HSO's for the day...

Back To the Important Stuff

2006-03-14T20:27:00.000-08:00

To the four people who read this, I apologize for the ramblings of the last post. I also apologize for the time between posts. For what it's worth, 18 hours of school tend to cut down on free time. But back to the basics for me now...Sports.
The hot topic of this week is of course the NCAA tournament. I could easily give all of my opinions on the brackets, seeds, and winners, but that is too overdone for my tastes. So here is a story that flys below the radar. But not my radar because I have a personal stake in the matter. The story comes from dallascowboys.com and is as follows...

IRVING, Texas - The Cowboys seem to be saying more goodbyes than "hellos" these days.
On the same day the Cowboys released veteran wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, they also saw free-agent tight end Dan Campbell sign a five-year contract with the Lions.
Campbell, one of the club's nine unrestricted free agents this off-season, said last week his agent had not spoken to the Cowboys about a new deal in more than two months.
The seven-year veteran, who had spent the last three years in Dallas, met with the Saints late last week before settling with the Lions.
In seven years, Campbell has started 65 of 95 career games. He has 68 catches for 604 yards and seven touchdowns.
After playing his first four years with the Giants, Campbell became one of Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells' first free-agent signings in 2003.
In three years with the Cowboys, Campbell caught 25 passes for 235 yards and two scores. He did miss 13 games of the 2004 season after suffering torn foot ligaments in the third game of the year.
Campbell becomes the second unrestricted free agent to sign with another club. Outside linebacker Scott Fujita signed Monday with the Saints, joining former Cowboys assistant head coach Sean Payton, who was named Saints head coach last month.

So what is the big deal???

Perhaps it is the fact that my granddad coached him, or that I idolized him growin up, or that I still have his autograph on a Glen Rose High School football. But all of that aside, it is the fact that this man did all the little things. He blocked when no one saw him, hit the weightroom when no one was there, led when others followed. He is the type of guy that holds a team together. So why would you let that type of guy get away. Money? Apathy? Stupidity?
Whatever the reason it seems like a mistake that could bite the 'Boys in the butt repeatedly. So congratultions to the Detroit Lions on getting a guy that can carry a team when no one notices. And wherever it is Dan Campbell is, he will always be one of the guys you can count on to do the little things. And that is a big deal!

On a side note...

As I sat here writing this I got a call from one of my best friends, Jamar Gorman. He was callin to say bye because he is shipping out with the Marines at 4 this morning. If you pray, pray for him. If you write, write to him. If you do anything, just remember that he and so many other best friends are in harm's way and we should all be greatful for these people. So please when you get a spare moment in your day just think of Jamar and say a little prayer to bring him back safe.

This one's for the ladies...

2006-03-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

I know you want me to blog more Emily... but the truth is I have been combing the campus of ACU for someone...anyone and that has taken up most of my time. See the thing is I have never been one of those guys that has to be in a relationship or needs companionship. I tend to entertain myself and in many cases avoid relationships. I will stockpile as many friends as possible but it takes a rare one to put me on lockdown. It's not that I haven't enjoyed my past relationships...and it's not as if I'm too busy or too cool...it's just how I have always been. But for some reason things have changed recently. You turn 21 and all of the sudden you start to feel old...you feel old and you feel like you should be doing meaningful things in your life...not to mention all your friends around you getting more and more serious and more and more mature. Well I wasn't supposed to follow suit, I wanted to do things my way...it just turns out my way has changed a little. I'm out of the quick-fling-relationships phase that has lasted the better part of 8 years...I'm on the market for something meaningful. I need a good girl, someone who can hold me accountable, someone to have fun with, someone who can't drink me under the table! So I'm sorry it has taken me so long to update my blog Em...it's just I have more pressing issues at the moment and the internet is not the place to deal with them...well I mean at least not for me...you know it works for some people but it's just not my style...you know it's just a little too creepy for me--the whole meeting online thing, then you IM for a while, then maybe get some coffee--like that routine would work I mean who honestly does that....sorry I went off on a tangent but here is your update and I am glad you used ALL your resouces to solve the same problem that now plagues me----and to think...I'm the sexy one!

My Obligitory Dook Sucks Post!

2006-01-09T19:48:00.000-08:00

When Vitale talks of Duke, he gushes. I want to reach through the television screen and beat him over his shiny bald head.

