So its time to take a look at some of the films I've been checking out the last week or so:
1) High Plains Drifter--classic Clint. He plays the man with no name--yet again--and this time he wonders into a small, seemingly quiet little town. But, its a town with secrets all of its own and its run, for the most part, by three bullies who specialize in pushing people around. Anyone wanna guess who they make the mistake of trying to bully?
Anyone? Hello? If you guessed the quivering bartender, then you haven't watched enough Clint Eastwood westerns. This is a good western, with a slightly sinister undertone, as certain townsfolk 'reapt that which they have sown'.
Hey hey!!! How about Jeff with the bible quote, huh? **** Clint kicking some ass
2) The Heartbreak Kid--a remake of the early 70's romantic comedy with Charles Grodin and Cybill Shepherd this time featuring Ben Stiller and directed by the Farrelly Bros. Its some good and some bad. As usual, there are some grossout jokes--mind you, the jokes are hilarious, but you'll be silently chastizing yourself for laughing at something so delightfully inappropriate. But the real problem here is Stiller himself.
First of all, his character is essentially an unlikeable guy. Part of the appeal of Stiller in movies like Something About Mary was that his character, at least the first time you saw him, was sort of appealing schlep, who after years of getting denied the woman he wanted, was finally getting his chance. In this film, he's really just kind of a big a-hole.
And another thing--he's turning into Adam Sandler in that, in his movies.....he's essentially playing the SAME GUY. Watch two Adam Sandler movies from the last 10 years....and tell me if its not the same guy as the main character. Well, Stiller has now fallen into that trap also. This is the same guy who was in the last 2 or 3 Stiller movies.
**---some really funny grossout jokes, but its not Stiller's best movie by a lot.
3) Casino--how in the hell is it that I have NEVER seen this movie? For whatever reason, despite the fact that I consider myself a real movie buff, there are some classic films that I have never seen. Here is a one word review for this Martin Scorcese film from 1995.
Amazing. I mean amazing as a film which investigates the mob and its grip on the casinos in Las Vegas during the 70's. I mean amazing in its acting with Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone in rarified air in their performances. I mean amazing in that this film may contain more curse words than any film in movie history. Pesci's character is amazing in his fluency in cursing. Its almost a 2nd language for the character.
But don't let that keep you from watching this incredible film....yet another great study by Scorcese of organized crime in this country. Some have referred to this film as Goodfellas Part 2---which is a nice compliment and not too far from the truth. *****
Amazing.
4) Minority Report--here is Steven Spielberg doing true science fiction. Based on a novel by legendary futurist Philp K. Dick, this is a film set some 50 years in the future.
Crime in the future has been all but eliminated by the police organization called Pre-Crime. The key to Pre-Crime is a trio of psychics called Pre-cogs who have the ability to see the future and predict when someone will commit a crime. Police are alerted, and the person is arrested....BEFORE they commit the crime. Its all quite successful until Pre-Crime leader Tom Cruise is told that the pre-cogs have predicted that HE will commit a murder within 3 days (maybe someone made a crack about Scientology).
Now he's on the run, trying to prove he's innocent---of a crime that he hasn't commited yet. Hmmm.....if you're really into sci-fi, you will LOVE it....its that good. If you're not a big sci-fi person, it still works as an action filled detective story set in the future. ****
Later,
Jeff
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
1/12/08--Thoughts of my "good looking" Uncle John
My Dad called me the other night with the news that his younger John, who happens to be my Godfather, had suffered a heart attack and was in the hospital. I was updated last evening that he had had surgery and the prognosis was looking good. His wife and children were with him at his bedside and he was getting lots of "good thoughts" from friends and family from around the country.
He's a great guy....and one of the alltime greatest, if my Dad will excuse me for a moment, ballbusters ever. He and my Dad will get together at a family event, and Uncle John will never miss on an opportunity to stir the pot by bringing up something from when they were kids that might embarass my father or that he didn't want to remember.
And he will always, always remind you....when you say "Hey, Uncle John"....to say, "nope, its not 'Uncle John'.....its 'your good looking Uncle John'...." and then he'd go off on a funny rant about how he has always been the "best looking brother" etc etc.
