As foreseen by Carey Montz and friends:

 

While the true die-hard college football fan is ready for the start of another football as soon as the final whistle sounds, the average college football enthusiast typically starts to fiend about this time of the summer.  Both the true die-hard and average fan wish college football were played year round, but most are intelligent enough to realize that football needs a break from time to time as well.  That being said, these same people really start to get antsy and begins correlating his fall schedule in order to prepare for the start of football season, more importantly the tailgating season.  This antsiness (made up word) primarily coincides with the beginning of summer.  We all find ways to cope with the football off-season.  There are the NBA guys, us NASCAR guys, and the baseball purist (You know...those guys who don't mind watching a mid summer's three game set between the Royals and Devil Rays).  However, once summer is in full swing, we all become the little kid in the back of his parent's suburban on a long vacation trip.  That little kid can remain quiet and find ways to occupy himself for much of the travel time, but once he can see the light at the end of the tunnel, he forgets about all things that kept him occupied for the other 4 hours and 23 minutes. 

So, what do we do to occupy ourselves for the other 45 minutes?  The married men are always given chores to do, but nothing that can truly divert our attention away from the soon to be football season.  The single guy, other than the occasional one night fling, doesn't have the luxury, or curse depending on how you look at, of having that special someone giving him chores to occupy his time.  Regardless, all men must find ways to get ourselves through what are the dog days of summer.  So, after this long intro into what I feel will be a very productive meeting, the Geaux Show in partnership with Team KATT Tailgating has compiled a list of 10 things that are essential for your football tailgate.  Thanks to us, we have filled your two months of waiting by providing a list of must haves which are guaranteed to make your tailgate spectacular.  Ensuring that all items on this list are in their upright and locked positions will make these next two months fly by.  Enjoy!!!

10.) Necessary Transportation - The rest of this list is basically irrelevant if your tailgate doesn't have the necessary logistics.  Chances are someone in your group either has a truck or an SUV.  If no one in your circle has either of these, stop reading this article.  Or, go out and buy yourself a truck, then continue reading.  Ideally, having two or more utility vehicles will do, but in reality, if you have at least one utility ride to handle the big stuff, you should be alright.

9.) Arrive Early - Tailgating is almost a national pastime in some parts of the country during the fall.  The lackadaisical tailgater may think its no big deal to arrive at his tailgate around lunch time.  However, this simply does not apply to those truly serious about being a successful tailgater.  You must always plan out with your friends what is the best time to arrive for tailgating.  There are certain criteria to consider as well.  Always consider the opponent.  If it is a big time SEC game, chances are people are going to arrive early.  If it is opening weekend, it doesn't matter who the opponent is, people have waited since November to tailgate once again, thus arriving early is key.  If it is midseason, and LSU is playing Middle Tennessee, arriving about an hour or so later than usual is sufficient.

8.) A Good Location -  It is important to every tailgate to find a good location where much fun can be had.  You don't want to pick the wrong spot and be stuck tailgating next to a bunch of squares.  Also, you gotta think about the intangibles.  First, you want to set up a tailgate somewhere so that your vehicle will remain in the same zip code.  Next, always think about where your closest restrooms are located.  Lastly, you must pick out a spot where there is lots of action.  Having others around only makes tailgating that much more fun.

7.) Furniture and Appliances (chairs, tables, ice chests, radio, tv, etc) - When you get to your tailgate spot, you gotta have a place to sit.  Investing in chairs and such is a smart move.  Having tables to put food on is always a good thing.  Of course, you are going to need ice chests to keep the beer good and cold.  Lastly, you must have some form of medium.  It can get old just sitting around talking to your friends about the same stuff over and over.  Also, you must think about what you will use to power said medium.  An inverter that can plug into a vehicle is good.  And you can always invest in a small generator.  Remember, you must have something for the generator to keep the noise and fumes down to a minimum.

