#I feel like I did in Philly when the eagles won

[cookinguptales]

GUESS WHO WAS EATING DINNER IN DOTONBORI WHEN THE HANSHIN TIGERS WON

[faggotmox]

11. Neighbors, and 26. Coming Out!! bryan/yuta!!

mash up! || @di0brando

11. neighbors + 26 coming out

Bryan is frustrated when his new neighbor tries to become his friend.

It started innocently enough with Bryan's new neighbor Wheeler. They both went on runs at the same time in the morning, eventually they started to run together. Then it was about food. Wheeler would leave vegan soy-free food for Bryan so Bryan paid back in kind. After a month of that Wheeler started inviting Bryan over to watch whatever game or MMA match was on. Sometimes other people would be over at Wheeler's place. Some young guy named Danny that always flirted with him and made fun of Wheeler. Two guys just named Mox and Eddie, they always seemed to be around too. There was also the guy Lee, a dude named Orange that never spoke to Bryan and Orange's friends Chuck and Trent. So on and so on.

Thing was Bryan couldn't figure out why. It seemed like Wheeler had plenty of friends in his life, apparently he and Mox worked out so Bryan's nutrition and physical health advice wasn't special. But Wheeler was always finding a reason to be around Bryan. Even going to far as to get Bryan a few plants for his collection. Perhaps it crossed his mind once or twice that this fine young man was maybe into him, maybe this was flirting and courting, but Bryan was pretty sure Wheeler wasn't gay. Danny had pointedly teased him about a girlfriend once or twice.

It was a little frustraing to say the least. Bryan lived a quiet life, not completely isolated but he didn't have people over all the time. He didn't have places to be. Not the way Wheeler did. So, Bryan changed his running time half the days of the week. A lame excuse to Wheeler about being up earlier at the vet clinic. Answering Wheeler's text was less frequent. The exchange of food had nearly stopped, and Bryan hadn't been inside of Wheeler's apartment in three months. Wheeler had expressed concern that was mostly ignored. And Bryan noticed Mox and Eddie would glare at him very pointedly whenever they crossed paths between townhouses.

It was Bryan's choice to start distancing himself from Wheeler, but it also made him feel horrible. Most of his time was taken up thinking about Wheeler. If he was eating right, eating enough, if the Phillies won or the Eagles. There was a wrestling DVD on Bryan's coffee table that had meant to go to Wheeler ages ago, but he kept it there, staring at it daily to remind himself of his own distance.

"Okay, so like what's your god damn problem?" Eddie finally snapped at Bryan as they passed by each other. It was early, Mox was nowhere to be seen which was who normally kept Eddie at bay.

"Nothing." Bryan answered as he kept automatically walking towards his car, trying to fish his keys out of his scrubs pocket.

"Nothing." Bryan said blandly as he automatically kept waling towards his car, trying to he fish the keys to his car out of the pocket of his scrubs.

"Don't walk away from me while I'm speakin' to you." Eddie spat, as he spun around on the heels of his Tims.

"I don't have a problem, Eddie." Bryan stopped the nearly ten feet away.

"Like hell ya don't." Eddie grunted, his hand waving dismissively.

"I have to go or I'll be late for work." Bryan lied. He always made sure he had a half hour before work by the time he left in the morning.

"I can see right through your pathetic ass, Danielson." Eddie made the motion with two figures towards his eyes then at Bryan, to say he was watching the other man.

Later that night Bryan carried his tired body home, walking up the short walkway seemed like a marathon after the day he had at the clinic. As he turned the corner he saw Wheeler sitting on the little porch under a greening light. It looked like he was smoking?

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Bryan accused as he walked straight up to the just above waist high fence that made the outdoor space a patio.

"Uh...?" Wheeler blinked dumbly.

"Did Eddie and Mox get you to start smoking cigarettes?" Bryan asked in disbelief. "Those pricks. I can't believe they would press--"

"It's weed, Bryan." Wheeler looked utterly confused as he stared up at his older neighbor. "And it's a tobacco free wrap."

"O...Oh." Bryan cleared his throat, a small blush spread over his face.

"Yeah." Wheeler leaned forward. "Want some? Maybe then you won't be such a prick."

"Guess I deserve that." Bryan sighed but shook his hand at the blunt. "No. I don't smoke."

A long silence stretched between them. It made Bryan's skin itch. Why had he even approached Wheeler? The kid's habit weren't his crosses to bear. Just when Bryan was thinking about saying good night Wheeler reached down to grab something then plopped it down in front of Bryan. Take out boxes. From Bryan's favorite place.

"I know it's your long day at the clinic. You don't want to cook." Wheeler pointed out, and he was right on both accounts.

"Where you waiting for me?" Bryan's face scrunched up, not knowing if that was weird or endearing.

"Kinda. Not like I'll see you regularly anymore." Wheeler huffed. The weed apparently made him mouthy. "You know, if you didn't want to date me you could have just said so or said you weren't gay if that were the case. Didn't have to be a dick about it."

Bryan felt like his expression was just a loading screen. His brain flipping and flopping back and forth in its tiny space. Had Wheeler really just said that? The heavy beats of Bryan's heart against his chest brought him out of thought. Or maybe it was Wheeler saying something that brought him back.

"It's whatever. It's fine." Wheeler went on with a sigh. "It just sucked. All my friends heard about this amazing guy next door and then you were a prick.

"...I didn't know." Bryan said quietly, still in some shock.

"Didn't know what?" Wheeler's face screwed up in a pout.

"That you were gay." Bryan admitted and it was like every lightbulb went off for Wheeler.

"Are you?" Wheeler's tone sounded so hopeful yet dripping in annoyance.

"Yes, actually." Bryan swallowed around the lump in his throat as Wheeler's eyes got huge.

"Then, I don't know, you want to go on a date?" Wheeler stood up as he asked, a dopey grin on his face as he left behind the blunt.

"Sure. It could be nice." Bryan grinned back at the beautiful look on Wheeler's face. "Let's go on a date, Wheeler."

[fatedwithmbc]

It’s the night before the Unite for Her 5k. I’m “sleeping” at my best friends’ house because it’s close to the race location. The one dog, Dani, was so much calmer with me this time, which was helpful. I was a little nervous how the dog would react to me after our last encounter. The pup is sweet as pie with Elora, but protective and a rescue which is understandable. It just made me a little more nervous than I would have been around just her little old man, Reentu. He’s a cute pup. He even had on a little bow tie- so stinking cute!

Her mom was a total sweetheart and made us a pasta dinner, salad and even sugar cookies for dessert. She’s such a kind woman, and I was thankful of her to take the time to do that for those of us who stayed here this evening. After dinner, we played a meme game and watched Mike and Dave Need A Wedding Date. I think that’s what it was called. It was hilarious. Aubrey Plaza, Anna Kendrick, Zack Efron and the other guy, who’s also in Workaholics and a million other things were all in it. It was a raunchier version of Wedding Crashers, in my opinion. Not something I would have picked on my own, but I enjoyed it.

To my dismay, it’s supposed to rain all day tomorrow. I feel like what was supposed to be a celebration of my wins this past year is going to be a sad and sorry, soggy affair. Thank you, hurricane season and Hurricane Ophelia. Adam Joseph said inland should be spotty. Fingers crossed!

We were able to pick up shirts and bibs today, so that helped. I also got the extra hoodie I purchased. It’s definitely large on me and I was expecting it to be tight fitting. We stopped at Wawa too. Random insight: I was looking for a Candy Kittens alternative and I think that’s Twizzler’s, NOT Sour Patch Kids Strawberry despite Candy Kittens being Strawberry. Random insight over. I’m not used to having lost weight from when I was on my first line of treatment. But I’ve also regained some weight from being on Abilify since my 10 day hospitalization back in June.

I see my oncologist on Monday. I’ve got notions of traveling to Europe and I’m planning on asking him if I can even think of planning so far ahead in my condition. We’ll see what he says. I always said if I went back to Europe, I’d be going to Poland. Although, there was a trip to Italy that caught my sights as well; but that’s all putting the cart before the horse until I talk to the doctor. And obviously, I’d need travel insurance in case something happens/ed that would prevent me from going.

Back to my thoughts on tomorrow, I’m so appreciative of every donor who helped me reach my top number of $2,000 for fundraising. Additionally, I’m so appreciative of my best friends for braving the weather for me tomorrow to show support and solidarity of my situation. Not many people would do what they are. Why walk in the rain for 3.1 miles for nothing (other than me)?? I’m touched already and we haven’t even done it yet. I’m hoping since we’re more inland, the rain will be more sporadic and spotty and not a complete deluge as the shore is anticipated to get. I did think ahead a bit and ordered us ponchos, but I’m not sure of their quality and how dry they will actually keep us.

I need to sleep, but my mind is racing about tomorrow and I also have a hard time when I’m not at home. I’m still watching (more like listening) to On Patrol Live which is a comfort show. They say if you put on a comfort show it can help you fall asleep. Which I did for about 2 hours before I woke up very warm. I shed a layer and laid down again, but the thoughts keep churning.

I was able to talk my Mom-Mom through the process of getting to Apple TV so she could watch Friday Nighy Baseball (Phillies and Mets). I’m glad she didn’t have to miss the game because I wasn’t around. The Phillies won, thankfully. And the magic number is now 4 for our playoff berth or wildcard spot for the playoff berth. The post season of baseball confuses me. I’m anxious and excited for MNF. The Eagles are playing.

I think I’ve gotten most everything I can off my mind, so I’ll wrap this up. I might even be feeling some effects of sleepiness!

El Fin.

[boricuacherry-blog]

In April of 1977, Taaz

All of black Philly up showed up for Taaz's funeral. There were stretch limousines and

detectives interviewed Teddy Pendergrass. He told them what he told everyone else - that he didn't know anything. But of course Teddy knew something - and that "something" was the problems he was having with Taaz Lang over the management contract he signed. Teddy wanted the contract terminated, as he realized Taaz would be entitled to his royalties for years. But Taaz wasn't terminating a damn thing - nothing at all!

Taaz's ex was Israel "Izzy" Lang, a 6-foot-1, 200+pound running back for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a sharp dresser who took pride in his wardrobe as well as his material items - items that included diamond wristwatches, gold rings, gold chains, fancy cars and a plush apartment. Now all Izzy needed was a pretty woman on his arm to match those pretty possessions. That's when he met Taaz - a smart and funny woman who had a knack for listening. And when she met Izzy, listening to his entrepreneurial dreams spurred some of her own. The two would marry, but the marriage was rocky at onset. Rumors of infidelity on Izzy's part caused them to separate, with Taaz remaining in the home they shared and Izzy moving out. Izzy's life would spiral out of control afterwards, as he was arrested for bank fraud (forging checks) - eventually losing everything and becoming homeless. Taaz, however, would continue to prosper, becoming one of the most popular hairstylists in Philadelphia. She did hair for celebrities like Nancy Wilson, Lola Falana and Dionne Warwick. She also gained recognition for turning her mother's beauty salon (where she worked) into a successful family enterprise - a feat that did not go unnoticed by Teddy Pendergrass.

Teddy began pursuing Taaz until he eventually won her over. He moved into her home and became like a stepfather to her son. Teddy begged Taaz to manage his career, as she was one of the smartest women he had ever met. She agreed to do and began putting plans in motion to launch his solo career - a solo career she would never get to see - and that's because in April of 1977, someone put a bullet in her just two months before Teddy's album was released.

Mikido Soto Jr. was Teddy's

Mikido Soto Jr. dropped a bombshell when he described Teddy's reaction to hearing that Taaz was dead. He said, "Henry Evans, Teddy's road manager, called Teddy over and said Taaz was dead. And I was like...the look that I got from both of them...I was like...this is not right. Instead of feeling some kind of regret, I'm looking at somebody that's feeling relieved."

When Taaz was alive, she told anyone who would listen that Teddy Pendergrass would become a huge star. And she was right, because after her funeral (which he performed at) Teddy became just that - a huge star. And With the release of his debut album in 1977, "Teddy Mania" swept the country like wildfire. You couldn't turn on a radio, step outside of a club or even walk down the street without hearing his music. His first five albums all went platinum or double platinum. The production company Taaz set up and financed for Teddy (Teddy Bear Productions, Inc.) was rolling in dough - so much dough Teddy couldn't spend it fast enough - although he tried. He bought a Mercedes-Benz, a Corvette and a $100k Rolls Royce. He bought expensive clothes, shoes and jewelry, as well as Harley Davidson dirt bikes and motorcycles. He even bought a 34-room mansion on 14 acres of land in the affluent community of Gladwyne. And Teddy had received his wish - a complete termination of the management contract he signed with her in 1976. But Taaz's family didn't go down without a fight. They later sued Teddy in court, claiming he acted malicious towards them after Taaz was murdered. The family wanted him to honor the original management contract he signed with Taaz, as well as pay back the $15k he borrowed from her (not sure if the lawsuit was thrown out or he settled with her estate).

And if Teddy was lonely and brokenhearted after Taaz's untimely demise, he wasn't for long - he was back to entertaining women in no time at all. In fact, he was a ladies' man - several ladies at that! And Teddy didn't forget about his homeboys either, bringing them along for the ride with the best weed, cocaine, liquor and women money could buy. It was a huge party - until it came crashing to an end.

On March 18, 1982, Teddy's Rolls Royce swerved off the road and crashed into a tree. Teddy was badly injured and knew something was wrong when he couldn't move or feel his legs. The accident left him paralyzed from the chest down (a quadriplegic) and left his reputation in limbo when it was discovered that the female passenger in his car was once a he. The discovery of a transsexual in the car, Tenika Watson, would turn Teddy's world upside down.

Depending on who you ask, Tenika Watson was either a kindhearted and misunderstood individual, or a sexual deviant doing the devil's work. But let Tenika tell it, she was just a "woman" with a tough childhood, that's all. Whatever the case was, by 1982, she had a rap sheet as long as the Nile river. Tenika had been arrested more than 40 times for prostitution and was known throughout the city for being a "transgendered prostitute." It was reported that men came from afar just to be with her, as her "sexual proclivities" was the stuff of legend in Philadelphia. Teddy first encountered her on the street one night. He called her over to his Rolls Royce, but Tenika claims she ran away, as she had mistaken Teddy for a pimp. The next time Teddy and Tenika ran into each other was the night of the accident. They were both at a nightclub when he invited Tenika to his table. Tenika joined Teddy, his girlfriend Yvette Ganier, and his friend L.T. Brinkley. In the documentary L.T. stated that Teddy told him he was going to drop one woman home and take the other to his house. The first one woman Teddy dropped off was Yvette. But Teddy and Tenika later claimed he was just giving her a ride home when the accident happened. Teddy also claimed he didn't know Tenika was transgender. But the "streets" told a different story - and that story was that Tenika and Teddy knew each other from past encounters and that "something" was going on in the car when the accident occurred. The "streets" also said Tenika was paid hush money to keep her mouth shut about the details of that night. The "streets" were saying a whole lot and the police evidently took notice, because apparently, they were also saying Teddy's accident was no accident at all. The car's brakes had been cut. And rumors abounded that the same person who killed Taaz was out for Teddy. The person was said to be an associate of Teddy's and a former associate of Taaz's - an associate who the streets said killed her back in April of 1977. This associate was now "allegedly" trying to kill Teddy over a money dispute by tampering with his vehicles. True or not, police began looking into Taaz Lang's murder investigation again for a possible connection. But they found nothing, since no one in Philadelphia would talk to police. But the fact that Teddy wrecked his Maserati one week, then his Rolls Royce the next, had many people wondering about that rumor. Many other rumors came up about that fateful night - including one that Turquoise Erving was in the car. But no one credible has come forward since to claim that. Also interesting to note - Teddy had sued Philadelphia police for harassment only a few months before the accident.

