Three Cities, Three Weeks, Three Part Blog

The walk through practices can say just as much about a team as one in full pads. You can see the swagger, or lack of in walk through practices.  

This session displayed younger players that were humble, and some veteran players that looked like they could care less. 

Veteran linemen looked disgruntled, while the younger linemen looked concerned, not anxiety ridden, but definitely concerned. The backers were the typical  smiling faces that most are. So there's no confusion they're not friendly smiling faces, but rather menacing smiling faces that translate to say, "Welcome to Hades, my names Satan, and I'll be roasting your buns all day today... order 25 up!" The corners and db's were relaxed and having fun, laughing among themselves stretching and walking through drills. They did so until practice began to wind down. 

A few rookie linebackers signed (mandatory) autographs after practice, while a few other up coming players stayed after to enjoy the fans. Jalen Collins the former LSU standout was one such player, and gracious enough to stay after for a bit. It has been rumored that Jalen had a few woes in his collegiate days, and that his camp was not his strongest showing. However, I feel based on his character, that Jalen is confident, and happy, and will be a round for a while. 

Closing on the coaches corner. Coach Quinn wore his "all business face," only being chummy with one person that he knew from his prior coaching experience. They looked poised to have a great year in camp and started the season off that way. What's happened, or is happening since? Time has told and will continue to tell. 

50 Shades of Brown

One of the most serene places on earth is in the timbers find. I walk the grassy trail until the walk is my climb. Then when the climb is finished I've found my spot. Yes, that one where it's warm and gets hot. Where the rock is cool, and often damp, where only the sun has dared to tramp. The sun has never shone in such a way as today. My thoughts are left here, my mind is clear. As the sun caresses my brown skin, the wind whispers in my ear, other than the chickadee, she is all I hear. This is my spot, it was made just for me. Where my skin goes from caramelized cane, to a deeper hue of butter pecan underneath the Spruce Pine tree. This is my spot my 50 is brown, if you seek my Father, you might catch me around. 

Three Cities, Three Weeks, Three NFL Camps II

Part two brings the Lexus TravIS300 to a halt in Flowery Branch, Georgia. Home to Atlanta's Dirty Bird Training Camp. As I had mentioned in the first of my NFL Training Camp blogs, we're in the South visiting camps. The southern region of the finest nation in the world, and home to footballs, Falcons Nation. 

This blog, like the first, will also cover culture, cuisine, and gridiron craziness. I'll give you a look at an NFL following from a birds eye view. A Falcons view to be exact. 

Culture: 

Southern Hospitality; where the rainbow meets the sun, where manners are a way of life, and it's all instilled in a Southerner before they learn to walk.

 

 

The Falcons culture was much like the culture found in Redskins territory. A nicely collaborative gathering of ethnic diversity where the only language spoken was "Dirty Bird!" One thing different was that there didn't appear to be as many women at the Falcons training camp, but there seemed to be more couples. Regardless of the single female populous, people were friendly enough, and no rival fans bothered showing up at Flowery Branch. 

The day that I chose to attend was a gorgeous, mid eighties type of day. The sun had shone brightly all morning, but was not overbearing. The event was well planned, and organizers prepared to make this a memorable occasion for its fans. Trolleys transported people from the lot to the gate, which also helped with keeping the day as cool as possible. However, just in case it was a bit too hot still, and people needed a proper distraction from the heat, the facility greeted all of their supporters with sprinklers, and the teams motto at the front gate, "Rise Up!"

First things first... Food, and drink! No rain to put a damper on this camp, so folks looked for drinks over food, and organizers had it covered. $1.00 water, or Gatorade! GoTravvy was already liking this training camp. Cue the commercial voice, "but wait, there's more!" Not only was the Falcon faithful blessed with a 20 oz. dranky drank for a buck, but flame kissed burgers, with all the trimmings were only a dollar to match! It's worth the trip just to get the yard burger and drink. 

 The food was very reasonable, the souvenirs on the other hand, well let's just say that the NFL is proud of its gear. $40 and up for a t-shirt is not the way to go if you're an everyday average Joe. But the staff was friendly. So you're paying a great deal for service with a smile. 

Go Travvy has camera, will travel. 

More pics, and players to come. 

Three Cities, Three Weeks, and The Thrill of the NFL

Traveling, training, and taking it all in, it’s an experience that yours truly, The Imperfect Football Fan, will not soon forget. What is involved when traveling to three cities, in three weeks, visiting three NFL training camps? Culture, food, and fun. Lets look at the football culture first. All of the areas visited were in Southern cities, so you’d expect Southern hospitality, right? Let’s start in Richmond.

