The Official Blog of Chris Cooley

Crazy Fans At ESPN Extreme Bulls

2009-07-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

I spent Sunday afternoon cheering for the bulls. I gotta be honest, I can't stand cowboys. It doesn't matter if they're from Dallas, Wyoming, or wherever. Their stupid hats and little Napoleon attitudes drive me crazy. Plus I have to listen to the chitter chatter behind me about cute butts. Come on girls, Brett Favre stopped wearing skin tight Wranglers years ago. Well, maybe not, but after a short discussion with the wife, she testified that there weren't any cute butts, so ha.

Back to the bulls, it was great being the asshole in the stands cheering for the their team. I spent the entire afternoon staring down this Trisha Yearwood looking yokel, and screaming "Let er' Buck!" at the top of my lungs. Truthfully, I was surprised her snake skin wearing man didn't have anything to say to me, but in retrospect I am a pretty big dude wearing a bad ass bandanna. I guess it probably wasn't just Trisha who was upset, after I got turned down for my fifth buck off, high-five celebration I knew I wasn't a welcome. But who cares, I was there to rodeo.

E:60 With Rachel Nichols

2009-07-06T17:55:00.014-04:00

I was sitting in the makeshift locker room in Hawaii this February and noticed Rachel Nichols coming toward me with a half smile on her face. At first I felt like the kid who waves at a girl and the next second finds out she is looking at the guy just past him, especially since she is with ESPN and I'm in a locker room filled with guys like Eli Manning and Larry Fitzgerald. Then to my surprise, she made her way straight to me. For a second I thought I had it figured out.

A couple months earlier Tanner, an undisclosed reporter divulging phone numbers, and myself were having a few beers and making prank calls. After a few calls Andrea Kramer's number came up and we had a great plan. The message that was left went something like this. "Hey this is Chris Cooley, I just left the bar where I was sitting next to Rachel Nichols, she was talking crazy shit about you. Rachel says your the worst, manliest reporter she's ever seen and she can't stand to work with you another day! Hiccup! Laugh, laugh, laugh." Click. It was a call that we found funny enough to repeat every couple weeks. Actually it's still funny while I'm writing this and Andrea will probably be getting a call in the next couple days.

So I was guessing she had talked with Andrea and figured out who was making the nonsense calls and was coming to confront me about it. But to my surprise she came to talk about E60 coming to my house to do a segment for their show. I was a little relieved. Actually, I was pretty excited about the whole deal and after some of the details, thought it would be pretty cool and easy to get done. In April they came over to my house in Virginia and spent some time with us trying to get everything together. They filmed interviews with Christy, Tanner and myself. We spent a couple hours talking to them on camera, then they wanted to film me painting in my art room. They also filmed me pretending to work at the computer, like I was doing a blog. All was fine and for the last couple months we have been recording every E60 on TV, never to see our episode.

Then a few weeks ago I got a call from the producer saying they wanted to come to Wyoming and I could take Rachel fishing and we could do some more stuff. We met in Cody Wyoming and I had a great plan to take them up to the spot where I caught all the fish the other day. They said they didn't have enough time so we had to arrange going back to my property and fishing on the river there. I guaranteed no fish, but they said it would still look cool and no one would care, whatever.

What didn't get explained to them was that it was a hell of a hike to get from the spot where you drop off the four wheelers. They had to drag their asses and the camera shit about a half a mile over the rocky hillside to get down to the river. So much for not enough time! I then proceeded to untangle Rachel's line for the next 30 minutes while we pretended to be fishing. Sorry Rachel, I know you did get better at it, but you casted like a seven year old girl with an arm full of barbies.After the fishing it was like a barrage of doing everything I like to do in my life, but in intervals of 15 minutes. Just enough time to not do a good job of it. We painted, we did pottery, we hiked around, we fished, we talked and talked. I ended up spending about seven hours with the crew, but it was actually a really fun day. Everyone I worked with was great, Rachel was awesome and at one point she actually turned into intern girl and ran to Subway to get everyone lunch.

