What Can You Say???

It's downright depressing seeing the thousands of people stranded on Interstate 10 in what was Downtown New Orleans, suffering in the 95 degree heat that is only amplified by the asphalt. In Mississippi, they're no longer looking for survivors. Now, they're just trying to find bodies among the wreckage. In New Orleans, the water may still be rising. It's tough looking at the water that now contains human waste and remains of dead bodies. The people that were in the Superdome are now headed to the Astrodome where they will receive food, water, and be able to clean themselves. But many are still trapped, having to resort to writing SOS messages on their roofs in order to attract helicopters' attention. It just doesn't seem fair that I'm going to a football game and to spend time with friends while the people of Louisiana and Mississippi are just looking for somewhere to go. Please donate to the American Red Cross or another recognized charity, every little bit helps.

One question I would like to ask: Where is the foreign aid from other countries??? Everytime another country goes through something like this, we are the first to willingly come to their aid (i.e. $350 million for the tsunami). I haven't heard of a single country yet (Germany is thinking about it last I heard) that has planned to donate to the relief effort. That is just plain ridiculous.

Also, there are many people complaining about the "vacation" President Bush took. I don't think the word "vacation" and the Presidency go together. The President is still getting updates and signed the energy bill for example while at his Crawford ranch. Vacation, in my book, means doing nothing job-related.

Finally, I don't want to hear anymore of this global warming crap. I promise you, this will be addressed another day (maybe tomorrow if you're lucky).

Tonight, with regard to the Miami/OSU game, the focus is on special teams. As the saying goes, "You must be sound in the kicking game." Whoever executes better in this facet of the game will win.

Both teams will break in redshirt freshmen punters. Both will be kicking to two of the best punt returners in the country, Ted Ginn Jr. and Ryne Robinson. Whichever punter has the higher net average, their team will win. Expect a lot of punts to be kicked out-of-bounds.

The biggest loss OSU may have sustained from last year was placekicker Mike Nugent. He became a threat whenever the OSU offense crossed the 40-yard line and consistently put kickoffs in the end zone. Now the onus falls on Josh Huston, who lost the placekicking job to Nugent when they were both freshmen. Can Huston be as automatic as Nugent was and give the Bucks a scoring threat. On kickoffs, Huston will most likely be kicking to Darrell Hunter and Brandon Murphy. Neither have ever returned a kickoff for a TD, but both are capable of breaking one.

Doing the placekicking for Miami will be Todd Soderquist, who shared the job with Jared Parseghian the last couple of years. Soderquist has a strong leg and has gotten stronger, nailing a 52-yarder in the Spring game. He'll have to be strong on kickoffs, especially with Ginn and Santonio Holmes waiting.

Tomorrow you'll get my prediction. By the way, what happened to my Buckeye commentators??? I guess I'm paying their team just service. I will say, my knowledge of football probably ranks up there or a little behind my tennis and golf. I've picked up a lot from my dad, who used to coach high school ball. But, it will never come close to my basketball knowledge (although you'd never know from my NCAA Tourney predictions).

My Grandpa did get good news from the doctor, so things are looking good with him.

That's all I've got, talk to you tomorrow.

Horrifying

The people of Louisiana and Mississippi wish skies remained dark and cloudy today so they wouldn't have to see the destruction Hurricane Katrina left in its wake. Gulfport-Biloxi, MS are in total ruin tonight. Katrina literally picked up beachside casinos and moved them inland, dropping them on top of other houses. There is nothing left; the damage is total. New Orleans appeared to have survived a big hit, but that thought ended when 2 levies failed, enabling Lake Pontchartrain to spill into the city, leaving 80% of New Orleans underwater. The Coast Guard is having to remove people that are trapped in their homes by boat and helicopter. Because of the flooding, people are stranded on their rooftops because they have nowhere else to go. As of now, the current death toll is around 80, which is likely to rise. Hundreds of thousands of people are homeless, and 5 million are without power. Power won't be restored for another 6-8 weeks until the flooding recedes.

By far, the worst image I've seen was the interview of a Mississippi resident. An African-American man and his two kids were stopped by a reporter and asked how they were doing. The man tearfully went through their experience. Their coastal home quickly flooded with water, splitting in two. The man was trying to hold onto his wife in the rushing water, but couldn't. The last words his wife said to him were, "You can't hold onto me, make sure you take care of the kids." The wife was swept away and is missing. If that wasn't heartbreaking enough, the man went on, "I'm lost, I have nothing, we have nowhere to go, I'm just wandering around, we have nothing." Even the reporter started crying. I just can't even begin to understand what these people are going through, I hope they are able to bounce back from this.

Katrina made her appearance today, dumping rain that lasted all day. I know we don't like rainy days, but put it in perspective. This was the same storm that leveled the Gulf coast. A little rain isn't going to kill us; a lot of rain and wind killed more than we'd like to count in the South.

It's tough moving onto another subject, but that's what I'll do. Tonight, I'm talking defensive matchups in the Miami/OSU game. Starting with the front 4, both units have talent, but also have something to prove. Miami's strength is rushing the passer, led by All-MAC end Marcus Johnson and Kurt Mester. John Glavin is tough against the run at defensive tackle, but he's undersized. Mike Barz gets the start at the other tackle spot. Barz is small and inexperienced. Miami must get some kind of push from their D-line to somehow counter OSU's offensive line.

The Bucks' defensive line is strong against the run, led by Quinn Pitcock, who is big and quick inside. But, they must generate some kind of pass rush against Miami to take pressure off of their linebackers, the main source of Ohio St's pass rush last year. A key matchup will be Charlie Norden vs. David Patterson. Norden had trouble at right tackle last year, forcing his move to guard for the rest of the year. If Norden struggles again, it will be a long afternoon for the Redhawk offense.

Both teams' linebacking corps are stellar to say the least. The Miami threesome of Terna Nande (The Freak), Derek Rehage, and John Busing are quick, big, and physical. Nande is a likely 1st-day draft pick due to his 4.4 speed and unbelievable strength. Busing is a great athlete and sure tackler, while Rehage is solid in the middle. These three will benefit the most from the return of Taver Johnson to Miami as defensive coordinator. They are at their best when attacking, flying all over the field.

Ohio St.'s linebackers are just awesome. AJ Hawk, preseason All-American and Big 10 defensive player of the year. He's always around the ball and makes plays. I can't remember ever seeing him miss a tackle. On the other side is Bobby Carpenter, 6'3" 255 with 4.55 speed. He may even play some tight end, he is that athletic. He will also line up at defensive end in passing situations to help rush the quarterback. In the middle is Anthony Schlegel, stout against the run and physical. Backing them up is Marcus Freeman, the talented underclassman from Wayne, who is itching to get on the field. He would start for anyone else in the country.

The secondary is Miami's biggest question mark, especially against OSU. Darrell Hunter will likely matchup vs. Ted Ginn Jr. Hunter is 6'3" 220 and has 4.3 speed, and will be one of the top cornerbacks taken in the NFL draft. Hunter's cover skills are good, but he tackles like Deion Sanders (he doesn't tackle). Can he tackle Ginn in the open field. The other 2 corners are Ryan Redd, former nickel back, and Frank Wiwo, nickel back this year who started some at safety last year. Both have experience, but aren't great corners. Their play against Holmes and Gonzalez is the #1 key to the game I think. At safety will be Steve Burke and Joey Card, both returning starters. Burke is good against the run, but vulnerable agains the pass. He does not have good speed. Card can hit and run, but he's still relatively young.

Ohio St. has a lockdown corner of their own in Ashton Youboty (kinda like Djibouti haha). Tyler Everett will be on the opposite side after playing some safety, although corner is his natural position. Nate Salley is the enforcer in the back. Be wary of him when coming across the middle. Donte Whitner is his counterpart, who is extremely quick and has good ball skills. If OSU's secondary tackles well, Miami will get their yards, but not many points.

Tomorrow I'll look at special teams; Thursday will be my prediction.

Also today:
Da Bears released Chad Hutchinson. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

Day 2 of the US Open saw Andy Roddick lose to Gilles Muller in 3 straight tiebreaks. Muller played lights out and smart tennis, attacking Roddick's backhand, which is pathetic. Instead of making a fluid swing, Roddick stays stiff through the ball, which makes him hit lower balls that are prone to go in the net. This stiff swing also makes him prone to taking too big of a backswing, forcing him to decelerate through the ball, sending his shots long as he leaves the face of the racquet open. You want a fluid swing and an abbreviated follow through, almost with a golf-swing type finish (your pose). As long as Roddick has a weak backhand, he will continue to fall short in the majors.

25 years ago today, The Blues Brothers premeired, a personal Top 10 movie of mine. "We like both kinds of music here, country and western."
"How much for the women?!?!?!"

Tomorrow is another visit to the doctor for my Grandpa. Hopefully, the test results will continue to be good.

I guess that's it, g'night.

Finally, it's Gameweek!!!!!!

First topic of the night though is now Tropical Storm Katrina. Katrina made landfall at 7:10am as a Category 4 (145 mph winds) after weakening during the night. It crossed over Southeast Louisiana, passing to the east of New Orleans, then moved inland again over Mississippi just west of the Gulfport-Biloxi area. Although New Orleans didn't get a direct hit, the winds caused windows to blow out, structures to collapse, and debris to be ripped off various structures, including the Superdome. Part of the teflon roof cover of the Dome was ripped off by the wind, which exposed the panels that make up the physical structure of the roof. 2 panels were blown off, causing it to rain inside the Superdome. Imagine how those people felt for the 2 hours or so that the western eye wall (one of the strongest parts) of the hurricane was directly over them. When they showed it on tv, it sounded like Katrina was trying to blow the roof off. Some of New Orleans is flooded, but in a way they were lucky.

