Kodiak Daily Mirror: The Golden Ticket

Note: This is such a random story I had to post it - ed
By DEREK CLARKSTON
Kodiakans Arnie and Donene Tweten had never been to an NCAA football game until Saturday. They, along with 72,000 other people, were at the highly anticipated rematch of the California Bears-Tennessee Volunteers game in Berkeley, Calif. A big game, with an even bigger crowd, for this small-town couple. Just how did these two end up nearly 4,000 miles away from home at the nation’s biggest season opening game? They had the golden ticket. Donene purchased a raffle ticket from the Kodiak Football League in mid-August. She has never been a college football fan, but wanted to support the KFL and hopefully win second or third place, which was a money payout. Her ticket turned into two tickets on the 50-yard line, 20 rows up. They took off for California on Friday and were back in Kodiak on Monday. In between, they received first-class treatment the entire trip thanks to Outsource Interaction Sports Properties, which supplied them with California gear and VIP passes.
So how was the couple’s first college football game? “It was very loud,” Donene said. Her husband echoed the same thoughts. “It was too noisy and too crowded for me,” Arnie said. “You couldn’t move an inch without bumping into somebody. “I’ve been to quite a few NFL games and they were not as loud,” added Arnie. “Those college kids get into their games.” Arnie doesn’t have a favorite college team — he just roots for any Pac 10 team. So he was rooting for Cal. He had a lot to cheer for as Cal won 45-21. Will Arnie continue to follow the Golden Bears? “No, not really,” he said. Donene, though, will keep her eyes on Cal. “I mostly have watched pro football, I’ve never been a college person,” she said. “But, since this was such a heated rivalry and the Cal Bears won, I’m going to keep tabs on them.” The KFL, right now, is raffling off tickets for a chance to attend the Cal-USC game set for Nov. 10, which gives Donene a chance to keep tabs on them with another golden ticket.