Time to get all philosophical

Sometimes you just sit and think and become philosophical...

Here is something to think about...

When does someone's or your personal happiness and pursuit of it become selfishness?

If you need something to talk about..there is a topic..

No idea where I stand on this.

Congrats

Congrats to Army and Air Force for winning bowl games this year. That is such a good thing to see. I always root for the Armed Services when they play in bowl games because those football players serve our country and that is always worth rooting for unless they play UCONN.

Miami and Notre Dame play today...big game...GO CANES!!!

Miami has a bad reputation. I spent three weeks at the University and loved it. I'd have gone to Miami if not UCONN. Anyway like I was saying, I read that Miami has one of the better academic track records in Division I football. For so long the football team was known for other things, but they actually appear to be one of the better academic football programs.

Which brings me to another thing. I think some of the most celebrated programs should be the ones who are top academically and athletically. I'd like to see an award that balances Athletic Performance for a team and Academic Performance of the team. That would be like honoring the top academic programs that made it to the NCAA's etc. and than figuring out who had the best balance of academics and athletics.

Basically a team Scholar-Athlete award.

Thankful for losing

I am someone who hates losing. I hate losing when I play anything...a card game, bike ride...video game. If it's a competition and I participate I get mad about losing. I'd take pride in beating my sister and family from the checkout line at the grocery store to our car when I was younger. I also hate it when a team I am rooting for loses. It puts me in a foul mood even though I don't play and have no control over the outcome. Maybe that explains why I have high blood pressure. It's not really good that I hate it when my favorite teams lose but at the same time atleast I care, even if I care too much.

I also can't stand when people talk about losing because I strongly believe that if you believe you can lose you will lose. Your mind is already accepting the possibility of defeat so you give up more easily, whether you realize it or not. If you expect to win you keep playing to win no matter what. If you think you will lose and you lose it doesn't provide the same motivation to correct your mistakes as playing to win, expecting to win and then losing.

One would think that I would be mad that UConn lost and ended it's streak. The streak was getting to be too much. It meant too much to fans and the women's basketball world. It was placing way too much pressure on UConn. The streak was going to end. My family was talking about the game at dinner and I said I think that UConn will lose tonight.

I certainly didn't root for UConn to lose, but I was happy at the end of the game. That happiest I've ever been when my team lost. I don't know if happiness is the right word, maybe it was more apathy for the streak at this point because I knew it was going to end and I'd rather it end to a really good team, on the road in a month other than March or April. To me the worst recipe for disaster would have been going into the championship game or final four undefeated. The pressure of winning would be so great at that point and there is nothing worse than going undefeated all year, as a fan or player, and than losing your last game. Just ask the Patriots and Patriots fans.

To me the best thing about the loss is that it allows the team to refocus on what matters, a National Championship. I can't imagine how difficult it is for a coach to get a players attention when that player has won 90 straight games. There has to be an aura of invincibility, which is good, that comes with a streak. But at some level I believe that it also makes it more difficult to get through to players. I think it's human nature to become complacent when things are going well. Usually undergrads do better on their first test than any other in a class because once they do well they think they can afford to not spend as much time studying for the class...and I'd know because I've done that. It's why people who lose weight often put it back on. There are only a unique few who can consistently do something well when they know they are doing it well.

Ending the streak should do a lot to help UConn get better. I think they learned and will learn a lot from the loss and the loss REALLY pissed them off. They can think about that loss and have that loss hung over their heads during practices, workouts and sprints to motivate them.

They needed the loss to stop the streak and talk of it. They needed it to help them focus on working on what they need to do to get better because they know that there are teams out there that can literally beat them because they have. UConn is a Final Four team, but they need some adversity to prepare them for the Final Four this season because unlike other seasons the team is beatable this year. UConn didn't need any adversity the last two seasons because they were so good...SO GOOD...and hadn't won championships in a while.

At the same time Stanford needs to be careful. I'm not too concerned with how Stanford views themselves. I think they have enough experience to know that they aren't the greatest women's basketball team ever since they ended the streak. They can keep the win in perspective and use it for confidence as they should. Some teams might end a streak like this and become way too overconfident and that will create a disaster.

I didn't root for a loss but because UConn was going to inevitably lose this season, having lost so much talent, I am relieved that it happened now and not March or April...and hopefully it doesn't happen then. I think that this loss will motivate them and help them really focus on playing better. When you are used to winning and are a good team and know it, nothing captures your attention and motivates you more than losing.

To be expected

First of all I had a good holiday, hope you did too.

Got my stitches out and apparently I am a quick healer. Spent most of the day in a cold house without any power so I went cycling inside and did some reading. I finished a book on the super bowl, a behind the scenes look at it.

Favorite nugget from the book was the fact that the Budweiser advertisements that I and almost everyone else love, begin taking shape in July and August in terms of ideas, of which there are as many as 35 ideas. About a half dozen are produced in late summer early autumn. So in other words...the commercials that are going to make us all laugh have probably already been filmed.

I just saw the men's game and I think UCONN fans should realize that the chances of winning on the road against Pittsburgh were little to none. I'm not surprised by the loss and I think it will be a good loss in the long run. The Men's Basketball team is good, but they are young and will go through growing pains. They will be tougher by March. I think Pitt fans will regret their chants at the end of the game when March comes around.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

I just realized SNY has to be really happy with it's UCONN deal...

They get to cover the Women's 89 game streak...The Men's top 5 ranking and Maui Invitational win and a football teams trip to the BCS and the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Who didn't know?

ESPN, in my opinion did a TREMENDOUS job of getting to word out about UCONN Women's Basketball's 89th straight win.

It's been the best covered Women's Sporting Event that I can remember. Maybe the only thing as close to this was the 1999 Women's World Cup.

What other women's event had a five hours of pre-game coverage on television. ESPNU had tons of UCONN Women's Basketball coverage on television.

Can you remember another women's sporting event that had so much coverage?

Almost the first 10 minutes of sportscenter were devoted to UCONN Women's Basketball...a women's sport.

The sportscenter anchors acted like they knew what they were talking about. Honestly sometimes women's highlights feel "forced"

ESPN even had all of their popular sports TV personalities talk about what the streak meant. While I may not agree with all of their opinions, I can't remember ever having so many people, and so many influential people, talking about UCONN's streak.

How often does the President call a press conference for a regular season sporting event?

When does ESPN have a studio set up inside an arena for a women's regular season game?

Did you notice that Dunkin Donuts gave out placards and had an entirely brand new press conference backdrop made for the game last night?

The Women's Basketball game yesterday between UCONN and Florida State is in my opinion the best covered and best marketed Women's Sporting event in the US that I can remember. It may only be rivaled by the 1999 Women's World Cup.

OWWWWW

Getting my wisdom teeth out was interesting. First type of surgery ever.

I remember talking and then all of a sudden I started getting sleepy and tired. I remember saying "yeah that anesthesia, yeah it's working, it's not going to take 15 seconds"

Then I was out .

Then I was awake and couldn't feel my face, or walk well, but it was over. I didn't hurt that much.

I had some vicodin several hours later. I always hear about people addicted to pain killers so I actually expected that I'd feel some strange effects from the drug. I thought I might end up flying to an Hawaiian Island with a super model on a private plane I stole and then would go surfing nude with sharks.

Instead, nothing happened. I felt completely normal and actually was quite productive on the stuff. As a matter of fact the stuff didn't even help me sleep. It said it might make you drowsy. Instead I was up until about 2:45 which is really really late for me.

Not sure what is so magical about this pain killer.

I'm sure the pills are making some of the pain go away but jeez my bottom right wisdom tooth, which was impacted and had to be fished for, hurts like @#$#.

The jello and applesauce diet has been fine to be honest, because I don't feel like eating much right now.

I don't know how someone I know has gone through tons and tons of mouth surgeries. That must be awful.

Top UCONN Sporting Moments of the Year

Trying to think of the best UCONN Sporting Moments of 2010...

1. Dave Teggart kicking a 52 yard field goal to get UCONN into a BCS Bowl. Everyone knows I love Women's Basketball, but I, an optimist and huge UCONN fan never really thought that UCONN would be in a BCS bowl this quickly. To do it in a year in which started so poorly is also remarkable. I wrote off the season as a disappointment after Louisville. Thankfully no one on the team did.

2. This is an obvious DUH UCONN Women's Basketball winning it's back to back Undefeated National Championship by Beating Stanford

3. Today, UCONN Women's Basketball beating Ohio State to win their 88th straight game to tie UCLA...this will be changed to suit whichever number they get too.

4. UCONN Men's Basketball winning Maui Invitational

5. Football defeats West Virginia...finally. I remember all of the jokes in the school newspaper about how West Virginia scored again after losing to them in 2007.

6. UCONN Men's Basketball beats #1 Texas at Gampel Pavilion. Last year's Men's team was not up to par (nice way of putting things), but beating Texas on CBS was still really sweet. I cringe putting this here but I was at the game and realize it deserves to be there.

7. UCONN Women's Soccer ends Notre Dame's 77 game unbeaten streak in conference play.

8. UCONN Baseballs 2010 season, a year in which they hosted the NCAA's...as a 2 seed, but that's still pretty good

9. UCONN beats South Carolina in PapaJohns.com Bowl. UConn wins another Bowl and does so convincingly over an SEC team.

10. UCONN Women's Basketball beats Baylor. Either in the NCAA's or regular season. Both were special games.

That's my list, off of the top of my head. Can't believe I don't have us winning a National Championship as my number one moment, because usually that's how I lean. However, making a BCS game when your program is so young is an amazing accomplishment. Literally nobody thought UCONN would be playing in a BCS Bowl...ever when UCONN announced it's move to Football Bowl Subdivision.

