Our adventures continues here in the fine city of Dallas. And if we end up in your city, we take in all the sights there is to see. Touring Jerry Jones new stadium was one of those things I had on my "must do" list. While I am no fan of the Cowboys, their stadium is impressive. But this post isn't so much about that, but how many places I could I get M.M. to. On a side note, I'm often asked if I take M.M. everywhere. I don't,....he didn't go to The 6th Floor Museum, The Dallas Museum of Art, or The Social Distortion show. But taking him to the stadium was a no-brainer.

Our 1st trip downtown M.M. was in tow and discovered this,.....go figure.

Onward to the stadium.

This was the 1st thing we saw as we walked up. A statue of Tom Laundry. On this occasion I thought it was appropriate to bring M.O. along for the ride.

The tour starts in all places,....the pro shop. Hell yes I stopped for a photo-op ( and at every other spot as you'll soon see).

It was a short walk from there to the top of the lower bowl, which was taking us straight onto the field.

Here I got a little bit cross looks from the locals as I posed with my little men. "Dolphins !!??",...I heard several times during out tour. My standard response ( with a F you look ),....." all day long ! ".

The endzone was cool, but lets take this party to their cherished star on the 50,....

How bout a close up. Sure thing,....

Making sure the locals know,....I am Ohiofinfan4life !

While hanging around the 50, we met Charles ( on of the staff ). He was super cool and we chatted with him for about 20 minutes. When he found out we where from Toledo he informed us that he goes up to Sandusky, Ohio to see his cousin. Sandusky is about an hour from T-town ( as some call it ) and a great place to visit in the Summer ( Cedar Point & Put-in-Bay ). Anyways,...he gave a bunch of info on the stadium. Such as the big screen cost $40 million alone and is 7 stories tall. He went on about Jerry's private box and the 4 personal suites he has underneath his box. Facts about the turf,....all very interesting.

We continued on to the the team's locker room.

Here we met another staffer named Danielle, who ( of course ) started by busting my chops straight away. We a friendly give & take. As she took the above picture and endured my return fire to her verbal jabs, she asked a favor.

Again,.....Hell ! Yes ! I was putting on the Dez Bryant jersey, seeing as our guy Ireland wanted to know all about his family history,.......too funny ( to me ).

Tony Romo,......he can't hold Marino's jock.

Its been a few lean years, but I see good things coming our way,....then they'll have to get a new plaque.

As we exited their locker room I was surprised to find they had lockers for all their consultants as well. And what do you suppose I find ???

Ahhhhh the memories, the sweet memories !

Where the team goes onto the field,....

From there it was back to the pro shop, and wouldn't you know,......I found a few more photo-ops.

Cowboys,....they have a lot of balls. Footballs,.....

If you know me, I hate all other teams. Some more than others. But I respect their fans and Jerry certainly build a very impressive stadium for his beloved Cowboys. However, wether your team is the Ravens, SF, or even the lowly Jets,....we are all Americans ( mostly, no disrespect to our NFL brethren in far away places ) first.

That was a fun day,....I hope you enjoyed it.

OFF4L

The schedule is out, the draft is over, now the wait begins for training camp and the pre-season. What to do,....what to do ?????

As some of you may know I recently left Florida ( temporarily ) for Dallas, TX. Once we arrived at our new apartment it just didn't feel right. It was the same beige walls, the same brown carpet, the same basic rental furniture,....it was the same homogenised placed as every other place we've stayed in the last 5 years. Sure, sure,...we bring some items from home as to give it that personal touch but it needed something extra.

Now, if I left things up to Wifey she would have continued with the same boring Earth tones to complete our apartments basic look. That's why when she said she was tired the day after the move I sprang into action.

1st stop,....Walmart.

Who knew that sold funky dolphin colored pillows,......

Next stop,...Hobby Lobby,...

Oversized Dolphin colored flowers of some sort,.....I love it !!! While the Wifey,...she just rolled her eyes,....lol.

Then there is our kitchen area, there I made due with mostly stuff I already had.

I did say "mostly",....while in Austin I picked up a couple new bobble heads to join my gang

Fuck yes that's Scott Ian and Johnny Ramone. And,...a new piggy bank that says " I'm saving up to be a rock star". I put my pennies in that.

As for my bust,...it's still with me. The guy that contacted me never got back with me,......oh well. I got plans of my own,...like tailgating with it and having a bust throwing contest. That bitch weighs about 40LBS, and there is a perfect grassy area over at Joe Robbie. Who knows,....maybe I'll just put it in a box and ship it home. But for now it sits atop the frig,.....

Home & Garden its not, but what do you expect for $60,......

