Exotic... Edmonton?

My good friend Jake Riddell has a philosophy, "BE A TOURIST WHERE YOU LIVE."  This can mean a number of different things, but essentially it points to that fact that you don't need to go somewhere exotic to enjoy life - that being a 'tourist' is more of a lifestyle than a temporary description of a traveler... and that there are many wonderful & unique experiences in our own backyard that we often take for granted.  How many people live in Seattle and never frequent the Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, or the waterfront - yet that's the first place that tourists go when they come to town?

KEY POINT: Be a TOURIST where you live!

As you all know, I'm headed to Italy in just over a week - and will be posting all sorts of unique experiences from quaint little streets and cafe's... telling stories of interesting people I've met and the life-lessons I've learned along the way.  However, I felt it only appropriate to start with a place that many North Americans have NEVER set foot: the most northern big city in the world that doesn't lie on a major body of water.  A city that is known as much for Wayne Gretzky as it is for cold weather and Tim Horton's.  I'm talking a little place called... Edmonton.  With that in mind, here's a little shot of what exotic "Edmonton" has to offer the more adventurous traveler.  (Now I know what you are thinking... you typically don't hear people mention Edmonton in the same breath as Bora Bora and Tahiti... but you might be surprised!  And if you get bored in Edmonton, it does have the biggest mall in the world...)

I began my adventure winding through the narrow snow covered streets of downtown.  At -22 degrees Celsius this morning, it definitely takes your breath away!  However, despite this cold temperature, blue skies are frequently seen, and the fresh dusting of snow makes it feel like Christmas morning... for 5 months straight.  (Call it Christmas: Ground-Hog Day Version.)  

I soon find myself at a really cool quaint cafe.  I decide to head inside... only to find it busy with all sorts of locals getting their morning cup o' jo.  I ask the Barista (coffee maker) about this place and she says it is called Starbucks.  Apparently, they are getting quite popular in North America.  I didn't quite know what to order, so I tried the Grande Extra Hot Non-Fat Hazelnut Mocha with Whip.  To all my North American friends -- if you ever come across one of these cafe's (not sure where they would be located) you should definitely try it.  I really hope they have a cafe like this in Italy.

Feeling energized after grabbing my Starbucks (and epitomizing a local euphemism called "yuppie") I continue on to grab a glimpse of the skyline.  To be a tourist where you live, you have to work around your normal "schedule" -- and at 8:15am the city is already bustling with people.  Having only 45 minutes before I need to be at work (I start work at 9) I head to see two last sights.  Similar to London, Edmonton houses the provincial government --  "The 'Ledge" as the locals call it.  It actually looks very similar to the Washington State Capital of Olympia. 

I finish my trip by shooting down to the River Valley (The North Saskatchewan river runs through the heart of the city) for one last glimpse of the Edmonton Skyline.  A beacon of industry standing high above the great Alberta plains, the Edmonton skyline stretches as far as the eye can see.  It is at this moment that my heart is filled with pride for my adopted city, and I will remember it fondly when I am away!

Wow... all of that before 9am... hopefully I can have similar experiences like this when I cross the pond!  Stay Tuned!!!

~ J. Twice  

If you build it...

Pictured above is both the practice field and game field for the Catania Elephants. (Guess which is which?!) Yes, I must say that the game field looks SWEET! In fact, the part I am most glad about is the BARBED WIRE FENCE surrounding the field. I guess Elephants are known to stampede...

~ J. Twice

Remembering Doug

This past year has been filled with some amazing times (our wedding just last February) and also some tough times as well.

The toughest of all was my father-in-law's battle with Cancer.  Christie's dad, Doug Chorley, was diagnosed this past April with Esophageal Cancer and battled with courage against this terrible disease.  Unfortunately, the cancer moved incredibly quickly and he passed away on December 6th.  It blows my mind that just a year ago he was completely healthy - we were planning our wedding together and talking about golf trips we'd take in the spring.  

