Unbelievable stadium tradition ...

[aggiesal]

Last edited Sat Oct 1, 2022, 03:03 PM - Edit history (1)

If this is the first time seeing this, get your tissues ready.

If you've never seen the Iowa wave, this is an unbelievable football stadium tradition.

The University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital sits overlooking Kinnick Stadium.

At the end of the 1st quarter, child patients along with their family & friends, stand at the hospital windows facing the stadium, and the whole stadium stands and waves at the them, including both teams.

It is really moving.
Here is today's event.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

1. Far far superior and just better in every way than the endless, boring "salutes to the military".

Does the military pay good taxpayer money pay for all that saluting? Or is it just the thing to do for those on a $840 billion a year shoestring budget?

[aggiesal]

2. I agree, I keep saying that if you cut the military budget in half ...

we could pay for free education all they way through Phd.

But this tradition is really cool.

[jimfields33]

3. If we could close every base in the world except the United States

Stop sending weapons and money to Ukraine. Then we might be able to cut it in half. But I remember when a proposal to shut down bases in Germany was brought up and the shit hit the fan. Nobody wanted that. So how in the world do you suppose we’re going to cut the budget in half for the military? Quite frankly, it’s gonna have to go up a lot to replace all the weapons we sent to Ukraine. It’ll be 1 trillion soon enough.

[aggiesal]

5. Seriously, their budget is filled with so much fat ...

that congress is giving them money for equipment and weapons they don't need or want.
That budget never ever goes down.

[jimfields33]

6. Maybe It'll go down but it's never gonna go half that's ridiculous.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

7. There is no will power in the face of massive financial self interest and political catering.

All it takes is to stop erecting these roadblocks.

Half of 840 billion American dollars, per year, is still more than any other nation by a country mile.

[aggiesal]

12. Here is the yearly DOD budget from 2002 (approximately half) to 2020

What security do we need now that 2002/2003 budget didn't cover?

Year - Billions of US $
2020 $778.23B
2019 $734.34B
2018 $682.49B
2017 $646.75B
2016 $639.86B
2015 $633.83B
2014 $647.79B
2013 $679.23B
2012 $725.21B
2011 $752.29B
2010 $738.01B
2009 $705.92B
2008 $656.76B
2007 $589.59B
2006 $558.34B
2005 $533.20B
2004 $493.00B
2003 $440.53B
2002 $378.46B

[paleotn]

19. 2002 budget $'s plus inflation, per BLS, is $620.3B

$742B is the 2022 budget. Does that contain fat? You bet it does. As I've said many times, much of the fat consists of weapon systems DoD doesn't even want, BUT....those systems, bases, etc. represent jobs in Rep AND Dem congressional districts, so DoD has to spend money on them. THAT is the military industrial complex Ike warned us about. A DoD jobs program. Would be far better for congress just let the professionals at DoD decide what they REALLY need for force readiness and modernization given current and future threats. But oh no. 2 year congress critters from Bum Fuck, most not knowing their asses from their elbows when it comes to 21st century security threats, have to put their greasy little fingers on everything.

Don't get me started.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

36. Ike would point at exactly what you point at and point out the MIC has arrived.

But apparently few want to open their eyes, don’t think Ike saw the power of propaganda as this overwhelming.

[paleotn]

29. A case in point....

For three years, the Army in numerous Congressional hearings has pushed a plan that essentially would have suspended tank building and upgrades in the U.S. for the first time since World War II. The Army suggested that production lines could be kept open through foreign sales.

Each time, Congress has pushed back. In December, Congress won again in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 that funded $120 million for Abrams tank upgrades.

The Army and the Marine Corps currently have about 9,000 Abrams tanks in their inventories. The tank debate between the Army and Congress goes back to 2012 when Odierno (Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno) testified that the Army doesn't need more tanks.

Odierno lost then too. Congress voted for another $183 million for tanks despite Odierno's argument that the Army was seeking to become a lighter force.

"When we are talking about tight budgets a couple of hundred million dollars is a lot of money," Odierno said.

"There are lots of people that have looked at procurement reform. And the one thing that has been frustrating to me is as the chief of staff of the Army is how little authority and responsibility that I have in the procurement process. I have a say in requirements, to some extent, but I have very little say."

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/01/28/pentagon-tells-congress-to-stop-buying-equipment-it-doesnt-need.html

[Alexander Of Assyria]

37. 9000 Abraham tanks, plus many others, plus crew and support...why desperately needed??

That’s just one machine.

