THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 9, 1994 TAG: 9410080036
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 166 lines
A CUSHY recliner lounger, a fridge full of cold drinks and sandwiches, a nice big color television, a few buddies and a Sunday afternoon football schedule chock-full of everybody's favorite NFL teams.
Ah. . . .that's livin'.
And it was about as close as Larry Harrington ever thought he'd get to seeing his beloved Washington Redskins football team.
Sure, he could make the 3 1/2-hour drive up to D.C., white-knuckle struggle with Northern Virginia traffic and parking, and do battle with any number of high-priced scalpers.
Whew! And then there's the drive home after it's all over.
What a hassle. Too much of one, in fact, for Harrington.
Besides, his seat in front of the big screen had to be better than anything he might get for one of the expensive tickets he might buy.
But then he discovered something called a sports tour - a million-dollar sideshow of the travel industry that's booming in South Hampton Roads.
``For a lot of years, I didn't realize you could get into a game,'' said the Virginia Beach resident who attended the Washington/Atlanta game two weeks ago with son Larry Jr.
``We save up our money and try to go to at least one a year. This is the fourth year we've been doing this. This is such a fun way to go to a football game.''
No worries, that's for sure. All you have to do is pay your money, hop on the bus and make sure you show up on time when the bus leaves the hotel for the game. Overnight accommodations and game tickets are included in the cost.
Just sit back, enjoy the ride, and even watch movies or football highlight films on one of the bus's six television sets.
Almost as relaxing as the football party at home, but you know what they say - there's nothing like being there.
The Harringtons were part of a Great Atlantic Travel and Tour Co. trip that featured 14 buses and about 700 fans. The following weekend, Great Atlantic took 25 buses and more than 1,100 people to the Redskins-Cowboys game.
Other area travel agencies - including Indian River Sports Travel and Mett's Sports Tours - offer similar trips. Great Atlantic does the largest volume.
Football and basketball are the biggest draws, although NASCAR events are enjoying a steady increase in popularity. Golf packages also are available.
John Martin of Great Atlantic sees the inaugural season of the NFL's Carolina Panthers and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games as future large draws.
If you know of a sporting event and a group that wants to go, one of the area sports-tour businesses will get you there.
``We started in 1981 with one busload and 44 tickets to a Redskins game,'' Martin said. ``It's grown every year. We're going to start a major program with the Panthers next year and I see us moving probably 10,000 people to their games alone.''
So it's safe to say that this is a popular way to watch a sporting event?
``Without a doubt,'' Martin said.
Bill and Peggy Kohl of Virginia Beach sure think so.
Especially Bill. He's been making three or four trips a year since 1984 and tries to attend playoff games when one of the three teams Great Atlantic specializes in - Washington, Philadelphia and Dallas - are in post-season.
``This is the best way,'' Bill Kohl said. ``You don't have to worry about a thing. Tickets, hotel, driving, it's all done for you.
``You just have all the fun.''
Randy and Irene Overton undoubtedly think this is the best thing going. When they go on one of the trips, they have to drive up from Elizabeth City in time for the 7 a.m. departure. That means getting up at around 5 in the morning.
They wouldn't have missed this particular trip for the world.
They were needed at the game to help their close friend Alton Dance of Elizabeth City hold up posters asking girlfriend Tracy Weathers to marry him.
``She doesn't really know I'm going to be doing this,'' Dance, 25, said. ``I've been beating around the bush for a while about us getting married and she knows to be watching the game today.
``Hopefully, the cameramen will see the signs and get us on TV.''
Instant friendships come with the ticket price.
It seemed that the minute everybody boarded the buses, the joking and good times began. You'd have thought half the people were life-long friends.
And this was at 6 in the morning with just a hint of the sun rising above the horizon.
``It's like that,'' said Peggy Davis, the escort for bus No. 1. ``Most of the people on the bus are Redskins fans, although some aren't, but everybody has football in common.
``Sports fans usually get along pretty well. They joke with each other and give each other a hard time.''
Davis has been escorting for Great Atlantic for 12 years. An art teacher at Cradock Middle School in Portsmouth, she says it's the perfect weekend job.
``I started going to games with friends and really became a Redskins fan when they beat the Dolphins in the Super Bowl.''
And in that time, the job has become a family affair. Daughter Margaret Ferry and her husband - Tim - are also bus escorts.
Each escort reports to manager Richard Honeycutt.
``It's kind of like a military setup,'' Martin said. ``The escorts make sure everything is going well for the people on their bus, and if there's any problems, they report to the manager, who comes to me to solve the problems.
``But we've got this down to a science, and problems are rare.''
The tours can also provide a little culture - with other trips planned as part of the overnighters.
``That's the real reason we brought Alton along,'' said Randy Overton. ``We need to teach him some culture before he gets married.''
Once settled into hotel rooms, Washington trippers can opt to go to Atlantic City for a night of gambling, to the horse racing tracks outside of Baltimore, or into downtown D.C. to visit museums or shops.
Some trips were supposed to be coupled with a Baltimore Orioles baseball game on Saturday night - but there's no baseball this fall. A future trip will include a Washington Bullets basketball game.
If none of that interests travelers, they can go out on their own.
With her hotel close to the Crystal City and Pentagon malls, Mary Childress' choice activity for her free time was shopping.
``We went to the malls and shopped, shopped, shopped,'' said the 60-year-old Roanoke resident who was in Hampton Roads visiting her daughter - Dr. Velinda Anderson of Norfolk State University. ``We also went to the National Gallery and some of the other museums.''
This was Childress' first NFL football game, although she said her husband is a diehard Redskins fan.
``I'm so excited,'' she said before boarding the bus Sunday morning. ``This is going to be fun.''
For a weekend of fun and a chance to see a professional football game, the prices of most trips are fairly reasonable.
The Redskins-Falcons trip was $149 for the weekend. One-day trips up and back to the game are also available for some games.
Trips to Washington and Philadelphia in October, November and December that are coupled with a Saturday night stay in Atlantic City range from $139 to $179.
A holiday trip to the Redskins-Buccaneers game Dec. 17-18 also includes a tailgate party at RFK Stadium.
Trips to games at Dallas include hotel, game tickets and rental car, but participants must arrange their own flights - which can be purchased at the travel agency, of course.
But whatever route you choose, taking an all-arranged trip to your favorite athletic event seems to be the sporting thing to do. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH/Staff
These fans whooping it up at the Redskins-Falcons game traveled to
Washington on a Great Atlantic Travel tour.
Graphic
SPORTS TRIPPIN'
Agencies: Great Atlantic Travel and Tour Co. (422-9001), Indian
River Sports Travel (523-5551), Mett's Sports Travel in Newport News
(1-800-359-8687).
What: These travel professionals offer one-day, weekend and fly
packages to several NFL home sites including Dallas, Washington,
Philadelphia and Kansas City (Mett's). Aside from football games,
they run trips for basketball, baseball (when it's being played) and
NASCAR. Some trips include baseball or basketball on Saturday night,
and the football game on Sunday. Some also run golf packages.
How: Day and weekend trips to Washington, Charlotte and
Philadelphia are by coach bus, many with televisions and VCRs.
Overnight accommodations are included in the cost, as are game
tickets.
Cost: Prices range anywhere from $130 to $300, depending on
popularity and availability. Trips to Dallas include everything but
air fare - but the agencies can help arrange that.
Photo
DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH/Staff
Peggy Davis, escort for bus No. 1, welcomes Mary Childress of
Roanoke the morning of the game. Davis has been escorting for Great
Atlantic Travel and Tour Co. for 12 years.
by CNB