I Went to the City

When Cody mentioned the exploits of Thierry Henry in a recent post, I knew I would have to post a YouTube montage to the World's Greatest goalscorer. Watch and be amazed. Ladies and gentlemen......Thierry Henry.

P.S. I apologize for the 2 cheesy techno songs on the video, but hey, I didn't make it, so don't blame me.

Walking Tall, Head High Up and a Singin'

Congratulations to Mr. Cody Blair for correctly naming "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey as the Monday Song of the Day. I would like to second Heath's admonition to watch the video of Dennis Haskins (Mr. Belding of "Saved by the Bell" fame), Tony Romo, and Metal Skool as they perform a cover of "Don't Stop Believing". Well, that's if the gratuitous f-bombs by the lead singer of Metal Skool don't bother you too much. I'm pretty sure that if I did not know that it had really happened, I would have sworn that it was a SNL sketch. I'm not sure if SNL is still a relevant cultural reference, but I digress.

Last night Team Ex Parte in My Pants continued its winning ways with a 9-5 victory over Team Malpractice (a.k.a. Team Swanburg). I would like to think that my 3-run homerun in the bottom of the 5th helped things out some, but then I realized that members of the opposite team were playing their positions with a beer in one hand and their glove in the other, so I didn't stay on my high horse for too long.

Quick note: My new favorite native-born East Texan is......................................2007 Oscar winner, Mr. Forest Whitaker. Whitaker grew up in Southern California, but he was born in Longview along with Mr. Matthew McConaughey. (When I use "along with", I don't mean at the same time, but you probably knew that.) That counts for something, right?

Just a Small Town Girl Living in a Lonely World

I have a confession to make: I am deeply troubled by Martin Scorsese's eyebrows. I mean, have you seen those things? They make John Madden's eyebrows look tame in comparison. I once thought that Madden's eyebrows were the gold standard in facial features that could double as ski-jumps, but Marty's brows take the cake.

Here's the odd thing: they're jet-black even though his hair has become a refined grayish/white as Marty has aged gracefully. The look that Mark Wahlberg gave Scorsese last night reminds of me of the look that my parents gave me when I dyed my hair black for the "I've Got Chills and They're Travoltaplyin'" Sing Song Act of 2005, but that's another story for another time.

Congratulations on the recent Oscars Mr. Scorsese, but seriously, do something about those eyebrows.

I Feel Emphatic About Not Being Static

I'm pretty sure that the sky outside this afternoon was one that can only be seen by those who live in locales such as Waco, Texas. I noticed that the wind had been blowing steadily all day, and I went out for a run in the early afternoon, but after walking back into the living room after taking my shower, my eyes took in a very strange sight.

It looked like I had been transported to Mars because the sky was some bizarre reddish-tint. It reminded of what the Martian surface looked like in the NASA photographs, and not that terrible Val Kilmer movie Red Planet, but perhaps my disdain for that film stems from the fact that I was on a date. Not exactly the most romantic film to go see, but then again, I was still learning. Truth be told, I still am, but I digress.

Liverpool continued their winning ways this afternoon with a 4-0 home victory over Sheffield United. Up next is a matchup with the New York Yankees of the Premiership, Manchester United. I'm pretty sure that Man U. is the 4th "Evil Empire", along with the Yankees, galaxy, and the former U.S.S.R.

I've still been thinking about Hornby's words in Fever Pitch. I'm glad that Dan also brought in the film/music aspect to the discussion. There are just some bands/films/TV shows that we have an irrational attraction to and no matter what anyone says, we are going to like that given band/film/TV show. Much like I said in my comment on yesterday's post, that band for me is Phish. No matter how much my Dad and sister rag on them, I still love Phish. I'm pretty sure I'm not doing it out of some latent teenage rebellious streak (I don't think I ever had one of those) but who knows?

The question is: What is that "thing" for you? Is it a band? Do you still know all of the dance moves to "Bye, Bye, Bye"? Are you still stuck to your couch in the afternoon to catch re-runs of Saved by the Bell? Will you fight someone who speaks poorly of Anchorman? This is it everyone. The time to let your neuroses be known to the world, or at least readers of this blog.

