New Orleans Dispatch Archives
...Anticipation for Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight...
...Anticipation for Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight... I just re-watched Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. It's been three years since Tarantino released a movie. I needed a break from revising stories, and decided to delve into his last read more...
Life Lessons in The Big Easy by Martha Gragido
There’s something maternal about a train. It carries you where you need to go and rocks you along, sheltering as new horizons flash past your window. Places you’ve never been. Places that have never known the press of your weight. (The bathrooms on the train read more...
Alabama's Own Wickedly Spicy Wickles Pickles---Made in Dadeville, AL
2011 was the year of Alabama music, and 2012 is the year of Alabama food. Several months ago I wrote about two phenomenal products unique to Alabama:
Rebecca Meredith, Author of The Last of the Pascagoula, Has Alabama Roots
I discovered Rebecca Woods Meredith when I received a copy of her spellbinding novel, The Last of the Pascagoula read more...
Alabama Born, Auburn Educated Octavia Spencer Wins Golden Globe
The 2011 fall issue of the Auburn University alumni magazine featured a stunning photo of Octavia Spencer on the cover, not as Minny, the feisty maid in Tate Taylor's movie of Kathryn Stockett's The Help, but as Octavia Spencer, celebrated actress and a possible
New Orleans in Alabama: Brenda Marie Osbey--and Lagniappe--Poet Jane Hirshfield
This October I traveled to New Orleans to see my good friends David Lummis (author of
The Rolling Stones: Some Girls Live In Texas
Some Girls Live In Texas A never-before-seen Rolling Stones concert, filmed live in Ft. Worth, titled The Rolling Stones: Live In Texas, will be shown at this week's "Thinking Outside the Box Office" in New Orleans.
Meet New Orleans Author and Photographer: Kristin Fouquet
Reading the short stories of Kristin Fouquet, writer and photographer par excellence, is like eating bon bons. You just have to have one more. Fouquet writes with a photographer's eye for detail, seeing beneath read more...
An Interview From The Road: Grayson Capps Talks About A Love Song For Bobby Long
An Excerpt From Interview with Grayson Capps I just got off the phone with Alabama singer/songwriter/guitarist Grayson Capps. He was calling from the road. He's preparing read more...
Remake of Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs in Theaters September 16
Straw Dogs Out September 16 On September 16, the remake of Sam Peckinpah's savage film Straw Dogs hits theaters. Filmed in Bossier City, Louisiana, the 2011 Straw Dogs is read more...
The 2011 Ponderosa Stomp
The 2011 Ponderosa Stomp The Ninth Annual Ponderosa Stomp will take place on September 16-17 at the Howlin' Wolf in New Orleans. This New Orleans-based roots music festival read more...
"The Coffee Shop Chronicles" Featured in New Orleans Course at University of Montevallo
David Lummis' novel The Coffee read more...
Jamaican Blues & Southern Breezes: Blue Water, Black Soul & Rock N Roll
Jamaican Blues & Southern Breezes: Blue Water, Black Soul & Rock N Roll "I say when it drops, oh you gonna feel it Know that you were doing wrong. I say a pressure drop, oh pressure Oh yeah, pressure drop a drop read more...
Mississippi Bluesman T-Model Ford Playing New Orleans Tonight
T-Model Ford At One Eyed Jacks James Lewis Carter "T-Model" Ford performs at One Eyed Jacks tonight in New Orleans. His birth date is unknown, but it's read more...
Upcoming Interview: Preston Lauterbach's Chitlin' Circuit: And The Road To Rock 'N' Roll
The Chitlin' Circut: And The Road To Rock 'N' Roll Memphis writer Preston Lauterbach's first book--The Chitlin Circut: And The Road To Rock 'N' Roll--arrived in the mail on Monday. An upcoming interview with Lauterbach is on the way, but I wanted to write a quick read more...
Swampland's Daily Duo of Reviews For 7/25/11: Ronnie Milsap and Hope Waits
For Monday, we present two Southern artists whose travels around their native region helped to define their diverse and eclectic sensibilities. Ronnie Milsap went from the mountains of North Carolina to Nashville with stops at Atlanta and Memphis in between while Hope Waits read more...
Bob Dylan: The Drawn Blank Series
Bob Dylan: The Drawn Blank Series "Oh, the streets are Rome are filled with rubble Ancient footprints are everywhere..."
Swampland's Daily Duo of Reviews For 7/22/11: Givers and Johnny Nicholas
For the end of the week, our daily duo bring artists from the neighboring states of Texas and Louisiana. Givers, a young Louisiana band, releases their debut In Light. Texas bluesman Johnny Nicholas provides us with Future Blues. Enjoy read more...
Lucinda Williams Talks Songwriting
LUCINDA WILLIAMS TALKS SONGWRITING Louisiana native Lucinda Williams is out on the road behind her latest album Blessed. She's in Canada for a few shows, and in this Edmonton Journal
T.C. Boyle's Robert Johnson Story
Stones In My Passway, Hellhound On My Trail In 1977, T.C. Boyle wrote a story about blues legend Robert Johnson titled "Stones In My Passway, Hellhound On My Trail". read more...
Bob Dylan's Upcoming Southern Tour Dates
Dylan Adds Southern Tour Dates Yesterday three new southern dates were scheduled on the summer leg of Bob Dylan's 2011 tour. On July 24, Dylan will perform in New Braunfels, Texas. The Bard travels to New Orleans for a July 26 show, and then onto Memphis for read more...
Olga's Whatever You Want featuring Cody Dickinson
Olga's Whatever You Want Out June 21, 2011 Singer/songwriter/guitarist Olga Wilhelmine Munding's latest album Whatever You Want will be released on June 21, 2011. Olga wrote Whatever You Want with
A Memorial Day Tribute: An Early Salute
A Salute To All The Veterans An early salute for the upcoming weekend... In honor of Memorial Day, and all the read more...
Meet Matthew Nolan, Poet and Resident of New Orleans
Matthew Nolan, who subtitles his books "A New Orleans Poet," is the author of two collections of poetry and prose: Crumpled Paper Dolls (2004) and Exhuming Juliet (2009). read more...
Never A Pal Like Mother
Happy Mother's Day 2011 Happy Mother's Day to Everyone! Since it's Mother's Day weekend, I thought I write a dispatch around the great Atlanta label
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Begins Friday
2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival The 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival begins on April 29 and continues until May 8. A wide variety of music, food, parades, culture and crafts will be available to supporters.
Isabel Wilkerson, Pulitizer Prize Winning Journalist, To Speak at University of North Alabama
Isabel Wilkerson, the first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in the history of journalism, will be speaking at the University of North Alabama (in Florence, Alabama) at 12:30 PM, Thursday, April 14. read more...
New Orleans Tennessee Williams Festival Begins March 23
New Orleans Tennessee Williams Festival “New Orleans is where Tom became ‘Tennessee’ and he considered our city his spiritual home”, said Paul J. Willis, executive director of the annual
Dr. John, Joe Tex, Tom Waits & Leon Russell 26th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees
26th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony on March 14 On March 14, the 26th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony will take place at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. On March 20, the performance will be broadcast on television.
Shannon McNally Plays Chickie Wah Wah Tonight in New Orleans
Shannon McNally At Chickie Wah Wah Tonight Shannon McNally's latest CD, Western Ballad, hits the street on March 22. McNally and her band Hot Sauce will play
New Orleans Film Fans Anticipate Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon
New Orleans Film Fans Anticipate Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon This weekend the New Orleans Film Society presents Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s crime classic
Arhoolie Records Celebrates 50 Years
Arhoolie Records Celebrates 50 Years Chris Strachwitz, 79, owns Arhoolie Records. The label, founded in 1960, has issued 400 albums, and more than 6500 songs of some of America’s most resonating roots music. Most read more...
