3rd Annual Backtoms Football Tailgate Plans

I'm pleasantly surprised to be heading into the weekend nationally ranked and on a nice winning streak (no whammies).  Here is what I know:

• James/Shey, Nunnrey/Kaci, JT/Lisa and John all get to Jackson on Thursday.  Be on the lookout for our Pimp Mobile aka mini-van all weekend.
• The above will be staying the night in Philly to make a little scratch to pay for the weekend.
• Deebo plus (grown-up) girlfriend are arriving in Starkville Friday evening.
• All of the above are staying at the luxurious America's Best Value Inn and Suites.
• Clay/Shay are driving up on Saturday.
• Current plans are to tailgate somewhere on the East side of Dorman (obviously subject to change due to availability).

Never heard back from some of you, but tickets are still available if anyone would like to join us.  And of course the more the merrier at the tailgate so join us for the day or at least swing by if you are around.

3rd Annual Backtoms Football Tailgate Plans

Plans are coming together.  Here are the details so far:

• Game is Kentucky on Saturday, October 30
• A few of us have done the unthinkable again and booked rooms at America's Best Value Inn and Suites (starting to become a tradition).  Checking in on Friday and checking out on Sunday.
• I've booked a room for Philly at Silver Star on Thursday night if anyone wants to join us and make some money.
• I'll be arriving in Jackson, MS on Thursday night at 9:15 PM.
• Leaving Jackson, MS on Sunday at 2:45 PM.
• If you guys want me to get our tickets together I need to know how many.

3rd Annual Backtoms Football Tailgate Planning

It's getting that time of year again and we need to pick the weekend for our 3rd annual tailgate.  Here are the Saturday home games:

Sat, Sep 04 Memphis
Sat, Sep 25 Georgia
Sat, Oct 02 Alcorn State
Sat, Oct 23 UAB (HC)
Sat, Oct 30 Kentucky
Sat, Nov 20 Arkansas

Deebo already chimed in and is picking Georgia since we don't have an opportunity to see them at home as often.  My wife is wanting October so it will be cooler.  I don't necessarily have a preference, but I want to float it out there and see if we can get some consensus.  Put your comments on here or if you can't figure it out...email me.

Also, if you are planning on making it out to the game in Houston on October 9th let me know.  My crew will be heading down to tailgate.  Hopefully, this year John can refrain from breaking his leg.

Odd Looking Tiger

Saw this Great Dane on ESPN GameDay yesterday.

I don't think Zeus would have cooperated while that was painted on him.

Bama Fans = Awesome

I couldn't resist sharing this one.

Another Reason to Love Bama Fans

Rammer Jammer!!!

Mullen Interview

Just in case you didn't already see this one:

• Kicking it with Dan Mullen, Part I
• Kicking it with Dan Mullen, Part II

I Can Smell It in the Air

College football season is near. What better way to kick it off than with Cowboy's latest video about Alabama's season opener against Virginia Tech.

I wonder if this dude is related to Luke.

Dixon Arrested

From ESPN.com:

It's not the kind of start to the week Dan Mullen or anybody at Mississippi State would have wanted, especially with SEC media days approaching.

But star running back Anthony Dixon was arrested over the weekend.

Sweet! Sounds like we're off to a great start.

Update: 2nd Annual Backtoms Football Tailgate

As mentioned in April, some of us are planning on making it back for the Florida game on October 24. Here is what I know so far:

• Shey and I have plane tickets arriving in Jackson on Thursday and leaving on Sunday. We are planning on staying in Philly to make some money to pay for the trip.
• It's my understanding that hotel rooms have not been secured at this time. It is being worked on.
• Single game tickets go on sale today for Bulldog Club members. I am planning on purchasing 8 tickets. If you would like in on those let me know. I doubt there will be a problem getting more, but I simply don't want to be stuck holding the bag on extra tickets.

Today is a good day to learn how to comment if you would like to sound off with your intent on attendance (and if you want one of the tickets I'm buying).

Ole Miss Train Wreck Article

Article from Paul Finebaum at The Mobile Press-Register about the hype around Ole Miss this year.

Under the Lights with Mississippi State Football

From mstateathletics.com:

In April, a camera crew from Fox Sports spent nearly a week behind-the-scenes with Mississippi State head football coach Dan Mullen and the Bulldog football team leading up to the Maroon-White Game and Super Bulldog Weekend. The finished product can be seen today as the show – “Under the Lights with Mississippi State Football” – will premiere at 2:30 p.m. (CT) on SportSouth.

Looks like they will also play on the mstateathletics.com at some point, but doesn't specify when.

2nd Annual Backtoms Football Tailgate

I believe we all drunkenly agreed that this years annual tailgate will take place on the Florida weekend which is October 24.  The General's Daughter (Devin) is already preparing his checklist for all of the supplies we need.

