Finally, some pictures from Mercer

As you are all well aware, I took a trip to Macon, Georgia to begin the year (and eventually to Fort Myers, where they will get the internet just as soon as they stop doing the Charleston) to catch a game betwixt the Mercer Bears and the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. I used my phone to take some pictures, then got a new phone, and anyways, I finally uploaded them, so here are the pictures from my time in Macon.

 Of course, I have to start with the greatest picture of them all... the coin operated cologne sprayer in north Georgia

Heading into the game, I had to take a picture of their baseball field. Alma Mater of the great Mike Mimbs!

This was the Mercer pep band. All of it.

A couple of shots of the arena. It filled up a bit by game time a bit more, but there was still a week until classes began again.

 This is where the FGCU women's team eventually sat.

I like the one guy for FGCU that tucked in his practice jersey. Nerd.

Growl!

A little more full, see? And GET PUMPED IT'S MERCER BASKETBALL.

It's game time! FGCU would have a huge challenge, playing against a Mercer team playing at home for the first time in a few weeks.

Also facing a huge challenge: This chair.

This is actually the Student Union/basketball arena, pictured the next day. IT was definitely a quaint campus.

GROWL!

This is outside my hotel the day I left Macon. Hard to tell, but the fountain outside is completely frozen. I'm glad I headed south for that. 

I enjoyed this trip quite a bit, actually, mostly because I really like the south, and I had Steak and Shake in Illinois, but the game was pretty good too. (Mercer won 76-54)

Highlights from Mercer - Florida Gulf Coast

As you can see, I was, in fact, at the game last night. An AP photo is out to prove it.

Now, some thoughts from the game. First, it was incredibly cheap. The ticket, a hot dog, water and slice of pizza ran me only 9 dollars. Total. Fantastic.

First, the arena. It was rather small, but the university did a good job giving the the game something of a big time feel. The concessions and what not were decidedly small time, but the action on the court was very competitive. Mercer players seemed more into the game than any team I had visited before. Even FGCU played like they knew what they were doing, which I can't say for certain other games I have attended. And the beginning of the game began with spotlights and a video played on a middle school geography class style projector screen. Still, I applaud the effort the school put forth in making the game important.

In this contest, it seemed like the big problem was the Eagles and their ball handling ability. They seemed to be better on defense when they were able to get back and get set. The most dramatic scoring opportunities came in the break for the Bears, especially when they were able to get the ball to Justin Cecil, who was white hot and clearly the best player on the court last night. Still, the Eagles clearly weren't comfortable with how they were playing, changing their defensive look regularly, and not really getting consistent stops until they upped the pressure on the ball, but that came far too late.

Perhaps it was the angle I sat at, but I would say it was the most technically sound game I have seen in my travels. Murray State played well two years ago, but in this game, both teams looked prepared, if not effective.

The Bears got out to a 20 point lead early, then kept their foot on the gas for most of the game. They had a deeper bench, a short guy named Shaquille, more energy, a black guy named Paul Larsen and frankly, more composure that FGCU who had a white guy named Eddie Murray.

For more in the moment, comical observations from the night, take a look at my Twitter feed. Some time this week, I will have some pictures and more in depth commentary on what it was like to be at the game.

One image from the road

If you can't tell, this is a coin operated cologne dispenser. I took it at a truck stop along the Tennessee/Georgia border. Please note the knob for selecting which cologne can be spritzed, for the distinguishing gentleman buying his cologne from a truck strop restroom.

I'm leaving for Macon tomorrow

In case you, like nobody else, was wondering, I have been posting year in review posts because I wanted to post a "hey, I'm skipping town for a while" post today. The plan is to leave as soon as I wake up tomorrow morning, which could be 8, could be 10. Then I will get to southern Illinois or western Kentucky by nightfall. I will make the rest of the drive to Macon on Monday. There shouldn't be traffic in Nashville or Atlanta, right?
I have a ticket waiting for me at Will Call at Mercer (three dollars!) and will spend a couple days in Macon before heading to Fort Myers for a few days. Then it's three days on the way back, and plow, back to regular posting.
I will try to throw up a few posts while I'm gone, but Steve has a couple in the can for New Years Day and the 2nd, so I will be gone from your eyes until the third. The game looks better and better with every result that comes through for those teams. Florida Gulf Coast is on a two game winning streak, with games against Toledo and Maine, while Mercer continues to look strong against big time opponents, like Georgia Tech and Seton Hall. I can honestly say, I don't know who will win this game, but I bet it will be a pretty good contest.
There will be a few tweets, so stay tuned while I'm on the road! Happy New Year, everyone!

