Why I'll miss Spartanburg

SPARTANBURG

– When the last practice of training camp ended late Wednesday morning, players ran off the field as quickly as they run after quarterbacks, as quickly as kids leave the hallway on the last day of school.

   Running back DeAngelo Williams was among the first to charge up the hill from the field, several teammates a few yards behind him. It has been that kind of camp for Williams. Nobody has been able to catch him.

   Within minutes some of the players were in their cars. They drove single-file out the gate to freedom. Just to remind them that there are referees away from the field, a

Spartanburg

police officer parked next to Gibbs Stadium, his car apparent to everybody.

Gentlemen, stop your engines. The luxury vehicle parade crawled past.

   “Just want them to slow down a little,” the officer said.

   Three players – quarterback Lester Ricard, receiver Chris Hannon and safety Quinton Teal – stopped to sign autographs. After the others left, Teal continued to sign. Some players had hit I-85 before Teal put down the last pen.

    Maybe Teal, who played at Coastal Carolina, couldn’t tear himself away from

South Carolina

and

Spartanburg

. I understand. I’ll miss

Spartanburg

. I didn’t have to go through two-a-days.

  I’ll miss the Sake Grill, where the employees are friendly, the food is good and you couldn’t blow $25 on dinner and drinks if you tried.

   I’ll miss the Lime Leaf, a tremendous Thai restaurant.

   I’ll miss shooting bad pool on the good table at Club 299, also known as the bar at the Marriott.

   I had it working, rails, bank shots, everything. And then I looked up at the TV and saw Pat Yasinskas, who a year ago covered the Panthers for the Observer and would have been in the bar with me. There he was on ESPN, for whom he reports, wearing the same checked shirt he wore in

Spartanburg

. Keep it real, man. Pat jinxed me. After that my game left me.

   I’ll miss that Marriott. It looks like a big city Marriott but the employees treat you as if you’re at a ma and pa hotel. By the end of camp, they know you. I forgot the charger for my cell phone, saw there was a store on

Main Street

at which I could replace it and stopped at the front desk to ask for directions.

   Mark brought out a box full of chargers, the item most likely to be left behind. We couldn’t find one that fit – my cell phone takes no pictures, sends no text messages and was built in 1959. I wanted to hit the gym before I started writing and thanked him for his help. Mark asked if I could leave the phone.

   About 20 minutes later he brought it, and a charger, to the gym. Service such as that is why customers return – to hotels, bars, restaurants and almost every other business.

   It’s cool to spend most of 2½ weeks in another culture. Observer sports columnist Scott Fowler might have

Beijing

, but I have

Spartanburg

. I eat chicken at the Sake Grill and eggplant at the Lime Leaf. I feel as if I will be infringing on his turf if I eat Chinese.

   I think Teal, a second-year safety from

Bennettsville

,

S.C.

, had finally stopped signing by the time I left.

    I pulled onto

Pine Street

, gave my regards to the $3.52 a gallon gas at Citgo and looked for a shortcut to I-85.

   

   

   

Comments

[Bill English]

Tom, I don't care one bit about the consistent negative criticism you receive on what seems to be a regular basis. Quite simply, you put more into your articles - regardless of content and your own personal opinions - than just sports talk. You try to create a picture and nostalgic recollections of what you've experienced. This article shows me not only what Wofford was like during departure. It describes the journey of an experience that only someone like you can follow. One that most true Carolina Panthers fans can only dream of experiencing. I hope to here more imput from you. For the rest of the negative fans now more youthfully referred to as 'haters' I suggest they use more of their brains and imagination.

[Bill Auvil]

Tom,
NEWS FLASH: you write for the Charlotte Observer. You're not Buzz Bissinger, so stop trying to act like your writing the second coming of Bleachers.

You were in Spartanburg SC. Don't try and make it out to be some fairly tale right out a Norman Rockwell painting....I mean, it’s Spartanburg, SC.

Enough with the dramatics...report sports.

[DanCat]

Bill Awful or whatever your name is, I'm sorry your too Pabst Blue Ribbon to understand good writing. Take that pack of Camels with you and get back to the TV for your favorite hunting show and leave the writing to the pros. Good Stuff Tom.

