I Felt It

[BromleyHall94]

Spotted this at Williard International Airport over the weekend. Maybe the coolest table I have ever seen.
http://www.illinoisloyalty.com/Gallery/data/500/10felt_it.JPG
http://www.illinoisloyalty.com/Gallery/data/500/10more_felt.JPG

[krillini76]

Whoa...100 years of Illini football! Somebody call Scott Weaver and tell him Johnny Johnson needs a breather!

That definitely is one of the coolest things ever. Where in Williard is it?... Where the diner place used to be?

[Dan]

Beautiful!

Looks like that's in the.... lobby??

[krillini76]

Looks like that's in the.... lobby??

Oh I get it...It's a "snapshot of your average Champaign resident's TV den"-display type dealy-o for all the visitors.

I'd want to play some 8-ball on that thing before my flight. Don't tease me, Williard.

[krillini76]

You know...on a close look now, it may be up there at the gates. BromleyHall94...let us know!

[illini4everjp]

What exactly is that at midfield? Look's like one of our players in a jail or something . . . I'm just saying. :confused:

[#1AugustineFan]

Very cool table...

[Dan]

What exactly is that at midfield? Look's like one of our players in a jail or something . . . I'm just saying. :confused:That's the special football logo for 100 years of Illinois football, used during the 1990 season.

The logo features Red Grange in front of a backdrop of Memorial Stadium columns. That logo was about as ubiquitous back then as the 2005's 100 years of Illini basketball logo.

The 1990 season was crazy in the Big 10. 4 teams tied for 1st with 6-2 records, including Illinois, UM, MSU and Iowa. In a tie-breaker paradise, Iowa went to the Rose Bowl (and got smushed by powerhouse Washington). The Illini started out 6-1 (4-0) and it was crazy exciting with everyone smelling the roses. Sadly, the team finished 2-3 (8-4 overall) including a 0-30 shelacking by Clemson in a bowl.

Here's the only image closeup I could find of it, in patch form-

http://users.frii.com/germ/illini/images/100yrspatch.gif

[illini4everjp]

Thanks! I had never seen that before. Very awesome.

[BromleyHall94]

You know...on a close look now, it may be up there at the gates. BromleyHall94...let us know!
The table is on the north end, right by the ticket counters. go in and turn right. it is some sort of bar display. It sort of looks like we were playing Iowa, but I couldn't see a yellow hawk on the helmets.

[orange100]

The pool/spa place by marketplace mall sells that table... Can't remember the name of it. I spotted that table in there back in april or so, maybe earlier. too cool to play on, that's for sure.

[Dan]

It sort of looks like we were playing Iowa,...Our home games that year were:

1) Colorado W 23-22 EPIC - we beat the national champions!
2) Sothern Illinois W 56-21 Historic - Howard Griffith 8 TDs!
3) Purdue W 34-0
4) MSU W 15-13 EPIC - last minute field goal, 5 in total!
5) Iowa L 28-54 Historic - for all the wrong reasons.
6) Northwestern W 28-23

Do you think perhaps it may have been Colorado? Because if that was the Iowa game, they should burn the felt.

[krillini76]

Our home games that year were:

1) Colorado W 23-22 EPIC - we beat the national champions!
2) Sothern Illinois W 56-21 Historic - Howard Griffith 8 TDs!
3) Purdue W 34-0
4) MSU W 15-13 EPIC - last minute field goal, 5 in total!
5) Iowa L 28-54 Historic - for all the wrong reasons.
6) Northwestern W 28-23

Do you think perhaps it may have been Colorado? Because if that was the Iowa game, they should burn the felt.

For some reason, I was thinking the 100-year anniversary was 1994. Now I remember things better. Jason Verdusco was our QB, I think. That Colorado game was fantastic (they won the National Title that season). And I remember Nick Bell of Iowa running all over us. That game was insane. We gave up around 30 pts in the first half, came storming back, then proceeded to give up another 20 or 24 or whatever. It got ugly. All Rose Bowl hopes lost after that game. Damn.

Fun year, though...1990. I probably have some Memorial Staduim cups with the insignia buried somewhere back home. Ahhhh...memories.

ps -- I recall that Iowa loss being a night game, so my money's on the pool table being from the Colorado game.

[illini4everjp]

I recall being 8 at the time.

[#1AugustineFan]

Me too! :)

[orange100]

I was outta state that year. Bummer. :mad:

[bapuillini]

One of the greatest moments when i was in school (third to the 89 B-Ball game @ Indiana, and 89 Victory over USC in the Colliseum) was the victory over Colorado.

After the game, when we were walking down the ramps from the upper deck, the entire stadium exiting was chanting "Rose Bowl", "Rose Bowl", etc.