Sports...and other stuff

A Semi-Open Letter

2007-10-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

I wrote this letter to Andrew Sullivan today. It's some things that have been on my mind for a while and, well, I put fingers to keyboard and this came out:

Dear Andrew,

This is going to be extremely long, so I apologize in advance for the length. Feel free to utilize any of this missive in a post if you see fit.

I want to begin by stating that I have been a fairly devoted reader of your blog for about the last four years or so. I don’t even recall how I stumbled across your blog, but I find it fascinating. Even when I don’t agree with your point of view I find that (for the most part) you make compelling, reasoned arguments. That, coupled with the fact that you will actually admit when you’re wrong, shows me that you actually have a level of intelligence and compassion that many of your peers do not exhibit.

A little bit about who I am as a reader: I am a 29 year old African-American/Black Male. I have a BA in Communication and a Masters in Educational Administration – College Student Personnel Administration. I was born and raised in Manhattan, and attended Catholic and private schools for my primary, middle, and secondary education.

My mother and late father are Democrats. I would call myself a moderate independent. I am pro-choice, anti-assault weapon, pro-GLBT rights, and pro-affirmative action as affirmative action should be applied. What I mean is that people who meet basic qualifying measures should be considered for jobs or colleges and universities, but that’s as far as it should go. We shouldn’t admit people to schools or hire people for jobs simply to fulfill quotas or make ourselves look good. But keeping qualified people out of these pools is abhorrent.

Oh, and I am against federal hate crime laws, especially anti-speech laws because I find them to be vague and more chilling of speech than protective of people.

As a native New Yorker, I was in favor of going into Afghanistan but not Iraq. I believe that you can support the troops without supporting the war in Iraq. I do think we need to leave Iraq as soon as we can; this pig headed refusal to admit defeat is only going to cause us to be defeated. Sometimes it is wiser to depart a situation and reassess yourself so you can move forward in a positive manner than to remain in an absolute quagmire.

I do think that the government should provide some form of limited aid to help those who are less fortunate, but I am not in favor of indefinite welfare. It should be conditional. However, I do still believe in Social Security because I don’t think that charities are able to do enough on their own.

I believe that people should have the right to practice their religion (no matter what it is) without being ridiculed or mocked. All that I ask is that you respect my choice to not practice or believe – in other words, don’t force your religion on my personal or professional life.

I say “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays” because both are correct. The existence of one does not lessen the other.

I list all of the above to make a point to you and your readers: In this day and age of political commentary (and I use that word very, very loosely), it’s easy to forget just how complex we all are.

Some pundits and talking heads and columnists and bloggers all want to place us into our little boxes and on different sides of the divide – Red State/Blue State, Democrat/Republican, Christianist/Atheist, Hawk/Dove – that I feel that we really do have to step back and remember that we aren’t the product of focus group testing and talking points.

We have to remember that we are all basically contradictions. Is any one candidate perfect? Absolutely not; they’re all flawed to some degree. (Some are clearly more flawed than others.) But anyone who is voting for someone who looks like them – and is only voting for them because they look like them (or is the same religion as them, or went to the same school as them) is a fool.

This isn’t high school. Get beyond the clique mentality. Do some research and soul searching on the issues facing our country today and determine where you stand. Then get out there and make sure your voice, your opinion, is heard. Make sure that the candidates for ALL elected offices this fall – whether it’s your city council or the race for the White House – know that we, the American People and the electorate, are going to take back the government.

If this is still a democracy, then it has to happen. We’ve gone too far off course to this point. 2008 may be our last chance to correct course.

Or maybe I’m just Pollyanna.

What I've been doing for the last year and change.

2007-10-03T08:47:00.001-07:00

So the little fella picture above is only part of what's been going on in my life.

When I last joined you all for post number 100, I had just returned from my wedding. My lovely wife and I had moved to Las Vegas to begin working for UNLV. Things were proceeding well.

In January, we found out that she (we) were pregnant. Life became a whirlwind of doctor's appointments and assembling furniture and going to classes on becoming a parent.

And being pregnant in the heat of the Mojave desert? Not fun.

Our son arrived in the world 25 days ago at 8:02pm local time. And he has changed my world immensely.

Yes, there is the lack of sleep for us. But when I look at him, and see him looking back at me, well, my heart just melts. And I realize what people mean when they say that parenthood changes them - that they would do anything they can to make sure their kid is happy.

I feel that way, too.

2006-08-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

It's the 100th posting!!

Here's where the balloons are supposed to fall from the sky, and the trumpets blare and all of that jazz.

But things are really decidedly more low-key in this miniature exercise in narcissism (miniature because I don't post often enough for it to be a small).

Well, in the intervening two months since I last posted, I've had quite a few life changing events take place.

I relocated to the greater Las Vegas/Clark County area to work at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas as an academic advisor.
On August 12, I married my love in a small ceremony in South Carolina. That means that I am off the market. (Sorry ladies!)
I have been selected to appear on a television show. I attend the taping of the show next week. Disclosure rules prevent me from stating what show it is right now; you'll just have to wait for a while to ponder what show it could possibly be.

Although if you've known me for a while, it should be pretty easy to figure out.

But I'm still around. Still alive and kicking, and now that the wedding planning is over and done with, I'm starting to return to a sense of normalcy. The best advice I can give if you're planning a wedding: If you have the money, hire a wedding planner.

2006-06-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

I'll admit to being in the tank, on some level, for the University of Oregon.

I have no personal connection to the school. I've never even been to the state of Oregon.

And I will also admit to this: I love their uniforms.

I may be the only person that follows/covers college football that will openly state that.

Last year, Oregon debut a fourth uniform featuring a black trunk and some industrial-looking reinforcing on the shoulders.

Well, that black jersey was the template for a new redesign of the uniforms by Nike.

Oh, and they've added a white helmet to the rotation, and a yellow option is in the works.

Follow this link to see pictures of their apparel.

2006-06-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm angry right now. I'm very angry.

I'm getting married in 66 days or so to a woman I love very much.

And I asked her last night as we were watching "The Daily Show" (with Bill Bennett as guest) if she thought that our impending marriage would be weakened if any of our gay friends decided to get married.

Her answer was simply, "Of course not."

The idiotic, bigoted, hateful, despicable Federal Marriage Amendment failed once again. And I couldn't be happier.

Andrew Sullivan has an excellent analysis of the President's speech. It's an audio analysis, so be ready for that. Andrew calls it "Podfisking", which means he goes through the speech point-by-point and rebutts and debunks the arguments. Take the time to listen to the file.

Are we going to have to go through this every two years? Every time we hit an even numbered year, are we going to bring this dead horse back to life to beat it around?

I don't understand the motivation behind this amendment at all. It seems that after 9/11, there has been nothing but hatred and fear running through the country. It's like the towers fell down, and all hell broke loose on some level. Disrespect has replaced civil discourse. People on both sides of the aisle use the terms "Liberal" and "Conservative" to brand their opponents as evil.

The religious fanatics within our own country want to keep people from an expression of love and commitment simply because...what? What possible rational reason can any of them come up with to explain to me why marriage between two men and two women is going to lead to the collapse of American society.

I'm still waiting for one. And I know it won't be coming because it can't come. It can't be justified.

We should be worried about winning the war in Iraq. We should be worried about the rising cost of oil. We should be worried about the rising deficit. Focus on what's really wrong with the country, and stop resorting to fear and hate mongering.

It's a waste of all of our time.
* * * * *
I went into my files, and I pulled out an opinion column I wrote for the Centre Daily Times (State College, PA) newspaper. It was published on March 13, 2004. But considering that the issue is back, I've decided to repost it here in its entirety:

Imagine having to wake up every morning denying your existence. Imagine waking up everyday, knowing that you are in love with a person, wanting this individual to become a more complete part of your life, to give them legal rights and benefits, and to express to yourselves, your families and to the world that you care for this person. Imagine living in a country where your leader states in very plain language that you are not to be considered an equal of his.

Your leader took an oath to defend and protect the Constitution, a document that gives you your rights. A document that allows you to be an active participant in this country is about to become a tool to dehumanize you. And the leader you trust, whom you may have voted for, has decided that you do not matter.

Is that a way you would want to live? Is that a place you would want to live?

That, unfortunately, is not some country in the third world. The country is our country. As the city of San Francisco marries gay and lesbian couples and fights the state of California for the right to do it, President Bush endorsed the Federal Marriage Amendment, which states, “Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this constitution or the constitution of any state, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups.”

The amendment would write discrimination back into the document for the first time since 1870, when the 15^th Amendment was ratified. That amendment forbade discrimination on the basis of race. Of course, racism still existed at the state level in many places until the mid 1960s. However, it was not federally mandated racism. That is the key.

President Bush’s pandering to the religious fundamentalist right may not be the right strategy to employ. As a candidate in 2000, Bush was known for calling himself “a uniter.” Now, four years later he is a divider of the worst degree.

America has tried to change a lot over the past 40 years with regards to discrimination against its citizenry. More people are grasping and appreciating diversity and inclusion, and would prefer that the Constitution not allow for the explicit ostracizing of any minority group. And yes, homosexuals are a minority group. In fact, the only group that has shown a clear majority in favor of this amendment are those aged 65 and over.

In addition, 38 states have already passed laws that prohibit same sex marriages thanks to the Defense of Marriage Act that President Clinton signed into law in 1996. When 75 percent of the states have a law on the books, why does there need to be a federal amendment that prohibits what the civil law already says?

The country is divided on this issue, and it apparently will become one of the focus points for the 2004 presidential campaign. But there is something else at work here that we need to think about. If you agree with gay marriage, or believe it should not happen is one thing. The question to ponder is this: If the FMA gets passed, and homosexuals are prevented marriage or civil unions of any kind, then which group is next? Are interracial marriages the next target (as they were in December, 1912?) Or marriage between those of different religions? Where do we draw the line? How far are we willing to let the federal government into our personal lives, and at what consequence?

2006-05-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung.

May has arrived in full bloom, and as the academic year winds down, I actually have time to revist my writing projects that I have let languish. This blog is one of the projects that got shoved off the stove (forget the back burner) because of time spent in hotels, at conferences, doing interviews, and logging 10-14 hour days.

Such is the life of a student affairs/student services professional in March, April and May.

But May allows me time to reflect on things. Especially this May.

I've hit something of a milestone in my life. Wednesday marks ten years since I went to my high school prom. June 1 marks ten years since I graduated from high school. There isn't a high school reunion coming up anytime soon. But even if there was, I highly doubt that I would go.

