Fantasy Football Ruins Franchises and Players

Ok, so sometime back I wrote a blog about why I hate fantasy football. In brief it was because it changed the way I watch the NFL so I no longer have a team, now I just want my guys to do good each week. It seems that now that mentality has taken over for owners and general managers as well. Ok, so maybe not they don't want the team to do well part. Let me explain.

Today the Jets released Tim Tebow. You can also read my blog about Tim and my thoughts on him as a NFL quarterback. During the ESPN spot on his release the talking head waxed on and on about his dismal stats. How he's in the bottom of QBR rating, passing efficiency and so on. What she didn't say is his won-loss record as a starting quarterback in the NFL.Then they went on to say he probably wouldn't find another team willing to open a spot on their roster for him. Their NFL gurus talk about his lack of arm strength, his inconsistent throws,etc. What they are really saying is he doesn't produce enough statistical numbers to justify keeping him on a roster. So instead the Jets are going to hitch their wagon to Geno Smith. Smith who did lead his team twice to be co-champions of that powerful Big East Conference also had a couple of guys on his team that were all-americans, a title he never got. But because he has excellent arm strength and a quick release he is projected to un-seat Mark Sanchez as the starting QB for this coming season according to one ESPN personality. So you take guy like that over a guy who won a Heisman, numerous awards, works hard, is good in the locker room, and has an 8-5 record as a starter and is 1-1 starting in playoff games.

So if you are looking for a winner, Tim definitely deserves a look. If you are looking for a guy who is going to be a great fantasy QB for your fans, then maybe he doesn't deserve a spot on the roster. He's going to make mistakes, but I don't think he will ever top the butt fumble play of Mark Sanchez. He's not going to throw for 5k yards in a season. But what he will do is win when given the chance. It's just a shame that the age of fantasy football numbers has made it all the way to the front office of NFL teams now. It's just a statistical game now.

Except it really isn't. At the end of the day coaches are evaluated on wins and losses. So are the GM's. So why didn't they see that in NY with the Jets. Because of the ego of Rex Ryan. If you have read his autobiography you will know that Sanchez is HIS guy and Ryan can never be wrong about that one call. So you stick with a guy who was last in QBR ranking last year and it got you on the not top ten plays each week on Sportscenter for his infamous fumble. And you miss the playoffs. And then you trade your top defensive player.  And you get rid of the offensive coordinator who had gotten you to the playoffs the year before.

Maybe the best thing is Tim is out of New York. But the fact that they waited till after the draft seems to point that they were hoping to use him as trade bait for the draft and that didn't work out. It doesn't help Tim make another roster now, but that is just the business of the NFL. My guess is that if you want the next Tebow jersey you had better see if you can get it shipped from Canada! Just don't be surprised if the team on the front of that jersey is playing for the Grey Cup in the very near future. And some GM up there will look like a genius for giving a guy with low stats the chance to prove again the old line that is attributed to Mark Twain: 'There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.'"^[1]

Hope Springs Eternal

Maybe it is because I have lived in Florida for the last 25 years and have been a fan of baseball all my life going all the way back to before I can remember. I have the pictures to prove it! Or maybe it is because I have become a fan of Women's Collegiate Softball over the last decade. But whatever the reason, this is my favorite time of the year. It is the start of the spring schedule!

College softball is just getting underway. College Baseball starts this weekend. And pitcher and catchers report for spring training this week in most places. The balls will be flying all over the yards this weekend. The bats will be swinging and sometimes even connecting. The pitchers will be working on getting into shape or getting batters out in the college ranks. The grass will be cut, sprayed and watered. The lines will be drawn and a new season will unfold before us.

It is also my favorite time because all things are new again. Every fan base believes it may be their year to win it all. Every player thinks this will be the year they win it all or have the best year of their career or both. Managers are hoping they can find the lightning in a bottle to put the pieces in the right place to finally make it to the top or stay there from last year. Everyone has a chance to win it all today.

