Pumped Up for the Thursday Rundown

Posted on March 12, 2015 by brent

This just isn’t any Thursday. This is the Thursday before the start of the NCAA Tournament and the Thursday that my parents arrive in Myrtle Beach. So how about we make this an especially good Thursday Rundown? Here we go…

The Dress – Many of you might be surprised that it took me this long to weigh in on this but better late than never. I never saw the internet sensation known as “The Dress” as anything but blue and black. Each time I looked I only saw those two colors. Never once did I see any inkling of white and gold regardless of the angle I viewed it, the device I used, or the mood I was in. It was a blue and black dress. It was funny though to chat with people who only saw white and gold. Coming from my perspective I just wanted to yell “What are you looking at?!” This reaction made the latest internet sensation a big hit.

I only see blue and black.

New Office – I am the new occupant of a spacious office! A couple Thursdays ago I wrote about the appointment of our new athletic director, Matt Hogue. Before he was asked to serve as the interim AD, he worked over in our office as the Associate Vice President of Marketing. During his interim period over at athletics we kept his office as it was in case we were blessed to have him come back to us. However, now that he is the guy at Chanticleer Athletics I was able to move into his office. I am now living large with plenty of storage, a great view, and a powerful air conditioner. Life is good.

Up top is my view and below are a couple different angles of my new office.

Blog Post Gone Viral – Every now and then, one of my blog posts will go “viral”, even if I did write it over two years ago. This past Monday a blog post I wrote in September of 2012 randomly received over 8,000 views in one day. The subject matter was of Barry Anderson, the talented guy who portrays the mascot of the Chicago Bulls, Benny the Bull. Barry used to be Monte at the University of Montana. During my tenure at the university, he would come back each year during football season and perform as Benny. As one of my duties entailed serving as the mascot coordinator, I got to work with him closely. In the post I wrote about that experience and his professionalism. The reason for the sudden explosion of views? A glorious highlight video of Benny at his best recently gained a lot of steam and my link was shared in conjunction with it on Reddit and many other places. Seriously, watch it.

At the top you can see the large number of people who viewed my Barry Anderson blog post on Monday. Underneath you can see the terms people typed into search engines that day that sent them to my site.

Bracket Busted – So the other night I went out on a limb and offered up my Final Four picks. My projection was pretty unconventional as I had Coastal Carolina, Gonzaga, Montana, and Oregon State making it to Indianapolis. Well, last night Oregon State let me down. The Beavers fell in the first round of the PAC-12 tournament to Colorado. It is a 100% certainty that Oregon State WILL NOT make the Big Dance. Of interesting note is that in ESPN’s Bracketology, Coastal is tagged to play Gonzaga in the second round. Although I don’t have them playing until the national semifinal, it would be cool if one of my matchups actually did come to fruition, even if it was much earlier than I anticipated.

This did not go according to plan.

Fun Products – Although the selection of weird snacks at Wal-Mart doesn’t compare to what you would find at a dollar store, sometimes you do stumble across a gem. This evening when I was at my favorite spot in the whole world, I snapped this photo of an Easter-themed snack called Cotton Tails. It is just a simple cheese ball munchie but I loved the name and the artwork. No, I didn’t buy the bag but I did take a photo!

I didn’t buy the bag but I would definitely eat some if the opportunity presented itself.

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Time now to get ready to greet my parents at the airport! Have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day weekend, everyone. Don’t Blink.

Parents Coming to Myrtle Beach

Posted on March 11, 2015 by brent

This weekend I really have something to look forward to. In fact, it actually begins tomorrow night. After over ten months in Myrtle Beach, my parents are finally coming to visit me at my new home.

Tomorrow evening my mom and dad will land at the Myrtle Beach airport around 10:15 p.m. It will be my mom’s first time ever in Myrtle Beach, her first time ever in South Carolina, and her first time ever in the South. When I made my cross country move almost a year ago my dad was my co-pilot but his time spent in the Palmetto State was short and busy. This time around he will finally get to experience what it is like to live down here.

My mom has never been to the South before. That changes tomorrow.

