Thanks for the Memories
By Gabe Correa - Smokey's TrailNov. 27, 2008
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| Peyton Manning leads band and fans to Rocky Top in 1997. |
The time was Dec. of 1997 SEC Championship. Peyton Manning stayed for his senior year and I had tickets in hand to be at this game of champions, Auburn vs. Tennessee. My friend and I had seats right behind the Tennessee marching band. We were so excited just to be there and when we got there in the Georgia dome it was an awesome site to see. Before the lights went out in Georgia, the Tennessee Vols came from behind in the fourth quarter from a pass from Manning to Marcus Nash for the win 30-29.
Right after the game Peyton Manning ran over to where the Tennessee marching band was seated, and got on a ladder and lead the band to play Rocky Top. My friend and I went crazy to say the least. We couldn’t get any higher it was absolutely fantastic. Once in a life time experience, we were enjoying the moment. The very next year in 1998, Tee Martin and the Volunteers led us to another SEC Championship game between the Vols and Miss State, but this time I couldn’t get SEC Championship tickets, because everybody wanted them.
I had been a season ticket holder for a few years, and the allotment for tickets for each school was about 15 thousand I think.
But anyway, I had to get some tickets fast, so I went online and found some at a reasonable cost for $300 for 4 seats. He wouldn’t sell me two for just me and my wife I had to buy all 4. The tickets cost face value at $65ea. Now to my story on the tickets, the guy that had the tickets lived in Birmingham, Alabama, and of course he was a Alabama fan, and the game was the very next week, so I told him I would pick them up on the way to the SEC Championship that Friday.
So here we go, me and my wife to Birmingham, but first let me tell you that I bleed orange and white literally from head to toe and my vehicle was covered with UT flags, UT magnets and orange & white pom poms hanging from the back. They can see me coming five miles away. So we arrived at Birmingham about 12 noon on Friday and the stares that we got could kill someone. We were deep in the enemies’ territory downtown, and I pulled over in front of an Art Gallery and stopped. I told my wife to lock the doors and I’ll be right back with the tickets.
When I got back to the SUV, my wife told me don’t you ever bring me here again, and I said why? These Alabama people was giving her thumbs down and shooting her the bird and saying you’re going to lose why bother going. I said to myself what do you expect being in the heart of Alabama die hard fans….
We made it in one piece to Georgia and I got up real early the next day to sell my other two tickets at the Georgia Dome, and left my wife at the hotel. When I got there, I only saw a few people walking around trying to sell their tickets too. I came across the back side of the dome where all the satellite TV networks were. I talked to some network guys and told them I had two SEC tickets to sell. They told me to come over because they hadn’t seen what they look like.
I told them how I got the tickets in Birmingham and how much I paid for them. They wanted me to be interviewed by a Knoxville, TV station on channel 8. So I said yes, and they showed my tickets and how I got them in Birmingham. I couldn’t find any Tennessee fans after the interview that wanted them, so I sold them to some Miss State fans that sat next to us; they were good people.
Enjoyed the game that night, but it was a dog fight with the Miss State Bulldogs, and it was close, but the Volunteers pulled away at the end to win 24-14.
Thanks Phillip Fulmer, John Chavis, David Cutcliffe, Peyton Manning, Tee Martin and The Volunteers for the precious memories for a life time.
I pray that God will give you wisdom and understanding to lead guide and direct on what ever you do, because you gave your heart and soul for orange and white, and change lives forever…
Go Vols
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