OK, so we know that everyone doesn't have an equal chance, but at least there is not proof that your team is not good enough to win anything yet! So we have this kind of eternal optimism. Hey even Cub fans think they will win it one year and just think the Red Sox actually did a few years ago! All the college teams are even in baseball at the moment and all of them dream of playing in Omaha in June. For all but 8 teams that dream will not be a reality in three months, but for this day the dream is still alive. College softball players are working to fix the mistakes or capitalize on the good things that showed up in the first weekend of play for many squads in the south and west. All of them dreaming of playing in Oklahoma City with a chance to win the title. That is what is great about this time of year, everyone is filled with hope.

Reality tells us that in a few weeks we will know that our team didn't do enough in the off-season. Didn't make the right trades. Didn't fire the manager or the front office personnel. Didn't do whatever we think would have made the difference. But none of that matters at the moment. It is time to enjoy the game for the pure pleasure of hope it brings.

For those of us who have played the game, we remember what this day was like. The rush of adrenaline even if it was only practice. The feeling of the grass beneath the cleats. The smell of freshly cut infield or outfield areas. The cool air in your face as you run. The warmth of the sun on your back as you take ground balls to hone your skills. We remember the hugs as you greet teammates you haven't seen in a while. You long for that first game and the chance to compete. And while those days are past for most of us, the memories remain, sometimes even sweeter than the actual events.

That's what makes this time of year so special. The memories of the first time you ran onto a field or ran into the stadium to watch your team play. I'll bet you can picture it right now in your mind, can't you. You can remember the smells and the tastes of the day. That's why baseball is the great American past time. It connects us to our childhood and begs us to leave it as a legacy to our children and grandchildren. Now with the advancement of college softball and professional fast pitch leagues we have the chance to pass that on in a new way to our daughters as well. It's time to hear those words that make our hearts flutter!

Let's play ball!

Ray Lewis and the Gospel

I like so many others watched the Super Bowl last night. I have to admit it was the first time in my 51 years that I watched it with an all female audience. Yep, I was the only man in the house. Well if you don't count my two male kittens that is! It was definitely a new experience watching it with only female voices. The commercials and the half time show got more attention than the football but that is usually the case regardless of the male/female ratio of the Super Bowl party.

I didn't have a favorite team in the game but I thought that the Ravens would win the game. The two teams were pretty equal in talent and both were playing some of their best football of the year heading into the big game in the big easy. I missed the score by a touchdown each side but I thought it would be a very close game and it turned out to be so after someone turned off the lights! I'll bet there were some anxious Superdome Officials running around trying to find out who pulled the plug on that one. But the reason I thought the Ravens would win was simple, they had Ray Lewis and the 49ers didn't.

I know some don't think it matters, but when he said he was retiring, I believed that meant that this team would win it all. Talent tends to equal itself out in the NFL. But the will to win, that is rarer than pure gold these days. Most players would have shut it down and waited till next year if you tear a bicep muscle mid season. Not Ray Lewis. I don't even care if he did use Deer Antler spray to get back quicker. How many other guys would have gutted it out on one arm like he did for the playoff run? Sure he couldn't cover like he did when he won the first Super Bowl for the Ravens twelve years ago. But what he could do was look those other ten men in the eyes when the game was on the line and say there is no way we are going to lose this game like this. I would bet if they told what he said it might be something along the line of I didn't come back through all that pain to let it slip away on the last drive. Now let's stop them four times and win our trophy! And that is what they did.

Then there is the fact that all through the playoff run Ray has been spouting scriptures after the games like Tim Tebow on steroids. Don't read anything about either man's choice of supplements in that phrase. Sometimes he got them right and sometimes well it didn't quite fit the real meaning of the verses. But still the word of the Lord was being proclaimed right? It kinda reminded me of what Paul wrote in Philippians 1 when he said:

12Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advance of the gospel, 13so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is in ⌊the cause of⌋ Christ. 14Most of the brothers in the Lord have gained confidence from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the message fearlessly. 15To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and strife, but others out of good will. 16These do so out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel;17the others proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely, seeking to cause me anxiety in my imprisonment. 18What does it matter? Just that in every way, whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice 

Then someone asked me today whether I thought Ray Lewis was indeed a changed man. I am not qualified to judge him on that one. I don't know him personally. I don't know what he does when the cameras are not on him but I would like to think he is the same man. From other's accounts it seems that he is indeed a changed man. Why is it that we say that Jesus can save any of us and make us more like His Son Jesus and then when He actually does it in a person's life who happens to be a public figure that we want to doubt it?

