OBIE Stands for?

[gardinerboys]

Can anyone tell me the history of Obie and what it stands for?

[longtimefirsttime]

I have heard many times that it stands for Orange and Black Is Everything. But there's a slightly different explanation offered on tigerswingband.com:

"Although the rumors spread through town, it is believed that very few of the die-hard Tiger football crowd was really ready for what was to come. In addition to the musical changes, the legendary football coach, Paul Brown, had a notion to add a student dressed in a real tiger skin, much the same as the University of Pittsburgh had a panther. The superintendent, L. J. Smith, as well as the board of education, went along with the idea and thus was born Obie -- "O" for orange and "bie" for black. For $400, a lot of money in 1938, a skin was secured from the Metro-Goldwin Mayer studio costume supply company in Denver, Colorado. Add too a drum major with four majorettes, bright orange and black uniforms and all the pieces were in place for marching band history to be made."

[oldtimer]

That's basically what I've always heard. It stood originally for O(orange) & B(black). The" is everything" was added later, to justify the spelling of Obie. By the way, Obie made the night memorable for several fans in the east, (my side), by coming into the stands and being photographed. A great impression was made! Congrats, Obie!