Mattoon battles back with avengence!!!  Getting to the game two hours earlier turned out to be a good idea...  The Mattoon concession stand once again blows away the Purple Raider coaching staff...  Read about it below...

        Our scouts have been attending Big 12 football games for years.  Their pay for a night's work is gas money, free passes into the games, and money to eat at the concession stand.  As a result, in addition to a scouting report on our next opponent, we always get a detailed rating of each school's concession stand.  The following is a ranking of Big 12 concession stands, based on years of these scouting reports.

Rating Guide

	Five Hamburgers - Outstanding food, selection, service and atmosphere.  Definitely worth waiting till you get to the game to eat.
	Four Hamburgers - Outstanding food, selection, and service.  Lacking the atmosphere, but still worth waiting till you get to the game to eat.
	Three Hamburgers - Food and selection are adequate considering it is a high school concession stand.  It is a toss-up as to whether to eat before you get to the game.  It depends on time available and the durability of your gastrointestinal tract.
	Two Hamburgers - Very little selection.  Serviceable food in desperate situations.  It is best to plan ahead and eat before you get to the game.
	One Hamburger - Forget it! Eat ahead, bring your own snacks, and pack a thermos.

Big 12 Schools

	Mattoon	Comments: I've seen it at it's best, I've seen it at it's worst, but last Friday left no doubt that the stand at Mattoon has returned to its former glory.  First, a brand spanking new GIGANTIC bar-b-que greeted you as you entered the gate.  It's smells luring in people from blocks around the school.  The BHS coaching staff didn't stand a chance.  The menu:  sirloin steak sandwiches, pulled bar-b-que sandwiches, polish and hot dogs.  One nice addition was the Bob's Bar-b-Que by the gallon on the condiments table.  Slather a little of that on a sirloin sandwich and you'll experience your own little slice of heaven.  Coffee has returned as well, and I assume hot chocolate for those cold games late in the season.  The candy selection was bigger than ever, and Big Al's lemon shake-ups were back.  To cut down on the halftime lines, the Green Wave has re-opened their outlet stand that sells only soft drinks, popcorn and Green Wave attire, thus separating the true concession stand connoisseurs from the wannabes and shortening the lines considerably.  One questionable practice was the $1.50 extra charge for a plate.  With a stand featuring so many delectable goodies, I'd think you'd want people to buy so much food that they would need a plate to keep it on and throw it in free of charge.  My advice, bring your own and sell them to people waiting in line for $.50, then turn around and spend your profits stuffing your own face. Congratulations Mattoon, you have regained your place atop the Gourmet Scout's Big 12 Concession standing rankings.
1/2	Bloomington	Comments:  The current stand at BHS is in its final year of operation and it is going out with a bang.  After this season, the stadium at Fred Carlton Field will be renovated, and a new concession stand put in under the new bleachers.  So next season I will do a reassessment of the NEW stand.  For now, I can tell you that Mrs. Steffen and the junior class are doing their best to give you some going away memories.  The stand now features grilled pork chop sandwiches (somebody had to do it since Mattoon stopped), polish sausage, and hot dogs.  Heat lamps have been added to keep the sandwiches hot and waiting for you at half time.  For your sweet tooth, caramel apples from Cunningham's are now available.  All other selections from years past remain, and on cold days, unlike Mattoon, coffee and hot chocolate will be plentiful.  In addition, the stand was given a makeover last summer and is now a purple and gold Raider paradise.  And lets face it, while waiting in line at this stand, you will be able to watch the best football team in the Big 12 Conference in action on the field.  That make anything from the concession stand taste even better.
1/2	Urbana	Comments:  Update:  New pizza added for 2009 upgrades Urbana to 4 and 1/2 hamburgers.  Complete menu including pizza, hotdogs, and generally pork sandwiches or hamburgers.  A large selection of candy (including Kudos) and beverages, and as with Rantoul, one of the friendliest staffs you'll find.  The staff is sizable and made up mainly of adults, guaranteeing that the lines will move quickly.  One tip - You'll get the best deal on pizza  late in the game as the stand is closing down, and the staff is looking to get rid of leftovers.
	Champaign	Comments: Update:  The addition of pulled pork sandwiches merit an upgrade to four hamburgers.  Great addition! Both schools play their home games at Centennial High School, and consequently share the same concession stand.  2002 marked a significant improvement in concession offerings at Tommy Stewart Field.  The old concession shed has been moved to the visitor's side of the stadium, and replaced with a new concession addition to the school.  With a much larger space, I will make the assumption that the menu and quality of the food have also improved significantly.  Sorry I am not able to provide a more detailed summary of the menu, but our scouts have not visited since the upgrade.  With the improvements, however, it looks like that visit to the Texas Roadhouse before the game might not be needed after all.
	Centennial
	Eisenhower	Comments:  Without a doubt, the Eisenhower concession stand offers the largest menu in the conference.  Too large, to list everything in this short review.  But a few items that must be highlighted included the bratwurst and hotdogs grilled fresh, right next to the stand, the pizza, that is generally offered in three different varieties, and a candy selection that would put most convenient marts to shame.  A special thanks also to the volunteers who are more than generous with the leftovers at the end of the game.
	Danville	Comments:  Danville now holds the title for the best bratwurst in the Big 12.  We arrived very early week one, and the coaching unofficially awarded them the title.  As with their football team, this concession stand has taken major strides over the past few years.  An excellent view of the game while dining, but very little on the way of space.
	MacArthur	Comments:  Basic stand  in that it offers all the necessities at every game, but when the grills come out, it has the power to lure people in from blocks away.   The barbeque alone deserves a rating of four hamburgers. The one knock on this stand is that it is located underneath the home bleachers, creating very cramped conditions during the busier periods of the game.  Also, try to avoid eating at games when the Staley plant is in full operation, the smell from it will ruin the taste of any fine concession stand delectable.
	Normal Community	Comments: New school, new field, new concession stand.  Our scouts finally had the opportunity to visit and came back demanding that the NCHS stand be upgraded.  They reported a generous selection of common concession stand items on the menu, but they raved about the pork chop sandwiches.  "The best I've had, so I had a couple," claimed scout Rob Vogel.  So congratulation Normal Community, you are no longer the cellar dweller of concession stands.
	Normal West	Comments:  A complete menu prepared in probably the best concession stand kitchen in the conference.  Pork sandwiches, hotdogs and a full assortment of candy and beverages highlight the menu.  The problem with having the best kitchen is that everything is prepared inside, preventing the smells from drifting over the stands, and luring people in.  In addition, a plexi-glass shield separates the customer from the people behind the counter, further keeping the smells contained and making ordering difficult.  The memorial pavilion that has been constructed next to the stand makes for a nice dining atmosphere, but everything is located several yards from the field.  Making it impossible to still see the game on crowded nights when people are lining the fence.

Special Mention

        The following is a list of concession stands at non-conference schools that we have encountered over the years, and the reason they have earned this distinction.

Please email any comments or suggestions to baldwinr@district87.org