I just hope everything turns out okay for the segment. Before the crew left I had asked them if they thought my thing would be cool no less than 25 times. Whatever, but hopefully I'll love it. The show will be coming out in the next couple months, so I will keep everyone informed on when to set their Tivo.

Gone Fishing

2009-07-03T11:34:00.009-04:00

Fishing the North Fork of the Shoshone River on opening day (July 1) is one of the most unbelievable outdoor experiences I would ever hope to have. I was lucky enough to spend the day in the fresh Wyoming air with my father and wife, while we rafted through the wilderness, catching hoards if trout. By the end of the day we had spent over six hours floating ten miles and it wasn't a big deal to trade the sunburn for the mountain of fish we caught.

As I prepared earlier in the week for opening day my main goal was to out-fish my dad, or at least keep up. See, the problem is that he only fishes with worms and I really haven't since I was a kid. It's not that I can't do it, I have just been fly-fishing and making my own flies for a long time, so I like it much better, but back to the problem. We took a couple preliminary runs in the upper part of the river (where fishing was open) last week and I wasn't able to catch anything. Bullshit! Not to mention that my dad may be the best worm fishing, trout catching, making fun of fly-fishing easterners man I have ever met. I had to do some research. It had been at least a couple years since I've casted my fly rod, so I felt like all I could do was get better.

I went into Cody Wyoming and found a couple fly shops, the first being "The Humble Fly." The guy was really cool and talked to me about how fast the river was flowing and how my flies weren't getting deep enough in the water. He gave me a couple patterns and we talked a little bit about how to tie them with more weight and get them closer to the bottom. Then I told him about not getting killed by my worm fisherman father. He chuckled and said "You know why they let little kids fish with worms right? Because it's so simple anyone can catch a fish with a worm. There is no challenge."

Just hearing that made my day. I couldn't wait go get home and give my dad grief about it. I also couldn't wait to get back to the house and get to work on making some of the flies and after about two hours of tying I had produced a plethora of North Fork ready nymphs. was ready to dominate some trout.

That morning we were up with the meadowlarks and on the river ready to fish by 9:00 a.m., only slowed once by the amazing tastes of Taco Johns. I mean, who can resist the Ole' Breakfast Scrambler?

Fishing started hot and stayed that way through the day. In the first hole we stopped I caught 2 rainbows and we never looked back. At one point I actually pulled out a fish four casts in a row. By the end of the day I had caught so many fish that my thumb was bleeding from all the teeth marks and to be honest the competition between my dad and I dissipated as we lost track of how many fish we had actually caught. Christy was even able to catch three or four - she has to let them all go, not wanting to do harm to any living thing. As we left the river were tired and hot, but had an amazing time and a stringer of fish for dinner.

By the way. I will be fishing with Rachael Nichols for ESPN's E60 today. Hopefully we can have a repeat performance.

Horse Burning

2009-06-30T22:44:00.015-04:00

I'm writing this post with complete regret. Normally, I'm not super concerned with who I offend or bother by my posts, but I have been strongly encouraged by enough important parties in my life not to publish the video. I am aware that the voting consensus on the site was an overwhelming yes on watching the video and most are excited about the footage, including myself, but it just isn't going to work out this time. I would like to say for my own sake, the video is amazing! I spent over an hour today putting it together and it is one of my finest works, one that my kids will look back on and cherish. So for now, I'm sad.

I would also like to clear up a couple things about the burning, a least for anyone who I may have offended. Last year I bought somewhere close to 400 acres of ranch land in Wyoming. A couple days ago we were riding our four wheelers around and came upon this wretched, stinking, rotting horse corpse. We thought it was a cow at first, but upon further review found that it was a horse. The horse had clearly been dead for over a year and needed to be taken care of. We have no idea about the cause of the horses death or how it happened upon our land, none the less, it was there rotting away. After seeking some advice I was given a couple of options, the first was taking the horse to the dead animal pit, another being the city dump and finally, to burn the horse. In my opinion the most reasonable option was to burn the horse.

