Apathy towards watching sports...

I have to admit to becoming really apathetic towards watching sports.  It's strange, but this feeling is existing in me. 

I don't know if I am hyperactive or what, but I just can't sit and watch sports like I used to be able to.  I used to watch EVERY METS game.  I wouldn't miss a game.  Now I've had enough after an inning. 

I rarely turn on television and hope to find a sporting event on.  Occasionally I do, but I have lost interest in just watching sports because it's on television. 

I can't figure out exactly why this is buy I have some ideas. 

Part of it is overload.  There are just too many sports and I don't feel like watching them all. 

Part of it is a feeling of, this is work, this is all I ever do, let's please watch something else. 

Another part of it is being afraid of turning into a 40 year old super-fan who still regularly wears a jersey to games.  Mature adults are too busy to spend their time obsessing over games. 

Another part is being healthy.  It's healthier to be outside and be active. 

Maybe the biggest thing is that I have realized that I can do great things when I am busy doing things.  I can watch other people do great things when I watch them do so.  Maybe I want to be a character instead of an observer. 

It's so strange to me, but I just don't watch any extra sports than I need to.  I have to admit to this.  The majority of what I watch is sports related, but I just don't turn on television and put on hockey or basketball or Sunday Night Baseball because I am bored. 

There is some apathy involved.  I don't think it's killing my drive to work in sports.  I do think it's making me think about how I can spend my precious time during life.  We shouldn't spend all of our lives watching others.  We need to live too. 

Athletes Have To Be Careful

Example of why athletes have to be careful...

They met a girl at the club and then they go to their hotel room and then all of their valuables are missing from their safe...

Some athletes are targets, and that's sad.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/9438573/woman-arrested-thefts-new-york-giants-dt-shaun-rogers-victim

Now the football player isn't blameless.  Why anyone would have so much money tied up in necklaces, bracelets and watches, I'll never understand.  When you carry that much around it's easy to not only have it stolen, but accidentally lose it as well.   I also am too good of a Catholic boy to just bring someone that I just met to my hotel room.   You might want to develop some trust first. 

Aaron Hernandez

I don't know where to start.  I don't get it.  Why would you be involved in gang activity or shootings when you are a successful pro-athlete, who seemingly has things all set.  You make enough money to not worry.  Right?

Maybe Aaron Hernandez didn't feel respected.   Maybe that motivated him to do something stupid.   Do people want money or do they want respect?

I think the idea of being disrespected is more of a motivator than money in many instances. 


Meanwhile, I was very happy to see that the Patriots are offering jersey exchanges for people who own Aaron Hernandez jerseys.  Jerseys are more personal than a team hat and it's obvious that people will not want to associate themselves with someone like Aaron Hernandez.  


One thing I feel bad for with athletes is the amount of money they get and the amount of people around them who feel like they are entitled to getting a cut.  Their will be women who are looking to attach themselves to them.  Their will be family members who need help, friends who have great business ideas.  It has to be hard to figure out who to trust, when they are viewed as stipend givers.  Can you imagine having your best friends and family members asking you for money all the time?  They know what you make in your contract.  It's publicized.  Can you imagine how hard it is to say no to family and close friends? 

Oops

I just realized I need to delete a couple of stories I wrote back when I had no expectations of being in North Carolina for another year...

Yeah, got to delete a few things to make sure I don't get in trouble.  Not much but a few.  My normal very good sense of don't hit send was completely over taken by the expectation that I'd be far far far away from where I will be. 

Life is Like Swimming

You swim under the water.  You come up for air and see how far you are from where you want to go.  If you don't like where you are, you change course, put your head down and go. 

Happy Father's Day

What can I say I have learned from my father? 

I mean I should honor him somehow, since my family never ever does anything fun for Mother's Day or Father's Day.  We have NEVER gone out to eat for these holidays to my recollection.  Mom maybe got flowers or chocolates and maybe home made breakfast...which she probably had to clean up. 

So anyway.  What has my dad taught me? 

Well nothing to do with sports that is.  Absolutely nothing.  He can't catch a ball more than 50% of the time.  We have never had the father and son catch.  We did have the father and son this is how you "clean the bathroom."

He does have a sense of irony.  We had the "talk" conveniently in Intercourse, PA.  It probably helped him bring up the subject.  Not sure why this made it in here but it did. 

I did get his wonderfully defined and muscular legs.  Those have definitely been passed on and developed by me.

