Over A Cracker Barrel

East Carolina University ((pictured, thanks replay photos)) is one of those schools that, when it comes to playing football against them, they're like the little dog that gets annoyed when you come anywhere close to his front stoop.

Sometimes he wins and you cross the street and all he does is bark...
Sometimes you win but your pants leg is a little frayed and you mumble under your breath...

Let's say the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Greenville, North Carolina is now, officially the latter.

Some Pirate fans went in to the store looking to pick up some ECU gear. There was plenty from UNC and NC State, but the Pirate supply seemed lacking. An e-mail was sent to Cracker Barrel HQ, and this was the apparent response...

"since this is a small school that plays in a small conference there are few manufacturers that will make ECU merchandise..."

That made its way to the Boneyard Banter fan forum, the haven for all things ECU... and that was a bad thing...

Cracker Barrel PR's machine went in to the hurry-up offense and came out with the following response...

"I also am very sorry for the response sent by one of our Guest Relations Representatives. The response was not an informed nor researched response. I apologize the response seemed insensitive to your concerns for the lack of ECU merchandise offered by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. Please be assured this error has been addressed and corrections have been made within our department...

...We do have a limited number of items available in East Carolina University in our Greenville, NC location only. We have sweaters, t-shirts, hats, children's cheerleader and football outfits, coasters, garden flags, a hand-painted Christmas ornament, quilt, hand-painted lamp, and a coffee mug. If while you are visiting our Greenville store you don't find this merchandise, please ask one of our retail sales associates to assist you in locating these items."

Corrections have been made...

Translation- the Tarheel fan, allegedly, who wrote you that e-mail back has been "fah-erred."
What did I tell you about ECU...?

And, by the way, Cracker Barrel has a killer steak caesar salad...

((HT: AOL Fanhouse))