Friday, July 29, 2005

How to Fix Pro Sports

I just read on ESPN.com that Maurice Clarett signed his contract with the Broncos. For those of you who don't keep up with football, Clarett tried to sue his way into the NFL last year. The NFL has a labor agreement which states that you need to be 2 years removed from HS before you are eligible to play in the NFL. Clarett didn't agree with this and tried to come in after one year. The courts sided with the NFL and because he had hired an agent and declared for the draft the NCAA wouldn't let him play college. So for a year he sat out, waiting to come to the NFL.

Fast forward to this past spring. In the late 3rd round the Denver Broncos selected him. The broncos have a history of taking running backs and making them great. It's not really the back that does well but the system. It just plain works for RB's. So this is a dream come true for a person like clarett. He's probably last on the totem poll for RBs but he will probably get a shot because of the system.

He signs the contract yesterday. Contracts are decided on where you were drafted. For his spot, he would have gotten between 400-500 k signing bonus (guaranteed) and 4 years at around 300 k per year. Chump change in the NFL really. Clarett really feels that he is a first round talent and that he was shafted by the NFL. So the contract he signs is different. He signs an incentive laden contract upwards of 7 million. So his salary will probably be the league minimum. If he rushes for 1000 yards he gets 1 million extra. X number of touchdowns, another million..you get the idea.

Here is why I think this is great: In sports (as well as society), we reward for past accomplishments. The whole point of a resume is to show what you've done in the past and to justify why you should be hired at X rate. But if employers were to hire people not on a salary or hourly but by how well they do their job, things would be a lot better. The people who work harder and are more efficient will reap the benefits immediately, and the employer will have a solid employee. The people who are lazy and doing things like reading/posting blogs at work will get paid less.

wait..maybe this isn't such a good idea..


Shout-outs to: Shayna, Sam, Jill, Leanne, Jeff, Ashley, Bruce, CB and Odgie if you read this far.

Monday, July 25, 2005

A football Post

In the past 2 days I've had 2 people talk to me about my thoughts on Football. This sounds like a job for (da da da dummm!!) Blogger!

Madden 06 - I havn't been a fan of the Madden football games for quite sometime. I always felt that it moved to slowly. I push forever on the stick and I only get 2 yards. Maybe I just don't play it right, I dunno.

I am really bummed about the EA deal with the NFL though. (EA, the maker of Madden, signed an exclusive contract with the NFL. So EA is the only company allowed to make an actual NFL game. Everyone else will have to make football games with their own teams/players) I think Sega will have this year as the last year to produce a football game. I'll probably end up getting it, but I don't know what I'll do for next year.

NFL - Training camps are right around the corner. Pretty soon we'll be at the hall of fame game and then it's just a jump, skip, and juke to the regular season. I don't know what to expect out of the broncos. They drafted 3 corners in the draft to help shore up the secondary. They will all probably stink though. (Shanahan has a problem with drafting corners).

ESPN FF - I switched the FF league I do to ESPN. They decided to offer FF for free and I am a happy camper. The options they offer is like going from fisher price to snap on tools. It's just no contest.

Think that's it. Shout outs to Shayna who always writes great posts about me. Don't know what I'd do without her.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

I'll be attacking with Nightsoil Kami

On our recent trip to Deep Creek (over 4th of July weekend) I created yet another compulsion. This one doesn't seem to be as strong as the others (like fantasy football or banana bread (which by the way my loving/beautiful/sexy wife is making some right now) but it is disconcerting.

Before we left for deep creek Shayna's brother Matt calls and asks her to bring her Magic the Gathering cards. Magic is a card game that mixes dungeons and dragons with sports card collecting. This company releases thousands of cards and people create decks of 60 to play against each other (kind of like war only more complicated). I've never played magic, nor had I ever really had any desire to learn how to play. So shayna and Matt start to play and I just watch.

It looks complicated so while I'm watching I'm reading the 30 page rule book that Shayna has with her deck. It becomes interesting so Shayna makes a deck for me out of her spare cards. IT was fun playing over deep creek. At the end of the trip Shayna tells Matt that he can have her cards as she never plays. I have no problem with this..I'll never play again.

I'm thinking about that stupid game 3 days later. Can't get my mind off it. So I break down and buy two "theme" decks (pre-made decks so you don't have to make your own) so that Shayna and I can play together. I even downloaded the magic online game.

Hopefully this obsession will pass soon. Just one more game..

Thursday, July 21, 2005

I hate becoming a better person

I'm not a big fan of becoming a better person. I kind of like who I am. Fortunately, when I asked God to send me someone I included making me a better person as one of my criteria.

I think one of the reasons why God has put Shayna and I together is because we are so totally different. By being different, we help account for each other's short comings. For example, I guess I would be more of a conscious for Shayna in public situations. If I think she is bordering on talking about something inappropriate or confidential I let her know (me being the quiet one I don't have to worry about this as much)

Shayna makes me more assertive (or at least she tries) by helping me say what I feel or want. Typically I won't say things that I want or feel because I'm a people pleaser and the thought of conflict is horrible. For example, this morning Shayna and I had a disagreement about something stupid. I won't go into details but I'm pretty sure every couple has a disagreement that really won't change anything no matter who is "right". Typically I wouldn't have even bothered disagreeing and just said ok, whatever and moved on with life. But this morning I made my feelings known and I stood my ground.

I don't like doing that. But I guess it's like flossing your teeth and eating vegetables..you just have to do it. Being a better person isn't easy..I'm glad I have a good teacher though.

