1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Crime is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 2: Elizabeth Dutton Zaren Damn. Glad to see you. 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 3: I am so glad to see you. 4 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 2: I got a question for you, Yes, sir? Do you 5 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 2: know what's ridiculous? 6 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 3: I do share chocolate. It's ridiculously good. 7 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 2: I'm with you. You love chocolate, I mean in a 8 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 2: ridiculous announce You know. 9 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 3: Do you like truffles? 10 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 2: Oh? Like the chocolate cover Yeah? 11 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:26,639 Speaker 4: Not the ones that yeah, I like the ones that 12 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 4: pigs don't find right. 13 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 3: So the chocolate e ones you're into that. 14 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:32,279 Speaker 2: Whatever, Let's pretend I am have. 15 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 3: I got the truffles for you. 16 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 2: Okay. 17 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 3: Did you know that May second is National Truffle Day? 18 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 2: I did not. I did not. 19 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 3: We're recording this in May, yes, uh, mid mid late May, 20 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 3: so to celebrate National Truffle Day. May second. Put that 21 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 3: in your calendar. Let me get my pen Uller High Life, 22 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 3: The Champagne Appears is partnering with award winning tier and 23 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 3: entrepreneur Philip to create Miller High Life. Barshnacks Truffles, a 24 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,559 Speaker 3: collection of great tasting chocolate confections that toast to iconic 25 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,839 Speaker 3: flavors and memories made in bars everywhere. So they have 26 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:14,320 Speaker 3: what is this six flavors? 27 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 2: You're gonna tell me what they are? 28 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 3: Of course I am. 29 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 2: What are they? Elizabeth grilled cheese, god. 30 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 3: So decadent, triple cream cheese, white chocolate ganash, and a 31 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:31,320 Speaker 3: blonde chocolate shell. Lemon pepper chicken wing, an innovative fried 32 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 3: chicken ganash infused with lemon pepper seasoning. 33 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 2: There's four more. 34 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 3: Pretzel pretzel prayleein that doesn't sound too crazy. Beer nut 35 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 3: freshly roasted peanuts soaked in the Champagne of beers, then 36 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 3: ground into our fragrant beer nut butter and robed in 37 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 3: a milk chocolate shell. Buttery popcorn. 38 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 2: They're not even trying anymore. 39 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 3: No sweet potato fry. 40 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 4: Okay, you know that there's a company or I guess 41 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 4: like the whole champagne industry, and Rant is currently trying 42 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 4: to sue Miller for calling themselves the Champagne of beer. 43 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 4: But you think about it, Champagne is kind of the 44 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 4: Miller of wines. 45 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 3: One let me tell you one more thing. There is 46 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 3: a final Boss of truffles. 47 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 2: I was trying to. 48 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 3: So both of these, both the Miller and the one 49 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,639 Speaker 3: I'm about to tell you about. We've been getting a lot, 50 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 3: like a lot, a lot, a lot of this compartise 51 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 3: is a chocolate tear and they teamed up with Velvetda 52 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 3: to create truff Vels, the first ever chocolate cheese truffle. 53 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 3: Now they may have a bone to pick with the 54 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 3: Miller High Life. They got some cheese up in there, Yeah, 55 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 3: they did. Truff Vels brings the deliciously creamy and iconic 56 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:54,839 Speaker 3: Velveta drip to the world of compartise or like one 57 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 3: has the accent over the at the end campartise or 58 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 3: compart whatever. This place the chocolate company. They're gourmet luxury 59 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 3: chocolate for whatever reason, they're slumming with Velveta. Yeah, so 60 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 3: chocolate and Velveta. Okay, you done? No, I'm not done. 61 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,679 Speaker 3: Oh they're made to look like those don't look like 62 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 3: normal truffles like shells. They look like pasta shells. 63 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,639 Speaker 2: Wait, they quick pasta shells like their little like macaroni 64 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 2: and cheese. 65 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 3: Did I stutter like, like you know this shell you 66 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 3: put fancy mac fancy? 67 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 2: Okay, you know if. 68 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 3: You're fancy and you use Velveda in your macaroni and cheese. Okay, 69 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:34,079 Speaker 3: there it is. 70 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, that qualifies hundred percent ridiculous. 71 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 4: That was thank you if you got a second, I 72 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 4: got something for you always Okay. Do you know there 73 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 4: was a once a two week long hostage crisis, complete 74 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 4: with proof of life videos, Fax communicates release demands, a 75 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 4: Patty her style kidnap victim, siding with the kidnappers in 76 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 4: the wildest part Elizabeth. In the end, the kidnapping victim 77 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 4: was put into a wood chipper. But it's okay, that's okay. 78 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 4: The victim was a college mascot, the Stanford Tree. 79 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 5: Oh, I just went through such a roller coaster of emotions. 80 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,920 Speaker 4: This is ridiculous Crime A podcast about absurd and outrageous capers. 81 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:34,239 Speaker 4: Heist in cons it's always ninety nine percent murder free 82 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 4: and one ridiculous. Oh Saren, Yeah, look at that, Jenks. Okay, 83 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 4: you are a Bay Area native. 84 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 3: Yes I am. 85 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 2: You are from Oakland, Yes I am. You have family 86 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:48,599 Speaker 2: who attended col. 87 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:52,279 Speaker 3: Yes, I am the family shame because I didn't go 88 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 3: to cow like everybody else. 89 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 2: Oh, it runs that deep. 90 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, I went to UC Davis multiple what they call 91 00:04:58,120 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 3: the farm school. 92 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:01,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, actually, yeah, the the farm to caw or. 93 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:05,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, there's a superior cal Davis say that out of insecurity. 94 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 4: Well, I like to imagine that you have a few 95 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 4: thoughts and opinions about the Big Game. Oh yes, yeah, okay, Now, 96 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 4: of course around these parts of the Bay Area, that's 97 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 4: the annual football game between long standing rivals Cal Berkeley 98 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 4: and Stanford. Now, what do you remember the Big Game 99 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 4: when you were a. 100 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:23,600 Speaker 3: Kid, Well, we always went, did you, Yeah, you witnessed. 101 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,600 Speaker 3: We'd walk over to the to the game growing up 102 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 3: and then or my grandparents were Stanford fans and lived 103 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 3: in Paloelto. 104 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 2: N family division, so I would go over. 105 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,600 Speaker 3: A lot of times to see them on that weekend. 106 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:42,040 Speaker 3: And oh the game against your calams, like come totally 107 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 3: like decked out in in calgear and sit there with 108 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 3: all the fine swells for Stanford. 109 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:51,279 Speaker 4: You did it even crazier. I thought you were going 110 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 4: to go basically side against your cal family. You guys 111 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,839 Speaker 4: sit with the Stanford people. You would take your colgear. 112 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 3: Yes, yes, I would, I like a kid. 113 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 2: No, No, I don't know. 114 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 4: You don't know that. Yeah, you cow kids are crazy. Well, 115 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 4: there was in the Big Game. I did a bunch 116 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 4: of research on the Big Game because, uh, like at 117 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 4: one time there used to be like a really big 118 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 4: event in the Bay Area, and I was reading about 119 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 4: how quote there was a time when the Boosters took 120 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,160 Speaker 4: over San Francisco on the Friday night before the game, 121 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 4: with reports of pet bands playing from the roofs of 122 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 4: street cars. Oh yeah, I was like, wait, what, like, 123 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 4: how wild is that depicture going down like Market Street? 124 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 4: Just the street cars and people are all these drunks 125 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 4: are shouting and screaming about cal Berkeley. 126 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess or Stanford likely. 127 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:37,840 Speaker 3: I think there was less to do then. 128 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's true. That is very true. 129 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 4: When I first moved to nor Call my family, the 130 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 4: Big Game was still a big deal. Like the dads 131 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 4: and moms of all my friends, the really pretentious ones, 132 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 4: the ones they wanted you to know they went to 133 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:52,559 Speaker 4: Stanford and cow They would go crazy big game weekend, 134 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 4: maybe driving around Davis with their cardinal red or they're 135 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 4: blue and gold. 136 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 2: Is it blue and gold? 137 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 1: Right? 138 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 2: Yeah? Not blue and gold. 139 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm like nine years old, right, So I'm like, sorry, 140 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 4: I've never heard of either of your schools. I'm from 141 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 4: sec Land, none that we don't talk about any of this, 142 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 4: But I love your Big Game. 143 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 2: That's it's cute. 144 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 4: But anyways, so to be fair, though, Cal had a 145 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 4: good football team at one time, Like Aaron Rodgers went there, 146 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 4: he was a quarterback Tony Gonzalez. Like and Stanford, they 147 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 4: were also pretty good at times. 