I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the BCS National Championship game in Miami, Florida this year.  As a kid with no collegiate allegiance, I jumped on the Notre Dame bandwagon in high school and have been a fan ever since.  This year I boarded the plane with the idea that at the very least I could tailgate and watch the game on TV, taking in the atmosphere.  At the last minute, we got entrance into the stadium and were able to watch the entire game.  Over the next three days, I’ll be sharing my observations from the game in a three part review: Part 1 – The Game, Part 2 – Draft Impact,  Part 3 – Atmospheric Observations.

Part 3 – Other Observations

As we landed in Miami on game-day  I saw 90% Notre Dame fans, and very little Alabama apparel out.  After the game, it was 50/50. Are ‘Bama fans not as outwardly proud of their team unless they win? Who knows, either way I can say as a member of the Notre Dame cheering section, I was impressed with the Alabama fans. They were into the game, alert of the situations, and pleasant. I guess when you win three of the last four championships, you get pretty good at winning with grace – kudos to those that support the Crimson Tide.

The only negative (and if this is the only negative, they’re doing okay) was the Alabama band, with whom I was disgusted.  They have an enormous band of about one million members (known as the Million Dollar Band, but not because of the size), and yet they found a way to bore the fans to sleep at halftime.  The marching formations lacked creativity and the songs were not exhilarating at all.  They also seemed to be the only people in the entire stadium not paying attention to what was happening throughout the game.  The band had a tendency to strike up a song at very inopportune times, like when the Discover hosts were giving an award to a Military veteran who was shot in the line of duty and returned to the states to be involved in the Clemson University football program, or when Lee Corso was receiving an award as a significant contributor to NCAA football.  Yuck to them.

Before the half we went to grab some hot dogs and other concession goodies only to find that most Notre Dame fans felt like they needed to hang out by the beer vendors stations.  I found it funny that they were drowning their sorrows, while the Alabama fans relished in their teams success.  Here are some of the drinks enjoyed by Notre Dame fans while on South Beach the day after the game:

While on South Beach the lady friends wanted to stop and Keep up with the Kardashians by checking out their Miami store:

Luckily, it was just across the street from Miami Ink. We considered tattoos but the line was too long…

I was in Miami just over two days wearing Irish apparel, and I only had one ‘Bama fan yell at me the entire time. Even then, it was in good spirits – he yelled “ROLL TIDE” over some adult beverages.  All I could do was smile and say sheepishly “roll tide.”  Congratulations to the Alabama Crimson Tide on an excellent season, and impressive back-to-back championships.

-Rex Cotten