I've learned to work hard and to expect more out of myself.  That's a big one.  Usually when he says you will understand when you get older he's right. 

I've also really gained an appreciation of the arts and history from him.  It is he who has widened my horizons in terms of movies that I have watched.  He has picked out ones with good messages and lessons in them.  Captain's Courageous is a good example.  We also both love Fargo and Airplane. 

History and my appreciation of it comes from him.  We both enjoy history and I've learned a tremendous amount from him.  History, and knowing it well, helps you predict the future.

I think I've developed some of his sense of humor, although I don't think he ever gets to see it when he is around.  He tends to see the quiet and more introverted side of me.  The laid back and passive one. Although he can press buttons and get me to react and I think he really enjoys doing that. 

I've gained important lessons and values surrounding the importance of people from him.  The importance of family and community.  Regardless of your beliefs, church is important on the micro level for the simple fact that it is a community and it brings people together.  I would argue it's more meaningful than just that, but you can't deny that it does that at it's basic level.

I've learned to track every penny and be organized with receipts.  You have to read everything you sign.  I've learned basic business and law from him.

I've also benefited from his friendships and family friends. 

He has taken my family on many wonderful trips and we have experienced many great things. 

I've learned basic economics.  It's not worth it to put this much work in for this little reward. 

He tells great stories, and I want to be able to tell stories like he does.

I have developed an appreciation for cars from him.  It was extremely painful to me that my dad was not with me when I bought my first car.  I wanted him to be there.  I always envisioned it, because he is a car guy.  He was involved from afar.  He test drove my car and the other car I considered, but he didn't get to see it when it was brand new and shiny and perfect.  I cleaned it up when I got home for Christmas so it would look as new as possible.  It meant a lot to me for him to see my new car then.  I'm very grateful he was able to atleast be involved and know I bought my first car.  His father, his father's father and his father's father's father didn't live as long as my dad has so I'm grateful he's still around.      

My love of Lake Winnipesaukee came from him.

I've recently learned to shut my mouth and just do things.  I just quit arguing, or complaining when I don't agree with things and just accept it and move on.  It's a necessary skill for the work place.

Don't talk, just do.  Great advice, and I've received it plenty of times. 

We are very different and very similar in many ways.  I can see a lot of myself in him at times.  There are also times where I try to do the exact opposite of what he would do.  I'm more of a risk taker than he is.  Maybe I should say he doesn't take risks, because I'm not known to be a wild and crazy guy even though I strive to be interesting and me.  I'm more athletic and more patient.  I'm more creative than he is, and he is more organized.   

I also don't have his sense of style.  He is known for saying that he doesn't follow trends, he starts them.  Thankfully I didn't join him on his quest of being branded the short shorts guy. 

I don't think I feel like he casts a shadow on me at all, but I feel pressure to do as well as he did.  I think I put that pressure on myself.  I put lots of pressure on myself.  More than you or he might imagine.

I guess I should be most grateful for the fact that he has allowed me to pursue my own career.  It doesn't feel like a blessing at times that I have to make my own way.  Sometimes you wish it was easy, and that you are like the kids who did nothing in school and then were handed well paying jobs at the family business.  Career wise I've had to go it alone.  Whatever I make of myself in my career, I did by myself.  I got lots of help, don't get me wrong, but Dad never knew someone who got me in on my name alone.   That's a blessing that many people in my area don't have.      

So anyway, that's a little bit on what I want to say about my father on this father's day! 

Who has been searched for?

Here is a favorite thing of mine to post.  The following people have stalkers...other than me.

I keed,  I keed, Just Kidding, but I couldn't resist and we all know you were thinking it.

Anyway the following people's names have been googled and people have wound up here.  So if you googled yourself...well sorry you now know you are really into yourself.  For those that didn't, someone cares about you.  

Cory Bildstein

Mika Bussey

Kelsey Komrij RN (So I'm assuming she is a registered nurse now.  Good for her!)

Ally Mancino (Wasn't googled now, but actually I swear she is often)

Major Leagues

This sounds like something that would have happened during the movie "Major Leagues"

Sewage problems....

EWWW

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9393784/sewage-problem-puts-oakland-seattle-mariners-same-locker-room

This Is Awesome Reporting

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

Got to check out this video from a Phoenix Cross Country runner.  Funny, asking random people at Myrtle Beach about Gymnastics.

Great Tweet

This is one of the best tweets I have read in a long time.  Good job Shoey.  Good Job!

