Thursday, December 31, 2009

Reflections on the Sports Landscape of the 2000s

Looking back at the decade that was in sports, there were a lot of memorable moments. Time and space do not allow to cover all of them but here's the ones that register in my mind. Feel free to comment about yours:

*The Music City Miracle: I was there and I saw it live. It was considered one of the top 10 NFL plays of the decade (it was even in the top 5) and I saw it in person. To this day, I still remember the excitement and the celebration that happened when Kevin Dyson scored that TD. Hearing the radio call later by Mike Keith and Pat Ryan still gives me chills. Awesome.

*The World Series in 2001: Probably the only time in my life that I liked the Yankees. After the events of 9/11, it almost seemed fitting that the Yankees were in the World Series that year. It was something to watch that series and see all the dramatic elements that came with it. In the end, I was glad that the Diamomdbacks won but for a time, I did like the Yankees.

*Steroids at the forefront in baseball: Nothing disappointed me more than all the things that came out when steroids, HGH and performance enhancing drugs were brought to light in baseball. It's sad to know that for most of my life, especially my childhood is now tainted by the label "steroid era". If there's any good that comes out of this, I hope it cleans up the sport. But it doesn't take away (like the strike in '94) the disappointment.

*Return of football to New Orleans in 2006: I watched the first game in the reopened Superdome with the Saints and the Atlanta Falcons. It had the feel of a Super Bowl and it showed. The game itself was a good one and it was really cool to watch.

*The Olympics: It was a good decade for the Olympics. With the Winter (2002, Salt Lake City, 2006 Turin, Italy) and the Summer (2000, Sydney, Austraila, 2004, Athens, Greece, 2008, Bejing, China) there was a lot of memorable performances. It'll be interesting to see how the next few Olympics turn out as well.

*Red Sox and breaking of the Curse: Obviously, the championship run by the Boston Red Sox in 2004 was memorable. To beat the Yankees four straight in the ALCS after being down 0-3 was simply sweet and then to then sweep in the World Series was icing on the cake. 86 years without a title and then finally one. Along with winning in 2007, it was a good year.

All this and more made for a memorable decade. Looking forward to the sports decade that is the 2010s

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

To Go Perfect Or Not And Other Random Sports Reflections

I can't believe 2009 is nearly coming to an end. There's been a lot of sports stories that I haven't been able to cover as I would like. Given that I'll have a lot more flexibilty in my schedule it is looking like next year, it'll be a better time with posting and reflecting. I hope tomorrow to do a decade in review of reflections regarding sports. Today I wanted to hit on some things I've been mulling over.

*I (along with millions) are very disappointed in Jim Caldwell and Bill Polian in their decision to not go for an undefeated season. Anytime the '72 Dolphins celebrate is a bad time. What gets me is it seems like multiple contridictions that those two were about. They don't care about history yet Polian in an interview said they wanted to have the record for longest winning streak in the regular season and the most wins in the decade. Hmmmm, how are those better than an undefeated 19-0 season? The mantra of any sport is to take it one game at a time and to not look ahead and yet when you rest players you're looking ahead to something that may or may not happen. Herm Edwards got it right, you play to win the game. You don't play to rest players to play in a game you may not even make it to. The most condemning aspect of their rationale is they've done this two other times in the past four years. What happened to them? They lost and didn't make the Super Bowl. The one year they played hard to the end, they won the Super Bowl. I haven't done my playoff predictions but I'm going on record, Colts aren't making the Super Bowl and it goes back to a game in December deemed "meaningless" by Caldwell and Polian.

*I saw my first NBA game on TV on Christmas Day...and it was like I hadn't really missed it much. I still hold the NBA in not high standards after the debacle with Clay Bennett and David Stern allowing the Seattle SuperSonics moving to Oklahoma City. Honestly it's disappointing because there's probably some good action going on. But when I think about how that transpired and how uncaring Stern was to the people of Seattle and state of Washington and the tradition of the Sonics, it makes me sad. Until that is rectified, I will continue to be ambivilent about the NBA at best.

*As much grief that Brett Favre got about his waivering, I hope Urban Meyer gets the same amount of grief. I think it's one thing to take a break to take care of health and family, it's another to say you'll retire, to then say you'll take an indefinite leave of absense to then say you'll more than likely be back next season. As much as I didn't like Steve Spurrier when he was at Florida, I can be pretty sure in saying even he wouldn't do something like this. It seems Meyer cares more about himself than the school and when that becomes the case that ends up hurting the school.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Special Fantasy Football Thursday Edition

Sorry for the vacation of sorts but life kinda got in the way. In the midst of this fantasy football kept going. This year was not kind to the three highlight leagues as I can finish no higher than 5th in the three of them. This includes the end of defending my championship in the Speed Kills league. The good news is that I'm still in line for two championships...they just happen to be in leagues that weren't highlighted. One league is where me and three buddies from church are in and the other is a friend of mine from seminary and his friends. I'm already strategizing for next season including being in at least one maybe two less leagues so I can better focus on the ones I'm in. But overall it's been an exciting year as always.

Update...upon further review it seems that I still have a chance in the Speed Kills league. Woke up this morning (Christmas day) to find out that Yahoo adjusted the score and in fact I won instead of losing. So I still have an opportunity to get the three-peat. We'll see if that plays out but it's still awesome that I have the opportunity.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

On Blogging Vacation....

For those few and faithful who've been reading, I've been on a blogging vacation. One week I was in Kansas for Thanksgiving break and with no internet and this last week I've been busy with papers and projects. I hope to be back next week :)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 10 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 9 Edition. This was another rough week as the teams went 1-2 in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 10 and the look ahead to Week 11...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces won their fourth game in a row as they defeated KILLA B by the score of 103.29 to 67.77. The game was decided during the Sunday Night game as QB Peyton Manning and WR Reggie Wayne manned a comeback that led to the Masterpieces getting the victory. With the win, the Masterpieces are in first place in their division for the first time all season. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Reggie Wayne, Peyton Manning, DeSean Jackson and David Akers. After Week 10, I'm in 3th place overall (1st in the Shakespeare Division) with a record of 6-4.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the Kansas City Titans have lost two in a row as they were defeated by the Baptist Brawlers by the score of lost a heartbreaker to the Purple Cobras by the score of 81.75 to 78.62. The Titans weren't able to hold off the Brawlers as they won on a FG made by K Stephen Gostkowski in the 4th quarter of the Sunday Night game. The good news (if there is any) is that they are only one game out of the division lead even with the loss. Leading scorers for the Titans were Drew Brees, Steve Breaston, Minnesota DEF, and Dwayne Bowe. After Week 10, I'm in 5th place overall (3rd in the Annie Armstrong Conference) with a record of 6-4.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers lost their first game in six weeks as they were defeated by Chi-Chiwawa's by the score of 100.39 to 83.44. The game was decided during the Sunday Night game with the huge performance by Randy Moss sealing the victory for the opponents. The loss snaps a five game winning streak by the Tigers. A bright spot was the Tigers have clinched a playoff spot. Leading scorers for the Tigers were Adrian Peterson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Wes Welker and David Akers. After Week 10, I'm in 3nd place with a record of 6-4.

Outlook for Week 11:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (6-4) will look to keep the winning ways going as as they square off against Dooley's Dawgs (3-7). With the bye season over, there will be no more worries about people on the bye. The status of RB Michael Turner is in question because of health. If the cannot go, RB Fred Jackson will get the start. The Masterpieces have a one game lead in the division with four games left in the regular season (the last three matchups are division opponents). Key matchup will be the TE position (Antonio Gates vs. Jason Witten). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Titans (6-4) will look to reverse the trend of losses as they face off against the LouisVillians (2-8). The Villians are managed by Jason, a friend from my days at UT Martin. The Titans will have a decision to make with regard to RB. There are no clear cut starters at this point and will probably go with a gametime decision as to who will start. This is a must win for the Titans as they look to stay in playoff contention. Key matchup will be at the QB position (Drew Brees vs. Tom Brady). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Titans as the favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers (6-4) will look to get back in the win column as they take on The Sleepers (5-5). This is a rematch of a Week 4 matchup that saw The Sleepers get the victory. For the Tigers, it's a game about pride. For The Sleepers, it's a game to get into the playoffs. Key matchup will be at the DEF position (Philadelphia vs. Green Bay). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Tigers as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday...

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 9 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 9 Edition. This is was a very wacky week. Going into the fourth quarter of the Monday night game, it was looking like I would finish 0-3. Instead, the teams went 2-1 in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 9 and the look ahead to Week 10...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces stormed a miraculous comeback as they as they defeated Deal's Gap Dragons by the score of 112.71 to 109.90. It was a matchup that looked like a loss going into the Monday Night game as it was a double digit deficit and only Hines Ward was going for the Masterpieces. It took the second TD catch by Ward with about a minute or so left in the game to complete the comeback. The Masterpieces have now won three in a rwo and are above .500 for the first time all season. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Michael Turner, Hines Ward, Peyton Manning, and David Akers. After Week 9, I'm in 6th place overall (tied for 1st in the Shakespeare Division) with a record of 5-4.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the Kansas City Titans lost a heartbreaker to the Purple Cobras by the score of 113.86 to 98.90. The Titans weren't able to make a comeback like in the other leagues. The good news was every other team in the division lost so they didn't lose ground in the standings. Leading scorers for the Titans were Drew Brees, Steve Breaston, Arizona DEF, and Ryan Moats. After Week 9, I'm in 5th place overall (tied for 1st in the Annie Armstrong Conference) with a record of 6-3.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers have now won five in a row as they made a miraculous comeback in a victory over MidwestCoastOffense by the score of 114.36 to 108.70. The game was up in the air until after the Monday Night game. It took coming down to the last minute of the game for the Tigers to get the victory. With the victory, the Tigers now have the longest winning streak in the league at the moment. Leading scorers for the Tigers were Ben Roethlisberger, David Akers, Rashard Mendenhall, and Philadelphia DEF. After Week 9, I'm in 2nd place with a record of 6-3.

