So there I was last week at work, taking those shots from colleagues:

“Why are they called Cyclones, anyway?” “How does it feel having a degree from the second best school in the state?” Or the all too familiar, “Your school’s in Iowa City, right?” Or my favorite: “Your Hawkeyes will get a big win this weekend.”

So my wife and I (also an ISU grad) strolled into the same sports bar we do every year for THE GAME, packed with those other fans. There they were, sporting their black and gold, their flags, their hats — and one guy with his face painted to look like the state formerly known as … well, you know. I wore my usual Cyclone hat with the new logo on the front so I wouldn’t be mistaken as one of those.

And we laughed, and we cheered; they cursed, they jeered. They left the bar quick, we stayed until the final tick.

My wife cried … and so did those other fans. I don’t know what happened to the guy with the painted face.

Congratulations Cyclones on renaming the state! Just remember, the season is not over; keep that intensity I saw on Saturday.

I almost forgot. What’s the first thing someone said to me at work the following Monday? “What happened to your Hawks on Saturday?”

Frank and Nicole Spatafora

ISU Graduates