Sportscasters

Last night, I was listening to the Bears/Texans game on the radio.

In my opinion, the Bears' sportscasters are awful.

On one play, the play by play guy said that the Texans had intercepted the pass.  At no time did he say where it was intercepted.  Remember on the radio the only way we know the yard line is if they tell us.

Then he would say a good gain, no amount or down and yardage to go.

The color guy is an ex-Bear, who does not know how to shut up.  Much of what he says is very technical on the blocking (he is an ex-ProBowl Tackle) and is interesting.  He yells "BALL" when there is a fumble and certainly wakes up the dead or sleeping.

On every play, the Bears were interfered with or held or had a personal foul toward them.  A little homer is OK but they are too much.

The old Bears' play by play guy now calls the game for the GB Packers and he was and is excellent.

I much prefer the national radio guys over the Bears' announcers.

Fat and Uniforms

There’s a bit of a problem with the NFL’s new Nike uniforms. It seems that, in some of the larger sizes, the uniforms are unflattering. And they’re downright revealing when subjected to massive amounts of sweat.
“I hate them. They are built for thin guys,” Alex Boone, the San Francisco 49ers’ 300-pound starting guard, told the Wall Street Journal’s Kevin Clark. “It makes me look like I have big old love handles.
In April, the league switched to Nike uniforms, which boast what it says is a “body-contoured fit.” Some bodies, it turns out, really shouldn’t be contoured.
“‘It looks like you ate a small baby,’” Boone said his wife told him when she saw him in the new jersey.
In Nike’s defense, the uniforms look just fine on the more chiseled players and the relentlessly buff LaRon Landry. And there’s a competitive reason for jerseys that are form-fitting: there’s less material for offensive linemen to grab onto, not that offensive linemen ever are guilty of holding. The problem is that the NFL is a league filled with 300-pounders.
“We have 40 years of experience in the football business and the idea in our products is for optimal performance and we work with the athletes to find fit and function,” a Nike spokesman told the WSJ. “The uniforms are available in a variety of sizes and cuts for different players with enhanced performance in mind.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2012/10/03/the-nfls-300-pounders-and-their-fashion-faux-pas/

Just a fun article on sports!  You have to be very large to be an NFL lineman and to be over 300# and a reasonable height there tends to be a bit of fat.

Sports over People

I am tired of sports teams getting public money and buying off politicians.  The Supreme Court in the New Hampshire land grap in 2005.  There are more important things to spend money on than on Sports.  Below is a (old) reaction to the ridiculous court ruling.


East Coast activists want to build the 'Lost Liberty Inn' on the property of U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter. The measure is on the March 14 ballot in the small town of Weare NH, where Souter resides. This Sunday activists staged rally in Weare to 'turn the eminent domain tables' on Souter.
One of the more amusing stories making the rounds is how a little known activist group is trying to "turn the tables" on a Supreme Court Justice who corruptly ruled on extending government's power to take away private land under eminent domain.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter is getting a "taste of his own medicine" from a New Hampshire group called the Committee for the Preservation of Natural Rights and another California human rights group, both trying to make a loud public statement by getting Souter's home in the small town of Weare, New Hampshire, seized under eminent domain.
Both activist groups have been angered and are leading the charge against a recent high court ruling, making it virtually "a walk in the park" for local, state and federal entities tt to seize people's homes and property for economic development under what has become a watered down version of the eminent domain laws.  http://rense.com/general69/souter.htm

Bears Lose, Bears Lose

Since I live between Chicago and Milwaukee, the local sports radio stations are either Pro-Bears & Anti-Packers OR Anti-Bears & Pro-Packers.  I fall on the Pro-GB side.  But after the Bears play, the Pro-Bear station has Doug Buffone and OB both former Bears commenting on the game.  When the Bears lose, they are really great.  They rip into the Bears in a very (to me) entertaining manner.

Actually, I am a Detroit fan which has been sort of frustrating until recently.  So at the moment the Lions are in first (at least till they play SF who crushed GB last week) place.

The Bears fans (as I guess all of us fans are) seem rather arrogant and yet when they lose, they say the Bears will never win again and all the coaches should be fired and the QB traded.  Of course when the next game is a win, they will win the SuperBowl and never lose again!