This wasn't the case for Gulfport-Biloxi and even Mobile, Alabama, which is 60 miles east of where the eye came ashore (that's just how big and damaging Katrina was). Waves as high as 30 feet, coupled with the winds, created massive flooding of the Mississippi and Alabama coast. The devastation there is/wlll be tragic.

Now, Katrina is moving toward us, dumping rain and also creating tornadoes. Tomorrow and Wednesday will be rainy days here, with a little wind, so get ready. But it'll be nothing compared to what the Deep South had to go through today.

This is actually a big week for both of my alma maters in football. My Northmont T-Bolts make the trip down I-75 to Cincinnati to play LaSalle. LaSalle is 1-0 after beating Cin. Sycamore 35-7 in their opener led by Bowling Green-bound quarterback Tyler Sheehan's 4 TD passes. Inexplicably, Sheehan was still in the game in the 4th quarter when the game was out of hand. LaSalle paid for this mental error when Sheehan suffered a broken collarbone. LaSalle still has a potent offense, but Northmont definitely gets a break by not having to face him. Still, Northmont is playing a Cincinnati team in Cincinnati, one of the private schools nevertheless. The last Division 1 team from Dayton to win in Cincinnati was, I believe, Wayne over Fairfield during their run to the state finals. And that really doesn't count because Fairfield, although a good program in themselves, is still a level below the Elders, Colerains, Moellers, St. Xaviers, and LaSalles of the world. This will be a big test for the T-Bolts.

Then there's Saturday. Tonight we'll talk a little offense. The quarterbacks for each team have something to prove. Despite throwing for 3,500 yards and 23 TDs last year, Josh Betts has something to prove. 9 of his 14 interceptions came in Miami losses and at key moments during the games. Can he play big in the big games??? Then there's Justin Zwick for OSU, who will start in place of the suspended Troy Smith. Zwick was supposed to be OSU's offensive savior after breaking numerous Ohio high school passing records at Massilon Washington. Instead, Zwick struggled last year, being replaced by Smith at the end of the year. Can Zwick take advantage of the opportunity given to him, or will he continue to be inconsistent. It doesn't help that he's coming off of a sprained ankle suffered a couple of weeks ago.

Both quarterbacks have multiple weapons they can get the ball to. Betts will have Martin Nance on one side of the field, 6'5", 4.4 speed, and Miami's leading receiver 2 years ago. He was lost for the year to a torn ACL at Marshall, but he's back and reportedly at 100%. On the other side will be 5'8" Ryne Robinson. He may be small, but he makes big plays, whether at receiver or punt returner, he makes you pay attention when he has the ball. He was Miami's leading receiver last year. Also returning are R.J. Corbin, Josh Williams, and Ryan Busing, who all have seen significant playing time.

For the Bucks, the conversation starts with Ted Ginn Jr. Teddy was the reason why Ohio St. has earned preseason Top 10 recognition. He single-handedly jumpstarted Ohio St.'s offense last year with his receiving and punt returning. When he has the ball, hold your breath. Then there's Santonio Holmes, your more traditional big-play receiver. He has speed, great quickness, and great hands, everything you want. Ginn and Holmes will also return kickoffs, making them the most dangerous kickoff return duo in the country. Also back at receiver for OSU are Anthony Gonzalez, who can be forgotten as the 3rd receiver with Ginn and Holmes drawing so much attention, and Roy Hall, who has waited his turn to get on the field.

The biggest question mark for both teams is at running back. Miami lost their two leading rushers to graduation, so the starter becomes Brandon Murphy, former Ohio Division 1 Player of the Year. Murphy has the ability to break off long runs, but can he carry the load, especially when he only stands at 5'8"? Backing him up will be Jimmy Calhoun, former Division 1 track champ (4x100m relay) from Middletown. During his redshirt year, Calhoun added some bulk to go along with his 4.3 speed, but he's yet to carry the ball in a college game.

For OSU, Antonio Pittman will get the start. There's no question Pittman has the physical ability (5.2 yards per carry last year), but can he stay mentally focused and stay out of trouble. Also getting some carries will be Erik Haw, a talented freshman who has size and quickness.

Up front, Miami returns all 5 starters, led by center Todd Londot. Londot, Nate Bunce, and Mark Kracium will be 3rd-year starters, while fellow linemates Charlie Norden and Steve Meister being their 2nd years up front. In this game though, can they establish a running game to take the pressure off Josh Betts and the passing game. Up front is where MAC teams usually lose these type of games. The depth of the opposing defense historically wears down MAC teams, which makes the difference in the end.

Ohio St.'s line is also led by their center Nick Mangold. The Bucks' line, although experienced, has not been the dominant offensive line of the 90s the Bucks always possessed. Although more physical, can they deal with the speed and quickness of Miami's defense and establish a running game themselves?

Tomorrow will be defense.

The US Open began today with only a couple of upsets. Defending women's champ Svetlana Kuznetsova and 2004 French Open men's champ Gaston Gaudio both lost. Among those winning were: Serena and Venus, Maria Sharapova, and Andre Agassi.

Random thought: MTV has their Video Music Awards. I didn't know they still showed/cared about music videos. Maybe they should have the Reality Show Awards. I think that's a better reflection of their programming.

Oh, Maurice Clarett was released by the Denver Broncos. How bad is it when you get cut after not playing at all during the preseason?!?!?! Even Mr. Irrelevant (the last player chosen in the NFL draft) got to play in one preseason game. Clarett was a 3rd round draft choice and may never get his chance in the NFL now. Clarett may be the biggest waste of talent in sports. Because of him, Ohio St. won the 2002 National championship. Yeah, they had a great defense, but he was the X-factor on offense that allowed them to score points. Without him that year, they would've lost to Washington St. and Michigan. But Maurice thought of himself as bigger than the game of football, which has now caused him to become unemployed. Hey Maurice, three words: Arena Football 2.

I think that's all I've got tonight. My sinuses are acting up again with Katrina approaching. 90% humidity = pounding headache.

Katrina

As I write tonight, Hurricane Katrina is approximately 120 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River with maximum sustained winds of 160 miles/hr, which makes it a Category 5 Hurricane, the most severe. It will make landfall sometime tomorrow morning around the Louisiana/Mississippi border, bringing with it waves as high as 30 feet in some areas. As of now, it would be the 2nd strongest hurricane ever to hit the Gulf coast, Camille in 1969 (which hit just a little to the east) being the worst.

What's gotten everyone's attention is the possible damage that the city of New Orleans may suffer. 70% of New Orleans sits about 10 feet below sea level. It is surrounded by Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River, with the majority of the city sitting between and below those 2 bodies of water. If the storm continues at its present pace and doesn't weaken, the surge of water created by the hurricane will pass over the levy system that protects New Orleans and flood the city. Because New Orleans sits in a bowl between the Mississippi and the Lake, the water has nowhere to go. As the storm slows, the water builds and the rain amounts, forcing the water level to rise. Basically, when you wake up tomorrow, New Orleans could be under water. Can you even imagine???

What's also tragic is the people that can't evacuate the city. 28% of New Orleans's population live in poverty. They are being forced to the Superdome, the Shelter of Last Resort. I've seen pictures of these people in line, waiting to get in, and your heart goes out to them. They have to stand outside in line as the rain starts to fall. When the storm hits, they'll be trapped inside with no power and air conditioning likely. Plus, it is likely that the floor of the Superdome will flood with water. Imagine the panic of those people inside, seeing water come in to where they are. In addition, the Superdome may not be able to hold all of these people. Because of the possibility of flooding inside the Dome, the people are forced to sit in the seats. The Superdome holds between 65-70,000. There are an estimated 100,000 people looking to get in. Hopefully, they're able to be accomodated.

Of course, then there are the morons who didn't evacuate and didn't go to a shelter, when they could have. Two were interviewed tonight, and they were asked, "Why didn't you evacuate, especially when the President advised you too and the waves coming in may be comparable to the tsunami?" They answered, "Tsunamis are much worse, tsunamis and hurricanes are different."

Well, yes, tsunamis and hurricanes are different, but hurricanes are much worse. Tsunamis are big waves that may last for a couple of hours. Hurricanes can affect you from 12 to 24 hours. The water doesn't come in for a couple of hours, it comes in throughout the storm. Add 160 mph winds and 15 inches of rain, and I think that should convince you hurricanes are worse than tsunamis. Even the director of the National Hurricane Center agreed with this when asked tonight.

So please say a prayer for the poor people that are in the path of this storm. Their loss and suffering won't end with the departure of the hurricane, it will only begin. It is already being estimated that the hurricane will inflict at least $30 billion worth of damage, which would be greater than the amount Hurricane Andrew caused.

There isn't much else to report here. In-depth analysis of Miami/Ohio St. will begin tomorrow night, so stay tuned for that. I am really looking forward to this weekend. I've been invited to a party Friday night with some fellow Miami alums in downtown Columbus, so I'll get to catch up with some people.

My choice of golfing venue will be Tipp City's Hidden Lakes. Now, Hidden Lakes isn't the most impressive course you'll ever see, but it's $10/day. Yes, $10, all you can golf, so I can't pass that up.

