BigMassiveDaddy
Senior Member
Copied below is a great message from Scott Van Pelt (from ESPN)
which was posted on a University of Maryland site. This guy is a Maryland
fan who was in Auburn for the Georgia game, seeing for the first time what
a special place Auburn is and being in amazement about the things which
Auburn fans take for granted. Forwarded to me today by an Auburn graduate.
=======================================================
____________________________________________________________
A different world - Non-Terps & a lenghty rambling mess ...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Imagine you have been married to the same woman for more than 30 years, you
love her more than anything - nothing could ever change that. You have
shared many of your best memories with her and would never leave her under
any circumstances. Then you spend a day with a woman who in some ways is
more beautiful than your wife ... you may never see her again ... but you
won't forget her for a while either.
Maryland is my wife ... Auburn is "the other woman."
If you all love college sports - and I assume you do - you really need to
see a game there (in Auburn). I have been lucky to see a lot of places, I
have not seen a lot of places like that. It's an amazing scene in every
respect. Granted, I was there for # 3 vs. # 5 ... Auburn was 9-0 so it was
bound to be good.
Some highlights:
I arrived at night with the stadium lit up like a Christmas tree. It sits
dead in the middle of campus. A shrine...literally their church - only
services are held on Saturday. Made me say....hmmmm...this is promising.
Gameday scene - tailgating in every available space...and not like some
field full of RV's - though they had that too. But literally people grilling
and drinking in every available spot for as far as the eye could see. I lost
count of the number of bands and stages and this was at 9 AM.
The Fans - I knew I was in a "red state" from all the Suburbans with "W"
stickers, but the truth of it is, this part of Alabama is an orange state.
Every man woman and child is in the same shade of orange. Not unusual I know
...but THIS was...they are nice, friendly , and polite - to GEORGIA FANS.
Nobody called anyone in Black and Red Faggot or @#hole..nobody told them
they sucked nobody told them !@#$ you. These people are your friends, you
don't know it yet because you haven't met them - but when you do - you have
met a friend. you want a beer ? some bar- B - Q ? grab some. Let's talk for
a while....war eagle...let's have a good game. I saw this at tailgate after
tailgate. Stragglers who wander by are offered anything that's available -
didn't matter what color they were wearing. This is the oldest rivalry in
the South - they call it Brother vs. Brother and they mean it. Now there are
certainly cliche's about downhome country sensibilities - but these folks
embodied the best part of the notion of southern hospitality. Though many
did admit it's a tad LESS civil for the Iron Bowl.
Tiger Walk :
Impossible to describe. Im - possible. A human welcome mat for the team. The
team walks through several blocks to Jordan - Hare through a sea of people.
I asked somebody how many folks were there and was told they could never
come up with an accurate head count but that they were certain it was " well
in excess of 25,000 people. " That looked a little light to me...I would
have bought 40 grand. 2 hours before kick the streets in all directions were
completely - and I mean COMPLETELY jammed. It was like a religious
experience. If you can be in the middle of this - and I was lucky enough to
get to walk through it - and not be overwhelmed , you are dead my friend.
( I just went Larry King on your *****- sorry )I was honestly in awe.
Gametime : The eagle circles as 87,521 people (less the UGA fans) cheer
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar EAGLE, HEY!!! The eagle pounces on some meat
product and the hair on the back of your neck stands up...then if you are
still unimpressed you get an F-16 flyover and were off and running.
Auburn dominates, the band plays, the fans hoot and holler louder than
anywhere I have ever been ( and go Spinal tap and take it to volume 11 when
UGa tries to audible ) 24 - 6 and it's time for more food and drink...but
before that...
Toomer's Corner :
everyone converges on the intersection of college st. and whatever the other
road is and they toilet paper every tree in sight. By the time it's over, it
looks like a blizzard has rolled through Alabama. There are no riots, no
police, no cars set on fire. There are families from grandparents to infants
chcuking rolls of toilet paper all over the place. Again, i just shake my
head at a loss...and maybe a little jealous.
It's a special place, the best scene I have ever seen for college football.
I have ZERO doubt " our " TEAM could someday be as good. As fans though,
perhaps we should aspire to be as classy as those I was hosted by. The type
of hostile, vile garbage we are subjected to on the road and are certainly
guilty of at home is just embarrassing when you see how they do it
elsewhere. Not preaching here - just some thoughts of one VERY proud
Terrapin after seeing the light ... Auburn style.
