Mike and Bone renewed in 2025 an old tradition, Post Christmas Bowl football!! Mike came down to Baserkely, and Bone was ready to share a cool surprise for lunch! Knowing that Mike like Bone loves a good Hot Dog, so Bone took Mike to a new hot dog shop that can cut the mustard! Johnny Mustard's!
'Chomping Dogs at Johnny Mustards!
In April 2025 a local restaurateur who used to go the Hippo's Chicago Style Hot Stand at 15 and Rochester decided to try his luck pushing those spicy specialties in downtown Royal Oak! Seeing the Shop, Bone knew who to try it with!
Mike and Bone in Johnny Mustards!
A Chicago and Detroit Coney!
The shop was clean and the staff was super fast! The buns were warm, the Coney was different. Johnny did not serve traditional beanless Detroit chilli, it was with beans and was sweeter that a traditional Coney. But the Chicago dog, was so good that it brought Mike and Bone to tears! Literally!! The Chicago dog was spot on, but when Mike bit it his, the hot pepper squirted into his and Bone's eyes!!! Crying over how darn good the dogs were, and how damned much the Boys eyes watered from the hot peppers! Regardless, the Boys had a Game to get too!
A Free, Cold Shower!
Bone weaved his way downtown on Woodward and got into Downtown in 15 minutes, as the Boys got close to Ford Field the heavens opened like a torrent from Noah's flood! With it being only 34 degrees it was a cold, icy rain! Bone found parking only 3 blocks from the Stadium, but it didn't matter, neither had any rain gear or shoes for the deluge! Half way to the Stadium it was coming down so hard Mike and Bone could hardly see in front of them. By the time they got into Ford Field, both were soaked and numb, from head to toe!
The soaked sod's slogged and sloshed their way to the West End Zone just in time to get a seat and watch the miniscule Northwestern Marching Band take the field!.
Even thought the Bowl was played the day after Christmas at Detroit’s Ford Field, Central Michigan started the game was still intent on giving Northwestern some gifts!
The Game!
Actually both teams were rusty at first. Faced with a fourth-and-1 at their own 34, Northwestern elected to flex a little Big Ten muscle against a MAC opponent. It didn’t go well as Central Michigan stuffed Komolafe for a loss of a yard, setting up the Chippewa's with a first down in NU territory.
But the defence bailed Braun out. Hubbard, back from injury, sacked Labas for a 7-yard loss on third down, and Cade Graham – the most accurate kicker in the MAC this year – missed a 43-yard field goal attempt, so the turnover on downs didn’t cost the Wildcats any points.
The two teams combined for three first downs and 57 total yards in the first quarter, as well as three sacks for 20 yards in losses and a missed field goal.
But Central Michigan started getting careless with the football in the second quarter and the Wildcats blew the game open.
The Cost of Turnovers!
Northwestern's quarterback Preston Stone went 19-of-31 for 226 yards and three touchdowns, two of them going to wide receiver Griffin Wilde, who finished with 10 catches for 97 yards and took home the game MVP award. Caleb Komolafe scored one touchdown and Lawson Albright was on the receiving end of the other Stone scoring pass.
Nickelback Braden Turner had one interception and scored a touchdown on a scoop-and-score to lead the Wildcats’ opportunistic defense. Defensive end Aidan Hubbard came up with three of the Wildcats’ four sacks and also forced a fumble. Central Michigan quarterback Joe Labas finished 16-of-20 for 140 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
First, Turner came up with a diving interception of a Labas, who threw the ball as he was being chased by Michael Kilbane, to give the Wildcats a first down at the CMU 29. Then, Stone lofted a 23-yard touchdown pass to Wilde on third down to make it 7-0 with 6:33 remaining in the half.
The defensive line continued its first-half dominance on CMU’s ensuing possession, when Hubbard knocked the ball out of Labas’s hand on a dropback and Carmine Bastone recovered it at the Chippewa 18-yard line. Northwestern’s offense cashed it in for a score when Komolafe ran it in from three yards out on fourth-and-goal to make it 14-0 with 3:43 left in the half.
Northwestern didn’t do anything to create the third takeaway of the period as Labas fumbled the snap and Kilbane recovered it at the CMU 23. On the next play, Stone found a wide-open Albright to make it 21-0 at the 3:31 mark.
Central Michigan’s gift-giving didn’t end there, however. Quarterback Angel Flores fumbled the ball on CMU’s first drive of the third quarter at his own 44. Turner picked it up and weaved his way to the end zone to give the Wildcats a 27-0 lead, as Jack Olsen missed the PAT.
The Only Chips Score!
The Wildcats got a touchdown the conventional way, without a turnover, later in the third when Stone hooked up with Wilde for the pair’s second touchdown of the day to make it 34-0.
