So I went to Knoxville on Saturday for the Alabama Tennessee game. As is the case with any stadium I visit for the first time, I will blog about my trip.
The day starts with me getting a text from a friend who was suppose to go, but had too much to drink and wasn't feeling well. I was bummed, and life goes on. I had a few chores to do before I took off, I went to the bank and got my oil changed and I was off to Knoxville. I had been flipping around to different radio stations as I often do while in the car, when I stopped on 790thezone and was listening to their college football break down for the day. The game of interest was Bama UT so I stopped and listened. They wanted some fan interaction so I sent in a text (yes texting and driving is illegal, but 75North was wide open and had very few cars on it) and got it read on the next segment. I was fired up, as it was the first time I had a text read over the radio. Fast forward 2 hours later and I arrive in Knoxville, it only took me about 3.5 hours to get up there and it was an easy drive.
I find a place to park very easily on 17th street, pay $7 for it, and start my walk to the stadium. I am passing some orange, but I notice a whole lot of crimson as well. I pass a few scalpers but do not say anything to them. I come up to about the 3rd or 4th and ask what he wants for a ticket. He says face which is $75 and i pull out my wallet give him $80 and he gives me $5 change. We talk for a minute about my past experiences and continue on my way.I make it down to what might be the heart of downtown but im not sure. To my left is Bookstore east and across is a Firehouse subs and either a Mexican place or piazza shop, I cant remember I cross the street to my left and walk in the book store. I see alot of orange and they have the SC Florida game on. I pause for a minute and continue through the store. i head back out and see a guy who is selling a pair, and ask him if indeed face was $75 and he said yes. I talk with him for about 10 minutes, very nice guy, and we are interrupted at least 5 times by scalpers who do not want to pay $150 for his pair of tickets. I finally decide on Firehouse and walk across the street. I order a Turkey sub and sit down at a bar watching Florida South Carolina. My food comes up I eat, clean up after myself and start to make my way down to the stadium. It is still about 2.5-3 hours before game time so I start to walk.
As I am walking, I notice one strange thing. Thier are not too many people outside tailgating. I walk past a frat house that looked like a ghost town, I was shocked. i step into the library for some much needed relief and continue on my voyage. I finally make it down to the stadium where their is a big crowd. I experience the Vol walk and just kind of hang out. I am still surprised that not much is going on. The Stadium opens 2 hous before kickoff. i kind of stumble around outside before making a decision to go inside the stadium and find my seat. I enjoy all of pregame and the Vol band come and do the big T. It was a pretty cool scene to see all the people of Rocky Top stand up and sing the UT fight song. But I notice thier is alot of Crimson in the stadium. I sit back and enjoy a good half of football. It was 23-10 Bama at half time, but it could have been alot closer. UT had the ball 1st and Goal on the 5 and only come away with 3 points. Bama also has an interception that gets turned into 7 points. Lastly, Tennessee has a wr that drops a wide open pass at about the 10 yard line that would have been 6 points right before half time. But the score is 23-10 at half. Bama comes out and goes 3 and out and the people of Tennessee think they have a chance. They exchange drives a few more times and it is stays pretty close. Bama scores a touchdown, but it gets called back on a not enough men on the line penailty. Saban goes nuts and I think he is going to blow a gasket, but he doesnt. The kick team gets called out and misses a fg. Tennessee has a shot but balks, Bama gets the ball and scores a touch, going into the 4th quarter. I still think UT is still in but has to score right now. They do not, Bama takes the ball and scores again it is now 34-10 and I leave.
I will say Knoxville is a good place. It was a very odd place not to see a ton of tailgaters but everyone was very nice. I would say the coeeds rank 4-5ish that I have been to, but the atmosphere 9 out 10.
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