Steve Earle Plans Album, Book & Tour
Busy 2011 For Steve Earle USA Today reported this afternoon that Steve Earle plans for a busy 2011. On April 26, read more...
Gregg Allman's Low Country Blues
Gregg Allman’s Low Country Blues On January 18, Gregg Allman’s latest studio recording—Low Country Blues—hits the streets. Produced by T-Bone Burnett, Low Country Blues read more...
R.E.M. Release New Single "Oh My Heart" Today
R.E.M Releases New Single “Oh My Heart” Today In about two months R.E.M. will release their 15th studio album, Collapse Into Now. Today the group released a song from Collapse Into Now called “Oh My Heart”. R.E.M. dedicated the song read more...
Merry Christmas From Swampland
Merry Christmas From Swampland Ho, Ho, Ho…I’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas from Swampland. Thanks for all the support. A Happy New Year to you all! Don’t let the Devil get you down. I’ve included a couple of read more...
Widespread Panic’s Porch Songs Vol. 6 & Archive Series #5
Widespread Panic’s Porch Songs Vol. 6 & Archive Series #5 May 31, 1996, counted as Widespread Panic’s first headlining performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. Since then, Panic has sold out the majestic venue 35 consecutive times. read more...
Keith Richards Writes About Gram Parsons In Life
Keith Richards Writes About Gram Parsons in Life I’ve been reading Keith Richards’ new book, Life. I’ve already made some notes for the Swampland review, but today I reached page 247 where Keith writes about Gram Parsons. read more...
Saluting Our Veterans and My Dear Friends Frank and Nell Lutz
Today is Veterans Day--a day on which we pay tribute to all those who served this country in the armed services. Today is especially meaningful to me because it gives me an opportunity to honor two of my favorite World War II veterans: my long time friends and erstwhile neighbors read more...
Daniel Lanois’ Soulful Mining & Black Dub
Daniel Lanois’ Soulful Mining & Black Dub Daniel Lanois’ new band, Black Dub, augments jazz, reggae, blues and soul into one potent sound. read more...
Georgia's Rock & Roll Halloween Weekend
Georgia’s Rock & Roll Halloween Weekend ...Written from the eye of the tempest near the Georgia-Florida line during Halloween weekend for the UGA versus UF football game... Folks are rushing around here with football, rock & roll and a read more...
Dylan, Petty & Drive By Truckers Participate In ‘Back To Black Friday’
Dylan, Petty & Drive By Truckers Participate In ‘Back To Black Friday’ In support of independent record stores, November 26 stands as ‘Back To Black Friday’. Artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, The Drive By Truckers, Iron & Wine, U2, read more...
Double Whammy: The Coffee Shop Chronicles of New Orleans and Books-A-Million
This week I am excited to provide the Swampland audience with a double whammy. My friend David Lummis' novel
The Moth In New Orleans: A More Perfect Union: Stories of Prejudice and Power
The Moth In New Orleans: A More Perfect Union: Stories of Prejudice and Power I now will be covering George Dawes Green’s indelible raconteurs club--The read more...
The 13th Annual Gram Parsons Guitar Pull & Festival This Weekend in Waycross, Georgia
13th Annual Gram Parsons Guitar Pull & Tribute Festival “This old town’s filled with sin It’ll swallow you in If you’ve got some money to burn…” “Sin City” The Flying Burrito read more...
42 Years Later: Buffalo Springfield Reunites At Bridge School Benefit
Buffalo Springfield Reunites At Young’s Bridge School Benefit Buffalo Springfield will reunite for the first time in 42 years at
Bloodkin Opens First Shows of Widespread Panic's Fall Tour This Weekend
Bloodkin Kicks Off Panic Tour As fall descends, the interesting season of live shows begin…Bloodkin’s Daniel Hutchens,
Filming "The Help": News and Blues in the Delta-- Greenwood, MS
About seven miles east of Greenwood, MS, the rolling hills suddenly go flat, a sure sign you are entering the Delta. We had driven to Greenwood via the leisurely
Shannon McNally's Debut Swampland Article: Rock & Roll Mommy
Rock And Roll Mommy By Shannon McNally I am proud to present Shannon McNally's debut Swampland contribution Rock and Roll Mommy. Shannon reveals an interesting perspective as a mother read more...
Hunter S. Thompson's Wife Keeps The Faith On Owl Farm Blog
The Fifth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina Anita Thompson, the wife of late writer Hunter S. Thompson, still lives at their home--Owl Farm--in Woody Creek, Colorado. Anita keeps the spirit of her husband’s writing alive on her
New Orleans Rising: Pontchartrain Park Focus of CNN Documentary
Pontchartrain Park focus of CNN Documentary This evening a documentary on CNN—In America—focused on the efforts of New Orleans actor Wendell Pierce read more...
Widespread Panic's Michael Houser: Eight Years Gone
Michael Houser: The Quiet Genius: Eight Years Gone By James Calemine Eight years ago Widespread Panic’s founding guitarist died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 40. It doesn’t seem like eight years since he’s been gone…
Reading "The Coffee Shop Chronicles of New Orleans" by David Lummis
Perhaps because I was an English professor for most of my life, friends are always asking me what good book I have read recently. Well, I am happy to report that I have
Charlie Daniels Speaks with GRITZ About The Gulf Oil Crisis and More
by Michael Buffalo Smith Charlie Daniels has had quite a year. More recording, non-stop touring and recovering from a stroke, and he is still doing it to it as fast as he can go. And then there's the now legendary Geico commercial. I spoke with Charlie yesterday to read more...
Past Interviews & Upcoming Artists of Note
Greetings Folks, I hope all is well, and everyone enjoyed Father’s Day… Change is afoot, and we’ve got a lot on the horizon, but for the past week much of the work has gone on behind the scenes. On the immediate agenda, the work of
Producer Daniel Lanois In Intensive Care
Daniel Lanois In Motorcycle Accident Producer Daniel Lanois seriously injured himself Saturday in a motorcycle accident. Lanois has been forced to cancel his Black Dub read more...
Tribute Concert To Benefit Historic New Orleans Collection
Harold Battiste Tribute Concert to Benefit Historic New Orleans Collection New Orleans musician Harold Battiste’s book, Unfinished Blues: Memories of a New read more...
New Orleans and Indianapolis Add Defensive Playmakers
Many teams in the NFL Draft feel compelled to fill an immediate need with their first selection, but some elite clubs are able to take the best player available and build quality depth for the future. Those picks do not always excite fans on draft day but tend to work out quite well read more...
NFL Draft Impressions: Rams Get Their Man; Jags Disappoint Their Fans
Did your team improve? Is your fan base excited about the direction of your squad? We will take an in-depth look at the NFL Draft over the next couple of weeks, but wanted to give our read more...
April is the Busiest Month: Alabama and New Orleans
Every week in April has been busy with a literary or cultural event in the state of Alabama including the Alabama Book Festival, an annual event in
Excursion to New Orleans
What an amazing adventure I have had in Louisiana this past week. I am starting a series on Swampland about my adventures in the Crescent City (see New Orleans
Celebrate Record Store Day 2010!
Record Store Day 2010 is read more...
Wanee Report: Day Two
Swampland Wanee Report: Day Two ...A Few Notes From The Swamp... Funkadelic closed the evening out last night. It's a musical read more...
