Amory, Itawamba hold high respect for one another
BY CHRIS RUSHING
SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL
FULTON – After the clock read all zeros Friday night on the campus of Itawamba Community College, the Itawamba Indians achieved a rare feat with their third-ever victory over Amory, this one in 35-14 fashion behind a strong ground attack.
Defeating the Panthers was the final hurdle for IAHS coach Jamie Mitchell as he begins year three of his reign at the helm of the Indians program.
“This was only the third time for Itawamba to have beaten Amory in 25 years,” Mitchell explained following the win. “They’re the only team on our schedule we haven’t beaten (since I’ve been coaching at IAHS). Amory’s had a lot to do with that over the years. We’re grateful for this one.”
On the opposite sideline, Amory coach Pat Byrd saw just how far the No. 2-ranked Indians have come in a short time under the direction of Mitchell and Co.
“They have a fine football team and they’re very powerful,” Byrd said. “You could tell we were playing our first game and that they had played before (in a jamboree). All that being said, (Itawamba) has a very good football team.”
While the first half proved to be a tough lesson for the Panthers in their season opener, the second half began with much promise as senior quarterback Stephen Otey found Evan Lackey from 27 yards out to cut the deficit to 28-7. Amory began its scoring drive with the best starting field position of the night after Nick Waldrop pounced on Kevin Marks’ muffed punt at the IAHS 49-yard-line.
Later in the third quarter, Otey again had the Panthers in the red zone after another muffed punt by the Indians, setting up a first-and-10 from the Itawamba 19. This time, the Amory offense wasn’t as fortunate as three costly penalties and a pair of William Shumpert sacks forced the Panthers back near midfield for an unconverted fourth-and-long situation.
Byrd pointed to these miscues as focal points for improvement in the coming weeks.
“We talked about how we have to sustain after the game,” Byrd said. “We talk a lot about responding to adversity, and we didn’t do a very good job of that against Itawamba. That’s one of the main things we’re going to work on.”
Coaches often preach the importance of having short memories on and off the field. The Panthers will have to put this plan into practice starting Friday against Lowdes County foe New Hope (1-0).
“We have a lot to improve on before next week,” Byrd added.
Kickoff between the Trojans and Panthers is set for 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
'Our brand of football' gets it done in Fulton
HIGH SCHOOL:Our brand of football' gets it done in Fulton
8/30/2008 7:36:20 AM
Daily Journal
BY CHRIS RUSHING
Special to the Journal
FULTON - Expectations can sometimes get out of hand quickly when a team enters a season with a lofty ranking. No. 2 large school Itawamba AHS did nothing to lower those expectations with its 35-14 victory over rival Amory in the season opener Friday night.
From the get-go, the Indians established a strong ground game with the shifty running of Deshawn McGaughy, who finished with 158 yards and a pair of scores to pace Itawamba to a 28-0 halftime lead. As a team, the Indians gathered 351 rushing yards with the help of seven ball carriers.
Indians head coach Jamie Mitchell, who had entered Friday's contest winless in two attempts against Amory, appreciates the fast start for the Indians as he began his third campaign.
"That's our brand of football," Mitchell said. "I think this is only the third win over Amory in 25 or so years. We've got seniors up front with a big-time tailback and a big-time fullback. We have some guys to hand it to."
Amory struggled against the strong rush defense of IAHS, which was especially stingy on third downs - the Panthers could not convert a first down past its second play from scrimmage in the first half.
Leading the attack for IAHS were reigning Daily Journal Defensive Player of the Year William Shumpert with three sacks, including back-to-back plays in the third quarter, and Trae Bobo, who notched three tackles-for-loss and a 58-yard fumble return to give the Indians a 21-0 lead with 10 minutes, 58 seconds left in the half.
Meanwhile, Itawamba was able to play keep-away with its strong rushing attack, holding the ball for 18:28 of the game's initial 24 minutes.
"The first half, we got took to the woodshed defensively," Amory head coach Pat Byrd said. "They knocked us off some of our assignments, but they're a fine football team. You could tell this was a first game and that they had played before."
To open the second half, Amory finally was able to capitalize on an Itawamba mistake, as the Panthers converted the first of two-straight muffed punts by IAHS returners. Senior signal-caller Stephen Otey put the Panthers on the scoreboard with a perfect 27-yard strike to Evan Lackey, who waltzed into the end zone from the Indians 2.
The thrill was short-lived for Amory. Devoris Taylor raced 61 yards untouched for the Indians five plays later to cap an 84-yard scoring drive and extend the host's lead to 35-7 with 7:44 left in the third period.
Otey, who completed 9-of-20 for 90 yards, wrapped the scoring after twisting into the end zone from 3 yards out with 6:01 to play.
The Indians will hit the road against Senatobia next week, while the Panthers will look to rebound against New Hope.
Box score:
Itawamba AHS 35, Amory 14
Amory 0 0 7 7 - 14
Itawamba 14 14 7 0 - 35
First Quarter
IAHS- Deshawn McGaughy 1 rush (Glyn Brown kick), 8:25
IAHS- Deshawn McGaughy 12 rush (Brown kick), 0:03
Second Quarter
IAHS – Trae Bobo 58 fumble return (Brown kick), 10:56
IAHS – Maikhail Miller 1 rush (Brown kick), 2:14
Third Quarter
AHS – Evan Lackey pass from Stephen Otey 27 yards (Mark Creekmore kick) 9:53
IAHS – Devoris Taylor 61 rush (Brown kick), 7:44
Fourth Quarter
AHS – Otey 3 rush (Creekmore kick), 6:01
Records: Itawamba 1-0, Amory 0-1
http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=278452&pub=1&div=Sports
8/30/2008 7:36:20 AM
Daily Journal
BY CHRIS RUSHING
Special to the Journal
FULTON - Expectations can sometimes get out of hand quickly when a team enters a season with a lofty ranking. No. 2 large school Itawamba AHS did nothing to lower those expectations with its 35-14 victory over rival Amory in the season opener Friday night.
From the get-go, the Indians established a strong ground game with the shifty running of Deshawn McGaughy, who finished with 158 yards and a pair of scores to pace Itawamba to a 28-0 halftime lead. As a team, the Indians gathered 351 rushing yards with the help of seven ball carriers.
Indians head coach Jamie Mitchell, who had entered Friday's contest winless in two attempts against Amory, appreciates the fast start for the Indians as he began his third campaign.
"That's our brand of football," Mitchell said. "I think this is only the third win over Amory in 25 or so years. We've got seniors up front with a big-time tailback and a big-time fullback. We have some guys to hand it to."
Amory struggled against the strong rush defense of IAHS, which was especially stingy on third downs - the Panthers could not convert a first down past its second play from scrimmage in the first half.
Leading the attack for IAHS were reigning Daily Journal Defensive Player of the Year William Shumpert with three sacks, including back-to-back plays in the third quarter, and Trae Bobo, who notched three tackles-for-loss and a 58-yard fumble return to give the Indians a 21-0 lead with 10 minutes, 58 seconds left in the half.
Meanwhile, Itawamba was able to play keep-away with its strong rushing attack, holding the ball for 18:28 of the game's initial 24 minutes.
"The first half, we got took to the woodshed defensively," Amory head coach Pat Byrd said. "They knocked us off some of our assignments, but they're a fine football team. You could tell this was a first game and that they had played before."
To open the second half, Amory finally was able to capitalize on an Itawamba mistake, as the Panthers converted the first of two-straight muffed punts by IAHS returners. Senior signal-caller Stephen Otey put the Panthers on the scoreboard with a perfect 27-yard strike to Evan Lackey, who waltzed into the end zone from the Indians 2.
The thrill was short-lived for Amory. Devoris Taylor raced 61 yards untouched for the Indians five plays later to cap an 84-yard scoring drive and extend the host's lead to 35-7 with 7:44 left in the third period.
Otey, who completed 9-of-20 for 90 yards, wrapped the scoring after twisting into the end zone from 3 yards out with 6:01 to play.
The Indians will hit the road against Senatobia next week, while the Panthers will look to rebound against New Hope.
Box score:
Itawamba AHS 35, Amory 14
Amory 0 0 7 7 - 14
Itawamba 14 14 7 0 - 35
First Quarter
IAHS- Deshawn McGaughy 1 rush (Glyn Brown kick), 8:25
IAHS- Deshawn McGaughy 12 rush (Brown kick), 0:03
Second Quarter
IAHS – Trae Bobo 58 fumble return (Brown kick), 10:56
IAHS – Maikhail Miller 1 rush (Brown kick), 2:14
Third Quarter
AHS – Evan Lackey pass from Stephen Otey 27 yards (Mark Creekmore kick) 9:53
IAHS – Devoris Taylor 61 rush (Brown kick), 7:44
Fourth Quarter
AHS – Otey 3 rush (Creekmore kick), 6:01
Records: Itawamba 1-0, Amory 0-1
http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=278452&pub=1&div=Sports
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Plan to Win: Louisiana-Monroe Tailgate
Through my tenure in sports information at both Auburn and Florida, one of my favorite pastimes was being able to keep up with all the catch-phrases uttered by both coaches and players. Jason Campbell's was "ya know" while Carnell began every statement with "no doubt." The counts could sometimes reach near triple-digits depending on how long these two stood in front of the cameras and tape recorders. One of my personal favorites, though, was Urban Meyer's "Plan to Win," which was outlined the Monday after every Gator football game in the press conference. So, in tipping our hats to the lone coach in Southeastern Conference history to ever be embarrassed by Mike Shula, we turn our attention to our tailgate's "Plan to Win."
Coaches across the country this week have been harping on minimizing mistakes in the season openers, and we will attempt to mirror those game plans with a new tailgate in a new location to open the 2008 campaign. Thanks to the help of Frank Buttler, we were able to set up shop at University Station on Hwy. 14, just inside the Loachapoka city limits. While we will be separated from the goings on all over campus, I think we'll be able to make up for it with the endless possibilities (and having a good core group of weekly tailgaters including Frank's crew) the campsite affords us.
In addition to the Rushings in attendance will be RSVPers Andy Shores, Dr. Andy Shores, Andrew Monroe, Katy Braden, Brad Gregg, Amber Gregg and Brad's younger brother Jared as well as likely appearances from Josh Jackson, "What's the news" Katie Hughes, Andi Boulay and Neal Cheatwood. The menu has yet to be finalized, but it's most likely to have some sort of steak in addition to wings from Buffalo Connection. I'll pass around a donation bucket for the wings, but aside from that, all we ask is that tailgaters bring their own chairs and drinks.
Directions:
From College Street, the easiest way is to turn onto Glenn and hang a right onto Donahue. Get in the left-hand turn lane ASAP and hang a left on Hwy 14/Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Stay on this for approximately 3 miles and look for the Thunder Cat gas station sign on your right. Once you pass the gas station, there will be the campground with several gravel entrances on your right. We'll be in the back corner (look for the enormous RUSHING orange flag atop the camper). Call me with any questions (334-750-1735).
As far as the game, as I stated earlier this week, I foresee a final of 41-10. We won't see very much more of the offense than what was shown in the Chik-fil-A Bowl. I really think this team is ready to hit someone else, and I'm not sure what to think of the supposed punter controversy (what, you thought I'd call our two-QB system a "controversy"?). I spent most of the summer thinking that we'd see Chris Todd take a majority of the snaps, but I'm leaning towards Kodi Burns getting the nod from Tony Franklin and Tommy Tuberville.
Aside from just getting past the excitement of finally getting to go back through the gates at Jordan-Hare, I'll be keying in on the new guys in the secondary as well as to how we approach going into nickel and dime situations. While I hate to see Gabe McKenzie leave the tight end spot and leave Tommy Trott as the lone experienced veteran (yikes), I know that we'll get to see a healthy dose of what McKenzie can do at the defensive end position and our coaches have wanted him there since the day he stepped onto campus. Yes, I am pumped about the offense too, but I know enough to realize that the success of the hard hat defense, under the tutelage of Paul Rhoads, will be the difference in a good and a great season.
See you guys Saturday. It's here...it's finally here. War Eagle.
-6-
Coaches across the country this week have been harping on minimizing mistakes in the season openers, and we will attempt to mirror those game plans with a new tailgate in a new location to open the 2008 campaign. Thanks to the help of Frank Buttler, we were able to set up shop at University Station on Hwy. 14, just inside the Loachapoka city limits. While we will be separated from the goings on all over campus, I think we'll be able to make up for it with the endless possibilities (and having a good core group of weekly tailgaters including Frank's crew) the campsite affords us.
