Savage Words: From basketball history to popcorn balls, the Corn Palace is worth the trip

My last year working in the NBA, I knew I was spending way too much time away from home.

I traveled with the team on all road trips, and in my final year with the Seattle SuperSonics I decided to put a large X on the calendar on dates I wasn’t home for dinner. Those missed nights with a 3-year-old at home included home games, on the road with the team, or just an event with the team.  

At the end of the season, that number was 222. That, obviously, was too many.  

There were other reasons, but not home for dinner for 222 nights in a calendar year certainly contributed to my failed marriage. I don’t consider many things in my life a failure, but not seeing my marriage through is a failure. Thankfully, we’re still best of friends now. 

So I learned my lesson, and I rarely hit the road for a sporting event now. Actually, the last time I went on the road to cover a game was April 16, 2008 when the Sonics played at the Golden State Warriors for the 2007-08 regular season finale. 

Nearly 16 years removed from my last road game, I decided last week to head to Mitchell to cover the boys and girls basketball games between Brandon Valley and the Kernels. I figured I’d paid my dues, and it was time to get back on the road. Besides, the games were being played at the World’s Only Corn Palace, a place that’s always captivated my attention.

They began playing basketball at the Corn Palace in 1921, and that winter it played host to its first state basketball tournament. Other than the walls changing each year with different designs created out of ears of corn, it’s basically the same setting as it was 100 years ago.

For as much as things have changed over the past century in regards to the game, the way it’s played, the way it’s officiated, the way popcorn is sold, the way students and fans cheer and the way it’s viewed, I sat there last week and watched a contest between a bunch of kids who have essentially been playing the same game for decades on the same floor.

The last time I was at the Corn Palace was in 2020 when we were taking a trip to the Black Hills for a long weekend. We had friends visiting from California, and they were insistent that we stop in Mitchell to see the Palace.

In the summer, the basketball court isn’t set up. Instead, the Palace is transformed into a glorified gift shop full of South Dakota knick-knacks. Specifically, there’s a TON of corn paraphernalia. We bought some Corn Dudes that day, which is a fancy way of saying Corn Cob holders that you put on the ends while mashing away on the delicacy. 

In the winter, however, it becomes a true royal hall for basketball. USA Today recently named the Corn Palace one of the top 10 places in America for high school basketball.

And it’s not only Mitchell High School. Dakota Wesleyan University also calls the Corn Palace home for basketball games, and the place gets rocking when the Tigers take the floor. When I attended USF 35 years ago, I was lucky enough to call a Cougars game on the radio in the Corn Palace. That night has forever stayed with me.

The Brandon Valley girls entered the game last week ranked No. 3 in Class AA. Mitchell was No. 2. For the boys, it was No. 3 Brandon Valley and No. 1 Mitchell. Those seemed like legitimate games to get back on the road.

After the girls’ game, I followed the team back to the locker room and stood outside the door and waited to talk with head coach Mike Zerr. Walking back through those hallways to the locker rooms, the building just oozed history. How many others had walked those same halls before me?

I went to the games last week with a friend. Between games, I sat back and again tried to soak it all in. As my wheels turned, I asked my friend what they thought of when looking around the building.

“Corn,” was the answer.

Fair enough. That certainly was probably the founder’s intentions.

Zerr backed up that sentiment. The Lynx lost by six, breaking a 13-game winning streak. But they pushed the No. 2 Kernels to the brink. It was obviously an upsetting end to the day for everyone on the bus headed back to Brandon when the night was over.

“I was not happy walking out of there, but those popcorn balls are legit,” Zerr said. “Even a popcorn ball can cheer up a coach after a tough loss. Those things are the real deal.”