Friday Fiver: Best things about Iowa Wild games

I recently signed on for another year as a partial season ticket holder for the Iowa Wild. It'll be my fourth season as a fan (click here to read a recap of my first season as a fan), and I'm happy I was able to keep it in my budget. Honestly, they make it really affordable. And the games are a lot of fun. I'd hate to miss out on being a part of it.

Here are my five favorite things about Iowa Wild games.

The players

It's fun seeing the players come in, get better, and (sometimes) move on to the big club. I've gotten to see quite a few guys who got promoted, and it's awesome. The Wild are also really good about community involvement, so it's easy to get to meet some of the players and feel like you get to know them a little.

Crash

I'm probably biased, but he is my favorite mascot in all of hockey. Honestly, he's my favorite mascot in Des Moines (I'm sure Cubbie Bear and Bernie Barnstormer won't like hearing that, but ... oh well). He has a lot of fun during the games. I particularly enjoy when he picks on the people in my section by throwing popcorn at them or messing with their hair. (Don't worry, they're used to it and expect it.)

The in-game entertainment

The Wild make great use of the giant video board in the middle of the arena. I'm particularly fond of "Who Am I?" (clues are given so people can guess the individual being featured) and the "Rapid Fire" segment (a player chooses between two items on the screen -- pancakes or waffles, Xbox or Playstation, etc.). Last night, they had a mic'd up feature too, and that was really fun. Then again, it was Sam Anas (my current favorite Wild player), so it was an easy sell for me.

Bordenaros pizza

If you know me, you know I love to support local whenever I can. So I'm happy when I can have some delicious pizza from a local place at the arena. It's my tradition at every game I go to.

Joe O'Donnell

Photo source

The voice of the Iowa Wild. When I can't get to the game, I like to listen to it or watch it. Joe does a great job of describing the action and explaining what's happening. He's a true pro and a very nice person too. Wild fans are lucky to have him.