Greeted with a glorious Saturday we headed down to campus and got a prime parking spot. We didn't get but 5 ft from our car when 2 cajuns asked us "what are y'all?" We went right into character mode - "Freedom Bowl, Pac 10 6 vs. SEC 5 12/29/09 in Anaheim, CA." They bought it. We found out during the day that everyone would.
Five guys in green blazers was without question a popular way to go. Not only were we pulled into every tailgate we walked by (LA folks were ridiculously nice and polite) we also were consistently asked about "bringing back the Freedom Bowl." Some liked it - "great idea" and some didn't - "Ladies and gentlemen, LSU will never play in the Freedom Bowl."
College GameDay was in town and while we dreamed of getting on stage it was not to be (they were not ready for our star power). It was a bit boring after awhile but there were two highlights. The first was Chris Fowler addressing the crowd during a break and asking "when you get to the 17th shot at 12:00 isn't that going a little overboard." The second was the free Chik-Fli-A sandwiches being distributed. A fine treat.
After a visit to the CBS sports trailer and then Mike the Tiger's habitat (don't call it a cage) we descended on Tiger Stadium. As advertised it was loud and a lot of fun. #1 Alabama led by former LSU coach Nick Saban were taking on the struggling Tigers. It was a tight game and back and forth most of the time. While we watched the two slug it out I was impatiently checking my phone for the Hawkeye score (they were playing #2 Penn State). The stadium erupted when the Hawks won it on the final play. Quite a moment.
The ballgame we were live at ended up going to overtime where Alabama won and kept alive their national championship hopes. We moved on to a local pub and then back to our hotel for more college FB (Texas Tech stroked Oklahoma State). In the morning we were off to our respective homes dreaming already of next year's tilt...Ole Miss perhaps?
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Friday in Baton Rouge
Hitting the ground running (or shuffling) we went out to breakfast in downtown Baton Rouge. We were accosted by a cajun gentleman to try out his restaurant and we found the food to be solid.
Biggest problem we had was our chief medical officer (and Joe Madden lookalike) was extremely limited in his ability to function. We got him to down about a gallon of water and escorted him back to the hotel where we had some down time.
Once recovered we headed down to LSUs campus. The campus had a unique mix of buildings and was buzzing with activity due to the big game. We ended up walking around quite a bit making a tearful visit to the Food Science building where one of our members told the tale of how he almost burned it down 10 years ago.
After dropping coin at the bookstore and having a couple at a local bar we made a stop at a liquor store on the way back to the hotel. While buying groceries and provisions for the next day we came across a big decision: which size Crown Royal bottle to buy. Lucky for us a local LSU student made it easy for us with this line: Ya gotta get the big one, it's the Alabama game. Well said and we did in fact get the big one.
Prior to dinner we had our first ceremonial "Dawning of the Blazers" in our hotel lobby. Pitures were taken and it was another teary moment. We adjourned to a free dinner with the Alabama media and then a quiet night getting needed rest for what would be a long day.
Biggest problem we had was our chief medical officer (and Joe Madden lookalike) was extremely limited in his ability to function. We got him to down about a gallon of water and escorted him back to the hotel where we had some down time.
Once recovered we headed down to LSUs campus. The campus had a unique mix of buildings and was buzzing with activity due to the big game. We ended up walking around quite a bit making a tearful visit to the Food Science building where one of our members told the tale of how he almost burned it down 10 years ago.
After dropping coin at the bookstore and having a couple at a local bar we made a stop at a liquor store on the way back to the hotel. While buying groceries and provisions for the next day we came across a big decision: which size Crown Royal bottle to buy. Lucky for us a local LSU student made it easy for us with this line: Ya gotta get the big one, it's the Alabama game. Well said and we did in fact get the big one.
Prior to dinner we had our first ceremonial "Dawning of the Blazers" in our hotel lobby. Pitures were taken and it was another teary moment. We adjourned to a free dinner with the Alabama media and then a quiet night getting needed rest for what would be a long day.
Friday, November 07, 2008
On The Ground in Baton Rouge Part 1
We all made it in safe and sound. I greeted Chris and Dave at the Baton Rouge airport holding a large copy of the coat of arms while sporting the coveted blazers.
Made our first friend in Ed the cab driver. Ed got a picture with us and let us keep the logo on his cab for the ride from the airport to the hotel. He also likes our idea to bring back the Freedom Bowl.
