
We've watched our favorite teams play in some strange places. We once saw our Buzzsaw lose on the back of a boat off Lake Shelbyville while an old girlfriend vomited off the back. (We helped her out, once the outcome had been clearly decided.) But Illinois' breathtaking upset of Ohio State on Saturday was witnessed from the strangest possible place: We watched it on an airplane.
Fortunately, we were coming all the way from the Pacific Time Zone, so our JetBlue flight, coinciding perfectly with ESPN's coverage of Ohio State-Illinois, allowed us to watch the whole game while strapped into our seat, eating Terra Chips. Needless to say, it's difficult to witness your team pulling off its biggest win in decades in complete silence. You have no idea how hard it was not to scream, but we couldn't: We're pretty certain they would have thrown us off the plane. This is the wrong century to be yelling on airplanes.
As for the win itself, it reveals that Illinois is farther along than people (including us) have realized ... and Ohio State had zero business ever being a No. 1 team. But you knew this. We are just amazed that we have a frighteningly real chance at the Capital One Bowl against ... Florida! That should be awfully entertaining. We hope we can watch it in a place where we can make noise.
Illini Come Of Age Upsetting No. 1 [Decatur Herald & Review]









Comments
Is that Donkey Lips all the way to the right
The blue kettle chips are the best.
I've yelled on many a jet blue flight. anytime i fly during primetime.
We're pretty certain they would have thrown us off the plane.
You're a white male in your 30s. You needn't worry about such things.
And don't you mean "out" of the plane, since it probably would've been in mid-air?
Meanwhile, the Boston College BCS Bandwagon is up for sale on Ebay now....
Regional brand chips are the best regardless of what region you're in.
Representing Cincinnati: Grippo's.
I've yelled on many flights. People just give me weird looks, hit me on the shoulder and tell me to wake up and stop snoring.
Zook's tears cure cancer and eat through steel.
I wish for a Zook Bowl victory for ya, Fearless Leader!
The second sentence is a bit like a Grandpa Simpson story.
I can just imagine how that might have gone:
Will: "JUUIIIIIIICE!"
Rest of the plane: Jews? JEWS? Oh my god, it's some sort of Jew-led rallying cry run by the seven Jew bankers who control the world's money supply living a mile into the earth's core! Run for your lives, the end times are nigh!
@Midwestern-City_Water-Vapor: Awful waffle! Awful waffle!
@Midwestern-City_Water-Vapor: I think that's actually Meat Loaf in his teens. His ability to rock harder than anyone imaginable has allowed him to travel in the fourth dimension, known as the "Meat Zone". He's working on changing that name, by the way.
i forsee much more frequent use of the zookski photo. which is a good thing
I left my 10-year to watch my alma mater on TV in the hotel bar. Everyone had gotten fat. I got my watiress' phone number. I don't regret a moment of the decision.
@Dave Ryan:
If BC wins out, they'll still make it.
Of course at this rate, I expect us to win at Clemson, then lose to Miami at home.
If I were Will and some flight attendant starting giving me shit about being too loud I would just say, "Don't you know who I am? I am the leader of the Underground!!"
On second thought, I probably wouldn't recommend that.
Sam Carson is a good speller
Every kid dreams of one day playing in the Capital One Bowl.
@ClownForPound: I'm glad I wasn't the only one picturing Grandpa Simpson telling a tale about an old girlfriend puking off of a boat in Lake Shelybville.
I once heard that Ron Zook water skied behind a Jet Blue.
Illnois: the state of Pennsylvania thanks you for your hard work
I watched the Illinois game from the Kollege Klub in Madison. I went for the wknd w/ three others for the Wisconsin-Michigan game. None of us have any affiliation whatsoever to UW or UM. We went to super pussified East Coast schools.
All I can say is that we really, really missed out in college.
@StinkyCat: agree. The smoked almonds are very underrated. They need to improve their sweet selections.
Shelbyville? We lose to them at football half of the time.
@Mr. Marinovich: I guess that depends on what you mean by super pussified.
Terra Chips?
What is this, The Big Lead?
Gay.
@Chicago Jones: Ha - fair point. Lame east coast schools?
@SlantedAndDisenchanted: You can't spell Capital without IL.
So I am guessing it would have been a bad idea to scream out "Look at that bomb!" when one of the teams went deep to a receiver?
