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...
Friday, August 29, 2008
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.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
It's time to start talking FOOTBALL
Last night I walked in the door from travel day from hell just in time for HBO's latest series, Hard Knocks, NFL Training Camp: The Dallas Cowboys. Now, if you don't know me, let me accentuate this point:
I HATE THE DALLAS FREAKING COWBOYS!!!!
As a kid growing up in Philadelphia there was no ifs, ands or buts about this point. This hatred grew and festered as I watched Da Boys win multiple Super Bowls. When we moved to Florida my loyalty to my hometown never left. The early 80's were pretty good to Philly sports fans and South Florida at that time only had the Dolphins. Additionally all my friends were transplants as well, mostly from New York, so they were predominantly Jets and Giants fans and in those days Philly had the upper hand. All except for Scotty, who despite his New York upbringing was and still is a dyed in the wool Cowboy fan. I am glad to say that Scotty is still one of 4 guys I would lay down my life for and vice versa but all that goes by the wayside when we talk NFL football. He loves to remind me of the ZERO Super Bowls, and all I can respond with is, you aren't even from Dallas (insert expletive)...
In 1997, we moved to Dallas. My best friend in Dallas is a life long Cowboy fan with family season tickets on the 40 yard line. For 6 years I enjoyed going to games with him and his Dad. We even had sideline passes for the day T.O. raced out onto the star at midfield to celebrate a TD. Let me tell you, the smile on my face at that was PRICELESS. Every time the Eagles came to town I would don my McNabb #5 and deal with the Cowboy fans. I love being the underdog and I certainly enjoy instigating some good natured ribbing.
Sorry for the sidetrack, but there is some background...back to last night:
The show was phenomenal! Now that I am in the production world I watch things differently and the folks at HBO do just a great job. As a football geek it was great to see the behind the scenes stuff, the practices, the rookie hazing, etc...but best of all was to get to see what I know will be a very formidable team on the field this year develop.
Let me reiterate my opening point:
I HATE THE DALLAS COWBOYS!!!!!!!
However, and I hope the guys from my league don't read this blog, I would LOVE the Romo-Owens 'bam bam' that should happen at least 15 times this year, and say what you want about Adam 'Pacman' Jones, that kid is one of the sickest athletes I have ever seen.
In other news, can you believe Brett Favre is now a New York J-E-T Jet? I know some guys that are doing backflips right now!
Meanwhile, in addition to the Fantasy Football show we are producing and that I am hosting I will also be contributing op-ed pieces to the website in article form. I think my first one will be about the changes in fantasy football over the last 10 years and how drastically changes in the NFL force new thinking with Fantasy Football.
I HATE THE DALLAS FREAKING COWBOYS!!!!
As a kid growing up in Philadelphia there was no ifs, ands or buts about this point. This hatred grew and festered as I watched Da Boys win multiple Super Bowls. When we moved to Florida my loyalty to my hometown never left. The early 80's were pretty good to Philly sports fans and South Florida at that time only had the Dolphins. Additionally all my friends were transplants as well, mostly from New York, so they were predominantly Jets and Giants fans and in those days Philly had the upper hand. All except for Scotty, who despite his New York upbringing was and still is a dyed in the wool Cowboy fan. I am glad to say that Scotty is still one of 4 guys I would lay down my life for and vice versa but all that goes by the wayside when we talk NFL football. He loves to remind me of the ZERO Super Bowls, and all I can respond with is, you aren't even from Dallas (insert expletive)...
In 1997, we moved to Dallas. My best friend in Dallas is a life long Cowboy fan with family season tickets on the 40 yard line. For 6 years I enjoyed going to games with him and his Dad. We even had sideline passes for the day T.O. raced out onto the star at midfield to celebrate a TD. Let me tell you, the smile on my face at that was PRICELESS. Every time the Eagles came to town I would don my McNabb #5 and deal with the Cowboy fans. I love being the underdog and I certainly enjoy instigating some good natured ribbing.
Sorry for the sidetrack, but there is some background...back to last night:
The show was phenomenal! Now that I am in the production world I watch things differently and the folks at HBO do just a great job. As a football geek it was great to see the behind the scenes stuff, the practices, the rookie hazing, etc...but best of all was to get to see what I know will be a very formidable team on the field this year develop.
Let me reiterate my opening point:
I HATE THE DALLAS COWBOYS!!!!!!!
However, and I hope the guys from my league don't read this blog, I would LOVE the Romo-Owens 'bam bam' that should happen at least 15 times this year, and say what you want about Adam 'Pacman' Jones, that kid is one of the sickest athletes I have ever seen.
