My Disclosure Metaphor
Capitol Disclosure By Stephen Bassett
May 2025
A few years ago, a guy came up to me and said, "Steve." Yeah? I reply. "What will the last days of the Truth Embargo be like? You know, as we get close to Disclosure."
I had a pretty good idea what the answer was to his query, but it was difficult to describe. I did my best, but what I needed was a metaphor. It has taken years, but at last I have one.
It is the year 1982. The day November 12, Saturday. On this lovely California Fall afternoon, two mediocre football teams - University of California at Berkeley’s Golden Bears (6-4) and Stanford’s Cardinals (5-5) - squared off for their last game of the season at Cal's stadium. While the teams were mediocre, the players were much smarter than average. But I digress.
The Cardinal quarterback was John Elway (so why the 5-5?) The Golden Bears quarterback was Vince White, who also saw the NFL. The teams were big rivals and the schools were only 50 miles apart. The stadium was packed with plenty of Cardinals fans.
The game was intense. With Stanford leading 19-17, Elway moved the team to Cal's 23-yard line and Mark Harmon (not the actor) kicked a field goal with 8 seconds left giving Stanford a one-point lead. Stanford got off a decent squib kick to get the easy tackle and the win.
For what happened next, we turn to Wikipedia:
Moen tried and failed to make any progress with the ball. He spotted Rodgers to his left and lateraled the ball to him.
Rodgers was very quickly surrounded, gaining only one yard before looking behind him for Dwight Garner, who caught the ball around the Cal 45.
Garner ran straight ahead for five yards, but was surrounded by five Stanford players. However, while being tackled, he managed to pitch the ball back to Rodgers. It was at this moment, believing that Garner had been tackled and the game was over, that several Stanford players on the sideline and the entire Stanford band (which had been waiting behind the south end zone) ran (and marched) onto the field in celebration.
Rodgers dodged another Stanford player and took the ball to his right, toward the middle of the field, where at least four other Cal players were ready for the next pitch. Around the Stanford 45, Rodgers pitched the ball to Mariet Ford, who caught it in stride. Meanwhile, the Stanford band, all 144 members, had run out past the south end zone—the one the Cal players were trying to get to—and had advanced as far as twenty yards downfield. The scrum of players was moving towards them.
Ford avoided a Stanford player and sprinted up field while moving to the right of the right hash mark, and into the band, which was scattered all over the south end of the field. Around the Stanford 27, three Stanford players smothered Ford, but while falling forward he threw a blind lateral over his right shoulder.
Also on the field were "several Stanford cheerleaders, assorted spectators, three members of the Stanford Axe Committee" and "at least 11 illegal players who had wandered onto the field."
Moen caught it at about the 25 yard mark, and charged toward the end zone. One Stanford player missed him, and another could not catch him from behind. Moen ran through the scattering Stanford Band members for the touchdown, which he famously completed by running into unaware trombone player Gary Tyrrell.
The last months of the 78-year-long Truth Embargo, the final lap leading to official Disclosure of the existence of extraterrestrial life by the President of the United States — will be a lot like that.
Oh, and before I forget: If you want to see some rare footage of the 1982 Big Game between Cal and Stanford I'm writing about above, check this out below.
Stephen Bassett is the Founder of the Paradigm Research Group and the Executive Director of The Hollywood Disclosure Alliance
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