As this whole Italian Football opportunity came to be, I was initially very hesitant about committing, because obviously there would be no way I could go while Doug was sick.  In his final days, Christie and I did talk about this opportunity with him, and he was very excited for me and urged me to tackle it head on.

Doug had countless friends in Edmonton and beyond, and first and foremost was a great person.  He was also an outstanding athlete - competing in football, hockey, and swimming while growing up and later in golf and curling.  He was a true sports fan, and never missed an Eskimo game or a golf tournament on TV.

The following article appeared today in the Edmonton Journal - and is a testament to the type of man he was and the legacy will carry on.  The full article can be found HERE, but I have also reprinted the text on this page.

Doug Chorley's life was cut short by cancer, but his family believes he lived his 54 years to the fullest

Don Retson, The Edmonton Journal

Published: 2:02 am

EDMONTON - When he learned his cancer had spread and was now terminal, Doug Chorley's first reaction typified the man -- he was more concerned about his family than himself.

"Oh well, I've lived a good life," Mr. Chorley was heard to say at the time."I'm just sorry that I'm going to drag you guys through this."

An exceptional athlete who cherished his family, held dear by his friendships and was never afraid of chasing his dreams, Douglas Kenneth Chorley died of esophageal cancer on Dec. 6, 2007. He was 54.

"My dad was a man of great integrity and touched countless lives," said daughter Christie Chorley. "He lived a full life -- although it was much too short -- and was a great Edmontonian that will be dearly missed."

Committed to helping others, Mr. Chorley served three years as chairman of the Greater Edmonton Area Poppy Fund, raising money for veterans in need.

"He put a lot of time into that and it was something he enjoyed doing," said Christie.

She noted that her grandfather was a soldier in the British Army in the Second World War and was a longtime member of the Kingsway branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.

At Mr. Chorley's funeral, the legion supplied an honour guard.

Throughout his life, Mr. Chorley pursued many business ventures.

Happiest on the golf course, in the early 90's he opened a golf centre in the Edmonton International Airport for travellers awaiting flights.

Called Drive and Fly, the centre was complete with a driving range, putting green and chipping area.

Later, Mr. Chorley opened a headhunting business, placing accountants and other executives in Bermuda. He finished his business career working as regional sales manager for Rocky Mountain Roasters.

As a tribute to Mr. Chorley, the family will host an annual Doug Chorley Memorial Golf Tournament, starting this August. It will raise money to buy equipment and treatments to help in the fight against esophageal cancer, a rare but deadly form of the disease.

A website -- dougchorleygolf.com -- is currently under development.

In his youth, Mr. Chorley was an accomplished football player for both Ross Shepherd high school and the bantam Wildcats football team.

He also swam competitively and played hockey.

He met his future wife, Lynn, when they were in their early teens. They were married on March 9, 1974, and lived in Red Deer, Edmonton and Devon.

Other than his family and friends, Mr. Chorley's world revolved around sports. He played, coached and enjoyed watching games.

He once coached the Wildcats football team.

An Eskimo season ticketholder for decades, Mr. Chorley took pride in the fact that his future son-in-law -- Jason Johnson -- played for the Eskimos and won the Grey Cup.

"He was never a fair-weather fan and always supported his home teams," said Christie, an Edmonton reporter for The Score television network.

"His view on sports was reflected in his view on life: You play by the rules, play hard, and always have a great attitude."

He included Christie and son Kyle in everything he did and was always part of whatever they were doing: be it soccer, hockey, cheerleading competitions or the Boy Scouts.

"He was the type of dad," said Christie, "that not only came to watch but was also involved in everything behind the scenes.

"He taught us a lot. We learned to be fair, honest and to have integrity."

Mr. Chorley is survived by Christie and Kyle; companion Terry Ainsworth; Lynn Chorley, his wife of 30 years; mother Dolores and brother Les.

dretson@thejournal.canwest.com

X's and O's

Football is a funny game - played with 22 players -- 11 of them on Offense (the O's) and 11 on Defense (the X's).  That's at least how you draw up football plays -- with X's on Defense and O's on Offense.  I don't know when X's and O's got to be a universal term, and why the Offense got to be the circles, but I do know that it has been such a fun challenge putting the Catania Offensive System in place with Davide (our head coach)... in making our O's go where the X's can't stop them!

