I was not able to chime in on yesterday's Rose Bowl game thread since I actually attended the game. My son graduated from PSU this past May and we jumped on the opportunity to go. My hope is that we one day get to see Rutgers in the Rose Bowl and now having been there I would highly recommend attending as it is a special experience. This was my 8th bowl game (7th with my son) and let me tell you, all others pale in comparison to the Rose Bowl.
You get a tremendous sense that this is a big event, and this was enhanced by having USC in the game. PSU travelled very well and it seemed everyone in the crowd was wearing the colors of one of the schools. We attended the official PSU tailgate party and the vendor, Prime Sports, did a great job. Despite a big crowd there were plenty of tables and chairs and many food and drink stands so there were never lines. Entry into the stadium was made easy since the bag check took place outside of the stadium as you entered the Fan Fest/ Official tailgate areas. Sure the stadium is old but it was not uncomfortable. Both school bands were top notch. It seemed that USC's band plays their fight song for any play that gains positive yardage.
The game itself was epic. The USC QB and Barkley are 2 early entries on the 2017 Heisman watch list. For 30 minutes, Penn State was the best team in the country not named Alabama but the game is 60 minutes. USC's defense came up big when it counted and they deserved the win. The refs made some questionable calls but to me they went both ways.
Haven't been to LA in a long time but really enjoyed ourselves. Stayed with a buddy in Redondo Beach 2 nights then moved to the Manhattan Beach Marriott for 2 nights. Drove all over LA without hitting any traffic, probably due to the holiday. PSU Pep Rally was held at LA Live at the Staple Center and that was a great area with multiple bars/ restaurants. Everywhere we went in the city we ran into Penn State fans.Thing was that we saw no one wearing USC apparel until we got to the game.
We did not get to the parade which starts at 8 AM. The hotel we stayed at was also used as part of the PSU travel package and the people who were attending the parade were being bussed to Pasadena at 4:30 AM to get to their grandstand seats by about 6:30 for the 8 AM parade start. We drove and despite leaving at 6:30 AM we did not get parked until after 8 and felt it was not worth the effort since its tough to get a viewing spot at that late hour.
2 funny things: on Friday night we went to dinner at the Rock and Brew in Redondo Beach. Turned out to be a big Michigan bar with a Michigan flag hanging on the wall and "Hail to the Victors: playing on the house PA. Every TV was tuned into the Orange Bowl and the very pro Michigan crowd went wild throughout, so it was pretty cool to watch them deflate at the end as FSU pulled it out.
Second, I guess you cant go to LA without a celebrity sighting. My son is a fan of Billy Burr, the writer/comedian/actor. Evidently Burr has podcasts that he listens to. So my son made a point of telling me that Burr attends the Rose Bowl with his buddies every year. Sure enough we walked past his tailgate and got to say hello. I only know the guy from Breaking Bad where he played one of Saul Goodman's henchman (the red haired guy in the episode where Ted Beneke breaks his neck).
All in all a great trip and a very entertaining game.
You get a tremendous sense that this is a big event, and this was enhanced by having USC in the game. PSU travelled very well and it seemed everyone in the crowd was wearing the colors of one of the schools. We attended the official PSU tailgate party and the vendor, Prime Sports, did a great job. Despite a big crowd there were plenty of tables and chairs and many food and drink stands so there were never lines. Entry into the stadium was made easy since the bag check took place outside of the stadium as you entered the Fan Fest/ Official tailgate areas. Sure the stadium is old but it was not uncomfortable. Both school bands were top notch. It seemed that USC's band plays their fight song for any play that gains positive yardage.
The game itself was epic. The USC QB and Barkley are 2 early entries on the 2017 Heisman watch list. For 30 minutes, Penn State was the best team in the country not named Alabama but the game is 60 minutes. USC's defense came up big when it counted and they deserved the win. The refs made some questionable calls but to me they went both ways.
Haven't been to LA in a long time but really enjoyed ourselves. Stayed with a buddy in Redondo Beach 2 nights then moved to the Manhattan Beach Marriott for 2 nights. Drove all over LA without hitting any traffic, probably due to the holiday. PSU Pep Rally was held at LA Live at the Staple Center and that was a great area with multiple bars/ restaurants. Everywhere we went in the city we ran into Penn State fans.Thing was that we saw no one wearing USC apparel until we got to the game.
We did not get to the parade which starts at 8 AM. The hotel we stayed at was also used as part of the PSU travel package and the people who were attending the parade were being bussed to Pasadena at 4:30 AM to get to their grandstand seats by about 6:30 for the 8 AM parade start. We drove and despite leaving at 6:30 AM we did not get parked until after 8 and felt it was not worth the effort since its tough to get a viewing spot at that late hour.
2 funny things: on Friday night we went to dinner at the Rock and Brew in Redondo Beach. Turned out to be a big Michigan bar with a Michigan flag hanging on the wall and "Hail to the Victors: playing on the house PA. Every TV was tuned into the Orange Bowl and the very pro Michigan crowd went wild throughout, so it was pretty cool to watch them deflate at the end as FSU pulled it out.
Second, I guess you cant go to LA without a celebrity sighting. My son is a fan of Billy Burr, the writer/comedian/actor. Evidently Burr has podcasts that he listens to. So my son made a point of telling me that Burr attends the Rose Bowl with his buddies every year. Sure enough we walked past his tailgate and got to say hello. I only know the guy from Breaking Bad where he played one of Saul Goodman's henchman (the red haired guy in the episode where Ted Beneke breaks his neck).
All in all a great trip and a very entertaining game.
