DONE DEAL College football comes to Charlotte, and Lambert is the man who will build our team.
COACH LAMBERT PROWLER INTERVIEW B Y
R I C H A R D
W A L K E R
on August 31, 2013 when Charlotte will host Campbell at an on-campus stadium that will be built over the next two years. Here’s some of what Lambert had to say after being introduced as the first Charlotte 49ers football coach: Question: Why was Charlotte’s program so attractive to you? Answer: I think the location was very important to us. Because the recruiting base is really, really critical and we know this is an area where there have been a lot of quality, talented football players. Q: When did you first contact Charlotte about the vacancy and how soon did you know this would be a place for you? A: I applied back in January when the job came open. It’s taken place over the last couple of weeks. Then we finalized the deal the last couple of days. The chancellor has been great throughout the whole process. Same with Judy. They laid out the plan real nice. It’s easy to see the commitment and the success that we feel like we can have here. Q: What will you bring from Wake Forest and what traditions do you want to start here? A: You’ll build your own as you go through it and figure out what’s right
for UNC Charlotte. But we’ll build on our past and what we did with coach Grobe and coach Donnan. Q: How important will it be for you to get out in the community? A: That’s job one. That’s what you knew coming in. You’ve got to get everybody on board and let them know about you and about us. As soon as we get our staff assembled, we’ll get those guys involved. We’ve got to recruit and learn and grow as coaches. The number one thing for us right now is to go out and be seen and get around the community and talk about Charlotte 49ers football. Q: What will be your recruiting base? A: Charlotte and the state of North Carolina. We feel like there’s a great population base here and we’ve watched the state of North Carolina the last 10 years while we’ve been at Wake Forest. They’ve put in some spring football workouts and that’s helped. And there’s a lot of great football coaches in this state and we’ve made a lot of relationships with them over the last 10 years. Q: What will be the makeup of the first Charlotte 49ers football team? A: It’ll primarily be high school players but that’s something you want to watch. That’s something we’ll talk continues on page 5
COACH LAMBERT INTERVIEW
to coach (Larry) Coker at (Texas-)San Antonio and coach (Bill) Curry at Georgia State. You don’t want to have everybody the same age. So we’ll have some junior college transfers. But an
He and I have been involved for a lot of years. We wanted him involved with our program so he was one of the first people we called. When he committed to us, we were excited about it. He’s a great asset to have. He’ll be the guy that coaches our quarterbacks and goes out
issue will be in how many transfers we take. I don’t know the answer to that yet. Q: You’ve already announced former Wake Forest and West Virginia assistant Jeff Mullen as your first offensive coordinator. Tell us some more about him. A: That was an easy decision for us.
and finds those quarterbacks. Q: How important was it to have your former players like Will Witherspoon, Aaron Curry, Alphonso Smith and Riley Skinner here at your news conference? A: It is so important to us. They’ve been involved with our family so it’s not
THE
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ROAD TO KICK-OFF FOR
UNC CHARLOTTE FOOTBALL HAS BEEN A ONE. ALUMNI HAVE THE
LONG TASTE
OF VICTORY AT LAST.
just me. Words can’t express how much it means to me to see them here today. That was probably a highlight to me. They want to be a part. As I told Judy, we don’t have anything to lean on and they’re former players that we can lean on. It’s a good group and they’ve been an integral part of our lives. I tell those guys all the time they’ve made a lot of money for me and my family. Q: Can you talk about the support you’ve received so far from the UNC Charlotte community? A: For me, it’s been the chancellor and the administration here and the guys in the business. The thing that I keep hearing in the coaching world is what a good opportunity this is. Q: What can fans expect when they see the first Charlotte 49ers’ game in August 2013? A: The main thing they better see is our guys playing with their hair on fire. Our guys are going to play hard and when that game’s over we want Campbell to say, ‘We don’t want to play those guys anymore.’ FOLLOW 49er FOOTBALL TO KICK-OFF www.ProwlerMagazine.com MORE PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE www.Charlotte49erFootball.com
AERATE, SEED, AND FERTILIZE NOW FOR A BEAUTIFUL YARD THIS SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL
2011
Where is Your Home Team?
Angry Ale’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill 1600 Montford Drive 704 525-FOOD Home Teams UNC, NC State, ASU Must-Try Menu Item Totchos, nachos with tater tots vs tortilla chips
Home Team Florida Must-Try Menu Item Ribs and Wings
The Attic Bar 200 N. Tryon St. 704-358-4244 Home Teams Ireland Games Must-Try Menu Item Guiness (that’s what they said)
Buffalo Wild Wings * NASCAR Hall of Fame Uptown 400 E .Martin Luther King Jr Blvd * Matthews 2530 Sardis Road North * University 440 E. McCullough Dr. Ste. 220
Bailey’s Sports Grille 8500 Pineville-Matthews Road (704) 541-0794 Beantown Tavern 130 Matthews Station Street (704) 849-2023 Home Teams Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots Must-Try Menu Item Crab Cakes, Lobster Rolls Bikinis Sports Bar and Grill 520 University Center Blvd 704-595-1719 Black Bear Saloon 900 Seaboard Street 704-716-2327 Home Teams Panthers, Tar Heels, Georgia Tech, Phillies. NFL Sunday Ticket, MLB Extra Innings and ESPN Game Plan. BlackFinn American Saloon 210 E. Trade St. 704-971-4440 Home Teams N.C. State Wolfpack, Virginia Tech Hokies, Purdue, Notre Dame Huge Crowds for Panther Games Must-Try Menu Item Signatures sliders—choice of Beef, Pulled Pork or Crispy Chicken Boardwalk Billy’s * University 8933 J M Keynes Drive 704-503-1400 * Matthews 1636 Sardis Road North 704-841-8688
An Ongoing Feature you’ll find every month in Charlotte PROWLER Magazine!
