Martha was OK, Too

Even before posting that recent introvert/extrovert article I'd been thinking about how my makeup has affected my life and relationships. The world greets extroverted people-persons (the Mary's) with open arms while paying scant attention to the introverted, task-oriented "Martha's." Most of the time I am quite all right with that. As a people pleaser I can sometimes be taken advantage of. Sometimes that's ok.

Some people would be surprised to learn that I am an introverted, task-oriented person. Being around people can be fun, but it wears me out and makes me long for time alone. Having a 40-60 minute commute helps. Convincing others to do the things I like to do and organizing the complicated logistics, particularly to my preferred arrive-early timetable, is usually too much trouble - so I often go places alone. How often am I doing things with others? People have commitments and problems of their own. It was so much of my busy friend Reid to volunteer to give up an evening at home with his family and stay out late to help Matthew and I look at a guitar in a dark, faraway Kroger parking lot. 

Ceil's father gave his children an amazing gift: he called them EVERY day. He didn't worry about long-distance charges. Though long in the tooth, he kept up with the technology needed to communicate with subsequent generations - first email and later text messaging (which are free). Mr. Miller also relentlessly kept in touch with friends and other relatives. He never judged or told people what they should do. In return Ceil and Rusty and the grandkids and nieces and nephews communicated back, visited, and came to family gatherings. Story after story was told at his funeral about how he kept in touch for all those years. Looking back, it is really quite amazing.

I am not like that. My first thought is that my kids wouldn't want me hounding them every day like that. Give them space. But I'm wrong. Deep down I'd hope they want to be loved and cared for, as bad as I am at showing it. By spending time pursuing other interests, I am robbing them of the strong father they so desperately need. I keep thinking that one day they'll figure out that I'm not that bad a guy, but if I'm not careful I will run out of time.

But being introverted makes it so much harder. I shouldn't use it as an excuse. When things don't work out the way I want I can get really down. Being turned down for vacation or not being invited to a golf tournament that I'd been promised an invite to. Policies change without notice, and people forget promises and what you tell them (and that's just today). Even praise for good work doesn't make me feel better. I often wonder why God made me this way, though I'm thankful he did.

With five family members going five different ways, with bills to pay while living paycheck to paycheck, with four cars to keep serviced, while living with people raised to look at things differently than me, all while working 13 hour days (plus the two hour commute), many important things mistakenly fall by the wayside - things that will inadvertently hurt loved ones, people who won't understand no matter how hard you explain. Others make unwise decisions. They could care less what I think is the best way, grow defensive when I try to help, and still wonder why I don't take action when their plan is failing. Lots of people are like that (including me). Some think others should be like them, but that's not the way God created people. All this can just shut me down further.

I should to be thankful for what God has blessed me with and not take it for granted. I need to continue to prove myself every dad, as a husband, as a father, as a son, as a friend, as an employee, as a co-worker. I so often fail, and often don't even try. I rationalize supposed reasons, and selfishly fail to give and serve like should. Sometimes while someone else is talking I find myself daydreaming or going on some other mental journey (at work more than at home). I need to gift others by listening to them, and not spend that time formulating my response (or relating a similar story about myself).

It would be great to come up with some awe-inspiring conclusion to all this, but right now I'm not sure what it is. As Forest Gump said after he ran across America, as his followers leaned in to hear something profound: "I'm gonna go home now."

The challenge is making the time count.

Why Can't Tech Kick?

Had a chance to look at the top ten ACC field goal kickers, and the numbers prove my point: While most teams in a conference ranked below the SEC and PAC10 can recruit kickers who can make 85% of their field goals, Georgia Tech’s Harrison Butker has only connected on 57% of his placements.

 

100%: FSU, Duke, Pitts, UNC

92%: Virginia

78%: Louisville

67%: Clemson

64%: Virginia Tech

57%: Georgia Tech, NC State

 

Why can’t Tech sign an elite kicker? Poor recruiting? Are kickers deemed not important enough? There are several kicking camps and coaches in every state, including Georgia. Seems like it wouldn’t be too hard to track down an excellent kicker.

Same story in the SEC. Nine kickers have field goal percentages 67% or better, with a combined percentage of 77%.

Is it pride? The Bulldogs have a long tradition of great kickers: Bobby Etter (#11 above), Peter Rajecki, Allan Leavitt, Rex Robinson (above), Kevin Butler (below), John Kasey, Todd Peterson, Kanon Parkman, Hap Hines, Billy Bennett, Brandon Coutu, Blair Walsh, and Marshall Morgan are just some of the record-setting kickers the Dawgs have had over the past 60 years. Robinson coaches kickers from around the state in metro Atlanta. He didn’t coach Butker, and I doubt he’s steering kickers away from Tech.

I used to kick straight on. Still have my square toed shoe. Tech’s last toe kicker was the same year as me, and in some of my classes. He was accurate, but didn’t have much distance. Steve Crumley was UGA’s last toe kicker, and he came along in the 80’s after Kevin Butler and several other soccer style kickers.

