The Autumn Bells are Ringing, but They'll Just Have to Wait

Two things before I head off to the exotic locale of Nashville, Tennessee for that thing the kids like to call Spring Break (look for me in the Nashville-edition of Girls With Low Self Esteem):

1. Bill Simmons, the Sports Guy, provides a great take on the societal menace that is the Facebook Status Update:

Other than that, the comedy of status updates can be off the charts. Like my college classmate who sends out status updates so overwhelmingly mundane and weird that my buddies and I forward them to each other, then add fake responses like, "(Guy's name) … snapped and killed a drifter tonight" and "(Guy's name) … would hang myself if the ceilings in my apartment weren't too short."

It kills us. We can't get enough of it. We have been doing it for four solid months. And really, that's what Facebook is all about -- looking at photos of your friend's kids or any reunion or party, making fun of people you never liked and searching for old hook-ups and deciding whether you regret the hook-up or not. That's really it. All in all, I like Facebook.

2. Some blessed soul has been putting all of the old GSP Sing Song acts on YouTube. We're talking all the way back to the halcyon days of 1993. In the spirit of excess, here they are in all their glory.

1993-Referees

1995-Golfers

1996-Sheriffs

1999-Matadors

2000-Umpires

2001-Barbershop Quartet

2002-Huck Finn (bonus points to the first person who finds baby-faced Dan Carlson)

2003-The Beatles show is M.I.A. for some reason. I blame Demetrius Collins for this.

2004-Top Gun

2005-Travolta (I have no idea how this show won)

2006-Frogs (The show I enjoyed the most, and, in my opinion, is the best one on this list)

2007-Firemen

2008-Magicians (I'm just going to act as though I never saw this show)

2009-Peter Pan

Man, We Make Our Own Movies

Tomorrow I promise to break out of the "1 sentence and a YouTube video" posting format, but for tonight, I'll leave you with the knowledge that I had a great visit to Abilene this weekend, and the men of Gamma Sigma Phi made me quite proud in bringing home their 7th Sing Song title in the last 8 years.

A Pair of Tennis Shoes to Last Through May

Congratulations to Mr. Jacob George Straub, known to one and all simply as "Chicago", for correctly naming "Pencil Thin Mustache" by Jimmy Buffett as the Tuesday Song of the Day.

Additionally, Chicago took the time to inform me that his bountiful knowledge of Buffett lyrics is derived from the fact that he and Jimmy are fraternity brothers, Kappa Sigma to be specific. I guess I can't make any claims to fraternity brotherhood with famous songwriters for 2 reasons:

1. I wasn't really in what you kids might call a "fraternity".

2. Chris Jacobs hasn't written any great music yet.

Come On, What Does This Remind You Of?

Congratulations to Mr. Jeremy Masten for correctly naming "Knights of Cydonia" by Muse as the Sunday Song of the Day.

Since it appears that no one who reads this blog can tell me about "Agricultural Leadership/Leading Agriculture", I have been forced to move our discussion to other topics.

First, a hearty Running Down a Dream congratulations to Mr. Trey Watten on being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 7th Round of the First-Year Players Draft. In addition to his status as a dominating pitcher for my alma mater, Trey is also a proud member of Gamma Sigma Phi, and I think I speak for all past and current Gamma Sigs and Wildcats in wishing Trey the best of luck trying to make it to "The Show".

Second, the New York Times has a fantastic story today on the highs and lows of cuisine at all 30 major league stadiums. At the Ballpark, they give high marks to the prime rib buffet in the Diamond Club, which I'm sure that everyone frequents during their trips to see the Rangers battle, and low marks to "the pretzel dog". In the provided photo, the pretzel dog looks like a giant kolache, which, as anyone who has been through West, Texas, can tell you, is a great feat of culinary invention. In my opinion, they left out the best part of the Ballpark's menu, the garlic fries at numerous locations throughout the park, which are as enjoyable to eat as they are horrendous to smell.

