A Bandwagoners Guide to the World Series

The 2015 World Series starts this coming Tuesday night!  Unless you have been living under a rock or focused solely on Benghazi-gate you know that this year's baseball battle features the Kansas City Royals and my beloved New York Mets.  Knowing that you would expect me to use this forum to crow loudly about my team's expected crushing of the Royals, and the glorious return of the trophy to Queens. You will no doubt be pleased that I have decided to spare the gentle reader the noise of fandom, spreading it instead around watering holes and construction sites all over Denver.  As a result this site will instead feature top quality writing on topics such as Bartolo Colon's boiler and barbecue in K.C. ( topics not related surprisingly)  Here are some reasons you should be watching games this week.  That have almost nothing to do with actual baseball.

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Kaufman Stadium

Kansas City can be summed up in one word: meh!  Sure they have great barbecue and rabid Chiefs fans, but the one thing that they can really hang their collective hat on is the fact that the not-so-bright can be tricked into believing K.C is the capitol of Kansas.  Ya'll do know Kansas City is in Missouri right?  OK just making sure.  As you can see, they do have a lovely and unique ballpark out there on the edge of the freeway.  The big crown shaped center field board and light towers are really cool. What you don't see are the waterfalls along the edge of the outfield that add another pleasing dimension to Kaufman Stadium.

Incidentally, if you ever find yourself in town make sure you hit Gray's Barbecue.  The food is great but don't hesitate to order as soon as you reach the front of the perpetual line that forms.  Those young girls behind the counter can be merciless if you don't know what you want.  You may get sent back to the end of the line which at meal times means a long wait.

The Seven Line Army

If Mets fandom is a religion then the fundamentalist nuts of the faith are the members of The Seven Line.  Named for the Subway line that runs to Citi Field they represent some of the most ardent and vocal supporters of the Metsies.  The group was started in 2009 by die-hard fan Darren Meenan and has now morphed into a Mets merchandise business and traveling road show for the Mets nation.  Keep your eye out during the telecast for a group of 800 or so crazy people wearing orange, banging thunder-sticks and starting chants that end up being echoed by the whole park.  Forty thousand Mets fans chanting "Your Mom has a thing for Jacob deGrom" can make a hitter weak-kneed in a hurry.

Hot Heads

This season the Royals have developed a bit of an anger management problem.  Lead by some hot headed pitchers they got into a series of scuffles, bean ball wars, and bench clearing posturing matches this season.  But now things will change as when the games are in New York the pitchers have to bat.  The sins that took place during the American League season where they had a designated hitter can now be avenged when the pitcher has to bat for himself. After the Mets lost their starting shortstop to a dirty play during a game against the Dodgers I am sure they are itching for a throw down.  Keep an eye out for some tit for tat baseball justice in this series. 

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Big Sexy

What a perfect name for possibly the most intriguing guy playing in this year's series.  Checking in at 42 years old and somewhere approaching 300 pounds Bartolo Colon is the baseball equivalent of The Donald in the White House, its not supposed to happen.  At his age and size to be as good as he is, is amazing.  You will see him out of the Mets bullpen, always throwing strikes and always calm.  After 20 years in the big leagues Bart has seen it all and never comes unglued.   Too bad we won't see him at bat.  Earlier this season on a hit over the center fielder's head that most of us could score on;  but Big Bart running hard could only get to second.  The other Mets players love playing with the big teddy bear that is Bart. As a result they have taken to wearing Big Sexy shirts in his honor.

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Hairy

This may end up being one of the most hairy World Series in history!  Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard are renowned for their flowing locks straining their caps.  Royals pitcher Johnny Cueto has one of the nicest heads of dreadlocks you will ever see.  And infielder Eric Hosmer has a weird Mohawk thingy nicknamed "The Hos" around Kansas City.  Even the much maligned Fox TV announcer Joe Buck has gotten into the act with a scurfy high school kid beard.  The beard is so bad it's been treated to the ultimate mock respect.; it has a Twitter account of  its own.

There are many more good reasons to watch, from David Wright in his first World Series, to the heart warming story of Wilmer Flores crying on the field.  I am sure there will be some good commercials for those of you like that stuff.  Plus dudes wearing face masks to fight the cold, and plenty of crotch grabbing.  So gather the family, make some multi layer dip and root for the Mets!  Oops did that slip out.  

The Wait Is Over

Falling Fast For Fleming, Part Two

Did you miss part one?  Here is a link; Falling Fast For Fleming, Part One

On this October Friday night the Fleming Wildcats (Yes K-State they ripped off your logo) are doing battle against the Bulldogs of Peetz, a town of some 225 men, women and children five minutes from the Nebraska state line.  Fleming enters the contest 4-0 and eyeing a trip to the playoffs; while the Bulldogs come in at 2-2.  Peetz rock's almost identical uniforms to the Green Bay Packers.

