redwingillini11
- North Aurora
Just got a last minute invite to a wedding during the game this weekend. Not pleased to be missing the one remaining game we should blow another team out.
Pregame: Illinois vs Florida Atlantic, Saturday, September 23rd, 2:30pm CT, BTN
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Just send them a check and wish them luck!
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IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
Who sends a last minute invite to a wedding?
redwingillini11
- North Aurora
Its complicated, but understandable, and yet still very annoying.
Mr. Tibbs
- southeast DuPage
it means you were a D lister , and got invited due to some last minute cancellation by an A or B lister
redwingillini11
- North Aurora
Thanks Tibbs, I realize that.
Have you considered buying AR glasses? They have some that look just like sunglasses so you could covertly watch the game
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
Or just do what we did when some inconsiderate bride planned her wedding in the middle of one of the Blackhawks Stanley Cup runs: watch it on your phone at the table during dinner. As long as it doesn't interrupt the speeches, shouldn't be a big deal
Oof. I'm imagining it being Game 7 of that Hawks-Red Wings series in 2013 when the Hjalmarsson would be gamewinning goal was called back... I would've been escorted out, if not straight up arrested.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Bravo on the PSU estimate! I said this in the PSU postgame thread, but actually being there made it SO clear how much better we could be laying out our seats. I sat in 102 row 38, so I would have been a couple of rows in front of a hypothetical brick wall to match West Main and block off the seats underneath the East Balcony overhang ... and there were literally thousands of fans behind us. Take your pick between bringing the Horseshoe seats down to field level or having a past East Balcony or whatever, but the point is that 49k for PSU had the lower part of our stadium looking absolutely packed but the East Balcony having empty areas. Why the hell is anyone being seated where they can't be seen on TV when we have empty seats in such a prominent balcony and the Horseshoe seats are too far away from the end zone?! I digress, lol...
On a more positive note, while we all want to get to the point where we are pushing 60k for every game, 45k would represent a steady but significant improvement in fan interest, especially considering FAU is (A) not going to bring many fans and (B) not exactly a "draw" for our fans. Consider these average attendance figures of the past decade compared to our attendance so far this year...
2023 vs. Penn State: 49,099
2023 vs. Toledo: 48,898
2016 average: 45,644 (bolstered hugely by a sellout of 60,670 vs. North Carolina)
2012 average: 45,564
2023 guess vs. FAU: 45,000 (prior years for this type of game averaged about 35,000...)
2013 average: 43,787
2022 average: 43,048
2015 average: 42,647
2014 average: 41,549
2017 average: 39,429
2019 average: 36,587
2021 average: 35,347
2018 average: 36,151
It takes time, but our attendance so far this year is absolutely moving in the right direction. If we can win the next three of the next four (vs. FAU, at Purdue, vs. Nebraska and at Maryland), we would be looking at 4-3 (2-1) with Big Ten West rival/contender Wisconsin coming to town for Homecoming. I think that game could push into the mid-50s...
GrayGhost77
- Centennial, CO
One of my best buddies, who's also a die hard Illini fan, got married during the Wiscy game in 2019. I'd like to think he brought them a little bit of luck that day and it made the day even that much better when we all found out we won.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
I was at that game, and I am pretty sure I lost my voice during that exchange. Luckily there is no swear jar there, otherwise I would have been out a paycheck. I also recall at least 20% of fans showing the refs the bird (though that might be a low estimate).
Also, can't believe it has already been over 10 years ago!
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I'm really jealous that you got to be there in person. My voice was hoarse the next day and that was just from watching on tv. I'll still say that if we hadn't have won it in ot, I don't think that ref would've made it out of Chicago alive. Fans might've killed him right there on the ice. I'm a long-time Hawks fan, and while I remember the old Norris division rivalries and cheapshots, I don't think I've ever been as fired up as I was that game. You saw a great one.
Excited to head down for this get right game and to tailgate in Grange Grove. I have not been to GG so I'm curious if anyone knows how busy the food trucks they bring in get. I'd rather not bring a grill in to cut down on the hassle but also don't want to stand around for a long time in a long line waiting to order food.go illini.
the national
- the Front Range
But hey, youāre an A lister in our books
Eh, I think a win that doesn't cover the spread would be accepted by most as it's a game against a lesser opponent sandwiched between Penn State and Purdue. I think how we perform in the Purdue game though will be the make or break one for the board assuming we beat FAU. Lose to FAU though and you're correct.
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