Tattoos

When I was young tattoos were a sign of a really tough guy.  A Navy guy, or Marine.  Someone who got drunk in some far away place and woke up with "Mom" inked forever into his arm.  There were jokes about spelling errors - I won't put any here because of copyright concerns; just google tattoo spelling errors. 

Tattoo on arm.  I think this is the
coolest of the tattoos I've observed
so far.  Really elaborate colorful. 
I wonder how long it took to get this
done.  Did it hurt?

Tattoos were a sign of tough because they are created by using a needled and inserting ink into you skin.  Needles puncturing skin cause pain.  To tolerate lots and lots of needle punctures signified a high tolerance for pain.  I'll never have a tattoo.  I have zero tolerance for pain. 

Football is a painful sport.  All that hitting hurts.  Ergo, football players have high tolerance for pain.  Ergo football players are likely to have tattoos.  

I've mentioned that practices tend to get boring for me.  So it shouldn't be a great surprise that I starting noticing tattoos during practices.  Today I'm just posting some samples of what I observed.

Tattoo on leg.  I think that's a fish. 

Tattoo on leg.

Tattoo on leg.

Tattoo on leg. 

Tattoos on leg, tattoos on arm.  Can't tell for certain but I think she has tattoos on both arms.

Tattoo on arm.

Tattoos must be popular in Hawaii.  The following photo is Maila Capers-Cristobal sporting a big tattoo on her left shoulder.  The tattoo tells a story which Maila and sister Malie were starting to tell me but we didn't have time to finish.  The photos after Maile's shoulder tattoo feature tattoos on her dad's forearms.  They are fancy script spelling out his daughter's names.  Cool.

Maila Capers-Cristobal has an elaborate tattoo on
her shoulder.

I don't remember his name.  He is father of Maila, on our right, and Malie on our left.  He
has his daughter's names tattooed on his forearms. 

And this script spells Maile.

The fancy script spells Maila.

I wonder why tattoos are so popular.  I wonder if all tattoos have special meaning?  Or is that just a Hawaiian custom.   I wonder I wonder I wonder.  So much in life I don't understand.  

Ereka - Part 2

You need to understand I don't know the players.  Yet.  I've been going to practices and tryouts and shooting lots of photos but not doing interviews.  Not getting to know the players.  I know some of the ladies who have been around awhile, like Ski and Tiffany.  But not those who have joined the team this year.  Or last year.  Or the year before. 

So you're getting lots of photos and not many words. 

I have more pictures of Ereka than any other player.  And this one is the reason.  Her facial expression.  From the time she started her pass reception route her facial expressions were captivating.

Normally I set my camera on the end of the passing route, trying to capture the moment when the ball and receiver come together.  But I was so fascinated by Ereka's energy, her total involvement, her facial expressions - that I started following her through the entire pass route.  Click click click - just kept shooting at 2.5 frames per second. 

I posted a few of my Ereka pics with my last post.  I'm posting a few more today.  And someday I'll interview her and tell you more about her.

Or is an interview necessary?  Do these photos tell you who Ereka is?

 

Ereka

I missed Saturday's practice.  Really sad about that because I want to see how Ereka performs under game conditions.  I've love her intensity in practices.  How will that translate to games?  I suspect she'll be a star. 

This has evolved to a photo blog.  I intend to interview players and offer lots of profound prose to accompany the photos.  But the players are busy with three-a-week practices and full time jobs, and I'm busy with broken plumbing and broken hips (an elderly friend).  Wanting to provide frequent posts to this blog, I've been relying on photos.

Maybe photos are better than words.  I'd like to explain why I'm so fascinated by Ereka but maybe explaining isn't necessary.  Maybe if I post photos, you'll see for yourself.  So, without more comment, here's Ereka.

Shadana - part 2

Shadana is taking this season off.  She will be missed.  This would have been her seventh year. 

Shadana is 5'6" and says she weighs 165.  She is strong - lots of muscle on that 5'6" frame.  And quick.  And fast.  She has provide me with lots of  great action photos.  I posted a few on Wednesday and today I'm posting some more. 

 

Sidelined with an ankle sprain during the final game of 2011. 

Shadana

Ya know, this blog is a classic case of poor timing.  I started it just after the last game of the 2011 season, when all the players and fans were moving on to summertime interests.  I started it after missing two seasons of Outlaws games, so my game photos go back so far only the veterans remember playing on those fields.  I publish a book of blog posts right after Christmas.  Would have made a great Christmas gift if I had published it a month sooner.  Except for material gleaned in recent tryouts and practices, the blog and book are Outlaws history.  The players I've profiled - Monica, Lily, Vero, Alex, Jill, Lorin - all retired.  Or taking this season off. 

Off the field Shadana is a delightful funny un-serious young
woman.  On the field she gets serious. furrowed brow, focused
eyes, stiff arming would-be tacklers.

Now Shadana says she is taking a season off.  I've been collecting Shadana photos.  I have interview notes from when I featured her for the Outlaws website.  I planned to interview her again and update my information.  The original interview was in 2007 when she was in her second year as an Outlaw. 

She told me by Facebook message that she's taking a season off to spend more time with her daughter Makayla.   So I've decided to do an abbreviated profile.  Few words, lots of photos.

Shadana "Bo Peep" Hurd joined the Outlaws in 2006.  At the time she was living in San Antonio where she "had great job with great company, Medi-fit, setting up fitness programs for large corporations."  She taught classes, was personal trainer, set up informational visits at the facility about diabetes, breast cancer.  Then she heard about the Outlaws.  

She came to Austin for tryouts.  She had never played football but, at the University of Texas, San Antonio, she  Ran track four years, played basketball for a year and another year at at Garden City in Kansas.  She won honors as a collegiate track sprinter.  She ran an 11.8 100 Yard dash.  Trying out for the Outlaws, she did a 4.7 40 yard dash in borrowed shoes.  "I didn’t think to bring shoes,  just had tennis shoes, and borrowed Monica’s shoes." 

If Shadana gets a step on you you aren't going to catch her.

The tryouts became a mutual admiration relationship.  He speed dazzled the Outlaws coaches and the Outlaws players impressed Shadana.  She quit her San Antonio job and moved to Austin.   And began a wonderful career eluding  defensive players.  If she got a step on the defense, she'd go a long way. 

Makayla

She got the nickname "Bo Peep" when she came to an Outlaws meeting wearing sweater, frilly, V-Cut.  Soho called her BoPeep and it stuck. 

Interviewing Shadana was fun because of her excitement and energy.  I asked her about the first time she ran the ball in a game and she told relived the experience.  "I was in the backfield and we called a toss to right or left or something and it always worked we always scored on this play and I lined up and Monica was lead blocking on left and I’m standing there and I know it’s coming to me and I try not look like I’m getting the ball and then it is hiked I look and I ruined the play because I didn’t know where I was supposed to go so I went wide and the play was I should go tight off tackle’s butt but I go out wide and I notice they aren’t catching me and I’m like haha gotcha and we scored and coach Geoff yelled 'you’re not following directions..."  She says that after that "any time I screw up a play but it works Geoff says great coaching on his part." 

They will not catch her. 

I suspect this is a broken play.  Shadana eludes the tacklers and
races around the left end for a good gain.

She is strong.  No way the leaping tackler is going to get her down.

I post more photos of Shadana soon.  And more stories about this remarkable athlete.