In my 17 years following the Clemson Tigers, I have traveled as far west as San Francisco and as far east as Connecticut. I have gone to beautiful San Diego and all the way to sunny Miami.
During those travels I have heard and witnessed some great acts of kindness by Clemson fans, who have a great reputation for their welcoming attitude and their many acts of kindness. I know a large part of the Clemson faithful take great pride in this reputation.
However, over the past three days, I discovered there is another fanbase that is just as inviting and caring as the Clemson people are.
I have come across Kentucky Wildcat fans a couple of times through the years. The Tigers played them in the 2006 and 2009 Music City Bowls. As a fanbase, they seemed very nice and respectful. Until Sunday afternoon, that was really the only interaction I had with Kentucky fans.
On my way back from covering Saturday’s Louisville game, just before I got off I-64 and on to I-75, my beloved “Big Blue,” that is what I called my truck, started to rattle. At first, I thought maybe it was a flat tire. But I soon realized there was something wrong with the engine, instead.
My TCI colleague, Alex Dodd, was riding with me and he suggested we take the next exit we came to. I agreed and we took the first exit we came to on I-75. It was the Newtown Pike exit in Lexington, Kentucky.
At the first red light, Alex suggested we take a left into the Marriott, which fortunately we were able to complete. However, as we started up the incline of the Marriott’s long driveway off the road, Big Blue decided he had enough.
This occurred around 2 p.m., on Sunday. Little did we know what the next 48 hours were going to be like.
The fine people at the Lexington Griffin Gate Marriott Golf Resort and Spa were great. They first helped us push Big Blue into the parking lot, and then Chris, at the front counter, helped me find a respectable garage I could get my truck towed to.
By this time, it was turning late in the afternoon on Sunday and there was no one at the shop to take a look at my truck. I was going to have to wait until Monday morning before I could do anything.
Understanding we were now stranded in Lexington, Chris offered me a room at a more than fair rate to stay at the hotel until I was able to figure things out.
As we were checking in, Alex discovered the hotel was hosting the Kentucky County Clerks Convention for a few days. At the time, we thought nothing about it.
After we found a place to eat close by, we came back to the hotel bar to watch the Sunday Night Football Game. While we were there, Alex befriended a gentleman by the name of Garrick Thompson. After hearing our story, Garrick invited us to hang out with some of the clerks and vendors from the convention.
What we did not realize at the time is that Garrick’s invitation would lead us to an unreal opportunity. We hung out with Garrick and his friends that night, and they were all genuinely concerned about our situation.
The next day, as Alex and I sat in the lobby working and waiting for the garage to get back with me, several people from the group we hung out with the night before came by and checked on us and asked if we needed anything.
Later Monday afternoon, while Alex and I were trying to figure a way into Rupp Arena, I learned the fate of my beloved Big Blue. The engine was shot. I had Big Blue for 11 years and traveled more than 194,000 miles with him. I never once had an issue. It was a great truck, but he could go no further.
Obviously, I was bummed.
Blue needed a new engine and the cost of a rebuilt engine for his model was more than the value of the truck itself. I had to make the tough call to leave Blue behind and buy a new truck.
I am not going to lie. I was attached to Blue. Me and that truck had been through a lot. I experienced some great moments in my life while driving Blue and some bad moments as well. It was tough to let him go.
After hearing what had happened and seeing I was down, one of the clerks we hung out with the night before, Scottie Harper, along with vendor Stuart Baird, invited us to experience a tour of Rupp Arena. At first, we tried to turn them down. We did not want to intrude, but they would not take no for an answer.
Not only did we get to tour one of college basketball’s iconic venues, but we also got the opportunity to shoot on the floor and met Kentucky legend Jack “Goose” Givens. It was an unbelievable experience and one me and Alex will never forget.
When we got back to the hotel, our new friends, including vendors Ross and Danny, invited us to hang out with them again. We shared stories, talked football and basketball, and shared some laughs. Though Alex and I were stranded in Lexington for two days, it was an unbelievable trip.
On Tuesday, I picked up my new truck and we headed back to Clemson. And though my trip to the Commonwealth State was extended for a couple of days, I will always be appreciative of the generosity and the support we experienced in those 48 hours in Lexington.
I have always known the Clemson fanbase was one of the best in the country, but now I can truly say the Kentucky fanbase is pretty dadgum good, too. Lexington will forever have a place in my heart because of how warm and welcoming all of you were.
Thank you, Lexington, from the bottom of my heart.
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