While Todd and Trey embarked from Houston, Chris, Dave and I went over to a local rib joint and watched a little football. The joint was decked out in LSU regalia including the 1959 Heisman Trophy. Our food came in about 25 seconds. We also conversed with some very kind Alabama fans. They travel to all the games in an RV and invited us to stop by next time in Tuscaloosa (Cosey Colisuem Parking spot 169). We got the lowdown from them on good places to go in the SEC. They were big fans of Mississippi (old guy Gene - decked in red white and blue suspenders let us know "they got the best lookin' women in the SEC - the mommas and the daughters, they care o' themselves).
We headed over the Outback Steakhouse near our hotel and met up with Trey and Todd. That is where some bad play calling came about. We stopped drinking water and started drinking Foster's Oil Cans. Oops.
We closed down Outback at 1030 and walked up the road where we ended up in a place call Uncle Earl's. We were there for far too long (not heading home until 1230) and all came back with Uncle Earl shirts and smelling like beer and cigarettes (you can still smoke in bars here, not good).
We all made it safely back with a pact that no wake up calls would be take place the next day. We were excited to get down to Tigerland.
Hawk
Made our first friend in Ed the cab driver. Ed got a picture with us and let us keep the logo on his cab for the ride from the airport to the hotel. He also likes our idea to bring back the Freedom Bowl.
While Todd and Trey embarked from Houston, Chris, Dave and I went over to a local rib joint and watched a little football. The joint was decked out in LSU regalia including the 1959 Heisman Trophy. Our food came in about 25 seconds. We also conversed with some very kind Alabama fans. They travel to all the games in an RV and invited us to stop by next time in Tuscaloosa (Cosey Colisuem Parking spot 169). We got the lowdown from them on good places to go in the SEC. They were big fans of Mississippi (old guy Gene - decked in red white and blue suspenders let us know "they got the best lookin' women in the SEC - the mommas and the daughters, they care o' themselves).
We headed over the Outback Steakhouse near our hotel and met up with Trey and Todd. That is where some bad play calling came about. We stopped drinking water and started drinking Foster's Oil Cans. Oops.
We closed down Outback at 1030 and walked up the road where we ended up in a place call Uncle Earl's. We were there for far too long (not heading home until 1230) and all came back with Uncle Earl shirts and smelling like beer and cigarettes (you can still smoke in bars here, not good).
We all made it safely back with a pact that no wake up calls would be take place the next day. We were excited to get down to Tigerland.
Hawk
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
7 Days Out...Things to Do in Baton Rouge
Well it's hard to believe that we are a scant 7 days out from our latest Freeloader Tour. The city of Baton Rouge does not know what will hit it 165 hours from now.
Because time is precious I have combed the always reliable internet for places to visit when we hit the town:
Bars
Tigerland - This includes Reggie's, The Tiger, Dublin's, Fred's
Location: Near LSU across the railroad tracks on highland rCrowd is of course college aged so thats what they cater to. Music is your typical booty shaking and rap music combined with country and other dance songs.(no real theme)
The Chimes
Location: Original is Just outside the North gates of LSU. New location On Coursey Blvd. see map to Highland location, see map to Coursey location
About: This is one of the best and most popular places in town. Has a great restaurant, atmosphere and the largest selection of beer in town I'd say. Attracts people of all ages but its so close to LSU it has a large crowd of college students. All a good crowd though and a prime place to hang out. Good bar that supports LSU sports and has a great restaurant. Right next to the popular Varsity theatre and all the Chimes st. hole in the wall bars. Largest selection of beers in town!! A good place for all ages and excellent food.
Varsity Theatre
Location: Just outside the North gates of LSU.
About: A great bar which host a variety of events. Been around forever. The Varsity has concerts by some of the biggest names in alternative/rock music.
Georges Restaurant & Bar
Location: Four locations around Baton Rouge.
About: Georges is about as traditional a tavern as you can find in Baton Rouge. They have a very good bar style food menu and a host of good beer and alcohol available. If you're looking for a good place to go sit, have a drink and relax after work then this is a good place for you.
Friday
GameDay Review by New York Times from 2004...good stuff (I edited out all cultural activities)
Friday
Color Up
First, the costume. Stop by the L.S.U. campus for a leisurely stroll on the oak-shaded paths and stock up on at least one piece of school-branded purple and gold attire — the bare minimum for game day. Hit the racks at the L.S.U. Bookstore on the first floor of the Student Union building (225-578-5137).
Under the Overpass
L.S.U. comes by its party school reputation honestly, which means that Baton Rouge depends heavily on good bar food. Head out to George's Restaurant (2943 Perkins Road, 225-343-2363), a low-slung brick building in the shadow of a highway overpass, and get ready for a night of outstanding Louisiana barroom specialties. Start off with a cup of rich chicken and sausage gumbo ($3.95), chunky with smoked sausage and soothing on a brisk autumn night. Other portions are anything but controlled: a platter of thin-cut fried catfish filets ($7.75) could easily feed two; the Doug's Special ($8.95) — a hamburger steak topped with gravy, ham, cheese, grilled onions and bacon — weighs in at more than a pound and is a savory, glorious mess for the fearless carnivore.
