06-17-2021, 10:27 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-21-2021, 09:55 AM by Asked Madden.)
(50/50 Fronk & Icebear)
Introduction:
IceBear: I have already been lectured by Fronk, and as part of this week I am required to admit that I’ve lost the Ultimate Fan Experience Credit Card between last week and now. It is my fault we are not able to travel these past couple weeks. I am saying these words under my own free will and I am sorry.
That being said, we had to be a little clever this last week and will be sharing our fan cave experiences from our own homes.
Fronk:
Coming to you live from my basement. The Ultimate Fan Experience -ence -ence could not travel because we (IceBear) lost our ability to expense anything. We decided to do a special episode where we showed off our personal Fan-Caves.
IceBear: And what better of a week could we ask for than our 2 favorite teams going head to head. Your Sailfish vs my Hahalua. It’s about to get fishy up in here.
Fronk: You’ve got that right. Warning to all readers: you are now in the splash zone.
IceBear: So we will have to alter a little from our regular categories, so what are you thinking for this week?
Fronk:
So every fan likes a great fan cave. A one-of-a-kind personal collection of anything that commemorates your team’s identity, history, and swag. The more unique items that your collection comprises of, the bigger wow factor you get (and I’m pretty sure it boosts your team’s performance). Here’s how I want to break this down:
General explanation of the fan Cave (Theme / location in home)
Viewing Experience
Seating
Sports memorabilia / decor / other teams mentioned
Games
The bar design
Snacks / drinks
Gameday traditions / rituals / Superstitions
Bathroom
Miscellaneous
The Fan Cave:
IceBear:
I have recently moved into a new home and I told Mr. Icebear she could get and do whatever she wants as long as I got my fan cave. We finally landed on a home that doesn’t have a basement for this, but it does have a decent size barn out back that I had complete control over. A blank canvas, this was my time to shine.
Outside of my huge fandom of the ISFL, I enjoy hitting the links. I’m not one that can sit and watch golf but I really enjoy playing it. So in my fan cave you will see that reflected; My fandom for football and enjoyment of partaking in golf. And of course, beer, but at this point I assume most of you wouldn’t expect anything short of a brewery out back.
Couple key points about my garage fan cave: I have an attached garage for my vehicles, so I don’t need to accommodate any parking. It is equipped with heating and air and has all the plumbing required for the perfect fan cave.
Fronk:
Interior: Fronk’s House
(Roll MTV Cribs blueprints intro) (Fronk answers the door, but nobody is there)
Hi! I’m Fronk from The Ultimate Fan Experience -ence -ence and welcome to my Crib.
My house came equipped with a perfect fan cave basement. The stairwell is near the garage/laundry room of the house and enters the basement in a side hallway that connects the fan cave space with our storage room and utility room. Great for keeping man cave sounds downstairs and Mrs. Fronk’s nagging upstairs (just kidding, in case she’s an ISFL media reader).
The space itself is an open concept consisting of four general main areas: game viewing area, the bar area, the gaming area, and the fish tank of course.
Viewing Experience:
Fronk:
We do not want to bury the lede here. The main reason for our fan caves is for the Ultimate Fan Experience so you have to have the main feature be how you view the games. My setup is made up of 10 wall mounted 32” screens around the perimeter of the room. These are positioned just below the ceiling height and give that sense of a Buffalo Wild Wings’ interior of every game available somewhere in the room. This also gives the ability to watch any game while at the bar, tables, or any nook on the giant couch. All of these smaller televisions are the Samsung Frame. So whenever there is no game going on, it’s usually a very convincing slideshow artwork of sailfish.
But you can’t watch the Ultimus games on the small screens. That’s what the 85” OLED main TV is for. This is located in the middle of the far wall by the couch and is typically where all the action is. You can find me here for all Sarasota games that I watch from home. Using this TV, I can control the perimeter screens to show whatever games or artwork I choose. Or if it’s a big game, I’ll sync all televisions to the main screen. Audio throughout the cave is powered by JBL surround sound and typically syncs to whatever is on the main stage.
IceBear:
The fan cave has no purpose if you aint viewin’ the game. My cave has been set up with different TVs for different areas. I get that sometimes the entire group isn’t gonna agree on one game. I mean other than Russ, who is going to seek out a SJS game to watch? With my set up, it’ll allow him to watch while the big boys play on the big screen. That way he gets to see what real football looks like! And of course if no one is on the simulator, it doubles as another big screen.
The Icecave has a total of 6 TV’s with simulator the screen. When watching the game, I default to making sure there is something on all the screens. This has not helped at all with my Fanduel addiction. I mean if Korean baseball is one of the only other things on, it’s hard to not make a bet to make it more interesting.
