Medley.

Sam Cooke presents a classic medley.



Seems appropriate that this blog's 350th entry is a mishmash.

Tonight I'm heading West Point way for this. With any luck some photos up in the future. And don't forget this other local festival, which will have some major news re: headliners for 2009 the Tuesday after Labor Day.

This medley by The Bishop of Soul Solomon Burke pays homage to his fellow travelers.



Looking forward to a historic opener for the Mississippi State Bulldogs as they become the first SEC team to host a SWAC HBCU team, the Jackson State Tigers. More specifically, I'm really looking forward to the halftime performance of the visiting team's band, The Sonic Boom of the South!



A few other famous show band performances with better sound:







And let's close with a classic medley from "the Hardest Working Man in Show Business . . . Mr. Dynomite . . . Mr. Please Please . . . Soul Brother #1 . . . Are you ready for Star Time?"

Laissez les bon temps roulez.

More or less instant reactions to the college football season just ended.

A fitting end to the craziest football season I've seen in my 43 years. Don't buy the hype about how this is the new paradigm; this year was exceptional in the purest sense of that word (not great necessarily, but merely very different from the norm), an outlier, unreal, even insane at times if a season can be to said to have something akin to consciousness.

Yes, I know that the game has changed (longer kickoffs, no tearaway jerseys blah blah blah), and scholarship reductions are bringing about some semblance of parity. But c'mon a D I-AA (excusez moi NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision and doesn't THAT phrase just mellifluously roll of the tongue) team goes to the Big House and lays smack down in a pre-conference=schedule "fluff" game; o.k., Appalachian State WERE 2-time defending national champions at their level and, after a mid-season blip, became thrice national football championship subdivision champs.

Speaking of famous I-AA defeats of their higher brethren in football (Maine over Mississippi State par example), I do remember the FAMU Rattlers knocking off the Miami Hurricanes the year they won the inaugural Division I-AA championship behind the brilliant Tallahassee Godby High Product, Albert Chester, Sr, winning the first football national championship for the state. Yes folks the 1970s were something of a football wasteland in the Sunshine State. It's really Miami's first win in 1983 that sets the table for the ersthwile big three: UF, FSU, Miami to dominate until at least the 2000 Sugar Bowl and BCS Championship for FSU. But in 1978 Miami was mediocre at best, although their 6-5 record was only their second winning record in over a decade. You get the picture: Definitely Not the Cane's of 4 national titles in a legendary nine-year-run (1983-1991).

So back to this peculiar college football season, where #1 teams seemed to lose weekly. A historical season and one like no other. If I was picking on merit at the end of the season, National Champion: LSU! The weirdness of this season surely deserves a legitimate 2-loss National Champion. 2nd best team: UGA Bulldogs—putting an exclamation point on the year that the SEC had. Sorry USC: you lost at home in the L.A. Coliseum to a frankly terrible Stanford Cardinal (my graduate alma mater my prerogative to call 'em out), and your schedule was generally weak. For an alpha and omega thing: how about my MSU Bulldogs winning 8 games including the Liberty Bowl after beginning the season with a crushing 45-0 home loss to those same LSU Tigers. Maybe it wasn't such a crazy year after all . . . Will you Big 10 apologists please just shut up!

P.S. My undergrad alma mater ultimately had a fine year too, says the proud 1982 inductee of the Harvard Varsity Club! Undefeated in the Ivy League, champs with a crushing and somewhat unexpected 37-6 away victory over the hated Eli—"Yale: They make locks, don't they?"

Come join the band!

Besides needing scholarship money, why would you ever join a military style marching band? Especialy when you could be a rock star instead like this



and this



All Right Now! JumP JumP JumP!

Rammer Jammer that!



Long live the scatter band tradition.

10,000 men of harvard.

2 for 2 on alma mater games in this craziest of college football seasons!

The Game

Harvard 37 Yale Lock Company 6

Illegitimum non carborundum;
Domine salvum fac.
Illegitimum non Carborundum;
Domine salvum fac.
Gaudeamus igitur!
Veritas non sequitur?
Illegitimum non carborundum -- ipso facto!
Ten thousand men of Harvard want vict'ry today,
For they know that o'er old Eli
Fair Harvard holds sway.
So then we'll conquer old Eli's men,
And when the game ends, we'll sing again:
Ten thousand men of Harvard gained vict'ry today!

The Big Game

Stanford 20 Bezerkeley Zoo 13

The dirty golden bear
is losing all his hair
his teeth are out, he's got the gout
he knows not what it's all about
his eyes are made of glass
he's losing all his class
so TAKE the dirty golden bear and shove him up your ***!

I'm putting all my eggs in one basket.

