kamoshika
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Orange tents and Power T flags dotted the landscape of the Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night. The Pride of the Southland performed, promotion for the Battle at Bristol was prominent, and some visiting Canadians explained how they became Vol fans...
Condredge Holloway was known at Tennessee and throughout college football for breaking down barriers as the first African-American quarterback in the Southeastern Conference. But in the Canadian Football League, he was best known for leading a team with a proud history out of a long title drought.
That's how Holloway and the Tennessee Volunteers came into the life of Ed Sikkema. The Toronto Argonauts won the Grey Cup in 1952, but did not so much as make the final for the 31 seasons that followed. I was a drought long enough to be known as the "Dark Ages" of the franchise. That is, of course, until 1983.
"I'm a Toronto Argonauts fan, and Condredge Holloway won our first Gray Cup in over 30 years," Sikkema said while proudly displaying his newest Tennessee shirt at Bristol. "I've been a fan of him and Tennessee ever since."
In the years since, Sikkema contacted Holloway, who was happy to provide a tour of Tennessee's facilities for Sikkema and his family on a previous visit to the area.
Two of his traveling companions from Toronto, Tom and Barb Neidema, fell in love with UT football by chance.
"20 years ago, we rented a cabin in the mountains and followed a bunch of Tennessee flags to the game," Barb Neidema said. "We said, 'let's go,' and we did and we were in love."
Big Orange Paints Bristol - UTSPORTS.COM - University of Tennessee Athletics
