I just looked back over some of my earlier posts in 2008 and late 2007. They were dominated by thoughts of Jon, losing weight and of course sports. It's amazing as time passes how so much stays the same yet so much changes and how those two things intermingle.
I can honestly say that 2008 was a year of growth for me. I became more spiritual, more determined to succeed (whatever that means) and more in touch with my feelings and who Gil really is. As usual with all the good there always comes the challenges. I am not big on 'Resolutions' but if I were to say I have ONE big resolution for 2009 is to approach the challenges with my head held high and be the fighter that I am...stay positive, push through, love strongly and be the man I found once again in 2008!
As each year gets ripped from the calendar I also rip off another year of life. I have NOT been looking forward to turning 40 in January. I am trying hard to turn that around and getting to spend time with the best group of friends a guy could ask for in December was helpful!
to recap the month - the first weekend in December brought friends from all over to Atlanta for the SEC Championship and a
mini High School reunion. I also reflected on the loss of my good friend Jon Barkan and spent a couple hours at his grave. I am blessed to have so many good memories in a short time span. I also have enjoyed watching his oldest have a great relationship with Rachel that I hope can flourish into what we had. Days go by, like Keith Urban says, and December rolled on. Kids concerts and Cydney's Siddur Presentation were some highlights. In mid December I went on a 'boys' trip to NYC...Scotty's
40th (the last of the group to turn 40...besides me that is). From the 2:00 AM trip to Tick Tock that Friday night to we bid
farewell after a frozen day at the JETS game I realized how fortunate I am. The weekend flowed into Monday and I spent yet another day reminded of what the great surprises in life can give you! Back from NYC it was off to 9 days in South Florida
with family and friends. It was peaceful and non-stressful! To cap it off I was surprised not once but TWICE with early
birthday wishes - thanks, here I am dreading 40 and you throw it in my face 3 weeks EARLY - just kidding, I LOVED it!
So turns the page to 2009. I am scared of 40. Not because I am getting older, greyer, slower, etc...it's because I am now expected to do all the things I do. In your 20's when you climb that Corporate Ladder quickly you are an 'emerging star' and surprising people. In your early 30's that continues and you get recognition. You become members of elite groups like "40 under 40" and "up and Comers". Seems like at 40 that stops...there is no 50 under 50, there is no "your at the middle of life and climbing" award. I am fearful that I will not live up to all that potential heaped upon me. The economy and all the world uncertainty does nothing to make that feel better.
However, as I started with, this is MY challenge...at least one of them. I am determined to face it head on, the only way I know how to do things.
I will keep blogging, I will keep striving to be a better person, for my family, my friends, my clients and business partners. Lastly I will strive to enjoy it all, smile, laugh and love.
"We'll follow the rainbow wherever the four winds blow" - Keith Urban, Making Memories of Us
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
DisneyWorld - two different perspectives (the economy and sports)
We just got back from a very quick trip to Disney. In fact, most people were surprised to here that we were going down Friday night, doing only TWO days and headed back Monday. Well, it is what it is. First, it was pretty last minute and we are already taking nearly TWO weeks at the end of December for the holidays. Second, with the girls 8 and 6 they really only wanted to do the Magic Kingdom. Third, this is already their THIRD trip to Disney so it was not the 'once in a lifetime deal'. I guess I am bit spoiled when it comes to Disney in that we went several times a year as a kid and even going to the University of Florida it was a short ride in college so going there was not a major deal. However, I am a Disney guy. I really love it. I am always impressed with the STAFF everywhere and the unique ways in which they market themselves. I am NOT a Disney cult person with the pins and clothes, I just appreciate it for what it is and given the world today and MY world today it was a great SHORT escape and a good reminder that 'When you wish upon a star, dreams can really come true' - YOU just have to have the courage and dedication to make them happen.
So - the trip from TWO sort of different perspectives since anyone can find out how to 'tour the park' though I am an expert (you can ask for my FAST PASS strategy personally).
First, the economic angle! We stayed at Port Orleans (a moderate resort) and got a RIDICULOUS RATE. Let's just say we paid MOTEL 6 prices. We pulled in Friday afternoon and the parking lot was pretty empty, which surprised me given that it was Thanksgiving Week. On Saturday in the park it was downright EMPTY until about noon which says to me, not a lot of people were staying in the park like us. By the afternoon traffic picked up and Sunday was pretty crowded but still not the 60-75 minute long lines I expected. It may get more crowded as the week goes on but I definitely feel this is related to the economy. It was also the first time in a LONG time in Disney where I did not here a lot of foreign languages besides Spanish. Usually the park is full of Euro's...this surprised me. Lastly, I LOVED only having to spend a total of $90 round trip on GAS in the minivan. We are talking just over 900 miles so that was great.
Ok, onto the sports. You know me, I watch people and I like to observe, and well, I am drawn to sports.
Here is what I noticed Saturday:
1. tons of folks in college gear
2. Florida Gators stuff most prevalent and that is not being biased (I promise)
3. Ohio State #2 - I give these people credit, they travel WELL to everything. I did love letting them see my Gatorwear. Let's be honest though, if you lived in OHIO you would want out too, right?
4. Very little Florida State stuff
5. Georgia items were close behind the Ohio State people
Sunday took a different turn:
1. I couldn't believe the number of NFL Jerseys people were wearing. At one point I thought I was going to a PATRIOT tailgate. Ok, I am not a HUGE jersey guy (the shirts not the State, plenty of love for the State). I certainly own my share and will break one out for a game sometimes, BUT, to wear around Disney...hmmmm...
2. All of a sudden the FSU gear broke out - I guess they were waiting to see if they would win at Maryland on Saturday before showing their school spirit?
3. Jean shorts are not a University of Florida thing - they are a fat guy from the north wearing it with his NFL Team jersey thing, and in general they either are over 45 or they have pony tails and are looking for a smoking area.
All in all it was a great trip!
Happy Thanksgiving all, count your blessings, there is SO MUCH to be thankful for!
So - the trip from TWO sort of different perspectives since anyone can find out how to 'tour the park' though I am an expert (you can ask for my FAST PASS strategy personally).
First, the economic angle! We stayed at Port Orleans (a moderate resort) and got a RIDICULOUS RATE. Let's just say we paid MOTEL 6 prices. We pulled in Friday afternoon and the parking lot was pretty empty, which surprised me given that it was Thanksgiving Week. On Saturday in the park it was downright EMPTY until about noon which says to me, not a lot of people were staying in the park like us. By the afternoon traffic picked up and Sunday was pretty crowded but still not the 60-75 minute long lines I expected. It may get more crowded as the week goes on but I definitely feel this is related to the economy. It was also the first time in a LONG time in Disney where I did not here a lot of foreign languages besides Spanish. Usually the park is full of Euro's...this surprised me. Lastly, I LOVED only having to spend a total of $90 round trip on GAS in the minivan. We are talking just over 900 miles so that was great.
Ok, onto the sports. You know me, I watch people and I like to observe, and well, I am drawn to sports.
Here is what I noticed Saturday:
1. tons of folks in college gear
2. Florida Gators stuff most prevalent and that is not being biased (I promise)
3. Ohio State #2 - I give these people credit, they travel WELL to everything. I did love letting them see my Gatorwear. Let's be honest though, if you lived in OHIO you would want out too, right?
4. Very little Florida State stuff
5. Georgia items were close behind the Ohio State people
Sunday took a different turn:
1. I couldn't believe the number of NFL Jerseys people were wearing. At one point I thought I was going to a PATRIOT tailgate. Ok, I am not a HUGE jersey guy (the shirts not the State, plenty of love for the State). I certainly own my share and will break one out for a game sometimes, BUT, to wear around Disney...hmmmm...
2. All of a sudden the FSU gear broke out - I guess they were waiting to see if they would win at Maryland on Saturday before showing their school spirit?
3. Jean shorts are not a University of Florida thing - they are a fat guy from the north wearing it with his NFL Team jersey thing, and in general they either are over 45 or they have pony tails and are looking for a smoking area.
All in all it was a great trip!
Happy Thanksgiving all, count your blessings, there is SO MUCH to be thankful for!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Catching Up
Thanks Alex for checking in and making sure I am still breathing! LOL
First and foremost REHAB is over! My knee 'tested' out LAST Friday and after 16 weeks I no longer have somewhere to go on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7:00 AM. This is good and bad - good that the knee is 'getting well' enough to the point where I do not need supervision and coaching and bad that the knee is 'getting well' enough to the point where I do not need supervision and coaching :-)
What else, we leave tomorrow for 3 days in DISNEYWORLD with the girls. Cydney turns 8 on Sunday and we thought the trip was a better idea than a party...yeah right, still will be a party (on December 7th) but we are all excited. I just picked up Kung Fu Panda and Wall-E for new videos for the drive (now I just have to figure out how I can sit in the back...). Cydney also got her ears pierced and I hear she is already looking for diamonds - thats my girl!
After Turkey Day here in Atlanta I have a ton of fun and enjoyable stuff going on including some travel:
- SEC Championship is here December 6th and we have a group of friends coming in to enjoy another GATOR romp and a spot in the mythical National Championship Game (I told you it is the decade of Gil after the Phils won it all).
- the week after that I am going on a 'boys' trip to New York to celebrate Scotty's 40th. The weekend will include time to catch up, eat, see Manhattan, eat, drink and take in a JETS game on Sunday. Why am I going to freeze my butt of for a team I have no love for...I'm that kind of friend - LOL. Looking forward to catching up with ONE and ALL while I am there.
- from there we head down to South Florida for the Holidays and relaxation.
- maybe a trip back to MIAMI for a little football game for a nice big TROPHY on January 8th
- Not sure all the plans for the BIG 4-0 in January but I know my sis and her husband Mike and my nephew HENRY are definitely coming in for the weekend and that is present enough for me!
What else - the football thing has really taken off and I am now on the radio locally in Atlanta every Friday morning from 10:25-10:50 on 790 the Zone (www.790thezone.com) and it is also live on the internet on that site. This offseason should be packed with deals as things have really begun to take off.
More after Thanksgiving as I have 'Mickey on the brain'. Pictures to come I am SURE!
First and foremost REHAB is over! My knee 'tested' out LAST Friday and after 16 weeks I no longer have somewhere to go on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7:00 AM. This is good and bad - good that the knee is 'getting well' enough to the point where I do not need supervision and coaching and bad that the knee is 'getting well' enough to the point where I do not need supervision and coaching :-)
What else, we leave tomorrow for 3 days in DISNEYWORLD with the girls. Cydney turns 8 on Sunday and we thought the trip was a better idea than a party...yeah right, still will be a party (on December 7th) but we are all excited. I just picked up Kung Fu Panda and Wall-E for new videos for the drive (now I just have to figure out how I can sit in the back...). Cydney also got her ears pierced and I hear she is already looking for diamonds - thats my girl!
After Turkey Day here in Atlanta I have a ton of fun and enjoyable stuff going on including some travel:
- SEC Championship is here December 6th and we have a group of friends coming in to enjoy another GATOR romp and a spot in the mythical National Championship Game (I told you it is the decade of Gil after the Phils won it all).
- the week after that I am going on a 'boys' trip to New York to celebrate Scotty's 40th. The weekend will include time to catch up, eat, see Manhattan, eat, drink and take in a JETS game on Sunday. Why am I going to freeze my butt of for a team I have no love for...I'm that kind of friend - LOL. Looking forward to catching up with ONE and ALL while I am there.
- from there we head down to South Florida for the Holidays and relaxation.
- maybe a trip back to MIAMI for a little football game for a nice big TROPHY on January 8th
- Not sure all the plans for the BIG 4-0 in January but I know my sis and her husband Mike and my nephew HENRY are definitely coming in for the weekend and that is present enough for me!
What else - the football thing has really taken off and I am now on the radio locally in Atlanta every Friday morning from 10:25-10:50 on 790 the Zone (www.790thezone.com) and it is also live on the internet on that site. This offseason should be packed with deals as things have really begun to take off.
More after Thanksgiving as I have 'Mickey on the brain'. Pictures to come I am SURE!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Race and the 'Obama Effect'
Ok, here we go kids, off onto politics and race - too VERY sensitive issues, but I think you will see I am looking through a little different lens:
First and I have said this before, I am a DEMOCRAT. I voted Obama in the Primaries and obviously voted that way again on Tuesday. My thoughts here are not at all about a black man becoming president, a woman being president or a Jew, Muslim or Mormon becoming President. I hope I will see all of them in my lifetime.
My specific purpose here is to examine the mindset of what this means in a 'white male dominated' society that is America. If you don't think we are a white male dominated society then we can have a whole different discussion :-). As a GROUP, whites like to look at what has happened since the Civil Rights Movement and talk about ALL of the progress we have made. WE like to hold up 'people' as example, athletes, entertainers, business people and politicians to say "hey, they have made it, we have broken through the racial divide". From a very myopic view this is CORRECT and yes things have changed from that perspective but have they really gotten better on the whole? More people live below the poverty line than ever before. There are more people in today's prisons than ever before. Illiteracy rates are at an all time high. Healthcare and access to basic needs are severely hurting in our urban centers.
Here are some statistics and facts I have learned in my own city that scare me:
1. 36,000 out of 50,000 KIDS in the Atlanta Public Schools are living below the poverty level (pop. is 85% African American)
2. Prison bed population is forecasted based on the # of kids FAILING 4th Grade reading. This sick and disturbing
3. It costs $18 Billion a year in the State of Georgia in servicing the high school drop out group. The State funds $14 Billion for education. Don't you think if we put more resources INTO education we could spend less on dealing with dropouts?
4. If person 'X' is found with a single piece of crack (personal use, problem or not) faces the same MANDATORY sentencing guidelines as person 'y' who is found with a POUND of cocaine in powder form (this would be for DISTRIBUTION purposes). Interestingly enough, crack is urban...pounds of coke - suburban.
What do these facts have to deal with Obama being elected President? My fear is that Obama will become held up, by the white community, as "they got theirs, it's all good". As John McCain would say, "My friends, it is NOT all good". Racism is still prevalent today. It is far different from the 1950's. Rarely do you see the Klansman running around burning a stake, but how often do you see a 'roll of the eyes' or people crossing the street to avoid one another?
There are no easy answers and we all come with our own set of prejudices, and that is ok. The issue with racism is systemic and institutional. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Can we change the education system, the healthcare system, the welfare system, etc all at once? Probably not.
I do think we can begin to make differences in small measures but the onus MUST come on us, the privileged class, to recognize this issue does not go away with an election. It is ok to talk about the issues and not deflect them. We can take ownership of the past, ask for forgiveness and work to make tomorrow a better place for everyone...
First and I have said this before, I am a DEMOCRAT. I voted Obama in the Primaries and obviously voted that way again on Tuesday. My thoughts here are not at all about a black man becoming president, a woman being president or a Jew, Muslim or Mormon becoming President. I hope I will see all of them in my lifetime.
My specific purpose here is to examine the mindset of what this means in a 'white male dominated' society that is America. If you don't think we are a white male dominated society then we can have a whole different discussion :-). As a GROUP, whites like to look at what has happened since the Civil Rights Movement and talk about ALL of the progress we have made. WE like to hold up 'people' as example, athletes, entertainers, business people and politicians to say "hey, they have made it, we have broken through the racial divide". From a very myopic view this is CORRECT and yes things have changed from that perspective but have they really gotten better on the whole? More people live below the poverty line than ever before. There are more people in today's prisons than ever before. Illiteracy rates are at an all time high. Healthcare and access to basic needs are severely hurting in our urban centers.
Here are some statistics and facts I have learned in my own city that scare me:
1. 36,000 out of 50,000 KIDS in the Atlanta Public Schools are living below the poverty level (pop. is 85% African American)
2. Prison bed population is forecasted based on the # of kids FAILING 4th Grade reading. This sick and disturbing
3. It costs $18 Billion a year in the State of Georgia in servicing the high school drop out group. The State funds $14 Billion for education. Don't you think if we put more resources INTO education we could spend less on dealing with dropouts?
4. If person 'X' is found with a single piece of crack (personal use, problem or not) faces the same MANDATORY sentencing guidelines as person 'y' who is found with a POUND of cocaine in powder form (this would be for DISTRIBUTION purposes). Interestingly enough, crack is urban...pounds of coke - suburban.
What do these facts have to deal with Obama being elected President? My fear is that Obama will become held up, by the white community, as "they got theirs, it's all good". As John McCain would say, "My friends, it is NOT all good". Racism is still prevalent today. It is far different from the 1950's. Rarely do you see the Klansman running around burning a stake, but how often do you see a 'roll of the eyes' or people crossing the street to avoid one another?
There are no easy answers and we all come with our own set of prejudices, and that is ok. The issue with racism is systemic and institutional. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Can we change the education system, the healthcare system, the welfare system, etc all at once? Probably not.