Tomorrow, the waiting begins again. Let's hope the good news continues to roll in. I don't care how long it takes, I will remain patient and wait for the good news.

Thursday Night Lights

What do California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and Ohio have in common??? Good high school football that acts as a religion for most people. These states produce the most Division 1 college football recruits and the highest quality of football you'll find in the US. The season kicked off tonight with the annual opening battle between my Northmont T-Bolts and the Chaminade-Julienne Eagles. So let me tell you about my trip back to high school.

Northmont won 28-14, let's get that out of the way. In reality, this game should've been a blowout. Northmont turned the ball over twice when it looked as if they'd score, and poor Justin Watkins dropped a TD pass when no one was within 25 yards of him. The T-Bolts' new quarterback, 6'6" (legit) Clay Belton was impressive in his first start, standing tall in the pocket, throwing beautiful touch passes down the field (something Miami's Josh Betts needs). All eyes were on Northmont's Kurt Coleman, who will play for Ohio State next year. He was the best player on the field. Quick, elusive, and around the ball. So Northmont got revenge from last year's 39-36 last second loss. But this is just the beginning for Northmont. Next week, the Bolts travel to Cincinnati to play LaSalle, followed by a home game vs. Centerville. Also back on the schedule for the first time since my dad was still coaching them is Wayne, possibly the best team in the Dayton area. And of course there are the usual suspects: Troy, Piqua, Sidney, and those Purple Pansies (Vandalia-Butler).

Because this was the first game of the year in the area, it was liable to attract more people than usual to Northmont Stadium, which it did. Evidently, the Northmont athletic department and Clayton/Englewood police departments didn't expect a huge crowd because parking was pure CHAOS!!!! 9,500 was the reported attendance, the most I've ever seen at a Northmont football game and quite possibly a stadium record. Hopefully the band director doesn't come after me for parking on his practice field. There were cars all over the place, including on the side of US 40 (yes, National Road, a heavily traveled state highway).

Speaking of the band, yes, Northmont is a high school that takes marching band seriously, WAAAAAAAY too seriously. The marching band performs competiton music, so I've seen it all: wacky costumes, scenery that covers half the football field, and choreographed dance among other things. I was heavily recruited to join marching band before high school, but I couldn't because of basketball, so I did concert band for 3 years. I was pretty much an outcast since I wasn't part of marching band, so my senior year I stopped playing because it was no longer fun. I have a lot of friends who did marching band and were into it, and I respect that. I just don't understand the seriousness of it. I think marching bands should entertain crowds, play upbeat music, like the show bands of the South. Instead, like Northmont's band tonight, they lay down on the grass and looked as if they were waking up. This was half of the halftime show, there was only about 3 minutes of acutal music. Gaaaahhhhh!!!!!

Tonight's game was broadcast live on 980 WONE AM, with local sportscaster Guy Fogel and former Bengal David Fulcher handling the broadcast. Let's just say next time, Guy and David need to start doing their research for the game MORE than 5 minutes before the game starts.

It was good to see the alma mater win and see some familiar faces. I wish I had a quarter for everytime someone asked me, "What are you up to now?", but it's ok, I don't mind answering, so don't hesitate. Acutally got some good news, but I won't put it on here until it becomes more official, but a step in the right direction was taken today.

It was just good to watch some football tonight. The long summer of baseball boredom is almost over.

9,500 people for a Northmont football game. And just 6 years ago, Northmont was 0-10......

Take A Chill Pill

This message goes to the Little League teams from California and Florida, coaches and players. The mission of Little League baseball is to have fun and promote sportsmanship. The opposite was going on in California's 6-2 win in tonight's US semifinal game. Players are talking trash at one another, yelling into the opposing team's dugout. The coaches aren't helping by yelling at the other team's coaches to get their players to settle down. Then the coaches are getting in the umpires' faces about questionable calls. It's Little League Baseball!!!!! Symma down!!!!

This message also applies to the city of Cincinnati. Bob Huggins has negotiated his termination, where he'll receive $3.1 million (last I heard), including $100,000 over the next 3 months to help with the transition. I decided to listen to some Cincinnati talk radio to hear some of the fans' reactions. After doing so, I think I have become dumber listening to these people try to explain why Huggins was such a great coach. Yeah, he won a lot of games, but at a very heavy price, it being the university's reputation. And did these fans ever consider UC, in the long run, may be better off in the long run with a new coach? It is possible, which UC backers have a hard time believing. I'm so tired of this story, I'm tired of talking about it.

Well, another day has passed and still no news. It isn't bothering my mind as much as I thought it would. It has been nice to be able to take a step back and relax some here at home. This is the first time in a loooong time I haven't had anything big coming up or be in the middle of something. Of course, if I get the news I'd like to hear, that will all change, but for now, life is basically on hold. Now, I'm able to comprehend how busy I was constantly while at Miami and how much time and energy it took out of me. I love getting involved and making a difference, but I don't know if I'd recommend getting as heavily involved with as many things as I did, because it can beat you up, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Would I do things differently, probably not because it was a heck of a ride. I've experienced so much and I'm only 24!!!!!

So currently, it's the simple life. Get up, clean house, read, listen to Dan Patrick, watch The Horn and PTI, eat, work out, blog, and go to bed.

Tomorrow is CJ vs Northmont, and my first trip back to Northmont in a little more than 2 years. Outside of watching my bro play tennis, I haven't gone back a whole lot. In fact, I've only been to 1 football game at Northmont since graduating. I'm not going to be "that alum" that's stuck in their high school days and come back constantly. The same will be true with Miami. I'll come down to visit my bro, but that'll be it, maybe a football/basketball game here and there depending where I end up.

Little League Commercial Views: 29

I'm really sleepy tonight, had a grreat workout.

Bye Bye Bobby

University of Cincinnati basketball coach Bob Huggins has until 2pm tomorrow to decide whether he would prefer resigning over firing. If he resigns, he'll receive $3 million; if he is fired, he'll receive $1.9 million. Either way, he is gone, and the city of Cincinnati is an uproar. They're just having a hard time understanding why class is valued more than basketball. The last time I looked, about 90% of poll voters said they were unhappy with the decision to get rid of Huggins. I'm not going to go through Huggins's bio. You can go back to my May 16, 2005 post and look at both sides for yourself.

It appeared this situation died down in May after Huggins agreed to remain at UC for the remainder of his contract. But last month, Huggins's attorney, Richard Katz, has been trying to reopen negotiations with UC President Nancy Zimpher to reinsert Huggins's 4-year rollover option into his contract. The rollover option, which would've allowed Huggins an additional 4 years, was removed after Bobby plead no contest to his DUI charge and a couple more incidents involving a UC recruit and assistant coach were revealed. Basically, it sounds like Huggins got greedy, still thinking he's the biggest thing Cincinnati's ever seen, and Zimpher had enough. Kudos to her for sticking by her tough stance, trying to improve UC's image. There will be many complaining about the timing of this, since fall recruiting has begun and there are only 6 weeks left until practice for this season starts. This is not Zimpher's fault, for now, you can put this all on Huggins. If he would've simply coached the next 2 years, as stated in his contract, he would still be the coach. Since he believes he's the best thing since sliced bread, he's gone.

There will definitely be more about this in the next couple of days.

My boy, Lance Armstrong, is facing new allegations of performance-enhancing drug usage that are in the Paris newspaper L'Equipe. They claim that his blood samples from 1999 reveal that he used EPO, which builds endurance by increasing the production of oxygen-rich red blood cells. The World Anti-Doping Agency was not able to detect EPO in its drug tests until 2001, explaining why it has been popular among Olympic athletes and cyclists, and why Armstrong's sample wasn't positive during the 1999 Tour.

Yet, as in the other French claims of Armstrong drug usage, there are holes in this one also. When each cyclist is tested, the only way they can be identified is with an ID number, which do not appear on any other records. But L'Equipe showed copies of Armstrong's medical documents with an ID number that also appeared on a positive EPO drug test. Unfortunately for L'Equipe, the World Anti-Doping Agency can't confirm that Armstrong tested positive. In addition, Armstrong's other sample from 1999 has already been destroyed. This, to me, is one last ditch attempt by the French to get back at Armstrong for winning their race 7 straight years. I need more concrete proof in order to believe Armstrong used drugs. One interesting source of proof could be ex-wife Kristin. There was a lot of money involved in the divorce settlement, was part of it to keep Kristin quiet??? Maybe she has the answer... But for now, I'm standing behind Lance. As the commercial says, "What am I on???? I'm on bike, riding my ass off 6 hours a day!!!"

Then there are our friends at the NCAA who are letting Florida St. keep their Seminole nickname. Basically the NCAA got some Free shoes and cash from FSU. And in the words of FSU's president, "I'm ready to play football, start school, have classes and all that kind of stuff." So, football does come first at FSU, with classes being those other "things" that are a part of college. Another reason why I root heavily against Florida St.

Texas forward PJ Tucker is academically eligible and will be play for the Longhorns this season. This makes Texas a Big 12 title and Final Four contender. With a starting frontcourt of Tucker, LaMarcus Aldridge and the resurgent Brad Buckman, and the stellar guard play of Daniel Gibson (player-of-the-year candidate), Texas will challenge Oklahoma for the Big 12 title and will be in the preseason top 10.

