Sunday, July 13, 2008

my celebrated and his overplayed comeback

Two comebacks have happened today. One should be celebrated to the max among the two readers I have. The other should be frowned upon by every football fan.

That's right, after a month of retirement/busy-ness, I am back for good. Truth be told, I started the new job and pretty much devoted much of my time to that. Now, that I've settled in, I'm back for good. I can hear the cheers from here.

Then there's the other comeback. As a Green Bay Packer fan since I was a little kid, you can see how the recent Brett Favre news has hit home. He wants a release from the team he has started every game for since 1992. General Manager Ted Thompson has expressed very little interest in having the man who put Green Bay on the map return after announcing he was going to retire in March.

Nobody will say it but this is all about MONEY! Brett will receive 14 million to play football this season. The would be quarterback Aaron Rodgers will receive 2 million. It's easy like Sunday morning to figure this one out. Ted Thompson does not want to spend money.

Many sports fans spend their days wondering why some owners are even allowed to own their respective teams. Can't help but feel the same about Thompson. The marlins are about to lose their entire team cause the owner drove it in the ground by not spending money.

Some may remember Thompson when he came under high scrutiny for not wanting to give up a fourth round draft pick for arguably the best wide receiver in the game in Randy Moss. Bet you wont beleive this...it was because of money that he doesn't want to spend.

Don't get me wrong, I understand why he does it and I understand why he is reluctant to keeping Favre. Everyone wants to keep the money they dont have to spend. But as a fan, Ted Thompson is the last General Manager I want controlling my favorite team. Maybe the Cowboys will hire him next year. We can only hope.


There are some things people do in life that I will never understand. Running a marathon, boycotting fast food, watching nascar, and now, not giving arguably the best quarterback in NFL history money he deserves to play football for your team. Not going to even mention how much better the teams the vegas odds would be with Brett at the helm.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Cubby fever

I just want to entire world to know that it is the month of JUNE and the Chicago Cubs have the best record in the majors. The last time this happened was 1908. The same year they last won the world series. I'm telling you guys, its their year. I'm serious this time. As a hardcore Cubs fan, I can't express how happy I am the cubs are playing this well. Probably happier than the day I graduated. Now that i think about it, there is no happier moment than the cubs being in first in June. I guess being the first in October will be an even better occasion.

Here's the news that bothered me for a while. Lindsey and I are going on a cruise in October for a week. That's prime time baseball playoff time. I almost had to reschedule the cruise but luckily for everyone envolved, the cruise ship has a theatre with 9 big screeens and all the major channels. So Go Cubs, keep up the amazing work that everybody in the world, baseball fan or not, should give you a congrats for.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Work, Softball, and my continuous man crush on golf!!

That's my life right now! An 8-5 job that gets more boring by the minute. The wake up time alone makes me wonder why I purged myself to this "grown-up" life. A weekly softball league where I pretend our game is the feature story on sportscenter. If only we had one viewer on the sidelines. And Golf, a sport that I all of a sudden became obsessed with. I play each round as if its Sunday at the Masters. (Counseling is too expensive so deal with it)!!

All other time is spent relaxing and with Lindsey, since Nick left for the summer to Sierra Vista. To those who dont know Sierra Vista. Its Mexico, but in Arizona. Their high school has jr high talent in sports and if i remember correctly, they just got their first night club. They are pretty much what Tucson was in 1900 or Phoenix in 1850!! Hopefully that explains it.

My job is boring...but it pays well so i can't really complain that much. I also feel like I am understanding it much better than i thought. In fact, the two that sit beside me actually ask me questions. Of course I answer them as if I know what I am talking about and then silently pray that isn't a question on the test.

The job makes softball my two hour vacation every week. Doing pretty good at this so far. In four games, Luckily, I have only gotten out twice and managed two home run(inside the park of course). I feel like the cubs. Lets hope i dont cool down diamondback style.