In addition to the Rushings in attendance will be RSVPers Andy Shores, Dr. Andy Shores, Andrew Monroe, Katy Braden, Brad Gregg, Amber Gregg and Brad's younger brother Jared as well as likely appearances from Josh Jackson, "What's the news" Katie Hughes, Andi Boulay and Neal Cheatwood. The menu has yet to be finalized, but it's most likely to have some sort of steak in addition to wings from Buffalo Connection. I'll pass around a donation bucket for the wings, but aside from that, all we ask is that tailgaters bring their own chairs and drinks.
Directions:
From College Street, the easiest way is to turn onto Glenn and hang a right onto Donahue. Get in the left-hand turn lane ASAP and hang a left on Hwy 14/Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Stay on this for approximately 3 miles and look for the Thunder Cat gas station sign on your right. Once you pass the gas station, there will be the campground with several gravel entrances on your right. We'll be in the back corner (look for the enormous RUSHING orange flag atop the camper). Call me with any questions (334-750-1735).
As far as the game, as I stated earlier this week, I foresee a final of 41-10. We won't see very much more of the offense than what was shown in the Chik-fil-A Bowl. I really think this team is ready to hit someone else, and I'm not sure what to think of the supposed punter controversy (what, you thought I'd call our two-QB system a "controversy"?). I spent most of the summer thinking that we'd see Chris Todd take a majority of the snaps, but I'm leaning towards Kodi Burns getting the nod from Tony Franklin and Tommy Tuberville.
Aside from just getting past the excitement of finally getting to go back through the gates at Jordan-Hare, I'll be keying in on the new guys in the secondary as well as to how we approach going into nickel and dime situations. While I hate to see Gabe McKenzie leave the tight end spot and leave Tommy Trott as the lone experienced veteran (yikes), I know that we'll get to see a healthy dose of what McKenzie can do at the defensive end position and our coaches have wanted him there since the day he stepped onto campus. Yes, I am pumped about the offense too, but I know enough to realize that the success of the hard hat defense, under the tutelage of Paul Rhoads, will be the difference in a good and a great season.
See you guys Saturday. It's here...it's finally here. War Eagle.
-6-
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Week 1 - SEC Preview
I have often told people in the last few weeks that Labor Day is my favorite holiday. I think I need to clarify this. I do not hold this first Monday of September higher in my heart than Thanksgiving or Christmas, but as far as non-traditional holidays go, nothing can beat this particular three-day weekend (including my birthday). Not only do we contribute to the celebration of those who have pushed forward in defending our country's freedoms, but we also get to welcome back that old friend who you're always sad to see go in mid-January: college football.
Can you feel it? A week from now, I will be standing outside the camper surveying our lot as we look at improving our tailgating experiences from last year. Random playings of "War Eagle" will fill our ears and footballs will dance through the air into the awaiting arms of fathers, sons, brothers, friends alike. As Better than Ezra so aptly described this scene that has been filling my thoughts the past three weeks, we will soon be "feeling right this time of year."
While last season's opening weekend was filled with potential upsets, unless a repeat of Appalachian State's mammoth victory comes to fruition, not very many surprises litter the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivison's landscape. Two games that intrigue me are Mississippi State's visit to Louisiana Tech (more on that later) and East Carolina's matchup with Virginia Tech. It will not be an easy visit to Greenville for Frank Beamer and Co., and the game was much closer than it should have been last season (with VT winning off emotions, something that won't be there in a "hostile" environment this season).
The game of the week will be contested inside the Georgia Dome as former Southeastern Conference heavyweights Alabama and Clemson will try to get things started on the right foot for what both fanbases hope will be a great 2008 campaign. Glancing at depth charts and rosters, this game should not really be close. Clemson has more experience in almost every facet of the game - except coaching. Don't blink because this will be one of the few times that I give credence to Nick Saban's coaching abilities, but he will out-scheme, out-work and out-coach Tommy Bowden in Atlanta. Bowden has only been reliable at Clemson when his job has been on the line. Could 2008 be to him what 2004 was to Tommy Tuberville? Absolutely, but Tubs showed signs of progress in his program at Auburn much earlier than Bowden has at Clemson - not to mention Tubs' record against top-10 and top-5 opponents is nothing short of remarkable while Bowden's is...not.
Alabama will bust some big plays to put up short scoring drives, but this will be their downfall because Clemson will be able to control the clock and eventually wear down Bama's thin defensive front. It will not surprise me if the Tide pulls this one off, if for no other reason than Saban > Bowden. However, team cohesiveness usually wins in early games like this one, and I feel like Clemson has the bigger chip on its shoulder. Clemson prevails, barely, 31-28.
OTHER GAMES IN THE SEC:
N.C. State at South Carolina (Aug. 28): In the first of two-straight Thursday night games for Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks, Jasper Brinkley will return to the playing field after last being seen in USC's loss at LSU. His injury helped spur Carolina's spiral into oblivion in 2007, so you know that the folks in Columbia have been anxious to see him and Cocky return to their early 2007 form. O'Brien is a heck of a coach, and he left Boston College a year too early, allowing Matty Ice to find unprecedented success with another guy calling the plays. Can Spurrier survive not having control over the offensive game plan and has he really relinquished the play-calling duties to his son? This could be a dud but could also be one of those Thursday night classics talked about the rest of the year. South Carolina 24, NC State 20.
Vanderbilt at Miami (OH) (Aug. 28): Much like what I wrote in my forecast earlier this month, there's not very much to say about Vandy this year. They're not going to be good and will sometimes teeter on being awful. It's really too bad for Steve Martin lookalike Bobby Johnson, who is one of the best coaches in the conference. Miami 28, Vandy 10.
Hawai'i at Florida: Welcoming the Warriors back to the mainland will be the Gators, a team itching to erase the bad taste left in its mouth after crapping the bed against Michigan in Orlando on New Year's Day. While I don't agree with Kirk Herbstreit's pick of UF as the nation's best team, they'll look like it in this game. Tim Tebow will be able to call his shot against Hawai'i's defense and account for seven touchdowns by himself. Florida 51, Hawai'i 6.
Western Illinois at Arkansas: This will be one of the few bright spots in Bobby Petrino's debut season. Casey Dick will look like a Heisman contender, and that Smith kid will make Hog fans think that they won't miss Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. Arkansas 38, Western Illinois 3.
Georgia Southern at Georgia: Isn't there a clause in the contract somewhere that Georgia Southern is supposed to try to make this game as competitive as possible? I've heard of throwing in the towel but suspending eight for your matchup with the FBS' preseason No. 1 team is a bit much. Welcome back to college football, Bill Curry. Knowshon and Caleb King will score two touchdowns apiece. Georgia 48, Georgia Southern 0.
Mississippi State at Louisiana Tech: Why is a SEC school visiting a lower-tier WAC program? I've asked people this question all summer and all I get back as an answer is "money." Have any of these people seen the SEC's revenue share for this past season? Who is in charge of marketing and advertising at MSU that the revenue from a home game with EMCC is less than having to travel to Ruston, La.? It's an embarrassment, much like what State will narrowly avoid on the playing field against a decent Louisiana Tech team with one of college football's up-and-coming head coaches, Derrick Dooley. Don't worry, State fans. This is just the beginning of a scary season. Miss. State 21, Louisiana Tech 18.
Memphis at Ole Miss: Wanna know how Houston Nutt spells fun? I hear its "W-I-N"...The way this man has been accepted and rejected in the span of 12 months (by two similar fanbases in the SEC) is unbelievable. His debut comes against a team some are predicting will have a great shot at winning the Conference USA title. Jevan Snead has been looking forward to this night longer than anyone else that will don the red or blue jerseys, and I'm pretty sure he'll make good on his promise of being the Rebels' best signal-caller since Eli...at least against the Tigers. Ole Miss 28, Memphis 14.
Louisiana-Monroe at Auburn: Count me among the AU faithful that will stand and applaud the Warhawks as they enter the field from the northeast corner of Jordan-Hare Stadium. If nothing else, ULM has at least inspired the creativity at Tiger Rags for the game shirt. I'll go more in-depth with my pre-game analysis later this week with the Tailgate Plan, but I don't expect Auburn to show much more on offense than what was on display against Clemson on New Year's Eve. The Tigers should have a good start to what should be a pretty exciting, bordering on great, season. Auburn 41, Louisiana-Monroe 10.
Appalachian State at LSU: The Mountaineers now have an ESPY to go along with its three-straight national championships to help promote its program, but nothing could ever replicate the attention this small school has received since its upset of Michigan a year ago. The reward for all of this? A nationally-televised thrashing in Baton Rouge on a Saturday night. Gee thanks, right? It doesn't matter who quarterbacks LSU in this one because the only time it will be close is the opening kickoff. LSU 44, Appy State 3.
Kentucky at Louisville (Aug. 31): Where have you gone, Andre Woodson? At least UK will have Dicky Lyons, he being one of my favorite names in all of college football. I don't think either of these teams will be very good this year. Louisville wins on home-field advantage. Louisville 28, Kentucky 24.
Tennessee at UCLA (Sept. 1): This will be one of my few Monday nights that I will spend watching football. Tennessee is my pick for winning the East, and they will show that team to a national audience against a UCLA team that has had its share of bad luck in the preseason. The Vols will end a pretty good weekend for SEC teams with a big win over a Pac-10 school. Tennessee 24, UCLA 14.
Can you feel it? A week from now, I will be standing outside the camper surveying our lot as we look at improving our tailgating experiences from last year. Random playings of "War Eagle" will fill our ears and footballs will dance through the air into the awaiting arms of fathers, sons, brothers, friends alike. As Better than Ezra so aptly described this scene that has been filling my thoughts the past three weeks, we will soon be "feeling right this time of year."
While last season's opening weekend was filled with potential upsets, unless a repeat of Appalachian State's mammoth victory comes to fruition, not very many surprises litter the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivison's landscape. Two games that intrigue me are Mississippi State's visit to Louisiana Tech (more on that later) and East Carolina's matchup with Virginia Tech. It will not be an easy visit to Greenville for Frank Beamer and Co., and the game was much closer than it should have been last season (with VT winning off emotions, something that won't be there in a "hostile" environment this season).
The game of the week will be contested inside the Georgia Dome as former Southeastern Conference heavyweights Alabama and Clemson will try to get things started on the right foot for what both fanbases hope will be a great 2008 campaign. Glancing at depth charts and rosters, this game should not really be close. Clemson has more experience in almost every facet of the game - except coaching. Don't blink because this will be one of the few times that I give credence to Nick Saban's coaching abilities, but he will out-scheme, out-work and out-coach Tommy Bowden in Atlanta. Bowden has only been reliable at Clemson when his job has been on the line. Could 2008 be to him what 2004 was to Tommy Tuberville? Absolutely, but Tubs showed signs of progress in his program at Auburn much earlier than Bowden has at Clemson - not to mention Tubs' record against top-10 and top-5 opponents is nothing short of remarkable while Bowden's is...not.
Alabama will bust some big plays to put up short scoring drives, but this will be their downfall because Clemson will be able to control the clock and eventually wear down Bama's thin defensive front. It will not surprise me if the Tide pulls this one off, if for no other reason than Saban > Bowden. However, team cohesiveness usually wins in early games like this one, and I feel like Clemson has the bigger chip on its shoulder. Clemson prevails, barely, 31-28.
OTHER GAMES IN THE SEC:
N.C. State at South Carolina (Aug. 28): In the first of two-straight Thursday night games for Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks, Jasper Brinkley will return to the playing field after last being seen in USC's loss at LSU. His injury helped spur Carolina's spiral into oblivion in 2007, so you know that the folks in Columbia have been anxious to see him and Cocky return to their early 2007 form. O'Brien is a heck of a coach, and he left Boston College a year too early, allowing Matty Ice to find unprecedented success with another guy calling the plays. Can Spurrier survive not having control over the offensive game plan and has he really relinquished the play-calling duties to his son? This could be a dud but could also be one of those Thursday night classics talked about the rest of the year. South Carolina 24, NC State 20.
Vanderbilt at Miami (OH) (Aug. 28): Much like what I wrote in my forecast earlier this month, there's not very much to say about Vandy this year. They're not going to be good and will sometimes teeter on being awful. It's really too bad for Steve Martin lookalike Bobby Johnson, who is one of the best coaches in the conference. Miami 28, Vandy 10.
Hawai'i at Florida: Welcoming the Warriors back to the mainland will be the Gators, a team itching to erase the bad taste left in its mouth after crapping the bed against Michigan in Orlando on New Year's Day. While I don't agree with Kirk Herbstreit's pick of UF as the nation's best team, they'll look like it in this game. Tim Tebow will be able to call his shot against Hawai'i's defense and account for seven touchdowns by himself. Florida 51, Hawai'i 6.
Western Illinois at Arkansas: This will be one of the few bright spots in Bobby Petrino's debut season. Casey Dick will look like a Heisman contender, and that Smith kid will make Hog fans think that they won't miss Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. Arkansas 38, Western Illinois 3.
