Many believe no good day begins without coffee.
For Mike Rothman, the perfect day starts with coffee and some tunes.
Mike is better known as Mike “The Attitude” Rothman — at least at the Syracuse Nationals.
“Everybody knows me by that hat," he said.
In his well-recognized top hat, Rothman has been at the Nationals every year since it started.
“I’ll tell you my gas bill is about $100 a month. The week of the Nationals, it’s 500," he said.
The absence of the car show last year due to COVID-19 was difficult for someone like Rothman, who calls his work therapy.
But the news of its return is putting him in high gear with a goal to restore two cars before July.
“There are a lot of cars in Central New York that would never get done without the Syracuse Nationals," he said.
With the return scheduled for July 16-18, logistics are still being sorted out.
The New York State Fairgrounds will be operating at a 50 percent capacity, with no vaccine required for entry. Organizers said they have few details at this time.
But Mike “The Attitude” Rothman will be there in all his glory.
“Getting to see people I haven’t seen in 12, 14, 16 months," he said.
And with hits hat, he won’t be hard to miss.