“Takes time, you pick a place to go, and just keep truckin on….”
It’s time to hit the road again with the next installment of the WSU Football Blog Road Warriors’ Guide to the 2012 season. After a trip to Provo, the teetotaling capital of College Football, Coug fans are going to get a much needed weekend at home and a matchup with the Eagles of Eastern. This should help prepare them for what awaits in week 3… Las Vegas, NV. I suggest you rent the biggest, oldest Cadillac you can find, fill the trunk with contraband, and load the Smith and Wesson for the drive through Bat Country…
Assuming you survive the journey, see what awaits you after the jump…
Las Vegas offers more distractions per square yard than any college football destination in the country. In fact, unlike Auburn, or South Bend, or Boulder, you are likely to find that nobody you run into is even aware there is going to be a football game that weekend. This is probably another road trip where, for different reasons, the tailgating is not going to be the highlight of the trip. The home of the Runnin Rebels, Sam Boyd Stadium, is about 20 minutes away from “the Strip” where I assume many of us are going to spend the majority of our time before and after the game. Heck, let’s face it, a few of you are going to be there during the game too. In fact our very own Huddy has plans to skip the game in order to fulfill his lifetime dream of seeing Celine Dion in concert. Of course, he plans to tailgate the show and everyone is invited.
Sam Boyd Stadium – Clearly the Blue Man Group was out of town if they drew a crowd like this.
I’ll admit, when I first started investigating the tailgating scene at UNLV I had visions of Cirque de Soleil, slot machines and showgirls dancing in my head. Or maybe something like this…
Ok, so who else wants us to play at Louisville now?
Well, it turns out they have football fans just like everywhere else that like to get down in the traditional manner.
You couldn’t pay me to wear one of those band uniforms for 5 minutes in the Vegas heat.
Here is something to keep in mind though, the temperature in mid-september is likely to hover around a million degrees, give or take. There is something to be said for hanging out in the air conditioned casino of your hotel until just before kickoff. I’m sure the sportsbook will have all the games you want to watch and the waitresses won’t let your glass get empty. Another thing to keep in mind… while the desert heat will literally strip you of your will to live in about 5 minutes; after sundown, the desert can become quite chilly and windy. If the kickoff is anytime after 4 pm, you may actually want to bring a jacket. Weird, huh?
For my last post on Provo I gave you a list of what to do, what to bring, etc. Well, folks, this is Vegas and if you need my help to have a good time, you are hopeless. Vegas is a whole city built on the crazy assumption that people like to have fun and are willing to pay for it. If you think you have to be a degenerate gambler or porn addict to enjoy it, than perhaps you’ve never heard about the roller coasters, shark tank, shows, pools, bars, restaurants, buffets, Imax, gondola rides, zip lines, pirates, museums, exploding volcanoes, shopping, bungee jumping, dune buggies, or Area 51.
If there is one road trip that I expect to see ALL OF YOU at, it’s this one. Who knows, maybe we can string together some wins and this will just serve as our warm up for the Vegas Bowl. A boy can dream…
Next week we’ll be taking a road trip to the Emerald City for a home game, ugh. Until then, GO COUGS!
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