#TBT (Part 1)

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY

#PART1

The grass was fresh;

Evergreens scented the h2o;

Water trickled three-fold; down the throat, off the lifejackets, and through beaded sweat;

Screams of joy echoed around the sphere of camp life at Sunset Lake Camp in the pacific northwestern state of Washington.

This is where I met, “Dan the Mexican,” among many other future friends.

Owl City’s “All Things Bright & Beautiful” played in my ear buds as I responded to various emails in the staff lounge.

Kitty-cornered, to my left, sat Dan Martinez running another mock draft. Trust me when I say, Dan would spend almost all of his 90 minute daily breaks on mock drafts for weeks at a time during summer camp. I always thought, “Jeez, this guy loves fantasy football”.

He would later explain to me the competitiveness of The Elite League. I still didn’t comprehend. I always answered, “Big deal! I could easily clean up your league”. Dan scoffed and disagreed. I proceeded to ask if the guys in this league bet money on weekly games. Dan, of course, said that they did not. I, again answered, “Big deal! I could easily clean up your league”.

#FASTFORWARD

#3YEARS

Northern California dry air crusted my nostril inners;

The sun was bright;

Dirt covered three-fold; foot to toe, treetop to rootbottom, moss-covered to bare bark;

Back flips, bright shades, and flip-flopped kicks rocked the bodies of every kid that stepped out of their parentally advised vehicles to register at Leoni Meadows Camp in the vast state of northern California.

KB’s “Weight & Glory” became a nightly ritual to fall asleep to, amid-track six. It was a nice getaway from the every day teachings of life survival as the wilderness counselor of boys aged eight to eighteen each week that blistering, red-clay covered summer.

Via the high-tech version of the tin-canned string phone, “Dan the Mexican” was now an “Educator” and invited me to fill an open position of The Elite League. Without hesitation, I accepted. I was bound to prove myself as a “broom” in this league and sweep the competition away like a camp cabin floor.

I was to be attending Union College in the fall, which would be the perfect fitted environment for this fantasy football platform. Now, what would my team name be?

“DA BRASS” was imprinted on the back of my intramural football team’s cotton homemade jersey. Ah, the spray-painted gold & black colors. The toxic smell when first donning the jersey, those were good memories.

“DA BRASS” was all that was seen as I intercepted league quarterbacks left and right, up and down the half grass-half muddied fields of Andrews University.

Prophets & Kings caught fire in those two first years as we won back-to-back championships. Then came 2012; the year that many players from the team parted ways. I was one of them as I traveled to Union College to throw together a version of the team in co-captain Mitchell Seltman. With a stacked team but, due to many absences from various players during various games of the season, hope was shot and lost to Drew, “DA BERG” & Chris, “DA FAIRCHILD” & their team.

The name carried over to my first season as GM in the Elite League. Dan, “The Educated Mexican,” was to have a wedding in August of 2012 and I was a last minute addition. This was to be the dates that I met the squad.

AND THEN, the draft; I had to make an impression. So, what did I do? Well, I’ll let you see for yourself as I picked the two below players back-to-back in rounds one and two. A first impression statement that many GMs still remember today:

#STAYTUNED

#PART2