O.K. the fish won…but really they didn’t in the overall erspective of a fishery, they are still losing.

The trip was wonderful but the fish-netting that has gone on down there over the years made for poor fishing conditions..maybe the weather maybe not, but there were very few fish to be seen and caught and I’ve been at it a while so I can read a fishery pretty quickly.

Some cuts this past week and now Brandon? It will be interesting to see how this plays out as I had no TV for a week (which was actually kinda nice) had internet sporatically so I didn’t post of reply to this as the satelite connection would often just kick off-line while I was in the middle of a business e-mail (frustrating) and expensive and…well a week out of commissions not a bad thing, if you know what I mean.

I’ll toss up a few old camp stories (like ordering pizza and dropping water on the deliver guys from the 3rd story) as we are right around the corner (getting excited) and I’ve even ordered my Bronco schedules for my real estate clients.

When you said 3-a-days in Tampa I thought you had a typo or something… wow! Glad you survived it, sounds brutal. Hope these guys can get their act together and start playing as a team… already on my last nerve. I really hope Dawkins has a HUGE impact on both sides of the ball and these young players and hopefully him and Champ will be one heck of a leadership duo… something this team desperately needs.

So the Fan Fair was quite something. Only got a few autographs and pics as it was very disappointing how they had the whole thing organized. But my highlight was my first picture was with Stokley… seriously about died!! Such a nice guy and a GREAT picture with him (uh make that two). Then I got 2 pics taken with Torain and Hillis… was sitting on cloud 9 there but then that was it. DJ Williams walked right by me before I got a chance to say anything but I got a picture of him walking by. Okay, so I know this has nothing to do with Coop’s blog but I was just so excited to get the pictures and autographs I did… I had to share it with all of my fellow Broncomaniacs.

I’d go again but they need to seriously find another way to organize it… spent an entire 2 hours… yeah 2 hours in ONE line… ridiculous if you ask me. Was pretty much worth it when I ended up with autographs and in between Torain and Hillis but that was just crazy… should’ve seen how long that line was!! Good thing it wasn’t like a million degrees out there. Alright alright I’m done babbling but it was freakin’ awesome!!! Oh and to top off the bad part of that day… just missed getting Randy Gradishar’s autograph… about shot myself in the foot… still mad about that one, oh well. Alright I promise now I’m done.

With faith…
GO BRONCOS in ’09!!!!

Catch and release also like some players of late. The team let go some free-agents already, but honestly, that’s the best thing…move on or elsewhere.

I’ll keep you in suspense till I get back as camps were interesting around the league and I’ll call some of my buddies and see what funny stories they have from camps of past…not that there so different but in the 80′s we hit EVERYDAY.

One quick story. 3-a-days, Tampa, 98 degree’s 98% humidity, like breathing in a sauna. 1:00pm practice. Low on lineman and I go about 150 plays (2 games) with the first and the second team and are dying while doing so….sucking it up…in the zone…playing well and as the day goes on trying to survive. Guys are dropping from dehydration, cramps and a few injuries. We finish with goal line drills, etc.

We get done with practice and now we have sprints and ladders (. Perkins walks over to me and say’s great job and just go through the motions on the sprints I know what you just went through going with both teams.

I’m thinking I’m about to go down (only if someone shoots me) but make it through while kind of seeing myself from outside my body. Weird. I get through and am walking across the street back to the locker rooms and by now I’m thinking, wow, everything I did in the off-season really paid off and I’m in the absolute best shape in my life and feeling pretty good about what I just went through and how I played and my off-season preparation.

Then a cold chill starts running through my body and I’m thinking, hmmm, this is what I’ve heard guys mention that are dehydrated and then my face starts cramping, my legs and my arms and fists, etc and it’s getting a little scary and I tell the guy I’m walking with to go get a trainer as I think I’m having an issue. I try to jog so I can get to the training room faster and that’s a joke. I get just outside the training room as I go into full cramps and fall to the ground as the trainers run over and grab me and drag me into the training room and throw me up on the table and hit both arms with IV’s and one trainers standing over me sqeezing the bags into me as fast as possible in both arms.

Some of that got foggy but I take 4 bags (IV’s)….we use to call it getting bagged…so a 4 bagger. They monitored me for a while to make sure I’m O.K. as we all laughed about what a Superman I thought I was and wasn’t. Being a ole Florida boy and playing in that heat growing up I thought I was immune to dehydration. Goes to show you how tough we aren’t sometimes.

Coop

Catch ya next week with more camp stories. Some may be a little juvenile but remember we were in our 20′s.

That picture… amaizing! Glad to see there are other outdoorsman/football fans in the world.

I also want to mention that I love hearing about training camp and the work you players actually have to do.

I love reading your articals. Your work is great!

Thanks for the great read,

Jack

Thanks for the insight on how it was, and likely to a degree, still is.
Let’s say, if they win, you owe us a blog that is three times the length of this one! If you win…. Well, how ’bout a blog three times as long as this one? Just kiddin’ – good stuff, always good to hear updates/ thoughts/ memories and how you’re doin’! As Bob Dylan has said, Keep on keepin’ on Mr. Cooper.

I can’t imagine doing 3-a-days in Tampa heat. I sure hope this Bronco team straps thier boots on and gets after it like Dawkins is preaching.

Hey Coop, just remember, stay calm, keep your rod up and line tight!

Orange Crush!!!!!!