Daniel Lewis. Ordinary name, not such an ordinary bloke. I'm from Llanelli, and I've lived in Bath, Cardiff and have now settled in Devon and soon to be Somerset. I graduated with an honours degree in Accounting and Finance from Aberystwyth University. I played 3 years for Tarannau Aberystwyth American Football Team and now play for Somerset Wyverns (#57 and now #27). I am the defensive coordinator for Exeter Demons. I enjoy my life to the best of my ability, through family, friends and sport. I'm one of those cases of don't judge a book by its cover. I love to hit and do all the macho things you can dream of, but I'm also a domesticated professional, who loves to cook and read books. I'm a bit of a strange one, from my sense of humour to the title of this blog, as one of the rare few linebackers that can count.
Hooooooo boy. 1606 Days. 229 Weeks. 52 Months. 38544 Hours. 2312640 Minutes. 138758400 Seconds. The amount of time since I last wrote in this blog... and i remembered the password first time!
A lot has happened in that time including: Moved to Cardiff, moved to Devon, stopped playing football, started playing rugby for Crediton, best mate got married and also broke his leg, sister had 2 kids, got promoted... twice, been to Dublin to watch CFB... twice,inducted Phil into the HoF, been his best man and watch him have 2 kids, bought a house, got engaged, started playing football again.
That last point is kind of the point of re-starting this blog. I have missed writing and I've definitely missed having somewhere to put my thoughts, or things I've thought worth sharing. It didn't feel right to write a blog about being a linebacker, when I wasn't one anymore. I've pondered the idea of blogging for some time, but now I'm back playing, it feels right.
Anyway, I promise not to be gone for as long this time but as you can see, I was kinda busy!
Here is a quote from one of my favourite weekly blogs, the sex and fantasy football mailbag from KSK. It is written by a guy called Matt Ufford who is by his own words on his twitter bio "SB Nation talking head, writer, Marine veteran, dog owner, occasional CrossFitter. Will bark like a seal for good whiskey." Sounds like a pretty stand up guy to me, and judging by his written work you'd most likely agree.
Anyways, here is a quote from his answer all blog. Considering my recent circumstances, it rings a bell for me. He's not far wrong, and I must be fairly accurate for the road to recovery.
MY SIGNIFICANT BROKE UP WITH ME. I’M DEVASTATED. WHAT DO I DO?
Go ahead and feel sorry for yourself for a little while. Take two to
four weeks to drink more than you should and listen to every sad song
that you own. Break out photos of her for masturbation sessions that end
in tears instead of orgasm. Be a miserable bore to your friends, who
want to support you and hang out with you, but not if you’re just going
to mope all night. There. You got to wallow in your misery. Now it’s time to move on with your life. Let’s go to some numbered steps.
1. Realise that you shouldn’t want to be with someone who doesn’t love you. “But what about all the hot sex and funny banter we had?” you ask.
SHE STOPPED ENJOYING IT. SHE DOES NOT WANT YOU. It’s stupid and selfish
to want to be with someone who doesn’t want you. 2. Break off all contact. Don’t do that “let’s be friends” bullshit. Your ex-girlfriend wants
to be your friend for two reasons: (1) so she can continue to receive
attention from you, and (2) so she doesn’t have to feel so bad about
rejecting you. Fuck that noise, let her feel bad. If she’s keeping you
on the emotional hook by remaining in contact with you, ask her to stop
because you want to focus on moving on with your life. From then on out,
no contact. I SAID NO CONTACT. Block her on Gchat. Hide her Facebook
timeline from your feed. No email, no texting, no anything. Pretend
she’s dead. So sad she died, right? Oh well, better get a move on with
your life. 3. Begin self-improvement.
Don’t worry about dating or rebound sex. (If you’re comfortable with
it, go right ahead, but understand that re-entering the dating world can
be a depressing experience after the emotional/sexual cocoon of a
relationship.) Take your sadness and anger and your newfound free time
and funnel it towards self-improvement. Start a new workout regimen.
Sign up for cooking or bartending or wine-tasting classes. Throw
yourself into your job. Volunteer for a children’s program or animal
shelter. Out of the pyre of your failed relationship will emerge a
stronger, more knowledgeable, and more caring person with new circles of
friends from your new activities. YOU ARE A MAGNIFICENT PHOENIX.
In time, the more fit and more interesting person you become will
also be naturally more confident, and you’ll end up dating women who are
better looking and smarter than the stupid bitch who broke up with you
in the first place.
Not only is living well the best revenge, it’s also living well, which,
y’now, is kinda the whole point of life. And almost as nice as REVENGE!
Now I'm not saying its perfect, but its pretty damn good. Though I am currently heading into my 5th week of drinking more than I usually would. I'm sure I'll be fine.