OFF4L

Yesterday I visited with two different people that are involved with The Phinsider while here in the Austin area. One was planned and the other was more impromptu. I got to thinking today after I finished riding my bike,...Dolfans are everywhere. Many of us like them because of historically significance, geographically, payer specific or The Marino Effect. However, many of us are from anywhere but Miami. Where the Dolphins haven't performed as we may have liked, they do have a lot of fans,.....and in a lot of different places.

To meet Kevin, or Mosul, we had to travel 70+ minutes North to the Killeen where him, my Wifey, and myself had lunch. Prior to meeting anyone that I have only communicate electronically is a bit different, and you wonder how the online person is going to match the person in front of you. It didn't take me to draw a favorable conclusion. The uni was cool, but when somebody buys two separate phone covers as to switch out the colors to make it two-tuned Dolphin specific,....that's using your head and I like it. We ate, chatted getting to know each other, and had a real nice visit for the better part of 90 minutes. During that time I asked about his Dolphin history, family,army stuff, and of course,....The Phinsider. I was interested to know that Kevin's 7 year old Son likes the Dolphins, his parents listen to the podcast from Orlando, and that he hopes to make it to the season opener in Houston. On a side note about that game,....IT'S HUGE ! What I would give to still be in the area and hitting that game. You wanna know the reason why ??? We've never beat them, probably will be a huge underdog, and we need to give them some road support ! That scenario calls to me, however that road game I'll take a pass on while I'm eyeing a couple others. Back to lunch with Kevin. The time seemed to fly by, my Wife enjoyed herself, lunch was good, and I can confirm that Kevin is "good people". My hope is to one day take in a game with him ( and family ), that would be fun.

I was tired when I got back to my hotel, but checked the Phinsider MM post. I was contacted by another person from Phinsider who lives here locally. I said he was going to out shooting pool in his league tonight until 10:30 or 11:00 and I should stop out. Since I had just had a night "out" I didn't know if I was up for it. I grabbed a nice power nap, had dinner out (that was excellent), and decided to take him up on his offer.

Funny thing is, my middle name is Edward ( named after my Grandfather, who's nickname is "Fast Eddie") and the pool hall was named Fast Eddie's,......go figure.

Kris, the Phinsider in question, admits he reads daily but rarely comments, which is OK.

Like I mention to Kevin, I bet there are plenty more DolFans that just read the site yet have never signed up. Don't be shy,....you don't have to do a fan post of fan shot if you don't want to ( but it's allowed ), however a comment here and there is not a bad thing and ( I think ) highly encouraged.

Kris a Texas native has loved the Dolphins since he was young due to The Marino Effect, and has never swayed. Having no other DolFans in his circle he is a subscriber to The NFL ticket via his computer and has traveled to Miami for a game once before. To me, being born & bred in the vicinity of Austin, TX and being a hardcore DolFan speaks volumes. While hanging out Kris I learn that he is also an accomplished pool player that play 3x per week. Doing so he has qualified for a pool tournament in Las Vegas where he leaves this Wednesday. Needless to say he's pretty excited about that and I hope he does well,....or even wins it. He also indicated he is thinking about going to Houston. I hope he does. Hanging with him was too cool, as we seemed to lov'em thru thick & thin disposition regarding the Dolphins and I was able to gain good Austin insight on the area. Without meeting him I probably would have blown off taking the opportunity to ride my bike in the area, which is a very biker friendly community. That would have had me pissed off. His tip led to me mapping out a 38 mile ride from my hotel which I rode this morning.

Kris and I had a good time as well. And he tells me that he enjoys my posts and the antics of M.M. This is something that amazes me as I never thought my involvement with the Phinsider and its members could have ever grown into what it has become. I an't complaining,.....and I am humbled. Ya know,.....its all about watching the Fins on Sundays ! A few beers and a bunch of chit/chat later it was time to call it a night. Kris's signature pose is his rendition of the "The Thinker", complete w/ M.M., and the #1 and #3 balls.

In a Phinsider exclusive, I give you our guy in Austin, TX,........Kris.

Good times !

I mentioned a bike ride. This it is.

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/84872829

And it took 2.5 hours and kicked my ass ! Funny Wife, she took a picture as I walked in the room and sat down.

Wanna see what and old, fat, tired alpha male looks like ? This ain't pretty,....LOL

The camera adds 10 LBS,......I think. Sick.

After lunch another power nap was needed today too. I got up to see that I was messaged from yet another DolFan via Facebook that I met at a game in Miami this last season. Somehow he is related to Nick "Phinstone" from The Deep End and got to make it to a game and sit with us last season. He too is in the Austin area. Although we were not able to meet up, it was still cool that he knew I was here and reached out to me.

The Wifey and I made it out to 6th St on more time for a 90 minute stay. We had slice of pizza and were just walking around whenI saw this,....I had to get a picture with him.

