{"id":63,"date":"2006-08-27T22:22:17","date_gmt":"2006-08-28T02:22:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/section30.com\/?p=63"},"modified":"2006-08-27T22:26:08","modified_gmt":"2006-08-28T02:26:08","slug":"tnl-countdown-to-football-part-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/section30.com\/?p=63","title":{"rendered":"TNL Countdown to Football, Part 7"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’d like to note that I got the Unsung Hero Award at my high school senior awards ceremony; my mom informed me it was the “award” they gave to anyone that didn’t get any other kind of award, so that no one was left out.\u00c2\u00a0 Looking back, I was perhaps the only one on that stage holding that award that wasn’t looking forward to graduation so I’d have more time to work on my Trans Am.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Tailgating newsletter: The season in review
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We only ask because we care\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n<\/em>Volume 1, Issue 8
\nDecember 2003<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR PRESIDENT
\n<\/strong>IT\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S BEEN SAID THAT THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY REMAIN THE SAME.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll say.<\/p>\n

It seems like just yesterday when we were eagerly anticipating those dreaded Dog Days of Summer, where once again on Saturdays, everything would again be right with the world.\u00c2\u00a0 And here we are, on the cusp of the Yuletide season, reminiscing about another season of autumn winds gone by, wondering: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What do we have to look forward to this Saturday?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

But we can cherish the memories of another fine season and continue to build on the relationships and bonds we developed in those seven short weekends in the autumn of 2003.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

As you indubitably might recall, we entered this season with several uncertainties.\u00c2\u00a0 Would we be able to maintain our intensity like the bygone days of our youth?\u00c2\u00a0 How would expansion affect the group and would the newest member (Worm) really solidify our position among the tailgating elite?\u00c2\u00a0 Would we become more organized and less erratic in our preparation for game day?<\/p>\n

And as we look back and evaluate each performance, we can certainly answer, in a positive way, some of the questions that lingered in August.\u00c2\u00a0 But we must never become content \u00e2\u20ac\u201c contentment breeds mediocrity, and we must never settle for anything less than national prominence.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

Am I pleased with our performance this season?\u00c2\u00a0 Well, there is certainly room for improvement.\u00c2\u00a0 But at the same time, we, as a group, have to continue to chop wood and honor the process.\u00c2\u00a0 And I would have to believe that our group can match up with any tailgating group in the nation; whether it is a group from LSU, Ole Miss, or Wisconsin.\u00c2\u00a0 We just need to improve on our cohesiveness as a unit and remember that we live in day-tight compartments.<\/p>\n

Before we can move forward, though, we must look back.\u00c2\u00a0 And when we look back we can certainly find the positives on which to build, so that we may grow as a group, each individual doing his (or her) part to make our tailgating experience more memorable.\u00c2\u00a0 Individual honors only serve to illustrate how each individual participant can be so instrumental in the overall success of the tailgate.\u00c2\u00a0 The first annual TNL Awards were voted on by an anonymous panel and with great pride I have included them in this special edition TNL.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

1st ANNUAL TAILGATING HONORS<\/strong><\/p>\n

MVP \u00e2\u20ac\u201c STEVE EDWARDS<\/strong>
\nEdwards, in his rookie tailgating season, proved his value immediately at the Western Carolina game with his mocking of the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Move the Chains\u00e2\u20ac\u009d chant and subsequent and seemingly innocent \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Who was that?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Edwards showed tremendous upside week-after-week, and he showed incredible versatility en route to his first tailgating MVP award; whether it be enlightening the younger participants with his wisdom and wit or carving the turkey, Edwards was always on top of his game.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Steve Edwards was invaluable to us this season.\u00c2\u00a0 He is fearless,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d J.R. Crawford says of Edwards.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He is unafraid to dish it out and he can certainly take it; absolutely.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

12TH MAN \u00e2\u20ac\u201c STEVEN WILKES<\/strong>
\nWilkes, of Lincoln County, was a free-agent pickup for the UNC game and if anyone \u00e2\u20ac\u02dchonors the process,\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 this Cat does.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He brings so many intangibles to a tailgate,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jeremy McGinnis says of Wilkes.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He has tremendous length and there really is no \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcquit\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 in him.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Wilkes is always on top of his game; he keeps a case of beer between his seats for just such occasions.\u00c2\u00a0 Wilkes is a quiet observer of those around him, and his wit is unyielding: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have any vices,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Wilkes proclaims, taking a drag from his Marlboro and then a long pull from his can of Budweiser.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

