Last season the old Florida Marlins finished in last place in the Eastern Division of the National League. The new Miami Marlins will look to improve on their 72-90 season which was 30 games behind the division winning Phillies. With a new ballpark, a new manager, and a new spending philosophy, this team in 2012 should look nothing like the team that played in the football stadium turned baseball park in 2011. The fans and players alike would likely try to forget last season and gladly move on to the new one beginning in April.
If he is healthy as projected, Josh Johnson should be the opening day pitcher for the new look Marlins. For the Marlins to make a serious run at the division or wild card, he must stay healthy and make a minimum of 25 starts. Newly acquired veteran lefty Mark Buehrle figures to be the number two starter in the rotation. If he remains true to form, he will give the Marlins a lot of innings and keep the pressure off the weaker middle relief part of the bullpen. The rest of the rotation appears to be a spring training battle between returning Marlins, Anibel Sanchez and Ricky Nolasco, and veteran Carlos Zambrano. Nolasco was 10-12 last year with a 4.67 ERA. Sanchez who recently won his arbitration with the club was 8-9 with a 3.67 ERA last year and will likely test the free agent market next year unless he has a break out year for the Marlins. Zambrano is truly the wild card in the rotation. Last year he was 9-7 with a 4.82 ERA with the Cubs before melting down in mid-season. If he can keep it together and return to his former form that led to a 125-81/3.60 career, he could provide the Marlins with a veteran rotation from the #3 or #4 spot.
The bullpen was the weaker spot in the pitching last year as the Marlins struggled to keep games close or keep the lead. It is also an area where the team made some moves to shore up the back end of the games but the real question will be in middle and long relief. The addition of veteran Wade LeBlanc may prove to be one of the biggest values of all the off-season moves made by the Marlins’ front office. The 28 year old lefty who was with San Diego for the last four years should be counted on to provide some long relief and as a spot starter if needed. Young arms, Michael Dunn, Brad Hand, and Alex Sanabia will also be working hard in spring training to secure spots in the bullpen. The Marlins acquired another Padre Pitcher in closer Heath Bell. If he averages his 40 saves this season, the Marlins should be in the hunt for at least a wild card spot in the playoffs. With the legal situation surrounding last year’s closer Juan Carlos Oveido who was known as Leo Nunez last year still up in the air, look for late season closer Steve Chishek to serve in the setup role for Bell. If the Marlins can get Oveido back this season it will likely push promising prospect Jose Ceda back to the minors or the trade mill. If not, and depending on how he pitches in the spring, Ceda may make the big league roster and provide the gap between the starters and the Chishek, Bell closing duo.
Handling the catching duties will fall once again to John Buck. He will look to improve on his .227 BA after coming over from the Blue Jays where he hit .281 in 2010. Buck is a solid defensive receiver and really should benefit from now playing in an indoor facility when the sizzling summer heat begins in South Florida.
Gaby Sanchez will once again start at First Base. The 2011 All-Star appeared in all but three games for the Marlins last season batting .266 with 19 homers and drove in 78 runs while scoring 72 times. With the offensive addition of SS Jose Reyes, Sanchez figures to see more quality pitches and should post a better average and possible set a career high for home runs in the new park. On the hot corner this year for the Marlins will be former SS Hanley Ramirez. While the move has been less than smooth, it now appears that Ramirez is completely on board and working hard to become a quality third baseman. If he can make the transition defensively, and stay healthy, he should return to the quality player that many felt should be the face of the franchise a couple of years ago.
Omar Infante returns as the second baseman for the club this year. He hit .276 last year with 7 HR, 24 2B, 8 3B, 55 runs, and 49 RBI. He was solid in the field with only 8 errors in 734 total chances. The biggest addition to the Marlins’ roster for 2012 is SS Jose Reyes. The three time All-Star comes over from the Mets after hitting .337 with 7 HR, 31 2B,16 3B, 44 RBI, 101 Runs scored and 39 Stolen Bases. His range and offensive prowess gives the Marlins a significant upgrade up the middle on the infield. Time will tell if he is good enough to erase the 30 game deficit the Marlins ended up with last year.
The starting outfield should be solid for the Marlins with Logan Morrison in Left Field, Emilio Bonifacio in Center Field, and Mike Stanton in Right. Bonifacio will benefit from returning to his more natural Center Field after moving to Short last year to sub for Ramirez. His speed combined with Reyes makes the top of the lineup fast and dangerous if they can hit at all. That should provide Stanton and Sanchez with ample opportunities to set new standards for RBI this year. Morrison has the reputation of being the character of the bunch but is also a solid performer on the field as well as the master of the tweet. They all should be better this year after playing together last year and going through another spring training together this year.
In addition to the starters, Greg Dobbs re-signed with the club after a brief test of the free agent market. Rookie Matt Dominguez will also compete for some utility infield duty. Outfielder Chris Coghlan appears to be healthy again and should be a serviceable substitute for any of the outfield positions and remains an option should an infielder go down and force Bonifacio to return to the dirt. Kevin Mattison and Bryan Petersen will also be competing in Spring Training to find a spot on the roster along with Austin Kearns. Brett Hayes appears to have the backup catcher spot unless someone comes out of nowhere to wow new manager Ozzie Guillen.
If they don’t make the opening day roster, look for Dominguez and Jose Ceda to be back up with the big club at some point this season. In addition, any injuries on the pitching staff would likely result in a call up for Righty Tom Koehler. Don’t be surprised if the Marlins bring up a young Marcell Ozuna at least for a cup of coffee in September to see if the kid has the right stuff for the future. He may be a season or two away due to an injury in 2010, but he is listed as one of the Marlins’ top prospects for a reason.
