As a life long West Virginia Mountaineer Fan living in the Atlanta Area for nearly 15 years, I have grown to also become a big fan of the SEC, as well as The University of Georgia.
My UGA alliance has grown from many trips to Athens, GA while our daughter, Ali attended undergraduate and grad school at Georgia. Over these years, I have also become a huge fan of the South Eastern Conference. As one of the perennial super powers in collegiate football, year over year, the SEC football schedule always makes for an interesting fall.
Last fall, West Virginia was scheduled to play Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. Well ahead of time, the wheels started turning with our family and friends, in possibly making plans to attend the game.
Except for several Georgia games in Athens, Barb and I had never ventured to any other SEC venues, so the possibility of attending the Auburn game was very exciting. After several phones calls, plans were in place.
My very good friend, Terry Shorr, an avid Mountaineer Fan and Season Ticket holder was able to secure tickets and I soon heard from another great friend, Kerr Kump. Kerr and Susie told me that they were planning an Auburn road trip with their two sons, Will and Cyrus, and their significant others.
Before long, all the plans were in place for a Mountaineer weekend in the heart of the SEC.
Let's forward to the weekend of Sept. 17-20, 2009.
Thursday, September 17, 2010
Terry Shorr was expected to arrive early Thursday evening. I was just hoping he might get out of Charleston, (WV) without possibly locking his keys in the trunk of his car. ( private joke, just ask him about it ) After getting lost several times, he finally arrived late that evening. Very tired from his long day of travel, a few cold beers and we shuffled him off to bed.
Kerr and Susie, and Will and his lovely wife Amy were due to arrive late Thursday night as well. They planned to go straight to their motel in Newnan, and we would all meet some time Friday. Cyrus and his fiance, Amy were due to drive in early on Friday.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Part of Kerr's plans were to possibly trade vehicles while he and the family were in Atlanta. This is a story in itself, so we won't even go there.
In anticipation of getting the Mountaineer-Auburn weekend kicked off in grand fashion, we all planned to meet at our home for a bit of a reunion afternoon and a few pre-game brews. As we had done on another occasion when Kerr and Susie were visiting us, we invited Kerr's cousins to join us. They live just 40 south of Newnan in LaGrange, GA. Having met them several years ago, I assured my friend Terry that we were in for a treat. For whatever reason, the residents of LaGrange speak with a southern draw and accent that is native to LaGrange only. Talk about a south Georgia accent, you really have to listen carefully to understand them. The cousins, Bonnie, Hazel and Turner added several hours of humor to a fun filled afternoon. At some point in the afternoon, conversations finally got around to football.
We were expecting our son, Chris to join us later in the evening. He was actually planning to do a "Low Country Boil" for our game day tailgate, but advance weather forecasts for game day were so threatening with forecasts for heavy rain, we planned to scrap that idea.
Eventually, the entire group decided to go out for dinner while the excitement for game day continued to encompass most of the conversation from this point, on. After a great dinner out with the group, Barb, Terry and I headed back to our home, while Kerr, Susie and their clan headed to their motel. We all planned to meet at our home Saturday morning. After all, game time the following day wasn't until 7:30 PM and Auburn is just an hour or so south of Newnan.
Saturday, September 19, 2010 Game Day,
West Virginia University vs. Auburn University
Around noon, when everyone started arriving at our home, the weather was bad and the long range afternoon and evening forecast looked even more threatening.
Within an hour or so, the skies seem to brighten up a little bit and the entire group decided, rain or shine, we would head it south toward Auburn. As we drove closer and closer to the Alabama state line, skies were appearing to brighten and we started to run out of the heavy rain showers. By the time we reached Auburn, the sun was out and temperatures were really warm.
Our son, Chris had been to Auburn on several occasions and was rather sure he could get us to a good tailgate location, so he led the way and everyone else followed. He found a great little parking lot behind a church and in no time, the tailgate was on.
