Its Underway

Well, the NFL season is officially underway, and I love it. I love football season. I love football starting for so many reasons. It means we are closer to winter, and hence the ski season. I love skiing.

I am still looking for an acceptable answer as to how someone picks a sports team. As I have given it more thought, I have come up with a few reasons of my own. I think if you are ok with how the uniform looks, like watching what a few of the players can do, and enjoy the time watching them, then its a good start. I think that a big help though, is repetition. What I mean is this: If you watch the same team again and again, they will obviously grow on you. I have two very strong examples in my own life of this. When I was little, I liked BYU. (Yes you read that right, I can admit it.) In my defense, my parents had season tickets and took me to all the home games. It was so fun to be at the games. I still remember many of the games. I saw BYU beat Miami in Provo in 1990. Huge game. Fun game. I remember making a paper airplane out of one of the pages of the program that made it all the way to the field. I was stoked. I was a BYU fan all the way through, and I even memorized the fight song and used to wait around on the field after the game to get player autographs. Freddie Whittingham signed my BYU shirt, I got a wristband from Sean Covey, and a chinstrap from Mark Bellini. I even had the Mormon rap and the Ty Detmer rap on cassette and played them both at high volumes on my radio. It was awesome. Sometime in those formative years, my Grandpa Simons started taking me to the Utah games. A game here and there became every home game. While it was fun to go to games with Grandpa, I knew nothing about the U. Grandpa would tell me things here and there, and a second or third cousin played for them here and there, so I soon became converted to the truth, and am now a Utah Fan. I am not a BYU hater, don't tell anyone but I actually like to see them do well. I just want Utah to win the rivalry game each year. My second example is my being an Angels fan. As mentioned in a previous post, I use to be a Mets fan. After going to so many Bees games though, I slowly converted to an Angels fan because it was names I knew from watching the games in Salt Lake. So exposure has a big deal to do with being a fan. I still am having a hard time choosing an NFL team to get behind, but I watched the New York Jets and the Green Bay Packers the first week of the season and had a great time watching both teams. I am starting to accept Aaron Rodgers as a QB for the Packers. Anyway, I am still looking for explanations from you guys about this topic.

Another thing I have realized is that it is so fun is going to the stadiums. My quest to see a baseball game in every stadium is underway. I have always hated the Yankees. HATED THEM. I am not sure why, but I honestly feel this extreme hatred for everything Yankees. Or at least used to. Last summer I went to Yankee Stadium. I have a hard time hating those Yankees now. I feel like I am peeking through the blinds at them, just to keep up secretly with what is going on with them. I am excited for this coming week, we have Angels-Yankees tickets in Anaheim!

So the first week of football, as mentioned is underway. I think football games is what makes fall speed by. Waiting each week for the games makes time cruise and before you know it its Thanksgiving. So with the first week of Football comes the first week of Fantasy Football as well. I went a little overboard and have a total of four teams. Its too many. My first week is looking bad, especially in the league I am matched up against Rebecca. Her team is crushing my team. Its bad. Real bad. I have not had my masculinity challenged to this extent since Laurie Anderson beat me and 4 other guys in a game of Risk in college.

Yeah, that was a bad day too. It almost makes me return to the fetal position sucking my thumb. All I can do is look forward to week 2 and make some early adjustments.

Tune in again soon, I have a few more posts coming soon... non sports posts I may add. One more thing about sports though, did anyone else see Shaquille O'Neals quote that he thinks that Ben Rothlesberger is the third best QB in the NFL? He went on to say that if that is true, then he (Shaq) should play football because he is better than Ben. I laughed hard for two reasons: 1- Rothlesburger is no where near the third best QB in the league, and 2- are you kidding me Shaq? Go back to the movies.

My Grandpa passed away last summer before the Utah Utes season began. I really miss him. He was my goto Sports Almanac. Anytime I had a question about a rule, a call, or when I wanted to just analyze a game, he was the guy I talked to. He had a anecdote to life that always related to sports. He took me to so many sporting events, and supported us faithfully in any sports we participated in. I remember him always being at the little league games. I have really thought a lot about Grandpa lately, I bet he would have an answer on how to pick a team.

My fantasy world

Last night Chad and I spent well over an hour participating in a live on-line draft for a fantasy football league we play in. Last week we drafted for another fantasy football league that Chad commissions. Today I've been trying to decide who I should start and who I should bench in both leagues (Rivers or Manning? ). In case you didn't know, I love fantasy football!

