Float like a Butterfly...

I think in another life I would have been a boxer.  I just got done seeing The Fighter tonight (which is worth seeing by the way) and it makes me want to getting into a boxing workout routine.  I would imagine it makes many viewers fantasize about being a boxer, whether it's getting into the ring or just hitting the speed bag.  I'm not looking to get in the ring or anything (don't think my face could take it), but it seems like boxing training is such a great workout.  I really admire the self-discipline of some fighters who are really trying to be the best and put everything into there endeavors.  I remember watching The Contender season 3 on ESPN and being inspired by one contestant's, Sam Soliman, devotion to his craft and the joy he received out of it.  Not only did he work out ridiculously hard, it was cool to see him helping and sharing pointers with one of the younger contestants on the show on how to train and how much one needs to put into training. I wonder at times if I'd have that discipline to do a 6, or 8, or 12 week training session, but I definitely would like to try.  Maybe once my shoulder is in the condition to be able to aggressively train, then I could do just that.  It's interesting though in boxing that one needs to be self-disciplined and self-motivated, but at the same time is encourage, pushed, and kicked in the butt at times by a trainer, sparring partners, or workout partners.  Boxing is an individualized sport, but often one has a team around him to prepare and train.  Almost like 2 sides of the same coin.  There always seems to be a camaraderie amongst boxers and those that train together in a gym.  And I think this seems to cause that each passing "generation" so to speak in the gym, want to pass on some knowledge to those coming up, to help mold youngsters, and pass on something that has been meaningful to them.

A Heart Attack on a Bun

My buddy, Josh, emailed me over a link the other day at work, about how next year the Akron Aeros will be introducing the "Three Dog Night," which is a hot dog, stuffed inside a bratwurst, stuffed inside a kielbasa, all topped off with sauerkraut.  It sounds delicious (although I'd top it off with Stadium Mustard, as opposed to the sauerkraut) although I'm pretty sure it may either kill you or add 20lbs to you before you left the park.  The calorie count has been estimated at over 3300.  WOW!  That's two days worth of meals for some people.  Regardless, I think I'll be making a trip to Canal Park this summer.  I just need to remember to block out a few hours each day for the next week to work off that dog-bratwurst-kielbasa combo.

Duty, Honor, Country

The other day I was catching up on a couple Boundless Show podcasts and heard a reading, in honor of Veterans Day, of General Douglas MacArthur's 1962 speech to the cadets at West Point.  I love reading and listening to great speeches.  I thought I'd share the words of that speech with you.  If you want to hear the podcast check out here or on iTunes - The Boundless Show - #146 - 11/11/10 (Begin at the 36 min mark for the reading).  If you want to hear MacArthur's in his own words, check out this video.


Douglas MacArthur's Thayer Award Acceptance Speech
Given To the Corps of Cadets at West Point
May 12, 1962


Duty, Honor, Country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn. Unhappily, I possess neither that eloquence of diction, that poetry of imagination, nor that brilliance of metaphor to tell you all that they mean.

The unbelievers will say they are but words, but a slogan, but a flamboyant phrase. Every pedant, every demagogue, every cynic, every hypocrite, every troublemaker, and, I am sorry to say, some others of an entirely different character, will try to downgrade them even to the extent of mockery and ridicule.

But these are some of the things they do. They build your basic character. They mold you for your future roles as the custodians of the nation's defense. They make you strong enough to know when you are weak, and brave enough to face yourself when you are afraid.

They teach you to be proud and unbending in honest failure, but humble and gentle in success; not to substitute words for action; not to seek the path of comfort, but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge; to learn to stand up in the storm, but to have compassion on those who fall; to master yourself before you seek to master others; to have a heart that is clean, a goal that is high; to learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; to reach into the future, yet never neglect the past; to be serious, yet never take yourself too seriously; to be modest so that you will remember the simplicity of true greatness; the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.

They give you a temperate will, a quality of imagination, a vigor of the emotions, a freshness of the deep springs of life, a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, an appetite for adventure over love of ease. They create in your heart the sense of wonder, the unfailing hope of what next, and the joy and inspiration of life. They teach you in this way to be an officer and a gentleman.

And what sort of soldiers are those you are to lead? Are they reliable? Are they brave? Are they capable of victory?

Their story is known to all of you. It is the story of the American man at arms. My estimate of him was formed on the battlefields many, many years ago, and has never changed. I regarded him then, as I regard him now, as one of the world's noblest figures; not only as one of the finest military characters, but also as one of the most stainless.

His name and fame are the birthright of every American citizen. In his youth and strength, his love and loyalty, he gave all that mortality can give. He needs no eulogy from me, or from any other man. He has written his own history and written it in red on his enemy's breast.

But when I think of his patience under adversity, of his courage under fire, and of his modesty in victory, I am filled with an emotion of admiration I cannot put into words. He belongs to history as furnishing one of the greatest examples of successful patriotism. He belongs to posterity as the instructor of future generations in the principles of liberty and freedom. He belongs to the present, to us, by his virtues and by his achievements.