148 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 3: People have heard of them. 149 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, I know, like they had good goal they have 150 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 4: good coaching, they have had good players. But these days 151 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 4: both teams are pretty bad. So the big game, it's 152 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 4: not so easy to get excited when they're one and five. 153 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 3: I will tell you everyone I know who went to Cal, 154 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,679 Speaker 3: when their team is criticized, will say to a supporter 155 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 3: of whatever other team, well, how many Nobel Laureates do 156 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 3: you have at your college? That's how Cal rolls. 157 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 2: That's so Cal. 158 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 3: Oh man, Okay, well you know what, like, is there 159 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 3: an element on the periodic table of elements named after. 160 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's no Stanford and so yeah, good point. You 161 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 2: got us on that. 162 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 4: And I got to say, growing up in Davis, they 163 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 4: like they kind of like bass in the like radiant 164 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 4: glow that they were once attached to Berkeley because they 165 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 4: literally were the farm, the experimental farm for Berkeley, and then 166 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 4: they became their own university. They're always like, yeah, we're 167 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 4: like Cal Davis, you know, like that's so huge anyway, 168 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 4: So it turns out that the Big Game, it used 169 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 4: to be a big deal, and it's no longer such 170 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 4: a big deal, like you don't even these days. You 171 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:22,120 Speaker 4: can drive around the Bay that weekend and not even 172 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 4: tell right. But I thought it was because the teams 173 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 4: got bad, and that's not the case, it turns out, 174 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 4: and when I looked into it, it was actually intentionally squelched. 175 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 2: The Big Game and all the antics. 176 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 4: And everything we used to occur when we were kids, 177 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 4: that's all been downplayed. And the reason why is because 178 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:40,199 Speaker 4: of the story I'm going to tell you about the 179 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 4: nineteen ninety eight Stanford Tree kidnapping. 180 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh. 181 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, that was the moment when the schools decided, you know, 182 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 4: we need to put an end all this fun. This 183 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 4: is not going somewhere. Well now, the thing about the 184 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 4: Stanford Cow rivalry is it's really old, right, It goes back. 185 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 4: But also so do their mascots. There's mascots have great 186 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:02,080 Speaker 4: stories to them. Question, do you know how the cow 187 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 4: mascot is a bear? 188 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,479 Speaker 2: Right? Did you know that the first cow bear mascots 189 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:07,439 Speaker 2: were real bears? 190 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 3: I did not know that. 191 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 4: Yes, like in nineteen thirty, the cow football team decided, 192 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 4: you know, what the hell, and they brought out a 193 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 4: real bear as their school's mascot for games. Up til then, 194 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 4: they really hadn't had a mascot. They're like, let's go 195 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 4: hard full bear. So they bring out a real life bear. 196 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 4: The kids love it, right, So for five years they 197 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 4: got a real bear on the sidelines. But there's a problem, 198 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 4: you know with a real live bear, which is it's 199 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 4: a real live bear. So they had what they called 200 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:35,320 Speaker 4: control problems because there's a notoriously bad football fans. They 201 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:37,960 Speaker 4: find the game boring or they're mundane, and they're like, look, 202 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 4: let me just to scratch somebody. 203 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 3: You know, I have a right to do that. Yeah, 204 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:42,679 Speaker 3: I support that. 205 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 4: No, I'm a hardcore football fans, so I have to 206 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 4: disagree with the Bears on this. But regardless, six years later, 207 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 4: right nineteen forty one, the school trots out a man 208 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 4: in a bear suit as the new mascot because of 209 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 4: all the control problems with the live bears. Right now, 210 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 4: when I say a bear suit, I'm being really generous. Yeah, 211 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 4: this was the new mascot was a dude wearing an 212 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 4: oversized sweater. 213 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 3: And added to this, he was just a big hairy 214 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 3: fella real. 215 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 4: Well kind of but a picture a pair of gold 216 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 4: shoes specifically sized thirteen and a half, snazzy atop his head. 217 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 4: He wore a bear head. Ok but the bear head 218 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 4: was just a football helmet with some first stretched over 219 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:20,120 Speaker 4: it and some ears stitched on. 220 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 2: Right. But the kids, they loved it. They see this 221 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 2: guy running around. 222 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:26,080 Speaker 3: Like they said, they didn't have a lot to do 223 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 3: that exactly. 224 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 4: They're like, oh man, the guy in the sweater and 225 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 4: the bear had this is amazing. Kids are cheering him on. 226 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 4: So he decided, you know what, I'm gonna give this 227 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 4: guy a name. He starts calling himself Oski. 228 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 3: Yeah that's what they're still called. 229 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,719 Speaker 4: Yes, So Oscar the Bear is born that day in 230 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:45,559 Speaker 4: nineteen whatever, thirty forty one, right September, September forty one. Okay, 231 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 4: so legend is born Osky the Bear. Now this bear, 232 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 4: this man in the bear suit, nobody knew who it 233 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 4: was for fifty eight years, really kept a secret for 234 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 4: fifty eight years. There was a whole deal, like was 235 00:10:58,160 --> 00:10:59,839 Speaker 4: the pride of being Oscy was like. 236 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 3: The anonymity of it. 237 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 4: Yeah, So in nineteen ninety nine, a dude named William 238 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 4: c Rockwell. He comes forward and he confesses that he 239 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:09,079 Speaker 4: is Oski. But he'd only done it for a few 240 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 4: years because eventually put down the Bearhead and he went 241 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,080 Speaker 4: to war in World War Two. You over seas right 242 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 4: for him, But he created such a legend that somebody 243 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 4: else picked up the bear Head. 244 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 3: And they stayed anonymous. 245 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 4: Yes, and then they've just continued doing the tradition, I guess. 246 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:25,440 Speaker 4: And so there's even a secret society to this day 247 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 4: that's dedicated to protecting the secret identity whoever is the 248 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 4: current Oscar. 249 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 3: Wow. I did not know that. 250 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:33,440 Speaker 2: They also safeguard the mascot itself. 251 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 3: Did you have a mascot in high school, like a 252 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 3: costume that people wore. 253 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 4: Yeah, the Blue Devils, Yeah, but it was very small. 254 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:40,680 Speaker 4: It was just like a trident and like a hat 255 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:41,839 Speaker 4: like a lot. 256 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 3: We were in high school. We were the monarchs, not butterflies. 257 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 2: Like the Kings and queens. Lion, yeah, oh, the king yet. 258 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:53,319 Speaker 3: And there was a really busted up old lion costume 259 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 3: like that. It looked like it was made out of 260 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 3: old carpet and it was just just tattered and tattered 261 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 3: and just smelled, patches are missing, and it was short 262 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 3: and so like you had to get a short girl 263 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 3: at the high school. Yeah, and so one one time 264 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 3: someone was a little tall for it. And look comfortables 265 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 3: are showing wells. The torso she had over all. 266 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 2: The time, you don't rip the stand up straight. 267 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 3: Then had this really bootsy hood. 268 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 2: And my friend had a pink bunny costume he used 269 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 2: to wear down to. 270 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 3: Bar sometimes because he was his own mascot. 271 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:28,440 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's basically it a full pink bunny costume with 272 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 4: the head and everything. 273 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 2: Take it off just to drink, they put it back on. 274 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 2: It was awesome. 275 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 4: So anyway, anyway, yeah, back to Stanford, they also have 276 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 4: a mascot. 277 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 2: Obviously it's the Stanford Tree. 278 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 4: So forty five miles south is Palazzo, California, home of Stanford, 279 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 4: and the Stanford Tree now Stanford Tree came along a 280 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,200 Speaker 4: little bit later. It wasn't in nineteen thirty back when 281 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:54,160 Speaker 4: cal had its bear live mascot. Stanford had also a 282 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 4: live mascot, but it was a person. It was a 283 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 4: Native American man named Chief. 284 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 3: Like, oh, that's right, I remember hearing about the they 285 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 3: used to have it as what was there. 286 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 2: The Stanford Indians Indian. Yeah. 287 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 3: Yeah. 288 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 4: The only good thing I can say about Chief Lightfoot 289 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 4: is it was at least a real native American. It 290 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 4: wasn't like some rich kid in red face. That's about 291 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 4: the only good thing we can say about this. But 292 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:14,480 Speaker 4: starting in nineteen thirty Sam Year's Cows with the Bears, 293 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 4: they had Chief Lightfoot out there whooping and stomping and 294 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:20,199 Speaker 4: rally and the football team and this this heat street 295 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 4: created a tradition, also very successful, went on for decades. 