Brazwell’s 1627 Montford Drive Phone 704-523-3500
Cedar Street Tavern 120 North Cedar Street 704-333-3448 Home Teams Panthers, NFL Sunday Ticket Must-Try Menu Item Cedar Street Burger Dilworth Neighborhood Grille 911 East Morehead Street, Suite 100 704-377-3808 Home Teams Auburn, WVU, UGA, Tenn, Texas, S. Carolina, UNC, Michigan St., Jets, Panthers, Steelers Must-Try Menu Item Crab Cakes, Spiedie Pizza
Jackalope Jack’s Restaurant and Bar 1936 East 7th Street 704-347-1918 Jock’s and Jill’s 4109 Southstream Blvd. 704-423-0001 Home Teams Penn St., ECU, Miami Must-Try Menu Item Halftime Sampler Midtown Sundries * University Area 3425 David Cox Road 704-597-7413 * Lake Norman 18665 Harborside Dr. 704-896-9013 Morehead Street Tavern 300 E. Morehead Street 704-334-2655 Home Teams WVU, Georgia, Panthers Must-Try Menu Item Steak Chunks On the Roxx-Dilworth 1520 South Blvd 704-919-0282
Dixie’s Tavern 301 East 7th Street 704-374-1700 Home Teams Penn State Nittany Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers
Picasso’s Sports Café 1301 East Blvd. 704-331-0133 Home Teams Washington Redskins, Tar Heels * University 230 East W T Harris Boulevard 704-595-9553
Ed’s Tavern 2200 Park Rd. 28203 704-335-0033 Home Teams Alabama Crimson Tide Must-Try Menu Item Burgers
Providence Road Sundries 1522 Providence Road 704-366-4467
Fox and Hound Smokehouse and Tavern * 330 North Tryon Street 704-333-4113 * Ballantyne 15235 John J Delaney Drive 704-541-0708 Home Teams Clemson, ASU, Bills, Dolphins Gin Mill 1411 South Tryon Street 704-373-0782 Home Teams Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish The Hickory Tavern 2005 E. Arbors Dr. + 9 More Locations! ICEHOUSE South End 2100 South Blvd 704-375-1128 Home Teams Clemson and any team you want on one of their 21 plasma TV’s—Any of their wings are off the hook!
Selwyn Pub 2801 Selwyn Avenue 704-333-3443 Smokey Bones Bar and Fire Grill 8760 J M Keynes Drive 704-549-8282 Solstice Tavern 3221 North Davidson Street (704) 342-2556 Sports Page Food and Spirits * 8400 Belhaven Blvd 704-399-4417 * Denver 179 Cross Center Dr. Phone: (704) 827-6283 * Mooresville 128D Argus Ln Phone: (704) 662-8851
Stool Pigeons * Uptown 214 North Church Street 704-358-3788 * University 9609 North Tryon Street 704-510-3999 Steamer’s Sports Pub 1513 Pierson Drive 704-568-9273 Strike City 210 East Trade Street 704-716-9300 Home Teams Ohio State Buckeyes, Cleveland Browns, LSU Tigers Must-Try Menu Item Authentic NY Pizzas
Tavern on the Tracks 1411 South Tryon Street 704-372-0782 Home Teams Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, Michigan Wolverines Vinnie’s Sardine Grille and Raw Bar * 1714 South Blvd 704-332-0006 * Mt Island 10916 Black Dog Ln 704-393-2203 * Lake Norman 643 Williamson Rd 704-799-2090
Know of a great bar we should include? Drop us an email and tell us all about it. Send Your Info to Scott@SouthernSportsJournal.net
Dilworth Neighborhood Grille
911 East Morehead Suite 100 704-377-3808 www.NeigbhorhoodGrille.com $2 MILLER LITE BOTTLES EVERYDAY Monday $3 Craft Cans Tuesday $3 Carolina Brews, $4 American Honey Shots Wednesday $3 Selected Craft, Dixie Blackened, Bell's Kalamazoo, Cottenwood, Highland, NCB, Great Lakes $4 Selected High Gravity—Terrapin ABV 7.3%, Victory Golden ABV 9.5%, Heavy Seas ABV 7%, Dogfish Head ABV 9.0%, 2-for-1 Car Bombs Thursday $3 Fat Tire, $4 Rumpleminze Shots Friday Best Happy Hour in Dilworth! Pint Night — Every Draft beer $2 or $3
$4 Whynatte Drinks and Shots Saturday $5 Makers Mark 46 (96 Proof) $4 Royal Flushes Sunday $3 Bloody Mary's, 1/2 off Selected Wines, $4 Jager Shots
Signature Menu Item Kingston Crab Cakes 9.95 served with aioli dipping sauce and a roasted red pepper sauce. Winner Best Appetizer—Taste of Charlotte 2009
The Gin Mill
1411 South Tryon Street 704-373-0872 www.theginmill.com Mondays $2 High Life Lt., $4.50 Root Beer Floats - Monday Night Football Tuesdays $2 Bud Light, $3 Abita Xmas Ale, $5 Tic Tacs - Team Trivia at 9:15 Wednesdays $2.50 all drafts, $4 Fun Dips Cosmic Bowling after 9pm (DJ and Wii Bowling) Thursdays $2 Miller Lite, $2.50 Retro Red, $5 Baby Guinness - NFL Football Fridays $2 PBR Tallboys, $2.50 Corona Lt. Live Music or DJ Saturdays $2 High Life Lt., $4.50 Root Beer Floats - Occasional Live Music
