11/13/2009

Update on ... SPORTS!

OK - So - I've been a little preoccupied with "life stuff" over the last few months and I just figured it was WAY too long since I've written a sports related post... I don't have any specific topic to dive into - so I just thought I'd give my take on my favorite teams and some other random commentary ...

My Favorite Teams:
  • I told myself that I'm going to give Rich Rodriguez a couple of years before I jumped to judgment.  College Football is all about having players to fit your system - and especially in Rich Rodriguez's case - he needs time before being fairly evaluated ... This all said ... I've watched most of our games this year - and while I recognize we have a lot of young players in important positions - I have found myself saying "that was not a good coaching decision" on a number of occasions ... I can't say that I'm necessarily "hopeful" that UM is less patient than I'm trying to be .... I just want to beat Ohio State in 2 weeks .... You do that Mr. Rodriguez and we're cool.
  • I like what I'm seeing as a long-time Dol-Phan.  There will be no play-off appearance this year - but I feel like we have a solid situation brewing ... I believe in The Tuna and Tony Sparano .... Although I like Chad Pennington, I feel like giving Chad Henne this year full of low expectations will do wonders for him down the road.  Our offensive line is solid and we have good mix of veteran and young pieces on both sides of the ball ... Look for the Phins to win the AFC East in 2010 ... Yes - that's right.
  • The Miami Heat are 6-2, although they haven't beaten any team that is going to fight for an NBA Championship.  Both losses were to teams that should be doing that in June...  This said - we all know that the Heat are playing for 2010 - without coming out and saying that because D. Wade has put the pressure on to be competitive now.... I think the Heat are doing that.  Jermaine O'Neal has potential to be a solid #3 contributor as does Be-Easy Beasley but Jermaine is a couple of years removed from being a #2 and Beasley is a couple years early from being a #2 (and I think he can be ... I think he's Rasheed Wallace-esque when it's all said and done for him).  Pat Riley did a good enough job in the off-season getting Q. Richardson (D. Wade's friend) to help with veteran play during crunch time and signing Carlos Arroyo as the back-up point-guard.  (I'm sorry but Chris Quinn was never the answer there).  If I'm any team in the East, I don't want to play the Heat in the play-offs merely because Dwayne Wade can single-handaly win a Championship himself (like he did in 2006) depending on the match-ups.  So as of now - I have the Heat getting to at least the 2nd round of the play-offs this year and perhaps farther depending on the match-up...
  • Michigan Hoops is getting some hype.  Top 15 pre-season ranking (Honestly cannot remember the last time this happened ... Fab Five maybe ... seriously). My favorite player on the team is DeShawn Sims (he's so under-rated) but the hype is around Manny Harris (I think he's over-rated).  The pieces around them both are typical John Beilen shooters/scrappers - but I'm not buying that Michigan is any true National Championship threat just yet.  I will enjoy watching games this year - and will be rooting/watching with a lot of interest - but it's just been so long that I could have confidence in our hoops program that I forgot what it feels like...
General Sports Commentary:
  • I have a genuine love the NFL - but I'm starting to get really annoyed but the NFL Media Machine... I don't care that Vernon Davis "called out" the team that he's playing this week... I didn't need to hear about Brett Favre and his trip to Green Bay 1000 times in the week leading up to the game ... It's gotten to the point that I really don't like mainstream NFL media coverage.  I get enough from my weekly fantasy research that I do on my own online...
  • I saw pieces of that Tim Donaguey book that the publisher canceled.  Seemed REALLY interesting - and while it appears he has Jose Canseco-like credibility - I still think it's interesting... Can't we get Mark Cuban to pay someone to look back to the video on all the specific cases he mentions to see if there is some validity?
  • I've heard of some fantasy leagues that kick-out teams if they come in last place for two years+ in a row ...  Can't the major sports leagues do the same?  The Cleveland Browns, Memphis Grizzlies, Pittsburgh Pirates .... There needs to be some penalty for not competing over a certain stretch of time ... call it 10 years then ... Just seems fair.  Plenty of cities would support franchises and expansion just isn't going to happen in any of the major sports leagues anytime soon.
  • Seriously - the NHL is still in business?  Crosby, Ovechin, blah, blah, blah.  I've got no interest - and only have one friend who even follows the sports anymore ...
  • Loved watching the World Series of Poker.  I know a lot of people (especially women) don't get it -- but I love watching Hold em on TV.  A 21 year old (from the University of Michigan!) won the Main Event!  Can you imagine getting $8.5 Million after graduating college??  Nuts.
That's it.  Hopefully it won't be so long in between my sports related posts...

11/06/2009

Oh Crap - I'm "that guy"

It's inevitable - but when you get to certain points of your life - you sometimes look back and say, "Shit - I promised myself when I got here - that I wouldn't do X" ... Well, earlier this week - I got that feeling...

You see - my daughter is obviously the cutest thing in the world in my mind. And you combine the general cutest thing in the world + a very cute Halloween costume, and you get a father who is busting at the seams to share pictures with people.... So - Yes - I was "that guy."

Ideally, I'd be someone who is happy to share pictures - but acknowledges that seeing pictures of peoples' kids is a polite, socially acceptable thing - but not something most people will value even close to as much as each individual parent. Ideally I wouldn't be someone who shoves his iPhone in front of people who haven't even finished the sentence of "Oh - do you have (shove) ........ pictures?"

I hate being the cliche'. I don't feel any less proud or amazed at my daughter's cute-ness -- but I would like to not be "that guy."

So ... please be patient as I get used to this new phase of my life - and I promise to try and not be "that guy" for long....