Florala

Issue date: 9/21/06 Section: Ideas

Pat Howard

CHEERS to all the students, groups and community members who took to Spirit Hill for tailgating. The good times were rolling with a live DJ and free food among the offerings. The mass of UNA supporters was quite a sight, one the team surely found encouraging. If you missed out on the action, it's not too late to tailgate. Tailgating on Spirit Hill will take place at every home game for the rest of the season. We hope to see you out there on the hill.

JEERS to waiting in line. The long lines at the student entrance didn't give fans much time to get into the stadium before kickoff. The Mane Card scanners at the entrance were moving people through expediently, but we at The Flor-Ala learned from the experience that the time to get in line before the game is early. A cheer-within-a-jeer, however, to all the fans that came out. The lines were long, after all, because so many people came out to support the team. More than 11,000 fans were in attendance, which is awesome.

CHEERS to the 2006 Lions football team, which is off to an excellent start. The team was in fine form last Thursday at the home opener, at which they handily beat Harding. The final score was 41-14, making the Lions 2-0 for the season. We'll continue to expect great things from what looks to be a fantastic team.

JEERS to Mascot Leo, who took the opportunity to traumatize a young fan. Early in the game, Leo reached over the fence to hug a young boy, who couldn't have been more than three or four years old. The boy recoiled because he was scared of the lion. He returned to Leo for a hug at his father's urging. All was well until later in the game when Leo came back around with a piece of foam he'd been using to playfully hit those on the sidelines. He used the Styrofoam to take a whack at the same little boy, who burst into tears. I'm sure Leo thought it was playful, but the little boy will likely remember the experience as unpleasant for some time.

And finally, CHEERS to UNA athletic director Joel Erdmann, who worked with Zaxby's in Florence to offer a fulltuition scholarship to one student for the spring semester. Each time you use your Mane Card, you are entered to win. The more you eat, the more chances you have to win. This is definitely a great idea for a promotion. Free tuition -- what more could you ask for?

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools