Random Thoughts Nov. 30

Some random thoughts while trying to push the pug out from under the blanket.

-Watched most of the South Florida-Central Florida game last night with a couple of thoughts in mind: Would George O'Leary still be the coach at Notre Dame?  How would the program look now?  Since George was fired for misdeeds involving his resume, the Irish have had Tyrone Willingham, Charlie Weis, and Brian Kelly.  The Irish have had some success, including an undefeated regular season last year, but also suffered a 2-10 season.  The BCS appearances have not gone well for the Irish, either.

Central Florida has built some success, culminating in an 11-1 record this year.  His team played very poorly last night, turning the ball over five times, but showed a lot of resilience.  They are a legitimate BCS team, and can secure their berth with a win next week in the American Conference Championship game next week at SMU.

It is a second line FBS program, but the eight years in Orlando have shown O'Leary was a worthy candidate for the job in South Bend.  I remember when the situation was happening in 2004, a co-worker, named Sean O'Hara, said "They fired an Irishman for getting drunk and telling a lie?  None of us would be employed if everyone did that."

-Alabama-Auburn has the potential to be a great game...if the media hadn't interfered.  The amount of talk about Auburn and their level of competence has me thinking two thoughts: First, is Auburn really that good?  Second: Does the sporting media want Alabama to lose or just be challenged?

Auburn has greatly improved over the last couple of seasons, but they are not in Alabama's league for talent.  A win would probably be a fluke, but a possible fluke when there are 18-22 year-old males involved.   The game being played at Jordan-Hare Stadium is Auburn's best chance.  The way Alabama has been drilled removes most of the possibility.  The Tide doesn't do anything special: they just do it better.

The second question requires a little thought.  Alabama has not been threatened all season.  Even Texas A&M scored points, but the inevitable eventually happened.  The media should be rooting for Alabama, as well as Florida State and Ohio State.  One of the three getting locked out of the National Championship game has been a boost to the media in the past, and would do it again.  People won't watch your business if there's nothing of interest to say:  Alabama is the only team of the three that could remove the interest, by being so much better.

A playoff involving these three and a deserving fourth team would generate incredible interest and hype.

So...am I off base?

Happy Thanksgiving

I really enjoy Thanksgiving.

This day should be filled with thanks, family, food, and football.  I'm going to list a few items for which I am thankful this year.  I hope your list is similar.

-I am thankful to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Whether you personally believe in Him or not, I can attest to the fact that He changes you.  I have a hard time thinking about where I would be without that influence in my life.

-Thankful for my wife and children.  Robby is going through the growing pains of learning to be a man, and I pray God will lead you in the right direction.  You need to be willing to follow.  Heather is finding new ways to blossom as a young woman.  You will go as far as discipline takes you.  Rosie completed our family this year.  You are the canine clown.  LuAnn is the best friend and wife I could ever imagine.  She is a great blessing in my life and the lives of others.

-Thankful that my niece and her husband have a brand new daughter, arriving in the wee hours this morning.  Everyone is fine and doing well.  The Red Sox have another new fan.

-Thankful for the family I had growing up.  Won't get to see them today, but you shaped the basics for where I am today in all areas.  Still wondering how things will come together: the host today took off to see her new granddaughter.

-Thankful for the family I joined by marriage.  We will spend today eating Cracker Barrel supplemented by family favorites, visiting and watching football.  Hope the football is good, because I know the company will be.  I'm pretty sure you didn't know exactly how to take me when LuAnn and I started dating, but you adapted quickly.

-Thankful for those who protect us and defend our freedoms.  Many assume I mean just our military, but police, fire and first responders protects us each day.  We can all do what we do because of you and your willingness to serve.

-Thankful to the Elkhart Titans, St. Joe County Surge, and Cleveland Little League for the opportunity to work with your players and hopefully teach them more than the game.  I have been blessed beyond belief by the players.

