1) Not sure if it has happened in history (and don't really care for the lesson) but, in my 33 years of following the Hawks, this is the first "Friday after Thanksgiving" game to be played in Kinnick.
(Thank my wife for making that the main reason to go - to be part of that "history".
)
2) I have season ticket$$ and
hate the thought of not using them all.
3) I kinda like the pregame build-up with the entrance of Herky (will he or won't he stick the flag?), Back In Black and the Hawkeye semi running over a poorly farked, cheesy, card-board image of the opponents mascot. This season, it's been the most exciting activity on the field.
4) It's senior day and I always get choked up during the introduction ceremony with the parents.
5) Each section develops it's own personality and group dynamics. Without me providing the dysfunctional, emotional roller coaster between outspoken anger, passive-aggressive sarcasm, disinterest and manic joy (the latter has been quite absent this year
) the entire social structure of my section might collapse. How discourteous of me to ask the rest of the section to suffer that possibility during the last game of the season.
6) Possibly most importantly, I had a great time after Purdue (LOVE the early starts!) getting good-n-buzzy downtown. It was the first gameday all season it wasn't an up-n-back due to some other obligation. I anticipate doing the same for Nebby. The early game gives me plenty of sober-up and grab some grub time, still get home by 7 or 8 to watch the really good football and, being on Friday, the extra "weekend" day allows for complete recovery + more good football on Saturday.
7) I continue to hold out hope that this mythical backup QB - Jake Rucock - might actually take some snaps. IF he does actually exist, even if he crashes and burns, I will be ecstatic at the mere sighting -- like the prospect of seeing a UFO or Bigfoot would probably be a life-changing event.
8) Oh yeah ... the game. Meh. Know the outcome so don't really care. It's eye-gougingly difficult to watch the combo of such horrible situational strategy and execution but have become somewhat numb to it over the past few years. I expect we'll prolly be gone after the first series of the 2nd half by The OFFENSIVE, when they go 3 & out, followed by a worn-out defensive being shredded for a score.
More time to get to #6!