Final Brady Quinn Commentary

The gentlemen at the Blue-Gray Sky blog have put together the most absolutely complete and concise look at the travesty that was the media's treatment of Brady Quinn this season.

My only comments: is Troy Smith a good player? Yes. Is Brady Quinn a better player? Yes. He did more against a tougher schedule (complain all you want about ND's playing the three service academies, one of whom went 9-3. ND's strength of schedule was 19th in the country versus tOSU's 40th) and with fewer quality supporting players.

ESPN and the rest should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for their anti-Notre Dame bias. If Katie Couric or Brian Williams showed this much enmity for Israel or France in the news, they'd be roundly lambasted and forced to make public apologies, if not openly fired. But in sports, it seems to be perfectly acceptable to hate on one team and focus the opinions of the sports world against them.

U.S. Soccer Legend Lamar Hunt Dies

Wow... talk about coming out of the blue. I heard about this today when I was reading my ESPN email newsletter and was totally taken aback. Lamar Hunt, for those of you who don't know, isn't just the founder of the AFL and the Super Bowl, he's also one of the biggest proponents of soccer in the US. He was an owner of a team in the old NASL, and of course he was the owner (at one time or another) of the Columbus Crew, the Dallas Burn, and the Kansas City Wizards of MLS.

He died of prostate cancer after a long fight. May he rest in peace.

A Different Christmas Poem

You may have seen this before, but I think it's important not to forget. No matter what you think about this war we're in, the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who are out there fighting it need our support.

---

A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts...
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother...

Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

PLEASE, Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S servicemen and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let s try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

A Great Idea

I'm sure that, like me, you see a lot of Hummers driving around. I have a great idea about how to get their drivers' goats for wasting our gas, clogging our roads and parking spaces, and basically just being selfish.

I've posted this cartoon before, but I suggest that everyone print this off, copy it a whole bunch of times, and put it on every Hummer you can see!

Urine-strumental in Efforts to Save Fuel

According to this news flash, Chinese Southern Airlines is requesting that its passengers relieve themselves before getting onto their flights in an attempt to save fuel. More at the link.

Frankly, I think this is great. China isn't nearly as hung up on such things as publicly discussing bodily functions as we are and such measures, while seeming a bit odd to us, can truly help.

But that doesn't stop me from posting this picture.

Lessons Of Vietnam

Keith Olbermann does it again, this time speaking candidly about the lessons that the Vietnam War should have impressed on our president. Instead Bush ignores them and continues to insist that "we only lose if we leave."



Also, here are some great comments on Olbermann from the Nation (reprinted by Alternet) that compare him to - who else? - Edward R. Murrow. Where have I heard that before?

Quinn Wins Award For Nation's Best Player

It's not the Heisman, but it rewards the same thing: best college football player in the country. It's the Maxwell Award, given by the Maxwell Football Club in honor of Robert W. (Tiny) Maxwell, legendary college player, official and sports columnist. And this year it went to top quarterback Brady Quinn, of Notre Dame.

Interestingly enough, last year the awards were split between Texas's Vince Young winning the Maxwell and USC player (of questionable status) Reggie Bush winning the Heisman. And this year, with OSU's Troy Smith (also of questionable status) being the front-runner for the Heisman, the awards may be split again.

Seems the Maxwell award has more scruples than the Heisman, given the fact that this year's probable winner of the latter and last year's winner both were/are under investigation for breaking NCAA rules for taking money.

Coldest. Ride. Ever.

Okay, today was tough. The issue with the balaclava not protecting the top of my head well was still an issue, and so were the cold hands. But I still persevered and rode in to work today.

A note that only you guys may get: boxers don't work too well for a bike ride. I'm gonna have to get more boxer briefs, I think. Enough said on that. It'll be warmer, too.

Some other stuff I'm going to need includes some wind/rain pants. Until I get going, the legs get a bit cold. And even when I am going (and I generally wear fleece-lined pants in the winter) it's not quite as toasty as I'd like.

But I still got to work feeling great, so it's not like I'm going to give up the bike any time soon.

