Of Politics and Football

Since this election process is starting to bore me, I have been searching for a different perspective. The truth is that both of these guys are actually fairly close together in most of their philosophies. They both will lead us to bigger government. They both will seek to “help” me when I just want to be left alone. And lastly, they both hunger for power and fame and not what is truly the best for our country as a whole. They pander to voters all over the map, and yet their actually philosophies are rather tired and in concrete.

At the end of the day on November 4th, I will poke at John McCain’s name on my touch screen ballot. Why? Well, John McCain and I agree on the really meaningful stuff. We agree on life being an important thing to protect, and that a Baby has rights as well as the mother. We agree that we must win in Iraq, and not flee like dogs with our tails between our legs. We agree that we must drill for oil offshore (and in Alaska for me) and we must build more nuclear plants now. We agree that diplomacy should be done with a strong arm and we shouldn’t bow down before our enemies. So we do agree on quite a lot even though we disagree on many areas (especially this government buying bad mortgages thing, but that’s another topic for another day). Mr. Obama and I agree on zip, zero, nada!

Then I got thinking of other ways I could differentiate the two since they are fairly similar. So, I went to my favorite arena: the sports world. In both politics and sports, there are many people that would be considered successful to varying degrees. But, to me it comes down to style. So I will now try to relate the style of our 2 presidential candidates to that of some greatly successful players in the National Football League.

I would relate the style of John McCain to that of Drew Brees or Barry Sanders. Both were/are fantastic players with real skill and determination to beat the odds. However, both are very quiet and matter of fact people. They just keep plugging away towards the goals that they have; and don’t let detractors, failures, or fan opinion sway their resolve. They are both team players, and willing to sacrifice the glory if it means a win. They are stars of course, but without all the flash and baggage. They also both live and play with integrity and honor. Barry took it right to the end of his career when he left seemingly at the top. He pushed aside the accolades and the fame to leave on his own terms to do what he felt was right for him and his family. Both were/are consistent performers throughout their career. John McCain is much the same. He’s not afraid to go against the grain, but typically he is running below the radar. When all the Barack the rock star stuff was in full effect, you hardly heard from McCain at all. He was almost completely ignored by the media, but I think that is the way he likes it. But, don’t mistake that for lack of resolve. He will work amidst the fray to do the best that he can for the country.

I would conversely relate they style of Barack Obama to that of Terrell Owens or Jeremy Shockey. These guys are all about: “Me, Me, Me”. Neither is happy when they are not the star. Neither is happy when they are not getting thrown the ball enough. Neither are happy unless they are on TV once a day. They are attention hogs, and darlings of the media. They have both had success, but not to the degree of the promise they have shown. If you listen to them or their pals in the media they may be the best at their position ever. If you look at the stats and wins and losses, they don’t live quite up to that. They are an emotional drain on their coaches and their teammates. They have both destroyed team unity. Everyone always thought the Eagles teams with Owens on them should be Super Bowl contenders, but at some point every year Owens imploded and so did the team. Owens crazy celebration antics are always a distraction to the team as well. He has always been into something that takes the media focus to “TO” and off of the team. Shockey was a ball hog with the Giants, and always wanted Eli Manning to look to him first. Look at what happened last year when Shockey got hurt, and Manning felt like he could spread the ball around. They took off, Eil is suddenly great, and they won the Super Bowl. This guy is so selfish and focused on stardom, it’s not funny! Now take Mr. Obama. If you listen to the media, you would be sure that this man has the most leadership experience ever and a record of reform to go with it. You would think that the stardom he now has came from some really big accomplishments. He talks a big game (when he has a teleprompter). He goes on for hours about nothing, and yet the media keeps pumping the hype. He takes all of the credit (for what I don’t know), but never owns up to mistakes. He distracts from the political process, and has turned the whole thing into a circus (or maybe a Touchdown celebration). As far as success or real displayed leadership, I can’t seem to find much. As far as being a team player, I see no evidence of it. As far as serving anyone’s interest but his own, it’s just not happening.

So, as you can see I prefer Mr. McCain’s tried and true leadership under the radar to Mr. Obama’s empty rhetoric and lack of results. You use what ever method you choose to make up your mind. In my case I think I’ve found a good one!

That’s my 2.5 cents. So are you ready for some Football?

A Charger Fan's "Ode to Ed Hochuli"

Oh Ed, Dear Ed,
It seems you are quite the man!
But Ed, Dear Ed,
On Sunday you lost your head.

Oh NO Mr. Ed, Oh NO,
Don’t blow the whistle yet,
Cutler, yes Cutler just now lost the ball,
Don’t make a call you’ll regret.

NO Ed, Are you kidding Ed?
A Fumble it was just now.
Well Ed, Dear Ed,
You’ve killed the Bolts with a POW!

Thanks Ed, Dear Ed,
For admitting you did bad.
But ED, Dear ED,
The Chargers were who was had!

OH ED, Dear ED,
Should I give you a break?
Well Ed, Dear Ed,
It’s too hard for me to fake.

So Ed, Dear Ed,
I hope you have a good day.
Oh Ed, Dear Ed,
While the Bolts win the Super Bowl anyway.

That’s my 2.5 cents. My apologies to real Poets everywhere!
PS - This was written in jest as a response to some friends who have been hard on this lone Virginia Charger fan (it seems). I understand that mistakes happen and Ed is a great official, not to mention the fact that he could crush me with his Biceps.

To all the Charger Fans who have sent Mr. Hochuli hate mail and threats, please leave and go be a Raider Fan!

Senseless Playoff Picking time

I've held off on doing any NFL playoff picks so far. But now that the 4 Conference championship games seem to be toss-ups, I'll take a shot at it. I have heard picks on both sides of both games.

Let's start with the NFC, the home of the weirdest grouping of Playoff teams ever. Now we are down to the obvious Pick going in - Seattle, and the 5 seed - Carolina. This one is a no brainer to me. In the playoffs, defense wins every time. Yes, Sean Alexander will get his yards. Yes, Matt Hassleback will have some success throwing the ball around. But, Carolina will cause turnovers, and they will decide this game. Not to mention Steve Smith and Jake Delhomme. They dismantled the supposed #1 defense (who hadn’t played much of anyone) last week and made it look like they were playing a high school team. So, my pick is the Road Warrior Carolina Panthers to make the Super bowl with a 31 - 24 win over the playoff cursed Seahawks.
Now for the AFC game no one predicted. All the "experts" said it would be the Patsies and the Colts. They were wrong. I said all along that Denver would make it. I did not see the Steelers coming. As a Charger fan, I assumed the Steelers would lose out in favor of my Chargers. But, Pittsburgh is there, and playing well. This is the real toss up. Both are great defenses with great pass rush, great secondaries, and the ability to limit the run. I'm impressed with the growth of both QBs this year. I'm not ready to anoint either as great QBs, but both are very efficient and are now limiting errors well. Both running games are good, but Denver's combo is more consistent. The receivers are pretty even as well with Rod Smith and Hines Ward as the big dogs. I will say Pittsburgh’s receivers have the edge in big play potential. One difference is that with the emergence of "Big Money" Heath Miller, Pittsburgh has a great option at Tight end that Denver does not really have with Putzier. So what separates these 2 teams on Sunday? Here is where I make Pittsburgh fans mad. 2 things: Coaching and home field advantage. I feel strongly that Shanahan's playoff and Super Bowl experience will make the biggest difference. No one game plans better for these types of games. He will have this team ready, and they will shock the Steelers like the Steelers did the Colts last week. No, I don't mean Dominating Drives. I mean they will have a plan that will totally control the momentum of the game. On the other point, I know I picked the road team in the Carolina game, but those teams were not nearly as even as these 2. First off, Denver is virtually unbeatable in their house, and second Denver has only played one game and it was at home. They are fresh, and Pittsburgh is road Weary. At the end of this one, it will be Denver 35 Pittsburgh 24.

Those are my 2 cent predictions for what it's worth.

