T-M-I from T-I-M

Reminiscing: Going to Notre Dame games

Tonight I remembered how special the University of Note Dame's football games were.  This tiny town was host of some of the most memorable games in college football.  Of course I usually went to the blow out games but it was still so beautiful.

We'd start by parking in Red West while we ambled around usually meeting several other families for a tail gate.  The aroma of roasting meat was enchanting.  The small city just came alive when they were in town. 

I never remember feeling like I was physically threatened.  I never felt like I was not a true Domer despite not going there.  They were our team. 

We'd descend upon the stadium and you could hear the bands inside while hoards of people lined up to get in.  What I remember most about going to the game was the moment you went from being line in the tunnel to taking your first step into Notre Dame stadium.  It felt like my soul would leap to freedom as I stepped out into the stadium.  I didn't care who they were playing I just knew I was there.

Ironically I don't really remember many specific plays (outside of the oddity for example when Reggie Ho became a temporary celebrity) but I remember the names Pinkett, Browner, Beurlein, Ferguson, Brown, Ismail and too many more to name. 

I also remember the experience.  Wondering when they would come out in the green jerseys.  Checking out the blimp (a REAL LIVE blimp) in our stadium.  Sometimes it was freezing and we were like a giant family huddling together.  Sometimes it was hot and it was hard at times not to stick to the guy next to you.

There is something unspeakably magnificent about watching the game under Touchdown Jesus.  It was awesome to see the bands come onto the field (not like Cal's of course) and to see the student section alive and supporting their Irish so loyally. 

Then after the game there was of course the meeting at the car.  In South Bend, it was totally fine to let me and my little brother walk to the car and meet my parents, there just wasn't the risk there is now.  Hopefully we walked out with a pom pom or something.  Or even more exciting we slipped onto the field right after the game!

Then it was crash city in the car or vibrant discussion about minute details of the game (particularly when they lost). 

South Bend had very little to offer me.  But the Notre Dame games were unlike any other stadium I've ever visited and that was cool by me.  

MMA & One Nasty Injury

I've found myself becoming quite a fan of UFC.  I'm still not nearly as big of a fan of it as boxing but boxing just doesn't have as much to take in and even it's marquee events (like Pacquiao v. De La Hoya) don't live up to the hype.

I don't like how in a really short period of time it seems that someone can become the "world champion" in a weight class (see Brock Lesnar).  It makes me think that the difference between being good and being great is not quite as noticeable as it is in boxing which makes it sort of hard to follow.  Then again, it's not much worth following boxing now for it's "stars". 

Quick name me 5 boxers you would pay big money to see (Pacquiao, Margarito.....).

That being said MMA is not about the injuries or the blood sport.  There is legitimate, interesting technique to it (not quite the sweet science of boxing but also more complete) and the people who run the sport are interested in keeping the fighters as safe as possible.  That being said, there are injuries.

In a recent fight, Corey Hill was injured and this picture is one of the grisliest I've ever seen...ouch!  (How's this for a thoughtful post with the veiled objective of showing a gnarly picture?)  :)

James Naismith's original 13 rules of basketball

I came across an article mentioning Dr. Naismith's original 13 rules of basketball.  Apparently he was very open to adjusting the rules, thankfully.  It made me realize how powerful it can be when a visionary puts out an idea but is open to (and even encourages) it's evolution.

Can you imagine a game with Kobe, Shaq, KG, etc. using these rules?  Pretty laughable (although if the NBA were looking to have fun, maybe one night they could have a pre-season "throw back" game and throw it all the way back to a game under the original 13 rules, it would be fun!).

1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.

    

2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands (never with the fist).

    

3. A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed if he tries to stop.

    

4. The ball must be held in or between the hands; the arms or body must not be used for holding it.

    

5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed; the first infringement of this rule by any player shall count as a foul, the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made, or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game, no substitute allowed.

    

6. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violation of Rules 3,4, and such as described in Rule 5.

    

7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls, it shall count a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the mean time making a foul).

    

8. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edges, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal.

