A Little of Everything

I haven't posted in a few days sooo let's see what's been goin' on. First of all, tomorrows my birthday, so this isn't gonna be a long post. In any case, I'm turning 20 tomorrow. Meaningless. Nothing good happens. Besides the obvious perk of turning 21, which I obviously can't wait for, I've been to the Jersey Shore twice this summer (so far) and I'm dying to go to Atlantic City to gamble. And now, I still have 365 days to go and it's killing me. For the first time, I hate being younger than everyone in my year. Last weekend, I had an awesome time at the shore with my friends from the camp where I worked for the previous two summers (Kuhn Day Camp). We had a ton of fun...I just don't remember it. And then we spent Sunday recovering and watching the deluge of rain that closed the Schuykill and delayed our trip home, which didn't disappoint, cuz I'm pretty sure we saw a dead guy (my first) under a truck in a car accident. Sick weekend.
It kinda sucks that I'll be leaving for school so soon because I'm really gonna miss all those guys (and girls). Which brings me to my next topic.

I have 10--yep, just 10--days until I leave for school, a semester abroad in Hong Kong. I'm wicked excited. I have no doubt in my mind it will be the time of my life seeing China, studying abroad, and traveling Southeast Asia (and hopefully Australia!). This summer has been full of anticipation for next semester and now I can hardly believe how close it is. Like I said, it's bittersweet; it's obviously going to be an incredible experience, but I'm also leaving behind the comforts of unbelievable fun friends at home, a tight-knit group of friends at school (who are going abroad 2nd semester so I won't see them for so long), and just being back at SU. So yeah...wish me luck! I'll be posting on here from China, so you can all still hear from me once in a while :-)

Oh, and today was my last day of work for the summer. I spent the summer in Jean Claude Bradley's organic chemistry research lab at Drexel University, and it was a great experience for me. I was able to get great lab and research experience and had 2 great mentors in Dr. Bradley and the Post-Doc in his lab, Khalid Mirza. I'll be a big chem nerd and do a post on that sometime in the next week (I'll be out with camp friends for most of the week again!) but I just wanted to check in and say hi to everyone!

'Roid Rage

It just never ends. I was shocked when I found out Alex Rodriguez was found to have used steroids. He was supposed to be the savior of baseball through the Steroids Era, and he failed. I was shocked when I found out Manny Ramirez was found to have used steroids, too. He was one of the most feared hitters in the Major League Baseball, but it was all a fraud. Now? I honestly wasn't surprised when reports surfaced that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez (yep, again), are also on the same list as A-Rod of players testing positive for steroid use in 2003. Ortiz is another of baseball's great clutch hitters (or was...though he's getting back in his groove), but sadly, the steroids reports are no longer surprising. In fact, I would venture to say they're expected, if not already assumed.

So now what? Out of 104 player's names on an anonymous, confidential list of positive steroids test from 2003, only a few names names have been released: Ortiz, Ramirez, Rodriguez, and Sammy Sosa (geez Sammy, way tot bust up the alliteration). All big names. All illegally released (or leaked). Absolutely ridiculous. First of all, why did none of this come up in the Mitchell Report (or click here to read the summary in lieu of the 409 page report), the 2007 report commission by the government and headed by US Rep. George Mitchell to wrap up all steroids allegations? Secondly, who's leaking these names? The testing was anonymous and only MLB and the government have access to the sealed file. Whether it's an MLB staffer or a fed, there's a leak on the inside somewhere. And to boot, it's a federal crime. Also, why didn't Ortiz know about the positive test, or so he claims? Either he was stalling to talk to agents and lawyers, or he really didn't know. And I hope it's now the latter; if it wasn't bad enough to blindside the fans, it's ridiculously unfair to blindside the players...Finally, why are these names just trickling out? If you're leaking the list, man up and leak the whole thing. It's unfair to Manny, A-Rod, Big Papi, and Sosa (damn Sammy, get a sweet nickname...Slammin' Sammy ruins my rhythm again!) for them to be singled out. Yes, they're the biggest headline-making names and allows for idiot journalists to focus in on just one player at a time, but it's not good publicity for baseball. Every time a name is released, the anti-steroid, anti-baseball sentiment spikes and the rumors and reports fly off the shelves. Slowly but surely, tensions ease (for a month or two), and then the cycle starts over again. It's a painful situation for the players, teams, owners, and most of all the fans. It's taxing. It's tiring. And it needs to end. Two options:

1. Seal the List. For Good. Sniff out the leak, stop releasing names, and persecute the heck out of the rat. After all, it's a federal offense and someone's gotta make an example to keep this from happening again. Is it fair? Almost 100 players get off for free while the superstars named that's year take all the blame. It's immoral for sure, but at least it's legal.


2. Spill the Beans. Release all the names and get it over with. No more names trickling out, no more circus acts in the clubhouse, and all the guilty parties will be known. Yes, things may be hectic for a while, but one spike is more manageable and less taxing than repeated flare-ups. But it's illegal...So unless the seal is removed, then someone's gotta break the law.

But seriously, enough's enough. A slew of players and managers, including Torii Hunter and Ozzie Guillen, have said it's time for the list to be released. There's only so much of this reporting that everyone can take. I too think the list should be released. The Steroid Era is essentially over, and with all the names released then we can stop dwelling on the darker days of baseball.

And you know the craziest part of it all? Jose Canseco was right...the whole time. He was chastised for releasing his two books detailing the Steroid Era, and no one believed him, but as it turns out, he was right all along. Here's his take on today's news: "When you tell me something I didn't already know, I'll be surprised". I think I would start taking Canseco seriously (even if he challenged Vai Sikahema, a former NFLer to a boxing match..and lost. Badly. The video is hysterical). And now Canseco says MLB has a huge problem on their hands: though he refused to name names, he said there is a steroid user in the Hall of Fame. McGwire, Sosa, Palmeiro, Bonds, and Co. haven't made it in yet, and hopefully the Baseball Writers of America will take a stand and ban them from the Hall. But if what Canseco says is true, and I believe it is, then I am seriously worried for baseball when that controversy explodes. But for now, let's stop the bleeding. Release the list and end the tortuous cycle.