Richmond, Virginia, Bon Secours Training facility, and its a closed practice session between the Washington Redskins, who hosted the Houston Texans, it is also a session that one had to win tickets for. Guess who won tickets? Yes, the imperfect one. First prayer answered. Then the bonus; everyone that received an invitation from the imperfect football fan was available to meet for the practice, second prayer answered. It was overcast, and the rains come shortly after sunrise, third prayer not answered, but every prayer unanswered is unanswered for a reason.

The rains came, and people sought shelter everywhere, and just as many weathered the storm, as those that fled. The weather did create a bit of disappointment besides getting wet, however. This so called closed session was not as meaningful as it was set up to be. The rain caused a rush in staff as well as fan. Fans crowded a very broad, and open gate, where attendants loosely checked tickets, and threw their portion of the tickets into plastic, 50 gallon barrels. The imperfect one had four tickets, and was accompanied by three people. Two of the party of four walked right past the gatekeepers, and were not checked at all. The imperfect one had all four tickets, and was not asked by one attendant to whom each ticket belonged. So much for feeling lucky, special, privileged, or whatever adjective you prefer here. It was somewhat of a let down to know that a good portion of the crowd could have slipped through without having any credentials at all.

The rain turned a few away, so it wasn’t as packed as it could have been, but Redskin faithful, for the most part showed their allegiance to their team. #HTTR (Hail to the Redskins), had meaning, because the sidelines were shoulder to shoulder with Skins faithful. GEICO did their part in playing hero for the day for a few hundred as they handed out ponchos for the rain soaked crowd, that signed up to be added to their mailing list. Unfortunately, they went from hero to zero in approximately 20 minutes, as they ran out of ponchos. People tore up their information entries as they discovered they were not going to receive a poncho.

Once inside we discovered that the fans surrounding us were pretty amazing, and amazingly enough the fans were all, pardon the expression here, somewhat a tribe of one. There were more folks of African ancestry than not, but for the most part, all ethnicity was dismissed because this culture represented one nation, “Redskin Nation.” The people experience was a very good one.

On the field the marshals were in control, watching the fence lines carefully, and were very professional about it. The coaching staff did not make themselves very available for their fans, but they were well focused on their team, and with good reason, but first, let’s look at cuisine before we get to the teams action on the playing field.

A few restaurants from the greater Richmond area catered the event. We chose barbeque. The food wasn’t bad, and the serving wasn’t so skimpy that you felt as if you had only an appetizer, but it was far from a grand serving. It also wasn’t as warm as it could have been. However, on the flip side of that, I would give them 3.5 stars out of 5 considering it was a soggy day.

Ok back to the facility, and field. The facility is not yet complete, and most training facilities are not blessed with accommodations and luxuries that make one feel as though they’re in the box seats at their favorite teams stadium, but the proximity and closeness to the field make you feel very much a part of the team.

The players were fired up, and ready to practice, and the skill players all looked sharp. The most closely watched figure Robert Griffin III, or more affectionately know as RG3, by his fan base, was on point. His touch passes were picture perfect, and his deep ball was excellent as well. Then… came the first fight! 

ESPN had announced that Mr. Golston had removed or had his helmet removed, and that sheer and utter chaos had broken loose at Bon Secours. 

Unfortunately, because of the rain, yours truly had his camera tucked away in a dry, and secure spot. There were two more fights that took place, and finally the two squads separated for good. A few Texans signed autographs on the the far side of the field, but most of the bigger names to refuge in the fieldhouse immediately after practice. 

 

The sun came out at the end of practice, which was somewhat of a blessing. Had the sun shone as brightly all day as it did at the end of the day it most likely would have made us all miserable. The good thing about was that I was able to get a couple of shots in at the end of the day. Training camp would manifest what appeared to be a good team, a team ready for a young quarterback to lead them into a promising season. Mediocre is not what they expected, but I'm predicting another split between the Tribe, and the other Texans. .500 is possible, but I'm going out on a limb saying we'll see RG3 back at the helm before seasons end, and they'll finish at 7-8. 

Next stop: Flowery Branch

America the Bootyful

Red, White, and Blue... Patriotic through and through? A God fearing Constitutional nation that believes in life, liberty, and the right to pursue happiness? Whose right to pursue?

Malcolm X to say that "WE" didn't land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on us. 

