A Sit Down with Raj and Meena at Club 4100

I went back again today and interviewed Raj and Meena and also went over some financial issues there. The one thing I noticed is that the class has a sever lack of communication. Apparently two other groups went today and nobody knew about anybody else going. We just need better communication. But a lot of stuff did get done there. We discussed the food situation and they are interested in crowning a new Ms. 4100 at the event to bring that tradition back to life. The only other thing they discussed was that they would like a few changes on the logo and flier and that is just to put their name and phone number there to promote it.

Interviews at Club 4100

I finished my IRB training and afterwards Stasi, Nick, and myself went to Club 4100 today to meet with George Mills (Father of Keith Mills) and he gave us great information about the history and what it means to him. He's really passionate about anything helping the club and has so many great contacts. He also said Tom Matte comes to the club all the time even now, which makes getting Tom Matte to do a signing even more likely because he has a major allegiance to the place. After talking to George and getting a great sense of the history and what is means I spoke with a man Duke Van Brackel who has gone to the bar every day since it opened 50 years ago. He said that it means so much to him and it's an "Oasis in a desert". No matter what the feeling was people go there. He said he went their even after his mother died because it's like his family and it's his comfort zone. He wasn't a sports fan but still just loved the place. It was really great to get both sides of the history, one from the sports fan and one from a non-sports fan.

We planned a meeting Monday at 3:00 to meet with Mina and Raj (they were busy and we couldn't really interview them) to interview and just go over the plan of what we're doing. Also we'll do any follow up interviews with the regulars and interviews with any new people that are there.

Chatting with Jeff Seidell

As I said before I made a great contact with Jeff Seidell who is a sports journalist for the Baltimore Sun. Yesterday Stasi and I went to meet with him and we just told him the jist of the project and after the face to face meeting he seemed more eager to help out. He said he's going to just talk to people (mainly ex-colt Tom Matte and owner of Sports Legands Museum Tom Zeiman (sp?). He said he's taking off a few days of work so he'll have plenty of time to help us out. Tom Matte is a former Colts running back and quarterback and works for 105.7 the fan radio station and would be a huge draw for the event signing. Tom Zeiman he said knows everybody who is everybody in the sports workd and was always loved anything to do with preserving Colts history.

More updates

While I put a dealine on myself to have some commitments of former players to come to the signing for Tuesday, March 24, that date isn't going to be meet. My original contact Pat Pennella, who was going to help me get players, had to back out because of stuff coming up at work that took all his time off his hands. My new contact Jeff Seidel is good friends with Tom Matte as I said but has had a tough time reaching him. He said he'll definitely be in touch with him by Tuesday so hopefully a day or so after that I'll have a few commitments or people coming.

Just some updates of what's going on

I was in Binghamton to cover the men's basketball championship game and I was talking to Baltimore Sun reporter Jeff Seidel and told him about the project. He said he would definitely write an article before it happens to promote it and an article after it happens.

He's also very close with Colt great Tom Matte and helped him write is book. He said he'd try and call him and get him in touch with me because he used to go to the Club all the time and may do it for free because of an allegience to the place. Also, if I get in touch with Tom Matte he's very close with Scott Garceau and will try to convience him to do the radio show from the club and promote it.

While the last part isn't gaurenteed there will be an article in the Baltimore Sun about it and he will get in touch with Tom Matte for me.

So what am I doing?

Sandy Unitas

In order to get people out I will be working to get a list of former Colts who have an allegiance to the Club for a chance to a free appearance. This list will come from a mixture of Stasi's research in talking to George Mills (Father of Baltimore Sports Personality Keith Mills), and Melanie Mapp (who has contact Johnny Unitas' widow Sandy Unitas).

Once I get a list I will use my contacts to get their information and call them to get them to make an appearance. Hopefully I will land three big commitments by the end of spring break which is March 21.

Why Preserve Club 4100

Fond Memories of Club 4100

For over 50 years Club 4100 has been a staple in the Brooklyn, MD community and a gathering place for people around. It was not only a great restaurant but a community center for the people of the area to meet and bond. But lately things have been going wrong for the Club. Crime and a poor economy is really endangering the existence of the place.

Known as a sport bar where Johnny Unitas used to hang out every day Club 4100 provided great opportunities for the people of the Brooklyn community. From a summer festival to raise money for disabled children, to Easter dinners to bring the community together, Club 4100 was the hot spot. But with the lack of business and overall awareness of the clubs existence the once recognizable place may be nearing the end of it's run.

But that's the reason for preserving it. If somehow there is something to attract people to the once great bar it can go back to the way it once was. It can unit the old with the new and attract a new crowd to carry on the clubs legacy and make it once again a great place in the community.