Much adieu about nothing.
So I just got back from Alumni Weekend at Penn State, highlighted by the Blue/White game. This year, however, it was the Maroon/Orange game. Everything was focused on Virginia Tech. I suppose being away from college, you don't realize how it affected everybody. A couple of students started a facebook group saying that everyone should wear maroon and orange to the Blue/White game, and so Penn State bought shirts to form a VT section (it's normally a blue 'S' with a white background, or vice versa) and all the clothing stores downtown got in various VT stuff.
And it was in demand. Some kids stood in line for 2+ hours to get maroon/orange shirts. 2 hours for a shirt! I'm honestly not sure where 'doing the right thing' and 'doing the popular thing' started and ended, but there it was. It was at least for a good cause - all the shirt proceeds went towards the Hokie Spirit Fund.
There were no special memorials for the Penn Stater who died (he was doing grad school at VT) but his family gave Joe Paterno his VT hat and Joe cried. Which I then almost cried, because it's fucking Joe Paterno and you could see how choked up he was. He did actually cry pre-game during all the special events. One of the football players had a special speech, the band wore all orange and played the VTech fight song and amazing grace, and the cheerleaders led us in a 'Let's Go Hokies' chant. Anyway, everyone literally was wearing orange and maroon that I could see.
The view from my seat. Incidentally, that picture was of the VT section before they got their shirts. I was so pissed. 5 rows from getting a free t-shirt.
I still managed to get a shirt. I was lucky enough to arrive at a clothing store at the exact time they had got a shipment in. It's my favorite design of the bunch - many had ribbons, or "always remember", or stuff on them. This was the simplest of all the designs in town and my favorite.
And finally, finally I got to get drunk on Friday night. There were lines for every goddamned bar. Normally I'd say "damn alumni!" but I am one too, so. We ended up going to a bar called the Shandygaff that's been there since my Dad went to school and got shitty. One girl, Trisha, got kicked out and joined the elite I Got Kicked Out of a Bar Club (which I still have not joined). The rest of us got drunker and did not puke, which is the CATALYST for getting kicked out of the Gaff. You can do goddamned anything in the Gaff, but if you puke you will be out the door nearly before you're done retching. Weird. Anyway, I feel sort of bad, my buddy Mark claimed to have never gotten a hickey before so naturally we all gave him at least one. He had a big fancy graduation to go to today and those fuckers were ugly-ass awful purple yesterday. Sorry, Mark! You asked! (or at least, suggested while we were drunk, which is about the same as asking)
So the Sens obliged me and won in game 5. So I get my money back, which is good, and didn't have to hear or watch the game, which was even better. I get somewhat irrationally angry when I see my team lose, but for some reason I'm okay with just hearing the final. As has been noted, I can't really be disappointed with the season. We were god-fucking-awful for the last 5 years, were not expected to be good this year, AND we're remaining in Pittsburgh! And everyone needs to watch their ass because we're gonna be awesome in the years to come, provided we get a defense.
And apparently the NHL hates me. From one of my previous posts:
I'm cheering for Pittsburgh, San Jose, Minnesota, Vancouver, Atlanta, Calgary, Tampa Bay, and the NYI.
What a shitty playoffs this is going to be, goddamn. Everyone lost! If Vancouver loses, I have the supreme ability to go 1 for 8! Gah.
Also, best video ever about how much Mellon Arena sucks as told by the Maple Leafs: here. "I just saw a cockroach that looked like Darcy Tucker." Nevertheless, I still enjoyed how intimate the showers are in Pittsburgh and how they "complained" about it.
And it was in demand. Some kids stood in line for 2+ hours to get maroon/orange shirts. 2 hours for a shirt! I'm honestly not sure where 'doing the right thing' and 'doing the popular thing' started and ended, but there it was. It was at least for a good cause - all the shirt proceeds went towards the Hokie Spirit Fund.
There were no special memorials for the Penn Stater who died (he was doing grad school at VT) but his family gave Joe Paterno his VT hat and Joe cried. Which I then almost cried, because it's fucking Joe Paterno and you could see how choked up he was. He did actually cry pre-game during all the special events. One of the football players had a special speech, the band wore all orange and played the VTech fight song and amazing grace, and the cheerleaders led us in a 'Let's Go Hokies' chant. Anyway, everyone literally was wearing orange and maroon that I could see.
The view from my seat. Incidentally, that picture was of the VT section before they got their shirts. I was so pissed. 5 rows from getting a free t-shirt.
I still managed to get a shirt. I was lucky enough to arrive at a clothing store at the exact time they had got a shipment in. It's my favorite design of the bunch - many had ribbons, or "always remember", or stuff on them. This was the simplest of all the designs in town and my favorite.
And finally, finally I got to get drunk on Friday night. There were lines for every goddamned bar. Normally I'd say "damn alumni!" but I am one too, so. We ended up going to a bar called the Shandygaff that's been there since my Dad went to school and got shitty. One girl, Trisha, got kicked out and joined the elite I Got Kicked Out of a Bar Club (which I still have not joined). The rest of us got drunker and did not puke, which is the CATALYST for getting kicked out of the Gaff. You can do goddamned anything in the Gaff, but if you puke you will be out the door nearly before you're done retching. Weird. Anyway, I feel sort of bad, my buddy Mark claimed to have never gotten a hickey before so naturally we all gave him at least one. He had a big fancy graduation to go to today and those fuckers were ugly-ass awful purple yesterday. Sorry, Mark! You asked! (or at least, suggested while we were drunk, which is about the same as asking)
So the Sens obliged me and won in game 5. So I get my money back, which is good, and didn't have to hear or watch the game, which was even better. I get somewhat irrationally angry when I see my team lose, but for some reason I'm okay with just hearing the final. As has been noted, I can't really be disappointed with the season. We were god-fucking-awful for the last 5 years, were not expected to be good this year, AND we're remaining in Pittsburgh! And everyone needs to watch their ass because we're gonna be awesome in the years to come, provided we get a defense.
And apparently the NHL hates me. From one of my previous posts:
I'm cheering for Pittsburgh, San Jose, Minnesota, Vancouver, Atlanta, Calgary, Tampa Bay, and the NYI.
What a shitty playoffs this is going to be, goddamn. Everyone lost! If Vancouver loses, I have the supreme ability to go 1 for 8! Gah.
Also, best video ever about how much Mellon Arena sucks as told by the Maple Leafs: here. "I just saw a cockroach that looked like Darcy Tucker." Nevertheless, I still enjoyed how intimate the showers are in Pittsburgh and how they "complained" about it.