Purdue Football With a Three-Year-Old

College football season is back!  This weekend I made plans to take Eliza to the first game of the season (her first game in two years) as a daddy/daughter date.  The weather was looking horrible, put the rain all came down before we got to the stadium, and other than being incredibly hot and muggy, it was a fine day for a game.

Eliza really enjoyed the game, especially the cheers, band, and cheerleaders (nothing has changed in two years), and it helped that Purdue won in a rout, 48-6.  You can read my recap of the game at my Purdue blog.  Eliza got lots of compliments on her vintage Purdue cheerleader dress (thanks random garage sale!), and she loved the attention from all the college girls and old grandmas. Some Eliza highlights (also listed on the other blog) are below:

• We ate a lot of goldfish
• She was so much better behaved than the three little girls sitting behind us.  Eliza would stare at them as they rolled on the ground, whined, and bumped into us.
• She loved doing the 1-2-3-4, First Down! chant
• Every time Purdue scored I’d toss her in the air, which she really enjoyed, and she’d yell, "Tuckdown!"
• "Those guys are bigger than you, daddy."
• “Can we go sit with Grandma now?”
• "Can we go meet the cheerleaders now?"  Not sure how they would have felt about her boots, so not to dress code.
• What was your favorite part? "The cheerleaders, daddy."
• Do you want to play football when you get bigger (please say no, please say no)? “No, I want to play basketball!”

Super Bowl Spectacular

While most people on the coasts don’t give Indianapolis a lot of credit, the city sure can host an event.  Remember how great the 2010 Final Four was?  That was just practice for this year’s Super Bowl, and the city was as impressive as the 1985 Chicago Bears defense (OK, I’ll make that the first and last awkward football analogy in this post). Of course it helped that the weather was warm (50 degrees+) and there was hardly any rain.

On the Wednesday prior to the game, we made the short drive downtown to check out all the festivities. While the area around Georgia street was quite packed, we enjoyed seeing some of the free concerts, roman numerals on Monument Circle, ESPN studios filming live shows, and zip line (unfortunately there wasn't a chance to ride on it). What we didn't enjoy were the massive crowds (and it got far worse the other evenings later in the week) and the plethora of cigarette smoke and Bud Light - Super Bowl Village basically smelled like a giant bar, which made it a little kid-unfriendly.  Bud Light aluminum bottles were $8, yet people seemed to be OK shelling out that much money to drink horrible beer outside on the street.

(Apologies for the quality of the pictures – the only camera we had for this event was Lynne’s iPhone)

Eliza really enjoyed watching the ESPN shows being filmed in Pan Am Plaza, and she even waved to the camera and could be seen in the background on one of the shows.  Of course, her favorite thing about the ESPN area was seeing her favorite TV personalities, Wilbon and Kornheiser, on a gigantic screen.  They weren’t there live, but PTI (and all ESPN programming) was being showed on huge screens around the area.  I’ve trained her well, and yes, I rocked the Drew Brees Super Bowl MVP shirt, much to the chagrin of non-Purdue Indianapolis folks (the Colts lost that year), but with all the Patriot paraphernalia for them to boo, it didn’t get much notice.

Eliza’s other favorite moment was watching some cheerleaders perform on the street, which had been turned into a giant football field.  You can see the zip line overhead.

At the end of our evening, Eliza enjoyed all the music that was being played and loved running around the Monument dancing and yelling.  Meanwhile, we were more interested in watching Jimmy Fallon get interviewed inside the theater where he did his show on site that entire week.

And after all of that fun, it turned out that the thing that excited Eliza the most was something that can always be found downtown – the horse drawn carriages.  She loved seeing the large horses, petting them, and talking to them.

Here’s hoping Indy gets another Super Bowl in the next 10 years – as a non-native I can honestly say they greatly deserve it for running such a smooth show that seemed to keep everyone entertained.

You can see how we enjoyed the festivities without the kids in the next post…

I Think I Won the Heisman!

The title is a lie.  I’m not often mistaken for Cam Newton, this year’s winner of the Heisman Trophy, awarded to the best college football player in the nation.  However, I sure felt like someone special since I had the amazing opportunity to attend the 2010 Heisman Memorial Trophy Dinner in New York this week.

First, some background is necessary.  No, I didn’t shell out $500 for a ticket or win one on a sports radio call-in show.  I just work for the coolest non-profit around.  Thanks to some sweet connections, for the last few years everyone who attends the event has received a $100 DonorsChoose.org gift card in their gift bag.  This year, along with my teammate Dan, I represented our organization.  It’s a rough job, I know!

The event was held at the Marriott Marquis and the Heisman staff did an impeccable job running it.  The evening started with a cocktail reception with some amazing food and an open bar.  There was a silent auction (a bit out of my price range) and the opportunity to get your picture taken with the trophy.

