Pre-game notes: Iowa fans come from everywhere; ticket scalpers tee off

TEMPE, Ariz. - Korey Lee became an Iowa football fan by chance. He and his family made a six-hour trek to watch them in person by choice.

Korey Lee, 12, his older brother Kellen Lee, 22, and their mother Lisa Lee drove from San Diego to the Phoenix-area on Tuesday to take in their first Iowa game in person. The family has no connection to Iowa or even to the Midwest. They came to the Insight Bowl because Korey liked watching the Hawkeyes on television last year.

"I like their helmets, the team and their quarterback, Ricky Stanzi," Korey said.

Kellen and Lisa questioned Korey about his interest almost immediately. Lisa started with a map.

"My first question to him is do you know where Iowa is?" she recalled. "He did."

Kellen plays college baseball at California-San Diego and at first didn't take Korey's interest seriously. But Korey continued his fandom, and Kellen respected it.

"I thought it was completely random myself," Kellen said. "I'm all for it. The Big Ten is awesome."

Korey's put together a sign that he hopes parlays into a future visit to Iowa City.

"I want to go there and play college football and college baseball," he said.

He's available for the 2016 season.

FRENEMIES

Dubuque natives Harold Vieth, 67, and Adrian Korbel, 69, walked side-by-side to Sun Devil Stadium in similar-colored sweatshirts. But Vieth, a Missouri graduate, wore a Mizzou sweatshirt, while Korbel promoted Iowa.

The two became friends while working at John Deere and now are snowbirds in Mesa, Ariz.

SCALPING 'EM

Three different ticket scalpers told a reporter outside Sun Devil Stadium that tickets largely were sold around face value, with variations of about $10 or so.

But the scalpers were unhappy with the Fiesta Bowl matchup on Jan. 1 between Oklahoma and Connecticut. None of the scalpers provided their name.

"You could call it the toilet bowl," one scalper said. "Tickets are going for $10 online and I doubt we get more than that in person. They cost four times more than these (Insight Bowl) tickets."

Another ticket scalper blamed the Bowl Championship Series and said, "until there's a playoff system, this is what's going to happen."

STRIKE UP THE BAND

Check out this video with these teenagers trying to raise money while playing instruments outside the stadium.