Friday, September 28, 2012

Roosevelt Homecoming Game

I left work early to go over to Minneapolis for the Roosevelt homecoming football game. I decided to go this year as they have a varsity team again and it's a good idea to see a game if my student in the mentoring program happens to be one of the players. I had to think about the continuity on some levels to the homecomings I had attended as a youngster in Newton. I passed by a Cardinal restaurant and bar, and that is the name of Newton's athletic teams. After getting my game ticket I saw some people wearing homecoming buttons and I asked about where they were available. It meant going outside where the student council was selling them. I bought one for a dollar, the student was wearing two at the time. Then I went back in to see the game. The button is nice to have as it was cheaper than one of the shirts. At halftime I got the 'meal deal', which was chips, a hot dog and a soda pop for four dollars. It was A and W and doritos. Then I saw there was string cheese, so I got one of those as well.
   I was near some of the 'old grads' back for a reunion, class of 1972. One of them spoke of living in the Washington, DC, area, across the river in Arlington, VA. He said he had entered the Foreign Service after the Iran hostage crisis, which began in 1979. When one of their own showed up they said 'strike a pose!' and said he looked like a Sears underwear model. But there weren't too many good stories after that from them, just some stale jokes about the refs being the NFL replacement refs. I didn't sit next to them in the second half, they talked a little too much and I wanted to stay focused on the game.
   Roosevelt had their chances in this one, but lost to Minneapolis North 36-20. No extra points were attempted, I guess neither team had a good kicker to send out there. And there were plenty of penalties, Roosevelt got two of them for unsportsmanlike conduct. One was right after a long run for their first touchdown and the other was in the second half after some other penalties moved them way back, like third down and nearly 30 to go. Not much scoring in the second half, as North led 28-20 at the half. Also at halftime a photographer commented about how I found a plate stating who the stadium was named for, I like knowing who it is. It happened to be Al Gowans, a teacher, and was dedicated in the 1960s. He said he had to leave, guess he wasn't hired for the entire game.

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