It was at this exact time, that we started to experience the greatest 'game day experience' most of us had ever seen. Most of the cars parked along us in this lot were all Auburn Tiger Fans. Almost immediately, Auburn folks were coming up, introducing themselves, welcoming us to Auburn and always mentioning that they hoped we would have a great game day experience. I've never seen anything like it, anywhere. I just hope a lot of Mountaineer Fans took this experience back to Morgantown and possibly try to mirror it to visiting fans from other schools.
The students that were tending the entrance to the parking lot came by and welcomed us to feel free to use the all purpose room of their building. Remembering that I mentioned that it was very warm, most of the ladies in our group found the air conditioning very comfortable for a while.
Our tailgate continued well into the late afternoon, everyone enjoying colds beers and young Cyrus' home made pepperoni rolls. Honestly, they were to kill for. Great job Cy ! Most of the afternoon was spent catching up on old times with Kerr and Susie and the boys, Chris, Will and Cyrus hadn't seen each other in quite some time. A good time was had by all, even the wonderful Auburn fans that visited with us most of the afternoon. Many of them shared stories of having been to Morgantown the previous year when the Mountaineers prevailed 34-17.
Around 5 PM, the entire group decided we should probably make our way toward downtown and the campus. It was still quite warm, however clouds were starting to re-mass and the skies were getting darker.
As we approached "Toomer's Corner," on the corner of Magnolia and College streets, it was like the skies opened up and rained cats and dogs. I'll tell you more about Toomer's Corner in a moment. As it rained harder and harder, the group sort of got broken up a bit as everyone darted for cover wherever we might find it. Naturally, none of us had any rain gear.
Okay, "Toomer's Corner." This famous location is named after the "Toomer's Drug Store," a landmark that's been there for over 150 years. Located on this corner are two massive live Oak Trees. Legend has it that after every Auburn victory, students "toilet paper" these two large trees. In checking the internet, it's said that it normally costs around $4000.00 each week to clean up the mess, however the tradition continues. Just a wee bit of history.
As we tried to round up our entire group, we finally met at a corner pub where it was dry and the guys could find another brew or two before finally heading into the stadium. Through out the afternoon, Auburn fans continued to come up to our group ( everyone clad in WVU shirts, hats, etc.) all afternoon, welcoming us to Auburn. Unbelievable ! I finally stopped a young couple and asked them about the "Welcome to Auburn" process. They shared with us that it is actually part of the Freshman Orientation. Wow, a wonderful tradition that apparently has grown with each new generation.
As we approached 'Jordan-Hare Stadium,' once again it had starting to rain rather heavily, and word started filtering back through the crowds that the game had been delayed by one hour. Actually, Auburn officials evacuated the stadium due to heavy thunder and rather frightening lightening.
So, by now, most of us had been drenched twice, and all we really cared about was getting this game kicked off. Trust me, game days at the SEC level are an experience to behold, but many of the pre-game activities had been cancelled due to field conditions and the late start of the game. We were all looking forward to seeing "The War Eagle" fly down to the field, but missed that too.
We all had anticipated seeing at least parts, of the Mountaineer Marching Band pre-game, but neither bands were allowed on the field. Once the stadium started to fill, if my memory serves me right, most of the 87,000 plus seats were taken. We were all impressed with the numbers of Mountaineer fans that had made the long trek to Auburn.
Finally, game time. The rest of this story can be found in the history books. West Virgina lost the game 41-30. Several key injuries and turnovers and Auburn's skill level was a bit too much for the Mountaineers on this early fall evening on "The Plains."
It was very late by the time we all arrived back in Newnan. On Sunday, everyone headed back to their prospective homes with great memories of an early fall afternoon in Auburn, Alabama.
We all continue to marvel over the actual game day experience. The Tiger Fans were the most polite and welcoming that I have ever experienced in all my travels.
Having said that, I guess they can continue to say "War Damn Eagle," all they care too. I'll certainly never forget the orange and blue experience I had. Tradition continues on this southern campus, we even saw young, male students of the university dressed in orange slacks and navy blazers with the standard orange/blue striped silk ties.
