DPP 4: Night Jobs.

Not your average workplace.

I have to work a men's basketball game tonight (just like every other night of the week it seems). Not super thrilled. I'll just hold out hope that the halftime act doesn't show up so my dad will race out mid court and perform his "talent" act.

Mr Napkin Head.

Yes, Mr Napkin Head is his talent, and he likes to perform this act at as many family meals as he can. Even in public. He also watches The Holiday at least once a month. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the court, Mr Napkin Head.

(Above picture is not Mr Napkin Head, usually we're laughing too hard to take a picture)

DPP #20: Even my Panther Purple kicks didn't help at tonight's game. But the boys cheered them on anyway!

DPP #10: Santas Helpers at Half Time.

DPP #10: I worked the UNI Mens basketball today (As I do every game). But not every game has dancing lip syncing little elves as the half time show.....

I thought the games would never end....

There's a reason I direct, and don't run camera. I thought watching volleyball from my cement room on a 2" by 2" screen was occasionally mind numbing enough. WRONG! It's even worse from behind the camera. Note the progression of happiness to pure "GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!"

Creative Minds Necessary.

November is the busiest month for UNI Videoboard. Volleyball and football are joined by mens and womens basketball. And this year, with all of the extra NCAA and conference finals games, December has been invaded by craziness. And I will be the first one to say that UNI hasn't exactly provided us with top of the line equipment. Case in point.

Now, the funny (or not so funny part), is that they replaced the one thing that I felt comfortable with. They took away my lovely master board from the late 70s (no joke) and replaced it with the computer program Tricaster. Holy freak out. I thought i was going to explode, but since then I have figured it out and am ok with the switch...but now, if we could get our cameras to work so we don't have to jam pens in them in order to see people the way they were meant to be seen, and not as if we were all Smurfs.

And its another, Panther, First Down.

I survived the first football game of the year. Somehow. I learned the brand new system literally the day before, the instant replay computer totally broke down, and I had a crew of kids that had never worked with us before.

I walked in the door getting home feeling like I had lived through about three car accidents in a row, one involving a bright purple and yellow fire truck.

And then. Glory of all glories. Pizza arrived in my arms. And a carmel apple. And shortly thereafter, my pillow.

*sigh*

And yet, I am really really glad I am starting up my fourth year. I'd say Go Panthers, but I really dont care who wins as long as the game doesnt go into over time, so really, Go Team Dome Dungeon.


And it's Game Day!!!

UNI Fight!!!

Sweet Sixteen here we come!!!!

Proud Panther.

I havent posted in awhile. Been at Disney for a week. But I found this picture, and I can't even express how adorable they are. Super happy for them tonight. Having worked every home game the past three years, they deserved this.

Hello.

There should be a People of Disney website....its almost better than Walmart....

This much dessert should never be consumed in a 24 hour period....let alone 6 consecutive 24 hour periods....

Lucas ORear dances should always be done. But sadly, it will be the last of the season tomorrow. Stupid 9 seed.

I like sling box. And gyms.

Bye Bye Basketball. And Videoboard!!

As of tomorrow, my third season of UNI Athletics will be over. As much as I love it, especially the people, I am ready for the break. Since the last week of August, I have had three weekends that didn't have a single game. Otherwise, I have been in my mini tomb callin the replays and lovely shots. Basketball ends it tomorrow, unfortunately with a women's game (men are already down at MVC tourney). Which means a total of about 300 people (versus the mens average of 6000). Aka, ZERO energy. But then I am free! FREE!!!!

Cue the happy dance.

Panther Pride? I guess?

I'm on the left (for most of you that's obvious, but I have a few awesome internet stalkers that don't know!) and this is what I look like far too much of every weekend from September to March during UNI's athletic season. Like I have a pacman eating my head from above. And that's how I plan on spending tomorrow as well, behind the camera, pretending like I know offense from defense, but at least making it look pretty!

(This picture was posted on http://www.panthersportstalk.com, produced by the same cool cats that just happen to be my bosses)

Fall Sports Finale!

The Fall athletic season officially ended this weekend at UNI. Granted, there are still some basketball games left in the semester, but Volleyball is over (#1 in the conference, 26 straight wins) and Football ended on a less happier note (not even making the playoffs). They've gone fast, faster than the past two that I have been working them, but there is a whole winter season ahead!

Here's a few pictures of the games, taken by Tim, seeing as though I am in a cement tomb under a hallway between the field and the court. Far far and away from any of the actual fun action. But I saw all of the action on a 6"x10" screen! That should totally count for something....