Saturday
It Takes a Village
By now, you're ready to enter Death Valley, preferably by taxi. Since L.S.U. home games attract crowds of more than 90,000, it's best to leave the driving to the professionals. Yellow Cab (225-926-6400) has the largest fleet in town. Ask the driver to drop you off at the southern edge of Tiger Stadium. The area around the stadium becomes one big party zone. In "Touchdown Village," tailgating goes into the realm of performance art. Expansive parking lots are packed with colossal motor homes, each decked out with amenities like commercial deep fryers, high-wattage karaoke machines, keg-sized refrigerators and big-screen satellite TV's. Well-off L.S.U. fans seem to share a dream — to bring their living rooms within shouting distance of the stadium, whether or not they have a seat inside for the game.
Saturday Night Lights
As game time nears, throngs of fans move toward the gates, signaling prime time for scalpers and last-minute ticket buyers. For unranked or unpopular teams, tickets are easy to find, but for conference rivals or historic enemies (like Alabama or Ole Miss), you can either auction off your firstborn or head for a nearby sports bar. To the south, there's the multi-screen newcomer, Walk-On's Bistreaux and Bar (3838 Burbank Drive, 225-757-8010), with a wraparound bank of plasma screens and the electrifying ambience of a stock exchange trading pit. Closer to campus, the Varsity Theater (3353 Highland Road, 225-383-7018) has TigerVision projected on two large screens, comfortable balcony seating, and three bars, no waiting.
Baton Rouge Cultural Attractions
None.
So that's a primer for next week. I will have a handheld GPS with key locations programed in so we can be efficient with our bar hopping...
Hawk
Because time is precious I have combed the always reliable internet for places to visit when we hit the town:
Bars
Tigerland - This includes Reggie's, The Tiger, Dublin's, Fred's
Location: Near LSU across the railroad tracks on highland rCrowd is of course college aged so thats what they cater to. Music is your typical booty shaking and rap music combined with country and other dance songs.(no real theme)
The Chimes
Location: Original is Just outside the North gates of LSU. New location On Coursey Blvd. see map to Highland location, see map to Coursey location
About: This is one of the best and most popular places in town. Has a great restaurant, atmosphere and the largest selection of beer in town I'd say. Attracts people of all ages but its so close to LSU it has a large crowd of college students. All a good crowd though and a prime place to hang out. Good bar that supports LSU sports and has a great restaurant. Right next to the popular Varsity theatre and all the Chimes st. hole in the wall bars. Largest selection of beers in town!! A good place for all ages and excellent food.
Varsity Theatre
Location: Just outside the North gates of LSU.
About: A great bar which host a variety of events. Been around forever. The Varsity has concerts by some of the biggest names in alternative/rock music.
Georges Restaurant & Bar
Location: Four locations around Baton Rouge.
About: Georges is about as traditional a tavern as you can find in Baton Rouge. They have a very good bar style food menu and a host of good beer and alcohol available. If you're looking for a good place to go sit, have a drink and relax after work then this is a good place for you.
Friday
GameDay Review by New York Times from 2004...good stuff (I edited out all cultural activities)
Friday
Color Up
First, the costume. Stop by the L.S.U. campus for a leisurely stroll on the oak-shaded paths and stock up on at least one piece of school-branded purple and gold attire — the bare minimum for game day. Hit the racks at the L.S.U. Bookstore on the first floor of the Student Union building (225-578-5137).
Under the Overpass
L.S.U. comes by its party school reputation honestly, which means that Baton Rouge depends heavily on good bar food. Head out to George's Restaurant (2943 Perkins Road, 225-343-2363), a low-slung brick building in the shadow of a highway overpass, and get ready for a night of outstanding Louisiana barroom specialties. Start off with a cup of rich chicken and sausage gumbo ($3.95), chunky with smoked sausage and soothing on a brisk autumn night. Other portions are anything but controlled: a platter of thin-cut fried catfish filets ($7.75) could easily feed two; the Doug's Special ($8.95) — a hamburger steak topped with gravy, ham, cheese, grilled onions and bacon — weighs in at more than a pound and is a savory, glorious mess for the fearless carnivore.