During the reception I had the opportunity to meet some of the former Heisman winners that graced us with their appearance (not all attendees were at the reception).  I was able to meet football legends Tim Brown (‘87), Archie Griffin (‘74 and ‘75), Ty Detmer (‘90), Ron Dayne (‘99), Mike Rozier (‘83), Pete Dawkins (‘58), and Jim Plunkett (‘70).  I wish I had our DSLR camera to take better pictures, but its size would have been too cumbersome for this trip.

Tim Brown, despite being a Notre Dame alum, is still awesome.

I joked with Archie Griffin that I was a Purdue fan and enjoyed rooting against Ohio State during Big Ten play, and he laughed really hard at my honesty.  He was probably the most friendly and gracious former winner making the rounds.

I think Ty Detmer (BYU) would have blended into the crowd without his nametag.

I also chatted with Ron Dayne (Wisconsin) and told him how much he drove me crazy my freshman year when he ran for 222 yards against us, leading Wisconsin to a 7 point victory on his way to setting the collegiate record for most career rushing yards.  He laughed and said, “At least you got to cheer for Drew Brees!” to which I responded, “You bet, but I wish he had won the Heisman.”  Dayne’s retort: “Oh, he’s won a much better prize now!” referring to his Super Bowl MVP with the Saints last season (or maybe he meant the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year?)

After the cocktail reception, everyone headed into a large ballroom for the dinner.  Unfortunately, the former winners were seated up on stage and were roped off so that we couldn’t interact with them.  Once they were all introduced, I was surprised to see so many in attendance who hadn’t been at the reception earlier, including Doug Flutie, Steve Spurrier, Charlie Ward, Eric Crouch, Howard Cassady, Pat Sullivan, and Tony Dorsett.  Also in attendance (who we knew in advance would be there) were the Heisman winners celebrating a 10/25/50 year anniversary: Chris Weinke (‘00), Bo Jackson (‘85), and Joe Bellino (‘60).  Dan and I were most excited to meet Bo, but there was sadly never an opportunity, but we definitely can’t complain. 

ESPN’s Rece Davis emceed the dinner, and I had the opportunity to meet him later (read on).  Rece did a fantastic job and provided some good humor as well as giving DonorsChoose.org a tremendous shout out from the stage.  They showed a video honoring the charitable partners of the Heisman Trust, and Rece made sure to inform everyone about their gift card so they would be sure to redeem it after the event.

These  three pictures are courtesy of the event photographer

Flutie and Bo.  Bo’s speech was really humorous, and this was the first time he had been back to the event since he won the award 25 years ago.

Also in attendance was Warrick Dunn, who was being honored as the 2010 Heisman Humanitarian for all of his charitable work.  After the dinner I tried to get him to come down from the stage to say “hi” but all I got was a wave.  He gave a lot of credit to Tony Dungy, who coached him in Tampa, for inspiring him to give back to the community.

After everyone had spoken, including the Auburn athletic director and head coach (it was an Auburn love-fest with all of them there, as well as Newton and Bo), the head of the Heisman Trust, Bill Dockery, began to introduce the final speaker of the night, Cam Newton.  Before doing so he gave another great spiel about DonorsChoose.org and again reminded everyone to redeem their gift card.  I was blushing at all the love we were getting.  Cam spoke (we never had a chance to meet him either, since the only photo session with him was for VIP sponsors only (Nissan, Wendy’s, etc.)  earlier in the evening), and then the dinner was over.  We approached the stage to thank Bill for his kind words, and afterwards we tried to get the attention of the stars on the stage, but to little avail.  We did, however, see Bo point upwards as though he was going to some sort of after party.  We didn’t know what was really going on, and our tickets didn’t have additional information, but we thought it was worth a shot to wander around the hotel and see if there was a way to meet more of these guys.

Dan and I kept taking the escalator up until we came to the ninth floor where some over-caffeinated event staff were asking for tickets.  Apparently there was an after party, but it was only for guests of honor and VIP sponsors, and you had to have a separate ticket.  Dejected, we walked to the other side of the escalators to go back down, but then I saw an opening and told Dan to walk slowly and follow me.  While the bouncers were busy checking tickets, I realized we could walk around the hotel’s interior concourse and go the long way to reach the after party.  Employing my “bring out the smart phone, act like your conducting business, don’t look up and just keep walking like you know what you’re doing” method from my experience sneaking backstage at the Final Four, we made it into the party.

