LSU v Miss State & West Virginia

LSU v Miss State & West Virginia – a 2-for 1 special!

Slacker

So, the last two weeks have been crazy, and I’ve neglected my blog. It just isn’t high on the priority list, folks. I thought with LSU playing a Thursday night game, I’d have a few extra days to write and definitely get my blog done before the WVA game, despite a busy schedule – WRONG. So, what you’re getting is a 2 –for-1 deal. Though the Miss State game is a distant memory, and the #1 ranking takes away from the actual games themselves, I’ll do my best to recount some fond football memories from the past 2 weeks.

Busy, busy

So I took a much needed, but all-too-short, vacation in the midst of the stress of prepping our new house to pour the slab. I’m happy to report that the slab has been poured successfully. This is when the house-building stress goes away…right?

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Thursday Night Football

I don’t think I’m a fan. But I might be. I am as undecided about this as I am deciding if Chaz Bono was ever female. The half-beard creeps me out. Anyway, I like being on the national stage as the lone game, but I hate that the best (I use “best” loosely) televised games on Saturday include Notre Dame or Penn State. O the insanity! I like having Saturday free to do other things, but I really don’t like having to get up for work the morning after the game. O the confusion! I like watching the game in a quiet environment (aka, by myself b/c my husband went to bed), but I don’t like that I can’t get together with a group of people to watch the game, because it’s a “school” night. O the madness!

We Won

That’s about all I can remember about this game it’s been “so long” ago. We beat Miss State. I remember we should have scored more points, but the Bulldog D was tough. I remember Lee throwing his only INT of the year, but it wasn’t a big deal. I’m sure Mathieu made a big play, though I don’t remember one specifically. I remember our D harassing the Miss St QB a good deal of the time and only allowing 6 points. It’s all just so hazy…

Clear as a Bell

The one thing that is not hazy is those damn cow bells. So obnoxious. I still go back to my one trip to Stark-Vegas and how un-college football like Miss State’s stadium is. The band, well, they may as well be nonexistent. You can’t hear them over the thumping rap music been blown from the huge scoreboard speakers. More of a pro-football feel, without the beer.

Props

I am forced to give credit for the Be “LEE” ve comment I used in my last blog to Kurt. Yes, I stole it from his FB post, and no I wouldn’t have given him any credit at all and felt no guilt, except he whined and played the “all proceeds from this comment could pay for my son’s college and you don’t want him not to be able to go to college because you stole it, do you” card. So, because I happen to like his cute 7-year old, I’ll give Kurt his credit. But Kurt, hate to tell you, there is no $$$ in clever FB posts or this blog. Start saving, buddy.

WEST VIRGINIA

Best Game Day Ever. Almost.

I spent WVA game day on the beach, with blue skies, a cool breeze and cold beer. With visions of homemade sliders, fries, more cold beer and LSU football with the fam dancing in my head. Without a doubt the best game day experience EVER. You can take your tailgating and shove it. There is nothing better than a Gulf-side game day…until you have to leave suddenly. Damn jobs and reality. The Hubby had to come back to work, so at 5 pm, after a gloriously relaxing day on the beach, we threw our stuff back in the car and started the 5-hour trek home. We didn’t even get to play miniature golf, eat those sliders, or drink one game beer L.

Radio…again

I’ll say this for the drive home, it went by much faster than the ride there. True, that is usually the case on road trips, but add in there intently listening to Jim Hawthorne’s call of the WVA game, and time flies by. I have reached my quota of radio games for the decade. That’s two already this year, and I’m ready to see some live action, or see some TV action…hell, I just want to “SEE” a game.

Hawthorne-isms

So I’ve been impressed with the fact that I haven’t been too annoyed by Jim Hawthorne’s calls of either of the games I’ve listened to. Maybe that’s because I had no other options, but I digress. I did happen to jot one Hawthorne-ism down from the WVA game… “he’s an elusid player”…um Jim, I think you mean “elusive”.

Mustard-berger…again

Probably the only positive thing to come out of my forced radio listening was that I didn’t have to listen to Musberger call the game…again. I did ask my brother what kind of nonsense Mustard had to say, and he said that Mustard was “drinking the Koolaid” in favor of LSU. Would that koolaid be called “Purple Drank?”

