Nooooooooooooo!!!!! or Yeah!

Noooooooooo!!!!! or Yeah! I'm really not sure at this point. If Johan Santana turns out to be Curt Schilling with the D-backs, or Curt Schilling with the Red Sox...than NOOOOOOO!!!!!!

If he turns out to be Carl Pavano with the Yankees, or Randy Johnson with the Yankees than YEAH! the double-whammy of trading away a ton of talent, and hamstringing your team (is that a word?) for the near future and having limited to poor strategery (okay that's not a word).

It will take a few years for the winner of this trade to be realized. However, one can only hope that while the Phillies pick up guys like Feliz, and the Mets...Santana...that it still works out well for the Fightins.

I guess the Mets games just became a hot ticket...out with Glavine....in with Santana?

B-E-A-R-S...BEARS BEARS BEARS!!!!

Saturday night Kristy and I went to a Bears game with a group of friends connected to our church.

It was an incredible game, as everyone started getting punchy when the Bears went down 0-3 (including the players). However, they chipped away at the lead, and scored 5 unanswered goals to win 5-3! The back-up goalie MacChesney (sounds like an Irish country singer) came in cold off the bench after the 3rd goal, and shut down the opposition for the remaining 40+ minutes.

We sat about 16 rows behind the goal, and saw 5 goals scored there. Here's a video of some of the highlights.

Staying Classy.....Philadelphia

Sure it's the middle of winter.....but it's only a few weeks until Spring Training! I could draw to mind the Phillies winning the division, and the Met's historic collapse, but that has been covered in great detail. What may have flown under the radar (in the grand scheme of things) was a moment in Colorado where the Phillies showed their real character.

Whew!

Just like I don't believe Farve will retire on that poor note (last throw was an interception), I didn't think getting upset by the Chargers at home was a way Tony Dungy like to end his coaching career. I'd like to see Tony Dungy go out on top again, with another Super Bowl win, or at least beating the Patriots in the playoffs.

More Gas

Here's an example of the Canadian humor, involving their prime minister. Again, not laugh out loud funny (like the Office), but definitely bemusing. The "Gopher" episode has to be my favorite to date (granted I've only seen about a dozen of the 5 seasons worth....5 seasons...who knew?). The other fun thing is that it's been a huge sucess, winning Leos and Geminis (who knew that was the Canadian equivalent of the Oscars, etc)....it's like discovering a whole separate world...

Corner Gas

Lately I've gotten into a show called "Corner Gas". Given to us by our friends up North (even the occasional Canadian joke). Humor-wise this sitcom reminds me of a bizarre cross between the Andy Griffith Show and Seinfeld. It maintains what I would call "old" humor (maybe not laugh out loud, but bring a smile to your face humor), while mixing in some modern day edginess.

Like Seinfeld, it's a show about nothing....though each character is developed, so like the Seinfeld characters, you know what you're getting with each one.

Unlike Seinfeld, they don't seem to bring in many outside people into the script (no Danny Tartabulls, Teri Hatchers, etc), so you miss some of those plot wrinkles.

It's on WGN, which for most satellite customers, means a no watch. However, local cable companies do carry it (and Cubs/White Sox games!)....so I get to watch it occasionally in it's 8:00-9:00 (2 show) time slot on Wednesdays. It's also on later in the evening (11 or 12midnight) as well on other days.

Has anyone else watched this?

Snow!

We finally got a little snow (3-4 inches?)...but it's PERFECT packing snow.

Dakota and I made a snowman, that ended about twice the size of Dakota in height (got him well beat in width too).

Then we went sledding. Talk about a fun, fulfilling experience. He even walked up the hill instead of me pulling him (which I would have...of course). We found out or yard is perfect for sledding...a lot of little slopes.

What I wanted to do is get a running start, but it's kind of hard with Dakota. In a few years....

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chips

We bought Doritos this weekend, as I picked them up rather than a traditional favorite "Goods" chips (Kettle-crisp/cooked/loaded with fat).

As it turned out, I couldn't find my favorite (4-Cheese), so I found Blazin' Buffalo and Ranch. As it turned out, they were more spicy than I expected, and a couple handfuls into the bag and I had to stop (call it automatic portion control). While I wasn't running for water, I was sweating...as the chips had a nice spicy kick to them.

Kristy accidently got some spice into her eye, making her look like she was watching Titanic, and not Packers-Seahawks. A quick trip to the bathroom, and a flush (not that type) of the eye later, and she was good.

Colts Disappointment

Alas, the world is not as it should be.