My list could go on for a while.  I hope you have a list of your own.  Thank the people who made it possible.

So...wait...I'm not off base on this one.

Oasis of Football

I've found the NFL incredibly boring this season.  Until last night.

Yeah, I'm old when Peyton vs. Tom still gets my attention.  However, they are still two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.  Tom Brady has lead his teams to more victories against Peyton Manning, and last night was no different.  The Patriots' 34-31 overtime win over the Broncos gave Brady 8 wins in 11 outings against Peyton.

It was the way it happened this time.

Peyton had no passing yards and a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter.  What?

New England made some second half adjustments to shut down the Denver offense, while the offense increased the pace to score three quick third quarter touchdowns to get back in the game.  Eventually the Patriots ran up a 31-24 lead, when Peyton took the Broncos to a tying touchdown with just over 3 minutes to play.

A bounce, a player in the wrong place, and the Patriots got the win.

New England definitely rode Tom Brady.  Three first half fumbles had the Patriot faithful showing their displeasure.  I wonder if Stevan Ridley will ever be seen alive again.  I had the Patriots going to the Super Bowl, but the balance needed to go all the way appears missing.

It was good to see Denver dominate without huge numbers from Peyton Manning.  Knowshon Moreno ran for over 200 yards to lead the Broncos cause.  Peyton Manning hit the clutch passes, just nothing else.  I believe that balance will be important for the Broncos come playoff time.  They could be a lot more dangerous in January, when a running game is so import.

Maybe it all goes back to boring tonight, but for one evening, it was worth the time.

So...am I off base?

Random Thoughts-November 23

Some random thoughts while waiting to see where the lake effect snow will fly.

-High School basketball is revving up in Indiana.  It's a great place to watch games, and see some fundamental basketball.  I've watched some great games on Friday nights in places like Attica, Delphi, Hamilton, Jamestown, Benton, and Wolcott.  In this type of community, it is more than a game.  It is THE community gathering.  People touch base with each other, share family news, and support their boys and girls, win or lose.  Spending time their over the years sees babies grow to toddlers, then preteens, and eventually on the floor, wearing a uniform they dreamed of from the time they were old enough to realize it.  It's special: go to a game somewhere, even if your kids are grown or you haven't had any yet.  It will make connections!

-Another baseball trade yesterday saw David Freese and Fernando Salas moved to Anaheim, where the Angels gave us Peter Bourjos and prospect Randal Grichuk.  Freese, a World Series MVP, and Salas, a reliever, will help the Angels right away.  Word is Freese needed out of his hometown.  Bourjos is a quiet star, and, when healthy, gives the Cardinals a traditional lead-off hitter and a solid defensive center fielder. Grichuk is a wild card, starting to blossom as a power hitter with 22 home runs last year in AA.

Business wise, Freese's salary was a minor change for the Cardinals, his $3.1 million going to a team that might be able to afford him. The Cardinals may have a huge salary dump with Jake Westbrook and his almost 9 million dollars available on the free agent market.  St. Louis has done a good job of developing talent, and it still strikes me like a salary move. On the field, it still doesn't make a lot of sense now.

-I can't help but laugh at A-Rod.  I give him credit for being coachable: walking out of the meeting puts the burden of proof in public opinion on baseball, not A-Rod.  If baseball has the evidence, now, not later is the time to come out with it.  Otherwise, A-Rod, who says he used legal diet supplements, is still on the other side of the public opinion coin.  Yelling "Witch hunt" and acting like a little child, walking out when things aren't going your way, aren't going to help you.  Be a man, not just a male, for a change.  Your image is gone.

So...am I off base?

Fielder for Kinsler Perspective

Hot stove talk is about a quarter of the fun of baseball.  Primarily because baseball is played spring, summer, and fall, then talked about all winter.