Finally, I would like to say that I love and respect animals. I own four dogs and two cats, I grew up with horses and think they're amazing. I meant no disrespect to the horse.

Cow Fire

2009-06-29T17:02:00.005-04:00

We were cruising around on our new land in Wyoming the other day and we found an old dead cow. So we decided that we would get rid of it by setting it on fire. Needless to say, it was a success. I will post the video of it soon, but for now here are some pictures.

Wyoming Driving Adventure Day 3 and 4

2009-06-24T23:24:00.001-04:00

Special Thanks

2009-06-24T18:18:00.003-04:00

Hello from Wyoming. Everything is going great out here. Sorry for not getting part 3 of the drive up yet. We lost the video camera in the move. I will get it up tomorrow. The reason for this post isn't to tell you about our trip however. It is to thank Craig (Christy's uncle) for staying out our house. It is awesome knowing a special ops guy is looking after the dogs and house while we are gone. So whoever is driving up to our house at 1 am, just know this, Craig sleeps with his gun by his side.

Wyoming Drive Day 2

2009-06-20T11:14:00.000-04:00

Wyoming Driving Adventure Day 1

2009-06-18T13:30:00.004-04:00

C and C Road Trip to Wyoming

2009-06-16T19:02:00.006-04:00

I just got off the phone with Chris and he wanted me to give a little update/teaser from his trip across the country. If you haven't heard, Chris and Christy are driving to Wyoming to spend some time with family and enjoy some time off. But instead of flying, they decided to take a road trip. After packing up the truck and small Uhaul (including 2 yorkies), they were off .

The journey out west began immediately after football camp on Sunday. The first night was rather uneventful as they drove into the night making it as far as Indiana. The excitement began when they hit a 3 hour delay due to morning traffic near Chicago. This major setback on a 30 hour trip forced Chris and Christy call it an early day. Somewhere in Wisconsin the two found a nice casino hotel to rest for the night . This is where the tease comes in. After only a few short hours there, they managed to get themselves thrown out of the hotel. This isn't even the best part, as they were driving to the next location circumstances required that they call a towing company after only 10 miles on the road to come pick them up.

There is no need to worry however, they are safe. You can read all about it tomorrow because Chris has promised to give a full update including video of the trip when they arrive in Wyoming. Trust me, it will be worth the read.

Cooley Fans Around The World: Part III

2009-06-16T08:25:00.000-04:00

You'll have to excuse me, its been a while since I last checked in. Things have gotten a little crazy here in Austria---our coach left town, we beat the best team in Europe, and I took my first snaps at middle linebacker. But that is all besides the point, as I mentioned previously there is a phenomenon here in Europe of Redskins fans. You see them literally everywhere, and when I am bold enough to snap a picture you, the fans, reap the benefits. So here you have it, the third installment of Cooley Fans Around The World (sub-section Portis Fans Around The World).

Meet Nikolaus--- from Villach, Austria. A 'Skins fan through and through. Notice how even at a young age (12) he has learned to position himself adjacent to cheerleaders--well done young man, well done.

Chris Cooley Football Camp

2009-06-15T10:20:00.002-04:00

Gridiron Legends Gaming Challenge

2009-06-11T12:58:00.006-04:00

For more details follow @GridironGala on Twitter. Or you can search Gridiron Legends Gaming Challenge on Facebook to RSVP.

Who Would Win

2009-06-10T15:33:00.009-04:00

Bowling OTA's

2009-06-09T12:38:00.014-04:00

Today the team was surprised with an exciting trip to the bowling alley. Although most of us were expecting some kind of field trip from clues left around the locker room and in playbooks, no one could actually confirm that we would spend the day off the field rolling balls. I know it doesn't sound like much, but to get a day where we can all hang together as a team and not have to be playing football is really cool.After the trip was announced, we were informed that 25 captains had been selected and we would be having a draft. Obviously, the captains selected were the guys that have been around the longest. The draft was a lottery style with all the names drawn out of a hat. Some crazy shenanigans must have been involved, because I was the last team to pick. The one bonus was that we did it like picking a fantasy football teams, so the order went 1-25 and then 25 back through 1. There were also a couple other rules to spread the teams out. An offensive player couldn't draft another offensive player in the first round, and the same for D. Only coaches and staff were to be available in the second round and then in the third round you could draft whoever you wanted.

