Fear of a Speed Blue Planet
Feb 7, 2010 in Spurts
Shortly after I met my wife, we went over to her friends’ place to watch the Super Bowl. Now, she’s known these people for years — the guy since her… Read on…
Ground & Pound & Wound Up
Mar 26, 2009 in Spurts
Usually, 2 hours at Krav Maga gets me nice and calm. (Granted, I don’t usually need help being calm. But bear with me here.) An hour of self-defense plus an hour of cardio/weights/bag work will take the edge off… But last night I left class raring for some excitement. ‘Cause last class I was reminded of how much I like ground work. Read on…
These Krav Students Walk Into a MMA Fight...
Feb 8, 2009 in Spurts
Call me bloodthirsty. Some years ago — back in junior high and high school — I took Tae Kwon Do, and sparred regularly. It was a way of driving off the introvert shyness, and learning action and control. When I started taking Krav Maga; and, for that matter, when I see the UFC or something on TV — that makes me miss fighting. When the Krav studio I go to announced that, henceforth, graduates of the Fight class would fight in front of an audience, well, I sure wanted to be part of that audience, as did the AIG. So, towards Santa Monica with us! Read on…
How to Pass Your Krav Maga Yellow Belt Test
Mar 17, 2008 in Spurts
Well, I feel like I was run over by a truck or two. But, after six hours of being pounded on during a sunny Sunday afternoon, I now have my Krav Maga yellow belt! The AIG and I have been taking Krav classes since October — first once a week, and now three mornings a week — and let me say we’re hooked. It’s great exercise, great fun, and a great chance to clobber some poor unsuspecting person. Read on…
Gah!
Dec 16, 2007 in Spurts
The 0-13 Dolphins are now 1-13 — they beat my hapless Ravens. And my Broncos, the most inconsistent team in the NFL (see Variance) got whomped again, this time by… Read on…
The Longest Week
Sep 29, 2007 in Spurts
It’s fall, and that means that long weeks stretch from Monday evening to Saturday morning. No, it’s not work, it’s football, and there are four long days without it every week during the winter. With early evenings, darkness, and the cool autumn air, that leaves a profound longing. Read on…
For The Birds
Aug 22, 2007 in Spurts
I suppose it’s no secret that I haven’t followed the Orioles closely in years. And it’s no secret why — they don’t make it to Anaheim often, and Chavez Ravine even less; they’re almost never on TV over here; and, of course too many losses, too little in the way of positive changes. But the O’s1 are my team, and I love them. I love them even though they lost their last game 30-3, becoming the first team to give up 30 runs in 110 years. Actually, I think I love them even more now.
Read on…
At Least Eli Still Sucks
Feb 6, 2007 in Spurts
Darn. Well, the Colts won. Evil has triumphed in the world, not least because good appears to have been incompetent. What else is new? Thanks to the magic of gin and barbecue, I was able to make it through all three-and-some hours of depressing football, interspersed with remarkably mediocre ads1. It’ll be ok. Actually, the whole Super Bowl experience kind of showed me where I need to set my expectations and plans in life. Read on…
Go Bears!
Feb 4, 2007 in Spurts
Well, today’s the big day. We have the forces of evil against the forces of… Chicago. We all know what side I come down on! I’ll be rooting hard the whole game, and I believe that Da Bears! can win. I do! They’ve got the tough defense, and Manning crumbled against Baltimore’s D. They’ve also got the tough running attack, with a good up-the-middle runner and a competent edge runner too, which Baltimore didn’t have. It’ll be a tough game, but the Bears will win in the end. We all need to get on the bandwagon and root for good over evil, and I know just the thing to get you there: Read on…
Fuck.
Jan 21, 2007 in Spurts, True Life Stories
The Colts won the AFC Championship. They’re going to the Super Bowl.
The Colts are going to the Super Bowl.
This is fucking awful. Goddamn it. Read on…
De-Feat! De-Feat!
Dec 2, 2006 in Spurts
So my Trojans just lost to our cross-town rival UCLA Bruins. And, you know what, I’m okay with that. Sure, call me a bad homer1, but sometimes there’s such a thing as a good loss.
Read on…
Just Go Ahead and Pay the Freakin Football Players!
Aug 10, 2006 in Spurts
College football season’s on its way, which means, naturally, that the sports pages are full of stories of NCAA violations. Some, such as Oklahoma quarterback Rhett Bomar’s accepting money for a job he didn’t do are relatively serious. Others, such as USC reciever Dale Jarrett’s roommate’s father paying for a luxury apartment are simply a sign that the existing system, which effectively prohibits most Division I scholar-athletes from holding any useful job, is badly broken and needs to be fixed. Specifically, it needs to be possible for Division I schools to pay their athletes for playing sports. Read on…
2006 NFL Draft Recap
May 1, 2006 in Spurts
As everyone knows, the NFL draft is step 1 on the path to the really important football event of the year, the fantasy draft. Oh, and said draft makes a big difference as I watch my beloved Broncos and Ravens all season long. Will they win? Lose? And how will this year’s crop of Trojans perform? Read on…
Official Super Bowl XL Entry Sponsored by the NFL and Aspercreme
Feb 4, 2006 in Spurts
Like many Americans, I suffer from repetitive stress injuries, and it is only because of these that I’m not today a professional football coach or, with my stature, safety. However, also like many Americans, I certainly know as much about football as any coach or safety (although perhaps not as much as an offensive lineman), and therefore I plan to hold forth on exactly whom I pick to win tomorrow’s big game. Read on…
Well, That's a Relief.
