Week 5 Recap

Big game Saturday started with great expectations yet ended with little drama and several blowouts. Mac Brown was heard saying as he crawled on his knees in front of the Shorthorn Boosters pleading for his job “ Talk about potential for growth, I am the little acorn that will become the oak!”(See picture above). Too little, too late for those deep in the heart Mac. It is all about “what have you done for me lately. Nice win for Bobby and the Boyz from Norman. Okay so now I have written Tennessee off the list of potential schools for my middle daughter to attend. It is evident that their standards in math in Knoxville are based on “outcome based education” principles…..How many defensive players do you want there to be on the field? 13! Good answer boyz, how did that work out for you? Big Smo and the boyz have something to say about this, take a listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtZVzXqyTTc . At least when Lane was at the helm, counting was not an issue. We can all count the number of infractions he was hit with in his brief tenure there. Speaking of Lane, did you and Sark go to dinner after the big game last night in LA? (I pick on SC because I have more SC readers than any other school, and I am bitter over the beating they have administered to the Irish over the last decade, albeit illegally). Speaking of the Irish, thank you for winning the Vatican cup in the battle of the Catholic schools last night. BK you needed that one!

The Tailgate had numerous fellow tailgaters dropping by throughout the day to catch some of the action, Dru, Chad, Wegner and Boise Kirk to name a few. It got a little foggy by the night games so not sure who was still there. Hot dogs and chips were served in true man cave fashion at Dan’s Bar & Grill (DB&G). I was able to successfully navigate 4 .5 games at one time during the late game time slot…my brain aches today!

Okay for the first of the biggest games of the day, Bama annihilated Florida yet again. I will stick to my guns, Bama deserves to be # 1, but I do not think the SEC is a strong conference this year. LSU should have been LUS against the Vols and their math genius’s. Auburn is okay, but would lose by 3 TD’s to Bama. The rest of the conference is average this year. In my view there is not a big standout conference this year. I see a lot of parity which makes college football all the more exciting. In the second big game I think we know the answer now on whether speed or brawn will win. By the second half the Ducks were flying all around the immobile Trees of Stanford and depositing bombs on them. Exciting game up until the 4^th quarter when the game was put out of reach. In defeat, I do think Andrew Luck is the best NFL QB prospect in College football. Much respect to the son of Oliver! In the game of the week on Thursday night, Oklahoma State winning in the final seconds against A&M was awesome. The big 2 in Michigan will face off next week and finally have a loss between them. The state of New Mexico is a combined 0-9! The good news is next week since they play each other they will have a win, unless they use Tennessee mathematics. The BSU Broncos were too much for the Aggies to handle as they rested their starters for most of the second half in a 59 -0 rout. Danville’s own Joe Southwick saw action in the second half at QB and registered his first TD. Air Force is the front runner for the Commander N Chief’s cup as they were victorious over a slipping Navy squad.

Gripe of the week – another overused poser term you will hear now through the end of the season by the CFB experts is “Body of work”. Hmmm lots of things come to mind when I hear this like Erin Andrews roving the sideline of a game. Now that is a body of work! (See above). But please, must every commentator rely on this overused phrase to justify which teams are BCS bound and which ones aren’t? Can’t you just say they had the strongest or weakest schedule and they won….or something like that? Okay I suggest we start a new drinking game based on these overused terms and words that commentators use. It will be along the lines of the old Bob Newhart show drinking game where you would have to take a guzzle of your beer every time someone on the show said “Hi Bob”! Well now I suggest we all fill a cup of beer and watch a game or even one of the ESPN or CBS or Fox sports talking head shows about CFB. Every time they say “In Space”, “Body of Work” and “Style points” take a drink. Now when you wake up the next day be sure to send that network a complaint letter and tell them to be more original.

Next week the, Tailgate will be live in Boise for the parents weekend. BSU will be playing Toledo. Fellow tailgaters Amy, KG & DG will be in the parking lot with me firing up some tasty vittles for many hours before the game. I will be sending text messages out to the followers of this blog live from the tailgating.

Happy Tailgating!

