Saturday, January 12, 2008

Upset!

Tonight, Iowa beat Michigan State, 43-36.

That is not a football score.

Andrew and I are in shock.

Michigan State entered the game ranked Number Six in the country, with an eleven-game winning streak. Iowa’s squad this year is the worst team in Iowa City since before Andrew and I (or Andrew’s brothers) were born.

Richard Nixon was President the last time Iowa was this bad. Howard Hughes was still alive, and believed to be the richest man in the world, the last time Iowa was this bad. “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was in its third season--Betty White had not yet even joined the cast--the last time Iowa was this bad. John Wooden was still an active coach, with one more national title to win, the last time Iowa was this bad. Maria Callas was still talking about making a comeback the last time Iowa was this bad.

And yet Iowa won. Iowa held a lead through the whole second half, and accomplished what must be the biggest upset of the year in college basketball.

Iowa held Michigan State to its lowest point total since 1952.

And Andrew and I missed the game.

We don’t have a television.

At halftime, Andrew’s Dad, a diehard Hawkeye fan, called us, and told us that Iowa had a 20-18 halftime lead. He asked us whether we wanted to come over and watch the second half.

We declined. We assumed that Michigan State would get its act together and blow out the Hawkeyes in the second half.

They didn’t.

And we missed it.

We are idiots.

4 comments:

  1. LOL, Joshua!

    I'm glad I do not like football!

    I, too, would hate to miss a game.

    Besides, you don't want to own a TV, what with all the crap that's infesting American television right now.

    Sleep well. I know I won't, since the gastronomic and greasy Chinese we had for dinner will most definitely keep me up throughout the night!

    Hey, Andrew.

    J.R.

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  2. Hey, J.R.

    You are right. Television is crap, and we do not regret not having one.

    Drink some ginger ale. That will help your stomach settle, and you will be able to go to sleep.

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

    We are turning in soon.

    Andrew says "Hello".

    Josh

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  3. What a cruel post, Josh, a reminder of my advancing years. I remember with fondness the pleasures of MTM and the anticipation of a Callas comeback. My memories of Nixon are less pleasant.

    My former wife and I didn't own a TV for the first three years of our marriage. One of her patients actually gave us a little 11 or 12 inch black and white set so that we could watch the Royals. Back then, they were an up and coming team, very exciting to root for.

    I, too, have been TV-less for nearly six years. Instead I waste my time reading blogs. ;>)

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  4. David:

    We like not having a television. Not having a television insures that we do not waste our time kicking back and letting a television occupy our lives.

    For watching sports, we can go over to Andrew's parents' house whenever there is something we especially want to see. Sports are the only thing we ever want to watch on television, anyway.

    I don't think that you are missing out on much, just as I don't think that we are missing out on much.

    Take care of yourself.

    Josh

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