 

Mark Mosely was the last toe kicker in the NFL, for the Redskins in the late 80’s. He was good, but the field goal percentages have steadily risen over the years in the NFL and college (except at GT) to the point where the NFL is considering making it harder on the kickers – moving extra points back 15 yards, narrowing the goal posts, etc.

Faster than Flying

Trip numbers:

 

08:30 541 hours/miles from work to LR hotel.

08:00 529 hours/miles from LR office to home.

16:30 1070 total trip time/miles when driving.

 

$588.50 reimbursement at $0.55 per mile

$089.10 gas expense at 40 MPG and $3.299 per gallon

$499.40 money I could’ve pocketed for new tires/etc.

 

14:15 wed 10:30 fri depart

22:00 frid  20:00 fri arrive

07:15 total 09:30 trip time = 16:45 when flying

 

So I would’ve saved 15 minutes and $500.00 had I driven. Also would’ve been able to read more and have less exposure to the ebola.

 

Ceil fixed homemade pizza Tuesday night. Had leftovers for lunch Wednesday and Thursday.

 

Looks like Winston is becoming more and more of a problem. Jimbo is trying to stay positive because Jameis is such a good QB. Some NFL team will take him – probably the Raiders. I would stay away, he is way too immature.

 

Wonder if when Gurley returns he will still have the captain’s “C” on his jersey.

 

Worked until six Wednesday afternoon, then stopped by PeachMac on the way home to fix a problem on my iPhone. Took the guy less than one minute. No charge. Ceil fixed chili, and I cleaned the kitchen.

 

Watched the NBA tour bus special. We had just been able to receive NBA TV for a few weeks, so I was able to tune in. Very good show, got better as it went along. Thought that hat made Rick Fox look like Darth Vader. During the show Lang took over the NBA TV Twitter account and was answering questions. I wanted to snap a photo of him being the face of the NBA, but I got the idea too late.

10/11 Total QB Rating

There is almost a direct relationship between ESPN’s total quarterback rating and a team’s success. Several perennial powers are playing low-ranked quarterbacks, with below average results – Michigan, Florida, Penn State, LSU, Virginia Tech, Missouri.

Total QB Rating should be considered when picking games. Will the Egg Bowl be won by the 5th ranked QB (Dak Prescott) or the 20th (Bo Wallace)? With second-ranked Deshaun Watson out for at least a month, Clemson may struggle to beat weak teams with 110th ranked Cole Stoudt under center.

1. 89.6 Marcus Mariota, Oregon (SI cover boy)

2. 88.3 Deshaun Watson, Clemson (injured)

3. 85.7 Taysom Hill, BYU (injured)

4. 85.5 Blake Sims, Alabama (can’t QB sneak)

5. 84.9 Dak Prescott, Miss State (the real deal?)

6. 84.5 Kenny Hill, Texas A&M

7. 82.9 Jared Goff, Cal

8. 82.8 Brett Huntley, UCLA

9. 81.7 Nick Marshall, Auburn

10. 81.3 Connor Cook, Michigan State

11. 81.2 Jameis Winston, FSU

12. 81.0 Justin Thomas, Georgia Tech

16. 77.9 Tyler Murphy, Boston College

20. 75.1 Bo Wallace, Ole Miss

24. 73.8 Bryce Petty, Baylor (Heisman hopeful ranked 24?)

28. 71.7 Hutson Mason, UGA (huge leap from 55th)

29. 71.0 Dylan Thompson, South Carolina

30. 70.5 Marquise Williams, North Carolina

35. 68.6 Gunner Kiel, Cin (uncle QB’d Notre Dame)

39. 66.6 Brad Kaaya, Miami

42. 65.0 Brandon Allen, Arkansas

57. 59.7 Chad Voytik, Pittsburgh

61. 58.3 Justin Worley, Tenn (why UT can’t win?)

67. 56.5 Devin Gardner, Michigan (see above)

72. 55.6 Anthony Boone, Duke

73. 55.5 Michael Brewer, Virginia Tech

91. 46.8 Anthony Jennings, LSU

96. 45.9 Jeff Driskel, Florida

107. 38.0 Christian Hackenberg, Penn State

109. 36.5 Maty Mauk, Missouri (can he rebound?)

110. 36.5 Cole Stoudt, Clemson

126. 23.6 John Wofford, Wake Forest (out of 129 QB’s)

Clinton Presidential Library

Some pictures from my recent visit to the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock. The above issue of Sports Illustrated is one of many artifacts on display in the three story library, built on the banks of the Arkansas River just east of downtown.

The centerpiece of the museum is a timeline detailing the national and world events that took place during the eight years Clinton served as president.

A full size replica of the Oval Office is on the third floor.

Clinton narrates a twelve minute video (produced by his friend Linda Bloodworth Thomason, creator of the hit TV show Designing Women) that plays in the second story theater. Clinton describes artifacts in the Oval Office, including the resolute desk and collection of military coins on the table behind the desk. 