Pre-Season Predictions:
MVP – Jose Reyes
Ace – Heath Bell
Record – 90-72
2nd Place Eastern Division
Lose the Wild Card Series
The easy pick for MVP will be Reyes because of his ability in the field and to set the table for the rest of the lineup. I almost went with Stanton but I am not sure he will see enough quality pitches to merit the MVP. Bell is the ace of the staff because he will make the rest of them look better. If they can get the game to him with a league, he will not blow many and the Marlins will win more games as a result of his presence at the back end of the game. I think the additions the Marlins have made will allow them to be the second best team in the Eastern division and IF they stay healthy they have a chance of flipping their record from last year. If Guillen can keep Zambrano involved as a key part of the team and reasonably sane, the Marlins have a chance to prove me wrong about the end of their season. As with every team, they need their key players to stay healthy to make a deep run into the post season and maybe crown their new ballpark with a NL Pennant.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
New year, same old debate
This applies on two very different fronts!
First, the Tebow debate continues after last night's victory against the vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers and their number one ranked defense. As I have said before, Tim is not the best quarterback in the league right now. But let's remember that this is his first year as a starter and only second in the league. You can't compare him to Brady or Brees or Rodgers or even Rothlisburger. Given the same talent, the great according to experts Kyle Orton couldn't win with the Broncos, but somehow the team got better with a worse quarterback. HUH! Sometimes you wonder how those so called experts got the gig. The only thing that changed in Denver was they got rid of a few whiners and starting playing a guy who has always been a winner. The broncos will not win every game and I don't even think they will win next week at New England, but do you think they would have won last night with Kyle Orton?
I believe God raises up people who will exalt His name and give Him the glory when success happens. I think that is what is happening with Tim and the Broncos. They have to do their part in the process. Unlike some who think what is happening is magic, it's not. It is a group of men who are working harder and working better together because they believe in the guy under the center. Tim played well last night but so did the other guy the Broncos picked ahead of Tim in the draft. The line played well enough to keep the Steelers on balance and the receivers made a few catches to make Tim look better than he really was. But isn't that the case in every other game and with every other team in the NFL? You can't have one without the other! Great receivers make the QB better than average and Great QBs make the receivers look better than average. The Broncos are a young football team and they need a few more pieces before they can be a great team, but they are growing together and they are playing like a young team, sometimes great and sometimes less than average.
So let's be glad Tim has done well enough to stir the debate about his faith. Those who know him have already decided that issue a long time ago. Those who speak about him from a far distance should spend some time with him and that debate will go away. He is a Christian who is a football player and he will always live his life in that order. If you don't want him to say anything about his Lord and Savior, then just don't ask him any questions. If you don't want to hear his religious views anymore, then stop talking about him. He doesn't make a big deal of his faith, it is just who he is, so the media needs to either adjust and adapt or stop the madness. I for one am glad to see an athlete refuse to tone down his faith to appease the mass media. Keep giving the Lord credit Tim, you know what that has done for you in the past!
On the second front, the political debates continue. I must admit I never watch those things. I know, I know, I should but I don't. First of all, I don't believe half of what my favorite candidate says in them is the real truth. Every candidate is going to try to say things to get elected, so for me the debate is just a waste of time. The questions are fixed to either make one side look good or slanted to help one candidate often, so I am not sure what they tell us that we didn't already know about them. Except that Gov. Perry doesn't think on his feet very well!
Rather than debate, I think if we said you get two terms in the House, two terms in the Senate, and one term as President we would be better off. If I was running for President I would run on the platform that I was only going to do it for one term at the max. I would do what needed to be done to get our country on the right track and when it was done, then I would resign and let the VP finish the term. If we want to get this thing fixed, someone is going to have to do some very unpopular things. You can't make everyone like you and govern well in times like we face today. That's why we need someone who will do the hard tasks and then live with the unpopularity for a while. History will record them otherwise, but that is not what drives modern politics. It is all about polls, and popularity, and keeping the status quo from both sides of the aisle. Now you know why I don't watch the debates on either front!
First, the Tebow debate continues after last night's victory against the vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers and their number one ranked defense. As I have said before, Tim is not the best quarterback in the league right now. But let's remember that this is his first year as a starter and only second in the league. You can't compare him to Brady or Brees or Rodgers or even Rothlisburger. Given the same talent, the great according to experts Kyle Orton couldn't win with the Broncos, but somehow the team got better with a worse quarterback. HUH! Sometimes you wonder how those so called experts got the gig. The only thing that changed in Denver was they got rid of a few whiners and starting playing a guy who has always been a winner. The broncos will not win every game and I don't even think they will win next week at New England, but do you think they would have won last night with Kyle Orton?
I believe God raises up people who will exalt His name and give Him the glory when success happens. I think that is what is happening with Tim and the Broncos. They have to do their part in the process. Unlike some who think what is happening is magic, it's not. It is a group of men who are working harder and working better together because they believe in the guy under the center. Tim played well last night but so did the other guy the Broncos picked ahead of Tim in the draft. The line played well enough to keep the Steelers on balance and the receivers made a few catches to make Tim look better than he really was. But isn't that the case in every other game and with every other team in the NFL? You can't have one without the other! Great receivers make the QB better than average and Great QBs make the receivers look better than average. The Broncos are a young football team and they need a few more pieces before they can be a great team, but they are growing together and they are playing like a young team, sometimes great and sometimes less than average.
