Freelance Blogging the BCS Freeway-Flyer's Extravaganza!

Well, this is my first "freelance" post, which is occasioned by spending an entire day with one of the right's most successful freelance bloggers: Robert Stacy McCain. Actually, I'm not really a freelancer myself. But when you're hanging 24-hours with "The Hustler," you definitely pick up some clues on how to get it done! And man, if my blogging needed some spicing up (as I've suggested a bit), you're getting some double-barreled jalapeño with "The Other McCain"!

Okay, we're picking it up just as we hit the road. Our first order of business was to head over to the Crimson Tide's lodging at the Westin South Coast Plaza. Pulling up to level five of the parking structure, Robert continues to organize the day's itinerary. We meet up with conservative hottie Brittany Cohan, in the second shot below:

We took a cruise around the hotel lobby, scoping things out. Security was tighter than a cork, but we happened upon the Crimson Tide's training crew, and Robert peppered them with his down home charm. Lots of laughs, and pictures too. See, "The Right-Wing Blogosphere’s Official BCS Pre-Game Show." After picking up some refreshment's at the hotel's Starbucks, we circled back out front just as the team buses were rolling out to Pasadena:

A substantial California Highway Patrol contingent was preparing to escort the 'Bama Boys' to the Rose Bowl (both teams practiced on-site yesterday):

Arriving at the Rose Bowl, Stacy immediatel starts making the interview rounds:

I took some pictures of the location:

While hanging out, the Texas Longhorns' bus pulled up. After the fans clear out, I headed over to the souvenir stand:

Meanwhile, looking around for Robert, I see he's corralled a couple of 'Bama fans for a quick interview:

Robert's taking the video above. The result is below, where we see Alabama fan Stacey Mickles' predicting a 34-17 Crimson Tide victory in the NCG:

Next we learn that we'll have to travel back to the Newport Beach Marriott to secure Robert's press pass for the game. As we start heading back out to the car we see the video trucks lined up along the entry road:

Strangely, we bump into some U.S. Customs and Border Protection units. They don't want their picture taken, but we took 'em anyway, and Robert posted an entry over at the American Spectator, "Football: A Matter of National Security?"

I'm a local freeway-flyer, and in no time we're back in Newport Beach. The hotel is all decked out for the massive media presence in the Southland. The widescreen was just showing Texas Coach Mack Brown's press conference on the eve of the game:

Now Robert has a plan: Scoring a press pass is looking dicey, so he sets up shop in the corporate media workroom to file some blog reports:

That shot's a bit rushed, because I'm hungry! I head across the steet to the food court at the Newport Center Mall. (I was there a couple of weeks ago to take pictures of the nation's tallest Christmas tree.) I have a light lunch of chicken tacos, with a little avocado stuffed in there, which is unusual -- but tasty:

Heading back to the hotel to check things out, Robert takes my photograph:

Robert wants to keep working, so I cruised back over to Newport Center for some Starbucks. I return to the hotel at about 6:00pm to find out that he's been stiffed on the press pass. So, being an enterprising guy, he assembles the day's interviews into a story filed on deadline for the American Spectator. The piece ran this morning at 3:07 PST: "Roses in Crimson and Orange."

It's been a long day. By now Robert's probably into his third or fourth Corona. But I'm having coffee, as we're about to get back on the highway once more. We head to Redondo Beach to meet the awesome Juliette Akinyi Ochieng of Baldilocks. Also on hand is the lovely Jenny Erikson from Smart Girl Politics, at left:

We also met up with musician Chris Cassone and pal Brittany from earlier in the day. Also on hand is Big Government's Mike Flynn. (Pictures are here and here, a little blurry as Chris is probably pretty buzzed by now - Mike Flynn is seated at rear on the right bench).

Okay, as this post goes live Alabama has just beaten Texas 37-21 for the national championship! Check out Robert Stacy McCain's live-blogging from the Gordon Biersch brewhouse in Burbank.

ROLL TIDE!!