But the question still remains:

Who killed Taaz Lang?

Was it a murder-for-hire? And why was she murdered? Was Teddy's accident a set-up? Were these two incidents at all connected?

[greenandhazy]

Things I love about these Philadelphia Phillies:

There are a lot of young players new to the team this year, and they call themselves “the Daycare.” Brandon Marsh had to point out that he counted as the daycare because he’s only 24 despite being 6’4” and looking like this

One member of the Daycare, Nick Maton, has the nickname “Wolfie” in the clubhouse because he howls after big hits/plays. A hype video they released for the playoffs referred to him affectionately as “Teen Wolf over here.” Also, he has an older brother who pitches for the Houston Astros. Recently he successfully got a hit against his brother, and both of their reactions were exactly what you’d expect: 😑 and 😈

Their win playlist has been made public and is absolutely off the wall, but apparently their go-to celebration song is a cover of “Dancing on My Own” by Robyn?? Nothing like seeing a bunch of beefy dudes hopping up and down, spraying each other with champagne, belting out a no-pronouns-switch breakup song.

During one of the celebrations, one guy was dancing around with their backup catcher, Garrett Stubbs, on his shoulders. He hadn’t actually played that game, and people joked he was only there because they needed a short guy to lug around whom they didn’t have to worry about dropping.

The main catcher, JT Realmuto, has the fastest pop time—meaning the time it takes him to jump up and throw the ball when he sees someone stealing—in the National League. His pop time is under 2 seconds. That was also about the amount of time it took him to jump when someone popped a champagne cork right next to him, which is a hilariously delayed reaction.

The arguable founder of the Phillies daycare has decided that, instead of the traditional rush with a giant tub, he wanted to sneak up on people with little cups of ice water and pour it down their shirts. Always check for Sneaky Stott in the background.

There’s one player in his third season, Alec Bohm, who struggled a lot with sophomore slump. After one game when he made three errors in the field, he got a sarcastic standing ovation and got caught on camera saying “I fucking hate this place.” He owned up to it and the fans’ general reaction was “babe we fucking hate this place too, welcome to the club,” and he got a genuine round of applause the following night. Since then he put in a shit ton of work and made some truly incredible plays in the game that led to them advancing in the playoffs. When asked what he had to say to fans, he said “I love this place.”

Bryce Harper, last year’s NL MVP, has been called the king of pandering. He has had multiple custom-made suits, cleats, and other accessories to pay tribute to Philly sports (including adding green feathers to a premade pair of Phanatic cleats that just weren’t tacky enough), and his reaction after the Phillies won their recent round in the playoffs was to say he hoped the Eagles would have a good game the next day (they did—coincidentally both Philly teams beat teams called the Cardinals this weekend).

Jean Segura had the record of being the longest-playing player in the National League to not make the playoffs. He had a hit in their first playoff game that gave them the go-ahead run, and he reacted with a victory leap while still running to first.

There is absolutely nothing I don’t love about Rhys Hoskins, the Big Fella, king of handshakes, clubhouse big brother. But shoutout to this photo of a tender moment between him and Bryce Harper after they made the playoffs.

And it just feels wrong to not acknowledge Kyle Schwarber even though I don’t know much about him except he’s a goddamn tank, but he did have an EPIC meltdown early this season against an ump who had a horrible accuracy rate which I got to witness in the 9th inning of a 1-run, boring as shit game, and it was fantastic. He made sure to include plenty of big gestures so those of us in the cheap seats could tell what he was complaining about, which I appreciated.

In conclusion: go Phils, fuck the Braves, RING THAT BELL.

[liamah4]

State of Philadelphia sports

***I want to start off my first blog post with my thoughts on the current state of Philadelphia sports teams.  I feel if you continue to read my content it is important to understand where I stand on each team.

  In season: Philadelphia 76ers

     I will start with the first place Sixers with a top three, if not THE MVP frontrunner in Joel Embiid.  My unbiased opinion believes he is the MVP at this point in time.  When the Sixers have their starting 5 they are undefeated.  You have to love this stat from the Sixers and it is a great thing to see in a season that had a shortened off-season where the Sixers had new pieces and a new coaching staff.

     Finally a win without Embiid.  What a win it was and it should be a morale and confidence boost for the team.  

     Overall I can't complain about the Sixers.  Sure, there are some things I wish they were doing better, but they're in first and I'm happy about that (especially if they are in first and can still play a lot better). Saving the best for last shout out to Glenn "Doc” Rivers.  The organization was in need of a fresh mind and Doc has the boys playing at a high level.  He was a great hire and I think the biggest addition to the team in the off-season (yes, bigger than Morey and the Al Horford trade).  

     To finish off my thoughts on the Sixers, I would ask if you believe this season is finals or bust?  Not sure I am ready to answer that, but the Eastern Conference Finals are a must.

In Season: Philadelphia Flyers

     Just like their Wells Fargo Center roommates the Flyers are also in first place.  I cannot say watching the Flyers has been easy this season.  They don't look great in any of the 3 zones.  D-Zone is a mess and they turn the puck over way too much.  They are scoring a lot but the offensive zone hasn't been great either and they need to shoot the puck much more.  At times in games they decide they want to get more pucks to the net and this creates more opportunities but also always them to cycle the puck and get their legs moving when the defense is standing still. 

     Although it was a couple games ago I did not love the benching of TK.  Goal scorers are streaky and he started the season hot and cooled off some.  Also he is a glue/chemistry guy and the Flyers are better with him in the line up; it is as simple as that.  Even if he is not playing his best he is still a danger to score every night and defenses have to game plan for Konecny.  

     People always say good teams find ways to win when they are not playing well.  That might be the case for this Flyers team at the moment.  They have the most wins in the East Division despite not playing their best hockey.  Further Coots (best player) is still hurt and we see how the Sixers play without Embiid (best player), so at least the Flyers have been able to win games without Couturier.  Once again they need to start playing better but at the end of the day, first place.

Out of Season: Philadelphia Phillies

     I honestly don't know what to think of the Phillies.  I have to start with JT Realmuto.  Getting JT back is huge and I am so pumped they signed him.  Maybe not all of Philadelphia felt this way, but somehow it felt like we were going to mess it up and let him go.  Also I believe Bryce Harper deserves to be rewarded for the contract he signed.  Harper wants to be here long term and win in Philly.  He has given himself to the Phillies Organization and I believe they owe him by bringing in top talent.  Our next big re-signing was Didi Gregorius. This was also a great move and I am excited to have Didi back in this line-up.  

     Even with these recent signings we all know the Phillies still need more pitching if they want to make the playoffs and contend for a World Series title.  Archie Bradley is a start for the bullpen and he should be a huge help, but a couple more arms are still needed.  Ideally the Phillies starting pitchers get better on their own and improve, but I think we have seen enough of Vince Velasquez and could really use some rotation depth.  

     Other than pitching I like the current state of the Phillies.  I am excited to see a full season of Didi and Alec Bohm and a full season with this line-up. The NL East title might be out of reach with the talent of Atlanta, but this should be a playoff team and if they do not find a way in the season is a failure.

Out of Season: Philadelphia Eagles

     Where do I start with this one? I always have hope when it comes to the beloved Eagles.  I crave for the Eagles to be competitive and perhaps let my emotions blind me to the truth more with the Eagles.

     I do think that Carson Wentz is fixable, but I am still not sure if he is the answer for the Eagles. If he gets back to his old self we hope every year is as productive as his 2017 season, but we have no way to prove that that is the player Caron Wentz is.  Let's be honest, if Wentz starts and gets back to his old self and the Eagles are winning, all our problems go away (in the short term) because we are winning.  I also like Jalen Hurts and thought he showed promise in the time he got.  He gave me more hope than Carson did last year.  

     Nick Sirianni is an interesting hire and I don't know too much about him, but I am not surprised they went after a Frank Reich guy. I do not have a strong opinion on the hire either way and I hope he is successful.  I was pulling for Duce Staley and believed he deserved it. I would love for him to be the head coach down the line at some point. 

     Their best hope at success next year is the NFC East once again being a terrible division.  If the Eagles are in a rebuild then this division is the perfect one to be in, they can rebuild and win the division at the same time.  Once you get into the playoffs you never know what can happen.  

     We all know the cap situation is a mess and we have a bunch of older players on expensive contracts. Ideally I would want to trade or move these contracts even if we have to "lose" the deal.  Howie should have been let go, but if he is responsible for these contracts maybe he can fix the situation.  When the Phillies won the World Series older players got long and expensive contracts.  The Phillies are still feeling the effects of that today.  I do not want the Eagles to make the same mistakes and move on as quickly as possible and getting rid of the money in the short to medium time frame is essential. 

      After this miserable season, we have a no name head coach and an unpopular GM.  Further, Lurie needs to take a step back and not be as involved.  For as long as I can remember (I'm 23) the Eagles have been bad at drafting.  They were bad with Andy and it wasn't much better with Doug.  We need a GM who knows how to draft and we need an owner that lets the people who know football make football decisions.  Hopefully the new coaching staff can light a fire under this team and lead them to first place in the dreary NFC East. 

***Thank you for making it through my first blog.  I hope you enjoyed the content and I will try and continue to bring interesting content on our favorite sports teams.  I would love to hear feedback in the comments and any suggestions would be awesome! 

[mpalkoblog]

My father, a patient Champion

When I originally wrote this, I didn’t know that Super Bowl LII (in 2018) would be my father’s last.  That game was also the last time he watched the Eagle play.

I credit my father for my love of sports.  Baseball and football broadcasts filled my childhood homes and most car rides.  One of my earliest childhood memories is listening to the 1969 World Series on a transistor radio as my mom and I waited for my sister to be dismissed from school.  My father took the time to play sports with me and watch me play. He threw me countless pitches, and we tossed a football for hours; a large one for outside, a smaller one for indoors while watching games on TV.  I was pretty good at grabbing his passes from the couch before they hit the carpet.  He taught me everything he knew about the games, too.  And he knew a lot.  A big grin always came across his face when he talked about his playing days, and I’m pretty sure he carried in his wallet the dog-eared newspaper clipping about the day he pitched a no-hitter.  He faced the minimum that Sunday afternoon, picking off the one batter he walked.

Living in Pottsville, a small town in Pennsylvania’s Coal Region, about 100 miles north of Philadelphia, he and I were, of course, fans of the Eagles and Phillies.  My team loyalties occasionally wavered.  I spent a few of my childhood years rooting for other clubs. During the mid ‘70s I traded my Eagle green for the purple and gold of the Minnesota Vikings and my Phillies’ red for the black and gold of the cross-state Pirates. In retrospect, I can see why: those teams had more success than my hometown teams. The Vikings went to 4 Super Bowls between 1969 and 1976 (they still haven’t won one), and I watched the Pirates win 2 titles before my 14th birthday.

At no time did my father’s devotion to the hometown teams waver, but I do remember him lamenting, “I guess we’re just not meant to win.” and “That stuff just doesn’t happen to us.”

You can imagine then, how we rejoiced when the Phillies won their first World Series in 1980.  I was lucky enough to be at the ballpark the night they clinched that title, and he and I talked about it for hours on end that winter.  But a Super Bowl championship always seemed to elude the Eagles and my father.  I can remember him cheering (and cursing) some really good (and some less than good) teams lead by the likes of Roman Gabriel, Bill Bergey, Tom Dempsey, Ron Jaworski, Willbert Montgomery, Harold Carmichael, Reggie White and Buddy Ryan’s Gang Green defenses.  The Eagles made it to Super Bowl XV only to be crushed (much like hearts and spirits of their fans) by the Oakland Raiders.

By the time the Eagles made it back to the Super Bowl in 2004 (XXIX), I had long left his house and PA. I was in North Carolina, freshly removed from almost 15 years living in and around Boston cheering for the New England Patriots. (Yes, I cheered for them when they wore the ugly red uniforms, lost more than they won and when many games were “blacked out” on local Boston TV stations because fans wouldn’t fill the stadium.)  The Patriots got their first Super Bowl title, and thus I got mine, in 2001, a feeling of elation that I will never forget.  And 3 years later, my adopted team was going head-to-head with my father’s team.  His Eagles fell short, again.

Fast forward to February 2018.  I’ve passed on my love of sports to my own son, and our Patriots are headed to their tenth Super Bowl. My son and I shared the joy of being associated with champions MANY times and now our football team seemed poised to win (and were favored to win) their sixth title.  The opponent this time? Again, the Philadelphia Eagles.  The week before the game I asked my father if he was betting on the game with his head or his heart.  Without hesitating he said “I’m betting with my head.  I’m taking the Eagles.”  Needless to say, I had a foot in both camps for Super Bowl LII.  I loved that feeling of victory, of punching the air and high-fiving my son.  Fifty-one Super Bowls had come and gone, one for each year of my life, and a part of me wanted my father, 82, to experience, for the first time, that mid-winter joy.

The game quickly becoming an instant classic.  At halftime, I called my father, joking that he should make sure that he’d turned off the notifications sent from his pacemaker to his doctor’s office.   I spent the last few minutes of the game on the phone with him, watching, talking, just he and I, like we had so many times before, critiquing, correcting, wishing.  Despite his age, he was still sharp.  He knew the players, statistics, formations and just what he was seeing.  When the final pass of the game fell to the ground in the end zone, the game clock showed all zeros.  His Eagles were ahead on the scoreboard, and I heard him leave out a sigh, as if he’d been holding his breath since the very first Super Bowl.  “You did it!” I said.  He was home alone, and I was happy to be the first to congratulate him.  All of those years watching “The Birds” with me, with his uncle, his father and mother, his brothers and sisters, his nieces and nephews, and, of course my mom, sister and I. Hundreds of games watched from the same chair he was sitting in that night.  Still others watched with his friends from his usual stool at the Eagles Nest, the seasonal name for the local American Legion Hall.  All of them leading him to that very moment.

I wished him good night because by then my phone was buzzing with post-game messages from New England fans, my PA family and Patriot haters.  One of the messages was from a former Boston coworker, fellow Patriot fan and someone who already knew most of this story.  Larry wrote “Game over. Give your dad a high five for me. Congrats daddy Palko.”

What happened the next day was something I could have never expected.  Larry told me that he’d told his son, Ryan, about my father’s wait for a Super Bowl victory and now Ryan wanted to give my father his Nick Foles jersey. Foles, the Eagles quarterback was voted the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player.  Having started the season as the team’s backup quarterback, Foles was thrust into the leading role when the starter suffered a season-ending injury prior to the playoffs.  When the Patriots won their first Super Bowl, I slept in my team jersey.  I was 36. But now this 17 year old wanted to give his team jersey to my father in celebration.  Ryan told his dad, “You’re not selling it are you?  You have to give it to him.”

Now I’ll be first to admit that professional sports are what they are:  kids’ games played by adults.  And I realize that unless you put on the pads and strap on the helmet, you have no influence over the outcome, but this one was more than a game to me.  It was a culmination of almost a lifetime of patience, preparation, perseverance and waiting.  I am so grateful that I got to be on that journey with my father and to know that he now knows joy associated with it.

To Larry and Ryan, a sincere thank you for helping to crown my father as a champion.  I’m humbled by your awareness and generosity.

To my father I say, “Pop, you ARE meant to win and that stuff DOES happen to us!”

[adventuresinclientservice]

Why losing the World Series is like losing in new business.

Those of you who read missives from me know that, although I haven’t called Philadelphia home for more than 50 years, I remain steadfastly a Philly fan, ardently following the Eagles in football, the Sixers in basketball, and the Phillies in baseball.

For the past six months the Phillies have been particularly troublesome, underachieving on the field (bad), overachieving on payroll (bloated), so much so that when the team was on the verge of seasonal extinction, eliminated from post-season playoffs, I emailed a complaint to my Philly friend of longstanding, Jack Carey:

“The current team has a number two pitcher who is behaving like a number three or four, with the number-one guy injury prone, and the others not reliable over a full season, with no one in the bullpen you truly can count on.  Plus they are lousy in the field. 

