Video You May Not Have Seen: Best College Stadiums

This is an awesome video made by my buddy from The Cross Hair Guide. Please enjoy and check out his site when you get a chance. The Cross Hair Guide is one of the best sports travel blogs I have seen and this video should prove the writers knowledge and expertise.

My Trips - From Seeing the Sports - The Weather Held Up! NC State @ Boston College

From My Personal Travel Blog - Seeing The Sports
http://seeingthesports.blogspot.com/2009/10/weather-held-u.html

It rained Friday and snowed Sunday, but Saturday afternoon was absolutely perfect.  Low 50s and sunny - perfect weather to throw on a Northface and hit up the tailgate spots, and boy did we take advantage.  BC tailgates unfortunately don’t start until 3 hours pregame, so a 3:30 game means that Shea Field (the most popular tailgate spot) didn't open until 12:30.  To deal with this, we first went to a friends place down the street to start off with his families famous breakfast sandwich and an ice cold bloody mary.

After that, at 12:30, we took the truck (packed with our grill, table, chairs, speakers, new flagpole and tent and of course plenty of sausages, beer, Champaign and bloody mary’s) and headed to Shea Field.  We arrived to Shea Field ready to party and had the perfect tailgate.  Our spot was filled with a packed crowd, good music, great food, tasty cheap beer and mixed drinks, and great company.  A few of our buddies (whose names I will not mention) barely made it to the game as the shotgunning, strong drinks and shots were just too much for them to handle - Who says that 3 hours isnt enough!

Game was as fun as a 52-20 game could be.  Pure domination, fun crowd (until the cold snuck in) and plenty of celebrations.  At the 7 minute mark of the 3^rd quarter, however, BC went up 38-13 and it was time to call it quits in order to save our hands, feet and rest of our body.  We packed up the group and headed over to Mary Anne’s, the most popular BC dive bar and indulged in some Busch Light bottles and Notre Dame – USC football. 

This led perfectly into the post game tailgate, where we met up, saw those that stayed the whole game, those that left early, and even met up with those that didn’t go at all.  At this spot we finished up the beers and food before heading out and passing out early.

While nothing amazing for the first trip of the Blog, a solid journey overall.  A day of awesome food, great football, a fun time with friends and plenty of drinking.

College Gameday Look: LSU

College Football's last two National Champions face off this week as the #1 and #4 teams in the Nation in Baton Rouge, LA.  If I could pick any sporting event to visit this year, the Florida-LSU battle would be my number one choice.  LSU is know for its amazing tailgate experience, awesome drinking experience, deafining stadium and incredible food spots all around.  

Most LSU students, alumni, and fans make LSU football games a part of their Saturdays during the fall. Game days normally consist of tailgating, the pre-game show, and of course the game in Death Valley.  I wouldn't be surprised if people are out there tailgating right now (Friday at noon), but officially most start at 6am on Gameday.  Considering this game starts at 8pm, you have 14 hours to check out the LSU scene.  I suggest getting out there early at 6, setting up and starting with a couple brews to remove the hangover from the wild night before.  Use these beers to wake you up and head over to Louie's Cafe, a 24 hour breakfast spot.  It serves all types of food but is best known for its breakfast which it serves on tables or red stools set on its old-school, black-and-white checkered floor.

Afer that, you have to head over to see College Gameday.  If your goal is to get on TV, make Gameday your first stop and head over to the breakfast spot later.  With LSU's wild fans this should be one of the best gameday scenes, packed with thousands-and-thousands of people all going wild hoping to get themselves a quick glimpse on TV.  Bring a sign and hope you get that glory, maybe even be voted sign of the week!

I would suggest nothing more for the rest of the day than grabbing some brews and finding a tailgate.  Baton Rouge locals like to say, "We may have not invented tailgating, but we perfected it." It's hard to argue. Surrounded by wide-open spaces that fit all the RVs, cars and generator-pumped TVs, the LSU campus sees as many as 150,000 fans on game days (expect even more for this game). Tailgate groups cook up jambalaya and indluge in beers, and football all day.  These tailgates are open to any and all, just a love of football and an empty stomach and you will be welcome all day and night. 

If tailgating is too much for you, check out the many bars in Tigerland around Nicholson street (just south of campus).  Fred's, a well populated dive bar, has $2.50 Coors Lights on gamedays when it opens up at 10am and pounds students with $1.50 shots after midnight.  Another popular spot is Walk On's, which was opened by former LSU basketball walk on players, is a newer resaurant but hosts coach shows and serves awesome food and drink up until 2am.  Pretty much anywhere in downtown is filled with restaurants, theaters and more and is an exciting place to kill a couple hours before gametime.  