At Minute Maid Park, the reviewers loved the fajitas from Rosa's Taqueria and loathed the superstar dog with cheese from Union Station. In a story that will shock absolutely no one, I had the superstar dog with cheese during my visit to the Juice Box a few weeks ago, and let me tell you, it may have tasted like a used Goodyear, but there is something fundamentally askew with someone that does not enjoy a frankfurter during a viewing of America's Pasttime.

Now, I Know Times Are Changin' and the People Need Rearrangin'

Congratulations to Mr. Joey Halbert for correctly naming "Bleed American" by Jimmy Eat World as the Wednesday Song of the Day.

I realize that last Tuesday I noted I rarely use this space to solicit your support for certain causes (besides Liverpool F.C.'s), but today I am going to make another exception to that long-standing policy.

In the vein of 2001's Run from Abilene to Searcy, 2003's Bike Ride to Pepperdine #1, 2005's 60 Hours of Softball (Insanity for Humanity for the insiders among you), and 2006's Bike Ride to Pepperdine #2, the men of Gamma Sigma Phi are again pushing the limits of human endeavor with GSP Serving OIF: A world-record breaking 68-hour volleyball game to benefit the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation.

I can say without a doubt that the softball game and the bike ride are two of the most enduring memories that I have from my time in GSP and at ACU. As I have had a few years to gain some sort of perspective on those events, I have come to realize what a rare opportunity it was to support great causes both years (Habitat for Humanity in the softball game and OIF on the bike ride)while also engaging in the world's (then) longest softball game and a cross-country bike ride.

If you are wondering why GSP initially chose to support OIF back in 2006, the answer can found on the following video:

Good luck to everyone playing in the game. Sanity becomes a bit difficult to maintain after about 40 hours or so. Don't fight the madness. Embrace it, my friends.

The Conversations I Forget, You'll Tell Me About Tomorrow

In the words of Bill Simmons, "There's comedy, there's high comedy, and then there's transcendent comedy." Somewhere in the ether above transcendent comedy, you can find Rangers left-fielder Frank Catalanotto's current facial hair.

Remind you of anyone in particular?

Where'd You Park the Car?

At the beginning of the post, I should take the time to apologize to those of you who live outside of the "bubble" and have no idea what I am talking about when I say the words "Sing Song." In fact, I apologize because if I took the time to actually explain it to you in sufficient detail, you probably still would not be interested in the subject matter and I would have deprived you of a small portion of your life, which is ebbing away right now...tick, tick, tick.

If you're still reading, and I have no idea why you would be after that stirring exposition, here is my $.02 on Sing Song 2008.

Of course, everyone left Moody on Saturday night talking about how the 6-time reigning champions had been dethroned in both the men's and women's divisions by the Kojie Bumblebess and the evil empire's train conductors, but as someone whose time in Sing Song is past, I'll tell you this: It's almost more difficult to watch as a spectator, than it was to be involved as a competitor/participant (sure, I could use the more gentle, affirming term "participant" solely, but in anything that involved a contest with the moonies, it was nothing if not a competition).

Sure, my time standing on the stage is gone, and that's a good thing, but a small part of me still hurts for the guys in club that had to be there when the dream died. Those that I talked to on Saturday night kept saying that the streak had to end sometime, but you never want to be part of the group responsible for such an event. Despite the fact that ACU has the 4th-highest total number of NCAA Championships behind UCLA, USC, and Stanford, the largest bragging rights on the Hill each year belong to those who win the big event in February.

From Huck Finn to the Beatles to Top Gun to John Travolta to Frogs who turn into Princes to Firemen, that group for the past 6 years was the men of Gamma Sigma Phi. Now, that title has been passed (albeit unwillingly) to our bitter archrivals, the evil empire. Wherever you are to read this, take a little time to hum a few bars of "We Believe" in remembrance of a fairly remarkable streak.

Dedicated to All You, All Human Beings

It's that time of the year once again.

Time for a member of the Chicago Cubs to make a recklessly bold World Series victory prediction? No, although that did happen. Thanks, Ryan Dempster.

