Commerce Street anyone?

[Lott's Bandana]

Ahhhhh, the good 'ole days.

If you've ever had to hide from the water cannons at 2am, kept the same beer glass as you strolled up and down the street, woke up on Saturday too hoarse to yell at the game or spent Saturday in the Dallas County Jail with your ticket in your pocket:

This is a roll call!

Please share any interesting Commerce Street stories. (not the Grassy Knoll kind)


<------ Aye!

[jk the sooner fan]

i'm 3 blocks away from Commerce Street - I'll be eating lunch there later today

that's really the only story i can come up with at the moment

[Lott's Bandana]

Awesome!

And...you don't have to worry about the water cannons.

[jk the sooner fan]

this is especially a good thing since i have to come back to work after lunch! :)

[Mississippi Sooner]

I once got pulled over by the cops on Commerce Street in Ardmore. True story.

[Lott's Bandana]

I never really had anything bad happen to me on Friday night. We always made it a goal to stay until the water cannons came down the street, sort of a rite of passage.

Back then, the game started in the afternoon, so sleeping it off was fairly straightforward.

It was always my understanding that the folks that were arrested were let out of jail at halftime...no charges pressed for public drunkenness. I've never had anyone confirm it. Perhaps I don't know enough drunks?

[stoops the eternal pimp]

I've been hit in the face with a pineapple...I've smacked a dude with some bananas...My roided out cousin usually would be the one that I would have to bail out every friday night though

[SoonerTerry]

I've been hit in the face with a pineapple...I've smacked a dude IN THE bananas...My roided out cousin usually would be the one that I would have to bail out every friday night though


FIFY

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Good to see you back Terry...

[70sooner]

we did the Commerce street thing the first year I went to Dallas. Both in a car (a convertable, which was interesting) and walking so we could drink some suds. it was fun, but nothing too wild, really. flipping off Texass fans and cursing at them.

I always heard that if you got busted and tossed in jail, if you were good, they'd let you out in time to get to the game, but if you were a jerk, you'd miss the game and get charged.

We stayed at the Adolphus and went from floor to floor, in and out of the various parties that were going on. There were 8 of us in a room and the next morning the maid opened the door to clean the room and quickly closed it when she realized we were all still pretty much asleep/recovering. I don't think we got back to the room until about 3 or 4 in the morning.

my ticket was on the 50 yeard line, about 40 rows up, so I had a great seat to watch the game

the worst part was the ride back because it was 1970 and the first game OU ran the Bone.

Texas won 41-9, but the next year was sweet revenge when OU routed the Whorns 48-27 and started a 5 year winning streak in the series. those games were a lot more fun to attend, for sure

[salth2o]

I've been hit in the face with a pineapple...I've smacked a dude with some bananas..

This sounds a lot gheyer than it prolly was. :D

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Dude, I stumbled upon a massive food fight down there..Fruits and veggies just flying back and forth..

[NormanPride]

You don't call them fruits anymore, step. That's offensive.

[Lott's Bandana]

FRUIT FIGHT!!!!!!




huh?

[stoops the eternal pimp]

I have to say the pineapple had me seeing stars for a while

[Lott's Bandana]

Especially if it was in a can.

[salth2o]

Especially if it was in a can.

That's the worst.

[SoonerLaw09]

Commerce Street didn't have much going on during the time I was attending the RRS. Stuff had kinda moved on to the West End -- Deep Ellum area. Wasn't nearly as rowdy as I'd heard from the stories growing up. But then, I'm not really a rowdy guy, so it was cool for me. Some good live music + a few brews = excellent way to wind down after the game.

[NormanPride]

That's the worst.

I saw a video of that once. Crazy.

[SoonerTerry]

Good to see you back Terry...

Thanks, its good to be back.

On a side note work bought me Photoshop CS5 and I've got a need to fark it up.

[olevetonahill]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyaTIXdN5fI

[MyT Oklahoma]

I visited Commerce Street the Friday night before the game every time I went from 1986 to 1989. The only memory was in 1989. I still drank in those days. I was walking behind some * fans and when it got quiet for a few seconds I yelled.. "When was the last time the Southwest Conference won a National Championship in football?" Dead silence. Then I added.. "1969. Even Nebraska's won two since then." More dead silence.

Had I had some more beers though I would have also added.. "And it was the last all white college football championship team."

The End.

[Jacie]

It was always my understanding that the folks that were arrested were let out of jail at halftime...no charges pressed for public drunkenness. I've never had anyone confirm it.

I always heard that if you got busted and tossed in jail, if you were good, they'd let you out in time to get to the game, but if you were a jerk, you'd miss the game and get charged.

Here goes any shred of reputation I may have had here but I guess in the interest of setting the record straight, no they don't keep you until halftime, more like three hours and then if you can pony up the fine ($75 but that was in 1979) and can walk under your own power you are good to go. Basically, it was like a getting a ticket.

Back in the day, Commerce St. was where everyone went to dish out a little verbal abuse. One of the few rules was you had to keep moving (that was the one that did me in anyway). You could carry an open container, scream profanity at anyone, even the police who were standing about very 10 feet or so facing the sidewalk. Of course, you couldn't urinate out there or get physical but other than that it was almost anything goes. To go into any of the hotels you had to show your key, which kept the riff raff down to the paying guests.

