Gator Drag – Part Deux
I had written a
recent article on the Gator Drag Car & Truck Show and the Tourist
Commissions threat to deny grant money. Most of us realize that this is the
first step in banning the show from taking place in the I-10 Oil and Gas Park.
I think it is important that the Tourist Commission provide this grant and do so
at a higher rate than last year. It’s too early in the infancy of Gator Drag to
make any rash decisions regarding it’s future of being held at the I-10 Park or
in Jennings. Supporters say they do not need the tourist commission’s support,
and that the show will go on. That’s true, however, if there is no synergy
between the political, business and private factions, it will ultimately be
pushed from the city limits of Jennings.
I would like to clarify my position before someone gets a hankering to piss in
my corn flakes. My opinion is all about the “Event”. I think “the event” is good
for Jennings. “The Event” under discussion is presently the “Gator Drag Show”.
Perhaps if the “event” we were debating was the “World Championship Full Contact
Needlepoint Tournament”, then I probably would do a little yawn and couldn’t
pull an opinion out of my ass for it, to save my life. The Gator Drag is closer
to the type of events I like. That’s just a personal preference.
I really like Car Shows. I’m not a car show fanatic and I don’t froth at the mouth or get a woody thinking about Car Shows, unless of course there is a prospect of car show models scantily clad in swim suits being at the car show….then all of a sudden, I’m all about Car Shows. Fact of the matter is, I prefer Bike shows. If there was some conflict between a motorcycle show and a car show, being held in Jennings and one of them had to go, my opinion would be to put the axe to the car show in favor of the Bike Show. That's just where my interests are. Who knows...after attending several more car shows, I may very well become as rabid as others about it. I would like to see it continue so that we can see in which direction it heads.
Perhaps somewhere in the back of my mind, I fantasize that the Gator Drag Car Show may evolve into a Bike Show at some point in the future. My opinion then, is simply based on the event. Jennings needs an event. I have spoken to a lot of people and exchanged emails on the subject and I find that there are a lot of people who want the event even though they may have a preference for something else. These people are like me, and they are all about the event. Any event that is popular and would draw crowds. People have wanted festivals. You know the kinds that have tons of food, fun, music, serve beer and dancing and stuff. A few locals view this idea as a “Sodom and Gomorrah” festival, but of course we all know that New Orleans has that one covered with “Summer Decadence”.
I would caution the Gator Drag organizers from confusing
the support they have with a mandate for anything.
No matter what event your trying to have and no matter where your trying to have
it, your going to have to stroke the egos of the political subdivisions and the
mouthy public. More importantly, you will have stroke the people, whose idea
that a car show is not their cup of tea but they support an event of some kind
in the community. Your going to have to have a smooth marketing campaign and a
team that can sell the advantages. The disadvantages will sell themselves. Many
of the people that are going to need a positive sales pitch to, are local
business owners, elected officials, professionals, and people that have access
to public opinion, previously defined as the "mouthy public". The one’s who are
opposing the Gator Drag Car Show, but remain silent about it, pose no immediate
threat. When the opinions of the “luke warm” supporters are questioned by the
organizers of the event, that tells me that the organizers are only focused on
the rabid car show enthusiasts. I have only seen this once so far. The
population of that “local” target group that is rabid about car shows is a small
group in comparison to the population that you have to sell the event to.
The argument posed by the individuals that were somewhat negative about the Gator Drag so far have been weak at best. “Luke warm” supporters came forward and pointed out the weak argument and spoke out on behalf of the Gator Drag. We probably need to tread lightly on those individuals.
For me, my supportive opinion is not based on the fact that Jeff Davis Parish.com is one of the sponsors because my email requesting information on becoming one, went unanswered. My supportive opinion is not based on the fact that Gator Drag carries a reciprocating link on their site back to Jeff Davis Parish.com because there is none. My supportive opinion for Gator Drag is not rooted in the fact that I have received 4 free passes to the event because I haven’t received any. My supportive opinion is based on the fact that Jennings needs an event. A big one! At the present, this one is it! There were no major issues other than the “surrounding” of the elderly gentleman and his daughter last year. We as a community should let this thing grow or die on it’s own. We shouldn't start the wheels in motion to destroy it only after it's first year.
Who knows….maybe in the future they will incorporate a beauty pageant to see who is going to be this years…..Gator “Drag Queen”…
Joe Semmes