All set for Macon

As you may have remembered, I am planning a trip to Macon, Georgia to catch the Mercer Bears in action against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles. There has been less time to prepare for this trip than there was for the trip to Wyoming back in October, so I haven't mentioned it quite as much, but yes, I will head out on New Years Day, with central Georgia as my destination. (I will also visit a friend in Tennessee and my parents in Florida... My first multi-tasking trip yet.)
Mercer has been having a pretty good year. They've defeated the teams they should have and lost to some pretty good teams, like Missouri, Belmont and Seton Hall. The only real blemish is a loss to South Dakota State, but even the Jackrabbits look strong this year. The Bears are lead by sophomore guard Langston Hall and forwards Justin Cecil and Jakob Gollun, who is somehow from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, playing for the Bears. Did I mention that Mercer has a medical school? Even if it is in central Georgia, they attract some good minds down there.
Florida Gulf Coast hasn't been quite as successful, but have been in a lot of games this season. In 4 of their 6 losses, they were within 3 points, and within 1 in three of those games. In fact, the largest deficit was a game at Miami, when they lost by 10. The Eagles definitely play a more defensive game, as Sherwood Brown (who sports some wicked dreads, by the way), the top scorer on the team, only averages about 12 a game. Distribution might be part of it, but I think it has more to do with low scoring games. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't point out that they have a player named Filip Cvjeticanin.
I bring up the game so far out because I secured my tickets and reservations in Macon the other night. Any guesses on the cost of the tickets? Three dollars. Three stinkin' bucks. I have it waiting for me at will call. I think, given the Eagles propensity to stay in games, this will be three dollars well spent.

Wyoming Cowboys dominate three quarters, Take second quarter off

As you may remember, and as I showed in the highlight video I shared last night, the Wyoming Cowboys defeated the UNLV Rebels by a score of 41-14. As you might have heard, I was there. Here are some thoughts.

- First, there weren't many cowboy hats. Lots of Cowboys hats, but not many cowboy hats.
- UNLV's coverage early was atrocious, just like I expected. The problem was that the Cowboys are a running team, traditionally, and they got away from their game, trying to exploit the porous secondary. It didn't work out too terribly well. But UNLV is pretty bad, so even though Wyoming was slowed, UNLV wasn't able to find their way all the way back in. When Quarterback Brett Smith started to run, that's when the Cowboys really started to open up their lead. (He ended up with 59 yards on the ground, but it felt like a lot more)
- Special teams were huge in this game. The two biggest momentum shifts were on punts to Wyoming. The first was a second quarter punt that Wyoming muffed, only to have UNLV recover. They promptly scored 2 touchdowns. After the half, the teams were playing to a draw, more or less, until a 3rd quarter punt, which was returned all the way by Wyoming. I think, more than the score, the block I alluded to in the video yesterday changed the tone. Wyoming was more aggressive on defense and grittier on offense, eventually salting the game away.
- The Cowboys opened up the playbook in the 4th quarter. Chris McNeill who ran back the punt in the 3rd quarter also threw a touchdown to Brett Smith (the quarterback), and then on another reverse, threw the two point conversion. When one thinks of Wyoming, one does not typically think "razzle dazzle"
- Due to some strong winds, punters and kickers went out of their way to keep balls low to to the ground, taking angles on kicks, squibbing, etc to get it downfield but to allay the chance of a return. It was very strange.
- The Rebels started backup Sean Reilly, to give him a chance, I assume. He looked lost out there, but his receivers were no help. I assume the terrible receivers (and mediocre line) are why Caleb Herring's statistics were so down. Herring came in in the 4th and looked energetic and athletic, giving the Rebels a new life late in the game. He was afflicted by the same problems though, namely that his receivers were very, very bad. Herring should be in starting next week for UNLV.
- Some thoughts on the experience of the game... The Cowboys run out to "Cowboy" by Bon Jovi. At half time, the band did a Billy Joel themed set. The 80s are just now arriving in Laramie.
- After every score, at the beginning of the game, and after the end of the game, Wyoming fires off a cannon. A very, tremendously loud cannon that is fired by National Guardsmen. They are defending the no fly zone around the stadium, I have to believe.
- The food at the game was decidedly faux Mexican. They called it a "Jackalope taco", but really, it was a homemade, Norwegian style taco (i.e. no spice). I was picking jackalope taco out of my beard through the first quarter.
- The girl who sold me my Wyoming sweatshirt threatened to shoot me with a rubber band. I think she was flirting, but I can't be sure. Wyoming is weird.

