Emma took the man's hand and nodded. "See you on the field," she said in a friendly-enough tone. The guy had at least owned up to messing up by not intervening, but the Titans, as a club, weren't out of her doghouse yet.

She continued her workout once the man left. "I'm sure the front office is ripping them a new one right now, and hopefully the league. But if I get the chance to hit any of the offenders, I'll make sure to deliver a message for what they did to everyone here," Emma said to Victoria.

 Vickie  nodded  as she she stood  by the bench,..one of  our guys said  its the league's fault, there are guys like that...told how good they were in college.. told how great they would be  before and after the draft... and..maybe  4 or 5 guys  pan out.

 ..its  gonna be  some gae tomorrow.. and?.. at 8:00 tomorrow  night.. we play  a torny..me  and Linda  palced  4th in the seeding.. top 12  0ut  of 50 made it... they pay out  to the  top 6?.. .. Yuto  gave us the entry fee with no stings  except  our  sports Bras  say " wishing " and our Back sides  say "well"..gonna be  some scouts there too.

"League, society, take your pick. A lot of the high picks never get told anything bad about themselves. They just keep getting praised no matter what, so they get this unhealthy ego going and think rules don't apply to them." Emma continued her workout, cycling between legs and shoulders with little rest now that she wasn't trying to deliberately intimidate certain members of the Titans. "I mean, hell, take the Titans' safety. He could be a much better player if he dropped the ego and started putting work to improve instead of relying on his raw talent. But somewhere he got that bloated ego and he ended up the way he is."

Emma nodded about the tournament. "Congrats! Local tournament, or you have to travel far for it?" she asked.

 Vickie  smiled,yeah its  right  down on the  Jacksonville Beach.. they were gign to use Neptune beach, but it got  messed up from 2 days of playing, so the  last leg of it  is at Jacksonville Beach... we'll be playign  late..maybe until 2-3 in the morning..but the   officials didn';t want to have in runnign while the 1:00 and 4:99 games  were on...

 ..I asked  some of the dragonettes  to come  and  shout from the crowd...always helps  when  there are people cherring   for you, or against the others.

Emma nodded. "Geez, hope you can get some sleep in beforehand and actually be rested. That's a late start time for the final matches," Emma said as she continued her workout. "Might see if I can slip down after the games are done. I'm surprised they're at least not willing to go against the later NFL games though." Usually the local team was considered in schedule-making, not the NFL in general, in her experience.

  Vickie    shrugs,.. alotof the 4:00 gaes  are National.. and  with this   being   haf-way.. peopel are starting to  setp up scenarios that could be  the end , or the hopes of their  Playoff  run. 

 ..i gues sthey figur e guys   caan't be torn away from thier TVs...?

"Eh, maybe." Emma shrugged a little bit at that. She was finishing up her workout by now and racked the weights.

"I should probably get moving though. Got a bit of stuff to do before the game. Good luck tomorrow!"

  She Smiled,..You too.. we're  gonna  watch the game  at  home, before headeding to the beach to   warm up  and see how cold it is  by gae time, ,might have to use  Compression   pants instead  of bathing suits...

Emma laughed. "I'm from Detroit. I know cold is a relative term, but I've not been here that long. The idea that anyone can be cold here is still a bit baffling to me."

With that, Emma left to change and head home.

  Vickie  smiled,wait until December  and Januray?.. we even get snow somethings... the frost is  thick you have to scrap it some times... the  valleys  look like a  war  zone from orchards   burning smudge pots  to keep the frost away.

 ..But you can tell  the nriothern Guys... Bronk showed  up  first week of April and had a hoodie on... most of us had  heavy coats.

Emma laughed. "That's what we call a light dusting, I suspect. Anyway, see you later."

Emma returned to the locker room, changed, and went on home.

Monday Morning

Ben arrived around 8am to go for a swim. He wasn't sure how he would spend the rest of the day, but a swim would get any remaining kinks out.

  When Ben Arrived   he was Mobbed  by  Reporters  with recorders  and  Mics, with  people flashing   Pictutes and   Asking  him about his thoughts on teh Punishments handed  down to the Titans  Players.

"Sorry," said Ben.

"I really cannot comment. But people need to take responsibility for their actions. Not to mention be a bit nicer to each other. Disrespecting women and pushing children over are not acceptable things to do, no?"

 The   reporters  were  backed off   by the Security  folks  so Ben Could get to  the lockers.

   Bing and a few others   Came in to get checked up.. they  just waved off the reporters.

Ben waved tothe reporters. The poor fellows had their job to do, after all.

"It's my day off," he explained. "I only came here for a swim!"

He went into the locker room, changed into his trunks and went off to enjoy the water.

  Ben finished  his   swim, he  saw people watching the press conference that would   tell the fate of the Titans players.

  reporters were prowling the   Upper  areas  of the Building, but there would  only be a few players  around  and they would be seeing the  Doctors  and trainers .

 The  coaches were  in the building, all  getting  films  ready and  working on the  GAme plan

Ben showered and dressed, then got himself some coffee. He was at a bit of a loose end. The youngsters from Mike's Gym would all be at school. He checked on arrangements for the tournament next Saturday, including trophies and medals, not to mention the football pants he'd promised for the teams.

Lu-Ti no doubt was busy here until she had to fly off.

By the time he'd finished the coffee, he decided to go home. He could clear down his fan mail, and practise Japanese.He had a lesson later, too.

