Kraft Hunger Bowl - BC Eagles vs Nevada Wolf Pack

A couple of hours before the Hunger Bowl started I learned that Joe had given up his ticket to the game. David had thought that it was an afternoon game and that it was going to conflict with Joe's  soccer. David had arranged for tickets for us through his Wolf Pack friends and now that section was sold out. Not wanting to leave my football buddy behind, I quickly got on the phone. There were tickets left, but only at the top of the stadium. I figured that one person could sneak in and sit with everyone else so I bought it and told Joe he was now coming too.  David didn't think this was the best plan, but I was confident it would work. I was wrong.

When we approached their seats I learned they were in club level boxes. The guards were checking tickets before people were even allowed on the level. "I'm never going to get in there," I quickly stated. "Joe you go sit with Anna and then we'll switch after the first quarter," David said. He and India headed off with his Wolf Pack gang and Joe and I continued up the ramp. I said to Joe that "this is karma's pay back for the really good seats we got for the 49er's game." As we were circling the stadium looking for my section, I instructed him that we just needed to look like we knew where we were going and walk straight to our seats so that no one would ask to see our tickets and realize that now he was the interloper. "Don't worry, they don't check tickets up this high," was his jaded response. I'm describing this badly and making it sound like Joe was disappointed in the seat demotion. I was feeling guilty about it, but he really didn't seem to care at all. Even before we sat down, I bought him a hot pretzel and a gallon of Sprite as part of a 'buy their love / ease your guilt' strategy that I learned from my mother.

David's friends had arrived with Wolf Pack beads and Joe was sporting a set of them when the game started. As soon as BC scored the opening touchdown and we took a short-lived lead, Joe quietly slipped them off his neck and subtly dropped them to his side. I didn't say anything, but it was a proud moment as both an aunt and an Eagle fan. We were having a great time and when David called to offer the proposed seat swap we both said we were happy where we were. It was like sitting in the bleachers. There was a fun, ever changing, rowdy crowd and Joe's young eyes were able to see the field so well that he was calling fouls before the refs threw their flags. Joe was even explaining the basics of football to four young Australian girls behind us, tourists who had bought the tickets on a whim.

The stadium was packed with Nevada fans and right before the fourth quarter they had the stands shaking with their "Wolf... Pack! Wolf... Pack!" chant. I took a little video. It doesn't show any thing, but listen to the chant. It was... intimidating.

During the last two minutes of the game, with Nevada ahead by one touchdown, BC was throwing the ball and Nevada got two pass-interference calls in a row. The penalties were moving us down the field faster then our players and Joe started to heckle the Nevada fans. "That's right! Keep fouling us and we're gonna win this thing!" He was shouting at the top of his lungs. Clearly the spirit of our section had infected him. A Nevada fan a couple of rows back was responding with a less articulate "BC sucks! Go Nevada!" Another pass, a third foul and Joe was on his feet and at it again. "Foul! Pass interference! Go Eagles! We got this!" The Nevada fan once again informed us that "BC sucks!" I looked around at our section and quietly reminded Joe, "We are seriously out numbered and surrounded by drunken Nevada college students. If we actually win this thing we are going to have to sneak out of here..." Well, that wasn't necessary. Despite the relatively close score, Nevada dominated throughout the game and BC lost. Nevertheless, we had a great time.

The game even had a streaker -- possibly a first for Boston College. I wish I had remembered to bring my camera!