Sunday, December 31

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Posted by Kerry, Ken and Matt at 11:59 p.m.


View of the Diplomat Landing at night

COUNTDOWN TO THE NEW YEAR

A huge New Year’s Eve party is going on at Diplomat Landing, across the street from the Westin. Diplomat Landing is basically the Westin’s parking deck with a sports bar on the lower level and a boat dock on the intercostal waterway out back. But tonight it’s the place to be for “the hottest New Year’s Eve party in South Florida,” according to the flyer. Searchlights out front are lighting up the sky, and well-dressed people have been pouring in for several hours. From the parking deck, we can see numerous tents set up on the large patio adjacent to the dock. If you’re a cheap date, you can enjoy performances by Gypsy Lane, Super Stuff and Mantu Santu for only $30 a person. For $70 a person, you can have a four-course dinner at the Waterfront Sports Grille. If you’re really trying to impress your date, you would have eaten the “surf and turf menu” over here at the Westin for $207 a person. Or you could have taken a two-hour dinner cruise “with lavish buffet stations” on the Grand Floridian for $207 a person. We’re enjoying the music for free across the street.

Posted by Kerry at 11:18 p.m.


FRIENDLY ENCOUNTER

Walking through the lobby of the Westin Diplomat following the Jim Grobe Show I pass Dr. Hearn. I am excited to see that he made the trip to Florida. I say hello and he stops to shake my hand before continuing on his way.

Posted by Matt at 8:06 p.m.


Wake Forest football broadcaster Stan Cotton interviews head coach Jim Grobe

POOL-SIDE CHAT

What a location for a chat with Jim Grobe—poolside at the Westin, full moon over the ocean, soft breeze, palm trees overhead. The Jim Grobe Show is being broadcast live from the pool deck at the Westin hotel, with several hundred Deacon fans watching. Loud applause breaks out when Stan Cotten opens the show with “welcome to South Florida.” Grobe is joined by offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke and defensive coordinator Dean Hood. Someone passes out Champion-brand T-shirts with “What it takes to make a champion” and highlights from the year printed on it.

Posted by Kerry at 7:43 p.m.


Palm trees blow in the wind

PEACEFUL

I am walking along the beach at sunset. Looking to the north I see three cruise ships on the horizon. It is windy tonight and the palm trees are blowing from side-to-side. I notice that some of the palms have coconuts. I do not see any falling but avoid walking too close; I would hate to get bopped on the head. It is peaceful here. The crowds are gone and all I can hear are the sounds of waves crashing on the shore.

Posted by Matt at 5:41 p.m.


Kathie and Alexander Cooper in the lobby.

WE WANT A TOUCHDOWN

Alexander and Kathie Chastain (’71) Cooper of Lake Norman, N.C., are over at the Wake Forest hospitality table in the Hyatt. Although Alexander didn’t go to Wake Forest, he’s certainly adopted the school. “I wasn’t going to say that I watched it (the Orange Bowl) on TV, I wanted to be there.” Kathie Cooper was in school when Wake Forest last won the ACC Championship, in 1970, so she’s seen some good times before, but she was there too “when we were happy just to score a touchdown,” she laughs.

Posted by Kerry at 4:29 p.m.


Sue Taylor in a Wake Forest sweater

ROOMMATE

Sue Taylor, sporting a beautiful sweater with the Deacon on the back, is with some friends relaxing in the lobby of the Hyatt after checking in. She’s the mother of Billie Toalson (’88) and a longtime Deacon fan. She decided to come to the game after friend Edna Shore “called and said she needed a roommate,” Taylor says laughing. “I’ve been a Wake Forest fan for 30 years,” Shore says. They’re sitting with Larry (’61) and Nancy Hurst of Winston-Salem. “We’re die-hard fans,” Nancy Hurst says.

Posted by Kerry at 3:47 p.m.


Hyatt Regency in downtown Miami

WELCOME DEACON CLUB MEMBERS

It’s a madhouse at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Miami with about 750 Deacon Club members, who just arrived in town, trying to check in at once. Vada Lou Earle (’85), with the Alumni Office, is staffing the welcome desk and passing out information and some free stuff. Nearby, a vendor is selling Wake Forest-Orange Bowl shirts and sweatshirts.

Posted by Kerry at 3:44 p.m.


SWARMING DEACONS!

