Last weekend marked the 11th TFS seminar in Nashville. And after some extensive memory research I figure it was somewhere around the 38th seminar since the inception of TFS. So, if my math is correct then this year’s Atlantic City seminar will be the 40th.

That’s remarkable to me. Especially since I’ve been to every one of them! I knew Tony and I had some miles on us, but had never sat back and really considered just how many times we had set up conference rooms, passed out playbooks and checked into and out of the many hotels we have used. But, once that number finally sank into my brain, I started to reminisce and lots of vivid memories flooded my head.

My first ever trip to California was for a seminar. I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit several cities there and have enjoyed them all! The casinos in Atlantic City are always a lot of fun. Hard 8 BBQ in Dallas is my favorite! An underground bar in Chicago was…interesting! A room on the beach in Destin…after finally getting there after an overnight delay in Memphis! Plus many, many more wonderful experiences and people I’ve met along the way.
I’ll share a couple stories from the early days of TFS on the road. I had been to couple of Tony’s seminars in Nashville and had spent time with him watching film and when he would come and work with our players for camp, but I had never been on any trips with him until he asked me to “run” down to Alabama for a couple days to look at some new computer software, then later on to accompany him to Chicago to do another seminar.

We headed south to Alabama to get the latest, greatest technology for presenting video and play diagrams on the same screen and also have the ability to toggle between the two. I had to use a “sick” day to make the long weekend trek south, my first road trip with Tony. Also, my first encounter with Alabama sports talk radio! We sat through the demonstration and sales pitch, Tony seemed to be engrossed, but I later realized that was why I was there- I was supposed to understand the technical side of it. He just knew he wanted it. So, we got it and hit the road back to Lexington to get started on producing the next Nashville seminar….That resulted in two weeks of sleeplessness (more “sick” days) putting together the original PowerPoint playbook that was embedded into the film along with cutting film from Tony’s massive catalog of VHS tapes and converting that to digital video then editing it again before converting it to what was essentially a webpage! Those were some long days and nights of short breaks for meals and the occasional shower and change of clothes! It was a long, painstaking process that produced the first presentation of its kind and set the tone for TFS not only being on the cutting edge of football but also technology. Even though some of the video was grainy from tapes that had been recorded over time and time again, the significance of each cutup was crystal clear. We had created a very useful tool to communicate with coaches and players alike; mixing high school, college and even arena team film to convey this one single message: This stuff works at every level! That seminar was a huge hit and the fact that everyone there was going to have access to this same technology was a major bonus. Like technology, TFS changes constantly, but the results remain the same- that’s why coaches like me have been invested for more than ten years!

A few months later we took another trip to Chicago to branch out and spread the word to a new and different crowd. We rented a minivan and some PA equipment. We loaded up boxes of playbooks and a projector screen along with our trusty desktop computer tower and bulky monitor. At that time Tony was doing a weekly local sports radio show- so typical Tony- he just did the show as he drove along the busy highways north and would occasionally pull to the shoulder if the reception would begin to fade. The early 2000s cell phone coverage was not what it is today!

Eventually, we arrived in Chicago and checked into the hotel where we would set up for the seminar. After dinner, I was asked about the equipment: “How is everything?”, “Have you checked to make sure everything will work tomorrow?”. My usual answer was: “No Problem!” And that’s the answer I gave this time around….but just to make sure I pulled out the monitor and uncoiled its power cord. Found a power source and hooked it up, then began to connect the tower to electricity and the monitor, finally hooking up the mouse and keyboard. Just to prove everything would be just fine, I pushed the “power” buttons on both the tower and the monitor and sat back, arms crossed confident we would have no glitches. For whatever reason, the stupid thing decided it wasn’t going to boot up regardless what I tried. Strike 1 for me! I will admit Tony thinks I’m a computer whiz- but truth be told, I know just enough to get myself into trouble! I tried everything I could think of. Hey, this was before Siri- so I couldn’t just ask my phone what to do, and if Google was around I was unaware, so I had nowhere to turn at midnight on the eve of the 1st ever TFS seminar in Chicago! Total failure! 7 hour trip for nothing and I’m facing certain death if I can’t find a way to get this fixed. It was too late to find outside help that night, so needless to say I slept with one eye open for fear that I may wake up with the fishes in Lake Michigan.

Daylight can’t come fast enough. After a very nervous breakfast we set out in hopes we could find someone who can get us up and running in the next few hours before we are scheduled to start. After some time we happen into one of the bigger chain electronics stores and find the computer desk. I lug the tower up to the counter and begin to explain the issues we are having. Our technician methodically looks it over and concludes it can’t be fixed in store right away! Strike 2 on my first TFS Chicago road trip! At this point, I’m trying to figure out if I have enough money for a bus ticket back to KY because I know I’ll be deserted right here in the store and I’ll see my suitcase and clothes strewn about along the highway as I watch helplessly out the Greyhound window! Somehow during that train of thought, I ask the question (at least I think it was me, could have been anyone): “Can you transfer the data, programs etc from this hard drive onto a new machine right now?”. Holding our breath, we get a “Sure, go pick out what you want and I can do it right now.” Music to our ears…except, neither of us have the money on us right then to purchase a $1,200 computer. After some digging, Tony saves the day by finding a credit card that he could use and we purchased the new computer. Everything goes smoothly and we are back in business.

On the way back to the hotel to set up, I did get what I’ll call a “stern admonishment” for not having taken care of the issue prior to our departure and for not having a backup plan! Fortunately, the seminar went off without any hiccups, except for a minor flaw with the new video card that we able to work around. When we finished, Tony asked if that video issue could be fixed and I said, “No, but it was ok to work around it”. He said, “Box it up, we’re taking it back right now”. That was how we “rented” a computer to get through a seminar and the last time there was no backup plan! There are at least 2 and many times 3 or more ways to get through a seminar even if we had a total computer meltdown. Just like gameplanning, right? Prepare for every situation.

More remarkable to me than anything, is the fact that I’ve been to nearly 40 TFS seminars and I’ve learned something new at each and every one of them. Every one of them was “uniquely different” as Tony might say. But the true testament is that of the coaches that continue to attend year after year. We all love getting the latest greatest plays, tags, tweaks, etc that will give us an edge for the upcoming season, but I think it’s become more than that for many of us.

I think the fact that Tony Franklin truly enjoys what he does at these seminars and spending time with high school football coaches is what makes his business successful. Regardless where he’s been, or even not been, (he has performed several seminars while being unemployed), you always get the sense he’s still one of us- a high school coach doing it for the love of the players and the game, not for the money. Whether he’s been at a high profile school or at smaller market division 1a universities, he stays true to his roots and beliefs. After all why else would a guy who just created the number 1 offense in the country want to share all his secrets with us? That’s just what TFS is- open, honest, serious football for a nationwide brotherhood of coaches. I’ve always enjoyed the camaraderie and loyalty associated with TFS and believe it’s just as strong as ever and am looking forward to 40 more TFS seminars. If for no other reasons but to see my old friends and find out what Tony has been cooking up.

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