We never tried to outrun the water trucks but it was cool to look out a window from above and watch them. The few people who were stupid enough to still be on the street at the time looked like roaches being blasted out of nooks and crannies.

I always stayed at the Hilton, just up the street from the Adolphus. There was also the Sheridan a few blocks away.

One year, my brother with his petite-sized wife and some friends were on Commerce and came upon a crowd doing some serious jawing back and forth. There was this one fella carrying a baseball bat of all things, standing behind a guy in Sooner garb who was in the yelling match. Well, batman decides to take out the Sooner. He pulls the bat way back and just at that moment, my brother's wife just reached up and kinda pulled on the very end of the bat, causing the guy lose his balance and fall backwards into some other people. My brother and his group continued on like nothing happened as the other group is now getting all over the bat guy for falling into them.

Friday night on Commerce St. came to an end after an OU student was shot to death in an alley one year. I never went to the West End for the Friday night thing but I am sure it is nothing like the way it used to be.

[sooneron]

Nothing to report from my daze in the 80's and a couple of games in the early 90's. I do remember jawwing it up with whorns in 89 only to go back to the Holiday Inn on Regal Row(?) and climb its exterior! There were pics of me, but that ex gf (worthless psycho whore) ended up w/ all the pictures. Actually, I'm not sure if we were on Commerce for more than 20 minutes that night. More WE and DE. Of course, it's like what they say about the 60's, if you can remember it, you prolly weren't there.

[70sooner]

Of course, it's like what they say about the 60's, if you can remember it, you prolly weren't there.

I can remember the 60's, it's the 70's I'm a little fuzzy on....

[soonerboomer93]

Especially if it was in a can.

Step only likes Prince Albert in a can

[opksooner]

.....and dodging mattresses thrown from the upper floors of the Adolphus.

[EatLeadCommie]

man those days sound a lot wilder than what goes on now.

what's with the water trucks? Were they cleaning streets or shooting random ruffians with water hoses?

[Lott's Bandana]

Dallas allowed all kinds of hell in those days, public drinking, large groups walking up and down the closed-off street, (the sidewalks had barriers, cars could still travel but separated from sidewalk), bars were open till 2am and allowed you to carry one glass or take out bottles.

At 2am, the City shut everything down. Closed the bars and went down the street with two Public Works water trucks with cannons, spraying everyone stupid enough (me) to be on the street...pretty much sent everyone home.

I always found a place to hide and missed getting dooshed. However, once the trucks came through, the street was empty and the silence was really eerie. Buzzkill complete.

[Jacie]

man those days sound a lot wilder than what goes on now.

what's with the water trucks? Were they cleaning streets or shooting random ruffians with water hoses?

It was the city's way of say that at 2:00 am enoughs enough. They would line up a row of the things across Commerce, which would cruise up the street spraying high pressure jets of water that would reach all the way across the sidewalk, rooting out anyone still out there.

[EatLeadCommie]

Dallas allowed all kinds of hell in those days, public drinking, large groups walking up and down the closed-off street, (the sidewalks had barriers, cars could still travel but separated from sidewalk), bars were open till 2am and allowed you to carry one glass or take out bottles.

At 2am, the City shut everything down. Closed the bars and went down the street with two Public Works water trucks with cannons, spraying everyone stupid enough (me) to be on the street...pretty much sent everyone home.

I always found a place to hide and missed getting dooshed. However, once the trucks came through, the street was empty and the silence was really eerie. Buzzkill complete.
You know, that actually makes a lot of sense though. They let you have your run of the place, but you have to be civil and it's over at 2am sharp, no questions asked. I guess with the West End and uptown around now, they really don't have to do that, but I kind of wish it was still like what you described.

The only thing even remotely close to that these days is the St. Paddy's Day parade where you can walk around freely on Greenville with open containers, but if you're acting stupid or causing trouble, they'll throw you in jail. But they don't have the water trucks at the end...just a lot of garbage trucks to clean up the abundant mess that is left behind.

[70sooner]

as I remember, it was not uncommon for 2-300 or more to get tossed into jail on the Friday nite goings on in Dallas.

As was alluded to, matresses were tossed out and TV's were also fair game, on occasion.

[okie52]

Commerce should be reborn. The only way OU TX pregames on Friday should happen. The West End is dead and was never close to replacing commerce.

[StoopTroup]

I have to say the pineapple had me seeing stars for a while




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_WBbpHgXzY&NR=1

[Lott's Bandana]

Greg!!!!

[btk108]

Dude, I stumbled upon a massive food fight down there..Fruits and veggies just flying back and forth..

Don't be racist...

[stoops the eternal pimp]

shutup hector

[yankee]

Just got back from my first go-round at the west end. Had a fun time yelling at drunk texass fans that obviously have been nowhere near any college campus. Right now I'm really hating the fact that the game is at 11.

[AlbqSooner]

'68 I think: Group of 6 of us strolling Commerce on Friday night, each with a 6 pack under the arm. One walks up to a cop and asks where he might find a public restroom. Cop grabs him, spins him around and pushes him up against the wall while yelling, "You're drunk and you're going to jail!"

About that time a huge roar goes up from the crowd. Cop turns and sees a middle aged drunk in the middle of the intersection in his bathrobe, wearing a toilet seat around his neck, attempting to direct traffic.

Cop tells our buddy to wait here, and heads after the drunk who is nearly stumbling into every car that passes.

Riiiiight. We will wait here. After all, we knew we had to obey the occifer.