I Ride the Train and I Ride It After Dark

Congratulations to Mr. Christopher Luke Reeves for correctly naming "Yellow" by Coldplay as the Tuesday Song of the Day. Ms. ALV, I'm sorry that you were not able to beat out Luke for the win, but please know that I'm holding a Beatles song somewhere in reserve for a day when you need to win.

During my time at home last weekend I was informed by my dear sister that she simply skips over the posts pertaining to Liverpool F.C. For such a determined and dedicated reader of this blog as my sister, that type of stance seems to present a large roadblock on her path to blog-enlightenment here at Running Down a Dream.

Speaking of the dear, dear Reds, tonight they met Cardiff City in a 4th Round Carling Cup match and came away with a 2-1 victory courtesy of goals by French-Moroccan striker Nabil El Zhar and your friend and mine, Steven Gerrard.

• El Zhar's goal

• Gerrard's goal

Perhaps my sister is the most vocal member of the so-called "Silent Majority" (along with Dan Carlson) that would prefer to banish talk of English football to the hinterlands of Running Down a Dream, but unfortunately for her, I have this to say: Get used to it. Liverpool is here to stay.

YNWA: Now and Forevermore

For You, I'd Bleed Myself Dry

Congratulations to Mr. Tim Henderson for correctly naming "Jungleland" by Bruce Springsteen as the Monday Song of the Day. Tim, even though I prominently displayed the "Jungleland" video in yesterday's post, I like to make sure every so often that everyone is still paying attention.

As difficult as this may be for you to believe, I somehow neglected to mention Liverpool's 1-1 Sunday draw against Premier League leaders Arsenal in yesterday's post. Despite a phenomenal free-kick goal from skipper Steven Gerrard (which you can view below), the Gunners were able to pull even with the Reds courtesy of an 80th minute equalizer by midfielder Francesc Fabregas.

This is probably the first time I've posted a highlight video shot by a supporter, but the reaction at the end makes up for the less than stellar camera work.

Finally, I must pay tribute to the great, and now late, Robert Goulet. I doubt that I would have ever paid attention to Goulet if Will Ferrell had never come on Saturday Night Live hawking "The Coconut Banger's Ball: It's a Rap".

One of my friends, Courtney Varner to be precise, actually gave me Goulet's Greatest Hits as a Christmas gift during my time at ACU. I must admit that I don't listen to the album very much, if at all, but tonight it's going into the rotation. This one's for you, Mr. Goulet.

Current Reading

We Were Soldiers Once...And Young: Ia Drang-The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam by Lt. Gen Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway

From the Churches to the Jails, Tonight There is Silence in the World

Those of you who know me well are aware that the music of Phish holds a special place in my heart. For those of you that don't know me well, that's not because I'm a closet (or open) pothead or aspiring to become a hippie ne'er do well, but because whenever I listen to Phish, I hear the notes that are being played, but more than that, I hear the sheer joy that the four members of the band receive from doing something that they love.


One of my favorite pictures of Trey Anastasio features him not looking into the camera or at the audience, but up into the lights, simply lost in the moment. Some of you might argue that look is a result of Trey's substance abuse, and you might be correct, but I think it's something else.

It's the look of someone who has no concern for posturing or posing. All he knows is that the music is taking him to a place that nothing else can and he is merely along for the ride.

I don't come across those "looks" very often, but in my recent foray into the world of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, I came across this clip of "Jungleland" from the Hammersmith Odeon concert in 1975.

If you choose to watch the clip (which I highly recommend, otherwise I would not have taken the time to place it in this precious space) just watch Bruce when Clarence Clemons kicks into his famous solo. It may appear a bit more contained than Anastasio's reaction when the music takes over, but it's the same thing and that's why it's special.

Oh, To Be Back in the Land of Coca-Cola

Most of you have probably seen this by now, but if you have not, this play makes the Stanford-Cal "The Band is on the field" play look tame by comparison. The game is an NCAA Division III game between Trinity (Texas) University and Millsaps College in Mississippi that features a game-winning last gasp play that contained (what I counted as) 15 laterals.