In twenty campaigns, on a hundred battlefields, around a thousand campfires, I have witnessed that enduring fortitude, that patriotic self-abnegation, and that invincible determination which have carved his statue in the hearts of his people.

From one end of the world to the other, he has drained deep the chalice of courage. As I listened to those songs of the glee club, in memory's eye I could see those staggering columns of the First World War, bending under soggy packs on many a weary march, from dripping dusk to drizzling dawn, slogging ankle deep through mire of shell-pocked roads; to form grimly for the attack, blue-lipped, covered with sludge and mud, chilled by the wind and rain, driving home to their objective, and for many, to the judgment seat of God.

I do not know the dignity of their birth, but I do know the glory of their death. They died unquestioning, uncomplaining, with faith in their hearts, and on their lips the hope that we would go on to victory. Always for them: Duty, Honor, Country. Always their blood, and sweat, and tears, as they saw the way and the light.

And twenty years after, on the other side of the globe, against the filth of dirty foxholes, the stench of ghostly trenches, the slime of dripping dugouts, those boiling suns of the relentless heat, those torrential rains of devastating storms, the loneliness and utter desolation of jungle trails, the bitterness of long separation of those they loved and cherished, the deadly pestilence of tropic disease, the horror of stricken areas of war.

Their resolute and determined defense, their swift and sure attack, their indomitable purpose, their complete and decisive victory - always victory, always through the bloody haze of their last reverberating shot, the vision of gaunt, ghastly men, reverently following your password of Duty, Honor, Country.

The code which those words perpetuate embraces the highest moral laws and will stand the test of any ethics or philosophies ever promulgated for the uplift of mankind. Its requirements are for the things that are right, and its restraints are from the things that are wrong. The soldier, above all other men, is required to practice the greatest act of religious training - sacrifice. In battle and in the face of danger and death, he discloses those divine attributes which his Maker gave when he created man in his own image. No physical courage and no brute instinct can take the place of the Divine help which alone can sustain him. However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country, is the noblest development of mankind.

You now face a new world, a world of change. The thrust into outer space of the satellite, spheres and missiles marked the beginning of another epoch in the long story of mankind - the chapter of the space age. In the five or more billions of years the scientists tell us it has taken to form the earth, in the three or more billion years of development of the human race, there has never been a greater, a more abrupt or staggering evolution. We deal now not with things of this world alone, but with the illimitable distances and as yet unfathomed mysteries of the universe. We are reaching out for a new and boundless frontier. We speak in strange terms: of harnessing the cosmic energy; of making winds and tides work for us; of creating unheard synthetic materials to supplement or even replace our old standard basics; of purifying sea water for our drink; of mining ocean floors for new fields of wealth and food; of disease preventatives to expand life into the hundred of years; of controlling the weather for a more equitable distribution of heat and cold, of rain and shine; of space ships to the moon; of the primary target in war, no longer limited to the armed forces of an enemy, but instead to include his civil populations; of ultimate conflict between a united human race and the sinister forces of some other planetary galaxy; of such dreams and fantasies as to make life the most exciting of all time.

And through all this welter of change and development your mission remains fixed, determined, inviolable. It is to win our wars. Everything else in your professional career is but corollary to this vital dedication. All other public purpose, all other public projects, all other public needs, great or small, will find others for their accomplishments; but you are the ones who are trained to fight.

Yours is the profession of arms, the will to win, the sure knowledge that in war there is no substitute for victory, that if you lose, the Nation will be destroyed, that the very obsession of your public service must be Duty, Honor, Country.

Others will debate the controversial issues, national and international, which divide men's minds. But serene, calm, aloof, you stand as the Nation's war guardians, as its lifeguards from the raging tides of international conflict, as its gladiators in the arena of battle. For a century and a half you have defended, guarded and protected its hallowed traditions of liberty and freedom, of right and justice.

Let civilian voices argue the merits or demerits of our processes of government. Whether our strength is being sapped by deficit financing indulged in too long, by federal paternalism grown too mighty, by power groups grown too arrogant, by politics grown too corrupt, by crime grown too rampant, by morals grown too low, by taxes grown too high, by extremists grown too violent; whether our personal liberties are as firm and complete as they should be.
These great national problems are not for your professional participation or military solution. Your guidepost stands out like a tenfold beacon in the night: Duty, Honor, Country.

You are the leaven which binds together the entire fabric of our national system of defense. From your ranks come the great captains who hold the Nation's destiny in their hands the moment the war tocsin sounds.

The long gray line has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses, thundering those magic words: Duty, Honor, Country.

This does not mean that you are warmongers. On the contrary, the soldier above all other people prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. But always in our ears ring the ominous words of Plato, that wisest of all philosophers: "Only the dead have seen the end of war."