Game Film

So, I did actually get the watch the majority of the LSU/WVA game on Sunday, thanks to DVR. It wasn’t really enjoyable. I felt like I was watching game film – Fast Forwarding through the commercials and huddles..ooops too far…rewind, hit play, PLAY, damn it, too far, I already watched that, FF back to the next play..PLAY... Grrrr…

Trashy

Trash talking disgusts me and it seems like LSU does more than it’s fair share. Some would say if they can back up this “talk” then it’s ok, it just part of the game. I disagree. I’m sure there’s a time and place for it, but LSU went a little too far. I saw a clip during the game of the LSU DBs trash talking the WVA wide receivers…during WARMUPS. Standing on the sideline jawing at the WVA players while doing that thuggish head-bob –you know the one. I’m just old-school, you know, letting your performance speak for itself instead of having to tell people how good you are.

Stupid D

By “Stupid” I mean stupid good. The WVA stat of passing for around 500 yards is accurate, but crap. It’s all dinks and dunks. Yes, we gave up a few biggish plays here and there, but holding that offense to 21 points, in a hostile environment is pretty darn good. The number of LSU defensive players around the ball each play is impressive, especially when WVA was spreading the field. Sure, we missed several tackles and had 0 sacks…that’s why I didn’t say there are “stupid” great. But man, are they fun to watch!

Honey Badger

I’m sure Mathieu wishes this nickname would go away. Can you imagine being an undersized kid trying to impress your peers/coaches with the nickname of a furry animal? Thank goodness TM is a football freak show…we wouldn’t want him to be stymied by a silly nickname! This kid is really unbelievable. Part of me wondered if it was just luck, and as each game came and went, I wondered how long this “luck” would last. Now, I think he’s just that special. Do I think his aggressiveness will eventually lead to a big play against him? Yes. But I’ll take one burn play, for the 10 other sick plays he makes each game. He really makes watching football fun.

RR

Just unimpressed. I am so disappointed in Rueben Randle. He has made some nice catches…big catches. But, he hasn’t become the “go to” guy I’ve expected. I’m not just keying in on the dropped TD pass, but he just doesn’t play “big”. He seems to have Marques Colston’s ability, with no drive. I hope he proves me wrong, and soon, because there are a couple of very talented freshmen ready to make their mark.

Shep

Glad to see Russell Shepherd back with the team, but still not sure he will be a dominate force. This kid has oodles of talent, but I just don’t think he’s found his groove quite yet. He could be considered a disappointment so far, but that’s not entirely his fault. He seems to be a good kid that works hard and is committed to doing whatever the team needs. I just hope he clicks with the offense soon.

Reverse, Reverse

Who runs a double reverse with a tight end? Regardless of Lee missing his block, who does this? Ok, I’m sure there are several people, but it still irked me. Maybe I’m more annoyed because we had WVA on their heels and just needed to run the football straight at them and didn’t need to get cute. Cute has no place in football (unless we’re talking about how someone looks – wink, wink Herbstreit).

J. Lee Strong

Lee again impresses with a very solid performance. He is throwing very well, sharp, on target. He is the leader and that shows. Our defense is the #2 reason we are 4-0…J. Lee is the #1 reason we are #1. Just needs to work on his blocking…

Ware and Ford

These guys are the #3 reason we are #1. They are just tough to bring down. If our O-Line can continue to block effectively (aka, just a little crease here and there), we could have two 1000 yard rushers this season. Their ability to wear out a defense, especially in the fourth quarter, will be how we close the door on many teams this year. They are our finishers.

GONG

The chime that sounds on every third down in WVA’s stadium really got on my nerves. I can’t imagine how irritating it was in person. I’m all for tradition and such, but what is the point, what does it mean? All I thought every time I heard it is that it was past my bedtime.

Gong v. Cowbells

Question: which irritated me more? Answer: Cowbells; Q: Which could I handle every week? A: Not the cowbells; Q: Which would I rather be banned from football games? A: Cowbells

Welcome, A&M?

I don’t like how the college football world, and its make-up, is in flux right now. I’m trying to embrace the changes, but why do we have to mix up these conferences so much? I was just starting to feel like I knew who went where. So, A&M thinks the grass is greener in the SEC, huh? Has to get out from UT’s shadow, huh? I can’t say I really blame them. And it gives LSU another great rivalry game. I just hope A&M can bring it, and not end up as the Vandy of the West.

