Out…Not with a Bang but a Whimper (UUN#14-22)
Dear Crestfallen Johnnie Fans —
“Worst first half of Johnnie football this year,” per Mark Lewandowski during his game broadcast. ”SJU has made more mistakes today than rest of games all year combined. SJU chose the worst day to play their worst game.”
Yeah, we lost, and we lost ugly. For the second year in a row we lost to an okay team we still should have beaten convincingly, blowing home advantage in the second round of the playoffs again. Mistakes. Mistakes. Mistakes.
Here’s a quote I heard that seems completely apropos for so many of us last Saturday:
I don't want to adult today. I don't even want to human today. Today, I will be a dog. I'll be lying on the floor in the sun. Please pet me and bring snacks.
There were some happy times against Wartburg. It wasn’t a rout and we played well enough to win during the second half…if it weren’t for a fumbled punt returned for a TD and/or a couple of intercepts. Here #11 Jimmy Buck congratulates #9 Troy Feddema who just scored on a 17-yard run. Wartburg allowed just one rushing TD all season and we scored two on them Saturday…but it should have been four and then we would have walked away with this game..
For those interested in the game recap and box score, here is the link:
https://gojohnnies.com/news/2022/11/26/football-turnovers-doom-johnnies-in-second-round-loss.aspx
You might note in the “Team Statistics” how evenly matched we were despite looking horrid in the first half.
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After Game Texts —
(These senders, who are among the more avid Johnnie fans, will remain anonymous. I don’t text myself, but receive them on my flip phone at 50¢ each…what follows is $9 in charges…but it’s worth it since I won’t see or hear from these guys much until next season and I’ll miss ‘em.)
- Someone wake me from my bad dream. Did I really see what I thought I saw?
- Unfortunately it wasn’t a dream. When you turn the ball over that many times and you can’t punch it in from inside the 1-yard line and you muff a punt that ends with a TD and you get a roughing the kicker penalty when you shouldn’t have been anywhere near the kicker, you can’t expect to win. When you consider all these things and that we lost by only three that is what is surprising.
- Well said. And Bethel is still alive.
- Did you see the disbelief on the onlookers waiting to talk to their players following the game?
- Disbelief yes, but the sun rose in the East this morning. Not how we believed it would end but a good year. We’ll do it again in ’23. Thanks to the crew for all the laughs & good times!
- Liked “Disbelief yes, but the sun rose in the East this morn…”
- Reusse column in Strip re game and Wozniak.
- At the very end of the hour-long ATN Podcast 322, posted November 28, 2022 at d3football.com Pat Coleman talks about the tailgate (that he attended), Hamm’s and the bagels from Wartburg’s Logan Hanson. Coleman did not express much love for the Hamm’s he had. Pretty funny.
- In case you had not heard, Mt. Union on the road this Saturday.
- I’m not sure everyone is aware but M and Pat Coleman exchange Christmas cards.
- Wartburg is lucky SJU was in a giving mood Saturday.
- Bethel one of the least penalized teams in the nation? No penalties against Linfield if I heard correctly.
- I don’t think Pat got the Hamm’s from me. If he did, it’s his last. Friggin’ ingrate. M, you should have a talk with your pal.
- Liked “I don’t think Pat got the Hamm’s from me. If he did, it’s his last. Friggin’ ingrate. M, you should have a talk with your pal.”
- The last Football Weekly of 2022 on now GoJohnnies.com Mark is still rehashing the Wartburg game. Gary still not sleeping through the night. Blown opportunity. This is tough to listen to. Tough loss to say the least.
- Gary says VanErp wide open on first SJU play that resulted in an INT.
- Listening to what the coaches saw on tape is so hard to listen to after a 3 point loss.
- Wow. A lot of guys coming back.
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Text Continuations on Saturday, as I was finishing this: There were 15 more (or $7.50) talking about Bethel's game with UMHB and eventual loss. It's getting expensive being on this chain.
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(Editor’s Addition: “…as a well-deserved loss for the Johnnies due to all those mistakes.” — Patrick Reusse, Minneapolis StarTribune
Here’s the link to another fine column by Reusse that features Michael Wozniak and his SJU family heritage; if for some reason you cannot open the link, let me know (theowick@aol.com) and I’ll send you the article I copied and saved: https://www.startribune.com/st-johns-football-michael-wozniak-wartburg-playoff-loss-division-iii-patrick-reusse/600230263/ )
Another frustrating day for #91 Michael Wozniak. Nevertheless, after the game several Wartburg players came up to Woz to say they were going to vote for him in the Gagliardi Trophy popular vote.
