| Join the Bryan's Bunch |
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| Ventura County Star |
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| Bryans' biggest fans get OK for official Web site By Rhiannon Potkey, rpotkey@insidevc.com August 31, 2003 NEW YORK -- They stick out like a sore thumb in the stands at the U.S. Open with their bright lime green T-shirts and unrelenting cheers. They are the members of Bryan's Bunch, an exclusive club reserved for diehard fans of Camarillo's Mike and Bob Bryan. Led by Michigan sisters Amber Vanderzalm and Tiffany Reuschel, the group provides support to the identical twins that either serves to inspire others or drives them away with scowls on their faces. Vanderzalm and Reuschel, both preschool teachers, started the club two years ago under the name "Doublemint Crew" -- hence the green shirts -- but changed it to "Bryan's Bunch" after writing to get Wrigley's permission. "No one said anything, but we found out they had it trademarked. We would rather change it than have someone say something," said the 26-year-old Vanderzalm, who is married. "We emailed Wrigley's about using it and they said 'No.'" Vanderzalm and Reuschel also run the Bryans' official Web site www.bobandmike.com. The official site used to be www.bryanbros.com, but Wayne Bryan, the twins' father, gave the OK to switch three weeks ago when he realized Vanderzalm and Reuschel were able to update results faster. |
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| "We love doing it. It is fun to get on and create it and make it look good," said Vanderzalm, who purchased the domain for $8.95 a month through Yahoo. "It's great when people say it is easy to find stuff." Vanderzalm and Reuschel are not just starry-eyed girls with a crush. They know the intricacies of the game, the strategies the Bryans employ and can recite back percentages during a match. The Web site displays their knowledge of tennis, providing such things as head-to-head matchups of doubles (a rare find even at tournaments), match and feature stories, score updates and numerous links to other tennis-related sites. It also has the Bryans' bios, a message board, videos and photos. In the future, they plan to have a regular Coach's Corner, where the Bryans' coach, Philip Farmer, will provide a tip of the month, and updates from the tour. Bob was handing out business cards touting the Web site after a practice session on Friday. |
| "We want to have a place where people can go to get all the information about the Bryans and not have to search for 25 minutes," said the 22-year-old Reuschel, who first started following the Bryans in 1993 after watching them compete in a junior national event in Kalamazoo. Vanderzalm and Reuschel's jobs as teachers are ideal for following the Bryans because the summer break coincides with the tour's American swing. The two will pack up Reuschel's Saturn or the family's Dodge Caravan and shuttle to Cincinnati, Washington, D.C., Memphis or Indianapolis. "They are so exciting to watch. They have such quick reflexes at the net and great serves," said Vanderzalm. "Their energy is always up and they are hardly ever angry." They are hoping to convince a few others about the Bryans' charismatic play. The shirt-wearing Bryan's Bunch currently consists of eleven members, three of whom joined at the Open. It has an international flavor with two members from Germany and one from Belgium. The shirts, which have "Bryan's Bunch" emblazoned across the chest and two rackets crossed on the back with "Mike 'N Bob" written inside, are available on the Web site for $6 plus shipping and handling. Vanderzalm and Reuschel have already sold three here, including a transaction to one Queens resident during the Bryans' opening round. "I am a Bryan's Bunch member," exhorted 29-year-old Michael Kesselman as he pulled the shirt over his head and slapped high-fives all around. "We have got identical twins in our family so I can relate to these guys. Go Bryans." |
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