February 22, 2001

Plains Folk: The Case of the Missing Goat

Tom Isern, Professor of History
North Dakota State University

Am I a jinx or something? Last year I attended the Cowbell Game (the annual boys' basketball contest between Oakes and Ellendale for possession of the cowbell, a traveling trophy), and somebody stole the cowbell. This year I took in the Goat Game (a similar annual affair pitting Lisbon against Enderlin), and the goat never showed up.

The cowbell, happily, has been returned, but I'm worried about the goat. Here's the story. Thanks kindly to Steve Johnson, superintendent at Lisbon, and to Tim Michaelson, principal at Enderlin, for clippings and background.)

In 1934 the basketball rivalry between the Lisbon team (then known as the Crimson Whirlwind, now as the Mustangs) and the Enderlin team (the Eagles then and now, but then a.k.a. the Soo-Liners) already was fervid. That winter a Lutheran minister named O.J. Lutness huddled in Enderlin with some friends and family members and constructed what they considered a suitable trophy for the contest–a wooden nail-keg goat, as in, "We're gonna get your goat." The reverend's daughter recalled her mother made popcorn for the construction crew, and they draped the parsonage windows to keep the project secret (or perhaps draw attention to it!).

The goat's name is Rednob, a name fashioned by taking a syllable from each town's name and reversing letter order. His legs are dowels, his feet and head cut and carved of wood. His eyes once were red bicycle reflectors, but those were replaced with painted wood following a nasty highway accident in 1945. Enderlin had won the annual goat game, and the car carrying Rednob home struck a farmer's horse on Highway 32. The horse was killed, and Rednob was in intensive care for a while.

Centered on the goat's back is a blanket flap, one side displaying Enderlin orange, the other side Lisbon crimson. The goat is placed at the victors' school with the vanquished school's colors on display – "We got your goat."

It was a good game this year. It was good to see some of the trademark rituals of the northern plains replicated–the pile of colorful coats in the hallway, the third- and fourth-graders invited onto the court to scrimmage during half-time. It was good just to be filled with a hearty supper from Doc's Café and to be sitting in a warm gym in Enderlin.

The favored Mustangs were better athletes overall, but the underdog Eagles played more disciplined ball. They took an early lead, then almost lost it at several points during the game. The home team had a shooting guard with a wonderfully quick release, though, and a power forward who, although he didn't look like it, was wonderfully quick of foot. Every time Lisbon made a run, one of these fellows responded. At the close of the first half and the game, the Eagles went to a perfect five-man weave. Some in the crowd were disgruntled, but being an Oklahoma State grad and a fan of Mr. Iba, I cheered. The Eagles prevailed.

And should have captured the goat, but as I said, the goat never showed. There was supposed to be a pre-game ritual with a procession and a cheer and a song, but there was no goat. I was talking to an Enderlin grad, Class of 1932, who fussed, "It should be out there right now," but there was no goat. I repeat, no goat.

I know, neither Lisbon nor Enderlin has cheerleaders this year, because as one Enderlin mom explained, "It's not cool anymore." And it was the cheerleaders who always handled the goat transportation and ritual. That's no excuse, though. Nor is this something we can blame on small-town decline or Vatican II or the Chicago Board of Trade or any of our usual bogeymen. Sometimes we have good things, and we just let them go, and it's our own fault.

Maybe Reverend Lutness, bless his evangelical heart, had something we don't.

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Source: Tom Isern, (701) 799-2941, tom@plainsfolk.com 
Editor: Gary Moran, (701) 231-7865, gmoran@ndsuext.nodak.edu 

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