Ever been recognized as a Boilermaker overseas? Ever hand a Purdue credit card to an employee and get them to freak out thinking you're an Ivy? Ever hear someone order a Baltimore Zoo or a peanut butter burger and get a little homesick? Ever wear the Old Gold and Black to the grocery store and have someone break into a chorus of Hail Purdue?
Share your stories about finding either Friends or Foes of the Boilermakers outside of the Holy Land. You can do it here in the comment section or tweet your stories @boiledSports or @thuff. You can also send us an email - Boiledsports@gmail.com
I'll get the ball rolling a little:
I was in Vegas for Spring Break in 2010. 2 of my Purdue friends are with me as we're walking around the Excalibur hotel. One of us is wearing a Purdue shirt - I'll assume it was me, because everyone else was playing it cool - because that was the day Purdue would face Minny in the B1G Tourney. We're just minding our own business until a 6'8"+, 275lb of pure muscle gentleman rolls over to us in a suit with an ear piece. "Now you boys have it all wrong...you should have gone to IU."
He was a Hoosier alum who got a little thrill out of freaking out 3 boiler kids. We joked around a little bit and as we went on our way he yells back "Good Luck in the Tournement!" my buddy Ric couldn't help but yell back "Yea, you too! Oh...right. Sorry!" In true sitcom fashion we disappear down the escalator as we hear him just start laughing his ass off.
Aright guys, your turn. Let us know what kind of trouble the Purdue name has gotten you into.
Any stories sent to us may be published anonymously, unless you specify we may post your name. If you don't want it posted, still send it to us and clarify - we love hearing your stories.
1 comment:
This post was emailed to us because the sender could only view the post while taking a 'Bio Break'.
Comments and well wishers can contact him on Twitter @brown11b
"Sept. 11, 2001 was a few weeks into my first semester at Purdue. I watched the first cruise missiles being shot into Iraq from a bar in Canada on Spring Break of my sophomore year. I skipped A LOT of class to watch CNN and ground invasion of Iraq. I became very fearful that I was going to miss out on my generation’s opportunity to go off and experience war. (Looking back now with conflict in Afghanistan raging ever strong 10+ years later I was obviously was a little short-sighted and greatly miscalculated the length it would continue.) Due to my mistaken fear I was going to miss out on the war I enlisted in the Army after the end of my sophomore year. I left for basic training in November of 2003.
One of my Drill Sergeants looked exactly like Damon Wayans in Major Payne. After about a week the Drill Instructors started calling us in the office one by one to interview us individually and to asses if anyone was going to snap.
During the interview, the D.I. had my personal file in front of him. After a minute or so he came to my college transcript. “So we have an Ivy Leaguer in our ranks.” “No Drill Sgt., Purdue is a great school, but it isn’t in the Ivy League, but it is a member of the Big 10(11).” “DO I LOOK STUPID PRIVATE? DO YOU THINK YOU CAN SLIDE THAT ONE BY ME PRIVATE? I KNOW PURDUE IS IN THE IVY LEAGUE.” “Yes Drill Sgt.” “Since you a probably a genius for getting into an Ivy League school you are a squad leader now Private.”
I think many people in all the Armed Services may know that being given any level of leadership at basic training is less than desirable. It is added responsibility for a bunch of screw-ups around you with no add benefits.
I had heard Purdue alumni say that people from the west coast would often consider Purdue as Ivy League, but it was a rough way for me to gain some personal experience in that matter.
Boiler Up (& for the Purdue marketing staff MAKERS ALL!"
Post a Comment