Soapbox

The Redskins beat the New York Giants last night in stunning fashion: they missed a field goal that would have won the game, but a Giants player drew an offsides penalty. Given a second chance, Dustin Hopkins made the kick as time expired that won the game 30–29.

Me: this is what I don’t like about sports these days – particularly football – NO DISCIPLINE. Guys devote 24/7 to be a football player, but constantly make mental mistakes. I don’t care how good an athlete you are, if you bring the team down with your mistakes.

Last Saturday SC trailed East Carolina the entire game. With just a few seconds in the half East Carolina punted. The Gamecock return man didn’t catch the ball in the air. The ball bounced, and several more precious seconds ticked off the clock. SC didn’t have time to score. As the teams went to the locker room, they showed the coach telling the player what he’s done wrong. The player should’ve already known.

So few students of the game these days – which is just as important as athletic ability. An ordinary guy like Eli Manning can win two Super Bowls. Fifth round draft pick Tom Brady wins Super Bowls well into his 40’s. Larry Bird. Greg Maddux.

Weekend Picks:

UGA beats SC. Not a runaway, but decisive enough. With or without JT.

Clemson beats GT handily.

Tampa edges Falcons.

Workers will be at our house on Saturday, hopefully finishing the floors. So we won’t get much done this weekend. Guess I will cut the grass. Need to do some work work. Hopefully I will get to play golf, plus we have an online meeting with our co-laborers overseas. Tonight we went out to a sports bar with friends. Missed a chance to hang with the Marshes, Ewings, and probably the Hurts.

Stamps: Yogi Berra is one of my favorites. Last weekend I was poring through years and years of old Christmas cards. Found an envelope with an Elvis stamp, which I saved for my scrapbook.

Also found lots of old photos from our honeymoon and earlier from my single days. Also Camp SPdL, with many of Lang. Also David Hurt and Don Head. I will use these photos for blackmail purposes. 

Instead of saltine crackers I bought the wheat flavored saltines. Not as good. Kroger used to have a cheese flavored saltine, which I miss. 

My siblings asked what songs mom would like to be sung at the funeral. I said we already knew: she had picked out the songs for my father’s funeral. I’ll Fly Away was one of them.

I never knew my mother’s father. It was never explained to me what happened. Didn’t know he was even alive. Then not long after I got married, we drove up toward Toccoa for his funeral. Still know few details.

DAN WILSON  [B-R Bio] was the first player to compile 4,500 plate appearances in the American League in the designated hitter era, without ever playing DH. From 1994 through 2005  Wilson came up to bat exactly 4,500 times in the AL. He had a handful of games in the field, but 99% of his G were played at catcher. Wilson recorded the first straight steal of home in the history of the Seattle Mariners. Stole home on 01-Aug-1999 off Mike Mussina and catcher Charles Johnson. Wilson’s team lost to Gary Sheffield‘s team in the Little League World Series. Wilson was a member of the Barrington, IL Little League team that lost to Sheffield's Tampa, FL team in the 1981 Little League World Series.