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Meanwhile, back at the La Playette —
A dog walks into the La and hops up on a stool. He looks the bartender straight in the eye and says, “Hey, guess what? I can talk. Have you ever seen a talking dog before? Amazing, right? How about a drink?”
The bartender thinks for a moment and says, “Sure, the toilet’s right around the corner.”
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With a week behind us we can admit, through our disappointment, that Wartburg deserved to win, mostly through their outstanding defense. They performed and we didn't. Beyond our “gifts” to them, it was an outstanding Division III football game.
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Email stream during game from another group of lifelong fans, who also shall remain anonymous:
- ‘Worst mental SJ U football game in History’
- We are too sloppy and undisciplined…Gary and the coaching staff need to clean that up!
- Wartburg played the same defense as Bethel did in the first game. Dropped their linebackers back 10-15 yards, basically a seven deep defense, and let Syverson throw long passes into their coverage.
Comment after the game:
- They made many mistakes. Wartburg didn’t win the game, SJU lost the game.
- We’ve been sloppy, inconsistent and undisciplined and didn’t have enough talent to overcome that!
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SJU 2022 Football Schedule
Season Final
Date Opponent Location
Sep. 3 UW-Whitewater Collegeville W—24-10
Sep. 10 UW-River Falls Collegeville W—37-34
Sep. 17 Bye —
Sep. 24 Bethel Arden Hills L—28-24
Oct. 1 Concordia Collegeville W—35-28
Oct. 8 Augsburg Minneapolis W—45-0
Oct. 15 St. Olaf* Northfield W—49-10
Oct. 23 Gustavus* Collegeville W—41-28
Oct. 29 St. Scholastica* Duluth, MN W—56-6
Nov. 5 Carleton* Collegeville W—45-16
Nov. 12 MIAC Champ. (Bet) Collegeville W—28-10
Nov. 19 NCAA Rnd 1 (UofN) Collegeville W — 49-0
Nov. 26 NCAA Rnd 2 (Wrtb) Collegeville L—23-20
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Updated Division III Bracket —
Quarterfinals, Dec. 3.
https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/2/u/tnvznfjwfx9imc/2022-football-bracket.pdf
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Last Week’s Results —
13th Week, Saturday, November 26
Second Round, NCAA Division III Playoffs
#12 Wartburg at #4 St. John’s — Wartburg is a serious contender and will present different challenges than did Bethel at our last “big” game; still one has to place their bets (just an expression…we know that’s against NCAA rules) on the Johnnies. Actually, SJU gifted the game to the Warthogs, playing almost well enough to win but nevertheless losing 23-20. It sucks, but that’s the way it is.
Aurora at #23 Alma — Two pretty much unheralded teams raising eyebrows, in a good way. However, if I was a betting man (oops, there I go again) I’d have to favor Aurora because they took down mighty #8 Whitewater in their own den of sorrows. Which should be humbling to all front-runners still in the chase. If Aurora wins and SJU does too, then we’d face Aurora at Collegeville the following week. Actually, Aurora skated to a 48-26 win over Alma and now gets to face Wartburg in Waverly instead of us in Collegeville.
#3 Mary Hardin-Baylor at #6 Trinity — Have to pull for Trinity but it’s doubtful they have the horses to keep up with UMHB now that they seem to be getting serious. Actually, Trinity kept it close before losing to UMHB 24-17 in a good, hard-fought game.
#13 Bethel at #5 Linfield — As Tim the Tommie says further down in the “Readers” section, it’s time for Bethel to “expose” Linfield. With Jaran Roste still ailing but playable, there’s always a chance the Royals will upset the high-flying (but pretty much untested) Wildcats. Although we’d like to see a Bethel win, it’s a long shot. Actually, Bethel “exposed” the overrated Linfield in a big way 30-13 while on the road, so good for them!
#16 Randolph-Macon at #14 Delaware Valley — On paper this appears to be a close game, but I’m leaning heavily toward Delaware Valley. Actually, it was another good, close game, and DV took the win 39-32. Oops, now they get to face Mt. Union.
#19 Carnegie-Mellon at #1 North Central — The NC Cardinals will lay eggs all over Carnegie-Mellon. Actually, the Cardinals did crack an egg on their lesser competition 28-7, but that was closer than most of North Central’s games this year.
