"WELCOME TO DEATH VALLEY" REVISITED

First, let's get this bit of good news out of the way. From the AP via ESPN:

Russell sparks LSU offense, defense does rest vs. Bama

JaMarcus Russell threw three touchdown passes and frustrated Alabama with drive-extending scrambles to help No. 12 LSU keep its slim hopes for an SEC West Division title alive with a 28-14 victory Saturday night.

Russell was an efficient 18-of-21 passing for 207 yards and took only one sack. He connected with Early Doucet, Dwyane Bowe and Jacob Hester for scores. Freshman running back Keiland Williams gave the Tigers an early lead on a 38-yard touchdown run.

LSU (8-2, 4-2, SEC) also did not turn the ball over, unlike a feisty Alabama squad that might have pulled off an upset if not for missed opportunities.

Click here for the rest.

Well, this is cool. LSU, unlike my beloved Longhorns tonight, defeats a conference opponent convincingly without turning the ball over, which, hopefully, will shut up the local sports talk radio morons for awhile, if we're lucky. What kills me about this however, is that I could have actually seen this game in person if I hadn't rushed home from the stadium before kickoff to watch the horrifying loss Texas had against K State. You see, as with the show we did last fall, the Metamorphoses cast, for some free publicity, was presented to the crowd during the pre-game. Granted, I didn't have a ticket or a place to sit, but nobody seemed to be trying to get me to leave after we did our bit, either; I really was tempted to stay, but I knew that Texas was playing on TV, and because we don't perform on Saturdays when the Tigers play at home, this was one of my few opportunites to see the Longhorns this season.

I should have stayed at Death Valley.

Anyway, like last year, I brought my camera.



Yes, that's right. On game day at LSU, it's a party all over campus. Apparently, alcohol is strictly forbidden at LSU, but somehow that rule goes totally unenforced when the Tigers play at home--one of the mysteries of life, I guess.



Lots of outdoor cooking. Above is a nice little barbeque spread, brisket I think.



While these damned LSU colored Confederate flags are still present, I noticed far fewer of them this year than last. It looks like the anti-racist agitation of student activists is starting to pay off: the school is waging something of a PR campaign, finally, against theses misguided banners of "Southern pride."



Beautiful evening for a game. And great football weather, too, around 50 degrees or so.



Inside the stadium, waiting for our contact-guide. My classmate and pal Mark, on the left with arms crossed, watches me take the picture.



Mark said, "Wow, they have escalators here. I didn't know that."



Tigers doing some warm up drills.



Alabama's Crimson Tide, our opponent tonight, warming up as well. Mark again watches me playing photographer.



University Chancellor O'Keefe, in the white LSU cap, works the crowd. You know, he's the bastard who as head of NASA decided to cut the Hubble telescope. Fortunately, his successor there reversed the decision. It is interesting to note that O'Keefe is pals with Vice President Dick Cheney. Now that we know that Cheney has a thing for shooting friends in the face, I wonder if O'Keefe is ever nervous around the Veep.



A guy holding a giant novelty check for three and a half million dollars. I think Exxon was going to present it to the University after we did our bit during the pre-game.



My buddy Reuben takes a picture of the skycam. Cast member Rebecca, on the left, looks on.



More Tiger warm ups.



The skycam. What a marvelous technological age in which we live.



Lots of ROTC and full bird colonels there tonight for some reason. Swine Palace managing director Kristin, to the left, surveys the scene.



An LSU trainer examines an x-ray.



Alabama's gatorade table.



A close up of the cups. Okay, I was getting a bit bored at this point. Like I said I did this last year too.



LSU's caged mascot. This was actually a sort of cage-mobile, which drove around the stadium, eliciting intense applause in each section it cruised by. This is the kind of football weirdness that made the whole event worthwhile.



I took this from midfield as we were being presented to the crowd. The announcer read out our names and home towns while the guy on camera panned down the line we were in. The video feed went to the jumbotron thing. I did a hook 'em 'Horns sign when they got to me.

Then I went home and watched the 'Horns lose.

Sigh.

Geaux Tigers!

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