Best Damn Legitimate Excuse…Period

In the “Tit for Tat” segment that ran last week, we mentioned how esteemed Cedar Rapids Gazette writer Mike Hlas received a rather indignant email from Iowa’s native son, Tom Arnold, who was upset at the fact that his Hawkeye fanhood was being severely questioned.  Arnold was spotted at a recent Alabama Crimson Tide practice but claimed he was paying an innocent visit to his lady friend’s alma mater.

But, wait, there’s more…

Four days after Iowa dispatched of second-ranked Penn State on Nov. 8 for its biggest win in recent memory, Arnold contacted Hlas with the reason why he was once again absent from Kinnick Stadium.

What will it be next, Tom?  Feeding impoverished children in Kenya?

The completely unaltered email reads as follows:

I spent the last week in Okinawa, Japan for the Special Olympics and The USO so I couldn’t make it to Kinnickfor the big game but me and a bunch of Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Pilots got up at 3 a.m. Sunday morning to watch the Hawks play live on Armed Forces TV (I learned about a little thing called the International Date Line, I must’ve been sick that day at Ottumwa High, and no, being a day in the future doesn’t make it easier to bet on the games … sadly).

Second only to?meeting so many Iowans in uniform, representing our country, I have never been prouder to be a Hawkeye in my life, and what a week, huh? The history books will surely note that my home state, starting at The Iowa Caucus, was directly responsible for the very first White Sox fan to be elected President of these United States (it gives me hope that a Cubs fan will make it to the oval office in my lifetime).

Since it was Veterans Day Weekend and the oldest soldier was a WW2 Vet from Bama, we rooted for the Crimson boys in the late game (6 a.m.). As the sun came up in the land of the rising sun, the sweet, sweet sound of “How About Those Hawkeyes?”, mixed with an occassional “Roll Tide” between “OOO RAH’s” echoed from Guam to Tokyo. Go Hawks. Tom Arnold

 

Thanks for the heads-up, Mr. Hlas.