I took Hunter Smith with my first pick, specialists were not exempt with the offence rule and I figured any punter must be a good bowler. I turned around with my second pick and took Z-man who was the first coach to be selected. Z is good at anything he does so I figured it to be a safe bet. For my third pick, after waiting for 50 other selections, I had to take the last name on the board, Jaison Williams. I was hoping for Mr. Irrelevant to be a big time sleeper.We then bussed as a team over to the Sterling Ameri-Bowl and practice quickly ensued. I felt like we had a pretty good team early on. Hunter and Z hit a couple good rolls, but Jaison had a crazy hopping, no fingers in the ball technique. So we were skeptical about his potential. As soon as things began, the schedule was to bowl two games and keep team score - we were team Cooleywins! Z threw that in for me.

I actually bowled better than I have the last couple times. In two games I rolled a 165 and a 147. Solid! Z's high game was 134 and Hunter hit 144. Although Jaison had his crazy technique, he did hit one strike in the second game. After that, he collapsed to his knees in celebration for a solid 20 seconds, which was hilarious.

I'm sure Cooleywins will not win any awards, we weren't good or bad enough to be memorable, but it was sure a great OTA!

Just to finish up. These were some of the notables from the day.

Todd Collins rolled a 205 and when asked how he did so well he said "I just aimed at the middle arrow."
Randle El actually brought his own shoes, ball, and towel - I beat him in both games.
Smoot rolled a 212, and I'm sure that he kept his excitement to a minimum.
The entire team was given white Redskins bowling shirts.
To end the day I rolled three strikes in a row from behind the chairs, a solid 20 feet behind the line. Redskin blogger documented this on video.
Anyone over 300 pounds is terrible.
More than 20 guys rolled games less than 100.
Only 3 guys rolled over 200.
Over 100 members of the organization went to the bowling alley.

The 3 Amigos

2009-06-05T08:36:00.001-04:00

TC: Ghosts Don't Exist on WashPost Live

2009-06-04T21:04:00.000-04:00

TC: Offseason Update

2009-06-04T10:00:00.006-04:00

When the season ended and guys departed Redskins park for the off season some had crazy plans like this.

"Do you know how me and Chris are gonna improve our football skills? We're gonna go wrestle bears in the wild," Yoder said. "We both think it's gonna help our blocking technique."

Though this idea stands out in the crowd of goals like: spend time with family, come back in better shape, read a book, Yoder told me yesterday that he actually accomplished this feat along with a few others.

"I accomplished two of the three things I set out to do when the season ended. I wrestled a bear in the Canadian wilderness and did some base jumping of a cliff in Costa Rica."

Whether or not that is true, I will let you determine. What is a fact however is that the season is just around the corner. Players are back at Redskins Park for the team's second session of OTA's. For some it is a chance to break up the monotonous lifting and running schedule they have kept and get back on the field. Santana Moss told me that "OTA's are OTA's. Mini camp is more intense where these are a more of the learning opportunity, trying to get better at the little things." When I asked him what he would like to accomplish between now and training camp he sighed and said, "I just wanna get in all the rest I can cause once its all said and done and I'm back up here then its strictly business."

Strictly business is a great answer because many of the news outlets that claim to be experts are picking the Redskins to be a middle of the pack team. This is something that I find very interesting considering they didn't lose any significant players and they have a full season under their belts with Zorn. So it will be great to see them prove some of the donks wrong when they come out firing this season.

For now however, the players that are in Ashburn will do what they need to do, work on the little things. Because after today they are only four OTA's away from training camp. Something that, for this city, couldn't come any quicker. Because the only thing to cheer for between now and then is the Nats winning their 43rd game.

