Super Bowl Sunday Basketball: Indiana at Northwestern

Today I attended a sporting event on Super Bowl Sunday (that was not the Super Bowl). Northwestern scheduled their Sunday afternoon game for 1:30 pm CT, which was perfect timing in order to attend the game and still get back to wherever fans were planning to watch the Super Bowl.

The Game
Northwestern got out to an initial 13-2 lead and their lead never dipped below nine points as the Wildcats defeated Indiana convincingly 78-61. This was Northwestern’s first three-game winning streak versus Indiana since the 1930s – there are a lot of firsts for Northwestern this season.

A Day on Campus: Michigan at Northwestern

The main reason I bought Northwestern men’s basketball season tickets this year is that the Ultimate Sports Wife is a Ph.D. student at Northwestern University. We met in undergrad at Northwestern so I do have “another” reason to attend. However, with Nicole spending much of her time on campus, I realized that buying season tickets 1) gives her an incentive to go to campus to work, 2) allows me to attend the basketball games and 3) allows us to spend more time together since we are both on campus - #1 and #3 giving me good husband points.

Today was one of those days. Nicole needed to drive to campus by 2 pm for “office hours” – where she instructs her students how to perform better in class. Since Northwestern was playing at 6 pm versus Michigan, I decided to ride to campus with her and spend a few hours in the sociology department surfing the internet and working.

Parking
As usual I parked in the neighborhood near Welsh-Ryan Arena since you can park for free on the street.

The Game
The game was close through the first half, but Northwestern started to pull away with 10 minutes left in the game. That’s when Drew Crawford stepped up his game and scored all 11 of his second half points (he had 17 points total) to defeat Michigan 67-52. The win gave Northwestern their first sweep of Michigan since 1967.


During the game I ran into my fraternity pledge father and deadspin.com columnist, Benoit Denizet-Lewis. He’s writing about Northwestern’s quest for its first NCAA Tournament bid. At this point in the season, Northwestern has played their most difficult games in Big Ten play. Northwestern must now defeat the teams they are “supposed” to in order to be eligible for the bid.

Road Trip and Free Ticket: Northwestern at Michigan St.

For the fourth consecutive weekend, I went on a road trip from Chicago. Three weeks ago I drove to Ann Arbor and the last two weekends I spent time in Indianapolis. Yesterday, I drove to East Lansing, MI for the Northwestern at Michigan St. men’s basketball game. As was the case when I drove to Ann Arbor, I wanted to see Northwestern play at Michigan St. I had not seen a game at the Breslin Center. After last night, I have attended a game at nine Big Ten men’s basketball venues.

Obtaining Tickets
I arrived in East Lansing around 6:30 pm – just in time for the 7 pm tip off. I parked by Spartan Stadium for $10 and walked towards the Breslin Center ticket office. The line to buy tickets was about 30 people deep, so I asked at the Will Call window what was the cheapest ticket for the game - $13. I now knew my price to beat.

However, I failed to negotiate well at first. On my way to East Lansing, I checked craigslist.org. Most of the ads were looking for tickets and the ones that were selling tickets were asking $60 or higher per ticket. Since I failed to research the event before driving over, I was nervous when I approached my first scalper. For some reason my first offer was $20 (low compared to craiglist.org, but I should have offered $10). Instead the scalper responded with $30 and I rejected the offer. I immediately walked away realizing my mistake and he followed me – probably to accept my $20. But, immediately I found a guy who was holding up a ticket. I asked him how much he wanted and he said nothing…it’s free. He handed me the ticket and I told him he made my day.

The Game
Michigan St. could not put Northwestern away during the first half as they only had a two-point lead heading into halftime. But they started the second half with a bang – going on an 18-4 run with the highlight of the run (and the game) being Chris Allen’s spectacular dunk.

Northwestern’s John Shurna scored a career-high 31 points for Northwestern but that was not enough as Michigan St. won 79-70. With the win, Michigan St. is now 9-0 in Big Ten play for the first time ever and Tom Izzo passed Bobby Knight for best winning percentage for Big Ten coaches who have coached at least 10 years in the Big Ten.