There was tons more food (but we were stuffed by this point), a great jazz band, open bar, about 30 people mingling, but no sign of Bo, Cam, or Warrick.  Eventually the room began to get more crowded and we realized we were sitting a few seats down from Tony Dorsett (‘76)!  We chatted a bit and I had him sign the Heisman mini-helmet from our gift bag.  We also were able to say hello to Rece Davis later on and thank him for the kind words he said earlier (while slipping him my card, of course!).  By the end of the night I found myself lingering in hopes that Bo would arrive, and I got pulled into a discussion with some tipsy gentlemen, including Mr. Dorsett,  Let’s just say my evening at the Marquis ended with a slap on the butt and a “good game” from a former Heisman Trophy winner. 

The rest of my trip to NYC was fantastic, since I love spending time with my colleagues at our headquarters.  I spent my free time checking out the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center (I’d never seen it in person), walking the windy snow-swept streets, shopping at the Union Square Holiday Market, and having a fantastic dinner at Ippudo (thanks to the recommendation of my wonderful new manager).

Ippudo has received some good reviews as one of the best Japanese ramen restaurants in the city.  And when you think “ramen,” don’t think 25 cent bags of stale thin noodles you ate in your college dorm room, but think flavorful fresh noodles with amazing broth and toppings.  The worst thing about the restaurant is the wait.  They don’t take reservations, and when I arrived, the small bar and waiting area were packed with people.  The couple before me were told their wait would be 90 minutes, and for a party of four, the wait was over two hours.  As a solo diner, however, I only had to wait ten minutes, so I highly recommend it as a place to check out when travelling alone.

I sat at the interior bar and was able to watch the cooks prepare the food as they hollered back and forth in the loud but playful environment.  I started with a Hirata bun, steamed and filled with pork belly and spicy sauce.  I’m not normally a huge fan of steamed buns, but this was delicious, and even more fun watching them cook it and assemble it right in front of me.  For my ramen dish, I had Kogashi miso ramen, which had a delicious charred miso broth, pork belly, salt boiled egg, bamboo shoots, cabbage, spinach, and naruto.  I loved it, and I took advantage of the Kae-dama option, which gives you a generous second-serving of noodles halfway through the meal for only two dollars.

Eliza’s First Football Game

Last weekend was Homecoming at Purdue, so we headed north and spent the weekend in West Lafayette.  We were especially excited to take Eliza to her first football game, and she was such a trooper and made it through the entire game despite it being her normal nap time.  We were lucky to have seats in the first row with lots of space for her to move around and play while also being able to see the band and cheerleaders, which she enjoyed.  She can already say “football!” and it’s definitely her favorite sport to watch.

The weekend was also a great chance to see my family, see some of our great friends, visit the fraternity, and wax nostalgic at Kokoro in downtown Lafayette as we walked around our old neighborhood.  Purdue also won the game which always guarantees a good Homecoming!

Drew Brees – Bobblehead Big Ten Icon

We got into the stadium really early so that Eliza could take it all in

Eliza loved yelling into the megaphone!

Eliza loved being in the front row where she could see the action

Cool ladies in their cool sunglasses

I think she’s trying to read the banner upside down

Eliza made a few friends during the game and had fun clapping

Eliza loved the world’s largest drum

We definitely had great seats to watch Rob Henry (quarterback) and Dan Dierking (running back) dominate the game

Fake the hand-off and get a huge block from a little guy…

…and that’s a touchdown Boilers!

The extra point is good (even though this picture totally makes it look like the Minnesota player got a hand on it

Kawann Short with the monster sack

Boiler Up!

A Champion

I'm glad that Indianapolis had already won a Super Bowl. It made it a lot easier to celebrate the thrilling Saints victory last night among Colts fans. My man crush on Drew Brees has already been documented, and it just grew even more after his near-flawless performance in the biggest game of his life. I expected him (and the Saints) to be nervous and make some poor decisions, but Drew was far more clutch than even I anticipated.

As I grinned ear-to-ear and watched the post-game festivities, three things stood out as awesome:

1. Len Dawson had the honor to carry in the Lombardi trophy and present it to Brees and the Saints. Dawson, also a Purdue graduate, is one of three quarterbacks from Purdue to win a Super Bowl (Bob Griese is the third). No other college or university can boast this. Seeing Len was even more fun since he's an alumni of my fraternity at Purdue, Alpha Tau Omega.

2. Listening to Brees speak about the victory and overcoming adversity throughout his career really showed what a classy guy he is. Not only is he incredibly humble, giving thanks to the right people and acting like he still can't believe how blessed his is, but his heart is enormous. In the pre-game show, everyone got to hear a lot about what Brees and his family have done to help the city of New Orleans since joining the Saints a few years ago, but it's apparent that Brees doesn't give of himself out of obligation or a sense of prideful charity. He gives and gives because he geniunely cares about others and has used his life, talents, and fortune to do far more good than most. Brees mentioned "destiny" a lot when referencing the path that brought him to New Orleans and the timing post-Katrina, and he is clearly a man who has embraced every opportunity God puts in front of him.

