LOST DISCIPLES INCORPORATED

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK | LOST DISCIPLES INCORPORATED

writer: christopher dinkins | @leftynice

THERE’S A GROUP OF GREAT FRIENDS OUT OF NEW YORK CITY THAT HAVE A STORY TO TELL. IT ALL BEGINS AT BROOKLYN TECH HIGH SCHOOL WHEN SEVEN FRIENDS WHO WERE CONNECTED THROUGH A COMMON LOVE OF SPORTS. AN IDEA WAS BUILT ON THE STRENGTH OF BROTHERHOOD AND FRIENDSHIP. TWENTY YEARS LATER, THE BOND REMAINS IN THE FORM OF AN ANNUAL FOOTBALL TRIP THAT HAS INVOLVED DIFFERENT NFL STADIUMS AND CITIES WHICH HAS CREATED A LEGACY THAT DEFEATS THE NARRATIVE THAT SAYS BLACK MEN CAN’T COME TOGETHER AND HAVE FUN. LOST DISCIPLES INCORPORATED WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1999 BY MEN WHO HAVE FAMILY LIVES AND ARE DEDICATED WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF VISITING EVERY PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL STADIUM. THE TRIPS ARE SELF -COORDINATED AND PLANNED OUT AS SOON AS THE SCHEDULE COMES OUT IN THE SPRING. THE EXPERIENCES INCLUDE THE INAUGURAL TRIP TO ATLANTA, WHICH WAS EVERYONE’S FIRST EVER NFL GAME. ON A VISIT TO SEE ONDRA PEELE, WHO BECAME A STOCKBROKER AND RELOCATED TO ATLANTA, THE EXCITEMENT FROM THAT TRIP HAS GROWN INTO A YEARLY REUNION/GET TOGETHER AND IN THE PROCESS HAS CREATED MANY MEMORIES. THERE ARE LOYAL FANS IN THIS GROUP OF VARIOUS TEAMS THAT MAKES IT LOOKS LIKE A FOOTBALL CONVENTION IS IN TOWN, THE TRIPS ARE ALSO SIGHTSEEING EXCURSIONS AND VISITING DIFFERENT PLACES ALSO PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GUYS. KANSAS CITY INCLUDED A VISIT TO THE NEGRO BASEBALL HALL OF FAME AND A MEMORABLE DISPLAY WAS THE CONCURRENT TIMELINE WHICH SHOWED WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE COUNTRY WITH BASEBALL, THE GOVERNMENT AND BLACK PEOPLE AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN HISTORY. IT WAS AN ENLIGHTENING EXPERIENCE FOR THE GROUP.

SOME MEMORABLE EVENTS AND MOMENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE DURING AND AROUND THESE TRIPS. THE TRIP TO BALTIMORE IN 2002 IS MEMORABLE FOR THE FACT THAT THE D.C. SNIPER WAS CAPTURED THE NIGHT BEFORE THEY LEFT. AND THE MINNESOTA TRIP WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR THE ROOF CAVING IN AT THE OLD METRODOME IN 2010. THE TRIP TO ST. LOUIS IN 2015 WAS MEMORABLE FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS. IT WAS ACTUALLY THE SECOND TO LAST GAME FOR THE RAMS BEFORE THEY MOVED TO LOS ANGELES, AND THE VIBE WAS EXPRESSED THAT THIS WAS THE BEST TRIP FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS. SOME MAJOR EVENTS HAVE ALSO TAKEN PLACE AROUND THE ANNUAL EXCURSIONS, MINNESOTA WAS A TRIP THAT WAS OFFSET BY THE ROOF AT THE METRODOME CAVING IN AND SAN DIEGO WAS ALSO CLASSIC FOR ITS CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EVERYWHERE THE GROUP NEEDED TO TRAVEL TO. IN SEATTLE DURING THE 2007 SEASON ON A MONDAY NIGHT, THE SEAHAWKS HOSTED THE COWBOYS, IT WAS A GREAT TRIP FOR DJ DIZ WHO IS A CORE MEMBER OF LDI, HAD THE TIME OF HIS LIFE, CHEERING ON HIS TEAM AS A PART OF THE “12TH MAN”, WHICH IS SEATTLE’S FAMOUS FAN BASE. THIS WAS AN EXCITING TRIP TO SAY THE LEAST. GOING TO THE SONICS GAME, ONE OF THE MEMBERS, ANTHONY GOT HIS JACKET CAUGHT IN THE VAN DOOR, AND AS HE WAS TRYING TO GET HELP, THE REST OF THE CREW WAS CAUGHT UP IN THE EXCITEMENT OF THE MOMENT AND ALMOST LEFT HIM THERE. IT WAS A CLASSIC MOMENT TO SAY THE LEAST, AND THAT WASN’T THE ONLY CLASSIC MOMENT FROM THAT TRIP. HANGING OUT IN SEATTLE WANTING TO TAKE IN THE FLAVOR OF THE CITY, THE GUYS WERE CAUGHT AT A RAILROAD STOP WAITING FOR A TRAIN TO PASS, LITERALLY FELL ASLEEP AND WHEN THEY WOKE UP, THE TRAIN WAS STILL PASSING BY.

