I almost missed two planes because of a football game!
Here's the scene: I'm sitting in the only sports bar in the Philadelphia airport that's showing the Kentucky game. Never mind that it's in a different zip code from my departure gate and took me a solid 20 minutes to get to this place - the game will be over in plenty of time for my 7:50 boarding call and 8:35 departure.
I've been here since halftime, when the bar wasn't crowded and I was able to get perfect seat directly in front of the TV showing the game. But word of a potential upset has spread through the airport, and the place has filled up; the crowd spills out four deep into the concourse. Most are fans of other highly-ranked teams with something to gain if No. 1 loses, and are cheering for UK. There's a nice couple sitting behind me who don't know much about college football, and I've got them rooting for the Cats, too. My neighbor at the bar - a former Penn State player - has to leave, but not before predicting a last-second UK win as vengeance for 2002. One or two guys are cheering vocally for LSU.
Seiber hits a field goal. Tie game with four minutes to go. This is getting good. And it's only 7:00. A few good UK stops, and LSU misses its last second field goal attempt. Overtime. But I still have plenty of time. UK scores seven, but LSU matches. Second overtime. I still have plenty of time to make the gate, but I'm beginning to get nervous. It's a long way back to the gate; we need to end this soon. I pay my bill at the bar in preparation for a quick getaway. LSU is on offense now. They score three. Then we do, too. Third overtime.
Now its quarter til eight. Five minutes til boarding. UK is on offense, and moving the ball. They're inside the 10 yard line. Brooks calls a timeout. Now it's past boarding time. I have to go. I implore my new friends to cheer hard, grab my stuff, and start jogging down the corridor. Friends at the game are sending me text messages responding to what's happening. Obviously they think I'm still in front of a TV. (I mean, what fool would leave at this point in the game?) I call Christie, who's the only person I know who's watching the game but not at the game, hence I can get through on her cell phone: "Tell me what's happening!" I find out we got our touchdown, but blew the two-point conversion. LSU's got the ball.
Now I'm to the moving sidewalks. It's after 8:00. The signs above the sidewalks tell you to "stand" on the left and "walk" on the right. So I figure you have to run right up the middle. And I do, pushing people out of my was as I go. Politely, of course. Three moving sidewalks later, Concourse A comes into sight. I round another bend, and I can see my gate. I hear that LSU is moving the ball. No time to look for another TV; the waiting area is empty and there's no line to get on the plane. I show my boarding pass and head down the jetway, confident that Christie has promised to text me the outcome when there is one, and hoping that there is some resolution before the airline makes me shut off my cell phone and I go into nine hours of radio silence. By now I've heard it's fourth-and-two, LSU.
I find my seat, by a window, and crawl across the other people already sitting in my row. I try to explain why I'm out of breath, but they don't seem too interested. Almost as soon as I sit down, I get another text from Christie. We stopped them! UK wins!! Woo hoo!!! Let me tell you, that plane ride just got a lot easier...
(I mentioned in the title that I almost missed two flights. The game started while I was still in Charlotte. Kickoff was at the same time my plane boarded. The sports bar there was in the same concourse as my gate. I stood otside the glass, determined to watch the first drive. But Miles calls a timeout. Commercial break. Then Brooks does the same. Another commercial break. Who's ever heard of two TOs in the first minute of a game. So as soon as UK gets stopped on third down, I turn and dash to the gate. I'm the next-to-last person to get on the plane, but I get on. I guess it was a good warmup for Philly.)
Oh, and Brussels is great. More on that later. Here are some pictures for now:
I've been here since halftime, when the bar wasn't crowded and I was able to get perfect seat directly in front of the TV showing the game. But word of a potential upset has spread through the airport, and the place has filled up; the crowd spills out four deep into the concourse. Most are fans of other highly-ranked teams with something to gain if No. 1 loses, and are cheering for UK. There's a nice couple sitting behind me who don't know much about college football, and I've got them rooting for the Cats, too. My neighbor at the bar - a former Penn State player - has to leave, but not before predicting a last-second UK win as vengeance for 2002. One or two guys are cheering vocally for LSU.
Seiber hits a field goal. Tie game with four minutes to go. This is getting good. And it's only 7:00. A few good UK stops, and LSU misses its last second field goal attempt. Overtime. But I still have plenty of time. UK scores seven, but LSU matches. Second overtime. I still have plenty of time to make the gate, but I'm beginning to get nervous. It's a long way back to the gate; we need to end this soon. I pay my bill at the bar in preparation for a quick getaway. LSU is on offense now. They score three. Then we do, too. Third overtime.
Now its quarter til eight. Five minutes til boarding. UK is on offense, and moving the ball. They're inside the 10 yard line. Brooks calls a timeout. Now it's past boarding time. I have to go. I implore my new friends to cheer hard, grab my stuff, and start jogging down the corridor. Friends at the game are sending me text messages responding to what's happening. Obviously they think I'm still in front of a TV. (I mean, what fool would leave at this point in the game?) I call Christie, who's the only person I know who's watching the game but not at the game, hence I can get through on her cell phone: "Tell me what's happening!" I find out we got our touchdown, but blew the two-point conversion. LSU's got the ball.
Now I'm to the moving sidewalks. It's after 8:00. The signs above the sidewalks tell you to "stand" on the left and "walk" on the right. So I figure you have to run right up the middle. And I do, pushing people out of my was as I go. Politely, of course. Three moving sidewalks later, Concourse A comes into sight. I round another bend, and I can see my gate. I hear that LSU is moving the ball. No time to look for another TV; the waiting area is empty and there's no line to get on the plane. I show my boarding pass and head down the jetway, confident that Christie has promised to text me the outcome when there is one, and hoping that there is some resolution before the airline makes me shut off my cell phone and I go into nine hours of radio silence. By now I've heard it's fourth-and-two, LSU.
I find my seat, by a window, and crawl across the other people already sitting in my row. I try to explain why I'm out of breath, but they don't seem too interested. Almost as soon as I sit down, I get another text from Christie. We stopped them! UK wins!! Woo hoo!!! Let me tell you, that plane ride just got a lot easier...
(I mentioned in the title that I almost missed two flights. The game started while I was still in Charlotte. Kickoff was at the same time my plane boarded. The sports bar there was in the same concourse as my gate. I stood otside the glass, determined to watch the first drive. But Miles calls a timeout. Commercial break. Then Brooks does the same. Another commercial break. Who's ever heard of two TOs in the first minute of a game. So as soon as UK gets stopped on third down, I turn and dash to the gate. I'm the next-to-last person to get on the plane, but I get on. I guess it was a good warmup for Philly.)
Oh, and Brussels is great. More on that later. Here are some pictures for now:
posted by Jay at 3:40 AM
1 Comments:
Funny post! What is the structure in the second photo?
Can't wait for more posts!
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