my conversation with gabe watson

This took place a few weeks ago at one of my IM football games with FASA's Brown Squadron. Big Gabe, now with the Arizona Cardinals, flew up to Umich for the Ball State game during the Cards' bye week. Gabe is dating a girl on FASA and dropped by our IM game to support her and the squad (I guess he coached them last year but I didn't join up til this year). Seeing a 6'3", 340 pound guy sauntering towards you in a European-made, custom-tailored, ultra-expensive dress shirt (which probably cost a quarter of what my motorcycle did), and realizing that it's a former college All-Star and current NFL player... well, to say the least it was pretty fucking sweet.

He came midway during the first half, so he missed my 100 yard TD run (actually I guess it's 60 yards because Mitchell Field's fields are only 60, but it was endzone-to-endzone), but I still was able to show off some skills to the big guy, although I doubt he was impressed considering the talent around him (i.e. Edge, Leinart, Anquan, Fitz). Still, I think I put on a good enough show to keep him watching for a little and not walk out considering the fact that it was freezing outside and the only thing he had on was that $500 (sólo especulación) dress shirt.

After one of our (along with most) offensive drives stalled I got a chance to talk to him, and I wasn't going to be shocked and awed into not doing so, like I did when I ran into Braylon at the gym and couldn't find any words ("Uhh.. it's an honor to meet you man... everytime you catch a touchdown I can say I shook that hand..."). I asked Gabe what time he flew in and it turned out it was just an hour before, he had come straight to the game from the airport so Rachel could play in the IM game. It was 83 when he left Arizona and very suckily, when he flew into DTW it was below freezing. The ground that night was totally frosted, and hitting the ground felt like concrete (in my first game I wound up scraping my hand and the bottom half of my elbow on the ground and lots of blood resulted).

I asked him how his year was going so far and he said great, he's been starting the past few games (he's tied for fifth on the Cards in sacks) and obviously he's enjoying the PT. I asked how the med treatments in the NFL were compared to UM, considering that we probably have one of the best training squads in the nation. He said yeah, UM is great, but in the NFL they give you a shot and zoom, the pain goes away just like that. He went on to gripe that "this one motherfucker is gettin paid $9 million a year and he's doing nothin', he's just fuckin it up." He left that player unnamed to avoid any controversy, but I'm guessing it's either the guy ahead of him (Kendrick Clancy), but it could very well be any other Cardinal considering that they're 2-8.

Gabe told me that the NFL is not a game but purely a business; the players have families to take care of, but they get cut left and right like they're nothing.

Then, after I threw my second pick of the game (the receiver slipped on ice), he drew up a play for me, and that's probably the sweetest moment of my life thus far. He had all the receivers roll right and I just drew to the left after everyone ran over. The play worked for a good 25 yards, and we'll probably go back to it in the future. That game was pretty much the best IM game I've ever had (because in Men's A you can't really run all over the place and expect to win), so I wish Gabe could be at every IM game we have, but of course he's making millions of dollars killing quarterbacks so its all good.



Gabe Watson eats opposing quarterbacks' children

Yahoo! Sports Profile: #98 Gabe Watson