Rites of Autumn

Notre Dame and Michigan will play through '31

Michigan and Notre Dame inked a new contract that will not let the series expire after 2011 as was reported a few days ago.  The new contract is for 20 years and runs throgh 2031.  As we posted a few days back, this game is anticipated greatly here in the Midwest and we were not happy that ND was going to let it go.  Reactions like ours led Notre Dame and MIchigan to work things out.  Here is a link to the story on CBS Sportsline:

http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/10275097

Somewhere Bo is reacting just like this on the news today that his Wolverines and Notre Dame are continuing the rivalry past 2011.

Saying Goodbye to Another Legend

The year was 1977, his first at Palo Alto.  Coming to the West Coast we knew it was not going to be easy.  But we hung in there and were in the ballgame at half.  Stanford got the ball to start the second half and if we could hold them and get a drive going, well we thought we could get a W and head home on the long journey back to the Midwest.  Man were we wrong.  Stanford had been living on "the out" the first half and they had our DB setup.  First play, Guy Benjamin gave the pump fake and our DB bit on James Lofton's out move.  Lofton blows by him and goes 80 for the score.  We gave it our all but then Stanford started playing that West Coast offense that Bill Walsh was so famous for.  Hit a back out of the backfield for 7, then a drag across the middle with the slot man for 9, etc.  Just when you thought you knew it was pass, they would run a BOB (back on linebacker) running play out of splitbacks for 6 and a first down.  We just could never get them 3 and out in the 2nd half.  But I don't feel bad, he did it to some of the best in the business.  We have lost another TITAN of the game.  Man do I feel old today...I have asked this of many "men of the cloth" over the years and have received varied answers.  Do you think we will be able to play football in heaven?  If you agree, what coach would you want to line up for?  Lombardi, Halas, Landry, Walsh, Schembechler, Rockne, Bryant and the list goes on and on.  Man what a stadium and game that could or will be one day.  Rest well Bill Walsh, you were one of the best...

ND dropping Michigan, Bama wants some of the Irish

Notre Dame informed Michigan this past week that they will not play them anymore after 2011.   Why does ND not want to play one of the great rivalry games?  Not sure but it does not sit well with us here.  Notre Dame needs to just admit that they are trying to schedule themselves into a BCS title game shot.  They get special treatment now from the BCS; just not BCS teams they have to play in the BCS bowl games.  They have been manhandled the last 3 times they have lined up against BIG BOY football teams in the BCS.   If they ever came into the BIG 10 I think they would maybe be about the 4th to 5th place team on a regular basis.  But they won't because they have no financial incentive to do so with them having NBC as the Notre Dame Broadcast Company.  Weak, weak, weak on their AD's part to give up such a storied rivalry.  Not like they have to schedule down because of their conference, I mean Army, Navy, and Air Force are such tough places to play at...and they usually don't play at their stadiums; they play them at neutral sites.  Just a shame that the Irish and Wolverines will not be playing anymore.  Any ND fans want to comment, we'd love to hear the defense of this move.

Alabama said this week that they'd like to try and get a home and home with the Irish.  Kudos to Bama, even with their tough SEC schedule they know that you only get to be the best by playing a tough schedule.  I get tired of seeing the D1 guys playing 1AA in the non-conference schedule.  Illinois this year plays Western Illinois which I think is bad for the program.  Everything to lose and nothing to gain by scheduling Western by the Illini.  In honor of the Tide and that fantastic BBQ at Dreamland, here is a photo of a Tide RIVALSflag I just snapped outside.

Essentials for a Good Tailgate

My friends at "The Geaux Show" have a post about the essentials for a good tailgate.  If you have been reading Rites of Autumn posts you know that we here have been fired up for a good tailgate for months now.  One of my favorite places on earth is a good tailgate: we like to call it the "New Great American Picnic."  We are gearing up and are only a month away now from the first tailgate.  We've been getting out the stuff the last week or so and taking inventory to see what we may need to purchase for this coming season's games.  While I love the smell and taste of charcoal, been looking at the new tailgate gas grills as a possible addition for this fall.  All I know is we are ready and counting down the days.  What do you think makes for a good tailgate?  If you can, go check out what "The Geaux Show" (www.geauxshow.libsyn.com)  has to say on the subject.  We think they are right on the money, especially with the comment about proximity to restrooms!

As an old boxing referee (Mills Lane) used to say, "Let's Get it ON!"

RoA

More Monday Late July Ramblings

Spent the weekend in Buckeyeland.  The new PAT turf that has been installed in the "Shoe" looks fantastic.  Flew a Buckeye RIVALSflag at the All Chevy Show at Summit Racing in Tallmadge, Ohio.  Buckeye fans loved it and their rivalry with Michigan was something they discussed readily.  I met a gentleman who said he has been to every Michigan game for the last 34 years; those in Columbus that is.  He is of the Woody Hayes mold, refuses to spend any money or time in Michigan.  While that may seem a little extreme, that game brings out the, how shall I say this, DISLIKE for that "team up north," as Woody would say.  But believe it or not I had a couple of Michigan fans come by and asked why I wasn't flying a Michigan RIVALSflag also.  Told them I would not fly an Ohio State flag in Michigan and they were OK with that.  Had a blast. Took some pics outside the "Shoe" and I am posting one in the Road Album.  We trophied at the show with our 1956 Chevy Bel Air 2 door Hardtop; spent time with family that is always too short but anytime with them is awesome.  Talked some high school football with folks from Massillon, Canton McKinley, and Dover (the Tornadoes with an Old English T).  Man they love their football in the Buckeye state; great to see the enthusiasm for today's youth.