The hot stove got a little kindling last night with the new that the Detroit Tigers traded Prince Fielder to the Texas Rangers for Ian Kinsler.  I am pretty sure a fair number of Tigers fans freaked out when they heard the news.  Since Prince arrived in Motown, Miguel Cabrera became the most feared hitter in baseball, even winning a Triple Crown.

However, the last we saw Fielder, he was freezing at the plate in the World Series and laying on the ground like Curly Howard to kill a Tiger threat in their Game 5 loss.  His production dipped slightly last season, not an unusual occurrence for a player pushing 30, maybe the most troubling was the lowest slugging percentage of his career.  A man bearing the size of Prince Fielder had better hit the ball a long way.

I believe the Tigers are afraid of his weight at this point.  History has not been kind to oversize sluggers in their 30's.  Even Babe Ruth was done by 34 in the world of offseason jobs.  His best days may very well be behind him.

Ian Kinsler has had a drop in his production, but a smaller percentage that Fielder has seen.  A different kind of hitter, at age 31, he has been a strong secondary producer on a playoff team.  He will shore up the middle infield, and possibly provide some guidance for Jose Iglesias.  He is capable of huge seasons, but aren't his best days behind him, too.

Few moves made in baseball today are about the field.  The Tigers have a chance to lock up Max Scherzer and this move may free the money.  The Rangers received $30 million dollars in the deal to help pay the approximately $160 million owed Fielder.  The Tigers may be feeling it is a bad investment.

By the way, when a team makes moves that are about the field, they are considered aggressively pursuing a pennant at all cost.  It is a big change from the old days of baseball.

So...am I off base?

Illinois and Indiana Will Bounce Back

They will bounce back.  Hardworking people always do.

They use sweat, initiative, and blessings after wrath.  They salvage what they can, wipe away the tears and move forward.  It's what you do in the midwest after a tornado, in the Philippines after a typhoon.  It part of all of us.

Various places across Illinois and Indiana were hit by strong thunderstorms yesterday afternoon.  The tornadoes that dropped from the skies were scattered, taken a few lives, and changed others.  In many of the tight knit communities of this region, everyone knows someone affected.

Most people noticed the stoppage of play in the Ravens/Bears game yesterday.  Some even took disparaging tones about the decision.  It pales against real life.

Parts of the entire towns of Washington and Pekin, Illinois are gone.  Kokomo, Indiana took a large hit.

The stories are endless.  I know of a couple involving youth sports.  A former Little League President I served with says the housing development down the road is gone.  Thankfully, he and his family are safe.

A travel hockey family pinned in a Chicago hockey rink while the weather raged, eventually going to Rockford for a second game before coming home.  Two great wins and grateful travel home.

Travel volleyball teammates had a Buffalo Wild Wings they wanted to stop at in Kokomo on the way home, but chose Ruby Tuesday because the weather was getting bad.  The Buffalo Wild Wings is gone, destroyed by a tornado.  The distance was only a couple of blocks, apparently happening while they would have been there.

My in-laws lost one tree, maybe a second.  The church we were married in lost part of it's roof.  My neighborhood lost a couple of small trees, one falling on a couple of cars.  Never minor to the individual, but in the grand scope of things, small losses.

Ten days from now, we celebrate Thanksgiving.  We should give thanks continually.

So...am I off base?

Short Random Thoughts- November 16

Some random thoughts for a gray Saturday morning.

-I wonder why the Jameis Winston possible assault case has sat on a desk for 11 months.  Bottom line: no one wins.  Bringing the story forward when there may be no story is damaging, not only to the player, but the authorities.  If he is proved innocent, as it should be assumed at this point, it could be the fodder for lawsuits.  If he is guilty, Florida State looks like the part of football that is the problem, not the solution.  Fans can be denied the opportunity to watch a great player, but someone is always ready to step in.  A player potentially sacrifices their future, but they have farther to go to come back.  The school, who invested thousands of dollars in player aid, looks bad, but can correct the issue in the future.  The victim has the most to lose, not only living with the incident, but any attention that comes from the situation, all for the possibility of no justice.  No one wins when someone misbehaves.

