What I Learned on My Fall Vacation

During the weekend of the South Carolina game, I had the pleasure of returning to the Natural State (Little Rock, to be specific) for the first time in about a year. While there, I managed to make note of a few blog-worthy observations:

* The Clinton Presidential Library has some neat tidibts for Hog fans. My favorites were these notes back & forth from Pres. Clinton and Nolan in March 1994 (plus this other page with all the signatures from the 1993-94 bball team). The best part, obviously, is the handwritten "Win the NCAA!" at the end of Clinton's letter...I guess the team took that Presidential order pretty seriously. And am I crazy or did Nolan misspell "tough"?

* I really should watch games with my dad more often. Before the South Carolina game, the most recent Razorback game we had watched together was last year's triumphant win over Tennessee (which seems like ancient history now, of course). Is it a coincidence that the Hogs' only two quality wins in the last 365 days occurred when I watched games with my dad? I think not...you are all welcome to take up a collection to fund me returning to LR more often.

* Wally Hall looks different than I remembered. I'm so used to the bearded Wally in our iconic Wally Watch graphic that I barely recognized the shaved, glasses-wearing Wally staring out at me from the Democrat-Gazette. For a second, I thought Leonard Maltin had taken over the "Like It Is" column (and yes, I know Leonard Maltin has a beard...just bear with me).