Aug. 19, 2005
Boomer Grigsby Rookie Diary - Entry 5
I had to sing in front of the team again. Last time I sang I was prepared for it and did a little Dixieland Delight. This time they didn't give me any warning, the guys just yelled my name and made me sing on cue. Since I did the first song so flamboyantly they made sure that all the coaches and all the players were in the room when I sang this time.
The way it works is we have an 8:00 pm team meeting. So as the players are coming in and getting settled, they start making rookies sing. This usually starts around 7:55 or so, just before the meeting. For me they waited until 8:00 when everyone was in there. Everybody was just sitting there waiting for Coach Vermeil to start his speech to the team. That's when I get the nod that I have to sing. It was like they brought me out of the bullpen to fire everybody up or something. They knew that I would come with my A game.
So this time I sang a little Kenny Rogers, The Gambler. I was trying to be very universal and multi-cultural to my audience. I asked the guys if they wanted to hear Lean on Me. I didn't really get the response I wanted, so I said "how about The Gambler?" and there was a huge universal response. So I decided to go in that direction and I think it was a big hit. I didn't quite nail it like I did the first performance, but I was complimented on bringing my A game.
We hold our team meetings in a science classroom here on campus. It's a tiered room with stadium seating and a giant lab desk at the bottom. There's an overhead projector on it and they turn the light on and point it at you. So there you are, standing on a four-foot table with a spotlight on you, so you're on stage.
So I did my singing, but I also did this little thing called the country stomp to get everybody into it. When I do it I have my elbow out to my side kind of like a chicken and I move it and my leg to the beat as I sing. I can't just sit there and sing, I have to try to get the crowd into it. I'm an entertainer. I think it went over pretty well.
Well, we're getting ready to hit the road from training camp. I can't wait to get back to Kansas City and start making a home. I won't miss these dorm rooms either. The trucks are leaving this morning with all of our equipment and gear and our plane takes off this afternoon from the Minneapolis airport. Just one more walk-through to go and it's adios River Falls.
I'll try to give you a few more updates once we get back to Kansas City, including a run-down of my stirring portrayal of Gunther Cunningham on Rookie Night. See you on the field at Arrowhead! I can't wait.
Boomer