Even I will have to admit that the Bears' defense played very well, especially with the Bears' QB giving the ball back to GB every chance he could.  But think how bad it would have been if the refs had called all of the Bears' LT's holds (tackles).

Fortunately for the Bears, they play another rebuilding team next (St.Louis).

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New York City's Board of Health opened up a new, experimental front in the war on obesity Thursday, passing a rule banning sales of big sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, concession stands and other eateries.

The regulation, which was proposed in the spring by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and approved by panel of health experts after several months of review, puts a 16-ounce size limit on cups and bottles of non-diet soda, sweetened teas, and other calorie-packed beverages.

The ban will apply in fast-food joints, movie houses and Broadway theaters, workplace cafeterias, and most other places selling prepared food.

It doesn't cover beverages sold in supermarkets or most convenience stores.

http://news.yahoo.com/nyc-bans-big-sugary-drinks-eateries-theaters-151520600--finance.html

Once again, government "must" take over for parents.  Much of fat comes from a lack of parental supervision (too much video games or not enough exercice)  not because of soft drinks' sizes.  Can you only buy one?

Sports

What is happening to my Tigers?  They lost 3 straight to the worst team Seattle and 2 more to the Minn Twins.  The Chicago White Sox have started to win and hit, but the Tigers can't get a hit that is not from the first 4 in the lineup!

I thought this was the year for them to win it all, when they signed Prince Fielder and started out strong, but lately they stink!

It is amazing that  the LA Kings have not lost an away game in the playoffs!  It goes to show that a hot goalkeeper can win the Stanley Cup.

The NBA playoffs are also intersting (from now on intersting will be my interesting, when I worked for Westinghouse they decreed that employee would be spelled employe in all Westinghouse documents, so why can't I respell intersting?).  It looks like the 4 best teams are in the playoffs and are evenly matched( probably Chicago was one of the best teams until they lost Rose & Noah).

I don't care about golf or racing or tennis, so I have no idea what is going on there!

Pro Sports

I root for certain sports teams and against others.  But I never want anyone to be injured.  Chicago sports has had 2 major injuries to their favorite sports' teams.

Toward the end of the football season, Jay Cutler was injured and missed the final games.

And recently Derrick Rose injured his ACL near the end of the first playoff game.

After the Cutler injury, the Bears lost the rest of their games.  They were close to my Lions before the injury, but finished behind them.

Rose has been injured for much of the season, he missed something like 27 games during the regular season, and his team won 2/3 of them.  But playoff basketball is different, so they are at hugh disadvantage.  The coach is taking some heat because he left Rose in with 80 seconds to go with the Bulls up 12-14 points.

Rose appears to be a "good guy."  So I hope he can come back next year at his full potential.

*****

I found this fun article when searching for something else:

Fun Ways to Tell Your Husband You Are Pregnant
Pooch Delivery
I wrote "Mama's Pregnant" on a piece of paper and attached it to our dog's collar. When my husband came home, our dog ran to greet him. Once he realized what was going on, he couldn't stop beaming.
Colleen, San Diego, California
Made with Love
One night, when my husband came home from work, I told him there was something sweet in the oven. When he opened it up, he found a large bun on a plate. Puzzled, he just stood there until I shouted, "Honey, there's a bun in our oven!" He was so shocked, he didn't believe me.
Melissa, Alexandria, Virginia
Spell It Out
My husband and I are huge fans of Scrabble. So, when it came time to tell him we were expecting our first child, I couldn't think of a better way to share the news than to spell it out while playing our favorite board game. My husband was ecstatic!
Sally, Destin, Florida
Shirting the Subject
Once I discovered I was pregnant, I embroidered a shirt for our 1-year-old son that read, "I'm a Big Brother." I put the shirt on our son right before my husband came home from work. He walked in, read the shirt, and became very excited.
Tricia, San Francisco, California
A Sweet Surprise
I planned a theme dinner for my husband. I made baby corn and carrots, baby back ribs, and for dessert I walked out with a big red bow around my belly, holding a small bowl of Sugar Babies. He loved it!
Carla, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Seeing Red
Minutes before my husband came home, I wrote "You're a Daddy!" on my belly with bright red lipstick. The look on his face was priceless!
Rachel, Camden, Michigan
The Secret's in the Sauce
I created a label that read "Andie & Michael Are Prego" and placed it on a jar of pasta sauce. That night, I suggested we make spaghetti for dinner. After handing my husband the jar, I watched him carefully. Within seconds, he was grinning from ear to ear!
Andean, Olney, Maryland
It's in the Bag
My husband is a golf addict. When I found out I was pregnant with our first child, I gave him a gift bag. Inside was a onesie that said "Daddy's Future Caddy." He was so happy he cried.
Judith, Hazlet, New Jersey
On the Bottle
I made dinner plans at our favorite restaurant and dropped off a baby bottle that I had decorated and written "It's a Baby!" on beforehand. That night when we arrived for dinner, I asked the manager to serve my husband's beverage in the bottle. At first, my hubby was totally baffled, but once he read the bottle's message, he quickly leapt out of his chair with excitement! ( http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-life/preparing-for-baby/fun-ways-to-tell-your-husband-you-are-pregnant/)
Heidi, Kailua, Hawaii
Originally published in American Baby magazine, May 2005.