“Sure I’ll take Schwarber’s 40 home runs… along with a batting average just above the Mendoza line and fielding prowess that would put him on the bench in little league (he really is a liability).  And, as you point out, no one is a threat to steal.  I suppose you could feel good about Realmuto, but all this tells me is that no one else comes close to Jimmy Rollins or the Flyin’ Hawaiian [Shane Victorino to all you non-baseball fans] on the basepaths.

“Even if we do make it to the playoffs, it will be over quickly, given, in spite of a bloated payroll, we haven’t proven we can play with good teams.

“We’ll know soon enough.”

Soon enough we did know, first limping into the playoffs, then upsetting a much better St. Louis Cardinals team (sorry but not sorry, Ken Ohlemeyer) then upsetting the 101-win Atlanta Braves (sorry but not sorry, WDV), moving on to defeat another better team, the San Diego Padres, arriving at the World Series to play the formidable, 106-win Houston Astros.

Having improbably reached the post-season, then achieving upset wins against three substantially superior teams, it was an underdog’s dream to imagine the Phillies prevailing over the Astros.  It started out promisingly well, with Philadelphia taking a two-games-to-one lead – two wins away from being crowned world champions – but abruptly there was regression to the mean; the Phillies stopped hitting, the Astros started pitching, and, three straight Phillie losses later, sent them home as runners-up.

In my long career I have finished second in more new business pitches than I can recall.  I know just how exhilarating it is to win and how heartbreaking it is to lose, with Delta Airlines, Mazda, and SBC, among other accounts, where we came oh-so-close, only to lose in the end.

On page 22 of The Art of Client Service, there’s a line, “There are no silver medals in new business,” meaning there is only one winner and a bunch of second-place finishers.  

The Phillies won a metaphorical silver medal.  My agencies won a bunch.

All is not lost, however, for the Phillies, or for you and your agency if you find yourselves in a runner-up position in a new business pitch.

For the Phillies, the team can dispassionately assess its weaknesses, upgrading and improving their roster, making prudent investments, vowing to come back stronger in 2023.

You and your agency can do much the same, evaluating where you fell short and how you can get better in terms of people and process, without needless finger-pointing or blame assessment, which likely will prove to be more destructive than helpful.  

Instead, you commit to monitoring how the client’s new agency does, looking of for signs of weakness that might lead to opportunities.  You remain diligent in finding ways to stay in touch with the people you met.  There’s might be an article or news story worthy of an email.  There might be a competitor insight you want to share.  There might be a birthday wish you might extend.  

You get ahold of a copy of The Art of Client Service and read the section on “Winning New Business for Your Agency,” to be sure you haven’t overlooked anything you and your colleagues should be doing.

With the teams I follow, there is the promise of a new season; with new business, there is the promise of that next prospect.

The difference this time?  Taking what you’ve learned from that last loss, applying it, and this time, taking home gold.

[thesportssoundoff]

Mike Zimmer And What To Do When “They Are Who We Thought They Were” Finally Extends To You?

Joey

December 12th, 2018

It probably all seemed like a really great idea to Mike Zimmer and the higher ups for the Vikings.

The team that had gone to the NFC Championship Game and returned a majority of its weapons would a) get back Dalvin Cook and b) become players in the free agent market. In a weirdly deep QB market, the Vikings made it a priority to go out there and get the best one possible. They won the bidding war for Kirk Cousins, moving up from Case Keenum and taking on a massive NFL contract for the right to have what they deemed to be the missing piece. In an offense with Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, Kyle Rudolph, a returning Dalvin Cook and a maybe ready to click Laquon Treadwell, it all seemed like a great idea. The Vikings went all in and in going all in, they embraced the challenge of taking risks to get to the end of the game. I will never hate on a team for trying to go all in to try and maximize its window. I don't fault the Vikings for trying to win a Super Bowl and neither should its fans.

But at 6-6-1 with a very slim lead on the NFC's final wild card spot and having been throttled by playoff teams in three of their last four games, the plan has failed. So much so in fact that prized offensive coordinator John DeFilippo is now gone after a humiliating loss to the Seattle Seahawks. How did we get here? What's gone wrong?

Let's start with the guy least likely to get any of the requisite blame necessary; that being Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer. Zimmer is an old school coach, forged under the likes of Marvin Lewis, Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells at the pro level. He demands a lot out of his players and his coaches which is the way coaching should be----but there's something very Parcells-ian about Zimmer. He often times comes off as cold and demeaning to everybody from the players to the media to whomever else. Parcells was a master strategist when he would do this but Parcells also had two Super Bowl wins under his belt and a Super Bowl appearance with the Patriots. That style ultimately wore people out which is why Parcells had zero issue bailing on teams right when the message started to wear thin. Zimmer SEEMS like that sort of guy and while that style can work, it's also got a shelf life attached to it. Look at how NFL coaches talk about their players, often bending over backwards and jumping through hoops to protect them and then compare that to Zimmer's ridiculously dismissive burial of Daniel Carlson, a rookie kicker in his second ever game, after releasing him. That doesn't happen in today's NFL anymore which may make it refreshing for some but for players, I'd imagine it's a high point dick move. Zimmer threw John DeFilippo under the bus on more than a number of occasions, often times citing his desire for this offense to run the ball more despite hiring a coach who has primarily existed under big time passing offenses. Even if they were at odds philosophically, Zimmer put the target on his own offensive coordinator and left him to fend for himself. Whereas a better coach might've found a way to get everybody back on the same page, he seemed to exacerbate the eventual demise. Mike Zimmer admitted an error with DeFilippo but can he admit he may have a personality flaw in need of fixing? Tom Coughlin had to once upon a time and it led to super bowls.

Zimmer is also a serious coach when it comes to loyalty, a guy who remains on one of the few NFL teams that actively blocks assistants for interviewing for promotions. If you're reading this, you've probably already read about Zimmer's comments about blocking NOW offensive coordinator Mike Stefanski from interviewing for the coordinator job under Pat Schumur and the Giants. Zimmer comes from Cincy which is one of the more loyal front offices and coaching staffs and Dallas where Bill Parcells kept him around despite Zimmer running a scheme Bill Parcells saw no use for in the 4-3. Asking for loyalty and rewarding loyalty in pro sports is always a very touch and go concept but Zimmer has his way of doing things and who am I to say he's wrong for his philosophical preferences. What is wrong then is that if loyalty mattered to you then maybe you shouldn't of hired a guy who was absolutely going to use this job to become a head coach elsewhere. DeFilippo was gone after this year one way or the other if you think about it; either as a head coach somewhere or the victim of a failed experiment. There were going to be no roots in Minnesota for him and perhaps Zimmer should've been smart enough to realize that. Maybe instead of hiring the hottest coaching candidate, they should've hired the best one to fit the mindset of their head coach. Zimmer asking DeFilippo to run the ball more was never going to work for a variety of reasons and if that was the case then DeFilippo was going to be gone regardless. Then again, maybe that has something to do with Zimmer herself being a difficult guy to coach for. He's been the Vikings head coach for five years now and is on his fourth offensive coordinator. Norv Turner quit on him, Pat Shurmur eventually left him for a head coaching gig after getting insane results out of Case Keenum, he's just canned DeFilippo and chances are he'll need a fifth offensive coordinator since Kevin Stefanski feels like a fill in hold over guy unless Kirk Cousins shows up big down the stretch. Zimmer's a fantastic defensive coach and a tremendous throwback----but I wonder if being a throwback in today's NFL is beginning to show the flaws in Zimmer's approach.

Firing your offensive coordinator? Desperate. Mike Zimmer is the oldest coach in the  NFC North and officially the longest tenured one at that since Mike McCarthy got exiled. Sometimes the only way to stay around is to be a little desperate.

Let's move on to DeFilippo himself. As I stated, this was probably not going to work in any sort of fashion from a philosophical standpoint. DeFilippo was a fantastic hire for the Vikings (or any team) but it came with risks nobody wanted to necessarily talk about. DeFilippo was third in command in Philly behind Doug Pederson and Frank Reich. Those two were proven offensive coordinators (even if Reich, much like DeFilippo, was once sent packing from San Deigo due to his love of passing) and DeFilippo was the QB whisperer third in command. For all the love we can give DeFilippo, he was on his fifth team before the age of 40. Yes, John DeFilippo is a whiz kid offensive guru----as a QB coach. He was a one year offensive coordinator at the NFL level and was somehow expected to step in and take this Vikings offense to the next level. DeFilippo on paper seemed like a great fit but the number of offensive coordinators with his scant level of experience AS coordinators who take their teams to the super bowl tends to be rather small. No offensive coordinator over the last FIVE Super Bowls has had just one year of NFL coordinator experience under their belt. It's fair to say that DeFilippo was ill equipped for the demand of a) the coach he was going to and b) what was going to be required of him. My bet is John resurfaces as a QB coach soon enough and in a few years, he'll find himself back at the coordinator level or potentially even as a head coach. The whiz kid label is ABSOLUTELY apt for DeFilippo even if this turned out to be an in hindsight bad idea.  I do think that no matter how protective some folks (myself included!) want to be of him, it's worth pointing out he's going to be on his seventh pro team at the next gig he gets. Maybe in the words of the show Dexter, he should just learn the basics instead of trying to reinvent the damn wheel.

Lastly Kirk Cousins, the guy who is the easiest target. He makes the most money, has the most influence in what actually happens on the field and he's the guy this whole win now experiment was built around. Again like  EVERYTHING here, this sounded great on paper. The Vikings paid market value for the top QB on the market who would take them from a fill in bus driver (Case Keenum) to a long term viable piece of the franchise to build around. With Diggs, Rudolph, Thielen, Cook and whatever else could come to life (Aldrick Robinson/Laquon Treadwell), he was going to be asked to take this offense to the next level. There was just one slight problem really!

Kirk Cousins has never taken an offense to the next level.

This is not a knock on Cousins as a whole. It's more of an indictment on who he is and what he's being asked to do. He's a guy who outperformed his draft stock, performed well as a starter for the past few years and has obviously dealt with shortcomings at Washington. Maybe he would be better with a running game or with a better OL or with a defense that forces more turnovers. Maybe he's feeling the pressure of a massive contract and struggling to balance the expectations. Perhaps more than anything else, THIS is just who Kirk Cousins is. In an NFC East that hasn't seen back to back division champions since 2004, Kirk Cousins only got the Redskins to the top of the division ONCE (in 2015)----the same year the Cowboys lost Tony Romo, the Eagles were in the midst of the final year of their failed Chip Kelly experiment and the Giants were wrapping up the Coughlin Era. Kirk Cousins has never been the sort of QB you put into the top 5 or top 10 discussion which, again, doesn't make him bad. Hell it doesn't even make him overpaid since QBs are probably underpaid given their value as star players. What it does is put an expectation on Cousins' back that he physically cannot outperform. He can't be what he's not even if he's paid as if he's a player above his natural skill level. He's not a graceful runner who can will things into existence, he's a notorious poor road and big game QB, he's the sort of guy who is accurate but at times risk averse, a guy who can be in some respects a dink and dunker who takes the easy route more often than not. All 22 is a bit of an unfair visual aide because it creates unreal expectations for the toughest profession in sports. QBs throw the ball anywhere from 25 to 45 times a game and they WILL miss. Cousins is the sort of QB who seems to look especially bad on his misses. He's also QB who takes a lot of hits due to the somewhat outdated-ish way he plays QB in an era where mobility is key (Cousins led the league in fumbles and sacks last year) with a reputation for getting skittish. All of this was well noted as Cousins entered free agency.

The Vikings got the guy they paid for!

Statistically it could even be argued that Cousins is on par to do what he's ALWAYS done as a starting QB.  Cousins has performed worse on the road than at home, he's struggled in big games, he's been dinged for missing guys or being too conservative, his YPA is basically close to what his career YPA is and the belief that he's the sort of player who is overrated and overpaid. Cousins is playing at the same level he usually is----but he's being paid to be the bridge between close and a Vikings Super Bowl. That's really not entirely his problem. The Vikings signed Kirk Cousins thinking they had "the guy" but he's been "the guy" he's always been. He's not playing any better or any worse minus the added attention. In a weird way, Cousins and DeFlippo are both perfect fits for one another as truly competent capable people put in a position where they get Peter Principle'd. Kirk Cousins and John DeFilippo are we thought they were.

As with most things in the NFL, time will eventually confirm our biases or our narratives.  The Cowboys were 3-5 looking ready to be written off entirely with Dak Prescott questions and Jerry Jones questions and etc etc. Now they're 8-5 and looking to lock up the NFC East. The Texans and Seahawks turned poor starts around behind great QB play and frenetic defenses. The NFL is a place where the week to week parity leads to week to week new fresh exciting narratives about who's hot, who's not, who is dead and who is alive. By the time this season is done, the story can absolutely change on Cousins or Zimmer or the Vikings as a whole. This is STILL a team that barring a collapse will walk into January playing meaningful football games. Things can and will change.

If they don't? Mike Zimmer will have a lot to answer for. Because the Vikings can't scrub Cousins off the books----but in an age where youthful coaches and bright offensive minds are the hotness? He can be yet another old school coach sent home.

[hulahoopingholt]

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Live - Philly

Okay, so I was writing this mainly to share the full scoop with my frenemy @msjessicaday, but then I figured there might be some other people interested in hearing about it, so I’m posting it publicly for all to hear about the most amazing time I had on April 7, 2018 at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia. This is MEGA comprehensive, so cutting for extreme length, but do read on if you want a play by play of the show, or if you want to hear how Smash Mouth and Sugar Ray made surprise guest appearances. 

Doors opened at 7PM, and we showed up around 5PM. There were probably about 20 people in front of us at that point. We were surrounded by a really great group of people who were SUPER entertaining and made time fly, thank god, because it was COLD and there wasn’t much to do, haha. People walking by seemed REALLY confused by why there was such a crazy (punny!) line, and when we said we were there for CXGF, most said they’d never heard of it. But then at one point a city tour bus drove by, and the guide looked over at us and said into his mic, “it’s a lot more nuanced than that!” It was fab.

It was general admission seating, and we managed to get 2nd row center seats, thankfully. (I say thankfully bc the theater frisks people as they enter, and so ladies had to line up on the left and guys on the right, which wouldn’t normally be a big deal but since this audience skewed so heavily female, guys from way back toward the end of the line were being allowed in before women who had been in the front of the line which feels like a MIGHTY PAINFUL BIT OF SYMBOLISM WHOLLY INAPPROPRIATE FOR THIS SHOW but I digress, because fortunately we had a guy in our group and we sent him ahead to grab our seats, haha.)

Okay I do have the set list so from here on out that’s what I’m going to refer to, but some of the asides/ad libs I may not have in exactly the right order because there was just a lot going on and my memory isn’t the best.

First off, you can see the first 10-15 mins of this show on Rachel’s Facebook Live but I’m still going to paraphrase what happened.