So let's be glad Tim has done well enough to stir the debate about his faith. Those who know him have already decided that issue a long time ago. Those who speak about him from a far distance should spend some time with him and that debate will go away. He is a Christian who is a football player and he will always live his life in that order. If you don't want him to say anything about his Lord and Savior, then just don't ask him any questions. If you don't want to hear his religious views anymore, then stop talking about him. He doesn't make a big deal of his faith, it is just who he is, so the media needs to either adjust and adapt or stop the madness. I for one am glad to see an athlete refuse to tone down his faith to appease the mass media. Keep giving the Lord credit Tim, you know what that has done for you in the past!
On the second front, the political debates continue. I must admit I never watch those things. I know, I know, I should but I don't. First of all, I don't believe half of what my favorite candidate says in them is the real truth. Every candidate is going to try to say things to get elected, so for me the debate is just a waste of time. The questions are fixed to either make one side look good or slanted to help one candidate often, so I am not sure what they tell us that we didn't already know about them. Except that Gov. Perry doesn't think on his feet very well!
Rather than debate, I think if we said you get two terms in the House, two terms in the Senate, and one term as President we would be better off. If I was running for President I would run on the platform that I was only going to do it for one term at the max. I would do what needed to be done to get our country on the right track and when it was done, then I would resign and let the VP finish the term. If we want to get this thing fixed, someone is going to have to do some very unpopular things. You can't make everyone like you and govern well in times like we face today. That's why we need someone who will do the hard tasks and then live with the unpopularity for a while. History will record them otherwise, but that is not what drives modern politics. It is all about polls, and popularity, and keeping the status quo from both sides of the aisle. Now you know why I don't watch the debates on either front!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Is Tim Tebow the best NFL QB?
Is Tim Tebow the best quarterback in the NFL? That seems to be the question that a lot of national talking heads and beat writers are debating these days. I have been watching football for at least 45 years, most of them I can remember. So that makes me as much of an expert as anyone else, outside of those who have played the position at the NFL level. After listening to some of those guys talk, I think I may be more qualified to speak on the subject because I don’t have a personal agenda like Cordele Stewart does! So let me weigh in on the Tebow debate.
I have been watching SEC football in general and Gator football in particular from the field level since 1987 and what I am about to say might surprise and anger some Gator fans. Tim Tebow is not the best quarterback to ever play at Florida Field! Now before you start slinging rocks my way, let me finish. The best qb I ever saw play in person at Florida Field was not even a Gator. The best by far in my opinion to ever throw the ball within the confines of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt. He had an amazing arm and possessed great poise when he almost led the Commodores to an upset of Florida at home. His passes moved through the air in a way that was almost magical. He fit the ball into spaces that I was sure a nerf ball couldn’t have gone and if any other qb had tried to complete would have been easy interceptions. Heck, Tim may not even be the second or third best qb to ever play at Florida, if all you are looking for is the ability to throw the football in an aesthetically pleasing way. You could take your pick of Chris Leak, Shane Matthews, Rex Grossman or even Kerwin Bell if that is what you are basing your choice upon.
So clearly, I don’t think Tim Tebow is the best quarterback in the NFL based upon arm strength or ability to read the defense either. He does tend to hold the ball a little too long, a trait we all saw at Florida as well. I think that was coached into him to keep him from throwing silly interceptions. We saw the same thing with Chris Leak and with John Brantley until this year! That was a coaching philosophy of Meyer and his staff that Tim has taken to heart. That is also why he only has one interception thrown this year. And that is one reason why the Denver defense is so suddenly improved! He does tend to drop the ball a little too far when he throws it and it takes a little longer for him to release it than some other qbs in the league. So you can’t really argue the mechanical flaws that the national guys are pointing out.
However, if you ask me who the greatest football player I ever saw play at UF, Tim would have to be in the top three. The only reason he wouldn’t be number one is that I saw a guy named Smith run the ball here without much of any help on offense for three years. Emmitt had to carry more of the load, because he didn’t have a potent passing game to help him but he did have a good offensive line. And in spite of three different coaches, he put up some pretty impressive numbers. Tim had a lot more talent around him during his Gator career. Just look at the receivers and linemen who played on those teams who are playing in the NFL along with Tebow and you will know they had some great teams at UF. The third could be debated between some great defensive players and a few visiting team stars like Warrick Dunn, Shaun Alexander, Cadillac Williams, and Mark Ingram, oh and those Manning brothers!
Putting aside my respect for his character and faith, the thing that sets Tim Tebow apart from other players who have played at UF and are now in the NFL for me is his intense desire to win. If I had to choose one person to hold the other end of a rope with me dangling over a den full of hungry lions and covered in the scent of a wounded antelope, I would want Tim Tebow. I know that I could count on him to never quit and to give everything he had until his last breath to get me up and out of that pit. That was what made him so valuable at UF and what is making him so marketable in the NFL. He just won’t quit. He keeps his word, he keeps his composure, and he keeps making the plays necessary to win. I don’t think John Fox really knows what he has or he would not have punted with a fourth and a half-foot to go in overtime last week. I would have felt very comfortable putting my career in Tim’s hands by calling a QB sneak if I had been Coach Fox.
I have seen Tim do incredible things while at UF. Some of the most incredible were not even on the field. I have seen him take the time to have pictures made with hundreds of kids and girls of all ages after speaking in a church until all of them were finished. I have watched him hold a door on campus while talking with me for 15 minutes and taking the time to greet everyone who came through it. He’s not playing like a believer, he is a believer and that is what makes him special.