Very funny stuff.
So here's a message for my "Good Looking Uncle John". Get yer Irish ass outta that hospital and get yerself back to some good health!!
We love ya man!!
Later,
Jeff
He's a great guy....and one of the alltime greatest, if my Dad will excuse me for a moment, ballbusters ever. He and my Dad will get together at a family event, and Uncle John will never miss on an opportunity to stir the pot by bringing up something from when they were kids that might embarass my father or that he didn't want to remember.
And he will always, always remind you....when you say "Hey, Uncle John"....to say, "nope, its not 'Uncle John'.....its 'your good looking Uncle John'...." and then he'd go off on a funny rant about how he has always been the "best looking brother" etc etc.
Very funny stuff.
So here's a message for my "Good Looking Uncle John". Get yer Irish ass outta that hospital and get yerself back to some good health!!
We love ya man!!
Later,
Jeff
Friday, January 4, 2008
1/4/08--So Jeff....what about the crappy year Notre Dame had?
So I was on one of the different websites and message boards that I visit, and the question came up as to whether or not Charlie Weis might be a candidate for the newly opened Miami Dolphins head coaching gig, since Charlie's mentor Bill Parcells is in charge of the search.....below, I show you my answer and//or rant on the subject.
You football fans....enjoy. Non-football fans....what for next post.
Now, the first comment, from "Dewar" is where I'm asked for my thoughts...everything else until I mention it would be my thoughts:
Originally posted by Dewar:
For the record, I don't get why Weis gets a pass for winning with Ty's players when everyone was all over Ty for "Winning with Bob Davie's players". I'm not sure how it works one way, but not the other way.... Fair question that I'll try and answer. lst of all, I never said that Ty won with Bob Davie's recruits---the hacks on ESPN (well, except Mark May and all the other Willingham apologists that is) did.
I'll give you my perception of recent Notre Dame history 101.
Bob Davie.....good recruiter, not a really good coach. Very good defensive assistant, but ask yourself why his name has NEVER come up for any head coaching jobs over the last 5 years. Hmmm.
Oh, and the Texas A&M job this year does not count, because Davie himself created the rumor that there was an interest in him coming out of College Station. However, all that being said, the biggest problem that the folks at ND had with Bob, even more than the fact that his teams kept making the SAME mistakes over and over and over....was that Bob not only did not embrace the history of Notre Dame, he thought it was sort of not really that big a deal. Now, before you scoff and tell me that Notre Dame is not a big deal--whatever, that's your opinion. But the problem is, no matter WHERE you coach....let's say just for arguement West Virginia--I chose them totally at random because they were on last night---the people that are at WV and their fans think they have a tradition and expect the coach of their team to not only KNOW the history, but to understand and appreciate it--whether they think its a big deal or not. The problem is that Bob really thought Texas A&M was a great and bigtime school (absolutely nothing wrong with that) and thought his mentor RC Slocum was the greatest head coach in college history.Which is fine if you are the head coach at A&M. But, if you become the head coach at West Virginia, you'd better develop an appreciation for Don Nehlen, ya know what I mean?? And you better understand and appreciate a history that includes guys like Jerry West in basketball and Jeff Hostetler and Major Harris in football.
Now, onto my man Ty Willingham. He parlayed one really good year at Stanford, after 3 lousy ones and one "decent" one.....and, oh yeah, the year that he took Stanford to the Rose Bowl was generally considered the worst year in Pac 10 history by the way. Anyway, he gets the job at Notre Dame and his nickname amongst the media covering the team is "the molder of men"---because Ty keeps hitting on the fact that he is trying to do just---which is terrific at a school where just GETTING to a minor bowl is a pretty big deal, but at a school like Notre Dame...and truthfully a school like UW, where's he's at now, the administration is going to start expecting things beside developing solid citizens....they're going to start looking eventually at the old win//loss record.