I am so excited to show my parents the beautiful campus of Coastal Carolina and have them meet my co-workers. I can’t wait to take them to some great BBQ joints, seafood houses, and country restaurants in the area. I look forward to walking with them on the beach. I am happy that they will get to hang out with Sidney again and meet her parents for the first time. I can’t help but smile knowing they will experience true Southern hospitality. Also, I am anxiously awaiting my mom’s opinion on what she thinks about my apartment!

My dad will really enjoy some of the places I take him to eat.

Ah yes, my apartment. My parents will be staying with me for the entirety of their trip which will span tomorrow evening through Tuesday morning. With these arrangements we are guaranteed to get lots of quality time together. I totally welcome it though because my apartment complex is a gorgeous place and I know they will enjoy it. I also know that my mom will make sure it is spotless before she leaves.

As for the specifics, here is what I can tell you: I do know a couple of the restaurants I want to take them to. I want to watch a movie with them at my neighborhood theater. They will be attending the CCU Selection Sunday Watch Party with me in our HTC Center. Sidney will be cooking a Southern meal for them on Saturday night. We will spend time talking out on my deck. I will be taking them to Murrells Inlet. But I am going to stop right there because I want to keep some of the itinerary a surprise. Just know that while I will keep my parents occupied with things to do, we will also take time to relax as well.

I hope my Myrtle Beach friends who are reading this will get the chance to meet my folks. It is going to be a happy and fun time. Now I just need the weather to cooperate. Don’t Blink.

A $30,000 Fool’s Gift

Posted on March 10, 2015 by brent

This is a very vivid memory from my childhood. My mom and I went to the bank so I could make a transaction. I had received a $100 bill for my birthday and my mom was letting me keep some of it while also putting some away. I handed the teller my bill and a deposit slip that requested $30 back. Because more bills made me feel better about myself back then, I asked for some dollar bills to be included. She handed me my money in an envelope and we went home.

Upon arriving at our house I had discovered that the teller had accidentally given me the $100 bill back. For whatever reason she made a blunder and instead of having $30 I actually had $129. Confusing a single dollar bill for a Benjamin had netted me an extra $99. The minute my mom saw my lucky break she took me right back to the bank and I handed the embarrassed but appreciative young lady back the $100 bill. My mom had taught me a valuable lesson.

This morning before I left for campus I read a story about an 18-year-old male who woke up one day and realized that $30,000 had been deposited into his account. Not questioning where the money came from he went out and spent it. According to the article he purchased a BMW, clothes, and food. He spent pretty much the whole allotment.

Here is what happened…

The kid’s name is Steven Fields. In his town of Madison County, Georgia, there is an elderly man named Steven Fields as well. The two had never met before. The older gentleman went to his bank to deposit $30,000 he had earned from selling land. The bank teller mistakenly put the funds into the account of the young Steven Fields. Suddenly, “Stevie” was one rich teenager. He went out and blew the money.

The snafu was discovered and Stevie was arrested. Recently he was put on probation for ten months and ordered to pay back every cent of the $30,000. Ouch.

I hate riding the fence, but after having it go through my head many times today I don’t know if I agree with the punishment that was levied against the junior Steven Fields. I had a teacher who was fond of saying “Any error goes in your favor” when it came to grading tests. If she didn’t mark us off on something she should have, we still received credit, even if it was discovered just a short time after the fact. That kid never asked for $30,000 to be put into his account. That is a substantial amount of money for most people, let alone someone who is only 18. He took the good fortune he received from the dumb mistake of someone else and enjoyed it. Can I really blame him?

On the other hand, when a pot of gold like that just ends up on your lap you have to question the situation. That cash obviously didn’t just drop out of the sky. Wouldn’t you make a quick call to your bank?

But when pressed to give my true opinion, I would lean to the side that Steven Fields should not have suffered such consequences. I have to say that I think both the probation and the monumental task of paying the $30,000 back is too harsh. He is being penalized for using resources that the bank placed in his own private account. The fault should rest on the shoulders of the teller, not the recipient of seemingly good fortune.

Even though I side with the kid, I would like to think I would notify the appropriate channels if an outrageously large sum of money randomly ended up in my bank account. After all, my mom did teach me the right thing to do many years ago. But then again, you never know until you are tested…

Don’t Blink.

