4 Hard Downs: Sione Vaki, Rooting For Dudes, The Farm and Pool Season

We had Mother's Day, looking back at some other draft favorites and went to a farm

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there; I am actually going over to my mother’s house one day this week to give her her present, which is digging a hole for this tree I bought her. It is a brown turkey fig and another part of the present is I got all of her lines located so that we don’t ruin the transformer in her backyard or hit any go the AT&T or gas or cable lines that are back there.

As for my wife’s Mother’s Day, we did surf and turf with crab legs, lobster and a t-bone. She had the filet, I had the strip and we were good to go. I also got her this 1,000 piece psycho puzzle that she finished in a day:

This is a thing I could never finish, let alone in a day

But the real treat was our pool is open and she got to do what she loves, which is go to the pool and hang out with friends. So, now that we have established that it is pool season let’s go ahead and SPOT THE BALL!!!

1st Down: Pool Season Is Upon Us

We have the inflatables. We have the bag. We have the cooler (which I have already duct tape reinforced). We had our first pool day.

I do think the unicorn is already broken

Now, let me be clear, I do hate the pool. I would never pick it. I would never suggest it. I do not ever want to go and have that be the thing I’m doing.

However, my family loves the pool. Like spend 5-7 hours at the pool. Meet and talk and play and hang with everyone at the pool. So, I go to the pool and I don’t yuck everyone’s yum. I delight in packing the perfect cooler with lunch and wine and some beers and snacks. That’s my achievement.

Then I run home from the pool. Literally, I run the just under 3 miles back home after I have put in the time.

This year, we have a new wrinkle; my kid is doing swim team. First practice is today. I will not be at said practice. Not because I don’t want to be, but because (if you listened HITDPod you’d know) my kid cannot handle a lot of pressure and both parents being there brings pressure to her. And as the sports person in our family it is better that my very sweet wife is there for support instead of me.

I don’t think I put pressure on her, but I think she does feel pressure when I’m there and I am trying to figure that part out.

2nd Down: The Farm Before Pool

We let our kid miss a day of school for a trip to check out Cool Blow Farms. My high school best friend and his wife have a farm with a couple head of cattle, a ton of chickens and you can actually AirBnB the cabin.

Which is where we stayed.

My kid got to hold a chicken:

She also saw a bunch of alligators in the wild, not in the zoo, just in the pond swimming around. We didn’t go into Charleston but if you’re interested in visiting it is close enough, about a 30 minute drive, to get there and back for an early dinner or a brunch or lunch.

Also, we have new endeavor:

So, we are checking estate sales and craigslists for a functional piano. So it is about to get louder at House WinterFelder. My wife and my kid are going to be in hog heaven this summer between the pool and the piano. My niece plays piano. My wife played piano. I have never done anything musical in my life, so I guess I am just the support man on this one.

3rd Down: Sione Vaki Is A Good Problem To Have

That’s enough family stuff, a lot of you signed up for the football and we need to get to that. Although, shout out to Ashley, Kathy and my mom who really like the family updates and couldn’t give a damn about the football talk.

Sione Vaki is an interesting case I’ve been meaning to get to because while we were doing the draft for Bleacher Report he was picked as a safety. Or, better stated, our B-Roll and all the people we talked to had him slotted as a safety, including just the NFL itself in terms of how we was listed.

Then they flipped him to RB.

Apparently the Lions view him as a running back. Backing up David Montgomery and last year’s first rounder Jahmyr Gibbs.

Maybe it is a way to get him on the field?

They drafted Ennis Rakestraw and Terrion Arnold, two guys playing in the back end. A year before they picked Brian Branch who has already been an impact guy. I want him to play defense, speaking of Vaki, but it might be too crowded back there and he can contribute quicker, and more, beyond special teams by playing RB.

4th Down: It Is Ok To Root For Guys

I’m rooting for Vaki. I’m rooting for Mike Sainristil. Two of my draft favorites. I’m rooting for everyone, for the most part. Everyone doesn’t make it and that is the hardest part of being a draft analyst and seeing when you’re wrong and when you’re right.

The Colts GM going in on folks talking about Adonai Mitchell was nice, and he is another guy I’m rooting for; especially after all the swirling discussion around him and his drop in the draft.

This is going to be a really interesting NFL season because so many of the guys are actually older, due to the extra covid year many players took to be super seniors. Add in the portal and grad transfer and there a lot of 5-6 year guys like Michael Penix Jr, who I am also rooting for, walking into the NFL as full ass grown adult men.

And it is fine to root for all of them. This week we’re going to look into the UDFA’s after I get this Vaki thing up later today.

I hope everyone had a good Mother’s Day. After traveling and then doing Mother’s Day, I am very ready to be back on track and on routine.

Cheers!!!