Monday, February 19, 2007
Endymion Ball
Saturday was a day I will not likely ever forget. Let's just start from the beginning. I was invited to go with Keri Copponex. Her uncle and cousin ride in the parade and they had a few extra tickets, so Keri went and invited me. This is completely awesome because Endymion has always been my favorite parade and I have always heard how incredible the Ball is with top-notch entertainment, food, drinks and of course, the BEADS! HAHAHA
After stopping at Winn Dixie to pick up a few tasty beverages for the Ball (you bring your own ice chest inside the Superdome) Keri and I left Baton Rouge Saturday around 1:30 p.m. We drove straight into New Orleans with virtually no traffic. I decided not to risk getting in traffic downtown, so I got off of I-10 at the Tulane exit and decided to reach downtown that way (an old trick from many years of going to Saints games). We zipped right into downtown, reached Gravier St. which is where our hotel was -- and then our journey began! On Gravier St. about three blocks from the hotel, we hit a road block. The parade route was going to pass right in front of us on that street, so we were rerouted. I looped around again, this time farther out to see if we could get past the parade. More road blocks and this time, traffic!
Soon, it became clear to me that the only way to get through would be to go uptown all the way around the parade route and then back downtown on the other side. We began our journey, weaving and winding uptown trying to get to St. Charles so we could see where the route ended and cross over. Thinking we had scored a moral victory when we finally reached St. Charles, we celebrated a bit. Too soon! As we started up St. Charles, one side of the street was closed for the parade, but the two lanes going uptown were open -- sort of. We were literally stunned at the audacity of some of the Carnival-goes. As we creeped and crawled up St. Charles, I continually mentioned how I was truly amazed that I had not hit anyone with my car yet. Drunk people casually walking down the street. People throwing the football. Kids darting out in front of cars with parents nowhere to be found. People! Seriously! This is an OPEN two-lane road! There are cars navigating this street to reach their destination! MOOOOOOVE!!!!!!! One of the more amazing instances occurred when a young man, probably in his late teens, casually walked from the median into the street while talking on the cell phone. He apparently did not notice me, but thank God I saw him (on second thought, maybe I should have killed him to stay in line with Natural Selection). When he stopped in the street to look around -- I assume for the person on the other end of the phone -- if he had gotten any closer to my vehicle, his shirt could have been used to wipe all the bug guts off my grill. As Keri and I sat in amazement at this, he turned around and noticed a BIG FREAKING CAR right behind him, and jumped back in amazement! Seriously people, this is New Orleans at Mardi Gras. It was at that moment that I decided I will not take my children to the larger Mardi Gras parades until they are in junior high. Putting that many idiots in one place makes for too great a risk for something bad to happen.
By this time, we are seriously thinking we might not make it to the hotel before the Ball. It is almost 5:00 , the doors open at 7:00, and we are nowhere near the hotel because of the traffic. Almost mercifully, we finally reach the end of that parade route after we cross Napoleon St. and we are moving. Traffic has cleared, we are cruising down to Tchopitoulas where we can head back downtown. A block from Tchopitoulas, we hit another road block. The parade in lining up there at the Convention Center and the street is closed. Bummer, but not a big deal. We will just go up one block and head downtown on a smaller street. Apparently, all of the poor saps trying to get downtown had this same idea. Noticing it was at a dead stop, I said screw it! I was starving, we had been in the car for 4 1/2 hours, Keri's mom was calling every 2-3 minutes to ask if we had made it yet and I just had to get out of that situation. I darted uptown past the parade route, parked my car and we ate at O'Henry's. I had chicken nuggets and a beer and it was the most glorious meal of my life up to that point!
When we finished eating, it was 5:30 p.m. The doors to the Ball opened in an hour and a half and we had nowhere to change. We debated just going to the Dome, parking in the garage and changing there, but I had a better idea. I called my grandparents who live about 5 minutes from where we were. We went to their house and changed, hopped back in the car at about 6:50 and started toward the Dome. Traffic was not nearly as bad as it would have been for a Saints game, so we parked the car and got in line about 7:30. The lines were absurd! Some said they waited for 45 minutes just to get into the building. Luckily, we found Keri's family already near the front and walked in with them.
Given our troubles throughout the say, you didn't think it would just be that easy, did you? No way! on the way to the parking garage, Keri's phone died. Our method of communicating to find her family (who still had our tickets!) was lost. Luckily, we had an idea of where they were, and Keri's brother spotted us. Whew! Right? NOPE! Once we joined Keri's brother Drew and his girlfriend Joan in line, Keri's aunt and cousin Blair tell us there is a problem. GEEZ! They are two tickets short!
Yeah right ...
No, seriously?
You have got to be kidding me, right?!?!
They weren't.
Keri's uncle who was riding in the parade took two tickets for he and his son, leaving us two short. Riders finish the route in the Dome, so they don't need tickets. Besides, they're easy to spot because they are still wearing their costumes! So, after all we had been through, it appeared two of us might be able to go inside. Did I mention I am dragging an ice chest with about $100 in liquor in it at this time as well? As we continue to inch our way closer to the door, I see Keri's aunt and cousin talking to the ticket-taker. Our first break of the night! They let them in without tickets! WHEW! Seriously, the degree of relief I felt after this cannot be described in words. I summed up our situation to Keri like this: If you could go to a party in the Superdome with tens-of-thousands of gorgeous people dressed in formals, eat all you want, drink all you want and listen to Taylor Hicks, Styx and Journey and all you had to do was drive through traffic in New Orleans for 5 hours, wouldn't you do it? At this point it seems totally worth it.
It was.
As we walked into the arena, to say it was packed is probably the understatement of the decade. We entered at the Poydras Street endzone. To our left, basically on the visiting team's sideline, was an enormous stage where the MC and dignitaries were and where the bands would perform. The setup basically put tables in the center with a barricaded route around them for the parade to pass, and then more tables on the outside. Within 5 minutes of cramming onto the Dome floor, the MC made an announcement that the parade was coming. All of a sudden, we were blocked in. People were stepping on and over eachother to get to their tables, and we couldn't get to ours. Naturally, we were in the barricaded center. I decided I could either A) Pout that we couldn't get to the table and wallow about how tough a day it had been or B) Open my ice chest with the $100 dollars of alcohol, watch the parade and make a few friends. If you know me, you know I chose the latter. After about the 4th float, there was a break in the parade and the police moved the barricades to let us through. I caught the rest of the parade and a crapload of beads over there.
