My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

So tonight was one of the biggest thrills I've had as a football fan. The restaurant group that I work for here in DC (4 fine dining restaurants, I'm the beverage director) hosted Dick Vermeil and the reps from his Napa Valley winery at one of our locations. Todd Collins is a partner in his business, and he was there as well.

I sat down in our private climate controlled wine room with Todd and Coach Vermeil, just the three of us, and talked football and wine for the better part of an hour. It was awesome. Coach let me hold and try on his Super Bowl ring. He had great stories about Kurt Warner, Al Saunders, Carl Peterson, the Chiefs O-line when Priest Holmes was running all over the league, his close friendship with Gibbs, working under George Allen with the Rams, and he had some really interesting stuff to say about the Skins, Snyder, and Cerrato. Even more interesting was Collins' take.

I know I may come off as a tease, but I can't and won't repeat what they said. I'm not media, and they were off the record for sure. But I was agreeing, I will say that.

Apparently Todd invited about a dozen other players and Coach Zorn, but none of them showed. He told me that if we were 6-2 instead of 2-6, they would have all been there. He said the guys are getting ripped when they show their faces in public. So I can't say I blame them for staying home.

Anyway, Coach Vermeil has his own winery, and his wines are pretty kick ass. He has 5 or 6 different varietals. I tried them all tonight. Our restaurants will be pouring some of them in the near future. When Coach left for the night to catch the late train back to Philly, he gave me a hug and called me "an exceptional young man." Needless to say, I will never forget tonight. Great stuff.

These pics are super fuzzy as they were taken by a drunk dude and there was no flash, but it's proof of my story. :) (Side note, Todd Collins is tall as shit. I'm 6'3", and you can see how he's got a good two inches on me).

[IMG]http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s274/gmscud/vermeil1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s274/gmscud/vermeil2.jpg[/IMG]

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

Todd is awesome.. I've met him before and would love to see him start against Denver. He's a bright guy, and I'm sure his take was spot on. You lucky SOB!

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

[quote=90pressLead;623235]Todd is awesome.. I've met him before and would love to see him start against Denver. He's a bright guy, and I'm sure his take was spot on. You lucky SOB![/quote]

He was a lot of fun to talk to. His wine knowledge is impressive. We had fun tonight. Physically he's a lot more impressive in person than he is on TV. I was surprised.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

That's pretty awesome man, glad you had a "dream come true" type thing happen. I'm also pretty envious of the position that you hold, what's your background/education in the field?

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

[quote=GMScud;623238]He was a lot of fun to talk to. His wine knowledge is impressive. We had fun tonight. Physically he's a lot more impressive in person than he is on TV. I was surprised.[/quote]

GM, what restaurant if you don't mind me asking. Either way, that's awesome man.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

It's like a B team Make a Wish Foundation Event.


Seriously though, that is awesome GMScud! Curious if you talked about Cerrato to them?

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

Dude, you seriously you have to spill the beans tomorrow. We want to know what did Vermeil have to say?

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

Very cool story.

This guy is hob-nobbin'...must be nice. I'm interested in what Collins's take on the Skins. Especially from the QB position. I know how bad backup players want to start but really, Collins is probably happy to watch this OL work from the sideline.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

Sounds like a great time. Seriously though, mad props for keeping the conversation private!

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

great story ,no props to you for keeping the story private,we want to hear it!
I think its pretty safe to say they said what everyone else is saying,off line needs to be a priority,owner has his head up his ass,cerrato sucks,etc,etc

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

[quote=Daseal;623274]Sounds like a great time. Seriously though, mad props for keeping the conversation private![/quote]

Awesome night man! Absolutley keep the details private. Integrity is at an all time low these days. We'll find out soon enough what our team is up to. The bashing is out of control. It's was cool to read this story...Thanks!

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

Very cool thanks for sharing

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

What an awesome experience! Thanks for sharing it with us.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

[quote=Daseal;623274]Sounds like a great time. Seriously though, mad props for keeping the conversation private![/quote]
Agree , Glad you had a great time , good luck with the Business !

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

That's cool man.. Gotta love it when you get perks and moments like that.. I'd really be interested to hear some of the 'table talk' but respect that you choose to keep it private.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

thanks for sharing! but c'mon..you gotta tell us some goodies. you don't have to quote anyone.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Sounds like you guys had a great time together.

I prefer to drink my wine out of a paper bag. Twenty proof!

