RP#54

It's early morning, around 5 AM and Double J Joe Jones is stepping onto the field at Neyland Stadium, home of the Tennessee Vols football team. It's a rather chilly morning as fall is almost here. Joe is out for his morning jog and this morning he found himself down by the college. The stadium caught Joe's eye and he found a way out onto the playing field. Wearing his sweat pants and a hoodie Joe is standing in the end zone taking it all in.

"I never went to college. I never played football. This is a arena that I have never been in. I don't know what it feels likes to run out of the tunnel onto the field and wearing all those pads and helmets to line up in a line, and throw myself into the other guy with the sole purpose of moving a ball down the field to score a touch down. Where I spent some of my childhood, we didn't have football. Well I take that back, we did have football but it's called Soccer here in the states. We didn't have the US version of football when I was a kid. Even when I got out of Germany and made my way to the states, I played soccer. Not football. There's a skill set you need to play soccer that you don't need to play football. You need to be a artist on soccer field where in football....let's face it. You're IQ doesn't need to be very high to play. Can you lift a car? You can! You're hired!"

With his hands in his front pocket of his hoodie Joe slowly strolls out onto the field making his way to back of the end zone.

"You hear a lot of guys, especially the ones who played either college or pro football refer to this sport as a war zone. Their solders. They talk about it like it is the military and their in the special gladiator division of the Marines."

Joe gets to the back of the goal and stops.

""It's a war out here." I think is what Kellen Winslow said when asked about a tackle he made in a game against, oddly enough the Vols when they played the U. He threw himself to make a tackle, took out two guys and hurt one of them and showed no remorse after words in the locker room. He looked and sounded like he was pissed he actually didn't kill the guy. He made it sound like it was life and death out here on this field. It's that mentality that just about every knucklehead who played this game has. It was pointed out to me yesterday that Justin Brooks played football in college."

Joe looks down at the goal line. His toes are on it and all he has to do is step over the line and he's in the playing field.

"Now it all make sense. Justin Brooks is just another jock who was brainwashed to play this game thinking it's life and death and it's a real life war zone out here and they only way to win is kill your opponent because it was drilled into his head that they are trying to kill him. He took that same mind set into the ring. You can't argue with the results that Brooks has had in the UWL. TV, Tag Team, 2 time World champion. Cup win. The whole "This is a war" approach works for him."

Joe sighs.

"But Jesus, do you get repetitive. I'm going to kill you. I'm going to hurt you. I'm going to leave you broken and bruised. Like F***, I get it! You're going to try to inflict bodily harm on me. Is that all you can say? Is that all you got? Here comes another promo from Brooks. Let me guess he's lifting something heavy. Let me guess he's all sweaty. Let me guess he's wearing sweat pants....ah I guess I can't rag on that too much seeing I'm in sweats but Justin, We get it! We all know what you're about. You picture yourself as this all American killing war machine. Nothing else matter when you step in that ring. It's kill or be killed. All you do is over power your opponents and beat them down. Technically you're a one trick pony. I know.....I know what you're thinking. How dare you call me a one trick pony. Don't you know I won this and that! Yeah JB we know. We all know. We also know that the longer this match lasts, the more it favors someone like me. Just how it favored Frankie."

Joe looks up and looks around the stadium.

"Justin Brooks is a beast. He's a big muscle bound freak. He's like Tyson in his prime. We all know the story of Tyson, he would steam roll everyone, killing everyone in under a minute. Then he ran into Buster Douglas. Douglas did what only a hand full of men did prior to him. He got Tyson out of the first round, a place Tyson didn't go very often. Douglas worked on Iron Mike round after round and then he wore the big guy down and got the win. He didn't try to match strength with Tyson, he just out smarted him. He knew once he got past the first, he was in control of the fight. He fought his fight. He made Tyson fight his fight and at the end of the night he was the victor. This match with Brooks is much like Tyson vs Douglas. No one thinks I have a shot to win. There is no way I can keep up with the Big Bad Brooks."

Joe nods slightly.

"And those people would be wrong. If I go into that ring looking to match Brooks power for power, I'll lose. But there is no way that big oaf can match me move for move. I'll have to stick and move. be quick with the jabs and get that guy on the mat where I will have the upper hand. Grind him into the mat and wear him down. The longer the match goes, the better odds I have to win. I've won plenty of matches that way Justin and Frankie, he wasn't in my corner cheering me on for any of them. What ever your reasons were for picking me to try and make your first victim, it will end up being a huge mistake on your part. This whole teaching the UWL a lesson deal....will blow up in your face Saturday night. You'll learn once that bell rings that I'm not some push over. You tried to paint a picture of me as some inferior sub par athlete when in truth....."

Joe looks back on the playing field.

"I played a game that required you to think and come up with a strategy on how to keep the ball and score. I played a game that took skill. Finesse and the ability to look ahead and change the play the fly. Not some game that a mindless big mouth like yourself can play where no real skill involved. That is what you're up against. There is no war zone. No one is going to die. No one is trying to kill you and you're not a f*cking solider either. You're a guy who is pissed that someone like Frankie beat you and you can't comprehend that in your small brain of yours. This week as you look to have your big come back, you'll be tripped up once again by someone you view as a guy who has no chance in beating you. Can't wait to see the look on your face when I beat you."

Joe turns with out setting foot on the field and starts to walk away when he pauses and looks back at the camera.

"Especially when I did it without riding Frankie's coattails."

FTB.