The Drive Home
As soon as the game ended, I drove back to Chicago. For a two hour college basketball game, I left Chicago at 1:30 pm and arrived back home at 11:30 pm.

CBK: #13 Wisconsin at Northwestern

Tonight was one of those nights Northwestern needed to win. After moving into the rankings, at #25, for the first time since 1969, Northwestern did not start off conference play well, losing to Illinois and Michigan St. They rallied from 17 points down to defeat Michigan on Sunday and tonight were facing (#13 AP) Wisconsin. A win would give Northwestern some momentum, while a loss would leave them at 1-3 in Big Ten play.

Northwestern had a one-point lead with 5:04 remaining in the game even though they had not scored a basket from 14:37 to 6:13 during the second half. However, Wisconsin’s Trevon Hughes made three 3-pointers to lead Wisconsin on a 9-0 run and take a 55-48 lead. At this point it was too late for Northwestern to stage a comeback and Wisconsin ended up winning 60-50.

CBK: Northwestern at Michigan

Over the past few seasons, I have been slowly attending games at the Big Ten football stadiums and basketball arenas. With a wide-open Sunday and Northwestern traveling to play Michigan at Crisler Arena (a Big Ten arena I had not attended a game at yet), I decided to road trip to the Northwestern men’s basketball game in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The game time was perfect for the road trip. A 2:30 pm ET (1:30 pm CT) start time allowed me to make the drive each way at a reasonable hour – I needed to leave our house in Chicago at 9 am and would be back home around 7 pm

Parking and Obtaining Tickets
Parking in the main lot by the arena is for parking passes (read season ticket holders) only. Thus, I parked in the lot across the street from the arena for $10.

There were some scalpers selling tickets around the arena, but the lowest price at the box office was $10. Rather than hassle with scalpers, I bought a ticket at the box office for $10 and sat in the upper level of the arena where the tickets cost $15.

The Game
In a game Northwestern desperately needed to win (after losing their first two in conference play), the Wildcats came back from a 17 point deficit to defeat Michigan 68-62.

Freshman Drew Crawford single handedly got Northwestern back in the game. Michigan had a 31-14 lead with 4:23 remaining in the first half, when Crawford went on a personal 11-0 run – draining a trio of three pointers and two free throws to get Northwestern to within six points.

In the second half, the game seesawed back and forth as Northwestern took a 10 point lead (59-49) only to see that lead disappear with 1:28 left in the game as Michigan took a 62-61 lead. Northwestern eventually eked out the much needed victory.

CBK: Texas-Pan American at Northwestern

Northwestern needed to win tonight after losing two straight to Illinois and Michigan St. Although Northwestern played poorly (19 turnovers and shot 32%), they were able to pull out the victory over Texas-Pan American (who are now 1-16 after the loss) 53-44.

Obtaining Tickets
I already had my ticket to the game since I bought season tickets at the start of the season.

Post Game Dining
After the game I picked up Papa John’s for the wife and myself. My strategy is to attend the Northwestern men’s basketball games while Nicole (a Sociology Ph.D.) works at the Sociology department – then we generally eat after the game.

CBK: Stanford at Northwestern

Today with my season ticket already in hand I headed up to Welsh-Ryan Arena for the Northwestern men’s basketball game versus Stanford. In addition to the men’s game, the Northwestern women’s team was playing Chicago St. at 4:00 pm (an hour after the men’s game ended). The women’s game was free with a ticket to the men’s contest.

Parking
For the first time I parked on Central St. in front of Ryan Field – there is a section of parking directly west of the main parking lot where four cars can park for free.

The Game
Northwestern and Stanford played neck and neck until Northwestern took a 60-50 lead with over four minutes left in the game, but Stanford cut the lead to one point with 1:46 left. In the past, Northwestern would fall apart and lose this game. But this year appears to be different. Michael Thompson made a three-pointer to get the lead back to four and the Wildcats beat the Cardinal 70-62. Northwestern is now 9-1 on the season – their best start since the 1993-94 season.

