What a weekend.
We flew up from Miami on Friday. And then on Saturday met up with an old school friend of Helen’s and his wife to go to the US National Whitewater Center.
If you ever get the chance to do that, grab it with both hands.
I know nothing about rafting, but the second run we did was a Cat 4 (which is apparently intense) and it was incredible.
At one point Helen was going in as we were engulfed in a huge wave, but dug her nails into my arm and somehow managed to haul herself back - leaving me bleeding.
A great experience followed by a great night. Charlotte is a foodies delight and a really welcoming city - I want to come back.
However, two nights out in Charlotte and with not a Rams fan in sight and I was resigned to the fact that we would be rarer than white rhinos at the game.
Helen's old friend is a Panthers fan and we met up again Sunday morning and went for some authentic soul food.
I thought we’d be lucky to get into what is roundly accepted as Charlotte’s leading soul food eatery, but it was quiet - except for a couple of tables of Rams fans - sweet!
A couple of Mimosa’s and some wraps that got the attention of Guys Fieri enough for him to take his Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives show there (and rightly so, they were delicious) and we were on our way.
The nearer we got the the stadium the more Rams fans we started to see. Maybe I was wrong.
As we got in line to the security I got my phone out to pull up my tickets. StubHub had logged me out so I logged back in.
Wrong password.
I knew it wasn’t, so I tried it again with the same result.
And I tried again, and again, and again.
I could barely see my screen in the bright sunshine and I was crouched down trying to find shade as people in line swept past us.
Sweat was pouring off me as much due to my panic setting in as the bright sun. I tried to reset the password and that didn’t work - I still haven’t had the reset email 5 hours later.
I literally shut down the browser, went back in clicked on StubHub with no hope whatsoever - but the Gods were smiling and I was in. I have nooo clue what happened by I was ready to cry with joy and relief.
I really wanted to see Ramsrule, but by now we were literally 5 minutes from kick-off so I sent him a text saying we’d meet up at half time.
Our seats were 30 rows back and climbing those 30 stairs in 92 degrees was brutal.
I mentally calculated that if I went to the concourse once per quarter I’d have climbed higher than the Empire State Building in brutal heat - not an enticing prospect.
We took our seats and to my utter delight were surrounded by Rams fans, most of whom were fairly well lubricated.
I got a text from a buddy who’s a 49ers fan. So, I rather childishly took a selfie of me giving him the finger and hit send.
One of the Rams fans asked who I was sending that to. When I told him, it was a 9er fan he insisted I take one of all the guys behind me giving him the finger too.
How could I refuse?
In fairness my friend thought it was funny.
The Panthers started off and seemed to be moving at will and I was getting uneasy. I panic about as easily as a drug smuggler with a Beagle sniffing him at an airport at football games.
A Mathews sack and then the Littleton fumble recovery settled my nerves and was the precursor to Rams fans making way more noise in our section for the entire first half.
I think we had as many Rams fans around us as we did at the playoff game against the Cowboys last season.
Outside of San Fran and Arizona this was EASILY the biggest Ram turnout I have ever seen. Admittedly that’s only 7 or 8 games, but it still felt great.
A punting and kicking fest ensued, but then came Malcolm Brown. That’s why we paid the guy over $3m and I think he’s a steal.
I went down at half time with the intention of making my way around to see Ramsrule, but needed hydration. The line was crazy, but I had plenty of time.
When I finally ordered a soda I wasn’t expecting the guy to give me an empty cup and then point to a line snaking back past me down the concourse and saying, ‘you fill it up there’ wtf, seriously? I stand in line only to stand in line?
Sorry Troy and I trust you don’t think we were avoiding you matey.
I said I get nervous easily, but similarly I can relax too easily and when Greg kicked the FG to make it 16-3, I thought it was in the bag.
The nerves were back when they hit the TD and then evaporated again when Brown took it in.
The blocked punt didn’t surprise me.
Almost every crowd I have ever been in oo’s and ah’s when a punt gets off - by their nature they are always close - but Johnny had had one really close earlier on. Did it even get tipped? I wasn’t sure at the time.
Anyway, I’d slipped back into panic mode and the intense heat was taking a toll.
That is one hot stadium with almost no relief. It’s a huge concrete bowl that seems almost anachronistic alongside modern stadiums. It’s like The Coliseum but without the history…or the Rams.
By now we had moved away from our Ramily to take up some of the many empty seats lower down.
There were still plenty of Rams fans close by, but we were in enemy territory now.
But here’s the things - Panthers fans obviously think smack is something drug addicts buy, or you did to your kids in days of yore.
They are so polite - or they simply ignore you.
All-day the single worst thing I had said to me was ‘
You picked the wrong team to play on day one’
Seriously? Is that it? Stlramz would have been appalled!
By now McCaffrey was annoying me.
In all seriousness, I’m so glad I saw him play because he’s amazing. Yes the Rams tackled poorly, and yes he had some holes, but he’s a top 3 running back imho and so dangerous out of the backfield.
It was inevitable he’d score a TD and full deserved.
The Higbee TD sealed the deal.
Except it didn’t because Goff threw an interception.
He threw two very poor passes in the first quarter and I kinda expected it. It didn’t look that horrible a pass (not seen it since, so maybe it was), unlike the earlier ones, but it got the crowd back in the game.
The crowd had a couple of mini resurgences, like when Greg missed the FG, but Todd was back and quietened them down nicely.
Well managed Mr. McVay - and whilst we're at it my wife thinks white suits you. Good grief.
Well before the end, the stadium was half empty and by the end, it was half Rams fans.
As we made our way out Helen said to me, ‘
That’s Troy' and pointed to a guy in a Ram jersey with a woman and a small boy.
We have only met at one game and that was 15 years ago, but I trusted her.
I went up behind him slapped him on the back and said,
“You can’t get away from me that easily” Apparently he could, because it wasn’t Ramsrule and I looked like an utter idiot!
The walk back to the hotel of about a mile or so was just a fun, fun experience. I’ve walked away from too many games (usually in San Fran) to shouts of “@#$%& suck” and lots of mocking and abuse.
This one was quiet apart from Rams fans bumping fists and high-fiving.
My record seeing the Rams was at one stage 3 - 11. Then it dawned on me, this was the fourth consecutive game I’ve basked in a victory.
Long may it continue.
Now pass me the wine because those two mimosa’s have worn off and I’m going to celebrate!
There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/2019 02:27PM by RamUK.