296 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:24,960 Speaker 2: Finally in the seventies of school was like. 297 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 4: Hey, you know what, this is kind of mad racist, 298 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 4: Maybe we shouldn't do this. And so they're like, you know, 299 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 4: maybe we shouldn't have like a living breathing American as 300 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:33,720 Speaker 4: like our mascot. 301 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:34,960 Speaker 2: And you know it's not like a bear. 302 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 6: Yeah. 303 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 4: Anyway, so they're like, okay, that's the end of the 304 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 4: Stanford Indians. So nineteen seventy two, Stanford changed its name 305 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:42,559 Speaker 4: of its school mascot to the Cardinals. 306 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 6: Right. 307 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, Now this is not because you know, California is 308 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:48,560 Speaker 4: known for our red birds. We have no Cardinals, like 309 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 4: West of the Mississippi's car to find them, right, But 310 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 4: the Cardinal was the school's distinctive color on their logo. 311 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:56,320 Speaker 4: They're like, yeah, that's us, We're the color. 312 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:56,959 Speaker 2: Right, So this. 313 00:13:57,120 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 4: Maybe like if they were the Stanford Millennial Pinks, you know, 314 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 4: like the cal Shar Truce. Anyway, so Cardinals it was 315 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:06,719 Speaker 4: meant to be a temporary name, right, So all through 316 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,559 Speaker 4: the seventies they keep trying different names, the student bodies voting. 317 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,320 Speaker 4: Someone suggests they would be called the Sequoias, right, and 318 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 4: someone's like yeah, yeah, you know, for the super tall trees. Now, 319 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,079 Speaker 4: someone else like, what about the Griffins, And then they're like, yeah, 320 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 4: that's the you know, the mythical lion with their wings creature, right, 321 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 4: And someone's eventually like, yeah, Stanford Griffins. 322 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 2: I don't know. 323 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 4: So my favorite suggestion of this era was the Robber Barons, 324 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 4: because Stanford was founded by Leland Stanford, the old railroad 325 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 4: king Robert Baron. How great would it be of a 326 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 4: school of rich kids and out they're rooting for the 327 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 4: Robber Barons like maybe anyway, whatever. Eventually some kids like 328 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 4: what about the Indians And they're like, yeah, we love that, 329 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 4: Like they'd forgotten or us. Maybe the mood changed, I 330 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 4: don't know. They were like yeah, let's do that again. 331 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 4: So eventually the eighties come around, still no mascot, and 332 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 4: they're like, okay, well let's go with how about the Cardinals. 333 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 4: So they go back to the original temporary name. But 334 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 4: they decided, you know what, we can't have that, so 335 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 4: it's unofficial. Stanford Technical has no mascot. Oh really yeah, 336 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 4: But anyway, there's the Stanford Tree. So the Stanford Tree 337 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 4: is not the school's mascot. He is a member of 338 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 4: the school's band, and as such, he travels with the 339 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 4: band and he shows up at all of these schools 340 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 4: athletic events, but especially the big ones like the Big Game. 341 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 4: So to recap, we have a mystery human in a 342 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 4: bear suit that's husky, and then we have a musical tree. 343 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 4: These are our massot And. 344 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 3: Isn't their band, Like we're irreverent? 345 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 2: What's up? 346 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, the bands are reverend Also so is the 347 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 4: musical Yeah, they're like very tongue in cheek, Elizabeth. If 348 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:38,880 Speaker 4: they do the silly looking tree, he wears sunglasses, he's 349 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 4: got this big goofy some mile. Basically, the Stanford Tree 350 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 4: looks like someone's uncle managed to get a Christmas tree 351 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 4: drunk exactly Okay, so now that we know our players, 352 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 4: let's take a little break and I will tell you 353 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 4: how this turns into all sorts of violence. 354 00:15:51,400 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 6: Oh okay, Elizabeth, Okay. 355 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 2: We have our bear and our musical tree. 356 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 4: Yes, all right, they are the avatars of this rivalry. Okay, Now, 357 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 4: as you would imagined, these the bear and the Tree 358 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 4: have gone at it in the past. In fact, also 359 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 4: the fans have gone at it. But specifically here, I'll 360 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 4: just go with a report from the Daily Cow that's 361 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 4: the newspaper of the cal Berkeley right. So the student 362 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 4: paper recorded quote on February fifteenth, nineteen ninety five, during 363 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 4: a basketball game between the Bears and the Cardinals, the 364 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 4: two mascots wrestled each other to the Maples Pavilion floor. 365 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 4: The fight got so vicious that Oski's head came off 366 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 4: for a brief moment. However, the head was promptly restored 367 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 4: and his identity remained concealed. There was a fight to 368 00:16:56,640 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 4: keep from being known. So anyway, no one got to 369 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 4: see the human inside the bear skin. See, society would 370 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 4: be happy. But meanwhile, the Stanford Tree, the human that's 371 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 4: inside the Stanford Tree, he's well known on campus it's 372 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 4: the exact opposite approach and is considered a position of 373 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 4: honor to be the Stanford Tree. And this is probably 374 00:17:16,600 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 4: because it's extremely dangerous for the person inside. Like, there 375 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 4: was a time in the mid nineties when Cow fans 376 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 4: chased the tree off of the field at the end 377 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,359 Speaker 4: of the Big Game and they like narrowly escaped getting 378 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:29,680 Speaker 4: like you know, I don't know, treed and feathered or whatever. 379 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 3: Well I was always told about in the early eighties, 380 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 3: there was a thing called the play. 381 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 2: Oh Yeah, the band went on the next. 382 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:38,880 Speaker 3: Yeah that the band, the Stanford band, thought the game was. 383 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 4: Over and they go on the field and they get 384 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 4: and the players ran and through the band to score. 385 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:45,159 Speaker 4: There's like just getting a tube of the tuba knocking 386 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 4: down a guy with a trombone. It's an amazing benefootage. 387 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 4: I highly recommend it. 388 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 6: Uh. 389 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:52,159 Speaker 4: There was also another time in the eighties when the 390 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 4: tree wasn't so lucky or sorry the nineties, when the 391 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 4: tree wasn't so lucky. He didn't he didn't manage to 392 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:59,240 Speaker 4: get off the field before the fans got to Yeah. 393 00:17:59,400 --> 00:17:59,879 Speaker 2: Once again, I. 394 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:03,240 Speaker 4: Returned to the daily Cow quote. At the nineteen ninety 395 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 4: six Big Game angry cow fans once again storm Memorial 396 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,200 Speaker 4: Stadium field and targeted the Stanford Tree. The tree was 397 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:11,200 Speaker 4: not so lucky this time, as portions of the suit 398 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:13,920 Speaker 4: were dismantled, so they got their hands on the tree. 399 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:15,680 Speaker 3: Was he torn limb from limb? 400 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:19,240 Speaker 2: Wowow pretty much? 401 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 4: But this time, now that they've gotten a taste of 402 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 4: the tree, it's like a predator from the zoo. 403 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:24,920 Speaker 2: He gets a taste of blood. 404 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 3: The bloods. 405 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 2: We want more trees, pretty much. 406 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:31,520 Speaker 4: I swear to got nineteen ninety seven Big game quote 407 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:34,639 Speaker 4: a riot which saw twenty three injuries and six arrests. 408 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 4: Since these massacres, the Stanford Tree has not been seen 409 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 4: on the field for the fourth quarter of any big game. 410 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 3: I do not remember any of this. This is crazy. 411 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 4: Now we get to the nineteen ninety eight Stanford Tree 412 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 4: when he gets kidnapped. So, as you see, it's been 413 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:53,640 Speaker 4: building and building. Yeah right, Well, enter the Phoenix five. Yeah, 414 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 4: that's what the boys called themselves. That's their group name, 415 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:58,919 Speaker 4: the Phoenix five. Now, mind you, these are not all 416 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 4: students from Phoenix are Arizona. These are Berkeley students. And 417 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 4: it's likely because you probably don't know this, it's from 418 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 4: Marvel comic books. There's something called the Phoenix Five. You see, Elizabeth, Uh, 419 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:11,439 Speaker 4: there was this group, the X Men, and five of 420 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 4: them one time created their own subgroup called the Phoenix Five. 421 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 4: And you know what, it doesn't matter. 422 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 3: So what you're saying is that these guys are dorks. 