‘Purple Mafia Profiles’

Purple Mafia Profile: Sippin’ On Purple

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It’s time to catch-up with fellow Wildcat blogger Rodger Sherman and get the perspective of a blogger who literally lives on campus (well, kind of).

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It’s Friday and a time for another edition of the fan favorite feature, Purple Mafia Profile.  Today we feature the owner of Sippin’ On Purple, the Wildcats blog which is the representative for our ‘Cats on the ever-growing SB Nation blog network.  Specifically, we caught up with Rodger Sherman, a current junior at NU, and I took the particular bent of the student angle since Rodger’s fellow classmates are also NU athletes. 

Before we dive in I thought I’d weigh in on the fact that there are so many Northwestern athletics-related blogs.  The entire reason I started this back in 2007 was mostly based on the fact that there was a void in the marketplace for NU football blogs and I thought I’d better step up or else the mere absence of ANY blog would reinforce the erroneous myth that there aren’t a lot of us out there.  I also came to learn that Hail To Purple, the unofficial sports historian of NU, has a great resource to show that LTP was far from a pioneer.  You can check the list of LTP predecessors that have come and gone on their link here.  

Today, there are nearly double-digit NU-specific blogs.  Sippin’ On Purple and LTP, I would say, have the most frequency in terms of content, but of course mainstay Hail To Purple is alive and well, plus as you can see in the blog rolls on respective sites there are a slew of us including the eccentric and seemingly everyone’s favorite, Bring Your Champions, They’re Our Meat.  We’ve even got a dedicated blog called Fire Bill Carmody which is actually a very pro-NU basketball blog.  Heck, the owner is from Rhode Island, just like me which is a tad odd. Two Northwestern blogs from native Rhode Islanders? There aren’t two of anything from Rhode Island, unless you count mafia members (and we’re not talking the purple variety).  C’mon, you remember Sopranos. Whenever Tony needed a really nasty deed taken care of he sent folks up to Providence and it was “done”.  Today we’re going to go to much safer place and keep this Purple Mafia related.

But first.  Rodger already has a post up on the recently rumored and now confirmed speculation about John Shurna’s potential testing the NBA Draft waters.  You can read SOP and Rodger’s take and begin your nausea here.  I’ve got one word for John – “lockout”.  I recently spoke with a major NBA hoops agent and insiders at NBA-related networks.  They are almost cavalier in their expectation that there will be no season.  Several were talking best case scenario was potentially starting by NBA All-Star (if there is one – a point multiple folks told me was in real jeopardy).  While the NFL is getting all the labor talk love, I actually believe it is the NBA that is going to be missing games.  I’d hate for John to go out and then not play in the NBA.  Based on his injury-riddled season I think he’d be hard-pressed to say that this season is optimal for his draft status.  That’s just my two cents.

OK, let’s get in to it with Rodger.

LTP: Alright Rodger, welcome to LTP.  You’ve been doing great work at SOP, but tell us a little bit about you.  Give us the bio my friend.

RS: I’m a junior in Medill and just got done serving my journalism residency at the Northwest Herald out in Crystal Lake.  I’m from New York. My career aspiration is to basically just to get paid money by anybody to write things, regardless of medium or topic. (I have low standards.) I’m currently the sports editor of the Daily Northwestern, a job equally prestigious as writing Sippin’ on Purple.

LTP: You’re most in-tune with the mindset of the NU student base of any Wildcat blogger. What is the sentiment about Northwestern basketball right now?

RS: The “we’re always awful” stereotype is still present even among our student body, and at least in terms of basketball, the sport simply doesn’t have the same semi-required attendance that home football games do – people go to football games to tailgate and socialize, and that’s just not a thing for basketball. That said, I was very pleased with student turnout this year, and there was a palpable feeling that things are starting to click.

LTP: Current juniors only know Northwestern to be a postseason team. Granted, the “postseason” is defined as the NIT.  How familiar are current students with the fact that this consolation prize triumvirate is the best run in school history?

RS: Hey, I’m a current junior! It’s hard not to make NIT jokes. It’s the NIT: you’re conditioned to think it’s the second-best thing for your whole life, then you show up at NU and it’s an accomplishment. But yeah, we know that NU is better than ever. That said, we also know not to get too excited over three NIT bids, because, you know, there’s this other tournament.

LTP: Spring football is upon us. What is the buzz on campus? What are expectations like for the 2011 season?

 RS: Quite frankly, I don’t think anybody that isn’t, like, me knows about spring football. That said, expectations for 2011 are relatively high: the student body is in collective awe of Dan Persa, and we’re also used to above .500 football, and we would be sort of surprised to violently switch back into losing seasons. Nobody’s picking the Rose Bowl, but, well, nobody’s picking us to go 3-9 either.

LTP: Ugh. That answer just killed me. I thought we were making tremendous progress in this area. OK, time to divert my frustration and channel it elsewhere for a moment. What’s your personal take on Carmody and the state of NU hoops?

RS: I have a million things to say about Bill Carmody. To summarize and way way over-simplify, you can’t get rid of a guy off back-to-back best seasons in school history and the most postseason play ever. I’ve long thought that keeping a guy in charge who has gone 10+ years without a tourney sends a bad message to recruits – how are you going to tell people “we care about going to the NCAA Tournament and think you can help us” when the guy in power, you know, hasn’t – but the Cats are doing too well right now for NU to switch coaching horses at this midstream point.