Georgia Southern at Georgia: Isn't there a clause in the contract somewhere that Georgia Southern is supposed to try to make this game as competitive as possible? I've heard of throwing in the towel but suspending eight for your matchup with the FBS' preseason No. 1 team is a bit much. Welcome back to college football, Bill Curry. Knowshon and Caleb King will score two touchdowns apiece. Georgia 48, Georgia Southern 0.
Mississippi State at Louisiana Tech: Why is a SEC school visiting a lower-tier WAC program? I've asked people this question all summer and all I get back as an answer is "money." Have any of these people seen the SEC's revenue share for this past season? Who is in charge of marketing and advertising at MSU that the revenue from a home game with EMCC is less than having to travel to Ruston, La.? It's an embarrassment, much like what State will narrowly avoid on the playing field against a decent Louisiana Tech team with one of college football's up-and-coming head coaches, Derrick Dooley. Don't worry, State fans. This is just the beginning of a scary season. Miss. State 21, Louisiana Tech 18.
Memphis at Ole Miss: Wanna know how Houston Nutt spells fun? I hear its "W-I-N"...The way this man has been accepted and rejected in the span of 12 months (by two similar fanbases in the SEC) is unbelievable. His debut comes against a team some are predicting will have a great shot at winning the Conference USA title. Jevan Snead has been looking forward to this night longer than anyone else that will don the red or blue jerseys, and I'm pretty sure he'll make good on his promise of being the Rebels' best signal-caller since Eli...at least against the Tigers. Ole Miss 28, Memphis 14.
Louisiana-Monroe at Auburn: Count me among the AU faithful that will stand and applaud the Warhawks as they enter the field from the northeast corner of Jordan-Hare Stadium. If nothing else, ULM has at least inspired the creativity at Tiger Rags for the game shirt. I'll go more in-depth with my pre-game analysis later this week with the Tailgate Plan, but I don't expect Auburn to show much more on offense than what was on display against Clemson on New Year's Eve. The Tigers should have a good start to what should be a pretty exciting, bordering on great, season. Auburn 41, Louisiana-Monroe 10.
Appalachian State at LSU: The Mountaineers now have an ESPY to go along with its three-straight national championships to help promote its program, but nothing could ever replicate the attention this small school has received since its upset of Michigan a year ago. The reward for all of this? A nationally-televised thrashing in Baton Rouge on a Saturday night. Gee thanks, right? It doesn't matter who quarterbacks LSU in this one because the only time it will be close is the opening kickoff. LSU 44, Appy State 3.
Kentucky at Louisville (Aug. 31): Where have you gone, Andre Woodson? At least UK will have Dicky Lyons, he being one of my favorite names in all of college football. I don't think either of these teams will be very good this year. Louisville wins on home-field advantage. Louisville 28, Kentucky 24.
Tennessee at UCLA (Sept. 1): This will be one of my few Monday nights that I will spend watching football. Tennessee is my pick for winning the East, and they will show that team to a national audience against a UCLA team that has had its share of bad luck in the preseason. The Vols will end a pretty good weekend for SEC teams with a big win over a Pac-10 school. Tennessee 24, UCLA 14.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
2008 Hatley High School Football Preview
Hawkins hopes to lead teammates back to playoffs
By Chris Rushing
HATLEY - All across the country, high school football teams are surviving the August heat and humidity as September draws near. While the sprinklers water the playing surface of Hatley High School’s football stadium, the 2008 edition of the Tigers press on towards its Aug. 28 opening tilt with Nettleton.
Just behind the visitors’ stands, 22 young men daily sweat out drill after drill to the sounds of whistles and instruction from head coach Jeff Brooks and his staff. On a roster short of veterans, Zach Hawkins carries with him the distinction of being the only Tiger to have played on all four teams in the Brooks era.
Heading into his fourth and final season in the blue and yellow, Hawkins feels a sense of urgency to put his stamp on his teammates and the Class 2A Hatley program.
“Being the only senior, I have to do everything perfect,” Hawkins said. “If you don’t do things perfectly, the younger guys aren’t going to look up to you. I have to set a good example.”
Hawkins’ strive for perfection is one that has not gone unnoticed by his coaches.
“It’s a little more difficult because usually there’s more than one (senior),” Brooks explained. “Zach was part of my first team here. He’s a player that will verbally step up when he needs to, but more importantly, he shows everyone else how to do things with his actions. He is going to play harder than everyone else, and if he does something wrong, he will come up to the coaches and ask us to run it again.
“That’s exactly what you want. A lot of people can talk, but when you see someone go through with it and walk the walk - that speaks a lot louder to me than by just saying it.”
Not only has Hawkins impressed his coaches in preseason camp, but he has also started a trend amongst some of the underclassmen.
“Some of our juniors have seen the need to step up along with Zack, and they’ve done a great job of being leaders for us,” Brooks added. “That’s been a big plus for us.”
With just eight starters (three offensive, five defensive) returning from the injury-plagued and winless 2007 team, Brooks is again working with a youthful roster that will feature a freshman under center for the season’s first snap thanks to a summer injury to incumbent starter Luke Renfro.
“We are very, very young,” Brooks said to describe his starting lineup, which features nine underclassmen with first-string status. “Every now and then, we’ll have one of those days where we have to stop practice and show them a technique or two. Every day, we’re seeing guys learn more and they’re starting to show that they’re getting more comfortable.
“Mostly, we have been very pleased with the effort from our younger players as well as our veterans because they’ve been ready to come to practice and ready to learn what we’re trying to teach them. They have picked up very quickly on what we’re trying to put in.”
Renfro figured to play a prominent role for the Tigers this season, not only in the offensive backfield but also on special teams.
“Along with being our QB, Luke was our kicker and our punter last year, and he did a great job for us,” Brooks quipped. “We have been working on finding his replacement, and we have a pretty good idea of who will be starting and handling the kicking and punting duties. We are focused on finding players to back those guys up to help fill the loss of Luke on special teams.”
As Renfro went through summer workouts, he began experiencing headaches and dizziness, alerting his parents and coaches. After consulting with doctors and specialists, he underwent season-ending surgery to help repair some internal injuries sustained in a car accident a couple of years earlier.
“Now, he just has to find out what the long-term effects are going to be,” said Brooks.
Looking to fill his shoes will be freshman Caleb Walters, who the Tigers will look to captain their two-back offensive scheme.
“We have to adjust our scheme a little bit to take some pressure off Caleb as he gets a feel for everything,” Brooks explained. “We are going to focus on establishing the run first and pass second. One of the keys to this offense will be how fast our youth adapts. We are still going to throw the ball, but we want to make sure Caleb’s comfortable at the quarterback position.”
Brooks will reassume playcalling duties after last season’s offensive assistant, Michael Campbell, left for Tupelo High School over the summer. To fill the void on his staff, Brooks turned to Jamie Edwards, who will rejoin Hatley’s coaching ranks following a year’s absence from the program.
“Any time you have a coaching change, it’s going to take adjusting,” Brooks said. “Our guys spent a year working with Coach Campbell, and even though Coach Edwards has worked with most of these guys before, there will still be a little transition. We’ve moved some positions around on the staff because of Coach Campbell leaving.”
Defensively, the Tigers will use a four-man front base scheme loaded with underclassmen. According to Brooks, the defense’s success begins and ends with gap control.
Sophomore Codi Taylor will help anchor the linebacker corps and also faces the task of being a leader despite his age.
“We have to keep coming out here and keep learning more of what we have to do,” Taylor explained. “Guys are starting to get a grasp on the individual tasks that they have to do. We have a pretty young team with a lot of freshmen, but we know we’re getting better.”
Another linebacker, Joseph Neal, agrees with Taylor’s sentiments.
“We’re all working pretty hard and trying to give it our best shot,” Neal said. “We come out to practice every day to get more mentally ready, and we’re doing what we can to help us win on Fridays.”
While the heat and humidity show no signs of letting up any time soon, the Tigers mirror that relentless charge to improve their readiness on the football field.
“They’re coming along,” Brooks surmised as he stood on the practice field watching his team participate in conditioning drills. “We’re getting there.”
As Brooks and Co. test their squad of its strength and endurance, the players have set their sights on one elusive target for the 2008 campaign.
“We are looking to make the playoffs,” Hawkins explained. “We haven’t made it to the playoffs in quite some time, and I know it would mean a lot to Hatley if we could get there. That’s our main goal right now.”
On Aug. 28, Hawkins and the Tigers will begin their quest to reach that solitary goal.
Players to Watch:
Zach Hawkins, Sr.
Facts: Lone senior on the roster; only player who has been a part of all four teams coached by Jeff Brooks at Hatley.
Q: If you could pick any teammate to be your tag-team partner in a wrestling match, who would it be?
A: “Joseph Neal because he plays on the line and has put on a bunch of weight. He’d be a good one.”
Q: Have you pulled any fun pranks on your teammates this summer?
A: “I’ve messed with some of their name plates on top of their lockers. It’s just something small.”
Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: “Wanted. I loved the action in the movie.”
Codi Taylor, So.
Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: “Steak. I love a good steak, and I like to eat.”
Q: Do you have any nicknames?
A: “Iron Tiger.”
Collin Walters, Jr.
Q: What’s your favorite movie?
A: “Gridiron Gang. I love it because it’s a football movie.”
Q: If you could drive any car, what would it be?
A: “It’d definitely be a 2008 Mustang GT 500.”
Joseph Neal, Jr.
Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: “Fried shrimp.”
Q: If you could drive any car, what would it be?
A: “I’ve always wanted a Mustang Cobra.”
Q: What’s your favorite movie?
A: “Semi-Pro. I’m a big Will Ferrell fan.”
By Chris Rushing
HATLEY - All across the country, high school football teams are surviving the August heat and humidity as September draws near. While the sprinklers water the playing surface of Hatley High School’s football stadium, the 2008 edition of the Tigers press on towards its Aug. 28 opening tilt with Nettleton.
Just behind the visitors’ stands, 22 young men daily sweat out drill after drill to the sounds of whistles and instruction from head coach Jeff Brooks and his staff. On a roster short of veterans, Zach Hawkins carries with him the distinction of being the only Tiger to have played on all four teams in the Brooks era.
Heading into his fourth and final season in the blue and yellow, Hawkins feels a sense of urgency to put his stamp on his teammates and the Class 2A Hatley program.
“Being the only senior, I have to do everything perfect,” Hawkins said. “If you don’t do things perfectly, the younger guys aren’t going to look up to you. I have to set a good example.”
Hawkins’ strive for perfection is one that has not gone unnoticed by his coaches.
“It’s a little more difficult because usually there’s more than one (senior),” Brooks explained. “Zach was part of my first team here. He’s a player that will verbally step up when he needs to, but more importantly, he shows everyone else how to do things with his actions. He is going to play harder than everyone else, and if he does something wrong, he will come up to the coaches and ask us to run it again.
“That’s exactly what you want. A lot of people can talk, but when you see someone go through with it and walk the walk - that speaks a lot louder to me than by just saying it.”
Not only has Hawkins impressed his coaches in preseason camp, but he has also started a trend amongst some of the underclassmen.
“Some of our juniors have seen the need to step up along with Zack, and they’ve done a great job of being leaders for us,” Brooks added. “That’s been a big plus for us.”
With just eight starters (three offensive, five defensive) returning from the injury-plagued and winless 2007 team, Brooks is again working with a youthful roster that will feature a freshman under center for the season’s first snap thanks to a summer injury to incumbent starter Luke Renfro.
“We are very, very young,” Brooks said to describe his starting lineup, which features nine underclassmen with first-string status. “Every now and then, we’ll have one of those days where we have to stop practice and show them a technique or two. Every day, we’re seeing guys learn more and they’re starting to show that they’re getting more comfortable.
“Mostly, we have been very pleased with the effort from our younger players as well as our veterans because they’ve been ready to come to practice and ready to learn what we’re trying to teach them. They have picked up very quickly on what we’re trying to put in.”
Renfro figured to play a prominent role for the Tigers this season, not only in the offensive backfield but also on special teams.
“Along with being our QB, Luke was our kicker and our punter last year, and he did a great job for us,” Brooks quipped. “We have been working on finding his replacement, and we have a pretty good idea of who will be starting and handling the kicking and punting duties. We are focused on finding players to back those guys up to help fill the loss of Luke on special teams.”
As Renfro went through summer workouts, he began experiencing headaches and dizziness, alerting his parents and coaches. After consulting with doctors and specialists, he underwent season-ending surgery to help repair some internal injuries sustained in a car accident a couple of years earlier.
“Now, he just has to find out what the long-term effects are going to be,” said Brooks.
Looking to fill his shoes will be freshman Caleb Walters, who the Tigers will look to captain their two-back offensive scheme.
