Goals For Year #28

So, I'm just a few hours over the age of 27, and I spent my birthday relaxing and just reflecting on all I’ve done over the past year…boy, have I done a lot. But, of course, there is a lot that I want to do, and I spent the day thinking about my goals for the next year. As I enter my 28th year, I want to make this year the most memorable and productive ever. So, forget New Year’s resolutions, time to set some goals to complete by my 28th birthday on 11/30/2010:

-I’m going to start running again. I was in the best shape when I was running regularly, and so I’m going to get back on it. I’ve bought some new running shoes, and I’m gonna start racking up the miles on them. Sprints are my thing, and I need to really do that, but I also need to do some long distance running, like 5Ks. Goal: Return to running regularly

-I need a job. A steady one. One that can keep me financially afloat and allow me to not only save for me and my family, but to let me do all the fun things in life without blowing my savings. Being unemployed sucks, but the biggest thing I can do to combat it is work hard everyday to send out resumes and meet people and do whatever I can to get out of this situation lickety split. Goal: Find. A. Job.

-I haven’t been out of the country in a while. It’s always wonderful to be able to explore the world and have new experiences, or relive old ones. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit so many incredible places, and in the next year, I want to be able to add to that list. Goal: Travel abroad to at least 2 places

-In my quest to improve my worldliness, it’s about time I cracked the cookie of mastering Spanish and becoming fluent. I’m very close, and I can understand a lot…but my speaking has diminished over the years only because I haven’t been speaking enough. This is the year I stop playing and start speaking. I also want to start learning another language…not sure which one would be best, that will be determined as the year goes on. Whether it’s French, German, Mandarin, Hindi, Dutch, Arabic or Japanese, one will be learned. Goal: Become fluent in Spanish; Start learning another language.

-This one’s pretty simple…I gotta do it. Goal: Pass the Michigan Bar; Waive into DC Bar.

-I started on my GymTeam swag this year…I gotta keep it going. That, combined with the running, will make for a leaner me. I’m determined to do it. I will be fitter than I’ve been in years. Goal: Continue the Gym Team movement.

-I want to take advantage of more volunteer opportunities. It always feels great to give back, and I want to be able to do my part. Goal: Do more volunteering.

-This year is the year I finally become an Iron Duke and give back to the sports program I love the most. Eventually, I will work my way up to be able to get basketball season tickets. For now, baby steps is the key. Goal: Become Iron Dukes member.

-I want to increase my role in the Duke Club of Washington…maybe strive to get on the board of directors. That may take more than a year, but it’s something to shoot for. Goal: More Involvement in DCW.

-On my law school alma mater front, I want to be able to fully establish a Miami Law alumni chapter, with regular social and networking events. Goal: Help establish UM Law Alumni Chapter in DC.

-Finally, my parents have done a ton for me. Now, with my dad set to retire from GM after 40 years of service, it’s time for them to relax and for me to start taking care of them. First, I have to become financially self-sufficient. I’m determined to do it, and if I take care of business, I’ll have zero debt and have money saved in the bank. Then, I can start doing what I need to do. Goal: Become self-sufficient.

I have ambitious goals, but they are attainable. I’m determined to make year #28 the most productive year yet. But, there’s no time left to mess around. It’s time to get to work. Word Life.

2009 Red River Shootout

96,009 people. Half in burnt orange, half in crimson red. EVERYONE standing the entire game. Not a soul in their seats. The stadium split directly down the middle according to color lines and school allegiances. Texas Fight & Boomer Sooner. Very few games can exceed the passion of the Red River Shootout between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The game always takes place the second weekend of October, during the final weekend of the Texas State Fair, as the Cotton Bowl is smack in the middle of the Texas State Fairgrounds.

This was a game that was back and forth with so many turnovers and defensive stops. For most of the game, it was a field goal battle. In the end, Texas emerged from this game victorious, taking a 16-13 victory home to Austin and keeping their BCS Championship hopes alive. Oklahoma, on the other hand, suffered their 3rd loss of the season and maybe lost their star quarterback Sam Bradford for the rest of the season after he reinjured the shoulder he hurt in their first game of the season against BYU. Texas’ defense made the plays when it counted, including Earl Thomas’ interception to seal the victory with about 3 minutes to go in the game. Colt McCoy wasn’t brilliant, but in the end he had the moxy to do what needed to be done to preserve the victory, including making a game-saving tackle on a sure pick 6 interception he threw deep in Oklahoma territory.

