Jacksonville Bold for 5.27.16 — With friends like these, who needs enemies?

On Wednesday evening, FloridaPolitics.com reviewed a replay of a Jacksonville City Council committee meeting from the previous week.

Specifically, it was Recreation, Community Development, Public Health and Safety … a gathering that had been already covered in real time.

That committee, with its singularly unwieldy name, was of interest because of an equally awkward subject: the money pit known as Friends of Hemming Park.

At that point, Friends of Hemming Park was requesting a quarter-million dollars for a new stage, to replace the current stage which (hopefully) won’t break during this weekend’s Jazz Festival.

FOHP CEO Vince Cavin noted that the $250,000 of stage sponsorship money from Community First would allow the FOHP to stay afloat, even as money from Council allows for stage construction.

The stage, set to be ready sometime in early 2017, was initially estimated at “$115,000 signed, sealed, delivered.” Light and sound would be extra, though.

Presentation of the bill was a mess. Committee Chair Doyle Carter, just days from getting blindsided out of the Council Vice Presidency by Reggie Gaffney  (who flaked on his signed pledge in yet another Gaffney family lowlight) kept having to ask for the deal to be explained to him.

Because it didn’t make sense. And the reason why became apparent Monday, with Chris Hong exposing in the Florida Times-Union that Hemming Park was going to be out of money sooner than they told everyone.

How soon? The first week of June … if they couldn’t shake Council down, that is.

And the urgent need for the money was for operations, not capital improvement … yet another indication that its books are sloppier than a toddler’s coloring book.

This is relevant because Cavin and his crew contended they had enough money to get through most of June. And even as Cavin was selling that line to folks like Councilman Tommy Hazouri, Hong was typing up his piece with the actual truth.

Thus, a public notice meeting was arranged Tuesday morning to broker a compromise: FOHP would get $100K at Council, and another bill, pushing the extra $150K, would be introduced and vetted in committees, passed in August if Council saw fit.

Council’s got a few questions; $22K a month goes into payroll, and events are programmed that create the appearance of gentrification … though the head count of people at those events is “subjective.”

When those events are over, what is left are “the park regulars.” They cuss, fight, and don’t add much ambiance to the so-called “front door to city hall.”

Those “regulars” aren’t contributing to the park’s revenue stream; in fact, they create an adverse incentive to spending time in the space,  for most of the people who would.

Friends of Hemming Park: a nice idea, in keeping with many that came through during the Alvin Brown administration. But the ROI is out of whack. And Council is asking itself increasingly hard questions … such as ‘when can we pull the plug’?

With friends like these, they don’t need enemies.

“City Council’s micromanaging is doing Hemming Park more harm than good” via Ron Littlepage of the Florida Times-Union –This city is a lot like crabs in a pot. If one is reaching for freedom and about to move on to something good, another crab will pull it back down into the pot. This is especially true for downtown. One doesn’t have to go too far back in the memory file to recall when what is now Hemming Park was Hemming Plaza. It was trashy, a source of shame. The air was often filled with profanity. Gambling, drugs and alcohol were common. The park has been cleaned and spruced up. It’s often full of people enjoying the park. There are activities and events that didn’t exist before. During a council Finance Committee meeting last week, there were nods to the improvements at the park, but for more than an hour, there was mostly a public flogging of Friends of Hemming Park. But for the relatively paltry sum going to Friends of Hemming Park, it was a nitpickers’ paradise … It was clear from some council members that they don’t want to spend city money on the park, which, of course, is an essential ingredient for creating an iconic park that’s a gift for the entire city. As has become the habit in our city government, the crabs in the pot-of-never getting-anything-done are reaching out to pull back the one trying to do something good.

“Jax Council elects Lori Boyer to presidency, John Crescimbeni to veep” via Florida Politics – Everyone knew current Vice President Boyer would be voted in as president-designate, offering meaningful continuity after the presidency of Greg Anderson. However, the VP-designate race between Doyle Carter and Crescimbeni offered considerably more drama, with both men deadlocked at eight pledges each ahead of the special council meeting Tuesday afternoon, before Crescimbeni pulled it out in a thrilling 10 to 9 vote, with twists and turns no one expected going in … The surprise: Reggie Gaffney reversing his pledge and going with Crescimbeni, swinging the election. Doyle Carter’s comment? ‘He doesn’t keep his word very well.’