The football field sits in a low spot just north of the Fleming School.  On the home side there are bleachers topped with a metal and glass press box.  The visitors have to make do with two sets of portables and their bus parked behind the bench to serve as a locker room.  A thin yellow rope rings the field keeping the players and coaches in and the fans out, just barely. Parents, alumni, arm chair quarterbacks, "assistant coaches", and amateur out-of-town writers hug the rope line to cheer and exhort the boys of Fleming.  Kids played football on the side or clustered in groups wearing their school colors.  A group of young teen girls held down a couch that was sitting on the edge of the field. Earlier I mentioned the cars full of spectators ringing the field.  It turns out that another good reason to have your car nearby is to use the horn as a celebration device, which the home crowd puts to good use.

Welcome!

It didn't take long for two strangers with a camera and a legal pad to begin to draw some attention in a small town. Not five minutes after our arrival folks began coming up to assess our presence. That turned out to be a boon for me since I had a lot of questions that needed answers.  Not only did I meet a lot of proud parents and alumni full of past glory, but I got a lot of help figuring out this strange game.

Not Your Old Mans Game

Turns out 6 man football is very different from the version we watch on Sundays. For one, the field is only 80 yards long and 40 wide.  In other words a little less ground to cover with 6 guys.  But those 6 had better be in great shape, no fat guys here please! With scores routinely reaching the sixty point realm its a game built for the swift.  For sure if you have two or three great athletes on your team you have a good chance of piling up the points. In an effort to counteract that a first down is fifteen yards instead of the traditional ten, and the quarterback cannot run with the football.  So no Timmy Tebow up the middle in this game.

Things really get weird when it comes to the kicking game.  Since having a kicker and a holder on a field goal or an extra point means that you have only four guys left to block, an extra point is worth two and a field goal nets you four points.  Peetz tried a different strategy by sending out a tiny freshman kicker to drop kick (punt style) their extra points and field goals.  The result were not encouraging; he was blocked or missed badly on each attempt.

Fear and Loathing

By halftime I was freezing and the Wildcats had a comfortable lead of 20-0.  The Homecoming festivities at the half included a two car parade of girls wearing dresses that made me happy for my sweatshirt and a couple numbers from the band.  Following a tradition at every American high school the king was one of the football players.  Unfortunately Fleming does not have a cheer squad so the queen couldn't come from those ranks.

Fleming scored to start the second half and the game looked to be out of hand.  But Peetz returned the kickoff for six, forced a three-and-out by the Wildcats and scored again to make it 28-12. The Wildcats answered with a long touchdown pass, but Peetz was unfazed and returned the favor with a 62 yard bomb of their own. Again Fleming seemed to ice them with another touchdown, and again the Bulldogs answered with a long running score of their own.  We had a good old fashioned shootout on our hands and the Fleming faithful began to stir and murmur.  Anything other than playing for the state championship wont cut it around there.  The sidelines came alive with tips, exhortations, and outrage at yellow flags. Surprisingly the game featured a crew of four referees. Even more astonishing was that fact that they were should we say not in peak physical condition.   The real coach just inside the yellow rope got into the act as well with a tirade of his own.  The kids responded with another score and this time Peetz had nothing left.  By the middle of the fourth quarter the scrubs were in the game and Fleming won comfortably 64-24.

Reflection

Two developments that took place during garbage time that are important to share.  First we were made aware of the post game prayer on the field and encouraged to bring the camera on the field to bear witness.  And second we were invited to stay around for the homecoming dance in the gym. There was even talk of us staying the night with some new friends and going to an Oktoberfest in Sydney, Nebraska.

When the final whistle sounded we jumped the yellow rope and joined the players and most of the town in a circle for prayer at midfield.  Then Peetz heading for their locker room bus and the players and most of town gathered around the coach for a post game debrief.  Coach clearly spoke to the players as well as the faithful gathering.  Dads nodded their heads in agreement with his game assessment.  Peetz had given them one tough quarter but things were OK.  There is a balm in Gilead.

Kelley and I declined our invitation to the homecoming dance and began a the long dark trek toward the distant glow of city lights.  He turned to me as the gravel turned to pavement and said that had we stayed for the dance we surely would have been invited to Thanksgiving.  Fleming had made us honorary citizens for a night and we in turn promised to return for the championship game in late November.

Go Cats!

Falling Fast For Fleming, Part One

Autumn was in the air that Friday night as Interstate 76 unrolled itself in front of the speeding truck.  From Denver, the highway cut straight north and east across the plains of Eastern Colorado toward Nebraska, seemingly in a hurry to get there although I can’t imagine why.  Dark clouds loomed over the fields and a hard wind buffeted the windshield.  Darkness was coming as the day's last loads of corn were pulled from the fields.  I was already chilled and beginning to grasp the fact that the sweatshirt I had on was woefully inadequate.  It felt like a good night for high school football.

Eastern Colorado is a different world from the one we call home. In fact folks out there feel so alienated from the cities of the Front Range that there has been talk of seceding from Colorado all together.  It’s rural, red (politically) and sparsely populated.  Cows outnumber people by a good margin.  What were us two city boys getting ourselves into?