As I said last night, I went up to Beechwood to play some golf on another gorgeous day (75 degrees, sunshine, northerly breeze, exhilarating). Beechwood is unique because it was built after a tornado destroyed everything where the golf course is today. Beechwood is a technician's course, you can't just grip it and rip it. Many of its holes are tree-lined, which really is an understatement (going in the woods is a 1 shot penalty). If you hit your irons well and make some putts, even if you don't drive the ball well, you can still score, which is what I did today. My 195 yard pop-up draw off the tee was back, but I overcame it with strong iron play and lights-out putting to shoot a 76 (4 over par, 1 off my personal best in relation to par). My round included a 25-foot birdie on 2, and an 18-footer for par on the last hole to send me home with a huge smile on my face. Maybe the best part was there was no one there basically, allowing me to play the 18 holes in just 3 hours (walking).

Just 10 days remain until the big game. No one outside of the Miami community is giving the Redhawks a chance, which I kind of like. EVERYONE thinks it will be a nice tune-up for Texas. Don't underestimate Miami people. Last year, there were a few people who gave us a chance up at Michigan, which eliminated the element of surprise. But I think that surprise is there for this game, so Buckeyes beware, that's why they play the games.

Little League commercial views: 24 (Hey, what am I supposed to watch, poker???)

On The Clock

What a gorgeous day today. 80 degrees, sunshine with northerly winds that made it feel like fall. My nighttime run was fantastic with the stiff breeze and pleasant conditions, I washed the cars in the glorious sunshine of midday, just a good day (despite another day of no news).

I meant to post last night, but once again, my internet wasn't cooperating, so hopefully this makes it tonight. Friday was Graduation Day where I officially became a Master. It was a small, intimate ceremony in Millett Hall with the other Master's and Doctoral recipients. Everyone there had one thing in common, we all worked hard to get where we needed to be. I can honestly say this was, mentally for sure, the most challenging year of my life. In saying that, it was also the most gratifying. All of the hard work paid off, especially in spring and summer when I had to perform at a high level to earn my Master's degree. Even as I wait for that phone call/email that will decide my fate, I still can't wipe the smile off of my face.

Sunday I helped move my brother into Scott Hall where he begins his sophomore year in the room next to where I began my sophomore year. Just to remind you how old I now am, the only person I recognized was the hall manager, who had been my hall manager on two previous occasions. What a far cry from two years ago when I basically knew/recognized everybody. It's a different time, so those of you in Oxford, have a great school year.

Being Monday night, my favorite show, My Super Sweet 16 Birthday was on MTV. Tonight, three cute triplets turned 16 and threw a Las Vegas themed party. Honestly, tonight's show was boring. It didn't even compare to last week and its outrageousness. The three girls sought individual attention and that was about it. I guess it should be a good thing they weren't over the top like everyone else, but it doesn't make for exciting TV.

And now for the other news:

• Tiger Woods won his 4th NEC Invitational at Firestone, surviving a long, hard and fast golf course, not to mention his putting stroke. Tiger continues to dominate at the same golf courses Jack Nicklaus dominated at during his career (Augusta, St. Andrews, Pebble Beach, and Firestone to name a few)
• Roger Federer defeated Andy Roddick to win the Cincinnati Masters Tennis title. Roddick had a great week, showing an improved volley and overall mental approach to the game, which helped him beat Lleyton Hewitt, a nemesis of his. But until Roddick improves his return of serve, Federer will continue to beat him. The Cincinnati Masters is one of the biggest events in men's tennis. And why you might ask? 18 of the top 20 players competed in Cincinnati; only Wimbledon (I believe) had a stronger field.
• In Da Bears' preseason game vs. the Colts, Chad Hutchinson went 5/8 for 40 yards and 2 INTs. Jerry Angelo: Start Kyle Orton!!!!!!!! Also, Ben Roethlisberger in his 2 preseason games is just 8/15 for 64 yards and 1 INT. Ben has looked uncomfortable in the pocket and may indeed have a sophomore slump.
• In watching tonight's Cowboys/Seahawks preseason game, I've lost count as to how many balls the Seahawks receivers have dropped. At least 10. And as I write this, they just dropped another one.
• The Preseason AP Poll is out and here are your Top 10: USC, Texas, Tennessee, Michigan, LSU, Ohio St., Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, the other Miami, and Florida. The real Miami is 36th. In their preseason scrimmage, Todd Boeckman, who would start for the Luckeyes if Justin Zwick's sprained ankle doesn't heal, went 9/18 for 46 yards with the 1st-team offense. I want to see Zwick because if Boeckman starts, that means a more conservative game plan and more Ted Ginn at quarterback, which I don't want to see. If Zwick starts, he'll have the full gameplan, which means he might force some balls which could lead to turnovers. Miami doesn't have a big defense, but they do have speed and will take chances. With coach Taver Johnson's return to lead the defense, it will be the Miami defense of 2003 you'll see, which was in the Top 25 nationally when it came to points and total yards allowed.
• I think my golfing destination this week will be Beechwood up by Arcanum. Beechwood has 27 holes, the majority of them cutting through woods that make for a very enjoyable golfing experience.
• Thursday begins high school football in Ohio with the marquee game in this area being my very own Northmont T-Bolts hosting Chaminade-Juliene. Last year, CJ won 39-36 with a TD pass on the last play of the game. This is usually a very entertaining game, so I will probably be in attendance.

Little League Commercial Views: 16 ( I watched Hawaii today and they can hit the ball.)

One-Hit Wonders

One Hit Wonders can be some of the greatest songs ever made. They can also be some of the worst songs ever made. VH1 has compiled their list of the top 100, let's take a look at the good and bad

The good:

• "Don't Leave Me This Way", Thelma Houston. The original Disco dance hit. It starts out slow and smooth, but it picks up little by little. By the end, you're dancing and you're loving it.
• "Bust a Move", Young MC. Old-school rap at its best. Clean lyrics that actually are creative.
• "Spirit In the Sky", Norman Greenbaum. Golden oldie that has a mean guitar in the beginning.
• "Funkytown", Lipps Inc. I love disco, and this song defines it. I loved its inclusion in Shrek 2, loved it.
• "You Get What You Give", New Radicals. It's a shame this group disbanded after their first album. This song defines what goes into a great song.
• "Jump Around", House of Pain. Why did this guy try to go acoustic and change his name to Everlast? You know you like this song, as much as you try and deny it.
• "867-5309", Tommy Tutone. An 80s classic.
• "500 Miles", The Proclaimers. Funny and catchy.
• "Play That Funky Music", Wild Cherry. Great song, period.
• "Come On Eileen", Dexy's Midnight Runners. Up-tempo folk song that slows in the middle, then picks up again at the end. If you can successfully slow, then finish strong, a guaranteed good song.
• "Tainted Love", Soft Cell. The perfect sing-along song, made even more popular with its inclusion in "Coneheads". The change to "Where Did Our Love Go" at the end is brilliant. A little Motown with 80s synthesizer pop, good stuff.

The bad:

• "Barbie Girl", Aqua. I don't think I need to explain.
• "More, More, More", Andrea True Connection. It sounds more like a Gregorian chant. Bad song.
• "I Touch Myself", The Divinyls. Ask within about this one.
• "Seasons In the Sun", Terry Jacks. A snoozer. Also a veteran of the TV CD collections you see way too often.
• "In-A-Gadda-Vida", Iron Butterfly. A 17 minute rambling composed by 4 stoners. Seriously, look at them during their performance. They're trying to say, "In the Garden of Eden". As you can see, they came up a little short. In fact, the only word that is comprehensible in the entire song is "Baby".
• "You Light Up My Life", Debby Boone. Let me shed a tear. The Celine Dion of her day.
• "Rico Suave", Gerardo. Oh boy. Where to begin. First, he tried to rap. Second, he says "Rico.......Suave" about a thousand times. And third, he put the words "prom" and "date" together. Bad.
• "I'm Too Sexy", Right Said Fred. This guy has gone from #1 to now hosting a show on the BBC. I guess he's no longer too sexy for his cat.
• "Macarena", Los Del Rio. Even Al Gore did the Macarena, that makes it bad.

Of course there are more good and bad songs, but that's all the time we have tonight on this subject.

Interview went well, I think. Now it's time to really wait. Tomorrow, I officially graduate with my Master's from Miami. 5 years ago tomorrow, I moved into 343 Symmes Hall. Now, I'm officially done as a Miami student and with school. It could and probably will get emotional tomorrow. It's fitting that my Master's hood is red and white, can you imagine me wearing anything else on my last day as a Miami student?

Tiger?

In a press conference at the NEC Invitational being held up in Akron at Firestone, Tiger Woods revealed he left Baltusrol Sunday night and had flown back to Orlando, despite still having a chance to win the PGA Championship in a playoff. This revelation was even more shocking than TO returning to the Eagles today. Tiger Woods, the greatest competitior of our time, giving up when there was still a chance he could win? Honestly, I think this ranks with Randy Moss walking off the field during the remaining seconds of the Vikings/Redskins game last year. In both cases, the odds were against the Vikings and Tiger winning, but they still existed, and the odds were reasonable they could still have both won.

Tiger was not officially out of the golf tournament until around 10:40am Monday when Steve Elkington finished at -3. Just 10 minutes earlier when it appeared Elkington had hooked his drive on 18 into the trees and Phil Mickelson had just bogeyed 17 to fall to -3, leaving Tiger just one shot behind. I can't believe Tiger would take the risk of not being able to win a major championship. A head scratcher.

