Rookie Analysis

So, with the Pre-Season almost over here's what I think of the rookies I have watched:

Vince Young: Tremendous athlete, running/scrambling is solid, passing game still needs work.

LenDale White: Fat (as pictured), needs to get trim and start running. Looks to be powerful.

Reggie Bush: He's good to go, looks dangerous as long as everything isn't on him.

Jay Cutler: Looks incredible, should be good to go next season as a starter. Already prepared to step in as a reliever.

Matt Leinart: Looking good, should have been in camp on time. Hopefully he will be ready to start after Warner trows his first pick.

Mario Williams: Is he even playing?

Laurence Maroney: Watch out Corey Dillon, he's good to go.

Rex Grossman: Fragile. Someone just told me he isn't actually a rookie he just hasn't played much.

I think those are all the big names. If I left out one of your favorite players, feel free to get your own blog.

Sir Charles Barkley

Mr. Barkley is debating whether or not to run for political office. Reading this article he seems like one of the most confused people on the planet. Let's also not forget that if he weren't famous only his family would vote for him, if that.
He said if he were in charge he would "ask somebody and try to make a fair, honest decision for the majority of the people. Not the rich, not the poor, not the black, not the white." Yeah dude, that's how the government works now. All you hear about is the opposing parties bashing depending on who is the President. Plus the media finds whatever little crack it can see and turns it into the Grand Canyon. I think this is true of Republicans and Democrats and that people should learn for themselves if most of the accusations that fly around are true.

Funeral

Saturday I went to Mr. G's funeral. This man was not famous nor was he wealthy. I would estimate that several hundred people showed up at his funeral. I have never seen anything like that. This man touched so many lives as he tried to witness Christ to everyone he came in contact with. The service was beautiful and stunning, I told my daughters they may never see anything like that again.
Sunday evening as we went through our normal evening routine where the girls shower at 8 then are allowed to read in bed until 830 or 9 when I play the guitar for them. When I took my guitar in Sunday night my 7 year old was writing a note. Here is what she said:

Dear James,
I love you so much!
I wonder why God had to take you?
I am glad I will see you agin.
Thank you for letting me play in your ofiss.
I wis you were here.
Love Jana

And the next page:

Dear God,
Why did you have to take him?
I gess he was hurting so much.
But I still love him so much.
Love Jana

Oddly it was my 5 year old that asked the dreaded "Why did Mr. James have to die?"
It's difficult to explain to adults why bad things happen to good people let alone a child, or so I thought. I told them that sometimes bad things happen to bring glory and honor to God. For example at the funeral 4 or 5 people surrendered their lives to Christ. Several households and hopefully their future generations will now live as Christians. This was all James wanted, and all he lived for. I, sadly, had underestimated my girls; they understood perfectly.

The verses read by the Pastor accurately sum up the life of this man.

The apostle Paul wrote these words to Timothy near the end of his life.

2Ti 4:6	For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.
2Ti 4:7	I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;
2Ti 4:8	in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Ridiculous waste of money...

and the worst job ever.

Losing Someone

Today the president of our company passed away. He had battled bladder cancer for several years and the fight is finally over. I count it a privilege to have known Mr. G. and count it a greater privilege to have seen him fight the good fight through his illness. Though painful for him and his family in spirit and in body he exemplified how a man should live his life.

Mr. G. counted it a blessing that God chose him to bear the burden of cancer. Truly stunning to hear from someone who suffers daily in pain. He wanted only for others to come to know Christ through the faith he displayed during his long painful battle. The grace and humility he showed the world could not have come from anywhere other than God. Grace and Mercy like that are not of this world and it's quite rare that we actually get to glimpse it in a man.

As a Christian I know that he has moved on to a better place, this does not lessen the pain of seeing a great mentor, husband and father leave us. These are the times where Christ calls us to lean on him.

Check out the song Homesick by Mercy Me, and we'll see you on the other side Mr. G..

Ensign Dude

That's my boy! He was very runty when he was born, but as you can plainly see he's packing on the pounds prepping for his career in the NFL. I also plan to nominate him for the "Cutest Dude" award shortly. God gives me beautiful babies, for that I am very grateful.

Having babies!

I got back from working out of town last week and noticed that Melba, my female Jack Dempsey, was hovering in only one area of the tank. A quick look inside shows about two hundred eggs on their nice flat stone. I am hopeful that several will survive, let me know if you need some fish! Please know that my Jack Dempseys are much better looking than the one pictured in the reference link above.
I also have six baby orandas at home which make an excellent outdoor fish if anyone needs a very simple "starter" fish. The fry came from one of the three different species I have in the pond, I have one each of Red-Cap Oranda, Calico Oranda, and a fancy Goldfish. So who knows what the kids will look like since I haven't picked the fish up and turned them over to see who is male and who is female.

