A way to pay tribute to Street
Posted on 19. Jan, 2012 by admin in Iowa Basketball
By Brendan Stiles
HawkeyeDrive.com
Nineteen years to the day of Chris Street’s death, it remains clear how symbolic that name is to the Iowa basketball program, and really, the entire state of Iowa.
The basketball team hands out an award named in his honor at the end of every season, as does the Prime Time League held every summer in North Liberty. In his hometown of Indianola, a youth basketball tournament is held that is named in his honor.
Jan. 19, 2013 — exactly one year from now — will mark the 20th anniversary of Street’s death, and it happens to fall on a Saturday. With that in mind, what better way for the program and its fans to pay tribute to Street and his family than for Iowa to be playing that evening at Carver-Hawkeye Arena?
Should Iowa and the Big Ten Conference both follow through on making this idea a reality, there’s one opponent that would make the most sense for the Hawkeyes to be playing that night — Michigan State.
Yes, Iowa’s first game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena following Street’s death came against Michigan and its “Fab Five.” But the problem is the Hawkeyes’ lone meeting with the Wolverines this season just happened in Iowa City last weekend, meaning the only time these teams meet next year has to be in Ann Arbor.
Which brings me back to Michigan State. Like this season, the Hawkeyes and Spartans will only meet once next season, and that meeting will happen at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Michigan State is also symbolic because that was the first team Iowa did play following Street’s death, and that game against the Spartans also happens to be the Hawkeyes’ last road win over Michigan State. That game has re-aired on the Big Ten Network (BTN) enough times over the past few years that anyone who knows a lick about Big Ten basketball knows of its significance.
I would think this idea is one the folks at the UI would be completely on board with, especially if the Street family was on board as well. Assuming they all are, it would then be a matter of whether the Big Ten goes out of its way to make the accommodation.
Looking at this weekend’s Big Ten slate (because it’s the same weekend of the year Jan. 19 falls on in 2013), BTN is televising a game at 7 p.m. Central between Ohio State and Nebraska on Saturday, the lone Big Ten game in primetime. That ought to suggest BTN televising a primetime game between Iowa and Michigan State played 366 days from now inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena is feasible.
Assuming there were to be a pregame ceremony done featuring the Street family and any members of that 1992-93 Iowa squad who could make it back to Iowa City, I guarantee Carver-Hawkeye Arena would be sold out way before tip-off and there wouldn’t be a dry eye in the crowd. If BTN wanted, it could include that ceremony as part of its pregame show, and maybe even use that footage to put together an episode of “The Journey” that would be watched by many across Iowa.
Next year’s Big Ten schedule won’t be released until late August or early September, but that’s still seven-and-a-half months for this idea to pick up steam and at least be considered by those who have far more say on the matter.
Street’s legacy has never been forgotten. Letting Iowa have that night to share his story with 15,400-plus inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena wouldn’t be forgotten either.
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