My man here tells me that he is not a Dolphin fan, but a Saints fan. He goes on to same he likes football and has a lot of different jerseys, this being one of them. I still had to get a picture,....how random is that ???

It's true,...there are DolFans everywhere. And,...a new coaching regime with the upcoming draft has to give way to some level of optimism for the upcoming season. A grade "A" draft, a solid training camp & pre-season, finding a hidden gem (or two),....and who knows !!! Get ready,....cause here we go again,...

OFF4L

Even though we have another two days left here in Austin, I thought I would share M.M.'s adventures thus far.

Our 1st day consisted of a historical tour. First was a stop at State of Texas History Museum.

This saying says it all !

While pictures were not allowed inside the museum, they were allowed in the gift shop. Although I'm sure I could have snuck a few off, I decided to play it straight....

Here are some from the gift shop.

Giddy up !

This is the type of attitude I can relate too,...

Next stop, The State capitol.

Tuesday night I ventured out solo,.....that is to say just me & M.M.

6th St in Austin is nothing more than bars w/ bands & boutiques.

We ventured in to a place called Bikini's. It's like Hooters, but only better. The staff wears a bikini top with mini jean shorts, complete with cowgirl boots. Once there we discovered there was a special on Texas beer. Cool !

The Red Wings may have lost, but that was not about to get in the way of a good time,....

A really good time,...

From there I wandered onto the St to see ( and hear ) what's doing,....

I landed in a Rock 'n Roll store full of oddities. A perfect place for a few photo-ops with M.M.

True story,.....Mini Cyndi Lauper will take'm anyway she can get'm,....

Another true story,....M.M. like big tits on tiny waisted chicks ( who doesn't ???).

Onward to the Dirty Dog, a rock 'n roll bar !

The band was playing that old school 80's metal, heavy w/ Van Halen and the such. We were in heaven,...

Upon my instruction, we turned the volume up to 11 ! ( Spinal Tap reference )

Just because we can,....

All in all,...I can't complain. Today was a good day. I got a new TV, a souvenir Austin T-shirt, a Johnny Ramone bobblehead, and a great time out on the town ( by myself ).

That's all for now, two more days in Austin before we land in our final destination in Dallas,.....

OFF4L

Disclaimer,....this is a just my attempt to mix it up around here and get a break from all the draft day hype. And,...my sense of humor is not for everyone.

We have left Florida and are heading to the Lone Star State. But there were a few things that needed to be addressed before we could hit the road. Such as,....leaving my Dolphin & pedestal with Fro from The Phin Addicts. This is him pulling up to pick it up. I hated to leave him, but I could use the extra space. To use his words, " you should just buy a place and stay. You're meant to be here". He may be right,....

Wifey amongst the clutter prior to our exit . I wasn't trying to get M.M. in the pic,....but there he is.

He really didn't want to leave to be honest,....

But in the end we left. At 12:15 on Friday we moved on to our next big adventure. Wifey did good staying awake the whole 9 hours on Friday as she was researching apartment complexes in the Eastern Dallas suburbs among other things. But that was not the case on Saturday. It was only a 3 hour trip from Pensacola to NOLA,.....and she was "lights out" most of that trip,......as usual.

NOLA is a trip, and we were only there from 2PM to 7PM. As time wore on the stranger it got. My plans was to get M.M. in as many F'ed pictures as I could, I think I succeed.

M.M. first "thill" was NOT on Blueberry Hill,.....just a casual photo.

The next set of photos, IMO, is too cool. Anytime you can get a street performer that juggles to work M.M. into his act,.....well, that's a smash hit !!!

Worth every cent of that one dollar bill !!!

Anybody know what this is ? It looked cool,...so I took a picture.

NOLA is up in arms about "bountygate". This again was funny too me,....

After walking around for a few hours, it was time for some R& R. Nothing like a little foot massage,.....

Paybacks,....they are a bitch. I was out cold,.....and snoring so I was told.

I don't dislike NOLA, but Bourbon St is sleazy to say the least.

Example #1,....

Example #2,.....some dudes just don't look good in red ( totally Wifey's idea,....giggling the whole time ).

I was NOT happy after that,....

Just because,....

I give you the highlight of my trip, and example #3,....

With all the street performers about, this bum got the bright idea to act passed out in the middle of the street as to generate photo-ops along with some donations. Good Idea I thought,....

It was so good that some other bums,....and bystanders ( myself included ) wanted it.

As you can imagine, this did not sit sit well with our fellow with the big ideas. While they screamed back & forth,...I snapped away,....

PURE GOLD ! And sleazy,....but I'm not judging.

Back to our main purpose,.....M.M. in F'ed up pics !

That was worth $2 all day long,....

"Bountygate" was everywhere,...

And so where orange boas,....

