Nevada is celebrating its 150th anniversary as a state, and the Wolf Pack will apparently mark the occasion by wearing these ultra, ultra-chrome helmets. I want one of these for my office.
Many programs will honor Veteran's Day this weekend, but few will do it better than Butler. The Bulldogs will remember the U.S.S. Indianapolis, a cruiser that did not survive World War II - marking the greatest loss of life at sea in the history of the U.S. Navy.
A brief history lesson, courtesy of Butler's release:
The USS Indianapolis was a highly decorated heavy cruiser. During World War II the Indy was Flagship of the Fifth Fleet under the command of Admiral Raymond Spruance. Just after midnight on July 30, 1945, the Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and sunk in twelve minutes. The Indianapolis had just completed a secret mission, delivering component parts of the first atomic bomb to the U.S. air base at Tinian Island, where it would later be dropped on the Japanese City of Hiroshima. Those who survived the torpedo blasts, abandoned ship and floated for almost five days in shark-infested waters before they were accidentally spotted by Navy pilot Lt. Wilber C. Gwinn who was flying a routine mission. With a total crew of 1,196 Sailors and Marines, only 317 men lived to tell the story of their ordeal.
Survivors Don McCall of Champaign, Illinois and Dick Thelen of Lansing, Michigan, along with their families and friends, will join the Butler University football team at their game this Saturday. Also attending will be Mrs. Mary O'Donnell, widow of USS Indianapolis Survivor James E. O'Donnell, the only Sailor from the City of Indianapolis to survive the sinking. Mr. O'Donnell, who spent his career as an Indianapolis firefighter, passed away in January 2013 at the age of 92.
This is what the Bulldogs will wear Saturday versus Morehead State:
Other programs trading their colors for stars and stripes this weekend include Northwestern State...
... South Florida ... and Minnesota.
And finally, cancer survivor Jim Kelly will be in the house for Miami's game with North Carolina on Saturday, and the Canes will wear Kelly Tough decals to support their former quarterback.