From Tim Chapman's (Chappy's) postgame story:
"Another three-and-out forced by the NU defense gave the ball back to the Cats with 12:26 to go in the game. Following a key first-down run on third-and-9 by fan-favorite Chad Hanaoka, Thorson - whom Fitzgerald called “a warrior” after the game - threw a deep fly pattern to Skowronek. As it arched over his head and down toward his outstretched hands, Skowronek cradled it, palms up, slammed into the nearly-frozen turf and held on for a 32-yard highlight-reel TD catch that is sure to go down in Northwestern lore."
Every game highlight compilation I have seen from the NU-Iowa game has included that amazing catch by Skowronek and as Coach Fitz timely reminds, the other half of the play has to be credited to CT as well.
Then there is that intangible which arguably also plays a role - karma - to hopefully placate the football gods. Where better to search for some positive Cat karma than in China where life decisions are made on every turn based upon the blessings of good fortune and where incidentally I found myself the week before yesterday's game?
While the tried and tested mojo moose was not be be found, that didn't prevent me from looking for some Sino substitutes, beginning with a Panda sighting. After all, good luck wise an argument is to be made that the Panda is to China what the Moose is to Alaska.
Secondly, following in Far East Wildcat's previously proven effective taking of "The Purple" to the Great Wall of China, I climbed (with purple in tow) to the top of "The Great Wall" hoping that effort would offer some feng shui positioning that could translate to our defense putting up a wall to limit the Hawkeyes' intrusion into the end zone.
In view of the above referenced "warrior" description, was it mere coincidence that my efforts also included, just hours after our loss to Notre Dame, an encounter with the Purple in the presence of the Terracotta Warriors?
Last, but not least, there was the Tiananmen Square "incident" (as contemporaneously recounted below) and foray into The Forbidden City.
"The Tiananmen Incident" (as previously posted in a contemporaneous message):
In the final photo you can see a policeman approaching me as my cap is propped on the post of the security barrier at Tiananmen Square.
The photo above it shows one of the trees of security cameras that catch every movement. (These were pointed out to me after the fact.)
Fortunately a gust of wind blew my cap back toward me just as I took the photo and I was able to retrieve it and move back into the crowd. Had it blown the other direction and I had gone after it, there could have been more than simply some questions to answer.
"Another three-and-out forced by the NU defense gave the ball back to the Cats with 12:26 to go in the game. Following a key first-down run on third-and-9 by fan-favorite Chad Hanaoka, Thorson - whom Fitzgerald called “a warrior” after the game - threw a deep fly pattern to Skowronek. As it arched over his head and down toward his outstretched hands, Skowronek cradled it, palms up, slammed into the nearly-frozen turf and held on for a 32-yard highlight-reel TD catch that is sure to go down in Northwestern lore."
Every game highlight compilation I have seen from the NU-Iowa game has included that amazing catch by Skowronek and as Coach Fitz timely reminds, the other half of the play has to be credited to CT as well.
Then there is that intangible which arguably also plays a role - karma - to hopefully placate the football gods. Where better to search for some positive Cat karma than in China where life decisions are made on every turn based upon the blessings of good fortune and where incidentally I found myself the week before yesterday's game?
While the tried and tested mojo moose was not be be found, that didn't prevent me from looking for some Sino substitutes, beginning with a Panda sighting. After all, good luck wise an argument is to be made that the Panda is to China what the Moose is to Alaska.
Secondly, following in Far East Wildcat's previously proven effective taking of "The Purple" to the Great Wall of China, I climbed (with purple in tow) to the top of "The Great Wall" hoping that effort would offer some feng shui positioning that could translate to our defense putting up a wall to limit the Hawkeyes' intrusion into the end zone.
In view of the above referenced "warrior" description, was it mere coincidence that my efforts also included, just hours after our loss to Notre Dame, an encounter with the Purple in the presence of the Terracotta Warriors?
Last, but not least, there was the Tiananmen Square "incident" (as contemporaneously recounted below) and foray into The Forbidden City.
"The Tiananmen Incident" (as previously posted in a contemporaneous message):
In the final photo you can see a policeman approaching me as my cap is propped on the post of the security barrier at Tiananmen Square.
The photo above it shows one of the trees of security cameras that catch every movement. (These were pointed out to me after the fact.)
Fortunately a gust of wind blew my cap back toward me just as I took the photo and I was able to retrieve it and move back into the crowd. Had it blown the other direction and I had gone after it, there could have been more than simply some questions to answer.
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