Somewhere The Bear Is Smiling
But I was rooting for Auburn to beat Florida last Saturday. Probably not until one is fully converted should such things be allowed.… Read the rest
Category: Sports
One Game is Not Enough
USA Today’s Mike Lopresti nails it on the head this morning.
One game is not enough. Not even close. Donna Shalala, we expect more from you.
If you’ve been on another planet or under a rock the past few days, here’s the video.
So which is more disturbing: the actual fight, the crowd reaction, or the remarks of commentator Lamar Thomas (who was fired from his broadcaster’s job Monday)?
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Update 10/18
… Read the restIt’s time for the feeding frenzy to stop. These young men made a stupid, terrible, horrible mistake and they are being punished. This university will be firm and punish people that do bad things.
On Any Given Day
Last Saturday morning, our family awoke at the crack of dawn and headed down to Game Day in T-town. It was only a 2 ½ hour drive from Huntsville to Tuscaloosa, but for all practical purposes it might as well have been 40 years.
I say that because that’s what it felt like–1966. After the obligatory pregame meal at Dreamland BBQ, we arrived on the beautiful, oak-lined, University of Alabama Quad, bordered by Denny Chimes to the south and Gorgas Library to the north. The stereotypical Southern fixation with the past was never more perfectly illustrated than by the Crimson-clad legions bivouacking on the expansive green, reveling in the memories of past teams and glory years gone by.… Read the rest
Seeing Red
Sportswriter and commentator Frank Deford is seeing red this morning.
I think somebody needs an extra cup of coffee.
A Sneak Preview
The largest phantom, of course, belongs to legendary Crimson Tide coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. His presence is seen and felt in every corner of the Quad and in the shrine and museum which bears his name located on (where else?) Bryant Drive. Houndstooth hats, SEC and national championship trophies, the rings, and of course, his desk and chair, are on full display, sacramental relics which render the gazing Tide faithful breathless, teary-eyed and all atremble.
Coming tomorrow–Game Day in T-town
Do You Want to Hear Something Really Scary?
Things I love about this time of year:
- Cooler, crisp weather and the extra spring in my step during my morning run.
- The pageantry and thrill of college football (Roll Tide!)
- Midnight Madness, and the beginning of college basketball season (Go Duke!)
- The MLB playoffs and World Series (Go Cards! Please?)
- Watching (and coaching) my sons play soccer
- Having a fine dinner with Eyegal and driving home with the top back and the windows down
- Catching a glimpse of God in the bushes and trees which are just starting to burn with the fiery colors of fall
- Pumpkins. And the sweet aroma of decay emanating from piles of fallen leaves
Things I hate about this time of year:
- The appearance of these
- Fellow believers who dishonor the good name of Christ (watch out for flying exclamation points!!!)
A Tale of Two Hats
The weekend has concluded, the Tide hung in there for a while but didn’t escape from “The Swamp” and “Wide Right Jesus” is still signaling “no good.”
But unless the world screeches to a halt and stops spinning on its axis, the Crimson Nation should be be smiling next week at this time after dismantling one of the nation’s most feeble college football teams, the Duke Blue Devils. I suspect the boys from Durham are making a handsome sum for showing up in Tuscaloosa for their thrashing. Duke lost their Homecoming game 37-0 to UVa on Saturday, so look for Saturday’s game to get butt ugly very quickly.… Read the rest
Wide Right Jesus
I’m grateful to Full Professor Elrod for reminding me that we have our own version of “Touchdown Jesus” right here in Huntsville. “Eggbeater Jesus” is a 43 feet tall mosaic Messiah consisting of approximately 14 million pieces of the very finest Italian tile. This culinary Christ is located on the side of the First Baptist Church on Governors Drive near downtown Huntsville, just a few steps from where I work.
The name should be self-explanatory, but given the performance of Alabama place kicker Leigh Tiffin (3 missed FGs and 1 missed PAT) last Saturday against Arkansas, I would propose we give Him a new title– “Wide Right Jesus.”… Read the rest
Touchdown Jesus Would Approve
I’m not sure if this is in the Official Roman Catholic Catechism, but the following search string did lead to my blog:
“Notre Dame football is the 8th sacrament of the Catholic Church.”
