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Yes, it’s expensive.
But life’s expensive. I see people plunkin’ down big money for CDs
and DVDs at Wal-Mart, and I know how much concert tickets are.
Broadway shows even locally cost money. Everything costs money.
I
also hear people say they’d rather watch the games on TV than see them live. Spoken truly by people who have not seen
very many of them live. You miss so much by not seeing them live
that it is hard to compare. The enthusiasm and electricity that you
feel in a stadium or in an arena is something that cannot be felt
anywhere else, with the exception of an exciting, inspiring church
(which this writer is fortunate to belong to)!
If money is really an
issue, you can do what I did: Troll for one ticket. In my early days
I don’t think I ever paid more than $5 for an Illini football or
basketball ticket — pretty good value, if you ask me.
My first Bears
game, I saw for free. They were hosting the Falcons and I arrived
late, at halftime. I introduced myself and my fellow LCC students to
some fans who were cold and were going home. They gave us their stubs,
and we entered to see an exciting second half. There are so many ways
to experience sporting events that your ingenuity is your best
asset!
I doubt that a major
sports franchise will ever set up shop again in this part of the
country, so I would recommend that you take in a game if you can.
I’m sure glad my dad took us to some games. It turned out to be
quite a motivation for me in school. It helped shape me as a person,
and I always looked deeper than the games, as my dad instructed us
to take life lessons from the total experience — things like working
hard.
Those of you who
think we are soft and have it easy weren’t around when I first came
to town in the ’70s. I worked for one of the hardest-working men
I’ve ever seen, in the person of Earl Given. I mixed mud (mortar)
for him during the summers as he laid bricks all over this town. I
was dirty from head to toe at the end of every day and would just go
home and collapse and get up and do it all over again the next day.
I decided early in that career that I needed to finish my college
degree so I would have other choices than being a bricklayer, even
though I enjoyed it. Don’t you think that
that hard work was a motivator? You bet it was.
I saw the same
kind of work ethic in athletes, and I tried to emulate
it (and still do). Former Lincoln Courier sports editor Dick Huston wrote that
about me and my teammates out at LCC. That meant more to me than
the neat game stories that he used to write! It also helped me land
a lot of good jobs and ministries through the years.
So, to me it’s not
just a waste of time, and watching it on TV won’t do justice for me.
I will take my son (who already can say "ballgame" and loves to go to
any game from peewee sports to professional games without even any
prodding from me) to a few games along the way until he can really
decide for himself which, if any, he wants to attend.
I can
tell you this. I treasure those times that I spent with my dad, and
I miss him so much. I thought that my dad was the greatest dad in
the world, not because he took me to games, but because he
always had time for me.
We did our homework first, and if we
stupidly did not get it done or were not getting it done in the
classroom, our going-to-games privilege was lost. Believe you me,
my grades did not stay down for long.
Sports also taught me
to read. I was not the greatest reader of all time. My dad got me
hooked on newspapers and especially sports pages at an early age, and
rapidly my reading got better. Going to the games just enhanced
that reading experience.
It also improved my math. My
dad would
use statistics like winning percentages, etc., to teach me a
plethora of math concepts.
[to top of second column in this
article] |
I also learned a lot about socializing from those sports contacts.
I learned that the world is a great melting pot, made up of all
races and creeds and all social and class groups. To this day I do
not have to sit on the 50-yard line or at midcourt or in a club box
to fully appreciate a game; bleacher and end zone seats are fine with
me. I still think it is cool that at any game at any time, blue
collar workers can slap fives with white collar workers and in the
midst of any emotion a crowd can become a family like you’ve never
seen. Believe me, you can’t
get that experience watching the game at home, I don’t care how
great your TV set is!
For further proof, I offer up this evidence.
