Wow….when you travel some unusual things can happen to you. But in traveling with two pretty calm guys in Terry Copacia and Curtis Blackwell – you just learn to roll with the punches that are thrown your way.
First time meeting Curtis is at the airport – had spoken to him a few times via conference calls. He is the co-founder and is the anchor for “Sound Mind, Sound Body”. You should look it up – This is a fantastic group started by him to help the youth around the Detroit area. He has been doing this for fifteen or so years.
They apply academics, mentoring and also athletic training – especially focusing in on football. They have very strong core values that are impressed upon the kids. SMSB has moved into the big-time and has organized operations across the country for many years.
****This is a program that potentially could be established in Europe – and Switzerland in particular.*****
Terry Copacia is a long time friend of mine with coaching ties that criss cross the country. He was the developer of “The All-State Football School” and is a tremendous coach who knows more about the QB position than many guys working in many college teams – at any level.
Our friendship has probably covered more than thirty and since he has trained my younger son as a QB – I know what kind of a coach he is. Also instills great values in the players he trains. “The All State Quarterback School” is one of the best run football operations I have ever seen.
He probably has had his hand in developing more that ten thousand QB’s. Terry is a fantastic coach – but more than that he everything you want your child’s teacher to be. His values are imprinted on these young guys as well.
Lucky to be going overseas with these two as my traveling companions – awesome guys. We will have plenty of time to discus and analyze what we are going to be doing for the next two days in Italy and Switzerland. But first we have to get across the ocean to do it. As we found out – not going to be that easy.
I was fully checked in and passport cleared to Detroit Metro Airport (DTW in your basic airline lingo) at 11:30 for a 3:30 flight. I have to admit…always need to get there early – missing flights kind of worries me (Yeah once missed a flight to Switzerland once because they changed the gate on me – I wasn’t the only one….so can’t take all the blame). Anyway plenty of time to settle in and settle my Coors Light induced headache from last nite.
Connect with Curtis and Terry as they arrive at the gate and we settle in for the wait for our departure and eventual 11 -12 hours of combined flights.. Ah…not so fast young soldier.
Yup…suddenly our flight to JFK (JFK by the way) and the first leg of our journey is announced as cancelled. Well, the problem with that is we can’t get to Italy and on to Switzerland unless we can jump on over to NYC first. One way or another- not going to make that connection.
Woman at airline gate says to head over to the help phone and maybe Delta can come thru. But I have visions of our brief expedition flying (pun intended) out of the window. Since Terry is the commander in chief he has to handle the situation. Amazingly after about 15 minutes he has all three of us rerouted from Detroit to Paris (CDG if you are interested – tough if you don’t care because I am going to tell you anyway). Then on to Milan, Italy and the Malpensa Airport (MXP – and again…. tough I am going to tell you anyway.)
Paris…why not. As they say – “another country heard from!” This international football stuff has it’s benefits. Oh yeah – we will see so much of Paris. Inside of the airport (CDG – I promise to stop this nonsense of giving the airport’s call letters at some point!).
Delta also got us each an aisle seat – obviously key for a 7 hour flight. Now – wish they felt bad enough to give us first class seats. Alright not happening, apparently they didn’t feel that bad I guess..
Well, we did see the inside of the airport, several long corridors with enormous lines (“queues” in Europe I guess). Stood in some other long lines getting our passports checked six hundred and twenty-two times. I know working in airports must be a tedious and perhaps it is an under appreciated job……but man six hundred and twenty-one of those six hundred twenty-two checkers looked at me like I was a dumbass – because I am sure everyone else besides me knows how to scan a passport you know. One guy actually got a kick out of my Konkrete Kid sweatshirt so I give him a gold star.
Plus, it was hot in the airport….combined with the fact it was packed with people well you can imagine what a rain forest is like. Well OK not quite that bad. So we got in some good sight-seeing of the “City of Lights”. Fat guys sleeping and shoulder to shoulder crowds make for scenic pix. But at least I can check France off my “Bucket List”…..not that it ever been on it..
Several hour later we find ourselves in the Westin Hotel in central Milan – beautiful hotel. High ceilings, marble floors, detailed ceramic and wood work. But after another hour or so the three musketeers are ready to head for their meeting with the Italian Federation of American Football at a law office in Varesi, Italy. I don’t know where it is either – so look it up on the internet if you really want to know that badly!