FB: American Rivers Conference

[the_mayne_event]

So for the price of one seat in the endzone you can take your whole family including your dad to a UD game is that correct?

Just my dad and myself. 

We figured we spent $48 at the UD/Cornell game vs. we would have probably spent about $138 at the Hawkeye game that day.  So that was a savings of $90.  Not too shabby. 

Plus, next fall, our son will be 3 then.  We could take him and get him in free I would think.  And he could run around the track or behind the endzone and have fun.  If he was at a Hawkeye game he would be confined to a seat and I would suspect after a 3 1/2 hour game neither he, myself, nor anyone within about 3 rows of us would be very happy.  He has a lot of energy and sitting down and not seeing anything wouldn't be his idea of fun.  And it would cost me a heck of a lot more for the misery. 

i love going to both hawkeye games as well as Coe games, but for different reasons. 
I love the Hawk games because of the atmosphere of the tailgates.  i went to 3 or 4 games last year and didnt even go in the stadium... just watched/listened to the game in the tailgate area (511 Melrose i believe, behind the big ass turkey legs)
i love going to the Coe games because i still know all the players (that actually play) personally, so i can see how they are progressing from when i knew them as freshmen.  the atmosphere of the tailgate areas were amazing when i was there just a short time ago, but they have declined the year after i graduated (had a great group of parents that made it a blast).
when i go to an iowa game i spend the 10 bucks to park (sometimes) and the 15-20 for refreshments, depending on the mood.
when i go to coe games i tend to spend more, simply because we go to the watering hole at halftime, spend a couple bucks there, plus the pregame refreshments (but no parking).  even though i spend more, it usually isn't much more then $5 though, maybe a little more.

[sportsknight]

One day if you ever get married you will be forced to go outside your box and might find an enjoyable experience where you thought one could not be had. 

In addition to TheOne, I think that Walston, knightlife, AEN, and many others can attest to the sheer unlikeliness of this scenario.

[doolittledog]

So for the price of one seat in the endzone you can take your whole family including your dad to a UD game is that correct?

Just my dad and myself. 

We figured we spent $48 at the UD/Cornell game vs. we would have probably spent about $138 at the Hawkeye game that day.  So that was a savings of $90.  Not too shabby. 

Plus, next fall, our son will be 3 then.  We could take him and get him in free I would think.  And he could run around the track or behind the endzone and have fun.  If he was at a Hawkeye game he would be confined to a seat and I would suspect after a 3 1/2 hour game neither he, myself, nor anyone within about 3 rows of us would be very happy.  He has a lot of energy and sitting down and not seeing anything wouldn't be his idea of fun.  And it would cost me a heck of a lot more for the misery. 

i love going to both hawkeye games as well as Coe games, but for different reasons. 
I love the Hawk games because of the atmosphere of the tailgates.  i went to 3 or 4 games last year and didnt even go in the stadium... just watched/listened to the game in the tailgate area (511 Melrose i believe, behind the big ass turkey legs)
i love going to the Coe games because i still know all the players (that actually play) personally, so i can see how they are progressing from when i knew them as freshmen.  the atmosphere of the tailgate areas were amazing when i was there just a short time ago, but they have declined the year after i graduated (had a great group of parents that made it a blast).
when i go to an iowa game i spend the 10 bucks to park (sometimes) and the 15-20 for refreshments, depending on the mood.
when i go to coe games i tend to spend more, simply because we go to the watering hole at halftime, spend a couple bucks there, plus the pregame refreshments (but no parking).  even though i spend more, it usually isn't much more then $5 though, maybe a little more.

If I was still in my 20's and didn't have a family I would be getting down to Iowa City a lot more often.  I love that town and the atmosphere on game days.  But the fact that I just hit 40 and have 3 young kids.  The reality is I will more likely be hitting more IIAC games in the near future.  And I will happily do that as well.  I am not knocking Iowa, or ISU or UNI.  You can have a great time there.  Just for me in my situation It's gonna be the IIAC for the most part in the future. 

[the_mayne_event]

So for the price of one seat in the endzone you can take your whole family including your dad to a UD game is that correct?

Just my dad and myself. 

We figured we spent $48 at the UD/Cornell game vs. we would have probably spent about $138 at the Hawkeye game that day.  So that was a savings of $90.  Not too shabby. 

