Ed. Note: Feel free to use this as a non-LSU open thread.
Honestly, I'm not sure about this series anymore, where I blithely tell you what I'm going to be doing on game day. I'm not sure it fits well with the new ATVS, the one that has lots of people writing all the time. We'll see how it goes, though.
Today, as usual for a Saturday, I was awake at 5:30am. This is going to prove to be a problem when midnight rolls around and I'm still watching LSU play football. But anyway, here's the story for now:
7:00am - 10:00am: Clean the house while Little Miss ATVS either sleeps or watches TV. With friends coming over later, my normally "cozy, lived-in" house has to be substantially remodeled, by throwing things away and/or putting them where we would like people to believe we think they belong. When you have a 2-year-old, as any of you parents know, toys belong either scattered around the floor or piled into a corner. What are toy boxes?
10:00am - 11:00am: Ponder why on earth LSU did not recruit Damaris Johnson for the 2008 class. He may be little, but the dude is a playmaker, and he would easily be our best return man. And it's not like we didn't know about him. We signed two of his teammates. He might be Tulsa's best offensive player now. Also, go to Publix and Bruno's to get andouille sausage and ribs, potato salad, etc. ribs, potato salad, etc. makes our traditional opening-Saturday lunch. The sausage is for the gumbo I'm making tonight for friends. The wife of the couple wants me to teach her how to make cajun food, so I'm showing her a gumbo. I also need to break out my chicken squeezer.
11:00am - 2:30pm: I guess I'm going to watch Kentucky vs. Miami (OH), but I will have to keep an eye on Western Kentucky vs. Tennessee too. First, I want to see how the revamped Jefferson-Pilot thing with ESPN running it works. Second, almost despite myself I can't help but want to see Lane Kiffin actually coaching. God knows he didn't do any of that last year. But the Kentucky game should be more interesting, because the competition should be pretty even.
2:30pm - 4:00pm: Watch the first half of the Georgia vs. Oklahoma State game. With all the hype about Alabama and Virginia Tech, this is seemingly almost a forgotten game, but it's a real marquee matchup of two teams that can both be considered dark horse candidates for conference and/or national championship consideration. This is basically an elimination game for the national championship here in Week #1. I have a hard time seeing the loser's route to the game.
4:00pm - whenever: Make gumbo. I'm going with a store-bought stock this time because I lack a turkey carcass. I know it's cheating, but it'll work fine. The other advantage is that it won't take very long. I just have to get the chicken cooked and the roux made and the rest takes care of itself with a little cutlery. Also, continue watching Georgia and Oklahoma State.
6:00pm - 7:00pm: Watch La Tech vs. Auburn. Silently ponder why we did not recruit Phillip Livas, for the same reason I was earlier pondering why we didn't recruit Damaris Johnson. Try to think of other good players out of Louisiana who didn't get enough attention from LSU. Weep silently when I come to Frank Alexander. Also, eat gumbo.
7:00pm - 9:30pm: Watch Alabama vs. Virginia Tech in Atlanta until LSU comes on. My friends actually went to school in Mississippi, but I think they've adopted Bama as their team since they came here. At 8:30, the Game Thread will appear on this website. Start monitoring and/or commenting at that time. Get Little Miss ATVS to bed.
9:30pm - whenever: Watch LSU play. I will probably have to also be fighting Little Miss ATVS because I'll be watching the game in her room until the Bama game is over, unless the Bama game is a blowout, in which case I'll be watching it in the living room.
That's it. That's my day. Game thread opens at 8:30pm