First Billiken Game

[OkieBilliken]

Its a little slow lately... who remembers their first Billiken game?   I do.  January of 1986 with my dad.   Monroe Douglass and Roland Gray were both freshmen and Douglass scored 18 pts but we could not stop Walter McBride of Xavier and they pulled away at the end.   It was a thrilling game and old Kiel was so loud.    I was completely sold after that.   I knew I would follow my dad to SLU and thus would commence 40+ years of mostly heartbreak with a few moments of glory mixed in.    We got season tickets the next year.   Does anyone remember sitting in the second deck at Kiel Auditorium?   You literally had to walk up 10 or so long ramps to get to your seats.  

[Billikenbooster]

My favorite moments at the old Kiel were the NIT games. So loud and exciting. I remember one of my MD peers, normally a quiet and composed man, leaning over the rail at the end of the court with one of those circular horns with the big rubber bulb on the end, squeezing away to make noise when the opposing team was shooting free throws.

Great memories.

Thanks for stirring those times for me.

mhg

Edited June 16 by Billikenbooster
display fix

[wgstl]

Started going when I was a few months old, but the first game I remember going to I can only remember because I was like 3 or 4 and an older person like college age stole a ball that they tossed into the crowd from me.  I was pissed.  Good memories. 

[slubillikens43]

I believe vs Louisiana Tech in 1999 since someone in my family saved the ticket stub. I was too young to remember it.

[AGB91]

My first game featured Lee Winfield and his North Texas State Eagles versus the Joe Wiley led Billikens.

Some people don't realize how outstanding Joe was.

 

[OkieBilliken]

16 minutes ago, AGB91 said:

My first game featured Lee Winfield and his North Texas State Eagles versus the Joe Wiley led Billikens.

Some people don't realize how outstanding Joe was.

 

I enjoyed Wiley when he used to be part of the television broadcast.   Seemed like a really nice guy.  

[billiken_roy]

My Freshman year was 1977.   The Billikens were playing then in the Arena (later known as the Checkerdome when Purina bought the blues and the building). The student section had less than 10 people per game and even that was probably about 5% of the total attendance.   That's my only memory.   How pitiful the attendance was.   There was no good reason SLU played in such a large venue 

Those of you complaining of attendance and students showing today have no idea how far we have come in 4+ decades.

[Box and Won]

2 hours ago, OkieBilliken said:

Its a little slow lately... who remembers their first Billiken game?   I do.  January of 1986 with my dad.   Monroe Douglass and Roland Gray were both freshmen and Douglass scored 18 pts but we could not stop Walter McBride of Xavier and they pulled away at the end.   It was a thrilling game and old Kiel was so loud.    I was completely sold after that.   I knew I would follow my dad to SLU and thus would commence 40+ years of mostly heartbreak with a few moments of glory mixed in.    We got season tickets the next year.   Does anyone remember sitting in the second deck at Kiel Auditorium?   You literally had to walk up 10 or so long ramps to get to your seats.  

This is really cool. My first game would've been around the same era (although I don't recall exactly when, maybe a year or two earlier) and with my dad as well - maybe we're around the same age.

I have so many fond memories of Kiel Auditorium - it was such a unique venue and a cool place to see a game. I wish it could've been preserved somehow. I'm pretty sure we always sat in the upper deck, so I definitely remember those ramps.

[WVBilliken]

Don't remember the year, but thinking in the late 1960's, or maybe 1970, and assume in Kiel.  Jimmy Irving and Harry Rogers lead the way overcoming a 20 point first half deficit against Louisville only to lose by a few points  At least that's my memory of the game.

[VeniceMenace]

December 1979, 2-pt loss in double OT for SLU & David Burns to Mizzou and Steve Stipanovich at the old Arena. Tough schedule all season back then.

[White Pelican]

I I don't remember the year but the early 1960s when I was in grade school. Someone had given my dad 4 tickets to a game, so he, mom, I and one of my brothers went. It was the second time I'd ever been in Kiel Auditorium. We saw a Hawks game maybe a year earlier. So I've been to one NBA game in my life. Again, I think someone gave Dad the tickets. Sat upstairs for both of those games.

As far as the Bill's game, I remember we won but no idea who we played. I had to look up who the coach was. John Benington I'm pretty sure looking at the years of his tenure.

[Bay Area Billiken]

My first SLU game in person was 2/18/1978 at Kiel Auditorium. The Billikens of Coach Ron Coleman defeated Tulane 83-79. We sat in folding chair seats on a ramp from the stage on the North side. SLU players included #32 Ricky Frazier, Carl Johnson, Howard Jackson, Everne Carr, Mark Alcorn. The SLU Jazz Band played “Three Blind Mice” for bad calls by the refs. 

[willie]

18 minutes ago, Bay Area Billiken said:

My first SLU game in person was 2/18/1978 at Kiel Auditorium. The Billikens of Coach Ron Coleman defeated Tulane 83-79. We sat in folding chair seats on a ramp from the stage on the North side. SLU players included #32 Ricky Frazier, Carl Johnson, Howard Jackson, Everne Carr, Mark Alcorn. The SLU Jazz Band played “Three Blind Mice” for bad calls by the refs. 

Coleman didn't win too many games. You were lucky. 

[brianstl]

Not sure what my first game was. The first one I have any distinct memory of was when I was a really little kid. It was at the Arena with both Billy Lou and some guy dressed as Bud Man there.  No idea who it was against or what year it was exactly.  My guess was one of the first couple seasons with Ekker.  I think those might have been the only two seasons with Billy Lou.

[TMBilliken2013]

My family started getting season tickets in the late 90’s. I remember watching Justin Love and Chris Heinrich play as a kid, so probably the 98-99 season. 