One of my great joys in life has been following in my father’s
footsteps. I like to introduce others to college and pro sports the
way my dad introduced us kids to them. To this day I don’t know of
one person I’ve ever taken to a game who later said to me, “I wish
I would’ve stayed home and watched it on TV!” (with the exception of
last week’s Illini debacle in St. Louis). I don’t think that’s
because I’m all that great as company either.
Learning things like
courage, stamina, a strong work ethic, fighting through adversity,
learning to be gracious, becoming a good sportsman and teamwork are
the foundational principles that make laborers and blue collar
workers people that I will always admire. Those same principles
have made white collar workers excel in their businesses, and many of
them are thriving even in a down market. I couldn’t respect them
more. I met many of them at games over the years and learned so
many things that I couldn’t possibly share them all here. Not to
mention the many stimulating conversations that took place going and
coming to those contests. I have to admit that those multitudes of
experiences shaped, molded and formed the person that I have become.
That may not mean
much to many of you, but it’s been good enough for me so far. And I
don’t think I could’ve learned all that stuff if I’d have just
stayed home!
As for the Bears, I
really am not the best NFL prognosticator in the business. That is
why I work part time for the LDN instead of full time for ESPN. I
believe that if they come out aggressive and open up their offense a
little bit, coupled with the continued strong showing of the defense
and special teams, they could still go 9-7 or 10-6 this season.
They do have a brutal schedule, and that is why I’m not predicting a
repeat of last year’s 13-3 record. I think they should at least be
a wild-card winner.
I also think that if
the crowd can be whipped up into a frenzy, the atmosphere in
Memorial Stadium could be as good as any in the NFL, and I hope the
Bears don’t even want to go back to Chicago.
Whatever happens, it
should be a lot of fun. And isn’t that the best part of sports?
Sometimes we forget that here in Lincoln, Ill. We have been
spoiled through the years by outstanding sports teams and programs,
and we just expect to win. But when having fun is a bigger part of
the mix, the enjoyment and satisfaction level reach a crescendo that
few aspects in life can match.
My dad
told me at an early age not to make sports the driving force of my
life; that if I could learn to have fun and enjoy them for what
they are —
kind of a diversion from work and the troubles and
concerns of just daily living —
then I could hope to get the
most out of them. Truer words were never spoken.
So, to all my LDN
friends, whether I see you at any games or not, have some fun this
year. I believe this is going to be yet another adventure that
we will never forget!
Good
luck, Bears, and welcome to my neighborhood!
[Jeff
Mayfield] |
|
The Lincoln contingent was part of a
group of 96 players, coaches and parents from all over Illinois. The
traveling party also had room for a couple of families from Iowa.
The trip was put together by an
organization called Friendship Through Baseball, and this particular
entourage was sponsored by Bloomington’s McDonald’s and Mitsubishi.
The team the Lincoln athletes competed
with included three players from Quincy, two from Normal, coach Hake
and coach Jimmy Young from Quincy. Besides this team there was one
other baseball team and two softball teams comprised of athletes
between the ages of 14 and 21.
The team featuring the Railers went
2-3-1 on the trip, but the real record was the amazing amount of fun
that they had on the trip.
A diary of the
trip
Friday, Aug. 9
Leave St. Louis for Los Angeles at 3:18
p.m.; flight 3 hours, 54 minutes.
Layover in LAX six hours.
Leave Los Angeles for Auckland, New
Zealand, at 11:30 p.m.; flight 12 hours, 45 minutes.
Layover in New Zealand; little over
three hours.
Leave New Zealand for Brisbane
Australia at 10:30 a.m.; flight 1 hour, 30 minutes.
It is now Sunday; we lost a day.
Sunday, Aug. 11
Pick up luggage, load two buses, arrive
at hotel about 1:30 p.m.
Board buses for supper at Mount Coot-Tha
Restaurant… overlooking the city of
Brisbane — BEAUTIFUL!
Monday, Aug. 12
Morning and afternoon was our own time
to explore the area…. the manmade beach, shopping, casino.
About 3:30 we boarded buses for the
ballgames.