As for golf, it has a soft place in my heart. As i have stated before, my game is a collection of horrific shots overlooked by the occasional miracle! But there's good news. Lance(Lindsey's dad) gave me his remaining four hours of golf lessons!!!!! I can't wait to have a real golfer correct everything about my swing for the better. Its like Christmas for a five year old. Hopefully these lessons put me in a respectable state. We can only hope!

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Tippin' my hat off to tips!

Crazy thought, can we institute gratuity on every single Restaurant tab?? Is that too much to ask? I mean, Europe did it. Seems to be working out pretty well for them. Here, not the same. My tour with Applebees has officially ended and i can tell you one thing, I dont ever plan on serving another table for the rest of my life. 3 years was enough. The endless hard work for what some days didn't even equal minimum wage. I know, maybe I was in the wrong restaurant. Applebees isn't high class food after all. But it's still food. And it's still a servers livelihood.
Not even proposing we make the gratuity percentage that high. 18% seems pretty custom for many places who "grat" tables of 8 or more. Pretty sure we would see a lot less turnover among servers if that was the case. And I know that an instituted gratuity wouldn't lessen the business of a restaurant. We all know that we are all still driving ourselves to Outback regardless of their gratuity policy.
Sadly enough, Mother Theresa isn't the one tipping all of our check tabs. So we have to understand that some people wish not to tip for their own reasons. I understand this. But a server shouldn't be making 3 something an hour if thats the case! Am I wrong here?
Obviously pigs will fly and Ricky Williams will pass a drug test before any of this gratuity business happens. But maybe we all need to think about that a little.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

A Gentlemen's Game

Someone asked me yesterday what my favorite sport to play was. I said the unthinkable. Yup, without hesitation, I uttered golf! A sport to some, not to many! Now, I know what you're thinking---it's not a sport. I ask simply, why?
Cause you don't have to have an athletic body to play? I know we have seen the 350 pound offensive lineman that plays for your favorite NFL team down 16 burger king whoppers per sitting. Trust me, most the golfers who play on the PGA tour are in just as good of shape as the majority of NFL players.
Why do I like to play golf so much, you ask? That's easy. And I'll explain it with more ease than the 3 foot putt I missed on the 18th last week.

1. It's challenging---It's the first sport I have ever played that has frustrated me to the point of throwing my entire arsenal(golf bag/golf clubs) in a duck pond. Yup, it's hands down the most challenging sport on earth. Think I'm wrong? Go shoot some basketballs, catch some football, hit some baseballs. Then go play a round of golf. Tell me which one was easier and not as frustrating. There is always a weakness in your game when it comes to golf. You are never satisfied. You are always working on some part of your game. You will die trying to work on your short game, drives, putting! That alone makes the sport challenging.

2. you can suck at it, and still win---Little Johnny hit a 107 at Pebble Beach golf course yesterday. Today, little Johnny hit a 105 at that same course. Guess what, little johnny sucks, but still goes home a winner for beating his high from yesterday. Everyone I know that plays golf takes more pride in beating their own scores than anyone they are playing with. I golfed with a manager of mine last week...lost by 8 strokes. But guess what, I had my lowest golf round ever. Lets just say I had a victory dance after that round.

3. you can play by yourself---Don't have friends that like sports as much as you? Can't find someone you can tolerate for four hours? Hate losing to other people? Golf is your sport then. That's right, you can play against yourself. It's one of the few sports that requires no defense from an opposing player. How someone else plays has no effect on your score. Its you versus the golf course.

4. You'd lie in any other sport other than golf---For some reason, lying about your score in golf is just not the same as lying about what the score is in your pick-up basketball game. Integrity is the sports best feature. Your conscience wont allow it any other way. You bogeyed the 5th hole but Mark's scorecard has you paring the hole. Without fail, you are quick to explain that you did indeed bogey the hole. It's the easiest sport to cheat at, yet the hardest sport to actually do so.

