By Kent Lowe
Special to LSUsports.net
Notes and thoughts from the press box back home in Omaha
Well, it had to happen sooner or later. The Mardi Gras Beads that LSU made famous on road trips hither and yon is now an NCAA staple at the tournament merchandize stand. There they were next to the t-shirts and hats and buttons and baseballs. On the wall were hundreds of beads in all the colors of the eight teams at $8 a strand. LSU people walking in to the stand while I was there were amazed. One fans said he could get all the beads he ever needed for road trips free every Mardi Gras. Looks like what started as a Tiger road trip tradition is now adding up to more money for the merchandise sellers at Rosenblatt
Speaking of Rosenblatt, just to drive down 10th street and see the park again just brings back so many memories. The Omaha paper said that the LSU fans finally brought there team with them this year back to Omaha and LSU fans were out in force even six hours prior to LSU’s game. I think some of the people in motor homes left late Sunday after cooking dinner in the parking lots outside Tiger Stadium. Since the team was here last, new permanent grandstands were build in the outfield, including a concessions pavilion in center field, a new food court was build in stadium front (I recommend the sandwiches at Omaha Steak) and the fences were pushed back a few feet (I thought about that briefly when that ball headed to left field with the bases loaded Friday)
I remember when I first started coming here with LSU in 1990. Rosenblatt was just another, although very big, minor league baseball park full of bad seats, terrible facilities and those crummy ads on the outfield fence (you know, the ones that say hit it here and win a free suit).
Longtime stadium groundskeeper Jesse Cuevas, who may be one of the most famous people at Rosenblatt, remembers the days in the 1970s when they were just happy to get enough asphalt grindings to fix the holes in the parking lot. But Omaha wanted to keep the event and made the changes that brought Rosenblatt into the 21st century. It’s still a 50-plus year old park, but it’s been made to look and feel a lot more modern than it actually is. Plus it looks great on television and frankly, it’s the place this event should always be played at. Period. No discussion necessary.
All the Omaha characters are there in force and the line at Zesto’s are just as long as ever and if they ever stop bringing ice cream into the press box midway through the second game, the media might actually revolt. Just remember: free food means people will be there to cover your event.
Cal State Fullerton did a lot of things right in the win over LSU on Friday. You can preach all you want about what your first time on the big stage at Rosenblatt is going to feel like, but until you experience it, well — you just don’t know what you are getting into. Smoke Laval knew that going in. He tried to explain that to his players, but you can’t understand it until it becomes reality. I would have much rather seen LSU play CSF a game into the tournament, but that’s the way the draw fell. I would be absolutely shocked if LSU doesn’t have a great practice on Saturday and play a much stronger game Sunday against South Carolina.
Which leads us to this question: How many pictures of Bo Pettit’s blistered finger will be taken by the television and print media Saturday at practice –The over-under stands at five. I don’t care how big the blister is, my book says if Bo Pettit is given the ball, he will battle until he can’t go any more to get LSU through that game on Sunday. But if he can’t go, he’ll be the first to say so and not jeopardize the team’s chances to stay alive.
Finally, congratulations to Southern’s Ricky Weeks who was given the Dick Howser Award for player of the year Friday at the media headquarters. What a player. I hope he has much success on the professional level.