By 10:30 Wednesday morning, there were more than 200 people waiting outside the doors where Bret Bielema, head football coach for the University of Arkansas, would speak.
The Marriott brought in extra employees to handle as much of the valet parking as it could quickly and efficiently.
For the first time in the 10-year history of the Little Rock Touchdown Club, a luncheon - which was really a banquet - had sold out a week before it happened, and the more than 700 who attended Wednesday was a club record.
There was enough red and white there to have a pep rally.
The ballroom was packed by 11:50, when the program started.
It was about the 65th time Bielema has spoken at an event since he took over the Razorbacks program last December and the last of this year, which included 22 Razorback Club events.
“I’m out of jokes,” he told the crowd, which drew a big laugh.
Between news conferences, dinners and lunches, your trusty scribe has heard Bielema about six times, and his demeanor is the same for news conferences as it is for speeches.
He’s laid-back, relaxed and shoots from the lip.
He’s witty and has a sense of humor.
Wednesday, though, he was the most relaxed I’ve seen. He thoroughly seemed to enjoy the huge crowd.
He was given a bow tie as part of a joke, a Pulaski County inmate’s shirt as part of another joke, some Razorback candy bars and a basket of goodies from KABZ-FM, 103.7, The Buzz.
He posed for pictures and signed autographs.
He did a short interview with the media and a spot on The Zone with Justin Acri of The Buzz.
To put it bluntly, he seemed more Arkie than he ever has, and he admitted he’s been blown away by the southern hospitality he and his wife have experienced.
His talk - and it was like he was addressing friends at a barbecue - is covered more in this section by Troy Schulte, but the impressions were that he is starting to develop a trust and understanding with the fan base.
He was careful to stay away from talk about his former boss Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin’s athletic director, who for some reason was recently quoted as saying not one person had approached him and said that they missed Bielema.
Why Alvarez would do that now is a bit baffling, unless he hasn’t been able to swallow the mouthful of sour grapes over the past eight months.
Bielema didn’t say much about what happened to the Hogs last year other than the players had really endured and survived a tough time.
Although he did say, while talking about place-kicker Zach Hocker being a weapon, that the kicker had several different holders last year and was uncomfortable with that.
“So I told him, ‘You pick who you want,’” Bielema said. “Last night he kicked a 59-yarder.”
It was just another indication of the lack of organization last year, like changing the deep snapper during the season and being rewarded with a high snap.
Bielema also talked about how the focus was turning to getting ready for Louisiana-Lafayette, an opponent no one should take lightly. The Ragin’ Cajuns return a veteran team that has been to back-to-back bowl games and features quarterback Terrance Broadway, who passed for 2,842 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushed for 769 yards and 9 touchdowns last season.
The Ragin’ Cajuns will be playing with reckless abandon. They have nothing to lose, and there is a chance the Razorbacks could have a little bit of a 2012 hangover and be a little tentative in the opener.
Although after hearing Bielema speak six times, including Wednesday, when he brought his ‘A’ game to the Little Rock Touchdown Club, there is a better chance this team will be organized, disciplined and ready to play every Saturday.
Sports, Pages 17 on 08/22/2013