Not the most informative return to blogging, but its a start. You should all read more KSK too.
Enjoy your new years, opinions more than welcome in the comments.
If any of you have been on my Facebook recently you will have seen a video that acts as a pump up for the upcoming NCAA football season. (35 DAYS TILL KO!). I came across this video whilst searching for official hype videos for
the Oregon Ducks and the NCAA made by ESPN, but frankly these are
better. If you are a fan of American football in the UK you will usually have only been exposed to the NFL. The clever ones all know college football is where its at. Better playbooks, more exciting plays and a less even game all make for superb watching. Here's the video I put up, and if your not even a little intrigued in college football after it/impressed by the video I wouldn't bother reading here anymore.
Just to let you guys know, I watched it twice the first time I came across it and have since watched it in HD on a 42 inch TV and it was even better. Now the video was compiled by a guy on Youtube called theSeanGshow. He has put together an outstandingly well cut up video, pieced together with a top track that fits perfectly to the high quality clips he has chosen. I applaud you sir.
His other videos are of the same quality and the double plus is that he seems to be an Oregon Ducks fan, just like myself. This is his Oregon hype video for the upcoming season. Love the tune, love the plays. Oregon's offense is out of this world. De-Anthony Thomas is not completely human.
You like hardest hit videos? He has them too, here's his go. The big difference in all of his work is the quality of the video he uses.
Having watched these videos, I wanted to write a blog and show my extended Internet universe the quality of them as well as to further expose you all to college football. Sit back, relax and enjoy.
p.s on a closing note, he doesn't just stick to football. For the wrestling fans out there, and seeming it was RAW 1000 this week take a trip down memory lane and see how many of these clips you can remember watching. Wrestling - a weekly soap for men.
A (non-exhaustive) list of things that have changed between now and then: I've grown 2 inches, I've put on two stone of (mostly) muscle, I have a girlfriend, I have a degree, I have a job and I've had the three best years of my life so far. Aberystwyth, who would have thought such a small student filled town could provide such laughter and enjoyment. I've changed from unemployed red faced teenager to a handsome young man (apparently) with a graduate job.
I was lucky enough to have three years filled with good housemates. Firstly in 128 PJM and then the last two years spent in the now legendary 16 Prospect Street. I will miss college football Saturdays, NFL Sundays, the vast amount of days spent playing games, watching films and chilling out. However I wont miss is the messy kitchen and overflowing bins. Living with you guys has been superb. Its been outstanding gents, including our regular visitors.
Changing my degree scheme going into second year was a necessary change, it would appear that years of beer and contact sports has rendered me a lot stupider than I used to be. With all that has been said and done, I would not have changed anything of my university experience if I had to go back and do it again. I joined a team that is more than just a team, and although we weren't successful it definitely made my university experience. I am now part of a family that will keep me connected to Aber for years to come. Thank you to everyone involved with Tarannau, its been a blast.
So now life presents me with a new challenge. For those of you that don't know I will be starting a graduate scheme with a popular bank in September. I will be moving to Bath for the first 6 months of my scheme. Strange place, still wondering if a small town Welsh boy will fit in. In the words of a dear friend of mine "There's always room for another exile". A flat of my own, and a new rugby club will hopefully help me pave my latest path.
So this is me at the moment, I've enjoyed being back in the world of blogging and will be returning quicker than the last time I left. Thanks Aber for the last 3 years.
p.s As its the 50 year anniversary of the Rolling Stones, here's my favourite song they ever made. Enjoy it, always reminds me of Sevens in second year.
Serious title? Yeah, almost had you there for a minute. Today I write about something that has been rankling me for quite some time. This subject may sound trivial, but I'm sure I will find somebody who agrees. Today I write about sandwiches. And the devil when it comes to sandwiches is mayonnaise. His accomplice, the deadly lettuce. Now firstly I will go out and say that I do not hate either of these components. Mayonnaise fits pretty well as a base to a lot of sauces and dips and lettuce, when fresh and crunchy is a great part of any salad. However, in the sandwich world they are both massively overused. And this annoys me. It seems that every sandwich pre-made and packaged to go out in a supermarket has to have mayonnaise or lettuce in it, and the majority of the time its both. Some sandwiches need it, as they are dry, but there are other sources of luscious sauce available! Why have mayonnaise on a chicken and bacon sandwich when you can have BBQ sauce? Also on the point of lettuce, it is just unneeded watery filler that is usually soggy or going off. It does not provide a nutritious edge to a sandwich, all it does is piss me off and make the sandwich taste odd. I'm not asking for the total eradication of mayonnaise or lettuce. All I ask is that for once sandwiches were made without them, for those of us that dislike them with a passion. And that goes for burgers too, nothing spoils a cheese burger like mayonnaise and lettuce!
