'Curb the Bulldog' Fashions: Slimmer Pickings This Year

It's The Day before The Game and the last chance to buy Crimson propaganda ridiculing the Elis. But instead of having a choice of half a dozen t-shirts and caps denigrating Yale, Harvard students can purchase only one of two shirts and one type of painter's hat.

The scarcity of Yale paraphenlia is not due to students becoming removed from The Game, but The Game becoming removed from the students.

According to many former merchants, location is the main factor in the decision not to enter the Yale Game market. "We're not doing it [selling t-shirts] because the game's away," says Rami W. El-Mahmoudi '86, of Lowell House. "Something about selling t-shirts in a foreign land...."

Last year Mahmoudi and his roommate Gary L. Frenkel '86 marketed a shirt that was a based on the movie, "War Games." The shirt depicted a football on the front which read: Harvard vs. Yale, the (War) Game.

Also borrowing from a movie, the men's track team last year sold a shirt modeled on "Sudden Impact," but this year the team is not offering the "Go ahead, make my day," Clint Eastwood special.

"When the game's away people don't want to take the trouble to bring all the shirts down there," says track member Walt M. Nagle '87. "Last year we sold a lot of shirts the day of the game."

Even the Coop has not restocked its offering from last year, a bulldog buster t-shirt with a cartoon bulldog wearing a football helmet.

"We brought it out last year and it flopped," said James Argeros, president of the Coop. "From a business point of view, the minute the Yale game's over the shirt's as cold as ice."

Because the game is in New Haven, the Coop does not get as much traffic, said Argeros. "But when Yale is here we like to get into the spirit of the game."

If not for some hold-outs, students who missed last year's t-shirt extravaganza would have nothing to wear to show their loyalties except the standard oversized Harvard or Radcliffe Athletics Department sweatshirt or Crimson scarf.

The Harvard Shop on John F. Kennedy Street is marketing the classic bulldog busters shirt again. The 100 percent cotton shirt was reprinted from last year, says Clare M. Corcoran '86, daughter of owner Paul R. Corcoran '54.

"There's less hype around Harvard this year... it's a little quieter since [The Game] is away. But because we're vying for the title there should be some more [hype]," says Corcoran. "Two years ago the game was away but there was a lot more paraphernalia because of the 100th game."

Last year's popular "Yale Sucks--By Definition" t-shirt is available again through the Chinese Students Association in conjunction with Ermine Graphics. The shirt defines Harvard as the oldest university in North America which is known for its traditional excellence while Yale is nearly the oldest.

In addition, the gray, $6, 50 percent cotton-50 percent polyester t-shirt notes at the bottom that this is the 102nd game shirt, outdating last year's model.

Offering the Elibuster painter's cap from last year, the women's softball team holds a monopoly on the hat market. The $2 black caps with red lettering and a white bulldog emblazoned on the crown are reduced from last year's $5.

The money, says captain Gerri Rubin '86, will be used to help defray the cost of the team's spring break training trip to South Carolina.

"There are a lot of variables when you sell at the game," says varsity pitcher Janet C. Dickerman '87. "Last year we had a hard time selling our cotton caps because it was so cold. People arrived already wearing wool ones."