Toxic Rain on the Bayou

(Baton Rouge)- The last time we saw the Vanderbilt Commodores, were were freezing cold but happy because the football team from my wife's alma mater had just won a bowl game. Fast forward to a rainy south Louisiana Saturday night and you find a woman in conflict.
A lifelong Louisiana resident who loves her Tigers as much as any other non-LSU alum, she found her affection conflicted as the Commodores made a rare trip to Tiger Stadium. She struggled with what to wear to the game, knowing full well she would be in close quarters with Tiger faithful for the first home game of the season. She settled on an LSU polo shirt with a Vanderbilt pin and socks adorned with her school's colors.
We let a select few fans in our proximity in on her conundrum and they seemed comfortable with her as long as LSU had a two-score lead. Unfortunately for her, that circumstance did not prevail for a significant portion of the game. When the Commodores drove into LSU territory with an opportunity to tie the game in the second half, she was just toxic. I just occasionally patted her on the shoulder to let her know I was there for her.
Ultimately, Vanderbilt was Vanderbilt. They turned the ball over at key moments and had a couple of stupid penalties to keep LSU scoring drives alive. The Tigers won and the lone Vandy fan in the section accepted it well, as if it had been preordained.
The LSU people around us were uncharacteristically gracious. but really nobody hates Vanderbilt, not even Tennessee fans. I suspect if she had graduated from Alabama things would have been decidedly different.

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Wow! What a Day!

(Nashville, TN) - Vanderbilt won its bowl game, 16-14 over nationally-ranked Boston College. It was the Commodores' first bowl game since 1982 and their first bowl victory since 1955! It was the school's second bowl win ever. My wife, a long-suffering Vanderbilt graduate, saw every moment of it and was thrilled. My daughter and I were pleased to be in her company. We had to earn it, though. It was COLD!
During the second quarter, temperatures were in the 30's with a stiff wind. I started to shiver and my daughter said her toes were numb. We thought we were prepared, wearing many layers of warm clothes; but were a little uncomfortable to put it mildly. It was the coldest I had been for any sustained period in at least fifteen years, probably more.
That's okay, though. The conditions made the experience more memorable. The truth be told, if it had become unbearable, we would have been okay. We had club level tickets, so we had the option to go inside and watch the game on television at any time. Why would you want to do that, though? It wasn't a particularly well played game, but it did go down to the final seconds. Vanderbilt intercepted a BC pass with less than two minutes left in the game to seal the victory. At that moment, the temperature didn't really matter.




It really meant a lot to my wife, who stayed long after the final horn to watch the trophy presentation, see a fireworks show and to find out who the Most Valuable Player was. Her phone starting buzzing immediately with text messages and calls from friends and co-workers who knew we had made this trip.
It's been a blast, to be honest. Given Vanderbilt's pace for winning bowl games, it may truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Let's hope not, but either way I'm glad we were here to share it.

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Daddy D in the News

Howdy from the press box
Originally uploaded by Darrell

Having spent the majority of my adult life compelling people to speak for publication or broadcast, seeing myself quoted in newspapers has kind of an inside-out feeling to it. My mission was to raise awareness of the Independence Bowl in certain circles. So, with a nod to our departing president, "Mission Accomplished!" I was quoted as a representative of the game on the front page of the Nashville newspaper on Sunday and spoke of the bowl game in another story which was distributed by the Associated Press and Gannett News Service.
Our bowl game has been around for more than three decades and we're proud of it. The Traveling Companion and I rubbed elbows with representatives of games in much larger cities, most of them from NFL markets. One of the strengths of our event is that it's the only game in town, so visitors get a lot of attention from hosts, locals and the media.
We still don't know which teams will play in our game. We've had Alabama each of the last two years, and they're currently #1 in the nation. Eight Southeastern Conference teams have come to town, as well as many from the Big XII. We've even had Notre Dame. We've also has UTEP, Southern Miss and Miami of Ohio and all are welcome despite the disparity in national notoriety.
This was my first time to be a front man for the bowl and I was proud to do it. I just hope I didn't embarrass the bowl game or the city. I don't know how my superiors in the organization will measure my performance, but getting the name out there in the media means something. Now, we just need to get a couple of nice teams to come to down just after Christmas.

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Leftovers From the Road

Darrell in Kentucky
Originally uploaded by Darrell

(Lexington, KY) - Our departure from the Bluegrass state has been delayed slightly by the icy conditions. I've said many times, "If I ever talk about moving to someplace cold, have me immediately arrested." Daddy D doesn't do cold.
The Unversity of Kentucky's shade of blue is beautiful to my eye. if I lived here, I think I'd wear school colors almost every day. It's very tempting to load up on a bunch of UK gear, just for the color. I know that wouldn't fly in purple & gold country, though; so, my credit card is safe.
I spent a lot of time in the press box Saturday night and I was grateful for it. The driving rain never became snow, so the conditions were borderline miserable to me. I was amazed and amused by the number of people who were transfixed by their BlackBerries and i-Phones during the game. Between texting with friends and keeping up with scores around the country, people up and down the rows of media and dignitaries seemed to be in some kind of prayerful posture. I was among the devoted, keeping an eye on LSU's improbable comeback at home against Troy. The Tigers fell behind by 31-3, but scored 37 unanswered points to win. I watched it unfold through live stats on my Blackberry. Technology amazes me.
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Here's something I don't understand: I've stayed in a lot of inexpensive hotels in my day, and usually internet access is free. I'm staying at a relatively pricey place this weekend, and they charge us ten bucks a day to get onto the net. Somehow, that defies common sense.
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It's been a tough weekend for my blue-clad hosts. The men's and women's basketball teams lost and so did the football team. The volleyball team won, though. I'm in the same hotel with the volleyball squad from the University of Florida. Those girls are tall!
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After the Vanderbilt football team beat Kentucky, I encountered a Kentucky fan who was attempting to deride the celebrating Commodores. They were thrilled to be bowl eligible. The Kentucky fan was screaming 'You're going to Shreveport!" He did not mean this as a compliment. I walked up to him and said, 'Hello, I'm from Shreveport. If your team comes to our bowl game, we would love to see you there. I think you would have a good time."
He stared at me. I said, "We're proud of our bowl game and we would be thrilled to have either of these teams. I just want to invite you to come and I promise we will show you a nice time."
He said, "You're making me feel like an ass. I'm just upset." I said, "Please don't use Shreveport as a taunt. It's a nice place and we would be excited to see you there."
He said "Okay, sorry."
Kill 'em with kindness. That's our way.

Now, it's time to de-ice the wings and head home.

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Celebration Headache

Vandy fan
Originally uploaded by Darrell's BlackBerry

These are heady times in our house. My poor bride couldn't sleep last night because she had a headache. She had a headache because the football team from her university was on national television and won by a single point to remain unbeaten and in first place in the Southeastern Conference east division.
The game went down to the final minute and her blood pressure was through the roof. She was wearing her colors, screaming at the TV.
How big an event was this: even Joe College and the girlfriend hung around and watched. Yes, the whole immediate family was gathered 'round the living room pulling hard for the Vanderbilt Commodores. The daughter, who will be making college decisions soon, wants to consider Vanderbilt.
We have not reached agreement on which was more entertaining, the game of my wife's quite out of character antics. Let's be clear here: Vanderbilt hasn't had a winning season in a quarter century. To be nationally ranked and undefeated through five games is just absurd. Yet, there they are. They've beaten Auburn, South Carolina and Ole Miss. They still need to play Florida and Georgia among others, so staying undefeated is just unthinkable. Here's hoping their return to reality features a soft landing instead of a crash to Earth.
She has vowed that we will go to whichever bowl game the Commodores get invited to. That's great for me: a December trip to Memphis or Nashville...or stay at home in Shreveport. We dare not think any higher than that lest we be emotionally crushed.
The season is perfect as of now. It will be great no matter what happens. It will be most satisfying for her if the'Dores can get one more win. It will be dreamlike if it comes at the expense of the Tennessee Volunteers.
See you in December. Go Gold.

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A Gold Moment

SEC East standings
Originally uploaded by Darrell

While Southern Cal and Florida fans are suffering following their teams' shocking losses this weekend, the graduate of a Southeastern Conference school in our house is riding high. Yes, the Vandy Girl who shares my home is worked up. It probably won't last, but for at least one more week, The Commodoresare undefeated and atop the SEC East Division standings. Since Vanderbilt does not have a game this weekend, its stranglehold on 1st place will last two weeks at a minimum. Georgia plays Alabama tonight, so we will be flipping back and forth between that game and LSU-Mississippi State.
My resident 'Dores fan is a realist. She knows there's virtually no chance her team will win the division. She's just hoping for two more wins so they will be bowl eligible.
How excited is she? She got on the internet and ordered some Vandy gear, and she's been checking the front porch twice a day while she impatiently awaits delivery.
In the meantime, I'm facing a potential conflict of interest. I'm on the selection committee for the Independene Bowl, which has a contract with the SEC. If the Commodores get it done, will I need to recuse myself? What if they're bowl eligible and we don't invite them? I'll never hear the end of it.
Maybe they will win their way into the Sugar Bowl or something and I won't be conflicted. Maybe pigs will fly over downtown New Orleans, too.

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