TC: The Perfect Summer Night

2009-06-01T10:46:00.011-04:00

On Sunday night the Cooley family decided to celebrate the spring/summer weather we've been having with a nice little cookout and campfire. First chef Chris who cooked up an amazing meal. Marinated chicken, corn on the cob. To go along with it, Christy made her special fruit salad which was probably the best fruit ever. To make: add any mix of berries you like, bananas, and top it all off with honey. Truly a taste explosion in your mouth.

After the meal we went down to the beach where I picture many good times will be had. We built a nice little fire (not with the wood that Chris chopped down) and cooked s'mores and a new little desert called the banana boat. This little desert was a true delight described by my wife as "better than you can even imagine in your mind." And for the most part it was true. Except for the burns acquired by trying to get it out of the fire.
Little if anything can beat sitting out under the stars enjoying good company around a warm fire. No one could be happier than the four of us that summer if finally here.

Fatpickle: The Redskins...What's In A Name?

2009-05-29T10:26:00.006-04:00

Thanks to a court ruling last week, I'm still a fan of the Washington Redskins. Not the Washington Presidents, or the Wasington Johnny Rockets, or some other name that I could never imagine.I (like most of you) have spent a lifetime bleeding burgundy and gold, singing the words "braves on the warpath" and rooting for my Skins. I've never once in my 30 years as a fan thought of the name "Redskins" as being offensive or racist. I've never heard nor said an off color or racist remark about the name. I've never heard one of the 90,000 drunken fans at Fedex field say anything derogatory about the name...even when the Redskins have a sucky day or a bad loss. In fact, I am proud of the name, proud of the team, and proud of the history and heritage of Native Americans. But who am I too voice my opinion? I'm just an ordinary white guy who can't jump and can't dance (especially when I think I can dance, usually around beer 8 or 9).

Well, I happen to be a part of a large group of people that believe that the Washington Redskins are a tribute to Native Americans. That group of people happens to include the Native Americans themselves. Yes that's right, 90% of American Indians do not find the term "Redskins" offensive in any way. Lets stop and think about this for a minute. Do you think 80 years ago the Redskins chose their team name to personally offend an entire race? Is that really how team names are chosen? No, they are chosen as a tribute to something. And without those teams that honor the American Indian, how often would we be reminded of our Native American history? I think that the people that bring on these lawsuits are only interested in what the root of all lawsuits boil down to...$money$ and notoriety.

I've been a fan of many of the names that have graced the backs of the jersey's. Monk, Riggins, Green, and Cooley to name a few. But, the names on the back of the jersey's change quite often. However, the Redskins name and the burgundy and gold is a lifetime relationship for me (and for you). Rooting for another team, or even the same team with a different name just wouldn't be right. I have to give Dan Snyder props for fighting in court and spending loads of cash to keep the tradition and history of the Redskins in tact.So hip, hip, hooray to Chief Zee, that guy on the side of the helmets, and the Indians getting to mix it up twice a year with those Cowboys. And if you find that offensive, spend the day surfing the Internet...I think there's a lot worse things you could focus on.Cheers and Hail

Valley Vikings Girls Lax = Fun

2009-05-28T18:50:00.007-04:00

Last night I watched the Loudoun Valley Vikings girls team finish their season by winning their 19 straight game and taking the region championship. I went with Christy because her cousin Courtney is a senior on the team and we wanted to check out the action. I would just like to say that the girls at Valley are awesome. Even for a entry level observationist I would tell how smart they play the game. They had downright crazy passing skills and even with the tiny pockets they had little problem moving the ball with ease around the field. Those girls also had amazing stamina, I mean seriously, that is a shit ton of running and they never slow down. I also made some other simple notes concerning girls lacrosse as I got home from the game.

1. I would have been awesome at lacrosse. It is an great game and since moving back east I have had a blast watching it being played. A couple of the men's college teams are crazy good! And fast. It's definitely a different game watching the men play vs. women.

