Adam “Automatic” Vinatieri

Late last Saturday, I received a text from my brother asking if my son and I would like to head eastward to the Minneapolis Metrodome for a Vikings game. Initially we declined as neither of us are big “Queens” fans, but once we found out they were playing the Colts, we changed our mind on the excursion.

So after an early Sunday morning departure and about three and a half hours of windshield time, we were within walking distance of the big game. Of course, it didn’t take long to burn through some cash. A ten dollar souvenir pail of popcorn which we ended up forgetting after the game. A few five dollar beverages. Four dollar box of Mike and Ikes. I started to wonder how the heck a family could afford this but then it occurred to me that most were probably able to enjoy such an event courtesy of their economic stimulus check. As far as how the heck I was able to swallow a wallet full of concessions, it was all thanks to the generosity of my brother who I learned is now an eight-seat season ticket holder. Yikes. That’s a lot of green to see the purple people. But if you’ve ever watched a game at the Dome, you’d understand what makes the experience worth every penny.

Even after going through the concessions drill, we ventured back to our seats to discover there was still nearly an hour left before kickoff. And that’s when I thought maybe it would be worth the effort to scoot on down to the opposite side of the field where Adam Vinatieri was hanging out. Why Adam? Well, while my college football career was not even a season long and without a grass stain of game time, Adam and I were lifting partners at South Dakota State University. My son is a huge fan of Adam so I shared this fact with him on occasion. I’m not sure if he truly believed me though, which is why I thought I’d see if just maybe I could give a shout out to an old friend and let my son know that I’m not all bull…and more importantly, that one of his idols is a real person like the rest of us. I always think the sooner I can introduce my son to the folks in life that he idolizes, the more he’ll realize that they are human just like him…and that he too can become great at whatever he decides to do.

Anyway, back to the shout out. So we dashed down the stairs to about the 50 yard line where Adam was sitting on the Colts bench talking to one of his coaches. There were a bunch of folks hanging around with Colts jerseys trying to sneak a closer look no doubt at Manning. Guess they fail to realize that Vinatieri will probably reach the hall of fame before him. I boisterously gave an ol’ “Vinatieri, it’s your ol’ pal from SDSU” to which I got a few looks from some of the other Colts employees. I gave ‘er a few more attempts and finally got Adam’s attention. It was merely a quick look back followed by a “Ok, I heard you. Now leave me alone” wave. But it was just enough to convince my son that there just might be an ounce of truth to the story.

Of course, because customized flash drives are my profession, I’m sitting here kicking myself for not throwing together a “Adam Automatic” flash drive. That would’ve been a sweet opportunity to hand him his very own flash drive, preloaded with my address and my “less impressive than his” bio so he could realize that his ol’ pal now has a son who idolizes him. And it would make my son’s millennium if Adam were to give him a wave (or maybe a signed football instead!) instead of me.