It’s all about atmosphere. There’s a feeling at a big
college football game that’s unique to major sporting
events. I was watching the Georgia Tech-Notre Dame game
Saturday night and you could feel the atmosphere through the
TV. You could imagine being there, the anticipation and
excitement at such a fevered pitch that the air in the
stadium feels nearly tangible.
In
the last year I’ve been lucky enough to attend the Final
Four in Indianapolis, the College World Series in Omaha, the
NBA Finals in Miami and many, many baseball games but what
stands out in my mind as far as sporting events go are the
college football games I went to last year for the
Outsports Tailgate Tour.
The Final Four and NBA Finals
were exciting but in terms of pure adrenaline and excitement
nothing tops being in the student section of The Swamp in
Gainesville for the Florida-Tennessee game, or the pre-game
anticipation around Berkeley the day of the SC-Cal game. The
first game I wrote about for Outsports was the Georgia
Tech-Auburn game in 2003, a huge upset by the Yellow Jackets
that ended with both goal posts being torn down and paraded
through campus, my ears ringing for hours afterwards as I
partied with delirious Jacket fans. My favorite sports
moments are nearly all from college football, whether it’s
the tailgating before the game, the partying afterwards or
the games themselves.
College football fans are passionate, dedicated and at times
a little crazy but going to a game is rarely boring or
unenjoyable. Every campus, every venue has something unique
on game day. I hope that as I’ve traveled around the country
going to different games, I’ve been able to capture a little
bit of that uniqueness in my stories for Outsports, as well
as connecting with other gay sports fans in the process. Who
knew that more than 50 gay fans and their friends have an
amazing tailgate party in Austin (complete with a rainbow
Bevo) for every game? Who knew that college students now are
so casual and nonchalant when it comes to the LGBT
community? (At least at the campuses I’ve visited so far)
So I’m hitting the road again this Fall, and so far 4 games
have been confirmed. I’m hoping to add 1-2 more in November,
maybe in Eugene, and possibly in Clemson for the Clemson-USC
game. For now, here are the 4 confirmed game for the 2006
Outsports Tailgate Tour:
Sept. 16 – Ohio St vs. Cincinnati in Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 23 – Arizona vs. SC in Tucson, Ariz.
Oct. 12 – Boston College vs. Va Tech in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Oct. 14 – Georgia vs. Vandy in Athens, Ga.
Let me
know if you’re planning on going to any of these
games. Look for the Tailgate Tour stories on the Outsports
College Football page and general announcements on the
College Football Discussion Board.
In
the last year I’ve been lucky enough to attend the Final
Four in Indianapolis, the College World Series in Omaha, the
NBA Finals in Miami and many, many baseball games but what
stands out in my mind as far as sporting events go are the
college football games I went to last year for the