Trivia Hall of
Fame Page
Created
8/19/01;
Updated
11/14/04

 






The Trivia Question of the Week Hall of Fame honors those readers who chalked up 15 "wins" through answering the weekly question from 2000 through 2005.  A reader's win total carried from season to season, and all years counted toward the necessary 15 (though only his or her wins during the current season counted toward the end of the season prize drawing).  Sound confusing?  Good!  What would a Hall of Fame induction be without confusing rules?





Hall of Fame inductee number nineteen is MayoCat, inducted Nov. 14, 2004:

MayoCat and daughter, along with Willie, in a maze of corn.
MayoCat spent his undergrad years at NU during the darkest era of Wildcat football (1-42-1 says it all), waiting in vain for the big upset that never came.  Season ticket holder since 1992, he's managed to attend many of the amazing Wildcat victories over the last decade, and each of the four bowl appearances.  Despite banishment to a more northern locale in 2000, he still makes it back to Evanston on a regular basis, and is pretty sure his is the only house in Rochester bearing a purple N flag on game days.

Hall of Fame inductee number eighteen is Oldercat, inducted Nov. 14, 2004:
 
Willie during the early eighties, an "Older cat" indeed...
Class of 74/75 (one credit argument with the Registrar, Oldercat lost) Alpha Delt/Wrangler. Poli-Sci major. Has not missed a home NU football game in 35 years. Has attended 227(plus or minus a couple, O.C.'s memory is fading) NU games from Hawaii to Princeton.  Oldercat knows where the crossbar from the goal post is from the end of the losing streak (after it was fished out of the lake). He has left instructions in his will to be cremated with his ashes to be placed under his brick next to Hannibal, after a small spinkling at the 50 yard line. Has two favorite collegiate teams: the Wildcats and whoever plays ND on a given Saturday. Fondest dreams: World Peace and going to a bowl game where the 'Cats WIN!

Hall of Fame inductee number seventeen is 'MOCats, inducted October 24, 2004:

'MOCats: confused, but assured...
'MOCats is a 1994 graduate from NU who currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri.  Born and bred a Buckeye fan that bleeds scarlet and gray, 'MOCats decided on Northwestern as his college of choice (so he could watch Big Ten football and his beloved Buckeyes).  After suffering through an abysmal freshman season of football (NU went 0-11) and then Big Ten basketball (0-18 in conference play), 'MOCats has continued to bleed scarlet. BUT, as he likes to point out, his brain is definitely all purple.  His favorite NU moments include finishing a keg at 5:00 a.m. and then beginning to tailgate at 5:30 a.m., often with Jersey Cat, Galloping Grapes and a few others.

Hall of Fame inductee number sixteen is BobbyD, inducted September 26, 2004:
 
Hook 'em 'Horns: BobbyD,
briefly stepping away from the burnt orange, poses in purple.
BobbyD (WCAS '70, KGSM '74) has lived in Austin, TX since 1984. He started helping Northwestern with recruiting in Texas in 1994.  He was asked to start the Austin Northwestern Alumni Club in 1995 and did so in 1996 with one other person, serving as President of the club three different years. He was elected to the Northwestern Alumni Association (NAA) Board of Directors 1998 - 2001. Since 2002, he has led the Austin Northwestern Alumni Admission Council (interviewing students locally, doing high school college fairs, etc.)

He has one daughter who is a senior at UT. He has been a huge college football fan his whole life and has been a season ticket holder for UT since 1987. He was at the '96 Rose Bowl and '00 Alamo Bowl, and organized and co-hosted a hospitality suite in Northwestern's Hyatt HQ hotel at the Alamo Bowl.

BobbyD has been active in the Northwestern Internet community since joining Mike Nolan's list serve in late 1995, and was one of two people who helped Brad Kaiser with his now defunct Northwestern recruiting site, providing him with inside information.


