A day in the life

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Craig Degel

2:45 p.m. - I arrive at the world's greatest mass of humanity - the Arizona tailgate party. The Allegiance members are there with six pizzas and a cooler full of beer. I decide this could be a lot better than I thought.

2:46 p.m. - Someone offers me a beer. I graciously accept.

3:01 - Gretchen, the club president, presents me with an official Arizona Allegiance necktie to wear during the game. She explains that the Allegiance is a place for diehard student fans to get together at games and act like complete fools as they root on the Wildcats. I think I'll fit right in.

3:03 - Hey, beer man.

3:30 - The club nominates me to wear the club's Game Day Geek hat. I graciously accept. When in Rome right?

3:35 - I get taunted about the hat for the first time. Bring it on baby.

4:15 - Six beers later, it's time to head over to the game for kickoff. But first, it's time for an Allegiance tradition. Everybody grabs a beer, yells "Beer Down Arizona" then proceeds to chug the beer. Hey, I do fit right in.

4:20 - I decide it is my journalistic responsibility to see just how easy it is to sneak alcohol into football games.

4:27 - Sweet. It really is as easy as everybody says.

4:32 - We get to our seats in Section 4 and proceed to stand for the next four hours. Thank goodness the alcohol is dulling the pain in my back.

4:35 - Kickoff. Let's get busy.

5:30 - OK, it took a full hour to play the first quarter. A guy behind me says he may be forced to leave at halftime to get more alcohol. I admire his strength of convictions.

5:36 - I hear something I never thought I'd hear at an Arizona football game in a million years. Somebody actually yells out "Hey, Tomey, why don't you run the ball?"

5:38 - Medics revive me with smelling salts. He said what?

6:15 - Arizona is down 22-19 to an Arizona State team that couldn't punch its way out of a paper bag. I guess I should have expected this. When these two teams get together, expect the unexpected. Somebody asks me about Trung Canidate. All I can think to say is, "He's a god."

6:16 - Check that. Canidate just went 80 yards for a touchdown. He is the God.

6:30 - It's halftime and I'm down on the field with the rest of the Allegiance members. The club is responsible for making the banner that the team runs through when it returns from halftime.

6:42 - The Wildcats are bouncing up and down and chanting "Get Some." I am so moved by the emotion that I try to headbutt one of the players. I decide to try and "Get Some" elsewhere.

7:23 - My buzz is gone, my back is killing me and the Sun Devils are still in the game. Morale is low in Section 4.

7:25 - It's Trung to the rescue. Who's this Ricky Williams guy again?

8:15 - Every cop in Tucson shows up in riot gear in each corner of the stadium. The natives get restless and start to chant bad things about police officers.

8:20 - Somebody is starting a chant about smelling roses. Arizona State scores again. Somebody shut that guy up.

8:29 - Arizona State tries one last desperate attempt to tie the game. Arizona cornerback Kelvin Hunter becomes my new best friend as he deflects the pass to the dirt. Arizona wins 50-42.

8:30 - Pandemonium. Cops be damned, the student section empties onto the playing field. I graciously hand my Game Day Geek hat back to the Allegiance club. In case I get arrested they won't have to worry about the hat.

8:40 - Whoever it was that climbed all the way to the top of the goalpost deserves a reward. I decide to buy him a beer if he doesn't fall to his death.

8:41 - I turn to the south goalpost to see Arizona wide receiver Brad Brennan sitting on top of the crossbar. That's what it's all about. Unabashed joy. If you aren't having fun, why are you there?

9:00 - I remember how the Tucson Police Department responded to the last celebration Arizona fans had and decide to leave the field. I don't like rubber bullets.

9:25 - I call my travel agent. I need two on the field in Pasadena. See you Jan. 1.

Craig Degel is a journalism senior and can be reached via e-mail at Craig.Degel@wildcat.arizona.edu.