My first MSU game is celebrated in a pennant on my wall "Memphis 27/Ole Miss 17" from 1967. I was 15, bought my own tickets and looked for my parents to pick me up for an hour after the game. I was in the south end zone. I remember when TOM (Tigers Of Memphis) was first introduced in 1972 to boos because nobody liked his name, when we beat Florida State in 1973 (after a 3rd and 24 and I stormed out of the stadium only to hear a touchdown reception over the stadium system; i never left another game early); and when I was roofing a house in the '83 in Starkville (listening to the radio) when all the MooU fans became Tigers for a day (Tigers won 37-17 and it wasn't that close). I was also one of the 4,100 on the rainy night against ECU. So today is just the pinnacle of being a Tiger fan. I know there are both good games and bad times ahead; but because I have seen my share of the bad, the Tigers are only going to get better.

(10-30-2019 06:24 PM)Seabee TIger Fan Wrote:  When I walk in to the Liberty Bowl Saturday afternoon, I'm going to shed a tear. I did it in the 2017 Liberty Bowl Game and in October of 2015 when we opened the year against Ole Miss. I was in awe both times of how the "Ole Girl" looked on those days. She was full. She looked majestic. But, She was spattered with red.

The first game I ever saw in the Liberty Bowl was against Alabama, way back in 1991, when I was just seven years old. Admittedly, I don't remember much about that game, or very much from that age for that matter. I remember Memphis losing(10-7, I had to look that up), and hearing the crowd yell Rooooollllll Tiiiiideeee. That was my takeaway from my first Tigers Game.

I've been to countless games since then. All through high school in the early 2000's, and while I was a student at Memphis, I even became a season ticket holder when I joined the Navy in 2007 and was stationed nearly 400 miles away yet made it to at least three games a year until operational commitments kept me away in 2017.

Friday, I'm driving the 400 miles from home to watch the game. I'm bringing my two sons with me, just as my dad did for me way back in 1991. My oldest, 10, has been to a few games, most notably when we clinched the East against Uconn a few years ago, the youngest hasn't been to a game yet. We're making future Tiger Fans now!!! It's going to be a memorable one.

Can't wait to see y'all there. Wear Blue, Be Proud. Go Tigers!

My oldest son is a Seabee in his third year stationed at Port Hueneme. I appreciate all you have done.

TM