Louisiana Governor Rallies for LSU Bowl Berth

By Mark Hoerrner

She’s bold and brassy, as anyone will tell you after images of her riding in the back of a military truck with the President of the United States touring the remains in the wake of Katrina’s destruction. She’s known as a tough negotiator and a strong political mind and now she’s turned her sights on a new quarry: the administration of the Bowl Championship Series for college football.

"Anyone who follows college football knows this has been a successful year for LSU and we Tiger fans are some of the most passionate fans in college sports," Gov. Blanco said during a press conference. "Our team deserves a BCS berth."

The season went 10-2 for the Tigers, one of the best seasons in recent memory under the able Head Coach Les Miles. The team closed out their season with a one-touchdown victory over Southeastern Conference rival Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Governor has reportedly contacted the presidents of the Rose Bowl presented by Citi and the FedEx Orange Bowl to lobby for spots for her favorite college football team.

Though no official confirmations have come down through the school’s administration or from the Office of the Governor, the school has allegedly sold 38,000 pre-order tickets to the bowl. The tickets were priced at $135 each.

For the Rose Bowl staff, Gov. Blanco actually assigned her husband to speak with Rose Bowl President and CEO Paul Holman in Pasadena. Her husband has coached college and high-school football in his career. Gov. Blanco also hosted the delegation from the Rose Bowl, which included Holman and the Tournament of Roses Committee, at the Governor’s Mansion in October.

Later, she personally spoke with Orange Bowl President Eric Poms to see if she could secure a berth in Miami for the team.

The deciding votes, which will come out Dec. 3, will depend heavily on the games between Arkansas and Florida (ranked No. 4 nationally) and between USC (ranked No. 2 nationally) and the University of California at Los Angeles.