I hate flossing my teeth and eating my vegetables too.

Found a new obsession..it's called Orbox..

Monday, July 18, 2005

Every GUy should be as lucky as me

As many of you know I love football. I also really love Fantasy Football (and banana nut bread). In one of my leagues they just changed the draft date to August 5th which is when Shayna and I were scheduled to come back from a beach trip. I asked Shayna if we could make sure we were back in time for the draft and without missing a beat she says yes (even though we will have to rush home on Friday traffic). I love that about her. She's always willing to sacrifice things for herself to make me happy.

If the situation had been reversed I probably would have had to think about it for a little while and then tried to work some other way of getting things to work out..but not her, she just said yes dear.

I truly am a blessed man. I decided to find a proxy for the draft. No sense in trying to hurry home for it. I'll be off having to much fun with my little lady.

Friday, July 15, 2005

I'm lazy

As most everyone who knows me knows (and for those of you that don't, you don't but you will soon) I'm a pretty lazy guy. Case in point seems to be this blog. The best I can do is post some links that I find entertaining. Everyone else has something interesting going on in their lives that they are writing about. Either I lead a very dull life (a distinct possibility) or I lead an extraordinarily interesting life and I just think that other people would find it incredibly dull (who am I kidding).

So I'm going to post some thoughts on current events..most of them will probably not be worth the time to read (now I'm sounding like Marvin the robot):

Karl Rove - Apparently exposed a CIA operative. I don't think it's a good idea to have a guy bad at keeping secrets the President's advisor. Whether he did it or not isn't the question. The fact that he's even involved is bad because that means someone has a reason to even think he's involved.

London Bombings - I was really sad to hear about this. I don't get why terroists want to attack us. How about we make a deal. We'll get out of your country if you get out of ours.

Frieda Sorce - If you listen to the Don & Mike show you know that Don's wife passed away from a car accident this past weekend. Shayna and I promise to drive safe whenever we leave for work and such. How do we make everyone else promise the same thing?

Live 8 - Concert to end poverty in Africa. Great idea, but it won't work. There will always be poor people. We can however try to end people being hungry.

Banana Nut Bread - Shayna made a loaf earlier this week. There are a few things in this world that I can eat until it hurts and then eat some more..that nut bread is one of them.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Just the Links Ma'am

Can sculptures to end hunger - I saw some of of these things at the Ballston Mall. They are amazing. My favorite for the 2005 competition is "Clearing a Path to Demolish Hunger"

Wish you had made it to a live 8 concert? - Here's your chance to be there.

This hut is amazing! - I need to make me one of those

Time to make some music - Highly addictive..you are warned.

Friday, July 08, 2005

Thursday, July 07, 2005

I want to go out like this..

In January 1998 a friend of mine from high school passed away. He was a freshman in college and he had his wisdom teeth taken out. That night he died while in the shower. He had a heart problem that no one knew off and I guess the stress that his body went through from the surgery was to much.

My friend Cris and I went to his funeral. It was a very nice memorial and it didn't surprise me at all to see that the funeral service was standing room only. He was a great guy. It was very sad.

Cris and I talked on the way home and we decided that while we missed our friend we didn't want to have a funeral where people were sad and crying. We wanted it to be a party, because like it or not we were going to be in heaven so if we were happy, you might as well be too. We had some great ideas including: Having a beach ball batted around during the eulogy, a Japonese steakhouse chef tossing food into your mouth during the service, recording our own eulogies and then at random parts chastising people for crying, and hot dog/peanut/popcorn vendors.

James Henry Smith may have something that's better than a Japonese steakhouse chef though..


I'll never forget you Steve...or that glass of water at Friendly's.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

What if God was one of Us??

I really dislike that song. I have no idea why. If you have never heard it before it's by Joan Osbourn and basically it's a song about if God were one of us. I guess perhaps the reason why I dislike it so much is because God was one of us. Joan, if you would just put down your pen and look at the bible you would have your stupid song answered so I wouldn't have to hear it again..ever.

While driving to Deep Creek I listened to another song that doesn't irritate me but it probably should. The song is called God Shuffled His Feet by Crash Test Dummies. This song is about God sitting in the garden with some people he made and they ask him questions about Heaven. God shuffles his feet, and answers the questions but the people don't understand.

Maybe the reason why the second song doesn't irritate me is because I can identify with it. I already know God was one of us and so I'm past that. God answers me but a lot of times I don't understand what he's saying (and that's when I'm actually listening which is also a problem for me).

Perhaps I'm being to hard on Joan. Perhaps that is how she is identifying with God...nah,it's still an irritating song. :-)

Monday, July 04, 2005

Happy 4th

Here it is, 4th of July again.

I've always enjoyed 4th of July. When I was a kid in Florida there was always a parade and a festival. The festival had lots of booths, games, prizes, candy, you name it. I guess pretty much every one who grew up in a small town had this experience.

For the past 3 years now, I've spent 4th of July at Deep Creek Lake, MD. Shayna's family rents a house for the week and they invite us. It's always fun and I enjoy it..but it's not like when I was a kid and I got to go to the parade and festival.

Part of me sometimes wants to go back to that little town of Sebastian, FL. Just to see what it's like now. I know it's a lot different though. Last time I was there, there was tons of construction as well as a super walmart (and you havn't arrived until you have a super walmart)

Enough of my meanderings, I'm sure you have plenty of better things to do than read about childhood 4th of July memories.

Here is to everyone having a safe and happy 4th. Especially to those in service and those who are now out. Thank you for your sacrifice. Without you, I wouldn't have those memories.