Written by Ell | 24 December 2008

There's been tons of excitement around the football team this year. Crowds at Bryant-Denny have been electric. Road games have been like a family reunion. The games in the Georgia Dome were both mostly home-type crowds. And you guys have made us the most read Bama blog on the innerwebs (thanks for that, by the way). But now, as Alabama plays in a January bowl for the first time since 1999, the excitment has waned. Here are five good reasons you should pack up the car and drive to the Crescent City on the second day of the new year. 1. It's the freaking Sugar Bowl. Sure, it's called the AllState Sugar Bowl, and we would rather be in Miami. But it's still the place where all manner of good things have happened for Alabama through the years. For instance: Or maybe you remember: Seriously... it's the Sugar Bowl. And winning means we finish in the top five in the country. And it's the Sugar Bowl! 2. Tickets are available. Read that again. Yes, tickets are available. Onec more, there are still tickets available for this game. Like ones you can buy at face value - albeit an exorbitant $125. That doesn't even count the scores of Bama fans I've talked to who have tickets to the game and are looking to move them. It is simply mind blowing that you can still procure seats to this game without the help of a scalper. 3. Coach Saban told you to go. While he appreciates what we've done as fans, we also need to finish the season. In Ian Rappaport's post earlier this week:

We certainly appreciate the fact that our fans have been very supportive of us all season," Saban said. "We certainly appreciate the fact that we sold out our ticket allotment immediately. That's the kind of support you need in bowl games. That's what helps the program get in better bowl games when you have a great history of traveling well. But I want everybody to know that's traveling and supporting us, you need to respect this team and be ready to go. Because this is a very, very good team.

That dovetails nicely into #4... 4. Utah can play. Yes, they played in a lousy conference. Yes, they don't have anyone half as good as Florida on their schedule. Yes, they are from Utah. But every time these guys lined up and played this year, they won. They're just one spot below us in the Sagarin poll, and their strength of schedule is only slightly below ours (58th hardest for us, 70th for them). They're a fun team to watch - they spread the formation and chuck the ball all over the field. To see how that works against one of the best defenses in the country should be interesting. 5. Laissez les bon temps roulez! Translated: let the good times roll... I could write a book on all the reasons New Orleans is a great place to visit - particularly when the relative humidity isn't 237%. They've got some of the best food in the world. They've got great hotels. They have fantastic bars with great music - and some less than great but still entertaining music. At some point someone is going to get naked (link redacted... find it yourself, perv!). They have cheap liquor. They've got a world-class casino right downtown! Chances are, you've not been back to New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. Lots of folks haven't. They could use a bunch of half-drunk Alabama fans carousing in the French Quarter. Or enjoying a great meal in the Garden District. Or tossing quarters in a slot machine on Canal. It's an easy trip - probably less than 6 hours for most of us. Hell, let's go now and party until kickoff! In short - get excited Bama fans. It's a BCS Bowl in a premium location - and winning it would be really sweet.

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