I do think we can begin to make differences in small measures but the onus MUST come on us, the privileged class, to recognize this issue does not go away with an election. It is ok to talk about the issues and not deflect them. We can take ownership of the past, ask for forgiveness and work to make tomorrow a better place for everyone...
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thanks Mom! You deserve your own BLOG POST - YOU ROCK
In all the excitement that was my weekend I almost forgot the most meaningful part!
This weekend my mother participated in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk to fight Breast Cancer. The event began last Friday in the rain and cold of an fall Atlanta day and ran through Sunday late in the day with a celebration at the Georgia World Congress Center.
On Saturday we took the girls to catch their Grandmother chugging along. The girls had signs and everyone was dressed in pink. It was amazing to see the cheering station and the enthusiasm of the walkers. If I thought that morning was my emotional high for the weekend I was wrong! Late Sunday afternoon I wandered downtown to the finale celebration. I walked into this HUGE room and saw 10,000 PLUS people waiting to cheer on the walkers. I searched for my Dad and kept leaving messages to no avail. As the parade of walkers came in I knew I would neither find Mom or Dad. Somewhere along the line I realized my Mom was not in one of these WHITE T-shirts, she was in a SPECIAL PINK shirt for SURVIVORS. As soon as this dawned on me the emcee announced that here come the survivors. I made my way around the side and towards the front and tried to spot my Mom. While this was going on the ceremony itself was very powerful and I was tearing up. When they said it was over I found my way around a barricade of sorts to where they were letting the survivors stream out. Within 30 seconds I spotted my mother with her YELLOW Angels 4 Angels hat and yelled but she couldn't hear me. I made sure to get in her path and make eye contact and when we did the emotions just poured out of me.
I could not be prouder of my mother. She has overcome so many obstacles in her life and reinvented herself with each one. With this challenge she walked 60 miles in 3 days and even endured sleeping and camping OUTDOORS!
Mom, you are my hero! I love you and if you are up for it I will walk with you next year and you can forget the minimum amount we need to raise, we will hit $10,000!
This weekend my mother participated in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk to fight Breast Cancer. The event began last Friday in the rain and cold of an fall Atlanta day and ran through Sunday late in the day with a celebration at the Georgia World Congress Center.
On Saturday we took the girls to catch their Grandmother chugging along. The girls had signs and everyone was dressed in pink. It was amazing to see the cheering station and the enthusiasm of the walkers. If I thought that morning was my emotional high for the weekend I was wrong! Late Sunday afternoon I wandered downtown to the finale celebration. I walked into this HUGE room and saw 10,000 PLUS people waiting to cheer on the walkers. I searched for my Dad and kept leaving messages to no avail. As the parade of walkers came in I knew I would neither find Mom or Dad. Somewhere along the line I realized my Mom was not in one of these WHITE T-shirts, she was in a SPECIAL PINK shirt for SURVIVORS. As soon as this dawned on me the emcee announced that here come the survivors. I made my way around the side and towards the front and tried to spot my Mom. While this was going on the ceremony itself was very powerful and I was tearing up. When they said it was over I found my way around a barricade of sorts to where they were letting the survivors stream out. Within 30 seconds I spotted my mother with her YELLOW Angels 4 Angels hat and yelled but she couldn't hear me. I made sure to get in her path and make eye contact and when we did the emotions just poured out of me.
I could not be prouder of my mother. She has overcome so many obstacles in her life and reinvented herself with each one. With this challenge she walked 60 miles in 3 days and even endured sleeping and camping OUTDOORS!
Mom, you are my hero! I love you and if you are up for it I will walk with you next year and you can forget the minimum amount we need to raise, we will hit $10,000!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Can this really be happening...
I wanted to blog yesterday about the cool stuff that happened over the weekend but I was tied up all day in meetings and then my attention last night turned to the World Series where my beloved Fightin' Phils had a chance to end 25 years of 'civic pain'. As is typical for us Philadelphians we are left 'on the hook', in suspense having to wait another day but this time not because of a loss but because the game last night was SUSPENDED, which is a FIRST for the World Series. I can't even begin to explain how exasperated I feel. It started of great, 2 runs in the bottom of the first and Cole Hamels pitching masterfully. Then, the real rain begins and it's 39 degrees...do they stop the game? NO. The umpires continues realizing that the game gets scrapped and started over if it doesn't go 4 and 1/2 innings with the home team leading. We trudge on and get through the 5th and I am thinking, would they really end a World Series game early...NO! Will they keep playing? What other option do they have? In the 6th inning I got my answer and the realization that Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig must have made a deal with Al Pacino's devil character in 'The Devil's Advocate' because the Rays plated a run to tie it a 2 and all of a sudden the game goes into rain delay and quickly into suspension mode...
I am happy Hamels got to pitch 6 strong innings. I think we come out in the bottom of the 6th and put up some runs and end the series. If not we still lead 3-2 going back to Tampa, but this has now become a very strange World Series with HORRIBLE umpiring!
As for the weekend:
1. I saw my favorite live band, Cowboy Mouth (www.cowboymouth.com). They put on a great live show and for me it was 2 hours of singing, screaming and even a little toe tapping which left me soaked with sweat, exhausted but GLAD TO BE ALIVE! I also caught one of Fred LeBlanc's (lead singer and drummers) drumsticks in the pit which Cydney equated to catching a foul ball.
2. The girls soccer seasons ended on Sunday. Cyd had a very pretty goal in their 6-3 win so their season ended on an up note and Rachel scored the only goal in her teams loss. Both girls enjoyed their seasons and their teams improved greatly. I am proud to coach to great kids on two teams filled with great kids.
3. Saturday afternoon I watched the Gators take Kentucky to the woodshed as they get ready for this weekend's World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party with the University of Georgia. Saturday night I was out so I missed the first few innings of the baseball game but got to catch the last few innings and the Phils great win.
4. Sunday was an historic day in Philly, I wish I was there. The day started with the Phillies beating the Atlanta Falcons and then carried over to the ballpark where the Phils whipped the Rays 10-2.
I am looking forward to the World Series ending and being able to focus on the Gators the back half of this week.
Oh yeah, tomorrow I want to write about politics...there still is an election going on...right?
I am happy Hamels got to pitch 6 strong innings. I think we come out in the bottom of the 6th and put up some runs and end the series. If not we still lead 3-2 going back to Tampa, but this has now become a very strange World Series with HORRIBLE umpiring!
As for the weekend:
1. I saw my favorite live band, Cowboy Mouth (www.cowboymouth.com). They put on a great live show and for me it was 2 hours of singing, screaming and even a little toe tapping which left me soaked with sweat, exhausted but GLAD TO BE ALIVE! I also caught one of Fred LeBlanc's (lead singer and drummers) drumsticks in the pit which Cydney equated to catching a foul ball.
2. The girls soccer seasons ended on Sunday. Cyd had a very pretty goal in their 6-3 win so their season ended on an up note and Rachel scored the only goal in her teams loss. Both girls enjoyed their seasons and their teams improved greatly. I am proud to coach to great kids on two teams filled with great kids.
3. Saturday afternoon I watched the Gators take Kentucky to the woodshed as they get ready for this weekend's World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party with the University of Georgia. Saturday night I was out so I missed the first few innings of the baseball game but got to catch the last few innings and the Phils great win.
4. Sunday was an historic day in Philly, I wish I was there. The day started with the Phillies beating the Atlanta Falcons and then carried over to the ballpark where the Phils whipped the Rays 10-2.
I am looking forward to the World Series ending and being able to focus on the Gators the back half of this week.
Oh yeah, tomorrow I want to write about politics...there still is an election going on...right?
Friday, October 24, 2008
Our best show yet...
and we go on the air on Wednesday morning at 9:10 on 790 the Zone here in Atlanta. You can listen live at www.790thezone.com
Thursday, October 23, 2008
ONE down THREE to go
Last night was full of tension and excitement. The game went pretty to form though I am still concerned with the slumping of Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins. From the glass is half full side of the world, the Phils still won and two of their best players are not playing well; from the glass is half empty perspective, you can't expect to win a lot of games going 0-11 with runners in scoring position.
Anyway, I do have a real bone to pick with the 'national mainstream media' and their portayal of the Phillies in this World Series (yikes...I just re-read that and I sound like Sarah Palin - LOL). I am not really sure why the Rays have been installed as the favorites; I guess it is some combination of them beating the Red Sox, winning there division and being baseball's 'best' story, but for whatever reason this Phillies Club is getting ZERO credit. What exactly have they done? They are back to back NL EAST CHAMPS, beating out the favored New York Mets this year. In 10 postseason games they are now 8-2 and have roundly dispatched of both the Brewers and Dodgers and in both cases roughed up the best pitchers on either staff. Last night, as the overly LONG pre-game show went on I tried to figure out why this Phillie line up is not getting credit, especially compared to the Rays line up. If this were ANY other American League team there would be a lot of talk about the DH and the advantage that gives the AL team, but there is no such talk here. In fact, outside of Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria and BJ Upton this Rays line up is not very scary and they showed that last night. From a pitching perspective I think it is pretty close but I'll give the Rays starters a slight edge in depth but does that really that matter in a 7 game series? I remember when the media would say, "give me 2 quality pitchers and you can win in the post season". Well, Cole Hamels is one and Brett Myers has shown in the second half of the year he might be the other. Go to the bullpen and all of the sudden you hear about the Rays amazing bullpen by 'committee'. Bullpen by committee means your best guy is hurt (Troy Percival in this case) and you really have no idea what to do. Thus far it hasn't hurt them except they SHOULD have wrapped up the AL in 5 games when they had a 7-0 LEAD WITH TWO OUTS! They are getting a pass because Boston is the toughest team to put away - MY ASS!
Look, FOX needs viewers and they need to try and get a way for you, Joe the Plumber, to watch this series...fine, I get that, but let's give this Philly team credit. I am tired of hearing about ONE World Series in 125 years and 10,000 losses in franchise history...THIS TEAM IS 81 OUTS FROM BEING WORLD CHAMPS!!!!!!!
Anyway, I do have a real bone to pick with the 'national mainstream media' and their portayal of the Phillies in this World Series (yikes...I just re-read that and I sound like Sarah Palin - LOL). I am not really sure why the Rays have been installed as the favorites; I guess it is some combination of them beating the Red Sox, winning there division and being baseball's 'best' story, but for whatever reason this Phillies Club is getting ZERO credit. What exactly have they done? They are back to back NL EAST CHAMPS, beating out the favored New York Mets this year. In 10 postseason games they are now 8-2 and have roundly dispatched of both the Brewers and Dodgers and in both cases roughed up the best pitchers on either staff. Last night, as the overly LONG pre-game show went on I tried to figure out why this Phillie line up is not getting credit, especially compared to the Rays line up. If this were ANY other American League team there would be a lot of talk about the DH and the advantage that gives the AL team, but there is no such talk here. In fact, outside of Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria and BJ Upton this Rays line up is not very scary and they showed that last night. From a pitching perspective I think it is pretty close but I'll give the Rays starters a slight edge in depth but does that really that matter in a 7 game series? I remember when the media would say, "give me 2 quality pitchers and you can win in the post season". Well, Cole Hamels is one and Brett Myers has shown in the second half of the year he might be the other. Go to the bullpen and all of the sudden you hear about the Rays amazing bullpen by 'committee'. Bullpen by committee means your best guy is hurt (Troy Percival in this case) and you really have no idea what to do. Thus far it hasn't hurt them except they SHOULD have wrapped up the AL in 5 games when they had a 7-0 LEAD WITH TWO OUTS! They are getting a pass because Boston is the toughest team to put away - MY ASS!
Look, FOX needs viewers and they need to try and get a way for you, Joe the Plumber, to watch this series...fine, I get that, but let's give this Philly team credit. I am tired of hearing about ONE World Series in 125 years and 10,000 losses in franchise history...THIS TEAM IS 81 OUTS FROM BEING WORLD CHAMPS!!!!!!!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Phils in FIVE
I can't believe I said/typed that but it is truly what I feel in my heart. I am always one to be superstitious, see post below, but I can't help it here. A few weeks ago I was at the Florida-Tennessee game and I received a text from a good friend and he asked my prediction. I replied that I won't type it in because of my superstition. We went on to win the game and then I told him my prediction. Pretty anticlimactic since I knew the final score...
So why am I doing this now? I'm a risk taker, a guy who lives life right on the edge...not! Who knows, I can't help myself I guess, I am just giddy with the anticipation of the Series starting tonight and my hometown getting the HUGE monkey off our backs! I hate when we, as Philadelphians, get mocked for our behavior..granted booing Santa Claus is not politically correct but we came back and booed the crap out of Sarah Palin on the Flyers opening night - so we do know a few things :). But really, this is a town full of some of the most knowledgeable and passionate fans, we just expect our heroes to be like us. We want them to work hard, do their job and hustle every time out. In my 39 years I can only think of ONE player we never booed and that was Julius Erving. I love all of our sports stars, none more than Michael Jack Schmidt but even I can admit to booing him at times.
Anyway, back to the prediction - I like Hamels tonight in the opener in Tampa. The place will be rocking but Cole has been steady and I think we get just enough offense and maybe blow it open a little bit late, I'll say 6-2 Phils tonight. Tomorrow we have Brett Myers on the mound and that is a bit of a toss up, I think it is possible the Rays win Game 2, but if they don't win Game 2 they will win Game 3 in Philly. The Phils Manager Charlie Manuel is a loyal guy (we like that in Philly) and he is sticking with Jamie Moyer to pitch Game 3. Moyer has been great all year but he is 46 years old and that is showing. He had a poor outing against the Dogdgers and this might be a tough game for the Phils. Personally, I would have like to see Manuel move Joe Blanton up to Game 3 and potentially put a stranglehold on the Series but who am I to complain? The aforementioned Joe Blanton goes in game 4 and I think he is becoming a big time pitcher in this spot and then we get to game 5 where Cole Hamels retakes the hill and the Phillies win their SECOND World Series ever and doing at HOME in the BANK would be sweet!
I am holding out hopes that a ticket to Game 4 and/or 5 drops in my lap and I can get there from Atlanta. The Eagles play the Falcons Sunday afternoon across the street as well...can you see Gilly from Philly watching the Eagles at 1:00 and then walking across the complex to Game 4 of the World Series? I can!!!!!!!!!!
Go Phils!!!!
Next week it is back to College Football as I prepare for the annual trek to Jacksonville, FL or the FLORIDA-GEORGIA game and this year I am traveling with and sitting with DAWGS...
So why am I doing this now? I'm a risk taker, a guy who lives life right on the edge...not! Who knows, I can't help myself I guess, I am just giddy with the anticipation of the Series starting tonight and my hometown getting the HUGE monkey off our backs! I hate when we, as Philadelphians, get mocked for our behavior..granted booing Santa Claus is not politically correct but we came back and booed the crap out of Sarah Palin on the Flyers opening night - so we do know a few things :). But really, this is a town full of some of the most knowledgeable and passionate fans, we just expect our heroes to be like us. We want them to work hard, do their job and hustle every time out. In my 39 years I can only think of ONE player we never booed and that was Julius Erving. I love all of our sports stars, none more than Michael Jack Schmidt but even I can admit to booing him at times.
Anyway, back to the prediction - I like Hamels tonight in the opener in Tampa. The place will be rocking but Cole has been steady and I think we get just enough offense and maybe blow it open a little bit late, I'll say 6-2 Phils tonight. Tomorrow we have Brett Myers on the mound and that is a bit of a toss up, I think it is possible the Rays win Game 2, but if they don't win Game 2 they will win Game 3 in Philly. The Phils Manager Charlie Manuel is a loyal guy (we like that in Philly) and he is sticking with Jamie Moyer to pitch Game 3. Moyer has been great all year but he is 46 years old and that is showing. He had a poor outing against the Dogdgers and this might be a tough game for the Phils. Personally, I would have like to see Manuel move Joe Blanton up to Game 3 and potentially put a stranglehold on the Series but who am I to complain? The aforementioned Joe Blanton goes in game 4 and I think he is becoming a big time pitcher in this spot and then we get to game 5 where Cole Hamels retakes the hill and the Phillies win their SECOND World Series ever and doing at HOME in the BANK would be sweet!
I am holding out hopes that a ticket to Game 4 and/or 5 drops in my lap and I can get there from Atlanta. The Eagles play the Falcons Sunday afternoon across the street as well...can you see Gilly from Philly watching the Eagles at 1:00 and then walking across the complex to Game 4 of the World Series? I can!!!!!!!!!!
Go Phils!!!!
Next week it is back to College Football as I prepare for the annual trek to Jacksonville, FL or the FLORIDA-GEORGIA game and this year I am traveling with and sitting with DAWGS...
Friday, October 17, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Sports Superstitions - Do you have them?
I know that I do! Let me run through my list to get you 'comfortable'.