Central Michigan finally got on the scoreboard when Brock Townsend scored on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Labas with 6:11 to go in the game.
Braun said that his team was intent on “dominating the postseason,” and that’s exactly what they did with the program’s largest margin of victory in a bowl game, besting the old mark of 14 points in a 2013 Gator Bowl win over Mississippi State.
In the end the Chips turning the ball over four times and the Wildcats turned them into 27 points as Northwestern blasted the Chips, 34-7, to claim the program’s sixth straight bowl win. The win enables Northwestern to finish the season with a winning record at 7-6 and gave head coach David Braun his second bowl win in as many tries. The Boys were mostly dried out by the time the Game ended, after watching a bit of the Trophy Presentation they headed out the very washed streets of Detroit!
Kindling a Christmas Spirit in Campius Martius!
One of the cool things Detroit does for the Holidays is take over Campius Martius and Cadillac Square for a good ole' Christmas celebration! Mike and Bone wandered around the crowded tree and Christmas Village enjoying the post game crowd who were "getting Detroit!"
While wandering around, Bone told Mike about a wild PBS Special he saw in North Carolina on Detroit and the Guardian Building, Since Mike hadn't check it out before, off they went!
Mike and Bone, getting the Guardian Building
The Guardian Building is a landmark 43-story office skyscraper in the Financial District of downtown Detroit, Michigan. Built from 1928 to 1929, the building was originally called the Union Trust Building and is a bold example of Art Deco architecture, including art modern designs. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989, and is currently owned by Wayne County.
The main frame of the skyscraper rises 32 stories, capped by two asymmetric spires, one extending for seven additional stories. The roof height of the building is 496 ft , the top floor is 489 feet, and the spire reaches 632 ft . Its nickname, Cathedral of Finance, alludes both to the building's resemblance to a cathedral—with its tower over the main entrance and octagonal apse at the opposite end—and to New York City's Woolworth Building, which had earlier been dubbed the Cathedral of Commerce.
Art Deco at its finest!
Native American themes are common inside and outside the building. Wirt C. Rowland, of the Smith, Hinchman & Grylls firm, was the building's architect. The building rises from a granite and stone six story base with two sculptures created by Corrado Parducci flanking the Griswold Street entrance.
The architect closely supervised the building of the exterior, which includes brickwork with tile, limestone, and terra cotta. The colored brick that Rowland selected for the exterior came to be marketed by the manufacturer as “Union Trust Brick” and, after 1939, as “Guardian brick”. Rowland designed furniture for the bank's offices as well as tableware, linens, and waitress uniforms for a restaurant in the building.
The building's three-story, vaulted lobby is lavishly decorated with Pewabic and Rookwood tile. The semi-circular exterior domes are filled with Pewabic Pottery; Mary Chase Perry Stratton worked closely with the architect in the design of the symbolic decorations. A Monel metal screen divides the lobby from the banking hall on the second floor, the screen features a clock in the center designed by Tiffany. The building includes works by muralist Ezra Winter in the mosaic above the main lobby desk and the mural at the end of the banking hall. The large mosaic is of a pine tree and text that states the Union Trust Company's purpose for the building, "Founded on principles of faith and understating, this building is erected for the purpose of continuing and maintaining the ideals of financial services which promoted the organization of the institution". The mural highlights Michigan's industries such as manufacturing, farming and mining. In order to dampen the sound in the banking hall, its cement-plaster ceiling features a hand-painted canvas ceiling, which was stretched over a mat of horsehair.
Mike and Bone marvelled at how both its original art deco beauty and just a good a shape it was, it was enough to make them starved!. Being carnivores, Bone knew where to take Mike!
Mike and Bone marvelled at how both its original art deco beauty and just a good a shape it was, it was enough to make them starved!. Being carnivores, Bone knew where to take Mike!
Mike and Bone, getting their "Meat On!"
Right next to Campius Martius is a Texas de Brazil, which is a Brazilian-American steakhouse that offers a "churrascaria" or all-you-can-eat dining experience, combining traditional Southern Brazilian cowboy (gaucho) barbecue (churrasco) with Texan-style meats, featuring continuous tableside service of flame-grilled beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and sausage. The name blends "Texas," reflecting its U.S. origin and meat focus, with "de Brazil," highlighting its authentic Brazilian culinary roots. In the old style Gauchos (servers) walk around carrying large skewers of various meats, carving them directly onto your plate.
They gave Mike and Bone Red/Green Cards to signa, green: for "more meat, please" and red for "I'm taking a break." The quality was, well ok, but the quantities were stupid! Mike and Bone waddled out 10 pounds heavier each!
A Pie for the Road!!
Once the bloated Boys got back to 1642, since Mike could not make the Pizza and Piano Party, he had a Pie ready for Mike to share with the Spencer Clan! Ending a great, but soggy day!