Ballyplicity :: The Mid-Majority

February 4, 2008 9:06 pm ET by Kyle Whelliston

There's more than one Bally, and that's because we occasionally hold contests here and give away real-life versions of the cartoon buddy who goes everywhere with me on my travels. Like, for instance, our Hunan: Return Of The Phoenix movie treatment contest, which might be extended an extra day because the entries are so awesome, and we want more, more, more awesomeness.

Anyway, speaking of awesomeness, there's a secret e-mail address on the polybag that the orange guy comes in, along with an invitation to take him to games and send in pictures. And as you might know, UNC-Asheville beat Winthrop 71-56 on Saturday, and it was a crucial (and awesome) Big South game that provided separation in a league that WU has lorded over for seeming centuries.

But longtime reader and local legend Rod in Asheville, in bringing a certain friend to the game, set the Bally bar about as high as it could go. Anybody who sends in snapshots from here on out will have to face the inevitable comparisons to Rod's entries, and I just hope that this doesn't dissuade anybody from future submissions out of pure shame. After the jump, we have Bally with hot girls, and that's what you -- the future picture sender-inner -- have to compete with.

I'm just going to sit back over here in the corner, and let Rod take the story from here.

Bally's got his ticket, and he's excited about the game!

A tradition at UNCA is visiting the statue of "Rocky the Bulldog" before the game, and rubbing his head. Bally does the next best thing.

Here's Bally enjoying the UNCA warmups. Whoah, there's big Kenny George! He's much bigger than Bally, but it sure doesn't like it from this perspective.

Bally has the rhythm in his seams, and he'd love to cut his chops with the UNCA pep band. Unfortunately, he can't reach the drums unless he's sitting on them...

Say Bally, get a load of those crazy UNCA co-eds. Talk about School Spirit Week!

It's just not fair. All I have to counter with is a few pictures from Texas and from last Saturday's northeastern tripleheader. Here's Bally at Sam Houston, wondering if the "K" in Bearkats is for.