So much for my triumphant return back home during Labor Day weekend.
“But didn’t you just get back to school?” Yes, you are absolutely correct. But that is not the point.
As much as I love Detroit, this was more of a business trip. I was supposed to cover the fourth annual Ford Detroit Football Classic Saturday afternoon.
I submitted my press credential request nearly a month in advance. Everything seemed to be in order for the trip up to the Great Lake State.
All I had to do now was secure a spot on the team bus. Whoops. There was not a team bus.
No team bus? “Oh, the Rattlers are flying on this trip,” I was told. Cool, that actually makes sense. Any chance there’s room for me on that flight? I would have had better luck asking for a custom 2008 Bentley Azure complete with 30-inch rims.Still too early to worry, I looked for other options. Student government had to have a bus lined up? Wrong again.
About 2000 miles worth of gas would probably strain the SGA budget so I understood their decision not to go.
And, despite the fact Delaware State has a good team – see game recap – DSU is not a draw like Howard or Tennessee State.
It may be a response to the sauna like conditions of a Capital City summer, but at that point I was beginning to sweat a little bit.
Well the Michigan Club had to jump at the chance to head north on I-75 and cruise down Woodward Avenue right? No sir. It is only the first week of school; it was unrealistic for the club to travel without having met at least once. My list of transportation options, along with my chances of stepping into Ford Field, began to dwindle.
I could try to work something out with the band, or so I thought. Though the Marching 100 often travels in numbers that triple its name, it was worth a try. The worst response would be ‘no’ and I have heard this quite a few times as a journalist, especially on the Hill. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to make a plea. The ‘100’ was set to depart for the Motor City on Thursday, which may not have posed a problem had I found out before Wednesday night.
A last ditch call to student activities proved fruitless. At this point, game day was less than 48 hours away and I would have to catch the tape delay on ESPNU. Oddly enough, many students were not trying to find a sports bar at 10 p.m. Saturday. Maybe a new pair of shoes may be in order for my road trip to Miami this week. If I have already left before you read this, I may be halfway there.
John W. Marsh is a junior broadcast journalism student from Detroit. He can be reached at thefamuansports@hotmail.com