If you missed it last year we had a great time.  We had ~15 of us there under 2 of the 10'x10' tents in The Junction.  Devin worked his butt off by measuring each burger out to the 1000th of an ounce to match his special blend of seasoning (he counted out each grain of dry seasoning).  This year we are looking to go even bigger and better.

Details about where/when we are staying are in the planning process now.  Stay tuned for updates.

Article on Dixon

Check out the write up from Chris Low on ESPN.com about Dixon.

The first comment is entertaining too:

We are gonna go after both balls??? PRICELESS! Always can use a great laugh first thing in the morning. Hahaha

Gradulate the Gators

Check out this remix video on deepsouthsports.net.  The original video, which is linked in the post, is even better.

Best Running Back in the SEC?

Chris Low of ESPN.com has picked Anthony Dixon:

The decision to go with Dixon as the top guy is based on a couple of factors. For one, Mississippi State offensive coordinator Les Koenning told me recently that Dixon was having a very good offseason and was down around the 220 to 225-pound range and moving extremely well. Here's the other thing: The Bulldogs are going to feed him the ball next season. He's their only proven weapon offensively and is going to get a bunch of touches. Dixon has been overshadowed the last couple years by other backs in the SEC. But not next season.

Sounds good to me.  

Any of you want to share your predictions on the MSU run in the tournament?

Let's Dance!

Good job, Dawgs!!!

Sounds Like a Class Act

Wow!  Jamar Hornsby sounds like a great recruit for Ole Miss.  Here are a couple articles:

• Ole Miss recruit Hornsby arrested from The Clarion-Ledger
• Nutt gathering facts in Hornsby arrest from ESPN.com's Chris Low
  

I won't talk to much smack since we've had our share of thugs too, but this dude sounds pretty classy.  Just wish the dude would keep his shenanigans over in Oxford from now on.

Starkville Trip Wrap Up

Some random thoughts and comments from our trip to Starkville last weekend:

• The alumni events would be a lot cooler if they served alcohol (at least at the banquet portion...maybe not so much at the Saturday 8 AM events).
• You should check out the new Templeton Athletic Academic Center on your next trip.  It's really nice.
• Everyone seems really excited about our new coach.  He was entertaining when he addressed the alumni association as well.  One of the questions Mullen fielded from the audience was along the lines of, "...anyway you could get Tebow to come with you to MSU..."
• The Rock Bottom bar needs to do something about the lack of running water in the bathroom.
• What is the red stuff splattered on the walls in the bathroom at Up Your Alley?  Looks like a crime scene in there.
• As John already mentioned, why would you stand around on the street (at both of the bars mentioned in the last two bullets) when The Grill is sitting empty 1 block away?  Kids these days.
• The Mossy Oak store in West Point is not as cool as I remember it. 
• Speaking of kids these days; some students ended up drinking at our table and we quickly figured out we were all from the Coast.  So they started running through the name game to see if we knew any of the same people and it went something like this:
  Girl: Do you know Person X?
  Us: No
  Girl: Do you know Person Y?
  Us: No
  Girl: Do you know Person Z?
  Us: Look, we're a little bit older than yall.
  Girl: When did you graduate high school?  Like 2000 or 2001?
  Us: Try 92, 96 and 96 (Curtis was with us)
  Girl: Oh
• You know how much John loves people.  I'm amazed he's so dang friendly after he gets drunk.  John ended up going to eat dinner with two of the kids from the last bullet point minutes after that conversation.  When he got back I asked if he even knew their names...he did not.
• Some things never get old.  One of the kids from the Coast left her camera on the table and left the bar.  Curtis went ahead and took a couple pics of his rat brain so she'd have something to ponder the next day.  We did eventually find the girl and return her camera...she was ecstatic that we returned it.  Too bad she didn't know it was tainted.
• You should get involved with your local MSU alumni if you're not already.  Sometimes it's hard for John and I to drink by ourselves at the game watches and I'm sure you've got officers near you that feel the same way.  And if you don't have a chapter...start one...you'll be the president.

Hotty Toddy Revisited

You may remember a post from November about an Ole Miss guy flagging me down on the highway in my original post called Hotty Toddy.  Today John wanted to swing by Lowe's after hitting the gym this morning.  On our way out of the store, one of the employee's asked how much I'd sell my t-shirt for?  My t-shirt was a Superbowl shirt from last year.  I asked why he would want a year old Superbowl shirt and about that time he also noticed that I had an MSU cap on and said that he went to Ole Miss.  That explained his desire for my t-shirt since he has a man crush on Eli.

Anyway, we were standing out in front of the store and he pointed at his vehicle which was the same Toyota that pulled up next to me in my original posting.  Just can't get away from this guy.  Ole Miss beat up on MSU yesterday and now this dude is hassling us at Lowe's.