My 2015 Final Four Prediction

Posted on March 9, 2015 by brent

With Coastal Carolina punching a ticket to the NCAA Tournament, my pick for the 2015 men’s basketball national champion is penciled in. However, I still have three spots left in my Final Four. Taking full liberty to dream very big, I am going to assume that the rest of the teams I list actually make the tournament and that the Selection Committee does me a personal favor and places them all in a different region. I feel they owe me.

Coastal is not only already in the dance but they are my favorite to win it!

Well, I don’t have to assume anything about the tournament status of this second team that I predict to make the Final Four. I am talking about Gonzaga! This 2014-15 Bulldog squad is supposed to be the best in school history. This says a lot as I had the opportunity to watch a bunch of really good ones growing up in Spokane both while serving as a ball boy and as a fan. I hope this is the year Gonzaga finally gets past its own personal best of the Elite 8 and lands in the Final Four. As they will most likely garner a #2 seed they will play the #15 seed Chanticleers.

Gonzaga makes my Final Four.

Do you think I would wish anything less than success for my old employer? I predict that for the first time ever a Big Sky Conference team will make the Final Four and Griz Nation will go nuts. Led by senior Jordan Gregory I am picking the Montana Grizzlies to go very deep in the tournament. Of course they must go deep in their own tournament first. The University of Montana is hosting the Big Sky Conference tourney this week and let me tell you, it is difficult for opposing teams to win in the Adams Center. I believe they will make it through and then shock the world later this month.

This is me at the 2012 NCAA Tournament when Montana played Wisconsin in Albuquerque.

So those who know me well could probably guess that Gonzaga and Montana were givens. But my final choice? Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Oregon State Beavers. When I worked at Montana, Wayne Tinkle was by far one of my favorite coaches I got to work with. Not too soon after I left for Coastal, Coach Tinkle was hired at Oregon State. What he has done this year in Corvallis is nothing short of spectacular (he inherited a completely depleted roster). Anyway, the Beavers will have to win the PAC-12 Conference tournament to make the Big Dance but with the coaching skills of Wayne Tinkle they will be able to do it. Oregon State will then out-defend and out-hustle opponents as they manage to squeak out win after win until they make it to the Final Four. Waiting for them in the other national semifinal will be the Montana Grizzlies.

Wayne Tinkle will bring the Oregon State Beavers to the promised land.

Under the bright lights of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Gonzaga will come out slow and sluggish and Coastal will bury them with the three-ball all night long. What was supposed to be a blowout win for the Bulldogs turns into an easy victory for the Chanticleers. The #15 seed Montana Grizzlies will then battle the #11 seed Oregon State Beavers in the major storyline of the tournament. Wayne Tinkle will coach his heart out against his former team but it won’t be enough as Montana plays its best game of the tournament in front of 4,000 crazy Griz fans that made the trip to Indiana.

This is my 2015 FInal Four bracket.

The first ever #15 seed vs. #15 seed national championship will be one for the ages. The game will go to three overtimes and will contain 53 lead changes. However, a charge that Tristian Lucas takes late in the game sends Coastal on a 5-0 run in the final minute and, just like during the FCS playoff game, the Chants beat the Griz.

My final bracket!

Perhaps a little far-fetched? Maybe a little. But it is March now and anything can happen. As Dick Vitale would say, “I LOVE IT BABY!” Don’t Blink.

My Big South Championship Experience

Posted on March 8, 2015 by brent

It was only a very short time ago when I was writing about working at two different schools that held the number one ranking in football. At around 2:30 p.m. this afternoon I could say that I have now worked at two different schools where during my time of employment the basketball team went to the NCAA Tournament.

It was definitely an awesome past three days. While sitting cross-legged on the baseline for 120 minutes of basketball I had the joy of watching the men’s basketball team here at Coastal Carolina run through the Big South competition and punch its ticket to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament. As it happens in these conference championships, the games just get better and more intense each round. This was definitely the case this weekend and I left the HTC Center today with some great memories.

I had a great time working the Big South Championship.

