I'm King Travisius and welcome to my kingdom. In my personal piece of this website I'm going to share with you stories of the good old days, back when I was a youngster and Third Row was just beginning...

07-05-04 - What Makes Third Row Better?

Out of the shadows the rambling must go on. Apparently it has been so long since I posted a rambling that I am not sure anyone but me will ever read this. The reason I have not been writing many rambling is as simple as writer's block. I just haven't been inspired to spew forth the dribble that I occasionally post in this section. Well that has Changed in a big way. In the last couple of weeks the banter of the third row elite has gone through the roof, as always their are issues that we would like to address in the off-season.

On that note, it seems to me that these issue all share on thing in common a want to make third row better, but that is not to say that every idea out their would do just that. Also, The Question "What makes Third Row better?" comes to mind because not everyone thinks the same things would be beneficial. At this point you are probably tired of reading and wondering what the hell the point could possibly be. Well your out of luck this segment is called "Rambling" and I do what the title implies. And Although this one is short, know that I have completed a story for next week that you will find even less entertaining. To sum up, Third Row has left the confines of the average tailgate party and has become something far more enticing and as long as we have so many people interested in making the party that much better all the time, it will not be long before everyone else will be standing in the shadow of our flag.

King Travisius
"Third Row saved my Life"

04-29-04 - Volunteering

I believe most people probably know by now that I enjoy tailgating, and that's what Third Row is all about. Which is why the off season can be hard with all the withdrawal symptoms. That is why Third Row has off season events to try to help alleviate these symptoms. The off season can lead to problems though. Often times people sign up to do activities such as Student Government or Ambassadors in the off season, not thinking far enough a head and then come tailgating season these organizations force you to give up your invaluable tailgating time to serve their selfish causes such as "Save the Oaks" or "Tiger Day".

Some of you are probably reading with shocked indignation that I would call such things selfish, well get over yourselves. Such things are selfish. Why does Tiger Day need to be for a home football game? "Because That's How we attract incoming freshmen" WRONG. Third Row is how we attract incoming freshmen. The truth of the matter is most kids that come to tiger day were going to come to LSU anyway because they already know what's in store for them. And " Save the Oaks" the Oaks are in 'danger' all the time so I don't see the need to spend the most enjoyable time of the year saving them instead lets save them during dead week or during midterm exams. But seriously I do have a serious warning to some of our younger members and that is to be cautious not to become over-involved. I speak from experience.

When you volunteer for to many things and become over committed you can end up losing the one group at LSU that is lasting, Third Row. So feel free to excuse yourself from that position you were just appointed to now because come fall you are going to wish you had. "I don't really think everyone should quit ambassadors,'but don't volunteer yourself to death

The King
"Third Row Saved My Life"

03-17-04 - Throwing the Party

I think that most of us do not realize the amount of thought and effort that is put into these parties by the Third Row Oversight Board. But at the same time, I think people also fail to understand the ultimate gratification they get from throwing such Kick-ass parties. So I decided to let you in on a little bit of it.

All events start out the same way, the idea is just tossed out there: "We should have a Third Row Crawfish Boil" or whatever else. Then the sickos that throw the parties just start talking about how to go about having such an event. Usually they finally make up their minds to do it at the last minute but it goes off without a hitch anyway.

This is where it gets interesting because now that they have had a successful event (and they always seem to be) they start immediately thinking about how they could make the same event even better next year. So for the next 11 months they plan out how the next one will be even better.

This bring me to a some what random point. People are always asking me or Jay or James or whoever... "what can I do to help," or "I want to be more involved; how do I do that?" and this is the best answer I have thought of so far. The thing is, we have all been doing this for a while and usually we are capable of handling things on our own. That's not to say we don't want or appreciate or need help. We do. It's just hard for us to dole out specific tasks for someone to do when we could do it ourselves. The best thing that anyone can do is to take it upon themselves to just do something. If you think we should get hooded sweatshirts for next season, don't just make the suggestion, bring us some concrete numbers from a vendor on what they cost and how to order them. If you think we should have more summer events, Come up with an event and help plan it and support it. If you think our parties could use purple and gold tablecloths, napkins, and doilies or fancy plastic plates and violin serenades, well by all means learn to play the violin. I have much love for all of you Third Rowers. If you really want a special place in the King's heart, just take some initiative and impress me, and please have fun.

Life is not living unless you are laughing.
The King

03-01-04 - Nicknames

As it tends to happen, it has occurred to me that I am most often asked how certain people got their Third Row nicknames, or could I please give them a nickname, or what is somebody's real name, since they were introduced by their nickname. Today I will try to answer some of these questions to the best of my ability.

As far as knowing people only by their nickname goes, it is simple. If you are lucky enough to have a nickname bestowed upon you, you consider it an honor. Therefor if a person chooses to call you by some other name, you have no choice but to assume that this person is insulting you. So please, do not ask me what the Doctor's real name is; it's the Doctor.

Secondly, please do not ask for a nickname. This puts us bestowers in a very awkward position. The thing is when we have a nickname for you we will be happy to give it to you. When you manufacturer a nickname out of pity it is rarely quality, and it usually doesn't stick. Also it is so much more fun when the nickname has a story to go with it. In my youth I tried to give a guy the nickname Cake. I had no reason, just thought it fit. I still think that guy holds it against me. Oh well, that's neither here nor there, as Jaysus would say.