-Professional golf has reached the point I expected it to reach when The Skins Game debuted in 1983.  The off season became The Silly Season, otherwise known as Fred Couples cashing in on being a good guy.  Now, the competition goes through the calendar.  While someone is playing golf somewhere in the world all the time, is the market saturated?  Are the television numbers really up?  Are the Majors the only really must see golf?  Otherwise, I watch something else until it becomes important.  Some people can't live without it, but too much doesn't make the golf better.  For decades, the problem was exposure for the game. Now we may have seen too much.  Maybe the lords of the feudal kingdom of golf might want to take a look at that.

So...am I off base?

How Do They Do It?

I watched part of an absolute shootout last night that got me wondering about National Signing Day, which was yesterday for every sport except football: Is college coaching a total gamble, or just the prequalifier for the freakishly talented?

The quarterbacks in last night's Ball State-Northern Illinois game were two of the best prepared and solidly talented quarterbacks I've seen in college football.  Keith Wenning of Ball State and Jordan Lynch of Northern Illinois put on a show, something normally not seen in football on a Wednesday night.  Both quarterbacks ran the ball well, threw for over 320 yards, and each team had one turnover, sign of solid play.  Wenning was 35-49, 324 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and ran for a disciplined 9 yards.  Lynch was 26-32, 345 yards, two touchdowns, and broke the game with 120 rushing yards and two more touchdowns.

How did these guys escape the spotlight programs? Wenning, from Coldwater, OH, is 6'3", 220 pounds, an accurate arm and strong decision maker, who has started from the moment he set foot on the campus in Muncie. A senior is winding his career down with a showcase season, last night's 48-27 loss the Cardinals' second of the season.  Is he an NFL quarterback?  Arm strength may be a question, so would the speed of the NFL game to his decision making.

Lynch has a win in a BCS under his belt and looking to bust the money bags one more time. Lynch, a 6'0" 215 pound senior from Chicago, has blossomed during these past two seasons.  He has two wins against Big Ten teams this season, albeit against Iowa and Purdue.  He has shown he can play at a much higher level, especially as a runner.  Is he an NFL quarterback?  Read option has been figured out by NFL defensive coordinators for the most part, so the question is, "Can he play pro style?"  Stay tuned, someone will give him the opportunity.

I am most impressed with Lynch's humility.  ESPN followed him to his classes on gameday: he doesn't own a car, rides a bike to campus, and was actually seen in a classroom.  Maybe it was all staged, but I have a hunch it wasn't an act.

Maybe these people escape because they don't want the spotlight of a high profile program.  Maybe they escape because of size or speed issues.  Maybe they escape because of the amount of talent out there.  Maybe their best isn't good enough to play on Sundays.  Hopefully they are leaving with an education that can change their lives.  After all, isn't that the point of college athletics?

So...am I off base?

Random Thoughts-Veteran's Day

Some random thoughts while forgetting my cup of Joe on the Keurig...

-First and foremost, a heartfelt thanks to all veterans of our military services.  Since the events of September 11, 2001, it has become cool to thank our veterans for their service.  We were way ahead of the curve.  My father served in World War II, an honorable medic who ended up in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France.  He quietly lived out his life raising ten children, burying two, and never talking of his experiences in that hospital.  My brother served two tours of duty as an MP in Vietnam.  At his funeral almost six years ago, pictures of his time there revealed he was the only one to survive the experience.  He threw his Bronze Star and Silver Star in the sea upon his discharge.

In war or not, insuring the American safety is the job of our military.  Whether you agree or not with the current use of military, these men and women selflessly protect us and deserve our appreciation and respect.