In order, Coastal played UNC Asheville, Gardner-Webb, and Winthrop. The Chanticleers came in as the number three seed and actually never had to play a team seeded higher than them. They did, however, have to face two teams that they couldn’t beat during the regular season (Gardner-Webb and Winthrop). The team played well the whole tournament and with the direction of legendary coach Cliff Ellis the Chants had the firepower to win the championship. But enough with the seeds, statistics, and game plans.

Coach Cliff Ellis led his team to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

What I really want to talk about is just how cool it was to be part of the 2015 Big South Championship. Our students and fans (along with Winthrop’s students and fans) came ready for the ESPN2 audience today. Although the HTC Center only holds a little over 3,000 people, fans made plenty of noise. When I wasn’t doing my job of taking photos and posting to social media, I was just enjoying the environment. Not working a conference tournament from such an involved level let me be a fan to a degree.

I sat right up on the baseline, in front of the visiting team’s student section. In this photo, ESPN2 is shooting the Winthrop student section.

Those memories I briefly mentioned above? Let me give you a few.

Mascots – I sat on the opponent’s baseline for all three games. It just so happened that I was right next to the designated mascot box so I became acquainted with the bulldog mascots from both UNC Asheville and Gardner-Webb as well as the eagle from Winthrop. Considering my history with mascots, it was cool to observe them. The Gardner-Webb bulldog had a habit of complaining about the officials’ calls to me (no, he was not barking at me…he was speaking English).

The Gardner-Webb bulldog spoke to me several times yesterday.

Dual Fanbases – Because the Big South Conference has member schools that are all relatively close together, whenever a game was going on you had two distinct crowds. Of course the Coastal fans outnumbered its opponents but the other universities definitely brought respectable contingents. Having the gym erupt on one side when one team would do something followed by the gym erupting on the other side when the opposing team would do something made it an authentic tournament atmosphere.

Watching student sections go back and forth with each other is a lot of fun.

Feeling of Kicking It All Off – The Big South Championship is one of the earliest conference tournaments. It helps to kick off Championship Week. Knowing that pretty much the whole country was paying especially close attention to our tourney made for a cool feeling. Now for a whole week ESPN will have to list Coastal Carolina as a school with its ticket punched. Majority of smaller universities don’t get this recognition for a full seven days.

Coastal was one of the first schools that had the pleasure of storming the court after a punched ticket to the Big Dance.

I want to say congrats to the Coastal Carolina University athletic department. Putting on one conference tournament is tough, putting on two conference tournaments is pure mania. Although it is a conference event, make no mistake about it, the host school does majority of the work. Chanticleer Athletics put on two first class competitions that other schools in the Big South Conference should surely appreciate.

I want to say congrats to Coastal Carolina Athletic Director Matt Hogue and his staff for putting on two great conference tournaments.

The exposure from now until whenever Coastal wins the national championship or is eliminated is priceless. There is no event in intercollegiate athletics like the NCAA Tournament and there is no better marketing tool for a university than being one of the 68 teams included. From a social media standpoint, this is pure gold for me. The response today from the social content I posted was through the roof and it should only just continue to build. It is a wonderful time to be a Chanticleer and I am so happy to be part of this university. Don’t Blink.

This is the Thursday Countdown

Posted on March 5, 2015 by brent

Good evening to you all! It is March and each day from here on out in the month just gets better. Hopefully my rundowns will as well. Let’s get started.

Throwback Thursday – Exactly one year ago today I interviewed on the campus of Coastal Carolina University. It was a whirlwind day as I did interviews from the morning though the early afternoon. Before I knew it, I was heading to the airport riding shotgun in our Vice President’s vehicle with our current Athletic Director in the backseat. When they dropped me off at the terminal I really hoped I would be offered the job. The below photo is a selfie I took that morning on my hotel room balcony. They were nice enough to put me up in a place with a pretty cool ocean view.

Before my big day of interviewing one year ago, I took a selfie on the balcony of my hotel room.