Bad move Tennessee

So the Women's Basketball Program at Tennessee made a really bad decision by not playing UCONN. Now that UCONN is dominating the sport right now all the attention is on them and the teams that play UCONN.

Tennessee will not get a chance to end UCONN's streak (which I think will end sooner than later...although who knows maybe they will be undefeated going into the NCAA's) The team that breaks UCONN streak will get a lot of notoriety.

UCONN has established itself as the premier women's program and I'd argue that Stanford has now moved ahead of Tennessee because of the match-ups they have had against UCONN in recent years. Baylor will be more important than Tennessee because of Brittany Griner.

Anyway, this is not to say that Tennessee is irrelevant, it's just that by not playing UCONN they are not getting in the National Spotlight as much. It not only hurts Tennessee but could potentially elevate other programs like Stanford into UCONN and Tennessee status.

I'm so excited...not really

My wisdom teeth are coming out tomorrow. In about 12 hours to be exact. I will be void of wisdom, but will be able to replace it with vicodin, applesauce, yogurt and ice cream.

The vicodin could make for interesting writing, although who knows. Never been on pain pills like that before, only heard stories.

ENOUGH

ENOUGH WITH THE OUTDOOR HOCKEY.

WE GET IT. IT'S COOL.

But you know what, too many teams, leagues and universities are having outdoor hockey. It's losing it's novelty as far as I am concerned. Sure it's cool and different, but once it becomes commonplace it loses the feel of different.

I'm just saying that maybe we should calm down with the obsession of outdoor hockey as something so unique and special. It is how the game should be played. It's only indoors so fans can be protected from the elements...and I guess so the game can go on without having to worry about snow.

One other hockey pet peeve I have, and I don't honestly care about the sport, is that the NHL has teams in ARIZONA and FLORIDA. Actually they have multiple teams in Florida. WHY?

Ice Hockey and Florida??? they wouldn't be a match on EHarmony.

BCS?

So when I got to UConn I wished that the football team would be ranked...for just one week.

After a 4-8 season in 2006, my freshman year, including a bad loss to Navy, I thought that might be a bit much to ask.

In 2007, UConn was ranked, for several weeks. They have been in a poll in each the past three seasons too.

That was always cool to me.

Beating an SEC team in a Bowl game was cool...

Beating Notre Dame at Notre Dame was AMAZING...WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT!!!!

But a BCS bowl? A game against Oklahoma on New Years Day?

Pinch Me!

It's unbelievable to me. UConn football has been better and more relevant than Miami Football has the past four years. Imagine that when Miami left the Big East.

It's amazing to think that UConn has come so far in such a short amount of time.

Big East should root for Connecticut

At this point I'd say that it's in the best interest of the Big East Conference to have Connecticut represent them in the BCS Bowl game. Will it happen, I hope so. Am I biased, COMPLETELY. However, I have a reason.

The perception is that there aren't many good football teams in the Big East Conference. People think of West Virginia and Pittsburgh and thats about it. Even then, neither of those schools are thought of as top 10 national programs...maybe West Virginia is considered a top 25. That's about it. A West Virginia win in a BCS game doesn't do as much for the league as the possibility of adding a credible program to the league. I'd say that there are two schools that are credible nationally. Pitt and WVU. It's going to be much easier for the BIG EAST to sell it's parity and depth than it will be to sell it's top program. The lack of percieved tradition in football hurts the conference. People don't think that it means much to beat Connecticut, Syracuse, Rutgers, Cinci, South Florida or Louisville. People say that these programs are mediocre at best and are not credible wins in other BCS conferences. What the BIG EAST needs are for all of their teams to say they have done something credible nationally. Connecticut beat Notre Dame last year and as an underdog outplayed the SEC's South Carolina in a bowl game. The program also produced a boatload of early draft picks in 2008. They are showing signs of getting closer to one of the more elite programs and a BCS trip would only help the trajectory of the program go higher.

I think the BIG EAST, although struggling for a big win nationally this year, had a good season because a team with the tradition of Syracuse is showing signs of life. A team that was ranked and thought of highly just back in 2006 and 2007, Louisville, appears to have things going in the right direction.

I think it's good that Cincinnati went to the BCS bowl for the BIG EAST the last two years because it helps legitimize that program. Going to back to back BCS bowls had to have take Cincinnati football to a higher level in terms of the recruits it gets and it's national significance. The BIG EAST needs more teams that will raise their national credibility.

Anyway, back to my main point.

Connecticut, like Cincinnati the past two years, would be yet another program that has atleast accomplished something noteworthy by getting themselves in the BCS picture and in a Big Bowl. Getting Connecticut into a BCS game could help take Connecticut's young program to even higher heights. With the proven consistent success of the basketball programs I think it's slightly easier for Connecticut to establish themselves than it is for Cincinnati. It's also easier for Connecticut to take over Boston College as the premier New England Division I Football School. The BIG EAST would love to have a program like Connecticut be considered the best in the Northeast, even if it's only the Northeast. Connecticut going to a BCS game could help the program and conference in more ways than WVU or Pitt would. The BIG EAST needs Syracuse to get better and needs Connecticut to keep improving so that the conference can get back to the level of competitiveness and national significance that it had before Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College left. Connecticut becoming a traditional force to be reckon with is another step towards respectability for a conference clearly lacking it.

Winning the Bowl would be even better for the conference, but if the conference is going to send a 4 loss team to a BCS bowl (even if that team lost to Temple and Michigan) it would be so much better for the conference if it was a new team, and not a traditionally good team just having a down year.

This is the best Men's Bball Team since I've been at UConn

I'm going to say something that will surprise people. This Men's Basketball team, the nucleus of it, is the best UConn team that I have seen since I've been at UConn. I like them much better than the team that went to the Final Four in 2009...although I wish they had a center like Hasheem Thabeet.

The team that beat Wichita State had heart, and they battled. They seemed to play unselfishly. They drove to the rim. They still may not have hit many three pointers, but I think they will come. I really like this team, especially being lead by Kemba Walker.

I really think that the nucleus of this team could win a National Championship. I don't know when, and it would be great if Kemba Walker were back next year...but I really have high hopes for this Men's Basketball Team...in the long term.

Playing basketball with girls

I was invited to play basketball with some girls I know really well this week. These girls are elite athletes, who for the most part, lack experience in basketball. Watching them try to shoot a basketball is funny for most them, with the exception of three of them.

Anyway knockout was extremely difficult for me, as a matter of fact shooting was in general. There is a huge difference between a men's and women's basketball. When you are used to shooting with a men's ball you will air ball a women's ball because you over shoot it. That was my problem. I was toast because of the difference in basketballs. It was embarrassing.

Most guys would feel really weird playing basketball with girls...especially as the only guy. Seriously it could have felt so weird being one guy with the rest all girls. It probably looked weird to most other people. They wondered what this one guy was doing. I didn't think it was weird at all. It felt normal and natural to play with them, but it's because I knew them well.

Gender differences made playing difficult too. I was taller than all but one player, but she was on my team. I was stronger than all of them...although was certainly in the worst shape of everyone, although I was still respectable I guess. I never fell down panting. Those physical advantages give me a difficult predicament. I can't not score in the game because not scoring makes me look so nonathletic and pathetic. Who wants people to think of them like that? If I score a lot then I look like a jerk because I'm beating people who are shorter and not as strong as I am...although too their credit, are in much better shape then me.

I also don't feel comfortable making too much body contact because I don't want to injure anyone, yet I don't know what to do when they shove me around from time to time.

It's also different playing basketball with girls because it's the only time I can remember playing and not keeping score...at all. No one ever shouted out the score. When I play with guys the score is kept and yelled out every possession or two.

Playing basketball with the group of girls I played with was a lot of fun (because everyone was very competitive) and a cool experience. Glad I was able to play.

Top UConn Athletes in my years

I've been trying to think about the top UConn athletes in the past five years that I've been to UConn...(Yes I have a degree and am working on another) Here is the first draft of my list...I think I will try to limit my list to sports with pro leagues

1. Maya Moore DUH
2. Tina Charles
3. Donald Brown
4. O'Brian White (What could have been if it wasn't for his injuries)
5. Renee Montgomery
6. Hasheem Thabeet (His height helps him on this list SO much)
7. Jordan Todman
8. Julius James (I know he was really good...wish I saw him)
9. Brittany Taylor (Two All-Americans, only player to score two goals against UNC in her freshman year of 2005, Big East Defensive Player of the Year Twice...on US National Team)
10. Darius Butler
11. A.J. Price
12. Mike Olt (UConn home run king)
13. George Springer (he could shoot way up this list)
14. Kemba Walker
15. Toni Stahl
16. Meghan Schnur (Big East Midfielder of the Year, All-American, National Team member)
17. Kalana Greene (underrated)
18. Jeff Adrien (The heart of Men's Basketball)
19. Lawrence Wilson
20. Jerome Dyson
21. Josh Ford
Stephanie Labbe (two amazing keepers who I have a hard time having this low...on this list of amazing athletes...This is my first draft...so they may move up)
23. Marcus Easley (Would be higher on list if he had more seasons like his senior year...but having a vertical threat on the football team is enough to get him on the list)
24. Akeem Priestley
25. Mel Thomas

Honorable Mentions: Cody Brown, Charde Houston, Tyvon Branch, Will Beatty, Donald Thomas, Stanley Robinson, Dori Arad, Tony Cascio*, Niki Cross, Kacey Richards, Ryan Cordiero, Lindsey Witten, Dan Davis, Matt Barnes*, Andre Dixon, Tiffany Hayes*, Zach Hurd*, Pierre LePage, Larry Taylor, Scott Lutrus

*Means they could make the list and bump someone else off depending on how they end their careers.