I'll start with the Florida Gators. Number One rule is on 'gameday' I am in Gator clothing. Usually this will consist of a t-shirt/golf shirt and a ballcap. Since April of 2007 that cap has been the FINAL FOUR one I picked up at the NCAA Basketball Tourney. This is my standard routine for games that I am NOT attending. For games that I attend it stays basically the same, HOWEVER, there are certain items that have been 'banished for life' since we lost while I was wearing those items AND I was at the game. Then there are the 'BIG GAMES' that I travel to with the SAME people! My 'people' in this case are Gregg and Denise. It is not that others are not invited but we three do not miss these events, and I have to say we have an impressive track record dating back to the 1996 Football National Championship. It was in that game that Denise broke out our now famous sweatshirt. Denise will bring that sweatshirt along to any of the BIG GAMES! It was in the desert in 2006, it was in Indianapolis in 2006 and back here in Atlanta in 2007. We are UNDEFEATED with that sweatshirt.
On to the pros. I really don't have any personal superstitions when it comes to my favorite pro teams (Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers...yes all from Philadelphia). However, I do subscribe to the Curse of William Penn. It is not as famous as the Curse of the Bambino in Boston (now destroyed) or the Curse of the Goat in Chicago (sorry Cubs fans, there is ALWAYS next year), but it is just as colorful. See, up until 1983 Philly was a pretty successful sports town; the Sixers had just won the NBA Title, the Phils had won the World Series in 1980, the Flyers were always in and around the Stanley Cup despite going nearly 10 years without one and there was promise with the Eagles as they had made the Super Bowl in 1980. In fact, look at that year of 1980 and you will see EVERY major sports team in Philly in the ULTIMATE game for their respective sport. All this glory changed drastically in 1983 when the laws on the books about the Philadelphia Skyline were changed. If you are not familiar with Philly, up until this time, the tallest structure in Philadelphia could NOT rise HIGHER than the statue of William Penn on Independence Hall. Well, in an effort ot build skyscrapers this law was scrapped and as a result, it has now been 25 years without a Championship. We Philadelphians have had hope. All four teams have been back to the Finals but to no avail. This year we hold out hope again as the Phillies have moved onto the NLCS to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. For me it brings me back to the days as a very young kid in the 70's when these two teams met three times to go to the World Series. Starting Thursday night I will don a Phillies cap and root passionately for change. I long for the feeling of jubilation. I remember like it was yesterday, my Stepfather letting me sneak into my parents room late that night in the Fall of 1980 and sit at the foot of the bed and watch Tug McGraw bring US our FIRST World Title. It was something neither of us had seen and it was great to share together. I hope in 30 or so days to relive it, maybe with even one of my girls.
So, do you have any superstitions when it comes to your favorite teams?
I'll start with the Florida Gators. Number One rule is on 'gameday' I am in Gator clothing. Usually this will consist of a t-shirt/golf shirt and a ballcap. Since April of 2007 that cap has been the FINAL FOUR one I picked up at the NCAA Basketball Tourney. This is my standard routine for games that I am NOT attending. For games that I attend it stays basically the same, HOWEVER, there are certain items that have been 'banished for life' since we lost while I was wearing those items AND I was at the game. Then there are the 'BIG GAMES' that I travel to with the SAME people! My 'people' in this case are Gregg and Denise. It is not that others are not invited but we three do not miss these events, and I have to say we have an impressive track record dating back to the 1996 Football National Championship. It was in that game that Denise broke out our now famous sweatshirt. Denise will bring that sweatshirt along to any of the BIG GAMES! It was in the desert in 2006, it was in Indianapolis in 2006 and back here in Atlanta in 2007. We are UNDEFEATED with that sweatshirt.
On to the pros. I really don't have any personal superstitions when it comes to my favorite pro teams (Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers...yes all from Philadelphia). However, I do subscribe to the Curse of William Penn. It is not as famous as the Curse of the Bambino in Boston (now destroyed) or the Curse of the Goat in Chicago (sorry Cubs fans, there is ALWAYS next year), but it is just as colorful. See, up until 1983 Philly was a pretty successful sports town; the Sixers had just won the NBA Title, the Phils had won the World Series in 1980, the Flyers were always in and around the Stanley Cup despite going nearly 10 years without one and there was promise with the Eagles as they had made the Super Bowl in 1980. In fact, look at that year of 1980 and you will see EVERY major sports team in Philly in the ULTIMATE game for their respective sport. All this glory changed drastically in 1983 when the laws on the books about the Philadelphia Skyline were changed. If you are not familiar with Philly, up until this time, the tallest structure in Philadelphia could NOT rise HIGHER than the statue of William Penn on Independence Hall. Well, in an effort ot build skyscrapers this law was scrapped and as a result, it has now been 25 years without a Championship. We Philadelphians have had hope. All four teams have been back to the Finals but to no avail. This year we hold out hope again as the Phillies have moved onto the NLCS to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. For me it brings me back to the days as a very young kid in the 70's when these two teams met three times to go to the World Series. Starting Thursday night I will don a Phillies cap and root passionately for change. I long for the feeling of jubilation. I remember like it was yesterday, my Stepfather letting me sneak into my parents room late that night in the Fall of 1980 and sit at the foot of the bed and watch Tug McGraw bring US our FIRST World Title. It was something neither of us had seen and it was great to share together. I hope in 30 or so days to relive it, maybe with even one of my girls.
So, do you have any superstitions when it comes to your favorite teams?
Monday, October 6, 2008
Still Processing
I am still trying to reconcile my weekend with Leadership Atlanta and figure out how to discuss it here while still keeping it authentic to the 37 other people I went through the experience with.
In short, it was impactful, humbling, unsettling, disturbing, painful and uplifiting.
This past weekend was our workshop on 'Race Relations/Awareness'. I learned so much about myself through this process. I know that change does not happen overnight, and I know I tend to be impatient but I have such a yearning to change the way people think immediately. Along with my classmates I pledge to change the way we see each other, the way we interact with each other, the way we treat each other and most importantly that future generations don't repeat the mistakes of ignorance that WE continue to make.
To my classmates, I appreciate all that you gave in honesty and reflection. I hope we continue this most important dialogue and not get frustrated or to allow all of the other distractions get too much in the way.
In short, it was impactful, humbling, unsettling, disturbing, painful and uplifiting.
This past weekend was our workshop on 'Race Relations/Awareness'. I learned so much about myself through this process. I know that change does not happen overnight, and I know I tend to be impatient but I have such a yearning to change the way people think immediately. Along with my classmates I pledge to change the way we see each other, the way we interact with each other, the way we treat each other and most importantly that future generations don't repeat the mistakes of ignorance that WE continue to make.
To my classmates, I appreciate all that you gave in honesty and reflection. I hope we continue this most important dialogue and not get frustrated or to allow all of the other distractions get too much in the way.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Looking forward to LOL and ROFLMAO tonight
For most of you this will probably begin at 9:00 with the VP debate! And trust me I am TiVOing it so I can laugh along with you.
However tonight will be even funnier for me and G-d freaking knows I need to shut off for an hour or two and just LAUGH! I, along with three of my good friends are off to see Lewis Black from the 5th row! This will be my third time seeing Lewis and each time is unique, crazy and hysterical. If you don't know him you should look him up! He is probably best known for his stints on the Daily Show with John Stewart where he does mostly political satire work. In his stand up he does that and so much more! He also makes sure to be audience/city specific so no two shows are totally alike. I can already here all the great political stuff he must be ready to crank out. In fact, I was joking this week that he could roll out a TV at 9:00 and just add commentary to the Palin-Biden debate! He'll also have lots to say on the 'energy crisis' as well as the financial collapse I am sure.
I can't wait! I am picking the boys up around 6, we hitting midtown for dinner and drinks and then WALKING to the Fox for the show.
On the Football front it looks like within two weeks I won't just be on the internet, I will also be on the radio. It looks like Sunday mornings from 11-12 and Monday mornings during 15 minutes of DRIVE TIME!!!!!!
However tonight will be even funnier for me and G-d freaking knows I need to shut off for an hour or two and just LAUGH! I, along with three of my good friends are off to see Lewis Black from the 5th row! This will be my third time seeing Lewis and each time is unique, crazy and hysterical. If you don't know him you should look him up! He is probably best known for his stints on the Daily Show with John Stewart where he does mostly political satire work. In his stand up he does that and so much more! He also makes sure to be audience/city specific so no two shows are totally alike. I can already here all the great political stuff he must be ready to crank out. In fact, I was joking this week that he could roll out a TV at 9:00 and just add commentary to the Palin-Biden debate! He'll also have lots to say on the 'energy crisis' as well as the financial collapse I am sure.
I can't wait! I am picking the boys up around 6, we hitting midtown for dinner and drinks and then WALKING to the Fox for the show.
On the Football front it looks like within two weeks I won't just be on the internet, I will also be on the radio. It looks like Sunday mornings from 11-12 and Monday mornings during 15 minutes of DRIVE TIME!!!!!!
Monday, September 29, 2008
May you be inscribed in the Book of Life...
Tonight begins the celebration of the Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashanah. It is now the year 5769, a pretty long time for a people to be around.
Rosh Hashanah is not in my 'top 3' favorite Holidays but it is one of our two High Holy Days. I'm not all that big on the food and I certainly get antsy sitting in Temple for 2 plus hours for two days. I am looking forward to the first big sermon from my friend and Rabbi, Peter Berg. He came to Atlanta as our Rabbi in July and I have had the pleasure of being friends with him for a little over 10 years. In fact, he officiated Cydney's baby naming in Dallas, Tx.
What Rosh Hashanah is good for, at least for me, is reflection over the last year and looking forward to the year to come. I have dealt with many adversities over the last year, most that I did not see coming but I have had a few WONDERFUL surprises that have shown me how much life really is worth living. That is my biggest goal for the year 5769, appreciate the life I have been given and truly LIVE it. I know that some days will be tougher than others but I also know I have the support of loved ones, near and far.
May you have a happy, healthy and sweet New Year!
Rosh Hashanah is not in my 'top 3' favorite Holidays but it is one of our two High Holy Days. I'm not all that big on the food and I certainly get antsy sitting in Temple for 2 plus hours for two days. I am looking forward to the first big sermon from my friend and Rabbi, Peter Berg. He came to Atlanta as our Rabbi in July and I have had the pleasure of being friends with him for a little over 10 years. In fact, he officiated Cydney's baby naming in Dallas, Tx.
What Rosh Hashanah is good for, at least for me, is reflection over the last year and looking forward to the year to come. I have dealt with many adversities over the last year, most that I did not see coming but I have had a few WONDERFUL surprises that have shown me how much life really is worth living. That is my biggest goal for the year 5769, appreciate the life I have been given and truly LIVE it. I know that some days will be tougher than others but I also know I have the support of loved ones, near and far.
May you have a happy, healthy and sweet New Year!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Week 11 rehab update
I ended week 11 today with a 'test' on the knee. The test is designed to be done 12 weeks after surgery but since I am seeing the surgeon tomorrow Mark wanted to do it today.
Basically, they took a baseline 'strength test' of both legs right before surgery. Realize I did 8 weeks of rehab BEFORE surgery and was feeling very good.
There were four measurements; quad strength, hamstring strength, quad endurance and hamstring endurance. They hook you up to this weight machine and a computer and off you go doing leg extensions and flexions at different speeds and weights.
Today I replicated that test with just the bad leg. The average person with my ACL reconstruction has recovered 60-65% of their ability in all four categories. Mark told me afterwards that his goal for me was 80%.
Here were my scores:
Quad strength - 90%
Hamstring strength - 97%
Quad endurance - 106%
Hamstring endurance - 97%
So as you can see I am way ahead of schedule and very excited about the next phase of rehab. Assuming the check in with the surgeon goes well tomorrow then I will move on to 'functional skills' which means cutting and lateral movement :-)
Basically, they took a baseline 'strength test' of both legs right before surgery. Realize I did 8 weeks of rehab BEFORE surgery and was feeling very good.
There were four measurements; quad strength, hamstring strength, quad endurance and hamstring endurance. They hook you up to this weight machine and a computer and off you go doing leg extensions and flexions at different speeds and weights.
Today I replicated that test with just the bad leg. The average person with my ACL reconstruction has recovered 60-65% of their ability in all four categories. Mark told me afterwards that his goal for me was 80%.
Here were my scores:
Quad strength - 90%
Hamstring strength - 97%
Quad endurance - 106%
Hamstring endurance - 97%
So as you can see I am way ahead of schedule and very excited about the next phase of rehab. Assuming the check in with the surgeon goes well tomorrow then I will move on to 'functional skills' which means cutting and lateral movement :-)
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
2 pics from the ball game, as promised
You can't tell it here, but I am down to 220.5 lbs!
Oh yeah, my favorite TWO words during the end of baseball season - MAGIC NUMBER - GO FIGHTIN' PHILS!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, September 22, 2008
The Weekend that was (mostly sports related...spoiler alert)
I left Friday evening for Knoxville and the University of Florida - University of Tennessee football game (Jonathan, I did that correctly by spelling it out for those not in the know right? ;-))? It is a very quick and easy drive from my house to my friend Marc's in the western burbs of Knoxville. The night was beautiful and I had the roof open, windows down and iPod blasting my FAVORITE mix and it just let my mind wander and prepare for what I knew would be a great couple of days. I rolled in around 10:00 and got caught up with the my friends and then went to sleep. Up early on Saturday we were out the door for a tailgate party at 10:30. Kick-off was not until 3:30 so it was going to be a long day. Marc had a buddy that hooked us up with an awesome party right outside the stadium. The Tennessee folks at the tailgate could NOT have been friendlier and really, besides a few obnoxious students the fans were hospitable all day and night. While I ABSOLUTELY love home games in THE SWAMP I really enjoy going on the road where there are 100,000+ people rooting for the other team. The atmosphere in the SEC is second to none and Knoxville is probably my favorite away game to go to for the atmosphere. Our seats were in the Florida section right under the 'jumbotron' so that would be the last row. However, it was only row 33 so it was really not bad as the pictures will attest. We had the added benefit of a great breeze all day and the Tennessee River behind us. Oh yeah -Gators romped 30-6 - "IT'S GREAT TO BE A FLORIDA GATOR".
Besides college football there was so much else going on sports wise. We are in the middle of the pennant chase in Major League Baseball, the NFL is in fool swing and the Ryder Cup was going on. Being an avid golfer and homer, I was pulling for the U.S. and enjoyed watching periodically throughout the weekend. What I did see showed great shot making from both sides and I was pleased to see the emotion and spirit the Americans played with. I give a ton of credit to their Captain, Paul Azinger, who has survived cancer and truly is inspirational.
On Sunday morning I hustled out of the door in Knoxville to make it home in time to take the family to the final home game of the year for the Braves. The girls looked ADORABLE in the pink Braves hats and their Tomahawks. I, of course, was in a PHILLIES cap but for the first time I can remember actively remember rooting for the Braves because they were playing the New York Mets. The mets and Phillies are in a battle for the division and every Met loss is a good one. The Braves battled back and won and I am almost beginning to feel comfortable that the Phillies will be in the playoffs. I forgot to download those pics but I'll add them at some point.
The only disappointing part of my Sunday sports day was hustling home to catch the Eagles-Steelers game only to find out it was not on in Atlanta.
Besides the big boys playing sports I did miss the girls' soccer games on Saturday though I am happy to report about them. Cydney's team WON their first game of the year in the 8/9 year old division. They won 4-2 and Cydney scored the game winner when it was knotted at 2. I can't tell you how proud I am of these girls as their coach. I only have 3 girls who are even 'of age' and they are new to the team. The rest of the girls will be turning 8 throughout this year. We lost our first 2 games soundly but they are playing with heart and determination and really having fun and enjoying each other. On a side note, from an embarrassment standpoint I am glad to have missed the game as Ilene apparently did a cartwheel ON THE FIELD after Cyd's goal. G-d forbid there is video of that I would love to put it on YouTube! Rachel's team also won and she scored 3 goals. They too have moved up divisions and are playing great soccer and are now 2-1. Coaching both teams is challenging yet very rewarding and as I told one of my coaches, maybe I should stay away from games more often.
Lastly, I watched some of the New York Yankee game last night as they closed down Yankee Stadium. Fortunately I got to see several games there. It is by no means a 'beautiful park' from a cleanliness standpoint but I was always truly in awe knowing the history that had preceded me being there.
I think that covers the weekend
Besides college football there was so much else going on sports wise. We are in the middle of the pennant chase in Major League Baseball, the NFL is in fool swing and the Ryder Cup was going on. Being an avid golfer and homer, I was pulling for the U.S. and enjoyed watching periodically throughout the weekend. What I did see showed great shot making from both sides and I was pleased to see the emotion and spirit the Americans played with. I give a ton of credit to their Captain, Paul Azinger, who has survived cancer and truly is inspirational.