"Waiter, bring us a box of your finest wine!"

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

Thanks for sharing this, sounds like an awesome experience. More importantly though, you're the beverage director of a restaurant group? I think you're my new best friend here. LOL.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

How incredible and awesome for you. Happy that you had such a great experience that you can remember for a lifetime.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

Can we move this to the Drunk thread where you can......spill your guts after a few to many?

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

GMScud, glad to hear that someone else on the wp is into football AND wine. I'm sure there are others, but it's not often (maybe never?) that the 2 topics find there way to a wp thread.

That sounds like quite a time you had, those 2 guys seem like they are interesting enough to talk to about any no. of things. Some pro athletes I would rather not meet cause it might ruin my impression of them, but Collins would be an exception. Vermiel has always been a class act.

you may have already said, is his vineyard on the west coast? Does he open it to the public for tastings, tours, etc.? Is this his first bottling?

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

[quote=freddyg12;623340]you may have already said, is his vineyard on the west coast? Does he open it to the public for tastings, tours, etc.? Is this his first bottling?[/quote]

[url=http://www.vermeilwines.com/]Vermeil Wines[/url] in Calistoga, CA next to St. Helena.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

Collins played for Vermeil in KC, so that must have been very cool for him to see his old coach. Vermeil is notorious for the love he has for his players and the tears of love/pride he sheds when talking about them - you should have tried to get him to wax nostalgic about Todd. He was definitely a great coach and probably a better man. Thanks for the post - very cool stuff.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

I met Todd Collins a few years ago. He is a strange guy, but i mean that in a great way. He has quirks about him that reminded me much of my OCD-touched brother. He was super nice to us, and he kept calling me "bro" the whole time he talked to me. If i did not watch football or the redskins, i would have had no idea who he was, because he was so down to earth and just like a "normal" person.

And yeah, he is tall as hell and in great shape. He looks small on TV, but i am 5'10", and even at 6'3" he towered over me.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

[quote=12thMan;623256]Dude, you seriously you have to spill the beans tomorrow. We want to know what did Vermeil have to say?[/quote]

Dont worry Matty has ways to make people talk... Dont make him go Jack Bauer on you GM... :)

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

[quote=12thMan;623256]Dude, you seriously you have to spill the beans tomorrow. We want to know what did Vermeil have to say?[/quote]

[quote=SouperMeister;623398]Collins played for Vermeil in KC, so that must have been very cool for him to see his old coach. Vermeil is notorious for the love he has for his players and the tears of love/pride he sheds when talking about them - you should have tried to get him to wax nostalgic about Todd. He was definitely a great coach and probably a better man. Thanks for the post - very cool stuff.[/quote]

Oh he was effusive in his praise of Todd. He said "I love this guy" more than once last night.

As far as what Coach and Todd said about the Redskins, sorry guys. It would pretty unprofessional of me to take what they said to me in a private room, off the record, and spill it on a message board that anyone on earth could read. Keep in mind this was a work function for me.

I can tell you that both Todd and Coach Vermeil talked a lot about quarterback play, and how the system and situation are just as crucial as the individual skills. Coach obviously loves Kurt Warner, and both guys talked a lot about how impressed they are with Drew Brees.

I tried to keep the conversation loose and cool, and I definitely didn't let on how enamored I was with their presence. In my experience guys like them would rather just be treated like regular dudes. We talked about wine and life just as much as we did football. They both love to fish, and Todd has a boat and mentioned something about Coast Guard certification. Coach said he liked Greg Kinnear's portrayal of him in "Invincible."

Probably the coolest part for me was when he talked about the phone call he got from Coach Gibbs prior to Al Saunders being hired. Obviously Vermeil gave Saunders high praise. He said Coach Gibbs is one of the "best men he's ever known." No surprise there. I had chills listening to him talk about Gibbs. It was amazing. One interesting thing Vermeil told me- he said he told Gibbs that Saunders would be great, but only if Gibbs "let him have the entire offense." Interesting that Gibbs didn't follow that advice.

Anyway, great night overall. Oh, I forgot to mention, John Burrell and Harrison Bernstein were there. John Burrell is head athletic trainer for the team. He took over for Bubba Tyer. Harrison is one of the strength and conditioning coaches. Both guys are really cool. I'd met Harrison before- his sister is good friends with my boss.

