Touchdown Tuesday - Why so Serious?

If I had hair, I would want it to be several inches long, straight, and jet black.  Whipping my head around, the glorious hair, slightly damp for effect, would slide through the air landing in strategic places across my face, leaving both of my eyes peering through the strands.  (I know I have problems, no need to point that out.)

What it would not entail is any shaving into the side of villains sayings:

As entertaining as this was against Batman & Robin (Bengals) last week, perhaps it should have been changed to "Why so Slippery" this week.  I feel bad for Stevie Johnson & hope he recovers, though he doesn't seem to think he will, but big players make those plays, they don't worry about how they will celebrate after they make that catch.

I'm not hating here, I think he is becoming a great player, as long as he doesn't start thanking his hands for being so great (more on the Eagles later!)  Fitzpatrick is the guy for the future here though, you don't draft a QB.  He leads, he throws, and he is fearless.  He carries this team, fighting every week.  Hopefully I won't talk about the Bills next week.

I will talk about the Panthers now though.  Russ Grimm, really we are looking at Russ Grimm, the assistant coach for the 2nd worst team in the league?  I really don't know what to say here, at this point Carolina needs someone to get behind, and that is not going to be a new coach coming off a 3 win season.  Can I trade allegiance for the Bills please?  Never thought anyone would say that, huh?

Throughout the year Vick has made both the Defense and the O-Line of the Eagles look much better than they actually are.  The Offensive line is obvious, most teams play back, don't rush as hard, playing a wait/contain defense against Vick, making the line seem great, because they are not pressured as much.  The Bears didn't wait.  Peppers, who is the best when he plays, handled business, and a 4 man line for most of the game pressured Vick because they played like he was a QB, not Superman.  The line has to get better.

Vick makes the Defense look better by having them play from a lead, making the other team one dimensional and therefore the play calling easier.  The Bears didn't.  Forte, who has finally come on, ran, and Cutler threw.  Philly is so much fun to watch, high powered and exciting, but if they are going to go deep in the playoffs they have to be able to hold it on D and stop guys on the line.  Should be a big game for Vick this Thursday, but can they contain Houston and stop Mario Williams? Calling it now, I'm taking the Texans.

Guys I want:  Peyton Hillis - All this guy does is play hard for a team that doesn't win much, though they are on the edge as well with McCoy.  He is like Mike Alstott with much better vision.  After treating Carolina like a cheap Kleenex with a bad cold (blew threw them) he was asked about his game.  He gave credit to his Fullback & his O-line.  That's the kind of guy I want.

Andre Johnson - Mild mannered, strong hearted, play through the pain, then go to the octagon for some ground and pound!  I loved this, the game in hand, still playing hard, emotions in it.  Give me the guy with heart, usually controlled but needed to come out to fight the injustice of the evil Cortland.  Receivers have a new hero - Andre starts with an S.

Finally Fantasy:  Frank Gore is out, pick up Westbrook.  Healthy, rested, and showed last night he was ready to go.  San Fran will start to use him more in the passing game now that he will be the #1 guy in practice and game day, I suspect.  Being only 1 game out of winning the division, does anyone remember a guarantee earlier this season about playoffs?

My picks still suffer, though this week was better.  If I'm being honest I have recently begun testing my son for specific gifts, my 3 year old son.  While I am loving making picks with him, I fear he has not been endowed with a prophetic edge, though sadly his seeing ability is slightly better than mine as his pick was the Browns and I went with him for a win.  I haven't picked against Carolina since they came into the league!

That's it for this "serious" edition of Touchdown Tuesday.  Don't drop the ball this week.

Touchdown Tuesday - Songs of Goodbye

Goodbye Dear Chili, though we really knew you were gone, you should thank Brett Favre, you have any cash at all.  (Candle in the Wind - Elton John)

Not working for you?  How's this:

The Titans singing, bye bye you little whiny child, we boo you cause you stink and we hope you go wild.  Last time you came on back and we all reconciled but now we just think your actions are vile, and we're hoping that your contracts denied (American Pie - Don McLean)

Try this one:

Goodbye cruel hits You're leaving us today, Goodell has taken you away goodbye.  Goodbye all you defenses built to intimidate, Goodell has changed your mind, goodbye.(Goodbye Cruel World - Pink Floyd{a little more obscure I know but so good!)

That's enough just sing the na na na's, the hey hey's, the goodbye and here are the Rambling Football Thoughts.