They started with Where’s Rebecca Bunch? Everybody except for Rachel came out and dramatically looked for where Rebecca could be! Gabrielle had Rachel’s phone out and was filming the crowd. She came around the front during the “the town is all atwitter ‘cause the whole town is on Twitter,” and that + the phone got a really loud cheer from the audience. Then Rachel popped out and was like “um, guys, I’m right here, I was just taking a dump in the scary bathrooms.” (Okay so I gather this whole bathroom bit is scripted but this theater REALLY DID have murder bathrooms, the ladies’ room was ALL this Pepto-Bismol pink, the stalls were a) made of what felt like plywood and b) were REALLY short, like I’m only 5′6″ and my head was WELL above the stall wow.) And then Scott was like “that’s just the song we sing whenever we can’t find you” and Rachel goes “um so you just burst into full band and choreo whenever you can’t find me?” So then they all agreed to start with the REAL opener, West Covina. It was really short, but fab. Highlights included Rachel singing “my life’s about to change...oh my fucking gosh,” and then when she got to “because I’m hopelessly, desperately in love with...” and then Vinnie stepped forward and just PREENED. Our audience LOVED him and cheered for him for a really long time. It actually seemed like they were ready to move on but we were all NOPE, WE ARE HERE FOR JOSHUA FELIX CHAN LET US HAVE THIS MOMENT. But then Rachel finished and instead of saying “West Covinaaaaaa” she sang “PHILADELPHIAAAAA.” And Donna Lynne just casually brought up that final note an octave or two and DAMN that is a talented woman. 

Then the rest of the cast left and Rachel did a welcome and said how excited they were to be in this historic city. The Trocadero is a rock theater, so she asked how many people in the audience were musical theater nerds and thus this was their first time in a rock theater. Only a few people cheered, so she said “ohhh, this is a pretty cool crowd. If it had been me, I would have [raised hand]. My first concert was Bette Midler at the Staples Center.” She introduced the band, which included Adam Schlesinger on piano and Jack Dolgen on guitar/bass. She said that women have been known to throw their underwear at Adam...and in fact, somebody in Boston had given them their dirty underwear, so we just had to be trashier than Boston. She then said women have been known to throw their tampons at him and mimed removing a tampon from her vagina and throwing it at him. She then said “that is terrible and classless, do not laugh at that joke.” Obviously we all laughed. Then she said “speaking of classless, let’s do a song.”

Song was Sex with a Stranger! Dance moves were appropriately raunchy. Girl was feeling herself, as she should. Highlights included “My name’s Jason.” “Shut the fuck up, Jason, I don’t care about your fucking name.” 

She then came back and asked if there were any children in the audience, because it was going to be on a full on sex show. (There was, in fact, one child in the audience, she was behind us in line, haha.) She brought out Vinnie (who walked out with TP on his shoe, oops?) and said “Vinnie...have you ever hooked up with someone in your life...I mean, have you ever hooked up with someone in your life...Vinnie are you a virgin?!” and then got back on track and clarified hooked up with someone you SHOULDN’T have, which then led into We Should Definitely Not Have Sex Right Now. Yup, full on sex show. Lots of thrusting. It was fab and awkward and anything. Honestly, just watch the Facebook Live. It’s about 16 mins in. 

Vinnie then wanted to show off his West Covina hoodie that you can buy at merch. Rachel said he’s a really big fan of capitalism and therefore you should buy his hoodie. FUN FACT in the Facebook live when you hear Rachel say “and that gentleman is holding up a t-shirt,” that was my friend holding up the CXGF he had bought before the concert, BOOM RECOGNITION.

So then apparently Boston had an ASL interpreter, and they shared that Period Sex basically looks like holding up a pager to your face, then two bunnies fucking. So she then demonstrated “paging all bunnies...time to fuck.” Oh Rachel. 

Rachel then exited and left Vinnie on stage. He said he wanted to share something really personal with us, and when he was little he was super into martial arts and thought that was all he wanted to do, but then he saw a Gene Kelly film and that transformed him, and then he went from wanting to do this [martial arts move] to this [fancy Gene Kelly-esque dance moves]. And he talked about how excited he was to have this number in S3...yes, of course, I’ve Got My Head in the Clouds. Oh, but a great moment was before he started he took off his hoodie, and the audience went wild, and you could just hear Rachel from backstage go, “You all are thirsty. He just took off his hoodie.” LMAO WE HAVE NO SHAME IN OUR THIRST. But the number was great, and the HOLY GHOST came out and was AMAZING and sparkly. And then Vinnie said “let’s see who the Holy Ghost is tonight!” and it was GABRIELLE, who did a high kick and smiled and waved goodbye. (Sidenote, can’t remember when this happened, but Gabrielle was all about the high kicks and Jack would always do a drum hit when she did, and at one point made a crack about how Gabrielle never leaves the house w/o a drum set...to which she responded with another high kick.)

So then Rachel came back out and asked who was single, and made all singletons stand up and lock eye contact with someone, and then said “there, you know each other. Now go meet up for drinks afterward.” She then went into this whole bit about how, and she was totally serious, if anybody met their sig other at this concert, she would marry them at their wedding...but don’t think you could cheat the system, bc she would check up on you. She’d go through social media, interview you both, probably watch you have sex to see if you had chemistry...so honestly, is it really worth it? But then that led into Fuckton of Cats, which was amazing, and the whole cast came out with cat ears and they each had their own kitty personalities and it was just the cutest thing ever. 

Then at this point (I’m pretty sure at least) they said how they’d love to meet fans at the stage door, but their schedule is so tight they don’t have time to, so this was time for everyone to get their selfies. So then they posed facing each direction of the theater, like “okay, now this pose is how you’d look when the Eagles won! And now this is how you’d look if someone told you the Eagles suck.” NGL I got some pretty amazing pictures...

Also I can’t remember if this is actually when it happened, but I know the whole cast was on stage for it and it was toward the beginning, so I might be right...there was a center row reserved for cast comp tickets, and there were 3 empty seats. Rachel went “whoa, whose comps didn’t show?” And everybody was mumbling to themselves like “well my people are here.” So Rachel said “actually, those seats are reserved for our founding fathers. That one is Thomas Jefferson... and that one is Benjamin Franklin...and that one.....is Betsy Fucking Ross. Because everybody else is out there with their quills, and she’s like, you know what? I’m gonna sew a GIANT FUCKING FLAG.” 

Next up was The Math of Love Triangles. Rachel segued into it by saying she writes with two guys, so sometimes it feels like she’s in a love triangle. She was going back to flirt with the guys in the band...and when she was by Jack, COMPLETELY wiped out, fell right on her ass. But she kept going, so at first we weren’t actually sure if it was an accident or not. Still amazing. But then she got to the end and she couldn’t hit the high note...just raspy air. We cheered anyway. And she then said the cast has been getting really run down with the tour, and in other shows they’d been telling the audience that, but then Jack said it was a real downer, so she decided not to that night...and LOOK what happened. And Jack goes “yeah, well I also say things like...don’t fall.” ASJDKASLFJASLFD They just roasted each other CONSTANTLY it was amazing and honestly Jack is my new fave. 

Pete came out next, and Jack stood next to him on guitar as they did I Love My Daughter But Not in a Creepy Way. Pete was super earnest and made a lot of uncomfortable eye contact, and all the while Jack was making these “wtf this is so creepy” faces. ALSO there was a guy in the balcony right by the theater who dressed up like Darryl in Getting Bi, right down to the ‘stache, and Pete pointed him out and you could tell he genuinely loved it and said it was his favorite venue just because of that. OH BUT ALSO when Pete came out, he said “wow, Rachel, you’re looking very rock and roll tonight, all that leather.” She thanked him, and then he said “now you’re supposed to say something about me.” So she said “you look....exactly the same as you always do. It’s like the TV show Doug...you know when he opens his closet and it’s just all green sweater vest? Hmmm, which green sweater vest should I wear today? That’s like Pete...but with yacht clothes.” ASDJLKFNASFAK

Next up was Donna Lynne doing Maybe This Dream, and omg, that woman is a goddess. Seriously. That’s all there is to it. On a really shallow/superficial note, it became really clear to me that they frump her up on the show, because she is GORGEOUS IRL, and also a lot thinner than she looks on TV. But her voice...goddamn. She just makes it seem so effortless. Audience adored her and gave her a standing ovation because she’s magnificent and that’s just what you do in the presence of magnificence. But her niece was there and had just gotten engaged so she congratulated her and said “yay love!” before starting, it was so cute. (Jack, being a snarkosaurus, was like “oh they got engaged? And Donna Lynne said yes, and he goes “I don’t know those people.” AJSDKLASDNA)

Then was Women Gotta Stick Together. Gabrielle referred to it as “remember in S1 when Valencia was just always hangry...let’s go back to that.” Apparently normally during this song she comes into the audience and twirls people, but this stage didn’t have steps so she said “if I point at you, you better fucking dance.” Some people were a bit hesitant but overall people were into it and it was fab. Oh and when Gabrielle got to the line “so if some weird troll named Rebecca moves here from New York and is all up on my boyfrienddd” she turned to Rachel, who gave a tiny wave and said “hiiiiii” in that little voice, you know the one I’m talking about. It was adorable.

Back to the sex with Let’s Have Intercourse. Again, nice and raunchy. At the end Scott handed Rachel the condom and walked off stage, and Rachel asked who wanted it. Crowd obviously went wild, which led to her asking “you DO know it’s not a used condom, right? You’re acting like he personally used this condom...to be clear, this is an unused condom, still in its wrapper.” People STILL cheered, but then one woman in that balcony near the stage by Fake!Darryl shouted “I lost my job three months ago!” Rachel looked taken aback and was just like “whoa, okay, well ifI don’t give you this then I’m the asshole, here you go, take your unused condom.” There was a bit of an exchange trying to get the condom to the woman because it kept falling back down to the stage and Rachel joked about stopping the show so we could get this woman her condom, but alas, had to move on.

Rachel brought out Kabir Akhtar, who is an editor for the show and is from Philly. They talked about Philly for a bit (here). Rachel was also giving him props for being so great at editing and said how he fixes their acting and is so nice about it, because she’ll say “do we have a take like this?” and he’ll say “no, the actress was not in the mood that day,” or she’ll say “oh do we have a shot of my dancing from this angle?” and he’ll say “well the actress had some trouble with this choreography.” And he said “well it’s better than saying ‘ya did it wrong, bitch.” WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT THEM CONSTANTLY ROASTING EACH OTHER?! and then Rachel said since he’s from Philly, she told him he could perform any song he wanted...he chose Where’s the Bathroom (here). Then Rachel said she forgot a prop so he had to kill some time...so he talked some more about Philly and then led the crowd in the Eagles chant. Jack was SUPER judgey and was like “I cannot believe a bunch of CXGF fans know ANYTHING about sports let alone care enough about them to know the Eagles chant” LMAO.

Rachel came back out and said “let’s do a song that makes me feel the opposite of how I feel about sports...which is interested,” which of course led into Strip Away My Conscience. Gabrielle and Vinnie joined her and it was appropriately sexy. Rachel tossed a thong out into the audience at the end. Alas, just slightly too far to the right for me to grab.

Then Rachel said there are really three types of guys...there are the Josh Chans, the Nathaniels, and the Gregs. And the problem with loving a Greg is how hard it is to have a relationship when they don’t love themselves. So then Jack came out and did I Could If I Wanted To. He changed a verse to be all about Philly, and it was HILARIOUS. It sounds like he changes a verse at most, if not all, venues to be about their current city, but at least some of this HAD to be improv, which made it even more impressing. He went on a rant about how everybody from Philly has to tell you that they’re from Philly, all you ever hear is that they’re from Philly, if he knows where a person is from they’re from Philly bc it’s all they can talk about, he doesn’t even know where his own family is from except for his Uncle Joe, who’s from Philly. And THEN he went off about how he STILL can’t believe a bunch of musical theater nerds care anything at all about sports or the Eagles or the Flyers, our faves are Miss Saigon, and honestly, I’m SO upset it wasn’t recorded because it was ACCURATE and hilarious and I’m in love. (Seriously Jack, please marry me, bye.)

Then everyone came out and Gabrielle announced it was the intermission and time to stretch, so we all stood up and did I’m So Good at Yoga. At first people weren’t really joining in and she said “no, this is no good,” and insisted we do the yoga moves. (But honestly it was really hard, there wasn’t much space.) Rachel was hilarious in this, basically reenacting the scene from the show. And then at the end the whole cast circled her mockingly while she was on the floor, and Scott ended his post basically thrusting his crotch in her face? And the entire cast burst out laughing and Rachel afterward was like “wow, if I had a nickel for every time Scott’s dick was in my face...I’d have one nickel because that has NEVER happened before.”

Oh also after this Rachel was like “you know, that line ‘I come vaginally...’” and went off on her PSA about how most women can’t climax from vaginal penetration alone and gave us extensive details about the wonders of the clitoris. But she acknowledged there were still going to be some guys in the audience going “no, my dick’s so good,” lmao. It was amazing and Jack was amusing here as well but I can’t quite recall what he said, except he expressed wonderment that nerve endings from the clit extend toward the anus in some women.

That led into the Horny Angry Tango. So they were using handheld mics the entire show, and at one point Vinnie and Pete came out to hold the mics in front of their faces so Scott and Rachel could do the dance and still sing. It was oddly comical. Also at some point here, can’t remember if it was before or after, someone in the audience shouted out “SCOTT I LOVED YOU IN ONCE UPON A TIME” and he seemed startled and said thank you. Rachel said “wow, that was like the equivalent of YouTube comment,” and Scott said “yeah, and I think I did the equivalent of liking it.” Then somebody called out “Rachel, they did a musical episode in S6, you should check it out, I think you’d like it.” Rachel said “okay, and that was an Instagram comment.” They then joked that they just needed someone to say “Come to Brazil!” to make it complete.

Then Adam did What’ll It Be and it was lovely and beautiful but honestly I miss Santino sigh.

Next was First Penis I Saw and i was a fucking delight. Donna Lynne is the cutest, Gabrielle and Rachel doing backup were delightful, and seriously, that song is just so much fun and seeing it live made my life complete.

Then, of course, we had Getting Bi. Pete came out and gave it his all, and the cast joined in with inflatable musical instruments. Scott did the sax solo on a kazoo held up to a mic. Digging it.

This is a random aside because I can’t remember exactly when it was said or why but I need to call it out. At some point Rachel was talking (honestly can’t remember to whom or what about, which is making me sad) and it was going on for a while, but then heckler Jack called out “what are we doing, recording a podcast?” And it was LOL seriously this man is my hero can he be onscreen in S4?

So then Rachel did I’m a Good Person and honestly, what else is there to say? It’s an amazing song, Rachel killed it, she made someone in the audience tell her she was a good person...god I just love this concert take me back please?

Then Rachel came out and said in a stage whisper “okay, I just don’t want the band to hear this. But we’re going to do what’s known in rock venues as an encore. So since for a lot of you this is your first time at a rock venue, an encore is when the band, let’s say Smash Mouth (here we all laughed bc wtf Smash Mouth? And she said it was the only rock band she could think of) finishes their set and they walk offstage to go shoot heroin up their eyeballs, and everybody in the audience goes NOOOO WE NEED MORE SMASH MOUTH and starts chanting SMASH MOUTH SMASH MOUTH, and so then the band goes okay we’ll stop shooting up heroin and do one more song, and so they close on All Star instead of Walking on the Sun. Okay, we’re gonna do that.” 

And then Donna Lynne came out to do Face Your Fears and did I mention this woman is a goddess????? Seriously her RANGE is phenomenal, she didn’t even break a sweat hitting any of those notes, her voice is just FLAWLESS and SHE IS A FLAWLESS QUEEN. She started off solo and then the whole cast came out wearing white choir robes to do backup behind her. And when she finished she got another standing ovation (of COURSE, Philly may be obnoxious but we know a little thing called RESPECT) and the cast literally got down on their knees and bowed to her AS THEY SHOULD.

Then there was an empty stage....oh no! But we know to do what we’re told! And started chanting... SMASH MOUTH. SMASH MOUTH. And we had a view of Rachel backstage then and she LOST IT, literally bent over at the waist laughing hysterically at us chanting for Smash Mouth. 