2. The rules to girls lacrosse is lame. It's bullshit that they can never touch each other, plus the game is stopped every minute because someone bumps someone else. A dangerous shot is a freaking joke, let the girls throw the ball around a little bit, it would make it a hell of a lot more fun. I'm sure if you gave them a helmet and pads excitement would ensue. Plus I want to see girls hit.

3. Girls never take it to the hole. They pass around all day and maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like if they would just give a little juke move or a spin move they would easily slip defenders. The girls have worse moves than I do on a football field and for anyone that doesn't know, that means none.

4. What the hell is everyone away from the ball doing during the face off. They are absolutely so ready to play, everyone in crazy stances and all. Just chill out, if you 40 yards away from the ball in the middle of the field I'm sure you will have time to react without your crouching dragon stance.

5. High school girls are hilarious. No less than 300 spy pictures were taken of me at the game. I guess it's better than signing autographs.

6. I hung out after the game and played my first catch with a lacrosse stick. It was pretty tough because the girls sticks have the little pockets, but after about 5 minutes I had it down. I can throw the shit out of the ball, just gotta keep tight control. Shave my legs, give me a little tuck, throw a wig on me and I would be and All-American.

7. The team that lost the game was more excited than the winners. I guess they were excited they held them to less than ten points, but that shit was crazy. I mean, get back on the bus and go home. I was talking to the girls on the winning team after the game and even they couldn't figure out what was going on. Weird?

8. I love dads in the stands. They yell the smartest things and make the game much more enjoyable. I can't wait the be the best asshole dad in the stands. I promise to never let any surrounding fans down. P.S. If anyone has set next to my dad in the stands at a skins game you would know what I'm talking about. I just want to follow in his footsteps. Well, maybe with just a little bit less groping and boob signing, and a little more "Open your eyes you cock sucking ref!" yelling.

TC: Drug Bust Drags DC Sports into Headlines

2009-05-27T10:51:00.009-04:00

Steroids and sports has been one of THE topics in the news in recent years. Just a few weeks ago it was Manny and today, its our home town teams in the Nationals and Capitals. In Manny's case we all knew it was true because there was a positive drug test. This story, so far, is completely hearsay. Because let's be honest, if you were to get arrested would you immediately begin running your mouth? So that raises the real question. Do you believe this guy? And further more, what is going to happen if he starts throwing names out there?

What we do know it that the guy had a shit ton of steroids at his house. $200,000 dollars worth to be exact. Which is great for anyone who wants to get themselves in trouble with the law. Because now, Richard Thomas and his wife are staring at 10 counts of possession of anabolic steroids with intention to sell and deliver; one count of possession of a firearm in commission of a felony; 10 counts importation of anabolic steroids into state of Florida; one count of maintaining a residence for selling drugs.

Maybe this brings to the forefront of why this man would throw out the teams he allegedly dealt steroids to and the possibility that he will throw out big time names. It is like when someone is drowning, they start grabbing for anything that can get them above water. Unfortunately in Dick's case, nothing he grabs at is going to help him get though this one, it is only going to make it worse for those people he tries to involve. All we can do now is hope this is some serious bullshit. But from this quote maybe it's not.

The sheriff said when Thomas was asked whether he had sold steroids to professional athletes, he replied, " "You name the sport, and I've sold steroids to athletes who play it."

Related The Piss Man Cometh

Fishing Anniversary

2009-05-23T21:38:00.005-04:00

This trophy blue gill is the first fish landed by me on my boat. No I am not proud to admit that today was the tenth time that I have been out on the river and this little guy was my first, although I am ecstatic that I have breached the positive fish count category. I swear I'm pretty good at catching trout, but I must be the worst bass fisherman alive.

Christy and I spent a little more than two hours on the river today and by the end I did manage my first measly bass, caught it behind a rock in the middle of the river with a little green rattle trap lure. Christy, who usually beats me on the river was skunked for the day. She did loose three lures though! Bass Pro Shops will be happy, I'll be sure to spend more money.

