But more on that later. The first (real) home game was against East Carolina University last Saturday. It was pristine weather, a local rival, and we were 17-point favourites, so the expectations were high. Game day is an all-day event, starting some 3-4 hours before kick-off with "tail-gating". Basically you drive up to the stadium or some parking lot in the vicinity in your truck, pitch a small tent / folding gazebo around the rear of your vehicle, and spend the next 3-4 hours eating and drinking like only Americans know how. For home supporters, this can be done at a house, in a clearing close by the stadium, or in my case, at a frat house.
A friend of mine invited my roommate and I to his fraternity - Kappa Sigma. We bought $6 game-day T-shirts (basically a Carolina blue shirt with a big UNC logo on it) and sported a UNC cap we were given strolling there in the early afternoon sun. We were greeted by live country music, an airborne American football, a 50/50 rum and coke, and a hearty slap on the back. Not feeling like drinking myself unconscious before kick-off at 3:30 PM, I traded my drink for a pint of beer and jumped into a circle of guys tossing the football (when in Rome, right?). That, along with helping myself to the buffet of meat, pasta and dessert, as well as more beer, made 2 hours pass in no time.
I meet quite a few people in this fashion - it turns out beer and food make for great conversation topics, leading both to debates on Carlsberg and European breweries, as well as on cultural differences and the need for "desserts". When we head back towards the stadium (centrally placed on campus), it turns out that these guys are friends of my host, and that they have an extra ticket for this Pope Box which they extend my way. My roommate was MIA from his battle to meet new people (and by people I mean those which are brunette, flirtatious, and female), so I assumed he was content (somewhat tipsy I figured he could just have called) and accepted their invite. We walk into the stadium, get in an elevator, and hit the top floor.
Doors open and the scene is changed completely. From a rowdy student crowd, we are now in a plush setting, filled with people aged 45 and up, more like a jockey club that a football stadium. There is a HUGE buffet of food, drinks, ice cream, popcorn, chocolate - pretty much anything - which is all free. Waiters dressed in black and white are handing out programs, and the majority of chequered shirts and blazers makes my Carolina blue outfit look completely out of place. I grab a Mars Bar, a cup of lemonade, a box of popcorn and pile a plate as high I can with corn dogs, pulled pork, and mac and cheese. We march down to our seats, some 5 rows up, but since the first to rows are completely empty, we snag those and prop ourselves back for a good day in the sun.
A couple of key take-aways: 1) Football is a loooong game. Tailgate at 1 and in the stadium at 3:30, we weren't out till 7, so it is more a social event than a sports game. Not a problem if you are in good company. 2) Lemonade is amazing - they served it on ice, it wasn't too sweet, it was immensely refreshing, and I must have had 1½ liters of it. 3) The bathrooms have complementary sunscreen - ingenious for a "gweilo" such as myself! 4) I really enjoyed myself. Game day is a tradition that seems here to stay! :D
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