Once we arrived in Phoenix, we were fortunate enough to stay with Jen Ferrell's parents. Jen is a friend of ours from Colorado Springs. She and her husband, Matt, are youth ministers at our church. They are a great couple, and we have loved getting to know them while living here. Jen is from Phoenix and her parents, The Zimmermans, were such gracious hosts! I mean, letting total strangers stay with you who are there just to watch a football game are really top-notch people in my book! :) We saw the Zimmermans for a total of an hour the whole time we were there do to our "late night events". This is how we communicated...good ol' pen and paper! Seriously, this trip was possible because of them. We are hoping they come visit Jen and Matt here in the Springs soon so we can see them...they were awesome!
Monday was Game Day! It was prefect weather! Blue skies and sunny--Arizona is so nice this time of year. We paced around the house before heading to Glendale around noon. I saw this guy on the way to the game and thought, "Nuff said". You really can't make "Duck gear" look cool, so if you just make it look ridiculous, then maybe, just maybe, it works. This guy had "ridiculous" down!
We picked up Blakely and Dan from their hotel, and headed to the stadium. Here's a little background on The Fletchers: I've known Blakely since first grade. We were inseparable in high school and roommates our freshman year at Auburn (Berta Dunn 111). She married Dan our junior year and moved to Memphis. Dan is now a doctor, and Blakely is the mommy to 2 little girls...with one on the way! Yes...I said with one on the way! At 33 weeks pregnant, with doctor's approval, she came to Glendale! It was awesome hanging out with them, and it definitely made the trip more fun!Once we arrived at the stadium and parked, we had a bit of a hike to get to where we wanted to go. Figuring out the area was fine, but the crowds were insane. We were getting hungrier by the minute and needed to eat; however, most places had a 2-3 hour wait. Yes! 2-3 hours! Are you kidding me?
Just as we were starting to grow weary, across the highway was our beacon of hunger hope! That's right! Marc's favorite...Cracker Barrel! We sent the boys running across to check on the wait while Blake and I rested. And...
it was a 10 minutes wait! Heck yeah we're eating here! It was awesome and our bellies were happy for the rest of the day!
We enjoyed walking around seeing the sites and hearing the sounds of Game Day. There were several Auburn billboards around town...which I thought was cool. I even saw one from the plane as we landed in Phoenix that said "AU Family ALL IN!" I never saw an Oregon one. Seeing the stadium for the first time was exciting...and we were impressed.
As "game time" grew closer, fans started heading towards the stadium. This picture was taken with me holding my camera above my head and pushing the button. A sea of people, mostly Auburn fans ready to go into the stadium.
We were huddled together for a good 45 minutes just trying to get through security. You couldn't see what was going on or if the line was even moving. Dan and Blake were in front of us, so we relied on them for updates. They eventually were shuffled ahead, and I must admit, it was a huge rush to see them inside the gate...meaning their "bought-on-EBAY" tickets were legit and not a scam!
We were never worried about our tickets considering they were purchased through the university. However, it was exhilarating once we heard the scanner make that "happy sound"! We were in...and we were going to watch Auburn play for a National Championship!Other fans were not as lucky. As our tickets were being scanned, I heard the security guard tell the lady next to us that her ticket was a scam. We stood to the side watching it unfold. Apparently, the guy she was with had a "legit" ticket and her ticket was not. She crumbled into tears right there in line, and it was literally heart-breaking. Not a great way to start the night...and it definitely made me thankful for the opportunity to be there.
We followed Dan and Blake to their seats in order to take a few pictures. Here is my favorite one! Isn't Blake's shirt awesome? By the way...they are having a boy! This was his first football game! Where do you go from here I ask? ;)
We made it to our seats! A fun moment was seeing some Montgomery friends sitting close by...The Stricklands. Leigh drove me to high school when I was a 10th grader and I haven't seen her in years! There were many moments like this...periods of my life converging onto one space for a football game. Montgomery friends. Auburn friends. Birmingham friends. It definitely made the experience more exciting.
This was my favorite moment of the pre-game festivities. Many of you know my friend, Sarah, who is living in Turkey for the next two years due to her husband's deployment. She loves this team as much as I do....so much so that she spent many mornings (as in 3am) watching the game live. A dedicated fan--no doubt! We watched several games "together" while talking on the phone. I had very little cell phone service in the stadium, but her call came through some how...right as the team was taking the field! I just held it up and let her listen. I actually teared-up a little because I wished she could have been there. But I hope this moment made it feel, just for a second, that she was.