Plus, next fall, our son will be 3 then.  We could take him and get him in free I would think.  And he could run around the track or behind the endzone and have fun.  If he was at a Hawkeye game he would be confined to a seat and I would suspect after a 3 1/2 hour game neither he, myself, nor anyone within about 3 rows of us would be very happy.  He has a lot of energy and sitting down and not seeing anything wouldn't be his idea of fun.  And it would cost me a heck of a lot more for the misery. 

i love going to both hawkeye games as well as Coe games, but for different reasons. 
I love the Hawk games because of the atmosphere of the tailgates.  i went to 3 or 4 games last year and didnt even go in the stadium... just watched/listened to the game in the tailgate area (511 Melrose i believe, behind the big ass turkey legs)
i love going to the Coe games because i still know all the players (that actually play) personally, so i can see how they are progressing from when i knew them as freshmen.  the atmosphere of the tailgate areas were amazing when i was there just a short time ago, but they have declined the year after i graduated (had a great group of parents that made it a blast).
when i go to an iowa game i spend the 10 bucks to park (sometimes) and the 15-20 for refreshments, depending on the mood.
when i go to coe games i tend to spend more, simply because we go to the watering hole at halftime, spend a couple bucks there, plus the pregame refreshments (but no parking).  even though i spend more, it usually isn't much more then $5 though, maybe a little more.

If I was still in my 20's and didn't have a family I would be getting down to Iowa City a lot more often.  I love that town and the atmosphere on game days.  But the fact that I just hit 40 and have 3 young kids.  The reality is I will more likely be hitting more IIAC games in the near future.  And I will happily do that as well.  I am not knocking Iowa, or ISU or UNI.  You can have a great time there.  Just for me in my situation It's gonna be the IIAC for the most part in the future. 

i understand you completely

[Klopenhiemer]

Perhaps soccer would be better if they adopted rules like Aussie footie and allow points for coming close to the goal. I kind of miss that from ESPN's early days. Those blokes were crazy to risk their bodies like that.

I'm also warming up to men's lacrosse. It combines the best of soccer and hockey, with a little football thrown in with the added benefit of more scoring. The fact that you can hit you opponent with a stick is attractive too. 

What? For real? That's awesome!

I've never gotten into soccer, hockey, lacrosse, curling.....I don't know the rules. I think that I really need to have an understanding of the way the game is played for me to enjoy it. I admit it -- I've been too lazy to learn or have someone teach me such things, so it's baseball and volleyball for me this summer.

That can pretty much go for anything.  If you don't have an understanding of it or you don't follow it or you don't really pay attention to it, then it is tough for one to enjoy it.  That comes up a lot with Northwoods League baseball.  Lots of my friends enjoy watching MLB baseball and watching the Twins or Cubs or Brewers, but when I start talking Loggers or Waterloo Bucks, they all groan.  They don't know any of the players, and they don't see famous athletes, so they don't want to watch it.  Me on the other hand, I pay attention to who the athletes are, where they go to college and how they did at the CWS or during the season so when I go to a game I can enjoy it...maybe I will be able to say I watched him play before he was famous.

I think this same sentiment can be said for D3 football to the general public.  The don't know what or where the school is, or the players involved.  They don't get the media coverage so they can not relate to it.  I would be willing to bet that if more people would attend a D3 game see what kind of football is played there they would more freely attend.  The cost of admission would have many young families attending as they can afford to take the whole family as opposed to two family members attending a single game.  Heck Doolittles youngest doesn't even cost yet does he?  When a family of 5-6 can get tickets for $30-$40 bucks that leaves a little left for some concessions as well.  Parking is free.  I believe the last Iowa game I attended was about $150 for two of us to attend by the time parking was figured in.  With the success lately of the Hawks it will not be any time soon I return to spend that kind of money to see them play.  Not when you can see an exciting game in the IIAC.