Now, some have pointed out that Ty and Charlie essentially have almost identical records after 3 years. True. Well, except for a couple of things. Its absolutely true that Ty's first team at ND started off at 8-0...the fact that Ty was an OFFENSIVE assistant in the NFL and our team that year was winning without scoring touchdowns (look it up) was a tad troubling, but the fact that we were, ya know, WINNING made us overlook that key detail. After that 8-0 start, during which we got to the Gator Bowl (ahem, non-BCS by the way) because we pretty much crapped the bed after the great start...the rest of his career at ND, Ty was a less than sterling 13-15. I got news for you...that will get you canned at Notre Dame, Texas A&M, West Virginia or Eastern Northern Montana.
But wait! Jeff...how can you say that? What about that fact that Charlie went 3-9 last year while poor, struggling, victim of the system Ty had to get a job at the Univ of Washington???
Excuse me.
Sorry, I had to go vomit. Now, as I was saying, yes Charlie was 3-9 last season...uh, by the way, unlike one poster said...NOT the worst season in Notre Dame history....definitely ONE of the worst, but not THE worst...but I quibble over semantics....anyway, yes, Charlie and the Irish were horrible last season with a very young team.
Trust me, Irish fans expected the team to be "down" this past year, but none of us DREAMED we were going to be 3-9. Why? Uh, oh yeah, maybe its because the previous two years our team went to a BCS game. Two years....in a row.
Now, if you think we didn't deserve it...uh, guess what? Who cares? The fact is...they went to a BCS game during the first two years that Charlie Weis coached there. Excuse, me....lemme check to see how many BCS games that Ty Willingham coached Notre Dame in....hmmm...NONE.
So, ya know, maybe Charlie has earned a little bit of credit with those BCS games. Yes, we went and got beat....but we WENT. So this year, even with the worst season in 43 years....Charlie's got a one year pass.
Now, trust me...next year...Charlie goes 3-9?
All bets are off and the job is open for anyone that is interested.
Finally, back to Ty for one last second and why he got the axe. Ty was a HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE recruiter...don't ask me. its what the guy's like Tom Lemming and Rivals.com and Scout.com say.
He went two entire recruiting classes and recruited TWO offensive linemen. TWO.
And those guys Charlie was coaching last year?
Sorry, not all "Charlie" guys. All the seniors, the few 5th year guys and at least 2/3 of the juniors were guys recruited by Tyrone Willingham.
Ty Willingham, to his credit, had one really good recruiting class. The Brady Quinn class. The other classes that he recruited....uh, not so good.
And finally, if you think that Charlie Weis "totally played" Notre Dame in getting himself a pay raise midway through his first season...check out the way that Ty Willingham "totally played" the guys at ESPN.
Before he was fired by Notre Dame....let me repeat that....BEFORE HE WAS FIRED...he made contact with the Univ of Washington and inquired about the head coaching job. So when he got fired by ND, and then sat back and watched ESPN go on a witchhunt and accuse Notre Dame of being a racist institution (thank you John Saunders), was unforgiveable. This guy was crying the blues knowing that he had already tried to get out of the job and then sat there and said NOTHING.
I guess he forgot that Notre Dame wasn't that racist when they hired him. Nice double standard.
Sorry for the vent.
Jeff
Anyway, if you ever wanted proof that I know how to ramble on about various subjects, there's your answer....anyway, the questions continued.
Originally posted by RonChampMiller:
good post, jeff..great blog, btw
i'm not a big notredame fan...i call em, notrelame and ask why there are on NBC TV everyweek...
they WERE a great team, in the past...the time has come to move on
i'm not a big weis fan either...
3-9 is ok for another program, not ND
jeff, how do you think they will finish next yr? Thanks for the compliment about the blog.
Next year, I think that ND and Weis will probably go around 7-5. Couple of reasons why...first of all, their schedule is perceived as being a lot easier...at least the beginning. Now, that's the way I THINK they'll go...personally, I've heard everything from 6 wins to 8. I think if he goes 6-6, Weis is in trouble. 7-5, 8-4 and a "minor" bowl...I think he buys himself some time.
One thing that I forgot to mention in my rant is that while Willingham was perceived (correctly or incorrectly) as a poor recruiter, Weis is seen as someone who is doing a much better job. His first class (the kids that were juniors) were 2/3 Willingham's leftovers that decided to stay on and the kids he recruited after being with the Patriots in their Super Bowl win. Since then, his last two classes have been regarded as "top 10 in the nation" (whatever that means) and this year's prospective class is viewed by most experts as being either lst or 2nd in the nation.
That sort of news buys you time. Personally, I think its what got Bob Davie five years. He kept pulling in big name recruits.
Thanks again,
Jeff
PS...no problem with you not being a fan of the Irish. I can understand that they are a very polarizing team--you either usually hate them or love them.
Now, as you can see....people....they love me. I mean, is it any wonder I've been married three times? (rhetorical question--thank you very much) But still...the questions continue:
Originally posted by Curt Injurker:
Jeff -
You seem like a big Irish fan, so let me ask you this question:
Does the lack of progress the Irish football team made (or didn't make) this past year bother you?
Everyone knows Weiss can recruit (his Super Bowl rings virtually guarantee that) and everyone knows the guy can put together a gameplan.
The teaching aspect of college football seems to be the one big question mark pro coaches have when they hit the college ranks. Some coaches (Carrol) have staffs that can "coach 'em up" and some coaches (Groh, Wannstadt) don't.
In my opinion, the Notre Dame players were making the same mistakes against Duke that they were making against Georgia Tech.
The offensive line play was abysmal, both schematically and execution-wise. The tackling was poor, the coverage in the backend of the defense horrendous, and the backs seemd to pick the wrong hole (or miss the hole completely) as often as they hit the right hole.
Does the lack of progress bother you? Do you think Weiss and his staff can develop talent or will they be a victim of being only as good as the sheer amount of talent they can accumulate (like Groh at Virginia)? Hell yes it bothers me...and it bothers a lot of other people too. One thing that came out towards the end of the season...(hmm, suspiciously around the time that they lost to Navy) is that in the preseason drills.....the team did ZERO hitting. He essentially ran the camp like an NFL camp...which is great, if your running (hello!!) and NFL team. Of course, when you have a team of 19 and 20 yr olds, um, perhaps a little freakin HITTING might be in order???? So anyway, Charlie has assured all concerned that the spring session will be filled with lots o' hitting. Personally I think that quite a bit of the problems that we had offensively, and I'm only referring to our "lack of physicality", can be directly attributed to going through a training camp and not hitting. I mean, its one thing to be concerned about the depth you may or may not have at certain positions, but I really can't fathom having a training camp and not having any hitting. Boggles the mind. Even more amazing that no one one the coaching staff has either the stones or, and this could be a factor here, the stroke to go to Charlie and tell him what a huge mistake he was making. I know that Weis has an ego, but I find it hard to believe that someone like DB coach Bill Lewis, a former college head coach (Ga Tech & E. Carolina) and a longtime NFL assistant that I know that Weis really respects, can't go to him and tell him this isn't a good idea. By the way, I really didn't mean to hijack this thread with Notre Dame talk.....I apologize for that. Back to the top of the thread, lots of talk in the local (south Florida) papers about potential candidates....sounds like one of the Dallas guys will get the job though.
Well there has to be some end to this questioning...and here's what it happens:
Originally posted by Curt Injurker:
Jeff-
A couple of ND fans I know think that Weiss' ego could be the one thing that keeps the team from reaching the promise they seemed to have in the first couple years of his tenure. He can't/won't adapt his system and style to his talent, and will instead try to force what ever players he gets into his scheme. If he gets the right kids, they they win big. If they don't...
I think that's a fair criticism. One of the chief complaints on the Notre Dame websites is exactly that......the feeling is that Charlie is sort of laying down a "my way or the highway" sort of policy....which is great while your winning, but when you start to lose, you look like an unbending a-hole. We'll see how much Charlie is willing to adapt this year.....I think if he doesn't, it might cost him his job this time next year.
