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+---- Thread: *The Calm Before the Storm (/showthread.php?tid=5476)
*The Calm Before the Storm - JohnWachter - 10-23-2017
Disclaimer, this post is in character and doesn't necessarily reflect my personal opinions. The bottom portion involving potential team destinations is in no particular order and entire in character. I love you all <3
3317 Words, ready for grading
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]Gold's Gym
Baltimore, Maryland
10/23/17 7:45 pm
Sweat pours as I push past the last few reps, my body told me to give up a half hour ago, but my mind knows this last push is what separates the good from the great. Plus, I have Danny with me and if I stop now he'll never let me hear the end of it, I'd sooner die here than let him call me a bitch for stopping. With every rep, the bar is harder to lift, and the generic Nike hoodie I have draped between me and the seat has seen better days. Three more reps, I lower the bar to my chest and hold it there for a few seconds. An involuntary deep breath is let out as I push up, followed by a short grunt. 2 more, the grueling workout is almost over. You'd think by this point my body would be used to the abuse, but it's a mental battle every time. I guess I'm just always pushing harder, I like the challenge, but I have to admit I wish it was just a tad easier. I lower the bar again, making eye contact with Danny, almost like a non-verbal way to tell him to not let this thing kill me today. I push up, damn that sucks. Through a lot of shaking and posturing, I slowly but surely get my arms extended one more time. I didn't think I'd finish that one, but I still surprise myself every day.
"Alright man, you're done."
Danny racks the bar and ends my final bench press session one rep early. Honestly, it's probably the right call, but the combination of the adrenaline and being so close to getting it done sends me into a bit of a rage, a rage that I regret immediately.
"The fuck was that man? One more, I've been calling them out the whole damn time."
I sit up furiously, and move my arms while berating him.
"You're done John, you don't need to drop the bar on your chest and collapse a lung to prove a damn point. You put in work, it's done."
"It's done when I'm done, I fucking have it. One more."
"That's funny, I'm pretty sure I didn't sign up to be a babysitter today. Stop being stupid, let's go."
I'm not normally like this, but I hate leaving anything unfinished, I know I shouldn't be mad, but I can't help it. Without a word, I lay back on the bench and reach for the bar, only to be blocked by Danny, who holds it down to keep it in place. Instinctively, I jump to my feet and give him a shove to get out of my way.
"I don't need your fucking opinion Dan, I know my fucking limit. One more."
I move right back to where I was, on the bench, reaching for that last rep. Before Danny can process what happened and get back, I push up to get it off the rack, then pull it down to my chest. But my arms are dead, they don't really even hurt, they're just not working. I try to push up, but my elbows are locked. With a heave and a grunt, I push with all my might, the bar moving up at a snail stuck in molasses' pace. I push and posture, but can't get the bar past halfway, my arms die out and I start to drop it. I can't help it, a hopeless feeling takes over as the bar lowers into my chest slowly, then makes contact and gets stuck where it lays. Just then, Danny returns and grabs the bar.
"Push up, dumbass, I can't lift it on my own.
With both of our remaining strength, we get the bar up and racked for the last time. I stay layed back, breathing heavily. After a brief moment of silence I smirk, look at Danny, and utter
"I told you I had it, smooth as butter."
He laughs before replying.
"Yeah, well, you better find someone on the team who can put up with your shit. I don't want to have to call your momma up to tell her her son died because he's too stubborn."
"I'll be good man, don't worry about it too much." I take a brief moment to continue to catch my breath, before smiling again and point to Dan's arm while continuing to speak. "Plus, it's pro ball man. Those guys are gonna be stronger than you and these noodle arms."
He laughs before jabbing back at me.
"Eat a dick. I should've left you there to teach you a lesson. You need me."
"Ehhh, you're alright I guess."
Danny's been one of my best friends for years. He never played, I'm not exactly sure why, but he's always been a big football fan. Without him rooting for me I don't think I'd be who I am, and even though we're both big dudes with a stupid amount of testosterone at times, we don't take the jabs personally. He's one of the two guys who hits the gym with me, along with Chris, but I trust him with my safety a lot more. He's been the helping me with this final push since I finished my senior year at Maryland, and really helped form me into what I believe to be a top talent. As the day draws nearer, he's began to worry about my future a bit more, I think he's scared I'm going to abandon him or something. No money in the world can change who I am though, and I've told him that a billion times.
I pick up my hoodie, my gym bag, and my water and get going to check out. They have this cute blond working the front desk now, I guess to try to attract more guys here, but I don't think she knows a thing about working out truthfully. I at least know she doesn't do any squats, that's for sure. She's polite though, and does her job well, so I guess I'm complaining just to complain, maybe I'm still insecure about needing Danny's help, I have no idea. My check-out is pretty straightforward, just my info and a scan, she knows nothing about me, I don't think I even know her name, it's really just a formality. She has no idea that I'm leaving tonight, no idea I'm probably moving to a new state soon, nothing. Just an oblivious "See you next time" and a smile.
