Bowl week! It is terrific that the Bulldogs earned their way to a bowl this year, and we could have not asked for a better bowl than the Heart of Dallas. Kathy and I had a terrific time at the Poinsettia Bowl in 2011 in San Diego, and the experience in Dallas looks to be just as much fun. And it is certainly more convenient for our fans, being only a 4-hour drive from Ruston and within similar driving distances for 75% of our alumni and friends. Kathy and I arrived at the team hotel in downtown Dallas late Monday afternoon and were greeted at the door by Teddy Allen. I am sure that he must have been there waiting on some famous athletic figure like Tony Romo or Mark Cuban to get an interview, but he didn’t show much disappointment when I walked in the door. He welcomed us and pointed us in the direction of the Louisiana Tech welcome desk. Associate AD Marco Born, Assistant AD Jay Luksis, and Admin Assistant Ellissa Phlegar were there at the desk to help us get checked in. There is a tremendous amount of coordination required by our staff to organize things for the team, and I am glad that we have great staff who know how to do it right.                     After getting settled into our room, Kathy and I went down to the lobby in time to catch the team coming out of a team meeting and getting ready to head to the Atlanta Hawks/Dallas Mavericks NBA game. After a short bus ride to the American Airlines Center, we settled into our seats and enjoyed watching the game. We also picked up some great tips on game day experiences. Tech alumnus and NBA All-Star, Paul Millsap, had a great game as the Hawks held on to beat the Mavericks in an exciting finish. It was clear to see that Paul is a major part of the Hawks game as he scored, assisted, blocked shots, rebounded and played excellent defense. Many of us stayed after the game to have a personal visit with Paul. Several of his family members also drove over for the game and they also spent a few minutes with him after the game.                     While the team takes part in a few bowl-related events scheduled for them today, Kathy and I are headed to Plano to visit with one of our corporate partners, Amdocs, and will probably stop off by a mall to do a little shopping. And maybe Kathy will treat me to a birthday lunch. We will certainly be back to the hotel in time to watch the Dunkin’ Dogs tip-off against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Go Dogs!