| 30 Years with Bob Berg
By Todd Elston,
’78 BBA
Treasurer, Denver Chapter of UNM Alumni Association
Rule #1: You don’t
lose to your in-state rival.
Rule #2: See rule #1
October 30, 1976—Final Score:
UNM 7, NMSU 16
It was a very frustrating loss!
The Lobos seemed to move the ball at will between
the 20s, but could not find the end zone.
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To make matters worse, we missed several
field goals.
If only Bob Berg, UNM’s
All American place kicker, was still here we wouldn’t
have lost.
Someone among our group of friends could
take his place! We would have a kicking contest to determine
which one of us would walk on the team Monday morning. So
what if it was midnight! Johnson field had a goal post that
was illuminated by a streetlight, it was Friday night, and
we were bored. And so the Bob Berg field-goal kicking contest
was born!
This year marks the 30th annual Bob Berg
field-goal kicking contest! No one can explain why our tradition
has continued so long, but the event has grown. We hold a
Friday night get-together. a tailgate party before the game,
a golf tournament, and of course the Kicking Contest! The
original group was six, with a couple of girl friends watching
because they couldn’t believe we were actually doing
this! |
1981
Bob Berg Place-Kicking Contest
Back row, left
to right: Bill Platt, Patty Fitzwater, Kevin Fitzwater,
Todd Elston, Jim Moyer, Bobbie Rockovitz, Rocky Rockovitz,
Jim Moyer Sr., Liz Elston
Front row, left to right: Lance Hale, Mike
McMaster and Eric Anderson
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We now have approximately 35 attendees
including Bob Berg, whom we located and invited in year 6. Someone
thought we ought to at least tell him what we were doing to his
name! What a talented and humble individual he is. None of us knew
him before watching his heroics on the playing field. Our group
has spread out from Denver to Monterrey, California to Columbus,
Ohio. Even some of our parents, now in their late 70s, have become
regular attendees. It simply is too much fun to pass up, and a chance
to get back to Albuquerque and eat some really good Mexican food!
2004 Bob
Berg Place-Kicking Contest
The years we spent at UNM were simply some
of the best of our lives, and every homecoming for 30 years, the
Bob Berg group has gotten together to renew our friendship, share
our old memories, and create new ones.
UNM Alumni Relations
MSC 01 - 1160 1 The University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001 800.ALUM.UNM (800.258.6866)
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