It's a road that I really don't feel like traveling down. I wasn't necessarily fond of my high school experience. It's not that I didn't meet some good people. I just think I've moved so far away from that era of my life. I don't really feel the urge to go back and pretend to reminisce about "the good old days."

I wasn't treated poorly; I just drifted along on my own. I've always been closer to women than men, and being in an all-male high school was a big shock to my system. Granted, I did have interactions with the fairer sex (for lack of a less offensive term) but let's say that I was...emotionally stunted on some level.

But I got out of dodge, if you can view New York City that way. I moved to a wonderful institution in Columbia, Missouri and started anew.

And I've never really looked back.

I'm more amazed by some of the people I met at Mizzou, especially the crew I ran with my first year. They all lived in Hatch Hall. I was over in Schurz, on the other side of Bingham Dining Hall (in the final year of the Snack Shack's existence).

And they've gone on to do some things I'm proud of. One is a humor columnist, pub writer and podcaster for The Nottingham Evening Post.

One is getting her M.F.A. from the University of Arizona. I lost touch with her for a few years, but I am working hard at rekindling the friendship. As soon as her first book of essays comes out, I am buying it. :)

A third friend is wrapping up a trip to India. She's been keeping an online journal of her travels, which I highly recommend. Oh, and she's a kick-ass photographer, too.

These three people, plus many others from my college days, mean more to me than anyone from my high school ever could.

That may sound cold, but it's the truth.

2006-03-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

If you have ESPN Insider access, I highly recommend that you check out Kyle Whelliston's excellent piece on the waiting game yesterday for the Missouri Valley Conference and Colonial Athletic Association as Selection Sunday loomed yesterday.

I wish I could forward the piece on to Dick Vitale, Digger Phelps, Jay Bilas, Jim Nantz, Billy Packer, and anyone else who doesn't think that the Valley or the CAA should have gotten extra teams in.

Certain individuals want to blame the RPI; others want to denigrate the league simply because they are not members of power leagues; others, quite possibly, couldn't tell you where some of these schools are located, and feel that that is a good enough reason to leave the them on the outside.

Sadly, based on the "computer numbers" (RPI and Strength of Schedule) the best team to not make the field of 65 was Missouri State. The Bears were top 25 in RPI and are playing in the all-new, NCAA owned NIT instead.

But I'll tell you this: Keeping their record equal to what it is, if Missouri State's profile was placed onto the Missouri Tigers, do you think there'd be any question about whether or not they belonged in the field?

I didn't think so.

2006-03-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

"Big Sexy" Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star (and a contributor to ESPN.com) writes a scathing piece absolutely destroying Vince Young.

The thing is, I agree with him 100 percent.

There has been an element of knuckleheadedness surrounding Vince Young ever since he declared that he was entering the NFL Draft.

He didn't want to throw at the combine? Fine. Understood. Matt Leinart didn't throw either.

However, among Young's documented transgressions:

Not wearing a coat and tie to the White House when being honored for winning the national title. Whether you agree with the president's politics or policies doesn't matter. When you go to the White House, you get dressed up. You don't have to go black tie unless its a dinner. And you don't have to pull out the three-piece suit (although it would be appropriate.) But you got to wear a shirt and tie at a bare minimum. We know he has a suit; he managed to scrape one together for the Reggie Bush Heisman Coronation ceremony in December.
The whole Wonderlic test score debacle (6 or 16) which ties into the greatest mistake of all:
Hiring a family friend to serve as agent, and also letting another family friend apparently nicknamed "Black" (a nightclub owner) call the shots.

I don't think an NFL player has made this poor a decision about hiring an agent since Ricky Williams hired Master P to fill that role for him. Vince Young has not carried himself like a potential NFL top three prospect.

Please don't come and say that Vince is just being Vince, or that I want him to sell out for the man, or anything that is similarly ludicrous and fallacious.

Major Adams may be a fine attorney; I admit that I am not familar with his body of work in that field. But just because you have a J.D. doesn't mean you know what it takes to be a sports agent. Or that you know how to handle a high profile client like Mr. Young.

There is no way that Vince Young should have scored below at 25 on that test. He should have been taking a version of the Wonderlic damn near every day since he announced his intentions to declare early. He should have known every possible type of question that the testers could generate.

I'm sorry, but I think that this is just too big of a deal to leave to a couple of friends of the family to operate. And I am a big fan of Vince Young's. I just think that the poor decisions that he's making are going to be his downfall.

Although I guess that there's one upside to all of this: No one's really questioning his throwing motion anymore.

2006-03-08T07:05:00.000-08:00

I'm calling today "Washington Post Wednesday."

Two good articles from this week in the Post. The first one I'm linking to is Jay Mathews's "Class Struggle" column, which deals with issues in education. The column is about a new book addressing the college admissions process. Here is the column.

The other piece is part of series about the recruiting of college basketball players. The series is called "The Player Chase." The link leads to the most recent piece in the series.

2006-02-14T05:36:00.000-08:00

I had been holding off on commenting on the temination of employment between Quin Snyder and the University of Missouri.

For my official, reasoned take, you can read it in my e-Sports column.

The visceral take? So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen goodbye.

ESPN's Pat Forde (Mizzou, 1987) thinks Snyder should have been dumped after last season. I have to agree with my fellow Tiger on this one.

The players, apparently, have decided that they're going to play for coach Snyder now. Why now and not, I don't know, the six games before he quit - that's up to them to answer.

Jeffrey Flannigan of the KC Star thinks the problem is recruting. I maintain that the problem was never just with recruiting; it was with execution on the court, too.

Look, I am sure that the NCAA sanctions, including the ban on off-campus recruiting for a year, did not help this team or this program. But the ban wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for recruting violations.

Lastly, Dickie V. has a few words to offer, too.

2006-02-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday.

Super Sunday has arrived.

Meh.

I'm not that excited. I'm not a huge NFL guy, and this game usually seems to be a letdown.

On some level, it reminds me of the NCAA tournament. The build-up and the run-up to the final game is often better than the actual final game.

Last week, I would have been ready for this game. I think I could have actually mustered the false enthusiasm to care.

Now? I jsut want to see the commercials, and hope that they are better than last year's sorry crop.

We are still in the post Janet/Justin era, so naturally these big corporations are still going to veer somewhat conservative.

Which may not be a bad thing in an election year.

For the record, I'll enter a pick.

I'll go the same way I went in the college football national title game. I'm gonna go with the underdog.

Seattle 27, Pittsburgh 24.

2006-02-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

A great piece by Peter Keating writing for ESPN the Magazine about a doctor who may have a way to minimize concussions in the NFL. But the league apparently doesn't want to hear it. It will be in the February 13 issues of ESPN the Magazine.

2006-02-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

Where do I fit in?

Where do I fit in in today’s America?

I was reading this article in the Washington Post on-line today about former Senator John “St. Jack” Danforth. Besides being a politician and diplomat, he is also a preacher.

The greater context of the article is about the rise of Republicans on the backs of extremely conservative evangelism. It also touches on the connection between church and state.

One of the quotes in particular that struck me was by Richard Land, a member of the Southern Baptist Convention, who also happens to be a friend of Karl Rove (take that for what it’s worth):

“Votes reflect moral values. The struggle for hearts and minds gets reflected in the ballot box.”

Peter Slevin, the author of the WaPo piece, adds these paragraphs near the end:

“Thus, the future influence of religion in politics -- and which shade of religion gains the greatest political traction -- likely comes down to an old-fashioned electoral equation. Just as Richard Land says, and he is betting on the influence of voters who like their lines clearly drawn. He thinks the very certainty that Danforth disdains is what will carry the Christian right to greater heights.

‘We do believe God has a side, that he's not a moderate or relativist on everything,’ says Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. ‘I'm not a prophet. They may convince the American people they're right. We may continue to convince the American people we're right. I'd be happy to debate John or Jimmy [Carter, who has praised Danforth] anytime, anywhere.’”

This is why I wonder where I fit in.

I was baptized and raised Roman Catholic in a Hispanic neighborhood. But I readily acknowledge that I don’t practice. I found the institution to be repressive and backwards on most issues. Sorry to admit this, but God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit don’t play a leading role in my decision-making and in how I live my life. I’m not moved. Not one bit.

Does that mean I’m damned to eternal hell? If you think that, then sure I am. I prefer to think that I’ll turn into a soap mummy, but that’s the scientist in me rearing its ugly head.

I’ve just found so many of the people in power who profess to be Christian living the most flawed existences.

No matter what you think, life is not completely colored in black and white. There are shades of grey no matter where you turn. To think, as Mr. Land does, that there is a right and wrong to everything, is dangerous to me.

No one is pure. Not a single person. We all have done something evil, said something evil, and/or thought something not completely pure and chaste. Anyone who claims that they are pure and chaste - is full of it. You can’t convince me otherwise.

Think about this: According to the bible, thou shalt not kill. Straight from the 10 Commandments, whom some feel should be displayed in governmental arenas (and, possibly a small minority who think that it should be everywhere.)

So, thou shalt not kill. It is how you can justify outlawing abortion, because abortion is murder.

But then, how can that same person justify capital punishment?

In a black and white world, isn’t killing, well, killing?

2006-01-31T05:57:00.000-08:00

From the "You have got to be fucking kidding me department" courtesy of the Washington Post:

[L]iberal activists including Cindy Sheehan and Ramsey Clark gathered yesterday at the Busboys & Poets restaurant and bookshop at 14th and V streets NW for what they billed as a forum on "The Impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney."

But wait - there's more. The above and below are taken from Dana Milbank's WaPo column this morning:

The lineup of speakers indeed could have been a Bill O'Reilly fantasy: Saddam Hussein's lawyer (Clark), Hugo Chavez's friend (Sheehan) and the man who denied Al Gore the presidency in Florida in 2000 (Ralph Nader).

Nader, as it happens, couldn't make it because of a death in the family. But Fox News was there -- and the other speakers did not disappoint.

There is nothing wrong with grassroots politics. But if the Democrats continue to allow the extreme left to dominate the headlines, they have no shot of an upset in the midterm elections later this year.

Those who are radically liberal may not want to hear this, but pay attention. You have no power right now. The best way to get back into power isn't going to be through the radical ideologue wing of the party. This isn't 1994, when Gingrich and the hard(er) right wing took office. Times have changed. The world has changed. Sadly, this is not a time of peace. For better or for worse, whether you agree with us being there or not - we are at war.

I understand that politicking with those whom you disagree with is difficult. But damnit, this partisan bickering and hand wringing and backbiting and moaning and groaning needs to stop sometimes. Why are our politicians act like five year olds in kindergarten, and why do we continue to engender the machine with similar behavior?

