Oh, how I longed to be in Miami
Published 12:00 am Thursday, January 10, 2013
Randy Keahey just got back from an unbelievable trip to Miami, where he and four others were lucky enough to witness the beat down Alabama gave Notre Dame in the 2013 Discover BCS National Championship on Monday night.
Keahey, the owner of the local funeral home, along with his son, RJ; daughter and son in law, Lexie and Christopher Fowler; and Tripp Bass, drove the 10 hours to the sunny beaches of South Florida for the game on Saturday.
I bumped into Keahey at Tuesday night’s city basketball opening day at Andalusia Middle School, and you could just tell his trip was well worth it.
Alabama beat Notre Dame 42-14 to win its third BCS National Championship in four years and 15th in program history.
Keahey didn’t have many words to describe the experience.
“It was unbelievable,” he said.
Monday’s game wasn’t Keahey’s first rodeo, either. In fact, he attended Alabama’s 2010 title game in Pasadena, Calif., where the Crimson Tide throttled Texas 37-21.
Keahey said the game against the Fighting Irish was much more exciting, than the one against Texas.
I happen to agree with that statement.
By the end of the first quarter, Alabama led 21-0, and I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“We’re just killing them,” I remember thinking.
With a halftime lead of 28-0, I decided to go over to a colleague’s friend’s house to say hello and have a few ribs.
But, I would’ve traded anything to have been in Miami for the game.
Keahey said he had three tickets going into the game, but was short two upon arrival at the stadium.
“We were able to find us two tickets there,” he said. “Ticket prices didn’t go down closer to game time like we thought. They held their value.”
Their tickets had great value because the five of them had great seats — in the lower level of Alabama’s end zone.
“Wow,” I thought.
The game made the trip well worth it, Keahey said.
“We would go again next year. If we get there,” he said.
Yes, there’s a long road ahead of Alabama for it to get there again for a three-peat.
Fortunately, Nick Saban said he’d get right back to work after about 48 hours of celebration.
After a 10-hour drive from Miami, I know Keahey will remember not that it was a long drive, but the trip was unbelievable.