What I'm Looking for Cannot be Sold to Me

Congratulations to Mr. Cody Blair for correctly naming "Swallowed in the Sea" by Coldplay as the Thursday Song of the Day. I could be wrong here, but this might be the first time that Tuegel has not been the first person to identify Coldplay lyrics. What's the problem, Andrew? Is D.C. making you soft, or are you just a little too caught up in Grey's Anatomy? Either way, enjoy the spotlight Mr. Blair.

Since I'm starting to read Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby in my spare time (whatever that is), I thought I would share one of the most honest, heartfelt passages from the book. If this doesn't touch some kind of nerve deep within your soul, well, you just might also hate Field of Dreams. Communist.

"There must be many fathers around the country who have experienced the cruelest, most crushing rejection of all: their children have ended up supporting the wrong team. When I contemplate parenthood, something I do more and more as my empathetic biological clock ticks nearer to midnight, I am aware that I am genuinely fearful of this kind of treachery. What would I do if my son or daughter decided, at the age of seven or eight, that Dad was a madman, and that Tottenham or West Ham or Manchester United were the team for them?"

"How would I cope? Would I do the decent parental thing, accept that my days at Highbury were over and buy a couple of season-tickets at Whiteheart Lane or Upton Park? Hell, no. I am myself too childish about Arsenal to defer to the whims of a child; I would explain to him or her that, although I would respect any decision of this kind, obviously if they wished to see their team than they would have to take themselves, with their own money, under their own steam. That should wake the little sod up."

Oh, What Good is It to Live with Nothing Left to Give, Forget, but Not Forgive, Not Loving All You See

Congratulations to Andrew Tuegel for correctly naming "One" by U2 as the Wednesday Song of the Day.

One of the most interesting facets of writing in this space for the last 2 or so years has been my attitude towards the number of comments that I receive on a given post. When I started writing in October 2004, I was actually surprised when anyone would actually sit down to read what I had written. Over time, I began to take comments for granted and simply expected that people would provide feedback on each post. I began to notice as trends developed between the number of comments that I would receive on a given post and the subject matter.

I discovered that the more honest and forthcoming that I was on a given post, there seemed to be a smaller number of comments. At first, I was somehow troubled by this. Someone even sent me an email and told me to not be disappointed simply because people were not responding to posts that somehow required more of me than those that talked about pop culture or sports. During the period that I have written here, I have come to expect that the truly emotional, gut-wrenching posts are those that do not receive any comments.

I understand why. It almost seems voyeuristic to provide sympathy or true emotional honesty in such a cold, antiseptic place as "cyberspace", but the truth is, it's not really about the comments. It's about using this outlet in a variety of ways and allowing my words to communicate the things that I have allowed to roll around in my head for days, weeks, months, and years.

One of the stories that has really resonated with me this year is the Israelites' journey to Canaan. The theme of leaving something that was safe and well-known and striking out through the wilderness towards a "promised land" really resonates with me at this juncture of my life. Leaving Abilene and all my friends in May, enduring a painful break-up at the end of the summer, and moving to a new city with new adventures has reminded that at some points in our life we must walk through a veritable wilderness.

Now, Waco is not that bad, but these past few months have been a time of tremendous growth. Growth is usually a beneficial process, but is not necessarily a painless one. I am reminded each day that as I endure the "wilderness", the "promised land" is out there in the distance. It might be easy to think that the "promised land" is graduation, summer, a relationship, etc. , but I think it's more than that. It's about learning that life is this constantly changing and evolving process where we are never complete, never finished, and have never arrived. Oh sure, we'll arrive when we stop breathing one day, but I'm learning that a large part of life is simply taking that next step because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Well, We Hurt Each Other and We'll Do It Again

Congratulations to Mr. Jonathan Smith for correctly naming "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M. as the Tuesday Song of the Day. Jon, I think you might be the first former roommate of mine to win the Song of the Day contest. I'm pretty sure that's a noteworthy accomplishment of some sort. Be sure to place it on your updated resume. The Times or the Post will be pounding down your door.



I was very happy to see that the boys from Liverpool defeated defending UEFA Champions League winners Barcelona by a score of 2-1 today at the Camp Nou in Barcelona. The two goals for the Reds came from Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise. Perhaps you missed the hullabaloo, but last week Bellamy was fined by Manager Rafa Benitez for reportedly hitting Riise with a golf club during an argument. Such an incident would rip a lesser team apart, but a juggernaut like Liverpool FC simply takes battery between teammates in stride and goes out and defeats the reigning European champs on their home pitch.


