On Friday, I left behind the light snowfall that had descended upon Denver and made my way to Florence, Alabama via Nashville for the Division II Football Championship that took place on Saturday. Now most of you will never go to Florence and I don't fault you for that. There isn't a whole lot to this quiet little town, but once a year the kind folks at the University of Northern Alabama serve up one of the best sporting events you'll ever witness.
The DII Football Championship isn't your average game. It's a right of passage for these kids and their fans. Making it to Florence is the equivalent of College Baseball teams making it to Omaha. I've been lucky enough to cover this game two out of the past three years, and once again, it didn't disappoint. Valdosta State pulled off the upset, shocking Northwest Missouri State by a score of 25-20. As usual, the fans stormed the field to celebrate. And as usual, I made the idiotic decision to spend one of my nine lives by heading right into the thick of that mess. It was entirely worth it though, even if it meant having my toes shattered by the cleats of 5000lb lineman as they jumped up and down in celebration. I got some great photos of the celebration and better yet, it only started to rain in the 4th quarter despite every forecast saying it was going to pour all day. After transmitting my photos from the game, I headed back up to Nashville to take in some of the best that Music Row has to offer.
When I first made this trip two years ago, my good friend Brian Mankwitz told me that I couldn't miss Robert's Western World, a bar on Broadway in the heart of Nashville. Man, did he hit the nail right on the head! The Don Kelley Band has been a mainstay at the joint for years and will blow you away. They seem to know just about every song on the planet and you can't beat the atmosphere. The beers are cheap and the music is outstanding. While there are several bars like it with excellent music, this was my favorite. Check it out if you're ever there. And make sure you don't miss the pork shoulder sandwich two doors down at Jack's BBQ. I watched this guy pull an entire pork roast out of the smoker, hit it a few times with a butcher knife and it just fell apart! Some of the most tender and flavorful BBQ I've ever had.
In closing, as I was walking to my car last night, I saw a fella playing the mandolin on the sidewalk. I stopped and talked with him for about 15 minutes and he even played a tune for me. Despite some rough times in his life, he's always had music to turn to and it is reflected in one lyric from his song...
"Scatter my ashes on the street that music made"
Enjoy the pics. It was a great trip...time for a nap.
Thanks for lookin',
TSB2
Planes after de-icing heading to the runway for takeoff...
NFL Running Back prospect Xavier Omon of NW Missouri State...
Valdosta wins...and me spending one of my nine lives while shooting it...
Mandolin Mike's weathered fingertips...
1 comment:
Trev, great blog! I particularly love the shot of Mandolin Mike's fingers. Wow! --Brian A.
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