Outlook for Week 10:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (5-4) will look to keep the winning ways going as as they square off against KILLA B (6-3). The Masterpieces will be at full strength again while KILLA B will be without WR Steve Smith (from the NY Giants)as he'll be on the bye. The Masterpieces are looking to keep place with division leader Headhunters as right now there is a tie for first place. Key matchup will be the QB position (Peyton Manning vs. Tony Romo). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Titans (6-3) will look to rebound from last week's loss as they face off against the Baptist Brawlers (6-3). The Titans will be without a starting RB from Houston (Steve Slaton/Ryan Moats) as they'll be on the bye while the Brawlers will be at full strength. This will be a tough matchup and one with playoff implications. Key matchup will be at the DEF position (Minnesota vs. Chicago). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Brawlers as the slight favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers (6-3) will look to keep the win streak alive as they take on Chi-chiwawa's (6-3). This is a rematch of a Week 3 matchup that saw the Chi-chiwawa's get the victory. For the Tigers, they will be without RB Brandon Jacobs as he’ll be on the bye. The Chi-chiwawa's will be at full strength. The winner of this matchup will have sole posession of second place in the league se two teams have the two longest current winning streaks. Key matchup will be at the K position (David Akers vs. Nate Kaeding). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Tigers as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday...

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 8 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 8 Edition. This is was both a dramatic and exciting week, for the second week in a row the teams went 3-0 in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 8 and the look ahead to Week 9...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces put together a solid performance as they defeated the Buffalo Buckeyes by the score of 115.64 to 86.26. Despite an atypical performance by Peyton Manning where he scored less than double digits, the rest of the team picked up the slack. In fact there were six players with double digit point totals. The Masterpieces put together the second best point total this week and have now won two in a rwo and have gotten back to the .500 mark. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Reggie Wayne, DeSean Jackson, Domenik Hixon, and Michael Turner. After Week 8, I'm in 6th place overall (2nd in the Shakespeare Division) with a record of 4-4.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the Kansas City Titans stormed back and got a miraculous victory over rival Souper Bowl Sundays by the score of 73.40 to 72.92. It came down to the Monday Night game. Going in the Titans were in a huge hole, due in large part to the .5 point total by K Matt Prater and the ever more anemic -.4 by Steve Slaton. The Titans, behind MVP Drew Brees and WR Lance Moore did all they could to close the nearly 30 point gap. It came down to less than three minutes left in the 4th quarter and a 1 yard TD pass but the Titans were able to pull out the victory. Leading scorers for the Titans were Drew Brees, Kevin Smith and Minnesota DEF. After Week 8, I'm in 4th place overall (tied for 1st in the Annie Armstrong Conference) with a record of 6-2.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers have won four in a row as they got a close victory over Fear This by the score of 99.82 to 95.44. The game was up in the air until after the Monday Night game. The Tigers held off Fear This and continue to have the second longest winning streak in the league. Leading scorers for the Tigers were Adrian Peterson, Philadelphia DEF, Jay Cutler, and Steve Smith. After Week 8, I'm in 3th place with a record of 5-3.

Outlook for Week 9:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (4-4) will look get above .500 as they square off against the Deal's Gap Dragons (2-6). The Masterpieces will be at full strength again while the Dragons will be without K Rian Lindell as he'll be on the bye. The Masterpieces are one game beind for the division lead and will be going all out to try and reach it. Key matchup will be the TE position (Antonio Gates vs. Greg Olsen). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Titans (6-2) will look to keep pace with the division leaders as they face off against the Purple Cobras (3-5). The Titans will be without Minnesota DEF along with TE Visanthe Shiancoe as they'll be on the bye while the Cobras will be without K Ryan Longwell. There are huge question marks at RB as Steve Slaton may or may not be benched given last week's horrible performance. He along with Kevin Smith (health) will be gametime decisions. Key matchup will be at the DEF position (Arizona vs. New York Giants). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Cobras as the favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers (5-3) will face off in the matchup of the week as they take on the MidwestCoastOffense (8-0). The Offense is managed by Stephen, a great friend and fellow alum from Union. The two teams squared off in Week 2 with the Offense getting the victory. For the Tigers, they will be without star RB Adrian Peterson as he’ll be on the bye. The Offense will be without WR Percy Harvin as he'll will be on the bye. These two teams have the two longest current winning streaks. Key matchup will be at the K position (David Akers vs. Nick Folk). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Offense as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday...

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 7 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 7 Edition. This is my best week so far this season. My teams went 3-0 in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 7 and the look ahead to Week 8...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces made a tremendous comeback as they defeated Domination by the score of 121.80 to 107.45. The matchup was crazy in that Domination had two players out (one injury, one bye) and yet was leading big going into the Monday night game. The Masterpieces’ ended up winning, largely due to the performance by DeSean Jackson. His 23.90 performance on Monday night helped secure a comeback victory and helped the Masterpieces get back on track. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Peyton Manning, DeSean Jackson, San Diego DEF and Reggie Wayne. After Week 7, I'm in 6th place overall (tied for 2nd in the Shakespeare Division) with a record of 3-4.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the Kansas City Titans won a close game against the Seminary Slingers by the score of 97.49 to 92.46. It came down to the Monday Night game as the Slingers made a run. The Titans were able to hold them off and secure their fifth win of the season. It was a big win as several leading teams were upset this week. Leading scorers for the Titans were Drew Brees, Minnesota DEF and Steve Slaton. After Week 7, I'm in 4th place overall (tied for 1st in the Annie Armstrong Conference) with a record of 5-2.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers have won three in a row as they got the win over The Purple Pegasus by the score of 117.69 to 113.91. The Tigers fought back and staged a comeback thanks to the Monday Night game. With Philly DEF and K David Akers, the Tigers won and have the second longest winning streak right now in the league and are above .500 for the first time since Week 1. Leading scorers for the Tigers were Philadelphia DEF, Wes Welker, Adrian Peterson and Brandon Jacobs. After Week 7, I'm in 4th place (essentially tied for 3rd) with a record of 4-3.

Outlook for Week 8:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (3-4) will look to keep the winning ways going as they square off against the Buffalo Buckeyes (2-5). The Masterpieces will be without WR Hines Ward as he will be on the bye while Domination will be without TE Kellen Winslow. The Masterpieces are looking for their first two game winning streak this season along with trying to keep pace for a playoff spot. Key matchup will be the QB position (Peyton Manning vs. Matt Schaub). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Titans (5-2) will look to keep the winning ways going as he faces off against the Souper Bowl Sundays (3-4). The Slingers are managed by Adam, a friend from the days at Union. The Titans will be without 2 starting WR (Dwyane Bowe and Andre Caldwell) as both are on the bye. The Sundays will be without WR Chad Ochocinco and TE Heath Miller. The Titans have been scrambling the waiver wire to meet the WR need and will probably make another move if necessary before Sunday. It should be a tough conference matchup. Key matchup will be at the RB position (Steve Slayton/Kevin Smith vs. DeAngelo Williams/Ricky Williams). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Titans as the favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers (4-3) will look to get another big win as they face off against Fear This (0-7). Fear This is managed by Jon, a great friend and fellow alum from Union. The two teams squared off in Week 1 with the Tigers getting the victory. For the Tigers, they will be without WR Wes Welker as he’ll be on the bye. Fear This will be without RB Clinton Portis and TE Kellen Winslow as they will be on the bye. They also lost RB Leon Washington for the season with an injury. The Tigers will look to keep pace with the leaders and stay in the playoff hunt. Key matchup will be at the K position (David Akers vs. Jason Elam). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Tigers as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday...

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 6 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 6 Edition. This was unfortunately another blah week. My teams went 1-2 in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 6 and the look ahead to Week 7...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces lost a tough game over Plax’ Gun Club by the score of 135.10 to 71.89. The Masterpieces’ lost could be heavily contributed to the bye week that QB Peyton Manning and WR Reggie Wayne. Their absence hurt the Masterpieces and because of this they continue to be in a hole trying to dig out. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Hines Ward, DeSean Jackson, David Akers and Fred Jackson. After Week 6, I'm in 8th place overall (tied for 3rd in the Shakespeare Division) with a record of 2-4.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the Kansas City Titans lost a close game against 2-2-0 by the score of 117.89 to 110.73. It was a matchup that was decided before the Monday Night game. The Titans tried to make a comeback but WR Earl Bennett and K Robbie Gould couldn’t put up enough points to come back. Leading scorers for the Titans were Drew Brees, Steve Slaton, Dwayne Bowe and Andre Caldwell. After Week 6, I'm in 5th place overall (tied for 2nd in the Annie Armstrong Conference) with a record of 4-2.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers have won two in a row as they got the win over Romo’s Wingman by the score of 117.34 to 101.52. The game was decided before the Monday Night game. The Tigers won despite only getting 0.52 from WR Steve Smith. It was a well needed victory as the Tigers now found themselves back at .500. Leading scorers for the Tigers were Jay Cutler, Wes Welker, Adrian Peterson, and Philadelphia DEF. After Week 6, I'm in 5th place (essentially tied for 3rd) with a record of 3-3.

