A conversation I had back in October with Wyoming Tribune-Eagle sportswriter Jeremiah Johnke — a guy who I always appreciate seeing in the press box next to me — sparked a mental tally in my head that I am finally putting down “on paper.”
Jeremiah and I were running off the mental checklist of Wyoming football stadiums we had seen and of stadiums where we had actually seen a game played. Jeremiah’s list was quite extensive. But so was mine. I think we tied….
Eventually, I actually sat down and started tallying.
My list of stadiums that I’ve been to is quite a bit more extensive than my list of stadiums where I’ve actually seen (or participated in) a game. As my wife can attest to, whenever I drive within a few miles of a stadium I haven’t seen, I have to go drive around and check it out. The seen/participated list means the most to me; I have very distinct memories of each one of those stadiums because of what I watched (or did) there.
Anyway, here’s my list. What’s yours? I’m really curious to see where other fans in the state have been… and feel free to share your stories about your travels around the state!
(Before you get around to posting your list, a couple ground rules: First, if you need some help with a school checklist, click here, and if you want some more info on the particular stadiums, click here. Second, “been to” means, at minimum, you drove to the field and stopped your vehicle. Driving past it, even at 15 mph, doesn’t count. Third, “watching” a game means being there the ENTIRE time. You can’t count it if you were only there for a few minutes, or if you drove past it one day and they were playing a game there.)
Stadiums I have been to: Big Horn, Big Piney, Buffalo, Burns, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Cheyenne South, Cody, Cokeville, Douglas, Dubois, Farson, Gillette, Glenrock, Green River, Greybull, Guernsey, Hanna, Hulett, Kaycee, Kelly Walsh, Kemmerer, Lander, Laramie, Lingle, Lusk, Meeteetse, Midwest, Moorcroft, Mountain View, Natrona, Normative Services, Pine Bluffs, Pinedale, Powell, Rawlins, Riverside, Riverton, Rocky Mountain (the old field in Byron), Sheridan, Shoshoni, Southeast, Star Valley, Sundance, Ten Sleep, Thermopolis, Torrington, Upton, Wheatland, Wind River, Worland, Wright, Wyoming Indian. (53 stadiums)
Stadiums where I have watched/played in a game: Big Horn, Buffalo, Burns, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Douglas, Dubois, Gillette, Glenrock, Hanna, Hulett, Kaycee, Kelly Walsh, Laramie, Meeteetse, Midwest, Moorcroft, Natrona, Pine Bluffs, Rocky Mountain (the old field in Byron), Sheridan, Sundance, Ten Sleep, Torrington, Upton, Wyoming Indian. (26 stadiums)
And for clarity’s sake, here are the stadiums I haven’t been to: Burlington, Evanston, Jackson, Lovell, Lyman, Newcastle, Rock Springs, Rocky Mountain (the new field in Cowley), Saratoga, Snake River, Tongue River. (11 stadiums; I’ve driven past most of these but never took the time to actually stop and look.)
Your turn…
–patrick
I have played/watch at the following: Big Piney, Burlington, Burns,Buffalo, Central, East, Cody, Cokeville, Evanston, Gillette, Green River, Greybull, Hanna(college roomate was from Hanna and he made me go watch his Miners), Jackson, Kelly Walsh, Kemmerer, Lander, Laramie, Lovell, Lyman, Meeteetse, Mt. View, Natrona, Powell, Rawlins, Riverside(was Basin when I played there), Rock Springs, Riverton, Sheridan, Shoshoni, Star Valley(both old and new), Thermopolis(played my final football game here), Tongue River, Wind River, and Worland—thats 35–Have also stopped at Farson, Pinedale, and Wright– Douglas(went while there watching baseball), Ten Sleep(driven by), Torrington(see douglas), Wheatland(visiting the voice of the bulldogs Kent Smith), Thanks for allowing me to burn 15 mintues of my work day—-Steve Core
That’s a pretty solid list right there…. My watched/played list has 12 fields on it where I played (Big Horn, Douglas, Dubois, Gillette, Glenrock, Hanna, Hulett, Meeteetse, Midwest, Moorcroft, Ten Sleep, Upton). The rest were mostly Star-Tribune assignments, although the Rocky game was a playoff game against Sundance when I came down from Bozeman to watch some of my old Bulldog classmates, and the Burns trip was a tag-along with some of my friends from Guernsey back in my undergrad days at UW.
Also, my grandma used to live across the street from the Wheatland field…. Her front window gave her a great view of the underside of the bleachers.
