Monday, November 13, 2006

Mixed Emotions

Pats lost to the Jets yesterday, 17-14. A very dissapointing game. But I had a great time at the Darwin Box in Gillette Stadium! Russ Francis, Steve Nelson and John Hannah dropped by and were really interesting. I'm pretty sure that they never read the Blog, but it was great regardless.
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Francis roomed with Steve Prefontaine at Oregon in the 70's and knew all of the track legends. He was the high school javelin record holder at 256' and held that record for 17 years. He said that he set the record 40 days after he first picked up a javelin and had a track scholarship in college, not football. He was well known to track and field diehard fans like my brother Jamie and I in the old days.
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He said that when the next guy broke his record, 17 years later, he pledged to send he and a friend to Hawaii, but the guy's coach objected, saying that it would violate amateur rules. Russ then waited five years until the kid ended college, then made good on the Hawaii trip. Pretty cool.

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He also said that just before Prefontaine died in that car crash that had a jolting effect on American track and field, that Pre had asked him to invest $25,000 in a business venture that he a Coach Bill Bowerman were starting. That was Nike shoes. Pre would have been an awesome businessman.
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Older Pats fans like myself will remember that Francis was a force at tight end and was a great football player.
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Nelson told me that his Curry College team that he currently coaches is 11-0 and he is waiting for an NCAA berth.
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It also appeared that the Cingular guys enjoyed the game and the Darwin hospitality.
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All in all, a fine way to watch the Pats lose to the Jets.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Mr. Nestor, "mixed emotions" is the perfect heading for my feelings. I just wanted to say what a thrill it has been to read your Blog each day, it makes me feel close to you and, in so many ways that are just a little naughty... Please know that since I am now engaged, I will no longer be able to read your postings... It would be a form of cheating that I could not begin to live with... All my best... D.G.