OK, enough out of me, how about.... pictures! My camera/phone had a low battery through most of the game, so I stopped taking pictures soon after kick off. Nevertheless. here are the pregame pictures.

 The stadium is really high

 A look into the tailgate.

 I was able to get really close to the field. That was fun. I also got there really early.

Mountains to the west of Laramie. Please enjoy the  Mountain West flags off to the side. This was taken from a ramp at the stadium

Several pictures from my seats. Not bad.

 Look! A W! They're fight song is "Cowboy Joe" if you are ever on Jeopardy or something.

And now, last but not least, it's time for kickoff!

Day 2 observations

No, Cheyenne, I don't think I will be trying your sushi

- There is a gap between Sidney, Nebraska and the I-80-I-76 split where you can't get any phone reception, and I wasn't able to stream Pandora. At first, I felt lost, alone and and angry, and that made me realize that I've got it pretty good here in America. And then I realized I have to pass back through that same stretch of road again, and now I'm pissed. HOW CAN I GO 45 MINUTES WITHOUT HEARING TOTO

- While I was driving through Nebraska, I saw a legit cowboy working with some horses. He had the hat on and everything, I think he was rustling.

- While the first cowboy hat was a pleasant little novelty, I came to find that residents of Cheyenne wear them unironically. If you have a stereotype about Cheyenne, it is accurate. 

- I got into town early, and I headed to the mall (Frontier something or other). Honest to goodness, the first two stores I encountered were "Wild Western" which sold, obviously, western gear, and "Boot Barn" which sold western gear (with a special emphasis on cowboy boots). What IS this place?

- I went to the Chik-fil-a at the mall. There was a gentleman eating his sandwich while wearing a cowboy hat. 

- My hotel room overlooks I-25. Across the interstate is nothing. Miles and miles of nothing. I can see a couple lights, but that might be Laramie. Laramie is 40 miles away.

- There are a great many buildings with marquees here, something that adds to the undeniable charm of this place. Most of the marquees have a cowboy on them.

- The various news stations here come from; ABC - Casper, CBS - Denver, NBC - Cheyenne. The ABC station advertised it's morning show, claiming live coverage on Monday from the grand re-opening of the Red Lobster in downtown Casper. (Sidebar... internet research tells me the place burned down. Ironically, a bar in Eagan, MN called Casper's just burned down before I left. What do they have in common? I wouldn't eat seafood at either restaurant)

- I went out for dinner at a sports bar in downtown Cheyenne. It was a very nice bar, called Shadow's, with TVs (flat screen and tube. Tube TVs!) and very good burgers. Anyways, two customers stood out to me. One was a gentleman wearing a Detroit Lions sweater, which was strange enough, but he had a gigantic Lions tattoo on his calf too. Sitting next to him was a gentleman in a very nice full suit. He was wearing a cowboy hat.

Notes from Day 1

Well, I got on the road around 9 today, and it was rainy and gross in the Twin Cities. By the time I got to Owatonna, though, the sun was out and the rest of the drive was very warm. It really saps the battery on my phone/GPS. Here are some notes from the drive.

- I only made one stop, which is incredible. Thank YOU Dexter, Iowa and your Casey's General Store for pizza and gas and directions back to the interstate.

- There is a radio station in Omaha that goes by "The Big O".

- The entire state of Nebraska is under construction. Like, really, every major town had construction in and around it. It was a slow go.

- I went out for a barbecue pork sandwich and a beer. Through eavesdropping, I learned that I was sitting next to this guy's father.

All right, enough for now. I will check in tomorrow night. Game is on Saturday!

