I spun around to share my joy at having a Washington Redskin “in the gym” and quickly realized there wasn’t another soul around who would have any idea who he is. That realization led directly to some obvious questions.
1. How does a poster of Chris Cooley in a Reebok football shirt end up in a gym in Bangalore India?
2. And, if people have no idea who he is, who exactly do they think is in the giant poster?
On a side note, and much to my chagrin, no one in India knows the first thing about American football. It’s been such a desert of football talk for me that one evening I ran into a Nigerian guy wearing a Roy Williams Cowboys jersey (31 – the former safety) and I gave him a hug. Appalling, I know.
But back to the questions. My gym, Fitness First, is a British-based outfit that apparently has some kind of partnership with British-based Reebok. My guess is that a Fitness First marketing exec saw the poster of Cooley, thought he was in fact a burley soccer player wearing a European football shirt, and figured he might as well become a wall decoration in India.
Perhaps of more interest is who exactly Indians think is in the poster. I asked my trainer, Vivin, if he had any idea and with a shrug, gave me an earnest, “no.” He thought it was just some fitness model.
Now, Chris Cooley is without a doubt one of my favorite athletes, but I think even he would laugh a little bit at being called a model. Just look at the poster. In classic Cooley form, he looks half asleep and a little goofy. But the bottom line is this, Chris Cooley can add Indian fitness model to his impressive list of accomplishments – probably right behind pro bowl tight end. (Below, Vivin and Captain Chaos)
Awesome.
ReplyDeleteFitness model! Hahaha! A fitness model with a dopey grin on his face. That's great.
ReplyDelete