Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Fan Appreciation Day

This is a reminder that fan appreciation day is Saturday, August 27th. The time hasn't been announced yet, but it usually starts at 10:00 a.m. This is an excellent event for the kids, as well as for adults. I buy an autograph football at Sportsmart every year (all sides except one are white) along with a team roster. The "stars" are now lined up for easy access, but I like to have as much as the team as possible sign it, so I individually stalk each player for an autograph, and then cross the name off my roster. I've got numerous "team" balls, dating back to the 1988 team (I managed the Come Back In on Durant, where Steve Hendrickson was the bouncer...the players that drank signed my 1988 ball).

For those of you that haven't attended a fan appreciation day in the recent past, my how things have changed. Back in the 90's it was an intimate group of a couple hundred die hard fans on that field next to the stadium in front of Bowels (sp?) hall. Now it's inside the stadium, and they have numerous activities for the kids. It's also VERY crowded, so get there early. During Tedford's first year you could walk up to him and talk to him; now they have him sitting in a chair under a tent, and the line stretches several hundred people deep. I'm not bitching; I had the displeasure of attending games during Holmoe's final year, when I actually thought that it would be impossible to ever resurrect the football team or the fan base. I went by my fraternity during the 2001 home opener and there wasn't a single alumni, other than me. It was depressing. Thus I have no problem with the band wagon jumpers, as long as they don't disappear after the first loss. Go Bears! Beat SC!

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