Exploration 9- Hunter Burnett

Exploration 9

Part One:

Dear Mark Lippencott,

            "I still remember stepping onto the field for the first time. We had prepared all week; nerves were through the roof, and friends and family sat anxiously throughout the stands. I will never forget that day, but it is just one of many memories I have on that field. On the other hand, a day I still wish never occurred, I also remember the last snap I ever took on that field. But I did not write this letter to brag about the games won or even to whine about what could have been. I am writing this letter to point out to other people what you, I, and only a select few others know. When the crowd shows up to the packed home football games, it isn’t something that is thought about or even at that point cared about, but for you and the team, it’s everything. Just imagine it, the team comes running out after all their preparation and boom! There are no lines, no hash marks, no numbers, and not even an end zone. That Mr. Lippencott, is why I wrote this letter. I want to give you and the rest of the “field painters” the proper recognition deserved. I've first hand witnessed the outrageous amount of work it takes just to prepare the field for Friday night lights.

I've seen everything from the mixing of gallons and gallons of paint on Wednesday to the fixing of the paint machines themselves Thursday just before the task at hand. I've also seen the hand rolling of the red paint onto the “big F” and the end zones that say “Panthers”. Not to mention, the painting of each individual hash mark and every line from end zone to end zone. I don’t know if you've ever thought about it, but including the sidelines, there is over 1,400 yards of line to be painted. That number doesn't include the 240 hash marks, the two end zones that spell out Panthers, and the “big F” in the middle of the field. Most people wouldn't guess, but as you know the end zones and the “big F” are indeed painted with hand rollers."

The two paragraphs above are from a letter I wrote to our school board president and the man behind the scenes who paints the football field before every Friday night in the fall. 

Part 2:

For my topic I chose an ESPN 30 for 30 short called Robbed. It is about Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton, and the riots that happened during the fight. The fight is said to have ended in the most notorious decision in boxing history. You can also watch this on the ESPN 30 for 30 shorts website if the link doesn't work. 

The link is below. 

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11935642