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Creature Comforts Brewing Co. (Athens, GA)
I strolled into Creature Comforts about 10 minutes before the homecoming parade was scheduled to pass by. Folks were already lined up along the street, especially families with young children who were excited to catch a closeup glimpse of the Red Coat Marching Band, UGA cheerleaders, or Georgia’s costumed mascot, Hairy Dawg.
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Rankings: College Football’s Top 10 Toughest Places to Play
Which stadiums strike fear in the hearts of opponents? What road games on the schedule makes fans take a deep breath? Where do opponents’ dreams go to die? These are the toughest places to play in college football — the loudest, scariest, and most intimidating environments I’ve encountered in all my travels:
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Pistol Pete and the Cow Palace
Before his NBA career, basketball legend “Pistol Pete” Maravich spent his college years at LSU, shattering the NCAA scoring record. But did you know that his incredible career started in a dirt-floor arena designed for rodeos and livestock shows? This is the story of LSU’s John M. Parker Agricultural Coliseum — better known as “The…
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Swamp Fangs: The Bats that Call UF Home
The University of Florida — home of the Florida Gators and home to actual Florida alligators — is mainly known for its academic endeavors and sports programs, but did you know that it’s also home to the largest bat houses in the United States? Almost a half-million Brazilian Free Tailed Bats make their home in…
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Recipe: Cougar Gold Mac n’ Cheese
During World War II, the United States government and the American Can Company provided Washington State’s agricultural programs with research funding. The objective? To find a way to keep cheese fresher for longer by storing it in tin cans so that soldiers overseas could enjoy American-made dairy products without risk of spoilage.
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Tailgater of the Week: Washington
I try not to double-up on trips to the same location within a single season, but extreme circumstances call for extreme measures. Despite visiting Seattle in Week 1 and making my first trip to Washington State only a week ago, the imminent demise of the Pac-12 beckoned me back to Seattle for the Apple Cup.…
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Tailgater of the Week: Oregon State
As Outkast once opined: “You can plan a pretty [college football doubleheader weekend], but you can’t predict the weather.” Thanks to the unpredictable nature of the Pacific Northwest climate, I learned this lesson firsthand, as my early morning flight from Spokane to Portland was delayed by several hours. I had a prearranged tailgate invite thanks…
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Tailgater of the Week: Washington State
Sometimes things are so obvious — literally right in front of your face for years — and somehow you still miss them. The hot new things (e.g. Deion and Colorado) divert your attention away from the continual, steady things that have been right in front of you all along. For almost 300 consecutive fall Saturdays,…
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Ferdinand’s Ice Cream Shoppe (Washington State)
Along the rolling hills of the Palouse, a unique topographic region in eastern Washington, sits Washington State University. Unlike its rival across the state in Seattle, Wazzu is located in a sleepy college town, surrounded by wide open spaces and offering a rural yin to the University of Washington’s bustling city yang.
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Recipe: Crawfish Étouffée
Often times when people think of Louisiana, the first images that come to mind are of the unique cuisine — gumbo, jambalaya, and of course the state’s prized shellfish delicacy: crawfish. But with live crawfish season largely limited to the springtime, how do you enjoy the delicious flavor of bayou mudbugs during football season? The…
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Tailgater of the Week: LSU
In a place where tailgating Just Means MoreTM — a place where tailgating isn’t practiced, but perfected — it’s impossible not to honor a bevy of Tigers and guests who delivered world class performances and/or provided incredible hospitality.
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Tailgater of the Week: Michigan State
The annual rivalry game between Michigan and Michigan State was expected to be a bit tamer than usual this year. Yes, the Spartan Marching Band still kept its 24-hour “Sparty Watch” over the beloved campus Spartan statue in the week leading up to the game, but since firing coach Mel Tucker last month amid sexual…
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Tailgater of the Week: North Carolina
North Carolina isn’t commonly known as a tailgating hotbed. The school has a larger Greek population than most, so a lot of the “tailgating” — by both students and alumni — is conducted at fraternity houses. It’s an appealing option, as underclassmen serve drinks to alumni and many fraternities have live bands playing on the…
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The Lindsay S. Memorial Tailgater of the Week Award
Two weeks ago, I got the kind of call everyone dreads. The kind of call that stops you in your tracks. The kind of call you never forget. Only 12 hours and a night of sleep after texting with one of my closest friends about potential plans to attend the Egg Bowl together on Thanksgiving…
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UNC Basketball: Live Action
My Intro to Marketing professor at the University of Florida once noted that the greatest brands can be recognized with only a color (or pair of colors) and a simple image. He referenced Coca-Cola as the primary example. All it takes is the color red and the silhouette of a glass bottle for people to…
CFB Travel Guy 