Jon's Blog

A week of HIGHS!!!

2009-09-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

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What a week!!!

Monday night we had the exciting game between Miami and Florida St. What a GREAT game! J12 (Jacory Harris) blew up and put the college football world on notice that he might got next. With new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple on his side, the sky is the limit for J12!

Georgia Tech is up next, should be a great game.

Also, got my first newsletter for FFT out the door. That was huge. I think this season is shaping up as a great one!

If any of you are facebook users, click on the following link and become a "fan" of Fantasy Football Trader!

http://www.facebook.com/FFTrader

Tonight is the first night of the NFL season, so let's get after it!!! Holla!

Bumpy ride

2009-07-21T05:36:00.001-07:00

God does not guarantee the passage will always be smooth, he just promises the landing.

Last night, as I took the girls home after an AMAZING two weeks, about 15 minutes from getting there, my car broke down as the rear axle assembly fell out. Yikes. The car jumped around violently before I was able to pull it over.

Normally in the past, I would have gotten super flustered and let others know it. But last night I kinda laughed about it all and remained calm about the whole thing. Doing an initial price check, I noticed the part I will need to replace could cost nearly 1000 and at least a couple weeks to fix.

But that's okay. I have faith that God will "walk" with me through this and get me to where I may need to go in the meantime. For example, I was initally concerned with how I might be able to get back to Des Moines, but that was answered within minutes of the accident. I knew IMMEDIATELY that God was at work.

God has put some pretty incredible people in my life (and I will go more into that in a couple days), and it's times like these that I see that it was "no accident" that they were put into my life, regardless of the role they played in this situation. It's also times like this that strengthen my resolve to become a better Christian man each and every day.

And I'm thankful that God allowed me to spend the two weeks with the girls before this happened. I can't possibly put into words how amazing the last two weeks have been.

So yeah, while this is definitely a setback, I'm also looking at this as an opportunity to grow my faith.

You are becoming sleeeeeeepy...

2009-07-03T19:52:00.002-07:00

Lately, it seems that a large majority of my day is in "conversation" with God. Most of the time it's light hearted stuff, but sometimes I will question things why certain things are the way they are. I know that in the end all things are revealed, but sometimes I get a little impatient and I ask God to work with me.

I know he answers my questions, and while most of it are in ways that I do not understand, I think there are times that he does so in a way that I can understand that something is happening that will eventually reveal His plan for me. Like today. I was having a particularly rough day today as I thought about some things, and after lunch I remember my talk with Him and questioning whether or not I was really doing the "right" things according to His will, and what the purpose of these things were in the grand scheme of my life. Doubt creeped in and made me upset. I remember asking God to just work with me...

And I kid you not... Almost suddenly, I became somewhat groggy. I laid down for a moment, and I woke up about 90 minutes later and just like that, all the doubt, and my feelings of being upset were gone. And when I tried to remind myself of the reason why I was upset, I remained calm and upbeat. Its weird, but it's as if deep down, I had something revealed to me during my nap, although I still have no idea what it was. But there was a quietness in my soul that was not there just a couple hours before.

I have no doubts that it was no accident that I suddenly got "tired" and "needed" a nap. As I mentioned earlier, I regularly have "conversations" with Him, and while there are many things that we do not understand about His plan for us, I think sometimes, if we are paying close enough attention, He'll answer us in ways that we can feel and let us know that yes, He is paying attention to everything.

Afterwards, I met up with some friends and had a real good time reminiscing about the past. It was a great way to end today. So with that, I'm going to call it a night and we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Talk at ya later.

Sweet potato chaser

2009-06-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

I think I have finally mastered the art of eating a sweet potato without a "chaser". For the past few weeks, I have been eating a sweet potato with every dinner. And the same thing would happen. I would take bite and immediately take a drink of water and take a bite of my other vegetable to mask the taste. Ugh!

But one little change has totally changed the way I eat them. I simply shower it with black pepper and voila, I can eat it by itself. Thank you pepper! Lol.

That's good news too, because I need all the calories I can get. Right now I'm eating anywhere 2700 calories and 4000 calories a day. And the crazy thing??? I'm still losing a pound a week!

This new training program is leaning me out in a big way. Almost too much. I'm trying to build a chest, but I'm having a hard time keeping in enough calories to add mass.

Over the next few days, I will outline my diet and my workout routine so you know what I'm working with. I've got a monster working with me tweaking this and I hope in 70 days the results will be worth the pain. We'll see.

Talk at you later. May your day be blessed!

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This moment

2008-08-27T09:26:00.001-07:00

http://www.jorriss.net/audio/irvin%20speech%20with%20music.mp3

'Nuff said. Let's play some football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Expert League Draft

2008-07-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

Starting later today, I will be representing Fantasy Football Trader in the Fantasy Football Indepth's Expert League Draft.

Just think, less than a year ago, I was just getting my feet wet blogging for dmjuice.com, and now I'm about to compete in a league with others from such sites as CBS, USA Today and KFFL.

So before I start the draft, again I would like to give thanks and all glory to God, because without Him, nothing is possible, and yet with Him, all things are just that! Faith and Desire... and you too can do whatever you set your mind to!

As for the draft itself, this is a league, and not just a draft, so I will get to add and drop throughout the season. We will see how this all unfolds.

I have drawn the 5th pick in the draft, and unless something bizarre happens, I can almost guarantee that I will end up with Frank Gore in the 1st round and Andre Johnson in the 2nd. Hey, just because I'm in an expert league, doesn't mean I still can't rep The U, right? And with those two guys, I would be able to offer a solid 1-2 punch that would match up with any others.

You can follow the draft by clicking here to go to the league website.

I'll also be posting short blogs over on my FantasyFootballTrader.com blog page (J-Rax Report) detailing my picks and my thoughts behind each one. With 12 hours between picks, I should have plenty of time to keep you all updated.

Now I'm off for a pre-draft swimming excursion with the girls!

Song stuck in my head: Frost "La Familia"

This is home

2008-07-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

So far, so good with my week with the girls.

Friday, we went to my volleyball game, where Smokey and the Bumpers came back from losing the game to split the set, 1-1-1. After winning the 2nd game, the Bumpers got off to a slow start, but didn't give up as the battled back. However, the third game ended in a tie, because of the time limit. The Bumpers are looking to make a late season push into the playoffs. Will they get there? Who knows, but it will be fun as we find out!

Saturday, we just bummed around the house and went on the first of our daily walks.

Today, we went to the I-Cubs game, where Lydia got a ball! And we almost got more than that. We had 2nd row seats, and the I-cubs pitcher was batting and he swung and missed. However, when he missed, he also let the bat slip out of his hands and it came flying towards us. However, it didn't quite go far enough, and it hit the guy in the first row. If he had any reflexes, he would have tried to get out of the way, and I was ready to pounce! Oh well...

Tomorrow, we hit the pool and maybe the beach... we'll keep you updated!

Talk to you in later!

Song stuck in my head: Switchfoot's "This is Home". Says a lot about how I feel right now. Love it.

Switchfoot

Quick Update

2008-07-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

Has it really been over a week? Time sure does fly by during the summer!

Last week, Smokey and the Bumpers had a rough week. Coming off a bye week, we were unable to shake the rust until the last game, losing the match 2 games to 1.

This week has been an extremely busy one for me, as I am preparing for Savannah and JoJo to come up Friday for the week. I'm pretty excited, I'm sure we will get some serious pool time in amongst other activities... maybe a cubs game? perhaps a movie in the park? Regardless of what they decide, I'll be thrilled that they are in Ankeny with me.

Well, I have to make this quick, as I'm off and running some more! I'm doing a couple more Expert Fantasy Football Leagues, so be on the look out for details soon...

I'll be back later this week before I head out!

Song stuck in my head: Lemonheads "Into Your Arms"

In Pictures

2008-07-07T06:58:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves pictures... here are a few from my weekend.

Left (Jon, Krissy, B-Rad, Annie, Mike Heather and Lindsey)
Middle (Heather and her friend)
Right (Heather, Krissy, Lindsey, Mike (back) Fred and Jon

Left (Jon and Lindsey)
Middle (B-Rad and Annie)
Right (Heather and Lindsey)

Left (Jon and Fred)
Middle (Jon, Lisa and Loomis at 80/35)
Right (Lindsey and Fred)

I will be back with some more pics from this past weekend, as I got an email late last night that I will need to upload!

Song stuck in head: Jason Mraz "I'm yours"

Pimp my "4th of July!"

2008-07-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

First off, I want to be the first to wish a Happy Birthday to my mother! (Even though she probably will never see this, as she isn't the most computer savvy person out there). I'm very fortunate to have a mother like I do.

Back to business, or do I need to? Because today is my Friday, as I have both Thursday and Friday off for the 4th of July! I'm very excited about the upcoming weekend! What do I all got planned?

Thursday, several of us are getting together for some grilling and then we are heading to Jakes for a little "pimp my drink" action. Carlson has no idea what he is in store for tomorrow night! Unless, of course, he reads this blog on a regular basis! :)

Friday, I will be relaxing quite a bit. I'm not sure if the I-cubs are in town, but if they are, that might be a good night to just kick back with a game. Of course, I will be making sure I have a nice seat to watch me some fireworks Friday night.

Saturday is the day I am SOOOOOO excited for! 80-35 is finally here and I have no doubts that its going to be an amazing event. The Roots and Jakob Dylan are the 2 I'm most looking forward to seeing, but I'm going to try and squeeze in as many different acts as I can. Here's hoping that 80-35 is a smashing success and be the first of many to come!

I have had a hectic and crazy week, so I'm extremely thankful that I now have four days to sit back, relax and enjoy this holiday weekend, and I hope each and every one of you have at least 2x the good time that I know I'm going to have this weekend!

I might be back sometime this weekend, but no guarantees. Like Frank the Tank would say, "I don't know, I don't know if I'll have enough time!"

Song stuck in my head: Josh Gracin's "We weren't crazy"

Pimp My Weekend Update!

2008-06-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

Just wrapping up another good weekend, so lets get right after it!

Before I do, just a reminder that I'll be participating in the live Experts Mock Draft tonight, starting at 8pm. You can watch it unfold here. Not only will I be drafting, but I'll be answering reader questions at that time too. Hope to see you there!

Now that I have gotten my PSA out of the way, back to the weekend! Friday night, my sand volleyball team, Smokey and The Bumpers played their best game of the season, winning in 3 sets. The Bumpers lost the first set 15-11, and were down 14-11 in the second game and needing a side out to stay alive which they did, and then reeled off 5 straight points to win 16-14. The third game had many momentum swings, with the Bumpers getting some awesome individual performances by each of the ladies to squeak out a hard fought 15-13 win, taking the set 2 games to 1.

