Keeping it Real!

As most of you know, Almega Sports is a family owned and operated business in Panama City, FL.  What most of you don't know is that we do not have a major PR company that writes our postings, blogs, emails and coupons.  Everything you see is a collaboration between the two owners and operators. This once a month blog is a little peak into the window of our very busy and often hysterical lives.  Enjoy! 

We knew the first days of opening Almega Sports would be uncharted waters for us.  Little did we know how uncharted the first week would be!

Picture this.  July 2010, Almega Sports is open for just a few weeks.  It's softball tournament season and we are busy, very busy.  Softball players are in and out all day getting what they need for the weekend.  The door opening and closing every few minutes.  Out of the corner of his eye, Mike notices a customer standing in the front door holding the door open and a look of bewilderment on his face.  A few seconds pass and curiosity gets the better of him so Mike walks up to the customer, which happens to be a close friend of his, to see what is going on.  The pair stare into the parking lot as they are trying to figure out what is literally hopping across the scalding asphalt.  As it gets closer they determine that it is a small cat.  Closer it gets.  No, it's no cat, perhaps a tiny dog?  No, not a dog.  The pair continue to stare in amazement as the creature gets closer and closer.  You got it, it's a sewer RAT!  A big one at that.  So one might think that the duo would close the door so the rat would not get in.  No.  They are so in awe of the size of this rat that they are still standing with the front door wide open.  The rat proceeded to hop right into Almega Sports!  Realizing what had just happened the pair jump into action.  They are chasing this sewer rat all throughout the store.  So now the image in your head should be of two football coaches ,well over 6 foot tall, and with long arm spans crashing into clothing racks and bouncing off the walls with merchandise flying behind them.  Not only are they chasing the rat and wrecking the store but they are doing so with a $300 softball bat.  Yes, I said the same thing, "What were you guys going to do, beat it to death with the really expensive bat?" Of course, a female customer walks into the store as this chaotic event is unfolding.  Noticing what they are chasing the lady begins to scream and tries to jump onto our window display box to protect her self from the now Olympic distance runner rat.  Finally, after the rat made a marathon tour across the store, they chase it out of the very place that it had entered.  Looking over their shoulder at the mayhem that had just occurred and with a very rattled female customer coming down out of the window box, the three began to laugh uncontrollably. 

Now that's a Thursday!

Almega Sports has your covered and keeps it REAL!