After travelling to three on-site campuses this year, ESPN2’s ‘Cold Pizza’ will be on LSU’s campus this Friday morning.
Host Jay Crawford said he is personally looking forward to being in Baton Rouge.
“I’m excited to be going there,” Crawford said. “It’s one of the places that define college football in the South. If there’s a place that would embody that student euphoria, LSU is it.”
‘Cold Pizza,’ which has traveled to such campuses as Ohio State and Boston College this season, will make its first appearance on the LSU campus this Friday. Joining Crawford are columnists Woody Paige and Skip Bayless, who will take part in the show’s ‘First and 10’ debate.
For Paige, a writer for the Denver Post, being surrounded by the effects of a disaster is nothing new.
“I know what New York City went through with the World Trade Center,” Paige said. “And they can really identify with them. One was a terrorist attack, and another was man-made. You can’t prepare for either one.”
Paige said that while people outside the state of Louisiana can witness what has happened, most will never truly understanding what some have gone through.
“Nobody expected one of the worst natural disasters to hit the United States,” Paige said. “But nobody outside of that area can really know what people near the Gulf are going through. There’s no way any of us can understand it.”
After covering sports in New York City following 9/11, Paige recalled an NHL exhibition game he covered between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders.
“I didn’t really think it was going to be that important,” Paige said. “But when I saw people singing the national anthem, I still have emotional feelings from that night. Sports really can bring people together.”
Students will have the opportunity to view the show’s live taping Friday at 7 a.m. The location of the set has yet to be decided.
After already witnessing pre-game activities at several other campuses across the nation, Crawford said he enjoys seeing what students will come up with next.
“College football students are just so smart,” Crawford said. “They’re creative and witty, and one of the things we enjoy the most are the signs they make. I honestly think we enjoy them more than they enjoy us.”
Paige said the return of college football to Tiger Stadium on Saturday nights is something people should take advantage of.
“A lot of people who have had to leave the area will maybe be able to come back for some normalcy,” Paige said. “People should be able to party and drink and just forget what all has gone on for one day.” 
Contact Jeff Sentell at [email protected]