'Southern Fried Football' off and rolling Special

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Michael

By Michael Bearak

Sep 5, 2010 in Sports

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By Michael Bearak.

Mark Packer a Carolina sports radio show host can be heard throughout North and South Carolina all year, but during football season "The Packman" hits the road with his 'Southern Fried Football' series.

Each year Mark Packer and the Southern Fried Football Board of Governors select a number of sites where they will travel to host a party on wheels. This year represents the 13th year of 'Southern Fried Football' and it is just a big party. This year the first stop was Salisbury, North Carolina and Catawba College. Why would a big party on wheels stop at a school whose football stadium houses just 4,000 fans?

The reason was simple: to Packer the campus is perfect because it is RV friendly, family friendly, and is just a beautiful physical setting. The premise of 'Southern Fried Football' is to have a party, they want to be in the middle of the fans, the festivities and all that is football. This is the brainchild of Packar and the whole time he is there he is talking to fans, shaking hands, connecting with people and more than anything he is making friends.

Spend five minutes just watching and it is clear that Packman makes everyone feel like they are his friend and to Packer they are his friends. He is quick to tell you, and he says it on his show all the time, that he and his show wouldn't be anything without the listeners, the fans. So this is his way of doing something to give back. He will talk to you about anything too, it doesn't have to be football it can be family, the radio show, other sports, it didn't matter.

The front of the RV states their whole premise, "It ain't a big game until we get there!" It doesn't matter which school it is, every game is a big game to Pack and his crew.

Michael Bearak

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Fans would come up and ask if personalities from his radio show are with him, but they weren't it was just Packman and two guys who help run things. The person most asked for was the QCB, and Packman would joke that he couldn't do that to the nice people of Salisbury.

The whole program is done through sponsors, Tom Johnson Camping Center who provide RV, Toms snacks, Bojangles, Champion Athletic Wear, Budweiser, and a host of others. Let it be known, there was no beer being served, but it was okay with everyone that was there. Everything was just given away, shirts to everyone, koozies for cans, Budlight beads, gift cards from Bojangles and more. The gift cards from Bojangles are great as they range from $1 to $100! Special attention was also paid to the campus and Salisbury police forces with Packard going out his way to make sure they were taken care of and had everything they would want and offering even more.

Michael Bearak

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The RV is wrapped with a design so everyone knows that it is Southern Fried Football, but it is just a good time for everyone who walks up. Fans hangout, talked, and socialized. On Saturday even the radio team from Saint Augustine's came and hung out as did Catawba College's cheerleaders.

Michael Bearak

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Packer has put up a website detailing the history of Southern Fried Football as well as pictures of the people he has met, at each stop.

This year they are looking forward to hitting Clemson and the famous Esso Club and there are pictures on the website that show the last trip to the Esso Club in Clemson. The SFF is also going to head to Columbia to visit with University of South Carolina as well.

According to Packman big trick is going to places that can accommodate their RV. Keeping that in mind Georgia ended up on the list of locations that they don't visit because of the new school president who won't let RVs get near the stadium and the university's stance concerning tailgating. Those things in mind, Packard just said that SFF just won't go there until things change. The sad thing Packard said is that they used to love going to Athens.