So, on that " War Eagle afternoon in Auburn, Alabama," a great time was had by all.
My UGA alliance has grown from many trips to Athens, GA while our daughter, Ali attended undergraduate and grad school at Georgia. Over these years, I have also become a huge fan of the South Eastern Conference. As one of the perennial super powers in collegiate football, year over year, the SEC football schedule always makes for an interesting fall.
Last fall, West Virginia was scheduled to play Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. Well ahead of time, the wheels started turning with our family and friends, in possibly making plans to attend the game.
Except for several Georgia games in Athens, Barb and I had never ventured to any other SEC venues, so the possibility of attending the Auburn game was very exciting. After several phones calls, plans were in place.
My very good friend, Terry Shorr, an avid Mountaineer Fan and Season Ticket holder was able to secure tickets and I soon heard from another great friend, Kerr Kump. Kerr and Susie told me that they were planning an Auburn road trip with their two sons, Will and Cyrus, and their significant others.
Before long, all the plans were in place for a Mountaineer weekend in the heart of the SEC.
Let's forward to the weekend of Sept. 17-20, 2009.
Thursday, September 17, 2010
Terry Shorr was expected to arrive early Thursday evening. I was just hoping he might get out of Charleston, (WV) without possibly locking his keys in the trunk of his car. ( private joke, just ask him about it ) After getting lost several times, he finally arrived late that evening. Very tired from his long day of travel, a few cold beers and we shuffled him off to bed.
Kerr and Susie, and Will and his lovely wife Amy were due to arrive late Thursday night as well. They planned to go straight to their motel in Newnan, and we would all meet some time Friday. Cyrus and his fiance, Amy were due to drive in early on Friday.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Part of Kerr's plans were to possibly trade vehicles while he and the family were in Atlanta. This is a story in itself, so we won't even go there.
In anticipation of getting the Mountaineer-Auburn weekend kicked off in grand fashion, we all planned to meet at our home for a bit of a reunion afternoon and a few pre-game brews. As we had done on another occasion when Kerr and Susie were visiting us, we invited Kerr's cousins to join us. They live just 40 south of Newnan in LaGrange, GA. Having met them several years ago, I assured my friend Terry that we were in for a treat. For whatever reason, the residents of LaGrange speak with a southern draw and accent that is native to LaGrange only. Talk about a south Georgia accent, you really have to listen carefully to understand them. The cousins, Bonnie, Hazel and Turner added several hours of humor to a fun filled afternoon. At some point in the afternoon, conversations finally got around to football.
We were expecting our son, Chris to join us later in the evening. He was actually planning to do a "Low Country Boil" for our game day tailgate, but advance weather forecasts for game day were so threatening with forecasts for heavy rain, we planned to scrap that idea.
Eventually, the entire group decided to go out for dinner while the excitement for game day continued to encompass most of the conversation from this point, on. After a great dinner out with the group, Barb, Terry and I headed back to our home, while Kerr, Susie and their clan headed to their motel. We all planned to meet at our home Saturday morning. After all, game time the following day wasn't until 7:30 PM and Auburn is just an hour or so south of Newnan.
Saturday, September 19, 2010 Game Day,
West Virginia University vs. Auburn University
Around noon, when everyone started arriving at our home, the weather was bad and the long range afternoon and evening forecast looked even more threatening.
Within an hour or so, the skies seem to brighten up a little bit and the entire group decided, rain or shine, we would head it south toward Auburn. As we drove closer and closer to the Alabama state line, skies were appearing to brighten and we started to run out of the heavy rain showers. By the time we reached Auburn, the sun was out and temperatures were really warm.
Our son, Chris had been to Auburn on several occasions and was rather sure he could get us to a good tailgate location, so he led the way and everyone else followed. He found a great little parking lot behind a church and in no time, the tailgate was on.