Week 4 Recap

First off, I do write this blog weekly because of my love for college football/tailgating and like to share my thoughts/rants with fellow enthusiasts and the curious. But those of you who know me well know that my altruism has definitive limits and I am purely a capitalist. With that, Google reminded me last week that I have a check coming from the mere action of my readers clicking on that little green advertising box on the left side of this blog..So the more you click the closer I get to retirement. My first royalty check is for $11.42, so I am closing in on living the dream. Keep those clicks going!

Now for the important stuff, the weekend lived up to its billing with a number of great matchups. But first let me start with Dan’s tailgate. I awoke at 5:30 AM to a series of text and pics from my lovely daughter Rachel who had been in line since 1:30 AM waiting to be one of the first 400 people admitted into ESPN’s College Gameday with a spot right behind the fab 4. (See picture above, bottom left) sure enough I saw her somewhat smiling/tired face live on TV at around 6:29 AM on the ESPNU Gameday fan cams. I could not be prouder of her if she graduated as the valedictorian of her class. All told, 15,000 Bronco faithful showed up for ESPN Gameday. Way to represent!

The rest of my Tailgating family hosted a few close friends over for an evening of watching the Boise State/OSU game outside on 2 screens while witnessing me attempt to drain the tapper full of Trumer’s pilsner using the excuse of grilling making me thirsty. I almost succeeded. The highpoint of the night was watching all of my polite guests chew on perhaps the worst piece of longhorn I have ever purchased, cooked and tasted. The sounds of squirrels gnawing on unripe acorns with the occasional napkins full of gristle being tucked under the chairs is what came to mind. I was half expecting Clark Griswold to appear and say “ Katherine, if this steak tastes half good as it looks , then we are all in for a big treat!”. (picture enclosed above, bottom right) . I don’t think Andrew Zimmerman would force that one down but it came down to do I buy the good ribeyes for $100 or this gouloash meat for $20 at Safeway. Damn economy! Nonetheless another successful backyard tailgate with the Broncos beating a solid OSU squad. More on the outcome later in my gripe of the week. Oh and thank you to my neighbor’s son Danny for not stealing the Boise flag this weekend.

Around the country – The Big 10 went 10 – 1 against the Little 10 on Saturday. Way to schedule such intriguing match-ups with the average point spread of 27 points. You wonder why the rest of the nation does not garner you the respect you seek. Your fans are some of the best in the country, however your AD’s and league officials need to cut this crap out. Go play some good teams in your pre league schedule more regularly. Minnesota, you better hope Favre and the boys provide you some excitement this year because your Gophers are exactly what Carl Spackler so eloquently said 30 years ago on the grounds of Bushwood Country club “Gophers are a menace to society”. Denard you are still the most exciting player in D-1. Hope to see you back on the pitch next weekend. After taking a shot at the SEC last week I am eating a little humble pie as there were several great performances this weekend in the south. In one of the most exciting games of the weekend it came down to Ryan Mallet of Mullettville, AR (See picture of Arkansas fan above, top left) throwing 3 picks to the mighty Tide D that was the difference maker. My fellow Tailgater Dr. Alabama Al suffered some Urban Meyer like chest pains during that game. Urban, you may breathe easier this week your wheels are back on the bus. To my Cajun pals from the Bayou, my apologies, you beat a good Mountaineer team in my favorite venue “Death Valley” at night. Upset of the week, no brainer, the fighting Neuheisels’s of UCLA bagging themselves some Steer in Austin. Tailgating Tony of the yard (Brother Blogger and tailgating aficionado) has some pics from the event taken discreetly as he was wearing blue and gold. This does not bode well for the big red River Rivalry (Say that 5 times fast after a couple of gallons of pilsner) next week. Nor did OU earn any “Style points” (I hate that term too) with a squeaker over Cincy. My brother “Radio” attended the Rutgers Carolina game and was escorted off the premises for putting his binos on the cheerleader squad for 3 quarters. Did anyone see my favorite roid induced player Vontaze Burfect in the ASU loss to Oregon? He was a cross between Adam Sandler in Anger Management and an Italian soccer player being carted off the field repeatedly. Lots of drama. He did however, achieve Burfection (picture above, top right). U of A pulled one out in the last seconds against cal in a game that Vegas was dying over with the Under being so far under the line. Notre Dame’s performance does not even rate any mention this week. The mighty Black Nights from West Point are 3 -1 and on pace for their first Bowl game in years. I don’t have anything special to say about my boy Lame Kiffin this week since SUC took care of bidness in the Paloos against the mighty Cougs.