Outlook for Week 7:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (2-4) face a tough matchup as they square off against Domiation (5-1). The Masterpieces will be at full strength while Domination will be without RB Chris Johnson and TE Todd Heap. The Masterpieces need a win to get back in the race for the playoffs and defend their championship. Key matchup will be the WR position (Hines Ward/DeSean Jackson/Reggie Wayne vs. Randy Moss/Chad OchoCinco/Lee Evans). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Titans (4-2) will get back in the win column as they face off against the Seminary Slingers (3-3). The Slingers are managed by Kyle, a friend at seminary. Both teams will be at full strength with no players on the bye. It should be a tough matchup as both teams are trying to keep pace. Key matchup will be at the QB position (Drew Brees vs. Matt Schaub). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Slingers as the favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers (3-3) will look to get another big win as they face off against The Purple Pegasus (2-4). For the Tigers, they will be without T.J. Houshmadzadeh as he’ll be on the bye. The Purple Pegasus will be without WR Mark Clayton, RB Willis McGahee and K Rob Bironias as they will be on the bye. This will be a huge game for both teams as they try gain momentum at an important part of the season. Key matchup will be at the TE position (Tony Gonzalez vs. Chris Cooley). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Tigers as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday...

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Two Good Examples of Leadership

This coming Saturday in Dallas, Texas is one of the big games in the college football season. It is a rivalry game known commonly as the Red River Shootout (or the Red River Rivalry) that takes place annually between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the University of Texas Longhorns. It is one of college footballs biggest rivalry games and one that is a bitter rivalry between the two schools.

In the midst of all this, stands two quarterbacks: OU redshirt junior QB Sam Bradford and UT redshirt senior QB Colt McCoy. Both QBs are highly touted with many school records and accolades including a Heisman Trophy for Bradford. They are considered high draft picks in next year's NFL draft.

They are also strong followers of Jesus. In many interviews both large and small, they have made clear their faith and their walk with Christ. It is something that is really refreshing to hear from young men in positions such as these who excel in athletics but are also looking to grow deeper in their walk with Christ at a young age.

Baptist Press Sports recently had an article on an interview they did with McCoy talking about his recent trips to Peru with Fellowship of Christian Athletes. While he was there traveling to various villages helping to build homes, teaching various sports and sharing the gospel, it left an indellible mark. You can read more of the article here.

Also, here is a video with the two of them talking about their faith:



They along with Tim Tebow are young men who I look forward to seeing compete on Sundays and contining to share about their faith during the week.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 5 Edition

It's time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 5 Edition. This week was the best week so far in the 2009 campaign. All three teams posted victories as they went 3-0 this week in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 5 and the look ahead to Week 6...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces bounced back from a heartbreaker last week to get an impressive victory over Tuna Helper by the score of 118.23 to 52.71. It was an impressive victory and one desperately needed by the defending champs. The Masterpieces got huge performances from some of the key players including the first big performance by RB Michael Turner. The margin of victory was such that it was recognized at the Toyota Biggest Fantasy Blowout for Week 5. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Peyton Manning, Michael Turner, Hines Ward and Reggie Wayne. After Week 5, I'm in 7th place overall (3rd in the Shakespeare Division) with a record of 2-3.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the Kansas City Titans got their second as a row as they defeated the Increditurtles by the score of 95.41 to 86.38. It was a matchup that was decided before the Sunday Night game as both teams had all their players finished before then. Both teams had one player with 0 points (Cooley for the Titans, Sims-Walker for the Turtles). The Titans got enough support from the rest of the guys to get the victory. Leading scorers for the Titans were Minnesota DEF, Brett Favre, Dwayne Bowe and Steve Slaton. After Week 5, I'm in 3rd place overall (tied for 1st in the Annie Armstrong Conference) with a record of 4-1.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers broke the losing streak as they got a victory over Roses N Runningbacks by the score of 118.35 to 110.34. The Tigers built up a huge enough lead that they were able to hold on through the Monday Night game. It was a well needed victory as the Tigers look to get a winning streak of their own going. Leading scorers for the Tigers were Ben Roethlisberger, Adrian Peterson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Philadelphia DEF. After Week 5, I'm in 6th place (essentially tied for 4th) with a record of 2-3.

Outlook for Week 6:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (2-3) will to get two in a row they face off against Plax' Gun Club (4-1). The bye week affects the Masterpieces in losing two key contributers: QB Peyton Manning and WR Reggie Wayne. Plax' Gun Club will be at full strength as no one on his team is one a bye which will make things tough for the Masterpieces. Key matchup will be the QB position (Matt Hasselbeck vs. Joe Flacco). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Gun Club as the slight favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Titans (4-1) will look to keep the winning streak alive as they square off against 2-2-0 (4-1). The Titans will be at full strength this week with no players on the bye. 2-2-0 will be without WR Reggie Wayne for the bye. The Titans continue to tweak the lineup at WR trying to get the best combination. Hopefully that will be the case this week. Key matchup will be at the TE position (Chris Cooley vs. Brent Celek)). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting 2-2-0 as the favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers (2-3) will look to get another win as they face off against Romo's Wingman (2-3). For the Tigers, they will be at full strength as no starter is on the bye. Romo's Wingman will be without TE Dallas Clark and K Nick Folk. The Tigers will try and build on last week's performance to keep the winning ways going. Key matchup will be at the DEF position (Philly vs. Washington). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Tigers as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday...

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 4 Edition

It's Tuesday which means its time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 4 Edition. It was yet again another poor performance as my teams went 1-2 this week in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 4 and the look ahead to Week 5...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces lost a heartbreaker as they were defeated by Memphis Explosion by the score of 112.81 to 110.91. The Masterpieces were losing big going into the Sunday night game then were leading by three going into the Monday night game and lead until the fourth quarter when the Explosion squeaked by. The Masterpieces scored the third highest point total but it was for naught as they now stand at 1-3 after 4 weeks. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Antonio Gates, Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne and Hines Ward. After Week 4, I'm in 8th place overall (3rd in the Shakespeare Division) with a record of 1-3.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the Kansas City Titans bounced back with the slightest of victories over the Panters by the score of 106.22 to 106.16. It came down to the Monday Night game as the Titans with Minnesota's DEF held off the Panthers with QB Aaron Rodgers and RB Ryan Grant. Another subpar performance by the WR core almost led to the second straight loss. However, huge games by the dynamic duo at RB helped carry the day. Leading scorers for the Titans were Minnesota DEF, Steve Slaton, Kevin Smith and Chris Cooley. After Week 4, I'm in 4th place overall (tied for 1st in the Annie Armstrong Conference) with a record of 3-1.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers lost for the third time this season in another heartbreaker as they lost to The Sleepers by a score of 97.34to 91.94. The Tigers couldn't make up a huge deficit going into the Monday night game and have not lost three games in a row. Leading scorers for the Tigers were Jay Cutler, Bernard Berrian, and New England DEF. After Week 4, I'm in 6th place with a record of 1-3.

Outlook for Week 5:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (1-3) will try and right the ship as they face off against Tuna Helper (2-2). The bye week affects the Masterpieces in losing TE Antonio Gates, K Robbie Gould and San Diego DEF. Tuna Helper will be without QB Philip Rivers and Green Bay DEF. Key matchup will be the TE positio(Vernon Davis vs. Owen Daniels). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Titans (3-1) will look to keep the winning ways going as they square off against the Increditurtles (2-2). The Increditurtles are managed by Joseph, another former Union alum. Titans will be without QB Drew Brees and K Robbie Gould because of the bye. The Increditurtles will be without WRs Vincent Jackson and Greg Jennings along with K Nate Kaeding as they'll be on the bye. The Titans will finally get back WR Dwayne Bowe this week. Hopefully with him and Steve Breaston back in the lineup the WR core will be up to par. Interesting matchup as the Titans QB this week is Brett Favre and one of the Increditurtles starting WR is Percy Harvin and starting RB is Adrian Peterson. Key matchup will be at the K position (Jason Elam vs. Kris Brown). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Increditurtles as the favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers (1-3) will look to get back into the win column as they face off against Roses N Runningbacks (2-2). For the Tigers, they will be without QB Jay Cutler because of the bye. Roses N Runningbacks will be without TE Jeremy Shockey. The Tigers will have WR Wes Welker back in the lineup and will otherwise have all their big guns in the lineup. Key matchup will be at the DEF position (Philly vs. Baltimore). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Tigers as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday...

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Fan Appreciation Night...Ninth Royals Game of 2009 in Review

Last Saturday, I went to my ninth Royals game of the 2009 season. It was also Fan Appreciation Night along with a giveaway involving a George Brett figurine. Aside from getting the figurine and a tentative calender for next season, that was it. I didn't win any of the giveaways nor the scratchoff for the jerseys off the players backs. That was a bummer.

As far as the game itself, there were two highlights. First was the back to back homers by Alberto Callaspo and Branyan Pena. The second was seeing Billy Butler getting his 50th double. With that, he became one of five players to post a 20 homer, 50 double season before the age of 24 (joining Hank Greenberg, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera).

Aside from that, the game wasn't so good. The Twins (whom the Royals were facing) ended up scoring 11 runs and won the game 11-6.