The shadows are lengthening for me. The twilight is here. My days of old have vanished - tone and tints. They have gone glimmering through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of yesterday. I listen then, but with thirsty ear, for the witching melody of faint bugles blowing reveille, of far drums beating the long roll.

In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield. But in the evening of my memory I come back to West Point. Always there echoes and re-echoes: Duty, Honor, Country.

Today marks my final roll call with you. But I want you to know that when I cross the river, my last conscious thoughts will be of the Corps, and the Corps, and the Corps.

I bid you farewell. 

Christmas Songs

I took my little brother back to his dorm tonight and on the drive we sang/whistle along with the Christmas songs being played on the radio.  Our spontaneous sing-along got me thinking about what Christmas songs that I really enjoy.  Four popped into my mind, so here they are.  I am sure I'm forgetting some goodies, so share yours.


Carol of the Bells - Mykola Leontovych


Love the music and how this song is pieced together.  Good stuff.


Winter Wonderland - Felix Bernard/Richard B. Smith 

I always love singing along to this song.  Always puts me in a good mood.




O Holy Night - Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure (lyrics)/Adolphe Charles Adams (Music)


Such a wonderful song announcing the birth of Christ and his place as the King of Glory.




White Christmas - Irving Berlin


Bing Crosby does it up right here in Holiday Inn.




______________________________________________________

A couple quick Christmas links:

Getting into the Christmas Spirit 


Christmas time date ideas

Trip Lee Concert

I went to the Trip Lee concert tonight.  Another great show!  Trip and all the guys at Reach Records do a great job of representing Christ and being passionate about bringing glory to His Name.


Like a G5 You rushed to rescue me
Took a cross in exchange for a throne to save me
You began a work and I know You'll finish
And make all things right when You come back
Cause You're my hero,
You already saved the day
Cause You're my hero,
And I know You're coming back for me.

~ chorus, The Invasion (Hero) by Trip Lee feat. Jai

Armenia

It has been two weeks since I returned from Armenia, so I thought it was time to start sharing some of the stories, pictures, etc...  Here I wrote a piece for High Mill's website that will give you a bit of an idea of what we did.  This should be one of many posts highlighting the trip, thoughts while I was there, and pictures of the beautiful surroundings and great people.  For now I just want to recount dinner with a few friends.  Here is part of a journal entry dated 6/17/2010, Vanadzor, Armenia.  More to come later.  Enjoy and God bless.


Today at dinner, I was sitting next to Z and his wife with their little girl, Sieona (I was told it meant Sinai in English).  It was so sweet to see his wife pray for the meal with their two year old daughter.  Mother and daughter folded their hands together and gave thanks to the Lord.  It is awesome and inspiring to see parents instructing their children at such a young age in the ways of the Lord.  It makes me want to do the same thing when I have children.  They exemplify Proverbs 22:6:

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.

So precious!

RIP John Wooden

Legendary UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden, passed away on Friday night at the age of 99.  Over the weekend, I have read numerous articles and heard many stories about Coach Wooden.  The thing is most of the stories were about him as a man, not a coach.  This is interesting, considering that Wooden is considered the greatest college basketball coach of all-time and is in the conversation as the greatest coach in any sport.  He led UCLA to 10 national titles and a record 88 straight victories, not too mention being an All-American player himself and winning a national title while at Purdue.   So when most of the stories I've heard are about his affect on people and not on the X's and O's of the game, it makes me think he was an even greater man than he was a coach.

I thought about sharing links to a number of articles about Wooden, but there are so many, its too hard to choose, so I will just encourage you to google some for yourself and read about a wonderful man.

Coach Wooden was a legendary coach, wonderful man, loving husband, astute teacher, great man of faith, a leader, and great molder of men. He made sure his teams and players did things the right way and treated all that he met with respect, humility, and friendliness.  I will share one good article about the coffee shop in Tarzana, CA that Wooden was a regular at for years.  I love hearing the stories other patron shared about him and it makes me wish I would have had the opportunity to share a meal with him.  To talk about life from a man who showed so much wisdom.  I have his Pyramid of Success sitting at my desk at work and have read a couple of his books, Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court and John Wooden's UCLA Offense.  I've gain good insights from these books and can just imagine what it would have been like to talk to him. Maybe I will get that chance in heaven someday.  He was a devout Christian and lived a life that was not wasted.  Basketball was important, but Christ was supreme in his life and how he had such an impact on people.  I think this quote sums it up...

"I always tried to make clear that basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior. Until that is done, we are on an aimless course that runs in circles and goes nowhere."

~ Coach John Wooden.

think!

No, I'm not asking you to think, or even to ponnnnnnnnnder (check out Ron Ponder on 1480 WHBC), no I'm talking about THINK, the magazine of Case Western Reserve University.  It is an enjoyment when I receive the magazine in the mail.  I like the design the editors/creators put together.  It is crisp and clean, classic yet modern.  As a I flip through the pages, I'm reminded of a conversation between Chris Connelly and Bill Simmons, in which Simmons says of magazines that he determines how good a magazine is by how much time he can spend just flipping through it.  With that mind set, Think's, a good magazine.  I always have an enjoyable time flipping through it and reading it too.

