for a replica. which has a much shorter history.

rob said...

April 1, 1754 - The Mace is presented to the Norfolk Common Council by Royal Lt. Governor Robert Dinwiddie.

January 1, 1776 - Norfolk burned on New Year's Day, the Mace lay safely buried at Kemps Landing for its protection.

1790 - The Mace was returned to Norfolk's Clerk of Court.

May 1862 - When Union forces occupied Norfolk, Mayor William Lamb hid the Mace under a hearth in his home at 420 Bute Street. Union troops occupied the home, but the Mace was never discovered.

1881 through1885 - It was kept at the Exchange Bank of Norfolk.

The bank foreclosed and the Mace disappeared.

1894 - Police Chief C. Iredell discovered the Mace among litter in the Norfolk Police station.The Mace was given to the Norfolk National Bank for safekeeping. It was later put on display.

February 16, 1989 - City Clerk Breck Daughtrey, escorted by armed police officers, delivered the Mace to the Chrysler Museum of Art where it remains on public display.

Today - The Mace, a colonial-era symbol of authority bestowed by English royalty, is a precious reminder of and witness to much of Norfolk's nearly 400 year history.

rob said...

every nba game should have a hype man: http://bit.ly/q4aq39

Marls said...

Norfolk Mace, often confused with Hampton Roads Pepper Spray, is the weapon of choice for ladies fending off Igor's amorous advances.

TR said...

That's funny. My weapon of choice for attracting ladies is Mase.

Mark said...

Nobody picked up on Z's Gza reference. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.