I think this is pretty fair...wonder what others think...

Not winning a championship hurts Men's Basketball players...

I'm so bad at breaks

I can't tell you how bored I am being home and having a break...

Ok I do have school work to do...but still I'm so BORED. Is it summer yet?

I started to read a book on my favorite U.S. President ever, Theodore Roosevelt. I liked that he was active, liked sports and was instrumental in creating National Parks. He was also a really strong, courageous and tough person.

The Cowboys won again. It's nice, too bad it's probably a little too late for the team to make the playoffs. Possible but highly improbable. It's a lot to ask to win six in a row, including games against Colts and two with Eagles..plus the Saints this week.

The Mets are hiring Terry Collins to be their manager and I must tell you I have no idea who he is.

UConn Women's Basketball won. I was able to attend the Baylor game which was really nice. It was so nice to be at a game and not worry about working at it. I got to sit back, relax and enjoy. So far I've been really impressed with freshman Bria Hartley and Samarie Walker.

Men's basketball looks good and I think they will have a much better season then what people think. I think they worked hard in the offseason and I think that the players will work better with each other than in years past. I like Jeremy Lamb and Niels Giffey so far.

I was sad to hear about Men's Soccer. I think they outscored their opponents something like 40-7 this year.

The first week is always the most depressing

The first week after a season is over is always the most depressing week for people who are involved in athletics, unless of course you are having a horrible season because then you look forward to it. All of a sudden everything you do goes from preparing for a game to preparing for...what exactly? There is always work to do but it's much less exciting when you don't have a game coming up.

The first week is the most depressing because in that week you get to re-live the past several months more than in any other week. Your not constantly working towards a new game so your mind has so much free time to ponder what just happened. It also doesn't help that everything is fresher in your mind in the first week.

Each ending to every year is also very depressing because you realize that seniors are now more than likely done with their athletics career. The final game of a season is in many ways the culmination of hard work and determination of not just one year but many, many years. Since probably the age of four or five when they first started playing their sport. If the season doesn't go as a senior had hoped or if they ended it in a sour way it's a hard thing to deal with, especially at first. Some just re-think the whole year and their regrets for several days.

It must also be a shocking thing for juniors because at the end of the season they become seniors. What goes from having a couple of seasons to look forward too goes to having that one final season. There is pressure, personal pressure more than anything else, to get it done and reach ones ultimate athletic goals as a senior because your senior year is your last chance.

Freshman probably and realistically understand the process worse than anyone else. Freshman want to win, but just like every other typical freshman they also can sit there and think to themselves that they have three more years. This doesn't just apply to sports either. Applies to three more years without worrying about paying for living expenses or worrying about needing a job, or if they have a meal plan..cooking their own food. This isn't to say that freshman don't care about a teams success. That's not the case at all. Freshman care deeply about the outcome of a season and they are crushed when it's over, but I think it's much different for a senior than a freshman.

What I'm trying to say is that freshman probably have the hardest time relating to a senior because to a freshman everything is the beginning. It's so easy for a freshman to look forward to next year. Seniors can't say that.

My least favorite part of a season ending is seeing the reactions of seniors. It's crushing to see them come up short. This is why losses during the year might make a person more mad than anything else. A loss in the season makes you mad because it might take you off track and make reaching goals more difficult. A loss to end the season is just sad because you realize that it's all over.

It's hard not to cry sometimes, whether in person or in private when you see the seniors. Looking at how hard they take it is tough, yet at the same time I wouldn't want to see them in any other way. You don't want to see crying, yet at the same time the crying is what makes people understand just how hard they have worked for years and years and years. Those tears are what shows what sport means to them. Those tears represent not just a season over, but in many cases an athletic career over. No more practices happen. Friendships are over because sport is over. Those tears represent so much. It's important that they flow, or that the emotion of sadness, or frustration or whatever might overcome an athlete who comes up short is visible because it shows others a quarter of how much sport means to that senior.

Some of the seniors are in tears for a while and if you are around them it effects you somehow. At first you don't talk to the seniors. You may give them a pat on the back but you don't say anything to them. What can you say? There is nothing you can say or do that will make them happy. The only thing that could make them happy, besides having another game to play, is to leave them alone for a little bit.

Personally when it comes to the seniors I am referring too I will really miss that class. That class meant a lot to me as a whole. It's so difficult to imagine things without them. Doing that makes me more depressed.

I think when a season is over everyone involved with the team is depressed for a little bit and in the end it's a good thing. The feeling stinks but I think you need the sorrow before you can come to grips with the situation and move on.

I don't think I can ever truly write about what it's like for a season to end because I'm not an athlete and have never played at such an elite level. I can only take the experience that I have seen through my work as a reporter and with teams and try to put myself in the shoes of others. Hopefully I am good at putting myself in other people's shoes.

And before you know it, things will be better.

Sadly

Sadly some of my family members didn't want to pick up the phone when I wanted to thank them for birthday gifts because they thought that I was a political phone call.

Then to play a joke on them when they picked up I said that "I'm RTP and I'm running for governor"

I hope they write me in.

And this election day please write me in instead of not voting for someone.

I'd feel honored to get your vote, and really mad if I actually won.

This year I wrote in two members (a forward from Sweden and goalie for Jersey) to be my state representative and be a member of the board of education.

Thats what happens when you run unopposed and I don't know you. I know your going to win, so I find it more stimulating to vote for someone I know and then be able to tell them that I voted for them.

Wow...it's been weeks

So yeah I know I have written in weeks. I apologize for that. Maybe that is the best way to describe trying to be a graduate student and do whatever is necessary to help my team win. Between traveling and studying a projects I get really busy and honestly won't have the most interesting things to say until life slows down in the winter.

But I don't look forward to the winter because I will be getting my Wisdom teeth out.

I was also really impressed when an athlete used placate in a sentence recently. Too often we think of athletes as having nothing intelligent to say. I bet most people who read this will look up the meaning of placate.

I also don't know if I should love sports right now since my Cowboys are dreadful and the Mess are a Mets. I mean the Mets are a Mess.

I hope Bobby Valentine is the new manager!!!!!!

Action Shots

Athletes seem to forget that there is no such thing as a good looking action shot. I always hear about needing to find another picture and I'm more than happy to let them look. The fact of the matter is that there is no such thing as a good looking action photo.

There are some that are worse than others, but there aren't usually good ones. It's not that often that people stop and smile for the photographer while they get a good touch and pass the ball.

Not here, don't care

One thing I have learned through working with a team is how little I care about athletes who aren't here. Fans are so obsessed with recruits and recruiting, yet from my experiences all I care about are the players who are there. I care about them and don't care about potential players or rumored players. I root for whoever is there and hope they get better.

I also have to say that the toughest part of my job is when you see those you support fail because that's the last thing you want to see them do. It's so hard seeing them injured, or struggling. It's painful because I want them to succeed so badly.

U Kan do it

U Kan do it, U Kan play for Centukcy Bascetball.

U R smart enough to play at Centukcy and Koakh Kalipari.

Kan't spel, no problem.

Got a D, we will get it up to a believeable B+

Does anyone actually think that Eric Bledose didn't cheat on his transcript? Does someone really think that changing schools could account for a very good basketball player's grades to go up as a senior? Was Bledsoe lucky enough not to have senioritis?

How could a student who could barely get a 2.0 could be expected to get an A in Alegbra 3 before taking Algebra 2?

Did Kentucky cheat? Was Eric Bledsoe eligibile..probably...

Why can't the person who deserves it win it?

Weekly awards. They sometimes go to the person who deserves the award. Top Drawer Soccer and College Soccer 360 got it right.

Explain to me how the NSCAA couldn't get it right. Is two goals,one match winner and an assist better than four goals and two match winnners.

No!

Unfortunetly weekly awards rarely go to the most deserving person. Sometimes they do, but conferences and award selection committees like to give it to a team that doesn't usually get recognized because those teams are no good. The last place team in the conference beat a bad Division I school 1-0 in overtime. Let's give the award to their player because they never win. They never go, oh let's give it to the girl who scored two goals this weekend from the best team in the conference.

Look at the winners of the weekly awards and see how often they translate to player of the year awards. I swear I've seen a player win player of the year award but never the player of the week award. Does that make any sense?

What's up with me

So as you should be able to imagine the months of August-December will be EXTREMELY busy and will prevent me from posting as often as I'd like. I've got graduate school and a season to take care of.

It's funny, it's easy to think I'm less involved with less writing, but the exact opposite is true. I probably spend two or three times as much time working than what the players think I do.

There is so much behind the scenes that needs to be done.

Also, someone who plays in goal should have passed a long an email address to someone who reads my posts often.

The Best Grocery Store

It appears as if there is a misconception in the world about the best grocery store in the country. The answer is not Wegman's. Although they are nice and impressive, they are not the best grocery stores.

Market Basket is probably as good as Wegman's. Low Prices...but more importantly everyone is dressed in a Shirt and Tie or business casual attire for women.

Stew Leonard's is by far the best Grocery Store in the entire country. If you haven't been you must go. I've been to the one in Norwalk, CT a lot.

There is one off of I-84 in Danbury, CT. and I highly suggest that if you were say coming from upstate New York and going to say UCONN that I would stop there to eat.

http://www.stewleonards.com/

A good referee

Every referee will have a different interpretation of the rules book and what they think is and is not an infraction.