Springfield at #10 Ithaca — Ithaca should have no problems. Actually Ithaca did prevail 31-20, just to get North Central this Saturday.
Utica at #2 Mount Union — Oh, would that Utica pull an Aurora on UMU, but, face it, that’s never going to happen twice in one year. Actually, with the Mount winning 45-7, this is a game that needn’t have happened in the second round; that’s a first round score.
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English Majors' Corner, Proper Punctuation Department —
(Compliments of Marilee Giere.)
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Games This Week—
14th Week, Saturday, December 3 - Quarterfinals
Aurora at Wartburg — This is one of two games I’ll be switching back and forth to watch on Saturday. I really have no idea who will win, but I’m pulling for the Playoff darlings, Aurora. Let’s say Aurora 27-21.
Mount Union at Delaware Valley — It’s nice that Mount “Onion” has to travel for a change…not that it will affect the outcome very much. UMU by three touchdowns, 42-23.
Ithaca at North Central — Here’s another lopsided victory in the making: North Central 38-Ithaca 12.
Bethel at Mary Hardin-Baylor — This is the other game I’m watching. It should be close, I hope, and I also hope the Royals pull it out, but I’m doubtful. UMHB 33- Bethel 26.
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How To Watch The Quarterfinal Games —
(For Free)
Go to the d3football.com site, and scroll down and over to the right. The times you see are all Eastern, so three of the games begin at noon CST, not 1 pm as listed. Mt. Union and Delaware start at 11 CST. Hit the “Video” link.
https://www.d3football.com/landing/index
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Random Photos From The Day —
Stopping for a “Bloody” at the warm and cozy La before heading over to the frozen tailgate are (left) Ron Tomczik ’65, Ryan Spengler’13, and his uncle Gordy Spengler ‘78 (Photo John Sipe).
Proving that John Young’s ’83 tailgate Bloody Marys are protective against the morning chill are loyal Johnnies and seasoned classmates (left) Tom Hokr ‘72 and Mike Urbanos ’72. Of course, it helps they will be sitting in the President’s Suite (Photo John Sipe).
Early in the third quarter our personable concessionnaire Dick Wilke (aka The Trickster) was saluted on the score board. Dick, who did not go to Saint John’s, is nonetheless one of the most avid of SJU supporters of all our sports teams and is known/recognized by hundreds of Johnny and Bennie fans…and he, in turn, knows hundreds of them by name too. (Photo Colleen Lilly).
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Little Johnnie and the Grammar Lesson —
(Courtesy of Tony Cebulla ’58, Andover, MN)
One day, during lessons on proper grammar, the teacher asked for a show of hands from those who could use the word 'beautiful' in the same sentence twice correctly.
First, she called on little Suzie, who responded with, “My father bought my mother a beautiful dress, and she looked beautiful in it.”
“Very good, Suzie,” replied the teacher.
She then called on little Michael. “My mommy planned a beautiful banquet, and it turned out just beautiful.”
She said, “Excellent, Michael!”
Then the teacher reluctantly called on Little Johnnie. He said, “Last night at the dinner table, my sister told my father that she was pregnant, and he said, 'Beautiful, just friggin' beautiful!’"
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Wick’s Trip to California —
As has been our family tradition for well over a decade, Chris and I spend about a week at Thanksgiving with younger daughter Caitlin, her husband Sean and now their two young kids, Alfie and Flynn, wherever they are living at the time. For the first few years it was in Brooklyn, then Queens, then in the Catskills, and now for the past couple years in Sierra Madre, California. All in all, this locale is the best.
Of course, this means that we usually miss attending in person the second round game of the Div. III playoffs, which we watch via livestream. I won’t go into this year’s game, but I will tell you that it’s difficult to stay down and depressed when you have a 4-1/2 and a 2-year-old climbing all over you needing attention and love from seldom-seen grandparents.
Sierra Madre is a town built on a continuous slope right up to the mountains. The “downtown” area is about a mile from the kids’ home; easy to walk down, more of a chore to walk back up. We made this trip usually once a day while there.
Sierra Madre is an old, kind-of resort town, now a sought-after suburb, hugging the foothills and lower slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains just east of Pasadena; with medium heavy freeway traffic, it’s about an hour’s drive from LAX…and a world away from the congestion and crime of Los Angeles. Caitlin and Sean, both of whom are able to work from their home, live in a mid-century modern ranch clinging to the edge of the mountain, up so high that it appears to be akin to living at the top of a 40-story building overlooking the broad San Gabriel Valley.