I've been playing since 1999, before I met Chad. I was a huge NBA fan at the time but wasn't too interested in football. A friend of mine convinced me to play so I thought I'd give it a shot. I've been playing every season since and I LOVE football. Over the years I have taken 1st place once and 2nd place 3 times. I've managed 11 teams and been commissioner twice. I also played fantasy basketball for a few years (I was commissioner twice and placed 1st and 3rd) but have since given it up. I even played fantasy hockey for a couple of years (I know nothing about hockey, but it was fun and I took 1st place!). If you didn't think I was a geek before, you do now!

So what makes Fantasy sports so fun and addicting? For me it is the competition. Sadly, I am very UN-athletic so growing up I never really participated in any sports. My competitive drive is resigned to manifest itself over board games (Scrabble anyone???). Over the years I've become a big fan of sports. Since I lack the ability to play, I have discovered the joy of being an observer. Fantasy sports gives me the chance to be more of a "participant" than I ever was before. It's the perfect medium for us athletically challenged sports-lovers.

I've got some great players on my teams this year. I managed to snag Peyton Manning last night. As Chad said, he is my favorite player. But Chad's wrong when he says I only like him because he's cute. I like him because he's got amazing accuracy, great leadership, a strong presence in the pocket and a very fine backside. AND he's cute! My Colts are the best, but I also like the Giants (I just love the Manning bros!) and the Packers. I want to like the Cowboys because I really like a lot of their players, but I'm just not sure I can bring myself to say I'm a Cowboys fan. I've always loved T.O. so I might have to cheer for the Bills this year. We'll see...

I'm excited to have another female playing in our friends and family league this year (yay McKayla!). So how many other Fantasy Football playing women are out there? I know I'm not the only one. How about football fans? Who's your favorite team and player(s)? And most importantly, are you ready for some football?!??!??

Fantasy Sports

You women readers may want to get the men involved in this one. The end of Summer always marks one huge landmark event for me: Drafting my Fantasy Football Team. I admit, I am addicted, hooked, lined and sinkered. I started playing fantasy football in 1997, out of curiosity to see what it was all about. I had no clue. All I knew is that when I was watching football games, they had a little ticker at half time about the fantasy impact. This was enough to get me to start to dabble. Sheer curiosity. So I did a team. Then I did it again, now I can not wait for it. It doesn't stop at football either. I do fantasy basketball. I have a fantasy baseball team. I even have a football survival team, football pick 'em bracket, and salary cap fantasy football. Shamefully, the same curiosity got me into a fantasy NASCAR bracket, fantasy Wimbledon Bracket (I have a crush on most of the female tennis players from Europe), and fantasy golf. Thankfully the last three didn't stick.

A quick synopsis of fantasy sports. You get into a league against friends (or strangers) who all draft a mock team. Any current active player is free game. You can draft the quarterback from the Dolphons to throw to the receiver from the 49ers. So you get your team together and place them in their spots and whatever stats they earn in the real game, gets transferred over to your team stats. So the trick is getting the lineup each week of the guys that are going to have the good stats. Then your fantasy stats are matched up against another's fantasy stats and the team with the best stats wins the game that week. This may be confusing to the non-fantasy player, but it doesn't matter.

My point in all of this is really not to give a sales pitch for fantasy sports. If you have not ventured into that world, and are a sports fan, you are definitely missing out. Think of it as Dungeons and Dragons for former athletes-or the "wish-they-were-athletes for that matter. The games come with all sorts of unspoken rituals and bragging rights. A "my dad can beat up your dad" sort of game.

In recent years I have realized something about playing fantasy sports though. It has ruined my fanmanship. (Did I just make up a word?) This has become more and more apparent due to the constant cajoling and mocking from my family. Yes, I will elaborate. ( Yes, I know I am pretending someone is asking me questions as I write.)

My family is a sports family. Sports fans all around. Football fanatics. (It was very important for me to use the entire root word for fan there when mentioning football. It really brings out the true definition.) My Grandpa played every sport and coached every sport. He was so actively involved in the sports program at East High, right up to his death last summer, that I am sure a field, arena, or weight room in the future will have his name on it. His sons, my uncles, all played every sport as well, some as far as college. My immediate family, IE- dad and brothers, all played. As far as football goes, they are all avid Chicago Bears fans. My sister-in-law, amazingly (or maybe not coincidentally), is a Bears fan as well. (That makes it easier on game days I would imagine.) I have 4 brothers. 2 of them, plus my dad, cheer the bears rain or shine, even the Kyle Orton years. They know exactly where they stand. The other likes the Giants, and one likes the 49ers. (Get to the point you say, and stop with the parenthesis?) Had you asked me years ago, I would have said I was a New York Jets fan-and I may still be. I am not sure what ever happened to make me a New York Jets fan, except I recall getting a replica Mark Gastineau jersey, number 99, for Christmas when I was not more than 8 years old. So I started watching the Jets. Thankfully I avoided watching the Broncos and the Chargers even though they were on TV the most.

