There's something special about Fall...Especially when you live in a part of the country that experiences all the seasons...And there is nothing like Fall...The smell in the air...The sound of marching bands, football fans, and referee's whistles...The crispness in the evening air...And the colors...How I love the colors of fall...The way the green leaves morph into amazing shades of red, orange, yellow, browns, and even some purple...Of all the seasons, Fall is my favorite...

But there has been a new color that has been filling our visions of Fall...Yes, I'm talking about Pink...
 

That color men were always too cool, or too tough to wear...Now we see our modern day gladiators wearing it all October...Why do they wear it? To raise awareness for Breast Cancer...A truly great cause...I love breasts, and I hate cancer...Here's a stat that I'm pulling out of my ass...So I'll put it this way...I would guess that at least 80% of all of us, have known a friend, family member, classmate, or co-worker who has battled, or died from cancer...I lost 2 grandparents, an uncle, and a number of friends to cancer...So this may sound odd...And it may offend people...But I'm sick of my Octobers being filled with all this Pink...

Okay, that pink isn't bad! But I think we're all pretty aware that cancer, including breast cancer, is out there...And I respect the players, and owners that donate money to cancer foundations and research...But some of this month of pink seems like grandstanding to me...Some 'Look at me, I care' shit...Yes, I'm synical...But I am what I am...

I was at the local high school game Friday night, and look at our team in their Blue and Yellow, with hot pink mixed in...It doesn't look good...And part of me was proud that no one on the visiting team had a speck of pink on...By the way they destroyed us...Or team is winless so far, and possibly has the worst coaching staff ever...8 times the last two weeks, they had only 10 guys on the field...4 times with 12...Sorry, back to the Pink...
 

I was watching the Browns game Sunday, and thought, 'my God, That hot pink does not work with those beautiful Fall colors of Brown and Orange...It just clashes'...The Browns by the way, jumped out to a 14-0 against the Giants...And then they fell apart, and got their asses kicked...I knew I shouldn't have watched that crap!

Oh, yes, Pink...

And what happened to the days when leagues were sticklers about uniforms...Remember, every player had to wear the same color shoes...Remember Peyton Manning getting find because he wore black high-tops to honor Johnny Unitas...Terry Francona was inspected to make sure he was wearing a jersey under his wind-breaker...All the sudden, these wacky uniform rules are thrown out the window, so our warriors can put on pink shoes, and gloves, and sleeves, and wrist-bands, and wave pink towels...I don't get it...

And all cancers suck...All cancers are evil...But why so much love for breast cancer...A whole month...Like I said, I love breasts...I think that's what it is...It's sexism...Prostate cancer gets one weekend from MLB, where everyone wears powder blue wrist-bands...Why don't we have month of Brown, for asshole cancer? Why not a month of Amber, for liver cancer...Or a month of Nicotene Stain for lung cancer? I'm all for supporting those with breast cancer...I've sent my check...But I want the pink out of my sports...I want my Fall colors back...Lets keep the pink where it belongs...
 

Between the ladies legs!

There is no doubt in my mind that there are people who are reading this, that are pissed right now...And some may want to bash me...I just want you to know, as that is happening, I'm thinking, 'Dance puppets, dance!'

If I haven't pissed you off...Check out this week's College Football WRAP_UP...The BCS rankings are looking like they may get tricky after a few favorites went down this week...

The last week I was pretty much absent...Last Monday the baby had to have her dental surgery...She had been grinding her teeth, and busted her 4 top, front teeth...They put her under to do the work...She came out of it okay, and after a couple hours she was back to herself...But Tuesday morning around 5:00 AM she spiked a high fever, puked, and her face was swelling...By the afternoon I was taking her to the ER as her top lip, and whole right side of her face was swollen...She was starting to get what looke like a black eye...And her top gum was so swollen, you could barely see her teeth...
 

It was figured that she had an infection...They got her on an anti-biotic right away, and Benadryl in case it was an allergic reaction to something...Also we were alternating Motrin and Tylenol every 4 hours...She was in so much discomfort, she was asking for ice packs...By Wednesday the swelling was starting to calm down, and we could actually spot the infection in her gum...Her sleep patterns were all screwed up...I would guess because of all the drugs going through her, along with she was napping on and off all day for a couple days...The week was tough, and draining, and expensive...But she's doing well now, and we worked in some swing time Saturday....
 