Saturday, after getting some work done in the morning, I headed out to meet up with a group of friends to go to the Iowa Cubs game. We all had a great time at the stadium, and the "Keebler Elf" made a special appearance. And wouldn't you know it, the Keebler Elf LOVES THE U!

After the game was over, we walked down to the newly remodeled Johnny's Hall of Fame, where we impressed with the layout of the place. Easily a destination worth checking out again in the future! We sat around and talked for a few hours, with the highlight conversation revolving around a previous blog topic of mine, "Pimp My Sandwich". After explaining the origin of where I heard the commercial, we spent the rest of the night improvising what the commercial might look like. We took turns being X-Ampl showing up to pimp someone's sandwich, while the rest of us took turns being overly stoked with the ways our sandwich was being pimped. Here is a part of that conversation:

Jon: Yo, yo, yo!! This is Xampl and I'm here to pimp yo sandwich!

Heather (running around in circles): Ha! Ha! No! Ah!!!!

Jon: Heather, we going to start with some provolone cheese!

Heather: Ah! Provolone?! Ah! Yes!!!!

Jon: And then we going to throw on some crisp romaine lettuce!!

Heather: OH MY! Ah yes!! Oh my! Romaine Lettuce?! Ah!!!

We all took turns piling on anything we could think of on that sandwich, and by the end, I was actually pretty hungry for a sandwich.

The conversation then progressed to what else we could "pimp my ________". Needless to say, the next time we end up at Jakes, the bartenders better be ready to pimp our drinks! "Ahhh, you going to put grenadine in that?! Oh yes!"

Here are a few more pictures from the outing.

(Top Left) Lindsey and Mike

(Top Right) Fred and Jon

(Bottom) Mike, Lindsey and Heather

(Top Left) Lindsey and Heather

(Top Right) Mike and Lindsey

(Bottom) Mike, Fred and Jon

(Top Left) Heather and Lindsey busting a move

(Top Right) Heather and Fred talking about philosphy

(Bottom) Group Pic - Lindsey, Mike, Heather, Jon and Fred

Song stuck in my head: "Come on get higher" by Matt Nathanson

Cheshire Cat in Wonderland

2008-06-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

Last night, I took in "Alice in Wonderland" down in Mt. Pleasant. It was a well executed production and all the kids did an outstanding job... I know I'm biased, but I thought the Cheshire Cat stole the show! Lydia (Jojo) did a masterful job of showing sass and attitude that the character required. Big "UPS" to Jojo!
I should have some pictures available next week sometime, as well as a short video snippet.

As for me, just getting ready for the weekend... Tonight my sand volleyball team looks to rebound from last week's debacle. Tomorrow, me and my "entourage" will be rolling out to the I-cubs games. Amazingly, this will be the first games (its a doubleheader) I will have watched this year, as most years I take full advantage of our company seats and go to at least a dozen or so games. I'm excited to be able to get down there finally.

The art festival is also this weekend, so I may try and sneak in a trip down there before the Cubs game.

I've also got my ticket to 80-35! I'm ready for it already! And throw in a 3 day workweek next week too?! Are you joking me?!? So good!

In other odds and ends, just finished my feature piece on individual defensive players that will be included in our draftkit next week. All said and done, over 15 pages of information... just on individual defensive players! By far, my biggest article yet, and I'm quite pleased with how it came together at the end.

Monday night, I will participate in my first "experts draft" on behalf of FantasyFootballTrader.com. I'll be "competing" against some of other top fantasy football publications, such as CBS, KFFL and RotoWire. I'm excited, but believe this... "The Godfather" is ready!

Chat at ya later!

Song stuck in my head: Old school alert! Kool and the Gang's "Get down on it"

Weekend Update

2008-06-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

Lots of happenings this weekend, so without further ado...

First off, major congrats to my fellow sand volleyball teammates Corey and Amy, who got engaged this weekend! May they have many years of "happyness" to look forward to!

As for Smokey and the Bumpers, we had what you would call a "bad" day on Friday, as we got smoked 3 straight games. The Bumpers seemed to have issues figuring out what their identity was, and that confusion allowed C-Dub to pile it on. The Bumpers will look to rebound this week as we head into the 2nd half of the season.

Earlier this summer, I found myself up early on a Saturday morning, so I decided to check out the local farmers market. Since I didn't know any better, I went to the Ankeny farmers market, where I was disappointed to find only a few stands set up. Needless to say, my instant initial impression of farmers markets was not a good one!

However, Saturday I went to the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market with Jen, and wow... what a difference! It was like 6 solid blocks of various stands selling everything from smoothies (my favorites) to egg rolls and fresh fruit and vegetables. We had to walk around twice, just so I knew what was all available and didn't make any hasty decisions!

They also had various bands performing down there. We stopped and took in a set by Jemstate frontman Brad Seidenfeld, who was awesome, especially for a Saturday morning! We found out that he performs there every Saturday, so if you get a chance, I suggest you go and check him out sometime.

Saturday night was guys night out, with a little poker and some UFC thrown in for good measure. I took 2nd place in the poker, which was great for me, since I had maybe 3 hands with two face cards.

Sunday, I went to church and just relaxed around the house. Sunday night, Jen and I met up with Mike, Lindsey and Heather for a couple drinks. Hilarity ensued. Apparently, eye goggles and headbands are not necessary for the "power runs" I go on everyday. Who knew?!

On the real, I don't wear either! I really don't! And no, you won't be seeing any youtube videos of my "power runs" anytime soon!

Be back later this week... I'm working on a feature football article for fantasyfootballtrader.com right now, as our Draftkit will be available July 1st. So exciting, football is right around the corner!

Chat at you later!

Song stuck in my head: Coldplay's "Viva la Vida"

Golden Circle Games

2008-06-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I participated in my first Golden Circle Games. The GC Games are a bunch of fun games geared for Greater Des Moines companies.

This was a lot bigger than I anticipated, as there were people everywhere, with tailgating before and after the event. This year's them was the 70's, and many teams dressed up appropriately. Our team went with the tie-dyes tee's.

I participated with my team. We even won 3 of 4 events I participated in, including the blindfolded wheelbarrow race, which I anchored (see picture). After finishing our race in 1 minute and 37 seconds (the average time was said to be about 4 minutes), the judge said we had the best time ever for the games. We rule.

Chat back at you later!

Song stuck in my head: The Killers "Mr. Brightside"

Get Them!

2008-06-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

Came across this story today. Are you kidding me?!? Saying "Get them!"?!? So good!

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Bridgeport police say they arrested a city man after he ordered his pet to attack two officers. Lucky for them that 9-foot-long pythons aren't very obedient.

Police Lt. James Viadero says 21-year-old Victor Rodriguez was charged with threatening police and disorderly conduct after Monday's incident. No one was hurt.

Officers were called to Rodriguez's apartment on a report that he was threatening his girlfriend with the pet reptile.

Viadero says that when the building superintendent opened the apartment door for the officers, Rodriguez allegedly threatened them with the snake and told it to "Get them!"

Rodriguez and his pet were both taken away: Rodriguez to jail on a $10,000 bond, and the albino python to the city's animal control shelter.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080617/ap_on_fe_st/sic__em_snake and Connecticut Post, http://www.connpost.com

In Pictures

2008-06-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Savannah and Lydia at the IHOP. They both ordered the cheese omelette and I had the Colorado omelette. Did we not realize we were at the IHOP (International House of PANCAKES)???

Savannah and Lydia (ever notice how Lydia is always on the right and Savannah is always on the left when taking pictures?) lol. Next time, I will try and get a picture of them on the opposite sides!

Here is a picture of Savannah, me and Lydia at DMACC Lake

Weekend Update

2008-06-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to fathers everywhere!

As for me, I'm just unwinding from an amazing weekend. Let's get right to it.

Friday night, Smokey and the Bumpers swept their match, winning 3 straight to improve our season record to 9-9 in total games this year. The Bumpers are hot, winners of 8 of their last 9 games.

And in their last game, when the team seemed destined for a letdown, they got a big contribution from none other than Savannah. Savannah impressed everyone with her big serve and her bumping ability.

Saturday morning we got up and did IHOP. Then we came home and found a note stating that my pool was out of order and couldn't be used for the weekend. But Lydia and Savannah wouldn't let that deter them, as they quickly suggested that we go to the public pool.

Four hours later, we all were nice and tan. A quick couple laps around DMACC and the girls were exhausted! I did get some pictures in and should be able to post a few in the next couple days.

This morning, we went to church and then visited my parents place. After grilling out, I took the girls home and now... I'm exhausted!

In the end, as I had mentioned in my last blog, when you put your faith and trust in Him, little things like "Friday the 13th" don't seem so daunting.

And thank you to everyone who texted me "Happy Father's Day" this morning, its awfully nice to know that there are people out there who thought to include me in their Father's Day well wishes.

So on that note, I would like to "pay it forward" and ask all that read this to say a prayer for those that have been displaced by the recent floods. My sister and her family were among those who have been hit by the floods, and I'll be keeping them in my thoughts tonight, and if you are so inclined, I ask that you do the same.

I'll be back later this week.

Song stuck in my head: "Reason to Believe" by Dashboard Confessional

Friday the 13th

2008-06-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

Friday the 13th! Normally a day like this would make me a little nervous, wondering what could possibly go wrong as Friday the 13th are generally regarded as an unlucky day. And certainly on this Friday the 13th, the nervous thought "What now?" is something I'm sure many of us have in our heads right now, especially those of us who have had to deal with the string of severe weather storms and subsequent flooding, myself included.

But nervous I'm not. In spite of the aforementioned weather and flooding issues that I had to deal with, this week has been a very good one. Several more nice surprises came my way this week, and maybe in a future blog I will go into a little more detail, but believe this: As I said last week, without faith and trust in God, none of what I have received would have been possible. As someone else said in their blog, "God is good!"

Jeremiah 17:7
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him."

I recently finished the book "Boundaries" and it was a very informative read. So much so, that I've begun to reread it again to make sure I am able to soak up as much as I can. I highly suggest that you check out this book.

I'm off to pick up the girls. Have a great weekend!

Song stuck in my head: "Have a little faith in me" by Jewel

Boom, outta here! Boom goes the dynamite!

2008-06-11T17:22:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I'm a big Jim Rome guy. Listen to his show every day. Freaking hilarious. Anyway, one of the aspects I love about the show is the emailers, who often take Jim's takes and run with them in often hilarious ways.

Anyway, one of the latest favorite sayings that the emailers are using these days, is "Boom, outta here", originally uttered by Brett Myers during a postgame interview gone bad. You can read what happened here. Now every email that comes in to Jim Rome has someone or something saying "Boom, outta here!" So good.

