I am really excited to follow and hopefully watch Canada and France play soccer today as so much is on the line for both teams. It's a must draw or win for Canada who I would pick in the game.
I think Canada has been doing well these past few years in soccer and should be taking a step and advancing in the World Cup. I think there is more pressure on Canada to do well than in the past, and I certainly would have picked them and Germany to advance. Hopefully they will.
I'm not sure if there is a better player than Christine Sinclair either. She can play and I think is more talented than any U.S. player right now. I think the best player in the world comes down to her or Marta. The goal Sinclair scored against Germany was phenomenal.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Do You love promo items?
Do you love promotional items?
You ever wondered how much that prized freebie cost?
Here is an example of a place that sells them...
http://www.razz-m-tazz.com/ProductSearch/QSResults.aspx?DPSV_Id=455463&pSRVC_Id=54&Ntk=WordSearchAsiLinename&Ntt=promotional&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&kid=52901680&BWS=0|1&BSAS=1
You ever wondered how much that prized freebie cost?
Here is an example of a place that sells them...
http://www.razz-m-tazz.com/ProductSearch/QSResults.aspx?DPSV_Id=455463&pSRVC_Id=54&Ntk=WordSearchAsiLinename&Ntt=promotional&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&kid=52901680&BWS=0|1&BSAS=1
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
also sports related...
This applies to how humans think and can over analyze and psych themselves out. Basically beating yourself.
I watched the Great Football Coach Jimmy Johnson use this example and I love it...I guess it relates to putting pressure on yourself.
If you ask someone to walk on a two by four on the ground everyone could do it and get from one side to the other without falling.
If you then take that same board and put it up 10 feet people would start to think about not falling and then because of that they will fall.
Another quote from him I like...on self fulfilling prophecies...
Treat a person as they are and they will remain as they are. Treat a person as they are what they could be and should be and they will become who they could be and should be.
- Another useful Jimmy Johnson tidbit from Show on America's Game...story of Super Bowl Champions and the 1993 Dallas Cowboys.
I watched the Great Football Coach Jimmy Johnson use this example and I love it...I guess it relates to putting pressure on yourself.
If you ask someone to walk on a two by four on the ground everyone could do it and get from one side to the other without falling.
If you then take that same board and put it up 10 feet people would start to think about not falling and then because of that they will fall.
Another quote from him I like...on self fulfilling prophecies...
Treat a person as they are and they will remain as they are. Treat a person as they are what they could be and should be and they will become who they could be and should be.
- Another useful Jimmy Johnson tidbit from Show on America's Game...story of Super Bowl Champions and the 1993 Dallas Cowboys.
W-League is improving
Random thought of the day, but when I first started following Women's Semi Pro Soccer...or whatever it is called, but you know what I mean...where all the college players play, I thought that the WPSL was better covered than the W-League. I thought it was easier to get information on WPSL games for the longest time. Now that has switched. It's easy to get W-League info and can be relatively difficult to get WPSL stuff. I sometimes have to text people to get updates. W-League is pretty easy, and many teams are good about getting info up right away, which indicates to me they have good support from an ownership standpoint.
Rochester and Ottawa are generally very good.
The WPSL is good for the Mutiny because they have a writer who covers the team, but I have no idea what Soccerplus is doing or what the Fury are doing.
Rochester and Ottawa are generally very good.
The WPSL is good for the Mutiny because they have a writer who covers the team, but I have no idea what Soccerplus is doing or what the Fury are doing.
Finding stuff on my grandpa inspired me
So finding something on the internet with my living grandpa was really cool. Actually even cooler with my grandma (although she would be scared to know this) because she's never used a computer, and never will. She handwrites cards or uses a typewriter I think. She also has a Rotary Phone that she still uses and that I would like to have or one similar to it one day.
I used it once when I was younger and it really confused me at the time.
Anyway, this made me want to see if there was anything on the grandpa that died in 1968. Having just started a search I found something interesting about someone that was probably somehow related to me. Name was Rundle Palmer..and he died in Ohio...and Arnold Palmer is from Pennsylvania...so we have some Palmer's from Greenwich ending up in the mid-atlantic/midwest where Arnie is from.
My golf game is getting better at the thought that somehow Arnold and I are in the tiniest of ways related.
Honestly if we go back for enough we probably are, but I've never found a link this promising before. Although I love history, I am not the family historian. My Uncle, who is a priest, is the family historian. He's traveled the world and probably could tell me a lot about second and third cousins that I don't know about.
I used it once when I was younger and it really confused me at the time.
Anyway, this made me want to see if there was anything on the grandpa that died in 1968. Having just started a search I found something interesting about someone that was probably somehow related to me. Name was Rundle Palmer..and he died in Ohio...and Arnold Palmer is from Pennsylvania...so we have some Palmer's from Greenwich ending up in the mid-atlantic/midwest where Arnie is from.
My golf game is getting better at the thought that somehow Arnold and I are in the tiniest of ways related.
Honestly if we go back for enough we probably are, but I've never found a link this promising before. Although I love history, I am not the family historian. My Uncle, who is a priest, is the family historian. He's traveled the world and probably could tell me a lot about second and third cousins that I don't know about.
Are these words out of fashion?
This was inspired by my trip to the bike shop today. I am curious about some of these words and whether or not they are out of fashion because these words are the words I look for when I buy things, but I feel like they aren't what a lot of people look for...
Durable, Reliable, Tough, Long-Lasting. Those words mean so much to me when I buy something. Lightweight, fast, new, etc. aren't as meaningful to me. I want something that won't break and won't need to be replaced in a week.
Other words that I like are hard working, responsible, reliable, honest, trustworthy, practical etc.
Those words are good words too...and I think should be used more and appreciated more...even if they are boring and vanilla.
An example of two words are Brilliant vs Practical.
My Uncle is Brilliant, but not particularly practical. My grandpa is smart but not as Brilliant than his son, and is much more practical. Anyway my brilliant Uncle was given the task to label the size of jackets when he was young and working at my grandpas dry cleaning place in the Bronx, Ernest Winzer Dry Cleaners, which still exists, although my grandpa has nothing to do with it anymore. My Uncle, being so Brilliant wrote sizes on the jackets like four squared times two plus four and three to the third plus two squared etc. You get the point.
Certainly that is a brilliant way to look at the numbers, but as you can imagine it wasn't very practical to the tuxedo rental place that sent the jackets to be cleaned. When they looked at the paper bag type material (This happened in the 60's) that used to cover dry cleaned clothes the people getting them had no idea what size anything was because those people had never gone to college and done advanced Math. To them four squared times two pus four was a CRUEL joke.
Brilliant is good, but it should also be combined with practicality too. I'm all for new ways of doing things and pushing the envelope and progressing and making the seemingly impossible practical, but at the same time you just have to have common sense.
Talent, new, exciting, flashy etc, are all nice words, but sometimes I think durable, reliable, responsible, hard working etc. are under utilized and under appreciated.
And jesus man...I googled Ernest Winzer Cleaners and I found a photo of my grandpa that I never have seen before...Man the internet is amazing...freakishly amazing.
And if your really bored and want to try to pick out my grandparents have fun...wow...my great grandparents are in that one too. My great grandpa was a German prisoner of war in China during the First World War. I also believe that he never learned how to drive.
http://winzercleaners.com/LIBRARY/About%20Us/1949_RoseStecker.jpg
This eliminates a few more
http://winzercleaners.com/LIBRARY/About%20Us/MrW_2ndWife.jpg
Durable, Reliable, Tough, Long-Lasting. Those words mean so much to me when I buy something. Lightweight, fast, new, etc. aren't as meaningful to me. I want something that won't break and won't need to be replaced in a week.
Other words that I like are hard working, responsible, reliable, honest, trustworthy, practical etc.
Those words are good words too...and I think should be used more and appreciated more...even if they are boring and vanilla.
An example of two words are Brilliant vs Practical.
My Uncle is Brilliant, but not particularly practical. My grandpa is smart but not as Brilliant than his son, and is much more practical. Anyway my brilliant Uncle was given the task to label the size of jackets when he was young and working at my grandpas dry cleaning place in the Bronx, Ernest Winzer Dry Cleaners, which still exists, although my grandpa has nothing to do with it anymore. My Uncle, being so Brilliant wrote sizes on the jackets like four squared times two plus four and three to the third plus two squared etc. You get the point.
Certainly that is a brilliant way to look at the numbers, but as you can imagine it wasn't very practical to the tuxedo rental place that sent the jackets to be cleaned. When they looked at the paper bag type material (This happened in the 60's) that used to cover dry cleaned clothes the people getting them had no idea what size anything was because those people had never gone to college and done advanced Math. To them four squared times two pus four was a CRUEL joke.
Brilliant is good, but it should also be combined with practicality too. I'm all for new ways of doing things and pushing the envelope and progressing and making the seemingly impossible practical, but at the same time you just have to have common sense.
Talent, new, exciting, flashy etc, are all nice words, but sometimes I think durable, reliable, responsible, hard working etc. are under utilized and under appreciated.
And jesus man...I googled Ernest Winzer Cleaners and I found a photo of my grandpa that I never have seen before...Man the internet is amazing...freakishly amazing.
And if your really bored and want to try to pick out my grandparents have fun...wow...my great grandparents are in that one too. My great grandpa was a German prisoner of war in China during the First World War. I also believe that he never learned how to drive.
http://winzercleaners.com/LIBRARY/About%20Us/1949_RoseStecker.jpg
This eliminates a few more
http://winzercleaners.com/LIBRARY/About%20Us/MrW_2ndWife.jpg
Letting all the air out...literally
So once again I got a flat tire on my bike, but this time it happened overnight, and not out on the road.
It was more annoying than anything else. It was also sort of unbelievable but at the same time I should have expected it. I've been do for flat tires. I hadn't gotten them in awhile until recently. I also seem to get flat tires in bunches. Hopefully I am done with those bunches of flats for the rest of the year.
Flat tires are more common this year than in the past according to my local bike repairman. With budget cuts less money is being spent to clean the roads so there is more glass, sharp rocks and crap over on the side of the road where cyclists ride. I actually have a habit of trying to ride in the middle of the road on local roads to avoid the stuff on the side of the road.
I would also like to take this time to address all of the people that throw glass bottles on to the road...PLEASE STOP...I am amazed at all of the liquor and beer bottles that are just thrown out on to the roads. I thought people knew how to throw things away into the trash or recycle them. It just seems so rude to me to not throw things away properly.
It was more annoying than anything else. It was also sort of unbelievable but at the same time I should have expected it. I've been do for flat tires. I hadn't gotten them in awhile until recently. I also seem to get flat tires in bunches. Hopefully I am done with those bunches of flats for the rest of the year.
Flat tires are more common this year than in the past according to my local bike repairman. With budget cuts less money is being spent to clean the roads so there is more glass, sharp rocks and crap over on the side of the road where cyclists ride. I actually have a habit of trying to ride in the middle of the road on local roads to avoid the stuff on the side of the road.
I would also like to take this time to address all of the people that throw glass bottles on to the road...PLEASE STOP...I am amazed at all of the liquor and beer bottles that are just thrown out on to the roads. I thought people knew how to throw things away into the trash or recycle them. It just seems so rude to me to not throw things away properly.
Still Shaken Up
So I woke up again after my wakeboarding face plant and have a little more to say. In all seriousness it's very important to be safe while wakeboarding or riding a bike. Your mind is a precious thing and I think the lesson of today, (although I don't think I got a concussion after checking the symptoms online even though lying down a certain way hurts) was to get a helmet for wakeboarding to help cushion falls.
I also wear a helmet while biking and would encourage others to do so. I know you can look like a dork, but on every ride I go at least 30MPH during some stretches and if something happens I could do a lot of damage to myself if I wasn't wearing a helmet.
Concussions and head injuries are not something to laugh about as they can end people's careers and alter their lives and my cousin is a perfect, and sad example of this. A year ago he got into a bad car accident and suffered a bad concussion. He was just about to finish up his doctorate at MIT but has not been able to finish because of his injury. He can't understand his own life's work and can't function for more than two hours straight.
Anything to protect your head is a good thing and I never realized how hard you can hit your head wakeboarding. I think it would be wise to get a helmet to protect my most valuable asset...even if I don't look cool in the process.
I guess I am not surprised I fell wakeboarding since I haven't done sports similar to it before, like snowboarding, surfing or skateboarding.
I also wear a helmet while biking and would encourage others to do so. I know you can look like a dork, but on every ride I go at least 30MPH during some stretches and if something happens I could do a lot of damage to myself if I wasn't wearing a helmet.
Concussions and head injuries are not something to laugh about as they can end people's careers and alter their lives and my cousin is a perfect, and sad example of this. A year ago he got into a bad car accident and suffered a bad concussion. He was just about to finish up his doctorate at MIT but has not been able to finish because of his injury. He can't understand his own life's work and can't function for more than two hours straight.
Anything to protect your head is a good thing and I never realized how hard you can hit your head wakeboarding. I think it would be wise to get a helmet to protect my most valuable asset...even if I don't look cool in the process.
I guess I am not surprised I fell wakeboarding since I haven't done sports similar to it before, like snowboarding, surfing or skateboarding.
Monday, June 27, 2011
I probably did something like this
I probably did something like this on the wakeboard...not going across the wake...but the ending feels familiar..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qPPrvCgFDA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qPPrvCgFDA
World's Greatest Face Plant
One of my goals for this summer was to start wakeboarding. This is the last summer I have before reality and the real world sets in so I figure this is a good last time to go over all the things I need to know before the real world, like cooking certain meals that I don't usually cook etc. Also a good time to learn anything new that I want to master (wakeboarding) because chances are that I will be too busy to learn new things once I have a full-time job...and I can't wait to get a paycheck...a real one!!! One that can be split for different uses like housing, car, food, insurance, retirement, savings and not one that just covers gas.
So anyway today I succeeded in getting up one a wakeboard. I got going for a little bit of time and I was impressed with how relatively easy it was for me to get up when compared to waterskiing. However, I am not used to a wakeboard yet. I'm not able to fully control it yet, so because of that I had an EPIC FACE PLANT today.
I wish someone filmed it because in a couple of days it would have been fun to watch. I went face first into the water and man did I feel it. I'm pretty sure my nostrils and eyes got cleaned out and that I had the best teeth cleaning possible as water was forced through me when I hit the water after falling.
I must say that hitting the water head first is probably the only thorough way to clean teeth. I hit so hard that my face felt like it had been hit by a powerwasher.
