I woke up on the earlier side of Saturday morning, or so I thought.
The Oregon football game against Georgia was set to kick off at 3:30 p.m., yet as I walked from my Airbnb to meet my friend for breakfast the bustling streets caught my attention. To my left: a lot filled with families setting up red and black tents for their tailgates. And on my right: a caravan of RVs driving by, flags donning the Georgia Bulldogs logo sticking out from the roofs of their vehicles.
“Caravans for a home game?” I think to myself. Then it hits me. These fans have been up since the crack of dawn, commuting from Athens, Georgia, to Atlanta for the game.
I’m headed to Rosie’s Cafe, a quaint brunch place and bar across the street from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. As I approach the restaurant, my head cranes upward, examining the dome that will house 70,000 people in a few hours. Its design is intriguing — the roof is constructed of triangular shaped pieces that fit together. I imagine the architect was fond of their final product.
The morning sun hits the stadium’s metallic exterior creating a bright reflection. I rub my eyes and continue to walk. Among the sea of red and black, I spot blips of green and yellow — hopeful Oregon Ducks’ fans pondering whether their team has a chance to dethrone the national champions.
Their outlook on the Ducks’ season will shift in a matter of hours. I want to introduce myself to them, connect. Soon, I will be like them. An alum who travels across the country, hoping to recapture some of my college-day glory.
But, today, I am neutral. As an aspiring sports journalist, traveling to Atlanta to cover this football game is a once in a lifetime experience. I get to watch a game in one of the nation’s most beautiful venues, have access to press conferences for interesting quotes to use in my story and add detail from watching the game live instead of on the television.
After breakfast, I head over to the game. I want to go early to get the full experience. I pick up my credentials, then take the elevator three flights up to the press box. Back in Eugene, the Autzen Stadium press box is nice. Media is provided with food and drinks, usually turkey sandwiches and sodas. Once October rolls around, night games become frigid as the open air rolls in.
The press box at Mercedes-Benz has glass windows in front of each seat. They serve Chick-Fil-A sandwiches along with an assortment of salad, pasta and brisket. There was also a soft serve stand.
“Focus, Aaron,” I tell myself. After all, I was working. I sit down, overlooking the Georgia endzone, the stands a quarter of the way full still 2 hours before kickoff.
After I settle in, I head down to the field to watch both teams warm up. The Ducks sport green threads with dashes of yellow, and the Bulldogs are in bright red. Looking up into the stands from the field is a much different view than the one I have from the press box. Down here, you don’t know what to focus on. The game clock is just above the goal-posts, but if you weren’t looking for it you would miss it. I wonder if that’s why some players struggle with game-clock management.
Just behind the endzone that has Oregon’s logo is a skyline walkway where fans have gathered to watch the players warm-up. It seems like that is the place to congregate rather than heading to one’s seats prior to kickoff.
As game-time rolls around, the stadium has come to life, filled nearly to capacity with tens of thousands of Bulldogs fans and a handful of Ducks faithful.
The game itself was uneventful, but the privilege of watching some of the most talented athletes on the collegiate level was an experience unlike any other. Following the game, I finish up my game story and take one last look at the stadium, now lifeless and dark. The Oregon logo has been replaced with the outlines of a Clemson one in preparation for its game against Georgia Tech on Monday.
I head back to the Airbnb, my work for the day is done. The trip flew by, but the memories will last forever. I’ll be able to look back at this piece for even deeper detail.
