Football fix

Most fall Saturdays find me roaming the sidelines of Coe College football games, photographing the action. I so look forward to returning there this week after two less -than satisfactory Hawkeye Saturdays.

Last week I'm sitting in a Buffalo Wild Wings in OshKosh, Wisconsin watching the big Iowa-Wisconsin game when, shortly before halftime, the big screens and audio are switched to UFC. UFC! In Wisconsin! I still don't believe it. Wisconsin ultimately prevails in a close game (cuz that's how they roll, apparently).

Meanwhile, I missed my first Coe game of the year, a 17-0 victory at Buena Vista in Storm Lake, Iowa. This is Coe's bye week, so I was free to take in another week of Iowa football. Homecoming even. My 10th year reunion. Shrugs.

I was a fanatic as a student, when tickets were reasonably priced and I didn't know any better. Nowadays, it seems more trouble than it's worth. Still, since Mediacom and the Big Ten Network remain at an impasse, we ventured to the local movie theater that has begun showing the games -- for free -- on the big screen. Talk about the great unwashed!

Down 21-7 at half to Indiana (with Iowa's points the product of a hail mary), we knew there were better ways to spend a beautiful fall Saturday. So we went shopping. Iowa wound up losing 38-20 and we got a gift for my nephew's upcoming wedding.

I need a football fix and expect to get it in tomorrow's Packer-Viking game. From the quiet comfort of my living room, I hope to see Sir Brett Favre take sole possession of the NFL touchdown passing record as the Packers go the 4-0 to start the season.

I still won't have the Big Ten Network, but that's ok. Coe is back in action this week. It's Homecoming!