Spray painting the bell "Tradition"

[Highlander]

So I may not remember this, but I don't recall spray painting of the bell immediately after the game to be an annual "tradition." Granted, Duke has not had a ton of chances to spray paint the bell over the past 20 years, but I don't recall it happening EVER prior to 2003 when UNC won it back. Now, the winning team always repaints the bell to their blue prior to the next game, but painting it immediately after the game with spray paint seems to be a very new "tradition" that started in 2003 and has been done all of three times in the history of the series.

Any of you older lurkers out there - do you recall players spray painting the bell immediately after winning it back prior to 2003?

[DukieInKansas]

Can't speak to history but when Duke took it back this last time, the team managers had the correct shade of blue spray paint ready to go and it was painted on the field. However, that was at home. Don't know what would have been done if it had occurred at Kenan. ESPN did show people by the unc equipment trucks shaking the spray paint cans so they could be used to paint the bell this past game.

When you spray paint, there is going to be paint that misses the intended target and gets areas around it painted. If the spray had gone on natural grass that would grow out, that is one thing. The visiting team should be aware of where they can spray paint without unintended damage. And, if the reports of writing on walls in spray paint is correct, that is not unintended damage. That is intentional and disrespectful to the host school.

[plimnko]

i remember the cheerleaders pulling the bell around the court at a basketball game a couple of weeks after duke won. i don't remember it being a tradition to paint it on the spot.

also, it looks like fedora is just as delusional as roy.......We win or lose with class," UNC head coach Larry Fedora said in an interview with Adam Gold of 99.9 The Fan

[cspan37421]

i remember the cheerleaders pulling the bell around the court at a basketball game a couple of weeks after duke won. i don't remember it being a tradition to paint it on the spot.

also, it looks like fedora is just as delusional as roy.......We win or lose with class," UNC head coach Larry Fedora said in an interview with Adam Gold of 99.9 The Fan

With class? Not from what I read in the Wainstein report.

I swear, if I was in a seance and someone channeled the ghost of Steve Jobs, he would want his reality distortion field back.

BTW, when Duke beat UNC a couple years ago at home to finally get back the bell, it was spray painted right there - I think on the track, or possibly the artificial turf. Either way there had to have been overspray.

Perhaps the paint aspect should be retired. Clean it up, and just change the bunting on the cart when one team or the other becomes the holder.

Or, frankly, dump the tradition. They are so far removed from being worthy of the status of rival that there's really no point in making it anything more than another game.

[hurleyfor3]

Perhaps the paint aspect should be retired. Clean it up, and just change the bunting on the cart when one team or the other becomes the holder.

Or each school gets its own trolley. When the Bell changes hands, just unbolt it from one trolley and onto the other.

[PSurprise]

i remember the cheerleaders pulling the bell around the court at a basketball game a couple of weeks after duke won. i don't remember it being a tradition to paint it on the spot.

also, it looks like fedora is just as delusional as roy.......We win or lose with class," UNC head coach Larry Fedora said in an interview with Adam Gold of 99.9 The Fan

It's very rare that "UNC" and "class" are used in the same sentence nowadays.

[CDu]

Nevermind. Misread the OP.

[gep]

BTW, when Duke beat UNC a couple years ago at home to finally get back the bell, it was spray painted right there - I think on the track, or possibly the artificial turf. Either way there had to have been overspray.

My recollection was that most of the spraying was done while the bell was on the track. In fact, I remember seeing the blue paint on to the track... and thinking how hard would it be to remove it later?

[Highlander]

With class? Not from what I read in the Wainstein report.

I swear, if I was in a seance and someone channeled the ghost of Steve Jobs, he would want his reality distortion field back.

BTW, when Duke beat UNC a couple years ago at home to finally get back the bell, it was spray painted right there - I think on the track, or possibly the artificial turf. Either way there had to have been overspray.

Perhaps the paint aspect should be retired. Clean it up, and just change the bunting on the cart when one team or the other becomes the holder.