For all those who are questioning his ability to be an NFL quarterback, I would ask you to give me answer to this question. What has changed in Denver since the beginning of the season? The four letter experts point to the better play of the defense and the running game. Ok, but what has changed there? What has made them better? Did they change personnel or the scheme? The only thing that has really changed in Denver is that Tim Tebow is now the starting quarterback. He has made the running game better and he has made the defense better because they believe he will not quit and they don’t want to quit either. Tim is the best motivator I have ever known as an athlete. He just makes you want to play harder, longer, quicker, and do more than you did before he was around you. He makes coaches look better, smarter, and helps put money in their pockets if they put him on the field. He makes young men want to live better, love God, even keep their virginity, and do the right things just because they want to be like him. If you ever spend time with him, you will know that he is the real deal, plain and simple.
Many years ago, I gave a challenge to a guy who was a first round draft pick in the NFL. I challenged him to be a Christian who happened to play football instead of being a football player who happened to be a Christian. The difference is noticeable! Just look at Tim Tebow and you will see the best example of that that I have ever seen! Anywhere! Any time!
I have been watching SEC football in general and Gator football in particular from the field level since 1987 and what I am about to say might surprise and anger some Gator fans. Tim Tebow is not the best quarterback to ever play at Florida Field! Now before you start slinging rocks my way, let me finish. The best qb I ever saw play in person at Florida Field was not even a Gator. The best by far in my opinion to ever throw the ball within the confines of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt. He had an amazing arm and possessed great poise when he almost led the Commodores to an upset of Florida at home. His passes moved through the air in a way that was almost magical. He fit the ball into spaces that I was sure a nerf ball couldn’t have gone and if any other qb had tried to complete would have been easy interceptions. Heck, Tim may not even be the second or third best qb to ever play at Florida, if all you are looking for is the ability to throw the football in an aesthetically pleasing way. You could take your pick of Chris Leak, Shane Matthews, Rex Grossman or even Kerwin Bell if that is what you are basing your choice upon.
So clearly, I don’t think Tim Tebow is the best quarterback in the NFL based upon arm strength or ability to read the defense either. He does tend to hold the ball a little too long, a trait we all saw at Florida as well. I think that was coached into him to keep him from throwing silly interceptions. We saw the same thing with Chris Leak and with John Brantley until this year! That was a coaching philosophy of Meyer and his staff that Tim has taken to heart. That is also why he only has one interception thrown this year. And that is one reason why the Denver defense is so suddenly improved! He does tend to drop the ball a little too far when he throws it and it takes a little longer for him to release it than some other qbs in the league. So you can’t really argue the mechanical flaws that the national guys are pointing out.
However, if you ask me who the greatest football player I ever saw play at UF, Tim would have to be in the top three. The only reason he wouldn’t be number one is that I saw a guy named Smith run the ball here without much of any help on offense for three years. Emmitt had to carry more of the load, because he didn’t have a potent passing game to help him but he did have a good offensive line. And in spite of three different coaches, he put up some pretty impressive numbers. Tim had a lot more talent around him during his Gator career. Just look at the receivers and linemen who played on those teams who are playing in the NFL along with Tebow and you will know they had some great teams at UF. The third could be debated between some great defensive players and a few visiting team stars like Warrick Dunn, Shaun Alexander, Cadillac Williams, and Mark Ingram, oh and those Manning brothers!
Putting aside my respect for his character and faith, the thing that sets Tim Tebow apart from other players who have played at UF and are now in the NFL for me is his intense desire to win. If I had to choose one person to hold the other end of a rope with me dangling over a den full of hungry lions and covered in the scent of a wounded antelope, I would want Tim Tebow. I know that I could count on him to never quit and to give everything he had until his last breath to get me up and out of that pit. That was what made him so valuable at UF and what is making him so marketable in the NFL. He just won’t quit. He keeps his word, he keeps his composure, and he keeps making the plays necessary to win. I don’t think John Fox really knows what he has or he would not have punted with a fourth and a half-foot to go in overtime last week. I would have felt very comfortable putting my career in Tim’s hands by calling a QB sneak if I had been Coach Fox.
I have seen Tim do incredible things while at UF. Some of the most incredible were not even on the field. I have seen him take the time to have pictures made with hundreds of kids and girls of all ages after speaking in a church until all of them were finished. I have watched him hold a door on campus while talking with me for 15 minutes and taking the time to greet everyone who came through it. He’s not playing like a believer, he is a believer and that is what makes him special.
For all those who are questioning his ability to be an NFL quarterback, I would ask you to give me answer to this question. What has changed in Denver since the beginning of the season? The four letter experts point to the better play of the defense and the running game. Ok, but what has changed there? What has made them better? Did they change personnel or the scheme? The only thing that has really changed in Denver is that Tim Tebow is now the starting quarterback. He has made the running game better and he has made the defense better because they believe he will not quit and they don’t want to quit either. Tim is the best motivator I have ever known as an athlete. He just makes you want to play harder, longer, quicker, and do more than you did before he was around you. He makes coaches look better, smarter, and helps put money in their pockets if they put him on the field. He makes young men want to live better, love God, even keep their virginity, and do the right things just because they want to be like him. If you ever spend time with him, you will know that he is the real deal, plain and simple.