“We have to adjust our scheme a little bit to take some pressure off Caleb as he gets a feel for everything,” Brooks explained. “We are going to focus on establishing the run first and pass second. One of the keys to this offense will be how fast our youth adapts. We are still going to throw the ball, but we want to make sure Caleb’s comfortable at the quarterback position.”
Brooks will reassume playcalling duties after last season’s offensive assistant, Michael Campbell, left for Tupelo High School over the summer. To fill the void on his staff, Brooks turned to Jamie Edwards, who will rejoin Hatley’s coaching ranks following a year’s absence from the program.
“Any time you have a coaching change, it’s going to take adjusting,” Brooks said. “Our guys spent a year working with Coach Campbell, and even though Coach Edwards has worked with most of these guys before, there will still be a little transition. We’ve moved some positions around on the staff because of Coach Campbell leaving.”
Defensively, the Tigers will use a four-man front base scheme loaded with underclassmen. According to Brooks, the defense’s success begins and ends with gap control.
Sophomore Codi Taylor will help anchor the linebacker corps and also faces the task of being a leader despite his age.
“We have to keep coming out here and keep learning more of what we have to do,” Taylor explained. “Guys are starting to get a grasp on the individual tasks that they have to do. We have a pretty young team with a lot of freshmen, but we know we’re getting better.”
Another linebacker, Joseph Neal, agrees with Taylor’s sentiments.
“We’re all working pretty hard and trying to give it our best shot,” Neal said. “We come out to practice every day to get more mentally ready, and we’re doing what we can to help us win on Fridays.”
While the heat and humidity show no signs of letting up any time soon, the Tigers mirror that relentless charge to improve their readiness on the football field.
“They’re coming along,” Brooks surmised as he stood on the practice field watching his team participate in conditioning drills. “We’re getting there.”
As Brooks and Co. test their squad of its strength and endurance, the players have set their sights on one elusive target for the 2008 campaign.
“We are looking to make the playoffs,” Hawkins explained. “We haven’t made it to the playoffs in quite some time, and I know it would mean a lot to Hatley if we could get there. That’s our main goal right now.”
On Aug. 28, Hawkins and the Tigers will begin their quest to reach that solitary goal.
Players to Watch:
Zach Hawkins, Sr.
Facts: Lone senior on the roster; only player who has been a part of all four teams coached by Jeff Brooks at Hatley.
Q: If you could pick any teammate to be your tag-team partner in a wrestling match, who would it be?
A: “Joseph Neal because he plays on the line and has put on a bunch of weight. He’d be a good one.”
Q: Have you pulled any fun pranks on your teammates this summer?
A: “I’ve messed with some of their name plates on top of their lockers. It’s just something small.”
Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: “Wanted. I loved the action in the movie.”
Codi Taylor, So.
Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: “Steak. I love a good steak, and I like to eat.”
Q: Do you have any nicknames?
A: “Iron Tiger.”
Collin Walters, Jr.
Q: What’s your favorite movie?
A: “Gridiron Gang. I love it because it’s a football movie.”
Q: If you could drive any car, what would it be?
A: “It’d definitely be a 2008 Mustang GT 500.”
Joseph Neal, Jr.
Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: “Fried shrimp.”
Q: If you could drive any car, what would it be?
A: “I’ve always wanted a Mustang Cobra.”
Q: What’s your favorite movie?
A: “Semi-Pro. I’m a big Will Ferrell fan.”
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Mooreville’s Mason delivers with bat, arm in win over Saltillo
By Chris Rushing
Special to the Journal
SALTILLO – Courtney Mason delivered a two-out, two-run single in the top of the third inning and tossed seven innings of one-run ball in leading Mooreville to a 4-1 win over Saltillo in slow-pitch softball action Saturday.
Mason was able to improve her record in the circle to 3-0, allowing seven hits and stranding six on the base paths. At the plate, she went 2-for-4, reaching base three times and accounting for three of the Lady Troopers’ (3-0) runs.
“Courtney is a good leader for us,” Mooreville skipper Perry Wilburn said. “She wasn’t able to play for us last year, so it’s good to have her back. She steps up when we need someone to get a big hit.”
“Mooreville sets the standard for slow-pitch and fast-pitch softball in this area,” Buse said. “We have to beat teams like Mooreville to get the respect we are looking for. When we played them over there, we hit the ball but couldn’t make plays. Tonight, we made plays but couldn’t hit the ball. We’re right there, but we have to find a happy medium.”
Mooreville wasted no time in building its lead with a run in the first inning courtesy of a pair of Saltillo errors. Mason slapped a two-out single to right-center, and Shelby Jackson plated courtesy runner Bethany Cochran on a hard-hit fly ball to center field that slipped out of Anna Jones’ glove.
The Troopers threatened to bust the game wide open in the fifth with five of the six batters reaching base by singles, fielder’s choice or walks. However, only one of those runners was able to cross the plate as Kristen Kelly pushed the lead to 4-0 on a two-out Saltillo throwing error.
“We played good defense, but we didn’t hit the ball as good as we should have, had a hard time with timely hits,” Wilburn added. “We are real young with no returning starters from last year’s team. They’re starting to play well together.”
Mooreville escaped the fourth inning despite allowing the first two runners to advance into scoring position. Lindsay Richardson singled to left-center and advanced to third on an errant throw on Savanah Stanton’s fielder’s choice. Stanton moved to second on the error. However, Mason forced a groundout to the right side of the infield and two flyouts to left-center to keep the Lady Tigers scoreless.
“Every time we got a break, we didn’t capitalize,” Buse said. “When you only give up four runs, you have to win the ball game.”
In the sixth inning, Stanton was able to get the Lady Tigers on the board with a two-out double off the wall in left to plate Richardson. Nicole Keith led off the inning by reaching on an error, but Ashley Dodson was the victim of a head’s up play by first baseman Anna Christian, who was able to double-up Dodson trying to advance to second on a wild throw from shortstop Carrie Pannell.
Betsy Kingsley was 2-for-3 at the plate for Mooreville, scoring a run after reaching on a third-inning double. For the Lady Tigers, Stanton was 2-for-2 and reached safely in all three at-bats, while Richardson finished the game 2-for-3. Ashton Patterson suffered the loss despite only allowing three earned runs and eight hits, dropping her record to 0-2.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
2008 Southeastern Conference Football Forecast
As the calendar turns from July to August, most media pundits have offered their respective takes on the upcoming season. Here on Aug. 7, we already know who college's coaches (or trusted SIDs) feel will take home the national title (Georgia by a mere eight points over Southern Cal and Ohio State). It is in this spirit, only 23 days until Auburn kicks off against Louisiana-Monroe, that I offer my own Southeastern Conference forecast which will include division champions. I'm not brave enough to pick the winner of the national title play-in game, I mean SEC Championship Game.
First, I'll post my projected order-of-finish followed by small capsules on each team I've devised through research and gut feelings.
EAST
1.) Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC)
2.) Florida (10-2, 6-2 SEC)
3.) Georgia (10-2, 6-2 SEC)
4.) South Carolina (7-5, 4-4 SEC)
5.) Kentucky (4-8, 1-7 SEC)
6.) Vanderbilt (2-10, 0-8 SEC)
WEST
1.) Auburn (11-1, 7-1 SEC)
2.) LSU (9-3, 5-3 SEC)
3.) Ole Miss (8-4, 5-3 SEC)
4.) Alabama (7-5, 4-4 SEC)
5.) Mississippi State (5-7, 2-6 SEC)
6.) Arkansas (4-8, 1-7 SEC)
Why I picked Tennessee? Simple, they improve in the quarterback position with Crompton instead of Ainge and they boast one of only two lineups nationally that returns a 1,000-yard receiver and 1,000-yard rusher from 2007. (The other is Clemson.) Eric Berry is for real in the secondary, and their linebacking corps is just nasty with talent. Everyone points to the Florida-Georgia game as "THE" game in the SEC this year, but the Vols' matchups with the Bulldogs and Gators will have more of an effect on who represents this division in Atlanta. I see the three heavyweights battling out to these odds: Tennessee will fall at Georgia but beat Florida in a 41-35 type ball game. Their second conference loss will come to either Auburn, Alabama or South Carolina. As long as it is one of those first two, the Vols will be able to repeat as divisional champs because...
Florida will beat Georgia but lose to Tennessee and LSU. Yes, Timmy Tebow is a superb athlete, quarterback and human being. That offense does put up great numbers...when its not facing a grinding defense. Florida's defense, though, was atrocious last year and will again be this way after losing one of its top starters (and best secondary player) for the year in Dorian Munroe. Aside from the personnel losses, which you can maybe overlook due to the talent stockpiled in Gainesville that everyone loves to rave about, this will be Urban's first time adjusting to staff attrition, and I'm not sold that the coaches he has coming in are better than the ones who left town. Charlie Strong is a good defensive coordinator, and Greg Mattison helped transform him into a great one in 2005 and 2006. Dan McCarney was a big hire, but you can't tell me that this guy is any better than Mattison.
Georgia, the team I used to enjoy watching that has slowly turned into a group I love to hate. They will finally get the Tennessee monkey off their back, but how long has it been since they enjoyed back-to-back wins over Florida? And we're supposed to think that this year changes all that because of a couple of dance moves and black jerseys last year have impressed the coaches enough to hoist them No. 1 overall (even though they weren't picked to win their own conference by the SEC's assembly of talking heads a week ago)? Look, I know they're extremely talented and few other teams can boast a seven-game winning streak heading into this season. A month away from home (@ LSU, vs. Florida in Jacksonville, @ Kentucky and @ Auburn) is a stretch no one else in the country would want to take on (even the mighty Trojans from USC, who have had hard times lately in Corvallis and Eugene, not exactly Tiger Stadium or Jordan-Hare in a four-week stretch). These guys always trip up because they're focused so hard on winning a particular game (see UF in 2004, which led to overlooking UT) that history says they will fall short of expectations. My guess? They lose to Florida and Auburn or LSU. No way they win both those games on the road.
South Carolina gets a key component back in Jasper Brinkley, which was one of the main components of its five-game losing streak at the end of 2007. They get Georgia, LSU and Tennessee at home. They finally don't have to worry with Blake Mitchell any more. Steve Spurrier refuses to give into the whispers that he just can't get it done in Columbia. These are all reasons to think that the Gamecocks are waiting in the weeds and will make some noise. I'm not saying they can't have a say in who wins their division, but this is a bad season to be breaking in a new quarterback when Tennessee, Florida and Georgia are so loaded. People said it all last year, and the Cocks couldn't deliver: 2007 was its best shot at Atlanta.
I really hate not believing in Kentucky. Do you know how much fun it was rooting for Rich Brooks and his band of Wildcats the last two years, knowing it held no negative outcome on Auburn's fortunes at all? Dicky Lyons is easily the best name in the conference, and Andre Woodson was the next-best thing to happen to this conference since Jason Campbell (if he hadn't have had his senior season the year Tebow burst onto the scene). It pains me to say Kentucky will go 4-8, but I just have a hard time feeling they can beat any other team besides Vanderbilt on their schedule. Brooks should have stepped away with Woodson and back-to-back 8-win campaigns. Now, they're going to go back to questioning his leadership and abilities. At least he's shying away a lot of the negative backlash from head coach in waiting Joker Phillips for at least one year.
Is there really much to say about Vanderbilt, especially when the roster only returns seven starters overall? They'll have a chance to get their program some recognition with a pair of Thursday night contests on ESPN. That's really about the only positive you'll be able to say about a team that was so close to reaching a bowl before coming back to a 2-10 showing. It may not even be close in a lot of the games they've been known to put on teams like Georgia, Florida and Tennessee in the last three years.
Why I picked Auburn? Schedule, schedule, schedule and I really like everything I read and hear out of the Loveliest Village right now. Tony Franklin has all the right words to rest my concerns about this new-fangled spread attack. While I still don't like watching every snap from a shotgun formation, the predictability of our offense the past two years is out the window. Will Muschamp will not be easy to replace, but Paul Rhoads has enough talent in place on defense to overcome any dropoff in coaching. Plus, we've always been strong defensively under Tommy Tuberville no matter the coordinator. While I will never be one to chalk up the Alabama game as a win in August, the two games that scare me as "trip" games are Tennessee and Ole Miss. I don't like where either is on our schedule. I'm not saying that these are the only two games we could lose (there are five or six that Auburn "could" lose), I'm just saying I don't feel as confident about these two as I do the rest of the games. Getting through September undefeated will be key with three-straight against Mississippi State, LSU and Tennessee. Talks of championships will litter the town (and our tailgate) if we leave Jordan-Hare 5-0 on Sept. 27.
