So I went to Redskins park today and tried with all I had to come up with something and I couldn't. Chris and I brainstormed for nearly 30 minutes and we had nothing. So we thought it would be a good time for 20 questions to make a comeback. We want to know what you guys want to hear about and also give you a chance to ask whatever is on your mind to Chris and anyone else on the team. This doesn't mean that he (or whoever question is directed to) will answer but we will pick out 20 of our favorites. All questions need to be in the comment section of this post before Friday afternoon. Thanks.
15 games have already been played this week yet there are so many more worth watching. If there is a word that can describe my feelings about college football it would be "Playoffs." I mean I don't care if the four one loss teams look better than Utah on paper, Utah just crushed BYU. Giving them two wins against top 15 teams this year. Now I know they will probably get a BCS bid, but what about Boise State? They're winning by an average of 27 PPG and if I remember correctly, they beat Oklahoma in their last BCS game. They have only lost 10 games since 2002 (one more loss than USC over that period). That alone proves they are a legit program. Put them in a MFBCS game!
Okay, on to this weeks games. The first one should be Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State, but how many Big 12 south match ups can we take in one year? This brings me to the Florida/Florida State game. I can't figure out how Florida is ranked #4 (biggest wins were over LSU (5 losses) and Georgia (2 losses)). I guess that's what playing in the SEC does for a program. Either way, this should be a great game and if Florida can pull off a win on the road they will be ONE BIG WIN away from the National Title game.
Due to my location I've heard so much about the Virginia/Va Tech game. It may be a huge game to the alumni and the locals, but these two teams have 10 combined losses and coaches that are more concerned about impressing this weekends recruits than anything else. This brings us to Auburn at Alabama. These games always seem like the ones that bite a team in the ass. A rivalry game in which one team has everything on the line and the other, only pride. Pride can be enough at times but I've been to Bryant-Denny Stadium and that "Sweet Home Alabama, ROLL TIDE ROLL" crowd is going to be tough to overcome for the Tigers. Some other good games worth noting are Georgia/Georgia Tech, Maryland/Boston College, and Oregon/Oregon State. I wish I could say that the USC/Notre Dame game was going to be a good one, but USC might win by 50 points, sorry Brady Quinn.
The day before thanksgiving marked the return of the great Ryan Boschetti. Since I wrote the ode to Boschetti leaving us. I find it only fitting that I write of his glamorous return. I think Thanksgiving week serves as the proper backdrop for the comeback. When I think about the many things to be thankful for this holiday. I am thankful to have Boschetti back with us. Plus with all the wide variety of food choices for Thanksgiving tomorrow, why not a Big Greasy Meatball to go along with all the traditional favorites.
With the defense battered and bruised this week Boschetti might see some action. He is a true utility player who can play all the D- Line spots for us and also mike linebacker. If London Fletcher can 't go this week can you imagine Boss roaming the middle like an old school kick ass Dick Butkus? The possibilities are endless.
During his first day of practice yesterday Boschetti didn't disappoint. He was back to his usual balls out, fly around, out of control, Tasmanian devil like self that makes him special. He started one altercation with the offense line to no ones surprise, I think we all knew it would happen at some point during practice. He then managed to get through practice with a slippery like ease that only a Greasy Meatball could. So welcome back Boschetti.
I'm nervous, standing and watching anxiously. I had just arrived at Fed Ex field for the Washington Redskins Harvest feast. It's a Thanksgiving based event that attempts to help so many hungry families have a great meal for the holidays. I'm happy that my wife and brother have made the trip with me, I look over my shoulder and even though they only see me smiling and signing autographs while I work, they make me much more comfortable. It's not that I'm scared to be a part of any charitable event, it just feels awkward to be a part of when its people in need. It's hard to take in my surroundings, there are just so many unfamiliar people. Some are better dressed , some in rags, many weathered and worn out, some look desperate. There is noise all around me, but the stadium feels quiet.