So Smash Mouth didn’t come out, BUT Vinnie and Scott did! They performed Fit Hot Guys. They stripped off their shirts to reveal t-shirts w/super ripped bodies drawn on them. They were doing their thing, and then who appears but PETE, wearing only fireman’s pants and a cap, his torso completely slicked up with what he told us later was Pam cooking spray. Vinnie and Scott were all “whoa what are you doing, have you even seen the show?” and Pete’s like “um YEAH HERE I AM” and got SUPER into it, and when they sang “without these pants” he stripped off his pants to dance in his American flag boxers. Anyway Pete is as pure as Darryl and I will protect him with my life. He also proudly stated at the end that he had just started working out this morning. LOVE.

We had the guys, so next up were the ladies doing Let’s Generalize about Men. The crowd just loved it, it’s such a fun song, and you could tell they were having a blast doing it, but I missed Vella. :( 

Then there was just Rachel. She spoke to us first (I think? I might be getting my order mixed up slightly here) and said how she had chills hearing us chant Smash Mouth, that it was the perfect mix of improv and flash mobs. So then some girl called out “Rachel, I have a question.” And she went “Wow, okay, that was so polite and direct, okay, what’s your question?” The girl then asked if they could do a song from Rachel’s Sugar Ray Jukebox Musical. She said no, they weren’t remotely prepared to do that...but then Adam started puttering around on the piano and Rachel was like “wow, you know some Sugar Ray?” Soooo that’s the story of how we had a brief singalong with Rachel Bloom to Fly by Sugar Ray, and yes, she did the dance moves she did in the video.

 Then we got to Stupid Bitch, which she said she knew everyone could relate to at some point in their lives. Right before the final note, she stopped, walked over to her water bottle, played up taking a looooooong drink of water, and then came back to center stage to hit that final high note. We were proud of her.

And then FINALLY, we closed out the night with Heavy Boobs. Rachel stripped off her shirt (she said we had earned it) and showed off her bra, which she said was a Natori. My friend shouted out that it was a great brand and Rachel nodded and agreed that it was a great brand. The entire cast came out midway with bras over their clothing to dance along with her...and that’s it! That’s the show!

Seriously it was beyond amazing. I didn’t take any photos/video other than the selfie moment since I was so close to the stage I thought it would be really obvious/obnoxious...I KIND of regret that just because I want to LIVE IN THE MOMENT FOREVER, but honestly, it was just SO MUCH FUN that I wouldn’t change a thing. It was more than 2 hours long and it felt like 10 minutes. I laughed SO much, and was blown away by all the crazy talent on stage. And I need them all to be my best friends. 

I know the tour’s winding down now, and tickets are all sold out, but seriously, if they do this again? Do NOT hesitate. Go. Just go. (Also maybe have a guy in your group if it’s general admission, really my best tip.)

Also if anybody was at Philly and remembers anything else PLEASE SHARE I AM TRYING MY BEST TO REMEMBER EVERYTHING FOREVER AND ALWAYS AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ALL YOUR RECOLLECTIONS AS WELL TO HELP WITH THAT EFFORT. <333

[mubal4]

Friday Funnies – Eagles Humor

 Allow me to begin with a disclaimer, this is about sports and specifically about professional football.  Some view it as game; as entertainment.  Others look at it with judgmental eyes, shaking their heads.  Some out there have canceled it for whatever reasons.  Yes, I do understand those thoughts although many I don’t agree with but that is the great thing about this world we live in; it is our choice.  I love football, both college and the NFL.  I also love the Philadelphia Eagles.  I am a fan, but I would stop to say I am a fanatic.  I wouldn’t call me a fanatic of any team or sport. The term fanatic can be seen in negative and positive ways.  Eagles’ fans (or fanatics), throughout the years, have been given the stigma, and in some cases rightfully so, as nuts, crazy, insane……. find the term.  However, just like any group of folks, a few bad apples have the tendency to create judgement for all. Yes, Philly fans can be over the top, but they are passionate, and most are incredibly knowledgeable.  

 Relative to the day’s entry on being funny, we Eagles’ fans of late, have had much to smile about.  The last few years have been tough and this past year, as well as this off season – well from an outsider’s perspective, and maybe even insider, has been laughable. The draft in several weeks should be interesting to see what Howie Roseman pulls.  (smh 😊) That said however, just a few short years ago, Eagles’ fans had one hell of a year.  Yes, the Philadelphia Eagles took us all on a wonderful run to the NFL Super Bowl and became Champions for the first time (beating Tom Brady’s Patriots…….just saying).  Reflecting on that year, specifically from the moment Carson Wentz got hurt and through the parade to celebrate, these times stood out most.  Yep – when he went down, I too was saying, “oh shit – now Nick Foles is the backup.”  Much skepticism and that whole fear of the unknown.  In those final regular season games, there wasn’t much shown that gave our circles much to feel confident about.  However, the Eagles were the first seed, had home field advantage throughout, so there certainly was a chance.  Oh, and did that entire team deliver 😊.  Yes, there was doubt leading into that first game of the playoffs with the Falcons and up until that final play but all that time, that team brought the city together.

 Say what you want about football, or sports, but it does bring us together. It could be a school, a small community, a big city, a state, or a country.  There are some sports, and particularly some teams, that have that special season where it unites a group, or maybe a nation.  The 2017 Philadelphia Eagles did that.  I remember seeing it everywhere we went.  It wasn’t about anything other than that team and that led to conversations and connections about the city, PA, and life.  Yeah, maybe it was “just a football” team and maybe short lived too, but there were certainly bonds that were created.  We experienced this as the playoff run was going on and until the parade ended. It was, from my perspective, an experience that was awesome. Sure, the Eagles’ won but it was an experience I was fortunate enough to share with so many great friends we’ve known for so long.  Even more special, I was able to share it with my wife and daughter’s.  Having the opportunity to take my then 11 & 14-year-olds to the parade, celebrating with close friends, and a city; not something I will soon forget.  

 We had the opportunity to revisit that period of time and thankful for the folks that put this wonderful piece out there.

 https://www.maybenextyearfilm.com/

 You will definitely see some of the nuttiness that is what makes up the Eagles’ fan base but, I ask you to pay attention to the passion, love, and compassion these great folks have as well.  People will say, “it is just a game,” but for some it is much bigger than that.  Enjoy & Go Birds!

[doomedandstoned]

Black Leather Chose Us: The Wild Debut of HIGH REEPER!

~By Billy Goate~

Oh, boy, do we have a treat for you today, Doomers & Stoners! Heavy Psych Sounds have gotten ahold of another killer spin and you get to be the first to hear it today. Meet HIGH REEPER from Philly. I remember listening to the self-titled debut by High Reeper on a long walk. As soon as it was over, I started it again...and then again after that. The songs on High Reeper have a kind of sinister verve that appeals to my rebel spirit, something that's evident right away from opening number "Die Slow." The incredible energy of the riffmaking and rhythm section keeps the pace going strong in "Chrome Hammer." The next track, "Soul Taker" (one of my favs), gives us a fresh take on the style of doom immortalized by Black Sabbath and the crew of early '70s proto-metallers.

Speaking of crew, let's meet our cast:

Shane Trimble (bass)

Zach Thomas (vox)

Pat Daly (guitar)

Andrew Price (guitar)

Napz Mosley (drums)

Photo by David Norbut

Man, it's no wonder this album is a party -- and a damned heavy one -- from start to finish. What you're noticing this deep into the album is nothing sounds sluggish or half-hearted. High Reeper have bottled up all the excitement of a barnstorming, arena-filled stage show in these nine tracks. It's clear that the band wants you to experience this record in a single spin and have put a lot of thought into the placement of each song to keep you engaged throughout.

Some other highlights include the namesake track, "High Reeper," with a fun drum solo, and the devilish grin of "Reeper Deadly Reeper" -- perhaps the doomiest song on the record. It will be impossible to keep from making comparisons with Orchid, Purple Hill Witch, R.I.P. -- bands that have material rooted in the Sabbath legacy, yet succeed wildly in crafting a fresh sound that is distinctly their own. Clearly, a lot of thought has gone into these tracks, as nothing came across to me as trite or forced.

The record just couldn't sound better to my ears, either -- engineered by bassist Shane Trimble himself. The album, which releases this Friday, March 16th, and is available in limited transparent orange vinyl and standard black, as well as in CD and digital formats (I noticed some cool bundles, too). Pre-order on Heavy Psych Sounds right here.

Some buzz:

High Reeper’s self-titled debut is an unapologetic punch to the face for fans of early ‘70s proto-metal. The sound and smell of leather, weed, boozing, gambling and death permeate the record from start to finish. Nine tracks that run from up-tempo straight ahead rock, to slowed down, heavy, early doom. With a rhythm section throwing down grooves that are deeper than the darkest abyss and guitars big enough to put a hole in your chest, the record’s finale hits just as hard as its opening track. Vocals that soar above the guitars with laser like precision, while delivering a direct hit to your soul. (Heavy Psych Sounds)

Interview with Shane Trimble from High Reeper

By Shawn Gibson

I think I've listened to the new album about twice now. The sound it has a punch to it, kind of like a raised middle finger! I like the edge you’ve honed in on.

Thanks, I'm a bit of a gear nerd and shit, and I’m real into that kind of shit.

That's right, you recorded and produced the album, didn't you?

Yes, I’ve been doing that for a very, very, very, long time. Like for twenty-five years, probably. I had a very good teacher.

Yeah?

A crazy mentor! His name is Mike Tarsia and he was a lead engineer at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. They had 'Young Americans' (1975) by Bowie recorded there. When I first started recording, I learned at our big studio in New York. It was all right place at the right time; it had nothing to do with me. Mike is still my mentor, he mastered the record. I wouldn't be able to do anything without that guy! I would be able to do what I do, without him. He's as fantastic a guy as the day is long. It's always great to be able to take great knowledge and great expertise handed down from a great teacher. He's not just a teacher, but also a very close friend.

Explain the name High Reeper.

(laughs) We were throwing out names and that got thrown out there. "Oh it's so over the top,” we thought, but it was appropriate so we went with it.

Sure, I dig it.

If you’re going to go, go all the way!

What’s that like getting signed and being on Heavy Psych Sound Records? Is that pretty badass?

Well, we just started this for ourselves; we had no intention of putting it out or anything like that. We just wanted to make a stoner rock like Sabbath’s kind of recorded but for ourselves. We thought we were just going to play four or five live shows and have something to have fun with and get drunk together. We've all been in bands together over the last ten years in one form or another playing all kinds of music. Once this was recorded, the reaction was very positive. Long story short, we hired this PR guy, fantastic guy, right before the album was to be released digitally, we got signed. One morning I wake up with like four labels offering to put out the record and I was like, "What?"

The funny thing is once things started taking off, we hired a PR firm, and I personally had emailed every label who I thought was cool. I can’t stress this enough: Heavy Psych Sounds was our first choice. I was talking to another label and he was like “I’d love to put this out; I can’t do this for a while. I can definitely put out your second record. But have you tried X label, have you tried Y label? Have you tried Heavy Psych Sounds?”

I said, "Yes! I sent them our records forever and never got a response." He said, "Don't worry. I'll get in touch with them." He gave them the record that morning and then Gabriele from our label Gabriele Fiori he is the lead singer and guitarist for Black Rainbows. Super, super band. I don't know if you ever listened to them. They have a new album coming out, it's killer. So Gabriele and I started talking, I would say it's surreal for all of us to now be on the label, the only label we wanted to be on, you know. We love the aesthetic of the label. We love the bands on the label. It would be impossible for me to express our gratitude and how happy and satisfied we are to be on our label.

Definitely.

The main thing is when you’re doing something like when you’re on a label, you want the right fit. There's plenty of awesome labels. This label you know I was hoping was the right fit for us and after talking to Gabriele, that it certainly was the right thing for us. We thought it was a no-brainer at that point.

Well I'm happy for you!

We are in disbelief every day. We are extremely grateful. It's crazy, we can’t believe it. We are happy this is the outcome and we certainly weren't imagining anything like this when we wrote the record. We really made it and mixed it for ourselves, thinking that it wasn't a record made with the intent to get a record deal our play in any kind of scene or anything like that that's just, "Oh no." It took on a life of its own. It's still bizarre. None of us can believe it. (laughs)

So it makes it that much more meaningful because it's truly organic. It's all from the heart, it's your passion.

Yeah it’s crazy, you know, we're reminded of it every day, messages on Facebook and Instagram. We don't even have a record even out, you know. Was it the Doom Charts? Bucky Brown managed to give away like 50 or a hundred download codes before the record was to come out, right before we got signed. So our record has floated out there with some people, digitally. There are people who heard it and who have it and are really fans and they reach out to us and tell what they think and it's been great. It's been rewarding and we appreciate them. I don't know if it will be possible to convey how much we appreciate them. It certainly makes us feel good to connect any way possible, as much as possible. To be as accessible as possible.

I see that you guys are from Philly, Delaware area. Do you have any skaters in your band?

Well, Andrew and Pat are both skaters.

I was wondering if any of you guys skated LOVE Park.

Oh yeah, like a million times.

I've seen it in several skate videos all the CKY’s any of BAM’s footage Chris Cole's parts. Even guys from everywhere else coming to skate there. Being from the southeast, I got a lot of love for LOVE Park. I've heard sometimes you couldn't skate if you weren't local.

Yeah, it can be rough sometimes. No doubt, it's Philly. (laughs) That's just the way it is, man.

Nice segue to my next question. Were you witness to any of the anarchy that happened after Eagles won the Super Bowl?

Well, Zach went to the parade. The night of the Super Bowl, let’s see where was Zach watching it? Zach was at the parade, everyone else stayed home and the night of the Super Bowl, no one was out. Andrew's brother however did after they won, I don't even know what went on there! Zach was at the parade, like a trooper. I'm not sure if he remembers, so if you ever meet him or talk to him you can ask him any questions you want, but I don’t think you’re going to get many answers. (laughs)

Back to the music, for a moment. What are some influences for High Reeper?

Oh, man. Obviously, Black Sabbath. You have to remember our intent of the record was. We weren't thing we were going to put anything out "we should make something that sounds like Sabbath yak know?" I want the vocals to sound like "Behind The Wall Of Sleep." It’s what like the third song on the first Sabbath record? That's why the vocals are loud, they have the double on them from the delay, except it's not pan-crazy like on the record, the Sabbath record.

Honestly, any band that rocks, whether it's Sabbath or Deep Purple. I don't know if you ever heard of this band from like 2000 -- The Datsuns, they're from New Zealand. Anything that rocks man! For us more than anything, it would be older bands. Zach is super into everything that is in stoner and doom. He's really on top of everything. The rest of the guys listen to it, but Zach is on top of every new release that comes out. I would say the vocals weren't dirty; they’re not swimming in delay. They are, there's a ton of reverb on them. It doesn't have that new doom sound because it wasn't really made to be one of those records, that wasn't even the fault when we were making it, just because we were making it for ourselves. Motorhead that's another one, one of those crazy ones. Any of the heavy rocking bands like Thin Lizzy, that's all.

Hell, yeah! What would be a damn good book you've read?

The Keith Richards autobiography.

I need to read that.

That would be a damn good book for anyone that's played music or anyone who wants to read about an interesting guy. I can’t tell you how much we love the Stones. They may not be doom, they may not be metal, but they are the baddest motherfuckers on two feet! It doesn't show in this album, but we love those guys. Pat and I are super Stones-heads -- Andrew, too. We just love that shit.

On a lighter note, what is something that will make you laugh uncontrollably?

The movie Burnt (2015) with Bradley Cooper. It makes me laugh uncontrollably every day, I watch it almost every day. It's as bad as a movie can be.

I'll have to check that out! What are some bands around the Delaware-Philly area that you guys like a lot and or like to play with?

Ecstatic Vision, for one. We are playing with Heavy Temple, who are awesome, at our record release show and Hound, who are stripped down 70's style rock -- they rock! Of course, Ruby the Hatchet, we would love to play with them. We think they're fantastic!