The day and night views from the living room of Caitlin and Sean’s home. Since it was built in the mid-‘50s I guess the prospect of it sliding down the steep hill below now is pretty remote; same with wildfires. The Chino Hills are barely seen about 30 miles away across the valley.
Although they are only a long couple blocks from typical residential streets, it’s very wild right below them, and they are adjacent to the entrance of the famed Mt. Wilson Trail. While there we saw a family of deer grazing daily right below us; other times we saw two bears in the same locale, a couple times watching them climb to the very top of an oak tree together getting their share of strangely-shaped acorns of either the Interior Live Oak or the Engelmann Oak, not sure which. This was occurring in a tree 50 feet away.
One of the neighborhood bears is shown resting abut 30 feet away from Caitlin’s house. Bears are plentiful in the area but seem to coexist with humans without too many problems.
As we’ve done previously, we hiked up— and I do mean “up”— the Mt. Wilson Trail to the first rest area called First Water, about an hour up and a half hour back down. An amazing number of people of all ages make that trip daily, many going all the way to the top and back in a long day of hiking.
The views from the trail are pretty spectacular, even on a cloudy day as this…but we appreciated
those clouds because it gets hot up there. You can see the bend of the trail way down at the left
center by the edge of the photo and we were only about a third of the way up to our turn-around spot
from where we took the picture.
While in California we visited two outstanding sites in neighboring Pasadena and I can’t recommend them enough for those visiting the L.A. area. The Gamble House and the Norton Simon Museum.
The Gamble House was commissioned by David and Mary Gamble, of Cincinnati, Ohio, as a winter residence David Berry Gamble, a second generation member of the Procter & Gamble Company in Cincinnati, i.e., big money.
The Gamble House was designed in 1908 by architects Greene & Greene and epitomizes the iconic style of the American Craftsman period, both in architecture and furnishings. The Gambles realized the artistic importance of the house and it remained in the Gamble family until 1966, when it was deeded to the city of Pasadena in a joint agreement with the University of Southern California School of Architecture.
The Norton Simon Museum’s collection of European paintings and sculpture is among the most distinguished in North America. It spans the Renaissance to the 20th century and includes the finest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist pictures on the West Coast.
Norton Simon was an American industrialist and philanthropist. He was at one time one of the wealthiest men in America. He also was a collector of art and founded the museum named after him to house his treasures.
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Holiday Earworm —
My 4-1/2 year-old grandson Alfie loves to cuddle with Grandpa, so he and I watched one of his favorite short holiday films called The Snowman together. (The link to this half hour Christmastide classic is found below…watch it with your kids or grandkids, or just enjoy it yourself.) In this video is a wonderful song called “Walking In The Air” written for the 1982 movie. Having heard it with Alfie I was humming it for three days there and still was back home. I Googled it and found a number of renditions, depending upon your mood; try one or more:
guitar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj6hTQX8Vgo (4:04)
piano https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvPDxsJnV10 (7:20)
violin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKNtr5KoW4w (3:49)
rock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiYMIVVusfM (3:36)
Sung https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=engSQve1CKU (3:44)
Walking in the Air – Aled Jones Sings With His Younger Self
The Snowman 1982 video (25:38 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A3THighARU
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Battle Between The Sexes, A Communications Quickie —
My wife asked me to take her to one of those restaurants where they make food right in front of you. I took her to Subway.
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The Lonesome Traveler —
Ethel was traveling alone and she was a bit lonely in the hotel all on her own. She thought, "I'll call one of those men you see advertised in phone books for escorts and sex and have some fun.”
She looked through the phone book, found a full page ad for a guy calling himself Tender Tony - a very handsome man with assorted physical skills flexing in the photo. He had all the right muscles in all the right places, thick wavy hair, long powerful legs, dazzling smile, six pack abs and she felt quite certain she could bounce a sixpence off his well-oiled bum. She figured, “What the heck, nobody will ever know. I'll give him a call.”
After a short ring, there was a response, “Good evening, ma'am, how may I help you?” Oh my, he sounded sooo sexy!