On the coffee table between the couches sits a centuries-old moon rock, given to Clinton by Apollo astronauts. When discussions grew heated Clinton would often point to the moon rock and remind his guests that their time on earth was just a tiny blip in history.

Columns house millions of presidential documents, bound in blue. 

Replica of the cabinet room. The student pictured sitting in the president's chair told me that the occupant could keep his chair at the end of his time of service, as long as he paid the $2500 replacement fee. The gold plate on the back of each chair lists the title of the seat holder. The president's chair is two inches higher than all the others.

Presidential place setting.

The china depicts The White House.

One section displayed sports memorabilia.

Includes an Arkansas Razorbacks letter jacket and torch from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Baseball autographed by Hank Aaron. No truth to the rumor the display included memorabilia signed by Georgia running back Todd Gurley.

Impressive collection of golf clubs - some antique.

View looking north from the library. Visitors can cross the Arkansas River on the pedestrian bridge.

The downtown riverfront area bustles with workers and visitors. Many restaurants, bars, hotels, museums, and offices. My hotel sits behind the green sign near the center of the picture.

Little Rock

My trip to Little Rock was a nice break, but busy. The company travel website said a direct flight was too expensive, that I had to take connecting flights. Great. So I booked them. Later (when it was too late) the new boss said I should’ve taken the direct flight. On the way to work Wednesday I realized that I had forgotten to pack my book, so I grabbed four Sports Illustrateds to read. Then two of them were the same issue. Left work at 2:15 and made good time to the airport. The West Lot was full and the South didn’t look good, so I parked in the North Lot. Not bad, once I got there.

While waiting on the 6 pm flight I conducted some business and charged my phone. In Charlotte I had a hike to my LR connection, so I grabbed a yogurt. Flight was of course delayed a little. Got a nice Kia Optima rental car at the Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, grabbed the new Wendys BBQ sandwich just before closing, and made it to my room by 10:30 Central time. A long day.

Got to the office early Thursday morning. The first training session went well. I only had four students. One was outside sales, and made little effort to follow along. Two were familiar with the system. The fourth was new (and lost). I had the lost boy enter the info we told him on the computer. We had plenty to discuss all the way until noon. After a pizza lunch my host took me on a plant tour. I’ve known Jeff for years - he’s a good guy who reminds me of Ceil’s cousin Dic Dac.

After the tour I snuck out to tour the nearby Clinton Presidential Library. It was a beautiful, sunny day. Replica Oval Office and Cabinet Room. Twelve minute video narrated by Clinton. Many gifts the Clintons received were on display, including autographed baseballs, golf clubs, and even an Olympic torch from the Atlanta games. Bought a few items in the gift shop for the fam, but passed on the bobblehead and baseball. Nice long dinner at a fancy Mexican place with my host and another trainer. Got back to the hotel late and didn’t feel like logging onto the computer. Another decent training session Friday morning. Hated that I had no time to meet up with my old friend James, a sometime reader of this blog.

My flight home was through Houston. The Houston girl’s flight was through Dallas, and the Charlotte girl’s flight was through Atlanta. We should’ve traded flights. Since the layover in Houston was short I ate lunch in LR: a BBQ plate. The flight to Houston was late boarding, then we had to wait 20 minutes on the tarmac. While waiting I joining a United text message service, and told them I was going to miss my connection to Atlanta. Then due to weather we flew south over Lake Ponchetrain, then circle out in the Gulf while waiting our turn to land. Finished reading all my Sports Illustrateds, including a good article about Heat coach Eric Spoelstra. Did you know that when Hank Gathers made the last shot of his life (an alley oop), Spoelsta was the defender?

Got off the 12:10 flight in Houston at 3:05, got my boarding pass printed for the Atlanta flight at a gate with no line, then hustled across the airport in time to board the 3:30 flight. Sat in the last row, making me the gatekeeper for the bathroom. A little girl couldn’t open the door, so I showed her mom the trick I’d seen the flight attendant preform to open the door. Read the in-flight magazine article about Erin Andrews, cleaned out emails and cell phone contacts, and pecked out a long blog post email. Finished as we were pulling up to the gate.

While I was riding the airport train I texted to see if there was an Atlanta bus event since I was coming through town. That was when they were stopped in South Carolina. Plane landed at 6:30 and I made it back to East Cobb by eight. Met Ceil at Chipotle. M was at a football game and Anna out with friends.

Over the weekend I calculated that  I could’ve driven to LR and back in less time (and for a lot less money) that the flights took. Would’ve gotten more reading done as well (on CD).

Left work Monday at 5:45. After supper (baked chicken, rice & gravy, salad) Matthew and I picked up my composer friend Reid and drove past Lake Allatoona to buy M an electric guitar with his birthday money. A Fender Jaguar Classic. From all our sources it seemed to be a decent deal. Didn’t get home until after 11 pm. Then I had to check out the weather forecast and package five eBay shipments.

