Why I Oughta...

Earlier this Fall, we went down to check out both the Barstool College Football Show and Fox's Big Noon Kickoff at the University of Illinois.  I wrote about the first visit for the Southern Cal game here in late September .  Both productions (and they were BIG productions) set-up shop in Grange Grove on the West side of the (Gies) Memorial Stadium in what is typically a quiet corner of the Grove.  (We were at an earlier game this season when the crews weren't there and there was a corporate hospitality tent in the same corner that BNK was set-up).  Seeing both of these shows was a fun experience, but due to our arrival time (We walked into Grange Grove right as Barstool was wrapping up and before Big Noon was starting), most of the 'space' was filled in, so we were standing near the back.  With the KoTBT being well...a kid...that meant that his 'line of sight' is such that if we moved in closer, he couldn't see anything.  Not to mention the signs and such ...

A few weeks back, we piled into the Swagger Wagon and went to see my Illini take on Purdue for Homecoming.  We now have two nieces that are Freshman down in Champaign, so this was a family affair.  My sisters threw a great tailgate in Grange Grove and then we went into the Loyalty Lounge inside of Memorial Stadium to watch the game.  Well, I went in well before the game because I wanted to see warmups and all the pre-game what-have-yous.  We were lucky that the specialists for the Illini warmed up (for the most part) on the north end of the field, so our spots in the patio in the northwest corner tower of the stadium was a good view. Just about every game that we go to as a family, Nat and I disagree about the 'time to enter' the game.  I enjoy the pre-game festivities almost as much as the game.  I like to see the operation unfold, watch the support staff take action and watch the stadium come to life.  A little weird, yeah.  But, that'...