New Orleans and the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival 2010
I don't get down to New Orleans nearly so often as I would like although it is a place close to my heart. New Orleans is one of my top three cities in America, along with
The Black Dub of Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois' New Band Black Dub Daniel Lanois’ new band,
New Orleans' Preservation Hall Benefit Album
Preservation Hall Benefit The Preservation Hall opened its doors in 1961. Located in The French Quarter—three blocks from the Mississippi read more...
New Orleans Saints Win The Super Bowl
Saints Beat Colts 31-17 Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for winning the Super Bowl tonight. They looked slow from the start, but they held read more...
Sunday Sounds: Super Bowl Sunday
Super Bowl Sunday A cool breeze swirls on the coast of South Georgia…birds chirping…wind chimes echo in the distance. It’s read more...
National Signing Day: Christmas Morning for Southern Football Fans
It’s finally here- a virtual holiday in our Swampland Footprint.
The Long Awaited Lance Ledbetter Interview
The Long-Awaited Lance Ledbetter Interview The story of Dust To Digital is a divine one. In the late 1990s, Lance Ledbetter set out to discover read more...
Favre Still Rules Though Saints March and Vikings Retreat
I would not want to be Brett Favre this morning---over forty, utterly frustrated, and physically and emotionally devastated. However, this Mississippi born grand old man of football is my hero, and he's not done read more...
Saints vs Colts Present a Dream SPF Super Bowl
Much more to come on this as the Super Bowl approaches, but yesterday's wins by Peyton Manning and the Colts and Drew Brees and the Saints presented our football-hungry region with the best reason yet to watch the Super Bowl.
Prelude To Interview with Dust To Digital's Lance Ledbetter
Prelude To Interview with Dust To Digital President Lance Ledbetter This evening I finished transcribing my interview with the President of read more...
Bobby Charles RIP
Bobby Charles Dead at 71 Louisiana songwriter Bobby Charles collapsed and
SEC Daily Fever: Gator Fans not feeling the Sugar Bowl after SEC Title Loss
It currently looks like Florida fans are not very fired up for the Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati. As we approach Christmas, the Gators are read more...
Alabama Actress Kim Dickens in HBO Series "Treme"
Treme, a made for television series set the the historic area of
SEC Daily Fever: Georgia And Mark Richt Desperate For An Auburn Win
Georgia fans are feeling a little nervous these days. The Bulldogs have already been blown out by two rivals, Tennessee and Florida, and they will face two more in Auburn and Georgia Tech over the next three games.
SEC Daily Fever: Spurrier Says He's Staying At South Carolina For The Long Term
As South Carolina and head coach Steve Spurrier prepare to host #1 Florida on Saturday, this game is a reminder to Gamecock fans of what their coach built at his alma mater and what has not happened in Columbia.
SEC Daily Fever: Officiating Issues Creates Negative Vibes For Top League
It’s the story that won’t go away- another week, another game where bad officiating dominates the league conversation. The SEC read more...
SEC Daily Fever: LSU-Alabama Is The National Game Of The Week
The eyes of the college football world will be on Tuscaloosa Saturday afternoon when #9 LSU meets #3 Alabama. This game has conference and national read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Meyer looks bad after Spikes debacle
Many fans around the league are asking the question this week: what kind of program is Urban Meyer running in Gainesville? While many have questioned Meyer’s recruiting read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Georgia's Richt looks to right ship in Athens
While much of the attention following the Florida-Georgia game has been on Brandon Spikes eye-gouging of Washaun Ealey, the reality for the Bulldogs is that they have the feel of a program that has slipped a notch from past seasons.
SEC Daily Fever: Seemingly Insufficient Punishment For Spikes Sparks Controversy
Is a half-game suspension at home against Vanderbilt really a punishment? That’s what many are wondering after Urban Meyer read more...
SEC Daily Fever: "Cocktail Party" Remains A Great Southern tradition
It's more than just a football game. Whether it's golf tournaments, concerts, or just a long weekend with friends, the Georgia-Florida game has become a can't miss event for both fan bases and for read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Ole Miss Looks To Finish Strong
As Ole Miss prepares to travel to Auburn this Saturday, Houston Nutt's team will look to build the same second half of the season momentum that they did in 2008.
SEC Daily Fever: Tebow Shuns The Media
An interesting scenario happened after the Florida win at Mississippi State; Tim Tebow did not meet with the media.
SEC Daily Fever: LSU needs Auburn win to stay on league's top shelf
Most in the local and national media are already looking towards December for the highly- anticipated Florida-Alabama matchup in Atlanta, but one team who has the talent to throw a wrench in that scenario is LSU.
SEC Daily Fever: Nutt Back In Spotlight As Ole Miss Prepares For Arkansas
When the 2009 season kicked off, Ole Miss looked to be a contender in the West while the Arkansas was supposed to play the role of spoiler - but roles could be reveresed after this Saturday's game.
Halloween In New Orleans: Panic, Truckers & NO Musicians Clinic Conjure Good Mojo
A Season of the Witch in The Crescent City: Widespread Panic, Drive By Truckers & New Orleans Musicians Clinic Help At Halloween In this read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Kiffin And Saban Build Their Programs Using Past NFL Perspective
As Tennessee and Alabama prepare for their annual October clash, the Vols seem to be a couple of recruiting classes behind the Tide in building a roster to compete for a league title.
SPF Daily Rating: Team In Turmoil #1 - Washington Redskins
We knew it was going to be a tough year for several SPF teams. We are going to spend some time this week on a few individual teams to give a sense of their respective level of desperation. Our first team is the Washington Redskins. Their fall might be the read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Should Florida be on Upset Alert?
Is this the one? Even though the Florida Gators have won two of the last three National Titles, they lost a surprising game in the middle of both of those seasons. Urban read more...
SPF Daily Rating: Bengals Blackout?
The Bengals have had a dream season so far. They've beaten their arch rival (Steelers). They've beaten their in state rival. They are a last minute tipped pass away from being undefeated, but they are still at 4-1 and lead the AFC North.
SPF Daily Rating: Saints Fever Sweeping the Gulf Coast
As we predicted, it has been a pretty dire year for SPF teams. Even one of our playoff locks, the Tennessee Titans, is surprisingly winless and going nowhere fast. The best news amongst our SPF teams comes from the Saints who made an off season commitment to read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Will LSU's Running Game Beat Florida?
Prime time national television audience, Baton Rouge, #1 vs. #4; this one should be fun. That’s the scenario as Florida travels to LSU amid questions read more...
SPF Daily Rating: Blank Talks About A New Stadium In Atlanta For Falcons
Amidst a serious economic downturn, Falcons owner Arthur Blank has again begun engaging in public discussion about a new stadium to replace the Georgia Dome. The fact read more...
SPF Daily Rating: Del Rio Keeps Playing Silly Games #3
We guess Jack Del Rio's two game win streak has further emboldened him. After already playing silly media games with players on two different occasions (here and read more...
SPF Daily Rating: Are the Cowboys and Texans Going In Opposite Directions?
As always, there is panic in Cowboy Nation. Panic like this always ensues when their beloved team isn't undefeated or at least in the top half read more...
SPF Daily Rating: Saints Look Consistent, Perhaps Elite At 4-0
It's early, but the 2009 New Orleans Saints look like a very, very good team. No one has ever questioned this team's read more...
SEC Daily Fever: LSU's Tight Win Sets Up SEC Mega-Clash
It may not have been the most well played game, but what a finish we all got to see in Athens Saturday. LSU led Georgia 6-0 after three quarters, read more...
