In an effort to properly kick off my retirement I decided to take a trip out to Seattle, WA at the end of October. The main reason for taking this trip was to get away from all of the people who continually ask me the following questions regarding my retirement:
1. What are you going to do?
2. What did you do today?
3. What are you going to do tomorrow?
4. Aren't you going to get bored? I think you should (fill in the blank).
All of these questions were wearing me out and I just needed a break from having to continually provide answers to these questions. I also figured that this trip would give me a good answer to those annoying questions about my retirement....so it was off to Seattle for me....
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| My boy....Gus Bradley |
Gus is the only one of the Bradley boys who went into football coaching after he was done playing in college. Gus started his coaching career at North Dakota State Univeristy in Fargo, ND. His big break came many years later when he was hired as a line backer coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL team). After paying his dues in Tampa for 3 years, Gus moved up the NFL ranks when he was named the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Gus had always given me an open invitation to come and visit him in Seattle. This invitation also included a complete behind the scenes look at life in the NFL....all I had to do was show up in Seattle.....how could I pass that up?.....(as if I had anything better to do now).
KEY POINTS
This trip was going allow me to be the following:
1. A tourist boy (never had been to Seattle before)
2. A kid in a candy store (seeing what life was like as coach in the NFL)
3. Completely anonymous....no one could bother me with questions about being retired
Highlights of the trip....
1. Stayed in a hotel located in downtown Seattle..close to everything
2. Toured Seattle on foot from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Thursday
3. Visited a every major tourist attraction during my long walk
4. Toured Safeco Field - home of the Mariners MLB baseball team
5. Toured CenturyLink Field - home of the Seahawks NFL football team
6. Toured the harbor via boat
7. Spent Friday with Gus...practice, tour, dinner, stories
8. Saw what goes on behind the scenes of an NFL team
9. Found a great bar near the hotel that became my nightly hang out
10. Met some fun people at "my bar"...they kept me entertained
11. Attended the Seahawks game against the Cincinnati Bengals
12. Stood on the sidelines for the the pre-game warm-ups
13. Sat in great seats for the game...Row 8...40 yard line
I think the best way to tell the story of my trip is for me to act as your tour guide.
The tour is about to start.....please gather around me....
Welcome to Seattle, I'm Palmer and I will be your tour guide today. You are now part of what I will call the "Palmer Group". When you hear me say "Palmer Group, we are walking", it means that you need to follow me.
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| Remember.....I'm in charge here! |
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| If you hate heights, you need to stay in the gift shop |
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| I can't believe there aren't some good looking women around to be in this picture |
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| Sun in Seattle??.....I thought Seattle was always dark and dreary |
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| Pictures without people in them do nothing for me |
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| This is Pike's Market........where are the women?....I need them in this picture |
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| Looks like we can buy dinner right here....anyone know how to clean a fish? |
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| I'd buy these flowers if I could just find a good looking woman to give them to |
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| Welcome to Safeco Field....home of the Seattle Mariners.... |
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| Remember this is a "Ballpark".... not a "Stadium" |
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| Excuse me....I need to live out a dream.... gotta stand on the top step of the dugout |
Let's go down into the post game interview room and I will do some role playing for you....or should I say that I will live out a fantasy of mine.....
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| It was a fast ball middle in and I just put a good swing on it |
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| Yes, I would have to say it was the biggest home run of my career |
We will now head out to the suburbs and tour the facility that the Seahawks use for their practice sessions....
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| Palmer Group......we're walking......please try and keep up with me |
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| This is practice field....a fella could build a very nice lake home right here |
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| The locker room is bigger than my house.....but then I don't have much of a house |
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| This room looks like a college class room..a place most players have never seen |
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| Hey Vikings fans, there is Sidney Rice....he left us...I feel like a scorned lover |
We will now head back downtown and go tour CenturyLink Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks....
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| Now this is a "Stadium".....not a "Ballpark" |
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| The calm before the storm.....the fans are loudest in the NFL...called the 12th man |
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| It's Sunday.....are you ready for some football? |
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| We must be in the front row.....well not really...will Row 8 work for you? |
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| There's Gus....it's a long ways from Zumbrota to the NFL..maybe he will hire me |
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| Maybe if I just stand around here they will think I'm a coach |
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| My buddy Palmer is here today so you better not embarrass me |
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| You gotta love the dance line....yes, they really call them the "Sea Gals" |
Let's go down to the post game interview room.....little more role playing for you...
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| I can't answer that question until I look at the film |
This concludes our tour...............
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| Any questions?.... yes it's true, I can't sleep in Seattle....too much to do |
Now I have an answer to all the questions.....I WENT TO SEATTLE!!!
