Cotton Bowl update, 12/29

Hey everyone. Not a lot going on today. Offensive coordinator and the usual offensive suspects (WR Courtney Taylor, TB Kenny Irons, QB Brandon Cox, OGs Tim Duckworth and Ben Grubbs) held a press conference to discuss ... the things they've been discussing for months.

I spent my afternoon over at SMU grabbing players after practice.

*The players received some new Under Armour shoes today. Cox let me peek at his pair. They're basic, black-and-white street shoes, stuff you'd see at an outlet mall or something.

In a related story, the team is planning to wear some new cleats for the bowl game. They're metallic blue and orange. They're shiny. The orange is restricted to the sides of the shoes -- right where the Under Armour logo is. I think they look pretty cool. They're definitely not standard shoes.

*Cox dropped another smart-alec line today. There have been some rumors floating around the Internet than Cox might quit football after this season because of his muscular disease. He flatly denied that talk today. I facetiously asked him if he planned to return next season. His answer: "Depends on how I play in this game." Great delivery, too.

*I pressed Al Borges for more details on the "Elmo The Tent-Maker" comment from yesterday. I've got nothing. Chalk it up to Borges-isms.

*DE Quentin Groves was surprised to see that SMU was home to a Heisman Trophy, which Doak Walker won in 1948. Not a knock on Groves, who is pretty aware for a 21-year-old kid, but that shows you the effect of the NCAA's 1986 death penalty on the Mustangs' football program. I mean, SMU used to be excellent. Now people think it's Vanderbilt. Or Northwestern. Kinda sad in a sense. Then again, I liked Eric Dickerson in college.

*The Mavericks game last night was fun. The American Airlines Center is an outstanding facility. On the inside, it reminds me of Churchill Downs with its narrow corridors and usual coutours. After seeing 100 consecutive games in Beard-Eaves, you know, an NBA arena really messes with you.

That's all for now.

Cotton Bowl update, 12/28

Hey everyone. I arrived in Dallas on Wednesday night, rested and made my way to Southern Methodist University (Auburn's practice home) for today's workout. It was blustery, winds consistently in the 25mph range and gusts to 40, which made it seem colder than 65 degrees.

A couple things to note so far:
*The Montgomery airport is phenomenal now. It's been totally upgraded and, let me tell you, it's a pleasure to be there. If I had to quibble, I'd say the security checkpoint is way too small. Other than that, the place is perfect. Definitely makes the city look more prestigious.

*I worked out at Gold's Gym this morning. Rule No. 1 is: Don't drop weights. That's a rule.

*I saw OL Andrew McCain today for the first time in a while. His body has changed dramatically. He already looks like an OL. Now he needs to get the footwork going. I'm upgrading him from "could be useful" to "probably will be at least useful."

*CB David Irons seemed distraught today when told players will be receiving new iPods as a gift from the Cotton Bowl. Irons already has an iPod. When K John Vaughn happened to overhear Irons' complaints, he just shook his head. "I can't believe he'd complain about free stuff," Vaughn said. I think Irons was just being funny. I think.

*The SMU president, Gerald Turner, rolled into Ford Stadium this afternoon to talk with Tommy Tuberville. The guy doesn't seem to have an ego. He approached Auburn assistant SID Brad Gust and said: "Hello, I'm the SMU president. Is there any way I could say hello to Coach Tuberville?" Stuck me as funny.

*I laugh every time I see Brandon Cox come lumbering in for interviews now. He's been overexposed this season from a media standpoint. Too many questions on too many days from too many people. Cox has had enough. He does his best to be pleasant about it. Yet he's always trying to move the interviews along. His line from two weeks ago is one of my favorites. After a very brief pause in a group interview, Cox said: "What else you all got? Nothing?" He's definitely a smart alec. I like that about him. I'd be a little testy, too.

* Offensive coordinator Al Borges said he was hoping to get one of the Cotton Bowl jackets his fellow coaches received on Wednesday night. One caveat: He said "Elmo The Tent Maker" would have to be the one to make the jacket. I don't know where he comes up with this stuff, either.

*There's a lot of money in Dallas. The downtown area is big like you'd expect, but almost all the buildings look brand new. It's so alive. The arena that is home to the NBA team, the American Airlines Center, has a real retro look to it. I brought along a little camera. I'm hoping to get a few shots tonight. I'll be attending the Dallas-Phoenix game ... provided I get my work completed in time.

*The bowl media (Auburn and Nebraska) are staying in a suburb called Las Colinas. There apparently is or was an overhead tram system here. There are tracks connecting several nearby buildings -- the tracks go into the buildings a la Disney World -- but I haven't seen a single tram. It's like someone came up with this bright idea, then it all fell apart after the project was really far along. I'll ask around for more information. I'll try to get some pictures, too. Believe me: It's bizarre.

UPDATE: I found a little website that explains the tram situation in Las Colinas. It's a "monorail" system that basically went belly-up a couple times. It's definitely dead right now. What an incredible waste of money. That ... and it makes the place look creepy.