Hall of Fame inductee number fifteen is CincyCat, inducted December 21, 2003:

CincyCat's soon-to-be colleagues, awaiting his children's matriculation.
CincyCat (CAS, Econ) spent much of his time in Evanston working the Dairy section at Dominick's before moving on to Stanford Law School in '81.  The Stanford Law classes of 1981 and 1982 included four alumni of NU's first and smallest residential college -- the  College of Community Studies.

Cincy returned to-- where else-- Cincinnati, and is a partner in the Litigation Department of a regional law firm.

CincyCat's wife's graduate degree is from Miami (Oh).  She has been very nice about NU's record against Miami.  He has three daughters.  Oldest is a freshman at NU.  The next two are twins who are sophomores in HS.  Cincy will be working nights at the Kwikie Mart in three years when they are all in college at the same time.

CincyCat is a long-time football season ticket holder and is really sick of looking at Indiana, but that's pretty much what's between him and Chicago.

Hall of Fame inductee number fourteen is MDCatFan, inducted September 21, 2003:
 
Like the Crown Clock turning purple after an NU win, MDCatFan can be seen raising the flag above the southeast Baltimore skyline...
MDCatFan is a 'Cat fan by choice, swearing allegiance to the Purple at a more "mature" age than most.  Originally from the mid-west and the product of a good, faithful OSU alum (as opposed to your typical, boorish d'OSU alum), MDCatFan was raised on all things Scarlet & Gray.  Having grown tired of your typical d'OSU fans who aren't content on just winning but winning stylistically, MDCatFan experienced first hand a hearty helpin' of d'OSU's "we are entitled" demeanor.  Always enamoured of their untapped potential, fate steered MDCatFan towards Evanston since he attended the same high school as Coach Barney (but not at the same time).  MDCatFan later graduated from a Jesuit University that did not/does not have a football program.   Ergo, his one free, mad, passionate allegiance was bestowed -- perhaps foolishly -- upon the program in Evanston.  Like Cervantes' idealistic Don Quixote, MDCatFan longs for the day when yet again the Purple will reign supreme in the Big Ten.

Hall of Fame inductee number thirteen is FlakCat, inducted September 14, 2003:
   
Author Tom Wolfe, gamely standing in for Mr. FlakCat.
FlakCat has led the Northwestern Wildcats to a national championship -- on NCAA Football 2002. FlakCat graduated from Medill in 1990 and went to most of the football games, most of which he remembers somewhat vaguely.  Hauling the goalposts to Lake Michigan after breaking the mini-streak against NIU remains a fond memory. FlakCat didn't become a season ticket holder until the Barnett years when you couldn't just waltz up 10 minutes before a game and get a decent seat. Following graduation, FlakCat was exiled to Aurora, where he worked as a reporter, then switched sides and joined the city government to become a press secretary with flak catcher duties. Read Tom Wolfe's essay 'Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers' for the reference.

Nowadays, FlakCat has three young children whom he's been indoctrinating into the ways of the Wildcat faithful just as his father indoctrinated him into Villanova basketball. "Why is Daddy screaming at the television?" FlakCat's lovely wife has been kind enough to allow him to continue the tradition of going to home games.  FlakCat looks forward to beating the Buckeyes in 2004 and helping to take down the goalposts again!

Hall of Fame inductee number twelve is FloridAlum, inducted August 3, 2003:

Indulging in his home state's favorite hobby, FloridAlum inspects a souvenir from the "2000 campaign."
Botany and rare primate expert, world traveler, epicure, financial wizard, and "makeup consultant to the stars," FloridAlum commands a life that is the envy of royalty.  For the last twenty years he has lived in the Sunshine State, where he is a financial consultant for Smith Barney.  FloridAlum cultivates tropical plants and not so tropical puns with equal aplomb.  The Clown Prince of the Wildcat Internet community, FloridAlum is an always amusing source of football commentary.