This was my second trip to the Red River Shootout. The first one was in 2003, when Oklahoma absolutely annihilated Texas 65-13. However, today was a much different outcome, and it was the fans in burnt orange who were celebrating wildly with 00.0 showing on the scoreboard at the end of the game. “The Eyes of Texas” was played over and over, and Longhorn players held up the Golden Hat trophy with pride.

After witnessing a great game between two storied college football programs, it’s great to actually enjoy some of the Texas State Fair, one of the best in the world. Here, you can get fried foods of incredible variety, from fried oreos and fried twinkies to fried butter. This year, I checked out some fried peach cobbler, which was very good. Also, the turkey legs are very good and you can always leave the fairgrounds with a full stomach.

Now, as people head out of Big D, those who support the Longhorns know that they retain the bragging rights over their hated rival for yet another year. However, next year, on the 2nd weekend of October, 96,000 will congregate again for another installment in the fierce rivalry known as the Red River Shootout. Hook ‘em…Word. Life.

Expanded Metro Cell Phone Service Begins

I got on the Metro yesterday, and something was off…rather, something was on. That was my ability to surf the internet on my iPhone. On Friday, Washington Metro turned on cell phone service for all AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint customers. Verizon already has cell phone service throughout the metro system, and now customers of the other companies can now surf the internet and make calls in the Metro’s 20 busiest stations: Ballston, Bethesda, Columbia Heights, Crystal City, Dupont Circle, Farragut North, Farragut West, Federal Center SW, Foggy Bottom-GWU, Friendship Heights, Gallery Place-Chinatown, Judiciary Square, L'Enfant Plaza, McPherson Square, Metro Center, Pentagon, Pentagon City, Rosslyn, Smithsonian, and Union Station. I asked my roommate how surprised he was that this list didn’t include such areas as Reagan National Airport or Vienna or Shady Grove, and he reminded me that those stations, being above ground, already have cell service for everyone. Duh, that makes sense. Expanded cell phone service still doesn’t work between stations, but while you are on the platforms you will have uninterrupted cell phone service. So, for me being in Bethesda, there’s no more boring 20-minute wait for a train on weekends. I can check my news. If you’re waiting to switch tracks at Metro Center or Chinatown, it’s all good...you can jump on Twitter and let the world know how much you hate waiting for Red Line trains (use the tag #metrofail).

Service will be extended to the other stations by next summer and between stations by 2011 or 2012. That, my friends, is dumb and should be accelerated. The fact that Verizon had an exclusivity contract on cell phone service in the Metro was bad enough…the fact that they had it for over 10 years was even worse. This exclusivity contract expired in December 2007, and it took almost 2 years for other cell phone companies to work their way into the Metro system. It has been long overdue, and with the popularity of such phones as the Google G1 and Apple’s iPhone, hundreds of thousands of customers were left without phone service on their commute home.

Cell phone service will be great for me, since most of the 20 stations that received the service are ones that I either live (Bethesda) or frequent (all along the Red Line). So, when you receive a text from someone saying they’re on the Metro and running late, you can respond back “I’m delayed too…I’ll see you when I get there.” Word Life.

National NCAA Abbreviations

As I’m traveling down to Dallas for the Red River Shootout, the annual rivalry game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners, I write this post about a conversation that normally comes up when people in different parts of the country discuss college football or basketball. I’ve had the same conversation many times, and I’m sure you’ve done the same. Someone starts talking football and then goes, “Did you see the State game,” or “USC is awesome…my (insert relative/friend/neighbor/acquaintance) went there.” Depending on what part of the country you live in or come from, those generic school descriptions could mean very different things. For instance, State will refer to (insert state) State University, depending on where you live. USC means the University of Southern California to people in L.A., but refers to the University of South Carolina on Tobacco Road.

Growing up in Michigan, we definitely had generic names mean different schools than other people would use to refer to schools in their region. State, to us, is Michigan State. OSU is Ohio Snake–er, State—University. Eastern, Central, and Western were all the directional schools in Michigan. And finally, the UofM always referred to the University of Michigan.

However, in other parts of the country, those mean something different. State in North Carolina refers to NC State. UM in Miami refers to my law school alma mater, the University of Miami (or simply, The U). My brother went to UT (University of Texas), but in Tennessee, UT refers to the University of Tennessee. It definitely gets confusing to refer to a specific school in another region from where you grew up or attended school.

