Go 'Noles!

I write this to the sound of war cries. I can imagine pioneers hearing these sounds 150 years ago and trembling with fear. The words “These people take their football seriously” have leapt from an abstract phrase into 3-D, Surround-Sound, THX Life-O-Rama. On my way into the campus this morning I saw that tent cities had sprung up on every open field and parking lot of any size. When I emerged from the library at 6 p.m. the world had changed – Landis Green was covered with SUV’s and Jeeps and barbecue grills and picnic tables. People of all ages were everywhere – families, students, elderly couples – and to a person they sported FSU t-shirts, hats, beads, and warpaint on their cheeks. On the slow drive back to the Village I kept thinking how like Mardi Gras the scene was – people and cars decked out, cruising and honking and yelling, “Parking for Game: $20” signs at the Greek Houses. I skirt the stadium at a crawl, police directing at the intersections, all the athletic fields filled with tents and cars and parties. Hawkers holding up tickets. I’m breathing barbecue sauce instead of oxygen and cars next to me are full of students yelling songs.

Now it’s 8 p.m. and the game must have just started because I hear the War Chant, followed by drums and roar after roar from the crowd – sounds like the team is going out on the field. I never even bothered to pick up my ticket coupons, but I think I have to see at least one game while I’m here. This is beyond football -- it's a Spectacle.