Ray Lewis should be a poster child for the gospel. If Jesus can transform a loud-mouthed, associate of murders, thug from Miami, then isn't that good news for all the rest of us? I have always admired Ray Lewis for his style of play and his choice of numbers. This year I have come to admire the fact that he is willing to go out on his own terms and talk about his faith in an open way before a doubting nation. And if he falls, then I will still admire him if he repents and returns. That seems to be what Jesus would do. That seems to be what Jesus did when he elevated this team and gave them the biggest platform available in the NFL. When a coach is saying how much of a difference faith in God makes and players are talking about God having a special plan for a team, then just maybe the rest of the league will take notice and more players of faith will step up and be a Christian who happens to play football rather than a football player who happens to be a Christian. And believe me that makes a huge difference!

One of those moments

You know how people always say that was one of the best moments of life? I'm sure they really don't mean the best, but close up there behind surrendering to Jesus, getting married to the woman or man you love for a lifetime, watching the birth of your children, and the really important ones. But you know, the kind of moments that we remember 20 years later.

Last night was one of those nights for me. Several months ago, I finished "The Book of Dreams" and noticed a website in the back for the author, Davis Bunn. I had read most of his works and really enjoy his style of fiction with a distinctive Christian flavor. So I just took a few minutes to write an encouraging email. I was astonished when a personal response came back to my inbox. Several exchanged emails led to an invitation for Davis to speak at one of our weekly BCM meetings. We worked out the dates and he graciously agreed to drive to Gainesville for the evening.

Yesterday was the day. We had a lovely meal at my favorite BBQ joint, Adam's Ribs after he dissed my 95 mustang as the vehicle of choice. I have to admit, his car was much nicer! Then we returned to the BCM to get ready for the evening. We had the chance to spend an hour or so talking about ministry, writing, sports, cars, family, etc. I have several of his books on my shelves in the office and that is when the moment happened.

He got down my copy of "Gold of Kings" and said there is a particular passage that I feel is some of my best writing. After we talked about how he researched his stories and the locations which he spends great time detailing in his writings, he found the particular passage. And then he read it out loud. I don't find myself spell bound by much, and especially not by another man reading, but this was one of those rare special moments. I found myself remembering how I had read those words and pictured them in my mind and in a flash compared my way with the way he was bringing the characters and setting to life before me. I pictured him working to craft those words the first time and watched as his face beamed with the release of those memories expressed through the intonations of his voice. I might not ever get the chance to hear another award winning author do the same, but for that one moment, I had the chance to see firsthand what makes a great author. Passionate desire to tell the story within them. It came out again as he read the words from the page just as it had flowed from his mind onto those same pages years before.

A wise man once told me, "You will be the same person you are today five years from now with the exception of the places you go, the books you read, and the people you meet." Thanks to Gary Crawford for that wonderful piece of advice. I have found it to be true in my life. Davis Bunn had already contributed greatly to my life through the printed word over the years. Last night, I was invited to attend a graduate level course in the art of being a gentleman and a scholar. I am thankful for the opportunity and know that I am a better man for spending those moments with him. I hope and pray I have many more of those moments, but this one will always be a special memory for me.

My Question for 2013

As I begin the new year of 2013 I have a serious question to ponder for this year. One that I don’t know the answer to yet and may never know the complete answer to for years to come. Why is it that the older I get, the more I have to fight from becoming more cynical about everything in life?

As the end of 2012 came and went, I had some downtime and that topic keep creeping through my mind. I don’t want to end up as a crusty old cynic, heck, I don’t even like crusty old cynics for that matter. Yet, if I let my guard down, I find myself slipping more to the cynical side of life and away from the joyful, celebratory, and optimistic side.