Big South Madness – I often say that I almost like conference tournament week (aka Championship Week) better than the NCAA tournament itself. Lucky for me, this special time of the year is here AND my university gets to host one of the first automatic qualifying tournaments. Tomorrow Coastal Carolina will attempt to return to the Big Dance for the second consecutive year. The quest starts with a Big South quarterfinal matchup against UNC Asheville in our HTC Center. The semifinal round will be Saturday and the championship game will be played Sunday on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. I am excited to cover the tournament and hopefully see the Chants punch their ticket to the one of the biggest spectacles in sports.

My credentials ready to go for the Big South Tournament.

Cause You’re Hot And You’re Cold – Talk about crazy Myrtle Beach weather! Yesterday was a gorgeous mid-70s day and today was more of the same except it hit 80 degrees. Tomorrow we take a plunge. When I wake up on Friday it very well could be 30 degrees. For me, going on a temperature roller coaster that drastic is a recipe for me to get sick. Considering I just recently overcame my annual February cold, however, I am crossing my fingers that this doesn’t happen.

The forecast in the paper called for it to be just 72 degrees today but it got hotter.

“Getting Life” – How would you feel if you spent 25 years in prison for a heinous crime you didn’t commit? “Getting Life” is a book by Michael Morton, a man who was wrongfully convicted of killing his wife. Morton describes the corrupt court that tried him, the quarter century he spent in various Texas prisons, and the redemption he finally received. It is an easy read but a frustrating read! It definitely gets you thinking and sympathizing. Thank you to Brynn Molloy for recommending it to me.

I enjoyed reading “Getting Life.”

Funny Mom – To end the rundown on a humorous note, I received this text from my mom a few minutes after I returned home from work tonight. She is always joking around with me (I think).

The actual text is on the left with a cleaned up version of the graphic on the right.

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On Thursday nights, OWN shows episodes of Dateline and 20/20. That is what I am watching this evening. Have a wonderful weekend. Don’t Blink.

Spam E-Mail at Its Best

Posted on March 4, 2015 by brent

Back in a distant time, I used to get irritated and annoyed with e-mail spam. However, over the years I have lightened up and my ire has gone to more pressing problems such as Twitter spam, Instagram spam, and Snapchat spam. In all honesty though, I don’t think e-mail spam bothers me as much anymore because I am too busy laughing.

You see, the e-mail garbage I get these days is so far-fetched, so elementary, and so blatantly bad that it makes me chuckle. The best ones are the e-mails that make it through the spam filter and end up right in my work account inbox. Many of these correspondences are complete pieces of work. So, for your comedic pleasure, here are five recent actual e-mails sent to me along with my imaginary responses.

A Charitable Request

Brother Paul and I go way back.

Dear Brother Paul,

Even if you did send me an initial e-mail as you erroneously claim, you still would not have heard from me. I could care less about your jumbled code and I will absolutely not send any e-mail to an address that ends in qq.com. You should learn about proper capitalization and join a charity that teaches young kids grammar.

– Brother Brent

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Construction Machinery

Did I ever tell you that while in college I was a “Construction Machinery” major for two weeks?

Hi David,

You got my “contacts from internet” and claim that one of my interests is construction machinery? I don’t even know what that is, let alone consider it one of my interests. You must have pulled the information for another Brent Reser…or just lied because I am actually the only Brent Reser on the planet (true fact). There is actually no attachment for me to see so you are out of luck on that one. I am scared to click on your website link so unfortunately you will not be receiving my “kindly feedback.”

Thanks,
Brent

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Bots and Spammers

I am not a bot!!

Dear No Name,

Did you invent a new type of poetry meter? The way your text breaks is pretty random. No need to worry though, I am not a bot and this account is not “being used by spammers to promote spam remotely.” Over three weeks later my account is still sending out and receiving e-mails just fine so I think your lock down threat was a little unfounded. I guess I must be a human who can verify my account’s legitimacy.

Don’t Blink.

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I Need to LOGON

Well, I am definitely an e-mail user.

Sherif –

You were so close! If only you correctly spelled “log on” as two words I might have clicked on the link (if I had been hit in the head by a baseball bat first).

Take Care,
Brent

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My All-Time Favorite

The prequel to the sequel!