Smokin’

Houston Nutt is in the hot seat. I’ve said it before and it just gets more obvious every week - things in Oxford are muy enfuego. I’m not even sure that he’ll last the whole season. Too bad for Ole Miss…we feel your pain (Curly Hallman).

We’re #1

LSU moved up to #1 in one poll this week, and deservedly so. I agree with many sports writers who are of the opinion that it’s not what the others have done wrong, it’s just that LSU has played the tougher opponents, at tougher venues, and prevailed convincingly. I do believe, that if Bama beats Florida this weekend, convincingly, they could move up to #1, even if LSU manhandles UK. But it would have to be a very dominate victory for Bama. As I tried to explain to my mom (she asked, but I think she regretted it after about 2 minutes) this poll position is subjective, and it’s all about who you play this week and how well you play. We just have to keep winning…convincingly.

UK

Upset Alert? I honestly don’t believe so. Why? 1. Been there, done that. 2. We’re just too solid 3. We’re at home. UK might have a little fight in them but I believe LSU will be fired up to play at home as #1, and that they’ll prove they deserve the ranking. At least I hope so, because I’ll be there and I will be POed if they suck it up.

Prediction:

LSU 45, UK 10

Saints Comeback

I admit I have not watched/listened to much football outside of LSU, including the Saints. I’ve caught snippets of each game, but have yet to give them my undivided attention. I did catch then end of the game against the Texans and was really impressed with the comeback effort. Brees and Co. looked unstoppable in the 4^th quarter and the often-criticized defense played well. I was equally unimpressed with the Texans ability to close out the game. They’ve got some work to do.

Jefferson’s Return

I was ready to send out the blog when news of Jefferson’s reinstatement was announced, so I needed some time to collect my thoughts before sending. First, Jarrett Lee IS, and should be, the unquestioned starter for the LSU Tigers. He has demonstrated poise through mountains of criticism early in his career, stepped up in the face of disgraced teammates, and become the leader of the #1 ranked LSU Tiger Football team. He is the kind of kid you want to lead the football team we cheer for so passionately each week. He isn’t flashy, a Heisman candidate, or going to garner other major accolades, but I am proud to call him our QB.

Pride…something that I expect anyone that has been given the opportunity to play football for LSU would have. A respect for the institution and all that it is capable of giving back is something so many young football players seem to take for granted. There was never any question about the athletic gifts bestowed on Jordon Jefferson, but I always questioned his mental maturity to handle the pressure and challenges of playing for LSU. My concern stemmed from questionable decision making (at times), and that dumbfounded look that was ever present on his face, anytime a camera caught a close up. His actions last month only proved that his maturity on the field as an athlete does not translate to his ability to be a true leader of this football team, especially one ranked #1. For his sake, I am glad the charges first filed against him were reduced, but his guilt, on a smaller scale, is still in question. As the leader of the football team, he snuck out after curfew, and, as it stands now, was somewhat involved in an altercation, actions unbecoming of the leader of our football program. I think it is a positive step for him to be reinstated as part of the program, and I really don’t think it would be terrible for him to get a few snaps here and there, but I don’t think he should be granted another year of eligibility, and I don’t think J. Lee’s position and the starting QB should ever been in jeopardy (barring an injury, of course). This is an excellent opportunity for all of these young men to learn that, in the “real” world, you are held accountable for your actions, reaping the benefits of hard work, and patience, and paying dearly for immaturity and poor choices.

The only thing I fear for the LSU Football team is if starts Lee tensing up and looking over his shoulder at who would replace him if he does anything wrong. That kind of fear leads to bad decision making and interceptions. I hope, that with the maturity he’s developed, comes the mindset to play the way he has been playing – smart, accurate…and #1.

Boo Birds

Will I boo Jordan Jefferson if he takes the field Saturday? No, at least not out loud. And I don’t think anyone else should either. However, I will be booing him a little in my head for all of the drama, distraction and negative publicity his actions have brought to the program. Will I cheer when/if he takes the field? Definitely not. And I don’t think anyone else should either. I’m mean like that – I will not reward bad behavior. Just like a kid who breaks a rule or has done something that disappoints his/her parents, JJ has to earn back my trust and my cheers, on the field and off.

