4 Hard Downs: PGA Championship, Friends & Today's Elite Athlete

We have to stop dragging down current teens, I will drag Quail and it is great to see your friends

I finally, for the first time since Monday, got to go to my Harris Teeter.

My “trek” to my personal Harris Teeter, which is 4-6 minutes, normally, depending on time of day, took 15 minutes. 15 minutes and had to ride around 15 buses in and 6 buses on my way back home..

21 buses.

The tournament is great for the city. Revenue generator. Great for AirBnB folks. Great for hotels. Great for restaurants (we will get to that).

So let’s SPOT THE BALL!!!

1st Down: Golf Tournament Vibes

There’s nothing to write. This is the reality for the last week and we are finally out of the weeds. I went to my Harris Teeter, finally, on Sunday and talked to my squadron who work there and every single one of the were like, “I just hope they finish today so it is done”

My associate who was checking me out said multiple golf bros argued with her about not being able to buy beer or white claws or truly before 10 on Sunday.

2nd Down: Jean Shorts

A prominent singer mentioned me in an instagram post because when he got to college I made fun of his jean shorts. I apologize if it was harrowing for him in a world where, if you’ve ever been to Chapel Hill, it is very khaki.

Hee was always a good teammate. He was good in NASCAR pits. I am happy for your career.

I don’t mind being called out, it was mean of me to joke on you.

You can play guitar, I can’t. You got in the game, I didn’t.

I’ve got a cutting tongue, though and here is where I choose not to use it.

Our team was there for you when you lost your dad. You losing your father, B-Tate having a kid and when we all donated our meal money to Katrina are the most, as a team we really came together LB/DB rooms but more offense/defense, the entire team.

You can hate me, that’s fine. But I love you, truly. I love every teammate I’ve had, even Arthur.

And for the record, your jean shorts were probably better than when RT was on hard gainers and all of his shirts were too small after he got bigger. That said, I had my own wardrobe malfunctions after being on hard gainers; ruined my freshman Christmas.

See, I am a mean person. You’re not wrong for calling me a dick.

3rd Down: Seeing Friends Is Great

Speaking of old friends, got to see my guy Martin Rickman twice this past week. We had lunch at Moosehead, well he had lunch, I had to get home to make dinner so I just had a High Life.

Then Sunday, Martin and wife came over for chicken tacos and we just had a time.

Drinks. Food. Fellowship.

Filled my heart up.

If you get a shot to do that, just stop your life for a bit and soak up the friendship and soak up getting to be with your people. The smiles we had were so big.

I am sorry I don’t have any pics. I was too busy living life.

4th Down: Elite Athletes Are Different Today

I had a conversation with my wife about “Old Heads” and “getting it out the mud.” First and foremost, respect to them and laying a path for players today. Obviously back to Jackie Robinson, Curt Flood, Roberto Clemente, Vida Blue etc.

They walked so these guys could run.

Basketball and baseball specifically.

Throw softball into the mix even.

So, two mens and two womens sports. What Dawn Staley and Kim Mulkey got growing up aren’t the same as what the kids they recruit are getting.

Same with men’s hoops.

Carlos Boozer (and partner), has 2 of the top 25 players in the country. You think they’re shooting on chain nets in the snow?

No.

We are seeing a lot more California and Texas than the Georgia and Florida of it all.

More kids with access, more training coming to college as products not prospects.

When I got to UNC, not myself but teammates, had to be taught how to power clean and how to squat because they didn’t do anything but bench and basically backlift everything. Great athletes, better athletes than I was, I just was lucky enough to have a power lifter as a coach and we learned Olympic lifts. In Cali or Texas you get that from middle school on. More developed.

What we are seeing is the proliferation of information. Georgia and Florida are still producing a ton of players, those players now have access to the information Cali and Texas kid had prior to.

That’s what this week’s podcast is going to be about because what we should be talking about is a very different thing. AAU, Travel Ball, Soccer Clubs are starting to exclude and that’s the issue, to me.

Oh, and I also got to spend 2 hours with just my parents and it was so tight. We truly all took out our phones and were like, “how do you do that on your phone, my phone doesn’t do that,” at my dining room table. They also got a “Good Neighbor” in real life when my neighbor brought back a cake carrier as I walked them to their cars.

It was from the red velvet cake I made them after one of their parents passed away recently. My folks were very proud their son does things that were handed down from them.

Cheers!!!!