The Royals ended the year 5-4 in games that I attended. Overall, not bad, it is a winning record. Hopefully, they will have a better year next year.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 3 Edition

It's Tuesday which means its time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 3 Edition. Another lackluster performance as as my teams went 1-2 this week in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 3 and the look ahead to Week 4...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces finally got their first win of the season as they defeated MidwestCoastOffense by the score of 123.23 to 115.63. As opposed to last week, the efforts of Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne on Sunday night led the charge as they staged a comeback typical of Manning and Wayne to help the team post their first win of the 09 and with hopefully momentum in the weeks to come. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Peyton Manning, DeSean Jackson, Reggie Wayne and San Diego DEF. After Week 3, I'm in 8th place overall (3rd in the Shakespeare Division) with a record of 1-2.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the Kansas City Titans lost their first game of the season to the Spurgeons by the score of 128.19 to 75.23. Several key factors led to the loss. One: The wait until the last minute for WR Dwayne Bowe to be inactive which led to 0 points plus the ineffectiveness of the Saints offense which led to 0 points for WR Robert Meachem and a subpar performance by QB Drew Brees. Two: Huge performance by their opposing QB (Peyton Manning). Overall, a disappointing performance turned in by the Titans. Leading scorers for the Titans were Minnesota DEF, Steve Slaton, and Kevin Smith. After Week 3, I'm in 6th place overall (tied for 1st in the Annie Armstrong Conference) with a record of 2-1.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers suffered their first second of the season in a heartbreaker as they lost to the Chi-chiwawa's by a score of 85.13to 82.93. The Tigers had the lead going into the Monday night game but could hold on despite having WR Steve Smith going for them. WR Wes Welker being out for another week which led to WR Ted Ginn Jr starting who unfortunately got 0 points was the main reason for the loss. Leading scorers for the Tigers were Jay Cutler, Brandon Jacobs, David Akers, and Philly DEF. After Week 3, I'm in 6th place (essentially tied for 5th) with a record of 1-2.

Outlook for Week 4:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (1-2) look to build off of their first win of the '09 campaign as they square off against the Memphis Explosion (1-2). This will be the first matchup of the season out of division and also the first one affected by the bye week. The bye week affects the Masterpieces in losing WR DeSean Jackson and RB Michael Turner. The Explosion will be without Philly DEF. Key matchup will be the RB position (Fred Jackson/LenDale White vs. Reggie Bush/Chester Taylor). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the slight favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Titans (2-1) will look to rebound and get a win as they face off against the Panthers (2-1). The Titans will be without WR Steve Breaston as he's on the bye along with K Jason Elam. The Panthers will be without WR Larry Fitzgerald and K David Akers as they'll be on the bye. The health of WR Dwayne Bowe is still in question and there may be some roster moves pending to shore up the depleted WR core. Key matchup will be at the TE position (Chris Cooley vs. Greg Olsen). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Titans as the favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers (1-2) will look to get back into the win column as they face off against The Sleepers (0-3). For the Tigers, they will be without WR Steve Smith, TE Tony Gonzalez, K David Akers, and Philly DEF for the bye. The Sleepers will be without RB Brian Westbrook. Again, WR Wes Welker's status is questionable and may have to go with Bernard Berrian or Ted Ginn Jr if need be. Key matchup will be at the QB position (Jay Cutler vs. Peyton Manning). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Tigers as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 2 Edition

Tuesday=Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 2 Edition. This week wasn't the best as my teams went 1-2 this week in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 2 and the look ahead to Week 3...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces lost a heartbreaker to No Name? by the score of 89.71 to 79.06. Despite the valiant effort of Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne on Monday night, the team couldn't make up the huge deficit encurred on Sunday. Poor performances by both starting running back LenDale White and San Diego's DEF are major factors in the loss. The loss leaves the Masterpieces with a lot of work ahead of them to get back in contention. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Peyton Manning, DeSean Jackson, and Michael Turner. After Week 2, I'm in 10th place overall (3rd in the Shakespeare Division) with a record of 0-2.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the Kansas City Titans have kept the winning ways going as they put together another solid win against rival LouisVillians by the score of 101.67 to 88.87. Another huge day for QB Drew Brees as he is definitely making a name for himself with the Titans. He helped to get the team to a huge lead and they held on through the Monday Night game for the second win of the season. Leading scorers for the Titans were Brees, Minnesota DEF, Dwayne Bowe and Chris Cooley. After Week 1, I'm in 2nd place overall (1st in the Annie Armstrong Conference) with a record of 2-0.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers suffered their first loss of the season as they lost to the MidwestCoastOffense by a score of 117.64 to 86.85. The Tigers were struck by the injury bug as WR Wes Welker was unable to play and was stuck as a starter before it could be changed. Coupled with a poor performance by the Philly DEF and RB Brandon Jacobs, the Tigers were unable to withstand the barrage of points the Offense put up. Leading scorers for the Tigers were Jay Cutler, Adrian Peterson, Tony Gonzalez, and Steve Smith. After week 2, I'm in 5th place with a record of 1-1.

Outlook for Week 2:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (0-2) look to get their first win of the '09 campaign against against MidwestCoastOffense (0-2). MidwestCoastOffense is managed by my good friend Steve (who incidently beat me in another league last week) and is sporting an 0-2 record in this league as well. The Masterpieces have shook up their lineup a little with going with RB Fred Jackson starting this week in an effort to jumpstart the offense and hopefully capture that first win of the year. Key matchup will be the TE position (Antonio Gates vs. Tony Gonzalez). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Masterpieces as the favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Titans (2-0) will square off against the Spurgeons (1-1). The Titans will be facing off against a team that has several players that I own in different leagues which makes for a tough time. Key matchup will be at the RB position (Steve Slaton/Kevin Smith vs. Steven Jackson/Larry Johnson). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Spurgeons as the slight favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers (1-1) will look to get back into the win column as they face off against the Chi-chiwawa's (2-0). The Chi-chiwawa's are coming off two wins in a row. The Tigers will look to bounce back from their Week 2 loss. WR Wes Welker's status is questionable and may have to go with Bernard Berrian or Ted Ginn Jr if need be. Key matchup will be at the K position (David Akers vs. Nate Kaeding). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Chi-chiwawa's as the favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 1 Edition

Yes, it is time for Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 1 Edition. This week had it's ups and downs as evidenced by the games involved. My teams went 2-1 this week in the three highlight leagues. Here's the breakdown for Week 1 and the look ahead to Week 2...

Breakdown:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces started their defense of their championship on a very sour note with a loss to the Headhunters by the score of 108.36 to 99.02. This is the second year in a row, the Masterpieces have lost to the Headhunters in Week 1. The upside this year was no season ending injuries in Week 1. Poor performances by both starting running backs are major factors in the loss. The bright side was the WR core who combined for over 55 points. The leading scorers for the Masterpieces were Reggie Wayne, DeSean Jackson, and Peyton Manning. After Week 1, I'm in 8th place overall (3rd in the Shakespeare Division) with a record of 0-1.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the season started off well for the Kansas City Titans as they put together a solid win against rival Souper Bowl Sundays by the score of 117.37 to 95.68. It was a gutsy performance from a team that had one starting WR inactive (Breaston) and another get hurt (Gonzalez) which combined for 0 points between the two. They were bailed out by a huge performance by Drew Brees and his 46.82 points. The leading scorers for the Titans were Brees, Minnesota DEF, Kevin Smith, and Chris Cooley. After Week 1, I'm in 4nd place overall (tied for 1st in the Annie Armstrong Conference) with a record of 1-0.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers put together a solid performance as they beat Fear This by a score of 132.08 to 101.00. The Tigers secured the victory before the Sunday night game on huge performances by Adrian Peterson and the Philly DEF. This lead to the team being the highest scoring team of the week and was the Toyota Biggest Fantasy Blowout for Week 1. Leading scorers for the Tigers were Peterson, Philly DEF, Jay Cutler, and Tony Gonzalez. After week 1, I'm in 1st place with a record of 1-0.

Outlook for Week 2:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (0-1) look to try to get back on track with a win against No Name? (1-0). No Name? is managed by my good friend Jon and comes in on a roll after winning their opening game. The Masterpieces hope that the RB duo of Michael Turner and LenDale White get back to their high scoring ways as well as continued solid performances from the rest of the starters. Key matchup will be the QB position (Peyton Manning vs. Kurt Warner). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting No Name? as the slight favorite.

In the League of Fantasy Footballers, the Kansas City Titans (1-0) will square off against the LouisVillians (1-0) in a matchup of undefeated teams. The Villians, managed by Jason, friend from my days in Martin, had a Week 1 victory that was decided by a mere 2 points. The Titans will be looking to the bench/waiver wire as WR Anthony Gonzalez will be out for several weeks and WR Steve Breaston's status is still up in the air. Key matchup will be at the RB position (Steve Slaton/Kevin Smith vs. Brian Westbrook/Reggie Bush). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Villians as the favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators league, the Krakow Tigers (1-0) will face off against the MidwestCoastOffense (1-0). The Offense, managed by my good friend Steve from my college days) are coming off a Week 1 victory as well. The Tigers will look to continue their winning ways and seek to keep the momentum gained from their impressive Week 1 performance. Key matchup will be at the DEF position (Philly vs. NY Giants). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Tigers as the slight favorite.

That's all for this week. Tune in next Tuesday for another installment of Fantasy Football Tuesday.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Fantasy Football Tuesday: Week 1 Preview

It's time once again for Fantasy Football Tuesday. It will once again be a good time to review and preview the weekend that was and will be in fantasy football and as a way to kick off the season, here is the Week 1 preview...

