by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
For years, Al Kinard was the mayor of RV City, the CEO of “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” and Jacksonville’s ambassador to the thousands of fans that come to town for the Georgia-Florida game.
(RV City is located just south and east of the stadium, with an overflow lot farther east. Each year, a couple hundred fans bring their RVs into town for several days leading up to the game. RV City officially opens Wednesday at 8 a.m., but every year a few folks show up early.)
Each year, Kinard could walk or ride his golf cart through RV City, say hello to longtime friends and get offered everything from a sandwich to a cold beer. He petted real bulldogs and watched as Gator fans brought out their rubber mascots.
Things are different this year, however. Kinard is retired and Mike Sullivan is running the show. And, the saying “the more things change, the more they remain the same” certainly applies. Sullivan may have a different style than Kinard — he prefers to work behind the scenes — but that doesn’t mean he can’t handle the job. As director of sports and entertainment for the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, Sullivan has run his share of sporting events and helped with enough Georgia-Florida games that he’s sure this year’s game will go off without a hitch.
“I’ve been at the JEDC since its inception [1997] and the City 18 years,” said Sullivan. “All of that time has been in sports with different assignments. This is the first time the directorship has fallen on me title-wise. I have run all aspects of sports in Jacksonville for 18 years, so I am very familiar with the game.”
Sullivan says he plans to be visible this week, but he realizes his job is multi-faceted and goes well beyond RV City. That in no way is meant to discredit Kinard, who ran the week as well as anyone for years, but more of testament to the difference in management styles.
“That was Al’s thing; to drive through and make sure everything is OK,” said Sullivan. “I want to hear complaints and get things corrected. All of them [the fans] want to give you drinks and feed you.”
According to Sullivan, there are two major challenges that must be dealt with this year: the night time start — a first — and the lack of parking thanks to construction of the new baseball park and arena. Sullivan said the night game is fine with him and parking is basically out of his control. Fans, he says, will simply have to use perimeter lots this year and take shuttles to the stadium.
“The night start doesn’t bother me like it bothers others,” he said. “If we start at noon, 3:30 or at night, people are going to start drinking at a certain time. Most people are sensible and if they cause trouble, we’ll handle it.”
Construction of the two news sports venues is supposed to conclude for the week at the end of the day Thursday. The area will cleaned and secured as best as possible. And, said Sullivan, fans from both schools know what to expect when they get here.
“We have been working with Special Events and sent a brochure about the game to each school over the summer,” said Sullivan. “We have visited both schools and talked to the ticket holders about the parking situation and the construction schedules. They are all very aware of what the challenges will be.”
In addition to the logistical challenges Sullivan and his team face, they may also want to brew few extra pots of coffee. Although the game and people are always entertaining, there’s no denying it’s also the longest week of the year. Sullivan says he’ll start with 10-15 hour days and wrap it up with a 20-hour day Saturday. And, that’s fine with him.
“I agree that it’s the most exciting event in Jacksonville,” said Sullivan. “I’ve been lucky enough to go to just about every major sporting event there is — the Super Bowl, Final Fours, national championship games, just to name a few — and I don’t think I’ve ever felt passion or excitement like the Georgia-Florida game. When you are on the field, it almost rains down on you.”
Game day, Sullivan will be even harder to find than during the week. From a command post across the street from the stadium, Sullivan will run the show during the week. Come Saturday, Sullivan will be a walking command center, dishing out instructions and checking on every facet of the game.
“I’ll be everywhere; I do not have a seat,” he said.
One day he will. Retirement isn’t in Sullivan’s near future, but one day he plans to join the masses.
“Someday, I’m going to retire and rent a motor home and spend the week down there,” said Sullivan.
And, probably offer his replacement a sandwich and a cold drink.