Senior Bowl Fan Experience

[BlueSky]

A lot of NFL coaches, G.M.s, etc. descend on Mobile for the Senior Bowl. I wouldn't think the average fan gets any access, but has anyone gone? If so, was it worth it? It's within reasonable traveling range of where I live outside Atlanta so I was wondering if it would be worth it to make my way down there one of these years.

[tBBP]

I don't know how it is presently (the last time I was down there during the time of the Senior Bowl was 2003), but I do remember quite a bit of fan banter going on with a lot of the players and even some of the coaches. Things may have changed since then with the actual game. The event does (or at least it did then; I have to believe it still does) dovetail into a lot of charity and fundraising events in and around Mobile, so if you're a charitable guy, there's that.

If you really wanna go, though, but feel hesitant about the actual event, why not make an event out of it? I'm guessing you've never been to Mobile before, quaint little town that it is, (actually it ain't all that small--residency was pushing 150K last I heard), so let me recommend some thangs to you.

You and/or Ms. BlueSky like flowers? Its pretty pleasant down there right now...Bellingrath Gardens is one of Mobile's most popular tourist attractions. I'm pretty positive its on the National Historic Register, so yeah, its kind of a big deal down there. It's actually just outside the city, in a little piece of Mobile called Theodore.

Also, I can't remember which it is, but there's an actual decommissioned battleship docked at the port down there. I don't know if they still do onboard tours or not, but if nothing else, its worth seeing just to check out the sheer size of that vessel...it's HUGE.

OH--and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention this here: if you like fried chicken--and hell, even if you don't--you MUST find your way to Hart's chicken. You absolutely HAVE to. Its a local-owned joint, there were three different ones in town at one point. The main one is up off Dauphin Island Parkway, on Spring Hill Avenue, not very far from Ladd-Peebles. Believe me when I tell you this here: you will never in your life eat fried chicken the same way again--chicken so good, it'll probably make you cry and wanna slap somebody at the same time. And yet, even with all that, that ain't even the best product they have--the one thing they have that trumps even the chicken...is the peach cobbler. Aw lawwwd lemme tell you 'bout that there...sho' you'll come out of there with a couple cavities--and you'll probably end up knocked out in the seat of your car 30 minutes after you leave that place--but I wouldn't be telling you all this if it wasn't absolutely worth it. Hart's chicken...get some.

(MAN I really miss home now...)

[BlueSky]

Buc, thanks. I've actually been to/through Mobile many times, having grown up in N.O. and often vacationing on the Florida Gulf Coast (including Pensacola - that Naval Aviation Museum is awesome).

The battleship is the Alabama and you're right, it's gigantic. They also have the sub USS Drum there.

Thanks for mentioning Bellingrath Gardens, I wasn't aware of that and Mrs. Bluesky does indeed love flowers. We'll check out the chicken place too if we get down there.

I've heard it's pretty laid back as far as fan access, and some of the hosts on Sirius NFL Radio often invite listeners or mention seeing listeners down there. I'll check it out one of these years.

[tBBP]

You should...you might enjoy yourself. (Well, both of y'all.)

And...I just read through my first post and stupid me needs to correct something: from Ladd-Peebles, Hart's is the other way, up Government Street to Spring Hill Avenue...DIP is the whole other direction. (You'd think I'd have remembered that, since I used to drill right down the road from Ladd-Peebles...DERP.)