P.S. For another, albeit similar take on this, check out Curt Schilling's blog (I wouldn't be surprised if his name was next...). Always controversial, never afraid to speak his mind. Et voila.

BroLance (A poor play on Bromance)

So today finally marked the end of the 3500km, 3 week, king of all cycling races--the Tour de France. As some of you, or at least my followers probably know, Lance Armstrong is one of my life's role models, an absolute inspiration, and a real-life superhero. And to see him stand on the lowest rung of the podium on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, with the Arc de Triomphe, and not clad in the yellow jersey was a strange sight to say the least. It had never happened before, Lance not finishing the race on top. But no one, not even the bad-mouthing French who look for any and every way to hate Lance Armstrong, thought badly of Lance today. Three and a half years without cycling competitively and at 37 years old, Lance came back and nearly on top. It's crazy that anyone could leave a sport like cycling and return over three years later and be competitive. But Lance one-upped the odds. Not only was he competitive, but he re-asserted himself right at the top of the sport like he never left. What a remarkable feat. This year's Tour just adds another chapter in the storied life of Lance Armstrong.

So he is human. He can't always win. But that just makes him all the more likeable, which is exactly what he needed. Announcing his return, Lance never said he was coming back to win (although it clearly was a great motivator), but to raise awareness for his Livestrong foundation and campaign for finding a cure to cancer. Lance rode for Astana for no salary. He rode hand-painted bikes which will be auctioned off with proceeds going to Livestrong (on the final stage, his bike was covered in dead butterflies). He promoted Livestrong in the Tour Down Under, the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and every other race on his docket. He scheduled meetings with heads of state and cancer researchers worldwide, before, after, and during his races. And he once again proved that even if you're down, you're never out of it. Hats off to Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck for placing 1st and 2nd in the Tour, but Lance and Livestrong were clearly the real winners. And if his work with Livestrong didn't make him enough of a winner, he brought up TV viewership of the Tour almost 60% from 2008. Maybe, as Lance says, it's not all about the bike. This year's tour proved it's all about Lance.

Furthermore, Lance announced his sponsor for the Tour de France in 2010--yes, he will ride again!--is Radio Shack. Thus, after Columbia-HTC and Garmin-Slipstream, Team Radio Shack will be the third major American team in the professional cycling circuit, truly a sign that the sport is gaining in popularity in the US. For lots of Americans including myself, seeing an American (regardless of the fact that it was my role model) standing on the podium at the conclusion of the greatest race in the world is a huge motivator to pursue cycling, whether it be as a hobby or as a career. Though it's a year away, next year's tour promises to be even greater than this year's Tour; Contador will be on a new team, Lance will ride for Radio Shack with a full year under his belt, the Schleck brothers and Bradley Wiggins will be stronger, and maybe well find out if anyone will ever beat Mark Cavendish on a sprint...I can't wait.

Kickin' The Bucket

So I guess this is sort of the home-stretch of summer...under 4 weeks until I head off to school, my work in the organic chemistry lab I've worked in this summer is coming to a close, and I'm realizing I have less and less time to see all the people I won't see for another 5, or possibly 12 months. This weekend was a great way to start it all off: Thursday I went to NYC and spent the day, albeit mostly alone, to get my visa! I got to see a bunch of people there at night though (Madison, Emma, Ray, and my sister), had a great time, spent the night, and came back in the morning. I spent the rest of Friday and all of Saturday with my co-workers from the past two summers, and we always have a good time. I visited them all at work (a day camp for inner-city kids in Philly) and a ton of kids remembered me, which was a totally awesome feeling. Saturday I went out with them again for a day of fun: tubing on the Delaware River, dinner, shopping, and hanging out/relaxing poolside at night. I hadn't seen them in a really long time, so seeing them was a great time. Finally, yesterday I saw Bruno with my dad and brother, which was hilarious. Yea, it was inappropriate and insensitive, but if you didn't think it was funny then I seriously doubt you have a sense of humor.

So far, I've covered all my bases. Some family time, some friends time, and some time preparing for next semester. Plus, I've been watching the Tour de France--sadly, Lance looks like he's relinquishing his chances of winning the tour to Alberto Contador, but 2nd place isn't bad for a 37 year old man. Yet he still maintained his graciousness, even in defeat, and I believe he is one of, if not the classiest athlete in all of sports. In any case, managing all my time like this had me really thinking about my future, both near and far. Thus, I've come up with a sport-y Bucket List of things I want to do in the next 20 years, inspired by ESPN's Rick Reilly. Check it out, it's a great article, though I would certainly differ from a few of his. But I guess that's why everyone has their own bucket list.

1. Run a Marathon. Hopefully in under 4 hours. I've been exercising a few times a week to keep my body in shape, but I think it will take a lot more time, a lot more exercise, and a lot more dedication to run a marathon. I was never a great (or good) athlete, so completing one of the most difficult challenges in all of sport would be an incredible accomplishment for me.

2. Complete a Triathlon/Iron-Man. Pretty much along the same lines as the marathon, but it takes a completely well-rounded athlete to do this. Yes, I can swim 1.5km. I can bike 40km. And I can run 10km. But consecutively? I don't stand a chance. Moreover, an ironman is truly epic: 2.4mi swim, 112mi bike, 26.2mi run. A marathon AFTER swimming and running?! That's downright insane. But hey, hopefully I can give it a shot someday.

3. Catch a foul ball. I've been to at least 100 baseball games in my life, I've never caught an elusive homerun or foul ball. You figure once in my lifetime, I'll be one of the lucky 20-30 fans a game who catch a ball. Out of 40,000. If nothing else, Karma will hopefully send one my way.

4. Attend a championship clinching game, hopefully for one of my favorite teams. I can't imagine a better feeling than seeing your team win a championship, in person, surrounded by thousands of strangers with the same feeling as you.