But that got me to thinking about the original "Boom!" soundbite, and it still is one of my favorite sayings. It all started with a college reporter doing a show and passionately using that phrase to describe a sports highlight. This quick highlight spread about on the internet. I thought now is a good time to relive that moment.

Boom Goes the Dynamite

Weekend Update

2008-06-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

Again, props to my sand volleyball team, "Smokey and the Bumpers", who defeated the always tough "Jack-holes" 2 games to one. That's 2 in a row! Our season "set" record is now 2-3 (or 6-9 in games).

I used to watch those most dangerous snakes shows on Discovery channel and wondered who would win if those snakes fought each other. I know, I know... the anaconda would win all those fights...
Anyways, after Saturday night, I now know that a Latin Snake would beat a Viper! Yep, the "Latin Snake", Sergio Mora, defeated "The Viper", Vernon Forrest to win the 154lb championship in boxing.
As many of you know, I got the chance to kick it with Sergio a few years back. I will have to dig through my pictures and see if I still have it. In any event, Mora, who won the first ever Contender TV show, now has a potential fight with none other than fellow East Los native, Oscar De La Hoya. Stay tuned!

And you know I got to shout out for my Miami Hurricanes, who advanced to the College World Series! Road trip to Omaha, anyone?

Lastly, don't forget to check out my latest fantasy football article over at Fantasy Football Trader. This past week, I penned another Thread the Needle article, as I went into the redraft and keeper league values of Carson Palmer vs Jay Cutler. Not as simple as you might think!

Anyway, I'll be back later this week. Hope you all are having a great Monday!

Song stuck in my head: Gavin Rossdale's "Love Remains the Same"

Pimp MY Sandwich!

2008-06-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

The other day I was listening to the radio, and heard a QT (Quik Trip Gas Station) commercial doing a spoof of MTV's Pimp my Ride for their QT Sandwiches. They called it Pimp MY Sandwich. Absolutely hilarious.
So I googled it of course. And I found quite a few spoofs out there. Youtube rules. Here is one of those videos.

codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="320" height="263">value="transparent" />value="http://video.gprime.net/media/flv/flv.swf?gN=pimpmysandwich&gX=640&gY=480&gL=0">
wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="320" height="263">

Here is one more link:
http://www.hotdamntv.com/OurShorts/pimpmySandwich.html

Have a good weekend!

Song stuck in my head: Los Lonely Boys "Staying with me"

And to those who speak Spanish...

2008-06-05T07:28:00.000-07:00

With the NBA finals starting tonight between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, I was reminded yesterday on the Jim Rome show of probably one of the greatest moments in a ticker tape parade.
Mark Madsen, a reserve for the Los Angeles Lakers the last time they won a championship (with Kobe and Shaq) got off one of the memorable speeches ever. Yes, you read that right. A "reserve" got off one of the most memorable celebratory speeches ever.
Take a look for yourself. Soooo good!

Best part of the clip: Madsen saying "And to those who speak Spanish, les agradecemos, y les decimos que el año que viene, lo haremos otra vez!" (translation: "We thank you, and we'll do it again next year!")

Btw, I got the Celtics beating the Lakers in 7.

Check you later!

Song stuck in my head today: "Halfway to Hollywood" by Dick Prall

Who wants to be my crony?

2008-06-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

My favorite website right now? Centsports.com
Centsports gives you real money to bet real sporting events. No kidding!
Its not much money (a dime) but its paid for by sponsors. You can then bet on baseball, soccer, mma or football. Parlays, over unders and +1.5 are all offered. And you CAN'T lose! You do not pay a cent if you lose. If your account hits zero, you "reload" for another dime and your off and betting again!

You probably won't win money (you need to get your account up to $20 before you can withdraw, and that's hard if you start out with only a dime), but how awesome is it to say you have action on a game and not worry about whether it could break your bank?

So that all said, why haven't you signed up yet?

http://www.centsports.com/?opcode=109299

Hit the link up, sign up and see if you can beat Vegas!

Chat at you later!

Weekend Update

2008-06-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

If you a regular reader of this blog, you'll know that a few weeks ago, I talked about Dick Prall, a singer that I never heard of until just recently. Friday night, I got to see him perform live at the Jordan Creek social, Friday at the Fountains. And while the tempo of most of his songs were probably better suited for a Sunday afternoon as opposed to a Friday night, he didn't disappoint with his two catchy songs, "The Cornflakes Song" and "Halfway to Hollywood."

Also, a quick shout out to my volleyball team Smokey and the Bumpers, as we got off the snide Friday night by winning our first game of the season. Granted, the team we beat wasn't the greatest, but the bumpers played a lot better as a team this week and hopefully we can carry that momentum over to next week.

But now onto the meat of this blog...

This weekend, I accomplished some very big goals. I won't bore you with the details, because outside of the few close people I have already told and my family, in the grand scheme of things, its not all that important (except for maybe my fantasy football readers over at FantasyFootballTrader.com (yes, that's a plug, go check it out!)

So why do I mention this? Simple. Because while the details of what I was able to accomplish are irrelevant, what IS relevant is how I was able to achieve them. And that my friends, was with God. All Glory to God.

I think my favorite scripture right now is Matthew 19:26 "With God, All things are possible." No truer words have been spoken.

But the great thing about this scripture is that its not just meant for me. Nope, these are words that are for EVERYONE that believes.

Looking back, I think the hardest part for me to understand about that passage is the beginning. "With God". For years, I used to think that it was enough to believe that God would just make it happen. But I'm learning that "With God" doesn't always mean just that. It means that we have to do our part too, hence the word "with".

Of course, I know that I will still have my share of trials and obstacles in the future. But as long as I'm willing to do my part, With God, all things are possible!

I'll be back later this week with my usual slightly unusual stories, but today I just wanted to be sure to give thanks and glory to God.

See you later!

Catchy song that its my head right now: "Open the eyes of my Heart"

25 Rickey Henderson stories

2008-05-27T07:34:00.000-07:00

Rickey Henderson. The greatest base stealer in MLB history. But as great as was on the basepaths, the stories that have come out since then regarding his line of thinking are so hilarious.
Tony Gwynn, a Hall of Fame player himself, is generally known to be the best Rickey Henderson story teller. Here are a few stories about "Rick-AY"...

1) Rickey… on referring to himself in the third person:

“Listen, people are always saying, ‘Rickey says Rickey.’ But it’s been blown way out of proportion. People might catch me, when they know I’m ticked off, saying, ‘Rickey, what the heck are you doing, Rickey?’ They say, ‘Darn, Rickey, what are you saying Rickey for? Why don’t you just say, ‘I?’ But I never did. I always said, ‘Rickey,’ and it became something for people to joke about.”

2) In the early 1980s, the Oakland A’s accounting department was freaking out. The books were off $1 million. After an investigation, it was determined Rickey was the reason why. The GM asked him about a $1 million bonus he had received and Rickey said instead of cashing it, he framed it and hung it on a wall at his house.

3) In 1996, Henderson’s first season with San Diego, he boarded the team bus and was looking for a seat. Steve Finley said, “You have tenure, sit wherever you want.” Henderson looked at Finley and said, “Ten years? Ricky’s been playing at least 16, 17 years.”

4) This one might be my second favorite. This wasn’t too long ago, I think it was the year he ended up playing with the Red Sox. Anyway, he called San Diego GM Kevin Towers and left the following message: “This is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball.”

5) This one happened in Seattle. Rickey struck out and as the next batter was walking past him, he heard Henderson say, “Don’t worry, Rickey, you’re still the
best.”

6) Rickey once asked a teammate how long it would take him to drive to the Dominican Republic.

7) Moments after breaking Lou Brock’s stolen base record, Henderson told the crowd, with Brock mere feet next to him, “Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today, I am the greatest of all-time.”

8) Henderson once fell asleep on an ice pack and got frostbite, which forced him to miss three games, in mid-August.

9) A reporter asked Henderson if Ken Caminiti’s estimate that 50 percent of Major League players were taking steroids was accurate. His response was, “Well, Rickey’s not one of them, so that’s 49 percent right there.”

10) Henderson broke Ty Cobb’s career record for runs scored with a home run. After taking his usual 45 seconds or so around the bases, Rickey slid into home plate.

11) On being Nolan Ryan’s 5,000th career strikeout: “It gave me no chance. He (Ryan) just blew it by me. But it’s an honor. I’ll have another paragraph in all the baseball books. I’m already in the books three or four times.”

12) San Diego GM Kevin Towers was trying to contact Rickey at a nearby hotel. He knew Henderson always used fake names to avoid the press, fans, etc. He was
trying to think like Rickey and after several attempts; he was able to get Henderson on the phone.
Rickey had checked in under Richard Pryor.

13) I didn’t believe this one at first. However, I emailed a few contacts within the Sox organization and they claim it actually happened. This is priceless, it really is.

The morning after the Sox finished off the sweep against St. Louis last October, Henderson called someone in the organization looking for tickets to Game 6 at Fenway Park.

14) The Mets were staying in a hotel less than a mile from Cinergy Field in Cincinnati. While some players walked, most took the team bus. A few minutes after
they arrived (again it was less than a mile) the last players off the bus noticed a stretched limo that had just pulled up.

Of course, Rickey emerged from the back seat.

15) A reporter once asked Rickey if he talked to himself, “Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I’m trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?”

16) The story went that a few weeks into Henderson’s stint with the Mariners, he walked up to John Olerud at the batting cage and asked him why he wore a batting helmet in the field. Olerud explained that he had an aneurysm at nine years old and he wore the helmet for protection. Legend goes that Henderson said, “Yeah, I used to play with a guy that had the same thing.”

Olerud said, “That was me, Rickey.”

Henderson played with Olerud on the Blue Jays and the Mets.

17) Rickey was asked if he had the Garth Brooks album with Friends in Low Places and Henderson said, “Rickey doesn’t have albums. Rickey has CDs.”

18) During a contract holdout with Oakland in the early 1990s, Henderson said, “If they want to pay me like Mike Gallego, I’ll play like Gallego.”

19) In the late 1980s, the Yankees sent Henderson a six-figure bonus check. After a few months passed, an internal audit revealed the check had not been cashed.
Current Yankees GM Brian Cashman, then a low-level nobody with the organization, called Rickey and asked if there was a problem with the check. Henderson said,
“I’m just waiting for the money market rates to go up.”

20) In June 1999, when Henderson was playing with the Mets, he saw reporters running around the clubhouse before a game. He asked a teammate what was going on and he was told that Tom Robson, the team’s hitting coach, had just been fired. Henderson said, “Who’s he?”

21) Rickey was pulled over by a San Diego police officer for speeding. As the officer was approaching Rickey’s car, the window went down a few inches and a
folded $100 bill emerged. The officer let Rickey and his money head home without a ticket.

22) When he was on the Yankees in the mid-1980s, Henderson told teammates that his condo had such a great view that he could see, “The Entire State Building.”

23) During one of his stays with Oakland, Henderson’s locker was next to Billy Beane’s. After making the team out of spring training, Beane was sent to the minors after a few months. Upon his return, about six weeks later, Henderson looked at Beane and said, “Hey, man, where have you been? Haven’t seen you in awhile.”

24) To this day and dating back 25 years, before every game he plays, Henderson stands completely naked in front of a full length locker room mirror and says,
“Ricky’s the best,” for several minutes.

25) In the last week of his lone season with the Red Sox, Chairman Tom Werner asked Henderson what he would like for his ‘going-away’ gift. Henderson said he wasn’t going anywhere, but he would like owner John Henry’s Mercedes. Werner said it would be tough to get the same make and model in less than a week and Henderson said, “No, I want his car.” Turns out the Sox got Henderson a Red Thunderbird and when he saw it
on the field before the last game of the season, Rickey said, “Whose ugly car is on the field?”

Des Moines - The "next" Little Big City

2008-05-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Lately, Des Moines has been confusing itself with a big city, as there have been many big events coming through Des Moines.

And for awhile, I've been caught up in the hype of the latest "big" thing coming to Des Moines, the 80/35 Concert (July 4th and 5th). There are SOOOOOO many acts that are coming for the event, and it is a VERRRRRRY reasonable ticket ($30 day/$50 for both). On the second day, The Roots will be headlining. There will be four stages going. But just as I was about to buy my ticket I find out...

That there is also another concert on July 5th that is promising fireworks. Lazerfest 2 will feature STP and Staind!

Which one do I go to??? I can't see how the Lazerfest will be any more reasonably priced than 80/35, and since most of my friends are already locking in to 80/35 I will probably do the same, but why couldn't they have scheduled it on any other day??? Is Des Moines really that big of a city?

Maybe.

BTW, I have never heard of this guy until just recently, but really feeling Dick Prall. The Cornflakes Song and Halfway to Hollywood are two songs that are getting some serious airplay on my mp3 player. You should check him out if you can!

Later!

In Pictures

2008-05-19T12:40:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, me and the girls went for a walk around the lake. They ran ahead together, and I let them. As I approached one of the turns, I heard a yell from them "Look down!"

This is what I saw...

Allen Bailey story

2008-05-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

You all know how much I love to "mark" for Miami Hurricane DE Allen Bailey.

Well, check out this latest article on him to find out where he came from and a little bit about what makes him Allen Bailey.

http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/903/642335.pdf

Darth Vader! Jedis!

2008-05-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

Came across this story the other day. I will have my comments at the end.

From AP/Yahoo (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080514/ap_on_fe_st/odd_britain_vader_raider_4)

HOLYHEAD, Wales - A man who dressed up as Darth Vader, wearing a garbage bag for a cape, and assaulted the founders of a group calling itself the Jedi church was given a suspended sentence Tuesday.

Arwel Wynne Hughes, 27, attacked Jedi church founder Barney Jones — aka Master Jonba Hehol — with a metal crutch, hitting him on the head, prosecutors told Holyhead Magistrates' Court.

He also whacked Jones' 18-year-old cousin, Michael Jones — known as Master Mormi Hehol — bruising his thigh in the March 25 incident, prosecutors said.

The two cousins and Barney Jones' brother, Daniel, set up the Church of Jediism, Anglesey order, last year. Jedi is the faith followed by some of the central characters in the "Star Wars" films.

The group, which claims about 30 members, says on its Web site that it uses "insight and knowledge" from the films as "a guide to living a better and more worthwhile life."

"We all love the films and what they stand for. Obviously some people are going to laugh about it," the Wales on Sunday newspaper quoted Barney Jones as saying last month. "But a lot of people do take it seriously."

Unfortunately for Hughes, his March attack was recorded on a video camera that the cousins had set up to film themselves in a light saber battle.

"Darth Vader! Jedis!" Hughes shouted as he approached.

Hughes claimed he couldn't remember the incident, having drunk the better part of a 2 1/2-gallon (10-liter) box of wine beforehand.

"He knows his behavior was wrong and didn't want it to happen but he has no recollection of it," said Hughes' lawyer, Frances Jones.

District Judge Andrew Shaw sentenced Hughes to two months in jail but suspended the sentence for one year. He also ordered Hughes to pay $195 to each of his victims and $117 in court costs.

In the 2001 United Kingdom census, 390,000 — 0.7 percent of the population — listed Jedi as their religion.

Okay, I can't figure out the funniest part about this story:

A) "Unfortunately for Hughes, his March attack was recorded on a video camera that the cousins had set up to film themselves in a light saber battle."

B) "Darth Vader! Jedis!" Hughes shouted as he approached."

C) "In the 2001 United Kingdom census, 390,000 - 0.7 percent of the population - listed Jedi as their religion."

I'm sorry, I don't mean to make fun of someone's religion, especially as I'm in the midst of rediscovering mine and whatnot, but still... Jedi?

Good Vibrations!

2008-04-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is with me lately.

This morning I caught myself jamming out to Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch's "Good Vibrations".

Come on! come on!
Feel it! feel it!
Feel the vibration!

Could it be spring fever?

In other news, I won a radio contest for a free lunch for 10 next Tuesday. Free food? Can't beat that. Although it sure would have been nice to win those Colbie Caillat tickets. Yeah, you read that right. Colbie is very easy on the ears.

Speaking of reading things right, I added a postscript to an earlier blog. You can check it out here.

And just speaking of reading in general, last night I finished the Book of Matthew. I believe the Book of Mark is up next, I'll keep you updated.

I also started "The Blind Side", a book about Michael Oher. Looks to be one of those feel good stories, so again, I'll keep you updated how it goes.

Yep, the library rules. I only wish I had discovered it sooner.

Day 5

2008-04-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

Driving to work on I-235 this morning, I couldn't help but notice the driver of a car that passed me. She was sooooo rocking out! I glanced back and I could see that she was singing the words to the song that was playing on my radio at that moment, "See You Again" by Hannah Montana.

Yes, I'm almost embarrassed to admit, I know the words to that song:

The last time I freaked out
I just kept lookin' down
I st-st-stuttered,
You asked me what I'm thinkin' 'bout

Felt like I couldn't breathe
You asked what's wrong with me
My best friend Leslie said
"Oh, She's just bein' Miley"

The next time we hang out
I will redeem myself
My heart can't rest 'till then
Whoa, whoa.
I, I can't wait
To see you again

So I guess it should come as no surprise that a few moments after I noticed the stranger rocking out to the song, that I caught myself singing along with Hannah/Miley too.

Maybe positive energy is contagious.

Either that, or I'm going to be the "dork" dad that thinks he's "cool".

Moment of Clarity

2008-04-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

Let's see, today is April 1st and it is snowing out? Are you joking me? Usually that would be enough to put me in a "blah" mood. Throw in the unusually weird/awkward exchange I had last night and its likely I would have been unapproachable today as I tried to sort out my thoughts. But today is different.

I've been telling you how I have been a book nerd these past few weeks. I've read 3 books (Bringing Down the House, Busting Vegas and Meat Market). But I've also set aside some time to read a little from the Bible too. Lately, I've been working from the Book of Matthew. And last night, I came across this passage, which I'm sure many of you have heard before... I know I have heard it before, but last night was the perfect time to be reminded of it.

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

The other day I mentioned how my problems weren't that big in the grand scheme of things. And they aren't.

But it was still reassuring to be reminded that I can take my burdens, no matter how great or trivial, and place them with Him.

Rest I got last night.

Disappointment

2008-03-31T09:55:00.000-07:00

That's the only word I can come up with right now.

I treated myself to a movie last night... You all know that I have been waiting to watch "21", the movie based off "Bringing Down the House". I was super-psyched to watch it, and so last night I went. What did I get? Two hours of "ugh".

First the movie was only loosely based off the book. But worse, the directors focused in on irrelavent details and didn't pay enough attention to the relevant ones.
Which did the actors/actresses no favors in this movie. All around, the acting was shoddy. Even my man Laurence Fishburne turned in only an "okay" performance, when usually he is "money" with any role he takes on. But I will give him a pass, because as I noted before, I think the acting (from everyone) was a direct reflection of the directing job in this job and that's too bad. This was a great, great book.

It was so uneventful I found myself sneaking looks at my cell phone, as my friend was giving me updates on how Floyd Mayweather did at Wrestlemania. That's all you need to know about this movie.

"Rounders" it wasn't.

In Pictures

2008-03-17T05:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I had another one on one weekend visit with my youngest daughter Lydia (Jojo). We stayed at my parents place, but before we could get too settled in, my mother showed us what she had taught her dog "Roxy" to do before eating. Take a peek here.

I think its safe to say that All Dogs Do Go to Heaven!

You can also check this out on youtube by going to http://www.youtube.com/v/LYDzSlBZY8U

Fave Five Friday

2008-03-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

The other day I told you how I finished a book in 24 hours. The book, "Bringing Down the House" was fantastic. I couldn't put it down.
The movie version, "21", is being released March 28th. I hear there are some striking differences between the movie version and the book version, but for the most part, keeps to the basic premise.
And as fate would have it, as I thought about the upcoming movie, it gave me another idea for Fave Five Friday-My favorite movies that I have in my collection.

1. Rounders - This is the movie that may have led to the hold'em craze that swept the nation not too long ago. Beyond that, I can watch it under any situation and I can watch it over and over again, and that's why it's my favorite movie, end of discussion.

2. Good Will Hunting - I guess you could say I think Matt Damon is a good actor. But truth be told, I love the premise of this movie as much as I do Rounders, probably even moreso. An intelligent person with unlimited potential, but who can't realize said potential because he struggles to find peace in himself and in his personal relationships. I can see a little bit of myself in this movie (minus the supersize IQ). So why is this movie #2 on my list and not #1? Ben Affleck.

3. Jerry McGuire - Yes, I realize that this is a chick flick disguised as a sports movie. I think thats where this movie gets part of its charm. It managed to combine both of these genres into a movie that excited you with its sports annotations, yet tugged at the heart strings a little. Take the two main lines from the movie. "Show me the money!" and "You complete me".

4. Superbad - This movie somehow overtook Old School and Dodgeball as my personal favorite comedy movie. This movie had me cracking up the entire time, whether it was the situations that the guys found themselves in, or the soundtrack (which fit in perfectly).

5. 21 - I know, I know, I haven't even seen this movie yet. But I'm going on a hunch here, based off the book. No, I don't think the movie will do the book justice (what movie does?) But based on how much I enjoyed the book, if the movie is even 25% as good as the book, that will still be enough for it to crack my top 5.

Other notables: Old School, Dodgeball, Swordfish, Face-Off, A Guy Thing, Pulp Fiction, Empire, Scarface, The Lion King, Lilo and Stitch, Casino and Big Daddy

Gif of the day

2008-03-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

I got a lot of thoughts going on in my head, but nothing that I can formulate into a coherent blog. So instead, I'm just going to post this pic that I came across last night. Freaking hilarious.
No clue who this is, nor do I really care.

Does anybody else get the feeling that we could see Kimbo get loose and do this?

Haiku Tuesday

2008-03-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

It looks like winter is finally over and spring is almost upon us (knock on wood, knock on wood again, knock on wood once more!).
But with the spring weather comes muddy, almost impassable gravel roads (I have a little strip that I have to cross every day).
But that's a small price that I'm willing to pay in order for winter to be done and over with.

My Haiku for the week.

Snow is melting fast,
Roads are bad, but not for long,
Yes, Spring at last!

In Pictures

2008-03-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I had a one on one weekend with my oldest daughter Savannah. Friday night, before she arrived, I discovered the local library and checked out a book that I've been really wanting to read, "Bringing Down the House" (I will talk more about this book later this week).
Savannah also brought a book from home, "The Clique". Anyway, Friday night and Saturday morning, Savannah and I crushed 500 pages between the both of us as we finished our respective books.

During one of my breaks, I nonchalantly grabbed my camera and snuck a pic in.

Fave Five Friday!

2008-03-07T11:51:00.000-08:00

Last night the Miami Hurricanes had their first spring scrimmage. According to early reports, Robert Marve looked very good, and because of his and Jacory Harris's performance, there are some who are now saying that the time frame for Miami to rise back up to prominence could/should be shortened, based on how much improvement the young kids have already made. This has me excited.

So to build on that enthusiasm, this week I will list my fave five current 'Canes.

1. Robert Marve - I have never had a "man-crush" on anyone, but if I were to ever have one, it probably be Robert Marve. I have been high on him before he decommitted from Alabama and switched to the Canes. He was forced to redshirt last season as he recovered from a horrific car accident, but he used that time wisely, and he was named scout team MVP last season. Tim Tebow, the Heisman winning QB from the hated Gators, came out one year before Marve. But you ask anyone familiar with Florida High School football and they will say that Marve projects better. That's enough for me. I'm not only on the Marve bandwagon, I'm driving it. Get on now while you can, because its going to get crowded quick when the rest of the nation finally gets their opportunity to see him come next fall.

2. Allen Bailey - If you have read this blog, you know that I got nothing but mad respect for The Beast. Bailey had a disappointing freshman season as he tried to play MLB, but with his size, it was just a matter of time before he moved to defensive end. He made that change a few weeks ago, and the move has already paid dividends. Word is he is already near unstoppable.

3. Anthony Reddick - This guy will be the emotional leader for the 'Canes defense this year. Played his freshman season and was outstanding, but then suffered a knee injury. Back this year and rocking #26 in honor of the late Sean Taylor, expect Reddick to ball out and be the emotional rock for this team.

4. Marcus Forston - I've told you how its all about the big hog molies up front. Well, Forston is only a freshman, but expect him to contribute immediately, and provide some muscle and swagger in the middle, something that was sorely lacking last year. I will be shocked if Forston isn't an All-American while at Miami.

5. Matt Pipho - I have to include this Iowa native on this list. Pipho, from LaPorte City, Iowa, hasn't made a big impact yet, but the fact that he is from Iowa and he chose the Canes gets him major props in my book. He is in the mix for the wide open center position. But regardless of whether he becomes first string, or sits the bench from here on out, you can rest assured on one thing... If he ever finds himself back in Iowa, the first beer is on me.

Other favorites: I love all my 'Canes but some of the other notables for me include Richard Gordon, Javarris James, Aldarius Johnson, DeMarcus Van Dyke, Damien Berry, Ryan Hill, Sean Spence and of course Arthur Brown.

Have a good weekend!

Haiku Tuesday

2008-03-04T11:45:00.000-08:00

The biggest story going today is the announcement of Brett Favre's retirement. Whether you love the Packers, or hate them, you couldn't but admire Favre and the way he played the game. He truly enjoyed the game and the NFL will not be the same next year without #4 running around hi-fiving officials or throwing snowballs after completing a touchdown pass.
Thanks for the memories Brett.

Here now, is this week's haiku.

Favre won plenty,
Playing the game the right way,
See you in Canton

In Pictures

2008-03-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

Sorry, no real picture opportunities this weekend, so instead just give you a few weekend thoughts.

Naps=good. I did nothing Sat or Sunday except Church and yet it was one of my more productive "free" weekends in awhile. I guess that's the power that a couple of naps can have. Now let's see if my renewed energy can carry over to this week.

I missed the much anticipated 3rd Israel Vasquez v Rafael Marquez fight, and it was a doozy. I hope to get my hands on a copy of it soon, it was that good. Some are saying it was the best trilogy in boxing history, and that this particular fight was as good as Corrales v Castillo 1. Enuf said, I'm sold.

As you know, I'm writing for Fantasy Football Trader, and we just released our inital rankings. Check them out and see if you agree with my rankings or with someone else's on the staff.

Lastly, I would be remiss not to mention this website, which is Awesome with a capital A! http://www.nintendo8.com is a Nintendo fan's dream. Many old games I had forgotten about. Absolutely Awesome! Big ups to "dgierok", a Fantasyfootballtrader.com reader for pointing this out.

Fave Five Friday!

2008-02-29T11:52:00.000-08:00

Kind of a slow day here as I am having a hard time coming up with any ideas on anything today. So today, I will keep it simple and list my fave five tv shows that are currently on.

1. 10 Items or Less - I've talked about this show before, but I can't stop talking about it. It's the office in a supermarket. Tuesdays at 10pm CST on TBS. Check it out! You can go here and familiarize yourself with this show, as they have previous episodes available to watch

2. House - This show cracks me up as well. I have to admit, sometimes I wish I was as sarcastically funny as House is in this show.

3. Scrubs - Been a fan of this show for quite some time. And in a a weird way, I often find myself connecting with many of the characters on the show.

4. The Office - If 10 items or Less is on this list, than you know The Office is on the short list as well.

5. One Tree Hill - Shhhhh... Don't tell people I like this! This is my secret guilty pleasure show. I thought this show jumped the shark a year ago when they had the school shooting, but to my surprise, it has done really well this year.

Have a good weekend!

Police dogs sporting new kicks

2008-02-28T07:22:00.000-08:00

Ran across this story today about police dogs getting fitted for shoes. Are you joking me? The shoes are going to cost approximately $20 each. That's ridiculous in and of itself. What's next? Nike Airs for Chico the Chihuahua? But perhaps the most asinine aspect of this canine story is the following line,

"Some 20 German shepherds are being taught to walk and work with their new footwear in time for a police fashion show in March."

A police fashion show?! Seriously!?! I don't even know where to start with that one, so I'm not even going to... I'll just say this... "A FREAKING Police Fashion Show?!"

What I'm listening to: Last week, I ran a fave five on my favorite female singers... It looks like I was week too early. I totally forgot about Sheryl Crow, who latest single "Love is Free" is stuck in my head in a good way. I read a review of her album, and they mentioned this album (Detours) is reminiscent of Crow's earlier work, "Tuesday Night Music Club". Based on this first single, I would have to say that's a good analogy, which means good things for this album.

Take a listen to "Love is Free"

The Tiebreaker!

2008-02-27T11:33:00.000-08:00

This weekend, the final installment in the best boxing rivalry since Barrera v Morales will take place as Israel Vasquez and Rafael Marquez face off for the third time.
Marquez won the first fight in the 7th round with Vasquez unable to continue after struggling to breathe for several rounds because of a broken beak, however, in the rematch Vasquez atoned for his earlier defeat by scoring a 6th round TKO of Marquez.
The third fight is GUARANTEED to produce fireworks. If you haven't seen either fight, here are both fights in their entirety!

Haiku Tuesday

2008-02-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

You all know I love recruiting. And with Coach Shannon leading the charge, Miami is now a very big player on the recruiting scene. Last year they finished between 1st and 4th overall depending on the recruiting service you subscribe to.
You'd expect Shannon to take a moment and celebrate. But nope, him and his staff are back on the trail, and have gotten a couple of early commitments, including 5-star RB Bryce Brown, younger brother of recent signee Arthur Brown.

So here is my haiku for the week.

Bryce Brown signed up quick,
Coach Shannon has chit locked down,
Could "The Truth" be next?

In Pictures

2008-02-25T07:48:00.000-08:00

The family that roots for the 'Canes together stays together.

Bottom row: My nephews Tomas and Mateo

Middle row: My parents Debbie and John Sr

Top row: Savannah (daughter), Lorenzo (nephew) and Lydia (daughter)

Fave Five Friday!

2008-02-22T07:23:00.000-08:00

I read earlier this week that Mariah Carey's new album, E=MC2, will be dropping April 15th. Needless to say, this has got me excited, as I'm a big Mariah Carey fan. The first single from that album, "Touch my body" has a real smooth beat, and for all the drama that has surrounded Mariah, its apparent that its never taken a toll on her singing ability.

So for this week's Fave Five Friday, I have decided to list my five favorite female singers.

1. Mariah Carey - No brainer for me. I've been hooked from day 1. As long as she stays away from the movies and concentrates on making music, she is almost without peer. Here is her latest song, "Touch My Body".

2. Alicia Keys - The closest in terms of pure talent to Mariah. You can feel her passion for her craft, and she is one of few that I can listen to the cd start to finish.

3. Patsy Cline - The original swooner. Patsy wasn't the prettiet girl during her time, but could she could sing... and her music has stood the test of time.

4. Rhianna - I don't know. There's just something about her that has allowed me to like just about everything she has released. She seems to be the next big diva.

5. Beyonce - Its been a minute since I have last heard anything out of Beyonce, but like Rhianna, something just makes all her music listenable.

Other notables: Sarah Bareillis, Fergie, Nelly Furtado, Mary J Blige, Amy Winehouse, Colbie Caillat.

Have a good weekend.

Will the real Ben Lovell please stand up?

2008-02-21T06:15:00.000-08:00

Came across this story yesterday about a bank that "mistakenly" gave someone else's money to a guy that had the same name.

Now, I wrestle with the whole concept of instant replay in sports. In some sports, I think its a great idea, and others, not so much. But THIS is where instant replay should really be utilized.

The man, Benjamin Lovell, claims that he tried to correct the mis-identification, but the bank reassured him that those funds belonged to him. With all the required identification that bank does everytime I go in to make a withdrawal, if they didn't/couldn't catch this by his ID, then the bank deserves losing that money.

