I don’t know how these guys do it?
Tennessee fan Mike Peery and Kentucky fan Rick Napper have sat next to each other for 15 years and cheer for the other guy’s team when their team isn’t playing.
Check out this story from The Tennessean:
Tennessee fan Mike Peery and Kentucky fan Rick Napper are good friends or reluctant foes, depending on whether their teams clash.
On Thursday, they sat next to one another for a 15th consecutive SEC Tournament, donning their respective team’s colors. On Friday, they’ll do the same when Kentucky and Tennessee play separate quarterfinal games.
They will root for their friend’s team, unless they meet head to head. That will happen if Tennessee and Kentucky advance to a semifinal meeting Saturday.
When Tennessee is playing and Kentucky is not, I wear orange,” Napper said. “When Kentucky is playing and Tennessee is not, he wears blue. We have never had friction in 15 years of coming to this.”
Peery and his wife served in the Tennessee National Guard. Napper was in the Army, stationed at Fort Knox. “He’s more like my brother than a friend,” Napper said.
Kentucky has won four straight SEC Tournament titles. Tennessee has not won it since 1979.
“No matter what happens,” Peery said, “we just shake hands and go home.”
Which fan couldn’t you be friends with?
I couldn’t be friends with anyone that cheers for Duke.
