Friday, May 08, 2009

Ad

This takes marketing a product to a new level!

Craig's list...sister?

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Outside the Lines article

This is from ESPN's outside the lines.

NFL ref Ed Hochuli is the topic.

Good read.

Another Greinke...

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.com

More Zack attack...

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Newspaper

Now...I don't quite know how to prepare you for this article. I don't know if the article is quite needed though.

Check the headline, then reference the picture...pay special attention to the hooded sweatshirt.

WOW!

Some people are extremely pathetic...this guy might take the cake...

Izzo

This is why he's one of my favorites...

"Same old song and dance? Not with Izzo, whose regular-guy talk is no act"

Baltimore Sun

A title does this article justice...WOW!

Press Box Layoff: How the Baltimore Sun Fired Me

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Budget cuts

This was news to me when I read it. Have any of you heard anything about this?

This would be pretty amazing if it ended up happening.

I'm somewhat speechless about it.

Hard times in New Orleans...

On the subject of weird news...

This story might just take the cake.

If someone told me this, I would think they were lying. No way you can make something like this up...

Tale of two boyfriends involves a gun, two knives and two wounds...

Baseball

One of the many reasons why baseball is "America's pastime" is in this article.

This is why baseball is my favorite sport...

11 year Minor Leaguer called up

Barkley quote

If you haven't had a chance, The Golf Channel has a program, "The Haney Project", where world re known golf coach Hank Haney tries to fix Charles Barkley's swing.

Haney is Tiger Woods' coach, if that helps.

It's worth trying to catch an episode of...

Check Barkley's quote from the Dan Patrick show this morning...

Dan asked Barkley about his improving golf game. "If I could find the guy who invented that game, I'd beat the hell out of him," Barkley said.

Monday, May 04, 2009

Coaching in the NBA

I've always thought coaching in the NBA would be awesome...

ESPN Truehoop blog caught a good exchange between Atlanta's coach and one of his stars during the playoffs...

Mike Bibby to Coach Woodson

Greinke part 4

This is the best one yet...

MLB.com Greinke article

Greinke part 3

USA Today article on Zack

Hockey

I love the hockey play-offs. The teams geniunely hate each other.

I suppose this minor league hockey team also has some hate. Pay special attention to the goalie after he gives up the goal.

Goalie - watch about the 14 second mark

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Greinke mania 2




Here is the article from SI.

I feel like a kid, I'm going to run home after school today to get my SI.

The article is written by Joe Posnanski, a local KC Star reporter and terrific writer.
It's nice to see KC getting some national love. I've waiting my entire life for the Royals to mean something.

Greinke mania

With Greinke being on the cover of SI, a lot of other media outlets have started to try to get a piece.

I feel very fortunate to have watched him his entire career.

Greinke - Foxsports.com

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Baseball

For those of you who are die hard baseball fans like me, I've got an interesting challenge for you.

Next time you're watching a game (try to watch the entire 9 innings), count how many times you see a player swing and miss.

Major League players don't get nearly enough credit for how good they are hitting the baseball. Also, pitchers don't get enough credit for how well they work the hitters. Notice...hitters will swing and foul it off, but very rarely do you see a player swing and miss. You especially don't see the player swing and miss more than once in the same at-bat.

That is probably the biggest different between

Coach Snyder

Great article about one of my idol's...

Coach Snyder - SI.com

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Coach Cal's house

On the subject of coaches houses, take a look at the 7 bedroom, 8 full bathroom place Calipari is planning on moving into.

Lexington, KY - 2.295 million

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Denver

When the Bronco's fired Mike Shanahan a while back I thought it was a curious move. I thought he had proven himself enough at that place that he would be able to go out on his own terms. Instead, they fired him and brought in a 32 year old assistant who will have to prove a lot to people who are Bronco fans in year one.

Once I received this email from a good friend I decided it was no longer time to feel sorry for Mike Shanahan. I'd say he did just fine.

If you put 20% down, your monthly payment would only be $90,000

20 Cherry Hills Park Drive, Denver, CO

Proof reading

If you've ever underestimated the importance of proof reading something before you send it...here's a little tid bit.

*This post is also coming from a guy who spelled his boss' name wrong on his last reference list. So take it for what it's worth...

You better proof it!

Leadership

Interesting perspective on leadership from Coach Williams at Marquette via, mucoach2coach.com

The Sahara plays tricks on the eyes of its travelers. As the desert sun beats down on the sand, heat waves rise from the ground. Light bends as it passes through the superheated air, painting illusory pictures on the horizon. To thirsty travelers moving through the Sahara, it often appears as if an oasis looms in the distance. However, as the voyagers journey on, the oasis proves to be nothing more than a mirage.

Unfortunately, the ranks of leadership are inhabited by a host of mirages: people who look impressive from a distance, but end up being disappointments. After being fooled by a few mirages, followers become jaded about leadership. That seems as true now as it ever has been. Our trust in leaders has been shaken as politicians have reneged on promises, CEOs have squandered money entrusted to their firms, and managers have advanced self-interests above all else.