I should have bought my pal that shirt,....

As we headed out, M.M. was getting into that whole Mardi Gras vibe,......go figure.

5 hours during the day was enough for me, I can only imagine what is going on down in those parts tonight. That's why I'm glad I'm tucked away safely back in our hotel as to get my rest. Big day tomorrow,.......GO WINGS !!!

OFF4L

Today at exactly 3:13PM I received a phone call from the Dolphins Senior Director of Guest Services. The conversation last over 10 minutes ( which is 5 hrs & 50 min less than what Peyton got,......geez). Anyways,...he mentioned that Mike Dee mentioned he has met me a few times with the last one being in Indianapolis. Well, I gave him some of my story in which the last part was about receiving a bust while in Indy which also goes hand in hand with last year's DCC efforts. He asked me about what size the bust was and if I had any photo that I could forward him. Ya know,....I dropped the ball. While I mention The Phinsider, I failed to mention that I have a Matty named after me ( guess I'll save that for another time ). Needless to say when I sat back let it soak in, then explained it to Wifey later that evening,....I was kinda giddy. I mean come on,......A guy calls and says him & Mike Dee have a few conversations about me and that he needs to touch base with me about my story and my bust ???!!! The conversation was wrapped up by him asking for some photos and the link to that story from the Toledo Free Press. He told me he would get back with me about it further when he gets back to work as he just happens to be taking a 2 week vacation. No problem,.....now I start to wonder what they have up there sleeve. Only time will tell.

Then shortly after I get home from work Marshall gets traded. Kinda crazy,.....

OFF4L

Every season since I've been coming to Florida on e thing has remained the same,....I acquire more stuff. And I always bring a few things from home to put up a little Dolphins display wherever we are calling home for the Winter. Well,...this year was just a little different for me, so I got to thinking.

Our back porch has been home to my bikes ( and workshop ), a place to air out my stinky hockey equipment, and where my Dolphin statue & pillar lives. I got a great view of it from from the couch, where I sit and watch TV every night.

Then I got to thinking,...why don't I clean it up a bit and put my trinkets & collectables out there so I can see them.

Nice ! I like the new placement of the Dolphins parking sign, and the Championship football looks good too.

Lets add some Dolphin mini helmets,...

Those are sweet ! Lets take a closer look,...

But wait,...I got some more mini helmets.

Yup,....former Buckeyes Eddie George & Keith Byars ! Not too shabby !

Lets add Mini MrMedic (M3), my Dolphin man super sipper, and a Super Bowl 46 mini to the arrangement.

Yes,....M.M. goes out there too,...

But what about Mini OFF4L ? He gets his own table,...

Now it still looks like it could use something more,....but what ??? Ahhhh yes,....some Dolphins hats !

Under closer examination it reveals that it just doesn't look right.

Lets try adding one more piece to my "man-Porch",....

HELL ! YES !

That looks good. I had it shipped to Florida vs Ohio in hopes I can take Mike Dee up on his offer and get it displayed at the stadium. Truth be told,....I am not getting my hopes up for that one, but you never know. I left a message once for him a couple days after we returned from Indy, but now that the bust has arrived I will try him again in the next few days. You know how it goes,....hope for the best and plan for the worst. And in this case scenario,...the worst ain't too bad.

Maybe one more thing,....

Playa, playa,........

OFF4L

I got to thinking,....

This was M.M. 1st season and I got him to shake hands with quite a few former and current Dolphins. For arguments sake I am also going to include if I got him to pose with the former mentioned. I don't know how many it is, so lets find out together as we relive M.M. encounters with the famous this past season.

I'll try to keep it in chronological order. How fitting that the 1st stop for M.M. was at the Channing Crowder show.

#1

Next stop was not so much with the famous, but rather the infamous,......MrMedic !

#2

The 1st home game I attended was M.M. coming out party. I got a number of good pics there, I just wish we could have beat the Broncos.

Jim "Crash" Jensen

#3

Keith Simms

#4

The owner,.....Stephen Ross ( no handshake,....but still pretty cool )

#5

Nat Moore

#6

Halftime in the lounge with Troy Drayton, Jed Weaver, James Pruitt, Dick Anderson, & ( former Buckeye & Fin ) Bob Brudzinski

#7

Dick Anderson

#8

OJ McDuffie

#9

Another stop at the Channing show for a meeting with Jared Odrick.

#10

Then it was the DCC pep rally where I got another Former Buckeye.

Keith Byars

#11

And Dolphins CEO Mike Dee,...

#12

Dick Anderson again while M.M. was hitching a ride in the DCC.

#13

Michael Mandich

#14

Chad Henne

#15

While watching one of my Deep End brethren take on the beast challenge at Bokampers,....Sam Madison.