Katrina Victims

In Sunday's paper I read this article that talks about how many promises have gone unfulfilled after Katrina. Reading the article it doesn't sound like promises weren't kept, it sounds like people aren't happy with the progress that has been made. I respect that argument but don't call it something it isn't. Before I go on, I don't want anyone to think that this was handled perfectly, but I do believe it was fairly decent considering there was no previous basis for response.

People are criticizing the 3 billion dollars that were thrown at the issue saying we could have saved money with competitive bids; I wonder if they realize that we might have saved 10% but had to wait at least a year while the bids were solicited and sorted. I also noted that the President offered two programs that were rejected. One of these programs would have given free jobs training, school, and child care to people. Another would have given free plots of land to folks. Instead they want $30 billion dollars. This was a tragedy for sure, but I feel like some of the victims are holding their hands out and waiting for the big cash to come their way. These people are irritated at the $9 billion dollars given them which translates to $150,000 per homeowner. Someone please try to convince me that there was either $9 billion worth of anything there before and/or that each of these homeowners had $150k in any type of assets prior to this disaster. I want these people to have decent shelter and the basic commodities of life, in short they should be restored to their previous position. This should not be an opportunity for victims to profit.

Movie Review (The Family Stone)

So my wife rented this one. The story is a son bringing his fiance' home to his family and I think it's supposed to be funny with some awkward humor. It's not.

What I didn't like:
I can't type that much. This is the worst movie ever. The family are a bunch of white trash stuck up snobs. They hate anyone who doesn't agree with them and their way of thinking, and they don't try to be accepting at all. They are hateful and rude and I am pretty sure they are supposed to be an example of a nice modern liberal family too. SUCKS!

What I did like:
ummm stellar cast, unfortunately abused.

The bottom line:
Stick a fork in your leg if you somehow get roped into seeing this, it will be less painful. Perfect definition of uber crap.

Movie Review (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby)

This was one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Let me start with the stuff I didn't care for and then proceed with the praises. The premise is that of a man who was "born" to race cars. Good build up, and you like his character as he becomes a great unstoppable Nascar driver. He wins and loses and wins again in typical hero style.

What I didn't like:
Gratuitous cussing is a waste of time, especially when you use children for shock value. None of the children's cussing lines made anyone in the theatre laugh, it was a bit sad. There was also needless cussing by the adults but that is quite typical in today's movies.

What I did like:
There are about three thousand riotous one liners that I will have to write down next time I see it. The family elements were pretty good and the characters meshed well. The story, thought predictable, was fantastic too.

The bottom line:
This is NOT a family movie and children should be kept away from it. Very funny for grown us though. I also don't buy into the whole anti-christian or anti-southerner talk I heard. The uses of those elements were quite funny and obviously satirical.

Will Ferrell does a great job, as does the entire cast, of delivering great over-the-top performances.

Islam

http://www.snopes.com/photos/politics/muslimprotest.asp
So Peaceful.

Airline Plot

First off GREAT JOB by Mi-5 and the British to gank these losers before they had a chance to do any damage, and thanks for keeping us in the loop during the process. Now on to the nuts and bolts. These guys were caught because their privacy was "violated" based on who they were (racial or religious profiling?). Guess what? I'm all for it! People who whine about our "illegal" phone tapping practices should learn to read what the law actually states. The calls must be originated from and/or destined to a known terrorist nation.

Now, if we could just figure out what the Iranian President is planning to do on August 22nd I would sleep a little better at night. He is bound and determined to bring "the end of the world" so that Islam can rise up and "be free." I am actually afraid of this man he is taking orders only from Allah.

John Edwards

This is too funny. Yesterday on Hardball, Mr. Edwards officially took himself out of contention for any future political office for anyone with ears. He told Chris Matthews that if "these people" (muslims) would just "get to know us" they wouldn't want to hurt us or commit suicde to hurt us. My goodness gracious Mr. Edwards they live amongst the people they are planning to kill for years at a time. They know us; they hate us in spite of, or perhaps because of, knowing us. I appreciate your idealism and wish what you were saying were true, but it just isn't.

Magni (Dolphins Cry)

I admit I watch some reality shows, especially select weeks of American Idol and most of Rockstar SuperNova. Last year on Rockstar INXS I loved most of the singers and thought that the band (INXS) was just ok. This year, it has been the reverse I feel the band has enormous potential and the singers have been dull.

That was until last night when Magni KILLED IT! Rocking the house on an acoustic guitar by yourself is no small task, way to go man!

