Saturday, March 27, 2010

Fuck Duke! (and the damn Cornhuskers too!)

Fuck Duke! I've been following the NCAA MENS (why do the women even have a tournament?
What exactly is interesting about watching four quarters of a layup a thon? I'd rather watch curling.) college basketball tournament. Other than Kentucky, my brackets are in worse shape than Oprah on the upside of her yo yo diets and I have no hopes of winning anything unless KY wins it all (which is still very possible). So at this point, I'm following the tried and true sports fan strategy when your team is eliminated - you find the teams that you hate the most and vote against them with a passion. In that light, I'd like to say FUCK DUKE! I've never liked Duke, its players or its coach and I hope Baylor beats Duke like Ike did Tina and sends them home. And if not Baylor, then whoever Duke plays next...

On a related note, fuck the Washington Capitals, New York Yankees, the Dallas Cowboys and the LA Lakers. And Floyd Mayweather too. I said it!

On the topic of sports, how many people know anyone from Nebraska? Unfortunately, I do, including someone I met last night. Here is what I dont understand about people from Nebraska - why is it that they can only talk about one thing: The Nebraska Cornhuskers. I mean, when I think of Nebraska, nothing even mildly exciting comes to mind so I can understand that the only exciting thing in all of Nebraska might be the Cornhuskers. Even the team's name doesn't exactly get one excited. But the people I'm talking about are not in Nebraska. They've been gone so long they've even lost the Nebraska drawl. In spite of having left the country for the city, and years later, they still only talk about the bloody Cornhuskers. So, if you're from Nebraska, for the love of god stop talking about the lame Cornhuskers! Get a hobby! Get a job! Watch some porn! Meet some trannys! Smoke some Kobe! Enough with the lame Cornhuskers, noone wants to hear about them everytime you open your mouth. I feel better now.

GO BAYLOR! GO KENTUCKY!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Confession Part II

I believe each of us have an episode (or more) in our lives that we would kill to do over. Mine absolutely haunts me to this day, is as vivid as it occurred this morning and changed me as a person forever.

One morning on the way back from high school on the bus (yes, I was carless throughout high school so had the privilege of riding the yellow bus two times each school day until I graduated), the bus driver had gotten off the bus while waiting for all the kids to get on the bus and be seated.

I was seated about five rows from the front. A girl got on the bus and was trying to get her bag under her seat (Girl 1). A second girl (Girl 2) got on the bus immediately after her and lost her patience with how long it was taking the first girl to get in her seat. Girl 2 told Girl 1 to move. Girl 1 didnt answer. Girl 2 told girl 1 to move again. Girl 1 didnt answer. Girl 2 then pushed Girl 1 who was trying to situate her bag. Girl 1 turned around surprised. Girl 2 punched her, pulled her hair and kept punching her. The bus driver was off the bus. Noone (including me) did anything. Girl 2 went ballistic on Girl 1. Finally, a student got up and pulled Girl 2 off of Girl 1, but not before Girl 1 was hurt.

After reading the above, one might ask - ok, not great that it happened, but why is this the one you would want a do over on? Kids fight at school, it happens.

The answer is, while everybody might not have known, some of us (including me) knew that Girl 1 was DEAF. She didnt move because she couldnt hear Girl 2 telling her to move. To this day, I am disgusted by myself for standing by and watching it happen. For not having the courage or the guts to be the first to stop the beating immediately.

At random times, I remember the look on Girl 1's face, the helplessness, the surprise and the pain. I hate that it happened on my watch. I sometimes have the crazy thought of finding Girl 1 wherever she is and apologizing to her for being a gutless bastard when I was in high school.

While Im disgusted by myself, by the event and it will probably haunt me forever, it also changed me forever. Since that day I have never stood around and looked the other way while I know something that is wrong is going on. Standing around and watching someone being made fun of, ridiculed, taken advantage of, bullied, stolen from, beat up is akin to you doing the same thing to the victim. Never again.

I've been in countless arguments, disagreements, fights etc because I've stepped in when noone else would. I dont just step in, I do it immediately. Some say its stupid, some say its dangerous, some say its none of my business. Through this process, I've also learned that getting punched in the face doesn't feel good, but punching someone else in the face doesn't feel much better. But I absolutely will not stand by while someone is victimized. Noone should. When good people don't stop bad things from happening, those bad things continue to happen.

So, although its too little, too late, A.F, wherever in the world you are, I hope life has treated you well and I apologize for what happened to you on a school bus on that January day while I watched and did nothing. I hate myself for it.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Pepsi vs. Coke Update

I've tallied the votes to date in my Pepsi vs. Coke vote blog and Coke is leading 19-9. At this point, we can accurately say that Coke is preferred 2-1 over pepsi by readers of this blog. If I had counted both of Ash's posts voting for Pepsi 5 times, it would have been a tie! Nice try ash. New readers or non-voters, please make sure to vote here! Thanks.

Bobby Hull - Keeping it Old School

I know I've been mia for a little while. Work required me to do some travel where I wasn't able to write much. I am now back.

During this trip, I had the opportunity to see a hockey game where the Chicago Blackhawks were playing. I was sitting about twenty seats away from a box where Bobby Hull - the golden jet - a hockey legend was sitting. When the announcers acknowledged that Bobby Hull was in attendance, the whole crowd stood up and applauded for him. But as a result, everybody became aware of where he was sitting.

For the next three periods of hockey, I saw one of the most amazing things that I've ever seen in sports. The fans started passing Bobby their hats, jerseys, programs and any other thing that they could have him sign. Items were being tossed into the box from above, from below, from the sides, people were taking off their jerseys and passing them down entire lines of seats to the box. Bobby Hull signed every single item that was sent his way. I mean every single item. He signed his autograph on items for the ENTIRE game. I dont even know how many fans walked away that day with items signed by a hall of fame legend of a hockey player.

Why do I think this is worth writing about? Well, it renewed my admiration for the old school. Here is an old man who could have just sat in his box, enjoyed the game, politely declined the fans and most of them would have understood. He could have done what modern athletes tend to do, either refuse to sign or sign a couple of autographs and keep moving. But no! Bobby Hull is old school. The game and the fans were always good to Bobby Hull, and he was returning the favor in a way that only a grateful man could.

So for all the full of yourselves 'stars' (whether sports or otherwise) who think you're above the common folk and dont have the time for your fans. Dont forget that we made you! Learn a lesson from the great Bobby Hull. I'm a part time hockey fan generally, but after that performance, I am a full time Bobby Hull fan.

Let's bring back the old school.