5. Play a round of golf at Augusta National. Even though I'd have to pay an arm and a leg to get in, and even though I stink at golf, it's iconic. There's so much history there. Not to set foot on the hallowed grounds of Augusta, where so many legends have walked before, would be a crime.

6. Dunk on a basketball net. Yeah, its 10 feet tall, but this is what a bucket list is for! Plus, I would take it even if Shaq picked me up, let me sit on his shoulders, and I dropped the ball in.

7, 8, 9. Attend an event at each of the following (this could be a separate bucket list all in itself): Fenway Park (Red Sox vs. Yankees, on the Monster preferably). Wrigley Field, afternoon game. Wimbledon. See the Tour de France ride down the Champs Elysees. Kentucky Derby. The Masters. Ohio State v. Michigan at the Horseshoe. See a cricket match. And go to the World Cup.

10. Ride in the Tour de France. I watch this event every year, and I love cycling. I'm a pretty good climber, and if I ever found the motivation (besides this Bucket List) to train and excel in this sport, then riding in the TdF would be my ultimate dream...some kids want to be astronauts, I want to ride up the Alpe d'Huez--the most difficult and storied climb in the history of the tour, pictured here. I don't need to win, I don't even need to come close. I just want to do it. Hey, I can dream, can't I? While my head's in the clouds, how bout making it to the Olympics?

I like to set lofty goals...so sue me. It could happen. And if and when they do, I'll be sure to let you know and rub it in your face.

P.S. Any suggestions? Additions? Replacements? Let me know!

P.S.S. I love lists. My friend Nate wrote a great blog entry on the Top 10 moments of the year thus far. Check it out, fo sho.

Palahni-yuk?

So I finished reading my third book of the summer. I don't think I've read three books this quickly since...well, never. Granted, one of them was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (less than 2 days til the movie!!!!) because I needed a refresher, but the other two were both written by Chuck Palahniuk, my new-found favorite author...which is of course a meaningless title because I barely ever read. Nevertheless, I love his books. I love how he writes and I love what he writes about. If you didn't know, Chuck Palahniuk wrote Fight Club (now a movie starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton) and Choke (which also recently became a movie). He's also written 8 or 9 other fiction books, each one more grotesque and slightly disturbing than the next. Maybe it's because I find books and stories so boring that I like his books (even weirder is that I was excited to find out he may write a sequel to Rant. Me excited about a sequel!?). Thus far I've read Choke, about a sex-addict who purposely chokes on food in fancy restaurants for money, Pygmy, Chuck's newest book about a foreign exchange student with plans to destroy America, and Rant, a story about a man ("Rant" Casey) living in the future who is the source of a world-wide, fatal epidemic. His books are exciting, his stories are fun and different (and maybe even a little gross), and his characters develop incredibly well over the course of the book. I'm not really smart enough to give you a whole book review or analyze and critique his writing, but his writing style is definitely really cool (Yep, I described his style as cool. Clearly I read a lot of books and always paid attention in English class...). For instance, Pygmy was written entirely from Pygmy's point of view, so the entire book is written in broken and jumbled English. Rant on the other hand is written as an oral history, so the whole book is a compilation of interviews of his family, friends, and other experts. Each book offers something different and new, and Palahniuk's writing is so versatile that there's a book of his for everyone. And there's always a twist in his books...but obviously I can't tell you cuz that would ruin everything.

Rant was one of the weirdest books I've ever read, but fun nonetheless. Palahniuk's descriptions of people and places (not just in Rant, but in all his books) are so powerful and poignant that the story comes alive in my head. With that in mind, Chuck's books are also seen as disgusting by his detractors and critics. His descriptions of Rant include stories of how he can identify a person by their used condom or tampon, and how he can tell what a girl ate for dinner 2 days ago by...well, it's just not appropriate. But to me, that's what makes his stories fun, different, intriguing, and captivating. Next on my reading list is Invisible Monsters, another one of his books, and then Fight Club, seeing as it's my #1 favorite movie and I've never read the book. So I highly recommend Chuck Palahniuk if you're in the mood for a crazy and slightly disturbing story. They're fun, a pretty easy read, and it'll take you for a wild ride.

PS If you've read his books or read one in the future, let me know what you think!

The 8th Wonder of the World

Was there a more beautiful sight yesterday than that of the Astana cycling team in Southern France, pushing through an incredibly difficult Stage 4 Tour de France team time trial? Absolutely not. After a 4 year break from the Tour, the team time trial returned and did so in style, with the ultra-talented Astana team cruising to victory on a technically difficult course and setting up great suspense and drama for the next 18 days of the Tour. For those unfamiliar with the subject, the team time trial is an event in which teams (of 9 people each) race alone on a designated course. The Tour is of course a team event as well as an individual event, so this stage was a very important one. Teams usually align themselves in single-file formation--see the picture--for drafting, so only one team member is exposed to the wind, thus working significantly harder, at a time. Yesterday was unique in that the crosswinds forced teams to align in echelon-formation, a slightly diagonal line to protect themselves from wind blowing against them at an angle. The team records the time of the 5th rider to cross the finish line, thus 4 riders are "expendable" though it is unwise to lose riders--the more riders in formation, the more people rotate to spend time "pulling" against the wind, and the faster a team can go. Of course it is also unwise to slow down to wait for struggling team members, so the strategy of the event can be fairly complex.

Team Astana dominated the team time trial yesterday, easily beating the 19 other teams en route to the stage victory. A nice rivalry has formed between Astana, Team Columbia-HTC (pictured here--Mark Cavendish is wearing the Green Jersey as the best sprinter so far), and Team Garmin-Chipotle (I love the sponsored names), with Astana the only non-American team in the triumvirate (wow, that is a beautiful vocab word and I have no idea where that came from in my head) of powerful biking teams. The beauty of the team time trial though is truly astounding (insert Astana/astounding pun here). The speed and power generated by Astana was incredible, almost as breath-taking as the elegance and grace with which the Astana rode. Riders were moving at speeds approaching 40 mph...on a bike...on flat land...with a crosswind. It might be hard for non-bikers to appreciate, but it's stunning to think a "train" (as bikers say) of riders can move as fast as you drive your car, and they have to manually push against the wind. That's the power and speed of it. Then, each team member perfectly tucks behind another, all the riders cycling in rhythm with a perfect rotation (cycle, if you will) of riders going from the front to the rear of the drafting line. Graceful and elegant, indeed. And consider that all the riders are wearing almost the exact same outfit on nearly identical bikes in the sunny countryside in Southern France and the team time trial is aesthetically pleasing, to boot.