On Sunday morning I hustled out of the door in Knoxville to make it home in time to take the family to the final home game of the year for the Braves. The girls looked ADORABLE in the pink Braves hats and their Tomahawks. I, of course, was in a PHILLIES cap but for the first time I can remember actively remember rooting for the Braves because they were playing the New York Mets. The mets and Phillies are in a battle for the division and every Met loss is a good one. The Braves battled back and won and I am almost beginning to feel comfortable that the Phillies will be in the playoffs. I forgot to download those pics but I'll add them at some point.
The only disappointing part of my Sunday sports day was hustling home to catch the Eagles-Steelers game only to find out it was not on in Atlanta.
Besides the big boys playing sports I did miss the girls' soccer games on Saturday though I am happy to report about them. Cydney's team WON their first game of the year in the 8/9 year old division. They won 4-2 and Cydney scored the game winner when it was knotted at 2. I can't tell you how proud I am of these girls as their coach. I only have 3 girls who are even 'of age' and they are new to the team. The rest of the girls will be turning 8 throughout this year. We lost our first 2 games soundly but they are playing with heart and determination and really having fun and enjoying each other. On a side note, from an embarrassment standpoint I am glad to have missed the game as Ilene apparently did a cartwheel ON THE FIELD after Cyd's goal. G-d forbid there is video of that I would love to put it on YouTube! Rachel's team also won and she scored 3 goals. They too have moved up divisions and are playing great soccer and are now 2-1. Coaching both teams is challenging yet very rewarding and as I told one of my coaches, maybe I should stay away from games more often.
Lastly, I watched some of the New York Yankee game last night as they closed down Yankee Stadium. Fortunately I got to see several games there. It is by no means a 'beautiful park' from a cleanliness standpoint but I was always truly in awe knowing the history that had preceded me being there.
I think that covers the weekend
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Milestones & Thank You's
This morning marked exactly 10 weeks from surgery, 70 days.
I walked into therapy feeling good. After doing the usual stretching Mark went to the elliptical machine and I asked him if I could do something else, something less boring. He shrugged his shoulders and I pointed to the treadmill. He took about 15 seconds and said, "ok, but let's be careful". I spent 1 minute walking at 3 miles per hour and then RAN (ok, really a jog for me) at 5 miles per hour.
Before I get to the thank you's and there are many, I need to describe what those 5 minutes were like. First, I never believed 5 minutes could fly by so quickly or seem like a lifetime at the same time. Physically it was EASY! Was there pain in my knee? I wouldn't call it pain per se but I felt it. Mentally it was maybe the best 5 minutes I have spent in a long time (at least vertically that is). So many things raced through my mind. I literally 'ran through my life', cried nearly the entire time, tears of joy, relief, overcoming and realization. To use a poor analogy I felt like Forrest Gump when he shed his braces, I could run and my mind raced with me. Cathartic ally I believe I shed a lot of weight and issues this morning, so onto the thank you's and since it was all in my head I will start chronologically:
My Parents, all THREE of them. My father, who is now long gone and never played a very active role in my life, yet now I know he loved me as best as he could and he still is there to support me today. From you Dad, I learned that there is no easy road. Also, although I can give of myself freely with love I will never truly understand and feel true love until I can love myself. Today I know that lesson all to well and I am learning every day. From my mother, you showed me strength and perseverance through adversity and that continues today. You transformed your life for your family and today you are transforming yourself in health and well being. Every milestone you pass in beating Cancer I celebrate and I can't wait to watch you complete your '3 Day Journey' in October. To Art, my DAD, you gave my sister and I unconditional love and continue to be the strength and support of our family, as silent as you may be. Your model and consistency as a parent and friend will always be my beacon as a father to Cydney and Rachel.
Carin, Tara and Todd - although we may go long strecthes without talking or seeing each other your support and encouragement is always with me. I love you and your families with all of my heart.
Enough of the history - let's get more present...
Dr. Evander Fogle and your staff. I am in disbelief as to how well my surgery went and your care and after care in the last 10 weeks. You have shown skill and caring far beyond most surgeons in your field.
Mark Wentworth, my Physical Therapist - you know when to push and when to back off. I would be no where near where I am physically or mentally without your guidance, faith and support.
Ilene, Cydney and Rachel - my wife and 2 girls. I am NOT an easy patient. It was a VERY long road to just get to surgery. You never wavered in your faith and confidence in me and when I was down you picked me up. Ilene, you have given of yourself as a mother and a friend through this more than anyone could hope for.
My oldest of friends - Gregg, Steve, Scotty, Glenn & Jackie - you have checked in, you have lifted me up and in one instance even freed up an entire weekend for me to just dump on and get everything out. I never can express how much you all mean to me adequately.
Gayle - you are in the group above but through all of this and so much more you have stood out. Even before the surgery you lit up my world as I spent a marvelous day with you and Jared in the City in March. Your phone calls, emails and responses to my posts mean the world to me.
Pam - from the funny posts on B2B, to good chats on the phone to hysterical 'someecards' you just 'get me' and to not have spoken to you in 22 years that is pretty rare. You truly are a special person and I look forward to enjoying our friendship for years to come.
Regina - my favorite B2B friend - how were we not closer in High School? It's not like we had more than 350 people in our class! You are funny, intelligent and the perfect spark when someone is feeling down!
Talbott - YOU are an inspiration and your encouragement and courage is impossible to match.
Mark Patrick - thank you for following the blog and continuing to motivate me!
Jonathan G., Alex, Jordan and everyone else in Atlanta who has checked in on me, given me inspiration, dropped off food and encouraged me throughout this rehab.
Lastly, my colleagues and friends at EventStreams who have been patient with doctor appointments, rehab and unexpected issues.
This is by no means the END of my journey, it is a new beginning!
I walked into therapy feeling good. After doing the usual stretching Mark went to the elliptical machine and I asked him if I could do something else, something less boring. He shrugged his shoulders and I pointed to the treadmill. He took about 15 seconds and said, "ok, but let's be careful". I spent 1 minute walking at 3 miles per hour and then RAN (ok, really a jog for me) at 5 miles per hour.
Before I get to the thank you's and there are many, I need to describe what those 5 minutes were like. First, I never believed 5 minutes could fly by so quickly or seem like a lifetime at the same time. Physically it was EASY! Was there pain in my knee? I wouldn't call it pain per se but I felt it. Mentally it was maybe the best 5 minutes I have spent in a long time (at least vertically that is). So many things raced through my mind. I literally 'ran through my life', cried nearly the entire time, tears of joy, relief, overcoming and realization. To use a poor analogy I felt like Forrest Gump when he shed his braces, I could run and my mind raced with me. Cathartic ally I believe I shed a lot of weight and issues this morning, so onto the thank you's and since it was all in my head I will start chronologically:
My Parents, all THREE of them. My father, who is now long gone and never played a very active role in my life, yet now I know he loved me as best as he could and he still is there to support me today. From you Dad, I learned that there is no easy road. Also, although I can give of myself freely with love I will never truly understand and feel true love until I can love myself. Today I know that lesson all to well and I am learning every day. From my mother, you showed me strength and perseverance through adversity and that continues today. You transformed your life for your family and today you are transforming yourself in health and well being. Every milestone you pass in beating Cancer I celebrate and I can't wait to watch you complete your '3 Day Journey' in October. To Art, my DAD, you gave my sister and I unconditional love and continue to be the strength and support of our family, as silent as you may be. Your model and consistency as a parent and friend will always be my beacon as a father to Cydney and Rachel.
Carin, Tara and Todd - although we may go long strecthes without talking or seeing each other your support and encouragement is always with me. I love you and your families with all of my heart.
Enough of the history - let's get more present...
Dr. Evander Fogle and your staff. I am in disbelief as to how well my surgery went and your care and after care in the last 10 weeks. You have shown skill and caring far beyond most surgeons in your field.
Mark Wentworth, my Physical Therapist - you know when to push and when to back off. I would be no where near where I am physically or mentally without your guidance, faith and support.
Ilene, Cydney and Rachel - my wife and 2 girls. I am NOT an easy patient. It was a VERY long road to just get to surgery. You never wavered in your faith and confidence in me and when I was down you picked me up. Ilene, you have given of yourself as a mother and a friend through this more than anyone could hope for.
My oldest of friends - Gregg, Steve, Scotty, Glenn & Jackie - you have checked in, you have lifted me up and in one instance even freed up an entire weekend for me to just dump on and get everything out. I never can express how much you all mean to me adequately.
Gayle - you are in the group above but through all of this and so much more you have stood out. Even before the surgery you lit up my world as I spent a marvelous day with you and Jared in the City in March. Your phone calls, emails and responses to my posts mean the world to me.
Pam - from the funny posts on B2B, to good chats on the phone to hysterical 'someecards' you just 'get me' and to not have spoken to you in 22 years that is pretty rare. You truly are a special person and I look forward to enjoying our friendship for years to come.
Regina - my favorite B2B friend - how were we not closer in High School? It's not like we had more than 350 people in our class! You are funny, intelligent and the perfect spark when someone is feeling down!
Talbott - YOU are an inspiration and your encouragement and courage is impossible to match.
Mark Patrick - thank you for following the blog and continuing to motivate me!
Jonathan G., Alex, Jordan and everyone else in Atlanta who has checked in on me, given me inspiration, dropped off food and encouraged me throughout this rehab.
Lastly, my colleagues and friends at EventStreams who have been patient with doctor appointments, rehab and unexpected issues.
This is by no means the END of my journey, it is a new beginning!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Rehab Update - Week 10
WOW! I just realized how long it has been since a rehab/weight update!
I am in week 10 and things are going amazingly. I have MAXED out the leg press machine both from a weight standpoint as well as how close I can get to the machine in full squat. I have also maxed out this machine that forces my leg to bend at the knee. I have also begun PLYOMETRICS, which is a fancy word for jumping, which means they bill me at a higher rate, and lastly I finally began some 'running'. It is basically working through a rope ladder on the floor and a little light jogging. I started this 2 weeks ago and when I left the rehab center I broke down. I had spent 10 months building up to running 10 miles then spent 163 days without any running like movement. It was a humbling and proud moment for me but also a little bittersweet as I was terribly winded after these short little bursts.
I had lunch today with a very close friend and one of my inspirations and he filled me in on his first triathlon and I got excited just thinking about it. He also commented on my continuing improving shape (yes, I am comfortable with our relationship :) ).
On that note, I am down to 222 lbs. that is a total of 27 lbs in about a year and 5 lbs. post surgery.
I am in week 10 and things are going amazingly. I have MAXED out the leg press machine both from a weight standpoint as well as how close I can get to the machine in full squat. I have also maxed out this machine that forces my leg to bend at the knee. I have also begun PLYOMETRICS, which is a fancy word for jumping, which means they bill me at a higher rate, and lastly I finally began some 'running'. It is basically working through a rope ladder on the floor and a little light jogging. I started this 2 weeks ago and when I left the rehab center I broke down. I had spent 10 months building up to running 10 miles then spent 163 days without any running like movement. It was a humbling and proud moment for me but also a little bittersweet as I was terribly winded after these short little bursts.
I had lunch today with a very close friend and one of my inspirations and he filled me in on his first triathlon and I got excited just thinking about it. He also commented on my continuing improving shape (yes, I am comfortable with our relationship :) ).
On that note, I am down to 222 lbs. that is a total of 27 lbs in about a year and 5 lbs. post surgery.
Monday, September 15, 2008
breaking through the 'block'
Time is the great equalizer
Time heals all wounds
Love knows no time
Like sands through the hourglass and all that silly stuff…
I watch the girls grow up day by day, month by month and year by year. From moment to moment they remain unchanged but over the span of 8 years so much has changed. For that matter so much has changed over what will soon be 40 years but so much remains the same.
I was once a very shy child. Today I see that shyness in Cydney. I was once overly sensitive and today I see that in Cydney (and yes I remain sensitive in some cases and not so much so in others). I once was intense and absorbed with learning; I see that intensity in Rachel. I once had fits of rage and uncontrollable outbursts; I see these in Rachel and wish they would pass and not happen for her.
Time continues to baffle me. I have had relationships that have lasted 30 plus years now that are on the level with ones crafted within the last 8 months. I have met people in the last 3 weeks that have changed my perspective on our city and world. I have loved, been loved and lost loves but my heart still yearns for peace and comfort.
I am not yet at peace in my own skin, when does time fix that? I have accomplished a lot yet often feel unfulfilled.
Time heals all wounds
Love knows no time
Like sands through the hourglass and all that silly stuff…
I watch the girls grow up day by day, month by month and year by year. From moment to moment they remain unchanged but over the span of 8 years so much has changed. For that matter so much has changed over what will soon be 40 years but so much remains the same.
I was once a very shy child. Today I see that shyness in Cydney. I was once overly sensitive and today I see that in Cydney (and yes I remain sensitive in some cases and not so much so in others). I once was intense and absorbed with learning; I see that intensity in Rachel. I once had fits of rage and uncontrollable outbursts; I see these in Rachel and wish they would pass and not happen for her.
Time continues to baffle me. I have had relationships that have lasted 30 plus years now that are on the level with ones crafted within the last 8 months. I have met people in the last 3 weeks that have changed my perspective on our city and world. I have loved, been loved and lost loves but my heart still yearns for peace and comfort.
I am not yet at peace in my own skin, when does time fix that? I have accomplished a lot yet often feel unfulfilled.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Shameless plug and I am being a bit lazy...
I spent the past weekend at an absolutely amazing retreat with a program called Leadership Atlanta (www.leadershipatlanta.org). It has left my head spinning and back in the real world my head is spinning from too many other things.
So forgive me for 'copying' from myself but this will allow those of that like my sports stuff to have another avenue.
As part of my day job I am a partner and co-creator of a site called www.thefflguru.com. As part of that site I write a weekly article on anything I want to (football related).
Here is the article that will go up later today, you my favorite people get to see it first :-)
So the first weekend of NFL has come and gone. In general, you are probably in one of three Fantasy ‘states’:
1. Euphoria – as my team(s) rock; I made all the right moves and I am hoping to go ‘coast to coast’ to win my league crown.
2. You feel ‘ok’ (insert John Malkovich Russian accent from ROUNDERS) – you team looked ok, there were not a ton of TD’s but guys performed pretty well; also, you might have seen your bench step up and look good.
3. Is it next year yet – You own TOM BRADY, one of the Bengal or Rams Wide Receivers. You won’t be the only ones in this pile eventually but right now you are dejected.
Me? I’m firmly in camp #1. My team had the high score in week 1 in my ‘Big League’ (the one with a good cash, 2 great trophies and bragging rights with guys I’ve known for decades). My biggest coup you ask? Starting my #3 RB in Michael Turner. However, just like group #3 should not get too down (hopefully they drafted well enough to stay competitive) those of us in Group #1 need not get too excited. It is just ONE week! As they say on the PGA Tour, you can’t win a golf tournament on the first. However, you can lose one .
If you are in Group 1, don’t rest on your laurels. Really evaluate your team and see where your flaws are. Identify teams in groups 2 & 3 where panic for unseasoned Owners might be setting in and see if you can shore things up. For me, I am need depth at WR. I am good 4 deep in a league where we start 3 WR’s but I need insurance. I purposely helped start the run on back up QB’s so I have room to deal either a Derek Anderson or Eli Manning since I will be gunning Drew Brees out most days.
If you are Group 2 – don’t panic! Realize your starting line up has the quality and were drafted where they should be. Guys like Addai, Santonio Holmes and Derek Anderson are going to get there’s. Now is not the time to panic and start juggling those line-ups.
Enjoy the few days between games. It is amazing how quickly this time year flies by…before you know it we will be in Week 10 and beyond!
So forgive me for 'copying' from myself but this will allow those of that like my sports stuff to have another avenue.
As part of my day job I am a partner and co-creator of a site called www.thefflguru.com. As part of that site I write a weekly article on anything I want to (football related).
Here is the article that will go up later today, you my favorite people get to see it first :-)
So the first weekend of NFL has come and gone. In general, you are probably in one of three Fantasy ‘states’:
1. Euphoria – as my team(s) rock; I made all the right moves and I am hoping to go ‘coast to coast’ to win my league crown.
2. You feel ‘ok’ (insert John Malkovich Russian accent from ROUNDERS) – you team looked ok, there were not a ton of TD’s but guys performed pretty well; also, you might have seen your bench step up and look good.
3. Is it next year yet – You own TOM BRADY, one of the Bengal or Rams Wide Receivers. You won’t be the only ones in this pile eventually but right now you are dejected.
Me? I’m firmly in camp #1. My team had the high score in week 1 in my ‘Big League’ (the one with a good cash, 2 great trophies and bragging rights with guys I’ve known for decades). My biggest coup you ask? Starting my #3 RB in Michael Turner. However, just like group #3 should not get too down (hopefully they drafted well enough to stay competitive) those of us in Group #1 need not get too excited. It is just ONE week! As they say on the PGA Tour, you can’t win a golf tournament on the first. However, you can lose one .