Sundays $2 High Life Lt., $4.50 Root Beer Floats - NFL Package Located less than a mile from city center, right on the light rail line and next to Amos’ Southend, The Gin Mill is an original neighborhood drinking bar. Offering an entertaining layout, great specials, trivia, DJ’s, karaoke, live music, roof-top patio and more. We show all major sports packages. The Gin Mill—the perfect place for your next party, big or small. Join us!
Tavern on the Tracks
Corner of Bland and S. Tryon 704-372-0872 www.TavernontheTracks.com Operating Hours Monday - Sunday 11:00am - 2:00am Drink Specials Friday $3 pints Saturday $5.50 Red Bull and vodkas Food Specials Friday Night Fish Fry $8.00 Red Oak Beer Battered Filets Served with Coleslaw and Handcut Fries
Whisky River-The Epicentre 704-749-1097 210 East Trade Street
Saturday Night Prime Rib $13.99 12oz. prime rib, side salad and seasoned baked potato (8oz. $8.99) Sunday Night Shrimp & Ribs $10.99 Half rack of rib, grilled skewered shrimp, side salad and choice of side. Brunch Served Saturday & Sunday 11:00am - 2:00pm
GUINNESS BATTER
ONION RINGS
One large Vidalia onion, peeled and sliced 1/4” to 1/2” thick One package onion ring coating mix 12 ounces Guinness Stout 1/2 cup corn meal Separate the onion slices into rings. Whisk 2 cups of the coating mix with the Guinness Stout until smooth. In another bowl, add the corn meal to the remainder of the coating mix and combine.
Preheat Canola oil 2/3 full in a deep fryer or deep kettle to 375 degrees F. Coat the onion rings in the batter a few at a time. Dust or roll in the dry coating mix then drop into hot oil. Cook for 4 minutes then turn out onto paper towels to drain. Salt lightly. Make them in batches and serve hot with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.
KEBABS IRISH SAUSAGE SANDWICHES Irish sausage kebabs are a type of sandwich, similar to an American hot dog. They consist of an Irish sausage, with tomatoes and onions, wrapped in puff pastry and baked until brown and heated through. Not to be confused with Kabobs!
Two 1 lb. packages Irish sausages or plain pork sausages Two tomatoes, diced to 1/4 inch One medium onion, diced to 1/4 inch 1-1/2 c. vinaigrette marinade or salad dressing 1/4 tsp. ground curry powder 1/4 tsp. ground ginger One package ready-made puff pastry thawed (2 sheets) One beaten egg Start one day ahead. Marinate onion and tomatoes in the fridge overnight. Next day, fry the sausages until thoroughly cooked; drain and set aside. Spread pastry and roll lightly on a floured surface. Cut into 4-inch squares. Place one teaspoonful marinated vegetables in the center, then place one sausage on top. Wrap and seal the seam with a little water, placing them on an ungreased baking sheet, seam side down. Brush with beaten egg and bake 12 to 15 minutes until pastry is risen, cooked through and golden brown. Serve warm as an appetizer.
IRISH-STYLE GUINNESS FRIED Two tablespoons cooking oil One medium onion, chopped Two cloves garlic, minced Four lbs. chicken wings One carrot, peeled and quartered One parsnip, peeled and quartered One teaspoon dried thyme leaves 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3/4 cup of Guinness
CHICKEN WINGS
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon. Add the chicken wings and cook 5 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, parsnip and spices to the pan. Pour Guinness over chicken and vegetables and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Uncover, cook 10 minutes. Place chicken wings on a baking sheet and brush with remaining sauce. With the broiler on low, broil for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side, basting the other side when you turn them.
BEER. FOOD. What could be better? BEER FOOD.
704-989-2473
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