What Bold is hearing: Does the bully now have a pulpit? All eyes will now be squarely focused on Crescimbeni, who has a reputation for bullying and belittling those with whom he disagrees.  It will be interesting to watch things unfold over the next year with Crescimbeni in the vice president post. Over the years, the Jacksonville City Council has developed a precedent for keeping VPs from ascending to the top if and when colleagues lose confidence, so considering his divisive approach to many key issues, Crescimbeni will be walking a tight rope. The first major test will likely be over how the Council addresses the issue of ridesharing. Carrying the water for his longtime friends in the taxi business seems to have placed Crescimbeni on a lonely island. The public is overwhelmingly supportive of ridesharing facilitators like Lyft and Uber, with the only detractors being cab owners, their lobbyists and Crescimbeni. The once term-limited Councilman has an important decision looming that may well impact his current path to the presidency. Does he listen to the taxpayers who have come to enjoy having multiple safe transportation options?

“Jacksonville Roost debate not over yet” via Florida Politics – Despite Council approving the planned unit development of the Roost by a 13-to-5 margin, the fight to keep the 150-seat restaurant off Oak Street in Riverside, which will have liquor sales and live entertainment, isn’t over yet. An open letter from Positive Riverside Optimized Urban Development, a citizen activist group, outlines the path forward … ‘Almost every vote in City Council is unanimous. This vote represented a handful of conscientious people standing up against a tide of political money and influence for what is right … We have 30 days to file an appeal …  we have always felt that our chances were significantly better in court than in any political arena. The appeal is, and has always been, our best chance at victory.’

“Can sports and money persuade Jacksonville to respect gay people?” via John Burr – If there is anything that is going to get Jacksonville’s leaders to approve expanded legal protection for gays and transgender people, this could be it – the city’s love of sports.

People in Jacksonville just adore sports. It’s why our then sleepy Southern town punched far above its weight and landed an NFL franchise in 1993, and it’s why attracting sporting events to town has become a cornerstone of Jacksonville’s strategy to grow tourism.

Last month the NCAA announced it will require cities hosting college championship events to show how they will promote an environment that prevents discrimination, including discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

A city ordinance to expand employment and housing protections to LGBT folks failed in Jacksonville’s City Council by one vote in 2012, and an effort for a second vote on the ordinance stalled out before a final vote earlier this year.

Jacksonville has hosted a bunch of NCAA championship events over the years – men’s and women’s basketball, track and field and of course, the city has been trying hard to land the holy grail of college sports – the national championship football game.

The games bring prestige to the city, and also money. The NCAA events hosted in the past year in Jacksonville have generated about $30 million in economic impact, according to Jax Sports, a nonprofit that works to bring sports events to the city, as quoted in The Florida Times-Union.

Surely, there’s enough handwriting on the wall to see where this is heading – cities that appear unfriendly to their LGBT residents and visitors risk being ostracized by the NCAA.

And the fallout won’t be limited to sports ­– Corporate America is on the case too, just look at the business opposition to North Carolina’s bathroom bill from Bank of America, Apple, Facebook, Google, American Airlines, and on and on.

How far away is Jacksonville from losing corporate expansions and relocations over this issue? This could turn ugly fast. Just ask the city fathers in Charlotte, North Carolina, who lost a 400-job PayPal expansion last month over the bathroom bill.

“Spikes in our city’s population, tourism just raise the stakes for the August referendum” via the Florida Times-Union – According to recent figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau … Between 2010 and last year, Jacksonville added nearly 45,000 people — more than any other major city in Florida. In fact, just in a one-year period — 2014 through 2015 — our city added more than 13,000 new residents. According to Visit Jacksonville, our city is doing booming business as a regional tourist spot: Through the first quarter of 2016, the occupancy rate in local hotels has increased by an impressive 2.7 percent … In addition, only two Southeast cities, Daytona Beach and Lexington, Kentucky, are enjoying bigger growth in hotel room revenues than Jacksonville so far in 2016. So what does either recent revelation have to do with the Aug. 30 referendum — Mayor Lenny Curry’s proposal to begin solving our city’s crippling pension debt by continuing to collect the half-penny sales tax beyond its currently scheduled expiration in 2030? … What kind of Jacksonville do we want on display for the people who are streaming into our city as new residents? … What kind of Jacksonville do we want on display for the people who are streaming into our city as new visitors? … Or do we want a Jacksonville that’s poised to thrive because it made the choice to do what’s necessary to move ahead?

