More College Football Favorites

It's just about here folks--the 2009 college football season! 6-days and counting to the first weekend of the season--and you may or may not need me to whet your whistle, but I will anyhow.

And what better way than with tailgaiting, more food and game atmosphere! And right now, I'm going to give you my best and worst over the last 21-years. Now, to review, I've been to my share of venues not all over the Big 12 (I've been to every conference stadium minus Iowa State), and the several around the nation--and not just NCAA Division. This is MY experience only. There may or may not be venues that are better and/or worse than the ones I'll be showing you. You may or may not agree, but I really don't care because, after all, this is my perspective. You can give yours in the comment section.

BEST TAILGATING COLLEGE: Michigan State, 1995. Spartans hosting top-ranked Nebraska in East Lansing, and the Spartans fans got started on Friday night, and by Saturday morning when I arrived at the stadium, they surrounded Spartan stadium by about what seemed like a quarter mile. And I mean ENTIRELY around the stadium! As I trudged my way into the stadium with both arms full of camera gear, I was greeted by several fans--a few of whom offered me both brats and beer (which I gladly partook). By the time I got to the pass gate, I was tipsy after about 5-beers, and put on about a half-inch of fat on my waist from those aforementioned brats. And on top of that, after the game--where the Huskers shellacked MSU 55-14, I was again offered about 5-beers and 5-brats, but this time, I only took the brats--I did have to drive to the airport, after all.
**SIDE NOTE HERE**--For those of you who remember the 1995 season, this was the game where NU's Lawrence Phillips rushed for just over 200-yards, but then after arriving back in Lincoln, dragged his girlfriend down her apartment complex's stairs and got arrested. I found on while on my flight back to Lincoln.

WORST TAILGATING: None. Some places don't do it up as big, but I've never had a bad experience around fans out enjoying food and beverages before supporting their teams. Now, some think they do it better than everybody else, but I guess that just goes with the territory.

LOUDEST VENUE: A 3-Way Tie: Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. And, if I had my drouthers, I'd say K-State. They may only pack in 55-thousand into KSU Stadium, but the field is low enough to where the sound all goes down there, and when I was there for the KSU-Nebraska showdown in 1995, it was absolutely deafening. However, for an overall loud, I have to go with OU because you have 82-thousand plus with a low stadium floor. But A&M gets props for it's closed-in end as the loudest half of a stadium in college ball--it should be sponsored by Miracle Ear or something.

LEAST LOUDEST VENUE: Texas, because DKR-Memorial Stadium is at ground level and some of the sound escapes. But, to be fair, I haven't been there since 2007, and they've added some seats.

MOST RESPECTFUL CROWD: Nebraska. And, this is hardly news. "The Sea of Red" is intimidating to visiting teams, I hardly ever heard a "boo"--and that was for either team playing--and even on occasions when NU lost at home, they'd give the winning visitors a hand as they ran into their locker room (just ask Mack Brown and the 'Horns).

LEAST RESPECTFUL CROWD: Oklahoma. And, yes, Sooner fan, I'm going to pick on you, and before you go getting all defensive and acting like a slug in salt-water, I'll give you an example that's just the opposite of NU: 1999 season opener versus Indiana State, a I-AA team (the sub-division right below NCAA Division I), who basically got paid $500,000 by OU to be a scrimmage--to basically get their heads handed to them. And what does Sooner fan do when the Sycmaores take to Owen Field? ISU got booed. Unmercifully. Almost as loud as when UT storms out of the Cotton Bowl tunnel for the Red River Rivalry. Classless. Oh, and that little thing you do at the end of The National Anthem? You know, ".. and the home of the 'sooners'." The National Anthem? Really? Come on!

WORST MEDIA SPREAD: Now before you think I'm just have a man-crush on all things Nebraska, NU won this one back during the 1996 season on a couple of occasions, when one of the area restaurants (that shall remain un-named--to protect the guilty) basicall mixed up some vegatables and meat--probably left over from the night before--and then put it in mass-mixer with this white cream sauce. Some of us unaffectionately called this concoction, "Cream of Brunch".

BEST MEDIA SPREAD: This is a tough one, because there have been so many. But Ohio State has to take it after the time Buckeyes brass served up prime rib as part of its buffet. However, personally? You couldn't go wrong when the Beef Council catered at OSU, Kansas and K-State, and when Uncle Dan's got the call at Baylor.

BEST MOMENTS FROZEN IN TIME: 1996 Fiesta Bowl, where Nebraska pounded Florida 62-24 to win it's 2nd-straight national title--and in the post-game press conference. The frozen moment? Gators coach Steve Spurrier being the most humble I think anybody had ever seen him. He and his Gators got clocked thoroughly and he knew it, and his 2-minute admission in his opening comments was something I knew I'd probably never, ever see again.
(And, wouldn't you know it? The Gators claimed the national championship the very next year).

MOST MEMORABLE VENUE: Again, so many-- I could go on and on. But on a particular day, one you probably never heard of takes the cake: NCAA Division II Pittsburg State's Brandenburg Field, vs. North Dakota State, 1994 post-season, where they played this one in a torrential rainstorm all day long--and on natural grass, or should I say, natural mud. They still call this one "The Mud Bowl". And, on top of all the sheets of rain that fell the entire game and the sieves of mud it caused, the game went to TRIPLE OVERTIME!!, where visiting ND State won 18-12. But the most tell-tale thing of that day was this. The only way you could tell who was on which team was the color of the helmets--Pitt State's red to NDSU's green. Everthing else was muddy brown. Incredible!

Ah, the memories. And, just think: we only have 6-more days to create some new ones!