To restore society's confidence with those in power, leaders have to be able to inspire. I'm not talking about inspiring someone to buy into the corporate vision statement, to meet quarterly sales goals, or to work more efficiently. These aren't bad things, but right now, people are looking for a leader attuned to their personal needs. They want leaders who will encourage them, believe in their potential, and help them grow.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Agree or disagree?

This is a really interesting story...

Which side do you take? Nationals? Dukes?

$500 fine for talking to Little League team

Monday, April 20, 2009

Newspaper

Melynda and I are still trying to figure out how this was printed in the Salina paper. As a point of reference for the article, Salina has over 46,000 people.

If I was the editor, I would be nervous if I published this to 46 people.

Prom Dancing...

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Carl's Jr

In case you're planning on going out to eat anytime soon, take a look at this...

THE WORST DRIVE-THROUGH MEAL IN AMERICA
Carl’s Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger with Medium Natural Cut Fries and 32 oz Coke

2,618 calories
144 g fat (51.5 g saturated fat)
2,892 mg sodium

Of all the gut-growing, heart-stopping, life-threatening burgers in the fast food world, there is none whose damage to your general well-being is as catastrophic as this. Consider these heart-stopping comparisons: This meal has the caloric equivalent of 13 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Donuts; the saturated fat equivalent of 52 strips of bacon; and the salt equivalent of seven and a half large orders of McDonald’s French fries!

NBA

One of the reason that so many people love college basketball more than the NBA is because they feel like all of the college guys play every game like it's their last. There is no coasting in college.

Well, I have a hard time believing not every game matters in the NBA too. That's why depth is such an issue and if you need to rest your "stars", you should be able to play elite level players behind them.

Now, take a look at this from NBA TrueHoop, and tell me, "Not every game matters"

It was a February 3 game against the Nuggets. Chris Tomasson of INDenverTimes remembers it well:
The Spurs J.V. team battled well. But they fell 104-96 to assure that Denver won the season series 2-1.

Well, guess what? The Spurs and the Nuggets both finished the season 54-28, with Denver, due to the tiebreaker, getting the No. 2 seed in the West and San Antonio settling for No. 3.
Had Popovich used his top players that night and the Spurs won, San Antonio would be the No. 2 seed and would be in line for homecourt advantage for the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Of course, an extra loss would have meant the Nuggets would have finished the season 53-29. That would have resulted in them losing the Northwest Division to Portland (54-28) and losing a tiebreaker to Houston (53-29) for the No. 4 seed.

So, if Popovich had used his top players that night and the Spurs won, the Nuggets now would be the No. 5 seed instead of having homecourt advantage to start the postseason for the first time since 1988.

Hypotheticals can drive you crazy. And who's to say the extra wear and tear wouldn't have cost the Spurs another game or two somewhere down the line.
To me the point is, more than anything: It's a very close contest, and every little decision has the potential to matter.

UofA Coach

I've always respected the way that Sean Miller's teams played while he was at Xavier. They always played "tough." I'm sure he will have success when he starts up at UofA.

I guess not only can the guy coach, but he's got some other skills too...

12 year old Sean Miller

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Catch

Now THIS is an impressive catch...one of the best you'll ever see...

ASU practice catch

(By the way, how about the 3 chicks just walking along the side of the field during practice...hmmm...)

Monday, April 13, 2009

Beasley

Good article from the SunSentinel about Michael Beasley and Pat Riley.

I've always had a lot of respect for Pat Riley. As the saying goes, "can't argue with results."

That means it's time for Beasley to grow up

Memphis Coach article

I've been in Coach Pastner's "network" for about the last 8 years. I reached out to him as a Senior in High School because I was so amazed at his story. (At the time, he had just became a 23 year old assistant at Arizona). He has always been great about staying in touch. The point in the article about him maintaining a network is very true. I can attest.

I've kept close tabs on Coach and occasionally trade emails with him during the year.

This is a terrific article, trying to somehow summarize Coach Pastner.

Doesn't this stuff only happen in movies?

So you want to be a Navy SEAL huh?

Check out the vivid description about the pirate hostage situation.

"3 phenomenal shots"

How about these seats...

Yesterday was able to go to the Royals and Yankees game at the "New K." The stadium is absolutely incredible and has everything you could possibly want a stadium to have. Since the stadium is better, I would think more fans are going to come, more money is going to be generated and then Dayton Moore is going to be able to get a couple more pitchers in here to set this team over the top.

Okay, my point...We had terrific seats and sat directly beside the Yankee dugout. Section 123, row A, seat 1 to be exact. As a die hard baseball fan my entire life, to see the Royals and Yankees basically sitting in the dugout was close to a dream come true.

So, I thought my experience was the coolest of cool's...well, try this one...