Colts - I trust in Manning.  There is still no other QB I would rather have at anytime during any game.  All these questions about if he should have short passed or run the ball - Manning realized they were riding momentum in a game they had been outplayed in.  New England had run all over them, slowly and consistently, OT would be bad.  Manning played to win, remember, "You play to win the game!"

White Chicken Chili - Every football program in America should be afraid of Brad.  The breakdown in his actions, calls, and attitude is nothing less than amazing!  But, after being in a situation he didn't want to be in and letting Favre make him a ton of cash, he can now sit and enjoy it from his couch.Buy yourself a nice seat coach, I expect you'll be there a while.

Titans - Coaches, do not provoke your players vs. spare the bench, spoil the team.  Vince Young is a child.  I don't know how to say it any other way and Fischer should have him released but Young holds to the apron strings of the other parent, the owner!  I tell my 3 year old, "You don't get to act that way," My 3 YEAR OLD - and this is exactly why.

The $ is on the Rise - I love the Bills.  How do you not cheer for this team, they stink and every week they fight as if it were their season.  For their coach, the team, the fans, and then drop 35 (total of 49) and pitch a 2nd half shut out!  They don't need the first pick (& Panthers say thanks).  If it continues and they strengthen in the offseason a little, they could be a force next year.

Dictators and Hard Hits - The Commish needs to watch his back right now - this may be more dangerous than he realizes.  He now has many star players, Urlacher, Lewis, the Steelers, all coming out against his one man rule on hits the league has celebrated (remember Jacked Up! and posters of guys getting blown up?)  On the edge of a strike could this be more fuel pushing towards a play stoppage?  Careful Rodger, you may be in charge but you do not dictate opinion.

Finally Fantasy - I actually doubled my opponents points this week 186 - 93 and that is not an exaggeration!  That's really all I have to say about fantasy, highest point total I've ever had I think, it's just cool!

Turduckin - I sort of hope to see one of these this year - fond memories of sitting around the tv fighting to stay awake after finishing a brilliant meal at the table with my family.  Sit with your family, bring them close, share life and love with them over the table . . . and then argue about calls on the football field and let your grandma walk into a screen door!  Lots of family and friends, an inordinate amount of food and football, good or bad ~ Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!

If there's a topic or team someone would like me to address let me know and we will work it in!

Touchdown Tuesday - In the Beginning

In the beginning there was football . . . well not really but how cool would that have been!  God created 2 53 man rosters from the get go, I guess everything takes some time to get perfected.  I'm confident there was some 2 hand touch going on in the garden though!


Disclaimer:  I am a Carolina Panthers fan!

Strange things this weekend in the NFL I felt like.  Incredible turn arounds, HUGE scores, and over-all just a lot of fun to watch!  Speaking of fun, I don't have to watch my dismal Panthers because I don't have the Sunday Ticket this year, and I am ok with that!  I love them, they stink, that's all I have to say this time.

Dallas:  Lots of talk about how Wade was not the problem and the players are playing now.  What made the players play all of a sudden?  A new coach, genius!  All these pro announcers going off on the players, when they might not have been playing great, but they were modeling their coach, this is what happens.  It was Wade's fault!  Will they keep winning?  I don't know, but the lackadaisical attitude went out with Wade.

Talk about Vick:  Gonna be hard to stop this guy and this team right now.  They were incredible last night!  He had complete control.  6 TD's, unstoppable.  Best part after the game, the following press conference  when Deshaun Jackson says they were like some caged pitbulls!  Accidental shot, sure was funny.

Congrats to the Bills:  They play too hard each week, I think they will get some more wins through the season, and thanks for confirming Carolina gets the first pick.  Sorry, that was the last of Panthers.

Denver drops 49:  I guess I shouldn't be surprised, they've been offensively effective all year pretty much, just don't shake hands, that is all I know!

Fantasy relevance:  Most trade deadlines are coming up so pay close attention to finishing your team for a playoff run!  Why can I give fantasy advice?  because I'm in 4 leagues - #1 in 3 of them and on the rise in the other - back off Carter, you're going down!  Don't ask me for weekly game picks though, I've resorted to asking my 3 year old . . . it has been bad!

I think Touchdown Tuesday will be a consistent thing for me.  Football is like a hobby for me and I need an outlet and being these are the Inconsequential Rambling Thoughts of my mind, I figured what better place!

55 - Spidermans Ride

Smiles light the night as he cheers for the wrong team, but he doesn't care, they're playing soccer and we are watching together.

