The good people at Parent: Wise Austin magazine were kind enough to print my essay on the capitalist icon, The Tooth fairy. Click here to be taken to it and look for page 38.
Beginning in July, I will start my review of the upcoming Auburn football season. Hope everyone stops by.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
After Century-Long Drought, Chicago Cubs Win Championship
OK. So it’s the Mill Creek (Buford, Georgia) Pee Wee A (i.e. 7-year old) Chicago Cubs, but it’s a start. However, that’s the result. The spring baseball season ended over the last few days and Christopher’s team, the Chicago Cubs, finished the Championship Game with a 12-3 trouncing of their rival, the Boston Red Sox. They had played the Red Sox twice this season already. They lost the first one (the team’s only loss of the season) and then won the rematch, a tight game that could have gone either way.
It was the first championship season for either of our sons. Andrew’s team (ironically the Red Sox) lost in the first round of playoffs, bringing to a close a frustrating season that saw the team lose four games in the final inning. They always played hard and did their best. Defensively, they were great, turning many defensive gems throughout the season. However, offensively, they were just outmanned.
In looking at Christopher’s season, we wonder what made the difference for them. They struggled a bit early. Games were close and a number of games could have gone against them. However, as the season wore on, Christopher’s team seemed to improve. Kids up and down the order hit better. Defense made better plays.
We finally came to the conclusion that the deciding factor was practice. Christopher’s team had dedicated coaches who wanted to help the kids improve their skills. All teams did. However, Christopher’s team had a kid whose grandparents had a baseball field on their property. For most teams, practice is limited to a batting cage and the few minutes prior to the game once the season starts. This is no fault of their own. Fields are limited and field usage costs money, more scarce in this economy than usual. Christopher’s team had access to a field for practice regularly and they were able to take advantage of it.
Congratulations to the Pee Wee A Chicago Cubs and their coaches. They played hard and deserved to win. Hopefully, though, practice fields for all teams in the future won’t be as scarce as it is now.
It was the first championship season for either of our sons. Andrew’s team (ironically the Red Sox) lost in the first round of playoffs, bringing to a close a frustrating season that saw the team lose four games in the final inning. They always played hard and did their best. Defensively, they were great, turning many defensive gems throughout the season. However, offensively, they were just outmanned.
In looking at Christopher’s season, we wonder what made the difference for them. They struggled a bit early. Games were close and a number of games could have gone against them. However, as the season wore on, Christopher’s team seemed to improve. Kids up and down the order hit better. Defense made better plays.
We finally came to the conclusion that the deciding factor was practice. Christopher’s team had dedicated coaches who wanted to help the kids improve their skills. All teams did. However, Christopher’s team had a kid whose grandparents had a baseball field on their property. For most teams, practice is limited to a batting cage and the few minutes prior to the game once the season starts. This is no fault of their own. Fields are limited and field usage costs money, more scarce in this economy than usual. Christopher’s team had access to a field for practice regularly and they were able to take advantage of it.
Congratulations to the Pee Wee A Chicago Cubs and their coaches. They played hard and deserved to win. Hopefully, though, practice fields for all teams in the future won’t be as scarce as it is now.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Brenda Novak Auction for Diabetes
May 2009 is the month for the Brenda Novak Auction for diabetes. This is the 5th annual on-line auction. The first four have raised close to $500,000. The goal for this year is $300,000. The auction would be of particular interest to writers, but many people will find interesting stuff at this auction: autographed sports memorabilia, jewelry, purses, laptops, religious items. The list is huge. Please check it out by clicking on the title of this blog post or else the link here.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Exceptions
I read an article about a week ago on SEC football, citing the performance of the conference on the national stage. It cited the two National Championships apiece by LSU and Florida and then mentioned that Auburn had a shot, but was cheated out of a chance of making it five NCs for the SEC in the last six years.
That’s the way it is for Auburn…an exception.
Our only national championship happened under probation and is considered by some to be…an exception.
We were undefeated in ’93 and had no shot. Two other SEC teams played for the Championship that year. Both had lost to Auburn during the season…an exception.
And it seems to have become the rule.
Today, we’re talking basketball…and the Big Dance
Auburn plays Florida tonight in the SEC quarterfinal. Florida has 23 wins and is struggling a bit. Auburn has 21 wins and is the hottest team in the SEC. Both teams are bubble teams, though Florida is considered to have a better shot. The thought is that Florida can get into the Dance if it beats Auburn.
For Auburn, the thought is that it may have to win the tourney to go.
No SEC team with 10 conference wins has not received an invitation to the NCAA tourney. Auburn has 10 and would be the first…an exception.
Auburn has an RPI of 65 and, if they don’t win the SEC tourney, would have the lowest at-large RPI in history (NC State was 64 when it received an at-large bid). An exception
Even if Auburn makes the SEC finals, it has to line up for them the experts think. They needed Florida to be their quarterfinal opponent. They need Tennessee to be their semifinal opponent. They need LSU as their championship opponent. Lower ranked opponents won’t help. It will make Auburn an exception.
