If you live here, you take it for granted.
We drive by it most days, we see the players at the mall and at local restaurants. It's in our newspaper and on our television screen day after day after day. We want any kind of a souvenir, it takes us 5 minutes to get one.
If you don't live here, you probably think we're sooooooooooo darn lucky. I guess we are, but it does have it's issues. For six weekends in the fall, our little community is invaded by hundreds of thousands of people. Detours are set up all over town - traffic patterns change. You don't dare try to go out and eat because you'll face a 2-hour wait. You wouldn't think of scheduling a wedding in the fall, because out of town guests would never be able to get a hotel room.
But, even after 20+ years of living here, we still get the "itch" when September rolls around - 'cause it can only mean one thing. It's time for the IRISH to take the field.
So, we're already planning our tailgate menu for Saturday - bright and early. Game time is 3:30. Bobby and his friends won't have a "CLUE" by the time the game starts, but between Bobby, Cohan, Matty and Timmy, we'll have all the entertainment we need for the day. For those in the group who don't have tickets to the game - it doesn't matter. That's actually kind of anti-climatic after a day of tailgating. We'll have the television and the generator and the dish set up in the JACC parking lot, along with Beer Pong and Corn Hole. Oh, and don't forget the leprechaun juice (Apple Pucker). The bottle gets passed when the Irish score.
As for me, my favorite part of the day is just strolling through the campus, visiting the Grotto and watching the band as they make their way to the stadium.
We're looking forward to a great day. Here's hoping a little IRISH luck shines down on us.
