Game Day

It's Game Day. THE big game. The Iowa Hawkeyes vs The Iowa State Cyclones. I'm sure not everyone in Iowa has the same sentiments as I regarding this game. Not everyone out there is a football fan. Or a college football fan. Or...... Gasp.... even an Iowa fan! However, think about living in Iowa. There are none of the high level professional sports teams here. No NFL. No NBA. No NHL. No MLB. No Sprint Cup Cars. No big golf tourney or soccer tourney or tennis tournament. No. Not here. Not in Iowa.

Here in Iowa, rather than lament our smallish population, that hinders our upper level professional sports attraction, we prefer to say that we are "sports purists". We love the game for the game. : ) And we do love our amateur sports here! What else would we do? Watch the corn and beans be harvested? Watch the same be planted? Don't get me wrong. I LOVE living in Iowa! There is truly a lot to be said about this state and the opportunities here. Just not at the professional sports level. Our amateur sports here are awesome! Who else has RAGBRAI???!!!! Or..... the Iowa Hawkeyes????!!!!!! : )

I have lots of memories of growing up with Iowa football as part of my life. My dad was an Iowa alumni. Game days, when I was a kid, were a lot different from what they are now. There wasn't cable or satellite tv. It wasn't feasible to drive to Iowa City for games every week. Games were usually broadcast on AM radio, while some college with a bigger name was shown on the grainy black and white tv on Saturday afternoon. My dad would turn on that tv game, and turn the sound down to silent. (Back then you actually had to do that with a knob on the tv!) Then, he would turn the radio on to the Iowa game. It was a little confusing if you didn't know what was going on! But, Dad couldn't just sit and listen to the Iowa game. He'd have one to watch and one to listen to and he'd still pace during the game. He didn't yell at either the radio or the tv, but he sure did pace!

My dad was a lifelong Iowa Fan. His brother, my uncle, is still a life long Iowa State Fan. So, I also grew up with that rivalry going on. I remember going to Thanksgiving at some relatives in Nebraska and putting a rival bumper sticker on my uncle's car during the game. I also remember some phone calls to my uncle after Iowa/Iowa State games. : ) Yep, that rivalry has also always been a large part of my sporting life.

When I graduated from high school, I was going to the University of Iowa. Why? Because I liked the football team. I had no clue what I wanted to do for a career, but I sure knew that I wanted to be a Hawkeye! After that rival game, during my year at Iowa, I had to go into the closet, in my 10th floor dorm room, to find a place quiet enough to make those after The Game phone calls. I'm not sure there is any place quite like a college town, after a game that leaves you winning against the inner state rival! I never did figure out what I wanted to do, career-wise, but I sure am still a Hawkeye!

My children all learned early that you stay out from between Mom and the tv during football games. Especially during Iowa games. And, Heaven help you if you should stand in front of the tv during The Game!

I yell at the tv. I text to Anne and Amber and Amy during the game. I have friends from as far away as New Jersey call me to talk about the game, when it's over, of course. I'm like my dad. I cannot just sit and watch the game. I can if I'm at a game, but not at home. I text. I play mindless, senseless games on the computer. I sew. Otherwise, I'd probably be a pacer, too!

I haven't actually been to an Iowa game in many, many years, but hopefully I'll get to go again some day. If not, I'll continue to yell at the tv and enjoy the games far from the atmosphere of Iowa City on game day.

Who needs professional sports? Not me. Not Iowa!