An Evening in Orlando

On Thursday night I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the 12th Annual Pigskin Preview at the Amway Center in Orlando. The event is hosted each year by the architectural firm of Baker Barrios, which has offices in Orlando, Tampa and Atlanta.

The event is basically a kickoff tailgate for the college football season for friends and clients of Baker Barrios. Stetson University was extended an invitation to the event this year because of the Hatters' new football program, even though we won't begin play until next year.

Obviously we took a large group to the event. In addition to John B. and the Stetson University cheerleaders, we had head football coach Roger Hughes and assistant coaches Brian Young, Dennis Danielson and Terry Tilghman along with director of football operations (DFO) Nolan Behrns.

Also along for the event was Director of Marketing for Athletics Tom Birney, Director of Ticketing Joan Hazel, Executive Assistant to Athletics Director Jeff Altier (who was unable to attend) Stacy Turner and cheerleading coach Lisa Browning. We also had a couple of folks from University Development, Mark Turner and Nate Thornton.

Of course, this was far from a Stetson only event. Originally the event was held to kickoff the UCF football season, and they had plenty of fans, along with their mascot and cheerleaders as well.

But there were also fans from as many other schools as your could imagine. Of course there were plenty of Florida and FSU fans, and also quite a few sporting USF colors. The amazing thing was the number of fans of other schools.

I saw a bevy of Buckeyes, some Badgers, as well as virtually every school in the SEC. There were Tigers (Clemson, LSU and Auburn), Aggies (Texas A&M and New Mexico State), Bulldogs (UGA and MSU) as well as at least one Vandal (Idaho), one Cowboy (Wyoming) and one guy wearing a Boston University shirt. BU no longer plays football.

It was quite interesting to see fans from so many different schools mixing and socializing, all with high hopes for the coming season. The only thing I know for certain is that only one school represented will absolutely come away from the 2012 season without a loss.

Great Teller of Stories

One other certainty that came out of the trip to Orlando was the knowledge that Coach Tilghman is a great story teller. I rode over to Orlando, and back, with the members of the coaching staff and with Tom Birney at the wheel.

During the trip over and back, Terry told several great stories. If you haven't yet had a chance to spend time with him, make it a point to do so. Just pay a visit to the Alpha balcony at the new Stetson Athletics Training Center, but be ready to laugh.

It is obvious very quickly the pride Terry has in his three children. His oldest is a junior at the United States Air Force Academy, his middle child is a freshman at Stetson and his youngest is in high school.

On the ride over Terry told a story about how he made his daughter's first day as a Stetson freshman one she will never forget. The story was absolutely priceless.

I'll share the story, in his own words.

“OPERATION RETURN TO THE NEST”

Jordan’s very first college class was last night, 8.19.12, so I went and ate dinner with her and once her friends sat down at the table she informed me that “I did not have to wait for her and she could get to her building and would simply walk back to the football office after class so we could go home together. I was feeling kind of dismissed so I sought revenge. I sent a text each of my 13 offensive linemen the following message:

“Men “operation return to the nest” begins at 18:00. My little girl, your newly adopted sister, has her first class at 19:00 hours in the Lynn Business Center (LBC) room 223. I want to know if any of you have a class in the area around that time and how many of you will be available to escort her back to my office at or around 19:00 hours.”

None of them replied to me. They simply took action and at 17:50 Jordan sent me a text saying she hated me. When I asked why she said because I had sent my players to watch her. 

Apparently, as she approached the LBC, one offensive lineman stopped all traffic so she could cross the street safely. Two more met her at the door and all three of them walked her to the stairs where two more where waiting. She was passed off to them and those two took her up stairs to her classroom where they handed her off to another lineman who actually had the same class with her.

Around 19:15 they reversed it and the one in the class room walked her to the stairs where a different two joined the formation and escorted her out of the building where two more joined the formation and ushered her into the passenger seat of a white Chevy 2500 super cab truck that was waiting in the street with four ways flashing. Once she was in the truck the seven guys jumped in back for the short drive back to my office.

I met the truck when it arrived and she got out and to say she was mad is the understatement of the year. But I simply ignored her and walked up and shook each of the eight OL’s hands and thanked them for their service in tonight mission and they simply said “your welcome” and piled back in the truck and drove away. 

I turned and she was already stomping her way up the stairs to my office and when I joined her she said loudly “dad how could you do that to me”. 

I simply asked her one question. I asked her what my main job is as her father. 

She rolled her eyes at me and said “I know dad you’ve said it one thousand times how it’s your job to make memories for me”, to which I simply replied ...

“will you ever forget your very first college class?”

Visiting Orlando and the Amway Center

It has been quite a few years since I have spent any time in the city of Orlando. I have passed through a couple of times going somewhere else, but haven't really spent time in the city since 1999.

This evening I am at the brand new Amway Center, home of the NBA's Orlando Magic. The building holds 20,000 for a Magic game (whenever that may be) but will probably see no more than 6,000 tomorrow night when the Hatters face No. 9 Florida.

Part of the reason for the expected small crowd is that it will be on a Monday night, in a city with 10,000 other things available to do, and will be televised by Sun Sports.

The crowd will also be limited, believe it or not, by the Orlando Magic. You see, even though the Amway Center is a city owned facility, the Magic control virtually every aspect of operation and every avenue of profit.

None of the hundreds of suites in this facility are available for use tomorrow night. Those all belong to the Magic and are leased to their customers for use at any event held in the facility. That probably trims the available capacity of the facility in half.

Want to use the scoreboard for a game, you have to rent it, and the people who run it, from the Magic. Along with the scoreboard, which is an all-computer controlled board, are the ribbon boards circling the inside of the facility. The Magic take 50% of any ads you want to run, while the city takes another 25%.

Want to do any of the hundreds of other things that go into hosting an event, you have to rent those from the Magic as well.

Add to that the fact that no one who uses the building has the right to sell sponsorships to companies in direct competition with Magic sponsors, and all Magic sponsors get included in anything that is done, and your chance to make a dime, is severely hampered.

Without a doubt, this is a beautiful facility, but it will likely never host an NCAA Regional Tournament, or any conference tournament or event. You'll probably never see a WWE event in the building, not will you likely see many concerts or other events.

That is truly a shame, but that is the deal the city of Orlando cut with the Magic to keep the NBA in town. If the lockout had continued and cancelled the entire season, there is a good chance that tomorrow's Steson-Florida game would have not only been the only basketball game in the building this year, it likely would have been the only event of any kind.

That is truly a shame.