Thursday, October 10, 2013

Geaux Gators

15 years ago today I attended my first high profile Gator Football game as a University of Florida student. Well, attended isn't exactly true. Let me back up a bit.

It was October 10, 1998 and Florida was taking on LSU at The Swamp at 8 pm on ESPN. At the time, LSU wasn't the established SEC power that it is now. Nick Saban was still a few years away from becoming the Head Coach in Baton Rouge and restoring the Tigers to their former glory. Prior to Saban, LSU Football had seen quite a few lean years under the leadership of coaching luminaries like Curly Hallman and Gerry DiNardo. However, just a year earlier defending National Champion and #1 ranked Gators had gone into Baton Rouge on a Saturday night and been handled by a pretty average Tiger team. So, despite LSU still being less than "back", this game had some cache.



This particular Saturday also happened to be my 21st birthday. Greg drove down from Williamsburg with a pack of exchange students from Manchester, England in tow and the previous night and day leading up to the game had been appropriately boozy.

So, back to Saturday night. After some hearty pregaming I walked into the stadium with a few of my roommates. I didn't walk far. A cop stationed near the entrance grabbed me and asked what was in my cargo pocket (cargo shorts are terrible, I know, but at least I wasn't wearing jolts). As you can probably guess, it was liquor. A fifth of Captain Morgan to be exact. That was as far as I'd get inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. I was escorted to the mini-police station/jail inside the Stadium. Upon asking for my ID the cop took a look at it and quipped "Hey, happy birthday". He then wrote me a ticket and sent me on my way. Like most of my alcohol related incidents in college (there were many) this would be nothing more than a slap on the wrist, but I wouldn't see the game in person.  Instead, I'd meet another friend at the other Swamp to watch the game. It was here where we'd run into some LSU fans/attorneys in town from Louisiana. They discovered it was my 21st birthday and subsequently filled me with free booze all night long.



Somehow, even though I missed the game, the evening ended better than I could've imagined. We drank heavily, the Gators won and eventually I met back up with two of my roommates (The other roommate passed out somewhere on campus that night. We didn't see him until Sunday afternoon. This was not an especially rare occurrence for him.) and we ended up a party a couple blocks behind the Swamp where I hooked up with a hot Cuban girl I'd never met and would never see again.  All in all, it was pretty fucking great.

Saturday it will all come full circle as I make my maiden voyage to Baton Rouge for the Florida-LSU game. I doubt I'll get kicked out of this game but maybe, just maybe I'll take pity on some poor, downtrodden LSU student and feed them booze at a bar postgame. Then again, maybe not. Either way, I'll feel lucky to be there. And not just to be there, but to be there with the same two former roommates who I "attended" that Florida-LSU game with in 1998. Life's not perfect, but sometimes its really, really good.

29 comments:

rob said...

i love that story. we need more trips down drunken memory lane.

clarence, how was tuesday?

Mark said...

The Danny Trejo profile on Grantland is terrific.

Jerry said...

My first trip to LSU I walked in with a 5th of Jack down my pants and didn't get caught. The downside, similar to your current situation, was that it was a day game. Still awesome though.

Geoff said...

http://drunkdialcongress.org/

zman said...

All of my trips down drunken memory lane conclude with shame, embarrassment, regretful sexual relations, bodily injury, and general derision.

Clarence said...

Reading comprehension, people -- Mark, happy birthday!!

rob said...

exactly, z. we need to celebrate that shit.

Mark said...

After that experience I stopped trying to sneak liquor into games. Surprisingly, all the visible tattoos causes police officers to look at you closely. I have my more upstanding (looking) friends mule it for me now.

Thanks, Clarence.

Mark said...

And while I'm a little bummed I won't get to see a night game at Tiger Stadium, a day game gives Florida a better chance a victory.

Jerry said...

I just go boxer briefs and figure they don't want to handle my crotch. Or maybe security has a hands-off policy when it comes to us wealthy industrialists from the North.

zman said...

Oh, right ... happy birthday Mark.

How many TDs does Charles Tillman score tonight?

mayhugh said...

Airplane bottles worked like gangbusters at that high school game we went to, Jerry.

Jerry said...

Yep, those were the glory days - preparing cocktails in the port-o-john at Westfield High School...

zman said...

Apparently W&M's "Tribe" name is somewhat racist.

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/115106/ranking-racist-sports-team-mascots-names-and-logos

Mark said...

This is so fucking great.

http://www.uproxx.com/tv/2013/10/archer-fx-danger-zone-video/

Shlara said...

I just walked past Vanilla Ice in the lobby of 30 Rock, and he totally gave me the once over...gross.

mr kq said...

Did you stop, collaborate and listen?

Clarence said...

I would give a lot for a has-been female pop star to ogle me. Shlara is grossed out. Same planet, different worlds.

Geoff said...

I just checked an Anne Murray will ogle anyone for $500 plus travel expenses. When's your bday Clarence?

Mark said...

Gloria Estefan has a similar package available. I can arrange it for you, Geoff.

Marls said...

Happy birthday Mark!

zman said...

That wasn't Tillman.

zman said...

The announcer has never seen anything like this? Eli is the first QB to throw TAINTs?

Mark said...

It's not their fault but Lousiville's schedule is jaw droppingly bad.

zman said...

Tuuuuurible clock management.

Dave said...

hellooooooooooooooo ghoerghies!

Marls said...

Hello David

Shlara said...

Hi Gheorghies from the 40th floor conference room. I'm going to try to sneak onto the 8th floor to see what's up at SNL on my way out of the bldg...

amanda young said...

Wow this brings back great memories!Amanda Vanderpool