Welcome to Football Season

I have said before and will here reiterate, this is a great time of year. Why you ask?

1. High School football is underway
2. College football is underway
3. The NFL season is beginning
4. The NASCAR season is about to hit "The Chase" (Jon, "The Chase" is the NASCAR equivalent of the playoffs)

I'm sure there are other good things too, these are just the ones that come to mind.

So, high school football:

Joplin Globe article on the Webb game at Harrisonville.

Webb City traveled to Class 3 powerhouse Harrisonville. Now Webb has a proud tradition, but in Class 3 Harrisonville has been unbelievably dominant over the last decade - the last time they didn't win the class 3 title was 2004 in a 2OT championship game loss. Suffice it to say their move up to class 4 in 2008 will probably go better than Carl Junction's did a couple of years ago.

First the outcome: Webb won 27-21.

The good: Webb's front 7 or 8 (I can't tell half the time who qualifies as an outside linebacker and who is a strong safety) looked very good. With a couple of specific exceptions where tackles were missed, Harrisonville had very limited success trying to run the ball between the tackles (and even outside was tough going). Braxton Baker looked good in spots. After a fumble on the second play from scrimmage he went on to score all 4 of Webb's touchdowns. I'm not tuned in enough to really see what the linemen are doing, but they must have been handling Harrisonville's front 7 for Baker to break free repeatedly as he did.

The bad: Webb's defensive secondary was picked apart several times. Had I been the Harrisonville Offensive Coordinator I probably wouldn't have run the ball in the 2nd half. In the years I've watched the Cards this has often been the weak point in the D, but often because their front 7 is typically so good. Right now, the d-backs look like they're just not sure what they are doing. That's fixable and will have to be if the Cards want to compete with teams that live through the air - think Carthage and Ozark.

The annoying: Harrisonville's PA announcer was easily the most irritating I've ever had to sit through. I honestly considered going in search of the power tie for the press box just to put a stop to him. It was like he was doing a radio broadcast at the same time as doing PA. So he just talked non-stop. He had some great phrases, "Here's the deal..." (about 40 times), "Kyle, the Senior, brings his (and had about 12 different synonyms right here) squad, battalion, etc. to the line...", "Here we go...", "Armageddon at Memorial Stadium" and the list could go on and on. It was bad.

The irritating: The officials. Yeah, yeah, easy targets. Good chance the outcome isn't as close if the officials had managed the game correctly. Harrisonville was allowed to get on the ball before the play clock ever started again and again and again, but it would start on Webb almost immediately after the previous play ended (which is the correct way to do it). This was partially an issue with people running the clock and was done badly both ways in some cases, but definitely favored the home team. It was well into the second half before Harrisonville got anything other than a procedure penalty - and even those were few. There were multiple instances where the play clock sat on zero for several seconds before a flag was thrown (if it ever was, they got several plays off long after it hit zero). A number of obvious holds and interference calls were just ignored leading to big plays for Harrisonville. I have a feeling that if that game had been played on a neutral site the outcome might have been a 2+ touchdown margin for Webb.

The outlook: I'm a little worried about Webb. They've got some great athletes, but are going to have to continue to improve significantly if they want to be a factor this year. I am glad that the Carthage game is late in the season, in this instance I think that will benefit Webb - who I expect to improve as the season goes on.

One note from the trip: As we were cruising up 71 I came up behind a white car in the left lane, but not really going very fast. It was not right next to the car in the right lane, but there wasn't enough room between them for me to pass on the right (believe me, I'm always looking for that option), so I slowed and waited. After a few seconds of no apparent movement (either for the car to get over or go past the other car and then get over) I flashed my lights. As the young lady driving the car started to change lanes I saw the Missouri State sticker in the back window and thought, "Hmm...Emily Hunholz is from up this way, drives a white car and goes to Mo-State." Sure enough, it was Emily and her boyfriend headed home for Labor Day weekend. I sent her a text thereafter, but got no response. She either didn't know who it was or isn't speaking to me. :(

Saturday Night at Bristol

Before anyone even has to ask, yes, I saw the whole thing.

