I’ll leave it in the capable hands of Art Chansky to assess the potential of this year’s Tar Heel men’s basketball team after scouting the Blue and White scrimmage last Saturday. I’m here for the concessions.
The scrimmage was sponsored by Alpaca, which served up their classic Peruvian chicken complete with fixings. I’m a fan of options, but I have nothing against the typical fare of pizza and hot dogs. Chick-fil-A was noticeably absent, but the concession stands sported a deep bench of other snacks.
My middle son selected a large pretzel, and he gave this one high marks for its taste and texture—crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. We also got a box of popcorn; salt and butter are two of the major food groups at any sporting event. We washed all the snacks down with water and Cokes, although I considered purchasing a beer. Alcohol at college concessions is still a novelty to me, but my wife, an alum, admits to sneaking airplane bottles of liquor into games. I’m sure no one tries that anymore.
I was tempted to smuggle candy in hopes of saving a little money, but I abided by the rules and legally purchased a box of M&Ms and “Sweetest Fish,” the endearing moniker our youngest has for the bright-red, ichthyian candy (apologies to Sweden).
A big shout-out to the concession workers! The employees demonstrated terrific teamwork and hustle, which made the line of patrons move quickly, and each person was kind and friendly. To echo Coach Smith, “I do believe in praising that which deserves to be praised.”
While unselfish play is a hallmark of great teams, my kids did not share their food with their father. They hogged the treats and swatted away my attempts to steal. By the end of the game, only a few popcorn pieces were on the floor—a low turnover rate. I gave an assist to the janitorial crew and coached my home team to clean up after themselves. No excuses. I know this game was just a scrimmage, but, to paraphrase Coach Williams, bad practice makes for bad performances.
Andrew Taylor-Troutman is the author of the book with Wipf and Stock Publishers titled This Is the Day: A Year of Observing Unofficial Holidays about Ampersands, Bobbleheads, Buttons, Cousins, Hairball Awareness, Humbugs, Serendipity, Star Wars, Teenagers, Tenderness, Walking to School, Yo-Yos, and More. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where he is a student of joy.
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