Overall I have my fan cave set up for the whole group. “Something for everyone” feel
Seating:
Fronk:
The TV viewing experience can only be as good as the seating experience. Mrs. Fronk and I decided right away that we were going with the Love Sac modular couch. With this couch, you can order as many units of cushioned blocks and build whatever shape and size couch you want. This is great because we can customize the layout to fit whatever kind of party we are hosting. Opposing teams matching up? Boom! Two couches. Everyone gathered together to watch a movie? Bam! A giant 10 person sectional. Group orgy? Wrong place, but the Love Sac can become a giant bed.
Along with the sofa, we have couch tables that are positioned behind the default couch setting. This is bar-like seating that provides a place to eat or store food in the prime TV viewing location. It gives the hungry people the space and opportunity to eat while enjoying the big match up with everyone else in the area.
When the games aren’t on, the most important seats on the couch are the shooting spots. IceBear and I have a mini-hoop basketball game called TSG (The Shooting Game). You can only score from the King’s Chair so that’s the place where everyone wants to be.
IceBear:
Remind me to bring my own lawn chair over for the next game at Fronk’s place.
Like all good fan caves, seating has to be perfect to be the ultimate host. In my mind there were 2 big factors: quantity and comfort. Both of these were maxed out in my getaway. I wanted to provide everyone with an enjoyable seat whether they were enjoying the game or just hanging out. That is, of course, excluding my blue and gold lazyboy. It has built-in cup holders and phone chargers (Fanduel Mobile). Outside of the main couch that lines both the main TV and the golf simulator, I want to make sure the bar seats are extra comfortable. Aside from my lazy boy, this is of course where I’ll be spending most of my time. These stools alternate between the gold Honolulu logoed cushion and the blue Minnesota.
The next most important seating in the cave is for my partner in crime, Icedog. Icedog has a 7’ bean bag Grey Duck that she happily curls up on/with each gameday. I do believe this duck holds a lot of the luck for Minnesota therefore gets all the blame for a loss. After some sim luck losses we decided naming it negs just made sense. Only time it backfired was after a loss to Norfolk and I had a few too many shots to wash away the pain and woke up with ”Negs”.
Bar Design:
IceBear:
Bring on the chill! This is where things really get icy. Icebear’s Icebar. This igloo themed section of the fan cave is where the name became a brand. Nothing is better than an ice cold beer out of a frosted glass. There is no chance that it’s gonna ever heat up on the ice cold bar. I also have a tendency to reeeeally get into the game and get a little hyper and overheated. Taking that TV time out to cool down with a cold one is what balances the body temp to prep me for that final quarter.
The biggest hit of the Igloo bar is the shot luge. Shot poured atop the icy ramp and straight into the “willing” or peer-pressured fan at the bottom of the slope. I will say from its installation, this luge has gone from a fireball shot luge to a full beer and everything in between. The greatest feat on the luge is from Icebear & Fronk’s friend Matt Bryant, kicker for the Atlanta Falcons. He set a high bar to beat by attempting and completing a full 4 loko.great feat, but he didn’t see a single play of the game after that and has never been the same since.
The icy blue theme of the bar brings together the HON blue in the rest of the fan cave. Honolulu to the North Pole in just a few steps. Who can beat it?
Fronk:
One of the first things that new guests notice when they arrive down in my fan cave is the bar that resembles the stern of an old nautical fishing ship. The actual bar seating is along the back of the ship and behind the bar gives you the feel as if you were standing on the old ship and about to set sail into the open blue. The name of the boat, The Ocean Gar, is painted along the old weathered wood exterior. The barstools themselves are fashioned to look like old shipping barrels with Sailfish print cushions. These, of course, swivel to give the user 360 view of any TV or game in the cave.
The crown jewel of the bar is my giant prized sailfish drink pourer. This is a life-sized sailfish named Boss that is mounted on the side of the ship on an axle of sorts. Inside the fish is a cooled tank that is always filled with spiced rum. Whenever anyone wants some rum, they just tip the sailfish forward and put their glass under to fill up their glass. This is also a great way to do a luge shot of rum and has caused quite the celebration that will be discussed later when we talk about rituals and superstitions.
Games / Extras:
IceBear:
So on top of the required multiple TVs for a top notch fan cave, you need a few other aspects. Activities or games for something to do before and after the game. With my love of golf, this was an easy choice for me: A putting green and golf simulator. The best part about this golf simulator is when it is not in use, the screen doubles as another screen for our viewing pleasures.
So being able to step up and bomb a drive on Augusta and then turn around and see my ISFL boys take a close one, is a dream come true in the fan cave. The putting green is great for practice, but also for the drunken bets. When I’ve had enough beers I like to go to the putting green and show them my shot. Of course at this point I can’t make a shot, but that’s exactly what I want. After a while, I talk the visitor into a putt off for some cold hard cash. Then BOOM, I regroup and sink it from anywhere on the green. I’m down a friend, but now I can at least afford some tier 6 equipment. So tricks out of the bag, don’t accept my putt offs no matter how bad it’s looking.