It happens all the time in the House; there is a certain stagnation in the lower chamber. Then again, it happens in the Senate, too. How the hell has Ted Kennedy been allowed to serve so long? Why were Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms in office as long as they were?

It's because even though pundits (professional and amateur) and rabble-rousers (like Michael Moore and Fred Phelps and Cindy Sheehan and Pat Robertson) argue and bicker and yell at each other, the vast majority of Americans, it seems...just don't care.

2006-01-30T10:58:00.000-08:00

In the current sporting landscape, it's been hard to be a fan lately. Between Marcus Vick and Ron Artest making headlines, and everyone's friend Terrell Owens bound to make headlines sooner or later, it can be easy to lose hope that good can be found.

But a story on ESPN.com in December alerted readers to the story of Nikolette Harris, a 12 year old girl from Oregon who was suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL.) 80 percent of the kids who come down with ALL recover completely.

Except Nikolette. The cancer came back. Not just once-but twice. A bone marrow transplant was going to cost the family $125,000. They did some fundraising on their own, and started a website.

The story got picked up by the Oregon Ducks message board EDuck.com. Soon, the word was spread across the sports message board landscape to places as far reaching as Texas, Mississippi, Iowa and Oklahoma (whom the Ducks played in the Holiday Bowl December 29.) In, fact, fans from the two schools held a fund raising competition in the days leading up to the game. All told, fans raised over $100,000 in the span of a month.

Sadly, Nikolette died on Friday from complications following a stem-cell transplant that doctors were hoping would help her condition. They never managed to find a matching donor for her.

From a story by ESPN.com reporter Wayne Drehs:

This weekend, messages of good luck turned to prayers for the family. Everyone from nurses to football fans to other families with sick children across the country visited the site to offer their prayers and thanks to a little girl who touched more people in 12 years than most will in a lifetime.

Wrote one visitor late Saturday night:

"Your brief visit on this orb changed the lives of a lot of people who followed the progress of the battle against your disease. You brought together a lot of people who wished for not only your survival here, but became aware of the needs of other youngsters with similar conditions. Your brief life did inspire many others to share love, benevolence, and caring."

How does this tie back into sportsmanship? Nikolette was an Oregon State fan, archrival of the Ducks.

To read more about Nikolette's struggle, check out her website. Also, you can see Wayne Drehs original article at this link.

2006-01-18T06:41:00.000-08:00

It funny when you reflect on life.

It's 2006. I graduated from my high school (Regis High School) June 1, 1996.

Ten years ago.

I enrolled at the University of Missour i and moved to Columbia in August 1996.

And it was on a fateful day in August that I came across a person who would profoundly affect my view on life (although she might not have known that.)

My friend Kella was the first person I really interacted with outside of staff people. I met her while waiting in line to get into the freshman barbeque at Faurot Field. I was wearing a KC Royals Jersey (what the hell was I thinking?) and she introduced herself, since she was from the Kansas City area. Over the years she recruited me to do things I know I wouldn't have done on my own - including attending a Step Aerobics class. Yeah, I'm still not sure how I got roped into doing that.

She was also the first girl I ever sent flowers to on Valentine's Day. Just because I could.

I had lost touch with her after graduation, which was totally my fault. I can't believe that I let someone that cool nearly slip from my grasp. But thanks to Friendster, I've found her again.

So here's an online toast to this beautiful, intelligent, fun-loving woman back in my life. And check out her blog, "Temporary Wisdom." You'll be glad you did.

2006-01-17T07:34:00.000-08:00

Great television sometimes has to be aired late at night for a variety of reasons. and The Daily Show and The Colbert Report air on Comedy Central late night because they are "news" and "information" shows.

And then there's The Boondocks on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim Block (11pm EST Sundays with re-airs on Saturday.)

This past Sunday's episode was a dream by Huey, wondering what the world would be like if Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was still alive. The plot is that Dr. King fell into a coma when he was shot in 1968 and awakens in 2000. How would Dr. King function in the new world?

Sadly, I think that the world would react to Dr. King the way Mr. McGruder portrays it in the cartoon.

Catch it on reruns this week and you'll see what I mean.

2006-01-10T10:25:00.000-08:00

A famous alum of Oklahoma State University has pleged $165 million to his alma mater to aid in the development of an athletic village.

Boone Pickens, whose name is already on the football stadium after donating $20 million (as part of a larger $70 million gift) to expand the football stadium for the Cowboys. Pickens is a legitimate billionaire who has given lots back to Oklahoma State. A more detailed story can be found here.

It must be nice to have that kind of money.

2006-01-10T09:48:00.000-08:00

It just keeps getting worse for Marcus Vick. Now, he is accused of pulling a gun on three teenagers at a McDonalds in Suffolk, Virginia. ESPN.com news service has a complete timeline of Vick's transgressions here.

2006-01-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

Virginia Tech has dismissed quarterback Marcus Vick from the football team. Vick was suspended for the 2004 season because of two off the field incidents that he found himself involved in. One with contributing to the delinquency of an underage girl by providing liquor, and one for a traffic and marijuana violation.

When he returned to school, he knew he had reached his limit with the program.

And after a great start to the season, it looked as if he had cleared some of those hurdles, and was on the right path. It appeared that he was becoming a leader and maturing.

But then he flipped the bird to opposing fans in a game near the end of the season. Then, he deliberately stomped on the calf of Louisville defensive end Elvis Dumervil during the Gator Bowl.

Then, it was reported that Vick was busted for speeding and driving without a license, since it had been suspended.

That was the last straw, apparently, and Vick got the boot from the team. If he wants to continue his education at Va Tech, he will be allowed to do so.

It may be easy to sit back and think about what all of this means. Marcus had big shoes to fill by going to Virginia Tech to play quarterback, while the specter of Michael, Marcus's big brother, still looms over Blacksburg. The elder Vick was a dynamic playmaker that electrified crowds in Lane Stadium on Saturdays during his brief career, leading the Hokies to a national title game. His jersey was retired in 2002, and the new football building bears his name.

That's a lot of pressure. I'm not trying to make excuses for Marcus Vick; I'm just trying to think of a reason why he has let his potential go to waste.

I was asked this morning by my fiancee: If you were an NFL general manager, would you draft Marcus Vick?

I would, but not on the first day. If I had an extra late round pick, I would take a flyer on him, and explain to him why he was picked where he was. That he has a lot of maturing and growing up that he has to do if he is going to succeed in this league. And, I would count on my veterans to help keep him in line.

She went one step further, and offered a situation that might work: backing up Michael Vick.

Marcus was out of trouble during his suspension when he was living with his brother. Maybe big bro can offer some advice and knowledge.

I don't think Marcus Vick is unable to be reformed. But he also has to want to change. The jury is obviously still out, and will be until the end of April.

2006-01-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big believer in hype and hyperbole, so I tried my best to avoid as much of the pregame for last night's Rose Bowl National Championship Game. I tuned in last night just in time for kickoff.

I have to admit that I was not disappointed at all. It actually was a great game, and I think it probably has to move in front of the Tositios Fiesta Bowl between Miami (FL) and Ohio State as the best title game the BCS has put out there since its inception.

Now, this doesn't mean that the BCS is good for college football. I still think a playoff is necessary. But that truly was a great game. A good back and forth struggle between two great offenses. Great individual performances by quarterbacks. Drama. Turnovers. All of the elements that most of us could ask for.

Unless you're a USC fan.

Texas won, and pretty close to the score I predicted below, which definitely made me feel good, too.

But congrats to Texas. The eyes of the world are upon you right now.

Of course, stay tuned to see if Vince Young comes back.

2006-01-04T10:27:00.000-08:00

After a long, long holiday break (which was restful despite getting a cold) and some more wedding details taken care of (like, actually seeing the site where we're having the ceremony and the reception), it's time to re-enter the blogsphere. Damn, I hate that word.

I think that the Penn State/Florida State game finally ended. But all joking aside, it was a game full of drama. Granted, I don't think that there would be as much drama if it didn't feature Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden stalking the opposing sidelines, but there was as much flair as you'll find in a college football postseason game. I stayed up through the whole thing, and am still yawning from a lack of sleep.

Of course, tonight is the Rose Bowl, for the BCS and college football national championship. Presumably, the winner of this game will be considered the undisputed champion.

USC, going for 2.5 titles in the last three seasons, and their second straight BCS championship. Apparently, it is easier to forget that the BCS title, and the crystal football from the 2003 season went to LSU. And since the BCS is supposed to match the number one and number two team for the mythical national championship, I think LSU is disrespected when you declare this USC's attempt for a "three-peat" (tm Pat Riley.)

I'm picking Texas, much like I picked Ohio State to beat Miami a couple of years ago. It's a gut feeling; this is by far the best team that USC is facing this season. It is the best defense that the Trojans have seen this year. And I've watched enough of USC's slow starts and shaky defense to think that Texas has more than a puncher's chance, home field advantage aside.

Besides, if Roy Williams can win an NCAA title, and if the Red Sox and the White Sox can win the World Series, why not Mack Brown?

Texas 38, USC 34.

2005-11-19T18:03:00.000-08:00

The fog has rolled in thick in Auzten Stadium in Eugene. Oregon up 35-7 in the Civil War game against Oregon State.

But really, it's about gearing up for Fresno State and USC. Will I actually make it to that game? I don't know. But I will try. It's been fun today.

2005-11-19T16:15:00.000-08:00

Michigan State just scored a garbage time touchdown to close to 31-20 pending the 2-point conversion attempt (?).

Anyway, much like Buckeye fans have to be wondering what if, think about this: Penn State is literally one second away from being undefeated and being a true headache for the BCS. If Lloyd Carr doesn't get time added to the clock in Ann Arbor last month, the Lions have to be in the discussion.

But here's a true discussion: Who should be the NCAA Coach of the year?

Mack Brown finally got over the hump and is rolling with Texas.
Pete Carroll for keeping a team focused on the drive to a "3rd" national title.
Charlie Weis for walking on water.
Steve Spurrier for turning what many perceived as nothing into a competitive program in a very short time.
And Joe Paterno for doing the impossible.

Tough call this season. Very tough call. I may have to make that a column.

2005-11-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

Civil War: Oregon hosting Oregon State.

Oregon has new uniforms. In addition to the Ice White, Lighting Yellow and Thunder Green, we now have a black uniform with funky, computer font numbers. Midnight Black, perhaps?

Black body with green sleeves, paired with black pants. Very industrial look. I actually like the Oregon uniform combinations. This one is intriguing to say the least.