Chuck Oliver on 680 said yesterday that unless your team goes undefeated, you should play any talented freshman phenom you have available. Dabo should’ve started Deshaun Watson against UGA and FSU. He didn’t, and Clemson lost. Said Winston should’ve played as a freshman, and perhaps FSU wouldn’t have lost in Raleigh against NC State.

MO@FL: Will Missouri and Matty Maulk rebound on the road? Were they just victims of a fired up Bulldog team – right when Maulk had a terrible day? Even Hutson Mason had a big day against the Tigers: 21-28 for 250 yards. Gator QB Driscoll has been bad all year, and the athletic backup is still suspended (hopefully he’ll still be out when they face UGA). I say Missouri beats Florida.

ND@FSU: The Irish had to come back to beat UNC. They did beat Stanford the week before – their only real quality win. Will FSU suspend QB Winston for the same autograph allegations that benched Gurley? FSU wins with Winston under center (FSU coach says Winston will play). Can they win without him? I vote yes. Down the road Notre Dame’s schedule gets no easier – Northwestern, Arizona, Southern Cal.

Of course, I’ve proven to be no expert at picking college football games.

Caps don’t look good on me. I have a big head. Adjustable caps look too small.

As the SEC Turns

The big story from Columbia wasn't that Georgia's running game didn't disappear. The big story was Georgia's defense making big play after big play. Matt Maulk had a terrible day, throwing four interceptions. No James Franklin is he.

Missouri's defense was worn down by all the running plays. As good as Georgia's O line is at moving the pile and opening holes, it seems like defenses are in the backfield quicker than Hutson Mason can drop back to pass. That's the problem with the passing game. Mason came into game with only the 55th best QB rating in the nation. No Aaron Murray is he.

Would be terrible if several of the big teams in the South had their best players ruled ineligible and a team from the West of Midwest won the national championship. Also could give Georgia Tech a chance.

Tech is going to have several tough games. UNC will be tough. Hopefully the Heels will have a post-South Bend letdown. Virginia will be tough. Clemson and Georgia will be brutal – un-winnable. No way Ted Roof can slow down the UGA running game. Pitt and NC State could also be tough for Tech. Hopefully both teams will be beat down and unable to defend the option. But if the Jackets can beat Virginia Tech and Miami, they can finish 4-2. Hopefully Justin Thomas will use the Duke game as a learning experience and get better every week from here on out. I still think he and Byerly and the best QB’s at running Johnson’s offense that Johnson has had.   

Tech’s problem with bowl games is that they don’t travel well. No bowl wants them. Even if they make the ACC Championship Game and the ACC winner (FSU) is picked in the final four, Tech would drop to a lower level Music City type bowl.

I picked Auburn to beat MSU. I guess Miss State is the real deal. Auburn sure looked on the ropes. No telling what will happen the rest of the way. Now that MSU is number one, look for them to be upset. Good coach he, that Dan Mullen.

Arkansas looked tough against Bama, but part of that was Bama continuing to mess up. Loved those throwback Arkansas uniforms. UGA will keep it simple and run the ball down their throats. I hear the ARK/UGA game is in Little Rock.

Alabama will struggle against LSU, MSU, and Auburn. Told you all along that the quarterback is the problem. No AJ McCarron is he.  

Ole Miss did not let up, beating a decent Texas A&M team on the road.

Vandy is like Tech. Talk a big game, then barely beat Charleston Southern by one point for homecoming.

Clemson can afford to lose their freshman sensation for a few weeks. They face Boston College, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, and Georgia State. I knew Louisville would play them tough, and Clemson got lucky a few times. Terrible execution at the end of the first half by Cole Stoudt. Should’ve thrown the ball away with no time outs. Instead he tried to run it in, and the clock ran out before they could run another play. No Deshaun Watson is he.

Baylor can score, but can’t defend. Should they make the final four they will be embarrassed, like they were last year by Central Florida in the Fiesta Bowl.

Speaking of UCF, they benefitted greatly from a lucky no call at home in overtime. Looked like pass interference. Sometimes you benefit from close calls, and other times they go the other way. When UCF goes to a bowl I get to hear every detail. Chris has to save her vacation and take it when the bowl game is.

North Carolina played Notre Dame a good game. Still not sure the Irish deserve their lofty ranking. This week will tell the tale: UNC plays GT and FSU plays Notre Dame.

Same Old Tech

Every time Georgia Tech gets ranked they lose. They beat Virginia Tech and Miami then lose at home to Duke.

Thomas came into the game ranked eighth in the nation in passing, but Paul Johnson called way too many pass plays. Then when he should've thrown the ball in the stands Thomas blindly threw the ball across his body up the field.

As a first year starter Thomas was past due to have an off game. Laskey fumbled one away. Still not impressed with linebacker Neeley.

Cutcliffe may be the best in the country at coaching quarterbacks, coaching up average players, and calling plays. No need for Duke to pass when GT couldn't stop the run.