SPF Daily Rating: Del Rio Cancels Garrard's Radio Show
We hate piling on, but Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio has been asking for it. Just recently, we wrote about Del Rio's penchant for playing silly games - most read more...
SPF Daily Rating: Jaguars to Orlando?
Orlando Sentinel sports columnist, Mike Bianchi, made some big sports news today when he reported that the Jacksonville Jaguars might be looking to move
SPF Daily Rating: Chad Pennington to Miss Season
Although they don't want to officially announce it yet because of a possible misdiagnosis, the immediate signs are that Dolphins QB Chad Pennington will miss the 2009 season with a shoulder read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Is Bama the league's top dog?
Florida still has the #1 spot in the national polls, but many believe Alabama is staking a claim as the best team in the read more...
SPF Daily Rating: Texas Stadium RIP
Last night, the Irving (TX) City Council approved the funds to demolish Texas Stadium. Lost in all the hype of the new Cowboys Stadium, it's hard to believe that a place with so read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Gamecocks Embrace the Spotlight While the Rebels Wither
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. South Carolina played a physical game led by their relentless defense and took down #4 Ole Miss 16-10, Thursday night in Columbia in a classic SEC headknocker.
SPF Daily Rating: What if Redskins Lose To Lowly Lions? Bye, Bye Zorn
It's the unthinkable times two. The first unthinkable is that an NFL team can finish 0-16. That already happened with last year's Detroit Lions. Now that the Lions are 0-2 to start the 2009 season, the question starts - "who will they finally read more...
SPF Daily Rating: Del Rio Playing Silly Games in Jacksonville
In what should be a small story, Jags coach Jack Del Rio has brought back WR Nate Hughes to the practice squad after cutting him on read more...
SPF Daily Rating: Lack of Playmakers Leave Florida Teams Winless
"I'm not interested in Pro Bowl players, I'm interested in world champions." "[I'm interested in 'non-talent issues' [namely] the hustle, the effort, the technique, the fundamentals, all of those things." The above quotes read more...
SPF Daily Rating: The Saints Roll Again Behind Smart Decisions
The New Orleans Saints keep their high powered offense rolling once again as they went into Philadelphia and smoked the Eagles 48-22. What read more...
SPF Daily Rating: Houston Texans Don't Like Being Called "Soft"
To say the Houston Texans have been disappointing since entering the NFL as a expansion team in 2002 would be an understatement. In a way, however, everything about the Texans seems understated, including their presence on the field according to those who have been calling read more...
Daniel Lanois' Black Dub
Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub Famed Canadian-New Orleans producer/musician Daniel Lanois is working on a new album in read more...
SPF Daily Rating: Jacksonville Mayor Makes Personal Plea For Fans To Buy Jags Tix
The Jaguars lost an astonishing 17,000 season ticket holders between this season and last. Expectations are that most of their games will be blacked out locally. So who have the Jags turned to?
SEC Daily Fever: Hogs-Dawgs Could Be The SEC Game of The Weekend
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. One of the more interesting matchups of the weekend has to be Georgia traveling to Arkansas. (Give Mark Richt credit - his tough schedule has kept his team on read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Chizik Tries To "Manage" Auburn Fans' Expectations
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. Auburn fans have had more than a little frustration with their offense over the last few seasons.
A New Blind Willie McTell Book
Hand Me My Travelin' Shoes: In Search of Blind Willie McTell I came across this interesting blog regarding a read more...
SEC Daily Fever: Tide Duo cleared to play in Opener
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. Although the NCAA did find a violation in the Alabama case involving receiver Julio Jones and running back Mark Ingram,
SEC Daily Fever: Latest On Julio Jones and Alabama
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. It's the story that just won't go away in Alabama.
SEC Daily Fever: How will Kiffin's offense fare in Year 1?
SEC Daily Fever is the top SEC story of the day. Disagree? Let us know. As expected, Tennessee has named senior quarterback Jonathan Crompton the read more...
Mystery And Manners' Honorary Southern Artists Volume 8: Lowell George
Mystery And Manners' Honorary Southern Artists Volume 8 Born in Los Angeles, California, Lowell George's guitar playing and songwriting categorize read more...
Possums Tales and Other Southern Fare
I was inspired to write about possums when I first saw this sign in front of Hickory Barn read more...
Brooks & Dunn Going Out On Top
All good things, they say, must eventually come to an end, even if it’s a mega-star country music act like Brooks & Dunn. Louisiana man Kix Brooks and Texan Ronnie Dunn have announced that they are parting ways as a duo following a farewell read more...
Art from Alabama to New Orleans and Along the Trail of Tears
This week's feature is about Going Green in New Orleans--how one city is turning trash into treasures. As we become more and more environmentally read more...
Orrin Hatch's Folly: Senator, College Football Is About Conferences, Not Teams
After concluding Senate hearings about the BCS, Senator Orrin Hatch wrote an op-ed piece that appeared on ESPN.com. Here's a selection of that article: During the June 7 read more...
Doctor from Alabama Obama's Choice for Surgeon General
Once again Alabama has made the national news. For the last two weeks the web has been buzzing about a speech that financial guru and CEO of Retirement Systems of read more...
Time Flies Like An Arrow
“Time read more...
NBA Draft: Swampland's Pro Hoops Teams
Pro sports has a problem in the Swampland Footprint. Considered the top level of competition and interest throughout the rest of the country, the pro game doesn't resonate with read more...
The Truth & Salvage Company
Truth & Salvage On The Rise The Truth & Salvage Company were recently read more...
The Saints And New Orleans Find Re-Birth After Katrina
The 2009 season will be huge for the Saints both on and off the field. While record-setting Drew Brees tries to get the team back to the Playoffs, the bigger story may lie within the city as
In Defense of Jay Cutler: Why Most SPF Teams Still Don't Get It
I wish it hadn't come to this [trading Cutler]. I'm disappointed. . . . It's a sad day for one of the elite franchises in football and all the Broncos fans, and I'm sad - John Elway The saga of Jay Cutler has mesmerized the NFL landscape just like Brett Favre did read more...
Big Medicine Come Soon
"Beyond the horizon, in the Springtime or Fall Love waits forever for one and for all." --Bob Dylan Greetings read more...
SEC vs ACC: Clemson and South Carolina Try to Make the Palmetto State Relevant
In continuing our look at the states with both ACC and SEC teams, we move to the Palmetto State, where a ton of changes occurred in the offseason.
SEC vs ACC: Georgia and Georgia Tech Battle for Peach State Supremacy
With recruiting classes signed and spring practices approaching, it’s a good time to look at states in the Swampland Footprint that share SEC and ACC teams. We’re going to start in the Peach State, where a long time
The Clock is Ticking for Spurrier at South Carolina
As we continue to take a post-Signing Day look at the coaches and programs in our Swampland Footprint, it’s an interesting time to examine the state of the South Carolina program under Steve Spurrier. An SEC legend as a player and coach at Florida, Spurrier has not yet read more...
In Defense of Lane Kiffin: The SEC "Family Feud" with Urban Meyer
There is no other conference more proud of itself than the SEC. SEC fans from rival teams hate each other with a passion bordering on the pathological, but when success arrives, it is embraced not just for the winning team but for the conference at large.
SEC Dominance - From the Field to Recruiting (And It Isn't Stopping Soon)
The reaction to Signing Day is always interesting as every coach in America is thrilled with their class while fans have mixed reactions to their school’s ranking and new players. Everyone that followed Wednesday's coverage saw plenty of ESPN's favorite big-market teams read more...
