Friday, November 7, 2008

Ross Davis ....the new Alexis Serna



Sept. 4 2004 was the date of infamy for kicker Alexis Serna. He missed multiple extra points and Nick Satan escaped with a victory. Serna was a youngster ( redshirt frosh) that late summer night and luckily for him, the team took him home instead of making him walk back to Beaverville.*


Now on Nov. 06 2008, poor TCU true freshman kicker, Ross Davis, cost his team with two missed field goals down the stretch ( not to mention his fellow defensive teammates letting the Utes gallop down the field for a winning score. Ross Davis did not drop an easy interception, miss a sack at midfield and have a costly pass interference call. Ross Davis did not call for the backer/ safety to play loose coverage on a tight end when it was 4th and 5. So much for the vaunted TCU defense.) .While rumors of Ross Davis's gaffe forcing Coach Patterson's hand and moving on to Kansas State, what does the crystal ball hold for young Ross Davis. I am pretty sure a Lou Groza Award is not in the future.

*Look at the names in this college game, Derek Anderson, Jamarcus Russell, Dwayne Bowe...not bad company.
* Serna has overcome

So more importantly, this gaffe by Ross Davis reminded me of Alexis Serna on that fateful day, down on the Bayou. If memory serves me correct, I was actually down south for that game and watched it a bar on Dauphin Street in Mobile, Al. Here is the blurred memory of that day.......

That day, some coworkers and I had be flown out of Orlando to escape one of the Hurricanes that ravaged the South in the fall of 2004. While the company was paying us to stick it out in Mobile, the boys and I headed down to the bar scene to catch the LSU game. J F'ing G, Doug the Tuna, Longhorn, Gymballs and I were just moseying down the road and trying to find a bar that would show the LSU game. However unbeknownst to me, the Alabama game ( I think it was the same game that the QB hurt his shoulder really bad, and might have been Brodie Coyle) was going on that night and all of the bars worth a damn were showcasing that game. Word to the wise, in Alabama, you do not touch a Bama fan's tv when the game is on or you will entertain certain death. So we head out, stumble across the street to a bar that had virtually no business.

Wondering why, we asked the Bartender; " Why no business?" I believe that the Bama game was on a certain cable channel or might have been on ESPN Gameplan and this bartender did not pay for the game.....JFG, Tuna, Longhorn and I ears perked up and we asked, " Would you mind if we watched the LSU game?".....The sober bartender shrugged and had no objections. We quickly found out that the bar did not have an adequate kitchen ( maybe not at all) and we ordered up pizza and had it delivered to the bar. We watched the agonizing game and finally Serna pulled a Scott Norwood and the game was over. At this point, the lads must have been mainlining red bull and vodkas, since the crew was primed for the Mobile/Dauphin Street nightlife. I slightly remember playing Golden Tee for a dime a stroke .....pretty sure I never ended up paying my buddies off.
Ended up crashing at Tuna's hotel room about 330am, only to get a phone call in 5 hours, that I had to turn around and drive back to Jacksonville. The plan was to stay the night in J-ville, before heading to Orlando. We were instructed that we had to be the first responders for our lil insurance company, to make sure, our customers knew that we ( catastrophe team adjusters) were there for them in there time of need.
Another tip of the day- driving that far on no sleep, hungover from hell and in a lovely lil Ford Taurus rental car, is not recommended.

Long story made even longer, here is the follow up to that trip to Jacksonville. My buddy, Longhorn and I, ran point on the trek back to Jacksonville. Longhorn and I led a 10 vehicle caravan through Hurricane weather (Rain-X has my full endorsement) staying connected through walkie talkies. At one point during the dead of night, a tree had fallen on eastbound I-10in the "hammer down" lane , and this basement-dwelling blogger came with a few feet of instant death ( or at least certain pain). I quickly swerved and avoided the tree and multiple cars went off the pavement and onto the gravel shoulder. We all thought we were lucky to be alive. Earlier on that day, we had driven by a double fatal accident on eastbound I-10, which happen to be the relatives of Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. I will never forget the tarp the emergency workers were raising as we drove by, as they tried respect/shield the bodies inside the wreckage. Horrific wreck.


As Queen would sing....the show must go on. I am predicting a 55-7 blowout in the Boise State vs Utah State. Nothing more to add.......the WAC competition is disgusting. The WAC itself ( no pun intended) remains the only opponent that could keep Boise State out of the BCS bowl series. Forget the Aggies, Wolfpack, Vandals or the always overrated bulldogs of Fresno State.

Enjoy the weekend and maybe the magic ride of Mike Leach and his Texas Tech Red Raiders will survive another tough opponent in Oklahoma State. I mean after all, their coach is a MAN, right?