UIUC Old Timers Thread

#78      

NJILLINI

Castle Pines, Colorado
Born in Carrollton, IL but relocated to C-U when Dad took a prof job in 1965. Both parents (Mom - BA, MA and Dad- BA through PhD), both sisters and I all proud Illini. Grew up in Urbana and remember many of the haunts mentioned here -- some before my being able to get in and some that I frequented quite often. The two primary bar-owner families back then, IIRC, were the Katsinas (Boni's, Dooley's and namesake restaurant on Neil) and the Cochranes (Cochrane's, Round Robin, ultimately CODs, The Office and the New Red Lion), the latter of which still own and operate bars today. Ray Timpone owned the Thunderbird, I believe, and their named restaurant along with the Jolly Roger ("hidden in downtown Urbana"). My favorite memory of the T-Bird was being there as an under-aged high schooler watching on what was by far the biggest live screen I had ever seen as Leon Spinks beat Muhammad Ali in a split decision for the undisputed heavyweight championship. We used to go to T-Bird about 6pm because, once you were in, you were in and the bouncers didn't start working until a little later.
 
#79      
Who remembers bucket nights? T Bird and Boni's I believe, maybe others. I still have one of the tin buckets. You could get refills very cheap but had to drink it fast to make sure the beer was still cold. That was never a problem.
My frosh year (fall of 76) Green Street between Wright and 6th was closed down one night during new student week with live bands and everyone wandering around with drinks. Every bar had a personality and were different from each other.
 
#80      

reopseed60

Naples, Florida
Butkus68, Your right about super old farts... Timpones had a barber shop and bar on Neil. A buddy of mine lived in an apartment above that bar and Ray Nietschske (sp) after a few beers ,threw him through a wall !!!!! Ray against Wisconsin carried the ball into the line, lost two teeth and when he came back to the huddle demanded the ball again. He was a bad !!! at Illiniois . I saw him knock three guys down in front of Kam's with two punches (back handed the two on the outside and knocked the guy in the middle with a straight right to the mouth. Like a movie..... After he married a Green Bay girl with kids and his Packer days he changed completely became a great guy. Died in Naples, Florida about 15/20 years ago. His speeches to the Pro Allstars at induction were classic and talked about to this day
 
#81      

reopseed60

Naples, Florida
Oleleahy Right on almost all counts Only thing is once you came out you could not return, not sure about that.
Another rule later in the Big 10 only was if your parents could afford tuition you did not qualify for university funding. This was one of the major reasons the Big 10 dropped being lhe best football conference in the country and the popularity of the Big 12. which before that was nothing....
 
#82      

reopseed60

Naples, Florida
In those days Ray did not need a reason..... Also, if you had a good looking lady at the Saturday VFW dance and Ray was around,be careful.............

One last thing about early Ray, He was raised by his Mother, tough home life. While at Proviso West, Ray was also a quarterback, a buddy on that team said he could throw a football almost 100 yards !!!!!! Ray played Fulback on offence and linebacker on defence for Illinois
 
#83      

reopseed60

Naples, Florida
Butkus filled in at Center when we needed a yard or two for a first down or touchdown. The regular center was later killed in Nam........
 
#85      
Class of 1975. Also grew up in the area. What was across the street from 2nd Chance? A few more: Dan Fogelberg at the Red Herring. Various acts at Panama Reds. Also, the tavern with cheap beer on tap that served codfish sandwiches on friday? The bar over by discount records that served watered down beer if you had a student ID?

My best football memory was Dad's Day September 22, 1990 with my oldest daughter, when Howard Griffith had a big day against SIU. Best basketball memory is with my parents on December 4 1964 at the building then known as the Assembly Hall.

AH, Panama Reds........kinda fuzzy...hahahha...I think I was there...HAHAHAH...Guess we'll head over to SPACEPORT and play Pac Man.
 
#87      
In those days Ray did not need a reason..... Also, if you had a good looking lady at the Saturday VFW dance and Ray was around,be careful.............

One last thing about early Ray, He was raised by his Mother, tough home life. While at Proviso West, Ray was also a quarterback, a buddy on that team said he could throw a football almost 100 yards !!!!!! Ray played Fulback on offence and linebacker on defence for Illinois
Butkus filled in at Center when we needed a yard or two for a first down or touchdown. The regular center was later killed in Nam........
Nam changed a lot, including Dick’s perspective on life.[/QUOTE]
 
#88      

NJILLINI

Castle Pines, Colorado
Where was Panama Reds and when did it close?

