Flashback — I’m with Riz. We’re at The Orleans in Vegas covering the IFL event there. We’re broadcasting, podcasting and doodlebop battling. On fight night, we’re on our way to the arena and in the elevator we get a guy who looks at me and goes — “Good Luck Tonight!”
We nod and smile, say thanks and the guy gets off on another floor. We stare at each other, puzzled.
Riz says, “Well he sure as hell didn’t mean me. I’m fat.”
“Like I’m not?”
“Whatever. I’m thinking I’m on the outs with the Barn Owl anyway, so what’s it matter.”
Anyhoo… Riz being on the outs with the Barn Owl aside— Maybe it was the IFL t-shirt (hiding my secret gut)?
Earlier today I’m out in the hundred degree heat doing the CrossFit WOD (Workout of the Day). I’m trying to find out how many 400m runs + 8 single arm clean and jerks with a 50 lb kettlebell (per arm) I can do in 20 minutes. On about the fourth round, I’m going by some guys again that have been unloading furniture off of the back of their pick-up truck. They see me coming and step out from their truck in that “I wanna talk to you” sort of intercept but in the non threatening civilian way as opposed to the Elizabeth, NJ way.
One of the guys says, “Hey are you an IFL Fighter?” Granted I’m wearing my Sprawl shorts and my Silverbacks Game Day tank — but people wear sports swag all the time.
I break stride a bit for a second to stop and explain, but then remember – “Hey, this workout is for time – and you’ve only got 20min”. So I point to my watch in the universal gesture of “Gotta go” and they reply with the universal head nod of understanding. After the workout I go by where they were but the trucks gone.
I was going to explain – no I’m not a fighter, but I do train CrossFit and I’m a CrossFit instructor and a Strength and Conditioning Specialist and that I do love the IFL and I’m even involved with an MMA radio show called “The Rear Naked Choke” that is all about the IFL and MMA. Hell, we’re even doing live video.
It was a networking dream. Hopefully I’ll run into them again and emphasize I like to wear swag, but not so much down with the actual punching and kicking. Holding the Thai pads for Horwich is as close as I want to get to that sort of power. My hats off to guys that can take punishment like that. Amazing.
Still though. this all just gets me fired up to head down to Ultimate Fitness to do some rolling. Then I think — maybe fencing would be better. Less injuries. Of course, running around in a white t-shirt with a red heart on it is not as cool as MMA gear. Color me a fashionista.