-Colts fans suffered through a 1-15 year after Peyton Manning had surgery. They watched the name that has been given to countless boys, girls and pets in Indiana go to Denver and lead them to the best record in the AFC last season.  Now, Peyton is playing superlative football, and awaiting an MRI while the Colts are back leading their division.  They may understand why the paths parted based on the outcome of the medical test.  Will Bob Irsay be vindicated by the fact one good hit could end Peyton's stellar career?  The Colts are in better shape than they would be if Peyton had stayed and had the same situation.  Stay tuned.

-Will anyone stop Alabama?  Their thrashing of LSU Saturday night was impressive, and even the number 2 team in the land, Florida State, pales by comparison.  As much as I enjoy college football, it might be a foregone conclusion.  Auburn might be the best regular season threat.  In a rivalry situation, anything can happen.  It's also a road game for the Tide, a minefield at the easiest.

-Where I live in Northern Indiana, we have 1-2 inches of snow forecasted for tonight and tomorrow.  Some areas, enhance by Lake Michigan, could see as much as 9 inches of white stuff.  No matter when it starts, I'm never quite ready for it.

So...am I off base?

Hey Youth Coaches! Pay Attention!

The following is a fable...or is it...

Hi, I'm Fred, and I'm a T-ball coach.  I've found little kids hard to work with, but there is one great player.  Little Alexander shows great promise.  Mom and Dad have given him all the best t-ball equipment, but unlike a lot of kids, he can actually use it.  He throws from third base to first base on the fly, uses two hands on ground balls, and can catch a ball thrown to him, even a little high and low, and off to the side.  He runs hard and knows exactly what to do when he gets the ball.  He even catches a fly ball if it is hit to him or within a couple of steps.  He can hit the ball over the infield off the tee, and can hit a moving ball even better.

In a group where we are always teaching, it is a pleasure to have someone advanced.  The only problem I have with him is that he doesn't get along with other teammates.  I have Julie, a shy girl, on my team and he treats her poorly, but it's the usual dugout stuff.  A couple of boys laugh with him at her, but boys will be boys. She's willing and learning, but I see her crying and hear Alexander laughing.

Phillip is another quiet boy, who doesn't seem much interested in baseball, but won't say much of anything.  Alexander is mean to him, but it's the usual dugout stuff: dirt in the hat, bubble gum in the hair.  Boys will be boys.

A couple of years later...

I'm Carl and I'm Alexander's 12U travel coach.  He is a five tool player, easily the best I've ever seen.  He's got great equipment, and knows how to use it.  His footwork is solid, he is always in the right place and gets the ball where it needs to go.  He isn't very forgiving of his teammates, and I wonder, if he weren't so good, would anyone talk to him?  He went yard the other day and not one teammate went out to congratulate him.  It put us ahead in a tight game, and I wonder why they weren't excited.

We have this defensive catcher, Fred, who is a little quiet, but always seems to be the butt of Alexander's jokes.  Fred stops everything our other pitchers throw, but seems to have a hard time with Alexander.  He throws upper 70's with a good curve, so I can see where something in the dirt can be tough to stop.  Sometimes, when I call for a curve, Alexander throws a fastball that hits Fred right in the mask.  Probably missed the sign.

Our best centerfielder, Mack, doesn't seem to see eye to eye with Alexander either.  Alexander was pretty tough on him for a while until a shouting match at the June tournament and Mack decked him.  Alexander won't talk to Mack now, even though Mack is about his equal as a player.  Mack's impressive because he's half the size!  Not sure why we didn't do better than .500, and we're breaking up.  A lot of the kids, including Mack and Fred, are going to the Missiles, a new team started by Mack's dad.  They didn't even invite Alexander.  Darn politics.

Further down the road...

I'm Ted, Alexander's high school coach.  College scouts showed up to see Alexander when he was a freshman, the pros started showing up when he was a sophomore.  He throws upper 90's, great change, sick curve ball.  Mom and Dad are around all the time, now, and are taking him off to private lessons and sending him to all the top prospect camps.  He'll probably go pro out of high school, the kid's that good.  I love having a kid that can ice a game before it even starts.