Fronk:
So what does Fronk like to do in his free time? Well his personalized fan cave has two poker tables that can combine into a big poker table for his favorite hobby: board games. I have an extensive board gaming collection that my wife insisted does not get displayed so they are hidden behind reversible walls like a trap door, but the bookcase is on the inside. I try to get my friends together any chance I get and trick them into a four hour game. It really takes some smart minds to play my games, so I have to save it for when IceBear is not around.
Along with board games, I have a few arcade cabinets, some competitive hoop shoot, and a bubble hockey table.
Sports Memorabilia / Decor / Teams:
IceBear:
I have a very odd mix of decor. I have the Icebear bar that is very focused on my artic ways. And then we go back to the summer vacation vibes with my golf and Hahaluas.
I’d say the focal point on decor is my giant stingray that hangs above the putting green. So between this and Negs the duck all I’m missing is my 8’ stuff Icebear. But that seems a bit psychopathic. So for now I’ll stick with Negs and Big Ed the Hahalua.
Now everyone wants their fan cave full of jersey that hang the walls but I wanted to be different. Have a collection like never before but I’m also cheap (this was pre UFEeee payouts). So I started my sideline ritual when playing or following some of my favorite isfl players that post game I’d bring one of the Gatorade cups from the sideline for them to sign. With this being such a different request I have never been denied.
Now to the fan cave… when I return home I have shelves and shelves on autographed Gatorade cups each labeled with a card of theirs from that season. The neatest part of this is when these players retire, I pull their cup from the wall, pour a shot of Jim Beam and make a toast with the group honoring their career. After this celebratory shot the cup is then moved to my wall of tame. Some of the meanest nastiest guys have finally been tamed, on their terms of course.
I look forward to the day I have one of these players join me at the fan cave and for them to share a drink with. I’m hoping I can convince them that we both drink out of that same glass double straw style, but I won’t be picky.
I will also mention there is one outlier on this way. And that is the Matt Bryant 4loko that sits atop all the Gatorade cups. If he is to ever return, he will be treated like royalty.
Fronk:
Like my bar, the rest of the basement has an old shiplap aesthetic to make it appear like you are inside of a ship. Along with my drink-pouring stuffed sailfish, Boss, I have two other mounted Sailfish on either side of the main television. These guys are just there for looks and really bring the feng shui to its proper place.
Another big feature that the fan cave is not complete without is the 110 gallon saltwater fish tank that sits in the middle of the far wall. Aside from all the televisions around the room, this is one of the main sources of ambient light during game days. This tank has cost me tons of money acquiring majestic sea creatures and I’ve become obsessed with adding more unique swimmers. Unfortunately, 110 gallons is still a bit too small to have a healthy sailfish in there. I will instead stick to my collection of old marine oil paintings of epic fishing battles between man and sailfish.
My bathroom is all underwater themed with wall paper that appears like you are inside a fish tank and sand colored flooring and trim. The sink and toilet look like giant clam shells. The best part is my blue and yellow custom Honolulu Hahalua toilet paper.
As far as sports memorabilia, I have a constant updating FatHead collection of Sarasota Sailfish players. Mike Boss Jr. throwing a tight spiral, Chizuru Ichinose leaping defenders, Michael Witheblock snagging a one-handed catch, and many others line my walls that aren’t already adorned with a fish tank.
Snacks & Drinks:
IceBear:
Every game day starts with one thing and one thing only… a bear claw. For the day snacks, there are a few must haves for the games. #1 is and always will be little smokies from the crockpot. This is an Icebear favorite and Mrs. Icebear has mastered the recipe. #2 Chips - I’m
A BBQ Lays guy, but the trick is to have so many options that they are more interested in trying the different types and not going for my reliable BBQ. #3 A sweet sweet for a sweet victory. I personally am a cookie guy and will eat a plate of chocolate chip cookies. The only thing that prevents us from having any cookies, is that I have taken one too many trips to the cookie dough freezer during the week leading up to the game.
For the game day drinks, it really changes game to game and with the level of confidence in the game. But one of my favorite challenges is the cross competition and pre-purchasing beers from each of the team’s respective state. If they score, I drink a bear. For some reason I haven’t had a chance to try a lot of Illinois beers :eyes:
I will mention my go to drink for a likely win for my ducks or Hahaluas is a nice Moscow mule. For games that I’m not super confident in, I usually lean towards a hoppy IPA that’ll be able to knock me out quick if needed.