I hope this post didn't piss too many people off...Although I think it will...But that's okay if you got pissed...if I can draw an emotion out of a reader, then it's good...I hope some people got a laugh out of it...Or at least you got some good looking ladies in pink to look at...If none of those, well, we've always got next week...

The Beeze.

 

Hello and welcome to another Wednesday of deep thoughts. It has been a hectic past few days and truthfully, I did not have much opportunity to follow sports much … After a Thursday night football game, we finished the week…then headed south for a college visit at UT Pan American. I have to admit that I had no idea what to expect of the college recruiting process. It has always been a bit unnerving to watch my son play knowing that scouts were sitting and watching…and judging. As a parent, I suppose I am as guilty as anyone else of seeing the positives and overlooking deficiencies in my son’s play. I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked if Blake was going to quit football and focus on baseball. It was if by continuing to play high school football that Blake was diminishing his baseball opportunities.

Opportunities are strange; you really never know when or where they will appear. This weekend was an opportunity for my son. The University of Texas at Pan American decided that they wanted Blake to be a Bronc next year. After a few days of eating and touring the facilities, we finally heard the offer…half of a scholarship to play Baseball at Pan Am. To understand what this means, college baseball has 11.75 baseball scholarships to offer. Nobody gets a full scholarship (unless you are 6’5” and throw 95). To get half a scholarship means that the school really wants you… Selfishly, I wish Blake was playing closer to home so that I could watch him play more often. But, realistically this opportunity may be the best thing that could have happened.  Pan Am is a division 1 program that previously had a reputation as a great baseball school. Recently, the team fell on hard times and the current coaching staff is in their third year of rebuilding the program. The assistant coach that recruited Blake was an undersized catcher for the Angels. By his own admission, he was a poor hitter and his catching ability allowed him to play professionally. What impressed us the most is the integrity of the coaching staff. Three rules for each player…take care of business in the classroom, work hard on the field and don’t embarrass the team. Follow those rules and scholarships will not be pulled.

On the long trip home, we talked about Blake’s decision. Pan Am gave Blake three days to think about the offer…Blake took one day to decide to become a Bronc. A great opportunity…

Blake's first view of the field...

Funny thing is this kid hitting went to Westwood when Blake was a freshman...

Coach Lopez working with the catchers...

Student center from the outside...

This is the student center and it is amazing. Basketball courts, tennis courts and a climbing wall. A favorite with the Pan Am students...

Here is the rock climbing wall...pretty cool.

Last Thursday, Westwood faced the Dragons from Round Rock. This was the first district game for both teams. Westwood played well in the first half and led 21 to 6 at the half. A fumbled punt gave Round Rock the opportunity to punch in a cheap score to make the game 21 to 14, but the Warrior defense held tough and Westwood got the win 21 to 14. This week is a match up against the McNeil Mavericks. This game might be interesting as we probably won't have our starting QB.

Defensive strategy...

Tuesday night, the amazing A’s tied the Rangers for the division lead. It is funny how the season comes down to this one game. I don’t imagine that anyone believed this game would matter when the schedule came out. I have to think that if the Rangers are to get to the Promised Land that they need to win tonight. Big time players play well in big games. I have to think that Josh Hamilton has a good game, but we shall see…

What would you do if you found a bear on your porch? I bet the kids in the neighborhood steer clear of this woman’s porch.

This guy might not be able to ride all the rides, but he can flat out ball. Amazing that he does this at less than 5 feet tall...

That is all I have today, but I will leave you with a bit of Jack Handey:

I'd like to be buried Indian style, where they put you up on a high rack, above the ground. That way, you could get hit by meteorites and not even feel it.

I bet when Neanderthal kids would make a snowman, someone would always end up saying, "Don't forget the thick heavy brows." Then they would get embarrassed because they remembered they had the big hunky brows too, and they'd get mad and eat the snowman.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a few deep thoughts of your own.

Hello and welcome to another Wednesday of deep thoughts. Last week, I had a bountiful plate of topics, but today will be a more narrow scope. As each week passes, we wade further into football season and closer to the magic of October baseball. The Tigers have not spent much time in first place this year, but find themselves in a tie for the AL Central. We have talked back and forth the past month about why the Tigers have not played better. If Tuesday’s complete game performance by Anibal Sanchez is any indication, perhaps the Tigers have found the answer? There was a reason that the Tigers brought Sanchez to Detroit and if this outing is the start of a trend…the Tigers could be a very dangerous team. Miguel Cabrera has carried the Tigers with his bat the past 3 weeks or so, but interestingly enough; he helped save this game with his glove. Cabrera leaped high (for him anyway) to snag a ball headed for the left field corner. With two outs, and two on…Cabrera’s snag surely saved two runs, and maybe the Tigers season. This time of year, each game is huge…8 games left and counting. I know that the White Sox will battle to the end; I just cannot help but think the more talented Tigers will win out.

