Tuesday, November 8, 2011

What's in a name? A sweet trip to an NFL game if you happen to share the same handle as a professional athlete.

Kirk Morrison, 20 year-old Canadian business student, got the VIP treatment at a Buffalo Bills game thanks to a social media trade he made with the linebacker who he shares the same name, according to the Regina Leader-Post.

The starter for the Bills wanted to switch his Twitter name from @kirkmorrison55 to @kirkmorrison because he had gone from the Jacksonville Jaguars to his new team and changed jersey numbers from 55 to 58. The University of Regina student had ownership of the Twitter handle.

The NFL's Morrison worked out a sweetheart deal for the younger version. The Canadian Kirk handed over his Twitter handle in return for a fully paid trip for two and sideline passes to a Bills home game of his choosing.

Canada Kirk picked Sunday's game against the New York Jets and decided to take his brother Kent to the Nickel City. NFL Morrison spared no expense, flying the brothers to Toronto, where they stepped into a town car ordered by the Bills for the short drive to Buffalo. They got into town early enough Saturday to catch a Sabres game before heading over to the Bills game.

Early on Saturday, the Kirk Morrisons met face to face for the first time at the Bills team hotel.

"He is such a great guy," said fan Kirk of player Kirk to the Regina Leader-Post. "He was super nice and friendly with us and happy to see us."

No. 58 told the AP last week that he was "pumped up" about meeting his namesake. The NFL player moonlights as a nationally syndicated sports talk host on the popular weekend lineup at Fox Sports Radio.

Buffalo fans heard about the meeting and invited the Canadian Morrison, via Twitter, to special tailgate parties in the parking lot before the game. He got to hang with Bills legend Jim Kelly at his tailgate party, where the NFL legend was "grilling up burgers."

After the parking lot party, the Morrison brothers had field passes for pre-game festivities. They strolled out of the tunnel with Bills players and met former running back Thurman Thomas.

When the game started, Canada Kirk sat in the stands with the NFL's Morrison's mother and watched the Jets beat the Bills, 27-11.

The Morrisons (player and student) then rubbed shoulders at a Bills post-game event in a private suite at Ralph Wilson Stadium before Kirk Morrison returned to the mundane routine of college life in Saskatchewan.

Kirk Morrison the college student can now be found on his new Twitter handle @KirkMorrison91 (the year he was born).

He's probably now hoping for another trade.

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