Problems?  He's got a couple of teammates that don't seem to like him, but on the whole, he gets along.  I've got a great centerfielder, Mack, who won't talk to him and a catcher, Fred, who is the only guy who can handle him.  Alexander doesn't like either one and leaves them alone.  I'll bet it's something political because Mack and Fred started a travel team a few years ago that was wildly successful, and they did it without Alexander.  Alexander has been playing for a second rate program since then and won't talk to them.

We have been successful, but because of overwhelming talent.  We don't have a lot of team chemistry, and lost at the local level of the state tournament.  I'm getting some heat for having great regular seasons and limited success in the tournament.  I know Alexander is a future major leaguer, Mack could get there, and Fred could be a useful catcher.  Not sure why we can't do better.

We had nasty things to deal with in school this year.  A girl, Julie, was beaten by Phillip, to the point where she went into a coma.  Phillip committed suicide to stay out of jail.  Phillip lived next door to Alexander.  Guess you get what you get for hanging out in the wrong crowd.

The road ends here...

I'm Chad, manager of a major league team.  I'm losing my job at the end of the season and it's because I lost the clubhouse a long time ago.  My best player, Alexander, has been running wild in the clubhouse.  I tried fining him, suspending him, sitting him.  Nothing gets the message through to Alexander.  It was horrible what he did to his wife at home that got him arrested.  She might lose the baby, and that could make a felony charge.  We built this team around Alexander's talent, and now it is in jail.  And I'm looking for work.  Wish I could have taken control.

Youth coaches: Nip it before it gets out of hand.  The signs are there, pay attention to ALL the kids entrusted to your care.  Don't sacrifice kids to win games. Make the talented kid comply.  Inspire the less talented.  The games are to teach what is need in life, not the reason for living.

Bullying in the NFL?

Let's get one thing straight, as a youth coach, I am against bullying.  I have stood up to bullies in the dugout, on the sideline, in practice.  In a team situation, no place exists for bullying: it destroys team chemistry and discourages the kids on the receiving end.  I've seen players who wanted to quit because of bullying keep trying and become good players.  I've seen the bullies quit and become slugs.

I'm left scratching my head on the Jonathan Martin/Richie Incognito situation on two counts.  First, how do you bully a man whose job is to impose his will on an equally sized individual on the other side of the line?  Second, in the NFL, standard operating procedure includes veterans testing the rookies.

First, linemen in the NFL are large individuals.  The mindset drilled by coaches and perfected by technique required the movement of an equally large individual on the other side of the line.  A weakness in either area usually equals a bad lineman.  A bad lineman usually equals injuries, possibly life threatening.  No place for weakness exists.

Second, If I'm playing, I want that man next to me as sold out as I am.  I want to know I can count on them to sacrifice just like I have.  I want to know they will protect me like I will protect them.  While I don't condone it; hazing plays this role in the NFL.  It is generally harmless, every player knows it coming into the league.  Prepared, it serves it's role well.

If you are willing to take the paycheck, you need to take the rest: responsibility for your teammate, the cheering or lack of cheering, winning and losing.  Responsibility works both ways: if you are hazed, you respond by raising your level of effort.  If you are leading, show mercy.  Coaches monitor and keep it in line.

It sounds like all three levels failed.  Most interesting to me: why are many Dolphin teammates behind Richie Incognito?  Maybe Martin didn't respond: stand up for yourself.  Incognito definitely went over the line: racism never acceptable.  Coaches weren't aware or didn't monitor.  The Dolphins may have overlooked the mental profiles on both players, leading to the conflict.

Bottom line: Bad.

So...am I off base?

Random Thoughts-November 4

Monday morning random thoughts...

-Why did I take a nap yesterday afternoon instead of watching the NFL?  Could it be the options I had to watch: Vikings/Cowboys and Chargers/Redskins?  The best running back in football and the most exciting offensive player couldn't hold my interest.  I tried watching schemes to maximize the talent offensively, but were countered well by defensive coordinators.  It was played woodenly compared to the intense effort on Saturdays.