In other news, can you believe Brett Favre is now a New York J-E-T Jet? I know some guys that are doing backflips right now!
Meanwhile, in addition to the Fantasy Football show we are producing and that I am hosting I will also be contributing op-ed pieces to the website in article form. I think my first one will be about the changes in fantasy football over the last 10 years and how drastically changes in the NFL force new thinking with Fantasy Football.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
August 7th
The day my father passed away, just 7 years ago.
In a lot of ways his passing made my life simpler, but as I grow up I still have questions that will go unanswered, things left unsaid and damages that can no longer be undone.
Everyone comes at grief differently and everyone has their own unique set of issues surrounding those events. For me it is very complicated, like so many other things, but I will at least take time out tomorrow to embrace the good and hope that I can impart some of those good stories on my girls and share them with my sister.
As always Dad, I hope you are resting peacefully and enjoying watching your 3 grandchildren from somewhere.
In a lot of ways his passing made my life simpler, but as I grow up I still have questions that will go unanswered, things left unsaid and damages that can no longer be undone.
Everyone comes at grief differently and everyone has their own unique set of issues surrounding those events. For me it is very complicated, like so many other things, but I will at least take time out tomorrow to embrace the good and hope that I can impart some of those good stories on my girls and share them with my sister.
As always Dad, I hope you are resting peacefully and enjoying watching your 3 grandchildren from somewhere.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Rehab Update
Just got out of my Monday morning session with Mark and I am psyched.
I was able to get my knee bent to 122 degrees and Mark removed the final 2 or 3 stitches that didn't seem to want to come out. This happened at the end of the workout when his Assistant rubbed in some cocoa butter ointment and massaged the incision areas to start breaking up scar tissue. After months of rehab now (2 months before surgery and 3 weeks after now) I have been waiting to get these awesome massages that everyone around me seems to get, but no, just a little cocoa butter stuff around the knee; at least it wasn't Mark rubbing it in :)
Today in the workout we added a new element to all the other crazy stuff I am doing. Mark hooked me up to a weight belt that is attached to a 10 foot or so bungy cord. He made me drag him around the gym both forwards and backwards as he kept trying to pull me back. This was the FIRST time I felt like I was doing 'real' work again. One of the therapists was cheering me on and was pleased I could do so well 6 weeks after surgery, to which Mark smiled and said, "it's 3 weeks Shannon". :)
I am psyched and am seeing so much progress. Except for a little swelling and the still noticeable limp I have I feel pretty normal. There is always the steady uncomfortability/borderline pain, but nothing like last week. Ten years ago I was still immobilized in a boot and working from home with the left knee. It still amazes me how far science has come. Say want about sports, but from a medical perspective, big time sports has paved the way for these advancements. Teams need their athletes on the field as quickly as possible from a financial and competitive standpoint and surgeons like Dr. James Andrews have heard that loud and clear. The cynic in you might say, "shouldn't that be doing that with cancer, etc..." and the answer is of course yes, and they have, see my friend Steve's blog on my blog roll for evidence of that and yes, more research money needs to be thrown at everything. I can only speak from my 10 year experience between knee reconstruction surgeries.
Lastly, in the gym, with Mark's back turned I almost thought about trying to do a light jog in place but opted not to push my luck. I have heard from everyone who loves me not to overdo it and I am trying hard to listen :)
I was able to get my knee bent to 122 degrees and Mark removed the final 2 or 3 stitches that didn't seem to want to come out. This happened at the end of the workout when his Assistant rubbed in some cocoa butter ointment and massaged the incision areas to start breaking up scar tissue. After months of rehab now (2 months before surgery and 3 weeks after now) I have been waiting to get these awesome massages that everyone around me seems to get, but no, just a little cocoa butter stuff around the knee; at least it wasn't Mark rubbing it in :)
Today in the workout we added a new element to all the other crazy stuff I am doing. Mark hooked me up to a weight belt that is attached to a 10 foot or so bungy cord. He made me drag him around the gym both forwards and backwards as he kept trying to pull me back. This was the FIRST time I felt like I was doing 'real' work again. One of the therapists was cheering me on and was pleased I could do so well 6 weeks after surgery, to which Mark smiled and said, "it's 3 weeks Shannon". :)
I am psyched and am seeing so much progress. Except for a little swelling and the still noticeable limp I have I feel pretty normal. There is always the steady uncomfortability/borderline pain, but nothing like last week. Ten years ago I was still immobilized in a boot and working from home with the left knee. It still amazes me how far science has come. Say want about sports, but from a medical perspective, big time sports has paved the way for these advancements. Teams need their athletes on the field as quickly as possible from a financial and competitive standpoint and surgeons like Dr. James Andrews have heard that loud and clear. The cynic in you might say, "shouldn't that be doing that with cancer, etc..." and the answer is of course yes, and they have, see my friend Steve's blog on my blog roll for evidence of that and yes, more research money needs to be thrown at everything. I can only speak from my 10 year experience between knee reconstruction surgeries.
