Slammin Shots and Sayin Prayers

Fans and Media wait in anticipation for the game to begin



Part of the routine before the game...captains Darryl Clark and Sean Lee enter the field first

The teams files out of the tunnel into the stadium to start the game

Fast forward: The routine stuff was great as always but....

Boy, I’m glad the game is over. The "game” was Penn State versus Temple and I certainly wouldn’t give it the title of “fast and furious”. It was more like “slow and torturous”. I think it was around the third quarter when I realized I was watching the sidelines, bleachers, cheerleaders, Nittany Lion, everything but the game.

Even one of the cubs who was supposed to be photographing the game couldn't stay focused.

I wondered if the students in the "S" zone were still awake. I hoped the coaches in the press box were.

At least the cheerleaders were into the game

or maybe not.... where did they all go?

Of course they went to help the lion entertain us with his 31 push-ups

I’m sure part of my problem was my favorite player was used sparingly due to the flu. He did get in the game early on a drive at the one- yard line. When he went in, a fleeting thought went through my head that he was a decoy, but much to my surprise he caught a nice touchdown pass from Darryl Clark. After that he was in and out of the game. But that is not the entire reason I was yawning during the third quarter.

Three and soon to be four home games in a row is almost enough to make anyone want to retire from tailgating. At least if the scheduling gods were giving us four in a row, couldn’t the third one have been a more exciting opponent. Oh I forgot… the flu. I also forgot… we aren’t there yet as a team. We still need these games to work out all the kinks. (Obviously it’s a good thing I’m in charge of tailgating and not scheduling).

So even if I am exhausted and probably coming down with some germ I caught while taking care of a certain player, don’t feel sorry for me. In spite of the boring game and my lethargy there is a bright spot. It is our tailgate crew. They are the best! This is our fifth year and it has all come together. Everyone who tailgates with us knows the routine.

Even Ruger

For a noon- time game we have breakfast before the game and the real tailgate occurs after the win. “The Pride” waits after the game for our “favorite player” to come out of the locker room while our fellow tailgaters go straight to the motor home and set everything up. They have gotten so good, if we wait long enough, we don’t have to do anything. Good plan.

Speaking of routines we have several. On Friday mornings as part of our pre-game routine the lion and I visit the Penn State Meat Lab to buy meat for our tailgate. This week in honor of Temple we made Philly Cheese Steaks. The steak came from Penn State’s own cattle. It was excellent quality even if the idea of buying meat from a lab conjures up visions of creepy experiments and such. Remember Penn State was an agricultural school originally.

In addition to our Friday routine, we have a pre-game ritual we never miss on game day. Immediately before we go into the stadium we “slam a shot and say a prayer”. (Did I mention we are…. superstitious?) Even at away games the “shot and prayer” happens via cell phone for those who didn’t travel. Maybe this week we need to take two shots for the Iowa game and call our Pastor or maybe the Pope to join our prayer.

Hopefully we won’t need to do anything extra except pay attention to the game and remember to wear white cause it’s a whiteout! (See if you can find our “favorite player” and “the lion” in this YouTube video). Let me know in the comments.

Go State Beat Iowa