Fronk:
As the primary cook in the house, I’m in charge of the snacks and food. Fronk’s favorites when it comes to snacks is a nice charcuterie spread. Cheeses. Meats. Olives and other pickled things. It’s all good and keeps me snacking and coming back to the bar. Speaking of the bar, I had a nice pizza brick oven installed on one side and that is a perfect treat for guests to come in and whip up their own personal pizzas and slide them into the oven for some delicious za.
We have two different fan cave refrigerators located by the bar. One is for the beer. Anything in the top half of that fridge is my favorite craft beers or the occasional mix-and-match pack of new craft beers I have been wanting to try. Follow me on Untappd to check out my collection. The bottom half of the beer fridge is dedicated to all our party beer for beer games and whatnot. We dabble with the bushel of Busch Lite, Mother Nature’s nectar: Natty Lite, and Bud Lite. The other refrigerator is half full of hard seltzers of all kinds, cocktail mixes, and food. Also gotta have space for the dips! We have anything and everything you can dip fries, chips, chicken, or fingers into.
Gameday traditions / rituals / Superstitions:
IceBear:
MeUndies - pirates with the gold coins all across the booty. These lucky drawers have brought me and my teams great luck over the season. This was working fine when dsfl was all I was worried about. But the 5 days a week with games has really pushed the limits with these boxers.
As a fan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, I have a “Play Like a Duck Today” sign by the door. Of course this is in the same font, but uses the Minnesota color rush theme with pink and brown. And besides slapping it, I put my hand in a shape to represent a break and peck at the sign as I walk into the fan cave.
I DO NOT allow there to be an equal number of fans for both teams. If there is an outlier or two this is okay. But a 50/50 split is not okay. This is if there is a large group, not a buddy coming over to watch their sailfish get eaten up by an otter. The purpose of this is two fold: My team either wins and the after party is hype or we lose and can drink our sorrows away. Half the group being hype is not my vibe. Also if there is just a guy or two who gets their team’s win, they will be outnumbered and therefore, (hopefully) not as cocky about the win. Usually if they do become too cocky, I invite them for a beer luge and pour vodka down instead. That’s usually a pretty good wake up call.
Outside my MeUndies, I definitely try to dress for the occasion and that means jerseys. I now have a closet of Greyduck and Honalulu jerseys. They range anywhere from Amy Wong (who is currently on fire) to rookie Dukemarriot. But, of course, my favorite jersey will be the Honolulu Kendricks-Watt jersey. Outside the BBQ stain on the Numbers, this jersey is perfection.
And of course every game I’ll be on my phone in the LR chanting for those deserving. That is happening more in the Ducks locker room than it is in Honolulu.
I know these few things I do are what makes and breaks the success of my teams.
Fronk:
Back before IceBear and I were rooting for our ISFL teams, I was just a die hard baseball fanatic. My team of choice is the Tigers. Way back when they were hitting and pitching well enough to make a run at the playoffs every season, I had some weird traditions that always seemed to work. I have incorporated these into my ISFL fandomonium.
The first is shotgunning beers. I now shotgun a beer every time my team scores any points. Touchdown? Shotgun!.. Field Goal?? Shotgun!... Safety???! Everyone shotguns!
The next superstition is actually an opposite of what IceBear does. I can wear any colors of my team, but during anytime of the day on gameday, I can not even touch any official merch of my team. It sounds super weird, but whenever I touch a jersey on accident rummaging around my closet, something always bad happens during the game. But never when I can go without touching.
Third item is the super weird one. Back when I was enjoying baseball at IceBear’s place, every home run or big strikeout seemed to happen when I was outside using the natural mens room (side of IceBear’s house) and watching from the other side of the window. It became clear that whenever I needed something big time to happen, I would just go outside and watch from the window. AND. IT. WORKED. Now I went back to IceBear’s old college rental house, replaced the window with a new one and installed it in my fan cave. So whenever I need a play, I just park myself behind that window and it usually works out.
Conclusions:
IceBear:
I can’t wait for you all to join me in the Icecave. Ever since starting our Ultimate Fan Experience, I have appreciated my fan cave even more. I enjoy our trips but the luxury of walking into my man cave and being ready to watch the game won’t be beat.
In this battle of the swimmers Sarasota got the edge of us this time. Not even the MeUndies could save us this time.
Fronk:
The cool part of this episode was that we were able to show you guys how we roll from each of our fan caves and give you THE ULTIMATE FAN (cave) EXPERIENCE -ence -ence. Also we wanted to go to Hawaii, but IceBear lost our card. We could not figure out who’s place to go to, so we split up this time and gave a tour of where we would normally watch when not in the stadium seats.
It’s probably a good thing that we were not together too. IceBear gets very passionate about his teams and emotionally, is more of a rollercoaster with an inevitable drop than that Sarasota win over Honolulu. Hahalua really coughed up a close one against the strong Sailfish.