But I am fine and look forward to going again...when I feel 100%.
Overall I had a good day, besides wakeboarding, I cooked hamburgers on the grill, ran, biked, kayaked and took the boat out along with helping my mom around the yard. A very productive day. Tomorrow it will be off to the place I volunteer at over break to help out in their athletic department.
But I got to say, staying at home and relaxing, and learning how to do more things around the house is a very useful way to spend this summer. Certainly I could survive now without any more learning at home but I could survive better if I knew how to make my mom's tacos, marinate grilled chicken/steak, make curry chicken, learn how to fix car problems etc. myself.
So anyway today I succeeded in getting up one a wakeboard. I got going for a little bit of time and I was impressed with how relatively easy it was for me to get up when compared to waterskiing. However, I am not used to a wakeboard yet. I'm not able to fully control it yet, so because of that I had an EPIC FACE PLANT today.
I wish someone filmed it because in a couple of days it would have been fun to watch. I went face first into the water and man did I feel it. I'm pretty sure my nostrils and eyes got cleaned out and that I had the best teeth cleaning possible as water was forced through me when I hit the water after falling.
I must say that hitting the water head first is probably the only thorough way to clean teeth. I hit so hard that my face felt like it had been hit by a powerwasher.
But I am fine and look forward to going again...when I feel 100%.
Overall I had a good day, besides wakeboarding, I cooked hamburgers on the grill, ran, biked, kayaked and took the boat out along with helping my mom around the yard. A very productive day. Tomorrow it will be off to the place I volunteer at over break to help out in their athletic department.
But I got to say, staying at home and relaxing, and learning how to do more things around the house is a very useful way to spend this summer. Certainly I could survive now without any more learning at home but I could survive better if I knew how to make my mom's tacos, marinate grilled chicken/steak, make curry chicken, learn how to fix car problems etc. myself.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
I found a soccer field
Sometimes when I bike I like to break my routine and bike down a different road. I tend to keep a similar route so I can see my times. I like to know I'm getting faster.
Yesterday, before my flat tire, I took a right when I usually go straight and explored. I ended up going past a beautiful river/stream/brook that was surrounded by woods. It had a slight balsamic fir smell to it. (somehow I know what that smells like)
As I went further on a remote, but recently paved country road I ran into something I was not expecting, a soccer field. As I explored further I think I discovered a boarding school that I didn't know existed.
I've been looking for a soccer field to use but haven't had luck, but unfortunately this one is not open to the public as evidenced by no trespassing signs.
This field won't really be useful for me except that it lead me to this post.
What I found remarkable is that in the middle of the woods in New Hampshire, there was a soccer field. The reason I find this remarkable is that I was in America and there was a ball field for soccer in the middle of nowhere. A baseball field wouldn't have surprised me at all. Baseball fields are part of Americana. Soccer Fields are not.
Soccer is a worldly sport and the athletes are often very unique individuals, the kind that loves riding electric scooters, European fashion and 3/4 Quarter style pants.
Soccer players feel unique to me, almost as if you can tell what sport they play just by observing them off the field as people.
Traditionally in America soccer has not been liked or respected, and there is a reason for it. It was seen as a game played by immigrants and as proud American's we didn't want to be associated with their game and the game of Europe, we wanted to be proud of our own games like Football, Basketball and Baseball. National Pride has something to do with American's attitude towards soccer. While I think the nation is beginning to get excited about soccer, and in 50 years it wouldn't surprise me if it overtook baseball in popularity (yes I'd make that prediction now) it's still surprising to see a field in the middle of nowhere in New Hampshire. Even though it was in such a serene setting it felt so out of place. It felt more like I was biking through Germany than the U.S.
Yesterday, before my flat tire, I took a right when I usually go straight and explored. I ended up going past a beautiful river/stream/brook that was surrounded by woods. It had a slight balsamic fir smell to it. (somehow I know what that smells like)
As I went further on a remote, but recently paved country road I ran into something I was not expecting, a soccer field. As I explored further I think I discovered a boarding school that I didn't know existed.
I've been looking for a soccer field to use but haven't had luck, but unfortunately this one is not open to the public as evidenced by no trespassing signs.
This field won't really be useful for me except that it lead me to this post.
What I found remarkable is that in the middle of the woods in New Hampshire, there was a soccer field. The reason I find this remarkable is that I was in America and there was a ball field for soccer in the middle of nowhere. A baseball field wouldn't have surprised me at all. Baseball fields are part of Americana. Soccer Fields are not.
Soccer is a worldly sport and the athletes are often very unique individuals, the kind that loves riding electric scooters, European fashion and 3/4 Quarter style pants.
Soccer players feel unique to me, almost as if you can tell what sport they play just by observing them off the field as people.
Traditionally in America soccer has not been liked or respected, and there is a reason for it. It was seen as a game played by immigrants and as proud American's we didn't want to be associated with their game and the game of Europe, we wanted to be proud of our own games like Football, Basketball and Baseball. National Pride has something to do with American's attitude towards soccer. While I think the nation is beginning to get excited about soccer, and in 50 years it wouldn't surprise me if it overtook baseball in popularity (yes I'd make that prediction now) it's still surprising to see a field in the middle of nowhere in New Hampshire. Even though it was in such a serene setting it felt so out of place. It felt more like I was biking through Germany than the U.S.
This is sad
A Michigan recruit is fighting for his life to survive the second plane crash of his life.
Apparently two of his siblings and mother died in a plane crash in 2003 and then got into another accident in which his father and stepmother were killed.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6704284
Apparently two of his siblings and mother died in a plane crash in 2003 and then got into another accident in which his father and stepmother were killed.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6704284
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Older and Wiser ...and how I ended up at UCONN
The older I get the more interesting different TV stations become. MTV has gone down and CNBC has gone up. I'm addicted to CNBC shows at night. If I am not watching sports, it's either CNBC, the History Channel or a Law and Order...preferably the ones with Jerry Orbach on TNT. (SVU and Criminal Intent are good...but I'm going old school)
I have to say that I'm fascinated by the Suze Orman show. I can't lie, because watching it makes me feel like I am learning something useful about money and how to save it...and make sure I have a retirement one day...and not in debt...
The older you get the more you realize all of the things that you have to pay for, and also how easy it is to not stay on top of things until you are in debt up to your eyeballs.
What this show also should do is make college student-athletes on scholarship appreciate the value of a FREE education. When they graduate, if they have a full scholarship, they are debt free and they hold a degree. If they realized how valuable that is they would never complain about the need of getting paid to play.
I'm also glad with some of the decisions that I have made and also thankful that my grandmother's family lost their house (pretty sure she did) during the Great Depression because my grandma taught me the importance of not wasting money and this certainly played into my decision into which college I would attend.
Unlike what my guidance counselor said, I only applied to three schools because I knew I'd only go to one of those three.
I visited two others that I didn't apply to, St. Bonaventure, which was the first school I looked at...and my parents loved for some reason. (although they always liked UCONN the best, especially my father because of it's price) In the end I couldn't picture myself liking the cold, and only being able to bike in September...and a little in October and April. I also looked at the University of Virginia, another school I had no shot getting into. I actually didn't like the University either. I got there and knew it wasn't for me.
The three I applied too were the University of North Carolina, The University of Miami (The "U" in Florida) and The University of Connecticut. North Carolina was my "reach school". As an out of stater I had no business being accepted their but knew I wouldn't get in if I didn't apply. I happened to have loved the area of North Carolina and had an Aunt who lived nearby, plus I had an affinity for Michael Jordan and the UNC Basketball program. I loved the campus and thought it was beautiful.
I had gone to "The U" (Miami) to get credit for summer college courses while still in High School. It was a great program and I thoroughly enjoyed the school and the area of Coral Gables (not the area past the KFC and the bad part of town) While I was there taking classes for those three weeks I LOVED..I mean LOVED waking up at 7:30 for breakfast and walking to the dining hall going past a couple of lake/ponds in 70 degree weather and sunlight. (and also was the only person who enjoyed going outside to play basketball in 100 degree heat and humidity) I loved the Sports Management classes I took, and loved their football program. Certainly it helped that NFL player Antrel Rolle and future player Greg Olsen stopped by our class one day. So did James Bryant, who is most famous at Miami for helping incite a riot against FIU.
The U had my major and the weather I liked best, plus a great football program that I really wanted to watch and support. I thought for sure they would compete for a National Championship one year...(As it turned out UCONN was more successful in football than Miami during my years in college). The negatives included being so far from home, not having a place to bike around campus and most importantly the cost.
I was so close to applying early decision to Miami (meaning I apply, they accept me and than I have to enroll). I remember being in the car and having my parents say "Well if you are sure you would go if accepted than just apply early decision". I was SO close to saying yes. As a matter of fact I probably said "yeah I'll probably do that" but then decided like all great men, let's not commit to anything yet. The price of Miami just bothered me and my parents were willing to help pay for grad school if I chose not to go to Miami. I was in quite the pickle.
I liked UCONN on my visit. I don't remember being WOWed but I remember at the time knowing that I could go to school there with no problems. I actually was really comfortable on my visit with it being so far in the woods. 195 reminded me a lot of my summer vacations in New Hampshire and some of the roads we had to drive on like Route 9 and Route 25. I knew I could get in to Storrs without a problem. I also liked it was close to home so I could visit family when needed and not have to worry about flying home on breaks. If I got sick I could drive an hour and forty-five minutes home, like I did that one time I was sent home in December of my senior year with a possible case of...let's not make anyone feel bad...
I also really liked the cost, and the basketball teams.
One of my biggest reasons for eventually picking UCONN over Miami, and it took a couple of months for my mind to be made up, (I think I made it up watching a UCONN Basketball game) was the fact that everything at Miami would cost two and half times more (not including travel expenses) than what UConn did and I didn't think that each class at Miami was worth two and a half what a UCONN class was. I just had a hard time having my parents and I spend an extra $80-100,000 on college...and the thought of being able to get some help from my parents for grad school on top of undergrad on UCONN was too good of a deal to pass up.
Money played a part in my decision to attend UCONN and I'm happy as heck it did, because that saved money will benefit my entire family and myself for my whole life. I'm happy as heck because I never would have witnessed Miami do anything great in sports had I gone there, as a matter of fact UCONN Football has been much better than Miami in recent years, plus UCONN has won National Championships in Men's and Women's Basketball...and won 90 straight games.
The decision to attend UCONN was the best decision I ever made, as we were a match made in heaven. I wouldn't be writing right now if it wasn't for UCONN, and all of this can be tied up in the value of saving and not wasting money that my grandmother learned from living through the Great Depression.
(I never really thought I'd go on this long...but while here I'll mention a couple things about my grandmothers.)
One other remarkable thing I find when I think to myself about my grandmothers is how different they were and how it's made me bipolar (not literally).
My dad's mom lived through the Great Depression like my Mom's mom (who lost the house) did. Dad's mom was born in the Taft Administration (1909), my Mom's in the Harding Administration (1923). My dad's mom was a very caring and loving person when I knew her as a grandmother (she passed away in 1998 and I miss her). She was the very loving and would never say a bad thing about anyone. She was so nice and believed that if you don't have anything nice to say that you don't say anything at all. I credit her with me being nice.
My mom's mom is a tough person. Tough love is the love I associate with her and I love that sort of love, I'm used to that. If she thought I was heavy growing up she'd tell me I had bricks in my pants. She can be stubborn and she MOST DEFINITELY tells you what is on her mind. She does not hold back and will not put up with crap. She probably wouldn't talk to her own child if she didn't approve of how they were living their life.
She's also smart with money (She has had the same Volkswagen Golf for almost all of my life and she had it ordered special back around 1990 without any air conditioning, with a manual transmission and no power windows...they didn't make any like that, so Volkswagen had to find one like it somewhere...somehow she got what she wanted even though they didn't exactly or usually produce one like it), an amazing cook (makes the best milkshakes among other things), amazing gardener, an amazing worker (At 87 she shovels her own driveway, mows her own lawn and helps out at the church) and also loving, but sometimes in a tough way, or atleast in a tougher way than my other grandma. She also took care of me when she lived in Greenwich, right near where we lived in Stamford, while my sister was being born. One of my earliest childhood memories involved spending time with her at her house and being playfully bit by her dog Rocky. I'm pretty close to her and I make a point of calling her every couple of weeks.
They are two different people personality wise and both of them have had a great affect on me.
I didn't really expect to write so much about my family and college choice and assume most people have no interest in reading about it, but at the same time, it's good to have these stories written down so that way a family historian can have some more material one day...I don't always have to talk sports, I can talk about myself sometimes.
I have to say that I'm fascinated by the Suze Orman show. I can't lie, because watching it makes me feel like I am learning something useful about money and how to save it...and make sure I have a retirement one day...and not in debt...
The older you get the more you realize all of the things that you have to pay for, and also how easy it is to not stay on top of things until you are in debt up to your eyeballs.
What this show also should do is make college student-athletes on scholarship appreciate the value of a FREE education. When they graduate, if they have a full scholarship, they are debt free and they hold a degree. If they realized how valuable that is they would never complain about the need of getting paid to play.
I'm also glad with some of the decisions that I have made and also thankful that my grandmother's family lost their house (pretty sure she did) during the Great Depression because my grandma taught me the importance of not wasting money and this certainly played into my decision into which college I would attend.
Unlike what my guidance counselor said, I only applied to three schools because I knew I'd only go to one of those three.
I visited two others that I didn't apply to, St. Bonaventure, which was the first school I looked at...and my parents loved for some reason. (although they always liked UCONN the best, especially my father because of it's price) In the end I couldn't picture myself liking the cold, and only being able to bike in September...and a little in October and April. I also looked at the University of Virginia, another school I had no shot getting into. I actually didn't like the University either. I got there and knew it wasn't for me.
The three I applied too were the University of North Carolina, The University of Miami (The "U" in Florida) and The University of Connecticut. North Carolina was my "reach school". As an out of stater I had no business being accepted their but knew I wouldn't get in if I didn't apply. I happened to have loved the area of North Carolina and had an Aunt who lived nearby, plus I had an affinity for Michael Jordan and the UNC Basketball program. I loved the campus and thought it was beautiful.