There's always an article or two that stick out to me in each issue.  And this was no exception.  The first article was about CWRU graduate, Rich Sommer, who stars as Harry Crane on AMC's critically acclaimed series Mad Men (quite a good show).  I didn't realize he was a Case graduate until I read this article, but found out he received his MFA from Case.  The second article was one remembering Case Institute of Technology alumnus, M. Frank Rudy, who passed away this past December.  He was the man who developed Nike's air sole technology.  Pretty cool.  I'm always amazed to find out things I did not know about alumni of CWRU and about the many different things going on with the University and people related to it.  Keep up the good work, Think!

Wisdom from Tozer

“What comes to a person’s mind when they think about God is the most important thing about them.” 

~ A.W. Tozer 

Lebron and the Cavs

It seems like where ever you turn, somebody is talking about Lebron James, what happened with the Cavs, and LBJ's free agency.  Turn on the TV, listen to the radio, read the paper, everyone has an opinion on what Lebron is going to do.  Even some women at work who are not sports fans have been asking about it.  And it seems like everyone is trying to dissect every word, facial expression, voice inflection as an indication of what Lebron is thinking.  I really think only he really knows and its a coin flip whether or not he stays in Cleveland or goes elsewhere.  With that said, here are few articles by writers I like and that are knowledgeable.



Terry Pluto writes what is Gone after the loss to the Celtics.

Bill Simmons makes the case that Lebron James is really Doctor J 2.0.

Joe Posnanksi chronicles the final minute of game 6

Brian Windhorst gives an honest take of where the Cavaliers are at.

Wisdom from Lecrae

"There's no mandate to be the richest, most popular, have the most or biggest.  Only love God, share truth, make disciples"


~ Lecrae Moore

Fear the Deer

Check out the Milwaukee Bucks mascot, Bango, throw down an amazing dunk during the 1st round of the playoffs.  The crowd goes nuts as he flips off a 16 foot ladder over the hoop and dunks.  Awesome!!




And two deer enter a bar in Wisconsin as patrons are watching a Milwaukee Bucks playoff game.  Wow! Guess they didn't want to miss out on the game.

Kentucky Derby

Sports most exciting 2 minutes, the Kentucky Derby, is today.  From what I have heard from people that have gone its quite a spectacle from the derby hats, mint juleps, the colorful landscape, the infield, and the cheering on of your favorite horse.  Here are some links for all things Kentucky Derby

What to wear to the Kentucky Derby for the Gentleman

What to wear for the Lady.  Big hats they're all the rage

Kentucky Mint Julep Recipes...don't forget the silver cup.

Some wagering advice for the casual race fan

Baseball, not redundant

At a recent worship team practice or youth group (I forget which), I was talking to our worship leader, Ken, about how our main sound tech guy was on his annual golfing trip.  We mentioned how he was playing 18-27 holes a day and how nice that would be.  Ken was quick to point out how he'd rather be watching 18 innings of baseball a day then playing all that golf.  My sentiments too.

I seem to write about baseball a lot.  I like many other sports and probably enjoyed playing football the most, but there's something about baseball that causes me to want to be poetic, linguistic and tell its tales.  The first time I really remember writing about baseball was in my 10th grade English class taught by Robert Smith (still the best teacher I've had).  We took a look at the movie, The Natural, starring Robert Redford and how his character, Roy Hobbs, was a presentation of the King Arthur Legend.   I think the legends, the stories,and  mystical nature of baseball history has made it intriguing to me.  It's stories are ones that are passed down from generation to generation, as a grandfather tells a grandson how he saw Bob Feller pitcher, Willie Mays run down a fly ball, or Ted Williams knock out a base hit.  How a father tells his children about Dennis Eckersley's No-hitter, seeing Rod Carew swipe a base, or Reggie Jackson hit a towering home run.  I know I will tell my kids about seeing my favorite player, Nolan Ryan, pitch.  About seeing Ken Griffey Jr's sweet swing, and Kenny Lofton's amazing catches along the outfield wall.  The stories of past players seem to continually build upon and enrich the history of baseball

There are many large-than-life figures too, from Babe Ruth to Satchel Paige to Shoeless Joe Jackson to Jackie Robinson and many almost-too-good-to-be-true tales like Ruth calling his shot; Paige waiving in his outfielders and infielders because he knew he'd strikeout the side; Shoeless Joe's bat, "Black Betsy"; and the countless times Jackie stole home (19 in his career). 

The legends we hear about the game peak are interest as we discuss, debate, and even argue about who's the greatest, how a particular player would do in today's game, and try to adjust stats for the time era the player played in.  It makes for great theatrics to try to pit our favorite players of yesterday and today on the same diamond.  Author Kevin King tries to do this a bit in his book, All the Stars Came Out That Night, as he puts together a fictional account of the stars of the Major Leagues and Negro Leagues coming together to play a great all-star game in the depression era.