Wisconsin-The schedule makers of the Big 10 did no favors to Wisconsin.  They go back to back with Ohio State and then Michigan late in the season.  Winning in the Shoe as a road team is next to impossible.  Texas' win there was the first since the early 90's for a road team.  Wisconsin will have its hands full in Columbus and then 7 days later will be at home for a monster game with Michigan.  Can the Badgers get up emotionally for 2 huge contests within 7 days of each other?  Tall order for any team but Wisconsin is physical; injuries could prove huge for them down the stretch.  They get many players nicked up in Columbus and that home date with the Wolverines could prove very problematic.  IF they are healthy coming out of Columbus and get a "W" there, then Camp Randall will be rocking that following Saturday.  All I ask is, anyone got an extra ticket in Madison for me?

ESPN today debuted their new show, College Football Live.  The Gameday crew of Rece Davis (Where is Chris Fowler?) as host and Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit as color guys were great choices for this new programming.  They are starting the show at the right time of the year and it should do well.  I know I watched it and loved the fact that ESPN is talking college football in July.  I competed against Lee Corso when he was the head coach at Indiana and had a pretty good day against them as a freshman and he was so generous with his words after the game.  He is a funny guy and the right touch to "Herby's" analytical ways.  Love them on Gameday and love them in the pre-season.  Kudos to ESPN. 

Illinois-Orderd tickets for the Michigan game today.  Tickets are going to be tough in Champaign for a change with the stadium makeover and the enthusiasm for Zook's recruiting of some top players in the nation to the cornfields of Illinois.  That has not happened in awhile.  Now Illini Nation needs to see some more wins and that may be difficult with their DC taking an unexpected leave of absence.  I am usually a season ticket guy but with the new project I hope to get to many other places this fall with a little help from my friends, aka the scalpers.

A pic of our 56 Chevy aptly nicknamed "Wimpy."  Someday I will let you in on that one...

 

RoA

Best College Town?

This question has been topic A on ESPN radio all day.  Scott Van Pelt started it by saying that Madison, Wisconsin is the best (he had just spent 2 days there for the Andy North golf tourney for the Make A Wish Foundation).  Tough to come up with one; I love them all.  There is a certain vibe and spirit that only a college town has and you feel it as soon as you arrive.  But below I will list a couple experiences I've had at a few places...

Oxford, Mississippi-The Grove is something special on game day.  Was there for an Alabama game and I noticed a Rebel flag that just didn't look like your everyday Stars and Bars.  Sauntered over to the tailgate and introduced myself and they were so gracious.  Turns out that the flag was from the Civil War and one of this guy's relatives (great, great, great uncle?) had carried it in battle.  I was blown away.  Partied the night before on the square with some awesome Alabama fans listening to a band that classified their music as "Southern whitebread."  The sound was good; so many instruments that I can't tell you that I ever heard anything before or since that sounded like it.  But the beer was cold and we had some fun.  After the game (Bama squeaked it out 19-17) I paid the Ole Miss Band $250 to come to our tailgate in The Grove to play "Dixie" 10 straight times.  They did, and it was awesome. My Ole Miss hosts thought I was a god for doing it.  Good times in Dixie for the kid from north of the Mason Dixon line...

Champaign, IL-Well the Spartans were coming to town and I had some T-shirts made up from an idea I got from an LSU-Ole Miss game in Jackson, Mississippi.  The shirt on the front had the Spartan logo and underneath it said Michigan State, "a school with great family tradition."  On the back it said, "cousins marrying cousins, MSU SUX GO ILLINI."  Well some well intentioned State fans saw our tailgate in the Gold Lot next to the stadium and they thought they were coming to meet fellow Spartan brethren.  They yelled from across the street and of course we waved them over.  Well once they got there, they were not happy, expecially the 20 somethings who had too much to drink.  Words were getting heated until I told them that I played against and partied with Kirk Gibson.  That seemed to calm them down and I told how he torched us for 3 touchdowns in about 8 minutes in 1978, etc. and that he was the best white athlete I ever had the privilege of playing against.  They came back after the game and brought some more State fans and we had a real good throwdown late into the evening...

This story was told to me by a ND fan about the ND-Ole Miss game in 1977.  These guys have had season tickets at ND for over 40 years.  They decided to make the roadtrip to Oxford with the Irish.  Well they got down there mid afternoon on Friday and somehow got hold of some moonshine.  By 8 o'clock they were cooked and were trying to make it back to their hotel and got lost.  Ended up in rural northern Mississippi and failed to negotiate a turn and went through a fence and put the nose of the car in a pond.  As they were watching the car slide further into the pond as the water dripped from their clothes, the one guy asked the others, "Where are the tickets?"  You guessed it, they were in the glove compartment and two of them dove back into the pond and retrieved the tickets.  They said it was a bad omen.  Headline in the paper on Sunday said, "Ole MIss Rebels baptize the Irish 20-13."  The boys said it was fun until that wrong turn that took them to the Irish's watery grave...

Well, I could do this all night but would love to hear some of your stories and favorite places.  Like I said in an earlier post, with a little luck and a lot of love for our product I hope to have a chance to make it to all the great towns of college football.

RoA