Christopher and Captain Imperfecto at the pre-flag meeting on the Hard Rock Stadium field. October 14, 2018
November 30, 2018
“Can you get a little closer, please?
Come on folks can you just squeeze in there and fill all the gaps. There are a
lot of people here. I don’t have a bullhorn as you can see”.
My son and I were invited to pull the
very large American flag across the football field during a Miami Dolphins
game. A true honor for me as a lifelong fan and one hell of an experience for
Christopher, my 9-year old son.
The gentleman speaking to us was on the
half portion of one of several spiral walkways that usually can hold about 500
people, in segments, as they enter and leave the stadium.
As he told us the rules i listened
intensely. Christopher sat there on a golf cart mimicking a race car. He seemed
very interested.
· no opposing team gear!
· No running with your phones
because if it falls on the field it could be gone forever.
· No cussing
· No fraternization with the
players
· And if you a flag puller.
Well, run, run, run towards the other sideline while the flag unfolds.
After our pre-game pep talk that seemed
to be tailor made for any Hollywood movie. We waited around for our moment to
take the field. Inside the tunnel and inside the bowels of the football
stadium. The roars of the crowd and the intensity of the music began to
percolate the adrenaline from within both of me and Christopher. Hell, just
give me a uniform and I’ll take the field against the opposing team!
About 300 of us take a position along
the inner walls of the stadium. Sitting right above us was only about 10,000
fans.
“Pop off the bungee cords, please. And
hold on the that flag! “
We all grabbed a section of the 100-yard
flag. The material snaked along the walls and was wrapped in an outer carrier.
I heaved my little portion of the flag
and stood there eagerly awaiting to enter the field. Christopher on the other
hand, well, he was bored. He sat by my feet and waited for us to move.
As members of the Miami Dolphins staff
walked the lone to make sure everyone was in a good spot one young man stopped
in front of me. He stared at me and then Christopher.
“Sir, if you’re pulling the flag you may
want to be a holder. We will run pretty fast. Your son may not be able to keep
up. If he falls. Well he’ll have to stay down as the flag stretches out and
then run under it afterwards to get out. It’s so large he may not come out at
the right spot or he may get lost.”
I heard every word he said however, I
was standing there so long holding my portion of the flag, my blood flow to my
brain was constricting my hearing and I could only muster a smile and a nod to
acknowledge his concerns.
Before I could decide, without any
warning, the other flag holders in front of us were walking on the field. The
flag lurched forward. And like an attached train car I was mercilessly to stop
it. Never thinking of letting go, I went with the flow and walked to the tunnel
and onto the football field.
As a regular Joe Blow who has no
affiliation to the National Football League I was awestruck over the energy
field on the field. I can only imagine what it is like for a player
to step out onto that field with a roar of a crowd.
The music was reverberating off the
walls. The fans were pumping their fists. Stadium
personnel were swarming around like worker bees in a hive. The
stadium announcer announced, “Lets give it up for our Miami Dolphins
Cheerleaders!” Christopher’s reaction? “Dad, stop with
the pictures.”
We lined up along the opposing team
sideline. Those Chicago Bears players stalked the field ready to
play. I stood toe to toe with them but understood that even though I
was a Miami Dolphin fan I better let the real team handle the football business.
The field staff announced,” Phones down!
Get ready to run!”
I held on to the strap and leaned
forward. I was going to run north to south right at the Miami
Dolphin player sideline. “GO!”
I shot out the gate like a thoroughbred
horse. All 100 of us took off as fast as we could.
“Daddy, daddy, Christopher yelled. I
wanna pull too!”
He turned to grab a hold but
stumbled and fell to the ground.
The flag encroached like a rogue wave
and it was ready to engulf him. But using my arm like the claw of an
eagle plunging into the ocean I reached down and plucked him from the green
field and launched him forward well ahead of the pack.
“Run!” I shouted
Christopher turned and ran as fast as
his little legs could take him. The crowd roared as if he was breaking
through towards the end zone! The flag draped the field and covered
all the green like an anthill be kicked over.
Christopher faced the all-pro running
back Frank Gore who stood on the sidelines waiting for the national anthem. Christopher
locked in on him and like a linebacker charged right at him. But
Frank Gore did not move. As the flag straighten and begin to go taut
Christopher continued running onto the Miami Dolphins sideline mingling with
the players. I looked back and marveled. This could be
the closest he ever gets to experience life as a player. It was good
to be a flag bearer.
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