The Iowa Hawkeyes held on in Ames to beat the host Iowa State Cyclones 20-13 in front of 61,500 football fans and 3 or 4 presidential candidates. And Iowa State's band won.
Hi Chuck -- I suspect the reason you did not see the Hawkeye Marching Band is because of an unfortunate incident at the 2019 game in Ames in which Hawkeye band members were roughed up and an ISU official apologized.
That little skirmish, of course, was eclipsed that year by the ISU fan who panhandled for beer money on ESPN College Gameday. When he promised to donate a portion of his beer money to the Staed Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City, it became a cause celebre and generated a good amount of free advertising for the now-reviled Bud Light. The Register's attempt to delve into his background caused a social-media upheaval and a backlash against the Register that resulted in a reporter being fired and some of the RAGBRAI organizers threatening to start a competing ride -- which apparently was quashed by COVID.
I was in the not-so-cheap upper deck seats on the east side at Jack Trice Saturday, It was my adult son's first Iowa-ISU game. We were far removed from any VIPs or professed presidential face-time wannabees. We only caught a glimpse of our 45th president when he appeared in the lower deck of the SW corner of Jack Trice. My son saw him; I did not.
But we did have one incident upstairs in which a young man unfurled a large Trump banner over one of the exits and two gray haired gentlemen in ISU-colored shirts grabbed the banner away from him and one of them pushed him back into hs seat. I was waiting for the cops, but none came.
Other than that, it was the ususal hijnx. A young woman behind me spilled her bag full of airline-sized bottles of cocktails (or they were little tiny bottles of pink lemonade, take your pick). I picked up a couple, handed them back to her and told her wineskins were used back in my day; she looked back dumbfounded, either not knowing what a wineskin was or wondering just how ancient I really am.
Then there was a big burly dude who said he was an ISU vet med student who couldn't seem to find his seat and was alternately hanging or leaning on a guardrail above an exit on a steep stairway quaffing a tallboy of Michelob Ultra, struggling to keep his ballcap on while trying to impress some energetic professed U of I nursing students who apparently similarly ingested a sufficient amount of general anesthetic and felt like auditioning for the dance team (they also possessed airline bottles of pinkish fluid). The balance-challenged burly dude eventually sat down and the nursing students were told by a representative of stadium services he'd hate to have them escorted out by the state trooper waiting below..
All that aside, as an ISU alum and fan, it was probably the best I could hope for on the field. We didn't get too embarrassed and made it a game at the end. I've seen this movie before, and anything beats the Jim Criner era. After taking my appropriate share of razzing from family and friends for what they consider my laughable if not heretical support of the Cyclones, I now move on.
P.S. The Register article announcing our 45th president's visit to the game reported that Iowa House Majority Leader Jack Whitver provided a statement to the Trump campaign that he was "proud to have President Trump witness the greatest rivalry in college sports."
Sen. Whitver is a former ISU wide receiver and co-hosts Learfield Sports' postgame Cyclone Locker Room show. He should either have stayed mum on our 45th president's visit or excused himself from the broadcast. He definitely should, permanently, if Mr. Trump decides to "primary" Gov. Reynolds with a Whitver gubernatorial run in 2026. The umpire isn't supposed to play shortstop in sports or politics.
Sorry I fumbled my reply...I was reminded of a Ashton Kutcher’s arrival to the game in what else-a combine decorated in Hawkeye colors. We no longer go to Cyclone games largely because we got too old for the crazy stuff.
Hi Pat. I just now found time to read your reflection from the upper deck of Jack Trice Stadium, and it's terrific. I'm afraid I'm becoming an Old Fud myself, as far as the excessive alcohol, the raucous "stadium experience" with the recorded head-banging music, and having everything about the ball game being an advertising opportunity. Whose red zone is it? It makes me miss the leisurely NCAA DIII games at Buena Vista U when I taught there. And yet, in flashes, those big-time games like Iowa vs. Iowa State can be breathtakingly exciting. So I suppose I'll go again, especially if Mary and I win free tickets again!
Chuck, you have an enviable memory. However, it was September 19, 1981 when the Cyclones and Hawkeyes resumed their football rivalry after decades of pretending the other did not exist.
Why am I so certain? It was the day Vince and I got married. There were fewer people sharing our joy in the sanctuary, and there were lots of transistor radios at our reception. 😉
Thanks for the sideline report!