Of course, there had to be more drama, though. When we crossed the barricade, we got separated from Keri's family. She used my phone to call and text to find them. She went off to look for them while I stayed with the ice chest and caught the parade. When she came back, she didn't have my phone. She swore she put it in the ice chest (impossible because I had been standing on it to catch beads) and we dug for it. Not there. She darted off again, while I looked with the help of some people standing near us. No dice. About five minutes later, here comes Keri, phone in hand. Not sure where she found it, but I'm just glad she did.
The rest of the parade rolled by, we found the table with Keri's family, got some fantastic food, poured a few drinks (I'm feeling GOOD by this point) and were rockin' out to Al Green on stage. The night was going very well at this point. Keri and I decided to make a bathroom run and look for John Rabenhorst while we were out and about. Amazingly, I saw Celeste and Jade in line for the bathroom, which was cool, and then as we walked to find John, we saw Taylor Hicks. He was the Grand Marshall of the parade as was set to perform after Al Green. This interaction was probably the biggest disappointment of my night. When I noticed him walking around the perimeter of the tables, I said, "Taylor Hicks! Soul Patrol! Woooooo!" Like a true prick, he gave me a smirk that said sarcastically, "Oh yeah, that's funny, asshole!" I could not believe it. This guy who was a nobody a year ago is that Grand Marshall at one of the biggest parades of the biggest party in the world and he is acting like he could not care less to be there. As people noticed him and came up asking for pictures and autographs, he looked bored by the whole thing, not even smiling for pictures. What a jackass. Completely disappointing considering I bought his CD and spent hours voting for him on American Idol (yes, it is sad, but I admit it).
After our Taylor Hicks sighting, the night really started to crank up. We saw a friend of John's who pointed out where they were sitting and we made our way over there. Damn, those people know how to party! John was with Renee Schwartzenburg (which was great because I had not seen her in forever). Brien and Erin were there with dates and so was Mikey. Mr. David and Ms. Anne were looking good and having fun too. We stayed there and ate and drank for a bit until Styx came on. When they began belting out "Lady" and we all began imitating the wedding singer from "Old School" the night was on! We went to the front and started dancing. Styx's set featured the aforementioned "Lady", "Come Sail Away" and an encore with "Renegade". As soon as Styx went off to a raucous applause (at least we cheered loudly), Journey came right after. Because the stage was so big, they were already set up and played right away. Their entire set was basically the Greatest Hits album. INCREDIBLE! We earned that performance after we saw them lay a total egg in NO a couple of months ago with Def Leppard. Journey finished their set with a monster lineup: Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin', Open Arms, Faithfully, Don't Stop Believin', Any Way You Want It and Separate Ways.
All I can say is: WOW!
We danced. We drank. Basically, it was prom with alcohol and Journey instead of a crappy local band. It was incredible.
When Journey went off stage, the lights came on, the night was over, and it was 4:30 a.m. We debated going out, but realized how insanely tired we all were and just called it a night. Keri and I finally made it to the hotel. I wanted to tip the valet, but didn't have any singles. He got a 10 spot. Nice guy. We went up to the room and got Drew to let us in. We picked a cozy spot on the floor and crashed. At some point Keri went downstairs and got blankets for us. That was insanely nice, considering my lame ass was already asleep.
We woke up Sunday at noon and were in PAIN. We both kept commenting that everything was hurting. I guess a day as spectacular as the one we shared will do that to you. It was at least as bad as I felt after a day of tailgating, which is really saying something. Keri's uncle Tom had reservations at Zea for us all on St. Charles at 2 p.m. We had an excellent lunch with great company. Keri really has an awesome family and it was enjoyable getting to meet them and spend time getting to know them. Her cousin, Blair, however, did not make it to lunch because she made the fatal mistake Keri and I had made the day before and got on the wrong side of the parade route. Live and learn!
After lunch we headed back to BR and our Endymion experience was over. But damn was it a memorable 24 hours!
After stopping at Winn Dixie to pick up a few tasty beverages for the Ball (you bring your own ice chest inside the Superdome) Keri and I left Baton Rouge Saturday around 1:30 p.m. We drove straight into New Orleans with virtually no traffic. I decided not to risk getting in traffic downtown, so I got off of I-10 at the Tulane exit and decided to reach downtown that way (an old trick from many years of going to Saints games). We zipped right into downtown, reached Gravier St. which is where our hotel was -- and then our journey began! On Gravier St. about three blocks from the hotel, we hit a road block. The parade route was going to pass right in front of us on that street, so we were rerouted. I looped around again, this time farther out to see if we could get past the parade. More road blocks and this time, traffic!
Soon, it became clear to me that the only way to get through would be to go uptown all the way around the parade route and then back downtown on the other side. We began our journey, weaving and winding uptown trying to get to St. Charles so we could see where the route ended and cross over. Thinking we had scored a moral victory when we finally reached St. Charles, we celebrated a bit. Too soon! As we started up St. Charles, one side of the street was closed for the parade, but the two lanes going uptown were open -- sort of. We were literally stunned at the audacity of some of the Carnival-goes. As we creeped and crawled up St. Charles, I continually mentioned how I was truly amazed that I had not hit anyone with my car yet. Drunk people casually walking down the street. People throwing the football. Kids darting out in front of cars with parents nowhere to be found. People! Seriously! This is an OPEN two-lane road! There are cars navigating this street to reach their destination! MOOOOOOVE!!!!!!! One of the more amazing instances occurred when a young man, probably in his late teens, casually walked from the median into the street while talking on the cell phone. He apparently did not notice me, but thank God I saw him (on second thought, maybe I should have killed him to stay in line with Natural Selection). When he stopped in the street to look around -- I assume for the person on the other end of the phone -- if he had gotten any closer to my vehicle, his shirt could have been used to wipe all the bug guts off my grill. As Keri and I sat in amazement at this, he turned around and noticed a BIG FREAKING CAR right behind him, and jumped back in amazement! Seriously people, this is New Orleans at Mardi Gras. It was at that moment that I decided I will not take my children to the larger Mardi Gras parades until they are in junior high. Putting that many idiots in one place makes for too great a risk for something bad to happen.
By this time, we are seriously thinking we might not make it to the hotel before the Ball. It is almost 5:00 , the doors open at 7:00, and we are nowhere near the hotel because of the traffic. Almost mercifully, we finally reach the end of that parade route after we cross Napoleon St. and we are moving. Traffic has cleared, we are cruising down to Tchopitoulas where we can head back downtown. A block from Tchopitoulas, we hit another road block. The parade in lining up there at the Convention Center and the street is closed. Bummer, but not a big deal. We will just go up one block and head downtown on a smaller street. Apparently, all of the poor saps trying to get downtown had this same idea. Noticing it was at a dead stop, I said screw it! I was starving, we had been in the car for 4 1/2 hours, Keri's mom was calling every 2-3 minutes to ask if we had made it yet and I just had to get out of that situation. I darted uptown past the parade route, parked my car and we ate at O'Henry's. I had chicken nuggets and a beer and it was the most glorious meal of my life up to that point!