[paleotn]

40. Jobs in Lima Ohio.

Doesn't matter what the Army actually needs, or what the Army Chief of Staff thinks the Army needs. Lima needs jobs. The real military industrial complex / jobs program, brought to you by Congress.

https://business.limachamber.com/list/member/general-dynamics-land-systems-division-370

[Alexander Of Assyria]

44. Stark example, Exhibit A.

[Lonestarblue]

10. It will never go down because that budget provides a lot of wealth for major shareholders

of companies like Raytheon and Northrop Grumman that supply the military with fancy new technology and weapons. What also keeps the budget going up is that the US gives away planes and other technology to some allies, like Israel, as part of aid packages, and then they have to have newer and better equipment. It’s a never-ending cycle to feed the military-industrial complex.

[paleotn]

27. Oh dear....

The usual memes.

[IbogaProject]

42. Military spending is like Welfare for the Rich

It is one of the few types of government spending that doesn't crowd private investments. Public housing for example puts downward price pressure on slumlords. It we had kept our military budget down at mid 1970s levels increased only for inflation, we would still have the largest or second largest spending. And if we had never increased it like we have since then, most of our federal deficit would never have accumulated. The true cost of the military includes all the veteran and retiree benefits, and all the accumulated interest on "defence"s share of the federal budget. It is the root cause, of why we have student debt, and why we waste so much on health care. It also creates a block or working class voters who vote conservative in the mistaken belief both parties don't increase spending in similar ways.

[sarisataka]

32. Nice hijack

[aggiesal]

35. I agree ...

I felt there were 2 conversations happening.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

38. 💪 🖊

[SharonClark]

39. Yep.

[dalton99a]

4. It is a great tradition

[demmiblue]

8. Something in my eye!

[aggiesal]

9. It's always the onions for me. n/t

Last edited Sat Oct 1, 2022, 05:00 PM - Edit history (1)

[mountain grammy]

11. Wow, never saw that. And it's a tradition!

Good for Iowa. this is very nice.

[aggiesal]

14. They do this at every game ...

Last edited Sat Oct 1, 2022, 11:39 PM - Edit history (1)

The Iowa Wave started in 2017 after the new children's hospital opened. Patients and their parents gather in the Press Box Café on the 10th floor of the hospital to watch the game through floor-to-ceiling windows.

[Sogo]

13. Thanks for posting this. I was distracted while watching the game today

and missed it....

BTW, a woman from my home town is the one who instigated this tradition when in a post on social media she said, "Hey, wouldn't it be neat if at the next home game everyone turned around and waved to the kids?" It's been a tradition since then, and brings tears to my eyes every time.

If you want to really have a teary-eyed moment, watch the ESPN video about it:

[aggiesal]

15. Thanks for sharing that. I have to move the onions away. n/t

[crickets]

17. I have the biggest lump in my throat.

Tears, but the good kind. What a sweet thing to do for those children and their families.

[progressoid]

41. +1 million

[Mr. Scorpio]

16. Go Blue.

[Xavier Breath]

21. Pretty dominating performance

even if the final score doesn't reflect it. On to Bloomington!

[irisblue]

26. You can see Michigan QB & Team waving starting at 16 seconds. This is really a cool moment

[hauckeye]

18. I grew up outside Iowa City, have 2 degrees from UIowa

I don't make it back to many games anymore, but we did attend in 2019 and got to do the Wave. Very touching and makes me proud.

[Sogo]

20. Very proud, indeed; I'm a fellow hawkeye, and I tear up every time....

Go Hawks!

BTW, see my post above with the ESPN video about the wave. Be sure you have kleenex nearby....

[aggiesal]

25. I don't participate in stadium waves, because the entertainment is on the field ...

but this is one wave I'd proudly participate in.

[bpj62]

22. Wow

As the father of a childhood cancer survivor I can tell you that both the video from the game and the ESPN story brought back emotions that I haven't felt in a long time.
Thank you to the Iowa fans for giving those children and thier families a little bit of joy during what is a very trying and sometimes dark journey.

[MLAA]

23. I thought, no I don't need tissues ...then I clicked on video.

I was wrong, I needed tissues!

[calimary]

24. NICE!

Stuff like this kinda restores one's faith.

[paleotn]

28. Wonderful! The way it should be.

[JPPaverage]

30. Best tradition in college football

It is a relatively new tradition as the hospital/clinic was just completed a few years ago, but it is still the best. Hometown Iowa fans and players take part as do opposing players and fans. And believe me, if they don't, they ate soon outed as heartless assholes.
I've been there and done that and it is a gratifying feeling knowing that we are doing something to make a sick kids day, maybe his or her life.

[aggiesal]

33. Thank you for sharing your experience. n/t

[Demovictory9]

34. Wow..people in building have front row seats

[electric_blue68]

43. What a sweet, beautiful tradition!