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Hello again, Commish here to write about something I cannot stop smiling about. The Sickos Committee had an incredible opportunity to work with Duke’s Mayo and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl that took place in Charlotte, North Carolina, on January 2nd, 2026. I just want to peel the curtain back a little to show you how this came about and how much fun this was.

Flashback to September 2nd, 2025. I get a text from Miller with the Charlotte Sports Foundation simply saying, “Hey, do you have time to chat?” and I luckily did. We met and talked about a different concept for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Miller wanted to find a way to make a special section for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and wanted to enlist the committee's brainstorming power to help come up with ideas for fans and a special section in the stadium for the bowl game.

I immediately started brainstorming, throwing insane ideas into a Google Doc and seeing if anyone else in the committee had some ideas I could throw in also. Moving forward, Miller got the go-ahead in late September, and I was starting to realize this could be a real possibility of happening. My silly ideas could actually come to life, kind of like here with this entire committee thing. In October we get the final word that we would be moving forward with this special section for the Mayo Maniacs, and I get to Mayo Dump all our brainstormed ideas to Miller and the folks with Duke’s Mayo. I am kind of bummed the white silly string idea was shot down, but I get they don’t want to have to clean that up.

November hits, and now we’re supposed to promote this section without knowing any of the teams. Now the Committee has promoted some things before, namely Homefield Apparel, but in my mind I was hoping we would meet the goal to sell the allotted amount of tickets and maybe a little bit more to show the Committee can do things like this in the future.

We were given a month to try to sell out this section. Well, three and a half days passed, and we sold out the entire section; then they expanded to another section, and we sold that out too. It was truly incredible. An astounding success we could not imagine happening. We had to figure out what to do for the next three weeks before selection Sunday. I would call this a really good problem to have.

During this time, the entire Committee was making plans to go to the game. This would wind up being our Sickos Committee Super Bowl and the largest gathering of this mainly online too damn much Committee but actually in person this time. Fast Forward to the travel time.

Travel to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl

I personally was flying from San Antonio to Charlotte, Jordan from Dallas, Big Sky Brigit from Missoula to Charlotte with many stops, Arthur driving from Pittsburgh, Corn Correspondent Andy from Omaha, Pitt Girl driving from Central PA, Beth flying from Central PA, Lord of the Spreadsheets Kevin driving from Jacksonville, FL, and our Pop Tarts Correspondent Katie from Orlando. This would wind up being the first time some of us met in person. I personally met everyone except the Lord of the Spreadsheets, Kevin, and Katie in person before.

We all arrived at different times on either New Year's Eve or New Year's Day but were finally together at the Duke’s Mayo Fan Zone for Mississippi State and Wake Forest. We got to witness Tubby Swag Surf and really got to witness someone take one of the most surreal pics I loved so much.

We meet up and have dinner and drinks at a bar called Duckworth’s while watching the Ole Miss and Georgia game. The Mississippi State fans were booing Ole Miss as the game started which was great to see someone hate on their Egg Bowl rivals in person. We all call it a night around midnight eastern. (I do not like the Eastern Time Zone, let me stay Central or go to Mountain time.)

Duke’s Mayo Bowl Game Day

We all head out for breakfast; Arthur and Corn Correspondent Andy go to Famous Toastery just because they hosted a bowl game once. We then hold our first in-person meeting as a Committee together and get ready to go to the tailgating area. Not only that, but we get invited to a nice area by a friend who was with the Mayo Maniacs section. So many of the Committee fans are in person with us and it’s incredible. I got to meet so many folks and I wish I could have said hi to everyone but… Miller shoots me a text and asks me if I would like Tubby to come to the pregame. Of course I said yes. 

I got to meet all the social media and marketing coordinators for Duke’s Mayo, along with meeting the president and CEO of Duke’s Mayo and attempting to explain our ridiculous social media account. I hope I did ok. Tubby made the event and made so many people’s day and mine too. So many photos with Tubby for everyone. It was so damn awesome.

Time for the Mayo Maniacs March

Everyone who purchased tickets for the Mayo Maniac section was gathered in a nearby park to march into the stadium banging Mayo Tub drums, chef’s hats, Duke’s Mayo aprons, glow sticks, and smoke flares. Oh, so many smoke flares.

We practice the cheers for the march and start towards the stadium. It was a strange position to be in, something you had helped plan watching it unfold right in front of your eyes. ESPN got word of the Mayo Maniacs and they wanted to do the live shot in front of the march. Just so damn cool. Just look at this damn photo.

In the moment, I know I have to work this event, and I will be going to the press box. However, as I am writing this out, it’s surreal that I got to be a part of this. Alongside all my friends in the Committee in this too. It’s unbelievable. I can’t appreciate it enough. I'll never forget it. We were all working towards an undefined shared goal for years to enjoy the sport we love so much with all its flaws. College Football and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl made this happen. It’s why I can’t stop smiling.

Ok back to the Mayo Maniacs march. Remember when I said we had flares? So Kenny and Zeilly from Charlotte FC fan groups were leading the Maniacs March. In the zoom call I was in earlier that week, they had said maybe four to six flares would be enough. Apparently we had gotten 12 flares. Which in my opinion was enough to get a picture as majestic as this one.

I will say walking through flare smoke was tough, but I survived by chanting TUBBY TUBBY TUBBY TUBBY. We make it into the stadium and then walk all the way around to the press box. The Mayo Maniacs section is filled with Katie, Andy, Arthur, and Kevin. Beth has a spot in the press box but sits safely away from the Mayo Maniacs as she is allergic to eggs and mayo. Hey Duke's, bring back that vegan mayo for Beth’s sake, please.

During the Mayo Bowl Game

They had so many cards, flags, cheers. Also, if you were in that section, you got four meals included in your ticket. It was a phenomenal deal.

I had suggested a Duke’s Mayo Punt Flag. I got my wish. It was extraordinary.

I went down to the section for the second half, and I will note that Wake Forest and Mississippi State had to punt a total of 11 times in this game. The Wake Forest fans next to the Mayo Maniacs section hated the constant PUNT PUNT PUNT PUNT chants throughout the game when there was a punt. However, they became PUNT FLAG fans and chanted the loudest when Mississippi State had to punt with 2:35 left in the 4th quarter. That’s right, the Punt Flag won over people. They’ll never forget the Duke’s Mayo Punt flag. To our heroes in charge of the Punt Flag, the entire committee salutes you and praises your performance.

I want to thank Miller, Duke’s Mayo, and all of you for making this Mayo Maniacs thing happen.

Finally, I cannot thank everyone in the Committee enough for following me blindly on this insane rollercoaster ride of a social media account covering college football. The countless hours and so much sleep lost by podcasting, blogging, posting, staying up for the Hawaii test, coming up with merch ideas, traveling to games, developing film, making strange food abominations, editing videos and podcasts, combing through spreadsheets, running around chasing Pop-Tarts who steal your phone, dancing with Tubby, and so many other things I cannot list. Thank you all so damn much! I couldn’t do this Committee without this Committee. You all kick so much ass, and I will never be able to show all my appreciation for it. Love y’all.

Let’s end this post with the Slo-Mo Mayo Dump on Jake Dickert and his kids!

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