423 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 4: Yes, so they're dorks. Yeah, So the Tree Nabbing Group 424 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 4: named for this subgroup of the X Men. Their individual 425 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 4: members also had code names. So, just like in Tarantino's 426 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:31,240 Speaker 4: film Reservoir Dogs, they use color coded nicknames. So there were, 427 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:32,640 Speaker 4: but they didn't use the same ones of the film. 428 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 4: So they had mister White, mister Black, mister Green, mister Yellow, 429 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 4: and mister Orange. They wisely avoided the whole mister Brown 430 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 4: and mister pink debates. Sure so, anyway, it all makes 431 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:44,679 Speaker 4: more sense when you realize the Phoenix five were all 432 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:47,680 Speaker 4: fraternity brothers. Oh of course, yes, the end the frat 433 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 4: Theta Kai. So one day, the fraB brothers they had 434 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:52,719 Speaker 4: opted to drive down to Stanford for as they claimed, 435 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:53,960 Speaker 4: a brotherhood activity. 436 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:55,160 Speaker 2: I don't know what that means. 437 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:57,160 Speaker 4: I don't know if that means they were meeting other 438 00:19:57,200 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 4: brothers from the Stanford campus at Theta Kai, or if 439 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 4: they were doing like, oh, it's rush week, let's do 440 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:05,159 Speaker 4: a prank. I really don't know, but in quotes Brotherhood 441 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 4: of Activities. So what I can tell you is that 442 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 4: the day was October seventeenth, nineteen ninety eight, the day 443 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 4: the tree got seventeenth. 444 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:15,360 Speaker 3: So that nineteen ninety eight. 445 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:17,480 Speaker 2: So we're trying to remember where you were. 446 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 3: No, I'm thinking we're what. 447 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 2: Nine years after the earthquake, Yes, exactly. 448 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 3: I just hear October seventeen. You're like, go right to here, 449 00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 3: and then like it's just the light comes through the 450 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 3: blinds and I huddle over, and I hear a helicopter. 451 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 2: Yes, a Frenchman smoking a cigarette. 452 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 3: I have a thousand yards stare. 453 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 4: On the nine year anniversary the Loma Prieta quake, the 454 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:43,239 Speaker 4: Stanford students were doing what they call Cardinal Chaos. Now 455 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 4: Cardinal Chaos it's a big silly name for the first 456 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:49,679 Speaker 4: practice of the season for the men's and women's basketball teams. 457 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 2: That's literally what it is. 458 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:54,440 Speaker 4: Anyways, So the Phoenix five they ride for Cardinal Chaos, 459 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 4: and they mingle in with the Stanford students who don't. 460 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 4: I guess they may have their own secret names whatever. 461 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 4: So everyone's in there in the Maples Pavilion gym where 462 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:05,720 Speaker 4: the fight had happened two years earlier, and the Frat 463 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:08,680 Speaker 4: Bros are now officially undercover on the Stanford campus and 464 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:10,640 Speaker 4: they're like trying to cause mayhem, and they're looking at 465 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:12,480 Speaker 4: each other and they're kiki in and stands and trying 466 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 4: to go, we should do a prank. But they haven't 467 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,400 Speaker 4: disgusted at all. They haven't decided what type of prank 468 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:19,679 Speaker 4: they can do. They're imagining all the pranks they can do. 469 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 4: They're inside of Stanford, but no opportunities present themselves, so 470 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:26,159 Speaker 4: they're like, let's leave, So Cardinal Chaos ends. They're like 471 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,200 Speaker 4: they walk out of the stadium or the auditory or 472 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 4: whatever the gym. 473 00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:33,199 Speaker 3: Cardinal Chaos sounds like someone who would just like be 474 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 3: an absolute terror in Vatican City. 475 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 2: Coming in with the mad Red. 476 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 4: So the Bros they all head back to their car 477 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 4: in the parking lot Cardinal Chaos, and all a sudden 478 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 4: serendipity plays a hand because the Phoenix five spot the 479 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 4: Stanford Tree. Yes, the man inside the tree, Chris Henderson, 480 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:58,919 Speaker 4: was busy loading the Stanford Tree into the hid of 481 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 4: his car. All right, plan is quickly hatched. Follow that tree. 482 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,160 Speaker 4: So the bros all hop in their car and they 483 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:08,959 Speaker 4: follow Chris Anderson. So we're in Palo Alto, California, Stanford campus. 484 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:11,200 Speaker 4: The Phoenix five are on the prow. They follow Chris 485 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:13,359 Speaker 4: Anderson and he's the you know, the man in the tree. 486 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:15,399 Speaker 4: And they get all the way back to the Stanford 487 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 4: band shack, now the Phoenix five park, and they sneak 488 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:20,680 Speaker 4: up close. Henderson gets out and he goes, it'side the 489 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:22,480 Speaker 4: band shack. They get up close, and what should they do? 490 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:24,640 Speaker 4: Elizabeth just rush in, knock him out, take the tree. 491 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:25,280 Speaker 4: What's the plan? 492 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:26,480 Speaker 3: I have no idea. 493 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:29,680 Speaker 4: Well, they realized burn it down the shack with him. 494 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 4: It turns out they can hear music as they get closer. 495 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:36,399 Speaker 4: There's a party going on. The band shack is a 496 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:39,080 Speaker 4: rocking so don't come and knock in, right, So they 497 00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:41,119 Speaker 4: decide let's hide out. Right, they can't blend in. It's 498 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 4: too small. The band probably all knows each other. It's 499 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 4: not be like, hey, I'm with Scott Man. 500 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:45,120 Speaker 2: Yeah that's cool. 501 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:47,399 Speaker 4: So are these four guys? You'd be worring. So they're like, 502 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 4: I go, it's hide out. Let's wait. So I did 503 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 4: a bunch of research on this, as I told you. 504 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 4: Back in two thousand and eight, on the tenth anniversary 505 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 4: of the kidnapping of the Stanford Tree, the Daily Cow 506 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 4: interviewed one of the members of the Phoenix Five, and 507 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,439 Speaker 4: he gave us valuable insights as to how they did 508 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,159 Speaker 4: everything right the school paper. He's speaking of mister Orange, right, 509 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:07,280 Speaker 4: mister Orange, he was a freshman at the time, youngest 510 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:10,399 Speaker 4: member of the prank crew. He recalled that fateful night. 511 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:13,480 Speaker 4: He remembered sneaking into the Stanford band shack. He said, 512 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:16,400 Speaker 4: the group waited to the small hours of the morning, Elizabeth, 513 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:19,879 Speaker 4: the purple hours. Right, here's mister Orange quote. Of course, 514 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:22,959 Speaker 4: there could still be passed out drunk Stanford band members 515 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:26,120 Speaker 4: inside after the party ended. I remembered lots of nerves 516 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 4: during that time when we really couldn't be one hundred 517 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:30,520 Speaker 4: percent sure that there were no people left inside the building. 518 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:32,960 Speaker 4: So they're just like five nerds sweating it outside. 519 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:34,440 Speaker 3: Right there did dork on dork Vine. 520 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 4: Exactly four am rolls around the coast. Is finally clear. 521 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:40,639 Speaker 4: Two of the Phoenix five break into the band shack. 522 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,280 Speaker 4: The other three wait outside keeping watch. Back to mister 523 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:47,480 Speaker 4: howd quote it was pretty dark inside save a few 524 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 4: neon signs, et cetera. I remember there being discussion about 525 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:52,440 Speaker 4: whether we're abandoned the whole thing. 526 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:53,879 Speaker 2: That's how tenuous it was. 527 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:56,440 Speaker 4: So yeah, I don't think I really thought too much 528 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:58,680 Speaker 4: about the craziness of the whole situation at the time. 529 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 4: We were just focused on getting the job done without 530 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:01,920 Speaker 4: getting caught. 531 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 2: Right. 532 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:04,680 Speaker 4: So these two dudes inside, they scramble through an old 533 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:07,440 Speaker 4: medical library. Then they find a hole in a wall. 534 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:08,919 Speaker 4: They go through a hole in the wall and they 535 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:11,200 Speaker 4: squeeze into the bandshack. They don't use like a door. 536 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:13,880 Speaker 4: They find make their own weird way. Boom, they're inside 537 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 4: the banshack. There's nobody passed out drunk on the ground. 538 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 4: They see the tree, they grab the tree. It's four 539 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:21,680 Speaker 4: in the morning, so they just walk out the front door. 540 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 4: Now they don't go back out to the medical library. 541 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:25,240 Speaker 3: I know, a hole in the wall. 542 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:26,960 Speaker 2: They got lucky. They just purely get lucky. 543 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,400 Speaker 4: So now the Phoenix five disappear with the Stanford Tree 544 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:30,720 Speaker 4: into the purple hours of dawn. 545 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:32,720 Speaker 2: Huh gone, all right. 546 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:35,960 Speaker 4: So now they've successfully walked out with Stanford's mascot, what 547 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 4: do they do, Elizabeth, they go racing safely back to 548 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 4: tow down, always with the fire. Well, luckily, mister Orenty 549 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:44,400 Speaker 4: tells us what he did. 550 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 2: Quote. 551 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 4: Even though we managed to get our hands on the 552 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:48,720 Speaker 4: tree in the very early hours of the morning, this 553 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 4: didn't mean that there couldn't be random students walking by, 554 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 4: cops passing by on the street, et cetera. In fact, 555 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:57,399 Speaker 4: we actually did see a cop car pass as we 556 00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 4: were planning things out behind the banshack. Oh danger, danger, 557 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 4: Will Robinson. And anyway, their plan to get away is 558 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:05,600 Speaker 4: let's stuff the Stanford Tree into the back seat of 559 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:07,720 Speaker 4: the car and just tear us out of here. Yeah, 560 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 4: but they can't get five people and the Stanford tree 561 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 4: into like whatever little car they have. 562 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 2: So, as mister recalled. 