LTP: While we are at it, we should give this shameless plug for The Daily Northwestern article that commenters were talking about yesterday as it was a fantastic feature on NU assistant hoops coach Tavaras Hardy.  Click here for a must read.  Now, back to football.  What gives you hope that Hankwitz & Co. will turn the tide on “D” this upcoming season? Specific areas of concern for you?

RS: My feeling with regards to our defense is that it can’t really regress that much, so, no place to go but up! I don’t really have an answer because the unit was pretty poor last year and loses two of its best players in Nate Williams and Quentin Davie, who made the linebacking unit the core of the defense. I’m not sure the defense has a strong suit besides Vince Browne being good at football.

 LTP: I guess I’d agree to disagree. You’ve got to give some love to Jordan Mabin.  I also have high hopes for Jeravin Matthews and Ibraheim Campbell, but perhaps it is wishful thinking at this point.  How much does the bowl losing streak make its way in to conversation at the dining hall these days?

RS: It’s a joke. Some of my senior friends this year were pretty disappointed that they’d graduated without seeing a bowl win, but it does sort of propel the pitch for bowl attendance – really, you’re going to potentially miss out on NU’s first bowl in like 150 years? At this point, it’s getting ridiculous, because we’re actually going to these bowls every year – our streak isn’t just long in terms of being since 1949, but also long in that we’ve lost what, eight bowls in a row? The Outback Bowl is something which we just straight up don’t talk about, especially because so many of us went.

LTP: Students often have a different perspective in terms of the “fan favorite” usually because the opinions are much more based on interaction.  Who are the guys on this team that really resonate with students?

RS: For basketball, obviously Luka Mirkovic for his face-hitting and general Euro vibe. Football it’s a little bit more difficult to gauge who the student section’s most popular player is because numbers and players fluctuate so rapidly, and 80 percent of the convo related to on-field play is just “wait, who caught that pass?” – but it’s probably Evan Watkins, because, well, College Gameday (ed note: the “Gameday” reference is apparently somewhat of an insider joke as a fan had a pretty explicit sign that made the air taking the “E” “S” “P” “N” letters to infer that, well, Evan Watkins gets lucky with the ladies nightly.  Not commenting on Evan, just the sign).

LTP: Favorite sports moment as a student so far?

RS: Favorite moment so far, very, very, very specific moments of the Outback Bowl. (worst moment so far: the rest of the Outback Bowl.)

LTP: Thanks Rodger.  I appreciate the time and keep the ball rolling on campus.  For those of us nearly double your age it is almost unthinkable that as a senior-to-be you have yet to witness a football or basketball team that has NOT made the postseason.  Time to turn the corner and get a bowl win and an NCAA berth and your senior year would come second only the 1996 seniors.  Keep in touch.

Alright readers, if you’ve got a purple mafia profile that you’d like to see and can make the connection (Greenberg? Tom Myers? Others?) please do so and email me at laketheposts@gmail.com .  Football, football, football from here on out through next Saturday’s Spring Game.

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Purple Mafia Profile: Eric Peterman

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Let’s get back on football track by touching base with fan favorite former WR Eric Peterman. Read what he has to say about the current crop of Wildcat WRs.

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How about those Arizona Wildcats? Man, was that a beating.  And how hard is it to not love Butler? Well, we’ll get to that in a bit, but first let’s get back to the Friday Purple Mafia Profiles.  Today we flip from hoops to football by reconnecting with former Wildcat WR Eric Peterman who amassed more than 2,000 receiving yards at NU and was our Mr. Clutch in his junior and senior seasons.  Let’s jump right in to it…

LTP: Tell us about the Beyond Sport Foundation you started and what you’re up to in general!

EP: Currently I am the Executive Director of the Beyond Sports Foundation.  Beyond Sports Foundation is a non profit organization dedicated to bringing education and support to student-athletes facing significant life challenges.  We partner with these high school aged individuals and work together to get them into college.  More information can be found at our website. www.supportbsf.org

LTP: The NU WR corps was quite young but ultra-impactful in 2010.  Can you take us through the development from being a true freshman and the difference it makes coming back as a sophomore?

EP: It is a huuuuuuuuuge difference.  As a sophomore you’re now familiar with how things work in this new world called “college.” Your head stops spinning and you start to understand why you’re there and what your specific role is.  In football you feel more comfortable and confident.  You feel as if you belong instead of always trying to fit in.  I am excited to see these young WR’s grow into big playmakers.

LTP: Tony Jones, Rashad Lawrence, Venric Mark return as sophomores. Jeremy Ebert returns as the senior leader and 1st team All-Big Ten. Plus, Charles Brown has been turning heads in spring ball. Now that you’ve had time to put your career in perspective and look back at you and your WR mates, where do you see this unit talent-wise?

EP: I think this group has some unbelievable potential.  Obviously Jeremy is going to make a lot of plays but the play of the 3 young guys will be the difference maker.  If they can step up and be a reliable threat then this team can be scary good.  

LTP: Kevin Johns has left for Indiana. The ‘Cats picked-up Dennis Springer from Indiana. What adjustments can players expect to make with a new coach. Is it technique? Practice methodologies? Route philosophy? What kind of impact can a new WR coach have, both good and bad?

EP: Adaptability on both sides.  Things are going to be different there’s no doubt about that.  If Coach Springer comes in with an open mind and willing to work with the players, and the players approach the situation in the same manner in regards to Coach Springer then there’s a possibility that a great relationship might be born. Since they will be running the same offense there won’t be much change in technique or plays.  Coach Springer may bring in a few tips that he has learned from his experience but for the most part there won’t be much change in terminology, technique, or play calling.  It will be more about the player-coach relationship.

