USA College Football Kicks Off in Sydney??!!

From ESPN yesterday, they had this headline: "college football season is kicking off in Australia" with these highlights: "California and Hawaii will kick off the 2016 season in Australia, 17 hours ahead of America's West Coast -- and 20 hours ahead of Hawaiian time. The Sydney College Football Cup will be the first college football game played in Australia since 1987, when BYU defeated Colorado State in Melbourne. The country's goal is to attract an NFL game to Sydney in the future. Cal and Hawaii -- two of the geographically closest teams to Australia -- found ways to fit the game into their schedule a week ahead of college football's official Kickoff Week."

Per ESPN this morning, California won 51-31 over Hawaii on Saturday in Sydney's Olympic Stadium. This morning's ESPN story noted: "The teams provided plenty of early entertainment for unfamiliar fans, part of a crowd of 61,247 in the 83,500-seat stadium, scoring two touchdowns each by midway through the opening quarter."

From the Sydney Morning Herald, their story noted: "The resounding success of the first Sydney Cup college football game has raised hopes that an NFL fixture will be next to hit Sydney's shores. A bumper crowd of 61,247 flocked to ANZ Stadium. But the big question was if this was a prelude to bigger American sporting events in Australia. University of Hawaii's athletic director David Matlin said the NFL was watching the event closely and believes a competitive fixture is on the cards for Sydney. He said: 'I think it's a possibility. I think you have the facilities and the sports enthusiasts, so it's a real good place for sporting events.' Matlin was effusive over the way the Sydney crowd embraced the foreign sport. Describing the event as 'an incredible cultural experience for our student athletes and a lot of fun,' he would like to see the game become an annual fixture, especially due to Hawaii's relatively close proximity to Sydney."

Full stories at:

http://www.espn.com/blog/pac12/post/_/id/102698/kickoff-week-comes-early-australian-rules-college-football

http://www.espn.com/ncf/recap?gameId=400869090

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/us-sports/nfl-game-next-on-the-horizon-after-huge-crowd-at-college-football-sydney-cup-20160827-gr2kli.html

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 153,706 views for this posting.

. :D It'll be the first college game of the season! :D

. :D It'll be the first college game of the season! :D

Should I assume that you are an excited college football fan? Are you a South Carolina Gamecocks or Clemson Fighting Tigers fan? Here in Columbus, Ohio, we have a team here that we like.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 202,361 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

.:D GO COCKS! :D

Do you carry a buckeye in your pocket?

From ESPN, they had some added coverage and interesting visuals from their postings for this NCAA college football game in Sydney. Below you can see and enjoy more!!

Here is one ESPN story this morning with this headline: "Puppets, no beer and a (very loud) cannon" with these highlights: "Like so many college football game days, the sights and sounds around this contest were just as memorable. Licensing laws in Sydney limit a true authentic tailgate experience in the ANZ Stadium complex, however the promoters of the event made up for it with a free tailgate party at a nearby venue called 'The Brewery.' The Australian spectators dusted off and pulled out their favorite football jerseys. The Sydney crowd absolutely loved the cannon, which was fired after every Cal touchdown. The most popular thing during the game was these two-foot long hot dogs. The abnormally large hot dog was in such high demand people queued close to an hour to get their hands on one. Aussies love their food. All in all it was a fantastic experience for the people of Australia with many fans leaving the stadium with smiles on their faces and praying to the football gods that football will be back on their shores, sooner rather than later."

Full story at:

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/17400233/scene-california-golden-bears-hawaii-rainbow-warriors-game-sydney-australia

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 216,085 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

For the start of the ESPN video summary of the Cal-Hawaii game, they had this super nice air visual angle of downtown Sydney. Look good? Then, here are fans walking to the stadium. Third is one of those popular two-foot-long hot dogs. WOW!! Those are BIG! Finally, a visual of the football action with the opening kick-off and showing how the field was marked for this game. Fun!!:

.:D GO COCKS! :D

Do you carry a buckeye in your pocket?

Great to know that you are a South Carolina Gamecocks fan. Not one of those Clemson folks, right? It appears that Thursday at 8 pm on ESPN that it will be South Carolina versus Vanderbilt in the SEC opener in Nashville, Tenn. Will you be attending that game at Vanderbilt? Or watching on ESPN?

No, sorry, I do not carry a Buckeye in my pocket that often. BUT, I do follow the games with strong interest. Will be at next Saturday's opening game in Ohio Stadium. Traveled on the road and was at both the 1969 Rose Bowl for the that National Championship win against USC, plus in 2003 in Tempe, Ariz., for the big double overtime win against Miami of Florida for that top title victory. Below are some visual samples as "evidence" for our Buckeye loyalty.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 41,824 views for these postings.

Need proof for being interested in OSU football? First is me with Buck-I-Guy at the OSU Spring game earlier this year with the full Ohio Stadium in the background. Second, is a little selfie of my wife and me on the field with the Block "O" on the field behind us. Third is my wife while we were down last Labor Day for the winning opener at Virginia Tech. Finally, here is a night game visual that I snapped from our seats last fall.: