One week until kickoff!!!

Hawkfromnorwalk

Hawkfromnorwalk

Well-Known Member
Ok, I absolutely dropped the ball on my series of threads regarding talking about tailgating and the games each week so in this thread, it's just going to be a free for all. Talk about anything tailgating or gameday related.

I can't hold back my excitement for next Saturday! Getting into the lot as soon as it opens at 7:00am. Firing up the grill and getting the sausages and bacon on the griddle, popping open the first beer and mixing the first bloody mary as soon as you get the cooler out. Gameday is unreal! I know gameday has been neutered a little bit by "the man" but I still think the party atmosphere will be present. I can't wait to walk down Melrose from Finkbine and smell the smoke from the grills and see all the people decked out in black and gold. I can virtually see Kinnick emerging from behind the trees when walking across the railroad bridge on Melrose. I can hear the "Big *** Turkey Legs" guy yelling through his loudspeaker. Gameday...it's magical!
 
Agreed. I can't wait. The smell is what really fires me up. We usually are walking up from the fieldhouse area or Myrtle Ave, as soon as you turn onto Melrose and see the masses of black and gold is great. Then Kinnick appears out from behind the hospital, it is pure awesomeness.
Almost exactly one week to the minute. I can already hear "Back in Black"!!! Goosebumps!!!!
 
Igothawked said:
Agreed. I can't wait. The smell is what really fires me up. We usually are walking up from the fieldhouse area or Myrtle Ave, as soon as you turn onto Melrose and see the masses of black and gold is great. Then Kinnick appears out from behind the hospital, it is pure awesomeness.
Almost exactly one week to the minute. I can already hear "Back in Black"!!! Goosebumps!!!!
Click to expand...

"Back in Black" gets me going, but what REALLY gets me is the roar from the crowd when it starts playing. THAT gives me goosebumps!
 
I drove around IC today with a guest, and we took a lot of extra time when we got around Kinnick. Strange to see about 2 people out and about, knowing a week from now it'll be controlled chaos. Tents are going up, barricades and port-a-potties as well.

What was pretty cool...as we drove around Kinnick on the north side, the football team was coming out of Kinnick, walking back to the other practice field...must have been around 11 or 11:30. We of course stopped and watched. (No Wegher sighting...sorry...but Stanzi was easy to spot in his red jersey).

What wasn't cool was the lack of port-a-potties they had installed up to this point around Kinnick. If that's all they're going to erect, good luck trying to keep people from urinating on/around the parking lot.
 
Even with all the new rules put on I am jacked for another year of tailgating. Game 1 will be kind of a wait and watch how different things will be enforced. I leave for the game by myself and either tailgate with my sister close by to the Myrtle lot,with some of my tailgate friends,or meet somebody new that day.

Even with all the bad news about the new rules tailgating is still going to be great. For me on Friday it's about packing my car with all my non food/beverage items (Grill,table,grilling utensils, radio, basically anything that won't spoil or melt in the car overnight) Then I wake up around 4 A.M. For the first game it's closer to 3:30 A.M. because I am so excited. I take a quick shower and pack all my food and beverages. Then I am in the car by 4:30 A.M. Drive down from a Janesville (just north of Waterloo/CF) to I.C. I then pull into the myrtle lot around 6 A.M. Pay to get in (or this year give them my parking pass). I then will look for the car of the people I only see while tailgating (they park there on Friday night) if I can't find then look for a spot on top of the T.

Now it is time for me set my table up and get my cooler out. If their are people nearby I will talk to them. If not I will stroll down and talk to a group that always spends the night there. I'll chat for a little bit. Then at 7A.M. it is time for my call to my brother who lives in Western MI. I give him a call every gameday (except for the one game he comes to). We talk for about 15 to 20 min. about the team and what not. I mention some of the craziness that is starting to happen. By the time my phone call ends my tailgate friends have arrived and/or it's getting to loud and crazy to talk on the phone. If my tailgate friends have not arrived or I could not find their car I almost always meet people to join their tailgate. I actually love how at Iowa games people for the most part are very welcoming and friendly in this manner. I love meeting new people even if it is just for the day. Usually my activities involve shooting the ****, grilling and playing some flippy cup (hopefully the police do not enforce the no drinking games rule this year).

My sister and her husband (along with their 2 friends) comes to about 3 to 4 games a year. With them though I never even bother calling them until 8 A.M. as they don't even leave the quad cities till then to try to find out where they are. Even though they always say they are going to leave earlier then that. They then call me when they finally get here. Usually they are tailgating in a private lot nearby that holds like 25 cars. I'll go over and tailgate with them.

Then about 35 min. before game time I will pack up and head up to the game. See what the same good group of people around me. Everyone is pretty friendly and fun.

After the game I go to my car and head back home. It's was pretty quick getting out of there I hope they don't ruin that now. All in all a gameday Saturday is a good day.
 
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This is the longest week of the year. Reminds me of the week before Xmas when you were a kid. Come on, already!!!

I'll be leaving my house at 4:30 am that day and couldn't be happier to do so.
 
I usually get up around 4:45. Get on the road by 5:30. Get to the parking lot right when it opens at 7:00. One of the few days a year when I actually look forward to getting up that early.
 
Tonight I cleaned out and re-organized the tailgate totes and cleaned the baby Weber gas grill. Menu is ready. Will leave DSM by 4 am, in Myrtle Lot (or Library Lot if full) by 5:30pm. Very hot and stiff Bloody to lead off the festivities.

The first few notes of "Back in Black" gives me goosebumps, then when the first Hawks emerge through the tunnel and the crowd goes wild.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0oOU5visik]YouTube - Iowa Hawkeye Intro[/ame]
 
Drakebulldog93 said:
Tonight I cleaned out and re-organized the tailgate totes and cleaned the baby Weber gas grill. Menu is ready. Will leave DSM by 4 am, in Myrtle Lot (or Library Lot if full) by 5:30pm. Very hot and stiff Bloody to lead off the festivities.

The first few notes of "Back in Black" gives me goosebumps, then when the first Hawks emerge through the tunnel and the crowd goes wild.

YouTube - Iowa Hawkeye Intro
Click to expand...

I have a decent video of that whole progression from the north endzone except the drunk girl behind me (who actually is pretty cool but on that specific night was just loud as hell) was screaming her head off the whole time. Ruined the video.
 
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