Gripe of the week – Okay Musberger, you had a chance to redeem your anti Boise self after your pathetic performance towards the end of the Boise/VA Tech game. If anyone was still listening to your dementia riddled drivel late in the 4^th quarter here is what you said: (Mind you Huckleberry Hound face, Boise was putting the finishing touches on a 13 point win over a ranked opponent) “Should Boise now slip in the polls, TCU will be there to take their spot”. Are you kidding me? And let’s see, no disrespect to TCU, but struggling against the SMU stangs on Friday night does not allow you a pass to move one space forward. Brent, do yourself a favor get out of the announcing gig, stuff the Mic down your pie hole and choke on it! You are as bad as the liberal press cheering on congress’s every failed move. You are simply an uniformed idiot. If a team is good, they are good. And Boise has proved every year that they can play with the Big Boys. You and Mel Brooks are trying your best to keep them from competing for the BCS Ship. Let the season play out and we’ll decide in December. I hope they put some special sauce on your burger at Bourdanay’s restaurant in Boise. We know people there. :)

Here is the Tailgate agenda the next three weekends: will be in the Yard next Saturday, At Boise State October 9 for the Toledo game, then at San Jose State on October 16 for the annual Men of Laurelglen Tailgate party. It looks like we have a pretty good crew for it this year. Looking forward to another great weekend of CFB! Remember Tailgating is a state of mind more than a physical event!

Happy Tailgating!

Week 3 Recap 2010

Wow! I think we know who some of the pretenders are after a weekend of games that separated the men from the boys and I am not talking about bus station bathrooms in San Francisco. Washington and Cal…you simply did not represent. Jake you looked more like Heather Locklear instead of the J Lock you were portended to be. IOWHAT? Nice job in the dessert Captain Kirk. You, much like the Donner party don’t perform well when you travel west over the mountains. And USC, you barely beat a team that lost to a 1 AA team last week and you have to do your LA thug sideline dance….Really? Hey Lane, my Boy Big SMO and his friends in middle Tennessee would like to have a little homecoming party for you (Click on Link) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDxSgq88Clw. And next week you are in the Paloos against the mighty Cougs. Way to play a tough schedule in September!

And here’s to you Mr. Robinson…Rich Rod loves you more than you will know…you are the real deal and the front runner for the Heisman assuming you don’t lose to a patsy on your schedule and Rich Rod doesn’t quit before the bowl game. Boise stifled the likes of Brent Musberger, Corso and company for a week by taking the “rarified air” out of Laramie and the Wyoming Cowboys in a resounding win. The ESPN College Game Day will make its first appearance at the Blue Turf in Boise next week. Tune in at 7 AM Pacific on Saturday. My daughter will be holding a sign up that says “Separated at Birth” with these two pictures above on the right:

It is good to be the King, but Lee you have not shown the Broncos any respect this year and perhaps you will eat a little Blue Turf Pie on Saturday. Game of the week was perhaps Clemson at Auburn in an epic Big Cat fight. However, it hurts me most to admit that Michigan State’s ballsy play on the fake field goal taking down the Irish was perhaps the most exciting finish. Hey BK, we got rid of Charlie “Front Butt” for these same endings so pick it up please! Best of luck to a speedy recovery to MSU head coach Mark Dantonio who in all seriousness had a heart attack after the game. A weekly shout out to the Service Academies with nice wins for Army & Navy and a valiant effort by Air Force versus OU. To my wife’s Alma matter in the battle of the lesser Oklahoma schools, nice win over the Golden Hurricanes. Solid win by the Mountaineers over my home state Terps in the battle for disputed land (It’s ours by the way). Is the SEC the top conference this year? Bama is for real but the rest of the conference appears to be average so far. At this point there does not seem to be a dominant conference but a few dominant teams. I’d like to hear what ya’ll have to say about that.