[Old guy]

Basketball never meant much to me until I met my wife. She had a BS and two Masters from SLU and had had season tickets since she finished her education. I must say that the love for the sport grew slowly inside me until I got hooked.

[thetorch]

Awesome topic.

I too went to games as an infant.  Probably was 2 months old at my first game in the 79-80 season.

I remember Luther Burden and Pee Wee as my favorite players but I don't really remember games until the 86-87 season.

I have the ticket stub somewhere to the Bradley game on January 7th.  It was the Grawer version of the SIUC or Washington game.  It was a sellout crowd on a weeknight.  As a kid I had no idea what was going on, there were a lot more people at Kiel than usual.  Bradley was a big time opponent with Hersey Hawkins, but Roland outdueled him.  Billikens went on an 18-4 run to close out that game and win by 2.  9000 fans in Kiel on their feet for the last 7 minutes of the game watching our comeback from down 12.  Going down those ramps after the game as a kid with everyone screaming and yelling was something that I will never forget.  It was the first big game I ever attended and unfortunately games like that have been few and far between in the nearly 40 years since then.

[Taj79]

Despite being a freshman in 1975-76, I did not attend a single game that year.  Didn't have a reason to in my mind.  Team was mediocre at 13 and 14.  Riding Fireline seemed like quite the chore to get to old Kiel.  No one I knew had a car nor liked basketball much to go.  

Sophomore year it was even worse.  Randy Albrecht on his way out with posting a 7 and 19 record.  But I got dragged to the Cincinnati game at Kiel on January 16, 1977.  It was free after all.  Cincinnati came in ranked like #1 in the nation.  My roommate, from Louisville, the least athletic guy I knew, wanted to go and spent the whole time screaming at Bobby Miller, UC's center who was, of course, from Louisville.  He spent the whole game in the student seats on the north baseline calling Miller a "traitor"" for not only not going to UofL but going to hated UC.  After the game, which the Bills narrowly lost 54 to 52, the Cincy team had to walk up through the student section to get to the locker room and that was grand theater.  No fights, but the trash talking was incredible.  

Still, it took me a few years to get locked in and of course I had to endure the dreaded Ekker years.  I think the school missed the NCAA boat at this time in the late 70's when Bird and Magic were lighting it up.  Our administration did little to help the program and we are still paying for that mistake today.

[Dr Bird]

23 hours ago, OkieBilliken said:

Its a little slow lately... who remembers their first Billiken game?   I do.  January of 1986 with my dad.   Monroe Douglass and Roland Gray were both freshmen and Douglass scored 18 pts but we could not stop Walter McBride of Xavier and they pulled away at the end.   It was a thrilling game and old Kiel was so loud.    I was completely sold after that.   I knew I would follow my dad to SLU and thus would commence 40+ years of mostly heartbreak with a few moments of glory mixed in.    We got season tickets the next year.   Does anyone remember sitting in the second deck at Kiel Auditorium?   You literally had to walk up 10 or so long ramps to get to your seats.  

Love the program with Dale Renken.  As I recall, he had good hops and legit skills, but foot stress fractures hampered him throughout his career.  Reminds me a little of Welmer with similar foot problems.

The first game I remember was in the late 60's against the hated Bradley Braves.  Their coach had an awful red jacket on. 

[OkieBilliken]

19 minutes ago, Dr Bird said:

Love the program with Dale Renken.  As I recall, he had good hops and legit skills, but foot stress fractures hampered him throughout his career.  Reminds me a little of Welmer with similar foot problems.

The first game I remember was in the late 60's against the hated Bradley Braves.  Their coach had an awful red jacket on. 

I got a Renken's game used jersey about 25 years ago on a sports auction for about $10.  Its one of my favorite pieces in my SLU collection.   The Billiken heads dotting the I's are awesome.   

[billikenfan05]

19 minutes ago, OkieBilliken said:

I got a Renken's game used jersey about 25 years ago on a sports auction for about $10.  Its one of my favorite pieces in my SLU collection.   The Billiken heads dotting the I's are awesome.   

I had that comforter in college . Walmart Special!

[OkieBilliken]

11 minutes ago, billikenfan05 said:

I had that comforter in college . Walmart Special!

Its in our guest bedroom/Billiken memorabilia room.  I think that comforter is about 25 years old too.   Still holds up.   

[DOC]

My first game was during the Harry "The Hat" Rogers and Jesse "The Ghost" Leonard era. SLU played in the Valley back then and had some great rivalries. Been hooked ever since.

[BLIKNS]

I am a different fan.  I became of fan the day Grawer was named coach. Was caught up with the DeSmet reputation... Would follow the Bills in the Globe ,would put a quarter in the machine .  

Think when Monroe Douglas signed really pushed my enthusiasm,  after all he was a high major mention on Street and Smith... 

I did not attend SLU, nor any college, was going to wait a year,  make some money, well 1 year has turned to 45...

I have never seen a Billiken home game,  seemed when there was a game planned would snow, we lived in Waynesville then..  

So the first Billiken game I went to was in Kansas City , against UMKC , in January 1994.. The Bills were 15-1, and were #23 .. There was alot or Bills fans that came over, group by us was passing out plastic spoons, 

[MusicCityBilliken]

My first Billiken game was when I was 9 years old going to the 1961 NIT Finals at the old Madison Square Garden. My dad took me. We used to go annually to the NIT finals. We lost in the finals to Providence. SLU, or that matter any school, meant nothing to me back then.

Next 2 are interesting. I came to SLU for a HS weekend and Admission folks took us to a game in the Old Arena in January 1970. I witnessed SLU, with Wiley & Irving, beating Wichita. Now as a freshman the following year, was the OOC hex we seemed to still suffer from. The 1970 67-68 loss to Notre Dame. Austen Carr beat us on a buzzer beater.