Enjoy:

He's Forgotten but Not Yet Gone

So this is justice? After waiting 86 years in between their last championship seasons, the oft-mentioned Red Sox nation only had to wait 3 years in between titles this time. It's hard to get worked up hating the Red Sox. I realize that their fanbase has multiplied in recent years like two much rabbits with excessive leisure time, but I can't hold it against them. Players like Big Papi, Manny, Schilling, Lowell, Beckett, and the certifiably insane Jonathan Papelbon make for an interesting team and one that is certainly preferable to a championship run by the evil empire.

Now, as the curtain closes on yet another baseball season, we're all undefeated again. In a few months pitchers and catchers will report to their respective spring training sites and everyone will have the opportunity to call themselves 2008 World Series champions. Here's the crazy thing: I'm not even necessarily asking for that. All I want is the chance to be relevant again. For Michael Young to not waste his entire career playing for Rangers teams that are all but mathematically eliminated by the time August rolls around. That's all I'm asking for in 2008.

Well, unless that somehow causes Tom Hicks to take his focus off of Liverpool. If that happens, all bets are off.

Casting Lines on the Floor, and Lines on His Face, He Reflects on the Day

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, blog readers of all ages, welcome to the 3rd anniversary of Running Down a Dream. Here's how it all began, the first anniversary post, and finally the second anniversary post.

Once again, by the numbers:

• This is post #750



• Year 1: 249 posts



• Year 2: 239 posts



• Year 3: 262 posts

In my first post I promised to provide my thoughts on "school, life, marathon training, baseball, books and other things." Well, the marathon has come and gone, but I still write about baseball, books, school, life, and other things. I look at the initial post and first anniversary post and I see girlfriends that have come and gone. I wade through the comments from the past and I smile as I read the thoughts of my friends and family. There are so many things that I wish I could say to each of you who check in each day to see what's on my mind, but I will simply say this: Thanks for reading and sharing your life with me in some small way. I'm a better man because I have known each of you.

Come Down From Heaven, All Bathed in Sun

At some point, all of you have probably seen one of those clever Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbooks. I'm not sure if they have published the UEFA Champions League edition yet, but when they do, it will look something like Liverpool's first 3 matches in Group A this year.


In case you've been sleeping at your computer on the numerous days that I opine on the Reds, here's a quick recap: On Matchday 1, Liverpool drew with FC Porto (Portugal) 1-1 at Porto. On Matchday 2, the Reds lost to Olympique Marseille (France) 1-0 at Anfield. On Matchday 3 (today), Liverpool traveled to Istanbul to face Besiktas JK and lost 2-1. Despite a remarkable header from skipper Steven Gerrard in the 86th minute, the Reds fell further behind in the chase of the knockout stages.
Now that all of that doom and gloom is out the way, on to the pep talk. Liverpool are, to borrow the cliche, down but not out. They must win their 3 remaining matches (two of which are home matches at Anfield) in Group A against Besiktas, Porto, and Marseille sequentially in order to have any shot at qualifying for the Final 16 of the 2007-08 Champions League. If that wasn't daunting enough, they still might need to get some help from Besiktas as the spoiler.

I've written this before, but it is worth saying again: I probably care too much about sports. Even if I don't always display it externally, I'm generally a pretty intense person who expects a great deal from myself and those around me. As crazy as this sounds, I expect a great deal from the various teams that I choose to support.

I know that I've been following Liverpool for less than a year, unlike some who have supported them their entire lives, but today's match just felt like a punch in the stomach. Sports have this great ability to distill the human experience into a competitive setting while removing some of the more harsh realities of other arenas where human beings are pitted against each other. For instance, unlike the deceased Aztecs who were killed after losing in a friendly match of tlatchli, Steven Gerrard and the rest of the Liverpool squad, despite losing on Wednesday, will not be murdered by the victorious Beskitas players.

See, there's your silver lining for the whole day. I already feel better about things.

Just to cheer myself up even more, I'm giving you a little footage of the great Shunsuke Nakamura of Glasgow Celtic defeating Manchester United in last year's Champions League Group Stage with a superb free-kick.

Just Don't Make It Last Any Longer Than It Has To

Back in the Fall of 2003, a number of ambitious Gamma Sigs (I was not one of them) took a trip they entitled the "Tex-Mex" tour through the Lone Star State. Stops were made in Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, College Station, and San Antonio during the course of a weekend. I'm pretty sure Joe T. Garcia's in Fort Worth was the ordained champion at the conclusion of the voyage, but I really need a reader who was actually on that legendary excursion to set the record straight.

