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I wish the NFL would quit following me around. It's getting a little disconcerting.
Last June I flew to Mexico City, along with a number of my nearest and dearest, for the wedding of my youngest son. Also on their way to Mexico City were James Harrison and various other Steelers, as part of the NFL Experience. Sadly, they were not on our plane.
The day the Steelers would be in attendance was the same day as the wedding, and despite my suggestion that the main square in the Zocalo would make a festive place to hold the event, and allow me to interview some Steelers while waiting for the photographs of the wedding party to be finished, the wedding proceeded as planned, in another part of town altogether.
I'm back in Mexico City this week, visiting the (more or less) newlyweds. Yesterday my son and I went to pick up my daughter-in-law from work, and we all walked to the Zocalo, which is nearby. (The Zocalo is the central area of the city, containing the cathedral and various other old and beautiful buildings.) There seemed to be quite a scrum on the central square by the cathedral, so we drifted that way to see what was going on. Have a look:
According to cncworld, this is an ongoing series of projects held jointly with the city government. They have signed a partnership agreement with the NFL which will last for the next six years. It is likely to eventually include an initiative similar to the "Play 60" one in the US, to encourage kids to be more active. Always a good thing!
We didn't have the time to wait in line to actually go inside, but as your BTSC live reporter on the scene I spared no effort to bring you the latest in NFL news. Or, more accurately, I wandered around outside the barriers to get some pictures.
In one area kids were being instructed in some of the combine drills:
In addition to these drills, there are a number of activities which teach the fundamentals of the sport. They are also organizing flag football games. (Insert obligatory comment about how the future fans will be accustomed to the idea by the time they are paying customers : )
In a central area they had uniforms from the various teams behind which you could pose for pictures. It was too far away for me to get a picture, but I found one on the web. Check out this slide show, and take the trouble to go to picture number four. I found it particularly delightful, for reasons any Steelers fan will understand.
I'm happy to say the Steelers flag was the easiest to see from the sidelines : )
You could also see the Mexican flag. Just.
Yesterday was the opening day. According to cncworld about 10,000 people are expected to access it between now and April 14, when it closes.
Well, that's all the news from Mexico City. Other than the earthquake the other night. But we really didn't even notice it, as the violent, albeit very temporary, rainstorm distracted us.
I return to the US of A next week, this time to St. Louis. If the NFL is experiencing anything there, I'll be sure to report on it. Right after I file a restraining order...