It's just getting started, but anyone have any comments so far? I like the lineup of events they have planned. Unfortunately for Athletics, the dinner and event in the past was a big money maker from ticket sales. Because everything is virtual now, they need to get online donations and sales from the auction.

Speaking of auction, it's just the second day (first full day), and it looks like they are doing extremely well. Many items are already sold, and others are showing high bids. There are bids on the vast majority of items. They should do well filling the cash register on this. There are items available at all price levels. I expect someone on this board will bid on the AD's suite in Huskie Stadium (8 seats) for the 2020 season. Bidding starts at a mere $15,000. There is also a wine event raffle coming up.

(06-11-2020 11:04 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  It's just getting started, but anyone have any comments so far? I like the lineup of events they have planned. Unfortunately for Athletics, the dinner and event in the past was a big money maker from ticket sales. Because everything is virtual now, they need to get online donations and sales from the auction.

Speaking of auction, it's just the second day (first full day), and it looks like they are doing extremely well. Many items are already sold, and others are showing high bids. There are bids on the vast majority of items. They should do well filling the cash register on this. There are items available at all price levels. I expect someone on this board will bid on the AD's suite in Huskie Stadium (8 seats) for the 2020 season. Bidding starts at a mere $15,000. There is also a wine event raffle coming up.

Yea, I'll get right on that!

Hopefully they get some good money from it. I bid on a few items, we'll see what happens.

(06-11-2020 04:19 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(06-11-2020 11:04 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  It's just getting started, but anyone have any comments so far? I like the lineup of events they have planned. Unfortunately for Athletics, the dinner and event in the past was a big money maker from ticket sales. Because everything is virtual now, they need to get online donations and sales from the auction.

Speaking of auction, it's just the second day (first full day), and it looks like they are doing extremely well. Many items are already sold, and others are showing high bids. There are bids on the vast majority of items. They should do well filling the cash register on this. There are items available at all price levels. I expect someone on this board will bid on the AD's suite in Huskie Stadium (8 seats) for the 2020 season. Bidding starts at a mere $15,000. There is also a wine event raffle coming up.

Yea, I'll get right on that!

Hopefully they get some good money from it. I bid on a few items, we'll see what happens.

I'll bet I know what you bid on:

- Golf at the Naperville Country Club
- Make your own wine at Aquaviva Winery
- Package of 20 fine Villiger 125 Cuban-seed cigars

These items are you! And, I hope you win!

The sideline passes sound cool to me. Not that much either.

(06-11-2020 11:04 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  It's just getting started, but anyone have any comments so far? I like the lineup of events they have planned. Unfortunately for Athletics, the dinner and event in the past was a big money maker from ticket sales. Because everything is virtual now, they need to get online donations and sales from the auction.

Speaking of auction, it's just the second day (first full day), and it looks like they are doing extremely well. Many items are already sold, and others are showing high bids. There are bids on the vast majority of items. They should do well filling the cash register on this. There are items available at all price levels. I expect someone on this board will bid on the AD's suite in Huskie Stadium (8 seats) for the 2020 season. Bidding starts at a mere $15,000. There is also a wine event raffle coming up.

The JL6 Heisman interview was very good despite Donna Turner occasionally making it about herself. STF does a nice job of making himself come off likeable but since nobody is gonna grill him about master plans and crappy schedules his feet really aren’t held to the fire.

I watched today's Victor E. Bash which had Chad Beebe, Max Scharping, Larry English, and Michael Turner. It was interesting to see them without pads on and their normal human self, if you will.

Larry English is very laid back and well-spoken, which is interesting, because I remember him in an NIU uniform absolutely tearing it up on the field and destroying QBs. Michael Turner is very outgoing and full of energy. Max Scharping's personality is similar to English's. Chad is a smart kid. Hammock asked a question about what each player first bought with their signing bonus and Chad mentioned he's pretty much only saved his pay.

Fun episode to watch.

Anyone else watch? What was your take from it?

(06-15-2020 08:41 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  I watched today's Victor E. Bash which had Chad Beebe, Max Scharping, Larry English, and Michael Turner. It was interesting to see them without pads on and their normal human self, if you will.

Larry English is very laid back and well-spoken, which is interesting, because I remember him in an NIU uniform absolutely tearing it up on the field and destroying QBs. Michael Turner is very outgoing and full of energy. Max Scharping's personality is similar to English's. Chad is a smart kid. Hammock asked a question about what each player first bought with their signing bonus and Chad mentioned he's pretty much only saved his pay.

Fun episode to watch.

Anyone else watch? What was your take from it?

Larry English scored the highest Wonderlic score ever for a OLB. 9th highest in the draft that year. He's a smart kid as well as a monster.

(06-15-2020 08:41 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  I watched today's Victor E. Bash which had Chad Beebe, Max Scharping, Larry English, and Michael Turner. It was interesting to see them without pads on and their normal human self, if you will.

Larry English is very laid back and well-spoken, which is interesting, because I remember him in an NIU uniform absolutely tearing it up on the field and destroying QBs. Michael Turner is very outgoing and full of energy. Max Scharping's personality is similar to English's. Chad is a smart kid. Hammock asked a question about what each player first bought with their signing bonus and Chad mentioned he's pretty much only saved his pay.

Fun episode to watch.

Anyone else watch? What was your take from it?

Great watch. Coach was a great interviewer and made it a fun and open conversation. They all had more school pride than I expected, which was awesome. Looking forward to the Maryland watch party Thursday.