This is what's great about baseball, its a game for everyone...the fanatic, the family, the leisurely fan, the historian, the writer and musician alike (check out The Baseball Project).  This seems like a hodgepodge of baseball thoughts, so more on all of this in upcoming posts.





Record of attended Indians games: 0-1

2010 MLB Games attended: 1 to date

Hot Dogs eaten at a game this year: 1 to date (1 last game)

Nighttown

Here is a really good article from the Plain Dealer interviewing Nighttown owner, Brendan Ring.  Nighttown is a jazz club and restaurant in Cleveland Heights and just a hop, skip, and a jump from Case Western Reserve University.  I really enjoyed the times I have gone there and think it is the premier place to hear jazz in Cleveland.  The article is quite interesting and I really like the thoughts he has about living and working in Cleveland (he came from Ireland, you should check it out Josh) as well as some of his favorites around town.  He even gave a nice shout out to the Eldred Theater at CWRU and the Nottingham Spirk design company (which is also right next to CWRU).  Brendan Ring seems to be a good ambassador for jazz, cleveland, and local business.  Check his place out...the patio just opened for the summer season too!

MLB Picks

With today being Opening Day, here are my 2010 MLB picks

American League:

AL East - New York Yankees
AL Central - Minnesota Twins
AL West - Texas Rangers
AL Wild Card - Boston Red Sox

AL MVP - Evan Longoria
AL Cy Young - Jon Lester


National League:

NL East - Philadelphia Phillies
NL Central - St. Louis Cardinals
NL West - Colorado Rockies
NL Wild Card - Atlanta Braves

NL MVP - Albert Pujols
NL Cy Young - Roy Halladay


Playoffs
Yankees over Rangers
Twins  over Red Sox
Phillies over Rockies
Cardinals over Braves

Yankees  over Twins
Phillies over Cardinals

Phillies  over Yankees 

Welcome Back Baseball

As Tom Hamilton would say, "Welcome back to another season of Indians baseball." Unfortunately, the Tribe started the season out poorly, getting shut out by the Chicago White Sox 6-0.  Chicago's Mark Buehrle did make an amazing play in the field.  After a line drive hit off him and rickashayed into foul territory, he chased down the ball and flipped it with is mitt between his legs, getting the batter out at first.  We may have already seen the best play of the year on Opening Day.





A few articles to read for the start of the season...

Terry Pluto talks about spring training and taking a realistic look on the bright side for the Indians.

The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff has a good two part interview with Bob Feller. Part 1 and Part 2.

Les Levine writes about his Opening Day memories with the Tribe.

Former MLBer Doug Glanville talks about his first opening day and compares where he was at as a 20 year old baseball player to that of 20 year old Atlanta Braves phenom, Jason Heyward, who homered in his first major league at bat today.

Softball's just around the corner

What a beautiful day out today.  I sure hope the weather isn't playing an April fools joke on us.  Got a chance to toss the ball around today with my brother, while we start getting are arms warmed up for the softball season.  I can not wait!  It'll be great to playing closer to home and on the new Willig fields.  I ready to get going tomorrow.  With all this talk of softball, it reminds me of The Simpsons's episode, "Homer at the Bat," where Mr. Burns gets a bunch of Major League ball players to play on the power plant's softball team.  There is a great rendition of "Talkin' Softball" borrowing from the song "Talkin' Baseball" song.  Here it is for your listening pleasure.  Hope it brings thoughts of the summer sun and fun times.  Enjoy!

The Best Announcer in the Game: Gus Johnson

Check out the Gus Johnson Sound Board...it's awesome!!

D - Fence

Used this drill today at practice.  Got to help the kids be physical and do all the little things.  Morgan Wootten and his son Joe Wootten (talking in the film) do a great job coaching and teaching the game of basketball.  No wonder Morgan Wootten is a legend and Hall of Famer.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

In honor of St. Patrick's Day here is an Irish Blessing...

Bless This House

Bless this house, o Lord, we pray.
Make it safe by night and day.
Bless these walls so firm and stout,
Keeping want and trouble out.
Bless the roof and chimney tall,
Let thy peace lie over all.
Bless the doors that they may prove
Ever open to joy and love.
Bless the windows shining bright,
Letting in God's heavenly light.
Bless the hearth a-blazing there,
With smoke ascending like a prayer.
Bless the people here within...
Keep them pure and free from sin.
Bless us all, that one day, we
May be fit, O lord, to dwell with Thee.

And good luck to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as they start NCAA Tournament play tomorrow.

Dark Cherry Mocha

I just found out that Starbucks will be introducing their Dark Cherry Mocha here in the States.  Now, I had heard about this seemingly tasty flavor from my friend Josh while he was living in New Zealand.  At the time, I did not understand why Starbucks would not sell that flavor in the U.S.  It sounded as one that many, many people would like.  And so I was quite excited to read that it will be introduced this spring.  And I think Josh summed it up the best when he heard the news, "YES, YES YES.  Literally the best flavor they ever had!"