Back to fantasy sports. Fantasy sports have destroyed my ability to choose and cheer for a favorite team. Living in Utah makes it hard to side with any football team. I know the Mormon world likes to side with the 49ers because Steve Young played there and that somehow makes them an honorary LDS team, but not me. So my brothers have given me a lot of lip the last few years and have tried to force my hand. I have been called a fair weather fan. A bandwagoner. Truth is, I am not sure what to do about it. I cheer for the players that end up on my fantasy team. To be honest, I do not like this situation. I need to pick a team. I thought for a while I would become a Packers fan, because I loved watching Favre, and I had a couple of the Green Bay receivers on my teams, but I just can't bring myself to get behind Rodgers. He looks too awkward. And I could never cheer for Minnesota. Favre should be ashamed of himself!

I want a team I can get behind. How does someone choose a favorite team anyway? Its almost obvious that if you live in Dallas, you like the Cowboys. Again, though, Utah does not have that hometown tie. With basketball we have it. With baseball we sort of have it (the Salt Lake Bees are the farm team for the Angels.) So I pose this question...what do you sports fans look for in choosing a favorite team? How do you readers choose your team? I know which teams I hate, but can't settle on one team to cheer on. I want one to hang pennants in my den and by replica jerseys again. Rebecca likes the Colts, but it started because she thinks Peyton Manning is cute. She use to like the Patriots for the same reason, as in Tom Brady. Obviously, I don't have that same draw. Over the last 10 years I have transitioned in baseball from a Mets fan to an Angels fan because of watching so many Salt Lake games and getting to know the players. (I was a Mets fan because that was my little league team mascot.) Not getting to know the players personally, but watching them in Salt Lake and then seeing them play in "the bigs." Baseball is easy. I am a huge baseball fan, almost to the point that I do not need a team because I just like watching the game. But...

I want to pick a side.

I want to be a fanatic.

Fantasy sports is making that difficult.

Cell Phone

This was inspired by reading Angie's post. I have a semi-funny story. This happened a couple years ago, but is still plain as day in my mind.

So I go into a cell phone store to upgrade my Nokia model 100 cell phone.

The store was located in the now destroyed Cottonwood Mall...Just to help you visualize.

College Kid Worker at the Counter: "Can I help you?"

Me: "I need to buy a new phone."

Worker: "What do you want your phone to do?"

Me: After a short pause and most likely a really confused, dumb look on my face: "Call people."

Worker: "Oh! All of our phones do that, but we also have phones that are MP3 players, have internet, cameras, GPS devices..."

Me: I interupt him, "I don't do any of that. I just want a phone that makes phone calls. I do not want to buy any of the extra things because I have a camera and an IPOD."

Worker: "I don't think we have phones that only make calls. Let me check." So he goes into the back room for about 15 minutes. It seemed a lot longer. Finally he comes out with a single phone box in his hand, and he is beaming. "This phone doesn't do anything but make calls!"

Me: "Let me have a look." So I take the phone out of the box an look at it. I pretend to know all about certain things that you need to look for when buying a phone. "How much?"

Worker: "Um, you can probably just have it."

Me: "Are you sure?"

Worker: " Let me call my supervisor." He gets on the store phone and calls someone. I only hear his side of the conversation, but he explains to his supervisor that I only want a phone that calls people and he found an old but brand new phone in a back corner of the storage, that the phone is no longer listed in the books, and asks if he can give it away. He hangs up and says, "yeah, its all yours. And my supervisor says thanks for taking it off our hands."

No contract. No money. Perfect phone shopping experience. Since then however, my work has almost forced me to be more reliant on the phone. I text. I actually like texting only because I don't like talking on the phone a lot. With a text I can get to the point and all of the small talk is not required. Just a simple sentence or two and you are done. While I worked my office position for the Fire Department I was forced to have email attached to my phone, my Outlook calendar attached to my phone, and on and on. Though it was beneficial for my position, I never want that again. I have avoided getting an Iphone, or any other of the new hot devices. Call me old fashioned. I really wish I could phase having a cell phone out of my life, and go back to the days of carrying a dime in my shoe in case I needed the pay phone.

Pay phones probably cost a dollar-fifty now.

New Title: Chad Says, Rebecca Listens and Does!

I had higher hopes for this blog. I can't let it die. If it is going to be just about me, then so be it. There are a lot of examples of solo artists being more successful than the group right? Paul Simon dumped Art Garfunkel, and though I disagree, critics think he was better solo. Bobby Brown broke up New Edition. David Lee Roth and Van Halen, Neil Young dumped Crosby Stills and Nash, Beyonce-never mind, George Michael put an end to Wham, which was most definitely a good thing, the only problem being that there was still a George Michael. So, Rebecca, get the hint... this blog needs your participation.