Many years ago, I gave a challenge to a guy who was a first round draft pick in the NFL. I challenged him to be a Christian who happened to play football instead of being a football player who happened to be a Christian. The difference is noticeable! Just look at Tim Tebow and you will see the best example of that that I have ever seen! Anywhere! Any time!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Happy 22nd Birthday to my daughter Jaclyn
Twenty-two years ago this morning I was awakened by my wife saying “I think we need to go to the hospital now”. As my mind began to focus, I jumped out of bed and said “How far apart are they?” To which she replied, “Oh about two minutes!” Or at least that is what I thought she said.
We quickly got dressed, called our friend Sue to come over and get Kevin ready when he woke up and when she got there, we left for the hospital. Driving down 13th street with the flashers on, isn’t that what you always do in the movies when you have a woman giving birth, we were stopped by a very polite policeman. His reply, “Turn off your emergency flashers and drive the speed limit, have a great day!”
A few hours later, we welcomed our baby girl into our lives. It has been said the first baby changes your life but the second one puts it on hold. That was certainly true for us. Now it was not easy to pack two kids up and just go everywhere. As a college pastor, there was always something going on that I needed to be at. And for a few years, Lica was not able to join me on those fun trips and mission ventures. However, those were also some of the best years. Christmas, Halloween, and even Easter are not as fun after your kids grow up, but they are sure a lot less stressful. Putting together bikes and swings in the middle of the night holds a dear spot in many a dad’s heart. Not to mention the blood that went into making sure they were just right for that big day, and I mean that literally! Those were great days indeed.
We have watched our children grow up and struggle like everyone through their adolescent years. I am thankful for great friends of ours and our children who have helped them navigate their way through those potentially troubled waters and helped us stay relatively sane in the process. The best thing was our children chose to keep Godly friends near them both at church and away from it as their “best friends.” They had some great youth ministers who also helped them mature in their thinking and in their faith over those years for which I will be eternally grateful.
While they have been in college at UF, I have had the joy to be both their dad and their college minister. They have been active in our BCM and served in leadership roles during their undergraduate years here. I have been blessed that they have chosen to be a part of something that has been a part of our family’s lives for these last 25 years, working with college students either through the church or the BCM. This really validates what I do and what I have sought to teach over these years.
Now, my daughter is in her final year of undergraduate school and this is the last birthday we will celebrate with one of our own as a college student. It is hard to believe that 22 years has passed since that momentous Thursday morning wake-up announcement. I am very proud of both of my children. They are both smart, funny, and relatively well adjusted young adults. I have been blessed with a great partner in this endeavor. Much of who they are is a direct result of who their mother is. She is a great woman of faith and love.
Happy birthday, Jaclyn. You more beautiful to me today than ever and you continue to make me one proud daddy with every passing day!
We quickly got dressed, called our friend Sue to come over and get Kevin ready when he woke up and when she got there, we left for the hospital. Driving down 13th street with the flashers on, isn’t that what you always do in the movies when you have a woman giving birth, we were stopped by a very polite policeman. His reply, “Turn off your emergency flashers and drive the speed limit, have a great day!”
A few hours later, we welcomed our baby girl into our lives. It has been said the first baby changes your life but the second one puts it on hold. That was certainly true for us. Now it was not easy to pack two kids up and just go everywhere. As a college pastor, there was always something going on that I needed to be at. And for a few years, Lica was not able to join me on those fun trips and mission ventures. However, those were also some of the best years. Christmas, Halloween, and even Easter are not as fun after your kids grow up, but they are sure a lot less stressful. Putting together bikes and swings in the middle of the night holds a dear spot in many a dad’s heart. Not to mention the blood that went into making sure they were just right for that big day, and I mean that literally! Those were great days indeed.
We have watched our children grow up and struggle like everyone through their adolescent years. I am thankful for great friends of ours and our children who have helped them navigate their way through those potentially troubled waters and helped us stay relatively sane in the process. The best thing was our children chose to keep Godly friends near them both at church and away from it as their “best friends.” They had some great youth ministers who also helped them mature in their thinking and in their faith over those years for which I will be eternally grateful.
While they have been in college at UF, I have had the joy to be both their dad and their college minister. They have been active in our BCM and served in leadership roles during their undergraduate years here. I have been blessed that they have chosen to be a part of something that has been a part of our family’s lives for these last 25 years, working with college students either through the church or the BCM. This really validates what I do and what I have sought to teach over these years.
Now, my daughter is in her final year of undergraduate school and this is the last birthday we will celebrate with one of our own as a college student. It is hard to believe that 22 years has passed since that momentous Thursday morning wake-up announcement. I am very proud of both of my children. They are both smart, funny, and relatively well adjusted young adults. I have been blessed with a great partner in this endeavor. Much of who they are is a direct result of who their mother is. She is a great woman of faith and love.
Happy birthday, Jaclyn. You more beautiful to me today than ever and you continue to make me one proud daddy with every passing day!
Friday, October 7, 2011
So the Yankees are out of the Post Season
So the Yankees are out of the post season! And the Red Sox just missed getting into the playoffs. So now people are worried about the ratings for baseball on TV. They probably should be, but for those of us who love baseball, this is a good thing.
In the American league you have the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers playing for a chance to be in the World Series. While the average fan couldn’t name four players combined on these two squads, the fact that two teams who don’t make it all the time are playing for the chance to go to the Series is good news for all of those fans whose teams don’t spend gazillion dollars each year to buy the best talent available in free agency. While the Rangers are back in the league finals again this year, only the most astute baseball gurus expected this Championship matchup. Really, who would have picked the Rangers and the Tigers back in March?
