The next morning, the two men were pounding the pavement with an early morning jog. They took a route allowing them to run by the stadium. Jesse was impressed, again, with the size of the structure.
“Wait until you walk inside,” Nick had said. “It always takes my breath away.”
Even though it was early, the noon kick-off had the tailgaters, early arrivers, and hawkers selling unwanted tickets already congesting the streets.
They ran along beside the high school parking lot where the maize-and-blue flags fluttered in the light breeze. Here and there an orange-and-blue Illinois flag could be seen. Games of beanbag toss and Jarts were being played. Jesse heard music coming from several boom boxes. Delicious odors from the fired up grills reached his nostrils. There were tents where U of M a
