Some More Football on the Trip

Saturday, we watched the Packer-Viking game at the venerable old Harry A's on St. George Island, Florida.  Obviously, there was not a lot of interest in the game, but we cheered the Pack on to that needed victory.  Hopefully, they will play as well this coming Saturday as we'll be watching it here in PCB.

Last year, we watched the Packer playoff game against the Giants at Salty Sue's and the BW3 (Buffalo Wild Wings) here in PCB (Panama City Beach).  Was that ever a sorry Green Bay effort.

Then, Sunday night, it was the Kent State-Arkansas State game in the Go-Daddy Bowl at Harry A's.  Kent State is from our conference, the MAC and hadn't been in a bowl game since 1972, so we were backing them.  But, I have to admit we had a soft spot for Arkansas State as that is who we played last year in the same bowl game.  We got to know a bunch of their fans and really know what they're going through.

Arkansas State won 17-13.


HERE A COACH, THERE A COACH, GONE-A-COACH

Both teams lost their head coaches, a common malady that happens to Mid-Major college football and basketball programs.  As soon as you have any success, you have to find a new coach as one of the big guys will snap him up.  Hey, we lost our coach at Northern Illinois as well.

We played Kent State in the MAC Championship game and both teams lost their coaches.  Ours went to NC State, theirs to Purdue.  Arkansas State's coach is going to Auburn and I'm pretty sure they lost their previous coach just last year.

Then, There Was That Debacle Last Night.  --RoadDog

Notes from the 2012 Go-Daddy Bowl

1.  HOW'S THAT AGAIN?--  We couldn't help but smile when they started announcing that fans should stick around after the game for the awards ceremony.  Usually you expect that ceremony to occur the same day as the game, but by the second quarter, it was appearing that the awards would go out tomorrow (and they surely did, the game ended at 11:59 PM.)  They should have been saying, "The awards ceremony will be tomorrow morning, real early-like."


2.  "WE REMEMBER YOU GUYS"--  Between the red of NIU and Arkansas State, as well as the red of Alabama, Mobile was awash in crimson this past weekend.  After all, 'Bama was playing in that other bowl the next day.

It did me proud that whenever a "Bama fan saw us in our NIU stuff they would invariably say, "We remember you guys.  You beat us!!"

Made you proud to be a Huskie!!"


3.  GO-DADDIED TO DEATH--  I know it was their bowl and all, but I lost count of Go-Daddy ads at about fifty.  Then, there were all those TV timeouts.  Both teams sure spent a long time just standing on the field, waiting...waiting...waiting.

A Great Time.  --RoadDog

Time for a Break/A New Friend

Here at Panama City Beach for a bit of a rest from all the hoopla of last weekend.  Right now, sitting outside by the room and looking across at the Gulf of Mexico about 50-60 yards away.  Looks like the sun is trying to break through the haze.  The breeze blowing that wonderful salt air in.

For some reason, yesterday at the motel lobby, only new buddy Bill was wearing Arkansas State colors.  However, several folks had on Northern stuff.  It was kind of funny how we got to know Bill, who said that he went to the same high school in Arkansas that Bill Clinton did, but was one class higher.  The day before, I was sitting with another Huskie fan and saw Bill walk by.  I mistook his shirt for a Northern one and invited him to sit with us.  I imagine he was wondering why I would do that, us being on opposite sides as we were.

He sat down and we went on to have a great conversation.  Then, later learned that he was in the room right next to us.  We talked there as well, plus a bit before Sunday's game.  Yesterday, they invited us to visit them if we go to Arkansas.  Just might take them up on that.

A Tough Life, But Someone's Got to Do It.  --RoadDog

Huskies Win!!

The Game That Would Never End finally ended at 11:59 pm, last  night (began at 8).  Despite an opening 12 minutes of Huskie "Not" offense and a 13-0 deficit, the boys came back to take a 14-13 lead and then scored right before half to go up 21-13.

Huskie hearts were faint when qb Harnish went out with a sprained foot in the second, but after an initial misfire, backup Lynch got a TD, then Harnish returned to engineer a TD as time expired in the second quarter.

Third quarter was scoreless after the Huskie scored a quick one to go up 28-13.  In the 4th, after a Northern field goal (three other field goal attempts were missed), Arkansas State roared back down the field and NIU led 31-20.  Later Northern scored on an interception and won the game 38-20.

Didn't get back to the room until 2 am, way past the bed  time for this old dog and I'm paying for it today.

Go Huskies!!  --RoadDog

Feeling A Lot Outnumbered

Arkansas State University definitely has us more than a bit outnumbered here in Mobile this weekend.  I
m guessing at least 50-1, though at times it seems 100 to 1.  Here at the motel, I'd say for breakfast there were two of us Huskie fans and twelve Red Wolves fans.  I overheard one saying they had sold 8,000 tickets and Northern just 1,500.

Everywhere you go, you hear that howl and "ASU, ASU!!" 

Last night, at the Mardi Gras parade, they practically drowned out our marching band when they went by and the sidewalks ricocheted back and forth, "ASU" from one side and "Red Wolves" from the other.

These guys are really up for the game.  This would be their first-ever bowl win, overall record 0-1. 

Last night, waiting for the bus, there were two couples chatting with each other, two in NIU attire and the other two with ASU.  The NIU fans said they had to bring the other two along, even as ASU fans, because they were "family."  Now, that would be neat having a family split like that.

Mighty friendly folks though and have had some great conversations.

Here's Hoping for a Win.  --RoadDog