4 Hard Downs: Career Day, Recovery, Meck Mile & Mini Camps
Big sleeps, explaining my job and getting ready for the Meck Mile and mini camps
I am going to get into the nuts and bolts of career day in a second but I might as well set the stage. My booth, or table to be more specific, was next to a lady I went to middle and high school with who is now married to a guy a played high school baseball with and her daughter is in my kid’s first grade class.
So, super connected in a small world; they also live in the neighborhood across the street.
She does IG content and a lot of mom stuff that is very cool, so check out Lauren Palmer if you’re into meal prep, Amazon hauls, shopping tips or outfit of the day.
Here’s her video from career day.
So we might as well get into it because in the words of my wife, “You made it to the school IG again.” Let’s go ahead and SPOT THE BALL!!!
1st Down: Top Three Career Day Spot
I think my friend Lauren was arguably the “winner” of career day. I think it was neck and neck between me and the architect that was next to me. He had the tracing paper for the kids and they got to basically trace building blueprints, which was very cool.
My table was after his so I literally had to make a spot for the kids to put their drawings on my table, and basically he alpha’d me out of my own space so I guess he is number two.
I’m three.
Out of 15 or 16 people that’s still a bit of a win. Especially as the only “career” person there with a 5950, shorts and a t-shirt on.
My original plan was to have the kids pick a job and shoot a video and then edit the video to show them all the elements it takes to get a useable piece of TV. We only had 7 minutes.
Adapt and survive.
I played this 90 second video for them:
Then we went through each element of making a show. Directors. Producers. Hair & Make-up. Lighting. Camera Ops. Sound. Then we took questions and then we did a demo of the equipment and they went to the next table.
The questions were both standard, because they had a script sheet, but also very wild when they got off script.
-How much money do you make?
-What team do you go for?
-What time do you go to work in the morning?
-Where do you live?
Just a smattering sample that I remember.
OH AND MULTIPLE TIMES SOME BOY IN THE GROUP ASKED, “WHY DO YOU WEAR MAKEUP?”
Like he was making fun of me because “make up” is for girls. Which led to me walking to my light and turning it on full blast after putting the camera on them and some kids stayed in front, others went to the camera. Explaining foundation, powder, sweat is a lot easier when kids are looking at themselves look terrible on camera.
All in all, great experience for them and for myself.
2nd Down: Fully Recovered From NFL Draft
It took a long ass time between the swim meet and trying to maintain my mileage (on Career Day, I did jog a 5k after I also sold a house, so I was gassed all weekend) and trying to use this mower to maintain stuff.
But in the words of Antwone Fisher
Monday, I am finally back to normal. I have fallen asleep at dinner. I have fallen asleep just hanging out. I am now back to regular because I’m caught up. Between 11+ hours of live TV, the rush to get to the swim meet and be head timer, the everyday 6am wake up to get kid to school, mow the lawn 15 minutes at a time, make dinner plus make sure you get at least a mile, let alone a 5k and spin class; I’m gold baby.
We had tacos last night, tonight we’re having lasagna.
3rd Down: Saturday Is The Meck Mile
I am back in to do the Meck Mile. Use promo code HITD and you’ll save yourself some money if you want to do it too.
I will not be running with Stephen Hartzell, he and Miller Yoho are trying to go sub-6 and honestly I think my body, my gait and if we’re being honest, my desire will not allow for coming close to that.
I also do not want to wait until 6pm to run. I go at 3. That’s two hours after I usually exercise. I like to have things buttoned up at 1 at the latest. 6 is really getting into my whiskey time on the weekend. 3? I’m golden.
I am aiming to throw in just an 8 or 9, 10 at the worst and then beer garden, whiskey time.
I hope if you’re in Charlotte, especially with kids being free and the other, non-competitive runs you can come out and support a cool event and good cause. Hell, if you stay you will get to see people who can go sub-5 and maybe sub-4 to get that prize money.
4th Down: Rookie Minicamps Starting
Rookie minicamp is a moment and we will see what happens. Travis Hunter getting reps on both sides of the ball, which in the podcast that goes up this week I will be explicitly clear how I feel. Shedeur Sanders vs Dillon Gabriel in a vacuum without Kenny Pickett or Joe Flacco is another huge story.
Honestly, I thought I would be more into seeing what happens but mostly I just like the pictures of guys with the tape on their helmet with their name on it. If you’ve never been to camp or spring or minicamp basically they put masking tape on your helmet because no one knows who you are.
They don’t care.
It is also, and that’s why this made 4 Hard Downs, it is a de-humanizing while also humanizing element to football that a lot of folks don’t experience. The coaches don’t know your name or number yet. So they have the equipment folks put tape on your helmet and write your last name on it.
De-humanizing? They don’t care enough to know your name and associate it with your number.
Humanizing? They want to call you by your name.
Is it because they want to yell at you for doing things wrong? Yes. But at least they’re not out there going, “Number 33, what the fuck are you doing?” They’re going, “Roberts, what the fuck are you doing?”
You see how that is better?
Cheers!!!