What else can we talk about:

• The current book I'm reading details the history of the Stock Market from 1982-1999, chronicling the origins of the Bull Market of the 90s and the Bubble that followed. The author makes a compelling argument (and one I agree with) that the corporate accounting crises were caused by executives' compensation packages, which were primarily made up of stock options. For example, if a company's stock price hit a certain level, the executive would be entitled to buying a pre-specified number of the company's shares at a low price without having to physically pay for the stock shares. Basically, free money. During President Clinton's first term, there was discussion in Congress as to whether these stock options should be classified as expenses on the company's balance sheet. Congress passed the Safe Harbor Act of 1995, which protected companies from shareholder lawsuits that were based on incorrect earnings forecasts. President Clinton vetoed the bill, saying, "I would ask the American people to remember there have been a lot of examples in the last 15 years of people who have been ripped off to a fare-thee-well, who didn't get all their money back but at least got some of their money back because they could go to court." Congress overrided the President, clearing the way for the unethical corporate accounting that took place in the 90s. I have to give President Clinton his due for recognizing this potential danger. If only the Republican-led Congress saw it as well.
• Next on my reading list (now that I have time to read) is Moneyball, the story of Billy Bean and the low-revenue Oakland A's. After I get through that, I think I'll be only 10 books behind.
• Speaking of unwise Republicans, Gov. Bob Taft was charged with 4 misdemeanors for not reporting as many as 60 golf outings. In May, Gov. Taft said, "If there are unethical practices, there will be consequences." Let's see if he applies this rule to himself, especially since he played golf with the man who was responsible for investing state money in rare coins. Is there anything else he can do wrong??? I think it's time for him to go.
• And continuing on the legal front, UConn's starting backcourt for this year most likely, AJ Price and Marcus Williams, have been charged with stealing 4 laptop computers. Coach Jim Calhoun has suspended them indefinitely while the case goes through the courts. The computers reportedly belonged to incoming freshmen women's basketball players. Just last year, Price was battling a brain hemorrhage. How do you go from that to stealing???? With this, and guard Antonio Kellogg getting kicked off the team for marijuana and assaulting a police officer, looks like Coach Calhoun maybe calling me to play guard for his team because he has no one else.
• The Bengals signed David Pollack leaving, you guessed it, Da Bears' Cedric Benson as the only 1st round pick not signed. What a great week for Da Bears. First, Rex Grossman, and now no Cedric. Could be a long year....
• The US is 1 win away from qualifying for the 2006 World Cup after defeating Trinidad & Tobago 1-0. I can't get into Major League Soccer or Champions League or anything like that, but I can get into World Cup soccer. Yes, I did get up to watch US Soccer in the 02 World Cup when they would play at 2:30am in South Korea. Go USA!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is my big interview in Cincy, so watch out Cincinnati, I'm coming for ya!!!

Little League Commercial Views: 8

16 days.

My Favorite Show is Back

Yup, tonight was the commercial-free season premiere of My Super Sweet 16. For those who are unfamiliar, the show chronicles someone's 16th birthday party. Tonight's birthday girl was Sophie from the Palm Beach, FL area and let's just say she wasn't shy:

• I knew I wasn't going to like her when she popped her collar, that's a no-no.
• Her grand entrance to the party was her emergence from a circle of can-can dancers. Who does that?????
• Strike #2 comes when you proclaim yourself as a "diva". I guess if you can do it, so can I. As I said, she isn't shy.
• Her Mom is non-existent. She lets Sophie get away with whatever she wants. In addition, Mom is crazy herself. Mom decided to bump and grind with a mannequin, in a really nasty sort of way. Even worse than Glinda.
• Sophie misspelled sophomore (sophmore) haha.
• When she handed out her invitations, she arrived at school in a Bentley. Again, why????
• The one thing I did like about her is that we both don't like Hillary Duff. By the way, her new song is the DUMBEST song. "Wake up, wake up...", plllllllease.
• She can't chew with her mouth closed, yuck.
• After being served breakfast in bed, she called her mom in the kitchen (from her bedroom) to let the butler know he could get her tray. I hadn't seen it all until I saw that. Wow.
• At the party, some 16 year old kid wanted the party to get "crunked". Ok, you're too young to be saying that, and that word is no longer credible.

All in all, Sophie's party cost a measly $180,000. I guess if you can afford it, why not, but seriously, there are at least 180,000 other places where that money could be better spent. These lavish parties rank up there with competitive eating in terms of usefulness. I'm sure people from other countries really think a lot of us when they see this kind of stuff going on here.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Phil Mickelson. Yeah, he made a great birdie on the last hole to win the PGA Championship, allowing his youngest son Evan to do victory laps on the 18th green. What was really impressive was hearing what the Mickelson family did in San Diego a couple of weeks ago. They invited 1,000 unfortunate San Diego youth to Wal-Mart, and bought them all back-to-school clothing. Here are people that get it. Obviously, I don't know the whole story, but from what I see, I see a loving, happy family that keeps everything in perspective by giving back to the community. Even after winning the tournament, Phil stayed an extra 30 minutes to sign autographs for the New Jersey fans that had supported him boisterously all week. Congratulations Phil Mickelson, you deserve it.

Also today, Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers began their preseason. Big Ben didn't get to do much tonight because Pittsburgh's defense and special teams dominated the first half. Willie Williams ran back an interception, Ricardo Colclough a punt, and Ike Taylor ran back a kickoff to put Pittsburgh ahead early. Ben only saw the field for one series, completing 2/4 passes for 13 yards and scrambling once for 4 yards. I was glad to see Donovan McNabb and the Eagle offense, despite the one interception, play well without you know who.

Da Bears signed Jeff Blake to a one-year contract, most likely making him the 3rd-string quarterback until Rex Grossman returns.

Little League Commercial Views: 7

18 days.

Never a Dull Moment with Phil

After making birdie on the 4th hole of the final round of the PGA Championship, Phil Mickelson held a 3 shot lead. The rest of the field had started to head in reverse, and it appeared Phil had the tournament under control. But always one for the dramatic, Lefty started losing ground as well, bringing everyone back into the tournament. Suddenly, Baltusrol turned into Pinehurst, and the PGA Championship turned into the US Open. For about an hour, all you saw were par putts, no birdies, and guys hacking it around the course like us amateurs. But you could feel the electricity in the gallery coming through the television, it was pure drama. Mother Nature had other ideas and forced suspension of play, which has forced the tournament to end tomorrow morning.

So, as it stands, Phil leads at -4, Steve Elkington, who shared the lead until missing a par putt at 15, is at -3 with Thomas Bjorn. At -2 are Vijay Singh, who can't make a putt outside 5 feet to save his life, Davis Love III, and one Tiger Woods, who is leader in the clubhouse. Tiger looked to be out of it after 2 early bogeys, but he got back on track after a miraculous chip-in for par at 7. Tiger then followed with birdies at 8, 14, 17, and 18 to give himself a chance. Even if you're not a Tiger fan, again you have to admire the never give up attitude of this man. He could've phoned in his round, having already won 2 majors and millions of dollars. But he is a competitor and wants to do nothing but win, you've gotta love that.

Play resumes at 10am tomorrow, and hopefully many of the fans are able to make it back out to Baltusrol. I get chills when I hear the crowd go nuts for Mickelson, it's unbelievable how they have gotten behind him. Today, the crowd sounded a lot like a college football crowd, they were insane.

Also on this Sunday:

• In the finals of the Rogers Cup, Rafael Nadal was too much for Andre Agassi, winning in 3 sets. The match lived up to the hype, turning into one long slugfest. In the end, Nadal's depth and spin on his shots was even too much for the grinding Agassi, who probably thought he was playing a younger version of himself. This was the best Agassi has played all year, forcing Nadal to a 3rd set, but he still needs to find another level if he's going to win the US Open.
• I believe I have gone on record saying everyone needs to be patient with Danica Patrick since this is her rookie season. However, one has to wonder about the progress, or lack thereof she's made as the season has progressed. Her last 3 finishes (including today) have been: 19th, 20th and 16th today after starting on the pole. She didn't even lead the first lap after starting in the lead position. It's still too early to judge her, but she has turned into the Anna Kournikova of racing in one facet. With all of the attention she's getting, it's motivating the other drivers even more to beat her and to show her it all comes back to how you drive. Right now, her driving doesn't match the attention, but again, that could change.

The best moment of today was provided by my Grandpa. We're driving to pick up dinner and Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone" comes on the radio. I look over and there he is doing his best Night at the Roxbury imitation, bobbing his head and tapping his foot. I busted out laughing inside, I wish I had a picture of it.

Little League Commercial Views: 6

19 days.

Sweetness

Walter Payton was Barry Sanders and Jim Brown all wrapped up in one package. He could make you miss, then on his next carry, run you over or give you his famous stiffarm. He wasn't lightning fast, but when he showed a defender his hesitation showkick, he was toast. He was the Chicago Bears in the 1970s, when they were terrible. In addition, there was probably no better man than Payton. That is why there is the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, given to the player who represents his community with the most class by giving back and being a positive influence. Tonight on ESPN Classic, there was a one-hour special on Walter, and I loved every minute of it.

