Busch Braggin Rights...Memories

Written by evan on December 22, 2007 at 11:25 AM

Tonight is the game of the year for me and my college basketball watching experiences.. Each year University of Missouri play the University of Illinois in St. Louis, in a series called Busch Braggin Rights. Mizzou is in an 7 game skid in the series.

This will be my 16th year in a row going to the game, I have seen 6 Mizzou wins since then in the series. 1992 was my first ever college basketball and more importantly my first MU game. My brother had gotten four tickets to the game (the arena is split up with a MU side and a U of I side. Gold on one side, Orange on the other side), and these tickets where on the Orange Side. One of my brother's friends didn't want to go, so guess who got the ticket, and 16 years later we have this huge tradition.

Here are some memories that i have of the series, in no particular order (popularity nor date).

non game highlights
Meeting with everybody that is going at the game, at the top of the escalator in Union Station.
Eating at the Union Station food court.
Walking into Union Station hearing drunken chants of "MIZ-ZOU or ILL-INI".

at the game
Dan Reynolds getting pulled over for speeding (1992).
Dan getting beer spilt on his leather jacket from the people sitting above us.
Sitting in the car after the game, in the parking lot ready to leave, and the lady next to us, gets into their car, and opens their door into Dan's car.
Sitting a couple seats down from former Mizzou star Jason Sutherland at a game, post his Mizzou Career.
Garrett wearing his Indiana sweatshirt.
Standing the whole game with Garrett in our seats, which were top row at half court, while his wife sat in the lower bowl next to Whitey Herzog.
Going down to the game, without tickets, and buying 2 scalped tickets for $35/each with Josh Hall. We told the guy all we had was $35 a piece, as we paid him, he goes, "guess you won't have popcorn money." Turns out they were 2 single tickets, we had no clue where the seats were, so we just each grab a ticket. I ended up 10 rows off of the floor on some metal risers, while Josh was in the Upper Bowl.
Ryan Smith forgot his ticket at home, so I went into the game, and took my stub and my brother's stub, and got my hand marked with a black light stamp, and went outside and found ryan, and rubbed my hand on his, and gave him my brother's stub, and got him into the game. Luckily didn't get arrested.
Having tickets all over the place, from upperbowl to the lowerbowl, from center court to the corners, from the gold side to the orange side.

game highlights
Watching freshman, illini, Kiwane Garris miss a pair of free throws, with tied game, and no time on the clock. - a package arrived later to Garris in Champaign that contained two bricks.
Taunting Andy Kaufman.
Rickey Paulding's acrobatic dunks.
Watching a Mizzou fan tackle Chief Illiniwek.
Coach Quin Synder (Mizzou coach) getting popcorn thrown on him by a Mizzou fan at halftime

1 Responses to "Busch Braggin Rights...Memories"

Comment by travis spencer
December 22, 2007 at 11:09 PM #  

Go illini

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