With that said, a food critic from the NY Times recently undertook a miniature version of the Tex-Mex tour with stops in San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston. I'm pretty sure just reading this article made me long for a cheesy sopapilla from Chuy's.

I Will Sing to You of Greater Things

A photo essay of my recent trip to the self-proclaimed "Greatest Homecoming on Earth".

Enjoy:

This is what the ACU Homecoming Parade consists of in large part. The Subbers ride in a van with industrial strength shocks that is also comically painted as a shark. Comedy ensues.

The baby in the foreground of the photo was taken by one of the Subbers who claimed to have acted in a rash manner due to "scurvy". Since there's not a large body of water for hundreds of miles around Abilene, it seems that the ACU Geography Department needs to establish a remedial program on how one goes about contracting scurvy.

galaxy's float. My mother told that if I can't say anything nice, I probably shouldn't say anything at all. Thanks Mom.

The man, the myth, the legend: Jacob "Jig" Wardell taking in the festivities. In case you're wondering, he asked me to take this shot.

Brandon, Amber, Garrett, Nate, Jake, and Lance complete the Abbey Road tribute shot near Taylor Elementary.

• Yours truly, Luke Reeves, Nikki Walker, and Emily (Cooke) Wardell (along with numerous others) take in a fine meal on Saturday night at Abuelo's.
  
  The floats were supposed to center around a "circus" theme, so I'm not sure how the Kojie float applies. Well, unless we're going with the clown car stereotype.
  The GSP float. As you can tell, the "lion cage" was not made of the most durable materials and was destroyed by a rogue tree along the parade route.
  The Frats float was simply a tractor. I don't even need a joke here.
  
  

P.S. For a more extensive selection of photos from Homecoming and the Maenius/Glaeser wedding, you can go here.

One Day, I'm Gonna Grow Wings

Future Reading

1. We Were Soldiers Once...and Young: Ia Drang-The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam by Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway
2. Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: A Road Trip into the Heart of Fan Mania by Warren St. John
3. Atonement: A Novel by Ian McEwan
4. Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home by Nando Parrado

How Can I Hurt When Holding You?

Congratulations to Mr. Joseph Ronald Halbert for correctly naming "Bold as Love" by Jimi Hendrix as the Friday Song of the Day.

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Joey and numerous others this weekend at Homecoming.

Photo documentation will be coming at some point in the next few days, but it is mainly photos of the parade, which will be likely be meaningless viewing for readers that have never experienced the fascinating sub-culture that is Abilene Christian University. For the sake of others, I'll also try to cobble together additional photos from that gift to mankind that we like to call Facebook.

I realize that when you usually visit Running Down a Dream, you arrive here expecting commentary on law school, baseball, Liverpool F.C., politics, the pain involved in following the Texas Rangers, among other things. Usually I don't offer tangential musings on inane topics but that's all changing. Well, at least for tonight. The subject of tonight's rant? The overly large dinner gathering at a single table.

Let me set the stage: last night, about 18 of us went out to dinner at Abuelo's (a fine Mexican food establishment in Abilene). The cast of characters was a composition of the Ninjas (about 8 of us) and approximately 10 ladies (wives, girlfriends, etc.). Instead of expediting the seating process and splitting up for separate tables, we decided to take the conglomerate route and sit at a table that would make the corporate boardroom of GE jealous.

As usual, the single ladies sat at one end, then the couples sat in the middle demilitarized zone, and finally the single gentlemen occupied the south end of the table. I don't want this to look as if we were segregating ourselves, that was simply the way it worked out in the shuffle. My question is this:

• Is it better to just ask for a few separate tables or to just bite the bullet and go with the long table?
• In the interest of the group dynamic, do you play along with the myth that we're all going to sit at one table because we want to foster the idea that we'll actually talk at a table that requires a megaphone or do you just decide to sit at a table with the people that you actually wanted to talk to in the first place?
• If you're sitting in a portion of the table that falls on the fault line between conversations, should you just turn your chair in one direction due to the risk of looking like a spectator at a tennis match as you follow the dueling conversations?

In other, hopefully more interesting news, Liverpool won the 206th Merseyside Derby with city rivals Everton FC by the score of 2-1 courtesy of two scores from the penalty spot by Dirk Kuyt.
The Reds return to action on Wednesday as they travel to Istanbul to face Turkish side Besiktas JK in their 3rd match in UEFA Champions League Group A.

Just Ask the Axis, He Knows Everything

This is the first time I've linked to anything written by Robert J. Samuelson of the Washington Post, but he had a timely Op-Ed column yesterday on how the intense desire for success drives some people, in this case Bill Belichick, Marion Jones, and lawyer Robert Lerach, to discard legal and ethical norms.

I'll be leaving after class today for a weekend journey to the Key City for what is proclaimed as "The Greatest Homecoming on Earth". I'm not going to call the ACU Alumni Office liars, but it seems that they might be overplaying their hand to a certain extent. Granted, I love ACU as much as anyone, but let's start with a simple proclamation of "The Greatest Homecoming in Taylor County" or "The Greatest Homecoming in the Big Country" or perhaps "The Greatest Homecoming for a University That Produced JBL". Wait, scrap that last one. With that said, I look forward to seeing friends, family (this means you, Katie), and the always enjoyable Homecoming Parade. Dan and Connor, I'll be sure to fling a biscuit at a Sibling in honor of each of you.

Finally, I feel compelled to weigh in on Rutgers' win last night over the upstart South Florida Bulls by the score of 30-27. I realize that the Bulls were sitting (sorry for that terrible pun) at the #2 slot in the BCS, but I had a small measure of joy in seeing them virtually eliminated from the national title hunt. Call me evil names, call me a lover of the "evil empire", call me whatever you will, but I am a college football oligarch.

As much as I may dislike USC, Ohio St., Florida, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, I like college football much more when all of the big boys are doing well and prominently involved in the national title hunt. I know that some of you may feel very strongly that upsets and the rise of new programs is what draws you in each Saturday, but I'm drawn in by a sense of tradition in college football. I would rather watch years of Michigan-Ohio St., Texas-OU, and LSU-Florida matchups than an oddball matchup between college football outsiders like Boise St. and South Florida.

Perhaps I can enjoy a Cinderella March Madness run like George Mason's in 2006, but in the world of college football, I'm hopelessly tied to the past.

Pull Me Out of the Aircrash

I realize this story has already been hashed out on other BLS blogs, but I would be doing myself and the rest of this band a disservice if I didn't cover this thing for my non-BLS reading audience.


Last Saturday night, or to be more precise, early Sunday morning, Assistant Baylor football coach Eric Schnupp decided to "mark his territory" on the bar of local watering hole "Scruffy Murphy's". Here's more coverage of the "Schnupp Sprinkle" incident from the Waco Tribune-Herald.

Baylor football may have taken up permanent residence in the Big 12 cellar, but at least they know how to generate good copy.

Current Reading

Mystic River--Dennis Lehane

This I Admit Seems So Good, Hard to Believe an End to It

Congratulations to Mr. Kalum Tuggle for correctly naming "With or Without You" by U2 as the Sunday Song of the Day. Yes, even though their surnames are similar, that is Tuggle and not Tuegel winning the Song of the Day contest concerning U2 lyrics. What can I say? Sometimes even the great ones have their off days. That's not to discredit Kalum's masterful performance, but to offer an admonishment to Mr. Tuegel to understand that the playing field is being leveled.

Since it is October, and the Rockies clinched a spot in the Fall Classic last night, I thought all of you might appreciate a few words from George F. Will:

"Baseball fans are generally a cheerful lot, at least between late February and late October. (Literary critic Jonathan Yardley says there are only two seasons: baseball season and The Void.) However, human beings seem to take morose pleasure from believing that once there was a Golden Age, some lost Eden or Camelot or superior ancient civilization, peopled by heroes and demigods, an age of greatness long lost and irrecoverable. Piffle. Things are better than ever, at least in baseball, which is what matters most."

--Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball

After briefly noting that I was absolutely thrilled to see that George Will used the word "piffle" in a book about baseball, I will say that perhaps things are not better than ever in baseball, but there is still so much to enjoy about the game. Even as the Mitchell Committee prepares to release more names of players caught in the practice of using of performance-enhancing drugs, the Colorado Rockies have reeled off a 21-1 stretch to move from the baseball hinterlands squarely into the greatest stage in the sport.

As Will wrote, there will never be a time when the stars align and the game is devoid of troubling storylines, but as of October 2007, it's a pretty good time to call yourself a baseball fan.

