Trip report: College football in the South (very long)

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Just got back from the Washington State-Auburn game, and while playing an SEC team isn't good for the Cougs' record, I certainly hope it happens again so I can go back down there. It was an incredible experience.

We took in some baseball first. Flew from Seattle to Atlanta on Thursday and went to the Braves-Giants game that night. Turner Field is a lot nicer than I expected it to be, although I can't say I'd make a special trip to go back. The stadium has the largest video screen I've ever seen, which was kind of cool.

From there it was on to Opelika, Alabama, which is about eight miles outside of Auburn. We checked in to the crappiest Days Inn ever and headed to campus. The scene is amazing. It was Friday afternoon, and people were setting up their tailgating space EVERYWHERE. Apparently you just rope off the area you want, set your stuff up and party until it's time to go to the bars. There was hardly a patch of land anywhere near campus that somebody hadn't claimed.

While walking around, many people would greet us with "War Eagle!" At first we thought it was a taunt, but later we learned it was just a friendly greeting -- for most people, anyway. The "War Eagle" thing refers to an eagle that circles the stadium before the game, then swoops in and grabs a piece of meat at midfield. It's really an impressive thing to see. Once someone told us that most of the "War Eagle" greetings were friendly, we started responding with "Go Cougs" and got great responses.

Aside from "War Eagle," the most common things we heard were "Welcome to Auburn" and "Ya'll havin' a good time?" Southern hospitality is alive and well. The people there were genuinely concerned about us having fun. They were literally relieved when they found out we were having a blast. People went out of their way to welcome us, and many wished us luck for the game.

On game day, we got to campus around 11 a.m. for a 6:45 kickoff. I was worried that we were late, as I heard stories about people showing up eight hours before kickoff for games and still having to park miles away, but we were OK. We set up camp by a tent set up for a 3 p.m. WSU party, had a few beers and started walking around. The tailgating scene, as you can imagine, was insane. We spent most of our time in the RV lot, where people had been partying for days. We found a Coug from Alabama whose entire family had gone to Auburn. His RV party, with Coug flags flying high, was a crimson oasis in a sea of orange.

But the Auburn folks were the ones we really wanted to party with. When one group heard that I bought a "Beat Bama" shirt at a local store, I became like family to them. Before I knew it, I had a 24-ounce beer in my hand and was being pressured to chug it (despite being 33 and woefully past my prime, I performed admirably). Then I was told, "You gotta have a rib now." And Eddie, the host, opened up the grill, and handed me a plate with the single greatest piece of beef I have ever had. (His secret, he says, is to add Coca-Cola to your marinade.) Then we sang happy birthday to his son and had cupcakes. And when we headed out, he grabbed me, said, "Hey, you're travelin', so I'll go easy on ya," and handed me a can of Guinness. And we were told -- not really asked -- to "come on back after the game." You better believe we did.

At the game, it was more of the same. Random people would say "Welcome" when you passed by, and again ask if you were having a good time.

The game didn't go our way, but we led at the end of the first quarter and threatened to get back in it in the third. I would have preferred a win, obviously, but I was happy that the game was in question in the second half. Typical low Coug expectations. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

The stadium, Jordan-Hare, is gorgeous and LOUD. We were in the corner of the end zone about 50 rows up and still felt like we had a pretty good view. I don't think there's a bad seat in the place. And the War Eagle thing before the game is awesome. About the only bad thing about the trip was the weather, which wasn't that hot but still very humid. Not used to that in Seattle.

Anyway, I know this has gone on way too long, but if you ever have a chance to get to the South for a college football weekend, do it. It's an experience you'll remember for a long, long time.

P.S. Make sure you have some barbecue when you're down there. Byron's in Auburn is great.