Bristol Motor Speedway

Let me start off by thanking Sidney for filling in for me last night. I have arrived back in Myrtle Beach after a quick trip to Tennessee, just in time for the Thursday Rundown. Here we go!…

Trip to Bristol – This afternoon I returned from Bristol, Tennessee. If you remember from a couple days ago, I was there with two other Coastal Carolina employees to cover one of our students who races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. We spent 16 hours at the Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday as we shadowed Brandon Brown as he went through his practice runs, the qualifying round, and the actual race. In between all of that we shot a couple of interviews with Brandon, hung out with his crew, sat through a rain delay, and more. It was a great experience that resulted in gold mine of content for our CCU social channels.

I had a good time in Bristol.

A Memory From Five Years Ago – On August 18, 2011, I met a celebrity. However, I met this country superstar in a casual environment and not some rushed meet-and-greet mess. I attended a Toby Keith concert with my brother and former boss at Northern Quest in Spokane. Keith performed the show at Quest’s outdoor concert venue. A few hours after the concert we were walking through the casino when I spotted Toby Keith and his entourage at a three card poker table. We went right over and met him. What I will say here is that his voice was unmistakable and he was enjoying a Michelob. If you want more details, read my blog post about the encounter by clicking here.

“Suicide Squad” – On Friday night, Sidney and I went and watched “Suicide Squad.” Despite the bad reviews, we wanted to give it a try. To be honest, I didn’t think the film was that bad and I actually really enjoyed Jared Leto’s performance as the Joker. I also give two thumbs up to Margot Robbie for her portrayal of Harley Quinn. What really rubbed me the wrong way, however, was the main villain. An enchanted witch is the nemesis in the film but the special effects used in the main climatic scene to enhance her fell waaaay short. The story itself is intriguing and the dark humor is good. But don’t kick yourself if you don’t make it to the theater to watch it.

Back to School – Sidney welcomed her 2016-17 second grade class yesterday. I saw photos of her 17 students and they look adorable! Fall classes will begin at Coastal Carolina University on Monday. That means Move-In Weekend starts tomorrow as we welcome thousands of new and returning students to campus. It will be a busy next several days for me but it will also be a lot of fun. Best of luck to students at all levels on a successful school year!

Top Seven Movies – Earlier this week, a popular hashtag ripped through Twitter. Called #fav7films, people were asked to name their top seven favorite movies. Of course I bit the bait. I did it without really putting much thought into it so that is why a certain Slyvester Stallone film is included:
Forest Gump
Rudy
Goodfellas
Varsity Blues
Rocky IV
Lone Survivor
Angels in the Outfield

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Hope you weren’t too disappointed that I am back and Sid’s next post won’t be until a month down the road. On the bright side, at least you won’t have to hear from me for a couple days. I will touch base again on Sunday. Have a great weekend. Don’t Blink.

This evening I find myself in the lovely state of Tennessee. Specifically, I am in the town of Johnson City. This is ironic because four years ago I found myself here when I was working for the University of Montana. I was part of the travel advance unit for our football team and we spent the night in Johnson City as we waited for the players and coaches to arrive the next day. We then made the trip to Boone, North Carolina, for a game against Appalachian State.

To be honest, I never thought I would see Johnson City again.

But I thought wrong. I am once again in Johnson City and I couldn’t be more excited as I am here to represent Coastal Carolina University. Earlier today I drove over from South Carolina with our Vice President for University Communication and one of our production managers. We made the trip to cover and support the driver of the NASCAR Truck Series that our university sponsors. But he isn’t just any driver, he is an actual student at Coastal Carolina. Tomorrow we will get in the car again and drive to Bristol, Tennessee, where we will watch and cover Brandon Brown as he competes in the UNOH 200 Camping World Truck Series Race. If the weather cooperates, and it should, it will be my first ever NASCAR race (I went to the Charlotte Motor Speedway in late May but the race was rained out). I am ready for this experience!

As we will be at the track all day tomorrow leading up to the evening’s race, I won’t be publishing a Wednesday blog post. Don’t get sad though because Sidney will. Yes, my wife has gracefully accepted to fill in during my absence and provide a special middle of the week guest blog post. Look for that tomorrow night.

So from Johnson City, Tennessee, I wish all of you a great night. Thanks for your support of this blog. Don’t Blink.