I'm learning to love soccer more and more each day.

That's Me in the Corner, That's Me in the Spotlight

Congratulations to Joey Halbert for correctly naming "California Dreaming" by the Mamas and Papas as the Monday Song of the Day.

Well, there's not much to write about tonight, but Team "Ex Parte in My Pants" did win its first Baylor Law League softball game tonight. A walk-off single by Tyler Topper was enough to plate Jon Clark with the 8th and winning run over Attractive Nuisance. I hope that my two (in the park) homeruns are currently leading the league, but I might need to lay low in the future, because I've heard that the Dean is going to begin instituting a rigorous steroid testing procedure in order to boost our U.S. News and World Report ranking.

I'll try to provide you with a running report throughout the season on the progress of "Ex Parte in My Pants" as we make our run through the Baylor Law Softball League.

Current number of victories: 1
Current number of losses: 0
Current number of awesome team names: 1 (I mean come on, how great is "Ex Parte in My Pants"?)

All the Leaves are Brown and the Sky is Gray

Congratulations to Ben Grant for correctly naming "Africa" by Toto as the Sunday Song of the Day.

I know that you've been waiting with baited breath for a little video of this year's winning show, so here you go:

Thanks to Heath Huston's dad for shooting the video. Also, you'll like the footage from the celebratory singing of "We Believe" at the end of the Saturday night show. There's a lot of background noise, but it's good nonetheless. I'll also be sure to post the video from Hutton when he produces the final cut. Enjoy!

Gonna Take Some Time to Do the Things We Never Had

Congratulations to Mr. Ben Grant for correctly naming "Theme from the Bottom" by Phish as the Thursday Song of the Day.


Well, this afternoon I arrived back in Waco from my weekend in Abilene for Sing Song. My friend Patrick Vincent always says that "It's a great day to be a Gamma Sig", but yesterday was one of the best of those days. Appearing this year as Firemen, the men of Gamma Sigma Phi took home their 6th straight Sing Song victory. Even though Sing Song may be one of the most bizarre things that I was involved in during my time at ACU, and its appeal is almost impossible to describe to some people, it is incredibly satisfying to be involved in a winning tradition that began before I pledged and that has continued after I graduated.


There should be a video produced by Hutton Harris documenting this year's show coming in the near future, but for now a picture of Mr. Harris and I will have to suffice. Even though it was great to see my boys take home victory #6, it was even better to see so many of the people who mean so much to me. I still remember going to Sing Song when I was in high school and looking around at everyone talking after the last show until all hours and thinking, "Who are these people that just stand around in a coliseum talking to each other for hours on end?"

After the show last night when I was backstage talking to my friend Jenny Nofsinger, we realized that we had become those people. The people I came with would constantly try to pull me away to go somewhere, and when we would start walking, my friends would see someone else they knew and they would begin to talk. Those moments of community are etched into my memory. It seems that we are given those moments to carry with us through the valleys of life, to remind us of what life can be at its best.

Time In the Forest to Dig Under Rocks

Congratulations to Ms. Heidi Hipp for naming "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones as Wednesday's Song of the Day. Heidi, thanks for reading all the way from China, although I guess reading this blog in China is not really any more taxing than reading it in Belton. Thanks nonetheless.

What in the name of Stephen Hawking is going on with Lost? In the Season Two finale, the writers dismissed the oft-repeated theory that the castaways were trapped in some sort of purgatory, but just when a new theory dies out a new one is born. Here's the new conspiracy theory that is sweeping the internet: The Island either contains a black hole or something very similar to a black hole.
Last night's episode did nothing to either confirm or deny this rumor, which of course is a Lost hallmark, but many are latching on to this new theory. They point to the fact that one of "The Others" was seen reading Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time, which was opened to the page discussing black holes.* Second, the matronly figure who spoke to Desmond in a portion of last night's episode was conveniently named Mrs. Hawking. Also, the bizarre electromagnetic pulse that was released when Desmond turned the key at the end of Season 2 was never explained, but many think that his release of the energy built up in the Hatch has somehow enabled him to see the future, past, and present simultaneously.

There are times when it seems that the show has spun so far out of control that the writers honestly have no idea what is going to happen next. These threads will pop up in one show, entertain us for a time, and then disappear, never to be seen again. It's almost as if the writers are trying to see how far they can possibly stretch the number of storylines in one show before the viewing audience begins to revolt.

