Story Time: Capital One Bowl

            Vacations are fun, but when they involve Penn State football, they’re even more fun. I’ve had the privilege of going on many road trips with my family and each one seems to be better than the last. The usual crowd is myself, my two cousins Taylor (23) and Dana (19), my uncle Jeff, and occasionally my aunt Jill. It’s always a great time and we always have stories to tell. One particular trip always comes up in conversation when we’re together, our trip to Orlando for the Capital One Bowl in 2010. Penn State beat LSU 19-17 in a soggy, rainy, yet exciting New Years Day bowl.

If anyone has ever been to Orlando you know there is a lot to do. Depending on where you are, you can either spend the day at Disney World or Universal Studios. Personally I prefer Universal Studios as it’s geared towards an older age group with all the amenities it offers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Disney World is a great time, but I’d rather spend my day at the Harry Potter park than getting my picture taken with Mickey Mouse. Anyways, we did spend some time at Universal Studios and checked out the parks. We also had dinner on the CityWalk at the world famous Margaritaville. One of the best parts of our trip and any trip we go on is who goes on the trips with us.

            I remember when I got the plane ticket and game ticket for Christmas, it was by far one of the biggest surprises I’ve ever received; not to be outdone by a box of oranges I got in 2005 when my parents surprised me with a trip to the Orange Bowl. I don’t recall the exact date we left for Orlando but I think it was around the 27^th or 28^th of December and we were down there until the 3^rd of January. When we travel to Penn State games we always go with people we know or always end up seeing people we know. For this trip we had quite a large group; along with my cousins Taylor and Dana, my aunt Jill and uncle Jeff, there was my uncle Chris, my aunt Deb, and my other two cousins Kaleb (20) and Anna (18). We also met with our family friends who have tailgated with us for 20 plus years, Jimmy (we call him JJ), his wife Therese, and another family friend Shaun. If anyone knows my family and the people we tailgate with, you know that list of people is legendary. If you don’t know or have never been to our tailgate, not only are you missing out on the experience of a lifetime, you’re missing out on meeting some truly great people. I consider them family. The stories we have are ones we will always talk and laugh about. They’ve been a part of my life since I was in diapers and even though I only see them a few times during the year, they’re a huge part of my life.

            When game day arrived we looked outside and of course of the only day it should rain is the day of the game. It wasn’t a light drizzle or a mist but a downpour. We got our day started with some omelets from the omelet bar, enjoyed our breakfast, showered up and got ready. We all met in the lobby before our bus arrived to take us to the stadium. Once we got to the stadium, we met up with some more friends with whom we tailgate. Now at the time of the game in 2010, I was 17, but I will say that I had a few drinks here and there. It was raining the entire morning up until kickoff, but it was still soggy and somewhat cold for Florida. When we were walking to the stadium we noticed they were handing out those loud and obnoxious thundersticks you often see at basketball games; I obviously jumped at the chance to grab some. Turns out that wasn’t the best idea. In our section it was myself, Taylor, Dana, Jeff and Jill, along with Therese and JJ. The game was somewhat boring as neither team could really do too much with the muddy field conditions and some rain every now and then so we had to entertain ourselves in the stands. As halftime was getting closer we took our bathroom break and got some drinks. When we returned to our seats we noticed that JJ wasn’t with us. We looked around and couldn’t find him. When the second half started we were still wondering where he was, his wife muttered something that if you know JJ will make you laugh, “oh my God, why is Jimmy on the field?” We look down to the field and there he is, standing on the sidelines, wearing a Penn State Blue Band poncho. Not only was he in the wrong place, so were we. It turned out that we were sitting in the wrong section the entire first half and had been telling people that they were in the wrong section. Alcohol might have played a role in all of that, but I’m not jumping to conclusions.

            This trip really had everything; it was in Florida, we had family and friends, and Penn State won. Based off our last experience, if we ever get the chance to go back, I know my family won’t hesitate to do so.