    

9. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field of play by the person first touching it. In case of a dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds; if he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on that side.

    

10. The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.

     

11. The referee shall be judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made, and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.

     

12. The time shall be two 15-minute halves, with five minutes' rest between.

     

13. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner. In case of a draw, the game may, by agreement of the captains, be continued until another goal is made.

Barry Bonds indicted

I guess it's not very surprising that Barry Bonds has been indicted for perjury in the steroids case.  It's one of those things, it seems, that is at the point where people have long since accepted that he did it, it's just a matter of whether you cared that he did or not.

I don't really care actually, everyone was doing it.  I'm not sure how I feel about how special it was to see Bonds hit #754 with my daughter.  I bet she'll remember it and now we'll have to talk about why he's a cheater (I'd be shocked if he got out of this without some form of an admission of guilt if not a guilty verdict, but believe me if OJ had a dream team, Barry is going to have an ecstatic, it's not possible was I actually just flying with a bunch of hot chicks type dream team).

I think to a certain extent it gives more credibility to what Mark Ecko did with the ball from #755. 

One thing that I think is interesting to consider is when he's busted (and he will be busted) will his fall from grace be more significant than Ron Mexico (aka Michael Vick)?  I think for some reason the public holds baseball with a higher degree of sanctity than football, look at how Pete Rose is a virtual outcast in  many circles.

Then again to fall from grace, you have to be on some type of pedestal and it's been a long time since Barry's been there.  Other than SF, people feel pretty negatively about him.

I'm sure he couldn't have done it but wouldn't it have been nice if he just would have admitted from the very beginning that he did? 

Too late, sorry Barry, you may soon be trading in your orange and black uniform #25 for an orange uniform with a whole lot more numbers on it real soon.

Mark Ecko puts the fate of the Barry Bonds ball in our hands

I'm sorry, but life is just fantastic sometimes.  Fashion designer Mark Ecko plunked down $750k to buy the Barry Bonds baseball.  Without even seeing it, he put up a website that will enable us to determine what the fate of the ball will be.  (I voted to asterisk it and send it to the Hall.)

I guess he's kind of a prankster so he may not actually send the ball to any of the three options and he's just interested in what people think, but I still think it's great.  He's having fun with it and I'm happy about that.

God bless our inner children that help us have fun!

Rick Reilly shares another GREAT story

Every once in a while I forget it but nearly every time I run into one of his columns I remember it, Rick Reilly is hands down the best sportswriter out there.  He is insightful and on point.  I love his Riffs of Reilly on SI.com and also love it when, now and again, SI.com features a story of his (you can always find him bringing up the rear in SI and usually end up laughing or crying your rear end off).

This time he writes a deeply touching story about Korinne Shroyer who committed suicide and then became a life saver because of it.  The pain the parents feel jumps off the page.  I have no idea what I would do if something like that happened to Zoe. 

I also happened to find a webpage devoted to the story of Len Geiger whose life was saved by Korinne and her parents' actions.

He just picks good stuff to cover and now and again I feel downright blessed to be alive at a time when someone like him is writing.  It's awesome!!

Call me childish, I think this is hilarious!

A few Davidson High students took the time to pull off a hilarious prank on a group of Darby students.  Apparently there have been suspensions and banishments handed out and lots of politically correct bantering about being more mature.

Perhaps the Darby students and parents and the Davidson principal could:

1. Not take themselves so damn seriously
2. Smarten up just a bit
3. Recognize the tremendous attention to detail it took to pull it off and realize the 3 students who led the deal have some very marketable skills

Eventually, they will re-channel them into other avenues I would think.  In the meantime, I'll be stoked if they move onto college and step up their prank games.  I mean really, think about it, do you honestly think that anyone was hurt by this?  Who knows maybe it might be hard to talk about it with a youngster, I suppose I could see that.

But in the end, I just think it was funny.

Seeing Bonds Hit # 754

Zoe and I went to the Giants game on Friday night and had a blast.  It was particularly awesome because Bonds hit #754 early in the game.  The feeling was electrifying.