Maybe there is something to this on the being on the downside of life after hitting 50 this year. But I don’t think that is all there is to it. I think it has more to do with a realization that I have worked hard to do what the Lord wants me to do and there is still so much to do that you just realize there is a good chance you will never get to finish all you have in your heart to do for the kingdom. It’s like you stop and take a look backward and realize that the dreams you had when you were 20 may not ever come to fruition and that can leave the best of us just a little cynical.

Plus you have the tragedy of Newtown thrown in there and time to watch the nightly news and you just stop and throw your hands in the air and say “Lord, come soon, cause we are just messing this up more and more!” It seems that with the gospel being taken to new places and with new technology faster than ever, you want to think that the end of violence, slavery, sin, and disease could become a reality in your lifetime. And then you take a good look around and say, nope don’t think it is the way we are going now.

That realization that we are not better off than we were a hundred years ago in spite of our modern way of life can make one a little cynical. We just are more aware of the hurt and pain of people we will never meet and never know. We have more creature comforts but are our lives any richer than our grandparents and great-grandparents in ways that really matter. Are our relationships better? Are our families better? Are we kinder to strangers? Do we take better care of the widows and orphans among us? Are our churches better?

When I start thinking like that there is one thought that halts me on my fast track to old cynic status. Jesus said there would always be trouble in the world but take heart because He has overcome the world. He said there would always be wars, rumors of wars, persecution, and poverty until He comes back. I think of what it must have been like to be Jesus and leave this earth knowing that so much more had to be done to deliver the message of redemption and reconciliation to the people and how it must have pained him to have to leave the disciples. But he knew the Holy Spirit would come to finish the work through those he left behind. And that is where I find great joy these days in knowing that the Lord will use those who come behind me that I have influenced to finish the work that I cannot finish.

That’s why I always want to lean toward the joyful, celebratory, and optimistic side of life. I know the end of the story and it has a happy ending. I want to play out the rest of my life investing in those who will carry on till Jesus comes after I am gone. There is no time to be a cynic, when so much work needs to be done to point people to a Savior!

My Political Thoughts

Ok, so this is my one and only political based blog entry. At least it is all I plan to say about it for now!

First, I believe our true hope for our nation and the world does not reside in any government, but in people being restored to a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, His Son. So whoever sits in the chair is really there as an appointee of God even if they don’t think they are. The Bible makes it clear how we should honor those who govern in the following verses:

13Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority 14or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16As God’s slaves, ⌊live⌋ as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil.17Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the Emperor.  1 Peter 2:13:17.

So whoever wins this election must be given the honor due the offices to which they are elected. And whoever wins the elections will not be the ultimate authority for Christians. For the Believer, the order should always be to fear God and honor the government.

With that being written, as an American citizen, albeit a temporary one since my ultimate citizenship is in heaven, I believe I have both a right and obligation to vote. I also believe God gave me a brain and reason to use to attempt to find out what is the best decision to make after prayer and study of the scriptures for every situation. So after prayer and consideration of the scriptures here is my take on the whole election issue facing Americans for the next week.

I am voting for Mitt Romney and not for President Obama for several reasons. I know some well-meaning and sincere believers who will disagree and who are or have voted for the President to continue for four more years. The first reason is that the Democratic Party of which my father was a member of for years made it clear in their convention that the most important thing I believe in is not welcome in their party. I am not sure why they felt they needed to address that God was not welcome in their platform, but if He is not welcome then neither are His children and therefore I could not vote for a candidate of that Party. I am sure they backtracked on it, but to even bring it up means those in charge of the platform and ultimately its execution believes that God is not welcome in Governmental matters. I cannot support that position so I can’t vote for their candidates.

Second, they made it clear that the right to choose trumps the right to life. At the moment this applies to only un-born babies but is it that far of a stretch under the guidelines of Obama Care to see this being applied to those in long-term care in government hospitals or those under long term care who cannot make decisions for themselves? I cannot vote for a candidate whose Party will use all its political force to work against a position that I hold, so therefore I cannot vote for those members even if their own personal convictions differ.

