Tent Talk: The 5 Things to Know Before You Go (10/12 edition)

Let's get this out of the way first....I suck.  This past month of college football (and my blogging about it) started with a bang and quickly became a whimper.  Partial blame goes to Ole Miss's horrible schedule of road games, which did not inspire that tailgating spirit to shine.   I have not been able to participate in the traditional sense since our only home game thus far was "bogarted" by a funeral and equally apathetic tailgating compatriots.  And my Texas trip was hot and tiring, although so satisfying since we got a win! So, here I am again, attempting to re-energize after my horrible failure of last month.  But Ole Miss has a slate of home games for the remainder of the season, so I'll soldier on and get this party started!

Here are the 5 things that your fellow fans are talking about this week:

1.   Clowning Around:   So Heisman hopeful (or should I say former Heisman hopeful) Jadaveon Clowney (South Carolina) did not play last week in their game against Kentucky.  He informed Coach Spurrier that he wasn't going to play right before the game.  Uh....okay?  The issue is bruised ribs and he is still questionable to play this weekend against Arkansas, who isn't good but who also play with a lot of heart.  Coach Spurrier was quite snarky in his post-game comments last week but it appears the team is trying to now downplay this dysfunctional situation (team player, miscommunication, blah, blah).  My comment to Clowney:  Patrick Willis played with a broken hand his last year at Ole Miss and he is still "balling" in the NFL.  Just sayin'.

2.  Rice, Rice, Baby:   Condoleeza Rice (maybe you've heard of her) has been selected to be a member of the new college football playoff selection committee.  There's been quite the hub-bub about this pick with several (male, go figure) sports figures denouncing the fact that she's never played the game.  I don't get it.  She's intelligent, loves football, and has had several jobs that required her to make tough decisions and promote consensus among others.  As many have pointed out, there are head coaches in college football who have never played - Charlie Weis, hello?  And she's not the only one picked for the committee that has not played the game.  How many sportscasters and sports media guys have ever played the game?  Stupid argument - try again you misogynistic a-holes.

3.  Georgia on My Mind:   Poor Georgia.  You were blessed with the gift of Aaron Murray, but someone upstairs just doesn't like you.  Georgia squeaked out a victory against Tennessee last weekend, but they have lost two running backs/tailbacks and two wide receivers in the last two weeks.  Yikes.  Luckily, they're playing Missouri this weekend, but then again, Missouri has some threats on offense.  Let's hope Murray will continue his game-saving swagger for the rest of the season, but he needs someone to hand the ball to, so we'll see how this affects their chances for a SEC championship game repeat.

4.  Georgia on My Mind (Part II):  Seriously, did God have a bad layover in Atlanta's Hartfield airport!?  Because Georgia teams had a tough go of it the past few days.  Let's divert from college football for a moment and discuss how abysmal Monday night was for Atlanta sports fans.  The Braves got pummelled by the LA Dodgers in the NLDS playoffs and the Atlanta Falcons lost a heartbreaker to the NY Jets....the Jets!  Ugh.  That's gotta' hurt.  The Jets really stuck it to the Falcons.  The score may have been close, but watching that game was painful. 

5.  Homeward Bound:  Whew! Ole Miss has finished its brutal stretch of away games and will now play the remainder of its games in Mississippi.  The road has taken its toll on Ole Miss, with the team suffering defeat the last two weeks against tough SEC opponents.  But they have a tough schedule ahead still, with Texas A&M and LSU the next two weeks.  Let's hope they get re-energized by the home crowd and atmosphere because they'll need to play with a lot more attitude and less mistakes to pull a victory against these dynamic offensive teams.   

Unfortunately, our tailgating group has decided not to set up this weekend - late game and young children are a tough combination no doubt - so I'll be making the rounds like the social butterfly I am.  Hopefully, I'll have some great pictures of different tailgates to share next week. 

Until then, I'll share my favorite white wine sangria recipe - perfect for my tailgating festivities as the Rebs face Texas A&M this weekend!

WHITE WINE SANGRIA or SANGRIA BLANCO (courtesy of Emeril Lagasse)
serves 10-12

2 bottles of white wine (preferably a light crisp wine like an Albarino, Pinot Grigio, or California Sauvignon Blanc)
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 Cointreau or Grand Marnier
1 orange juiced (1/4 - 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed OJ)
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1/2 orange, thinly sliced
1 10 oz bottle of club soda

Combine the wine, brandy, orange liqueur, orange juice, and sugar in a large pitcher and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the fruit and stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.
Stir in the club soda and serve the sangria in large wine glasses, over ice if desired.  (For tailgating and portable purposes, pour mixture in to large tupperware beverage container and then add the club soda as you pour each drink.  Keeps it fizzy and refreshing!)

Cheers!