Synjin Days has contributed less in his five years at GT than any player that I know of. You'd think he'd learn how to block or not fumble or not slip when changing direction, but these things he does again and again.

I knew Byerly was a good backup that could move the team. Nice that he got the chance. I still think Thomas gives you the best chance to win and break the big play.

GT spreads their defense and Duke runs up the middle time after time after time

Atrocious refereeing. Bad calls and spots aren't reviewed, most of the bad calls went against Tech.

Oct 4 NCAA QB Rating Leaders

I usually wait until after the weekend to post these leaders, but was so surprised by last week's rankings that I had to post.

1. Deshaun Watson, Clemson 91.6
2. Jared Goff, Cal 89.6
3. Marcus Mariota, Oregon 89.0
4. Blake Sims, Alabama 89.0
5. Nick Marshall, Auburn 85.6
6. Kenny Hill, Texas A&M 85.3
7. Taysom Hill, BYU 85.3 (injured)
8. Justin Thomas, Georgia Tech 85.2
9. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State 85.0
10. Brett Huntley, UCLA 84.9
13. Jamies Winston, FSU 78.8
21. Bryce Petty, Baylor 74.4
27. Bo Wallace, Ole Miss 71.3
28. Dylan Thompson, South Carolina 70.3
37. Gunner Kiel, Cincinnati 67.5
55. Hutson Mason, Georgia 59.7

Like Tajh Boyd last season, so far this year Clemson's Watson has run up most of his numbers against inferior  competition. 

Alabama's Sims' numbers may be a result of the Tide's conservative system, and offensive coordinator  Lane Kiffin's coaching.

Tech's Thomas most assuredly has more rushing yards than any of the other top rated quarterbacks.

I expect Winston, Petty, and Mason's ratings to rise, and Prescott and Wallace's ratings to fall.

Gurley-gate

It looks like Todd Gurley will finish his career with a 100% completion percentage.

Hopefully Gurley will only be suspended a game or two (recent reports aren't as optimistic). One of the reasons he is elite is because he'll get that not to be denied look in his eyes, especially late in games, like he's mad that the Tennessee or Vandy score is still too close. Memorabilia Experts say UGA players are hard to get to break the rules because they're so well educated on the rules, after the AJ Green jersey incident.

A long suspension could not only take Gurley out of the Heisman race (if it hasn't already) but also from the greatest SEC player ever debate. Tebow played all four years, helping him rank near the top with Herschel, who only played three. Bo had the highest yards per carry average (Gurley is second), but his career pales in comparison to Walker - in both college and pro. 

If Gurley can finish strong I would rank him in the top four, but a conference and national championship would help, as would the Heisman. I just will miss seeing him run. Wish both Bo and Herschel had played their senior years. A four year rushing total by Walker would never have been broken. Few pass his three year total. Gurley might've needed the money more than Mansiel, but neither should've broken the rules. I hate memorabilia dealers, and the way they hoard autographs. The kids are the losers.

My host took me and another trainer to a fancy Mexican place last night. They shared a love of sailing and had lots of stories. Also discussed zoo animals, so I had a few stories to add. The trainer was a Huey pilot in Nam, and shared some of those stories. All three of us have sons entering the medical field. My host's son received a Purple Heart in Afghanistan from friendly fire.

I ate a special enchilada dish that was spicier than the regular enchiladas I almost got. Also had apple pie, because the Huey pilot did. Some reason. But it was good.

Moe Berg was a ballplayer but also a spy. Always made the barnstorming teams that traveled overseas. Look him up!

Wrote this at the LR airport (on my phone). The airport was recently renamed for a former first couple. Went to the Clinton Presidential Library yesterday. Saw a moon rock. Bill was reportedly in town earlier this week, because the lights were on in the library's upstairs apartment, were he stays when in town. 

The tiny jet just pulled up. Weather cloudy but good. Since the layover in Houston is short I ate lunch here - a BBQ pork plate.

Pot Pouri

Toured the Clinton Presidential Center today. More on that later.

 

Tech trounced Miami. Shows you what I know about college football. Will Tech beat Duke? Now that they’re ranked, will they get the big head? The coaches say no, but they can’t control what those kids think of themselves. In the past few years Tech has had Duke’s number, so hopefully that will continue with Mr. Thomas at the helm.

 

Clemson/Louisville on Saturday. The Cardinals haven’t been playing great, but Clemson may be getting the big head. Ranked behind Tech, but the Jackets haven’t played UGA and FSU like Clemson has. 

 

I thought Louisville would be tougher than they’ve been. Clemson should beat them, but they’d better be on their guard.

 

Interesting that UGA played the backup QB’s against Vandy, after all the outcry about the passing game. Knowing they would win, it was a good time to give them playing time. Richt says he’ll continue to let the #2 play at least a series or two. If he plays poorly it will just prove the coaches were right, though the backup did lead the offense on a scoring drive.  

 

The Shake Shack. Read the AJC review. The last thing I need is another hamburger, but I just might have to visit. Will be interesting to see how crowded it is. Still haven’t figured out exactly where that new shopping center is.