Xmas in February for Southern College Football Fans (SEC, Big 12, ACC, Big East)
It’s finally here! National Signing Day is upon us, and this is the time where quality programs establish themselves for the upcoming years. The welcoming of a new recruiting class energizes fans and provides coaches with the opportunity to show that their school will be-or read more...
Mack Brown and the Longhorns Must Judiciously Draw Talent from their Texas Base
Water is wet, the sky is blue, and the University of Texas is working on another top-notch recruiting class. The Longhorns Mine Their State's Natural Talent Base Most BCS schools try to comb their region (if not the read more...
SB Sunday Reflections on the SPF Season: Teams Fell Short; Dungy & Gruden Gone
As the Footprint wakes to a Sunday featuring the 43rd Super Bowl hosted by one of our great Swampland cities, it gives us a chance to reflect on the past SPF season. Although five of our 13 SPF teams made the playoffs, none made any noise since they all were "one and read more...
To Stewart Mandel, We Say, "SEC Coaching Dollars Make Sense"
Chalk SI.com's Stewart Mandel as the latest member of the national media that just doesn’t understand the culture of the SEC football landscape. Mandel's latest involves
Lane Kiffin is Already Making an Impact on the SEC (and Paul Finebaum)
A few weeks ago, I wrote how I thought Tennessee and Lane Kiffin were going to be a great fit for each other. There was quite a bit of criticism for a major power in the SEC choosing a read more...
In Defense of Bob Stoops, the BCS (again), and the Big 12 (and a Look at the 2009 Season)
Proof, in college football, always comes over at least a two year period. This means that Heisman winners and BCS Championship opponents almost always have to have a strong previous season leading into their big year.
Ole Miss and LSU Cruise; Alabama and South Carolina Snooze
Overall it’s been a pretty good bowl season for the SEC, going 5-2 with Florida left to play in the National Title Game. The highlights include Mississippi and Houston Nutt getting a
Taking a Lesson from The Fat Man for 2009: Fats Domino and the Courage to Go On
Sunday night I watched the public television premiere of the documentary Fats Domino— Wallkin' Back to New Orleans. I found in that film a message of hope and inspiration for all of us for the coming read more...
Lane Kiffin fits the Vols and the SEC
Tribal Fever did a great job of presenting the challenge that is coaching in the 21st century SEC. I wanted to focus on the Tennessee job where Phil read more...
SEC and Big 12 Championship Game Reax
The college football regular season ended by giving us the matchup that made the most sense--the SEC Champion vs. the Big 12 Champion. The BCS title game should be a high-scoring, exciting affair and one that all of the fans in our Swampland footprint will appreciate. Florida will read more...
The Sunday Slate (Week Fourteen): NFC South Showdowns!
We had to take a couple of weeks off due to technical issues with the site. Check out our Faulkner-inspired T.I. Poll to see how the teams rank. On to this week's read more...
Saturday's Slate: Conference Championships
Here we are, after a week off due to technical difficulties, to find ourselves on the verge of crowning some conference champions and setting up the BCS Title teams. It has been a long and exciting year. Luckily for us, today's games have the potential to live up to the read more...
Swampland Footprint National Title: Big 12 vs. SEC
So it’s Oklahoma that gets the chance to represent the Big 12 South in Kansas City, and they will probably get a shot at the National title with a victory. Of read more...
Snowman's Six-Pack of Reax from Saturday
1. It has finally happened. For the first time since 1982, the Vanderbilt Commodores will be eligible to go to a bowl. Vandy rode D.J. Moore read more...
The Sunday Slate (Week Eleven): Key Swampland Showdowns in Jax, DC, and Indy!
After four SPF teams have byes last week (Dallas, Washington, Tampa Bay, and Cincinnati), we are heading into the home stretch. Intra-division matchups will determine playoffs berths. This week our two SPF NFC East teams and the entire AFC South face off. As read more...
Saturday's Slate: SEC vs. Big 12 South Looking Good!
After a season of many a wild ride, a little clarity emerged from last week's games. The SEC has their championship game set. The Big 12 is now down to three (maybe four) potential BCS participants. The rest of our TF conferences have a ways to go, but none of read more...
Snowman's Six-Pack of Reax from Saturday
1. After all of the Nick Saban drama last week in Baton Rouge, we finally got a close game from a SEC marquee matchup. Alabama and LSU staged a very hard-fought battle, but as we’ve written about so much this season in the SEC, the quarterback play was the difference. Alabama read more...
The Sunday Slate (Week Ten): Byes Galore
Four SPF teams have byes this week (Dallas, Washington, Tampa Bay, and Cincinnati). There are only a few good-looking games on the schedule. The rest, outside of a select few, look like virtual byes - either be easy wins or sad losses. As Always, SPF teams in read more...
Saturday's Slate: The November Home Stretch Begins!
College football remains the Footprint's most compelling and spectacular sport. The 2008 season has delivered us yet again a roller coaster ride of sporting goodness. The stakes have been high all season. So far, at least two key programs (Tennessee and read more...
Snowman's Six-Pack of Reax from Saturday
1. Wow – what an instant classic in the Lonestar State. Texas Tech pulled off an amazing upset of #1 Texas with one second to go and sent their raucous fans read more...
The Sunday Slate (Week Nine): SPF Inter-league Barometer Time
Carolina and New Orleans have bye weeks. There's one Swampland Showdown. The rest of today's Slate features matchups between SPF teams and the rest of the NFL. There is a chance that SPF teams can go undefeated this week sending a huge message to the rest of the read more...
Saturday's Slate: Top Games in Each Conference Will Decide Champions
Georgia and Florida in Jacksonville The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party has more at stake than ever – read more...
Tuesday Tastings (Week 8): Midway Point
Thanks to Patrick "Snowman" Snow's item early Monday morning, he helped us cover a lot of ground for our tastings. Without any further waiting... FINGER-LICKIN' read more...
Snowman's Six-Pack of Reax from Sunday
1) The Titans and Colts will go at it on Monday Night Football in the Music City. Tennessee comes into the game undefeated and looks to deliver the ultimate knockout blow to the usual AFC South Champ. The
Snowman's Six-Pack of Reax from Saturday
1) The biggest difference between teams in the SEC this season is simply quarterback play. Alabama, Georgia, and Florida came into the season with experienced/quality signal callers, and they have been the class of the league. Lack of experience or just poor play at quarterback has read more...
The Sunday Slate (Week Eight): Big Games in Big D, Music City
Finally, we have a few big games to savor. As Always, SPF teams in CAPS with (Week 7's T.I. Poll Ranking) TAMPA BAY (4) @ DALLAS (1) - This pivotal Swampland read more...
Saturday's Slate: A Bit of Relative Calm Before the Storm
Although you can't take a week off in college football, this week seems like a palate cleanser before some of the biggest homestretch games are played. November will feature great game after great game and next week's
A Nice Weekend of Hate in the SEC
One of the most hate-filled rivalries in college football will see another chapter written on Saturday when the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide invade Knoxville to take on the Volunteers. The “Third read more...
Tuesday Tastings (Week 7): Rams Recognized, while Dallas Declines
It was a tough week of football in SPF land. Two of our teams were off (Jacksonville and Atlanta) and several others played like they were taking the week off. FINGER LICKIN' GOOD St. Louis Rams - It is time to read more...
The Sunday Slate (Week Seven): Find Some Magic
With only four games worthy of interest and two teams off (Atlanta and Jacksonville), we are looking for a little magic in our Sunday Slate. The NFL usually provides a few unexpected surprises. Maybe this is that week. It certainly won't be hard with entertaiment read more...
