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20.11.2019 13:06
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On a sweltering July afternoon in DeSoto, a sleepy suburb just outside of Dallas, the chicken farmer sweats through his Texas A&M T-shirt as he tends to two dozen of his feathered friends in the backyard of his parents home.Chickens, says Denver Broncos pass-rusher Von Miller, are dope.Despite the oppressive 100-degree heat here in Texas and increasingly heated contract negotiations with his team back in Denver, Miller, 27, is beaming like a proud papa. This chicken coop, which is no bigger than a tennis court, is the four-time Pro Bowlers happy place, his refuge from the spotlight that tends to follow a Super Bowl MVP with charisma to burn. Theres Miller on Dancing With the Stars and the Academy of Country Music Awards. Theres Miller, nude save for his ubiquitous eyewear and fur hat, in ESPN The Magazines Body Issue. Theres Miller at the White House, where the champs were feted by President Obama -- and this champ, at least, botched the greeting.I thought I just would, like, get a handshake, but he kind of held my hand, and he talked about how cool he thought my shoes are and my dance moves, Miller explains. I was just in awe, thinking this is so surreal. Then he let go of my hand, and Im looking at my hand -- and I just tripped on the presidential rug.Its the story of my life, man, he adds with a chuckle.Its a funny anecdote, anyway, in a story about a self-described geek with a dream, one that was born in College Station, Texas, and, if the Aggie has his way, could soon be fully realized with a moneymaking poultry operation. Miller is in talks to potentially acquire a commercial chicken farm not far from his childhood home, but make no mistake, its passion, not profit, that powers Millers poultry game.Here, presumably, is ESPNs first Q&A with a chicken farmer. And check out the SportsCenter feature above for more.-----------ALIPOUR: How did you get into the poultry game?MILLER: Im not even gonna lie, man, it started off by taking an easy class in college. [Laughs.] My professor, Dr. [Morgan] Farnell, he wouldnt let it be an easy class -- you know how these electives can be, you just go in there and sleep through it. But he made it a point to make sure I knew my information. And then I learned about it and really enjoyed it. Before you know it, its my major.How passionate are you about this?Im very passionate, especially when it comes to humanely raised chickens. I take pride in healthy birds. You got all these other big-time commercial farms that raise, you know, 30,000 birds. Me, its a whole lot smaller operation, but its a lot of bang for the buck.When did you acquire your first flock?I started building this chicken farm my sophomore year in college. As I got a little bit more money, it just got bigger and bigger. I got my first flock like five years ago. And then this current flock right here, itll be three years in November. Its like family. Theyre more like pets. We got a lot of natural predators out here, so we got to watch them as well. Hawks took a couple of birds from us, and there are snakes and coyotes. But other than that, they really dont have to worry about much here at Miller Farms.Wait, lets back up. Where are the snakes at?We got a little creek.Were not visiting the creek.No.So, lets say Im a chicken. What kind of life can I expect on Von Millers farm?You can expect a long life, a lot of space, great food and youll get along with your teammates. All our chickens, they get along pretty well. Its just a great environment, like a great organization that you want to play for. For example, they get to go out in the pasture in the afternoon and the morning. I like to bring them out to natural, solid grass, their natural setting in which theyre picking up worms rather than the litter and the dirt we have in the coop. Thats what its all about for me. Its not about the commercial aspect of it. Of course, theres money involved, and being able to make a buck off of this is what makes everything go, but thats not at the foundation at Miller Farms. Its about happy, humanely raised chickens.Should I expect my owner to eat me?Im not out here to eat the birds. Now, the eggs, thats a different story. Oh, yeah, I eat eggs all day [laughs]. I think you can taste the difference between a pasteurized egg and a commercial egg.How many eggs do they produce?Weve got 10 [chickens] laying eggs, so about 20 eggs a day. We take them in the house, wash them off, put them in storage. My mom [Gloria], she has a whole system. Shes really the mastermind behind the eggs. So its really like a family operation for me and my little brother [Vince], my mom and my dad [Von]. It was something that I brought home and they just ran with it.Are the birds cool with you taking their eggs and eating them?Oh, yeah, theyre cool. I dont even think they know whats going on.Do the birds have personalities?Yeah, they definitely have personalities, especially the rooster. The rooster is the man. Hes the leader of the pack. Hes watching out for everybody. I call him Peyton. We had five of them originally -- he was the toughest one out of the whole flock. Its only one of him, so hes just chillin around. You know, if its you with 30 females, youll be pretty chill, too. But they all got personalities. I thought about creating a little TV show for the birds. You know, you have a celebrity do voice-over for the chickens, like, Mine, mine, mine, get away! [Laughs.] But if you just sit and watch them, they all work as a team. They find food. One will alert the other one to come over here. Its pretty dope.So when did it become an insult to call somebody a chicken?I think when we were little kids, you know? Oh, youre a chicken. Youre afraid. When you think about chickens, you think about them being cowards and, you know, running away. Thats what it looks like. But when you actually look at them, especially the rooster, hes one of the toughest guys in the animal kingdom.So, what happens if I call you a chicken?[Laughs.] Im going to be OK with it.Hey, Von. Youre a chicken.I mean, I understand it. Im a chicken. Chickens are dope.Rocky trained by chasing chickens. Is that Hollywood fiction?No, its not Hollywood fiction. I tried it. But, you know, Id rather chase quarterbacks. Chickens are way more athletic than the most athletic quarterback you could probably go get.What do your teammates think about all this?When they first started hearing about me raising chickens, they thought it was a joke, another one of Vons tricks. But once you really get to know me and where Im from, then you get it. And when you come see my farm and the way I raise my chickens, you get to know me a lot better as well.I know youre in talks to acquire a commercial chicken farm. Whats the next step in your poultry empire.I want to create a different lane. Youve got all these big companies that do it other ways. I want to create a lane where there can be happy, healthy birds -- and thatll be my whole slogan. Youll see the bird with a smile, saying, Hey, Im living with Von Miller and were living great, man!Fake Vans . A forerunning sled crashed into the worker Thursday at the Sanki Sliding Center. The unidentified worker broke both legs and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Fake Vans For Sale . Down by seven with 90 seconds left in regulation, thats where they looked comfortable. https://www.vansfake.com/ . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom. Fake Vans Website . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. Fake Vans Cheap . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses.Chelsea are hoping to have Diego Costa available for their clash at Middlesbrough on Super Sunday after he was forced to pull out of the Spain squad during the international break.The striker was sent home early by Spain coach Julen Lopetegui after aggravating a groin injury he picked up during Chelseas 5-0 thrashing of Everton before the international break. Mboro vs Chelsea November 20, 2016, 3:30pm Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass It caused him to miss Spains friendly with England, and its a potential headache for manager Antonio Conte, who has steered the Blues from eighth place to second in the Premier League table with a run of five consecutive victories. Costa has been a key figure throughout the season, starting every one of Chelseas 11 Premier League games and topping the scoring charts with nine goals. Diego Costa celebrates with Gary Cahill after scoring against Everton Whats more, the stats show Chelsea have a far better Premier League record with Costa in the team than without him.In the 65 games he has started since joining Chelsea in 2014, the Blues have a win rate of 56.9 per cent compared to 40.9 per cent in 22 games when he has not featured. Chelsea with and without Diego Costa (Premier League games since 2014/15) With Costa Stat Without Costa 65 Games 22 37 Wins 9 13 Draws 11 15 Losses 2 129 Goals scored 29 2.dddddddddddd0 Average goals scored 1.3 77 Goals conceded 17 1.2 Average goals against 0.8 56.9% Win percentage 40.9% They also score more freely with Costa in the team, averaging two goals per game compared to just 1.3 per game without him.Costas absence would open the door to summer signing Michy Batshuayi. The Belgium international has been limited to eight substitute appearances in the Premier League, scoring his only goal in a 2-1 win over Watford back in August. Whats changed for Hazard? Whats behind Eden Hazards prolific form? The stats make interesting reading. Batshuayi would be eager to add to his tally against Middlesbrough, but the former Marseille striker is still finding his feet in the Premier League and the stats show why Costa is the main man.Chelsea will be hoping he is fit and firing on Super Sunday. History suggests his return would increase their chances of notching up a sixth consecutive Premier League win. Watch the preview of Sundays Premier League clash as Chelsea head to the Riverside Stadium to take on Middlesbrough Watch Middlesbrough v Chelsea live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 3.30pm on Sunday.Also See:Whats changed for Hazard?Chelsea will only get stronger ' ' ' |
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