NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL

BY JOHN MASTALIR jmastalir@yahoo.com

What kind of an idiot would drive 533 miles (roundtrip) to see a college football game ?

You got it....that's me !

What a lovely day I had too....this is more an entertainment column-story, rather than sports, scores and touchdowns.......here is my day.

I love Flagstaff, Arizona.......old route 66, Lowell Observatory, Museum, Crater, history and all on one of the most beautiful precious days on earth.

266 miles one way from Las Vegas, took longer to cross the Hoover dam behind a tour bus than it did to drive the route....I have this lovely videocassette player in the car and enjoyed many of the great symphonies and ballets of the world on the way down....on the way back I enjoyed the Honeymooners on a Saturday night just as I had 50 years ago when they first ran....it is troubling that I am now the oldest patron at nearly every event.

Anyway 3 1/2 hours down, great drive, great Asain buffet for lunch, a stop in the pawn shop looking for video machines....instead here they hock saddles....don't you love it.

Everybody treated me well fans and staff......on the way to game I observed a University maintenance vehicle....traveling slowly with the shotgun seat using a hand clamp to pick up trash and throw it in the back.....beautiful....first time I ever saw that.....made my day....somebody cares and is trying to maintain this beautiful campus.

In the early 70's I did sports information and play by play.... coaches shows at the University of South Dakota.....football coach Joe Salem.....Salem left USD for NAU for 4 years on the way to Minnesota....I have always had a personal interest in NAU football and try to renew that when I can.

Well there was a game but not a contest..... Weber State went out 21-0 in the first quarter and it never was competitive....last year NAU and Montana were.....not today.

Observations.....SID Steve Shaff at Northern is the tops....working hard, good stats, good staff, god people person.....always something new....on the back of the media credential an important list of phone numbers for game day....this may or may not be Steve's idea but it is the first time I have seen it and Steve gets all the credit ! FIRST CLASS !

With a professional officiating history I always take interest in game officials and altho baseball is my expertise my traing and history mechanics lap over to all sports. I saw the head referee drop his bean bag and none of his partners retrived it for him.....sooooooo.....he walked over to get it and then walked back to his postition......in umpire school 1968 they told us to never walk on the field....it looked like shit.....I am not trying to critque officials ......this is just what I saw. This crew gave the overall perception of uncertainty on a number of turnovers and a couple of overthrown pass interference calls.....that's the way it looked from the pressbox.....very small ideo replay screen...not much help.

It is an indoor arena and just the best....great site lines, clean....downtown......no parking, terrible audio and that awful rap music I heard at the hockey game last night must follow me around.
Maybe 5000 for a game matching 15th and 16th rated teams in the country.....I guess a drive to Provo would have given me a better contest.

Northern coach Jerome Souers this weeks leading candidate for my "when to call timeouts class". Amazing they can't get these plays off on time...this has bothered me for 45 years....maybe I was the last one they taught to count to 25 !

Sorry I left 42-14 Weber State early fourth period. Love this trip....you always have to play the game and I am sure Northern is better than they were today.....they were the second best coached team on the field. 3 Las Vegas players on the Northern roster....none prevailed today.

Just a 100 A+ entertainment day....lots of time I make my own fun !