In his infinite wisdom, Bill Brandt devised a means to fundraise for the SLU Rugby club. The plan was elegant in its simplicity: purchase several hundred SLU Rugby t-shirts, sell them at a profit, and use the proceeds to fund the club's operations. It was, by all accounts, a sound financial strategy.
The shirts themselves were works of art — designed professionally by Chris Thacker, a supremely talented individual whose graphic design abilities were matched only by his commitment to the cause. The boys were excited. The shirts were printed. The plan was in motion.
Seeking the ideal venue to market their wares, the SLU Rugby club secured a booth at the Saint Louis University carnival. It was here, amid the cotton candy and the Ferris wheel, that the boys saw no better opportunity to market themselves than in a salacious manner.
They hosted a "What Would You Do for a SLU Rugby T-Shirt?" contest. The exact nature of the submissions has been redacted from the official record, but witnesses describe a level of enthusiasm that exceeded all reasonable expectations.
Needless to say, the boys burned through the entire quantity of shirts without a penny to their names. Every last shirt was gone — distributed, gifted, bartered, and otherwise dispersed into the St. Louis night without a single dollar passing through the hands of the club treasurer.
The Great T-Shirt Giveaway entered SLU Rugby lore not as a financial disaster, but as a masterclass in marketing without revenue. Bill Brandt reportedly smiled through the entire affair, because what else could you do?
"We didn't raise a dime. But we made a lot of people very happy. And isn't that what rugby is all about?"