Terry and I went to Gator’s Dockside, (5142 Dr. Phillips Blvd. Orlando, FL), to watch the football Playoffs with the San Francisco 49ers playing the Atlanta Braves. Surprisingly the place wasn’t very crowded. As the game went on more people gradually filtered in. The guy at the table next to us watched the game alone and he argued with Terry about certain calls the referees made. Very late in the game, his wife and children joined him. Don’t ask me who won the game, I wasn’t facing the large flat screen TVs.
The guy at the table in front of us had an iPad still in its cardboard box. I guess he never takes it out to protect it from harm. He checked the iPad constantly throughout the game. Maybe there is a game statistics site that updates as the game is happening. His girlfriend was busy talking to friends on her phone. I did my best to avoid catching any one’s gaze as I sketched them. The second you catch someones gaze, they consider that an invitation to see what you are up to and your clandestine cover is blown.
I ordered a Tail Gate Burger and it was so big I couldn’t open my jaw wide enough to take a bite of it. I ended up eating half of it using a knife and fork. The waitress kept me well stocked with Mountain Dew. Whenever there was an uproar I would glance at the TV screen. There was a moment when a players knee gave out and his leg twisted with horrific torque. It was played back repeatedly in slow motion. It was horrible to watch, but obviously I did watch when I could have been sketching. Today is the Super Bowl. I don’t know who is playing but I’ll be there to sketch and watch the commercials.
I just came back from the supermarket where I found out that the Ravens are playing the 49ers based on all the helium balloons in the produce section. I’ll be rooting for the 49ers since I like their red and gold uniforms. As a kid I used to get a mini NFL helmet from a gumball machine every Sunday and I always liked the 49ers helmet logo. Mark my words, they can’t lose.