“Jax courts Puerto Ricans” via Florida Times-Union – ‘Every single day we are receiving calls from people that moved to Florida’ from Puerto Rico, said Nancy Quinones, president of the Puerto Rican-Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for Duval and Clay counties. ‘Mainly, [they move] to Orlando. Some of them, we are trying to bring them here. We’ve got a lot of jobs in Jacksonville.’ … 1,500 people [are] leaving Puerto Rico each week due to the island government’s debt crisis.

“Marco Rubio to FEDS: investigate Global Ministries Foundation” via Florida Politics – Rubio urged the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of the Treasury to open an investigation into the Global Ministries Foundation. When visiting Eureka Garden Apartments in Jacksonville earlier this month, Rubio vowed to “bring to bear the full efforts of every agency with jurisdiction over this issue in order to hold GMF accountable” after seeing the horrors on hand. And he has proven as good as his word. Rubio wrote Attorney General Loretta Lynch on the subject … Rubio also wrote the Treasury Department, seeking an inquiry into its tax status as a 501(c)(3) organization, urging the IRS to use GMF’s Form 990’s to verify how much of the over $6 million it receives annually for its Jacksonville operations were spent on repairs. Rubio also urged HUD to look into the matter, and support investigative efforts … The senator also urged the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs to hold a hearing to investigate property owners like GMF and conduct oversight of HUD’s inspection process.

“John Rutherford up by 30 points in CD 4 race, internal poll shots” via Florida Politics – The numbers we’re hearing: Rutherford at 42 percent, [Lake] Ray at 11 percent, then [Hans] Tanzler at 6 percent and Bill McClure at 5 percent … Whether there is meaningful attrition in the numbers of Rutherford and Ray probably can’t be said, given methodological differences between the polls. What can be said, however, is that after five weeks, the race to replace Ander Crenshaw in CD 4 looks like Rutherford’s to lose. And he’s not losing.

“Travis Hutson backs Hans Tanzler in CD 4” via Florida Politics — An important endorsement came through from Hutson for Hans Tanzler in the crowded GOP primary in Congressional District 4 Wednesday. Tanzler, best known in Duval County where his father was mayor of Jacksonville for over a decade, will benefit from the important endorsement from Hutson, whose base is St. Johns County. ‘Hans Tanzler is the conservative leader we need in Congress,’ said Hutson. ‘He’s not a career politician, and he knows how to steer a difficult turnaround — exactly what Washington needs.’

“Lake Ray qualifies for CD 4 GOP ballot by petition” via Florida Politics — Ray has officially qualified for the Congressional District 4 ballot by petition … ‘over 3,300 petitions in just 16 days, the response from the community has been overflowing, from Nassau County, to the streets of Jacksonville, to the beaches of St. Johns County,’ Ray said … 1,999 of Ray’s 2,529 verified petitions are from Duval County. Clay, St. Johns, and Nassau County petitions No. 152, 135 and 131 respectively, with the balance of Ray’s petitions from throughout the state.

First in Bold — Melissa Nelson hits Jax airwaves with six-figure ad buy – Reliable sources tell FloridaPolitics.com that a political committee supporting Melissa Nelson, First Coast Values, has launched a “six-figure” ad buy to introduce the former assistant state attorney to 4th Circuit voters as she challenges for the job of state attorney. The ads are said to be positive, introducing the candidate at the very time incumbent Angela Corey has suffered through a nightmarish series of news cycles

“Angela Corey defends campaign manager closing primary” via Florida Times-Union – ‘It’s a Republican primary … people who care won’t be disenfranchised,’ Corey said, adding the action of her campaign manager was legal …  [Melissa Nelson’s] campaign spokesman Brian Hughes blasted Corey when told of her comment. ‘There is a rich irony in the queen of an outed dirty trick campaign accusing others,’ Hughes said. ‘Melissa Nelson is in this race because as a conservative she feels the circuit is long overdue to [have] a prosecutor who the people can trust.’