Afraid she would lose her nerve if she hesitated, she rushed right in, "Hi, I hear you give a great massage. I'd like you to come to my hotel room and give me one. No, wait, I should be straight with you. I'm in town all alone and what I really want is sex. I want it hot, and I want it now. Bring implements, toys, rubber, leather, whips, everything you've got in your bag of tricks. We'll go hot and heavy all night - tie me up, cover me in chocolate syrup and whipped cream, anything and everything!!! Now how does that sound?”
The male voice responded, "That sounds absolutely fantastic, madam, but you need to press 9 for an outside line."
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From Our Readers —
Before the Wartburg Game:
From Bob Fischer ’82, Plymouth, MN —
Thank you for sending this out every week, always a good read. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving. Go Johnnies! — Bob
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From Bill Marrin ’61/’65. Dallas, TX —
I sent my Dallas Cowboys to Minnesota to face one of the best record teams in recent history only to find out they kicked a$$ almost as bad as the Johnnies vs Northwestern. I hope you guys will still speak to me. If so, thanks for keeping me in the loop via the well written Underground! Go Johnnies against Wartburg. — Bill
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From Mike Murphy ’61, St. Paul, MN —
IEd’s Note: I accidentally deleted Mike’s message before copying it, but in effect he wrote that he hopes my absence again this game won’t jinx our chances against Wartburg like last time, when he was present for that loss and I was in New York.)
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From Paul Hamann ’63, Edina, MN —
Happy Thanksgiving. Thanks for the mention in the UUN. I only looked at his projections for our quadrant. This link is for all 4. We're a slight favorite. I'll be there. Enjoy California. — Paul
Logan Hansen (@LogHanRatings) tweeted at 10:42 AM on Mon, Nov 21, 2022:
Game projections for the second round of the #d3fb national tournament ( https://t.co/dtmcX6kswn https://twitter.com/LogHanRatings/status/1594733113002921992?t=X91551Ef4u53IEnMnx93YA&s=03 )
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From Conrad Macina, Landing, NJ —
Congrats to the Johnnies (and to Johnnie Nation) on the win over UNW! I’m sure the Warthogs will pose “No worries for the rest of our days.” — Conrad
A Tommie linebacker is tired of people assuming he's stupid so he puts on a red Johnnie sweatshirt. Feeling empowered, he goes for a car ride down a country road. Soon he encounters a farm with hundreds of sheep. He walks up to the shepherd and offers: "These sheep are adorable. If I can guess how many there are, can I keep one?"
The shepherd agrees – what are the odds of guessing the exact number?
The Tommie looks around, thinks and says, "There are 593 sheep."
The shepherd is awe-struck: there are in fact exactly 593 sheep! The Tommie picks his sheep and is getting back in the car when the shepherd runs up to him and yells "WAIT! If I can guess what collegeyou go to can I have him back?"
The Tommie smiles and agrees, since he’s already proved he's too smart to be called a Tommie by wearing the St. John’s sweatshirt. The farmer says, "You go to the University of St. Thomas. Now can I have my dog back?"
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From Bob Neis ’65, St. Louis Park, MN (when not in Arizona) —
Thanks for all you do for SJU and others. There is a lot of Caring that goes into your work. Rest today. All your Giving needs energy. We appreciate the big effort required to do what you do. —The Neis family.
(Editor's Remembrance: I continue to have gratitude to the Neis Family, who gifted me a newer, unused iMac when mine went belly-up last year.)
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From Dan McDermott ’84, Plymouth, MN —
Bob - Happy Thanksgiving! I was honored to be recognized by you in this week's UUN! You asked the question below:
I wonder how many points Conor [Murphy] has for the year? I think he’s only missed one extra point attempt all season and has a pretty fair percentage of the few field goals he’s been asked to kick. (Maybe someone can give us that information or direct us to the answer.)
If you go to the SJU football roster on GoJohnnies.com you can see stats for each player. So I can tell you at a glance that Conor has made 6 of 7 FGs (with the longest from 39 yards) this year and 57 of 58 PATs. — Dan
https://gojohnnies.com/sports/football/roster/conor-murphy/14790
(Editor’s Calculation: Using my English major math it seems young Conor has gifted the team with 75 points so far this season. Postscript — Connor added another 8 points in our losing effort last Saturday, adding up to 83 for the year.)
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Big College Student Hunting Contest —
A Tommie, a Gustie, and a Johnnie all entered a state-wide deer hunting contest for college students. The winner could win $500.
The Johnnie went out into rural Stearns County, found some tracks, followed the tracks, and came back with a 200 pound buck.