I'll jump in here on the cost thing.  My parents had season tickets to the Hawkeyes for years.  As they got older my mom went less and less so I ended up going more often than not with my dad.  2006 was the last year they got Hawkeye season tickets.  The cost added to the fact it was getting harder for my dad to have the energy for the entire day in Iowa City caused them to drop the tickets.  We had endzone seats so we didn't have to donate money but those were the cheapest tickets you could get and they were $48 per ticket.  We parked in a neighborhood yard we bought a season pass to for $15 per game.  Throw in probably 15 bucks for halftime refreshments and another 15 minimum for tailgating and you were over $130 for the day.  To top that off we were supposed to be at our tailgate 2 hours prior to kickoff so for an 11am game we left home at 7:30.  The game would end about 2:30 and we wouldn't leave our lot untill about 4pm.  Then get home about 6pm or so that night. 

Last fall my dad and I went to the UD game at Cornell.  We left home at about 10:30 and got there at 11:30 for the 1pm kickoff.  We stopped at the local grocery store and picked up some brats for 5 bucks.  After we couldn't find Purple Heys and his beer we headed up town and found Chameleons and both had beer and a burger basket and with tip we still got outta there for 20 bucks.  Parking was free by the way.  We got back to the stadium and tickets were 6 bucks each.  At half time we got 2 hot chocolates and a bag of popcorn for a total of 4 bucks.  No trafic jams meant we were out of the lot within probably 10 minutes of the final whistle.  Heading out of town we stopped for 2 coffees that cost us 7 bucks.  We were then home by 5:00.  We left 3 hours later, got home 1 hour earlier.  Had a great time (helped by a UD win) and spent 48 bucks...exactly what 1 Hawkeye ticket would have cost us. 

We will go to more Hawkeye games in the future.  But probably no more than 1 every couple of years now.  The beauty of D3 is I will be able to take my entire family...assuming they would all want to go that is!!!  I suspect I will at least get my son and dad out of the house most fall saturdays in the future. 

Great post about costs!  With gas now over $4.00 per gallon depending upon where you live, this will also have to affect your travel plans as well. 

I am a huge Hawk fan and will always be a huge Hawk fan, but I am growing tired of paying those type of prices when the team can not stay out of jail.  They have been good as of recent but not great.  Last season had plenty of disapointing moments.  Most notably the loss to Central Michigan was a killer. 

Iowa City is a great place and the atmosphere is second to none.  I myself prefer to tailgate and listen to the games on the radio.  I find it much more comfortable and much less congested.  Plus being able to eat your hamburger and drink your beer is an added bonus. 

Speaking of costs, is anyone on here making alterations to plans since the price of fuel has increased so rapidly?  Is anyone just sucking it up and paying extra.  I can say that I am, and it is starting to hurt!

[New Storm]

Perhaps soccer would be better if they adopted rules like Aussie footie and allow points for coming close to the goal. I kind of miss that from ESPN's early days. Those blokes were crazy to risk their bodies like that.

I'm also warming up to men's lacrosse. It combines the best of soccer and hockey, with a little football thrown in with the added benefit of more scoring. The fact that you can hit you opponent with a stick is attractive too. 

What? For real? That's awesome!

I've never gotten into soccer, hockey, lacrosse, curling.....I don't know the rules. I think that I really need to have an understanding of the way the game is played for me to enjoy it. I admit it -- I've been too lazy to learn or have someone teach me such things, so it's baseball and volleyball for me this summer.

That can pretty much go for anything.  If you don't have an understanding of it or you don't follow it or you don't really pay attention to it, then it is tough for one to enjoy it.  That comes up a lot with Northwoods League baseball.  Lots of my friends enjoy watching MLB baseball and watching the Twins or Cubs or Brewers, but when I start talking Loggers or Waterloo Bucks, they all groan.  They don't know any of the players, and they don't see famous athletes, so they don't want to watch it.  Me on the other hand, I pay attention to who the athletes are, where they go to college and how they did at the CWS or during the season so when I go to a game I can enjoy it...maybe I will be able to say I watched him play before he was famous.

I think this same sentiment can be said for D3 football to the general public.  The don't know what or where the school is, or the players involved.  They don't get the media coverage so they can not relate to it.  I would be willing to bet that if more people would attend a D3 game see what kind of football is played there they would more freely attend.  The cost of admission would have many young families attending as they can afford to take the whole family as opposed to two family members attending a single game.  Heck Doolittles youngest doesn't even cost yet does he?  When a family of 5-6 can get tickets for $30-$40 bucks that leaves a little left for some concessions as well.  Parking is free.  I believe the last Iowa game I attended was about $150 for two of us to attend by the time parking was figured in.  With the success lately of the Hawks it will not be any time soon I return to spend that kind of money to see them play.  Not when you can see an exciting game in the IIAC.