Hall of Fame inductee number eleven is Galloping Grapes, inducted April 27, 2003:
 
G-Grapes, maxin' and relaxin' back in the college crib...
Galloping Grapes is a 1992 NU graduate.  GG's grandmother, who attended NU during the Hanley era, saw the 'Cats win as many games in 1930 (7) as they did during the four years GG was there.  Not that GG saw any of those wins; although he attended every home game from 1988 through '91, his tailgating "responsibilities" rarely allowed him to leave the parking lot.  GG's favorite NU football memory (other than trying to get two Evanston police officers to do kegstands at a tailgate in 1990) is the setting sun over the San Gabriel Mountains, as the 'Cats took a brief, yet timeless, 32-31 4th quarter lead over USC in 1996.  On an unrelated note, GG deeply loathes Keyshawn Johnson.

GG grew up in Wyoming, where he was subjected to a brand of college football nearly as bad as that which he endured in Evanston years later.  Thankfully, NU's victory over Wyoming in 1979 (the only win keeping NU's record Streak from being 46 games long) was in Evanston, sparing GG the horror of witnessing the game in person.  GG now lives with his lovely wife (NU '93) in New Jersey, where he watches NU games in bars and on pay-per-view with Jersey Cat.

Hall of Fame inductee number ten is West Coast Cat, inducted November 17, 2002:
 
West Coast Cat and beach toys.
West Coast Cat grew up as a Buckeye fan.  His high school was in the same league as Randy Walker's.  W.C.C. saw the light, however, and graduated from NU in 1957.  He witnessed only three Wildcat wins during his college days.  For W.C.C. the Rose Bowl game in 1996 was worth the wait-- great game, but still the wrong result.  

West Coast Cat lives in Long Beach, California.  He owns his own mortgage business with his two sons.  Before forming his company in 1991 he was a senior bank executive.  Both of West Coast Cat's sons went to... USC.  "My sons' interest in SC was directly related to football... Also, they saw the song girls, lots of sunshine, the horse, people having fun, etc."


Hall of Fame inductee number nine is heet75, inducted October 16, 2002:

The '70s live on!
heet75 was a member of  the Northwestern Wildcat football team in the early seventies, and was on the team the last time it defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes.  He played on the defensive line.  [Although Willie '72 is pictured, at left, heet75 did not serve as mascot-- at least, not as far as we know.] 

Hall of Fame inductee number eight is Alaskanwildcat, inducted October 16, 2002:

Alaskanwildcat, in environs.
Alaskanwildcat is a 1972 NU grad from the Ara era living in Anchorage, Alaska.  When NU started its road to the Rose Bowl, Alaska promised his then college bound son that if he got accepted to NU and if NU qualified for the Rose Bowl, he'd take him and his brothers to Pasedena.  When both of those events became a reality, he states he was never happier to eat his words.  That son has now graduated and another is a student athlete at NU.  He states, "Whether with friends or family, getting to share memorable experiences is what NU Football is all about."

Alaska's vocational bio can be found at LawAlaska.com, and his avocations apart from NU Football include cameras, coins, and cars.  His most recent auto adventure was evading a collision with a car that rolled over in front of  the SL500 he was driving on the Autobahn this summer.


Hall of Fame inductee number seven is Jersey Cat, inducted July 14, 2002:

With reckless disregard for the safety of others, a dapper Jersey Cat tramples his way down Central Street toward Ryan Field.
Jersey Cat is a 1993 NU graduate, living in Westfield, NJ.  Having only seen eight wins during his undergraduate years, he is happy the 'Cats have become competitive in the Big Ten.  Jersey Cat's favorite NU moment was the '95 win at Michigan, and his least favorite was his in-laws returning home that afternoon to see him celebrating the victory by pretending to surf on their kitchen table while in somewhat of a haze.  His autumn Saturday afternoons are usually spent purchasing and watching the NU games on pay-per-view [Now we know who's keeping CableCat busy].  Jersey Cat's dream is a return to Pasadena and a Wildcat victory in the Rose Bowl. 