Third, on a purely practical basis, my life is not better now than it was four years ago. The President Obama has not kept the promises made by Candidate Obama. So please tell me why I should believe that the promises made by President-Candidate Obama will be delivered upon during his last possible term in office? Once elected, he will do what he wants and that my friends is what I am truly afraid of. I don’t know all he plans to do, but given his track record for the last four years of skirting the constitution at best, I doubt seriously that he would play by the rules in his last four years. I am afraid that if re-elected he will move us more toward a socialist government. My income is not up, my expenses are definitely up, job creation is not up, the government stimulus that was pushed through and signed by the President did nothing but help those who got him elected. Let’s be honest enough to say that if you promise to do something or not run for re-election and then fail to deliver but run anyway, at best you have a problem understanding the job at hand or at worst a serious integrity issue.

Fourth, I am voting for Mitt Romney as the choice of two not favorite choices. I did not support him during the primaries. I don’t think he will be a great president. I don’t know if he is fully qualified to lead our nation. But I do know that he is just as qualified as or more so than the guy we elected four years ago. And he is the only viable option running in opposition. I like his choice for VP. I like the party platform. I think we are better off with less government and by working to balance the budget and get people back to work. I think when rich people and corporations believe the government will stay out of their way, they tend to invest more, do more, and expand creating new jobs and more opportunities. I don’t like the fact that there are only two parties capable of winning the major elections either but that is a story for a different day.

Finally, I wish that both sides would just start running ads telling us why to vote for them rather than telling me why I shouldn’t vote for the other person. Why not win me over by telling me what you want to do and spend less time trying to scare me with what the other person will do if they win. You are wasting millions of dollars on ads that do nothing not to mention all the money spent to call me twenty times a day it seems with your recorded messages from rock stars and political icons to try and sway my vote. None of them are listened to and none have convinced me to change my position. I would rather you commit that money to help reduce the national deficit or help with disaster relief. If you ran one ad saying the …… party will be donating 4 million dollars to help with …. Rather than spend it on stupid ads and phone trees, you have a better chance of getting my vote! And please stop attacking one candidate for how little they paid in taxes. I just wonder how much the Kennedy’s have paid in taxes over the years and where exactly did Obama get his fortune? If you are a plumber in the white house then you can portray yourself as one of us, otherwise stop trying to identify with the middle class. When is the last time a true member of the middle class sat in the white house?

I find it difficult to believe any of the political rhetoric anymore. Why would you spend so much of your own money or give so much money to a campaign where the salary is not that significant? Oh wait, the perks are enormous. But so are the responsibilities. Do you really think either party truly has the welfare of the middle class first in their agenda? In 51 years of life, I’ve never been invited to a state dinner at the white house or the state house for that matter. I’ve never been given a government contract because I voted for one person or denied one because I voted for their opponent. I pay my taxes. I enjoy the benefits of roads, protection, etc. I work for what I have and don’t want anyone to take it away or claim that I didn’t earn it. I wish it was more about me, but in the end it will always be about unions, big business, and personal investors. It only appears to me that those entities do better when the government is smaller and leaves them alone more and that does trickle down to a better live for me and my family who live squarely in the middle class.

Whether you agree or disagree, I hope we can still be friends on Wednesday of next week. I am thankful that we can vote and disagree without having to fear for our safety when we do. So become informed, vote your convictions, and if you are a believer, vote your values from your study of the Word of God. 

What October taught us about football

The last Saturday in October has passed and for Gator fans, it was a bitterly disappointing day. Last month I wrote that I would wait until the end of October to see what I thought of this team because we had been 4-0 coming out of September for the last three seasons and well two of them were less than stellar finishes! Well now that the October gauntlet is finished for this year, where do I stand on this Gator team and football in general?