That would be a badass show!

Oh yeah man, a lot of good bands in the scene, for sure. Yeah it's very encouraging and everybody’s cool and nice. That never hurts.

We should also mention that you're playing Doomed & Stoned Fest III in Indianapolis in October.

Yes! We're really excited about that! Super fucking stoked, man!

Awesome! We're really looking forward to both that and the release of your debut LP this Friday.

Thanks! We really thrilled and grateful you're writing about the record. We weren't making this record to put it out, but were glad that it came out. We're fucking thrilled! It's something that snowballed! We’re just so happy to be on Heavy Psych Sounds and be going on tour. It's just really great.

What a beautiful ride!

Absolutely wild.

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[engagedtobefree]

Phase 5: Flirtations

Monday - In the morning I’m at the printer when Scott comes in. I finish stapling my papers and turn around just as Scott is right behind me. I can’t help but smile big and say, “Hey, Scott. Good morning.” His reaction is the same as mine.

Later, I’m at the printer again and Scott comes out the bathroom. He’s making a face, not a bad face, one where his lips are pursed into a smile and his head is tilted up, and his eyes have a playful look. I just give him a little smile. I wonder if maybe he actually likes seeing me randomly pop up, like a little surprise. He never knows when I’m gonna show my face. I am always worrying that I’m gonna creep him out, so this is a new perspective for me.

Last week i actually ate in the lunchroom every day, excluding Monday, but when i went up today, i had a weird feeling that i should eat at my desk, so I went back downstairs to go do that. About 20 minutes into my lunch, i see someone at the printer and it’s Scott. There have been several other people who have been at the printer on my lunch and i didn’t look at them, but something in me knew to look when it was Scott. And he had been looking at me sitting at my desk. We say hey and he asks me if a fax came through and i say i don’t think so but several people have been at the printer so I don’t know if they took it by accident. He goes to walk away but i want to keep talking. “So how excited are you!?!” The Eagles are going to the Superbowl. He said hes very excited and that hes tired because after they won he did a bunch of shots with his neighbor and they had fireworks. I tell him yeah, people at my apartment complex were running outside screaming and shooting off fireworks. He must be busy cuz he seems like he can’t really stop to talk, so our conversations is only about a minute or two.

Toward the end of the day I am once again at the printer. While I’m standing there, Scott comes out and I say “hey” and he says “whats up”. He rummages in the cabinet for something. I look over at him again, but that’s it. I feel annoyed for some reason, I think because I feel like I’m always the one initiating conversations, but I’ve honestly been in a weird mood all day, so I know that my annoyance probably isn’t based in reality. He gets a phone call right before it’s time to leave, so I don’t say bye today.

Tuesday - I’m doing some filing, and have to move some boxes. Since I’m still trying to heal my back, I decide to go to Scott’s office and ask for help. I know if Steve is in there then he’ll probably be the one to help me, but I can at least say hi to Scott either way. I go to the doorway and looking at Steve and then Scott, I ask for help. Scott turns toward me with a little smile on his lips. I did both my hair and make up today and I’m sure it got his attention. I get the feeling again that maybe he likes me randomly popping up throughout his day. I let Steve pass, and then as I lean up against the doorway I say “Hey, Scott” in an almost sultry-like way. He says hey back. I go over to Steve and he helps me with the boxes. 

Scott  gets tea a lot of times after his lunch, so I print something but leave it at the printer for whenever he’s done his lunch and if he makes tea today. I hear someone at the coffee machine but they don’t make anything. However, they come right back and I hear them removing the water jug, which must need to be changed. I go to the printer and of course it’s Scott. I ask him how his day is going and he says its alright and asks me how my day is. I tell him I’ve been busy today and yesterday but that I prefer that cuz the day goes faster. He agrees and then is ready to walk away with the old jug, which always still has water in it despite needing to be changed. I say “oh wait! You can pour that right into the coffee machine”. I’m not sure if he hands it to me or if I just take it off of him, maybe both. We make eye contact and I realize I’m almost at eye level with him, though my boots are about 3 ½ inches. I’m 5′4″, so he’s probably around 5′9″ maybe, which I think is a good height for me. He asks me if it’ll work pouring the water into the machine and I say “that’s what Joyce told me, so if it doesn’t we can blame her”. I have changed the jug several times so I know it does in fact work; I don’t know why I say things sometimes. He laughs and goes to retrieve a new jug. I’m still pouring the water into the coffee machine when he comes back and asks if it’s working. I tell him it is and keep pouring. I hear him behind me. I look down over my shoulder and see that he’s crouched on the ground opening the new jug. He is literally so close to me that if I took a small step back I would bump into him. I’m sure he also got a good look at my butt, though when I had looked down at him he was looking at the jug.  I go and take the empty jug to the recycling bin but make sure i bend over, ya know, just in case he looks down the hallway ;) .  Now that I think about it, it’s kinda cute we worked together. Honestly, I have changed the jug quite a few times and it’s a one-person job, but whatever. I liked teaming up with Scott to do something.

I go back to the printer and get my measly 3 pages, but it’s clear that now I’m just standing there purposely. I don’t want to go back to my desk, but I’m racking my brain trying to think of something to say. I ask him if he’s going to the Superbowl and he says no because tickets are $5000. We talk about the Superbowl a bit and then I ask him him if he’s going to a Superbowl party but he doesn’t know yet, and I tell him my dad’s family is trying to set up a block parry, but either way I’ll be going over there in Philly to watch the game with them. He says Philly will be the best place to be if they end up winning because people will go nuts. At one point Joyce said he looks guilty again, like she said last week, but this time she adds that he just has the look of a kid who is always getting into trouble. I do see what she’s saying. I’ve mentioned before about how Scott has a youthful way about him and how he seems young at heart, and he also looks younger than his actual age. But he also has a sort of innocence about him too, like a kid getting into trouble but not bad trouble, just doing stuff cuz they want to but not thinking it’s bad. Idk how to explain it, but whatever it is, it’s a sort of charming quality of his. I noticed too that he came closer to me during our conversation. Normally I stand in my cubicle doorway and he stays over by the coffee machine, but he went over to the printer, which is right across from where I’m standing. We make each other laugh a few times during the conversation. His laugh still fills me with this light, like wow. I am pretty much keeping this conversation going, but it’s okay. He seems a little on the shy side today, and I don’t know if it’s because I’m all prettied up or not. I, myself, go back and forth between confident/at ease and really nervous. I look at his Eagles hat and then without even thinking say, “’I like your hat”, to which he replies “Thanks.” I ask, “Are you going to wear it all week?” and laugh, and he laughs too and says yeah, then I say “I’ll talk to you later”.

Later on, I take an order to the warehouse and I always peer through the door first to see what’s going on in his office and if it’s a good set up for me to look in and smile. Steve is standing at his desk and Scott is sitting down, so it’s not an ideal opportunity, so I don’t look in. Also, Scott has not been looking at me lately when I go in and out of the warehouse, so I started taking that as a cue to stop smiling at him because I assumed maybe Steve or Chris started to notice. In my peripheral vision I see him turn around in his chair to watch me, and a small smile appears on my lips, but I still don’t look.

At the end of the day, I hear him making his tea. I noticed that now he always makes tea right after lunch and then right before he leaves. I don’t know if he’s always done that or if he is now purposely doing it because he knows I will come out and talk to him. I don’t always come out to talk to him, especially if I have already that day, because I don’t want him to feel that he can’t even make tea (or come inside or use the bathroom) without me bothering him lol. I have nothing to do for my last 10 minutes, so I decide to print something I will need for the morning. I am trying to decide if I should wait until he’s done, but he always takes forever to make his tea, so I don’t know what I should do. I honestly still don’t know why it takes so long for him to make a cup of tea lol. I hear him finally walk away so then I get up to grab my papers, but I walk faster than he does, so he’s at the trashcan next to his doorway when I reach the printer. We look at each other and then he walks away. I’m hoping to talk to him at the end of the day, but I hear him get a late phone call again, so I know it’s not happening. 

Wednesday - I go to the printer in the morning and then Scott comes in. He greets me while my back is still facing him and I greet him back, turning my head. There is a small smile on my lips and I watch him go into his office. He turns his head, looking at nothing, and I wonder yet again if when he does this he is doing it to look at me through his peripheral vision.

I have to work on an order Scott created, and he spelled freight wrong. I fix it on the order and think, “I gotchu”. I think he spells stuff wrong quite often, so maybe it’s not his strong suit or he just doesn’t care lol. But I figure I can make up for what he lacks there. I think it’s cute anyway.

I didn’t get a chance to talk to him all day, so at the end of the day I decide to put files back that I had to pull for my boss earlier in the day. I stack what boxes I can and then, since Scott is the only one left in his office for the day, I decide to ask for his help. He seems busy, and I could hear him and the other guys getting phone calls all day, but he still comes over to help me anyway. He asks where I need to the box and I tell him where. He says twice how the box is heavy, and I say that’s not the issue, but that I hurt my back and just don’t want to lift anything up too high or heavy. He finally asks me how I hurt my back and if I hurt it lifting boxes and I say yeah, that I hurt it first doing yoga and then lifting boxes, and I go to say more when the receptionist pages him about a phone call. “Scott……..Scott……Scott…”. We both look in at his office and at first neither of us moves. I realize Scott is actually standing pretty close to me, and it’s clear we were both not done with the conversation. He goes into his doorway, body still facing me but head turned so he can talk to the receptionist (she pages him on his phone). She is asking him if he is the only one left for the day and then tells him Josh from wherever is on line 9 for him. I stand there awkwardly because I want to still talk to him and I hate being interrupted. Like, girl, I thought we were friends, how could you do me like this. And damn you Josh on line 9. Scott turns his head back to me and waves and says “I’ll catch you later, Dana.” Something about this makes me feel special. Like, he just lets me know in little ways, and it’s nice. I knew he has been busy all day, and this week is month end, so pretty much everyone is busy, including myself. I can only hope it’s slow next week then.

Thursday - The only time I see Scott today is when I have to pass his office. Him and the guys seem busy again today, so I don’t take it personally. This made me realize that all of my yoga, meditation, and other healthy habits I’ve been incorporating into my life have finally been paying off regarding my anxiety and low moods. Normally I would get anxiety about it, like thinking he lost interest, but I don’t get any. It made me notice that in life in general my anxiety has calmed down a lot the past few weeks, and I’m really proud of myself.

At one point during the day I’m at the printer and I head the receptionist page Scott about a phone call, and Scott tells her they’re about to go into a meeting, and then Steve interrupts, saying something about whoever it is and to tell her to send the call to Branch 5 (we’re Branch 1). 

Steve: Tell her to send him to Branch 5 Scott (to receptionist): Send him to Branch 4 Steve: No, Branch 5 Scott: What? Steve: Tell her to send him to Branch 5 Scott (to Steve): Oh, aight Scott (to receptionist): Send him to Branch 5

I smile a little, because I find this to be so cute. I’m working on my papers at the printer and I hear all 3 of them come out of the office. I’m sure Scott sees me, but my hair is hanging down blocking my face, and I’m not about to whip my head up really quick just to look at him lol.

I have therapy tonight and I talk about Max for half my session and Scott for the other half. I tell Audrey how he takes like 3 minutes to make his tea, which is weird cuz he usually drinks the same one and it’s not like he’s adding cream because he never makes coffee as far as I know. And the coffee machine takes like 20 seconds to make something, so everyone else is really quick at it, but I always know when it’s Scott there because he takes forever and I don’t know why. She laughs and says he’s doing it on purpose, which honestly never even occurred to me. I also realize while talking to her that even when I feel nervous around Scott, I still feel a sense of ease and safety. Like it is okay for me to be nervous, it is okay for me to not always know what to say, or to be open with him, and to look at him. No matter what, I know I am safe. And I like that. It feels so nice.

Friday - I decide since I didn’t get to interact with Scott yesterday that I’ll have to make up for it today. I make sure I print stuff at a good time and that I have enough to work on by the printer. (I like to stamp and staple stuff at the printer because 1. I get to stand since I sit all day 2. My desk is always a mess because of papers everywhere and 3. Gives me a reason to see Scott). Scott comes in and I turn around at the right moment. We’re both smiling big with our mouths closed, but we’re both beaming as usual. We say hey to each other and he asks me how I’m doing to which I just respond “I’m good.”

At one point during the day as I’m coming back from the bathroom and heading back to my desk, Scott is at the coffee machine. Any other time I’m hoping to bump into him, and the one time I actually am not thinking about it, he happens to be there. He is already halfway turned around when we see each other. I ask him how his day is going and he says “It’s going, ya know?” and then says it’s slow. I say yeah, I feel like if one half is slow the other is fast, but never both at the same time. He asks if I’ve been busy with orders and I say no, that I was just really busy Monday and Tuesday but not as much the past few days. I ask him his plans for the weekend and he says he has to fix his brake lines and put a tv up on the wall. I ask him if he works on his car himself and he says yeah, that he used to be a mechanic. I tell him that’s convenient and laugh. He says it is and laughs, but that it’s also a pain. He also says he used to work on motorcycles. I picture him working on cars, muscles flexing and covered in dirt and oil and it’s so sexy, but I have to really stop thinking about it because I need to stay present in order to talk to him lol. I ask him why he left and he said his boss closed the shop and moved it to Oregon and that he didn’t want to move there, maybe if it was somewhere warmer he would’ve considered it. What I really want to say is “Well I’m glad you decided to stay here”, but instead I say I wouldn’t have moved there either and that it’s weird he decided on Oregon because there’s nothing there. I ask him how long he’s been at our work and he says about 6 years. I ask him if he was in parts before and he says yeah, a long time, so I don’t know if he also had another job besides being a mechanic. I’m really keeping this conversation going, but then he mentions the weather this weekend and how it’s supposed to be nice and how it’s nice today. I’m like “uhhh well there was frost on my windows this morning, so I don’t consider this nice” and laugh. I mention how I’m glad it’ll be nice tomorrow cuz I’m seeing my dad in Philly. He just smiles at me. I mention how my dad lives there, but only sometimes, how he’s back and forth between there and Florida. Scott could literally ask me several different things here, but he doesn’t. We look at each other, beaming, and it’s just an awkward silence. It is so freaking obvious we like each other. Then he laughs and I put my head down, a little embarrassed and laugh a little too. I look back up at him and it’s still awkward and so obvious. Like there is clearly something between us, we both have an interest in each other, yet it remains unspoken and there has yet to be a date. If anyone were to walk up to us right now they would not be able to miss what’s going on, and it would be one of those moments of “Just ask her out already”. He came over to the printer again, so now he goes back to grab his tea. Lemon tea today, which I say is good but there’s no caffeine in it. He says how he already had coffee today he’d like to just have tea now. I could honestly take this conversation run with it, because of my passion for coffee and tea, but I am so nervous and I have already been carrying this conversation. We talk about how it’s almost lunch, and I think he mentions something else, but I don’t remember. He says he should probably get back in his office and we say bye. Oh, I also got a very god look at the butt today. Very nice.

Later on in the day I take an order into the warehouse and decide to chance looking in his office. No Scott, just Steve. I’m like “Wtf where is he?” and thinking how I chanced looking in for nothing. He is not in his office on my way back in from the warehouse either. I sit at my desk still thinking “Wtf where is he?” when my stomach grumbles and then I look at the time. 2:46. I usually eat my snack any time between 2 and 3 because that’s when I get hungry, but I didn’t realize what time it was. I decide to go up to the fridge and get my tangerines. Right before the steps come into view, Scott comes down and around the corner there. He says “What’s up?” and with a little smirk I say “Hey”. Well, I found out where he was, probably talking to people upstairs. I answered my own question lol. 