I'll jump in here on the cost thing.  My parents had season tickets to the Hawkeyes for years.  As they got older my mom went less and less so I ended up going more often than not with my dad.  2006 was the last year they got Hawkeye season tickets.  The cost added to the fact it was getting harder for my dad to have the energy for the entire day in Iowa City caused them to drop the tickets.  We had endzone seats so we didn't have to donate money but those were the cheapest tickets you could get and they were $48 per ticket.  We parked in a neighborhood yard we bought a season pass to for $15 per game.  Throw in probably 15 bucks for halftime refreshments and another 15 minimum for tailgating and you were over $130 for the day.  To top that off we were supposed to be at our tailgate 2 hours prior to kickoff so for an 11am game we left home at 7:30.  The game would end about 2:30 and we wouldn't leave our lot untill about 4pm.  Then get home about 6pm or so that night. 

Last fall my dad and I went to the UD game at Cornell.  We left home at about 10:30 and got there at 11:30 for the 1pm kickoff.  We stopped at the local grocery store and picked up some brats for 5 bucks.  After we couldn't find Purple Heys and his beer we headed up town and found Chameleons and both had beer and a burger basket and with tip we still got outta there for 20 bucks.  Parking was free by the way.  We got back to the stadium and tickets were 6 bucks each.  At half time we got 2 hot chocolates and a bag of popcorn for a total of 4 bucks.  No trafic jams meant we were out of the lot within probably 10 minutes of the final whistle.  Heading out of town we stopped for 2 coffees that cost us 7 bucks.  We were then home by 5:00.  We left 3 hours later, got home 1 hour earlier.  Had a great time (helped by a UD win) and spent 48 bucks...exactly what 1 Hawkeye ticket would have cost us. 

We will go to more Hawkeye games in the future.  But probably no more than 1 every couple of years now.  The beauty of D3 is I will be able to take my entire family...assuming they would all want to go that is!!!  I suspect I will at least get my son and dad out of the house most fall saturdays in the future. 

Great post about costs!  With gas now over $4.00 per gallon depending upon where you live, this will also have to affect your travel plans as well. 

I am a huge Hawk fan and will always be a huge Hawk fan, but I am growing tired of paying those type of prices when the team can not stay out of jail.  They have been good as of recent but not great.  Last season had plenty of disapointing moments.  Most notably the loss to Central Michigan was a killer. 

Iowa City is a great place and the atmosphere is second to none.  I myself prefer to tailgate and listen to the games on the radio.  I find it much more comfortable and much less congested.  Plus being able to eat your hamburger and drink your beer is an added bonus. 

Speaking of costs, is anyone on here making alterations to plans since the price of fuel has increased so rapidly?  Is anyone just sucking it up and paying extra.  I can say that I am, and it is starting to hurt!

Lucky the IIAC games are not a long driving distance

[sportsknight]

Congratulations are in order for our long-absent friend Lance Harbor, who my sources tell me got married over the weekend.

[TheOne89.1]

Great post about costs!  With gas now over $4.00 per gallon depending upon where you live, this will also have to affect your travel plans as well. 

I am a huge Hawk fan and will always be a huge Hawk fan, but I am growing tired of paying those type of prices when the team can not stay out of jail.  They have been good as of recent but not great.  Last season had plenty of disapointing moments.  Most notably the loss to Central Michigan was a killer. 

Iowa City is a great place and the atmosphere is second to none.  I myself prefer to tailgate and listen to the games on the radio.  I find it much more comfortable and much less congested.  Plus being able to eat your hamburger and drink your beer is an added bonus. 

Speaking of costs, is anyone on here making alterations to plans since the price of fuel has increased so rapidly?  Is anyone just sucking it up and paying extra.  I can say that I am, and it is starting to hurt!

I'm kind of an odd one out here...but I am a Notre Dame fan.  Damn near impossible to get tickets and driving there plus hotel, etc. would be expensive.  Luckily, I can easily hit up a Wartburg/Luther game in Decorah and crash at home or even Waverly and crash with friends there for cheap. 