I have to admit that this Gator team is better than I anticipated. But I think our weaknesses finally showed up this past Saturday. It would be easy to say this now, but anyone who has been around me this entire month knows that I have been saying the same thing even when we were winning. We are not a top 5 team. We just don't have enough offense playmakers. We have a top 5 defense. Our kicking game is solid, maybe the best duo in the land. Our return teams are not where they should be and our offense is one dimensional. I have said it all along, if you want to beat Florida, stop the run at all costs. This past weekend Georgia did just that. They loaded the box, played man to man coverage and brought the safeties and dared Jeff Driskell and our receivers to beat them. And the results speak for themselves. Our line is not good enough to hold up under the rush. Our receivers can't win enough battles on the edges. And Driskell is not ready to win the games on his quick decision making skills. I thought the Georgia coaches' won the day over our staff who couldn't seem to fix our protection for the second week in a row on the left edge.

But even with six turnovers, the Gators still had a chance to tie the game late which is way ahead of where we were last year at this time. The Gators have won at least two other games they could have lost in SCAR and LSU during the October stretch. I thought we we would be at least 6-2 or maybe even 5-3 at this point in the season, so being 7-1 and ranked in the top 10 is a huge bonus. The Gators have a real chance to finish the season no worse than 10-2 heading into the bowl game. Yep, I don't think we will beat the clown college out west this year. We have a chance with our defense, but I just don't see how our offense will be able to score enough to win this one in Tally. I hope I am wrong on this one, but I don't see it happening. There is still a chance to play for the SEC title if Georgia flops against Ole Miss or Auburn but if that happens then bacon will be falling from the sky next!

I think Alabama is the best team in the land. It hurts me to even write that, but I think it's true. Still the Tide will get it's first real test this weekend in Baton Rouge. Those Cajuns get nastier at night after a full day of partying at Red Stick! The best team doesn't always win there! But if the Tide can survive that one, the only other team on their schedule that can beat the Tide is the Tide! At least it looks good for another SEC national championship and the Tide boosters look like geniuses for paying Satan, I mean Saban, all that money. And that is saying something to make the Tide boosters look smart!

Kansas State, Notre Dame, and Oregon all act like they want a shot at Bama for the title, but be careful what you ask for. I think all three would be good teams in the SEC. They all have a punchers chance in a one game, winner take all situation. But give any of them the schedule Florida plays or South Carolina plays or even LSU plays and none of them are undefeated either at this point. That is why the SEC is the toughest conference in the land. Try playing three top ten teams in a month and see if one of them doesn't get you. Any team in the top 25 can beat one top ten ranked team, but trying doing it three out of four weeks and mix in there games against a couple of other ranked opponents and see where you land!

The best story may be Charlie Strong and the Louisville Cardinals. They have come from behind, struggled, yet they still remain unbeaten. Charlie has been a friend for a long time and I couldn't be happier for him. He waited patiently for the chance to be a head coach at the right place and it seems he has found it in Louisville.  He and Vickie and the girls are great people and I hope the folks at UL know what a treasure they have in the Strong family and embrace them. Their love for the Lord is a testimony for others to see and the fact that they are an inter-racial family makes it an even better story!

One final point that will make some Gator fans mad at me is that whatever you feel about how he left, the fact remains that Urban Meyer can flat out coach. He and his staff just find ways to get it done no matter where he has been and who has been on his staff. That makes me think it is the man at the top who is making it happen. I hope his health lasts because that is the only thing that will prevent him from being one of the best coaches of all time. I don't think he will last long enough to rival Joe Pa or Bowden, but he just wins wherever he coaches. The whole idea of balance seems to be gone from his life again and that is a sad statement, but if he can find it and last in the profession, he has a chance to be remembered as one of the greatest coaches in NCAA history. The first hate mail will come from my wife who calls him Urban Liar by the way!

November will clear things up for everyone. We will know if Bama can run the table along with K state and Oregon and Notre Dame. We may have plenty to discuss about the BCS and how it got it wrong or right. We may wish we had the playoff this year if all four are undefeated or they all may lose a game and then chaos will ensue with all the really good one loss teams out there. But after the Thanksgiving turkey has put us in a food induced slumber, we will all be wishing it was September again and college football was just starting rather than coming to an end!