Training Camp 2002

TRAINING CAMP PART IV - EXTRA POINTS!!!
So how do you amuse yourself in Tampa outside of football?
	First off, you get a nice villa with a pool and a boat. After a hard day in the sun watching football, there's nothing better than cooling off with a little water gridiron! We were staying with 5 Fire fans up in New Port Richey (as well as two FTP members) and had a ball. In fact we had about 8 balls after we were doing shopping!
	Then you go to Dunedin - the Florida Scottish town (it even has its own Highland Games). There you can shop for Irn-Bru if you like and take a couple of cold ones down to Grant Field and watch the Toronto Blue Jays during spring training. On this day they tied the Devil Rays 3-3 (pre-season games usually play to just 10 innings).
	We also caught the Blue Jays over at Legends Field - which is right across the street from Ray Jay. This is the spring home of Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees. The Yanks jumped out to a big 5-0 lead, but the Jays rallied behind a Raul Mondesi home run before falling just short 8-7.
	Playing for the Yanks at third base was Drew Henson. Henson was the QB we saw play for Michigan when they faced Drew Brees and Purdue in 2000. If he had not opted for baseball after college he would probably have been the #1 pick in the upcoming NFL draft. As it stands, he is still stuck in the minors for the Yanks, and is probably still a year away for making the big leagues.
	Then you go to the Ice Palace and catch some NHL action where the woeful Tampa Bay Lightning reside. Probably the best thing you can say about them is they have TWO zamboni's! What is a Zamboni?
	First up we saw them fail to hold a lead with 6 seconds left against the Canadiens, and skated to a 3-3 tie after overtime. Then they lost in overtime 4-3 to the Bruins, conceding the winning goal with 24 seconds left. Not a good team in the clutch!
	Of course, hockey kind of bores us - we only go for the fights! Where else can you watch grown Canadian men with no teeth flail at each other where the 'officials' stand idle until the blood starts staining the ice? We love it!
	Not content with the fight actions during the game, the Lightning added extra bouts during the intermissions. This sumo wrestle was all the funnier because 2 Galaxy players were inside the costumes! It is absolute truth that one of the guys missed practice the next day - DOH!
	Then as the sun sets on another beautiful 85 degree day, you need to find the nearest Hooters and get some wings! This Hooters, up near our villa, has a boating dock, so if you're too hammered to drive the pickup home - just take the boat!
	Although we are backing Gene for 2002 we have a back-up coach lined up in case things don't work out. It's none other than DA COACH - Mike Ditka! After visiting Mike's restaurants in Chicago in 2000, New Orleans in 2001 - we checked out his third and final one in Naples, Florida. Preston was happily drinking at the bar until he noticed Da Coach munching on a pork chop! Being a childhood idol if his, Preston managed to blubber complete nonsense to the man, and found out little in return except that Mike is a member of Loch Lomond Golf Club!

That's camp for another year. We reckon we've got a good team this year and have a realistic shot of the World Bowl. We've just got this hunch that Kevin Daft and the Amsterdam Claymores, sorry Admirals, will be waiting for us in World Bowl X!