Try these seats

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Jay Bilas on Tom Izzo

From Jay Bilas from ESPN:

Who wouldn't want to play for Tom Izzo? While he is an extraordinary coach, teacher and strategist, he always makes it about the players and he has a humility to him that is incredibly refreshing. I was fortunate to go with Izzo to the Middle East twice to coach U.S. Servicemen for Operation Hardwood, and the soldiers that Izzo coached told him that they would take a bullet for him. They absolutely loved him. He told them that a charge would be more than enough.

Actually, the first year we were in the Middle East, Izzo's team was unbeatable and ripped through the tournament without a loss. The second year, his team was not quite as good. After a loss, Izzo had his team on an outdoor court, in 120 degree heat, practicing! Even in the Middle East, it was about working hard and winning. Nobody appreciated the troops more than Izzo did, and nobody was affected by the experience in a more profound way.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Top pickup ballers we love...

This is a terrific read. All of us that have played basketball growing up know someone who fits exactly in these categories.

Top 11 pickup ballers we love to hate...

This is a good one...

Good stuff...

A woman takes a lover home during the day while her husband is at work.
Her 9-year old son comes home unexpectedly, sees them and hides in the bedroom closet to watch.

The woman's husband also comes home. She puts her lover in the closet, not realizing that the little boy is in there already.

The little boy says, "Dark in here."

The man says, "Yes, it is."

Boy: "I have a baseball."

Man: "That's nice"

Boy: "Want to buy it?"

Man: "No, thanks."

Boy: "My Dad's outside.."

Man: "OK, how much?"

Boy: "$250"

In the next few weeks, it happens again that the boy and the lover are in the closet together.

Boy: "Dark in here."

Man: "Yes, it is."

Boy: "I have a baseball glove."

The lover, remembering the last time, asks the boy, "How much?"

Boy: "$750"

Man: "Sold."

A few days later, the Dad says to the boy, "Grab your glove, let's go outside and have a game of catch.."

The boy says, "I can't, I sold my baseball and my glove."

The Dad asks, "How much did you sell them for?"

Boy: "$1,000"

The Dad says, "That's terrible to over charge your friends like that...that is way more than those two things cost. I'm taking you to church, to confession."

They go to the church and the Dad makes the little boy sit in the confessional booth and closes the door.

The boy says, "Dark in here."

The priest says, "Don't start that shit again; you're in my closet now."

Diamondbacks

Everyone knows how much of a fan I am of the Royals...

Well, The D-Backs are now #2...

Some dreams do come true...

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Another Reilly article

Another blog post from Rick Reilly.

Reason to root for THABEET!

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Final 4 - Try again

This is a different way to look at the Final Four.

Final Four Likability Index

Billy Clyde

I don't think that former Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie wanted to talk to the media...

Gillispie chased by reporter

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Watch your local news...

Maybe I need to spend more time watching my local news. You couldn't stage this...

Interview of 2, turns to 1...

Monday, March 23, 2009

Friends

Just a quick reminder to never underestimate the value that a friendship has.

A friend is there to help you in times of need. A friend is there to share in your greatest joys.

In my case, a good friend was there to help me spell check my boss' name on a resume.

Again, never underestimate the value of a friendship!

Shaq

No one could ever say Shaq isn't creative.

Think he has a little bit of fun?

Shaq pre-game intro.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Sleepwalking

Had this sent to me by a good friend.

What do you do in your sleep?!


Impressive

Who set this up? Who gets to clean it up?

Check out the video...


Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Another Team USA baseball

Before you read the article that I'm going to attach, make sure that you watch the highlights of USA v. Puerto Rico.

It will set the mood for this article...

TEAM USA PROVIDES MEMORY OF A LIFETIME

Team USA Baseball

If you haven't already, take the time to watch the highlights of USA v. Puerto Rico in the WBC (World Baseball Classic).

You want to talk about passion? Awesome, stuff...

USA, USA, USA!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Sports story

This could classify as one of the worst sports stories ever...

A new meaning to the phrase,

Shot on goal...

Sunday, March 15, 2009

1/2 court for 1/2 million...

Take the 6 minutes to watch this video, it's one of the better ones I've seen in a while.

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1902812

Friday, March 13, 2009

Syracuse - UCONN game

I was at home last night taking a test for one of my courses and I had the TV on with pic in a pic working. The big picture featured the Big XII game, while the smaller picture had the Big EAST game of Syracuse and UCONN. I'm sure that you've already seen/heard about the game, but I couldn't take my eyes off of it and was up well into the morning to see it thru. (12:26am was when I remember going up stairs).

When I was at KSU, we traveled to Corvallis, Oregon to play Oregon State in December of 2003. Here is the link to the article from it. Our game with them went 3 OT's and was the longest game I've ever been a part of. I was exhausted and didn't even play. Last night, Syracuse and UCONN played TWICE as many OT's as we did.