[Frank Bertaud]

Sometimes, it's the little things in life that make all the difference. The little, or not-so-little, things that people do for us can enhance an experience beyond our expectations. Even 2 1/2 weeks in Spartanburg, SC can become memorable when people go out of their way to help us without being asked. Small town clearly does not mean small people.

Thanks for sharing, Tom.

[Frank Bertaud]

Sometimes, it's the little things in life that make all the difference. The little, or not-so-little, things that people do for us can enhance an experience beyond our expectations. Even 2 1/2 weeks in Spartanburg, SC can become memorable when people go out of their way to help us without being asked. Small town clearly does not mean small people.

Thanks for sharing, Tom.

[Bluzman]

Tom,
I really enjoyed your recent article. The little enjoyments in life, that we so often forget about and more often than not talk about 20 yrs later of wishing we had them back, was excellent reading. You always think that places you eat, play, etc. will always be there for you, your children, and grandchildren, but now days is definetly not the case. Money talks, memories walk.....

[Bluzman]

and bill auvil, that is what makes football....the events and people around the game and the game itself...

[Wofford Grad]

Tom, as a recent Wofford grad I loved your article. It made me feel a little nostalgic. Spartanburg may not have much, but it has some great places to eat. I used to go to Sake Grill almost weekly. If you end up going back next year and your looking for a burger try Ike's Korner Grill behind campus. The Beacon and Sugar & Spice are more famous but Ike's has a better burger and homemade fries. They'll dice the potatoes and fry them right in front of your face. Loved the article, and keep up the good work.

[This Ole Cowboy]

Spartanburg? Damn.
There are other reasons other than the Panthers Wofford away home and hometown of ex-NFLer Colt Jerry Richardson and his ex-Spartan Foods that was Dennys Restaurants.
Its the hometown of the great world famous Marshall Tucker Band so named by the late greats lead guitarist and bassist Toy and Tommy Caldwell for an old black guy blues slide guitar player from downtown Spartanburg who used to play for free.
Lead singer Doug Gray still pumping the band but they not the same as when they had the giant mega world wide 70s cowboy hits such as the platinum mega million Hollywood produced sellers "Cant You See", "Take The Highway", "Ramblin", "This Ole Cowboy", "Heard It A Love Song","Fire On The Mountain", and others.

Spartanburg is and always has been a badazz mutha fukin joint ...
This Ole Cowboy lyrics from 1975 ...
"Well Im sittin here in San Antone waitin on an 8 oclock train. My woman left me here last nite, things aint been quite the same. I gotta get back to Dallas, tie up a few loose ends, gotta work a week make a hundred dollars and hit the road again. But I dont want you to think youre the first one leave me out here on my own. Cuz this aint gonna be first time this ole cowboy spent the nite alone ..."

Oh hell yea ..

Go Cats Go Spartanburg Go Tucker Boyz

[Sheryl Ann]

Tom,

My boyfriend and I have been to Spartanburg for the past two camps to watch our Panthers practice. We love Spartanburg. I'm a single mom and I don't have a lot of money to spend on vacations, but we can always afford to go to Spartanburg for mini-vacations. It's a great town and everyone is friendly and very hospitible. Next year we'll be there and we'll have to try Sake Grill. Thanks for the great articles and thanks for taking the time to keep us updated on our beloved Panthers!

Go, Cats!!!

[Tom H.]

Sorensen is the best writer at the Observer. period. he also writes in the same voice each and every time, proving he is real. fowler sucks

[Phil]

Thanks for the comments. Yet cut the dramatics and report the facts.

[Deliah]

That was nice. But Bennettsville,SC is nothing like Spartanburg. Teal wasn't waxing nostiagic about his little speck of a hometown. He's just a good guy. Hey Tom, you ought to go to Bennettsville and see the culture of Football Friday Night that Teal grew up in. There is nothing there but High School football, corrupt coaches and NFL hopes. Teal is lucky! Hope he has a great season.

[Meadow]

Well maadcamia nuts, how about that.

[Cherlin]

Suprirsing to think of something like that