JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
What day...started early with me and deace doing the talk show...after that, two, hour-long chalk talk sessions...then setting up radio equipment at Clevelander, doing some live hits from the huddle, back to the Clevelander walking from the Convention center with Dolph and Podolak, a spot on the Learfield bowl show, and back to hotel room...my dogs are barking, my back is shot and my legs are spent...
First the Huddle...amazing energy in there...probably 10,000 or so fans...more than last year at Tampa...I think about 25,000 Iowa fans, as does Larry Gottier from the Orange Bowl. I chatted with him a bit tonight.
I asked him if Iowa brings 25,000, which he thinks will be the low end, if their bowl traveling 'legacy' will be intact...he said absolutely, that this date for the game was not ideal at all, and the economy being what it is, it's strong showing for 'Hawkeye Nation'. That guy uses that term more than I do!
He loves Iowa...he is like the Orange Bowl's Iowa emissary...he's the guy that was hugging Kirk after the Minnesota game, and left the KXNO studios the day of the first blizzard and drove back to Iowa City, 20mph behind a semi, the whole way, and took more than five hours to get there. He received a very warm welcome from the fans, and I thanked him for picking Iowa over Penn State. Very, very nice man.
When Gary Dolphin introduced the parents of players at the Huddle, it was a pretty cool deal...they have done that at every huddle I have been to, but this one was different. The fans were really into it, more so than usual.
When Clayborn's mom was announced, the place went crazy loud...it was an eruption. And it moved her to tears...and people got crazier. Real, real cool Iowa fans. When she tells Adrian about that, that will be a neat conversation.
Crowd howled for Vandenberg's mom...and it wasn't the same kind of cheer as others got....I talked briefly with her, and I asked her if she was aware of the tv sensation she had become...she was and rolled her eyes and laughed.
DJK's dad, after being introduced, said 'And DJK is out of the doghouse forever!' and that got a good howl.
Just a real, real cool thing.
I got a call midway through from one of the folks from the Learfield network asking me if I could make sure Dolph and Podolak got back to the Clevelander on time for the 7pm local time Orange Bowl preview broadcast. Sure, I said, as traffic was crazy down here, and I had set up the radio equipment and knew where to go.
We hung around the huddle for 30 or so minutes afterwards, to let the crowd die down, because Podolak cannot walk 10 feet without someone wanting to talk with him...and he is very appreciative of the love and support the Iowa fans always have shown him....so don't take that the wrong way.
What was a 20 minute walk by myself turned into a 40 minute sojourn walking with those two...Every hotel bar/eatery we walked by on South Beach brought chants of 'Eddie! Eddie' and Dolph got a lot, too. It was a fun experience...always fun to be around those guys and chewing the fat.
Podolak is one of the most interesting and fascinating people I have ever come across. The cat just swims in deep water...he knows everyone, and everyone knows him...we all know the Jimmy Buffett and John Denver stuff...but Hunter S. Thompson, Jackie Gleason and other stories that he tells...wow...I could listen to that stuff all night long. He looks fantastic and is living a much better life. I hope the guy is in the booth for another decade-plus.
We finally get to the Clevelander and it was Hawk Central...well, all of South Beach is Hawk Central. It shouldnt amaze me any longer, the support of Hawkeye fans...but my gosh! Everywhere, Hawkeyes! I have now seen four Tech fans...and I walked for well over an hour today, all along South Beach...Four!
If we didn't have the radio get in factor at the Clevelander, we would have been in an hour line at 6:30pm.
I am now back at the hotel, just shot, but another great day of Hawkeye memories in the noggin...a good day indeed.
First the Huddle...amazing energy in there...probably 10,000 or so fans...more than last year at Tampa...I think about 25,000 Iowa fans, as does Larry Gottier from the Orange Bowl. I chatted with him a bit tonight.
I asked him if Iowa brings 25,000, which he thinks will be the low end, if their bowl traveling 'legacy' will be intact...he said absolutely, that this date for the game was not ideal at all, and the economy being what it is, it's strong showing for 'Hawkeye Nation'. That guy uses that term more than I do!
He loves Iowa...he is like the Orange Bowl's Iowa emissary...he's the guy that was hugging Kirk after the Minnesota game, and left the KXNO studios the day of the first blizzard and drove back to Iowa City, 20mph behind a semi, the whole way, and took more than five hours to get there. He received a very warm welcome from the fans, and I thanked him for picking Iowa over Penn State. Very, very nice man.
When Gary Dolphin introduced the parents of players at the Huddle, it was a pretty cool deal...they have done that at every huddle I have been to, but this one was different. The fans were really into it, more so than usual.
When Clayborn's mom was announced, the place went crazy loud...it was an eruption. And it moved her to tears...and people got crazier. Real, real cool Iowa fans. When she tells Adrian about that, that will be a neat conversation.
Crowd howled for Vandenberg's mom...and it wasn't the same kind of cheer as others got....I talked briefly with her, and I asked her if she was aware of the tv sensation she had become...she was and rolled her eyes and laughed.
DJK's dad, after being introduced, said 'And DJK is out of the doghouse forever!' and that got a good howl.
Just a real, real cool thing.
I got a call midway through from one of the folks from the Learfield network asking me if I could make sure Dolph and Podolak got back to the Clevelander on time for the 7pm local time Orange Bowl preview broadcast. Sure, I said, as traffic was crazy down here, and I had set up the radio equipment and knew where to go.
We hung around the huddle for 30 or so minutes afterwards, to let the crowd die down, because Podolak cannot walk 10 feet without someone wanting to talk with him...and he is very appreciative of the love and support the Iowa fans always have shown him....so don't take that the wrong way.
What was a 20 minute walk by myself turned into a 40 minute sojourn walking with those two...Every hotel bar/eatery we walked by on South Beach brought chants of 'Eddie! Eddie' and Dolph got a lot, too. It was a fun experience...always fun to be around those guys and chewing the fat.
Podolak is one of the most interesting and fascinating people I have ever come across. The cat just swims in deep water...he knows everyone, and everyone knows him...we all know the Jimmy Buffett and John Denver stuff...but Hunter S. Thompson, Jackie Gleason and other stories that he tells...wow...I could listen to that stuff all night long. He looks fantastic and is living a much better life. I hope the guy is in the booth for another decade-plus.
We finally get to the Clevelander and it was Hawk Central...well, all of South Beach is Hawk Central. It shouldnt amaze me any longer, the support of Hawkeye fans...but my gosh! Everywhere, Hawkeyes! I have now seen four Tech fans...and I walked for well over an hour today, all along South Beach...Four!
If we didn't have the radio get in factor at the Clevelander, we would have been in an hour line at 6:30pm.
I am now back at the hotel, just shot, but another great day of Hawkeye memories in the noggin...a good day indeed.