LSU has the talent, but I don't think they have the coaching. Yea, yea, yea the Hat has 34 wins in three years. I'm surprised by his willingness to get rid of the Perriloux situation before it escalated any further. This is also the reason I think they could lose three games. Games at Auburn and at Florida in a three-week span is treacherous enough, but how do you feel about Les Miles' ability to keep his team's and first-year quarterback's composure with a three-week stretch that includes games at South Carolina followed by home contests against Georgia and Alabama. We all know he can't seem to keep his mouth shut on the Tiger Club circuits about Saban's return, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him drop another "sure-win" against either Ole Miss or South Carolina in addition to two losses in the Auburn-Florida-Georgia-Alabama group. In point, this guy is more Gerry Dinardo/Larry Coker than Pete Carroll.
What can I say? I really think Ole Miss has done some impressive retooling in areas that were lacking considerably the last three years. Granted, this is still the same fanbase that has an expectancy of "dream seasons" ending in Cotton Bowls, but the fact of the matter is this: Jevon Snead > Seth Adams; Houston Nutt > Ed Orgeron; Patrick Trahan and Enrique Davis > anyone else on Ole Miss' two-deep in those positions last year. They get Jerrel Powe this year to help add depth to a pretty impressive group along the front four, and their linebacking corps boasts Trahan and a possible first-rounder. Sure, their secondary is going to whittle under the pressure of an aerial attack that Florida will bring (and Auburn is promising to bring with Chris Todd, Kodi Burns and Franklin). Nutt will win games he's not supposed to, and this could be an X factor in the West race between Auburn and LSU if either team takes them lightly.
I don't really know what all to say about Alabama without sounding biased. (Although I'm sure I sound biased in my Auburn analysis a couple of paragraphs above). Yes, the freshman class will have an impact. Yes, I know Saban usually has a big year his second year at places. Yes, I know, 147,000 national championships and 399,000 SEC titles. The fact of the matter is that Saban has had three impressive seasons as a head coach (1999 at Michigan State, 2001 at LSU and 2003 at LSU). The others all included at least five losses. He's a helluva recruiter, but his staff still lacks a certain coaching prowess. I know that they lost all those games last year by seven points or less, but is that a reasonable excuse for not only losing to Louisiana-Monroe but also cutting DJ Hall's suspension in half to keep from losing that game? Media members keep saying that they're still another year from competing, but I'm thinking it could be longer than that with Auburn and LSU still holding a grip atop the standings in the division and Ole Miss getting better. Their four road games will push the difference out a bit more than the seven-point losses the fan base loves to point out from 2007. Good news though, they'll take care of that Mississippi State thorn and snap that losing streak.
Attention Mississippi State fans: you got outscored overall last season. If it weren't for five turnovers against Auburn and John Parker Wilson not knowing when its a good time to take a sack, you wouldn't have had that thrilling bowl victory over that powerhouse from Central Florida. Just because you're getting a 900-foot HD board in your Seals Club doesn't mean you're going to win 9-or-more games. As I like to tell the guys here in my office, it's going to be a lot easier for Ole Miss to win eight games than it will be for State to win six this year. I'm happy for Croom, but if its another seven years before you enjoy a Liberty or Independence Bowl again, it will be just fine with me. Derek Pegues is legit, and he will anchor a secondary that will play smart. Anthony Dixon is as good as Jerious Norwood and JJ Johnson. However, Wesley Carroll doesn't scare me nor does he scare any other SEC fan base. State can get wins over Kentucky and Vanderbilt, but since when are we supposed to get excited about a team that travels to the WAC "powerhouse" of Louisiana Tech? Aren't those the games that State has a knack for losing?
Nothing, and I repeat nothing, will make me smile bigger this year than seeing Bobby Petrino look up at scoreboard after scoreboard with anger and frustration (well, maybe Saban switching places with him). He's got as many square pegs to fit into round holes as Urban Meyer had his first year at Florida. The difference? Urban's actually a good coach while I think Petrino's been a first-class representative of "right place at the right time" syndrome. My bosses from Arkansas haven't said very much about this team in the offseason. There's really not that much to say here, either. They're going to struggle to win four games. Anything more will be quite a shock, and I'll retract my statements about Petrino's coaching abilities.
There you have them, folks. What do they mean? Absolutely nothing. I said Florida would go 8-4 their national championship season for crying out loud. However, this is how I see the SEC as practices get started on Aug. 7, 2008. How many more days til kickoff again?
War Eagle.
-6-
First, I'll post my projected order-of-finish followed by small capsules on each team I've devised through research and gut feelings.
EAST
1.) Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC)
2.) Florida (10-2, 6-2 SEC)
3.) Georgia (10-2, 6-2 SEC)
4.) South Carolina (7-5, 4-4 SEC)
5.) Kentucky (4-8, 1-7 SEC)
6.) Vanderbilt (2-10, 0-8 SEC)
WEST
1.) Auburn (11-1, 7-1 SEC)
2.) LSU (9-3, 5-3 SEC)
3.) Ole Miss (8-4, 5-3 SEC)
4.) Alabama (7-5, 4-4 SEC)
5.) Mississippi State (5-7, 2-6 SEC)
6.) Arkansas (4-8, 1-7 SEC)
Why I picked Tennessee? Simple, they improve in the quarterback position with Crompton instead of Ainge and they boast one of only two lineups nationally that returns a 1,000-yard receiver and 1,000-yard rusher from 2007. (The other is Clemson.) Eric Berry is for real in the secondary, and their linebacking corps is just nasty with talent. Everyone points to the Florida-Georgia game as "THE" game in the SEC this year, but the Vols' matchups with the Bulldogs and Gators will have more of an effect on who represents this division in Atlanta. I see the three heavyweights battling out to these odds: Tennessee will fall at Georgia but beat Florida in a 41-35 type ball game. Their second conference loss will come to either Auburn, Alabama or South Carolina. As long as it is one of those first two, the Vols will be able to repeat as divisional champs because...
Florida will beat Georgia but lose to Tennessee and LSU. Yes, Timmy Tebow is a superb athlete, quarterback and human being. That offense does put up great numbers...when its not facing a grinding defense. Florida's defense, though, was atrocious last year and will again be this way after losing one of its top starters (and best secondary player) for the year in Dorian Munroe. Aside from the personnel losses, which you can maybe overlook due to the talent stockpiled in Gainesville that everyone loves to rave about, this will be Urban's first time adjusting to staff attrition, and I'm not sold that the coaches he has coming in are better than the ones who left town. Charlie Strong is a good defensive coordinator, and Greg Mattison helped transform him into a great one in 2005 and 2006. Dan McCarney was a big hire, but you can't tell me that this guy is any better than Mattison.
Georgia, the team I used to enjoy watching that has slowly turned into a group I love to hate. They will finally get the Tennessee monkey off their back, but how long has it been since they enjoyed back-to-back wins over Florida? And we're supposed to think that this year changes all that because of a couple of dance moves and black jerseys last year have impressed the coaches enough to hoist them No. 1 overall (even though they weren't picked to win their own conference by the SEC's assembly of talking heads a week ago)? Look, I know they're extremely talented and few other teams can boast a seven-game winning streak heading into this season. A month away from home (@ LSU, vs. Florida in Jacksonville, @ Kentucky and @ Auburn) is a stretch no one else in the country would want to take on (even the mighty Trojans from USC, who have had hard times lately in Corvallis and Eugene, not exactly Tiger Stadium or Jordan-Hare in a four-week stretch). These guys always trip up because they're focused so hard on winning a particular game (see UF in 2004, which led to overlooking UT) that history says they will fall short of expectations. My guess? They lose to Florida and Auburn or LSU. No way they win both those games on the road.
South Carolina gets a key component back in Jasper Brinkley, which was one of the main components of its five-game losing streak at the end of 2007. They get Georgia, LSU and Tennessee at home. They finally don't have to worry with Blake Mitchell any more. Steve Spurrier refuses to give into the whispers that he just can't get it done in Columbia. These are all reasons to think that the Gamecocks are waiting in the weeds and will make some noise. I'm not saying they can't have a say in who wins their division, but this is a bad season to be breaking in a new quarterback when Tennessee, Florida and Georgia are so loaded. People said it all last year, and the Cocks couldn't deliver: 2007 was its best shot at Atlanta.
I really hate not believing in Kentucky. Do you know how much fun it was rooting for Rich Brooks and his band of Wildcats the last two years, knowing it held no negative outcome on Auburn's fortunes at all? Dicky Lyons is easily the best name in the conference, and Andre Woodson was the next-best thing to happen to this conference since Jason Campbell (if he hadn't have had his senior season the year Tebow burst onto the scene). It pains me to say Kentucky will go 4-8, but I just have a hard time feeling they can beat any other team besides Vanderbilt on their schedule. Brooks should have stepped away with Woodson and back-to-back 8-win campaigns. Now, they're going to go back to questioning his leadership and abilities. At least he's shying away a lot of the negative backlash from head coach in waiting Joker Phillips for at least one year.
Is there really much to say about Vanderbilt, especially when the roster only returns seven starters overall? They'll have a chance to get their program some recognition with a pair of Thursday night contests on ESPN. That's really about the only positive you'll be able to say about a team that was so close to reaching a bowl before coming back to a 2-10 showing. It may not even be close in a lot of the games they've been known to put on teams like Georgia, Florida and Tennessee in the last three years.
Why I picked Auburn? Schedule, schedule, schedule and I really like everything I read and hear out of the Loveliest Village right now. Tony Franklin has all the right words to rest my concerns about this new-fangled spread attack. While I still don't like watching every snap from a shotgun formation, the predictability of our offense the past two years is out the window. Will Muschamp will not be easy to replace, but Paul Rhoads has enough talent in place on defense to overcome any dropoff in coaching. Plus, we've always been strong defensively under Tommy Tuberville no matter the coordinator. While I will never be one to chalk up the Alabama game as a win in August, the two games that scare me as "trip" games are Tennessee and Ole Miss. I don't like where either is on our schedule. I'm not saying that these are the only two games we could lose (there are five or six that Auburn "could" lose), I'm just saying I don't feel as confident about these two as I do the rest of the games. Getting through September undefeated will be key with three-straight against Mississippi State, LSU and Tennessee. Talks of championships will litter the town (and our tailgate) if we leave Jordan-Hare 5-0 on Sept. 27.
LSU has the talent, but I don't think they have the coaching. Yea, yea, yea the Hat has 34 wins in three years. I'm surprised by his willingness to get rid of the Perriloux situation before it escalated any further. This is also the reason I think they could lose three games. Games at Auburn and at Florida in a three-week span is treacherous enough, but how do you feel about Les Miles' ability to keep his team's and first-year quarterback's composure with a three-week stretch that includes games at South Carolina followed by home contests against Georgia and Alabama. We all know he can't seem to keep his mouth shut on the Tiger Club circuits about Saban's return, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him drop another "sure-win" against either Ole Miss or South Carolina in addition to two losses in the Auburn-Florida-Georgia-Alabama group. In point, this guy is more Gerry Dinardo/Larry Coker than Pete Carroll.
What can I say? I really think Ole Miss has done some impressive retooling in areas that were lacking considerably the last three years. Granted, this is still the same fanbase that has an expectancy of "dream seasons" ending in Cotton Bowls, but the fact of the matter is this: Jevon Snead > Seth Adams; Houston Nutt > Ed Orgeron; Patrick Trahan and Enrique Davis > anyone else on Ole Miss' two-deep in those positions last year. They get Jerrel Powe this year to help add depth to a pretty impressive group along the front four, and their linebacking corps boasts Trahan and a possible first-rounder. Sure, their secondary is going to whittle under the pressure of an aerial attack that Florida will bring (and Auburn is promising to bring with Chris Todd, Kodi Burns and Franklin). Nutt will win games he's not supposed to, and this could be an X factor in the West race between Auburn and LSU if either team takes them lightly.
I don't really know what all to say about Alabama without sounding biased. (Although I'm sure I sound biased in my Auburn analysis a couple of paragraphs above). Yes, the freshman class will have an impact. Yes, I know Saban usually has a big year his second year at places. Yes, I know, 147,000 national championships and 399,000 SEC titles. The fact of the matter is that Saban has had three impressive seasons as a head coach (1999 at Michigan State, 2001 at LSU and 2003 at LSU). The others all included at least five losses. He's a helluva recruiter, but his staff still lacks a certain coaching prowess. I know that they lost all those games last year by seven points or less, but is that a reasonable excuse for not only losing to Louisiana-Monroe but also cutting DJ Hall's suspension in half to keep from losing that game? Media members keep saying that they're still another year from competing, but I'm thinking it could be longer than that with Auburn and LSU still holding a grip atop the standings in the division and Ole Miss getting better. Their four road games will push the difference out a bit more than the seven-point losses the fan base loves to point out from 2007. Good news though, they'll take care of that Mississippi State thorn and snap that losing streak.