And as if that wasn't enough, the team time trial stirred up all kinds of drama in the overall standings. In stage 3, the peloton (main pack) of riders was split in two by an attack by Team Columbia in crosswinds, with Lance Armstrong making it into the front pack and most rivals stuck in the rear. Though Lance remained 40 seconds back of Fabian Cancellara for the overall lead, he leadfrogged teammates Andreas Kloden, Levi Leipheimer, and most importantly, main rival Alberto Contador (the Spanish time trial champion--he's wearing the Spanish colors in the picture) and moved from 10th place to 3rd place. The drama between Armstrong and Contador is of course well-documented, with two (or really four) viable Tour contenders on one team. [Again, for those unfamiliar, a team usually has just one leader and the other 8 riders on a team do everything the can to support that rider--pulling the wind, setting a tempo/cadence, pacing a leader uphill, and more. Thus a team with 2 leaders can be torn; even though it is early, Lance jumped over Contador instead of helping him to the front. As Lance said about himself, "I've won 7 tours, so I think I deserve some credit." And of course he does. But until his comeback, this was Contador's team and it will be a real battle between these two supposed teammates to see who emerges. Thus, the drama between them.] Anyway, with Lance behind Cancellara (the Swiss time trial champion) by 40 seconds, Astana needed to ride 40 seconds faster than Cancellara's team Saxo Bank. Turns out, after 3/4 of the course, Astana was up by 41 seconds, good enough to remarkably put Lance back in the leader's yellow jersey. Astana finished 40 seconds behind...a virtual tie between Cancellara and Armstrong. Reverting back to hundredths of a second, Cancellara retained the lead by the slimmest of margins, 0.22 seconds. So with Lance less than half a second off the lead, the tour is getting very interesting. Plus, with Lance 2nd, Contador 3rd, Leipheimer 4th, and Kloden 5th, Astana has 4 riders in the top 5...incredible. Oh, and we're headed to Lance's home away from home, the mountains. As if the tour hasn't already stirred up enough drama, Fridays HC (hors categorie, beyond category) climb to the finish in Spain will be a spectacular sight. But still not as stunning as yesterday's team time trial. You can keep up with TdF news and results here!

A Weekend of Independence

Such a cheesy title, I know. This week(end) I went down to the Jersey shore with some friends for a few days of fun and relaxation, free of parents and free of work. It felt so good just to get away for a little while and chill out under the sun and in the cool, seaweedy waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Obviously, my shiny white skin got a little burnt (and a little tan too?) but hanging out was well worth it. Here's a BRIEF overview of the weekend, no need to go into such detail:

Wednesday evening, Lizzy picked me up and drove to the shore, getting there around 7:30. We drove around Ventnor/Margate, then returned to the condo and walked to Sack O' Subs for dinner. My pizza steak hit the spot...until I realized just how much I ate and quickly sunk into a food coma. We went back to the condo, turned on the TV and watched Pirates of the Caribbean. A tradition was quickly born: Rummy 500 Card Night for Lizzy and me, and the inaugural event was won by yours truly.

Thursday morning we watched Serena Williams' semifinal match at Wimbledon and strolled down to the beach. Usually I can't sit still for more than 5 minutes at the beach between the hot sun (and my pale skin) and the refreshing ocean waters, but the entire weekend I managed to just relax, apply some sunscreen, and actually read. And I hate reading. But between Rant, by Chuck Palahniuk (my absolute favorite author) and re-reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I was set. We laid out most of the day, went to Jalapenos (a fantasticcc salad place), and came back to the beach to find our belongings nearly swallowed by high tide. We romantically walked the beach to Atlantic City (Lizzy and I have a strange habit of doing very couple-y things even though we're not dating. We went to a Coldplay concert together surrounded by couples of all ages, go to Phillies games together, went to one of those high school/middle school carnivals together and rode the gravitron by ourselves, and now our walks on the beach) and back and gathered out stuff from the beach. Returning to the condo, we took a dip in the uncomfortably warm pool, showered, and snacked while watching the Phillies game. Rummy score: Marshall 1, Lizzy 1. Lizzy's friends Eileen and Liz joined us Thursday night, and we hung out in the condo before embarking on a LATE night walk to Atlantic City. And by late, I mean we foolishly didn't leave til about midnight. I spoiled my virgin eyes by going into some casinos to use the bathroom, Lizzy almost got picked up by a super-senior citizen who thought she was a prostitute, and we didn't get back til 4am. All in all, a great day. (PS the picture is of Lizzy and her...old friend at 2am outside the casinos in AC. HAHAHA.)

Friday, we went back to the beach. Gorgeous weather, perfect beach (and pool) day. We were way too tired to go out again Friday night, so Lizzy's dad (who drove down to the shore in the morning) took us all out to dinner at Lamberti's, which was excellent Italian food, and an even nicer setting as we were outside on the bay to watch the sun set. And sadly, Lizzy claimed victory in our best-of-three Rummy night, 2-1.

Saturday was more of the same. First watched Serena beat Venus, then headed to the beach. Went in the ocean, read some more (which, again, is really weird of me), and got some color. Even though it was July 4th, the beach wasn't swarming with shore-goers, or at least not in Ventnor. We sat out for a few hours, then packed up our stuff and cleaned off at the condo. We headed home, but not after an absolutely perfectly beautiful weekend down the Jersey shore. Free of parents and free of responsibility. Happy July 4th weekend to all!