During national broadcasts of college football, it was always interesting to see how they referred to schools. This post is here to nationalize some of these generic names so that while you may refer to teams by generic terms depending on where you from or pay rent, when you hear this generic moniker on ESPN or ABC or CBS, you will not be confused and think that Tech playing UT means Michigan Tech is playing the University of Tennessee or that a MSU/OSU matchup refers to Montana State University playing Oregon State University. Here we go:

Tech – people in Virginia claim that Tech refers to the Virginia Polytechnic State University (also known as Virginia Tech)…however nationally, growing up Tech always referred to Georgia Tech. The technical institute in Virginia will have to settle for Va. Tech or Virginia Tech

UT – Sorry, Knoxville…there’s only one UT, and it resides in Austin, Texas. UT = University of Texas

USC – When I first heard someone go “my friend’s here from USC” when I was at Duke, I went “wow, all the way out from California, that’s really nice!” She meant her friend had come from Columbia, South Carolina. Ehh, wrong! South Carolina is South Carolina. USC = Southern Cal.

UofM – this does not mean Minnesota…this does not mean Montana or Missouri (they are Mizzou) or Mississippi (Ole Miss) or Maryland (UMd) or Massachusetts (UMass). UofM is the University of Michigan. Miami can call themselves UM, but they are more universally known as The U. I personally know what UM means when someone tells me, but when someone asks where I went to law school, Miami or The U is how I respond.

OSU – This is Ohio Snake—whoops, there I go again…State—University. This is not Oklahoma State (OK State) or Oregon State (Oregon State).

MSU – This one is tricky…most people use this to refer to Michigan State or Mississippi State. This is probably the only one that I will let slide with these two schools.

State – this will have to remain based in the region of the country that you’re in. If you’re in Michigan and you hear State, just know they mean Michigan State. If you’re in North Carolina, you know it’s NC State. This one will be hard, and most people on TV will refer to a State school by their full name (or above MSU/OSU moniker)

SJU – St. John’s University, not St. Joseph’s (they are always St. Joe’s)

SU – Syracuse University

A&M – Texas A&M State University

UH – University of Houston (sorry, Hawaii)

UA – University of Arizona, not Alabama (‘Bama), Arkansas or Alaska

UofD – University of Delaware (although I still use it to refer to the University of Detroit-Mercy, although they also go by “UDM”)

UW – University of Washington, not Wisconsin or Wyoming

KU – Kansas University

UK – University of Kentucky

So, now that I’ve introduced the national generic monikers for schools, you should feel better about knowing who’s on TV next time you turn on ESPN and notice that UofM is playing UW or if OSU is playing SJU or if UT is playing Tech…if any of those occur, you know that you’re in for watching a great match and you’ll know the teams without looking up from your computer. Word Life.

LIONS WIN!

This blog post from my boy CP says it all. They say pictures are worth 1000 words, well these are worth a billion. The last Lions victory was December 23, 2007 against the Raiders (who might be the 2nd worst franchise in the NFL). But, anyone who is a Lions fan carried the burden of 0-16 last season and all the wisecracks and all the jokes that people would say about our football team. Some would even come up and just go, "Oh man, you're a Lions fan? Jeez I'm so sorry." Detroiters don't need people to feel sorry for them...we don't WANT pity. Yet, the Lions have given us enough pity to last a lifetime over the past few years...well, a decade. Well, yesterday, the Lions had more points than their opponent at the end of the 4th quarter for the first time in 21 months.

The feeling was incredible, and Lions fans across America were able to let out a roar unlike any they've heard in a long time. And, we deserve it...anything to lift Detroit's spirit, if only for a day. It was doubly awesome for me, because the win came at the expense of the Redskins, meaning I can walk around the District with some swagger...and no one can touch me because my team beat theirs.

Take a look at CP's pictures...they really tell the tale. The Blue and Silver went down the field and gained a LIONS victory!


WE WON!!!: "Forward down the field,A charging team that will not yield.And when the blue and silver wave,Stand and cheer the brave.Rah, Rah, Rah.Go hard, win the game. With honor you will keep your fame.Down the field and gain,A Lion victory!





I can't even say how happy I am, so i'm just posting pictures...