Thanks for joining us in our man caves and we hope to be back on the road as soon as IceBear gets our new card. Now get out!
Introduction:
IceBear: I have already been lectured by Fronk, and as part of this week I am required to admit that I’ve lost the Ultimate Fan Experience Credit Card between last week and now. It is my fault we are not able to travel these past couple weeks. I am saying these words under my own free will and I am sorry.
That being said, we had to be a little clever this last week and will be sharing our fan cave experiences from our own homes.
Fronk:
Coming to you live from my basement. The Ultimate Fan Experience -ence -ence could not travel because we (IceBear) lost our ability to expense anything. We decided to do a special episode where we showed off our personal Fan-Caves.
IceBear: And what better of a week could we ask for than our 2 favorite teams going head to head. Your Sailfish vs my Hahalua. It’s about to get fishy up in here.
Fronk: You’ve got that right. Warning to all readers: you are now in the splash zone.
IceBear: So we will have to alter a little from our regular categories, so what are you thinking for this week?
Fronk:
So every fan likes a great fan cave. A one-of-a-kind personal collection of anything that commemorates your team’s identity, history, and swag. The more unique items that your collection comprises of, the bigger wow factor you get (and I’m pretty sure it boosts your team’s performance). Here’s how I want to break this down:
General explanation of the fan Cave (Theme / location in home)
Viewing Experience
Seating
Sports memorabilia / decor / other teams mentioned
Games
The bar design
Snacks / drinks
Gameday traditions / rituals / Superstitions
Bathroom
Miscellaneous
The Fan Cave:
IceBear:
I have recently moved into a new home and I told Mr. Icebear she could get and do whatever she wants as long as I got my fan cave. We finally landed on a home that doesn’t have a basement for this, but it does have a decent size barn out back that I had complete control over. A blank canvas, this was my time to shine.
Outside of my huge fandom of the ISFL, I enjoy hitting the links. I’m not one that can sit and watch golf but I really enjoy playing it. So in my fan cave you will see that reflected; My fandom for football and enjoyment of partaking in golf. And of course, beer, but at this point I assume most of you wouldn’t expect anything short of a brewery out back.
Couple key points about my garage fan cave: I have an attached garage for my vehicles, so I don’t need to accommodate any parking. It is equipped with heating and air and has all the plumbing required for the perfect fan cave.
Fronk:
Interior: Fronk’s House
(Roll MTV Cribs blueprints intro) (Fronk answers the door, but nobody is there)
Hi! I’m Fronk from The Ultimate Fan Experience -ence -ence and welcome to my Crib.
My house came equipped with a perfect fan cave basement. The stairwell is near the garage/laundry room of the house and enters the basement in a side hallway that connects the fan cave space with our storage room and utility room. Great for keeping man cave sounds downstairs and Mrs. Fronk’s nagging upstairs (just kidding, in case she’s an ISFL media reader).
The space itself is an open concept consisting of four general main areas: game viewing area, the bar area, the gaming area, and the fish tank of course.
Viewing Experience:
Fronk:
We do not want to bury the lede here. The main reason for our fan caves is for the Ultimate Fan Experience so you have to have the main feature be how you view the games. My setup is made up of 10 wall mounted 32” screens around the perimeter of the room. These are positioned just below the ceiling height and give that sense of a Buffalo Wild Wings’ interior of every game available somewhere in the room. This also gives the ability to watch any game while at the bar, tables, or any nook on the giant couch. All of these smaller televisions are the Samsung Frame. So whenever there is no game going on, it’s usually a very convincing slideshow artwork of sailfish.
But you can’t watch the Ultimus games on the small screens. That’s what the 85” OLED main TV is for. This is located in the middle of the far wall by the couch and is typically where all the action is. You can find me here for all Sarasota games that I watch from home. Using this TV, I can control the perimeter screens to show whatever games or artwork I choose. Or if it’s a big game, I’ll sync all televisions to the main screen. Audio throughout the cave is powered by JBL surround sound and typically syncs to whatever is on the main stage.
IceBear:
The fan cave has no purpose if you aint viewin’ the game. My cave has been set up with different TVs for different areas. I get that sometimes the entire group isn’t gonna agree on one game. I mean other than Russ, who is going to seek out a SJS game to watch? With my set up, it’ll allow him to watch while the big boys play on the big screen. That way he gets to see what real football looks like! And of course if no one is on the simulator, it doubles as another big screen.
The Icecave has a total of 6 TV’s with simulator the screen. When watching the game, I default to making sure there is something on all the screens. This has not helped at all with my Fanduel addiction. I mean if Korean baseball is one of the only other things on, it’s hard to not make a bet to make it more interesting.