Behold the Power of Sports

There are few things in this world that successfully unify a country, and two of them occurred simultaneously on Sunday: sports and tragedy. The unifying power of tragedy is the more obvious; in times of need, a country can rally around each other to strengthen the patriotic bonds that tie this country together. Tragedy has most recently unified this country after 9/11. It was hard to go anywhere without seeing Old Glory flapping in the wind, candlelight vigils in communities around America, and chants of U.S.A. at professional sporting events from San Francisco to New York City. The competition of professional sports can be at times, quite divisive (see Yankees/Red Sox, Ohio State/Michigan, UNC/Duke, Eagles/Cowboys, etc...) but it can also be an incredibly strong means of cohesion. The Olympics are the quintessential example of this; who doesn't root for their country to win the medals race every other winter and summer? It's a matter of national pride to win the most medals or beat a rival country, and citizens quickly evolve into fans trying to push their country to the top of the sports world, literally.

So what can be said for the Confederations Cup this past week? With the United States just barely squeaking by into the semi-finals, nobody expected them to beat Spain, the world's number 1 ranked team. But they did. And people noticed. A country with fewer soccer fans than citizens of Vatican City rallied behind their soccer team and cheered them onto a 2-0 win over Spain. I can't even count the speed with which my Facebook news feed blew up with statuses about the game. And while I know I may have a few friends who watch soccer, there was certainly a discrepancy between the number of soccer-watching friends and soccer-loving statuses after the game. Not to mention soccer--soccer!?--yes soccer, was the headline on ESPN.com, a rarity indeed.

And then Sunday struck. Confederations Cup championship game, USA vs. Brazil. In just 45 minutes, the United States soccer team had millions of Americans surrounding their TV screens watching their soccer team outwit, outplay, and outlast Brazil (Yes, that's the Survivor slogan and I just felt like using it), up 2-0 at halftime. American pride oozed from homes across the country. And then tragedy (and perhaps reality) struck. Brazil struck three times in the 2nd half to take the lead, 3-2, and they held on to win the game. Yes, spirits were down, but the US soccer team had succeeded in turning a country of bystanders into a country of fans. The loss couldn't damper the American spirit and pride generated from a once meaningless game. A classic example of sports and tragedy unifying a country and regenerating pride in the US of A. And I can guarantee that one year from now back in South Africa, millions of Americans will remember the Confederations Cup, rally behind their team, and try to push them to the finals, a place they have never been before.

An Eventful Day

Wow. There is so much to say about today, I really don't know where to start. First of all, I'll keep things short on the passing of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. They were spectacular entertainers, and one's who will be sorely missed. Farrah's battle with cancer was well documented and hopefully she is now in a better place. The death of "The King of Pop" is too very sad as his music helped to transform American pop music. Disappointingly, the media has turned his death into a second coming of a P.T. Barnum circus; I know fans around the world are mourning his death, but the coverage is exhaustive, tiring, repetitive, and unnecessary. I channel surfed past Nancy Grace (who gives Glenn Beck a serious run for his money as the most despicable newscaster on TV) on CNN tonight as she discussed Jackson's death. It has already been well documented he died of a heart attack, and even though the on-site reporter repeated that several times, she continued to ask questions about foul play with drugs and alcohol. That kind of reporting is downright disgusting, trying to capitalize on one man's death for better TV ratings. In any case, the media coverage is outlandishly extensive and little more needs to be said about Michael Jackson's death; his spirit will live on forever through his music.


Moving on, it was a big day for the NBA with big trades and a big draft. The day started with Shaquille O'Neal aka The Shaq Daddy aka the Shaqtus aka the Big Aristotle being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Shaq and Lebron James on the same team will incite fear in locker rooms across the NBA. No doubt in my mind Shaq will win his fifth NBA championship in Cleveland. He just seems to be a perfect compliment to superstar players: Kobe in LA, Dwayne Wade in Miami, and now LBJ. And I know Kobe was criticized for not winning championships without Shaq until this year, but it will be different for Lebron now. Shaq is past his prime. He's not a role player, but he's not the superstar either, so it won't reflect negatively on Lebron when (not if) they win a championship. Funny I'm saying this with the Orlando Magic trading for Vince Carter today from the NJ Nets. The Magic will be a tough match again...Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson and possibly Hedo Turkoglu. That is a thorough, complete, and dominant starting 5. Maybe the best in the league. The Finals just ended 2 weeks ago and I'm already intrigued for 2009-2010.


As if that wasn't enough for the NBA, the draft was a big success today. The NBA puts on a respectable and commendable draft in Madison Square Garden. Even though I loathe David Stern, he does a great job with the draft. Combine that with solid ESPN coverage and the draft is really a success. Five minute rounds in a orderly, organized, and classy manner is the perfect set up compared to the helter-skelter, over-hyped, and 2-day event that is the NFL draft. And watching Jeff van Gundy, Jay Bilas, and Stuart Scott beats Chris Berman, Chris Mortensen, and Mel Kiper Jr. any day of the week. And congrats to Israeli guard Omri Casspi for being the first Israeli player drafted to the NBA. Unfortunately that's all I know about him, which is considerably more than NBA "analyst" and moron Fran Frischilla, who could only muster up "I hope they have good falafel in Sacramento!" followed by forced laughter and awkward silence. But yeah, congrats to the NBA for a job well done on a big day.


And for those interested, Astana announced their roster for the 2009 Tour de France, and as expected Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador, Andreas Kloden, and Levi Leipheimer all made the team, and all have a chance to win the tour. In his bio, Contador was listed as the team leader, but I have my doubts. Ill leave it there for now, it's been a long day.

How Do We Let This Happen?

As citizens of the United States of America, we have the privilege of living in a democracy, and thus it is bestowed upon us to elect leaders that will represent us in government. After exhausting campaigns, there is not much we do not know about the people serving America on our behalf. The same goes for appointed officials; local, state, and the federal government perform thorough background checks on everything from personal lives to tax records to ensure our leaders are in fact qualified to be our leaders. So why, time after time, do politicians get away with corruption and scandals? Today, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford (R) admitted to having an affair with an Argentine woman, Maria, since July 2008. Even worse, he finally fessed up after a 4-day disappearing act--how does a United States Governor go away without anyone knowing!?--where it turns out he was...back in Argentina! (One can only presume he was saying "adios" to his senorita). As if the affair wasn't bad enough, the neglect of his gubernatorial work is even more concerning, and honestly, the whole thing just blows my mind.

