9-Oct-07 football

Were you thinking I had forgotten about the football this weekend? Wasn't that something. We did not watch the Stanford-USC game, because someone gave us tickets to the Notre Dame-UCLA game and we thought Nick would enjoy it so Eric and I took him to the Rose Bowl while the girls played at the Bakers'.

Our neighbors were going to the USC game and asked us if we were going. "No way," we said, "it doesn't sound fun to watch our team get blown out. We'll be at the Rose Bowl instead."

We were crammed into the Rose Bowl surrounded by some drunk ND fans. The bleacher seats are not big enough if everyone shows up. We had four tickets for two adults and a two-year-old, which was good because it sort of made up for the problem. The rows in front of and behind us both were unable to accommodate everyone who had tickets for the row. Nick was interested, but it was hard to follow the football. He liked seeing the "instruments" (UCLA band) and the blimp and helicopters. He liked watching field goals. We were on the corner, pretty close, but still it's a big field.

So there we were, making the best of the discomfort and still having fun with Nick, when the crowd started cheering for no apparent reason. Eric figured it must be the Stanford-USC game. We came to find out that Stanford had taken the lead, 24-23, late in the 4th. We craned to see the TVs in the press box, but they were too far away to really get any information. The cell and blackberry had no reception in the Rose Bowl. What were we doing in that cramped stadium with the drunk guys, not able to see what Stanford was doing? When the stadium PA announced the final score, Stanford 24 USC 23, the place went wild with cheering. I was dumbfounded. How were we not watching? Unbelievable.

Stanford better not lose the rest. Let's win some more. One in particular would be really good, but I'm not going to say it out loud...