5. The cart lady---On every golf course that matters, a beverage lady rolls up in a cart filled with refreshing beverages and food...every four or so holes.

Truth is, Golf is the only sport where I always have a chance to win. It the only sport where no matter how bad I play, I can always do worse. It is a sport where the most feared opponent is me! Its the only sport where I can play so bad and yet still play it on a regular basis.
It is best defined as an endless series of tragedies thought over by the occasional miracle.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Sports, sports, sports

I realized something today. If sports didn't exist, my boredom in life would multiply times a million. My day yesterday consisted of watching the cubs beat the diamondbacks(no surprise), watching Sergio Garcia win(finally) the players championship golf tournament, and then playing 4 hours of volleyball. Yup, that was my day! Sports. On average, I spend more time a day focused on sports than I did in an entire semester on school work. No joke.

I love sports. I'm not gonna lie...the majority of my blogs will ponder things relating to sports. I say this cause I truly feel one can learn so much about life through sports. The gratification of winning, the misery of losing, and everything in between. That alone is a huge stepping stone for someone in life.

I've come to realize that most of the time, you don't win sports. Whether its cheering on your favorite team, playing against a league full of teams, or coaching a team. But that's what makes winning so much better. It's rare. And you can associate winning and losing with anything. I am winning at watching sportscenter everyday. I am losing at running 3 miles everyday. One things for sure though---the more rare, the more better. Oh to the day the cubs finally win the world series.

I look at yesterday for example. I watched Sergio Garcia win the players championship. The same Sergio who has been deemed "the best player to never win a major." He loses a lot. Can you blame him? Its golf. You have to play better golf than 140 of the best golfers in the world over the course of four days. Not easy. I have problems beating one guy in a casual round of golf.

Anyway, he finally did it. And I'll tell you what, I bet it was one of the best days of his life.
Winning in sports will bring just as much joy to one as anything else in this world. I truly feel that way.

That is why sports is so amazing. That is why I play it and watch it. Its the constant want to win in life. Even though many of us come up just short a lot, if we keep trying, you can't help but one day succeed and win. I know it sounds stupid, but its the truth.

I played volleyball yesterday and I can say it was the most fun I have had playing volleyball in a while. It was competitive. That is what i like. I feel I am still at an age where winning means a lot to me. I am competitive at rock, paper, scissors---let alone an actual sport.

I'm gonna be honest, I hope I never lose that competitive spirit either. I think its an asset through life. Some look at it as a bad thing, but not me. How can one be successful in life without competing his or her way through the obstacle at hand. I think my success in getting a job, winning a game, or being noticed by a boss comes from my competitiveness. But that's just me I guess.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

The first blog

So I finally made a blog page for myself. Now I can come rant and rave about things on my mind. Since the Mesa Legend ended, I definitely need somewhere to spill my thoughts. I dont even need readers other than myself. One is enough. Then again, I dont think Paul needed readers either when he wrote the book of Acts in the bible. Hmmm. Maybe I should rant and rave with the thought that everyone in the world might one day read this.
Not calling this a diary. Nope. Never will. Too girly, too emotional. A journal is even extreme for me. I like blog. More manly! Makes me feel like this is ok to do.
What made me decide to start a blog page? Simple. Gilbert Arenas. Basketball player for the Washington Wizards. I read his blog today and thought to myself, this looks fun. You get to type out your thoughts. Its safe to say we all have many thoughts that go left unsaid. Not anymore. Arenas got me hooked. Dont know how, but he did.
Its funny cause I write as if someone will read this with interest. haha. Its like carrying a conversation with myself. Kinda stupid.
Anyway, enough "bloggin" for the night. I actually look forward to the future and ranting about my life, my thoughts, and of course my heroes! Who are those heroes, you ask Mr. blog reader who doesn't exist? Well, they are drug abusing, pill popping athletes and my parents!! Go Cubs!