LTP: When you watch this group, what skills from specific player standout?

EP: Ebert – Go to guy in clutch situation, great hands

Mark – Extremely fast and great toughness

Lawrence – Extremely athletic, ability to track the deep ball well

Jones – Big playmaker ability, deep threat  

LTP: You’re a QB-turned-WR.  There is a lot of talk about Kain Colter having to be on the field this year even assuming Dan is starting.  Tell us how challenging (or not) that is to do at this level?

EP: Kain Colter is a “football player.” Football players are football players and can play anywhere on the field.  He is a guy you have to have on the field.  You find a way to get him on the field. 

LTP: Drake Dunsmore. He’s going through his first spring without some type of significant injury. What’s the upside for Drake in 2011? How much will a healthy Dunsmore impact Mick McCall’s philosophy with the Superback position in 2011?

EP: Drake Dunsmore = Greg Olsen. You simply can’t guard someone that big and with that athleticism.  I’d look for Drake to also be a nice weapon in the deep arsenal of offensive firepower next year.  Look for Drake to play a big role in the redzone and in short yardage. 

LTP: Thoughts and expectations from you for our 2011 ‘Cats? Most anticipated season in memory?

EP: I just can’t wait to see them beat Iowa.

LTP: …again! Thanks for playing! Good to reconnect and we look forward to seeing you soon.

We’ll break down the bracket leaders tonight!

HOOPS BANTER

I had Carmody stay/go fatigue and left it to the commenters to duke it out. I just didn’t have the energy in the wake of the game to go there. Of course, local scribes are going there.  I’m not a big fan of Dan McNeil but I thought this article on the irrelevance of Chicago college basketball likely captured the neutral-NU fan’s point of view pretty well. It is a somewhat objective opinion of the state of NU from someone with no ties there.

Separately, Teddy posted this piece on what next year will look like which included a quote from JerShon Cobb addressing the “whispers” of transferring by saying he’s “happy”.  I’m out of the loop as I hadn’t heard the whispers.

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Northwestern Football Marketing 2011

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Mike Polisky, Northwestern’s Senior Associate AD in charge of marketing joins us for a look back and a look ahead for NU football marketing.

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If you’re still in the hunt for the Tournament Bracket Challenge after this weekend, it is time for you to become the official prediction czar for NU football! Man, I can’t remember so many upsets.  The leaderboard is crowded with Schapirate and Scott021 tied with 470 points and clinging to a lead that will be up for grabs with so many double-digit seeds advancing to the Sweet 16. Click here for an updated leaderboard. I’m sure you were as heartbroken as I was to see Notre Dame cap of the wild weekend by getting blasted by Florida State.  Now, let’s get to our guest, Mike Polisky.

I’ve documented pretty heavily the fact Northwestern increased the home football attendance to 36,449 in 2010 from 24,190 which was then second only to Washington State for worst BCS attendance. Obviously last year’s Wrigley Field home game against Illinois was an anchor for the strategy to lift home attendance. However, last summer Mike Polisky joined Northwestern from local sports marketing success stories as president of the Chicago Wolves and the GM of the Chicago Rush. Polisky, hired in June of 2010 made an instant impact by securing resources and overhauling the ticket office, immediately upgraded gameday experiences and helped see the ‘Cats most aggressive marketing campaign in school history take flight as Chicago’s Big Ten Team.

Polisky has one full football season under his belt as well as his first hoops season. It’s quite amazing what he and his team have accomplished in such a short amount of time. With expectations in Evanston for 2011 nearing fever pitch with the expected return of Dan Persa, I thought it would be good to check in with Mike to get a sense of what lies ahead.

LTP: Well, you’ve had a full football season under your belt and we’re all getting pumped for one of the more anticipated seasons in recent memory. Considering we experienced the largest marketing outreach in NU football history last year, what can we expect from a marketing standpoint this season?
MP: A lot of the same and hopefully a lot better. We’re going to focus on marketplace awareness,but also initiatives focused on ROI (return on investment) in sales. You’ll see more online initiatives with more tracking of our investment. The newspaper, billboard and the like give a bump for ticket sales, but it is also for the brand awareness lift and letting people know that Northwestern is here. We need to remind people and teach people that we are here in a macro way. We’ll still do macro but we are going to focus on more micro tactics –specific  packages, and more trackable initiatives.

LTP: Last season the Wrigley game anchored as a season ticket draw. Northwestern enjoyed the single largest attendance increase in the nation on a per game basis jumping more than 10,000 to 36,449. Obviously, there is no novelty draw like that Wrigley game. How do you expect to increase the base in 2011?

MP: We’re not satisfied with the growth. The Wrigley game played out great from an exposure and experience standpoint. We had ESPN College Gameday host from there. We were thrilled with it. In 2012 we’ll have Nebraska’s first trip to Evanston as a Big Ten team as a focal point of our strategy. But this year we’re focusing on Heisman candidate  Dan Persa, All Big Ten 1st Team WR Jeremy Ebert, our extremely positive coaching staff, a host of talent and of course we have Coach Fitz. We want people to get on board now. We believe we have something special building and we want people to get on board this year with this team and stay with us.