Jan 15, 2006 in Spurts
I guess I can put that aside. I was all worried we’d get to see a third consecutive year of the Colts physically and morally dominating the Broncos; instead, the… Read on…
Serious Worries
Jan 14, 2006 in Spurts
I’m a Broncos fan from way back, so you’d think I’d be excited that they beat the Patriots in the playoffs today. No dice. It was a painful game to… Read on…
Back on Top
Oct 19, 2005 in B-School, Food, Spurts
I got back on track tonight with a win in the cooking competition. My Thai Beef Noodles turned out tasty — I believe the flavor was described by one of my competitors as “very smooth.” Read on…
2-3, 2-3, and Now 3-1
Oct 13, 2005 in B-School, Food, Spurts
I love to compete, so it’s no surprise that I’m in two Fantasy Football leagues and one weekly cooking competition; I like to win, too, which is why it’s a little bit surprising that I’m 2-3 in both leagues and, now, have dropped from 3-0 to 3-1 in the cooking competition. Read on…
Poor Terrell
Jul 26, 2005 in Spurts
The beauty of blogging is that, over a period of years, a dedicated writer can develop an audience of up to several, gain the trust of this audience, and thus have a stage upon which to stand when he shouts out that one absolutely, completely, and preposterously crazy truth that only he knows. Now is that time for me. Now is my time to say, I feel bad for Terrell Owens, I know where he’s coming from, I understand why he’s holding out and I’m down with it. Read on…
Superstar Workout
Feb 18, 2005 in Spurts
Yesterday, while doing 45° overhead presses with my trainer, NFL Hall-of-Famer Bubba Smith started barking advice my way. Keep my head down! Step forward with your right foot! Back straight as a board! It was intimidating. Read on…
The 15-Point Solution
Nov 23, 2004 in Spurts
As I mentioned, my fantasy football season has included a lot more getting my butt kicked than I had anticipated. Well, it’s one thing to lose, and it’s another thing… Read on…
At This Point, The Only Fantasy Left Is Winning
Nov 8, 2004 in Spurts
There’s two minutes to go, the evil Colts have the ball, and my only hope for a win is that the Vikings’ tight end Jermaine Wiggins scores two touchdowns. My… Read on…
Fantasy Football Mania
Sep 15, 2004 in Spurts
While there are many important and pressing political issues and I’m a very political individual with a lot of political views, this blog is, most of all, about things that… Read on…
Ladies And Gentlemen... Your Baltimore Blast!
Aug 23, 2004 in Spurts
One afternoon I made the — apparently fairly serious — error of hanging out in the courtyard at Popovich (the b-school building here). Somehow I ended up participating in the… Read on…
Now That's A Trade I Don't Care For At All
Jul 15, 2004 in Spurts
Shaq’s off to Miami. I don’t approve of that trade at all; it was an awful idea. The right idea was to keep waiting. Maybe, as the season got closer,… Read on…
Kupchak Plays The Waiting Game
Jul 9, 2004 in Spurts
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak has gotten a lot of heat in the press lately for doing nothing. But, sometimes, nothing is the best thing to do. Like, specifically, when your… Read on…
Obligatory Lakers Entry
Jun 21, 2004 in Spurts
As an Angeleno, if only transplanted, I feel obligated to say something about this whole break-up-the-Lakers thing. This entry will consider three things: Whether the Lakers are being broken up… Read on…
Bill Belichick I Ain't
Apr 25, 2004 in Spurts
Apparently there’s a reason I’m not an NFL General Manager. My draft predictions were, well, worth every penny you paid for them. Denver took a linebacker in the first, then… Read on…
Belated Draft Predictions
Apr 24, 2004 in Spurts
Now, I love football. And I have draft predictions! Now, I know the draft has already started, but I have been at the Marshall admitted student weekend and haven’t seen… Read on…
Super Bowl XXXVIII: Not Too Far Off!
Feb 1, 2004 in Spurts
Well, at least I picked the winner. I honestly didn’t expect as many touchdowns; 26-20 only works with lots of field goals. I also didn’t expect New England to successfully… Read on…
Super Bowl XXXVIII Prediction: Pats Over Cats
Jan 31, 2004 in Spurts
I’m a football addict. Someday, my poor wife will have to deal with losing me for, oh, a good 12 Sundays every autumn and winter. It’s not that bad, though;… Read on…
Well, That Could Have Been Worse
Oct 19, 2003 in Spurts
I watched episode one of that World Series thing, and it wasn’t so bad. I mean, at least the Yankees lost a game, right? Means that, this year, they’ll give… Read on…
Rush Says Things That Are Entirely Not Surprising
Oct 2, 2003 in Spurts
Rush Limbaugh has quit ESPN over the flap caused by his controversial statements Sunday about Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. There’s been a lot of talk this season about why the… Read on…
Oscar Wuz Robbed!
Sep 15, 2003 in Spurts
I watched the De La Hoya fight, I’ve seen many of the highlights on TV, I’ve read the commentators explaining why Sugar Shane got the belts, but I still think… Read on…