Segregation Still Thrives!?!

Yesterday on my way into work I was listening to 1130AM KFAN. What they were talking about was something that I couldn't even believe: segregated proms. I couldn't believe what I was listening to. What the host was referencing was an article written by Sara Corbett in the New York Times titled "A Prom Divided."

The article talks about how a small school in Montgomery County in Georgia has had segregated prom's since 1971. The school is also the subject matter for an HBO documentary due out in July. So what's the deal with having separate proms for black and white students?

From interviews stated in the article, most of the students want a unified, single prom. It's the parents and school officials that are reluctant to change. Yes, I agree that tradition is important but this isn't one of those old traditions that you want to carry on with the younger generations. You don't want to teach segregation to future generations, do you? At this school, they don't have black and white sporting teams, don't have separate black and white student councils, and they don't have separate learning classrooms for black and white students. So why have segregated proms? Makes no sense. Honestly, if I lived in that community I would be so embarrassed by that school.

Go read the article here.

Newcastle, Memories, & Summer Weather

Finally. I think Mother Nature and Father Time finally realized that Minnesotans were sick of the cold grey days of winter. Sitting out on the patio soaking in the sun makes me thankful for the few warm days like this we have. But it also brings back memories of picnics with our cousins, grilling with dad, and playing baseball on Newcastle with all the other kids. It's one 0f hte greatest times of the year. We can sit outside, sip a beer and talk wtih family/friends without the worry of a major blizzard approaching. And no major bugs yet either! This that time right before those flying blood suckers come out.

Getting back to summer memories, what is your favorite? I haqve a lot of them, mainly involving our cousins and going to picnics at various parks. Or playing baseball with the neighborhood kids of Newcastle was always a fun way to spend an afternoon. We would play until our parents called us home for dinner. It was fun and a nice way to build friendships. Most of the kids in the neighborhood played so we always had enough to play. It's funny, I remember watching The Sandlot recently and thought of Newcastle. Most of the kids would agree that it was a great environment to grow up in and that it was completely unique, nearly surreal. We had so many kids to play with it was borderline ridiculous. The parents also got involved and would ocassionally take the game to a "real" baseball diamond. At night, we'd end up playing Ghost in the Grave Yard, Keep Away or any other game that seemed like fun. I remember climbing on top of Gobeli's "Tootsie Roll" van and watching the other kids. I think Mike found me that night but it was fun as hell to watch.

Sitting on the deck of McKenzie's in Minneapolis after class and enjoying a nice cold beer with Chad was a great way to start relaxing. Or hanging out with Cory at a local patio bar during happy hour. Good times. Summer is finally here so let's get the grill out and start talking about days past!

Fantasy Football: Never too early

I know it's not even June yet, but is it ever too early to start thinking about fantasy football? For those newbies, non-believers, or haters out there, we die hard fantasy football fans usually start thinking about this stuff right after the NFL draft. Even though training camps haven't even announced starting dates or events, we're still debating who the best WR or QB will be this upcoming season. Our speculations and debate are fueled by ESPN projections, debatable banter, and other fantasy football sites. In today's world of all knowing 24/7 media, we have all the tools to try and build the best fantasy football team possible ... at least in every owner's mind.

ESPN.com put out a sortable table of ALL the NFL players that mattered last year. Yes, Mark Sanchez is included as well as every other rookie that matters. Sanches is listed at number 277, which means he probably won't do too much damage - as of right now. With all things like this, players can eb and flow. An interesting point about Sanchez's ranking: he is listed above guys like Derek Anderson, Matt Leinart, and Jeff Garcia. Even though most of the QB's listed probably will serve a backup role, it still proves that even a rookie has a chance to make an impact. I'm not saying that he'll be like Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco, but anything is possible as proved by both of those two guys.

The number one rated player according to ESPN.com is Minnesota's Adrian Peterson. He's a RB with the home run capability that fantasy owners crave in a starting runningback. In fact, the top eight spots are all RB's. The first appearance of another position, WR, is Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald. First QB overall is New Orlean's Drew Brees. Want even more of a surprise? Traditionally top ranked players like Randy Moss, Andre Johnson, Peyton Manning, and Terrell Owens aren't mentioned until the 17th slot (Moss). With my fantasy experience, RB's are the workhorses of any good team. Having a couple of starts and then key role players at this position can only help secure a championship run.