#16

Just because I think this is a BAD-ASS picture,...that's all. Gatorland in Orlando,...

#17

During the Raiders game Mad Dog went into the ROH. This was not the 1st time I rifled M.M. into the waiting hands of a former Dolphin.

Oronde Gadsden

#18

OJ McDuffie

#19

"Crash"

#20

Not sure if this is in the right spot, but at yet another stop at the CC show,....Tony McDaniels.

#21

Then there was super Bowl weekend. M.M. cleaned up there,....

Brian Billick

#22

Marv Levy,....he said, " Dan would love this". Too cool !!!

#23

Warren Moon

#24

And I finally,....Michael Irving

#25

Really 24 if you don't count the gator pic. Not too shabby for M.M. rookie season, and by all accounts a tough act to follow. The reason some of these are out of focus is because most time these pics are done on the fly and with a moments notice. Celebs don't hang around to see if the pic came out or are willing to do a 2nd take. So,...it is what it is. Hope you liked the recap,.......

OFF4l,.........and M.M. too

We had a choice, stay at our hotel or go a few hours early to the airport. Well,...there was nothing within walking distance from our hotel and if I learned anything from The Stalker it is that airports during a known event is a good hunting ground. Let me say, going there early was not a bad decision.

I'll spin this story in chronological order. Soon after we arrived I spot him. " Look Babe,....there's Lil' Jon". Like she couldn't say the words quick enough, "where's the camera, where's the camera, where's the camera !!!". The key is to be calm, cool, & collected. A point I often forget.

ow, if you follow my stories then you know I also am on a first name basis with Dolphin's CEO Mike Dee. And who do I see soon after Lil' Jon walks away,.........Mike Dee ! Well we chatted a bit and told him about how we ended up in Indy for the weekend and also discovered that neither of us have had much time on our bicycles since The DCC. I wanted to show him my FB profile pic of my bust from this weekend, but didn't think of it until we parted ways.

F

rom here I decided to get a pics of M.M. with the two Indy cars that where at the airport : The Steelers & The Chargers.

From there we headed to hanging with some of the other winners and grab a bite to eat. After about an hour I decided to cruise the concourse to see what I could see. And there he was, Super Bowl Winner, HOF'er, "The Playmaker" Michael Irving ! Now he was a little short with me, and he took a pic with M.M.,....he was totally cool to the little kid that wanted his pic & autograph. Class act is what I saw there.

Bad glare coming in from the window, I adjusted the pic as best I could,....

Now, here is another score. Former Buckeye Chris Carter. I wouldn't pull any punches here. He signed my pic that I got from Marino's HOF, but he was kind standoffish then, and again today. Maybe he was pissed about not getting into the HOF, maybe he is a serious type of guy, but he was having nothing to do with taking a pic with M.M. Shit,....I didn't even want to ask for another pic with guy as I tried to get a little conversation in and he said nothing. Kind of weird,...but whatever, you can't steal my joy. And,.....I never played a down in the NFL yet I'm going to beat him into Canton.

Then I see Mike Dee again, so I got my phone a readied for the picture I want to show him of the bust of me. I told him I was having it shipped back to Mom's house in Ohio when he mentioned we should,........hold on to you seat with this one,... put it on display in the stadium. Here he told me how to contact him, and said "call me and we'll talk about it". Needless to say, I will, in fact, chalk this one up to my Dolphin karma. I mean really, what are the chances that I : A) I win a contest that makes a HOF bust of me. B) bump into Mike Dee as we're leaving Indy. C) that he suggests we put it in the stadium formally known as Joe Robbie. Somebody pinch me,.....I must be dreaming !

When I said the Dolphins know how I am,.....I wasn't kidding !!!

So now it time to get on our plane and head back to Sunny Florida, a place we love. But wait,....who do I spot now, "The Real Deal" Evander Holyfield. He was pleasant when asked for a photo,......and much more popular than Chris Carter,.......lol.

Wifey wants to bust my balls about the position of the camera in the Lil' Jon pic, but she can't get me in focus ??? Oh well,.....as long as it wasn't a misfire with Marino I'm cool,....

That's it, that was our weekend in Indy. I hope you enjoyed sharing in our adventures. Just remember,....where I go, you go. Because I am always representing this website, The Deep End, and the Fan Club back in Toledo. You guys are the best, and don't you forget it !!!

OFF4L

My day started crazy enough. I didn't sleep for shit, partly because I was "super" excited but mainly cause I lost my phone. Now I called TGIF's the night before only to hear them tell me that they haven'r found it and to call back in the morning. Well, when I called they still didn't find it, but I was almost positive that it was there as I checked it during dinner. No matter, I called the car service and they tore apart the car looking for it with no luck. I was bumming. That's when the Wifey stepped up to the plate and made a 3rd call to TGIF. She pressed them a little harder I guess as it was found in all places,....on the floor, behind a stack of highchairs. I told you we were having a good time !!! Now that the weight of the world was lifted from me I could relax. And just in time too,...phone was located about 10:30AM, and we were heading Downtown at Noon. That was a bullet dodged.

