tm3308
Well-Known Member
As a journalism student here at UI, I turned in a feature story on the gameday atmosphere here in Iowa City for a class this morning. I'm considering it a work in progress, as I'm thinking about expanding on it and maybe try to get it published. I think what I've got isn't too bad though, thanks to HS4E, Jermelle Lewis, and Tork Hook. Let me know what you think!
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There are seven Saturdays of fall in Iowa City that are unparalleled by any other dates in the calendar. God made seven a divine number in the Bible, and for fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes football team, those seven days are practically a divine creation.
With the final home game of 2010 coming up next Saturday against Ohio State, the atmosphere that envelops each event will soon enter its annual hiatus until next September. That atmosphere is both created and experienced by the fans and the players, and it’s a big part of what makes Hawkeye football special.
The fans almost invariably are at the root of the atmosphere. For some fans, such as Chris Douglas, the event starts in the wee hours of the morning. Living in Urbandale, Iowa, he must leave between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. in order to reach his spot in the public parking lot by the Johnson County jail at 6:30 a.m. which he has done for every home game he has attended in the past 10 years, regardless of kickoff time.
Once he pulls in and gets settled into the spot, he and six of his friends kick off the festivities. With musical selections such as “Back in Black” and “On, Iowa” playing in the background, they play a few tailgating games and catch up on each other’s lives.
“We keep it pretty laid back, and some would say boring. That’s why we like this lot though. We have a few casual drinks, but no need to get ridiculously drunk,” said Douglas.
The allure of gameday is not lost at the state borders. Two of Douglas’ friends make the trip from Indiana and Oklahoma, which makes the occasion even more special.
“Iowa gamedays are usually the only time of year I see some of these guys because of, well, life,” said Douglas.
When one abandons the standard tailgating scene to make their way to Kinnick Stadium they undoubtedly stumble upon Melrose Avenue, which under normal circumstances is a heavily-trafficked road that runs along the south side of the stadium and the University Hospitals and Clinics. On gameday, it is a miniature, black and gold Mardi Gras, with fans clogging the road while waiting in line for the various foods and merchandise available from the vendors, shutting down traffic completely. The scent of beer and Big *** Turkey Legs fills the air, anticipation for kickoff weighs heavily.
“There is nothing like watching a game at Kinnick Stadium,” said Douglas, “I have been to other stadiums, college and pro, and nothing gives me goose bumps except being at Kinnnick. I don’t know exactly what it is.”
For players, it’s a totally different perspective. Former Hawkeye running back Jermelle Lewis likened his time warming up in the pregame to the “quiet before the storm”. And former safety Tork Hook noted that he was usually tense and nervous before each game, and the crowd’s energy just had a way of calming him down, helping him to really focus on the task at hand.
When the first chord of “Back in Black” hits on the PA system, signaling the impending arrival of the Hawkeyes, that is when the crowd truly comes to life.
“When we were walking along the tunnel out of the locker room, you could hear the roar of the crowd. It’s like being on a subway train, the way it sounds,” said Lewis, “Then when you get closer to the end of the tunnel and you can hear the band playing. It’s just crazy, you really can’t describe the feeling.”
That is also one of Douglas’ favorite parts of gameday. He said that hearing the fight song and seeing the Swarm come onto the field gets his adrenaline rushing so much that he wants to get on the field and hit someone along with the players.
“Diehard Hawkeyes, that’s all you can really say. Just really passionate,” said Lewis when asked to characterize the Hawkeye faithful. Hook remembered that when the Hawks played on the road, he could always hear the Iowa fans that made the trip cheering, but he could never hear opposing fans cheering during games at Kinnick, mostly because the games at home were always sold out.
That passion can be affected by the kickoff time for each game. Douglas enjoys the later kickoffs because it gives him more time to tailgate and spend time with friends he doesn’t get to see often. He feels like the crowd comes in more ready for the game if it’s an afternoon or night game.
Lewis felt that the excitement in the crowd was night and day, literally, depending on the start time. He figures that for an 11:00 a.m. kickoff, fans have only had five hours to let the anticipation mount, whereas they have up to 12 hours for a 7:00 p.m. start.