Sleight of Hand and Twist of Fate

Congratulations to Mr. Heath Nickalus Huston for correctly naming "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger as the Friday Song of the Day.

Perhaps I'm going crazy here, but did anyone else (besides my Dad) think that the referee in the LSU-Kentucky game yesterday was a dead-ringer for the actor John Beasley?

I kept waiting for him to walk to midfield and give another rousing inspirational speech like the one he delivered in Rudy or to pull another hidden-ball trick like the one in Little Big League. Alas, my waiting was in vain as he only presided over the downfall of the nation's #1 team.

But If You're Bored Then You're Boring

Congratulations to Mr. Joseph Halbert for correctly naming "This is Your Life" and "The Blues" by Switchfoot as the Songs of the Day for Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. Joey, I'm glad that I'm not the only one who will listen to some songs over and over again. I was beginning to think that I was the only 23-year old who still adhered to the toddler's regimen of watching/listening to the same video/song until it makes your eyes want to bleed. Sorry to paint such a graphic picture there, but you get the idea.

It's good to be back home for the weekend after an interview with a firm in Tyler earlier today. I always enjoy coming back home because it's probably the only place where I can get made fun of mercilessly and still get free food. Most of you have probably seen my new (read: short) haircut in the last two weeks, but none of you gave a verbal assessment that closely rivals my Dad's kind words: "Son, law school is probably not the time to experiment with haircuts. You don't want a law firm to think that you just walked off the set of Deliverance."

If that's what the rest of you were thinking, well, I guess I'm glad you don't possess the verbal courage of my Dad.

Is This What They Call Freedom? Is This What You Call Pain?

A day after David Brooks offered his thoughts on the "odyssey" period that occurs between adolescence and adulthood, fellow NY Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman speaks to the same age-range, which he dubs "Generation Q".

Friedman states that Generation Q should ask three questions of every politician who speaks on their campuses:

1. What is your plan for mitigating climate change?
2. What is your plan for reforming social security?
3. What is your plan for dealing with the national budget deficit-so we all won't be working in China in 20 years?

Are these the questions that you would ask a politician who spoke at your campus? Is there anything that is incredibly pressing to our generation that Friedman is missing here?

When the World Was Younger and You Had Everything to Lose

I've decided to move away from my recent choice of Radiohead lyrics for the Song of the Day contest into territory that is hopefully more familiar for those who frequent the hallowed halls of Running Down a Dream.

"There used to be four common life phases: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. Now, there are at least six: childhood, adolescence, odyssey, adulthood, active retirement and old age. Of the new ones, the least understood is odyssey, the decade of wandering that frequently occurs between adolescence and adulthood. During this decade, 20-somethings go to school and take breaks from school. They live with friends and they live at home. They fall in and out of love. They try one career and then try another. "

Since I'm pretty sure that those words from a column by David Brooks in today's New York Times apply to roughly 80% (that's really an arbitrary number) of those who probably read this blog, I think you will enjoy the rest of the piece, which can be read here.

Maybe I'm feeling nostalgic tonight because I've been listening to "The Blues" by Switchfoot on repeat, but sometimes I have to listen to songs over and over and over again to truly understand them. A few days ago, it was "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" by Radiohead, and a few weeks before that it was "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" by David Gray. Eventually the song fades into the background and the music no longer holds my immediate attention.

Instead, the music accomplishes its highest purpose. It causes me to remember events and people that have not crossed my mind in a long time and those who cross my mind each and every day. I am reminded that music has the ability to cause great happiness and great sadness, sometimes in the same instant. I'm reminded that each of us have this gift inside of us, this spark of God, and so much of our lives is determined by how we choose to exercise that gift.

There Was Nothing to Fear and Nothing to Doubt

I don't want to start a disturbing trend on this blog of linking to stories about Halo or video games, but this article on ESPN.com was just too good to let go. When I read the article I tried to cultivate some kind of arrogant ironic distance, but it's hard to maintain that type of stance when I'm a currently unemployed law student and the article's subjects are college dropouts with 3-year contracts that promise to pay out $250,000. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

In other news, yesterday Liverpool was saved from their second home loss in less than 5 days by an injury-time equalizer from Fernando Torres. "El Nino" headed home Steve Finnan's long cross in the 92nd minute to bring the Reds back on terms with visiting Tottenham Hotspur at 2-2.

