September 28, 2005

Dare to believe!

This I believe. Vanderbilt is going to win Saturday night by three touchdowns. I have a good feeling that the team is taking this game more seriously than the fans are, and the seniors on the team are looking for revenge, even if they didn't play in the game because they felt is was better to get drunk the night before and break a light pole in Area V/VI (thanks, Jay). Anyway, that's the difference -- 21 points. Feel free to anti-jinx as you like.

This I believe. The Atlanta Braves clinched the division too soon. Yes, I'm ecstatic that we won our 14th straight division title tonight, but let's not forget that that puts us in the playoffs as the two-seed (I highly doubt we'll over take the Cardinals for the one seed). That normally puts us against whomever comes out of the NL West, the division champ with the lowest record. This year, that's a team that's hovering right around .500, and a pretty good matchup be it the Padres or the Giants. However, if the Wild Card team is in the same division as the Cards, then we would play the Wild Card team and the Cards would play the .500 team. Right now, the Astros (in the Cards' division and the team that knocked Atlanta out last year) are leading the Wild Card, with the Phillies trailing by 2.5 games with 4.5 games left in the season. The rub is that we played the Phillies last week with a nice cushion already in the East. By beating the Phillies, we only strengthened the chances of playing the Astros rather than the Padres/Giants. Let's hope the Phillies can pull out the Wild Card this week, because I don't relish facing Clemens, Oswalt, and Petitte in a 5-game series.

Those two things I believe. Anti-jinx away.

September 17, 2005

THIS post is about the game.

Holy. Freakin. Heaven.

Vanderbilt is 3-0, and 2-0 in conference.

Wait a moment. Let that sink in.

Get it yet? Me either. Undefeated three games in the season? No way this is Vandy. At least not football.

But there it is. Look at the standings in the SEC right now. Who do you see at the top? Vanderbilt. 2-0. Best record in the SEC.

Game thoughts. This team steps up when it needs to -- blocked the extra point that would've tied the game, BIG stops when we were only up one. Jay Cutler is the man you want behind center in a close game -- when's the last time you heard that about Vandy? And where the hell did our run game come from? HUGE game on the ground, mad props for Jeff Jennings -- getting both phases clicking at the same time who loosen up the defense and make for big plays down the line.

We can't sleep on Richmond. We need to make sure we're ready for them next week -- this has the makings of a huge statement game. We got the national spotlight after this week. Now let's show 'em what we can do.

This is NOT a jinx.

This blog entry is NOT talking about the Vanderbilt football game this afternoon. It's NOT even about the fact that Vanderbilt is actually favored to win against an SEC opponent after a 2-0 start with both wins on the road and both thanks to last minute drives to came from behind. Nope, cause that would jinx the team, and I know better than to do that.

The fact that with a win today over an Ole Miss team that struggled against Memphis, we'd move to 3-0 with a strong chance to go 5-0 (with games against 1-AA Richmond and Sun Belt's MTSU, both in Nashville)? Or even the fact that Jay Cutler (pre-season All-SEC first team selected by the coaches) could be entertaining Heisman hype with a win today? Nope, not about that either. This team will NOT be jinxed by me.

Maybe it's about the fact that I think Vandy will win today in easier fashion than most are picking now (VU 31-17). Maybe it's the fact that I think they'll be bowl eligible this year (need 6 wins to do it), or the fact that I think they'll do it by the end of Homecoming (that'll put 'em at 6-1 with a win over LSU or UGa). Maybe, but no. That's just CRAZY jinx.

So, wait -- what the hell is the blog about?

I'll tell you after the game. ;-)

September 14, 2005

Meme-ing. The only reason to blog these days

10 years ago -- 14 and just starting high school as a shy, know-nothing freshman. Amazed that in marching band we'd be making shapes on the field like they do in college! I think this was around the time I started coming out of my shell around the church gang and developing a love of music.

