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by Jadon Bosarge, Seventh Grade
The BCS Pre-Game Party was held at the Pasadena Convention Center on Sunday evening, January 5, 2014. It was hosted by the 2014 Tournament of Roses and the L.A. Sports and Entertainment Commission. Along with numerous Auburn and Florida State fans, there were winners that lined the red carpet and enjoyed the festivities. As many of them passed by, I was able to strike some interviews.
To each one, I posed the following question, “What does it take to be a winner?” All of these winners responded with a variety of answers.
Neil Everett (ESPN Sportscaster): “It takes skill and luck, and you have to be in the right place at the right time. You always have to think like a winner because even when you lose, you can be a winner, depending on how you handle it.”
Taylor Hicks (Winner of American Idol): “Determination. It takes a lot of opportunities. You have to create a lot of opportunities. So never give up and always do your homework.”
Clinton Portis (Former Florida State and NFL Runningback): “Desire. I think for yourself you have to know within your heart and your own beliefs, that you are a winner no matter what everyone else thinks. You just keep pushing; keep chugging away, that you will be a winner.”
Takeo Spikes (Former Auburn and NFL Linebacker): “It’s a combination of putting in ingredients to make soup, determination, commitment, passion, loyalty. All of those all together, mixed in, you just have to be focused at the end of the day and make it a priority to you.”
Antonio Cromartie (Former Florida State and Current NFL Cornerback): “I think it’s the attitude, I think that you should approach everything on an everyday basis. You have a choice that you can make, every single time you get out of bed, a choice of being a positive every day, or a negative every single day, and I think that’s what it takes to go about it is t wake up in a positive way and do what you do positively for the day.”
Parker Young (Actor): “A lot of hard work, not giving up, and most importantly its believing in yourself. Believe its possible, and then go from there.”
Lorenzo Booker (Former Florida State and Current NFL Runningback): “I think it takes accountability, if you hold yourself accountable all the time with working and school and your dreams and what you want, then you’ll be successful.”
Holly Rowe (Sideline Reporter ESPN): “I think it takes consistent effort at doing well each and every day. Build good habits every single day. The little things build into big things and that’s what makes you a winner.”
Desmond Howard (Former Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL Wide Receiver, and Current ESPN Sportscaster): “It’s not just one thing, it takes commitment, it takes sacrifice, it takes a tremendous amount of hard work and the will to do what others won’t do, when they won’t do it, for starters.”
After leaving the red carpet, there was a fun-filled party inside. A live band made up of former American Idol winners, entertained those on the dance floor. To entertain the younger guests, there was an arcade football toss game, a Heisman Trophy photo booth, a build-a-hat station, and a green screen from Anchorman 2 for photos. Life-size members of the Simpsons (Bart, Homer, and Lisa) walked among the partygoers for fun and photos. Madame Tussauds was even represented by a few wax Hollywood stars lining the walls.
To satisfy even the most finicky palates, there was a Farmers Market, a giant hotdog stand, a steak, chicken, and seafood buffet with all of the trimmings, and a dessert bar. There was an open bar on each side of the room (one representing each of the college teams). Auburn and Florida State fans alike left this event with a smile on their face. Everyone was a winner that night!