Marcus Garvey campaigned that all people of African ancestry should go back to Africa, the Motherland. 

And what if... Plessy vs. Ferguson was a law that passed and was intact today? 

Me personally, as an American, I tend to side with Morgan Freeman. 

www.cbsnews.com/videos/freeman-on-black-history/

I don't want a Black History Month, I want to recognized as an American, as a man, and one minus the stereotype. I want to celebrate my independence as well, and I want it to have meaning. 

I, like "our" president, have an uncommon last name. The doctor that delivered me is deceased now, and I don't show just anyone my birth certificate, or my drivers license. But I'm not running for any office either. What I am running for is true equality. Running from self victimization, and insecurities that make myself and my people weak. My people being the American in every shade that's dealt with a struggle. 

Am I proud of my ancestry? Indeed! From my African heritage, to my Cherokee, and Portuguese, who by the way, played a huge part in Atlantic trade. Yes, even slave trading until the Spainsh took control, but I'm proud of those that opposed such practices. I am proud of the humanitarians that fought to secure freedom. 

I am also proud of my Scottish blood! Proud to know that even before President Obama took office, there were good men around that did not discriminate against skin tone and color, but admired and appreciated the beauty in the variances and hues that make up the one race that's most important... "The human race!" 

So to my fellow Americans from every walk of life, and from every ancestral background, Happy Independence Day, and may God bless our nation, and all His children in it. 

Remind Me Why...

Remind me why we celebrate... 

Celebration, creates celebrity. Celebrities are figured that we admire. We admire their services, we admire their abilities. The imperfect Christian is also an imperfect father. Therefore, he acknowledges the One that is worthy of being celebrated daily... our Heavenly Father. 

The imperfect one is grateful that He has blessed him with fine men in his life. The imperfect one's great-grandfather was a great Christian man, as was his grandfather. They taught him to respect all, especially his Heavenly Father. 

The imperfect Christian had great experiences with them. Fishing trips, baseball, and various sporting events, and some outings that words cannot detail, or do justice. Especially the old, "Suppertime Fart Story!" But the most memorable thing that the imperfect one carries from them is that they loved him enough to tell him and show him that at any time. They taught their sons that as well. They instilled family value, and it passed along nicely through the following generation. 

The imperfect one's uncles are selfless because of the examples they were blessed to follow. The uncles taught the inperfect Christian to open doors for a "lady," and to be respectful. We all disagree from time to time, but one can be respectful in doing so. With that said, how many are worthy of having a door opened for them, how many "ladies" are left? 

The uncles also taught him about sacrifice and priority. They also enforced such rules. They taught and enforced the "please and thank you," rules. They are/were great, great family men. They would lay their lives down for those that they love: 

What greater love does one have than One that would lay His life down for them? 

The imperfect one had three great examples to follow as far as uncles are concerned. Therefore, the imperfect one is grateful for the Christ-like men in his life. The men that inspired him to take the Deep Gap Trail trips back in the day, and take the BlurRidge rides now. He is grateful for the positive role models that stepped up when he needed a father figure. He is grateful for men not too proud to show affection, not too proud or timid to have hugged him even when he was undeserving. He is grateful for the men that talked with him when he deserved being shunned. He is grateful that they helped him when he didn't have enough sense to help himself. Thank You Lord, for the good fathers and father figures that step up. Because of that the imperfect Christian is a grateful and loving father himself. He may not be perfect, but he is caring and loves being a father to four of the greatest children God could ever bless him with. With that, to all active true fathers, Happy Father's Day, and thank You, Father. 

Where One Door Shuts, Another One Opens

Some buy pets for companionship. Some buy pets to teach lessons. Lessons that teach children about responsibility. Lessons that teach a child or person how to care for another living soul. Sometimes they teach people how to better deal with death. 

Responsibility is something that takes self discipline. Pets teach us valuable lessons. The Old Man taught me how to care in a much deeper way. The Old Man taught me responsibility. I'd never witnessed a dog that loved to ride like my Skipper. He loved his truck! Lord, what a great friend.

He always greeted me with a nudge when I got home. He'd greet me to show me he loved me. I wish I were half the pet owner that he was the pet. 

I came home for lunch, during an already tough day and he was lying in front of his truck. He was losing his eye sight, and his hearing was also fading. So I called out to him from underneath my helmet, and he didn't move. I blew the horn and softly called out, "Old Man?" He never responded. My heart sank. He was so peaceful. He didn't struggle to get up, he didn't show signs of aching hips, he just lie there peacefully. If I could only be as fortunate as my Skip. I'm thankful to have had such a loyal friend. I miss him daily. 