6.) EZ-UP Tents - This is essential to making any tailgate a success.  And not any old tent will do.  You have to go with the EZ-UP Tents.  Too many times over the years my friends and I have watched and laughed in amazement at people who show up to tailgate with either a screened in camping style tent or one of those tents that are in hundreds of pieces.  The EZ-UP is the only way to go.  If you don't already have one, or if your tent resembles a jigsaw puzzle, do yourself a favor and spend a few extra dollars on the aforementioned EZ-UP Tent.  And no, the folks at EZ-UP are not paying me.

5.) JJ Clancy - Some of you might be asking yourself what is a JJ Clancy?  Well, JJ can be anyone.  More specifically, JJ is the one friend that no tailgate can do without.  His entertainment quality is second to none.  He is the one guy who is ready to drop anything, regardless of importance, at the drop of a hat if it means tailgating success.  He promises he will take care of the entertainment (television, ice chest radio, direct tv, etc) but never has the proper equipment so that these amenities can be enjoyed (batter for said radio and subscription service for the direct tv).  He provides outlandish ideas without thinking how much money it might cost.  But from that enthusiasm, misguided as it might be, comes commitment.  If you tell him to be there at 6:00am to help set up, he is there.  And let's face it, it's hard to find good help these days.

4.) Good Food and Good Beer - If you are going to take all the necessary steps so far, it would not be complete without a good food menu.  In our eyes, you are not serious about tailgating if you go out there with the idea that you will just grap a bite to eat from the union.  That is designed for the folks who get out there at 2:00 in the afternoon and need to pass some time before heading to the stadium.  That is just not good enough in our eyes.  A solid food menu only makes your tailgate more special.  And live on the edge a little.  Don't bring your little grill every week and cook some frozen hamburgers and hot dogs.  Keep the menu diverse.  There are plenty of things that are easy to prepare that don't require plenty of labor.  A good example of how to make your menu diverse is to base it around a central theme of your choice.  It makes it more fun.

#4 on the list deserves two paragraphs.  Let's face it, we can compile another list of 10 reasons why beer is important at a tailgate.  Others might prefer to bring mixed drinks and such, but it doesn't get any simpler than beer.  Also, once you have arrived and your beer is iced down and you are ready to sit and relax, be sure to designate someone as your personal beer bitch.  Finding someone gullible is the key.  The beer bitch is usually gullible and doesn't arrive at the tailgate as early as the others.  Also, he is the guy who comes with his beer and then asks if he can bum room in someone's ice chest.  This has beer bitch written all over it.  Remember it.

3.) Recreational Activities - If you are following these steps to the tee, you must bring along some type of recreational activity.  If you have a good location with plenty of open room, you have to have a football.  It is considered illegal in some states to tailgate without a football.  Another thing to consider is holey board.  When the beer starts to flow and people start to arrive, the holey board games get very intense.  Also, if you tailgate at the parade grounds at LSU, and you get out there early, a pitching wedge and nine iron along with about half a dozen golf balls is a good idea.  Practice your short game while waiting for the slackers to arrive.  If you are sit down tailgater, cards are always a good idea.

2.) Good Friends - No doubt that a good time can be had at a tailgate with just a core group of friends.  But don't be afraid to let some of your friends invite some of their friends, no matter how much they mooch off of your food and beer.  As far as tailgating is concerned, we believe the more the merrier.  If the mooching continues after a while, then it is okay to kick their ass, but do it politely.  Then, politely tell them that if they want to join in on the fun, it is time to contribute.  I got away from why I had this so high on the list.  You being there with all of your closest friends celebrating one common thing is a high like no other.  It's not like going to a party in college where everyone has their own separate agenda.  Everyone at a tailgate is there for the same reason.  It's a day long event culminating with a football game at night.