563 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,400 Speaker 4: Quote, remember it was a nine to ten foot tall 564 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:20,440 Speaker 4: costume with a ton of material, even though it was 565 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 4: a somewhat collapsible. I don't know about the other guys, 566 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:25,199 Speaker 4: but I more or less felt like it was a 567 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 4: mission that we had to accomplish in the stealthiest way possible. 568 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:31,560 Speaker 2: We were very aware that we were in hostile territory. 569 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:35,440 Speaker 4: Oh God, take a little serious, right, So the frat 570 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:37,960 Speaker 4: Bros's side, they'd have a plan to make it right, right, 571 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:39,680 Speaker 4: So they shoved the tree in the back of the car. 572 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 4: Two bros hop in, they drive off. Apparently I think 573 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:44,960 Speaker 4: one of their family members lives in Palo Alto, because 574 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 4: they went to a quote safe house and then they 575 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 4: tucked the tree right, and then they looked just be cool, right, 576 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:53,159 Speaker 4: and then they drive back and they get back to 577 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 4: the three camp the three kids at the left on campus. 578 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,119 Speaker 4: They load them in the car boom. They leave Palo 579 00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:00,159 Speaker 4: Alto back to Berkeley to get another car, and then 580 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 4: they come back, get the tree and go back to Berkeley. 581 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 4: And then they finally managed to sneak it into the 582 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:06,920 Speaker 4: frat house and they just go into I believe mister 583 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:09,440 Speaker 4: Black's room and just shove it in the back right. 584 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 4: Lots of shoven of this poor tree. So now they've 585 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 4: successfully stolen the Stanford Tree. 586 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:15,160 Speaker 2: So what do they do now? 587 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:16,440 Speaker 3: I have no idea. 588 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:18,960 Speaker 4: Well, based on all the prank wars and the fights 589 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:20,920 Speaker 4: and the riots has been leading up to it, they 590 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:24,560 Speaker 4: wait for the chaos to erupt, so all hell they 591 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:27,400 Speaker 4: know will break loose. First up, they decide, okay, let's 592 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:30,960 Speaker 4: let's just not tell anybody anything. They don't even tell 593 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:33,240 Speaker 4: their other frat brothers what they've done. They keep it secret. 594 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 4: The Phoenix five hush hush, right, So they wait a 595 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:41,399 Speaker 4: week passes, right, and turns out the police decide to 596 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:43,879 Speaker 4: investigate this as a break in and robbery and they 597 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:46,359 Speaker 4: label it as a felony. This means years in prison 598 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 4: are going to being discussed by the police. 599 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:49,760 Speaker 3: What's the value of the tree? Did they? 600 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 5: Oh? 601 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:52,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, they get into that. I'll tell you about that 602 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 4: in a second. So the Phoenix five they're laying low superheroes, 603 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:57,919 Speaker 4: hiding out in their secret layer or whatever. And as 604 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:01,240 Speaker 4: I told you, they told no one, right, And eventually 605 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 4: Stanford Daily newspaper a week after the crime, they publish 606 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:08,080 Speaker 4: a feature story Stanford tree stolen, you know, And there, 607 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 4: of course they immediately assume it's cow students who are 608 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:12,359 Speaker 4: behind the tree hate crime. 609 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:12,640 Speaker 2: Right. 610 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:16,159 Speaker 4: Chris Henderson, the guy inside the tree, He tells the 611 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 4: student paper that he'd seen three or four people following 612 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 4: him around outside the Maples Pavilion parking lot. Why is 613 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:24,480 Speaker 4: it always three to four people? Do human beings have 614 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 4: a hard time counting past three? When it's word stress? 615 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:31,280 Speaker 2: Were like three? I'm going everything's belonging possibly four. 616 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 4: I can't say, honestly, every time we hear this, it's 617 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 4: amazing that number. It's never five to six, never two 618 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:40,399 Speaker 4: to three, it's always three to four. Anyway, guy in 619 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:42,400 Speaker 4: the tree, Chris Anderson, he tells the press he'd notice 620 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 4: these three to four guys who'd followed him to the 621 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 4: Stanford banchack, probably college students. And now the finger of 622 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:50,960 Speaker 4: blame is squarely pointed a cow. So the story is 623 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 4: out there. The Phoenix five de side, let's reveal ourselves. 624 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:56,200 Speaker 4: So they step into the limelight. Three days after the 625 00:27:56,240 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 4: Stanford paper breaks loose, the Daily Californian prints there front 626 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:04,119 Speaker 4: page story a feature interview with the Phoenix five. The 627 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 4: pranksters lord their people powered success over the private students 628 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:11,360 Speaker 4: of Stanford. They claimed that they liberated the tree. They 629 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:13,359 Speaker 4: said the tree had been unhappy at Stanford, and that 630 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:15,680 Speaker 4: can now that it's been at cal it's learned the 631 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:18,399 Speaker 4: value of hard work and diversity and the true spirit 632 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:21,280 Speaker 4: of a campus. Meanwhile, the tree also has by the 633 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 4: way pend and open letter, so there's a letter from 634 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 4: the tree. Also in the paper. The Stanford Tree reportedly writes, quote, 635 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:29,840 Speaker 4: I'm sick of the farm. The Phoenix five have introduced 636 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:32,480 Speaker 4: me to the outside world. Now once he'd seen the 637 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:34,560 Speaker 4: outside world and col and he had opinions on the 638 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:37,040 Speaker 4: two schools, and the Trees then declared, quote cal a 639 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 4: superior university, a Stanford an inferior one. So they're using 640 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 4: the tree for their propaganda. At this point, the tree 641 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 4: also claimed that it was thankful to be free of 642 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 4: Stanford and its snotty rich kid private school students. However, 643 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:53,040 Speaker 4: briefly and the Tree also promised that it would be 644 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:56,600 Speaker 4: back onto the Stanford sideline before the big game quote 645 00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 4: even though he knows that Stanford is full of a 646 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 4: bunch of weenies. So for the ten year anniversary look 647 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:05,840 Speaker 4: back the Daily Cow. They asked mister Orange why the 648 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 4: Phoenix five decided to go down the hostage taken route 649 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 4: as their communication with the world right. 650 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 2: Mister Orange said, quote. 651 00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 4: As far as the hostage taker deal is concerned, I 652 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:17,840 Speaker 4: think there was an initial meeting where we planned all 653 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:20,240 Speaker 4: these things out, i e. The name of the group 654 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 4: sending in the initial letter and the picture to the 655 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 4: Daily Cow. Remember, everything happened extremely fast, and we took 656 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:28,960 Speaker 4: the tree. Nothing happened for almost an entire week until 657 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:31,520 Speaker 4: the story broke in the Stanford Daily. Then we had 658 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:33,600 Speaker 4: that quickly to demonstrate that the tree was on the 659 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 4: Cow campus and to dissuade others from claiming responsibility. Of course, 660 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 4: as smart data kuys, we had to come up with 661 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 4: the wittiest approach. We had lots of fun writ in 662 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:45,120 Speaker 4: that first letter in the persona of the tree, trying 663 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:48,600 Speaker 4: to trash Stanford in the best way possible. So now 664 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 4: that we have this story in the student paper from 665 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:54,120 Speaker 4: Stanford and now one from Cow, the other people decided 666 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:56,040 Speaker 4: to take this very seriously. The people that I'm talking 667 00:29:56,080 --> 00:29:58,400 Speaker 4: about are the police and the school administrations. 668 00:29:58,440 --> 00:29:59,360 Speaker 2: Oh so u C. 669 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:02,240 Speaker 4: Berkeley, Channe, Robert Birdall. He comes in hot and heavy. 670 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 4: He had obvious motives because you know, as the head 671 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:07,160 Speaker 4: of the university, he'd overseen now a few years of 672 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:10,480 Speaker 4: fights and pranks. They've grown more intense. Now he's got 673 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:12,920 Speaker 4: a riot and then this year he's got a kidnapping. Yeah, 674 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:15,160 Speaker 4: and he's like, I'm starting to look bad, right. So 675 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 4: he also imagined that come the big game, Stanford fans 676 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 4: would be walking past, as you know, all the Cow 677 00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:23,200 Speaker 4: fraternity roads to get to up to the stadium and 678 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 4: that they would probably be eager to fight the bros. 679 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:26,600 Speaker 4: The bros would probably be eager to fight, and then 680 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:28,920 Speaker 4: he'd have once again an even bigger ride. Maybe somebody 681 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 4: would get hurt or you know whatever. So he comes 682 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 4: out with a tersely worded statement. He called the prank 683 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:37,600 Speaker 4: quote outright theft, and the chancellor announced that the police 684 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 4: would be brought in. He also issued an ultimatum. He 685 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:42,800 Speaker 4: told the tree nappers had until the big game to 686 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 4: return the stolen tree or else right else, Yeah, so. 687 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:47,920 Speaker 2: That the or else. 688 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:50,800 Speaker 4: The Phoenix five were like, well, what would happen? So 689 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:52,920 Speaker 4: the chancellor he had an answer for that. He said 690 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 4: that the cow mascot Osci the Bear, would be barred 691 00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:59,600 Speaker 4: from the next Cow game against Oregon State. Treenappers had 692 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 4: three days or else. 693 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:08,040 Speaker 2: He was prepared to kidnap a mascot of his own. Darts. Yeah, anyway, 694 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 2: the mascot theft. 