Northwestern Wildcats
Did he see a ghost?
This weekend was a welcomed one! After 3 weeks of spending too much money, exhausting ourselves, being in a car far too long, and getting behind on laundry and other errands, we finally had a weekend that was less than two hours away. We left Milwaukee a bit earlier than 5 AM on Saturday morning and arrived in Evanston, IL a little before 7 AM.
The Tailgate(s)
What to do at 7 AM? Well tailgating of course. In fact, our tailgating experience wouldn't end until after 7 PM that same day. So we started in the SPAC lot, which drew a Bon Jovi cover band and a boisterous crowd. Check out our activities of this tailgate right HERE!
But that wasn't all when it came to tailgating. After the game, we were invited to the West lot outside Ryan Field to be "celebrity judges" in an "Iron-Chef inspired" tailgate. Of course, we couldn't pass this up and you can read all about our second tailgate of the day HERE!
But that wasn't all when it came to tailgating. After the game, we were invited to the West lot outside Ryan Field to be "celebrity judges" in an "Iron-Chef inspired" tailgate. Of course, we couldn't pass this up and you can read all about our second tailgate of the day HERE!
The Game
Ryan Field
It was time for our first conference game in the Big 10. Northwestern would be taking on the Minnesota Golden Gophers. While the final score wouldn't lead you to believe so, we witnessed yet another close, hard-fought game. To see the inside of Ryan Field and read more about the game, click HERE!
Lake the Posts
At each stop we try to get in touch with the bloggers of each school because they either A) have a great sense for what's going on with the school, the team, the town or B) are so absolutely rediculous that you have to read through for a good laugh. Lake the Posts is probably one of those sites that fall under "A," but beyond that they have some interesting things going on at their site.
The first is "The N Project" where they ask Northwestern fans from around the world to raise at Northwestern flag at their home to build awareness, snap a photo, and send it to Lake the Posts. As of 9/30/09, they are represented in 12 countries & 31 states. They'll got a pretty neat map of all of there flag posts that you can check out HERE. If you'd like your flag added, email Lake the Posts.
Next they have a ticket counter that it used to try and build attendance at Ryan Field. They've sold over 70 season tickets and over 100 single game tickets in hopes of reaching their goal of $50,000! Again, if you'd like to help this cause, email Lake the Posts.
The first is "The N Project" where they ask Northwestern fans from around the world to raise at Northwestern flag at their home to build awareness, snap a photo, and send it to Lake the Posts. As of 9/30/09, they are represented in 12 countries & 31 states. They'll got a pretty neat map of all of there flag posts that you can check out HERE. If you'd like your flag added, email Lake the Posts.
Next they have a ticket counter that it used to try and build attendance at Ryan Field. They've sold over 70 season tickets and over 100 single game tickets in hopes of reaching their goal of $50,000! Again, if you'd like to help this cause, email Lake the Posts.
Mustard's Last Stand
After attending our second tailgate of the game, we stopped by Mustard's Last Stand for a photo. From what we understand, it's something you have to try while in Evanston. Unfortunately after eating all day long, none of us were particularly hungary for another 'dog.
This led us to another conclusion. Doing what we originally sought out to do isn't necessarily going to happen every week. We had intended to checking out all of campus, all of the city/town before heading home. However, in the case of Northwestern/Evanston, we met so many damn good people that the conversations kept going, the beverages kept being drank, and the games kept being played. At the end of the day, we didn't see much of Evanston at all. I think we left with something much more valuable; many new friendships & the experience of meeting the true fans of Northwestern University!
This led us to another conclusion. Doing what we originally sought out to do isn't necessarily going to happen every week. We had intended to checking out all of campus, all of the city/town before heading home. However, in the case of Northwestern/Evanston, we met so many damn good people that the conversations kept going, the beverages kept being drank, and the games kept being played. At the end of the day, we didn't see much of Evanston at all. I think we left with something much more valuable; many new friendships & the experience of meeting the true fans of Northwestern University!
Best chicken tenders
Our evening ended at THE KEG. No, not some keg at a frat party but rather some enormously large bar in downtown Evanston. It was here that we watched the thrilling Penn State/Iowa game. Has Penn State been eliminated from Rose Bowl contention?
Power nap @ the bar
Keg appetizers
Best Fan
Com'on this one was a no-brainer. Who dresses up as the Joker (the modern Joker mind you) & organizes massive tailgate gatherings? The Joker's enthusiasm for the whole Northwestern experience is one of the best we've seen yet. He's in touch w/ the Facebook crowd, the Northwestern staff, the bloggers, and the fans. If you attend a game in Evanston, you're sure to see this guy around!
Our runner up spent most of his day on the sidelines, but took a moment to pose with Blake. He demonstrates his "Wildcat claw" while ensuring that he won't blend in during his time in the jungle or desert!