Sounds like I found my new drink.

Send it in Jerome!

I caught a bit of SportsNation today, and they were doing a show dedicated to slam dunks.  One of the amazing ones they showed was Pitt's Jerome Lane's dunking over a guy and shattering the backboard.  It's awesome!  Speaking of SportsNation, I've been catching bits of it more lately and have been finding myself enjoying it.  It's fun to watch for a segment at a time, because it always seems to have something entertaining happening.

Travels and Clothes

Here are a couple articles/sites to pass on...

Pat Forde writes in his column about paying homage to some of the historic venues in college basketball, especially with the final games being played at Louisville's Freedom Hall and Oregon's McArthur Court.  Just reading about the unique and storied arenas makes me want to start planning trips to check them out for myself.  The top of the list for me has to include this blog's namesake, the Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania, along with Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse, Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium and the pre-depression era arenas Forde mentions at Harvard, Northeastern, and Fordham.


I just got a shirt in the mail for Club Trillion (see the blog in the list to the right) via A Kid Again charity.  It was made by Homage Clothing out of Columbus.  Check out their site.  They have a lot of cool looking t-shirts.  The "Bernie Kosar for President" one especially brought back some memories.  On the page for the shirt, they had playing an old Bernie Kosar song that I have on cassette tape from back in the day.  Cassette tapes, whewww, where has the time gone.

He Reigns

I listened to the song, He Reigns, by the Newsboys today and really got caught up in the lyrics of the song.  I really like the lyrics and how the portray God working through believers throughout the world.  The song too really speaks to the impact of a community of believers and the importance to know that the Lord truly reigns and He is the one that should be on the throne of our heart.  He truly is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He Reigns.




He Reigns by the Newsboys


It’s the song of the redeemed
Rising from the African plain
It’s the song of the forgiven
Drowning out the Amazon rain
The song of Asian believers
Filled with God’s holy fire
It’s every tribe, every tongue, every nation
A love song born of a grateful choir


It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns


Let it rise about the four winds
Caught up in the heavenly sound
Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals
To the faithful gathered underground
Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation
Some were meant to persist
Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples
None rings truer than this


And all the powers of darkness
Tremble at what they’ve just heard
‘Cause all the powers of darkness
Can’t drown out a single word


When all God’s children sing out
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
All God’s people singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

Posnanksi, The Sports Guy, and Gene Wojciechowski

Here are three articles that are worth taking a few minutes to read...

In Snuggies on Parade, Joe Posnanski writes about the Cleveland Cavaliers passing out snuggies for this Friday's game to try and set the world record for most snuggies worn in one place, along with doling into the Guinness Book of World Records, what it means to be human, and about the city of Cleveland.  A great read as always.


Bill Simmons writes about his Fan-Friendly Solution to fix the NBA.  I love his idea of only guaranteeing the top 12 playoff spots and having a tournament to decided the last 2 for each conference.  I think that would make for great drama and keep the regular season entertaining down to the last game.  He makes a lot of great points and as always is a fun, enjoyable read.


Don't expand the NCAA tournament.  That is Gene Wojciechowski's mantra here, and I could not agree more.  The one point I would disagree with is keeping the play-in games and having 3 more teams in for more of those games.  Nobody believes the NCAA Tournament starts on the Tuesday the play-in game is played, but on the Thursday after it.  So get rid of the play-in game.

Curling Part 2

David St. Hubbins of Spinal Tap fame, shows off his musical skills in this Curling song for Sports Center.  Da da da...da da da!

Curling

Play Curling Online.  Check it out.  It's sweeeet!

Lions, and Shamrocks, and Royals, Oh My!

Just heard this on the radio this morning.  It looks like the Kansas City Royals are being sued after a fan was hit in the face by a hot dog tossed by the mascot, Slugerrr.  Crazy mascots.  Reminds me of the time Slider fell off the outfield wall and broke his leg.

Speaking of the Royals...here is a funny video college humor did about the Royals franchise

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

And finally, McDonald's (a proud sponsor of the Olympics...got to keep with that theme, eh?) is now out with their Shamrock Shakes for St. Patrick's day.  I always look forward to them coming back each year and had my first last night.  MMM!

Herb Brooks Pre-game pep talk from Miracle

I just saw this on Sports Center.  This kid does a great impression of coach Herb Brooks speech before the U.S. vs. Soviet Union, "Miracle" game in 1980.  I love his enthusiasm, especially towards the end of the speech when he recites "that you're the greatest hockey team."





And here is the speech scene from the movie...

Costas, Michaels, and the Miracle on Ice

Nice game by the U.S getting the victory over Canada tonight 5-3.  Great diving, open net goal by Ryan Kesler, to seal the win for Team USA. 

