OPENING DAY(S)
That time of year again, hot popcorn! cotton candy! souvenier drinks! glove in hand for the foul ball! I'm talking baseball!
MLB season starting up as I type, and it promises again to be one for the ages.
Let's Go Yankees! Let's go Astros!
And an official Heisman Run thank you to Jeff Bagwell, a player who gave us years of loyalty, hard play, and results and the best of luck in the next stages of your life after baseball.
What on Earth Happened???
Last night, in a most optimistic fashion. I donned my purple LSU polo, my weathered LSU cap, my LSU watch and even put on a second coating of deodrant before heading over to a friends house for.. what else, the LSU men's basketball team first FINAL FOUR game in 20 years.
I spent a little bit of time doing my customary 'sports-writer' wanna-be analysis on key matchups, the paths to victory and how to get past this roadblock on the road to the National Championship. Please note that I said road to the Championship, not the Final Four. I really liked this matchup for us. I knew the key was the physicallity of all the players on court, for once a team that wouldn't shut down when we pushed them, ala Duke and Texas. UCLA has weapons, we have answers. We have dangerous weapons, they have answers. This was gonna be a good game.
The rest is a bit of a blur - not really sure what happened. I remember the final score, remember bits and pieces, and remember the sick feeling in the pit of the stomach.
Let me not make excuses, but there were too abnormalities of this game - the first is that we couldn't buy a basket, even shots that we normally make easily or the seldom good looks at the basket we not falling, no matter what reforms the LSU faithful handed up to the Good Lord in exchange for a basket while the Bruins couldn't miss if they had tried, the second is that I appreciated the phsyical game that both teams played, but 'can a team get a foul and a walk called.'
My heart goes out to this LSU team, it has been an amazing year, fun to watch, fun to follow - really a team that you can be proud to associate yourself with. That team did not show up in Indy, and that may be what they are remembered for. I am really excited about the fact that this team, along with the Lady Tigers' Final Four team, proved that a football town is willing to accept basketball (after all, who heard much about the spring game yesterday). GEAUX TIGERS!
I'll leave the discussions about specific mistakes, coaching mishaps and the other specifics that I wanted to present originally for another day.. I don't really want to seem like I am dumping on this team for little/no reason.
What makes you proud of the LSU Men's Basketball team? Is it their accomplishments? Is it the types of persons that make up this team? Is it the coaching turnaround? Is it the way the campus-community rallied around the team?
Here's hoping the Florida Gators take care of buisness on Monday night, and bring the title home to the SEC!!
And here's my glass raising toast to the LSU LADY TIGERS in action tonight in Final Four action against Duke! GEAUX LADY TIGERS!!
Make Mike the Tiger Stand right up and ROAR
I'LL SAY IT AGAIN...
GEAUX TIGERS!!!
Women's and Men's basketball headed to their respective FINAL FOURS. Each with full heads of steam, great momentum, the talent and the heart to make a statement. That statement is a WIN - 2 more per team, 4 LSU wins total!
Its hard not to smile in TigerTown these days.. oh, and dont' forget.. spring football game this weekend. (who'd have thought!)
Have a great week!
Great to be an LSU Tiger!
Its great to be an LSU Tiger..
Yeah, its true.
Men's basketball headed to the Final Four!
Women's basketball headed to the Elite 8 - and beyond
Men's baseball hands a #1 ranked Moo-State thier first loss over the weekend
Tennis - ranked nationally
Softball - ranked nationally
Enjoying it while it lasts!
Groovin' my time away
I had the opportunity last night to attend the annual 'Groovin on the Grounds' concert on the LSU Parade Ground. This years lineup included:
A Soup Named Stew (local humor-pop)
Josh Turner (country)
Lyfe Jennings (R&B with a touch of gospel)
Puddle of Mudd (gutiar powered, punch-you-in-the-face rock) *sorry, I am a fan!
Always great to see a free concert, especially one as dear to both my heart and my wife's heart as Groovin. We helped plan/staff the concert a couple of years in our time in undergrad.
But what it got me thinking is that I have gotten a chance to see a number of shows in my short life (maybe a little above average when it comes to the numbers), and I tried thinking of my favorites, so I figured I would share.
Top Teir (hard to order these):
Pearl Jam @ New Orleans Arena 2001
Kiss @ Lafayette Cajundome 1997
Flickerstick @ House of Blues New Orleans
Our Lady Peace @ Groovin on the Grounds 2001
LeAnn Rhymes @ Endymon Extraveganza 2004
GreyStreet Band @ ??? in Lafayette 2001 (I think it was the first time they did the rap medly - on my knees laughing)
Cross Candadian Ragweed @ The Varsity
Cowboy Mouth @ Groovin on the Grounds 1999
Second Teir
The Wreckers @ House of Blues New Orleans 2005
311 @ The Varsity 1999
Molly Ringwalds @ The Caterie 2001 (Only becaue they did an amazing cover of Rush's Tom Saywer and Kiss/G.Brook's Hard Luck Woman)
RUN DMC @ LSU Homecoming 2001
Better than Ezra @ Bonne Fete 1998
Keith Urban @ PMAC 2005
What about you? What shows stick out in your mind? What shows should I be buying a ticket to?
disclaimer:I reserve the right to edit this list becasue I think I am forgetting something here.
Outside the "Box" - Part 2
GEAUX TIGERS! LSU BASKETBALL
GEAUX TIGERS! GEAUX LADY TIGERS!
How exciting that our two LSU basketball teams are both on a tear and poised to become championship teams very soon (Men's Basketball clinched a share of the SEC title last night).
Alright.. lay it on the line... gimmie some predictions for the LSU Women's Basketball Team? and again for the LSU Men's Basketball team?
And as always with predictions... the phrase "without any injuries or other major unexpected happenings" is included at the end of the statement. Nothing kills a prediction like an injury or a natural disaster... and, God willing, neither happens.