I have to give Athletics credit where credit is due. They have made a "silk purse out of a sow's ear". The Victor E. Bash is a super event. Whereas many can't or would not attend the dinner, everyone can participate in these events from the comfort of their homes. All the money generated will come from the auction, wine pull, and straight donations. I hope that everyone here participates in at least one of these. The events are fun, entertaining, and well done. The auction items are terrific. I'm sure a lot of hard work went into this. And rather than a one-and-done dinner, these events are spanning a 10-day period. Athletics is going a great job informing fans of the events via text and e-mail. I do not do social media, but I assume they are heavily represented there. Kudos to Athletics for a well done, enjoyable bash!

(06-16-2020 08:47 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  I have to give Athletics credit where credit is due. They have made a "silk purse out of a sow's ear". The Victor E. Bash is a super event. Whereas many can't or would not attend the dinner, everyone can participate in these events from the comfort of their homes. All the money generated will come from the auction, wine pull, and straight donations. I hope that everyone here participates in at least one of these. The events are fun, entertaining, and well done. The auction items are terrific. I'm sure a lot of hard work went into this. And rather than a one-and-done dinner, these events are spanning a 10-day period. Athletics is going a great job informing fans of the events via text and e-mail. I do not do social media, but I assume they are heavily represented there. Kudos to Athletics for a well done, enjoyable bash!

Ditto, nice work NIU on all of your Covid-virtual activities. Keeping it classy....

(06-15-2020 08:41 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  I watched today's Victor E. Bash which had Chad Beebe, Max Scharping, Larry English, and Michael Turner. It was interesting to see them without pads on and their normal human self, if you will.

Larry English is very laid back and well-spoken, which is interesting, because I remember him in an NIU uniform absolutely tearing it up on the field and destroying QBs. Michael Turner is very outgoing and full of energy. Max Scharping's personality is similar to English's. Chad is a smart kid. Hammock asked a question about what each player first bought with their signing bonus and Chad mentioned he's pretty much only saved his pay.

Fun episode to watch.

Anyone else watch? What was your take from it?

Chad being undrafted I'm sure his bonus was modest plus him making a team also wasn't guaranteed.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Yeah this whole experience has been SUPER fun so far! The auctions are usually quite good but this years auction is quite exceptional. Hats off to the school on this one, looking forward to the closing event and hoping to take a few of these auctions home.

I'm really looking forward to the wine pull. I will buy several bottles and fill my bathtub with wine. I will then bathe in the wine like a an Egyptian pharaoh. When I'm done, I will re-bottle the precious wine and invite everyone over for a wine party. You will yearn for more once you taste my special Dog Fan flavored wine!

I really liked the conversational interview. Makes me really proud to hear that NIU is a culture built on fundamentals and hard work. They don't baby the players and it's a physically harder experience than for some of their counterparts at bigger schools.

Makes me wonder how Ham is coaching these guys. I love what he brings, but the athlete of 2020 is different from the athlete of the past. They may not like getting coached like that. If such is the case, I'm okay with losing players to find the ones that have a passion for football like that. It will suck in the short term, but builds success for the future.

(06-12-2020 08:40 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(06-11-2020 04:19 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  

(06-11-2020 11:04 AM)Dog Fan Wrote:  It's just getting started, but anyone have any comments so far? I like the lineup of events they have planned. Unfortunately for Athletics, the dinner and event in the past was a big money maker from ticket sales. Because everything is virtual now, they need to get online donations and sales from the auction.

Speaking of auction, it's just the second day (first full day), and it looks like they are doing extremely well. Many items are already sold, and others are showing high bids. There are bids on the vast majority of items. They should do well filling the cash register on this. There are items available at all price levels. I expect someone on this board will bid on the AD's suite in Huskie Stadium (8 seats) for the 2020 season. Bidding starts at a mere $15,000. There is also a wine event raffle coming up.

Yea, I'll get right on that!

Hopefully they get some good money from it. I bid on a few items, we'll see what happens.

I'll bet I know what you bid on:

- Golf at the Naperville Country Club
- Make your own wine at Aquaviva Winery
- Package of 20 fine Villiger 125 Cuban-seed cigars

These items are you! And, I hope you win!

They seem to be missing your favorite items:

-Grotto memorabilia signed by the owner
-Whiskey bottle encased in brown paper bag
-Year's supply of Huskie Stadium wieners

What is a wine pull?

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

How do you get involved in the wine pull? Is that on the auction site now?

Never mind, they're all sold already

(06-17-2020 06:54 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  How do you get involved in the wine pull? Is that on the auction site now?

This is the biggest joke I have ever seen. They posted the mystery bags yesterday, but you could not bid on them until they turned the bidding on at 7:00. Immediately when they opened it up for bids, 59 mystery bags were already sold! This is impossible if bidding was not allowed before 7:00. I have no clue how these people bought these bags if you could not do it before 7:00, unless Athletics opened it up beforehand for their favorites. And if there was a link to the actual revealing of what people won, they never sent the link. Very poorly done and disappointing.

(06-17-2020 07:11 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(06-17-2020 06:54 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  How do you get involved in the wine pull? Is that on the auction site now?

This is the biggest joke I have ever seen. They posted the mystery bags yesterday, but you could not bid on them until they turned the bidding on at 7:00. Immediately when they opened it up for bids, 59 mystery bags were already sold! This is impossible if bidding was not allowed before 7:00. I have no clue how these people bought these bags if you could not do it before 7:00, unless Athletics opened it up beforehand for their favorites. And if there was a link to the actual revealing of what people won, they never sent the link. Very poorly done and disappointing.

Yes, I thought the same thing. I got a text at 7:00 saying to bid on numbers 10 through something, so 9 were already gone when it started just based on that. From your comment, looks like most of them were already gone. Didn't think it would be THAT popular.