Our runner up spent most of his day on the sidelines, but took a moment to pose with Blake. He demonstrates his "Wildcat claw" while ensuring that he won't blend in during his time in the jungle or desert!
Camo Runner-Up
Best Shirt
In week's past we've had shirts with creative catch-phrases or some interesting artwork. This week, we are keeping it simple. Sometimes keeping it simple can be humorous.
One of the champions from our flip-cup tournament had this shirt on. We didn't understand it at first, but they explained that Northwestern's nickname was formerly the "Fighting Methodists." We've heard of the "Fighting Irish" but rarely do you hear of Fighting religious people? Thank god Northwestern changed this name in 1924 or we'd be hearing more and more uproar about how insulted the Methodists are.
One of the champions from our flip-cup tournament had this shirt on. We didn't understand it at first, but they explained that Northwestern's nickname was formerly the "Fighting Methodists." We've heard of the "Fighting Irish" but rarely do you hear of Fighting religious people? Thank god Northwestern changed this name in 1924 or we'd be hearing more and more uproar about how insulted the Methodists are.
While we didn't spend a lot of time in Evanston, we all had a great time! Well, except Blake who came down with a sore throat in the early evening.
While Northwestern may seem like the "stepchild" of the Big 10, it's right down the street from the 3rd largest city in America (that's Chicago), set right on Lake Michigan, & easily accessible from the interstate. Evanston is a phenomenal place for any Big 10 fan to visit!
The tailgate scene seems to be growing and greatly exceeded all of our expectations. There was a crowd of both young and old (& they didn't seem too hostile towards the Minnesota fans). Restrooms were easily accessible, the scenery was great (in face the SPAC lot was full-court hoops next to us), and there wasn't a rediculous amount of law enforcement running around preventing people from having fun.
As for Ryan Field, we're asking ourselves "Why isn't this place filled?" ... or at least close to filled? We were at the first conference game, and there were plenty of good seats available. It was disappointing to see all of those empty seats near both endzones. On the other hand, we'd say if a college football fan wants to see Division I action up close and personal without taking out a second mortgage on your home, this is the place to do it!
We were disappointed by the lack of crowd chants. The student section had some excitement here and there, but nothing that really echoed throughout the stands.
We were also diappointed by the cheerleaders. They seemed to lack genuine interaction with ... anyone. They never seemed to generate any excitement from the fans and we couldn't even get their attention at any moment.
Keep in mind Evanston...at less than 2 hours away, so you're practically a "home team" to us. We'll certainly be back in Evanston on many occasions next year.
We think we heard Tony Bennett being played on the way out of the stadium...nice touch!
While Northwestern may seem like the "stepchild" of the Big 10, it's right down the street from the 3rd largest city in America (that's Chicago), set right on Lake Michigan, & easily accessible from the interstate. Evanston is a phenomenal place for any Big 10 fan to visit!
The tailgate scene seems to be growing and greatly exceeded all of our expectations. There was a crowd of both young and old (& they didn't seem too hostile towards the Minnesota fans). Restrooms were easily accessible, the scenery was great (in face the SPAC lot was full-court hoops next to us), and there wasn't a rediculous amount of law enforcement running around preventing people from having fun.
As for Ryan Field, we're asking ourselves "Why isn't this place filled?" ... or at least close to filled? We were at the first conference game, and there were plenty of good seats available. It was disappointing to see all of those empty seats near both endzones. On the other hand, we'd say if a college football fan wants to see Division I action up close and personal without taking out a second mortgage on your home, this is the place to do it!
We were disappointed by the lack of crowd chants. The student section had some excitement here and there, but nothing that really echoed throughout the stands.
We were also diappointed by the cheerleaders. They seemed to lack genuine interaction with ... anyone. They never seemed to generate any excitement from the fans and we couldn't even get their attention at any moment.
Keep in mind Evanston...at less than 2 hours away, so you're practically a "home team" to us. We'll certainly be back in Evanston on many occasions next year.
We think we heard Tony Bennett being played on the way out of the stadium...nice touch!
Thank You Thank You Thank You
Bell, Chad - inviting us to the "Iron-Chef" tailgate
Coach Cortez - buying us food/drinks at The Keg
Northwestern Front Office - getting us tickets to the game and providing information on the tailgates
Meisterheim, Chad - 2 tickets to the game. But disappointment that he couldn't come
The Joker - inviting us to the SPAC lot for a "Caps" tournament and sharing the NU tailgate tradition
Coach Cortez - buying us food/drinks at The Keg
Northwestern Front Office - getting us tickets to the game and providing information on the tailgates
Meisterheim, Chad - 2 tickets to the game. But disappointment that he couldn't come
The Joker - inviting us to the SPAC lot for a "Caps" tournament and sharing the NU tailgate tradition
