The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘They Stood for Everything Good and True and Right in the American Spirit . . .’

Posted on | January 7, 2010 | 17 Comments

They came together on a hot afternoon in Los Angeles, howling and clawing at each other like wild beasts in heat.
Under a brown California sky, the fierceness of their struggle brought tears to the eyes of 90,000 God-fearing fans.
They were 22 men who were somehow more than men.
They were giants, idols, titans.
Behemoths . . .
— Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72

Ah, but that was another era, before the BCS, before Rose Bowl media assistant Stephanie Montano was required — by the protocol of the collegiate football oligarchs — to look a correspondent of The American Spectator square in the eye and say, “I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do.”

No press credentials, no exceptions, and although many others had been denied in the same fashion, none of those others were genuinely gonzo. They hadn’t Paid Their Dues.

But it’s OK. I’ll get to the game somehow, some way. Besides which, the bureaucratic rigamorale of Official Media Credentials is irrelevant, now that I’ve filed my definitive pre-game story for the Spectator:

PASADENA, Calif. — College football expert Stacey Mickles yesterday offered a bold prediction for tonight’s BCS finale — a repeat of top-ranked Alabama’s 32-13 victory in the Southeastern Conference title game, which brought Florida QB Tim Tebow to tears.
“If we can make Tebow cry, we can make anybody cry,” said Mickles, a Crimson Tide fan and Army sergeant currently stationed at Fort Dietrich, Maryland, who was in town for the game with her boyfriend and fellow soldier Richard McAlpin.
Some may doubt Sgt. Mickle’s expertise, but none of the doubters were wearing crimson and white yesterday outside the stadium in Pasadena where ‘Bama hasn’t played in January since 1946. . . . .

Read the whole thing. Here’s the video of my interview with Mickles and McAlpin:

The universal language of human brotherhood: “ROLL TIDE!”

Category: Alabama, Fear and Loathing in Pasadena, Football

Comments

17 Responses to “‘They Stood for Everything Good and True and Right in the American Spirit . . .’”

  1. Americaneocon
    January 7th, 2010 @ 8:18 am

    American Power tracked-back with, ‘BCS Blogging’.

  2. Americaneocon
    January 7th, 2010 @ 1:18 pm

    American Power tracked-back with, ‘BCS Blogging’.

  3. Joe
    January 7th, 2010 @ 1:54 pm

    Seems like you are going to have to live off the tears of Tim Tebow. Like Moses, who only got to look at the promised land, but not enter it. Or something like that.

    Still, I could see you using your journalistic skills to “get the story” so to speak and get into the game.

  4. Joe
    January 7th, 2010 @ 8:54 am

    Seems like you are going to have to live off the tears of Tim Tebow. Like Moses, who only got to look at the promised land, but not enter it. Or something like that.

    Still, I could see you using your journalistic skills to “get the story” so to speak and get into the game.

  5. Mike
    January 7th, 2010 @ 1:56 pm

    Hang out with the tailgaters before the game. Probably much better stories there than the game.
    Kinda like the interview with the cab driver during the Rush Limbaugh speech in February.

  6. Mike
    January 7th, 2010 @ 8:56 am

    Hang out with the tailgaters before the game. Probably much better stories there than the game.
    Kinda like the interview with the cab driver during the Rush Limbaugh speech in February.

  7. Pasadena Reconnaisance Report : The Other McCain
    January 7th, 2010 @ 9:19 am

    […] 6:20 a.m.: Hit my deadline for the Spectator and got turned down (!) for press credentials by deputy media coordinator Stephanie Montano. var addthis_pub = 'smitty1e'; var […]

  8. Americaneocon
    January 7th, 2010 @ 2:39 pm

    Now, that Fishersville Mike is a careful – and loyal! – Other McCain reader! Wow, recalling posts all the way back to last year’s CPAC! That’s some faith!

    Have a great game!

  9. Americaneocon
    January 7th, 2010 @ 9:39 am

    Now, that Fishersville Mike is a careful – and loyal! – Other McCain reader! Wow, recalling posts all the way back to last year’s CPAC! That’s some faith!

    Have a great game!

  10. Finrod
    January 7th, 2010 @ 5:29 pm

    I’ll say it, since you didn’t: the BCS is run by a bunch of pigfuckers.

  11. Finrod
    January 7th, 2010 @ 12:29 pm

    I’ll say it, since you didn’t: the BCS is run by a bunch of pigfuckers.

  12. El Cerdo Ignatius
    January 7th, 2010 @ 5:30 pm

    I didn’t know you liked football.

  13. El Cerdo Ignatius
    January 7th, 2010 @ 12:30 pm

    I didn’t know you liked football.

  14. Robert Stacy McCain
    January 7th, 2010 @ 6:02 pm

    I didn’t know you liked football.

    It’s not “football.” It’s the Crimson Tide, a phenomenon that transcends mere football.

  15. Robert Stacy McCain
    January 7th, 2010 @ 1:02 pm

    I didn’t know you liked football.

    It’s not “football.” It’s the Crimson Tide, a phenomenon that transcends mere football.

  16. Here Is The Only BCS Championship Game Coverage You Need
    January 9th, 2010 @ 12:20 pm

    […] boys in burnt orange right here in Pasadena.He even throws in some video backup in this post and this one in which you can see the folks he interviewed for his AmSpec article. That’s good journalism […]

  17. Is Martha Coakley Even Sleazier Than Tila Tequila? BUMPED: Reporter Hassled : The Other McCain
    January 13th, 2010 @ 9:48 am

    […] credentials?Hassling a reporter and demanding credentials? These Coakley thugs are worse than the BCS fascists! var addthis_pub = 'smitty1e'; var addthis_language = 'en';var addthis_options = 'twitter, digg, […]