Concession Stands

I've had some trouble finding full-time work since moving to Alabama, which is another story for another time. What I have found, however, is a concession stand gig at Bryant-Denny Stadium, home of the Crimson Tide. I've been at it for six weeks now, which doesn't tell the whole story, since I've only worked three games-- Penn State, Florida and Ole Miss.


The work starts earlier in the week, with the popping of hundreds and hundreds of bags of popcorn. My work has begun Fridays at noon, organizing Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and water for delivery to our six different stands throughout the stadium. None of which, btw, are close to each other. Different stands get different amounts, based on history. We put the proper amount in the tubs (I call 'em bobsleds) and start moving them on their way. Our base camp is on the club level and not close to much, but it is reasonably close to an elevator. Though said elevator is typically not active while we work.


This means moving five tubs full of 8 to 12 cases (24 bottles to a case) of drinks down the spiral ramp and into position for gameday Saturday. Fighting the tubs is a more accurate way to put it, since the bobsleds don't steer well to begin with, and when you add all that weight, well, it's a workout. The sixth tub is a tag-team effort-- it goes up one level, to the north end zone. One pushes and the other pulls. The entire evolution is done in two hours, though humping that tub up to the north end zone sure seems to take a while.


I should say that while we work, the grounds crew is painting the field for the game. Yard lines, sidelines, midfield logos, end zones, the whole nine yards (thank you, thank you very much). I just never gave it much thought. And for whatever reason, Bama chooses to go with natural grass, when the world is trending toward field turf.

Anyhow, on gameday, we arrive four hours before kickoff to send out the popcorn and ice the pop. I'm responsible for two of the six stands, checking to see if they need more product, more ice, etc. During the game, I don't have much to do. Walking from stand to stand every 20-30 minutes is the hardest part, because the seller and expediter (two-man crews) seem to have it all worked out. Though Saturday for the Ole Miss game, one stand was a person short, so I went and stood a post. It wasn't hot, and with an 8 pm kickoff (yuck) the temps were in the 50s, so we didn't move a lot of product.

At the end of the night, we move the tubs back up to the house, count product and head out. We stop at the end of the third quarter and are leaving about 15-20 minutes after the game ends.

So it's not hard, but it *is* long work. The down side is 8.5 hours of effort when the rest of the football world is watching games, tailgating and drinking chocolate milk. The cool part is being in the stadium for Alabama football for free, and getting paid for it. I've had enough off Saturdays to enjoy as the rest of the masses do, so it's not too bad of a deal.


And I still help with stats at the UAB football games. And I made a decision to work the Ole Miss game and miss the Blazers vs the Miners in Birmingham. It was a painful choice, but the right one, and not because UTEP lost.


It helps me keep my head up during this time in my life-- knowing that I *am* doing something. Not much, but a little. My wife, bless her, supported my going to see the Miners, for whom my love has been well-documented earlier in these pages, but income, no matter the amount, is a good thing.



So I know I chose correctly.