The Cincinnati Bearcats played the Tennessee Volunteers - the ultimate line up - MR's and my alma mater playing a packed house at Neyland. He sold his season ticket seats and bought front row seats for us and Vale and Maura - hell of a good time! UC scored firs and I was hopeful - but let's be honest - Big East teams can't hold a candle to
SEC football. Nothing like Saturday in the south.
MR made me wake up at 6:30am on a Saturday, bless it. He dressed his in respect orange and I in black and red. We were tailgating in Knoxville by 10:30am. Had a great group of friends from Cincinnati and UT with good food and cold Yuengling. Tailgating there is like a hoiday compared to tailgating in Clifton. In Knoxville, every single park and parking lot is bumper to bumper with trucks loaded with beer, food and cornhole sets with orange flags flying. People pay $20 to park in a car wash spot and restaurants sell their parking spaces - brilliant. Lori and Andy joined us and I'm glad they got to experience it with us. MR is totally in his element and loves showing people around campus. He's been obsessed with UT since his Uncle Jim (UJ) brought him to a game when he was 10. Cut him open, orange will ooze :)
At half time, Maura and I had a fabulous time people-watching... all of the sorority gals had on orange dresses, every style you can imagine, totally adorable, with shit kickers and a button that said "KD loves Vols" or "KKG loves Vols." The culture is so different - I'd love to wear a dress to the games, but I'd be scoffed at in Cincinnati. I really hope my kids go to an SEC school so they can experience football season in the south. Fireworks and "Rocky Top" after every touchdown - it's hard not to be passionate with all of the pomp and circumstance. The Vols ended up taking the lead and holding it through the end. After the game we tailgated more - of course - with MR's cousin Drew from Nashville. Since you can't drink in SEC stadiums, we neded to get our buzz back and watched the end of the South Carolina-Georgia game, displayed on a flat screen in the back of an SUV. Then MR guided Lori, Andy and I through campus, telling tales of college and Knoxville. We walked all the way back to their hotel by the World's Fair park, which I'd love to go back to - just beautiful. Then we walked through Market Square which is a really cool little strip with shops and restaurants with cobble stone park in between. Had delicious pulled pork nachos and sat outside at this little pub with a great band and cool murals of Where the Wilds Things Are in the bathroom. Ran into quite a few people from Cincinnati in the Square, too.
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