"I got your ‘Tales from the Iowa Sidelines’ recently and love it," Wendy Potter of Waterloo wrote. "I have been a Hawk fan since I was a baby and loved reading about the people I grew up listening to every Saturday in the fall.

"I was wondering if you could help me with a quest I am on. I am looking for a picture of Herky from 1956-1957. That was my dad and we don’t have any pictures of him when he was dressed up.

"I would appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks and keep up the good work."

That’s a project I wanted to tackle. I knew a little about tracking down photographs of University of Iowa football players and coaches because I had to do it when I was writing the book.

But I’ll admit it. I never had to find a photo of Herky, the Hawkeye mascot.

Especially the 1956-57 version of Herky, whose actual name was Jim Potter.

The results came quickly. On Nov. 7, I heard from Wendy again. University Photo Service came through. She had received the photo of her dad that she wanted.

"It brought a tear to my eye," she said in her e-mail to me. "I plan on doing a special frame for it and I can hardly wait until Christmas when my brother gets a load of the picture."

I called Wendy, an intensive care nurse, a few days ago to find out more about her father.

"He died in 1979 at 46 of a heart attack," she said. "He taught business classes at East Waterloo High School. "Dad and mom (Mary) had season tickets to Iowa’s football games through the 1960s. Now I go to the games."

I feel good. Mission accomplished.

With the Iowa-Minnesota football game Saturday in Iowa City, Le Ann provided me with—what else?—an Iowa-Minnesota joke. Here goes:

At the Super Bowl.

Bob received a free ticket to the Minnesota-Iowa football game from his company.

Unfortunately, when Bob arrived at the stadium, he realizes the seat is in the last row in the corner of the stadium—he is closer to the Goodyear Blimp than the field. About halfway through the first quarter, Bob noticed an empty seat 10 rows off the field right on the 50-yard line. He decided to take a chance and makes his way through the stadium and around the security guards to the empty seat.

As he sat down, he asked the gentleman sitting next to him, "Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?"

The man said, "No."

Very excited to be in such a great seat for the game, Bob said to the man next to him, "This is incredible! Who in their right mind would have a seat like this at the Minnesota-Iowa football game and not use it!"

The man replied, "Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This is the first battle for Floyd of Rosedale we haven’t been together since we got married in 1967."

"That’s really sad," says Bob, "but, still, couldn’t you find someone to take the seat. A relative or a close friend?"

"No," the man replied. "They’re all at the funeral."