–patrick
Played at: Guernsey, Lingle, Lusk, Pine Bluffs, Burns, Southeast, Burlington, Hanna, Midwest, Cokeville, and Natrona.
Watched games at: Torrington, Glenrock, and Upton.
Visited: Kemmerer, Worland, Green River, Lyman, Star Valley, Hulett, Kelly Walsh, and Cheyenne Central.
Although I think a distinction should be made between “visited and “practiced at.” Worland and Kemmerer were both locations of Friday practices before Saturday playoffs games in Burlington and Cokeville. And I agree with Steve as well – thanks for letting me waste 15 minutes of my day Patrick!
Should’ve had Wheatland and Douglas on there as visited as well.
Wow, I don’t think I’m anywhere close to you guys, but here’s mine.
Star Valley, Jackson, Dubois, Lander, Riverton, Worland, Powell, Cody, Greybull, Cokeville, Farson, Kemmerer, Mtn. View, Lyman, Evanston, Green River, Rock Springs, Rawlins, Laramie, Torrington, Wheatland, Glenrock, Douglas, Buffalo, Sheridan, Kelly Walsh, Natrona and Thermopolis. That’s 28, looks like I have a long way to go to catch up to you folks!
Played/Coached/Watched: Glernock (home as kid) Pine Bluffs (home as adult), torrington, wheatland, douglas, buffalo, thermopolis, newcastle, rawlins, KW, Natrona, Wright, Gillette, Mountain View, Lyman, Big Piney, Cokeville, Lander, Riverton, Lovell, Rocky Mtn (one in Byron), Central, East, Laramie, Burns, Southeast (Yoder), Lusk, Sundance, Upton, Saratoga, Lingle, Guernsey, Kemmerer, Normative Services, Shoshoni, Midwest (as a freshman in HS, we played 9 man, was fun)
Been to but not watched a game: Wind River, Wyoming Indian (will this fall though) Evanston, Rock Springs, Green River, Riverside, Worland, Sheridan.
Think that’s it.
moorcroft too….whoops
So you’ve been to Mountain View’s field but never Lyman’s field?
qbgr: Sort of… Mountain View’s field and Lyman’s field I hit the same day. Mountain View, I stopped, got out, looked around. Right there in the middle of town so it was easy. Lyman’s field was out on the edge of town and back behind the school, kind of a hassle, so I just drove on past it. But I was 19 at the time. No way would I pass up the opportunity now!
By the way, those are great lists from Dahl and Will and Karl. I love that in Wyoming you can get to basically every stadium in the state if you’re around long enough.
–patrick
my list isn’t as long as some of you others but a cool idea Patrick. Doe seeing games at the War count?
Stadiums I’ve seen games at: Big Horn, Big Piney, Burns, East, Guernsey-Sunrise, Hulett, Lingle-Ft Laramie, Lusk, Moorcroft, Normative Services, Pine Bluffs, Riverton, Saratoga, Shoshoni, Southeast, Sundance, Tongue River, Upton, Wind River, Wright. (20)
Stadiums I’ve been to/looked at: Central, Douglas, Kelly Walsh, Lander, Manville, Natrona, Newcastle, Torrington, Wheatland. (9)
Played: Torrington, Wheatland, Douglas, Riverton, Rawlins, Star Valley, Riverton, Laramie, Lusk
Track Meets/Ran By: Newcastle, Glenrock, Gillette, Sheridan, Cheyenne (Central & East), Guernsey, Upton, Thermopolis, Kelly Walsh, Natrona, Worland, Jackson, Pine Bluffs, Wright, Sundance, Buffalo, Hulett, Rock Springs
Visited: Tongue River, Powell, Cody, Ten Sleep, Kemmerer, Green River, Evanston, Kaycee, Midwest, Lingle-Fort Laramie, Burns
I might be missing a few.
Hey Patrick,
Stadiums I have been to: Cody, Cokeville, Farson, Laramie, Rawlins, Worland.
Stadiums where I have watched a game: Evanston and Rock Springs.
Stadiums I have coached a game at : Big Piney, Greybull, Kemmerer, Lovell, Lyman, Mountain View, Pinedale, Thermopolis, Wyoming Indian.
Looking at your list Patrick we have got to get you into the Southwest corner of Wyoming this next Fall. Plan on coming for a Lyman game in the afternoon and a Evanston game in the evening.
Thanks again for all you do.
Ted
Fields I played at, Evanston, Green River, Rock Springs, Big Piney, Pinedale, Thermopolis, Wyoming Indian, Greybull, Lovell, Lyman, Mountain View, Glenrock, Sheridan, Cheyenne Central, Laramie, Kelly Walsh, and Kemmerer.