2008 Woodie Awards
Are you going to the game?
Richard Lowe
Issue date: 8/28/08 Section: Sports
Game day at Middle Tennessee has always been a special time. It brings about anxiety that only a blindside tackle on an opposing team's quarterback can cure.
That's right, football season has returned to Murfreesboro. Surprisingly, it is here in a big way. Maybe the new crop of freshmen have already bought into being "All In," or maybe the returning students are finally showing their allegiances towards the Blue Raiders.
Either way, the hype surrounding tonight's game is something only true fans can bring. Athletic Marketing can only do so much when it comes to bringing people to games. Sometimes, it just takes the average MT student to look across the room at somebody they don't know and simply ask, "Are you going to the game?"
In years past, the question would be met with a few giggles or a complete blow off, but lately the answer to that question couldn't be printed in this newspaper because it is usually a curse word followed by the word "yes."
The excitement is pure and genuine towards our football team, even though there are still skeptics walking around our campus. The occasional Southeastern Conference school hat and T-shirt are still seen on this campus, along with the sporadic sounds of students verbally claiming their ties to the Volunteers, Commodores or Crimson Tide.
I do have to say the funniest encounter I had this week involved me wearing a throwback MT football uniform and walking into the KUC Grill. There, I saw several football players minding their business, eating breakfast and making conversation. I also saw a guy decked out in his finest UT apparel looking at me like I was an alien. Since he continued to stare, I decided to introduce myself and ask him if he would be in attendance this Thursday. He replied saying that he heard our football team "sucked." Instead of getting upset and going on the defensive, I simply stated, "why don't you see for yourself?" After explaining to him he can get into the game for free, he said he would give it a shot.
That's right, football season has returned to Murfreesboro. Surprisingly, it is here in a big way. Maybe the new crop of freshmen have already bought into being "All In," or maybe the returning students are finally showing their allegiances towards the Blue Raiders.
Either way, the hype surrounding tonight's game is something only true fans can bring. Athletic Marketing can only do so much when it comes to bringing people to games. Sometimes, it just takes the average MT student to look across the room at somebody they don't know and simply ask, "Are you going to the game?"
In years past, the question would be met with a few giggles or a complete blow off, but lately the answer to that question couldn't be printed in this newspaper because it is usually a curse word followed by the word "yes."
The excitement is pure and genuine towards our football team, even though there are still skeptics walking around our campus. The occasional Southeastern Conference school hat and T-shirt are still seen on this campus, along with the sporadic sounds of students verbally claiming their ties to the Volunteers, Commodores or Crimson Tide.
I do have to say the funniest encounter I had this week involved me wearing a throwback MT football uniform and walking into the KUC Grill. There, I saw several football players minding their business, eating breakfast and making conversation. I also saw a guy decked out in his finest UT apparel looking at me like I was an alien. Since he continued to stare, I decided to introduce myself and ask him if he would be in attendance this Thursday. He replied saying that he heard our football team "sucked." Instead of getting upset and going on the defensive, I simply stated, "why don't you see for yourself?" After explaining to him he can get into the game for free, he said he would give it a shot.
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