"That jacket dun' drawn up on ya'..."

I have another memory to record because I almost lost it. A few weeks ago, I went with Craig Wright, Elizabeth's Dad, and Elizabeth's Uncle to St. Louis to watch the BasketVols play in the Elite Eight.

We made the 5 hour drive without tickets, knowing we could scalp some there. We did eventually find tickets and enjoyed the game, but that's not the memory I need to record - as the BasketVols in the Elite Eight will not soon be a fleeting memory.

As we hit the streets in search for tickets, St. Louis was covered with a light drizzle. The scalpers were ignoring the theories of Adam Smith asking for excessive amounts of green stuff for their tickets. Since no one was buying, they decided to make fun of one of their potential customers.

Enter Orange Jacket. I bought you at a thrift store in Knoxville. You were too small for me then. You are too small for me now. But you were only $5. And you look great with jeans. I can dress you up or down. As a classy UT fan, I can wear you over an white Oxford shirt. As a more focused fan, I can wear you over any of my non-orange colored UT shirts. You have ticket stubs in your pockets from games many moons ago. You, Orange Jacket, are my friend.

Orange Jacket In St. Louis watching BasketVols, dressed down with Black Tee.

Orange Jacket with Smokey before UT v. Arkansas game in 2007. Again dressed down with gray UT Tee.

Orange Jacket dressed up with white Oxford shirt before UT v. LSU 2006.

Enter Disgruntled Scalpers. From the scalpers I received the following heckles: "Did Pat Summit let you borrow her jacket?" Followed by, "Hey big guy, your little brother called, he wants his jacket back." Made complete with, "You better get outta the rain, that jacket dun' drawn up on ya'."

I considered retiring the Orange Jacket. But that would be a win for them. And I love that Orange Jacket.

And when I bought a pair of lower level seats for $106 below face value - I decided that I got the last laugh, in my Orange Jacket.