Gov. Sanford's infidelity is just another item on the laundry list of recent political scandals.

• Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Enough said.


• Gov. Jim McGreevey (D, NJ), married and father of two, admits he is gay and had an affair with a man


• Rep. Mark Foley (R, FL) is accused of sending sexually explicit IMs and emails to congressional pages. The kicker: he resigns and checks into rehab for alcoholism


• Sen. David Vitter (R, LA)'s phone number appears on the records of a DC escort service.

Shall I go on? Yes? If you insist...

• (My Personal Favorite Scandal) Sen. Larry Craig (R, ID) tries to solicit sex in a bathroom stall (he claims he has a "wide stance") in a Minneapolis airport...from a cop. He pleads guilty and resigns, then tries to rescind his plea and un-resign. Oh, and he denies being gay. HA!


• Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D, NY), known for fighting corruption, is found to have solicited sex from a prostitute and resigns. He is now writing for a really crappy magazine.


• Fmr Sen. John Edwards (D, NC) fesses up to having an affair after vehemently denying it two years earlier, killing his bid to become the Democrat presidential nominee in 2008.


• Sen. John Ensign (R, NV) also admits to having an affair with a female employee.

And those were just the sex scandals. Don't forget Sen. Ted Stevens (R, AK), who embezzled $250,000 worth of gifts from his oil company. Or Rep. Tim Mahoney (D, FL) who agreed to pay an employee $120,000 to keep her from suing him for sexual harassment--side note: Mahoney served the same district as Foley after Foley resigned...that district is really screwed. And Rep. Vito Fossella (R, NY) was found guilty of DUI and then admitted to having an extramarital affair and child. Double whammy! (By the way, the pictures take up a little room, so I don't put on too many just to save some space. But if I could make a collage of all of these mugshots/teary-eyed apologies, it would make for a)great wallpaper and b)always a good laugh).

Yes, that was a long list and maybe a waste of some space, but I think it really serves a purpose; Look at all the scummy people that we are choosing to represent us! I don't know anybody who would want to be represented by a runaway adulterer like Gov. Sanford. But here's the issue. These elected and appointed officials/leaders/dirtbags are citizens just like you and me. Can we and should we hold them to a higher standard? Aren't they humans too, and thus prone to making (terrible) mistakes? Of course they are vulnerable to making mistakes like everybody else, but they must be held accountable for their actions. What are we doing wrong, putting these people in office?! The representatives of the most powerful country in the world shouldn't be liars, schemers, adulterers, cheaters, and embezzlers. Sure, they are entitled to a personal life, but not one of an average Joe. They should be our role models and rise above sex scandals and political corruption. Today's news further damages the reputation of "government" as a whole, and only we can take action to fix it by voting in true representatives. The good news: the list of scandals is pretty evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans...who says bipartisanship is dead?

P.S. Transformers 2 is UH-MAY-ZING. It hasn't gotten a single good review, but I haven't heard anybody under 30 years old utter a single complaint. T-Minus 3 weeks until Harry Potter 6, another movie which I will surely see at midnight. Stay tuned for an eventual post about midnight viewings.

P.S.S. The US beat Spain, the #1 soccer team in the world, in the Confederations Cup today, 2-0. Sunday is the Championship game against Brazil or South Africa. And if that's not enough proof that God exists, Perez Hilton got punched in the face. Aaaah, life is so good.

Finally...This is a terrible idea. I love the Oscars, but if they get any bigger and the show gets any longer, a lot of people are going to get turned off.

So God Exists After All...

Let me preface this by saying I had a great Father's Day. The weather prevented me from partaking in a 2nd annual Father/Son round of golf (it's been raining almost everyday and even though the rain held off for most of Sunday, the golf course was inundated with water), but the family headed down to Citizens Bank Park to catch the Phillies-Orioles game. As my dad is originally from Baltimore, and the Phillies almost never play the O's at home because of the Interleague schedule, this was a great and very appropriate opportunity to spend a day at the ballpark. After the game, the family went out to dinner at a fun Italian restaurant in S. Philly, went home, watched Baby Mama and opened presents. My dad loves Sacha Baron Cohen, so my brother and I got him Borat on DVD, an IOU to see Bruno, and an IOU for our round of golf. Overall, it was a great day.

But still, I hate Father's Day. And let's not be sexist, I hate Mother's Day too. A little history lesson for you. Mother's Day was created by a woman named Anna Jarvis from West Virginia as a day to honor mothers and motherhood. Consequently, Father's Day was created to honor fathers and fatherhood (See here and here for information on the holidays). The fact that the "holidays" were created from thin air is such a bothersome and contrived notion, I can hardly express how irritated and agitated I am. And now, almost 100 years after the creation of these mythical holidays, we "celebrate" ridiculously commercialized days dedicated to letting mom and dad relax and answering to their beck and call. I'm not exactly enslaved by my parents, but having to hear "stop fighting, it's Mother's Day" and "be nice to dad, it's Father's Day" really ticks me off. Not to get into a religious argument, but shouldn't this always be the case? Straight for the 10 Commandments, God says "Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother" (Exodus 20:12 for those religious folk). So why do we need a special Sunday in May or June to remind us of this? (If in fact Mother's and Father's days serve as your reminder to be nice to your parents, well...then I think you have some serious thinking to do about your life.) Why not just be nice to your parents everyday, like you're supposed to? Somehow, I just don't see an IOU for Bruno as a sufficient "thank you" for giving me life. But thanks to Hallmark, I'm forced to think of contrived gift ideas every year, apart from birthdays and Hanukkah, for my parents. If anything, giving meaningless cards and gifts only clouds the original meaning of the holiday, and that is disappointing. I just know that when I grow up, I will certainly forgo Father's Day and all of its artificial, commercialized rituals, and I wont put my kids through these phony holidays.

Moving on, as my title so subtly stated, I finally have faith that God exists (yes, technically it is hypocritical to use God's name in vain, breaking the 3rd of the 10 commandments, after quoting the commandments in the previous paragraph. Eh, no one's perfect. Forgive me.). Jon and Kate are getting divorced. Praise the Lord. I'm so sick and tired about hearing about this family. I can't believe stuff like this is considered news. Just look at the image of CNN.com earlier today: There is an article for a 'Jon and Kate' blog above articles about Autism research and terror suspects buying guns. WHY!? That is so infuriating. (Not to mention CNN has articles about Chris Brown, Farrah Fawcett, and Tyra Banks' stalker on their homepage...how is that news?! Shows how reliable CNN is...). So Jon and Kate had 8 kids...how does that make for an entertaining TV show!?!? (If in fact you watch this TV show, I can't even imagine how bored you must be with your own life that you watch Jon and Kate Plus 8. Unless you're about to have sextuplets and you need parenting tips, there's NO excuse. Also, I don't think I would take parenting tips from them; considering their adulterous relationship, I would seriously reconsider taking any advice about parenting or marriage from them.). Finally, they'll disappear into Middle America with the rest of us--until one of them ends up on The Surreal Life or another bad D-List celebreality show. And hopefully they'll take They-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named...the idiots from The Hills...Heidi and Spencer (*shudder*). I'll save my rant about celebrity and celebrity gossip for another day. But good luck with that divorce...I can't even imagine how messy that's gonna be, not that either of them are starved for money with the success of their show.

P.S. Re: my last post: Nadal pulled out of Wimbledon, Mickelson and Woods both fell short of winning the US Open, and the US managed to advance in the Confederations Cup by a miracle of God--further proof he exists! Sooo, maybe my predictions aren't perfect. But seriously, watch Lance.

Offseason? What Offseason?

I guess it's the time of year where sports fans like myself take some time off and go into hibernation. The NHL Finals are over (for all 6 hockey fans out there, including myself makes 5), as are the NBA Finals. The NFL doesn't get underway for another month, and that's just training camp. (The over-coverage that NFL training camp receives makes me want to launch my remote through the TV and means absolutely nothing unless you really, really need up to the second updates on the status of Tom Brady's knee every time he steps into a divot on the turf at the Patriots practice facility. And if that won't get enough coverage, then Brett Favre's imminent return to the Vikings will surely make your head explode [Oh you hadn't heard? Well then congratulations on awakening from your coma]). Rant aside, NFL season doesn't start until late August or early September. And MLB is about 70-75 games into the marathon 162 game season, rendering these exciting interleague matchups (Royals/Diamondbacks? Mariners/Padres? Wow, what exciting matchups!...) and week after week of monotonous baseball.


So that accounts for all 4 major sports. What's left? More than you may think, so wake up sports fans! There's no need nor time for hibernation!

• This Father's Day weekend, like every Father's Day weekend, is the PGA's U.S. Open, possibly the most exciting golf tournament of the year. Who could forget Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate going toe-to-toe last year with Tiger sinking putts on 18 on Sunday to force an 18 hole playoff, and again on Monday to force another one-hole playoff, and Rocco falling just short on the 91st hole. Not to mention Woods was playing on one leg making that much more incredible. So look out for another great tournament this year. Look for Phil Mickelson to have the tournament of his life with his wife, Amy, about to begin treatment for breast cancer. And of course, watch out for Tiger. Stay tuned, it should be a doozy at Bethpage Black.


• If golf's not your thing, the greatest tennis tournament of the year, Wimbledon, begins on Monday. Granted, this year's French Open fell short of expectations this year with Robin Soderling knocking out #1 Rafael Nadal in the fourth round and letting Roger Federer romp to his 14th Grand Slam victory. Nadal's status for Wimbledon remains clouded with his knee injury flaring up worse than ever. Hopefully Nadal plays and makes a run for the title. Considering last year's epic 5-set victory for Nadal on the grass court, I would imagine everybody's looking forward to another 1-2, Nadal-Federer rematch. Oh, and to top it off, Roger's looking for his record-breaking 15th Grand Slam victory, and how appropriate it would be for Roger to overtake Pete Sampras at the place where Sampras dominated throughout his career, winning 7 Wimbledon titles of his own (in 8 years nonetheless, 1993-1995, 1997-2000). Keep your eyes peeled and ears open for this one.


• For the international folk, the Confederations Cup tournament is currently underway (yes, that's soccer). No, it isn't the World Cup--less than a year until World Cup 2010 in S. Africa--but it's probably the next biggest global tournament. Sure, the United States is getting steamrolled (3-1 to Italy and 3-0 to Brazil), but hey, it's at least entertaining to see 3 goals a game with such a porous defense. But seriously, this is the last major tune-up for the World Cup for a lot of these teams, there is a high level of competition, and who doesn't love deciphering crazy European fans' chants and watching them riot after wins and losses.


• And then there's my personal favorite: The Tour de France (although shouldn't it be "Le Tour de France" or "The Tour of France"? Mixing French and English just sounds bad). But seriously, I love the TdF. Besides the fact that Lance Armstrong is my personal hero and role model and I have an intense passion for cycling and road racing, cycling's a really cool sport and the TdF is the pinnacle for bike racing and it's fans. It's remarkable that those guys can bike for 4 or 5 hours at speeds up to 30mph on flat ground and 65-70mph downhill. Even more incredible is watching them bike uphill. I could go on-and-on about it, but I would just come off as a huge nerd. In any case, Lance Armstrong, the greatest cyclist in history and winner of 7 consecutive Tour de Frances (awkward plural...) came out of retirement this year not just to race but to raise money and awareness for his cancer-fighting organization, Livestrong. He's racing with Team Astana this year along with American powerhouse Levi Leipheimer (my 2nd favorite rider) and Spanish star Alberto Contador, winner of the 2007 Tour, among several other great riders (Yaroslav Popovych, Jose Luis Rubiera, Andreas Kloden). Top to bottom this is the best team in the Tour, and it will be riveting to see if Leipheimer, Contador, or Armstrong rises as the team leader and who will be forced to ride in support of the superstar-laden team. And to top it off, Armstrong is recovering from a surgically repaired collarbone fracture which occurred in the 2009 Vuelta Castilla y Leon, which delayed his comeback training, but did not keep him out of the Giro d'Italia. Bottom line: this should be excellent.

