With a bit of Wildcat history and a bunch of informed opinions, these bloggers offer Northwestern sports fans a place to call home.
The site is named for the infamous “lakings” of the 1980s and ’90s, when Wildcat football fans would celebrate a rare win by tearing down the goal posts and tossing them into Lake Michigan. It was one of the first Northwestern blogs when it debuted in 2007. Jay Sharman (C95), CEO of Chicago-based TeamWorks Media, started the football-focused site to help foster a broader Northwestern community, and there is no better manifestation of Sharman’s vision than last year’s Sailgate, a 600-person tailgate cruise from New York City to West Point for the Northwestern-Army football game. Last year Sharman joined forces with Phil Rossman-Reich (J10), a University of Florida law student and former Daily Northwestern sports editor, who called Lake the Posts “the godfather of Northwestern blogs.”
Rodger Sherman, a senior journalism major from New York, started Sippin’ on Purple, which draws its name from a song by rapper Gucci Mane, in summer 2009. It’s no coincidence that Sherman’s site, which covers all Wildcat sports, has gained a large following over the past three years, arguably the most successful period in the history of Northwestern athletics.
Larry LaTourette (WCAS92, G92) started Hail to Purple as an online destination for Wildcat fans in July 2000. But Hail to Purple has developed into much more. LaTourette began researching Northwestern football history for his 2005 book,Northwestern Wildcat Football, and he used the website as “a sounding board for historical research.” LaTourette, a director with the Nielsen Company, admits he can’t devote as much time to Hail to Purple as other Northwestern bloggers, but the site is still a must-visit encyclopedia for all things Northwestern football.
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Ever wonder about those strange designations we use throughout Northwestern to identify alumni of the various schools of the University? See the complete list.