Baseball Is Back!

As I write this, The Rangers and the Astros are opening the Major League Baseball Season!   Only two seasons in the year, winter and baseball.  I'm glad it's back!

Looking ahead, I see a lot of great things in the upcoming season.  A random sampling follows:

-The Cubs will win the World Series.  The fantasy portion is now complete.

-The Angels are serious contenders for a World Series Championship.  They had a solid pitching staff and the best record in baseball from May 1 to the end of last season.  Adding Josh Hamilton strengthened the team.  Vernon Wells had to be the odd man out, and was unloaded to the one team who could afford them, the Yankees.  By the way, I am a fan of the Cubs and the Angels, leading to a dream World Series I will never see.

-The Blue Jays are serious contenders in the AL East.  Considering the rest of the division is strong enough to have every team reach the playoffs, this is a strong statement.  Jose Bautista is still a big home run hitter, and now has a lineup around him.  Their pitching has been strengthened, but could still be suspect.

-I'd like to see the Pirates be competitive for the entire season.  They have plenty of young talent, Andrew McCutcheon being most prevalent.  They have to rely on a young pitching staff.  This could be a downfall.

-It could be Atlanta's year.  Their offseason moves give them one of the best outfields in the majors.  Two thirds of the outfield are Uptons, the other spot held down by a potential Hall of Famer, Jason Heyward.  I believe their pitching will hold up over the course of the season.

-Regardless of the League, the Central Division will do little to settle the issue.  Maybe somebody has a career year, a rookie comes from nowhere, and a veteran becomes ten years younger.  The White Sox and the Brewers are the best bets in this category.

-I like what the Dodgers did in the off season and they could be strong.  Matt Kemp is the right kind of throwback.

Well, it's random, and it's a sampling.  I like the Angels and the Braves to go to the World Series, with the Angels going all the way.

So...am I off base?

A Sunday No Other-SPECIAL EDITION

Luke 24:1-7 1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.  2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,  3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.  5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?  6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,  7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise."

I have a great ghost writer.  The story He has written is better than anything I have or ever will write. It is a simple story, made complex by our desire to be right.  It is a timeless story, able to span 2,000 years and still be relevant.  It is an unbelievable story, only because it is extreme.  It is about relationships to all and very personal to each one.  It is the Easter story.

The story is simple.  A man radically challenges the current religious system and has the acts and deeds to back up His story that He is the Son of God.  His story was written through the scriptures of the current religion and they failed to recognize Him.  Rather than upset their status, the desire was to get rid of Him and protect their own standing.  In getting rid of Him, they fulfilled the scriptures and opened a whole new chapter.  Blinded by the need to be right, they made the story complex.

Two thousand years ago, the government delivered the punishment at the request of the religious leaders.  They could not deny the people healed, and they could not deny the authority with which He taught.  The things He taught about are still relevant, still a way of life to be honored and revered, the basis of American life for at least 150 years.  People who honor His teaching are often seen as moral, ethical individuals.  They are still human, subject to sin, and sin will always be relevant.

Unbelievable are the lengths which this story goes.  He had to die to fulfill the requirements of the sins for all who have and ever will live.  It is extreme for a Father to require that of His Son.  Crucifixion is extreme pain, seldom matched in any form over history.  The results are extreme for all involved and their choice to accept or decline the gift of His life for yours.

The story is about relationships.  His life given for all people, free, and without reservation.  No matter where you come from, what you've done, whomever you have hurt, it is forgiven.  Because He rose from the dead today, the new life is available to you.  Since His life was required then, your life is required now.  Seems fair in a life and world that is often unfair.

The story is so personal that someone may need to personally relate it to you.  Go to church and listen to the story with an open heart and remember, it is for YOU.  I can only tell my story here, but someone who knows where you come from, knows where you've been, and knows where you're going can share it in the detail to make it personal.  The people of  God gather every Sunday, and the story is shared each week.  Happy Easter to all.

Madness Reigns

Eight teams, one dream.

For sports fans, it is an incredible time of year.  For diehard college basketball fans, life becomes worth living this time of year.  I still enjoy this time of year, but it's not an end-all for me.  Last Thursday and Friday were the days I love.  Players from lower seeded teams will tell their grandkids about the time they played in the NCAA Tournament.  The grandkids will mostly ignore them, but all it takes is one inspired individual to move to the next level.

Sherwood Brown of Florida Gulf Coast was a leader among leaders.  He led his teammates from 15 seed to Sweet Sixteen.  Eventually, Florida, led by Billy Donovan, ended their dream, but it was a great ride while it lasted.

Here's my take on Regional Finals:

Wichita State/Ohio State- Ohio State has given credence to survive and advance.  Wichita State has been in the right place at the right time, but eliminated the suspicious number one seed, Gonzaga.  This game could be hard to call.  Wichita has the glass slipper and little to lose.  The Buckeyes have survived twice, begging the question, "Have they already played their best game?"  If they haven't, this game could be an Ohio State romp.  If they have played their best game, Cinderella has straw in her mouth.  I think Ohio State has the percentages, and a little more talent, in their favor.