Alright, there's a great deal to talk about, so buckle up:

• After 3 rounds of the PGA, Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III, the best players to have only won 1 major, are tied for the lead at -6. The inconsistent side of Phil came out today, bogeying 3 of his first 5 holes, losing his 3 shot lead. Baltusrol firmed up in the 100-degree temperatures, while testing the players' physical conditioning (or lack thereof). Love has shot 3 straight 68s, playing his best golf since he won the 1997 PGA. Mickelson's errant play allowed anyone Even par or better to get back into the tournament, which includes Tiger Woods, who shot 66 to get to Even. Tiger might still be kicking himself for his par-par finish, throwing away at least 2 shots. Other notables: Thomas Bjorn after tying the course and major record with a 63 is 1 behind, Vijay Singh (17 pars, 1 birdie) and 95 PGA Champ Steve Elkington are 2 behind, and 2003 British Champ Ben Curtis (remember him) is 3 behind. Tomorrow may very well come down to physical conditioning if the conditions remain the same. That favors Tiger, even 6 behind, if he can put the ball in the fairway. We'll also see any carryover effect from last Sunday's 36 hole marathon at the International, which Mickelson and Retief Goosen among others had to go through.
• During commercial breaks, flip over to ESPN to watch the final of the Rogers Cup where it will be Rafael Nadal vs. Andre Agassi. Nadal, the young, swashbuckling Spainard, who has won 8 tournaments will go against the ageless Agassi, 10-0 in the summer and looking for his 4th title in Canada. In his semifinal win over Greg Rusedski, Agassi only lost 4 points on his serve in the entire match, which is simply amazing. I'm jealous of the people who will get to see this match in living color in Montreal tomorrow, it should be a dandy.
• While we talked earlier about Da Bear, Walter Payton, Da Current Bears lost to the Rams 17-13 last night in preseason game #2. In the process Da Bears lost starting QB Rex Grossman for 3-4 months with a broken ankle. This means Chad Hutchinson becomes the starter and Kyle Orton will be the backup. Over the last 10 years, Da Bears have had 20 different starting quarterbacks. 20!?!?!?! Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers have had just one (Brett Favre). Last year, Da Bears were the first team since World War II (I believe), to not have a quarterback throw for 1,000 yards, complete 100 passes, and throw 5 TD passes. Ouch. I hate to say it, but maybe Da Bears should tank the season so they can draft Matt Leinart #1 next year. Hopefully that isn't the case and Da Bears can play well.
• Here are some other NFL preseason notables:
• Despite losing 10-3 to the Jets, Detroit's young offensive guns showed what might be this season. Joey Harrington was 9/9 for 100 yards, Roy Williams had 3 catches, Charles Rogers and Mike Williams each had 2.
• The Bengals were unimpressive in losing to the Patriots 23-13. Carson Palmer was just 4/11 for 37 yards and 1 INT. In fact, Bengals QBs were just 15/33 for 133 yards and 2 INTs. This against a Patriots team that is not supposed to be as strong this year.
  
• Many feel this could be the Ravens year with new additions on offense to complement the defense. Baltimore didn't show much tonight. Just 3 points and a mediocre performance by Kyle Boller (5/9, 57 yards, 1 INT).
• It could be a long year for the Dolphins. The 1st-team struggled again tonight, scoring just 3 points. Of course, I wouldn't be confident either if Gus Frerotte and AJ Feeley were my starting QBs. Ricky Williams: 6 carries, 39 yards, long of 13.
  
• You're not going to believe this, but yup, baseball gets some blog space tonight. What has happened to the Cincinnati Reds?!?!?! Now just 8 games under .500, the Reds have been one of the best teams in baseball since the All-Star break. They are actually just 9 games out of the Wild Card and if they beat Milwaukee tomorrow, that will be 6 straight wins, all on the road. You better pinch yourself while you still can.
• Mid-August also means it's time for the Little League World Series. The LLWS shows that there is crying in baseball, and that the coaches and followers of the team take themselves way too seriously. There is the rare coach that promotes fun and good times for his players, but that's a rarity. Then there are the fans, who paint their chests, yes paint their chests for a Little League game. This year, there is a commercial featuring Tony the Tiger and Little League baseball. It is a take from Remember The Titans when they warmup and do their little dance. I can already tell this commercial will annoy me for the next 2 weeks, so I'm going to keep track of how many times I've seen it.
• A commercial that is not annoying is the Genworth Financial spot with Taylor Dent and the little kid who takes him on in tennis. This commercial has been out for about a year and it never gets old, especially when they show the kid curl his tongue, almost as if he's toying with Dent.
  

In the Englewood 5K, yours truly was 40 seconds quicker than last year, running in 24:05, and finished 2nd in his age group, earning a medal haha. It's a pretty nice medal, especially since I only won a mini-flashlight last year for accomplishing the same feat. The rest of the morning turned into a reunion of sorts. It was good to catch up with people I hadn't seen in awhile.

Little League Commercial Views: 5

20 days.

What Will Phil Do Next?

Heading to the weekend of the PGA Championship, Phil Mickelson looks like the Phil from last year, shooting 67-65 to lead by 3 over Jerry Kelly. This has come out of nowhere since Phil hasn't won since the BellSouth in April, and his best finish in a major this year was 10th at the Masters. It was a typical Mickelson round today: 7 birdies, an eagle, 2 bogeys, and a double-bogey. Among those in the hunt are Davis Love III 4 behind (he apparently read my blog and became motivated after I called him overrated haha), and my pick Vijay Singh 5 behind. I picked Vijay, but I will continue to root for Phil. Hopefully, he can hold it together for 2 more rounds.

Oh yeah, that Tiger Woods guy made the cut on the number, having to make birdie on the last hole to play the weekend.

I meant to post this the other night, but my internet connection wouldn't allow me. This is the 60th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The debate still rages as to whether or not we should have used the atomic bomb. I agree with the decision to drop the bombs. Both sides lost millions of soldiers in the Battle of Okinawa, just imagine how many would have died in an invasion of Japan itself??? I watched a program on the Discovery Channel that went into vivid detail what happens when an atomic bomb is dropped and it is sickening to watch. Hopefully, we never have to use nuclear weapons again. The people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki did not deserve what came to them, but in the grand scheme of things, it was necessary so further loss of life could be prevented.

Alright, what else:

• Can anyone try and explain to me the logic of the NCAA's ruling to ban all "hostile" and "abusive" nicknames and mascots from postseason tournaments. Among the schools that fall under this category are: Florida St., Utah, and Illinois. 18 schools in all are effected by the ban. First, if these nicknames are so hostile, then why not ban them altogether??? Why just the postseason??? And second, what about the "Fighting Irish"??? I'm sure there is at least one Irishman that is offended by the nickname. Why is that not on the list??? Once again, the NCAA has lost touch with the outside world, and Myles Brand continues his reign as one of the most overrated organizational leaders. Ooh, he fired Bob Knight (I'll save that for another time).
• Currently, Andre Agassi leads in his quarterfinal match over Gaston Gaudio at the Rogers Cup in Montreal. This tourney is part of the Masters Series, which are the 9 tournaments that fall after the 4 majors in terms of prestige. Let's hope Andre continues this good play all summer so he can win the US Open and retire on top. It's going to be tough with guys like Federer, Nadal, and Roddick, who will be favorites when the Open starts in a couple of weeks.

Let's see, not a whole lot to report on Miami/Ohio St., just 21 days away now. It looks like OSU linebacker Mike D'Andrea might be out for the season, but OSU has nothing to worry about as they have 6 linebackers that could start anywhere else in the country. Other than that, not a whole lot to report. Please continue the good natured commenting on the game. But as one of the commentators said, trying to argue that Ohio St. is stronger than Miami academically is a lost cause. Just stick to football since that's what your lives revolve around.

Tomorrow morning is the 5K. It'll be interesting to see what kind of race legs I have haha.

Go Lefty!!!!

Welcome Home

Tonight, I got to catch up with some old friends at one of the local establishments. It was nice to see them and to simply get out. I heard back from Ernst & Young today and I'll be interviewing with them next week, so finally the process is starting to move forward today. Currently, my wireless internet connection is excell

I Love It

25 days until Miami beats Ohio St. and I'm loving the good-natured bantering. My anonymous friend claims that Brad and I are jealous because we didn't get into THE (important to get the "THE" in there) Ohio State University. Pllllease. Here are some facts:

• Ohio State accepts roughly 70% of all freshmen applicants, about the same as Miami.
  
• Ohio State's freshmen retention rate is approximately 82%, with an average ACT score of 25 and 32% of their freshmen are in the top 10% of their class.
• Miami's freshmen retention rate is approximately 90%, with an average ACT score of 27 and 41% of their freshmen are in the top 10% of their class.
  
• 4 years ago, when US News ranked the top public universities, Ohio St. was 21st, Miami 28th. In the most recent set of rankings, both schools are now tied for 22nd.
• Ohio State has a student body of more than 50,000; Miami's is around 16,000.
  
• Have you ever heard of anyone not getting into Ohio State??? Obviously it happens, but I believe if you polled Miami students, you would find an unbelievably small number that got into Miami but not Ohio State????
  
• Miami has been deemed a "Public Ivy League" for its high level of undergraduate education. Ohio State has not.

So, I think it's fair to say Brad and I would have gotten into Ohio State. Also, I think it's fair to say when you ask someone, "Football, Miami or Ohio State?", most will say Ohio State. When you ask the same person, "Education, Miami or Ohio State?", most will say Miami.

Oh, and Miami was a university when Florida belonged to Spain.

