By the time you read this, the lime green renewable energy machine will be parked quietly by some roadside near you enjoying its own extended vacation with no particular place to go – and deservedly so.

 

After all, the 1984 Mercedes running on two greener, cleaner fuels – biodiesel and vegetable oil – performed as brightly and boldly as its color. All told, the green machine took yours truly to 31 states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces, logging some 35,000 miles over 116 amazing days. As a result, I was able to witness 45 football games, of which 26 were of the college variety, 18 of the No Fun League, and one really unique high school football game in Nebraska at an old baseball park built in the 1950s. Check out the photos at the photos page!

 

When there weren’t pigskin contests to see, I also managed to take in 37 hockey games, 27 basketball games, 4 baseball games (and even catch a foul ball) and one darn interesting rodeo (Yee-haw, I had never been to the rodeo before!). All of this also wouldn’t have been possible without my sponsors (AutoTrader.com, MapQuest and StubHub, among others).

 

The final two stops on the Green Power Sports Tour were in Charlotte, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee , home of the NFL’s Panthers and Titans, respectively. And both teams have plenty in common. Although the Titans relocated from Houston to Nashville in 1999, you could make a good argument they are essential an expansion team like the Carolina Panthers. After all, neither city had really boasted a professional sports team of any kind prior to their NFL birth, although Charlotte did have an NBA franchise (that eventually bolted to New Orleans).

 

Both franchises are located in mid-sized cities in the south; both play in downtown stadiums; and both enjoyed quick success as new teams, each making (but losing in) a Super Bowl. And in recent years, both clubs have struggled for year-in, year-out consistency in the win column.

 

Therefore, given their recent history, and the relative newness of both clubs, it’s no surprise (to me) that both fan bases have shrunk as the teams have stunk. It was easy to see and feel in Charlotte Saturday night as Dallas Cowboys fanatics outnumbered Panthers backers at Bank of America Stadium. What was surprising (to me), however, was the number of female Cowboys fans who had created posters with their unique opinion on actress Jessica Simpson dating Dallas quarterback Tony Romo. This week’s sign the apocalypse is now upon us: many Cowboys fans blamed Simpson for Romo having a bad game the previous week in a loss to Philadelphia .

 

Romo played just fine, thank you, against the Panthers, despite losing big mouth wide receiver Terrell Owens to injury in the first half. It was the third time I had seen “ America ’s Team” on my journey, and it was clear to me that Dallas was simply a step above Carolina in terms of talent and depth. The only other teams in my opinion that could potentially beat the Patriots in the post-season besides the Cowboys are the Colts, Packers and the underrated Jaguars.

 

Bank of America Stadium is a great venue for football, with great sight and huge towering light standards hovering over the top level of the seating areas. But the fans (at least the Carolina ones that showed up) were less than enthusiastic, and on one level I can’t really blame them: exiting the stadium was a train wreck, with the idiot brigade that runs security forcing all fans to exit down only on exit ramp.  

 

The next day in Music City , the opposite problem occurred – fans couldn’t get into the stadium. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I purchase a ticket for a game I don’t expect to wait more than 20 minutes to enter the stadium. That wasn’t the end of the lines, though. On the upper level, the concession lines were inexcusably long because an adjacent concession stand was closed.

 

Now, get this: the Titans announced a sold-out crowd for their game against the Jets, but you couldn’t have fooled me. Throughout the game there were pockets of empty seats everywhere. The Titans had a sell-out, alright. Many tickets purchased by local ticket brokers couldn’t be re-sold outside on the street because it was 45 degrees out and windy (that’s bitterly cold temps in the south) and the Titans, despite running quarterback Vince Young, as about as exciting as an IRS form. So if it was “really” sold out, could it have cost the Titans too much to have that concession stand on the upper level opened, hmmm?

 

Tennessee managed to win an offensive yawner, 10-6, and having traveled more miles than should be allowed by law over a four-month period, I was a bit pooped too as I left Nashville two nights before Christmas in my jolly green sleigh.

 

‘Tis the season to be jolly, ‘tis the season to be thankful.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you a goodnight – for your readership and support. And have a Happy New Year!

 

p.s.: Joe Santa’s crystal ball sezs there’s a Super Bowl and an undefeated record in the Patriots 2008 future.