3. As a ridiculously proud father who is completely smitten with his daughter, seeing Drew on the field with his baby boy, with tears in his eyes, made me tear up, too. From Most Valuable Player to most valuable papa.

Super Man (Crush)

When you have a man crush this big, you have to do something to celebrate. So I'll blog. Tonight was a good day for football fans in Indiana. The Colts made the Super Bowl, and Purdue's favorite son, Drew Brees, led the New Orleans Saints to their first ever Super Bowl birth.

Prior to today's games (and throughout the playoffs), I had to explain to many friends that while I don't dislike the Colts, I also don't root for them. I like that when they win it brings revenue and prestige to Indianapolis, but as a native of Chicagoland, I'm a Bears fan through and through. If the Colts weren't so likeable (and Indy weren't my current home), I'd probably despise them for beating the Bears in the Super Bowl a few years back.

So that leaves no question as to whom I'm rooting for in two weeks. I had the sheer pleasure of attending Purdue during the Brees years (and the Orton and Painter years, too), following his team to the Rose Bowl, meeting him once (in passing, not like my long convo with Coach Hope!), and developing a gigantic man crush on the guy. I expect every Purdue fan with no allegiance to the Colts to be rooting for the Saints, too.

I'm sure the Colts will be favored, and the smart money would bet on them, but I'm guessing that's what many were saying about Brett Favre and the Vikings prior to tonight. I think that made the Saints' victory even more special for me. I despise Brett Favre, not only for his diva attitude, over-exposure in the media, and willingness to stab the organization in the back that made him a star for so many years, but mainly for the fact that said organization is the one team I grew up loathing. The Green Bay Packers were pure evil, but mostly because of Brett Favre. This year I despised the Vikings far more than the Packers due to his presence (and hey, I actually like Aaron Rodgers and had him on my fantasy team).

But back to the Super Bowl. Brees will definitely have a tough test against not only the Colts defense, but Mr. Manning as well. Having followed Drew Brees so doggedly, I consider him one of the smartest guys to be playing in the NFL, and definitely to be quarterbacking a team. And while Brees has shown some great game smarts, book smarts, and business savvy, I can't think of a smarter on-field leader in the NFL today than Peyton. It's really refreshing to have two teams that are so likeable and led by such great guys playing in the Super Bowl.

I can't wait to cheer on Brees and the Saints, but I'm guessing that attitude won't get me invited to many Super Bowl parties in Indianapolis. No worries though; what matters is that it's time again to Boiler Up!

My New BFF

As I blogged about earlier, I recently returned from a trip to Dallas, Texas. As I arrived at the Indianapolis airport and approached my gate, people were already queuing up to board. In line I noticed a well-known mustached gentleman that I quickly recognized (although it seemed that either no one else did, or they were far too polite to say anything). As I boarded the plane I started to plan what to say to him, just in case we were seated next to each other. Alas, that was not meant to be, as I was stuck a few rows behind. My new friend slept most of the flight, and as we left the plane I quickly hustled up to say hello and wish him a successful trip to Dallas. And the encounter had concluded, or so I thought.

As I arrived at the terminal to leave Dallas, what were the odds that this same man was on my return flight. I didn't let the opportunity slip by and approached him, mildly startling him (sorry!), and proceeded to chat for about 25 minutes until we boarded the plane. I was so impressed by his willingness to answer my questions (despite an exhausting trip and while devouring a sandwich), his positive attitude and enthusiasm, and his openness and candor. We talked about his trip, recruiting, how deceptive the specs can be on a high school kid, speaking engagements, the long hours he has to work, the prospects for the coming season, the coaching carousel, the university, my job, teachers, big wins, a seminar his wife runs that my mother attended to learn more about the sport and team, and many other things. Yes, dear readers, my new best friend in Boilermaker country, head football coach Danny Hope. Boiler Up!

P.S. Coach Hope noted that he hadn't been recognized by anyone else at the airport, and, one of the highlights, I responded, "Give it time. Once you lead us to the Rose Bowl, they'll all know you well." ;)

Game Day

Welcome back Purdue football! The first game was a great one...we won, so that's all it really takes to make it great! Here are some daddy and daughter pics during the game. The grandparents and I went out shopping to give Eliza and Kirk some time to focus on the TV. We caught a picture of the little bit of the game Kirk actually let her watch (no TV for babies!). Instead, she had to just listen to how her team was doing and daddy helped fill in the play by play.

Boiler UP!

We did put a bow in her hair to "girly" up the outfit a bit!

Getting Ready for Some Football

Not that we want summer to be over but...38 days until the season starts!

Our Last Game!

And after some concern...the Boilers pulled out a Homecoming win!