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Phil Gordon
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"Have you ever watched poker on TV and wondered what the players
were thinking? If so, this DVD is perfect for you!"
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learn more...
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How did you come up with the idea for USA?
We were in Africa on a safari in January of 2002. We were wondering about the next great adventure since neither of us was ready to stop traveling
and settle down yet. After one too many beers, Phil said, "I've always wanted to get an RV and travel around America going to all the great sporting
events." Rafe said, "Sounds good to me, sign me up." By the end of the evening we had worked ourselves up into a frenzy laying out the plans that
are unfolding now. Over the next year, we told everyone we knew about the trip so we wouldn't be able to back out. The response was always the
same: "You guys are crazy... Hey, can I come along?" That was all the encouragement we needed to take the time out of our hedonistic and
don't-worry-about-tomorrow lives to do the planning (and dare we say "work"!) it actually took to put the trip together.
How much is the trip going to cost?
The real answer is that we don't exactly know. We were prepared to foot the bill ourselves if necessary, but we also were able to get some
great sponsors to help us significantly defray the out-of-pocket cost to us. It is very likely that we will not break
even on the trip, but to all those who would say, "Those guys can do this because they have money, but I could never do it," consider this. We are
convinced that with enough dedication and preparation, anyone could do a trip like ours, cover costs and even make a profit. Don't let your
personal doubts and demons get in the way of getting something you want out of life.
What's your deal with the charity (Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation)?
How much of the money you raise goes to them?
CRPF is a completely separate entity that existed long before USA. We contacted them and told them we wanted to help raise money and awareness for
them during the course of our trip, and they gladly accepted our offer. Our fundraising efforts for CRPF are separate from our own corporate
sponsorship. In some cases, our corporate sponsors have even been generous enough to give a portion of their revenues to CRPF because we are working
with them. Some of the ways we are raising money for CRPF include holding charity auctions, raffles, parties with optional donation upon entry,
passing the hat wherever we are, and convincing people we meet to write a check or use their credit card online to donate. If there is a direct cost
needed to raise money, for example, purchasing a raffle prize, this gets deducted before CRPF receives the proceeds. However, in no case will we
deduct indirect costs or any costs incurred that are not specifically required in order to raise the money at the specific event. 100% of the
proceeds we raise go to CRPF.
How did you choose the (Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation out of all the possible charities?
Before the trip started, we did a nationwide search for charities that met our own criteria. Over the course of a couple of months of interviewing
the charities and them interviewing us, we narrowed it down to a very short list, ultimately choosing CRPF over several very worthy organizations.
The reasons we chose CRPF are manifold, but here are the top reasons: (a) Cancer research and prevention is a cause that both of us feel passionate
about, having both lost loved-ones to cancer and knowing many cancer survivors; (b) CRPF is an extremely well-run, efficient and fiscally transparent
organization -- for those of us who are familiar with the graft in many so-called charities, the fact that CRPF spends 82% of every dollar raised
directly on research and prevention speaks volumes; (c) CRPF was, and is, very enthusiastic about and dedicated to helping us help them -- they know
that they will get so much more for their cause by viewing this relationship as a partnership rather than as one of strictly donor and recipient. We
would encourage anyone who is looking to spend time or money this year on charitable causes to consider CRPF, and we would be happy to talk to you in
detail about any aspect of our own process of choosing and working with them.
Who does all the driving?
Ideally we'd have a full-time driver who is responsible, professional, can go for 15 hours at a clip, watches and washes the RV while we are at
events, sleeps in a tent outside the vehicle, and does this all for the experience and maybe a little beer money. If you are this champion of freedom
and all good things, you are in luck, because we have not yet made our final decision on who will fill this position yet, so please contact us to
apply! Until the, we trade off driving while the other person either works on the web site, catches up on email, makes phone calls to upcoming
venues, or takes a nap.
How much do you drive each day?
The RV can go about 400 miles on a tank of gas and costs about $100 to fill up with gas (not diesel). We can safely go about 15 hours a day by
trading off. Optimal speed for stability on a smooth road seems to be 63 MPH, so for you math majors, that means we stop on average every 6 hours
for gas, stretch our legs, maybe get a restaurant meal. The good news about living in an RV is we can just pull over at a rest stop and park for
the night anytime we get tired.
Don't you get bored by all the driving?
Entertainment options while driving include: CDs (10-disc changer), MP3 player (iPod for Windows, holds 20GB), audio books downloaded to iPod, and
our new favorite toy: XM radio, a satellite broadcast system with 170 channels, including sports talk, comedy, and of course all sorts of music.
The passenger can also play video games and watch DVDs, the latter of which can be enjoyed by the driver if he doesn't mind just catching the audio.
We're grateful for any suggested music or audiobooks, so please email us if there's
anything you think would make the driving hours go by quicker.
What's it like driving an RV? Do you need a special license?
Frighteningly enough, you don't need a special license or training to drive an RV. Which is not to say that it is easy, rather that you should
stay as far away from RVs as you can, especially those with trailers or towed vehicles like ours. Our training consisted of a 10 minute drive each
out of the RV lot with the salesman saying things like, "Make sure to take the turns wide and slow." To be fair, it is much easier than it looks
at first, and since most of our driving is on the freeway, it's only nerve-racking 1% of the time. Backing up is a problem -- 10 times harder with
a trailer than without -- and should be avoided if at all possible. Consequently, we are always conscious of not getting into tight spots, looking
around and planning the best route in an out of gas stations, malls and side streets.
How do you connect to the internet while on the road?
We subscribe to a wireless service from Verizon called Express Network. For about $100/month unlimited access you can turn your cell phone into
a modem, or you can get dedicated PC cards for your laptop, which is better for us since it runs off of the computer power and doesn't tie up your
line while connected. The speed turns out to be about 50Kbps (they claim 128Kbps, yeah right), which is like normal dialup speeds. The service
is not available everywhere, so when we are far from a city we are likely not to be able to connect. There are also areas where we can connect at
a lower speed for an extra surcharge, but it's not worth the cost and hassle.
Where do you park the RV at night?
When convenient, we find RV parks and hook up to their water and electricity outlets. But it's only convenient about a third of the time, so we
end up finding a spot in a mall parking lot or a residential street. RVers know that Wal*Mart and K-mart are pretty friendly about this sort of
thing. So far we've been lucky and nobody has ticketed us or woken us up to move the rig, but we're prepared to pay some parking tickets. We
think that we're probably tow-proof, but it will be exciting to see someone try :-)
Who gets to sleep in the one bedroom in the RV?
This is determined once a week via our method for settling all disputes: Roshambo. That's rock-paper-scissors, not the Southpark version of the
game. The winner gets to sleep for the next week in the private, queen-sized bed with comfy mattress, down comforter, full-sized pillows, and a
cocoon-like darkness guaranteed by the double-thick shades. The loser is relegated to the pull-out couch or floor (their choice) in the living
room area, where the light encroaches on the morning, the comfort level is okay, but the difference is very noticeable. So it's a very important
roshambo each week. The indelicate question has been asked by our readers, "What happens if one of us meets a girl and, well, you know...?" The
answer in that case: first one back to the RV can claim the bedroom for the night.
Are you guys married?
Is there a woman alive who would put up with her husband going on a year-long sports road trip with one of the guys? I guess the question answers
itself. But on the off chance we're wrong, send us email with your picture and
vital stats....
Do you have girlfriends?
Before the trip we took out "wingman insurance policies" on each other. If either of us gets a serious girlfriend during the trip, he has to pay
the other one a large sum of money. A serious girlfriend is defined as some with whom you are exclusive, or about whom you even think about
uttering the phrase, "I'm not sure if I can go to [insert any event here] with you and the guys, I have to check with my girlfriend first."
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