The Big Game

After two and a half years of living in Ohio, we've reached a major milestone. On Saturday we attended our first Ohio State football game and were inducted into the world of Buckeye mania. You can shake your head and marvel at people's almost religous devotion to the Bucks, but I have to admit that stepping into that stadium full of 105,000 cheering fans made me feel like we are finally true Ohioans. OH-IO! Save for Ben we don't own a stitch of bona fide scarlet and gray parahphenelia and had to borrow all of our OSU gear. Our friends even had a pint-sized onesie proclaiming, "Smallest Fan" with matching socks.

Not thinking, or not knowing any better, we were crazy and took Lucy to the game with us. Besides forgetting her jacket and keeping her bundled in our arms for most of the game, she actually did pretty well. She slept for two hours, through the cheering crowds, raucous halftime show, and the band's drum section playing right behind us.

After the photo shoot, we ditched the flower for some more practical (and warm!) headgear.

It was cold, but not as bad as it could have been. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, we got the tickets from Andy's boss and it came with a VIP parking pass. We had a snafu finding our parking lot, following the directions Andy got from his boss instead of the directions on the back of the pass. So we got there right at kickoff and missed seeing the band come out and play before the game. Pooh. At the beginning when we were trying to find our lot, we were on the east side of campus near all the students and harried policemen kept directing us in circles. When we entered from the correct side, away from the rest of the teeming masses, the traffic people were much more friendly.

The game was a bit of a blowout and Ben was tired about halfway through, but hung in for three quarters, thanks to the burst of energy from a box of overpriced popcorn.

By far the best part of the game was the band's halftime performance. No surprise to anyone who's been to a game. Since it was Oct. 31, they did a Halloween-inspired ensemble complete with tombstones burying the Michigan "Ghoulverines," a Ghostbusters spoof, the band forming a variety of shapes and words, and, best of all, a rendition of "Thriller," complete with the choreographed dance. A-MA-ZING. I can't imagine how much practice goes into those halftime
shows.

Next time Andy and I decided we're going to go sans-kids and be there half an hour early. Now we just have to find a way to score some more tickets!