It was at this exact time, that we started to experience the greatest 'game day experience' most of us had ever seen. Most of the cars parked along us in this lot were all Auburn Tiger Fans. Almost immediately, Auburn folks were coming up, introducing themselves, welcoming us to Auburn and always mentioning that they hoped we would have a great game day experience. I've never seen anything like it, anywhere. I just hope a lot of Mountaineer Fans took this experience back to Morgantown and possibly try to mirror it to visiting fans from other schools.
The students that were tending the entrance to the parking lot came by and welcomed us to feel free to use the all purpose room of their building. Remembering that I mentioned that it was very warm, most of the ladies in our group found the air conditioning very comfortable for a while.
Our tailgate continued well into the late afternoon, everyone enjoying colds beers and young Cyrus' home made pepperoni rolls. Honestly, they were to kill for. Great job Cy ! Most of the afternoon was spent catching up on old times with Kerr and Susie and the boys, Chris, Will and Cyrus hadn't seen each other in quite some time. A good time was had by all, even the wonderful Auburn fans that visited with us most of the afternoon. Many of them shared stories of having been to Morgantown the previous year when the Mountaineers prevailed 34-17.
Around 5 PM, the entire group decided we should probably make our way toward downtown and the campus. It was still quite warm, however clouds were starting to re-mass and the skies were getting darker.
As we approached "Toomer's Corner," on the corner of Magnolia and College streets, it was like the skies opened up and rained cats and dogs. I'll tell you more about Toomer's Corner in a moment. As it rained harder and harder, the group sort of got broken up a bit as everyone darted for cover wherever we might find it. Naturally, none of us had any rain gear.
Okay, "Toomer's Corner." This famous location is named after the "Toomer's Drug Store," a landmark that's been there for over 150 years. Located on this corner are two massive live Oak Trees. Legend has it that after every Auburn victory, students "toilet paper" these two large trees. In checking the internet, it's said that it normally costs around $4000.00 each week to clean up the mess, however the tradition continues. Just a wee bit of history.
As we tried to round up our entire group, we finally met at a corner pub where it was dry and the guys could find another brew or two before finally heading into the stadium. Through out the afternoon, Auburn fans continued to come up to our group ( everyone clad in WVU shirts, hats, etc.) all afternoon, welcoming us to Auburn. Unbelievable ! I finally stopped a young couple and asked them about the "Welcome to Auburn" process. They shared with us that it is actually part of the Freshman Orientation. Wow, a wonderful tradition that apparently has grown with each new generation.
As we approached 'Jordan-Hare Stadium,' once again it had starting to rain rather heavily, and word started filtering back through the crowds that the game had been delayed by one hour. Actually, Auburn officials evacuated the stadium due to heavy thunder and rather frightening lightening.
So, by now, most of us had been drenched twice, and all we really cared about was getting this game kicked off. Trust me, game days at the SEC level are an experience to behold, but many of the pre-game activities had been cancelled due to field conditions and the late start of the game. We were all looking forward to seeing "The War Eagle" fly down to the field, but missed that too.
We all had anticipated seeing at least parts, of the Mountaineer Marching Band pre-game, but neither bands were allowed on the field. Once the stadium started to fill, if my memory serves me right, most of the 87,000 plus seats were taken. We were all impressed with the numbers of Mountaineer fans that had made the long trek to Auburn.
Finally, game time. The rest of this story can be found in the history books. West Virgina lost the game 41-30. Several key injuries and turnovers and Auburn's skill level was a bit too much for the Mountaineers on this early fall evening on "The Plains."
It was very late by the time we all arrived back in Newnan. On Sunday, everyone headed back to their prospective homes with great memories of an early fall afternoon in Auburn, Alabama.
We all continue to marvel over the actual game day experience. The Tiger Fans were the most polite and welcoming that I have ever experienced in all my travels.
Having said that, I guess they can continue to say "War Damn Eagle," all they care too. I'll certainly never forget the orange and blue experience I had. Tradition continues on this southern campus, we even saw young, male students of the university dressed in orange slacks and navy blazers with the standard orange/blue striped silk ties.
So, on that " War Eagle afternoon in Auburn, Alabama," a great time was had by all.
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