[Reginald Rutledge]

The Dallas-Fort Worth Miniature Football League is a very much a common league in that you've got guys from all walks of life, professions, ethnic origins, and beliefs. On the surface, it seems like most leagues across the country and to that point, it is. But the DFW uniqueness centers around its ability to not take ourselves so serious.

Yes, there is no doubt when the games kick-off, the coaches are intensely focused on winning. Some coaches handle it differently from other coaches. We've got such great characters in the league that the ethusiasm is like osmosis. It has a way of rubbing off on you.

If you ever get a chance to listen to one of our broadcast, please do so because you will sense right away, "those guys are having too much fun".

When the guest coach came in last week to be a part of the weekend activities, right away you know there must be some interest in what we do. Who in their right mind would make a $300 airplane journey just to watch a league that you have no affiliation with?

But the minute some of these coaches got off the plane, we could sense "they had the right stuff". Case in point, Joel Pritchard, from South Carolina gets off the plane and I immediately hand him my cellphone. Joel has no idea who this is on the other end but immediately begins to crack up! The "fool" on the other end is broadcasting the greatness of RaiderNation. I handed Joel the phone because I got tired of the shenanigans! Ten minutes later after handing the phone to Joel, this Cuban "hitman" was still going on about his team. If anyone else wanted to get a word in edgewise, you would either have to hang up and dial again or wait another 10 minutes. I told Joel that the person he was listening to was "The Don". I told him that he would meet him later that day. If Joel could get through that ordeal, he had passed the first test.

Another jokester in the league is Don Hudson. If you don't know Hud, you would think he is so cocky and brash that he has no feelings for people. Us that know Hudson for years know just the opposite. One of the greatest coaches in the DFW history, Don likes to pull antics and "get the party started" or in our case, "the Peanut Gallery" started. He has great charisma and guys play off what he says. Hudson made a wisecrack racial remark to Joel in jest. For a split second, everybody went silent. Joel came back at him full force saying it may be worse in Texas. That brought down the house! Guys were just rolling laughing at the barbs and exchange between Joel and Hud. You had to be here to understand it. Right then and there, I think many of us knew, this guy was a fit.

Everybody is not a fit in your league. There are many ways to find it out. Fortunately for us, we use the Peanut Gallery to see what guys are all about. Joel was just a natural when he came here.

Then there was Michigan Joe. Everybody here loves Joe and what he brings to the league. He gets off the airplane showing his creations. This guy makes a one day stop through Texas just to be a part of the weekend. Joe loves this style of play and we are trying to help him establish it in the Midwest part of the country. However, he is also one of the new "Road Warrirors" in the DFW. Joe is one of those who is no nonsense pretty honest guy. He balances off some of the rift-raft in the league like myself.

These are just guys you know based on "the little things" that these guys would be great additions to your league. We welcome them with open arms into the DFW Miniature Football League. Catch their games on Internet TV this fall.

Reg