Na na na na...hey hey hey....good bye....

*sniff*

Today is the final game for the University of Miami Hurricanes in the beloved and historic Orange Bowl. While many look on it as an eye sore and a money pit, others revere it as an icon and an old friend. The stadium seems to have it's aches and groans like anyone growing older. It leaked from every corner, flooded in the concession areas(I know, I worked cooking hot dogs in 2 inch deep slime water)and seem to always need a new paint job...there has to be like 50 layers on paint on that stadium.

This stadium boasts a unique history in Miami. It's the site of many super bowls in the early days, thousands of concerts and even a soccer game or two. My first memorable visit was to a UM home game against the Florida Gators. I was 16 years old and going with my best friend and her dad. We had a blast, and I was officially hooked on Miami Hurricanes football. As a college student, I attended UM for a few years, and marched in the band for 3 years on the drumline. My pride for the school, the team and the bowl increased with each victory and game. It was my second home during those days. My favorite game....the last game vs. Notre Dame. The Bowl was never louder than that day. My most memorable concert was seeing the Micheal Jackson and his brothers in the Victory Tour. I also worked many concerts like the Monster's of Rock for the band boosters.

I'm sure the alumni and current students are going to miss this old rickety stadium. The residents around the stadium are going to miss it too. The stadium is in a unique place, smack in the middle of an old style Miami neighborhood. The residents around the bowl would sell lawn space as parking spots and pregame tailgaing locations. This is a major source of income for these people. Some could fit 10 cars on their property and make $20.00 off of a car....you do that math for a weekend of fun. Those residents will be missing that extra money as the OB is torn down to make way for the new Marlins stadium. So what is hoped to strengthen the economy in that area, is going to be hurting the residents in the mean time.

I don't envy those students at UM now. They are going to have to drive all the way to the Broward/Miami-Dade County lines for a college game. This will most definitely have an effect on the student attendance at future games. Hopefully the school will provide free bus transportation for the students, with plenty of time for them to tailgate and celebrate a win at the end.

R.I.P. my Orange friend, you will be missed, but you will always be in my heart.