2005-11-19T15:53:00.000-08:00

A word of advice to John L. Smith:

As soon as this season ends, which very well could be tonight, you need to hire a new special teams coach. Because your special teams is anything but special after your holder botched a snap on the latest field goal attempt.

2005-11-19T15:46:00.000-08:00

3:30 to go at Jordan Hare. Brodie Croyle just got sacked for the 11th time today on 4th and 5 from the Auburn 10 yard line.

Looks like the Tide has stopped rolling, and won't be rolling to the SEC West Title after an amazing start to their season.

2005-11-19T15:44:00.000-08:00

Sparty's not dead yet.

Michigan State has some momentum heading into the fourth quarter. Michigan State is only down 10 points 24-14.

The defense has really stepped up today, stifiling the versatile Penn State offense. There hasn't been much running room for Tony Hunt of Michael Robinson, and the receivers have been dropping balls.

Final 15 minutes. Let's see what happens. It is upset alert territory.

2005-11-19T14:25:00.000-08:00

Land Grant Trophy battle in East Lansing, MI.

You can bet that the Buckeyes are cheering for Sparty in this game.

But Sparty is not delivering.

The Spartan defense, with the help of some advantageous field position, had held the Penn State offense in check.

But a blocked punt and a bad punt that left the Nittany Lions with a short field blew the game open. It went from 3-0 to 17-0 in the blink of an eye.

The men in Green are lacking serious confidence, and need a big play or two to get back into this game. Right now, it doesn't look good.

2005-11-19T14:02:00.000-08:00

The Iron Bowl has rusted quickly for Alabama. The Crimson Tide defense is getting shredded by the Auburn Tigers 28-7. Brandon Cox is 13-15 for 120 yards with two touchdowns. The Tigers, right now, look like the best team in the SEC West. I think that Coach Tommy Tuberville and offensive coordinator Al Borges have managed to replace Jason Campbell, Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams.

2005-11-19T13:53:00.000-08:00

I don't think, in years of watching football, that I have seen a kicking game as inept as the 2005 Michigan State Spartans.

They just missed a 38 yard attempt that wasn't even close. Now the Spartans are 5-16 in kicking field goals. Their long this year is 32 yards, and they have had four blocked.

Yikes.

2005-11-19T13:23:00.000-08:00

This is truly a season of what could have been for Ohio State.

Their only two losses are to Texas and Penn State by a total of 10 points after coming from behind today at the Big House to beat their archrival 25-21.

Quarterback Troy Smith went 27/37 for 300 yards passing and rushed for 37 more yards to go 2-0 against the Wolverines. With the win, the Buckeyes gain a possible share of the Big Ten title and the chance to win it outright depending on what happens in East Lansing.

But if you're a Buckeye fan, it has to be killing you to think about what could have been if Troy Smith hadn't gotten popped for illegal benefits and was suspended for the bowl game last year and the opener this season.

2005-11-19T12:50:00.000-08:00

Wild finish in Lubbock, TX.

Texas Tech's Taurean Henderson scored on a draw play called by Mike Leach with :04 left on the clock. If Henderson didn't get in, the game was going to end with Oklahoma winning.

However, Henderson landed on one of his teammates' legs, which meant that he was not actually down. This allowed Henderson to stretch the ball over the goal line for the 23-21 win (Tech took a knee instead of kicking a PAT.)

Texas Tech finishes second in the Big XII South, and will probably wind up going to the Cotton Bowl. Just a great season in west Texas.

2005-11-19T12:17:00.000-08:00

It's starting to turn a bit in Ann Arbor.

Michigan has found a defense that works. They are dropping into a zone but facing Troy Smith, allowing them to contain him. It's also forcing throws short. Ohio State has not tried to stretch the field with Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn yet.

In addition, Ginn is struggling. He has muffed the last two punts, only to be saved by his teammates falling on the ball.

Chad Henne has been hot all game. The running game is just not there for the Wolverines today, but the quick pass has been there when they've needed it.

And as I've been typing this, Michigan just scored a touchdown on a run by freshman Kevin Grady. Pass interference was called by the Buckeyes in the end zone on the previous play. The Wolverines lined up to go for two and converted to take an 18-12 lead.

That missed PAT by Huston looms large.

2005-11-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

Halftime of Ohio State/Michigan, and I am frustrated by the fact that my ESPN Gameplan package is not working today. So that means I am going to be limited by what I can watch.

A good game in Ann Arbor. Michigan down 12-7. A very tight game, and the fact that Michigan is still in the game makes them dangerous.

Ohio State has been using three offensive tackles on the line, which has enabled them to run pretty effectively. Can Michigan counter with some creative defensive looks? The Wolverine defense has been stout when its needed to be. If they force one more turnoer than the Buckeyes in the second half, they may be able to pull this thing out.

2005-11-19T10:31:00.000-08:00

Early in Ann Arbor, MI. Ohio State and Michigan both had impressive opening drives. The Buckeyes scored a touchdown but John Huston missed the extra point.

Michigan was equally as impressive, but Lloyd Carr went for 4th and 1 from the 28. Chad Henne's pass to Jason Avant was incomplete. I don't think I woud have gone for it there personally. The missed extra point makes a 6-3 game palatable. I know he's trying to set a tone a build confidence. But Lloyd. You need to win. Points matter.

2005-11-19T09:59:00.000-08:00

It's amazing that the bias in favor of height is still an issue in colelge football.

I say this while watching Northwestern at Illinois.

Freshman running back Tyrell Sutton has been one of the best players in the Big Ten this year. He's a native of Akron, OH. Only two schools seriously recruited him: Northwestern...and Illinois.

Why didn't Ohio State go after him? Because he's listed as 5' 9" tall (and he says that he's closer to 5' 8".)

It's just fascinating to me that even today, with all of the fancy scouting, that talent still does not trump size.

2005-11-19T09:03:00.000-08:00

Story from Charlottesville, VA:

According to University of Virginia officials, last night someone broke into Scott Stadium and painted a "T" next to the "V" at midfield (UVa is playing Va Tech.)

Frank Beamer, head coach of Va Tech, says that he thinks it was an inside job by Virginia for extra motivation.

Only on rivalry weekend.

2005-11-19T08:48:00.000-08:00

ESPN College Gameday is broadcasting live from East Lansing, MI for the Penn State/Michigan State game.

But if you just listened to the boos when Desmond Howard opens his mouth, you would think that we were at the Horseshoe.

2005-11-19T08:43:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've come to you. But I'm conducting an experiment today.

One man. One remote control. One expanded cable package and pay-per-view.

And it's "Rivalry Saturday" in college football.

Throughout the day, I'll be checking back in with commentary on some of the matchups taking place around the country.

It should be a fun ride.

2005-10-08T05:27:00.000-07:00

Week Six picks, and here in State College, it is absolutely crazy. Students have been camping out in front of Beaver stadium since Sunday, trying to get great seats.

Here are my picks. It is going to be a great game today:

Georgia @ Tennessee (Tennessee)
Boston College @ Virginia (Boston College)
Minnesota @ Michigan (Michigan)
California @ UCLA (UCLA)
Ball State @ Western Michigan (Western Michigan)
Duke @ Miami (FL) (Miami (FL))
Texas Tech @ Nebraska (Texas Tech)
Texas vs. Oklahoma (@Dallas) (Texas)
Ohio State @ Penn State (Penn State)

Off to go watch College Gameday live and in person from in front of the Bryce Jordan Center. Be back later.

2005-10-04T06:19:00.000-07:00

It's been ten years (ten years!) since Calvin and Hobbes left newspapers across the country. However, The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, an impressive tome that features all of the cartoons from the strip has been released. Neely Tucker of the Washington Post has written a lovely feature about the cartoon.

2005-10-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit late with the picks for this week, as I did not have any time yesterday to post them.

However, I'm already down 0-1 because Pittsburgh got beaten by...Rutgers.

An already long season for Wanny just got longer.

Here they are in their entirety:

Pittsburgh @ Rutgers (Pittsburgh)
Middle Tennessee State @ Vanderbilt (Vandy)
USC @ Arizona State (USC)
Notre Dame @ Purdue (Notre Dame)
South Carolina @ Auburn (Auburn)
Iowa State @ Nebraska (Iowa State)
Florida @ Alabama (Alabama)
Michigan @ Michigan State (Michigan State)
Minnesota @ Penn State (Minnesota)
Texas @ Missouri (Texas) - Sorry everyone! :(

Last Week: 6-4
Season: 29-13

2005-09-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

This makes me weep:

The Supreme Court shed its staid image Tuesday, giving stripper-turned Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith a new chance at a piece of the fortune of her 90-year-old late husband.

Read the AP story here

2005-09-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting at home watching the Iowa State-Army football game tonight, and I think I may have heard the most illogical statement ever uttered in my presence in my lifetime.

Dave Pasch is asking his booth partners Trevor Matich and Rod Gilmore if they think replay in college football is good. Matich thinks so. Even though it may extend the game at times, it's important to get things right because there's so much at stake.

Gilmore's response is that he is philosophically against replay because it makes the college game too much like the pro game.

Huh?

Come again?

Matich is right; with the millions of dollars that are at stake in Division I-A football, it is imperative that technology be used to its fullest potential to ensure that the correct call is made in crunch time.

Sorry Rod. I love college football as much as the next guy for what it is supposed to be about. However, the sad reality is that the only difference between college and pro football is that we talk about millions of dollars being at stake instead of billions.

2005-09-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

Week four picks:

Penn State @ Northwestern (Northwestern)
Kent State @ Ohio (Ohio)
North Carolina @ NC State (NC State)
Notre Dame @ Washington (Notre Dame)
Miami (FL) @ Colorado (Miami-FL)
Iowa @ Ohio State (Iowa)
USC @ Oregon (USC)
Tennessee @ LSU-Mon. 9/26 (LSU)
Toledo @ Fresno State-Tue. 9/27 (Fresno State)
Cincinnati @ Miami (OH)-Wed. 9/28 (Miami-OH)
Last week: 7-4
Season: 23-9

2005-09-21T07:15:00.000-07:00

Amen Andrew Sullivan. You have to read his column on the politicization of the documentary "March of the Penguins." You can find it here.

2005-09-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

Giving this post a courtesy bump.

Thank you, Instapundit, for posting various charities you can donate to in order to help the victims of Katrina.

2005-09-16T06:59:00.000-07:00

Time for my picks for week three.

Some teams begin conference play, while there are also some rivalry games in play.

Remember, I pick straight winners (not against the spread.)

Also, my picks will be listed in parentheses after each matchup.

Eastern Michigan @ Michigan (Michigan)
Kentucky @ Indiana (Indiana)
UNLV @ Nevada (UNLV)
Miami (OH) @ Kent State (Miami-OH)
San Diego State @ Ohio State (Ohio State)
Pittsburgh @ Nebraska (Nebraska)
Florida State @ Boston College (Boston College)
Michigan State @ Notre Dame (Michigan State)
Fresno State @ Oregon (Oregon)
Tennessee @ Florida (Florida)
Bowling Green @ Boise State (Bowling Green)

Last week: 8-2. Overall: 15-6

2005-09-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

Now, it is time for my picks for week two of the college football season.

Three big non-conference matchups featuring three Big 10 teams. Iowa heads across the state to play in Ames against Big XII North contender Iowa State. Notre Dame makes a visit to the Big House, looking to build their momentum against Michigan. And Texas makes a trip up to Columbus, Ohio for a first ever game against Ohio State.

Should be a great weekend, with all three matchups having instant classic potential.

My pick will be listed in parentheses:

Cincinnati @ Penn State (Penn State)
Akron @ Purdue (Purdue)
Mississippi State @ Auburn (Auburn)
California @ Washington (Washington)
South Carolina @ Georgia (Georgia)
Boise State @ Oregon State (Oregon State)
LSU @ Arizona State (LSU)
Iowa @ Iowa State (Iowa State)
Notre Dame @ Michigan (Michigan)
Texas @ Ohio State (Texas)

Last week: 7-4. Overall for 2005: 7-4

2005-09-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

So ever since the middle of last college football season, my fianceé and I have made our picks on who we think is going to win certain games each week. We pick winners only; none of this picking against the spread stuff.

And I meant to provide my picks last week, but I forgot. So, here they are. The winner of the game is listed in italics, my pick in parentheses

Louisville @ Kentucky (Louisville)
Wyoming @ Florida (Florida)
Georgia Tech @ Auburn (Georgia Tech)
Virginia Tech @ NC State (NC State)
UAB @ Tennessee (Tennessee)
USC at Hawaii (USC)
Miami (OH) @ Ohio State (Ohio State)
Notre Dame @ Pitt (Pitt)
Miami (FL) @ Florida State (Miami)
Bowling Green @ Wisconsin (Bowling Green)
Boise State @ Georgia (Georgia)

I went 7-4. She went 8-3.

But there's still a lot of season left.

My picks for this weekend coming shortly.

2005-09-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

The story of the 2005 Tulane football team is here. They will be housed at Louisiana Tech for the Fall Semester.

2005-09-06T08:32:00.000-07:00

It's all out in the open now.

The blame game has begun.

Now that we are entering the second week of coverage of Katrina and the devestation she has left across the Gulf Coast, the calls for heads have begun.

Andrew Sullivan has been posting links to a wide variety of political bloggers that want Michael Brown (head of FEMA.)

Michelle Malkin makes the argument for Brown's dismissal as well (The fact that I have linked to her page shows you where I stand on this issue.)

However, the best argument is made by the editorial staff of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Look, there is no question that there are issues on all levels. The local city governement, and the state government, should have had an evacuation plan in place. The blame does not rest entirely with the federal government. In fact, Mayor Nagin and Governor Blanco probably should (and may) be voted out of office for not being prepared. It's harsh to say this right now, but someone is going to take the fall for this disaster.

And Brown should be among those who take a hit.

Not only for being unprepared for this disaster, not only for a lack of response and inefficient management, but simply for being clueless as to the actual situation.

This does not reinforce my faith in the government. In fact, it makes me more fearful than ever.

This question has been posed again and again over the last week, as the ineffective leadership was displayed: What would have happened if it had been a terrorist bomb that had hit the 17th street levee? Would the response have been this slow, or would there have been a timely response?

Or, even more cynically, what would the response time have been if it was Miami, Florida that had been hit? Do you think W. would have waited from Monday (when the storm hit) until Friday (when he actually visited Mississippi and Louisiana) to make the trip to the disaster zone?

Or how quick would the response be if this was a major election year?

Terry Neal poses more questions that need answering.

2005-09-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from the blog to catch up on my day job. But I couldn't resist.

Follow this link, and read the entry posted at 4:02 pm called, "This says it all." I don't have anything else to add at this time.

2005-09-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

Let's start bringing things back to sports for a minute, as difficult as that might be.

The NCAA, an organization that is not necessarily known for being warm and fuzzy when it comes to rule infractions, is going to forget about the rules for a while. The Indy-based organization is going to allow its member institutions to do what they need to do in order to help out athletes and their families and their local communities during this whole Katrina mess. The AP story is here.

"They don't need to be worrying about whether the situations they're reacting to violate NCAA rules," [Steve] Mallonee [the NCAA's managing director for membership services] said. "We want them to do what they need to do."

Others in the sports world, teams, leagues, and individuals, are doing their part to help in the relief effort.

2005-09-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

I've said before that I was struggling to find words for this situation. Thanks to James Carville, I finally did.

Of course, one of the writers I look up to and respect the most, Michael Wilbon, says it more eloquently than I could ever imagine.

2005-09-01T05:43:00.000-07:00

An assistant editor for Slate online magazine remember New Orleans as the city of his youth.

2005-08-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Instapundit, for posting various charities you can donate to in order to help the victims of Katrina.

The governor of Louisiana has called for the total evacuation of New Orleans.

Here and here you can find out about the state of the city (via the Washington Post.) The New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper had to evacuate their staff yesterday morning as the flood waters rose. That is frightening.

2005-08-31T08:09:00.000-07:00

This is one of those situations where it's hard to come up with words.

What do you say? What can you say about the devestation that the people in Mississippi, Alabama, and especially Louisiana, have experienced.

New Orleans, one of the most well known American cities, for all intents and purposes, doesn't exist anymore. 80 percent of the city is under water after the levees broke yesterday. 80 percent! That's unreal. It's not fathomable.

And there are the requisite pictures of people looting, taking television sets and high end electronics and those kinds of things that really are not going to do you any good when you live in an area that is not going to have power for at least a few weeks. It's not like taking a loaf of bread, or some formula and diapers for your baby; that at least is about survival. Taking material goods like electronics is theft, plain and simple.

So times like these bring out the bad side of humans. But we also get to see the good side of people as well. Volunteers from all over the country and Canada coming to try and help do whatever they can. And that's good.

But it is so difficult to think of all of the time and energy it will take to rebuild that area of the country. Reports say that it may take a month just to drain all of the water out of New Orleans. People are being bused to the Astrodome in Houston because of the issues inside the Superdome.

A lot of people are now homeless. People have lost their lives. This is truly an American tragedy. Makes it hard for me to think about all of the little things I worry about. At least I still have a job, and a roof over my head. It's a cliché to say it, but this really does put a lot of things in perspective.

2005-08-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

What happened yesterday truly is a tragedy.

Hurricane Katrina hit land about 24 hours ago. And hit it hard.

Sadly, she managed to hit a part of the coutry that truly could not afford for something like this to happen.

My fianceé, who has been to New Orleans, says that once you head outside of the city proper, and into the bayou, it is one of the poorer states in the country.

Ditto for Alabama and Mississippi. Not exactly states known around the country for their breadth and depth of wealth.

Yet they are the ones who are feeling this hit.

We all will feel the impact of this disaster. From gas prices shooting up because a couple of the oil rigs in the Gulf were damaged, to the sheer cost and time needed to rebuild Louisiana and Alabama and Mississippi.

Keep these people in your thoughts and/or prayers.

2005-08-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

From the slightly bizzare file:

Six people have pled guilty to selling fake LiveStrong wristbands in New York City. The guilty parties turned over $112, 000 to the Lance Armstrong foundation.

That's when you know a fad has gone too far.

2005-08-29T07:14:00.000-07:00

Apparently it's over in Denver.

Maurice Clarett has been cut by the Denver Broncos. In three preseason games, Clarett saw zero time on the field.

So this may be the end of the Maurice Clarett saga. It is not the postscript that we know he was looking for.

I was sitting in a hotel room in Philly, and had just flipped to ESPN when Clarett's name was called at the end of the third round. I will admit that I was stunned.

What exactly was Mike Shanahan thinking? Third round picks (hell, these days, ANY pick) can develop into a quality NFL player, and some of the players taken after Clarett in rounds 4-7 will be decent players.

Maybe Shanahan thought he saw something; no one knows for sure except for Mike Shanahan. I doubt that he'll be telling us anytime soon, though.

For Clarett, where do you go now? Do you go to Canada and try to prove yourself? Or to Arena Football? College is out; that's not an option at this point (and to be quite frank, I think he would be seen as too toxic and out of shape even if it was an option.)

Perhaps, if nothing else, Maurice Clarett can serve as a cautionary tale. Because right now, that's the only tale he has left to tell.

2005-08-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

Another College football player dies. This time for Division III Illinois Wesleyan (a school where I did my internship in graduate school:)

This on the heels of the lawsuit over a death at my undergraduate alma mater, and how that situation was poorly handled.

And of course, the tragic passing of Thomas Herrion of the San Francisco 49ers after the preseason game on Saturday night.

Three very different situations, of course. But tragic nonetheless.

2005-08-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

I never played organized sports while I was growing up. I'm still not sure exactly why I didn't try to when I was younger. Maybe it was because I was a fat kid. Or, much like Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes I tended to be more of dreamer than one who wanted to listen to authority figures.

Who knows? What I do remember from growing up was watching the Little League World Series on television, and seeing the fun that the kids had there. In fact, I make a point to watch the LLWS every year, even if I only get to catch a couple of innings here or there. I tend to root for all of the kids, but especially the one who are representing whatever region of the country I happen to be living in at the time.

When I relocated to Pennsylvania three Augusts ago, I swore that I would make the trip over to watch part of a game.

Today, I finally took advantage of the opportunity. After my meeting this morning, I hopped in my car and made the drive from State College to South Williamsport, PA.

I will say this: The real field of dreams isn't in a cornfield in Iowa. It is the Little League complex - Volunteer Stadium and Lamade Stadium. It's a place where kids can play a kids game, free from all of the drama that comes with professional sports and "amateur" sports like the Olympics or NCAA Athletics.

I wasn't there to try and figure out who was on the juice, or who would soon be traded, or who wanted a new contract and who was headed for arbitration. I was there to watch kids from Maine and from Kentucky play a game that they love in front of friends, family and complete strangers.

It was a well-played game, with Maine coming out on top 3-2.

Under the bright blue sky, it was nice to enjoy sports for what it can be from time to time: simply a game and nothing more.