Make sure to check the box score I'm attaching.

Syracuse v. UCONN - 6OT's

- Each team shot the ball over 100 times.
- For a point of reference: In the UCLA - Washington State game, the teams combined for 108 FGA

- UCONN attempted 35 3's
- 54 combined offensive rebounds, UCONN had 31.
- 69 rebounds for UCONN as a team.
- 66 fouls called.

Those are just a few...but my favorite!...
- Jonny Flynn played 67 minutes in a college basketball game

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Gator baseball fan

I'm officially a Florida Gator baseball fan...

----------------------

McArthur was a 19-year-old freshman at the University of Florida when he was severely injured in a random act of violence on Oct. 30, 2003. A stranger punched him, and McArthur hit his head on the pavement outside of a Gainesville nightspot. He had two brain operations within 24 hours after the attack and later had a third in May 2004 at Tampa General Hospital. He was in a drug-induced coma for five days, and doctors weren't sure if he would survive. McArthur went through an extensive rehabilitation process and returned to the Gator baseball program for the 2005 season after taking a medical redshirt in 2004. For everything McArthur has gone through on and off the baseball diamond, his competitive behavior and never-say-quit attitude are well-respected by the entire Gator community. He is a true leader in every sense of the word, someone who puts the team above any individual accomplishments or awards. While many people going through similar situations might have ended his or her career at the first sign of adversity, McArthur continues to set a positive example through his actions and commitment to the Florida baseball program and the University. His relationships with the coaching staff and teammates are solid and the respect they have for him cannot be measured in words since the coaches and players have the utmost respect for his willingness to sacrifice his body for them. While every student-athlete obviously wants to win every time they step on the playing field, McArthur understands that there are sometimes larger things at work in the big picture of our lives. Although people often say that winning or losing can be a "matter of life and death," he can take a different perspective knowing everything he has overcome to continue playing the sport he loves. Trying to describe his response to victory and defeat can be difficult since there are days when McArthur realizes that just competing with his teammates brings him more satisfaction than any result. His motivation to do the best he can and lead by example are traits which each individual should strive to emulate. In the long run, collegiate athletics can provide life lessons and McArthur's work ethic and attitude illustrate a clear understanding of teamwork and being a role model for everyone around him.

McArthur recently received a President's Volunteer Service Award from President George W. Bush's Council on Service and Participation which recognizes McArthur's contributions to the Gainesville community and demonstrating values that "make our nation strong in helping to build a culture of citizenship, service and responsibility in America." President Bush wrote, "Your ability to overcome adversity is a testament to your character, and your compassionate efforts serve as an inspiration to others. You are making our Nation better and stronger, one person at a time." McArthur constantly lends his time and support to a variety of charitable causes. He was named to the 2008 SEC Baseball Community Service Team that highlights an athlete from each school who gives back to his community in superior service efforts. McArthur has been a representative on Florida's Student-Athlete Committee (SAC) and is a frequent speaker at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes meetings. He often visits the pediatric care unit at Shands Hospital (where he was a patient recovering from his life-threatening injuries) and has participated in wheel-chair basketball with Special Olympians. McArthur spoke at "Youth Quake," an organization that provides alternative Christian entertainment that confronts issues relevant to today\'s teenagers and has given speeches at Gainesville middle schools about the importance of doing well in school. In addition, he is a member of the Big Brothers\' organization in which he often brings little kids to practice and brightens their day by having them around the Gator baseball players. McArthur was the keynote speaker at the March of Dimes Health Conference that was held on the University of Florida campus on Dec. 2, 2008. His responsibility was to engage 350 at-risk middle school students by his speech. This was the 20th year for the conference and McArthur was chosen because the group was looking for "an athlete with a motivating story and a person who can teach these children the importance of believing in their dreams." He also participated in the Climb for Cancer Sports Camp last October. The camp, which was held on campus at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center and the Gator football practice fields, allowed children to participate in a number of athletic activities. The camp was made up of four sports venues which included football, basketball, volleyball and soccer. Both the children and student-athletes were able to enjoy themselves in activities ranging from pick-up basketball and volleyball games in the O'Dome, to soccer drills or a game of catch at the football practice fields. Climb for Cancer is a not-for-profit organization that has funded or created several programs which provide support to the patient and family, research grants, and given kids the opportunity to attend camps such as this one.

