Wake football fan sits for tickets

Bob Yakos figures he had the easy end of the deal. The 40-year-old physician's assistant from Clemmons outlasted 22 other Wake Forest football fans in a contest that netted Yakos four season tickets for the next 15 years.

Wrestling for comfort on a metal bleacher in the cold for three days and three nights at BB&T Field was a relative breeze compared to his wife Amanda's end of the bargain. She had to take care of their three children -- 5-year-old Sam, 2-year-old Nate, and 7-month-old Joe.

"She had the hard part," Yakos said. "I just had to sit outside."

Yakos was the winner of Wake's "Last Fan Sitting Contest," a modified version of "Survivor." The 23 contestants entered the football stadium on Monday morning at 6:30 a.m., and nine lasted until Thursday morning at 9 a.m.

Contestants were given a 10-minute break every two hours and a 15-minute break every six hours. Yakos won $22,000 worth of tickets after outwitting his opponents in a trivia contest. His winning answers included the college major of Wake offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke: economics.

The other eight survivors didn't go home empty-handed. They were given season tickets for the 2009 season.

"The first night was the worst. The rain was steady, and it was windy," Yakos said. "Everybody said they considered leaving that first night. I was lucky enough to have a pretty good pair of boots and a rain suit."

First on Yakos' agenda on Thursday was to thank his wife, right before catching up on his sleep.

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