LAS VEGAS – After pushing for the Las Vegas Bowl for the Oregon State football team for so many years, I’m over it.
Let’s just say not every bowl can be the Sun Bowl.
Players and coaches all said the hospitality was great and everything was wonderful because it goes with the job. And after their workouts it’s all about fun on The Strip.
Las Vegas and the concept for the bowl in the dead time of the year is great. This is a destination city, but …
Comparing how helpful the bowl folks are in El Paso to Vegas is night and day. Everyone knew each other by first name at the Sun Bowl, and I didn’t know anyone here.
I didn’t even meet the head PR guy, not as if that mattered. It took three attempts to find the media room in the Venetian. All I wanted was a credential. Each time I was lost, accosted by security or the place wasn’t open in the middle of the afternoon.
Each day was an adventure to find out what was going on with bowl events, where and when. And when you arrive you are too late due to sitting at epic stop lights or events were changed.
I had a similar vibe for the 2007 Emerald Bowl. And don’t get me started about miserable game day conditions there with Mother Nature, the setting and rent-a-cops.
This is the fourth year in a row that OSU’s bowl had terrible weather. It was windy at the Sun Bowl in 2008, wet and cold in the Emerald Bowl in 2007 and frozen in the Sun Bowl in 2006.
This was a rough trip for me due to logistics more than anything. To top it off a late afternoon flight is delayed, so I won’t get back to Corvallis until Christmas Eve.
When it comes to OSU’s postseason destination, it has to be Sun Bowl or above. I hear San Diego, San Antonio and Pasadena are nice this time of year.
But, really. This was a good experience – to learn from – for the team if not for the media. The only drawback for the Beavers was the date on the calender and the lack of young guys practice.
Since this post is about travel and the city experience, please share your trip and how it went. Did anyone win it big?
And here’s a classic number as I leave town late in the day that’s fitting.
13 comments
Cliff: Leaving Las Vegas « Cliff Kirkpatrick XV China says:
Dec 23, 2009
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Dec 23, 2009
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river2run says:
Dec 24, 2009
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river2run says:
Dec 24, 2009
nice post it is interesting to hear a reporters perspective on the bowl games. Loved Sheryl Crow and here is my suggestion.
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DaMonkey says:
Dec 24, 2009
Thanks for the post…
I am still recovering… from both the Civil War and this game. After the 08 Civil War, with regard to big games, I am starting to think this team is defeated… on the larger scale.
It's as if we are unable to rise to the big game with ANY confidence… any motivation. That killer instinct I've posted about several times is still missing. I love Riley… I love our team… I am a "believer"… AND it's as though we can't touch that next level. That beatdown… the Cincy loss… the AZ whoopin… even the SC game we actually had a shot in… and of course THE game of Oregon's last century… and we can't make our own legacy, can't take the next step. It's frustrating… it hurts.
That said… I was shocked at the behavior of some of the BYU players… no-class punks… trash-talking jerks… and seriously, scoring again with the game well in hand? Just like school in the summer… no class. My respect for the BYU program is out the door. Talk me down, Cliff.
Thanks, appreciate all you do.
ckirkpatrick says:
Dec 24, 2009
The Beavers had one bad game in 13. It was just the last game of the year. What's different from other years OSU got blown out early and came back with a bowl win so the vibe is different.
OSU was going to eventually lose a bowl game. It's better now that say on a bigger stage such as the Holiday, Alamo or Rose Bowl.
Really, this was a transition year that was pretty good, except for the ending. And it was just not their day.
WebTraveler says:
Dec 24, 2009
Maybe playing in a lessor bowl after the Rose Bowl hype was a downer for the players and coaches. Riley didn't look that into it, all bundled up. Bronco M for BYU was in a baseball cap, while Riley looked ready for a blizzard.
beaverteeth says:
Dec 24, 2009
Face the facts guys the Beavers have inherent limitations on their success as a program. Recruiting for one and lunchpale will only take you so far. Riley needs to reinvent his offense it is becoming to predictable. BYU knew everything the Beavers were going to do. Stop or limit the rogers brothers win the game and they did. I have said this before Riley comes really close allot of the time but cannot win the big games that really count and you know which ones they are. The teams performance the other night was a real wake-up call for a lot of reasons. The Ducks on the other hand are showing momentum and winning.
SJ_Johnson says:
Dec 24, 2009
Did I not red in this paper that this years Las Vegas Bowl was going to be the best bowl game of the season and how up and coming this game was in the national picture? And now today you begin trashing the whole event, while others have started trashing BYU, after talking about what a good team they are and how they will give OSU a good game. Of course it would all be a different story, and the hoards of trash talkers usually found here would be unending, if the beavers had not had their A–es handed to them. Before can have a Big League football team, maybe the rest of you should work on being Big League fans and reporters. The Beavers will take care of themselves, but who's going to straighten out all those petty, back biting supporters?
ckirkpatrick says:
Dec 24, 2009
The game was considered, going in, a great matchup with two evenly matched teams of equal talent. The bowl leadup wasn't good for others around the game.
BeaverDon says:
Dec 26, 2009
I didn't go to Las Vegas this year because the 2003 Bowl experience was disappointing. Compared to other Bowls Las Vegas just doesn't put on a good bowl experience for the fans.
JuneauJim says:
Dec 24, 2009
Part of the predictability of the offense has to be laid at Canfield's feet. Quizz caught a lot of check down passes for a yard or two because Canfield doesn't throw the deep ball, nor can he scramble. To his credit, he doesn't take a lot of sacks because he gets rid of it right away.
Katz showed his ability to scramble and his ability to throw long. If he can come close to Canfield's efficiency and make good decisions while scrambling, the offense gets a lot less predictable.
Kudos to you Cliff. Didn't you say 8-5 and the Vegas Bowl back in August?
ckirkpatrick says:
Dec 24, 2009
I said the team would make the Las Vegas Bowl. I said 7-5 in regular season and win the bowl game. So I was pretty close again. The only time I blew it since I started back in 2004 was 2006.