LSU v Northwestern St. - Game 2, 2011

2011 Week 2

LSU v Northwestern

First, I apologize for what I consider a half-a$$ attempt at a blog. This is what I feared when I teased everyone with the first two…that I wouldn’t have time to do this every week. This is just one of those weeks where I’m going non stop, plus it’s a short game week, so I don’t have as many days to send the blog before the next game. It also doesn’t help that the Northwestern game was such a beat-down, that it’s almost…almost uninspiring to wring about.

IMPORTANT

Just in case you live under a rock, LSU plays Miss St. on THURSDAY at 7 on ESPN.

Game Day

Did the crew on Game Day talk about LSU at all? I could have easily missed any discussions/apologies for everyone being so high on Oregon last weekend, very prematurely. Do they just ignore any game that doesn’t appear on their collection of networks? Or do they just ignore when they’re wrong and pretend it didn’t happen?

I49

As my hubby and I approached I49 heading to Lafayette to pick out brick floors for the new casa, we see several buses pass over the interstate, headed south. As we tossed around scenarios of why 5+ charter buses would be on I49, it was my non-football liking husband that figured out that it was the Northwestern football team. As we caught up, we were able to deduce that it was indeed a caravan with Natchitoches (thank you spell check) police escort. I begged him to speed up so I could roll my window down and wave my LSU shirt at them (no, mom, I wouldn’t have taken it OFF…unless we had had an extra shirt with us). Genin told me I needed to leave “those poor people” alone. Alas, we never caught up to them, due to traffic, before they turned off on 190…lucky for them!

Old School

So, I decided to go Old School for this game and listen to it on the radio (“Old School” reads: I am too cheap to spend $35 to order such a whoopin’ of a game on PPV). I was pleasantly surprised that Jim Hawthorne didn’t sound nearly as befuddled during this broadcast as I remember in the past. I like the guy, but he just gets mixed up sometimes…bless his heart.

How Do You Do It

As Genin and I sat down to our football game feast of chili dogs in the den (eating in front of the TV is a treat), he questioned how I was able to watch a football game on TV (Michigan v Notre Dame on mute) and listen to one at the same time. Well, honey, I’m just that good. Ha! Actually it was very difficult. Thankfully, listening to the goings on of the LSU game was rather simple, given the lesser ability of the opponent.

Dominating

It was refreshing to see/hear LSU come out against an unworthy opponent, take them out behind the woodshed and beat the crap out of them, early and often. So many memories surface about lesser opponents coming in to Tiger Stadium and LSU not showing them who’s the boss. With this short game week, it was nice to see a coaching plan executed to get those starters some rest and those 2^nd teamers some reps.

Mo Claiborne’s Tackles

I saw one, but heard Hawthorne describe a couple (of course, he could have been exaggerating). The one I saw a replay of was crazy. He closed so fast and picked that poor boy up and laid him flat on his back, not so gingerly. Just for the record, I have some crude comments that I could expound upon regarding Mo being not so gentle, but since this is a family blog, I’ll refrain. Just wanted yall to know I’m not slipping…I’ve got comments, they’re just not PG rated.

Mettenberger

Sounds like he played a pretty steady game. Saw a few highlights and am very optimistic about our future. I do not think he is quite ready to unseat Lee as the starter, unless he’s forced to, but he looks good and I’m glad he got some PT since he is now our only backup!

J Lee

You have to give this kid some credit. He’s played well, handled the media, dealt with continued scrutiny, all with the class befitting a leader. He acts the way you want all athletes representing our school to act. I know how he “acts” doesn’t mean he’s the most gifted QB, but all he has to do is continue to play smart. Although he only played half the game, I thought he seemed more comfortable and confident. This week, as a true away game, will be a tough test for his psyche, so we’ll get to see what he’s made of. Here’s hoping we’ll see he’s made of the brass you-know-what’s he’ll need to play Bama.

Brockers INT

Talk about impressive. The big, big man goes horizontal to make a one-handed interception deep in your own territory to set up a quick TD. The athleticism of our defense, at all 11 positions, is astounding. As they play each game and get better, it could be a scary year for any and all opponents.

Russell Shepherd

Good news on one suspension – Shepherds will be lifted next week for West Virginia. The newbie receivers really stepped up, but it’ll be nice to have some additional experience on the field for the rest of the season.

Speaking of Receivers

Ruben Randall, I’m so glad your somewhat disappointing performance against Oregon was due to a minor injury, instead of what I thought – overrated, non-existant and lazy. RR bounced back against NW (I know, it’s JUST NW) and had a solid game. He’s going to need to play big and be reliable for us. Same for DeAngelo Peterson. Now that he’s broken his TD draught, I expect him to be a major go-to candidate for J Lee.