But like any new season, free agency, coaching changes, rookies, and players returning from injury will also influence ratings. It wasn't long ago that Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were the top QB's everyone was gunning for. Now? Tom Brady is coming back from a severe injury and hasn't been tested (at least on the field) yet. This puts him at a very low 16th best overall. Like I said before, time will only tell if this holds true. My money is that Brady will be a top QB once again.

How will some of the big name rookies far? Guys like Michael Crabtree (97), Percy Harvin (143), Jeremy Maclin (191), Knowshon Moreno (63), Chris "Beanie" Wells (85), Donald Brown (96), and Brandon Pettigrew (205) are expected to make a big impact right away. But history has taught us all that rookie WR's very rarely find consistent success in their first year. For a rookie WR to find success is almost as rare as it is for a rookie QB, excluding Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco of course.

Professional Sports

I'm sure some of you have visited ESPN.com in the past day or so. There is an article written by Howard Bryant in the MLB section that was posted yesterday. The article has to do with David Ortiz and his recent slump at the plate. Mr. Bryant's article isn't about hitting mechanics, analyzing the swing, plate discipline or batting averages. It's more a reflection on what the steriod era has produced within our society. In a time of economical recession, cynical thinking comes to the forefront while the positive lay dormant in the back of our minds. Professional sports and steriods are no different, theortically speaking of course, than our turmoil to earn a honest wage.

What the article points out very clearly is that we think every star studded player, every household sports name is cheating in some way or some form. Whether it be the scarlet letter of the steroid or other "less" serious supplements/drugs, every star player is using. This isn't a fair image painted by the media or the people. So why does it happen? What if that player was one of the everyday guys? And does it even matter on the grand scheme of things? We all have our own battles with daily life so I'm guessing that this is a small blimp on your radar. I, however, don't agree with that argument.

Since the beginning of the modern era of professional sports, we've put much emphasis on them in society. Not only do we dress in team colors, paint our faces ridiculous colors, or tailgate for our favorite teams but we also identify with them. We want to see the players live in our communities and give back. We want to see our favorite star athlete affiliated with good, honest, and loyal products. We want that all American golden boy image that has long been lost in decades past. Like past generations, we want the children of today to idolize the right athletes. The ones who aren't tainted with scandal, brandish irrational behavior, or are known to use drugs to enhance their play. The American public wants to believe that every sacred record in every professional sport is untouched by steroids or any other drug. We don't want to see an asterisk next to those records.

I believe sports is just more than playing a game. It's more than "just a business" as so many have said before. Sports is an institution that is fabricated deeply within our society. Every single city that is fortunate enough to have a major college or professional sports team knows this ... we just tend to not think about it this way. Because we see athletes, team logos, and the like every single day, we take for granted what sport really means to us. We see sports on billboards, television, internet, and magazine ads everyday. We're briefed with breaking news from ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and an endless other sources. Really though, sports has become an institution unto itself. Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League are woven into our society just as much as that long standing historical memorial that celebrates good ole' Ab Lincoln.

Sports play a larger role in our society than I think people realize. Can you imagine not having a professional baseball team to cheer on? Or to bleed the colors of your favorite football team. I can't imagine not seeing people wearing a number 23 red Chicago Bulls jersey. But that's just cosmetic stuff on top of what sports really mean to us. For some odd reason, we need tragedy to (or a players lockout) show us how much sports do for the American public. Think back to the days after 9-11. Remember the baseball games being played? Or the upcoming NFL season? New York, with all its diversity, unified to say "We are not afraid. We will overcome this." And it was all on display at sporting events.

Our teams and players that we cheer give us hope and joy. They give us an escape to forgot, even just a few hours, all the other distractions in life. We can forget about the economic strife, banks asking for government help, and the other negatives in life. For those few moments, we are fans and cheer on that one team we call our own.

Photography Site

http://visuallystimulated.shutterfly.com/ - check it out. I'm going to be adding new photos at Shutterfly and updating a lot of the information on there as well.

This is where Catherine and I are keeping most of our pictures from over the past year. I need to add some more, especially of the kids and sammy! Hope you all like it!