The action used to be on the field. Now, it is in the parking lot. OK, I know Citadel football isn't the PAC 10 or the Southeastern Conference, or even the ACC for that matter. Usually it's the Bulldogs on game day against another So Con opponent or either a smaller Division II or II school. Yes, a couple of times each year we get a big gig with a BCS team. But, that's a payday, not a game.
Also, let me concede that we tailgate on a So Con level too. I mean, against LSU and Texas, even the University of South Columbia or Clempson, our before-and-after game rituals are minor league affairs. Our partiers have the stuff, you know, the tents, generators, refrigerators, grills, flat screen TVs, and portable ABC stores. But, there isn't the same volume as the big schools. So, it seems kind of---well, you know, miniature.
So, John Lewis Carpenter and I jetted down to Johnson Hagood Stadium to catch the Citadel Bulldogs and the best 0-3 Division II School, Presbyterian College, last Saturday evening after seventhday worship. Well, the game was delayed for thirty minutes because of a Charleston sprinkle, a biblical deluge of several inches. So, we got to hang out in the parking lot with the tailgaters. This, Knute, is where the action is. The Crops (only grads will get this one) were marching in, the teams were in pre-game prep, parents were lining the street, and the loyal fans were having a toddy, shrimp and grits, and other delectables at their tailgate bistro. The generators were humming, coolers were cooling, grills were grilling, the pickles were getting more pickled, and so were some of the people. Getting pickled, I mean. It was party central, So Con style, southern fried, and a good bit of Southern Comfort too.
Eventually JL and I made it to the gate, rendered our tickets, and went to our fine seats, provided by classmate Dan Merle. It was a nice night, John Lewis loved his hot dog and cold drink and the game was good. Of course, his attention span was expired when we left about half-way through the second quarter. Imagine our surprise when we saw how many fans were still in the parking lot, enjoying their adult beverages, barbecue, and other games on TV. The action was still in the parking lot. It has moved from pre-and-post game action to parking lot fanaticism during mid-game. It's a new twist on modern day football. Half the fans are still in the parking lot.
This is the social networking thing again. Some people don't get it, but relationships matter. I mean, Citadel fans, even Citadel grads, known for their school loyalty and class bonds, don't drive in from all over South Carolina to go to a football game. It's about the connections. Whether in the parking lot, or up in the club rooms, or in the luxury boxes, people make the trip for the connections. The game is secondary, maybe incidental to the real action. It is a way to be engaged with the school but, more importantly, maintain those lifetime relationships that matter. When all is said and done, most of us won't remember the score of the game last Saturday. But, we'll remember seeing our friends. That's the deal. Some tailgate stories are about as legendary as on-the-field heroics.
Reminds me a little of church. What we do here is significant. Studying the Bible, being inspired by the music, serving together, being challenged by a fresh message, are all meaningful elements of our shared experience and consequential to our personal faith and national ethos. If not, we're not doing church. Still, birds of a feather flock together. It is the encouragement of meeting that usually draws us here, the power of relationships. It is why I am thankful for a congregation that likes being together, that celebrates our fellowship, that values the human element. It's just a piece of the action, and not really the most important part. Who can top what God gives, how He feeds and nurtures us, how He fills us? But, it is sweet fellowship. And, we must acknowledge how important it is to our spiritual lives and personal development.
It's why colleges spend so much money on their parking facilities, why fans buy all of the tailgating stuff, and why people drive across the state six or seven weekends a year. This is social networking, college style. And, it's also why churches have greeters, parking lot attendants, welcome rituals, and all the smiles and best-foot forward jazz. It is because, like it or not, this is where the action is.
Didn't the Psalmist say, "I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord"? I mean he did say "glad" and "us" didn't he?
Yaaay God!
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