Football Saturday!

Realizing that this is our last fall as CWU students, Chelsea and I decided we should go to atleast one of the home football games. Our team is 5th in the Nation and is currently undefeated. The last CWU football game I went to was the Battle in Seattle...my Sophomore year...which was ohhh 2006. The last game I went to on CWU campus was Homecoming...Freshman year. It was time to explore this relatively unchartered territory. I mean we have heard the bells, the cannons, and the marching band from our dorms, our apartment at the Grove and even here at Timothy Park. Today, we got to experience it.

Now, Ive grown up around football. Everyone knows I was Jake's biggest fan while he played Highschool ball and his college experience grew on me his two final years. I always wanted to be THAT fan in the stands when it was finally my turn to be in college...but reality set in. None of my friends ever really wanted to go to the games in the past, and lets face it...no offense to Jake but Ive been pretty footballed out.

We walked to the field scoped out the country playin tailgate party going on, was impressed with the Beer Ponging going on and recognized the entire men's and women's rugby teams pre-funking in the parking lot. We got our free energy drinks (We threw them out) and signed up for the Cat Pack to recieve our free t-shirts...oh yes... Chelsea and I are now proud members of the Central Washington University Cat Pack...whatever that may be. The point is we got free tshirts. We moved inside the stadium and found a group of friends...aka our softball team from last spring...aka the CWU men's hockey club team. We settled down next to them much to my chagrin on the 25 yard line ( I am a true believer of the 50 yard line which ironically is the home of this cat pack we became members of)

Immediately after sitting down, I took in the scene in front of me. Cotton eyed Joe was playing on the speakers...and there was a lady with a full mullet standing on the track. Yes. you read me correctly...Full mullet. Also in front of us just beyond mullet lady was the drill team. Not to be confused with the cheerleaders. We got to watch them perform and while I applaud them for trying, it was painful to watch and only added to the embarrasment I felt living in this small town called Ellensburg. Although to the Utahians across the field it probably felt like home.

To my left was the removable big screen. I was impressed that we even had a big screen honestly...even if it is tear down and put back on day of game style on top of a trailer. Hey. We still have a big screen...and by the way we were showed in our awesome new CWU Cat Pack tshirts on that big screen...numerous times. It was a very exciting moment for me. But that was not the end of our football game day excitement. Oh No. Do you remember the formentioned Rugby teams? Well it was decided that there was plenty of room around my row of friends for them to join us. Foul mouthed, drunk, girl crazy, boy crazy and boy cheerleader hasslers surrounded us. (I found it interesting that there almost as many boy cheerleaders as girl cheerleaders. Go Feminism!) The lone bright spot in this situation was realizing that my friend Lane was apart of this crew. (Rugby...not boy cheerleader) It was nice to say Hello, and visit with him until he had to leave us to join the said crowd above.

Now...the only negative thing I will say about my experience, was I did not approve of the band playing the Star Spangled Banner louder than the girl singing it. It made our little town seem so...podunk. Well that and the brawl among my fellow peers when the cheerleaders began handing out $5 Wing Central Gift Cards. I am ashamed to say that my own roomate Chelsea was one of the college kids gone wild in an attempt to score the prized gift. All I remember is covering my head waiting for the bedlam to end... all in the name of wings!

As for the actual game itself, well all I know is that there were alot of flags. An obscene amount of flags. Oh wait, that was the Huskie game I watched when I got home. Okay well either way I saw alot of false starts and yellow flags today. I saw good defense and I believe CWU had three 3 point kicks before actually scoring a touchdown...where after the ROTC boys proudly slip in that cannon without warning... Which sounds and feels like the 4th of July. Oh Also, Dixie State scored the first touchdown of the game but we blocked their kick. I was pleasantly suprised to hear that a buddy (ironically named buddy) from my Freshman year dorm (whom Ive prettymuch lost touch with) blocked that kick. Way to go Buddy! Im not sure what the score was at the half, all I know is that by half time we were ahead and I was ready to go - either home or to the white tent at the other end of the field where they were serving food and beer. Game On. Chelsea wanted to stay and watch the Marching Band for only god knows what reason. But when she realized they were not marching and the drill team was coming out for a second performance it was time to say goodbye and find the entrance to that little white tent.

We finally found the tent, proudly showed our Id's and our CWU student cards, paid our $5 and entered the tent excited at the prospect of what was to come. The Roadhouse Grill was catering, the wildcat mascot was wandering around, There were football decorations all over, and our former CA from The Grove who is now the President of CWU was there among other students and Alumni. We knew nobody else. We jumped in line, after all we all know Chelsea and I love a good buffet. Turns out we were at the end of the buffet but still enjoyed what little was left. We scrounged for a place at one of the tables - being kicked out of several seats and forced to sit tableless on chairs for awhile... and listened to the cannon boom in the background. Turns out Beer cost extra. Lame. What kind of establishment is this?! After we ate we debated whether to join our friends back in the stands but as it was quickly growing colder and the wildcats were now ahead 36 - 6 we decided to walk home agreeing that we had already had quite the day.

We can now say that we've experienced Wildcat Football fully (well minus the drinking). I was amazed at how quickly the stands emptied out before halftime actually started with the cries of "we're going to [insert name here] for halftime drinks!" or "Hey I need your keys! My Beer is in your car!" or "lets get that next round of beer pong in now!" or even "lets go use our $5 wing central card to go get a beer!" Only at Constantly Wasted University would this happen. I certainly dont remember hearing this from the student body at PLU! It was a little bit thrilling to tell you the truth. Ive been missing alot these past several years I've found. Perhaps the funniest moment or maybe enlightening moment of the day was being handed a card by a lazy eyed man that was promoting a new store in town called "Tight ASSests" Oh yes. Ellensburg now has a clothing store called Tight Assests. How charming! Im sure all the Antique shoppers will love going into that store. Maybe Mullet lady will be a regular there. I can tell you that I wont be.