Instead, it is time to travel to the Key City for the phenomenon known as Sing Song. Here's a post from February of 2006 with full photographic evidence of the event that was "The Frog Show". (Warning: The mustache I'm wearing in those photos may be unsuitable for discerning [read as: reasonable] persons).
You can find the pre and post-show entries from last year's show here and here.

For a more focused, and much less biased, view on ACU's largest annual event (I'm looking at you, Lectureship), I'm turning things over to my friend, Sarah Carlson, whose Sing Song piece ran in Wednesday's edition of the Abilene Reporter-News.

Besides Sarah's excellent writing, another highly enjoyable portion of that article is the GSP-galaxy feud breaking out in the comments section. My favorite comment by far is from "TC Hunter 21" who writes: "Personally I think 7 is pretty small, 25 thats an actual accomplishment...lets wait and see what happens."

If that's not a former/current moonie sounding a little bit too much like a Yankees fan taunting a Red Sox supporter by stating that the Boston club's 7 titles are nice, but it's small fries compared to the Yanks' 26 World Series championships, I don't know what is.
Everyone who is headed out to Abilene, be sure to travel safely, and I hope to see some of you there.

I Wish I Was a Messenger and All the News Was Good

I've always made fun of my buddy Mason Orr for wearing the "Michael Bluth" outfit* of khakis and a navy blazer to GSP Formal events while I was at ACU, but Mason might also be able to break out the "Michael Bluth" costume at a future premiere of an Arrested Development film.

This just might be the best news we Arrested fans have heard in a very long time.
Jason Bateman has just confirmed to me that the creative minds behind Arrested Development (Mitch Hurwitz and Ron Howard) have put the wheels in motion toward a major motion picture of the Fox TV comedy so many of us adore. I'm told by insiders that Jason and other Bluth family members have received calls from producers (Hurwitz and Howard) asking if they would be willing to shoot a movie.

"I can confirm that a round of sniffing has started," Bateman says. "Any talk is targeting a poststrike situation, of course. I think, as always, that it's a question of whether the people with the money are willing to give our leader, Mitch Hurwitz, what he deserves for his participation. And I can speak for the cast when I say our fingers are crossed."

"Exclusive! Jason Bateman Confirms Arrested Development Movie Talks" by Kristin Dos Santos (no relation to FC Barcelona star Giovani Dos Santos)

*Editor's Note: In the interest of full disclosure, I have been known to choose the "Michael Bluth" outfit from time to time, especially last summer at my internship. Let's be honest here: It's a standard outfit for American males who have to adhere to a business professional wardrobe at one point or another. Also, Peyton Manning was seen rocking the "Michael Bluth", or as I sometimes also call it, the "Yacht Captain", at Super Bowl XLII. Whether you choose to call it the "Michael Bluth" or the "Yacht Captain", it's really the same thing.

Saturday Night in East Berlin

If the words "Abilene Christian University", "Gamma Sigma Phi", "Sing Song", "The Windmill", "Demetrius Collins", "Luke Reeves', "Clark Packer", or "Ryan Mack" mean anything to you, please watch the following video:

Where Amazing Happens.

I Know You'll Count On the Me From Yesterday

It really was a treat to see so many good friends last night in Arlington at the Hardie-Allen wedding. In one of the country's longest unknown streaks, I was yet again somehow denied the honor of catching the garter by that rascal Jordan Paul Gay, but as a wise man once said, "Tough times don't last but tough people do."

Also, as the editor-in-chief of the Blahg was quick to point out, a special recognition is in order for my good friend Jeff McCain, who has been a faithful reader of Running Down a Dream from Day 1 (a.k.a. October 25, 2004). If any of the rest of you have been reading from the beginning, and somehow feel that I have slighted you by failing to mention your name, by all means, please use the comments section to berate me for this error.

I'll have more later, but right now I need to take some personal time to get in the right frame of mind for the return of American Gladiators to the airwaves. Let's be honest, if you can't get excited about "The Eliminator", you probably have a hard time getting excited about anything.

You also might not have a soul.

It hurts, but it's the truth.