"Feeling crispy from this sunburn...could probably cook a sausage on my shoulders"

Sportscenter does this for Lebron.  

I think Shoey should be famous so I will retweet her great tweets.  

Artistic Inspiration

One day in maybe September or October I was inspired to take a photo of just some of my NIKE gear.  Some of which I bought, and some of which I was given while at UCONN.  I just thought it would make a cool photo. 

I don't know what to say other than that I remember just throwing random stuff all over the floor and then standing on my bed and taking photos of it.  I don't know how well it came out.  I thought it was unique and creative though, so I did it.

I think the idea came to me at 11pm and I probably finished with everything around 1am so this really did distract me.  I haven't posted the photo but this work shouldn't go unused. 

Backing Up

I'm going to talk about something really really useless.

Most people will probably go, "Well that's nothing new!"

I wonder how many people learned how to really use their mirrors when backing up their car.  I learned from my father and at the time he taught me I'm not sure I really appreciated it as much as I do now.

As we prepare to sell our house it becomes more and more apparent that I was lucky to have to deal with the pain in the... you fill in the blank... drive way that we have.  Up a hill and with a turn. 

I learned how to back up the driveway and back the car into the garage, from a difficult angle.  I am so comfortable doing it now as well.  I backed my dad's new car into the garage. 

Somehow I am impressed with myself because of this.  So learn how to back up your car using mirrors.  It's a useful skill. 

R.

I have to say I love that I put an R. in front of my name.  It makes it stick out and makes it more memorable. 

It's sort of like my brand.  I'm not Tim.  I'm R. Tim.

So as long as I don't do something stupid, which is hard for me not to do, I have a memorable name...and hopefully one that is associated with good things. 

Car Racing Thoughts

I just started thinking about car racing and Riley Racing.  The Riley's have done business with my father and they have serviced our cars at their shop.  In the past we have watched them race at Lime Rock in Litchfield County, Connecticut. Their son A.J. also went to UCONN.

I haven't been to a race in awhile but I randomly went on their website.

They posted some cool videos.

www.rileyracing.com

A.J. Riley is the only race car driver I know, so let's get a few things straight.  HE WORKS OUT ALL THE TIME.  He is always tweeting about track workouts and he loves cycling.  So yes, race car drivers can be athletic and often are in good shape.  They aren't all like Dick Trickle, who had a cigarette lighter in his car according to what I have read.   Trickle is the exception from what I can best tell...although there is no telling what goes on in some parts, which I learned from going to the Rodeo way back in October.

So in watching the videos I started to think about how different race car driving is then actual driving.  First of all, you need great reaction times.  I had to dodge a ladder on the road this year and that really tested my ability to swerve and avoid something on the highway while going 70.  It took an instant reaction, sharp to the right, sharp back to left and then snap back to the right with the wheel before I got going steady again.  You need quick reactions for hours. 

You also have to understand momentum and how to maintain it on road courses especially.  How you enter a turn is a big deal.  I know this from cycling.  When I know there is no traffic I can make a big swoop and accelerate through a turn and up a hill easily.  If I am forced to the inside because of traffic it becomes a lot more difficult.  Corner entry and exit is a big deal.

One thing I'd also love to do is try to control a car on old, worn and hot tires.  When we drive we are so used to a car doing exactly what we tell it to do.  That happens all the time for us, because cars don't go fast enough on the roads to be put to their limits.  When you race, cars don't always do what you want them to do.  Some sliding happens, the brakes get hot etc.  You have to learn to be able to put the car where you want it and when using more skill than what a normal driver needs.  Racing is so much more complicated. 

Coach I Peed My Pants

I won't say too much when it comes to the details because I think it would be easy to figure out who I was talking about.

I overheard a track coach discuss how her girls came to her to let them know that they peed their pants while running.

I guess it was some amazing accomplishment.  The way it was talked about made it seem like it was just normal.  It was almost as if it was proof that you were running faster and getting better.

Apparently you just go.  I don't know if it's because they are so hydrated or if it's because they are concentrating so hard on running that they can't control what else happens. 

I've also heard of people who have actually done that in a high pressure situation in other sports as well.  

I don't know that I will bring this up with any runner.  Not sure it's an appropriate topic of discussion, although I do know of some that would share these details.

I guess long distance runners and racecar drivers have a few things in common. 