Whatever!
A cousin of mine, Beaver, recently commented that Auburn’s team is sniffing the Dance. I responded with a related canine reference, hoping that our beloved Tigers didn’t start licking themselves.
Whatever happens, Auburn will remain what it is in sports…an exception.
And this is an exceptional team.
War Eagle!
That’s the way it is for Auburn…an exception.
Our only national championship happened under probation and is considered by some to be…an exception.
We were undefeated in ’93 and had no shot. Two other SEC teams played for the Championship that year. Both had lost to Auburn during the season…an exception.
And it seems to have become the rule.
Today, we’re talking basketball…and the Big Dance
Auburn plays Florida tonight in the SEC quarterfinal. Florida has 23 wins and is struggling a bit. Auburn has 21 wins and is the hottest team in the SEC. Both teams are bubble teams, though Florida is considered to have a better shot. The thought is that Florida can get into the Dance if it beats Auburn.
For Auburn, the thought is that it may have to win the tourney to go.
No SEC team with 10 conference wins has not received an invitation to the NCAA tourney. Auburn has 10 and would be the first…an exception.
Auburn has an RPI of 65 and, if they don’t win the SEC tourney, would have the lowest at-large RPI in history (NC State was 64 when it received an at-large bid). An exception
Even if Auburn makes the SEC finals, it has to line up for them the experts think. They needed Florida to be their quarterfinal opponent. They need Tennessee to be their semifinal opponent. They need LSU as their championship opponent. Lower ranked opponents won’t help. It will make Auburn an exception.
Whatever!
A cousin of mine, Beaver, recently commented that Auburn’s team is sniffing the Dance. I responded with a related canine reference, hoping that our beloved Tigers didn’t start licking themselves.
Whatever happens, Auburn will remain what it is in sports…an exception.
And this is an exceptional team.
War Eagle!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Different Paths
As I write this, I’m sitting in the Seattle-Tacoma airport, waiting for a flight that takes off in a little over 90 minutes. It wasn’t supposed to be this way, but I’ll take it. My family and I flew out to the Northwest for my brother-in-law’s wedding. We were supposed to be on a flight home already with a layover in San Francisco. However, circumstances forced us on to a different flight that leaves later. Realize I’m not complaining. The new flight is direct and gets us to Atlanta earlier than our original itinerary, which means I may get home in time to watch Desperate Housewives. (Can’t help the addiction. Teri Hatcher’s hot.) However, more importantly, and those of you who have traveled with small children before can attest to this, direct flights are always a plus.
There are a lot of Auburn fans in the Northwest. Oregon has a small contingent, though the number of Auburn grads in the Beaver state is exceeded by the number of Auburn grads at Boeing. Still, as a resident, I found the state’s love of college football, without the insane zealotry that accompanies it, welcome at times. I think SEC is king, but I don’t disparage Pac-10 football. It is fun.
I remember one time being at a job interview in Vancouver, a Washington city that is a suburb of Portland. My interviewer identified himself as a native, but added that he’d spent twenty years in Baton Rouge. His first question was rhetorical. “They don’t understand up here, do they?!”
But back to my point. I was against the Chizik hire. I still think it was stupid. However, he is the Auburn coach and that’s the path we trod in the immediate future. I have to admit that I like the staff he has assembled so far.
Then came recruiting.
I have to give Chizik his profs. He finished in the top twenty in recruiting in all major polls. Part of it was the group that Tuberville recruited. However, mostly on his own, since he didn’t have a huge staff, he managed to hold on to a number of key recruits while putting us in the hunt for several talented WRs, something Tuberville only did once, as well as some good QBs.
So, like the flight that I am about to board, what we have may not have been our first choice. However, given the initial reaction and performance, I’m hoping it turns out better. .
There are a lot of Auburn fans in the Northwest. Oregon has a small contingent, though the number of Auburn grads in the Beaver state is exceeded by the number of Auburn grads at Boeing. Still, as a resident, I found the state’s love of college football, without the insane zealotry that accompanies it, welcome at times. I think SEC is king, but I don’t disparage Pac-10 football. It is fun.
I remember one time being at a job interview in Vancouver, a Washington city that is a suburb of Portland. My interviewer identified himself as a native, but added that he’d spent twenty years in Baton Rouge. His first question was rhetorical. “They don’t understand up here, do they?!”
But back to my point. I was against the Chizik hire. I still think it was stupid. However, he is the Auburn coach and that’s the path we trod in the immediate future. I have to admit that I like the staff he has assembled so far.
Then came recruiting.
I have to give Chizik his profs. He finished in the top twenty in recruiting in all major polls. Part of it was the group that Tuberville recruited. However, mostly on his own, since he didn’t have a huge staff, he managed to hold on to a number of key recruits while putting us in the hunt for several talented WRs, something Tuberville only did once, as well as some good QBs.
So, like the flight that I am about to board, what we have may not have been our first choice. However, given the initial reaction and performance, I’m hoping it turns out better. .