Then the Gustie went out in the Minnesota River bottoms, found some tracks, followed the tracks, and came back with a 250 pound buck.
The Tommie knew he had to beat 250 pounds, so he went out east of the Twin Cities, and found some tracks. He followed the tracks and came back with a broken arm and leg, no teeth and blood all over.
The contest judge asked, "What happened??”
The Tommie said, "I found some tracks, followed the tracks, and got hit by a train."
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After the Wartburg Game:
From Tony Sandeen ’94, Hong Kong SAR —
Wick, Ugh. Losing in the 2nd round is anti-climatic...which says something about the expectations we have for the team. Obviously, feel for the seniors and all playing their last game…so on to next year. Thanks for another year of your service and the UUN. Catch up soon. Cheers —Tony
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From Pete Hill ’76, Fernandina Beach, FL —
The guy we love to hate is the talk of the town it would seem. Sorry our Johnnie football season ended way too soon…again. — Pete
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From Dave Wendt ’63, Edina, MN —
Bob, My personal thanks for another great UUN SJU season. By following your guidance I was able to attend five (5) SJU home and away games this year. Your information was perfect.
The final Wartburg game at SJU was very winnable despite many SJU errors. PS: I made the second half of the game at Collegeville after playing tennis in Eden Prairie until 12:30PM. Hurray for highway completion (finally) after many years. Thanks for all you do for SJU. — Dave
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From Denny Bracco ’75, Elmwood Park, IL —
Wick, I don't mean to say "I told you so..." I don't know why I just had that nagging feeling I had ever since Wartburg was paired up in the Johnnie bracket.
Mistakes aside, all we had to do was punch in that goal-line debacle and we'd probably be not having this conversation!
Anyway, a good and consistent year for the "Good guys" (except for yesterday).
And a sign of true class by Gary Fasching in the first phase of his post-game interview, admitting "second-guessing himself" (a very rare occurrence) on that last play in the 4th Quarter, when first opting to punt, then realizing (thereby wasting) precious seconds were running off the clock, not enough time to do so.
Time to put this year in mothballs, congratulate some terrific young Seniors who gave everything they had to SJU Football, and start looking for more High School talent out there to help replace these kids.
Thanks for your great work, and for such highly entertaining material that you compose for each issue. How about putting a book together of back issues/seasons? I would buy one!
Time for Johnnie Basketball! Go, everybody! —Denny
PS, Wick...By the way, the Johnnies made more turnovers yesterday than the famous Roeser's Bakery in Chicago, the owner of which was related to former Johnnie Tom Roeser '46(?)! RIP Tom....I always enjoyed your radio program on WLS-AM! — DMB
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Roeser#Early_life_and_education
(Editor’s Comment: Thanks, Denny, but I’ll save you some money. Although it’s not complete you can find a bunch of back issues by going to the UUN link: https://www.unofficialundergroundnews.com/ )
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From Bob Christensen ’62, Minneapolis, MN —
Hi Wick…For me last Saturday’s game was painful to watch in-person, especially with our deficient line play on both sides of the ball, our poor tackling, multiple dropped passes, and poor coaching, i.e., calling time-outs seemingly because we didn’t know what to do. Wartburg was consistently more physical than we were. Multiple times I watched our defensive players standing on their heels, rather than moving into the ball carrier when attempting to tackle him, and consequently getting run over and in the process missing the tackle. — Chris
(Editor’s Note: Bob, a retired surgeon, was a lineman on some very good Johnnie teams of the late ‘50s-early ‘60s. He rarely misses a game whether home or away.)
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From John Chromy ‘64, Washington, DC —
Wicks—-“thus Endeth the lesson (more accurately, the season). It is my hope that the hundred plus guys on the team enjoyed the exhilaration of the games, the physical accomplishments of the long hours of practice, the wisdom and guidance of their coaches, the camaraderie gained with their teammates and the many exhilarating moments they gave to their fans and the CSB-SJU community. It was an outstanding season—defeating Whitewater, River Falls and Bethel is a major achievement of which we can all be proud. As a Johnnie alum I can only say, “Well done—Good Show” — John* *
From John Forsythe ’75, St. Cloud (when not in Florida) —
Rob—Gut-wrenching game to say the least. To think we’d lose on our home field in second round as favorites two years in a row—and both by three points! Arghh!! A couple special team miscues and a couple head-scratcher throws by Syverson were the difference it seems. But it’s a game of split-second decisions and none more difficult than at the QB position. We see similar throws every Sunday afternoon.