Catechism or not, I’m pretty sure “Touchdown Jesus” would approve.… Read the rest
Another Soccer Boo-Boo
When two soccer players go up to head the ball at the same time, usually somebody wins the ball and somebody loses. Sometimes they both miss the ball and instead hit each other. As long as both players get up and play on, the standard sideline parent joke goes something like this: “Well, somebody just lost a few SAT points,” followed by peals of riotous laughter. It’s an old joke which for some reason never seems to lose it’s punch.
Having been thoroughly traumatized by the last soccer boo-boo in Atlanta, I gladly allowed Eyegal to handle the most recent tournament in Nashville.… Read the rest
The Church of Football
The South is a curious amalgam of fried food and sweet tea, trashy trailer park tragedy, dark gothic tales, hell, fire and brimstone and, of course, the ever-present, all-consuming, life-giving Church of Football.
Oh sure, there’s football in other parts of the country, but does anyone else come close to matching the faithful fanaticism of a Deep South Game Day? The Church of Football has it’s own liturgy–the parking lot fellowship meal, the processional to the house of worship, the gathering of the congregation, colorful vestments and the common chants and cheers. Touchdowns, of course, are the holiest sacrament, and in the ecstasy of celebrating another six points, congregants, if only for a few transcendent moments, forget their troubles and woes and are transported into high, heavenly places.… Read the rest
A Hoover High Reprise
As most regular readers know, Ocular Fusion 2.0 tends to be a non-controversial blog. Eyegal tells me that I need more “edge,” and that she would like to see me post on more “hot topics.” Well, she of all people should know that when you get down to my core, “I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
Still, I’m up for a good scrap now and then, especially if one comes knocking at my door. My recent post on the MTV reality show “Two-a-Days” featuring Hoover High School’s football team didn’t stir up much trouble when I originally posted it, aside from the interesting discussion that Jon and I had on the pros and cons of allowing cuss words to be heard in one’s house.… Read the rest
Tank Update
A while back, I posted on Torrance “Tank” Daniels, a Harding University grad who was attempting to make the final roster with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Despite having played well in preseason games and practices, Tank didn’t quite make the final cut, but he was signed to the Eagles practice squad. This means he practices with the team each week and doesn’t dress out for games, but he still retains his free agent status and could be signed by the Eagles or some other team at a later date. He’ll receive a salary of $64,000 per season (pretty decent money for a guy straight out of undergrad), and the miminum NFL rookie salary of $225,000 per season if he’s picked up and signed to a regular roster.… Read the rest
Red and Below-the-Knee, Thank Goodness
So what kind of cast is this fall’s best-dressed 13-year-old young man wearing?
Red and below-the-knee, thank goodness.
Number Three paid a visit to the orthopedist yesterday to have his newly-aquired tibial fracture checked out. The bad news is that he’s out of soccer for three months. We had figured something like that, but it was still hard hearing it firsthand. The good news is that he received a below-the-knee cast which allows for greater mobility and less discomfort than his previous above-the-knee temporary splint. Even better, if healing is sufficient at his 2-week visit, he may be able to ditch the cast for a removable fracture boot which would make showering and other tasks considerably easier.… Read the rest
The Anatomy of a Broken Bone
Since 1993, our three sons have played in just over a thousand soccer matches. Throughout that time, we’ve suffered our share of bruises, abrasions, sprains and pains, but never a broken bone. But unfortunately, that streak has come to an end.
This past Saturday, Number Three’s U14 team was nursing a 1-0 lead in the closing moments of their first round match in the Atlanta Cup, one of the most competitive (and roughest) soccer tournaments in the Southeast. The ball was rolling loose about 25 yards from our goal and their center midfielder, a rugged and skilled Hispanic youth weighing about 150 lbs, began to run onto the ball to take a shot that would have undoubtedly tested our keeper in the extreme.… Read the rest