Race Recap

Saturday night Carl Edwards performed a masterful bump-n-run maneuver on Kyle Busch (who could possibly deserve it more?) with 30 laps to go and then drove off into the the sunset to win the Sharpie 500.

Kyle had led more than 400 laps (unheard of, but not a record) only to have a less than outstanding adjustment on the final pit stop leave him vulnerable to Edwards. At the time it happened Edwards clearly had the faster car, just not enough real estate to pass Busch without bumping him.

Let's remember a fundamental rule of NASCAR. "He didn't hit you, he didn't bump you, he didn't nudge you. He rubbed you, and rubbin' son, is racin." That classic line delivered by Robert Duvall (and yes, I can do it in character on command along with virtually any other line in Days of Thunder) is never more true than at Bristol. Among all tracks Bristol is unique. It's known as the world's fastest half-mile. It has high banks and stands that go straight up. When you pull up next to it, it looks like a huge football stadium with the bowl going all the way around. Only difference is that it holds 168,000 people (Andy's beloved Big House holds like 107,000).

When you go to Bristol you can count on full-contact racing. 43-cars on a track that tight makes that inevitable. The question is who can keep their composure long enough and stay out of trouble long enough to win. If you look at the history of dozens and dozens of Cup races at Bristol there are lots of examples of bump-n-run techniques leading to a win. The late Dale Sr. had at least one.

Is it fair? Yes, this is NASCAR, not IRL or something stupid like that. If you don't want the contact, drive faster, return the favor, or find a different sport (badminton perhaps?).

After the race Busch was his normal childish self (can't stand him if you weren't sure about that). But let's review. Carl bumped him just enough to get the position. He didn't spin him out, he didn't lose control of his car. Can't say that about Kyle all of the time. It was just this spring when Kyle Busch knocked Dale Jr. out of the lead in the last few laps of a race by losing control of his car and collecting Jr. in the process.

After the race, Kyle pulled up next to Carl and ran into him. Reminded me of another scene in Days of Thunder, but I'll spare you. So Carl returned the favor by spinning Kyle out. Here's the deal. Kyle has picked the wrong guy to mess with. Carl is the only one right now who is competitive enough to keep up with Busch and with enough spine not to put up with his crap. Kyle doesn't have nearly enough backbone to tangle with other drivers when they decide they've had enough - his reaction to last night makes that abundantly clear.

I'm just glad someone finally put Busch in his place and I can only hope he gets more of it over the next 13 races. The only thing more annoying than Busch's arrogance is his whining.

Phelps v. Spitz

I'm going to try to keep this short, I've got stuff to do, but this question has been circling too long and needs a final answer. Here we go.

Article

Since Phelps grabbed gold #8 and WR #7 at the Beijing games people have been asking who would win head to head in a prime versus prime matchup with Mark Spitz. Phelps has been asked, Mark Spitz has been asked, every nimrod commentator that NBC is using to cover the games has been asked (and yes, most of the commentators they're using are JV quality at best).

To even approach that matchup you've got to assume a couple of things:
- Spitz prowess translates to current day.
- Spitz shaves, gets a swim cap, and trades the Speedo for something more modern.
- Spitz could have posted times like Phelps has done, clearly the WRs that Spitz posted were nowhere near the times Phelps is putting up.

Manage to get them both in the same era in their primes and then you've got a race. In terms of sheer physical tools, Phelps has an edge, taller, longer arms, flippers for feet (I'm surprised the Chinese or French didn't protest that his ankles have a greater range of motion than most people).

Clearly both are great athletes, both had a fire to win that most do not and were willing to train like few can endure. I didn't get to see Spitz race, wasn't alive then, but have a hard time thinking that he could have matched Phelps in a broad grouping of events. In one or two specific disciplines and distances? Probably. Across a program of 8 events? Probably not. That's what is so shocking about Phelps, in an era with much greater parity in competition (everyone swims for a US collegiate team regardless of where they're from) Phelps just went out and dominated the world. Spitz dominated, but did so at a time when few countries had the resources, training facilities and techniques in place to have truly competitive athletes in swimming.

