His golden locks are artificially waved and slightly curled.
His grin is one of pure joy.
I call him for a definitive answer.
Turns out, it was neither.
“My brother has straight hair like I do.
We both had green pick up trucks.
I have the Giants.
Derek has the Pats.
“Perms are easy.
“It’s like that the rest of the day.
No maintenance and awesome.” I’m surprised.
He speaks of the style like an old pair of parabolic skis.
Maybe I would look good with a perm too?
Do I even want to win this bet?
“I had a perm for five or six years.
I’m intrigued.
“Let’s get back to the bet.
I’m getting nervous.
Why does he keep referencing me getting a perm?
Is he saying our beloved G-Men are doomed?
Are curls and a wave in my future?
I don’t see it.
The Giants have fight this year.
The team is playing well and, despite injuries, are on the top of the NFC East.
I knew he had my back.
The team’s back.
Eli Manning’s back.
This is going to be good.
So effing good and funny.
We say our goodbyes and he wishes me luck.
I glance at the picture on the desk and laugh.
The Giants are winning this weekend.
They just have to.
My hair depends on it.
I’ll be watching the game.” Dammit.
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Loyalty By Derek Taylor
There are a lot of things I admire my Dad for.
He works his ass off.
He put up with bullshit from my brother and I all throughout our high school and college careers.
He always put his family first.
Yep, I said it.
It wasn’t easy.
My blue-blooded Eastern New England father roots for the Jets.
After all, he was living in New York during Joe Nammath’s reign.
And since that day, my dad has never been able to root for the Pats.
“I always rooted for the Patriots.
I loved them when Gino Cappalletti was there.
So yeah, I would consider myself a Jets fan more than a Pats fan now.
And it seems that’s just what Kraft has done.
“It was a kind of in back then,” he says.
“It looked good, kind of like the Brady Bunch guy.
“I was cool back then,” he says.
Tom Brady, on the other hand, bleeds ice water.
Even my dad would agree with on that.
Thanks for the confidence, Pops.