After drinking, eating and watching football for the better half of 13 hours, head into the stadium early to experience a wild and loud scene and Mike the Tiger.  Mike the Tiger is LSU's official (and real) mascot.  Mike is a cult like figure for LSU and they believe he affects the teams play.  Make sure to arrive about half an hour early to experience Mike.  Mike’s trailer is parked next to the opposing team’s locker room until about 20 minutes before the game. LSU’s opponents must make their way past Mike in his cage-on-wheels to reach the field. One of LSU’s traditions is for Mike to parade around the field with the LSU cheerleaders perched on top of his cage-on-wheels. Mike’s trailer stops in front of the Tiger Band and the student section.  LSU tradition dictates that the Tigers will score a touchdown for every time Mike growls before the game.  Mike the Tiger does not appear to like Mike the Mascot, or any other mascot for that matter. Mike tends to roar at the mascot almost every time he sees him, predicting a touchdown for LSU and exciting the crowd inside Death Valley.  Tiger fans watch the large screens located at each end of the field as Mike the Tiger roars at the mascot. Each of the tiger’s roars are followed by the roar of the crowd filling Tiger Stadium.

Make sure to enjoy the game, you are seeing two top 5 undefeated teams battle it out in one of the greatest stadiums in all of sports.  Enjoy it, embrace it, and hope LSU wins for the pure noise that will come out of the stadium.

If football is not all you want on your docket.  Here are some outdoor adventures to enjoy.  Baton Rouge proximity to the Mississippi and bayou (not to overlook New Orleans) means there's plenty to do. Now a museum, the Old State Capital-- mocked as an "atrocity" by Mark Twain in "Life in the Mississippi" -- is studded with castlelike turrets and boastful Gothic Revival interiors. During the Great Depression, the infamous governor Huey Long spent $5 million to replace it with a new limestone state capitol. At 450 feet, it's the nation's tallest, with a great observatory for bayou views. Plus, Baton Rouge has haunted tours and the gator-filled wilds at the nearby Alligator Bayou.

Thursday Night Football Site: Missouri

Thoursday Night pits the Missouri Tigers against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  Expect a tough, rivalry game against two rivals tonight.  The weather report expects rain, and lots of it!  Look for some big hits, turnovers and a low scoring defensive battle.  Check out the information about the stadium below to read alla bout Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium - home of the Missouri Tigers.

If your in the area, get to the stadium now!  Tailgating begins at 8:00am of a gameday and you know that Missouri students took the day off for this one!

Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium is the home field of the University of Missouri Tigers in Columbia, Missouri. It is primarily used for football. In 1972, Memorial Stadium's playing surface was named Faurot Field in honor of longtime coach Don Faurot. During the offseason, soccer goals are set up in the end zones and it is used for intramural matches. It also hosts the annual "Providence Bowl" game between Hickman and Rock Bridge high schools (so named because both schools are located on Providence Road in Columbia, and Faurot is roughly equidistant between the two) and in the past has been home to the MSHSAA football championships

The stadium is a typical horseshoe-shaped stadium, with seating added on in the "open" endzone. The horseshoe is completed by a grass berm in the curved end, which is used for general admission on game days. The berm is famous for the giant block "M" made of painted white stones located behind the endzone. This distinctive feature has not been immune to pranks, such as enterprising Nebraska or Kansas fans attempting to change the "M" to an "N" or a "K", but groundskeepers and students have in the past protected what may be the stadium's best-known landmark. One of the traditions of the football team is that seniors, after playing their final home game, take a rock from the "M" as a souvenir. It is also traditionally whitewashed every year by incoming freshmen during welcoming activities.

There is a short buffer zone of shrubs placed between the field and the stands around the entire length of the horseshoe, as well as a paved road (taking the place of the track, removed in the mid-1990s)

In 1996, the press box was upgraded to a 15-story building containing state-of-the-art facilities for the coaches and media, as well as several executive suites, hundreds of premium club seats and a restaurant. 1997 saw the installation of a video board in the north ("M") end and a refurbishment of the concourses, with new signage and expanded concessions. FieldTurf replaced the natural grass in 2003. In 2005, the south end's antiquated auxiliary scoreboards were replaced with new ones, as well as a second high-definition video monitor.

In 2009, the university installed a new $5 million 30x80 foot north end zone scoreboard with updated video capabilities and new sound system. The new north end zone video board and audio upgrades replaced the current 10 year old equipment. It is presently the fourth largest scoreboard in the Big 12 Conference, sitting behind Godzillatron at Texas' DKR Stadium, "12th Man TV" at Kyle Field in College Station, and the scoreboard at Nebraska Memorial Stadium.

