My CSB, Tldr story/experience at the game yesterday

Ok.. so I was fortunate enough to have received some tickets to the game last night from someone here who shall go unnamed unless they don't mind (of which, I'm grateful, and again thank you)... What a fine day it turned out to be.

Me and a buddy get up and leave B'ham at 5am. Thankfully, this was later than what he wanted which was 2am for some God awful reason. We arrive and park in a lot on Luckie St. This was fitting for SO many reasons this day. The sign said $4 dollar parking, but when going to pay, it was $35. After a brief talk with the attendant, there was no budging. It didn't give a receipt, so he force printed one. After checking.. there was no charge to the credit card. So.. free parking for the day just a couple blocks from the Dome. Win #1.

We chill for a bit, then head into fan fare. Meet a few nice Mizzou fans on the way in. Walk around a bit, catch a little SEC Nation and finally have to use the restroom. Looking for one, I duck behind a curtain and low and behold, what do I find? The SEC Championship Trophy sitting on shipping/equipment crate with workers about 50 feet away. A couple look up and go about their business. So what the heck.. we walk on in and take some pics of it and with it. A worker walks over, looks at us, and keeps working.. no fricks were given. Win #2.

After our fill of checking out fanfare, we decide to shortcut out and go through a fire exit on the opposite side everyone entered in. All I can say is oops. It's the service and worker side of the building. Surely there's an exit though. We walk out.. hey.. here's the band getting off the bus.. we start walking.. just feet away from the majorettes lining up to go in for the pep rally, and start the long walk down a hallway where workers, merchandise, etc are lined in shipping bays. Passing workers, us in our Bama gear, carrying some merchandise we bought at fanfare. Get to the end.. lookie.. this is where the players load and unload into the stadium! To the left.. homeland security or whoever has a german shepard sniffing around a paramedic truck.. we walk past them all.. again.. no fricks given.. we walk back and go back into fanfare and exit the only way out. Win #3

Finally.. it's game time..get into the game and meet none other than Flesh Eating Salsa and the wife. Great experience and great guy and very nice spouse. A pleasure. Going into the 4th quarter, get a chance to meet up with another poster who also shall go unnamed. Was very nice and hope to see in New Orleans within the month. We blow the game out. Win #4

Enjoy the celebration.. ok it's time to go.. we exit out the opposite side of where we entered.. as we walk along a worker stops us.. opens a barricade and points us down steps.. players family and media.. players family and media..kinda forcefully to us. So ok.. we go down. Low and behold, it's the other side of the fence from where the players load and unload. Nothing but players families as they greet them on the way to leave on the bus. So we lay back, talk to a few moms and dads of the players, meet a few and now, instead of having only Gene Stallings' autograph, I have my 2nd autograph ever, of Alabama's passing yardage leader, Blake Sims. The only player to come out from behind the barricade to greet other's families, and probably spent 15 or 20 minutes doing so, until they called him onto the bus. Super nice guy and proud to have him repping the Tide. Some others signed for other folks, but he was the only one to take the time and do what he did.

Anyhow.. thought it was a pretty damn good day. Wished had taken more pics, but knew my phone would die before the game got going good. Worked out or wouldn't have gotten a few pics of Blake and a few others after the game before it died.