Upon finishing my next-to-last semester of graduate school,
I headed home to Rome for a couple weeks of rest and relaxation. However, I
write this on the road, right outside of Birmingham, on our family’s trek to
Arkansas to visit family.
When I got home on Thursday I obtained tickets to the NAIA
National Championship game which is held yearly in the world’s finest little
river town of Rome, Georgia. The game pitted two teams that I, nor you, have
ever heard of Morningside from Iowa and Marian out of Indianapolis.
For a town of Rome’s size, about 30.000, to host a national championship of any
sorts is a pretty big deal to me; and while there are politics which may soon take the game away from my hometown, it is something my community supports with
fervor—maybe not the game itself, as not every Roman has the budget to pay $25
for tickets to ultimately meaningless game. The game generated over $1 million for the Rome economy.
From steak dinners at local
churches for the players and coaches to a multitude of different activities for
the visiting fans, cheerleaders, and band members, Rome holds its own—and the Northerners naturally love our Southern hospitality. To
finish the week, the game is held at historic Barron Stadium, my high school's stadium.
How many people can say their high school stadium is also the sight of a national championship? Very few. Only four other cities in the entire nation can boast of hosting a football national championship.
How many people can say their high school stadium is also the sight of a national championship? Very few. Only four other cities in the entire nation can boast of hosting a football national championship.
Keeping with tradition, my sister and I headed downtown for
a cold night of football and in hopes of a good game. We, as we have the last
few years, sat with the former mayor of Rome and his family. His two grandsons
are boys with endless energy, who my sister half-raised as much as she babysits
and hangs out with their family. The boys do not feel pain from falling down on
bleachers, remain hungry, and make for great entertainment as if the game was not
enough.
The game was enough though. It was an overtime thriller,
though the team we were pulling for, Morningside did not win and Marian eventually scored the game-winning touchdown.
How and why did we choose the Mustangs from Iowa? They were the team assigned the home side of
Barron Stadium and ate dinner this week at our church. This is when I would
give you my take on the game, but you can read the gamer from the RomeNews-Tribune website.
My sister and I got exactly what we wanted in the form of an
overtime national championship game, other than some ice-cold, seemingly unthawable feet. One can only hope the game on January 7
will be as entertaining. Here are a couple of pictures from the night…
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| The Marian Knights with one of the nation's ugliest championship trophies. |
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| Our Mustang neighbors were much like Mississippi State fans, relentless with the cowbells. |
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| No Pat Summerall, but it was a nationally televised. |
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| The old marching grounds and field access after the game. Many a cold night were spent pointing my trumpet's bell to that pressbox. |
Note: This post is a week late going up because, while both grandparents' houses are active on the internet, neither have yet to embrace the wonderful world of wireless.
