The Rock Was Lit

"What did you do this weekend?" -  That's the common question asked around the water cooler on Monday's mornings.  Saturday afternoons in the late summer and fall are arguably the most time of the year.  Temperatures in my neck of the woods (Durham, N.C.) run in the mid-to-low 70's; you can't beat that unless there's an ice cool breeze as proverbial cherry on top.

Well, what did I do this weekend, I took my talents to Boone. I made the trip up US-421N to check out the Appalachian State Mountaineers take on the Wake Forest Deamon Deacons.  I've made this trip plenty of times before, but I hadn't been to the high country for a game since 2008.  This game turned out to be Tony the Tiger great.   Myself and 35,000 other people were treated to one whale of a game. Moby Dick would have been jealous of this game; it ended in dramatic fashion when App State's last second field goal was blocked. The best part of my Saturday afternoon in Boone was all of the cool and passionate folks I came across.  

My first interaction as I walked up to Kidd Brewer Stadium, or as App State fans affectionately call it "The Rock", was with a ticket scalper on a bicycle.  He asked if I needed tickets.  I was late arriving so my media pass wasn't at the gate; I was going to need a ticket, so I snagged one for about forty bucks.  Next, I smelled meat - I hit the first tailgate I see - I mosey on up to the grill and grab a hamburger to go.  As I'm walking up to the gate I find myself giddy with anticipation.  When I finally get in, atmosphere was electric,  and I enjoyed one H E double hockey sticks of a game.  

The next four hours were filled with roars and moans, depending on which team you were rooting for.  I overheard arm chair quarterbacks, coaches, and referees; I even had a long conversation with a young lady from Nebo, NC.   I watched the game while listening to my little brother (Pierre) do his color analyst duties for App State. (Shoutout to A-Dub and Molly.)  "The Rock" was lit despite the Mountaineers loss.   I couldn't have asked for a better game day experience; people of Boone, please believe I'll be back 

Oh yea, I almost forgot.  Pierre and I stopped by Five Guys after the game; I ate hella fries. 

Fin 

@sportsbydaimeon   

There is no Off-Season

Let me preface this post by saying that I have played and watched sports since I could walk.  I've played, in no particular order: football, basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, track&field, and even dabbled in lacrosse.  As a kid growing up in Durham, Norh Carolina I was always going from one sport to the next.  After football season came basketball - after basketball came baseball - after baseball came the next sport.  Looking back,  it was a vicious cycle actually, thanks Mom.  But in all seriousness; what I've come to realize in my geriatric years is that there is no longer an off-season.

I listen to quite a bit of sports-talk radio.  Like most Americans I obsessively watch ESPN, FS1, and the like.  I listen and read pretty much anything sports related just to get my "fix."   Sports season's  have now done what most human being wish they could do; they never DIE!!!!

I swear the Super Bowl just ended (Congrats Patriots fans, sucks to be you Falcons fans) yet teams are only a few weeks away from reporting back to training camp.  Squeezed in between the SB and the start of training camps have been 14,000000 OTA's ⬅️ Organized team activities, and the endless talk of why Colin Kaepernick is still unemployed 🤷🏾‍♂️  In short, the season never ended!

The NBA finals concluded a few weeks back.  KD got his chip, GS is the best team in the history of  teams sports on any plant, in the entire friggin galaxy, and LeBron haters can continue to rejoice in pure unadulterated hate.  You wouldn't know it because not two hours after the final buzzer sounded in game 5, pundits (me included m) were yapping about what trade Cleveland needed to make to compete with Golden State.  Also, the NBA draft just went down and every 18-year old in Amaerica just went in the first round.  It's never - friggn - ends.

I love sports for the lessons it teaches, the bonds they build,  and the character that they reveal. With that being said,  I still feel we as humans need a break from sports.  Take time and enjoy your family, read and good book, or even volunteer in your community.  Help your neighbor, take your granny to the supermarket, start a blog.  What I'm saying is sports shouldn't be all encompassing in your life; get out there and live it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to check twitter for any trade updates.  Don't judge me.

Daimeon S.Banks
@Sportsbydaimeon