11/4/07--Update on Kellie and the old emotional rollercoaster

So first off, since I haven't written in about a week, Kellie's surgery was very successful and came with only the slightest amount of drama (well, "slightest" in relation to Kellie at least).  She is still on crutches and is undergoing therapy around 3 or 4 times per week, usually being lectured by her therapist about not being such a baby. 

It's been an interesting weekend for a lot of different reasons.  Friday night we went to see the kids high school football game.  Their team, Ft Lauderdale American Heritage, was playing Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna, probably their most hated rival.  A.H. has lost like 7 years in a row to Chaminade, usually in some heartbreaking fashion.
The game the other night was of special interest not only because of the rivalry, but because A.H. was undefeated going into the game and ranked #2 in the entire state of Florida in their classification!!  Chaminade, usually a contender for the state championship, was 4-4 and having a relatively disappointing season after having their head coach leave for a bigger school in the offseason and take a number of coaches and players (cough, cough--recruiting--cough, cough) with him.  So anyway, the game was looked upon as sort of a big deal at the school.  We arrived early--naturally---and saw that there were actually TAILGATERS in the parking lot.  That's how you know that a game is bigtime folks...TAILGATERS at a high school game.  A.H. fell behind 14-3, but manage to make it 14-11 right before halftime with a touchdown and 2 point conversion.
The A.H. defense played a stellar 2nd half and shut down the Chaminade offense, which opened the door for A.H.'s offense to score a touchdown and pull ahead 17-14.  The game was tooth and nail all night after that and the clock began its in inexorable march towards the game's end.  A.H. had the ball and was driving for the touchdown that would clinch the victory.  They moved inside the 5 and 3 attempts got them to the 1 yard line.  4th down and 1.  The coach went for the touchdown that would seal the victory and a win over their biggest rivals.  The offense lined up....the quarterback set the offense and got under the center.  The ball was snapped......2 minutes left in the game.
And the quarterback....fumbled the snap.  
A giant collective groan swept over the home team's crowd as the fans on the opposing sidelines cheered their team getting one final opportunity.  A.H. fans wondered if once again the team would have to accept a heartbreaking defeat.  Chaminade had 99 yards to go in 2 minutes.  They made their way out to the 20 and then faced a 4th and 10.
Their quarterback dropped back to pass and through a pass in the flat to a RB that was a little too high.  Game over!  Uh, wait a minute....flag on the field.  Personal foul, A.H.
Blow to the QB's head.  Chaminade is still alive.  They move the ball to midfield and are again faced with a 4th down.  A pass over the middle and they just make it.  Chaminade has life.  The clock is slowly (way too slowly, I think) ticking down.  Chaminade moves the ball to the A.H. 25 yard line with around 20 seconds left....its 4th down and 4.
The coach for Chaminade decides to go for the field goal that will tie the game and send it into...(all together now).....oooovertime.
The teams line up....the crowd roars in anticipation...and then there is movement on both sides and the official's flags go into air.  Immediately I tell my wife that this is a horrible time to get a penalty because if its against A.H. it will give Chaminade an automatic first down and a couple more chances to go for a touchdown.  The official confer.
Finally the referee emerges and makes his call.
"Offsides.....Chaminade."
The A.H. sideline errupts in cheers and the ball is set back 5 yards further for Chaminade.  Once again the teams line up for the field goal.  The kicker signals to the holder that he's ready.  The ball is snapped....the two opposing teams collide for one brief moment....the ball is set down by the holder....the kick is up and.....

Blocked.

The ball is recovered by A.H. the clock runs out.  I've been going to games at A.H. for 9 years now and something happened that I hadn't seen before.  The crowd (well, okay mainly the students of A.H.) stormed the field in celebration.  The atmosphere was absolutely electric.  The losing streak was over....their biggest rival was defeated....and A.H. was one game away from an undefeated season.

A.H.-17  Chaminade-Madonna-14



Yesterday Notre Dame played Navy.  Notre Dame had won a mind boggling 42 games in a row over the Mid-Shipmen.  Its mind boggling because throughout the streak the Irish have had some really crappy teamsand coaches, and through it all they've managed, at times seemingly miraculously, to beat the Middies.  Father Theodore Hesburgh, the former president of Notre Dame, has said in the past that Navy is the one team on the Irish schedule that he wouldn't mind occasionally losing a game too.  A lot of people who are "experts" wonder why the Irish continue to schedule Navy every year, without knowing the real reason behind the game.  During the early to mid 40's, at the height of World War II, Notre Dame was an all-male college.  The need for man power and officers was so great that there was a legitimate concern on the part of the university that Notre Dame would have to close the university.  The U.S. Navy stepped up and arranged for the campus in South Bend, Indiana to be turned into a Naval Base for the duration of the war for training Naval officers.  The school was thereby saved and in return, the Notre Dame administration vowed to always have Navy remain on the Notre Dame football schedule.
Little history lesson for ya there....free of charge.

So as you might have heard, Navy defeated Notre Dame--finally---46-44 in triple overtime.  It was an exciting game although their were some head scratching moments.
As an Irish fan, I have resigned myself to the fact that, as much as I love Charlie Weis as a Notre Dame man and coach....at least once or twice a game he will make a call that has me asking myself--as a Notre Dame fan:

"What the hell was he thinking there?"

Only sometimes....I confess....I use words other than "hell".  Sorry Dad.


Anyway, I was happy that my Dad got to see the Mid-Shipmen break the streak.  It was a nice win for Navy and if Notre Dame was ever going to lose to them, it might as well have been this year, when Notre Dame has been as horrible as its ever been.
Navy coach Paul Johnson is a terrific coach....and trust me, if Charlie Weis ever did leave Notre Dame....I would have no problem at all with him being the new head coach.

I called my dad and left him a message of congratulations for the win.  I stewed a little about a few calls here and there....but I had come to grips with the loss....and then, I got a phone call.....


Do you want to know the definition of a true friend? I mean a real compadre? An amigo????

That's my buddy Greg, who is sitting at Mark Nulty's wedding with former world champion and legend Jack Brisco when the news filters in that Notre Dame has lost to Navy. Greg mutters out loud that I must really be hurting over a loss like that--he then reminds Jack of when we met at CAC a couple years back....and then Greg calls me at home...and puts Jack on the phone to ask me the score of the Notre Dame game.



I heard Jack sort of snickering through the phone and happened to mention that Oklahoma State had blown a 21 point 4th quarter lead to Texas today and said:

"HOOK 'EM HORNS JACK!!"

So the way I look at it...Greg is sitting there with one of our heroes...and to take the time to call me and give me a rash of **** .....wow...
what a friend!!!


Wow!  A former world champion calls me to razz me about a Notre Dame loss!!
Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing after all.


Anf finally, I got a phone call from my friend Colleen yesterday about her son Matthew.
Matt has really been struggling since being diagnosed (at age 21) with cancer.  It started as a melanoma on his back and it metastetized into his liver.  That's not good.
Well yesterday Colleen called me and told me that the lesions on his back have begun to shrink and the ones on his liver have stopped growing.  Finally the chemo is taking hold.

Suddenly a Notre Dame loss is put into perspective.

Later,
Jeff