The producers at ESPN's Saturday morning college football pregame show "College Gameday" have been going all out this season, featuring an interesting mix of athletes, musicians and various celebrities to serve as guest game pickers and football analysts on their weekly show.
Among the guests so far have been the likes of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Kenny Chesney and, most recently, Katy Perry, who not surprisingly created quite a stir.
The string of characters continued this week when the crew visited Starkville, Mississippi, the home of the No. 3 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs, ahead of the school's marquee matchup against No.2 ranked Auburn. The school happens to be the alma mater of Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon, and of course he falls right in line in with what ESPN has been looking for to create a buzz for their show.
Chances are we don't need to say much more. Papelbon plus a live microphone on live TV always has a chance to produce something unique, entertaining, and possibly even against network regulations.
We'll go with unique for sure on this occasion.*Just check out his suit, and this entrance, woud you?
(Note: It's advised you turn down your speakers before clicking.)
Yes, that's a maroon suit and white striped bow tie, which matches the school's colors. He also had a cigar and the customary Mississippi State cowbell, which is a fixture at Davis Wade Stadium.*
As for how entertaining Papelbon's bit was or wasn't, we'll leave that up to your own discretion based on the short clip afforded.
What's not debatable is that Papelbon embraces being a little bit out there at times. He doesn't mind being a character on the field or off it, and there's no doubt sports and life in general needs characters. He's just not for everybody.*
Silliness aside (slightly aside, not too far though), he's not a half-bad picker. Papelbon confidently selected Mississippi State to defeat Auburn while crediting head coach Dan Mullen with the program's turnaround. He punctuated his selection by pulling a bulldog from under the desk to pose with. Then the Bulldogs went out and proved him right, defeating Auburn 38-23.
Peak Papelbon in the all-maroon suit pic.twitter.com/jBoIDTBpZk

— Bob Carskadon (@bobcarskadon) October 11, 2014
Victory cigars for everybody in Starkville!
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813