 Adam showed up.. his  Nose  and checks   a bit  blueish, and  underhis  eyes  looked   like he had    'eye black' on

  The reporters  Moved to  him, one of the women  saif,..My Gosh  , Bronk !  You look like hell!

  People  ;laughed  at this,   and Adam Just  said,..you know the  old saying ..' you should see the other guy.."

 ..Hey!, Adam   what is your take on the Press conferance  today..and the  League's handling of the players?

 ..my Take?... They shouldn't play another  down  of NFL   football. Until the league  steps on scum like this, we'll always have it... we have to show the kids  coming out of  school, that you can't get away  with stuff, because you have a  pocket full of  100 dollar bills...

 Adam?... Bennis  was  ...written a statement   saying you  gave him a cheap shot, and  y should be suspended.... what do you say to that?

 Adam Laughed well?  See there  Suzie?  I'm  shocked that that..  yo have guys  like Wilson and Bennis?... they know cheap shots inside out.. its the only reason why they...WERE...playing.... I just was  able  to show  them,  but a good sloid   ..LEAGAL..shot  can do...

 ..well?.. you paid a price  for it to..right?

 Pointing to his face,..This?... This  is nothing. Guys get thier nose broken all the time... I'll be playing Sunday... i haven't got  fined....now?.. I gotta  go see the docs, before they  decide they have to wrap  my head up, like the invisbale man...

Ben, who was just walking out, laughed at this.

    Adam  entered the  Doctor's area, it was separate  from the trainers  area, and  had  an x-ray machine and a few other items of need..

   They  set up Adam with an x-ray from both sides.. he  he  waited in the outter  room  while  Wheeler  got his left hand  set up  with a split on his  ring  finger, and  taped it  to his  middle  finger ,, he   was goign to  be allowed to practice, But   Tip drills  and the  like  would not be permitted  until they looked at him  Thursday.

 They called   Adam Back in  and  the Doctor shook his head,... I'd  Say you  have  a Block of   cement for a head, By Tracy  assures  me there is nothing inside...
 they Both smiled , Adam  frowned.

 ..Anyway?.. Its  Broke, for sure... tracy  set it  solid  enough that  it began to    'take hold' over  night..  I set up  pain killers?... Take  one   with Lunch...one before bed...... No full contact, until we  see your thursday..but you can hit   sleds..it  won't feel good... Running    and the rest of it  will hurt when you bend your head  down ..contact with the ground  won't be  fun..but the pain should start fading away by wedensday?..and  we're going  to set you up with   a clear  nose guard  like those  Basket ball players  wear?... try to get yur through the game  with out  people doing anymore damage..

 ..great?..I'll looks  like one of those broken down Disney puppets. with the fur  coming off.

 ..here's your script.... go to Amota Med?  we don't keep  stuff this strong here..

  Adam  Pulled his  shirt on , took the paper  and left...stopping by the Film room for his  'package'..

……………………………………….

Stopping in the  Dragon's , Adam got  a coffee  and  a pair of cheese Danish.. as he   oepned up his laptop to  look at the   new  Disc.

Monday Morning, Early o'clock

It was rather early in the morning, but Emma was back at the complex like she was every day after a game. Yeah, she'd had a late night, but that didn't change that she had her workout routine to do. She was young and could absorb a late night or two, as long as she wasn't out ridiculously late tonight too. Besides, the way she saw it, if she was going to be the best, it meant she didn't skip a workout unless she physically couldn't do the work.

The front half of the week was when she went heaviest on the weights (except when there was a Thursday game), and Monday was chest and triceps day. So, she found herself in the weight room, warming up on the bench press. This wasn't Victoria's shift; Emma would probably see her when Emma arrived for her afternoon workout.

She'd brought a number of things that she needed for getting her truck later in the day. A jersey for the photo op and maybe the commercial, a few outfits, things like that. She just didn't know what they wanted to do, so she figured she'd be prepared. Most of that was locked safely in her truck right now.

Emma did wonder if she'd start seeing some of the other players start to show up for in-season lifting. A lot of guys didn't do it, at least on the skill positions, but she wondered if she'd start seeing more people over the course of the season. Players copied players who did well, and she made no secret of how she trained. Still, she didn't think many would be here this early. Maybe a couple of linemen, and maybe a couple of the younger guys who the vets pressured to be here or guys on the practice squad.

Emma finished her workout, got cleaned up, and made her way off to the dealership to pick up her truck.

Emma returned, late in the afternoon, for her afternoon real workout, when Victoria would presumably be in. She got changed and arrived. "Afternoon there. Nice match last night," the woman said as she started setting up her warm-up weight for squats. "Your meeting go well afterward?" she asked.

 Linda  was  sitting on a  workpout Bench..she had a  bottle of water in her hand.

  Vickie  was   leaning  against the wall.. she smiles   oddly at   Emma,..seems  we have   a bit  choice to make..Yuto offer  Linda  a job here, helping  with the trainers  and   in the spa, since one of the  grils left after all the  noise from  last week?..its  about   13000 more  a year that  Linda makes in  Jersey..but..her  family is up there..... Ms  Wilson, also offered  to get us  'at large' invited  to her league  torneys..  this time of year , they are  all down south.. a few of them in Cali...anyway.... if Linda   stays  here, she'll have a  Job and  we  can  go to the torneys..if she goes up north.. we might only make... a few of them..Young Mr  Mota  said he could help with  travel down here..because  of thier own airport.... he couldn't   do the  same   from  Jersey.. he was fair and upfront anout it.. so?  it come s down to Linda making a big  chocie/...not  so big for me?.. I'm here  already.