Football

Tonight my sister and I are going to Nebraska's last home football game of the year. If they win, they win their division and get to play in the conference championship, which if they win that game, they'll get to play in the Bowl Championship Series, which means millions more dollars in revenue for the school and conference.

All that said, the game is even more important for Kansas State. It is KSU's last game of their season, if they lose. If they win, they become bowl eligible and win the division and play for the conference championship. So a lot hinges on their play tonight, a game in which they're 16.5 point underdogs.

It Isn't Spring Until You Can Step On Nine Daisies at Once

Actually, it's officially Spring because Nebraska played their Spring Football Game, 77,670 in attendance (this is a lot, Pittsburgh had 6,200; Oklahoma had 28,000 and their quarterback didn't think many schools had that many people) Two of those 77k were Allison and me. And to cement Spring's arrival we made a blubarb pie too. It was made with sorta freezer burnt rhubarb and blueberries, but it is still pretty tasty and as per usual, the crust was excellent.

We also went to the NCAA Women's Gymnastics National Championships which were also in Lincoln this weekend. It was fun watching Georgia win their 10th championship in their coach's last year, she's retiring. Included in that was one of Georgia's gymnasts, Kupets, who won the all-around on Thursday and in the individual event finals on Saturday added three more championships to set an NCAA record with nine for her career.

My Birthday:

I had a wonderful day. We went to eat at the Thai Restaurant and I had some always tasty Tom Kha Gai. And not only did I receive a bunch of excellent recipes, someone even asked me for one. One of my co-workers (while that doesn't need a hyphen, I prefer it when reading, because I can't separate the syllables properly, and I end up pronouncing it like a gaucho working cattle.), Mike, brought in a different recipe that he or his wife selected each day of the week following my birthday (the highlight might be a Brussels Sprouts and Red Grape dish). Another coup for me was a mushroom enchilada recipe I've been wanting for ten years. The recipe is from the wife of my principal in academy. Our new accountant at work is her class agent for Union and emailed her my request. Et Voila! I'm also looking forward to trying Ceri's mother's blueberry muffin recipe.

I made Eric's Potato Salad for Easter. Leah's recommendations were all excellent. The toasted pine nuts, roasted red pepper (I love "roasting" these over an open flame on my gas stovetop.), fresh dill, and slightly caramelized red onions all helped to make the dish. We (Angela, Mat, Allison, and Me) also had asparagus milanois sp? (roasted asparagus with an over easy egg on top) with quail eggs that I got from the Oriental Market. So cute.

I intend to blog more, and much of my fodder for that purpose will be my little note book.

I Couldn't Recommend It

Cooperative Somniloquence--when I start talking, they start sleeping.

Like Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, I'm disappointed they lost the Super Bowl. I was rooting for the Pats because I don't like how the 1972 Dolphins (the only team in the Super Bowl Era to win all their games) celebrate their accomplishment, and I wanted them at least to have company, and possibly have to move down a chair at the table of perfection (the Patriots would have been 19-0 while the Dolphins only had 17 games). However, I'm very happy that it was a great game with great plays. The 3rd down with 5 yards to go where Elisha Manning resisted being sacked by Adalius Thomas and then threw a beautiful pass that was equaled by the prestidigious catch by David Tyree may have been the greatest play ever in a Super Bowl.

I watched the first episode of Jeeves and Wooster from the BBC on my Netflix. It is taken from P.G Wodehouse's stories and stars Stephen Fry as Jeeves and Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster. I enjoyed the first episode and am looking forward to the rest.

In closing, it is that magical week of getting rid of your eggs and dairy so you aren't tempted with their delectablity for Lent.

Proverbs 22: 6

So last night, I watched Knocked Up. Its characters are focused on creating an environment to bring a child into. There is a bit of a montage at the end where they are taking their daughter to the park and swinging with her on the playset, but mainly, it stops where the real parenting begins.

Then today while driving back from flag football practice and scrimmage, I was thinking how much I love playing football and how that love has influenced decisions in my life.

I played little league football when I was in Fourth Grade (side note: there is not a Grade Four in Ukraine) in Wheeling, IL, a suburb of Chicago. I was part of the Wheeling Sooners and rode my yellow mountain bike with my pads hanging from a one handle bar throwing off my balance to every practice. I guess for my dedication, the coach chose me to run through the paper hoop first for our "homecoming" game. The actual event was not as glamorous as I had hoped, as I tripped on the hoop and ran for about fifteen yards with my torso parallel to the ground trying to get my balance before I did a little forward roll. This was the start. I played offensive line and line backer and we went 1-9 that season.

My next organized play was in Doland, SD in 7th and 8th grade. These were the salad days, and we were a pretty good team on our Monday afternoon games. Then the summer after my eighth grade year I decided to be baptized because I wanted to be part of the Remnant before the 12 o' clock hour. High School football games are generally played on Friday nights (the start of Sabbath). So in order to continue my athletic career and my spiritual walk, I decided to go to DAA where I wouldn't have a conflict between the Sabbath and football, even if it was just flag.

