The press box in Vaughn Towers bores me. Sure, the pre-game meal for the media is nice and the view is spectacular, but it can’t compete with my beloved section eight. There’s no guy sopped up on airplane bottles who swears he could coach better than Chuck Amato. There’s no roommate named Dan the Man or kid with an orange cast on his left arm (sorry, I didn’t catch your name) to knock over every time I approve or disapprove, for that matter, of the home team. A few thoughts on Saturday’s 17-15 win against Boston College from section eight, row Y —
State fans started liking Daniel Evans well before the final play. Sure, Carter-Finley Stadium seemed to erupt in a “Daniel-Evans!” chant when the final seconds chipped off the clock, but the fans around me were pretty happy with him at halftime, too. He looked sharp and relaxed in the first half. Mr. Airplane Bottle said it best.”Anything but Jay Davis,” he lazily announced to the crowd over his right shoulder.Whether or not Evans becomes the savior of this program is negligible at the moment. His right arm and junior wide receiver John Dunlap’s hands delivered Raleigh some near-riot-like celebrations after the game — the sweet medicine some State fans needed after a long drought of any meaningful home victories.
I’m not the only one impressed with how Marcus Stone is handling losing his starting role. I heard someone talking in the bathroom at halftime about how he hoped Amato could convince redshirt junior Marcus Stone to stay at State in some other role. He said he was impressed the quarterback who just lost his starting role hadn’t gone and whined in the media.Well, I agree. I wrote a story about Stone earlier this year, for which I spent a little bit of time with him and talking with his father, Michael. For what it’s worth, the two members of that family I talked with, as human beings, are credits to the University. Both are standup, support-your-team guys who could have easily turned Marcus’s demotion into a soap opera.But neither did.Instead, there was Marcus on Saturday night next to offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, signaling in plays to the new starter.
Maybe fans were booing the fact it was a Chevrolet, and not because it was a video of Amato, but when the commercial to “Win Chuck’s Truck” came across the Jumbotron, a slow, groaning “Boo!” hummed among the student section. Granted, this win takes a lot — I mean a LOT — of heat off the seventh-year head coach, but the boo-birds definitely flew over Raleigh on Saturday night.
What goes in, must come out — so naturally, when I had to go to the bathroom for the umpteenth time, I thought I’d be allowed back into the section right away. Hey, I had my ticket, no problem, right?Wrong.I returned to the section to see a line waiting to get back in. It was a “one-in-and-one-out situation” the security guard told me. I don’t get it — I’m “one,” I just left, so let me back in. No dice.It’s a bad situation when students with tickets to a certain section aren’t allowed in. Fortunately they let me return to row Y after a few minutes, but I know I was one of the lucky ones. Hopefully we’ll see the department of athletics take the bull by the horns and fix this issue before the Florida State game.
“Don’t wear red if you can’t handle the disappointment,” shouted some pretty girl sitting a few seats away from me as droves of students headed out of the stadium. It was after Evans threw an interception on fourth and two with 3:08 remaining in the game.My roommate Dan wanted to fight and had some choice words for the early leavers, too, but thankfully he speaks Italian and most of them had no idea what he was saying.With so much time left, I couldn’t believe so many people headed out. State had two timeouts with more than three minutes to play, and people were leaving. Quitting. Giving up. Seriously? That’s like paying to go see a movie and leaving at one of the dramatic turns. I don’t get it.
Hats off to the one guy who rushed the field. As the seconds ticked off the clock, one guy spilled over the edge of section eight and onto the field, where a few police officers immediately introduced themselves. Hey man, listen — thanks. I don’t know who you are. You’re probably in jail awaiting trial for your horrendous crime and not near a Technician stand, but I just wanted to say thanks for renewing my faith in the Wolfpack fanbase. You, in one sloppy and I’m sure awkward motion, did what thousands behind you wanted and perhaps wished they had.Make sure you tell your kids to do the same.
If you are or if you know the guy who rushed the field (or if you just want to share your thoughts on the Boston College game) e-mail Tanner at sports@technicianonline.com or call him at 515-2411.