I had gone to "The U" (Miami) to get credit for summer college courses while still in High School. It was a great program and I thoroughly enjoyed the school and the area of Coral Gables (not the area past the KFC and the bad part of town) While I was there taking classes for those three weeks I LOVED..I mean LOVED waking up at 7:30 for breakfast and walking to the dining hall going past a couple of lake/ponds in 70 degree weather and sunlight. (and also was the only person who enjoyed going outside to play basketball in 100 degree heat and humidity) I loved the Sports Management classes I took, and loved their football program. Certainly it helped that NFL player Antrel Rolle and future player Greg Olsen stopped by our class one day. So did James Bryant, who is most famous at Miami for helping incite a riot against FIU.
The U had my major and the weather I liked best, plus a great football program that I really wanted to watch and support. I thought for sure they would compete for a National Championship one year...(As it turned out UCONN was more successful in football than Miami during my years in college). The negatives included being so far from home, not having a place to bike around campus and most importantly the cost.
I was so close to applying early decision to Miami (meaning I apply, they accept me and than I have to enroll). I remember being in the car and having my parents say "Well if you are sure you would go if accepted than just apply early decision". I was SO close to saying yes. As a matter of fact I probably said "yeah I'll probably do that" but then decided like all great men, let's not commit to anything yet. The price of Miami just bothered me and my parents were willing to help pay for grad school if I chose not to go to Miami. I was in quite the pickle.
I liked UCONN on my visit. I don't remember being WOWed but I remember at the time knowing that I could go to school there with no problems. I actually was really comfortable on my visit with it being so far in the woods. 195 reminded me a lot of my summer vacations in New Hampshire and some of the roads we had to drive on like Route 9 and Route 25. I knew I could get in to Storrs without a problem. I also liked it was close to home so I could visit family when needed and not have to worry about flying home on breaks. If I got sick I could drive an hour and forty-five minutes home, like I did that one time I was sent home in December of my senior year with a possible case of...let's not make anyone feel bad...
I also really liked the cost, and the basketball teams.
One of my biggest reasons for eventually picking UCONN over Miami, and it took a couple of months for my mind to be made up, (I think I made it up watching a UCONN Basketball game) was the fact that everything at Miami would cost two and half times more (not including travel expenses) than what UConn did and I didn't think that each class at Miami was worth two and a half what a UCONN class was. I just had a hard time having my parents and I spend an extra $80-100,000 on college...and the thought of being able to get some help from my parents for grad school on top of undergrad on UCONN was too good of a deal to pass up.
Money played a part in my decision to attend UCONN and I'm happy as heck it did, because that saved money will benefit my entire family and myself for my whole life. I'm happy as heck because I never would have witnessed Miami do anything great in sports had I gone there, as a matter of fact UCONN Football has been much better than Miami in recent years, plus UCONN has won National Championships in Men's and Women's Basketball...and won 90 straight games.
The decision to attend UCONN was the best decision I ever made, as we were a match made in heaven. I wouldn't be writing right now if it wasn't for UCONN, and all of this can be tied up in the value of saving and not wasting money that my grandmother learned from living through the Great Depression.
(I never really thought I'd go on this long...but while here I'll mention a couple things about my grandmothers.)
One other remarkable thing I find when I think to myself about my grandmothers is how different they were and how it's made me bipolar (not literally).
My dad's mom lived through the Great Depression like my Mom's mom (who lost the house) did. Dad's mom was born in the Taft Administration (1909), my Mom's in the Harding Administration (1923). My dad's mom was a very caring and loving person when I knew her as a grandmother (she passed away in 1998 and I miss her). She was the very loving and would never say a bad thing about anyone. She was so nice and believed that if you don't have anything nice to say that you don't say anything at all. I credit her with me being nice.
My mom's mom is a tough person. Tough love is the love I associate with her and I love that sort of love, I'm used to that. If she thought I was heavy growing up she'd tell me I had bricks in my pants. She can be stubborn and she MOST DEFINITELY tells you what is on her mind. She does not hold back and will not put up with crap. She probably wouldn't talk to her own child if she didn't approve of how they were living their life.
She's also smart with money (She has had the same Volkswagen Golf for almost all of my life and she had it ordered special back around 1990 without any air conditioning, with a manual transmission and no power windows...they didn't make any like that, so Volkswagen had to find one like it somewhere...somehow she got what she wanted even though they didn't exactly or usually produce one like it), an amazing cook (makes the best milkshakes among other things), amazing gardener, an amazing worker (At 87 she shovels her own driveway, mows her own lawn and helps out at the church) and also loving, but sometimes in a tough way, or atleast in a tougher way than my other grandma. She also took care of me when she lived in Greenwich, right near where we lived in Stamford, while my sister was being born. One of my earliest childhood memories involved spending time with her at her house and being playfully bit by her dog Rocky. I'm pretty close to her and I make a point of calling her every couple of weeks.
They are two different people personality wise and both of them have had a great affect on me.
I didn't really expect to write so much about my family and college choice and assume most people have no interest in reading about it, but at the same time, it's good to have these stories written down so that way a family historian can have some more material one day...I don't always have to talk sports, I can talk about myself sometimes.
Nice Bike Ride....ends in a long walk
I really had a nice bike ride going today. After several days of crappy weather, today was less crappy. Actually at the end of my bike ride the sun came out. Atleast it didn't rain during the day.
Anyway the sun must have scared my tire into getting a flat.
I've mastered the ability to fix a flat, but decided that I would rather walk, or get a ride from family on the 2.5 miles left on my ride to get home then to take the time to fix the flat and waste money using my canned air for emergencies (it works once and then it is gone) on such a short ride back. I'd rather save it for when no one is home and I'm 20 miles away...with a thunderstorm headed towards me.
I thought for sure that I could catch a family member at home on one of four possible phone numbers and that I would get a ride back.
Of course that didn't happen. Three cell phones rang and rang and no one ever picked up and the house phone flat out didn't work. The number wasn't in service or something like that.
Can you believe that in 2011 that I couldn't get through to my family members in a semi sort of emergency?
With no one to hitch a ride from I just had to walk with my bike for 2.5 miles. I think it took me about an hour to get back. My mom thought that I had been cycling for a while...
When I got back I fixed the flat so I will be ready for a ride tomorrow.
Anyway the sun must have scared my tire into getting a flat.
I've mastered the ability to fix a flat, but decided that I would rather walk, or get a ride from family on the 2.5 miles left on my ride to get home then to take the time to fix the flat and waste money using my canned air for emergencies (it works once and then it is gone) on such a short ride back. I'd rather save it for when no one is home and I'm 20 miles away...with a thunderstorm headed towards me.
I thought for sure that I could catch a family member at home on one of four possible phone numbers and that I would get a ride back.
Of course that didn't happen. Three cell phones rang and rang and no one ever picked up and the house phone flat out didn't work. The number wasn't in service or something like that.
Can you believe that in 2011 that I couldn't get through to my family members in a semi sort of emergency?
With no one to hitch a ride from I just had to walk with my bike for 2.5 miles. I think it took me about an hour to get back. My mom thought that I had been cycling for a while...
When I got back I fixed the flat so I will be ready for a ride tomorrow.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Oops
The Miami Herald ran an ad for Heat fans to pick up their Championship gear...except the Heat didn't win the Championship.
Oops...
Dewey Defeats Truman...
Oops...
Dewey Defeats Truman...
Ubiquitous
Ubiquitous- existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time; omnipresent
Used in a sporting context by a sports broadcaster during the 2008 Women's Soccer Big East Tournament Semifinal game...
Erin Clark was ubiquitous in UConn's match-up against Notre Dame.
A sportscaster actually used ubiquitous. Very impressive. I don't think I would have used that word.
Used in a sporting context by a sports broadcaster during the 2008 Women's Soccer Big East Tournament Semifinal game...
Erin Clark was ubiquitous in UConn's match-up against Notre Dame.
A sportscaster actually used ubiquitous. Very impressive. I don't think I would have used that word.
The Timberwolves actually made a crazy trade
I used the Timberwolves as an example of why I don't like the NBA Draft with a crazy trade scenario. It turns out they really did make a trade.
I'm just copying and pasting this from espn.com because it would take me an hour to correctly spell these names.
• Rockets get: Jonny Flynn, rights to Donatas Motiejunas (No. 20 overall pick); Chandler Parsons (reacquisition via the No. 38 overall pick)
• Timberwolves receive: Brad Miller; rights to Nikola Mirotic (No. 23 overall pick), 2013 first-round pick; rights to Norris Cole (No. 28 overall pick)
• Bulls receive: Rights to Nikola Mirotic (from Minnesota)
Are you confused? You should be!
Why get excited about your favorite college player getting drafted by your favorite team. I'm sure many were excited that Marshon Brooks, from Providence was selected by their hometown team, the Boston Celtics. All of that celebration and happiness was soon dashed when he was traded to the Nets.
I'm just copying and pasting this from espn.com because it would take me an hour to correctly spell these names.
• Rockets get: Jonny Flynn, rights to Donatas Motiejunas (No. 20 overall pick); Chandler Parsons (reacquisition via the No. 38 overall pick)
• Timberwolves receive: Brad Miller; rights to Nikola Mirotic (No. 23 overall pick), 2013 first-round pick; rights to Norris Cole (No. 28 overall pick)
• Bulls receive: Rights to Nikola Mirotic (from Minnesota)
Are you confused? You should be!
Why get excited about your favorite college player getting drafted by your favorite team. I'm sure many were excited that Marshon Brooks, from Providence was selected by their hometown team, the Boston Celtics. All of that celebration and happiness was soon dashed when he was traded to the Nets.
Ater
Ater Majok, former UConn Basketball player, was selected by the Lakers in the 2nd Round of the NBA Draft.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
For some reason I enjoy
For some reason I really enjoy Kayaking in the fog...and there is often a lot of fog when the temperature changes over at my parents summer place where I am staying for the summer.
Today was a day full of fog and this happens a lot when the water is warmer than the air. I went in the kayak a couple of weekends ago in the fog too for fun and just had a blast.
There is just something peaceful and cool about kayaking in fog. It's cool not being able to see more than 100-200 yards from you.
I feel like I kayak mostly for a workout, rather than to relax, even though kayaking started as just a way to relax. Anyway today, I decided to relax a bit...after kayaking for a workout...and just enjoyed paddling around the small islands in our small lake/big pond. I don't really know how to describe it, but I just enjoyed it and for some reason the fog added to my enjoyment.
I enjoy kayaking the most when it's either really hot, with the sun beating down on me and the water splashing and cooling me off, or in the fog. Perfect running weather is probably 60-67 to me. On the bike my idea of perfect weather changes dramatically. On the bike it needs to be dry (so my bike doesn't get wet) and hot and possibly really humid. I don't enjoy cycling as much when it's below 70. I'm usually happy with everything warmer than that, even extreme heat if I have plenty of water. 75-80 is probably ideal for biking.
Today was a day full of fog and this happens a lot when the water is warmer than the air. I went in the kayak a couple of weekends ago in the fog too for fun and just had a blast.
There is just something peaceful and cool about kayaking in fog. It's cool not being able to see more than 100-200 yards from you.
I feel like I kayak mostly for a workout, rather than to relax, even though kayaking started as just a way to relax. Anyway today, I decided to relax a bit...after kayaking for a workout...and just enjoyed paddling around the small islands in our small lake/big pond. I don't really know how to describe it, but I just enjoyed it and for some reason the fog added to my enjoyment.
I enjoy kayaking the most when it's either really hot, with the sun beating down on me and the water splashing and cooling me off, or in the fog. Perfect running weather is probably 60-67 to me. On the bike my idea of perfect weather changes dramatically. On the bike it needs to be dry (so my bike doesn't get wet) and hot and possibly really humid. I don't enjoy cycling as much when it's below 70. I'm usually happy with everything warmer than that, even extreme heat if I have plenty of water. 75-80 is probably ideal for biking.
The NBA draft
With the 28th pick the Timberwolves select Bob Smith. With the 29th pick the Heat select Jerry Williams. The Timberwolves trade Smith to the Heat for Williams and swap future 2nd round picks. The future second round pick is traded to Cavaliers for next years 2nd round pick which the Wolves then trade to the Rockets along with their other second round pick for two second round picks, the back up point guard and cash considerations. The Wolves trade the back up point guard to the Lakers for their 2031 first round pick.
The NBA draft is the hardest draft to follow. It's ridiculous. Other teams propose trades for players they just selected. I can follow someone speaking jive better than the NBA draft.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa5XLny8Wmc&feature=related
The NBA draft is the hardest draft to follow. It's ridiculous. Other teams propose trades for players they just selected. I can follow someone speaking jive better than the NBA draft.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa5XLny8Wmc&feature=related
Oh Yah u betcha Yah
Eh I've decided that for the first and maybe one of the only times in my life that I will be rooting for Canada and not the United States in a world event like the World Cup. (Not my fault the U.S. didn't select the two best defenders in the world, Brittany Taylor and Meghan Schnur)
I'm going to be saying "eh, and yah," worshiping maple leafs, supporting the CFL while reading books on the NHL while Canada hopefully wins the whole thing. I'm rooting for team Canada because of Steph Labbe and because I got to watch her play at UConn and got to know her a little bit through Husky Sport.
I also met Christine Sinclair while with the Boston Breakers last year. I walked with her for about a minute to bring her to a press conference, but she was really cool during that minute walk and conversation.
I also dealt with Marta for a second last year with the Breakers...and we will leave it at that.
So here is a video for Team Canada
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN8sz-f_tqg&feature=player_embedded
Then some conversation that sounds Canadian but is really from one of my favorite movies, Fargo...which sadly will not be seen on any bus trips considering it's rating.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF3z-j8o39I
And then a another great conversation in the Movie that I just love...This takes place in Minnesota and North Dakota...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-XEHwUBubk&feature=related
Ohh Canada...blah blah blah blah blah...true patriots love with all thy sons command...Ohh Canada we stand on guard for thee...
Hey atleast Ashburnham was once part of Canada so I can have another legit excuse to go for Canada.
I'm going to be saying "eh, and yah," worshiping maple leafs, supporting the CFL while reading books on the NHL while Canada hopefully wins the whole thing. I'm rooting for team Canada because of Steph Labbe and because I got to watch her play at UConn and got to know her a little bit through Husky Sport.
I also met Christine Sinclair while with the Boston Breakers last year. I walked with her for about a minute to bring her to a press conference, but she was really cool during that minute walk and conversation.
I also dealt with Marta for a second last year with the Breakers...and we will leave it at that.