A later start has an impact on the players, as well. Both Hook and Lewis felt that the wait for a later game increased the anxiety, and created a tension in the atmosphere. Hook said he preferred morning games so that he could get on the field and relieve the tension, because the wait can wear a player out mentally.
One thing that inevitably comes with the end of a season at Kinnick is the farewell for the seniors on the team, which Douglas believes is the hardest part of the season’s finale. While it’s an emotional day both for players and fans, it was especially so for Lewis.
The player expected to be the star running back for the Hawks in his senior year, Lewis suffered a season-ending knee injury against Michigan State in early October. As the magical 2004 season unfolded, Lewis was forced to observe from the sidelines. But when it was time for his name to be called on Senior Day against Wisconsin, Lewis received a standing ovation from the Hawkeye faithful, as though he had been playing all along.
“It was a really emotional moment. Just with the crowd, and seeing my mom waiting for me. It felt like the longest walk I’d ever taken,” said Lewis, jokingly adding “I mean being a cripple at the time, it really was!” He also was completely unashamed to admit that he cried at that moment.
And once the season is over, so begins the nine-month break. For fans, those nine months can be agonizing, even “borderline depressing”, according to Douglas. He clings to anything related to Hawkeye football, including National Signing Day (when recruits announce which schools they will be attending in the fall) and spring practice.
He also frequents Hawkeye message boards to try and pass the time. Admittedly, it helps a little, but not nearly enough for him. Once the Iowa State Fair kicks off in August, Douglas says it starts to feel real that Iowa football is right around the corner.
“I realize I sound addicted to Iowa football. I have been accused of that before, and I will not deny it.”
If ever it was possible to capture what makes football season special in Iowa City in just a couple sentences, that sums it all up right there.
_____________________________________________________________________
Again, I may try to get more in-depth with this. Talk to my sources some more, and even add more, such as bartenders, vendors on Melrose, more tailgaters, and a current player two if I can (had a lot of trouble with that the first time around).
Edit: this is kind of tailored more to those who maybe don't understand what gameday is like rather than those who experience it regularly. So not much of it is news to anyone around here, I just wanted to try and explain it as best I can for the people who haven't experienced it and just don't understand.
__________________________________________________________________________
There are seven Saturdays of fall in Iowa City that are unparalleled by any other dates in the calendar. God made seven a divine number in the Bible, and for fans of the Iowa Hawkeyes football team, those seven days are practically a divine creation.
With the final home game of 2010 coming up next Saturday against Ohio State, the atmosphere that envelops each event will soon enter its annual hiatus until next September. That atmosphere is both created and experienced by the fans and the players, and it’s a big part of what makes Hawkeye football special.
The fans almost invariably are at the root of the atmosphere. For some fans, such as Chris Douglas, the event starts in the wee hours of the morning. Living in Urbandale, Iowa, he must leave between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. in order to reach his spot in the public parking lot by the Johnson County jail at 6:30 a.m. which he has done for every home game he has attended in the past 10 years, regardless of kickoff time.
Once he pulls in and gets settled into the spot, he and six of his friends kick off the festivities. With musical selections such as “Back in Black” and “On, Iowa” playing in the background, they play a few tailgating games and catch up on each other’s lives.
“We keep it pretty laid back, and some would say boring. That’s why we like this lot though. We have a few casual drinks, but no need to get ridiculously drunk,” said Douglas.
The allure of gameday is not lost at the state borders. Two of Douglas’ friends make the trip from Indiana and Oklahoma, which makes the occasion even more special.
“Iowa gamedays are usually the only time of year I see some of these guys because of, well, life,” said Douglas.
When one abandons the standard tailgating scene to make their way to Kinnick Stadium they undoubtedly stumble upon Melrose Avenue, which under normal circumstances is a heavily-trafficked road that runs along the south side of the stadium and the University Hospitals and Clinics. On gameday, it is a miniature, black and gold Mardi Gras, with fans clogging the road while waiting in line for the various foods and merchandise available from the vendors, shutting down traffic completely. The scent of beer and Big *** Turkey Legs fills the air, anticipation for kickoff weighs heavily.
“There is nothing like watching a game at Kinnick Stadium,” said Douglas, “I have been to other stadiums, college and pro, and nothing gives me goose bumps except being at Kinnnick. I don’t know exactly what it is.”