LTP: The NFL labor situation may very well offer NU football a unique marketing situation. What are your thoughts philosophically on how NU can capitalize on a potential void of Bears news between now and the season?
MP: We have a ton of diehard fans here in NU Athletics so we’re hopeful that they’ll play. We think there are more than enough fans to fill both Ryan Field on Saturday and Soldier Field for the Bears on the same home weekend. From a business standpoint, we’re not going to do anything specific as it relates to the Bears or the NFL situation. We really hope they are back in action soon.  We would love for all football fans to come to our games.

LTP: It is a very unique home schedule this year. Northwestern does not play a FBS team at home until October 8. What challenges or opportunities does this present?

MP: From a ticketing standpoint it allows us to sell for an extra four to five weeks which is a positive. We’re selling seasons and groups already, but not until to football season comes around and the season starts and the big coverage kicks in it will resonate with our consumers and give us an assist for the window to capitalize on it. Next year we have four home games in September (Vanderbilt 9/8, BC 9/15, South Dakota 9/22, Indiana 9/29) which is a completely different challenge. We don’t have to worry about the students not being in school factor this season,  but there are no excuses.

LTP: It was well documented that NU engaged Populous to do an athletics facilities study at Northwestern. The not-so-subtle hint of big facilities overhaul is coming. How close are we to learning more about the study? How does the potential Ryan Field facility upgrade recommendations play in to your marketing strategy?
MP: The study has several more months to go but we’re so excited about the analysis getting completed. We’re hopeful that from a long term perspective we will be able to enhance all of our sports.  I can’t go in to it much more at this point until the study is complete.

LTP: What are your priorities specifically in season two of your tenure as it relates to improving the gameday experience at Ryan Field?  What, in your estimation, worked well last season and what did not?
MP: We put a ton of focus on the gameday experience. Ultimately, we look at it through the eyes of the fan from the moment they step out of their car, walk to the stadium, the game experience and all the way through leaving we’re they should be thanked for coming.  We enhanced the player introductions with fireworks, we focused on in game on field entertainment, we upgraded the integration of videos both in pregame and throughout the game.  We did  a bunch of things that weren’t overt, but things that the season ticket holders noticed. We want to impress everyone that walks in and we want them to be greeted with a friendly hello and have a great experience all the way through the time they leave. Of course, we added personal account managers for every single season ticket holder. Ultimately do you feel good from time you walk out of car to the time you get back in it? We have passionate fans and tremendous communication from our fans who let us know what works. Overall, we were happy with the progress, but still have room to improve.  There is a lot we can do.

LTP: One of the big wins for the year in my book was the dawn of a tradition that stuck instantly.  The 4th quarter “Put Your Hands Up In The Air” tradition had Ryan Field rocking every week. It’s really hard to start a tradition as they usually feel forced and don’t stick. However, this one was an instant hit and will have fans buzzing every game from now through eternity. How did it all come together?

MP: Fitz wanted to do something, Jim (Phillips) wanted to start a tradition and we wanted to do something. We literally got a group together went out to lunch and said “we’re not leaving until we have the idea”.  I think we all liked it because it told fans what to do, it was a call to action. Other traditions evolve, maybe it is a song that sticks over time, or of course there is Jump Around at Camp Randall,  but we wanted that special twist and build the Chicago brand and realize its fun to be associated with it. We knew we’d be OK with the first one as we knew that having Fitz call fans attention on the scoreboard would be captivating.  It worked. Then from there we had Ditka, then Brian Urlacher and we knew fans were enjoying it.  It has become an integral part of the experience and fans, whether longtime season ticket holders or year one fans want to be associated with it.  We hope the “who’s it going to be?” question each game is part of the tradition and build. We like it.

We also have a new tradition in hoops. For one of the national anthems this season, the microphone had an issue, which we were upset about (it wasn’t an equipment issue, but operator error as she had the mic turned off), but the entire crowd galvanized and sang the national anthem. It didn’t matter who you were rooting for,  it gave you chills. Now we’re asking everyone to sing the national anthem  in unison as we have someone sing the first few notes and the fans take it from there. It has been fantastic. Fans get it now and there is nothing like a sold out Welsh-Ryan singing the national anthem to set the tone. Granted, there are too many opposing fans some of the times in my opinion, but we’re working on ways to eliminate that in the future.  

LTP: Mike, thanks for your time. There are so many follow-ups we want to get to, we’ll have to have you back. For certain, the second that study gets released we want to have you back.  As I’ve told you in person, the work you’ve done is being noticed by so many of the season ticket holders. We’re so excited that you’re here and taking the bull by the horns.  Keep up the great work and we look forward to another off-season chat with you soon.

‘Cats Lose to ‘Bama In WNIT

It was a heartbreaking way to end a career, but Northwestern bowed to Alabama 72-70 in the second round of the WNIT at Welsh-Ryan yesterday.  Seniors Beth Marshall (4-6 3pt), Amy Jaeschke (19 points) and Meshia Reid ended their Wildcat careers in front of the home fans in a game that came down to the final shot. Northwestern (19-14) had a disappointing stretch run as it seemed the ‘Cats were on track for the NCAA Tourney, but still managed to win the most games since the ’95-’96 season.  Click here for the full recap.

 Late Night NIT Scouting Report

NU’s next opponent will be determined late tonight as Washington State hosts Oklahoma State at 11:30 pm et on ESPN2.  The winner of this second round NIT match-up will host Northwestern on Wednesday night.  Click here for the game notes to prep for Oklahoma State, who went 6-10 in conference.  Washington State was 9-9 in the Pac-10.