As a kid, it kept me watching: story goes that the male elementary school teachers gathered around my kindergarten room because I could talk intelligently about the games.  Now I can't even watch them.  The issue could well be the level of play during the regular season.  The level of effort is much greater during the playoffs and the football much more compelling.  Give me college football.  It is the difference between playing for your life and playing for a meal: college kids are playing for the NFL paycheck they could get, the NFL just expects it.  Doesn't matter that the college kids generate huge revenues, they sure can't have any of it.

-I wonder how much effect level of expectation had on coach's health during the weekend.  John Fox and Gary Kubiak are both in the hospital with heart related issues.  Fox's team is reaching expectations in Denver, Kubiak's team failing compared to expectation.  I pray for their condition, and wish them the best.

-Looking forward to the Hot Stove League.  The talk of last year's free agent season was the Toronto Blue Jays.  They picked up a fair amount of pitching: R.A. Dickey being the prize recruit.  They went 74-88.  So much for money spent.  Did the General Manager keep his job? Yes.  Hmmm.  Baseball is a monopoly, and this is how they lose money in a monopoly.

-No, Purdue did not look competitive in their 56-0 loss to Ohio State at home.  Danny Etling looks like a talented young quarterback, showing flashes of capability.  When he and his teammates adjust to the system, they could be a strong force.  Unfortunately, line play has lead to the disappearance of the throwing quarterback's best friend: a running game.  With the way Morgan Burke schedules, it could be a while before "Boiler Up" is heard around a bowl game.

So...am I off base?

Some Random Saturday Thoughts

General random thoughts for a Saturday Morning...

-As a coach, I've got the notion of going back to t-ball.  I'm taking my 15 year-old son with me.  He's thrilled at the idea, thinks it will be a lot of fun.  I agree, but scheduling could be difficult.  He is playing high school baseball, which runs through Memorial Day.  He has also made a mess of his first quarter academically.  Still the idea of teaching some raw kids skills so their older coaches don't have to is appealing.  I may also have to manage a major softball team, providing my daughter doesn't play travel ball.  Lots of decisions, and time to make them.

-Wouldn't mind umpiring more, either.  I have always enjoyed it, tried to do a reasonably good job, and have been told by visiting managers that my job was good.  Maybe getting serious about it would be a next step.  My son has umpired well in the past.  Since he is not playing travel baseball this summer, needs to do something other than the video games that have taken his attention away from the field.

-As a Purdue alum, I am hoping to see a competitive game with fourth ranked Ohio State.  Darrell Hazell had the deck stacked against him by the scheduling to start the season.  Four BCS teams in the first five games?  Nebraska in game six?  Who made this schedule?  Bela Lugosi?  Morgan Burke, time to hand in your cards.  You were the Athletic Director when I was kept around the golf team in the mid-80's.  We'll give you credit for hiring Joe Tiller and changing the culture, but you also hired Fred Akers and Danny Hope.  Understanding that schedules are agreed to in advance, give Darrell Hazell some material to do his job.  He is a good coach.

-Major League Baseball did something right by moving A-Rod's hearing outside the World Series.  In the past, a debacle of major proportions seemed to appear during the biggest event in baseball.  I'm still waiting to see what A-Rod has for his defense in the court case.  They're not talking, and MLB isn't blinking either.  Someone has the smoking gun.  Maybe it is time to man up for a change, A-Rod.  Should be a first time for everything.

-The NBA season supposedly started.  Haven't watched the NBA since the end of the Magic/Bird era.  Maybe it's because of the athletes involved.  LeBron James used the word "I" 14 times as the captain immediately after their championship win.  Patrick Toews used "team" that often in the first interview after winning the Stanley Cup.  I'll watch hockey anytime.

So...am I off base?