At 12:00 sharp our bus arrived,....limo bus.

We arrived Downtown just before 1PM, and we didn't have to be back to the the bar they rented out for our ceremony / viewing party until 4:30PM. First order of business was heading back to TGIF to retrieve my phone.

Now it has been said that it's a "small world", but to me it seemed like the whole universe was in Indy for the big game. That's why I was a bit shocked while power walking ( I was on a mission ) through the crowd I was totally caught off guard by someone shouting out my name,....."GRIFFIN !!!". I looked over and it was my same buddy from Toledo that I met up with when we traveled to NYC to catch the Jets/Dolphins MNF game earlier in the season. Mike is the general manager of the largest car dealerships in Toledo, that guy is at all the big sporting events.

A quick hello and a picture and we were off, the phone was just around the corner. With phone in hand we still had plenty of time before we needed to be back at the bar. Off to see the sights.

We hung out here for a while and just watched the people for a while. The sights we saw,....a group of 6-8 buddies all dressed as different superhero's, someone in a giant Lombardi Trophy costume, bunches of Ron Paul supporters, Hari Krishna's that were singing & dancing & handing out cookies, religious zealots calling all that passed by sinners,......it was a sight. After an hour or so we headed out. While walking around the Wifey spotted Questlove from The Roots.

It was now about that time, so off to the bar we went. And what type of bar do you think Guinness is going to rent out ? An Irish bar name O'reilly's of course. Once inside this sign greeted us.

And this too,....I wonder what those could be ???

Lets take a closer look !

Our Guinness reps made sure we knew,.......the bars was open !!! And,....the kitchen too !

I'll drink to that,....and M.M. too !

5:00PM,...almost time to unveil those baby's !

A local DJ that played 6 years in the NFL, and went to 2 Super Bowls ( with the Bills ) was the presenter. He read a bit of answers to the essays we wrote to win the contest as an introduction before unveiling each bust. It was awesome seeing the anticipation in the eyes of the contestants just before their bust was unveiled. A truly unforgettable moment. I was the last one unveiled, I guess he was saving the best for last ( at least that's the way I see it,.....lol ). I present to you,.....the winners of Guinness & The Pro Football Hall of Fame Boldest Fans in the Game !

Lets take a closer look at that baby !!!

Needless to say, I am still blown away by the whole thing. After all that there was still an hour before kick-off and I need some fresh air.

Once I returned I continued to graze on the endless parade of food that was coming our way. After a while I started seeing things,....

What about that game !!! Did it feel good to you to watch the Pats lose ??? Well, John ( one of the winners and a Giants fan ) was on pins & needles most of the night,.....and especially towards the end.

They say pictures are worth a million words. Congrats to the NY Giants, you are Super Bowl Champs ! I was really happy for John,......

Group hug before we get ready to leave the bar,....

I t was an amazing weekend that was spent with some new friends. Friends that I will be forever contacted too. And knowing how I roll I wouldn't be surprised if I crossed their paths again. Could be at the HOF, a Dolphins game, or even a visit at their home,....I just got a feeling that I'll see them again.

Now it's time to come back down to Earth. Work tomorrow, and......working out begins too. These all-you-can-eat ( & drink ) weekends get me feeling a bit bloated. However I feel great, a picture of me is going into the HOF ! The bust is being shipped back home to Mom in Ohio. Good times,.....nothing but good times !

One last look,.....

I am,.....

Our first two day were amazing, hence I took over 115 pictures and a few videos. That's why I decided to do this post as two parter,....besides I got nothing to do until noon anyways. And,....it will give you folks something to see while you're waiting for the big game.

FRIDAY

Friday morning I wanted check and double check that I had everything,....including M.M. and my Dolphins toothbrush ( I know who would have thought that I roll with a Fins toothbrush,....go figure).

You got to believe that we were all excited. M.M. to Air Trans rep, " I don't have a ticket but I'm getting on that plane !".

Once there, it was limo service for us. And I let M.M. ride shotgun.

Once we arrived at our hotel it wasn't long before one of my best friend's showed up. Having to wait for my Mom & Uncle to arrive for another 90 minutes or so we ( the two guys ) went around the corner to a Hooters to wait them out. I hate to be critical here but I got to put out my own little PSA. If you're ever in Indy, DO NOT go to the Hooters on 38th & Lafayette. Those gals were A) not good looking and B) chunky. My really,.....the whole staff looked pear shaped 20-15 LBS overweight. Now that's nothing by real world standards, but if you're going to work at a place where the uniform is short shorts and a skin tight tank top,.........COME ON MAN !! However it was great to spend time with an old buddy were I promptly had myself 3 pints of Guinness.