Hi Chuck -- I suspect the reason you did not see the Hawkeye Marching Band is because of an unfortunate incident at the 2019 game in Ames in which Hawkeye band members were roughed up and an ISU official apologized.
That little skirmish, of course, was eclipsed that year by the ISU fan who panhandled for beer money on ESPN College Gameday. When he promised to donate a portion of his beer money to the Staed Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City, it became a cause celebre and generated a good amount of free advertising for the now-reviled Bud Light. The Register's attempt to delve into his background caused a social-media upheaval and a backlash against the Register that resulted in a reporter being fired and some of the RAGBRAI organizers threatening to start a competing ride -- which apparently was quashed by COVID.
I was in the not-so-cheap upper deck seats on the east side at Jack Trice Saturday, It was my adult son's first Iowa-ISU game. We were far removed from any VIPs or professed presidential face-time wannabees. We only caught a glimpse of our 45th president when he appeared in the lower deck of the SW corner of Jack Trice. My son saw him; I did not.
But we did have one incident upstairs in which a young man unfurled a large Trump banner over one of the exits and two gray haired gentlemen in ISU-colored shirts grabbed the banner away from him and one of them pushed him back into hs seat. I was waiting for the cops, but none came.
Other than that, it was the ususal hijnx. A young woman behind me spilled her bag full of airline-sized bottles of cocktails (or they were little tiny bottles of pink lemonade, take your pick). I picked up a couple, handed them back to her and told her wineskins were used back in my day; she looked back dumbfounded, either not knowing what a wineskin was or wondering just how ancient I really am.
Then there was a big burly dude who said he was an ISU vet med student who couldn't seem to find his seat and was alternately hanging or leaning on a guardrail above an exit on a steep stairway quaffing a tallboy of Michelob Ultra, struggling to keep his ballcap on while trying to impress some energetic professed U of I nursing students who apparently similarly ingested a sufficient amount of general anesthetic and felt like auditioning for the dance team (they also possessed airline bottles of pinkish fluid). The balance-challenged burly dude eventually sat down and the nursing students were told by a representative of stadium services he'd hate to have them escorted out by the state trooper waiting below..
All that aside, as an ISU alum and fan, it was probably the best I could hope for on the field. We didn't get too embarrassed and made it a game at the end. I've seen this movie before, and anything beats the Jim Criner era. After taking my appropriate share of razzing from family and friends for what they consider my laughable if not heretical support of the Cyclones, I now move on.
P.S. The Register article announcing our 45th president's visit to the game reported that Iowa House Majority Leader Jack Whitver provided a statement to the Trump campaign that he was "proud to have President Trump witness the greatest rivalry in college sports."
Sen. Whitver is a former ISU wide receiver and co-hosts Learfield Sports' postgame Cyclone Locker Room show. He should either have stayed mum on our 45th president's visit or excused himself from the broadcast. He definitely should, permanently, if Mr. Trump decides to "primary" Gov. Reynolds with a Whitver gubernatorial run in 2026. The umpire isn't supposed to play shortstop in sports or politics.
Pat-thanks for the trip down memory lane. I a
Sorry I fumbled my reply...I was reminded of a Ashton Kutcher’s arrival to the game in what else-a combine decorated in Hawkeye colors. We no longer go to Cyclone games largely because we got too old for the crazy stuff.
Hi Pat. I just now found time to read your reflection from the upper deck of Jack Trice Stadium, and it's terrific. I'm afraid I'm becoming an Old Fud myself, as far as the excessive alcohol, the raucous "stadium experience" with the recorded head-banging music, and having everything about the ball game being an advertising opportunity. Whose red zone is it? It makes me miss the leisurely NCAA DIII games at Buena Vista U when I taught there. And yet, in flashes, those big-time games like Iowa vs. Iowa State can be breathtakingly exciting. So I suppose I'll go again, especially if Mary and I win free tickets again!
Chuck, you have an enviable memory. However, it was September 19, 1981 when the Cyclones and Hawkeyes resumed their football rivalry after decades of pretending the other did not exist.
Why am I so certain? It was the day Vince and I got married. There were fewer people sharing our joy in the sanctuary, and there were lots of transistor radios at our reception. 😉