And one final thing. I'm not sure who Spitz had swimming relays with him, but he didn't have Jason Lezak. Let's remember that every time Phelps needed someone to answer the bell in a relay the 32-year-old Lezak broke out the swim of his life (even if they were overshadowed by Phelps performances).

I also want to say that Spitz has been extraordinarily gracious to Phelps. I watched the interview NBC did with both men after Phelps' final race. A report earlier in the games was that Spitz was offended because no one invited him to come to Beijing. If he was, he got over it and showed great class in deferring to Phelps and heaping praise on him. That was the only time I've ever been less than impressed with how Phelps responded. He was cordial, but should have showed greater deference and appreciation for what Spitz accomplished in his own era. I do give Phelps some slack, he was about 15 minutes removed from the medal ceremony, probably hadn't really had a chance to collect his thoughts. Spitz had been at home in Detroit collecting his for a week.

Book Review: In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day

I recently read Mark Batterson's "In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day".

Prior to picking it up I'd heard everything from "it's amazing" to "it's okay". The reactions to it reminded me a little of what I heard regarding "Wild At Heart". For some the book seemed to be a revelation that changed their life, for others it was just okay. To each his (or her) own I suppose.

My take? It's a good book and one that I needed to read. Batterson brings out some great points with regard to how we view obstacles and challenges in our lives.

If you're not familiar, the book centers around the story of a guy named Benaiah, who chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day and killed it. He was also credited with killing an Egyptian giant and two of Moab's mightiest warriors. He goes on to become the head of King David's security detail and later the commanding officer of Israel's army. Not a bad career.

Batterson presents seven things we must do to be "Lion Chasers":
1. Defy the odds
2. Face our fears
3. Reframe problems
4. Embrace uncertainty
5. Take risks
6. Seize opportunities
7. Look foolish

While I won't spoil the content for you, the central thrust to me was essentially the idea that in order to be used by God we've got to to be okay with the discomfort of things like long odds, facing our fears, uncertainty, risks, etc. He claims - and is probably correct in this - that we are better off running toward the big challenges in life than trying to hide from them. Certainly if we are following God and He is leading us in the direction of a particular challenge we would be crazy not to face it head on. Maybe we'll "succeed", maybe we won't, but either way we're following God and that's the point.

Batterson makes a statement near the end of the book that I like: "I have an unshakable sense of destiny because I know that as long as I pursue God's calling on my life, then God is ultimately responsible for getting me where He wants me to go."

In that sense, the only real risk is not following where God is leading.

The book is a fairly quick read and worth picking up.

Early Highlight of the Games

I nearly went to bed last night before the Men's 4x100m Freestyle Relay at the Beijing Olympics, but I'm glad I didn't. Entering the race, which featured Michael Phelps, the French team was a heavy favorite (don't get me started on the French) and had been talking smack about "smashing" the Americans.

Really? You want to go with "smashing" right there? All right.

Article

If you watched the race it appeared that the French would win, it was said their anchor leg couldn't be caught. Phelps swam a good leg, the two unknown swimmers for the USA in the middle swam great legs, but still Jason Lezak hit the water behind the unstoppable Alain Bernard (who ironically was the guy who'd been talking before the race).

On the first (of 2) lengths of the pool it appeared Bernard would pull away from Lezak, but at the turn Lezak surged and suddenly there was hope. Still Lezak trailed by 1/2 a body length with less than 25m to swim. But in a classic example of why you don't run your mouth before you prove it on the field (in the pool) the cameras captured Bernard visibly "tightening" up and Lezak swimming for all he was worth.

At the wall, Lezak "out touched" Bernard by .08 (which is a whisker in swimming) to not only deliver the gold, but smash the world record.

