Thursday, December 19, 2024

LA Bowl Hijinks


Wed. & Thurs., Dec. 18-19, 2024

Lots of football news to report, it all started Wednesday morning with a drive, yet again, to Pasadena.

La Salle H.S. Head Football Coach
Mark Servé summoned me to their campus

A few weeks ago he donated 24 used shoulder pads that were all in good condition to be passed along to needy teams overseas.

Today he donated a total of
49 red and 32 blue game pants

The first nine of those shoulder pads had been sent to Spain's Guadalajara Stings about two weeks ago.

On Thursday, with the unexpected but greatly appreciated aid of grandson Jacob, we shipped off three boxes to the Sueca Ricers, also from Spain, containing the last 15 shoulder pads and the 32 blue game pants donated to the great EuroBall cause by the La Salle H.S. football program.

Of course, no one in EuroBall would have received any of the God only knows how many boxes of football gear we have sent overseas since we started doing this in 2010, were it not for the duct taping expertise of my effervescent bride, Laurie Contreras.

Thank You, Lancers!

Thank You, Laurie!

Now, to find a team wanting red game pants . . .

Wednesday night, Michael and Jacob joined me in battling the notorious Los Angeles rush hour traffic to attend . . . 

. . . the 4th Annual LA Bowl!

California Golden Bears
Tied for Fourteenth place in the
Atlantic Coast Conference
6-6 overall, 2-6 ACC

vs.

#24 Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels
Tied for Second place in the
Mountain West Conference
10-3 overall, 6-1 MWC

The game was at SoFi Stadium
Home of the NFL Rams and Chargers

The cost of our parking spot was almost as much as the cost of our three tickets combined.

They did not bother to check our clear plastic bags for contraband nor scan our bodies as we entered SoFi.

It was like going to a game in the 1970s.

Beautiful setting

With Jacob in 70,000 seat SoFi Stadium

The announced paid attendance was 24,420. We guessed that the actual attendance was much closer to 15,000 rabid fans like Jacob and me.

The SoFi scoreboard is indeed
GIGANTIC!

Cal in white on Defense

It was a competitive, entertaining game from the start.

At the Half, it was UNLV 14 - Cal 13

I like this End Zone view of the action

My mates!

Los Angeles Polytechnic H.S.
Home of the Fighting Parrots

When we saw this young man proudly wearing his letterman's jacket, we were reminded of two of the Noblest Parrots of Them All, Poly alums Paul Sabolić and Bill Gardner, Laurie's father.

The game continued . . .

. . . we changed seats and no one
seemed to care

New seats again in the Fourth Quarter

A strong Second Half showing by
UNLV was the difference in the game

FINAL SCORE
UNLV Rebels (11-3) - 24
California Golden Bears (6-7) - 13

Only one thing left to do to top off a good evening of college bowl game mania . . .

DONUTS!

Not just any donuts, RANDY'S DONUTS!

Randy's has been selling great donuts at this spot since 1952 under their iconic mega-donut.

One for each of us

Top Left: Jacob's traditional pink sprinkles iced cake donut

Top Right: Michael's maple raised with churros

Bottom: My bacon maple long john

ALL WERE,
PRETTY DAMN GOOD!

News from the net . . .

Let the insanity continue . . .

No comments: