This was a response I posted on another blogger's site. He wrote an op-ed about how ESPN is a self-aggrandizing jam.
My response:
Let's be honest with ourselves for a moment.... shall we? ESPN is what the other half of the world follows, aside from day-time soaps. As I age, I hope that my viewership of ESPN will become "my stories." You know, "grandkid, hush your sweet little voice. Granny needs you to turn up those nice young guys on PTI." ESPN is absolutely, one hundred percent, self-indulgent. I have to bribe the other couch owner in my household to sit through it at times. Sure ESPN is flashy and cheeky (and as aforementioned, over-inflated) but WE LOVE IT, CAN'T GET ENOUGH and occasionally come out with real news.
Americans don't want to hear about cricket scores or Japanese soccer leagues - that's what strange concoctions of cable/satellite packages are for. Americans want to hear about American sports. So what do we fill the gaps with? What could we possibly do between closed out innings, championships to pre-seasons (nod to the Saints), slams and tourneys? Wish and pray and hope for overtimes (nod to the Syracuse squad 2009)?
We do all of the above yet we are not fulfilled. Scene 2, enter ESPN. Like the uncle totally full of himself between the turkey dinner and the left-over hoagie, relaying some bull-sh*t story of his latest escapades, we turn to ESPN. We turn to ESPN for the story-lines. We flip to ESPN for something to talk about at the water-cooler. Most importantly we turn to ESPN to satisfy our need in the downtime. So, thank you ESPN. Thank you for keeping my stories alive.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Haynesworth and Hurston
First I need to rip on a "member" of the Washington Redskins - and I'm calling him a "member" since it seems he doesn't care to belong... How much did you get paid to simply stay fit? What the hell did you do in the off-season that inhibits you from doing a few minor sprints? You didn't star in your own reality show - unless losing weight was part of the character development of the new and improved Haynesworth.
So really? Is there a reason that a guy who cashed a bonus check for $21 million a few months ago can't meet the standards for a LINEBACKER? I know your job is to hit people and use your weight to hold the line, but c'mon 92! If I were to cash a check for a cool $21 million I would damn near do as many sit-ups, bicep curls or 2 hour intervals on an elliptical, as Jillian Michaels yelled at me to do. So Jillian, if you're listening - I'm game for $21 million (o.b.o).
Now to Hurston... Zora Neale Hurston that is. In the start-up of 2010 I resolved to read 30 books in 2010. Among the books I have read: Overacheivers by Alexandra Robbins, the entire Harry Potter series by JK Rowling (actually re-read these to gear up for the next cinematic release), the Crucibles of Leadership and the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. After I wrapped up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I decided that while I indulge in leadership texts I should also become a more well read "classics" gal. So the first of the classics that I have picked up is Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.
I am having the most difficult time following the story of this book. I feel like I need to be reading it in a class and that I need some sort of discussion group to help me digest the dialogue. It is truly reading and interpreting another language. I am attempting to get into the story of a strong independent woman (I assume that the lead will start to trek this path) and reading diligently to appreciate this book as an American literary treasure. So far I have gotten more out of reading the time-line of Hurston's life located in the back of the book. If anyone out there can possibly shoot me a hint as to what I am supposed to find in this book, I would greatly appreciate it.
Maybe I am not meant to read fiction. Hopefully, the books you find listed on my new "must read" list offer up a little more at the fiction table. A few of these I read in high school and want to re-read as an adult (noted by an asterisk). Others of the list are books I could use a little help from high school teachers or from English or Lit majors!
Must Read Classic Books
East of Eden
Red Badge of Courage
The Awakening
Uncle Tom's Cabin
1984
Animal Farm
Farenheit 451*
Siddartha
Don Quixote
Walden
Utopia
The Prince
The Republic
Canterbury Tales
Invisible Man
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
A Streetcar Named Desire
The Great Gatsby
A Tale of Two Cities
The Old Man and the Sea
Brave New World
Great Expectations
Lord of the Flies*
Tales of Edgar Allen Poe
Catch 22
Beloved
Grapes of Wrath
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
So really? Is there a reason that a guy who cashed a bonus check for $21 million a few months ago can't meet the standards for a LINEBACKER? I know your job is to hit people and use your weight to hold the line, but c'mon 92! If I were to cash a check for a cool $21 million I would damn near do as many sit-ups, bicep curls or 2 hour intervals on an elliptical, as Jillian Michaels yelled at me to do. So Jillian, if you're listening - I'm game for $21 million (o.b.o).
Now to Hurston... Zora Neale Hurston that is. In the start-up of 2010 I resolved to read 30 books in 2010. Among the books I have read: Overacheivers by Alexandra Robbins, the entire Harry Potter series by JK Rowling (actually re-read these to gear up for the next cinematic release), the Crucibles of Leadership and the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. After I wrapped up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows I decided that while I indulge in leadership texts I should also become a more well read "classics" gal. So the first of the classics that I have picked up is Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.
I am having the most difficult time following the story of this book. I feel like I need to be reading it in a class and that I need some sort of discussion group to help me digest the dialogue. It is truly reading and interpreting another language. I am attempting to get into the story of a strong independent woman (I assume that the lead will start to trek this path) and reading diligently to appreciate this book as an American literary treasure. So far I have gotten more out of reading the time-line of Hurston's life located in the back of the book. If anyone out there can possibly shoot me a hint as to what I am supposed to find in this book, I would greatly appreciate it.
Maybe I am not meant to read fiction. Hopefully, the books you find listed on my new "must read" list offer up a little more at the fiction table. A few of these I read in high school and want to re-read as an adult (noted by an asterisk). Others of the list are books I could use a little help from high school teachers or from English or Lit majors!
Must Read Classic Books
East of Eden
Red Badge of Courage
The Awakening
Uncle Tom's Cabin
1984
Animal Farm
Farenheit 451*
Siddartha
Don Quixote
Walden
Utopia
The Prince
The Republic
Canterbury Tales
Invisible Man
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
A Streetcar Named Desire
The Great Gatsby
A Tale of Two Cities
The Old Man and the Sea
Brave New World
Great Expectations
Lord of the Flies*
Tales of Edgar Allen Poe
Catch 22
Beloved
Grapes of Wrath
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Is Cincy big enough for two?
Leave it to me to write something in regard to sports and competition as my first real blog entry.
As of roughly 5:30 p.m. cst, this evening Terrell Owens and the Cincinnati Bengals agreed to a 1 year deal worth up to $4 million (including base salary and incentives). Immediately following the announcement/breaking news on the ESPN ticker the desk anchor had received word in his ear piece that Chad Ochocinco was joining the telecast via telephone (honestly, I am a little surprised that the star of a Vh1 reality show had time to do anything other than weed out 84 women to get down to his #1 -suppose production has wrapped with larger things on the horizon like training camp). So Chad chats up the desk anchor and is a little cheeky and playful with word choice. The anchor asked what 85 thought of two large personalities running off the same line - how would they share the spotlight? 85 mentions that he and T.O. will be like Bonnie and Clyde or Batman and Robin - does this guy realize that not only were those two fictious characters (maybe the TO and 85 memoirs will be found in the 'fiction' section at Barnes and Noble next February) but the two duos were a clear 'I'm the head honcho and you are the sidekick." As Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler would say, "REALLY?!" No offense to the Bengals or the state of Ohio - I know everyone is healing in their own way after the departure of LBJ, but haven't the Bengals just attempted a "Heat-esque" move of their own? Even if the Bengals don't prosper in the WIN column this year there will certainly be some press from this next installment of as the world turns - pro athletes moving themselves throughout the league to stack a deck. As aforementioned, not sure if the mix will work out for Cincy. Hell, the place could end up better than before but if they are anything like me when it comes to mixing zesty ingredients their marinara sauce could leave little to be desired.
As of roughly 5:30 p.m. cst, this evening Terrell Owens and the Cincinnati Bengals agreed to a 1 year deal worth up to $4 million (including base salary and incentives). Immediately following the announcement/breaking news on the ESPN ticker the desk anchor had received word in his ear piece that Chad Ochocinco was joining the telecast via telephone (honestly, I am a little surprised that the star of a Vh1 reality show had time to do anything other than weed out 84 women to get down to his #1 -suppose production has wrapped with larger things on the horizon like training camp). So Chad chats up the desk anchor and is a little cheeky and playful with word choice. The anchor asked what 85 thought of two large personalities running off the same line - how would they share the spotlight? 85 mentions that he and T.O. will be like Bonnie and Clyde or Batman and Robin - does this guy realize that not only were those two fictious characters (maybe the TO and 85 memoirs will be found in the 'fiction' section at Barnes and Noble next February) but the two duos were a clear 'I'm the head honcho and you are the sidekick." As Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler would say, "REALLY?!" No offense to the Bengals or the state of Ohio - I know everyone is healing in their own way after the departure of LBJ, but haven't the Bengals just attempted a "Heat-esque" move of their own? Even if the Bengals don't prosper in the WIN column this year there will certainly be some press from this next installment of as the world turns - pro athletes moving themselves throughout the league to stack a deck. As aforementioned, not sure if the mix will work out for Cincy. Hell, the place could end up better than before but if they are anything like me when it comes to mixing zesty ingredients their marinara sauce could leave little to be desired.
In the beginning...
The initial idea for me to write a blog was inspired by many things. First and foremost, I miss the classroom. I could never have imagined that I would have missed the homework, the debate, the (at times) unending drone of lectures, but I freely admit, I miss it. After I graduated from grad school I found it difficult to identify people outside of my workspace who would/could debate issues in higher education. Now, I have ventured further out into the 'real world' and it seems there are even fewer people that I come into contact with in my day-to-day routine whom I would delve into a conversation with further than, "how are you? How about those Chiefs or the Saints?"
The second inspiration for this blog stems from the first. I have a true desire to converse with people in a meaningful way and build relationships deeper than the surface. It's safe to call this the "welcome to our bond" moment if you are familiar with Greek Life or Phi Mu. If you are reading this, I strongly encourage you to engage me!
In an effort to satisfy my pursuit of life-long learning, whatever the subject, this blog is intended to serve as an outlet for the random thoughts that pop into my head. Each and every day I entertain thoughts on everything from leadership theory to box scores to mechanical/operational systems. Damn near everything in this world interests me. Please trust me when I say that I have asked a question out loud, pondered a question silently, or will inevitably do one of those two things in the future with regard to whatever strikes my fancy.
So there you have it - tune in, join in and buckle up. This could certainly be entertaining!
Oh, and one more thing... Thanks for believing in me and heart to hearts.
The second inspiration for this blog stems from the first. I have a true desire to converse with people in a meaningful way and build relationships deeper than the surface. It's safe to call this the "welcome to our bond" moment if you are familiar with Greek Life or Phi Mu. If you are reading this, I strongly encourage you to engage me!
In an effort to satisfy my pursuit of life-long learning, whatever the subject, this blog is intended to serve as an outlet for the random thoughts that pop into my head. Each and every day I entertain thoughts on everything from leadership theory to box scores to mechanical/operational systems. Damn near everything in this world interests me. Please trust me when I say that I have asked a question out loud, pondered a question silently, or will inevitably do one of those two things in the future with regard to whatever strikes my fancy.
So there you have it - tune in, join in and buckle up. This could certainly be entertaining!
Oh, and one more thing... Thanks for believing in me and heart to hearts.
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