UNSUNG HERO \u00e2\u20ac\u201c EMILY \u00e2\u20ac\u0153EASY-E\u00e2\u20ac\u009d HINES<\/strong>
\nHines is simply a force unto herself.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an angel; she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a saint \u00e2\u20ac\u201c those are two things that I ain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jacob Crawford says matter-of-factly of his long-time girlfriend.\u00c2\u00a0 Lord knows she must be to deal with his sorry ass all the time \u00e2\u20ac\u201c as well as the rest of us, might I add.\u00c2\u00a0 Her Easiness always shows up ready to contribute.\u00c2\u00a0 She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s usually quite serene but has a feistiness that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s simply unmatched.\u00c2\u00a0 She proclaimed her \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Greatest Person Ever\u00e2\u20ac\u009d status during the season and emphatically remains a modest and ubiquitous presence among the group.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR \u00e2\u20ac\u201c L.D. WILLIAMS<\/strong>
\nWilliams, fighting off an early season, non-tailgating related illness, made her return in remarkable fashion to participate fully in nearly all tailgating activities.\u00c2\u00a0 She proved invaluable with her preparation of numerous food items and snacks, especially the Deviled Eggs and S\u00e2\u20ac\u2122mores Brownies (which she made despite not being on the roster for that game; talk about taking one for the team).\u00c2\u00a0 Her love for Philip Rivers boundless, Williams sported her red #17 jersey with pink letters proudly at each game she was healthy.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Williams is truly an inspiration to us all to fight like she did and be such an integral part of Section 30, Rows Y and Z,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said fellow tailgater, Easy-E Hines.<\/p>\n

HENCH AWARD \u00e2\u20ac\u201c JEREMY MCGINNIS<\/strong>
\nMcGinnis\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 tailgating worth most certainly has to be measured through the intangibles.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He has tremendous depth,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Shawn Williams says.\u00c2\u00a0 Whether it is a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153blackout\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or an inappropriate and snide comment at exactly the right time, Worm always seems to know how to shun conventional cynicism and offer his own biased approach to life.\u00c2\u00a0 His comebacks are pithy and his wit unabashed.\u00c2\u00a0 There is simply no replacement for overstating the obvious with such poignant comments as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153At least I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m getting laid,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Tackle someone!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s horrible!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 The addition of McGinnis has certainly brought more character to Saturdays outside Carter-Finley.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

MOST LIKELY TO NOT BE AROUND NEXT SEASON AWARD \u00e2\u20ac\u201c BEN MILLER<\/strong>
\nAt the outset of the 2003 tailgating season, it appeared that if ever there was a tailgater that was past his prime, it was Ben.\u00c2\u00a0 This once ferocious and intimidating lion had been reduced to little more than a mild-tempered, purring kitten.\u00c2\u00a0 Ben, seemingly down and out \u00e2\u20ac\u201c not permitted to make any decisions for himself, it seemed \u00e2\u20ac\u201c continued to fight, however, and eventually regained some of the respect he lost by what most of the participants termed as his \u00e2\u20ac\u0153utter abandonment\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of all tailgating principles.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not going to lie \u00e2\u20ac\u201c he was dead to me,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d admits Lucas Miller.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But then I realized he was just another poor, whooped soul like so
\nmany others I know, and \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it just breaks my heart to see him like that.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Ben continued chopping wood, though, and on several occasions he actually drank real beer.\u00c2\u00a0 (\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s that wussy beer \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it must be Ben\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d chimed Steve Edwards on various occasions.)\u00c2\u00a0 By season\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s end, though, the sleeves had come off, and this year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s recipient of the Doug Christie jersey had made enormous inroads towards regaining his elite tailgating status.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

SMEAR THE BEER AWARD \u00e2\u20ac\u201c SHAWN WILLIAMS<\/strong>
\nB. Shawn Williams, like John Elway and Barry Sanders before him, decided to go out while he was on top.\u00c2\u00a0 Williams became the first champion of America\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s new favorite pastime, Smear the Beer, and then, just as abruptly and unlikely as an Adam Kiker chip-shot, he walked away from it all, basking in the glory of that brief, albeit unforgettable, moment.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It was truly a great throw, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll never forget the feel of Mr. Fonville\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Miller Lite splattering all over me,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Matt Edwards said after the game, the overpowering emotion still lingering in the air.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll always remember Williams\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 throw \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it was so cohesive.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