Those fans of the two teams might have. That’s what Spring Training dreams are made for. Every club and every fan of every club has dreams of being where the Rangers and Tigers are today. Sure if you are a Yankee fan or a Red Sox fan, you don’t dream about it, you anticipate and expect it. But everyone else is wishing upon a star that this will be their year. I have nothing against the Yankees or Red Sox. They are only doing what the rules of the league say they can do, so if you don’t like it, raise the funds to out-spend them. But I have to admit, that I love the fact that they won’t be there again this year.
It just goes to show you that just because you pay for the best players out there, does not guarantee you the best team performance. I think there is something to guys that have not been there and their mutual encouragement to win and get to the World Series or win it for their first time. It was almost like the Yankee veterans expected to win just because they were the Yankees.
With two more game 5’s tonight in the National League, the playoffs are picking right up where the season ended. This run might add a few more fans to the MLB coffers. If both of the games tonight can be as close and tense as the one last night was, the ratings may be okay as well. If the Brewers and Cardinals win tonight, the TV executives may hate it, but true baseball fans will cheer regardless of which team you root for, well with the exception of Red Sox, Rays, Yankees, Phillies, and Diamondback fans!
In the American league you have the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers playing for a chance to be in the World Series. While the average fan couldn’t name four players combined on these two squads, the fact that two teams who don’t make it all the time are playing for the chance to go to the Series is good news for all of those fans whose teams don’t spend gazillion dollars each year to buy the best talent available in free agency. While the Rangers are back in the league finals again this year, only the most astute baseball gurus expected this Championship matchup. Really, who would have picked the Rangers and the Tigers back in March?
Those fans of the two teams might have. That’s what Spring Training dreams are made for. Every club and every fan of every club has dreams of being where the Rangers and Tigers are today. Sure if you are a Yankee fan or a Red Sox fan, you don’t dream about it, you anticipate and expect it. But everyone else is wishing upon a star that this will be their year. I have nothing against the Yankees or Red Sox. They are only doing what the rules of the league say they can do, so if you don’t like it, raise the funds to out-spend them. But I have to admit, that I love the fact that they won’t be there again this year.
It just goes to show you that just because you pay for the best players out there, does not guarantee you the best team performance. I think there is something to guys that have not been there and their mutual encouragement to win and get to the World Series or win it for their first time. It was almost like the Yankee veterans expected to win just because they were the Yankees.
With two more game 5’s tonight in the National League, the playoffs are picking right up where the season ended. This run might add a few more fans to the MLB coffers. If both of the games tonight can be as close and tense as the one last night was, the ratings may be okay as well. If the Brewers and Cardinals win tonight, the TV executives may hate it, but true baseball fans will cheer regardless of which team you root for, well with the exception of Red Sox, Rays, Yankees, Phillies, and Diamondback fans!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Pressure of a Playoff Push
Powerful
Relentless
Extraordinary
Stress
Squarely
Upon the
Red Sox and Braves
Equals
FAILURE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS!
Last night was one of the best baseball nights I can ever remember. There were four games that mattered, two in each league. On the line was who would be the last team to make the playoffs from each league. Boston and Tampa battling for the American League Wildcard spot and Atlanta and St. Louis doing the same for the National League.
Both races had travelled a similar path. The Braves had an 8.5 game lead over the Cardinals in early September, the Red Sox led by 9 games over the Rays. The playoff schedule looked like a lock. Nothing to do but “play out the string” in baseball lingo. Time to call up the players from AAA and give the big boys a few days rest.
But a funny thing happened on the way to a champagne celebration, losses began to mount for the front runners and the team in the mirror began to be closer than they looked! Then the last night hits and we have four teams tied for the two spots with what amounted to a one game playoff in each league. Now if all four had won there would have been a real one game playoff today, but that didn’t happen.
The Sox endured a rain delay in Baltimore and led 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth. They sent their closer Jonathan Papelbon out to finish the deal. Then he gave up a two out double followed by another double followed by a sinking line drive single and the game is over and so is the Red Sox’s season. Because in Tampa the hated enemy of the Sox, the Yankees had built a 7-0 lead over the Rays heading into the bottom of the 8th. With Joe Giradi, the skipper of the Yankees saying he was giving his closer and set up men the night off, the Yanks relied on some arms deeper in the bullpen and it ended up hurting the Sox. The Rays rallied with 6 runs in the 8th helped by two hit by pitches and a three run blast by Evan Longoria. Then the unthinkable happened as Dan Johnson hit a pinch hit home run with the count 2-2 and two outs in the bottom of the ninth to tie it up. The Rays won the game on another Longoria homer just moments after the Red Sox game had gone final and the celebration began in St. Petersburg!
The Cardinals took an early 5 run lead in the first against the Astros and never looked back cruising to an easy victory. While they watched in their club house, Atlanta had a one run lead going into the ninth inning and called on their closer to finish the game like the Red Sox. And like the Sox he imploded with walks instead of hits and a sacrifice fly tied the game. Chipper Jones had a chance to secure his place in Braves lore in the bottom of the inning but his two-out line drive in the left center field gap was snagged and the game continued. Then in the 13th it happened, with two outs Hunter Pence was jammed and hit a broken bat blooper between the first and second basemen and with a runner on third the Phillies scored the go ahead run. The Braves would not score in their half of the inning and their season would end as well.