Since taking this job, I've had a beer with Kevin Blackistone, talked with Phil Chenier for a few hours (literally, no exaggeration), and then of course last night. Pretty cool.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

[quote=GMScud;623448]Oh he was effusive in his praise of Todd. He said "I love this guy" more than once last night.

As far as what Coach and Todd said about the Redskins, sorry guys. It would pretty unprofessional of me to take what they said to me in a private room, off the record, and spill it on a message board that anyone on earth could read. Keep in mind this was a work function for me.

I can tell you that both Todd and Coach Vermeil talked a lot about quarterback play, and how the system and situation are just as crucial as the individual skills. Coach obviously loves Kurt Warner, and both guys talked a lot about how impressed they are with Drew Brees.

I tried to keep the conversation loose and cool, and I definitely didn't let on how enamored I was with their presence. In my experience guys like them would rather just be treated like regular dudes. We talked about wine and life just as much as we did football. They both love to fish, and Todd has a boat and mentioned something about Coast Guard certification. Coach said he liked Greg Kinnear's portrayal of him in "Invincible."

Probably the coolest part for me was when he talked about the phone call he got from Coach Gibbs prior to Al Saunders being hired. Obviously Vermeil gave Saunders high praise. He said Coach Gibbs is one of the "best men he's ever known." No surprise there. I had chills listening to him talk about Gibbs. It was amazing. One interesting thing Vermeil told me- he said he told Gibbs that Saunders would be great, but only if Gibbs "let him have the entire offense." Interesting that Gibbs didn't follow that advice.

Anyway, great night overall. Oh, I forgot to mention, John Burrell and Harrison Bernstein were there. John Burrell is head athletic trainer for the team. He took over for Bubba Tyer. Harrison is one of the strength and conditioning coaches. Both guys are really cool. I'd met Harrison before- his sister is good friends with my boss.

Since taking this job, I've had a beer with Kevin Blackistone, talked with [B]Phil Chenier[/B] for a few hours (literally, no exaggeration), and then of course last night. Pretty cool.[/quote] Big fan of Chenier. He's a great local color guy. I don't think he could pull off a national job but at the local level he gives you everything that is good. Conversational and informed. Good all around.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

[quote=FRPLG;623519]Big fan of Chenier. He's a great local color guy. I don't think he could pull off a national job but at the local level he gives you everything that is good. Conversational and informed. Good all around.[/quote]

Chenier didn't know Mike Miller's nickname is Spanky (T-mac gave him that moniker). When I told him he thought it was hilarious. He said he was gonna tell Buckhantz and use it during a game. I don't know if he has yet, but he said he was gonna give me credit on the air for telling him. I doubt it will happen, but anyway. Chenier was a cool cat for sure.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

[quote=GMScud;623448]Oh he was effusive in his praise of Todd. He said "I love this guy" more than once last night.

As far as what Coach and Todd said about the Redskins, sorry guys. It would pretty unprofessional of me to take what they said to me in a private room, off the record, and spill it on a message board that anyone on earth could read. Keep in mind this was a work function for me.

I can tell you that both Todd and Coach Vermeil talked a lot about quarterback play, and how the system and situation are just as crucial as the individual skills. Coach obviously loves Kurt Warner, and both guys talked a lot about how impressed they are with Drew Brees.

I tried to keep the conversation loose and cool, and I definitely didn't let on how enamored I was with their presence. In my experience guys like them would rather just be treated like regular dudes. We talked about wine and life just as much as we did football. They both love to fish, and Todd has a boat and mentioned something about Coast Guard certification. Coach said he liked Greg Kinnear's portrayal of him in "Invincible."

Probably the coolest part for me was when he talked about the phone call he got from Coach Gibbs prior to Al Saunders being hired. Obviously Vermeil gave Saunders high praise. He said Coach Gibbs is one of the "best men he's ever known." No surprise there. I had chills listening to him talk about Gibbs. It was amazing. One interesting thing Vermeil told me- he said he told Gibbs that Saunders would be great, but only if Gibbs "let him have the entire offense." Interesting that Gibbs didn't follow that advice.

Anyway, great night overall. Oh, I forgot to mention, John Burrell and Harrison Bernstein were there. John Burrell is head athletic trainer for the team. He took over for Bubba Tyer. Harrison is one of the strength and conditioning coaches. Both guys are really cool. I'd met Harrison before- his sister is good friends with my boss.

