Black Hand Productions

Yesterday Julie and I went to the Steelers – Bears game at Solider Field.  This is our second time to Solider  Field for an NFL Game, previously we saw the Bears – Saints in the middle of the winter.  The weather was a little better but the on and off rain was not exactly fun.

Of course the Steelers losing didn’t really help the afternoon.  This is the fourth time I’ve seen them in person and the third time I’ve seen them lose.  We had  a couple of real douchebags in front of us who were talking shit like Browns fans.  In so much as they were referring to their ‘NFL Championships’ as if anything prior to 1960 really counts in the world of sports.  Of course when I questioned this the guy asked me if the Yankees count thier World Series from before 1950, my response was twofold:

1. Yes, they do count but only because they were still ‘World Series Championships’.
2. When was the last Bears’ NFL Championship?

Of course there was no repsonse to my second point.  I undrestand some teams have a several ‘championships’ and if you really want to pull out that argument agains a team that was one 6 SUPER BOWLS fine but be damn well ready to name those ‘NFL Championships’.

The rest of my photographs are here on Flickr.

*Side Note:
* For the record the Chicago Bears won ‘NFL Championships in 1921, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1963.

** Most game photos were taken by Julie.

*** Why is it that I can’t go to a Steelers game without seeing a Browns jersey. In Pittsburgh I saw a Chris Speilman jersey, in New York I saw a Jim Brown jersey and then in Chicago I probably see the worst one of all:  Kellen Winslow. Honestly, with this jersey I’m not even sure who you’re trying to piss off.

**** Bears or Bengals?

***** Best game day attire ever.  Period.

This past weekend I met up with Josh and Jim in Pittsburgh for the Browns – Steelers game (and the Pens – Montreal game but due to my arch nemesis that did not pan out). Of course the Steelers manhandled the Browns who were down to their fourth or fifth quarterback. Of course Ben Roethlisberger looked like he was incapacitated from our vantage point but it turned out to be a mere concussion.

The highlight of the gameday experience would have to be the series of montages that were shown on the jumbotron throughout the game. Seriously, the best video montages I’ve ever seen at a sporting event.

The night before we headed out to the South Shore for a couple drinks and ended up at Primanti Brothers for some sandwiches until last call.

If we’ve learned anything in the past, it’s that Jim Wallis knows how to make friends (see the last photograph above).

*Side Note:

On the way out of the Heinz Field we ran into this guy wearing a Spielman jersey.  I’m nearly positive Chris Spielman never played a down for the Browns outside of the Preseason.  If I recall he came back for one last year and reinjured his next before the season even started.  In hindsight I’d say this guy kind of jumped the gun.

Just saying.

Today a caravan of people traveled the 2 plus hours to Champaign, IL for the Ohio State – Illinois game.  Considering this was the second 11am kickoff in two weeks it was much easier to get up this week than last but that probably had a lot to do with the lack of Cosby Sweaters.

We made it down to Champaign where we utilized Emily’s parents parking spot right across from Memorial Stadium in the “Loyalty Circle”.  Our spot was next to Kentucky Fried Chicken’s but it seems the Colonel decided to sit this one out.

The game went about as well as the Northwestern game.  Pryor was spot on, Wells’ toe is the only way to tackle him and Ron Zook is a great decision maker.

Our seats were pretty good but as you can see from the pictures we were slightly obstructed by the Illini bench.  We had some what of an incident when a bunch of drunk douchebags showed up directly behind us.  They were all gun-ho for about 10 minutes and then two of them passed out.  About 10 minutes later one of them vomited on themselves.

I adhere to a strict rule when attending sporting events:  

If you vomit, you leave.

It’s pretty simple and I believe Civilization hinges on upholding this standard.  After telling the guys who were with the offender that he’d have to go they decided otherwise.  Nick and I decided that we’d have to get the usher.  Needless to say the issue was resolved when the Illinois State Police got involved.

* As a side note this is the second time in as many days that I’ve been at a sporting event where some one has thrown up in the seats behind me.

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** This is my last BIG TEN Football game of the year leaving me with just two stadiums that I need to visit in the coming years:

1. Iowa
2. Minnesota

*** The rest of the photographs are on Flickr.

On Saturday Nick, Emily and I headed up to Evanston for the Ohio State – Northwestern game.  The game started kind of slow but Ohio State pulled away early in the third quarter.  Terrelle Pryor could consider this his breakout game after some of the touchdown passes he threw.  Northwestern’s game planned consists of the Quarterback Draw and the punt.

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Up next:  Illinois:

Today everything was left on the field… everything except a victory. What turned out to be a quasi – Heights reunion ended on the grid iron. Legends were made, fumbles were had, and touchdowns were lacking but overall it was a good time. The final score from the two games was not worth reporting but a rematch is already in the making.

*Note: Click on the images below to view larger images.

This past Friday night was the Home Coming Football game at my illustrious alma mater Franklin Heights. As an upstanding member of the community I felt it my duty to attend. True to recent form the Falcons fell 35-7 to Dublin Jerome.

On a positive note Chad got to see first hand the legend that is The Heights and later on in the weekend there was a Colonel Milholen sighting at St. James Tavern after the Buckeyes fell once again on the road in the Big Ten, this time to Penn State.