PARKING


General Public Parking
-Those who wish to park in close proximity of Memorial Stadium have many options from which to choose.
-There are seven on-campus garages (including the new Parking Structure #7). Most are FREE of charge with the exception of the Maryland Avenue garage located at the corner of Maryland Avenue and Hospital Drive. The fee for Maryland Avenue garage is $15 per vehicle for levels three and above. There is a general public parking lot at the corner of Stadium Blvd. and Monk Drive that is monitored as a family-friendly zone for a fee of $15 per vehicle. All locations listed above are for passenger vehicles only. RVs and buses will not be allowed in these parking areas.

Bus and RV Parking
-Parking for RVs and buses (including school buses) will be charged a flat fee of $100 for the weekend. The parking lot will be open 6-10pm the night before a home football game and will re-open at 8am the day of the game. The designated lot for RVs and buses is located southeast of the Hearnes Center with overflow in southwest corner of Lot X-corner of College Ave. and Hospital Dr. RVs and buses are not allowed to park in any campus parking lots except for those designated by sign for RV and/or Bus Parking. For more information about RV and Bus Parking call the University of Missouri Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm at (573)882-6501. For more information, see the RV Parking Policies and Procedures.

Reserved Parking
-Certain lots will be reserved on game day for donors of the Tiger Scholarship Fund. Parking passes must be purchased from the Tiger Scholarship Fund office. For more information about Reserved Donor Parking call the Tiger Scholarship Fund office, Monday-Friday from 8am - 5pm at (573) 882-0704. Please refer to the Tiger Scholarship Fund donor parking page for locations of those reserved areas.

*Note, no beerballs, kegs or central sources of alcohol allowed in the parking spaces


MU at Memorial Stadium

* Record: 250-167-20 (83 seasons)
* Most Wins, Season: 6, 2003 (6-0), 2006 (6-1), 2007 (6-0)
* Most Losses, Season: 7, 1985 (0-7)
* Most Consecutive Wins: 20, 1938-43
* Longest Unbeaten Streak: 20, 1938-43
* Most Consecutive Losses: 8, 1984-85
* Record on Natural Grass (1926-84, 95-2002): 198-119-17
* Record on Omniturf (1985-94): 20-38-3
* Record on FieldTurf (2003-Present): 30-7

Gota love football

Like most guys I watched plenty of NFL and NCAA Football games this season and I honestly can't think I've seen a season like this in a long time.  Top 10 teams losing left and right, come from behind winsin the final 10 seconds, Brett freaking Favre driving down the field and throwing a game winning TD pass with 4 seconds left.  It's just incredible.  I hope it continues because wow am I enjoying it.  How can you not?  This season already has one of those that just feels right. Baseball races are close again (Thanks Braves and Twins!) Football is going strong, and the NHL starts this week!

Week One of the Trip of the Week didn't go so poorly either.  While the baseball game was a blowout and was in the books early.  You at least saw some runs and got a chance to relax your emotions for the football weekend and boy did you need it!  That Texas Tech - Houston game was amazing!  Houston coming back, keeping their BCS hopes alive, driving for the game winning TD with :45 seconds left.  Not to be outdone, the Texans and Jaguars went back and forth all afternoon until J'Ville finally held it off late.  Couldn't have asked for a better start!

This week shouldn't be any worse and you will see first hand what I have.  Be prepared for the Trip of the Week as we head to Boston, Bruins open the season against Alex "The Kid," Red Sox final series before the playoffs (which is probably the best way to get a cheap ticket), College Game Day heading to Chestnut Hill before FSU takes the field against BC on Alumni Field, and the Baltimore Ravens, led by Ray Lewis, try to take on the New England Patriots.  I will post pictures, videos, update from my cell phone all week to get ready for it.  Show what a true sports weekend truely is

College Football Saturday

So far so good... awesome day in College Football.  So far this season has been unreal, upsets galore, #9 Miami and #6 Cal just proved that they are very very overated, FSU lost at home again, and BC and Wake played in one of the more epic games I have ever seen.  I was at the Wake BC game and didnt leave to tailgate anytime early.  BC was up 24-10 with five minutes left and somehow blew the lead (including a Riley Skinner 15 yard TD pass with 11 seconds left).  In overtime, BC made a field goal to go up 3 and Wake Forest drove to the 3 yeard line until a triple option call on 1st and goal was fumbled and BC recovered for the win.  While it may not be considered the best tailgate scene, or the most wild crowd, I have seen some of the more exciting games at Boston College.  Leads to the Red Sox, FSU and Patriots games next weekend.  Let's hope this amazing college football season continues.