Eight years earlier Hans Widicker, my current boss, was playing high school football for Bowdon High on Thursday nights, an arrangement made specifically for him, and his brother who was two years ahead. Hans also played basketball and missed District games that were played on Saturday. From what I can gather, Hans was talented enough to play after high school at least at a small college. But college ball is played on Saturdays, so to maintain his witness to a community that broke traditions for his Faith; he went to Union. This is still a bit of a sore subject with Hans, and understandably so.

Back to my thoughts during my drive home from practice:
Considering my history, how do I raise my child to navigate the conflict between their passions and their faith? Do I bring faith to them at all, or do I fuel their hobbies at the exclusion of God? And separate from their hobbies, How do I incorporate spirituality, if I decide to, at all?

My present answers to these questions:

I will let them choose how to blend their faith and vocations. I will introduce faith and God as someone who they can always turn to when everyone else has let them down or isn't around for support. I'll lean on the church as an institution to help incorporate spirituality, while encouraging them to question and search for their own answers.

I'm interested in what your answers are to these questions, especially those that are married or are planning to be.

Mail Call

I didn't check today's (Saturday's) mail til yesterday (Saturday, since it is now 12:40 ante meridian). But today's mail held a letter from my father and a missing Christmas gift and note/letter from my mother. Each was post marked January 3rd, but I'm betting each was taken to the post office on Tuesday the 2nd, which because of Gerald R! Ford's death was a government vacation. This purturbed me a bit, first because they used his death to extend an observed holiday, when they could have used the 26th through the 29th just as easily. The second reason is not mine (at bottom of page) but is a reason nonetheless: it was a national day of mourning. Why are we mourning the death of a good 93 year old man? Christians who believe in immediate afterlife would have us believe that he is already in Heaven. Why should we be sad about that fact?

But this is not a time for grumbling but rejoicing. How great in this era of e-connection that I receive two letters of integrity. I think there are some great things about written correspondence. The permanence of pen on paper. The buying of the stamp. The licking of the envelope. Salutatory and valedictory deliberations (post scriptory deliberations?).

So if you would like one of these from me, send me your address. I'll do my best in the coming days and weeks to seek out the addresses I already have and act on them, but if you want a guarantee, give it to me.

Kind Regards,

Daniel

PS I feel bad for Tony Romo.

"OJ Simpson . . .

not a Jew. But guess who is, Hall of Famer Rod Carew; he converted."

While I liked the previous radio station more, when a Lincoln station changed formats a few years back they played the Turkey Song, by Adam Sandler, continuously. The opening line is from another Sandler song, the Hanukkah Song. I had a happy turkey day. There were over twenty-five pies to choose from, this is a good thing. My favorite pie was my mother's raspberry pie, so delicious. And what I really liked about it was that it wasn't ashamed of being raspberry. There was some tart to it, which is what raspberries taste like. There is also some comfort in knowing the raspberries came from our own patch.

I watched a lot of football over the weekend. At one point on Saturday night, I was keeping fairly close tabs on three different games. I know I have a sickness. Most symptomatic of my illness is that I woke up at 6:50 am Sunday to leave SD so that I would be back in Lincoln for the Bears game.

The only travel drama came fifteen miles from home in Redfield where we got a flat tire. Then, of course, our limp-along tire also went flat. This was a very fortunate instance, all things considered, because we could have gotten stuck along the interstate somewhere; instead we just waited for Denny to pick us up. No big deal.

May the only things you consume this holiday season be conversation with friends, homemade food, and (some other good thing, suggestions welcome in the comments section). Don't worry about stimulating the economy; it's doing fine.

They ARE Who We THOUGHT They Were!

And we let'em off the hook!

Those are Denny Green's words after my favorite team the Chicago Bears came back from 20 points down to win the game with 15 minutes and 3 seconds left. The Bears had 6 turnovers in the game and managed only three points from the offense, yet they still won the game. The comeback was keyed by two forced fumbles returned for touchdowns, by the defense, and, with less than three minutes left, a punt return for a touchdown.

I was watching the postgame press conference live on ESPN News when seemingly with no build up, Green exploded. Here is the video. Here is an article about the game with the best quote of Green's comments.

In other news, Wendy mentioned that my city-league flag football team is playing the other SDA team on Sunday. I find this great because October 22nd is the anniversary of the Great Disappointment. Going by our previous games against other teams in the league, the other team will be experiencing the disappointment.

The TV shows that have made my schedule this season are Amazing Race 10, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Friday Night Lights, South Park, Freakshow, Top Chef 2, My Name Is Earl, The Office, and Grey's Anatomy. These are on top of the football. Grey's is on ABC; Amazing Race is on CBS, but most of the others are on NBC, with Top Chef on Bravo, an NBC affiliate.