Dan and I make our way out to the parking lot, to our cars that are parked next to each other. I load up my trunk with my gym bag, I take a drink from my water, and then I throw that in there too. As I begin to close the trunk, Danny starts talking.
"Hey man, we put in work in there. You wanna go to five guys? Maybe a little reward for the hard work?"
"I'd love to Dan, but not tonight. I should be getting drafted into the league tomorrow, I don't want all that grease and cheese in me for that, I don't wanna look bloated."
"You don't want to look bloated?" He scoffs "What are you, on your fucking period? What's gonna happen, you show up with your body of work, teams meet with you for the first time, then they see you've eaten at some point in your life and decide they don't want you? You're gonna go undrafted because you ate a cheese burger and some cajun fries? Get outta here."
Admittedly I do probably sound stupid, but tomorrow is a huge day for me and I'm beyond stressed. I just want to go home, get in the shower, and get some sleep before I leave in the morning. I know if I go with Dan he'll want to do something else after we eat, and no matter what it'll be a big deal when I finally go home. He's trying to stay in good spirits, but he might be even more worried for my future than I am honestly.
"Nah man, not all that but still. I just... I need everything to go right, you know what I mean?"
"Yeah man, I get you... The mood has shifted from a playful one, to one that's a bit more serious. "I just figured, you know, with you leaving and all..."
I cut him off.
"I'll be back in like two days Dan. No matter where I go, this is my home here, it's not like I'm not coming back for every offseason and bye week. Plus you'll know someone in the league soon, I can get you autographs, maybe let you meet some of the guys, it'll be a good thing."
"Yeah.." He nods in approval while continuing to speak "You're right. I'm excited for you, it's just a big change. Just make sure when you get in the big leagues you ball out against those Outback assholes for me and we're good."
I laugh a bit.
"I'll do my best. You never know, I might be there in a year or two."
"Oh, ew. We'll always be boys, but if you go to Arizona I don't know if I can be seen with you any more."
"Hey, its a long way out anyway, I have to think about the DSFL and not about whether you like the guys I'm playing for."
"You better tear it up there too. You got records to break and a name to make. If I look you up and see a Linkdin profile before a wiki page you let me down."
I respond jokingly.
"Anything to make you proud."
He laughs, then we go into a brief silence. Not an awkward one, more of a "We're not ready to get going quite yet but the conversation is over" type one. Danny soon breaks the silence.
"Where do you want to play anyway?"
"What do you mean?"
"I guess speech comprehension isn't your strong suit, good thing you're good at football because without that life was gonna be rough for you... Where do you want to play football? There's six teams that would be dumb to not want you, which one is your favorite?"
Truthfully, I had never really thought about it. I was so busy ensuring I'd be a hot commodity that I hadn't really developed a preference for anyone.
"Whoever wants me man, I'm just happy to be in the league."
"Wow... I think you did it man, I think that was the most boring, PC answer you could've done. Way to go. Can't wait to see you kill those interviews on NSFLN."
"Man, shut the fuck up." I laugh it off. "I haven't thought about it, honest to god. I got some time tonight, I'll think it through and let you know what I think, promise."
We pause, but only for a moment.
"Speaking of which, I gotta go. My flight is early tomorrow, I smell like shit, and I want to get some sleep. Plus, you know, I gotta go to five guys with Chris."
Dan smiles.
"Man, fuck you. I hope you get a crying baby your whole flight... For real though man, it's gonna go great. Have a good time out there, I'll see you when you get back. Oh, and we're taking that five guys trip, cause now I'm craving it. And you're paying, because you're about to have a lot more money than me."
"Dan, I already have a lot more money than you. That's what happens when you don't call out one day every week because you're too lazy to go. Destiny two is garbage, you can wait til' you get home to waste your time... But yeah, I got you when I come back."
Dan cuts me off
"And we're getting drunk this weekend too, to celebrate. Top shelf, on you."
"Damn man, turning into a leach already. But yeah, I got you."
At this point it's time to go. Me and Dan say our goodbyes, bro-hug it out, and get on our way. As I pull out of the parking lot, my radio softly plays some generic pop song, and I have the rest of the night to think about what Dan asked me. Who do I want to play for.
Norfolk is closest, I actually probably wouldn't have to move at all to play there which would be convenient. That'd stop Dan from crying, maybe give me a better chance with that girl from the bar. We've been texting back and forth, but since I have no idea where I'm going to be living it makes things kind of hard to progress. Plus, I don't think she'd be up for moving across the country for some guy she just met. So yeah, Norfolk is probably the best to keep up my regular life, but it'll survive either way. On top of being close, they're also a championship level team obviously, and I do like winning. They made Hunter Mason into a star too, and I could probably learn a couple things playing next to the guy with the most receiving yards from a year ago. Definitely not a bad option there.