Wow, we’re just back from South Beach and the lobby is swarming with newly arriving Deacon fans. President and Mrs. Hatch just checked in and are having a hard time getting to the elevators because fans keep stopping them to say hello. Also seen in the lobby: Vice President James Bullock (’85, MBA ’05) and his wife, Carrie (’85), and their children, and retired Vice President and Counsel Leon Corbett (’59, JD ’61) and his wife, Mary Lou (’59).

Posted by Kerry at 2:08 p.m.


full luggage carts

FANS ARRIVE

The lobby of the Westin Diplomat is much busier today as more Wake Forest fans arrive. Everywhere you look you see Wake Forest shirts, hats, pins, and other gear. If you are wearing anything that says “Wake Forest” on it you will get a friendly reception from other Demon Deacon fans. As I walk through the lobby I can’t help but notice the backlog of luggage carts.

Posted by Matt at 2:01 p.m.


President Hatch and his wife, Julie, get out of their car.

HE’S HERE

Wake Forest president, Nathan O. Hatch, and his wife, Julie, have just arrived at the Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa. I walk past them unloading their car on my way into the hotel.

Posted by Matt at 1:47 p.m.


The Robert Is Here fruit stand in Florida City.

ROBERT IS HERE

Robert Is Here is a South Florida institution. In business as a fruit stand since 1960, Robert Is Here is known around the world for their handmade fresh fruit milk shakes. If you are headed to Everglades National Park, the stand is on the right side of the road just outside Florida City. Shakes are available in about thirty flavors, including mango, coconut, papaya, and various fruit mixtures, but the best and most popular are the Key lime and the fresh strawberry shakes. The Key lime is amazing—cool and creamy, with a huge jolt of fresh tangy lime juice.

Posted by Ken at 12:54 p.m.


Policeman writing a ticket

PARKING TICKETS

If you plan to go to South Beach while you are in town for the Orange Bowl, expect a crowd. Ocean Drive is currently closed to traffic so much of the on-street parking is unavailable. I found a city parking deck on 7th Street (from the north, turn right off A-1-A), one block from Ocean Drive and only $1 an hour. Much better than the $20 flat rate I saw advertised at another lot. Whatever you do, do not park illegally. I spoke with police officer Jimmy Mauro of the Miami Beach police as he was writing a parking ticket. He said that most people read the signs; this was only the second ticket he had written today. I didn’t ask how much a parking ticket here would set you back, but I wonder how it compares to the cost of a parking ticket on-campus at Wake Forest. Officer Mauro wished us good luck in the game on Tuesday.

Posted by Matt at 12:33 p.m.


People walk past a vintage car

JOURNEY TO SOUTH BEACH

My wife, Heather, and I head to South Beach this morning, about a 30-minute drive from the Westin, straight down A-1-A. It’s a nice drive, with not too much traffic. High-rise apartment buildings and luxury hotels line the beach side of the highway for much of the way. We pass the Louisville team hotel, the Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort, which is actually only about a five-minute drive from the Westin. Ocean Drive, which runs along the ocean in South Beach, is a long stretch of restaurant after restaurant all with outdoor seating. It was especially nice this morning to take a leisurely stroll because the street was closed to traffic in preparation for a New Year’s Eve party tonight. I spotted many Deacon fans among the throngs of people.

Posted by Kerry at 12:30 p.m.


COMING THROUGH!

Although I’ve seen it several times now, the Deacon motorcade is still a sight to see. While motorcycle policemen block off the street in front of the Westin, a black, unmarked SUV, with lights flashing, pulls out of the driveway, followed by the four buses, another black SUV and more motorcycle policemen. There’s a Chrysler 300 in the motorcade today too; perhaps carrying Jim Grobe, who just picked up another coach of the year award. The Deacons are off to their daily practice at Nova University.

Posted by Kerry at 9:35 a.m.


NEWS FLASH

Matt, who’s been holed up in his room on the 5th floor of the south tower most of the week working, sends an urgent e-mail to me over on the 9th floor of the north tower. Fortunately, it’s good news: Jim Grobe has picked up another coach of the year honor, this time the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award. We need to post that on the Web site as soon as possible.

We have an entire Web page dedicated to Orange Bowl information and news. Visit it if you have not done so already and check back occasionally for updates.

Posted by Kerry at 12:18 a.m.


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Live from Miami, it’s Window on Wake Forest’s crack team of Deacon fans:

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Kerry King (’85)
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Ken Bennett
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Matt Nelkin (’03)
Web Guru


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