Once the family arrived we headed downtown to see what we could see. It was not as long of stay there as I would have liked, and we didn't cover much ground. You see my Uncle is 69 and has a heart condition, but we did take in a few sights.

M.M. and the State Building (???).

The JW Marriott, where we are headed to on Saturday night.

Dolphin karma brought us directly to Dolphins Dr.

It wasn't much farther from there we made our way to The Crowne Plaza and grabbed a bite at there restaurant. Food was good, but having worked in the business throughout High School and again whenI went back to college, I know a thing or two about the restaurant industry. Long story short, we sat down and ordered ( 2 appetizers & 4 sandwiches ). soon as we finished the waitress asked my buddy, " old you be terribly offended if your meatball sandwich came out now". The whole time there is this other server your a plate with a meatball sandwich standing behind with it. " Not that one he replied". Our apps & sandwiches arrived together, with a few exceptions. No meatball sandwich and a strip steak instead of the Philly steak sandwich I ordered. Those son-of-a bitches took that steak few it on a bun and returned it to me. Now, my sandwich was to have onions, cheese, horseradish sauce and cooked medium. This was a well done strip steak on a bun,.......plain. The good thing,......we only had to wait 30 minutes between visits from our waitress. And when did come back I told her take it off the bill as I was full from the apps and a few bites of Wifey's burger. Also,...my buddy's meatball sandwich never came out as well. She apologized repeatedly about everything and explained that she could get his sandwich right out. We should have know that was not the case,....another 30 minutes, no meatball sandwich, and we were all ready to hit the door.

On the upside,....there was no way that a horrible dining experience could dampen our sprites. It was good to be around family & friends !!!

When we got back to the hotel to family was pooped, so Rod & I headed out for a night cap. When I returned there was a gift bag waiting for me. FREE SWAG FROM GUINNESS !!! Some munchies, a lady's T-shirt, a hood, hat, and $ 100 gift card !!!! Of course that lump you see in the bed is Wifey,......

SATURDAY

Travis, our Guinness rep, has been taking good care of us.

We headed out around 2:45. Here we are getting close,....

While heading to pick-up our "credentials" I passed this. Can you say photo op ???

Feeling like a mover & shaker now !

We had about 90 minutes to kill before the show started so we decided to check it out.

Tonight's host were Warren Moon and Dan Fouts.

I you know me, you know my next stop is right on stage and straight to the podium. While I was make a B line, the Wifey was trying scold me like an old school teacher. " YOU HAVE GOT TO SETTLE DOWN !" Yeah right,....

Meet the contest winners. Mark, he drove his custom "Packer Moblie" from Green Bay to Dallas last year for the Super Bowl. It's a permanent convertible, and he drove throughout a snowstorm to get there. You know me. Wayne, The Ultimate Packers Fan doesn't have a man-cave,....he has a man-house. HIs collection is mind blowing ! Cindy AKA The Purple Dame is the most hard core Ravens fan you will ever meet. John, a huge Giants fan admitted that although he IS a huge Giants fan,....he thinks he is a winner because he is all things Guinness. He too has an impressive man-cave complete with Guinness on tap. And,....when tailgating there again a keg of Guinness accompanies him. Pretty impressive group of fans in my opinion.

We still had time to kill, so it we headed out for a few cold ones and to see who we could see. I had high hopes for some Dolphin sightings.

Our first sighting, Steve Mariucci and Brian Billick. As it turns Brian is from Ohio and one of his parents was born in Toledo.

M.M. meet Super Bowl winning coach Brian Billick. Brian Billick meet M.M.

With the good, there is always the bad. Marshall Faulk,......dick !

Chris Berman wasn't all that pleasant either.

Crazies,....yup I saw a few.

FROM "THE" OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, HEISMAN THROPY WINNER,...........EDDIE GEORGE !!! Yup,....he signed my Buckeye mini helmet ( knew there was a good reason I brought that with me ) to me.

I love when I bust the old,....O ! H !, to get him to reply I ! O !

Let the show begin !

During a commercial break I headed to the restroom only to come across Marv Levy.

M.M. meet Marv Levy. Marv Levy meet M.M.

Dan Fouts,....

However, he wouldn't shake M.M. hand. As he walked away, I said " we still like you !". A couple bystanders got a chuckle out of my antics.

Warren Moon was much cooler.

M.M. meet Warren Moon. Warren Moon meet M.M.

The rep from the HOF, we 4 free passes to HOF ( good for one full year ).