A good referee has a great understanding of the rules and to me doesn't apply the rules too loosely (so that the game is unfair) or too tightly. (So it becomes a whistle blowing competition)

A bad referee is an inconsistent referee. Those referees are useless and hurt games. Early on in a game an athlete should have an idea of how a referee will apply the rules. If a ref lets you get a way with things then you know that you have some more freedom while playing the game. If a referee is strict you know to be really careful.

Referees that fluctuate from strict to loose interpretation within a game are bad for the game.

So what goes into a road trip

People sort of forget all of the details to a road trip. People forget that you don't just get a bus, hotel and food. You have to work to get that and coordinate a lot of things.

You have to try to plan practice times and reservations around your travel plans which are always subject to change because of weather or traffic. You need to be flexible, a quick thinker and a ready to make a few calls.

Hotel pool doesn't work, then we need to find another place around town. Reservations don't work at the place we want to eat, then we need to find another. Practice field is too wet, then we need to get a ballroom so we can stretch and do some jogging.

Got to get a food order to a restaurant and coordinate the arrival of the food with overtime.

There is so much coordination that goes into road trips. It's so much fun to see a new place but it also requires so much coordination and planning. So much more than is realized. In order for things to be seamless you have to plan well in advance and be flexible and resourceful when variables that you can't control change.

I passed the test

I passed the NCAA Compliance test. I got a 95. Not too shabby, but still room for improvement! Ok only a little improvement...

Is there any better feeling

Is there any better feeling than opening day? I can't really think of a better feeling. Everyone is optimistic and ready for the season to begin. It's such an exciting and happy time.

Some thoughts on WPS

I have quite a few thoughts and suggestions for the WPS.

The first suggestion is to develop some rivalries, some controversy some star players. All of these things are important to increase awareness and media interest. A lot of people aren't interested in WPS because they have a bad perception of the product. When you say women's soccer to them they automatically assume that it is second rate, or boring or slow. These people need to have their preconceived ideas of the sport changed by star players and the media.

Can you tell me which one of these people is a WPS starter and National Team Player?
A) Loren Sherer B)Kelly Chapman C) Katriana Wilson D) Stephanie Cox

How many American Sports fans have heard of Marta? and if they have do they know she won the FIFA Women's Player of the Year award?

How many know who Abby Wambach is? If you are from Rochester you know who she is. Outside of them and a few die hard fans not that many others know who one of the leagues premier players is.

How many WPS fans hate Hope Solo. If the answer is only a handful then they probably aren't paying much attention to her tweets. I love Hope Solo to be honest. The Women's game needs more people like her. She creates controversy and that creates interest.

Poor perception of the league isn't the only thing hurting it.

The venues hurt the league. Some teams play in poor facilities that our not soccer specific and are not decorated in the WPS's teams colors. This causes problems.

A large market for the WPS is the young family with girl soccer players. Big problem here is that to generalize most of these families devote all their weekends to soccer. Most parents aren't thrilled about taking a day that doesn't revolve around soccer and making into a trip to the stadium that revolves around soccer.

Young girls also tend to forget about the game afterwards. They get excited about the team and autographs they get but the next day they often don't go to school and tell all their friends about it. They don't go and read the newspaper for the latest WPS rumors and they often don't try to organize trips with their friends to a WPS game on Friday night. They certainly don't get excited about a fantasy draft for a WPS team.

Many families who watch women's soccer are affluent. Women's Soccer is a wealthier sport than many people probably realize. Wealthy families can afford to do many different things, like going on vacation, the theatre, trying wakeboarding and surfing. These families will go to a WPS game, but not more than once or twice a year because they can afford to spread out their entertainment dollars across many different activities.

Some of my tips for the WPS:

Shorten the season. There are too many games. Less games should increase demand and at the same time lower operating costs. The average fan doesn't go to a large percentage of games. I don't think they will mind a shorter season.

US Soccer and the WPS needs to market a new generation of women's soccer players. Women's Soccer is not remotely close to being on the nation's radar. The chances of WPS being on our radar is about as good as a single engine plane in Alaska being on the radar at JFK International Airport. America should get to know Hope Solo, Kelley O'Hara and Amy Rodriguez.

Take next season off. Next year is the women's world cup. This goes back to supply and demand too. Does Women's Soccer really want to have the small amount of women's soccer fans splitting their money and eyes between the WPS and the Women's World Cup. Splitting their viewership and money will lower ratings for both events/organizations. That's a bad thing.

Try to grow Women's Soccer as a sport and not WPS. Make people interested in the U.S. National team and hope that will generate some interest for pro soccer the year after. The WPS has enough problems to worry about for next season. It should shut next season down and not have to worry about getting people interested in watching a league whose best players will all be on National Team duty. The WPS can use the time to evaluate their business operations and make things more efficient. They can re-evaluate budgets and plan for the future.

One thing the WPS has not done is try to be TOO big like the WUSA. This doesn't mean that the WPS won't have the same fate of the WUSA, but atleast this time the WPS isn't putting itself into debt up to their eyeballs. It might be at their belly button, but it's improvement.

The WPS doesn't lack effort. Everyone in the league works hard and long hours. I do think adopting some of those tips will help the league out.

I don't know if the WPS has hit an iceberg yet and is taking on water. However, I do suspect that it's headed for an iceberg now and the league needs to take measures to change its course and avoid sinking.

WPS fans, I think, should just hope that the league takes next year off. I really believe it's vitally important to do that.

Rules

Did you know that there is an NCAA rule that limits the size of paper and what pictures/logos can be mailed to recruits? Talk about ruining creativity.

It's so sad how a men's basketball team or football team in some conference abuses and stretches rules to a ridiculous level and then they necessitate a rules change that really messes things up for everyone else.

These positions stink

I feel that the worst positions in sports would be goalkeepers and place kickers. No two positions seem to come with more blame than those two. If a team scores a lot of goals against a goalkeeper it's automically assumed to be the goalkeepers fault even if an opponent gets a tons of open shots from close range on them. Same goes for a team that loses a close game because of a missed field goal. No one talks about the third and three that the offense couldn't convert.

You have to have tough skin to play that position. I feel bad for the amount of blame that people automatically put on people in those positions. Coaches face similar peril as do baseball pitchers. If my team gives up 6 runs I assume they were all the starting pitchers fault. In reality they all could have been unearned runs.

Good story

I have a really really great idea for a feature story that I want to do. I have to make sure I do it and most importantly get the person I need to agree to it.

Recently I have been happily busy with pre-season. It's gotten me away from the computer more than I thought it would. I also have been typing up my internship paper, which is the last thing I need to do before I can graduate. That has obviously been a huge priority for me.

Than I will be studying for the coaches test.

Random things to talk about:

The Husky in the center court in Gampel is HUGE. I guess we needed a bigger husky.

We also bought a wake board that I will look to use.

well

Well I actually have TOO much writing and reading to do right now. I need to finish up my work for my internship and need to prepare for a test for work on Tuesday.

It is a lot of fun to be up at Storrs with no school work and just soccer. Really it's a lot of fun and I am so happy to be here and I'm glad that other people are glad to have me back.

A new sport to me

I had never heard of wake surfing until today, so I youtubed it. It looks really cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9CrnY9Ig3U&NR=1
Remember how I told people about the World Sauna Championships? Well that sport is no more. In the last competition someone died and another went to the hospital. After 11 years the event is no more.

Some fight left

It's good to see that the Mets still have some fight left in them. I was scared the Mets had no fight in them. I thought they had given up. Then I read about Francisco Rodriguez, my Mets closer.

Despite the poor season K-Rod, or should we call him KO, still had some fight left him.

He assaulted his father and law after Wednesday's game and was arrested for it.

How about those Amazin Mets?

I'm a Hunter Mahan fan

Hunter Mahan is my new second favorite golfer. Tiger is my favorite. What I like about Mahan is that he did something that I could do. He hit a shot last weekend during the final round past the gallery and into a flower bed...or atleast we thought into a floor bed. It could have gone down the street for all we know. He had to drop, but for once I watched a golf tournament and thought that I could have hit a shot as bad as that.

Atleast Mahan didn't try to whack a ball out of the flower bed.

I once practiced my baseball swing in the flower bed when I was young. My mom didn't appreciate that.

Another good bye

So I am staying at my family friends house for the last time tonight. It's sad that it's all over. I remember just getting here, and missing school.

The Brooks's have provided great memories and great food and great hospitality and I am forever grateful to them.

Mr. Brooks is the person who is responsible for teaching me so many wonderful things that I can pass down to others, and hopefully one day my own kids. Rick is the person who taught me to waterski last year. This year I've taken what I learned and started to run with it and do more advanced things other than just being pulled by the boat.

He also taught me how to use a table saw. I may never use that skill but I figured it would be worthwhile to learn. Yes that did take me away from writing one night.

He is also the person responsible for introducing me to golf. I've always wanted to learn and I am thrilled that I have begun the process of becoming course ready. I have a feeling that learning golf is something that will be so valuable by the time I die that it's value to me will be immeasurable. I mean that mostly from the people I will meet and friendships and relationships I will forge because of it. It's also a sport I can play when I'm older and I think it will add years to my life because golf will give me exercise and something to live for...although I am not ready to think about being 75 and retired yet.

It also could help me business wise. For all I know I could have a career in it. (I mean the business side of golf, but don't ever count me out on the playing side. You never know I may be the next Tiger)

Which brings me on a complete tangent.

Does anyone want to be the world's number one golfer? Atleast Tiger still has it...

I am happy that I will continue to get to see the Brook's though. They have family by Storrs so I may get some golfing in. I'll also see them at my Lake House. They have been so good to me and I am thankful for them.

