I'm not amused with the irony of my football weekend

If you look at the score in my previous post and know the score of the Appalachian State v LSU game (links intentionally not included) you will realize why the only picture I will share is a "pretty" one of the LSU band.
To add insult to injury...we werekicked out of our swank Canal Street hotel this morning (thank you Gustov) and we're slumming it at a Quality Inn Roach Motel in Baton Rouge. Hopefully our flight really will leave in the morning and I can get back to civilization.

Go Deacs!

The Bears were no match for Riley Skinner and company!

Guess which city I'm in

Actually this picture was taken last night. If you guessed New Orleans, you are wrong. This lovely store is

in a strip center (no pun intended) located in Dallas.

I'm in Waco now getting ready to go see the Deacs.

OK. What is up with this stupid storm? Are we going to have a football game on Saturday? Am I going to get bumped from my flight to NO?

Football Vacation Eve Eve

Saturday was a ZOO in Boone! Traffic was horrific and the campus bookstore was over run with students trying to get their books. (I wonder...does ASU still have a book rental system? Surely there is a better way for distribution! Why make them stand in horrendous lines? That's such a waste of precious time! Why don't they deliver the textbooks to each professor and he/she can pass the books out on the first day of class?)

Anywho, I really couldn't handle the crowd so I marched to town for my would be game-wear purchases. In addition to my gold visor (from Appalachian T's) I picked up a preppy Big A belt and, following App Fan's advise, got this t (at Mast Store).

My cashier at The Mast Store was a delightful young man who is leaving Boone on Friday (after class) and driving (in a car that doesn't have cruise control) to Baton Rouge for the game. OK... I'm glad I'm in my 40's and can travel in comfort.

My lame picture of the west side stands. For good and thorough pics check here.

Here's a question...why don't we pressure wash the cement at the base of the stands? Seems to me that white would be better than ecru.

What shall I wear???

I have planned to go to Boone on Saturday because I REALLY want to pick up a white Appalachian State t and visor (I'm thinking white will be better than black in the sweltering Baton Rouge heat). But, OH MY! App Fan is calling us to wear BLACK. I guess I'll go with it - there's no Gorton's Fisherman logo on this one so I'm ok. Still, I need new whities so I will stick with the original plan to head up the mountain.

You will probably want to pick up a copy of the Winston-Salem Journal on Friday. There will be a special sports section on college football. No doubt the Mountaineers and Armanti will get some significant, and well deserved, ink!

Front and center of the Journal's sports page today was a nice article on T.J. Courman. I really like this picture of him because he is the visual embodiment of the true scholar-athlete. (I wonder if they only have one black and gold necktie and every player passes it along when they finish having their picture made. Or, do you get your tie issued when you sign up? Is it issued along with your jersey?)

Football Vacation

It is a scant nine days before the official black and gold football vacation. I can hardly wait! Here's the schedule along with the associated costs. (I'm always about a bargain!)

August 27: FLY from GSO to DFW (the Big D). Cost: $0.00 (frequent flyer points)
HOTEL: 2 rooms at the Hyatt Suites. Cost: $0.00 (hotel points)

August 28: DRIVE to Wacky Waco to watch Wake Forest take on Baylor. (not sure of the cost of
rental car and gas)
GAME TICKETS: Cost: don't know, I didn't pay for them.
HOTEL: 2 rooms at the Marriott Courtyard in Waco. Cost: $0.00 (hotel points)

August 29: DRIVE back to Dallas, return rental car and hop on a Southwest flight to
NEW ORLEANS. Cost: $108.83 per person
HOTEL: The Sheraton on Canal Street. Cost: $74.00 per night (thank you Priceline)

August 30: DRIVE to Death Valley to watch the Mountaineers take on the Tigers. Cost: gas and
rental car.
YOSEF CLUB TAILGATE Cost: $60.00 for 2 people
GAME TICKETS: $90.00 for 2 people
HOTEL: Back to NO for another night at the Sheraton. Cost: $74.00

August 31: FLIGHT back to GSO. Cost: $0.00 (frequent flyer miles again)

The proud aunt thing

I missed Fan Fest and the scrimmage. (Apparently the event didn't rate coverage with the Winston-Salem Journal or WXII-12. What a bummer!) I am being overly cautious and very diligent in my efforts to not only rehab the elbow, but also get rid of a nasty sinus and ear infection before THE FOOTBALL VACATION. More on that event later.

My youngest M & M (nephew) is quite the racing stud. I just sent him a text message to see if he is planning to cycle in the 2012 Olympics. No response thus far.

I sort of think I have somewhat ARRIVED in the sports arena. The "hey big guys" at my office have invited me to join their Fantasy Football league. I'm totally at a loss but I'm going to play. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

I think our women's soccer uniforms look awesome! (Are they new? - don't follow soccer so I don't know) It's a shame we lost to the Waker but I feel certain the Lady Mountaineers will improve as the season progresses.

Dissed? What's in an A?

When I went to my mailbox this evening I found, amongst the bills and insurance statements, 2 great things. My big fluffy envelope from the Yosef Club and the Sports Illustrated 2008 College Football Preview.

After thrashing into and through my Yosef Club envelope, I was pleased to discover my 4 season ticket cards and my 2 LSU tickets but my heart sank when I saw that my Justice Lot parking pass was no longer. I am now relegated to Raley Lot. I can't feel dissed and I can only be happy that so many Mountaineers have stepped up their contributions to our school and our sports programs. I should have pumped up my giving to Yosef this year but the thoughts of potentially losing my job ruled out over football.

Sports Illustrated... well of course they think of 1A (aka FBS) as the ONLY Division 1 (they gave Armanti no love on their Heisman Watch - I would put a link to that flawed editorial blurb, but SI is seriously slow [probably because they are owned by the Communist News Network] in putting current editorial on their website). So... I am forced to put this much superior link). At least they gave us some props...

..."That was the day defending 1AA champion Appalachian State - perfectly executing a spread-option offense...knocked off the fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines in the Big House." {well, I wouldn't call the second half perfect but we performed good enough}

..."Rush Hour Jackson made Michigan pay"... {'nough said}

..."And the Tigers' next opponent? It's three time Division 1-AA national champion Appalachian State, which stunned Michigan in the first week of last season." {Thanks for the kind words Mr Mandel but we do not wish to rely on our past accomplishments.}