If the Hurricanes are as tough as the flight to Miami, we’re in trouble

MIAMI – One of the best aspects of being sports editor is, without a doubt, the road trips…. MIAMI – One of the best aspects of being sports editor is, without a doubt, the road trips. I’ve gone to a bowl game, the Sweet Sixteen, and now I’m in Miami for one of the football team’s most important matchups in a long time.

But, as with anything, these business trips are not entirely glorious. As I made my way down here Wednesday with my colleagues Joe Marchilena and Matt Franklin, we found that out firsthand.

6:10 a.m.

My alarm goes off, but being that it’s still pitch black outside, I turn it off and crawl back into bed.

6:27 a.m.

I finally get myself out of bed because missing the flight would be bad.

7:58 a.m.

I’m packed and outside waiting on my front porch for my friends to pick me up to go to the airport. There is frost on the cars and I can see my breath. Because I’m wearing a Pitt football T-shirt and a thin Pitt jacket, I’m pretty darn cold.

8:45 a.m.

We arrive at the airport and get in line to check in. We find ourselves behind two Pitt alumni also on their way to the game, one of whom says he used to be the Student Government Board president way back when. After I tell him we work for The Pitt News, he says the paper always used to write bad things about him when he was president. Makes me wonder what he did.

8:56 a.m.

We make our way through airport security but not before Franklin gets the major check-over. He later comments, “I got felt up, just like I asked to.”

10:16 a.m.

We’re seated on the plane in row 24, seats D, E and F, when a lady gets in the row in front of us with two young children. We look at each other, knowing it’s going to be a long ride.

10:25 a.m.

As we pull away from the gate, the Pitt fans we were in line behind earlier start talking about taking down the goalposts if we win Thursday night. I tell them I already claimed those a few weeks ago. I’m surprised there aren’t more Pitt fans on the flight.

10:54 a.m.

The child sitting in front of me, whose name is Ethan, decides to turn around in his seat (which he wasn’t doing a very good job of sitting in) and put my window shade down. I put it back up. Ethan, who is about 4 years old, has a blue pen mark on his cheek and a brown spot on his forehead.

11:18 a.m.

In an attempt to pass time until we reach Atlanta, where we have a layover on our way to Miami, I’m listening to my CD player while Marchilena tries to do some homework about pirates. Franklin is also listening to music and looking through the air mall magazine. We pick out an assortment of fun gifts that we would buy if we could – most notably, the clock that reads 4:20.

11:21 a.m.

Ethan reaches over the seats and turns on our overhead lights. His mother, who is so old I originally thought she was his grandmother, is completely oblivious. Ethan is moving around so much, jumping on his seat and hanging his head in my face, that I just want to smack him.

11:26 a.m.

I’m bored so I take out my camera and start taking pictures. I try to get one of Ethan but he keeps hiding from it, thinking we’re playing a game.

11:45 a.m.

Still trying to get a picture of the annoying kid.

11:50 a.m.

Franklin finally gets a good picture of the brat.

11:57 a.m.

As we prepare for landing, passengers are instructed to sit down and fasten their seatbelts. Ethan, of course, is still jumping around in his seat.

11:59 a.m.

Ethan’s mom sees the stewardess coming and quickly tells him to put his seatbelt on.

12:01 p.m.

Franklin and Marchilena have fun with the vomit bags, drawing pictures on them.

12:52 p.m.

We decide to kill time during our three-hour layover in Atlanta by having lunch at T.G.I. Friday’s. Our waiter, seeing our Pitt clothing, asks us what we’re going to do to the Hurricanes. That response is not suitable for publishing.

2:54 p.m.

We’ve once again reclaimed our seats in row 24, this time headed for Miami. Franklin offers me a chewed up piece of gum. I graciously decline.

3:05 p.m.

Marchilena and Franklin make puppets with the vomit bags.

3:31 p.m.

The plane is quiet, which after our experience with Ethan, is probably a good thing.

4:24 p.m.

I wake up – I think. I’m still not really sure if I was sleeping or not. Franklin definitely is.

4:45 p.m.

We land in Miami, where it’s a wonderful 80 degrees – and pouring rain.

5:11 p.m.

We take a taxi to go to our hotel in Miami Beach. Still raining.

5:21 p.m.

Our taxi driver has not said a word to us. Makes me a bit nervous that the windshield is cloudy and smeared and he doesn’t seem interested in using the windshield wipers.

5:34 p.m.

Check into our hotel. Yup, still raining.

Karen Bielak is the sports editor of The Pitt News and predicts a 27-24 Pitt victory tonight at the Orange Bowl.