The Reds now must wait until after the international break for a chance to return to the form that characterized their early success. On October 20th, Gerrard & Co. will face Everton F.C. in the semi-annual Merseyside Derby, and on October 24th, the Reds will travel to Istanbul for a Champions League Group A encounter with Turkish side, Besiktas JK. It's not going to get any easier from here on out, but if there's one thing that I've learned about the Reds so far, it's that they don't enjoy themselves unless their backs are against the wall.

It's Always Best When the Light is Off

I was there when it all began.

The world? No, not that far back.

Instead, I was there when the Halo series began to consume the free time of males, and apparently some females, all around the world. I had the marvelous (italics inserted for sarcasm) good luck of living in a freshman dorm the year that Halo 1 appeared on the screen and rooming near folks who must have sent Microsoft stock soaring due to the number of XBoxes that they collectively purchased.

I still remember drifting off to sleep in Mabee Room 206 with the sounds of agony, mayhem, and destruction as my lullaby. You must understand that I've never been a big fan of video games, and apparently that would not make me a very relational youth minister in today's environment. That's right kiddos. Come to church to learn about the Prince of Peace and afterwards learn how to utterly dominate the fool that would choose to face you in the Halo arena.

Shifting gears, I went to my first Baylor football game last night. I know, it's my second year and that was my first game. Unfortunately the Bears lost to the mighty Colorado Buffaloes by the score of 43-23, and it was not even that close. Quarterback Blake Szymanski (pictured above on the right if you had to ask) did pass for over 400 yards, but it was the type of 400-yard performance that a Texas Tech quarterback would produce. (To quote Bill Shakespeare: "Full of sound and fury signifying nothing.")

Now you might be able to understand why that was my first game.

Just Like Your Dad, You'll Never Change

I ran across this interesting editorial in today's Wall Street Journal concerning the upcoming oral arguments that will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Stoneridge v. Scientific Atlanta.

The essential question posed by the case is whether a business can be sued for doing business with another firm because the 2nd firm engaged in fraudulent activity that the first business had no knowledge of, or at the most, was passively involved in. The trial court and appeals court answered no, but we will have to wait and see how Roberts & Co. tackle a question that if answered in the affirmative could lead to an avalanche of new lawsuits.

Current Reading

Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball by George F. Will

We're Too Young to Fall Asleep

Tonight as I finished reading The Last Lion, Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone 1932-1940, I was struck by Churchill's speech to the British people on June 18, 1940. The speech was carried by the BBC and came just before the Battle of Britain, which would test the resolve of the English nation to its very core.

"Hitler knows that he will have to break us on this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands.

But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science.

Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say: 'This was their finest hour.' "

Current Listening

Radiohead--The Bends

Bruises That Won't Heal

Congratulations to Mr. Andrew Tuegel for correctly naming "All Along the Watchtower" by Bob Dylan and assorted others as the Tuesday Song of the Day.

I'm pretty sure that yesterday's 1-0 loss to Marseille at Anfield was the poorest showing that I have seen from Liverpool since I started following the Reds. I don't think it produced the same sinking feeling that currently inhabits the bodies of all Mets fans, but it is always disappointing to see your team put in a performance that is obviously far below their collective ability. Here's hoping that they play much better in Sunday's match against Tottenham Hotspur and that the Sports Guy actually begins to acknowledge the fact that he picked Tottenham as his Premiership club. I'm not holding my breath on that one.

In today's edition of reasons why European football continues to fascinate me, I submit the Oscar-worthy acting performance of A.C. Milan goalkeeper, Dida, after his encounter with a delirious Glasgow Celtic supporter at the conclusion of Celtic's stunning 2-1 victory over the Rossoneri in Glasgow. I'm practically begging you to watch this video for one of the most stunning, "Hey, I was just made to look really foolish. What should I do? Maybe I'll just fall down as though I've been cold-cocked with a sledgehammer" moments.

Dida incident vs Celtic
Uploaded by fwoman

Now, you should know that the supporter has been banned for life from any Celtic home matches, and I don't condone supporters coming on the field, but Dida being carried off on a stretcher after that "crippling" blow? I've seen better acting from the cast in Weekend at Bernie's.

