The Redbird cheering on Louisville football on a fold fall day!
It is no mistake that both of my first two Ultimate Fan interviews involve people who are better known by their nickname than who they really are. It is their devotion to how they want to represent the University of Louisville and passion for supporting the athletes that sets them apart from the rest. Today’s spotlight is possibly one of the most photographed fans in the history of U of L sports. When the rest of us show up to U of L sporting events, he is who we look for in the stands to get that extra inspiration. No fan has spread their wings and taken flight like the one they call The Redbird.
The Redbird is a formidable figure, standing at almost 6’10” to the top of his red feathery wig and weighing it at a robust 190 lbs. The Redbird is usually painted red from head to toe with a unique cardinal face which cannot be missed even from across the PJCS Oven. No major U of L sporting event would be complete without him and hopefully with a little encouragement we will see him at many others. There is something about his presence that encourages our fans to be just a little louder and get a little wilder. As our teams and school grow and step up their game, the fans need to follow the lead of the Redbird and elevate their performance as well.
The Redbird was hatched in 2005 while attending a basketball game at Freedom Hall (god rest its soul). Gary Payton found himself sitting behind a now defunct student pep club known as the L’Raisers. He noticed several people, including previous Ultimate Fan Mike “Elle Raiser” Paoloni and others, painted up cheering on the Cards. The L’ Raisers were doing a good job “Raising L” and he wanted to help them do it better, and maybe with a little more flare. At that point he said to himself “Im going to do this”. I believe Gary had been searching for a way to become more a part of his beloved Cardinals and this was his way to do it.
Gary showed up to the next game, painted up from the waist up and The Redbird was out of his shell. I’m sure there were some valuable lessons learned along the way about how to paint ones body. Getting painted up presented its own challenges, especially when it came to asking friends to apply the paint to the areas he couldn’t reach… While there was great planning into how he was going to look before the game but after the game was over he was left with “now what do I do?”. Do I go home and clean up before I go out or do I JUST STAY RED? JUST STAY RED! Things must have got pretty interesting for his girlfriend, now know as The Lady Redbird, Courtney Korte.
I would also assume that getting out of the red was no small task. It probably involved more than we can to know and a thorough cleaning of the bathroom afterwards. I would guess that Gary may have gone with an all red decor in his bathroom after all these years of being The Redbird. There is far more to becoming the Redbird than just showing up and putting on a T-shirt, jersey, or even a costume. Gary becomes the Redbird. Gary said “You gotta wear something – why not become a Cardinal”. Im sure the pink hue to his skin left by the red paint is sure to raise questions among co-workers and family members.
Even the legends of Louisville stop to get a picture with The Redbird.
Courtney, an Education major at U of L, met Gary her freshman year while tailgating at a football game and needed someone to go to games with. Gary obliged and instructed Courtney to meet him at his place before the next game. Now, here is how I envision it – Courtney arrives, Gary: (being shirtless answers the door) “Hey, come on in”. Courtney, feeling a little awkward from Gary showing off “the birdcage” reluctantly comes in. Gary then asks “Hey can you paint me”? Courtney swoons and falls head over heels. Thinking to herself “hey boo, I thought you’d never ask!” They are still together to this day. Just as the saying goes, “behind every good Redbird, there is a Lady Redbird painting him up”. She is the one that added the new yellow beak. We can only imagine the what that relationship is like although there are no current plans for any hatchlings.
There have been many versions of The Redbird – patriotic, homecoming, gilly suits, even 80’s style. This year he will be collaborating with fans to determine what he might have painted on like their favorite player jersey. We also talked about a Redbird Red-out Revolution where fans are encouraged to paint themselves up like the Redbird himself. Being the Redbird has not come without its challenges either. When the men’s basketball team last played at DePaul (our favorite day!) it took The Birds 30 minutes to get in because of all the picture requests. “It can be a lot sometimes”, Courtney said. Last year Gary received a card from a prestigious alum and doctor, thanking him for his effort and saying that he is the first person they look for when coming to games. The Redbird has been hailed for photo ops with the likes of Louisville legend Denny Crum.
The Redbird passion and total commitment comes from one place, the athletes on the field of battle. On a recent vacation to Sarasota, FL Gary and Courtney had dinner with Damian Copeland’s family where they learned about Honey Mustard’s inspirational story of being told he wouldn’t play D1 football to becoming a BCS Sugar Bowl Champion. It’s because of players like Damian Copeland that motivates him. He said “They’re going out the for us – lets give that back to them.”
Gary said “I’m is going to keep it up as long as I can. He wants to inspire a whole new generation of Cardinal fans and revitalize the older generations (THEY NEED IT). As far as this year, The Redbird has a message to fans “Get in your seats – cheer till the last tick of the clock. He doesn’t care if there up or down by 30 he’s still cheering. Do it for the players. Show your support and a sense of appreciation. ”
U of L needs more fans like Gary, more importantly, U of L needs The Redbird. U of L lacks a central core to its fan base , leaving us all disjointed, and I believe fans like the Elle Raiser and The Redbird are changing that. I believe The Redbird is our missing link and the rest of #CardNation needs to get connected with him. The Redbird can make appearances at tailgates, party’s, or other U of L related spirit functions. Just ask him. I want to suggest that for all the time and effort that the Redbird gives us, we should give back to him. If you ask him to hang or get a picture,be kind and make a donation to The Redbird fund. You might be helping him RISE to greater heights! Also, if your interested in getting in shape, The Birds are devoted to helping you change your lifestyle to be healthier and fitter – just ask them how. Follow The Redbird at @the_redbird7 on Twitter.
Learn how to get painted up like the Redbird by following this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2octGtHejM
My advice to Gary – Keep elevating! Stay mad focused on your dreams and NEVER give up on them! With the effort you have put into becoming The Redbird you have shown you CAN DO ANYTHING YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO!!! Keep spreading your wings!
To the University of Louisville, you need to find a way to fit this highly intelligent and motivated individual into the Athletics Administration. This person can greatly influence future generations of Cardinal faithful. You need to make a seat for him at the big table. I’d also like to suggest creating scholarships for fans like Gary!
Gary Payton and Courtney Korte aka The Redbird and Lady Redbird