More Football (NFC Analysis)

Now for my brilliant insight on the NFC:
NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: With TO in camp you just have to hope he stays happy. This guy is talented for sure, but no one else on this team is. Terry Glenn (worst haircut in football) is past his prime and Drew Bledsoe is not good(see career stats for proof). I think Julius Jones is the best QB on their roster and he's playing halfback, well maybe Drew Henson. The only redeeming thing is Parcells and he is inconsistent at best with respect to winning. My bad, Jason Witten is a great TE this does not matter when your team is crap.

New York Giants: Looking good on paper are the New York Giants this year. Solid on both sides of the ball with a number of proven all-stars. Watch for Eli to get his act together, everything hinges on him. The defense can hold their own, but will not win games for them, and the two backup QBs will not get the job done if Eli goes down. I think he was thrown to the wolves a bit early last year and just wasn't ready for this level of competition. Probably sucks being Peyton's brother.

Philadelphia Eagles: This team actually, still, has all the tools to win it all ESPECIALLY with TO gone. McNabb is great and Garcia can also win games if anything goes wrong. The defense is also solid with perhaps the weak link or intangible being whether or not Kearse can play an entire season. After an amazing first three years he has been a bit fragile. If this team stays healthy watch out.

Washington Redskins: A storied history and a once great franchise, the Redskins should investigate the possibility of playing a season or two in the NCAA or possibly High School. Mark Brunell is quite fragile and only a shadow of the man from the past. They have some great people on defense that have never really emerged as stars but definitely could if the scheme was tailored to their abilities. My advice; throw Brunell the clipboard and let Jason Campbell play. I normally don't like rookies to be starters but he is the better option. I know some folks will talk the receivers up but I have never been sold on short receivers.

NFC North

Chicago Bears: Have some talent no doubt, but Rex Grossman will take no one very far. This has nothing to do with his fragility either, he is simply not big or athletic enough. They have Griese who can be a winner if he could ever get out of "I'm good because dad was" mode(primadonna). Three good running backs, and one fantastic receiver (Mushin) along with a good defense. None of that matters if Grossman is the guy though.

Detroit Lions: Should also investigate a season or two in the minors( see Redskins). A few talented guys sprinkled into positions that don't win games is a recipe for another losing season. I want to see Orlovsky play mainly because he is ginormous and can't be any worse than Kitna. The Jury is still out on McCown since he started his tenure with Arizona where they only allow one good player at a time to be on the team.

Green Bay Packers: Favre returns! Unfortunately that equals a losing season now. His competitiveness is to be admired but his ability is no longer the stuff of legend. With a good QB this team could rampage the NFL like the Packers should. I would try Aaron Rodgers and hope he has been learning from Favre the kid was great in college. Every other position on this team is tough and stacked.

Minnesota Vikings: Seems weird we won't see Culpepper out there in his giant purple uniform, wait who's that throwing the ball? Brad Johnson?!?! Doesn't he suck? No he does not if placed in the right scheme. Has good numbers sprinkled through his career, which started in Minnesota, and has a championship to his credit. The bad news: I don't know who anyone else on this team is. Koren Robinson sounds familiar, and Tank Williams but that's it. Good luck Vikes!

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons: With Finneran out already things don't look good. To be fair Vick can win a game by himself on the right day, but not everyday. I see D.J. Shockley as the number three QB, but look for that to change shortly. This team can only win when Vick is accurate and has some lateral movement to find throwing lanes. Box him in and he is terribly mediocre at best. If he can move even a little this team is always a threat. This team's success rides on the O-line.

Carolina Panthers: Good team solid on both sides with decent backups for almost every position. This is not news, why hasn't this team won a ring the last three years? Something is stopping the Panthers and it isn't lack of talent. John Fox's third year, let's see if it finally comes together for Carolina.

New Orleans Saints: Snatched Drew Brees thinking he would help but the running game is the battle to watch. Reggie Bush will be the man on this team. If Brees has time he can make plays, if he is hurried and flustered it's over. I see they snatched up the embattled Adrian McPherson too; this kid looked amazing before FSU pitched him on his ear for stealing. Keep an eye on that number three QB, the Saints might actually do some damage this year.

Tamp Bay Buccaneers: IF Chris Simms and Michael Clayton can get on the same page this team will be an absolute terror to their opponents. Good talent at almost every position offense and defense it all hinges on those two guys. Yes, there are other receivers but none are as explosive as Clayton can be( see 2004).

