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Post by aceschamps6571 on Dec 13, 2022 15:31:57 GMT -6
Agree acescott, some details off a little, but it was still a heart tugging video. One thing I noticed was they correctly mentioned that the first regular season game that next season was at SIU, but the footage is of the Aces walking onto the Roberts Stadium floor a week earlier carrying the American flag, and a little of the game action.That was the exhibition game against the Polish National team. The 1982 team won the MCC regular season title at Loyola, and the MCC tournament in Tulsa. It does look like they won the title at home in the video. That scene at the airport when they returned home from Tulsa made me realize again just how much this community cared. I imagine it's not easy documenting from so many years back, so there's going to be a thing or two not right. And I agree about the players introducing themselves. That's both eerie knowing they were gone a short time later, but awesome for any of their family still living and friends to be able to see them, forever being young.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2022 15:37:12 GMT -6
I think the flaws in the filming are acceptable in part because a lot of the game action illustrates the enormous popularity the Aces enjoyed. It's not rare to use representative footage to make a documentary flow. That long ago, having a lot of actual footage might be a tough act to locate.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2022 15:44:02 GMT -6
Agree acescott, some details off a little, but it was still a heart tugging video. One thing I noticed was they correctly mentioned that the first regular season game that next season was at SIU, but the footage is of the Aces walking onto the Roberts Stadium floor a week earlier carrying the American flag, and a little of the game action.That was the exhibition game against the Polish National team. The 1982 team won the MCC regular season title at Loyola, and the MCC tournament in Tulsa. It does look like they won the title at home in the video. That scene at the airport when they returned home from Tulsa made me realize again just how much this community cared. I imagine it's not easy documenting from so many years back, so there's going to be a thing or two not right. And I agree about the players introducing themselves. That's both eerie knowing they were gone a short time later, but awesome for any of their family still living and friends to be able to see them, forever being young. I recall the 1969 season the Aces won the ICC at Valpo and had flown back to Dress on a plane maybe that was shot at over Iwo Jima. Not the point -- a whole bunch of us were there to cheer them back because, well ... it was the first week of March and not quite spring yet. I think some of us needed any excuse to celebrate. Things got wild after that. I'd say there were 100 or so of us at the airport that night.
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Post by austinace on Dec 13, 2022 16:11:59 GMT -6
I was in eighth grade, and we had just moved to Mount Vernon the summer before the plane crash. Before that we lived in Old Melody Hills about a mile from the crash site. I went to K through 7th grade in Evansville before we moved. A lot of childhood memories there and still have family living in the Old Melody Hills subdivision.
The night of the plane crash I remember that I was up in my room when I heard the news of a plane crash at the airport. At first, they thought it might be the basketball team and it was confirmed a little later. I still remember the drizzling, foggy, cold and depressing weather conditions of that night and thinking about how close our old house was to the crash site.
The next day at Mount Vernon Junior High School I remember how depressed everyone was.
Even back then we followed them closely as my mom had not only grown up in the area but had gone to Evansville College.
A very sad day and time that I will never forget as I knew lots of the players as a fan and listened or attended as many games as we could.
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Post by austinace on Dec 13, 2022 16:56:12 GMT -6
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Post by Atlanta Ace on Dec 13, 2022 17:52:41 GMT -6
I remember just how excited the community had been about this team, and the sense of excitement and optimism Bobby Watson brought to Evansville. UE was D1 and I was completely pumped. Now all of that was annihilated. But even worse, all these young men and others lives were robbed that evening. Like all of you here, there is not a day that I don't think about it. Any amount of success that UE basketball has in the future should be dedicated to them. I agree letsgoaces. I was one of those community members. After graduating from Bosse in '76, I was pumped that the city now had a D1 basketball program. I'd planned on trying to make it to every home game that the Aces played that year. My love for the program only grew stronger after the crash. You only wish the best for these kids that decide to be an Ace. I bought the From the Ashes DVD a couple of years ago. I'll watch it again this evening.
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Post by austinace on Dec 13, 2022 20:28:16 GMT -6
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Post by 65pointgame on Dec 13, 2022 21:49:58 GMT -6
I am looking at my dad's remaining/unused season tickets from 1977-78. We were scheduled to play Austin Peay (Dec 17) and then Ball State (Dec 20) -- after that there are 2 missing tickets for the Holiday Tournament - they are missing because Southern Illinois reached out and offered to fill in for UE for the 2 game tourney.
I checked the SIU media guide and the tourney is listed as the Evansville Memorial Invitational. Dec. 29 SIU 59 - Mercer 51 Dec. 30 SIU 65 - New Orleans 64 (2 OT)
I can vaguely remember going to those games, but it was a nice gesture from our closest D2/D1 rival, especially seeing them win both games. I am sure someone here might be able to fill in a few more details.
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Post by Ace78 on Dec 13, 2022 23:01:31 GMT -6
The plane crash occurred during my senior year at UE. Several of us were in the Music Building that evening. There was a concert that Dr. Graves was attending. I remember passing by Thorton Patberg in the lobby and vividly remembering the expression on his face, but had no idea at the time what had occurred. News trickled in among us that there was a plane crash, and then getting news that it was the Aces team. Although familiar with most of the news articles and reports at the time, there was new footage that I had never seen. It is a remarkable documentary that is very well done. Never will forget that awful night .. so foggy, rainy, and dreary. It was surreal.
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Post by sect3purple on Dec 13, 2022 23:58:17 GMT -6
On that December night I was shopping at Great Scot ( I believe that was the store - it was on Green River and Washington) when it came on over the store's PA announcement that the plane carrying the ACES had crashed. The store fell into solemn quiet with little groups of people in hushed shock - truly was a night of grief and dis-belief for what had happened to OUR ACES. I will forever remember that horrible night and the loss of life for so many young men, community members, coaches. Their loved ones bore such a loss that will never end. So sad.
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Post by austinace on Dec 14, 2022 0:13:29 GMT -6
Anthony's twitter coverage of the memorial service:
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Post by E-Villan on Dec 14, 2022 10:06:47 GMT -6
Bobby Watson's twin daughters,Chandra and Leigh Watson, performed the music for the documentary. They perform as the Watson Twins, and are based in Nashville. It would be really cool to get them to perform either before an Aces game or possibly at halftime.
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Post by acescott on Dec 14, 2022 10:26:00 GMT -6
Bobby Watson's twin daughters,Chandra and Leigh Watson, performed the music for the documentary. They perform as the Watson Twins, and are based in Nashville. It would be really cool to get them to perform either before an Aces game or possibly at halftime. It would be fantastic if that could happen! I saw a clip of them performing on Late Night with David Letterman. They went to UE. When you see their pictures even if you didn't know who they were you would think they were the spitting image of Bobby Watson. We have two individuals who I bet would at least make the attempt to get them to perform sometime, Ziggy and Logan.
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Post by austinace on Dec 14, 2022 11:15:03 GMT -6
Bobby Watson's twin daughters,Chandra and Leigh Watson, performed the music for the documentary. They perform as the Watson Twins, and are based in Nashville. It would be really cool to get them to perform either before an Aces game or possibly at halftime. Hopefully Ziggy and Logan are on it. They have their own website: The Watson Twins
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Post by E-Villan on Dec 14, 2022 12:13:06 GMT -6
All of you in my age group especially should appreciate their rendition of the Cure's hit Just Like Heaven from the 80's. Talk about taking a song and making it your own. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZbmEskxjNE
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