Greetings Salim,

Following my e-mail address are there parentheses that read “send this person spam because he is the absolute dumbest person on the planet”? Although this scheme has to have a 0% success rate it must bring a tiny bit of humor to stressed out, gloomy office workers. When I read your masterpiece I literally laughed out loud. This mess literally took the cake…even Brother Paul is envious.

I think you should stick with using the word “sequel” when it comes to movies and books, not e-mails. Also, just a tiny bit of attention to spelling, grammar, and/or spacing would be nice. Finally, I can’t reach you “on” an e-mail address, nor would I want to. So, to answer your question, I will have to politely decline to execute the charity project on your behalf (even though you sound like a really cool guy).

Best of luck,
Brent

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Much thanks to Brother Paul, David, No Name, Sherif, and Salim for brightening my day. I know I can expect many “sequels” to these e-mails down the road. Don’t Blink.

Twins or Not?

Posted on March 3, 2015 by brent

***Please CLICK HERE to view the 30 second video that this blog post is about.***

Recently, some talented twin sisters graciously provided me with a testimonial about www.brentreser.com . The energetic and attractive duo gave an honest and descriptive review of my blog. But while they were honest about my blog itself, there possibly could be something that they aren’t so honest about.

These twin sisters did a great testimonial for my blog.

When I received the video I didn’t think twice about the fact that I was watching twins. It didn’t even cross my mind. But when I excitedly showed Sidney my newest sparkling testimonial she cried foul.

“Those aren’t twins! That is the same girl, she just has a wig on!” my girlfriend immediately exclaimed.

Sid thinks this girl has a wig on and that she is really the girl with the dark hair.

It caught me off guard. Like I said, I just assumed they were twins because that is how they advertise themselves and they appeared together on screen more than once in the testimonial. I mean come on, technology isn’t advanced enough to place the same person on screen twice, right?

If there are two girls on the screen, there has to be two girls in real life, right?

I have always believed identical twins to be identical. Okay, that is obvious. What I mean is that one twin sister is expected to look exactly the same as her other twin sister. In a way, just from a video, you kind of just have to trust that they are twins. Unless of course there is a way to identify a fraud.

Is this girl a “twin fraud”?

This is where I want my readers to come in. I am hoping some of you have experience with twins, are a twin, or just have a really good eye and can tell me if it is people or a person in my video. It would help me relax and it would also settle a debate between Sidney and I. Oh, if you do reply with an insightful response I will include you in my Thursday night blog post.

Is this twinning or not? Please tell me. Thank you for your help. Don’t Blink.

One Impressive Sand Sculpture

Posted on March 2, 2015 by brent

Growing up where I did, I never had the opportunity to view something quite like this. Starting early this morning, talented artists started to construct a very cool piece of art out of an interesting medium: Sand.

Artists converged at the entrance of the HTC Center this morning.

Coastal Carolina University is the proud host of the Big South Conference basketball tournaments. The college that I proudly work for doesn’t have the opportunity to host just the men’s tourney or just the women’s tourney, it has the distinct pleasure of hosting both. Because Myrtle Beach is such a travel destination with an awesome chamber of commerce and because our athletic department is the best when it comes to putting on tournaments, CCU is the predetermined host of both tournaments for the third year in a row.

Coastal Carolina University is hosting both Big South Conference basketball tournaments. (Photo courtesy of my intern Jada Bynum).

In order to properly welcome the visiting universities, student-athletes, and fans, this sand sculpture is being constructed. This morning when I arrived at the HTC Center for my workout it was just a clump of sand. When I left work this evening It had turned into this.

How cool is this?!

Around 11 a.m. this morning I had my intern go over and take photos of the progress. By that time it had already transformed from nothing to a pretty cool sand castle. This afternoon when I went over it was nearing completion.

Me in front of the sculpture.

I enjoyed watching the artists work. They moved fast but they all paid very close attention to detail. I observed as they sculpted with tiny tools, crafted out letters, and spray painted.

The artists were extremely precise.

My favorite part of the sculpture is how sharp looking it is. Take a look at the social media icons, they are absolutely perfect. The structure just looks so strong and powerful.

These social media icons are spot on.