Overall I have my fan cave set up for the whole group. “Something for everyone” feel
Seating:
Fronk:
The TV viewing experience can only be as good as the seating experience. Mrs. Fronk and I decided right away that we were going with the Love Sac modular couch. With this couch, you can order as many units of cushioned blocks and build whatever shape and size couch you want. This is great because we can customize the layout to fit whatever kind of party we are hosting. Opposing teams matching up? Boom! Two couches. Everyone gathered together to watch a movie? Bam! A giant 10 person sectional. Group orgy? Wrong place, but the Love Sac can become a giant bed.
Along with the sofa, we have couch tables that are positioned behind the default couch setting. This is bar-like seating that provides a place to eat or store food in the prime TV viewing location. It gives the hungry people the space and opportunity to eat while enjoying the big match up with everyone else in the area.
When the games aren’t on, the most important seats on the couch are the shooting spots. IceBear and I have a mini-hoop basketball game called TSG (The Shooting Game). You can only score from the King’s Chair so that’s the place where everyone wants to be.
IceBear:
Remind me to bring my own lawn chair over for the next game at Fronk’s place.
Like all good fan caves, seating has to be perfect to be the ultimate host. In my mind there were 2 big factors: quantity and comfort. Both of these were maxed out in my getaway. I wanted to provide everyone with an enjoyable seat whether they were enjoying the game or just hanging out. That is, of course, excluding my blue and gold lazyboy. It has built-in cup holders and phone chargers (Fanduel Mobile). Outside of the main couch that lines both the main TV and the golf simulator, I want to make sure the bar seats are extra comfortable. Aside from my lazy boy, this is of course where I’ll be spending most of my time. These stools alternate between the gold Honolulu logoed cushion and the blue Minnesota.
The next most important seating in the cave is for my partner in crime, Icedog. Icedog has a 7’ bean bag Grey Duck that she happily curls up on/with each gameday. I do believe this duck holds a lot of the luck for Minnesota therefore gets all the blame for a loss. After some sim luck losses we decided naming it negs just made sense. Only time it backfired was after a loss to Norfolk and I had a few too many shots to wash away the pain and woke up with ”Negs”.
Bar Design:
IceBear:
Bring on the chill! This is where things really get icy. Icebear’s Icebar. This igloo themed section of the fan cave is where the name became a brand. Nothing is better than an ice cold beer out of a frosted glass. There is no chance that it’s gonna ever heat up on the ice cold bar. I also have a tendency to reeeeally get into the game and get a little hyper and overheated. Taking that TV time out to cool down with a cold one is what balances the body temp to prep me for that final quarter.
The biggest hit of the Igloo bar is the shot luge. Shot poured atop the icy ramp and straight into the “willing” or peer-pressured fan at the bottom of the slope. I will say from its installation, this luge has gone from a fireball shot luge to a full beer and everything in between. The greatest feat on the luge is from Icebear & Fronk’s friend Matt Bryant, kicker for the Atlanta Falcons. He set a high bar to beat by attempting and completing a full 4 loko.great feat, but he didn’t see a single play of the game after that and has never been the same since.
The icy blue theme of the bar brings together the HON blue in the rest of the fan cave. Honolulu to the North Pole in just a few steps. Who can beat it?
Fronk:
One of the first things that new guests notice when they arrive down in my fan cave is the bar that resembles the stern of an old nautical fishing ship. The actual bar seating is along the back of the ship and behind the bar gives you the feel as if you were standing on the old ship and about to set sail into the open blue. The name of the boat, The Ocean Gar, is painted along the old weathered wood exterior. The barstools themselves are fashioned to look like old shipping barrels with Sailfish print cushions. These, of course, swivel to give the user 360 view of any TV or game in the cave.
The crown jewel of the bar is my giant prized sailfish drink pourer. This is a life-sized sailfish named Boss that is mounted on the side of the ship on an axle of sorts. Inside the fish is a cooled tank that is always filled with spiced rum. Whenever anyone wants some rum, they just tip the sailfish forward and put their glass under to fill up their glass. This is also a great way to do a luge shot of rum and has caused quite the celebration that will be discussed later when we talk about rituals and superstitions.
Games / Extras:
IceBear:
So on top of the required multiple TVs for a top notch fan cave, you need a few other aspects. Activities or games for something to do before and after the game. With my love of golf, this was an easy choice for me: A putting green and golf simulator. The best part about this golf simulator is when it is not in use, the screen doubles as another screen for our viewing pleasures.
So being able to step up and bomb a drive on Augusta and then turn around and see my ISFL boys take a close one, is a dream come true in the fan cave. The putting green is great for practice, but also for the drunken bets. When I’ve had enough beers I like to go to the putting green and show them my shot. Of course at this point I can’t make a shot, but that’s exactly what I want. After a while, I talk the visitor into a putt off for some cold hard cash. Then BOOM, I regroup and sink it from anywhere on the green. I’m down a friend, but now I can at least afford some tier 6 equipment. So tricks out of the bag, don’t accept my putt offs no matter how bad it’s looking.