A couple of thoughts on this:

- This is an example of why I love the Olympics. The only thing better than a team that out performs expectations is when it's the US team that does it. It's amazing to me that that a team with Phelps on it could be an underdog, but swimming is a unique sport.
- Relays are my favorite part of speed sports. Why? Because it's not as simple as the fastest guy or girl wins, you just never know what might happen. Plus it takes an individual sport and makes it a team sport.
- Kudos to Michael Phelps for putting his fate in the hands of his teammates by swimming 3 relays in his quest for 8 golds (2 down, 6 to go). I'm guessing he could have just entered 8 individual events, and perhaps even 8 that he would be favored in. But instead he has chosen to swim for his country, choosing to go for gold for something more than personal glory.
- The IOC is eliminating some sports before the next summer games - baseball and softball are among them (I love baseball, but could care less about Olympic baseball, the timing precludes the inclusion of the best players in the world anyway, so who cares). I'd like to make a motion that all sports whose outcomes are determined by judges (so gymnastics, diving, etc.) be eliminated. I'm sick of screwed up scoring systems and biased judges creating an uphill battle for certain countries (read: the US can pretty much count on getting rough scores). Anyone who thought the US gymnastics team could go into communist China and get a fair deal was smoking crack. Let's do everyone a favor, eliminate those sports and focus on things that use a scoreboard, stopwatch or measuring tape to determine a winner - tough to cheat those.

That's it, off my soapbox...for now.

Olympics Day 1

Haven't checked the medal count yet, but the body count stands at 1 American, 1 Chinese.

Article

Everyone has been quick to say that that the attack was random. While I'm sure the victim was a random selection, I'm not buying that the attacker wasn't targeting Americans. The guy apparently lived 700 miles from Beijing. If he didn't care who he killed I doubt he'd have traveled that far.

My wife was dead right when she made the comment that if these games were being held in the US and someone from China was stabbed on day 1 the world would be all over us.

I am very fearful for our athletes, coaches, families and spectators. The decision of the IOC to put the Olympics in China was a colossal mistake - if for no other reason than that the air quality is so bad that outdoor endurance events aren't really advisable. And I'll just leave the whole intrusive surveillance issue alone.

What I hope happens is that the athletes can manage to overcome all the distractions and overshadow the politics of it all. And I'll say this, when it comes to sport, I will make no apologies for hoping that Team USA dominates. We didn't go there to kiss sisters or share, we went there to win. History says home soil is an advantage, so for the US to win the overall medal count will be a challenge, but we'll see what happens.

Whose Brilliant Idea Was...

...it to put the US athletes in those yuppie outfits for the opening ceremonies of the Olympics? A blue blazer with a nice big crest on the pocket, white pants, and those dorky white hats. I don't care who designed it, they were terrible. Sorry, we're not all from the Hamptons and don't all have trust funds. "Hey, where's my yacht? Care to go for a sail? Don't I look like a skipper?"

1. White pants - generally not good - see TV or movie from the 80s for proof.
2. Really nice suits don't need a logo or crest on them. Having that just screams "I am rich and need you to know it." I can almost give a pass to the large logo that is the US Team logo, but don't worry, Ralph got his pony on the other side.
3. Not sure where to start with the hats. And while they were the most annoying part at first, the more I watched they are ultimately less irritating than the jacket or pants.

I'm sure that did a ton for our perception in the world. We managed to very quickly solidify the world's perception of US citizens as "rich Americans".

Yes, this is about the third time this week I've made a unilateral determination of what was good fashion and what wasn't. Clearly I should do consulting on the side so that people can avoid embarrassing themselves on TV.

8/8/08

I got to thinking this morning that in addition to the uniqueness of the date there are a number of notable things about today:

3 Beginnings:

1. 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing

2. Thousands of children born - apparently doctors are letting women schedule for today.

3. Jordan and Megan Howerton's marriage.

1 Big Milestone:

The 50th Wedding Anniversary of my wife's grandparents. We love you Nan and Poppy.

1 Ending:

The 2008 CIY MOVE Internship officially ends today. It was a great summer. Our group of interns were awesome and now they're done and gone. We will certainly miss them.