 

Thinking about going to two JFBC Sunday School classes, and listening to Bryant over the internet. Louie Giglio spoke at a FBC Atlanta event honoring their pastor for 45 years of service. Didn’t see where Andy mentioned it.

---

Monday: Co-worker out. Worked past 8 pm, so there wasn’t much time to do anything when I got home. Ceil went to her women’s group. Dinner was Trader Joe’s orange chicken, which I love.

 

Tuesday: Cleaned up stuff on my desk all day, which is good.

 

More Jeter Numbers:

Only two players in history to play 20 years in New York: Derek Jeter and Mel Ott.

 

Only Aaron, Rose, and Yaz played in more wins than Jeter, though combined they have fewer World Series rings.

 

11: rank on Fortune magazine’s list of the world’s greatest leaders.

 

1: Number of different bat models used by Jeter (Louisville Slugger P72 34 long 32 ounce, first used in 1954 by minor leaguer Les Pinkham.

 

$25,000.00: amount a game-used Jeter uniform sells for.

The Maze Runner

 

 

For Matthew’s birthday we went to see the Maze Runner, which is not the story of Kansas miler Jim Ryun. I can understand why he liked it – the story of a group of boys trapped in a glade, forging out an existence while trying to find an exit to the massive, dangerous maze that surrounds them. The movie clearly sets up a sequel, as it is based on a book trilogy. Perhaps the last movie will be about when the boys grow old, and will be titled “The Mall Walker.” Not exactly Ceil’s kind of movie.

 One of the main characters, Chuck – the little boy with curly hair – is the younger brother of the friend who recently went to a concert with Matthew. Spoiler: Curly dies at the end of Maze Runner, but he might still appear in future sequels in flashbacks. Another main character had previously appeared in Nanny McPhee and voiced Ferb in the hit cartoon show Phineas and Ferb.

 

Previews for upcoming movies: Exodus, with Moses and the parting of the Red Sea, the plagues, etc. You never know how Hollywood will bastardize the Biblical account. Supposedly ISIS shows the recent Noah movie to slam Christianity. Another movie looks better: Interstellar,  with astronauts Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Michael Caine. The upcoming “Ouija” horror movie looks horrible and blasphemous – with the same old screaming ghosts, bland faces, and eyes rolling back in their heads that populate most horror movie trailers. Count me out.

 

Ceil cooked one of M’s favorite meals: spaghetti and meatballs. Also salad, and an Oreo and Cool Whip dessert. Anna had art, but made it home for the candle lighting and dessert. Saturday she re-takes the SAT.

 

Looks like the Braves are making lots of changes, and almost certainly the high number of strikeouts will be reduced. The 2014 team wasn’t exactly known for hitting home runs, but neither were the Cardinals or Giants. The difference? St. Louis and San Francisco (and Kansas City) struck out far less.

 

Sounds like Schuerholz has talked John Hart into taking the job for 1-2 years, to groom the young assistant GM, who is expert in team building but novice in other areas of the GM world. But aside from Schuerholz the younger, it seemed like all the people the Braves are bringing in (or back) are in their 50’s or 60’s. I just hope the swing from the heels / high strikeout mentality will change.

 

The top six payroll teams are out of the playoffs, as well as 11 of the top 13. Last year the story was similar. The Giants (7th) have the highest payroll of the teams still alive. Yet fans will call for the Braves to open the bank to sign expensive yet unspectacular free agents - who are no better than who the team already has in their system.  

 

The mighty Dodgers failed to advance. The highly-touted Puig and Kershaw both failed miserably. Last night Puig was benched, and only pinch-ran. In the playoffs Kershaw is 1-5 with a 5.12 ERA in 10 postseason games (8 starts). A great regular season pitcher, but he has a long way to go to become the next Greg Maddux. Mad Dog had a 3.42 playoff ERA in 35 games, and a 2.09 ERA in five World Series games.

 

Sports Illustrated had picked the Nationals to make it to the World Series, yet they performed poorly as well. Wrong again, SI. Fans will call for the heads of Matt Williams and Don Mattingly, along with Fredi. Braves fans won’t remember these repeated failures by these other teams make year after year. More frustration for the long-suffering Pirates, Angels, Rangers, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Phillies, Mets, Mariners, Red Sox, Yankees, Rays, Marlins, A’s – I could go on and on. The Braves aren’t the only team that doesn’t win the World Series every year.

 

Young Sadie Robertson from Duck Dynasty continues to dominate on Dancing With the Stars. She’s favored to make the finals, along with the guy who played Carlton on the Fresh Prince. This week I traded for a Willie Robertson bobblehead. Last week I missed out on the bidding for an antique Braves Indian bobblehead. No telling how much the high bidder would’ve paid.  

 

16

Matthew turned sixteen today.
This is the photo Anna instagrammed.

More Football

OLE MISS / BAMA: That game was the first prime time televised game in college football history? That's what an announcer said. I saw Archie's highlights several times but did not see the Snake. Reil and Edie were at that game.