Saturday's Slate: BCS Busters vs. Disciplined Talent
Last week was a lesson in symmetry. Many teams met on the field that looked like mirror images. Something had to give, and it did. 3 of the top 5 teams lost giving the nation a new number one, Texas, who beat Oklahoma in what was probably a top 10 of all time Red read more...
Tuesday Tastings (Week 6): Burt Reynolds Loves The Falcons!
It was a very weird week in SPF land. Many teams lost games they weren't expected to lose. A few others had surprising wins. (The Titans were off so they don't get included this week.) FINGER LICKIN' read more...
The Sunday Slate (Week Six): The "Must Wins" Begin
The NFL is a game of inches. Each week matters. The stories of each of our SPF teams are told as the season unfolds. There have been enough games to know that this week has more than a few teams in desperation mode. Simply put, more than a few of our teams read more...
Saturday's Slate: Symmetry Saturday
We've already been treated to upsets throughout the Tribal Fever landscape, but let's not forget that upsets require a precondition of disparity between teams, etiher real or imagined. This Saturday's games are of a different sort. It seems across the board that all read more...
Tuesday Tastings (Week 5): Nothing Is Easy
St Louis was off last week, so we are spared another missive on how terrible they are. The good news is that their temporary absence sways our SPF teams well into the positive over all. The best of our teams are living by a simple rule - nothing comes easy in SPF read more...
The Sunday Slate (Week Five): Separation Sunday
This week doesn't have the same drama as a Cowboys/Redskins weekend, but SPF teams pushing towards the playoffs, a solid 8 of 15, can further prove their mettle this week by taking care of business. As Always, SPF teams in CAPS with (Week 4's
Tuesday Tastings (Week 4): Hail To the Redskins!
Since Miami and Indy had byes this past week, we're leaving them off our weekly Tastings dispatch. That still leaves us with 11 samplings of varied quality. Let's start off with the best of the bunch... FINGER LICKIN' read more...
The Sunday Slate (Week Four): Cowboys vs Indians, er Redskins
Week Four features the only classic pro football rivalry in the Footprint. That's reason enough to tune in. Two of our teams have byes (Indy and Miami) and several others have critical games. We will quickly break it down for you. As Always, SPF read more...
Tuesday Tastings (Week 3): We're Dolphin-safe now, but the Goat, er Ram, is Smoked
After getting a full-sized Sunday helping of SPF games, some things have improved while others took a turn for the worse. "Finger Lickin' Good" Yum, yum. These teams served it up on Sunday leaving their fans hungry read more...
Earl Palmer 1924-2008
Legendary Drummer Passes Away 9/23/08 Legendary New Orleans drummer Earl Palmer died yesterday at 83. Palmer played drums on sessions for Fats read more...
The Sunday Slate (Week Three): The NFC South Goes North While the AFC South Faces Off
Week 3 doesn't feature as many interesting games as last week, but the AFC South faces off and the NFC South heads up north. As Always, SPF teams in CAPS with (Week 2's T.I. Poll Ranking) Here's a read more...
Our Week Two SPF Tastings: Give Us Some Panther, but Steer Clear of Ram and Bengal
After getting a full-sized Sunday helping of SPF games, not everything we sampled was up to par. Let's do a quick break down in hopes that maybe some of the team cooks can get their wares "Finger Lickin' Good" Although read more...
The Only Serious Philosophical Question
The recent death (September 12) of novelist David Foster Wallace (I
The SPF Week 2 Slate: Pretender/Contender Separation Begins
It's only Week 2, but many of today's games determine how seasons will unfold for our SPF teams. One game may mean nothing, but two games often represents a trend. Let's start with our inter-SPF matchups. SPF teams in CAPS with (
A Place To Come To
In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal entitled “The End of Placeness,” columnist
Friends Flee Gustav
Here on Elk River we are opening our homes and hearts to friends who are fleeing the fury of Hurricane Gustav. My neighbor and former read more...
Gamecocks Destruction of Wolfpack Serves Notice to Clemson and the ACC
Last night was the glorious kick off to the 2008 college football season. Teams from almost every conference had games allowing us some very early previews of what might be coming in the weeks ahead. Everyone now knows about the
A Humorous Comparison of College Football Between the South and the North
As our beloved college football season nears, we at Tribal Fever thought everyone should read this comparison between college football in the South versus our Northern counterparts. (This has been making the rounds via email so many of you might have already seen it - read more...
Friends of New Orleans Performances
Friends of New Orleans Presents Tipitina’s Foundation Five Year Anniversary 7/29/08 An All-Star lineup will perform two read more...
NBA Draft Post-Mortem
It was an interesting NBA Draft night with Miami and Memphis from our region making big headlines. Before I take a look at some of the specifics, the question has to be asked: Does the NBA have to make the Draft so complicated for the fans? It’s amazing how many picks are made read more...
Sonny Landreth Smokes the Strings On New Album
Sonny Landreth is a simply amazing guitarist. I have had the good fortune of seeing him perform both at The Handlebar here in Greenville, SC, and at The Americana Music Conference in Nashville, and read more...
FONO Announces the Capitol Hill Bayou Bash!
This Tuesday, June 17, anyone in or near the DC area should come out to the American Legion as Friends of New Orleans (FONO) continues its efforts of bringing New Orleans and Louisiana culture around our read more...
Friends of New Orleans and Swampland.com Join Together!
Swampland.com is proud to announce that we have joined Friends of New Orleans (FONO) as an official cultural partner for this worthy charity. Here is the mission statement of FONO direct from the official read more...
South Dominates College Baseball
by Patrick Snow There is one more week of college baseball before the conference tournaments, and the teams in our Swampland footprint are looking very strong. I had the pleasure this past weekend to attend a great 3-game series between Vanderbilt and Georgia. The Bulldogs read more...
Why Swampland Sports Loves the BCS
Despite winning back to back national titles in football, the SEC susre seems to hate the BCS. Lately, this hatred has been reaching a new level. It all started when University of Georgia President Michael F. Adams announced a proposal for
Post - NFL Draft Newspaper Wrap Up
We found this article from a week or so back that is about NFL Network being the tail the wags the dog for that league. Swampland Sports has long written now about the ways read more...
New Orleans Jazzfest: In Wake Of The Flood
Randy Newman’s “Louisiana 1927” Becomes Un-official Anthem For New Orleans Jazzfest 4/27/08 In the wake of Katrina, many read more...
SPF's NFL Draft First Round Log (Live All Day!!)
read more...
Season Summary: New Orleans Saints
Quick Summary: The Saints bombed out after their near-Super Bowl run in 2007. People can point to injuries, but SPF warned before the season started about the Saints and the team's read more...
Preservation Hall's John Brunious Dead at 67
Trumpeter John Brunious, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band's leader and senior member, died Tuesday, February 12, 2008 in Orlando, Fla., after suffering an apparent heart attack. He was 67.
Ryan Bingham Gets Help From Ford
Marc Ford & Son Join Texas Songwriter Ryan Bingham In the South 2/9/08
Petty & Eli: Underdogs Triumphant!
I sat back Sunday ready to enjoy a Super Bowl without a "horse in the race," so to speak. All of our SPF teams had been summarily dismissed in what was a down year for the Footprint on a pro football level. My thoughts were only on watching the Super Bowl as a read more...
Snowflakes: C-USA/Big East Hoops
by Patrick Snow * Could this week finally bring the contest where #1 Memphis actually loses a conference game? The last time that happened was at UAB on March 2nd, 2006. On Wednesday night, the undefeated Tigers travel to Houston to battle the 15-3 Cougars. After read more...