I honestly have no idea what is coming on the show, and when I look at some of these Lost websites I am amazed at people's level of devotion to the show. I consider myself to be a fan, but I'm not even close to these people's league. These people are actually finding "Paul is dead" hidden messages in the show. For instance, look at the following quote from a Lost fan who played a scene from last week's episode backwards:


"Listen closely or you might just miss the voice repeating this cryptic message: "Only fools are enslaved by time and space." (Nevermind the creepy screeching noise that sounds suspiciously like a jet engine.)"'


I'm all for following things with zeal. I thoroughly enjoy it when people fervently support the things that they enjoy. This just seems like a little bit much, but it does make me think. If Lost has these kinds of eerie messages, what could we find in something like Sesame Street, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, or Oprah? The possibilities are endless my friends.

*What type of lives do people lead to have enough time to view TV shows in that much detail? It might be the same people that Triumph met in the Star Wars line.

War, Children, It's Just a Shot Away

It's kind of fun to look back at what I've written here in the past. It also has the potential to be haunting. Sometimes, I'll just sit down and read through an entire month of posts from a year or two ago. It helps to remind me of what was running through my mind at the time and why I thought some things were so important while other things were left by the wayside.

For instance, last year's Valentine's Day post was rife with my disdain for Lloyd Dobler of Say Anything fame and how he set the romantic bar impossibly high for modern men. I now recognize that post was the product of a mind that was trying to sort through relationship doubts and questions, but it does make wonder, what have I learned in this past year?

Yesterday, when I interviewed with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Texas, they asked me a simple question: Why did you come to law school? My answer had something to do with the fact that the law is this dynamic force that is not incredibly unlike a river in that it is constantly changing and developing. It seems to me that lawyers belong to a class of people that are constantly learning, developing, and growing. That's what I want in life. Andy told Red, "Get busy livin' or get busy dying," and that's what I'm trying to do.

By learning from what has passed and anticipating what is to come, hopefully I'm becoming a better man. I know that in this past year I've made some mistakes and hurt some people, but that's not who I am at my core. I know that everything is not going to be set straight in an instant or a weekend, but I'm trying to make things right. As I mentioned earlier in the week, I'm really looking forward to heading to Abilene this weekend. Sure, it's going to be great to watch Sing Song, but most of all I want to be with a lot of the people who have helped to shape me into the person that I am today.

If that's the lesson that I've learned, I think it's been a pretty good year.

They Asked Us to Stay for Tea and Have Some Fun

Congrats to Mr. Jeff McCain for correctly naming "Here It Goes Again" by Ok Go. I should have subliminally caused you to think about treadmills so that we could have more participants in yesterday's contest, but sometimes you just realize these things too late.

I know that I extolled the virtues of YouTube in a recent post, but today it climbed further up my list of favorite things, slightly passing cold pizza. The reason? It gives me pieces of transcendent comedy such as when Triumph the Insult Comic Dog visited Star Wars fans as they waited in line for Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.
You can't put a price on this kind of comedy. Also, it reminds of the time that we antiqued Rasco as he waited in line for Star Wars Episode III. Poor, poor Rasco. Here's photographic proof:

Just When You Think You're In Control

Congratulations to Mr. Joseph Halbert for naming "I Am the Highway" by Audioslave as the Sunday Song of the Day. I know that I do not usually give prizes for the Song of the Day contest, but Joey wins the opportunity to either share a futon with myself or Danny Echols (the gentleman with the fu-manchu) this weekend.

That's right, it's time for my initial pilgrimage as an alumnus to the Key City for the unmitigated glory that is Sing Song. I'm pretty sure that if I tried to describe Sing Song to the non-ACU readers of this blog, I would lose all of you as friends. I value my friendships, so if you want to know, please ask, but I'm not giving this info out for free.

In other news, just when I think I've grown into being a semi-normal person, I am reminded of my inherent nerdiness. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) Yes, I received a brand new 2007 Rand McNally Road Atlas in the mail from my parents today. For those of you have known me for awhile, you know that I have always had an affinity for maps. I actually received a Rand McNally Atlas for Christmas from my parents when I was about 8 or 9, and we had to buy a new one the next year because I had looked at the first one so much that it began to tear apart in my hands.