Saturday
It Takes a Village
By now, you're ready to enter Death Valley, preferably by taxi. Since L.S.U. home games attract crowds of more than 90,000, it's best to leave the driving to the professionals. Yellow Cab (225-926-6400) has the largest fleet in town. Ask the driver to drop you off at the southern edge of Tiger Stadium. The area around the stadium becomes one big party zone. In "Touchdown Village," tailgating goes into the realm of performance art. Expansive parking lots are packed with colossal motor homes, each decked out with amenities like commercial deep fryers, high-wattage karaoke machines, keg-sized refrigerators and big-screen satellite TV's. Well-off L.S.U. fans seem to share a dream — to bring their living rooms within shouting distance of the stadium, whether or not they have a seat inside for the game.
Saturday Night Lights
As game time nears, throngs of fans move toward the gates, signaling prime time for scalpers and last-minute ticket buyers. For unranked or unpopular teams, tickets are easy to find, but for conference rivals or historic enemies (like Alabama or Ole Miss), you can either auction off your firstborn or head for a nearby sports bar. To the south, there's the multi-screen newcomer, Walk-On's Bistreaux and Bar (3838 Burbank Drive, 225-757-8010), with a wraparound bank of plasma screens and the electrifying ambience of a stock exchange trading pit. Closer to campus, the Varsity Theater (3353 Highland Road, 225-383-7018) has TigerVision projected on two large screens, comfortable balcony seating, and three bars, no waiting.
Baton Rouge Cultural Attractions
None.
So that's a primer for next week. I will have a handheld GPS with key locations programed in so we can be efficient with our bar hopping...
Hawk
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The Super Bowl - Another Jewel in the Freeloader Crown
Needless to say the Super Bowl extravaganza was top notch. The Old Man and I crashed the Patriots hotel and for three nights we had a fabulous time.
Friday was a DirecTV client dinner not too far from our hotel. The highlight were two very well told Rupert Murdoch stories (in an Australian accent I might add). The company was great and it was a long evening but well worth it.
Saturday we played golf at Greyhawk (Phil Mickelson's home course). It proved a bit daunting for us but its hard to beat golf in the desert in February. The afternoon was a nice lazy break sorting through our free stuff and than it was off to dinner.
Dinner was a bit more formal. We sat other dealers in a sit down fashion and were treated to speech by none other than Joe Montana.
Needless to say if Joe performed on the field the way he did on the podium he wouldn't have been the Hall of Famer we came to know and love. I think I saw someone hand him a roll of stamps as he approached the podium as he was clearly ready to mail it in.
The night progressed with drinks and stories back at the hotel.
Sunday was a cloudy day and a bit cool even by Arizona standards. We headed off to a neighboring hotel for breakfast and yet another keynote speaker. We lucked out this time because the speaker was Wade Phillips. Wade clearly got the gift of gab from his old man Bum and regaled stories for about 30 minutes. It was very entertaining. The highlight being a story involving Earl Campbell.
Back in the early 80's Earl reported to camp and during the first day of drills the players were running a timed mile workout. Earl got about halfway through it and collapsed, exhausted. The press went nuts and ran over to Bum asking him repeatedly, "Bum what are you going to do? Earl can't even run a mile?" Bum's response, "well hell if its third and a mile we won't give it to him."
We boarded to bus for Glendale and out of the desert you see a large aluminum barrel that houses a football stadium. Glendale is still a town in flux because there is a working a cattle ranch right next to the stadium. However, the place itself is a palace. Never has a team been so unworthy of a facility this fantastic than the woeful Arizona Cardinals.
All that aside we headed off the bus to the NFL Tailgate. The Tailgate is a very exclusive party where everything is free, stars are plentiful and everything is free. We spent two hours drinking eating great food and spotting the likes of Roger Federer, Rupert Murdoch, Jerry Rice, Jerry Jones and a bunch more I can't remember. Willie Nelson played the main stage (we were too far way to smell the weed).
After a stop off at the scrum that was the souvenir stand we headed into the UOP Stadium. We had fantastic lower level seats in the corner of the endzone. Patriots backup QB Matt Cassell's entire family was behind us.
As you can imagine the game itself was amazing. The Giants dominated the first quarter and we started to think they could win the game. It stayed close throughout with the Pats seemingly making mistake after mistake that they never made all year. Had we known that the Pats had a former Iowa State man in the defensive backfield we would have never wavered in the Giants coming back and winning.
But we didn't and that made it all the more amazing when the Giants pulled it out. Manning pulling a Houdini and getting away from the Pats "D" and than hitting David Tyree (who was covered like a blanket by Rodney Harrison) was historic. The final TD capped an extraordinary event that will not be forgotten anytime soon.
