Last time we left off we were walking to the stadium for the game. Our good friends from the Luas told us to just follow the canal and we would get there. We should have followed their advice. We followed the canal most of the way, but then we started following other people. We got to the stadium by following other people, however, there were very specific ways they let people into the stadium. And we had to walk another mile (not joking) to get to the part of the stadium they would let us in. Which was… pretty close to the canal.
Here are some pictures:
Once I saw the swan, I knew there was no way were losing! An excellent sign!
The canal had boats on it, but they couldn’t move all that far. Because of these dams that were every few blocks.
Preach.
River Dodder.
First time I’d ever seen a port-a-potty that flushed!
It was a pretty nice stadium! With some weird idiosyncrasies.
For example, they sold alcohol, but you weren’t allowed to bring it into the stands. You had to stay in the concourse to drink it.
They take the lids oFf your soda away from you, because Irish fans throw them on the field.
While we were in Ireland, it was technically a Kansas State home game. So all of the video board stuff, all the announcers, and the entrance stuff was Kansas State’s.
Which was kind of a genius move by Iowa State. Ireland badly wanted Iowa State, but we weren’t giving up a home game and the economic impact on Ames, but Kansas State agreed to screw over Manhattan, Kansas and give up a home game. So Iowa State was a double winner on this day.
A highlight of the pre-game was watching our worthless pig-slop governor get booed. Even louder than at the pep rally. I love Iowa State fans!
With all the rain and humidity, every time they set off fireworks (and it was a lot) the smoke just hung in the stadium for several minutes.
The Cup Snake is always a good omen!
Victory!
Something I lowkey loved about this stadium… no arms on the seats!
After the game we met up with Jon and Angie in this little business district next to the stadium that reminded me vaguely of Wrigleyville.
We got a couple of pizzas from this place that put corn on their Hawaiian.
After eating we paid a bicycle rickshaw dude to take us back to the Luas. Best money we spent on the trip! Next Sunday, on to Day 5 in Ireland!
Jon and I may have been the only ones in our general vicinity booing the governor, but what we lacked in numbers, we made up for in vehemence!
While I was at the No Kings Rally in Des Moines I was talking to my Pastor (and your Pastor I understand) and he was wearing an Iowa State hat. Somebody stopped and said that she was glad to see an Iowa State fan there because she feels outnumbered when she goes to Jack Trice.
I thought this was a very bizarre interaction as I’ve never felt the fanbase was MAGA or anything. After all, it is a mostly college educated group. But perhaps it is just the people in my section. But I bet it is more the people in her section. The booing was definitely very loud in my section. It also echoed quite a bit in my section cause of the overhang.
Strange.
I read a statistic yesterday, and I’m not sure if it was valid or not, that for every 1.15 liberal ISU grads, there is 1 conservative grad. The number shocked me, as well, given the tendency for educated folks to be liberal.
My complete conjecture would be that it is because we have so many ag grads. Not dogging on them at all, I just know that these days farmers tend to vote against their own best interests statistically. I don’t remember Biden or Obama ever pissing off China so much that they stopped buying soybeans from us, or cutting aid.
I could definitely hear the boos from other sections! But we didn’t hear anywhere near the loudness that you did down there. While the half dome did cover us from the rain, I think it let way more of the sound escape.