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: Snagged Edge and Leinart. Seems this team may be violating their self imposed only one good player per year rule. Edgerrin's days of scaring people are over, but perhaps the mystique will work when combined with the legend of Kurt Warner. My hope is that Leinart gets to sit with the clipboard and learn all year until the Cards can grab a fresh dynamic young RB. If that happens Leinart is the prototypical NFL type and should be able to bring some success to the team for the future. This year they can do damage, but only based on the memories of Warner and James in their prime.

San Francisco 49ers: I love Trent Dilfer, but he isn't great and he's the number two. Alex Smith was a stud in college, but class is over son. Other than them I don't know anyone on this team, what happened to them? Wait, Larry Allen is there wasn't he in the 1974 Super Bowl?

Seattle Seahawks: Came close last year certainly the stars were aligned in their favor. Shaun Alexander is truly amazing, but I think we will learn that last year was some sort of fluke, I look for Hasselbeck to, once again, prefer the opponent's defenders to his own receivers. David Greene is on the roster at number three and will certainly pass Seneca for the number two shortly. He might be the spark that Seattle needs.

St Louis Rams: I see some talent (Stephen Jackson) mixed in with some guys that really need some relief (rest of offense). Good defense but the offense is suspect. I don't see Tory Holt and Isaac Bruce worrying too many defenders these days. Seattle managed to do it with only a running back, so you never can tell.

It's Football Season (AFC Analysis)

I will now begin my analysis of the upcoming football season one division at a time:
AFC East

Buffalo Bills :
The Bills are short on talent, and after a rough 2005 I don't see any end to their suffering. After scoring a total of 15 points last year they drafted mainly defensive players that's brilliant.

Miami Dolphins:
9-7 last year and definite contenders this year if everyone gets on the same page. Ronnie Brown is a stud, Daunte Culpepper is as well. Joey Harrington will finally get the chance to hang out a bit, but watch for him to learn from and push Culpepper. This is the opportunity Joey needed for his NFL career to not be a train wreck. David Carr is dreaming of something similar I am sure.


New England Patriots:
Always dangerous with Brady at the helm watch for this re-tooled team to get right back where they left off two years ago. The defense is back, and hopefully stays healthy, and they picked up Reche Caldwell who could make up for lost time on the offense. I don't know how this team wins but they should never be counted out.

New York Jets:
Pennington is "looking sharp" in camp. Well no crap, he is a great QB and no he isn't fragile. He has a mechanics problem that has not been addressed by his coaches. Pennington has what I call a wide profile when he releases the ball. The ball should be tight to your ear and he releases it about 14 - 18 inches away. When you do that you risk the defender hitting your hand and causing the very injury he sustained. All that said, they still don't have all the tools needed to back up Pennington, they desperately need a good runner to complete the package and some younger receivers.

AFC North
Baltimore Ravens:
Snatched Steve McNair and Mike Anderson in the offseason. This is Steve's last shot and he is not very durable now. Their defense is prime and they have three outstanding halfbacks. They could put it all together and make a run, but only if the QB and the 1 and 2 receivers stay healthy all year, which is doubtful.


Cincinnati Bengals:
They have everything they had last year, but displayed that they are nothing without their QB. Additionally, you never know how a player will come back from those nasty knee injuries. I think Palmer is a tough kid and they will do well as long as he is under center.

Cleveland Browns:
Not good, three QBs who have never really played and a linebacker as the best player on the team. This worked for Baltimore one year, but this defense is not that good. Look for the Browns to possibly try playing in the NCAA this year for a few wins.

Pittsburgh Steelers:
SuperBowl Champs! I am concerned about Big Ben's durability based on his style of play, he takes a beating. This guy may only be in the NFL 5 or 6 years if those lineman don't start protecting him. Willie Parker will also find the going more difficult without Bettis to spell him, Duce Staley is not capable of filling the bus's shoes in this capacity. I am looking for Verron Haynes to take over as number 2 though he is a bit undersized for the pounding. I would base their season on How Ben plays after his injuries/accident and how fast Santonio Holmes develops since Hines Ward cannot carry the receiving load forever ( See Rod Smith Denver).

AFC South

Houston Texans:
Good news: New Head Coach Bad News: Probably doesn't matter. Their GM picked Mario Williams at number one then quit his position to go work for another team one day later. Someone please throw the BS flag. Mario is a stud no doubt, but don't pick a defensive player for a team that can't score (see Buffalo). David Carr would be great if he were ever allowed to throw the ball, FYI it's very hard to throw when you fear for your life every play. Reggie Bush was there, and would have been a difference maker.

