When my husband, Tim, and I first started dating, one of the first major sporting events we made plans to see together was the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. I have made an effort to go to games as often as possible, and I explained this fact to Tim in our early days.
So when tickets went on sale, Tim and I took the leap and purchased tickets for a few games in the 2016 season. Tim had been to Kinnick once before with his family, so he sort of knew what the stadium was like. However, he had no idea what it was like to attend a game with the daughter of a football coach and watching the game with me would be an entirely different experience.
When the game is going on, I am totally into it. I can usually tell you what play they ran, why the penalty marker was thrown and if it was either a good or bad call. I’m no expert, but I’d like to think I’ve picked up some knowledge on those Friday nights watching game film with my dad and the other coaches at GMG. I can’t help myself when a big play happens. I jump up and down; and when the ref makes a questionable call, I let my opinion be known. Tim was going to see a different side of me, and I made sure he was prepared.
Our first two games together we saw the Hawks play Miami of Ohio and Iowa State. Both were big wins for Iowa and a good experience for Tim. Well, I think it was because he agreed to go back with me next season. I must not have made too big a spectacle of myself.
We went to another two games in 2017. We saw the Hawkeyes beat North Texas in the heat and Minnesota in the freezing cold. It was football weather at its finest.
Tim began seeing himself as a good luck charm. Every Iowa game he’s attended so far, the black and gold have won. We decided to test his theory once again this season. Tim and I kept our streak alive Saturday when we saw the Hawkeyes defeat UNI.
This year, we had a slightly different experience at the game. We tailgated with my family as we have done in the past. We had seats in the same area as my sister and her husband. It would make for a nice game experience being able to watch the game and talk with family.
About five minutes into the first quarter, a nice gentleman sat next to Tim. I was unsure what to expect when he tapped Tim on the shoulder and said, “I have a proposition for you.” The man explained he had the two seats next to us, which had been vacant up until this point. He also had two seats on the 50-yard line. His problem was he had his three kids with him. He wanted to know if we would be willing to trade our two seats located on about the 15-yard line with his 50-yard line seats, so all four of them could sit together in the same section.
His kids were standing at the end of the row, his oldest child couldn’t have been more than 8 years old, so I understand why he couldn’t leave two small children alone, three sections over from his seats. Tim and I were dumbfounded and looked at each other for a little while before we agreed. My only worry was abandoning my sister and brother-in-law, but they didn’t seem to mind. I found out after the game if we had hesitated any longer, my sister would have taken the seats.
Tim and I swapped tickets, grabbed our belongings and made our way over to our new location. The man was not lying. We were right on the 50-yard line, and the view was phenomenal. I quickly texted my sister to be sure to thank the nice gentleman for the tickets and hoped he enjoyed the game with his kids. One advantage of leaving my sister and her husband was having a link to the guy to be able to express our gratitude after moving. In turn, we were able to find out he was equally grateful for our willingness to trade.
This is a story I could not have made up. It was a fantastic game viewed from fantastic seats. It was a deal of a lifetime. Of course, my whole family was jealous of our upgrade. Now if only we can find someone to trade us luxury box seats next year.
Contact Pam Pratt
at pampratt@newtondailynews.com