Why Go Anywhere Else?-- Part 3: Magee Teachers and a High School Football Game

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

I drove Liz home and then drove to the Bristol 45 Diner in Bristol Wisconsin, where I got together with former Magee Middle School teach Bob for breakfast.  We made plans to go to a Northwestern University football game later this fall.  Got gas in Bristol for the lowest I've seen around here, $2.48.

Later that night I went to the Johnsburg Skyhawk-Rochelle high school football game at Johnsburg High.  It was an absolute beautiful night for a football game.  During the fall, if the weather cooperates, there are few places I'd rather be than at a high school football game.  You get all the fun of a college or pro game without all the hassles and prices.

Johnsburg High is two miles directly south of our house, but kids from out subdivision go to Richmond-Burton High School (as does a WHOLE LOT of my money, about $3300 a year).  We hang out a lot in Johnsburg theses days.  But I will pull for Johnsburg and game they play except Richmond-Burton.  Have to pull for my money.

As a matter of fact, I am about to leave for Richmond-Burton High School for the big rivalry game with Johnsburg.

Johnsburg beat Rochelle (which is west of DeKalb, Illinois).

Football Tonight.  --RoadBall

Northwestern-Iowa Football Game-- Part 7: A Blowout

Still halftime and the band did a medley of Wizard of Oz tunes.  Then they had a representative of the Wounded Warriors come out and speak.  Everyone in the stands was on their feet, cheering and clapping for him and his wife.

The 2005 Northwestern National Champion LaCrosse team was honored.

We were quite interested in watching that floating camera moving around the field.  It was supported by hydraulic lifts at the corners of the field.  Lind of like one of those steel jaw drop games you see.

I always enjoy looking at the huge Wildcats name by the Northwestern locker room.  The letters are spelled out with a green hedge, but are surrounded by white, red and purple mums.

There was a big group of Iowa fans sitting in front of us and they had a ball in the second half.  It was a massacre.  Northwestern never scored again and the Hawkeyes ran the score up to 40-10 and walked away with their sixth consecutive victory.  Northwestern had its first loss.  One Wildcat fan sitting by us said he hoped they weren't going to have a repeat of two years ago when they started off 5-0 and ended up 5-7.

The stands started emptying of Northwestern fans part way through the fourth.  The Iowa fans were having a great time.  Whenever they scored, they all stood and all these little black and gold flutterers would be thrown up into the air.  That was quite impressive.

Congratulations Iowa.  --RoadDog

Iowa-Northwestern Football Game-- Part 6: The 1995 Season

Iowa held sway in the early going, building up a 16-0 lead.  And Northwestern was undefeated going into the game?  One of those victories had been in the first game against nationally ranked Stanford.  However, with seven minutes left, the Wildcats woke up and at half the score was 16-10.

We spent the half time thinking Northwestern would make it a game.

At half time they introduced the 1995 Northwestern football team, which had been picked for tenth in the Big Ten, last place at the time)  However, the defeated #9 Notre Dame 17-15 and then, even more remarkable, defeated long-time nemesis #7 Michigan 19-13.  I remember this last game well as Liz and I were in Milwaukee for a friend's wedding shower and the game was just something I had to watch and was soon joined by most of the guys in attendance.

The Wildcats went to the Rose Bowl for the first time in many, many, many years.  unfortunately, it resulted in a Northwestern loss, but the key thing was that they had made it.

Their coach back then was Gary Barnett who ushered in Northwestern becoming a winner.  All the team members who had made it to this game were introduced.

--RoadDog

Northwestern-Iowa Football Game-- Part 5: Homecoming

This was Northwestern's Homecoming game.  The Class of 38 was honored and two of its members in attendance were 100.  I imagine the combined alumni classes turned over a check for $63 million.  It must be nice to have so many rich alumni.  NIU could only dream about this kind of a gift.  (Last year the classes gave $100 million!)

Lots of purple (Northwestern's color) in the stadium but I would say just about as much black and yellow (Iowa's colors).

There was a race on the field between three Buffalo Wild Wing sauces: sweet, blazing and medium, which everyone enjoyed.  Medium won.

With all those Iowa teams around us, it would have been nice had the Northwestern players had a better game, but that didn't much happen.  At one point the Wildcats had 11 straight  incompletions.