Sorry to hear of Bill Patefield’s medical emergency. My prayers and wishes from Florida for a speedy recovery, Bill. Sounds like pretty aggressive CPR to break ribs and sternum but maybe that’s what saved Bill’s life. I hadn’t seen Bill for over a decade but had a lengthy chat with him at a fellow SJU co-worker (Dave Keller’s) funeral six weeks ago. We reminisced about the time in ’77 when I had just started working in the Admissions Office and he took me fishing on the Sag out by the chapel in his 14’ Lund and electric trolling motor. His knowledge of the lake and bass fishing garnered me a plump 6# bass—the biggest I’ve caught to date. Shortly after that outing there appeared signs along the shoreline: No Boat Motors of ANY Kind Allowed!
Rob, I’d like to send the Rostes a congratulatory note. Could you send me Jeff’s email address? I have it at home as I coached Jaran’s older sister Jana two summers in travel softball—but no way to access it down here. Jeff & Lucy are the nicest folks. And if Jaran’s 100%-- they gotta real chance against MHB. Thanks. Go Royals! — John
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From Wayne Hergott ’57, Edina, MN —
Bob, When a friend of mine disciplined his young son a few years ago the son howled, "That's not fair" to which my friend replied, " Life is not fair and you might as well learn that from me rather than from someone else."
Life was not fair Saturday. A Wartburg player took the ball from our punter and ran for a touchdown. That's not fair. Twice we had the ball on the two foot line with several downs to go and we did not score. That's not fair. Four times Syverson's passes were caught by Wartburg players. That's not fair. Much of the game consisted of things that were not fair but as my friend said, that's life. We finished with a lousy day but a great year. I'll take a 10-2 record anytime. Congratulations to our players and coaches. You did very, very well!!!.
On another subject, a five game playoff is too long for Division III football. It extends the season by 50%. People go to a university to get educated. Football is a secondary interest. Even Division I has only a two game playoff. Division III should follow that example. That would be fair. —Wayne
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From Tom Bauer ’61/’65, Madison, WI —
Bob, The University of Wisconsin has just hired a new football coach. He was given a 7-year contract that will pay him $7.8 million a year plus incentives…unreal, excessive, misappropriation of values. UW football is an economic and community-building force, but at questionable cost. St. John’s too has a football program that has a positive economic impact on the university and the surrounding area. More importantly is the sense of community it fosters between students, staff, alums and unaffiliated fans far and wide. This spirit of unity and connectedness is due in large part to your unprecedented efforts to provide cogent football information and social commentary. The UUN is the work of the Spirit through your hands. At this time of year it is appropriate that all who benefit from your labors give you thanks. Thanks, too, to your loving partner, Chris, who provides invaluable support. Deo Gratias, — Tom
(Editor’s Full Disclosure: Tom and I have been friends for more the 60 years, going back to St. John’s Prep School days, so that may explain his effusive remarks regarding the Unofficial Underground News and its presumed worth in “community building.” While his remarks are deeply appreciated, I can’t help but remember — when Tom mentions the “work of the Spirit” — Flip Wilson’s old Geraldine character who always proclaimed, “the Devil made me do it.” [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NASl_Qy2sc ]. Thus, when I diss our friends in the business school on Summit Avenue, perhaps I can blame it on the Spirit, who is, as it turns out, a Johnnie.)
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From Nellie Klein ’60, St. Cloud, MN —
Sadness! Gary [Klein ’58, her husband] passed away on Sunday! Was a quick passing…congestive heart failure due to a crazy happening. He had a massive amount of streptococcus filling his blood stream and massive “colonies of streptococcus“ on his heart which ate the heart muscle. Eventually, he suffered a severe tear of the aortic valve due to weakened heart tissue. Gary had been to the emergency hospital on 3-4 occasions…had every test possible! Nothing was found. They told us he was the most healthy 86-year-old man except for what was killing him! The “foreign disease” doctor from Germany found out finally. However, it was too late. We are doing fine—accepting this event! My son was given the job of writing his eulogy!! Gary would have loved it! Wanted you to know…and then my Johnnies lose!! Damn it!! — Nell
(Editor’s Comment: Damn it, indeed. At just about every SJU football Saturday for many years I greeted Gary and Nell, along with their game neighbors, Jim ’64 and Anita Conn, at their seats on the 50-yard line…part of the game-day ritual. Such a quick, unexpected loss of a fine man and loyal Johnnie puts that other loss into perspective. Our prayers for Gary, and best wishes and support from the Johnnie Nation to Nellie and her family. Here is the link to the obit: https://www.sctimes.com/obituaries/sct072401 )* *
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From Jim Conn ’64, Alexandria, MN & Florida now, To Nellie Klein —
Well darn and damn, Nell—you captured my feelings exactly when I heard about Gary’s untimely departure. By my reckoning that old fart had quite a few years left in him and now due to a “medical oversight” we’ve (all of us) been deprived of one of the finest stadium companions that one could wish for (except possibly Nellie Klein herself - and that may even be a far stretch as I think about it!)