If you are in Group 1, don’t rest on your laurels. Really evaluate your team and see where your flaws are. Identify teams in groups 2 & 3 where panic for unseasoned Owners might be setting in and see if you can shore things up. For me, I am need depth at WR. I am good 4 deep in a league where we start 3 WR’s but I need insurance. I purposely helped start the run on back up QB’s so I have room to deal either a Derek Anderson or Eli Manning since I will be gunning Drew Brees out most days.
If you are Group 2 – don’t panic! Realize your starting line up has the quality and were drafted where they should be. Guys like Addai, Santonio Holmes and Derek Anderson are going to get there’s. Now is not the time to panic and start juggling those line-ups.
Enjoy the few days between games. It is amazing how quickly this time year flies by…before you know it we will be in Week 10 and beyond!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
RNC - Night 2 - Sarah Palin 'shines for the crowd'
Look, I'm not going to try and kid you, I am not anywhere near the Republican 'base' on almost every single social issue. However, I can certainly recognize and respect a strong performance while still getting to be a little bit critical :).
First, Sarah Palin did more than what the media expected but exactly what I expected, she delivered. No one goes from Mayor of a podunk town to Governor of a podunk State (no offense Alaska) without having a certain amount of flair and charisma. She did a very nice job of counter balancing her "I'm a hockey Mom" with I'm a tough as nails bitch and can sling mud and half truths too very well.
*side note - thankfully the RNC was in MINNESOTA where they actually know what hockey is or that might have not gone over well
Second, she had very good timing, she worked the crowd and really does have a speaking style that works well.
Third, she hit the ball out of the park for the 'BASE' and that is what John McCain needed. To the new Republican base he is a scary 'liberal' and she fits right in, especially on socially conservative issues.
Now, I can turn to some criticisms:
First, let's start with the family. Again, under 'full disclosure' I have a 8 year old nephew with Downs Syndrome. I do NOT have a favorite niece/nephew among the 9 that I have but I am pretty sure I am his favorite Uncle :). I understand and respect the entire special needs spectrum from a very personal level. What I do not believe is fair is that the Palin Family can be open on one side of their family life and then choose to stay 'closed' on another. Facts are facts and in the world we live in today what is going on is 'fair game'. A part of me REALLY despises it but I realize why it happens. Truthfully, the Republicans have run for a VERY LONG time now on the FALSE notion that Obama is a Muslim, or that he conspires with terrorists. This mud slinging stuff sucks and I wish it didn't happen but it does. Is having a 17 year old pregnant daughter make you a bad mother? No. All of a sudden to have the young man who impregnate her become her fiancee and have his life changed (see that he mysteriously no longer has a MY SPACE page) is a bit more than interesting.
Second, let's get off personal and go to the facts. Mrs. Palin, or her speech writer, was NO WHERE CLOSE on several facts. There is no single evidence that points to Obama-Biden raising taxes for the majority of citizens. Raising taxes for the majority of Republican delegates sitting in that hall, probably, but not the single mother making $34,000 a year raising 2 kids. On the War in Iraq, she talks of 'forfeit' like this were a game of kickball. That is just ridiculous. EVERYONE wants an end to war, isn't that why we fight them in the first place? Win, divide the loot and get out or take over...hmmm...the problem here, and she brought it up is that the Republicans (thanks to the President) want to WIN. Someone please tell me what exactly is winning here? Seriously, what does it look like? Maybe if we knew that we could get on board.
Third, this concept of energy and how Obama-Biden want to make matters worse by not drilling. Look, this is a policy debate. Fact is there probably is no right and wrong. Will drilling solve some problems, short and long term - YES; will drilling cause some problems, short and long term - YES. You will fall in one camp or the other but to lie and say the opponent doesn't care is RIDICULOUS. While we are on energy. When did energy become the #1 issue in America? And if the media is SO liberal how did they buy into this concept. I thought the #1 issue was the ECONOMY, which, oh by the way, the energy issue is a part of. I would think #2 would be the war, but back to #1. If the economy didn't SUCK people would not be complaining as much about energy prices. If our foreign policy was stronger we might not see the energy issue (which is ALL ABOUT MONEY, big fat oil company money). Lastly, we are in this crazy dependency not because of Republicans, Democrats or whatever, we are in it because of ALL OF US. Shut up and work together - solve problems, stop taking blame - BOTH SIDES.
So what did last night do? It kept thinks interesting. Do I think Sarah Palin will ever appeal to the Hillary Crowd? Not if they look at her record - NRA lifetime member, pro life, pro drilling, against universal healthcare, anti-environmental issues (and if you don't think so look up her thoughts on polar bears). She will shore up the Republican base and energize a DEAD campaign. Polling numbers will change, but there is a long way to go and the polls are missing a whole GENERATION. No phone based poll gets to the under 28 (or so) set that does not have a HOME PHONE. They all have just a CELL NUMBER!!!!!!
I am hopeful that the upcoming debates will be about substance and not rhetoric. I am also hopeful that thousands of people will one day rise up from reading my blog and demand that I write a National Column that makes me millions of dollars from book deals and world tours...
First, Sarah Palin did more than what the media expected but exactly what I expected, she delivered. No one goes from Mayor of a podunk town to Governor of a podunk State (no offense Alaska) without having a certain amount of flair and charisma. She did a very nice job of counter balancing her "I'm a hockey Mom" with I'm a tough as nails bitch and can sling mud and half truths too very well.
*side note - thankfully the RNC was in MINNESOTA where they actually know what hockey is or that might have not gone over well
Second, she had very good timing, she worked the crowd and really does have a speaking style that works well.
Third, she hit the ball out of the park for the 'BASE' and that is what John McCain needed. To the new Republican base he is a scary 'liberal' and she fits right in, especially on socially conservative issues.
Now, I can turn to some criticisms:
First, let's start with the family. Again, under 'full disclosure' I have a 8 year old nephew with Downs Syndrome. I do NOT have a favorite niece/nephew among the 9 that I have but I am pretty sure I am his favorite Uncle :). I understand and respect the entire special needs spectrum from a very personal level. What I do not believe is fair is that the Palin Family can be open on one side of their family life and then choose to stay 'closed' on another. Facts are facts and in the world we live in today what is going on is 'fair game'. A part of me REALLY despises it but I realize why it happens. Truthfully, the Republicans have run for a VERY LONG time now on the FALSE notion that Obama is a Muslim, or that he conspires with terrorists. This mud slinging stuff sucks and I wish it didn't happen but it does. Is having a 17 year old pregnant daughter make you a bad mother? No. All of a sudden to have the young man who impregnate her become her fiancee and have his life changed (see that he mysteriously no longer has a MY SPACE page) is a bit more than interesting.
Second, let's get off personal and go to the facts. Mrs. Palin, or her speech writer, was NO WHERE CLOSE on several facts. There is no single evidence that points to Obama-Biden raising taxes for the majority of citizens. Raising taxes for the majority of Republican delegates sitting in that hall, probably, but not the single mother making $34,000 a year raising 2 kids. On the War in Iraq, she talks of 'forfeit' like this were a game of kickball. That is just ridiculous. EVERYONE wants an end to war, isn't that why we fight them in the first place? Win, divide the loot and get out or take over...hmmm...the problem here, and she brought it up is that the Republicans (thanks to the President) want to WIN. Someone please tell me what exactly is winning here? Seriously, what does it look like? Maybe if we knew that we could get on board.
Third, this concept of energy and how Obama-Biden want to make matters worse by not drilling. Look, this is a policy debate. Fact is there probably is no right and wrong. Will drilling solve some problems, short and long term - YES; will drilling cause some problems, short and long term - YES. You will fall in one camp or the other but to lie and say the opponent doesn't care is RIDICULOUS. While we are on energy. When did energy become the #1 issue in America? And if the media is SO liberal how did they buy into this concept. I thought the #1 issue was the ECONOMY, which, oh by the way, the energy issue is a part of. I would think #2 would be the war, but back to #1. If the economy didn't SUCK people would not be complaining as much about energy prices. If our foreign policy was stronger we might not see the energy issue (which is ALL ABOUT MONEY, big fat oil company money). Lastly, we are in this crazy dependency not because of Republicans, Democrats or whatever, we are in it because of ALL OF US. Shut up and work together - solve problems, stop taking blame - BOTH SIDES.
So what did last night do? It kept thinks interesting. Do I think Sarah Palin will ever appeal to the Hillary Crowd? Not if they look at her record - NRA lifetime member, pro life, pro drilling, against universal healthcare, anti-environmental issues (and if you don't think so look up her thoughts on polar bears). She will shore up the Republican base and energize a DEAD campaign. Polling numbers will change, but there is a long way to go and the polls are missing a whole GENERATION. No phone based poll gets to the under 28 (or so) set that does not have a HOME PHONE. They all have just a CELL NUMBER!!!!!!
I am hopeful that the upcoming debates will be about substance and not rhetoric. I am also hopeful that thousands of people will one day rise up from reading my blog and demand that I write a National Column that makes me millions of dollars from book deals and world tours...
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Republican National Convention - Day 1
As unbiased as possible - I PROMISE :-)
1. The theme of the convention was established, in my opinion - Change = Reform. John McCain is his own man/maverick (though I think they will be careful with that word for their 'base) that Independents can trust. While the Obama campaign pounds 'Change', I believe the Republicans will talk about 'Reform'; taking what they see as almost working and tweaking it. They are trying to appease the base yet reach out to swing voters at the same time, I guess that is a sound strategy.
2. The President and his father - I'm not sure why our sitting President is live via satellite while his father is in the hall, oh yeah, and his wife as well. I understand that he is NOT popular at this point but the idea of his speaking is not to the 15,000 in the hall, these people are 'sold'. It is the millions supposedly watching or maybe the millions just getting sound bytes and reactions of the spin doctors. With that in mind, are they fooling anyone? They gave the guy 5 minutes and held their breath that he enunciated his words properly and didn't give that sarcastic, "I know I'm better than you chuckle".
3. Joe Lieberman - What the F dude? On every side, what the F dude? From Senator Lieberman's side; and I should preface this that I like Joe. I think his experience is great, I support many of his core issues and as a Jew I am proud that he was a VP nominee 8 years ago. However, last night was no service to your 'legacy'. You can support Mr. McCain but to be a 'puppet' on their stage where you were clearly not wanted (see the tepid applause you received) was not wise in my mind. Several times you referred to yourself as a Democrat. While I appreciate all that you have done in your years as a Democrat, you chose to be an Independent so you could win your Senate seat back. I'm cool with that, but you can't sit on that fence, Joe. Secondly, the Republican Party. What did Mr. Lieberman do for you? Do you really think that ME, and yes I mean me, a social liberal and fiscal conservative (and a Jew no less) was going to change his mind based on Mr. Lieberman's 'testimonial for McCain/Palin'? Give me a break. I don't think he has even met Sarah Palin yet and if he had he probably didn't know it.
4. Sarah Palin - I am not getting into her personal life. I have learned through lots of adventures (and no I was NOT a pregnant teen) that the world is not Black & White, there are way too many shades of grey for us to pass judgment. Fact is good parents, great parents, have kids that make mistakes and some of them are more glaring than others. Does it speak to other things? Maybe, but I won't bash her for what I don't know. However, how the Republicans are spinning her is phenomenal! I am going to TiVo her speech tonight because in all honestly I have my Fantasy Football Draft and I know my priorities :), but I am very interested in hearing her. If I were handling the Democrats I would leave well enough alone. I would applaud the Republicans for choosing someone fresh, new and a woman and I would say we are excited to get to the real issues of where we differ. I would leave the 'mud' to the media and keep their hands clean. Going after her could be a NO WIN proposition.
So, how did I do on a unbiased basis?
1. The theme of the convention was established, in my opinion - Change = Reform. John McCain is his own man/maverick (though I think they will be careful with that word for their 'base) that Independents can trust. While the Obama campaign pounds 'Change', I believe the Republicans will talk about 'Reform'; taking what they see as almost working and tweaking it. They are trying to appease the base yet reach out to swing voters at the same time, I guess that is a sound strategy.
2. The President and his father - I'm not sure why our sitting President is live via satellite while his father is in the hall, oh yeah, and his wife as well. I understand that he is NOT popular at this point but the idea of his speaking is not to the 15,000 in the hall, these people are 'sold'. It is the millions supposedly watching or maybe the millions just getting sound bytes and reactions of the spin doctors. With that in mind, are they fooling anyone? They gave the guy 5 minutes and held their breath that he enunciated his words properly and didn't give that sarcastic, "I know I'm better than you chuckle".
3. Joe Lieberman - What the F dude? On every side, what the F dude? From Senator Lieberman's side; and I should preface this that I like Joe. I think his experience is great, I support many of his core issues and as a Jew I am proud that he was a VP nominee 8 years ago. However, last night was no service to your 'legacy'. You can support Mr. McCain but to be a 'puppet' on their stage where you were clearly not wanted (see the tepid applause you received) was not wise in my mind. Several times you referred to yourself as a Democrat. While I appreciate all that you have done in your years as a Democrat, you chose to be an Independent so you could win your Senate seat back. I'm cool with that, but you can't sit on that fence, Joe. Secondly, the Republican Party. What did Mr. Lieberman do for you? Do you really think that ME, and yes I mean me, a social liberal and fiscal conservative (and a Jew no less) was going to change his mind based on Mr. Lieberman's 'testimonial for McCain/Palin'? Give me a break. I don't think he has even met Sarah Palin yet and if he had he probably didn't know it.
4. Sarah Palin - I am not getting into her personal life. I have learned through lots of adventures (and no I was NOT a pregnant teen) that the world is not Black & White, there are way too many shades of grey for us to pass judgment. Fact is good parents, great parents, have kids that make mistakes and some of them are more glaring than others. Does it speak to other things? Maybe, but I won't bash her for what I don't know. However, how the Republicans are spinning her is phenomenal! I am going to TiVo her speech tonight because in all honestly I have my Fantasy Football Draft and I know my priorities :), but I am very interested in hearing her. If I were handling the Democrats I would leave well enough alone. I would applaud the Republicans for choosing someone fresh, new and a woman and I would say we are excited to get to the real issues of where we differ. I would leave the 'mud' to the media and keep their hands clean. Going after her could be a NO WIN proposition.
So, how did I do on a unbiased basis?
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
One of the many reasons I love college football
No - this is not about the Gators whipping up on Hawaii on Saturday! Though as a side note, I will officially go on the record and say that Tim Tebow will not win back to back Heisman's but I believe the Gators will be playing for the National Championship in Miami this year.
What I saw last night, late into the night is what separates college football from the NFL. The pure passion and enthusiasm of the kids playing the game and the coaches coaching these kids.
In case you missed it, last night Tennessee traveled to Los Angeles to play UCLA and their new Head Coach Rick Neuheisel, who happened to have once starred as the QB at UCLA. In his first season as coach, Neuheisel has seen his top 2 QB's go down with season ending injuries before they could ever take a snap, so they have turned to a kid who transferred from a smaller program. Last night they were up against a very good and aggressive Tennessee Defense and in the first half the young QB showed that he was overmatched, throwing for 4 interceptions. Asked at halftime what he told his young QB, Neuheisel said that he threw 4 interceptions in his first game too but things turned out ok. The second half was a complete turnaround and the kid led UCLA on a go ahead drive with 6 minutes left in the game. In what turned out to be a spectacular last 5 minutes, Tennessee had a great drive of their own to retake the lead with about 2 minutes to go. Out comes the UCLA offense again and what do they do? Drive the ball down Tennessee's throat through the AIR and grab a 3 point lead with 27 seconds to go. Of course, the story does not end there, Tennessee finds a way to get in field goal range and they send the game to overtime. It's almost 11:30 last night and I am exhausted but here I am, rooting for the 'wrong' guys. Every fiber in my body says I should be rooting for the SEC and the team we play in 2 weeks but I just can't do it. The story of this kid and the coach are too compelling for me. In the end, UCLA wins and the celebration was awesome to see.
It was the sort of game that no team 'deserved' to lose but someone had to. It was also what college athletics are all about. You will never see that passion on a professional football field or in the stands.
Clemson fans are probably wondering what it will take to get their coaches to draw that kind of passion from their kids (OUCH!)
What I saw last night, late into the night is what separates college football from the NFL. The pure passion and enthusiasm of the kids playing the game and the coaches coaching these kids.