RIP RedWings

Once again the Detroit Red Wings have met a hot goalie in the playoffs.  Last night the stats were Predators P. Rinne  shots: 41,  goals: 1, save percentage : .976; Red Wings  J. Howard shots: 17,  goals: 3 ,  save percentage : .824.

Game three: Rinne Shots 43, goals : 2; Howard 22 shots, 3 goals.  Game 1 : Rinne 37 shots, 2 goals Howard 26 shots, 3 goals.

Seems like every year recently the Red Wings have met a hot GK.  They are down 3-1 and it doesn't look like they are going to come back.  Early in the year they won a record number of games in a row at home but this series they have lost both home games. So Red Wings have a nice summer!

My son's Blackhawks also lost last night, but they are only down 2-1, so they have a chance.

****

Gas continues to go down after our purchase.  $3.969 is the best price around here at the moment.  Our purchase was at $4.189.  Plus I also sold some stock, so it might be a good idea to buy some now!

St Patrick's Day

We went to a St Patrick's Day party with the Waukegan Swedish Glee Club.  I guess everyone is Irish on SPD.  They served Corn Beef & Cabbage, I am part Irish but don't like either Corn Beef or Cabbage but do like Soda Bread so I had extra Soda Bread.  My Lovely Wife tells me that it is called that because it uses Baking Soda not yeast for leavening.   I had found some Soda Bread recipes for the breadmaker but basically the dough is taken out and baked on a sheet; what is the use of a breadmaker if you have to take the dough out to bake it?

Of the various cycles on the Breadmaker, there is a dough cycle plus Whole Wheat, White (basic), Sweet Bread, Gluten Free, French, Super Rapid, Pasta, Jam and Bake.

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A sign that I saw during the biking in to Church this morning:  SLOW Children - I think it is not very politically incorrect to refer to children as slow (and emphasizing the slow shame, shame) perhaps Educationally Challenged Children would be more appropriate.

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I didn't watch the MSU / St.Louis game, but did listen to it on the radio.  So I guess the control is only if I watch it on TV.  MSU WON!

Mishmash Zwei

There are only 10 types of people in the world, those that understand binary and those who don't!

****

My brother-in-law told us about his friend who had her contact list hacked and the contacts were sent emails saying she was stuck in a foreign country and needed money please send.  Supposedly one person sent money.  As one link said: 

State Police are warning of several scams where people are asked to wire money to help a vacationing relative who has been a victim of crime in a foreign land or a needy family member.
The first scam is a phone call from someone pretending to be a grandson or a granddaughter who was in an accident and needs money sent via Western Union. The caller doesn't give a name, police said, only calling the victim "grandma" or "grandpa" and saying, "It's me" until the caller is prompted to suggest a name of someone, who the caller then pretends to be.
Police said the second scam may involve a phone call but more often involves an e-mail where scammers hijack an e-mail account and send messages asking for money to everyone on the contacts list.
The e-mail appears to be from someone the victims know. The message says the person is out of the country on vacation and had all his or her money and travelers checks stolen and need a short-term loan wired in order to get home.


