Jason's Untimely Thoughts

Continued Football Blessings, Tiger fans,

On Saturday, Mizzou will begin SEC play undefeated by whipping South Carolina to make up for several years in a row of should’ve beating South Carolina.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 pm, food will arrive around 12:30. Jim Yankee of Flat Branch Home Loans is providing Lutz BBQ….Pulled pork, chicken, beans, slaw, chips, buns, and fun. Call Flat Branch for all your home loan needs. If you don’t have any home loan needs, just call Flat Branch and ask to make a small donation to the Jason Becking home loan account. I have no home loan needs, but I do have home loan(s)(ss)(sss).

Last year I watched the South Carolina game from a bar in Portland. The game started around 6:00 am Portland time, I believe.  Combined with all Portland has to offer, and a massive rain storm in the middle of the game, made for a long day. A fun day, but a long day. There were several breweries, several screwdrivers, several bloody mary drinks, a scooter gang, and a visit to a hopping suburban Regal Begal bar for some live music. Good times were had.

Good times shall be had again this Saturday. Come join, I’ll be there early. Go Tigers, beat USC.  Speaking of USC, you can’t spell “screw ku” without USC.  You could try, but it would just be “rew k” which makes no senses.  screw ku.

The year was 2000… I had changed jobs at Columbia College, thereby freeing up my fall Saturdays for FOOTBALL!!! The year before, Sarah & I had purchased a new truck. In a classic “you put your peanut butter in my chocolate!”-style stroke of genius, we decided to combine FOOTBALL!!! and the truck into a thing called a tailgate. Lot I was the destination at the time.

September 2 was the first game. If my memory is correct, it was 163 degrees that day. Being the stupid tailgating newby, I pulled in to the most spacious area I could find in good old Lot I, never mind the fact it was surrounded by asphalt in every direction. Better to have an area to spread out, I thought.

On the asphalt, it was approximately 238 degrees. Traffic control wasn’t much of a thing then, so after a while the cars began to line up across from us, trying to get wherever they were going. The running cars. Pumping fumes in our faces. Good times. Luckily, in a little bit the good lads from Major Brands parked beside us. They were equally clueless about where to go, but they had boxes and boxes of booze. And yet another classic “you put your chocolate in my peanut butter!”-style discovery was made.

Twenty years of tailgating later, I finally got a new truck. For the various folks that remarked that “something looks different this year” last week, that was the only major difference from the past many years. I did have to purge some items, including an 18-year old roll of twine that was last used when Smitty shimmied up a tree to tie up a tarp to keep rain off of (some of) us.

Saturday, the Tigers continue on their path to an undefeated season* when SEMO comes to town. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. I’ll be there by 3:00, Lot D normal spot, but the tailgate will be much more in the style of the early 2000s. I’ll have some booze and some sodas, but anything else you want you should probably bring yourself. (I’ll also have a couple of tents, some tables, some chairs, a TV, and possibly a chandelier. We’re not savages after all.)

Speaking of the early 2000s, screw ku.

*We didn’t play college football in August in the year 2000, games played in August continue to not count.

Happy New Year, Tiger Fans!

The happiest time of the year is upon us, as our beloved football Tigers begin their season this Saturday, hosting the Mountaineers from West Virginia. An exciting opportunity to start our season 1-0 by beating an old Big 12(ish) foe from days gone by.*

Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Parking lots open at 7:00 am, I’ll be there before both of those times, come join me when you will. Lot D yet again (D LOT!!!). Mattress By Appointment is buying a few dozen breakfast burritos, that will be the main tailgate fare. I’m sure Screwdrivers, Mimosas, and a Bloody Mary bar will also be happening. As always, sides and desserts and an appetite for VICTORY are good things to bring, should you be bringing things.

In summary, come to the tailgate, eat a breakfast burrito, have a screwdriver or breakfast drink of your choice, go to the game, cheer for a Mizzou victory, go buy a mattress. Go Tigers, beat the Eers off the Mountaineers. Speaking of screwdrivers, screw ku.

*Some of the things in the opening paragraph may not be completely true. For instance, we never played West Virginia when they were in the Big 12. It is definitely the happiest time of the year, however. (Also, football played in August doesn’t count, it is known. It’s like spring training, but in August.)