At Dixie’s Tavern in Uptown Charlotte, turtles are a big deal. Every Monday night, patrons show up to pick their favorite little green reptile as they run for their lives across a carpeted mat. There are even police officers present to make sure things don’t get out of hand.

The way it works is each turtle is placed in the middle of a circular mat. When the box is lifted, the first turtle to completely cross the edge of the circle wins. At Dixie’s, the prize is a $50 bar tab every time your turtle crosses the finish line. We chose turtle No. 2 because of his size and overall ferocity. If he had a name, I’d imagine it’d be Diesel. By the end of the night, Team “Sports Journal” raked in $150 with No. 2. That turtle made us proud.