December 31, 2007
The biggest showdown actually is not the upcoming race for El Paso County sheriff, but is the Brut Sun Bowl, which this year saw 49,867 fans gather to watch the University of Oregon Ducks beat the University of South Florida Bulls in 56-21 quack down
But as I am not a sports writer and do not follow the seasons and stats of the teams and players, I am not writing about the game but the circus-sized bonanza that surrounds the annual event, now in its 74th year.
Every year around this time, area motels, hotels, restaurants, bars, coffee shops and trolleys are filled with out-of-town visitors, many of whom are getting their first taste of El Paso flavor. On the agenda this year for the teams, their relatives and fans was a schedule for a local cuisine feasts, regional and cultural music and song, fireworks displays and shopping trips.
Here is a rundown of all that was offered to the bowl’s revelers: an airport arrival reception, a barbecue dinner at Sunland Park, a shopping trip to Lucchese Boots, a visit to local hospitals, dinner and a show in Juarez at Viva Mexico, a Players’ Challenge at Adventure Zone, the head coaches’ news conference, the Rotary Club Sun Bowl Team Luncheon, a holiday cocktail reception and dinner with Fort Bliss soldiers at the Centennial Club, a golf outing, shopping in Old Mesilla, a Springfire dinner with the Sheriff’s Posse in New Mexico, a “Bowl Before the Bowl” bowling tournament, the Sun Bowl Fan Fiesta, a pre-game tent party, and, of course, the Sun Bowl game itself.
For El Paso residents, fans and business owners, too, it is a much-anticipated event. Football addicts eagerly await New Year’s Eve day to tailgate on the University of Texas at El Paso campus. Area hotels, restaurants and shops look forward to the end of the year when throngs of new customers come in looking for good service and good fun.
The actual game is not very different from the energy-filled festivities lead up to it.
There are enthusiastic fans flocking into Sun Bowl Stadium; there are plenty of media personalities patrolling the sidelines and clamoring for views in the press box; there are presidents and directors and vice presidents and executive directors running frantically throughout the stadium and across the field, trying to make sure the game goes according to the plan; there are local community, business and political leaders schmooze-ing their way through the crowds, hoping to meet new supporters, clients and voters; there are bargain-rate rent-a-cops feeding their Napoleon syndromes by telling photographers, reporters and fans on which side of the line to stand; there are cheerleaders and dancers, fans and mascots, sponsors and spectators.
And they are all there to take in El Paso’s biggest party of the year. I mean, c'mon, where else are you going to find El Paso's richest man palling around with El Paso's most powerful politician (except political fundraisers, receptions, and get-togethers at the El Paso Club.)
Oh, by the way, since a photographer and I missed the window of opportunity to get free-food-for-the-local media, we helped ourselves to some free-food-for-the-national-media from the press box that was reserved for someone else. We're sorry about that, CBS. We'll take you out for a beer the next time around, courtesy of the publisher of El Paso Media Group.