boblee featureFor the past 4-5 years I have used “the shuttle” to get to Kenan Stadium. Unless one merits privileged parking adjacent to the stadium, I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t follow my incredibly convenient common-sense lead… plus you overhear the most fascinating conversations.

I used to “park & ride” from The Friday Center. The past two years, I go from U-Mall because of where we do our pre-game Good Sports remote broadcasts. This season we are at Rams Plaza just down 15-501 from U-Mall. Come by…. and see Art Chansky “in the flesh”; and Ron Stutts and I too!

I’m not familiar with the logistics from Southern Village, but both Friday Center and Univ-Mall locations offer (1) convenient tailgating, (2) oodles of free parking, (3) easy in-out and (4) all for $5/person for a 10-minute round-trip to Woollen Gym just a one block walk to Kenan Stadium. Compared to the assorted hassles of all the alternatives, it’s a no-brainer. And then there’s the opportunity to encounter “The Great American Sports Fan”.

If there is “the typical fan who rides the shuttle” it would be “just regular fans”.

NOT the infamous “fat cats” who have preferred parking “just a precious stone’s throw” from The Blue Zone.  Does anyone else remember that Danziger’s commercial? I bet Freddie Kiger does.

NOT the “candelabra on the card table” tailgaters for whom the game is a three-hour interlude between social climbing and business networking.

And definitely NOT the clenched-teeth, really serious “board monkeys” who convene in various pre-arranged sites to plot the character assassinations of recalcitrant “coordinators” and provocative pre-game radio personalities – YIKES!

“Shuttle people” are just nice mainstream folks who enjoy attending Carolina football games with family and/or friends. Among 50,000+ Kenanites on any given Saturday, “shuttle people” are, by far, the vast majority….. even those that don’t actually use the shuttle. They will eventually.

Sometimes my fellow Good Sport, Art, and I shuttle together. Sometimes it’s just me. I always wear my C-blue ballcap for games. Of the various Real Fans Rules, “wearing something in your team’s color” seems the least a fan can do. That’s about the only one of those silly rules I do adhere to.

I’ve “shuttled to Kenan” 25+ times over the past few years. On 94.8% of those trips, I’ve encountered the “Ignorance Is Bliss” folks. I love them.

I will defend to their death the “right” of any individual to attend a sports event and be absolutely stone-cold ignorant of the facts, figures, personalities or technical truths about the event itself.

It ranges from UNC Quarterback “Brian Reynolds”….. huh?….. to “Marvin Austin was framed” …… to the classic – “If Jim Tatum hadn’t died it would be us at #1 instead of Alabama”.

Sporadically I still hear “Mack lied to ‘dem boys”….. and of course endless Cow College and Dook jokes regardless of the day’s opponent.

Overhearing two 50-ish types who “might” have played Pee Wee football back in the early 70s and now shuffle paper in some feckless cube-farm discuss the merits of the 3-4 versus the 4-3 is always a hoot.

The elder geezer a year or so ago relating an anecdote involving “my close friend Ol’ Ernie Williamson” was intriguing. From the text of his comments it was obvious he still thinks Ernie is running the Rams Club. I did not correct him.

If someone buys a ticket and takes the time to come to the game; why must they have any clues beyond whatever version of reality they wish to wrap themselves up in? They don’t need to.

NOTE: Everything is relative. I also attended Saturday night’s NC State v Richmond game at The Carter. The term “versions of reality” takes on a whole new meaning among certain factions of that bunch. Whoa……

Trying to “force-feed facts to fans” would make the Labors of Hercules seem like a piece ‘a cake.

If you did not hear our interview with The Fabulous Comparato Twins on Saturday’s show YOU HAVE TO. It was AWESOME!

Here’s The Link – CLICK

Warning: Fully 50% of what Nicole, Paige, Chansky and yours truly said was pure unadulterated HoKum. You get to decide what 50%.

Go Heels!

More BobLee at www.bobleesays.com