“More evidence of sham write-in candidacy emerges in State Attorney race” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics – On May 5, when Melissa Nelson filed her paperwork in Tallahassee to challenge Corey in the 4th Circuit race, directly above Nelson’s name on the sign-in sheet at the Florida Division of Elections is the name of Alexander Pantinakis, Corey’s campaign manager … This new and incontrovertible evidence raises several questions …  why Pantinakis, a Duval state committeeman, drove three hours to file a Clay County candidate’s paperwork, still hasn’t been answered … but likely will be answered in a court of law … what part of this sorry mess, this disgrace to the concept of fair and free elections, is ‘legal, moral and ethical’ … since Corey’s campaign manager brazenly filed a joke candidate’s paperwork, apparently fearing Nelson’s challenge, the discourse of the campaign has shifted, exposing a political machine devoted to perpetuating itself, no matter what the costs to the democratic process itself.

“Wes White seeks sunshine discussion of Duval schools’ bathroom policy” via Florida Politics – Republican State Attorney candidate White made news earlier this month, representing a mother challenging the commitment of the Duval County School District to providing bathroom options for transgender students. The suit was filed in the wake of the Obama administration issuing a letter linking failure to provide such public accommodations with the potential loss of Title IX funds. White, on Wednesday, sent a letter to the Jacksonville Office of General Counsel, asking for a sunshine-compliant airing of school board positions on this controversial issue … ‘The public’s discussion, and the School Board’s discussion, of the “bathroom policy” relating to transgender and non-transgender students, needs the fullest possible airing.’

Save the date – The Clay County Republican Party, joined by chair Leslie Dougher, are hosting a candidate forum Tuesday, June 2, for the Clay County Superintendent of Schools and School Board races. Event is open to the public; doors open 6 p.m. at Sullivan Hall, 7190 U.S.-17, in Fleming Island (behind Sacred Heart Church).

“NRA leader Marion Hammer mobilizes ‘activist core’ to oppose Charles McBurney judgeship” via Tia Mitchell of the Florida Times-Union – More than 5,400 emails and counting have been received by Scott’s office with the all-capitals subject line, “CHARLES MCBURNEY IS UNFIT TO BE A JUDGE.” They are the result of an opposition campaign linked to a conversation in March at which McBurney told NRA Florida head Hammer that he disagreed with a legislative proposal that would have changed Florida’s “stand your ground” law. The House companion to Senate Bill 344 had already been defeated in a different committee, but the Senate bill was kept alive and sent to the House Judiciary Committee that McBurney chairs. It would never come up for a vote … In an email to what she calls her “activist core,” Hammer provided specific instructions on what people should say in correspondence to Scott about McBurney. Marion wouldn’t say how many people received Saturday’s email, but they are members and supporters who have specifically signed up to receive and respond to periodic calls to action. The information is also posted on the NRA website. “You must help keep Charles McBurney off the bench,” she told Them. “He has proven himself to be unfit.”

“Aaron Bean to try again with ‘cold case’ legislation” via Melissa Ross of Florida Politics – Duval County alone has more than 1,200 unsolved murders dating back to 1970. Jacksonville resident Ryan Blackman, who lost his father to an unknown killer, has set up an online database in an effort to make sure these many forgotten victims find justice. And Blackman’s Project Cold Case has an ally in State Sen. Bean. “We’ve got to give families hope,” said Bean, who co-sponsored a bill last year aimed at helping to solve cold case murders in Florida. Scott vetoed $50,000 that would have created a Florida cold case task force. Look for Bean to try again to reintroduce the legislation. “They say the FOURTH time is the charm when it comes to these things,” Bean told WJCT.

Happening today – Sen. Aaron Bean will give the commencement address for the 2016 Eagles View Academy graduating class. Event begins 7 p.m. at the Westside Baptist Church, 7775 Herlong Road in Jacksonville.

Spotted at the Jessie Ball DuPont Center, where they were honored by the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center for their public service: Reps. Janet Adkins, Mia Jones and Charles McBurney and Sens. Bean and Audrey Gibson.