After taking a medical redshirt in 2004, Brandon McArthur played in 64 games in 2005, making 60 starts at third base, as Florida enjoyed its best season in school history. The Orange and Blue was the runner-up at the NCAA College World Series and captured its first Southeastern Conference championship in seven years, putting together an overall mark of 48-23. McArthur played an integral role in the team's success and was the lone member of the team chosen to the SEC All-Freshman Team after batting .286 in 28 league outings. During his sophomore year in 2006, he participated in 46 of the Gators' 56 games and made starts at second base (25 games), third base (13 games) and as the club's designated hitter (five). As a junior in '07, McArthur underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow after being injured on opening night. After working hard in the off-season to get back into shape, he was enjoying a tremendous campaign before rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee on April 2, 2008. McArthur elected not to have surgery until following the season and batted a remarkable .367 (29-for-79) with 20 RBI over his final 20 games of the year while playing hurt. He wound up setting career-highs in batting average (.337), runs batted in (44), doubles (11) and triples (3) and was a catalyst in UF's first NCAA Regional appearance since 2005. Picked to finish 11th of 12 teams in the SEC, the Gators were second in the Eastern Division and third overall. In voting conducted by the Gator Dugout Club, supporters of UF's baseball program, at the conclusion of last season, McArthur took home two of the four awards. He collected the Mr. Gator Baseball Award, symbolic of the player who most personifies the spirit of Gator Baseball, and the Steve Georgiadis Award, presented to the Gator baseball player who has most overcome adversity. The Georgiadis Award is given in memory of former Gator pitcher Steve Georgiadis, who passed away on March 17, 1990. McArthur underwent successful knee surgery over the summer and is hitting .333 (5-for-15) with a team-leading eight RBI through five games for the 12th-ranked Gators (5-0).

Another role model...?

Travis Henry, 30, a former N.F.L. running back who played for three teams from 2001 to 2007, has nine children -- each by a different mother, some born as closely as a few months apart. Reports of Henry's prolific procreating, generated by child-support disputes, have highlighted how futile the N.F.L.'s attempts can be at educating its players about making wise choices. The disputes have even eclipsed the attention he received after he was indicted on charges of cocaine trafficking. "They've got my blood; I've got to deal with it," Henry said of fiscal responsibilities to his children. He spoke by telephone from his Denver residence, where he was under house arrest until recently for the drug matter. Henry had just returned from Atlanta, where a judge showed little sympathy for his predicament during a hearing and declined to lower monthly payments from $3,000 for a 4-year-old son. Three days after the telephone interview, he was jailed for falling $16,600 behind on support for a youngster in Frostproof, Fla., his hometown. "I love all my kids," he said in the interview, but asserted he could not afford the designated amounts, estimated at $170,000 a year by Randy Kessler, his Atlanta lawyer. Kessler said Henry was virtually broke. "I've lost everything in this mess I've gotten myself into," Henry said

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Role Model

My good buddy passed this one along to me.

Check it out...

Not a TD, but Elway still scores big...

Blind date

Perhaps I should just use an RSS feed on my blog for every Rick Reilly article.

I didn't post the last one regarding a kid being treated to a day with John Elway, I'll try to find it.

This one hits home, especially with it being basketball.

Amazing story

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

From the Orlando paper

A group of fans hung out in the lobby of the team hotel in Detroit most of the day on Monday, seeking autographs. Magic C Dwight Howard not only accommodated them with his signature, but he bought them hamburgers. Might be one of the reasons that Howard received more than a record 3 million all-star votes last month. ... Cool move by Howard, I remember hearing stories about Michael Jordan staying at different hotels from the Bulls to avoid fans asking for autographs. Howard is a class act. -- Orlando Sentinel

Friday, March 06, 2009

Houston Rockets

This is a great video.

Watch it all the way to the end.


Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Monday, March 02, 2009

Dream still lives...

It is March, that means March Madness.

The dream still lives for my team...

Sweet 16 - Missouri State HS Bracket

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

60 million reasons to work for this guy...

A good story of generosity.

Good job Mr. Abess

In case you didn't know...

In reference to my last post...

For not "playing" in a single NBA game this year for the Knicks:

Marbury makes 4 times more money in a DAY then I make in a YEAR.

Now THIS is pathetic...

The New York Knicks are quickly becoming my favorite NBA team. I've long had love for the SA Spurs. The Trailblazers moved up my charts about 2 years ago and are right there now.

It goes something like this.

1 - Spurs
2a - Knicks
2b - Blazers

The Knicks did themselves VERY well yesterday by cutting Stephon Marbury.

If you think, "oh, poor Stephon, he got cut"...Going to be hard for him to find a job in this economy...

Make sure you read Darren Rovell's piece I've linked...

Friday, February 20, 2009

Graduate

One of the greatest highlights of my life so far was my graduation from KSU. Many of you know that feeling that I'm talking about. The great sense of relief, accomplishment and optimism that goes along with graduation.

This story proves, you're never too old to graduate!

Good for him!

Some dreams never die

This is why I think basketball is the greatest sport in the world. You can play it by yourself, you can play it recreational or competitive and you can play it at almost any age.

Just like this guy...

JUCO at its best

3 wishes

This is a kid wise beyond his years. From a fourt grade writing assignment to a super sub at Clemson, Tanner has come a long way. Although, some things never change...

Terrific story, and reason to root for Clemson.

Tanner's Toys

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

I told you so...