One way scammers get information is from Facebook pages.  The pages sometimes have info on relatives (like grandkids) names.  Though we are proud of our grandkids, I try not to use too much personal info on the page.

****

It is interesting how we sports fans, idolize some overpaid spoiled children.  Most of these players have been pampered from early childhood, since they were great athletes (probably the best in their school / area).  Adults listening to the utterances of these "brilliant" boys (usually boys) as if they had sometimes important to say.

One of the reasons that I like College Basketball is that most of these students (the ones who go to classes anyway[students]) are not going to play in the pros and are just trying their best!

Control examples

Yesterday, I watched the MSU v. Ohio State basketball game.  Before I watched it, the score was 24-9 MSU up!  The score ended up 72-70 OSU winning!

I also watched the RedWing v. Blackhawk hockey game.  It was a good game except for the final score 2-1 for BH!  At least my son should be happy!

****

An interesting article (to me) on Hot Air : What if government treated eating the way it treats sex?  Showing the control the federal government exerts over kids eating habits and how they tend to encourage sex.

Football Playoffs

Until the last game of the playoffs, the home team had won every playoff game.

All of my favorites lost.  Since the only team that I am a fan of is the Lions none of the other games was that disappointing.

I was hoping that Denver would win since I was hoping the Tebow effect would continue, plus my som is in the Denver area.

I hoping Houston would win, since they were playing their 3rd string quarterback.

I was hoping that New Orleans would win because Drew Brees is a fun quarterback to watch; though I also like the SF 49ers story.

I was hoping GB would win, since we live fairly close to the team and their broadcasters are fun to listen to.

In the overall scheme of things, sports is not that important; as we Lion fans like to say wait to next year!


I could have been a Rhodes Scholar, except for my grades. -- Duffy Daugherty


On this team, we are all united in a common goal: to keep my job. -- Lou Holtz


If hockey fights were fake, you would see me in more of them.-- Rod Gilbert


The only way to stop Jim Brown was to give him a movie contract.-- Spider Lockhart


Always remember Goliath was a 40 point favorite over David.-- Shug Jordan


You can observe a lot just by watching.-- Yogi Berra


They say a tie is like kissing your sister. I guess that is better than kissing your brother.-- Lou Holtz


We can't win at home. We can't win on the road. I just can't figure out where else to play!-- Pat Williams


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.-- Source Unknown


I'd run over my mother to win the Super Bowl.-- Russ Grimm


Quotes from : http://www.quotemountain.com/quotes/sports_quotes/funny_sports_quotes/

Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow is loved or hated by many people; the above video explains why so many liberals hate him. He dared to make a pro-life superbowl ad.  He shows his Christianity outwardly and this also turns some people off.  I wish I was more able to show my Christianity outwardly.

As a football player, he is not perfect but his teammates appear to believe in him and he has always won, College champs, etc.

Here is why Steeler fans hate him!

Facebook, Soccer Coaches 2, Chain

My lovely wife has signed up for Facebook.  She has invited various people to be her "friends" and I think everyone so far has accepted.  But she received an email that 7 women and 10 men were searching for her. There were some with pictures but others had the shadowy outlines.  I think that it is creepy that people are searching for "her", of course, for only a "small" monthly fee (with super premium to el cheapo levels) she could see who these people were!

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For those of you who forget *** means a new subject.

***

I have been watching the World Cup and watching the coaches,  they wouldn't survive in youth soccer; they just sit there glancing into the ether.  Numerous times I have wanted to help the players on the field with my useful commentary but I refrained since they wouldn't listen anyhow!

***

After bicycling to the YMCA to bring my lovely wife her Y bag or actually as I was on the Y driveway, I heard a bad noise and my pedaling had no effect.  My chain broke!  It was at the furthest distance I was going to be from my house.  5 or 5.5 miles away, and I very dark cloud appeared.  So I got to walk home pushing my bike, plus sometime during the trip I lost my chain!

Coaching Soccer

In my daughter's blog she said "I think this must be why my Dad coached his kids' soccer teams--to give him an excuse to be the one yelling on the sidelines." 