Ford and Ware

These guys have been very impressive. Running hard and picking up tough yardage, making people miss. If we’re going to run on first down…and we ARE going to run on first down, it’s nice to have these guys picking up positive yardage to help take the pressure off of J Lee. Third and long is NOT a desirable situation when you have a QB prone to throwing pick six’s and your #2 receiver currently sidelined. The O line deserves some credit too, though I think they take mental vacations from time to time and don’t always play to their potential. They really picked it up when they HAD to in the 2^nd half against Oregon. NW doesn’t count. Have I mentioned lately that I’m not a big fan of T-Bob?

Miss St v. Brick Wall

One inch from tying up a hard-fought game. How demoralizing. I actually like the Bulldogs this year and was pulling for them to win. That being said, I am NOT a fan this week and hope that they find themselves 99 yards from scoring any points at all against LSU. I hope our D Line, so adept when playing an up-tempo, spread offense, can dig in and wreak havoc at the line when State’s “spread” offense runs right up the middle. An old football chant (that used to annoy me) resurfaces: “Build a Wall, Build a Wall, Build a Great Big Wall!” Miss St will not have a chance if we shut down the run.

Shoes

Jordan Jefferson is missing all his shoes and is clamoring to get them back…and in the meantime he sadly had to go buy two more pairs. Really, you’re upset you had to go buy two more pairs when you have 50? I think you’re just really upset b/c you actually had to BUY them, instead of being GIVEN them. All sarcasm aside, I do understand the principle of the matter and reportedly, Jordan Jefferson was given back 33 pairs of shoes the investigators no longer need. But what will he wear on day 34?

Michigan v Notre Dame

Ok, I’m not a fan of either. As a college football fan, I was intrigued by the “first ever” home game at Michigan, as well as the collision between two storied programs. What I watched was a debacle and a mockery of all things football. It was seriously like a train wreck you just couldn’t help but watch. I truly felt bad for everyone on the ND team except the defensive backs. Sure Rees made critical mistakes, but he played well and ND was in a position to win for the entire game, even with a miracle at the end. However, the Irish DBs were just plain awful. Flashes of former LSU DB Demetrius Hookfin recurred every time Michigan through the ball – the DBs just didn’t turn around!

Michigan QB Robinson is a great athlete and has a great arm…but accurate he wasn’t. He would literally just throw the ball in the general direction of a teammate and lo and behold if a Michigan receiver wouldn’t come down with it...every damn time. If the ND DBs would have turned around, put a hand up, had some safety help, sneezed…just about anything but what they did…they would have easily knocked down several passes, if not intercepted quite a few. And with less than a minute on the clock, how do you not put some safety help for a DB that has been torched all game? If I’m frustrated, then Brian Kelly’s veins in his head have exploded.

Michael Floyd

The Irish receiver is a stud. He reminds me a lot of former LSU WR Michael Clayton…down to the smile. But, I think Floyd may be better…of course I’m watching him against a mediocre (if that) defense, but he was impressive.

TV Games

The man with the red hat. If you’ve ever been to a college football game, you know who I’m talking about. This is the official who stands on the field during TV timeouts. I boo him every time. As much as I love being about to watch games on TV that I don’t attend, it is such a beating for games to be drawn out the way they are. Case in point…the LSU v. Northwestern game was over before 10 pm. That’s less than 3 hours. The Michigan v. Notre Dame game started at the same time, and ended almost an hour later…with no overtime. Past my bedtime.

Set Your DVR

A small chunk of the free time I did find this week was committed to setting my DVR for all the fall shows that kick off next week. Chas Bono on DWTS – can’t wait to see him/her/him/her/him/her – o forget it, I really don’t care about Chas or his/her preferred gender.

Prediction

It’s close early, with Miss St riding on the emotion of being stopped an inch short last week and being at home with their SEC West life on the line, BUT, LSU will prevail. The second half will be dominated by our defense, especially when Miss St starts having to play from behind. J Lee plays well and our RBs have a solid game. LSU 31, Miss St 17.