Until she decides to join back up, I will continue to ramble. First up... have you all heard about Shaq's (as in Shaquille O'Neal/as in basketball/ as in big middle man) latest venture. I am not talking about his trade to the Cav's. I am talking about his upcoming talk show. This should give everyone in the world hope and confidence that truly anything can be accomplished. Seriously, have you guys heard him talk? He makes Sly Stallone sound like a profound orator, maybe even a philosopher. If you need proof go back and watch Kazaam. (Kazaam- a low budget film starring Shaq as a genie- not that I ever watched it.)

Okay, I watched it. I have no excuse. I guess I don't really know the budget either, maybe they intended this to be a blockbuster. If given the choice between Kazaam and Beaches, I would choose Beaches again. Please don't ever put me into that situation. I think I may watch this new Talk Show just as a comedy sketch. I wonder what they will call it? I wonder what network will air it? I guess the rich and famous can get away with anything. Plus, Shaq is entering the world of Pro Wrestling. I think it is called WWE now. Not positive. Wrestling has changed its name more than the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Didn't Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman already prove that basketball pros do not put on an entertaining enough show as wrestlers? OK, I did watch that match too. Even ordered it on Pay Per View. Karl Malone and Hulk Hogan took on Rodman and Rick Flair. I can't remember who won. The wrestling match continued into the 1998 finals however, and Malone flopped several times in those games. (Cheap shot from a bitter former fan?)

I remembered another story from work that may be entertaining for you all. So here it goes. This happened a few years ago, so I can safely tell it without violating any HIPPA laws, I think. Anyway, so we get paged out to a full arrest. (Full Arrest means that some one's heart has stopped beating, and they are not breathing. Not a good thing for those wishing to live, but, sadly it happens all the time.) The place we get called to is a group home of sorts, where many old people live together and take care of each other. We get to the house and pound on the door yelling, "Fire Department!" Yelling "Fire Department" somehow gives us the right to use whatever means necessary to enter the home. So we knock hard on the door, and this older white guy answers. A quick look at this guy tells me two things instantly. Number 1- We would probably be seeing him very soon, speaking from a firefighter/paramedic standpoint. IE- he looked sick and nearing his own major cardiac event. So much that we asked one of our EMT's to check his vitals when we left the place. The second thing that I learned, the Mr T starter kit should not be ordered or worn by white people. If there was a picture book definition to "bling," this guy's portrait would be exclusively it. So the White Mr T-minus the Mohawk-points us to a room towards the back of this 5 room apartment.

Quick necessary side track: when an individual is in full arrest, and paramedics are there, 3 or 4 quick things have to happen. We have to get the person to an area where we can do work, all around the body. We also have to move them to a firm surface. We also have to remove their upper clothing. So people that collapse in bathrooms, or in their beds, or where ever, are often drug to areas of the home that allow us more room to give the person every fighting chance. Back to the story, so we are heading to the room that White Mr T told us to go to. As we walk into the room, sure enough, a lady appeared to be unconscious and not breathing in her bed. (Now the sidetrack info becomes relevant, right?) So my paramedic partner and I exchange quick glances of understanding and without saying a word fling the bedspread off the lady, grab her legs, and pull her to the floor of her room. As soon as she hit the floor at the foot of her bed she started screaming. However, this was not my Baywatch moment. (Baywatch moment- person in cardiac arrest from drowning, lifeguard-paramedics pull victim from water, give a mouth to mouth breath or two, give a compression or two and the person coughs a couple of times, water comes out of the mouth, and the person invites the whole crew over for a beach blanket barbecue later that night for saving her life.)

Nope, this lady screamed out of sheer fear from the two strangers that just interrupted her full-arrest looking slumber. At about the same moment, White Mr T comes to the door and with every last breath he could muster out of his 65 years of smoke filled lungs says, "next room down, next room down!" You'll have to insert you own raspy sounding old guy voice, because I just do not know how to type that in effectively. So, without helping the lady back into her bed, we moved down to the next room. See, we should have helped her back into bed, but time is of the essence in these medical situations. And since I know you will ask, no, the real patient did not make it.

This brings up another point. Yes, I can laugh about this story now. Hopefully you see the humor in it too. Firefighters and Paramedics may come off a little "cold." In reality, its how we deal with the many terrible things we see and are forced to deal with. It is sad to see so many people deal with lost loved ones, but we can not get too emotional about it or we would crack. Cracked firefighters and paramedics are not effective ones. I did however cry when the Stay-Puft Marshmallow man was destroyed. He had such a short life. So many things left unaccomplished.