Every now and then, not often, I get asked if I miss playing football, pro football specifically. Jerseys From China . I do remember after the first year I retired I can honestly say no, not at all. I felt "burned out" in many ways and really did not have the desire to play because my body had worn out and my mind followed. About two years after that; yeah, I started to miss the feelings you get competing, playing and everything that goes with it. What you miss about football (or any intense occupation) is more what you feel, more than what you do. The intensity of the feeling, winning, can be addictive, but I also realize for every ying there is a yang and in sports the yang is losing. Collectively and individually. As I watched Toronto beat Edmonton this weekend, I thought about how I do miss playing and blocking and trying to protect a QB with the class of Ricky Ray. When you think of everything he went through, being traded when he did not deserve to be, having to learn a new complicated offence, endure a serious knee injury and then come back off that knee injury. And all the time while conducting himself with maturity and professional demeanor. Yeah, I miss working with someone like that in a combat setting with a player like Ray, class act. The respect generated back and forth is hard to find after you leave football. But then there is the opposite too. When I see a young man like Matt Nichols who on the simplest of plays gets his foot twisted in a way that is repulsive to the human eye, knowing how the next six months have to be dedicated to rehabilitation and what that takes, no, I dont miss football at all. Here is a young guy just trying to make things happen and now he cant walk for a while. He just picked up a new part time job that pays zero dollars called getting ready for next year. It takes time, effort, and complete dedication just for a chance to do it all again. No thanks; been there, done that, dont want to do it again. Then watching the West semi-final, and Drew Tate completing that touchdown pass to Romby Bryant to move on to the West final! Man I caught myself thinking how much would I like to be in that winning locker room and to be a part of that moment. I had a couple of mental flashbacks of great wins that I have been a part of and what they were like. The feeling of collective accomplishment and yes, that party afterwards. The married guys get the night off, the single guys may see the sunrise, and the realization that all you have to do is win one more game carries you into the next practice with rejuvenated energy which is completely different than regular energy. You miss football then... But of course, there is the other side. For the Riders, the season is over. And someone made a mistake, a big one. After Durant hit Carr for the touchdown I thought it was over, Riders win. But in one play, one moment of concentration loss, Riders lose. Being that guy I do not miss. It burns in you for a long time and may never leave. One of the "truest" statements about football is that losing hurts more than winning feels good. And, it is a collection of plays that shows why you lose and I do not miss being a part of that collection. The negative plays you experience often stick in your mind a lot longer than the 10-times more-positive ones do. In the end, it still is just a game, right? A game that has a unique combination of strategy and physical action. Where intense emotion plays a big part yet self-control is a critical priority. Where you either win or you lose. Thats it. Sometimes I miss it, pro football. Sometimes, I dont. Wholesale MLB Jerseys .C. -- The Bobcats announced starting guard Gerald Henderson could miss approximately 2-4 weeks with a sprained left foot. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . -- Derek Jeter had a miserable off-season he would rather forget. http://www.wholesalenflsportsjerseys.com/ . -- Another starter for the Golden State Warriors is heading to the operating table. Jerseys Paypal From China . In the meantime, theyre content to rely on their suddenly staunch defence. George Hill scored the first four points of the second overtime Saturday night and his teammates took care of the rest, allowing only three baskets over the final 10:45 to lead the Pacers past Sacramento 106-98 in double overtime. Wholesale Jerseys Paypal . After wriggling out of a ninth-inning jam Friday night with his arm, it was a lot easier for Francisco to laugh at a bit of headline-grabbing trouble he made with his mouth earlier in the week.WINNIPEG -- The key to success this season for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers is simple: Keep quarterback Buck Pierce healthy. And thats something both the Bombers and their oft-injured quarterback say theyll do whatever they can to make a reality. And that includes avoiding plays that could increase Pierces risk of injury while providing him with more protection. "Im one of those guys thats always, Yeah, call whatever, " Pierce said Tuesday, a day after being named Winnipegs starter again heading into training camp. "Ill run the play that you call and if you want me to run for a first down Ill run for a first down and Ill still be that player. "But I think now theyre going to put some other things in place to really help me on the perimeter and in the pocket." In other words, when Pierce is on the field the Bombers have made it clear the quarterback draw is likely one play that wont be called. Pierce also has a lot more confidence in his offensive line, which took more than a few games to gel last season. "I have tons of confidence in those guys," Pierce said. "You look at the first half of the season (compared) to the last half -- the way we were running the football, the way they were firing off the ball, the way they were communicating with each other." Last season, Winnipeg looked to return to the Grey Cup after losing to B.C. in the 2011 CFL title game. But after a weak start on the road because their new stadium wasnt ready, Pierce missed 11 games -- with a foot injury, concussion and finally a shoulder problem -- and the Bombers miissed the playoffs. MLB Jerseys China. . Pierce knows fans were disappointed but he says no one was more upset than he was that he let the organization down by not being able to play. He cant say anything to change that. "I have to go out there and prove it . . . I feel the pressure," he said. "I know theyre concerned. "They want me behind centre but they want me behind centre week in and week out." While Pierce said he still has to earn the starting job in camp, it doesnt look like the Bombers have given themselves a lot of other options. Coach Tim Burke has said he surveyed coaches and players and all agree Pierce gives them their best chance to win, if he stays healthy. The only backup the Bombers retained from last season, Justin Goltz, had the least experience of the three that were there last year. But both Alex Brink and Joey Elliott have been released. Max Hall and Chase Clement, two new prospects signed this week, have some NFL or United Football League experience but neither has ever played in the CFL. Pierce says he doesnt know much about either and although Pierce has spent nine years in the CFL, hes sure they dont know much about him. The good news for the Bombers, though, is Investors Group Field finally looks ready for football. Pierce met with reporters Tuesday at the Bomber Store inside the new 33,422-seat stadium, where the Bombers will play their first home exhibition game June 27 against the Montreal Alouettes. The club was scheduled to move into the facility last year but construction delays prevented that from happening. ' ' '