Attention Mississippi State fans: you got outscored overall last season. If it weren't for five turnovers against Auburn and John Parker Wilson not knowing when its a good time to take a sack, you wouldn't have had that thrilling bowl victory over that powerhouse from Central Florida. Just because you're getting a 900-foot HD board in your Seals Club doesn't mean you're going to win 9-or-more games. As I like to tell the guys here in my office, it's going to be a lot easier for Ole Miss to win eight games than it will be for State to win six this year. I'm happy for Croom, but if its another seven years before you enjoy a Liberty or Independence Bowl again, it will be just fine with me. Derek Pegues is legit, and he will anchor a secondary that will play smart. Anthony Dixon is as good as Jerious Norwood and JJ Johnson. However, Wesley Carroll doesn't scare me nor does he scare any other SEC fan base. State can get wins over Kentucky and Vanderbilt, but since when are we supposed to get excited about a team that travels to the WAC "powerhouse" of Louisiana Tech? Aren't those the games that State has a knack for losing?
Nothing, and I repeat nothing, will make me smile bigger this year than seeing Bobby Petrino look up at scoreboard after scoreboard with anger and frustration (well, maybe Saban switching places with him). He's got as many square pegs to fit into round holes as Urban Meyer had his first year at Florida. The difference? Urban's actually a good coach while I think Petrino's been a first-class representative of "right place at the right time" syndrome. My bosses from Arkansas haven't said very much about this team in the offseason. There's really not that much to say here, either. They're going to struggle to win four games. Anything more will be quite a shock, and I'll retract my statements about Petrino's coaching abilities.
There you have them, folks. What do they mean? Absolutely nothing. I said Florida would go 8-4 their national championship season for crying out loud. However, this is how I see the SEC as practices get started on Aug. 7, 2008. How many more days til kickoff again?
War Eagle.
-6-
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Just a few tidbits...
First, I have my Southeastern Conference Forecast written...just haven't remembered to e-mail it to myself from work yet. I hope to have it on here in the coming days.
Second, I don't like how things have gone the first few days of practice for Auburn. The bright spots have been our quarterbacks and our defensive front seven seems unstoppable. However, I don't like losing Aairon Savage for the year at corner (especially if Ryan Williams isn't qualified), and I'd like to know that our offensive line is at least winning some of the battles with guys like Antonio Coleman, Antoine Carter and Sen'Derrick Marks. While those three are capable of being All-SEC players, we still will have to stop their caliber athletes when we play LSU, UT and UGA.
(However, I do realize we've had some kids held out of practices - Lee Ziemba and Chaz Ramsey - who could make a little more difference in these trench wars. Also, my opinion means very little without having been out there myself and witnessed this with my own eyes. I'm just going off practice reports.)
Third, I start working for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal tomorrow night as a sports correspondent. My first assignment is to cover a slow-pitch softball game between county rivals Saltillo (my current town) and Mooreville (my boss' hometown). I'll be covering high school football games on various Friday nights during the season to help keep a little extra cash in my pocket. I held a similar job in high school with the Commercial Dispatch (Columbus, Miss.), so it's kind of going back to my roots - so to speak.
Things have been going in a whirlwind since getting back from Chicago. I hope everyone is doing well and getting geared up for Labor Day weekend - my favorite weekend of the year.
War Eagle. It's almost here.
-6-
Second, I don't like how things have gone the first few days of practice for Auburn. The bright spots have been our quarterbacks and our defensive front seven seems unstoppable. However, I don't like losing Aairon Savage for the year at corner (especially if Ryan Williams isn't qualified), and I'd like to know that our offensive line is at least winning some of the battles with guys like Antonio Coleman, Antoine Carter and Sen'Derrick Marks. While those three are capable of being All-SEC players, we still will have to stop their caliber athletes when we play LSU, UT and UGA.
(However, I do realize we've had some kids held out of practices - Lee Ziemba and Chaz Ramsey - who could make a little more difference in these trench wars. Also, my opinion means very little without having been out there myself and witnessed this with my own eyes. I'm just going off practice reports.)
Third, I start working for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal tomorrow night as a sports correspondent. My first assignment is to cover a slow-pitch softball game between county rivals Saltillo (my current town) and Mooreville (my boss' hometown). I'll be covering high school football games on various Friday nights during the season to help keep a little extra cash in my pocket. I held a similar job in high school with the Commercial Dispatch (Columbus, Miss.), so it's kind of going back to my roots - so to speak.
Things have been going in a whirlwind since getting back from Chicago. I hope everyone is doing well and getting geared up for Labor Day weekend - my favorite weekend of the year.
War Eagle. It's almost here.
-6-
Sunday, August 3, 2008
The Windy City Review (Very long read, Jennifer)
Growing up, I spent afternoons and summer days at my grandmother's house, most of the time watching the Cubs play to the soundtrack of Harry Caray on WGN. I used to collect the Starting Lineup baseball figurines, with my grandmother starting my collection with the replicas of Andre Dawson, Ryne Sandberg and Ernie Banks. These moments were the building blocks to my love for America's pasttime, and I have spent my entire life wanting to watch a game from inside the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field. On Friday, July 25, 2008, I was finally able to cross this item off my Bucket List. Below is a summation of this journey to the Windy City.
Joining me on my pilgrimage was my father, who I am pretty sure had a better time than myself (which is saying something). Dad is leery of big cities, but all he could do was rant and rave about the intricacies of Chicago. We left my house Thursday morning to begin our 12-hour journey through the heartland of America. Some random observations of Illinois:
- If you are traveling up I-55 to I-57, make sure you stop to eat, fill up or any other reasons to veer off your journey before you leave Missouri. It will take you 53 miles to get to any known civilization in the Land of Lincoln, which I'm sure is a mistake made by many. It's never good when you're looking for gas stations and the GPS is telling you the closest ones are 15 miles behind you.
- Anywhere you can put corn in Illinois, there is a cornfield...including surrounding the on-ramps to the interstates and between commercial buildings. One wonders how this is harvested at rush hour, but I digress.
- They're very proud of their grain bins and silos there. The "deluxe" model of silo is painted navy blue while the "super deluxe" model also features an American flag. I was also taken aback from the variety of sizes for the grain bins.
First stop in the greater Chicagoland area was the hotel, the Courtyard Marriott by O'Hare. I can't give this place a good enough recommendation for not just location but the hotel staff. We were just over a mile from the nearest train station (Rosemont) and never had to leave the "Blue Line" L train to go anywhere in the city we wished. The complimentary shuttle took us to/from the station within 10 minutes of us asking to be picked up. The only thing that I had as a negative was no Dr. Pepper available (which is not just limited to the hotel).
Thursday night, we found the street location to the original Giordano's pizza parlor on Rush Street. The CTA staff helped us pick out the right train stop to take and where we wanted to ride the buses. The restaurant was at the corner of Rush and Michigan, and we hurridly ordered our pizza before waiting around and taking pictures outside. Now, I'm pretty sure that one of the first things my friends would say distinguishes me from everyone else would be my eating habits. I'm not one to take chances on food (something I inherited from my father, by the way), but we decided that we should attempt the "world famous" stuffed pizza. It was pretty good, something resembling lasagna with pizza toppings.
When we got back to the hotel, I could barely sleep knowing that I was within 12 hours of my first Wrigley Field experience. My goal was to make it down to Wrigleyville by 10 a.m., which required us to leave the hotel by 9:30 a.m. At 9:40 a.m., we were able to cross Addison to the Wrigley buses, where we were part of the standing-room only passenger group. I particularly enjoyed watching the interactions of the fathers and sons or daughters as some dads would tell tales of their first Cubs games. We befriended a guy named Vince, who was nice enough to tip us on when to leave the bus to avoid the mass rush of the final stop at Clarke and Addison. Vince gave us some suggestions on things to do outside the stadium before going to his job at Taco Bell. After snapping some photos of the historic marquee sign, we went into the Cubs Nostalgia Shop.
Now, I was beyond excited about being just feet from this iconic sports cathedral, but my dad took it to another level. For my souvenirs, I picked up a Ryan Theriot jersey-style t-shirt and a Wrigley Field t-shirt. Meanwhile, dad purchased an authentic Ernie Banks jersey as well as his Cubs hat. I was proud of him for such a bold purchase. After changing into our Cubs gear, we meandered around the outside while we waited on our hosts from Premier Print for lunch in the Stadium Club. We searched for Kirk's brick outside the stadium entrance, and - while we were unsuccessful in that mission - I was delighted to find Turd Ferguson's (he of SNL Celebrity Jeopardy fame) plot.
Ron LaBine and his son-in-law Dewey showed up at 11:50 at the Stadium Club entrance, and we were soon within the stadium's interior walls. The Stadium Club is a private membership featuring a full restaurant menu overlooking the right field bleachers. The pillars are painted with red baseball seams, while a circular Cubs logo is surrounded by bats and baseballs featuring the names of all Chicago's Hall of Fame players as well as a screened painting of the marquee adjacent to the bar to enhance the decor. We had a great conversation about the possible trades that were starting to fill the radio airwaves and enjoyed food from the buffet.
Premier's seats were five rows up on the third base side of the stadium, almost smack dab in the middle between the Cubs' dugout and the Cubs' bullpen. I can't begin to describe how incredible the seats were. We made it through the spill well in time to watch former Notre Dame standout wide receiver Jeff Samardjiza make his way to the bench adjacent to the pen with his pink equipment bag, signifying his rookie standing. Lucky for us, we'd be able to witness his Major League debut in the seventh inning. However, that would be getting just a little ahead of ourselves.
Chicago's starting pitcher was Ryan Dempster, who has a distinguishable windup in which he flicks his glove twice between pitches. It was found that he had been tipping his pitches to batters, so the glove flicks serve as a defense mechanism to distract the batters from his low-90s fastball. These are the kind of things you learn from the knowledgable Chicago fans at Wrigley Field. A few more observations from the Marlins' 3-2 victory over the Cubbies:
- In college, Andrew and I used to joke about Ohio State's Drew Anderson's abilities following the Auburn Regional in 2003. Hanley Ramirez makes Drew Anderson look like one of my 12-year-old all-stars. I don't think there are enough positive adjectives to describe this kid's finesse for the game of baseball. I can't say enough about him, really, and he didn't even make his most impressive plays on Friday when he was 60 feet from us.
- Samardjiza's debut more than made up for Kerry Wood being on the disabled list. It's pretty impressive to have dugout level seats and watching a guy fling a baseball over 100 miles per hour. While he has some to work to do in order to deceive batters, he's going to be very good very soon for the Cubs.
Following the game, we risked life and limb to walk upstream through the concourse in order to get to a souvenir shop to pick up some more memorabillia that we didn't want to keep up with during the game. I purchased a couple of novelty signs, my programs and some postcards to add to my growing collection of items that currently have no home in my house. (Or more items for the "library" in the future, the library being whatever space Mrs. Chris Rushing will afford me.) In any case, this stuff was pretty cool and hard to pass up.
We hopped on our bus and ended up back on the blue line at Addison Station with relative ease, and we struck up a conversation with a family from Iowa. This group was particularly interested by our Mississippi travels since the father had a stepson who played golf at Mississippi State in the last six years. The conversation helped pass along the time on the swaying train ride as we eventually returned to our starting point at Rosemont. We jumped on the shuttle and hurridly changed clothes while batteries charged for the cameras and cell phones and began to plot our course for the evening. Since the Sears Tower Skydeck shut its doors at 10 p.m., we figured it'd be best to go there before trying to find Harry Caray's for dinner.
Now, I'm not afraid of heights - it's just going up or down quickly that gets me from time-to-time. When we got off the train and saw the Sears Tower up close for the first time, I'm not going to lie - I was had a small case of cold feet. At least when you fly in a plane, it's a steady ascent into the air. The elevator took 45 seconds to get us to the 103rd floor observatory, and I'm lucky we couldn't see outside the elevator to watch the climb into the darkened Chicago sky. Dad took to his usual habit of trying to read every caption of every photo along the walls surrounding the elevator banks depicting the city's and building's history. It was a pretty impressive sight, one I can only imagine is enhanced even greater with daylight. Maybe next trip...
After being shooed out of the building by the Tower's workers, we found out that it was too late to make it to Harry Caray's in time to get something to eat, so hunger was starting to take over our systems slowly but surely. I texted Google and asked for burger recommendations in Chicago, and I noticed there were several responses on Lake St., so I suggested we depart the train at Lake Station. We crossed over lower, lower Wacker Drive (which will play a more significant role later in the story) and found Monk's Pub at the corner of Lake and Wells. Relatively hidden beneath the train tracks and roadways above, we made our way through its doors.