CBK: North Florida at Northwestern

On a normal night, I would not attend a Northwestern men’s basketball game instead of a Chicago Blackhawks game. However, that was not the case tonight. Earlier this year, I bought Northwestern men’s basketball season tickets for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

My reasoning was the same as it was that year – the Ultimate Sports Wife is a Ph.D. candidate at Northwestern University. By having season tickets, we could drive to Evanston together. Then I drop her off at the department before the game so she could work, go to the game and comeback to the department after the game. Plus, we can eat dinner together before or after the game depending on the game time.

Pre Game Dining
Tonight we ate at Buffalo Wild Wings which recently opened in Evanston on November 23. For some reason, I can lure Nicole into attending a sporting event if she knows we will dine at BW3 in conjunction with the event.

The Game
Northwestern routed North Florida 84-54 for its seventh consecutive win. This is Northwestern’s longest winning streak since they won eight straight during the 1993-94 season.

Doubleheader Day: Tennessee St. at Northwestern

Since I have season tickets to Northwestern men’s basketball, I decided to attend yesterday’s game even though I was also planning to attend the Chicago Bears Sunday night football game versus the Philadelphia Eagles. Blackhawks Jim and Blackhawks Jimmy Jr. were planning to pick me up from Northwestern, pick Nicole up from home and then drive to the Bears game for Tailgater Rob’s tailgate which started at 3:30 pm – quite the feat given the Northwestern game started at 1 pm.

I had considered not attending the game since the Northwestern women were playing immediately afterwards on the same ticket. However, I realized that was a dumb reason not to attend the men’s game so I moseyed my way up to Evanston.

The Game
Michael Thompson scored a career-high 31 points. He scored his final 13 points in the last 5:04 of the game to lead Northwestern to a 16-1 run and a 69-62 victory.

CBK: #11 Butler at Northwestern

Last night Northwestern hosted (#10 ESPN/USA Today, #11 AP) – one of the highest ranked opponents to come to Evanston for a non-conference game. I already had my ticket since I purchased season tickets before the start of the season.

Pre Game Dining
Before the game I ate at Chili’s in downtown Evanston. Downtown Evanston has many different restaurants to dine at before or after Northwestern basketball.

The Game
Even though Northwestern was playing their first game without Kevin Coble (their leading scorer and rebounder for the past three seasons), Northwestern played Butler tight during the first half. However, Butler went on a 14-2 run to start the second half and won the game 67-54. It was Butler’s first win in Evanston since 1947-48.

Exhibition CBK: Robert Morris at Northwestern

Tonight I attended my first exhibition college basketball game. I only attended because I bought season tickets to Northwestern men’s basketball Tuesday afternoon and the game was included.

Northwestern Season Tickets
The last time I bought season tickets was for the 2004-05 basketball season. That was Nicole’s first year as a graduate student and we were hanging out on campus a lot. That year I bought the graduate student season ticket and each game cost $4.

For the first time since that season, I bought graduate student tickets this year. Each non-conference game is $6 and each Big Ten game is $8. I usually cannot beat $10 when attending Northwestern men’s basketball games. First scalpers know the cheapest seat at the window is $20 so do not cave as easily in the negotiation and 2) I do not like to look for cheaper or free tickets when it is 10 or 20 degrees outside. So to avoid the hassle of negotiating with scalpers and freezing my tail off I chose to buy season tickets for this season.

The Game
Northwestern defeated the Robert Morris Eagles (who are ranked #1 in the NAIA Preseason Poll) convincingly 78-49. In the stands at the game was Northwestern football head coach Pat Fitzgerald and former Northwestern President Henry Bienen.

Senior Day: Iowa at Northwestern

It was Senior Day at Welsh-Ryan Arena Saturday afternoon as Northwestern recognized seniors Craig Moore, Sterling Williams, Patrick Houlihan and Marlon Day. Northwestern defeated Iowa 55-49 after a sloppy first half of play.