After meeting with all the volunteers I learned my job for the day wouldn't be working in the lines at the stadium, but driving around to different shelters in the Fed Ex delivery truck. A half hour at the stadium blew by like 5 minutes I'm hurried toward my ride for the day. I'm standing on the stair of the truck and a woman is coming towards me. She is in her early 30's and she has a black trench coat and she has short dark hair and desperate eyes. She has been watching me. She's quiet when she tells me she has no place to live and she has been cut out of the line for the food. She arrived too late and just wants a turkey. I'm being pressured to leave by three different people at this point. I had just watched over 300 turkeys thrown in the back of the truck and I know they are going with me to the shelters, but I figured I could get just one. I get to the back of the truck and I cant get the door open. I feel stupid and after a minute a worker again hurries me toward the door. I don't really know what to do. The woman says she can probably sell an autograph. I don't have a pen, she doesn't have any paper. I felt lost in our interaction. I feel sorry. I wish I could be more help.
An hour later I'm riding around Greenbelt Maryland in a burgundy 47 jersey handing out turkeys like Fed Ex deliveries and I'm thinking about how I've gotten to where I am. I'm thankful for my life and my family. I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had at success and the people who have been behind me all the way. I'm thankful that my biggest worry for the Thanksgiving meal is figuring out how to bake an apple pie from scratch. I'm thankful that I'm the guy passing out the turkeys. I smile knowing I'm sharing the day with my wife.
We make another stop to unload more bags. We walk into the shelter and the first guy tells me I'm not big enough to be Chris Cooley. He really doesn't believe me. I look down at my jersey and he sees me. He tells me lots of people got Redskin jerseys. One of the volunteers confirms to the older man who I really am and that I came to help them with their Thanksgiving dinner. He tells me he could tackle me, but it's nice that I'm helping with the bags of food. I laugh. After four or five more trips of carrying bags inside a small crowd of the residents begins to form. I have a team ready to tackle me. We start to share some football stories and after ten minutes everyone is laughing. It's great to see people smile. I feel more comfortable in the intimate situation. We all shake hands before we leave. Crazy to think how close our lives had been at one point in time. Again I'm thankful.
We make a couple more stops on the trip around and all with great result. Everyone is very thankful for the food. I feel much better now that the trip is coming to a close. I'm excited we took part in the event. The Redskins did another outstanding job of putting a charitable function. As we get back to our truck I see over 20 players still there hanging out talking to people. It's funny we all show up a little apprehensive and by the end of the day everyone is secure and content. Of course it's impossible to help everyone, but it's feels great to be able to put yourself out there and try to help who you can.
When I was a senior in high school I spent nearly 12 hours in my basement watching the 2004 NFL draft. My brother (Chris) had just returned from a disappointing trip to Dallas (the trip where Bill Parcels said he would be nothing more than a decent special teamer in the league) and knew that if he was going to go anywhere it would likely be Washington. Well as fate would have it, the Washington Redskins selected Sean Taylor instead of Kellen Winslow and goosebumps ran down my back knowing that Chris could play with "that guy from Miami." Sure enough, the trade flashed across the screen and with the 81st pick the Skins took Chris forever connecting him with whom would become much more to me than just "that guy."
November 5, 2006 would be the last time I saw Sean in action. It was a game full of ups and downs. One minute I was 100 percent sure of victory and the next, 100 percent sure of defeat. I stood by my seat moping with the rest of the crowd when all of the sudden, as the Cowboys attempted their winning field goal I see #21 sprinting down the sideline with the ball! I jumped to on the railing screaming with all I had. With no time left Sean needed to find the end zone for the win...but he didn't, he was tackled. And as he went down I felt defeat in every ounce of my body. I was packing up and preparing to make the walk of shame to my car and sulk until next week. But wait...a penalty. Yes! We get one more shot. The snap...the hold...the kick! REDSKINS WIN! REDSKINS WIN!
That was the last time I saw Sean play a down of football but definitely not my last memory. I remember getting a call from Chris one morning telling me Sean had been shot and that he wasn't doing very well. It was a call I will never forget. Chris sounded lost on the other end of the phone and I could do nothing to help ease the pain. As the hours passed I watched the endless news coverage. I was glued to the TV trying to soak in everything that was happening to the Redskins, to Sean's family, to my brother. It was a very tough experience to watch and to live.
As horrible as some things in life are, some good can still be done for Sean's family. Unable to keep everything they felt it would be best to give the fans a chance to own something of Sean's. Eastern Motors is helping auction off his vehicles through an online auction that ends on Dec. 2. All proceeds will go to the Sean Taylor Estate Trust set up for his two year old, Jackie.
