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  • Drake AAR

    Lot's of good stuff from this trip. Probably sans the great comeback, more enjoyable than Springfield.

    -Another easy drive with lots of decent pit stop opportunities along the way. A little over five hours to Des Moines. I tried both routes, thru KC and around via 152 and 435 and I think the latter was a little faster.
    -Decided to stay at the Casino Resort about 45 minutes south in Osceola. Throw the stuff in the room, donate some money and then head to Des Moines. Also cut time off the trip back home today which was nice. I did hit a $260.00 payout last night which was an added bonus.
    -Jethro's BBQ is famous for the Man vs. Food Challenge which Food won. You can go big or go small just like a basketball lineup but you shouldn't go away hungry. The one west of town is nicer and less crowded than the one near campus.
    -The Knapp Center while cozy and more of a gymnasium than an arena still is a tough place to play primarily because the rims are soft, the goals are not the tough depth perception challenge of a large arena, and Drake builds their teams around those facts. You pretty much have to be able to play their game to win there and we did that and then some. I don't know why but I like that gym.
    -Don't buy tickets in the lower rows of the corner sections across from the benches. The diagram is almost fraudulently deceptive. You can't see. I ended up moving to GA with my Shocker Nation travel partners.
    -The fans were extremely nice save for the drunken buffoonery known as the student section (and really there was only about a 100 of those douche nozzles). I think Ron and Cle look forward to the banter with the students as much as the game sometimes, which is okay because it doesn't seem to bother their concentration. I had seven or eight Drake fans totally complimentary say to us that we want what you have. They were slobbering (figuratively) with envy.
    -Again, I am a bad estimator of our crowd but I would guess 800-1000 would be fair. Scattered all over, it was hard to tell. With all three of our assistants from Iowa, we had many Iowans a part of Shocker Nation last night. The players and the coaches really appreciate it when we travel with the team.
    -The crowd was good, not great, for them. Still empty seats in a place that doesn't hold that many in the first place is not excusable. The weather was fine, no reason not to have SRO in attendance.
    -Coach G may have another rough season or two before he gets it turned around, but I think they will be a upper division team sooner than later. He plays a west coast, quick shot style but he has to raise the bar with the physicality and strength of the guys he is recruiting. A couple of those dudes reminded me of the kid in Sixteen Candles.

    All in all a great trip. Be forewarned, if you are thinking about going to Cedar Falls in two weeks, get your tickets now on StubHub. There aren't many left.

  • #2
    There is no way I will ever attend a game in Frostbite Falls unless the game is played in May.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by pogo View Post
      There is no way I will ever attend a game in Frostbite Falls unless the game is played in May.
      They are bring back baseball and hosting the MVC tourney?
      Shocker Nation, NYC

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      • #4
        Originally posted by MadaboutWu View Post
        They are bring back baseball and hosting the MVC tourney?
        That's the new Valley of Even consolation prize: (re)start a program - host the conference championship.
        Basketball Season Tix since '77-78 . . . . . . Baseball Season Tix since '88

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        • #5
          Our family traveled to Des Moines for our first road Valley Game - we go to St. Louis every year and travel to NCAA tournament games, we've been to non-conference road games in the past (K-State, UMKC etc.) but this was our first time traveling to a Valley opponent. We had a great experience. Stayed in the Holiday Inn Express that was 4 blocks form the Knapp Center. The drive up there is not bad at all - about 5 1/2 hours very little traffic.
          The fans at Drake were very friendly. The section we sat in was 95% Shocker Fans and we were near the big student section - so it was fun to watch their reactions - did not get some of their sign - they just made no sense. The "Overrated" chant before the game even started was quite possibly the lamest thing I've ever hear a college student section yell. I'd estimate about 30% of the students at the game left with more that 7 minutes left to go in the game.
          We're heading to Chicago in a few weeks for the Loyola game. Can't wait!

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          • #6
            Originally posted by pogo View Post
            There is no way I will ever attend a game in Frostbite Falls unless the game is played in May.
            You know it is played indoors, right?

            I thought Marines were supposed to be tough.

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            • #7
              The Low Brass Cheer when they were down by 25 late in the 2nd half was a nice touch.

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              • #8
                I love hearing about these experiences. Thanks for sharing, @shoxlax:. When I'm out of college and making a good living, I'd like to get out to some road games as well. Sounds like a blast.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by ShockerGorilla View Post
                  The Low Brass Cheer when they were down by 25 late in the 2nd half was a nice touch.
                  I was stunned when they started playing it. I think more Shocker fans ended up actually doing the cheer than Drake fans.
                  Last edited by shocker3; January 28, 2014, 12:21 AM.

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                  • #10
                    Great stories, fun to read. Son and I are planning on the Valley Tournement, hope to see about 4000 screaming Shocker fans.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by shoxlax View Post
                      You know it is played indoors, right?

                      I thought Marines were supposed to be tough.
                      Remember I was in the Wing. Swing with the Wing. Another favorite saying.... Why die? Go Supply. Stay in the rear and count the gear.

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                      • #12
                        I'm envious of those of you who make these trips and see a lot of the road games. I can tell how appreciative HCGM is of the road fans because there's always a camera shot of him waving and mouthing pleasantries with the crowd at the end of games. I'm thankful for ESPN3 and the interwebz that has allowed me to witness the awesomness that is Shox men's basketball but I'm even more thankful for those of the SN faithful that make these treks. You guys are making me seriously consider a trip to St. Louis this year.

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                        • #13
                          Another great trip to Des Moines for our group!! The good news is that we finally got our record above .500 with the win! For some reason we always have a hard time at Drake. Got to meet up with a few long time Drake fans at The West End before the game and then had a great time with the Shocker fans in the crowd. Looking forward to the next roadie!!

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                          • #14
                            This game made me really appreciate what we take for granted at WSU and CKA. Granted Drake is rebuilding, but the place was maybe 80% full for the #4/5 team in the country. The crowd never started a "come on guys, we're down but let's get it going stand up/make noise" period like is common in the chuck. The student section made noise but more in an obnoxious/hurl insults at WSU way than enthusiasm for their team. The arena is decent for its size, but feels more like a gym than an arena.

                            We should all keep that picture in mind when writing the painful checks each year for SASO and tickets to keep our program top notch.

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