Fronk:
So what does Fronk like to do in his free time? Well his personalized fan cave has two poker tables that can combine into a big poker table for his favorite hobby: board games. I have an extensive board gaming collection that my wife insisted does not get displayed so they are hidden behind reversible walls like a trap door, but the bookcase is on the inside. I try to get my friends together any chance I get and trick them into a four hour game. It really takes some smart minds to play my games, so I have to save it for when IceBear is not around.
Along with board games, I have a few arcade cabinets, some competitive hoop shoot, and a bubble hockey table.
Sports Memorabilia / Decor / Teams:
IceBear:
I have a very odd mix of decor. I have the Icebear bar that is very focused on my artic ways. And then we go back to the summer vacation vibes with my golf and Hahaluas.
I’d say the focal point on decor is my giant stingray that hangs above the putting green. So between this and Negs the duck all I’m missing is my 8’ stuff Icebear. But that seems a bit psychopathic. So for now I’ll stick with Negs and Big Ed the Hahalua.
Now everyone wants their fan cave full of jersey that hang the walls but I wanted to be different. Have a collection like never before but I’m also cheap (this was pre UFEeee payouts). So I started my sideline ritual when playing or following some of my favorite isfl players that post game I’d bring one of the Gatorade cups from the sideline for them to sign. With this being such a different request I have never been denied.
Now to the fan cave… when I return home I have shelves and shelves on autographed Gatorade cups each labeled with a card of theirs from that season. The neatest part of this is when these players retire, I pull their cup from the wall, pour a shot of Jim Beam and make a toast with the group honoring their career. After this celebratory shot the cup is then moved to my wall of tame. Some of the meanest nastiest guys have finally been tamed, on their terms of course.
I look forward to the day I have one of these players join me at the fan cave and for them to share a drink with. I’m hoping I can convince them that we both drink out of that same glass double straw style, but I won’t be picky.
I will also mention there is one outlier on this way. And that is the Matt Bryant 4loko that sits atop all the Gatorade cups. If he is to ever return, he will be treated like royalty.
Fronk:
Like my bar, the rest of the basement has an old shiplap aesthetic to make it appear like you are inside of a ship. Along with my drink-pouring stuffed sailfish, Boss, I have two other mounted Sailfish on either side of the main television. These guys are just there for looks and really bring the feng shui to its proper place.
Another big feature that the fan cave is not complete without is the 110 gallon saltwater fish tank that sits in the middle of the far wall. Aside from all the televisions around the room, this is one of the main sources of ambient light during game days. This tank has cost me tons of money acquiring majestic sea creatures and I’ve become obsessed with adding more unique swimmers. Unfortunately, 110 gallons is still a bit too small to have a healthy sailfish in there. I will instead stick to my collection of old marine oil paintings of epic fishing battles between man and sailfish.
My bathroom is all underwater themed with wall paper that appears like you are inside a fish tank and sand colored flooring and trim. The sink and toilet look like giant clam shells. The best part is my blue and yellow custom Honolulu Hahalua toilet paper.
As far as sports memorabilia, I have a constant updating FatHead collection of Sarasota Sailfish players. Mike Boss Jr. throwing a tight spiral, Chizuru Ichinose leaping defenders, Michael Witheblock snagging a one-handed catch, and many others line my walls that aren’t already adorned with a fish tank.
Snacks & Drinks:
IceBear:
Every game day starts with one thing and one thing only… a bear claw. For the day snacks, there are a few must haves for the games. #1 is and always will be little smokies from the crockpot. This is an Icebear favorite and Mrs. Icebear has mastered the recipe. #2 Chips - I’m
A BBQ Lays guy, but the trick is to have so many options that they are more interested in trying the different types and not going for my reliable BBQ. #3 A sweet sweet for a sweet victory. I personally am a cookie guy and will eat a plate of chocolate chip cookies. The only thing that prevents us from having any cookies, is that I have taken one too many trips to the cookie dough freezer during the week leading up to the game.
For the game day drinks, it really changes game to game and with the level of confidence in the game. But one of my favorite challenges is the cross competition and pre-purchasing beers from each of the team’s respective state. If they score, I drink a bear. For some reason I haven’t had a chance to try a lot of Illinois beers :eyes:
I will mention my go to drink for a likely win for my ducks or Hahaluas is a nice Moscow mule. For games that I’m not super confident in, I usually lean towards a hoppy IPA that’ll be able to knock me out quick if needed.
Fronk:
As the primary cook in the house, I’m in charge of the snacks and food. Fronk’s favorites when it comes to snacks is a nice charcuterie spread. Cheeses. Meats. Olives and other pickled things. It’s all good and keeps me snacking and coming back to the bar. Speaking of the bar, I had a nice pizza brick oven installed on one side and that is a perfect treat for guests to come in and whip up their own personal pizzas and slide them into the oven for some delicious za.
