Confessions of a Gameday Prisoner

The first Alabama home game of 2013 goes down at Bryant-Denny Saturday, and I am psyched. I love Alabama football, but I'll be straight: there is one thing about Gameday I just can't stand.

I live in the fabulous metropolis of Cottondale, Alabama--right of Highway 11. Fun Fact: most Gameday traffic is re-routed from 20/59 onto Highway 11 and down University Boulevard. Cottondale has, like, four red lights on Highway 11, and that means traffic backs up for MILES on Gameday.

MILES. You also can't get into town via the interstate, as all roads lead to Bryant-Denny on Gameday. It's cool that so many people love the Crimson Tide and come to Tuscaloosa to watch the greatest team in the history of college football do their thing. Tailgating, The Quad, Going out to eat with friends--all part of the Gameday experience, and all 100% rad.

Unless you don't have tickets to the game. And your pregnancy/newborn/child prevents you from getting your tailgate on. And you live just off Highway 11.

Then you are a Gameday Prisoner.

I am trapped in my house on Gamedays. Literally. I can't get in to Tuscaloosa. Traffic extends to infinity and beyond on 11 on Gamedays. I can watch the thousands of cars pass by from my front porch--for a solid three hours before kickoff and two hours after the 4th Quarter of the game.

I was pregnant at the beginning of last year's football season, and I used to have nightmares about going into labor on a Gameday. Seriously--y'all, stop laughing at me. I was terrified I'd have to give birth at home without drugs because an ambulance couldn't make it to our house through the traffic.

Thank God that didn't happen. We've adjusted our schedules on Gamedays pretty well. I know to go to the store or run errands at the buttcrack of dawn. We make sure we have everything we need, and then we watch the game at home. Or TRY to watch the game. Parenting a toddler is like an eternal marathon.

If you need me on Gameday, I'll be home. For those of you planning on actually getting out on Gameday, check out our Gameday Guide.

Roll Tide, y'all.