Futurama Backblast: Nugent’s 2-year F3 Anniversary

Thursday, July 7 | Futurama | Memorial Park | 72 degrees and wet

PAX (33): Cyclone (Respect, Respect), Stapler, Ranch, Stitches, Slow Pitch, Polaroid, Doll Face (Respect), Oahu, Rooster, Mad Dog, Caboose, Doppler, Mac’n Cheese (Hate), Oompa, Vandelay (Respect), Retweet, Chiclets (Respect), No Doze, Side Dish (Hate), No Cry (FNG), Othello, Tater Tot, Demogorgon, Wait Time (Respect), Sweet Sweet, Khakis (Respect), Joe Buck (Hate), Spreadsheet (Hate), Big One, Roadhouse, PeeWee (FNG), Stranglehold, Sparty

QIC: Sparty & Sweet Sweet

While I have had July 7 on my mind for a while and felt very prepared, there was still a sense of nervousness. The night before, Slow Pitch helped turn my nerves into excitement. While the group consensus was that we were stoked about the expected rain that Doppler guaranteed, I think Grad had other plans as he held the rain off until everybody left Futurama this morning. Sweet Sweet and I had planned on meeting at Futurama at 5:15am to set up. I got there a little early and knew I had a long walk down the hill towards Dodge St. and preferred to stay in the dark, so I took off without waiting for Sweet Sweet. On my way back, I could see he was setting up as well, so we were all good. When I returned to the top of the hill, I was greeted by a familiar face that lit my morning up, John Ciaccio, PeeWee! He grew up in South Omaha and played baseball with Nugent, Sweet Sweet, and Stranglehold. As 5:30am approach, a large group of men continued to pour in, and just like that, we welcomed the PAX.

At 5:30am arrived, I started in on our F3 welcome and kicked it over to Sweet Sweet for the 5 Core Principles, and he nailed it. We also announced our 2 FNGs for the day, David & John, and then Sweet Sweet swept us off our feet with a short mosey to the middle of the grass for WAR.

Warm-a-rama:

• Sweet Sweet set up cones going west to east and had us all line up and go down & back
  • High Knees
  • Butt Kicks
  • Bernie Sanders
  • Karaoke
  • Side Shuffle
  • Broad Jumps
  • Run – 50%, 75%, 100%

There was a lot of mumblechatter and some men didn’t do a good job at following instructions and would just return to the starting position without our leader telling to go. While we started in on the side shuffles, Coach Billy came out and started coaching the men on how to play defense with their feet. Stranglehold took this opportunity to try and make a joke about Prep athletes never playing defense. Let it be known that the 1 time Bryan played Prep in football while we were in high school, Bryan scored exactly 0 points in the game……..After the last sprint, Sweet Sweet had us all circle up where we were for the Pre-Thang.

Pre-Thang (Screw Your Shoulders)

• 15 Diamond Merkins
• 15 Werkins
• 15 Merkins
• 15 Shoulder Taps IC
• Side Plank – each side for 15 seconds
• Chilcutt for 15 seconds
• 15 Mountain Climbers IC
• 15 Plank Jacks IC

Sweet Sweet finally stopped torturing us and we had the opportunity to recover. I then stepped in to explain The Thang, the infamous No Doze 3-Man Grinder.

The Thang – No Doze butt kicking

• Top of the hill (AMRAP)
  • LBCs
  • Merkins
  • Burpees
• Bottom of the hill (AMRAP)
  • Monkey Humpers
  • Pickle Pushers
  • Oh Yeah’s

At 6:03am, I called “OMAHA” knowing that the men at the bottom of the hill would have a long run. The PAX were then given 2 options, go pick up the 6, or do burpees until the 6 was in. Once everyone arrived, we made our way to the shovel flags.

Name-o-rama: We had great energy, Slow Pitch looked like he was ready for the camera to move on, Polaroid didn’t want to stop his Pitch, there was a lot of RESPECT and Hate, Wait Time’s mustache looked amazing, and our FNGs got a warm welcome.

Announcements: Murph Challenge is going on through August, and we have shovel passes coming up.

Prayers: For kindness, generosity, and reaching out to those who are struggling. Doppler’s family is in a tough spot with his Mom being sick, and dad dealing with his best friend’s heart issues.

COT: Today is a special day as we are celebrating the 2-year anniversary of when Nugent started F3. He has Impacted all of us, some directly and some indirectly. I am grateful for the time I had with him, and that you guys got 14 months with him through F3. I want to try something different today that might work or I might fall on my face. Here we go:

• In 2015, a sadclown from Greensboro was initially EH’d at a Camping Trip by Stretch. A little while later, another friend named Short Track told Corey Phillips that he would be in his driveway the following morning at 6:15am and he would honk his horn if he had to. On May 30, 2015, F3 was introduced to Tommy Boy
• A few months later, Tommy Boy ran into a friend who was rehabbing and was swimming to get his exercise in. He told him all about F3 and encouraged him to come out and join the PAX. On July 20, 2015, Wait Time was introduced to F3 in Greensboro.
• A few years later, after Wait Time had moved to Omaha, he traveled to a conference where he had a work dinner and met a friends husband and they hit off. He talked him into helping him launch F3 Omaha. When our region launched on April 21, 2018, F3 got introduced to Brazilian.
• The night before F3 launched in Omaha, Brazilian was having dinner with a friend and invited him out without providing any context other than they were going to workout. Also on April 21, 2018, they got introduced to No Doze.
• A few months later, No Doze invited his wife’s cousin’s husband to join a workout on a Saturday. It was at this point that The Big One started F3 on June 2, 2018.
• A couple months later, The Big One spent a few days with his best friend golfing and enjoying far too many adult beverages. By the end of their last round, he had this sadclown Hard Committed to coming out to F3 the following day. F3 Omaha was forever changed on September 18, 2018 when they were introduced to Tater Tot.
• I’m not sure what transpired 10 months later, but Tater Tot reached out to a friend through Facebook and invited him out to F3. On August 15, 2019, Sparty joined F3 right here at Futurama.
• Over the next 10 months, Sparty had multiple conversations with his good friend from Spokane, WA telling him all about F3. He then moved back to Omaha and a couple days later on July 7, 2020, we welcomed Nugent to F3.

The Impact one conversation can have on a man has ripple effects that extend beyond more than he can anticipate. We have an opportunity to continue to find men that need our help and EH them. Where F3 Impacted Nugent’s life was in the small things, like Pre-Runs with the Clydesdales. This is where he was able to open up and be vulnerable. Even though Nugent was only in F3 for 14 months, it had a tremendous Impact on his life. Sometimes, it’s the small conversations that can make all the difference in someone’s day or life.

On July 4, 2015, Tommy Boy was ready to walk away from F3 as he felt sorry for himself and thought he wasn’t good enough. His workout partner that day was Daphne who was a badass and he opened up to Tommy Boy in a way that he hadn’t experience with another man. This experience is what sold Tommy Boy on F3. While the EH is powerful, there is an ongoing EH that sometimes is way more impactful. If it wasn’t for these 2 partnering together, F3 Omaha may not exist. Most of you wouldn’t even know who Chris Gradoville was. So I encourage you guys to continue to reach out and help another man by bringing him out to F3, and never hold back with your story or what’s on your heart. What you share could be what changes someone else’s life, and could indirectly Impact a whole city!

• It didn’t stop there, on November 29, 2021, we got introduced to Sweet Sweet Bill Rickley. Nugent’s life long best friend. Everyday he brings Grad’s spirit and love to all of us. We are forever grateful!

Prayer – Wait Time took us out.

Sparty,

Aye!