"March Madness" at Register of Deeds Conference!

March Madness took over the Register of Deeds Legislative Conference this week on Tuesday. Inttek, a Register of Deeds software vendor located in Wilmington, NC sponsored a nerf basketball free throw contest! There were over 50 participants.

Best out of 3 shots. The prize $500.

Now, the JT NASCAR HONORIN' SPECIAL EDITION "GOIN' COUNTRY" saw the blog entry on Fly Swatters the other day. But GOIN' COUNTRY athletics is more than just fly swatters, it's NERF too! NERF anything...football, baseball, and yes, NERF BASKETBALL. They had to be joking...every kid in eastern NC WENT COUNTRY on nerf!

Flu-ridden and sniffling, 2 out of 3 put me in the finals with Charity Lewis, Bladen County Register of Deeds, and Lee Warren, Register of Deeds of Cumberland County. (All finalists from Eastern North Carolina in adjoining counties) That tells you something about Nerf and GOIN'COUNTRY.

What happened next turned the laws of competition on its head!

In the finals, I hit 1-3. Yes, the pressure was enormous with a huge crowd. Lee went second and missed his attempts. (I certainly understood because I had missed my first two). Third, Charity hit her first shot. She had great nerf form. But then missed the final two. 1-3. Jeff and Charity were the two finalists. The crowd was on its feet!

But GOIN'COUNTRY is about more than the moment, or the checkerd' flag. GOING COUNTRY is Holy. There's a bond in there. Sportsmanship and honor have a place. It's about grace and being a gentleman, or gentlelady and spreading the love. Charity and I looked at each other, looked over the abyss of cut throat, win at any cost culture of athletics, and had already quietly cut the deal. If we're finalists....

LET'S SPLIT THE MONEY!!! The crowd was disappointed, but we both won $250 and received our own nerf basketball goals! Call it what you will, but Pender (via Guilford) and Bladen County WENT COUNTRY.