"

Ernie Harwell's Farewell

Ernie Harwell's farewell comes amid tears and cheers | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Hard to read this if you're a Tigers fan and grew up listening to the smooth sounds of Ernie Harwell on the radio during Tigers broadcasts. But, you were the better person for it, you are a more informed fan for it, and you take from him a passion and love for the game. He made listening to the radio cool. I cannot tell you how many times I'd go to Tiger Stadium to watch a game and I'd literally see thousands of people wearing headphones. Why? They were tuned into Ernie.

I'd also love how, when a foul ball entered the stands, would say "Oh, and a lucky kid/man/woman from (insert Metro Detroit-area city) is gonna go home with a nice souvenir." Sometimes, he'd say your hometown, which would make you run to your TV to see if you knew him. But, whether you met him or not, everyone knew Ernie. He was the voice of the Tigers. He was the voice of Detroit. And, in his last days, he's keeping us all upbeat with his smile and his spirit. Hopefully, the team can ride that spirit to the playoffs for him, because who knows if this is the last time Ernie Harwell will get to see a winner.

Ernie Harwell, 91, Has Incurable Cancer

Ernie Harwell, 91, has incurable cancer | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Damn, Ernie Harwell, the voice of several generations of Tigers fans, has incurable cancer. Sad day for all Tigers fans, and I hope that our boys can make it to the postseason for the man who soothed millions with his play-by-play day in and day out for over 40 years over the Detroit airwaves.

Blue Devil Football: Worth the hype?

An excellent review from the Duke Chronicle about this year's Duke Football team. A lot of promise, and, from what Coach Cutcliffe has described, the makings of a team that could play in a bowl this year. That would be excellent, and definitely this is a year that we can do it. It all begins on Saturday night. God bless college football...welcome back!

Blue Devil Football: Worth the hype?

I never thought I would hear the words "hype" and "Duke Football" put together seriously in the same sentence. To be sure, 2007's Abomination of the Decade, when Duke lost at Notre Dame in a battle of 1-9 teams, received plenty of hype on the blogs and on Sportscenter's "Not Top 10" list. Then last year, there was a little hype about the Blue Devils when they traveled to Georgia Tech in search of their first ACC road win in 17 attempts before getting trampled by the Yellow Jackets and ending most excitement for that squad. But in just a year and a half, head coach David Cutcliffe has taken a school that some argued shouldn't be playing FBS-level football and has done the improbable-by insisting this team has bowl potential, he has developed an air of excitement around the program. For the first time since 1994, when Duke last played a meaningful game in December, the excitement regarding Week 1 could actually be justified. It won't mean much for the Blue Devils to defeat Richmond Saturday in terms of achieving their postseason goals. While it would be the first of seven wins necessary for a bowl, looking at the game in terms of winning or losing is a lose-lose situation. If Duke wins, it did what it was supposed to do and defeated an opponent from an inferior division. If it loses… well, the buzz quickly dies, and justifiably so. Instead, observant fans should look for the signs of success that will carry over into crucial, season-defining games such as Kansas, Maryland and Wake Forest. All those games are toss-ups that will make the difference between 4-8 and 7-5 records. Watch how Thaddeus Lewis commands his offense-not Cutcliffe's or offensive coordinator Kurt Roper's, but his-in the first half. At the ACC Kickoff media luncheon in July, Lewis said he has reached the point where he's not afraid to disagree with Cutcliffe or Roper, and he's more than willing to call his own plays at the line instead of having them relayed to him from the sideline. If he's coolly staring down the Spiders' linebackers, calling audibles every other play like Peyton Manning (another Cutcliffe disciple) to the slot receivers to run slants and hitting his men in stride as the linebackers blitz, it's going to be a season worthy of NFL scouts' attention for Lewis. But if he's calling timeout with a second left on the play clock because he didn't pay attention, or audibles into a passing play when the Richmond defensive linemen run stunts and flood the middle of the field, it's going to be another disappointing campaign. Watch how the offensive linemen get out of their stances. Against the smaller Richmond linemen, they shouldn't have problems holding their blocks. But will they be able to move the defenders at will? Can they accurately call out blocking assignments on blitzes and not let anyone in for a free shot at Lewis? If the answer is yes, then the concerns about the offensive line will at least be lessened. The offensive line will still be overwhelmed at times-if you weigh 270 pounds in college football as an offensive lineman, there are going to be games when you get pushed around, period-but they may not be as overpowered as thought. A dominant performance against Richmond would bode well for the rest of the season. Finally, pay close attention to how Vincent Rey leads the defense. Former All-American Mike Tauiliili had the most incredible knack for being right where the ball was going before it got there-a natural instinct that makes a good linebacker great. Rey hasn't proven that he's got that same instinct, but Rey doesn't need to be Tauiliili-and there's no way he could be. Instead, he needs to keep his defense properly positioned to not give up the big play and make the solid tackles when the opportunities present themselves. The goal is not to make plays-the offense will more than take care of that. Rather, it's on Rey and defensive tackle Vince Oghobaase to make sure the opposing offenses don't get their shots in. Those three areas are where the real battles will be fought Saturday. Beating Richmond is by no means a guarantee, but James Madison wasn't either. As long as Duke plays ABC football and makes the plays it has to without many mistakes, a win is probable. But if bad habits and silly mistakes crop up again-even in a win-one could just as easily dismiss the upcoming year as just another 4-8 season. Should Duke show some progress, though, the "Duke in December" campaign can begin in earnest Saturday night.