Not to say I told you so, but...I told you so.

Check out my December 8th Post...

Prince to UVA

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Alex Rodriguez

The more I was thinking about Alex Rodriguez I began to wonder something...

With everything going on, how is it going to be possible for this guy to perform at his "normal" level on the field?

Taking a look at the #'s...

Since Rodriguez has played in an "everyday" role, 14 seasons...

he has hit no less then, .285.
he has averaged, 39.5 homeruns
he has averaged 115 RBI's.

With everything that is going on in this life, here is the question I pose going into the 2009 season.

Out of the 3 Stats...how many will A-Rod eclipse? Will he hit higher than .285? Power out 40 homers? Drive in 115 runs?

The thing I'll keep my eye on closely is his BA. He'll have the ability to drive in runs with the lineup surrounding him. I say he has a career low in BA this year...

If A-Rod does 2 of the 3, I will be absolutely amazed...

[Royals pitchers and catchers report tomorrow! 2/13!]

How many...

How many times can you genuinely say, "Thank you" with a smile during the day?

You'd be surprised at people's reaction.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The Four Agreements

There is a book that I was refered to back in 2004, titled "The Four Agreements". Recently, Tom Brady mentioned how he read the book and got a great deal out of it.

Eric Musselman outlined the 4 major agreements on his blog and I am posting them here.

I challenge you to take a hard look and evaluate where you fit into these "agreements"...

1. Be Impeccable with Your Word: "The word is a force; it is the power you have to express and communicate, to think, and thereby create the events in your life. When you are impeccable, you take responsibility for your actions, but you do not judge or blame yourself. Being impeccable with your word is the correct use of your energy.But making this agreement is difficult because we have learned to do precisely the opposite. We have learned to lie as a habit of our communication with others and more importantly ourselves. We use the word to curse, to blame, to find guilt, to destroy. Of course, we also use it in the right way, but not too often. Mostly we use the word to spread our personal poison -- to express anger, jealousy, envy, and hate.We must begin to understand what the word is and what the word does."

2. Don't Take Anything Personally: "Personal importance, or taking things personally, is the maximum expression of selfishness because we make the assumption that everything is about "me." We think we are responsible for everything. Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves.When you take things personally, then you feel offended [when someone insults you], and your reaction is to defend your beliefs. You have the need to be right and make everybody else wrong.Others are going to have their own opinion according to their belief system, so nothing they think about me is really about me, but it is about them. Don't take anything personally because by taking things personally you set yourself up to suffer for nothing.When you make it a strong habit not to take anything personally, you avoid many upsets in your life. Your anger, jealousy, and envy will disappear. Write this agreement on paper, and put it on your refrigerator to remind you all the time: Don't take anything personally."

3. Don't Make Assumptions: "We have a tendency to make assumptions about everything. The problem with making assumptions is that we believe they are the truth. We make assumptions about what others are doing or thinking -- we take it personally -- then we blame them. We also make assumptions about ourselves, and this creates a lot of inner conflict.Even if we hear something and we don't understand, we make assumptions about what it means and then believe the assumptions. When we believe something, we assume we are right about it to the point that we will destroy relationships in order to defend our position.The way to keep yourself from making assumptions is to ask questions. Make sure the communication is clear. If you don't understand, ask. Have the courage to ask questions until you are clear as you can be, and even then do not assume you know all there is to know about a given situation. Without making assumptions your word becomes impeccable.Don't make assumptions. Just saying this sounds easy, but I understand it is difficult to do because we so often do exactly the opposite."

4. Always Do Your Best: "The fourth agreement is about the action of the first three. Under any circumstance, always do your best, no more and no less. But keep in mind that your best is never going to be the same from one moment to the next. Everything is alive and changing all the time, so your best will sometimes be high quality, and other times it will not be as good.Doing your best, you are going to live your life intensely. You are going to be productive, you are going to be good to yourself, because you will be giving yourself to your family, to your community, to everything. It is the action that is going to make you feel intensely happy.When you always do your best, you take action. Doing your best is taking the action because you love it, not because you're expecting a reward. Most people do exactly the opposite: They only take action when they expect a reward, and they don't enjoy the action. And that's the reason they won't do their best.When you do your best, you learn to accept yourself. But you have to be aware and learn from your mistakes. Learning from your mistakes means you practice, look honestly at the results, and keep practicing. This increases your awareness.By doing your best, the habits of misusing your word, taking things personally, and making assumptions will become weaker and less frequent with time."

Monday, February 09, 2009

A-Rod

Obviously, everyone has their own thoughts on A-Rod, and I am planning on posting mine in the next couple of days.

He has since, admitted taking steroids. So here is my question to you..."What else is there to talk about?"

He has admitted to making a horrible mistake, he has come clean and acknowledged what he did was wrong and is hopeful to move on.

I hope that we don't ridicule A-Rod like we did/do Bonds because of the fundamental difference between how they handled the entire thing. Think about how much pride A-Rod must have lost when that report surfaced.