695 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:11,760 Speaker 4: This becomes news far beyond the universities, the student populations, 696 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:14,080 Speaker 4: The Bay area newspapers start reporting on it, the TV 697 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:16,720 Speaker 4: stations start reporting on it. The story gets bigger and bigger, 698 00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:19,520 Speaker 4: and then it becomes national news. Eventually, Sports illustrated his 699 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 4: writing about it. Days are passing, the deadline approaches, would 700 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:24,880 Speaker 4: the tree resurface? 701 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 2: Right? 702 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:27,280 Speaker 4: So the Bay Area news teams they send cameras out 703 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 4: to report live from the University of cow on the 704 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 4: day of the midnight deadline. 705 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 2: They wait with the police department, and they waited, and 706 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:37,880 Speaker 2: they waited some more. No tree. 707 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:41,440 Speaker 4: So instead there was a news conference broadcast live from 708 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 4: an elementary school parking lot. Okay, and after this break, 709 00:31:44,640 --> 00:32:08,160 Speaker 4: I'll tell you all about that news conference. All right, Elizabeth, 710 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:10,040 Speaker 4: I promised you a news conference. 711 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 3: Yes you did. 712 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:12,480 Speaker 2: You've been waiting on baited breath an. 713 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:14,920 Speaker 3: Elementary school parking lot. I am here for it. 714 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 2: You know what, rather than just discuss it, look, just 715 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 2: close your up my picture. It it's nighttime in the 716 00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:24,120 Speaker 2: Bay Area. The autumn breeze is brisk. 717 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:27,560 Speaker 4: You are growing cold standing in an empty parking lot 718 00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 4: of an elementary school in the Oakland Hills. Elizabeth, you 719 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 4: are a camera woman from the local Fox affiliate KTVU 720 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,840 Speaker 4: Channel two. You've been sent out on assignment to record 721 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:39,240 Speaker 4: a press conference with the Phoenix five. You have rigged 722 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:41,640 Speaker 4: a two camera setup for the live feed. One camera 723 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 4: is on sticks. That's industry talk for a tripod. The 724 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:47,120 Speaker 4: second camera is a should mounted job that you plan 725 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:49,440 Speaker 4: to use for close ups and some wild coverage of 726 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:53,200 Speaker 4: the late night press conference. There are no other media outlets. 727 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:53,400 Speaker 2: There, just you. 728 00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 4: The KTVU Channel two reporter five college dates guys wearing 729 00:32:57,160 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 4: halloween masks and balaklava ski masks, and they are holding 730 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:03,520 Speaker 4: captive a ten foot tall tree costume, the Stanford Tree. 731 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:06,040 Speaker 4: That's the reason you're in this elementary school parking lot. 732 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:08,520 Speaker 4: You rack the focus and you set a clean image 733 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 4: of mister Green, spokesman for the Phoenix five. The KTVU 734 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 4: reporter steps into the shot. Okay, let's do one. She 735 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:16,800 Speaker 4: raises the mic into the shot and ask mister. 736 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:17,760 Speaker 2: Green, how is the tree. 737 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:20,880 Speaker 4: The Stanford Tree is still unharmed, and he tells the 738 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:23,280 Speaker 4: reporter how it's fine. And you can see for yourself 739 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 4: this Phoenix five drag the Stanford Tree into the shot. 740 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 4: The mask men promise that the tree has been treated 741 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 4: well as you can see, and further, it would be 742 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:33,440 Speaker 4: returned to the weenies at Stanford before the big game. 743 00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 4: You try to squelch a little laugh at their jokes, 744 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:37,920 Speaker 4: but they go on as they say, truth be told, 745 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 4: The tree may never want to return to Stanford. Now 746 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:43,080 Speaker 4: the decene life outside the private school. The frat rose 747 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 4: tawk a little more smack, then they laugh and they 748 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:47,240 Speaker 4: start to dance around with the Stanford Tree. You now 749 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 4: have to swivel around to keep their shot. As the 750 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:51,400 Speaker 4: Stanford Tree and the frat roser dancing around in the 751 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:54,120 Speaker 4: parking lot, now you really can't help but smile. It's 752 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:56,880 Speaker 4: become just ridiculous. You're also getting colder by the minute. 753 00:33:56,920 --> 00:33:58,720 Speaker 4: The news reporter is still trying to do a straight 754 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:01,680 Speaker 4: interview with the tree case, but it's pretty much impossible 755 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:03,840 Speaker 4: now that the frat rows have broken into dance. It's 756 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 4: like a real live crime musical. The reporter asked when 757 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:08,880 Speaker 4: the Phoenix five planned to return the tree to the 758 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:11,080 Speaker 4: students of Stanford. But the Phoenix five just laugh and 759 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:13,839 Speaker 4: keep dancing around with the Stanford Tree. You wonder how 760 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:15,319 Speaker 4: much of this you have to shoot before you can 761 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:17,279 Speaker 4: just load up the cameras and go because you want 762 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:19,520 Speaker 4: to go home, crawl back in bed and watch reruns 763 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:23,240 Speaker 4: in your favorite Barry a show restaurant review check please Yes. 764 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:24,759 Speaker 2: As the cold evening. 765 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:27,040 Speaker 4: Air chills your cheeks, you long for your pillow. The 766 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:29,640 Speaker 4: reporter gives you the signal this interview is done. You 767 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:32,360 Speaker 4: pack up as a frat Rose continue to dance around 768 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:35,360 Speaker 4: the parking lot with the tree in there stolen glee 769 00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:39,279 Speaker 4: the mascot dancing with them and their wicked revelry. They're 770 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:40,400 Speaker 4: busy making memories. 771 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:40,919 Speaker 3: They are. 772 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:44,399 Speaker 4: Yeah, well, that proof of life video gets broadcast by 773 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 4: k TVU around the bay. It's another outsized reaction to follow. 774 00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 4: Enter the Stanford Police. They don't see the humor in this. 775 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:54,120 Speaker 4: A man by the name of Captain Raould and Memeier 776 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:56,760 Speaker 4: steps forward, the Stanford Police Captain. He makes public comments 777 00:34:56,760 --> 00:34:59,200 Speaker 4: of his own, he says, he goes to the news meeting. 778 00:34:59,239 --> 00:35:01,760 Speaker 2: He says, the Stanford tre tree is practically priceless. Remember 779 00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:04,160 Speaker 2: you asked me how much. He puts a dollar amount 780 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:04,440 Speaker 2: on it. 781 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:06,320 Speaker 3: Practically pricelessly priceless. 782 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:10,040 Speaker 4: But if a monetary value were to be assigned to 783 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:13,720 Speaker 4: the tree, it would be worth well over one thousand. 784 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:15,120 Speaker 3: Dollars practically price. 785 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:18,000 Speaker 2: I know a price for most people. 786 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:20,839 Speaker 4: One thousand dollars would not sound like very much, but 787 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:24,359 Speaker 4: it does qualify the theft as grand larceny, which makes 788 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:27,319 Speaker 4: it a felony. So the Phoenix fiver looking at real 789 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:29,719 Speaker 4: prison time. If Captain Neemeyer has anything. 790 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:31,200 Speaker 3: To say about it is jurisdiction. 791 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:33,080 Speaker 4: Well, the humorless cop went on to say, if you 792 00:35:33,120 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 4: do the crime, you do the time. 793 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:35,800 Speaker 3: You kidding. 794 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:36,280 Speaker 2: Yes. 795 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:39,360 Speaker 4: Meanwhile, the Barrier, newspapers, the TV stations, they continue to 796 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:41,240 Speaker 4: cover the story because now they got one with real 797 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:44,120 Speaker 4: legs and it's running. So in fact, they become a 798 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:46,920 Speaker 4: part of the story. Ransoms get raised, one by a 799 00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:50,080 Speaker 4: local newspaper, another by a sporting good company. They promise 800 00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:52,920 Speaker 4: if the tree is returned unharmed, they will donate fifty 801 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:55,560 Speaker 4: thousand dollars to a local Christmas tree charity. 802 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:58,560 Speaker 3: A Christmas tree charity. Yeah, later down the air, I 803 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:02,000 Speaker 3: feel like calmless Christmas tree to get trees home. 804 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:04,040 Speaker 2: So Lizabeth get these trees a home, if. 805 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:05,200 Speaker 3: Only for three weeks. 806 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:06,839 Speaker 2: Now, I think he's to give him out people who 807 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:07,520 Speaker 2: can't afford. 808 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:08,719 Speaker 3: Christmas tree awareness. 