Chapter 5

I went to practice the next morning more than a little bleary eyed. I hoped Jessica was not dissatisfied on our wedding night. Before she said anything about the team, I knew, just knew she was the one I wanted to live my life with but not right now; I still was not certain if...

I met Janice, in-fact she was waiting for me near the locker room.

“Congratulations, now get your ass inside and change.”

You all have heard of the ‘plant’ an investor puts into a business before taking over. Janice had been embedded to learn what she could. She knew where the bodies were buried. On her ‘Day One’ as GM, four executives and their cronies were let go. The only one left from the old Cleveland Brown’s was the Director of Player Personnel. To say some were surprised would be an understatement.

The team’s attitude to me had not changed. Probably due to the fact no one on the team but Janice knew about Jessica and myself.

The first time Jessica showed her face she was almost ignored. It was a common problem. No Access card, few female owners and, and, and the list went on. Reality check is that many people were afraid of change and to be successful change was necessary.

Jessica was not the kind of person to be deterred by something as small as that. She had several great attributes one of them was patience. I should know as one who she set her sights on and reeled slowly until I ‘caught’ her. It took three days but when she returned she was not alone. Haber, Shutter and Fink, the executors of the trust led the way, a court order in hand. Following, flanking Jessica were the proverbial ‘Men in Black’, sent by Daddy to support his little girl.

Y’all have heard of Friday the 13th or ‘Black Friday’, today was Jessica’s version of those ominous occasions. Before it was noon, every administrative and staff person (17) were told to ‘hit the road’. Five new Temps began the tedious work of collecting, auditing and validating every bill, invoice and payment made for the last 12 months. Haber, Shutter and Fink, the executors of the trust oversaw what they did. New financial transactions, including Player’s salary was serviced out to a large Washington D C Accounting firm owned by the law firm Kirkland and Ellis.

Every remaining employee received a letter containing a new Id card, access code and telephone numbers to call in most emergencies. Friday now needed a new name. She slowly walked to her new owner’s office with a smile on her face.

I repeated ‘Does that mean ... like G and I need to wear ties or something?’ to myself. It seemed but a few minutes had passed. We were still in Las Vegas at the ranch. When I looked up they were all looking at me. I had to shake the cobwebs out of my head before I spoke.

“What did she say?”

You heard of someone in a stressful situation seeing the past flash in front of their eyes, I just imagined the future; my future; ‘our’ future maybe. Dreams, day or night could seem so real. One thing I knew was I was not ready for this. Based on the future I placed her in, it exemplified the way I thought of her. I had mentioned, I think, that she was beautiful. I just was not ready for a wife. She however, was what I would want in a wife.

‘No harm, no foul’ I thought!

It was obvious by the silence around me my assumption was perhaps not shared by everyone. When Jessica stormed back inside, my assumption about my assumption was no longer an assumption. Tony, G and even my Dad looked at me with downtrodden looks on their faces.

At this point I sort of wished my daydream was true. I was glad I was still single yet I could not see much in a future without her; yet I may have just lost her.

G walked me to the cars in the front. They’ll take you to McClaren, ‘Black Beauty’ (her plane) will be staying here for the foreseeable future. Remember what I told you so it is in your best interests to forget she even exists unless I need to become involved ... or.”

Going back alone, I could not help thinking ‘WHY, why had I repeated what I did in Atlanta. I simply followed what my brain told me’.

The second day I was back I learned something. Jessica bested my way of thinking that day. I did what I thought was right. Jessica upped her game. Janice informed the team she was stepping down. The ‘NEW Owner’ would be hiring his own people. Nothing more was said. The ‘Trust’ manger could not say ‘NO’ to her either. Our first pre-season games I played less than I thought I should. Game one. 1 tackle, two assists but three penalties. Game two one tackle, one assist but only 2 penalties. The next my play was less than stellar and I was replaced. I faked a limp off the field. The trainers knew, my teammates knew and I knew. The next game was away at Atlanta. I did the only thing I knew how to do. I asked coach to place me on the in-active list. I did not want to play anymore, let alone against my former team. Maybe there were other reasons too.

Janice shook her head in a goodbye. No other words were spoken, none were really necessary; enough had been said by me, again. ‘I told her so from the beginning, didn’t I’ I thought. I flew down to Atlanta on Delta on my own dime.