One final note for the day: I will admit that one of the things that forced me out of the house to South Williamsport was that ESPN was there for their 50 in 50 tour. I was able to get an autograph from ESPN anchor Chris McKendry, who patiently signed autographs after spending about a couple of hours on the set.

I'm not normally an autograph person. I would rather have a picture with someone than an autograph. But I did get Chris's. In part because I was there alone, and I didn't feel right asking someone to take my picture. I know; I'm kind of weird like that.

However, Chris was very nice, and I will treasure her autograph. I gave her the address to the site, so if you're reading this Ms. McKendry, thanks for stopping by. Hopefully you'll become a regular visitor.

2005-08-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

As you can tell, I took some time off this summer to recharge.

And to reassess what I wanted to do with this space.

I was on staff retreat today, and my mind began to wander (as it often does during these things.) Of course, my thoughts drifted here.

I needed to focus on what I want to do here. There is so much opportunity for growth and development, and I haven't taken advantage of that. The only person to blame is me. Because I have been letting myself down.

I've become quite reflective over the last couple of months. Maybe it's because I'm getting married next summer; maybe it's the quarter-life crisis I'm going through. But I've been thinking a lot about my past, my future, and what I want.

What I want is to write. About sports, about TV, about popular culture, and even ficition.

That's what I have to do. In order to ensure that there is balance in my life, I need to invest more time into my hobby.

That is what this space is going to be for.

It's Sports...and Other Stuff in homage to Mr. Tony Kornheiser. And also because that is where we are going.

Right now, college football season is gearing up, and that (plus the end of Major League baseball) will consume most of the space on here.

However, also like Mr. Tony, I will throw in some personal items as well. Especially because I will need space to vent and air grievances during this whole wedding planning process. :)

But pop culture will have it's place as well.

Call it a "catch-all" blog. Heavy on the sports, light on the other stuff.

I will still write my weekly college football column for e-sports. But this space will allow me to go more in-depth and out of bounds on certain topics.

First post for the newly invigorated "Sports...and other stuff" blog will be in a couple of hours. I'll tell you about a sporting event that I've always wanted to attend, and a brief encounter with a celebrity.

2005-07-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

It brings a tear to my eye to say this (in a good way.)

I was channel surfing a few minutes ago, and I wound up coming across an episode from Season One of The Amazing Race. Unfortunately, it was the episode where Emily and Nancy (Momily on Television Without Pity) were eliminated in India because they took a time penalty for not completing the roadblock.

It was a sad find, but a good one. Apparently, they are airing them at 9pm and Midnight (EDT.)

2005-07-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

I initially promised to blog more often, but summer work, and other duties have kept me quite occupied. However, I would be remiss if I did not offer a link to a column by Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post.

As usual, Wilbon is dead on the money with this one. Tiger Woods is a great champion already. Yes, he's corporate, but on some level, that's what modern sports has become about. And I sincerely doubt that if Tiger Woods had not become so dominant at such a young age that a lot of these corporations would be putting money and attention into the game.

I'm a casual golf fan right now; I love watching the majors. Especially on Saturdays and Sundays if Tiger is in one of the final four pairings and playing relatively well. I want to see what he's going to do. I never watched golf on TV before he came along. I am one of those people that Tiger Woods has brought to the game of golf: an inner-city raised youth who had never set foot onto a golf course or held a club until about three years ago.

And while I am not the addict that others have become (due in part to a lack of talent), if it wasn't for Tiger, I wouldn't have even given golf a second glance.

2005-05-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

Last night was a great night of television. Quentin Tarantino directed the two hour season finale of CSI:Crime Scene Investigation. It may be one of the best episodes of any show that I have seen in a long time. It has definitely entered my Top Five list of all-time CSI eps. Tarantino is a fan of the show, and it clearly showed that he knew the charaters fairly well.

Dana Stevens, the TV critic for slate, offers a great assesment of the episode here.

2005-05-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

Interesting article on MSN's Encarta web page regarding the show CSI:Crime Scene Investigation. The article talks about how while the show may be entertainment, it is also a bit educational.

There has been a bit of talk lately about this show, which is definitely one of my favorites. Some people in the profession of forensics and crime scene investigation feel that the show does not depict their jobs realistically.

That may be the case, and I have to say to them: So what? Most people probably didn't even know what you did for a living. I know I didn't before I started watching the show, and now I am obsessed with the topic. Education is great no matter what. Besides, as we all know, if anyone's profession was depicted realistically on TV, no one would watch.

2005-05-19T06:02:00.000-07:00

I have a huge confession to make right now.

I'm laying myself bare on the internet by saying this, but I cannot hold back any longer.

I don't give a damn that Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith has come out. In fact, I was elated when I discovered that my fiancee is going to see it with her co-workers this afternoon, because it means that I won't have to sit through it.

She owns the original trilogy on DVD; I still haven't watched it. I sat through The Phantom Menace on tape and Attack of the Clones in the theater (twice! Once definitely against my will.)

I just don't care. I've never really cared about Star Wars. And for someone who is about to turn 27 in a couple of months, I am apparently an outlier. But this aspect of our modern American culture holds nothing for me.

Lucas has a great imagination, I give you that. But he can't write for shit. And I don't really care how many visual effects you create, and how beautiful the cinematography may be. If I can't bear to listen to the movie, then I can't be bothered to watch it.

So, unless I get dragged to the movie, I will not watch it. If you do see me at a theater, you can be assured of this fact: I will not have paid my own money to be there.

2005-05-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

Only Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City star can pull this off.

Whitlock, known as "Big Sexy," has written an analogy comparing Jennifer Wilbanks, the runaway bride, with the Kansas City Royals. You can read it here on ESPN.com's Page 2.

If you don't know the story by now, just enter her name in Google or Yahoo! search, because trying to link to all of the articles about her would take me a good week or two.

2005-05-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

The fall of the New York Yankees has apparently become quite the talk of the sports world over the last few days. The $200 million team is currently sitting in fourth place in the American League East, in front of Tampa Bay by only two games in the division as the teams go head-to-head over the next couple of days.

Really, though, why is anyone surprised? Hell, if I had been able to write my baseball preview column this February, I could have shared my insight into why I felt that the Yankees would finish no better than third in the division (behind Baltimore and Boston.)

1. Age was due to catch up to this team. They were the oldest team last year, and they really didn't get any younger by adding Randy Johnson. Bernie Williams has been declining rapidly since the start of the 2003 season, and actually began sliding a bit starting with the 1999 season, although winning takes care of some of that.

2. The starting pitching was thin. Any injuries (Jaret Wright, Randy Johnson) or poor performance (Keving Brown) was going to cause huge problems for this pitching staff. Years of rash deals and underwhelming scouting have left this team with a depleted minor league pitching pipeline, forcing the team to, well, pick up aging veterans who may or may not have forks sticking out of them. If nothing else, they are picking up vets who are older, which means that they are injury prone.

3. The bullpen is overworked. Last year's staff wasn't that great as well, and Joe Torre was forced to overuse Mariano Rivera, Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill on the way to the division title and 101 wins last year. However, those three could not perform in the playoffs, and the bullpen is struggling early this year (quite possibly due to some postseason hang over and due to just being a year older.

During the offseason, I was reading The Worst Team Money Could Buy, the Bob Klapisch/John Harper book about the 1993 New York Mets. And while personality wise, these two teams are different, I would have to say that if this Yankee team finishes in the toilet, it would surpass that team as the worst team in New York Sports history. In part because of the expectations, but even moreso because of the price tag.

And Steinbrenner, while he will try to find someone to blame, will actually have no one to blame but himself.

2005-05-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

Tonight, ABC will air a special edition of its newsmagazine Primetime Live called "Fallen Idol," which will include, among other things, allegations made by former contest Corey Clark (WHO?) that he had an affair with Paula Abdul.

In addition, Fox and 19 Entertainment are dealing with the powderkeg of the website Vote for the Worst, which has been encouraging people to vote for Scott Savol, the rotund contestant with the bad attitude from Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Lisa DeMoraes, the TV columnist for the Washington Post (and the best in the biz, as far as I am concerned) has more information about the special here.

Now, I don't really believe that Vote for the Worst is having any kind of effect on the voting. When you consider that Vote for the Worst wasn't really getting any plan nationally until Constantine got booted last week, it seems to me that they really aren't playing a part in what is going on.

Fickle tween and teenage girls are playing a part - as they do every season.

Which, I know, still doesn't explain how Scott Savol made it this far. He's unnecessarily arrogant towards the judges, especially Simon (and y'all know how I feel about Simon.) And, quite frankly, he hasn't been that good at all.

So why is he still around? Because, contrary to what internet fans think or believe, most people don't care about his past. They look at him, and scarily enough, they see themselves. Someone who is not model attractive, who is somewhat talented, and they identify with him.

I feel that those who hang out on message boards and bitch about the voting, and concoct conspiracy theories are missing that larger point. It is very easy to think about Scott Savol, and see someone that they know - a friend, a brother, a neighbor, even themselves.

Will he make it to the end? Unlikely. But do not be surprised if he makes it to the final four.

2005-05-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

Guess who's back....back again.

Yes, it is good to be back again.

My favorite internet writer, who I have a link to on the left, is a writer for Television Without Pity (also see left.) She has a book coming out soon about dating in the 2000's, and if you are single and have the means, I highly recommend picking it up.

But in the world of reality telelvision, Miss Alli (aka Linda) covers The Amazing Race for TWoP. Here is her take on last week's comments by contestant Kelly to her partner Ron, who was a POW during the Iraq War. I agree with her 100 percent.

You can't say that kind of stuff about your partner -- any partner -- in any phase of your life. Whether it is a boyfriend, girlfriend, teammate, whatever. That is just cold and heartless.

Rarely do I actively root against people on TV, but I am rooting against her. Allegedly, they broke up after taping, which is good for him. FREE RON!

2005-04-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

I will be back on here starting May 2nd. In the meantime, feel free to mentally add your own comment to this photo. Because I am speechless.

2005-02-22T09:14:00.000-08:00

I feel like I've failed on some level.

When I set out to rework this blog, it was with the intent on posting every day, or posting more than once a day when things got very busy in the world of entertainment and sports.

But I have had to face the sad reality that I just do not have the time. Between working a full-time job with crazy hours, and coming home to take care of the cats and spend any amount of time with the fiancee (who also works crazy hours) while trying to write a novel, a column, blog, and still watch television so I can come up with creative things to write about -- it has just become overwhelming.