Hall of Fame inductee number six is CableCat, inducted June 30, 2002:

CableCat, taking care of business.
Like many NU fans, CableCat's love for the Wildcats was forged by the fires of adversity.  His first game in person was the 1976 shellacking by ND.  Despite a grand total of 2 wins and a tie during his formative undergrad years, and generally dismal times during the subsequent Dark Ages, his faith in the 'Cats never wavered.  A season ticket holder for 12 years (i.e. before the bandwagon!), he has sucessfully converted his wife (an Iowa fan by birth) to the cause and is raising his two children to be true believers.  When not attending NU games, he lives in Highland Park and works for a major cable company, ensuring good reception for those pay-per-view games!

Hall of Fame inductee number five is cubneil, inducted June 23, 2002:

There's always next year.
cubneil is a third generation University of Ill-annoy Urbana-Champaign graduate.  He now loathes Ill-annoy athletics, due to Lon Kruger bad mouthing DePaul and the current football coach consistently sending linebackers to block the punter 55 yards from the ball (legal, but cowardly).  He grew up in beautiful Skokie, hence his Wildcat background.  In his formative years, cubneil would attend one game a year, maybe every other year.  Unbelievably, the first time cubneil attended a Wildcat defeat was in 1988 as a college junior in Champaign.  Some of the more memorable games he was present at include the nil-nil slugfest in Champaign and the tussle against Wyoming in the late 70s. 

Hall of Fame inductee number four is Jelisberg, inducted December 2, 2001:

Behold, the power...
Jelisberg, AKA Purplecheesehead, lives in Appleton, WI.  He's a season ticket holder who began attending NU games with his Dad in 1955.  His all-time favorite Wildcat is Ron Burton  and his favorite NUMB song is "When The Saint Go Marching In"  (the John Paynter version).  He blames NU's record in 2001 on the awful piped-in music over the PA system at Dyche/Ryan Field.  He says, "If we can lift 'The Curse' of bad music next year, we can begin winning again!"

Hall of Fame inductee number three is msnow, inducted September 23, 2001:

msnow, looming ominously over his favorite haunt.
msnow is a life-long Wildcats fan currently residing in Los Angeles. While he is purported to make a living through some sort of involvement in both the computer and the music industries, msnow can most often be found around the Rose Bowl where he anxiously awaits the return of his beloved 'Cats to their rightful domain.

Hall of Fame inductee number two is Eurocat, inducted September 2, 2001:


Eurocat prepares to
hit the airwaves.
Eurocat was born and raised in New York.  He graduated from NU in 1989 with a BS from the famed School of Speech (RTVF).  He was Program Director at WNUR and sometimes missed games because he was engineering them at the station. 

Eurocat had a small speaking role in a Hollywood movie-- which he's never seen.  He also starred in a musical in Australia, but-- hey-- who hasn't?  Euro was working in/at/for the Parliament of Latvia in Riga when they declared independence from the USSR in 1990; he was detained and expelled from Latvia by the KGB for doing this.   He left the diplomatic service to help open up one of the first independent commercial radio stations in the former Soviet Union, and is now Regional Director for a company called Metromedia International, responsible for radio stations in Latvia, Estonia and Finland.

Perhaps most significantly, Eurocat won the Willard Hall Polka Contest in 1989.  He also won the Evanston "Pat Sajak look-alike contest."  Eurocat just got married to his lovely wife, Dace.  He is an active  "chatter" during Northwestern Games on the Purple Reign site and poster on its message board. 


Hall of Fame inductee number one is FarEastWildcat, inducted August 19, 2001:

FEW, during a reflective
moment (photo courtesy
of the FEW family archives)
Far East Wildcat lives in exile in Japan. He is often seen on commercial airlines throughout Asia-Pacific wearing a Northwestern parka, his defense against overly aggressive in flight air-conditioning. When home bound, he has been suspected of barbecuing sashimi in between watching old football game videotapes. Recently he was seen addressing a rally of the growing masses of wildcat faithful in China, at one point declaiming, "If you want knowledge, you must take part in the practice of changing reality." His prayers at an Imperial Family shrine for a decisive Alamo Bowl victory in December, 2000 went unanswered; the blasphemy is suspected to have influenced the magnitude of the ensuing massacre. He is currently awaiting counsel from his guru, Hunter S. Thompson.