I first became aware of Jack from the neighborhood and Stingray football at Okell Field in the early 70’s, but it wasn’t until high school when he transferred from Timon to South Park that I really got to know him. We sat at the same lunch table and we played on the Spark baseball team. Jack was a pitcher and his lively arm was a welcome addition to our pedestrian rotation. But there was more to Jack than just throwing a baseball, and it was evident from the moment you met him—he was a character. Loud, outspoken, kind hearted, inappropriate, exasperating and freaking hilarious—a character. A high South Buffalo honor.

I lost track of Jack after high school except for occasionally seeing him at Caz Golf Course on a few select Sunday nights at 6pm when I tried to get a quick nine in for five bucks. By that time of day Jack was surrounded by empty pitchers of beer, all red-faced with his car backed up in front of the clubhouse blaring his beloved Jackson Browne. You know, just being the character known as Jack Conrad. 

The arrival of social media made it possible to connect with Jack again. Not much had changed—he was still the same vexing and lovable Jack: bitching about a Grubhub driver who went to his side door despite getting explicit instructions to go to the back door. Or in a post describing a neighbor as an “asshole” for the way he cleared the snow with his snowblower. And who could forget his unflinching support of Nathan Peterman as the Bills starting quarterback, even after the former Pitt Panther threw five first-half interceptions in his 2018 NFL debut. 

In all, Jack was the subject of ten Buffalo Mud articles. In the beginning, when I had an idea for a post I would ask if he was alright with it because not everyone likes having the Mud style of fun poked at them. He told me flat out— “You never have to ask, I love this.” Then he proceeded to inform me about a woman who stopped him in Wegmans and asked: “Are you that guy from the Buffalo Mud articles?” That’s also what was endearing about Jack, he was always in on the joke even when it was at his expense, especially when it was at his expense.

So let us take a moment of silence to honor the son, brother, father, friend Jack was as he passes on to his next destination. South Buffalo and the world is a little less colorful, less rich with him gone. 

Deepest condolences to the entire Conrad family.

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The post A Moment Of Silence For South Buffalo Legend Jack Conrad appeared first on buffalomud.com.

Buffalo, NY—Grubhub driver Jesse Mendoza was drawn into a verbal exchange when he failed to distinguish the difference between a side and back door at a customer’s house where he was making a delivery.

Mendoza received a request from Five Guys in Blasdell to deliver to an Abbott Road location in South Buffalo. He readily admitted the customer requested BD (Back Door) delivery, which was ambiguous since the house, which contained several apartments had a front, side and back door.

But when Mendoza received no answer ringing the doorbell he called the customer on the phone and told him he was at the BD with his food. That customer, a stalwart Nathan Peterman fan, Jack Conrad of South Buffalo, informed Mendoza that he wasn’t at the BD, he was at the  SD (Side Door) and he should, “as instructed,” come around to the BD.

Once at the BD, Mendoza apologized and explained to Conrard that it has been his experience that orders requesting BD delivery are usually on the side of houses. A clearly frustrated Conrad wasn’t having it. “That’s what all you guys say, but when no one answers,  it doesn’t dawn on you to go to the back of the house?”

Despite his frustration Conrad, nonetheless, pulled out a five dollar bill to tip Mendoza, but requested a dollar back to pay for the phone minutes he used to answer his call, even though he has one of those fancy unlimited family plans. But Conrad, like an old man who snatches up a kid’s ball on his lawn wanted to make a point to Mendoza. 

“Look,” Mendoza said, “I’m a first year law student just trying to get by. If you’re unhappy with the service keep your tip money.”

Raising his voice now Conrad said, “Excuse me, what does you being a first year law student have to do with anything? Are you trying to say you’re better than me? Because my class rank was #143 out of 312, South Park High School Class of 1982—and that’s a certified New York State Math/Science Regents diploma. I also should add, I earned that diploma while stopping by the stoner tree everyday. Sure, I could’ve broken the top hundred if I just went for the plain old city diploma, but I was a go-getter—a young, but more stoned, Bill Gates. Whaddya got to say to that, Mr. First Year Law Student ?”

“Congratulations, sir. Have a nice night,” Mendoza said turning to leave.

“Where are you going? I wasn’t done talking. Do you know junior and senior year I was number-one in the pitching rotation on the South Park High baseball team? I innovated the split-finger fastball. People say it was Bruce Sutter, but it was really me. I would’ve been the starting quarterback on the football team too, except for a rupture I sustained as a kid. Did you play any sports?”

“Soccer,” Mendoza yelled back as he walked down the driveway.

“Soccer? Soccer isn’t a sport,” Conrad called out. “Hey kid, where ya going? Let’s talk about this. I’ll buy you a beer at Molly’s, down the street. Let’s talk about this soccer thing.”

But Mendoza just got into 2006 Nissan Sentra and pulled away with Conrad muttering to himself about soccer not being a sport as his fries got cold.  

The post Ambiguous Door Leads To Verbal Exchange Between Grubhub Driver And Customer appeared first on buffalomud.com.