I am One of Those Melodramatic Fools

Controversial Tell-All Book Reveals Wrestling Fans Are Fake

Cole Griffith, Cody Girod, Danny Echols, Mason Orr, Blake Browder, and Jody Garner cannot be pleased with this latest revelation from the world constructed by Vince McMahon.

It's Been Raining for Hours, There's Water Everywhere

2007: Part Deux

July:

• 14: The kids from Memorial C of C in Houston compare me to the evil German camp counselor Lars in Heavyweights. I'm strangely honored.
• 20: Honestly, eating spam is not that bad for a few weeks each summer.
• 26: Lightning and I are almost tragically united.

August:

• 15: I call out Bear Grylles and somehow still survive to this very day.
• 16: Michael Vick: Federal inmate and covert operative for Al Qaeda.
• 22: Anchorwoman begins its rather brief run on Fox. The residents of Tyler exhale as one in response.

September:

• 4: "Battery Hut, Battery Hut, Battery Hut!!!"
• 7: Matt Phillips, we salute you.
• 24: Mike Gundy and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Just a Couple of Guys Keeping Things Crazy.
• 27: If you are a Texas Rangers fan, hope must spring eternal.

October:

• 1: If you don't think this is yet another opportunity to bring up the GSP Sing Song win streak, well, you just don't know me that well.
• 7: I manage to send the Baylor Bear football program to even greater depths of despair.
• 19: College football fan arrogance at its finest.
• 25: The 3rd Anniversary Post.

November:

• 8: The Trinitarian Opposition to the Evil Empire.
• 13: Ruminations on the phenomenon that is Soulja Boy.
• 15: Take it from me on this one: Always try to remember who's alive and who's dead.
• 28: The Sports Guy's date with destiny.

December:

• 5: Take this quiz and help determine the fate of the free world.
• 10: The best piece I've read so far on the 2008 Presidential election.
• 13: Happy Mitchell Report Day!
• 17: Gus Johnson's status as a liar is still up for debate.
• 19: Anton Chigurh v. Jason Bourne for all the marbles.

This is the Greatest and Best Song in the World

During my junior year at ACU, I had the opportunity to attend a conference at Pepperdine Law School and hear Professor Doug Kmiec speak on the relationship between lawyers, faith, and social justice.
Even though I thoroughly enjoyed Professor Kmiec's lecture in 2005, he didn't say anything quite as interesting as suggesting that a Hillary Clinton presidency could possibly see Bill joining the U.S. Supreme Court, as he does in today's Wall Street Journal.

Note: Any and all references to my 2005 journey to Pepperdine should never be confused with the greatness that was the 2006 "Bike to Ride Pepperdine", which you can fondly remember through the following posts.

• The send-off photos courtesy of William Austin Riggs.
• Hanging out with Elvis in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater. At least I think that was Elvis.
• Enjoying victory cigars and purchasing knock-off N.W.A. shirts.
• Visiting Jimmy Kimmel, Homer Simpson, and Chinatown.
• Wreaking havoc at the USC bookstore, being refused entrance to the Rose Bowl, and greeting O.J. and The Duke.
• Riding bikes, more riding bikes, and enjoying Paradise.

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.

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.

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.

We Are So Very Sorry, There is Little We Can Do But Swat Them

Congratulations to Andrew Tuegel for correctly naming "Babylon" by David Gray as the Monday Song of the Day.

Just so you know, the star of the following video once made me fear for my life, and I'm probably not alone when I make that statement.

Yes sir, Master Sergeant Gibson, sir. Amen.

There is a Wall That Runs Right Through Me

Congratulations to Mr. Tim Henderson for correctly naming "Grace" by U2 as the Thursday Song of the Day.


Sometimes life simply makes no sense. None. Aaron Fry, a member of Gamma Sigma Phi who pledged a year after me, died yesterday in Abilene after being thrown from his motorcycle. You can read the Abilene Reporter News release here. Aaron and I were not particularly close, but he was the type of guy who managed to carve his own niche wherever he went. He was a tremendous trumpet player and sang tenor with the best of them. Now, at 22, he's dead.


Any words that I write here will seem inadequate, so I'll simply say this: Aaron, rest in peace, my brother.