Buckeyes Football Fails In the Most Important Category

A very interesting article in the Boston Globe calls attention to some interesting statistics in the graduation of football players: the gap between the graduation rates of white and black players. Notre Dame is in the top bracket of this category, as expected, and other notable academic schools such as Navy, Rice, and Boston College rank highly here as well. But Ohio State ranks dead last with a black graduation rate of only 32 percent coupled with a white graduation rate of 85 percent. That's a difference of 53 percent.

The arguments will be made that lots of players leave college early to play in the pro ranks, and also that the universities can't be held accountable for the actions of their players. I'll agree with the first one with some caveats, and totally dismiss the second.

First: yes, it does make sense for many players to leave college early to play professional ball. The risk of getting injured in college ball and not getting that big paycheck in the NFL is one that is a calculated risk for many players. And to go back and get a degree later, after the paycheck is in the bank, so to speak, is a better option.

However - and this leads into my next point - I sincerely doubt that too many guys are taking that option and actually getting their degree after leaving early. That's where the real problem is: young men who see college simply as a way to get into the NFL. Granted, many coaches are able to recruit fairly well with promises that they'll have a better shot at the NFL is they come to X school. ND's Charlie Weis may be the best example of this. But the point of college athletics is for students who might not be able to pay for college to get a shot at higher education by cashing in on their athletic skills, and Notre Dame does not fail at this, based on the percentages in this article. The idea, of course, is that a player who has the drive to excel at athletics can develop the same drive to get a degree.

Obviously, that's not what the situation is in the country now, and I'm under no delusions that this is the case. However, the role of the NCAA should be to try to MAKE that the situation in any way possible. Let's face it: pro sports can't continue on the path they are on - perpetually increasing salaries leading to increased ticket prices are simply putting pro sports out of the realm of possibility for too many in this country. It's going to fall apart at some point. And the need for athletes to have an education is going to be more important than ever.

So shame on you, Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, and you others who are failing your players by not working with them more in regards to graduation. You are cashing in on your players and not giving them the very basics that an institution of learning should be providing.

First Snow Bike

Just as Jenn was leaving for work this morning with Duncan it was starting to snow, and by the time I was ready to go there was a fair bit on the ground. And, more importantly, on the road. So my first bike ride in the snow was today. Luckily my balaclava from REI arrived last night so warmth on the face wasn't a problem. Three things stood out:

1. My bike gets better traction on snow than I thought it might. Those big knobby tires do the trick pretty well. The only slippery times I had were instances where it would have been slippery whether I was on foot or in my car. And I just put my feet down and slid along on four points instead of two. Not that big a deal (though it surprised the hell out of me the one time I had to deal with it.

2. The balaclava did the trick for keeping my face warm nicely. Strangely enough, though, the top of my head was a bit cold. I may have to find some sort of helmet cover for the winter so that less air gets through it (as it's built for maxiumum air running through your hair, since most people don't bike much in the cold.

3. The hands are still cold. I'm going to have to find some real biking mittens or something.

All in all, though, I enjoyed the experience. I took it a bit slowly, but not too slow, I thought. And the looks on people's faces were great, as usual. :)

Quinn Awarded "Best Quarterback" Prize

Brady Quinn received the Johnny Unitas Award for best senior quarterback in the nation for 2006, from the Johnny Unitas Educational Foundation.

So that means he's the best quarterback in college football today, right? And... there's some other guy who took money from a booster... and is currently in the running for the Heisman Trophy... and he's also a quarterback... but apparently not as good a quarterback as Brady Quinn...

So, this clinches it: there's really no reason Brady Quinn shouldn't be winning the Heisman this season.

Pharmaceuticals Can Help You Live Your Life

Try this product to feel better about yourself.



Okay, so I know it's a joke. But here's a thought: how many of those feel-good drugs have side effects worse than this one? And how many of them work as quickly as this one?

"You Gotta Be One Of The Good Guys....

...because there's way too many of the bad." - John Custer, Preacher

I may have to start getting HBO... one of the absolute best pieces of writing in the past twenty years is having a series made about it for HBO: Garth Ennis's Preacher.

"Now hold on, Jamie," I can imagine you saying. "Isn't that just some comic book?" Boy, if that's your attitude, you obviously haven't read anything from the Vertigo line of titles by DC Comics. Vertigo is the adult-oriented line of books with mature themes and adult stories (and not adult in the same way as you see adult bookstores along the highway with trucks pulled up next to them at odd hours). These books are serious literature, and Preacher rises above even those.

