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Take A Mulligan: St. Pat, basketball & the Gunder Burger

What a huge week for Iowa. St. Patrick’s Day, Hawkeye and Cyclone NCAA basketball, both the men and women, and even UNI is in a basketball tournament. The warmer weather is coming and it’s just a good time to be alive, don’t ya think?

And to top it off, did you hear where the Gunder Burger is coming back? With all the bad stuff going on in the world today, one has to grab the good things while we can, right?

St. Patrick’s Day

Never met the guy personally but did you know he wasn’t actually Irish? Of course you did! He was born into a family of privilege, (like me), in Britain and was kidnapped by Irish bad guys when he was 16 years old. For six years he tended sheep out in the lonely hills of Ireland and finally escaped back to Britain. While there he felt God telling him to return and bring Christianity to Ireland. He studied to become a priest and did just that. He often used shamrocks to explain the trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and he did this for some 40 years, dying in 461 AD. St. Patrick was a humble, pious and gentle man. Not sure where the ritual of wearing green came about but will probably do so, (so as not to get pinched). Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

State of Iowa basketball

If basketball is your thing you are in for a lot of it the next couple of weeks for sure. In the men’s NCAA Tournament, the Hawkeyes, (how fun was watching them last weekend), will be playing Thursday, the Cyclones playing on Friday. But that’s not all, the Iowa State & Iowa ladies are in their tournament too. They both play on Friday. And to top that off, the UNI Panthers are playing Wednesday in the NIT tournament.

Here’s even better news! Both the Hawkeye men and women are their respective Big Ten Champions. Doesn’t get much better than that. And here’s this fearless prognosticator’s prognostications for the men’s tournament. (Drum roll please)…

The Final Four will look like this; Arizona vs UCLA and Duke vs the Hawkeyes, (yes,you heard it here first). The championship game on Monday, April 4, we will witness history as the Iowa Hawkeyes with a two-overtime thriller take victory over Lute Olsen’s old team, Arizona, 97-94. Remember you heard it here first.

Gunder Burger

And finally, the Gunder Burger is back in the grand town of Gunder, Iowa. Closed a couple years ago and is re-opening soon. Raise your hands if you’ve ever ventured north to feast your palette on a one solid pound of ground beef smothered in cooked onions and topped with an order of French fries. Enjoy a nice cold soda pop, (or whatever trips your trigger) and enjoy that bloated feeling of peace and contentment. Perhaps a burp or two also. Pet Peeves in the next column. Send them in to jsheda@indytel.com or call me at 319-327-4640.

Oh, one more thing. If the deal can be worked out, there will be a Class of ’69 Golf Championship Match. Details are being worked out but it’s possible that a match between Weir and Tesar will go heads up with Fetter and Sheda. Also looking for some other matches!

John Sheda is the pastor at Living Water Church in Independence. He is a native of Chelsea and a South Tama County alumni (Class of 1969).