Thanks to Wil Denson, I am going to Blugold football games. I had forgotten how much more real college games are than the professional games where being a good pass receiver is secondary to how clever the end zone celebration is.
When I was in school I went to every one of our home games and the players that were on the field then are Blugold legend now:
Jim Van Gordon, who had just one hell of an arm (he tried out for Lombardi's Packers and was cut because he threw too hard) -- I guess Vince would have cut Brett Favre.
Jerry Gendron at tight end -- even in college you knew he was big enough and fast enough to give the NFL a try -- and after graduation that's exactly what he did, signing, as I remember, with the San Diego Chargers.
On the defensive side, my two favorite players -- Bob Bundy, a Menomonie boy -- and Dave LaViolette from Appleton, Wisconsin.
Dave and I hung together at school. I even got to meet his folk on a weekend stay.
But, I digress --
So, games on Saturday (this weekend it's Platteville at home) and noon luncheons on Tuesdays with the Blugold Boosters Club when the coach runs film from last Saturday's game highlights.
I am looking forward to the Platteville game. Rain or shine, gonna arrive early, set up my little charcoal grill, and slow cook brats until they are crunchy on the outside, but plump and juicy inside. The way I see it, tailgating is the required ritual that guarantees a win.
After next Tuesday's luncheon with the Boosters, I am loading guitars and the traveling pizza kit into the back of Jerry Way's new (to him) '01 Jeep Cherokee Loredo and we are setting out on it's 4 wheel maiden voyage" to the nether regions of east central Wisconsin -- Mud Lake.
I told Jerry that the lake was obviously not named by a realtor.
It's gonna be a "Boys Nite Over Night": pizza in the oven, feet up on the stove, guitar in one hand, Leinie's in the other -- sort of a musician's version of deer camp.
It will be good to spend time with Jerry. We go back a long way! I think my first memory of Jerry was his leading a pit band for a unversity variety show that I was emcee'ing.
Eventually we played in bands together and we really had fun! I remember mostly the Labor Temple years. We worked with some pretty solid musicians. John Buchholz played tenor sax with a vengeance on rock and blues tunes, but then could turn a one eighty and do an amazing polka.
Ron Keezer was the drummer with me for many years. I will always remember the woman who was managing the Labor Temple telling me: "I used to be a stripper. Your drummer really knows what he's doing."
And he did know what he was doing. At a gig at the EC Country Club, he leans forward over his kit and says: Hey, Heagle! See that woman in the red dress? Watch her hips when I go to the tom toms!"
And I don't think this one was even a stripper!
We had Chuck "Little Ivory Charles" Solberg on piano. Chuck is a tremendously good blues piano player who plays from his shoulders.
We once tried to put him on Wultizer Electric Piano and before the night was over he had broken at least three keys.
Chuck used to describe my demeanor as a band leader as "hard but fair." I'm not so sure that wasn't said with tongue in cheek
I liked having Chuck in the band because he also served as the enforcer even though he doesn't stand more than five foot seven. When Chuck was over there on the piano, nobody screwed with the band or they had Chuck right in their face.
My favorite Chuck Solberg story of legend is the one where, after a gig, he is at Sammy's pizza with his girl friend, he fully bearded, she with the very long flowing hair of hippydom.
Along comes a local suit, drunk and bespectacled, fresh from the bank's Christmas party.
"Oh look", he says to his buddies, "it's Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary!"
They all have a good laugh and proceed into Sammy's. Chuck says nothing, finishes his pizza, tells his girl to wait in the car, and then stands outside the door to Sammy's.
When the banker comes out, buttoning his overcoat, Chuck steps in front of him, puts a hand to his chest, reaches up and carefully takes the guy's classes from his face, drops them on the sdiewalk, and grinds them into powder.
Still not finished, Chuck right-crosses the guy, who drops like a sack of potatoes, Chuck, still not saying a word, turns and disappears into the night.
Even if it's not true, it's a great story and what's frightening is that if you know Chuck, you know it COULD be true!
Jerry played lead guitar and sang in one configuration and later, if memory serves, he switched to playing bass. I think John Hartzell fits in there somewhere on bass, too.
Over the years I have had the pleasure of working with the best musicians in the Chippewa Valley. We are all fortunate to have so much talent in the area!
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