Training Camp 2009 is Finally Over

Sunday afternoon some friends, JonEric, Adrienne and Chris, came with me to watch Tuff practice and posed for a quick picture. Tuff's hair is getting pretty long.



Sunday evening I went to a baby shower for Bill and Vita Bachman, some of our friends from church and young couples group. One of the Titan's wives donated three huge bags of little girl clothes, zero to two year old, for the Bachman's to have. What a blessing! We were so excited we went through every little outfit in the hall.


Below is Vita holding my personal favorite, the little baby girl sweater dress. Also below is a group shot of all the friends that came to the shower. All these shower photos I took off of people's facebook albums.



Wednesday was the last day of training camp. Finally Tuff gets to come home every night, instead of the hotel. Below Tuff is wearing the read cap over his helmet, one long white sock, and of course #26. They are practicing special teams plays.


Titans rookie wide receiver Kenny Britt was doused by veterans with Gatorade, powder, flour and other items during the annual rookie dizzy bat race to end training camp Wednesday. The race is relay style where the rookies must sprint with a football about 50 yards, set the ball down, sprint to where their teammates are anxiously awaiting to douse, while spinning around a bat 20 times, then race back to pick up the ball and cross the finish line.


As Kenny Brit crossed the finish line he did a crowd pleasing cartwheel round-up back flip, etc.


Tuff got in the action. I'm not sure what he was dousing them with. He's wearing the skull cap and long white sock on his right leg.





Tuff is in the far right background of the picture below helping torture the rookies. He never went through the dizzy bat tradition since his rookie year was with the Dolphins. They had other methods of torturing the rookies which Tuff does not want to talk about. Just kidding.


Now for a completely different tangent. Things I did not know about the NFL that I found out now that Tuff is an employee:

Contracts are guaranteed right? No. Tuff signed a three year contract with the Miami Dolphins his rookie season. Less than a year later, he was released, voiding the contract. He signed a two year contract with the Saints. Less than three months later, he was released, voiding the contract. Now he has a two year contract with the Titans. What does it matter if he is released before the contract is up? It matters for Miami, for New Orleans, for Tennessee. In the contract, the player agrees to play for the team at a pre-determined salary for the term of the contract or until the team decides otherwise. The team is not obligated to pay for remainder of the contract if they cut the player, unlike they are in the NBA or MLB.

Players get paid throughout the year for all their time at work. No. Players only get paid a salary during the regular season. There are currently 17 regular season games and nine paychecks inside those 17 weeks. From the end of January until the beginning of September, just over seven months, is time to budget what is made from the previous season.

When on the road the players can check out the city and visit people coming to watch the game. No. The players travel chartered flights to all their games. They typically leave the day prior to the game, play the game and travel back the same day/night. The Titans were back from Friday's Dallas game by 2:00AM. When they are on the road for a game, their schedules are full, hour to hour with meetings, team meals and curfew. They really have no time to visit people or do anything else other than play a football game. Same goes for the home games. They spend the night before the game in a hotel and have meetings, team meals, etc.

Players can get free tickets to the games. No and yes. Every team is different. The Titans give two tickets to each player for home games. I was under the impression up until now that we got no free tickets, but we do get two and just pay the taxes on them out of Tuff's paycheck. Tickets to the games are not free beyond the two. Luckily the Titans have respectable prices. It costs $78 a ticket. If we played for the Colts it would be around $150 per ticket.
Away game tickets are not free and usually in the farthest seat from the field with the worst angles to watch the game. Not many wives travel to away games unless its something like the Super Bowl.

Any NFL related gear is free. Not necessarily. If Tuff wants to keep his jersey after the season he has to buy it. However, he can get size triple X shirts from the equipment room for free (for some reason the equipment people assume every player would like to wear their t-shirts like pajamas, swallowing their entire bodies). He has an unlimited supply of size 12 Reebok cleats and football gloves, as long as he plays for the team. Also if he gets hurt at work, all his medical bills and treatments are paid for.

In conclusion, I thought the NFL was a lot more glamorous than it really is. There is only a small percentage of players who are making millions that give it that reputation, but for most of the players, they are living on the edge constantly. They don't know when their next paycheck will be or if they have a job the next day. They bounce around from team to team and may never see a regular season game. They have contracts that say how much they could make but it means nothing unless they get on that roster and stay on it.
I love that Tuff gets to do this, even with its incredible instability. I feel blessed everyday to be where we are and for Tuff to be doing what he loves. God is good.

Dave Ramsey Rants

Tuff and I read Dave Ramsey's book Total Money Makeover last fall and since then listen to him on his radio talk show, The Dave Ramsey Show, and seek financial advice from his recommendations. In 1988 he formed his company, The Lampo Group, Inc. Their mission:

The Lampo Group, Inc. is providing biblically based, common sense education and empowerment which gives HOPE to everyone from the financially secure to the financially distressed.

