Cortaca 2009 Recap

We interrupt Trivia Tuesday for a special presentation. Trivia Tuesday will return next week at its regularly scheduled time. [Update - See the end of this post for two trivia questions.]

When I wrote a preview of the 2009 Cortaca Jug game last week, I mentioned that I had a bet with The Sports Chick where I would win a guest post on her blog when Ithaca College won. This is what I wrote (and you can also see it for yourself on The Sports Chick blog):

The Sports Chick was kind enough to agree to a wager in which I would write a guest post on her blog when Ithaca College defeated Cortland State in this year's Cortaca Jug game. In the slim chance that Cortland actually won, she would have written something on my blog, but naturally, Ithaca was victorious. The Sports Chick really didn't think she would win, did she? Perhaps she just wanted a day off from writing, so that's why she agreed to this wager!

Anyway, Ithaca College won Saturday's game 23-20 at Butterfield Stadium in Ithaca, New York. That now makes three straight wins for Ithaca against Cortland and a 34-17 lead in the overall series. Using my incredible math skills, that means IC has won 67% of the Cortaca Jug games over the past 51 years. That would suck to be a Cortland fan and deal with so many loses to your rival.

Since I have the floor, er, blog, I want to point out Cortland coach Dan MacNeill's quote leading up to the Cortaca game. He said, "The Cortland-Ithaca matchup is a big rivalry although this game is just the same as any other. The field measures the same as it does over in Ithaca as it does here."

Was the variation of the Normal Dale-Hoosiers quote really necessary? Cortland's Juniors and Seniors played at IC in 2007 and the team is not going to confuse Butterfield Stadium with Ohio Stadium or the Rose Bowl. Actually, maybe the field measurements are different at Ithaca and that caused Cortland to lose. That and the fact that Ithaca has a better football team!

Finally, although Ithaca College (along with Cortland) finished 7-3 and failed to reach the Division 3 playoffs, this marked the 39th straight winning season for the Bombers. It's nice supporting winning teams like the Bombers, Penguins, Steelers, and the Pirates when they start winning again at some point in the next decade.

Although this was nice writing about Ithaca's success on a Cortland fan's blog, if we make a similar wager next year, I'd like dinner at A&W!

Go Bombers!



(This picture has nothing to do with the game; just a few campus buildings and the view of Cayuga Lake.)

Want more about the 2009 Cortaca game? Here are a few links:

- Ithaca Journal
- Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin
- Ithaca College Athletics
- Cortaca 2009 Photo Gallery
- The Biggest Little Game



Since Hand of Godard and others need a trivia fix, I'll present two questions this week.

1. Name the only one-word musical instrument that contains all five vowels.
2. What U.S. President lived the longest?