When we finished eating, it was 5:30 p.m. The doors to the Ball opened in an hour and a half and we had nowhere to change. We debated just going to the Dome, parking in the garage and changing there, but I had a better idea. I called my grandparents who live about 5 minutes from where we were. We went to their house and changed, hopped back in the car at about 6:50 and started toward the Dome. Traffic was not nearly as bad as it would have been for a Saints game, so we parked the car and got in line about 7:30. The lines were absurd! Some said they waited for 45 minutes just to get into the building. Luckily, we found Keri's family already near the front and walked in with them.
Given our troubles throughout the say, you didn't think it would just be that easy, did you? No way! on the way to the parking garage, Keri's phone died. Our method of communicating to find her family (who still had our tickets!) was lost. Luckily, we had an idea of where they were, and Keri's brother spotted us. Whew! Right? NOPE! Once we joined Keri's brother Drew and his girlfriend Joan in line, Keri's aunt and cousin Blair tell us there is a problem. GEEZ! They are two tickets short!
Yeah right ...
No, seriously?
You have got to be kidding me, right?!?!
They weren't.
Keri's uncle who was riding in the parade took two tickets for he and his son, leaving us two short. Riders finish the route in the Dome, so they don't need tickets. Besides, they're easy to spot because they are still wearing their costumes! So, after all we had been through, it appeared two of us might be able to go inside. Did I mention I am dragging an ice chest with about $100 in liquor in it at this time as well? As we continue to inch our way closer to the door, I see Keri's aunt and cousin talking to the ticket-taker. Our first break of the night! They let them in without tickets! WHEW! Seriously, the degree of relief I felt after this cannot be described in words. I summed up our situation to Keri like this: If you could go to a party in the Superdome with tens-of-thousands of gorgeous people dressed in formals, eat all you want, drink all you want and listen to Taylor Hicks, Styx and Journey and all you had to do was drive through traffic in New Orleans for 5 hours, wouldn't you do it? At this point it seems totally worth it.
It was.
As we walked into the arena, to say it was packed is probably the understatement of the decade. We entered at the Poydras Street endzone. To our left, basically on the visiting team's sideline, was an enormous stage where the MC and dignitaries were and where the bands would perform. The setup basically put tables in the center with a barricaded route around them for the parade to pass, and then more tables on the outside. Within 5 minutes of cramming onto the Dome floor, the MC made an announcement that the parade was coming. All of a sudden, we were blocked in. People were stepping on and over eachother to get to their tables, and we couldn't get to ours. Naturally, we were in the barricaded center. I decided I could either A) Pout that we couldn't get to the table and wallow about how tough a day it had been or B) Open my ice chest with the $100 dollars of alcohol, watch the parade and make a few friends. If you know me, you know I chose the latter. After about the 4th float, there was a break in the parade and the police moved the barricades to let us through. I caught the rest of the parade and a crapload of beads over there.
Of course, there had to be more drama, though. When we crossed the barricade, we got separated from Keri's family. She used my phone to call and text to find them. She went off to look for them while I stayed with the ice chest and caught the parade. When she came back, she didn't have my phone. She swore she put it in the ice chest (impossible because I had been standing on it to catch beads) and we dug for it. Not there. She darted off again, while I looked with the help of some people standing near us. No dice. About five minutes later, here comes Keri, phone in hand. Not sure where she found it, but I'm just glad she did.
The rest of the parade rolled by, we found the table with Keri's family, got some fantastic food, poured a few drinks (I'm feeling GOOD by this point) and were rockin' out to Al Green on stage. The night was going very well at this point. Keri and I decided to make a bathroom run and look for John Rabenhorst while we were out and about. Amazingly, I saw Celeste and Jade in line for the bathroom, which was cool, and then as we walked to find John, we saw Taylor Hicks. He was the Grand Marshall of the parade as was set to perform after Al Green. This interaction was probably the biggest disappointment of my night. When I noticed him walking around the perimeter of the tables, I said, "Taylor Hicks! Soul Patrol! Woooooo!" Like a true prick, he gave me a smirk that said sarcastically, "Oh yeah, that's funny, asshole!" I could not believe it. This guy who was a nobody a year ago is that Grand Marshall at one of the biggest parades of the biggest party in the world and he is acting like he could not care less to be there. As people noticed him and came up asking for pictures and autographs, he looked bored by the whole thing, not even smiling for pictures. What a jackass. Completely disappointing considering I bought his CD and spent hours voting for him on American Idol (yes, it is sad, but I admit it).
After our Taylor Hicks sighting, the night really started to crank up. We saw a friend of John's who pointed out where they were sitting and we made our way over there. Damn, those people know how to party! John was with Renee Schwartzenburg (which was great because I had not seen her in forever). Brien and Erin were there with dates and so was Mikey. Mr. David and Ms. Anne were looking good and having fun too. We stayed there and ate and drank for a bit until Styx came on. When they began belting out "Lady" and we all began imitating the wedding singer from "Old School" the night was on! We went to the front and started dancing. Styx's set featured the aforementioned "Lady", "Come Sail Away" and an encore with "Renegade". As soon as Styx went off to a raucous applause (at least we cheered loudly), Journey came right after. Because the stage was so big, they were already set up and played right away. Their entire set was basically the Greatest Hits album. INCREDIBLE! We earned that performance after we saw them lay a total egg in NO a couple of months ago with Def Leppard. Journey finished their set with a monster lineup: Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin', Open Arms, Faithfully, Don't Stop Believin', Any Way You Want It and Separate Ways.
All I can say is: WOW!
We danced. We drank. Basically, it was prom with alcohol and Journey instead of a crappy local band. It was incredible.
When Journey went off stage, the lights came on, the night was over, and it was 4:30 a.m. We debated going out, but realized how insanely tired we all were and just called it a night. Keri and I finally made it to the hotel. I wanted to tip the valet, but didn't have any singles. He got a 10 spot. Nice guy. We went up to the room and got Drew to let us in. We picked a cozy spot on the floor and crashed. At some point Keri went downstairs and got blankets for us. That was insanely nice, considering my lame ass was already asleep.