So here is a video for Team Canada
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN8sz-f_tqg&feature=player_embedded
Then some conversation that sounds Canadian but is really from one of my favorite movies, Fargo...which sadly will not be seen on any bus trips considering it's rating.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF3z-j8o39I
And then a another great conversation in the Movie that I just love...This takes place in Minnesota and North Dakota...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-XEHwUBubk&feature=related
Ohh Canada...blah blah blah blah blah...true patriots love with all thy sons command...Ohh Canada we stand on guard for thee...
Hey atleast Ashburnham was once part of Canada so I can have another legit excuse to go for Canada.
Strange Intuition ...and more
This event is really old, it happened way back in February or March in the Blue Gym when Field Hockey was also practicing. A softball pitcher, I think the small Californian one that Dr. Witryol wants to pitch more, was throwing inside for practice because it was so cold outside and everything was covered in snow. I was walking behind the catcher, a good way back I might add, and paid attention to what the pitcher was doing because for some reason I just knew that her next pitch was not going to be hitting the target. I got a strange feeling that chances of her hitting the catchers glove was not good as the chances of her hitting me in the head.
That strange feeling was a reality as the pitcher completely, and I mean badly, airmailed her throw. She went Rick Ankiel quickly. It didn't hit me in the head, maybe it was a couple of yards from me, but I was glad I watched where I was going and was also smirking at my ability to somehow be able to predict the future so well.
After witnessing this aim I believe the Field Hockey coach got concerned for her players safety and ushered the pitcher out of the gym...
This is a great lesson for all pitchers. Always throw strikes.
During another occasion at the gym, and I can't remember what year this was since I've been at UCONN so long, these kids were playing cricket...inside. Predictably something went wrong (DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...cricket inside is like baseball inside) and someone either hit or threw the ball at the fire alarm by accident causing the gym to be evacuated.
This is a great lesson for all facility managers and patrons. Always practice common sense.
That strange feeling was a reality as the pitcher completely, and I mean badly, airmailed her throw. She went Rick Ankiel quickly. It didn't hit me in the head, maybe it was a couple of yards from me, but I was glad I watched where I was going and was also smirking at my ability to somehow be able to predict the future so well.
After witnessing this aim I believe the Field Hockey coach got concerned for her players safety and ushered the pitcher out of the gym...
This is a great lesson for all pitchers. Always throw strikes.
During another occasion at the gym, and I can't remember what year this was since I've been at UCONN so long, these kids were playing cricket...inside. Predictably something went wrong (DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...cricket inside is like baseball inside) and someone either hit or threw the ball at the fire alarm by accident causing the gym to be evacuated.
This is a great lesson for all facility managers and patrons. Always practice common sense.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Division II thought of the day
Some Division I athletes are accustomed to life on the road. Some Division II athletes may only have two hotel night stays their entire career.
I know of a school that only has a hotel reservation for one night for one conference trip. All the other times they get up really early and drive to and from to competition on the same day.
I know of a school that only has a hotel reservation for one night for one conference trip. All the other times they get up really early and drive to and from to competition on the same day.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Your Favorite Athlete
When people come up with their favorite athlete or team they usually will pick something that they can identify (or think or want to identify) with in some way or another.
When I think about my favorite athletes of the ones that I personally know, I tend to like those that in some way remind me of myself or how I want to be portrayed.
I like the players who are good people with good values because I like to think I am a good person and has good values. I'd have a hard time identifying and rooting for a thief.
I like to think of myself as someone who works hard and doesn't rely on talent alone. I like the athletes that push themselves to the limit and work hard.
In many ways that explains what athletes I like and what teams I like, with some exceptions though.
The Dallas Cowboys are probably the biggest exception to this rule as the Cowboys are known for their talent and not known for being Angels off the field...although my favorite player, Emmitt Smith, was not one of the players who was arrested for drugs and other problems.
When I think about my favorite athletes of the ones that I personally know, I tend to like those that in some way remind me of myself or how I want to be portrayed.
I like the players who are good people with good values because I like to think I am a good person and has good values. I'd have a hard time identifying and rooting for a thief.
I like to think of myself as someone who works hard and doesn't rely on talent alone. I like the athletes that push themselves to the limit and work hard.
In many ways that explains what athletes I like and what teams I like, with some exceptions though.
The Dallas Cowboys are probably the biggest exception to this rule as the Cowboys are known for their talent and not known for being Angels off the field...although my favorite player, Emmitt Smith, was not one of the players who was arrested for drugs and other problems.
You learn something from everyone you meet
I am a big believer that you learn things from everyone that you meet. There just has to be something you take away from them, whether good (hopefully good things are taken away most of the time) or bad. I feel like I always learn something from someone once I get to know them.
I know I've learned things from people who have commented here, from people I run into at school, work, in the neighborhood etc.
If you stop and think about it, most people you have met have taught you something good or bad. Chances are if you know me, that I have taught you something, either good or bad.
I've started to think back to the people who have taught me the most while at college. I'd put my freshman roommate Errol up near the top. There are a lot of people at school who are teachers and staff members who I have learned a lot from. My professor and adviser has taught me a lot. Meghan Nanfeldt taught me a lot too. A recently graduated player taught me tons about soccer skills and drills. Some people teach very valuable lessons. This might sound weird but I'd say that Geno Auriemma taught me a lot just by listening to him at press conferences and observing him at practices while reporting on the women's basketball team.
There are also some people for whatever reason or another fascinate me because I realize there is a lot I can learn from them.
I also have to say, the person I learned the most from this past year might be surprised at who they are.
Just don't forget, you learn something from everyone and when you stop and think about it, you will know exactly what I mean.
I know I've learned things from people who have commented here, from people I run into at school, work, in the neighborhood etc.
If you stop and think about it, most people you have met have taught you something good or bad. Chances are if you know me, that I have taught you something, either good or bad.
I've started to think back to the people who have taught me the most while at college. I'd put my freshman roommate Errol up near the top. There are a lot of people at school who are teachers and staff members who I have learned a lot from. My professor and adviser has taught me a lot. Meghan Nanfeldt taught me a lot too. A recently graduated player taught me tons about soccer skills and drills. Some people teach very valuable lessons. This might sound weird but I'd say that Geno Auriemma taught me a lot just by listening to him at press conferences and observing him at practices while reporting on the women's basketball team.
There are also some people for whatever reason or another fascinate me because I realize there is a lot I can learn from them.
I also have to say, the person I learned the most from this past year might be surprised at who they are.
Just don't forget, you learn something from everyone and when you stop and think about it, you will know exactly what I mean.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
The Liverpool Owners were at Endicott College
I went to a WPSL game yesterday and supported some of my favorite athletes in the world, especially a few of them who I can't see playing soccer in the white and flag blue.
It was not a very dull game at all. It featured a great goal, spectacular slide tackle and an amazing touch off of what looked to be the back of the foot by some of the players I was rooting for. There were also a lot of cheap shots. I could name names but I won't.
On top of that I also saw something that really made me laugh at first, and then began to aggravate me.
I don't know what to say about people who coach at youth levels, and even as something as serious as the WPSL. On one hand the coaches are trying to improve themselves, get noticed, and hired to a better job. On the other hand the coaches are also there to coach their team, and respect the referees, opponents and the game.
There are times and ways to complain to a referee and times and ways not too. In the heat of the moment things happen, and referees understand that. I think coaches understand that for the most part. Coaches need to protect their players and try to work the referees. I get it.
(In order to shut up the coaches, referees should be firm and stern in their responses to a coach. Referees can nod their head in understanding, but they can never give them an inch of agreement to what they are saying as it makes the referee look weak and persuadable. Referees need to be confident and firm in their judgements. It's ok to confer with other referees, but not ok to waffle back and forth. The best referees are also consistent. Everyone has a different interpretation of a foul and as long as they are consistent with their interpretation than they are doing a good job.)
Sometimes coaches are over the top though. I don't know if I can say the coaches of this women's pro team's reserve team went over the top or not. They were certainly very close though and came off as one of the worst I've seen. Whether or not it was over the top is another thing that I can't answer since I haven't watched enough games in their league.
Coaches, especially at the youth level, need to be able to not take themselves too seriously. Honestly the tactical changes made, the working of the referees, etc. is not all of a sudden going to get you noticed by Arsenal or Liverpool. Their owners and management are not scouring high school teams and semi-pro teams looking for the next great coach. No coach went from coaching nine year olds as a side job to becoming the head coach of a college or pro level team.
Coaches should not pull a Bobby Knight and throw chairs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qxu5cvW-ds) because a referee didn't call slight contact. Coaches should not become ball boys either and kick a ball to their keeper when the ball roles out of play. All three coaches should not be arguing a call with a referee for several minutes after a play, while their team plays without their guidance.
Coaches need to coach, but coaching doesn't include them becoming sideshows at games.
It was not a very dull game at all. It featured a great goal, spectacular slide tackle and an amazing touch off of what looked to be the back of the foot by some of the players I was rooting for. There were also a lot of cheap shots. I could name names but I won't.
On top of that I also saw something that really made me laugh at first, and then began to aggravate me.
I don't know what to say about people who coach at youth levels, and even as something as serious as the WPSL. On one hand the coaches are trying to improve themselves, get noticed, and hired to a better job. On the other hand the coaches are also there to coach their team, and respect the referees, opponents and the game.
There are times and ways to complain to a referee and times and ways not too. In the heat of the moment things happen, and referees understand that. I think coaches understand that for the most part. Coaches need to protect their players and try to work the referees. I get it.
(In order to shut up the coaches, referees should be firm and stern in their responses to a coach. Referees can nod their head in understanding, but they can never give them an inch of agreement to what they are saying as it makes the referee look weak and persuadable. Referees need to be confident and firm in their judgements. It's ok to confer with other referees, but not ok to waffle back and forth. The best referees are also consistent. Everyone has a different interpretation of a foul and as long as they are consistent with their interpretation than they are doing a good job.)
Sometimes coaches are over the top though. I don't know if I can say the coaches of this women's pro team's reserve team went over the top or not. They were certainly very close though and came off as one of the worst I've seen. Whether or not it was over the top is another thing that I can't answer since I haven't watched enough games in their league.
Coaches, especially at the youth level, need to be able to not take themselves too seriously. Honestly the tactical changes made, the working of the referees, etc. is not all of a sudden going to get you noticed by Arsenal or Liverpool. Their owners and management are not scouring high school teams and semi-pro teams looking for the next great coach. No coach went from coaching nine year olds as a side job to becoming the head coach of a college or pro level team.
Coaches should not pull a Bobby Knight and throw chairs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qxu5cvW-ds) because a referee didn't call slight contact. Coaches should not become ball boys either and kick a ball to their keeper when the ball roles out of play. All three coaches should not be arguing a call with a referee for several minutes after a play, while their team plays without their guidance.
Coaches need to coach, but coaching doesn't include them becoming sideshows at games.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
New York Sports Radio
So people listen to sports talk radio and on occasion I do, although I haven't much lately because I usually only care to listen to WFAN in New York, and that's not available where I am or atleast available with a good signal. They carry all of my Met games.
Anyway sports radio has some interesting callers, like many other call in shows. When analyzing fans to figure out who has the worst fans (right now I could give arguments for three cities, Philadelphia, New York...and now logically Vancouver) one can listen to sports talk radio for a hint at the answer.
Here is a fan who calls WFAN in New York who is quite the character and I'll leave it at that...as I just deleted a few things I could have said...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb8xLTf9oeQ&feature=related
Anyway sports radio has some interesting callers, like many other call in shows. When analyzing fans to figure out who has the worst fans (right now I could give arguments for three cities, Philadelphia, New York...and now logically Vancouver) one can listen to sports talk radio for a hint at the answer.
Here is a fan who calls WFAN in New York who is quite the character and I'll leave it at that...as I just deleted a few things I could have said...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb8xLTf9oeQ&feature=related
Friday, June 17, 2011
Let's talk about me being stupid
Why not talk about me when I am being stubborn and stupid.
It happens all the time so why not shed some light on some of these moments.
I guess I shouldn't call what I did stupid, stubborn fits it better. What I did was sort of smart, but mostly over the top and unnecessary.
I'm actually going to give a story from a road trip.
It's rare for me to talk about something I am involved with now, but what the heck, why not.
After landing in Pittsburgh this year I went to help get the bags from the baggage claim. After we got all of the bags off everyone went to go get something to eat. I think I stayed to watch the bags. Not exactly sure, but anyway I decided that the bags weren't well organized and I was trying to think of a way to organize them so everyone could find their bags easily so we could get on the road to practice, on time.
Time is something that has been drilled into my head by my father. Lateness is to never be tolerated by him, so I get really anxious when I think I will be late to something. Anything that would save time and make us earlier than normal was good for me.
I told the volunteer assistant that we should put all the bags in numerical order to speed things up. He said "We don't have time for that."
Like the stubborn and stupid person I am, I decided I wanted to proof him wrong on this one. Coach Auriemma also was talking to me in my head from what he said at our graduation for our commencement speech and that is that if someone says that you can't do something, then that is when you need to make sure you do it.
I also am always searching of ways to do more and to do a better job and to exceed expectations and sometimes that is difficult to do. I want to constantly challenge myself to be better because complacency leads to a lot of bad things. Someone earlier that day had also forgotten the cones (not me, but I felt like I should have double checked and found them) on the bus back in Hartford so I felt like I needed to do something to make sure I wasn't just left at the airport for being so useless. (Ok, so I wasn't worried about being left at the airport for being useless...sarcasm here)
So I decided that one way I could improve how things were done, and do my job better would be to organize 22 bags in numerical order at a luggage claim. I was also supposed to get food while this happened and I made sure I did that and also organized these bags.
I went and got a banana, ate it and went to work. I started with number 95 on one end and 0 at the other and gradually, through lots of moving and sweating and high blood pressure, got them all in order by the time everyone had gotten their food.
I was really determined to get these bags organized all because someone innocently said it couldn't be done.
And seriously why would anyone care if it wasn't done?
But I cared, and took it as a challenge. My determination and inability to relax until everything was in order caught the attention of one of the players. She told me to relax.
She was totally right, and she knew it and I knew it, but wasn't about to admit to needing to relax.
But her comment to relax had the opposite effect on me because it also fed the fire and pissed me off. I tried to give her a death stare/pissed off look back as if to say "leave me alone, I am going to do this no matter how pointless, unnecessary and over the top this is" and I'm not sure if I did give off that vibe because I am not really that mean.
I think one player noticed, and I'm pretty sure it didn't take them long to figure out who did that. By process of elimination there is only one person stubborn and stupid enough to take an innocent comment as a challenge...on whether or not you could organize luggage in an airport terminal.