A Track Meet in Helmets

College football has undergone a metamorphosis over the past few  years.  Playing a spread out, no huddle, lighting-speed style has become the rage.  Gone is the three-yards and a cloud of dust football of the past; in, is hurry, hurry, hurry.  But f or a long time in small towns and tiny hamlets all over The Plains, a hybrid form of fast paced football has been played.  Six man football (traditionally football is played with 11 on a side) was started in Nebraska in 1934 so small schools could play the game so many of us love. Today the game is still played in places like Texas, Montana, Wyoming and yes, Colorado.  If you want to witness it for yourself you are going to have to find a rural area with a small and/or shrinking population, corn or wheat bending in the wind, and tractors, lots of tractors.

I’ve been wanting to do just that for a few years now.  Once, my father-in-law and I drove out to the land of wheat and corn but I had misread the schedule and we arrived to a dark field and an empty hamlet; it was a road game.  This year I invited Kelley (a budding videographer), made sure I was seeing the schedule correctly and made sure the windshield of his truck was clean before leaving town, to make sure he could get a shot of bugs making the ultimate sacrifice.  Alas, the cold seemed to drive away the insects. 

Why Fleming?  I'm not sure to be honest.  I looked at a couple options and ended up driving out there a couple weeks ago on a recon mission.  It was the night after a game and the field was empty save for a couple kids throwing a ball.  I sneaked through a hole in the fence to check it out.  Soon I was barefoot in the cool grass. As the sun went down on a warm evening, I fell in love.  It turned out to be the perfect choice.

Fleming Facts

The town of Fleming, Colorado is on a two lane highway in an area of gently rolling grasslands, almost two hours from Denver.  The first thing you see long before the town comes into view is a set of towering grain elevators rising from the brown fields.  Home to around four hundred folks, Fleming sits along the train tracks that it's namesake bequeathed.  Downtown there is a bank, a bar and grill, the community center, a church or two and little else.  Parking is on the diagonal which I must admit I have a thing for. What do people do, you say?  Well there is farming of course, a prison nearby, some commuting I am sure and of course the school.  If you were born and raised in Fleming there is a very good chance that you could probably get from your house to the school blindfolded.  With all your school years spent under one roof you are gong to wear out a trail there from the day you start kindergarten until the moment you throw your cap into the spring sky.  One hundred and ninety five kids, seventy three of which are in high school make up the K-12 roster. The number seventy three is significant since seventy five is the cut off for 6 man.

Bullish

About a mile before town we pulled off the highway on a gravel backroad to get into the spirit of rural America.  Most of the harvest was done but some corn was still in the fields.  Dust plumed behind the truck and a wind farm off to the north helped reduce our carbon footprint.  We entered the town the back way behind the school and arrived at the field to an unusual sight.  Instead of a crowd gathering for tickets, there was a line of cars waiting to enter a gate and surround the field.  Eventually much of the sidelines would be a parking lot of moms and dads and grandparents staying warm in their trucks and suburbans.  We had a more pressing problem than finding parking, and that was food.  Bully's Bar and Grill is the best option in Fleming to fill that need. Actually it’s the only option.

From the street Bully's seems like a dingy dive bar, but opening that door on Friday night we were hit with the sights and sounds of a very busy dinner hour.  Unbeknownst to us we had come to Fleming on one of the busiest nights of the year, Homecoming!  Needless to say the tables were full and the reservation list as well.  So we settled for a tall table in the bar and a Jack and Coke, if you please.  The bar itself was flush with a row of seated hats, all drinking American beer and playing along with Wheel of Fortune on the television.  The menu carries Rocky Mountain Oysters ($6) and something called Blazin' Balls (I didn't ask). We settled for Steak and Salmon and some people-watching.

The discussion at the bar gripped me.  Topics wandered from dislike for the guys in the Sonic commercials to good hamburgers, getting blood drawn and line dancing. All the while solving each Wheel of Fortune puzzle before Vanna White could touch the right squares.  A loud laugh brought two little heads peeking inquisitively into the room.  At this point I turned to Kelley and said that being accepted and at home in a small town can be really special.  He said he thought I fit in better than he did, which was being generous.  Neither one of us were from around there.

We finished our meal and another beverage and headed down the street toward the bright lights of the football field.  By the time we squeezed through that hole in the fence Fleming was already up six to nothing.

Next time on Falling Fast For Fleming, the smack of helmet on pads and an invite to the dance.  

Coming Soon

"There's something happening here

What it is ain't exactly clear"

Ladies and Gentleman, boys and girls, children of all ages,
Coming next week to these very pages will be the story of an epic adventure into the hinterlands of Eastern Colorado, to experience something very few folks ever get the chance to see; six man high school football.  Of course you being astute sports fans you know that football is played with eleven men on a side.  But what if you live in a tiny farming community on the prairies and you don't have enough kids to field a team? Well then you play other little dots on the the map in a modified and increasingly rare version of football that features six on six action.

Tomorrow my friend Kelly and I head east armed with writing pads. cameras, and video equipment to document a world very different from our city lives.  Stay tuned! If you don't see or hear from us for a few days look for us in a scene like this.