As the team takes the field, this is a familiar sight. They circle up and kneel in prayer. I can't say where each player stands spiritually, but I will say that I have seen this scene consistently when attending Auburn games. In my opinion, I believe that the coaches and staff are teaching these boys more than football, and if that's the case, I am thankful for it.
During the National Anthem, many volunteers unfurled a flag that covered the entire playing field. A great reminder why this game could be played in the first place. It was awesome...a "goose-bump" moment for sure!
We're ALL IN...and ready for an Auburn win!
WARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR EAGLE HEY!!!!!
Yes...it was taken after the game...but it was the only one with all 4 of us. :)
Here was the view from our seats. Not bad--although, I can't remember the last time I sat in the upper deck at an Auburn game. And yes...I'm spoiled. Thanks Mom and Dad for your gracious 47 yard line, 17 rows up behind the team season tickets. They made this "upper deck night" possible. I wouldn't have traded these seats for anything...and believe me...I could have!
Here's a shot of the coin toss from the big screen near us. That's Bo Jackson in the white hat representing Auburn. Ahmad Rashad was representing Oregon. Sidenote: Yes--Claire Huxtable's real-life ex-husband was there--The Cosby Show happens to be one of my favorite comedy shows of all time--I have the complete DVD box set--just so you know that I have other interest besides Auburn football. :) Oregon called "tails" and won the toss. They wanted to receive first, so I was glad we would get the ball first at the beginning of the third quarter. 
Here we were just before kick-off (nice...hold-your-arm-out-as-far-as-you-can-and-take-your-own-pic picture). As you can see, we both look a little "giddy". We just couldn't believe we were about to watch this happen. Auburn playing for a National Championship was as good as it would get in my "sports world".
Without giving you too much of a play-by-play, I decided to include the scoreboard as it changed throughout the game. Oregon scored first--a field goal...and then Cam Newton and Kodi Burns connected for 6! I was so excited for Kodi! He's been through many ups and downs as an Auburn Tiger, but has always had a great attitude. In my opinion, he truly deserved the recognition that night. Nice call Gus! I approved!
This score was after Oregon scored a touchdown and then faked the PAT for a 2-point conversion. However, we backed them inside the 1 yard line and the defense tackled for a safety...a 2 point conversion! You know what they say, "Defense wins championships." Yes they do!
After a defensive battle in the 3rd quarter, Oregon came back in the 4th quarter and scored a touchdown. They had to convert the 2 point play to tie it. So, that's what the picture shows. A tied ballgame. At this point, I couldn't decide if I was going to cry or throw-up. Intense doesn't describe it. Marc is thankful I didn't throw-up.
But, my Tigers didn't panic (unlike this life-long fan)...they just did what they had been doing all season...which is giving their fans a heart attack! Seriously...the last two minutes were insane! Wow Michael Dyer! It will be fun watching #5 for the next couple of years. And good ol' Wes Byrum...our clutch kicker (still remember stopping at a restaurant on I-10 to watch him win that Florida game---twice!!) kicked it through the uprights to bring home a National Title to "The Loveliest Village on the Plains"!
So..instead of throwing-up, I burst into tears when it was all said and done. WOW! Here is a picture of the winning moment...we were over.the.top! BCS National Champions 2010- We are #1! Finally!!
After the game, we stayed in the stadium for the next 2 hours soaking it all in. We went down to the field where ESPN was wrapping up their coverage of the game. It was great to be with other Auburn fans yelling "War Eagle" and chanting "It's great to be an Auburn Tiger!"
Here's a shot of Herbie...Friend or foe when it comes to my Tigers? Who knows? I guess that's why he has had this gig for so long. But was complimentary of our team...especially our defense. But really--how could you NOT give our defense the credit for this win?!
The parting shot...and a great moment! The scoreboard with the players passing around "The Coaches' Trophy". That will be a nice addition to our Athletic Museum to enjoy! It will be fun to visit with our kids some day and tell them we were there!
I will say this blog post does not do the experience justice. It was a culmination of so many memories and moments as an Auburn fan. I've loved Auburn for as long as I can remember. Too me, it will always be more than a place that carries a National Championship title. But for now, that's what we'll celebrate!