In case you missed it, last night Tennessee traveled to Los Angeles to play UCLA and their new Head Coach Rick Neuheisel, who happened to have once starred as the QB at UCLA. In his first season as coach, Neuheisel has seen his top 2 QB's go down with season ending injuries before they could ever take a snap, so they have turned to a kid who transferred from a smaller program. Last night they were up against a very good and aggressive Tennessee Defense and in the first half the young QB showed that he was overmatched, throwing for 4 interceptions. Asked at halftime what he told his young QB, Neuheisel said that he threw 4 interceptions in his first game too but things turned out ok. The second half was a complete turnaround and the kid led UCLA on a go ahead drive with 6 minutes left in the game. In what turned out to be a spectacular last 5 minutes, Tennessee had a great drive of their own to retake the lead with about 2 minutes to go. Out comes the UCLA offense again and what do they do? Drive the ball down Tennessee's throat through the AIR and grab a 3 point lead with 27 seconds to go. Of course, the story does not end there, Tennessee finds a way to get in field goal range and they send the game to overtime. It's almost 11:30 last night and I am exhausted but here I am, rooting for the 'wrong' guys. Every fiber in my body says I should be rooting for the SEC and the team we play in 2 weeks but I just can't do it. The story of this kid and the coach are too compelling for me. In the end, UCLA wins and the celebration was awesome to see.
It was the sort of game that no team 'deserved' to lose but someone had to. It was also what college athletics are all about. You will never see that passion on a professional football field or in the stands.
Clemson fans are probably wondering what it will take to get their coaches to draw that kind of passion from their kids (OUCH!)
Friday, August 29, 2008
Palin, who the heck is Palin?
Ok, can I get a conservative voice here to tell me exactly who this woman is and a real reason she is the VP Candidate on the Republican ticket?
I looked at her bio and stuff on CNN. She is 44 and has been Governor of Alaska since 2006...ok...so this is the person who is 'ready' to be Commander in Chief if/when the 72 year old McCain should not make it through his Presidency? All I have heard from Republicans for a year now is Obama is 'not ready' to lead...hmmmm...I guess President of Harvard Law Review, Illinois State Senate and the US Senate is not enough compared to 'owner of hunting and fishing outfit' and Mayor of a town of 1,400.
So what's the attraction for the Republicans? Well I guess there is the OBVIOUS which I will save for the end:
1. She is big on environmental issues - or supposedly since she's been rocking the Governor Mansion for 1.5 years
2. She's young - well we know why that IS important (play the baton death march music here)
3. She is a lifelong member of the NRA (thank G-d)
4. She seems pretty peppy (again cue the mortuary music)
I'll just assume she is pro-life but CNN didn't say...
And the BIG WINNER IS:
SHE IS A WOMAN, A YOUNG WOMAN, AND SHE IS NOT HILLARY CLINTON!
I can see it now - thinly veiled, maybe not so thinly, comments made to woo the Hillary Dems that are disgruntled still.
I guess it makes things interesting and I am really waiting to see comments from the hardcore conservative base. I get not going Romney (two rich white dudes) but was this the best option? Again, I need a conservative to chime in because I really do want to know.
Can you imagine the Clinton's if McCain should die in Office? The first woman President and it's not Hillary...
I looked at her bio and stuff on CNN. She is 44 and has been Governor of Alaska since 2006...ok...so this is the person who is 'ready' to be Commander in Chief if/when the 72 year old McCain should not make it through his Presidency? All I have heard from Republicans for a year now is Obama is 'not ready' to lead...hmmmm...I guess President of Harvard Law Review, Illinois State Senate and the US Senate is not enough compared to 'owner of hunting and fishing outfit' and Mayor of a town of 1,400.
So what's the attraction for the Republicans? Well I guess there is the OBVIOUS which I will save for the end:
1. She is big on environmental issues - or supposedly since she's been rocking the Governor Mansion for 1.5 years
2. She's young - well we know why that IS important (play the baton death march music here)
3. She is a lifelong member of the NRA (thank G-d)
4. She seems pretty peppy (again cue the mortuary music)
I'll just assume she is pro-life but CNN didn't say...
And the BIG WINNER IS:
SHE IS A WOMAN, A YOUNG WOMAN, AND SHE IS NOT HILLARY CLINTON!
I can see it now - thinly veiled, maybe not so thinly, comments made to woo the Hillary Dems that are disgruntled still.
I guess it makes things interesting and I am really waiting to see comments from the hardcore conservative base. I get not going Romney (two rich white dudes) but was this the best option? Again, I need a conservative to chime in because I really do want to know.
Can you imagine the Clinton's if McCain should die in Office? The first woman President and it's not Hillary...
It's so close I can feel it...
I am actually talking about several things with that line, not in the least are:
1. Football season
2. My FAVORITE season - Autumn
3. Our Fantasy Football show getting set to take off!
So, let's 'tackle' them in that order.
1. As I type this the Gators take the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in less than 26 hours from now. I get very nostalgic thinking about all of my 'firsts' in that stadium and on that campus. I remember the first time I set foot in The Swamp. I was a high school Senior and we went up for Gator Growl (Homecoming). I knew right then and there that Gainesville would always be HOME. I remember throwing the ball around on the astro turf back then and I even remember a crazy night where I wound up on the G that was painted for Goal Line but I was convinced it was for Gil. Let's just say there is a spot on my arm/wrist that hair will never grow thanks to that astro turf...sorry no details my Mom reads this blog :).
Optimism is everywhere in college football this time of year but I really do believe this season can be a special one for the Gators. I'm not sure Tebow can win back to back Heisman's but I do think we can go 12-1 and wind up playing for it all in MIAMI at the Orange Bowl - WOW, that would be INCREDIBLE! I know where I will be and I know Denise will have our lucky sweatshirt ready to go!
2. The fall is just the best time of year. I love the change in weather, I like to pull out different clothes to wear. I like waking up to the cool air and opening the windows in the evening and breathing the fresh air. I love the change in the foliage and the smell of a fire roaring in the neighborhood. Of course fall also ushers in football and closes out baseball and it also welcomes back hockey and basketball. Driving with the radio blasting, windows down letting the cool breeze take you wherever you want to go, literally or figuratively, that is what fall is about for me.
3. The FFL Guru - wow, this journey that Jordan and I started last year is really beginning to take flight. First, we signed the deal with 790 The Zone and you can reach us directly from their website (www.790thezone.com), then we grabbed a 'title sponsor' in Lincoln and the new MKZ, and the latest news, we are now a part of the World Championship of Fantasy Football (www.wcofs.com). We officially kick off with them next week when Jordan will be in Vegas for their weekend extravaganza and draft. We will be covering the event and we will also be participants. Viewers will be able to follow our progress in their Leagues through our weekly videos. We also are creating a custom front end for them so they can sell their own advertising which is where we make some money. Lastly, they have over 100,000 players who will now be watching The FFL Guru TWICE a week - traffic should skyrocket and that can only mean good things for us, our partners and our advertisers.
Cheers to what should be the most rewarding season ever and a terrific launching into 2009!
1. Football season
2. My FAVORITE season - Autumn
3. Our Fantasy Football show getting set to take off!
So, let's 'tackle' them in that order.
1. As I type this the Gators take the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in less than 26 hours from now. I get very nostalgic thinking about all of my 'firsts' in that stadium and on that campus. I remember the first time I set foot in The Swamp. I was a high school Senior and we went up for Gator Growl (Homecoming). I knew right then and there that Gainesville would always be HOME. I remember throwing the ball around on the astro turf back then and I even remember a crazy night where I wound up on the G that was painted for Goal Line but I was convinced it was for Gil. Let's just say there is a spot on my arm/wrist that hair will never grow thanks to that astro turf...sorry no details my Mom reads this blog :).
Optimism is everywhere in college football this time of year but I really do believe this season can be a special one for the Gators. I'm not sure Tebow can win back to back Heisman's but I do think we can go 12-1 and wind up playing for it all in MIAMI at the Orange Bowl - WOW, that would be INCREDIBLE! I know where I will be and I know Denise will have our lucky sweatshirt ready to go!
2. The fall is just the best time of year. I love the change in weather, I like to pull out different clothes to wear. I like waking up to the cool air and opening the windows in the evening and breathing the fresh air. I love the change in the foliage and the smell of a fire roaring in the neighborhood. Of course fall also ushers in football and closes out baseball and it also welcomes back hockey and basketball. Driving with the radio blasting, windows down letting the cool breeze take you wherever you want to go, literally or figuratively, that is what fall is about for me.
3. The FFL Guru - wow, this journey that Jordan and I started last year is really beginning to take flight. First, we signed the deal with 790 The Zone and you can reach us directly from their website (www.790thezone.com), then we grabbed a 'title sponsor' in Lincoln and the new MKZ, and the latest news, we are now a part of the World Championship of Fantasy Football (www.wcofs.com). We officially kick off with them next week when Jordan will be in Vegas for their weekend extravaganza and draft. We will be covering the event and we will also be participants. Viewers will be able to follow our progress in their Leagues through our weekly videos. We also are creating a custom front end for them so they can sell their own advertising which is where we make some money. Lastly, they have over 100,000 players who will now be watching The FFL Guru TWICE a week - traffic should skyrocket and that can only mean good things for us, our partners and our advertisers.
Cheers to what should be the most rewarding season ever and a terrific launching into 2009!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
From what I've seen from the Democrats
Day 1 - Ted Kennedy showing up was huge. It energized the crowd and certainly was nice to see given his condition. Michelle Obama was very good. She showed that she is articulate and charismatic. I thought the kids at the end with Obama on the screen was a little much. I see the parallels to Kennedy and 'Camelot' but I think those things will come naturally.
Day 2 - It was all about Hillary - great speech. Say what you want about her but she delivered and hopefully woke up her 'base' from the baggage they are carrying.
Day 3 - I missed most of Bill's speech because I was on a fantasy football prep call (priorities you know) but the sound bytes seemed spot on. I was surprised to see that the National Networks waited to start coverage until 10:00 knowing Bill was speaking at 9:00 - hmmm. Joe Biden is AWESOME. His story is great and his son Beau was very good (and not just because he is a client of mine :) ). All of the speakers on Day 3 were overshadowed by the 'history' of the day. No matter where you stand or what party you are a member of you have to stand back and hopefully enjoy the step we are making in history and humanity by having Barack Obama be the nominee for President. On top of that, he was sent on by Hillary Clinton and her historical run and the process was run by the Speaker of the House, the FIRST female Speaker of the House that is!
No matter what your political lean this was certainly a good night for mankind.
Tonight Obama wraps things up in front of 80,000!
Tomorrow we turn to see how the Republicans counter on the VP front. There Convention should not lack for interest, but it will certainly lack diversity.
Day 2 - It was all about Hillary - great speech. Say what you want about her but she delivered and hopefully woke up her 'base' from the baggage they are carrying.
Day 3 - I missed most of Bill's speech because I was on a fantasy football prep call (priorities you know) but the sound bytes seemed spot on. I was surprised to see that the National Networks waited to start coverage until 10:00 knowing Bill was speaking at 9:00 - hmmm. Joe Biden is AWESOME. His story is great and his son Beau was very good (and not just because he is a client of mine :) ). All of the speakers on Day 3 were overshadowed by the 'history' of the day. No matter where you stand or what party you are a member of you have to stand back and hopefully enjoy the step we are making in history and humanity by having Barack Obama be the nominee for President. On top of that, he was sent on by Hillary Clinton and her historical run and the process was run by the Speaker of the House, the FIRST female Speaker of the House that is!
No matter what your political lean this was certainly a good night for mankind.
Tonight Obama wraps things up in front of 80,000!
Tomorrow we turn to see how the Republicans counter on the VP front. There Convention should not lack for interest, but it will certainly lack diversity.
Monday, August 25, 2008
My take on Biden as the Democratic VP choice
As many of my friends will attest to I am a bit of a political junkie. I have even flirted not once, but twice with running for political office including within the last 6 weeks. However, I have for the most part shyed away from talking politics here. I'm not sure why since I share so much but for whatever reason I have.
Tonight I'll change that course. For full disclosure sake, I am a registered Democrat and have voted that way fairly often. I have ventured to the other side of the aisle based upon issues or people I feel strongly about.
So, with that as a back drop I am ready to discuss the Biden choice and I spent a good part of my flights on both Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon thinking about it. I also did a lot of research about a particular topic before coming to this conclusion. In fact, before doing research I was going to blog about my feelings of disillusionment when it comes to the running mate process. For as long as I can remember it seemed like VP running mates have been chosen for strategic voting reasons and not strong political reasoning. I was feeling that way at first with the Biden selection and then I started to do some research.
What did the research show me? First and foremost Biden is a proven leader with a strong track record of leadership, working jointly on both sides of the aisle and standing firm on his core issues. This is exactly what Obama needs as he faces criticism for his experience level and ability to lead. Second, Biden is all about Foreign Policy. He chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Policy and he is a go to guy for foreing leaders. Biden is also a staunch backer of Israel and will not allow U.S. policy change in that regard. This is HUGE for Obama from a perception standpoint on the Israel issue and a key cog in how he sets foreign policy as the President. I also think he will fill a key cabinet position with Sam Nunn who is also great when it comes to foreign policy. Lastly, Biden is tough and straight forward. He can deliver the hard message with sarcasm and a smile. He will not back down or coalese.
After looking it over, this choice had little to do with wrapping up a key swing state, which is what I believe McCain will be doing if he chooses Tom Ridge, and more to do with good, smart political strategy and choosing a 'partner' who could lead now if necessary.
Tonight I'll change that course. For full disclosure sake, I am a registered Democrat and have voted that way fairly often. I have ventured to the other side of the aisle based upon issues or people I feel strongly about.
So, with that as a back drop I am ready to discuss the Biden choice and I spent a good part of my flights on both Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon thinking about it. I also did a lot of research about a particular topic before coming to this conclusion. In fact, before doing research I was going to blog about my feelings of disillusionment when it comes to the running mate process. For as long as I can remember it seemed like VP running mates have been chosen for strategic voting reasons and not strong political reasoning. I was feeling that way at first with the Biden selection and then I started to do some research.
What did the research show me? First and foremost Biden is a proven leader with a strong track record of leadership, working jointly on both sides of the aisle and standing firm on his core issues. This is exactly what Obama needs as he faces criticism for his experience level and ability to lead. Second, Biden is all about Foreign Policy. He chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Policy and he is a go to guy for foreing leaders. Biden is also a staunch backer of Israel and will not allow U.S. policy change in that regard. This is HUGE for Obama from a perception standpoint on the Israel issue and a key cog in how he sets foreign policy as the President. I also think he will fill a key cabinet position with Sam Nunn who is also great when it comes to foreign policy. Lastly, Biden is tough and straight forward. He can deliver the hard message with sarcasm and a smile. He will not back down or coalese.
After looking it over, this choice had little to do with wrapping up a key swing state, which is what I believe McCain will be doing if he chooses Tom Ridge, and more to do with good, smart political strategy and choosing a 'partner' who could lead now if necessary.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Like a 'bolt' of lightning
I must be slipping a bit since it took me until this morning to talk about Usain Bolt, henceforth known as 'The World's Fastest Human'.
First, let me say that the title 'World's Fastest Human', in my mind, is by far the COOLEST moniker one could have. Possibly 'Ruler/King of the World' is appealing as well but I imagine you will live in constant fear of your life with that title. The 'World's Fastest Human' only has to worry about doping scandals, cheaters and guys chasing him.
If you missed either of Bolt's World Records at the Olympics you need to go to www.nbcolympics.com and find them. It was absolutely STUNNING to watch him fly around the track. What Michael Phelps was to the pool, Bolt was to land. He energized the second week of the Games and kept them relevant.
As I watched, and heard the commentators talk about how he will dominate track for the next several years, since he is only 21, I couldn't help but think what he should do, at least in my mind. The kid is 6'5" tall which is not typical for a sprinter. He also weighs almost 200 lbs. so he is no 'little guy'. If I were Bolt or his agent I would RUN, not walk, to the NFL. If he put on 15-20 pounds he would be the prototype Wide Receiver and who knows if he can catch? What I do know is the graphic on the screen that translated his 100 Meter time to a 40 yd. dash (the measurement du jour for speed in the NFL). The best times in the NFL approach 4.2 seconds in a 40 yard dash; Bolt's time translated to a 3.53! Holy Sh*t! Imagine this guy running a 'fly pattern'? Better yet, if he realty learns the game no Defensive Back could ever come close to covering 'dig routes' or 'corner routes' because they would be so afraid of his speed. There are some pretty smart and maverick Owners out there. I can only imagine that Jerry Jones in Dallas is having the same thought...
First, let me say that the title 'World's Fastest Human', in my mind, is by far the COOLEST moniker one could have. Possibly 'Ruler/King of the World' is appealing as well but I imagine you will live in constant fear of your life with that title. The 'World's Fastest Human' only has to worry about doping scandals, cheaters and guys chasing him.
If you missed either of Bolt's World Records at the Olympics you need to go to www.nbcolympics.com and find them. It was absolutely STUNNING to watch him fly around the track. What Michael Phelps was to the pool, Bolt was to land. He energized the second week of the Games and kept them relevant.