Outlook for Week 1:

In the Speed Kills league, the K.C. Masterpieces (0-0) take on the Headhunters (0-0). The Headhunters are managed by Scott, a friend from my days at Union and is a division rival in the new Shakespeare Division. On paper, this looks to be like an interesting matchup. Both teams have quality QBs (Peyton Manning vs. Drew Brees) and have pretty good TEs (Antonio Gates vs. Jeremy Shockey). RBs are fairly even (Michael Turner/LenDale White vs Ronnie Brown/Larry Johnson). Key matchup will be at WR (Reggie Wayne/Hines Ward/DeSean Jackson vs. Terrell Owens/Eddie Royal/Steve Breaston). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Headhunters as the favorite.

In the League of Evangelical Baptists, the Kansas City Titans (0-0) square off against Souper Bowl Sundays. The Sundays are managed by Adam, a good friend from college and are a division rival in the Annie Armstrong Conference. The matchup appears to be an intriguging one. The QB matchup features two quality QBs (Drew Brees vs. Philip Rivers). Both teams have DEF from the NFC North (Minnesota vs. Green Bay) and have solid TE (Chris Cooley vs. Heath Miller). The key matchup will be at the RB position (Steve Slaton/Kevin Smith vs. DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan Stewart). As of right now, Yahoo is predicting the Titans as the favorite.

In the Pigskin Prognosticators League, the Krakow Tigers (0-0) will face off against Fear This. Fear This is managed by Jon, another good friend from college. This will also be another tough matchup. The QB matchup will be one to watch (Jay Cutler vs. Donovan McNabb) along with the K matcup (David Akers vs. Jason Elam). The key matchup will be DEF postion (Philadelphia vs. New York Jets). As of right now, Yahoo has the Tigers as the favorite.

Well that's the outlook for Week 1 of the Fantasy Football season. Good luck to all who are participating and look forward to a great season!

Monday, September 7, 2009

2009 Fantasy Football Preview Extravaganza

The NFL season only four days away, which means it's time again for fantasy football. As is tradition, I'm here to break down some of the leagues that I'm in and my teams. This year there will be again three leagues that are must watch/keep up with and to start off here's a draft recap.

*To start off, the first league is Speed Kills, this league is one that I've been participating in since 2001 (now in it's 9th season). I have finished in the top 3 five times and have won the championship three times with now being the two time defending champs the past two years. It is made up of some friends from college and some friends of friends. The team name again this year is the K.C. Masterpieces. In this year's draft, the Masterpieces had the 3rd overall pick and with it selected Michael Turner. The rest of the starting lineup is as follows:

QB - Peyton Manning (2st round-22nd pick)
RBs - Michael Turner (1st round-3rd pick), LenDale White (5th round-51st pick)
WRs - Reggie Wayne (3nd round-27th pick), Hines Ward (6th round-70th pick), DeSean Jackson (7th round-75th pick)
TE - Antonio Gates (4th round-46th pick)
K - Rob Bironas (8th round-94rd pick)
DEF - San Diego (9th round-99th pick)

Key backups drafted:
QB Matt Hasselbeck (11th round-123rd pick), RB Fred Jackson (10th round-118th pick), WR Justin Gage (13th round-147th pick), TE Anthony Fasano (12th round-142nd pick)

Season Prediction: This will be again be a tough year. Several top teams have returned (including Jon and Stephen). No team in this league has won three in a row. The starting lineup appears to be better than last year. However, there is questions marks with the backups. If the team plays up to expectations, this team does have the potential to compete deep into the playoffs. I do think they will finish in the top 3 with a chance at a three-peat.

*The second league is one called the League of Evangelical Baptists. This is the first year of the league and features several friends from college (Adam, Joseph), one from my grad school days (Jason), a friend from seminary now (Kyle) and several of their friends. The team name in this league is the Kansas City Titans. In this year's draft, the Titans had the 10th overall pick and with it selected Steve Slaton. The rest of the starting lineup is as follows:

QB - Drew Brees (2nd round-15th pick)
RBs - Steve Slaton (1st round-10th pick), Kevin Smith (4th round-39th pick)
WRs - Dwayne Bowe (3rd round-34nd pick), Anthony Gonzalez (5th round-58th pick), Steve Breaston (8th round-87th pick)
TE - Chris Cooley (6th round-63rd pick)
K - Jason Elam (9th round-106th pick)
DEF - Minnesota (7th round-82nd pick)

Key backups drafted: QB Brett Favre (10th round-111th pick), RB Jerious Norwood (11th round-130th pick), WR Nate Washington (12th round-135th pick), TE Anthony Fasano (13th round-154th pick)

Season Prediction: This team, the first of the three for me to live draft, is probably the wild card team. There is a lot of potential for success. However, there is a lot of potential for bust action to happen. This will also be a very competitive league. It will be hard to win the championship in this 12 team league but I think this team can be a very dangerous team and one that will be a tough matchup each week.

*The third league I'm in is another league with friends and friends of friends. It is called the Pigskin Prognosticators league. This league has my friends Jon and Stephen so it should be a good time. The team name in this league is the Krakow Tigers (named in honor of the American Football team in the city in Poland where I worked this past summer). In this year's draft, the Tigers had the 1st overall pick (third year in a row I've had a team with the first overall pick) and with it selected Adrian Peterson. The rest of the starting lineup is as follows:

QB - Jay Cutler (7th round-49th pick)
RBs - Adrian Peterson (1st round-1st pick), Brandon Jacobs (2nd round-16th pick)
WRs - Steve Smith (3nd round-17th pick), Wes Welker (4th round-32th pick), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (6th round-48th pick)
TE - Tony Gonzalez (5th round-33rd pick)
K- David Akers (9th round-65th pick)
DEF- Philadelphia (8th round-64th pick)

Key backups drafted: QB Ben Roethlisberger (12th round-96th pick), RB LenDale White (10th round-80th pick), WR Bernard Berrian (11th round-811st pick), TE John Carlson (13th round-97th pick)

Season Prediction: Talent wise, this is the best team. Given this was only an 8 team league, that's understandable. The strength of this team is depth at definitely the starting RBs along with good depth at TE along with QB. The question marks will be at WR and whether they will continue to put up numbers that they have done in previous years. If there is any of the three highlight teams to pick for the championship, I would say this is the one.

This has been the great Fantasy Football Preview Extravaganza. In a day or two (probably by Wednesday) will be the Week 1 preview matchups from each league. Until then, later days...

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Predictions for the 2009 NFL Season

Given the amount of chatter (both on my blog here and on the subsequent copy of the post on Facebook) about my college picks, it should be interesting to see how my NFL picks turn out. So without further adieu, here's my picks:

NFC East:
Dallas
Philadelphia
NY Giants
Washington

NFC North:
Minnesota
Chicago
Green Bay
Detroit

NFC South:
Atlanta
Carolina
New Orleans
Tampa Bay

NFC West:
Arizona
Seattle
San Francisco
St. Louis

Wild Cards: Chicago, Seattle

AFC East:
New England
Miami
Buffalo
NY Jets

AFC North:
Pittsburgh
Baltimore
Cleveland
Cincinnati

AFC South:
Tennessee
Indianapolis
Houston
Jacksonville

AFC West:
San Diego
Kansas City
Denver
Oakland

Wild Cards: Indianapolis, Miami

SUPER BOWL - Tennessee over Atlanta

Monday, August 31, 2009

College Football Predictions for 2009 Season

It's about time again...football season! And with that comes the predictions that are surely to be wrong (or maybe right). Here's the predictions for this year:

First, here's my predicions for the conference champions:
ACC: Virginia Tech
Big 12: Texas
Big East: Rutgers
Big Ten: Penn State
Conference USA: Southern Miss
Mid-American: Western Michigan
Mountain West: TCU
Pac-10: California
SEC: Ole Miss
Sun Belt: Troy
WAC: Boise State

Other predictions:Washington will make a bowl game (definitely pie in the sky I know)
Heisman winner: Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
National Championship: Texas vs. Penn State
National Champion: Texas

So there you go, feel free to agree or disagree and give your opinion on the subject.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Record Breaking Night...Eighth Royals Game in Review

Yesterday, I took in my eighth Royals game in review. It was also the fourth time seeing the Royals vs. the Cleveland Indians and the third time seeing Zack Grienke match up against the Indians (the fourth time seeing him pitch was against the A's). It was also T-Shirt Tuesday which meant a free t-shirt as well :)

Anytime Zack takes the mound, it is the chance to see something special and last night was no exception. He ended up breaking the team record for strikeouts in a game with 15 through 8 innings.

The team helped out by scoring 6 runs and ended up winning the game 6-2. The Royals are now 5-3 in games I've attended this season. Given how that looks compared to the record when I don't attend, they might think about giving me free season tickets or something :)

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Royals Seventh Game In Review

Yesterday, I took in my second Royals game in four days. This time I went as a Royals fan again. They took on the Oakland A's. It was also a giveaway night. It was Frank White Hall of Fame Figurine Night. He's a player who was big during the 70s and 80s when the Royals were really good and he's in the Royals hall of fame.

The game itself ended up being good. It didn't start out well as they were down 3-0 early but turned it around and scored a plenty of runs. At one point they were up 12-3 before a few runs late ended the game at 12-6.

The Royals are 4-3 in games I've attended. I'm at least planning one more trip maybe two before the end of the season. At least for this night, it ended up being a good one.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Mariners/Royals...Sixth Royals Game of 2009 in Review

Yesterday I was able to take in my first baseball game in over two months. Fittingly, it was the Royals/Mariners, the second time this year I've seen these two teams play. Of course, I was supporting the Mariners wearing my Griffey jersey and M's hat.

It was 80's night at the ballpark. There was 80's music played throughout and some people dressed like it was the 80's. It was also Buck Night which meant hot dogs, cokes, peanuts and programs were $1 each.