5 years ago -- Sophomore in college. Weird year. First year I had a same-room roommate (who was a saint in his tolerence of my messiness), Drill Instructor of the Year, Ramen Ramen Ramen, my return to the Lewis and first forays into drinking. Um, I mean studying hard. Only year I got to spend both semesters in choir and absolutely loved it. Women's basketball beats UT in Memphis en route to nearly winning the SEC tournament, then upsets Iowa State to make it to the Elite Eight.

1 year ago -- Just married in a crappy apartment, with a crappy job, helping Meagan make through med school in the very few ways that I can.

Yesterday -- Stressed out over a meeting the next day. Beat Stanford 49-7 with Vanderbilt (haven't lost on this game yet, and neither have the real Dores. Coincidence? I think not.)

5 snacks I enjoy:
Graham crackers
Baby Carrots
Edy's Dreamery Ice Cream
Water
Ritz Chips

5 songs I know all the words to:
Piano Man, Billy Joel
Center of Attention, Guster
Under the Table and Dreaming (yep, the whole album), Dave Matthews Band
Jave Jive, Manhattan Transfer
Falling for the First Time, BNL

5 things I would do with 100 million dollars
Buy a huge television and every video game/system from now until the end of time.
Write novels without the fear of starving.
Buy a Bach Strat and play in a community band with my wife.
Play golf. Lots and lots of golf.
Donate money to the American Cancer Society and Spirit of Gold Marching band.

5 things I would never wear
fur
panties
capris
earrings
popped collar

5 bad habits
video games
cartoons
arriving somewhere late
not doing chores
driving fast

5 favorite toys
Playstation/Gamecube
Laptop
Devil sticks
Board games
poker table/chips

5 people to annoy:

1. Nando
2. Bigg Jay
3. Rebecca
4. Justin (yeah, I know -- no blog, but everyone else has been hit)
5. You! Haha!

September 07, 2005

Let's you and me do some 49, baby

7 things I plan to do before I die:
1. See Vandy WIN a bowl game (c’mon, folks – lets go all the way with these!)
2. Play into the World Series of Poker, cash in the tournament
3. See my children succeed in life
4. Go skydiving
5. Learn how to do my job
6. Write for Sports Illustrated
7. Write a novel

7 things I can do:
1. Drive at high speed while talking on my cell phone and eating a meatball sub, all in a once-pristine white shirt
2. Beat you at Trivial Pursuit
3. Juggle a wife, a household, full time job, two cats, a dog, friends, and family while maintaining a general level of sanity.  Haha!  Just kidding – I juggle three balls at once, though.
4. Listen to Meagan rant for hours about women's rights and the feminist movement
5. Read fantasy novels like there’s no tomorrow (even Robert Jordan, though more slowly)
6. Win the NCAA football national championship on EA’s NCAA College Football 2003 for PS2 (turns out it’s easier to get a shutout when you run AWAY from your own endzone…).
7. Toss a cat in the air so that he twists three times before he lands on the bed.  Haha!  Kidding again – that’s the dog.

7 things I cannot do:
1. Fill out a bra (except on my head)
2. Play a woodwind instrument
3. Help.  Falling in love.  With.  You. (Shall I stay?  Would it be a sin?)
4. Go shirtless without looking like a gorilla
5. Iron a shirt without burning myself
6. Enter an argument without looking at both sides
7. Fault someone for what they believe

7 things that attract me to the opposite sex (let's see if we detect a pattern...)
1. Soft, brown hair
2. Smoldering blue eyes
3. Meagan’s alluring features
4 – 7. Edited for content

7 things I say most often
1. Dammit, Ozzy!
2. Wahhhh.
3. k.
4. What?
5. Freddy, get down.
6. You ok?
7. Very nice.

7 celebrity crushes
1. Julia Roberts (Hey, she crushed on me in My Best Friend’s Wedding)
2. Amanda Bynes (if she’s 18 yet)
3. Helen Hunt
4. Amanda Peete
5. Joan Cusack
6. Annie Duke
7. Angelina Jolie (that one’s Meagan-approved!)

7 people I will torture with this meme:
1. Justin
2. Jay Knight
3. Fernando (cause everyone else is)
4. Traci
5. Virginia
6. Janna
7. Annie Duke