By the time we had gotten on the bus, and also found our trainers lost bag, my heart was about to explode.
It happens all the time so why not shed some light on some of these moments.
I guess I shouldn't call what I did stupid, stubborn fits it better. What I did was sort of smart, but mostly over the top and unnecessary.
I'm actually going to give a story from a road trip.
It's rare for me to talk about something I am involved with now, but what the heck, why not.
After landing in Pittsburgh this year I went to help get the bags from the baggage claim. After we got all of the bags off everyone went to go get something to eat. I think I stayed to watch the bags. Not exactly sure, but anyway I decided that the bags weren't well organized and I was trying to think of a way to organize them so everyone could find their bags easily so we could get on the road to practice, on time.
Time is something that has been drilled into my head by my father. Lateness is to never be tolerated by him, so I get really anxious when I think I will be late to something. Anything that would save time and make us earlier than normal was good for me.
I told the volunteer assistant that we should put all the bags in numerical order to speed things up. He said "We don't have time for that."
Like the stubborn and stupid person I am, I decided I wanted to proof him wrong on this one. Coach Auriemma also was talking to me in my head from what he said at our graduation for our commencement speech and that is that if someone says that you can't do something, then that is when you need to make sure you do it.
I also am always searching of ways to do more and to do a better job and to exceed expectations and sometimes that is difficult to do. I want to constantly challenge myself to be better because complacency leads to a lot of bad things. Someone earlier that day had also forgotten the cones (not me, but I felt like I should have double checked and found them) on the bus back in Hartford so I felt like I needed to do something to make sure I wasn't just left at the airport for being so useless. (Ok, so I wasn't worried about being left at the airport for being useless...sarcasm here)
So I decided that one way I could improve how things were done, and do my job better would be to organize 22 bags in numerical order at a luggage claim. I was also supposed to get food while this happened and I made sure I did that and also organized these bags.
I went and got a banana, ate it and went to work. I started with number 95 on one end and 0 at the other and gradually, through lots of moving and sweating and high blood pressure, got them all in order by the time everyone had gotten their food.
I was really determined to get these bags organized all because someone innocently said it couldn't be done.
And seriously why would anyone care if it wasn't done?
But I cared, and took it as a challenge. My determination and inability to relax until everything was in order caught the attention of one of the players. She told me to relax.
She was totally right, and she knew it and I knew it, but wasn't about to admit to needing to relax.
But her comment to relax had the opposite effect on me because it also fed the fire and pissed me off. I tried to give her a death stare/pissed off look back as if to say "leave me alone, I am going to do this no matter how pointless, unnecessary and over the top this is" and I'm not sure if I did give off that vibe because I am not really that mean.
I think one player noticed, and I'm pretty sure it didn't take them long to figure out who did that. By process of elimination there is only one person stubborn and stupid enough to take an innocent comment as a challenge...on whether or not you could organize luggage in an airport terminal.
By the time we had gotten on the bus, and also found our trainers lost bag, my heart was about to explode.
I can't remember if I wrote about this
I don't remember if I wrote about this, and it wouldn't surprise me if I didn't because I was BEYOND busy in April.
Anyway in 1989 in England during a soccer match involving Liverpool, 96 fans died when they were crushed by too many fans entering the stadium. People in Sports Management can't ever let a Human Crush like this happen again.
Fans were actually pouring over the fences and onto the field. It's one of the sadder sports stories I know of. Usually you don't think of fans being in danger.
I also don't think that many people in America have heard about the story. I personally didn't until a person I worked with, a Sports Information Director at Stonehill College, brought this to my attention.
This is a tribute video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx9N4dv5yPk
Here is a look in at the time of the breaking news.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2jCm_oWnHo&feature=fvwrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICfP4PHv82Y&feature=related
Anyway in 1989 in England during a soccer match involving Liverpool, 96 fans died when they were crushed by too many fans entering the stadium. People in Sports Management can't ever let a Human Crush like this happen again.
Fans were actually pouring over the fences and onto the field. It's one of the sadder sports stories I know of. Usually you don't think of fans being in danger.
I also don't think that many people in America have heard about the story. I personally didn't until a person I worked with, a Sports Information Director at Stonehill College, brought this to my attention.
This is a tribute video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx9N4dv5yPk
Here is a look in at the time of the breaking news.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2jCm_oWnHo&feature=fvwrel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICfP4PHv82Y&feature=related
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The things you learn
I rarely watch reality television or television shows about famous people and their lives because quite honestly I don't care. The Kardashians, Ice T, Jersey Shore, all are about as interesting to me as taking out the trash.
One day I hope people take out that trash from television.
I'm sure some will disagree with me and say that these shows, like the Real Housewives of the NBA teach people about people, or that it's just fascinating. I disagree.
I like watching the History Channel and CNBC, along with Discovery Channel if it's not sports etc.
Strangely I like the show Swamp People...
Anyway today on the History Channel I learned that people can live in old missile silos from the cold war in the Midwest. I saw a family who lived almost completely underground and had a garage door that could fit a large nuclear missile through it. It was 18,000 square feet of house and I believe it only cost $40,000. Cheap for all that space. I think I'd have a hard time living without windows and the sun. I guess one plus of living in a bunker is that you don't have to worry about too much tornado damage in a place like Kansas.
One day I hope people take out that trash from television.
I'm sure some will disagree with me and say that these shows, like the Real Housewives of the NBA teach people about people, or that it's just fascinating. I disagree.
I like watching the History Channel and CNBC, along with Discovery Channel if it's not sports etc.
Strangely I like the show Swamp People...
Anyway today on the History Channel I learned that people can live in old missile silos from the cold war in the Midwest. I saw a family who lived almost completely underground and had a garage door that could fit a large nuclear missile through it. It was 18,000 square feet of house and I believe it only cost $40,000. Cheap for all that space. I think I'd have a hard time living without windows and the sun. I guess one plus of living in a bunker is that you don't have to worry about too much tornado damage in a place like Kansas.
This women is an @$$
I don't even know what to say but this women right here should be slapped up side the head for stealing a ball from a little girl.
Please give that women coal from Santa for Christmas for the rest of her life. This is one of the most awful things I've seen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6locBvdMJtw
If that happened in Philadelphia they would have thrown batteries at her for that.
Please give that women coal from Santa for Christmas for the rest of her life. This is one of the most awful things I've seen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6locBvdMJtw
If that happened in Philadelphia they would have thrown batteries at her for that.
The Heat
Ok, for the first time ever I saw a little bit of the Heat's introduction of LeBron, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade from last summer. What other sport besides basketball puts three players into an introduction ceremony in the summer with indoor fireworks, a stage etc. I guess it was used to generate season ticket sales, but man that was so over the top.
I guess it was a pep rally, but something about it just seems off to me.
I guess it was a pep rally, but something about it just seems off to me.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
I'm a Pedal Masher
So I found out that I am a pedal masher when it comes to cycling. I had been called it before but didn't really understand what it meant. The person who told me this made it have a negative connotation.
I found out what it was and I took it as a compliment. Basically it means that you like to ride in heavy gears and like to kill yourself and your legs. You care more about speed than efficiency and ride more like a triathlete than a cyclist.
I agree that I kill my legs when I ride and my legs agree too. But now I take pedal masher with pride. It means that I really workout my legs.
What's also interesting is that the road that I ride the most on, Route 119 between Massachusetts and New Hampshire, has headwinds going in both directions. It always felt like that to me, but it also made no sense to me. How could you go on the same road and be fighting the wind in both directions? Made no sense to me. I found out it's true though. So I'm always biking into the wind.
I found out what it was and I took it as a compliment. Basically it means that you like to ride in heavy gears and like to kill yourself and your legs. You care more about speed than efficiency and ride more like a triathlete than a cyclist.
I agree that I kill my legs when I ride and my legs agree too. But now I take pedal masher with pride. It means that I really workout my legs.
What's also interesting is that the road that I ride the most on, Route 119 between Massachusetts and New Hampshire, has headwinds going in both directions. It always felt like that to me, but it also made no sense to me. How could you go on the same road and be fighting the wind in both directions? Made no sense to me. I found out it's true though. So I'm always biking into the wind.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Glad Mavs Won
The Mavericks killed the Heat yesterday and I was very happy to see the Heat lose after their two best players made fun of Dirk Nowitzki for "faking a sickness."
Cough...Cough...Cough...Sneeze...Cough...The joke is on you...cough...cough...sneeze.
Dirk deserved a Championship as did Jason Kidd and Jason Terry and Shawn Marion...and Brian Cardinal
The Heat were dumb enough to accumulate three technical fouls in a series in which games have routinely come down to less than five points. They didn't deserve to win.
LeBron James also has a lot to proof. I think eventually he will win a Championship and everyone will be sad to see it happen. However, almost all great players are thought to "choke" in big situations or big games and then all of a sudden they get over the hump and win. Peyton Manning is a great example of that.
LeBron did proof that he is no Michael Jordan in terms of winning. I don't know who was more talented, they are similar, but Jordan knew how to win. Jordan was more competitive than LeBron and you can tell that just by watching them play. Kobe is also more competitive than LeBron in my opinion. James can change that and can mature and will ultimately probably win one, but gladly that didn't happen yet.
Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzi and the Mavericks deserved it this year. One day maybe LeBron will too.
Cough...Cough...Cough...Sneeze...Cough...The joke is on you...cough...cough...sneeze.
Dirk deserved a Championship as did Jason Kidd and Jason Terry and Shawn Marion...and Brian Cardinal
The Heat were dumb enough to accumulate three technical fouls in a series in which games have routinely come down to less than five points. They didn't deserve to win.
LeBron James also has a lot to proof. I think eventually he will win a Championship and everyone will be sad to see it happen. However, almost all great players are thought to "choke" in big situations or big games and then all of a sudden they get over the hump and win. Peyton Manning is a great example of that.
LeBron did proof that he is no Michael Jordan in terms of winning. I don't know who was more talented, they are similar, but Jordan knew how to win. Jordan was more competitive than LeBron and you can tell that just by watching them play. Kobe is also more competitive than LeBron in my opinion. James can change that and can mature and will ultimately probably win one, but gladly that didn't happen yet.
Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzi and the Mavericks deserved it this year. One day maybe LeBron will too.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Took a trip back in time...let's talk about grocery stores...
A took a trip back in time today to 1929 when I went to the Ashby Market...back to 1929 is a good thing. It's quaint and a classic New England Town Market/General Store.
It's a food market with all the essentials, a copy center, penny candy and a hardware store. It's small and doesn't have all of it's shelves stocked. None of the shelves feature electronic price tags. Items either have no prices, or stickers. Gatorade had stickers, cans of soup had stickers. Everything did. It was such a cool place to go to. Certainly it can't compete price or selection wise with a big store, but if you need something quickly you can run and get something there. Ashby is right next to Ashburnham...and is about a five to ten minute ride from home at most.
Ashburnham also has a country store, but's a new store. It's nice and modern, but different from the Ashby Market. It has a whole different feel.
Anyway, while I'm talking about grocery stores, which I feel I usually do here...Stew Leonards, Wegmans and now the Ashby Market...I'm going to say something I believe, from experience.
Everyone should work in a grocery store during their life. It's hard to explain what I learned while working there but I'm sure it was a lot. One of the first reasons is that at a grocery store you are a no one and that is humbling. You also learn how to deal with people. There are people who are a pain in the you know what and won't bag with two carts full of food, others that complain about everything, others that are just particular about everything. You learn how to please people and deal with people who just want to get home and have no problems with your service. Most people don't enjoy buying groceries after work because it's a chore.
I had some interesting moments when I worked. One proud moment...and I can't confirm this, but I think that I sold $26,000 worth of groceries in one week, which I think was up there. I think I was one of the more popular cashiers when I worked. I always seemed to have a line. With the regular customers I tried to remember them and how they liked to have things done.
I have a few favorite moments. I cheered up a young women one day who was in a terrible mood. She said she was having a horrible day. I asked her if she wanted to punch me and by the time she left she had a smile on her face. That was a cool memory.
Sometimes no matter how hard you work your boss won't like you. I certainly had that problem with one of my bosses at the grocery store. One boss loved me, the head person did, but the person who supervised the cashiers, well he may have not liked me less than everyone else. He was like the head of the KGB over cashiers. I remember how much he enjoyed showing up cashiers with how fast he could scan groceries.
He once yelled at me after he asked me to get carts in the parking lot. I ran and got every cart in the parking lot in 95 degree heat in a couple minutes. (so I'm guessing I'm the only person who ever ran to get shopping carts...You don't normally see someone just running a grocery store parking lot getting carts, most lollygag) It was like record time and I came in dripping sweat and went right back to my register and kept ringing people up. He yelled at me for putting in the price for something manually instead of scanning it when it wouldn't scan. It was some stupid reason. He made a point of watching over everyone, and once yelled at me for not doing something he never taught me to do. He made work very very stressful and ran off many cashiers. Not surprisingly he was fired eventually. Working with him though was quite an experience.
Obviously I haven't worked at a grocery store in years, but I still remember my experiences there. I always bag my own groceries when needed because I remember what it was like not to have someone bag, plus I like brushing up on my skills.
Anyway, I maintain that working in a grocery store is a great experience that teaches you lots of things.
How this can apply to sports? Well basically in business as in sports, you have to start from the bottom and learn how all the pieces fit together. I guess I'd say that working at a grocery store is like the 101 introductory course to working in most businesses. I have to think that a lot of people successful in business once held a retail job or job at grocery store.
It's a food market with all the essentials, a copy center, penny candy and a hardware store. It's small and doesn't have all of it's shelves stocked. None of the shelves feature electronic price tags. Items either have no prices, or stickers. Gatorade had stickers, cans of soup had stickers. Everything did. It was such a cool place to go to. Certainly it can't compete price or selection wise with a big store, but if you need something quickly you can run and get something there. Ashby is right next to Ashburnham...and is about a five to ten minute ride from home at most.
Ashburnham also has a country store, but's a new store. It's nice and modern, but different from the Ashby Market. It has a whole different feel.
Anyway, while I'm talking about grocery stores, which I feel I usually do here...Stew Leonards, Wegmans and now the Ashby Market...I'm going to say something I believe, from experience.
Everyone should work in a grocery store during their life. It's hard to explain what I learned while working there but I'm sure it was a lot. One of the first reasons is that at a grocery store you are a no one and that is humbling. You also learn how to deal with people. There are people who are a pain in the you know what and won't bag with two carts full of food, others that complain about everything, others that are just particular about everything. You learn how to please people and deal with people who just want to get home and have no problems with your service. Most people don't enjoy buying groceries after work because it's a chore.
