Loyal Forever True

I need to start today by wishing my Aunt Linda a happy birthday. Happy birthday Aunt Linda!


June 6

I hope your birthday is filled with as much joy and happiness as you can handle!

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Last Sunday I went down to the Kansas City with Teresa to watch the Big 12 Championship Game between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Texas Longhorns (Horns Down!). The game was held in Kansas City’s historic Municipal Auditorium. At this point it is more historic than anything else. This is the last time the Women’s Tournament will be played there because at this point… while it isn’t quite a dump… it is horribly outdated. It is still cool to look at. It is a beautiful building, but the facilities aren’t anywhere near what they need to be hold a major sporting event. Next year the tournament will be played at the OTHER Hilton South. T-Mobile/Sprint/Corporate Sellout Arena or whatever it will be called by then.

While that will definitely be an upgrade for the players, the bad part is that the Big 12 will be splitting the Men’s and Women’s Tournaments up. They will be on separate weeks. That part sucks. I think that the Big 12 was the only conference that does it right and now there are no conferences that do it right. Oh well.

Municipal Auditorium has hosted more Final Four games than any other arena in history. It has hosted it 9 times. It has not hosted a NCAA tournament game since 1964 and still holds the record.

It has also hosted concerts for some of the most famous musicians in history:
+ Elvis Presley
+ The Beach Boys
+ The Who
+ Jimi Hendrix
+ Jackson 5
+ Led Zeppelin
+ The Rolling Stones
+ Elton John
+ Eric Clapton
+ Jefferson Starship
+ Rush
+ Genesis
+ Black Sabbath
+ Van Halen
+ Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
+ Prince
+ Hall & Oates
+ Black Sabbath
+ Kiss
+ Metallica
+ Beastie Boys
+ Green Day
+ Red Hot Chili Peppers
+ Dolly Parton
+ Tenacious D
+ Shaun Cassidy

To name a few.

Here are some cruddy cell phone pictures from the day trip to Missouri and back.


2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
There are 2 things that you can only find good versions of in Iowa. Chocolate milk and tenderloins.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
I love Whataburger, but their breakfast is not as good as their lunch.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Pep Rally.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Power and Light District.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
President Wintersteen.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Bill Fennelly with his grandchildren.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
I don’t think Texas even had a pep rally.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Jeff Johnson.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Cy, Iowa State cheerleaders, and the Iowa State Pep Band. This is the good life!

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Hard to see, but traditions travel!

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Randomly ran into Nate’s best friend in a seedy Kansas City alley.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Such a cool looking building.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Pretty sure if there was a fire in this building, lots of people wouldn’t make it.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
So many cool Art Deco touches.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Concessions weren’t great.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
I did fist bump the Texas mascot. (Horns down!)

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Ashley Joens – The GOAT.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Had to talk to these ladies about their shoes.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Coach.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Ashley.

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
I’ve paid my dues. Time after time. I’ve done my sentence. But committed no crime…

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game
Goodbye Municipal!

2023 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship Game

It was a good trip. We parked at our cousin Melissa’s house and she and her husband drove us to and from the area. Was pretty sweet. Like having our own personal Uber drivers. Personal Uber drivers that buy you breakfast and bring you a drink from Sonic after the game.

Of course the best part of the trip was Iowa State winning the Championship!! They won every game in the tournament by double digits, but all of the games were close until they pulled away late. It felt particularly good to see Iowa State beat teams that have had our number the last few years, like Baylor and Texas. And it was particularly sweet to beat Oklahoma in the semi-finals as one of their players is a transfer from Iowa State and is Ashley’s sister Aubrey. It had to be a little bittersweet for Ashley to beat her sister, but probably a lot more sweet than bitter.

Regardless of how the season finished in the NCAA Tournament it was a great season and they will be able to hang another banner in the rafters of Hilton at the beginning of next season!