Three Football Stories That Aren't About Football...

Story 1

Hubby and I intended to leave home around 6:30 this morning to go to the football game. Kickoff was at noon, and we wanted to get a good parking spot for the RV. What we consider a good parking spot is one that is A) easy to get out of, since we are among the minority of tailgaters in the RV who don't spend the night; and B) good for satellite reception.

I woke up at 4:50 or something like that, and I knew it was too early to get up. The next time I looked at the clock, it was 6:27. So much for leaving home at 6:30. Hubby got up a few minutes later, and we left not long thereafter.

Usually I spend a lot of time getting ready to go to a football game. Hair, make-up, clothes, shoes, food, drinks, paraphernalia for Gus, electronic devices, crocheting (sometimes, depending on the time of the game), maybe something to read.

I didn't have that option this morning. I hurriedly packed a bag with clothes to wear for the game, I poured us each a cup of coffee in a travel mug, we grabbed the dog, and we left around 7:00 or 7:15.

Oh, the beauty of having an RV. I left home this morning wearing yoga pants, a t-shirt, and my house shoes. I had on no bra and NO UNDERWEAR! I didn't even have time to brush my teeth. I took my hairdryer and make-up and did those primping things after we got there. Thank goodness I have toiletries that live in the RV, along with extra clothing (if needed) and underwear (whew!).

Story 2

This is tongue-in-cheek. I understand how ticket scalping works.

Something still looks funny enough that I want to stop and take a picture of it (it'll have to be next year, since today was our last home game, and it might get me shot anyway).

On our way to the stadium, we invariably pass several sets of scalpers. One will hold up a sign that says, "I need tickets," and the other holds up a handful of tickets, yelling, "Who needs tickets?" On the way to one game, the guy yelled about needing tickets, and I pointed to the guy about 10 yards from him and said, "He's got some."

He said to me, "What?" and we kept walking. I don't know if he really didn't hear me or if he was ticked off that I was questioning their methods. Or whatever I was questioning.

Today we passed a guy who was apparently either working alone, or his buddy had taken a bathroom break. He had a sign in one hand saying he needed tickets, and in the other hand he clutched ... you guessed it ... tickets.

Again, I realize how the system works. They buy extra tickets from folks who don't need them AND they sell tickets to folks who don't have them.

It still looks funny.

Story 3

Most fans are fairly well-behaved, at least in our section of the stadium. Unfortunately, our seats are very near some seats that are always occupied by fans from the opposing teams. (Maybe when I grow up I'll be eligible for seats that are only UGA fans.) It's not usually a problem. Good-natured ribbing takes place between fans from the two teams, and it's all in good fun.

Apparently not for some people.

One section over from us today, we saw folks standing up trying to get a better look at some kind of commotion. It's usually pretty easy to predict what's going to happen even before you spot the perpetrator(s). One (usually drunk) fan from the home team starts jawing and arguing with some other (usually drunk) fan from the other team, and pretty soon the verbal altercation turns physical and one or both parties is escorted from the stadium, sometimes handcuffed and sometimes not.

That actually wasn't the case today. It was ONE fan from the opposing team who was being belligerent to the UGA fans in her section, repeatedly dropping the f-bomb and generally being obnoxious and disruptive. Yes, I said "her." I don't think the security folks handcuffed her, at least not while I could see her, but they did wrestle her into the aisle and marched her out, to the cheers and jeers of fans in three sections. She was accompanied by a young man, maybe around 12 or 13 years old, and I felt terrible for him.

It was only the first quarter, and I suspect he didn't get to see the rest of the game. At least not in person.