Indianapolis Colts:
The Edge is gone and this could be the undoing of a great offense. The receiving corps is still sound, but aging. The line is not getting younger and Peyton DOES NOT like to get hit. This team may have waited too long to try and develop Rhodes into a starter. He could have been a stud no doubt, it may have have killed his ambition watching Edgerrin for so many years. Their season will be based on the success, or lack of success, of Dominic Rhodes.

Jacksonville Jaguars:
this team has everything it needs to be successful, unfortunately some of the players are not utilized correctly. They have the biggest receiver in the NFL, and he is probably the third or fourth fastest man in the NFL, in Matt Jones. This guy is phenomenally athletic let him run and move Greg Jones to the starting HB. Those two things would ignite this team. Fred Taylor cannot be tackled more than twice per game, it's time to hang it up man. If the Jags let Leftwich and Jones hook up watch out. If they try to pound the ball with Fred Taylor, good luck selling your season tickets on eBay.

Tennessee Titans:
Vying for stupidest offseason moves (see Houston Texans) they let their Starting QB go. Is Billy Volek a stud as a backup, yes. Is Billy Volek a starter, NO. Vince Young is not ready, He must learn to stand taller and release the ball much higher than he did in college. LenDale White's success will be based on his fat factor, trim him down and he's good to go. WHEN Young and White get dialed in this team may be unstoppable, provided Young does not try to stiff arm NFL linebackers like he did with the college boys. Look for Young to take over the first poor Billy throws more than one pick in a game and let's hope that his support cast doesn't allow him to suffer like Harrington and Carr.

AFC West

Denver Broncos:
Jake took a lot of heat for the playoff loss, but only one of those picks was his fault. Look for him to step it up with Cutler on board. Jay cutler is a stud and has a great system and great mentor to learn from. Look for Ron Dayne to light it up with Tatum doing the same as they deliver the Bronco's famed insert any back here running game. The receiving corps is pretty suspect; if Lelie would be a man and compete they would be great, but Rod Smith cannot continue to carry the load ( see Hines Ward) and Javon Walker is unproven as the sole go to guy. Denver can win it all if the passing game is sound. Defense is great, as is the running game.

Kansas City Chiefs:
Wille Roaf quit or did he? If he is gone their season goes with him. He is the line for KC and Larry Johnson will learn that quickly without him. Trent Green and the receivers cannot be successful without LJ and I do not think he can do what he did last year without Willie. This team is "on the bubble" watch for their fate to follow their left tackle. On the plus side they picked up Brodie Croyle, I am a huge fan and hope he learns quickly since Trent Green seems to get the hook when it looks like the guy behind him has any skill.

Oakland Raiders:
Someone please check Mr. Davis's medication. The Raiders have officially signed every NFL has been and never will be. It might actually pan out if Brooks gets the protection he has never had and can hook up with Moss. Jerry Porter also has flashes of brilliance but I would have ditched one good receiver for a better running back. If they can't get the running game going look for Brooks to continue his struggles on this team ( not his fault).

San Diego Chargers:
This team has it all. Big names in all the right places, and several proven performers in most skill positions. The only problem; can Phillip Rivers deliver? My opinion is that Drew Brees was a product of his environment and not the core of this team. I think Rivers will be dialed in by game number three and this team is a legitimate threat as long as LaDanian Tomlinson is behind Rivers.

NFC next week.

Our Motel Experience

Well, this was a hoot. We were supposed to stay at a motel called Shore Haven in Lauderdale by the Sea, but the dude tossed us out. When my wife headed up to the room after checking in, she couldn't get the AC to blow cold air. I had also noticed that all the rooms had their windows and doors open. We went downstairs to tell them that the unit was not blowing refrigerated air and inquire whether or not it could be fixed or we could get a different room. Well the short story is the dude flipped out and snatched the keys from my wife and said go stay somewhere else.

We drove down to the place pictured above called La Cele. It was awesome Dennis, the owner, took us in with no reservation, and for $95 a night we got an 800 or 900 square foot apartment with a full kitchen and two double beds. It would have easily slept nine or ten folks. We were also only one block from the ocean which was gorgeous. The only bad news was that we realized we had left several things back at jerkweed's motel including my wife's wedding ring and all of our food. The items were successfully retrieved.

So, it was great to come home from the training and walk to the beach to hang out for a few hours. The Ocean was close to 90 degrees and beautiful. The vacation portion of the trip was great, the training was completely bogus.

The Zoo

Because we are members of the Knoxville Zoo, we got in for free. I recommend looking into the zoo and it reciprocal relationships with other city zoos. I enjoy the animals and learning about them and seeing how these people strive to take care of them to preserve the different species. At the Brevard zoo you can actually pet the giraffes which is pretty interesting since their heads are enormous and their tongues are very long.
It was a million degrees but we had a blast.