1.) Dedication - Let's be honest.  Everything listed above is pretty much irrelevant if you don't have #1.  If you are going to tailgate seriously, certain sacrifices will have to be made.  For those of you responsible for hauling much of the equipment, you must accept the fact that your vehicle will smell like ass for the entire fall season and part of the winter.  If you are going to tailgate with friends, make sure you tailgate with those friends who are as truly dedicated and psychotic as you.  This may hurt other friends feelings who want to arrive a bit later.  Piss on 'em.  That is their problem.  If they want to arrive later and go somewhere else, oh well.  If they want to arrive later and join you, welcome them with open arms.  Also, be smart about your dedication.  Budget for your tailgate.  Think about what needs to be done and start planning in the springtime. 

There you have it.  10 things that are essential to making any tailgate a success.  Please keep in mind that we here at the Geaux Show and Team KATT are aware that there are other necessities.  It was in our eyes that we felt that these were the most important.  All in all, I hope this helped those out there wanting to make their tailgate a success.  Now, that we have laid the groundwork, go out there and do us proud.  Or, if you are lazy and want to join us on Saturdays, you can get in touch with us at geauxshow@gmail.com.  Be good or be good at it!!!

BY: CASEY GISCLAIR

Well, we will begin today's blog with the news that Greg Oden will be the 1st pick of the NBA draft to the Blazers.

Good move? Bad move? I don't know. I do think, however, it is the safe move. I think this season Oden is better, but Durant will have a better career.

I was going to blog about the rest of round 1 of the draft, but geez, it is so wild and unpredictable, that I will save myself the embarassment. I will instead give 5 players I like from 11-30 and 5 I think are overrated.

Hot:
1. Acie Law IV: PG Texas A&M- Law is the most proven player in this entire draft when it comes to big-time pressure moments. If I had to choose who to take the "last shot" in a game, and had this entire draft to pick from, I would go with Law. Atlanta at 11 would be silly to pass on him.

2. Morris Almond: SG Rice- Almond is not polished, he is not "pretty", and he is an unorthodox player, but the kid can score the ball from anywhere on the floor, and Rule No. 1 in the NBA is: "You can't score, you can't play."

3. Jared Dudley: SF Boston College- Dudley gets lost in the world of North Carolina's and Duke's, but the kid was still ACC Player of the Year, and that has to mean something, right?

4. Spencer Hawes: C Washington- LSU fans remember Hawes from the drubbing he gave Glen Davis in December's rout. But Hawes has passing skills far beyond normal for someone his size, as well as a soft jump-shot from 17 feet.

ULTIMATE SLEEPER:
5. DJ Strawberry: SF Maryland- Strawberry had a solid senior season at Maryland, pushing him onto NBA teams' radar. Strawberry can handle NBA pressure, as he has been on the big-stage his whole life being the son of a former MLB player.

Busts:
1. Josh McRoberts: PF Duke- My disdain for Duke is common-place, but McRoberts slept through his entire second season. He has no motor and no drive. He will get dominated by players in the next level.

2. Alando Tucker: SF/PF Wisconsin- Mr. Tucker made a living last season pushing around a weak Big 10 conference. Sorry, Mr. Tucker, 6'5 power forwards don't play much in the NBA.

3. Marc Gasol: C Spain- I honestly have never seen the kid play live, but watching tapes, I am not impressed. The last name "Gasol" may have NBA teams reaching in hopes that he turns out to be like his brother, but I doubt it will ever happen

4. Rodney Stuckey: SG E. Washington- The kid is a proven scorer playing against JV teams, but he scored low on workouts with people of his level, causing me to drop him a little.

5. Aaron Brooks: PG Oregon- I think Brooks can be a solid spark-plug off a bench of a contending team, but he lacks the size to be an everyday player to run a team.

by Carey Montz

 

Oregon State completed its dominating run through the NCAA post season Sunday, completing a two game sweep against North Carolina Sunday night in Omaha at the College World Series.  The Beavers used a steady combination of timely hitting and solid pitching to make quick work of the Tar Heels, outscoring UNC by a combined score of 20-7. 

Oregon State became the first team to repeat as national champions of college baseball in 10 years.  The last team to repeat was LSU in 1997.  The Beavers, like LSU, dominated its opponent in the repeat year. 

posted by PodKATT


Wee and the guys desperately attempt to stave off bordem, and contemplate what an idiot Perrilloux has become.