On Dave's Radio Show, the audience calls in with financial questions for Dave to help out with. Sometimes Dave just rants on a subject and I have to post one of his recent rants from the Thursday, August 20th show. Here is Dave ranting:

Sport Illustrated came out with a disturbing statistic this week. They’re reporting that 78%, eight out of ten, of former NFL players go bankrupt or are under major financial stress, due to joblessness within two years after retirement. Eight out of ten NFL players are bankrupt or broke within two years of leaving the league. And these are men that have made a minimum of $400,000 a year. Eight out of ten are bankrupt or broke within two years of having made $400,000 a year. How can that happen? Well to start with, I was speaking to a group of rookies not long ago, rookie camp. And I was trying to explain to them because I know these numbers. We’ve worked with professional athletes for years in the NFL, the NBA, the NHL and we know the numbers. In the NFL, the NFL stands for not for long. The average players there are 3.7 years. That’s the average which means some are greater but most aren’t. Lots of people that go into the NFL are gone in less than 2 years. Lots of them. Most of them to where the ones that stay for 2 or 3 decades raise the average, and the average being 3.7 years. Their bodies go through horrendous punishment. They are standing on the sidelines hoping to get into the games and their wives are in the stands hoping they don’t. Well, hoping they do but knowing what happens if they do; that they’re going to look like they got hit by a car when they get home. Because when you have men that weigh 300 pounds running at the speed of light and run over you, it will put you in intensive care.
I’m a football fan but once I’ve started learning about the lives of the players, their physical condition and their fiscal condition, it’s made it harder for me to watch football. Those men are punished to play that game. It is an unbelievably tough game. And you think its fast on television try standing on the sidelines. The thing speeds up six fold.
So I’m a football fan and it breaks my heart when I read this, from Sports Illustrated. And I know from experience and from other studies that I’ve read that it absolutely is true. 78% of NFL of former players go bankrupt or are under major financial stress due to joblessness within two years after retirement, when they’ve been making a minimum of $400,000.
You know, the interesting thing about football and going into the locker room too and sitting and talking with the players, is it’s the same in college somewhat too. Is, I don’t know how these coaches coach this huge spectrum of socio-economic development. On one side you’ve got guys who have a master degree in finance. While they were redshirted they went ahead and knocked out their masters and they come out and they’re brilliant and they’re very smart and they come from many times from educated homes and from homes where the parents did very well, for whatever reason. And on the other side you’ve got guys that come out of tremendous poverty. They come out of tremendously bad neighborhoods and broken families. And there’s really no middle class in the locker room in that regard. There’s the two ends of the spectrum. I don’t know how you connect guys from the country club with guys from the hood and get them on a team and orchestrate that set of feelings and intellects. Its an interesting thing to watch those coaches; they are masters at human relations, they really are, and of course at game planning a football game. But once you get inside that game a little bit, it’s a completely different thing.
So why is it that you can make all that money and go broke? Why is it that you could make $10,000,000 and go broke? Why is it that you could make $100,000,000 and be a Leon Sphinx and have nothing to show for it, not even your teeth.
My buddy Ed Mcman passes away the other day. Pam his wife, is a friend of ours. Ed made over $100,000,000 in his lifetime. And at the end of his life his home was in foreclosure. It was all in the news you know that I didn’t tell secrets, it was there. How can that happen? How can it happen that MC Hammer, an icon of the early days of music videos, ends up broke? How does this happen? Well I’ll tell you. I’ve studied it for years. I’ve worked with these people. We’ve been crisis counselors to the stars and the athletes for years. We’ve worked with the few of them that didn’t want to be the crisis. I can tell you how that can happen to them…
The same way it happens to you! You work your whole life and have nothing to show for it but Master card debt, Visa debt! A student loan that’s been around so long you thinks it’s a pet! You work your whole freakin’ life and all you got to show for it is a car payment! All you got to show for it is, “I hope the government, which is well-known for its ability to handle money, will take care of me at retirement, because I’ve got nothing saved.” “I’m gonna be on that, buying that cookbook, 72 Ways to Prepare Alpo and Love it.” In your working lifetime the average American will earn anywhere from $3,000,000 to 8,000,000 million dollars, in your working lifetime. And most people in America retire with nothing to show for it!
And you’ve been sitting there while I was talking about these athletes, thinking, “Gosh if I had that kind of opportunity I wouldn’t squander it.” Yes you have squandered it! You’ve squandered every freakin’ dime of it! You live in the richest country the world has ever known, nothing but opportunity to show for it, and you haven’t got a freakin dime! That’s stupid, that’s stupid! And yet for the first five minutes of this monologue you were sitting here judging these athletes. Going, “well that’s just big dumb football players.” Well let me tell you something. Some of these football players are smarter than you ever dreamed of being. At least they had a goal, at least they were at the top of their game. They’re not living in mediocrity. At least they were doing something. Ya they didn’t get anything to show for it. We can fuss at them for that.
But hey America here’s a plan. Don’t buy a car you can’t afford because the stupid government is giving you $4500 for your $1000 car! Something that sounds too good to be true is, stupid! It is too good to be true! There’s a reason you don’t need a brand new car when you’re driving a $1000 car. You’re too freakin’ broke to pay for it! This isn’t rocket science.
You need to quit acting like you’re in congress. What are you, a drunken congressman spending money the way you do? Stay out of the mall! Drunks don’t need to be in a bar and you don’t need to be in a mall. “Well, I’m stimulating the economy.” Famous last words of stupid broke people. Here’s a plan. Live on less than you make, get on a written plan, get out of debt, start giving, gather up what’s known as a clue. Start living your life this way. It’s ridiculous to live you whole life and end up broke. This is the Dave Ramsey Show.