In the first half, Iowa score the first three times with a field goal and two touchdowns (the PAT for one was wide) and led 16-0 and we had some very loud Iowa Hawkeye fans around us.In the second, Northwestern woke up and score a TD and field goal and were down 16-10 at half.  Then, we got to yell a bit and were looking forward to the second half and a Wildcat victory, perhaps.

--RoadDog

Northwestern-Iowa Football Game-- Part 4: Backing the Team

One thing I enjoyed is that they have somehow miked the Northwestern Band so it is easy to hear now that they are on our side of the field down at the south end.  Bob's season tickets are towards the north end.  They used to be across the field from us and easy to hear.  It is always better to hear a band than canned music.

Like college and high school students in most games I've been to lately,students remain standing the whole game, something I don't like.  Hey, I paid for a seat and would like to use it.

As i said, there were lots of Iowa Hawkeye fans in the stadium and Bob's tickets are near the visitors section.  We were fairly well surrounded, especially right in front of us.  The Iowa fans always stand on third down, but remain seated fairly well after that.

Third and Ten!!  --RoadDog

Northwestern-Iowa Football Game-- Part 3: Northwestern's Losing Streak

Yesterday, I mentioned Northern Illinois breaking Northwestern's losing streak in the past.  This game took place in 1982.  Liz and I were at the game and stuck around and greatly enjoyed the stand-off between the police and Northwestern students over the goal post at the south end of the field after the game.

Of course, the students stormed the field art the final whistle and decided that the way to celebrate would be to take down the goal post.  Around ten police officers tried to stop them and at first there was a stand-off, but gradually the students inched closer (and there were thousands of them).  You could see the cops looking at each other and finally must have decided it was in their best interest to leave and they withdrew.

The students attacked the goal post and initially had difficulty in bringing it down.  Some climbed up onto the poles and it began to shake back and forth and finally came down.  The students then paraded it around the field and then it left the stadium for parts unknown.

We Northern fans were standing and applauding them.  If anyone knows about losing better than us back then, I'd sure like to know who it was.

Actually, Northwestern had set the NCAA FBS record for a losing streak the game before us, having lost 34 games in a row from 1979 to 1982.  That record still stands.

--RoadDog

Northwestern-Iowa Game-- Part 2: Long Time Between Championships

October 17, 2015.

We had our first frost of the season this morning and it was more than a bit chilly on the way to Arlington Hts., but the sun came out and we ended up with a perfect day for football.

I was wearing the only Northwestern sweatshirt I have, which is one from the 1995 Rose Bowl that they played in  Of course, that game is always played on New Year's Day so it was the 1995 Northwestern football team and they were celebrating the 20th anniversary of it.  So, i was right with it.  Looking across the field from our seats, i saw that Northwestern had won Big Ten (11, 12,13,14) Championships in '03, '26, '30, 31, and '36, and then not until that glorious '95.  Then again in '96 and 2000.  So, there was a rather long run of non championships from 1936 to 1995.

I pull for Northwestern against any and all teams except Northern Illinois.  We were at the game last year in Ryan Field (the old Dyche Stadium) when NIU finally beat Northwestern for the first time ever and that was sure a good game.  NIU actually broke Northwestern's long losing streak back some time ago.

--RoadDog

Northwestern-Iowa Game, Oct. 17, 2015-- Part 1: Iowa Fans All Over the Place

Drove to Bob's house in Arlington, Heights, Illinois, and Marilyn treated me to a great breakfast, then Bob drove to Evanston.  We normally park a few blocks west of Green Bay Road and walk over to Ryan Field for the game. This time we had to park about five blocks farther away, so there had to be quite a crowd for the game, perhaps a sellout.

I always enjoy walking by these old houses with their fantastic landscaping, especially when the trees are beginning to turn.  We started seeing lots and lots of black and gold colors everywhere and it soon became clear that the Iowa fans were here in force.

It was a big game as both Northwestern and Iowa were undefeated.  And, they were everywhere and more than a little boisterous.  We encountered much longer lines to get in the stadium as well, but fortunately they moved along quickly.

Before the game, a fan who had had season tickets for Northwestern football games for 78 years was honored.  Now there is a fan, one who had to go through all these many really bad years of Wildcat football.

--RoadDog