What A Day For Homecoming With Family!

Somehow I really can’t think of many things that are better than a beautiful fall day visiting your alma mater for a football game . . . and that’s just what we did this past weekend!

My wife, Betsy, and I both attended the University of Missouri and have been “die-hard” fans since childhood. So, that makes for a perfect marriage in many ways. This is especially true when both of our boys have grown to love our Missouri Tigers as well.

The weekend was special because as many Tiger games as our boys have attended in Kansas City, St. Louis, San Antonio and Ames – they had never seen them play at home at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri. With all of the sports activities our sons have on the weekends, we planned well in advance that this would be one homecoming the Hrdlicka Family would “come home to”.

After lunch with some old friends at my college place of work, Harpo’s; a tour of campus; a trip to the bookstore (appropriate “gear” is a “must” for my family) and hotel check-in, game time approached. Our pre-game meal came at Buffalo Wild Wings followed by a shuttle ride to Faurot Field. An older couple was ready to adopt my youngest son, Matthew, after the bus ride to the game. They were so excited to see him on the return trip to the hotel!

Well, as the scoreboard will tell you, the game was not as fun as our previous activities of the day. However, our on-field seats were exciting, as our pictures of All-Americans Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley will show. My 13-year-old son, Jay, (an aspiring college athlete himself) was quite enamored with “the scene” and immediately began texting pics to his buddies back home.

Following a long day, we returned to the hotel for some rest and the ensuing Sunday morning trip back to Des Moines. But of course, a detour for lunch with my in-laws in Kansas City was in order for the obligatory game breakdown and color commentary. My father-in-law is also a Tiger die-hard who doesn’t make any bones about how night games are unnecessary, but nevertheless wants all of the details.

It was a great trip with my great family and I can’t wait for the next visit to Columbia!