For those of you who pay attention to what I write, you may have remembered me mentioning a British NFL fan named Adam. I talked about him briefly in Saints News one day after WhoDatSay.com did a little piece on him. Some of you guys seemed interested, and it turns out Adam contacted me looking for any help he could get. For those of you who don't know who Adam is, you will learn more. For now all you need to know is that he is a bigger NFL fan than you are. I took the opportunity to extend a helping hand and ask Adam a few questions. Besides, this might actually take off and he may become the NFL poster boy. Regardless if it does or not, Adam will have the experience of a lifetime that most of us could only dream of having. Below is the first half of our conversation.
CSC: Explain to our readers your mission this season.
Adam: Pretty simple really. I will be watching 1 live game at each home franchise. Therefore it was orginally going to be a 32 game trip, but with the Toronto and London games that made it 34, and I can also squeeze in an extra game and that will be at my beloved Bears. I will be exploring the role and the power that each NFL team has on it's surrounding communities.
CSC: Does Guinness Records know about this?
Adam: They know a little and getting in touch with them is tricky, but I have a few leads. I know from the NFL this has never been done before, but we just need to officiate it.
CSC: So the NFL knows you are doing this? This sounds like some good PR that they would love. Your from Europe. They're trying to expand into Europe. I could see Al Michaels giving his weekly Adam update on MNF as they cut away to you in attendance at each game.
Adam: Yes, the NFL is aware that I am doing this trip. The trip and book will not be, as it stands currently, an official NFL product. I would love for this trip to be a catalyst for more people in the U.K and Europe to be interested in the NFL. I know it is a great sport with great fans and with the NFL International Series in it's second year, I do hope I can help them out and they could help me out. We'll see. Me and Al Michaels doing our thing on MNF would be amazing.
CSC: You're writing a book?
Adam: Yes I am. I'm not sure if it will be simply the blogs together, or it may be more of a photography book/coffee table book. Each team has its own chapter, but no publishers have gotten in touch yet, so hopefully they will. I will also be making a documentary, so that should be fun.
CSC: How the heck did you get this idea? You do realize this is every red-blooded American male's dream?
Adam: Ha, quite a few Brit fans are jealous too! I was at the Arizona/Bears game in 2006 on a Monday Night Football game when I realized I wanted to go to every Monday Night game, or see every franchise host a MNF game, but the with the T.V schedules you never know who is going to get prime time slots. So I looked at some previous schedules and realized I could see every team at home in 17 weeks. It has been 2 years in the making!
CSC: I think everyone wants to know...How much is all of this going to cost? And how the heck are you affording this?
Adam: I have no clue how much it will cost. I hope under £25k, which is about $45k. I really do not know at the moment, and if I have any money left I hope to keep going throughout the playoffs to the SuperBowl and Pro-bowl. Maybe a sponsor will come by then and help me out? I sold my apartment in London and the money from that is going on the trip. I have been saving for some time, but I will be leaving my job behind, as a drama facilitator working with young people across London! A very fun job!
CSC: What is a drama facilitator?
Adam: Well I guess it is like a drama tutor, only I do work in the formal education places like schools. What I do is use drama as a tool for positive social change with young people across London, so I work with my young offending group. The idea is that the drama will educate them to stop them stabbing each other. Rather a bleak and blunt example, but it is very rewarding and fun! I don't give grades or anything like that, so I'm not really a teacher, more like a drama therapist. Well it's more therapuetic than therapy.
CSC: What about your girlfriend? Why is she putting up with this? Is she coming?
Adam: Well I have been going out with Steph for 18 months, and this trip has been in the making before I met her. She is very supportive and is going to come out and see a few games, plus I'll see her at the London game. I will be rotating friends whilst out there, but about 30% I will be on my own.
CSC: Which game are you most excited about?
Adam: Well the Bears/Packers is going to be the SuperBowl for me, and for the Bears if we don't make the playoffs. Though every game has an interesting angle for all sorts of personal reasons. The Saints are a team I made sure I was going to see more than once. I'll be seeing you guys 3 times on my trip and more if you make it to the playoffs!
CSC: Don't jinx it Adam, geez! How did you come up with the schedule and the order of what games you would attend?
Adam: The schedule was a mix of matchups that I really wanted to see, and games that had history and a rivalry, whilst others were simply down to the schedule and how far some games were from others. But there is not a single bad game in the NFL, so I'm happy with the schedule, and I'm seeing some great matchups.
CSC: How are you traveling through the states?
Adam: I'm driving. I will be buying a car (a green one) and putting some logos on it, get fans to sign it at each game. I'll be driving nearly 35,000 miles in total. Only for Seattle, Toronto and the London games will I be flying, and the Giants game I am going with a coach load of people from a New York bar. I'll sell or auction the car off after the trip.
CSC: I want to sign it! What kind of car?
Adam: Haha, it will probably be a Toyota Prius, as that is the cleanest car out there, or if I need more space I will get an SUV, but a green one. Any car dealers reading this? Haha. My father is a taxi driver here in London, and I would love to travel the States in a London Taxi, that would be great!
CSC: I thought you meant a green colored car! Now I know you mean a hybrid. I drive a Ford Escape Hybrid. I highly recommend it. Are you making an environmental statement?
Adam: Haha, I do hope people in the states will know what I mean when I say a "green" car, that it is not the color, oops. Well I'll be driving over 35,000 miles and that is fair amount of pollution, so if I can pollute less I will. But I also need a car big enough to carry a BBQ and some other bits and pieces for 3 months. So what is the Ford Escape Hybrid get for MPG? Ford doesn't have a hybrid here yet I don't think.
The car is unlikely to be in green in colour, I'll probably get my website wrtitten on it and an area for people to sign. I'd like "Pimp My Ride" to do something for me, but apparently they have stopped making new episodes, well that is what they told me!
CSC: I get around 32 MPG in the city, which is pretty good for an SUV. Honestly the hybrids aren't as effective during highway driving because the battery never kicks on.
Adam will be checking in on this post if you guys have any questions, comments or helpful advice for him. I know he would very much appreciate it. Check back for part two of my conversation with Adam when we talk more about his trip, the Saints and New Orleans.