My dad and I attended the 2014 Vizio BCS National Championship game on Monday, January 6th. Daddy graduated from Auburn, and I will follow in his footsteps when I walk across the stage in May. We are both proud members of the Auburn family, so we jumped at the opportunity to attend this game.
Because our attempts to buy tickets from Ticketmaster were in vain and I was not selected in the ticket lottery until a week before game day, we tracked ticket prices for weeks and ended up buying from Stubhub. We ended up with tickets close to the Florida State section, so most of our game day was spent with the “Tomahawk Chop” ringing in our ears. We were boxed in by FSU fans, but we did have a few other Auburn fans in our area.
As the seconds ticked off the clock to end the game and Auburn’s National Championship dreams came to an abrupt halt, I felt and saw the defeat in the faces and demeanor of the Auburn family. I shook the hands of the FSU fans around us and proceeded to walk out of the stadium. We were so close to the FSU section that I knew attempts to chant “It’s great to be an Auburn Tiger” would be lost and honestly, I just wanted to go to sleep. The loss was tough and disappointing, but I knew the Auburn family would be fine once the shock wore off.
I had no idea how gracefully we would rise above the defeat.
This is when writing comes into the picture. The power of words has been the saving grace of this National Championship defeat. As I walked the mile back to my car after the game, I scrolled through Twitter to read the resounding support from Auburn fans both before, during, and after the game. The next morning, I woke up to see numerous articles posted on Facebook expressing the gratitude fans, coaches, and players felt about this football season. It was the power of words from the Auburn family that made me realize that the hurt of the defeat would dull and eventually disappear.
Three days later and articles, tweets, blog posts, comments, and statuses continue to surface. I am proud to be a part of such a large and supportive family that uses the power of words to show the 2013 Auburn Tigers that we are thankful for their contribution to the larger fanbase.
Words are important and can make an impact. Without these sources of support for our Tigers, I would have spent the entire day after the game thinking mournfully about our loss; instead, I used my bountiful amount of airport sitting time to enjoy the triumph of words used by the Auburn family. War eagle forever.
Here are just a few of the articles that I read following the National Championship game:
Nosa Eguae’s open letter to Auburn fans
Auburn football 2013: No apologies, No regrets
Gone in 79 seconds: Auburn at the BCS Championship
- Dianna
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