New lobbying registrations: J.B. Clark: Florida Electrical Workers Association; James Daughton, Warren Husband, Gregory Black, Patricia Greene, Aimee Lyon, Andrew Palmer, Mark Pinto, Metz Husband & Daughton: Information Systems of Florida; Marty Fiorentino, Thomas Griffin, Joseph Mobley, Mark Pinto, The Fiorentino Group: Flagler Hospital; Murphy & Anderson, P.A; Willard Payne, Northern Florida Recruiting & Consulting: Jacksonville Aviation Authority

Spotted on the Jacksonville Chamber Washington DC Fly-In this week: CSX’s Quintin Kendall, Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s Nat Ford, Jessica Shepler and Ivan Rodriguez, Jacksonville Aviation Authority’s Michael Stewart, Jacksonville Port Authority’s Eric Green, Vulcan’s Scott McCaleb, University of North Florida’s Chris Warren, and The Fiorentino Group’s Marty Fiorentino and Mark Pinto.

“Jacksonville stem program selected for national initiative” via Jensen Werley of the Jacksonville Business Journal – Northeast Florida STEM 2 Hub, a not-for-profit dedicated to growing science, technology, engineering, math and medical education in Jacksonville, was selected to join a prestigious national learning initiative. STEM 2 is one of 10 learning programs invited to join the STEM Learning Ecosystems Initiative, a cohort that started last year with 27 programs. The selected sites collaborate and share their work, in order to grow STEM education. “This is a major accomplishment for the STEM2 Hub. We are committed to increase educational and career opportunities in Northeast Florida in the STEM fields,” said Gary Chartrand, Chair of the STEM2 Hub, in a statement. The 10 communities were selected because they’ve demonstrated an ability to collaborate and offer rigorous and effective instruction for STEM — both in an out of the classroom. The programs were selected by the STEM Funders Network.

“UNF professor Doria Bowers at leading edge of fight against mosquito-borne viruses” via Charlie Patton of the Florida Times-Union – If things work out, what’s been happening in biology professor Bowers’ insectary … could one day significantly reduce the danger posed by such mosquito-borne viruses as malaria, yellow fever, West Nile virus, several strains of encephalitis and the Zika virus. Bowers supervised as student assistants put 500 mosquito larvae into each of five containers filled five liters of water. Joining the larvae in those containers was liver powder, to provide nutrition to the larvae. The water in four of the containers also had been treated aqueous inhibitors, which Bowers created and UNF patented in 2010. They are intended to prevent the larvae from becoming pupae, the third stage in the metamorphosis of a mosquito egg into an adult mosquito, capable of carrying viruses and laying more eggs … What happens next depends on money, Bowers said. She’s talked the federal Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Navy about her inhibitors. She said the Navy expressed interest in a larger trial at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station. But that would require producing larvae on a much larger scale than she’s currently funded to do. “Research scientist are like starving artists,” she said.

“Molly Curry to help relaunch the JaxKids book club” via Melissa Ross of Florida Politics – Improving Duval County’s dismally low child literacy rates is the mission behind Jacksonville’s Read It Forward Jax Coalition. One of the initiatives that coalition has discussed is looking at ways to get more books into the hands of more kids — particularly low-income children who may not have access to a wide variety of books at home. That was the intent of former mayor John Peyton‘s JaxKids Book Club. Launched more than 10 years ago, the Peyton administration’s program made all 4-year-old Duval County pre-kindergarteners eligible to receive a free book bag filled with reading tools and a series of Jacksonville-themed books. Now, the JaxKids Book Club is getting a fresh boost from a new mayor (and his wife). On June 1, the city’s first lady Molly Curry will help the Jacksonville Children’s Commission launch the 2016 JaxKids Book Club. She will read to pre-K students at a downtown kickoff event at The Salvation Army headquarters. Also on hand to read a story, Barbara Gubbin, director of Jacksonville Public Libraries.

“MOCA’s Marcelle Polednik made MOCA relevant in the city” via John Burr – Bittersweet is the news that Marcelle Polednik is leaving as director of Jacksonville’s Museum of Contemporary Art to run the Milwaukee Museum of Art – good feelings for an immensely able person moving on to a bigger opportunity, tinged by sadness that this immense reservoir of intelligence and good cheer is leaving the city.

In short, Marcelle Polednik will be missed.

In her five years running MOCA Jacksonville, the museum has moved ahead on a number of quantifiable fronts: Attendance up 70 percent, a 57 percent increase in budget, 71 percent increase in contributions, and an incredible increase in endowment of over 600 percent, from $656,510 to $5.25 million currently. Most notable on the fundraising front was Preston Haskell’s $5 million donation to MOCA in January 2015.