We headed back to hotel and had a few drinks with some new friends we made. Patriot players came and went and they seemed a bit stunned by trying to enjoy themselves with their families. We retired late yet again and headed out in the AM back to MPLS. It was a time I know we won't and a memory that I know will last for our lifetimes.
Friday was a DirecTV client dinner not too far from our hotel. The highlight were two very well told Rupert Murdoch stories (in an Australian accent I might add). The company was great and it was a long evening but well worth it.
Saturday we played golf at Greyhawk (Phil Mickelson's home course). It proved a bit daunting for us but its hard to beat golf in the desert in February. The afternoon was a nice lazy break sorting through our free stuff and than it was off to dinner.
Dinner was a bit more formal. We sat other dealers in a sit down fashion and were treated to speech by none other than Joe Montana.
Needless to say if Joe performed on the field the way he did on the podium he wouldn't have been the Hall of Famer we came to know and love. I think I saw someone hand him a roll of stamps as he approached the podium as he was clearly ready to mail it in.
The night progressed with drinks and stories back at the hotel.
Sunday was a cloudy day and a bit cool even by Arizona standards. We headed off to a neighboring hotel for breakfast and yet another keynote speaker. We lucked out this time because the speaker was Wade Phillips. Wade clearly got the gift of gab from his old man Bum and regaled stories for about 30 minutes. It was very entertaining. The highlight being a story involving Earl Campbell.
Back in the early 80's Earl reported to camp and during the first day of drills the players were running a timed mile workout. Earl got about halfway through it and collapsed, exhausted. The press went nuts and ran over to Bum asking him repeatedly, "Bum what are you going to do? Earl can't even run a mile?" Bum's response, "well hell if its third and a mile we won't give it to him."
We boarded to bus for Glendale and out of the desert you see a large aluminum barrel that houses a football stadium. Glendale is still a town in flux because there is a working a cattle ranch right next to the stadium. However, the place itself is a palace. Never has a team been so unworthy of a facility this fantastic than the woeful Arizona Cardinals.
All that aside we headed off the bus to the NFL Tailgate. The Tailgate is a very exclusive party where everything is free, stars are plentiful and everything is free. We spent two hours drinking eating great food and spotting the likes of Roger Federer, Rupert Murdoch, Jerry Rice, Jerry Jones and a bunch more I can't remember. Willie Nelson played the main stage (we were too far way to smell the weed).
After a stop off at the scrum that was the souvenir stand we headed into the UOP Stadium. We had fantastic lower level seats in the corner of the endzone. Patriots backup QB Matt Cassell's entire family was behind us.
As you can imagine the game itself was amazing. The Giants dominated the first quarter and we started to think they could win the game. It stayed close throughout with the Pats seemingly making mistake after mistake that they never made all year. Had we known that the Pats had a former Iowa State man in the defensive backfield we would have never wavered in the Giants coming back and winning.
But we didn't and that made it all the more amazing when the Giants pulled it out. Manning pulling a Houdini and getting away from the Pats "D" and than hitting David Tyree (who was covered like a blanket by Rodney Harrison) was historic. The final TD capped an extraordinary event that will not be forgotten anytime soon.
We headed back to hotel and had a few drinks with some new friends we made. Patriot players came and went and they seemed a bit stunned by trying to enjoy themselves with their families. We retired late yet again and headed out in the AM back to MPLS. It was a time I know we won't and a memory that I know will last for our lifetimes.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Freeloader On Assignment - Super Bowl XLII
Greetings from sunny and vibrant Phoenix. Myself and Papa Freeloader have arrived in the Valley of the Sun and are cooling it in the lounge watching NFL Network.
Our hotel is home to the Patriot players and you have to wear a credential everywhere you go. Todd, if we tried to pull off what we did last year, this year, you'd be sleeping with the Saguaro's.
Tonight we are off to dinner before golf tomorrow morning at Grayhawk. I'll drop lines in as warranted. Interested to see if the hotel bar is as exciting this year as last...
Best,
Hawk
PS: John Elway in HighDef is creepy. He looks like a character from a bad horror movie or a figurine built by Madame Tussaud...
Our hotel is home to the Patriot players and you have to wear a credential everywhere you go. Todd, if we tried to pull off what we did last year, this year, you'd be sleeping with the Saguaro's.
Tonight we are off to dinner before golf tomorrow morning at Grayhawk. I'll drop lines in as warranted. Interested to see if the hotel bar is as exciting this year as last...
Best,
Hawk
PS: John Elway in HighDef is creepy. He looks like a character from a bad horror movie or a figurine built by Madame Tussaud...
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
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