AIRLINE TICKET PRICES KEPT FANS FROM ATTENDING COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS Despite ticket prices being at the lowest levels in years for the NCAA College Football Championship Game between Alabama and Clemson in January, many fans stayed home in 2016. The reason: abnormally high airfares. According to the travel website Skift.com, airline tickets to the championship game in Glendale, Arizona, skyrocketed, forcing fans in Alabama and South Carolina to reconsider travel plans and watch the game at home instead. The Saturday before the January 11 contest, the most inexpensive ticket from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport to Phoenix cost close to $1,300, while a ticket departing from Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport started at close $1,400. Many fans who dipped deep into their pockets laid the blame at the feet of the airlines. “They’re gouging people,” said Clemson fan Deborah Nelson. “It’s sad as well. Such was the case for Birmingham native Beth Barstow. Unable to get a decent accommodations, but the airfare is outrageous.” NASCAR mourned the loss of legendary broadcaster BARNEY HALL in January with an outpouring of support the man many considered to be the “voice of NASCAR.” Hall died on January 27 at age 83 after complications from an operation. Hall and his velvet voice called NASCAR events for 54 years. He was known as a great storyteller connecting fans and competitors with the history of the sport for over half a century. Many of NASCAR’s legends and current stars took to Twitter to send their condolences and pay tribute to Hall. Originally from the small town of Elkin, North Carolina, Hall called all but three Daytona 500s during his 50-plus-year career. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Karen Carrier. KURT WARNER SAYS ‘THANK YOU’ TO ST. LOUIS FANS franchise’s only Super Bowl winning quarterback Mark Warner recently took the time to thank the city that made him famous. In a post penned on sportingnews. com, Warner said he can understand the allure of Los Angeles and why the team would choose to move back to the city it originally called home dating back to 1936. However, he says, the time he spent in St. Louis will always remain special to him and his family. moment we arrived in ‘the Lou,’ people welcomed us with open arms,” Warner says. “I received hundreds of encouraging letters as I was embarking on a career in the NFL, and there were thousands who drove to Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill., to support us during training camp. It seemed everywhere the team went, the community followed. “Sports have an amazing way of banding people together from all walks of life, building relationships that would have never happened,” he added. “Some of my greatest memories in life will be watching an entire city rally around the Rams and have a positive impact on an entire community.” After months of speculation, NFL owners voted 30-2 in favor of ratifying the St. Louis Rams’ bid to relocate the franchise in Los Angeles during meetings in Houston in mid-January. According to reports on NFL.com, the Rams will begin playing in L.A. in 2016 and eventually move into a state-of-the-art stadium in Inglewood in moving to Los Angeles as well. TAILGATERMONTHLY.COM | TAILGATER 83