2lakes Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 (edited) Great game: I was blessed to be able to witness it in person. Given what was at stake, I believe it ranks right up there with what up until today I considered the greatest game I ever saw in person: Harry O's 52 yard game winner against Michigan back in 1980. My in stadium experience was a little different than most tho'. I originally had a seat in section 8, between the 30 and 35 up above the Pitt bench, row 44. Great seat. Just me. Game starts out and everything is going well. Well, I proceeded to stand up throughout the entire game. I guess I took the whole StaND Up thing "too literally." Personally, I believe that is how you show your appreciation for your school and for the guys who are risking limb and brain out there on the field. People behind me asked to sit down. I told them they should staND up. They told me they had a right to sit down. I told them I had a right to stand up. No one threatened me but the folks around me definitely got surly. An usher came up and asked me to leave the section. He took me down to a ticket office agent who explained to me that we were not supposed to literally stand up the whole game. I said that I thought we should. I told him that as an alumnus, as a longtime fan, as someone who did not feel this was a sit down type of spectator sport, that I believed staNDing up for my team was the right thing to do regardless of what everyone else around me did. He started to take me to the student section, then did an about-face and took me right back to section 8. Bewildered, I asked if he was letting me go back to my seat. He said that he was. I asked if I could stand up for the entire game. He said I could, he would notify the ushers of his decision, and we would see how it went. So I go back to my seat, much to the annoyance of my section neighbors. A young couple a little ways a way does the same thing. So now an irate fan decides to attack this couple. Ushers come back up, we are all asked to leave again... Long story short, I am told that I can not return to my seat for my own protection. They ask me to stay but accept another seat. This other seat is on the very highest row, right up against the press box (just to the north of the press box). I kid you not, the very highest row, the seat right next to the press box. The press box was actually in my way. Luckily, the seat below was also vacant, so I moved down a row and could see the whole field. The folks up there were better folks, maybe not as moneyed, maybe not as sophisticated, but better fans. We had a blast. I really wish I could have seen the game tho'. Oh, and I got to meet Speedy; but DomeandDomer was not at his usual tailgate location. His wife and brother-in-law were. All of them, even Speedy, are obviously good people. Edited November 4, 2012 by 2lakes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocketsan Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Stand up...sit down... I did see a crowd shot and there was a genuine alum blue hair getting off his 80+ year old ass for a key third down, I was proud... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedsterX Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Oh, and I got to meet Speedy; but DomeandDomer was not at his usual tailgate location. His wife and brother-in-law were. All of them, even Speedy, are obviously good people. Thanks! You punked me good Greg! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2lakes Posted November 4, 2012 Author Share Posted November 4, 2012 Thanks! You punked me good Greg! lol I should have had them get you when they were kicking me out of Section 8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantyIrish Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 wow, my heart rate just kept increasing as I read your post. Sigh. I feel for ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedsterX Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 I should have had them get you when they were kicking me out of Section 8. I just would have brought you to my section where you could have stood all you wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echo88 Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Stand up...sit down... I did see a crowd shot and there was a genuine alum blue hair getting off his 80+ year old ass for a key third down, I was proud... I cant stand that our crowd looks like a confetti parade. lots of colors that are not blue and gold.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zemaniak Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Geez, 2lakes sorry to hear about that I really don't get why ND is tiptoeing around this Obviously, take a StaND is having a limited effect Why are the ushers being ambiguous ? Are all these annoying blue hairs complainng to Swarbrick with cases full of cash? And you wonder why our team plays tight at home, why visitors don't fear our house I swear, i will wait as long as it takes for my first visit,GET IT FIxED ND !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitzi Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 So, did the fan that did the attacking get to keep his seat? That's unreal...those folks should come check out Death Valley... I'm not sure that anyone sat at all last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CelticImport Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 2Lakes, I think I had that same seat about 10 years ago. Look on the bright side, if you look behind you, you get a neat view of campus. Thanks for giving the perspective from someone in the stadium. I'd like to hear more about that. What was the buzz? How was the confidence level? What was it like when it all ended? 'Even Speedy' is a good guy? LMAO. Whodathunkit? Where was DomeandDomer? Was the Ambo there? Where are Ambo pix? Is its website down? Going to the Wake game with brother who's flying up from the Carolinas with his Wake Forest buddy - want to show em the Ambo - and looking forward to introducing them to as many good DDers as possible - even Speedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLO31 Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Reading this thread angers me. Something has to be done about these fans that are just ruining the atmosphere at ND. like zemaniak said, people like those are the reason teams have no fear coming to South Bend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domeanddomer Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Sorry I missed you Lakes. All hands on deck trying to get our company operations going after Sandy. And that was my sister there, not my wife. This is NORTHERN Indiana My wife was at home with a head cold. Ambo was there and I understand it was on NBC's opening montage. I won't see it until I get home Tuesday but that's the word from the wife. Website is no longer. Lost it when Apple got rid of iWeb and I updated my Mac OS. My offseason project is to get another one going this year unless someone web savvy on here would like to trade their time and talents for an unlimited tailgate pass with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocketsan Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 My offseason project is to get another one going this year unless someone web savvy on here would like to trade their time and talents for an unlimited tailgate pass with us. Will do you up a cool logo if you get it up and running... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SanDiegoIrish Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Sadly, this experience is all too common. I think there was a ton of support for staNDing up right after they started the campaign, but has since petered out. An old alum threatened to beat me with his cane for standing up during the USC game last year. It's sad that even when we're 8-0, people just don't care enough to take a staND. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessemoore97 Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Wow 2Lakes, just wow... If it were me, and that usher came back and told me that he was afraid of my safety(all 6-04 300 lbs of me lol) from a bunch of blue hairs I'd have laughed. I think I would notify him and everyone in the immediate area of his "concern for my safety", then badge him, and loudly let everyone else know that I find it ridiculous for a fellow ND fan to worry about his safety among the fans of the same ND team I was passionately rooting for. Thank God when I went last year to Navy I was sitting up near the nose bleeds. I didn't stand the whole game, but certainly did every third down for the D, kick offs, TD's, big plays, yadda yadda. I'm a big guy and I do have sympathy for people who are behind me, but its give and take, and they need to realize a football game isn't a f*ing morgue or their personal living room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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