So there you have it. Yes, the 4 major sports are essentially out of commission for the next few months (unless you really want to watch underdeveloped and underprepared basketball players get drafted to the NBA for insanely high salaries). But that doesn't mean all sports are gone. If sports are all about sportsmanship, tradition, and competition, then these four events should be absolutely spectacular. So step outside your comfort zone, tune into one (or more) of these great sporting events, and enjoy! It should be a great summer sports season!

A Finals Reflection

First of all, I must thank the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, and Chicago Bulls for breathing life into the NBA again. The superstardom that came out of the 2009 NBA playoffs may have been unlike any other; Derrick Rose and Andre Iguodala's break out series, Ron Artest's resurgence, along with the outstanding play of the NBA elite, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Lebron James, Paul Pierce, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwayne Wade. Every night of the last 7 weeks was an absolute spectacle of incredible basketball; there always stood a chance for records to fall and for legends to be born. So again, congratulations to those teams for an outstanding postseason and to the NBA for a successful season.

But the biggest praise is of course reserved for the NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson in particular. While Kobe's stardom was never in doubt, as he and Lebron James are the face of the NBA around the world, his place in NBA history was certainly in question. Winning 3 NBA Championships is no easy feat, but with Shaquille O'Neal as the leading and dominating force of the LA Lakers dynasty in the early 2000's (someone needs to find a catchy name for this decade...I mean, it's been 9 years and still nothing?), Kobe received little credit for his successes. After his falling out with O'Neal (resulting in Shaq's trade to Miami and his subsequent tour of the NBA. Cleveland next?) and Jackson (resulting in the hiring of Rudy Tomjanovich and subsequent re-hiring of Jackson), the Lakers were mired in mediocrity--see Kwame Brown, Vladamir Radmanovich, and a whole slew of other subpar talent--leaving Kobe's full potential untapped and his greatness in doubt. His resurgence as 2008 MVP and now 2009 NBA Finals MVP have answered all of his critics; Kobe overcame sexual assault allegations, rebuilt the Lakers from scratch, re-established them as the premiere basketball team in the NBA, and solidified his place among the Top 10 basketball players of all time with MJ, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dr. J, Jerry West, and now Kobe. After all, with 4 NBA titles, 11 All-Star selections including 3 All-Star Game MVPs, 9 time All-Defensive Player, 2 Scoring Titles, and the 2008 MVP and 2009 Finals MVP, he is truly one of the greatest of all time. Oh, and he has an Olympic gold medal too. And he's only 30 years old. (And yes, I went to the same high school as Kobe. I'm not a homer. The numbers are just undeniable, for all you Kobe haters out there.)


Phil Jackson is a more interesting case. He's won ten NBA titles, one more than the late great Red Auerbach, and now the most of all time. But is he the greatest coach of all time? Kobe silences his critics by winning without the likes of Shaq, but Jackson has always had superstars, be it Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen or Kobe and Shaq. Jackson and the Bulls won 3 consecutive titles in the early 90s, but when MJ retired in 1993, the Bulls stopped winning titles. Cue the comeback for Jordan and the resurgence of the Bulls, again three-peating from '96-'98. Jackson followed by coaching his third three-peat, from 2000-2002 with Bryant and O'Neal. Were the Bulls' and Lakers' dynasties a result of great coaching or true superstar play? The same can be said for Auerbach of course. Red's Celtics won 9 championships in 10 years, including 8 in a row! That puts any three-peat to shame, considering Red did it by defeating the Lakers, with the likes of Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, in the finals 6 years in a row. To be fair, the Celtics starred Bill Russell (an 11 time champion for whom the NBA Finals MVP Trophy is named), K.C. Jones, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, and Tom Heinsohn--all Hall of Famers. But what was so impressive was that Red Auerbach built his dynasty from scratch. He drafted Russell, Heinsohn, and Jones and made them into the HoF players they became (and even into coaches, as they won 6 more championships as coaches for the Celtics). He went on to GM the Celtics for 17 years, solidifying them as the best franchise in the NBA with the likes of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, all of whom he drafted and again turned into legendary players. So who is the best coach of all time, Jackson or Auerbach? It's tough to say, and until Jackson retires and makes his final impression on NBA history, there may never be a clear answer. Chris Broussard of ESPN.com makes an intriguing case for Jackson (his article can be found here), highlighting his non-championship years (45 wins with the same roster minus Caron Butler as Rudy Tomjanovich the previous year), his trademark Triangle offense, Zen Buddhist philosophies and Sioux rituals. He successfully managed Jordan, Pippen, and Dennis Rodman--yes, that Dennis Rodman--and Kobe and Shaq (though his tiffs with Bryant are well documented). Thus he is a proven player manager and strategist, and his leadership is impeccable. Still, I can't overlook that Jordan and Kobe seemingly fell into his lap (MJ averaged 35 ppg even before Jackson took over the Bulls). Auerbach was the complete coach; he embodied the Celtics. He drafted, coached, and mentored Russell, Jones, and Heinsohn. Then he went after Hall of Famers Bird, Bob Cousy, McHale, Parish, Nate Archibald and Danny Ainge, among many others. He single-handedly overtook the Lakers as the best franchise in the NBA. He won 8...8 consecutive championships! Even though Jackson may have surpassed him as the coach with the most NBA titles, Red Auerbach smoking his victory cigar still represents the best of the best in NBA coaching. Jackson is a close 2nd, and with just one more championship, 11 would be a number too hard to ignore, he will inherit the throne and wear the crown of best coach of all time.