Looking forward to Wyoming

This time next week, I will have the Wyoming-UNLV game in my rearview. At the beginning of the season, it looked like a pretty clear, dominating win for Wyoming. The Cowboys started off 3-0, and then lost their next game against Nebraska despite putting up a good effort. They looked like a pretty reliable team in the Mountain West, if nothing else. Then there was this past weekend, when they got whitewashed by the Utah State Aggies in Logan. Not so good.
UNLV has been underwhelming all season. They were crushed by Wisconsin, Washington State, Nevada and most ignobly, Southern Utah. They did, however, win a home game against Hawaii. They still haven't allowed 60 points in a game, yet, like the Cowboys did in Logan yesterday.
The Cowboys are a perfect example of "running back by committee" They run for just less than 200 yards a game, and have 4 different backs who have reached that total on the season, Ghaali Muhammad, Alvester Alexander, Brandon Allen and quarterback Brett Smith, a Freshman who is improving with his arm as well. The Wyoming defense is the primary issue, as the team struggles with slowing down running games and allows too many big plays in passing attacks. If it stays true to form, this game will feature some high scoring.
The Runnin' Rebels are less successful running the ball, but more successful stopping the run than their counterparts in Laramie. They also scatter the ball around, with Tim Cornett, Bradley Randle and Dionz Bradford all get touches. Quarterback Caleb Herring is also a threat to scramble, but the Rebs' line is so porous that he will end up sacked more often than not. The passing defense has been atrocious for UNLV this season. Opponents have 200 more yards through the air than the Runnin' Rebels have total offense on the season.
I expect that, if Wyoming feels like they can open up their offense, they should have no problem winning their homecoming game against UNLV. It doesn't fit their typical scheme, but I think young Brett Smith is capable of leading the charge. The weather looks like it will be fine, despite it snowing there yesterday, so an airborne attack is totally viable. Prediction: Wyoming 49, UNLV 14

The 2012 Sports Adventure teams have been picked

As I'm sure you are all aware and yet completely indifferent about, I picked the two teams that I will try to watch live and in person during the 2012 calendar year. For those that don't know, here's how it works. I lump every team from NCAA basketball and football, the NFL, NHL and MLB into a random number generator, as well as a series of numbers, so as to pick a game off of a selected team's schedule. Then I go to the game. Simple as that. The randomness of this is what makes it an adventure, you see.
So without further ado, the teams. This is the 6th year I have done this, and I had yet to select a professional sports team. Additionally, I had never yet picked a team from the same city as a previous selection. It all changed this time! The 4 that just missed out were the Colorado Avalanche, Baylor basketball, South Carolina basketball and UC-Santa Barbara.Instead, I will be attending week 5 of the Chicago Bears 2012 season~

The Bears are, as I said, the first professional sports team that I have drawn in this little game, and the second team from Chicago. Two years ago, the University of Illinois-Chicago was selected, but due to a blizzard, I was unable to go to their game. Obviously, next season's schedule is not yet known, but the potential opponents are. The Bears could, of course, play at home, but also have potential road games at Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota, Arizona, Saint Louis, Tennessee, Jacksonville or any of the 4 NFC East teams, depending on how this season finishes.

Another trend when picking these teams is that I have never failed to select a college basketball team. This trend continued for 2012. I didn't draw a team from a state I had selected in the past. In fact, this was from a conference that I have until now left untouched. The last 4 out, as Joe Lunardi might say, were the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans basketball (in their final D-1 year) Maryland basketball and Utah State football. The team that I selected had another ursine mascot... the Mercer Bears.

Wow, if the Bears have a home game, I can just wear Mercer gear and probably fit in, huh? Mercer is located in Macon, Georgia, and has, if I recall, a pretty decent medical school. They also have a home game on January 2nd against Florida Gulf Coast University, the 16th game on their schedule, which was the game I drew to attend. Mercer plays in the Atlantic Sun conference, long dominated by Belmont, and finished 11-9 in conference last season, good for 5th. Most importantly, I'm heading south in January!

An update on my trip to Wyoming

I got something in the mail today. What could it be? It's from the University of Wyoming and/or Pepsi.

A Fan guide? And ride the brand? Both of these things don't make sense to me. Let's open 'er up.

Awesome! A user's guide for tailgating! And, you know, some other stuff, like don't get in fights, don't be a jackass, stuff like that.

On the back are seating diagrams for the various arenas and stadiums in Laramie. Also, just outside of this picture is a blurb on NCAA Compliance. Basically, all it says is "boosters, comply with NCAA Rules" If only Miami had thought to do the same.

Oh, hey. There they are. My ticket! I am going to Laramie! Woohoo!