The reason I bring this up is that I just got off an hour and a half phone call with my new Catania Teammate, Matthew Epperson, and got to share (for the first time) my own football theories of X and O and how our offensive gameplan fits together.  Let me just tell you -- it was awesome!

Which reminds me of a great Mitch Hedberg joke about the letter X:

It's as if X didn't have enough to do so they had to make stuff up.  Hey X, you won't start a lot of words, but you will have a co-starring role in Tic-Tac-Toe.  And you will be equated with Hugs and Kisses.  And you will make writing Christmas easier.  And you will mark the SPOT.  There!  You happy, you freaking X?

Coaching is in my blood.  My grandfather, Frosty Westering, is the 9th Winningest (yes, that's the correct grammar) Coach in the History of College Football.  He coached for 35 years, racking up 305 victories and 4 national championships at Pacific Lutheran University.  His son, Scott, was the offensive coordinator for the final 20 seasons and is now the head coach at PLU.  My other Uncle, Gary Spani, was captain of the Kansas City Chiefs and finished his time in the NFL with 999 career tackles.  And on top of all of that, my dad might be the best 3rd grade basketball coach EVER... leading the Puyallup Skyhawks to multiple championships!  And it seems that no matter how hard I try to ignore this lineage, it always keeps pulling me back in.  I guess that's why it felt so good to talk X's and O's tonight with Matt - who knows where this might lead?  (If you said Italy, you might be correct!)

Offensively, Catania this season will be a spread attack, similar to that run by the University of Hawaii or Texas Tech... spread the field, and throw the ball!  I hear we do have a good running back, though, so we will definitely mix things up too.  A lot will depend on what I see when I get over there, both in what our guys can handle and what defenses throw at us.

KEY LESSON:  It's not always the X's and the O's on paper that determine success, its WHO is the X and WHO is the O.  

(that felt good too -- from now on this blog is gonna be motivational!  Alright!)

The most fun thing in all of this preparation is making it all fit together.  It's one thing to say, "I like this play" or "I think this might work" -- it's another to put a package together that is CONSISTANT and EASY TO LEARN.  That is why Davide and I have been working for the last 3 months to put it all together... can't wait to get over there and start meeting my O's!  (and X's too!  Maybe we can even play Tic-Tac-Toe...)

~ J. Twice

Highlight Video

If a picture tells a thousand words, how much does a video tell?

Answer: WAY MORE!

Keeping with that thought, here's a video that introduces myself (as a football player)... it includes highlights from high school, college, and pro as well as some interviews and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage!  (Well, everything but the behind-the-scenes footage!)

~ J. Twice

Two Weeks to Go...

I have just returned from a morning throwing session with one of my ex-teammates, CFL Quarterback Jason Maas. After sitting out last season, it feels great to be working out again, and I must say that my arm seems more lively after a year off. (Throwing every day for 8 months a year for about 10 straight years might have something to do with that...)

I am also really enjoying reading the blog of our Defensive Coordinator - George Contreras - for his experiences in Italy. (Click HERE to read) George is going to be my 'roommate' over in Catania, and I look forward to many fun experiences with him there.

Perhaps the toughest thing right now is tying up all my loose ends -- have you ever had to make sure that your life could run completely on "auto-pilot" for a 6 month period? Not as easy as eating Gelato I assume.

One funny note is that over the weekend, the "Elephants" held a fundraiser in Catania for the team. It was held at a very high-end store, and there were cool banners of the American players as well as a very nice program about our team. The funny thing for me was reading my bio - as it said I come from the town of "PUJALLUPP" Washington. Now I know my hometown gets 'butchered' anytime someone tries to say it. (For those of you trying mentally right now, PUYALLUP is said with three simple syllables: "PEW" - "ALL" - "UP".) And it may not be as easy to say as places like Kalamazoo or Yreka, or as trivial as Between, GA or Truth or Consequences, New Mexico... but I must say that spelling Puyallup with a J and an extra P would bump its Scrabble score from 152 to 218!