Also, I need to mention that today is our one year anniversary. How cool is it that my wife wanted to take me fishing. I love you baby! Now we eat year old cake!

Road Warriors from SI.com

2009-05-20T15:00:00.000-04:00

SI: What are the gadgets you can't live without when you travel?
Chris Cooley: My laptop, an Apple MacBook.

SI: What's one tip you can share for people who travel a lot?
Chris Cooley: The hotel will do anything you want. They'll do anything you ask. You just have to ask.

SI:What's your least favorite way to travel?
Chris Cooley:I hate airplanes. I hate turbulence. It scares the s--- out of me. I'm a [wimp] when it comes to that.

SI:Do you care where you sit on a plane?
Chris Cooley:I almost always have to sit in the window seat. It bugs me if I can't look out.

SI:What's your least favorite city to visit?
Chris Cooley:Philly. I really don't like Philly. I got a cheesesteak the first time I went there, but other than that, there's just nothing exciting about Philly.

SI:What's your favorite sports venue to visit as a fan or player?
Chris Cooley:I haven't been to very many. But I'm gonna go with the Verizon Center for Capitals games.

SI:What's your favorite place to eat on the road?
Chris Cooley:Any Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. I love Ruth's Chris.

SI:What's your craziest/best travel story?
Chris Cooley:We were playing in Denver during my second season and I was trying to fit in with all the guys. Cory Raymer had an entire backpack full of mini bottles of Jack Daniels. So we got into a drinking contest on the bus. The next day I found 13 or 14 of those bottles, empty, in my bag. And this was just on the bus to the airport after a game. Before we even took off, I'm conducting the pre-flight announcements. Twenty minutes into the plane ride I'm on the floor in the aisle eating out of an applesauce container. Needless to say, I had a visit with the head coach the next morning.

SI:Which city has the most rabid fans?
Chris Cooley:Philly. We got eggs thrown at our bus when we came into town last season.

SI:What's the first thing you do when you get home from a trip?
Chris Cooley:Last year, I would watch Entourage, Californication and Dexter. It was the Showtime/HBO night, so I'd TiVo those shows and I always looked forward to watching them when I got home. I can never sleep when I get home from a trip.

SI:What's your favorite mini–bar item?
Chris Cooley:I guess beer. The truth is we don't really need to use the mini-bar. Everything is usually provided for us.

Original Article here

Tell Me Something Wednesday: That's a Wrap!

2009-05-20T09:44:00.004-04:00

We'd waited 15 days to hear those words, crackling across 9 walkie-talkies and reverberating throughout Chris Cooley's cavernous estate—all while trying to keep an excited and growing crowd of cast, crew, and wrap party revelers quiet for the final shots.Principal photography on Ghosts Don't Exist wrapped at 7:50PM Monday night, just in time for the arriving mass of friends, family, investors, and other guests—all eager to celebrate the completion of the film we've worked so very hard on for the past few weeks. It was the culmination of a terrific concerted effort, and the beginning of the next phase of the project—post production.

Our final day of filming was a breeze, helped along by gorgeous weather and the wonderful setting of the Cooley home. Chris and Christy generously hosted our wrap party, which included a surprise sneak peek at the trailer (a rough cut created on site by editor Matt West).

We will post the official trailer here as soon as it's completed!

The night—and indeed, the entire production to date—was a huge success. There were hugs and congratulations all around, as cast and crew remembered fondly the long hours we'd invested, breathing both a sigh of relief and regret that this portion had finally reached it's end. Much like the end of a memorable school year, we all made sure we had each others' contact info, (and Facebook, of course) and collected autographs throughout the night.
For many of us, it was back to the "real world" on Tuesday—coping with the withdrawals that come with the end of an incredibly fun, rewarding production like this. But of course, this is really only the beginning. The ride has just started, and will only pick up steam as editing is completed, distribution deals are reached, and film festivals come calling—so stay tuned.

Posted by Richard Friend