--Jared Thorne, The New Hampshire Online

Krzyzewski went on to rant that officials are being unfair to his team because they're intimidated by others saying Duke gets the benefit of calls. This season, Krzyzewski is apparently angry officials have only called 82 more fouls on Duke's opponents. Kentucky, by comparison, was called for 18 more fouls than its opponents this season.
--Seth Emerson, The Albany Herald

There's something somewhat perplexing about journeying into Cameron Indoor Stadium. You know that the Cameron Crazies are supposed to be funny and hysterical, because Dick Vitale tells us so at every opportunity. So every time the Crazies open their collective mouths, you expect something witty and humorous to come out. But the truth is that the student section is really the world's largest group of people who spent high school being beaten up and getting their lunch money stolen.
--Adam Lucas, goheels.com

Shavlik and his parents are all quick to point out that girls do not figure into his life at this point. They are "out of his comfort level."

--Kim Randolph, Shavlik's mother

In 2002, ESPN reported that recruit Sean Dockery, now a sophomore, did not meet NCAA minimum requirements with grades and test scores through his junior year in high school. In a special on college athletics and academics that questioned the practice of athletes being herded into certain majors, ESPN also highlighted the number of Duke players who have majored in sociology. In both cases, Krzyzewski publicly objected to the tone and accuracy of the reports.

--LUCIANA CHAVEZ, newsobserver.com

I like that Coach K truly cares for his players after their playing days are finished, even guys like Maggette and William Avery, whose early NBA departures rocked the program. I dislike that in recent years some of his players' parents have been moving to the Durham area with their sons and getting jobs with companies run by Duke boosters.

--Gregg Doyel, CBS Sportsline

KEEP PICKIN' j.j.

KEEP CUTTIN' 'EM DOWN ROY

Shut Up and Call the Game!!!

2006-01-08T21:25:00.000-08:00

PIC OF THE DAY:

HSO FOR THE DAY:

So many people dream of one day having the privilege of being a sports broadcaster. It is a very difficult business to break into, especially on the national level. The lucky ones that make it carry the task of giving millions of viewers their own personal account of the action in front of them. The broadcaster is lucky enough to attend a wide array of sporting events and see so many things live that sports nuts like myself can only dream of. And we, the sports nuts, are fans of so many different teams. Fans of the Cowboys, Redskins, 49ers, Browns, Raiders, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs, Cardinals, Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, 76ers, Bulls, Red Wings, Stars, Canadiens, Avalanche, Tar Heels, Blue Devils, Jayhawks, Bruins, Sooners, Longhorns, Trojans...we all come together whenever a sporting event takes place. We watch from our living rooms, listen in our cars, or even keep up with the play-by-play via the internet. We seek out an eyewitness account that can help put us in that 50-yardline seat we so wish we had. In a world so caught up in politics and who is right and who is wrong, we look for the bipartisanism that Capitol Hill can only dream of! Sure, when we listen to the local coverage on the radio or a local TV network, we want to hear the homer. We want our team's broadcaster to unabashedly show his favoritism. It ends there. When watching a national television broadcast we, the viewer, deserve an announcer who simply calls the action. It was so very irritating to listen to Keith Jackson's call of the Rose Bowl this past week. Just because he coined the phrase, "The granddaddy of 'em all" does not give him the right to devoid the viewing public of a neutral account. If I were a Texas fan, then I would have to think my opinion wasn't neutral enough to make such a comment. However, being the Sooner fan I am, I feel I have to point out this injustice done to the moronic fans of the burnt orange (I had to take a shot somewhere in here). At one point, following the comments of his fellow announcer regarding the Longhorns' comebacks this season, Jackson remarked, "Yea, but they haven't played anyone the likes of USC!" Well Keith, it seems that didn't much matter to Vince Young. It is Jackson's job to call the game, not promote his favorite team. Everytime a national announcer takes to the booth, they lose their right to have a favorite team if only for a few hours. Keith is a legend in the world of sports broadcasting, and deservedly so, but he still has a resposibility to the fan. Don't worry Keith, you aren't alone. Another broadcasting legend, Dick Vitale, is guilty of the same offense. But this bald, loud-mouthed fiend is a worse offender for two reasons.

1.) He promotes his favorite, Duke, every single time he does a game. He sings their praises no matter who is playing in the game he is broadcasting, even when neither team is Duke.