Yes, this is my lot in life. In college, it turned into a kind of party game. When I would meet new people, my friend Jeff McCain would then invite them to ask me how to get from Scranton to Sedona, as if I were some kind of trained seal bouncing a ball on my nose. I would offer the rest of my insights on the topic, but it has enabled me to corner the market on beautiful women, so I'm closely guarding my trade secrets.

I am Not Your Carpet Ride, I am the Sky

As announced on Tuesday, I decided to start following Liverpool FC as part of my journey towards becoming a fan of the "beautiful game". Well, I hope that I have not already contaminated "The Reds" with some of my Rangers fan-mediocrity because they lost yesterday 2-1 at the hands of Newcastle United.

Even though I initially thought Time Magazine's decision to make "You" the 2006 Person of the Year was a fairly lame attempt at passing the buck on actually naming President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or Kim Jong Il as the Person of the Year, I have to admit this: YouTube is a pretty darn fantastic website. Where else can you find English Premiership highlights, clips of a guy running through the history of dance (you know which clip I'm talking about), or Dave Chapelle's "Black Bush" sketch?

Thanks to YouTube, I was also able to come up with another reason why I think that I am going to love watching English soccer. Perhaps you've observed the recent backlash against the "throat-slashing" gesture that was once the chic method of celebrating a touchdown or dunk. Well, my friends, Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler took the integration of deviant behavior and athletic celebrations to the next level. Before a match between Liverpool and their rival Everton, the Everton fans were constantly harassing Fowler about his possible cocaine use. Well, as you can see from the following clip, old Robbie had something to say about their rumors.

Soccer, it's fannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnntastic!!!

All the Figures I Used to See

It's official. Barack Obama is running for President in 2008. I know what you're thinking, I also thought he had made the official announcement weeks ago, but this morning was the formal announcement. The article that I have linked contains passages detailing the comparisions that Obama is receiving to both John and Bobby Kennedy, but it also contains the oft-repeated chorus that he simply does not have the requisite experience that Americans look for in a presidential candidate.

JFK was killed 21 years before I was born. Bobby Kennedy was killed 16 years before my birth. Because of those facts, I'm really not sure how to gauge the comparisions that I have heard recently between Senator Obama and the Kennedy brothers. It seems that the comparisions frequently focus on the idea that all three men represented the idea of change and an ideal that politics can be something different than what most people perceive it to be.

I do know this: most people of my generation hate politics. They hate it because it seems to be the province of people who are short-sighted and petty. The question of what is good for America has been replaced with the question of what is good for my party? It seems that a nation filled with politicians outfitted with such partisan blinders is a nation that is quickly losing its focus. I'm not sure how Senator Obama's campaign is going to evolve, but one thing seems clear: He may be the figure that draws many members of my generation back into politics.

Does this mean he is going to win or even that he is the best candidate? Maybe not. On the Republican side of the ballot, there are potential candidates such as John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, and others who are good leaders in their own right. It just seems that whomever wins in 2008, whether it is a Democrat or Republican, has a tough task ahead of them. It has nothing to do with the economy. That's going great. Hopefully by that point we will also be out of Iraq.

The real challenge that I see for the person who moves into the White House in 2008 is learning how to help Americans find what unites us instead of what divides us. It is very easy to always fall into the blue/red state rhetoric and to look at figures like Rush Limbaugh and Al Franken who love to demonize the opposition, but is that what makes this a great country? Who can rise above that? Who can bring a message of unity to a nation that seems increasingly fractured? Whomever it is, that's who I am voting for in 2008.

A Moon Full of Stars and Astral Cars

Congratulations to Mr. Jeff McCain for correctly naming "Superman" by Five for Fighting as the Wednesday Song of the Day.

I realize I'm writing kind of late tonight, but when the ideas are in my head, I have to write. The clock is inconsequential. I'm not really sure if the following is going to make a whole lot of sense, and if it doesn't, then I apologize, but here goes...

I'm really not sure why, but whenever I hear a certain strain of music from the Braveheart soundtrack, I get this odd kind of longing in my heart. No, it has nothing to do with Mel Gibson, but it has everything to do with some sort of restlessness in my soul. I wish I could describe the music to you, but for those of you who have seen the film, and I'm assuming that is most of you, it is the music that kicks in when Robert the Bruce announces that he is going to surrender to the English at the end of the film.

All together now....Hamish takes out Wallace's sword, the music swells, and the Scots run roughshod over the English.