Since that is settled, it's time for the analysis of tonight's Miss Teen USA pageant:

• 9 of my top 15 made it into the next round, with 7 of my top 10 making it to the final 10. In the end, it came down to, haha, Michigan and Ohio. Michigan was my #1 all night, with Ohio consistently in my top 3. But the nod went to Ohio (Vermilion), with Michigan coming in 2nd.
• The head scratcher of the night was Miss West Virginia, who didn't even make my Top 15 originally, but somehow managed to finish 3rd. When asked, "What do you most often think about?", she replied, "I always think about what's going to happen next. I'm a spontaneous person, and I never know what I'm going to do next." But, she always thinks about what she's going to do next.... This came from the same girl who said she skated on the roof of a neighbor's unfinished house? Sorry, I didn't get it.
  
• Then there was Suzie Castillo, co-host of the pageant. Young + dumb + high-shrilled voice = TRL host. It kind of fits, doesn't it?
  
• Of the 8 judges, 5 were affiliated with NBC in some way, and another was the guy who helped start the Backstreet Boys and NSync. Not exactly a distinguished panel.
• And yes, I changed the channel when Aaron Carter and Kimberly Locke performed.

In addition, Da Bears won their preseason opener against the Dolphins 27-24. The first-team offense was able to score a TD vs. Miami's 1st-team defense, and Kyle Orton played really well in the 2nd half, connecting with fellow rookie Mark Bradley numerous times to help lead Da Bears from behind. Da Bears, if they can stay healthy, will have a potent defense. It was fun to see them fly around the ball tonight, Urlacher, Brown, Briggs, and the rest of them. I would say the weakness would be in the secondary. Da Bears let some receivers get behind them when they blitzed, allowing even AJ Feeley to complete some downfield passes. In addition, Da Bears don't have much depth, so if they run into injury problems as they did last year, they'll be in trouble again.

It's good to see football being played, even if it's just preseason football. Oh, Ricky Williams: 5 carries, 8 yards and had 1 catch for 2 yards. He looked pretty rusty.

In 1st round action at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, Andre Agassi beat Alberto Martin in straight sets. The next 2 weeks are important tournaments, including next week in Cincinnati, as players get ready for the US Open.

Today was also a day of rememberance for the Ohio soldiers who have died in Iraq. My prayers go out to them and their families for the sacrifices they have made for the country.

I think I'll end with that, I'll save the rest of my material for tomorrow.

Let Me Explain

Ahhh, I've snagged my first Buckeye fan with my Miami optimism. So let me explain why I like Miami's chances in 26 days:

No Intimidation Factor. Miami has played everyone, everywhere. This particular senior class has played at Iowa, Michigan, and LSU among other places. Many of the players are from Ohio, so they will come in with something to prove after being overlooked by the Buckeyes.

Tressel-ball. The comment was made that Miami will get "blown out". The last time a Jim Tressel-led football team blew anyone out was 3 years ago, and that was with the hired hand, Maurice Clarett. Just last year, OSU only beat Cincinnati 26-7 and Marshall 24-21 at home. This will most likely be a low scoring game. Just 2 years ago, Bowling Green only lost 24-17 in the Horseshoe. The longer you keep an underdog in the game, the more you give them reason to believe they can pull off the upset.

So, naturally the OSU fan will respond by saying the OSU offense is vastly improved from the beginning of last year. Yes, but can they be consistent, especially with Justin Zwick as the QB. The OSU offense didn't come to life until the end of the year against Michigan and Oklahoma St. In addition, who's going to be OSU's starting tailback?? And, the Bucks don't have Mike Nugent or BJ Sander to rely on kicking the ball, who's going to step up in those areas? Miami's defense is good enough to force turnovers with 9 returning starters, including all 3 linebackers, leading sackman, and top cornerback.

And don't give me the MAC vs. Big 10 argument anymore. 2 years ago, Miami finished ranked #10 in the country, with Bowling Green joining them in the Top 25. That Miami team was proclaimed by OSU alum and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit as, "The best team in Ohio." Miami, Bowling Green, Toledo, Northern Illinois, and Marshall (no longer in the league) have consistently hung around the Top 25. All 5 teams went to bowl games last year.

And there will be more insight into this game as September 3rd approaches, but as you see, I think I have good reason to be optimistic.

Alright, what else:

Remember Jason Gore. He was the feel-good story of the US Open until his final round 84. I talked about him at length back in June. Well, Jason has put his US Open experience to good use. Today, with his win at the Nationwide Tour's Cox Classic, he won his 3rd Nationwide Tour event, which automatically gets him on the PGA Tour for the rest of the year. It's the equivalent of a promotion from the minor to the major leagues. Congrats Jason, you have a new fan in me. Maybe you can play more consistently than Mr. Mickelson......

In the finals of the US Women's Amateur, it was all Morgan Pressel. Pressel won 9-and-8, basically a blowout victory over Maru Martinez. I think she's ahead of Michelle Wie because she's learned how to win. She's just not there to get better and enjoy the experience, she wants it. I like her competitive spirit.

Wayne Gretzky will reportedly become the next head coach of the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes. It will be interesting to see how good of a coach Gretzky will be. Here is just a sampling of great individual players who have failed as coaches/owners: Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas (although he's trying again with the Knicks), Michael Jordan, Bart Starr, and Clyde Drexler. It's not easy going from a great individual player who relied on athletic ability and raw talent, to coaching fundamentals and teamplay, things maybe you weren't shining examples of during your playing days.

I did 7 miles at the Englewood Reserve. My goal for Saturday's 5k is to beat my PR of 22:30. With all of the running I've done, I think I can do it. And that was 4 years ago.

Tomorrow night, a certain team begins its drive toward the Super Bowl. A team that is from a city whose name begins with a C ends with an O and has a HICAG in the middle. A team known as Daaaaaa Bears.

Did I mention Miami's Ryne Robinson has more punt return TDs than Teddy Ginn Jr??? Five.

Playing The Waiting Game

Well, I have moved back home and have officially begun the Waiting Game. It's a little harder than before because currently there's nothing to distract me. For the better part of the summer, I had my paper and the Tour to distract me. Now that there's no paper and there's still 4 weeks left until football starts, it's tougher to be patient. I keep telling myself, my time will come, but the days are very long. But, I'm not complaining for the break I'm getting. When my time comes, I just have to be ready to crank it back up.

Well, what can I talk about:

The LPGA better have a crack marketing staff because as I've said, women's golf has the potential to be big in the upcoming years. We know about Annika Sorenstam, and I've talked about Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie, but Morgan Pressel, the 17-year old who finished 2nd in the US Women's Open, has made it to the finals of the US Women's Amateur. With her and other college stars like Brittany Lang just turning pro (Lang was 3rd in the Open), ladies' golf has a bright future. Oh, did I mention Tiger Woods has a 14-year old niece? Yup, Cheyenne Woods made it to the Sweet 16 of the Girls Junior Championship.

While being home has many advantages, one big disadvantage is being reintroduced to the Dayton Daily News, which isn't shy of hiding its liberal bias. For example, they ran a story on how less than 50% of Americans have lost confidence in President Bush. Couldn't they find anything else that was newsworthy besides some poll? There are polls done everyday on the President, that's not news. Give me something that actually happened!!!!

One very worthy bit of news that was in today's paper was the revelation of Ohio Governor's Bob Taft expensive golf hobby. It seems as if our beloved governor played some high profile rounds of golf around the state and didn't reveal all of the details that related to expensives. He took everyone from Sen. Voinovich to the former mayor of Columbus on his jet and paid the bill with state money. Governor Taft has dropped the ball and then some. I'm very disappointed.

27 days until Miami beats Ohio St. In the preseason coaches' poll, USC was a unaminous #1 with Texas 2nd. Tennessee, Michigan, and Oklahoma completed the Top 5. Ohio St. was 9th, Miami, 55th. Schools ahead of Miami included: Notre Dame, Arizona, South Carolina, and Washington (who won 1 game last year I believe). Those are 4 good reasons why the only point of a preseason Top 25 is to give the fans something to talk about.

That's all I've got for today, have a good one.

A Night of Potpourri

And no, not the good smelling stuff. Tonight you get a mixed bag of stuff, so enjoy (kudos to Katy Higbee for her help):

• Village council candidates in India now are required to have a toilet in their home because there are too many people going to the bathroom in public. I don't know what to say to that. It's funny, yet sad. India has come a long way, their economy is growing at a pace just slower than China's, but a major portion of the country is still in poverty.
• Martha Stewart has to wear her ankle bracelet for 3 more weeks, presumably because she's been in violation of her house arrest. She went to a Time Magazine gala, and has been seen on her off-road vehicle and doing yoga. She's even bragged about finding a way to get the ankle bracelet off. Sounds like she learned a lot after being in prison.....
• Anyone else sick and tired of that stupid West Virginia, Country Home commercial??? I guess no one is going to the Mountaineer State this summer. And the commercial doesn't help much since it is all shot at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs (nothing gets by me)!!!! But the commercial is on at least 3 times an hour or more it seems. Someone please make it stop!!!!!
• 31 days until Miami beats Ohio St. in football, so we need to start talking some college football. Why we don't talk about Notre Dame, since there won't be many people outside of South Bend talking about them after September. I think Charlie Weis is a great coach, and he has taken the right attitude with his team, but face it, Notre Dame just isn't any good. Add in their suicidal schedule (at Pittsburgh, at Michigan, Michigan St., at Purdue, USC, and Tennessee just to name a few) and there's no way they have a winning season this year. Some of the most naive sports fans are Notre Dame football fans. It's time to stop living in the past, the glory days are OVER!!!! Face reality, you haven't won a bowl game since 1993 and haven't won a national championship since 1988, not exactly the signs that your program is returning to dominance.
  