As I watched, and heard the commentators talk about how he will dominate track for the next several years, since he is only 21, I couldn't help but think what he should do, at least in my mind. The kid is 6'5" tall which is not typical for a sprinter. He also weighs almost 200 lbs. so he is no 'little guy'. If I were Bolt or his agent I would RUN, not walk, to the NFL. If he put on 15-20 pounds he would be the prototype Wide Receiver and who knows if he can catch? What I do know is the graphic on the screen that translated his 100 Meter time to a 40 yd. dash (the measurement du jour for speed in the NFL). The best times in the NFL approach 4.2 seconds in a 40 yard dash; Bolt's time translated to a 3.53! Holy Sh*t! Imagine this guy running a 'fly pattern'? Better yet, if he realty learns the game no Defensive Back could ever come close to covering 'dig routes' or 'corner routes' because they would be so afraid of his speed. There are some pretty smart and maverick Owners out there. I can only imagine that Jerry Jones in Dallas is having the same thought...
Thursday, August 21, 2008
$3.82
That is what I paid today for a gallon of Premium gas and I almost screamed with jubilation when I saw it.
A sure sign that we live in a mad, mad world!
Sorry for the short post, but that was all that was really on my mind tonight.
A sure sign that we live in a mad, mad world!
Sorry for the short post, but that was all that was really on my mind tonight.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
It's not cooler yet, at least here in the South, but can you feel the Fall winds blowing?
That can mean only one thing, and that is Football and yes indeed we are so very close to making the women we love and the children we adore weekend widows. I know a lot of guys (and some women) are college football people and others are Pro football people and this befuddles me as I am clearly both.
On the college side we are just 10 days away from my beloved Florida Gators open with Hawaii. Amongst our very difficult schedule I am very excited about our 2nd game against the University of Miami Hurricanes. What was once an annual rivalry has been changed to a once every 6-7 year thing. With that we have not beaten the 'Canes since my Senior year in High School. Interestingly enough one of the cable channels has been playing that game every night for the last few days. It brought back a lot of good memories at the Orange Bowl and has gotten me completely psyched for September 6th when we finally putting a hurting on the boys down south.
Equally as important for me is the NFL. From a team perspective I am a born and bred Philadelphian and that will never leave me no matter where I call home. I have lived and mostly dies with the Eagles over the last 39 years but hope always springs eternal this time of year. Additionally, as many of you know I am not just a fantasy football player but I also co-host a web video show on the topic
www.thefflguru.com
(shameless plug). In my own league tonight is one of those 3 or 4 great nights. The best night of all is draft night. Tonight is the lead up to the draft where we will find out what order we pick in the draft. In most leagues there are 10-12 teams, this is where my league begins to differ. We have remained an 8 team league throughout or 20+ year history. The other major draft day difference is how we choose draft order. Again, most leagues do what is called a 'snake draft' where it serpentines back and forth, so if you draft 2nd in a 12 team league then you would have the then you would pick 23rd in the 2nd round and so forth. Well, we differ and it works for us because we are only an 8 team league. We have what is called 'the picking of the cards' which to me sounds like, 'the running of the bulls' but I digress. Essentially we have a RANDOM draw for all 23 rounds of our draft! So yes, it is conceivable that you could have the number 1 pick or the number 8 pick, if you are a pessimist) for multiple rounds in a row! What we have always seen is that it evens itself out over time and certainly allows for a fun event this evening. Once tonight is over I go into full prep mode where I will overlay my projections with where guys draft and try to determine who will be available for me when I draft. As I have said before, I am not the most detail oriented guy on this so I'll do it a few times just to get a sense for things.
Picking of the cards is at 6:30 tonight. I imagine I will have every one 'seeded' into my excel spreadsheet by 9:00 and I'll probably mock draft the first 3 rounds tonight. Some of you are reading this, or stopped reading awhile ago, but for me it makes for a fun few days as I get ready for the draft
On the college side we are just 10 days away from my beloved Florida Gators open with Hawaii. Amongst our very difficult schedule I am very excited about our 2nd game against the University of Miami Hurricanes. What was once an annual rivalry has been changed to a once every 6-7 year thing. With that we have not beaten the 'Canes since my Senior year in High School. Interestingly enough one of the cable channels has been playing that game every night for the last few days. It brought back a lot of good memories at the Orange Bowl and has gotten me completely psyched for September 6th when we finally putting a hurting on the boys down south.
Equally as important for me is the NFL. From a team perspective I am a born and bred Philadelphian and that will never leave me no matter where I call home. I have lived and mostly dies with the Eagles over the last 39 years but hope always springs eternal this time of year. Additionally, as many of you know I am not just a fantasy football player but I also co-host a web video show on the topic
www.thefflguru.com
(shameless plug). In my own league tonight is one of those 3 or 4 great nights. The best night of all is draft night. Tonight is the lead up to the draft where we will find out what order we pick in the draft. In most leagues there are 10-12 teams, this is where my league begins to differ. We have remained an 8 team league throughout or 20+ year history. The other major draft day difference is how we choose draft order. Again, most leagues do what is called a 'snake draft' where it serpentines back and forth, so if you draft 2nd in a 12 team league then you would have the then you would pick 23rd in the 2nd round and so forth. Well, we differ and it works for us because we are only an 8 team league. We have what is called 'the picking of the cards' which to me sounds like, 'the running of the bulls' but I digress. Essentially we have a RANDOM draw for all 23 rounds of our draft! So yes, it is conceivable that you could have the number 1 pick or the number 8 pick, if you are a pessimist) for multiple rounds in a row! What we have always seen is that it evens itself out over time and certainly allows for a fun event this evening. Once tonight is over I go into full prep mode where I will overlay my projections with where guys draft and try to determine who will be available for me when I draft. As I have said before, I am not the most detail oriented guy on this so I'll do it a few times just to get a sense for things.
Picking of the cards is at 6:30 tonight. I imagine I will have every one 'seeded' into my excel spreadsheet by 9:00 and I'll probably mock draft the first 3 rounds tonight. Some of you are reading this, or stopped reading awhile ago, but for me it makes for a fun few days as I get ready for the draft
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
What constitutes an Olympic sport?
I had the TV to myself last night as Ilene was off at tennis practice. I got back from the gym by 7:30, had the girls down by 7:45 and had reheated my lean meat burger on the grill and turkey hot dog all before 8:00.
My plan was to fill my night with some Monday Night Football and Olympic coverage. Well, the football game sucked. From my perspective I was purely watching for fantasy football information and there was not much to see. The kid on the Giants that caught 2 TD's is a 3rd or 4th WR on that team and not much else happened except what I fear for the Browns. So I decided to turn my attention to the Olympics and boy do I wish I was a fan of The Hills because that had to have been better than last nights Olympic coverage.
I was excited to see the US women on the beach. Forget the bathing suits, I am a fan of the athleticism that is beach volleyball, and ok, I'm a sucker for a 6 pack on tall blond :)~. Unfortunately the match lasted all of 20 minutes as the US pounded the Brazilians very quickly to get to the Gold Medal Match. As I watched I thought fondly back on my week in Rio de Janeiro where I woke up to the sun rising over Ipanema Beach and all the people out playing volleyball at 6:00 AM when I went for my runs. Here's a couple great shots:
So back to the remote and what's on next at the Olympics? Back to the gymnastics venue for, wait for it, not individual finals, no...TRAMPOLINE! Really, trampo-freaking-line. No offense to any of you big 'trampers' out there but anything that constitutes a obtrusive backyard playset should NOT be an Olympic sport. It certainly looked athletic and fun, but not nearly as fun as what Adam Corolla and Jimmy Kimmel did with 'The Man Show' on Comedy Central where they had hot girls on the trampoline in very little clothing. If someone can shoot me one rule of Olympic Trampolining without google-ing it I will be very impressed.
There are some other silly Olympic sports, see badmitton, table tennis or team handball but this one took the cake for me.
My plan was to fill my night with some Monday Night Football and Olympic coverage. Well, the football game sucked. From my perspective I was purely watching for fantasy football information and there was not much to see. The kid on the Giants that caught 2 TD's is a 3rd or 4th WR on that team and not much else happened except what I fear for the Browns. So I decided to turn my attention to the Olympics and boy do I wish I was a fan of The Hills because that had to have been better than last nights Olympic coverage.
I was excited to see the US women on the beach. Forget the bathing suits, I am a fan of the athleticism that is beach volleyball, and ok, I'm a sucker for a 6 pack on tall blond :)~. Unfortunately the match lasted all of 20 minutes as the US pounded the Brazilians very quickly to get to the Gold Medal Match. As I watched I thought fondly back on my week in Rio de Janeiro where I woke up to the sun rising over Ipanema Beach and all the people out playing volleyball at 6:00 AM when I went for my runs. Here's a couple great shots:
So back to the remote and what's on next at the Olympics? Back to the gymnastics venue for, wait for it, not individual finals, no...TRAMPOLINE! Really, trampo-freaking-line. No offense to any of you big 'trampers' out there but anything that constitutes a obtrusive backyard playset should NOT be an Olympic sport. It certainly looked athletic and fun, but not nearly as fun as what Adam Corolla and Jimmy Kimmel did with 'The Man Show' on Comedy Central where they had hot girls on the trampoline in very little clothing. If someone can shoot me one rule of Olympic Trampolining without google-ing it I will be very impressed.
There are some other silly Olympic sports, see badmitton, table tennis or team handball but this one took the cake for me.
Monday, August 18, 2008
The FFLGuru - first few shows are on line
We shot a total of 8 pre season shows. They are being added to the following URL.
http://www.eventstreams.com/ffl/2008/
Soon they will be up on www.790thezone.com as well www.theffluguru.com
Looking forward to your feedback!
http://www.eventstreams.com/ffl/2008/
Soon they will be up on www.790thezone.com as well www.theffluguru.com
Looking forward to your feedback!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Friday's Fitness Test
As the rehab continues on its course it is time to return my attention to my overall fitness. The good news is that I actually lost 2 pounds in the 5 weeks since surgery. The bad news is that I have lost a lot of the stamina that I had been building up from a cardio standpoint, but that won't be a concern for a while since I won't be doing true cardio workouts for at least 3 more months.
What I can do is my upper body and start sculpting myself for where I want to be by the time I turn 40 in January.
My #1 goal is the be under 205 pounds. That means I have around 22 pounds to lose. I am still waiting on the fitness test results to tell me what my body fat composition is and from there I will have a goal as well. Additionally, I WILL run both a marathon and complete and Olympic length Triathlon. I won't be able to do those before 40 but I will begin training as soon as I can. Also, I will get myself back to at least a 36 inch waist.
The really good news was the actual results of the 'fitness' part of the fitness test. Over the last year, not only was I running but I was lifting weights 3 days a week. Primarily my routine was fairly low to medium weight but high reps in a circuit routine. That will all change after meeting with the trainer but she was really excited about where I was. For me, I was never a big workout kid. I did it with teams and with the guys but I never got into it and once I got over 200 pounds I was pretty dejected that I couldn't routinely bench my weight. Whenever I tried adding that second 'plate' to each side of the bar (225 lbs.) I never got anywhere. Fast forward to Friday where I warmed up on the bench press with 10 reps at 135, no biggie, then we went to 185 lbs. and I did 8. I said let's load on a 2nd plate and a little 2.5 lb on each side and see if I can left more than my weight (228). I got 230 pounds up 3 times. I was absolutely giddy. I also did really well all around and Kathy was pretty impressed.
I paid for it later in the evening as Ilene and I sat at the Braves game with friends and I was sore, stiff and exhausted! We had ridiculous seats, just 3 rows behind the Braves dugout, thank God no foul balls came flying my way because I don't think I could move!
I meet with Kathy on Friday where she will give me my total numbers, my new workout plans and my goals for the next 3 weeks.
Follow along with me and help hold me accountable.
Next stop - the torso of Michael Phelps :)
What I can do is my upper body and start sculpting myself for where I want to be by the time I turn 40 in January.
My #1 goal is the be under 205 pounds. That means I have around 22 pounds to lose. I am still waiting on the fitness test results to tell me what my body fat composition is and from there I will have a goal as well. Additionally, I WILL run both a marathon and complete and Olympic length Triathlon. I won't be able to do those before 40 but I will begin training as soon as I can. Also, I will get myself back to at least a 36 inch waist.
The really good news was the actual results of the 'fitness' part of the fitness test. Over the last year, not only was I running but I was lifting weights 3 days a week. Primarily my routine was fairly low to medium weight but high reps in a circuit routine. That will all change after meeting with the trainer but she was really excited about where I was. For me, I was never a big workout kid. I did it with teams and with the guys but I never got into it and once I got over 200 pounds I was pretty dejected that I couldn't routinely bench my weight. Whenever I tried adding that second 'plate' to each side of the bar (225 lbs.) I never got anywhere. Fast forward to Friday where I warmed up on the bench press with 10 reps at 135, no biggie, then we went to 185 lbs. and I did 8. I said let's load on a 2nd plate and a little 2.5 lb on each side and see if I can left more than my weight (228). I got 230 pounds up 3 times. I was absolutely giddy. I also did really well all around and Kathy was pretty impressed.
I paid for it later in the evening as Ilene and I sat at the Braves game with friends and I was sore, stiff and exhausted! We had ridiculous seats, just 3 rows behind the Braves dugout, thank God no foul balls came flying my way because I don't think I could move!
I meet with Kathy on Friday where she will give me my total numbers, my new workout plans and my goals for the next 3 weeks.
Follow along with me and help hold me accountable.
Next stop - the torso of Michael Phelps :)
Friday, August 15, 2008
Every cloud has a silver lining...
or maybe it is GOLD.
I have had a horrible case of insomnia the past 3 nights. I am falling asleep fine but sometime between 1:00 and 2:30 I am waking up and I can't fall back asleep. I have been sleepwalking through the day trying to stay focused since things are so busy and I am trying to stay on top of rehab but it is tough with 2-3 hours of sleep a night. I have been crabby, irritable and a bit immature and even a tad bit selfish and demanding...
Ok, I know most of you just read that and said, yeah, you are Gil aren't you...nice joke.
Anyway, the silver lining has been the Olympics. At least I have had something captivating to watch while I can't sleep.
Here's my routine:
- wake up from something
- lie there like I might actually drift off for 10 minutes
- quietly roll out of bed, tip toe out the door, close the bedroom doors
- slip downstairs past the girls
- trip on someone's shoes on the stairs
- set up the couch (pillows, blanket, remote, water)
- fire up the TV to one of NBC's 3 or 4 Olympic Stations
from here I veg for the next 3-4 hours until it is time to shower. This morning I rewatched the Women's Gymnastics All-Around which should really be called the Girls' Gymnastics All-Around and even TiVO'd it so the girls an watch it this weekend (massive points for Daddy). I also saw the US Softball team comeback and beat Canada. Here is a ridiculous statistic - in the last 2 Olympics the US has only allowed 2 RUNS, yes that is 2 RUNS, while scoring 80 or so. Any wonder why this sport is going away after this year?
Don't think I just watch the Olympics, during commercials I flip over to watch Big Brother After Dark on Showtime 2 :)
Back to the Olympics, Phelps won his 6th Gold and 6th Gold Medal. They ran a story about his genetics and it was just fascinating and also proves that being great is a ton of hard work but really good genetics help, here is the proof:
Phelps is 6'4" tall, however, he has a wing span of someone 6'7". On top of that his lower body is comparable to someone 6'0" tall so his lower body has great burst and power off the wall. His upper body is essentially that of someone 6'8" so he has an advantage there with his stroke length. Michael has size 14 feet, so they are like flippers. From someone who has size 13 feet, I am impressed and last but not least his hands are the size of dinner plates when he spreads his fingers out so he can funnel more water than his competitors. Add all of this to his ridiculous workout regimen and relentless spirit and heart, what do you get? Maybe the greatest athlete the Olympics has ever seen.
My hats off to Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson, they were great and a lot of fun to watch and seeing their coaches enjoy the moment together was very nice.
I have had a horrible case of insomnia the past 3 nights. I am falling asleep fine but sometime between 1:00 and 2:30 I am waking up and I can't fall back asleep. I have been sleepwalking through the day trying to stay focused since things are so busy and I am trying to stay on top of rehab but it is tough with 2-3 hours of sleep a night. I have been crabby, irritable and a bit immature and even a tad bit selfish and demanding...
Ok, I know most of you just read that and said, yeah, you are Gil aren't you...nice joke.
Anyway, the silver lining has been the Olympics. At least I have had something captivating to watch while I can't sleep.
Here's my routine:
- wake up from something
- lie there like I might actually drift off for 10 minutes
- quietly roll out of bed, tip toe out the door, close the bedroom doors
- slip downstairs past the girls
- trip on someone's shoes on the stairs
- set up the couch (pillows, blanket, remote, water)
- fire up the TV to one of NBC's 3 or 4 Olympic Stations
from here I veg for the next 3-4 hours until it is time to shower. This morning I rewatched the Women's Gymnastics All-Around which should really be called the Girls' Gymnastics All-Around and even TiVO'd it so the girls an watch it this weekend (massive points for Daddy). I also saw the US Softball team comeback and beat Canada. Here is a ridiculous statistic - in the last 2 Olympics the US has only allowed 2 RUNS, yes that is 2 RUNS, while scoring 80 or so. Any wonder why this sport is going away after this year?
