Company’s coming.

The UKC Winter Classic coon hunt will bring 900 dogs and their owners and spectators here January 25-26.

Let’s hope Batesville is better prepared for guests than Birmingham was.

Rupert and I were among the Rebel fans attending the Compass Bowl in which Ole Miss trounced Pitt 38-17 on January 5.

The weather was dreary and our seats were terrible. Fans around us referred to the ancient stadium’s video screen as a “minitron.”

It took Rupert 45 minutes to acquire a hotdog and drink, and the hotdog was loaded with sauerkraut, not my favorite.

I had a great time.

The team’s season-long persistence and determination to succeed had inspired me and the post-season game might as well have been the Rose Bowl as far as I was concerned.

I didn’t care that the rain was drizzling and I was dripping sauerkraut all over me and the lady next to me.

I didn’t even care that I could only see the action on the field when the teams were directly in front of our corner, on the goal line on the south end of the stadium.

Traffic had been backed up Saturday morning as eager fans poured like molasses from the freeway onto narrow streets leading to the old grey lady and her run-down neighborhood.

Leaving the stadium in the rain, we sat in traffic at an interchange for at least half an hour, held hostage by a cop who finally held up the traffic coming from the north to allow our eastbound vehicles to pass through.

Our hotel was only four miles away but it took an hour to get back there.

None of this deflated my holiday mood. The Rebels won and Rupert was driving.

In the restaurant where enjoyed a fine meal, there was a spontaneous recitation of “Hotty Toddy” by the red-clad customers who jammed the place.

Yes, it was a wonderful weekend.

But I’d rather go to Dallas or New Orleans next year.

And that’s what I hope we’ll avoid when our town hosts the Winter Classic. We want the coon hunting fans to enjoy themselves so much they’ll want to return here every year.

Here are my suggestions:
•Every business with a sign out front needs to plaster it with “Welcome, Coonhunters.” (Are you reading, Ricky Swindle?)
•Every retail outlet needs to freshen up for our guests, especially public restrooms.
•Every clerk at every convenience store and fast food establishment needs to be aware of the potential for the influx of perhaps 10,000 people in town January 24-27, and be ready to be helpful, answer questions and serve efficiently. And, with a smile.
•Every citizen needs to take an interest in this event. Our local coon hunting clubs are serving as volunteer guides, helping organize things. There is opportunity for spectators to view the bench shows Friday and Saturday, sort of like Batesville’s own Westminster Dog Show. You can wander the arena floor to view what vendors and breed associations have to show you.

Why does any of this matter?

With the relocation of the Winter Classic from Albany, Ga. to Batesville this year, there is the potential for a welcome mid-winter economic boost for our community.

The big picture? Smiling clerks, cordial waiters, helpful innkeepers and generally friendly folks might leave the Winter Classic guests smiling, too, and glad to return to Batesville to spend their money next year.