Congrats Will.
But boy, does the BigTen suck this year. My screen name now qualifies me as either a special ed student or a bag lady.
That kid on the left looks like hes going to celebrate with a Truffle Shuffle.
You have no idea how hard it was not to scream, but we couldn't
Who gave the whore in Ufford's trunk access to Deadspin?
@BigTenObsession: At least you have hoops to look forward to.
...Grand Valley State, you say? What's a Findlay? Oh, well nevermind then.
Ilinois football? A ha ha ha.
/s/ The Tebow
Stupid Time Out (the extra guy/s would've gotten off the field before the snap). Still it's MICHIGAN WEEK. We loose this and I will be depressed. ROSE BOWL.
@katolesce: Bar-B-Que Grippos=mouthgasm
"What's the deal with airplane peanuts?"
Mike Cooper was simultaneously in the restroom of an AirTran flight bound for a non-extradition country
@Farneyismycopilot:
I don't even like the BBQ Grippos, although my bro and dad eat a damn box in one sitting. Their salt and vinegar is incredible. I drink the salt and vinegar juice from the bottom of the bag.
@Weed Against Speed: "What's the deal with airplane peanuts? See Bee Movie starting November 9th!"
(Updated for recent bout of shameless shilling by JS)
@katolesce: I have to add Vitner's Salt and Sour for Chicago.
Also, Will ... next time fly Southwest. Sure there are no TVs, but they don't give a fuck what you do on those planes. It's the Greyhound of the skies.
True story: In college I worked at an airport and a Southwest flight had to make an emergency landing cause some large lady was giving birth. When the plane landed the flight crew acted like it was no big deal.
Best part?
The following exchange:
Pregnatnt woman being placed in double-wide wheel chair in jetway to paramedic: "Please don't tell my husband he didn't know I was pregnant."
Yep. Nine months pregnant and wasn't showing. She was roomy.
I'm surprised other people on the flight weren't screaming and shouting while watching the game. I was on a Jet Blue flight when Omarosa got kicked off of season 1 of the Apprentice -- when Trump fired her, basically the entire flight broke into applause and cheers.
@katolesce: Zapps, from NOLA.
@Petro45: Was that a flight from Doucheapolis to Retardsville?
Lake Shelbyville? Is that near North Haverbrook?
Raving happy Illini fan on left: what you get when you mix Chris Farley (girth), Paris Hilton (tongue, great dental work) and Kige Ramsey (potential for greatness).
/overdue Kige Ramsey reference
@In Flagrante Delicto:
Is that Louisana? Cause I love myself some good ass chips.
Terra Chips > Spinzels on US Airways
@throwbot: Nope, Ogdenville.
@Mr. Marinovich:
As a recent UW Alum, I'm happy to see that you enjoyed your KK experience.
@preciousroy: Actually it's somewhere near Brockway. And by golly, is it on the map!
And adding to the chip brigade: Backer's (preferably Red Hot Wavee), from Columbia, MO, represent!
Like the backseat of a Volkswagon?
Watching football on an airplane? John Madden finds that concept somewhat frightening.
Better Made, Detroit
This would a great commerical for bowl games - various bags of chips announcing their name & region to the camera.
Vincent's from Salem, MA were fan-fucking-tastic. They were so greasy that they'd actually give your hands acne.
@katolesce: NOLA =
New Orleans, LA
But you can find Zapps all over the Gulf South.
www.zapps.com
The Best Chip in the World, According to Your Mama
Utz!
Gotta represent the mid atlantic.
What was Will doing out West?
@katolesce: @In Flagrante Delicto: Oh Yeah, Zapp's are the shit. Go for the Cajun Flavor.
@blastitbiggs: Do they still make New Era chips in Detroit? Those were great, and the had home delivery where you could get them in a 5 gallon steel can.
1) Kitchen Cooked from Central Illinois (Bushnell, to be precise) are the best.
2) Teddy Greenstein in the Tribune laid out a scenario where the Illini could be BCS-bowl bound which doesn't seem all that unfathomable.
@In Flagrante Delicto: Good god, I miss Zapps. No substitute for those Cajun Crawtaters.
I was on a similar Jet Blue flight during UGA's win of UF, and definitely got some strange looks for repeatedly hitting the ceiling of the plane with my fist. Fortunately, the oxygen mask did not deploy.
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