Seeing Orange, or The Once and Goofy Quest for Nipple Tassles

It was the end of December and I was on the beach bathing my mind in the soothing sounds of that great atlantic ocean. Four of us stopped in Daytona for three nights, including New Year's Eve, as a relaxing detour on the way to Miami. In Miami we converged with just about 40,000 other fans for the Orange Bowl, which most everyone should know the results of by now. It felt like a crazy home game, and that was just what I wanted having watched most of the season by televised games or worse, such as keeping eye tuned to ESPN "Bottom Line" score bar "Priority Updates". Pre-game student tailgating was at the Calder Race Course, owned by Louisville's own Churchill Downs. We were greeted with free food and glimpses of actual races being run; the call to the post helped us feel so much at home. The short walk from Calder to the Dolphin's Stadium felt just about like our common walk from KFEC to PJCS. There was some rain on game day, but cleared just before kick off. We couldn't have asked for too much of a better game. Our seats were right on the end zone, only 28 rows from the field.

The whole trip might be characterized in several manners. I forgot to pack my (crappy) camera, so I don't have any photos of my own, so instead, as usual, I mainly have stories to tell. The important story to tell before I forget it is a mere tangent to the trip. The College Student Football Fan wont is often to express one's own eagerness for a team win through outrageous posters and displays. Some of my friends are more eager, or at least crazier, than others. One ...