Happy Holidays

FFL Guru - Week 15

It only took 8 weeks of doing the show until I figured out how to upload video...nice, very niiiiice.

Waiting for the shoe to drop - The Mitchell Report

Not sure about you, but I know my TV will be on at 1:00 waiting to see what is in the 'report'.

I am no Yankee fan but I really hope we don't see the BIG name. I am still hopeful that everything he has acomplished and will accomplish is on the up and up.

I'm going to guess Clemens is on the list.

Bobby Petrino - would you send your kid to play for this guy?

Speechless...

That's how the news of Petrino resigning from the Falcons left me when I heard last night.

Are you kidding me? Is this guy the leader of men or a teenager running away from home because he got grounded?

So what, that this is not what you signed up for 10 months ago, life never is, deal with it!

This is the same guy who had secretly negotiated a deal in 2005 to replace Tommy Tuberville at Auburn and then back out.

On Monday night I watched and listen to Arthur Blank as he took the high road, which he always does Bobby!, and talked about rebuilding and the future. He did this and referenced Bobby Petrino at least 5 times. He got on National TV and gave you his trust and his backing. These are HIS millions you mess with on the field and all the while you were on your headset cutting a deal with Arkansas.

Now, nothing against the University of Arkansas, but Mr. Petrino you will NEVER have the success you apparently believe you deserve there and unfortunately it has nothing to do with you. Arkansas is a fine University with a great history but it will never become one of the elite SEC powers. You will not be able to compete with LSU, Alabama and Auburn in the West and you can forget about out recruiting Meyer, Richt or Spurrier in the East, they have CHARACTER.

At the end of the day you have shown us all that the most important person in the world is YOU and I hope parents realize that before they send their children to play for you at Arkansas.

A Tribute fit for a legend

Yesterday we said goodbye to Jon Barkan. Lots of questions were asked, there were a ton of tears and so many good memories were shared. Besides the eulogies by 2 two rabbi's Jon was also remembered and honored by his good friend Seth Cohen and his father, Neil. Seth was amazing. As he stood in front of 1,200 plus people I have no idea where he went to summon the courage to deliver such a beautiful message. Later in the evening we talked and I knew every word was genuine and there was no one better to capture the moment. After Seth spoke Jon's Dad came up and read a 'letter to Jon' that just tore me up.

Ilene and I went to Jon's In-laws to pay our respects and attend the Minyan (Jewish prayer service). It was the first time I recited Kaddish (Jewish prayer for mourner's) for someone other than my father or grandmother. I never got past the first 2 words, it was just too hard.

As I think about it this morning I realize that time is a wonderful thing. Mourning, grieving and missing loved ones never gets 'easy' like some people think, but time does allow you to move on. My Dad passed August 7, 2001, just a few weeks before 9-11. Just like yesterday, I could not get past the first few words of Kaddish. Today, on Yom Kippur and on his Yarzheit I am able to pray and remember the past.

I know I will be able to get through Kaddish again. I know life moves on. I know Jon would want us to but now I do so with renewed vigor.

I spent hours yesterday afternoon pouring through Jon's old blogs. Technology is an amazing thing and it has left a beautiful trail of his life. Go back to some of those early posts on Jon and you really see the man.

Jon, thank you for being a part of my life. I love you and promise to continue on the path you have laid down.

Good Grief

Ironically, these 2 words were the final words written by my good friend Jon Barkan on his blog, http://barkandawg.blogspot.com/index.html.

For Jon those two words were synonymous with Charlie Brown and he posted a cute XMas video to a Black Eyed Peas number. To me these words, good grief, will be how I try to go through the next few weeks without Jon. Last night, at age 39, Jon was taken from us way too early. He leaves behind a wife and 3 children, the youngest just 2 months old.

Jon was larger than life and I imagine that will continue even in death. I never saw Jon without a smile and kind words. He was passionate about his family, his friends and his community. He loved sports and his work. Most of all Jon loved being 'Dad' and that shined through in every conversation we had.

We just talked on Wednesday, e-mailed yesterday, and I left him a voicemail this morning. Today, the world stands still for those of us that loved Jon, but when it starts moving again we will continue to live, love, laugh and give knowing that Jon will always be with us and he truly made our worlds better for the brief time we had with him.

WW update - here goes the yo yo

down 2.6 lbs in ONE week

Total - 233.2
lost - 10.6

Sure the BCS is a joke but what it replaced was as well

I, like a lot of college football fans, would LOVE to see a play off system. However, it's not realistic in today's world and how many teams would be in it would be just as distressing as the current system becuase someone will ALWAYS get screwed.

As for this year's BCS fiasco I have no problem with LSU being in the title game. USC, Va. Tech and Oklahoma have good arugments to be there as well and I know all of my Georgia friends want to gripe as well, but the real travesty is Ohio State! Yes, the new #1 team is a joke. On top of that I think they will have a real chance to beat LSU because they are NOT the best team in the SEC, they might be 3rd. On top of all of this you have the unspoken problem with all of this; the BCS games are more than a month away! Unlike college basketball where momentum and how you are playing are important, they have NOTHING to do with college football, but that is an argument for another time and it SCREAMS for a play off.

The ONLY thing the BCS gives us is at least one game where the winner can say they are champs. Imagine if you will, this was 1985 and let's look at potential match ups:

Orange Bowl - Oklahoma (Big 12 Champ) vs. Virginia Tech (ACC Champs)
Rose Bowl - USC (Pac 10 Champ) vs. Ohio St. (Big 10 Champ)
Sugar Bowl - LSU (SEC Champ) vs. West Virginia (Big East Champ)
Fiesta Bowl - who cares...


Say Oklahoma beats Va Tech, USC beats OSU and W. Virginia beats LSU...who is #1...are you splitting 3 ways?

At the end of the day we need a play off and we need at least 3 rounds. One it eliminates some controversy but it really allows teams that are playing well to continue on, there is maybe a 2 week break, not 53 days!