Both teams who had the lead are out of the playoffs and both teams who were counted out are in. The difference last night might be seen in a matter of inches. If Chipper’s ball is a foot further toward left field the Braves win and if the ball in the Red Sox game was a foot higher they might have won. But the truth is there are so many moments that could have made things different. Any two games in April, May, June, July, or August that were losses if the team had won those games would have made last night irrelevant. Both teams felt the enormous pressure of the lead dwindling as they came down the stretch. And while it is true that all games count the same, they don’t all feel the same. The Red Sox and the Braves choked, no matter what they will say. Sure the Cardinals and Rays played well down the stretch but they didn’t have anything to lose. The front runners did and the lost a lot. The chance to be in Post-season play, probably some bonus money for a lot of the players and coaches, some fans who will jump off the band wagon, but most of all they will lose some sleep wondering about what might have been.
Pressure comes to all of us. How we handle it often defines our legacy. That’s why Jesus says to come to him when we are tired and weary. His grace will allow us to stand under the pressures of life.
Last night was the best night in baseball in 50 years! Just remember Red Sox Fans and Braves Fans that the sun still came up this morning. It is just a game, albeit one that passionate fans love with their entire being. The real question for today is can the playoff’s touch the drama of last night? If it does, baseball will have a whole new generation of fans.
Relentless
Extraordinary
Stress
Squarely
Upon the
Red Sox and Braves
Equals
FAILURE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS!
Last night was one of the best baseball nights I can ever remember. There were four games that mattered, two in each league. On the line was who would be the last team to make the playoffs from each league. Boston and Tampa battling for the American League Wildcard spot and Atlanta and St. Louis doing the same for the National League.
Both races had travelled a similar path. The Braves had an 8.5 game lead over the Cardinals in early September, the Red Sox led by 9 games over the Rays. The playoff schedule looked like a lock. Nothing to do but “play out the string” in baseball lingo. Time to call up the players from AAA and give the big boys a few days rest.
But a funny thing happened on the way to a champagne celebration, losses began to mount for the front runners and the team in the mirror began to be closer than they looked! Then the last night hits and we have four teams tied for the two spots with what amounted to a one game playoff in each league. Now if all four had won there would have been a real one game playoff today, but that didn’t happen.
The Sox endured a rain delay in Baltimore and led 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth. They sent their closer Jonathan Papelbon out to finish the deal. Then he gave up a two out double followed by another double followed by a sinking line drive single and the game is over and so is the Red Sox’s season. Because in Tampa the hated enemy of the Sox, the Yankees had built a 7-0 lead over the Rays heading into the bottom of the 8th. With Joe Giradi, the skipper of the Yankees saying he was giving his closer and set up men the night off, the Yanks relied on some arms deeper in the bullpen and it ended up hurting the Sox. The Rays rallied with 6 runs in the 8th helped by two hit by pitches and a three run blast by Evan Longoria. Then the unthinkable happened as Dan Johnson hit a pinch hit home run with the count 2-2 and two outs in the bottom of the ninth to tie it up. The Rays won the game on another Longoria homer just moments after the Red Sox game had gone final and the celebration began in St. Petersburg!
The Cardinals took an early 5 run lead in the first against the Astros and never looked back cruising to an easy victory. While they watched in their club house, Atlanta had a one run lead going into the ninth inning and called on their closer to finish the game like the Red Sox. And like the Sox he imploded with walks instead of hits and a sacrifice fly tied the game. Chipper Jones had a chance to secure his place in Braves lore in the bottom of the inning but his two-out line drive in the left center field gap was snagged and the game continued. Then in the 13th it happened, with two outs Hunter Pence was jammed and hit a broken bat blooper between the first and second basemen and with a runner on third the Phillies scored the go ahead run. The Braves would not score in their half of the inning and their season would end as well.
Both teams who had the lead are out of the playoffs and both teams who were counted out are in. The difference last night might be seen in a matter of inches. If Chipper’s ball is a foot further toward left field the Braves win and if the ball in the Red Sox game was a foot higher they might have won. But the truth is there are so many moments that could have made things different. Any two games in April, May, June, July, or August that were losses if the team had won those games would have made last night irrelevant. Both teams felt the enormous pressure of the lead dwindling as they came down the stretch. And while it is true that all games count the same, they don’t all feel the same. The Red Sox and the Braves choked, no matter what they will say. Sure the Cardinals and Rays played well down the stretch but they didn’t have anything to lose. The front runners did and the lost a lot. The chance to be in Post-season play, probably some bonus money for a lot of the players and coaches, some fans who will jump off the band wagon, but most of all they will lose some sleep wondering about what might have been.
Pressure comes to all of us. How we handle it often defines our legacy. That’s why Jesus says to come to him when we are tired and weary. His grace will allow us to stand under the pressures of life.
Last night was the best night in baseball in 50 years! Just remember Red Sox Fans and Braves Fans that the sun still came up this morning. It is just a game, albeit one that passionate fans love with their entire being. The real question for today is can the playoff’s touch the drama of last night? If it does, baseball will have a whole new generation of fans.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Another athlete arrest, why a yawn is not the right response!
The front page of the student paper reported the arrest of another member of the university of Florida football team. Linebacker Dee Finley was arrested for driving his scooter on campus around a barricade without a license and resisting arrest with violence, the latter charge has been reduced to resisting without violence because he attempted to ride off from the officer. If you are a Gator fan you might be tempted to yawn at this report. After all this is the 45 arrest since Ron Zook left six years ago. And surely this is one that doesn't hurt anyone so really officer, you are going to arrest a player for trying to get to practice at the stadium? You see there is no way to get to the player parking area and the locker rooms without going around one of those silly little gates. Hundreds of scooters and a few dozen cars do it every day. I am even guilty of driving around those barricades!