Wrestling Props

Three Wildcats earned All-American honors this past weekend at the NCAA National Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia.  Brandon Precin nabbed 3rd place at nationals and became just the fifth three-time All-American in Wildcat history. Learn all about the ‘Cats wrestling success here in this Tribune report by Gary Blockus.

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24 Again

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It never matters what time of year it is when it comes to catching up with Mr. 2-4. Let’s mix it up with The Real Deal…

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As promised, I caught up with all-time LTP favorite Darnell Autry.  It seems as though #24 is continuing the dream by putting the pads back on in hopes of competing with LTP’s day job in the sports content business. Let’s catch-up with Fitz’s old teammate and a RB who many of us daydreamed about all season long. As I explained last week, Darnell is launching his production company with a somewhat autobiographical reality show. Here is the official description for the proposed TV series called 24 Again:

Darnell Autry is currently developing a television show, 24 Again, which will be the debut project of his production company, Team Autry Entertainment.  As the star of 24 Again, Darnell will once again throw on his helmet as a member of the 2011 Amiens Spartiates, a club football in Amiens, France, which is located about 1 ½ hours north of Paris.  The Spartiates won the national title last season and will participate in the Eurobowl after this season.  With the backdrop of a fairly-small town and the club’s youth football program, Amiens offers a unique perspective on American Football and will produce nothing but a popular television program.

LTP: Darnell – it is great to have you back as a guest at LTP! Tell us about the 2011 Amiens team and where you expect to fit in onthe squad. Any names in the league we are aware of?

DA: This team won the national title last season and will participate in the Eurobowl after this season. I hope to be a positive contribution as both a player and a mentor to the other players. This project hopes to expose the great talent in this league.

LTP: What are you doing to stay in football shape? How would you assess your RB skills at this point?

DA: I am training at TC Boost in Northbrook with Bob and Tom Christian. My running back skills are very rusty; once in a while I’ll have flashes from the past, but those are rare at this point.

LTP: Clearly, this is part of a bigger picture and the debut project of your production company. LTP knows quite a bit about this industryand is curious as to the master plan of how you’re going to make your impact in this field AFTER the success of this project.

DA: This is our first project of many. Following this one, we hope to produce feature-length films, documentaries and other marketable productions. Our goal is to put Chicago on the entertainment map. By becoming the production company of Chicago, talented individuals will have the option to pursue their entertainment dreams in the Windy City.

LTP: Where and when can we expect to see the reality series?

DA: We are in the process of raising development money, which would be used to finance the tools necessary to sell this program to a television network. We have the right team in place. If you would like to join our team on this exciting project, please visit our fan page on Facebook, which is called 24 Again and send us an e-mail.

LTP: How much are you in contact with Fitz these days? How many games didyou get to watch? What are your thoughts on the season and the program in general?

DA: I talk to Fitz and the rest of that Rose Bowl team through an e-mail group, but during the season, I do not talk to Fitz; he has a job to do. I watched every game this season, and I try my best to never miss a game. The key to this season would be a bowl victory over Texas Tech, which would help the program turn the corner. Fitz is definitely the guy who will make this happen.

LTP: Fill in this sentence. Dan Persa is the most exciting and fun player to watch at NU since…

DA: Fitz. He was a high-intensity player who made more than his share of plays. If he was healthy for the ’96 Rose Bowl, there’s not a doubt in my mind that game would have ended differently.

LTP: The RB situation has been, well, challenging, over the past fewyears. What is your assessment of what we need to be doing to get theprogram back to the “RB-U” we had established with you, Damien, Noah, Jason Wright and then Tyrell?

DA: First, we need to continue to recruit dedicated student-athletes. The athletic component follows. I am more than confident in the staff’s ability in bringing the right student-athletes to the Wildcat family.

LTP: Will you be on hand to see our first bowl win since 1949? Where are you living these days? How involved with NU are you?

DA: I will be watching the NU bowl win with my family in Arizona. We need this win! Currently, I am living in Chicago and try to get to as many NU home games as I can. Team Autry Entertainment is committed to serving as a gateway for talented entertainment professionals in the Chicago area. I hope to get many Northwestern people involved with this production company.

LTP: Thanks for checking in Darnell. Here’s to the ‘Cats upsetting Texas Tech and getting off the schinde in bowl games.  Keep us posted on your season as we’d love to check-in real time to find out how you’re doing! 

RECRUITING NEWS

There are some interesting doings going on in Northwestern recruiting as my subscription to WildcatReport.com has been quite fruitful as of late. Some official and unofficial news and gossip:

  • Since we just heard from Darnell, let’s go to the RB position. WR reported in the wake of Arby Fields departure from NU, the ‘Cats offered a scholarship to Josh Clemons, a 5-foot-11, 202-pounder from Fayetteville (Ga.) Whitewater. Clemons is considering NU along with Maryland, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Central Florida.  His YouTube highlights are here:

  • One of the highest-rated recruits on the NU radar, Barrington’s  (IL) Dan Voltz, a superstar OL, took his 5th unofficial visit to NU.  We’re very much in the mix with the likes of Wisconsin, Arizona, Notre Dame, BC, Michigan State and Iowa.
  • Northwestern is apparently in the final two along with Michigan for the services of last-minute attempt for 3-star LB Desmond Morgan of Ottawa, Michigan.The ‘Cats have made a strong push according to WR after Sean Cotton’s test scores forced him to “decommit”.  Morgan gave Northwestern extremely high marks after his recent recruiting visit.
  • The buzz on the message boards is about stud DE Deonte Gibson re-opening up his recruitment and reconsidering NU after his commitment to Pitt seems kaput based on the departure of former head coach Dave Wannstedt.  Click here to get your hopes juiced.

