By Mike GibsonCome April 18, there will be a press conference at the Edberg-Olson Football Complex on the campus of Temple University.
The purpose: To announce 'Mission Possible' in conjunction with a general review of spring football practice.
Former Temple coach Wayne Hardin will be there. So will current head coach Al Golden.
The Mission they've chosen to accept: Fill Lincoln Financial Field for the Aug. 31 home opener with Navy.
Hardin and Golden are on board.
So are the vast resources of Temple University.
So, too, is Navy, an organization with a pretty good track record for accomplishing missions, possible and impossible.
There's a great photo of Wayne Hardin celebrating with a couple of famous Navy players after a football win in the early 1960s circulating on the internet.
I asked coach Hardin about it the other day.
"I don't know what game that was," he said. "Probably Army."
Those bonds have lasted a long time.
Recently, Hardin's Navy players threw him an 80th birthday party in South Carolina.
Some of them mentioned that idea last year while talking to him in Florida.
"They said they want to throw me a birthday party," Hardin said. "I said that's not necessary."
But throw they did and in style. Phone calls were made.
Everyone contacted came.
At least 65 former Navy players threw Hardin a party at a lavish South Carolina golf resort.
"I wish you could have been there," Hardin said. "It was terrific. We got together at Hickory Knob State Park (S.C.) March 19-21."
Two of the movers and shakers were Jim Maxfield and Jim Stewart.
"There were no words for it," Hardin said. "(Representatives) of all classes and their wives were there. It was just a great tribute and I was really appreciative."
Now Hardin is turning his energy (if he hasn't already) to the April 18 press conference.
"I went to the (Temple) Homecoming game against Bowling Green," Hardin said. "I may have brought them some luck. I looked in the stands and thought, "Oh man. We're going to have to fill this stadium somehow.'
"So I committed to doing my part to helping them fill the stadium for the opening game next year. At the time, I didn't even know who it was against. Maybe it was a sign that we're going to get this done."
So Hardin went to the top of the stadium and scribbled down on a notepad some ideas to fill the stadium.
He even went into the president's box.
"She (Ann Weaver Hart) is a very impressive person," Hardin said. "She looked at my list and nodded her head in agreement with my ideas (for filling up the stadium).
"When she got to the part of free tuition for a semester, she said, "My husband and I will pick that up.' She didn't even bat an eye.
"I mean, what father, knowing that his kid is going to have a chance for free tuition for a semester for attending a football game isn't going to make sure that kid is there?"
Hardin's other ideas will be announced on April 18 but this is a cooperative brainstorming effort.
"The bottom line," Hardin said, "is that Temple is a school with 250,000 alumni living within an hour or two of the stadium and 34,000 full-time students. We should be able to fill that stadium with Temple people alone. All I'm asking for is you to give me one day of your year."
With Temple fans hawking tickets from one end of I-95 and Hardin's old Navy friends pushing from the other end, he just might be able to pull this off.
