The Peripheral: Auburn Tigers vs Georgia Bulldogs

I've been watching Auburn play all season. I've missed the majority of their games the last 3 years as I was covering the Georgia Bulldogs on a weekly basis. It's been a good year to get to follow them religiously. Every Saturday me and my Auburn alum Dad have screamed at the tv set together along with my more passive mother as the Tigers have battled to a 10-0 record. This past Saturday I had the opportunity to shoot their last home game against long time rival Georgia. My parents had free tickets so we all traveled down together. The recent Cam Newton allegations tried to put a damper on the excitement, but as we approached the stadium all that faded away. Once inside I was literally like a kid on Christmas bouncing around the sidelines getting shots of all of my favorite players during pregame warm-ups. Then I saw him.

He is a legend everywhere, but no where more intensely than my own home. My dad has been an avid Auburn fan since his college days there about 40 years ago where he attended every home game. His all time favorite player is Bo Jackson. Bo's picture going over the top into the end zone to beat in-state rival Alabama has been framed on the wall for as long as I can remember. As a youngster we even had a lab named Bo Jackson. Even though my dad has never been a big NFL fan we watched Raiders games when Bo played for them. My dad's love for the legend transferred to me proven by the Bo action figure that sits on my desk. And there he was next to me on the sidelines before the game. I normally ignore the occassional celebrities on the sidelines, but I couldn't ignore Bo. I exuberantly told him of my family's adulation of him and about his action figure fixed atop my desk which made him laugh. I got a picture with him. It was awesome.

The game went on to be one of the most exciting I've ever been at if not the most. The Tigers got down by two touchdowns in the first half only to come back and tie it up before halftime. The third quarter continued with matching touchdowns for each team. Then the No. 2 ranked Tigers showed why they are undefeated as they pulled ahead 18 points (49-31) to go 11-0 and clinch a spot in the SEC Championship. The fans stayed in the stands cheering and chanting long after the last player had headed to the lockeroom.

After the game I met back up with my parents and we weaved through chaotic streets filled with other orange clad Tiger fans to get back to the car. It became surreal as we approached the toilet rolled trees of the infamous Toomer's Corner where my own father had participated in the madness 4 decades ago. As we made the drive back to Tuscaloosa we were all giddy with the excitement of the day. We all felt we'd experienced something special.