Pardon The Pun

Congratulations to NU superfan/alum Michael Wilbon for penning his final Washington Post column earlier this week and publishing his inaugural post for ESPN yesterday.  The longtime highly-acclaimed scribe parted ways with the post to roundout his ESPN offerings in a cross-platform plethora of punditry.  His star has elevated as a daily co-host of one of the WWL’s signature shows – PTI.  I’ve got to give a shout-out to Wilbon on a couple of levels. He took pot shots at both Notre Dame and Michigan while professing his Northwestern Wildcat-ness in the above-linked column.  I also had the pleasure of bumping in to him in the Phoenix airport a week ago. He was wearing a Northwestern Wildcat sweatsuit.  Michael, the LTP Purple Mafia Profile awaits…

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>Purple Mafia Profile – Kinda

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>It’s Friday, and the last scheduled slot for a pre-season Purple Mafia Profile. There is no Q&A today, but definitely some news of note. Also, be sure to go to [...]

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>It’s Friday, and the last scheduled slot for a pre-season Purple Mafia Profile. There is no Q&A today, but definitely some news of note. Also, be sure to go to MEET THE TEAM night TONIGHT at 6pm at Ryan Field! First..the profile:

OK, I’ll see you in about 3 minutes, but you must go HERE to Newsweek.com to see the 2010 Emmy Roundtable and Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet. The video is very long, however right off the very top Eric talks about his embarassing first gig – as the star of The Purple Guy spots for Northwestern in 1995. For those of you who were fans then, you need no further info. For those younger fans in the crowd, Stonestreet’s spots were legendary (in my mind) local TV spots where his flabby self was literally painted head to toe in purple and ranting about Northwestern football grabbing folks attention about the Big Ten Champs up and down the streets. One of the payoffs of the spot was Gary Barnett walking by in his white shirt and Purple Guy putting his arm around him as they walked, leaving a purple print on Gary’s back. And thanks to Rob Z. he tracked down one of the actual spots here – on an archived NUSports.com video player! Somewhere Mr. Stonestreet is cringing. For more backstory on the spots you can go to NUSports.com and read about them here.

ATTENTION STUDENTS!

You might remember a recent PMP with the inaugural president of the NUWildSide Executive Board – Brian DeConinck. He’s been hard at work this summer working side-by-side with the university to brainstorm and more importantly prioritize and implement several different initiatives. I’ve offered LTP has his go-to platform to spread the word and I know fans will want to know what’s going on on campus as well. You can check out the site he’s set up – http://www.nuwildside.com/ – which is going to be an anchor of the communication strategy for students and you can feel free to visit as well. Brian admits the site is a work in progress, but is erring on the side of getting it up and out there and tweaking on the fly.

Additionally, a couple of promotions of note:

1.) T-shirt Design Contest

NU Wildside is holding a t-shirt design contest. This was done by NU Athletics in the past but is now under Wildside’s domain. The winner will be recognized at a pep rally on September 23 – the week of the Central Michigan game (and of course get a free T-shirt to go along with the pride of being the design of choice to be worn by all students at games). The contest is open only to NU undergraduates (regrettably!). ALL ENTRIES MUST BE IN BY SEPTEMBER 1, 2010! Since no students are on campus yet, this means extra credit in advance of the school year. Your friends are all back to school anyway, so no excuses – get to work! CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS.

2.) Chicagoland Freshmen Tailgate

Any local incoming freshmen (and any other students in the area!) are invited to join the Wildside for a pregame tailgate at the Illinois State game on September 11. See your new school and your new team up close, learn the fight song, and head home with something purple! Look for the purple “Wildside” flag in the west parking lot. Note: Incoming students must get their WildCARDs early for free entry to the game. They can do so by visiting the WildCARD office in Norris during regular (M-F) business hours between now and September 10.

We’ll be checking back with Brian regularly. Oh yeah…DRUMROLL PLEASE….Brian is redesigning LakeThePosts and the BRAND NEW look will be unveiled NEXT WEEK!

Wrigley Field
By far the most hot-button topic of the week at LTP is the student ticket price ($58) for the Wrigley Game. Betweeen the comments and the emails, I can tell this will not be going away any time soon. For the non-students, fire up the rooftops as Wrigley Field area rooftops were granted approval for operating during the NU-IL game on November 20.

Coming up…
At 11:30 am ct – the 2010 previews roll on with a look at Game 6 – an October 9 night game at Ryan Field against Purdue.

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>Pulling Back The Curtain on ‘Cats Beat Writer – Tina Akouris

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>The Big Ten Network is visiting Camp Kenosha as we speak. The Northwestern preview show will be airing on August 25 so stay tuned for that. Today I’ve got a [...]

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>The Big Ten Network is visiting Camp Kenosha as we speak. The Northwestern preview show will be airing on August 25 so stay tuned for that. Today I’ve got a mid-week bonus for LTP readers – a quasi Purple Mafia Profile. With the robust coverage the Chicago Sun-Times has been allocating to Northwestern football, I felt it was only fair to get to know Tina Akouris, the relatively new beat writer for the ‘Cats. Let’s get in to it.

LTP: Tell us about the backstory of how you became the Sun-Times beat writer for Northwestern?