Included in the sandy piece of art are logos of all the participating schools. You then have sand basketballs devoted to Coastal Carolina University, the city, and the Big South Conference. The centerpiece reads “Big South Conference Championships.” Completing the front side of the structure is a striking red, 3-D ESPN logo complete with a welcome greeting and the tournament hashtag. The back of the structure is currently under construction but will have similar markings.

The ESPN/Welcome to Myrtle Beach portion of the structure.

I wish I knew the science and logistics behind sand sculpting but I don’t. All I can offer is that this thing looks super sweet and I am glad it will be sticking around for a whole week. Don’t Blink.

Our “Bar Rescue” Tour

Posted on March 1, 2015 by brent

To read an actual account of someone who appeared on “Bar Rescue,” click here.

This weekend I decided to feed one of my minor obsessions while at the same time seeing some new towns in the South. In the past I have written quite a bit about my favorite television show, “Bar Rescue.” Those who read Don’t Blink frequently and those who hang around me know that my fandom for “Bar Rescue” is strong. While watching the latest episode last Sunday, I started looking up all the locations where Jon Taffer has converged on to rescue struggling bars. It just so turned out that last season he transformed three establishments in North Carolina. With a free weekend on the horizon I made plans for a little road trip.

Yesterday, Sidney and I hit the road to visit three different North Carolina bars that were showcased on “Bar Rescue.” Our Saturday tour would take us to the great North Carolina towns of Hope Mills, Garner, and Raleigh. Don’t think we were traveling all day, however. Raleigh, the furthest of the three towns from us, was only a three hour drive. Hope Mills was just a mere two hours away with Garner right on the outskirts of Raleigh.

Friday night Sidney and I sat down to watch the episodes of the bars we would visit. Surprisingly for an avid “Bar Rescue” watcher like myself, I had never seen the Hope Mills or Garner episodes. But after watching them I was filled with excitement for the next day’s adventure. Soon I would be walking on the same ground where Taffer once roamed.

22 Klicks (Hope Mills, N.C.): This bar in the sleepy town of Hope Mills kicked our tour off. In the “Bar Rescue” episode, Jon Taffer takes a place with little identity and immature employees and turns it into a patriotic-themed, well-ran bar. The aim was to make the bar resonate with the heavy military population of the area that sits just 13 miles from Fort Bragg. A military inspired look with American flags, old photos, and a tank was installed.

This is what Klicks 22 looks like from outside.

We arrived at 22 Klicks at 12:30 p.m. We walked in and immediately went up to the bar. We were the only ones inside the establishment besides the bartender and the cook. The bartender was a hilarious Irish young woman who talked with us and joked around the whole time we were there.

Our bartender on the left with the bottle display on the right.

The whole place was really cool. It was spotless and the theme was presented perfectly. I really felt like it was a fitting tribute to those in the armed forces. The bar itself was top of the line and comfortable but it was so much smaller than what I expected based on watching the show. I would say that probably 12 people could sit at it. But it really had that homey feel to it and I immediately felt welcome and at ease.

Sidney and I in front of the tank at Klick's 22.

Sidney and I in front of the tank at 22 Klicks.

We ordered lunch. Although the gator bites were prominently advertised (as featured on the show), we passed on those. I got a meatball sandwich and Sidney got a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. Both sandwiches tasted great but the French fries stole the show. Without telling our friendly bartender that we were at 22 Klicks solely because we saw it on “Bar Rescue,” we subtly encouraged her to talk about it. Although she didn’t appear on the show nor was employed by the bar at the time, she offered us some great insight:

This was my delicious meatball sandwich.

* She said that her co-workers told her that Jon Taffer is extremely nice. She said that Jon fully explained that he would chew them out just so the full impact of the show could be delivered to the television audience.

* She said representatives from the show returned to the bar a couple months ago to film an update. She mentioned her co-worker was featured and that she particularly became annoyed at how close the camera would get right up in her face. She also added that the “Bar Rescue” crew directed this co-worker to go up to tables and introduce herself, solely so they could use it for the update.

I was given a Klicks 22 card!

