Nashville loves the Titans. If you have any doubt, just look at how quickly single game tickets were snapped up this morning.
And if you have any further doubt, all you had to do was show up at a Kroger store where they were giving away five sets of tickets at each store. Only catch--you had to be present to win and they didn't give 'em away all at once. You had to stand around for an hour, chatting with other Titans fans and maybe answering some questions to win other free prizes--stuff given by Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Oh yeah, and the Titans sent out two cheerleaders to each location. (Nothing wrong with that!)
After my failure to get Titans tickets on-line (
curse you TicketMaster!), I headed out to Kroger in Smyrna this morning. My parents went as well and we all three entered to win some tickets. I was pretty down from my failure to obtain tickets on-line this morning (
curse you TicketMaster!). It was rainy and extremely muggy when we got there and my parents and I signed up to win tickets. Now, it was warm, humid and not exactly a pleasant day to be outside. Add to it the smell of the hot dogs was driving me nuts. And I was pretty doggone skeptical about my chances. Why is it that I figure I'm always going to be the only person who has this great idea?!? But, I went, with hope in my heart.
And they gave the first set away....but it was only to the pre-season game. And ya know, as much as I'd like to go, I really wanted the other four sets. Well, at least two of the four. I was about to die to see the Titans play Indy or Denver. Now, during all of this as it's hot and muggy, my mother is questioning why I have let me talk her into this "fun" way to spend a Saturday morning. (My mom loves me and she loves football, but only when it's the orange and white and in Knoxville). Then they gave away the Titans vs Indy tickets. We didn't win. I was feeling our chances slipping away. Mom had gone to where there was a bench while Dad and I stayed close. Now it was time to draw for the Titans vs. Houston tickets. They reached in, drew out a name and...it was MOM's! I was about to do the dance of joy that we had won tickets and now yours truly could fight with family members to go to a game.
But wait, there's more. Part of winning is you have to prove you identity, claim our ticket and have your photo made about 1500 times. Mom is not at all interested in this and since she is there to support me, I get to have my photo made 1500 times with the cheerleaders. (It's a terrible job but somebody has to do it, right?) (
Here's a link to the Titan's Cheerleaders. I think LaVerne (2nd row, 2nd from left) and Mandy (4th row, far right) were there.) One of the photographers was with the
Daily News Journal and should the photo be published on-line, I will link out to it. (So far, I haven't seen it, but hey...who knows?) Anyway, after all this and as I'm giddy with glee--though wondering how the hell do I explain to my sister that she has to move Davis's first b'day party from Sunday to Saturday so I can go to the game. Then, the guy from Titans radio comes up and says he needs to interview Mom. So, he asks her about the tickets and she says, "Oh, I'm not gonna use them, I don't care about the game. I just wanted to win them for my son." As she says--"I don't care about the game" you can see the guy from the 103.3's face drop as he realizes--
shit, we're live here! We just gave tickets to someone who doesn't care! (Did I mention that he had two girls there helping him...one of whom, I swear, walking up I stood and stared at for a minute in the pouring rain...she looked THAT much like Julia. (If you know who Julia is you will understand...if you don't, maybe someday I'll get around to blogging about it.)
So, this is pretty good, I'm thinking. Mom won tickets and she will be happy to share. I got to be near the Titans cheerleaders and not get arrested. And there's a woman who looks like Julia here, though I am trying to figure out how to go up and ask her this without looking like a complete idiot. Anyway, Dad says we should stay and see if we win any more tickets. So, we do. I am hoping to win the tickets for Christmas night against Denver. Well, as I'm standing another winner approaches me.
Him: Hey, would you want to trade tickets?
Me: What game did you win?
(I'm thinking--you won pre-season, you can forget it!)
Him: Titans vs Colts.
Me: ::blinking:: Are you sure?!?
Him: Yeah, I got a fishing tournament that weekend and would love to switch.
Me: Sure, I'd be happy to trade.
::turning to Dad:: Go! Find Mom before this guy comes to his senses!
Mom had wandered off to the bench again to wait. So Dad got her and we traded. So, here's where we now stand--I have tickets for the game I want to go to and they're good seats. I now realize, of course, that I only have two and that Mom loves Peyton Manning so she might want to go and leave me out in the cold. But did I mention that I have tickets to go see Titans vs Indy?!?
So coming up the third weekend in September, my weekend looks like this: Vols vs Florida on Saturday night (TV, of course), Sunday afternoon, going to see Titans vs Indy. All I can say is--woo-hoo!
Oh, and I never did quite figure out how to ask that woman if she was Julia. Right after I made the trade she vanished. But hey--did I mention that we have Titans vs Indy tickets?!?
posted by Michael Hickerson at 7/10/2004 06:08:00 PM |
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