Taking a break from the Twins and Vikings....

If you have paid attention to this site, you know that I do something weird every year, and take a trip to see a game that I select totally at random. For an entire recap of everything, here is a look at the "travel" tag. The condensed version is that I started this about 4 years ago and selected basketball games between Valparaiso and Missouri-Kansas City and a contest between St. Bonaventure and Temple. It was just whimsy at the time, and I didn't go, but I did keep track of the games online. The next year, I promised myself I would go, and I did. These were games between the Denver Pioneers and Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks in monroe, Louisiana and another battle between the Jackson State Tigers and Alabama State Hornets. They were so much fun, and such interesting experiences that I made sure I would do it again every year in the future.
So last year, exactly a year ago today, actually, always on my half birthday (I also go to the Twins game on my birthday, so that's why I do that. It still doesn't make sense, I guess), I picked the teams for 2009, the Illinois-Chicago Flames basketball team and the Arkansas State Red Wolves football team. It took a little while to figure out the exact games, because schedules weren't released yet (I pick the game number on the schedule at random as well). I knew I would be going to game #10 for UIC and game #11 for Arkansas State.
Eventually, the schedules did come out, and I was able to determine where I was going. In November, I will travel to Jonesboro, Arkansas to see Arkansas State take on the North Texas Mean Greenand in December, 2 days before Christmas, I will see UIC take on the Akron Zips in Akron.
So despite the fact that I have those two games still on the schedule, today was my day to select games for next year. The first game was a basketball game that will come early enough in the year that I already can determine who is playing, when it is and where it will be played. The team I picked was the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks basketball team, and their 21st game of the season. This will be played at home in Cape Girardeau on January 23rd against the Murray State Racers.


Look at the intensity in those eyes! This is an Ohio Valley conference game, my first with this particular conference. Murray State comes from Murray, Kentucky, which is just across the Mississippi from Cape Girardeau. This is the second game that has been selected in the state of Missouri. Also, on the way from Montgomery back home to Minnesota, I spent the night in Cape Girardeau. Also, the city is a mere 150 miles from Jonesboro, my destination next month. It's interesting how all these trips are running together.
The second game on the docket is another college football contest, marking the second in this now 4 year adventure. The team is Mountain West conference stalwart, the Colorado State Rams.
The game selected was their 10th. This year, that is a road game at UNLV, however the schedule for 2010 will not be out until the Spring. If we extrapolate, then that could mean a home game against UNLV (or any of the other Mountain West home games next year) or they could be on the road. The Rams' road games next year are at Utah, San Diego State, Wyoming and Air Force. For reference, the home games are the aforementioned UNLV, TCU, BYU and New Mexico. Colorado State is the second team from Colorado that has been selected, the first being the Denver Pioneers. Their game ended up being a road game as mentioned, in Louisiana.
OK, that's enough out of me. I'm terribly excited and hope you are as interested by this little excersize as I am. If not, too bad. I'm going to keep doing this. In the mean time, go Twins!