I enjoyed my time at 22 Klicks! The Bar Rescue team did a fabulous job. It definitely stands out from your typical bar.

Dual Ultra Nightclub (Raleigh, N.C.): This bar went out of business! All I could do was get a photo near where it used to be. Although disappointed that we couldn’t truly visit it, I loved checking out Raleigh. The area we were in was covered with restaurants, shops, and bars. Right next to where Dual Ultra used to be was an Irish basement bar called Napper Tandy’s. We went downstairs for a quick visit. It was as if we were in a cave (in a good way) and the bar itself seemed to extend for a whole mile!

Dual Ultra Nightclub is now closed.

Moonrunners Saloon (Garner, N.C.): Sidney and I had to backtrack from Raleigh to Garner. This was an arrangement we purposely planned though because our hotel was in Garner, just a short walk from Moonrunners. I am extremely happy we worked it out this way because Moonrunners was definitely a place where I was happy to spend my whole night at.

Before leaving town this morning I took this photo of Moonrunners Saloon.

The bar was originally called Characters Quarters. It was a place where employees would literally dress up in costumes and serve families. Taffer came in and made it a prohibition moonshine themed bar. In the episode the relationship between a brother and sister is prominently displayed. “Bar Rescue” chronicles the way the brother (Guy), who is the owner, interacts with his sister (Alex), who is a waitress. As the show tends to do, this relationship was magnified and portrayed them both as polarizing characters.

It was “Bar Rescue” night at Moonrunners last night.

When we entered Moonrunners at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night it was absolutely packed. In fact it was so busy that we couldn’t even get a seat. It worked out perfectly though because as we were waiting two seats opened up at the bar. We quickly took the chairs because that is where we wanted to sit all along.

I took this photo as we were leaving Moonrunners last night. When we arrived earlier in the evening, there was not a seat to be had.

We immediately saw both Alex and Guy. Alex was busting her butt serving the packed place and Alex was doing his job managing. He came over to us a couple times and asked us how we were doing. It was cool to see two people we watched on television the night before in person less than 24 hours later. We observed Guy’s managing style and he definitely runs a very tight ship with his employees. The way he holds his workers accountable though is definitely paying off though because like I said, the place was packed.

I snapped photos of both Guy (left) and Alex (right) in action last night.

In addition to Alex and Guy, Moonrunners probably had eight other staff members working last night. Every one of them was as friendly as could be. Our bartender Summer was incredible and even asked Sidney if she wanted to wear her sweatshirt as she mentioned that she was a little chilly. Whenever one of the waitresses would come behind the bar they would talk to us. The highlight of the night came when a manager named Thomas gave Sidney and I free drinks. I had tweeted a couple times about how much I was enjoying Moonshiner’s and he gave us the free beers as a sign of gratitude for doing so. I thought that was really cool.

Sid and I enjoyed our time in Moonrunners last night.

The food was phenomenal. I had the Runner Burger that came with two patties, bacon, three cheeses, onion rings, French fries, and onions. The flavor of the patties tasted amazing. It was fresh and fun to eat. I very well could have ate the whole thing but wanted to feel decent the rest of the night so I stopped halfway through. I would love to eat that burger again. Sidney enjoyed her chicken sandwich with blue cheese crumbles. She also raved about her fruity moonshine drink she ordered. It was so memorable that Summer gave Sidney the jar she drank it out of.

This was my incredible burger at Moonrunners Saloon.

Moonshiner’s had a great vibe. I watched several basketball games on the TVs and Sid and I even played Bingo later on. It was a lot of fun. Because it was so busy and the staff was always tied up I didn’t get the chance to ask about “Bar Rescue.” But it didn’t matter because just by being inside the place I could feel the show’s presence. Moonrunners is a machine now and a testament to the fact that “Bar Rescue” works.

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I had a tremendous time on our “Bar Rescue” tour. Thanks so much to Sidney for going on one of my nerdy trips. My love for “Bar Rescue” has increased even more and I can’t wait to watch the new episode at 9 p.m. tonight. After visiting a couple of “rescued bars” this weekend, I can say that Jon Taffer does an amazing job. Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser

Monthly Archives: March 2015