“Gin Blossoms? I thought that guy committed suicide or something. And you can quote me on that.”

I’m fascinated with the ’90s. Yet I somehow missed this bit of sad, flannel-waisted news. To my chagrin, yes, Gambit’s first banana music guru Napoleon Bonaparte Pais is right. Blossoms’ guitarist Doug Hopkins, who penned hits like “Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You,” died Dec. 4, 1993 following label pressures and his firing from the band. Nevertheless, the band soldiered on through the ’90s to mild acclaim and plenty of airtime, and now it meets New Orleans at the Allstate Fan Fest, a two-day music, footballin’ and tailgatin’ preamble to Friday’s Sugar Bowl.

In a year where listeners stop at nothing to worship the church of 1993 (read: Pains of Being Blah Blah Blah, Pixies and Pavement reunions, “lo-fi”), these former kings of ’90s rock radio, those jangly, “alt-rocking” Arizonans, have relegated to the party circuit. Chances are if you’re driver’s license is horizontal, you will know the words to these songs.

-

Photo lifted from the UF Library Web site

-

While the Saints were busy pissing away an otherwise lovely Sunday afternoon in the Superdome, Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators were just arriving in town and talking to the media in advance of their Sugar Bowl game against Cincinnati.

-

As if Tim Tebow’s last game being against and undefeated Cincinnati team looking to legitimize their national championship claims wasn’t dramatic enough, Meyer up and decided to announce his resignation yesterday because of health reasons. Though now he’s taken that back and says he will just undergo a “leave of absence”. Walking away from $20+ million a year and a college football empire you’ve built is understandably a tough decision, but when you’ve had health concerns for more than 10 years and your wife has to pack your desk with snack to keep you from starving on the job, at least an extended vacation is an order.

-

But while Florida players and fans are probably in a tizzy over the last 48-hours, everyone in the Cincinnati has had more than a weak to come to terms with the fact that, while undefeated, they’re still Cincinnati and your coach won’t give a second thought to jumping ship in favor of coaching at Notre Dame.

-

Hit the jump for a full transcript from Florida’s press conference (note: It’s really long):

Read the rest of this entry »

-

Photo lifted from The Advocate

-

You’ll have to forgive me for not jumping on the LSU baseball bandwagon earlier but, for someone who was never a fan of college baseball, it didn’t seem right to crash the festivities. (I would’ve felt like the one person at a Halloween party not wearing a costume.)

-

But now the Tigers face off against the Texas Longhorns in a deciding third game and in a few hours we’ll know if Baton Rouge will celebrate yet another sports title or if college baseball will fall back into the blissful obscurity.

-

In any event, if you’re like me and have absolutely no idea what’s going on, there are several places where you can read up on tonight’s game so you can show up to your local drinking tavern and yellow and purple with the best of ‘em. There is one thing I know about baseball, though, and that’s when a team has had hot bats for weeks and are piling up the runs and then suddenly only score once in a losing effort, well, that’s not good.

-

Also, someone contact the LSU writing and English departments about this lady. Really, she’s bringing shame to you all.

by Clay A. Smith

-

-

Photograph by Jonathan Bachman

-

Two disappointing seasons from  the Hornets and the Saints have had New Orleans fans pining for the sweet release of the off season. Between the Saints farcically inept defense and the historical dismantling of the undermanned Hornets in the first round of the playoffs, its been a: remote throwing, hair pulling, head hanging, yell at the TV until the neighbors call the cops kind of year. Well New Orleans fans, you can rest easy. Mean old Chauncey Billups can’t hurt you anymore, and neither can the Saints horrific defense.

-

One person who assuredly welcomed the off season was Hornets point guard Chris Paul . The Hornets’ work horse came up lame in the post season-stung by the injury bug. When Paul wasn’t winning gold medals in Bejing, he was grinding out an 82 game season that ended disastrously in a 63-121 point shellacking at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. For a season in which he averaged 22 points and lead the league in assists, with 11, and steals (2.8)  Paul was named to 1st Team All Defense.  The Hornets’ early exit from this years’ palyoffs prompted questions about head coach Btron Scott’s ability to effectively lead his team. But the Hornets are stand standing by Scott who will return for his sixth season with the team.

-

The Saints have made it a priority to patch up a secondary that has been the joke of the NFL for years now and a short yardage running game that was instrumental in shortening their 08-09 campaign. The Saints got their first look at top draft pick Malcom Jenkins. The rookie saftey out of Ohio State stood out in his first minicamp practice and impressed the Saints coaching staff. Paired with recently acquired veterans Darren Sharper and Dan Morgan the Saints new look defense could do a complete 180.

-

Conversely, with the leagues top offense there wasn’t much the Saints needed to tinker with offensively this offseason.  But with two under-sized running backs in Piere Thomas and Reggie Bush New Orleans was in dire need of a short yardage back. So in addition to revamping their “D” the Saints picked up two undrafted  rookie power backs with the hopes that they would compete to fill the void left by Deuce McAllister. Bruiser P.J. Hill is hoping to make big impact in Saints backfield along with fellow rookie Herb Donaldson. Hill, signed out of the University of Wisconsin, averaged over 1,000 yards in his three seasons in cheese country and Donaldson set a Missouri Valley Conference record with 23 100-yard rushing games.

By Clay A. Smith

-

-

Photograph by Jonathan Bachman

-

The New Orleans Hornets won their sixth consecutive game as the weary Dallas Mavericks were no match for New Orleans. But the Hornets didn’t just beat the Mavericks, 104-88, they showed the swagger that you would expect out of a team that prior to the season was projected to go deep into the playoffs.

-

Dallas was no match for streaking Hornet led by point guard Chris Paul and power forward David West.  Against Dallas Both All-Stars posted double-doubles. Paul had 27 points and 15 assists and West had 19 points and 10 assists. Since February West has averaged over twenty two points a game and has had four thirty point games. Paul has averaged a double-double-posting over twenty one points a game and over eleven assists.

-

The New Orleans Saints said hi and bye to both old and new players as they continue with their off season overhaul. After cutting veteran fullback Mike Karney New Orleans added Heath Evnas who spent his last four seasons as a lead blocker in New England. They also  retained their top deep threat in Devery Henderson.

-

Still, even though Saints’ fans are excited to see Henderson and the New Orleans’ offense continue their air assault from the 2008-09 season, they are all too familiar with the ongoing saga of the New Orleans’ secondary. But the Saints are trying to get the help they need. They signed corner back Jabari Greer from the Buffalo Billsand if that weren’t enough they’ve been in talks with Vikings veteran safety Darren Sharper, Jacksonville safety Gerald Sensabaugh, and the Rams’ cornerback Ron Bartell.