Forgive Us Our Trepasses
Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington is the home of University of Kentucky Wildcat football. (For any European visitors, this is not the version of football we call "soccer." This is the American version with the oblong ball and the inadequate safety equipment.) The University is part of the SEC, a conference within the National Collegiate Athletics Association known for great football. And Kentucky is arguably the conference's top performer ... in basketball. Kentucky fans don't really care about football, which is good because Kentucky's not any good at it. The school has more wins than any other in mens basketball, but in football, we're laughable.
Like any real Kentuckian, I don't like football, so this stadium is significant to me in other ways. First, in the early 1990s the university used this as the parking lot for freshmen living in the dorms. My dorm was about a half-mile away from here, so whenever I wanted to go someplace in my car, this was where I'd walk. Second, about half-way through my first semester at the university, I was talking to a group of people about a security flaw I'd noticed. If you look at the walkway ramps at the left, you'll notice the first level has some sort of metal mesh that prevents people from climbing the chain link fence onto the walkway. That didn't exist in 1991. Once I mentioned it to people, I was of course dared to take advantage of it. So late that night, I walked to the parking lot and hopped the fence into Commonwealth Stadium. I had the run of it for about 30 minutes, during which I went down to the field and pretended to make a hundred-yard punt return. (I knew nothing of football then, so I didn't know that's what the play I imagined was called.) I remember, there was a bright moon that night, and the air was crisp as I ran. That part of it's a nice memory.
At the time, the university police were driving mid-'80s Dodge Diplomats, which even somewhat new were very bland cars. I didn't notice the Dodge Diplomat standing right by the fence as I tried to climb out until it flashed me with its spotlight. I ducked down where he couldn't see me and sat there for about 15 minutes, listening to the gathering cops organize the manhunt, then stood up with my hands raised and came out peacefully. I plead guilty to 3rd degree criminal trespass. Oddly, alcohol was not involved.
Forgive Us Our Trepasses
Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington is the home of University of Kentucky Wildcat football. (For any European visitors, this is not the version of football we call "soccer." This is the American version with the oblong ball and the inadequate safety equipment.) The University is part of the SEC, a conference within the National Collegiate Athletics Association known for great football. And Kentucky is arguably the conference's top performer ... in basketball. Kentucky fans don't really care about football, which is good because Kentucky's not any good at it. The school has more wins than any other in mens basketball, but in football, we're laughable.
Like any real Kentuckian, I don't like football, so this stadium is significant to me in other ways. First, in the early 1990s the university used this as the parking lot for freshmen living in the dorms. My dorm was about a half-mile away from here, so whenever I wanted to go someplace in my car, this was where I'd walk. Second, about half-way through my first semester at the university, I was talking to a group of people about a security flaw I'd noticed. If you look at the walkway ramps at the left, you'll notice the first level has some sort of metal mesh that prevents people from climbing the chain link fence onto the walkway. That didn't exist in 1991. Once I mentioned it to people, I was of course dared to take advantage of it. So late that night, I walked to the parking lot and hopped the fence into Commonwealth Stadium. I had the run of it for about 30 minutes, during which I went down to the field and pretended to make a hundred-yard punt return. (I knew nothing of football then, so I didn't know that's what the play I imagined was called.) I remember, there was a bright moon that night, and the air was crisp as I ran. That part of it's a nice memory.
At the time, the university police were driving mid-'80s Dodge Diplomats, which even somewhat new were very bland cars. I didn't notice the Dodge Diplomat standing right by the fence as I tried to climb out until it flashed me with its spotlight. I ducked down where he couldn't see me and sat there for about 15 minutes, listening to the gathering cops organize the manhunt, then stood up with my hands raised and came out peacefully. I plead guilty to 3rd degree criminal trespass. Oddly, alcohol was not involved.