There are Many Here Among Us Who Feel That Life is But a Joke

A great column in today's NY Times by David Brooks on the 50th anniversary of Jack Kerouac's seminal novel On the Road. It seems that On the Road is one of those novels that should be required reading for everyone growing up in America, along with Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, and Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I'm pretty sure that might be the Mount Rushmore of novels that should be read by each American high school student, but I could be wrong on this one.

If anything, I've added On the Road to knock The Scarlet Letter off the required reading lists. I loved almost every book we were required to read in high school, but I would rather stick hot pokers in my eyes than sift through Hawthorne's dense prose. Also, simply because the song begins with the lyrics "There are nights when I think that Sal Paradise was right...", I'm giving you The Hold Steady's "Stuck Between Stations" free of charge.

On the baseball playoffs front, since the Rangers have once again left me languishing in the October cold (or in Texas currently, heat), I have decided to pick up a new team to support for the month. That team is (insert drumroll here) the Cubs!!!



I know, I know. I can hear you out there deriding my choice because, well, who wouldn't want to see the Cubbies end 99-years of misery and finally bring home a championship to the North Side of the Windy City? It's not that I'm trying to pull anything jumping on the Cubs' bandwagon, it's more that I feel as though I trying to prepare for my future with the baseball gods. Let me explain...

My great-uncle Beck was born in Tennessee. When he was a young man, the Volunteer State didn't have a major league club, so he didn't follow a big league team until he moved to Indiana after World War II. After moving to the Hoosier State, he began to follow the Cubs. Everytime we would visit Indiana, I would always watch a Cubs game on WGN with Uncle Beck and listen to Harry Caray talk about this and that as the Cubs ground out yet another unfulfilled campaign.

Now, Uncle Beck, Harry Caray, and thousands of other Cub fans who waited their entire lives to see their team take home the World Series title have passed to the great beyond. I feel as though when I cheer for the Cubs, I'm hopefully storing up points with some future baseball fan who will cheer for the Rangers to finally bring one home after it's my time to go.

Seasons Fill My Mind and Cover Me

In the ongoing saga that is my newfound obsession with Liverpool FC, the latest chapter was written on Saturday at the JJB Stadium in Wigan, England.

Thanks to the superb efforts of midfielder Yossi Benayoun, the Reds took home a 1-0 away victory over Wigan Athletic. As you can see from the photographic evidence submitted above, Yossi is not going to be knocking on the doorstep of People's 50 Most Beautiful any time this millennium, but the man delivered a game-winning goal in the 75th minute to break Liverpool out of the Premiership lull that they were mired in for the last two matches against Birmingham and Portsmouth.

In yet another installment of reasons why I love English football, I bring you this nugget of gold from the Wikipedia page devoted to Wigan Athletic F.C.

The most popular football chant used by supporters has been "You Are My Sunshine," but recent additions are the Frankie Valli classic "Let's Hang On!" which was representative of the club's record of 1-0 small goal leads, especially in the 2003-04 season. Other notable favourites include: "We Come From Wigan And We Live In Mudhuts, oo-agh-oo-oo-agh,you should be a wig-in-a!" and "Teale Will Tear You Apart Again" - a parody of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" sung mainly when winger Gary Teale (now with Derby County) was playing, although it was first heard some ten years ago at Old Trafford, in ode to Ryan Giggs "Giggs will tear you apart". . Other chants for players include "Zooo!" for former captain Arjan De Zeeuw (now with Coventry City) , and also a chant to the tune of "Baby Give It Up", replacing the titular words with the name of striker Henri Camara. A new and recent chant is to the tune of The Automatic's hit, 'Monster', where the fans sing "What's That Coming Over The Hill, It's Emile Heskey, It's Emile Heskey!!' Another song is "We've won it 2 times, Auto-Windscreens, We've won it 2 times" mimicking Liverpool Won it 5 times song. Fans used to show their support for long-serving, former manager Paul Jewell, with the satirical, "Who Needs Mourinho, We've Got Paul Jewellio!"

I realize that the Red Sox have "Sweet Caroline", the Evil Empire has "New York, New York", and the Rangers have Pat Green's "I Like Texas" after home victories, but as a whole, I think American fanbases are far, far behind our English counterparts in the creativity department. I'm pretty sure I would make every effort to attend more sporting events if I could basically combine the enjoyable parts of Sing Song with watching sports.