Couldn't decide where best to post this. Figured the Tailgating post will disappear here soon, despite its recs, and we're getting so many fanposts these days that Rockin's thread has already been bumped off the front page. Decided on a new Fanpost with hopes it might make it through the day on page 1.  Can you believe this is my first time posting to youtube? Hope the vids turn out.

First up, tho: a big shout out to my fellow BSD tailgaters The Mighty Erik & Rockin.  That was cool as hell to travel cross the country and tailgate with cool cats I just met for the first time in person that morning, but who I felt like I had a pretty decent feel for already anyway. It was real cool for me.  I'm a lifelong PSU fan, but not an alum and the majority of my PSU experiences have been family-related.  It's weird now I'm thinking about it, that although I've got a decently sized social group in DC, it's pretty diverse and I've actually got very few Penn State friends outside my family.  I was proud of my dukie bro-in-law, who did pretty well despite not being a PSU fan, but I really appreciated TME's & Rockin's PSU brotherhood!  I really dug how close you were with your dad, TME. I know you miss him, and it was good to hear about him. There's not a PSU game that goes by that I don't think of my ole man, and it was kinda nice to think of our two pops up there lovin it that we were down here partying together at the Granddady.  And going the other direction on the generational tree, it was real cool to see you and your daughter sharing this experience together, Rockin. I'm hoping that, being your spawn, Kt's experienced enough that our little tailgate wasn't too deviant for her.  I dig that you two got inked up together.  And your tat is absolutely badass!

Sorry we missed some of the rest of you who made the trip; maybe this will build some momentum and can be re-created in some form in the future.

I know I wrote it before, but tailgating in sunny 70degree weather, in a freakin golf course, is downright surreal. It's a real narrow valley where the stadium is, and with the golf course as parking lot, they bring you in on different holes (greens are blocked off), and stack you up 5 cars in a row.  Lots of vets/locals quickly hauled their gear outta their cars and out of the carstacks into open space on the fairways. Not us.  We didn't really have enough gear, so stayed trunkside and put back our brews there. A group of PSU youngers were also in there, and they were spinning all the records the kids these days play, so it ended up alright. Plus, JoePa came through!

And was kind enough to take a photo with us.  He of course kept insisting 'hide the beers, tho, hide the beers.' I loved how their weather protection gear of choice was the shade tent!  Was also really impressed with the lax rules on open flames.  I saw one full-on campfire, with no grill on it, and a dude workin over some bacon in a cast-iron skillet.

And the stadium?  What a Grand Ole Daddy!   

Built in the twenties, and dug out, such that the structure doesn't stand very tall above ground outside (such that you can't see if from miles away like ours--such that when you're ushered into your spot in the golf course you're cursing, thinking you're miles away), it's every bit as classic as the nickname implies. Our north endzone view only gave a small glimpse of the San Gabriel mountains,

But afforded us an excellent view of Blue Sapphire:

The tunnels were narrow and the pissers were too few and too small, but when you can house 93,000 and you also invite Penn State fans?  Well.......suffice it to say I'm tearing up just typing.  Here's a quick first look with motion:

The Rose Bowl was also kind enough to leave blue & white pompoms for us at our seats. I lost my pompom virginity, and it was better than I expected.

And eventually there was a game.  As you can hear from the corny audio (and as you learned by the end of the first half), we really could have used a DWheels kickoff return TD.

And of course, there was the final result,

one we all hoped would have been different, but one which, for me, actually did very little to diminish the overwhelming positivity of the whole experience (despite my audio on that one, I did think we fought valiantly in the 2nd half).  Watching Penn State play in the Granddaddy of them all is definitely a Must Do At Least Once endorsement from this fan.  See you all next year! --jp