I had some interesting moments when I worked. One proud moment...and I can't confirm this, but I think that I sold $26,000 worth of groceries in one week, which I think was up there. I think I was one of the more popular cashiers when I worked. I always seemed to have a line. With the regular customers I tried to remember them and how they liked to have things done.
I have a few favorite moments. I cheered up a young women one day who was in a terrible mood. She said she was having a horrible day. I asked her if she wanted to punch me and by the time she left she had a smile on her face. That was a cool memory.
Sometimes no matter how hard you work your boss won't like you. I certainly had that problem with one of my bosses at the grocery store. One boss loved me, the head person did, but the person who supervised the cashiers, well he may have not liked me less than everyone else. He was like the head of the KGB over cashiers. I remember how much he enjoyed showing up cashiers with how fast he could scan groceries.
He once yelled at me after he asked me to get carts in the parking lot. I ran and got every cart in the parking lot in 95 degree heat in a couple minutes. (so I'm guessing I'm the only person who ever ran to get shopping carts...You don't normally see someone just running a grocery store parking lot getting carts, most lollygag) It was like record time and I came in dripping sweat and went right back to my register and kept ringing people up. He yelled at me for putting in the price for something manually instead of scanning it when it wouldn't scan. It was some stupid reason. He made a point of watching over everyone, and once yelled at me for not doing something he never taught me to do. He made work very very stressful and ran off many cashiers. Not surprisingly he was fired eventually. Working with him though was quite an experience.
Obviously I haven't worked at a grocery store in years, but I still remember my experiences there. I always bag my own groceries when needed because I remember what it was like not to have someone bag, plus I like brushing up on my skills.
Anyway, I maintain that working in a grocery store is a great experience that teaches you lots of things.
How this can apply to sports? Well basically in business as in sports, you have to start from the bottom and learn how all the pieces fit together. I guess I'd say that working at a grocery store is like the 101 introductory course to working in most businesses. I have to think that a lot of people successful in business once held a retail job or job at grocery store.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Take me home, country roads
Ok so I am going to say that the coach in waiting idea isn't really the best idea in the world, especially when the current coach has no say in the decision.
Imagine you show up to work, and do a job you enjoy and want to proof yourself in, and then all of a sudden your boss comes in and says that there is someone in waiting for your job. How is that supposed to go over well? You want to proof yourself and do a good job and then all of a sudden someone new with new ideas and the future reins is working with you. That's not a good situation...
Then take into account having staffs for each person involved. Now you have people who work for the "old coach", under their regime and then new coaches who have their own ideas of how to do things and will have trouble sitting on their hands and doing the status quo until they get the reins to the program. You have two separate clans on the same staff. It just doesn't work well.
West Virginia should not have been surprised that their coach in waiting situation did not work. The pressure to win that comes with football and the competitiveness of coaches doesn't really lend itself to having coaches in waiting.
The only way it can possibly work is if a head coach picks their successor and gives a definite date that they will take over. Coaches in waiting that go on forever don't work because the coach in waiting just gets impatient waiting.
Coaches in waiting also limit the amount of people interviewed for a job.
Mostly though, coaches in waiting just causes problems because there are leadership problems and competing attitudes and ways of thinking. Different coaches also generally set up new cultures too. Different cultures often seem to butt heads with each other.
It should come to no surprise that just months in, that the coach in waiting situation at West Virginia fell through.
Imagine you show up to work, and do a job you enjoy and want to proof yourself in, and then all of a sudden your boss comes in and says that there is someone in waiting for your job. How is that supposed to go over well? You want to proof yourself and do a good job and then all of a sudden someone new with new ideas and the future reins is working with you. That's not a good situation...
Then take into account having staffs for each person involved. Now you have people who work for the "old coach", under their regime and then new coaches who have their own ideas of how to do things and will have trouble sitting on their hands and doing the status quo until they get the reins to the program. You have two separate clans on the same staff. It just doesn't work well.
West Virginia should not have been surprised that their coach in waiting situation did not work. The pressure to win that comes with football and the competitiveness of coaches doesn't really lend itself to having coaches in waiting.
The only way it can possibly work is if a head coach picks their successor and gives a definite date that they will take over. Coaches in waiting that go on forever don't work because the coach in waiting just gets impatient waiting.
Coaches in waiting also limit the amount of people interviewed for a job.
Mostly though, coaches in waiting just causes problems because there are leadership problems and competing attitudes and ways of thinking. Different coaches also generally set up new cultures too. Different cultures often seem to butt heads with each other.
It should come to no surprise that just months in, that the coach in waiting situation at West Virginia fell through.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Lebron James
I have to be honest, when I have watched the NBA Finals this year LeBron James has been invisible and he was tonight when it mattered. (with 3:30 left I'm writing this)
He had the most bland triple double ever...
Two Points in the 4th quarter?
How can anyone compare him to Michael Jordan? or Kobe Bryant?
Sam Cassell, Toni Kukoc and Clyde Drexler seemed to have done more in the NBA Finals than LeBron.
So has Shaq, Paul Pierce and Hakeem Olajuwon.
In some ways I actually feel bad for LeBron because he seems incapable of doing what he said he was going to do on twitter and have a big game.
It's one thing to miss shots but it's another to not get involved in the action and be aggressive. Not being aggressive looks too much like not wanting to make a mistake or being afraid to make one. You can't win like that. He is not a great player right now...he could be...whenever he wants...but it looks difficult for him right now.
Dwayne Wade and Udonis Haslem are winners...I can't say that about LeBron right now. Certainly has the talent, but he seems to have a mental roadblock.
Dwayne Wade on the other hand...wow is he UNDERrated.
He had the most bland triple double ever...
Two Points in the 4th quarter?
How can anyone compare him to Michael Jordan? or Kobe Bryant?
Sam Cassell, Toni Kukoc and Clyde Drexler seemed to have done more in the NBA Finals than LeBron.
So has Shaq, Paul Pierce and Hakeem Olajuwon.
In some ways I actually feel bad for LeBron because he seems incapable of doing what he said he was going to do on twitter and have a big game.
It's one thing to miss shots but it's another to not get involved in the action and be aggressive. Not being aggressive looks too much like not wanting to make a mistake or being afraid to make one. You can't win like that. He is not a great player right now...he could be...whenever he wants...but it looks difficult for him right now.
Dwayne Wade and Udonis Haslem are winners...I can't say that about LeBron right now. Certainly has the talent, but he seems to have a mental roadblock.
Dwayne Wade on the other hand...wow is he UNDERrated.
Interesting Thought
Someone said that when they grow up they will live in a city and bike everywhere. I've given this some thought while on my bike and drive to work. Both of these activities give me plenty of time to think.
For me there are a couple of obstacles to doing this including weather, showing up sweaty to work and bike security.
The bike I have now is too nice to ride in mist and too nice to be left anywhere with just a bike lock. So for this to be feasible for me I would first of all need a new bike, as would many other people. People will need a durable bike.
The showing up sweaty to work part is hard to deal with, unless of course you are your own boss or work in athletics/gym. It's going to be hard to convince a CEO that you can show up to work in shorts and a t-shirt. (if that's how you ride...which is what I usually do...and especially difficult to convince them to let you wear spandex)
If you can find a place to shower than how do you transport your change of clothes? I guess you would need to bike with a backpack...which is ok (I usually bike with a water/Camelbak backpack that allows me to stay hydrated easily and also have a small compartment to keep a cellphone, wallet and spare tube and energy bar should I have an emergency...but I don't have room for clothes...) but I think is a little uncomfortable. So I have some reservations/problems that I would need to solve in order to bike to work.
However, there are also some great positives to possibly doing this. If you don't need a car for work or life than you don't need to spend money on car insurance. If you bike to work you can also save on car repairs, oil changes, and gas. You also never have to go to an emission's test. Most importantly to me you would get lots of exercise. As a matter of fact everywhere you go you would exercise. On your way to work and way back you could get a workout in. Biking would save money and keep you healthy.
I don't know what I would do, but I thought I would discuss the subject and weigh the pros and cons. Maybe someone else can solve the problems I came up with so that American's can get their exercise!
For me there are a couple of obstacles to doing this including weather, showing up sweaty to work and bike security.
The bike I have now is too nice to ride in mist and too nice to be left anywhere with just a bike lock. So for this to be feasible for me I would first of all need a new bike, as would many other people. People will need a durable bike.
The showing up sweaty to work part is hard to deal with, unless of course you are your own boss or work in athletics/gym. It's going to be hard to convince a CEO that you can show up to work in shorts and a t-shirt. (if that's how you ride...which is what I usually do...and especially difficult to convince them to let you wear spandex)
If you can find a place to shower than how do you transport your change of clothes? I guess you would need to bike with a backpack...which is ok (I usually bike with a water/Camelbak backpack that allows me to stay hydrated easily and also have a small compartment to keep a cellphone, wallet and spare tube and energy bar should I have an emergency...but I don't have room for clothes...) but I think is a little uncomfortable. So I have some reservations/problems that I would need to solve in order to bike to work.
However, there are also some great positives to possibly doing this. If you don't need a car for work or life than you don't need to spend money on car insurance. If you bike to work you can also save on car repairs, oil changes, and gas. You also never have to go to an emission's test. Most importantly to me you would get lots of exercise. As a matter of fact everywhere you go you would exercise. On your way to work and way back you could get a workout in. Biking would save money and keep you healthy.
I don't know what I would do, but I thought I would discuss the subject and weigh the pros and cons. Maybe someone else can solve the problems I came up with so that American's can get their exercise!
Where is home?
I am beginning to call Ashburnham home. It's weird, but it's getting there.
I'm try to describe what it's like here, as it's very different from Fairfield County.
Status Symbols in Ashburnham are Ford F-150 Super Duty...Fairfield County are Mercedes anything.
Things are slower and people are nicer in Ashburnham which I like. Fairfield County has the feel of a bustling place of commerce and high society. Ashburnham has more of a country feel with rednecks or a place for artists and writers. Emerson wrote of an area about 20 miles away from Ashburnham, Mount Monadnock.
Ashburnham has some New England charm, especially the part where we are. It's in the woods, but there is a Country Store out on the State Route about a mile and a half from our house. You can get coffee, tee, ice cream etc. and has all of the little knick knacks you expect at a country store.
Further down the road in Ashby there is a small market with all the essentials and penny candy. Towards the New Hampshire State line there is Mount Watatic, which is a small mountain with views of Boston and Mount Monadnock. It's an easy hike that I often do. A couple of times I've run to the state line from my house, and ran from my house to Mount Watatic and up it and back.
There are also rednecks around. Seriously, not joking. I don't mean to make fun of them at all, I just don't know how else to describe them. There are a few homes around with junk and old cars in the front yards. Metal just rusting away. One house unfortunetly looks like a junk yard. Old boats, and cars and metal litters their back yard.
Recently when I went biking I passed by some redneck women tanning in 65 degree weather. They were in bathing suits, and I must say they were NOT going to be considered for a calendar. (They made me bike even faster...to get away)
Then there is another area where I literally see guys drinking beer and listening to country music everyday. It's like a real life episode of "King of the Hill."
Another neighbor made me think that they had a new special dog breed. It had so much long hair. As I kept going on my bike I noticed that it was a goat in his driveway.
There are some interesting sites, but it's so beautiful where I am right now. It's refreshing and far away from traffic. Everyone is nice, relaxed and patient. That is a nice change of pace. There is a farm at each end of the street that we live off of. One of those has horses, cows and also has a produce stand in the summer. Neither farm is big, but both are nice size.
I'm try to describe what it's like here, as it's very different from Fairfield County.
Status Symbols in Ashburnham are Ford F-150 Super Duty...Fairfield County are Mercedes anything.
Things are slower and people are nicer in Ashburnham which I like. Fairfield County has the feel of a bustling place of commerce and high society. Ashburnham has more of a country feel with rednecks or a place for artists and writers. Emerson wrote of an area about 20 miles away from Ashburnham, Mount Monadnock.
Ashburnham has some New England charm, especially the part where we are. It's in the woods, but there is a Country Store out on the State Route about a mile and a half from our house. You can get coffee, tee, ice cream etc. and has all of the little knick knacks you expect at a country store.
Further down the road in Ashby there is a small market with all the essentials and penny candy. Towards the New Hampshire State line there is Mount Watatic, which is a small mountain with views of Boston and Mount Monadnock. It's an easy hike that I often do. A couple of times I've run to the state line from my house, and ran from my house to Mount Watatic and up it and back.
There are also rednecks around. Seriously, not joking. I don't mean to make fun of them at all, I just don't know how else to describe them. There are a few homes around with junk and old cars in the front yards. Metal just rusting away. One house unfortunetly looks like a junk yard. Old boats, and cars and metal litters their back yard.
Recently when I went biking I passed by some redneck women tanning in 65 degree weather. They were in bathing suits, and I must say they were NOT going to be considered for a calendar. (They made me bike even faster...to get away)
Then there is another area where I literally see guys drinking beer and listening to country music everyday. It's like a real life episode of "King of the Hill."
Another neighbor made me think that they had a new special dog breed. It had so much long hair. As I kept going on my bike I noticed that it was a goat in his driveway.
There are some interesting sites, but it's so beautiful where I am right now. It's refreshing and far away from traffic. Everyone is nice, relaxed and patient. That is a nice change of pace. There is a farm at each end of the street that we live off of. One of those has horses, cows and also has a produce stand in the summer. Neither farm is big, but both are nice size.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The Brew Crew
The Brewers have a thing for UConn baseball players. They selected three Huskies..Doug Elliott, Elliott Glynn and Mike Nemeth.
Guess who I will be writing about?
Someone needs to be covering Meghan Cunningham's appearance in the NCAA National Championships.
I wish her good luck.
Anyway for anyone interested they can follow Meghan Cunningham on Thursday Night at 7:30 Central, 8:30 Eastern on the internet. She will try and win the National Championship in the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase this weekend. She is currently 17th in the country in the event. She set a school record at the NCAA Regionals with a time of 10:11:57
Here is the link to view her run...
http://www.ncaa.com/liveschedule?DB_OEM_ID=15700
I wish her good luck.