The game itself was a good one....at least for a Mariners fan. Lots of runs put up, including 6 in the 4th inning. There were some Royals highlights including a home run by Billy Butler and one by Alex Gordon. That along with a cat running around on the field were pretty much the only cheering moments the Royals had as the M's took the game 11-6.

I was very happy as this was the first time the Mariners had beaten the Royals at a game I've went to (they were 0-2 in previous attempts) though I felt bad for the Royals as they've went in the tank since I saw them last in May. Right now they're 3-3 in games I've attended. Hopefully they'll at least get competitive in the month and half of the season.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Ministry and Rocky Balboa

I've been feeling kind of down and so I thought I'd rent something off iTunes. Something that kind of fit my mood. So I ended up watching Rocky Balboa. It's a movie that I've seen several times and own the DVD back home. It's a movie that is one of my favorites. At where I'm at in my life right now, the story resonated.

I think the scene that really stuck out with me was the one with Rocky and his son. His son confronted him after he found out about the fight with Mason Dixon and talked about all the struggles he's having to go through being under the shadow of his father and being considered a joke. Rocky then reminds him about watching him grow up and telling about how he would be great and that he'd be his own man. But in that he lost being who he was and instead starting blaming others.

The key point is how Rocky talks about how life hits and how it hits hard. The key lines are these: "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward."

I would say the past two weeks I've been taking some real hard shots. The kind that are like ones right to the face. If anyone has ever been hit in the face, especially in the nose, you know how it messes you up. You get dazed, you stagger around a bit and you lose your balance a little. You pretty much can't keep from being really affected by it. It hurts. I think that would pretty much sum up the past two weeks.

That's the way following Jesus is. Sometimes there will be times when you get hit and get hit hard. It will hurt and it'll hurt bad. That's the life we're called to. Throughout the Bible, it talks about how those who followed Jesus had to deal with rough times but they kept going because 1) they knew that following Jesus was worth more than not and 2) they had the presence of the Holy Spirit to comfort them in those times.

It's like Rock said, you have to take the hits and keep moving forward. It may take a little time to shake off the hurt but you keep moving forward. That's what a follower of Jesus is called to.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Reflecting on Steve McNair

I was on the phone with my dad (10:30pm local time in Krakow) when he told me about the death of Steve McNair. My first reaction was shock. Complete and utter shock. It's one of those things you don't expect to hear. As more information has come out, it has been more tragic in nature.

I thought as I reflected on this I'd look at both the negative and positive. The negative being that it looks more and more like a murder-suicide also involving a 20 year old girl. This girl also was arrested earlier in the week for DUI in a Escalade co-owned by Steve and her. It's sad to hear given the fact that Steve is married and has four kids and for all intents and purposes in apperance was happily married. If there was cheating involved, it is tragic. It reflects how a bad decision can have bad consequences, and in this case really tragic ones.

On the positive side, he will be remembered as a tough quarterback. When the team came to Tennessee in 1997, he was the starting quarterback. For the "hometown" team, he was the QB. He was the epitome of perseverence and toughness and no matter what injury he had and how much practice he missed, you expected to see him out on the field on Sunday. I remember last year blogging right after his retirement about memories I have of his playing days with the Titans. It was a sad day when he retired, it's a sadder day that he passed away.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. I hope that Steve followed Jesus and I hope that his family does and that they can turn to Him for comfort in this time of hurt. Steve, you will be missed.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

American Football in Poland

It has been awhile since my last post. For those that don't know, I have been in Poland for about a month now serving as an intern. I've been getting my sports fix from keeping up online with scores and video highlights (cause of the 7 hour time difference).

Today, however, was a cool experience. I went to an American Football game here in Krakow. One of the people that I'm working with is helping coach a team here and helped to get the program going. The team is called the Krakow Tigers and they play in a league against other teams in Poland. Today they played against their crosstown rivals, the Krakow Knights. On top of that, I was put in charge of helping to film for the game cause the one who normally does it is out of the country on vacation.

It was really interesting watching a game that I love being played here in Poland. The fans that were there were into the game. There was a public address announcer that would describe the action (he was rooting for the Tigers, it was a home game for them) in Polish and then get people to chant "Let's go offense" or "Let's go defense" in English. The wave was done several times and at halftime, there was a throwing competition and a kicking competition with some fans from the stands.

The game itself was pretty good. There was some sloppy plays on both sides with multiple false starts and offsides along with several personal fouls called. There were also some cool plays such as an onside kick recovered by the Tigers. They also took the opening kickoff of the second half all the way back for the touchdown. In the end, the Tigers were too much for the Knights as they ended up winning 44-8.

It was a cool experience and it has me excited for when I get back to the States and for football season to get started.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Fifth Royals Game...In Review

On Thursday, I went to my fifth Royals game of the year. This one was planned before I went to the one on Tuesday. This one was to be the last one I got to before I left for overseas mission for two months. It turned out to be a pretty good time. The weather was great (sunny, high 70s/low 80s). It was a day game matchup and Zack Grienke was pitching. Some highlights:

*Before the game, me, Kyle, Tyler and Dr. Cardoza (one of the profs at Midwestern) got to the park early and did some tailgaiting. This was the first time I ever tailgated at a professional game. It was pretty cool.

*The game itself was pretty good...except for the fact that Cleveland won. The Royals had a lead when Grienke left and the bullpen/defense let him down and cost the Royals a win.

The record of games I go to now stands at 3-2. The next game I'll be able to go to will be in August when I get back from being overseas. Hopefully at that point, the Royals will still be hanging around.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

One of the Greatest MLB Games I've Been To...Fourth Royals Game in Review

Yesterday, I went to one of the best baseball games I've ever been to. The whole story behind it and the game itself was great and one worth retelling.

To preface, on Monday afternoon I was playing Star Wars: Epic Duels with some guys (Tyler, Kyle and Stephen) in the dorm lobby. While we were playing, Allen walked over and said something to the effect of "I know that you three (me, Tyler, Kyle) would probably be interested in this...I got some free tickets to the Royals game tomorrow night, would you like to go with me?" When I heard this, my immediate reaction was of course. Turns out, Dr. Roberts (president of the seminary) got these tickets from some unknown benefactor and gave them to Allen. These tickets were initally going to be given away during the Royals Chapel but weren't available then. So it ended up being me, Allen, Kyle and Stephen who went (Tyler had to pick up a friend at the airport that night and couldn't go).

So yesterday afternoon, the four of us headed out to the "K". On the way, looked at the tickets and found that there was free parking too. When we got to the stadium, it was several hours early. It was plenty of time to walk around the Outfield Experience, along with getting our free t-shirt (it was T-Shirt Tuesday so we got a free Royals t-shirt). It was a beautiful day at the ballpark and a perfect evening for baseball.

Since the rest of the stadium wasn't open yet, I suggested we walked down to the Pepsi Party Porch and watch batting practice taking place. We were early enough to see the Royals taking BP. It was the first time I had been out there and it was surprising how really low the porch is to the field. As we were standing out there watching, there was a ball hit on the field near where we were standing. One of the Royals pitchers (Ron Mahay) who was out on the field gently tossed the ball up to some fans about a few feet away from me. They missed catching it and it landed back on the field. I stood there and didn't see where the ball went. Suddenly I see a ball come flying up in the air and a little behind me. I turn back and took about two steps and with my right hand I caught it bare handed. It was completely unexpected and totally cool.

When the opened the rest of the stadium up, we decided to head over to our seats. On the way I saw someone signing autographs by the Royals dugout. I figure why not and decided to try and get my baseball that I just got signed. As I got about halfway down the steps, I saw that it was Trey Hillman, the manager signing autographs. I got down there and stood in a short line and waited for my turn. When it was my turn I handed him the ball and my Sharpie pen. As he was signing it I said "I wanted to thank you for coming to Midwestern Seminary last month." He said "You're welcome, I had a good time there." I then said "It was a real blessing." He then replied "Thank you, I appreciate that." as he handed me the ball and my pen. I walked away with a smile on my face.

I got over to where the other guys were sitting and saw the view from our seats. We were in the Dugout Plaza section, it was lower level behind the first base dugout near home plate, just right underneath the second level. They were some of the best seats I've ever sit in at a baseball game. It was an awesome experience and the game hadn't started yet.

The Royals were playing the Cleveland Indians. This was my second time this year seeing this matchup. Unfortunately, Trevor Crowe was not there as he is in AAA right now. The pitching matchup was Brian Bannister vs the reigning AL Cy Young Winner Cliff Lee. The game was a fairly close one. There was some back and forth going on and some exciting plays. One included at collison at the plate which resulted in the Indians player getting booed the rest of the game.

The game seemed to go the way of the Indians when they hit a 3 run homer in the 6th to make the score 5-1. The Royals scored a run and in the 9th were down 3 runs with the score 5-2. In between the 9th inning, me, Kyle, Allen and Stephen got on Crown Vision (the big screen). It was really cool and I was able to get a picture of it.

The bottom of the 9th was simply crazy. The fireworks started with one out and Mike Jacobs at the plate and Kerry Wood, the Indians closer on the mound. Jacobs worked the count to 3-2 and then proceeded to take a pitch out of the park. The solo HR made the score 5-3. The very next batter was Mark Teahen. On like the first pitch of the at-bat, Teahen takes Wood yard as he hits a home run of his own. The back-to-back solo HRs made the score 5-4. Miguel Olivo was the next batter and proceeded to take a walk. The Royals send in a pinch runner (Mitch Maier) and then have David DeJesus at the plate. DeJesus then hits a triple which scores Maier and ties the game at 5-5. The next batter was Willie Bloomquist, former Mariner and a favorite of mine. Bloomquist hits a deep pop out which allows DeJesus to tag up from third and score the game winning run. The Royals win in dramatic fashion 6-5.

