Bama Ed: If you ever hear the names Harvey Perlman, Steve Pederson, Shawn Eichorst, or Mike Riley being floated around the Alabama area, get everyone together and set up barbed wire fencing around the University so they can't get in.
I know the Riley name, rajak. Just cuz Riley played at Bama back in the day don't make him immune from the consequences of his actions. Not a good coach - anywhere he's been. The rest of them, I don't know their names but I will trust your advice and pass that onto Coach Saban when I see him and Miss Terry at church this Sunday (
"rajak sez .....").
Alabama plays at South Carolina in Columbia, SC tomorrow. Because SC is in the SEC East, we don't play the East teams very often as they rotate into the regular season schedule only to augment our annual home-home SEC West schedule. The last time we played the Gamecocks at their place was 2010 and I remember that game clearly. Bama had just won the Nattie against Texas in the Rose Bowl that January of 2010 (the 2009 season team). We went to SC and they put a whoopin' on us. The SC qb Steven Garcia had a career game against us - I don't think he's paid for a drink yet since in Columbia. Saban says, oddly enough, that 2010 team was his most talented team EVER but they were not prepared for SC (or USC east as we refer to them) on that Saturday.
In the above posts, I mentioned half my customer base was in Louisiana down along I-10 (Cajun country). But the other half was (for 5 years) in South Carolina. My SC customers were a very independent bunch, try hard not to need anyone like me outside their sphere. Nevertheless, they were forced to work with me.
One day, however, I was with them in Columbia (state capitol and home of the University of South Carolina - but not a big city) and we went to lunch at a fried chicken place down by the USCe stadium and that's where I saw my first Cockaboose.
A Cockaboose, you say? What is that?
I'm a train guy. Specifically, a steam locomotive guy. I love steam engines and have ridden many across the US (and a few more are on my bucket list). But in Columbia, SC on a railroad track very close to Brice-Williams Stadium, USCe fans years ago bought 22 old railroad cabooses and put them on an old railroad right of way next to the stadium in Columbia. And thus the Cockabooses were born.
I've highlighted where they are in relation to the stadium circled in red. Very close to the south edge but hard to see at this angle.
They are the ultimate in close-in, one-of-a-kind tailgating experiences. Small inside (naturally) but a unique piece of USCe fandom. I bet if USCe had a Top 10 team, the Cockabooses would be worth millions each.
Lordy, I hope we win tomorrow (we should). At least then we could throw that monkey from the 2010 season off our backs.
Bama Ed
PS - Bama-USCe on CBS at 230pm Central. Then Georgia plays Notre Dame (return trip from last year's game) in the evening set also on CBS. Best games of the day - tune in if you can find the time.