I admit that I did keep up a steady stream of "helpful" coaching from the sidelines.  The reasons for coaching probably included the "yelling" part.  I think that if I was to coach another team of very young kids; I would encourage the kids to talk to each other on the field.  Young kids quite often keep talking and talking, but put them on a soccer field and they will not talk to each other.  In soccer other players can help their teammates by telling them that an opponent is coming up to them or that a teammate is open square, etc..

I also coached because I like sports and spending time with my kids.  I was introduced to soccer at a later age, it is a sport I probably could have been good at if I had started at a early age.  Running and thinking are a couple of my strong points.

Plus my kids were/are good at soccer.

To get back to the "yelling/coaching". I also believe that the kids on the field don't really hear us!


Coaching is not a natural way of life. Your victories and losses are too clear cut.-- Tommy Prothro



Make sure that team members know they are working with you, not for you.-- John Wooden


Leadership, like coaching, is fighting for the hearts and souls of men and getting them to believe in you.
-- Eddie Robinson


Coaching is a profession of love. You can't coach people unless you love them.-- Eddie Robinson



A successful coach needs a patient wife, loyal dog, and great quarterback - and not necessarily in that order.-- Bud Grant


I'd rather be a football coach. That way you can lose only 11 games a season. I lost 11 games in December alone!-- Abe Lemons



Overcoaching is the worst thing you can do to a player.-- Dean Smith



Either love your players or get out of coaching.-- Bobby Dodd


"The coach should be the absolute boss, but he still should maintain an open mind." -- Red Auerbach


Bad shooters are always open" -- Pete Carril



coach (n) 1 a horse-drawn carriage 2 a railroad car.

an athletic instructor or trainer.  • a tutor who gives private or specialized teaching.

ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (sense 1) : from French coche, from Hungarian kocsi (szekér) ‘(wagon) from Kocs,’ a town in Hungary

ORIGIN early 18th cent. (as a verb): figuratively from coach 1

It is my fault...

It is my fault when my favorite sports teams lose!

Whenever I watch my favorite teams (Lions, Tigers, Pistons, Spartans, Redwings) on TV they lose.  When MSU was in the finals of NCAA Basketball Championship a couple of years ago, I made the mistake of watching it on the TV ; they lost!  When the Redwings were in the Stanley Cup finals last year I watched it and they lost!

Some people might incorrectly say that it is merely coincidence or superstition but as every democrat knows anecdotal evidence is the most reliable (even though the evidence shows otherwise (sorry couldn't resist a dig)).  Of course, some people might point out that some of these teams lose the majority of their games anyhow (Lions, Pistons) but others tend to win the majority of their games.

Conversely, when I watch my hated teams (like Yankees, or arrogant teams like White Sox or Bears) on TV they win!  Perhaps, I watch too much TV!

The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on. - Robert Bloch



“Win as if you were used to it, lose as if you enjoyed it for a change.”   Ralph Waldo Emerson



“Having nothing, nothing can he lose.”  William Shakespeare



“We lost because we told ourselves we lost”  Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy



No one ever says, "It's only a game" when their team is winning.  George Carlin



Anybody can win -- unless there happens to be a second entry.  Ade's Law



Don't believe that winning is really everything. It's more important to stand for something. If you don't stand for something, what do you win?  Lane Kirkland



Whoever said, 'It's not whether you win or lose that counts.' probably lost.  Mary Ashton Livermore



lose (v):  1 be deprived of or cease to have or retain (something) • cause (someone) to fail to gain or retain (something) • waste or fail to take advantage of (time or an opportunity)
fail to win (a game or contest)  • cause (someone) to fail to win (a game or contest) 
ORIGIN Old English losian [perish, destroy,] also [become unable to find,] from los [loss.]

Silver

It seems like my teams are always finishing second.

The RedWings were in the Stanley Cup Finals only to lose in the final game, i.e., second place (Silver Medal).

My university (Michigan State University) made it to the NCAA Basketball Final game only to lose to NC, i.e., second place.

My baseball team (Detroit Tigers) was leading the central division of AL by 3 games with 4 to go, only to lose the lead and the playoff game to the MN twins, i.e., second place!

Fortunately I won in the marriage game (I won the Gold with my lovely wife), so I guess I have won all the important "games"!