Go Terps - let's get #5 on Thursday night .
which was posted on a University of Maryland site. This guy is a Maryland
fan who was in Auburn for the Georgia game, seeing for the first time what
a special place Auburn is and being in amazement about the things which
Auburn fans take for granted. Forwarded to me today by an Auburn graduate.
=======================================================
____________________________________________________________
A different world - Non-Terps & a lenghty rambling mess ...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Imagine you have been married to the same woman for more than 30 years, you
love her more than anything - nothing could ever change that. You have
shared many of your best memories with her and would never leave her under
any circumstances. Then you spend a day with a woman who in some ways is
more beautiful than your wife ... you may never see her again ... but you
won't forget her for a while either.
Maryland is my wife ... Auburn is "the other woman."
If you all love college sports - and I assume you do - you really need to
see a game there (in Auburn). I have been lucky to see a lot of places, I
have not seen a lot of places like that. It's an amazing scene in every
respect. Granted, I was there for # 3 vs. # 5 ... Auburn was 9-0 so it was
bound to be good.
Some highlights:
I arrived at night with the stadium lit up like a Christmas tree. It sits
dead in the middle of campus. A shrine...literally their church - only
services are held on Saturday. Made me say....hmmmm...this is promising.
Gameday scene - tailgating in every available space...and not like some
field full of RV's - though they had that too. But literally people grilling
and drinking in every available spot for as far as the eye could see. I lost
count of the number of bands and stages and this was at 9 AM.
The Fans - I knew I was in a "red state" from all the Suburbans with "W"
stickers, but the truth of it is, this part of Alabama is an orange state.
Every man woman and child is in the same shade of orange. Not unusual I know
...but THIS was...they are nice, friendly , and polite - to GEORGIA FANS.
Nobody called anyone in Black and Red Faggot or @#hole..nobody told them
they sucked nobody told them !@#$ you. These people are your friends, you
don't know it yet because you haven't met them - but when you do - you have
met a friend. you want a beer ? some bar- B - Q ? grab some. Let's talk for
a while....war eagle...let's have a good game. I saw this at tailgate after
tailgate. Stragglers who wander by are offered anything that's available -
didn't matter what color they were wearing. This is the oldest rivalry in
the South - they call it Brother vs. Brother and they mean it. Now there are
certainly cliche's about downhome country sensibilities - but these folks
embodied the best part of the notion of southern hospitality. Though many
did admit it's a tad LESS civil for the Iron Bowl.
Tiger Walk :
Impossible to describe. Im - possible. A human welcome mat for the team. The
team walks through several blocks to Jordan - Hare through a sea of people.
I asked somebody how many folks were there and was told they could never
come up with an accurate head count but that they were certain it was " well
in excess of 25,000 people. " That looked a little light to me...I would
have bought 40 grand. 2 hours before kick the streets in all directions were
completely - and I mean COMPLETELY jammed. It was like a religious
experience. If you can be in the middle of this - and I was lucky enough to
get to walk through it - and not be overwhelmed , you are dead my friend.
( I just went Larry King on your *****- sorry )I was honestly in awe.
Gametime : The eagle circles as 87,521 people (less the UGA fans) cheer
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar EAGLE, HEY!!! The eagle pounces on some meat
product and the hair on the back of your neck stands up...then if you are
still unimpressed you get an F-16 flyover and were off and running.
Auburn dominates, the band plays, the fans hoot and holler louder than
anywhere I have ever been ( and go Spinal tap and take it to volume 11 when
UGa tries to audible ) 24 - 6 and it's time for more food and drink...but
before that...
Toomer's Corner :
everyone converges on the intersection of college st. and whatever the other
road is and they toilet paper every tree in sight. By the time it's over, it
looks like a blizzard has rolled through Alabama. There are no riots, no
police, no cars set on fire. There are families from grandparents to infants
chcuking rolls of toilet paper all over the place. Again, i just shake my
head at a loss...and maybe a little jealous.
It's a special place, the best scene I have ever seen for college football.
I have ZERO doubt " our " TEAM could someday be as good. As fans though,
perhaps we should aspire to be as classy as those I was hosted by. The type
of hostile, vile garbage we are subjected to on the road and are certainly
guilty of at home is just embarrassing when you see how they do it
elsewhere. Not preaching here - just some thoughts of one VERY proud
Terrapin after seeing the light ... Auburn style.
Go Terps - let's get #5 on Thursday night .
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