We woke up Sunday at noon and were in PAIN. We both kept commenting that everything was hurting. I guess a day as spectacular as the one we shared will do that to you. It was at least as bad as I felt after a day of tailgating, which is really saying something. Keri's uncle Tom had reservations at Zea for us all on St. Charles at 2 p.m. We had an excellent lunch with great company. Keri really has an awesome family and it was enjoyable getting to meet them and spend time getting to know them. Her cousin, Blair, however, did not make it to lunch because she made the fatal mistake Keri and I had made the day before and got on the wrong side of the parade route. Live and learn!
After lunch we headed back to BR and our Endymion experience was over. But damn was it a memorable 24 hours!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Why Must I Go
I had a fantastic weekend! (as if you cared) The Colts won the Super Bowl (more on that later), I spent a lot of quality time with family and I was able to begin fulfilling a dream of mine b producing a song.
Here's the story: Back in high school, my friend Ski wrote a song called "Why Must I Go". I have literally heard him play and sing this song dozens of times at parties and at impromptu jam sessions, but it never crossed my consciousness more than that. Well, recently I became involved with a digital entertainment marketing company called Burn Lounge. While major record labels and movie studios are making their content available through this site, it is unique in that it gives independent artists a forum to sell their music as well.
Anyway, I was kind of meditating one day and a thought just popped into my head: We could sell "Why Must I Go"! It is kind of weird how great ideas are so many times right under our nose, but we just never take notice. I got to thinking that I could collaborate with my friend Dave who is a dynamo on drums and also plays bass guitar, and we could probably produce a special track and sell it through Burn Lounge for 99-cents. Well, Saturday Dave and I met for the first time to brainstorm and do some editing. Exhilarating! I was actually working to produce a song. A real song that we will record in a studio and attempt to sell.
We worked for about six hours and made some real progress. We even have some really good ideas about putting a piano solo and some cool harmonies in the song as well. As for a release date, Ski is scheduled to come home in April, so I guess we will get in the studio and record then and hopefully it will be release about a month later. Stay tuned for updates!
As for the Super Bowl, for previously-mentioned reasons, I was rooting 100% for the Colts in the game. When Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for the TD for the Bears, the first words out of my mouth were "National Championship Game." Ohio State did the same thing in returning the opening kick for a score ... and then proceeded to get manhandled. Pretty much the same result here. Peyton Manning was efficient. Rex Grossman was awful (4 turnovers). And the Colts got a Super Bowl win, 29-17. Hooray! My prediction was 38-27. Not a bad prediction. Perhaps if not for the rain it would have come true.
Also coming true might be my long-awaited plan to move to Atlanta. I am leaving tomorrow after work to drive there for an interview Thursday and Friday. Details are sketchy now, but I will give more info when I have it. If I have some down time when I am there, I will try to post to let you know how it is going.
Peace!
Here's the story: Back in high school, my friend Ski wrote a song called "Why Must I Go". I have literally heard him play and sing this song dozens of times at parties and at impromptu jam sessions, but it never crossed my consciousness more than that. Well, recently I became involved with a digital entertainment marketing company called Burn Lounge. While major record labels and movie studios are making their content available through this site, it is unique in that it gives independent artists a forum to sell their music as well.
Anyway, I was kind of meditating one day and a thought just popped into my head: We could sell "Why Must I Go"! It is kind of weird how great ideas are so many times right under our nose, but we just never take notice. I got to thinking that I could collaborate with my friend Dave who is a dynamo on drums and also plays bass guitar, and we could probably produce a special track and sell it through Burn Lounge for 99-cents. Well, Saturday Dave and I met for the first time to brainstorm and do some editing. Exhilarating! I was actually working to produce a song. A real song that we will record in a studio and attempt to sell.
We worked for about six hours and made some real progress. We even have some really good ideas about putting a piano solo and some cool harmonies in the song as well. As for a release date, Ski is scheduled to come home in April, so I guess we will get in the studio and record then and hopefully it will be release about a month later. Stay tuned for updates!
As for the Super Bowl, for previously-mentioned reasons, I was rooting 100% for the Colts in the game. When Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for the TD for the Bears, the first words out of my mouth were "National Championship Game." Ohio State did the same thing in returning the opening kick for a score ... and then proceeded to get manhandled. Pretty much the same result here. Peyton Manning was efficient. Rex Grossman was awful (4 turnovers). And the Colts got a Super Bowl win, 29-17. Hooray! My prediction was 38-27. Not a bad prediction. Perhaps if not for the rain it would have come true.
Also coming true might be my long-awaited plan to move to Atlanta. I am leaving tomorrow after work to drive there for an interview Thursday and Friday. Details are sketchy now, but I will give more info when I have it. If I have some down time when I am there, I will try to post to let you know how it is going.
Peace!
Friday, February 02, 2007
Possible Name Change?
pUpon recommendation from my friend, Ski, I am considering changing the name to "Matt's No-So-Daily Blog". I get that I have been a bit sporadic with the posting, but I don't enjoy writing a bunch of crap about nothing and I am sure you don't enjoy reading it. Anyway, I am trying to give you substance. Geez!
This week has been pretty fantastic. It's one of those weeks where you wake up in the morning to your alarm clock going off at 5a.m., it's raining, your dog is hogging 3/4 of the bed and all you can do is just smile because you're so damn happy. That is my life right now. There is a lot of uncertainty as to where I will be --physically and professionally-- in the next two years, months or even weeks, but I can honestly say I am not worried about it.
I know after I ran the 2005 Marine Corps Marathon in DC I said that I was done running forever. Then my cousin asked me to run the Cleveland Half-Marathon with her, so I did. Then I said they only way I would ever run another marathon is if I was selected in the lottery to run the NYC Marathon. I was and I did. That was it, right? Ummm ....
Here we go again.
I began training this week for the Atlanta Half-Marathon that is coming up in a couple of months, with my sights on a much bigger goal. I have quickened my pace from 10 minutes (DC) to 9 minutes (NYC) to now 8 minutes with the goal of completing the 2007 Chicago Marathon in under 4 hours. If I do that then I would have completed the three largest marathons in the world and then maybe, just maybe, I can hang up my running shoes (at least competitively). That is until I feel motivated enough to qualify for Boston. Although, that may have to wait until I'm 60.
Also this week, I had my very first taste of crawfish this season. I went to the ONLY place in BR for crawfish: Atchafalaya Seafood. What's that? Never heard of it? That's because it is a tiny place located on North Foster after you cross over Choctaw. Yeah, I don't blame you for not going out there. It's a rough area. But, it is soooo worth it for the crawfish. Buggs turned me on to them when we were still working at Citadel back in Spring '05. They are the burn-your-tongue-take-a-sip-of-beer-after-every-bite-clear-your-sinuses good kind of crawfish. Seriously, try them! But call ahead because you don't want to make that drive and have them run out when you get there (I know from experience).