2.) I hate Duke!!! Yes, this one is personal Dickie V. As a diehard UNC fan, nothing makes me more angry than having to listen to old Baldie's Duke-Loving comments while I'm watching a Big 10 or SEC basketball game.

Then there are those days in February when you have to put up with his stupid accent soiling the most storied rivalry in college basketball, perhaps even all of sports! So Keith, Dick, and every other fan in the broadcast booth...think, then talk! You are an announcer, not a fan when you are up there. So whatever you do, please just quit calling the games like we sports nuts would if we were there, it isn't in your job description!

SPORTS STORY OF THE DAY:

UT's Vince Young forgoes final year to enter NFL Draft

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"I'm going to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes."

-Senior basketball player at the University of Pittsburgh

Everything from Crotch Shots to Calf Stomps!

2006-01-07T01:07:00.000-08:00

PIC OF THE DAY:
HSO FOR THE DAY:

Some people just can't seem to take advantage of the God-given gifts they receive. Marcus Vick, younger brother of Falcons All-Pro QB Michael Vick, is a prime example of a bad head on an incredibly gifted set of shoulders. The Virginia Tech Junior QB, who has been dismissed from the program, showed his immaturity on the field during Va. Tech's 35-24 win over Louisville in the Gator Bowl. The immensely talented dual-threat QB threw for 17 TDs on the season and ran for another 6. But the number that stands out in Vick's soiled career is 58. That's the number of Louisville DE Elvis Dumervil. Vick inexpiclably stomped on the calf of Dumervil following a run.
Video of the Stomp
This ridiculous move is the last in a long line of mishaps for the Junior. He was dismissed from the team in the past for contributing to minors, posession of an illegal narcotic, and other undisclosed team violations. He has now been dismissed permanently for his latest action...seen in clear view by a national television audience. He even had the audacity to claim "it was an accident." His exact words...but anyone who saw it could see his immaturity in plain view. Dumervil, the NCAA sack leader, was not injured and surprisingly managed not to retaliate in any extreme manner. Perhaps Vick would be well served to sit down and take some advice from Dumervil, an athlete who demonstrated maturity to go along with talent. Vick has now declared himself eligible for the NFL draft. His stock has most likely fallen based on character issues. Rest assured though, some team will take him on draft day and resolve to help change his attitude and capitalize on his amazing talent (please not my cowboys!). Well good luck with that and if you are the rival of the team that does gamble on Vick...find a way to get Mr. Elvis Dumervil on your defensive line. He just might be interested in another shot at Marcus Vick!

SPORTS STORY OF THE DAY:

ACU's Danieal Manning forgoes final year to enter NFL Draft

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"Hawaii doesn't win many games in the United States."

-Football analyst Lee Corso

Football...You will be Missed

2006-01-05T17:24:00.000-08:00

Last night officially brought an end to the college football season, one that sees TCU in the top 10 of the coaches poll, OU finishing on a promising note, Vince Young ruining Keith Jackson's new year, and the return of Notre Dame, Penn St., and Bama. It has been a good year for college football with many great moments. But now it is over and with the Cowboys missing the playoffs thanks to a collapse down the stretch my life just got a little less meaningful. Of course there are the Mavericks and the defending National Champion Tar Heels, but there is something missing now that football seems over. I will watch the playoffs with a little interest but with none of my hopes hinging on what one team does. Basketball doesn't really become life or death until the playoffs/NCAA tourney. But football, whether high school, college, or NFL seems to determine my mood weekly. An OU loss and everything is just a little off...and when the Cowboys lose....I won't even turn on the TV for fear of seeing a highlight that will trigger a flashback and cause me to convulse in agony. Oh football season...it is such a beautiful time of year, but one that brings with it stress, despair, pain, and pure uter joy. So now I can sit here and ponder next year....will OU be back, will TCU go undefeated (thank God the two don't play again b/c that was the defintion of bittersweet!), who will the Cowboys draft, will we go back to the playoffs???? All of these questions will sustain me until that first article from Oxnard in regards to Cowboys Training Camp. It seemed too short, but it was a fun year and even though I'm not a fan it is nice to see the Nat'l Championship in Texas rather than California....this is where football lives so why not have the Sears Trophy as well. So go Mavs, Go Heels, Go Rangers....but please....go quickly so that football will return to me and my life will be whole once more!!!