She did it

Meghan Nanfeldt and Shauna Musser and company completed their bike ride across the country for charity. I am so happy for them.

Meghan has come a long way. I remember her telling me that she was going to bike across the country last year and I thought she was slightly crazy at first, but I also knew she would accomplish her ride.

I remember being one of her first donors in March. I donated before our Sport and Event Facility class. It's the only time I've opened my wallet and gave away cash in a classroom. I usually figure buying books is enough.

I can't imagine what biking across the country would feel like on my legs. I can imagine that her seeing the Golden Gate Bridge was even more exciting then those who imigrated and saw the Statue of Liberty many years back.

Meghan is a great friend and I will miss her. I can only hope I meet another friend like her in my last two years in Storrs. I always looked to her for advice and she's someone who I really trusted and am so thankful for. I'll also miss the times we spent watching soccer and playing soccer among other things.

I am also amazed that for all that I talk, that she still actually listens to me. I knew she was a good friend because she would actually pick up.

Where have I been

I hope people understand that even I need a vacation...err time off to do other things.

I wouldn't call reformatting and loading a new operating system on to my computer "fun"

Spending an hour trying to load anti-virus software isn't "fun"

Spending hours working on my outlook contacts and configuring Outlook is something I did this summer in free time. Two years away from the real world and I began to realize that I really need to organize my contacts. I realized I needed a lists of tasks and reminders for me. Outlook is my new favorite program. Problems arise when you change operating systems though...been working on that today too.

Also spent part of the weekend backing up files..also FUN.

I did get to waterski and really started to get in my element out there. I've progressed from getting up last year, to going outside of the wake, to going really outside of the wake and back and forth like real waterskiiers do. I'm learning the feel for how to make turns etc. It's slightly less natural for me because I've never gone snow skiing before.

Anyway with all the family that has visited and all of the work that I had, and games that I had to work, I barely had time to breathe in the month of July so sorry for not writing as much.

Golf is also something I have been taking up. It's important for me to learn. More business is done on the 9th hole than in the office conference room. Come on has anyone ever been to a productive meeting?

"Hey everyone here is today's agenda: So basically we are meeting to figure out when we are all going to meet next"

My next favorite meeting is the one you have at work where you run down all that you have accomplished. Then you realize you could have accomplished a lot more if you weren't in these meetings.

Golf is something I think I really love. It's fun to learn a new skill, it's fun to hit it well. It's really nice being out in nature on the course and being out there and not having a care in the world. I love that golf gets me away from life. I've spent a couple of hours a week at the driving range trying to get better each time. When it hit it well I am so happy. I could be in debt up to my eye balls and have a disease but would be happy if I hit a golf ball straight, up in the air and to a good distance consistently.

On the flip side if I don't hit it well, nothing can really make me feel right until I hit the ball well again.

So anyway I've been doing grown up personal work, playing golf, WORKING, and seeing family lately. It's taken me away from writing.

It also doesn't help that at work I have been writing about soccer, for work and for my teacher. That takes away from my motivation to come home after a long game or week at the office and type away. More than anything I want to exercise and sleep and crash.

I also finished my third book this summer and for that I am proud of myself.

Preparation

So I don't know of anything but if I were to speculate, which means taking a guess or infering, that there will be some bad news or sad news coming up sometime by the end of the year.

It smells like smoke to me, and usually that means there is a fire. I could be wrong, but I may not be. I won't say more than this though.

First Pick?

So I was reading ESPN and saw that UConn's George Springer is in the discussion to be the first pick in the MLB Draft in June 2011. It also said that Matt Barnes could be one of the top collegiate pitchers in the draft next year.

You hear about UConn players for the top pick in say the WNBA draft, NBA draft, MLS draft, WPS draft...now NFL draft....but the MLB draft??? That's amazing...

Can you believe a NEW ENGLAND player...yet alone a UConn player is considered for the top pick?

600, 700, 800, 1,000, 1,000,000 Who Cares?

In 1998 I cared about home run records. Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire made baseball so much fun too watch. It was like Mantle and Maris. At the time I cared about home run records. I locked in to my TV to remember and savor the most sacred of sacred records in sports, the Home Run record.

Several years later we had Barry Bonds breaking those single season records and than he caught Hank Aaron.

By the time Bonds broke Aaron's record we knew that Home Run records meant nothing because of steriods. Many of the players who broke records and hit milestone numbers in home runs were doing things to artificially enhance their performance. That means that I DON'T CARE about any home runs they hit. I don't care if they hit 1,000,000.

A-Rod's 600th home run made me yawn. I know that not all of his home runs were all of his hard work. He could hit 1,000,000 and I'd have no more respect for him than I do now. I also don't care about 600 because so many players have hit that many recently. I feel like everytime I turn around someone has hit 500 or 600 home runs. It used to be special because no one ever got that many.

There are two players who home run records I care about. Jim Thome and Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey retired, but the guy hit them clean to our best knowledge. Thome also has avoided my suspicions. He's always been a big and strong player and I hope that the home runs he has it are as squeaky clean as I think they are.

The number one squash recruit

One sport I've never watched, or know about, is Squash. I didn't honestly know that it was an NCAA sport. It's definitely a Private School sport.

I also had no idea that they ranked squash recruits. I wonder how they do that. The reason I know that is that I saw the number one squash recruit while at work at Harvard Stadium yesterday. Someone pointed her out and said that she was the number one squash recruit. I thought that was interesting.

I will say that seeing the number one college squash recruit is pretty unexciting and bland. It's like eating a naked hot dog.

I tried googling the number one squash recruit and couldn't even find her name. Apparently she's nasty at squash. I assumed that meant she'd be an Olympian but the person I was speaking too said no way.

I couldn't believe that the number one squash recruit had no chance to be an Olympian. I figured since no one really plays competitive squash, that the number one recruit would be a shoe in, but apparently not. I guess I know nothing about squash.

It's probably a good thing too. It's boring enough to have to read about golf on my blog. I can't imagine how brutal listening about the intricacies of squash would be.

I'm rambling on this but I'm sure squash is interesting, I'm just clueless about all of it. I'm sure the number one recruit is really really good, whoever she is.

I think she's the closest I've ever come to an athlete who is dominant at their sport and have had no idea who she was or what she has accomplished.

Brett Favre

Brett Favre is a player that I get the impression is either loved or hated by most people. I am not most people. I am completely neutral towards the guy. I don't like or dislike him.

Favre has never played on my favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys. He's never been on a rival team of the Cowboys either. I just never have been passionate about him one way or the other.

Favre is a great Quarterback, although strangely I think of him more for his proneness to throwing an interception than any of his great moments. Favre is a legend and unlike every other legend I have known he has continued to play when old for a new team (Like Emmitt Smith and the Cardinals and Joe Montana and the Chiefs) and done really well. Favre shocked me with how well he played last year.

All I care about Favre and his decision is that it is permanent. There is nothing more annoying than having no idea if your starting quarterback is coming back or not. It's not fair to his team to have to GUESS how to prepare for the next season. Favre needs to make a decision and stick to it. The Vikings season could be screwed because he couldn't figure out if he wanted to play or not. Maybe the Vikings would have drafted differently if Favre knew the chances that he would come back would be slim to none. Favre needs to make up his mind and be honest and not offer the "maybe" answer. The "if I feel like it, we'll see tomorrow" answer gets old after a while. At first that answer fills people with anticipation and hope. As time goes on it feels more and more like "Your not important enough to know now. Let's see if something better comes up"

So whatever Favre does, I just hope it is his final decision. He had a great career and he seems like a good guy but he shouldn't be ruining teams while trying to figure out if he wants to play again.

One thing I will add now that I am thinking about it is that atleast the NFL has more than just Brett Favre.

The NBA lost fans because a star player, Michael Jordan, retired. I think that is because the NBA fan has more of an attachment for a star player than for a team itself. My loyalty in basketball is more for a certain player than a certain team. The NFL is different than the NBA because I think fans are more consistent with which football team they root for. I don't think Brett Favre retiring will effect ratings the way Jordan retiring did.

Personally I stopped caring about the Bulls and NBA when Jordan retired.

I was said when Emmitt Smith retired but I was still a Dallas Cowboys fan and never wavered in my support or enthusiasm for the team.

Been on vacation

So the past couple of days have been busy and than relaxing. Either way I haven't done much writing, but I am alive and will be writing more. I had lots of family visit this past weekend, and one day I had work all day, which I have all of tomorrow.

So I'll be writing more, don't worry.

Nike

So I love NIKE. I only wear their athletics close because I always admired Michael Jordan and one of the important people at Nike had a house by my Aunt's house.

So here is an example of how much NIKE I was wearing when I bought my NIKE driver.

I bought a NIKE Golf Driver. I had on NIKE sneakers, NIKE socks, a NIKE undershirt, a NIKE shirt, and NIKE shorts.

NIKE did a great job marketing to me. They hooked me, and I know it.

Someone was in awe of me

So I was at the driving range today. I hit my sand wedge BEAUTIFULLY. They got so high in the air that I didn't see them when I looked up. I was always really happy with where they wound up.

Anyway I took out my driver and swung away. I got a few pointers and improved my accuracy a little bit. Anyway I hit them really well. When I was done one of the workers came over to me and was like "you are a REALLY fast learner. You are really good for a beginner. Really good" The teenager seemed to be in awe of me.

It was an awesome feeling. I of course said something like "Oh I was just lucky" even though I knew I hit it pretty well. You can tell when someone seems genuinely amazed or impressed. This kid didn't seem to be B.S.ing. The way he came up to me, the way he spoke, and his facial expression told me that he was for someone reason impressed. I am not THAT good, but it is really cool to have someone come up to you like that. I don't remember that happening in any other sport I played.