Anyway for anyone interested they can follow Meghan Cunningham on Thursday Night at 7:30 Central, 8:30 Eastern on the internet. She will try and win the National Championship in the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase this weekend. She is currently 17th in the country in the event. She set a school record at the NCAA Regionals with a time of 10:11:57
Here is the link to view her run...
http://www.ncaa.com/liveschedule?DB_OEM_ID=15700
I like this women's soccer commericial
Here is a Nike Women's Soccer commercial I found involving a dentists office.
I like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Eifa8oqCRU
I also think that Brittany Taylor is in the ESPN World Cup commercial. I could have sworn if you look closely towards the end that she is in the background playing. Not sure, but it's possible.
I like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Eifa8oqCRU
I also think that Brittany Taylor is in the ESPN World Cup commercial. I could have sworn if you look closely towards the end that she is in the background playing. Not sure, but it's possible.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Difficult thing about writing
One of the hardest things about writing is balancing them with all my hobbies...because I have WAY too many of them.
One thing I do, that maybe isn't a hobby, not sure, is work out. I very much enjoy exercising, and really enjoy how I feel after exercising. I also like that when I bike or run that I am completely free. My mind has nothing occupying it. It's peaceful. Biking is my most favorite form of exercising. When thinks are good I bike almost everyday. I go atleast 18 miles a day. I used to go more everyday (26 miles) but I found that it was burning me out going that far everyday. I usually go on that long of a route a couple times a week.
I've gotten into a habit or going for a run too. I don't know how long it is, but usually it's 40 minutes long. It's not as intense as my bike ride, but I enjoy it when I get the chance. I usually bring my Ipod too.
I've started to enjoy kayaking and I've done that most days the last week or so. I don't know how far I go, maybe I go for half an hour, but I get nice and sore by the end of it.
GOLF is something I love!!! I'm not great at it, and I haven't had as much time as usual to play as often as I would like. I love going to the driver range and putting green. I often go to the putting green in Storrs when I get the chance.
Waterskiing is another thing I do during the summer and I've improved at that. Hopefully I will learn how to wake board this summer too.
Fishing is also fun for me. I caught a nice size bass recently. I'm not a pro, or hardcore fisherman, but since we have a dock I tend to just cast every other day or so.
I enjoy playing pool and try to play that once a week. I'm guess I'm an average player.
Finally in terms of sports, soccer is something I play. I guess when you are around the sport so much you just get the itch to play.
Reading is also something I tend to enjoy too. I never have enough time to read, but when I get the chance in the summer I like to read in the hammock in the afternoon.
I like other sports like baseball/wiffleball, basketball and football but I don't play those that often anymore.
So basically if I am not working, or writing, I'm probably exercising and working on improving my abilities in any one of my numerous hobbies. I'm also very much in the mode of NOT WATCHING sports right now. I get too bored and antsy just watching them. I tend to want to play a sport instead of watching it.
One thing I do, that maybe isn't a hobby, not sure, is work out. I very much enjoy exercising, and really enjoy how I feel after exercising. I also like that when I bike or run that I am completely free. My mind has nothing occupying it. It's peaceful. Biking is my most favorite form of exercising. When thinks are good I bike almost everyday. I go atleast 18 miles a day. I used to go more everyday (26 miles) but I found that it was burning me out going that far everyday. I usually go on that long of a route a couple times a week.
I've gotten into a habit or going for a run too. I don't know how long it is, but usually it's 40 minutes long. It's not as intense as my bike ride, but I enjoy it when I get the chance. I usually bring my Ipod too.
I've started to enjoy kayaking and I've done that most days the last week or so. I don't know how far I go, maybe I go for half an hour, but I get nice and sore by the end of it.
GOLF is something I love!!! I'm not great at it, and I haven't had as much time as usual to play as often as I would like. I love going to the driver range and putting green. I often go to the putting green in Storrs when I get the chance.
Waterskiing is another thing I do during the summer and I've improved at that. Hopefully I will learn how to wake board this summer too.
Fishing is also fun for me. I caught a nice size bass recently. I'm not a pro, or hardcore fisherman, but since we have a dock I tend to just cast every other day or so.
I enjoy playing pool and try to play that once a week. I'm guess I'm an average player.
Finally in terms of sports, soccer is something I play. I guess when you are around the sport so much you just get the itch to play.
Reading is also something I tend to enjoy too. I never have enough time to read, but when I get the chance in the summer I like to read in the hammock in the afternoon.
I like other sports like baseball/wiffleball, basketball and football but I don't play those that often anymore.
So basically if I am not working, or writing, I'm probably exercising and working on improving my abilities in any one of my numerous hobbies. I'm also very much in the mode of NOT WATCHING sports right now. I get too bored and antsy just watching them. I tend to want to play a sport instead of watching it.
Why do athletes hate media?
For the most part most athletes I have run into hate doing media obligations. I haven't quite figured out why.
There are some that enjoy it, but many, if not most, don't look forward to it.
I think some do it for control and ego boosting. Seriously, you have to be pretty cool to have lots of people asking questions and even cooler to think that you have the right to be disrespectful to them. I think some athletes do it for this reason, but I'm not sure it's the most popular reason.
It's annoying and that is very truthful if athletes are successful. Successful athletes have to answer the same freaking questions everyday. It's as annoying as having every person you run into at a family gathering ask you what your plans are after school. You are glad they care, but by the tenth person you're tired of talking about it, and really just want to be left alone.
It takes up a lot of time. Even if you are a people person and enjoying talking, you don't want to be stuck in conversations with strangers and talking about the same thing day after day after day.
When you play poorly people remind you of your mistakes and than ask you about them. Can't blame athletes for this reason. Imagine taking a test and failing it and then having 10 people come up and ask you about why you failed it and what it means for your future. Chances are you would get annoyed.
Athletes are afraid they will be portrayed poorly or tricked into saying something they are not trying to say. Any reporter who intentionally tries to trick an athlete or portray them poorly is a sad individual.
However, for the 100th time, athletes should have good relationships with the media because it comes with so many benefits. If you are good to the media it's more likely they will take your side when you mess up. If you are good to the media they will do publicity for things that are important to you. Passionate about a charity you are helping out? Media will be there to do a story about it.
Do you play a sport that isn't popular? Well if you care about your sport and want to see it grow you better be darn sure you talk to the media and seek them out for stories. In order for a sport to take off you need people to talk about it and generate a buzz. If no athlete talks to the media, no one will find out about it and no one will care about it. If you want to be a women's pro soccer player, you better start creating a buzz. If you don't the league won't take off.
I can't blame athletes if they just love playing their sport. Most athletes play for the love of the game and not the love of promoting the game. However, if a women's soccer player wants future opportunity for those that follow in their footsteps they must be willing to do things like taking a trip to Maine to promote your team. I know of some pro players who were unhappy to do that, but if every team did that and connected the sport with more people than women's soccer will gain in popularity.
People need to think about how epidemics start. (read the book "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell) You need to infect others with what you are trying to sell. When you infect them, they will infect others and it will keep doubling and doubling as more and more people get infected. Infecting someone requires an action. You have to do something to infect others, so if you do nothing to promote your sport you are just supporting the status quo.
There are some that enjoy it, but many, if not most, don't look forward to it.
I think some do it for control and ego boosting. Seriously, you have to be pretty cool to have lots of people asking questions and even cooler to think that you have the right to be disrespectful to them. I think some athletes do it for this reason, but I'm not sure it's the most popular reason.
It's annoying and that is very truthful if athletes are successful. Successful athletes have to answer the same freaking questions everyday. It's as annoying as having every person you run into at a family gathering ask you what your plans are after school. You are glad they care, but by the tenth person you're tired of talking about it, and really just want to be left alone.
It takes up a lot of time. Even if you are a people person and enjoying talking, you don't want to be stuck in conversations with strangers and talking about the same thing day after day after day.
When you play poorly people remind you of your mistakes and than ask you about them. Can't blame athletes for this reason. Imagine taking a test and failing it and then having 10 people come up and ask you about why you failed it and what it means for your future. Chances are you would get annoyed.
Athletes are afraid they will be portrayed poorly or tricked into saying something they are not trying to say. Any reporter who intentionally tries to trick an athlete or portray them poorly is a sad individual.
However, for the 100th time, athletes should have good relationships with the media because it comes with so many benefits. If you are good to the media it's more likely they will take your side when you mess up. If you are good to the media they will do publicity for things that are important to you. Passionate about a charity you are helping out? Media will be there to do a story about it.
Do you play a sport that isn't popular? Well if you care about your sport and want to see it grow you better be darn sure you talk to the media and seek them out for stories. In order for a sport to take off you need people to talk about it and generate a buzz. If no athlete talks to the media, no one will find out about it and no one will care about it. If you want to be a women's pro soccer player, you better start creating a buzz. If you don't the league won't take off.
I can't blame athletes if they just love playing their sport. Most athletes play for the love of the game and not the love of promoting the game. However, if a women's soccer player wants future opportunity for those that follow in their footsteps they must be willing to do things like taking a trip to Maine to promote your team. I know of some pro players who were unhappy to do that, but if every team did that and connected the sport with more people than women's soccer will gain in popularity.
People need to think about how epidemics start. (read the book "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell) You need to infect others with what you are trying to sell. When you infect them, they will infect others and it will keep doubling and doubling as more and more people get infected. Infecting someone requires an action. You have to do something to infect others, so if you do nothing to promote your sport you are just supporting the status quo.
How to make something on photoshop
One thing that I learned last summer was how to use photoshop and I constantly am learning more to improve my skills with the program. Recently I have been doing a lot with photoshop, yet I don't know that people understand the process of making things with it.
Using photoshop is fun because it allows me to be creative and there is a lot you can do with this $1,000 program. (available at a student discount for $180) Certainly I would say that it was worth the investment as it has greatly increased my ability to provide well designed content.
Most things that I make involve cutting out photos. This is extremely time consuming, or can be depending on the photo. I'd say that each photo on average takes 20-30 minutes to cut out. Sometimes it can take a lot less time, but if you want to be accurate it takes a good amount of time.
So every different photo cut out requires 20-30 minutes.
Everything after that is usually about as time consuming. So without getting into all the details after cutting out photos there is another 20-30 minutes of playing around, changing opacity, re-arrangement, measuring to center things etc. A good hour goes into most projects. The good thing is that hour usually goes by quickly when you are creating.
Some of the things you have to do at the end is search for any imperfections in the photo.
When I make things I am also careful to use the proper font and colors for whatever "brand" I am working for. For example UConn has official Blue, Red and Grey colors to be used. It's not just blue, it's a certain amount of different colors. There is also certain fonts that sometime need to be used. I tend to use the same font for everything, but sometimes I change it up if there is a lot of text.
Some fonts just don't look good when used to write a lot of text.
There is a small look into what it takes to create things on photoshop. I went as far in depth as I could to make it easy enough for those who haven't used the program to understand.
Using photoshop is fun because it allows me to be creative and there is a lot you can do with this $1,000 program. (available at a student discount for $180) Certainly I would say that it was worth the investment as it has greatly increased my ability to provide well designed content.
Most things that I make involve cutting out photos. This is extremely time consuming, or can be depending on the photo. I'd say that each photo on average takes 20-30 minutes to cut out. Sometimes it can take a lot less time, but if you want to be accurate it takes a good amount of time.
So every different photo cut out requires 20-30 minutes.
Everything after that is usually about as time consuming. So without getting into all the details after cutting out photos there is another 20-30 minutes of playing around, changing opacity, re-arrangement, measuring to center things etc. A good hour goes into most projects. The good thing is that hour usually goes by quickly when you are creating.
Some of the things you have to do at the end is search for any imperfections in the photo.
When I make things I am also careful to use the proper font and colors for whatever "brand" I am working for. For example UConn has official Blue, Red and Grey colors to be used. It's not just blue, it's a certain amount of different colors. There is also certain fonts that sometime need to be used. I tend to use the same font for everything, but sometimes I change it up if there is a lot of text.
Some fonts just don't look good when used to write a lot of text.
There is a small look into what it takes to create things on photoshop. I went as far in depth as I could to make it easy enough for those who haven't used the program to understand.
Private School Problems
Something that I never think about going to a public school is that private school budgets are largely affected by enrollment, especially in small private schools.
20 less students in a class can result in a loss of half a million dollars or more in budget money for the university. A small change in enrollment can have dire consequences for these schools.
20 less students in a class can result in a loss of half a million dollars or more in budget money for the university. A small change in enrollment can have dire consequences for these schools.
How do you vacate a championship
How exactly do you vacate a championship that was won by USC in football in 2004?
In 2004, even though USC beat Oklahoma 55-19 in the National Championship game, there was no National Champion because it was later determined that Reggie Bush, who played for USC was ineligible, therefore USC had to forfeit all games he played in.
I agree that it's ok to not allow a school to say they were National Champions from now on. That's ok, but what about the players and coaches? The ones who prepped for the game? I have to say they as individuals were National Champions. I can't take away the work they put in.
I don't like that there were no National Champions in 2004, yet at the same time I don't think it's fair to crown a new champion after the fact. I don't think anyone wants to be called a National Champion if they didn't actually play and win a National Championship game.
Where does this leave us? Not really sure to be honest. I guess the only way to fully solve the problem is to monitor athletes before they actually play the game. All investigations are final before the game and if something is found out later a school should be heavily fined and have scholarships taken away, along with allowing all student athletes to transfer and have an extra year of eligibility for all upperclassmen. Student athletes shouldn't have to be adversely affected by what others at a school did a long time ago. If a student athlete has to transfer in this situation why not give them a fifth year? This way that athlete, if they are an upperclassmen, will have more time to assimilate with a new team. It's unfair to expect a senior to get a fair shot if they transfer to another school for one last season. They might have trouble fitting in and it could take sometime before coaches realize how to utilize that person's talent.
I hate that current student athletes are penalized by past coaches, players and administrations when schools are punished today for things that happened awhile ago.
Along with this, Student Athletes must be held more accountable for their actions and knowledge of NCAA Rules. Student-athletes should be learning how to be responsible in college and part of that is understanding what rules govern them. If coaches are required to take a compliance test why aren't student athletes tested on the rules to be eligible? Student-Athletes have compliance meetings and are given handbooks and exposed to fliers with rules, yet the vast majority never read the handbooks.
In 2004, even though USC beat Oklahoma 55-19 in the National Championship game, there was no National Champion because it was later determined that Reggie Bush, who played for USC was ineligible, therefore USC had to forfeit all games he played in.
I agree that it's ok to not allow a school to say they were National Champions from now on. That's ok, but what about the players and coaches? The ones who prepped for the game? I have to say they as individuals were National Champions. I can't take away the work they put in.