Quick College Football Gripes

OK, I stayed up until 1am to watch one of the best football games I've ever seen and the best individual college performance I've ever seen. The Texas vs. USC match-up is the first game to live up to the Hype in a long time. Unbelievably, I still have a short list of Gripes. So, Here goes.

1. Keith Jackson? What was up with that? Keith, my friend, I feel the same way about you as I do Bret Favre. You have both had tremendous runs as the best at what you do, but it is time to hang it up. I've never heard a play-by-play guy make so many mis-statements in my life. And what is with the "times out" deal? You will always be remembered, but please stay off of my TV.
2. Bowl Officiating? Was this not the worst case of bowl game officiating ever? It was horrable all around. So why did I think the National Championship game under the not so watchful eye of the NCAA would be any different.? Thank goodness that those horrable calls didn't ruin the outcome of the game. My wife said to me "they sure are having to review a lot of calls". That is because there were so many bad ones. What a disgrace. I wish the NCAA would pay some attention to the officiating issues and not spend so much time worrying about a coach who bough a recruit a donut at Saint Wigwaam University.
3. The unfairness of the media hype machine- You got a good look last night at what I've been saying the whole year. Vince Young, not Reggie Bush, should have won the Hiesman Trophy. Texas gets so much less publicity and game exposure than USC that everyone thinks Reggie Bush is the end all be all and Vince Young is just OK. Last night Vince young proved his point and vaulted himself ahead of Leinert if he comes out for the draft. I'll even say that Houston has to take a second look at Vince Young over David Carr instead of just simply defalting to Reggie Bush.
   
4. Dan Fouts doesn't get enough credit as a Color guy. He did a great job last night.
5. 4-1 Pete Carroll doesn't look so Brilliant. Where was Reggie Bush (Decoy or otherwise) on that 4-1 play at the end. It made the offence very one dimensional and easy to stop. Bad call Pete.
6. Matt Leinert Can't run.
   
7. The stupid games start too late. Start them at 7pm so I can get to bed before too late. Now I'm tired, grumpy, and mean. Wait, that is not exclusive to today! Sorry!
8. That's my 2.1 cents!
   

My Top Ten New Years Resolutions for 2006 that most likely will not last

10. Stop watching 24 Hour Cable news. They are so hungry for news that they report speculation and not fact. I can't tell you how many times I've heard them have to correct information; it is just usually smaller information. In the case of the WV Coal Mine incident, it was just big enough to raise eyebrows. Who am I kidding, I'm a hopeless spot news (must know right now or die) addict.

9. Try not to get mad at idiot Virginia Drivers. This will be a tough one. Most folks around here don't understand that acceleration lanes are a place to accelerate, NOT STOP! I also hate the slowpokes in the passing lane. Must learn to love them and be patient with them, good luck!

8. Start looking for capital to start a year round Professional Football league. There is still a month until the Super Bowl, and I'm having withdrawal symptoms already. OK, I know, wish in one hand and you know what in the other. . .

7. Never eat at McDonalds again. My distaste for both their food and their ultra-brat, teenage, smart-mouthed, brainless excuse for workers has driven me to a full-on boycott of the lousy franchise. I have given in to my wife and children in 2005 maybe 10 or 15 times and gone there only to be totally disgusted and mad upon leaving. My 2006 goal is to not darken their stupid doorways or drive throughs at all. My daughter's big brown eyes are already beginning to burn a hole in my heart. So, this one may not happen.

6. Give in to the friends and begin to look for the right fit for a run for political office. For years, friends have mentioned that they would love to see me run for political office, and they would vote for me. I have often said that the world is not ready for someone to the right of Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage. I've also said that I'd have to run as an independent because the Republican Party would never stand for an uncontrollable candidate. I would vote my way, and speak my mind (ouch that hurts already). But this time it's for real, I'm going to do it. OK maybe I should just give this one up again before it even starts.