Principal School Bus Racing

Now this event looks awesome.  I saw this via Darren Rovell's Twitter. 

http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/media/news/cabarrus-county-principals-face-off-back-back-school-bus-slobberknockers-during-rounds-one-two-jack-box-summer-shootout-series.html

Who would not want to watch principals race school buses? 

Seems like a unique event. 

People Who Have Influenced Me

There are a lot of people I look up to and try to emulate in some way and I thought I 'd write about a few of them.  I won't include all of the student-athletes who have a had a great effect on me. I'll leave out family as well. . 

I definitely look up to Coach Auriemma.  From watching and listening to him when I reported on women's basketball at UCONN I realized the importance of being myself, to chase perfection in order to catch excellence and to figure out what I do well and push to make myself better. 

I still haven't quite figured out what I am the best at, but I do know I need to make myself better. 

Another thing that I love about Geno is his sarcasm and ability to be charismatic and interesting.  I definitely try to stir the pot sometimes and be sarcastic. 

I look up to Coach Tsantiris because of how he approaches things.  I think he's a teacher.  He wants people to learn.  He also seems to me to be a man of many interests and is someone who understands the importance of balance.  You can work hard, but it's important to take a break and relax in order to be fresh. 

The other two things I admire in him are his commitment to academics.  He puts so much emphasis on the student-athletes doing coursework.  He is genuinely proud of his teams academic achievements and I think that's important and unique.   

Lastly I love his commitment to health and fitness.  He is a healthy eater.  I could learn a thing or two about that.  He is also active and I have so much respect for the fact that he can still physically play soccer with his friends. 

I look up to Mags because of how organized, structured and efficient she is.  She is very professional and I have a thing or two to work on.  I think she said it best when she said that I am mentally organized, but not always physically organized.  The older I have gotten the more I appreciate how she gets everything done. 

I look up to Rick Brooks.  He's a family friend, but he also taught me golf and waterskiing.  This man is a jack of all trades who is full of energy.  He's a great teacher who is also always curious about how to get better.  I haven't seen him for a while, but I learned so much on how to teach from how he taught me how to play golf and waterski.  I want to have as much energy and be as enthusiastic about life and about doing things as he is.  He makes me want to relax. 

My old personal trainer, Ali, is someone I look up to.  Most people have no idea how unhealthy and out of shape I was when I was in middle school.  I weighed a lot more then, than I do now.  I was so out of shape.  Ali got me to believe in myself and he made me a much better person.  He helped me become so much healthier.  I am so thankful for that. 

There are so many other people I could talk about here.  There are so many others that I have learned a great deal from, but I think that these are the top three people I have learned a lot from and want to emulate. 

A Favorite Photo of Mine

Am I lifting my photo ban?

Maybe?

I feel like for a long time I didn't want people to know who wrote this, but at this point I think we are passed that.  

Let's just hope the people I work with don't find it.  They probably will, but I don't care.  I used to be a reporter, and I have a Masters Degree.  I know how to keep things confidential. 

Anyway

I have this photo on the door to my office.  The first version said "Track Girls are Tougher than Football Players."  I spent a whole lot of time worrying about whether or not it was acceptable to call them girls or women.  I thought it just sounded better with girls.

You think about these things when your three sports management teachers were women.  It gives you a different perspective and I know Dr. Bruening, Dr. Burton and Dr. Fink are all smiling knowing I thought like that. 

As it turns out I had to take it down because someone was afraid it was going to piss off the football players, or make them really sensitive.  When your boss tells you to take it down, you do it even if you disagree.  Everyone wants all of the teams to be respected but I think it's good for football players to see that people care about sports other than their own.  Until then they won't have any respect for anyone but themselves.  Many of them think the whole world revolves around them and that  nothing in life is tougher than being a football player.   I don't blame the players for it.  A lot of them are nice people.  I just blame the culture and money involved for making them think that. 

I will always be more impressed by the runner who runs around a track endlessly, day after day, sore as hell, trying to be faster than the day before.  They get to run with teammates a lot, but they also have to be self disciplined to run on their own.  I think that self discipline and the need to be better every time they go out is what is so important and impressive to me.  It's why I love them, it's why I get annoyed they don't get enough respect.

Anyway above is the photo without the word overlay.  It is on my office door, and will always be there because of what it represents to me.  It's a favorite photo of mine

The person in the photo is Chrissy Pacewicz (who also designs my running plan and who I wrote about earlier in May).  As much as I don't like writing about people I actually know, I think that this story needs to be told, like Cory's kick and all of the other things I have written about.  Sometimes I think it's awkward to write about people you know and will see again but then again she said she's happy and excited to get any positive information about her name out there. 