~ J. Twice

Really Playing for Pizza

If you've come as far as to read this blog, you probably already have a good idea why it was started and why the title is "Really Playing for Pizza."  HOWEVER, I would still like to explain as 1) You may have just randomly stumbled upon this blog due to the curious title, raving reviews in national papers, or by word of mouth advertising (always the best type), or b) You either know me or know of me, and are curious why someone who is living comfortably in North America with a good job, a new wife, and dreams of one day having my alotted 2.5 children would give that all up to chase the football dream one last time -- all the way to ITALY.

Yes, in 15 days, 19 hours and 45 minutes I will board a plane headed for Europe as I begin my journey to play for the Catania Elephants of the Italian Football League.  (Yes, AMERICAN football, and YES, they really are the Elephants.)  Only coincidentally, just a few shorts months ago (and as I was making my final decision about playing in Europe) the world's most famous author, John Grisham, released a novel entitled Playing for Pizza, which outlines the adventures of a former NFL/CFL Quarterback who does this very thing -- in this very league.  Perhaps the ironic part is that I too am a former NFL/CFL Quarterback... or maybe, destiny?

Hence the name, REALLY Playing for Pizza... because I'm now actually doing it.  

But how did this journey begin?  With a single step -- or as is typical to my universe -- a cell phone call.  In early September, I received a call from my good friend Peter Hansen, a teammate of mine at the University of Arizona and a former alumni of international football.  He had seen a team in Italy advertising the need for a Quarterback/Offensive Co-ordinator, and told me that I should give them a shout if I was interested... knowing that I had recently "retired" from the CFL to pursue my business interests.  Not exactly sure what to make of it... and not even knowing where the city "Catania" was - I blindly shot an email to a coach named Davide to see what the universe might bring back.  Call it a positological moment.

A short while later, I received a glowing email from the Italian Head Coach, Davide Guilano, who was very interested in talking about this opportunity.  I already had a vague familiarity of the typical European Contract (house / car / salary), as my older brother Chad played quarterback in Germany for a year after his All-American career at Pacific Lutheran University, and raved about the amazing time he had.  (Interesting note: In Germany a Quarterback is called a Spielmacher... literally a 'play maker' ... I am curious of the Italian Translation).

Emails began to flow back and forth, and I was contacted a short time after by George Contreras, a 35-year coaching veteran and legend in the circles of Southern California High School Football.  George had signed on to be the defensive coordinator for the Mighty Elephants, and was very excited to hear from a quarterback with my experience - as apparently the typical level of experience for players in Europe is from small, Division III schools.  We instantly hit it off, as his sarcastic wit was instantly recognizable, as was his love for life and overall laid-back Southern California attitude.

It was in an an excited phone call a short time later that George mentioned the newly released Grisham book, and I raced off to the local book store in hot pursuit.  A day later, I was finished with the quick read, my mind dancing to the story of "Reek" Dockery, the imaginary quarterback who led the Parma Panthers over the mighty Bergamo Lions to win the Italian Superbowl.  It was at this moment that I knew this was something I had to pursue.

So here I am, soon to be REALLY Playing for Pizza (and hopefully some Pasta too... and maybe Gelato - I hear it is AMAZING... maybe I can play OLine by the end of the season...), and eagerly anticipating every step in this entire journey.

By the way, George is already in Catania, and has his own Blog right HERE, conveniently titled "Coaching for Pizza."  I have given you this link at the end of my own lengthy entry, because I was afraid if I gave it to you earlier, than you'd already be reading his and have no need for a guy who is still waiting to embark.

Also, I hope to be shooting a documentary film about my experience as well, and should be posting video clips on this blog when time permits.  Please submit to me your cliche movie titles at earliest convenience.

Arrivaderci,

J.Twice