Here Today, Gone to...?

The Things I Love: My People and My Doughnuts 

Like the snow crunching underneath my feet, 

Like the money that pays for my fuel for heat, 

Like the dark that sets in and covers my day, 

Like anything worth noticing that fades away. 

Here today, gone to(morrow, soon, much)... 

Like the last ice cream sandwich, 

the last Krispy Kreme.

Like the last memory of that person, 

the last sweet dream. 

Like the last conversation, 

the bell that rang. 

Like an infiltrating song, 

at your funeral they sang. 

Here today, gone to...

Strreo-Typing II

Different woman (Caucasian again), different stereotype, same Brotha (me).

A woman approaches me before asking how I am doing, before asking my name, before asking me anything, and goes into a story about how she needs money to get fuel for her car to go home. She then explains that she'll get my phone number and call me later to meet me to pay me back. I'm standing there looking at her, saying nothing, and she takes on a very frustrated look asks and says, "Man, do you speak English? I just talked to another guy for ten minutes and he spoke Mexican, he didn't even know what I was saying!" 

I replied, "¿Que?" with a very puzzled look on my face. 

She throws her hands up, says, "Oh dear G-d!" and then walks away! 

Sometimes stereotypes can work to ones advantage. 

Stereo-Typing

A lady dressed in old sweat pants approaches another lady standing next to a newer SUV having mechanical issues, and asks her for money, she's successful. 

Next she approaches a man in jeans, black jacket, cowboy boots and hat, getting out of a car that's not quite as new as the other ladies SUV, and asks him for money too. Again she is successful. 

The lady asking for money is now walking toward my car. However, when she takes a look inside and sees me, she bolts like I'm about to take the money she just received from two other strangers. She thought I was an undercover cop, right? If so why would she go to the next person to pull into the parking lot (right in front if me), an ask them for money? Hmmm... because it was  to Donate to Tammy Time, right? They were all driving down to the shopping center, today, to give her money, right? Yeah that's it. 

Sometimes stereotypes can work to ones advantage. In case anyone's wondering... She could put Caucasian in her box for ethnicity, as to where I couldn't. 

The Weak In Sports...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wZBhuHtA6s

We all have our moments, right? And in those moments we seem to get through each one, correct? I feel as though I can justify that statement by saying one thing; if you're reading this now then you, like me, have overcome something at one point or another in your lifetime.

Overcoming adversity, out smarting the competition, that's what fashions ones heart to acknowledge the greatness of sports. I am a sports fan from way back, but the sporting world has, from decade to decade, and year to year, changed. I enjoy anything competitive. I'd watch UCLA beat up USC in the thumb wrestling collegiate national championship if there was such a thing. I just love a good competition. However, I have to admit the one thing that turns me off is a tainted title. Sosa and McGuire, "Marion" Jones and Lance Armstrong, to me all huge let downs.

Lance Armstrong led the way for my decline in watching cycling. I still love to ride, but do not watch with near the enthusiasm as I once did, because of the tainted titles. Lance dealt a devastating blow to a few communities. In his cheating, he not only cheated the cycling world, but the great people and companies (Trek, Bontrager, and others) that manufactured bikes for him to compete earnestly, the honest competitors (few and far between seeing how asterisks plague the 7 years he has been forced to vacate), and the millions of cycling fans worldwide, but most of all Lance let down the community that battles cancer. Is that to say that they should give up hope, and no longer continue to fight, or even abandon "Livestrong?" Absolutely not! But the cheating knocked the wind out of a lot of good people.

Lance at that time was the 7 time, Tour de France champion, and championed Livestrong in the fight against cancer. People believed in him. People with cancer found hope through Lance. The people believed in their superman cyclist because he (Lance) fought and overcame every obstacle; the competition, the terrain, the elements, and his biggest rival and main foe, cancer! Then after years of investigating, things turned sour. Lance confessed to cheating through transfusions, and admitted that he took banned substances, and was denounced as the world's greatest cyclist of all time. The USADA finalized their investigation, and Lance went from hero to near zero, and was almost immediately labeled the biggest fraud in cycling history. With that turn of events, what would come next? Would his tribe and sponsors stay with a liar, stay with a fake, or would his community and remaining sponsors if any remained, try and understand his reasons for cheating and being human, or would they spimply abandon a liar, and a cheat? Lance's cheating was done while in competition, and costs him all 7 of his titles, fortune, and fame. Now let's take a peek at another example of drugs devastating the sports world, and look at the out of competition struggles of doping.