Now first of all I do have to admit that Chrissy bribed me.  She treated me like a king and gave me food, and just like in the real world that buys you a lot of good press and goodwill.   

But actually Chrissy Pacewicz deserves every moment of good press because like most Olympic Sport athletes she doesn't get enough.   There are too many people who care about headlines and ratings and not good stories.  She deserves to apply for a job and have someone google her name and then see this picture and read the following words.  "You would be dumb not to hire her." 

Other athletes in big time sports get that treatment.  Why not her?  She's actually the real deal.  No one has propped her up to sell tickets.

The reason I love this photo so much is because of what it shows me.  Even though it probably means something different to her.  Heck, she may not even like the photo, but I love it because to me it represents giving it your all.  When you are done with your race, with studying for your test or for doing basically anything you should aim to look like her.  You should be so exhausted that you can't talk or walk.   During finals week I pointed to that photo to half of the kids I met with.  I told them they needed to look like her after studying for their finals.

This photo and Brian Williams commencement speech made me think about starting an MBA too.  When I look at that photo I think about how I could push myself to be better.  

After the race there was another photo that I liked.

Let's post it so you can see what I mean, because I am no Bill Shakespeare and can't make 1,000 words turn into a great photo.  

Here is a photo of her teammates picking her up.  Because once you have exhausted yourself, you need others there to pick you up, to help you out and to celebrate your achievement with.

I heard she cut about 25 seconds off of her personal best in the 5k in her final collegiate race.  That's an accomplishment. I think the fact that she did this in her LAST RACE is what really captured my attention and is what made it unique. 

To me these photos represent the two most important things in life.  Giving it your all and surrounding yourself with good people. 

That's it.  That's what life is about and that is why these photos are both up in my office. 

And you know it's funny, after all it's been awhile since I was a student reporter on the Women's Basketball team at UCONN.  Many people might think that it must suck to have gone from watching Geno coach, to working and writing about soccer teams to working and writing on track and cross country.

UConn Soccer player Jess Dulski actually felt bad for me when I first told her that I used to report on the Women's Basketball team. It was as if she thought I was getting demoted. 

But it hasn't changed much for me.  All of those teams and stories are the same to me because they all have great people.  As long as I am surrounded by good people, who work hard, act like winners, and in turn make me a better person, I'm happy. 

A throwback

Here is a throwback...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E4dq2fkCxQ

Guess what, I'm ok with being in my blog now.  It's weird. 

What is weirder is that I am wearing a suit.

Probably not going with a tie though.

A little bit about my running plan.

So a former Elon cross country runner and future grad student in exercise science/sports psych at Minnesota Mankato is making me a running plan.

I really missed running fitness with UCWS.  This gave me an opportunity to have someone force me to run. In actuality I really do want to get better and faster.

I have stuck to this running plan.  I've learned a few things.

First is the necessity of a foam roller and stretching.  Those two things make a huge difference.  I can really tell.

I've learned to focus on making my runs end faster than they begin.

I've learned that it's normal to have a 1.5 mile warm up and 1.5 mile cool down.  That combined could have been a normal run to me in the past.  To most people it actually is...and according to Meg Cunningham she used to have 2 mile warm up and cool downs.

I've also learned to enjoy running without music.  It's so much nicer.  The high I get from running without music is amazing.  After a run I went grocery shopping and I was just so out of it.  I started laughing.  It took me what seemed like an hour to realize I was next in line at the automatic check out.  I was so out of it that I felt like I could have left my credit card on at the register.

I hope to run a 5k.  It would be a cool experience and hopefully this training helps prepare me to complete a marathon.  I also want to break a 5:30 mile...maybe even 5:15...or 5.

I have a great coach.  She has cut 12 seconds off of my mile time already!

Heard a story

Who doesn't love gossip? 

Men

But I decided that even though I am one, that I figured I should gossip a little and say something that most people probably already know, or won't be shocked by.

However, my ears heard that after the games in the Olympics that the US Men's Basketball team would get uhhh very uhhh trashed...very and then would go knock on doors of random women's athletes to uhhh well uhhh become better acquainted.

For some people this is not news.  It's not shocking at all.

To those that think that athletes are role models, especially those that are in big time sports, it might be shocking.

If you want your kid to watch a good role model, go support your local colleges cross country team, golf, tennis and field hockey team etc.