Game day in the life of a Southwest Iowa Hawkeye Fan

Now I know we all have our rituals, our nuiances and our superstitions when it comes to game day. Now my game day experiences may be similar or it may be something most of you say...is this guy crazy? However, I couldn't imagine doing anything other then what I am about to share with you.

I live in Shenandoah, Iowa nestled in the beautiful Loess Hills of Iowa. Most people have no idea where Shenandoah is...I simply tell them about 70 miles south of Omaha. You know the mecca of Husker Country...don't even get me started with Husker stuff.

Getting to Iowa City requires driving through the back roads and "shortcuts". My wife calls the "shortcuts" roads that make her and the kids sick. I think it has something to do with driving a tad too fast on those hills, a roller coaster comes to mind. So these "shortcut" roads take about an hour and five minutes and we end up on good old I-80 at the Wiota exit, between Omaha and Des Moines.

Now as my alarm goes off at 2:00 a.m. I immediately spring to my feet, having slept in my outfit of choice for the day. I now wake the wife and two kids. I usually get the same response, "Explain to me again why we have to leave so early..." I always reply because it is GAME DAY. The kids are easy, throw em in the backseat of the Trailblazer and they barely know they even woke up. Now my wife she isn't so easy, she always seems to have to throw her face on, ask if the shoes match the outfit, do you have everything packed, should I wear these gloves or do they clash with the hat...you get the picture. Ok 2:35 a.m. and we are all in the Blazer and creeping out of Shenandoah.

It is now about 3:45 a.m. and kids fast asleep and my wife complaining about how early it is, and she can't get back to sleep because she lost her stomach somewhere around Hepburn (look that up on a map). Now the Blazer gets to go on I-80 at a rather brisk pace. If you drive 80 MPH (which I would never do) you get passed A LOT. As we are heading down the road, me drinking my Diet Dew and dreaming of Clayborn sacks, Stanzi touchdown passes, and the commradery of fellow hawk fans, totally oblivious to the realities of everyday life.

Now it is about 4:10 a.m. we are getting close to wind turbine heaven around the Stuart interchange. My wife innately wakes up anytime we get close and has to go to the bathroom and shop for hawkeye stuff at the local BP station. I sigh knowing this is going to be a 20 minute stop regardless. We go in and she begins touching everything in the store (guys you know exactly what I mean)...exactly 17 minutes later she says, "Do you need anything?" I give the same answer, "Yes...back on the road." We then pay for the new gloves, the hat for our son Matt and the face tattoo's for her and the kids, ok I admit it a turnover and some chocolate for me.

Now it 4:30 a.m. and I just know I am missing out on something happening in Iowa City. We crank the Blazer back up and as Bob Seger would say, "On a long lonesome highway east of Omaha." We make our way to the center of the Universe (ok my Universe) Iowa City. As we near Des Moines, which is simply a place that does nothing more then require me to slow down and fight traffic. The only nice thing is I get to start connecting with other people heading to my WORLD. Every vehicle I see we catch eyes and like kids at Christmas our eyes sparkle and we give the obligatory GO HAWKS through the window and we begin to race each other to Iowa City.

Ok, so it is now about 5:15 and it is time for a stop for me...now before you crucify me guys I am 49 years old and the prostrate barks more and more often...admit it you know exactly what I mean. I pull off at the same Qwik Trip at the Merle Hay exit. I have a close relationship with the clerk...and he tells me the same thing every time, "Sir, you can't buy beer yet." Darn early stages of Alzheimer's...or is it my mind is clouded with thoughts of 1212 Melrose and all our fellow hawk friends.

Back on the big road by 5:25 and now my lovely bride is feeling the energy that I have and is drinking her french vanilla coffee. Then it comes out of her mouth, "Did you remember the tickets?" I mean come on forget the tickets...she doesn't understand I have had them laid out and ready to go since Wednesday. Now I can't remember anything else around the house, but come on tickets.

As we near Newton and the Iowa Speedway my heart rate goes from 68 to 72, just because. By the way the drive off the valley up to Newton is absolutely gorgeous and make me always think of Keith Jackson and his comments about nothing more beautiful then a sunrise on the plains of Iowa. Man I am getting goosebumps just hearing it.