But to be honest, last fall I really enjoyed getting up around noon turning on the TV, plugging into KWAR on the internet, fire up the grill, and mix up some bloody mary's as the beers started to chill.  What a great way to spend an afternoon.

As for fuel costs, I am only altering my plans a little.  I don't stop driving, but I try to avoid useless trips.  I walk to the store if it's a nice day out.  However, I play softball every Monday night in La Crosse so I have to drive there and back weekly...about 60 miles total.  Weekends have been filling up with Loggers games in La Crosse or the local races or working at the bar there.  If I spend a weekend there I just crash on a friends couch to save on making 2 or 3 trips a weekend.

It sucks that gas prices have to make such an impact on our wallets.  I applied for a second gas card so I wouldn't overload the other.  I can't stand it that we will see gas jump 6 or 7 cents a day, but only drop a penny or two when they do lower.  I also pay attention to where I am filling up.  If I am driving to La Crosse I always fill up in MN since we are 10-15 cents cheaper.  I'm paying $3.86 here in Winona, how are things for everyone else?

[doolittledog]

I paid $3.71 in Des Moines yesterday on our way home from the zoo.  It was $3.76 in Dysart yesterday if I remember correctly.

The last few years I have really had a great time having a Dubuque game on the internet while watching Iowa or whoever else was on the TV while my wife made chili and other foods and we had friends and family over.  While we love going to games we have often said staying home can be more fun.  Unless Dubuque is losing to Simpson 20-7 at halftime and my wife is mad at my yelling and sends me outside to mow the yard!!!

Now that kids are getting old enough and before their activities start kicking in and those take up our weekends, we plan on making 4 or 5 IIAC games a year.  Maybe throw in an Iowa game every other year or so, and then spend the rest of our autumn weekends staying home as a family and watching football on tv and doing yard work together. 

[Pat Coleman]

I'm paying $4.07 here in Sterling, Va. 

[doolittledog]

I'm paying $4.07 here in Sterling, Va. 

So that's why you're moving back to the midwest 

By the way, be sure to visit Dubuque sometime next fall now that you're about to be a local again!!!

[Purple Heys]

Last fall my dad and I went to the UD game at Cornell.  We left home at about 10:30 and got there at 11:30 for the 1pm kickoff.  We stopped at the local grocery store and picked up some brats for 5 bucks.  After we couldn't find Purple Heys and his beer we headed up town and found Chameleons and both had beer and a burger basket and with tip we still got outta there for 20 bucks.  Parking was free by the way.  We got back to the stadium and tickets were 6 bucks each.  At half time we got 2 hot chocolates and a bag of popcorn for a total of 4 bucks.  No trafic jams meant we were out of the lot within probably 10 minutes of the final whistle.  Heading out of town we stopped for 2 coffees that cost us 7 bucks.  We were then home by 5:00.  We left 3 hours later, got home 1 hour earlier.  Had a great time (helped by a UD win) and spent 48 bucks...exactly what 1 Hawkeye ticket would have cost us. 

Doolittle, I was soooo there, too.  Too bad we didn't hook up, I had the Sierre Nevada's; Krogmann's folks had their home made/farm fresh hot dogs (the best!).

I am certain that I was putting up the banner in the drizzle about the time you came by...on the other hand, I could've been draining the weasel... 

The only things that would have made that drizzley day better would've been some SoCal sunshine and a more competitive game!

The horrah!  I thought Jackson was going to put 100 points up.  Minimal defensive resistance and fumblitis on our part, coupled with an outstanding Spartie team made it a blowout early.  I was looking for the scoreboard plug.   

[Purple Heys]

I'm paying $4.07 here in Sterling, Va. 

$4.50 or thereabouts in San Diego North County   

[Purple Heys]

USA Rankings were out and Central was put in at 14 and Wartburg at 17.  No surpirse as MUC was #1. 

USA Today Sports Weekly. (Hey, they paid me to write it, I might as well make sure the publication gets credited.)

Link?  Shameless self-promotion is not necesarily frowned upon when we all benefit.   

[Mr. Ypsi]

Currently $4.17 - 4.25 in S E Michigan.