LSU v Oregon - Game 1 2011

Bagged Our Limit

Duck Season opened Saturday at 7 pm…and ended a mere 3.5 hours later. I admit, I was a little nervous to see how the Tigers would respond to the offseason drama, but I was not disappointed. I told Genin that I could tell him who would win the game after the first Oregon Offense v. LSU Defense possession. And since that’s how we started the game, I was sure that we were going to be fine after about 60 seconds. I think the coaches did an excellent job getting these kids ready to play on that kind of stage, after the hype, drama and hard work. Oregon was outcoached as well as out performed, and I can’t give enough kudos to everyone on that LSU sideline.

Mentally, they were so ready to play – I could tell that from the couch, and physically, man we look good! If we get Russell Shepherd back to help out the passing game, and if we can get the O-line to play like that did in the second half for all 4 quarters, we’ve got something going.

Lee

That was one bad Tropical Storm. 10+ inches of rain at our house, yet on Monday morning, our yard had no signs of the water. That’s how bad we needed the rain. And the wind…all that did was cause one big mess in our yard. But the cool breeze…so nice.

The other Lee

J. Lee isn’t getting a whole lot of love or very complimentary remarks about his play Saturday night. I, however, think he played marvelously. 10 for 22 sounds mediocre, but 14 for 22 isn’t so bad (there were at least 4 drops) and I think they’ll open up the passing game the next two weeks and get some confidence there. I really thought Lee looked really sharp on most of his passes. There were a few he threw off his back foot, but hopefully that’ll get better. To those of you who think he “JUST” managed the game and played not to lose, I say, of course he did, and that’s all he has to do. Don’t think so? Google Matt Mauck or Matt Flynn, and see how they “JUST” managed LSU for one season and how that worked out for them.

Turnovers

Ours was TERRIBLE. I totally blame the Center, though the play clock was ticking down and Lee really needed to not waste valuable seconds pointing out a blitz. Check to the hot read and let’s roll. So I guess I’m contradicting myself and maybe Lee was to blame. O well, it didn’t hurt too bad. So, let’s talk about turnovers that hurt. All four by Oregon. And that punt coverage strip and recovery for a TD by Mathieu was a thing of beauty. +3 in turnover margin to start the year isn’t too shabby.

Vanilla

I’m beginning to think that my definition of a vanilla offense is the kind that runs the ball at least 50% of the time, and really, is not that vanilla – more like normal. I did feel like the play calls were to protect Lee’s confidence, and not force him to throw the ball unless he absolutely had to, which luckily he didn’t. However, I really enjoyed watching Ware and Ford run, especially in the second half. Our O line seemed to blow away the D line, and our RBs bulled there way to one first down after another. The fact that I found a run-heavy game enjoyable disturbs me…I guess I’m growing as a football fan. Word to yo motha (get it, Ice Ice Baby? - "Vanilla" Ice - no? nevermind)

Just That Good

Our Defense was seriously bad-a$$ on Saturday. I don’t know if I’ve seen a better, faster, more exciting group at LSU. We’ve had some great players, but as a collective unit this group could be really special. The over-hyped Duck Offense never got going, and no, ESPN, Fox, CBS and every other sports commentator, it wasn’t due to Oregon’s own miscues…our Defense had everything to do with causing the fumbles, drops and bad passes. You think LaMichael James just ran to the line and fell down? He!! no, he ran into a wall of defenders that had destroyed the tall, stick-like offensive linemen and met James in the backfield.

Wade, is that you?

I’ve haven’t been as nervous about extra points since Wade Richey’s playing days…until now. I know you’re nervous, but Drew, honey, you have to make extra points. No excuse for that shoddy miss.

Duck Uniforms

So disappointing. They really weren’t that bad. I was so wanting to be able to make fun of the ridiculousness that is the Nike-hyped, highlighter jerseys. Those neon shoes were a bit much, but they had no impact…it’s not like they broke free with a lightening fast run and those shoes were just a blur.

Fast? Of course WE are

I got so tired of hearing of how fast Oregon is supposed to be. Every talking head and writer published on the internet talked about OU’s speed and all I can say is did you see KeKe catches James? For a loss…from behind. How fast is LaMichael James? Not fast enough to outrun Mingo. KeKe came flying across the line to grab LaMichael from behind and drop him for a loss. Now that’s speed. On another play one of our DBs (can’t remember the name, blame it on the beer) took a bad angle on an Oregon RB that broke free, and he still caught him before he could get a first down. I mean really, is speed even an interesting topic anymore?