Syracuse/Marquette-  Syracuse is a very dangerous team.  So much athleticism, so little institutional control.  Marquette survived the best game of the third round against Butler, and looked strong Thursday.  This game could be a defensive struggle, but there is tons of talent on the floor.  I like Syracuse for the experience on the bench, but if it stays close late, Marquette will make more free throws.  I don't think it will be that close.  Orange to the Final Four.

Duke/Louisville- The marquee match-up of this round.  Two high profile coaches, two talented squads.  I like Duke's discipline, and they can control the pace of the game, Louisville will struggle.  The Cardinals' guard play can run the floor, Duke can hang with them.  Give Louisville the advantage, only because Rick Pitino has never lost a game at the Elite Eight level.

Michigan/Florida-  Give Michigan huge credit for eliminating Kansas.  They have a team that could rival their Fab Five days.  Florida has a great coach with the right attitude toward the game, and the Gators rode out an Eagle storm last night to get here.  The Fab Five had to learn the hard way, so does this group from Ann Arbor.  Chomp, chomp in the Final Four.

Yeah, I don't watch a lot of basketball during the season because the point of college basketball is to get into the Tournament.  I may not have a lot of depth in my analysis, but I have an opinion and a knowledge of the game.  Half the fun this time of year is the opinions.  The other half is the unpredictability of 18-22 year-olds. Fred Taylor, the great Ohio State coach, was quoted as saying, "I'm doing well for someone who watched five 20 year-olds run up and down a hardwood floor in their underwear with my paycheck in their teeth."

So...am I off base?

Heaven Help Me!

I watched my first episode of Duck Dynasty.  Refer back to title.

Understand my view of things.  I hold two college degrees.  I played college golf and was a club professional for five seasons.  I've never gone hunting, and only shot a BB gun as a kid.  To me, roughing it is a bad Holiday Inn.  I know what decoys and duck calls are, but only from people I grew up with and have met along the way.

Genuine people who love God and family are always welcome in my world.  Maybe the most refreshing thing is the honesty of each person in the show.  Si can't help himself, he just has to ring the bell!  Only one business degree in the whole family, but their common sense factor is off the charts.  Who needs a market surveys and business gurus?  If we like it, a lot of other people out there are bound to like it.  Sounds like recipe to make a fortune.  God, family, honesty, work they seem to love...sounds like a recipe for a great life.

Two honest things that are way too close to home for most people: First, read it before you sign it.  Second, know you've won the challenge before you make it.  It will keep Si off the air.

I say, Burn those leaves with gasoline!  Keep the chickens!  The only thing missing was a sofa swing.  I'd rather spend my day around the Robertson family than around people with stickers on their feet: "Made in China".  Yeah, they'd probably make fun of me, but I probably have it coming.  Seems that when I'm not coaching, I care what other people think.

So...am I off base?

#quackquack  #duckdynasty

An Opening Statement

It's the first week of the NCAA tournament.  As of the time of this writing there are only two and a half games remaining in the first week of the tournament.  We've seen a fair number of upsets, a couple of close calls, and a little bit of controversy.  Seems like a pretty typical week with the exception of the following:

Florida Gulf Coast- Athletic and talented, they are not in awe of the situation.  They are in the Sweet Sixteen because they expect to be there.  Not a bad thing, since the tournament needs someone almost everyone can cheer.  I hope the real story is what happens off the court, which will come to light within the next four days.  I hope the story is as good off the court as on.

Gonzaga- I remember Mark Few complaining of his team's seeding a couple years back, believing they were better than the sixth seed they received.  As I recall, they promptly lost the opening game.  I wonder if he complained about receiving a number one seed, primarily because of the parity of college basketball. Gonzaga has become the gold standard in how to build your program from nothing special to nationally recognized, but they didn't produce at an artificially expected level.  

Wichita State- I find a lot of good stories in the Shockers, including Malcolm Armstead.  He saw so much good in the Shocker program, he paid his own way to play, including working at a car dealership.  He wasn't the only player on their roster without a scholarship, but eventually earning one.  It's good to see real life hard work paying off.

Marquette/Butler- A few people who know basketball pretty well feel that the Bulldogs got one taken away.   Couple of hard whacks went unnoticed, and a blatant travel eventually lead to some Marquette points.  It was a hotly contested game, physical, and eventually the deeper team won.  It was very similar to a game the two teams played in November in Maui, Butler winning on a last second heave.  Funny how these things even out.  Too bad it was a tournament game.

I did something this year I have never done before: I took Thursday and Friday off to watch games.  I am convinced of a couple of things:  

First, fundamental basketball is dead.  Doesn't anyone use a backboard?  What happened to bounce passes for entry to the lane?  Free throw percentages at an all time low?  Tough to watch if you know the game and not just the scores.

Second, we have been competing too much and not practicing enough.  I see it personally in baseball and softball, but it's pretty obvious basketball is in the same situation.  Individual skill levels seems to be declining, but the entertainment aspects are higher.  Give people a good show, and you don't have to be fundamentally sound.

Bottom line, I was entertained, but not blown away.  I some some great athleticism, but not necessarily great basketball.  I saw some controversy, but no travesties.  I saw some hard work rewarded, and a high level of parity.  Finally, I found a reason to come back, as long as the story is good.

So...am I off base?