They had a funeral of sorts for the old Field House this afternoon.
There were speeches from the Bradley play-by-play announcer, Dave Snell, President Joanne Glasser, and ticket manager Corky Robertson, the son of A.J. Robertson for whom the Field House was named. Their voices bounced off the steel beams as the Field House lights buzzed noisily.
Dave reminded us that the Field House was not just special to the University, but special to the community, special to the neighborhood, and special to the nation. Those of us who've had Field House experiences could easily recall memories summoned by President Glasser's exhortation that if you listened very carefully you could hear the shoes squeaking, the thud of the ball to the floor, the roar of the crowd as it came to its feet as one, the band strike up the Bradley fight song. And besides her majestic words, you have to love a woman who quotes the Wizard of Oz and Dr. Seuss in one speech. How appropriate is, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
The ever gracious and kind Corky Robertson spoke last. Remembering the gifts of his father, he cited sportsmanship, efforts, fairness, and in his interview with Kirk Wessler, the ability to understand people. This can't be an easy time for him and his family, but as Corky said, "Everything has its time. Everything has its place." Bradley will petition the city of Peoria to rename Maplewood south of Main Street to A.J. Robertson Court. The University is also going to commission a statue of the beloved athletic director and coach.
On this day of farewell to the Field House, all the hoops, save the one at the east end of the arena, were gone. Corky was offered the opportunity to make the last basket, but he said, "We'd be here until August," so he gave his grandson the honor of sinking the last shot in the grand building.
After the ceremonies, the crowd of a few hundred wandered out into the foyer for cake and punch. One of the cakes was an amazing replica of the Field House. Across from it, stood a model of what the Bradley campus will look like when all the new buildings are constructed.
Those of us who've recently had the opportunity to knock around the quonset hut have wondered if all the great games and events are somehow contained in the memory of the building. As Corky Robertson said, "It's all about the memories--I have mine and you have yours."
In the next post, the last post, I'll be sharing just a few more.
There were speeches from the Bradley play-by-play announcer, Dave Snell, President Joanne Glasser, and ticket manager Corky Robertson, the son of A.J. Robertson for whom the Field House was named. Their voices bounced off the steel beams as the Field House lights buzzed noisily.
Dave reminded us that the Field House was not just special to the University, but special to the community, special to the neighborhood, and special to the nation. Those of us who've had Field House experiences could easily recall memories summoned by President Glasser's exhortation that if you listened very carefully you could hear the shoes squeaking, the thud of the ball to the floor, the roar of the crowd as it came to its feet as one, the band strike up the Bradley fight song. And besides her majestic words, you have to love a woman who quotes the Wizard of Oz and Dr. Seuss in one speech. How appropriate is, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
The ever gracious and kind Corky Robertson spoke last. Remembering the gifts of his father, he cited sportsmanship, efforts, fairness, and in his interview with Kirk Wessler, the ability to understand people. This can't be an easy time for him and his family, but as Corky said, "Everything has its time. Everything has its place." Bradley will petition the city of Peoria to rename Maplewood south of Main Street to A.J. Robertson Court. The University is also going to commission a statue of the beloved athletic director and coach.
On this day of farewell to the Field House, all the hoops, save the one at the east end of the arena, were gone. Corky was offered the opportunity to make the last basket, but he said, "We'd be here until August," so he gave his grandson the honor of sinking the last shot in the grand building.
After the ceremonies, the crowd of a few hundred wandered out into the foyer for cake and punch. One of the cakes was an amazing replica of the Field House. Across from it, stood a model of what the Bradley campus will look like when all the new buildings are constructed.
Those of us who've recently had the opportunity to knock around the quonset hut have wondered if all the great games and events are somehow contained in the memory of the building. As Corky Robertson said, "It's all about the memories--I have mine and you have yours."
In the next post, the last post, I'll be sharing just a few more.
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