There are only so many hours in a day, and the news happens so fast in the world, and there has been so much going on early this year, the juggling act is almost impossible. And while, in a perfect world, I would be writing full-time, that is not the reality (ask the federal government, the car loan people, and my other creditors about that.)

Much like I tell students, there comes a point where each and every one of us has to prioritize. We have to decide what is important, what becomes important, and sadly, some things take a back seat. Spending time with my family (the fiancee and the cats) is important. I've cut back on writing a column, as I have not covered college basketball at all for E-Sports website. Hell, I haven't written a column since Tyrone Willingham got fired at the end of November. I'm in the process of blowing up my novel and starting over for the third time in the last 18 months. Some things have had to give, and unfortunately, it's been the writing that has given up the ghost.

I will still be writing for this blog, since it's my blog. I am working on adjusting things so that I can write here and still have energy left over at the end of the day to work on my other projects.

The more I look at things, I feel like Mr. Tony did as he was getting ready to leave ESPN Radio this time last year. The major difference is that he was getting paid for those jobs. I only get paid for one.

Oh, I almost forgot. If you are a Tony Kornheiser fan, the radio show is back! He will also be available on XM Radio starting February 28. Until then, you can listen to him here on WTEM (Sportstalk 980.)

2005-02-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

Not much new info to add...heading to New York City this weekend for Valentine's. My fiancee's first trip to the city. We'll see how it goes.

In the meantime, here's something I got from a poster on a message board. It's from George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but
learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that
do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

If you don't send this to at least 8 people....

who cares?

2005-02-04T05:56:00.000-08:00

The Apprentice: Martha Stewart? It is going to become a reality, from what we can gather. The announcement was made a couple of days ago, with Donald Trump and Mark Burnett and some other NBC honchos.

All I can say is that it is good to see that a convicted felon on house arrest can still find work in this country. Although this section of Lisa DeMoraes' Washington Post column sums up Trump:

One reporter asked Trump whether he expected a rivalry with Martha over their two shows, like there was when Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Virgin Records/Atlantic founder Richard Branson starred in "Apprentice"-like reality series on other networks.

"With Branson and Cuban, I wanted them to fail, and fortunately they did -- even more miserably than I had hoped," Trump replied. "Martha and I are teammates."

What more is there to say?

2005-01-26T12:35:00.000-08:00

Behold...the "fro-hawk."

2005-01-26T12:34:00.000-08:00

Apparently, the NFL thinks that it is a good thing to have two weeks between the conference title games and the Super Bowl. This allows maximum time for the "hype machine" to crank into full gear. I personally disagree, because I am going to be sick of the T.O.: will he or won't he play scenario pretty damn quick. However, I will continue to be pleased by the sight above.

2005-01-19T18:29:00.000-08:00

I hate American Idol. I don't like the concept, I don't like Seacrest, and I really don't like Simon Cowell. I think he's smarmy and doesn't really have an ear for music. Hell, if I remember correctly, I think that he's part of the reason I even know Geri Halliwell's name.

However, his most recent comments in Esquire magazine have sealed the deal for me. In the issue coming out this Friday, Cowell had this to say:

I find the whole Beyonce thing really mystifying...She's not sexy, she hasn't got a great body and she's not a great singer.

If Beyonce isn't sexy, there isn't a woman that is.

But that wasn't the end of it for me, although that comment drove me close to the edge. What pushed me over was this, according to the AP wire story:

Cowell defends a more maligned figure: Ashlee Simpson, who was caught lip-synching on NBC's ``Saturday Night Live.''

``Why should you have to do something substandard just for the sake of being real? If it sounds better with the vocal you recorded, why shouldn't people listen to that? There's almost a witch-hunt mentality about people miming,'' he said.

BECAUSE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE REAL, ASSHOLE! When I go to a musical concert, I expect people to, I don't know, actually try to sing! Sometimes you can tell that the band is having an off night, or the singer is having voice issues or whatever. That, I am willing to forgive. But if I wanted to listen to a singer's pre-recorded vocal, I could have stayed home, closed my eyes, and listened to the CD or the mp3 file of that song.

To me, the whole concert going experience is about good nights and bad nights. But it is a crap shoot. If she truly was sick with acid reflux disease, or whatever lame ass excuse it was that she came up with, fine. Vaya con Dios. But you take your ass out there and give it your best. And if you truly cannot go on, then say, "I have no more to give."

But to defend her for lip-synching (or "miming" or whatever this fucknut wants to call it) by saying no one should perform substandardly just to be real is absurd. You know how you avoid this problem? By actually having talent. And Ashlee? Has none. She is riding coat tails, as far as I am concerned. If she wasn't related to Jessica Simpson, she wouldn't have a record deal period. End. of. discussion.

DING! Simon Cowell. Your 15 minutes are up. Please pick up the white courtesy phone. It's your reputation on line one.

2005-01-19T06:18:00.000-08:00

Last night's episode of The Amazing Race had the most satisfying ending of any episode I've ever seen. The team of Jonathan and Victoria, which I had written about previously, were eliminated last night in Ethiopia. Why? Because they couldn't follow directions, plain and simple.

Has it been a rough season? Of course. But I think part of why this edition of the race has bee so uneven and so rough is timing. Previously, The Amazing Race has been used as a summer show or a mid-season filler series. This is the first time they actually had to plan and coordinate two (and maybe three) full editions. Also, I think that all series, reality and scripted, are going to have a lull for a season or two. With scripted series, it is easy to blame the writers. With reality, the blame should be ascribed to the cast, since they theoretically are the ones whom create the drama. So I am willing to give the show a pass. And I think that we are lucky, because no one else has really tried to copy this show (yet.)

2005-01-18T05:54:00.000-08:00

A new day, an new opinion. Here is the link to a fellow blogger at 3martini. It's what I've always wondered about professional football, because while it may be the "American Pasttime" now, it's not really American. What country is the NFL like? Follow the link above and find out.

2005-01-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

"Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging dark of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross-county drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored"; when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you know forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness" then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience." - Martin Luther King Jr, in his "Letter from Birmingham Jail."

Happy Birthday, Dr. King.

2005-01-02T14:43:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the Runnin' Utes of Utah, winners of the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, courtesy of a 35-7 victory over Pitt last night. Hopefully, this goes to show all of those haters out there that schools like Utah can play with the big boys. And yes, even though Pitt was in the transitioning Big East this season, Pitt has been a strong program of late, and are still a Top-25 program. That talent gap in college football is starting to narrow, and all of those fans of "traditional powers" need to recognize that and accept that. The game has changed, and you dinosaurs need to evolve with it or face becoming even more irrelevant than some of you already have.

2004-12-28T17:06:00.000-08:00

Hopefully you all are having a wonderful holiday season. I spent the past week at Walt Disney World in Florida. My fiancee has wanted to go all her life, so we made the trip last week for a four day, four night trip. We stayed at Pop Century Resort on the edge of the Disney World complex, and managed to make it to three of the parks, skipping only Animal Kingdom.

It was nice to get away, and I am halfway through my holiday break. Of course, being away from the sports world does have its negative side effects, as a lot of news happened that I have not had an opportunity to discuss or digest. But that is the world of blogging; it happens, and you have to react, or let it go sometimes. But it is hard.

2004-12-17T05:35:00.000-08:00

Charles Krauthammer, in the Washington Post today writes about Christmas, and how those who are offended by the singing of carols and other displays should leave it alone. While there are some good points in the column (which says a lot for me, since I disagree with him 99 % of the time,) I think that there is one point that he misses:

Christmas isn't a religious holiday anymore. Period. It has reached the point where it has become so secularized it has become the equivalent of "In God We Trust" being located on our money. Yeah, there may have been some religious symbology behind it at one point. However, like many other things, it has evolved into something that takes the country by storm.

And I'm not just saying this because I am a devotee of A Charlie Brown Christmas, which seems strangely accurate today, forty years after it first appeared. But anyone who thinks that this holiday still revolves around the celebration of Jesus (if that's what your religion believes) is dead wrong.

2004-12-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

Washington D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams is acting like Eeyore, all doom and gloom over the prospect of the Expos/Nationals move to D.C. being dead, after the city council voted 10-3 last night to revise the ballpark financing plan. In essence, what the D.C. city council wants is for the stadium to be built with half public money, half private money. The plan, with the amendment, was passed 7-6.

Major League Baseball would rather that the city--any city--that builds a new ballpark finance all of the city with public funds. Oh, did I forget to mention that this current city council will not be in place to approve a private financing plan? In fact, in January, a new, mostly anti-stadium council will take office.

This is bad news for Washington D.C., which has wanted baseball for a long time. It is also bad for the Expos/Nationals. They thought that they had finally found a home. Now, the team will play in RFK stadium next season, but they very well could be on the move again, to either Northern Virginia, Portland, Oregon or...Las Vegas? Could be.

This whole D.C. stadium deal is a mess. But I am actually in agreement with citycouncilwoman Linda Cropp on this one. I don't believe in having the public fully fund a new ballpark for a professional sports team, even one that plays 81 games a year at home. An interesting article in the Newark Star-Ledger points out that publicly built stadiums are not the panacea for economic problems in urban areas.

Another resource to check out in this debate is the website Field of Schemes. There are better uses of tax dollars and public monies than a sports stadium. New Yorkers should think about that with the Jets deal, and D.C. people need to think about that with the Nationals situation. Fix your schools, your roads, your public transportation, then think about participating in building playgrounds for millionaires and billionaires.

2004-12-15T10:12:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of The Amazing Race. I have been watching it since Season One, and I maintain that it is normally the best show on television (as its two Emmy awards for "Best Reality Series" proves.)

I say normally because this season, something has come up that has caused many fans of the show to say "enough is enough."

In an incident that aired on last night's episode, the team of Jonathan and Victoria ("Married Entrepreneurs") were involved in an altercation among themselves. As J and V approached the mat, Victoria was struggling to carry Jonathan's backpack, her backpack, and run to the mat, trying to beat out Freddie and Kendra for first place. J and V lost the footrace, coming in second.

As they approaced the mat to be welcomed by host Phil Keoghan, Jonathan tossed his pack onto the mat and Victoria stood hunched over, holding her knees. Jonathan also gave Victoria a shove on the mat, apparently upset at coming in second. Victoria, clearly struggling at the end of the leg, completely lost it, to the point where Phil had to tell Jonathan to go talk to his wife.

Now, on TWoP the conversation today is about what CBS, The Amazing Race, the FCC and what others should do/should have done regarding this team, ranging from immediate elimination, to filming PSAs regarding spousal abuse, to just editing the team out of the already taped episodes. Many long time viewers are going to boycott the rest of the season, because this was the final straw.