809 00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:10,880 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's a really it's a holy Kito tie and 810 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:14,040 Speaker 4: like a little ribbon you put on the tree. Anyway, 811 00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:16,640 Speaker 4: guy inside the tree, remember him, Chris Anderson. Yeah, he 812 00:36:16,719 --> 00:36:18,120 Speaker 4: jumps forward again. He speaks out. 813 00:36:18,239 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 3: He kind of wish he was in the tree the 814 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:19,960 Speaker 3: whole time. 815 00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:22,799 Speaker 4: He's had He does too, he has had enough. He 816 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:25,279 Speaker 4: becomes really aggressive for a man who's best known as 817 00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:29,359 Speaker 4: the bone structure of a tree Henderson. He releases his 818 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:32,720 Speaker 4: own statement to the press as the guy inside the tree. 819 00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:34,799 Speaker 4: He mocks the tree n appers, and he tells that 820 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:37,080 Speaker 4: the phoenix five quote stop talking to a pile of 821 00:36:37,120 --> 00:36:38,800 Speaker 4: fabric can show a little back bone. 822 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:41,360 Speaker 2: So he didn't fight over the tree. 823 00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:43,640 Speaker 4: Now, the students from both campuses, you may be wondering, 824 00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:46,120 Speaker 4: what did you think about this prank? Well, most of 825 00:36:46,120 --> 00:36:48,279 Speaker 4: them thought it. His harm was fun. Some just wanted 826 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:50,120 Speaker 4: to it all go away. Others were like, who knows 827 00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:52,799 Speaker 4: who cares? Right, They took your approach. But there was 828 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:55,239 Speaker 4: one cow student. I found a freshman on the rugby team, 829 00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:57,719 Speaker 4: Teddy Miller. He admitted that he was no big fan 830 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 4: of Oscary calam mascot. He said, quote, I'm pretty lukewarm 831 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:04,759 Speaker 4: about him, right, But my favorite part is that he 832 00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:06,840 Speaker 4: went on and he wanted to make sure that he 833 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:09,400 Speaker 4: could kind of run down the handshake of Oscy. 834 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:12,600 Speaker 2: He said back to Teddy Miller, and he got wet hands. 835 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:14,440 Speaker 4: I shook hands with him two or three times in 836 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 4: my life, and every time I've had to wipe my 837 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:17,680 Speaker 4: hands on my pants. 838 00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:21,399 Speaker 3: He's shaking his hand more than once. 839 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:26,600 Speaker 4: Yes, I'll give him another chance, so win me over. 840 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:29,080 Speaker 4: Staring it, Osky, this is your third chance? Is the 841 00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:30,160 Speaker 4: last one? Three strikes? 842 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:30,480 Speaker 2: You're out? 843 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:30,600 Speaker 6: Bear? 844 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:33,759 Speaker 3: Well, I mean the guy is in like a fur suit. Well, yeah, 845 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:35,400 Speaker 3: he's allowed to have sweaty hands. 846 00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:37,520 Speaker 2: Who doesn't like a moist bear? Really? 847 00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:42,920 Speaker 4: You know, I mean come on, but anyway, back to 848 00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:45,520 Speaker 4: the grill again, the grill again, Elizabeth? Where were we? 849 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:48,840 Speaker 4: That's right, stolen tree. Yes, a chancellor was threatening to 850 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:52,160 Speaker 4: abduct our mascot product his own mascot to get back 851 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:54,719 Speaker 4: at school. All right, And the students, what did you 852 00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:56,560 Speaker 4: think about that part of the whole mascot? 853 00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:57,719 Speaker 2: Kerfuffled? Like? Were they like? 854 00:37:57,840 --> 00:38:00,239 Speaker 4: I think the administration's being a little silly, like of 855 00:38:00,239 --> 00:38:03,759 Speaker 4: anybody there being the ridiculous ones. Well, I'll tell you 856 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:06,239 Speaker 4: this much. Some of the students pointed out that this 857 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:09,160 Speaker 4: was a fifty seven year old, sweaty, clammy handed bear 858 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:12,680 Speaker 4: mascot who really gives a darn right? Right, So, like 859 00:38:12,680 --> 00:38:14,320 Speaker 4: you know, Teddy Miller would be proud of these students. 860 00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:16,640 Speaker 4: But anyway, setting aside all the empty threats to Oski. 861 00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:19,759 Speaker 4: What about the more real threats of felonies that the 862 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:22,680 Speaker 4: knee Myers throwing around for the students. Well that apply pressure? 863 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:24,359 Speaker 4: Would the other students come to them like, hey man, 864 00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:26,640 Speaker 4: you can't making Theta Kai look bad or whatever? 865 00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:27,279 Speaker 2: Right? 866 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:29,760 Speaker 4: Well, back to mister Orange from the Phoenix five, because 867 00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 4: he says that basically the dudes in the frat house 868 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:34,160 Speaker 4: were trying to be you know, cooler than Canna Reeves 869 00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:37,800 Speaker 4: and a pretend gunfight. So, as mister Orange said, quote, 870 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:40,360 Speaker 4: in all honesty, we knew that no one had a 871 00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:42,279 Speaker 4: clue who we were at the outset. We got the 872 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:45,200 Speaker 4: tree without anyone seeing us. So the whole police investigation 873 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:48,040 Speaker 4: was a big sham. They claimed that they had stopped 874 00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:50,919 Speaker 4: a car with five cow students on campus that night, 875 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:53,160 Speaker 4: but to this day, I don't know whether that actually 876 00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:54,719 Speaker 4: happened or if it was just some attempt to. 877 00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:55,800 Speaker 2: Get us out into the open. 878 00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:58,680 Speaker 4: Right, because me comes forward, he's like, we're gonna check 879 00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:01,279 Speaker 4: the DMV because we pulled over these students, and they're like, oh, 880 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:02,160 Speaker 4: I'll go for it. 881 00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:02,759 Speaker 2: Whatn't us? 882 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:03,120 Speaker 6: Yeah? 883 00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:06,080 Speaker 4: Anyway, So other than the police tricks, So what did 884 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:08,480 Speaker 4: the boys parents think because you know, if they're gonna 885 00:39:08,520 --> 00:39:10,319 Speaker 4: get kicked out of school or go to prison over 886 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:12,520 Speaker 4: a stolen bear. I mean, I think my parents would 887 00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:15,160 Speaker 4: be mad, pissed. And I'm just saying well, mister Orange 888 00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:18,520 Speaker 4: once again said quote, cooler heads prevailed now. He also 889 00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:21,040 Speaker 4: said quote, I think out of the five, I was 890 00:39:21,080 --> 00:39:23,719 Speaker 4: the one who felt the least amount of pressure. I 891 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:26,240 Speaker 4: was a seventeen year old freshman, not living at the house. 892 00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:28,360 Speaker 4: I was a minor in the legal sense, and not 893 00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:31,120 Speaker 4: around the actual tree on a regular basis since it 894 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:33,360 Speaker 4: was being kept at the house for a while. The 895 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:36,160 Speaker 4: older guys in the group obviously felt more pressure as 896 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:38,520 Speaker 4: time went on, as more people were finding out about 897 00:39:38,520 --> 00:39:40,960 Speaker 4: our involvement. So yeah, now that they got like the 898 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:44,680 Speaker 4: circle of swelling to snitch on them. So our youngest 899 00:39:44,719 --> 00:39:48,120 Speaker 4: of the crew, mister Orange, he's not feeling the same 900 00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:50,080 Speaker 4: pressure as the older guys, right. He wants to keep 901 00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:52,799 Speaker 4: the tree. He's like, let's run this table man. And 902 00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:55,360 Speaker 4: I quote once again from him, quote, there were major 903 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:57,600 Speaker 4: discussions concerning whether to return the tree. 904 00:39:57,640 --> 00:39:58,440 Speaker 2: I was lobbing to. 905 00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:00,480 Speaker 4: Hold onto it until the big gang take it on 906 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:03,239 Speaker 4: a road trip. But the older guys in the group 907 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:06,120 Speaker 4: probably had better information on exactly how close we were 908 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:08,399 Speaker 4: to being discovered. So yeah, we never did get close 909 00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:10,160 Speaker 4: to being caught, and I'm pretty sure we could have 910 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:12,560 Speaker 4: held out a little longer and done more fun things 911 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:15,520 Speaker 4: with the tree. But again, as the youngest, I wasn't 912 00:40:15,520 --> 00:40:17,960 Speaker 4: in the best position to make the important decisions. 913 00:40:18,239 --> 00:40:20,920 Speaker 2: Oh Man Horn's storytelling kills me. 914 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:24,200 Speaker 4: So at this point in the kidnapping ordeal, right, some 915 00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:26,960 Speaker 4: of the tree nappers facing serious life changing penalties. 916 00:40:27,760 --> 00:40:28,719 Speaker 2: Mister Orange is like, he. 917 00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:31,279 Speaker 4: Tells, like, oh, well, I'll just leave it to him 918 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:33,799 Speaker 4: because I don't want to he tells the story, so, well, yeah, 919 00:40:33,800 --> 00:40:36,440 Speaker 4: here I go. One was up for a big scholarship. 920 00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:39,000 Speaker 4: Mister Yellow could have been deported, at least that was 921 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:41,840 Speaker 4: the claim. So even though I was really disappointed that 922 00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:44,680 Speaker 4: the tree was returned after such a short period of time, 923 00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:47,480 Speaker 4: I can understand they were coming from. So now apparently 924 00:40:47,520 --> 00:40:50,680 Speaker 4: there's threats of deportation for various members of the Phoenix five. 925 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:52,759 Speaker 4: So that's a bit of a rough one, getting kicked 926 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:55,279 Speaker 4: out of Cow because of a stolen tree. Anyway, the 927 00:40:55,320 --> 00:40:58,960 Speaker 4: big game comes, So Elizabeth, is there going to be 928 00:40:59,000 --> 00:40:59,400 Speaker 4: a tree? 929 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:00,279 Speaker 6: Hmmm? 930 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:00,640 Speaker 2: No. 931 00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:03,960 Speaker 4: On the day before Halloween, two weeks after the theft 932 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:07,560 Speaker 4: of the Stanford Tree and after the original missed ultimatum 933 00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:11,040 Speaker 4: in deadline, a call comes into the UC Berkeley Chancellor's office. 934 00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:14,239 Speaker 4: On the line is a representative for the Phoenix five. 935 00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:15,920 Speaker 2: He claims that he knows. 936 00:41:15,719 --> 00:41:18,000 Speaker 4: Where the Stanford Tree is, and he reports that it 937 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:20,400 Speaker 4: is fine, unharmed, and better yet, he would return it 938 00:41:20,440 --> 00:41:24,719 Speaker 4: to the Chancellor's office, but on one condition. Amnesty for 939 00:41:24,760 --> 00:41:25,240 Speaker 4: the thieves. 940 00:41:26,280 --> 00:41:27,280 Speaker 2: Right, yeah, total. 941 00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:29,640 Speaker 4: So the Chancellor agrees to the terms yes, and the 942 00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:32,480 Speaker 4: Stanford DNAs students also agrees to the terms. Four PM, 943 00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:35,160 Speaker 4: an older man described as quote older than a normal 944 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:39,080 Speaker 4: student who identified himself only as Rishard, walks into the 945 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:41,840 Speaker 4: Chancellor's office. In his hand was a plastic bag. In 946 00:41:41,960 --> 00:41:45,040 Speaker 4: that plastic bag was the ten foot tall Stanford Tree. 947 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:47,840 Speaker 4: He handed over the kidnapping victim to the Chancellor's assistant. 948 00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:50,640 Speaker 4: The bag gets open, the Tamford Tree is inspected. There's 949 00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:54,560 Speaker 4: indeed no damage. Oh well except for well, there was 950 00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:56,160 Speaker 4: no real damage, right, it's just like, oh, it's a 951 00:41:56,200 --> 00:41:57,680 Speaker 4: little bit wet, you know. They're like it's kind of 952 00:41:57,719 --> 00:42:01,040 Speaker 4: smelled moldy or whatever. Right, So the it's confirmed. Richard 953 00:42:01,080 --> 00:42:04,160 Speaker 4: walks off, never has to talk to anybody. UC Berkeley 954 00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:07,160 Speaker 4: police sees the tree. Officers escort it back down to 955 00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:09,400 Speaker 4: Stanford in a blue Ford Taurus. 