Lastly, in the gym, with Mark's back turned I almost thought about trying to do a light jog in place but opted not to push my luck. I have heard from everyone who loves me not to overdo it and I am trying hard to listen :)
SONY shows some real customer loyalty ideas
If you followed the blog last couple of weeks you know that I finally came clean about an issue my pride and joy is having. No, I don't mean one of the girls. It's August for goodness sakes so I can only mean my big screen TV.
As previously diagnosed, I am having an issue that SONY recognized was a defect and they are replacing the parts and paying for the service. I have had the installer call the house and we are just waiting on the parts. Here is where their savvy customer care starts to kick in. On Friday, we are late getting out of the house for Amelia Island, as usual, when the phone rings. It's an 800 # so we let it go to the machine. On the machine I hear this is so and so with SONY and I immediately pick up thinking my parts are in and we are scheduling the big day. Low and behold, it's a "sales" call but the best darn one I have ever gotten! SONY realized these TV's were there issue and they will be paying up to $1,000 between parts and labor to fix the issue. The woman on the phone offers an alternative. She went over 3 brand new models of SONY's that are in the same size and category of my almost 4 year old TV, however, all of them are NEWER technology, full flat screen, LCD, 1080i, yada yada yada. She then says SONY is offering a great deal to us on these sets based on the issue and what we went through. I'm thinking, great $3,000 for a new TV and they take $300-$400 off, no thanks. That was not her offer. How is a $2,800 52" flat panel, LCD, 1080i Bravia for less than $850 and NO SHIPPING??????? They also have the same model in 46" in case the 52' is too big, since I had a 50" for $378!!!!!!!! I told her we would think about it, but all I am thinking about is rolled up Aces at the Taj, oh wait, wrong scenario, all I am thinking about is how can I get BOTH the 52" for downstairs and the 46" for the bedroom!!!!!!!!!
Later today we are looking and measuring the sets at Best Buy and then will make the move. I keep trying to find ways not to, but on top of everything else I will be going from a 4 year old TV with a warranty that ends 12/31/08 to a brand new set and a new warranty for a ridiculously low price.
Moral to the story, sometimes companies figure it out and get it right, and sometimes it pays off to be running late and actually picking up the phone.
As previously diagnosed, I am having an issue that SONY recognized was a defect and they are replacing the parts and paying for the service. I have had the installer call the house and we are just waiting on the parts. Here is where their savvy customer care starts to kick in. On Friday, we are late getting out of the house for Amelia Island, as usual, when the phone rings. It's an 800 # so we let it go to the machine. On the machine I hear this is so and so with SONY and I immediately pick up thinking my parts are in and we are scheduling the big day. Low and behold, it's a "sales" call but the best darn one I have ever gotten! SONY realized these TV's were there issue and they will be paying up to $1,000 between parts and labor to fix the issue. The woman on the phone offers an alternative. She went over 3 brand new models of SONY's that are in the same size and category of my almost 4 year old TV, however, all of them are NEWER technology, full flat screen, LCD, 1080i, yada yada yada. She then says SONY is offering a great deal to us on these sets based on the issue and what we went through. I'm thinking, great $3,000 for a new TV and they take $300-$400 off, no thanks. That was not her offer. How is a $2,800 52" flat panel, LCD, 1080i Bravia for less than $850 and NO SHIPPING??????? They also have the same model in 46" in case the 52' is too big, since I had a 50" for $378!!!!!!!! I told her we would think about it, but all I am thinking about is rolled up Aces at the Taj, oh wait, wrong scenario, all I am thinking about is how can I get BOTH the 52" for downstairs and the 46" for the bedroom!!!!!!!!!
Later today we are looking and measuring the sets at Best Buy and then will make the move. I keep trying to find ways not to, but on top of everything else I will be going from a 4 year old TV with a warranty that ends 12/31/08 to a brand new set and a new warranty for a ridiculously low price.
Moral to the story, sometimes companies figure it out and get it right, and sometimes it pays off to be running late and actually picking up the phone.
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