What an amazing Egg Bowl comeback yesterday down 14-0 with just a smudge less than 8:00 remaining, MSU's Bulldawgs score 17 unanswered to assure a winning regular season and a bowl bid.


The pre-game tailgate





Mom Setting up







The McDades





Mike and Francie





Mary Love feeding Harlan


The 2007 Egg Bowl






From the Sky Deck looking northwest towards Edgewood Drive





Davis-Wade Stadium at Scott Field





Cowbell Up!





North End Zone with Evil Empire Band Massing near Halftime





Leo Seal M-Club in 2nd Quarter





The Junction with views to the southwest





"WRAP IT IN MAROON AND WHITE. DAWGS WIN!"
Sylvester Gets Overexcited!

Addenda 11:20 am

BTW, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the classic Follow the Fleet (1936) provide my blog entry "song" title.

2 SKY DECK TICKETS SECTION 703 ROW 18-$56.50
1 LOT 35 SEASON PARKING PASS -$70.00
2 SMALL STADIUM CUP DIET COKES -$6.00
CROOM'S 3 POST-GAME POLITE DISSES OF
ORGERON'S COACHING -PRICLESS!

What went through your mind when (Ole Miss head coach Orgeron) went for the first down on that fourth down in the fourth quarter?
"I was happy."

Were you surprised?
"I was happy."

* * * * * * * * *

(This is a similar question as one asked before but with a slighly different angle and answered differently.-Gene) When they went for it on 4th and 1 and you had three first downs at that point in the game, did you think they were giving you a chance?
"Well, I thought that our Christmas had come early. (Laugh by the media.)"

transcribed by Gene Swindoll
(http://mississippistate.scout.com/2/704800.html

Coach O's take on the same:

Obviously we all know the turning point was the fourth down call to go for it. All year long, we have said that when we have a chance to go for it, we would. It was 14-0. I thought we could get the first down and perhaps go up 17-0, 21-0 and put the game away. We didn’t get it done, and it seemed to turn the tide. We didn’t make the plays when we were supposed to. We woke them up. Basically we had them beat for most of the day, but with 7 minutes left, that was a critical decision on my part. But again, if we make it and go up 17-0. The game is out of hand. We didn’t finish, and I am disappointed in the punt that gave them the touchdown. We had them beat, and we need to learn how to finish.

On the actual fourth-down play:

We put it in BenJarvus’ hands, and they overloaded the box. There was some penetration, and we didn’t get the first down.

On being an aggressive playcaller and how much of a decision it was:

I just thought that we needed to do something to win the football game. It was fourth down and one, and I thought we could get it. At that point in the game, I thought we could put them away. We were going for the knockout punch.

On doing it all over again:

I probably would not. Hindsight is 20/20. We were aggressive and wanted to put them out of the game. BenJarvus is a good back, and I thought we could get it.

* * * * * * * * * *

On this being a tough loss:

It is a tough loss because maybe the fourth down call took it away from my team. I don’t know that. I make those calls to win the game for my team. We missed a field goal. There are a lot of plays you can look at. We need to learn how to make those plays.

On any deflation after the fourth down:

We sensed it a little before that. We were trying to get the sideline fired up. There was a little lull there, and we tried to make things happen. John Thompson and I were screaming to finish the ballgame. We didn’t want to let them back in it.

On possibly changing his aggressive style:

I will think about it next time. That is the truth. I made a mistake. You don't make it, it is a mistake. You make it, you score and you win the game.

transcribed by Chase Parham
(http://mississippi.scout.com/2/704740.html)

"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye," Steam (1969)

Way way more cowbell!

Bulb's teams 2 — Crimson Tide 0.

'Nuff Said. Sorry Gorjus. Maybe next year.

Dropkick me, Jesus.

Thanks to Bobby Bare and his "goalposts of life" for today's entry title. The weather has been perfect the past few days (kinda like it is almost every day in Northern California . . . but that's a story for another day). MSU didn't embarass themselves yesterday, but a loss is still a loss. After last weekend's brilliance (FSU getting packback from the 70s over 'Bama; Harbaugh and the Cardinal stealing one from the University of Spoiled Children/Second Choice), this week stunk. That's the kind of team the Nole's are right now; no longer dominant talentwise in the ACC. Stanford will be Stanford (always able to play down to or below the level of their competition). At least the mighty Crimson have both a winning streak and are undefeated in the Ivy League. You gotta love a year where USF is second in the first BCS poll.

Hail State

Hail dear 'ole State,
Fight for that victory today;
Hit that line and 'tote that ball;
Cross the goal before you fall,
And then we'll yell, yell, yell, yell!
For dear 'ole State we'll yell like hell!
Fight for Mis-sis-sip-pi State,
Win that game today.