I don't like that there were no National Champions in 2004, yet at the same time I don't think it's fair to crown a new champion after the fact. I don't think anyone wants to be called a National Champion if they didn't actually play and win a National Championship game.
Where does this leave us? Not really sure to be honest. I guess the only way to fully solve the problem is to monitor athletes before they actually play the game. All investigations are final before the game and if something is found out later a school should be heavily fined and have scholarships taken away, along with allowing all student athletes to transfer and have an extra year of eligibility for all upperclassmen. Student athletes shouldn't have to be adversely affected by what others at a school did a long time ago. If a student athlete has to transfer in this situation why not give them a fifth year? This way that athlete, if they are an upperclassmen, will have more time to assimilate with a new team. It's unfair to expect a senior to get a fair shot if they transfer to another school for one last season. They might have trouble fitting in and it could take sometime before coaches realize how to utilize that person's talent.
I hate that current student athletes are penalized by past coaches, players and administrations when schools are punished today for things that happened awhile ago.
Along with this, Student Athletes must be held more accountable for their actions and knowledge of NCAA Rules. Student-athletes should be learning how to be responsible in college and part of that is understanding what rules govern them. If coaches are required to take a compliance test why aren't student athletes tested on the rules to be eligible? Student-Athletes have compliance meetings and are given handbooks and exposed to fliers with rules, yet the vast majority never read the handbooks.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Kyle Busch in more trouble
Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch got into a fight after a race.
Kyle Busch got a speeding ticket for going 128 in a 45.
Kyle Busch just was confronted by the owner of Kevin Harvick and a Craftsman Truck Series Truck.
Maybe Busch needs to go sit in a corner and have a timeout.
Kyle Busch got a speeding ticket for going 128 in a 45.
Kyle Busch just was confronted by the owner of Kevin Harvick and a Craftsman Truck Series Truck.
Maybe Busch needs to go sit in a corner and have a timeout.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Interesting how different people interpret the same words
This is more of a life post, nothing about sports, but it's interesting to me how different people can interpret the same email to mean two different things. There is a little bit of background to go with this post, that I think needs to be shared for things to make sense.
My Aunt Bonnie was a wonderful person who was always a lot of fun to be around has been battling cancer for awhile, and to my knowledge had been doing quite well. I was able to see her in 2008 when I traveled to report on the Women's Final Four, and the last two summers at our house and I am very grateful that I got to see her so often. I have and always will hope to surround myself with people like her. She was loving, had good values, cared for her family and was just fun to be around.
Anyway, I got an email last night saying that she was struggling and that her breathing was weak and that she had just gotten into the hospice. It didn't say she was about to die, yet I got the feeling from reading it and knowing the person who wrote it, that things were coming to a close quickly. I responded with best wishes knowing that I may not have enough time to send a card, as the email suggested you might be able to send.
Anyone who read the email knew things had taken a turn for the worst, yet my father didn't interpret the email as I did. He was much more surprised than I was when he heard the news today that Aunt Bonnie had died. It's not that he was surprised it happened, but that it had happened so quickly.
Somehow I knew that my uncle, who is a Retired Naval Officer, would only send out an email like the one he sent if things were very serious and drawing to a close. As a Naval Officer he dealt with facts and not speculation and somehow because of that it helped me pick up on the fact that things were drawing to a close quickly. I just interpreted that email much differently than my dad did for some reason.
I guess what I want to say is that knowing your sender and how they communicate can really help you understand the message being sent. Different people communicate differently and if you can figure out how they do you can pick up on what they are trying to say.
I'm also glad I got to honor my Aunt a little bit. I don't want any sympathy though, she lived a good life, and I would not have written about something so private unless it inspired me to write something else. I also don't want reading this to bring anyone down either. She lived a good life and just enjoyed a good vacation. I think she would consider herself lucky to have lived in a nice home and have two successful children and four amazing grandsons. Life was good to her and she wouldn't want people to be brought down and to think of her own problems.
My Aunt Bonnie was a wonderful person who was always a lot of fun to be around has been battling cancer for awhile, and to my knowledge had been doing quite well. I was able to see her in 2008 when I traveled to report on the Women's Final Four, and the last two summers at our house and I am very grateful that I got to see her so often. I have and always will hope to surround myself with people like her. She was loving, had good values, cared for her family and was just fun to be around.
Anyway, I got an email last night saying that she was struggling and that her breathing was weak and that she had just gotten into the hospice. It didn't say she was about to die, yet I got the feeling from reading it and knowing the person who wrote it, that things were coming to a close quickly. I responded with best wishes knowing that I may not have enough time to send a card, as the email suggested you might be able to send.
Anyone who read the email knew things had taken a turn for the worst, yet my father didn't interpret the email as I did. He was much more surprised than I was when he heard the news today that Aunt Bonnie had died. It's not that he was surprised it happened, but that it had happened so quickly.
Somehow I knew that my uncle, who is a Retired Naval Officer, would only send out an email like the one he sent if things were very serious and drawing to a close. As a Naval Officer he dealt with facts and not speculation and somehow because of that it helped me pick up on the fact that things were drawing to a close quickly. I just interpreted that email much differently than my dad did for some reason.
I guess what I want to say is that knowing your sender and how they communicate can really help you understand the message being sent. Different people communicate differently and if you can figure out how they do you can pick up on what they are trying to say.
I'm also glad I got to honor my Aunt a little bit. I don't want any sympathy though, she lived a good life, and I would not have written about something so private unless it inspired me to write something else. I also don't want reading this to bring anyone down either. She lived a good life and just enjoyed a good vacation. I think she would consider herself lucky to have lived in a nice home and have two successful children and four amazing grandsons. Life was good to her and she wouldn't want people to be brought down and to think of her own problems.
I can't believe I'm talking about this...Sponsorships
The last product I ever thought I'd write about is Extenze...if you don't know what it is think Viagra, Cialis etc...and all I will say is that it is so weird to see old football coach Jimmy Johnson being their spokesperson. I just find it weird. I think he could do better. Basically his commercials and the one featuring NASCAR are full of puns and innuendos. Once you have been a spokesperson for a product like that I think it's hard to get people to accept you pitching for something more "family oriented." It's going to be hard to go from Extenze to Sears or Wal Mart or Johnson and Johnson. Maybe I'm biased as a Cowboys fan, but I think the Two-Time Super Bowl Champion coach could do better than extenze.
Speaking of sponsorships I also have a hard time watching Joe Montana and Wayne Gretzky pitching "shape up" Sketchers. It's so hard for me to picture the best hockey player and one of the best quarterbacks ever trying to sell people on fitness shoes. Sketchers don't exactly make people think of athletic excellence. I don't know that those two athletes make the most sense for spokespeople.
Lastly I noticed Wegman's, the second best grocery store (behind Stew Leonard's)is sponsoring the LPGA Championship. Our team is probably very depressed that there are no Wegman's visits during the regular season. They will have to win and play in the right places in the postseason in order to get to one.
Speaking of sponsorships I also have a hard time watching Joe Montana and Wayne Gretzky pitching "shape up" Sketchers. It's so hard for me to picture the best hockey player and one of the best quarterbacks ever trying to sell people on fitness shoes. Sketchers don't exactly make people think of athletic excellence. I don't know that those two athletes make the most sense for spokespeople.
Lastly I noticed Wegman's, the second best grocery store (behind Stew Leonard's)is sponsoring the LPGA Championship. Our team is probably very depressed that there are no Wegman's visits during the regular season. They will have to win and play in the right places in the postseason in order to get to one.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Buster Posey incident
Here is video of Buster Posey, the catcher of the San Francisco Giants, being run over by Florida Marlins player Scott Cousins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5x9HeThjhA
Often times in baseball catchers are run over at home plate when a run is trying to score. This is not out of the ordinary, it is a part of the game. There was no malicious intent on the part of Cousins, he was simply trying to score.
Both Cousins and Posey should be applauded for going all out for their respective teams. Neither gave up on the play and didn't hustle. Marlins should respect Cousins for sacrificing his body to score a run and Giants fans should do the same for Buster Posey for blocking the plate.
If Cousins didn't slide or run into the catcher he would be criticized for not hustling and the same goes for Posey if he didn't block the plate.
The Giants seem bent on payback for the play, which is somewhat understandable and also part of the game, but the degree to which they are saying they are going for payback concerns me. It is as if they think that Chris Cousins intent was to break Posey's leg and not to score a run.
There is a huge difference between taking someone's legs or knees out intentionally than trying to score a run. If the Giants watched the video closely they would see that after the hit Scott Cousins seemed genuinely concerned about Posey. Cousins didn't just walk away, stand over Posey etc. instead he seemed to show a great amount of concern for the player he ran over.
Sports are violent and injuries will occur, but very rarely do these injuries occur from someone intentionally trying to inflict harm on another. Believe it or not, most athletes are trying to win and sometimes in the process of doing that they unintentionally hurt others.
I am on Chris Cousin's side of this issue and would lose a lot of respect for the Giants should they intentionally try to badly hurt Cousins (throw at his head)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5x9HeThjhA
Often times in baseball catchers are run over at home plate when a run is trying to score. This is not out of the ordinary, it is a part of the game. There was no malicious intent on the part of Cousins, he was simply trying to score.
Both Cousins and Posey should be applauded for going all out for their respective teams. Neither gave up on the play and didn't hustle. Marlins should respect Cousins for sacrificing his body to score a run and Giants fans should do the same for Buster Posey for blocking the plate.
If Cousins didn't slide or run into the catcher he would be criticized for not hustling and the same goes for Posey if he didn't block the plate.
The Giants seem bent on payback for the play, which is somewhat understandable and also part of the game, but the degree to which they are saying they are going for payback concerns me. It is as if they think that Chris Cousins intent was to break Posey's leg and not to score a run.
There is a huge difference between taking someone's legs or knees out intentionally than trying to score a run. If the Giants watched the video closely they would see that after the hit Scott Cousins seemed genuinely concerned about Posey. Cousins didn't just walk away, stand over Posey etc. instead he seemed to show a great amount of concern for the player he ran over.
Sports are violent and injuries will occur, but very rarely do these injuries occur from someone intentionally trying to inflict harm on another. Believe it or not, most athletes are trying to win and sometimes in the process of doing that they unintentionally hurt others.
I am on Chris Cousin's side of this issue and would lose a lot of respect for the Giants should they intentionally try to badly hurt Cousins (throw at his head)
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Social Media
There is a lot you can do with social media but unfortunately what you can do can be limited by NCAA rules etc.
When a college team has a facebook page you have to make sure you don't respond to recruits, so you can not ever respond to a post.
Teams have to be careful not to give out prizes to top posters, or on give-a-ways because family members of student athletes and recruits can't get any prizes because that is a violation.
Teams can only link to pages that their athletic website puts up. You can't post links from news agencies that primarily report on your team.
You have to coordinate posts on facebook and twitter with posts and press releases from your communications and P.R. department.
There are so many rules and intricacies to running social media.
When a college team has a facebook page you have to make sure you don't respond to recruits, so you can not ever respond to a post.
Teams have to be careful not to give out prizes to top posters, or on give-a-ways because family members of student athletes and recruits can't get any prizes because that is a violation.
Teams can only link to pages that their athletic website puts up. You can't post links from news agencies that primarily report on your team.
You have to coordinate posts on facebook and twitter with posts and press releases from your communications and P.R. department.
There are so many rules and intricacies to running social media.
Learn photoshop
If you do any posting on social media, or any marketing than you should learn how to use Adobe Photoshop.
You will know why I said this when you learn how to use it.
You will know why I said this when you learn how to use it.
Do you go after their injury?
Here is an interesting problem for athletes. You are in the playoffs, or in an important game, and one of your opponents has an injury. The question is do you go after the injured athlete and that injury? (aka run into someones broken hand on purpose)
This is such a tough question because their are two or three schools of thought. There is a group of people who would do anything to win and think that it's part of the game to go after an injury. Animals attack the weak in the wild, why would it be different in sports? Very old school, and I'd say slightly mean. I want to win, but not because I injured someone else.
Another school of thought is to exploit a weakness which would be forcing a basketball player to dribble with their broken hand. This is probably the school I fall in. It's only natural to make it difficult on someone who is injured but trying to play. You want to take advantage of someone's weakness, but not intentionally try to make their injury worse. If an athlete realizes they can't be effective then they can just take themselves out of the game voluntarily, which is a lot different than being taken out because someone made their injury worse.
The other school of thought would be to play away from the person's injury or make it as easy on the injured person as possible. I think this is more for friendly pick up games. Although there is also a school of thought that you want to beat someone when they are their best. You don't want to win because someone was injured and I completely understand and agree with that point. People want to know that they played better and that they deserve credit for winning and not having to hear about how so and so was injured. I find elements of this school of thought attractive.
Interesting things to consider. Not sure where people fall on this. Not sure where I even fall on this. I think this might vary from situation to situation.
This is such a tough question because their are two or three schools of thought. There is a group of people who would do anything to win and think that it's part of the game to go after an injury. Animals attack the weak in the wild, why would it be different in sports? Very old school, and I'd say slightly mean. I want to win, but not because I injured someone else.
Another school of thought is to exploit a weakness which would be forcing a basketball player to dribble with their broken hand. This is probably the school I fall in. It's only natural to make it difficult on someone who is injured but trying to play. You want to take advantage of someone's weakness, but not intentionally try to make their injury worse. If an athlete realizes they can't be effective then they can just take themselves out of the game voluntarily, which is a lot different than being taken out because someone made their injury worse.
The other school of thought would be to play away from the person's injury or make it as easy on the injured person as possible. I think this is more for friendly pick up games. Although there is also a school of thought that you want to beat someone when they are their best. You don't want to win because someone was injured and I completely understand and agree with that point. People want to know that they played better and that they deserve credit for winning and not having to hear about how so and so was injured. I find elements of this school of thought attractive.
Interesting things to consider. Not sure where people fall on this. Not sure where I even fall on this. I think this might vary from situation to situation.
Have to root for the Mavs
I have to root for the Mavericks in the NBA finals over the Heat. I have a lot of respect for Dwayne Wade and Udonis Haslem and I think both of them are winners, but I don't really care too much for LeBron.
On the flip side I have a lot of respect for Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki(from Wurzburg, Germany...where some relatives of my family are from) who too my knowledge have never won an NBA Finals.
On the flip side I have a lot of respect for Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki(from Wurzburg, Germany...where some relatives of my family are from) who too my knowledge have never won an NBA Finals.
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