Just a short one, not a great one but I hate neglecting my blog. Onwards and upwards. I will leave you with a piece from the one and only George Dawes. He was right about baked potatoes, he's right about mayonnaise too!
3rd year has finally got serious. The balancing act of academic work, sport and socialising is finally being pushed to its limits. I still enjoy university, but the whole education thing is starting to grind my gears. It's been 17 years of full time education and finally I am starting to realise that I have had my fill. The idea of doing a master's at this point sickens me. If I did it now I would be stupid because all it would be is an expensive excuse to play uni football again. If I'm honest, as much as I love the club, I'd rather put pins in my eyes and dance the macarena than play another year. Tarannau Football is beginning to frustrate me.
That isn't the point of this rant blog. The point is two fold, one is finally getting back onto the blogosphere. Point one, check. The other is the stupid ass catch 22 situation that my life has presented me with. Education gets me a career (it did until the recession but that's a battle for another day) and the better a career I want, the longer I have to stay in education. In theory that's how it works, and if I'm honest that's how I hope it works. Saying that, I have had a pants full of education. Concentrating for an hour solid on an inane subject being taught by a complete bore who doesn't always have the best grasp of the kings has got real old. The trouble is (and here it comes) is that to graduate with a good degree I need to keep working, but all I want to do is leave and get a job and get money. To get this job and money I need to keep studying and working hard. My plight my not be as serious as that of Yossarian. No threat of death here (though maybe mental breakdown, who knows come January or May?) but my time in education has run its course. The decision to work hard is one I must take to achieve my goals but it springs so many other questions. Told you it was a pain in the arse.
I know, I know, university isn't all about having fun. Third year is all serious. But I've worked hard since my degree has mattered (2nd year on) and am hoping of getting a 1st in order to get a big boy job and be successful. Finding the time to unwind is getting harder and harder, especially when I can't relax on a football field anymore. My university problems will leave when I graduate, though graduation means the real world. The real world scares me. What if I can't get a job? Goddammit. Maybe I should apply for a master's after all...
For most sports fans, a fantasy version of their desired sport is available to play. Growing up I played fantasy cricket and soccerball with my dad. We used to pick our team in the paper and try to win money from The Sun or The Telegraph. Since moving to Uni I have been introduced into playing fantasy American football properly. Previously I had played on nfluk for free and had never taken it seriously. After playing in one league last year and getting to the semi - finals before getting screwed by Mike Vick I decided to join two leagues this year. Here's him depicted as a ginger to serve as an almighty fuck you. Yeah take that... grrr.
To select your teams in fantasy American football is a little different. You draft just like in madden or the nfl and each player gets a timed turn to pick somebody for their team. Last night I had both my drafts back to back. Fun but time consuming and a lot of concentration was needed to pick two good teams.
The first is a keeper league with Tarannau players both current and past. The first keeper draft was last night and it went fairly well. The keeper element means at the end of the year you have to keep three players to carry over into next years league. My team Fantasy A Bum is as follows:
QB: Tom Brady
RB1: Ryan Grant
RB2: Ryan Matthews
WR1: Roddy White
WR2: Mike Wallace
TE: Rob Gronkowski
K: Alex Henery
D: Patriots
WR/TE/RB: Mike Thomas
Bench: Mark Sanchez
Bench: Darren Sproles
Bench: Jonathen Stewart
Bench: Donald Driver
Bench: Lee Evans
Bench: Kyle Rudolph
My second league is the WAFFL and is run by this guy. It is 70 teams large and has a prize fund of 700 quid divided up into lots of interesting prizes. My first year in this league and I'm hoping to do some damage as my team Jay Cutler Kneeginas is as follows:
QB: Mike Vick
RB1: Ryan Matthews
RB2: Mark Ingram
WR1: Calvin Johnson
WR2: Julio Jones
TE: Jermichael Finley
K: Josh Brown
D: Detroit
WR/TE/RB: Lee Evans
Bench: LT
Bench: Donovan Mcnabb
Bench: Aaron Hernandez
Bench: Ed Dickson
This team could be real good and with my jibe at Jay Cutler hoping to get me at least some recognition for the name game prize money. Even if I didn't get to draft him. He was stolen just before I was about to pick him!
Fantasy football is a lot of fun, and just like real football it is back! If you don't already play it, you should. That's my tip for the week. But whatever you do play it with your friends as drafts and leagues will get boring without piss taking. And watch out for slow ass player pickers in your draft. They deserve to die in a fire.
That last point is kind of the point of re-starting this blog. I have missed writing and I've definitely missed having somewhere to put my thoughts, or things I've thought worth sharing. It didn't feel right to write a blog about being a linebacker, when I wasn't one anymore. I've pondered the idea of blogging for some time, but now I'm back playing, it feels right.
