Black and Gold Game Report: Dores Win!

When I clicked submit on my first post last week, I thought this blog might be kind of a one-and-done deal. After all, it is about Vanderbilt sports, and what better representation of the one-and-done concept than our men's basketball team? Ok, maybe that was low, but after spending an absurd amount of money to watch them lose in person in the NCAA tourney twice, I have a right to be bitter. But...back to the subject at hand. Since the feedback I received last week was suprisingly positive (and encouragingly so!), I'm going to continue. The only real criticism I received was from my friend Mary, who said make it shorter, post more often, and include pictures. Since I have no pictures to include this week and nothing I write is concise, I'll take her advice and blog more often.

I went to my first Black and Gold game last night. I know, I'm a diehard fan--why haven't I been out there the past 12 years?? Well, I don't have a good excuse except to say the idea of watching the black team play the gold team never really appealed to me. What I was so clearly missing all this time was that when Vanderbilt scrimmages, Vanderbilt wins!! It was wondrous. You sat in the stadium feeling positive and optimistic without any of those normal thoughts creeping into your head. You know, the "what can we possibly do to lose this 4th quarter lead, where will the disastrous fumble occur, when will the punt be blocked and returned for a TD"--those thoughts. All Vanderbilt fans have them. They even celebrated the victory with fireworks! It's a tenuous relationship that Dudley Field and I have, but last night was by far the least stressful that place has ever been. No fights with opposing team's fans, no throwing full water bottles in the direction of other people out of anger after a loss, no .... (actually, I'll stop right there, since I have done the aforementioned things. This way, you will still think highly of me.)

For those of you who are reading and actually want to learn something, I'll share my favorite moments from the scrimmage:

1) The walk-on QB John Townsley. Who doesn't love a walk-on? And who isn't waiting for him to go into Neyland Stadium and win the game for us? Hey, a girl can dream.
2) The enthusiasm that James Franklin has brought to this program. The estimated attendance was 8000 and people were there EARLY and were wearing black and gold. Believe it or not, there was excitement about Vanderbilt football.
3) The fact that there was no calling of the hogs, barking of the dogs, or other SEC traditions. When your stadium is usually half full of the opposing color, you find these things incredibly annoying.
4) The scrimmage ended with a touchdown reception by Larry Smith (yes, the QB) in the back of the end zone with two seconds on the clock. A sign of a new QB emerging (Jordan Rodgers, where are you?!) and Smith converting to a receiver? I'm not an idiot, as I know he'll either be our #1 or #2 QB. However, as much as the TD should have ended things on a high note, for me it only brought back the horrid memories of Bobby Johnson lining Cutler up on the outside and putting in an inexperienced Chris Nickson in the pivotal MTSU game of '05.

Speaking of the above game that should really never be mentioned again, I may do another post completely devoted to Vanderbilt meltdowns that have left me unable to function the next day. MTSU would be a great start, but I'll have to apologize to Mary. A post on that topic would be very long.