This weekend is the Super Bowl. Go Colts! I'm rooting for Peyton, who has always been a favorite of mine. But, considering my experience in Chicago for the NFC Championship Game (see previous post) I have a newfound hatred of the Bears and must cheer for their demise. I'm saying Colts 38, Bears 27. You heard it here first!
Hopefully, I will find time to put something down here this weekend, but if not, I will give a Super Bowl recap Monday.
Peace
This week has been pretty fantastic. It's one of those weeks where you wake up in the morning to your alarm clock going off at 5a.m., it's raining, your dog is hogging 3/4 of the bed and all you can do is just smile because you're so damn happy. That is my life right now. There is a lot of uncertainty as to where I will be --physically and professionally-- in the next two years, months or even weeks, but I can honestly say I am not worried about it.
I know after I ran the 2005 Marine Corps Marathon in DC I said that I was done running forever. Then my cousin asked me to run the Cleveland Half-Marathon with her, so I did. Then I said they only way I would ever run another marathon is if I was selected in the lottery to run the NYC Marathon. I was and I did. That was it, right? Ummm ....
Here we go again.
I began training this week for the Atlanta Half-Marathon that is coming up in a couple of months, with my sights on a much bigger goal. I have quickened my pace from 10 minutes (DC) to 9 minutes (NYC) to now 8 minutes with the goal of completing the 2007 Chicago Marathon in under 4 hours. If I do that then I would have completed the three largest marathons in the world and then maybe, just maybe, I can hang up my running shoes (at least competitively). That is until I feel motivated enough to qualify for Boston. Although, that may have to wait until I'm 60.
Also this week, I had my very first taste of crawfish this season. I went to the ONLY place in BR for crawfish: Atchafalaya Seafood. What's that? Never heard of it? That's because it is a tiny place located on North Foster after you cross over Choctaw. Yeah, I don't blame you for not going out there. It's a rough area. But, it is soooo worth it for the crawfish. Buggs turned me on to them when we were still working at Citadel back in Spring '05. They are the burn-your-tongue-take-a-sip-of-beer-after-every-bite-clear-your-sinuses good kind of crawfish. Seriously, try them! But call ahead because you don't want to make that drive and have them run out when you get there (I know from experience).
This weekend is the Super Bowl. Go Colts! I'm rooting for Peyton, who has always been a favorite of mine. But, considering my experience in Chicago for the NFC Championship Game (see previous post) I have a newfound hatred of the Bears and must cheer for their demise. I'm saying Colts 38, Bears 27. You heard it here first!
Hopefully, I will find time to put something down here this weekend, but if not, I will give a Super Bowl recap Monday.
Peace
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
A Little Life Lesson
Part of me is still amazed every time I hear someone express their amazement at my negative experiences up north or in other parts of the country. As you know by now, I have many theories on many of life's circumstances and goings-on, and so it is with this.
To fully understand where I am going with this, let me explain where I have been. I was born in Metairie, La. -- a sububurb of New Orleans -- and have spent most of my life in Baton Rouge. After high school, I spent a year in South Bend, Ind., at Holy Cross College. If you are geographically challenged, South Bend is located on the southeast side of Lake Michigan about an hour east of Chicago. My experiences there were haunting: bland food, rude people, ugly women, painfully cold weather. Basically, the antithesis of what I had experienced growing up. In fact, when my roommate Rory (who is from upstate New York) came to Louisiana to visit, he was amazed when we passed someone walking up the steps at Middleton Library at LSU and they smiled and said "Hello." Rory asked if I knew that person. When I said I did not, his jaw hit the floor. Common courtesy does not exist in the north.
Also, after my sophomore year at LSU, I spent a summer selling books in Minnesota. I was literally selling door-to-door to poor Midwestern farmers. Now, there is nothing wrong with being a farmer. They are the backbone of the American agricultural landscape, but by the nature of what I was doing I met more than 2,000 families that summer. My experiences were eerily similar to those in South Bend.
My point in telling you all of this is that I received an e-mail from a good friend of mine who is in Med School in the Caribbean. When he read my last blog entry detailing my trip to Chicago, he was as horrified as I was regarding the treatment we received by Bears fans; specifically the taunts related to Hurricane Katrina. Ski's exact words to me:
"so i have been reading your not-so-daily blog and i was horrified at the chicago experience. I complained to the 2 friends i have here. One is from new orleans so he was as shocked as i was. I understand that some people can get caught up in the atmosphere and lose track of things but that was ridiculous! It has always been a joke when people from the north ask us if we still ride in pirogue or wrestle alligators but I am starting to think that this is their actual opinion of LA and MS. Why don't they care? I cant figure it out. Why don't people get the point that Katrina was a major event in American history? Is it apathy from the middle class. Does george bush really not care about black people!? I hate to think that I will have an automatic staple on me when I go to the north for my rotations next year."
Allow me to address these points. Yes, that is the opinion of the overwhelming majority of people in the north. Don't believe me? We were even heckled about Katrina by a homeless man as we left Soldier Field! A man who smelled like shit was taunting me, a college educated goal-oriented man. Even homeless people think they have it better than we do.
The next obvious question is why do they think this way? Here is where my theory comes into place. For an answer, you truly have to go back more than 100 years to the Civil War era and the industrial revolution (Don't worry, I will not bore you with this). To a large degree, there is a certain degree of separatism in the US that lingers because of the Civil War. Why do you think LSU fans cheered so hard when Florida beat Ohio State in the National Championship Game? The South is better! Why is it that if a candidate from you state (ie Bill Clinton) runs for a national office, you will vote for him even if you hate his politics (Arkansas is a historically conservative state)? It's about pride. It's about unfinished business. Why do you constantly hear people on the West coast talk about an East coast bias in the news? Because there is one! The West coast was an unsettled wasteland that belonged to Mexico and God-knows-who-else during our nation's largest crisis--the event that threatened to tear apart what we have and hold dear. As the North and South have continued their bitter rivalry, the West coast has been settled and like the youngest child in a family, keeps screaming "Hey! I'm here too!" but no one ever pays it any attention.
And it's not just the North bashing the South for being uneducated, racist goons. how many times on this blog have I written about the bland food, rude people, ugly women and painfully cold weather? Oh wait, that is several paragraphs up. See my point. It is a constant back-and-forth like a sibling rivalry and there is no end in sight.