I also realized that driving distance is computed by the amount in the air and the amount it rolls, not just the amount in the air. In that case I may have hit close to a 300 yard drive, if not that far. Certainly I'd say 275 is a distance I have reached.

Ravens Attendance

The Rochester Ravens were 11th in the W-League in average attendance. Not bad.

http://www.kenn.com/the_blog/?p=3438

My first interview with a Pro Athlete

Today I had my first sit down interview with a pro athlete. I interviewed Jordan Angeli of the Boston Breakers for a story on the Breakers website to be published sometime next week.

It was really cool to go to practice, and see that even Kristine Lilly still moves the goals.

Angeli went to Santa Clara University and was there for six years, which is why I interviewed her. She was there for six years because of soccer. Before her senior year she tore her ACL. Before her second senior year, she tore her ACL. Then she lead her team at Santa Clara and won the conference Defensive Player of the Year award.

Tearing ACL and redshirting and winning conference defensive player of the year award should sound familiar to UConn fans. Taylor and Angeli were both drafted this year and their overall draft positions had 6's in them. (6 and 16)

Angeli scored her first career goal in June against Taylor's team. She then had a three game goal scoring streak in July. It's amazing to think about how she overcame two ACL tears to come in and be an impact WPS player as rookie. It's even more amazing to think that she said that it was good that she got injured.

I had to ask her some questions about tearing her ACL and who helped her through it etc. I knew she might get emotional and I told her beforehand that she better not cry. She didn't cry but you could tell by her body language and the way she was talking that she was getting a little choked up. I didn't want her to do that, or to have to relive that. I think she did appreciate the interview though.

Angeli is really nice and has a very bubbly and outgoing personality. She was a joy to speak with and I think would do a great job with the media. She was really awesome to talk too.

So, LeBron

So while I defended LeBron for his decision to leave Cleveland for Miami, which he had every right to do, I have nothing good to say about this article. It only makes LeBron look like a stereotypical athlete, or Ben Roethlesberger.

http://outofbounds.nbcsports.com/2010/07/-espn-mysteriously-pulls.html.php

I hit the GREEN!!!!

So Here I was at a Par 3 169 yard hole. I had my Aunt, a doctor, be my unofficial caddy. She was a good one. She helped me find the ball.

She is as clueless as I am to most parts of golf, but we do atleast understand that Steele Hill is not quite say Pebble Beach, or Pinehurst or anything other than my backyard lawn with greens.

Anyway I selected a two iron for the hole. I hit a beautiful shot that landed and stayed right on the green. They were excellent shots. I just missed a long birdie putt and ended up getting par. That was an awesome feeling.

Then I went to a hole where I wanted to play a 9 iron, but with my mixed and matched set of clubs, I didn't have one. I had a pitching wedge that I tried. It came up short. I also had it draw too much. I wanted it to hit off of a ridge and towards hole, it drew above the ridge and didn't bounce towards the hole. Then I tried a seven Iron, which I also drew to much with. I also hit it too far. A guy was nice enough to find it after it bounced on the street and into grass area. I tried to pretend I didn't hit it, but he knew I did so we had that awkward moment of, "yes I was the guy who hit that errant shot."

Then I played a 70 yard hole with a Sand Wedge.

"What club is he playing from the tee this time"

"Well he appears to be teeing off using a sand wedge"

Once again a line you hear only at Steele Hill. Atleast this 70 yard hole had a magnificent view of New Hampshrie Mountains and Lake Winnisquam, with Winnipesaukee in the distance.

I also played that long hole that I sliced three drives on but then nailed the fourth again this day. This time I only took one shot.

It took forever for me to get that shot off though. I didn't want to hit the little kids on the course who were with in my target range on a different hole. I also didn't want to hit the people fishing by the pond should I miss hit the ball and hit a line drive screamer towards them.

I was antsy because their were people behind me, except those people were just as bad at golf as I was. I told them I was a beginner who was no good and started going to the range in May.

Then I showed how much of a beginer I was by absolutely nailing a ball. I mean I nailed it. It went high and beautifully in the air. It kept on going and going and going and going and going. I knew there was no way it landed in grass. I hit it so hard and straight that I knew I sent it either into the pool, onto the pool deck, or past all three and into the woods. I wasn't sure which but was eager to find out.

I once again didn't want to be "that guy" who hit the golf ball into people relaxing by the pool.

"Who the hell has that bad of an aim"

Hey that should have been impressed if they knew I hit it from the tee. I went up towards the pool to look for the ball but tried to be stealthy about it. I tried to guage the people in the pool area to see if the people look startled by a golf ball that flew into the middle of their relaxing day. I wanted to see if they were going to have an angry look for a guy in golf shorts and a polo shirt. I didn't get any stares. I tried not to make it look as if I was looking for a golf ball by going to check on the temperature of the hot tub. I was trying to be nanchalant. I once again didn't want to be the idiot golfer who hit it on the pool deck.

Golf was an adventure once again.

But I really did have the best caddy in the world. My caddy was free and helped me find golf balls. She also went with me to look at golf drivers. I found one I liked and then she decided to get it as a graduation gift for me. A caddy that pays their golfer is a caddy I really love.

Ok I love her more because she is my aunt, but still can you beat that for a caddy? Aunt Barbara was my first ever caddy. I will always remember that.

Pirates Cove...Mini Golf

On Sunday I also played mini golf, and I won, beating a women's basketball team manager by 9.

Sometimes I think my only friends are women's basketball team managers.

What was funny about it was that it absolutely poured in the middle of our game. We had holes that were basically puddles.

We played at Pirates Cove in New Hampshire and I got a hole in one on a hole that I've been dreaming of getting a one on for years. I've played this mini golf course so many times and each time I get to the hole I say that it will be the time I get a hole in one. Finally this year I got it.

Thankfully I wasn't drenched while wearing a white T-Shirt. I am not the type of person who belongs on bay-watch.

It was cool to catch up with a friend though and it was even better to beat them. I won't name them because I don't want to embarress them.

I must say that playing mini golf in the pouring rain was quite the new experience and really made writing about this worthwhile. It was just funny having to putt through puddles. It was fun and made it more interesting.

Glad you like it

I'm glad you liked the photoshop thing I made for facebook. Those things are a lot of fun to create but also take a lot of time. Each player needed to be cut out on the computer. You have to trace using a mouse and erase all the background. It's time consuming! But a lot of fun when everything is said and done. It's great practice though. Being able to use photoshop is a great skill to have for a resume. A lot of places use it.

I did another one, that won't be posted, but you might like even more...If I can post it I will at the time...and I could email a copy of it because you would want it.

P.S. only one or a few people on my blog or supposed to get this message, so if your lost, well there is a reason you are. I have more to post later.

RSS Feed

If anyone wants an RSS feed. I'm just learning what it is...

This is it...

http://rtimblog.blogspot.com/atom.xml

If I could figure out how to link it I would.

I have balls...

I have balls, both figuratively and literally.

I went golfing this morning. I played that 120 yard hole pretty well again. It's just a pitching wedge and putter.

I played a 170 yard hole with a five iron and two iron pretty well. The five iron left me shorter than I wanted the first time I played, so I used a two iron for the next two. I took two other shots on that hole. I sliced one into the woods badly and hit another one that I just lost. The sun was in my eyes so I really had no idea where exactly my shots landed until I got to the hole.

They were all in fairly decent positions. I really don't know what I got on the hole. I may have gotten a legit four once. I wasn't overly concerned with a score because I worked on my chipping. Chipping is easy in a driving range, off of a carpet. It's a lot harder on the side of a hill, in rough (Steele Hill doesn't really have a fairway) and at a distance that requires less than a full swing. I needed to practice those so I really didn't focus on the score.

Putting is useless at Steele Hill, or mostly useless. For example there is a lip in the middle of the green from the edge of where the lawn mower went. There are so many things that are bad about the greens at Steele Hill that basically I'm not too concerned about how I do with my putting.

I also played a 196 yard hole. I used my driver even though I usually drive it past 200-225 yards. I've hit it 250 before. Taking the driver out was dicey but I wanted to try it.

The first shot off the tee was SLICED SO BADLY. It was horrendous. It was embarrassing. I hit it towards the porches of the resort. Imagine if it actually did land on a porch, or went towards the resort.

"Um did a golf ball land in your porch" (While making the facial expression that a UConn Women's Soccer player has made famous...It's amazingly funny)

"Well, it's not on the porch but it's lying on the sofa"

"K, thanks I'll just chip it out"

The next shot I sliced BADLY, but not quite as badly. I had no idea where that ball went.

After slicing two I could have just said...Hmm I'll just practice at the driving range.

I knew I could hit one down the middle. I persevered to take another shot.

I sliced it once again, BADLY.

I could have stopped. Most people who have stopped. But I guess I have some sort of swagger to my golf game. A swagger that doesn't match up at all with my skill level.

I took out another ball, after having lost the last three, and knew that I was going to hit it perfectly, like I said before my third shot that went towards Maine.

I teed up and focused on my arms movement this time as I swung.

I hit a perfect shot with my driver. Not on the green, but right in front of it. It was the perfect tee shot to end the morning with.

I was thrilled that after looking like a fool on my first three drives on that last hole, that I would have enough confidence and mental toughness to go for a fourth shot.

Ask yourself the question. Would you have the "balls" or "toughness" to have gone for that fourth shot? I bet not. I bet most people would have had enough sense to go "hmm, maybe I should stop and just go practice at the driving range more." or "Today just isn't my day"

I was actually lucky that after missing that many shots badly that I did have enough golf balls left to play that fourth shot.

