Iowa City Game Days

Football Saturdays are special whether you visit a college campus in the Big Ten or the Iowa Intercollegiate Conference. Alumni, boosters, students and fans come out in support of their local team. In the Midwest, the crisp Autumn afternoons with the leaves turning their colors and collecting on the grassy lawns that also collect cars and host the hot grills is a trademark of many college campuses. Iowa City is no different creating a special feel for a home Hawkeye game.

Kinnick Stadium sits off Melrose Avenue, the main artery which brings Big Ten fans to watch their top 20 team. Melrose lines a small neighborhood called University Heights consisting of many residential houses and condos as well as a church and a corner restaurant. Since my first day of attending Hawkeye Football games in the 1970s, the walk down Melrose hasn't changed to today. Fans continue to use St. Andrews Presbyterian Church for parking, tailgating and restrooms, and small souvenir shops line the final block before seeing the giant venue for the first time.

Across from Kinnick Stadium to the south is a long line of various food stands. The Iowa State Fair lasts for ten days in August, but the food booths continue every Saturday during the football season. While corn dogs on a stick may be the popular item at fair time in Des Moines, in Iowa City Hawkeye fans prefer "Meat on a Stick."

Grills constantly crank out burgers, dogs and brats with the smoke rising above the University Heights tree line. Hawkeye fans have a wide variety of meats to choose from as well as those that publicize them as the state's largest.

The long line of stands begin at the corner of Melrose Avenue and Melrose Court where the WMT Bumper Brigade grills the best home grown pork sandwiches from the local pork producers of Eastern Iowa to the Game Day Iowa clothing stand near the entrance of the Hawkeye Express.

However the most notable of tailgating fare are the "Big Ass Turkey Legs." Iowa fans proudly walk Melrose Avenue enjoying the large legs of turkey meat. Obviously Iowa fans don't buy the motto of "You are what you eat."

While the University of Iowa may not be the agricultural school in the state, the Hawkeye tailgating scene doesn't pale in comparison to the food stands found at the Iowa State Fair.

Opening Weekend - Eastern Illinois

The home opener with Eastern Illinois meant football was back in Iowa City. A top ten team stirred much excitement for those in black and (mainly) gold on Saturday. Excitement hasn't been this high for the start of an Iowa Football season for quite some time. This Saturday was signified as the "Be Bold Wear Gold" game encouraging everyone to show up in their best Gold shirt.

The first game also brought back many familiar faces who once walked the Iowa sidelines.

Every Iowa game is televised thanks to the the contracts set up by the Big Ten Conference. If the game isn't on one of the ESPN family of networks, it will be seen on the Big Ten Network. Calling the game Saturday was Tom Hart and former Hawkeye lineman, Anthony Herron, the network's number two broadcast team.

And what would Fry Fest be without the man it was named after. Here former head coach, Hayden Fry takes time for a picture with Erick Tjarks and Michael Witt from the Video Staff of the Iowa Football team.

Sitting in the Learfield Booth was Matt Sherman. Sherman was the starting quarterback of the Hawkeyes in the mid-90s. He currently works for Learfield in Minneapolis where he keeps an eye on the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Above he is joined by former Iowa Offensive Coordinator, Don Patterson who was in town as part of the 1985 reunion. That team made its way to #1 in the nation and later lost to UCLA in the '86 Rose Bowl.

And new tailgating policies were in effect for Iowa Football 2010. Those policies affected everyone in University lots.

Leading Up to Game Time - Wisconsin

October may be the best time to travel to Madison. The foliage is at its peak, and the crisp Autumn temperatures allow for the full aroma of the brat grills set-up outside Camp Randall Stadium. It is a very easy trip from Iowa City to Madison. Except for a 20 mile trek on Highway 1, it is literally US Highway 151 all the way to the Stadium.

While the sign Welcomes you to Wisconsin, many Badger fans feel otherwise. A popular afternoon radio show host on "The Big 1070" informed the listeners that he "hate(s) Iowa."

The trip is only three hours long, but Iowa Video Student Erick Tjarks finds it hard to stay awake.

 On Capital Square is a popular Madison night spot. The Old Fashioned was full of Badger Homecoming enthusiasts.

 It was the UW Video Staff along side the Iowa Video Staff at the Old Fashioned. Pictured are David Blaker, Rob Porteus and Ryan O'Donnell from the Badgers. I am joined by a Iowa Video Staff Alum, Heather Van Peursem (right) and her friend Brit.

 The State Capitol of Wisconsin.

 The sun rises early on Camp Randall Stadium. Arriving to the stadium two hours prior to the team's arrival, support staff get the stadium prepared for the game. It was a quick turnaround for the Iowa team managers. The night before they were crushed by the Wisconsin managers, 37-6 in the annual battle for the toolbox.

Among the many lakes within the Madison city limits, Lake Mendota is nearest to Camp Randall Stadium, located just blocks from the home of the Badgers.

Of course tailgating is popular around the stadium. Here cars are squeezed into the adjoining neighborhood. Grills are as popular as the cool beverages being consumed.

Magic Number 2

Many may have missed the exciting finish to the Cubs series finale with the Milwaukee Brewers. With men at the corners in the bottom of the ninth, down by three and two out, Geovany Soto belted a three run home run to force extra innings. In the 12th, Derrek Lee then singled in Jason Marquis for the victory making the Cubs' magic number 2. Definitely a frustrating loss for the Brew Crew, but now the Cubs could be division champs as early as Friday. With a Cubs win over the Cardinals and a Brewer loss to Cincinnati, the NL Central Title will once again reside at 1060 W. Addison.

The blog will take a hiatus until we return from Pittsburgh. The video staff is looking forward to the trip, and hopefully we will have many pictures to post upon our return. For those of you who are able to make this blog part of your daily reading, it is now possible for all to post comments. I encourage you to do so. This blog has the feel of being a new low wattage AM radio station. There are a few who read, but those are few.

I'd also encourage you to check out a You Tube video which can also be found on the web site http://www.tailgatingideas.com/ of a tailgating party outside Kinnick Stadium prior to last Saturday's Iowa Iowa State game. Search on You Tube, "Iowa vs Iowa State ISU 2008 Mudwrestling Tailgating." Quite remarkable.