Or, frankly, dump the tradition. They are so far removed from being worthy of the status of rival that there's really no point in making it anything more than another game.

Yeah, I remember it. To my knowledge, this "tradition" has happened all of 3 times:
- 2003 UNC beats Duke to win the bell back after a 1 year hiatus. Immediately repaints the bell in WW.
- 2012 - Duke comes back to beat UNC. Duke immediately repaints the bell in WW
- 2014 - UNC convincingly beats Duke. Repaints the bell, locker room, and field on their way out.

My point was I don't recall ever seeing this tradition prior to 2003, it's never happened at Kenan, and the first team to participate in it was UNC.

[yancem]

So having helped my kids spray paint things for school, cub scouts, etc. I know that unless you are very careful, not only does spray paint get on everything in the nearby area, but it also tends to run and make a mess of whatever you are painting. So after the football players cover the bell in spray paint, does someone else have to go back and remove the horrible paint job and redo it properly or does the bell have 3 inches of nasty runny paint all over it?

[DukieInKansas]

So having helped my kids spray paint things for school, cub scouts, etc. I know that unless you are very careful, not only does spray paint get on everything in the nearby area, but it also tends to run and make a mess of whatever you are painting. So after the football players cover the bell in spray paint, does someone else have to go back and remove the horrible paint job and redo it properly or does the bell have 3 inches of nasty runny paint all over it?

Someone cleans it up because the bell reverts back to brass at some point. Duke painted the bell blue but it was back to its normal brass state on Thursday evening.

[weezie]

Every discussion of hole failings, hole cheating, hole posturing always devolves into a big game of "I know you are but what am I?" So, we're just supposed to let it go, let them have their imbecilic fun and make allowances because we lost?
Geez, our team lost on the field. Our kids bear the brunt of the embarrassment and disappointment, sure, but the holes are the real losers in life.
I'll be finishing my Thanksgiving blessings with a small thank you to the person upstairs for allowing me to be a Blue Devil.
Whatever with the darned bell...Fedora can shove that thing where the sun doesn't shine and that place would be in the chancellor's office in chapel hole.

[devildeac]

So having helped my kids spray paint things for school, cub scouts, etc. I know that unless you are very careful, not only does spray paint get on everything in the nearby area, but it also tends to run and make a mess of whatever you are painting. So after the football players cover the bell in spray paint, does someone else have to go back and remove the horrible paint job and redo it properly or does the bell have 3 inches of nasty runny paint all over it?

No doubt it makes a mess but have your children ever spelled unc or go to hell with their oversprays?:rolleyes:

[blazindw]

Yeah, I remember it. To my knowledge, this "tradition" has happened all of 3 times:
- 2003 UNC beats Duke to win the bell back after a 1 year hiatus. Immediately repaints the bell in WW.
- 2012 - Duke comes back to beat UNC. Duke immediately repaints the bell in WW
- 2014 - UNC convincingly beats Duke. Repaints the bell, locker room, and field on their way out.

My point was I don't recall ever seeing this tradition prior to 2003, it's never happened at Kenan, and the first team to participate in it was UNC.

2003 was on the road at Kenan and we won that game. And yes, we painted the bell there on the field. There was no known damage to anything because IIRC, they did it in an area that had mats already laid down so it wouldn't get on the grass. The bell had already been painted when they arrived at Cameron during halftime of the basketball game to show it off.

[AncientPsychicT]

2003 UNC beats Duke to win the bell back after a 1 year hiatus. Immediately repaints the bell in WW.

This would have been in 2004. Duke beat UNC in 2003.

[Highlander]

2003 was on the road at Kenan and we won that game. And yes, we painted the bell there on the field. There was no known damage to anything because IIRC, they did it in an area that had mats already laid down so it wouldn't get on the grass. The bell had already been painted when they arrived at Cameron during halftime of the basketball game to show it off.

Then perhaps it's gone on longer than 2003. And I stand corrected on the 2003/2004 mixup.

[JBDuke]

Sounds like the original question has been answered, and we've had enough discussion of the spray painting incident. Let's move along.