This is not somewhere I'd recommend ANY Chicago visitor. The burgers were pretty good, but I can only think of one time where a hamburger being more messy in my life (Robert's Cheeburger Cheeburger experience, circa 2005 Auburn graduation). They don't serve Coke products nor Pepsi products, but we were treated to the "wonderful" tastes of RC Cola. Who knew this stuff was still in mass production? Also, I can't be too sure that the food wasn't tasty due to our hunger or if it was in fact pretty good. I don't plan on revisiting to find out.
Saturday morning, we slept in a little later and headed out around 9:45 a.m. On the train ride, we sat behind a young couple who were also on their way to the ball park. Out of what I can only imagine was boredom, the girl reached into her bag and pulled out her camera and started flipping through pictures. I was caught off guard when glancing back after looking out the window to find her showing her boyfriend some "risque" pictures and immediately turned my head towards the other direction.
We got to Wrigley without any further surprises around 10:15 a.m. Since we had done all our sightseeing outside the park on Friday, we decided we'd walk around a little bit on the inside and check some of the concourse for hidden gems and photo opportunities. We wandered around for a little while and eventually found our seats perched up in Section 534. The tickets said "Limited View Possible" but they didn't portray the fact that I'd have a support beam directly between the plate and mound. Luckily, we were able to move across the stairway and sit in a pair of vacant seats next to a gentleman and his lady friend.
When we first sat down, I turned to dad and said that this guy looked just like Morgan Freeman. Whether he was or not, he at least played along and knew some pretty obscure trivia about the guy so dad felt the need to at least get his picture made with him.
While it was a bit farther from the action than our seats on Friday, I was very impressed with Rich Harden's control and velocity. He seemed to have the Marlins hitters off beat, especially considering he struck out 10 (all swinging) in five innings. Aramis Ramirez seemed like he was bursting out of his slump with two RBI in the first three innings. His solo shot to left in the third inning reached the bleachers despite the heavy winds blowing in on the playing field.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Hermida continued his tear at Wrigley with two home runs, the second to tie the game in the eighth frame, forcing extra innings in the process. In the second inning, the home plate umpire was struck by a pitch directly in the chest, forcing a delay as the men in blue switched positions and adjusted to call the rest of the game in a three-man crew instead of the usual four-man crew (a sight my dad was fascinated with due to his summer job as an umpire).
In the bottom of the ninth, Hanley Ramirez made a fantastic play to just beat out a diving Mark DeRosa at first base for the inning's second out, which caused both Cubs first base coach Matt Sinatro and manager Lou Pinella to erupt on the umpire. While Sinatro was tossed almost immediately, Pinella never seemed to lose his cool until he was informed that his day was finished a little prematurely.
This brought the scorecard of events we had witnessed in Wrigley Field to: a few web gems; a broken bat 30 feet in front of us; a bat flying into the crowd 30 feet behind us; Jeff Samardjiza's debut; three Hermida home run balls tossed back onto the field from the bleachers, including one that sailed onto Sheffield Avenue; Len Kasper and Charlie Weiss singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh inning stretch; Lou Pinella getting ejected; several Cubs home runs; and a three-man umpiring crew since one ump was forced to leave the game after getting drilled with a pitch in the chest. Not a bad couple of days at the ole ball park.
In the top of the 12th, the Cubs pen faltered once again as the Marlins were finally able to push the go-ahead run across the dish. Kevin Gregg came on for his second save in as many days (which bolstered my fantasy baseball numbers in the process), and we once again left Wrigley without witnessing a Cubs win. Dad took a bathroom break before we jumped on a train to head down to Navy Pier to get some food and wait to take our sight-seeing boat ride.
We departed the train on Michigan Avenue then found out which bus to take us down to Navy Pier. On this journey, we rode right by the famous Chicago Theater (on the agenda for the next Windy City trip) and were accompanied on our near-empty bus by a couple of ladies from Columbus, Ohio. They were fast to point out their Ohio State roots, which elicited some SEC-related banter. One of the two ladies was in a wheelchair, so I felt bad saying too much (especially since I didn't know her at all). It was humorous, though, that she was shocked when she found out that Ohio State wasn't the only school which offered its coaches incentive bonuses. My dad had the best zinger of them all, though, when he said, "Just look at the bright side. Because of the SEC, you saved a ton of money as a school the last two years not having to pay the national championship bonus." They, surprisingly, did not find this amusing.
Unfortunately, the food options at Navy Pier weren't very extensive so we settled on Charley's Ale House. To keep up with the theme of the trip, we had hamburgers but at least didn't have to suffer through RC Cola this time. The atmosphere and service at Charley's was much better, and it's a good stopping point in the middle of the pier. Our only other options were Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and The Billy Goat (which if I had known that it derived its name from the fabled curse, I would have had us eat there instead).
We walked up and down the pier for a little bit to take in the festive atmosphere as folks were just enjoying their summer Saturday evening. When we grew tired of watching a magic show, we made our way down to the loading dock for our boat ride. (Not before dad received a present from one of the many seagulls flying above. I still laugh about it thinking about the look on his face and the horrified expression on a little girl he almost slapped in his knee-jerk reaction. Priceless.)
Aside from the Wrigley Field experience, the boat tour was the best part of the trip. We left the port at 8:20 and learned of all the architecture in some of the skyscrapers lining the Chicago River and overlooking Lake Michigan. Some cool tidbits:
- Chicago has a flag for the city featuring four stars (one for the city's founding, one for the fire and two for the World's Fairs the city hosted in the 30s). Should they win their bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, our guide figures this would warrant the addition of a fifth star (although she and most of the boat's passengers hope it will come when the Cubs win the World Series in October).
- All of the dark alley scenes in Batman Begins were filmed on lower, lower Wacker Drive. Our guide explained that this was the roughest area of the city itself. Considering you have to cross lower, lower Wacker to get to Monk's Pub...did I mention I don't recommend this place?
- The Tribune building, the Wrigley Building and (what will be) the new Trump Building are my favorite buildings in the city. There were so many others that have significance, but I couldn't begin to name them all.
- Chicago has 52 parks because the city's main architect and planner felt that everyone should be able to get to a park within walking distance when the metropolis was rebuilt following the great fire.
- Also in his plans was to leave a view to the lake front by writing an ordinance forbidding any buildings along the Lake Michigan shore. There is only one commercial property, which happened to be right off our dock which found its loophole in building atop a landfill. The residential complex once housed Alice Cooper, Oprah and Sammy Sosa (during his Cubs playing days).
When the tour was over, we headed back to the hotel and started to pack up so we could get an quick start on Sunday's drive. Luckily, I reached into the cooler to get a drink Saturday night otherwise it would have been too late to find that my dad had tossed a couple of the bottled waters (those same $4/bottle bottled waters) from the room. Apparently, he's done this several times on previous hotel stays but at least now knows these aren't complimentary, haha. I worked on downloading pictures onto both our laptops before calling it a night (or morning, as the occasion warranted).
Sunday morning marked our departure and our return journey through the Land of Lincoln. Nothing too exciting happened along the journey aside from our stop in Broadway for breakfast at Cracker Barrell. Dad and I donned Auburn gear for the trip back, and one of the first questions we received as we sat down was, "You boys from Alabammer?" When we said we were Auburn fans from Mississippi, the esteemed local's eyes lit up with glee. "Well, boys, I just got me the Alabama 'A' tattooed on my back." (I'm not sure he knows that there's a difference between Bama and Auburn, but I will continue on with this SIX story.) When his group got up to leave, he made a sly remark (I can't even bring myself to type the words of their battle cry) to which dad and I both raised six fingers and gave a big "War Eagle!" He left the room with a confused look on his face (not sure whether he didn't know what SIX meant or if he had a hard time counting on multiple hands).
During dad's driving, I finished working through downloading the pictures before retaking control of the wheel the rest of the journey. We arrived back in Saltillo around 8:15 p.m. and it was time to return to the Real World.
Other random thoughts, etc.
- During dinner at Giordano's Thursday night, we were seated next to what I could only classify as a first date. Let's just say that this guy WAAAAY outpunted his coverage. He had on flipflops, which he immediately shook off his feet when he sat down, for crying out loud. I also overheard the woman mention her "secretary at work" - which caused me to wonder if this guy was trying to climb the corporate ladder...I love big cities.
- Don't take pictures on subway properties. I had a lady threaten to take my camera when I was getting a picture of the blue line map for archival purposes. While I knew the rule for the rest of the trip, nowhere on our tickets does it explain that it was against CTA rules to take pictures.
- The greater Chicagoland area holds a population of over 10 million, up from its roots of 100,000 before the great fire. That's a pretty substantial growth within a century. The public transportation system is really the only way to get from point A to point B without traffic at any point of the day here, something my dad pointed out every time we had to see any car hit its brake lights from our train windows.
- When you walk into the lobby at the Sears Tower Sky Deck, you are instructed to stand in front of a green screen in order for the staff to take your picture "overlooking the city" from the observation floor. When we got off the elevators and pulled up our picture, I noticed that another family performed a "jumping picture" for the cameras. I felt more compelled to buy their picture than mine and dad's. (Shout out to the Monroes here.)
As always, thanks for reading. War Eagle.
-6-
Joining me on my pilgrimage was my father, who I am pretty sure had a better time than myself (which is saying something). Dad is leery of big cities, but all he could do was rant and rave about the intricacies of Chicago. We left my house Thursday morning to begin our 12-hour journey through the heartland of America. Some random observations of Illinois:
- If you are traveling up I-55 to I-57, make sure you stop to eat, fill up or any other reasons to veer off your journey before you leave Missouri. It will take you 53 miles to get to any known civilization in the Land of Lincoln, which I'm sure is a mistake made by many. It's never good when you're looking for gas stations and the GPS is telling you the closest ones are 15 miles behind you.
- Anywhere you can put corn in Illinois, there is a cornfield...including surrounding the on-ramps to the interstates and between commercial buildings. One wonders how this is harvested at rush hour, but I digress.
- They're very proud of their grain bins and silos there. The "deluxe" model of silo is painted navy blue while the "super deluxe" model also features an American flag. I was also taken aback from the variety of sizes for the grain bins.
First stop in the greater Chicagoland area was the hotel, the Courtyard Marriott by O'Hare. I can't give this place a good enough recommendation for not just location but the hotel staff. We were just over a mile from the nearest train station (Rosemont) and never had to leave the "Blue Line" L train to go anywhere in the city we wished. The complimentary shuttle took us to/from the station within 10 minutes of us asking to be picked up. The only thing that I had as a negative was no Dr. Pepper available (which is not just limited to the hotel).
Thursday night, we found the street location to the original Giordano's pizza parlor on Rush Street. The CTA staff helped us pick out the right train stop to take and where we wanted to ride the buses. The restaurant was at the corner of Rush and Michigan, and we hurridly ordered our pizza before waiting around and taking pictures outside. Now, I'm pretty sure that one of the first things my friends would say distinguishes me from everyone else would be my eating habits. I'm not one to take chances on food (something I inherited from my father, by the way), but we decided that we should attempt the "world famous" stuffed pizza. It was pretty good, something resembling lasagna with pizza toppings.
When we got back to the hotel, I could barely sleep knowing that I was within 12 hours of my first Wrigley Field experience. My goal was to make it down to Wrigleyville by 10 a.m., which required us to leave the hotel by 9:30 a.m. At 9:40 a.m., we were able to cross Addison to the Wrigley buses, where we were part of the standing-room only passenger group. I particularly enjoyed watching the interactions of the fathers and sons or daughters as some dads would tell tales of their first Cubs games. We befriended a guy named Vince, who was nice enough to tip us on when to leave the bus to avoid the mass rush of the final stop at Clarke and Addison. Vince gave us some suggestions on things to do outside the stadium before going to his job at Taco Bell. After snapping some photos of the historic marquee sign, we went into the Cubs Nostalgia Shop.
Now, I was beyond excited about being just feet from this iconic sports cathedral, but my dad took it to another level. For my souvenirs, I picked up a Ryan Theriot jersey-style t-shirt and a Wrigley Field t-shirt. Meanwhile, dad purchased an authentic Ernie Banks jersey as well as his Cubs hat. I was proud of him for such a bold purchase. After changing into our Cubs gear, we meandered around the outside while we waited on our hosts from Premier Print for lunch in the Stadium Club. We searched for Kirk's brick outside the stadium entrance, and - while we were unsuccessful in that mission - I was delighted to find Turd Ferguson's (he of SNL Celebrity Jeopardy fame) plot.
Ron LaBine and his son-in-law Dewey showed up at 11:50 at the Stadium Club entrance, and we were soon within the stadium's interior walls. The Stadium Club is a private membership featuring a full restaurant menu overlooking the right field bleachers. The pillars are painted with red baseball seams, while a circular Cubs logo is surrounded by bats and baseballs featuring the names of all Chicago's Hall of Fame players as well as a screened painting of the marquee adjacent to the bar to enhance the decor. We had a great conversation about the possible trades that were starting to fill the radio airwaves and enjoyed food from the buffet.
