Ball State superfans attend 2014 GoDaddy Bowl

Bob Phelps shows off his tattoo to parade attendees during the pep rally on Jan. 4. Phelps recently fulfilled his college desire to get the tattoo. DN PHOTO JONATHAN MIKSANEK
Bob Phelps shows off his tattoo to parade attendees during the pep rally on Jan. 4. Phelps recently fulfilled his college desire to get the tattoo. DN PHOTO JONATHAN MIKSANEK

They lack in number, but there is no questioning the commitment of Ball State fans attending the 2014 GoDaddy Bowl.

Bob Phelps’ upper-forearm tattoo of Charlie Cardinal is more than enough to prove his passion for the team. After four years as Ball State’s mascot, Phelps wanted to set himself apart from the average Cardinal fan.

“I loved [being Charlie Cardinal],” Phelps said. “But I always regretted not getting a tattoo. I thought, ‘If I regret it now, why not just go out and get it?’”

The 2003 graduate said he wanted to get the tattoo done in college, but never got around to it. Now, just days before Ball State’s appearance in the GoDaddy Bowl, Phelps is in the streets of Mobile, Ala., showing off his new ink.

But getting there wasn’t easy. Phelps spent 10 hours waiting at the Midway International Airport in Chicago as his flight bound for New Orleans was delayed several times.

When things started moving smoothly, snow kept the crew from boarding the airplane. Eventually, he made it into New Orleans, where he was surprised to find Mardi Gras-style Cardinal red beads for sale.

Though his travel was difficult, even a smooth itinerary for Ball State fans would leave them with roughly 14 hours on the road. The one-sided crowds in downtown for the bowl game show Arkansas State fan’s seven-hour drive was more doable.

“I’d love to see a ton of fans here, but honestly, as long as I’m here … I’m happy,” Phelps said.

Chris Loudenback, his friend, was glad to be in Mobile as well. The GoDaddy Bowl is Loudenback’s favorite of the last four bowl games Ball State has played in, he said.

And yes, he’s been to all of them, from Toronto’s International Bowl in 2008 to last season’s Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“It’s a very festive atmosphere,” Loudenback said of Mobile. “There’s a lot going with the parade and pep rally and fireworks. It’s a good time, so it’s definitely the best bowl.”

His love for the team, much like Phelps’, is rooted in his time as a student at Ball State. Loudenback, who graduated in 2006, paid for his own college education. Options were limited when he moved from Ohio, and Muncie seemed like the best fit, so he went with it. Now, he enjoys being able to support his alma mater’s football team.

“It means a lot to me to be able to say, ‘I did this all myself,’ so I enjoy coming down and supporting the university,” Loudenback said. “It means a lot and it’s a good time.”

Ball State junior Jeremy Mertz will be at the game tonight. He bought a seat on the Ball State student bus trip that took longer than expected due to snow-covered roads.

“I’m really excited — I’m planning to lose my voice at the game,” Mertz said.

Old and new alike, Ball State fans will support this season’s team as it tries to capture the school’s first bowl victory. Even if the Cardinals don’t, Phelps said he will still be happy with their accomplishments.

“Win or lose, I’m still proud of the team,” he said. “One of my most proud accomplishments is graduating college. I love Ball State — I bleed Cardinal and white.”

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