Football instead of Felines.

This is what I wish I was doing this afternoon.


Alas, I am working the UNI Football game instead. Bring on the stress!

Nordyke's Gear Up!

Well, I am off to Los Angeles today. So all I've got is the Nordyke August pictures! Enjoy!

Throwback Thursday: Panther Prowl.

It felt like Fall this morning. Cool, crisp. It quickly faded, but the moment was there! I am totally getting geared up for athletic season. Another year on the jumbotron, ready to knotch that belt one more time! I'm surprisingly excited for this year, looking forward to getting back in the game. No pun intended. Although I am definitely glad to not be the Panther Cheerleader that it seems my parents were prompting me to be....

Stormy days sweeping the Dome Away!

This was last week already. But it was quite crazy. There were rumors that a tornado touched down near the Dome, but you can tell I had quite the view, and I never saw a twister.

DPP 13: UNI's Finale.

UNI lost today. But before I give the world's shortest play by play on a sport I SO do not understand, I will start by saying two things about the other team. 1) They were the most polite football team I have ever come across. I walked a camera all the way down the field, and the whole way down, the coaches, trainers, and players were nodding hello, saying good morning, and asking how my day was. Most of the time I don't even get grunts. 2) They were the spiders. The dumbest mascot ever. And the actual costume was even dumber than the thought of being the spiders. It looked like an ant with a devil haircut.

It was a sad game. UNI lost two of their best players to drug possession last month, and the team still pulled all the way through to the last game before the final championship in Tennessee. We all thought they were going to win. We were expecting a win. All three quarters we were winning. The last quarter too, until the final two minutes of the game. And they ran the ball down the field, and due to poor coaching, they won on the goal kick. It was crushing to watch. One of my cameras had a close up on a player. The last play was the worst of the whole game, and before it was even over, I watched the player lift his hands above his head and crumple to the ground. He didn't even kneel to the ground, it was as if he could not hold up his body anymore. The field emptied in almost silence. The crowd on the field after the game silently packed up their gear, barely looking at anyone. I don't even care about UNI, and it was painful to witness.

This is Nicole. She didn't like that we lost either, but she was happy enough to aim this XLR cable at my head. She really wanted to be my picture of the day, so here she is! I will now pretend to be an elementary student and tell you all about her! Nicole is from Chicago. She likes Oreo cookies. She follows Chicago sports like a true Chicago-ian. Nicole works at Channel 15. She lives near Alex. He wears loafers. They walk together. Nicole really likes to run the instant replay at the games, and likes the smocks that she has to wear even more. She might steal it. Naughty! The End. PS. She better comment on this post so I know she read it. Cause she is one cool kiddo!

DPP 12: Naughty Me!

I am being naughty today. Instead of running for the rest of the afternoon, I am going to sit in bed, watch a zombie comedy western, and work on Christmas cards. I have done so good this week with eating well, running every day, and going to the rec. Today, I fail. But that means everyone will get Christmas cards that much sooner! Plus we are going to an early movie and who wants a sweaty girl sitting next to them while Keanu tries to blow up the world? Not me!

On a completely separate note, this weekend is my last football game of the year. For the past few games, I have fiercely wanted them to lose, mainly because everytime they win post regular season, it just means that one more game has been added to my work schedule. And almost all are televised (aka 4.5 hours long vs 3.5 hours). But this is the last chance to play at home, if they win this, its off to Chatanooga. So for that reason, GO PANTHERS!

Last Day 8 of 2008.

These pictures are of objects all too familiar to me this time of year. From September to March of last year and this year, I have worked the jumbotron at the University of Northern Iowa. I get to sit in a little cement room in between the Dome and the McLeod Center, and push buttons that decide what you see on the giant screen for basketball, volleyball, and football. Occasionally wrestling, but that sport is just beyond my mental grasp of "fun."

My crew is awesome. A good bunch of kids interning or working for class credit. Some of them truly take the cake with their hilarious stories and antics. A few others need to break out of their shells! I don't bite...I promise! Although I am sure they are just trying to focus on the court or field....right? Riiigghhhttt. It might take up all my weekends for a good six months, but it is something I really enjoy doing, despite it involving sports, not something I usually am into. Not that I really have to watch the games though, in fact, there are games where I will get in the car afterwards and I will have no idea who won or by how much. I just have other stuff to be thinking about during the game. Oops!