Game 11. NFL week 4. Oregon State Beavers 28-17 Arizona State Sun Devils

Arizona State Sun Devils usually play in the evenings at 7pm as the stadium is in such a sun trap. The Sun Devil stadium (Where the Arizona Cardinals used to play) is surrounded by lovely mountains. In fact high up on one side is a big A, which students spend all night guarding when they play their rivals; the University of Arizona. The Sun Devil stadium sits right by Tempe, the local college town and is squeezed between other ASU stadia, such as the Sun Angel stadium, the Packard stadium and a huge indoor dome.

It was to be an early 4pm game, and we got there around 11am. There was no other tailgaters near us for several hours. This was part due to the 107 F heat and that most people are used to a latter kick off. One of the best tailgaters in the NFL, Poonster, who tailgates at the Cardinals came by with his family to check out the Mullet. I was upset that the week we were in Arizona the Cardinals had a bye week because tailgating there is awesome. Poonster told us, you are not allowed any drinking type games at the Cardinals any more even if you put water in your beer pong cups. With all these rules, it’s starting to sound like the U.K! Plus they are no longer allowed to run grills after kickoff, which is a such a shame, but at least they can run them at some point, we are not allowed grills in public places at home.

That morning we had bought several mullet wigs and wore them for as long as we could before it got too hot. I took a walk around the car park, looking for tailgaters. All I could find was a line up of people with an ASU member of staff telling them where they would be working come game time. He also told them he may not have work for all of them. The situation reminded me of the film “On the Waterfront”, where Marlon Brando’s character was looking for work during the Great Depression. I didn’t realise this kind of “turn and up and we will see if we have work for you” still really exists. I did however then spot a rather fetching Jetson like golf kart that caught my eye.

Finally some tailgaters arrived in our section, but there was more tailgaters across the highway in the non R.V lot. I met a chap named Rob, who has been coming to games here for years, and never buys a ticket. He tailgates right by the front exit and tells me someone always has a spare, and he has never once missed a home game! They sung their fight song called “Fall down Arizona” which took me by surprise because they are in Arizona. Apparently they are mocking the University of Arizona, (their rival team). They even used their rival’s tune, but simply changed the words from “Bear Down Arizona”.

This tailgating team were very friendly and had their own ASU beer pong table and were playing flip cup when I came over. They told me I should come back 30 minutes before kick off because the band walk round the mountain and through the car park, and that is when then I might be able to find a ticket.

Back at the Mullet, people started to trickle in. We set up the bpong table and played some guys that were at the bpong tournament two nights prior. Someone came by and brought an octo-bong. This is a 8 tubed funnel. You pour plenty of beer down the top and it flows into 8 tubes to be drunk by 8 different people at once.

A lot of people cycle to the game and generally around the Tempe area. A lady named Kim who we me from b pong the other night came by on her cool old school bike and she let me cycle it around the car park. I asked her why so many people have bicycles here. She told me it was because she does not want to get a DUI. Which stands for Driving under the influence (of alcohol I presume?). “Then just don’t drink and I drive” I added, which she laughed off.

A lot of the students came by all wearing either yellow t-shirts or yellow sun dresses. It is implied that you wear yellow if you are sitting in the student section. I also saw several people wearing T-shirts that said “The Inferno”, perhaps that is the nickname of this stadium, which would be apt, because I was already sweating.

Then all of a sudden loud fireworks came booming out of the mountains. Puffs of smoke hit the sky high above the stadium and I could hear the marching band in the distance. They came around the mountain and through the car park, which was great. They (and the fireworks) were so loud that the nearby car alarms were going off!

It was just minutes before kick off and I asked someone if he knew if there were any scalpers around to get a ticket. I knew it wasn’t a sell out but tickets for non-students are around $45. Before I could finish my sentence the man simply handed me two great tickets on the 30 yard line. I was over the moon and rushed back to the Mullet to find someone to take to the game.

Brian and Jay didn’t want to go in, so Kim joined me. She was just about to play two drunk guys at bpong, who had no shirts on but colourful body paint. We swiftly beat them and ran up to the stadium. We spotted a golf kart and the driver asked us if we need a lift up the hill to the concourse. So we got driven right up the hill to the ASU merchandise shop.

At the merchandise shops I usually get the staff to find me the most ridiculous item. The young staff member picked out an ASU jersey for dogs of different sizes, though I thought the free standing lamp was slightly more ridiculous. Then I somehow got swizzed into buying their yearbook (when their game-day program was free) and then some gold and purple beads.

We found our seats, but many people just sit where they like as the stadium is practically benches. We got to the 30 yard line and about 8 rows back and we were right by Rob the tailgater. He gave me a thumbs up, and we had a mutual look at each other that both stated : “I’m glad you got a free ticket too!”

The stadium was only 60% full but it was nicely laid out. The ASU band were behind the endzone and were very loud, playing a great version of a Beyonce number. Diagonally to our right in the corner was the student section. The lower tier and upper tiers were filled with students in yellow in that corner. Oregon quickly got a touchdown and took the score to 21-3. I didn’t see the home team make their field goal, which meant I missed any fireworks inside the stadium.

Just before half time I saw a bone crunching tackle from number 4 of Oregon into number 86 of ASU, and the poor ASU receiver had no chance of catching onto the ball. Heading into half time ASU were on the 25 yard line and went for it on fourth down and didn’t get it, which meant , and as we had to leave in the third quarter, I didn’t get to see the home team score at all. Oregon liked airing it out and around the stadium there was signs of all the past ASU bowl games they had won, but looking at them play today , it was more like AS Who?

The fired up band came out with xylophones at half time and the dancers wore bare feet on the turf. There was a baton twirler and some other folks that spun flags around. Though the real high end of the half time show was the swordsmen and women who spun their swords in the air.

The band did a medley of several Jackson 5 songs and to be honest it was the only thing the home team could cheer about as they were getting spanked. It was Oktoberfest weekend and many of the fans were heading there straight after the game, sadly we had to drive on. We left the game and just as I was having my picture taken with a huge cactus outside of the stadium, the fireworks went off and I must have missed a home score...Shoot and darn it!