So calling people stupid or using the word "freakin" is not necessary but you can really hear the passion from Dave's point of view. Dave can be a little harsh sometimes but his intentions are great. He is tired of people getting lied to and passionate about helping them know the truth. I thought this would possibly stir up some comments and conversation from the blog followers. If you have never heard of Dave and want to know more about his work, you can go to his website, daveramsey.com.

I'm sure many of you got to watch Tuff play yesterday. He started at punt returner and played safety for more than half the game. I am so glad the Titans gave Tuff another opportunity to field a punt. God is mighty and sovereign. Tuff did an amazing job, and like Dave's ranting on the players' bodies going through horrendous punishment, Tuff did take a beating as usual. The players really do come home after a game looking like they have been in a car wreck. Thanks to all for the encouragement and prayers as we head into the final two preseason games of the preseason. Remember, the final roster cuts are September 5th, but any player can be released prior to that date. No guarantees even if they make the roster. It is a great way to learn to live day to day. The next Titans game is Saturday, August 29th vs. the Browns...sorry it is not nationally televised. You will have to wait for the update from me.

Two Preseason Games Down, Two to Go

Thursday evening I went to a girl party with my church friends. It was Italian themed so I brought some Italian wine (wino) to contribute to the fellowship. On my way home something crazy happened. Our apartment complex is surrounded by a gate and to get in, you have to have remote access to open the gate. A car was in front of me waiting for the gate to open. I could tell they were just visitors so I opened the gate for them and drove in right behind them. About halfway through the gate the drop-down lever, like you see at rail road crossings, dropped down on the top of my windshield. For about two seconds I didn't know what hit me. I thought it was maybe a tree branch. When my brain finally connected I realized it was the drop-down lever hitting my car and that the gates to our complex were now starting to close. Reluctantly, I pulled the rest of the way in, scraping the large wood lever across the roof of my car and eventually snapping the lever off its base. Damage to my car includes minor scratches on the windshield and roof. I'm happy about that because it sounded like the roof was coming off!

Saturday I got to be a model for a day. My friend Leslie has a bridal business and needed a veil model....not sure why she selected me. I wore about 20 different veils and it happened to be yet another hot, humid Tennessee day. The dress I wore was so heavy and hot.


Saturday evening the Titans played the Buccaneers and won 27-20. Tuff played nearly all game. I thought he did excellent and played a very hard game. Surprisingly he got a chance to punt return but you could tell he did not know he would be returning at all. He dropped the punt but then quickly recovered it. Here's what coach Fisher had to say at Sunday's press conference on Tuff's drop and Mouton's the week prior.

(on the muff punt returns by Ryan Mouton and Tuff Harris)

I’m comfortable with it, I don’t like to see the ball on the ground, but those things are correctable. Ryan (Mouton) peaked and he can’t peak. He took his eye off the catch and looked at the coverage and you just can’t do that. He learned the hard way, which fortunately wasn’t catastrophic. We put Tuff (Harris) in a tough situation. He ran back to field the punt because he had come from the line of scrimmage and Ryan was out. We replaced Tuff and we sent Tuff back there and he literally ran back and he didn’t even get his feet set, lined up distance wise and you know, but he’s a very, very good punt catcher. But we do need to get Mark (Jones) back on the field and we need to get Chris (Henry) back on the field and make sure we get them some reps before the regular season.

Tuff had a few solid tackles and a really good pass deflection, very reminiscent of his famous jumping picture for the Dolphins. For the most part he did not see a lot of action in his area on the field. The ball stayed to the sides or was a short pass.

Cheryl and I before the game. Go Titans!


Opening kickoff below. Tuff is in the middle of the photo standing alone.

Below Tuff is running off the field at the half.


Yesterday I attended Tuff's practice. The Titans travel on Thursday this week to Dallas to play in the new stadium. Below are a few pictures from practice. Tuff is wearing tall white socks.


It was Tuff's turn, along with three other Titans, to sign for the fans after practice.


Below is John Higgins (the author of that nice article From Tribe to a Titan), Tuff, and his teammate Colin.


Remember to watch the Titans vs. Cowboys game this Friday at 7:00pm CT on FOX.