Six Degrees of Separation
In the south we not only claim kin we also claim friends. I have learned that behind every new acquaintance there lies the possibility of finding an old friend—not to mention discovering a new one. Such was the case this week when I was working on a feature about read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 19, Part 4): Down By The River
12. Cincinnati Bengals and 13. St. Louis Rams - Our final Poll spots are held by two teams that have a connection via the river culture from which they arose. Like railroad tracks in towns across the south, rivers often appear to be a cultural divide, but they read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 19, Part 3): Teams at the Crossroads (aka the NFC South)
We've now gone through the first 7 teams in the T.I. Poll. So far, the entire AFC South has been covered as well as the traditional big market teams in Dallas, DC, and Miami. This leaves us with a group that the NFL has neatly placed in a division they call the NFC read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 19, Part 2): Teams "On the Verge"
This is SPF's group of teams that are "On The Verge" of reaching elite status. They all have challenges, but they are clearly heading in the right direction. 4. Washington Redskins - A lot can happen in a week. The Redskins' read more...
SPF's Divisional Playoffs Pre-Pregame Show (or T.I. Poll Week 19)
There are three SPF teams left in the Super Bowl hunt, but the news doesn't stop with them. Of the 4 current coaching vacancies, SPF has three of them (Miami, Atlanta, and Washington). Signs point to a year of great transition. The SPF footprint has some of the read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Wild Card Weekend Edition)
We're mixing it up again going into the playoffs. In an up and down year, six of the 13 SPF teams made the playoffs. Two, Washington and Tennessee, made it in the final weekend. SPF is rooting for an all-Footprint Super Bowl, and this isn't out of the realm of read more...
Dr. John Voices Frustration At Friday New Orleans Show
Dr. John Expresses Frustration With Katrina Fallout 12/29/07 Dr. John informed the audience--at his first of two shows in his hometown last read more...
SPF's Week Seventeen Pre-Pregame Show
Playoffs and draft slots. It's all on the line in a strange season-ending weekend in the Footprint. EARLY GAMES Jacksonville (11-4, 5-2 away) Houston (7-8, 5-2 home)
SPF T.I. Poll (Week Seventeen)
It's the last week of the NFL season. There isn't much left to be decided. Two SPF teams (Washington and Tennessee) can get in the postseason fun if they win. We expect them to do so if only because they are playing two other SPF teams (Dallas and Indy) who are read more...
Full Moon Fever With Stanley Booth
Full Moon Fever With Stanley Booth 12/24/07 Full moon on the Little Satilla River...I return to my homesoil for the holidays, and it ain't the read more...
SPF's Week Sixteen Pre-Pregame Show
SATURDAY NIGHT Dallas (12-2, 6-0 away) Carolina (6-8, 2-5 home) NFL Films Video Preview This is a much better read more...
George Porter Celebrates 60th Birthday
New Orleans Musician Celebrates 60th Birthday 12/21/07 The great George Porter Jr. will celebrate his 60th birthday next week at The read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week Sixteen)
SPF laid down the gauntlet before last weekend's games. Many teams answered the bell. With two games left in the regular season, teams out of the playoff picture may have as much to play for as those that are in. Don't sleep SPF fans, there is still much to be read more...
SPF's Week Fifteen Pre-Pregame Show
It has been a largely disappointing season for SPF, but these final weeks can redeem or further decimate a team's momentum for 2008. There are three shoe-in playoff teams in the Footprint - Dallas, Indy, and Tampa. Two others (Jacksonville and Tennessee) have to keep read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week Fifteen)
SPF will say it - this has been a very tough year for pro football in the Swampland Footprint. Of our 13 teams, more than half of them have been in serious disarray. At best only 5 or 6 teams will have a clear direction heading into 2008. Most will be going back to read more...
Southern Greats Play Post Led Zeppelin London Gig
Sam Moore, Ben E. King, Percy Sledge and Solomon Burke Perform Post Led Zep Gig 12/11/07 Ex-Rolling Stone Bill Wyman's band, the
SPF's Week Fourteen Pre-Pregame Show
SPF has been beating a few drums this year, but one is about letting players play. Coaches coach systems. GMs find players to fit into these systems (or in the case of special players, systems are designed for their talents). Except for read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week Fourteen)
SPF has looked at the coach/QB relationship. Now, it's time to look at the owner/coach relationship. When this relationship is good, everything clicks for the fans. The fans want to see the coach as an extension of the owner, an extension that helps build a bridge read more...
...Into The Deep...
Mystery & Manners Dispatch 12/05/07 Today marks the birthday of southern writer
SPF's Week Thirteen Pre-Pregame Show
While Tribal Fever nation witnessed their conference championships this weekend, SPF has found a few of their own. There are four key head to head matchups in the SPF footprint this week - two of which will probably decide the winner of the AFC and NFC South. Our other read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week Thirteen)
Coaching changes. They happen every year even though it seems as though jobs are more than safe. Changes are usually made because the coach no longer has the confidence of the fans. Once that occurs, the owner is left with little choice. As long term, one read more...
SPF's Week Twelve Pre-Pregame Show
Leadership. Is it there? The leader(s) of each SPF team define that team to their fans. Already, Thanksgiving solidified a sense of leadership between coach and QB with both the Colts and their Manning/Dungy duo and the Cowboys with their Wade/Romo combination read more...
TF Rivalry Week Preview
Rivalry games define college football. More than bowl games or even conference championships, a win against your rival means bragging rights for a year. That is why this weekend's game can often be the hardest to call. A team with a losing record can suddenly make read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week Twelve)
SPF often talks a team's style when it comes to identity. Style, though, is kind of a catch all. Dig a little deeper and it comes down to coaching and, of course, a team's QB. This week seems like a good one to put the QB position under the read more...
SPF's Week Eleven Pre-Pregame Show
This week, more than any other this NFL season, the fan will find out who their teams are. Are teams going to the playoffs? Will they be Super Bowl contenders? Are they on the rise even if playoffs aren't likely? We shall see.
TF Saturday Preview: The Year of Transition Nears An End
The wild year continues. In many ways this was just a sign of the transition college football around the Footprint has experienced. In some ways, it shouldn't be as surprising as it has been. Nick Saban's arrival lit a fire under everyone. The ante was read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week Eleven)
Week Ten was a very weird football weekend. Many of the SPF teams lost games. Few had important wins. It just seems like this was a week to stumble. Desperation might be the biggest factor in any NFL game. The teams that are desperate have an edge read more...
SPF's Week Ten Pre-Pregame Show
SPF will stick by this point - no team set the NFL back more than the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens. This "champion" brought the worst part of hip-hop's "thug" culture to NFL through the real life violence of Ray Lewis, whose murder acquittal and read more...
TF Saturday Preview: Everything's Still To Be Decided
Patrick Snow has it right. This year's season of college football has shown that it is one of the most compelling sports to follow as a fan, especially in the Footprint.
SPF T.I. Poll (Week Ten)
Everyone knows that football is the dominant sport in the Footprint, but it has always been college dominating the pro variety. The goal of SPF's "Team Identity Poll" is to gauge the connection of each team to their fans. This week, two different studies were read more...
SPF's Week Nine Pre-Pregame Show
It's it the "Clash of the Titans!" The Colts-Pats game deserves the hype that it is getting. Both teams have built long term consistently excellent football teams in the "salary cap era " - something that is supposedly impossible. This read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week Eight)
Things continue to settle out in the SPF Footprint. This week's big question is whether the South's best is the NFL's best. The Colts were just that last season, but their old New England nemesis seems to have stolen their thunder again. Here's last week's read more...
