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JediKooter
04-06-2011, 12:39 PM
Sorry, I started typing this in the Random Thoughts thread, but, it started getting a bit wordy, so I started this thread instead. Any thoughts and input are welcome.

So, I almost had to strangle my nephew last night. He doesn't have a dad (his dad was murdered when my nephew was pretty young) and he usually comes to me for advice. He tells me that he is in love with his girlfriend, but, he's having mixed feelings about moving up to northern California. The reason he is moving up north is because he wants to start a wrestling career. Ok fine, he's young, has no kids, so I see nothing wrong with him trying that.

He then tells me he signed a contract with the Oakland Raiders (alarm bells go off in my head). So I try to pry more information out of him and he seemed very reluctant to give me more details. Then he says they've been calling him, but, he hasn't called them back. I finally get the details from him...it's not a contract that he signed, but, more like an offer to try out with no guarantee of making the club. He got it 3 days before the lockout started.

He's hell bent on the wrestling career and says he isn't waiting for the Raiders or the football season and will start his 'wrestling career' in November. I didn't have the heart to tell him that it's more like the Raiders aren't going to wait for him and his wrestling career. After some back and forth about his career and what he wants to do and his girlfriend, I just told him point blank that the correct thing to do would be to pursue any chances that he has of making it onto a NFL team and if that doesn't work out, then pursue the wrestling career and to definitely NOT throw all that away for a girlfriend.

The next problem is his immediate family, his mom and siblings. They are telling him that he needs to stay there by them and to not break up the family. These are people that can not figure out why they just can't seem to catch a break when they do nothing to put themselves into a position to catch any breaks at all. In a nut shell, they are lazy. It's very frustrating to say the least.

My nephew is in his early 20s and very impressionable and very undisciplined and between his girlfriend giving him a hard time and his family giving him a hard time, this has been very stressful for him. All I want him to do is succeed in whatever he does and to be happy. I told him I will do my best to help him find a place up here and help in anyway I can to help him find a job as well. I think I had him set straight before going to bed last night, I'm just worried his girlfriend or family will continue to sow the seeds of doubt in his head.

Anyone ever have to deal with something like this? Not everything I mentioned, but, mostly about his girlfriend and his family holding him back.

gstelmack
04-06-2011, 12:44 PM
Doesn't sound like he is the one you should want to strangle...

JediKooter
04-06-2011, 12:46 PM
Haha! It was him not being very forthcoming with all the info that made me want to strangle him, coupled with at first, it sounded like he was going to give everything up for his girlfriend.

Honolulu_Blue
04-06-2011, 12:48 PM
If he's getting offers to try out for the Oakland Raiders and is looking into a wrestling career, it also doesn't sound like you could strangle him even if you wanted to...

He could probably take both us, with one hand tied behind his back.

On a more serious note, if you think the girlfriend and family are the problem, I would do whatever you can to get him away from them. Whether it's going to try out for the Raiders or going to wrestling school or what not, it sounds like distance is what he needs. It's easy to get pulled into family inertia and very hard to break free, since they are family and all. It wont be easy for him to do or for you to try and convince him, but it sounds like that's his best option.

JediKooter
04-06-2011, 12:52 PM
If he's getting offers to try out for the Oakland Raiders and is looking into a wrestling career, it also doesn't sound like you could strangle him even if you wanted to...

He could probably take both us, with one hand tied behind his back.

On a more serious note, if you think the girlfriend and family are the problem, I would do whatever you can to get him away from them. Whether it's going to try out for the Raiders or going to wrestling school or what not, it sounds like distance is what he needs. It's easy to get pulled into family inertia and very hard to break free, since they are family and all. It wont be easy for him to do or for you to try and convince him, but it sounds like that's his best option.

Yes he could. He was something like 6' 2" when he was 14. Big boy to say the least and it's for defensive tackle they are interested in him for.

I agree. I think the best thing for him would to be to come up here sooner rather than later and the quicker he can get away from everyone down there, the sooner he can put the girlfriend behind him and get used to being away from his family.

stevew
04-06-2011, 02:09 PM
Before i can make a decision, i need to know how he look in preseason.

JediKooter
04-06-2011, 02:42 PM
Before i can make a decision, i need to know how he look in preseason.

Haha! I think he's looking much better than the Raiders preseason at the moment.

CU Tiger
04-06-2011, 03:58 PM
I think he needs to get away from the family and grow up for sure.
Whether or not he needs to tryout for football is totally up to him...if he doesn't love it he will suck and possibly get hurt in the process. If his heart is in wrestling and not football then throw your life at that.

BUT neither aspiring pro wrestler or aspiring pro footballer are very good young family options...there is a much higher ratio of success for single folks with the reduced stress and drama.

Lathum
04-06-2011, 04:28 PM
My opinion of it is you should give him all the advice you want, but he is in his early 20s and is going to have to carve out his own path in life. That includes all the mistakes and the consequences that come with them. I understand you want to protect him and see him succeed in life, but at some point he is going to make his own choices.

JediKooter
04-06-2011, 04:59 PM
I think he needs to get away from the family and grow up for sure.
Whether or not he needs to tryout for football is totally up to him...if he doesn't love it he will suck and possibly get hurt in the process. If his heart is in wrestling and not football then throw your life at that.

BUT neither aspiring pro wrestler or aspiring pro footballer are very good young family options...there is a much higher ratio of success for single folks with the reduced stress and drama.

I agree, he needs to get away from his family. He says he wants to play football, but, he also would love to wrestle. I told him if he chooses wrestling, we have to come up with a kick ass name for him.

He isn't married and he has no kids, so I think that should help out a lot.


My opinion of it is you should give him all the advice you want, but he is in his early 20s and is going to have to carve out his own path in life. That includes all the mistakes and the consequences that come with them. I understand you want to protect him and see him succeed in life, but at some point he is going to make his own choices.

Definitely agree with that. I'll let him make his mistakes so he can learn from them, I just feel there's some prodding that he'll need to keep him focused on whatever it is he decides to do.

CU Tiger
04-07-2011, 11:09 AM
This is the last selling point I will add.
"If you try football and dont like it (read fail to make the cut) there is plenty of opportunity for a 28 year old pro wrestler. If you try wrstling and dont like it (read fail) there is no opportunity for a 28 year old NFL rookie (not named Chris Weinke)