TA: I got called into sports editor Chris DeLuca’s office shortly after he took over our sports department, right before Thanksgiving. We were just chatting about how things were going with me covering high school sports and he offered me the beat. I was pretty surprised, and very grateful.

LTP: Offer up your background and passion (or not) for college football.

TA: I’ve been a fan of college football since I was a kid, maybe middle school. But I never liked all of college football, just Illinois. I’ve been an Illinois fan since eighth grade and I graduated from there in the mid-1990s. I’m a Big Ten fan, too.

LTP: Oh boy. An Illini? Give it time and we’ll convert you. I’m assuming November 20 (date of NU-Illini game at Wrigley Field) will be an interesting day for you?

TA: It is going to be very emotional for me. Its just the way it is.

LTP:Fess up. What was your impression of NU football prior to getting this assignment? How has it changed (if at all) since you started?

TA: I thought they were a team on the rise and I still do. I watched some of the Outback Bowl in January (I have twin boys, 17 months old now, so at the time I really couldn’t sit and focus on a four-hour football game) and my husband and I both said we think NU will go to a New Year’s Day bowl game this season. And my father-in-law is convinced a trip to Pasadena is in my immediate future.

LTP: To that point your counterparts – Teddy G. and Shannon Ryan (Chicago Tribune) are predicting NU as a sexy sleeper pick to make some noise in the Big Ten this year despite most picking them at 8-4 (4-4) ish and a middle of the pack finish. What’s your take?

TA: I agree with Teddy and Shannon. I was surprised at some of these preseason magazines that picked NU to finish below Purdue and Michigan State. I don’t agree with that at all. I think NU will finish a lot higher in the Big Ten, although they will be tested by Penn State, Iowa and Wisconsin. I don’t know if they can beat Penn State in State College, but if they do it will be huge for the program.

LTP: Are you covering practice daily? If so, what’s your take on Arby Fields and the RB corps? What gives you hope that we’ll be more productive there this year other than the fact our OL is a year more developed?

TA: I am not going to practice daily, but I am going at least three times a week. I like what I see and what I’ve heard. I think Arby is a fantastic athlete, and anyone who can balance two sports (baseball, too) at a Big Ten school is something special. He is the real deal and will carry the offense far. He is more mature this year and I can tell he is ready to take a leadership role. He’s already told me he has taken a freshman under his wing, Tim Hanrahan (formerly of Providence High in New Lenox), and I think playing as a freshmen really helped his development — stumbles and all.

LTP: What’s your take on the state of the progra?. Obviously, Jim Phillips and Mike Polisky have made some noise with the recent marketing campaign. However, we’re still a ways from 47,130 on a weekly basis. What’s your take on how NU gets to the next level fan-wise?

TA: What Jim has done so far as AD has been significant to the program and the school. He is such a great fit for NU with what his vision is and where he wants the school to be in the future. I think, like Jim told me a month ago, getting the word out and making NU competitive with other distractions in this market is going to take some time. But I like what they’ve done so far.

LTP: Do you have a favorite player to cover yet?

TA: Not yet. I’m still trying to memorize uniform numbers. :-)

LTP: Fitz. He’s known for Fitz-speak – never a word out of place, always positive, but not always forthcoming with information. Have you found yourself able to crack through the calculated public persona yet?

TA: Fitz is great. I really enjoy talking to him and he tells some great stories. I haven’t found him to be not forthcoming with info. I can tell you that a few years ago I interviewed him for a Sun-Times feature called High School of the Week. He was our featured “What Sandburg Means to Me” essayist and I found him to be hysterical. He is really a funny guy with a good sense of humor. I don’t think people see that side of him, but when he talked about his days at Sandburg he really opened up.

LTP: Anything else you’d like to add?

TA:I’m just happy to be here.

LTP: And with the coverage you’re providing, so are we! Be sure to check the Sun-Times daily for Northwestern football coverage all season long. I’ll be sure to link to as many stories as I can. Thanks Tina and we look forward to having you back soon!

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>Purple Mafia Profile – Jack Cverko

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> Jack Cverko and the ‘Cats grace the cover of SI back in November, 1963 For many younger Wildcat fans hearing about the 1995 Rose Bowl season is just that [...]

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> Jack Cverko and the ‘Cats grace the cover of SI back in November, 1963

For many younger Wildcat fans hearing about the 1995 Rose Bowl season is just that -hearing. For those of us that experienced that magical year firsthand, it is incomprehensible how a Wildcat fan DIDN’T get to go through that transformational year as a fan. Well, for many of us who did go through 1995 it is hard to relate to the experience of the 1962 season when NU -for a brief time – rose to the ranks of #1 in the nation. For relevance, Fitz has never had a team ranked higher than #22 in either poll. Well, today, we connect with Northwestern All-American Jack Cverko who was a major contributor to that 1962 team – the last Northwestern team to be ranked atop the polls in the nation. He also had the pleasure of gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated as part of that run meaning NU has had two cover presences in team history – 1963 (the SI cover ran the following fall about a feature on Big Ten linemen) and 1995. Let’s get in to it with Jack…

LTP: Your name is one that is very distinguished in NU lore – a 1st team All-American. What have you been up to in recent years?
JC: I retired in 2007 from Daytona Beach Community College. I was Senior Professor and Chair of the Mathematics Department. During my time in Daytona I coached several years of High School and college (Bethune Cookman) football.