Don't think I just watch the Olympics, during commercials I flip over to watch Big Brother After Dark on Showtime 2 :)
Back to the Olympics, Phelps won his 6th Gold and 6th Gold Medal. They ran a story about his genetics and it was just fascinating and also proves that being great is a ton of hard work but really good genetics help, here is the proof:
Phelps is 6'4" tall, however, he has a wing span of someone 6'7". On top of that his lower body is comparable to someone 6'0" tall so his lower body has great burst and power off the wall. His upper body is essentially that of someone 6'8" so he has an advantage there with his stroke length. Michael has size 14 feet, so they are like flippers. From someone who has size 13 feet, I am impressed and last but not least his hands are the size of dinner plates when he spreads his fingers out so he can funnel more water than his competitors. Add all of this to his ridiculous workout regimen and relentless spirit and heart, what do you get? Maybe the greatest athlete the Olympics has ever seen.
My hats off to Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson, they were great and a lot of fun to watch and seeing their coaches enjoy the moment together was very nice.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
My first article for a Fantasy Football website
20 Years of Fantasy Football
It was 1988, as a junior in college, that I started getting involved in Fantasy Football. I thought it would be fun to take a look back as we get ready for 2008 and see just how different the game was then and where it might be the same.
Let’s start with ‘draft preparation’ since that is what everyone is doing right now. What tools did we have in 1988? There was the local paper and access to regional ones and of course there was ESPN, which basically consisted of highlights on SportsCenter. I don’t think there was a magazine out there yet and there certainly was no internet. I honestly don’t remember doing very much draft prep per se. There were some things we didn’t have to worry about though; bye weeks, Running Backs by Committee and protracted camp holdouts thanks to greedy agents. Look at how different today is; if you walk into a draft with a cheat sheet from a magazine that was printed in May and that’s it, you are doomed. From ESPN, to CBS, to sites like Draftsharks.com and rotoworld.com there is a wealth of information available. Sites pay bloggers with every NFL Team to provide them with in depth notes on a daily basis and all of this is available to us for free or for a fairly nominal cost. Also, every NFL Player today is firmly aware of their ‘fantasy value’ and they love to follow along. How many hours does the average fantasy player prep these days? For me, I am on the low end of prep. I tend to not have the patience for 39 mock drafts deep into the night. I like to go through certain websites and even a magazine or two and then come up with my own draft strategy based on my league’s rules and the other owners and the tendencies they have. I believe this is the one facet that the internet and overflow of information can never help with. As a good reader of people through years of playing poker, it’s nice to know my fellow owner’s tendencies or tells. Does Owner A who drafts right before me in Round 3 like to have 2 backs before going WR or does he think getting a top 3 QB is most important. These are the subtle tips that will help your draft strategies.
So, if draft prep was first then the actual draft would be next. For my league not much has changed here. We are all friends and we could never imagine drafting via a website or exchanges of emails, but that is the predominant method of drafts today. Millions of players flock to sites like ESPN to play for free or for money and draft virtually. About the most high tech my league gets here is every once in awhile one or two of us might have to draft via conference call. As someone who has had to do this twice, it is not nearly as fun, but it is effective. I imagine technology could also lead to collusion with IM chats and other devices that would allow owners to communicate with others behind the ‘internet curtain’.
Once the draft is over the rest of the year is dedicated to trades, free agent moves and weekly line ups and scoring. Once again, here is where technology has taken over. Back in the day I remember waiting for the Thursday edition of the Gainesville Sun so I could read the ‘injury report’ to know who was hurt. Today we can watch SportsCenter 7 times a day or flip over to the NFL Network and each team has its own website with all the info. However, with information comes deception. What once was a true injury report is today a load of bull; probable means definite, questionable means most likely. Then there are coaches like Bill Belichek who either likes to screw with reporters, the gamblers or the fantasy players or most likely all three because he is likely to put EVERYONE on an injury report. It reminds me of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the NHL when someone loses an arm in Game One and they are listed with an ‘upper body injury’ for Game Two and are listed as day to day. Besides the injury issue, the access to information has made life so much easier for in season moves. Back in the day you would have little access to who the third string tailback is in New Orleans but today everyone knows who Pierre Thomas is and IF he goes undrafted what a pick up he could be.
The last major change I can think of is scoring. In the fall I would wake up on Monday early whether I had class or not and run to the newspaper machine outside the fraternity house to make sure I got a copy of the Sun so I could ‘do my stats’. Yes kids of the internet age, we actually went through box scores the next day to figure out who had won and by how much. Today if you play on a site you get instant updates and even if you don’t you can follow along with the internet or the NFL Network. This also brings us to ‘How we watch the games’. Back in ’88 we were excited if local TV carried two 1:00 games and what we often did was get to THE local sports bar so we could catch all of the action. Today, even without Direct TV you can stay on top of all the action right from your couch.
At the end of the day though one thing will never change; fantasy football is about competition, friendship and the love of a sport we all dreamed we could play at one point in our lives. It is our way of being on the field or owning the team we grew up loving. Whether you go wire to wire this year or are locked in a battle for the cellar, enjoy every minute of it, because before you can say TJ Houshmanzadeh it will be all over again for the year.
It was 1988, as a junior in college, that I started getting involved in Fantasy Football. I thought it would be fun to take a look back as we get ready for 2008 and see just how different the game was then and where it might be the same.
Let’s start with ‘draft preparation’ since that is what everyone is doing right now. What tools did we have in 1988? There was the local paper and access to regional ones and of course there was ESPN, which basically consisted of highlights on SportsCenter. I don’t think there was a magazine out there yet and there certainly was no internet. I honestly don’t remember doing very much draft prep per se. There were some things we didn’t have to worry about though; bye weeks, Running Backs by Committee and protracted camp holdouts thanks to greedy agents. Look at how different today is; if you walk into a draft with a cheat sheet from a magazine that was printed in May and that’s it, you are doomed. From ESPN, to CBS, to sites like Draftsharks.com and rotoworld.com there is a wealth of information available. Sites pay bloggers with every NFL Team to provide them with in depth notes on a daily basis and all of this is available to us for free or for a fairly nominal cost. Also, every NFL Player today is firmly aware of their ‘fantasy value’ and they love to follow along. How many hours does the average fantasy player prep these days? For me, I am on the low end of prep. I tend to not have the patience for 39 mock drafts deep into the night. I like to go through certain websites and even a magazine or two and then come up with my own draft strategy based on my league’s rules and the other owners and the tendencies they have. I believe this is the one facet that the internet and overflow of information can never help with. As a good reader of people through years of playing poker, it’s nice to know my fellow owner’s tendencies or tells. Does Owner A who drafts right before me in Round 3 like to have 2 backs before going WR or does he think getting a top 3 QB is most important. These are the subtle tips that will help your draft strategies.
So, if draft prep was first then the actual draft would be next. For my league not much has changed here. We are all friends and we could never imagine drafting via a website or exchanges of emails, but that is the predominant method of drafts today. Millions of players flock to sites like ESPN to play for free or for money and draft virtually. About the most high tech my league gets here is every once in awhile one or two of us might have to draft via conference call. As someone who has had to do this twice, it is not nearly as fun, but it is effective. I imagine technology could also lead to collusion with IM chats and other devices that would allow owners to communicate with others behind the ‘internet curtain’.
Once the draft is over the rest of the year is dedicated to trades, free agent moves and weekly line ups and scoring. Once again, here is where technology has taken over. Back in the day I remember waiting for the Thursday edition of the Gainesville Sun so I could read the ‘injury report’ to know who was hurt. Today we can watch SportsCenter 7 times a day or flip over to the NFL Network and each team has its own website with all the info. However, with information comes deception. What once was a true injury report is today a load of bull; probable means definite, questionable means most likely. Then there are coaches like Bill Belichek who either likes to screw with reporters, the gamblers or the fantasy players or most likely all three because he is likely to put EVERYONE on an injury report. It reminds me of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the NHL when someone loses an arm in Game One and they are listed with an ‘upper body injury’ for Game Two and are listed as day to day. Besides the injury issue, the access to information has made life so much easier for in season moves. Back in the day you would have little access to who the third string tailback is in New Orleans but today everyone knows who Pierre Thomas is and IF he goes undrafted what a pick up he could be.
The last major change I can think of is scoring. In the fall I would wake up on Monday early whether I had class or not and run to the newspaper machine outside the fraternity house to make sure I got a copy of the Sun so I could ‘do my stats’. Yes kids of the internet age, we actually went through box scores the next day to figure out who had won and by how much. Today if you play on a site you get instant updates and even if you don’t you can follow along with the internet or the NFL Network. This also brings us to ‘How we watch the games’. Back in ’88 we were excited if local TV carried two 1:00 games and what we often did was get to THE local sports bar so we could catch all of the action. Today, even without Direct TV you can stay on top of all the action right from your couch.
At the end of the day though one thing will never change; fantasy football is about competition, friendship and the love of a sport we all dreamed we could play at one point in our lives. It is our way of being on the field or owning the team we grew up loving. Whether you go wire to wire this year or are locked in a battle for the cellar, enjoy every minute of it, because before you can say TJ Houshmanzadeh it will be all over again for the year.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Summer of the ACL tear/rehab update
and it's not just mine! The Florida Gator Football team lost its 5th player to an ACL tear this offseason. This includes 2 starters and a couple of guys who were going to be fighting for playing time.
I know bad things happen in threes so I am hoping this is it; Tiger's ACL, my ACL and now 5 Gator ACL's.
As for my rehab; this week started off really well. On Tuesday morning I was able to bend my knee to 125 degrees and we have now integrated in some weight training on the legs. My leg looks almost normal, as some definition is returning to the quad, but there is still some swelling.
I have a big appt. with the surgeon on Friday as we are 5 weeks out and he wants to take a look. There is a chance he will want to drain the knee due to the swelling but hopefully not. Next week is a biggie because I get my first 'post surgery strength test' on that g-d awful Cybex machine. If all goes well I will be jogging Sept. 4th - which happens to be the opening night in the NFL, very nice!
I know bad things happen in threes so I am hoping this is it; Tiger's ACL, my ACL and now 5 Gator ACL's.
As for my rehab; this week started off really well. On Tuesday morning I was able to bend my knee to 125 degrees and we have now integrated in some weight training on the legs. My leg looks almost normal, as some definition is returning to the quad, but there is still some swelling.
I have a big appt. with the surgeon on Friday as we are 5 weeks out and he wants to take a look. There is a chance he will want to drain the knee due to the swelling but hopefully not. Next week is a biggie because I get my first 'post surgery strength test' on that g-d awful Cybex machine. If all goes well I will be jogging Sept. 4th - which happens to be the opening night in the NFL, very nice!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Rachel is OFFICIALLY my child
Not that there was much doubt, but today we received confirmation. On the first day of first grade Rachel was running on the playground and fell down, hand first, and in putting her hand down she fractured her hand, on the outside of her pinkie. Now, she did this early in the day and never complained but when we saw the bruising and her inability to make a fist we knew it was time to go to the hospital. Sure enough, we have a break. I could not be prouder of her in the hospital. She never cried or complained and she talked to everybody. On the ride home she asked me why every grown up asks the same questions!
Rachel now has a lovely half cast/half splint on her right hand and I'm sure she'll milk it like her old man :)
Rachel now has a lovely half cast/half splint on her right hand and I'm sure she'll milk it like her old man :)
Last night/this morning at the Olympics
It's hard to believe that Beijing is a full 12 hours ahead of us! This fact allows for a bunch of prime time events to be our morning ones AND they are swinging it so that some big time events are happening around 10:00 AM over there so we can see them live in prime time. Last night was one of those times, as a fan or just someone who loves to see young people live with passion, where I just couldn't turn off the TV.
I am a confessed sports junkie. If it is on, I will watch it and for better or worse I know way too much about it. Most of this is because my brain is a sponge where a lot gets in but know one ever takes the time to ring it out. Anyway, last night Michael Phelps, the great American swimmer, was going for his 2nd GOLD of these games. This time it was in a 4 man relay and the U.S. Men were not the favorites, it was the French. The French talked smack all week and last night they got smacked! Phelps led off the race and had the lead, the next 2 U.S. swimmers gave up the lead to the French and when the anchor leg began the U.S. was about a 1/2 length behind and the French had their best swimmer in the pool. With 15 meters left it looked like the U.S. had SILVER but the U.S. swimmer went absolutely NUTS, closed the gap and out reached the Frenchman to the wall. THe celebration that erupted for those 4 guys was SPECTACULAR! They hugged, danced and screamed like kids because they truly were excited by their accomplishment.
This morning I poured through You Tube hoping someone would have posted the race but it is not up yet. When I find it, I will post it because not only is it worth watching once, but for me, it will be something I will show the girls (yes I have it on DVR) and use it as a tool for my girls' soccer team as well as for myself when I need a reminder of how truly special this life can be.
Thanks to my good friend Jonathan Ganz, here is the video:
UPDATE - for some reason the link is no longer active, so here is a way to watch off of a YOU TUBE mix
I am a confessed sports junkie. If it is on, I will watch it and for better or worse I know way too much about it. Most of this is because my brain is a sponge where a lot gets in but know one ever takes the time to ring it out. Anyway, last night Michael Phelps, the great American swimmer, was going for his 2nd GOLD of these games. This time it was in a 4 man relay and the U.S. Men were not the favorites, it was the French. The French talked smack all week and last night they got smacked! Phelps led off the race and had the lead, the next 2 U.S. swimmers gave up the lead to the French and when the anchor leg began the U.S. was about a 1/2 length behind and the French had their best swimmer in the pool. With 15 meters left it looked like the U.S. had SILVER but the U.S. swimmer went absolutely NUTS, closed the gap and out reached the Frenchman to the wall. THe celebration that erupted for those 4 guys was SPECTACULAR! They hugged, danced and screamed like kids because they truly were excited by their accomplishment.
This morning I poured through You Tube hoping someone would have posted the race but it is not up yet. When I find it, I will post it because not only is it worth watching once, but for me, it will be something I will show the girls (yes I have it on DVR) and use it as a tool for my girls' soccer team as well as for myself when I need a reminder of how truly special this life can be.
Thanks to my good friend Jonathan Ganz, here is the video:
UPDATE - for some reason the link is no longer active, so here is a way to watch off of a YOU TUBE mix
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Enjoying the Olympics
For me the Olympics will always be special. Twelve years ago, Ilene and I got to experience what very few in the world get to. Not only did we attend the Atlanta Games in 1996 but we were also volunteers in two very cool 'venues'. Ilene was a VIP Hostess in the 'Presidential Suite' at the Georgia Dome during the gymnastics competition and she would frequently come home with stories of Chelsea Clinton or this star or that one. For me it was wall to wall basketball. I was a special envoy to the DREAM TEAM. I got to spend my days with the big boys of the NBA, including one of my childhood heroes, Charles Barkley. When they were playing I was behind the bench and when they weren't I was shepherding them around Atlanta from venue to venue. My all time favorite moment was right after they won the Gold. After the ceremonies, the guys came out of the tunnel and there were hugs all around and I was in the middle of it. I have a great picture of Karl Malone and me and I AM WEARING HIS GOLD MEDAL!
This morning as I watched the 2008 version of the Dream Team I though fondly of those days 12 years ago. I watched these guys play with exuberance and childhood love of the game that has been missing since that 2000 team. It also brought back memories of the Olympic Park bombing, fortunately that was one of very few nights we were not there, and all the other craziness that surrounds hosting an Olympics.
The past 2 days we've been watching a lot of coverage here at the house and Cydney and Rachel were asking when the Olympics will come to Atlanta. It's amazing to realize that the answer to that question is truly, "not in your lifetime" (though that is not what i said). Someday, hopefully in 2016 or 2020 they will be back in the U.S. I highly recommend trying to find a way to attend something. You could not watch the Opening Ceremonies Friday night and not be moved at what the human spirit can accomplish and that is what is all about! Living the Olympic spirit may be cliche and 'old school' but it is pretty cool.
This morning as I watched the 2008 version of the Dream Team I though fondly of those days 12 years ago. I watched these guys play with exuberance and childhood love of the game that has been missing since that 2000 team. It also brought back memories of the Olympic Park bombing, fortunately that was one of very few nights we were not there, and all the other craziness that surrounds hosting an Olympics.
The past 2 days we've been watching a lot of coverage here at the house and Cydney and Rachel were asking when the Olympics will come to Atlanta. It's amazing to realize that the answer to that question is truly, "not in your lifetime" (though that is not what i said). Someday, hopefully in 2016 or 2020 they will be back in the U.S. I highly recommend trying to find a way to attend something. You could not watch the Opening Ceremonies Friday night and not be moved at what the human spirit can accomplish and that is what is all about! Living the Olympic spirit may be cliche and 'old school' but it is pretty cool.
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