I am getting situated in my car ready to leave when Scott comes out. We both wave. I keep thinking about our cute, awkward moment from earlier, and just think about how he should ask me out next week. My Saturday is free thus far, and I’m hoping his is too. I know that I need to come fully stocked with conversation topics on Monday. He seems to get nervous and doesn’t always know what to say to me, so I need to rely on myself to just talk and not wait for him to ask me anything. I had a conversation with a co-worker Greg later in the day Friday, and it was a normal conversation, back and forth. I’m like “ugh, why can’t Scott be like this with me.” (Side note: Greg is married. He was saying how he and his wife are gonna watch the movie I lent him and then asked me about my weekend and we had a normal convo). I already have some conversation starters for Monday with Scott and know some thins I can talk about. Also, hoping to flirt with him some more. Also want to try to emphasize at some point, maybe mid-week that I am 100% free on Saturday. I’m guessing maybe he is just working up the courage to ask me, and it seems like he has just been busy the past 2 weekends, so really hoping he is free next Saturday. If he doesn’t ask me out by mid-February (so no date yet by the 10th or 17th), I’m just gonna ask him out for coffee and tea. I am 100% willing to go slow and be patient, as I know he has a young daughter, but I would also like to get beyond small office-talk soon. It would be so much easier to talk on a date I feel like.

So here’s to me amping it up even more next week. And here’s to Scott gaining the courage to ask me out.

Also, some pics of me below from Tuesday, when I looked fine af (I look fine af every day, just a little extra on Tuesday).

[viraljournalist]

Andy Reid's Super Bowl LIV win is the capper on a Hall of Fame career for Chiefs coach

New Post has been published on https://viraljournalist.com/andy-reids-super-bowl-liv-win-is-the-capper-on-a-hall-of-fame-career-for-chiefs-coach/

Andy Reid's Super Bowl LIV win is the capper on a Hall of Fame career for Chiefs coach

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — “MAN ALIVE!” Andrew Walter Reid bellowed from his toes as he marched through his Kansas City Chiefs locker room, glowing like a teenager who had just scored a date with the prettiest girl in school. Reid had just finished handing out credit for this epic Super Bowl victory as easily as one would hand out a business card at a job fair, even giving a shoutout to Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, the billionaire who fired him.

Man Alive! Those two shouted words on the way to his office said it all. Reid was letting it all out, all those seasons of chasing in vain that NFL grail that was finally, mercifully, in his hands. Reid ended his 20-year title drought by ending the Chiefs’ 50-year title drought by coming from behind to beat Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers 31-20.

After the game, still on the field, Reid kissed the Lombardi trophy and raised it to the South Florida sky, and then Andy did what Andy always does.

Andy said this wasn’t about Andy. He talked about his whirling dervish of a quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, and the executive who long ago saw Mahomes as a developing Mozart, Brett Veach. He talked about the Hunt family, his assistants, his players in Kansas City, his players in Philly. If Andy went long enough at his news conference podium, he would’ve gotten around to thanking his mailman, too.

But if Reid thought he was getting away with his selfless act, sorry pal, that was a no-can-do on this forever Sunday night.

This one was about the human teddy bear with a rainforest for a mustache, the guy who once put away a 40-ounce steak in 19 minutes.

This one was all about Big Red.

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“He’s one of the best coaches of all time; he already was before we won this game,” said Mahomes, the MVP of Super Bowl LIV. “But we wanted to get that trophy just because he deserved it. The work that he puts in day in and day out. He’s there at like 3 in the morning, and he leaves at 11 [at night]. I don’t think he sleeps. I’ve tried to beat him in, and I never can. He’s someone that works harder than anyone I’ve ever known, and he deserves it.”

The rifle-armed son of a former big league reliever, Mahomes said he had two goals when he became the starting quarterback of the Chiefs. One, to win the AFC championship and bring the Lamar Hunt Trophy back to the hometown of the late Chiefs owner who came up with the term “Super Bowl” for what has effectively become a national holiday.

“And the second-most important thing was to get Coach Reid a Super Bowl trophy,” Mahomes said.

Will this liberating triumph change Coach Reid? What do you think? This is a man who said he celebrated his AFC title game victory over Tennessee — which booked him a trip back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 15 years — by eating a cheeseburger and then going to bed. “I’ll have a double cheeseburger tonight,” Reid said Sunday. “Extra cheese.”

And why not? With this win, Reid finally proved that nice guys do indeed finish first, even if they have to wait a little while to get there. In the weeks leading up to his crowning career achievement, it was clear the 61-year-old Reid had already proven you can be almost universally admired and adored even if you don’t finish first once across two decades as an NFL head coach.

Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

But man, it will be so sweet for this grandfather of nine, the son of a Los Angeles-based doctor (his mother, Elizabeth) and a Hollywood set designer and artist (his father, Walter, a Navy veteran of World War II), to never again answer for his inability to win the big one over 14 seasons in Philadelphia, and then over his first six in Kansas City.

No more questions about time management, about choking in the playoffs, about Dee Ford lining up offside against New England, about watching his Eagles treat a two-score deficit late in their Super Bowl loss to the Patriots 15 years ago as an opportunity to move at a pace better suited for a ballroom walk-through.

Just like in that crushing defeat in Jacksonville in February 2005, Reid’s team was down 10 points in the middle of the fourth quarter. Only this time his players ran a Showtime fastbreak through the league’s most ferocious defense, led by a visionary, Mahomes, who handles the ball and passes it the way few quarterbacks ever have.

“Keep going,” Reid told his players as they struggled to put points on the board. “We’re going to be OK. We’ve done it before; we’ll do it again.”

Reid was a prophet carrying an oversize dinner menu for a play card. So now the questions will not be about Reid’s failures. Instead, they’ll ask Reid about the night he became football’s champion, the night his 222nd career victory silenced all that noise about him being the sport’s most prolific winner without a ring.

Now they’ll ask Reid about the night he almost certainly sealed his future induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“Nobody deserves this trophy more than Andy Reid,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, son of Lamar, told the crowd and the Fox TV audience during the postgame ceremony.

“We got that ring for Big Red,” Travis Kelce said. “He acts like a father figure to everyone in the building, and you appreciate that. … We’re married together forever now.”

Many of Reid’s friends and colleagues had spent the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl being asked how they would react in the event that Reid finally won a Super Bowl. Some predicted they would cry. All predicted they would be choked up, and as happy for Andy as Andy was for his wife, Tammy, his sons, Britt and Spencer, and his daughters, Crosby and Drew Ann, and all those wearing Chiefs jerseys around them.

“Andy gave me a kiss right on the cheek when we won,” said Dave Merritt, his defensive backs coach and an assistant who won two titles with Tom Coughlin’s New York Giants. “As soon as it was over I thought about Andy’s family, his kids, his wife, his cousins, his brothers, everyone associated with him. Not only Coach Reid became a world champ, they all became world champs. I was so moved watching Andy on the stage with his family around and all that confetti coming down on top of them.”

REID’S FOOTBALL JOURNEY, which started in 1971 when an outsize 13-year-old famously wore a Rams uniform while competing in the punt, pass and kick competition, culminated at last on the biggest stage in sports. With the NFL celebrating an entire century of games, and with old haunts Bill Belichick and Tom Brady in the house for the ceremony, Reid was the right guy to lead the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl victory in a half-century. And San Francisco was a most appropriate full-circle opponent — Reid worked his first real coaching job at San Francisco State, where he sold hot dogs to help raise money for the now-defunct Division II program. He has come a long way, baby, and his generosity of spirit made him relatable, huggable and easy to root for.

Everything you need to know: • Box score | Mahomes wins MVP • O’Connor on Reid’s legacy win • Barnwell: How Chiefs came back • Graziano: Mahomes to the rescue More: Super Bowl LIV » | NFL coverage »

“Andy truly puts others before himself,” says his former VP of player personnel in Philadelphia, Jason Licht, now the GM of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “He’s been wanting to win this for everybody else before he wants to win it for himself, and he’s an unbelievable leader because of that. He’s one of those leaders that when things aren’t going well he takes all the blame, and when things are going good he gives credit to all the great work everyone else did. And that’s why everybody loves playing for him, and goes the extra mile for him.”

In the end, for Reid, it all comes back to trust and empowerment, and to letting his players breathe. In practice, his quarterback and receivers are permitted — if not outright encouraged — to close their eyes as they work on some creative pitching and catching. Mahomes says the everyday fun sanctioned by Reid “keeps us loose and ready to go on game days.” No wonder that the quarterback, at age 24, is already on record saying he wants to spend his entire career in Kansas City.

Reid is one of the brilliant offensive minds of his generation, or of any generation, and yet his belief in freedom of expression works on the defensive side of the ball, too. “This is my third program in the league,” Tyrann Mathieu says, “but I feel I can be myself here. … [Reid] wants us to be comfortable, relaxed, at ease.”

By all accounts, his insistence that his players stay true to themselves inspired them to play at the highest possible level, and doubled their affection for the coach who always looked as if he should be wearing a striped red and white jacket, red bow tie, and straw skimmer hat as part of a barbershop quartet.

“He tells them all the time in team meetings, ‘Let your personality show,'” says Britt Reid, his father’s linebackers coach. “I think that’s important. You can’t be someone you’re not. If you want to play this game to the best of your ability, you’ve got to be you.”

With a win over the 49ers, Andy Reid finally put an end to the questions over his big-game management — and secured a capper on his Hall of Fame career. Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports

Sometimes Merritt will head out to practice and find his defensive backs working on moves that have nothing to do with containing opposing receivers. “They’re dancing, the music is on, and they’re going crazy on the sideline,” Merritt says with a laugh. “But I can’t say anything to them because the head coach said, ‘Let your personalities show.'”

Britt says his father got his creativity from his own dad (Andy has a talent for drawing caricatures, including some of his youngest son, Spencer, a strength and conditioning coach at Colorado State), and his refined and calculating intellect from his mom, the radiologist. Those handed-down gifts have helped Reid coach his freewheeling Mozart at quarterback. Mahomes, Britt says, “has definitely reinvigorated him.”

Nothing against Mahomes’ predecessor, of course, as Alex Smith was a dignified winner in Kansas City who could not have handled the transition to the kid with any more grace. But Mahomes is a generational talent and an improvisational thinker who enables the artistic half of Reid’s beautiful football mind to dream up all kinds of exotic route trees in the middle of the night.

“The thing people don’t see about Andy is that this is still a kid’s game to him,” says Tom Melvin, Reid’s assistant for more than two decades and an alumnus of his offensive line at San Francisco State. “And during a play in practice, Patrick will throw the ball and before it’s caught he’ll go, ‘You like that throw, don’t you?’ He’s playing a kid’s game like a kid. So for Andy and Patrick, it’s just playtime now.”

It was playtime for all Chiefs during this championship run. The exclamation point was a fitting defeat of a team that suited up Dee Ford, the goat who allowed the GOAT, Tom Brady, to shake off what would’ve been a fatal interception last year and lead the Patriots to the AFC title. Sunday night, after winning the big game, Reid exonerated his former player for lining up where he did on the penalty, repeating for the 47th time, “It wasn’t Dee Ford, it was all of us. …We could’ve done four inches better.”

It was just Andy being Andy, taking on the burden himself to avoid making anyone — even a former player on the opposing team — carry a heavier load than he needed to.

FOR THE RECORD: Reid’s user-friendly practices shouldn’t suggest that good ol’ Andy is running the league’s answer to Club Med. He no longer has the GM responsibilities he had in Philadelphia, yet Reid still works absurdly long hours, even by NFL standards, and expects his assistants and front-office people to keep up. Licht said Reid slept in that office three or four nights a week in Philly, and it’s obvious that nothing much has changed in Kansas City.

NFL PrimeTime continues this postseason with extended highlights and analysis following the conclusion of each day’s playoff games. Watch on ESPN+

But Reid’s near-maniacal devotion to his craft, and to every imaginable game-prep detail, has never twisted him into an angry or paranoid mess. He can be stern with players and staffers when necessary, but Licht described him as a coach with “a relaxed California swag and chill way about him.”

“Andy can get along with anybody,” Licht says. “He has a way of coming into your office, sitting down, and realizing when somebody needs to get his mind off things. He’ll talk about anything and everything, and you love being around him. When he’s putting in all those hours, you just didn’t want to let him down and not be there in case he had a question for you. You didn’t want to miss the opportunity to have another five or 15 minutes of bonding with him.”

“The entire league wants Andy to win because of how he treats and leads his men,” says Dave Merritt, his defensive backs coach. Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Merritt sees the same man in Kansas City that Licht saw in Philly, and it comes as no surprise. “Leslie Frazier told me about him 20 years ago,” Merritt says of the former Eagles assistant. “He said, ‘Dave, if you ever get a chance to work with Andy Reid, don’t ever turn it down.'”

He didn’t, not after taking a call from Reid in the middle of a golf round and, by his estimation, completing contract talks between a pitch and a putt. Merritt’s experiences with his new boss are quite different from those he had in New York. Coughlin, he reminds, was an iron-fisted ruler who fined Giants for wearing the wrong socks in hotel lobbies. Reid responds to relatively benign rules violations more like a nurturing father.

“Another thing I learned is that Andy really trusts us to coach these players, and that gives you so much confidence as an assistant,” Merritt says. “With Tom Coughlin, we had staff meetings every day, sometimes twice a day, three times a day. I’ve never seen a coach operate the way Andy operates, where we go through the week and never have a staff meeting.”

REID’S STORY PROBABLY makes you feel good inside, unless you’re a fan of the 49ers or someone who lost a few bucks betting that their defense would win San Francisco its sixth Lombardi trophy. Who couldn’t feel good about an NFL head coach who still occasionally drives the Ford Model A his father bought after the war for $25? And besides, we all sorta needed a story like this at the end of a heartbreaking week in sports.

Andy Reid personally knew Kobe Bryant, another tough guy with Philly roots, and would talk about him here and there at the Eagles’ facility. “He would just say of Kobe, ‘That’s a good dude, man. That’s a good dude,'” Licht recalls. “People who know Andy know that’s high praise for him.”

Asked during Super Bowl week about the helicopter crash that killed the Lakers legend, his teenage daughter Gianna and seven other passengers, Reid predicted the Bryant family would “get back into the swing of life and do great things.” Just like the Reids did after one of their sons, Garrett, died of an accidental heroin overdose during training camp in 2012.

Later that year, Andy ignored friends’ suggestions that he should take a year off to regroup after the Eagles fired him. Instead, he immediately filled the opening in Kansas City, where linebacker Jovan Belcher had just killed his girlfriend before taking his own life in the team parking lot. Reid needed the Chiefs as much as the Chiefs needed him. Andy immediately added to his staff his second-oldest of three sons, Britt, despite his own past of drug and gun charges and jail time.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Sunday night, Britt was on the winning Super Bowl side as a sober linebackers coach for his old man.

What a moment for Kansas City. What a week for the Reids. The Chiefs honored Reid at the start of Super Bowl week by wearing his cherished Hawaiian shirts and Air Force 1 sneakers, and they honored him again at the end of Super Bowl week by scoring more points than the 49ers scored.

“An-dy … An-dy … An-dy,” the Chiefs fans chanted in the final seconds of Sunday’s game. Reid was Gatorade-d by his players. It was all hugs and kisses and confetti from there.

“Hey, how about those Chieeeeeeeeeeefs!” Reid roared to the crowd during the ceremony as he wore his white championship cap. Tammy Reid had described her husband as “calm as a cucumber” in the lead-up to the game, and soon enough Reid was in his news conference already talking about a potential title No. 2.

“I’m really excited about it,” Reid said. “You get one, you want to go get another one.”

When he was done at the microphone, Andy loaded himself into a golf cart with Tammy, the woman he still calls his girlfriend, and headed for the locker room.