I am thrilled that I made that shot right down the middle though. I sort of felt like that field goal kicker who missed three shots in a game badly, but then was sent in to take a kick in overtime and drove it right through the middle.

I seem to be gaining mental toughness and I guess I think that means I am maturing as an athlete.

A Wedge and A Putter

So I went golfing on a real course for the first time when I sort of knew what I was doing.

I played one hole three times.

I'm playing at Steele Hill Resort's 9 hole golf course. It's basically the Yugo of Golf Courses. There are weeds on the greens, although they are cut to the right height. Their are also ant hills on the greens. They make reading greens slightly more difficult.

There were also a father and two sons who were playing in their bathing suits. Not too many other golf courses where you can play golf in bathing suits. Considering that a lot of golfers are old and round and have a bowl full of jelly around their midsection it's probably good that their aren't too many other courses that allow for shirtless playing.

The father yelled at me and asked if I wanted to play a hole. He said he was just messing around. I said "No, go ahead. I'm just messing around too."

You don't go to Steele Hill to play golf, you go to mess around.

The hole I played was 120 yards, and downhill. All I needed was my Pitching Wedge and Putter. No bag necessary. AWESOME

My first shot I topped down the hill. It actually was in an ok position. When a hole is 120 yards and there are no bodies of water around or behind the hole, it's hard to have a bad shot even if you swing and miss on the first shot. I messed up on the entire sequence of shots though though. I hit my next shot too hard and it went over the green, then did that again. Then missed a putt because the groundskeeper forgot to cut the grass that was growing over the edge of the hole. I got a six on this stupid Par 3 120 yard hole.

I got better the next two times I played the hole.

My next shot I pulled a little bit to the left, but it left me in a fairly good position I got it on the green and two putted for a four. I was getting closer to par.

The next shot I hit on the opposite side of the green. I think I hit it through a tree because I heard leaves rustling after I shot. This shot left me in a very good position. I had a bad chip shot, in that I didn't get it in the air as much as I wanted too, but it did work. It rolled just past the hole and I had a pretty easy three foot uphill putt that I sunk for par.

I improved each time I played that hole so I guess that's a good thing.

We will have to see how many holes I play. I may just play the same three six times or something like that. It's not that nice of a course to make me want to see what holes 4 through 9 look like. I saw that one hole was a Sand Wedge 70 yard hole.

The par for these nine holes is 29. Somehow I don't think that the best golfers in the world could do too much better. How could you get too much better than a 58 for 18 holes?

Tour De France

I love cycling and I actually got around to watching part of a stage. Here is what I remember.

I believe the stage went from Filet Mignon to Croissant.

The next one was from Croissant to Pinot Grigio. From there it was on to Cote de Centre pas ill de Busque. The final two stops would be to Champagne and Tawny Porto.

Every time I listen to the names of the places the cyclists are going I think of that cheap restaurant in town that tries to be a five star place by changing hot dog to Dogge' De Hotte with Catsup a la carte on the menu.

I also am shocked by nothing I see fans doing.

When watching I saw these things:

Sheep by the road

Three guys dressed like borat with that green one piece thing.

Vikings made an appearance (Brett Favre joined them when they got to the top of the hill)

Someone dressed in a drink bottle.

A Women in a bikini.

Someone dressed as Lance Armstrong.

They all seem to be running up hill clueless to the fact that they look crazy and ARE GETTING IN EVERYONE'S WAY. Those people who dress up are the people I wish went running with the Bulls.

The thing I hate about this is that sometimes people think that this is normal, or that it is what cyclists want when they are going on a ride. During the Tour people tend to act dumber when I ride at home. They start honking their horns at me. Then you have people shouting at me "go faster." It's awful. Here I am biking in the beautiful country and I have to listen to that. I like it when it's peaceful and I hear the wind whizzing past my ears and the birds chirping in the background.

Thankfully I have yet to have experienced people dressed as Borat running next to me while cycling. To take precautionary measures I have decided to make sure my cycling isn't too predictable so I go at different times and on different routes.

Ali vs Frazier

Ali vs Frazier or Keslowski vs Edwards?

Ok Brad Keslowski and Carl Edwards are making the Nationwide NASCAR series a must watch event. You also get full of anticipation at Sprint Cup events.

I can't wait for Martinsville or Bristol and see how those two do there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS_KN7uRrG0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-BySzlOsG4&feature=related

Carl Edwards has done everything possible in my opinion to ruin his media image. He was a media darling. He is no longer. He hasn't won in a long time and is basically becoming famous for wrecking people. Isn't that what a sponsor wants?

"We need to fix our brands image"

"Let's go get that guy that wrecks people"

Couple of things

So I went for a beautiful bike ride today. It was the perfect temperature and perfect time and perfect everything. It was a great bike ride. I just can't explain it other then that. Today's ride is what I look forward to all year. I went exploring on my bike today and found a really nice resturaunt and driving range close by. The range is not one that I would have trouble overpowering. The longest flag is 172 yards, but the range would allow me to work on accuracy.

Also, my favorite ESPN segment all year is the My Wish segment on Sportscenter. I love ESPN, but that segment is by far my favorite. I look forward to it every summer.

I also love the passion the Orioles showed today during the two ejections I saw on TV. Arguing and ejections are about the only interesting things that could possibly happen at Orioles games. Without them the fans don't get their money's worth.

Let's talk soccer

How many people can say they told a sports superstar to do something and that person listened.

Marta is widely regarded as the best women's soccer player in the world now and I had to tell her to go see the press. She was so excited to do that.

Ok, I really didn't make her day at all.

I also got a chance to speak to Christine Sinclair, a Canadian National Team and WPS Star. I had to get her to go to media too. She was easy to deal with and fun to talk too. We spoke about Stephanie Labbe, a person we knew in common. Steph went to UConn with me and was in my Husky Sport class and she is teammates with Sinclair on the Canadian National Team. I told Sinclair that I always root for Canada, after the U.S. which she playfully gave me a hard time about.

Speaking of Husky Sport, Husky Sport was a big part of the game for me and FC Gold Pride player, and UConn Alum Kristen Graczyk.

As an intern, UConn Women's Soccer Staff member and Husky Sport staff member it was really cool to think that I got to be involved with getting a group of Husky Sport staff and children to be able to watch one of the original members of Husky Sport play a professional game.

Graczyk met with the Husky Sport group that came to the game, and got complimentary tickets thanks to the Breakers and to be fair, me. I heard that the group enjoyed the game and I'm sure it must have been so cool for Kristen to have a young group rooting for her and knowing that this group was something that she helped grow. It must have been cool to have seen the Husky Sport program grow, and have enough Alumni that an event was created to watch soccer and see her.

I got to meet Graczyk and I was so glad I did. I asked if I could introduce myself after the game. I had a message to deliver to her from her college coaches at UConn. She was really nice and actually knew of me. Once I told her my name she said "Ohh Tim, Dr. Bruening was telling me about you, thanks for everything." She was also impressed with my new title, which you will find out about at a later time.

Graczyk was really nice and really good, so she really does resemble our program. I only got to speak to her for 30 seconds or so, but it was an honor to meet her. I also really wanted to meet Graczyk because I always do work on the media guide and I always read about her. She is one of the best players in school history and I have to guess that she is also the best Soccer Player ever to come from New Mexico. I like meeting alumni, especially ones in the WPS. It makes me feel even further connected to the program and I like the idea of UConn making things happen on a professional field.

Graczyk was so nice and I am so happy I got to meet her. I wish her well and will be rooting for her.

Where have I been

So just an FYI the last few days have been REALLY busy. I guess that is a good thing, unless you want to read things that I write.

Tomorrow I won't be able to write anything.

I am disapointed in the amount of fans who watched the U.S. National Women's Soccer team play at Rentschler Field recently.

FYI The U.S. National Women's Basketball team will be playing at the XL Center on September 10th and 12th. It's basically a home game for them since all the best players on the team are from UConn.

Women's Soccer also has a game on the 9th and 12th at home those days...so sports fans should plan a trip to Hartford for great sports that time of the year.

Jetskiing/NH all about me

I don't think I wrote about what I did on Tuesday. After Will and Morgen left I went up to Lake Winnipesaukee for the 21st straight year. I've been there every year of my life. I was actually there in the summer of 1988, (I was born in the fall) in my mom's stomach.

Lake Winnipesaukee is really special to me. I've gone in the water every year so it's almost spiritual in a way to me. The water makes me feel right. I believe that Lake Winnipesaukee was the first water I was ever in and I honestly hope it's the last too. I wish I was baptized in it. The Lake and the Lakes Region means a lot to me because I associate it with family and fun. The Lakes Region of New Hampshire is heaven to me. That's the only way I know how to describe it.

I think a lot of people think that I would want to be buried at UConn or where Morrone Stadium is but that's not true. I want to be buried and to have my final resting place be in the Lakes Region, preferably overlooking the water. Hopefully that won't happen for a long long long long time, but I also know that my wishes won't change for a long long long long time. Let's not talk about death though. It's a sad subject even though I love the quote "Death makes life important" from Six Feet Under.

When I went to the Lakes Region this year I went jetskiing. I LOVE JETSKIING. I love it because it, like cycling, golf etc. gets my mind off of any problems. I love when I get the engine to rev up when I get the thing airborne in wakes. I'm not expert on jetskiing. I need a lot more practice but I love getting to go.

Thankfully I will be up in the Lakes Region again in a week. I might not write, but then again I may. Either way I can guarantee that I will be happy.