It was awesome that Zoe had a chance to see it.  I don't think that she'll remember it but I will.  In fact Zoe will probably remember the fireworks, the cotton candy, the blanket we snuggled under and the giant foam #1 finger that I bought her more than anything else.

In any case, the entire crowd stood up to watch his at bat and when we realized it was going over the center field fence there was an unabashed collective glee.  It sent chills down my spine because of the outpouring of happiness and support, juiced by a message on the jumbotron from his Airness Michael Jordan.

Strangely, what was equally electric was every at bat he had after that.  There seemed to be this collective feeling that tonight was the night.  When he came to bat everyone stood again and we were all cheering (even Zoe was cheering Barry!  Barry!) and we all booed (even Zoe a little...) when he was walked four times on his next 4 plate appearances (he did have one MONUMENTAL cut that hurt my back just watching it).

I suppose it's worthwhile to note that I despise baseball.  It's singularly boring!  I remember I went to the Game 1 of the Yankees/Mets World Series at Yankee Stadium.  History, without a doubt being written in front of me and after the first pitch of the game I realized I was at a baseball game and became bored immediately.

Not in this case.

Honestly, it's changed my feelings about Barry (but not about baseball).  I still think he took steroids, but I don't really care.  I want to see him break the record and set history.  There are all types of other peculiarities to the history of baseball (racism, spitballing, steroids, etc.) so it's virtually impossible to compare things (remember pitchers were 'roiding too).

I think he's going to break it on the road, and that's too bad, because it was awesome seeing him at home.

It's an experience that I'll never forget and will tell Zoe about it when she gets older so perhaps she won't forget it either.

The Michael Vick Indictment

It's undeniably grisly.  And he's innocent until proven guilty.

One piece of the indictment is really troubling:

In or about March 2003, VICK retrieved a book bag from a vehicle containing approximately $23,000 in cash.  The cash was provided by C.W. #2 for winning both dog fight matches.

That one seems pretty straightforward.  With something like that it would seem like the next logical issue is basically, is C.W. #2 lying or not?

Because if he isn't, that's pretty darn clear evidence.  I suppose it would have to be corroborated to hold up in court.

I guess one of the keys is what possible motivation C.W. #2 would have for lying about it.  By admitting this it's obvious that the witness admits their own involvement in the dog fighting so who knows, maybe it's a way for him or her to cop a plea.

Regardless, there are enough witnesses and sufficient stories to suggest that at a minimum, Michael Vick doesn't appear to have been entirely truthful about his involvement in the dog fighting.

Personally, I think dog fighting is sad and couldn't see myself wanting to see it.  Of course, I grew up on Country Club Lane (literally...).  More and more I'm just not surprised to learn that certain things I consider to be horrifying are normal to others, it's a product of their upbringing.

And, frankly, if I grew up thinking it was okay, I would probably be an adult who thinks it's okay.  I don't judge any of the individuals involved with it.  I disagree with it and think it should be stopped and the individuals should be punished if they are guilty, even though punishment isn't the most effective answer in my book.  (I can already hear those of you that are saying "Sometimes punishment is the only thing that will get through to people like this"  maybe you're right, I don't know)

But I don't think they are bad people, they are a product of their conditioning and dealing with that conditioning is the way, I think to achieve meaningful, lasting change.

I think Vick's trouble will lead to a Home Depot boycott

I'm sure you've heard and read enough about Michael Vick's indictment and potential involvement with a dog fighting ring.  Of all the stuff I read I think the most interesting is to wonder why a guy making 10's of millions of dollars would be in any way involved with a gambling bit that nets 10's of thousands at best.

Regardless, I won't be surprised if in the very near future some groups come out demanding a boycott against Home Depot and Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons.  (In fact they probably already are talking about it.)

Whether he's guilty or not, to me, is beside the point.  There's no way he didn't know ANYTHING about it.  Other NFL players have been involved, but none at his level.

Then again, Home Depot is such an integral part of people's lives, how could they give it up?

Maybe Target or some store like that could run an ad saying:  "At least our CEO doesn't employ dogfigthers".

Ha!