4 Hard Downs: Zoo, Nico, NFL Draft & Easter

We are talking egg hunts, we got flowers plus NFL Draft Shows and a major NIL thing

My kid had spring break last week, which is why I’m late this week. It was a week of my wife, who is a teacher, and my kid, who is a student, both being at home; which is where I am everyday.

Just a whole family together, the whole time.

Do with that info what you will.

We didn’t do the beach, I’m deep in draft prep, but we wanted to at least do a thing. The thing was the zoo and so go ahead and SPOT THE BALL!!!

1st Down: North Carolina Zoo Slaps

Here are my girls

They are big elephant fans, so at the world’s largest natural habitat zoo, they got to see elephants actually roaming and grazing, not jut eating from a trough. Very cool. My daughter’s bedroom is elephants.

Not a joke.

So they got to see elephants, giraffes, gorillas, polar bears, red foxes blah blah blah, we did the entire zoo from North America to Africa. Komodo Dragon? Check.

I was on my dad shit. Backpack with snacks and water. Wagon with snacks and their jackets for when it got warm after our early arrival and ready for my kid to tap out. 5 miles.

She didn’t tap out.

I just dragged a Radio Flyer around for 5 miles while my wife and kid looked at animals.

It will hurt your back. It will hurt your feet. Yet, the smile on your face seeing your kid be happy is worth it all. Add in your wife being happy and you get to steal some fries from them because you’re not in your feeding window.

Worth it.

Great spring break.

2nd Down: Easter Egg Hunt

We wrapped up Spring Break with an Easter Egg Hunt and this is how your boy does it, for anyone who wants tips. Don’t use hard boiled eggs. Get the plastic, reusable joints or, as my wife found this year, the confetti eggs.

I like to hide them at night after my kid goes to bed. Now, here is the key, draw a map of your property. This will make sure that you remember where all the eggs are and, hency my point on not doing hard boiled (that is for egg dying but you don’t leave them outside overnight so after you dye them, you can put those in a salad) you’ll not have months old lost eggs.

Top is the OG. X marks the spot. That’s where you’re gonna find your eggs. Helps a kid figure out orientation, which is a skill in this GPS age is important, and it is a rough schematic of our home. The next one is how you know you have a 7 year old because she wanted to do another egg hunt.

E Marks the spot.

So we did 4 egg hunts:

-My egg hunt setup from the night before
-My egg hunt with the Es
-My wife’s egg hunt that my kid asked for
-My egg hunt that my kid setup for me

And after my egg hunt that my kid setup I busted every confetti egg to end the run on egg hunts.

Four is enough.

3rd Down: Nico Iamaleava Situation is Interesting

I truly still don’t know how to talk about this.

Cam Newton on it:

These guys on it:

espn1045

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Plus these former players on it and there are a lot of great points.

-How good is Nico Iamaleava?
-Should he be able to have negotiating power?
-Why don’t we just call a spade a spade and treat them as pros with actual contracts and incentives?
-Is UCLA getting their Cam Ward?

Honestly, it speaks to the QB thirst that we will see on Thursday when possibly 4 quarterbacks get picked in the first round that wouldn’t have been first rounders last year.

Do other players have this same impact/bargaining chip or power, or is it just the QB position?

1-I hate talking about it
2-If Carson Beck does it and gets rewarded, why can’t he do the same thing?
3-Football is like a really good chili or stew

What I mean by 3 is it takes time. It isn’t a microwave meal. It isn’t a Hungry Man or Chef Boyardee that nuke and eat. It isn’t a pop-tart you just throw in the toaster. With football you have to make it from scratch and let the ingredients marry.

Everything with football that is “microwave results” you see them crumble, not stand the test of time. Michigan State with Mel Tucker in 2021. Larry Fedora at UNC. Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M.

Three different situations; transfer life vs hot offense vs buying a recruiting class. All same results. You can get success but sustainability is a problem and that’s why, as a guy steeped in foundational team building I don’t know how to talk about it.

4th Down: NFL Draft Shows Coming Up

Y’all I am fully back on my bullshit with the NFL Draft. Spreadsheet is almost full, just need OL to fill things out to the 300 guys that I want to make sure I get eyes on before I go to New York City to work out of the B/R Studio for Days 2 and 3.

“Why won’t you be in Green Bay?”

Listen Linda, no one wants to be in Green Bay. They HAVE to be in Green Bay but no one wants to be there. I’ve got friends who work in radio who are going to the draft for their local affiliate to cover their NFL team and they’re having to stay in Milwaukee and drive up, for three days.

I’m going to be in Manhattan, an eight minute walk from studio with a chance to go to some of the best restaurants in the world. Gimme that kitty cat.

I’m also going to get home, after a complicated trip on Sunday morning, in time for my kid’s swim meet where I will timing swimmers to get ready for the summer season.

Cheers!!!