• Then there's the Big East, or the Big Least. How this conference still has a BCS berth is beyond me, with the likes of Cincinnati, Rutgers, UConn, and South Florida now in the conference. Look for that to change soon.
• After the PGA Championship, the last big golf event of the year is the President's Cup, the best of the USA vs. the world's best. Davis Love III is currently 9th in the points standings. The top 10 automatically qualify with captain Jack Nicklaus getting 2 picks to fill out the 12-man roster. I hope Love doesn't qualify for the team. He is the most OVERRATED golfer!!! I know he's won a major and won the Ryder Cup clinching match in 93, but winning the Heritage Classic 5 times doesn't count much in my book. He hasn't won in 2 years, and in last year's Ryder Cup went 1-3-1. Sorry Davis, you don't get my vote this year.

Well, this is the last time I'm signing off from Oxford, tomorrow's the big move. But don't worry, the blog will continue from Englewooooood.

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye

A Boyz II Men #1 hit song and my feelings toward Miami University. I took my last run as a student around campus tonight and I realized I will bleed red and white for the rest of my life. Just as my mom did with me, I'm going to have a hard time encouraging my kids to go anywhere besides Miami for school.

Here are some of the memories that hit me tonight:

• Stanton Hall, where it all began at Summer Orientation, where I made my first friends, all from Columbus. And at the social that night, where I first met Amish, ahhh Amish.
• Emerson Hall, senior year, my Pit boys, mud football, 11 great RAs, and all those climbs up to the 3rd floor. Where I was Elvis for Halloween and during RA training, I would blast music to wake myself up for my 3rd go-round of RA training (boooooring).
• Western, where my brother lived. A part of campus I wish I spent more time on.
• Bachelor Hall, where my first college class was, Calculus II with Mr. Davis, who was a big Miami football fan. He to this day was one of the best teachers I ever had at Miami.
• Shideler Hall, all those APhiO meetings where I made a fool of myself as Spirit chair. But who could forget my speech for VP Community Service for my pledge class. Yes, yours truly busted out an NSync song, which of course made the difference.
• Reid Hall, which I can't believe will be torn down/modified. My first venture as an RA. What a great staff, Brad "The Fad" Daugherty, Pauly D, Rebecca Vogel, Kim, and Leslie, best first-year advisor I ever had. The original home of Leadership.
• Symmes Hall, where it all began. The smallest triple ever, next door to Juby and Chet from the basketball team, where we saw countless girls come in and out everyday. Then Juby would come in and use our phone and eat our food? There was Bear next door dancing to Big Pimpin every Friday afternoon. Reister, the most conservative guy I know and biggest Michigan St. fan there is, and Gerard, a great friend and a really nice guy. Flachbart, one of my best friends, big-time bballer, and Timmy Cole, Mr. Beavercreek, OH. There was Jonny G, the loudest drunk ever, banging on the door while Curt played his guitar mighty fine while drunk. Csaba, Mr. Athletic and Mr. Sports reporter, and Ryan, who is one of my best friends, who I've had the pleasure of having many fine dinners with this past year. The Dead Penguins broomball team, with Lucas and McFarland among others. My roomies, Will and Sosin. Will, I can't say enough about him, he was the Man. Sosin, well, he wore capri pants on the first day. The girls in 2 East, great times with Katie B haha, Kristin, Kara (great times in Social Dance); Erin from 2 West, smartest girl I know and most genuine, and the 1st floor, Michelle, Amy, Emily, singing for Katie Denton when she was leaving, and it goes on and on.
  
• Symmes Hall, Part 2, Junior Year with Lil B, Mac, Michelle, and Loveland. The residents who I wrote up repeatedly, for alcohol and drugs. Chris Burton, one of my all-time favorite residents. The crazy 1st floor girls, who were always glad to see me haha. Ramen Romp, Reality TV Wed. nights, and the big party at 105 W. Central. Loveland going crazy when the cops came, me taking around the bullhorn on duty, and writing up the high school student as he carried a beer into the girls' bathroom.
• Erickson Dining Hall, best dining hall on campus, where I first met Ben Roethlisberger. All you can eat brunch on Sundays, and the place to watch sports. Oh, and Boston Cream Pie, mmmmm.
• Yager Stadium, where basically I'm the reason they moved the student section, me and my fellow HawkHeads. Seeing the defense blow games those first years, the loss to Ball St. that was on Letterman the next Monday, and the really bad losses to Northern Illinois and Central Florida. But who could forget the first time we won the Bell against UC, beating OU, You've Lost that Lovin Feeling, the BG and Marshall games, singing We Are The Champions. Doing the Roller Coaster before games, throwing people in the air for every point we scored. And of course, graduation last year, being on the big screen with my friends for some final memories with them.
  
• Millett Hall. Beating Temple and Dayton. Rich Allendorf pump fakes, Notre Dame, and David West. Brandon Hunter and OU, and my many conversations with the refs. Bortz, and trying to be a dance team member. Where I'll receive my diploma in 2 weeks.
• Flower Hall. Junior Scholars with Dr. Smith, the best advisor I've ever had, Kristin, a great friend and a great person to work with, Katy, the biggest bundle of fun who got me to karaoke last week, and Jessica, studwoman and a great friend. Not bad for being liberals haha. Where my last writeup of all things was.
• Benton Hall. My coming out party senior year. RA training, getting Emerson staff on the stage, leading RA training in the roller coaster. In the words of Christina Aguilera, "It was just about time for my arrival." haha.
• Laws Hall. Where the Econ struggle took place. Many countless hours in class and in the lab, working toward my degree. 100 Laws, seating 400 people for American History. The great professors I had: Dr. Hall, Dr. Crain, Dr. Brock (he did come to my defense) among others.
• Upham Hall. The arch, lit up in splendor at night, just down the hill from the seal. No better view anywhere.
• The Sundial overlooking Central Quad. Home first semester sophomore year, but where I would always go to reflect. It's where I went tonight, to think about how lucky I am to have gone to school in such a place for 5 years, where I have my Master's degree.

And there are plenty of other memories, but as of now, I don't have the time to go through them all. I'm sure many will come back to me as time progresses. My bro comes down to spend the night tomorrow, then I'm gone Thursday.

Thank you Miami, love and honor to you.

Is Jose Canseco Right?

Today's big story was the positive drug test of Rafael Palmeiro, who just 5 months ago vehemently denied using steroids ever in front of Congress. When asked to explain his positive drug test, Palmeiro said, "As I look back, I don't have a specific answer to give. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to explain to the arbitrator how the banned substance entered my body."

Let me help you out Raffy. You put it in there!!!! Please explain to me how you unknowingly take a banned substance??? Yes, there have been occasions where doctors have not labeled containers with steroids given to athletes, but if you're so worried about your reputation Rafael Palmeiro, then ask what's in the container before you start taking what's inside it!!!! Seems pretty simple to me. I'm sorry, but the whole unknowingly taking banned substances argument doesn't fly with me. That includes you Barry Bonds (geez, I wonder why you're hurt all the time), Mark McGwire (hmm, you were hurt all the time too, but you don't want to talk about it because it's part of the past), and Sammy Sosa (the biggest coward of them all because he brought an interpreter when we all know very well he can speak and understand English).

Under the current baseball steroid policy, Rafael Palmeiro is suspended for 10 days. Compare that to Tyler Hamilton, 2004 Olympic gold medalist in cycling, who is currently serving a 2 year suspension for a positive drug test. How about Ben Johnson, who won the 100meter dash in the 1988 Summer Olympics, who was banned for life for a positive drug test? The drug policy in professional sports in this country is a joke. We should hold the same standard as the International Cycling Union and the International Olympic Committee, where the minimum suspension for a positive drug test is what Tyler Hamilton got. The only reason why Tyler Hamilton was only suspended for 2 years and not life, like former world time trial champion David Millar, is because his suspension is currently under review due to possible tampering.

And let it be known, as I've said before, if Lance Armstrong is ever found to have used performance-enhancing drugs, all of the stuff I own of his will be in the trash in less than a minute. I have no tolerance for that. I don't care how many championships, home runs, or hits you've had, if you gain an unfair advantage, that's cheating, plain and simple.

I'm going to try and calm down now:

• On a much lighter note, the premiere of the new season of My Super Sweet 16 will be commercial free. The featured girl has a double popped collar at one point during the show. I don't think I've expressed my opinion about the popped collar yet here (if I have I apologize). I'm one of those who, when seeing popped collars on the mannequins in stores, I unpop them. It drives me nuts!!!!! It looks terrible!!! If you want to pop your collar, here's some advice: buy turtlenecks. They look better, and the "popped collar" if you will goes all the way around the neck. If I ever catch you with your collar popped, you get a stare, a point, and a laugh. Even Marshall or Ohio University fans don't get that treatment.

Still nothing to report on the job front, I'm patiently waiting. Tomorrow will most likely consist of my last round of golf at Hueston Woods, followed by my last workout on campus. It was pretty dull around here today, but that's what happens when you're all done.

Time to watch Lance all night long.