I was nearly sick. But that's how you have to ride - as if you never want to breathe again [on winning a silver medal at Beijing] Emma Pooley

Jonathan Edwards - he has his faith, his health, his wife and his children, but more importantly, he has his Olympic gold medal. Brian Alexander

If I win the gold I might say nothing and just wander past him, hopefully with some kind of medal - a gold one preferably. I think I might dangle it in front of his face or something. [on how he'd react to a French rival who got him disqualified from a race!] Ben Ainslie

Gold medals aren't made precious by the metal, they are made precious by all the hard work, sweat and tears that the athlete puts in to winning that medal. Dan Gable

LOSS, (n) Privation of that which we had, or had not. Thus, in the latter sense, it is said of a defeated candidate that he "lost his election"; and of that eminent man, the poet Gilder, that he has "lost his mind." It is in the former and more legitimate sense, that the word is used in the famous epitaph:
Here Huntington's ashes long have lain
Whose loss is our eternal gain,
For while he exercised all his powers
Whatever he gained, the loss was ours. (DD)

Sports 2009

Another year for my sport teams!

The Tigers are blowing a lead in the AL West; as of today (before the game) they are only 3 games ahead of Minnesota. The RedWings lost Hossa (to BlackHawks), Hudler (to Russians), Chelios (to old age), and a bunch of others; they haven't signed anyone of significance.

The Lions lost their 1st game by 30 some points (0-17 & counting). The Pistons lost R. Wallace & fortunately A. Iverson; they are getting older & signed my least favorite Bull Ben Gordon (a shoot first, shoot second, defense what's that player).

Well as the Cub fans say, "There's always next year!"

“Win as if you were used to it, lose as if you enjoyed it for a change.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“That's what learning is, after all; not whether we lose the game, but how we lose and how we've changed because of it and what we take away from it that we never had before, to apply to other games. Losing, in a curious way, is winning.” Richard Bach

“We lost because we told ourselves we lost” Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

LOSS, n.
Privation of that which we had, or had not. Thus, in the latter sense, it is said of a defeated candidate that he "lost his election"; and of that eminent man, the poet Gilder, that he has "lost his mind." It is in the former and more legitimate sense, that the word is used in the famous epitaph:
Here Huntington's ashes long have lain
Whose loss is our eternal gain,
For while he exercised all his powers
Whatever he gained, the loss was ours. (DD)

2 Team Town

Chicago is a 2 baseball team town. The AL team is the White Sox & NL is the Cubs.

I find that the Sox fans hate the Cubs, but the Cub fans tend to not care about the Sox. I listen to a lot of sports radio, 1 station is the Sox broadcaster, another the Cubs (more of a news station), & the third broadcasts none. I am from MI so my teams are the Detroit teams, so I root against the Sox & sort of for the Cubs.

The Sox won the World Series in 2005 & the Cubs last in 1807 or so. (My Tigers have won it twice in my lifetime & were in the WS once but lost.) So it is interesting how some of the Sox fans have a inferiority complex; the Cubs basically sell out every game & the Sox tend to play to 1/2 to 2/3 full houses. The Sox fans don't go to the games if their team is playing bad but the Cubbies fill their Wrigley Field no matter what.

The Sox fans tend to be extremely high or low depending on how the Sox played in the last game (IMO listening to the radio); whereas, the Cub fans tend to support their team & expect them to get better. This year the Cubs were a favorite to win their division but the Sox were expected to be in the running because of the weakness of their division.

It is an interesting sociological phenomenon to listen to the fans of each.

We picked the Red Sox because they lose. If you root for something that loses for 86 years, you're a pretty good fan. You don't have to win everything to be a fan of something.
Jimmy Fallon

“What good are fans? You can't eat applause for breakfast. You can't sleep with it.” Bob Dylan

“Chicago Cubs fans are ninety percent scar tissue.” George F. Will

fanatic (n) a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal, See note at zealot .
• [often with adj. ] informal a person with an obsessive interest in and enthusiasm for something
ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (as an adjective): from French fanatique or Latin fanaticus ‘of a temple, inspired by a god,’ from fanum ‘temple.’ The adjective originally described behavior or speech that might result from possession by a god or demon, hence the earliest sense of the noun [a religious maniac] (mid 17th cent.).