Randomly I also realized today that the happiest day of my life would be the day I become a father. I was thinking about Will and Morgen when I thought that. I just thought about that today and I know that no matter what I accomplish or do in life, if I became a father, that would be the happiest day of my life.

Speaking of life. If I don't own a house, or even a porto-potty on Lake Winnipesaukee before I die, (no matter what else I accomplish in life, even peace on earth) I will have failed in life. That is how much Lake Winnipesaukee means to me.

It's a strange and crazy and passionate devotion to the area. Let's be honest though. I don't really like things. I LOVE them. They aren't good, they are THE BEST EVER.

What Golf and Nascar have in common

This is something I will elaborate on later, but one thing that Golf and NASCAR have in common are media friendly participants. Most golfers and NASCAR drivers answer questions are in general family friendly.

Without Tiger Golf Sucks

Some people hope Tiger Woods never wins again. I'm really bored that he isn't winning (Although I wouldn't count out Tiger tomorrow no matter how difficult the odds). It's even more boring when Phil Mickelson isn't a factor in winning a major either.

Majors without Tiger and Phil being factors is like having the Super Bowl being played between the Bengals and Lions

John Daly being in the mix after a day at the British Open was SO EXCITING. That made golf interesting. I haven't heard about him since though.

Where is Vijay Singh? I could sort of root for him.

Let's be honest though, it's not good for golf when the names at the final day are Zach Johnson, Dustin Johnson, Kevin Johnson, Richard Johnson (ok so the last two aren't factors but they are tour players and they continue the Johnson theme) Bob Johnson, Tim Johnson, Mitch Johnson, Eddie Johnson, Tiger Johnson. (ok I made those all up) As great as they are at golf, my perception, which is completely wrong, is that these guys are nothing compared to Tiger and therefore aren't worth watching. These guys are really good, but you have to admit it is hard to get excited about a final round battle between Zach Johnson and Dustin Johnson. Add in Tiger and it's interesting.

Some die hard golf fans got excited about Graeme McDowell winning the U.S. Open. Congratulations to him. He seems like a nice guy, but I'm tired of watching guys like him win. These guys aren't immortals. They aren't Palmer, The Golden Bear (Nicklaus), Snead, Hogan, Woods, Mickelson, Trevino or Watson. To the average person they are Joe Schmo.

They are Joe Schmo who won at the local club a week ago to the average sports fan. That's wrong and unfair to these pro's but I guarantee you some fans (however dumb or inebriated or both they are) think that and therefore don't get excited about watching them.

I know Mickelson won the Masters, but really it would have been so much more fascinating for it to have been Mickelson and Woods battling at Augusta and at Pebble Beach and then at St. Andrews. Imagine how interesting it would be to watch John Daly smoke cigarettes and drink diet coke while battling on the final day of a big tournament.

It's important for golf to develop new and upcoming stars, which hopefully Rickie Fowler is. Fowler brightens up the game, both literally, with his wardrobe, and figuratively. He's different than the other players to me. He seems to have more of a personality. He doesn't seem to be the stereotypical boring golfer.

However, usually this up and coming talent becomes anointed as the next big thing by winning consistently or by slaying the dragon, like Tiger. No one, and I mean no one can say they have anything on Tiger. Tiger Woods is still the number one golfer in the world. He is still regarded as the best even though Bubba Watson has won more money this year than Woods has. Until someone goes toe-to-toe with Tiger and beats him, a couple of times, and starts a rivalry, golf will be more boring to watch than it already is to most people.

Tiger Woods needs to become relevant again. I want to see him win a MAJOR again. I want him to do well. It's so boring without him being good.

It was interesting to see Bubba Watson, Scott Verplank and Corey Pavin try to win the Travelers. It was interesting and fun to watch, but I wish Tiger would have done something this year to have overshadowed that.

And I know Mickelson did have the amazing shot at the Masters. I was impressed by that, still didn't do anything for me to make me say golf is so exciting.

I still want to see Tiger win.

I need Tiger to make golf interesting.

The first time I watched golf was when there was the Duval and Woods rivalry. Imagine how interesting golf would be if there was another rivalry.

P.S.

Sadly I have watched Tiger be a non factor all year. Actually, sadly I have been watching golf more often than usual.

a "Hey, how was your summer?"

b "I watched guys wearing modern art whack a small round ball on grass fields for four or five hours each week"

a "Sounds like fun...your such a party animal"

b "I know, my great grandma tells me how "Hip" I am"

a"I want to party with you"

b"yeah, we'll drink water, bob for apples, and play tick tack toe while we watch the weather channel"

a "I LOVE LOCAL ON THE EIGHT'S"

b "ME TOO"

a "Your AWESOME!!! and hipper than hip, your Hippity Hoppity Hip Hop"

I'm telling you, no matter how much you dislike Tiger, the game of golf would be so much more interesting with him winning and being in the position to win.

Learned another golf skill

I learned another crucial golf skill yesterday while hitting the ball at the driving range. I learned the skill of cursing underneath my breath when I hit a bad shot.

I actually was the slowest hitter at the driving range. I really took a lot of time in between shots. I didn't just whack away. I'd step back and go through some sort of routine to relax.

By the end of the hitting, maybe even midway, my fingers started getting lots of blisters and that messed up my swing ever so slightly since I was trying hard not to aggravate my blisters more than I had too.

I think this is a funny Nike Soccer Commercial

I like this Nike Soccer Commercial. I think the ending is really funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbFmK4zZ9Ys

Why are

Why are the best English Women's Soccer players left footed?

Every realized that?

The two best are obviously the one who sports number 33 at that school I love and Kelly Smith.

Also shout out to the Rochester Ravens for picking up another win. I am happy to see them doing well.

Don't you want to root for him?

I just read that John Daly is only three back at the British Open.

I also found out he was wearing a hideous unmatching outfit.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=5381769&story=5381731

He was also puffing cigarettes and downing diet sodas while on the course.

Not exactly a health freak. Not exactly what you envision an athlete doing and drinking.

Yet somehow, for some reason, after Tiger Woods I am rooting for him. I couldn't tell you why.

If Vijay Singh is playing I'd root for him because that man is an athlete. If you look at him up close you'd see how big and impressive he is. He makes golf look like athletes play it. Daly makes golf look like it's played by every doctors worst nightmare. A fat guy, who smokes and drinks lots of soda.

ESPY's

I didn't watch the ESPY's (I actually spent time last night moving furniture for the people I am staying with and then got to use a power saw for the first time in my life...I can still type so I was successful) and don't really care about the ESPY's but I cared enough to see who won.

I do not understand how UCONN Women's Basketball, a team that has now won 78 straight games, did not win the BEST TEAM. It's pretty clear to me, and should be to most people, that UCONN Women's Basketball had the best TEAMWORK and therefore was the BEST TEAM.

Any sports award or vote that allows fans to vote is somewhat meaningless. A Kansas City Royal who is hitting .350 will not get in the All-Star game over a Boston Red Sox or New York Yankee who is hitting .270. Big markets and teams with lots of followings get the most votes.

Events that get the most media coverage win. Events that happened recently are fresher in the minds of casual voters and therefore are most likely to win. The best and most deserving is not the most likely to win.

Will and sports

So I want to write about my six year old cousin Will who really really impresses me. He has AMAZING focus for a 6 year old. He does Karate and he was one of three kids in his class to get a perfect score.

Karate has taught him some amazing mental skills. His focus is off the charts. It's like an adults. He was learning pool and rather than get distracted or get down on himself

The kid has mental skills that would make him one hell of an athlete. He's beginning to learn golf and somehow with his last name (think Arnold_____) he would have the pedigree to be successful. I wouldn't push him though, but if he wanted it he could get it.

When we were teaching him pool he had a laser like focus on the cue ball. He struggled at first but kept with it and before you know it he was sinking some shots. My positive reinforcement probably helped.

When I taught him the beginning steps of soccer juggling he stuck with it and was able to bounce the ball, let it fall, kick it up and than catch it. Not bad considering I just taught him and he is only six. He also uses both feet pretty well, which is also good.

Will is also supremely confident. When we spoke about Bears in the woods I said that I was strong enough to take care of them. Will then said "Well if I can get out of you (I let him go so he could go chase is brother) than I should be the one to beat up the Bear"

His confidence is awesome. He's actually almost too confident sometimes. "I can stop a car rolling down a hill"

"No Will you can't and please don't try"

This kid has serious confidence and focus. Amazing for his age. He could really be somebody one day.

These two you tube videos remind me of him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_X6BWJvGfo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdUwfR1cw-8

Will really impresses me. I can't say any other six year old has impressed me before. Maybe it's because he has two things that I think I lacked growing up confidence and focus. I think he has the mental skills, that I believe I have now, but didn't have at his age. I wish I had them at his age.

More on this Jimmy Hoffa thing

Can you imagine my six year old 2nd cousin (I guess that's what he is called) going into school next year to talk about his summer.

Hey Will what did you do this summer?

"Well we went on vacation, I caught some fish, went water tubing and than I went digging and found Jimmy Hoffa. I brought back some of his bones."

Will came up yesterday with a few rocks in his hands and told his dad, "here are these bones I found. They are from Jimmy Hoffa."

Just what his father was expecting to hear. Just what his teacher would love to hear. Talk about a memorable introduction to a new student next year.

"I found Jimmy Hoffa"

"Oh well then you get straight A's"

Will will get me back when he is older.

At this age every rock he finds might become Jimmy Hoffa.

They are flying back to Florida today and I can only imagine Will asking his father "Dad where did you put my Jimmy Hoffa bones" right as there walking through security.

"Excuse me mister, we need to bring you to the interview room, NOW"