The AL wild card race appears poised to drive fans to extreme measures. How often do you see Angel fans cheering for the Rangers? Because the Angels are 2 games back of the As (in the Wild Card race), the Angels need the Rangers to beat the As. Got that? In reality, three teams have the best chance to take the two wild card spots…Orioles, As and Angels…of course, the Rays are not totally out of the race. Oh, and the Yankees could suffer a losing streak and not make the playoffs at all. What a wicked thought…

I know some don’t like the extra wild card spot, but I am digging the intrigue.

In the NL race, things are much more settled. The Dodgers more or less gave the last wild card spot to the Cardinals by losing to the Padres Tuesday night. I know the Dodgers and Brewers still have an outside chance, but let me know if you want to make that bet. The Reds, Nationals and Giants have clinched their respective divisions and the Braves clinched a wild card spot with a bomb by Freeman Tuesday night. If you happened to catch the at bat, it was epic, after falling behind in the count; Freeman began to foul off pitch after pitch, and then won the battle with a long ball over the center field wall. Congrats to the Braves…well done.

So who do you like to make the World Series this year? I figure most experts will pick the Reds or the Nationals. The Nationals are a great story and I will probably pull for them, but don’t forget about the Giants. The Giants seem to have that special something that makes them tough to beat in October. That bullpen they have is tough…But, I will say the Nationals vs Texas in the World Series. There is some great baseball ahead and I look forward to watching all of it.

Great news...two kids in North Carolina found a two headed snake. That's right, this snake has a head on each end...I know that if my brother and I had found this snake we would have been happy. Each of us would have had a head to bang on...the Logan family plan to keep the snake as a pet.

Okay, so after the Monday night debacle, the replacement refs are the topic du jour again. It is clear that everyone thinks that the NFL needs to bring back the regular referees. But what is less clear is why they are locked out. Do you know what the refs are looking for? A big pay increase? Improved working conditions? A more flexible schedule? Better medical benefits? Better retirement? These are the things that usually cause a labor dispute, right?  As I tried to answer this question, I was surprised to realize that very little has been mentioned about the ref’s demands. Here is an article that sheds an interesting light on this labor dispute. Put yourself in stripes of the refs and think about how you would feel…Here is an excerpt from an article in The Nation by Dave Zirin and Mike Elk:

"It is bewildering. Consider the multibillion-dollar entity that is the National Football League. Then consider that NFL referees are 119 part-time employees who make $8,000 a week. As Jeff MacGregor calculated at espn.com, at a cost of $50 million a year—less than one percent of total revenue—NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell could hire 200 full-time officials at $250,000 a year. Conversely, if Goodell gets everything he wants from the referees union and he doesn’t have to spend too much in legal fees, it works out to league-wide savings of just $62,000 per team.

Locking them out is like using an Uzi on a field mouse. The question once again is why? Why has NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, taken such a hard line? After a year defined by the tragic suicides of former players suffering from post-concussion syndrome and a looming lawsuit brought by 2000 former players contending that the NFL didn’t take their safety seriously, why would they engage in such naked contempt for the well-being of players and the integrity of their game? Simply put, because they can.

The NFL clearly believes with no small amount of justification that they can do this because no one will care. As NFL VP Ray Anderson said, perhaps while twirling his mustache, “You’ve never paid for an NFL ticket to watch someone officiate a game.”

The only way to understand why there is a lockout of NFL Referees is to understand who is doing the locking out. It’s not Roger Goodell, who for all the fawning media profiles, is little more than an exceptionally well-paid executive “flak-catcher.” It’s the people he represents. NFL teams are no longer family businesses and owners are no longer kindly patriarchs. They comprise the right-wing edge of America’s super-rich. NFL owners don’t travel in the same circles as Mitt Romney. They travel in the circles of those who underwrite Mitt Romney’s campaign

For these twenty-first-century Masters of the Universe, the lockout, once a near-unthinkable labor-management tactic, has become the weapon of choice when dealing with what’s left of the trade union movement. Since 2010, the number of lockouts annually in the US has doubled. A lockout gives employers the power to strip workers of their salaries, bring in temporary replacements and then simply wait until the day locked out workers eat through their meager savings and then force them back on the conditions of outlandish demands. It’s a management tactic that has hammered thousands of families from middle class security to destitution.