Again, I'm really not sure why that music means so much to me, but whenever I'm listening to it, whether that happens to be in the library reading, driving in my car, or simply sitting down to write, I turn into Elaine's boyfriend on Seinfeld who becomes catatonic at the sound of "Desperado" by the Eagles. It is as if the world has suddenly stopped and I take stock of my life. I know that sounds terribly melodramatic, but somehow it is true. I just sit there and think about my life and ask myself these very deep questions about who I am and what I am doing with my life.

I think it could be very easy for me to dismiss this reaction as simply an overly sentimental reaction to a movie, but I think something big is going on here. How often do we really slow down and take stock of who we are and where we are headed? If a simple clip from a movie soundtrack can cause me to do that, I'm thankful for it.

You Can All Sleep Sound Tonight, I'm Not Crazy or Anything

Congratulations to Dan Carlson for naming "Heavy Things" by Phish as Tuesday's Song of the Day. In his winning answer, Dan mentioned that "Farmhouse" was the only Phish album that he has ever had the privilege to hear. (Privilege is my word, not his).


That fact makes me almost as sad as watching an extended documentary of the Rangers post-season triumphs, or lack thereof. Because of that I'm giving you, the readers, an additional free music recommendation for the day. Go pick up "Live Phish 11" and thank me later. If my Dad or sister come on here to post negative comments regarding Phish, please ignore whatever they say. I love them, but some things that they say are just lies. I know that hurts to read, but sometimes you just have to tell the truth.


In other news, apparently the Bears fan who vowed to change his name to "Peyton Manning" if the Monsters of the Midway lost in the Super Bowl is feeling a bit like Ron Burgundy after jumping into the bear pit to save Veronica Corningstone. "I immediately regret this decision!"


This seems to illustrate a good rule about non-monetary sports wagers. Embarassment is okay, but lifelong legal name changes are bad. He could have just told his buddies he would show up at the sports bar wearing a Indianapolis Colts Cheerleader outfit or something, but I'm pretty sure this name thing is going to throw a lot of people off. Also, He will forever be stuck with the fact that Rex Grossman probably caused him to change his name. Thanks Rex.

Current Reading

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Vanessa Calls Me on the Phone, Reminding Me I'm Not Alone

I wrote last week about Rangers and Stars owner Tom Hicks partnering with Montreal Canadiens owner, George Gillett, Jr. to possibly purchase Liverpool FC. Since the announcement , I spent a post-Finals weekend of relaxation watching innumerable YouTube montages documenting "The Reds" and their captain, Steven Gerrard.

I'm pretty sure that with my penchant for becoming a little bit too attached to organizations that I belong to (GSP) or teams that I follow (The Rangers), I was meant to be a soccer fan in some respect. It just seems like it's encoded on my DNA or something like that. I should mention that I only played one season of soccer. It was during the Fall of 1994 that I played for the Tyler Ajax. I'm not sure if we understood that we were named after the Homeric hero of The Iliad instead of the cleaning supply, but we played hard nonetheless.

Despite my lack of soccer-playing experience, I've always been drawn to the fervor of the game, the sheer joy that accompanies the scoring of goals, and the pageantry in the stands. Because of the preceding points, I'm here to declare that I'm going to start following Liverpool FC. Ever since I started reading about the club in The Sports Guy article on selecting a English Premier League team to follow, I thought that they would be the best to follow and the fact that Hicks is planning to purchase the club makes my fandom somewhat symmetrical. Think about it this way, at least I can blame one person for all of my fan angst in the future besides Jerry Jones.

Admittedly, I'm coming into this whole process a little late in the game. In the previously mentioned column on selecting an EPL team to follow, Simmons had this to say about Liverpool:

"Too much history, too personal, too easy, too obvious. Someone from America can't casually become a Liverpool fan, just like someone from England couldn't have casually become a Red Sox fan before 2004. I just wouldn't have felt right about it."

As much as appreciate the opinions of the Sports Guy, I'm going to go against him on this one. I'm going to start following "The Reds". If you were wondering why I think soccer is such a great spectacle, just watch the following clip of Liverpool fans singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" before a Champions League match against Juventus. These kinds of things just don't happen at Rangers games.

You've Done Your Part, Working Real Hard

Congratulations to Andrew Tuegel for correctly naming "(She Moves in) Mysterious Ways" by U2 as the Saturday Song of the Day.