Speaking of Olympic hockey, here are two articles by Joe Posnanski on just that topic

Here he interviews the broadcast team that called the Miracle on Ice game in 1980, Al Michaels and Bob Costas.

And in the process of prepping for that interview, here is Joe's 10 Things About the Miracle on Ice.  Some you may know, some you may not.  A good read either way.

USA Snowboard Gear

I'm really impressed with the USA Snowboarding teams uniforms.  Burton came up with an interesting concept making gear that looks like jeans and plaid/flannel like shirt.  Check out Shaun White sporting the gear in Vancouver.

2010 Winter Olympics - Vancouver

I've been really enjoying watching the Winter Olympics thus far.  I love hearing the Olympic theme music, "Bugler's Dream," by Leo Arnaud.  It sends chills down my spine.  I remember back in 2006, watching a lot of the Turino Olympics especially ice hockey (thanks to my roommate Tim, who was from North Dakota and quite the hockey fan).  I think I enjoy watching the winter games more than the summer (I do enjoy watching the summer games as well), because of the exciting nature of the events, the pushing to the edge of speed and shall we say insanity, as well as the beautiful scenery. 

I think I get pumped to watch the Olympics because there are always great stories that are told through the games.  Stories of triumph and overcoming tragedy.  Stories of overcoming injuries and redemption for past losses.  And stories of the joy of competing and the camaraderie of the competitors.  As I watched the conclusion of one of the Men's Nordic Combined events, I really was able to see the athletes embody the Olympic spirit.  Yes, the athletes competed as hard as they could to win a medal.  But at the same time, you could see after they were each finishing, how they congratulated each other and how silently they acknowledged the accomplishment of competing in the Olympics and the training it takes to get there.  Time and training that only the few competitors really know.

As I watch the games, I can not help but feel for the athletes that come up short, especially in the less publicized events, as opposed to ice hockey or figure skating.  Yes, these athletes compete in world championships and on a world cup circuit in many cases, but the Olympic games are the highlight and focus for them.  It's tough to see when they train so hard for 4 years for this moment, but then may come up short.  It's not like a lot of professional sports I watch where there is always "next year," but often many may only have one or two more shots to bring home an Olympic Gold.

The Olympics though make for great drama, excitement, and unabashed joy.  My favorite moment so far in the Olympics was the Women's Mogul's Free Style Skiing.  Making the last run of the event, USA's Hannah Kearney, makes a superfast run, and beats out Canada's darling, Jennifer Heil, to take home the gold.  As soon as her time and score flashed, teammate Shannon Bahrke (bronze medalist) came charging over hugging her and screaming.  It was a great moment as they jumped around together with pure adrenaline.  Awesome!

How I Met Your Mother goes Major League

I caught up on last weeks episode of How I Met Your Mother today and was delighted to see Ted and Barney spoofing a little of Major League.  "Pennant Fever" from the movie's soundtrack as Ted coached up Barney.  Classic.  And even better I found the song on youtube for you to enjoy

A Gentleman

"This is the final test of a gentleman:  his respect for those who can be of no possible service to him."

~ William Lyon Phelps

A Movie and A Concert

Last week I checked out the movie, More than a Game, and got to watch Chapter 6 in concert out in Alliance.  Both were excellent.  More than a Game follows LeBron James and his best friends (dubbed fab four and later five with the addition of Romeo Travis) from 11 years of age through high school.  This group grew up together as they pursued their basketball dreams.  The movie really lives up to its title, to show that the deep friendships and relationships that were forged by these kids were really more than just about basketball.  It was about these kids growing together into good men.  The behind the scene looks at this journey were cool to see, because it showed these kids just being kids and showing how much they cared about each other. 

Now how does this relate to watching the acappella group, Chapter 6, in concert.  Chapter 6 has a similar story.  They were a group of guys that met in college and sung together.  They shared during their concert about the relationships and bonds they formed as a group, as now they have been together for 8-9 years touring across the globe.  It is fun to listen to them retell stories about being on the road together and how they have written many songs out of the adventures they have had on the road, such as Ode to the Krispie Kreme Donut and Lost in Canada.  Its cool to see these guys being able to do something they love, grow together in their faith, and being able to share life together from college, to marriage, to traveling, to kids. 


If you get a chance to view either of these, I would recommend doing so.  You won't be dissapointed.

McFly

For all those Back to the Future and Marty McFly fans...

Sly McFly's - Monterey, CA

And I wish I was Michael J Fox
I'd visit the past
Then come back to the future (Hello McFly)
When I cleaned up my act

~ Hello McFly (chorus) - Reliant K

The first Delorean that rolled off the line is on display at the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum part of the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cleveland, Ohio

I spent some time in Cleveland this week, enjoying it thoroughly.  Some people like to give Cleveland a bad rap, but it really does have a lot to offer.  I went with my family to see the musical, Chicago, mid week, at the Palace Theatre in Play House Square.  The musical was excellent.  And it just reminds me of the times I spent down at Play House Square, while in college.  Cleveland really has a great theatre district (2nd largest theatre complex in the US besides NYC's Lincoln Center) with great shows coming through all the time. 