To a small degree, that is my theory on why we hate eachother. As to why Northern people and Southerners are so different in our cultures, I believe we would have to go back to the Industrial Revolution. Think about this: if you woke up before dawn, spent 10 hour a day in a dark factory inhaling God awful fumes all day, walked home in sub-freezing temperatures to eat a bland meal, make love to your ugly wife, got six hours of sleep and then got up and did it all over again, how would you feel? You would be pissed! And children saw their parents pissed all the time!
On the other hand, if you woke up with the sun, worked off the land, never dealt with a demanding boss and made love to a gorgeous wife who could turn something called a "crawfish" into a gourmet meal, wouldn't you be happy too? Wouldn't you have a nicer disposition? Wouldn't you stop and enjoy life and maybe open a door for a neighbor? Yes! And children saw their parents do it, and grew up nicer as well.
Consequently, with industry growing in the north and farming remaining the major source of revenue in the south, northerners became more educated to get out of the factory life and move into a corporate setting, while southerners did not stress education as much. The attitude of "My daddy was a farmer, so I'll be a farmer" or whatever the trade might be, was pervasive. So, as the north became more and more educated, the south fell further and further behind in that area. Why do you think the oldest colleges in the country are in the north while LSU had a mere 45 students in 1873 after the state legislature cut funding? Priorities.
And so it has continued. Generation after generation of beautiful southern women continue to bear HOTT daughters while generation after generation of ugly northerners cram their heads into books trying to continue their legacy. I could actually go into far more detail, but this is long enough. Hope it makes sense. Thoughts? Suggestions? Comments?
To fully understand where I am going with this, let me explain where I have been. I was born in Metairie, La. -- a sububurb of New Orleans -- and have spent most of my life in Baton Rouge. After high school, I spent a year in South Bend, Ind., at Holy Cross College. If you are geographically challenged, South Bend is located on the southeast side of Lake Michigan about an hour east of Chicago. My experiences there were haunting: bland food, rude people, ugly women, painfully cold weather. Basically, the antithesis of what I had experienced growing up. In fact, when my roommate Rory (who is from upstate New York) came to Louisiana to visit, he was amazed when we passed someone walking up the steps at Middleton Library at LSU and they smiled and said "Hello." Rory asked if I knew that person. When I said I did not, his jaw hit the floor. Common courtesy does not exist in the north.
Also, after my sophomore year at LSU, I spent a summer selling books in Minnesota. I was literally selling door-to-door to poor Midwestern farmers. Now, there is nothing wrong with being a farmer. They are the backbone of the American agricultural landscape, but by the nature of what I was doing I met more than 2,000 families that summer. My experiences were eerily similar to those in South Bend.
My point in telling you all of this is that I received an e-mail from a good friend of mine who is in Med School in the Caribbean. When he read my last blog entry detailing my trip to Chicago, he was as horrified as I was regarding the treatment we received by Bears fans; specifically the taunts related to Hurricane Katrina. Ski's exact words to me:
"so i have been reading your not-so-daily blog and i was horrified at the chicago experience. I complained to the 2 friends i have here. One is from new orleans so he was as shocked as i was. I understand that some people can get caught up in the atmosphere and lose track of things but that was ridiculous! It has always been a joke when people from the north ask us if we still ride in pirogue or wrestle alligators but I am starting to think that this is their actual opinion of LA and MS. Why don't they care? I cant figure it out. Why don't people get the point that Katrina was a major event in American history? Is it apathy from the middle class. Does george bush really not care about black people!? I hate to think that I will have an automatic staple on me when I go to the north for my rotations next year."
Allow me to address these points. Yes, that is the opinion of the overwhelming majority of people in the north. Don't believe me? We were even heckled about Katrina by a homeless man as we left Soldier Field! A man who smelled like shit was taunting me, a college educated goal-oriented man. Even homeless people think they have it better than we do.
The next obvious question is why do they think this way? Here is where my theory comes into place. For an answer, you truly have to go back more than 100 years to the Civil War era and the industrial revolution (Don't worry, I will not bore you with this). To a large degree, there is a certain degree of separatism in the US that lingers because of the Civil War. Why do you think LSU fans cheered so hard when Florida beat Ohio State in the National Championship Game? The South is better! Why is it that if a candidate from you state (ie Bill Clinton) runs for a national office, you will vote for him even if you hate his politics (Arkansas is a historically conservative state)? It's about pride. It's about unfinished business. Why do you constantly hear people on the West coast talk about an East coast bias in the news? Because there is one! The West coast was an unsettled wasteland that belonged to Mexico and God-knows-who-else during our nation's largest crisis--the event that threatened to tear apart what we have and hold dear. As the North and South have continued their bitter rivalry, the West coast has been settled and like the youngest child in a family, keeps screaming "Hey! I'm here too!" but no one ever pays it any attention.
And it's not just the North bashing the South for being uneducated, racist goons. how many times on this blog have I written about the bland food, rude people, ugly women and painfully cold weather? Oh wait, that is several paragraphs up. See my point. It is a constant back-and-forth like a sibling rivalry and there is no end in sight.
To a small degree, that is my theory on why we hate eachother. As to why Northern people and Southerners are so different in our cultures, I believe we would have to go back to the Industrial Revolution. Think about this: if you woke up before dawn, spent 10 hour a day in a dark factory inhaling God awful fumes all day, walked home in sub-freezing temperatures to eat a bland meal, make love to your ugly wife, got six hours of sleep and then got up and did it all over again, how would you feel? You would be pissed! And children saw their parents pissed all the time!
On the other hand, if you woke up with the sun, worked off the land, never dealt with a demanding boss and made love to a gorgeous wife who could turn something called a "crawfish" into a gourmet meal, wouldn't you be happy too? Wouldn't you have a nicer disposition? Wouldn't you stop and enjoy life and maybe open a door for a neighbor? Yes! And children saw their parents do it, and grew up nicer as well.
Consequently, with industry growing in the north and farming remaining the major source of revenue in the south, northerners became more educated to get out of the factory life and move into a corporate setting, while southerners did not stress education as much. The attitude of "My daddy was a farmer, so I'll be a farmer" or whatever the trade might be, was pervasive. So, as the north became more and more educated, the south fell further and further behind in that area. Why do you think the oldest colleges in the country are in the north while LSU had a mere 45 students in 1873 after the state legislature cut funding? Priorities.
And so it has continued. Generation after generation of beautiful southern women continue to bear HOTT daughters while generation after generation of ugly northerners cram their heads into books trying to continue their legacy. I could actually go into far more detail, but this is long enough. Hope it makes sense. Thoughts? Suggestions? Comments?