Speaking of championship teams, San Antonio would be interesting too. I have family there, not family I particularly speak with, but family nonetheless. Obviously, they just won the title and should be favorites to get there again, so that's a huge plus. They did just trade Jameis Christ though, and I guess they're moving forward with Draxel, who wouldn't be a bad option either. Going anywhere with a future star of a qb is a good idea for me, it lets me maximize my impact in what will likely only be a year in the DSFL. If they had Draxel and Christ both again for this season I might be looking at a rotating door, might have some problems building chemistry, all that stuff. It's actually better this way, and I'd be happy to join their roster. Plus they have the secret weapon, Egor Medved. The guy balled out on the biggest stage in his debut, I'd love to get a chance to talk with him about being insanely clutch.
And now that I've mentioned Jameis Christ, I guess this is a good time to ponder the idea of Portland. Christ is a former star in the big leagues, so getting the chance to work with him is beyond alluring, and Portland picks early which I guess is a gage for my success early on. I like the team they're building through trades, and if they draft well they can really take a big step. They do have new guys in charge and tied the worst record in the league last year though, which is at least a bit of a cause for concern. Honestly though, I'd look at that like a challenge. I get to turn a team around instead of hopping on one that's already successful. Not to mention, with Jameis there I'd probably have my best chance at volume stats and making myself into a big story heading into the NSFL draft. Living in Portland for half the year would be... Different. I've heard so many things, both good and bad, but no matter what it's completely different than Baltimore. I guess it'd be easier to adjust to going to a place like Chicago for the Blues, but a change of scenery isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'd kind of get the best of both worlds while playing for a team tailored around the pass game, not bad.
On the subject of different than Baltimore, I have to think of the very real possibility of going to Tijuana. They tied Portland last year for the bottom record, but I think Portland was better than their record showed and Tijuana was where they belonged. Getting picked first overall would be a huge honor, no doubt, but aside from that I'm not sure I want any part of the team. They were built on running the ball a year ago, and as much as I'd be in favor of helping achieve balance, I think Muntez is gone this season. Flygare had a good year, but I haven't seen him around since his team got eliminated, and I have to question his passion and if he's the qb of the future. They're a team that lacks an identity, and as cool as it would be for me to be the identity, I'd rather have the pieces around me to help me be successful. I wouldn't hold out or refuse to play, and no matter where I go I'd give it my all, but I don't have much interest moving there or playing for the team.
Then you have the Chicago Blues, a team that wore black against the Seawolves, who wore blue, in the playoffs. This team had the best record in the league last year and was the favorite to win the championship. Their loss to Norfolk had to be considered an upset, but they flat out got out coached and I have to wonder how that loss shapes their future. Mark Strike put up a ton of yards, but he also turned it over way more than anyone else. Maybe he just needs a more sure-handed guy like me to help turn it around? Chicago isn't too far from home, the atmosphere is at least similar, and I don't think I'd have to adjust too much on a personal level. They have a winning mentality, a potentially good qb in place if he can limit the mistakes, and another WR in fresh booter to pair me up with. That said, they got shredded by the run in their loss to Norfolk, and will probably look to sure up the defense before thinking of taking me. They have Ishigawa, but the sting of that defeat has to linger in their mind. This is another team I'd be happy on, and a team that might give me the best chance at a trophy, but I'm not sure they share the same interest in me.
Finally, the Kansas City Coyotes. More so middle of the pack, the Coyotes might only be a couple pieces away from the top. With the potential parity of the DSFL, a guy like me or Haruki Ishigawa can come in and make the difference for a team. Nothing against them, but aside from Tijuana this might be the team that stands out to me as a potential destination the least. KC is a sports town though, and I'm sure the locals would be a fun bunch to be around. At the end of the day, no matter where I go, that team will become my favorite team. That city will become my second home, and any questions or doubts I have about anybody will be answered. Kansas City is a playoff team, and if all they need is one or two extra pieces to make the push, well, I'd be honored to be a part of it.
As I pull into my driveway I continue to ponder my future: football, friends, family. I'm 22 with a lot of time ahead of me, and to this point have a lot to be proud about, but nothing in life is guaranteed. I crank the music up, the meaningful lyrics of Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off" help drown out the forthcoming existential dread. Getting home moderately early was a good choice, I have time to calm down, relax, and get ready for what will be an insane day tomorrow. The draft, being placed on a team, finding out about my future, it's all happening at once, and very soon. Tomorrow is the storm, tonight will be the calm before its arrival.[/div]
*The Calm Before the Storm - manicmav36 - 10-23-2017
You are, far and away, my new favorite writer on here. Great stuff!
*The Calm Before the Storm - JohnWachter - 10-23-2017
Thanks man! Always appreciate the kind words
*The Calm Before the Storm - tlk742 - 10-23-2017
I, for one, am excited for this wide receiver. Great read man.
*The Calm Before the Storm - PDXBaller - 10-23-2017
Can we get a separate media section for this man!?!? I eat this stuff up!!!
*The Calm Before the Storm - Bzerkap - 10-23-2017
Wow. Extremely well written
*The Calm Before the Storm - JohnWachter - 10-23-2017
You guys flatter me, don't make me blush.