The Overweight Armchair Sooner: DAY 3 - GAME DAY

Terry woke me from my slumber coma about 8:00 AM. After picking around at what looked like some sort of breakfast items downstairs, it was time to start the process of preparing for a 15 hour day, most of which will be spent without access to a home, motel or vehicle. Believe me, when you have as many vices, superstitions and years spent alive as I do, that can be a much bigger task than you think.

I’m not a huge fan of cargo shorts, mostly because I generally try to avoid clothing that gives me the appearance of being even more over-fed than I already am…but unless I’m going to hire a Sherpa, or can find a purse that matches my OU flip-flops, then shorts with storage are a necessary evil on game day. Why? Because on any given game day, I may or may not need, nor am I limited to, the following:

Flasks of crown (that’s plural…one for each half), cigars, lighter, cutter, wallet, phone, game ticket, lucky bandana, my Patrick Fletcher Bobble Head, the laces from Joe Washington’s silver shoes, cash, a tri-fold game roster, a signed 1st edition of Bootlegger’s Boy and the three blades of grass from I yanked from the Pro-Player Stadium end-zone after the 2001 Orange Bowl game. Okay, maybe I don’t carry around all of that…but your get the idea.

CALHOUN'S ON THE RIVER

We all met at…you guessed it….Calhoun’s on the River. I’d like to give a shout out to Steve and Todd Humble for their effort in securing the best table in the place…thank you gentlemen! Evidently, they camped out in tents, either that or they never left from the night before…either way….Our table was in the shade, tucked into a corner out of the way of traffic, while perfectly located to see anything and everything. After several of us followed Styx lead and handed the waiter a $20 bill that was separate and in advance of the tip, our table suddenly became his top priority.

STEVE & TODD HUMBLE

The game day vibe in Knoxville was great. There is a certain verve that accompanies big games…and the energy for this one was palpable. In between the feasting of food and mass consumption of alcohol, there was the usual acts and episodes of buffoonery. Styx inadvertently knocked McKnight’s 40 day old iPhone out of his hand…then they both watched helplessly as the $600 phone bounced once, took a sharp right turn, and then did a reverse, 2 ½ with a twist, into the Tennessee River.

Styx & McKnight - Moments before McKnight's phone did a Greg Louganius into the river

The Tennessee fans were tremendously friendly and excellent hosts….with many mentioning how much they appreciated the way they were treated the previous year in Norman. Which is always nice to hear.

Obviously, with the stadium being located on the river, there is some “sail-gating” going on, but to be honest, not as much as I had envisioned. Fast Eddie and his wife Heidi were part of a large group that spent the day on a luxury yacht, boating up and down the Tennessee River with Captain Stubing, Gopher, Isaac, Julie McCoy and the rest of the Love Boat gang.

The Vol Fans have a very cool tailgating area located just outside the main entrance of Nyland Stadium. It’s a large tree covered area, adorned with the usual tailgate type stuff….Team Tents, BBQ pits, drunk frat kids, older woman with too much make-up and tablecloth covered card tables…but it had a vibe to it that was different and maybe better than other places I’ve been. I’ve never gone to an Ole Miss game, but in my head, this is a tiny little version of what I vision The Grove to be like.

Neyland Stadium

Opened in 1921, with a capacity of 3200, the stadium was known as Shields-Watkins Field and cost $42,000 to build. In 1962, it was renamed Neyland Stadium in honor of General Robert Neyland. Neyland, who was recently deceased, was the former athletic director, head coach and the man credited with making the Vols a national football power. Neyland coached the team from 1926–1952, with two interruptions for military service. Today, Neyland Stadium seats 102, 455, which makes it the 2^nd largest stadium in the SEC and sixth largest in the country.