It's the NBA draft, ladies and gents, and this is the official Geaux Show Mock draft:

1. Portland- Kevin Durant- 6'10 210 SF Texas- Okay, I know this is a "shock the world" pick, but I really feel at the end of the day, Portland will take Durant. The Blazers already have legit bigs in Zach Randolph and LaMarcus Aldridge, and they already have a franchise 2-guard in Brandon Roy, so I think the Blazers will shock the world and take Durant to play 3, creating an exciting starting five.

2. Seattle- Greg Oden- 7'0 260 C Ohio State- If the Blazers do indeed take Durant, expect the Sonics to then run to the podium to get Oden, because they are in big-time need of a big-man.

3. Atlanta- Al Horford- 6'10 245 PF Florida- The Hawks have made so many bad picks, that here's to hoping they take Horford (the best big-man in the draft, and yes, that includes Oden). Horford may not have the "up-side", but he is ready to play now, something Oden may not be. The Hawks also need a PG, so Mike Conley, Jr. is an option, but with the team picking again in the lottery, they will probably fill that need there.

4. Memphis- Mike Conley- 6'1 175 PG Ohio State- The Grizzlies want Horford badly to play alongside Pau Gasol in the paint, but if he goes, they will likely shift their attention to Conley with Damon Stoudamire coming off an injury-filled season and Chucky Atkins a free-agent on July 1.

5. Boston- Brandan Wright- 6'10 200 PF North Carolina- Rumor on the streets is Celtics head-man Danny Ainge may trade down to try to get China's Yi Jianlian, and they also may take him No. 5, but with Ainge needing badly to strike gold with this pick, look for the Celtics to land the man who may well have the most upside of anyone in the draft.

6. Milwaukee- Jeff Green- 6'9 230 SF Georgetown- The Bucks have no gigantic need except depth, so the Bucks will go after the most NBA-ready wing player in the draft to compliment Michael Redd and Bobby Simmons.

7. Minnesota- Joakim Noah- 6'11 230 PF Florida- Scouts have been raving about Noah's motor and his internal drive to be the best player he can be. With so much talk about Kevin Garnett maybe being traded, the Wolves can draft Noah to either learn from the best, or replace the best.

8. Charlotte- Julian Wright 6'8 211 SF Kansas- The Bobcats have a plethora of talented, young bigs who just can't stay healthy, as well as franchise players at the 3 and 1 positions with Adam Morrison and Raymond Felton respectively, so I expect the Bobcats to look to replace free-agent-to-be Gerald Wallace with Wright, a flashy player who can get play the up-tempo pace Michael Jordan wants to incorporate into his team. Florida's Corey Brewer and Joakim Noah will also be considered with this pick if available.

9. Chicago- Yi Jianlian- 7'0 242 PF China- The Chicago/Jianlian marriage seems like one made in heaven. The Bulls are already a solid squad, so they can gamble on a player who may not pan out, because they don't "need" a player to play now with this pick. Also, the Chinese government wants Jianlian in a big-time NBA market, so Chicago fits the bill in that respect also.

10. Sacramento- Corey Brewer- 6'8 190 SF Florida- The Kings really want a few of the players listed above, but they would also be more than happy if Brewer was on the board for them, because several scouts have told me there is a 0% chance Ron Artest will be a King next season.

Check back later in the week for the remainder of the first round.

1st and foremost, I would like to send my best to Texas Rangers DH Sammy Sosa. When Sosa signed with the Rangers, the baseball world laughed, and now the joke is on everyone else, as Sammy has hit his 600th dinger of his career, something many said it would take him 2-3 more years to do.

But to follow up, a few days ago, I blogged about five reasons why the Giants would trade Barry Bonds. If I were running the Giants, it is something I would probably think about, but at the end of the day, I would back off and keep the soon-to-be Homer King.

Here are five reasons why.