---Words & Music by Joseph Burleson Peavey, 1939


Mis-sis-sip-pi State is on a three game winning streak (our first since the 2000 season) after beating up on defenseless Gardner-Webb 31-15. The remnants of Sub-Tropical Depression #10 threatened for much of the day, but rain was sparse and missed the game mostly. It was dark when I arrived at our tailgate spot on the Drill Field, and it soon opened up but only for ten minutes.





In an alternate universe, a young Orson Welles fresh off Citizen Kane stopped by our set-up to shoot my cotton toothpick holder from Greenville, MS's Cottonlandia Museum.



Eventually the sun came out and so did the goodies. This was our first tailgate this year to feature grilled food. I brought some Herbs de Provence crusted lemon garlic olive oil marinated rosemary pork chops. We also had Grace's delicious buffalo wings, some Bryan Smoked Cajun Sausage, and some Johnsonville Brats (not shown).







Here's Bill setting up our new hi-tech tent featuring cooling fans.




Meanwhile Craig suits up before taking charge of grill duty.




The brain trust relaxes while the chicken wings cook.




Soon everyone in attendance was digging in to the chow.






Here's Harper just back from another adventure around the Drill Field.




Of course, there was a football game to attend. Here's Anthony Dixon scoring MSU's third touchdown to stretch the lead to 21-0. Sky Dawgs on the Sky Deck (sections 701-709) at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field get a nice view from way up high.




As the fourth quarter starts, here's the physical evidence that things have started looking up for the Bulldog Nation.

FSU Fight Song

You gotta fight fight fight for FSU
You gotta SCALP 'EM Seminoles
You gotta win, win, win, win, WIN this game,
and roll on down to make those GOALS
For FSU is on the WARPATH now and at the battle's end she's great
So FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT to victory
Our Seminoles of FLORIDA STATE!

F-L-O-R-I-D-A
S-T-A-T-E

Florida State! Florida State! Florida State! WHOOO!

After the opener at Clemson's "Death Valley", a 10 point win is just fine, even if it was against UAB. If you don't think so; find a Michigan fan and ask them how they'd feel about a 10 point win against a non-traditional football school. And you thought all College Football fans were CRAZEE!

Now let's hope the Bulldawgs can hold off the Green Wave . . .

Sooner or later.

USC's gonna kick your ass. Why did USC win? 1) They had a better team. 2) They dominated both lines of scrimmage. 3) They wanted it more. I mean, c'mon, Leinart was furious about that meaningless fourth quarter safety, slamming his helmet in disgust when they lost their 40 point lead. If he stays in school, you're looking at a probable 3-peat champion. In review, I was wrong about the Rose, at least in terms of the exciting nature of the game,though I'm still not sold on Texas as anythign but a team with a breakout sophomore running quarterback. The Sugar went about as expected, although I really thought going in VA Tech would find a way. Auburn's defense was everything it's looked to be all year long--hats off to them. Critics of BCS who want that one extra game. Yes, but who are you gonna take: Auburn or Utah? It's so simple; go to an 8 or 16 team playoff just like every other NCAA division does without managing to terminally damage the academic "careers" of their "student-athletes."

New day rising.

Surely 2005 will be better all around than 2004; it just CAN"T be worse!

On a related note, sure hope Chris Rix ends his college career on a up note. Hey Gators, now you know how it feels . You pile up yardage only to have a kick block returned for a TD and a punt return for a TD against you. So you look up at half with overwhelming stats but it's 17-3 the other way. I guess the visored one knew what he was doing by ducking the 'Canes for all those years.

Let's hear it for the refs who gifted Minnesota with a bowl win they didn't really deserve; remember I am in no way, shape, or form an Alabama fan, but how can you not see that obvious fumble?. Man was that Liberty Bowl a great shootout or what! Louisville was this close to being undefeated (losing by the slimmest of margins to Miami in the Orange Bowl). If they fire Petrino in a fit of pique over his courting better jobs, they are idiotic.

Big game picks:

The Rose: who cares?

The Sugar: Va Tech in a slight upset

The Orange: USC just seems to have another gear whenever they need it. But I do feel bad about betting against a Bob Stoops-coached team. And Adrian Petersen is the thrid best college freshman running back I've ever seen after Herschel Walker (who was robbed of the Heisman by George Rogers) and Marcus Dupree (the man had 240+ yards in the first half of his bowl game before a hammie virtually ended his career--yeah I know he soldiered on in Hattiesburg, New Orleans, and Portland, but c/mon once he left Norman he was really done).

Bet you didn't realize you'd entered the Beano Cook website by mistake. And isn't it a shame that Notre Dame got beat in a minor bowl. AGAIN.