Those are the measureables. It’s more difficult to quantify the intangibles that make up a successful art museum – artistic depth and reach, creativity and originality of exhibits, relevance to the community – but on those fronts there is no argument MOCA has blossomed under Polednik’s stewardship.

Indeed, the quantifiable progress cited above is the result of the success that the museum has enjoyed on several fronts – including but not limited to the depth and popularity of its art exhibits, the greatly expanded outreach into the city’s schools, and the ability to grow a new, younger audience through its digital prowess on the Internet and in social media.

Polednik is best known for her effective and reasoned defense of the museum when it came under attack by then City Council President Clay Yarborough, who found an exhibited photo of a reclining pregnant nude woman obscene, and threated to cut off city funding to the museum.

“I think we have led the charge on a number of important conversations for our community,” Polednik said of the December 2014 dustup with Yarborough. “I think it raised awareness of the work that the cultural sector is doing but also raise awareness of the fact that the community itself has grown exponentially and is now more open to having challenging conversations in a way that ultimately promotes the vitality of our community.”

“Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens welcomes a baby female giraffe” via Sarah Kimbro of WTLV – The Zoo welcomed a newborn Reticulated giraffe Saturday, May 21. The baby female weighed 145 pounds and measured a lanky 5-foot-11. This was the 38th giraffe calf born at the Zoo … The calf’s mom, Luna, has already had two baby giraffes and the father, Duke, has fathered 14 other babies.

“America’s pastime gets 21st century makeover: The Suns seek to capture a younger audience” via Hudson Back of Folio Weekly – In their first season of new ownership, the Jacksonville Suns are attempting to increase attendance and interest in the team by appealing to young adults. The tagline of one of the nation’s favorite games, “Baseball: America’s Pastime,” was used to herald the history and quality of what was then our favorite sport. In recent years, it’s more likely to be a half-hearted defense or light mocking of the hardball sport. No matter the reluctance of fans … to accept the truth about the state of the game, baseball is no longer the nation’s pastime. At best, it has become America’s past-time. Younger people just don’t see baseball as exciting or entertaining … This plagues baseball not only on the professional level, but on the minor league level, too and trickles down to college, high school and even neighborhood T-Ball leagues. As owner, [Ken] Babby has quickly implemented a strategy to attract a younger audience. A brief review of the Suns’ promotional calendar reveals several events sure to engage younger imaginations … The most readily noticeable promos involve social media. The organization is endeavoring to capitalize on its sizable social media following by introducing occasions such as Swipe Right Nights. These are essentially the equivalent of singles nights, encouraging Tinder users to go to Suns games with the hope of finding one true love, or at least a one-night stand.

“The day Leicester City came to town” via Clayton Freeman of the Florida Times-Union –Before they were champions, they came to Jacksonville. Leicester City, the rags-to-riches soccer king of England, became the talk of the soccer world this month by winning the Premier League for the first time in its 132-year history at unthinkable odds of 5,000 to 1 — a result that has been ranked among the biggest shocks ever in major team sports. EverBank Field opened its gates for Leicester City and the Jacksonville Cyclones in an exhibition match May 26, 1998, bringing a taste of Premier League soccer to the First Coast. Naturally, Leicester’s visit marked a high point in the short history of the Cyclones, who competed from 1997 to 1999 in the A-League, indirectly a predecessor of today’s North American Soccer League. “It was great for us to be able to see a team of that caliber,” former Cyclones defender Roye Locklear said. “We were just appreciative of the opportunity to test ourselves against a Premier League team.” The game was big. The crowd wasn’t. Only 3,927 fans made the trip downtown, several times the Cyclones’ usual attendance but a fraction of Jacksonville soccer crowds in the last five years. Leicester poured on the goals after the break. Left winger Steve Guppy, who later played for England’s national team, scored a goal and two assists to lead the comeback as Leicester topped the Cyclones 4-2. The night didn’t end there. In the friendly spirit of the night, players from both teams met after the game at the now-defunct Bombay Bicycle Club on Baymeadows Road for “a little camaraderie and much dialogue,” as Locklear recalls.