956 00:42:10,080 --> 00:42:10,319 Speaker 3: Yes. 957 00:42:10,560 --> 00:42:12,919 Speaker 4: The police reported that during the trip, the Stanford tree 958 00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:15,600 Speaker 4: was quote very well behaved and very cordial and polite. O. 959 00:42:15,719 --> 00:42:18,480 Speaker 3: Everyone's a cop humor exactly. 960 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:18,839 Speaker 2: Now. 961 00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:21,400 Speaker 4: Once it's back at Stanford, the administration performed a second 962 00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:23,040 Speaker 4: examination because I want to make sure they got the 963 00:42:23,080 --> 00:42:25,560 Speaker 4: right tree. Can't be trying to like push no fake 964 00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:28,200 Speaker 4: trees on us here. We ain't no punk over Stanford anyway. 965 00:42:28,239 --> 00:42:31,279 Speaker 4: Former guy inside the tree, not the one currently, but 966 00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:34,560 Speaker 4: a former one, Chris Carry. He is apparently on hand 967 00:42:34,560 --> 00:42:37,640 Speaker 4: for the examination, so he later would tell the press quote, 968 00:42:37,719 --> 00:42:40,279 Speaker 4: he looks okay. He looks a little skinny, but we'll 969 00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:42,560 Speaker 4: put him back on a diet of steroids and wheat 970 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:44,319 Speaker 4: grass and he should be okay for the big game. 971 00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:45,040 Speaker 3: Are you kidding? 972 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:48,920 Speaker 4: So now for a publicity stuck Carrie tries on the 973 00:42:48,960 --> 00:42:51,680 Speaker 4: tree in the office, decides it's fine, it's fits, there's 974 00:42:51,719 --> 00:42:54,279 Speaker 4: no problems with it. Then another Stanford student who shows 975 00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:57,880 Speaker 4: up in a quote Tree Protective Services shirt, handcuffs the 976 00:42:57,920 --> 00:43:00,279 Speaker 4: Stanford tree and declares that the tree is now under 977 00:43:00,280 --> 00:43:03,440 Speaker 4: his protection and walks away. The police chief Neemuyer, he 978 00:43:03,480 --> 00:43:05,759 Speaker 4: also had his two cents the original joker. He says, 979 00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:07,480 Speaker 4: quote that the tree was going to be secured in 980 00:43:07,520 --> 00:43:09,799 Speaker 4: our evidence room, which is alarmed, and we do have 981 00:43:09,960 --> 00:43:13,279 Speaker 4: armed deputies there. So I got to say, threatening to 982 00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:15,840 Speaker 4: shoot someone in order to protect a trash bag filled 983 00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:19,720 Speaker 4: with the tree costumes so very American. Once the school 984 00:43:19,800 --> 00:43:24,880 Speaker 4: had its tree back, Stanford administration agrees, what dropping all charges, 985 00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:27,760 Speaker 4: you know, the criminal content all it's out the window. 986 00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:27,960 Speaker 2: Right. 987 00:43:28,040 --> 00:43:30,560 Speaker 4: Meanwhile, Chancellor bird All from Berkeley, he gives an interview 988 00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:32,560 Speaker 4: and he says to the Daily Cow that he found 989 00:43:32,600 --> 00:43:34,560 Speaker 4: the prank to be quote pretty funny in a sense, 990 00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:37,759 Speaker 4: and that the Phoenix five had operated quote with a degree. 991 00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:39,560 Speaker 2: Of wit and charm end quote. 992 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:43,000 Speaker 4: But again he reiterated that his imagined fears of riots 993 00:43:43,000 --> 00:43:45,200 Speaker 4: and murders happening because of the stolen tree, and he said, 994 00:43:45,200 --> 00:43:48,320 Speaker 4: you know, a prank like that could lead to real violence. Now, finally, 995 00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:51,280 Speaker 4: the Phoenix five they got to have the last say. 996 00:43:51,360 --> 00:43:54,240 Speaker 4: Just before they handed over the hostage tree, they faxed 997 00:43:54,280 --> 00:43:57,200 Speaker 4: in a communicate that blamed quote a hostile climate for 998 00:43:57,239 --> 00:44:00,240 Speaker 4: their choice to return the tree. They added, quote, gone 999 00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:03,000 Speaker 4: are the days of healthy rivalry in which students of 1000 00:44:03,000 --> 00:44:05,759 Speaker 4: opposing schools could pull pranks on each other in the. 1001 00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:06,840 Speaker 2: Name of school spirit. 1002 00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:09,600 Speaker 4: Now, later on, for the Big Game edition of The 1003 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:12,640 Speaker 4: Daily Cow, the Phoenix Five were again given a platform. 1004 00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:15,160 Speaker 4: They said, quote, we wanted to pump up the rivalry, 1005 00:44:15,239 --> 00:44:18,120 Speaker 4: make it a cow spirit thing and poke fun at Stanford. 1006 00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:20,600 Speaker 4: With a rivalry like this, you gotta live in it. 1007 00:44:20,719 --> 00:44:23,400 Speaker 4: You've got to do something with it. Otherwise, why bother 1008 00:44:23,520 --> 00:44:26,160 Speaker 4: having it? That's a point, right, so to have the 1009 00:44:26,239 --> 00:44:28,959 Speaker 4: last laugh. The next year, the nineteen ninety nine edition 1010 00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:31,040 Speaker 4: of The Big Game, The Daily Cow ran the story 1011 00:44:31,080 --> 00:44:33,360 Speaker 4: that featured a photo of the Phoenix Five. 1012 00:44:33,239 --> 00:44:35,960 Speaker 2: Revealing their identities for all the world to see. And 1013 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:36,319 Speaker 2: why not. 1014 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:39,360 Speaker 4: They gotten away with it and they got amnesty. Meanwhile, 1015 00:44:39,640 --> 00:44:43,120 Speaker 4: there was Stanford's response to this whole tree kidnapping kerfuffle. 1016 00:44:43,440 --> 00:44:45,960 Speaker 4: A little while after the Stanford Tree was returned, the 1017 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:49,399 Speaker 4: Stanford band brought it out for the Stanford USC Game. 1018 00:44:49,719 --> 00:44:50,239 Speaker 3: That's a big one. 1019 00:44:50,320 --> 00:44:53,040 Speaker 4: Yeah, private school on private school, rich kids on rich kids, right, 1020 00:44:53,400 --> 00:44:55,279 Speaker 4: and they go out there to pump up the crowd. 1021 00:44:55,320 --> 00:44:57,920 Speaker 4: The band at halftime, the band wheels out a wood 1022 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:01,160 Speaker 4: chipper and the Stanford Band They claimed that their fellow 1023 00:45:01,200 --> 00:45:04,680 Speaker 4: band member, the Stanford Tree, had been quote contaminated by 1024 00:45:04,680 --> 00:45:07,040 Speaker 4: its time with the public school students of UC Berkeley, 1025 00:45:07,360 --> 00:45:10,200 Speaker 4: and in order to purify the now soiled Stanford Tree, 1026 00:45:10,239 --> 00:45:13,560 Speaker 4: they shoved this tree headfirst into the wood chipper. Boom, 1027 00:45:13,640 --> 00:45:18,080 Speaker 4: Stanford Tree is no more just a pile of Stanford toothpicks. 1028 00:45:19,520 --> 00:45:21,800 Speaker 4: But boom, all of a sudden, there's a surprise out 1029 00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:25,200 Speaker 4: comes a new Stanford Tree, revealed to be better and 1030 00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:29,360 Speaker 4: pure clean. Now, when he was asked about Stanford's choice 1031 00:45:29,400 --> 00:45:32,080 Speaker 4: to you know, destroy their own tree and a wood chipper, 1032 00:45:32,360 --> 00:45:35,440 Speaker 4: Old mister Orange had this to say, really took a 1033 00:45:35,480 --> 00:45:37,920 Speaker 4: liking to us after spending some time in Berkeley, and 1034 00:45:37,960 --> 00:45:40,160 Speaker 4: we kind of got attached to it as well, So 1035 00:45:40,520 --> 00:45:44,160 Speaker 4: a slow, painful death wouldn't have been appropriate. But even 1036 00:45:44,160 --> 00:45:46,680 Speaker 4: though the Ferdies felt it necessary to put it through 1037 00:45:46,719 --> 00:45:48,919 Speaker 4: a wood chipper, I'm sure the process was a quick 1038 00:45:48,960 --> 00:45:51,560 Speaker 4: one and the suffering was minimal. I still don't understand 1039 00:45:51,560 --> 00:45:53,880 Speaker 4: why they do that to their own mascot. But nothing 1040 00:45:53,920 --> 00:46:00,160 Speaker 4: really surprised me as about Stanford or its students versus 1041 00:46:00,239 --> 00:46:04,080 Speaker 4: kids the war. That's what you missed in the late 1042 00:46:04,160 --> 00:46:07,640 Speaker 4: nineties while you were away. So what's our ridiculous takeaway? 1043 00:46:08,880 --> 00:46:13,040 Speaker 3: I think that again, dork on dork, violence is always entertaining. 1044 00:46:13,600 --> 00:46:15,839 Speaker 2: It's no Texas versus eight Mores say. 1045 00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:18,200 Speaker 3: They're worried about riots. It's like, honey, take a look 1046 00:46:18,239 --> 00:46:19,040 Speaker 3: at what could. 1047 00:46:18,840 --> 00:46:20,759 Speaker 2: Happen, Like, go down to look at Texas. What they 1048 00:46:20,840 --> 00:46:22,880 Speaker 2: did they called in the military. 1049 00:46:22,400 --> 00:46:23,760 Speaker 3: Texas means business. 1050 00:46:23,840 --> 00:46:25,400 Speaker 2: They had hunters shooting at people. 1051 00:46:25,600 --> 00:46:27,399 Speaker 3: But I mean, I mean, as much as I roll 1052 00:46:27,480 --> 00:46:30,279 Speaker 3: my eyes at all their like dorky humor about it, 1053 00:46:31,320 --> 00:46:33,279 Speaker 3: I do appreciate this kind of stuff. I think it's 1054 00:46:33,320 --> 00:46:36,160 Speaker 3: you know, we need these kind of dramatics to keep 1055 00:46:36,239 --> 00:46:38,680 Speaker 3: things interesting, better that than serious problems. 1056 00:46:38,719 --> 00:46:40,480 Speaker 4: And it creates a sense of community. And you know, 1057 00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:42,560 Speaker 4: obviously as long as no one really gets hurt, you know, 1058 00:46:43,239 --> 00:46:45,120 Speaker 4: I think these things are fun. And it's always once 1059 00:46:45,160 --> 00:46:48,120 Speaker 4: again the imagined fears that we we lose things because 1060 00:46:48,120 --> 00:46:50,560 Speaker 4: of what someone imagines, not because of what occurred. 1061 00:46:50,680 --> 00:46:53,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, so you said that, now they squash it down. 1062 00:46:53,200 --> 00:46:54,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, they play you all that, they do not. 1063 00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:57,719 Speaker 4: Ever since then, they've always said because it's there have 1064 00:46:57,760 --> 00:47:00,560 Speaker 4: been other pranks since then, and then they've always threatened 1065 00:47:00,600 --> 00:47:03,879 Speaker 4: police action and legal consequences. They've they followed the hard 1066 00:47:03,880 --> 00:47:06,120 Speaker 4: line ever since then. So ever since bird All, Chancellor 1067 00:47:06,120 --> 00:47:08,640 Speaker 4: bird All put down. There's a serious stuff for bringing 1068 00:47:08,680 --> 00:47:11,160 Speaker 4: in the cops. It's always been that. Before that, that 1069 00:47:11,239 --> 00:47:13,279 Speaker 4: was not the case. It's always like you, guys. 1070 00:47:13,400 --> 00:47:15,840 Speaker 3: Well, let's go over and encourage them to do it again, 1071 00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:17,280 Speaker 3: bring it back. 1072 00:47:17,120 --> 00:47:19,280 Speaker 4: I say, we go steal it all right, there's Ridiculous 1073 00:47:19,280 --> 00:47:22,880 Speaker 4: Crime steals Osky, both Osky and. 1074 00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:24,920 Speaker 2: The tree, and then we make them kiss. 1075 00:47:25,120 --> 00:47:28,560 Speaker 3: Yes, yes, that's it. 1076 00:47:28,640 --> 00:47:29,360 Speaker 2: That's all I got for it. 1077 00:47:29,400 --> 00:47:30,040 Speaker 3: That's excellent. 1078 00:47:30,600 --> 00:47:31,560 Speaker 2: Well, thanks for listening. 1079 00:47:31,920 --> 00:47:34,360 Speaker 4: You can find us online always at ridiculous Crime on 1080 00:47:34,400 --> 00:47:37,440 Speaker 4: Twitter and on Instagram and on the internet at ridiculous 1081 00:47:37,480 --> 00:47:40,759 Speaker 4: crime dot com. You know, we got all sorts of stuff. 1082 00:47:40,760 --> 00:47:43,120 Speaker 4: We've got stories on the Instagram, we got posts and 1083 00:47:43,160 --> 00:47:46,680 Speaker 4: stuff on Twitter, and we got the talkback app on iHeart, 1084 00:47:47,239 --> 00:47:49,400 Speaker 4: so download that and you can send us messages. You 1085 00:47:49,400 --> 00:47:52,000 Speaker 4: can talk at us, yes, so yeah, there you go. 1086 00:47:52,040 --> 00:47:54,279 Speaker 4: Also if you want to email us ridiculous Crime at 1087 00:47:54,280 --> 00:47:56,960 Speaker 4: gmail dot com. We always like hearing from you. Thanks 1088 00:47:57,000 --> 00:48:04,960 Speaker 4: for listening. Ridiculous Crime is hosted by Elizabeth Dutton and 1089 00:48:05,080 --> 00:48:07,960 Speaker 4: Zaren Burnette, produced and edited by our Man with the Chipper, 1090 00:48:08,120 --> 00:48:11,200 Speaker 4: Dave Kustin. Research is by Marissa the Tree, Doctor Brown 1091 00:48:11,280 --> 00:48:14,520 Speaker 4: and Andrea the Lawyer. Song Sharpened Tear Our theme song 1092 00:48:14,600 --> 00:48:16,440 Speaker 4: is by Thomas I Prefer to Smoke. 1093 00:48:16,200 --> 00:48:19,000 Speaker 2: Them Trees, Lee and Travis Go Bears. Dutton. 1094 00:48:19,280 --> 00:48:22,200 Speaker 4: Executive producers are Ben They should have been the Robber Barons, 1095 00:48:22,280 --> 00:48:23,160 Speaker 4: Bowlin and Null. 1096 00:48:23,480 --> 00:48:34,080 Speaker 2: My Lawyer went to Stanford Brown, Red Cui Say It 1097 00:48:34,080 --> 00:48:36,400 Speaker 2: one More Times Crime. 1098 00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:40,840 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Crime is a production of iHeartRadio four More Podcasts. 1099 00:48:40,960 --> 00:48:44,080 Speaker 1: My heart Radio visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 1100 00:48:44,120 --> 00:48:45,920 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.