Shots were fired!

Football practice ended early last night for Kodie and I. You probably won't believe why practice was cut short. I know I still can't believe it. I have had practices cut short over the years due to lightning strikes, severe sleet/snow in North Dakota, attack of the killer mosquitoes, (also in North Dakota), frustration due to no healthy quarterbacks (also in North Dakota), and probably a myriad of other reasons that I can't even remember. However, the practice was stopped last night due to gun fire near the practice field. It was about 7:15 and everything was going fine, and then shots were fired somewhere very close to the field. There were 3 youth teams practicing at the time, including Kodie's team. Most folks didn't seem too bothered by all the excitement, but the cops recommended that teams clear the field. The field is located adjacent to an area with an ominous reputation for trouble. Kodie and I quickly gathered up our things and left the area.
On a lighter note, Kodie played well in the game vs. the Colts last weekend. It was the Colts homecoming and Kodie was chosen as the offensive MVP by the opposing coaches. He played tailback and scored on a 15 yard touchdown run, so he was pretty excited about that. He received a medal for his efforts and we were all very proud of him.
Speaking of football, I want to congratulate George Contreras on accepting the head football coaching job for the Hurricanes, which are located in Hassleholm, Sweden. George has a passion for coaching, exploring new cultures, traveling, good food, and most importantly, his family. I feel a great kinship with him even though we have not yet met in person. George coached the Catania Elephants of the Italian Football Leage for the past two seasons. I owe a lot to George for helping me get started coaching in Europe and I wish him and his wife the best in Sweden.
I have one more comment before I close. The NFL is off to a wacky start again this year, but I am still confident that the Steelers will play well enough to earn a wildcard playoff spot by the end of the season. The Lions and Browns are on the schedule the next two weeks and neither team is even ranked in the NCAA top 25, so 4-2 is looking fairly promising right now. I get to see a lot of tv coverage on the Ravens with living in the Baltimore area now, and I do believe they are for real. I really don't see the Steelers sweeping that series again this season. In my opinion, the Colts are the premiere team in the league right now. A Colts vs. Giants Superbowl doesn't seem out of question this year. However, there is still a lot of football left to be played. I would like to see the Manning brothers square off against eachother in the Superbowl before their careers are over. That would be a fascinating matchup and probably a game for the ages.
Lights out.