After asking Marilyn Koltes to research the records, I learned that Jim and Anita Conn had been given special dispensation in 2012 to inherit two of the finest reserved seats in all of Clemens Stadium on the 50-yard line row A section 104 right next to Gary and Nellie Klein.
From that point on, we grew our relationship with the Kleins one game at a time at Johnnie home games for the past ten years. As a pilot, kinda reminding me of logging time in an airplane but in this case logging friendship, smiles, winning football and jokes with the Kleins. At least 20 hours a year over 10 years giving us over 200 hours of companionship and enjoyment while warming our butts in seats 104A 1,2,3&4!
One hates to loose those bonds—inevitable though it is for all of us! Our fervent hope is that Nell will be back in 104 A 1&2 with at least one of her grandchildren alongside us next season wherein we will once again cheer our Johnnies and honor the good Gary Klein memories!
Condolences to Nell and the entire extended Klein family whom we all know extremely well due to Nell’s vivid verbal portrayals of her family over all of those 10 years! — Jim & Anita Conn
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Thought after a Big Loss —
(Contributed by Sister Lois Wedl OSB ’53)
Heartbreak and hope are not mutually exclusive. We can be angry and sad and filled with longing for something we cannot have, and simultaneously we can be grateful for what we’ve got — aware, for reasons we’d never choose, of what really matters and what doesn’t. — Lennon Flowers
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Married Couples Retreat , February 10-12 —
Real Presence in a Virtual World: Keeping Marriage Real
Despite an increasingly digital, Zoom-impacted world, married couples can remain grounded in their sacramental covenant and truly present to each other. The Eucharist shows us how. Presented by Jim and Maureen Otremba. Learn more and register
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SJU Hockey Blog —
by Coach Doug Schueller
http://www.sjujohnnieshockeyblog.com/
(Go here for some news about two important games to be played in the Twin Cities. GO JOHNNIES!)
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Flavor Test —
A grade school teacher often gave her students Lifesavers as a treat. The children began to identify the flavors by their color:
Red……………….Cherry
Yellow…………….Lemon
Green……………..Lime
Purple ……………Grape
Finally the teacher gave them all Honey Lifesavers. None of the children could identify the taste.
The teacher said, “I will give you all a clue. It’s what your mother may sometimes call your father.”
One little girl looked up in horror, spit out her Lifesaver and yelled, “Oh, my Gawd! They’re a-holes!”
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THE FINAL WORD —
Pre-Law Majors, On Courtroom Demeanor —
(A UUN Classic)
In a trial, a Southern small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand. He approached her and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know me?”
She responded, "Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a boy, and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you'll never amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.”
The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?”
She again replied, "Why yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him.”
The defense attorney nearly died.
The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and, in a very quiet voice, said, "If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I'll makes sure you're both disbarred."
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Well, doggone it…that’s all she wrote for SJU's season, but we have a couple more weeks of action. Still, we can still stand proudly and state with enthusiasm…
GO JOHNNIES ! ! Wait ’Til Next Year (or something like that.)
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My apologies for getting this out too late to properly communicate how to watch today's game. We got back late Wednesday night, and I couldn't get much done on Thursday, meaning I've been working on this late issue since Friday morning...and I stopped today (Saturday) to watch part of several games. Too bad about Bethel, and Aurora, etc.
Sincerely submitted,
R.L. Wicker SJP ’60/SJU ’64,
You can call me Rob, you can call me Bob, you can call me Theo or Wick…and my personal pronouns are “he a Johnny” and “him a Johnny.”
St. Paul, MN; 651-699-4697
theowick@aol.com
https://www.unofficialundergroundnews.com
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