It is important to note here that there have been signs from early in episode one of this season that this relationship had an abusive dynamic. However, after a reprive from the subtext last week, it reappeared in what would have otherwise been an excellent episode.

This episode featured a trip to a slave prison in Africa and a trip to the Berlin Wall, two things that illustrate the evil that man can do to their fellow man (or woman.) While this may not be irony in the true sense of the word, it is ironic if you believe in the new, modified, Alanis Morisette version of the word.

I will say this: CBS needs to address this situation as soon as it possibly can. Whether it is getting Phil to tape a special apology and PSA to air before and during TAR next week, or not allowing Jonathan and Victoria to do any press once they are eliminated (if they are.) However, the situation needs to be addressed. I hate to see one of my favorite shows fall down so fast because of an asshole who was cast.

The casting process cannot be perfect. Personality issues may not show up during an interview or even during a psychological test. Those tools are not infallible no matter what you may think. But if you are going to show reality, which is fine, you need to address the reality with information for those who may be going through a similar situation. And while TAR has been good about not being intrusive into the lives and behavior of their contestants, this must be taken care of quickly. Or else everything that they have worked for over the past five editions, and the respect that they have gained across mainstream America may be damaged irrevocably.

2004-12-15T08:06:00.000-08:00

On ESPN.com, Peter Gammons writes:

[T]his seems to be a typical Mets maneuver. They're built to win the back pages of newspapers in January, but come September they're trying to figure out what to do next year. Someday they'll figure out fans want winners, which entails performance, not promises and glowing talk-show praise leading into a Jets game.

I couldn't have said it better myself. And that has really been the New York Mets problem since the early 1990s. Back in the early and mid 80s, the Mets were the toast of the town, while the Bronx Zoo was in full effect with the Yankees. Then came the "Worst team money could buy," with Bobby Bonilla and Vince Coleman and the merriment that they brought.

But this happens a lot when you are the number two. I see it in the college environment as well. When you're the "younger brother" school or organization in a region, you try to make splashes whenever you can, which sometimes comes at a cost. The cost is often credibility and respect.

The Mets really need to forget about what the Yankees are doing, and focus on making their product better. Because I don't think it needs to be about stars with the Mets. The Yankees can get the stars. The Mets need to get ballplayers that play the right way. Because the best way to get crowds to the dump that is Shea Stadium is by winning.

2004-12-14T06:01:00.000-08:00

I was disturbed to open up washingtonpost.com this morning. I came across this story as the featured story today. It is about something called MicroSort, and basically, it tries to allow parents to guarantee the gender of their child. It is not 100% reliable, though. However, this does bring into question all sorts of ethical decisions. Something about it doesn't feel right. Click here for more on this story.

It appears that some of the things that we believe to be science fiction are becoming more realistic every day.

2004-12-10T18:32:00.000-08:00

Aaah...new technology.

I am typing this at home at my new computer. Thanks to the fine people at Dell for creating my machine, and my mom for getting it for me for Christmas.

I love the IBM laptop I've had since 2000, but it was time for it to retire. It still works, and I'll use it for some light and medium word processing, but as an everyday computer, it needed to be sent out to pasture.

So, I am on my fourth computer since 1997, and the fifth in my lifetime. This is desktop number three, and hopefully, it will withstand the next three-five years of me working on it. Hell, if the laptop lasted this long, certainly the desktop should.

Anyway, enough with the commercial. The only ads that are supposed to be on this blog are the ones running in the gutter on the left hand side of the page.

2004-12-08T08:38:00.000-08:00

It never seems to fail. I plan to take a couple of days off, away from a computer, and things blow up all over the place. By the time I decide that I need to get back to a computer and write, the one I go to access is broken.

I was at my mom's house when the steroid news started to go down, and my sister was sans technology. Add to that the situation with the BCS, and Urban Meyer choosing to go to Florida instead of Notre Dame, and, well, I was overdosing on news to the point where it paralyzed me. Now that I have had some time to think about these things, I will be posting my thoughts over the next day or two.

I have-thanks to a gift from my mother-made the purchase of a new computer, so I will be able to make entries from home faster than on either my ancient laptop or my fiancee's ancient desktop. Yay, technology.

2004-11-30T11:02:00.000-08:00

According to reports, the University of Notre Dame has fired head football coach Tyrone Willingham. Willingham has two years left on his contract. In three seasons with the Fighting Irish, Willingham went 21-15. It is unclear whether or not Willingham will coach the team in the Insight Bowl game on December 28.

With the firing of Tony Samuel from New Mexico State and the resignation of Dr. Fitz Hill at San Jose State, there are now only two African-American head coaches in Division 1-A: Sly Croom at Mississippi State, and Karl Dorrell at UCLA. That is two out of 119 schools (counting provisional D 1-A members Florida Atlantic and Florida International.)

I'll have more thoughts on this as the story evolves.

2004-11-29T11:00:00.000-08:00

Well, the BCS coordinators can breathe a sigh of relief now. It appears that the Broncos of Boise State are not going to crash the BCS party after all. Even though they demolished Nevada on Saturday night in freezing cold conditions, they will not get a seat at the big boys table.

I will state here for the record that I am sick and tired of people like Craig James who continue to say that it's a travesty that Texas is not going to get to play in the BCS, much like they say that it would have been horrible had Cal gotten squeezed out (which could still happen if the Golden Bears overlook the Golden Eagles.) To me, it still seems like commentators are taking backhanded slaps at Utah and Pitt (who will be the Big East BCS representative.)

If I had my way, and if I had a vote in the AP poll, my top five would be (in no particular order): USC, Oklahoma, Auburn, Utah and Boise State. Why? One simple reason. They are undefeated. End of discussion.

Is it Utah's fault that they are in the Mountain West Conference? Does Boise State need to move from the WAC in order to get "respect?" These are the way the conference lines are drawn, and I don't think that the big boys are willing to let some of these upstarts into their leagues anytime soon.

Herman Edwards, whether you like him or not, is quoted as saying, "We play to win the games." That's what Utah and Boise State have done. Yes, Cal lost to USC. Yes, Texas lost to Oklahoma. But you know what? They still lost. They may be the best 1-loss teams in the country, but give me an undefeated team over them anyday.

2004-11-23T08:45:00.000-08:00

So, did anything happen in the NBA Friday night? I'm curious.

All kidding aside, I do think that what happened at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Friday was despicable on all sides. The fans in Detroit should be ashamed of themselves for their behavior. They came off looking like boorish louts and soccer hooligans. Absolutely atrocious.

Ben Wallace should be ashamed of himself. The foul, while hard and probably not necessary at the end of the blowout, wasn't that bad in the grand scheme of things. I've seen Ron Artest foul people harder. There was no need for Ben and the 'fro to fly off the handle and continually try to go after Artest. In fact, that may have been what set some of the idiot fans off.

And lastly, to the Pacers. Jermaine O'Neal shouldn't have punched that guy, although from the replays I've watched, it's not apparent what went on there. Commissioner Stern obviously had more views.

Stephen Jackson should have gotten a year-long suspension. He wasn't attacked or baited from what anyone has seen. Instead, he went into the stands swinging wildly.

Lastly, Ron Artest. Look, anyone who follows the NBA knows that Artest isn't the most balanced cat in the game. He has admitted in the past that he needs some kind of counseling. But Friday night crossed the line. It's hard to keep control of emotions. People struggle with it everyday. It can be especially difficult keeping them in check when you're on the road and the adrenaline is pumping. But that is not an excuse.

So, Artest is gone for the rest of the season and the Pacers have to move on. Eventually, this whole brawl will fade into the background like so many other things when the next big controversy or topic runs to the front of the American sporting consciousness. 'Tis the nature of sport in modern America.

2004-11-17T08:13:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't realize it, one of the best shows on TV, and by far the best reality competition on TV returned to action last night. CBS's The Amazing Race edition 6 kicked off last night. If you haven't watched it yet, I highly recommend that you get on board. I've been watching since the first edition, and it is compelling entertainment.

A good website to check out about tv is called Television Without Pity. It can be found by following this link here, or by clicking on the second link on the sidebar. You will not be disappointed by what you find, and it has enhanced my viewing of tv immensely.

2004-11-17T05:54:00.000-08:00

I found this quote on one of the other blogs that I read this morning:

"I recognize and celebrate that our country is founded upon Judeo-Christian values. And I have pledged my life to defend America and all her values, the values that have made us the noblest experiment in history. But political intolerance by any political party is neither a Judeo-Christian nor an American value. The political tactics of division and slander are not our values. They are corrupting influences on religion and politics and those who practice them in the name of religion or in the name of the Republican Party or in the name of America shame our faith, our party and our country." - John McCain, in the 2000 primary.

Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for pulling up this quote, and adding "[A] speech that all but guaranteed his defeat. Andrew is one of the most well known political bloggers and authors. Although we come from different sides of the proverbial aisle, I agree with him on some issues. I highly recommend him, and you can read him here.

2004-11-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

So I'm watching the half time of the Wisconsin/Michigan State game, and Craig James has said something that irks me. John Saunders was talking about Texas's close victory, and if Cal struggles, and if Wisconsin loses, then Utah could wind up sliding back into the BCS automatic bid picture. Craig James then smacks that idea down, saying that those teams can't be passed by Utah.

As someone who played for an institution that would now be considered a Non BCS school (Southern Methodist) I would have expected Craig James to be willing to champion the cause of BCS busting. But saying that Utah doesn't have the strength of schedule to compete is ridiculous.

Strength of schedule should count for something. However, I don't think that it is fair to penalize a school for their conference affiliation. Can Utah help it if they are in the Mountain West conference instead of, say, the Pac-10? No. All that Utah can do is beat who is in front of them, and that is what they do.

If there needs to be a strength of schedule component, then let it be strength of non-conference opponents. Make these schools schedule at least two tough teams so that they cannot pad their schedules with cupcakes (yes, I am looking at you Kansas State.)

But to say that Utah doesn't deserve to be in the BCS picture because there may be a one or two loss team from a power conference is ludicrous. If that truly is the case, then perhaps the government does need to examine the beast that is Division I-A football.

2004-11-12T05:50:00.000-08:00

There is a french saying that translates as "The more things change, the more they stay the same." While I still think that Maurice Clarett is a young man that needs better guidance and advice, there is another player in this game that needs to examine himself as well, and that is head coach Jim Tressel. ESPN's Tom Farrey has an interesting story regarding Tressel's time at Youngstown State, about three hours or so northeast of Columbus. Follow this link

The more things change, the more they stay the same.