THE COMPETITION
THE GAME: Bags
THE PLAYERS: Jeremy and Gabe for ISU, Kurt and Brent for Iowa
THE RULES: Everyone knows Bags. Two slanted platforms are placed 27 feet apart (or so). Partners stand on opposite sides, and players toss four bean-filled bags at the platforms. Land on the platform for one point, in the hole for three. Scores cancel each other out, so only one team scores each round. (e.g. If team A gets five points, and team B gets three, then team A would recieve two opints for the round.) Play stops when one team reaches 15. A win is worth one overall point.
HOW IT WENT DOWN: Not well for the Cyclones. Not well at all. In a matchup that looked an awful lot like Iowa vs. ISU on the football field in the mid-'80s (Iowa outscored ISU, 248-50, between 1983 and 1987), Iowa pitched a shutout. That's right, 21-0. A three-touchdown blowout that had Team Cyclone reeling.
Final score: Iowa 1, ISU 0
THE GAME: Ladder Golf
THE PLAYERS: Susan and Matt for ISU, Jennifer and Corey for Iowa
THE RULES: Two three-tiered ladders are placed across from each other. Teams stand on opposite sides and toss bolas (golf balls attached by rope) at the ladder. If the bola wraps around the top tier, the team earns three points. The middle tier is worth two, and the lowest tier one. Similar to Bags, scores cancel each other out and only one team scores per round. You must get exactly 21 to win. A win is worth one overall point.
HOW IT WENT DOWN: This one looked like a repeat of Bags, as the Hawkeyes continued to display their tailgating dominance, jumping out to a 16-0 lead after six rounds. The Clones then reeled off five quick points, led by Matt, but couldn't get closer than 11. Final score: Iowa 21, ISU 9.
Iowa 2, ISU 0
THE GAME: Old-fashioned football toss
THE PLAYERS: Gabe was quarterback for ISU, Brent for Iowa
THE RULES: Simple. Everyone plays. One quarterback. We set up a circle of cones about 10, 20 and 30 yards away from the quarterback, and a team member stands in each circle waiting for a toss from the QB. If he/she catches the ball without leaving the circle, the team gets one, two or three points, respectively. A win is worth one overall point.
HOW IT WENT DOWN: ISU needed a win here to avoid falling in a 3-0 hole, which would have rendered the wing-eating competition useless. They went first, and quarterback Brent delivered three perfect spirals to Susan, Jeremy and Matt, who barely had to shuffle their feet to make the catches. Perfect. Iowa, on the other hand, was out after the first throw, as Jennifer stepped out of the box while making her catch. It was close, but the referees and a video booth replay confirmed the call. ISU was on the board. Iowa 2, ISU 1
THE GAME: Hot Wing Flippy Cup
THE PLAYERS: Everybody plays. Everybody eats.
THE RULES: We invented this game, which is sure to take off and become a sensation at tailgates around the globe. Hot Wing Flippy Cup (yet to be trademarked) is what you get when you combine a progressive hot wing-eating contest with a game of flippy cup. The teams stand across from one another at a long table. The first player on each team eats a hot wing, then chugs a glass of water (in reality, you should use beer), and has to flip the plastic cup upside down. Once that happens, the next player eats two wings, chugs a beer, flips the cup. Then player three eats three wings, and you get the rest. Hot Wing Flippy Cup is worth two points, meaning the winner of this wins the contest
HOW IT WENT DOWN: So, so close. Susan and Jennifer were the lead eaters for each team, and finished their wings about the same time. The game was a back-and-forth affair. When one team jumped out to a bit of a lead, slippery wingy hands made the cup flip more difficult, and the other team caught up. This one came down to the final matchup: Kurt for Iowa, Gabe for ISU. Kurt finished his four wings as Gabe began his final wing, and after a few tries, flipped his cup for the Iowa victory. Kind of gross? Absolutely. Hilarious? Watch for yourself.
THE VICTORS
Final score: Iowa 4, ISU 1.
(The victory put this team of Iowa fans and friends on the cover of the Sept. 9, 2009 Juice magazine.)
