Mayor Dan Canan promised them the key to the city. SheriffGeorge Sheridan said he would make them deputies.
Tom Green and his sidekick, Glenn "Hollywood" Humplick, tookthem up on their offers.
The duo from "The New Tom Green Show" will wrestle in jello andmarch in a parade Sunday and Monday, all because four Muncieresidents invited them.
Ball State alumni Andy Bell, Joe Whetsel, Jason Harris, andsenior telecommunications major David Plough entered a video intothe "Why Should Tom and Glenn Come to Our Town" competition, Bellsaid.
"I don't have a job yet, and neither does Joe," Bell said. "Weboth wanted something to do."
The group used tips on the application for ideas in theirvideo.
"They were joking about most of the stuff, but we followedthrough," Bell said.
Two such items included the parade and being named deputies,both of which were taken from the list on the application.
Burt Debrow, executive producer of the show, said he wasimpressed that they interviewed the mayor and the sheriff.
"(Whetsel) had officials, which was pretty bizarre," Debrowsaid. "The idea that the mayor was on it was fun."
Though they had said they would win the competition before theyeven sent in the video, the group was still surprised, Whetselsaid.
Whetsel and Bell both have degrees in telecommunications, Bellsaid.
"We're taking our education and putting it to use," Bellsaid.
Though thousands of tapes were entered, Muncie was chosenbecause the tape caught the staff's interest, Debrow said.
Along with Canan and Sheridan, the tape also featured P.O.D. (Pissed Off Dwarf), who Humplick will wrestle in jello at 9 p.m.Sunday at Dill Street Bar, Whetsel said.
Bell said the event is open to all ages.
The Muncie Southside High School marching band will kick off aparade for Green 5:30 p.m. Monday, starting in Dave's Alley,Whetsel said.
Whetsel is encouraging the Muncie high schools and Ball StateUniversity to make floats for the parade, he said.
"We're trying to make (the parade) quirky, with interestinggroups from Muncie," Whetsel said.
At the end of the parade, Canan will present them with a key tothe city and name it Tom and Glenn Day, Bell said.
"I'm pretty excited about it," Canan said. "I look at anypublicity we get here as positive, especially national."
Whetsel said he hopes to help both "The New Tom Green Show" andMuncie.
"We're all about making the show better and making (Green) feelwelcome in Muncie," Whetsel said. "This could potentially bringother famous people here."
No events at the university are planned.
Whetsel said that if anyone sees Green coming or leaving thewrestling match and the parade, to be respectful and not "mob"him.
"It's a common courtesy not to mob someone and put them in adangerous situation," Harris said.
Bell said the group found out just Wednesday evening that theyhad won the competition, and they spent Thursday planning theparade and wrestling match.
"I feel really awkward that on this anniversary of one of ournation's greatest tragedies ever that I am putting together all thesilliness on a day of remembrance," Whetsel said. "We're trying toremember that there are good and happy things in life."
A crew will be accompanying Green and filming shots that willair the week of Sept. 22, Bell said.
Art and architecture students with their own tools interestedin making a BSU float for the parade should meet at 5 p.m. today byFrog Baby. If clubs wish to make their own float, they shouldcontact Joe Whetsel at munciefloats@bsu.edu. Float themes should benon-political. The deadline is Sunday night.
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