Biggest Fan of the Big East Challenge 6: All Those Away Games

In the last challenge for the Biggest Fan of the Big East, Volvo challenged us to show our USF pride. We listed some of the greatest traditions at USF, showing the Green and Gold passion. We showed everyone the traditions USF fans show for every game, making Tampa the greatest place in the Big East. But for the road games, not every USF fans can pack up and travel with the team.

Sometimes USF fans are forced to watch a game on TV, might as well watch it in style (Picture: voodoofive.com)

So for challenge 6, Volvo has challenged us to list "What are your favorite places to watch your team when you can't be at the game?" So for those road games, here are some of the greatest places around the Tampa area to watch games and a few traditions I have for away games as well.

Sometimes you have to watch a USF game from home, might as well kick back in style and enjoy it.

The first and most important place to watch away games is at home. With a big grill and large flat screen TV, home is a great place to watch home games, invite good friends over, and enjoy the USF victories with close friends.

This is how we cheer at home for every away game.

For any away game, I invite friends over hours before the game starts, having enough time to grill and enjoy some beverages. Those not wearing USF shirts are turned away at the door (not kidding, don't try walking into this house without a green and gold shirt on). Usually the food is prepared the day before and once the company comes over, the grill is fired up and frosty beverages are handed out. No one sits, sitting is also not allowed for all away games and we cheer as if we are actually at the game I often wonder if my neighbors will call the police from my yelling and screaming, but I can't help control my enthusiasm for the game!

While screaming at the TV during a game is fun, sometimes it's good to get out of the house and enjoy the great places around USF and the Bay area for away games.

While it's nice to enjoy games at home, sometimes you have to pack up the S60 and hit one of the local places to watch a game. Tampa is full of great places to watch any USF game you would like, catering to everyone no matter your taste of venue.

Having a great place like Beef O'brad's right on campus makes watching any away game easy, you don't even have to leave campus!

The first place any USF fan needs to go if they want to watch an away game is right on campus. There are several places on campus that create unique opportunities to watch the games. The first is Beef O'Brady's, a great restaurant that is well known all over the country that serves wings, frosty beverages, and is loaded with flat screen TVs. USF has a Beef O'Brady's right on campus (how many others have that?), joined to the student union, the Marshall Center. The Beef O'Brady's on campus is a great place to watch a game, surrounded by the student body, flat screen TVs, and a great atmosphere where the USF pride is at its greatest. Beefs is also a great place because it is the home of the USF radio show that features Skip Holtz and Stan Heath on their weekly radio shows, creating a great place to watch games with your closest friends.

Some games are shown right on the jumbotron on the new baseball field for students, free of charge. With all the nice weather in Tampa, you can watch a win and get your tan.

Another place on campus to watch a game is right at the baseball field (let me explain). During the USF vs. Notre Dame game, USF athletics sponsored a viewing of the game at the brand new USF baseball field on the jumbotron and invited students to come out and watch the game for free. Athletics also sponsors viewings of games at the local movie theater, Muvico, so students and fans can come watch the game in 3-D and in a unique setting that not many people get!

While enjoying away games right in the middle of campus is great, there are plenty of other areas that are well known to USF fans as being some of best spots in town to catch an away game. One of my favorite spots is Red Dog's down in South Tampa, only a 15 minute drive from the campus.

Red Dog's is a small bar off of Bay to Bay in South Tampa, if you aren't looking for it, you can cruise right by it but you'll be missing out.

Red Dog's is nothing fancy, no fine China in this place, just a great local watering hole with one large bar, multiple pool tables, and of course more flat screen TVs than you can count.

As you cruise around Tampa in your Volvo S60, you have to blast this song, only fitting.

While Red Dog's is a great place to catch a game, another great place down in South Tampa is The Rack. The Rack is a local bar down in the Hyde Park area of Tampa that has become a legendary spot for USF faithful to head to for an away game.

The Rack, like the name says, is loaded with pool tables and multiple bars that creates a festive atmosphere for everyone to get to together to enjoy the good times and more importantly, another USF win! The rack serves a wide variety of food, including great sushi so everyone can enjoy a great meal as well. Another great thing about The Rack is the type of people that come through. Local stars like B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays have been known to show up at this great place, showing their pride in the Tampa area.

With stars like Evan Longoria hanging out with USF fans at night, Tampa is a great place to be to enjoy winning teams!

There is one more place that is a local legend and has become known all over the world. So what place could I be talking about? What else, Hooter's.

For those who are not familiar with the world famous restaurant, Hooter's, founded right here in the bay area in Clearwater, has become known all around the world for the great wings and of course the attractive waitresses.

Welcome to Tampa and the home of USF :)

There is a Hooter's located right across from the campus (great location, the place is always packed!), but for the real deal, it's best to pack up the S60 (car is designed for the open roads, nothing better than Tampa for that) and head across the bay to Clearwater to the original Hooter's to take in a game and enjoy great food at the same time.

While hanging with insane fans like this is ideal, sometimes we are forced to watch away games.

So there you have it. When I am not tailgating for each USF home game and forced to watch a game while the team is on the road, these are the top places in the USF/Tampa Bay area to watch. Nothing beats a tailgate at a home game. With the incredible weather and USF faithful, nothing comes close to a USF home game, but when forced to watch a game on TV, Tampa and USF has the best places to watch another Bull victory.

So what do you think USF fans? What are some of your favorite places to watch an away game? Share your thoughts and comment on the places I've chosen as the best away game spots.