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Disappointment In Chi-town
I was disappointed in my trip to Chicago in more ways than just the Saints getting shellacked 39-14 in teh NFC Championship Game. Honestly, I am still sick about it. So much so, that I wrote a letter to the editor at the "Chicago Sun Times" which has not run as of yet. Because I fear it may never run, I will use this post to run my own letter to the editor that I submitted to the CST easrlier this week:
Dear Editor,
Any well-traveled sports fan knows that in every venue in every city there are a small group of classless fans who will embarrass themselves, their team and their city through their words and actions. For the most part, home fans are courteous and appreciative of opposing fans making the effort to visit their city. I was hoping that my negative experience during the Saints-Bears game Sunday was isolated. It wasn’t.
In talking with Saints fans at Grant Park, the airport and throughout the city Monday, it became clear that kind-hearted Bear fans were in the minority while the majority, in fact, were hate-spewing jackasses. Here is some of what I heard:
“Go back to your flooded home!”
“Go home to your eight feet of water!”
“How did you get here? Did you swim?”
“Your team blows like Katrina!”
And, perhaps the most horrifying, a sing that read, “We Finish What Katrina Started!”
Anyone who is as ignorant and vile as to hold up a derogatory sign referring to the nation’s worst natural disaster certainly has no clue what Katrina started. Allow me to refresh your memory:
-1,836 people confirmed dead
-705 people missing
- $81.2 billion dollars in damage
-900,000 homes without power
-Hundreds of thousands of evacuees
Imagine a New York Giants fans coming to Soldier Field and seeing a sign reading, “We Finish What Osama Started!” Absolutely horrifying! Yet, that is what Saints fans constantly had thrown in our faces.
You may be sick of hearing about Hurricane Katrina, but we are sick of living it. While Bear fans continue living a fantasy and planning trips to Miami for the Super Bowl, Saints fans return to a reality which includes FEMA trailers on front lawns, closed businesses and schools, and brave people working to bring a city back from hell on earth.
Ignorant Bear fans may have been the norm in Chicago, but my prayer for New Orleans is that it is not a pervasive attitude throughout this country. If that is the case, New Orleans may never return.
Sincerely,
Matthew Moscona
Dear Editor,
Any well-traveled sports fan knows that in every venue in every city there are a small group of classless fans who will embarrass themselves, their team and their city through their words and actions. For the most part, home fans are courteous and appreciative of opposing fans making the effort to visit their city. I was hoping that my negative experience during the Saints-Bears game Sunday was isolated. It wasn’t.
In talking with Saints fans at Grant Park, the airport and throughout the city Monday, it became clear that kind-hearted Bear fans were in the minority while the majority, in fact, were hate-spewing jackasses. Here is some of what I heard:
“Go back to your flooded home!”
“Go home to your eight feet of water!”
“How did you get here? Did you swim?”
“Your team blows like Katrina!”
And, perhaps the most horrifying, a sing that read, “We Finish What Katrina Started!”
Anyone who is as ignorant and vile as to hold up a derogatory sign referring to the nation’s worst natural disaster certainly has no clue what Katrina started. Allow me to refresh your memory:
-1,836 people confirmed dead
-705 people missing
- $81.2 billion dollars in damage
-900,000 homes without power
-Hundreds of thousands of evacuees
Imagine a New York Giants fans coming to Soldier Field and seeing a sign reading, “We Finish What Osama Started!” Absolutely horrifying! Yet, that is what Saints fans constantly had thrown in our faces.
You may be sick of hearing about Hurricane Katrina, but we are sick of living it. While Bear fans continue living a fantasy and planning trips to Miami for the Super Bowl, Saints fans return to a reality which includes FEMA trailers on front lawns, closed businesses and schools, and brave people working to bring a city back from hell on earth.
Ignorant Bear fans may have been the norm in Chicago, but my prayer for New Orleans is that it is not a pervasive attitude throughout this country. If that is the case, New Orleans may never return.
Sincerely,
Matthew Moscona
Friday, January 19, 2007
Going Dark
I am giddy! Remember how you felt on Christmas Eve as a 5-year-old when all you wanted to do was go to sleep because you knew that when you woke up Santa would have come and there would be presents to open and toys to play with, but no matter how hard you tried, you just couldn't keep your eyes closed and kept listening for reindeer on the roof? Well, amplify that by 50,000,000 and that is how I feel right now!
My flight is out of Baton Rouge tomorrow morning at 5:45am. We will land in Chicago around 11 a.m., thus beginning a weekend I have waited for my entire life. The Saints and Bears play Sunday for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. Yes, you read that correctly. I actually used the words "Saints" and "Super Bowl" in the same sentence and nobody thinks it's a joke! Amazing!
The game time forecast is around 30 degrees with the wind chill in the 20s with a 60% chance of snow showers! There has been a lot of talk about the weather this week and how it might affect the Saints. I will admit that I was concerned about it earlier in the week despite my efforts to attempt to calm put others at ease about it. Notice I said "was" concerned. I heard comments by Drew Brees and Deuce McAllister that really cemented what this means.
Brees: "We also had some practices at Purdue where it was zero degrees."
McAllister: "Do you think we are going to let the cold stop us from going to the Super Bowl?"
That really put it in perspective for me. I mean seriously! Friggin cold weather stopping this team from the Super Bowl? Nah! A colossal collapse by Drew Brees? Okay. Reggie Bush coughs it up more times that an aging smoker? Possibly. Sean Payton leaves his menu-sized play card in the hotel room? Might be trouble. The weather? NO WAY! Winners win when it matters most and refuse to be denied and refuse to make excuses. I think the Saints are winners and will leave Chicago with the NFC Championship! Saints 27 Bears 10
Being that I will be in Chicago all weekend and will not be back until 11 p.m. Monday night, I will not write again until Tuesday. But, regardless of how the game goes, I will be sure to take notes and fill you in on the entire trip when I get home.
GO SAINTS!
My flight is out of Baton Rouge tomorrow morning at 5:45am. We will land in Chicago around 11 a.m., thus beginning a weekend I have waited for my entire life. The Saints and Bears play Sunday for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. Yes, you read that correctly. I actually used the words "Saints" and "Super Bowl" in the same sentence and nobody thinks it's a joke! Amazing!
The game time forecast is around 30 degrees with the wind chill in the 20s with a 60% chance of snow showers! There has been a lot of talk about the weather this week and how it might affect the Saints. I will admit that I was concerned about it earlier in the week despite my efforts to attempt to calm put others at ease about it. Notice I said "was" concerned. I heard comments by Drew Brees and Deuce McAllister that really cemented what this means.