Pre Game Dining
Before the game, we ate lunch at Buffalo Joe’s located at 812 Clark St. Although Buffalo Joe’s has three locations around Evanston, the Clark St. location is the only location that serves beer.

Obtaining Tickets
I met a former colleague at Buffalo Joe’s to purchase his extra tickets to the game and paid face value. We also paid $10 to park in the “official” Northwestern parking lot rather than park a few blocks away on city streets. If you are planning to buy tickets from scalpers for the game try to park on the west side of the stadium. If parking on the east side, you still need to walk to the west side of the stadium anyway.

CBK: Michigan at Northwestern

Since the Ultimate Sports Wife is also a Ph.D. candidate at Northwestern University, we find ourselves on campus periodically throughout the year. One thing that has become a Sunday tradition during cold Chicago winters is to spend the day on campus. Nicole studies at the Sociology department while I attend a basketball game at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Until this season, only the women’s basketball team played on Sunday afternoons. However, with the creation of the Big Ten Network, the men are beginning to play more consistently on Sunday afternoons. Today the Northwestern Men’s Basketball team hosted Michigan.

I dropped Nicole off at the Sociology department at 1:30 pm and drove up the arena for the 2 pm tip. As I did four weeks ago, I parked for free on the corner of Lincoln St. and Ashland Ave.

Obtaining Tickets
I arrived earlier than I had four weeks ago, so I was hoping that would allow for more extra tickets outside the arena. As I walked by a couple scalpers, I offered them $9 for a ticket assuming they would say no. One broker said no, the other said yes - $6 less than I had paid for the Minnesota game.

As I approached the main entrance to Welsh-Ryan Arena, there appeared to be fans with extra tickets. I hesitated to enter the arena and realized a group of guys had one extra ticket. I asked if I could have it; they said yes and gave me the ticket – meaning I now had two tickets.

I sold my first ticket for $10 to another fan outside the arena. I was now up a measly $1 buying tickets on the secondary market, but better than losing money on my first ticket. Ticket Buying Tip: Always accept a free ticket from anyone, whether you have tickets or not. The worst thing that will happen is that you have to give that ticket away or leave it on the ground. In the end, it costs you nothing and may save you money if you can find someone who will buy the ticket.

The Game
Northwestern and Michigan played a see-saw battle that saw Michigan take a 5 point lead three times in the second half but Northwestern always came back including a Kevin Coble three-pointer to tie the game at 56 with 21 seconds left in regulation. That shot sent the game to overtime. However, Michigan won the game in overtime 70-67. This was the first OT game I have attended since Illinois defeated Arizona at the United Center on December 8, 2007.

CBK: #18 Minnesota at Northwestern

In my first men’s college basketball game of the season, Northwestern defeated its first ranked opponent since it defeated then #18 Iowa on February 8, 2006. Northwestern used a 16-0 run early in the second half to take a 47-37 lead over Minnesota and never looked back, defeating the Golden Gophers 74-65.

The arena was mostly Minnesota fans who (after the 16-0 run) began complaining about each referee call that went against them. However, they were not nearly as bad as the Wisconsin fans I sat next to last year.

Obtaining Tickets
I was a few minutes late to the game so there were no fans with extra tickets outside the arena. I offered the ticket brokers outside the arena $10 for a single ticket. However, none of them would take it. They countered with $15. Instead of paying $15 right away, I looked for my own single from a fan but nobody had any extras. Rather than spend $20 at the Northwestern box office, I bought the single for $15. Of course, as I entered the arena, I did find a fan with an extra ticket. But he would not sell his single for $5 to a broker so I would have had to spend $10 or $15 anyway.

Parking
Parking on a Sunday afternoon is easy around Welsh-Ryan Arena. Rather than pay $10 in the official lot, I parked on the corner of Lincoln St. and Ashland Ave. for free – a 3 block walk from the arena that allows me to walk by all the Northwestern scalpers.