Football is Back

August 31, 2013

Cowboy Classic

LSU - TCU

Debi and I had purchased tickets, reserved a room and made our plans to drive to Dallas and attend the Cowboy Classic.

Our plans changed quickly around the middle of last week when our contact with TAF called with an offer to good to refuse.

A complimentary TAF travel package had become aviable and they needed two warm bodies to fill it.  Were we flexable enough to be able to join them with such short notice?

 Hell yea - SIGN US UP !!

We gathered at the Football Operations Building.

Debi entering Football Operations from the parking lot across the street.

We went through "screening" inside Football Operations.  These busses took us directly to the airplane.





There is lots of football history inside the Operations building.  I took a few photos but one would really need to spend more time  to appreciate what all is there.

The locker room door was open so i took a photo.

And we are off......





Our group boarded the plane around noon on Friday.  The players arrived an hour or so later.

United Airline 767-400

Boosters, Press, Coaches Wife's, Staff, and others board the plane.

Players ride in the First Class and Business Class area of the plane.

The plane is ready for the players arrival.

Players and coaches arrive at airport.



After a  quick one hour flight to DFW we exit the plane and load onto awaiting busses.  The Coaches and Players exit from the front of the plane while the rest of us exit the rear of the plane.  Our busses go directly to our hotel while the Coaches and Players go to the Stadium.

At DFW

DFW

DFW

At the Omni in Fort Worth.



Friday night we had dinner at Del Frisco's with several other couples that we were traveling with. 

Saturday Debi and I toured around downtown Fort Worth aboard Molly the Trolly.  
We were unable to spend much time looking around but plan to return when its COOLER !

At 5pm Saturday afternoon we turned in our suitcases, joined the team and loaded onto the busses for the quick trip to the stadium.

Here we go Tigers

The coaches wifes were on our bus.

Bus people.

Texas Rangers Field

Cowboy Stadium

The new NFL rules prevented our bus from going under the stadium with the team. They put us out in the parking lot with the rest of the fans. 

We had great seats 

Tigers are ready to play.

View from our seats.

 After the game we were escorted under the Stadium to the loading docks where the busses were waiting.

Debi and General Ron Richard (TAF)

Security Sreening before we load onto the busses.  At the airport we go directly to the plane.

Loading onto the busses.

Seat assignments

We boarded the bus at 1:05am.  The team finished boarding around 2am.  We were escorted to the airport and boarded directly onto the plane. A quick flight to BR, back onto busses, escorted back to campus and in our car a little after 4, another hour to Lafayette and in bed for 5:15am.