Great report, Oliver! I hope you will do just as good a job with the Vandy game--By that I mean delivering a Gator victory with your lucky shirt and filing a report afterwards. Helen
On Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 12:23 PM, Jay Cicone <[email protected]>wrote: > Outstanding. Let’s hope for more of the same over the rest of the > season.**** > > ** ** > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] *On > Behalf Of *Oliver Barry > *Sent:* Monday, September 17, 2012 12:18 PM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* [gatortalk] The Tennessee Game**** > > ** ** > > Before my diminishing usage of brain cells prevents further recollection > of it I will offer my observations of the game.**** > > Shane and I started from my house in Hendersonville at about 9:30 am local > time on Saturday. Perfect weather.**** > > Stopped for Starbucks in Gallatin and were off!**** > > We saw quite a few cars locally sporting Gator flags, etc. I took it as > an omen.**** > > Next stop was at a gas station at about mile 300 on the interstate. A > large van pulled up with all UT fans who mostly ignored us.**** > > One of their brighter members shook his head at us. I think he may have > already been into the sauce. That was about 10:30 am.**** > > Next stop for lunch at a Subway. Two highway patrol officers came in > while we were eating. One joked that he didn’t want to see any Gator fans > yet.**** > > We talked for a while about football predictions, etc (he was a really > nice guy) then moved on.**** > > Got to Knoxville where the fun started. Found a parking place for $20 and > headed to The Strip to find tickets.**** > > We walked for a bit holding up 2 fingers. Found prices at $200 to $250 > apiece. Kept walking. **** > > Just as Shane was getting tired we walked up to an older gentleman who > said he had 4 tickets and wanted to get rid of 2.**** > > He asked what we would pay. I offered $100 each and he accepted. I think > if I had offered $80 he would have been ok with that too. The face value > was $75. He told us he and his son were up from Chattanooga and his son is > a Gator.**** > > He was looking for someone his son could talk to. Then he dropped the > bomb. He is a Georgia Graduate!!!**** > > But, we accepted the tickets anyway and sat with them at the game. They > turned out to be two of the nicest people I’ve ever met. (that was > difficult to admit to)**** > > Next, off to the stadium. We had about 2.5 hours before game time at that > point, but I didn’t know what else to do. My whole mission up until that > point was to get tickets and we landed the best ones we could have possibly > gotten. Oh yes, the best part… They were on row 25 in the lower bowl. We > were just above the UF band in the middle of the Tennessee section. They > were great seats!!!**** > > We walked toward the stadium through back streets. There we walked past a > high rise apartment building with balconies.**** > > There were young males standing on the balconies shouting bad things. I > learned a couple of new words. Shane already knew them.**** > > I responded to one guy in a car who was giving us the one finger salute > and hurling un-nice comments with, “Hey, I can see you’re a UT graduate!”* > *** > > That didn’t go over well. Shane complained someone screamed in his ear > while we were on The Strip. I’m sure he must have provoked the guy. **** > > On to the Vol walk. We watched from quite a distance. I was impressed at > that point with so many Tennessee fans who walked by, offering to shake > hands and wishing us good luck. **** > > Then into the stadium to find Leon. He had texted me his section and we > walked up (way up) there.**** > > Found him and Paula hanging out at the underside of their section. There > was a beautiful view of the Tennessee River from behind the cameraman who > took our photo.**** > > Stood with them awhile and on to our seats.**** > > Lots of Tennessee fans around us. I was impressed with how much they > really expected to win that game. When the Knoxville police posted the > news that anyone caught storming the field after the game would be arrested > it was clear there was no option or consideration for losing. I must have > seen over a hundred posters during the day that said something about, “It’s > our year!”**** > > Everyone was very friendly and no one seemed to mind us cheering for the > Gators. I refrained from using any of my newly learned words. **** > > Of course you saw the game. It was as loud as UF can be at several points > during the game. Fortunately, I had worn my lucky shirt.**** > > ** ** > > I was very impressed with Jeff Driskell. To be able to keep us in the > game through the first half handling the ball the way he did, as a > sophomore, was truly admirable. **** > > After we went ahead 27-14 the mass exodus was on. The way the game had > gone I was surprised to see it begin there. But, the aisles weren’t nearly > big enough to get them all out.**** > > After that you could see lots of blue. The team came over to the band > after the game and they played the Alma Mater, but as close as we were we > could only hear the Tennessee band playing. They were miked to loud > speakers! I still have that damned song going through my head!**** > > Anyway, after the Alma Mater Will Muschamp ran over and did a couple of > Gator chomps, you’ve seen the photos, and that got us all worked up again. > **** > > Long wait to get out of parking. Long wait to get on the road. Then > smooth sailing to home. No bad fans on the way back. J**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > Oliver Barry CRS,GRI**** > > Real Estate Broker**** > > Bob Parks Realty**** > > 1517 Hunt Club Blvd**** > > Gallatin TN 37066**** > > Phone: 615-826-4040**** > > Fax: 615-822-2027**** > > Mobile: 615-972-4239**** > > ** ** > > **** > > ** ** > > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions > 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions > 2008 National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us**** > > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions > 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions > 2008 National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us > -- Helen Huntley (727) 823-3801 www.helenhuntley.com -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