Mustard-berger and Herbstreit

Brent Musburger is just plain awful. I don’t mind a commentator that is a little biased towards an alma mater, or the like, but his dislike for LSU and the SEC is as blatant as it gets. Now Herbie, he’s a cutie, no doubt, and usually I’m impressed with his ability to remain neutral, but he was very biased for the first three quarters of the game. Every bad thing that Oregon did was their own fault and every good thing LSU did was Oregon’s fault…not once was anything favorable said about LSU…until we were up 20 with a minute left and the talking heads were eating crow after being so high on Oregon. I was glad I could only hear about half of the TV Commentary, due to the Monday-Morning quarterbacking happening on our side of the TV, but what I did hear was just rubbish.

LSU Hands on Hips

Maybe my favorite commentator-crappy sequence was this one: LSU’s D has been on the field during a long, 16+ play Oregon drive. About 3 plays from the end a camera man shows a shot of LSU’s D linemen with their hands on their hips, about to line up for the next play. Commentators, “LSU’s D looks to be out of shape, look at those hands on their hips.” Hey dip-shite – They’ve been on the field for a LONG time, and yeah, they may be a little winded, but 1. They aren’t even breathing that hard, and 2. Hands on the hips doesn’t mean completely out of shape, just winded after 16 straight plays. Fast forward to the next LSU offensive series, when the cameraman gets a shot of Oregon’s D line, with, say it aint so, their hands on THEIR hips. Did I mention that was only after THREE plays? Did the commentators say ANYTHING about that? Of course not. All of this was before half-time. The second half showed who was and was not “in shape.”

Fandemonium

Way to turn the neutral site into Tiger Town! The graphics shown at the beginning of the game of how far the game was from LSU v Oregon was propaganda. WE didn’t choose this site, so don’t make it look like this is some evil plot to trick OU into playing us. You want to “t” it up in Spokane or somewhere closer to home, let’s go, just make sure it’s in a billion dollar, state of the art dome…so it’s fair.

Family Traditions

Shout out for one he!! of a football party/family reunion. As much as I missed out on sitting inside chatting with the women-folk, I had a blast watching the game with the men-folk (and some of the girls), in the fabulous outdoor kitchen/TV room. I hope I kept yall entertained. Good times.

Georgia’s Uni’s

My eyes, my eyes, make it stop! I couldn’t decide if they looked like red peppers or what but all I know is that they took the FUGLY Uniform award of the weekend…until Monday night…

Not to be outdone

Maryland’s Unis – blech. They made me feel like I was watching a chess match for some reason. I liked my cousin Kurt’s description that they looked like an English soccer team’s (or a “futbol” team) uni’s. They certainly didn’t look like FOOTBALL jerseys. This Nike v. Under Armor founder fight is kinda making Oregon and Maryland look ridiculous. But, I guess that fashion forward angle probably gives them some recruiting leverage. For the record, the streamlined, “Pro-Combat”, Kevlar and bullet proof uniforms didn’t do squat to help the Ducks Saturday…just sayin.

My Shepherd, Toro the Puppy

So, I realize my aversion to dogs makes my recent acquisition of a puppy a little puzzling. Allow me to explain. I don’t hate dogs…I’m scared of them…there is a difference. However, Genin loves animals, and though we both agreed we’d never have indoor pets, I promised him one day we could get an outside dog. A few weeks ago Genin mentioned really wanting German Shepherd. After several attempts, we finally got in touch with a seller and met him at his Lawn Mower Repair Shop (this is actually a pertinent fact)in downtown BR. He had 3 males and “Toro” came right up to Genin while the other 2 hid. That sold us on him. Toro got his name b/c the lawn mower repair shop also had a few new mowers for sale…all Toro brand. He really is cute and friendly and has already survived a Tropical Storm, skeet shooting and his puppy shots. As long as he doesn’t whine through the night forever, I’ll keep him!

So Long MLB

No one cares about baseball anymore. We appreciate the MLB filling in the slow months when football isn’t on TV. Now that football is back, will anyone watch “Baseball Saturday” or Sunday or Monday? He!! no. For the record, I never watched baseball. I’d rather the Disney Channel or Lifetime than the MLB, and that’s bad. O, and I hope the NBA stays locked out.

Really, this is when my electricity goes out?

