A Sea of Big Orange Nation
Nothing screams football like the Big Orange Nation and Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, home of the University of Tennessee Volunteers. Volunteer Orange is a very, very distinct orange, so much so that some of the local hardware stores actually sell Volunteer Orange paint for people to buy and take to their respective homes. Many opponents who play against the Vols have developed a passionate distaste and hatred for the color orange. But not me, I love my University of Tennessee Volunteers, and I absolutely adore being in the sea of Big Orange nation fans as they go strolling down the Phillip Fulmer Way in preparation for the big game. There is nothing quite like sitting in Neyland Stadium with 102,455 fans and hearing the roar of “Go, Big Orange” or the melodious sound of “Rocky Top” as it blares throughout the city of Knoxville. (On a side note, the Carolina Panthers’ home of Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte only seats 73,778 -- so now you can get a real picture of how big college football is in Tennessee!!) Whether you like Tennessee or not, everyone should experience a football game at Neyland, as there is nothing quite like it. Just be prepared for a variety of shades of orange, but look to the middle of the field and you will see the real Volunteer Orange down on the field. Go Vols!!
Orange-‘o-lanterns
Fall has never been one of my favorite seasons, as it reminds me how much closer we are to the cold days of winter. However, I do love the fall time of year for the State Fair, my birthday and pumpkins! I love walking through the woods behind my house to see the pumpkins growing in the field, and I love riding past roadside stands that are loaded with pumpkins for sale. What a fun thing to use to be festive and decorate with. There are so many varieties of pumpkins – all shapes, sizes and colors. So, make sure you grab a few and decorate this upcoming fall –add some orange into your life!
Orange Attire
An absolute must for my attire at home or for travelling to Tennessee is, of course, a little bit of orange! I cannot even begin to tell you how many orange Tennessee Volunteer shirts and jackets that I have (and lets not even begin with Dad’s collection – holy cow! It is probably more than the UT Bookstore!). There is a little bit of orange in every aspect of my life. I may not wear orange on a daily basis, but deep down in my soul, my heart longs for some Tennessee orange. Appropriately, Adidas came out with an orange pair of running shoes and of course I had to buy a pair (though you won’t see me actually running in them!). Ironically not long after I bought my pair, the University of Tennessee went in with Adidas and used those pair and some very similar as the official school shoes. It never hurts to spice up your life a little, so proudly wear your orange and be a little adventurous and bright – you’ll definitely stand out!
Edible Orange
One of my more recent favorite things that I have discovered is orange-colored kettle corn. Now, I love kettle corn, but I am very picky about eating just any ‘ole kettle corn. It has to have just the right blend of ingredients for me to eat. The microwavable bags of kettle corn that you can buy at the grocery stores just don’t cut it for me because it is a little too sweet. I need my kettle corn to have just the right blend of salt and sweet. I always grab a bag or two of kettle corn when I am up at Dollywood, and last fall as we were leaving Dollywood during the Smoky Mountain Christmas festival, I made a pit-stop by the kettle corn booth. I grabbed a bag of regular kettle corn and then the orange kettle corn caught my attention. I just HAD to have a bag of orange kettle corn in Tennessee, it would only be appropriate, right? Well, in reality, it tastes no different. The orange does not give it an orange flavor; it is merely just a food coloring of sorts. But my mind, just didn’t believe it. My mind will tell you that my tongue firmly believed the orange-colored kettle corn tasted better than the plain. Fortunately for my mind and my tongue, I will be heading back to Dollywood next week, so I shall gladly sample it again!!
Monsters of Orange
Many sports teams have mascots some of which are of the orange flavor, including the little Orangeman from Syracuse. I have encountered two orange beasts in my life that truly stood out and I know I will surely not forget them. The first is one of the true “Orange Monsters” that was built out of orange DOT barrels by a college student at NC State. He initially got in to some trouble over his orange barrel monsters creations, but they became such a hit that the NC State Fair put them up on display back in 2009. I thought the orange barrel monster was totally awesome. Personally, I think the North Carolina Department of Transportation should put these on display at the state welcome centers or something. My other big orange beast that I encountered was when I went down to Austin, Texas, to visit my cousin. There in the parking lot back behind the University Co-Op was the infamous Bevo the Longhorn, mascot of the University of Texas. Bevo is very menacing and absolutely gigantic. Always be alert to large roaming monsters of orange as you never know where they may appear!
Keep your eyes open to what is around you and more than likely at some point you will see a little bit of spice of the orange color. It might be an awful color to some, but others love it. So, we should respect each other’s opinions and enjoy whatever color exists and surrounds your aura! Orange is a color that also produces warning signs, so always be attentive and alert to what surrounds you. You just never know when you may need to run across the checkered end zones of life and score the big win!
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