Sports--100 Words

Sports.

Few enjoy sports as much as me.

Baseball. Football. Basketball. Racing. I enjoy them all.

Always have.

From the time I was a child, our backyard was a three-season sports field. We played baseball in summer. Football in fall. Basketball in winter. Springtime? Well, you had to study at some point!

Sports today are different from then. In those days, it seemed the games were purer. People played the game for the love of the game, not money.

Today, that’s not true. Signing bonuses. Strikes. Hold outs.

I’d like to return to the love of sports of my youth.

Relaxation--100 Words

Relaxation.

Great word!

Positive thoughts come to mind when that word is spoken.

This weekend, I’m hoping for some relaxation.

Doing as little as possible.

Putting my mind into neutral and coasting.

A slow coast at that. Not in a hurry. No schedule to keep. No pager. Or phone.

If the weather holds, we’ll hit a few yard sales on Saturday. We’ll eat quiet meals at home. We’ll prop our feet up, snooze if the mood hits.

And did I mention watch football? Do that while wife snoozes. That way, we’ll both be happy.

What’s your plan for the weekend?

Victory-100 Words

Victory.

The elusive thrill of victory. The taste of it.

We desire victory. We long for it. We train for it. We play to win.

Yet, seldom do we taste victory. Even if we are good. We aren’t always victorious.

But, think about it for a minute. Who ever said that we would be victorious? Two football teams play for four quarters—yet only one team wins. Two baseball teams play for nine innings—only one will walk away a victor.

So, why—this side of heaven—do we think we deserve victory? Seriously. Why?

Let’s get over it already.

Not For Long

An NFL coach once told an official that if he kept making calls like he was making that he wouldn't be calling games in the league for long, literally telling him what NFL stood for--Not For Long.

Maybe it is time for that same coach to tell NFL players that!

It's been a terrible off-season for NFL players. One player has been arrested for the death of a person, while he was DUI. Other players have been arrested on various charges across the country. Two NFL players died at seas when their boat capsized. Now, there's another story in the news.

It seems that NFL receiver Reggie Williams has been charged with drug possession after off-duty policemen used a Taser to subdue him when he refused to leave a bar.

Houston police spokesman Kese Smith says Williams was impaired when he refused to leave a bar Sunday night. He struggled with two off-duty officers who tried to escort him out and one of them used a Taser on him.

Police say jail officials later found a small bag believed to contain cocaine in Williams’ back pocket. He was charged on Monday with possession of a controlled substance and freed after posting a $2,000 bond.

In February, the 25-year-old unrestricted free agent was arrested in Houston on drink driving and possession of marijuana charges, which were later dropped. He played for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.

You know, I love sports. I really do. I used to love playing sports. I still love watching sports. But, what I don't love is the attitude of so many players, many who have been pampered their entire live, and given anything they want. Now, they believe they can live above the law, do what they want, and will suffer no penalty for it.

As a fan, I'm tired of it. And maybe I need to learn the meaning of NFL--if this stupidity keeps up, that's about how long I should keep watching--Not For Long!

Way to Go Bama!

Not braggin'...but it wasn't even close!

Alabama--49
Arkansas--14

Realigning Priorities

I love sports. I love playing sports. I love watching sports.

In my younger days, my brother and I played every sport imaginable in our back yard or front yard. We played baseball in the spring and summer, football in the fall, and basketball in the winter (remember, being from south Alabama, my exposure to “Yankee” sports like hockey was non-existent. And who in the world ever created Lacrosse? My mother would never let my brother and me run around with sticks in our hands!

Anyway, we played some type of game almost 365 days a year. As I got older, I played some intramural football in college. I’ve played pick-up basketball games for years with various friends. I’ve played church league softball. As I said, I love sports.

Now, as I get older and the demand for me to play is no longer there, I’ve come to learn that my playing days are over (well, demand may have been too strong a word to put there—not sure there was ever a demand for me to play—but since this is my blog, I’ll leave it!)

So, now I watch sports. I’ll watch baseball, football, basketball. I’ll even watch tennis and golf if nothing else is on. Truth be told, I’d probably watch a competition where men (or women for that matter) threw manhole covers across the room! Did I say that I love sports?

But, out of respect and love for my wife, I limit my sports watching. I’ll try to scope out a game or two that I’d like to watch over the weekend, and limit my watching to that game or games. If my beloved University of Alabama is playing (as they are this weekend) I know I want to see them. If there is another great game scheduled for the weekend, I’ll at least try to work that one into my agenda for the weekend. Other than that, I try to let the rest of it go.

But, it is hard to do. It really is. I love to watch sports. Not sure why that is so engrained in me, but it is. I never watched sports on TV as a kid, then again, there weren’t many games shown on TV in those days, or at least I don’t remember there being that many.

I think what it comes down to is the fact that I simply love to watch people competing. I like the thrill of victory and despise the agony of defeat. I love to watch athletics giving their best on the field, leaving everything there for the game’s sake. I love watching people use their God-given strengths in sports, and I guess I am just a little jealous that God didn’t bless me with those same skills and abilities.

So, this Saturday, at 11:30 AM CDT, I’ll be watching the University of Alabama play the razorbacks from Arkansas. I’ll be pulling for my team, screaming at the top of my lungs for them to win!

Then again, if my wife needs me to do something for her or if she’d rather not be a “football widow” for the afternoon, I’ll probably just skip the game and read about it in Sunday’s paper. If we buy a Sunday paper.

After all, in 10 years who will care if Alabama wins or loses? Well, of course, there will be some in our fair state who will, but don’t count me in with that number. There are more important things than college football, or professional football, or tennis, or baseball.

Sure, I love sports. But, I love other things more.

How about you?