Played one game against the Australian
team. After the game we ate supper with them at the clubhouse, then
went back for the second game. First game ended in a tie, and the
second game we lost.
Tuesday, Aug. 13
Early morning we boarded buses for the
day.
Went to Australia Zoo. We were met at
the entrance by an employee holding a koala bear. We were on our own
to explore the zoo, watch the crocodile show, snake program and play
with the kangaroos.
Boarded buses for the ball diamonds at
2 p.m.
Arrived for two ballgames at a
different baseball club than the night before.
We won both games.
[to top of second column in this
article] |
Wednesday, Aug. 14
Very early morning shopping across the
street for some.
Then boarded bus for all-day games
Ryne played with the other USA baseball
team for the first game, and Derek played with them the second game.
First time that all five Lincoln boys didn’t play together. Both
teams lost both games that day.
Had supper in the club house and a
small program with Americans and Australians speaking. Coach Hake
spoke. This was the end of the baseball games.
Thursday, Aug. 15
We left early in the morning for a trip
down to the Gold Coast, about an hour ride. Lots of shopping and
neat places to explore.
Spent time on the beach. Our boys went
swimming in the ocean in the afternoon. Pat, Amy and others took
surfing lessons and attempted to surf in the ocean. It was cold, but
they tried it anyway. What a fun day!
In the evening we ate at an open-air
steakhouse — about froze to death. Kids had a good time getting to
know the other players.
Friday, Aug. 16
Boarded bus for airport at 7 a.m.
Flew to Sydney, Australia.
Took a tour of the city, learned a lot
about their history.
Stopped across from the Opera House for
pictures. Took a tour of the Opera House — really neat!
We had supper at I’m Angus Steakhouse;
then everyone was on their own to explore the harbor.
Saturday, Aug. 17
The day was ours to travel by boat
around the harbor to see the sites, stopping at several locations.
Several of us chose to go by another boat across the harbor to Manly
Beach. It was really pretty to watch the waves and watch the
surfers. A few of us visited the aquarium to watch the sharks swim
over us in the glass tunnel. They were sure interesting to see. In
the evening everyone did their own thing. Several of those in our
group stayed up all night so they could sleep on the trip home. They
had lots of fun.
Sunday, Aug. 18
6 a.m. we left for the airport.
Departed Sydney airport for Los Angeles
at 9:35 a.m.; 13 hour, 40 minute flight.
Gained a day back from crossing date
line.
Layover in LAX for nine hours. Very
long time to sit in an airport!
Departed LAX at 3 p.m. for St. Louis; 3
hours, 41 minutes
Arrived in St. Louis about 8:35. We
were met at the airport by several family members.
• • •
When asked,
no one knew if they’ll get a chance to go again, but if they do,
they all say that they’d like to.
[Jeff
Mayfield] |
|
The Illini open the
regular-season Nov. 24 against Lehigh in Champaign. Other changes to
the schedule announced in August include the addition of a game at
Memphis on Dec. 28 instead of playing North Carolina-Greensboro in
Champaign.
On Dec. 3, when the North Carolina Tar
Heels come to town, Illinois will host an ACC/Big Ten Challenge game
at the Assembly Hall for the first time in the four years of the
challenge game’s existence. This will also be North Carolina’s first
trip to Champaign since 1987 and the first visit to the Assembly
Hall by an ACC team since the Illini defeated Georgia Tech in double
overtime in 1989.
The Illini will appear nationally on
ESPN for three consecutive Saturdays during the month of December,
beginning Dec. 7 against Arkansas in Little Rock. Illinois will face
Temple at the United Center in Chicago on Dec. 14, and the Illini
and the Missouri Tigers will square off in the annual border war
game at the Savvis Center in St. Louis on Dec. 21. Illinois travels
to Memphis for an ESPN2 matchup on Dec. 28.
The Illini also host a Big Ten home
game away from the Assembly Hall when they take on Northwestern Feb.