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Men and Women
George Will, my favorite columnist, once opened a column with a discussion of the Latin phrase post hoc ergo propter hoc. His column discussed politics or baseball, so only the discussion, I believe, needs to be referenced.
However, the phrase refers to the fallacy that something which precedes an event is automatically its cause. The common example was the belief held by many ancient societies: roosters cause the sun to rise since they crow before the sun appears. A political equivalent would be recent accomplishments by our previous Presidents. George H.W. Bush is often given credit for the fall of the Soviet Union, as it happened on his watch. The rightful credit goes to Ronald Reagan, who spent the Soviets under the table in the arms race, bringing their economy to a screeching halt. (Instead, Bush ’41 should get credit for making the tough choices that led to the prosperity of the 90s. Instead, President Clinton, bless his heart, should get credit for not mucking it up.)
So what does that have to do with Auburn? Well, if I’m going to draw a specious argument, I might as well get a good frame of reference to start.
For those of you that might not have noticed, the women’s b-ball team is 18-0 and has risen to #6 in the country. Tough tests loom ahead with match-ups against Alabama tomorrow and Tennessee (the ultimate test for any team) on Sunday, but Coach Nell Fortner has the Lady Tigers playing where they should and has returned the program to prominence.
Joe Ciampi was a wonderful coach who brought several titles and tournament appearances to Auburn. His best string though is likely ’87 – ’89, when Auburn was a bridesmaid in the NCAA finals three years in a row to Louisiana Tech, Tennessee, and Stanford.
It was also during those three years that Pat Dye brought home three straight SEC Championships. Yes, I know, only one of them was outright, while the other two were shared. At the same time, it is an era of prominence that Auburn fans remember, particularly the way the ’89 season ended.
And so, as the Auburn women climb in the polls, I take heart that the Auburn football team will also resurrect itself with them. Gene Chizik, despite my earlier reservations, has assembled a crack staff that looks poised to get the job done. Recruiting is already bringing surprises with the top H.S. player in the state of Alabama choosing Auburn and the top wide receiver recruit in the country taking an official visit at Auburn.
Still, the argument that the two programs share some sort of cosmic kismet is ridiculous. However, if the Chizik program was supposedly designed to bring back the glory days of Pat Dye, then it may be that the women’s b-ball team may start to resemble its days from the Dye era, too.
War Eagle!
However, the phrase refers to the fallacy that something which precedes an event is automatically its cause. The common example was the belief held by many ancient societies: roosters cause the sun to rise since they crow before the sun appears. A political equivalent would be recent accomplishments by our previous Presidents. George H.W. Bush is often given credit for the fall of the Soviet Union, as it happened on his watch. The rightful credit goes to Ronald Reagan, who spent the Soviets under the table in the arms race, bringing their economy to a screeching halt. (Instead, Bush ’41 should get credit for making the tough choices that led to the prosperity of the 90s. Instead, President Clinton, bless his heart, should get credit for not mucking it up.)
So what does that have to do with Auburn? Well, if I’m going to draw a specious argument, I might as well get a good frame of reference to start.
For those of you that might not have noticed, the women’s b-ball team is 18-0 and has risen to #6 in the country. Tough tests loom ahead with match-ups against Alabama tomorrow and Tennessee (the ultimate test for any team) on Sunday, but Coach Nell Fortner has the Lady Tigers playing where they should and has returned the program to prominence.
Joe Ciampi was a wonderful coach who brought several titles and tournament appearances to Auburn. His best string though is likely ’87 – ’89, when Auburn was a bridesmaid in the NCAA finals three years in a row to Louisiana Tech, Tennessee, and Stanford.
It was also during those three years that Pat Dye brought home three straight SEC Championships. Yes, I know, only one of them was outright, while the other two were shared. At the same time, it is an era of prominence that Auburn fans remember, particularly the way the ’89 season ended.
And so, as the Auburn women climb in the polls, I take heart that the Auburn football team will also resurrect itself with them. Gene Chizik, despite my earlier reservations, has assembled a crack staff that looks poised to get the job done. Recruiting is already bringing surprises with the top H.S. player in the state of Alabama choosing Auburn and the top wide receiver recruit in the country taking an official visit at Auburn.
Still, the argument that the two programs share some sort of cosmic kismet is ridiculous. However, if the Chizik program was supposedly designed to bring back the glory days of Pat Dye, then it may be that the women’s b-ball team may start to resemble its days from the Dye era, too.
War Eagle!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Starting the New Year twice
The good people at Sacramento Parent magazine printed an essay of mine in their January 2009 issue. The essay dealt with the time commitment of parents with special-needs children. It was written over a year ago, but is still relevant. For those who would like to read the essay, please click here.
To the readers of Sacramento Parent, thanks for dropping by. I hope you will find my blog interesting and worth a return visit.
To the readers of Sacramento Parent, thanks for dropping by. I hope you will find my blog interesting and worth a return visit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