Hail and Hart-y

Congratulations Champions of the West, the University of Michigan. They beat Notre Dame today 47-21. They were ranked 11 with ND ranked 2 by the same polling organization. This is also one of the few road openers Michigan has won in recent memory, something like six years. Last year, Michigan's starting running back, Mike Hart, was injured for last year's contest. This year, however, he managed over 200 yards rushing, for the fifth time in his career.

Nebraska is playing the University of Southern California right now. Nebraska's ranked 19th and USC 4th. The Cornhuskers probably won't win, but the exposure is good for them, especially in California, which is the home state of twenty of their scholarship players right now.

Going back to the economics of college football, this is how the rich get richer. The Big XII athletic conference will get money from the network for their member institution playing on national television. The Huskers get a share of this money. They can then use this money to pay weaker schools to play them. This gives them wins which gets them into a post-season bowl game, the money of which also goes to the conference, with even more exposure. They also use this money, with the money from rich alumni who like winners, to improve their facilities which in turn impresses talented recruits who attend and help to win more games perpetuating the cycle.

It is tougher for the smaller schools to compete in such an environment, but they get to use the monies paid them to also improve their facilities to help recruiting. There is a trickle down effect, but as George Gibson's father likes to say, "That is exactly what it is, a trickle."

"Money, they say is the root of all evil today."

Here is an informative article about some of the money that gets thrown around in the name of education. Of interest is that Turner Gill, former Husker player and coach, is now the head coach at Buffalo.

Joe Pa Rises Again

This has been a tough weekend footballwise for me. The Huskers lost the lead with 12 seconds remaining, and the Bears gave up two touchdowns in 30 seconds with 3 minutes remaining in the game to lose a game they were winning. However some teams had some big victories this weekend. The Minnesota Golden Gophers beat the Michigan Wolverines for the first time in a long time to get the Little Brown Jug, a travelling trophy that started when one visiting team's trainer didn't trust the home team's water. On the other side, Michigan has now lost three times this season and hasn't been this bad in a while. Two other upsets in the Big Ten (with their eleven teams) have changed the face of the conference. Undefeated Wisconsin and undefeated The Ohio State University lost to Northwestern and Penn State respectively. This puts Penn State and their geriatric coach Joe Paterno



at the top of the Big Ten Conference. Penn State and Michigan State play for the Land Grant trophy, being two of the oldest Land Grant universities in the country. And in a final bout of trivia, Wikipedia again doesn't fail to satiate my ever burning questions. I wanted to know what exactly a Nittany Lion, the Penn State mascot, was. Now I do.

Another couple big wins happened in the Big 12 Conference, with Baylor getting their first ever road win in the conference against Iowa State, and Texas beating Oklahoma for the first time in maybe six years.

Merry Chris Kniss Everyone

Quickly, another observation from the Husker game Saturday: when the defensive players for the Huskers made a good play like sacking the quarterback or tackling the running back behind the line, they celebrated by putting one hand in the air wiggling their fingers and then abruptly bringing their hand down in a fist. This was done in concert with a teammate so that it seemed a bit more coordinated. If I'm not mistaken, this is how female volleyball players celebrate. Maybe in discussing the motivation of the band and drum corps previously, I overlooked that maybe the football team is motivated by the Lady Huskers #1 ranking and even greater success.

I don't know what the rules are for using people's names for entertainment purposes only, but I will make this disclaimer now. If anyone whose name I use is offended or angry at the usage of their name, I will give them money so that they don't sue me. Here are some names for your enjoyment:

[These names have been removed by me because I have offended one of them. I apologize.]

It Takes a Willage

This afternoon before the Huskers-Cyclones game, I went to the Haymarket, downtown, and on the campus to see the sights, people watch and such. I could have gotten a seat on the 45 or 35 yard line for 65 bucks, but who knows how far from the field it was. But I wasn't looking for a ticket. As I and a crowd of a lot of other people, maybe 70 then 150, watched the drum corps and band perform on the campus lawn, I thought about all the time and effort that those twenty and 150 individuals went through to perform for and entertain the 77,000 fans that came to watch the game. All of it would be nonexistent if not for the football team, who I doubt realize what magnitude their play has on so many people. For example, how much would the band practice or care if they were playing to a half empty stadium of disgruntled fans? How many Lincoln businesses would be struggling to make ends meet without those five, or this season seven, weekends of increased population in the city by a third? It all begins with the success of 60 kids playing football for three hours on a Saturday afternoon.
However, I think the question remains, would the band care? Does their motivation come from matching the success and excellence of the football players, or is it from the desire to perform well no matter what the circumstance? I'd like to think I would fall under the latter. And whether or not I apply it, I think that the more dire my circumstance, or the lower the quality that surrounds me, the harder I would try to excell, partly out of pride, but also out of self-respect.