22 at the United Center in Chicago.
"We have a good, competitive schedule
this year," Self said. "We play some of the premier programs in the
nation but also several home games that will hopefully allow us to
grow as a team prior to Big Ten play."
Illinois will appear
at least 13 times on national television, including six times
on ESPN, three times on ESPN2, and four times on CBS (with the
possibility of a fifth game) during the 2002-03 season.
The Illini begin Big Ten play on the
road for the first time since 1999 as the team travels to Minnesota
to open the conference slate Jan. 7. Big Ten teams that the Illini
will play just once during the 16-game conference schedule are the
same four as last season: Iowa, Northwestern, Ohio State and Penn
State.
Remaining television and game-time
information will be released when available.
2002-03
Illinois men’s basketball schedule
Date, opponent, time (CST), TV
Friday, Oct. 11 — Midnight Madness (at
Huff Hall), 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 26 — Orange and Blue
scrimmage, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 12 — Spotlight Jammers
(exhibition), 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 15 — EA Sports All-Stars
(exhibition), 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 24 —
vs. Lehigh, 7 p.m., TBA
Wednesday, Nov. 27 — Arkansas-Pine
Bluff, 7 p.m., TBA
Sunday, Dec. 1 — Western Illinois, 2
p.m., TBA
Tuesday, Dec. 3 — North Carolina
(ACC/Big Ten Challenge), 8:30 p.m., ESPN2
Saturday, Dec. 7 — vs. Arkansas (at
Little Rock), 6 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday, Dec. 10 — Eastern Illinois, 7
p.m., TBA
Saturday, Dec. 14 — Temple (Chevrolet
Shootout at United Center, Chicago), 11 a.m., ESPN
Saturday, Dec. 21 — vs. Missouri (at
Savvis Center, St. Louis), 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Dec. 28 — at Memphis, 5 p.m.,
ESPN2
Monday, Dec. 30 — Coppin State, 7 p.m.,
TBA
[to top of second column in this
article] |
Saturday, Jan. 4 — Oakland, 7 p.m., TBA
Tuesday, Jan. 7 — at Minnesota, 6 p.m.,
ESPN
Saturday, Jan. 11 — Wisconsin, 3:30
p.m., ESPN Plus regional
Wednesday, Jan. 15 — at Iowa, 8 p.m.,
ESPN Plus local
Saturday, Jan. 18 — at Indiana, 3 p.m.,
CBS
Wednesday, Jan. 22 — Purdue, 6:30 p.m.,
ESPN2
Saturday, Jan. 25 — at Penn State,
11:15 a.m., ESPN Plus regional
Wednesday, Jan. 29 — Michigan, 7 p.m.,
ESPN Plus local
Sunday, Feb. 2 — at Michigan State,
noon, CBS
Sunday, Feb. 9 — Ohio State, noon, CBS
Saturday, Feb. 15 — at Purdue, 7 p.m.,
ESPN Plus local
Tuesday, Feb. 18 — Michigan State, 6
p.m., ESPN
Saturday, Feb. 22 — Northwestern (at
United Center, Chicago), 1 p.m., CBS
Tuesday, Feb. 25 — Indiana, 8 p.m.,
ESPN
Saturday, March 1 — at Michigan, 11:15
a.m., ESPN Plus regional
Wednesday, March 5 — at Wisconsin, 8
p.m., ESPN Plus local
Saturday, March 8 — Minnesota, 3:30 or
7 p.m., ESPN Plus regional or ESPN Plus local;
or Sunday, March 9 — Minnesota, 1 p.m.,
CBS
March 13-16 — Big Ten tournament, at
United Center, Chicago (schedule below)
March 20-23 — NCAA tournament, first
and second rounds
March 27-30 — NCAA tournament regionals
April 5, 7 — NCAA Final Four, New
Orleans
Note: Dates, times and TV coverage
subject to change.