Since taking this job, I've had a beer with Kevin Blackistone, talked with Phil Chenier for a few hours (literally, no exaggeration), and then of course last night. Pretty cool.[/quote]

Did you tell him their was a guy who goes by Firstdown who loves to fish/boat and he could come here and PM me some time to go fishing. The Coast Guard Cert. is probably as a reserve and when they have a big event on the water they ask them to come out and help with boat trafic. The only other thing is when the CG comes on your boat to check safty equipment and gives you a little sticker for having all the safty stuff.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

gm, cool stuff. and thanks for sharing

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

This is one of the best threads ever.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

[quote=SouperMeister;623398]Collins played for Vermeil in KC, so that must have been very cool for him to see his old coach. Vermeil is notorious for the love he has for his players and the tears of love/pride he sheds when talking about them - you should have tried to get him to wax nostalgic about Todd. He was definitely a great coach and probably a better man. Thanks for the post - very cool stuff.[/quote]
Well they're partners in the business so I'm sure that they see each other often.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

[quote=SolidSnake84;623420]I met Todd Collins a few years ago. He is a strange guy, but i mean that in a great way. He has quirks about him that reminded me much of my OCD-touched brother. He was super nice to us, and [B]he kept calling me "bro" the whole time he talked to me[/B]. If i did not watch football or the redskins, i would have had no idea who he was, because he was so down to earth and just like a "normal" person.

And yeah, he is tall as hell and in great shape. He looks small on TV, but i am 5'10", and even at 6'3" he towered over me.[/quote]

I wanna hang out with him now haha.. I'd fit right in..

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

Tom Ward here Chris (Vermeil Wines GM), great meeting you last night and incredible job by everyone, BLACKSALT is clearly on my "short list" for top restaurants. Glad you enoyed the wines! Coach Vermeil obviously has same passion for wine that he had for football...came by it naturally growing up in Napa Valley. Not sure if you got my card, any questions email me at [email]tom.ward@vermeilwines.com[/email] --- will see you soon!

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

Awesome story GM thanks for sharing. I respect your decision to keep your conversations with Vermeil and Collins because I'm sure I would've done the same in your situation and thanks again for telling us about this once in a lifetime kinda deal. It must've been an amazing experience just to hang out with guys like them and have them be totally chill and cool throughout it.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

NOW, can we get to the...........Gut Spilling????

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

Holy crap this is a cool story. Can't help but envy you GM.

Obviously Vermeil is a legend and I could sit and listen for hours. But I guess in the present I'm more curious about what Collins has to say. Collins always struck me as a super bright guy who had more potential than most would assume.

I'M PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW WE DON'T GET TO HEAR ABOUT THE FOOTBALL TALK!!! GM you should have lied to us and said football wasn't discussed cuz this way it's just a big tease. A thing i've thought about quite a lot is what if Snyder had done the right thing and promoted Williams to HC and turned the offense completely over to Saunders. I know the FO/personnel issues would probably still be a shit-show but no doubt we'd be a much better football team. I guess how this is connected to Collins is because I think Saunders would have started Todd because he knows that offense inside-out. It probably would have been better for Jason long run too being able to watch that system done right. Shit man I just get curious if Collins thinks about what could have been...he could have had some late-career glory day in DC under better circumstances.

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

[quote=vineocerous;623620]Tom Ward here Chris (Vermeil Wines GM), great meeting you last night and incredible job by everyone, BLACKSALT is clearly on my "short list" for top restaurants. Glad you enoyed the wines! Coach Vermeil obviously has same passion for wine that he had for football...came by it naturally growing up in Napa Valley. Not sure if you got my card, any questions email me at [EMAIL="tom.ward@vermeilwines.com"]tom.ward@vermeilwines.com[/EMAIL] --- will see you soon![/quote]

Hey tom- it was great meeting you as well. Great wines!! I enjoyed the Charbono and Cab the most. I've got your card, and I will email you if I have any questions. Also, Jeff mentioned doing a big wine dinner with Coach in the near future. Hopefully that will happen.

Very cool that you found the Warpath and this thread so shortly after our event last night!

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

GMScud that's awesome man !

Re: My evening with Dick Vermeil and Todd Collins
 

Congrats! On your night and the biz seems like you had a great time as any of us would have. Good thinking keeping the convo private that shows your a stand up guy.

I drink beer all the time but lately my bro has been talking about wine. I tried something called Pinoit Greno (white wine) or something. I tasted like like sour grapes and everclear.
Could suggest something that might have a better taste maybe sweeter.