The crowd was loud right after Jacobs hit the HR and kept getting louder and louder. It was a tremendous atmosphere. It ranks up there as one of the best MLB games I've ever been to. With that win, the Royals are 3-1 in games I've been to. It's the time of game that definitely is worth retelling the story.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Running Journal for Royals Chapel 2.0

Last month, Midwestern Seminary hosted the second Royals Chapel. Once again, manager Trey Hillman and GM Dayton Moore came and spoke in a dialogue format with the president of the seminary, Dr. Roberts. It was a similar format to last year's chapel.

It started off with a little humor as they were asked some things they were thinking on recently. Trey said that Dayton said to him "I'm the boss, you go (first)." Trey mentioned how he had been thinking a lot about family and the importance of being the spiritual head of his household. He also made mention of his wife being the glue that holds things together.

Dayton mentioned about how he was encouraged about the good start the team has done but that he wasn't satisfied. He also mentioned about there was harmony within the organization and the importance of that.

Trey followed up by saying that it is easy to feel excitement like the way the fans feel lately. He had two really good quotes at this point. One was one he mentions a lot to his team "Without hope and faith, we're lost as human beings." The other was "God bless critics. If we didn't have critics, we wouldn't have anyone to prove them wrong."

Dayton mentioned that he felt more pressure from ownership than the media and that Trey has more of a challenge with the media than he does.

Trey talked about how he is more at peace this year. He also mentioned something that was interesting. He said that "Sometimes its better to keep your mouth shut for the better of the group." He also mentioned about carrying a "reporter's notebook" where he writes down some of his favorite verses and thoughts that God has laid on his heart.

When asked about his greatest moment in a baseball uniform, Trey mentioned the championship parade that he was in after winning the Japan World Series. He also talked about his time in Japan where he was able to help with several missions groups that came to the country and how his position as manager there was a way to share his faith.

Dayton talked about how winning games was more of a relief than anything. He mentioned that his team is at home (meaning his family). He talked about how he tries to make a difference in the lives of family and the people he associates with.

They wrapped up by giving prayer requests. Dayton mentioned about maintaining being the leader God wants him to be while Trey mentioned balance in his life and also for his family.

After prayer, there were giveaways. Unfortunately, didn't get anything this year. Hopefully, they will do it again next year and I look forward to it.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Third Royals Game 2009...In Review

I was able to take in my third Royals game of the year today...it was also one where I wasn't rooting for the Royals. Yes, the Seattle Mariners were in town and I was rooting for the M's. It was a 1:10pm first pitch and I had a class that finished around noon so it meant getting to the ballpark right before first pitch. Here are some highlights:

*It was "School Day at the 'K'" which meant that there were 20,000 kids in attendance. What surprised me was the walkup for a day game in May. There were about 32,000 people in the stadium which made it loud. The Royals are starting to develop a nice little homefield advantage.

*The M's played tough. Jarrod Washburn pitched a really good game. They just couldn't cash in with runners in scoring position.

*The Royals put up a strong performance from Bannister. Juan Cruz had another good outing and Soria fought through in the 9th to get the victory.

*I was one of the few, the proud, Mariners fans in the stadium. I wore my old trusty Mariners hat along with my new Griffey jersey that I got recently. It felt weird cheering and there was no sound at times. I could literally hear myself clapping when the M's were doing something. I wouldn't be surprised if I got on TV back in Seattle since there weren't that many M's fans there.

*It was a bittersweet day. Dave Niehaus, play by play commentator for the M's was calling his 5,000th game, which was cool. The M's fought and got the bases loaded in the 9th. But the Royals held on for a 3-1 victory.

The Royals have won six straight now and are 2-1 in games I've went to seen. They might make it interesting for the duration of the season.

I'll recap the 2nd Royals chapel that took place recently at Midwestern seminary in the next few days. Until then, if you're in a MLB city, take in a game, it's a great time to do it.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Second Royals Game of 2009...In Review

Saturday marked the second Royals game of the year that I attended. I went with a group from church as a part of a fellowship event. It was also free jersey night so there's another Royals jersey hanging from my closet. Here's just a quick review of the game:

*The stadium looked great with a sellout. When it got loud, it really got loud.

*The game itself wasn't that great. Detroit hit two home runs early in the game and cruised to a 9-1 victory.

*This game did mark the first (and only time) I have left a major league game before the game ended. This was because the people I was riding with wanted to leave. I'm the type of person that if I pay the money to watch a game, I will sit there and watch the game through to the end. I guess that's just the type of sports fan that I am. Doesn't matter if it's a blowout or not.

So as it stands right now, the Royals are 1-1 in games I've seen them this year. Hopefully I can get out there for another game or two before I head overseas for two months...

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Athletes and Televangelists

A few days ago, I saw on ESPN.com an article from their TV program Outside the Lines, which is an investigative show (kind of like 60 Minuties). It was on the connection between televangelists and athletes. Of course when I saw that, I had to read it and watch the segment. In the segment (which aired on TV and is online), it had interviews with Evander Holyfield and Kurt Warner along with televangelists like Creflo Dollar and Randy White. It discussed how athletes in some ways have been "targeted" by these televangelists and the celebrity status that these televangelists have recieved from having athletes in their churches.

Here's my breakdown of the thing. I personally don't like televangelists, especially the "prosperity" kind like these are. They are the ones who say that God wants to bless you not only spiritually but financially as well. This is nowhere in Scripture of course. The one thing they do get right is the importance of tithing for believers, no matter whether they are a minimum wage worker or an athlete making millions of dollars. But it should be out of a heart to give and serve, not as a means of thinking I'm going to get something back financially because of it.

I would hope that if I was a pastor of a church and had athletes in my church that a) they would feel welcome and feel a part of the community of believers, b) they would be viewed like any other person who walks through the doors of the building. I wouldn't want them to feel like they had to put on a persona because in the church is where people are to be real. I would hope that they tithe, but I also hope that they would serve in the church, teaching or leading a bible study, helping out in a ministry when they can. More than anything, I would want them to be a part of the body like everyone else, contributing with the gifts that God has given them.

If you would like to read the article, here is the link, and on that site you'll find a link to the video from the segment on OTL

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Reflections on the Retirement of John Madden

Last Thursday, John Madden, former Oakland Raiders coach, color commentator and hall of famer, decided to retire from broadcasting. It was something that I knew at some point would happen and it happened to be now.

For me, football on Sundays (and for a while on Mondays) were defined in some ways by Madden. Growing up watching games, the big games had Madden calling them. When you turned the TV on and you saw and heard Pat Summerall and John Madden calling the game, you knew it'd be a good one. My favorite memories were during Thanksgiving when Madden would give a turducken leg to the player or players of the game.

Of course to be my age, Madden is also sinonymous with video games. I remember playing my first Madden game on SNES when I was about 11 or 12. I have owned several versions on several consoles and it was cool to hear Madden's commentary while playing a game.

It will be a loss not hearing him in the booth. Wish you all the best John in your retirement.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

First Royals Game of 2009....In Review

Yesterday, I made it out to my first Royals game for 2009. I went with my friends Kyle and Lane to check out the team and the newly renovated Kauffman Stadium. Some thoughts and highlights from yesterday:

-It was COLD! It was about as cold as the game last year vs. the Twins. The temp was in the low 40s at gametime and was pretty much cold all night which made for a little shivering here and there.

-The stadium looks cool. It's a lot more open and the outfield part is very interesting. And the seats we had were awesome. We had left field seats right above the bullpen of the opponents for the evening, the Cleveland Indians. I hadn't set in true outfield seats since I lived in Seattle and the view was great.

-The game itself was a good one. The Royals won 4-2 thanks to a 3 run first inning along with a Home Run by Mike Jacobs. Zack Grienke struck out 9 batters in five scoreless innings and Joakim Soria came in in the ninth and got the save. There even was some good ribbing from some of the fans around where we were sitting of the Indians left fielder Trevor Crowe. It was really funny and has gotten me to adopt him as a player to like kind of like in football there is Sage Rosenfels.

Overall it was a great time and a 1-0 start to games I've been to. I've already got on my calender the next one I'm going to, April 25th. I will blog about that one as well and hopefully have some pics up as well.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Sad Day in the World of Sports

It is a sad day in the world of sports as Harry Kalas, longtime sportscaster of the Philadelphia Phillies, along with doing some NFL radio work and commercial voiceovers, died today at the age of 73. He had one of those classic voices that worked great as a broadcaster. My experience with him was listening to highlights from NFL Films with his voiceovers and then when I moved to Seattle listening to some of the NFL games that he would do the play-by-play. He will be missed. As a tribute, here's a sampling of his work:




Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Good Sport Award

A new feature to Reflections on Sports is the Good Sport Award. It's about sharing a story of an athlete doing something good and being recognized as a good sport. This time it goes to DB Brian Dawkins, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles and now with the Denver Broncos.

For those who don't know the story, his former team didn't want to resign him and so he left as a free agent and signed with the Broncos. He was well loved in Philly and fans didn't like the fact that the team didn't try to get him back. One such fan wrote about how upset he was on his Facebook page. Unfortunately, he also worked the Eagles organization, in a part time role, as a west gate chief. Because of his statements, he was fired.