5. I plan to do something kind for a stranger every day in 2006. Wait, I already do this now. I open doors for people who are rude or worse in return. I've even been told by an obvious feminist that I was insulting her by holding the door. I am one of the few people who let the crazy drivers in front of me when leaving a crowded parking lot. In turn they flip me off. I try to saw kind words to everyone as I pass, only to be given a nasty look. I try to be patient with the stupid clerks at Wal-Mart, only to get bomblasted with the fact that they don't want to be there and generally hate everyone. OK, I'll already revise this one. I plan to do something nice for all of my civil friends and family every day in 2006.

4. Stop listening to sports radio. I don't think it is healthy to overload my tiny little brain with so many different people's crazy opinions. It also adversely affected my fantasy football performance this year because I listened to too many experts. So, I will no longer listen to that stuff. OK, so I've already screwed that one up, I'm listening to Dan Patrick right now.

3. Begin a new daily exercise program. That was last year, and it lasted for 2 weeks. 2 years ago it went for 8 months. OOPS.

2. Stop asking everyone the huge cliché, bla bla bla question everyone asks when they run into someone "how are you doing?" Aren't you sick of hearing that question? I always tell people the honest answer when I'm asked that question. So, for the upcoming year, I plan to bite my tongue and say something different to folks. It's such a habit phrase, this one could fall quickly!

1. I want to start a campaign to smack anyone who I see using the bathroom and then walking out without washing their hands. I normally just boil inside in disgust when I see this, but no more. I will speak out to everyone I see do this. OK, you think I'm overreacting? Next time you are eating your lunch in the break room at your office just look around at everyone touching everything and think about how many of them didn't wash their hands. I hope you keep your double bologna super cheese sandwich down. I feel sick!

Let's start on the lighthearted side.

SAMKON GADO

Dec. 13th

What a great story! I am a graduate of Liberty University in Lynchburg ,Virginia where I still live. I also love sports, especially the NFL! Well, over the years little lowly Liberty has had very few NFL stories to talk about. There was Kelvin Edwards a Wide out for the Cowboys in the early 90s. There was Eric Green a huge Tight end for the Steelers in the 90s who snorted his success away (great testamony there). There was James McKnight a Wide Out for the Dolphins. And then there was Dwayne Carswell "HOUSE" a tight end and then offensive tackle for the Broncos who won 2 Superbowl Titles. But overall not much to talk about, and certainly not a great Christian Testamony.

Now, there is Samkon Gado (rookie RB Green Bay Packers), and what a story he is. He has the talent, he has great speed, he has quick moves, and he is putting up huge stats and breaking records. He has the mind and the vision to see the field and the holes to run through. He has the drive to learn a complex offense very quickly and thrive in it. But that is not what is making the story so great in my eyes. The story is the man his is. He is a Godly, dedicated, and very humble man. The media is shocked that a guy who is making it in the NFL, still wants to be a doctor some day and help people. There are already stories about the impact he has made on his teammates as a person. He is already found a group of teammates that have a weekly bible study at Kabeer Gbaja-Bjamila's (another Nigerian) house, and is deeply involved with that.

Yes, the 64 yard TD he ran on Sunday night against Detroit (Picture above) was awesome. And the 30 yd TD and spin move against Pro Bowler Brian Dawkins and the Eagles was unbelievable. The other 5 TDs were awesome too. His stats after 6 games rival those of many rookie runners through a whole season. He is the real deal and very fun to watch.

But, to me the impact he is having through his unbelievable humility and his hard working spirit is much more impressive. Take these quote from Samkon after his 171 yard 1TD performance on Sunday night. "I think it's too soon to say that, even if I have 100 yard games the rest of the season," Gado said. "I am not worried about being labeled as a legitimate NFL running back although I would like to be. I think in the end, I just want to get better." And even after his third 100 year plus game, he turned the spotlight on his teammates. "It's obviously a team effort," Gado explained. "If you look at some of those runs, I wasn't even touched. It really is humbling to be a beneficiary of all their hard work." He was the whole show for ESPN's commentators on Sunday night. What a great impact he is having on his coaches, and the team as a whole. No, the packers still are not very good, and will not make tha playoffs. But, this team is so much better with Samkon Gado than without him. He has won 2 games almost on his own, and has changed the attittude of much of the team.

My 2 cents. Go Sam!