For players, it’s a totally different perspective. Former Hawkeye running back Jermelle Lewis likened his time warming up in the pregame to the “quiet before the storm”. And former safety Tork Hook noted that he was usually tense and nervous before each game, and the crowd’s energy just had a way of calming him down, helping him to really focus on the task at hand.
When the first chord of “Back in Black” hits on the PA system, signaling the impending arrival of the Hawkeyes, that is when the crowd truly comes to life.
“When we were walking along the tunnel out of the locker room, you could hear the roar of the crowd. It’s like being on a subway train, the way it sounds,” said Lewis, “Then when you get closer to the end of the tunnel and you can hear the band playing. It’s just crazy, you really can’t describe the feeling.”
That is also one of Douglas’ favorite parts of gameday. He said that hearing the fight song and seeing the Swarm come onto the field gets his adrenaline rushing so much that he wants to get on the field and hit someone along with the players.
“Diehard Hawkeyes, that’s all you can really say. Just really passionate,” said Lewis when asked to characterize the Hawkeye faithful. Hook remembered that when the Hawks played on the road, he could always hear the Iowa fans that made the trip cheering, but he could never hear opposing fans cheering during games at Kinnick, mostly because the games at home were always sold out.
That passion can be affected by the kickoff time for each game. Douglas enjoys the later kickoffs because it gives him more time to tailgate and spend time with friends he doesn’t get to see often. He feels like the crowd comes in more ready for the game if it’s an afternoon or night game.
Lewis felt that the excitement in the crowd was night and day, literally, depending on the start time. He figures that for an 11:00 a.m. kickoff, fans have only had five hours to let the anticipation mount, whereas they have up to 12 hours for a 7:00 p.m. start.
A later start has an impact on the players, as well. Both Hook and Lewis felt that the wait for a later game increased the anxiety, and created a tension in the atmosphere. Hook said he preferred morning games so that he could get on the field and relieve the tension, because the wait can wear a player out mentally.
One thing that inevitably comes with the end of a season at Kinnick is the farewell for the seniors on the team, which Douglas believes is the hardest part of the season’s finale. While it’s an emotional day both for players and fans, it was especially so for Lewis.
The player expected to be the star running back for the Hawks in his senior year, Lewis suffered a season-ending knee injury against Michigan State in early October. As the magical 2004 season unfolded, Lewis was forced to observe from the sidelines. But when it was time for his name to be called on Senior Day against Wisconsin, Lewis received a standing ovation from the Hawkeye faithful, as though he had been playing all along.
“It was a really emotional moment. Just with the crowd, and seeing my mom waiting for me. It felt like the longest walk I’d ever taken,” said Lewis, jokingly adding “I mean being a cripple at the time, it really was!” He also was completely unashamed to admit that he cried at that moment.
And once the season is over, so begins the nine-month break. For fans, those nine months can be agonizing, even “borderline depressing”, according to Douglas. He clings to anything related to Hawkeye football, including National Signing Day (when recruits announce which schools they will be attending in the fall) and spring practice.
He also frequents Hawkeye message boards to try and pass the time. Admittedly, it helps a little, but not nearly enough for him. Once the Iowa State Fair kicks off in August, Douglas says it starts to feel real that Iowa football is right around the corner.
“I realize I sound addicted to Iowa football. I have been accused of that before, and I will not deny it.”
If ever it was possible to capture what makes football season special in Iowa City in just a couple sentences, that sums it all up right there.
_____________________________________________________________________
Again, I may try to get more in-depth with this. Talk to my sources some more, and even add more, such as bartenders, vendors on Melrose, more tailgaters, and a current player two if I can (had a lot of trouble with that the first time around).
Edit: this is kind of tailored more to those who maybe don't understand what gameday is like rather than those who experience it regularly. So not much of it is news to anyone around here, I just wanted to try and explain it as best I can for the people who haven't experienced it and just don't understand.
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I've known a few Hawkeyes and have told them to make sure they really get out and have fun tailgating once they graduate because they missed out on a huge tradition at Iowa. It's always fun to hear what they think once they're on the other side of things. 