5. Barry can still play- Sure, he has lost a step or 10, but Barry still has double-digit dingers and has a bloated on-base percentage, because teams are still afraid to face him.

4. Impossible to get equal value- No team will give up much for a 40-something outfielder that is disliked by everyone outside of the Bay-area, so the Giants will never get top-notch value for Bonds.

3. Too early to sell- The National League is again wide-open, and although the Giants seem to be in horrible shape, it is a little too early to get a bunch of 19 and 20-year olds for the team's best player.

2. Because they can't- Bonds is a 10 and 5 player, meaning he will have to accept a trade to any team that offers San Fran. Bonds has said a few times in the past that he would likely veto anything offered to the Giants.

1. Egg in the Face- The Giants have put up with Bonds throughout all of this steroids scandal. They would be selling themselves short if they missed out on the only reason a bad-team is selling tickets right now.

Overall odds Bonds gets traded: 15%. The odds drop to 0% if Bonds has not yet broken Aaron's record by July 31. The only way a deal gets done is if Barry is past the record, and the Giants are still way-back in the standings. The two things Barry wants for the remainder of his career is this record, and a World Series ring, so if he has a chance at both elsewhere, he may be granted his wish.


Up next: The official Gisclair Mock-Draft for the upcoming NBA draft.

The Rice Owls could be the next great dynasty in college baseball.  There's only one problem.  They can't seem to get past Oregon St. or North Carolina.  For the second consecutive year, the Owls needed only one win to advance to the championship round of the College World Series, after starting off 2-0.  Last year, the Beavers staved off elimination by defying the odds and defeating Rice twice to advance to the best of three CWS championship series.  In 2007 like the little dog who follows around his friend Spike in the Looney Tunes cartoon, North Carolina felt the need to do as the Beavers did in 2006.  After being absolutely manhandled by Rice earlier in the week 14-4, the Tar Heels defeated Rice 6-1 on Wednesday, then 7-4 on Thursday to advance to face Oregon State for the CWS title for the second straight year.  Only this time the proud baskeball school will be hoping for a different result, hoping for the school's first ever national championship in baseball.

From the Beavers perspective, they look to become the first team to repeat as national champions since your LSU Fightin' Tigers did it in 1996 and 1997.  The Beavers have worn the hat of a champion all week long, having barely broken a sweat with wins against Cal State Fullerton, fellow Pac-10 foe Arizona State, and everybody's favorite team, the Ant Eaters of UC-Irvine.  Oregon State appears to have the advantage going into this weekend's best of three series given the fact the Tar Heels had to come up from the loser's bracket to even sniff the weekend.

There you have it.  The CWS Championship Series is set.  If you were hoping to get some type of great statistical analysis of the best of three game series, I am sorry to dissappoint.  I am not what you would call dedicated to covering college baseball.  So, if I tried to fill a page with a bunch of bologna (baloney for the spelling impaired) about pitching matchups and key hitters and such, it would be exactly that...bologna.  Except take out the word bologna and insert another riskay word of your choice.  Basically, I am laying it out for y'all to play it out...sorta like The Soprano's finale....but not quite.

 

 

With San Francisco Giants' general manager Brian Sabean's media declaration that no one on his team is above being traded, INCLUDING slugger Barry Bonds, I have complied a list of 10 reasons why the Giants need to part ways with their veteran slugger.

5. Barry's Gigantic Contract- Barry is scheduled to make nearly 16 million this season. For someone nearing his mid-40s, the Giants need to begin to throw around the money to someone else.

4. Playing without a Glove?- Bonds is an absolute butcher in the field, and with a pitching staff that is already sub-par, the Giants can not afford to give away runs.

3. Wipe Their Hands Clean- For years now, the whole steroids angle has played out and has created an egg on the face of baseball. The yolk is more visible in San Fran more than anywhere in the country, where BALCO was founded, and where Bonds went from 200 pound base stealer to 300 pound homer king.

2. Youth Movement- Not just Bonds, but the Giants need to rid themselves of all of their "late 30-somethings". They are the most fossilized team in baseball.