We have two different fan cave refrigerators located by the bar. One is for the beer. Anything in the top half of that fridge is my favorite craft beers or the occasional mix-and-match pack of new craft beers I have been wanting to try. Follow me on Untappd to check out my collection. The bottom half of the beer fridge is dedicated to all our party beer for beer games and whatnot. We dabble with the bushel of Busch Lite, Mother Nature’s nectar: Natty Lite, and Bud Lite. The other refrigerator is half full of hard seltzers of all kinds, cocktail mixes, and food. Also gotta have space for the dips! We have anything and everything you can dip fries, chips, chicken, or fingers into.
Gameday traditions / rituals / Superstitions:
IceBear:
MeUndies - pirates with the gold coins all across the booty. These lucky drawers have brought me and my teams great luck over the season. This was working fine when dsfl was all I was worried about. But the 5 days a week with games has really pushed the limits with these boxers.
As a fan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, I have a “Play Like a Duck Today” sign by the door. Of course this is in the same font, but uses the Minnesota color rush theme with pink and brown. And besides slapping it, I put my hand in a shape to represent a break and peck at the sign as I walk into the fan cave.
I DO NOT allow there to be an equal number of fans for both teams. If there is an outlier or two this is okay. But a 50/50 split is not okay. This is if there is a large group, not a buddy coming over to watch their sailfish get eaten up by an otter. The purpose of this is two fold: My team either wins and the after party is hype or we lose and can drink our sorrows away. Half the group being hype is not my vibe. Also if there is just a guy or two who gets their team’s win, they will be outnumbered and therefore, (hopefully) not as cocky about the win. Usually if they do become too cocky, I invite them for a beer luge and pour vodka down instead. That’s usually a pretty good wake up call.
Outside my MeUndies, I definitely try to dress for the occasion and that means jerseys. I now have a closet of Greyduck and Honalulu jerseys. They range anywhere from Amy Wong (who is currently on fire) to rookie Dukemarriot. But, of course, my favorite jersey will be the Honolulu Kendricks-Watt jersey. Outside the BBQ stain on the Numbers, this jersey is perfection.
And of course every game I’ll be on my phone in the LR chanting for those deserving. That is happening more in the Ducks locker room than it is in Honolulu.
I know these few things I do are what makes and breaks the success of my teams.
Fronk:
Back before IceBear and I were rooting for our ISFL teams, I was just a die hard baseball fanatic. My team of choice is the Tigers. Way back when they were hitting and pitching well enough to make a run at the playoffs every season, I had some weird traditions that always seemed to work. I have incorporated these into my ISFL fandomonium.
The first is shotgunning beers. I now shotgun a beer every time my team scores any points. Touchdown? Shotgun!.. Field Goal?? Shotgun!... Safety???! Everyone shotguns!
The next superstition is actually an opposite of what IceBear does. I can wear any colors of my team, but during anytime of the day on gameday, I can not even touch any official merch of my team. It sounds super weird, but whenever I touch a jersey on accident rummaging around my closet, something always bad happens during the game. But never when I can go without touching.
Third item is the super weird one. Back when I was enjoying baseball at IceBear’s place, every home run or big strikeout seemed to happen when I was outside using the natural mens room (side of IceBear’s house) and watching from the other side of the window. It became clear that whenever I needed something big time to happen, I would just go outside and watch from the window. AND. IT. WORKED. Now I went back to IceBear’s old college rental house, replaced the window with a new one and installed it in my fan cave. So whenever I need a play, I just park myself behind that window and it usually works out.
Conclusions:
IceBear:
I can’t wait for you all to join me in the Icecave. Ever since starting our Ultimate Fan Experience, I have appreciated my fan cave even more. I enjoy our trips but the luxury of walking into my man cave and being ready to watch the game won’t be beat.
In this battle of the swimmers Sarasota got the edge of us this time. Not even the MeUndies could save us this time.
Fronk:
The cool part of this episode was that we were able to show you guys how we roll from each of our fan caves and give you THE ULTIMATE FAN (cave) EXPERIENCE -ence -ence. Also we wanted to go to Hawaii, but IceBear lost our card. We could not figure out who’s place to go to, so we split up this time and gave a tour of where we would normally watch when not in the stadium seats.
It’s probably a good thing that we were not together too. IceBear gets very passionate about his teams and emotionally, is more of a rollercoaster with an inevitable drop than that Sarasota win over Honolulu. Hahalua really coughed up a close one against the strong Sailfish.
Thanks for joining us in our man caves and we hope to be back on the road as soon as IceBear gets our new card. Now get out!