CityofMobile.com 2024
Since Tuesday I have been exploring the world of the 2024 Reese's Senior Bowl, an annual event that occurs in Mobile every year since 1951. The big day is this Saturday, February 3 at noon at the University of South Alabama, Hancock Whitney Stadium. I'm lucky - the practices and the game are a short drive from my house. The slogan this year is The Draft Starts in Mobile.
On a gorgeous sun-filled afternoon in Mobile, Tuesday, January 30, 2024 to be exact, when I walked onto the field and stood on the sidelines for the first Reese's Senior Bowl practice before the game this Saturday, I felt I had reached a milestone. The truth is, I had. It was in fact my first time on the sidelines of a major football practice. Never mind it wasn't the actual game itself. In the world of baby steps this was a baby step. The game is this Saturday, February 3 at noon...
The American team was at practice, divided into four teams - two on each end of the field. This was a technical strategy practice - no tackling, mainly passing. They were going through their moves, going through the blueprints created by their coaches. The stakes are high, not just for the National and the American teams - formerly called North and South but changed in 2021 - but for each of the approximately 150 players who signed up from colleges around the country, some of who will practice and play in front of the biggest gathering of NFL scouts possibly ever gathered.
The Senior Bowl practices are open to the public - Tuesday 1/30/24, Wednesday 1/31/24 and Thursday 2/1/24 , free of charge. The stadium is on the USA campus and although parking is tight, it can be found in one of the various lots around the stadium. Practices begin at 9:00 AM and end at 2:00 PM.
I had the pleasure of meeting with Dominic Russo of Zebra Sports yesterday. Zebra is the brains behind all the game stats, particularly individual player stats obtained using RFID technology. The company provides real-time tracking of Next Gen stats for the NFL How detailed are the stats? Football players have two RFID chips attached to them during practices and the game, collecting approximately 200 metrics including one the public will see on the scoreboard: speed. The technology uses chips that do not need battery recharge until after at least 20 hours of use, can survive the washer and dryer, and send immediate stats to the software captured for the client- the NFL in this case. The compiled data is uploaded to a website where not only the NFL can see them but you, the public, at well. Zebra is already posting top performer stats on their website https://connect.zebra.com/SrBowlInsights. Looking at the stats, Carlton Johnson a DB from Fresno was clocked at 22.17 MPH yesterday, running 8.894 yards with a maximum acceleration in yards of 4.68 and maximum deceleration per yards of -5.32. Unless I am mistaken, this speed is a new record for the Senior Bowl. Anyway, I really enjoyed the overview of this technology from Dominic and his team member Christian Blatner.
The practice on Wednesday again occurred under bright blue, sunny skies. Every player I saw was performing in good form, especially #31 Austin McNamara (Texas Tech, Punter) and sparring partner William Mote #56 (Georgia , Long Snapper.)...
For those Counting Crow fans, (myself included) Reese's Senior Bowl is sponsoring a free concert on Saturday, February 3 at the Mardi Gras Park downtown, after the last parade, at 8:30 PM...should be a fantastic party....
A make you hungry blurb...The Royal Scam restaurant downtown is featuring..."Pan seared grouper with a sugarcane vinegar beurre blanc, black garlic and goat cheese mashed potatoes and grilled broccolini..." speaking of cuisine, I saw a recipe posted at thekitchn.com for Tuscan Chicken that "will have everyone asking for seconds." I made it and it is the best chicken recipe I have every experienced...the French are the rulers of sauce and this one of a heavy cream with Italian herbs, fresh spinach and parmesan is heavenly...
WKRG is reporting that in honor of Black History Month a Mobile man will be ringing the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday 1/31/24 - Philips Healthcare Technical Support Specialist Charles Johnson will have the honor, along side CEO Roy Jakobs....
If you are lookin for something to do on Tuesday afternoons, The Government Street Presbyterian Church has a great Lunch and Learn Series at noon on Tuesdays. I recently attended one in which cartoonist JD Crowe was the guest speaker...awesome presentation, and for $12.00 you get a nice homecooked lunch and an up and close with the guest speaker....coming up - February 6, Glenda Snodgrass, an information security expert with the Net Effect, and on February 20th, Joe Bonner, President of the University of South Alabama...parking is free across the street and check out the entire schedule online...
One of my spies tells me the Tool concert in Biloxi was- well, he said "they killed it" and despite the band's very strict no video filming during their shows, they did, as usual allow filming of the last song, before which I am told they said go ahead sheep and film!...
Tonight, February 1 The Order of Polka Dots parade rolls downtown Mobile at 6:30 PM on Route A....and there are parades every day leading up to Fat Tuesday on February 13th...another city in Louisiana - New Orleans - also celebrates Mardi Gras in a nod to Mobile, the birthplace of Mardi Gras...