Friday, December 28 -
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
The last five days of the decade were busy ones full of lots of joy and a bit of sadness.
On Saturday, our venerable mentor
Rosey Nolan, was laid to rest
Rosey was 94 years old when he passed away and was one of the most dedicated people you could ever meet. He was a true American hero who parachuted into both France on D-Day and Belgium in Operation Market Garden during WWII as part of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles.
I first met Rosey in the Fall of 1970 at Thousand Oaks H.S. when he was our Varsity's Defensive Coordinator and I was starting my first season of coaching, serving as T.O.'s Junior Varsity Defensive Coordinator.
Needless to say, I sought Rosey out constantly for guidance and he never once refused to take the time to help a young coach just starting out in the business.
His ability to tell stories was legendary and he was much loved by all who knew him.
I'll always be grateful for what he meant to me in those formative years of my career.
Mike and Jacob were ready
for the two College Semi-Finals
games on Saturday afternoon
While we were watching the games we had visitors.
Meredith and Anthony Perez
Anthony and his wife Meredith stopped by Casa Contreras for a visit that I enjoyed thoroughly.
They are recently married and met while both were working in Sri Lanka on a humanitarian mission.
Anthony was our outstanding WR on our 11-1, 2004 Pacific View League Champion Rio Mesa Spartans football team.
Any time a former player drops by the house to say hello is the highest honor that I can receive as it tells me that we must have done something right for a young man when we coached him.
It was great to see Anthony and his bride and to share what was going on in all of our lives.
Good Times!
As for Saturday's two big games . . .
LSU's #1 ranked Tigers (14-0, SEC Champions) destroyed the #4 ranked Oklahoma Sooners (12-2, Big XII Champions) by a final tally of 63-28.
In the exciting nightcap contest, the #3 ranked and defending National Champion Clemson Tigers (14-0, ACC Champions) edged out the #2 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (13-1, Big Ten Champions) by a score of 29-23.
The National Championship game between #1 LSU and #3 Clemson should be a dandy!
Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 14, 2020, Milan, Italy time.
I'll be up early that day to watch it in the Villa Skorpion II.
On Sunday, I joined Mike and Jacob for another trip to the Los Angeles Coliseum for the Rams final NFL game in that venerable old stadium before moving into their new sports palace in Inglewood in 2020. Our Rams (8-7) were hosting the Arizona Cardinals (5-9-1) in an otherwise meaningless game.
We invited family friend Dylan Moore to join us as our guest, his first NFL game experience, as his Christmas present.
The fact that Dylan is a die hard New England Patriots fan was indeed problematic.
Jacob, Dylan and I at the
Expo/Sepulveda Metro station
on the way to the Coliseum
We made it to the Rams
Fanfest area
Dylan will be Brandin Cooks
size in about two more years
Dylan, Mike and Jacob
by the artwork celebrating
today's last NFL game in
the Coliseum
Tailgating outside of the Fanfest
Jacob about to catch a pass
The fun and games were now in full swing.
"Boys, AVERT YOUR EYES!"
Dylan made a fine sideline catch
Dylan's funky Tom Brady
passing technique
We're going in!
The view from our end zone seats
were perfect if you are a coach
Son and Grandson were both
happy to be alive today!
HERE COME THE RAMS!
We were ready for one last
2019 Rams victory
Cool end zones done in the
Rams 1950s style
These BBQ chickens looked
good but the food prices were
shall we say . . . EXCESSIVE!
Dylan enjoying some cotton candy
Jacob enjoying being Jacob
Father-Son bonding
Jacob became fast friends with
the funny guys sitting behind us
All Second Half Rams' scores were celebrated in this same fashion.
We were joined by Mike's fellow
Newbury Park teacher Rich Bradley
and his son Jake
The Good Times just got better as we all got along famously.
The end of an era at our historic
Los Angeles Coliseum . . .
. . . was a GOOD one!
The playoffs this year without our
beloved 9-7 Los Angeles Rams
After the game, the fans were allowed
on the field for a fireworks show
Dylan plucking some Coliseum turf
Jacob plopping down on the field
Dancing on the Coliseum turf
The Four Amigos with the
Coliseum's iconic peristyle end
in the background
Apparently the Rams paint
the turf green before games
Dylan avoiding a fierce Rams
pass rusher to get off a bomb
Jake and Jacob 0ne-on-one
Jacob trying to find Dylan
for a critical first down
Jacob, Dylan and Jake after
their game was finished
The funky end zone pattern
The Rams Farewell Fireworks Show
On the whole, I thought it was a bit weak. The typical Ventura County high school's Homecoming fireworks displays were a cut above this effort.
On Monday we were off to Las Vegas to celebrate the New Year and our son Andrew's birthday on Thursday.
At our usual breakfast stop in
Victorville, we saw the General Lee
in Emma Jean's parking lot
Emma Jean's offers the best in
desert hole-in-the-wall dining
In Las Vegas at last,
with grandson Kevin!
Our trips to Las Vegas do not feature time on the famed Vegas Strip. We are more the home-body types dedicated to watching every college bowl game that we can.
Of course, we need sustenance
during these bowl game broadcasts
John Mull's Road Kill Grill
is the perfect spot for BBQ in Vegas
Between bowl games we squeeze in a
game or two of CLUE to while away the time
HAPPY NEW YEAR
TO ALL OF OUR FRIENDS
AND BLOG READERS!