THE GROUP ALSO GOT TO SEE A SUPERSONICS NBA GAME BEFORE THEY RELOCATED TO OKLAHOMA CITY. THEIR MOST RECENT TRIP WAS TO INDIANAPOLIS TO SEE THE COLTS HOSTING THE DALLAS COWBOYS LAST SEASON. IT ALSO INCLUDED A COUPLE OF TRIPS TO SEE THE PACERS PLAY AGAINST THE KNICKS, AND ANOTHER GAME TO SEE THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS. THAT TRIP ALSO INCLUDED A “NATIONAL ANTHEM SITUATION”, BUT IT WAS JUST A RESULT OF BEING OUT OF TOWNERS AND NOT UNDERSTANDING (OR CARING ABOUT) THE LOCAL CUSTOMS. AND IT ALL TURNED OUT TO BE POSITIVE AS THE GROUP WAS OFFERED A LUXURY BOX, INVITED TO COME DOWN ON TO THE FOOTBALL FIELD, VISIT THE LOCKER ROOM OF THE COLTS AND EVEN MEETING A WNBA PLAYER. THESE TRIPS ARE VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS USUALLY THE ONLY TIME SOME OF THE BROTHERS IN THE GROUP GET TO SEE EACH OTHER ALL YEAR. FAMILY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE GROUP SINCE THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE FATHERS AND FAMILY MEN, SO THERE ARE NO SLOUCHES AT ALL WITHIN THE LOST DISCIPLES GROUP. AGAIN, THIS IS THE TWENTIETH YEAR OF WHAT STARTED OUT AS AN OUT OF TOWN VISIT BY SOME FRIENDS AND HAS GROWN BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS INTO SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE CARRIED ON BY THE NEXT GENERATION. THERE ARE ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO JOIN THE GROUP, BUT AGAIN THESE ARE RESPECTABLE BLACK MEN FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. THEY ARE ACCOUNTANTS, STOCK BROKERS, TRANSIT AND SANITATION WORKERS, SO THEY WANT THIS GROUP TO BE A REPRESENTATION OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN BLACK MEN COME TOGETHER IN A POSITIVE WAY. SO FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SPORTS MINDED AND LOOKING TO ENJOY A GREAT TIME WITH SOME POSITIVE BROTHERS, LOST DISCIPLES INCORPORATED MIGHT BE A GROUP YOU MAY WANT TO JOIN THEM AS THEY ARE ALWAYS WANTING TO EXPAND THE GROUP. AND AFTER TWENTY YEARS, THE LEGACY HAS BEEN LAID DOWN.

CONTACT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED: JEROME JARVIS AT JAYJARV13@HOTMAIL.COM

PHOTO CREDIT: CEOTIS ROBINSON