Personally, I understand the sentiment (though I didn't agree with the expletive nature of the message) of the guy and felt bad that he lost his job. Turns out Mr. Dawkins felt bad too. Because the Broncos are playing the Eagles in Philly this year, Dawkins is giving his allotment of two game tickets as a visiting player to the man who lost his job. Here's a quote by Dawkins that he gave to the Philadelpia Daily News:

"I thought it'd be a good gesture. Had I not ... signed with Denver, that guy would still have his job. Obviously, he made a decision and out of emotion said something. He was one of probably thousands and thousands of Eagles fans who felt that way. That didn't surprise me, that someone said that on their Facebook. It did surprise me that he was let go, though ... I felt it would be a good thing, to reach out to that individual and just let him know how much I appreciate it.''

So, Brian Dawkins, you get a Good Sport Award. Keep up the good work.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Another News Article on Trey Hillman

Last Sunday in the sports section of the Kansas City Star, Sam Mellinger wrote an article about Kansas City Royals manager Trey Hillman. It talked about Trey and his story, about how his first year of big league managing last year and the prep for this season. The coolest part was throughout the article it talked about Trey's faith and how it is such an important part of his life. I knew about this last year when he and GM Dayton Moore came to Midwestern Seminary during Royals Day to speak about their lives and their walk with Jesus.

This article was reassuring to me because Trey was open about how last year was a drain for him by the end of the year because he wasn't reading and studying the Bible like he wanted to. I can totally relate to that as there are times in my life where I don't have the personal devotion time like I should and it translates into not feeling connected to God like I should. It is encouraging to me that he is committing to deeper study and personal time and I hope to do the same.

I would encourage you to read the whole article. Here's the link

Sunday, March 29, 2009

100th Post...Buzzer Beater Special

In honor of my 100th post, I thought I'd share with you this clip of a game that took place yesterday. It was the NCAA Division II Championship Game between Findlay (from Ohio) and Cal Poly Pomona. Findlay came in undefeated, the game went into overtime. And then this is how it ended up:




This is yet another reason why I love this time of the year...

Monday, March 23, 2009

Reflecting on the Retirement of Curt Schilling

I heard come across the news wire that Curt Schilling has retired. It's kind of a bittersweet day because of that. He is one of my favorite pitchers and probably one of the best Postseason pitchers. He was the kind of guy that if you handed him the ball in a playoff game, nine times out of ten he'll get you in a position to win.

He was in four World Series (1993, 2001, 2004, 2007) and won three of them with two teams (Arizona and Boston). He posted a postseason record of 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA.

To me, he will be remembered for the 2004 postseason where he had the tendon injury in his ankle and had to have surgery just to pitch in Game 6 of the ALCS. The "Bloody Sock" game helped Boston in their huge comeback against the rival Yankees and helped propel the team into the World Series where he pitched again with the bloody sock and all to a victory and a World Series win for the first time in 86 years.

His last game was fittingly Game 2 of the 2007 World Series against the Rockies with a win.

He was a great pitcher and character in baseball. He will be missed. Curt, good luck in all that you do down the road.

The Aftermath of Week 1 of March Madness

The first weekend of March Madness has come and gone and with it a lot of cheering, booing, excitement and marking on brackets. After the first weekend of the tourney, I have only one team that I'm rooting for still in it (Gonzaga). My other two teams were elimated in the first and second rounds (Tennessee and Washington).

There weren't that many upsets. As far as "Cinderella" teams remaining in the Sweet 16 there is only Arizona (12 seed) and I don't know if I would call them a Cinderella team. In some ways, it's starting to shape up like last year with four #1 seeds in the Final Four with so many favorites winning.

As far as my brackets go, several bit the dust early and some are still doing pretty good. My best overall bracket is one that saw me pick 14 out of 16 for the second round and still has it perfect all the way to the championship game. It'll be interesting after next weekend how my brackets will look.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

March Madness Brackets

It's that time of the year again. Yep March Madness :) Part of my favorite time of the year. And along with that comes filling out brackets. And I'm not the only one filling out a bracket. All across the country, people are filling out brackets in office pools, among friends, online on sites such as ESPN.com, Facebook and others. Sportscasters, athletes, and celebrities have filled out brackets. Even President Obama has his bracket filled out and posted. It is an event that draws a lot of attention.

Before I shared about my brackets, I wanted to share some video (from ESPN.com) about some people filling out brackets. First is Dwayne Wade and Samuel L. Jackson:




The second is of President Obama:




Now on to my brackets. This year I filled out the most brackets I've ever filled out (14). 10 of those on ESPN.com, 3 on Yahoo.com, and 1 on Facebook (via CBSSports.com). I filled them out in a variety of ways. I went with the scientific (Each team's record vs Tournament teams, record the last 12 games, Power rankings) as well as the random (school mascots, flip of a coin, drawing numbers out of a hat).

I do have my one go-to bracket. In that bracket, this is my final four: Louisville, Missouri, Pittsburgh and Oklahoma. The championshp game: Louisville vs. Pittsburgh. Champion: Pittsburgh

Good luck to everyone filling out brackets!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

2009 Major League Baseball Predictions

Well, it's that time of the year so it means time for predictions sure to be less than correct...but it's fun to predict anyway. so here we go:

AL East:
Boston (division winner)
Tampa Bay
NY Yankees
Toronto
Baltimore

AL Central:
Minnesota (division winner)
Kansas City (wild card)
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago White Sox

AL West:
Seattle (division winner)
Texas
Anaheim (LA) Angels
Oakland

NL East:
Philadelphia (division winner)
Atlanta
Florida
NY Mets
Washington

NL Central:
Chicago Cubs (division winner)
St. Louis (wild card)
Cincinnatti
Milwaukee
Houston
Pittsburgh

NL West:
Arizona (division winner)
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Colorado
San Diego

Playoffs:
ALCS: Boston vs. Kansas City
NLCS: Philadelphia vs. Chicago Cubs
World Series: Boston vs. Chicago Cubs
Champs: Boston Red Sox

AL MVP: David Ortiz
NL MVP: Albert Pujols
AL Cy Young: Jon Lester
NL Cy Young: Cole Hamels

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Another Positive Story from the World of Sports

I read about this story on Monday. I wanted to share it with you. It comes from ESPN.com and I think that it pretty much speaks for itself. I'll only add that this is one reason why I enjoy sports and what they can bring to people involved:

Two missed free throws, ordinarily the cause of a coach's headache, became the symbol of sportsmanship in a Milwaukee boys' basketball game earlier this month.
Milwaukee Madison senior Johntell Franklin, who lost his mother, Carlitha, to cancer on Saturday, Feb. 7, decided he wanted to play in that night's game against DeKalb (Ill.) High School after previously indicating he would sit out.

He arrived at the gym in the second quarter, but Franklin's name was not in the scorebook because his coach, Aaron Womack Jr., didn't expect him to be there.
Rules dictated Womack would have to be assessed a technical, but he was prepared to put Franklin in the game anyway. DeKalb coach Dave Rohlman and his players knew of the situation, and told the referees they did not want the call.

The referees had no choice. But Rohlman did.

"I gathered my kids and said, 'Who wants to take these free throws?'" Rohlman said, recounting the game to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Darius McNeal put up his hand. I said, 'You realize you're going to miss, right?' He nodded his head."

McNeal, a senior point guard, went to the line. The Milwaukee Madison players stayed by their bench, waiting for the free throws. Instead of seeing the ball go through the net, they saw the ball on the court, rolling over the end line.

"I turned around and saw the ref pick up the ball and hand it back to the player," Womack said in the Journal Sentinel. "And then [McNeal] did the same thing again."

Said Rohlman: "Darius set up for a regular free throw, but he only shot it two or three feet in front of him. It bounced once or twice and just rolled past the basket."

"I did it for the guy who lost his mom," McNeal told the newspaper. "It was the right thing to do."

Womack, overwhelmed by DeKalb's gesture, wrote a letter to the DeKalb Daily Chronicle, which had first reported the story.

"As a principal, school, school district staff, and community you should all feel immense pride for the remarkable job that the coaching staff is doing in not only coaching these young men, but teaching them how to be leaders," Womack wrote.

DeKalb had traveled more than two hours for the game, and waited another two as Womack rushed from the hospital, where he had been with Franklin, to the school to gather his team.
"We were sympathetic to the circumstances and the events," Rohlman said in the Journal Sentinel. "We even told Coach Womack that it'd be OK to call off the game, but he said we had driven 2½ hours to get here and the kids wanted to play. So we said, 'Spend some time with your team and come out when you're ready.'"

The two schools had met twice previously, and this one ended with a Madison victory, but as in the other games, they also shared a pizza dinner, "four kids to a pizza, two Madison kids and two DeKalb kids," Womack told the Journal Sentinel.

"That letter became a big deal in DeKalb," Rohlman said in the paper. "We got lots of positive calls and e-mails because of it. Even though we lost the game, it was a true life lesson, and it's not one our kids are going to forget anytime soon."

Womack, in his letter to the DeKalb Daily Chronicle, added this at the end: "I'd like to recognize Darius who stepped up to miss the shot on purpose. He could have been selfish and cared only for his own stats [I hope Coach Rohlman doesn't make him run for missing the free throws]."

Saturday, February 14, 2009

One Year Anniversary

It has been one year since I started this blog. The experiment of doing a sports and theology blog. I've enjoyed doing this and it's something that I look forward to continuing to do into the next year. I'm sure there will be plenty of stories to choose from and reflect upon. For those of you that have been here since the beginning, thanks. I hope you continue on with me on this journey and bring others along with you.

Here's to another year reflecting on sports!