Falcon flashers

From USAFA Folklore

The falcon flashers were sometimes seen at football games in the '80s and early '90s.

[edit] Accounts

• Five cadets wearing raincoats, boxers, low quarters, and black socks would run out on the football field during half time with the letters "U-S-A-F-A" painted on their chest and alternately flash the wing as they yelled out the letters. I think they also had "Fight" spelled on the backside?? I'm c/o of '96 and the tradition was killed by the time I went through, but I remember seeing them at games when my sister (c/o '88) went through. - (e-mail, 10-1-1998)

• During my ('88) firstie year at the Zoo, a mysterious and wonderful (therefore cut short) tradition arose with the flashers. One Saturday at a mandatory-fun football game, when the flashers came out a bunch of folks broke with tradition and called out different (and better) letters. As the originator described in his letter, the flashers had "F-A-L-C-O-N-S on our chests and V-I-C-T-O-R-Y on our backs". Well, the term FUCKYOU amazingly has the same number of letters as FALCONS and fit right into the show. The way it worked--the flashers would march out and each take their turn running, jumping, flipping forward and flashing--to which the crowd would scream out whatever letter they were exposing. After they each went--spelling FALCONS--they would all step forward in unison while flashing and the crowd yelling "FALCONS" 2 times. Then they'd turn around and show their backs and the crowd would yell "VICTORY". Well, on the special day they each flashed and many of us spelled out FUCKYOU then when they turned around we yelled the name of the opposing team instead of VICTORY. This spread quickly and within 2 home games it seemed every cadet in the stands was doing it. Unfortunately, this new and improved tradition was terminated in mid-season when the flashers were removed--much to our dismay. On their last appearance I happened to be sitting on the other side of the stadium with my sponsors (while partaking of a wonderful Chipwich from the also defunct "Chipwich Wagon" with the red and white parasol). I could make out each of the letter's sounds pretty well and could really hear the resounding "FUCK YOU, FUCK YOU, WYOMING!!!" from the other side of the stadium. Alas, thus ended the flashers. During our 10 year reunion last year, quite a few of us tossed Spirit Cheese at the game and were shutdown by SPs no less! Shouldn't they have been manning the gates to look for cars with Cadet parking stickers so they could give some DUI tests? - (e-mail, 3-3-1999)

• Don't forget the "shower caps" that went with the raincoats (which were actually the rain covers for the service caps). - (e-mail, 1-4-1999)

• Regarding the above, seven Flashers had F-A-L-C-O-N-S on the front, and V-I-C-T-O-R-Y on the da back. The math even works out. Stunning. - Rocket, '87 (e-mail, 1-31-1999)

[edit] First-hand accounts

• As the originator of the Flashers at football games, I was proud to see them mentioned in the Stupid Cadet Tricks section of eDoDo. I was also disappointed to see that they are no longer in action. I brought the Flashers tradition to the Zoo in '82 after doing something similar at my high school games. We were all freshman, so we used cadet shower caps and raincoats and spelled out F-A-L-C-O-N-S on our chests and V-I-C-T-O-R-Y on our backs. We always flashed the Cadet side of the field so that the press-box side only saw seven guys with bare legs opening up their trench coats. After the popularity grew, we flashed both sides of the field. We even flashed at a reunion party for the Class of 1966. This tradition was passed on to each freshman class of CS-25. Since we were in '86 (the class that never changed squadrons), I know it survived at least four years. After we punched, I don't know how long it lasted. A good picture of the original flashers is in the '83 yearbook, page 80C. Unfortunately, I don't have a scanner to send you a digital copy. Maybe you can get someone else to scan it for you. Keep up the cool web-site! - Mike, '86 (e-mail, 2-14-1999)

• I am proud to say that I was a flasher at the USAFA/Notre Dame game of 1983. The second year in a row we beat ND, and with a blocked field goal no less. After flashing our small cheering section, we got suckered by some young ladies to come flash their other co-ed friends. Needless to say, we went, and by the time we got to the S in USAFA, we were nailed by security and literally carried out and thrown out of the stadium. There we were, in South Bend IN with none other than the flasher outfits! It RULED. We eventually got back in despite no ID, no wallet, just the shower caps by telling a gate attendant we were part of the half time show. Not exactly a lie... - (comment, 5-25-2004)