It's the story of Jesse Custer, a fallen preacher who has just quit his job when he is suddenly enveloped by Genesis, the offspring of an angel and a demon, and suddenly gains the power of suggestion. But the book isn't just a superhero story, rather it's the story of a modern Texan gentleman experiencing the hypocrisy of the world head-on and dealing with it in a way that he sees as honorable and just. It's got great characters coming out of the woodwork: Tulip, the drop-dead gorgeous tomboy who just happens to be a dead-eye with a pistol and has an attitude to match; Cassidy, the Irish Vampire who'd rather swill Guinness and eat bangers and mash than do the Anne Rice thing; Arseface... who I can't even describe. You just have to see him.

The series ran for 70 issues and ended with a big bang, and along the way Jesse and the gang saw the good and bad in just about everything. It's a serious commentary on hypocrisy and humanity that I can read over and over. And I'm very heartened by reading this particular news on the link I've provided:

"I gave [HBO] the comics, and I said, 'Every issue is an hour,'" [Director Mark Steven] Johnson said at a preview of his upcoming film Ghost Rider in Hollywood, Calif., on Nov. 30. "And it's exactly the book. ... I had my meeting yesterday, and [Preacher creator] Garth Ennis is on the phone, and we're all in the room, and Garth is like, 'You don't have to be so beholden to the comic.' And I'm like, 'No, no, no. It's got to be like the comic.' So that's what's so brilliant about it. It's just like, HBO, who else would do it but them? Nobody. ... HBO is just like, 'Bring it on.'"

Comic book fans so rarely hear stuff like this - you get things like Batman's parents being killed by the Joker, or that horrible Fantastic Four movie that fortunately never made it to release (not the recent one, thank goodness). So when someone loves a work you love as much as this and wants to make it even bigger... oh yeah. Gotta start looking at how much HBO costs.

More Than Just Face Chap

In my first big discovery with the biking to work thing (which I've had plenty of time to practice this weekend, unfortunately) is that I am going to need something to cover my headphones on my telephone (Motorola SLVR, so it has iTunes) while I'm listening to podcasts on the way to work. All the wind rushing past them is making it impossible to hear anything! Also, the ears are getting frostbit.

I've ordered a balaclava to try to alleviate the problem... we'll see how it does (BTW - if you're looking at getting me bike stuff for Christmas.... don't get me a balaclava now).

Bike Commuter Guy

Yeah, that's me. I'm bike commuter guy now. Since I got a lock for my new bike (thanks Jenn, Mom and Dad!) I've been doing the bike commuting thing. First it was to our old office down on West Campus at OSU (The Martha Moorhouse Medical Plaza, for those of you keeping track at home), which allowed me to take the Olentangy bike trail for the major portion of it. I LOVED that route - it allowed me to stay out of traffic and enjoy the wetlands and river while I was riding to and from work.

Now, my office has moved to 650 Ackerman - which is even closer to my house (by a mile or so - nothing in Columbus is too far away, of course). Takes me about ten minutes to get to work, and on the way to work it's almost all downhill so I don't have to worry about being too sweaty when I get to the office. I have to deal with a little more traffic, but for the most part cars don't give me any problem. Either they're too nervous around a cyclist to get near me, or they appreciate my efforts and give me room (I think it's probably the former). Luckily I'm a pretty big guy and sort of hard to miss on the road...

The only tricky part has been weather. The days when it's not wet out there are no problems - just dress in a couple layers and I'm good to go. But on wet days... there's another issue. I have a full rainsuit that I wear (it's yellow, which is good for visibility), but the water runs down the legs of it and into my shoes. So I probably need to either bring dry socks and shoes and wear other shoes while on my commute, or get some gaiters of some kind to let the water run past the openings of my shoes. I've been looking around a bit to see how other folks work around this problem. There are a few websites out there for bike commuting and I've been slowly checking them out as I have time.

The other tricky thing, I think, is going to be the cold. I'm not a person who gets real cold in winter, but I'm probably going to need some sort of balaclava to wear on the bike so I don't get face chap. Plus I'll look like Snake Eyes from GI Joe while I'm riding. Sweet. I just need to carry my sword on my back to complete the image. And perhaps not wear it with a bright yellow rainsuit. :)