Apart from my # 1 interest in the Eagles, I've made no attempt to hide the admiration I have for the Colts, Peyton Manning, and Tony Dungy. As I've often joked, I said they are most of what's right about the NFL, and other teams/people (Patriots, T.O, Belicheck, etc) are what's annoying. A quick point of clarification, I can appreciate what each of the latter has accomplished, but I have respect for the manner/style in which Dungy, Peyton, Andy Reid have reached their accomplishments.

To have the Colts lose today, and not set up a Colts-Patriots AFC rematch is a huge disappointment. To start with, the return of Marvin Harrison was a nice moment, even with him fumbling away the ball early in the game. Peyton looked like Peyton, and you felt it was only a matter of time before they broke the game open.

As it turned out, the Chargers, particularly Philip Rivers, had a little more "fight" in them, and the Colts defense just didn't have their normal sucess. Rivers, by the way, made some great throws, and if he didn't come across on TV as such a meathead, I might root for him. The dude was blowing his top at everyone, officials, teammates, even seemed to be jawing with Norv Turner about whether to take a penalty or not.

Speaking of Norv, perhaps I just wasn't paying attention, but I never realized how much of a whiner he had become.....he always seemed to be complaining to the officials about something, or saying something offensive...as one of the announcers commented, if you're a lip reader, you might want to turn away. What a whiner, must have been from his Cowboys days.

The Chargers won, and they made some good plays to win, but I hope to never be a part of a sports team where it's members and coaches/managers feel the need to whine like that to the officials (I mean, is this basketball???). I admit there was a sketchy pass interference call on the Chargers, but instead of whining, just stop the other team and leave no doubt as to the outcome of the game. As it turned out, there was a make-up call the next play that penalized the Colts.

Well, we can now only hope that we avoid a Cowboys-Patriots Super Bowl....talk about a conflict of interest!

A real tea-bag

Well, I didn't set out to do it, but in the last 24 hours (actually less, because of sleeping), I have drunk 1 gallon hot-tea.

I have Joe Torre and Phil Simms to thank for making me aspire to drink Bigelow.

However, if I hadn't made an audible from the awful Lipton green tea, this never would have been possible. Enter Peppermint, and away I went.

I can say with confidence that I'm quite white (guys will know what I mean), and have the bladder of a 60 year old.

Now to shake this nagging cough...

Personally Feeling a little like this (sick as a dog)

0 and 2 for OSU

What a game it was....or so I've come to understand. Me? I was sleeping rather soundly with the rest of my sick family. We wuz out!

As I was telling Chris S. as much as I don't like OSU, it's actually bad that they have lost twice to SEC opponents. It really goes to show you how strong that conference has become.

Big Ten people (OSU, PSU, Michigan) who get to championship games by playing cupcakes...really have trouble winning the big one. Independents like the Irish....could be a similar problem.

Anyways, that's a wrap for the college season....a frosty winter awaits, and then baseball!

God Loves Us Endlessly

Pray For Kenya

As some of you know, my church has long been connected to Kenya, and outreach there. An email was sent, confirming that they have been affected by the ethnic violence and church burnings, so please pray that peace would once gain reign in Kenya, and that broken lives (and buildings) would be restored.

A side note, that I was thinking about as I drove to work today. It's really sad what has happened with Africa.

At first my thought is that the Africans are mostly to blame, as they, in the past 40 years of post-imperialism have failed to grasp a national identity as a people, and as countries.

When the United States was formed, we like the Africans were from different nations/tribes and dialects. However, we formed a new identity as a people.

The Africans, due to that major difference that they have not left their homeland, have not first become "Rwandians" but rather remain "Huutu's" and "Tutis" (for example).

Sadly, poverty and violence have been "bedfellows" in Africa.

The ethnic boundaries have not conformed to the post-imperial boundaries for countries that Europe created, rather when you hear of violence in Africa, it's almost always "civil" war, and not country to country....though there's been plenty of that as well.

Perhaps you know what I'm saying, perhaps I'm dead wrong....but it can make for an interesting discussion.

The other aspect of Africa I remain interested in, is why some countries (South Africa, Zimbabwee, etc) have taken a stance that white Afrikaneers are a people to displace from their land, and many times force to leave the country outright. To read more on this topic, check out the book "When the Crocodile Eats the Sun"...or something like that.

It was a good read.

But again, what do I know....I'm just a sports nut. I'd rather debate with you the merits of building a baseball team than politics or the world seen.

Have a great 2008, and remember to pray for Kenya.....