Yesterday I saw Peyton's press conference. John Saunders called him "Presidential". Ceil called the cable company and added the sports package for $5.00 per month. MLB, NBA, ESPN Classic, and ESPNU – which happened to carry the last two Clemson games.

ESPNU has terrible announcers. I just can't get over that. Bring back Bill Curry. Said the freshman Clemson QB would be the Heisman favorite next year. Called Clemson's defense the best in the nation. If so, why did they lose 2 of their first 3 games? The announcers kept saying how great the NC State QB was, and he didn't do anything the whole game. Why does every announcer call every QB great? Where are the average and below-average QB's? Seems like these lower tier announcers don't want fans complaining about them, so they never say anything negative.

From Facebook: John and Barbara Adair went on a 2 week cruise in September from Southampton to NYC with stops in Norway, the Shetland Islands, Iceland, and Newfoundland. About halfway through Barbara's back started hurting, and she's currently undergoing treatment.

Did not see them at Johnson Ferry yesterday, but we were on there for Sunday School. We did see Rob and Amy Braswell from our Living Science days. Did not know they attended JFBC. Son Nathan is at Georgia Tech and just won his second straight Rube Goldberg competition (still reading, Kevin Brock?). Also learned our small group friend's daughter is dating the son of Shane & Kim Austin, who I knew from Georgia Tech.

10/4 College Football Roundup

Anna's view yesterday at the Clemson/NC State game. 

For a team that put up a decent first half fight against FSU, the Wolfpack played quite feckless on the plain. Clemson's defense and freshman QB impressed ESPNU announcers Amish Shroff and Kelly Stoeffer, who proclaimed Watson as "next year's Heisman frontrunner" and the defense the "best in the nation." Shroff was a finalist on the reality show "Dream Job." Guess they don't see many Southeastern Conference games.

Georgia was able to handle Vandy without much trouble, while providing additional fodder for the Todd Gurley highlight reel. Who knew he was a lefty?

Katie Perry correctly predicts upsets by both Ole Miss and Mississippi State. The Rebels gave Bama every opportunity to come back, botching their last extra point twice. The Tide didn't hold onto the football, subtracting years from Nick Saban's life. But Ole Miss doesn't look like they can continue their magic in such a competitive Western conference.

Mississippi State capitalized on A&M miscues to pull away from the Aggies. Not sure these Bulldogs will be able to rise to the top of the Western pack either.

Auburn didn't have much trouble with LSU. The Bayou Bengals will end the year near the bottom of the Western standings, but could serve as spoilers.

Florida edged Tennessee 10-9. This bodes well for Georgia's upcoming meeting in Jacksonville. The checker-boarded Neyland Stadium did look great.

Kentucky outlasted the nosediving Gamecocks, making a genius out of 680 the Fan's king of College Football Chuck Oliver. Earlier this week the King predicted a Wildcat win, and said he would pick against South Carolina the rest of the year. The loss of both Clowney and Shaw have exposed serious flaws in the Gamecock program. This bodes well for Clemson.

Bad day for Oklahoma as well. Perhaps too much love from Katie Perry.

Ohio State handled Maryland, which means nothing. If the Buckeyes beat Michigan it won't mean anything. They won't beat Michigan State.

Hopefully Oregon's loss vaulted Todd Gurley past Marcus Mariota in the Heisman race, though there's plenty of football left to be played.

Georgia Tech beat Miami, which shows you how closely I follow the whole of college football (I predicted the opposite). The Canes could not stop Tech's offense, and the Jacket defense came up big when it needed to. Justin Thomas is quickly becoming the best quarterback of the Paul Johnson era, doing what's needed to win. If Tech can their heads as they climb in the rankings they could finish the season with ten or eleven wins - and losses to Clemson and Georgia.

New York Legends

Derek Jeter shakes hands 
with another New York legend: Joe Namath.

Anna's Art

More of Anna's handiwork - on her friend's arms. She and Emily are visiting Vic and Katherine at Clemson this weekend.

What UGA's Problem Is Not

Georgia is 3-1, the lone loss coming because the Bulldog defense couldn't stop the South Carolina offense. Georgia's running game has overpowered all four opponents to the point that they haven't had to pass. Georgia's top two receivers have been hurt but hope to return this week. When Bobo tried to pass in the third quarter against Tennessee he realized he should've kept pounding the ball on the ground. Georgia ranks last in the conference in passing - because they haven't needed to pass. They rank first in rushing.

Yet fans think Hutson Mason needs to be benched. How could playing an even less experienced quarterback would make things better. These fans do not see every rep each QB takes in every practice, like the coaches do. They haven't seen the backups firsthand, except for a couple of series in the Troy game. Why do these fans think they know more than the coaches? The calls to the Mark Richt show are embarrassing.

