Brave Volunteer
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- Nov 8, 2006
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Hands down one of the best....if not THE best times I've ever had at Neyland!
First of all, you could not have asked for better weather! It was such a clear blue sky and the temperature was absolutely perfect! Not too hot, not too cold!
I arrived on campus at around 1:00pm. It gave me plenty of time to walk around and take in all of the new rennovations. While there is still a certain incompleteness to it, the stadium has never looked better! The brick work is gorgeous! I love the new banners of the players and the General. I cannot wait to see them erect the statue.
I did not eat at any of the nearby restaurants. I joined up with some tail gaters and ate beer brats, hamburgers, deli sadwiches, chips, and a couple of cold brews! It was delicious!! All the while jamming to great tunes and watching Florida struggle against Miami, OH.
Finally it was time for the Vol walk. I saw a certain....something in our player's faces yesterday. Something I don't think I've seen in a few years. What I saw in our player's faces was true joy! Joy to be a part of this team and this university. Joy in the sense that they knew and understood what a privelige it was for them to be members of the UT Vols football team. They all looked like they were having a great time coming down and shaking all of the fan's hands. Then later on getting to see The Pride of the Southland Marching band come down the hill, playing Rocky Top was such a thrill. I have seen it countless times before but it never gets old to me!
Shortly after we filed into the stadium and found our seats, the band comes out on the field for the pre-game festivities. I don't know about the rest of you, but the video they played on the jumbo tron before the band played gave me such chill bumps! Seeing all that great history, all those memorable plays over the years made me realize just how lucky we are as fans to pull for a team that has had such great success and rich tradition. You can probably count on one hand the number of universities in this country that can say that and we are one of them!
Finally the band forms the "T" and the jumbo tron shows the team just inside the tunnel. It was like watching a caged animal getting ready to be let loose. What a thing of beauty! Suddenly the team bursts through the T and onto the field to the sounds of fireworks going off! I was so "chicken-sknned" from the goose bumps and had a lump in my throat! It gets me every time!
Of course, the rest is now history. I told my friend on the way home last night, how can anyone come to Neyland and NOT leave a Tennessee fan???
First of all, you could not have asked for better weather! It was such a clear blue sky and the temperature was absolutely perfect! Not too hot, not too cold!
I arrived on campus at around 1:00pm. It gave me plenty of time to walk around and take in all of the new rennovations. While there is still a certain incompleteness to it, the stadium has never looked better! The brick work is gorgeous! I love the new banners of the players and the General. I cannot wait to see them erect the statue.
I did not eat at any of the nearby restaurants. I joined up with some tail gaters and ate beer brats, hamburgers, deli sadwiches, chips, and a couple of cold brews! It was delicious!! All the while jamming to great tunes and watching Florida struggle against Miami, OH.
Finally it was time for the Vol walk. I saw a certain....something in our player's faces yesterday. Something I don't think I've seen in a few years. What I saw in our player's faces was true joy! Joy to be a part of this team and this university. Joy in the sense that they knew and understood what a privelige it was for them to be members of the UT Vols football team. They all looked like they were having a great time coming down and shaking all of the fan's hands. Then later on getting to see The Pride of the Southland Marching band come down the hill, playing Rocky Top was such a thrill. I have seen it countless times before but it never gets old to me!
Shortly after we filed into the stadium and found our seats, the band comes out on the field for the pre-game festivities. I don't know about the rest of you, but the video they played on the jumbo tron before the band played gave me such chill bumps! Seeing all that great history, all those memorable plays over the years made me realize just how lucky we are as fans to pull for a team that has had such great success and rich tradition. You can probably count on one hand the number of universities in this country that can say that and we are one of them!
Finally the band forms the "T" and the jumbo tron shows the team just inside the tunnel. It was like watching a caged animal getting ready to be let loose. What a thing of beauty! Suddenly the team bursts through the T and onto the field to the sounds of fireworks going off! I was so "chicken-sknned" from the goose bumps and had a lump in my throat! It gets me every time!
Of course, the rest is now history. I told my friend on the way home last night, how can anyone come to Neyland and NOT leave a Tennessee fan???
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