I am now passing (notice I said passing, not getting passed) other fans and sharing the Hawk Love. Next check point in my head is the Sleep Inn by the Brooklyn interchange. Now the competition begins in my head. I think to myself my record is 40 minutes to 1212 Melrose from here...can I beat it??? Then the awful thought of my wife saying, "We should go in to Iowa City and hit Hy-Vee for a few extra things...."What, are you kidding me more wasted time..." So the race is on.

It is now about 6:35 a.m. and we are nearing the exit for the Avenue of the Saints...you know the road. I have managed to dodge my wife wanting to go to Hy-Vee. My 9 year old son Matt is now awake along with our 10 year old daughter Marie, and of course they are hungry, and asking are we there yet? A quick 5 minutes later and we are now on Melrose Avenue...the road to Heaven, home to Kinnick Stadium.

As we head east on Melrose my thoughts turn to did I beat my buddy to the tailgate spot??? You know a guy thing...competition. Now a little about 1212 Melrose. About 7 years ago my teaching friend and I were coming to a game and we had always parked over in the lots by Carver. I told him I will pay for the parking lets head in on Melrose and find somewhere close. As we drove down Melrose I noticed a sign any man worth anything would of immediately been drawn to. It read, "Parking $20 and use of restroom" Now admit it to a tailgating fanatic the "use of the restroom" is all you needed to see. The sign could of said $50 and it wouldn't of mattered, I had found HOME.

Now Stevie, a young beautiful RN who owned the house had her Dad Bob put us in a parking spot in the backyard with about 20 other vehicles. As we got out Bob and Stevie greeted us like family and the rest is history. I had officially arrived HOME. We continued to use the same spot every year. We developed close friendships with many of the tailgaters, and of course with Stevie and her family. My wife and I now consider them "family"

We have since moved to, as Bob Euker would say, "To the front row". We now park in the front, in my own special spot called the early exit spot. We call it this because when I come with a friend or just myself and not the family I can get right out after the game to make the long trek back to reality.

Now the folks that tailgate at 1212 Melrose are legendary, Ryan, TJ, Johnny and the list goes on and on. Also for those of you who have visited our lovely tailgating spot know of something called the "Hammer". All I can say is it is endorsed, through signatures, by Adrian Clayborn, Kirk Ferentz, Norm Parker, Todd Lickliter (gonna have to work on that one).

As we arrived at our house at about 6:50 and I see that I have beat Ryan's car, I immediately text him (not while driving) and inform him that I beat him again!!!! Usually Bob and Stevie are not quite up and running yet. So my wife and I open up the garage, put out the signs, and get things ready to go in the garage, reserved for we special fans. About 10 minutes later here comes Bob, asking about the family, talking to the kids and asking how the drive was. I mean come on folks, only in Iowa. I always marvel at the friendliness and the way Iowan's know each other. Through the years we have found out we know folks from where they are from in NW Iowa and they know people from Shenandoah...small world.

Now the food starts to arrive, from Taco soups, to brats, to burgers, to BBQ pork, to homemade salsa, to sweets galore...a feast for kings and queens indeed. Of course there are adult beverages, just like any tailgate, my beverage of choice is a little Canadian anti-freeze (Seth you know what I am talking about).

Now it is nearing 8:00 and the house is full, the street of Melrose is bustling. Fans driving, honking horns, walking along the sidewalk and exchanging Go Hawks...and other cheers. Now when the dreaded enemy walks by we always try to invite them up and give them some good natured ribbing and ask them to experience the hammer. Most stop and talk and we have a good time with it.

As we near 9:00 and stories and thoughts on the game are flowing like the water around Hilton Colisem (had to slip that in) I think to myself, "I am a lucky man." Good friends, food, beverages, and excitement that is tough to explain to the non-believers. Some say why would you get up and drive that far to just go to a football game. I remind them it is much more then a football game, it is an IOWA FOOTBALL GAME. The friendships, the smells, the cheers, the anticipation, the family time, seeing kids from Shenandoah that go to College at Iowa (teacher/coach I am so it is fun to see them), sharing friendships, to me there is nothing more fun to do on a fall Saturday.

Now this is just the story of a regular guy who gets to experience something very special a few fall Saturdays. Is it a long trek...gosh yes and the crazy thing is we drive over and back in one day! Yet I couldn't imagine life without the Iowa hawkeye gameday experience. Now to leave you with one of my favorite Keith Jackson quotes, "Hello everyone and welcome to Iowa City, fall is in the air, the combines are running, and the sun is breaking on a crisp day in the heartland, it doesn't get any better then this." Amen brother Keith Amen.