sox83cubs84
11-08-2010, 10:39 AM
This is probably even a tougher task than catching a game baseball, especially with the nets in use in the NFL for so many years.
I caught an extra point (actually fell on it:) ) in 1983 at a USFL game. It was the Chicago Blitz hosting the Arizona Wranglers at Soldier Field. I don't recall the exact date, except that it was a followup for 2 Wrigley Ballhawks and myself to a Cubs loss (the USFL played a spring/summer schedule) that featured the infamous Lee Elia rant after the game.
Three of us...Mark Didtler, Andy Mielke, and myself...strategized our approach, positioning ourselves inn the same area four or five rows apart from each other. I was on top, Mark took the middle, and Andy was in the lowest row. The kick, good but severely hooking, first was coming straight at me, then sailed to my right. I batted it down on the ground and fell on it, with several fellow football chasers piling on top of me. Mark and Andy came to my rescue, and I had a game USFL football, which I promptly gave to Mark.
No good deed goes unpunished, however. Mark gave the ball to Andy, and Andy offered it back to me...for $400!:eek: That's what I get for giving it away in the first place. We've had a few Ballhawks since then who have reneged or taken advantage of fellow Hawks on memorabilia deals...this was the first time it happened to me.
Anyone else go home with a pigskin? NFL, USFL, WFL, XFL, Arena, NCAA?
Tell your story.
Dave Miedema
I caught an extra point (actually fell on it:) ) in 1983 at a USFL game. It was the Chicago Blitz hosting the Arizona Wranglers at Soldier Field. I don't recall the exact date, except that it was a followup for 2 Wrigley Ballhawks and myself to a Cubs loss (the USFL played a spring/summer schedule) that featured the infamous Lee Elia rant after the game.
Three of us...Mark Didtler, Andy Mielke, and myself...strategized our approach, positioning ourselves inn the same area four or five rows apart from each other. I was on top, Mark took the middle, and Andy was in the lowest row. The kick, good but severely hooking, first was coming straight at me, then sailed to my right. I batted it down on the ground and fell on it, with several fellow football chasers piling on top of me. Mark and Andy came to my rescue, and I had a game USFL football, which I promptly gave to Mark.
No good deed goes unpunished, however. Mark gave the ball to Andy, and Andy offered it back to me...for $400!:eek: That's what I get for giving it away in the first place. We've had a few Ballhawks since then who have reneged or taken advantage of fellow Hawks on memorabilia deals...this was the first time it happened to me.
Anyone else go home with a pigskin? NFL, USFL, WFL, XFL, Arena, NCAA?
Tell your story.
Dave Miedema