This Is What Happened At Last Years Seawall Brawl Awards Show

[mantaraydre]

Coaches,

I can't explain the magnitude of the seawall brawl awards dinner. I wrote this last summer for the tweek but wolf and silverhorse had too many articlles to fit this in. I think i gave this to wolf last august or september


here you go


mantaraydre

[Coach K-LO]

mantaray-Dre,

too bad you did not post this up last year. Great stuff that we could have been rejoicing over after the SWB II.

Don't be holding back ......

Dre,

Nice job retelling your story... WOW!!! Seems like it was only yesterday. Please allow me to add a few things.

Our award ceremony tries to honor people who are making their mark in this hobby. We have different categories, and the winners don't have to be present. This is the MFU's way of letting coaches know that their achievements haven't gone unnoticed. We try to pay attention to what's going on in the hobby, but admittedly (as I've stated before) we don't know everything. It's a blessing when coaches call or email to give us a heads up about different happenings in the community.

Now as far as The Lifetime Achievement Award (LAA) is concerned... That particular award was in effect since the first Seawall Brawl. However Jimbo and I really didn't know what to call it. I want to publicly acknowledge that you were the one who came up with the name for it, and I want to thank you for that. The LAA is different because it allows us (The Community at large) to say thank you to it's recipient for all of their contributions to this hobby, and to publicly honor them.

Potential nominees have to decide for themselves whether or not they want to be honored by their peers. If for some reason they can't be here we totally understand. However they have got to understand that this award allows us to pay tribute to that individual... if they're not here or don't want to be apart of it, we move on to the next person on the list. Reggie's case was different because some of us personally know his wife Rose, so we didn't have to speak to Reg about it. After speaking with Rose... SHE decided that Reggie needed and deserved to be here, so that we all could have the chance to thank him personally. Reg was stunned and honored by this tribute. After the dvd was played on the big screen, while we were all chanting his name, I remember hearing Jim Davis yell out: "We Love You Reg!!!"

Nobody could have said it any better.

Dre... thanks for bringing back the memories.

Peace,

Don Smith

[Reginald Rutledge]

as I have ever had.

In the past few months, some things have been said and sometimes misquoted and mis-placed. I never knew you you wrote such nice words about me and my wife, Rose.

I remember it like yesterday as Don called my wife and I was walking in the house from trying to educate myself. I think I had told her that I would be attending no more tournaments or shows from that point on. I was more than at peace with going back into my own world of miniature football.

And yes, I did think many had TRIED to throw me "under the bus", hoping that I would go away. I can not say that I still do not think that but that's for a different day. But when Rose asked me to come because of Don's and her conversation, I was still quite hesitant. But I think you may have called as well and I think Don and I spoke as well. And I thanked both of you for being instrumental in me coming.

I only learned a little later of the award and that you were responsible for making that happen with Don's and Jimbo blessing. I will always be grateful for that as Jimbo and I shared a good moment as he handed the trophy/globe to me. And for once, I really felt the appreciation for the things that I have done in this hobby. Things so widespread that I can not even list them. I just do them. I appreciated that someone acknowledged that I was a brand name called "Footballfigures.com" not "Reggie figures". I appreciated the fact that you saw my wife for being an instrumental part in my miniature football pursuits. No man walking this earth ever has had it this lucky. Those that know my wife know that when it comes to 100% support, this woman gives 200% support! She definitely is the reason I have remained in the game. Some know her as a well-versed sportsaholic. She knows who starts for what team and can run down strategy of why certain teams lost. I guess I got the best of all worlds. And I thank you for speaking of her depth as a lady and human being. She really cares about people. She cares about our customers and she is very much intimately involved with many of their lives.

So, I can not be nothing but humbled by your words and hope that words like those bridge any trouble waters that have been passing us by. Thanks alot for the kind words.

Also, on another note. I promised you Adrian Peterson last week and when I went to mail him, I lost him. That AP was a stand-up runner. This one that I've made is more like the AP that Barry Stephenson had when y'all saw him in New York. I just need to put the number on him and the Viking wings and he will be on his way.

Again, thanks for the kind words and I will definitely show this to my better half, Rose.

Regards,

Reg

[mantaraydre]

Coaches,


The reason why i kept this quiet because i was waiting for it to be ran in the tweek. Issues of the mag kept going by and it still was not ran. In the last issue of the tweek i saw someone did a story on reg and not mine. (???)
I told reg long ago i did a story on this but i could not give details becuase of the magazine. Well, now that we are a week away from the next brawl, i felt i should run this story before the next ceremony and i don't think they are putting it in the tweek. All of the stories i wrote for the tweek i feel this was the best one and i desperately wanted this in the magazine. your going to have to ask the editors why they never printed it.

IM JUST SORRY REG COULD NOT READ THIS IN THE TWEEK, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT WRITE UP TO AN HISTORIC MIND BOGGLING EVENT/WEEKEND.

FOR THOSE WHO NEVER MET THE GREAT ROSE RUTLEDGE, YOU WILL SEE WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


MANTARAYDRE