A Red, White and Black World

 

 

Music and colour

I am in Clarksville Indiana in the day, and Louisville Kentucky at night, watching the Louisville Cardinals take on Rutgers Knights.  There is a long history of rivalry between these two University Teams. It is a home game for the Cardinals, a red, white and black festival.  Cars painted in the colours, big trucks painted in the colours, tops and hats and shoes and jackets, all in the colour of my heart.

Glenn Brownstein works in the Louisville Courier-Journal as the Night Assistant Sports Editor.  He got the night off to go to this game with his wife Debbie and I.  I met Glenn through the Almanac site, having read his first posting and responding to it, we became firm friends, with DD as well.  DD visited here last year, Glenn and Debbie visited us in February, and here I am, staying nearby and doing lots together.  DD and Glenn were messaging throughout the game.

 

Debbie and Glenn Brownstein

We started the night with dinner in one of the coolest streets, with trendy shops and art places.  The restaurant was a mix of both.  Ditto’s Grill, on Bardstown Rd, Louisville.  The walls were full of interesting artwork, and in the deli section there were paintings of old stars like Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Munroe, Jack Nicholson, Lisa Minnelli, Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Dom Deloise, and the woman who needs only one name, Oprah.  After a yummy meal, we headed to the Fair parking ground.  Glenn knows routes, we got a good park and a good walk to the ground.

The car park was filled with cars and parties.  People in their footy gear, drinking, enjoying the big event that this game was.  We walked with the crowds, me stopping to take pictures of trucks painted in my Saints colours.  It was a sea of colour all the way to the ground, and then, the ground itself.  I bought a ridiculous Mohawk hat, the most ridiculous object I could and it suits me perfectly.

 

Colour vehicle and Mad Hatter.

We were given free drink bottles on the way in, and each seat had a hand towel with the team image, and I discovered that during the game, we’d stand and swing it around our heads, creating a great scene all around the ground.  There were all the images from all the movies I had ever seen about school football – cheer leaders, marching band, so many members of the team and all the support groups around them, fireworks, music, noise, cheering, eating. At intervals in the ground, students were introduced:  the smartest kids with the biggest scores (I love how the USA are proud and loud about their achievements), their athletes and sporting teams and so forth.  The crowd cheered their appreciation.

 

Ticket and painting on the Ground

And this game was perfect because the Cardinals scored early and kept their lead all through the game.  And what made it even more wonderful is that Glenn sat between Debbie and me and answered every question I have ever had about American football, the scoring, the ball movement, and changes from defence to attack, punting and kick- off, time outs, fouls and so much more.

 

The game and the crowd

 I sat through the game, enchanted, like a spell had been put upon the world and turned it into my favourite colours.  The signage on the streets, everybody’s clothes.  It meant that my normal glasses and earrings and bracelets fitted in perfectly.  I wasn’t a freak here, just another fan.  And my 2011 St.Kilda membership scarf looked like the real thing.  Like in our football matches, everyone is wearing different versions and different styles.  Even the Rutgers Knights teams, supposedly white and red, still had black for their numbers.  It was a visual feast, a mad hatter’s event for my senses.

 

I stood up with my scarf after my brother said he was watching the game from Plymouth, and told me to get on camera so they could see me.  Being shy like I am, I was up in a flash and unfortunately, bothered Glenn with the flipping off my scarf in his face until I rectified the situation and moved one seat away.  By that late stage in the game, many of the sensible people who had to work early and the families had gone home.  The cameras didn’t look my way so my dancing will remain a secret forever.

 

It was a wonderful night, and the walk home (and the walk there) felt like leaving the “G” after a big game at home.  Glenn estimated that 50,000 came to watch the game, pretty good for a Thursday night.  We were all well entertained, and a victory topped it off.  I felt that I could now go into the next period of my life and watch the game on TV and know what the idea and the technical matters mean.  I was very grateful for Glenn and Debbie’s organisation of the event, and having another excellent adventure to write about.

Go Cardinals.  Go Red Sox.  Go Saints.

 

Yvette Wroby

Roving Almanac Reporter

Friday 11^th October 2013

Clarkesville Indiana