Braves hitting coach Greg Walker stepped down instead of waiting around to be fired. People blame him for the team's offensive woes. He can preach sound hitting principles until he is blue in the face, but until players with flawed approaches change, he can't make an impact. Simmons and BJ are the worst offenders. After a great 2013, Chris Johnson messed himself up after clubbing two home runs at Wrigley in early July. Rookies Gossilin and LaStella contributed much more than Uggla. Gattis struggled with injuries, and without him the offense nosedived.

Tuesday I worked past 7:20 and Wednesday past 8:10. I am the company expert for the complicated work order system, so people across the Southeast call me to solve the problems they've gotten themselves into. This takes time. Yesterday co-worker Tim asked me to look at four work orders he had completed. All four balanced perfectly to the penny. I got everyone's attention and announced what a good job he had done.


Left at three to head to Augusta. More next week!

Rock Eagle

In high school and college Rock Eagle was always a great time. Small church retreats and large Baptist student conventions, with midnight hikes to see the eagle. Mary Clayton's family goes all the time for 4H events, and Will got to go several times as well.

I will watch very little of the baseball playoffs, and very little NFL football. UGA football will be event viewing, and to a lesser extent Clemson and GT football. Last week the Clemson/UNC game was on ESPNU, which we do not get. I did have a game on while I worked on my eBay stuff. The Super Bowl party we attended for years is no more, since most of the kids have grown up and gone off the college. I watch even less basketball - neither pro nor college...not even the NCAA's.

Sept 20: Before heading out to the Cobb EMC meeting Saturday morning I took a pill for my nose. Turned out to be a PM pill. No wonder I nodded off during the Tech game. Also watched some of AL/FL and ATL/NYM before the FSU/Clemson game. Gassed up Anna's Jeep and mailed more packages as well. Sunday I cleaned upstairs until noon, while listening to a Bryant Wright sermon on the internet. Ate lunch, did laundry and the dishes, and cleaned downstairs until after 2:30. Will had caught an earlier flight back from Oklahoma, where he had attended four performances of MC's play: "Carrie, the Musical." I picked him up at 3:45. Brought him home for burgers and fries. After spending the night Will rode with me to work Monday morning to pick up his car. Was the first one in the office. Too bad my boss was off.

Winston: I think Richt would've been stricter, though some would've given him heat for another negative mark on the program. Like you say, I haven't heard that about FSU. Did after the crab legs incident, though.

Rarely do you see a team do so much wrong as Tampa did against the Falcons. Everything was going wrong - fumbles, bad snaps, penalties, poor special teams play. About time something went right for the Falcons. Not really much you can take from that game about what kind of team the Falcons are. They have improved. Last year they were much worse than the Braves. We'll see about this year.

I need to get out and exercise at night, since I'm not doing it in the mornings. We eat so late, that by the time the dishes are done its almost too late to do anything else. Been working super late. Just about brain dead. Worked past 8 pm Monday night. Not much of an evening left when I got home. Anna had made a chicken casserole and salad. I reviewed her application to UGA and we went it off. More meetings Tuesday morning, and a bunch of month end stuff to do. Another long day (left at 7:20). Thursday afternoon my new boss and I head to Augusta to take inventory Friday. Next Wednesday I'm flying to Little Rock to train a class of hotshots for two days.

L mentioned the bus tour to me when we were texting back and forth Saturday night. He was excited about everything except the sleeping on the bus part. I would want to stop and take pictures at oddball places and tourist traps and stuff.

Will Terdo take Doumit's place? After this year they're probably looking for a veteran leader or two for that role.

ROB: I would have liked to have seen the Braves play Terdoslovich more. Terdo should take over Doumit's role. Here is the issue with bench players; it is hard to put a young player like Terdo into the role because they are used to getting 4 AB's every day. So they have to adjust to the majors at the same time they are adjusting to playing in a limited basis. The prevailing thought is that older players like Doumit can handle the role better. However the issue with older players is that some have just reached the end of the MLB line - and by the time you realize that, you have wasted 100+ PA's. Remember Greg Norton a few years ago and Doumit this year.

My solution is the Designated Pinch Hitter role (the original name for the DH). This player is ALWAYS, without exception, the first pinch hitter off of the bench. How often does a team not use at least 1 PH a game? You don't play matchups or wait for another moment, the first time in a game where you PH for the pitcher, you use your #1 DPH. This way they know they are getting 1 PA almost every night and can stay sharper than if you are sitting for multiple games, having your PA's depending upon matchups and situations.

BJ had a 113 OPS+ in September - though I think that was mainly due to his 3 HR's in part-time duty. I think he will end up with the someone like the Cubs and fix his swing enough to have a 20 HR season. The fans here will go crazy, but I think the reality is that sometimes people are in situations where, for whatever reason, they aren't as comfortable as they are in other situations where they are more successful. Maybe it was the big contract or maybe it was playing with his brother.

When Tom Glavine came up in '87, I thought Ted Simmons was his personal catcher. Looking through the '87 and '88 boxscores, I can't find a game where Simmons caught Glavine. It is funny how we remember things which never happened.