Think Roger Clemens would be thought of in a different light?

In America, isn't the truth supposed to carry some weight?

Thursday, February 05, 2009

US Air

Make sure to go to CNN.com, or MSBC.com and check out the audio recording from the flight that ended up in the Hudson.

It's worth listening to a couple of times...amazing poise.

Also, here is the transcript...

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Remember

A life worth remembering...

Habitat for Humanity

Monday, February 02, 2009

Disclosure

I just saw Sportscenter and Tim Hassleback just brought up this same point.

Obviously I'm not the only one that saw it, but I didn't steal it from someone else.

Super Bowl

We have all seen the replays of James Harrison's INT return for Touchdown.

I've seen it so much that I started watching different things on the return.

With NBC's camera in the end zone that Harrison returns the INT, watch Larry Fitzgerald. Try to "spotlight" #11 for the Cards and see if you can follow him the entire way.

Towards the end of the INT return, Fitzgerald seems about to catch him, when he is blocked. Thing of it is, he is blocked by #21 for the Cardinals, Rolle. 21 plays defense and was not on the field.

So...here you go...

Harrison was returning the INT and Fitzgerald was about to get him, when he bumped into one of his own teammates on the sideline who wasn't even in the game!!!!

Think if he doesn't bump into him how different the game is!

Like Father, like Son...

Make sure to check out the video of Pat Knight from Texas Tech.

By the way, there was no doubt in my mind that Rick Randall would be one of the officials in the box score. Rick is one of the worst officials in the Big XII.

When we were @ Texas in 2004, Jeremiah Massey got elbowed by Brad Buckman of Texas. Randall called the foul on Massey and Coach Wooldridge went crazy. One of Coach's lines, "So Rick, you mean to tell me that my guy JUMPED into his elbow huh?"

By the way, Coach Knight looks like he's in great shape!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78r7lp3pEuE

Friday, January 30, 2009

Which one have you dealt with?

Think to the people that you've worked for, whether or not they've been successful or unsuccessful.

I saw this on Coach Musselman's blog, thought it was really accurate.

If you havent, please check out emuss.blogspot.com...I think my blog is cool, his blog is...well, cooler...

"There are two theories. One says 'there is a problem, let's fix it.' The other says 'we've got a problem, someone is screwing up, let's go beat them up.' To make improvement, we could no longer embrace the second theory. We had to use the first."

Kalin Lucas

One of my favorite teams in College basketball is Michigan State. I love the way they play, I love the way that Tom Izzo coaches. Obviously, they have been blessed with some terrific talent in his 14 years there.

Players make coaches look smart, no doubt about it. The better the players, the better the team and in turn the more positive recognition the coach gets.

I've watched Michigan State play 4-6 times this year. (I try to catch them every time they're on)

Kalin Lucas is the point guard for Michigan State. He is only a sophomore and has a BRIGHT future. If you get a chance, watch Michigan State, and pay special attention to the kid wearing #1.

Thru 20 games (MSU is 17-3), Lucas is averaging 14.9 points while shooting almost 40% behind the arc on 58 attempts. Those numbers aside, the most impressive stat is that he has 101 assists and 31 Turnovers. He is averaging under 2 TO's per game and right at 5 assists.

Lucas is everything that is right with a Point Guard!

NFL Video

Melynda passed on a great video. It reminds me of the Powerade commerical with Lebron James from a couple years back.

Check it out!

Amazing NFL video

Food

I thought I would post the following article about supermarket food.

Especially interesting was the "calorie equivalent" part of it.

How many of these do you own?

Worst supermarket food---MSN

Thursday, January 29, 2009

UGA Fires Dennis Felton

Most people saw this coming. Felton would have been fired last year but he managed to get his team to play remarkable basketball in the SEC tournament, which finished off with a trip to the NCAA tournament because of the automatic birth for winning the SEC.

Obviously there was a ton of momentum that the University was hopeful could be built upon.

Here is what I'm wondering...

Felton was given 5 seasons and at about the last week of the 5th season, the administration was set to fire this guy. Then he makes an improbable run to get his team into the NCAA tournament and they keep him.

What would the reaction of been had they just fired him after the NCAA tournament and said, "Based upon the 5 years of evidence and not the 1 week of excellence we decided it was best to part ways with Dennis". How would people have reacted to that? Did THAT much really change in the 2 week magical run that could be saved?!

Herm Edwards

Did anyone think he would do anything else?

Herm Edwards to ESPN

Steve Welmer


This is a great article about NCAA D-1 official Steve Welmer. While working at KSU, Steve officiated many games and does as good of a job as anyone in the nation.

This is a great "inside look" at him.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Tissue-Thin difference between a thing done well and thing done ill...

This is a great column by KC Star & SI writer Joe Posnanski.