1. For his own good- Barry would be best served doing what he does best: swinging the bat. Trading Bonds to an American League buyer like the Yankees or even to the Angels or A's would allow Bonds to stay clear away from ever playing the Giants, while also maximizing Barry's career.

Check back tomorrow for 5 reasons why Barry should remain a Giant.

Many long time Geaux Show listeners will remember Casey Gisclair was our host for the first year until he got a real job at the sports desk for The Daily Reveille. Now that the semester is over, Casey is back in da bayou and will be writing for us during the summer, covering LSU and more general sports news. Casey is know around LSU forums for having opinions that sometimes differ from the general sports fan (and some of The Geaux Show staff) so if you think he's an idiot be sure to tell him by leaving a comment on the article or sending some hate mail to geauxshow@gmail.com

Another NBA season has come to a close, and another NBA playoffs has ended.

For the fourth time in nine seasons, the San Antonio Spurs have won the NBA's highest honor, making the Cleveland Cavs look like a JV squad in a 4-0 sweep.

While this writer is not one of the many who believe the Spurs are "boring", I did believe the NBA playoffs were less than fulfilling.

Memo to NBA mob-leader, David Stern: Rethink the NBA seeding process and watch the rating go up, up, up.

All of this season's exciting matchups this season took place in the "B"estern Conference. Matchups like Dallas and Golden State; Utah and Houston; and Phoenix and San Antonio, gave the fans a treat of two well balanced teams who all play fairly exciting brands of basketball.

The problem is that with the way the playoffs are seeded now, the two best teams in the NBA, the Suns and the Spurs, were pitted in round 2, causing the rest of the playoffs to go down hill from there.

The easiest solution is to disregard the conferences.

If I were king for a day, I would keep the standard "Top-8" from each conference theory to maintain balance between the two leagues. I would, however, seed these remaining 16 teams based on their records, doing away with the Eastern and Western Conference Championships, because the title means nothing.

It is insane to assume that Cleveland, the so called "Eastern Champion" can win a trophy for their play this season, but the Suns (who would also have swept the Cavs), get a pat on the back and are told to go home.

With my plan, this season's playoffs would have looked like this: (with my predictions also thrown in.)

Rd 1:
1. Dallas v. 16. Orlando                 (Dallas in 4)
2. Phoenix v. 15. Washington         (Suns in 4)
3. San Antonio v. 14. New Jersey   (Spurs in 5)
4. Detroit v. 13. Golden State         (Warriors in 6)
5. Houston v. 12. Los Angeles Lakers     (Rockets in 6)
6. Utah v. 11. Miami           (Heat in 7)
7. Cleveland v. 10. Denver      (Denver in 5)
8. Chicago v. Toronto       (Bulls in 6).

Okay, so the 1st round is a little boring with Western powerhouses scraping the floor with Eastern bottom-feeders, but now it's time to have fun.

Rd 2:
1. Dallas v. 8. Chicago           (Dallas in 7)
2. Phoenix v. 10. Denver       (Phoenix in 7) 
3. San Antonio v. 11. Miami   (Spurs in 6)
13. Golden St. v. 5. Houston   (Warriors in 5)

These matchups are a little more exciting, but also a little more traditional of what a 2nd round matchup should be. The second round is exactly what is says it is: the SECOND round. The two powerhouses of the NBA should not be running into each other with 2 stages of competition yet to be played.

Rd 3:
1. Dallas v. 13. Golden State (Warriors in 6)
2. Phoenix v. 3. San Antonio (Spurs in 6)

And finally:
Rd 4:
13. Golden State v. 3. San Antonio (Spurs in 5)

Now certainly, this is all subject to my opinion with these matchups, but how much fun would it have been to see a Bulls/Knicks final in the Jordan-era, or a Lakers/Kings finals in the Shaq era?

Forget making people wears suits to games, Mr. Stern, just make sure the two best teams are allowed to play when all of the chips are on the table, so we don't have to ever see another finals like we just had to witness.