Franklin Football Fest

Apparently not in Chapel Hill.

Many students said they were going to have parties in their residence halls for the matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Giants rather than flocking to Franklin Street, and they seemed to speak for the majority.

"I don't know how many people give a damn about either of these teams anyway," said Nick Richitt, assistant manager of He's Not Here and a senior economics major at UNC.

Richitt, who is from Baltimore, said he personally was not interested in the game.

"I just don't have any ties to these teams," Richitt said. "If it had been the (Washington) Redskins, I might have been excited."

In Woody's Tar Heel Tavern & Grill, the most vocal fans were cheering for the Giants. One of the most enthusiastic was Elyssa Komansky, a UNC senior majoring in communications, who is from Connecticut. She said she has been a Giants fan all her life.

"My mom used to make me wear the same shirt for every (Giants') playoff game, or else I got in trouble," she said.

Komansky said she was confident her team would prevail at the kickoff.

"This has been a New York year with the Yankees and the Giants," she said. "They can't let New York down."

By the third quarter, Komansky's attitude had changed. "I thought the Giants were turning it around after that touchdown, but the Ravens answered right back," Komansky said. "Even the commercials are disappointing."

But Trent Legare, a bouncer at BW-3, said the reason for the smaller crowd might be economic. "It's cheaper to buy a keg and stay at home," he said.

But BW-3 did have a strong business. Legare estimated there were 10,000 chicken wings sold as take-out orders.

Several bars on Franklin Street were having promotional giveaways. Hams and BW-3 were giving away Miller Lite glasses and inflatable Super Bowl chairs.

Woody's Tar Heel Tavern & Grill had the Miller promotional items and RDU 106.1 broadcasting live from the bar. Still, there was space to sit in almost every bar and restaurant on Franklin Street. "We usually don't have to get people in here," Legare said, "It's the Super Bowl."

Dwayne Mitchell, a Chapel Hill Ravens fan, also was disappointed with the game. "This doesn't make any sense; I thought we would have some competition tonight," he said.

Komansky said she was disappointed by the final score but accepted defeat.

"It just comes down to the fact that the Ravens are a better team tonight."

The City Editor can be reached

at citydesk@unc.edu.