Bowl Eligible

Thank goodness!
Actually, thank you Troy Williamson! Troy made a great shimmy shimmy shake move at the seven yard line and slipped past the Arkansas corner into the end zone with just over minute left to ensure a bowl trip for South Carolina this year. I haven't made a Carolina bowl trip since the 1984 Gator Bowl. That's the year the Chicken Curse was born for Carolina football. Number 2 in the country, 9-0, a trip to the Orange Bowl all but assured. Wins over Florida State, Georgia, Pitt, and Notre Dame already on the schedule. Then. . . November 17, 1984. The number 1 that day lost (I can't remember who). It was a rainy day in Annapolis and a dark day in Columbia. Navy wore out USC, 38-21. A win over Clemson gave USC its first 10 win season ever with a trip to Jacksonville the reward. The Ok. State tight end (Barry Hannah?) made a great run after the catch and OSU pulled out a win 21-14 which was amazingly close as Carolina fumbled 6 times. That year was the one bright spot for Carolina team football until recently. Joe Morrison died playing raquetball, Sparky Woods had his team mutiny on him, Brad Scott wasted the talent on offense. Lou Holtz has brought the program to respectibility with two bowl wins and three winning seasons in his six years. Throw out the 0-11 first year and he may have the best winning percentage ever. ESPN radio opined after the game yesterday that Spurrier had recently bought land in Columbia. Lou would move up to AD with the ballcoach coming in to sling it around. My question. Lou lives in Orlando. How would he run an athletic department in Columbia? When Lou came to Columbia and brought Skip with him as offensive coordinator, it was assumed to be a package deal. Lou would coach until he had enough, then Skip would move up a take over a program rebuilt by Dad. After a few years, when it was obvious defense was winning the games, Carolina fans started voicing the idea it might be nice if the defensive coordinator, Charlie Strong, took over after Lou left. Next thing you know, Charlie moves to Gainseville and has now been caught up in Zookmania. Sorry to see that as he seems like a nice guy. Meanwhile, in Columbia, Lou made a big show of taking over the offense from Skip so it appears his star has faded. The current AD has reportedly been contemplating retirement so it might be a last, grand act to rein in Spurrier. More power to him.

BB starts Monday. Exhibition v. USC-Upstate.

Anyway. If Carolina gets a bowl close to a casino town, I'm there. It's time for another Poker road trip. We've done two in the last few years-New Orleans and Biloxi, in conjunction with GMAC Bowl trips by East Carolina. Those were actually blackjack trips as I had never heard of Texas Holdem at that time.
The Sit-and -Go process continues. No poker tracker at home so I don't have my stats. I appear to be up a few bucks since I last checked though adn I know I've won a few this weekend. AA v KK on the first hand is nice. True Poker is killing me. $50 NL. Up and down. My aggression is way down due to some beats. Terrible way to play. It's not a sin to reload. Was October a month of birthday luck for me? Oh crap.