LTP: Many current ‘Cats fans have no idea that NU was last ranked #1 in the nation in 1962 – your senior season. You did so in impression fashion stomping Notre Dame, Miami and several Big Ten big names. Take us back to that magical season and offer some specific memories that we can’t learn by simply “Googling” that season.

JC: 1962 was a special year! I was a “red shirt” junior. I sat out 1961 due to a knee injury. Ara and the coaches spent part of the of season with The Green Bay staff (Vince Lombardi) and we installed the Green Bay offense that spring. We spent a lot of time running the sweep. I addition we had a soph. QB and a backup fullback (Myers & Flatly) to build our passing game around. We had a walk on 185 pound center Jay Robinson, team captain and a former walk on Qb Jerry Goshgargian 180lb middle linebacker.

We had a great opening vs. South Carolina , with two great sophomore performances (Myers & Bill Swingle). There starting QB was “Deacon” Dan Reeves (37-20). We followed with a 45-0 vs Illinois.
Then it was Minnesota and Ohio State.

That was the big one. Down 14-0 early in the first quarter we came back to win 18-14. We had a great goaline stand to end the game. In that series we had two interferences penalties the last one in the en zone, at least 6 or seven plays inside the 10 yard line and they did not score! The following Monday we where ranked #1.

Then it Notre Dame and Indiana. Indiana left use with several injured starters. We then fell to Wisconsin, and Michigan State. The team the traveled to Miami for Thanksgiving and finished with a win over the ‘Canes. George Mir a and fetal

The most import part of our season was the family like atmosphere on the team. We were indeed a team from the stars to the scout squad. Agra always recognized the had work by those who received little public recognition.

Some of the notables on the line which was a big part of our success were,Burt Petkus, Chuck Urbanic, Chuck Logan, Pat Riley, Kent Pike, Joe Szczecko, Mike Schwager, Lou Dineff, Larry Zeno, Fred and Ed Turk, Joe Cerne, Rich Olson and Dick Uhlir. After all its what’s up front that counts!
I have left off some of the backs and receivers.

LTP: You were on the cover of SI along with your fellow lineman. Tell us about that momentous occasion – what kind of impact it had on you and the team and what that honor meant at that time.

JC: The S.I. at the time was not that big a deal. My first knowledge of it was when the mail was delivered to the frat house I opened it and saw the picture. It has become a much bigger deal through the years.

Actually I was a member of the ’63 team I was drafted as a “future”. The S.I. cover is from the 1963 Minnesota game. I injured my “good” knee vs. Indiana in 1963. I did some post season appearances with Ara and I was aware of his ongoing talks with ND.

LTP: Ara Parseghian coached only one more season after you graduated and were drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1963. Northwestern beat ND too many times for the Irish trustees to stomach it, so they lured him away. Can you offer some insights in to what made Ara so special? Perhaps his approach to training? Or, specifically, were there instances where he just flat out-schemed opponents?

JC: I think Ara’s greatest asset was his relationship with his players and his staff. As I mentioned we were a close knit group. When things were going good he kept us from getting big headed . Monday meetings started with “we weren’t that good and they weren’t that bad” and “there is nothing older than yesterdays headlines”. As for training we did a lot of running at the end of practice during two a days(several full field gassers). He also introduced a isometric routine during the season. Weight lifting was not a big thing in the early sixties. I think our schemes were fairly simple and the emphasis was on execution. There weren’t a lot of secrets you just out executed your opponents. We did usually have one of two specials for each team. I can remember the Greenbay sweep guards opposite for Illinois when we recognized the linebackers were chasing the pulling guards. Benz scored on along run while Burt and I were pulling the opposite direction. Our trapping game was also very effective.

LTP: The brothers tradition is a long one at NU . Currently Nate and Quentin Williams are carrying the torch. I’ve read that your brother was a key reason for your matriculating in Evanston. Can you talk about that relationship?

JC: As for my brother I would likely not have been recruited to a Big Ten school had it not been for his success. He was both an academic( electrical engineer) and football All American. Neither of us made all-anything in high school. During my freshman year Andy returned to Evanston and we lifted weights and played handball several nights at the Evanston Y. The weight facilities at the campus were sparse. I think this gave me a great advantage over those who were not doing weight training.

LTP: How involved are you today in Northwestern football? How much do you follow the team or even connect with Fitz and company?

JC: Today I am just a fan. I have volunteered to give any help requested recruiting Florida but I can not make any direct contact as per NCAA rules. I think Coach Fitzgerald is doing a good job since he took over the program and his addition a new defensive coordinator seems to have been a great find.

I am impressed with his discipline and the demeanor of the team. I think a little more running game would help give the defense more of a break. But overall they are doing what they have to compete. It’s tough to recruit the kids the big boys are after so they must find those who don’t quiet fit the mold. Sutton was one such player not big enough not fast enough just a winner. Of course in order to do that you must not try to do what others are doing you have got to do things your talent can be successful with.

I think coach Fitzgerald has a good grasp on the program. I am also impressed with his sense of the history of N.U. football. I understand that the lockers in the locker room have the names of past notable players. I have not seen these but one of the players told me he had my locker. In addition he has requested an appearance from Ara Paseghian and his All Americans. Two years ago at a post game tailgate he south out me and my brother Andy and said I heard the Cverckos were hear and I came to say hello. I was quite moved by ths gesture.

I think Coach Fitz has a great start in building a program can be proud of and the future looks bright. I hope the fans and the school will continue its support.

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