Opened in the late 70s and I am not sure when it closed, maybe late 80s or early 90s? It was on the southside of Green Street, sort of wedged between First Street to the east and the railroad viaduct on the west side. Great place to see live country/rock bands of that late-70s to late-80s era. Saw Pork and the Ducks many times there along with Appaloosa. They'd get some national acts but mostly local/regional fare.
 
#90      

reopseed60

Naples, Florida
Sorry for not remembering Bruce Capel. A wonderful person and a very good player. We had some terrific players in the late 50's One, who you do not hear much about was Bobby Mitchell, a truly great running back who played for the Washington Redskins and was All Pro numerus years. One of our teams that just missed the Rosebowl placed 12 guys in Pros that year. A field goal attempt against Prudue hit the lower bar and bounced backword. Caused us a loss and a trip to California. Sound familiar Bear fans ???????
 
#91      
Speak for yourself, I'm 59, dammit!!! (Class of '81)

Good point, I sat out a year after having a kid, so '81 became my senior year. Thankfully since it was a really fun basketball season and marked the beginning of Illinois being a force once again in hoops. I was also at the 0-0 tie with Northwestern, as well as Bear Bryant's last game in the Liberty Bowl.
 
#94      

NJILLINI

Castle Pines, Colorado
Good point, I sat out a year after having a kid, so '81 became my senior year. Thankfully since it was a really fun basketball season and marked the beginning of Illinois being a force once again in hoops. I was also at the 0-0 tie with Northwestern, as well as Bear Bryant's last game in the Liberty Bowl.

I was at those last two games, too. Been to a few I wish I could forget and those are right near the top. Although I'd been going to Illini games for at least eight or nine years by the fall of 1978, that was opening day of my freshman year as a real UI student. Hot and awful. And while it was cool to be at the Bear's last hurrah, seeing Eason go down three times, Kris Jenner come in for him three times and Jeremiah Castille intercepting him three times was more than I cared to see.
 
#96      
This thread deserves to be revived.

I was a freshman in ‘66, so I missed the Butkus era but was there for the slush fund death spiral. Attended every game during my four years. My girlfriend and I attended every game in Block I in ‘68 and ‘69. We lost every game and badly in ‘69, but we stuck around to the bitter end every Saturday.

It just occurred to me, she hasn’t left early with me either. And now both retired, we have our first season tickets since ‘69 and have started the 850-mile (one way) drive to Memorial Stadium for games, vacationing locally between back-to-back home games.

You know you’re old, however, when you watch a video of “iconic buildings” on campus and you don’t recognize half of them. But by the time I arrived, the Assembly Hall was brand new and Alma had just been moved to Wright and Green (where I thought she had always been). Treno’s was our hangout, and we didn’t go to that mixer in one of the PAR basement lounges because REO Speedwagon was playing and we literally wouldn’t cross the street from FAR to see them.

I can’t hear Gimme Some Lovin’ without thinking of Chances R, and Bottle of Wine and Hey Jude always make me think Treno’s.

By the way, I know where the name of Treno’s comes from…
 
#98      

chiefini

Rockford, Illinois
Loved Treno's, spent a lot of time there (mainly from '77-79). Spill, please.
My freshman year, ‘70, I had a Rhet 108 class (with 14 James Scholars and me -I wasn’t one). The very liberal professor told us the first day that the class would be held in Treno‘s for the rest of the semester. The smell in there at ten o’clock on Tuesday and Thursday mornings was bad enough to make one puke. Ahhhh the memories…
 
#99      

Buck Turgidson

Massachusetts
I started in 1979. My first semester was the last semester of age 18 legal drinking in Champaign - good time to be an Illini. I was in PAR so T-Birds was the first bar I went to (and continued to frequent for a few years). Won a team chugging contest there (it was more of a marathon than a sprint). A friend of mine bartended there later, so we'd visit for free refills.

One of my older brothers was an NU grad so we went to the games at Memorial Stadium in 1980 and 1982. I recall our seats were always in the last few rows in the East side second deck - lots of sun. We clobbered them both times. 1980 game was Mike White's opener. Good time to be an Illini.
 
#100      
My freshman year, ‘70, I had a Rhet 108 class (with 14 James Scholars and me -I wasn’t one). The very liberal professor told us the first day that the class would be held in Treno‘s for the rest of the semester. The smell in there at ten o’clock on Tuesday and Thursday mornings was bad enough to make one puke. Ahhhh the memories…
Ha, I had a Spanish 102 class (1978) that the TA teaching decided every conversation day would be held at Treno's with the students taking turns buying pitchers of beer. The conversation flowed right along with the beer.