I heard Joe speak in March of 2004 in St. Louis with Bob Costas in a setting with about 15 others. It was a cool "sports" moment b/c of the knowledge in the room between Joe and Bob.

Difference between a thing done well and a thing done ill...

We wish we could be him...

This is a great article, as well as being funny.

Don't we all wish we could be him?

Super fan? I'd say so...

Monday, January 26, 2009

Larry Fitzgerald

Take the time to read this. More reason to root for #11 from the Cardinals. Good kid, good player.

Larry Fitzgerald will cover Larry Fitzgerald

Friday, January 23, 2009

8:30pm TONIGHT!

For the 2 or 3 of you that actually may read this...

8:30pm tonight, #5 state ranked Liberty takes on #9 Lee's Summit West in the Tournament Championship from Cokely Fieldhouse.

If you want to watch it live on the internet, click on the following link then look for "live video stream".

WATCH #5 Liberty v. #9 Lee's Summit West

Thursday, January 22, 2009

I figured this would be the case...

This is a follow up to a story I posted a while back about Barack Obama and the use of his cell phone once he became President.

I figured this would end up being the case...

Barackberry

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Upton


I understand this article, a little bit. I understand the multi-million dollar industry that professional sports is. I respect that. That being said, I have an issue.


"They said cold weather is probably going to be an issue with it. make it ache a little bit"

So, let me get this straight. A kid, 24 years old, making millions of dollars playing a professional sport is going to sit out the first part of the season in cold weather cities because the weather will make his shoulder "ache a little bit".

I've never worked construction, but what would a construction manager do if a 24 year old worker called in one morning and told him that he couldn't work when the weather was cold because his shoulder might "ache a little bit".

This story makes me, "ache a little bit"

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Rick Reilly Article

Another terrific piece by a terrific writer..

Hope - all you need is hope

Quote...

Saw this quote and thought it was really interesting...

"You only live once; if you live right, once is enough"

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Someone to look up to...


If you have time, google, Myron Rolle...


As the years go by...


Well, folks...

I had my first official, I'm getting old moment. (Mind you I'm engaged, perhaps that would make me relaize I'm getting older)

I was looking at who is eligible for the 2010 Baseball Hall of Fame and saw names like, Kevin Appier, Eric Karros, Pat Hentgen, Robin Ventura to name a few.

I can VIVIDLY remember all of these players playing.

Isnt that a sign that I'm officially getting older?!?!?!

Monday, January 05, 2009

Job


Well, two things stick out to me about this job.

1) BC's coach really wants it.
2) BC doesnt want their coach to have it.

This is a little extreme for me...check out this article.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Barkley - TNT


This is a great video of what the TNT guys did to Charles Barkley on the pre-game show.

This is perhaps the video of the year!!!!


Knicks


Are you one of the biggest pieces of crap in the world if this happens? From the New York Post.

"Stephon Marbuy's publicity stunt at Staples Center Tuesday night didn't come cheaply. Marbury paid $2,600 for his courtside, front-row, baseline seat - which was face value, The Post has learned. Marbury, on his cell phone most of the night, watched the Knicks blow a 15-point halftime lead to the Lakers. According to a Lakers' official, a Marbury rep called the front office looking for two courtside seats for the game, but the club only had one left - the last seat along the baseline, in the corner. Marbury is making $21.9 million this season, but hasn't played a minute. While celebrities Penny Marshall and Spike Lee, and Lakers' Lamar Odom and Tevor Ariza made their way over to say hello, none of the Knicks players acknowledged the banned point guard."

CP3


Talent is one thing, and this kid certainly has it.

I loved the quote from his Head Coach, Byron Scott.

'It is just amazing what he has been able to accomplish in such a short period of time,' Hornets Coach Byron Scott said. 'It also lets you know the sky is the limit if he continues to stay healthy. The biggest thing about him is that he hates losing. He just has that edge.'"

Kyle Davies


There are many reason to be excited about the 2009 KC Royals season. One of the main reasons is the successful September that the club put together. A large part of that success was starting pitcher, Kyle Davies.

Consider me a bigger Kyle Davies fan now than I was 20 minutes ago.

Great article about one of Kyle's off-season habits.

Monday, December 15, 2008

President Bush Video


I'm sure most of you have seen this...but if you haven't, PLEASE check it out.

Listen carefully once the chaos dies down...

Article

Make sure to check out the following heart warming story!

Boston Globe article

Friday, December 12, 2008

Red Sox


Although not a Red Sox fan, more of a baseball enthusiast, I had a slight panic attack when I read that the Red Sox had made changes in their uniforms. I love the simplicity of them.

Now, after having read the aritlce and seen the pictures, I realize that truly, not much has changed.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

The "Little General"


Avery Johnson is so appropriately nicknamed the "Little General,"

Check out this clip of him nailing Josh Howard...every male will cringe and laugh all at the same time. Especially watch the expressions on Howard's face in slow motion...