1. "You're tailgating today? Indoors, right?"
Whether it's your parents or friends at non-basketball-centric schools, many people outside of the Villanova basketball bubble just don't understand what we do: tailgating on weekdays-- thanks, Pavillion renovations or why we do it; standing outside for 4 hours in 32-degree weather to support one of the top 5 teams in the country? No biggie.
2. Fighting your way onto the SEPTA.
If you're desperate enough, you'll try the station on South in hopes of getting there at the same time as the rest of your friends who were able to push their way to the front of the platform on West, even though you know deep down you really won't. Shout out to the extra impatient, who start calling "Uber's 5 minutes away, let's go" to their friends when the trusty SEPTA is only five minutes past its scheduled time to pull into the station. Game day rule #1: claim your spot on the platform as early as possible and never let it go, no matter how late the train is running.
3. Blindly following Villanova jerseys around Suburban Station.
You think, and act like you know where you're going, but do you really ? This false sense of direction is always put to the test when one of your friends can't go any further without a bathroom break and you fall too far behind the crowd.
4. Exiting Stadium Station
Not to be dramatic, but the walk from the SEPTA stop to the throngs of tailgaters for a nighttime game is strangely reminiscent of penguins making their trek across the Arctic, or maybe that's just me.
5. Hour 1
"This won't be bad at all, the cold can't touch me!!"
6. Hour 2.5- 3
"Drink yourself a sweater"
7. Hour 3
Time has never passed this slowly in my life, I can't feel anything, and will never be able to again. Probably need to be treated for frostbite. RIP fingers and toes
8. Game time baby!
Half of your friends have left and you really couldn't care less about anything but finding the "crab" fries stand (all fellow Marylanders are cringing ) at this point, but you're regaining feeling in your appendages, the Cats are almost guaranteed a win, and that's all that matters, right?