So needless to say, if this is true, well, I have to think the bank should take the hit on this one. Worst case scenario, charging the man with a crime is taking this a little too far too...

Now, are there any "rich" Jon Rascon's out there?

Kimbo Slice!

2008-02-20T11:30:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Kimbo Slice took on Tank Abbott. While Kimbo will probably never be a world class MMA fighter, he is still one bad dude.

Here is the fight!

In Pictures

2008-02-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I got to spend a little one on one time with my youngest daughter, Lydia.

Sometimes there are no hidden messages, sometimes a picture can say it all.

Fave Five Fridays

2008-02-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, just eating lunch, and came up with a thought for the blog. "Fave Five Fridays". Each week, (provided I remember), I'll list my 5 favorites in a random category. This weekend, with a couple PPVs on the board, I thought it would appropriate that I start off with my 5 favorite internet bookmarks:

1. Canesport.com Love my 'Canes, and this site keeps me updated on all the 'Cane happenings. If you can't find me out and about, you can usually find me on their message boards.

2. Maxboxing.com You know how much I love boxing... well this is THE source from which I get all my boxing information. Doug Fischer's weekly mailbags are some of the funniest written columns on the net.

3. dmJuice.com Okay, a little bias here as I blog on this site, but its a fun site nonetheless, as it's interesting to find out what's on the mind of my fellow metro Des Moines residents.

4. Tie: http://www.channelsurfing.net and http://mysportpicks.blogspot.com Okay, I'll admit, I'm not sure of the legality of either, but in a pinch, its pretty sweet. You can often catch streams of any game that is going on.

5. Fantasyfootballtrader.com Another bias as I write for these guys too, but seriously, who can get enough football? I can't and that's why I would recommend this site regardless.

Other notable: Tuckermax.com Best storyteller on the net. (would be in my top 5 if they actually updated the site more often.

Check them out and let me know what you think.

Random Thoughts

2008-02-11T17:44:00.001-08:00

From time to time, I do a random thoughts blog on dmjuice.com so why not here as well?

That said, I will start off by wishing my dad a very happy birthday. During the past year, he finally bowled a perfect 300 game. Here's to hoping it wasn't his last.

While its been a good day for him, not so much for me! This year I thought I did everything perfect and that for the first time in a long time, that I would be getting a refund on my state income taxes. But guess who had a couple deliquent parking tickets?

Yep, me! I got a notice saying they were withholding my measly 65 dollar state refund for parking tickets I accrued in 2003! Are you joking me? I guess that's taken care, but what a punch to the gut that was!

Maybe its me, but aren't those Geico commercials hilarious? My favorite one is the one with the Pips. Everytime I hear them sing "Take a train to happy town. Woo Woo!" while doing a train whistle motion, I laugh out loud. Actually its more of a yelp, but you get the point!

My new article is up on FantasyFootballTrader.com, so if you get a chance, give it a read and let me know what you think!

I will be back later this week with some more thoughts.

Finally, an update!

2008-01-20T14:41:00.001-08:00

Hey, sorry its been awhile, but even though its been awhile, I am back and hopefully will start providing regular updates.

First off, I had a great season in fantasy football. I wond 3 leagues and got 3rd in another.

Also, I think my first season as a juice blogger went well. I was able to use that body of work to land a spot on the FantasyFootballTrader.com website. I'm really excited about this opportunity and well see how it goes. In the meantime, my first article is up, so please feel free to check it out and let me know what you think.

Leinart gets lesson from Dad

2007-09-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

Hoping Leinart actually paid attention to Manning Sr in this commercial. That said, this is the best NFL commercial I've seen in awhile... So good!

Don't call it a comeback!

2007-09-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

Today the Miami Hurricanes take on the Oklahoma Sooners. The Hurricanes are unranked while Oklahoma comes in at number 5. Everybody is saying Miami is a year away, that OU is too loaded this year, etc etc etc...
Guess what? They are wrong! Today will go down in history as the day that The Canes served notice to the college football world that they are the true superpower of college football and the only question is when, not if, the canes start raking national championships again.
And this time, we won't just win one every other year like in our heyday. With Randy Shannon as head coach, we will begin to dominate college football by the likes of which have never been seen before. My prediction is, barring a catastrophic event, Randy Shannon will go down as one of the greatest college football coaches of all time. And it starts today!
Miami 19, Oklahoma 17

Have a good one!

Randy Shannon: A tough road to the UM coaching job

2007-08-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

(The following article is posted here with permission from Dave Hyde and the Orlando Sun-Sentinal.) As Dave mentioned to me, "I think Randy has the most compelling personal story of anyone I've been around in this business and he was nice enough to share it with me."

I agree and even though this is a long read, it will be well worth your time.

In her home, with her pain, alone each night, Dorleatha Johnson bows her head and prays for the four children who have left her and the one who hasn't. They aren't long prayers. Just something to remember them by.

She prays first for Joanna, whom everyone called Jo-Jo, because she was the first to go. Jo-Jo's boyfriend had put her in drug rehab and, for a while, it looked like there might be a happier ending.

But then the boyfriend was shot and killed - another kid lost - and Jo-Jo, who once dreamed of being an Olympic sprinter, instead became the most tragic currency in America, a black kid lost on the streets.

Maybe it was crack cocaine. Maybe it was a man with the virus. Whatever, her form of AIDS, when it came, was particularly ravenous. From diagnosis to death was six months. Jo-Jo died in 1989. She was 33.

Ronald, one of the twins, gets prayed for next. Johnson had warned all of them of the epidemic blowing through their side of Miami in the 1980s. But the crack and the needles were the girlfriends they wouldn't stop seeing, as she told the twins at the time.

One day, years before Jo-Jo got sick, Johnson diagnosed the chalky whiteness around the twins' mouths as the first footprint of AIDS. She had no doubt. She was nursing double shifts on the AIDS floor at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital, after all.

Her children would join her on that 11th floor, one by one, when it came time. She treated, bathed and soothed them every night, through each double shift,right to their final breath. Ronald died in 1991. He was 40.

Donald, the other twin, went the next year. He could have been a disc jockey.

Clifford, the fourth child, gets prayed for next. He hasn't left her. Not like the others, anyway. But he stole her old Buick to the point she had him arrested a couple of times and has been among drugs so long the hooks are in, and he has gone to jail so many times it's hard to keep count. Maybe he'll straighten out. She prays for that, anyhow.

Finally, each night at the end, she gets to her youngest, Randy. And each night she says the same brief line to end the prayer. She says, "Well, Lord, you gave me one."

A wrenching question "What does it take to save a kid?"

Randy Shannon sits at his new desk and asks the question he couldn't at age 3, when he became one kind of at-risk statistic after his father was murdered, or at 16, when he became another kind of at-risk statistic as a father himself.

"What does it take to save a kid?"

He couldn't ask the question at 19, when University of Miami officials yanked him from football practice thinking he had been arrested for grand theft, breaking and entering and possession of burglary tools. His name and birth date were on the police report. Turns out it was Clifford, his brother, using his good name, as he would several times across the years.

"What does it take to save a kid?"

Shannon couldn't ask that question to friends, because he dealt with all the decay around him in survival mode: He pulled up the drawbridge and allowed no one inside. His coach at Miami Norland High, Louis Allen, thought he was an only child. His UM roommate and Dallas Cowboys teammate, Michael Irvin, expresses shock today upon hearing about Shannon's siblings.

"I don't think anyone knows Randy, really knows him," says Steve Walsh, who also played with Shannon at UM and Dallas. "Randy's a mystery man," says Tolbert Bain, who grew up and played at UM with him.

Even when Shannon was named Miami's coach last winter, despite most of two decades there as a player and assistant coach, school officials couldn't answer if he was married (he's divorced) or how many children he has (four), much less know that his oldest child, 24-year-old Ty, had served in Iraq with the Navy.

It's not their fault. It's his way. Here's a story: On the day of his brother Donald's funeral, Shannon worked the morning in his duties as a UM defensive assistant, preparing for the daily practice and that Saturday's game against Texas Christian. Just before noon, he stuck his head in coach Dennis Erickson's office
and said, "I've got something to do. I'll be back." He then went to the locker room, slipped into the suit he had stashed there and drove the 25 minutes to Liberty City for the funeral.

A couple hours later, he reversed the process. He made practice that afternoon and, as importantly, avoided questions and sympathy. Sympathy, he hates. Sympathy just gets in the way. Sympathy means hugs and handshakes and nowhere conversations for days, maybe months, certainly long after he has dispatched with the pain in the only way he knows, the way Donald told him to in their final conversation.

This was on that 11th floor of the hospital, two weeks before Donald died. Neither mentioned how sick Donald was. There was no need. They both could see it for themselves, Donald's body shriveling and his skin darkening, especially around the mouth, which they both knew was the endgame of AIDS.

Randy had spent much of his teenage years warning his siblings about the dangers of drugs, even though the twins were 13 years older. They'd shoo him away with a backhand in the air, like an insect. They'd ask, "Who do you think you are, our dad?" Then they'd hit the street and break out needles or smoke some crack and return in a haze.

"Don't worry about me," Donald said this last meeting. "I chose this path. You did the right thing. You just keep going forward. Just keep going."

And so the youngest child just kept going forward, and the world kept turning, and 15 years strolled by, and now he's the coach and voice of Miami football. He's the face of the university, really. And the significance of all that's happened in getting to this point isn't locked back there anymore, somewhere in the past, amid the pain and death he won't let anyone see.

"It's down there," he says, pointing through his office window, to football players lifting weights a floor below.

Shannon asks the question building for a lifetime.

"What does it take to save a kid? To make him do what's right and responsible? Because there are eight or nine kids down there who are fathers themselves, just like I was at their age. One of them has two children. I know just what they're going through. I'll help them."

He scans the weight room.

"One kid down there, 20 or 21 years old, recently had his dad come up to him and say, 'I'm not your real dad,'" Shannon says. "He was hurting. That was a three-month deal of talking to him, going to his home, helping him. Then he met his real dad. That's another process. I made sure to be there for him, supporting him. We talk all the time. Imagine throwing all that up into some kid's life."

He nods to a corner.

"There's another kid down there whose mom lives in a shelter," he said. "In high school, the neighborhood took care of the kid. He went from apartment to apartment to apartment. No one thought he could make it. I can't let him fail. He's got a 2.6 [grade-point average] now. His mom came out here one day, just out of rehab, going back into the shelter, and said, 'Thank you for saving my baby.'"

He points to the bench press.

"Another kid down there had family distractions weighing on him and didn't want to go to class," he said. "I talked to him about keeping going. Don't get frustrated or flustered. Don't think the world's coming to an end. Don't think just because things aren't going right you're going to quit on yourself. He's going to be fine."