GREG GOLDEN AWARD \u00e2\u20ac\u201c JACOB CRAWFORD<\/strong>
\nIt unfolded like the memorable plays always do: The abnormally warm, late-November sunshine beat down on the asphalt and their rolled-up-sleeves-exposed shoulders; but they would have to ignore the heat because it was fourth down and goal and the game was on the line.\u00c2\u00a0 Just as The Great Emmy Miller went under center, waiting to take the snap from Brooke Shevitz, sixth-year senior cornerback Jacob Crawford crept towards the line of scrimmage, showing Bump-and-Run coverage on the true freshman wide out, Katie Hilborn; Miller, like all great quarterbacks do, recognized the changing coverage and called an audible at the line.\u00c2\u00a0 She took the snap and quickly released the football, avoiding the brutal pass rush by Shawn Williams and Ben Crawford, who swarmed past Shevitz in a fury.\u00c2\u00a0 The pass was a tight spiral and the ball hit Hilborn in the hands just as she posted and turned; Crawford had went for the interception and was beat terribly, just like his idol \u00e2\u20ac\u201c \u00e2\u20ac\u0153That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s my boy!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Greg Golden, always was.\u00c2\u00a0 Katie ran the pass in for a touchdown and Jacob could only hang his head in shame afterwards.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I would match Emmy and Katie up against any quarterback\/receiver combo in the nation,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Jacob said; he then claimed there was offensive pass interference, but replays refuted his claim and further showed that he was just flat-out beat by a shorter, smaller, slower, less-athletic girl.<\/p>\n

MOST VERSATILE \u00e2\u20ac\u201c MATT EDWARDS<\/strong>
\nThe Junior Edwards was instrumental in the recruitment process every week, bringing in outside participants to increase depth among the group.\u00c2\u00a0 His wit is unpretentious and he is a social magnet; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Matt knows a lot of people,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Shawn Williams says of Edwards.\u00c2\u00a0 Quietly modest and often unassuming, Matt has a fiercely raw sense of humor and pulls no punches when the circumstances call for him to step up and represent the group.\u00c2\u00a0 Perhaps his paramount acquisition was the aforementioned MVP, his father, Steve Edwards, for which the group is indisputably stronger.<\/p>\n

THE HERB SENDEK AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE \u00e2\u20ac\u201c LUCAS MILLER<\/strong>
\nMiller is living proof that bad things do, indeed, happen to good people.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If this is all one big joke, then Lucas\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 life is the punch line.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 He has strived to be simply mediocre and honestly believes one day he will become just that.\u00c2\u00a0 He might be a grown-ass man unable to get a date, but by God he can recognize a ton of college fight songs, knows an untold quantity of sports trivia, is undeniably good friend material, and is mastering the art of deep-frying a Cajun-spiced turkey.\u00c2\u00a0 His pathetic existence brashly provides the basis for most of the group\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s entertainment, and that is merely irreplaceable.<\/p>\n

IN CLOSING, THIS YEAR WAS MEMORABLE, BUT WE MUST INDEED STRIVE TO IMPROVE.\u00c2\u00a0 Looking to next season, we have the opportunity to turn it up a notch and build on the success we have bestowed upon ourselves.\u00c2\u00a0 Whether it be another expansion or something as tangible as adding a Pig Cooker, we must never become content.\u00c2\u00a0 If we had two tents this season, then we must strive to have three next; if four coolers was satisfactory in 2003, then let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s make it our goal to need five in 2004.\u00c2\u00a0 Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s never settle fellow tailgaters.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

Remember, life is like a sled dog team: unless you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re the lead dog, the view never changes.<\/p>\n

Until 2004,<\/p>\n

Dr. R.L. Bentley, III, MD, PhD, PE
\nTailgating President\/CEO
\nChief of Neurosurgery, Wilkes Hospital<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’d like to note that I got the Unsung Hero Award at my high school senior awards ceremony; my mom informed me it was the “award” they gave to anyone that didn’t get any other kind of award, so that no one was left out.\u00c2\u00a0 Looking back, I was perhaps the only one on that … Continue reading TNL Countdown to Football, Part 7<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/section30.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/section30.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/section30.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/section30.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/section30.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=63"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/section30.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/section30.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=63"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/section30.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=63"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/section30.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=63"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}