Brees: "We also had some practices at Purdue where it was zero degrees."
McAllister: "Do you think we are going to let the cold stop us from going to the Super Bowl?"
That really put it in perspective for me. I mean seriously! Friggin cold weather stopping this team from the Super Bowl? Nah! A colossal collapse by Drew Brees? Okay. Reggie Bush coughs it up more times that an aging smoker? Possibly. Sean Payton leaves his menu-sized play card in the hotel room? Might be trouble. The weather? NO WAY! Winners win when it matters most and refuse to be denied and refuse to make excuses. I think the Saints are winners and will leave Chicago with the NFC Championship! Saints 27 Bears 10
Being that I will be in Chicago all weekend and will not be back until 11 p.m. Monday night, I will not write again until Tuesday. But, regardless of how the game goes, I will be sure to take notes and fill you in on the entire trip when I get home.
GO SAINTS!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Schedule
It's sad. I agree. But, it is reality for many people's lives this time of year. When the New Year rolls around, that means three things for me: Bowl Games, NFL Playoffs and the new season of my favorite TV shows. Before you even start rolling your eyes and characterizing my choice of entertainment as a waste of time, just hear me out.
In my previous post, I professed my undying devotion to the Single Greatest Show Ever, "24". That is Monday. As of yesterday, the rest of my week has fallen into line. Observe:
Monday - 24
Tuesday - American Idol
Wednesday - American Idol
Thursday - The Office (funniest show on TV), Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs -- THANK GOD FOR MY DVR
Friday - ???
Saturday - ???
Sunday - ???
Needless to say, there is a spiritual and existential funk in my life after Thursday. What do I do? Seriously, I'm open for suggestions.
Part of me wonders why I commit so much time of my life to these shows when I could be partaking in literally dozens of other, far more productive, activities. Yet I watch. And I am not alone! 40 million people watched the premier of "Idol" last night. 33 million tuned in for the opener of "24". That is roughly 1/7 of the entire population of this country!! And we wonder why public schools are failing, teen pregnancy is up, drug and murder rates are up, school violence is up etc... No, not because Simon Cowell drives people to bring guns to school and smoke hooch. It's because our priorities are out of whack. I'm not condemning anyone because I am part of this phenomenon myself. I just wonder how we got to this point where people care more about a 300-pound nobody from Minnesota singing like the Cowardly Lion from the "Wizard of Oz" (I laughed 'til I cried) than they do about Geometry and Physics.
As for football, the NFL is the single worst-run business in all of sports, yet it is the most popular. Amazing. A group of crack-selling midgets could take over the NFL headquarters and turn it into their own personal meth lab and people would still be addicted to the NFL. Think about this: Shawn Merriman of the San Diego Chargers tested positive for steroids this year (duh!). He is given a four game suspension and yet is still considered for Defensive Player of the Year honors and is hyped as the greatest defensive player since Lawrence Taylor. HELLO! He is a cheater! He used steroids and got caught! Yet, no one cares. Meanwhile, some sports writers THINK Mark McGwire MIGHT HAVE used performance enhancers and they jump on their high horse and refuse to elect him to the baseball Hall of Fame. Double standard? What? No way! Puhh-lease!
To further prove the incompetence of the NFL higher-ups, Saints defensive lineman Hollis Thomas (who is roughly the size of Puerto Rico) was suspended for four games for testing positive for steroids. Big deal, right? Sure. Except that the steroid was a substance in Thomas' PRESCRIBED ASTHMA MEDICINE. The guy weighs 400 pounds! Do you honestly think he is on anabolic steroids to develop muscles on his toenails?! Stupid!
Message To All NFL Players: Whether you are using an illegal substance to grow hair where the sun doesn't shine and cause veins to pop out of your eyeballs or using it to SAVE YOUR LIFE, even if prescribed by your doctor, the NFL will not let you off the hook! We have got our kids to think about!
I'm telling you -- crack-selling midgets!
In my previous post, I professed my undying devotion to the Single Greatest Show Ever, "24". That is Monday. As of yesterday, the rest of my week has fallen into line. Observe:
Monday - 24
Tuesday - American Idol
Wednesday - American Idol
Thursday - The Office (funniest show on TV), Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs -- THANK GOD FOR MY DVR
Friday - ???
Saturday - ???
Sunday - ???
Needless to say, there is a spiritual and existential funk in my life after Thursday. What do I do? Seriously, I'm open for suggestions.
Part of me wonders why I commit so much time of my life to these shows when I could be partaking in literally dozens of other, far more productive, activities. Yet I watch. And I am not alone! 40 million people watched the premier of "Idol" last night. 33 million tuned in for the opener of "24". That is roughly 1/7 of the entire population of this country!! And we wonder why public schools are failing, teen pregnancy is up, drug and murder rates are up, school violence is up etc... No, not because Simon Cowell drives people to bring guns to school and smoke hooch. It's because our priorities are out of whack. I'm not condemning anyone because I am part of this phenomenon myself. I just wonder how we got to this point where people care more about a 300-pound nobody from Minnesota singing like the Cowardly Lion from the "Wizard of Oz" (I laughed 'til I cried) than they do about Geometry and Physics.
As for football, the NFL is the single worst-run business in all of sports, yet it is the most popular. Amazing. A group of crack-selling midgets could take over the NFL headquarters and turn it into their own personal meth lab and people would still be addicted to the NFL. Think about this: Shawn Merriman of the San Diego Chargers tested positive for steroids this year (duh!). He is given a four game suspension and yet is still considered for Defensive Player of the Year honors and is hyped as the greatest defensive player since Lawrence Taylor. HELLO! He is a cheater! He used steroids and got caught! Yet, no one cares. Meanwhile, some sports writers THINK Mark McGwire MIGHT HAVE used performance enhancers and they jump on their high horse and refuse to elect him to the baseball Hall of Fame. Double standard? What? No way! Puhh-lease!
To further prove the incompetence of the NFL higher-ups, Saints defensive lineman Hollis Thomas (who is roughly the size of Puerto Rico) was suspended for four games for testing positive for steroids. Big deal, right? Sure. Except that the steroid was a substance in Thomas' PRESCRIBED ASTHMA MEDICINE. The guy weighs 400 pounds! Do you honestly think he is on anabolic steroids to develop muscles on his toenails?! Stupid!
Message To All NFL Players: Whether you are using an illegal substance to grow hair where the sun doesn't shine and cause veins to pop out of your eyeballs or using it to SAVE YOUR LIFE, even if prescribed by your doctor, the NFL will not let you off the hook! We have got our kids to think about!
I'm telling you -- crack-selling midgets!