Premier's seats were five rows up on the third base side of the stadium, almost smack dab in the middle between the Cubs' dugout and the Cubs' bullpen. I can't begin to describe how incredible the seats were. We made it through the spill well in time to watch former Notre Dame standout wide receiver Jeff Samardjiza make his way to the bench adjacent to the pen with his pink equipment bag, signifying his rookie standing. Lucky for us, we'd be able to witness his Major League debut in the seventh inning. However, that would be getting just a little ahead of ourselves.
Chicago's starting pitcher was Ryan Dempster, who has a distinguishable windup in which he flicks his glove twice between pitches. It was found that he had been tipping his pitches to batters, so the glove flicks serve as a defense mechanism to distract the batters from his low-90s fastball. These are the kind of things you learn from the knowledgable Chicago fans at Wrigley Field. A few more observations from the Marlins' 3-2 victory over the Cubbies:
- In college, Andrew and I used to joke about Ohio State's Drew Anderson's abilities following the Auburn Regional in 2003. Hanley Ramirez makes Drew Anderson look like one of my 12-year-old all-stars. I don't think there are enough positive adjectives to describe this kid's finesse for the game of baseball. I can't say enough about him, really, and he didn't even make his most impressive plays on Friday when he was 60 feet from us.
- Samardjiza's debut more than made up for Kerry Wood being on the disabled list. It's pretty impressive to have dugout level seats and watching a guy fling a baseball over 100 miles per hour. While he has some to work to do in order to deceive batters, he's going to be very good very soon for the Cubs.
Following the game, we risked life and limb to walk upstream through the concourse in order to get to a souvenir shop to pick up some more memorabillia that we didn't want to keep up with during the game. I purchased a couple of novelty signs, my programs and some postcards to add to my growing collection of items that currently have no home in my house. (Or more items for the "library" in the future, the library being whatever space Mrs. Chris Rushing will afford me.) In any case, this stuff was pretty cool and hard to pass up.
We hopped on our bus and ended up back on the blue line at Addison Station with relative ease, and we struck up a conversation with a family from Iowa. This group was particularly interested by our Mississippi travels since the father had a stepson who played golf at Mississippi State in the last six years. The conversation helped pass along the time on the swaying train ride as we eventually returned to our starting point at Rosemont. We jumped on the shuttle and hurridly changed clothes while batteries charged for the cameras and cell phones and began to plot our course for the evening. Since the Sears Tower Skydeck shut its doors at 10 p.m., we figured it'd be best to go there before trying to find Harry Caray's for dinner.
Now, I'm not afraid of heights - it's just going up or down quickly that gets me from time-to-time. When we got off the train and saw the Sears Tower up close for the first time, I'm not going to lie - I was had a small case of cold feet. At least when you fly in a plane, it's a steady ascent into the air. The elevator took 45 seconds to get us to the 103rd floor observatory, and I'm lucky we couldn't see outside the elevator to watch the climb into the darkened Chicago sky. Dad took to his usual habit of trying to read every caption of every photo along the walls surrounding the elevator banks depicting the city's and building's history. It was a pretty impressive sight, one I can only imagine is enhanced even greater with daylight. Maybe next trip...
After being shooed out of the building by the Tower's workers, we found out that it was too late to make it to Harry Caray's in time to get something to eat, so hunger was starting to take over our systems slowly but surely. I texted Google and asked for burger recommendations in Chicago, and I noticed there were several responses on Lake St., so I suggested we depart the train at Lake Station. We crossed over lower, lower Wacker Drive (which will play a more significant role later in the story) and found Monk's Pub at the corner of Lake and Wells. Relatively hidden beneath the train tracks and roadways above, we made our way through its doors.
This is not somewhere I'd recommend ANY Chicago visitor. The burgers were pretty good, but I can only think of one time where a hamburger being more messy in my life (Robert's Cheeburger Cheeburger experience, circa 2005 Auburn graduation). They don't serve Coke products nor Pepsi products, but we were treated to the "wonderful" tastes of RC Cola. Who knew this stuff was still in mass production? Also, I can't be too sure that the food wasn't tasty due to our hunger or if it was in fact pretty good. I don't plan on revisiting to find out.
Saturday morning, we slept in a little later and headed out around 9:45 a.m. On the train ride, we sat behind a young couple who were also on their way to the ball park. Out of what I can only imagine was boredom, the girl reached into her bag and pulled out her camera and started flipping through pictures. I was caught off guard when glancing back after looking out the window to find her showing her boyfriend some "risque" pictures and immediately turned my head towards the other direction.
We got to Wrigley without any further surprises around 10:15 a.m. Since we had done all our sightseeing outside the park on Friday, we decided we'd walk around a little bit on the inside and check some of the concourse for hidden gems and photo opportunities. We wandered around for a little while and eventually found our seats perched up in Section 534. The tickets said "Limited View Possible" but they didn't portray the fact that I'd have a support beam directly between the plate and mound. Luckily, we were able to move across the stairway and sit in a pair of vacant seats next to a gentleman and his lady friend.
When we first sat down, I turned to dad and said that this guy looked just like Morgan Freeman. Whether he was or not, he at least played along and knew some pretty obscure trivia about the guy so dad felt the need to at least get his picture made with him.
While it was a bit farther from the action than our seats on Friday, I was very impressed with Rich Harden's control and velocity. He seemed to have the Marlins hitters off beat, especially considering he struck out 10 (all swinging) in five innings. Aramis Ramirez seemed like he was bursting out of his slump with two RBI in the first three innings. His solo shot to left in the third inning reached the bleachers despite the heavy winds blowing in on the playing field.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Hermida continued his tear at Wrigley with two home runs, the second to tie the game in the eighth frame, forcing extra innings in the process. In the second inning, the home plate umpire was struck by a pitch directly in the chest, forcing a delay as the men in blue switched positions and adjusted to call the rest of the game in a three-man crew instead of the usual four-man crew (a sight my dad was fascinated with due to his summer job as an umpire).
In the bottom of the ninth, Hanley Ramirez made a fantastic play to just beat out a diving Mark DeRosa at first base for the inning's second out, which caused both Cubs first base coach Matt Sinatro and manager Lou Pinella to erupt on the umpire. While Sinatro was tossed almost immediately, Pinella never seemed to lose his cool until he was informed that his day was finished a little prematurely.
This brought the scorecard of events we had witnessed in Wrigley Field to: a few web gems; a broken bat 30 feet in front of us; a bat flying into the crowd 30 feet behind us; Jeff Samardjiza's debut; three Hermida home run balls tossed back onto the field from the bleachers, including one that sailed onto Sheffield Avenue; Len Kasper and Charlie Weiss singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh inning stretch; Lou Pinella getting ejected; several Cubs home runs; and a three-man umpiring crew since one ump was forced to leave the game after getting drilled with a pitch in the chest. Not a bad couple of days at the ole ball park.
In the top of the 12th, the Cubs pen faltered once again as the Marlins were finally able to push the go-ahead run across the dish. Kevin Gregg came on for his second save in as many days (which bolstered my fantasy baseball numbers in the process), and we once again left Wrigley without witnessing a Cubs win. Dad took a bathroom break before we jumped on a train to head down to Navy Pier to get some food and wait to take our sight-seeing boat ride.
We departed the train on Michigan Avenue then found out which bus to take us down to Navy Pier. On this journey, we rode right by the famous Chicago Theater (on the agenda for the next Windy City trip) and were accompanied on our near-empty bus by a couple of ladies from Columbus, Ohio. They were fast to point out their Ohio State roots, which elicited some SEC-related banter. One of the two ladies was in a wheelchair, so I felt bad saying too much (especially since I didn't know her at all). It was humorous, though, that she was shocked when she found out that Ohio State wasn't the only school which offered its coaches incentive bonuses. My dad had the best zinger of them all, though, when he said, "Just look at the bright side. Because of the SEC, you saved a ton of money as a school the last two years not having to pay the national championship bonus." They, surprisingly, did not find this amusing.
Unfortunately, the food options at Navy Pier weren't very extensive so we settled on Charley's Ale House. To keep up with the theme of the trip, we had hamburgers but at least didn't have to suffer through RC Cola this time. The atmosphere and service at Charley's was much better, and it's a good stopping point in the middle of the pier. Our only other options were Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and The Billy Goat (which if I had known that it derived its name from the fabled curse, I would have had us eat there instead).
We walked up and down the pier for a little bit to take in the festive atmosphere as folks were just enjoying their summer Saturday evening. When we grew tired of watching a magic show, we made our way down to the loading dock for our boat ride. (Not before dad received a present from one of the many seagulls flying above. I still laugh about it thinking about the look on his face and the horrified expression on a little girl he almost slapped in his knee-jerk reaction. Priceless.)
Aside from the Wrigley Field experience, the boat tour was the best part of the trip. We left the port at 8:20 and learned of all the architecture in some of the skyscrapers lining the Chicago River and overlooking Lake Michigan. Some cool tidbits:
- Chicago has a flag for the city featuring four stars (one for the city's founding, one for the fire and two for the World's Fairs the city hosted in the 30s). Should they win their bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, our guide figures this would warrant the addition of a fifth star (although she and most of the boat's passengers hope it will come when the Cubs win the World Series in October).
- All of the dark alley scenes in Batman Begins were filmed on lower, lower Wacker Drive. Our guide explained that this was the roughest area of the city itself. Considering you have to cross lower, lower Wacker to get to Monk's Pub...did I mention I don't recommend this place?
- The Tribune building, the Wrigley Building and (what will be) the new Trump Building are my favorite buildings in the city. There were so many others that have significance, but I couldn't begin to name them all.
- Chicago has 52 parks because the city's main architect and planner felt that everyone should be able to get to a park within walking distance when the metropolis was rebuilt following the great fire.
- Also in his plans was to leave a view to the lake front by writing an ordinance forbidding any buildings along the Lake Michigan shore. There is only one commercial property, which happened to be right off our dock which found its loophole in building atop a landfill. The residential complex once housed Alice Cooper, Oprah and Sammy Sosa (during his Cubs playing days).
When the tour was over, we headed back to the hotel and started to pack up so we could get an quick start on Sunday's drive. Luckily, I reached into the cooler to get a drink Saturday night otherwise it would have been too late to find that my dad had tossed a couple of the bottled waters (those same $4/bottle bottled waters) from the room. Apparently, he's done this several times on previous hotel stays but at least now knows these aren't complimentary, haha. I worked on downloading pictures onto both our laptops before calling it a night (or morning, as the occasion warranted).
Sunday morning marked our departure and our return journey through the Land of Lincoln. Nothing too exciting happened along the journey aside from our stop in Broadway for breakfast at Cracker Barrell. Dad and I donned Auburn gear for the trip back, and one of the first questions we received as we sat down was, "You boys from Alabammer?" When we said we were Auburn fans from Mississippi, the esteemed local's eyes lit up with glee. "Well, boys, I just got me the Alabama 'A' tattooed on my back." (I'm not sure he knows that there's a difference between Bama and Auburn, but I will continue on with this SIX story.) When his group got up to leave, he made a sly remark (I can't even bring myself to type the words of their battle cry) to which dad and I both raised six fingers and gave a big "War Eagle!" He left the room with a confused look on his face (not sure whether he didn't know what SIX meant or if he had a hard time counting on multiple hands).
During dad's driving, I finished working through downloading the pictures before retaking control of the wheel the rest of the journey. We arrived back in Saltillo around 8:15 p.m. and it was time to return to the Real World.
Other random thoughts, etc.
- During dinner at Giordano's Thursday night, we were seated next to what I could only classify as a first date. Let's just say that this guy WAAAAY outpunted his coverage. He had on flipflops, which he immediately shook off his feet when he sat down, for crying out loud. I also overheard the woman mention her "secretary at work" - which caused me to wonder if this guy was trying to climb the corporate ladder...I love big cities.
- Don't take pictures on subway properties. I had a lady threaten to take my camera when I was getting a picture of the blue line map for archival purposes. While I knew the rule for the rest of the trip, nowhere on our tickets does it explain that it was against CTA rules to take pictures.
- The greater Chicagoland area holds a population of over 10 million, up from its roots of 100,000 before the great fire. That's a pretty substantial growth within a century. The public transportation system is really the only way to get from point A to point B without traffic at any point of the day here, something my dad pointed out every time we had to see any car hit its brake lights from our train windows.
- When you walk into the lobby at the Sears Tower Sky Deck, you are instructed to stand in front of a green screen in order for the staff to take your picture "overlooking the city" from the observation floor. When we got off the elevators and pulled up our picture, I noticed that another family performed a "jumping picture" for the cameras. I felt more compelled to buy their picture than mine and dad's. (Shout out to the Monroes here.)
As always, thanks for reading. War Eagle.
-6-
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