Do you remember, as Celtics fans, when Len Bias fatally OD'ed? That was a tragedy that I will not soon forget, if ever. I am as anti-Celtic as any "true" Lakers fan, but I am human first, and the humanitarian inside of me cringes with the memory of the news of Len Bias' heart succumbing to the nefarious, toxic ways of cocaine. Len Bias' death was as difficult as it was painful to hear. Len Bias' death was a most traumatic event to his family (both at home and on the court). It was tragic to come to the reality that such a great, young talent was gone way too soon.

Switching gears yet again, I turn to the here and now, and to the UFC. Mixed martial arts, like boxing has to adhere to the rules and regulations of the athletic commission when fighting within certain countries, provinces, or states. They like most professional sports have a list of banned substances. I mentioned the lethal usage of cocaine in the Len Bias tragedy, and now turn to Jon Jones usage of cocaine. Jon Jones was fortunate. Jon Jones was blessed not to fall victim to the same fate that Mr. Bias did. Jon (aka Bones) Jones in an interview (see above video), talked about the older guy in competition being unfair in using PED's (specifically TRT), and said that they (the older more experienced guys), should go home and raise their families and leave the sport if they had to cheat to compete. Once again, Bones Jones should count his blessings, because first of all, he still has life to enjoy, a life to spend with his family (a precious daughter), and team family. With the mention of his team, that leads me to the second point in counting his blessings. Jon Jones is still the champ, and was not even suspended, so he is still at the top of his division, and still making money to support his family, and speaking as a proud papa, still take care of that baby girl, his primary blessing. Therefore, with the proper management, and self-discipline, Bones could bounce back just as awesome if not newer and more improved than he was before the finding of drugs in his system on December 4th, 2105.

With all that said, I now ask you, what's worse, taking a performance enhancing drug, or taking a drug that's totally illegal anywhere in the country, and most of the free world? I am one that believes in second chances, but I also believe in justice. Bones has already had trouble in his young career, so is his voluntary admission into rehab a lesson learned, or another slap on the wrist that encourages him to fake his way through this fiasco until something fatal takes place for him as well? I say this in reference to his abusing of alcohol that contributed to the destruction of his new Bentley shortly after his winning the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Sadly enough, (if I recall correctly and I am humble enough to be corrected if incorrect), Bones was fined heavier for his skirmish with Daniel Cormier prior to their actual bout at UFC 182 than he was for the DUI incident. I pray that the rehab is truly rehab for Jon Jones, and that this is not just another cover up to help him walk into his next set back. The last thing that I want is for a child (possibly his own) that finds hope in Jon Jones to be as disgusted as I have been with the sporting world, and to a point of not even caring about sports. I used to embrace a challenge of any good, clean competition, and now I find myself sitting and waiting for the news of the next drug scandal, the next asterisk, or next title stripping. The unfortunate thing in all of this, is that doping, and drug use will continue for as long as there is an audience that doesn't care that it (doping, and drug abuse) exists. So long as there is cash flow, there is show flow. How many chances are you willing to give competitive sports? How long are you willing to stay away until the competition is true, clean competition? I won't be holding my breath, but I will be praying. My heart continues to go out to those in the fight against cancer, drug abuse, and alcoholism. Be blessed, and keep counting your blessings.

Love Thy Who?

KKK billboard says, 'It's not racist' http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2015/01/01/dnt-billboard-causes-controversy.kolr.html

This billboard is like having Rush Limbaugh doing a remake of "Do The Right Thing," (a Spike Lee movie), make it concerning his own version of race relations within his hometown, and calling it, "Do The Right Wing." 

Instead of Public Enemy doing the theme song of "Fight the Power," it'd be Public Enema doing "White's the Power."

Imperfectly thinking here we go:

Love thy neighbor as thyself, unless they're not your people. Thats how that goes, correct? Is it fair, or just to say too, that that's not racist? 

Forgive the imperfect one, Lord, but I missed the latter half of that verse in Your Holy Word. So to whom should the imperfect Christian call his people? Everyone?! Wow! Even those that don't act like they know that they too belong to You, Lord? Ok, the imperfect loves all people just not all of some people's ways. The imperfect one praises You for the lesson Holy One, and now apartheid (of the imperfect Christian's soul, mind, and body), is dead and freedom is much more abound. Thank You.