The GIANTS of Saint Ignatius??

Blog #2 (Only 1074 to go!) The GIANTS of Saint Ignatius??       My wife, Mary Jo, prompted this article. She noted six of the letters of “IGNATIUS” could be rearranged to spell “GIANTS” with two letters left over. She even suggested that as a new option for a mascot. Imagine; using all of the letters, it might "U. I. GIANTS". There's something kinds of brutish about that if you say it with a low voice and grunt. I think that's called "irony".
      Of course there are a couple of problems with that. For one, whatever our skills and achievements in athletics, size has not been the most obvious asset. The other reason for not changing to the "GIANTS" is that there is an historical link to “WOLVES”. Did you know that the name LOYOLA* is a contraction of “lobo y olla”, the Spanish words for “wolf and kettle”. If you look at the emblem of the Jesuits, there is a shield, a knight’s helmet and the image of two wolves standing at a kettle.
      Still, her observation is interesting. Did you know that, in the ‘20’s, Ignatius was a powerhouse in Catholic League football. I discovered that fact while reading Fr. Jim Arimond's book on Loyola Academy’s sports history, including a connection with George Gipp (reference to "Win one for the Gipper."). More recently, some of you might be aware of the famous coin-flip of 1945 between Ignatius and Fenwick. If not, ask your grandfather, or Frank Raispis, who won. It's too painful to talk about.
      I’m sure that we had many successful years between ‘45 and ‘60. I am aware of a couple fine players during that period. Don Hogan and Carm Pintozzi come to mind. But my first two years at Ignatius were not very successful. (It's a shame that there's not a symbol in English to denote "understatement".) It is always risky to name names, and, perhaps, missing many who are equally worthy of recognition. I wasn’t around Ignatius then, so I’m only referring to players with whom I am somewhat familiar. Apologies to the many others who deserve mention.
      For the record, I want to acknowledge my deepest respect and admiration for the fine athletes who were on the football teams my first two years. I'll let those of you who were around then direct the blame.
I won’t take all of the blame for why Fr. Koch decided to drop the sport, but I can’t escape my role. To my players, I humbly apologize.


*Would it insult you if I said that I hoped everyone knew the tie between Saint Ignatius and Loyola

1076 Reflections

Reminiscence #1 (Only 1075 to go!)
When John Chandler and Ryan Osborn asked me to write a "blog" for the alumni webpage, my answer was, "Sure!", but deep in my head, a voice that sounded strangely like Bill Cosby was saying, "Riiight! What's a blog?" (If you're close to my age, you'll understand the reference.)
     You see, I just turned 70. When I was in grammar school, the height of electronic technology was the telephone. If I wanted to make a phone call, I'd pick up the receiver and waited for the operator to say, "Number, please!". A huge advancement was the dial system...the rotary, not the button. When I started teaching at Saint Ignatius, in the fall of ’61, the phone number was HA-1-5900, originally “Haymarket-1-5900”...and you “didn’t need no stinking” area code.
     So I called one of my daughters, and asked her, “What’s a blog?” She understands my ignor...er...ah...innocence. She told me once, “Dad, to you the computer is the devil’s own magic!” She proceeded to tell me, “Blah, blah, blah, yatta, yatta, yatta...there are 1552 alumni on the Saint Ignatius Alumni Facebook site.” (Again! “Riiight! What’s a facebook site?”) I think that she was telling me that most of the alums, if they’re interested in what’s going on with their class members, go to Facebook or some such internet site.
     Why would two reasonably intelligent young men, John and Ryan, ask a codger to write for a hip-and-with-it “publication” like a blog? Then I realized; it’s because I’m old. What is now history was a part of my life. To youngsters, the first moon-landing is an historical event to be memorized for a quiz. Members of my generation ask each other whether they remember where they were when we first learned of it. (FYI, I was in a cocktail lounge at Lakelawn Lodge in Lake Geneva...probably doing sociological research.)
     So, that’s it. With the help of Frank Raispis and others, I can reminisce, try to explain (Why did we drop football in the spring of ’63?) and, to use Frank’s word, be a part of a unifying element to the history of our great institution.
     The Lord and Katie Cummings willing, I’ll see you down the road.