He turns from the window.

"I know one guy in the NFL now, I love him to death, his mom basically bankrupted him," he said. "We talked about handling it and adjusting to it. I know all about family causing problems. I know what he went through.

"Another kid I recruited on this team who's in the NFL now was running numbers [a gambling operation] in his house when I recruited him. Sitting on the table were marijuana roach buds. He came here, saw a world out of the neighborhood. I don't think he goes back there at all."

The stories stack up, if you ask around. Shannon once slept in front of a refrigerator so Cortez Kennedy, then a senior defensive tackle, wouldn't eat himself out of coming NFL millions. He counseled Twan Russell, then a UM linebacker, so regularly about family problems that Russell now says, "Without Randy, I wouldn't have made it."

That's the answer, then. This is how you save a kid: You save yourself first.

"I don't worry about my life being saved no more," Shannon says. "It's the young guys in the weight room I now worry about. Those guys, down there, they're my family now."

'He's got to succeed' "Randy's got to win."

The way Michael Irvin talks, it sounds part demand, part prayer. "No one wants to hear about how the talent pool he can get has shrunk or the facilities are bad or any of that junk," Irvin says. "He's got to succeed. Win. You know how hard it was for him to get to this point? For any African-American coach to get there? How long people've waited? How many people are looking at him?"

There are six black coaches among the 119 major college programs. Of those, only UCLA's Karl Dorrell and Washington's Tyrone Willingham are at national-caliber programs. Opportunity is needed, and growing pains are involved for everyone, like the way the buzzword "recruiter" already is stuck on Shannon, not unlike the way "articulate" can be to black players.

Shannon knows the angles and pressures. He thinks this team needs toughening. It's why he practiced his team 18 straight days this month, often twice a day. It's why, when one player asked about having a pool day, like in recent Augusts, he was told to get in one of the tubs the players use to cool down after practice and splash around.

It's why there became such a noticeable difference in the practice speed and focus that, one day, Bain called former teammate Melvin Bratton from the sideline. "We're back," he said.

That remains to be seen. But Shannon knows what's asked. And if you don't, Irvin says it one more time, under his breath, like a mantra: "He's got to win."

New rules, new era
Before stepping on the practice field for the first time this summer, each UM player was handed a sheet of paper titled "Football Team Rules." Ten were listed. This wasn't some handout. It was a contract, with a line at the bottom for each player to sign on.

It could have been titled "Things Randy Shannon Has Learned About Life:"

1. Any student-athlete involved in any incident of any kind, including traffic and otherwise, after midnight will be subject to a one-game suspension.

2. Any student-athlete possessing a firearm of any kind for any reason will have an automatic team suspension.

3. Any student-athlete involved in theft of any kind will be automatically expelled from the team.

There was a rule stipulating a 2.5 GPA being necessary to live off campus. Another told how anyone with "inappropriate material" on Internet sites such as Facebook or MySpace would be "subject to suspension."

Rigid discipline has been considered a college coach's domain since the likes of Bear Bryant's boot camp at Texas A&M. But this is a contract of new rules from a new coach spelling out another era. Already, a UM source says, one player has been kicked off for Rule No. 3. Stealing.

But examine the full thinking behind one rule, any rule. Take No. 2: No guns. Was the Second Amendment repealed? Has the National Rifle Association heard?

Shannon's first sentence by way of explanation says that doesn't matter. This is personal: "Remember, my dad was killed by a gun," he says.

The killing continues around him, too. Last season, UM defensive tackle Bryan Pata, who just weeks earlier had opened a drawer and shown off his guns for a reporter, was killed in his apartment parking lot. The killer still runs free.

"It's gotten bad now," Shannon says. "It's not just here. Lots of other schools have problems with guns. I ain't gonna let it happen. I just say, 'No weapons.' You got one, I'll just say, 'Here's your papers.'

"That way, I don't have to wait for a court ruling, don't have to hear a player say he was protecting himself. See, we can have investigations and go to court. Then if you get off scot-free, you'll still end up like O.J. Simpson in civil court.

"On and on it'll go. Why go through that? I'll put it back on these kids. No guns. The other night in Miami, a 12-year-old got shot because he had a plastic gun. If you want to be part of this team, you sign a legal document and we keep it on file. No guns."

OK, but why not allow some wiggle room, some way out, like coaches do?

"Because I care," he says. "You think another coach is going to stick his tail on the line like this? Like I'm doing? We'll win at the University of Miami. I'm not being cocky. We'll win. We have great kids, a great coaching staff.

"But my other job is to make sure we'll do the right thing and teach these kids right."

A wider world
On the third Thursday of August, following the custom of UM coaches for generations, Shannon stands in the grand ballroom of the Biltmore Hotel. Before him sits what's announced as a record crowd of 350 members for the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce breakfast.

It's a decidedly business crowd in a decidedly upscale city that is decidedly white in makeup. Shannon calls up the city manager, Dave Brown, a Hurricane fan who has missed two home games since 1969.

Shannon holds out a yellow No. 2 pencil. "Can you break this?" he asks.

As Brown snaps the pencil in half and holds it up, Shannon mentions how easy it is to defeat one of anything. One person. One city. One whatever. He then reaches into his suit pocket and brings out a few dozen pencils wrapped in a rubber band.

"Can you break these?" Shannon asks as the crowd laughs. Brown says he can't do it, but Shannon insists, "Hey, try."

So Brown tries, even bending over in effort, to more laughter. It's a strength-in-numbers shtick with a lesson that bends to any audience. Shannon discusses the importance of not just his players being a team, but the community being part of the program. As fans. As donors. He says in driving recruits from the airport he purposely drives through Coral Gables' tree-lined streets, by the Venetian Pool
and Biltmore hotel.

"It's home," he says.

This added role of university spokesman is one Shannon had to assume this year. Privately, school officials wonder how he'll handle it. For years, they've only seen him drawing that three-foot circle around himself and keeping people out.

Asked about the pencil trick, Shannon says, "I've got another one like it I'm going to use." These are scraps he has picked up along the way and stuck in his pocket for this kind of moment. There are other, more fundamental, scraps in that pocket that allow a black kid born of poverty to learn to walk amid white businessmen.

"You know what helped me as a kid?" he asks. "Dade County schools had programs to show you how to move on with your life instead of going back to the neighborhood.

"There were field trips to places like Eastern Airlines that opened up the world. There was an etiquette course on how to set a table and how to eat using salad forks and soup spoons. We learned to pull out a chair, how to waltz.

"Crazy as it may sound, imagine if I didn't know how to open a door for someone. Imagine how that would look to people in a job interview. It can trip you up.
I might not have got here.

"I can still go back in the neighborhood and be comfortable there. But I can go in any world, talk to anyone at all."

Little-known facts
To underline this, Steve Walsh was making small talk with Shannon one day, just asking what he was up to in the way you expect a nothing-much-how-about-you answer. "I'm going to Austria," Shannon said. "Gonna hike in the Alps." Walsh burst out laughing. "Wha-at? You? In Austria?" he asked.

So there's another, also hidden side of Shannon. He traveled to Greece and saw the Parthenon this summer. He plays Scrabble. He loves Clint Eastwood movies. He's a big fisherman. He likes Elton John, Bon Jovi and has Sting, in concert, on DVD. He runs three miles each morning to reduce high blood pressure.

"He cheats at Spades," says his 20-year-old son, Xavier, a center for Florida International.

Xavier is as joking and expressive as his father can be serious. He tells the story of how, when he would get in trouble as a kid, his father could make him cry by just getting on the phone. But he tells another story that suggests maybe dad's privacy isn't just a wall to fence off people from his past.

Maybe it's also because, as Randy says, "I'm a loner."

Xavier was talking with his father on the phone early in December about whatever things sons and dads talk about. School. Football. Grades. He can't really remember the nature of the conversation, only that it went on for a while. Fifteen, maybe 20 minutes. After hanging up, Xavier turned on the TV. There, scrolling across the bottom of the screen, was the news Shannon had been named UM's new coach.

"I picked up the phone and called him back, but it was busy the rest of the night," Xavier said. "He'd taken the phone off the hook. I asked him, 'Dad, how could you not tell me that?' He said, 'Aw, we were talking about other things.'"

On field, one focus
A week before the opener, he walks off the practice field to the shade, takes off his hat and sidesteps reporters' questions about who will play quarterback. He says the defense is looking fine. He says no, he's not worried if some opponent is videotaping practice from up there in the parking garage.

"As long as they get my good side," he says.

He's any coach after any practice at any school in America. It doesn't matter in this setting if the only memory of his father is eating Lay's potato chips together. Or how he was too smart and too talented for his dead siblings' destiny to be his. Or that he carries an identification sheet, complete with fingerprints, in case he's mistaken again for his surviving brother.

No one will be interested come kickoff Saturday that he still cares for that brother, still talks to him, even gives him some money on occasion. ("What am I going to do?" he says. "He's my brother, my mother's son.")

His is a complicated story about to turn simple. Plays. Points. Wins. Losses. It's a bottom-line business, baby. Randy Shannon enters the machine now. He's just another new head coach entering another season opener, trying for win No. 1 at a place demanding he be No. 1.

But, until that kickoff, considering what he has endured and where he now stands, ask yourself this: Hasn't he already won?

50 facts about Allen Bailey, freshman LB for the Miami Hurricanes

2007-08-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

Here are 50 facts about my favorite recruit last year, LB Allen Bailey. Yes, its a play off the 50 facts about Chuck Norris, but AB would kick Chuck Norris's @ss, so now the list belongs to him!
Hope you enjoy...