Big
Ten tournament schedule
United
Center, Chicago
Thursday, March 13 — First round
Game 1: No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed, 11
a.m., ESPN
Game 2: No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed,
1:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 3: No. 6 seed vs. No. 11 seed,
4:05 p.m., ESPN2
Friday,
March 14 — Quarterfinals
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. No. 1 seed,
11 a.m., ESPN
Game 5: No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed,
1:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. No. 2 seed,
5:40 p.m., ESPN Plus
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. No. 3 seed,
8:10 p.m., ESPN Plus
Saturday, March 15 — Semifinals
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5
winner, 12:40 p.m., CBS
Game 9: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7
winner, 3:05 p.m., CBS
Sunday,
March 16 — Championship
Game 10:
Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 2:30 p.m., CBS
[Kent Brown, U of I] |
|
You wonder, what kind of a difference
might Derek Schrader have made in that game?
If I was to be critical (and as a
former coach, I never cared much for second-guessing), I wondered if
Lincoln would go conservative or aggressive in a tight ballgame.
Many people will criticize either choice. I’m too much of a gambler
when it comes to playing sports, so I usually go aggressive.
However, the Railers looked (although we could be more than wrong,
as that has happened to us once before) like they took a more
conservative route. Sometimes you can shorten the game with that
approach and then hope for something good to happen. With a tough
schedule in the weeks ahead that may be a good approach.
I’m sorry for our guys this past week;
I believe they deserved a better fate!
• • •
The Rail was all Patricia
Meunier-Lebouc this past weekend. She was on fire from wire to wire.
When you open with a 64 and finish to win with a 67, you are playing
a game in which I am not familiar! Meunier-Lebouc, who has won
several times on the European tour, carded her first-ever LPGA tour
victory on Sunday. And she did so by being as cool as the other side
of the pillow!
The LDN followed Jennifer Rosales, who
fired a closing 65; Candie Kung, who was playing great for a while;
and Amy Fruwirth, who was really giving us a lot of insights. As she
struggled with her swing, she approached us after a wayward driver
tee shot. I asked her if she could feel the problems somewhere in
her swing or if the outcome was just something that happened. She
said, "No, that’s just my swing." She has a very good demeanor for
this sport.
The LPGAers may well be the most
accessible athletes of any sport.
Is there anyone more colorful than
Michelle McGann?
• • •
Thank you, Texas Rangers, for your
holiday treat.
• • •
[to top of second column in this
article] |
The Cardinals picked up Jamey Wright,
who’s already posted a Redbird victory, from the Milwaukee Brewers.
I didn’t know they had arms to spare???
The Cardinals also acquired Jeff
Fassero from Chicago. Thank you, Cubbies.
• • •
LCC looked rather impressive in their
opening-night win over Hannibal-LaGrange in straight sets before a
large, raucous crowd!
• • •
I didn’t get to see it, but I heard
LCHS soccer teams looked quite impressive in their most recent wins
as well.
• • •
How ’bout those Oakland A’s? BTW, they
are a team that I followed as a kid. If you ever dig into our
archives, look what the LDN said about Art Howe early in the season
even when he was under fire… And you don’t even pay a subscription
for our inside scoops!
• • •
Thank you to the many of you who have
made gracious comments to Greg and me following our first episode of
"Fandamonium!" We really want to cover the things that you
want covered and the stuff that you want to talk about. We’ve got
great sponsors and great giveaways, so give us a call with your
questions or comments. The holiday scrapped this week’s show, but
we’ll return next Monday night, following the opening of the NFL
season and leading you into the first evening of "Monday Night
Football."
• • •
There’s lots
of other stuff happening in sports, but it’s late and I’m tired…
Have a super week, everybody!
[Jeff
Mayfield]
[Aug. 30 column: "Bonus mutterings...
live from the Rail Classic"]
[Aug. 26 column: "‘Fandamonium’ opening tonight
-- Lincoln/Logan County
Chamber, team of the week"] |
