It occurred to me on the train into work yesterday, that for me and probably anyone else who's been a fan the better part of the last 15 years, watching the rise- there's nothing in being a fan of anything (sports, comedy, music, whatever) that I'll probably ever experience like this. From the streak, to '03, to Boise, last year, now this. Bottom of the bottom to right now. Like going to see a band you first saw in a basement back in the day do their first arena show times 100.

My first year at NIU was 1989. We had the Wishbone Wizard, a 9-2 record, and had Nebraska tied at halftime. I vividly remember listening to that game in my room on the 12th floor of Stevenson North. Then the game that cemented my love of this team came the following year - 1990, Kansas State and Bill Snyder came to Huskie Stadium - we were down by 2 TDS, came back to tie it, then Rich Favor picked off the pass, and the Wizard scored a TD with under a minute left - my first radio shift at WKDI, and first boneyard Huskie win - I'll never forget it!

BTW - does anyone remember when we played East Carolina and Jeff Blake and almost beat them on a crazy lateral play on the last play of the game, then our tight end got knocked out of bounds at the 1? We should have been better than 6-5 with that 1990 team!

Good memories, and we've come a long way!

You are all just kids. My 1st game was North Central 9/7/60.

GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCMtvVHaBWY[/url]

If you want to know how far we've come - let's look back to 1995 - Gerald Nickelberry, Hollis Thomas, C.J. Rose, Aaron Gilbert - from the 1995 NIU Media Services highlight video narrated by Brad Hoey

(12-08-2012 11:28 AM)pantone1935 Wrote:  You are all just kids. My 1st game was North Central 9/7/60.

GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rookie.

My first game was 10/06/1956 against CMU at Glidden Field. We got killed. It was still a few years away from the glory days of the early 1960s.

(12-08-2012 12:05 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(12-08-2012 11:28 AM)pantone1935 Wrote:  You are all just kids. My 1st game was North Central 9/7/60.

GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rookie.

My first game was 10/06/1956 against CMU at Glidden Field. We got killed. It was still a few years away from the glory days of the early 1960s.

You sir do not look that old!

(12-08-2012 12:37 PM)HuskieJohn Wrote:  

(12-08-2012 12:05 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(12-08-2012 11:28 AM)pantone1935 Wrote:  You are all just kids. My 1st game was North Central 9/7/60.

GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rookie.

My first game was 10/06/1956 against CMU at Glidden Field. We got killed. It was still a few years away from the glory days of the early 1960s.

You sir do not look that old!

My wife says I still haven't grown up!

(12-08-2012 12:05 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(12-08-2012 11:28 AM)pantone1935 Wrote:  You are all just kids. My 1st game was North Central 9/7/60.

GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rookie.

My first game was 10/06/1956 against CMU at Glidden Field. We got killed. It was still a few years away from the glory days of the early 1960s.

now THAT's a lifer!

(12-08-2012 12:05 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(12-08-2012 11:28 AM)pantone1935 Wrote:  You are all just kids. My 1st game was North Central 9/7/60.

GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rookie.

My first game was 10/06/1956 against CMU at Glidden Field. We got killed. It was still a few years away from the glory days of the early 1960s.

It may have been a "Northern Illinois" game, but it was not an NIU game. They were still Northern Illinois State College.

(12-08-2012 02:48 PM)NIU70 Wrote:  

(12-08-2012 12:05 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(12-08-2012 11:28 AM)pantone1935 Wrote:  You are all just kids. My 1st game was North Central 9/7/60.

GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rookie.

My first game was 10/06/1956 against CMU at Glidden Field. We got killed. It was still a few years away from the glory days of the early 1960s.

It may have been a "Northern Illinois" game, but it was not an NIU game. They were still Northern Illinois State College.

Where did I say it was an NIU game? It was a HUSKIE football game; that's what's important!

(12-08-2012 02:48 PM)NIU70 Wrote:  

(12-08-2012 12:05 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(12-08-2012 11:28 AM)pantone1935 Wrote:  You are all just kids. My 1st game was North Central 9/7/60.

GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rookie.

My first game was 10/06/1956 against CMU at Glidden Field. We got killed. It was still a few years away from the glory days of the early 1960s.

It may have been a "Northern Illinois" game, but it was not an NIU game. They were still Northern Illinois State College.

Since you're so big on proper names and since we were Northern Illinois University in 1963, no doubt you feel we were undeserving of being the 1963 College Division National Champion.

You need to contact Dr. Peters and Jeff Compher ASAP and request that they remove this:

(12-08-2012 05:03 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(12-08-2012 02:48 PM)NIU70 Wrote:  

(12-08-2012 12:05 PM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(12-08-2012 11:28 AM)pantone1935 Wrote:  You are all just kids. My 1st game was North Central 9/7/60.

GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rookie.

My first game was 10/06/1956 against CMU at Glidden Field. We got killed. It was still a few years away from the glory days of the early 1960s.

It may have been a "Northern Illinois" game, but it was not an NIU game. They were still Northern Illinois State College.

Since you're so big on proper names and since we were Northern Illinois University in 1963, no doubt you feel we were undeserving of being the 1963 College Division National Champion.

You need to contact Dr. Peters and Jeff Compher ASAP and request that they remove this:

Yeah, that confused me when I first showed up on campus in 1966. How could a university be in the College Division? How come Boston College was in the University Division and Boston University in the College Division. Did not take too long to figure that one out.

Just remember, we have been playing football for a hundred years, we have only been D1 since 1969!

Let that sink in!

11/2/1991

vs. Louisiana Lafayette...battle of 1 win teams.

I looked up the Rockford weather on this day....

...afternoon around 22, teens late afternoon...25mph sustained winds, gusts over 35mph

Not that is was cold and windy, light snow... but that it was only 11/2, no one had went home to get any winter clothes yet!

Wore about 5 sweatshirts,shirt under a cap, socks on our hands and the Segrams and coke we poured actually had some ice.(didn't even ask for ice)

The LAL players had parkas, all bundled up but a few flew all the way to the endzone (oddly wind was out of the south). Was very tempted to try to get one, being there was about 1000 people maybe in the crowd (not a person in endzone or east side) and I don't think one security person around.


Had to Look up outcome: L 12-13.

(12-09-2012 07:38 AM)NIUAlum90 Wrote:  Just remember, we have been playing football for a hundred years, we have only been D1 since 1969!

Let that sink in!

First season 1899. We're in our third century.