Heat blasts fans

Lemon chill vendor Ron McCullough

The weather reports said this game would be one of the hottest in Jaguars’ history and at kickoff it was the hottest start ever for kickoff weekend at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

Fans tailgating had shirts wrapped around their heads to cover their necks and were filling up on water besides the usual beer trying to keep themselves hydrated for the game.

Most fans inside the stadium seemed to pay attention to the reports as well judging by the sea of white shirts across the stadium rather than the usual teal or black.

At kickoff the temperature was recorded at 86 degrees, the warmest ever for Jaguars’ kickoff weekend the seventh game played at 86 degrees or above.

Lemon chill vendor Ron McCullough said “my heart’s beating really fast because I’m carrying this thing up the stairs, and I have to take a break today for the first time in a while, it’s pretty hot!” McCullough did say sales were good as he already went through five bags in the second quarter.

The second quarter did shed some relief to fans though as clouds began moving in over the stadium.

“The heat’s pretty bad, thank God for the clouds and beer,” said Russ Sumpter.

Photo by Bruce Lipsky, The Times-Union

Ray Geoertz from Minneapolis said the heat wasn’t bothering him during the second quarter.

The clouds did move out late in the third quarter though raising the temperature to about 84leading to fans waving their programs, hats or anything else they could make into a homemade cooling device trying to keep cool.