But I don't think a yawn or a wink is the correct response to this issue. If you are not a Gator fan, you want to have the kid kicked out of school in a slightly covert attempt at weakening the Gator team so that your team might have a better shot at a win. The only problem is that every program has its share of arrest stories and remember that not everyone arrested is guilty of a crime. We in Gator nation tend to forget that when it is a Seminole or a Hurricane or a Vol who gets arrested but we are quick to defend our own Gators who break the law. True if you break the law you deserve to be punished, but who would want their son or daughter punished for a traffic violation by a campus cop? The problem is that campus cops are duly sworn officers of the state and carry the same arrest responsibilities as other law officers. They just deal with a slightly less responsible segment of the population.
There is a problem with athletes acting like stupid little entitled brats for sure. But is not every athlete, only a small percentage of the total number of athletes on our campus. And most of those athletes don't really intend to behave that way, they just do! The vast majority of athletes are just like the vast majority of non-athlete students who go about their life trying to get through college without doing something so stupid that they end up as the butt end of a joke on a national radio or tv show. The problem is we tend to focus the spotlight on the few that do get in trouble to the exclusion of the majority that don't.
Our town runs a daily mug shot section in the online paper. I don't really know why but I look at it almost every day. Guess what I see? Almost every day there is someone who is college aged on it. Every day there are African-American males on it. Every day there are White males on it. Every day there are females on it from various ethnic groups. Every day there are old and young adults on it. The point is every day somebody is doing something in Gainesville that gets them arrested. If Dee Finley was a third year history students his picture would have been in the mug shots but not on the front page and not the subject of a national talk show, see Jim Rome! I know he is not just another student, he's a "Gator Athlete" and therefore not subject to the same rules as others. But wait a minute, wasn't another Gator Athlete just suspended for two games from the NCAA because people helped him survive when he was in high school? I know that we did fund raisers for my son's band when he was in high school that helped a lot of students who couldn't have paid for those trips by themselves. Did that make them ineligible to play in the band in college for two games. Heck no!
We want to make sure that athletes don't get preferential treatment but we don't give them equal treatment either. I can take any other student out for lunch and pay for it if I want to but I can't if they are an athlete. Any other student can make a mistake, pay for it, and move on without it being headline news, but not if they are a student athlete. I know not every student gets to be on national TV and play in front of 90 k fans and I get that they have additional responsibilities as well as additional privileges.
All I am asking for is that we respond to these types of stories the same way we would if Dee Finley were our son. We would be concerned for him and hope he learns from his mistakes. We would allow him to move on with his life after the legal procedures have been concluded. We wouldn't want him kicked out of class or school because of traffic issues. And we certainly would offer to drive him wherever he needed to go until he got his license back. Oh wait, we can't do that because he is an athlete according to the NCAA! Yeah, that's where fair ceases to be fair!
But I don't think a yawn or a wink is the correct response to this issue. If you are not a Gator fan, you want to have the kid kicked out of school in a slightly covert attempt at weakening the Gator team so that your team might have a better shot at a win. The only problem is that every program has its share of arrest stories and remember that not everyone arrested is guilty of a crime. We in Gator nation tend to forget that when it is a Seminole or a Hurricane or a Vol who gets arrested but we are quick to defend our own Gators who break the law. True if you break the law you deserve to be punished, but who would want their son or daughter punished for a traffic violation by a campus cop? The problem is that campus cops are duly sworn officers of the state and carry the same arrest responsibilities as other law officers. They just deal with a slightly less responsible segment of the population.
There is a problem with athletes acting like stupid little entitled brats for sure. But is not every athlete, only a small percentage of the total number of athletes on our campus. And most of those athletes don't really intend to behave that way, they just do! The vast majority of athletes are just like the vast majority of non-athlete students who go about their life trying to get through college without doing something so stupid that they end up as the butt end of a joke on a national radio or tv show. The problem is we tend to focus the spotlight on the few that do get in trouble to the exclusion of the majority that don't.
Our town runs a daily mug shot section in the online paper. I don't really know why but I look at it almost every day. Guess what I see? Almost every day there is someone who is college aged on it. Every day there are African-American males on it. Every day there are White males on it. Every day there are females on it from various ethnic groups. Every day there are old and young adults on it. The point is every day somebody is doing something in Gainesville that gets them arrested. If Dee Finley was a third year history students his picture would have been in the mug shots but not on the front page and not the subject of a national talk show, see Jim Rome! I know he is not just another student, he's a "Gator Athlete" and therefore not subject to the same rules as others. But wait a minute, wasn't another Gator Athlete just suspended for two games from the NCAA because people helped him survive when he was in high school? I know that we did fund raisers for my son's band when he was in high school that helped a lot of students who couldn't have paid for those trips by themselves. Did that make them ineligible to play in the band in college for two games. Heck no!
We want to make sure that athletes don't get preferential treatment but we don't give them equal treatment either. I can take any other student out for lunch and pay for it if I want to but I can't if they are an athlete. Any other student can make a mistake, pay for it, and move on without it being headline news, but not if they are a student athlete. I know not every student gets to be on national TV and play in front of 90 k fans and I get that they have additional responsibilities as well as additional privileges.
All I am asking for is that we respond to these types of stories the same way we would if Dee Finley were our son. We would be concerned for him and hope he learns from his mistakes. We would allow him to move on with his life after the legal procedures have been concluded. We wouldn't want him kicked out of class or school because of traffic issues. And we certainly would offer to drive him wherever he needed to go until he got his license back. Oh wait, we can't do that because he is an athlete according to the NCAA! Yeah, that's where fair ceases to be fair!
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