Usain Bolt

The guy’s not human. He can’t be. I mean, no human can run that fast. Still, Usain Bolt continues to not only dominate the competition but redefine the fathomability of human performance (if fathomability is even a word). Last week, Usain Bolt once again set world records in the 100m dash and 200m dash, but it wasn’t that he set the records. It’s that he obliterated his old records. In the 100m dash, he ran a 9.58. Nine. Point. Five. Eight. He beat his old record by .11 seconds, and 2nd place, American sprinter Tyson Gay, ran the fastest time ever…by a guy not named Bolt. And he lost by .13 seconds, a clear 6-8 meters behind Bolt when Bolt crossed the finish line. Incredible. Bolt then told the world through his 200m performance that he wasn’t done, running a 19.19 seconds, besting his record by—you guessed it--.11 seconds. The record that, before last year’s Olympics, was deemed unbreakable has been broken twice in exactly 1 year by the same guy.

Usain Bolt says his goal is to run 9.40 seconds one day in the 100m, meaning that he could probably have a similar goal to break 19 seconds in the 200m . All I know is that the dude continues to race with swagger and take sprinting to levels we didn’t dare dream could be approached by a human.

There are people who will always remain skeptical, in this day and age, that Bolt is running without the aid of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). It is probably because he is doing things that no one has ever seen before or even thought was fathomable. Before last year’s Olympics, no one dared think that 9.69 was possible…now people know that 9.58 is possible, or even lower if someone could challenge Bolt. Now, that he’s doing this, some people will always believe he isn’t clean. I don’t think that’s fair, but that is the world we live in…where new levels in physical achievement will always be met with the belief that it wasn’t achieved cleanly. I say, let the man live. Track has tons of testing, and until conclusive evidence can be attained that says he cheated, you have to just sit back and say wow. Usain Bolt has changed the game, and has made people rethink their conclusions about ultimate human performance. He is, simply, lightning in human form, the fastest man in the history of the world.

Wishes for a Fall Sports Season

It has been a long summer full of sports, but now we enter the beloved fall season of sports. Fall brings us the start of college and pro football, college and pro basketball, NHL hockey, and European soccer leagues. We also see the end of baseball and MLS. As fall begins the heavy involvement in sports, here is a wishlist that I have for the fall sports season.

I wish…

• That the Detroit Tigers can hold off the White Sox and make the playoffs.
• That the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team can beat Mexico on 8/12 at the Azteca for the first time ever.
• That Duke goes bowling this season in football.
• That Michigan begins its resurgence and proves that last season was just an aberration...and that they beat Ohio Snake, Michigan Snake and Notre Dame.
• That the Pistons start the season out gelling and give us hope for a better year.
• That the Red Wings don’t skip a beat and begin the season firing on all cylinders.
• That Real Madrid proves that the hype behind our new team is real.
• That the Lions win a game or 2.
• That the Red Sox miss the playoffs…I’m tired of them.
• That Duke Basketball can enter January undefeated despite a tough schedule.
• That Duke beat UNC. In everything.
• That DC United can make the MLS playoffs and advance in the CONCACAF Champions League
• That Michael Vick can make a NFL roster and that the haters can leave him be to get his life and career back on track.
• That Colt McCoy can win the Heisman.
• That Texas wins the national championship and shuts up everyone that is riding the UF bandwagon
• That Miami football is back this season.

These are my wishes…let’s see if the fall season sees some or all of my wishes come true.