Passerby's chuckle, some comment, he takes it in stride soaking it in for his building confidence.

Game ends, Spiderman's back on the 4-wheeler & I ride his scooter, enjoying the ride back home.

Tell a story in 55 words and post the link here with G-man for Flash Friday 55!  Come and play.

Sense and Soccer-ability

I love soccer, love watching, playing, thinking about strategy.  Don't hate, I love football too, American football but a soccer game played well can be a thing of beauty.  Not that we saw much of this in the last World Cup, though a couple of the US moments at the end rank incredibly high on the intense-o-meter.  Lost my mind in a couple of those games, ask my wife, she thinks I'm a lunatic!

I played soccer in High School.  I was no where near the best, closer to the worst if I'm honest, though not as bad as stories have gotten over the years.  I never kicked myself in the nose as has been told to many a kids group by some of my great friends from Vandalia HS.  I did, however, miss a wide open goal with a header once, right off my eyeball.  But I never quit, as goofy as I looked, and my defense stood strong!

I remember one specific kick in one specific game.  I was never the most confident player, which I realize now only added to my lack of talent.  I often miss kicked because I was unsure that the ball would go where I wanted it to in the first place.  My belief that something could go wrong when I kicked the ball won out more often than not.

But this one kick, deep in the backfield, close to my goal, keeper calling out where the striker is, ball striving to me.  The mind is funny, knowing what it should tell the body to do, believing it may do it wrong, but acting anyways with so many thoughts rushing all at once.  I slid to position and prepared for the worst, a mis-kick that would lead to a goal and our loss.

Suddenly, out of no where, my sweeper screams at me!  I didn't need to look, only act.   The embedded belief that I would jack it up vanished like a fart in the wind (Yes, I stole that).  I stepped to the ball in mid roll, put my foot on the ground in stride, and blasted it to my midfielder streaking down the field.  No idea what happened after that, memory fades, except for the word.  The one word that inspired belief in my action.  My ally had belted the word, "Confidence!"

That simple act, getting me to be confident in the fact that we had practiced, learned, focused, and re-practiced this over and over and when it counted it was time to come through, not wonder if I would, because I could, I simply had to act and fall back on my training.

This carried far beyond this moment, though I'm not sure I realized it until today.  Desire to do well and do right is nullified by a wonder if it will come to fruition.  Confidence in training and belief is what leads to action.  It's easy to fall back away from this, I do it all the time without even realizing.  Put in the training and then stand in the confidence, more often than not, you will be satisfied with the results, though sometimes you may be accused of kicking youself in the nose!

Sand - Theme Thursday

Mingling through my toes, each step closer to somewhere as you become an actual part of me.

My knees fall into you as you caress my fall and hold me tight enough for comfort without a grasp for life.

I trustfully fall into your embrace, longing for each tiny grain against my skin.  The feel of your touch enchants my emotions,  drawing me closer and closer to the one that we have become. 

I roll my head to feel the speckles kiss my cheek gently, and thank the Creator for shaping this sand into you.

Halloween ~ Enjoy the Community!

A skeletons dry bones rattle up to my door, a vampire, a KISS member, a unicorn, a princess, a fairy.  Superheroes, cartoons, Charlie Brown.

Mostly smiles, some disappointing pretzels, voiced loudly by those with less manners than others.  Over-all in the midst of the darkness of night and the frightful decorum the aura is light, the feeling is not heavy.

As we trekked through our neighborhood with Spiderman and a Detroit Lions cheerleader even the college students who were unprepared gave what they had to the trick-or-treaters, chocolate Tastee muffins! 

We passed dreadful decorations, freaking out the cheerleader, but intriguing my boy who wanted to see more!  One group on the porch playing music, so inviting and enjoyable.  A "fake" pumkinhead scarecrow that watched with his head as you walked by, freaky, but nice enough not to scare the children out of their candy. (This was my favorite of the night!)

Why would you sit this out for religious reasons, this brilliance of community.  It brings everyone together, who wants to be.  As we walked through the side streets of our neighborhood I thought that there are few things that bring us together anymore. 

When else will I walk with my child in the dark of night and not be wondering what was behind the next corner, even though on this night, fright is the point!

This night of fear is a night of togetherness.

Please know I am in no way saying anything against anyone who sat this out for whatever reason, only highlighting the fact that it is coming together of communities in ways that don't happen often anymore.  I love that it happens and love being a part of it!