Hockey

Since the Redwings lost the 2 games in PIT, I got to see them play on SAT & will get to see them again at least on TUES night.

I tried to listen to the game 3, but the Cubs game overcame the signal & I only heard part of the game, I think PIT was up 3-2 then. Thurs game 4, we had choir practice so when I got home I listened on the Computer. I tuned in & it was 2-2 and after about 5 minutes later it was 4-2 PIT, so I went to bed.

Game 5, we (Redwings) got back Draper & Datsyuk. After game 4. it looked like Crosby (PIT) finally got going & Zetterberg was getting tired. So I was afraid that maybe the Pens would break thru.

It was very similar to the Blackhawk game where the BH lost their composure; the Pens starting committing stupid penalties after they were down a few goals. In general, the Redwings can be scored on, but you can not commit stupid penalties against them.

It looked to me like Datsyuk was playing well. What is amazing to me is that the Redwings' best players are also their best defensive forwards. With Datsyuk back, the Redwings have 2 players that can play Crosby; so I hope they can keep the cup.

It is interesting to me that my son is an Anti-Redwings fan & my son-in-law is a Redwings fan. It may be because my son grew up mainly in IL & S-i-l in MI.

”Last season we couldn't win at home and we were losing on the road. My failure was that I couldn't think of any place else to play.” - Harry Neale

”My former wife made me a millionaire. I used to have three million dollars.”- Bobby Hull

”The three important elements of hockey are: forecheck, backcheck and paycheck.” - Gil Perreault

The Stanley Cup (link is an ad from my son's blog), notably the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in North America, was donated in 1892 by Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, Lord Stanley of Preston and son of the Earl of Derby. He purchased the trophy for 10 Guineas ($50.00 at that time) to be presented to "the championship hockey club of the Dominion of Canada." The first team ever awarded the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association in 1893.

Since 1910, when the National Hockey Association took possession of the Stanley Cup, the trophy has been symbolic of professional hockey supremacy. Beginning in 1926, only NHL teams have competed for this prized trophy.

There have been numerous alterations to the Cup structure. In its infancy, tiered rings were added periodically to the bottom of the bowl. This was followed by long narrow bands in 1927 which were later replaced by uneven bands in 1947. Because the Cup is the only professional sports trophy where the name of every member of the winning team is inscribed, bands are often retired to make room for new champions. Retired bands, along with the original Stanley Cup bowl, are proudly displayed in Lord Stanley's Vault in the Verizon Great Hall. Currently the Cup consists of a bowl, three tiered bands, a collar, and five barrel or uniform bands. The trophy stands at 35 ¼ inches and weighs 34 ½ pounds. (complete measurement and inscription breakdown)

Each year upon presentation of the trophy to the championship team, a summer of celebration begins, as each of the organization's players and staff enjoy 24 hours with the Cup - a tradition which has no rival in any sport. In its many years of existence, the Stanley Cup has traveled around the world, including stays in Russia, Japan, and Switzerland as well as atop mountain peaks through the Rockies and inside igloos in Canada's newest territory, Nunavut. (Stanley Cup Journals & Galleries)

Hockey v. Baseball

I was watching the 2nd playoff game between the Redwings (good guys) & Pens (young guys) & thinking about the differences between BB & Hockey.

In Hockey, a player has his appendix out & plays in three days (Ericsson who scored a goal) in baseball if they feel a tweak they are out 15 days.  In BB over a 3 hour game there is maybe 15 minutes of action (I don't consider the pitcher looking into the catcher or them playing catch as action); in Hockey there is action all the time.  If it is raining the BB games are delayed; Hockey players play on ice!

BB players especially the pitchers are fat & look out of shape; Hockey they are fit able to move on skates at speeds that BB players would consider dangerous.  Whenever, you listen to Hockey players they are articulate; BB players are cliche machines.

Hockey is a man's game; BB is a relaxing boring game!

All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity.  Gordie Howe

Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.  Ted Williams

sport (n) 1 an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment 2 informal a person who behaves in a good or specified way in response to teasing, defeat, or a similarly trying situation

ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense [pastime, entertainment] ): shortening of disport