SPF's Week Eight Pre-Pregame Show
Much like yesterday's college slate, this week's SPF schedule features teams looking towards the season's end and where they want to be at that point. Teams know that the season is half over at this point and they need to be making their final pushes. The best teams read more...
TF Saturday Preview: Pole, er.. Bowl Position
If you aren't a Florida or Georgia fan, this weekend might be a good one to spend with the kids. This is a pretty thin weekend for good games in the Footprint. That's why Athlon's college football preview spends most of its time previewing games outside our read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week Seven)
SPF's season previews are looking pretty good so far. The teams we singled out like the Jags, the Texans, and the Dolphins have shown themselves to be in hot water with their fan base. The Jags and the Texans suffered "must win" losses that neither could read more...
SPF's Week Seven Pre-Pregame Show
Getting on the same page. Coaches and players that have the same sense of urgency signify teams that are winning. The NFL is a business, and like all business deals - interests must align. This is the reason that ownership, the front office, and the coaching read more...
TF's Saturday Preview: Act Like You've Been There Before!
It's the old saying when a player celebrates a little too much - act like you've been there before. This rules seems to also hold true to some of our Footprint's winning neophytes. When programs are new to winning, they don't know how to handle themselves. That's read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week Six)
Here we are again for SPF's weekly Team Identity Poll. Things have shaken up a bit. We are much closer to how we saw things at the beginning of the season. Let's start with a look at last week's Poll: 1. Dallas Cowboys 2. Indianapolis read more...
SPF's Week Six Pre-Pregame Show
It's week 6 for the SPF teams. Four teams are basically done, but the rest have critical games that will go a long way to determining how the rest of the season will play out for them. Here's this week's slate (video links courtesy of read more...
TF's Saturday Preview: The History Behind SEC Dominance
Tribal Fever would like to start this weekend's festivities by directing everyone to a fantastic series on ESPN.com about the SEC. Which leads us to this week's focus - the historical read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week Five)
The rich seem to be getting richer (and the poor, poorer) in the SPF Footprint. There is happiness at the top, confusion in the middle, and desperation at the bottom. Let's start with last week's T.I. Poll 1. Dallas Cowboys 2. Indianapolis read more...
SPF's Week Five Pre-Pregame Show
It's week five in the NFL season. Overall, the SPF Footprint is shaping up to be a year of the haves and have-nots. The Footprint contains two of the NFL's winless teams (Dolphins and Rams) and several other struggling squads. However, we also have two of the best read more...
Tribal Fever's Weekend Slate (10/6/2007)
Let's start with this week's College Football Preview from Athlon. Swampland's own Patrick Snow hosts each week. (Read Patrick's new column on the state of baseball in read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week Four)
Just like in the college ranks, it was a bit of a crazy week in the SPF Footprint. Right now, there are more bad teams than good, but the good teams are pretty darn good so we guess that evens things out a little. Here's last week's "Team Identity" read more...
SPF's Week Four Pre-Pregame Show
Welcome SPF fans! Here's today's slate. (SPF teams in BOLD) Early Games Dolphins v. Raiders preview Rams @ read more...
Swampland welcomes Tribal Fever!
It was only a matter of time before Swampland Sports starting covering the colleges in earnest. Today marks the start of Tribal Fever, Swampland.com's dispatch dedicated to college sports in the South. We have new features up including Patrick Snow's latest read more...
Goin' Home: A Tribute To Fats Domino
GOIN' HOME: A TRIBUTE TO FATS DOMINO 9/26/07 Yesterday Vanguard released
SPF T. I. Poll (Week Three)
Back to our weekly gauge of how each SPF team is resonating with its fans. First, let's take a look back at last week's Team Identity Poll: 1. Dallas Cowboys 2. Washington Redskins 3. Indianapolis Colts 4. Tampa Bay Bucs
SPF 's Week Three Pre-Pregame Show
Here we are again. Let Week Three begin! SPF Teams in BOLD Early Games Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans (
SPF Friday Fishwrap-up: the Cowboy/Redskin paradigm
We've just posted a new analysis of the Wayne issue in Florida, Weaver in Jacksonville and Huizenga in Miami. Team Identity is our focus as always. That's why we start our Friday dispatch with read more...
CD and DVD releases for week of September 18, 2007
New Releases Doyle Bramhall Is It News (Yep Roc) Jim Dickinson
SPF T. I. Poll (Week Two)
Time for our Week Two "Team Identity" Poll. Things keep getting interesting, and that's how we like it. Let's start off with a recap of last week's T.I. Poll: 1. Dallas 2. Indianapolis (tie) 2. read more...
SPF's Week Two Monday: Playmakers making plays
THE "BEATING THE DEAD HORSE" THEME Our theme for this week is similar to last week's - the importance of playmakers. In the Footprint, we all love great coaches. We all love great schemes. However, it usually comes read more...
SPF 's Week Two Pre-Pregame Show
Each week, it will be SPF's pleasure to bring you the best pregame show on the Net. We provide our audience with clips from NFL.COM mixed in with our commentary and insight. Let's run down today's slate of games: Early games (SPF Teams in read more...
SPF Friday Fishwrap-up: LeBatard vs. Galloway
Another great southern tradition is writing. We have a whole section called Discourse that is dedicated to this pursuit. Newpapers (aka fishwraps) around the Footprint have great sportswriters that deserve to be read, and sometimes needled.
SPF's T. I. Poll (Week One)
Team Identity. This is our constant gauge for the success or failure of NFL teams in the South. College football reigns because people see themselves as part of the team. In the Swampland footprint, allegiances don't change at the college level. Coaches read more...
CD and DVD releases for week of August 21, 2007
New Releases Galactic From the Corner to the Block (Anti) Joe Nichols read more...
Welcome Back!
Greetings to all you football fans around the Swampland footprint! Southern Pro Football is back to cover another NFL season. Patrick Snow and I will be making sure that SPF covers the NFL from a Southern perspective. For all of you that didn't tune into
CD and DVD releases for week of July 17, 2007
New Releases Raul Malo After Hours (New Door) Wille Mack
CD and DVD releases for week of July 10, 2007
New Releases Chris & Rich Robinson Brothers Of A Feather [Live] (Eagle)
Swampland Sports Six-Pack for the week ending 6/24/07
Swampland’s Sports Six-Pack for the week ending 6/24/07 Your weekly filter for the top sports stories around the South
The True Adventures of Stanley Booth
6/10/07 THE TRUE ADVENTURES OF STANLEY BOOTH As I wrote in the intro to my Charlie Louvin
May Induction Into Blues Hall of Fame for Dr. John
4/7/07 Malcolm John "Mac" Rabennack--Dr. John--the Crescent City Night Tripper will be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame on May 9, 2007.
2007 Jazzfest Lineup Announced
3/10/07 Jazzfest begins in New Orleans on April 27 and continues through May 6. Some of the performers this year include Dr. John, Van Morrison, Lucinda Williams, Percy Sledge, T-Bone Burnett, James Carter, MOFRO, Little Freddie King, Norah Jones, Pharoah Sanders, Johnny read more...
Dr. John's Ongoing Voodoo...Tom Petty's Big Highway Companion Weekend on Radio...
12/14/06 The Tom Petty Highway Companion Big Weekend takes place on December 15-17 at 10AET on XM 200. The station will also broadcast rare live Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers performances. Petty also hosts a show called Buried Treasure on XM Satellite Radio set read more...