If it’s June and your business is the NFL, rest. Take well deserved time with the family. And follow my advice. Trust me: I’m a Doctor. Find a beach. Uncap those Red Stripes. And chill.
While I’m not a full-time football contributor at this stage of my career, I still teach, read, write, and otherwise involve myself in the business of the NFL. My involvement level doesn’t matter though. Except as a player, my answer to the question “what should I be doing now (in June) to prepare for the season” is unchanged over the years.
Starting first, from a player perspective….you’re not sleeping quite as well these nights even though you’re dead tired from the workouts. You’re anxious, knowing you have to get ready for a gruelling, hot, long, head and body banging camp. You are going to hurt in a lot of places, and you’re going to have to make this team doing everything possible. You’re checking off the days to the report date, like a prisoner on death row waiting for the execution, but still anxious to mix it up.
For the rest of the NFL-students just wanting to be better students-the answer is the same. There is nothing worthwhile to do now except your research preparation for camp. Nothing good happens until after the 4th of July. Find a beach. Uncap those Red Stripes. And chill.
If you are on the business side of the NFL, you work hard and love what you do, but everyone deserves-needs-time off. The NFL is a great job and experience requiring you to hump hard all the time with much of it on the road away from your family, and family events. And when you are home, you’re on the phone or working just to keep up to date with the information covering every angle. The kids are sleeping by the time you get home. Find a beach. Uncap those Red Stripes. And chill.
If you represent players as an agent or attorney, you’re still going to get your calls and still have some work to do. But June is also family vacation time. Some recruit which can bring up ethical issues. Find a beach. Uncap those Red Stripes. And chill.
And don’t worry, BE HAPPY!
Ralph Cindrich is a sports agent and former line-backer for the New England Patriots (1972), the Houston Oilers (1973, 1974, 1975) and the Denver Broncos (1974). You can follow him on Twitter at @RalphCindrich or his website at www.cindrich.com
Photo copyright: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.