Monday AM In New Orleans

Here I make my weather debut..

"Right now in New Orleans, it's 54 and overcast."

Thank you! Thank you very much!

In about an hour Carson Clark and I are off to find Alabama fans. It's been
interesting watching local morning television. One station has a version of Robert Reeves "Robert on the Road." It's called "Al in the Alley" and it's about the hot spots to eat, see, and visit in the French Quarter and surrounding area.

I'm just kidding. But it's idea to pass along isnt it...LOL.

Found out today that the economic impact of the Sugar Bowl is back to almost pre-Katrina levels. The dollars generated from Bama and Utah are going to be within
90% of the Sugar Bowl before Katrina. Also, before Katrina there were 38,000 hotel rooms. Now there are a little mover 34,000 rooms. That is according the New Orleans folks in charge of "Keeping up with tourism numbers for reporters who come to the Sugar Bowl Department.

Again, I have mixed emotions about this game. It's hard to beleive that Gene Stallings brought his 1992 team down here 16 years ago. You've heard that time flies. It's true. Emily was seven years old. Did bring Emily down here a couple of times. I had the only pre-schooler that could read a map of the French Quarter.
"Dad, the Mason du Puy is just off Royale. Not Bourbon."

It's a good thing DHR isn't reading this.

Many people don't know the most important figure in the 1992 Sugar Bowl. It wasn't anyone wearing or cheering for Alabama. It was a small loud-mouthed linebacker name Rohan Marley. Marley had two footnotes in history. One is that he was the youngest son of reggae singer Bob Marley. The second was saying "We've got no respect for Alabama. Why should we respect them."
From there he went on and on and on and one about how great the Hurricanes were and how Alabama couldn't stand up to them.

Later that week, some Miami players ran into a big and not exactly ripped in muscles Roosevelt Patterson. Patterson was a good lineman. His strength was disguised by a big think layer of well....baby fat.

The Miami players started taunting Roosevelt about his size and lack of "apparent athletic ability." It was mean and cruel. Also profane.
The trash-talking could have escalated into an altercation but it didn't. Bama players went back and told there teammates.

At that point Marley began a marked man as did the Hurricanes.

Marley probably had more to do with getting Miami beat than UA defensive coordinator Brother Oliver.

Coming up today....hitting on funny media moments from Sugar Bowls, checking in with Tide fans, and Bill Curry grabbing a facemask.

Later...

GS