I would also like to comment on Patrick's comment from Saturday regarding the choice of Prince as the Super Bowl halftime performer. When the NFL announced that he was going to be performing during halftime, my first thought was "The Artist? I mean, the symbol? No, the Artist formerly known as Prince...no, wait, he's Prince again, right?" Perhaps I am not the greatest pop music critic, I'll leave that to Klosterman, but Prince? Really?

As I was driving home from Dallas last night and talking with my friends Emily and Jake, Emily mentioned that almost all of the guys watching the game checked out at halftime. The Super Bowl is one of those events where everything works in this synergistic (if that's a word) manner. The game seems better if the commercials are good and vice-versa. The great halftime show from U2 in Super Bowl XXXVII was a perfect complement to the Patriots upset victory over the Rams. I'm pretty sure that Michael Jackson's performance at Super Bowl XXVII, coupled with a 52-17 Cowboys victory over the Bills, was one of the greatest nights of television that I have ever watched. I guess I was nine at the time. (Insert your own joke here).

It seems like the Super Bowl halftime show, while ridiculously over-hyped and largely irrelevant now, should only be the realm of those mega-super-duper-uber-stars who can really keep the attention of the world's largest TV viewing audience for the year. Who's on that short list? Well, we talked about it last night while watching the game, and my list looks like this: U2, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Paul McCartney, and.....well, that's about it.

Again, I'm not saying that these artists are at the top of their game, but it just seems like they can cut across the incredibly wide audience that the Super Bowl garners. Maybe I'm wrong on this, and I would love to hear the thoughts of readers of this blog on your suggestions for who would be a good choice for 2008. Just for clarification, I'm not talking about Hillary v. Rudy.

If You Want to Kiss the Sky Better Learn How to Kneel

Well, as much as I tried to mangle the most current Song of the Day contest, Dan Carlson still managed to come up with the correct answer. You can look at yesterday's comments section to see where I went wrong, but somehow Dan read my mind and still named "Somebody Told Me" by The Killers as Friday's Song of the Day. I would blame my mistake on a week of Finals, but that is simply not the honesty that readers of this blog have come to expect. I can give you nothing less than the "I chopped down the cherry tree" truth.


Moving on, have you ever wondered where you might be able to pick up a 1993 Buffalo Bills Super Bowl Champions hat or a Utah Jazz NBA Champions sweatshirt? Simple, just look at the clothing of the citizens next time you visit a developing country. I'm pretty sure my favorite part of the entire article is the portion that mentions how the NFL has issued the iron-fisted mandate that the shirts and caps from the losing team shall never appear on television, eBay, or American soil.


Hmmm, I hate to break it to you NFL, but if over 9 Cincinnati Bengals have been arrested in the last calendar year, isn't the Super Bowl loser apparel issue a problem that should be a little lower on the collective priority list? Tomorrow night, a shirt from the Bears or Colts could create as much chaos as some loose weapons-grade plutonium. Well at least 24 has a new story arc for next season.

Everything Goes in a Place Like This

If I'm bringing you a video made by a man who looks like this, you know it must be a treat. A few of my friends attended the WWE Royal Rumble last weekend down in San Antonio. Here's the trip documentary:

I would have included the footage shot by Mr. Heath Huston, but unless you want to know the fastest way to develop sea-sickness while still being hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean, you don't want to see it.

5 Finals down, O to go.

You are Young and Life is Long

Congrats to Stephen Baker for naming "Tonight" by TV on the Radio as Wednesday's Song of the Day.

Today, during one of my breaks from studying for tomorrow's Property II Final, I ran across this article on espn.com. Apparently, Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks, along with Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett, Jr., is making a bid to purchase a controlling ownership interest in the Liverpool Football Club in the English Premier League.

I'm not sure what Hicks and Gillett's chances are in this bid, but I can tell you this, Liverpool fans who worry that their club has not been able to keep up with big spenders like Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal in the Premier League should not have to worry anymore if Hicks' approach to soccer ownership is anything like his approach to baseball and hockey ownership.
Liverpool stars such as Captain Steven Gerrard can look forward to being surrounded with tons of offensive talent but minimal defensive help. It's just the Hicks way of doing things. Sorry, this has been the monthly rant on the Rangers' futility. I'll try to be positive for the rest of February.