Tusk to Tail: Little Rock brings early arrivers and late stayers

It feels good to have some excitement and anticipation back in Razorback football after 16 months of turmoil on and off the field.

The Bret Bielema era got off to a great start last weekend with the team showing balance on offense and a defense that held an experienced Louisiana-Lafayette team to 274 yards.

Let’s hope this weekend brings cooler temperatures and a big group of Hog fans from all across the state.

Saturday will be Coach Bielema’s first visit to Little Rock and I’m hoping he’s coming with an open mind. I think it’s obvious the seasons with two games a year in Little Rock are quickly coming to an end. When your own coach says we have to treat Little Rock as an away game that tells you all you need to know about the future of football games in Little Rock.

Times change and I’ll support the move of the games away from Little Rock. But as a fan base I think it’s important to understand and appreciate the history of Razorback football in Little Rock. Moving all the games to Fayetteville may be the smart thing to do, but let’s remember to give War Memorial Stadium and the traditions of the games in Little Rock the respect they deserve.

OK, off my soapbox now.

It should be a great tailgate this weekend on the golf course with the Central Arkansas Tusk to Tail crew. As Dale Cullins says, “People come early, stay late, and make a serious party of it.”

Reserved parking for the golf course opens at 6 a.m. and will close at 10 a.m. The weather is expected to be a little warm, but nothing too uncomfortable. The early morning menu will be heavy on cocktails and pastries. Jordan and Jamey Johnson are smoking pork, brisket, and all the fixings as we set up to feed more than 100 of our closest friends in the afternoon.

We should have some of the world’s most interesting guests at the tailgate this weekend. Look for pictures on Sunday here at The City Wire.

Tusk to Tail is looking forward to having Jeff Laman and his new wife Hope at our tailgate. It’s her first Little Rock game so we’re all going to be on our best behavior. We’ve even gone so far as to leave most of the Northwest Arkansas Tusk to Tail crew in Fayetteville for the weekend.

It should be fun. Go Hogs!