After the show we headed to TGIF for dinner with Guinness picking up the bill. We were having a blast. TOUCHDOWN WINNERS !!!!!

I think I might have been having too much fun. You see, once we arrived back at our hotel I discovered I was missing my phone. I called the restaurant last night again this morning,...no phone. The Marriott,....no phone. The car service,...no phone. Finally, Wifey called TGIF's again and put the hard press to them and like magic they do in fiat have it. Some how it founds its way to the floor behind the highchairs ???? Weird.

Anyways it currently 10:45AM on game day and we head out at Noon. The folks from Guinness have said more than once that today is going to far exceed the good time we had last night. I can't wait !

OFF4L

I'll be honest, its been really hard to organize my thoughts lately. I will do my best.

Not long after attending my 1st Dolphins game up in the Pontiac Silverdome back in 1985, I knew I loved attending the games live & in person. That is where all of this really started. In those early years I would I hit the games with my Mom, an assortment of different friends ( some DolFans, some not ), or my 1st ( starter) Wife. If they played within 5-6 hours of Toledo, chance were I was there. In 1993 the Toledo Dolphins Fan Club was formed, and I joined the following year all with the purpose of hanging with other like-minded football fans. Here I expanded the amount of people I could recruit for my yearly road trip. Well that worked like a charm ! I was part of the driving force that organized club trips to Detroit, Cleveland x2, Cincy x2. One of the guys from the club was even a part of my wedding. It was also there I met Steve AKA The Stalker. All of the pictures and autographs I've amassed is really due to his know-how. Steve left Toledo and moved to Weston and became a season ticket holder a few years before I started traveling South for the Winter. I simply followed his lead, and by doing so I've met some the team's biggest stars.

Now that brings me to The Phinsider. I discovered this place back in 2008, and knew straight away this was a web site I could relate too. I place where I could get all things Dolphins without having to bounce all around the net to do so. And a place that little ol' me could share my adventures complete with pictures ( my strong suite ). In no way, shape, or form did I ever think my alter ego, OFF4L, would turn into what it has become. I just wanted to share my experience with others that might be interested. Having come from Ohio, I knew there are DolFans all over the country that might get a kick out of my perspective. And, of course, I also knew that there are those who could care less. None the less, I enjoy sharing the adventures.

It has also been well documented my indoctrination in to The Deep End and the donning of the face paint. To sum up that aspect of OFF4L....what was once the exception, is now the norm. And for a pair of free tickets in the front row,....well the rest is history. It is certainly different. I am regularly stopped and asked to pose for photos. And I do so gladly. I love the Dolphins, and I love seeing kids ( and grown-ups too ) get a kick out of my "look". And , when asked, I've been known to paint up a kid or two....

Blah, blah, blah......

Let me talk a bit about winning the contest, and really,....how the Phinsider helped me do so. Like Mosul said I entered the contest after becoming this sites "Boldest" fan. It simply was 4 questions, all revolving around the word bold. and one of them was something to the effect of this : How does your "boldness" motivate others ? Well,...here I mentioned my efforts in The DCC. You at The Phinsider by far led my fundraising efforts ! More than the Toledo Fan Club, more than those in The Deep End, more than family, friend, co-workers, more than what my Mom raised at the sports bar she works in. While I am not minimizing a single donation, and am grateful for every penny I raised,.....The Phinsiders contribution was simply more than the rest. Now I also mentioned that I was going to ride 170 miles after only owning my bike less than a year. What is truly amazing to me is that I don't really know anybody here personally ( mostly,....I'll claim Mr Medic ),....and when I asked for cash money, all be it for a worthy cause,.......The Phinsider responded ! Too me,....that's pretty F'n bold ! So in reality, it is because of you I won this contest, and that's a fact !!!

THANK YOU,....EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU !!!

So,....I'm going to Indy for Super Bowl Weekend. And while I'm there I'll pick up some swag to add to my Super Bowl contest. I'm not sure what I'll get but it will be something Super Bowl specific. I also contacted my buddy Fro of The Phin Addict and he is donating one of his "Fighting Phins" T-shirts ( not sure what color or size he's sending ) to add to the prize package. One just like I'm wearing here with Drew & Gino ( Brothers I met thru The Phinsider that made it to Buffalo two seasons ago, and Cleveland this last season ).

I really don't know what more I can add at this point, except how humbled I am by the whole thing.

The camera will be snapping pictures non-stop, Mini Marino is making the trip, my Mom & Uncle just might swing by for a day ( 4 hours from Toledo ), one of my best friends lives in Indy ( could be trouble,...lol), and I don't know how I'm going to sleep the next few days. The party starts Thursday night right after work,....Dinner out, hockey, then it is on !!!!

Look for the post about trippin' in Indy sometime on Wens or Thurs.

Respectfully,

OFF4L