The owners have decided NFL referees need to be locked out because like the scorpion who stings, that’s simply what they do. Look at the demands being made of the referees: NFL owners want them to stop being part-time labor and instead work full-time for the league. Sounds great, except they want the refs to eliminate their other sources of income while taking a 16 percent cut in salary. They also want to eliminate their pensions and replace them with 401k plans tied to the stock market. Put simply, the owners line is less pay, less benefits, and if you don’t like it we’re locking the doors.

“They told us if we didn’t take what was on the table, they would cut it more and they have. They have disguised regressive bargaining as trying to improve officiating overall and to give people more time off,” said NFL Referee’s Association lead negotiator Mike Arnold. “They keep saying in the media that they were willing, able, and ready to negotiate, but they kept telling us they weren’t interested in discussing our proposal and if the deal was going to settle it was going to settle on their terms.”

Whether we agree with the NFL’s stance or not, it is clear that this is not our father’s NFL. As the game’s profits grow larger each year, the emphasis on football shrinks. Coaches and players are faced with a difficult task. They are asked to compete and perform with the intensity that football requires, but are continually reminded that the “game” is a business. Players understand what the NFL is doing to the refs because the NFL did the same thing to the players. In reality, there is no loyalty for the players or coaches by the owners. The league has evolved to a daily crunching of numbers that removes any emotion or compassion for employees of each team. I am sure that most of us have worked in a job like this. It is a very poor environment to achieve excellence. Is it any wonder that some teams never seem to win? Losing franchises are often very profitable, which as we know is what the NFL is about today.

The Warriors of Westwood faced a very tough test last Friday. Cedar Park tasted defeat last year against the Warriors and was determined to exact revenge. The game was a defensive battle that saw Westwood score just before half time to take a 7 to 6 lead at the break. In truth, much of Westwood’s offensive woes were self inflicted. A total of 7 false starts made it difficult for any offensive momentum. Westwood trailed 12 to 7, but managed a late drive that seemed to promise a happy Warrior ending. Sadly, a fumble in the red zone proved too tough to overcome. Although Westwood’s defense forced Cedar Park into a safety, a miracle score on the last play was not in the cards. Blake played well; he had another interception and 15 tackles. I found out today that 8 players were suffering from a bad stomach virus. But as my brother in law always says, there is no room on the scorecard for an essay. This week, the Warriors start district play against the Dragons from Round Rock.

That’s all I have today, but I will leave you with a bit of Jack Handey:

I bet what happened was they discovered fire and invented the wheel on the same day. Then that night, they burned the wheel.

I wish I had a kryptonite cross, because then you could keep both Dracula and Superman away.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a few deep thoughts of your own…

Hello and welcome to another Wednesday of deep thoughts. Now that all levels of football season have begun, we can truly say football is here. Over the past several years, the NFL has gradually begun to pay attention to injuries and head injuries in particular. The deaths of ex professional players have brought headlines to an issue that has long been an unspoken reality of playing football. As we all know, the pinnacle of this attention was the suicide of Junior Seau. Finally, here was a player that was not just a retired player unknown by most in the league. The death of Seau struck a nerve with players, fans and in truth…all of football. Much of the problem with concussions in football was changing the culture of players in the NFL. For most players, admitting to being concussed was considered a weakness or letting your teammates down. Now, most are beginning to realize that they do not want the same end that felled Seau.

With the changes in the NFL, it is only logical that all levels of football would follow the NFL’s lead. College and high school football have instituted rules that require a player that loses his helmet to leave the field for at least one play. This rule allows trainers to examine a player to see if he is fit to return to the game. It also means that players will tighten their chinstraps and allow their helmets to do the job manufacturers intended. I watched a good player a few years ago at my son’s high school continuously lose his helmet. I asked the coach one day why this kid’s helmet was always coming off and he said, because he won’t tighten the stupid chin strap. We make him run, we yell at him, but I look up and there is his helmet on the ground. There would be no discussion this year…off the field.

With more attention, to the issue of concussions in football another result is beginning to occur. Mothers and fathers are less enthusiastic about allowing their kids to play football. Of course, it is not happening in huge numbers, but the reality is easy to assess. Tim Keown wrote an article this week in ESPN. The essence of his article is that there is a growing problem of schools not fielding enough kids to have a competitive team. This causes more lopsided scores and even teams forfeiting games. Keown acknowledges that there are still traditionally strong teams that have not yet been affected by dwindling numbers; but even these teams can easily fall with a few bad seasons. He suggests that with a few bad seasons that interest wanes and suddenly the traditional power house can struggle to field a competitive team. I have watched the high school that my son attends fight to build a winning program. Because Westwood is an exemplary school, the academic standards work against attracting some athletes. Although easily a 5A high school (largest in Texas) Westwood has the athletic population of a small 4A high school. I have always associated this disinterest in athletics to the high ratio of software engineers in the area, but perhaps there is something deeper at play? I do remember reading a former NFL player saying that he would be reluctant to have his kids play football…now that is very troubling.

Here is Keown’s article: http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/8365578/changing-perceptions-participation-high-school-football

I know that concussions in professional football are a big deal. I understand that rules have to be implemented to attempt to make the game safer. But after watching the Raider/San Diego game, I was just shaking my head. Oakland has a terrific punter, perhaps the best in the game. But, because their deep snapper was removed because of a suspected concussion, they had a player deep snapping that obviously wished he wasn’t. I lost count how many snaps rolled or bounced to the punter. It was so bad that Oakland literally could not punt. If the NFL is going to institute such strict rules, they have to allow teams to carry more players. It is shameful for a professional team not to be able to execute such a basic play. Oh, and with the lack of receivers that Oakland has, they will need to be punting quite a bit…

Reports of Tony Romo’s demise have been greatly exaggerated…I have to admit, I had little faith that Dallas would beat the Giants, but deep down…I had a sneaking suspicion that Dallas might pull that game out. I think it is clear that this Dallas team understands that this may be their last chance for success. Hopefully, they will keep their heads down and keep working. It is funny, so many bash Romo (including me) but last year, it was the defense that allowed Eli to score twice late to beat the Cowboys. It is nice to have a defense that can shut the door late in the game. It is also nice to see cornerbacks that know how to cover and tackle.

Folks in Tennessee are none too happy with the replacement referees. Jake Locker was injured making a tackle that he should not have had to make. Sunday, Locker directed a deep pass to Nate Washington. Washington dropped the pass when he was crunched…but the whistles never blew. Locker separated his non throwing shoulder making a tackle. Replays reversed the calls, but the damage was done. The NFL has gone to great pains to improve safety for its players; it is amazing to me that they allow refs to officiate games that are not the best money can buy.

Blake's interception against Austin High...not gonna let it go.

Blake's 2nd pick of the season...no late hit call on the QB. Check out the bald coach on the sideline with the headset on...this is our head coach. He told me that Blake almost broke his neck when he came off the field. If you look carefully, you can see the headset ripped off the coaches head...too funny!

This is a 53 yard field goal by Colin McGuire (committed to Fresno State)...a new school record. I missed the following kick off, but he kicked the ball through the uprights.

Westwood got another win last week. After allowing an opening drive TD, the defense shut down the Bowie Bulldogs. The final score was 24 to 7. Blake had 7 tackles and another interception. The team is playing well, but faces a huge test this week against Lake Travis. Lake Travis is ranked #1 in the state and 12 nationally and is a very talented team. I am proud that Westwood did not look ahead to this game. Our coach is either crazy or smart as he made this game homecoming. It will be a very interesting game…I am already nervous. Should be 12,000 plus in the stands.

If any of you want to hear the game on the computer, here is the link::

http://www.highschoolcube.com/schools/westwood-high-school-austin-texas

There is something in Texas called Friday Night Fanstand...here they are interviewing a few of the Westwood players. Blake makes a brief appearance...

I would be remiss without taking a moment to pay honor to those that died 11 years ago. It is difficult to believe that it has been 11 years. Let us never forget…

That is all I have today, but I will leave you a bit of Jack Handey:

“I hope that some animal never bores a hole in my head and lays eggs in my brain, because later you might think you’re having a good idea but it’s just eggs hatching.”

“I think there should be something in science called the “reindeer effect.” I don’t know what it would be, but I think it’d be good to hear someone say, “Gentlemen, what we have here is a terrifying example of the reindeer effect.””

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a few deep thoughts of your own.