Dog Days and Life Lessons

The world of sports is in a wierd spot right now. There is a huge amount of excitement for me with the beginning of football season, but at the same time its really dead. I mean for the last month and a half we really haven't had anything to be too excited about, sportswise. Its pretty sad that Barry Bonds breaking the homerun record is the cleanist major event in professional sports right now. You have Mike Vick, the crooked NBA officials, and Pacman Jones basically dominating the headlines.

The sad thing about the NBA was that when I heard the news of a crooked ref, I didn't say to myself "no way, how could that happen" I immediately thought, "did it affect the Mavs in the '06 Finals?". Somewhere in the back of all of our heads we knew that you couldn't get such poor officiating on such a consistent basis. The thing that really sticks out to me is how wierd some of the calls where and how they were almost ignored by the commentators. I remember a foul called in D-Wade's favor late in Game 6 I think that totally handed the game to the Heat. I am not sure if it swung the point spread or the total at all, but there was no way that a Maverick fouled him. I wish I had more specific details on it, and if any of you can remember it please youtube it and post it. Donaghy says that there are as many as 20 officials that he is going to name to federal prosecuters. I'm not sure how many officials the NBA has, but I would say 20 is close to half. It makes you think about a lot of stuff in the NBA. Was the Spurs championship legit? Where MJ's all legit? We all know the Mike's affection to the large bet. Did the Bulls turn around and get screwed the year Mike sat out in New York on a phantom foul late in game 7. Had that not of happened would Scottie Pippen be though of as something more than a horse-faced second fiddle. Is Charles Barkley really faster than Dick Bevetta. Did Bevetta take a fall in order to win a huge bet that night. After all do you remember where that even took place? Vegas, baby, Vegas.

I won't even touch Vick, as he is getting what he deserves, and I am somewhat glad that he had to plea. Even if he is a sick dude, at least he is stepping up to the plate and taking his fall. Did anyone hear his lawyers statement from Vick himself. They said that Vick apologizes to his mom for everything and that he apologizes to "the rest of the Atlanta Falcons for not being with them at Spring Training". Ok we all know that Vick is not the smartest guy in the world (i.e. trying to smuggle weed onto an airplane in a water bottle after a bunch of terrorist tried to blow up a plane with water bottles only a few days earlier) but you would have thought that with his money he would be able to hire competent enough lawyers that know you don't have Spring Training in football. I'm guessing they thought he might be missing out on shagging some fly balls in the outfield, maybe running some foul poles, or of course covering first on balls hit to the right side of the infield. After that was there any doubt that he would plea-out. This is a tired story and I'm tired of hearing about it.

Since the last time I blogged some pretty serious things have happened in my life. I have been busier in the last month than at any other time in my life. I've learned a lot in the last month or so, and I can see some new things coming up on the horizon. One of wich I stumbled upon when my best friend Smitty came home and spent a few weeks in good ol B-Town. I will get to him later, but he suggested that I go back to school after I graduate in May and pursue a masters in journalism. When you commit as much time as I have to school there really is no reason to stop going after I get one degree. I mean whats better saying it took you 9 years to get one degree or 12 years to get two. I'm going to do that, with the ultimate goal of becoming a sports writer. I will admit it is somewhat of a pipe dream, but I think everyone should try and do what they really want to do. This writing thing has really grabbed me and I feel totally comfortable pouring out my thoughts for others to read. I think it is the best of me.

This blog is really twofold. The first part was "Dog Days" wich was the sports part and the next is "Life Lessons" which is basically an insight to my life this past summer. The last paragraph was an introduction to "Life Lessons".

My mom moved away this summer, which didn't really hit me until she was gone. She got a great job making a ton more money than she probably ever has in her life. I think I'm pretty tight with both of my parents, and they are totally different people. In every way. I would hope to think I got the best of both of them, but we all know that ain't true. Mom has never had much other than family and friends. She has had to fight and claw for everything that she has ever had, and has bent over backwards to give and do things for us. She hasn't always had much, but she has always made things like Christmas and birthdays big for us. She is the type that would rather give than recieve. When I say that I truly mean it. Me and my sister have talked lately about how we would rather mom spend the money that she spends on Christmas on something like a cruise or trip for herself, but I don't think that would be cool with her. I think it would actually kill her to not see us all together at Christmas opening up her presents. Kim kept asking me if I was sad that my mom was moving and I kept saying "no, because now she will be able to live the life she has deserved to life". I'm glad that my mom now is able to not have to live paycheck to paycheck, but I am sad. I'm starting to realize just how special she is to me. I was blessed with the two best parents in the world. They are equally important to me, and they mean so much to me. I am so proud of my mother for graduating college and for fighting the way she does. I hope that can pass that on to my kids one day. The ability to fight and climb out of whatever mess you are in. I think I have that to a certain degree and I know I got it from my mother. The totally wierd thing is, that the person who first said something about my mom and her fighter's mentality, was my dad. Completely wierd and perfect at the same time.

Another big thing was spending basically the last two weeks with my buddy Smitty. Smitty came in to town a few weeks ago under terrible circumstances. His dad passed away unexpectedly about three weeks ago. I only had the opportunity to meet his Dad three times, but the dude made a complete impression on me. In fact I would go as far as saying that there is no one I have ever met that has left a lasting impression like that on me other than Tom Smith.
You all know that I have a love for the Counting Crows and specifially Adam Duritz and his writing/entertaining. Well I wouldn't have that if not for Smitty's dad. I caught on to the Crows from Smitty, who got it from his dad. I guess the basis to this is that no matter how people act toward you in the short time they are in your life, they have the opportunity to affect you. Is it all that big of a deal that I love to listen to the Crows, probably not. But it is to me. And it is to my wife and probably to our kids one of these days. And it is to Smitty and now it is to Andrajack and to Sam who went all the way to New Orleans to see the Crows play at Jazzfest. See everything means something, no matter how pointless is seems. I have three big time influences in my life as far as writing and or reading goes, they are Jime Rome, Bill Simmons, and Adam Duritz. No doubt Duritz is at the top of that list. Would I know who Adam Duritz is if not for Smitty's dad? Probably. But would it be nearly as important to me if not for Tom? That's an easy answer.

Tom was a great dude, and I think that dude is the perfect word for what he was. Some guys are great guys, some are gentlemen, some are heroes, some are jerks, some are invisible. Tom was a great dude. It makes me reflect on myself. What are people going to say about me? Right now, I'm affraid they would say, "man he sure had a lot of talent". I want to change that. I have a lot to offer this world and at the age of 26 I'm afraid I haven't given this place enough of me. Will I always feel like that? Not sure? But I hope I have a lot of time to start impacting people, things, places.

I know that somewhere Tom is reading this, and I hope that he is moved by what I have to say. Smitty I hope this isn't too tough for you to read, I've been holding this back for a few weeks. To end this I want to say thanks to Tom for the three times I got to meet him, for the Counting Crows, and for being one helluva dude.