Nicknames come in many different ways. Some are given on a whim and just seem to fit, while others are given out and then modified over and over again. First case in point: "Boo". Eric thought he was a championship snow skier some years back, so in tribute to his greatness Jay and I named him after the famous skier Picabo Street. Well Picabo is kind of a lot to say, so we shortened it to just Boo. The Doctor is another good example. For a while he had the nickname "Gregory Peck" and the prefix Dr. just somehow got attached. The next thing old Peck knows everybody starts asking him what he is a doctor of. The Doctor always tries to play it off as a bit about how long he has been in school. Don't let that fool you he is simply the Doctor, but his full name is Doctor Gregory Peck.

The Grudge is a good example of a name that just sticks. If you talk to the Grudge long enough, he will tell you about his grudge against somebody, but they are always funny and typically trivial (I've probably just been grudged). Now earlier in this piece you might have noticed that I called Jay, well, just Jay. That brings up the next point that some nicknames are conditional, and Jay is the perfect example. If Jay has really long hair and a scraggly beard he can be known only as Jaysus. But, If he has a mullet and a trash stache he must be called Jayfus. Both are excellent nicknames, but they are situational; to use them outside the situation is living in the past. We call one guy the Mexican simply because he's not Mexican. We call 3 fingered Rob that because he has 8 fingers. We call The Spell-Checker that because she can't spell. The truth is the only thing a Third Row nickname has to be is a little bit funny for those who get it, and easy to remember for the rest of us.

To submit a nickname for approval, contact me directly. The King has spoken.

Please, remember not to take anything seriously, unless you are not serious person.

Third Row Saved My Life.

02-08-04

Ok I know it has been entirely too long since I have told on of the many third row stories, so I thought I would make up for it now. I was talking to Jay the other day, and he mentioned that this year we will be holding are fifth annual Natural Light Night at the Natitorium. It occurred to me that many of you out there probably have know idea why the Third Row goes to such lengths for us all to have such an excellent time. It all begins even before we called ourselves Third Row. In fact we had just decided to paint an old van purple and gold to show our school spirit. Now, don't let the fact that we didn't have a name fool you we were having as good a time as ever, just with fewer freinds.

The thing about painting a van purple and gold is it's time consuming. So we were a little late one week saving our spot right in front of the Natitorium. When we arrived, we realized our neighbors that had been coveting our spot for years had decided that they would simply caution-tape the entire area to keep us from parking where we had been parking for years. We discovered this at 2 AM and began discussing what we should do about it. Most thought we should just tear the tape down and park where we always had parked. Others, Travis mostly, suggested not only tearing down the tape but dragging away the one car they had parked and lighting it a blaze in the middle of the feild. James Lawson knew excactly what we should do, " No guys, that's not what we should do. This week we let them have our spot, but for the next home game we throw an all night tailgate party that's so massive that when they come to reserve their spot, no spots will be available for blocks."

It was decided. We each told all our friends and they in turn told all their freinds that the biggest on-campus party in a long time was going down. When our neighbors showed up that night they had nowhere to park, and they weren't happy about it. If only they knew they had helped to create one of the greatest college party traditions in the country. So next time you see one of the people tailgating next to us staring longingly at our party you'll know that it's not only our perfection that they wish they had, but also our identity.

Third Row Saved my Life.
Travis "the King" Ducote

05-11-03

Ah the third row, many people have asked me over the years why it was that we coveted the third row of the student section so madly. Well, it is a complicated answer since many of us had different reasons for sitting there. In the beginning all of our friends from high school and college sat in the same section, and the third row was the first row you could see over the really tall guys on the real first row. We were more concerned with the game (and in those days their was a lot to be concerned about) than being seen on TV, so we would rush in to the stadium and save the third row for all those that tailgated with us. It saddens me slightly that we have not kept up this tradition, but then again the tailgating is so much fun it is getting hard to even go to the games. Anyway, I would like to add that the Grudge had a different reason for standing on the third row; it was the best vantage point to see his favorite LSU cheerleader. Many other people sat there just because it was the cool place to sit because I was sitting there. This seems like the time to make a point: being in the Third Row and sitting on the third row are two different things. I just thought that some background on how we got to where we are would be nice. So for all of those that have seen the section of the Third Row that we keep at my house, the signatures on the top are from people who actually stood there up until the year 2000. Maybe we should do something for people who have carried on the tradition since then...

03-25-03

Oh what memories the beer has drowned out over the years, but I still remember a few incidents, and anyone who has talked to me more than twice will remember me telling the same stories more than once. Well then, here is one of those stories, and remember that I have not the skill of 'the Grudge' to weave a good yarn. You should read the story anyway, for this is ancient history.

The year was 1997, and I, myself, just a young buck, was fresh on the LSU campus. It occurred to me that I had not gotten football tickets, so I asked a friend from high school, Scott Hammatt, how I should go about acquiring a set. After Scott finished laughing at me, he explained that student tickets had been sold out for weeks. Needless to say I was distraught since football was one of the main reasons for attending
college. Just then my savior on earth rode up on a cycle, which was the preferred mode of transportation of the time. Jarred Feazel had a season ticket he didn't want to use because he wanted to work on Saturdays. So with that stroke of luck I was in business.

Now, you might be wondering what in the F*#* this has to do with the Third Row, but you'd be stupid because clearly I might not tailgate as much if I never went to the football games. More importantly to the history of Third Row is what happened next....

Scott: "hey, Travis, what are you doing before the game?"
Travis: "I guess I should tailgate somewhere, how about you?"
Scott: "Yeah, we should tailgate in front of that big Oak tree between the
Natatorium and fieldhouse."
Travis: "Why there? I used to tailgate behind the practice field."
Scott "the tree will be shady and will be easy for people to find."
Travis: "Sounds good to me."

And that brings me to my point which is that if it hadn't rained all that day, and two-hundred forty-year-old men hadn't whizzed all over that poor oak tree for all to see, we might not have tailgated at the Nat for the next 6 years.

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