He will surely spend the coming days handing out credit to everyone who has helped him in his eight college and pro jobs, and way back to his time as a student-athlete and aspiring sportswriter at Brigham Young. Back then, Reid wrote columns for The Provo Daily Herald. All these years later, that young journalist inside the old coach knows exactly how this story needs to be written.

Above all, Super Bowl LIV belongs to a vital member of the Kansas City Chiefs. The one in Andy Reid’s mirror.

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[public-works-phl]

Originally published on The Philadelphia Citizen August 9, 2019

It’s 1999, the NFL Draft. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue receives the pick. Eagles fans wait anxiously. “With the second pick, the Philadelphia Eagles select Donovan McNabb.” And just as planned, Eagles fans unleash thunderous boos.

Philly fans, the tired saying goes, are the worst in sports.

So it was no surprise that SportsRadio 94.1 WIP host Angelo Cataldi had organized the “Dirty 30,” a crew that travelled to the NFL Draft to boo any pick that wasn’t running back Ricky Williams. That booing is just one of many incidents that give us the “worst fans in sports” title.

We throw snowballs at Santa Claus. We have a jail in our stadium. We boo our own players.

And over Cataldi’s 30 year career, top-rated SportsRadio 94.1 WIP has become the home of our bawdiest fans. Loud-mouthed and opinionated, Cataldi has challenged former Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel to a fist-fight, asked female callers what they’re wearing, and called a new team staff person each week to be fired. As Cataldi mused on a recent show, “The nature of sports talk is to focus on the negative and pound on it.”

SportsRadio 94.1 WIP is the black heart of Philadelphia sports.

What most of his listeners don’t know is that Cataldi has a journalist’s pedigree: Armed with a masters in journalism from Columbia University, he was recruited from his hometown, Providence, to work at The Philadelphia Inquirer. Soon after he was offered a full-time radio co-hosting position at WIP. And on his first day, Cataldi, in his own words, “took myself very seriously.” He thought he nailed it. After the show, Cataldi was called into the program director’s office, who said “If you do that again, you won’t work here very long. Stop pontificating and start entertaining. This is not journalism.”

“That’s a lesson I never forgot,” remembers Cataldi. “The first goal is to entertain, not inform. To get people to listen, because it might give someone a pleasant trip into work. That lesson sunk in on day one.”

But these days, Cataldi eschews that advice. After Phillies Center Fielder Odubel Herrera’s arrest on May 27, Cataldi tweeted “As soon as the Phillies know for sure that the domestic-abuse charges are true, they MUST release Odubel Herrera.” One week later, Cataldi published an op-ed titled I won’t stop talking about Odubel Herrera, no matter how mad fans get. And they do get mad. Fans excoriate him on Twitter. Fans call into the show to tell him, in so many words, to shut up. “I think it’s a byproduct of the fact that we have a largely male audience—and most of the guys, a lot of the guys, would rather the issue would go away,” says Cataldi. “Tell me who will pitch tomorrow, and if we’ll win the game. Sports is an escape from reality, and the issue plunges one back into reality.”

But Cataldi won’t let up so easy.

“This issue is probably the first time in 30 years, something that is not going to serve the best interests of the audience. It’s not entertaining,” Cataldi says. “I imagine some people don’t want to hear it. But if you do this long enough, you have to take a stance for something.”

How does Cataldi, co-founder of the Wing Bowl and the “Miss WIP” beauty contest, become an uncompromising critic against domestic abusers? “Brett Myers,” says Cataldi. “That’s when it all started.”

On June 23, 2006, Phillies pitcher Brett Myers was arrested and charged with assault. Courtney Knight, a witness to the June 22 altercation, told The Boston Globe: “He was dragging her by the hair and slapping her across the face. She was yelling, ‘I’m not going to let you do this to me anymore.’” Myers was released on bail, and pitched the very next day. Cataldi remembers, “That’s when I started to care. Even when they won the championship [in 2008], I hated Brett Myers. I never embraced him.” (Also, he continued, “terrible country singer.”)

Due to a growing list of incidents, the MLB adopted a new domestic violence policy in 2015. One day after Herrera’s arrest, MLB placed him on administrative leave. At a July 3 court hearing, Herrera’s girlfriend dropped the charges (as often happens in these cases), but MLB still suspended Herrera for the remaining 85 regular-season games of the 2019 season. The Phillies organization has supported MLB’s decision, but has also not released Herrera. Phillies President Andy MacPhail explained,“Our agreement requires that a player comes back, subject to him being evaluated based on what happens on the baseball field.”

Cataldi isn’t impressed. “The team is taking cues from the league. The league is most concerned about protecting the brand. The league’s first priority is not to take a social stand. Most of it is damage control, and making a public display of something to get them out of the current crisis.” Cataldi continues, “These guys have an athletic superiority, and at the first sign of adversity, they strike a woman? Odubel Herrera should never play in this city again. Anyone that strikes a woman should never play in sports again.” While Herrera’s banners were removed from Citizens Bank Park, today he remains a Phillie.

So what can we, as fans, do? The wins and losses for team staff determine job security, earnings, and careers. But it’s sports fans that bear the emotional high of an exhilarating win, and the brutal despair of a close loss, all without any say in team operations. So fans make signs, buy billboards, trying to influence the decisions of their team. Over his 30 years as a sports reporter, Cataldi has a unique understanding of this relationship. He orchestrated the “Dirty 30.” And “Honk for Herschel,” to compel the Eagles to acquire running back Herschel Walker (they did). And voting Phillies Shortstop Pat Burrell into the 2008 MLB All-Star Game (he wasn’t).

“It’s funny to hear them listed like that,” Cataldi told me. “How frivolous the other things were, and how serious this is.” 

I asked Cataldi if the situation will change only if partners press charges. “They should do whatever they feel comfortable with,” he answered. “We should do what justice is. The police should still go after the person. They should find another way to get them. I’m not going to blame them. It’s not going to alter the way I look at the situation.”

Partners call the police when they feel their lives are in danger. But in the courts and back at home, the power reverts back to the players, whose millions of dollars of income creates a power imbalance in the relationship, and must weigh on legal proceedings. Fixing this issue is not the sole responsibility of the partners. It’s our responsibility as a culture that values men’s careers over women’s lives. Unless there is video proof or eyewitnesses, it’s easier to look away from the situation. Forgive, forget, redeem, repeat. It’s time to break that cycle. And it’s significant that Cataldi, the ringleader of the circus that is WIP Sports Radio, won’t shut up about holding abusers accountable. His recent turn alone won’t atone for the last 30 years of morning radio antics. But in the third act of Cataldi’s career, it’s the sign of an entertainer reviving his journalism credentials.

Returning to what fans can do to hold teams accountable for domestic violence, Cataldi offers one suggestion: “Picket these stadiums. Make it so uncomfortable for the MLB, that they won’t tolerate it.” It would be satisfying as a mob of fans to demand that the Phillies release Herrera immediately. But I’m not so sure it addresses a problem this complex.

Psychiatrist James Gilligan once wrote, “The purpose of violence is to diminish the intensity of shame and replace it as far as possible with its opposite, pride, thus preventing the individual from being overwhelmed by the feeling of shame.” To accept this explanation is to also acknowledge that a player losing his career over abuse charges will only exacerbate that shame, and intensify the circumstances that created the abuse. More alarmingly, a leader with the National Network To End Domestic Violence said, “If we would say that the first time your partner calls 911 your career is over, her risk of homicide shoots through the roof.” To accept these statements is to acknowledge that a player ban, while actionable and satisfying, doesn’t address the root cause.

So, how does MLB address a problem as complex as domestic violence? Perhaps the league could treat this issue with the same gravitas it treats the use of performance enhancing drugs. Players found guilty of domestic violence should immediately receive a one-year suspension. An outside counsel should immediately begin treatments. And yes, players should be offered a pathway back to playing. This is not because all players deserve a second chance—I, for one, do not ever want to see Odubel Herrera in a Phillies uniform again. No, this pathway is out of concern for the abused, who may avoid calling the police at all. It also mandates rehabilitation and education, to address the root causes of abuse, so that if and when we see a player back on the field (and that’s a big IF), fans know an independent therapist has guided their recovery.  

Maybe we join Cataldi’s call for a picket, or maybe we compel the league to accept these measures. The league and the team are smart enough to protect their brand by acting just enough to appease the public relations—it’s time for fans to send a clear message to ownership that we will not look away until domestic abuse is not tolerated. If nothing changes, then it’s time that fans begin boycotting games to let empty stadiums do the talking.

“After 26 years of Wing Bowl, the most politically incorrect event in sports history, [this issue has] become more important to me every day, even though I know some people don’t want to hear it,” says Cataldi. “It’s about damn time I stood up for something.”

Photo via Philadelphia City Council

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The Linc - ESPN dubs J.J. Arcega-Whiteside the Eagles’ best value pick

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

Best 2019 NFL draft value picks for all 32 teams: Todd McShay’s favorites - ESPN In$ider JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford (Round 2, No. 57 overall): Arcega-Whiteside comes from a basketball family, which is fitting because I think of him as a power forward. You won’t see much better in terms of boxing out defensive backs, especially in the red zone. He’s a scoring machine, finding the end zone 14 times last season. The Stanford product has very good speed and will come down with 50-50 balls. Look for him to use savvy route running and physicality to find separation. Between Arcega-Whiteside, newly signed DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery, Carson Wentz is going to have a lot of mouths to feed this season.I also like Andre Dillard, although he needs some development. Miles Sanders can be an eventual starter, but for now fits in nicely with the running-back committee.

The best picks from Day 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft - PFF Pick 57 – JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Philadelphia Eagles. Big Board Rank: 23rdArcega-Whiteside should take the Eagles’ red-zone offense to the next level. His body control and catch radius is a perfect pairing with Carson Wentz. The Stanford wideout led the nation in red zone receiving grade last year.

NFL Draft Results: Eagles welcome five rookies to Philadelphia - BGN The Philadelphia Eagles entered the 2019 NFL Draft with seven picks and left with only five new rookies (for the second year in a row). Here’s a complete recap of this year’s draft class.

Reviewing the Eagles 2019 NFL Draft - BGN Radio Brandon Lee Gowton and Michael Kist analyze the entirety of the Eagles 2019 NFL Draft with fresh takes on the players selected and the UDFAs brought in! Presented by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Eagles Add a QB & DT - Iggles Blitz Thorson is not a great QB. He is not a special prospect. But he is a QB that the Eagles liked. They think he has the traits to develop into a good player in their system. Thorson is 6-4, 222. He is a pocket-passer, but also has good athleticism. That is also the description for Carson Wentz, Nick Foles and Nate Sudfeld. Notice the trend? Thorson has a solid arm. He only completed 58 percent of his passes. You want that number to be 65 percent in college. Thorson threw for 61 TDs, but also 45 INTs. He did run for 27 TDs. Thorson throws well on the move. He can throw from different platforms. Puts good touch on his throws. He doesn’t have the arm to really drive the ball. Also doesn’t put good zip on intermediate throws. “QB wins” can be highly flawed when used too strongly, but Thorson won three bowl games in four years at Northwestern. There is something to be said for that.

Eagles draft is complete, did they do enough this offseason to upgrade their defensive line? - Inquirer But what about the ones that got away, or the ones they weren’t willing to trade up for? It may have taken a second-rounder to nab Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins or slightly more than they gave up for Dillard to swipe Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons before the Dolphins and Titans selected each at No. 13 and 19, respectively. But it may have been worth the gamble. Only time will tell. The Eagles shouldn’t draft for the coming season, but their defensive line, from this vantage point, doesn’t look much stronger than it did before the offseason. And they didn’t get younger. Roseman emphasized that player acquisition isn’t over. He may still have a defensive lineman up his sleeve. Perhaps, Ezekiel Ansah? But the roster, for the most part, is set. And the Eagles’ moves up front on defense were solid, if underwhelming. They re-signed defensive end Brandon Graham and just, on Thursday, defensive tackle Tim Jernigan. They acquired defensive tackle Malik Jackson and brought back defensive end Vinny Curry. And they said goodbye to defensive end Michael Bennett, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, and (essentially) defensive end Chris Long.

Clayton Thorson out to win a spot in Eagles’ QB room - PE.com “I grew up watching Peyton Manning,” he said. “I think I take things from each quarterback I watch. You watch Aaron Rodgers get out of the pocket and move and he is pretty impressive. But I try to be myself and who that is is a guy who can sling it. With our offense at Northwestern, I was able to learn how to throw the ball with a lot of anticipation and tight windows, making plays on the run, moving the pocket a little bit. But we had a great offense at Northwestern in terms of preparing me for the NFL. So, I feel like I have taken a lot from many different quarterbacks.”

Clayton Thorson drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 5th round - Inside NU At the beginning of last fall, some outlets had Thorson as a projected first-round pick and a potential top five quarterback in the draft class, but over the last few months, his projected draft position settled between the third and fifth rounds. There was talk as to who was most interested in Thorson, with Panthers offensive coordinator Norv Turner notably attending his Pro Day. All 32 NFL teams were in attendance, but only Carolina met with him after his drills. Some also had him going to the Patriots at the end of the third round. Thorson didn’t partake in running or jumping drills at the Combine as he was recovering from an ankle injury he suffered in the Holiday Bowl, but he did throw with the other quarterbacks. He was not perfect, missing a few intermediate throws, but impressed with his strong arm on deep balls.

Philadelphia Eagles Select Shareef Miller - Black Shoe Diaries He’s shown the ability to be solid against both the run and the pass and while he lacks the quick twitch ability to be an elite pass rusher, Miller could well be a solid rotational defensive lineman for year to come. Additionally, Miller is a Philadelphia native and will get to stay home to start his NFL career.

Thor’s Best Available UDFA - Rotoworld [BLG Note: Eagles have reportedly added a couple names on this list.]

Eagles’ Alshon Jeffery Hosts Scavenger Hunt Giving Fans Chance To Find 9 Autographed Kids’ Jerseys During NFL Draft Weekend - CBS Philly It’s NFL Draft weekend and while the festivities are being held in Nashville, Tennessee, one of the Eagles wide receivers is making it special for fans in Philadelphia. Alshon Jeffery started a three-day scavenger hunt on Thursday, giving fans the opportunity to find nine autographed Jeffery kids’ jerseys. On Thursday he tweeted telling fans he was going to post clues on Twitter each day to let them know where they could find the jerseys.

This Rutgers standout’s life story is compared to ‘The Blind Side,’ but it’s even more extraordinary - NJ.com To get the complete picture of Kevin Wilkins’ story -- the one his two moms compare to an Academy Awards-nominated film called ‘The Blind Side’ -- start with the tattoos. Wilkins has ink decorated all over his upper body, each telling a story of his unusual path to Rutgers. There’s one celebrating his Cherokee Indian roots ... one honoring St. Joseph High in Montvale ... one depicting New Jersey ... and one signaling his No. 99 jersey. There are deeply personal ones, too. His four brothers and two sisters are honored on his arms. He has one for his mom who only recently returned to his life, one for a biological dad he never knew, and one he got as a 16-year-old to honor the woman who raised him. [BLG Note: Eagles reportedly signed Wilkins as an UDFA.]

Caleb Wilson Drafted by the Arizona Cardinals with the Last Pick of the 2019 NFL Draft - Bruins Nation Mr. Irrelevant becomes the only Bruin picked in 2019. [BLG Note: Caleb is the son of former Eagles defensive line coach Chris Wilson.]

Our hottest takes from a long Day 3 of the 2019 NFL Draft - SB Nation Congratulations to Philadelphia, who found the first quarterback drafted with worse advanced stats than Daniel Jones.

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Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2019/4/28/18521229/eagles-news-espn-names-j-j-arcega-whiteside-philadelphia-best-value-nfl-draft-pick-stanford-receiver