Gripe of the week – Although ESPN play by play announcer Pam Ward has a voice as deep as Trace Adkins and one that I only wished I had, there is something lacking in the credibility of a woman play by play announcer. I know I can hear all the feminists beating me up on this one, but really did she ever even play a pick-up game as a kid in the sandlot? I doubt it, but hey there is obviously no room for her in the locker room these days….just ask Ines Sainz :)

Tailgate starts next Saturday at 7 AM in Dan’s Bar & Grill (DB&G). All are welcome to drop by for a cold one or hot one depending on your preference as we will be preparing in style for the Boise/Oregon State game and all the other 55 games to be viewed. Some pub for my boy Feasty John of the Feasty Boys TV show. Each week Feasty John has provided me with a new tailgate recipe that I post on the left side of the page. We will be making up his famous seafood in a bag next week. Also be sure to vote on the weekly polls that are posted.

Happy Tailgating!

Week 3 Recap 2010

Week 3 Recap

Wow! I think we know who some of the pretenders are after a weekend of games that separated the men form the boys and I am not talking about bus station bathrooms in San Francisco. Washington and Cal…you simply did not represent. Jake you looked more like Heather Locklear instead of the J Lock you were portended to be. IOWHAT? Nice job in the dessert Kurt. You, much like the Donner party don’t perform well when you travel west over the mountains. And USC, you barely beat a team that lost to a 1 AA team last week and you have to do your LA thug sideline dance….Really? Hey Lane, my Boy Big SMO and his friends in middle Tennessee would like to have a little homecoming party for you (Click on Link) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDxSgq88Clw. And next week you are in the Paloos against the mighty Cougs. Way to play a tough schedule in September!

And here’s to you Mr. Robinson…Rich Rod loves you more than you will know…you are the real deal and the front runner for the Heisman assuming you don’t lose to a patsy on your schedule and Rich Rod doesn’t quit before the bowl game. Boise stifled the likes of Brent Musberger, Corso and company for a week by taking the “rarified air” out of Laramie and the Wyoming Cowboys in a resounding win. The ESPN College Game Day will make its first appearance at the Blue Turf in Boise next week. Tune in at 7 AM Pacific on Saturday. My daughter will be holding a sign up that says “Separated at Birth” with these two pictures:

It is good to be the King, but Lee you have not shown the Broncos any respect this year and perhaps you will eat a little Blue Turf Pie on Saturday. Game of the week was perhaps Clemson at Auburn in an epic Big Cat fight. However, it hurts me most to admit that Michigan State’s ballsy play on the fake field goal taking down the Irish was perhaps the most exciting finish. Hey BK, we got rid of Charlie “Front Butt” for these same endings so pick it up please! A weekly shout out to the Service Academies with nice wins for Army & Navy and a valiant effort by Air Force versus OU. To my wife’s Alma matter in the battle of the lesser Oklahoma schools, nice win over the Golden Hurricanes. Solid win by the Mountaineers over my home state Terps in the battle for disputed land (It’s ours by the way). Is the SEC the top conference this year? Bama is for real but the rest of the conference appears to be average so far. At this point there does not seem to be a dominant conference but a few dominant teams. I’d like to hear what ya’ll have to say about that.

Gripe of the week – Although ESPN play by play announcer Pam Ward has a voice as deep as Trace Adkins and one that I only wished I had, there is something lacking in the credibility of a woman play by play announcer. I know I can hear all the feminists beating me up on this one, but really did she ever even play a pick-up game as a kid in the sandlot? I doubt it, but hey there is obviously no room for her in the locker room these days….just ask Ines Sainz J

Tailgate starts next Saturday at 7 AM in Dan's Bar & Grill (DB&G). All are welcome to drop by for a cold one or hot one depending on your preference as we will be preparing in style for the Boise/Oregon game and all the other 55 games to be viewed. Some pub for my boy Feasty John of the Feasty Boys TV show. Each week Feasty John has provided me with a new tailgate recipe that I post on the left side of the page. We will be making up his famous seafood in a bag next week. Also be sure to vote on the weekly polls that are posted.

Happy Tailgating!