Saturday, Justin and I met up with a couple friends from Case to hang out.  We got dinner at Latitude 41N (thanks to Richey for having a gift certificate there).  Good food and atmosphere. It's located in the Gordon Square Arts District on the West Side and is part of the Detroit Shoreway.  Looks to be a growing area with more young people moving in and makes for a cool Cleveland neighborhood. The Capitol Theatre is located there also, which is a renovated 1920's theatre.  It is where LeBron James's movie, More than a Game, premiered.

And a great article by Bill Simmons on the buzz surrounding and fun of watching Cleveland's LeBron James play.

LeBron vs. Kobe...Puppet Style

In honor of the Cavs vs. Lakers game tonight and keeping with the basketball theme, I thought I'd post a couple of the MVP Puppet commercials by Nike.  The remind me of the old Lil Penny commercials, Nike did in the mid-90's.  Enjoy.

For Threeeeeeeeeeeee

Lots of basketball for me today.  Coached my junior high team.  Played/Coached in the men's league at First Friends, and now watching the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Los Angelas Lakers.

I think I enjoy coaching in the Junior High league the best at First Friends.  In the 4-6 grade leagues, the kids are still learning the game alot, there is a really big discrepency in talent, as well as the kids are not at the age yet to really have concrete understanding.  It is a lot tougher to have kids remember plays and be able to have them translate a play you draw up on the board, to actually be able to physically run it.  And in the High School league, you do not really practice, so just play games and are not able to implement as many things.  But in the Junior High league the team practices every week.  The kids are able to focus a lot better, compared to the younger leagues.  They have the mental maturity to be able to remember plays and take things they learn in practice and implement them into games.  You can really see an increase in ability as the season goes on too, which is really cool.  As a coach at that level, you can really put kids in a place to succeed and help the team regardless of ability, as long as they want to hustle and be aggressive.  It makes it really fun for me, because a lot of the team success is the coaches ability to coach the kids up.  Its great to see the play or gameplan we put together work. 

One Year

I have been catching some of the Golden Globes tonight.  As I've been listening to the acceptance speeches, I can't help and reflect on the one year anniversary of the Palestra.  Going along with that theme, I'd like to say thanks to all those who have been an encouragement for, participant in, and reader of the Palestra. 

Thanks to Katie and Ken for helping me get started and letting me bounce ideas off of each of you about how I should tackle writing a blog. 

Thanks to Bill, Dave, Doug, Josh, Katie, and Lauren for being frequent readers of the blog.

Thank you, Bill and Doug, for taking the time to check out the links to different articles and converse with me about them.

Thanks to Josh and Lauren for keeping me light-hearted about the blog and making me want to make it better.

Thank you all again, it is very appreciated.  I'm looking forward to year 2 and being able to share more thoughts, insights, and laughs.  Take Care and God Bless.

Leaders Share the Stage

Michael Lombardi on the National Football Post, shared a good article on leadership and the importance of sharing the stage/spot light.  The NY Times interviewed former Continental Airlines CEO, Gordon Bethune, on leadership lessons he has learned, hiring people, and the importance of sharing credit. Gordon relates a very inspiring story at the end of how, an employee bet another employee that Gordon would show up at the airport over a holiday to visit with the employees that had to work.  Good read

 

Thoughts on Holmgren's press conference

After watching Mike Holmgren's press conference and introduction as the Cleveland Browns President of Football Operations yesterday, I came away impressed. 

• He seems to speak straight forward and will not beat around the bush about the team, its direction, and where he thinks it should be going.  I think the honesty and clarity he portrayed is much needed as an NFL executive and for a fan based starved for a winner.  He is going to keep things as transparent as possible I believe.

•  He seems to understand the relationship between the head of football operations/GM and the head coach.  He knows they need to be 100% on the same page or problems will arise.  It seemed like throughout the years the Browns have been back, that no matter what regime was in place, there were always disagreements between what personel moves should be done (especially in the draft) and who should be playing (ala Jerome Harrison)

• He seemed to come across as a guy that is going to work extremely hard, expects the same thing out of himself as he does his staff, and will be extremely helpful as someone to go to for the coaches for advice in how to handle specific situations, because he knows what is its like to coach a bad team, a Super Bowl caliber team, along with some of the greatest players to play in the NFL.

I will be interested to see what unfolds the next few weeks for Holmgren's coaching staff and other personel people.  And really be interested to see how he tackles the draft in April.  Hopefully its done well.  Go Browns!

Lecrae Interview on ABC Family's 700 Club

For my international readers, who may not get ABC Family abroad, here is Lecrae's interview with the 700 Club from this past week.  Check it out.

Snow

As I look out the window at the snow covered landscape these words come to mind...

"“People ask me what I do in the winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”

 ~ Rogers Hornsby