1. Allen Bailey has two speeds... Walk... and Kill...
2. Allen Bailey does not sleep... he waits...
3. When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Allen Bailey...
4. Allen Bailey is the reason why Waldo is hiding.
5. Allen Bailey is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right hands...
6. Allen Bailey does not get frostbite. Allen Bailey bites frost...
7. Allen Bailey doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants...
8. Allen Bailey' hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush...
9. Allen Bailey's wristwatch doesn't have numbers on it... It just says "Time to Kick Ass!"
10. Most people have 23 pairs of chromosomes. Allen Bailey has 72... and they're all poisonous.
11. If you ask Allen Bailey what time it is, he always says, "Two seconds 'til." After you ask, "Two seconds 'til what?" he roundhouse kicks you in the face.
12. When Allen Bailey sends in his taxes, he sends blank forms and includes only a picture of himself, crouched and ready to attack. Allen Bailey has not had to pay taxes, ever...
13. Allen Bailey can win a game of Connect Four in only three moves.
14. What was going through the minds of all of Allen Bailey's victims before they died? His fist...
15. Police label anyone attacking Allen Bailey as a Code 45-11.... a suicide...
16. A Handicapped parking sign does not signify that this spot is for handicapped people. It is actually in fact a warning, that the spot belongs to Allen Bailey and that you will be handicapped if you park there.
17. Allen Bailey's calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd... There's no fooling Allen Bailey...
18. Allen Bailey can hit you so hard that he can actually alter your DNA. Decades from now your descendants will occasionally clutch their heads and yell "What The Hell was That?"
19. Time waits for no man. Unless that man is Allen Bailey...
20. When Allen Bailey was denied an Egg McMuffin at McDonald's because it was 10:35, he roundhouse kicked the store so hard it became a Wendy's...
21. Allen Bailey's house has no doors, only walls that he walks through...
22. Newton's Third Law is wrong: Although it states that for each action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, there is no force equal in reaction to a Allen Bailey roundhouse kick...
23. When taking the SAT, write "Allen Bailey" for every answer. You will score over 8000...
24. Allen Bailey invented black. In fact, he invented the entire spectrum of visible light. Except pink. Bryan Rudd invented pink...
25. Allen Bailey has the greatest Poker-Face of all time. He won the 1983 World Series of Poker, despite holding only a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoloy card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game UNO.
26. Allen Bailey doesn't throw up if he drinks too much. Allen Bailey throws down!
27. Allen Bailey ordered a Big Mac at Burger King, and got one...
28. If you Google search "Allen Bailey getting his ass kicked" you will generate zero results. It just doesn't happen...
29. The show Survivor had the original premise of putting people on an island with Allen Bailey. There were no survivors, and nobody is brave enough to go to the island to retrieve the footage...
30. There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Allen Bailey lives in Miami...
31. James Cameron wanted Allen Bailey to play the Terminator. However, upon reflection, he realized that would have turned his movie into a documentary, so he went with Arnold Schwarzenegger...
32. Allen Bailey played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun and won...
33. Allen Bailey does not own a stove, oven, or microwave, because revenge is a dish best served cold...
34. Allen Bailey is currently suing myspace for taking the name of what he calls everything around you...
35. Allen Bailey is the only person in the world that can actually email a roundhouse kick.
36. 'Icy-Hot' is too weak for Allen Bailey. After a workout, Allen Bailey rubs his muscles down with liquid-hot MAGMA.
37. If you can see Allen Bailey, Allen Bailey can see you... If you can't see Allen Bailey, you may be only seconds away from death...
38. Allen Bailey invented a language that incorporates karate and roundhouse kicks. So next time Allen Bailey is kicking your ass, don't be offended or hurt, he may be just trying to tell you he likes your shirt...
39. What's known as the UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championship, doesn't use its full name, which happens to be "Ultimate Fighting Championship, Non-Allen Bailey-Division"...
40. Google won't search for Allen Bailey because it knows you don't find Allen Bailey, he finds you.
41. Allen Bailey destroyed the periodic table, because Allen Bailey only recognizes the element of surprise.
42. It is believed dinosaurs are extinct due to a giant meteor. That's true if you want to call Allen Bailey a giant meteor...
43. As President Roosevelt said: "We have nothing to fear but fear itself. And Allen Bailey."
44. Allen Bailey smells what the Rock is cooking... because the Rock is Allen Bailey' personal chef..
45. Allen Bailey uses a night light. Not because Allen Bailey is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of Allen Bailey...
46. The original title for Alien vs. Predator was Alien and Predator vs Allen Bailey. The film was cancelled shortly after going into preproduction. No one would pay nine dollars to see a movie fourteen seconds long.
47. When Allen Bailey does division, there are no remainders...
48. Ozzy Osbourne bites the heads off of bats. Allen Bailey bites the heads off of Siberian Tigers.
49. The only sure things are Death and Taxes…and if/when Allen Bailey goes to work for the IRS, they'll be the same thing.
50. Bryan Rudd once dreamt that he kicked Allen Bailey's ass. Bryan was then awakened from his dream by a roundhouse kick to the face by Allen Bailey...

Great Story

2007-08-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

A first-grade teacher explains to her class that she is an Iowa Hawkeye fan. She asks her students to raise their hands if they are Hawkeye fans too. Not really knowing what a Hawkeye fan was, but wanting to be liked by their teacher, their hands fly into the air.
There is, however, one exception. one little girl has not gone along with the crowd. The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different. "Because I'm not a Hawkeye fan" she reports.
"Then," asks the teacher," What are you?"
"I'm a Miami Hurricane fan," boasts the little girl.
The teacher asks the little girl why she is a Canes fan.
"Well, my Daddy is a big Canes fans, so I'm a Canes fan too... The U!" she responds.
"That's no reason," the teacher interrupts. "What if your mom was a moron, and your dad was an idiot. What would you be then?"
The little girl smiles and says, "Then I'd be a Hawkeye fan."

(Originally posted on myspace on July 26th, 2007)

Me and you and a dog named Boo

2007-08-23T09:32:00.000-07:00

I just found out that my favorite dog of all time passed away. "Boo", as he was affectionately known, was one of the biggest dogs you will ever meet... and yet one of the most gentle dogs you would ever meet too, even if his presence and bark convinced you otherwise...

One of my good friends, Jenn, adopted Boo at an early age, after finding out that he had been mistreated in his early days... Jenn also had another dog, Devin, and those two quickly became partners in crime... even if Boo was often the "fall guy"... as Devin was much faster and if trouble came their way, was able to make a getaway as opposed to Boo, who made Eore look graceful in comparison when it came to getting around...

I had the good fortune to get to know Boo very well, as I became his "roommate"... err.. rented a room from Jenn... Anyway, I have soooo many good stories about that dog... He was such a good natured dog, but he had his moments where his judgement wasn't the best... But it was these moments that made you like him that much more...

I remember one time, I came home from work and as I walked in from the side door, heard that the TV was turned on in the living room... Which was odd, because nobody was home... So I walked into the living room and as I did, Boo lifted his head over in my direction, saw that it was "just" me and then turned and went back to watching sportscenter... while sprawling about... on the living room couch! If I had been anyone else, he would got off that couch, because he knew the couch was off-limits... But he knew he was gold when I was around... I can't make this up... it was so funny...

I also remember another time, for my birthday, my girlfriend surprised me by going to my place after work to cook me a lavish dinner of steak, mushrooms and the whole nine yards... But instead of coming straight home, I went out for a couple drinks and when I got home, was a little buzzed... and so when it was time for dinner, I sat there and me and Boo shared my birthday steak, much to the chargrin of my girlfriend... But me and Boo were always good like that... He could eat a piece of pizza in one bite... :)

I moved out a couple years ago, as Jenn became engaged and subsequently married and it was time for me to give them there space... I moved to Norwalk, and recently, Ankeny, so I didn't get the chance to visit Jenn and her husband, and most importantly, Boo, that much... And then today, I got an email telling me the sad news that he had passed earlier this month... He had gone to the vet to get a biopsy done, and he passed away on the table. It was later found that he had developed cancer, and even if he had survived that day, would have needed chemo and at best, would have only had a year to live...

So while it sucks that I never got to say my good byes, I know that Boo is in a better place now, as all dogs DO go to heaven... and here's to hoping Boo is eating all the birthday steak he can handle...

(Originally posted on myspace on July 31st, 2007)

Talking the talk vs walking the walk

2007-08-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

You all know me... I LOVE to talk the talk... whether it be running schmack at fans of any other team other than my 'Canes, or an opposing manager in a fantasy football game, I love to talk the talk... But last night, I attended an Immersion Service at Lutheran Church of Hope, and the sermon was about talking the talk vs walking the walk...
And being that I loved to talk the talk, I knew it was meaningless unless you are walking the walk... I "preached" it to the opposing fans how my 'Canes "walked the walk" when we won, or how my fantasy team "walked the walk" when I won... but last night... I realized that I haven't been "walking the walk" in the most important aspect of my life... that being the religious aspect... But first, let me give you a little background on the service I attended last night.
Let me tell you, if you get a chance, you need to take in an Immersion service at Hope. Its an eye-opening experience in and of itself. I have been a member of Hope for approximately 5 years and last night was the first Immersion service that I have attended. Shame on me.
It's geared for 20 and 30-somethings (however, people of ALL ages are welcomed)... It's a change from the traditional service in many aspects. I walked in last night, and the big screen was doing a countdown to the beginning of the service. There were lots of young adults milling about. Dave Matthews Band's "Everyday" was playing in the background.
After the countdown hit zero, the service started with a video of Switchfoot's "Meant to Live" playing on the big screen (this song is now on my profile) - After the video was over, the church band played several songs and then the sermon started. This week's service was about how we, as Christians, often talk about how we are Christians, but oftentimes leave that talk at the door when we leave service and do things that we wouldn't be proud of while we are not at Church.
That hit home with me because, you see, I often tell people that I am religious, that I attend church and that I believe in God. But the fact of the matter is, for the most part, I only included God in my life when it was convenient for me. Or when I needed answers to the questions of my life. But that is not the relationship that God intended to have with us.
So that said, I realize that this is a part of my life that needs to change, and moving forward, I will definitely be more cognizant of including God in my life. I also will be working on my patience, and allow God's Will to be done. I know I will have many more moments in the future where I will not make the best decision, and I know that this change will take some time... But with Jesus beside me, I know I will be able to walk the walk...

(Originally posted on myspace August 3rd, 2007)

Jumping the Shark

2007-08-23T06:47:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favorite sayings. JumptheShark.com defines it as "A defining moment when you know that your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on...it's all downhill. Some call it the climax. We call it "Jumping the Shark." From that moment on, the program will simply never be the same."
It also goes on to say "Jumping the shark applies not only to TV, but also music, film, even everyday life. "Did you see her boyfriend? She definitely jumped the shark." You get the idea.
Now why do I write all this? Because last night I saw a TV commercial "jump the shark". Sonic has been producing some of the funniest commercials lately. The two guys in the car talking about their food were classics. Then they started showing commericals with one of the guys and his wife, and those were funny too... But last night, they showed the same commercial with two totally different women in it. Obviously a spoof off the originals, but I failed to see anything that was remotely funny. All the lines were a little too orchestrated, and by the end of the commercial, I felt sorry for the actresses. But I suppose that is the price you pay for continually trying to push the envelope. At some point, you just have to stay with what works. Hopefully Sonic will bounce back with something good the next time, otherwise this commercial will be Sonic's "jump the shark" moment.
Have a good one!

First Blog

2007-08-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

First of all, thanks for tuning in. I was on myspace, but have decided to migrate here so I can concentrate on blogging. I'm a sports fan, but I plan to blog on a variety of topics. I am also going to be blogging on dmjuice.com, so be sure to check that out too! Not sure what all I will write, but I do hope you enjoy it...