With all of the rain and wind, I knew losing electricity was inevitable. However, I really wish it would not have gone out with 30 min left to go in “College GameDay”, with the first Saturday games kicking off at 11. I cleaned and cooked early to be able to watch GameDay and the early games, then, POOF, no juice. Needless to say, until I got to BR for the LSU game, I didn’t watch any football Saturday. Including Auburn miraculously saving itself from the ultimate “1^st game after winning the NC” upset.

Tennis Thursday

I will not be able to watch the Saints game Thursday and I’m bummed. Of course that’s the night I volunteer to play in a tennis match, and of course the match is at 8pm…right in the middle of the game. But, it could be much, much worse. The other option was playing the following Thursday at 8 pm…right in the middle of the LSU v. Miss St game. I didn’t realize it, but thankfully I picked the lesser of the two evils. So, don’t post on Facebook the Saints scores…I want to watch it on Friday! And don’t forget that LSU plays Miss State on a THURSDAY – 9/15.

The Nutt House v. The Dawg House

Who is on the hotter seat in the SEC – Houston Nutt at Ole Miss or Mark Richt at Georgia. Richt’s been at Georgia longer, but at least he has had success there. Nutt can’t say the same at Ole Miss…or Arkansas for that matter. I like Houston Nutt, and he has fielded some good teams (beating LSU several times), but I really can’t call him a successful coach. And those prissy folks on The Grove don’t seem like they’ll be as patient as the UG fans. Later, Nutt-case.

First Game

Which team’s first year head coach had the better first game showing: Michigan (Hoke), Ohio State (Fickell), West Virginia (Holgorsen)? Unlike the rest of the sporting news world, I don’t care.

Robert Griffin, III

I watched some of the Baylor game and this kid, RG III looked like Drew Brees out there. For a while, he couldn’t miss and was hitting every pass. Couldn’t figure out if TCUs D was that bad, or if he was that good. I know the answer – TCU isn’t as good as an SEC D, but RGIII was still impressive.

We’re # 2!

In the AP poll, that is. I’m with Coach Miles, I don’t care about the rankings right now. Just as long as we have the opportunity to finish #1.

Not to Jinx Us

But how awesome would it be if LSU and Bama were both ranked in the top five, then for the 2^nd time in one year, LSU beats a top 5 opponent! As of the Week 2 Polls, LSU will have to beat SIX top 25 teams to make it to the National Championship, not counting the SEC Championship game. That is tough sledding folks. And that kind of schedule is what gets you to the NC with one loss. Hey Oregon, Boise – how many top 25 teams do you play this year?

Bloggers

I admit, I went to a few message boards when all of the Shady-gate information was coming out, and man are those bloggers wasting some time. I felt so much stupider for spending 10 minutes of my lunch break reading what these folks seem to have endless amounts of time to think up, and, unfortunately, share with the rest of us. I know I’m writing a blog here, too, and everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but it’s just out of control in places like Tigerdroppings.com. I went looking for information (yeah, I knew it would all be speculation but I went anyway), and all I got was name-calling and childish rants. I wish they were more high-quality, like my ranting, of course!

Go Saints!

Good luck to the Who Dat nation Thursday. Should be an excellent game against the defending Super Bowl Champs. Win or lose, I’m ready to see what the 2011 Saints are all about.

Putting this Last

Because I’m so tired of it. I haven’t weighed in on the LSU arrests because it seems like yesterday’s news and I’m just ready to move on. I don’t know anything about the incident at Shady’s so I feel like I can make a non-biased comment. I truly believe (hope) that the BRPD would not make such high profile arrests, with such heavy charges, if there wasn’t evidence that supported the arrests. If that is indeed the case, Jefferson and Johns should never see an LSU uniform again.

If Jefferson is innocent, I feel bad for him, because this will be a golden year wasted, and I hope he can red-shirt to get his year back, but he should not be allowed back on the team until all charges are dropped. It’s not fair…innocent until proven guilty, right? But Les Miles and the Tigers can’t afford the distraction or the potential that he may be found guilty and ruled ineligible, retroactively. I also hope that if/when Jefferson is allowed back on the team, that Miles will not just hand back over the starting QB job. He may have earned it on the field, but he didn’t off of the field, even if his only crime is being out past curfew. Lots of lessons to be learned here, by the young and the old. Kudos to Miles to handling it the best he could, and preparing his team for victory.