Jeff
Anyway....for you football fans, that's everything you wanted to know about Notre Dame's crappy season...and how it might play out next season. Hoped you enjoyed it to some extent...if not, why are you still reading this?
Later,
Jeff
You football fans....enjoy. Non-football fans....what for next post.
Now, the first comment, from "Dewar" is where I'm asked for my thoughts...everything else until I mention it would be my thoughts:
Originally posted by Dewar:
For the record, I don't get why Weis gets a pass for winning with Ty's players when everyone was all over Ty for "Winning with Bob Davie's players". I'm not sure how it works one way, but not the other way.... Fair question that I'll try and answer. lst of all, I never said that Ty won with Bob Davie's recruits---the hacks on ESPN (well, except Mark May and all the other Willingham apologists that is) did.
I'll give you my perception of recent Notre Dame history 101.
Bob Davie.....good recruiter, not a really good coach. Very good defensive assistant, but ask yourself why his name has NEVER come up for any head coaching jobs over the last 5 years. Hmmm.
Oh, and the Texas A&M job this year does not count, because Davie himself created the rumor that there was an interest in him coming out of College Station. However, all that being said, the biggest problem that the folks at ND had with Bob, even more than the fact that his teams kept making the SAME mistakes over and over and over....was that Bob not only did not embrace the history of Notre Dame, he thought it was sort of not really that big a deal. Now, before you scoff and tell me that Notre Dame is not a big deal--whatever, that's your opinion. But the problem is, no matter WHERE you coach....let's say just for arguement West Virginia--I chose them totally at random because they were on last night---the people that are at WV and their fans think they have a tradition and expect the coach of their team to not only KNOW the history, but to understand and appreciate it--whether they think its a big deal or not. The problem is that Bob really thought Texas A&M was a great and bigtime school (absolutely nothing wrong with that) and thought his mentor RC Slocum was the greatest head coach in college history.Which is fine if you are the head coach at A&M. But, if you become the head coach at West Virginia, you'd better develop an appreciation for Don Nehlen, ya know what I mean?? And you better understand and appreciate a history that includes guys like Jerry West in basketball and Jeff Hostetler and Major Harris in football.
Now, onto my man Ty Willingham. He parlayed one really good year at Stanford, after 3 lousy ones and one "decent" one.....and, oh yeah, the year that he took Stanford to the Rose Bowl was generally considered the worst year in Pac 10 history by the way. Anyway, he gets the job at Notre Dame and his nickname amongst the media covering the team is "the molder of men"---because Ty keeps hitting on the fact that he is trying to do just---which is terrific at a school where just GETTING to a minor bowl is a pretty big deal, but at a school like Notre Dame...and truthfully a school like UW, where's he's at now, the administration is going to start expecting things beside developing solid citizens....they're going to start looking eventually at the old win//loss record.
Now, some have pointed out that Ty and Charlie essentially have almost identical records after 3 years. True. Well, except for a couple of things. Its absolutely true that Ty's first team at ND started off at 8-0...the fact that Ty was an OFFENSIVE assistant in the NFL and our team that year was winning without scoring touchdowns (look it up) was a tad troubling, but the fact that we were, ya know, WINNING made us overlook that key detail. After that 8-0 start, during which we got to the Gator Bowl (ahem, non-BCS by the way) because we pretty much crapped the bed after the great start...the rest of his career at ND, Ty was a less than sterling 13-15. I got news for you...that will get you canned at Notre Dame, Texas A&M, West Virginia or Eastern Northern Montana.
But wait! Jeff...how can you say that? What about that fact that Charlie went 3-9 last year while poor, struggling, victim of the system Ty had to get a job at the Univ of Washington???
Excuse me.
Sorry, I had to go vomit. Now, as I was saying, yes Charlie was 3-9 last season...uh, by the way, unlike one poster said...NOT the worst season in Notre Dame history....definitely ONE of the worst, but not THE worst...but I quibble over semantics....anyway, yes, Charlie and the Irish were horrible last season with a very young team.
Trust me, Irish fans expected the team to be "down" this past year, but none of us DREAMED we were going to be 3-9. Why? Uh, oh yeah, maybe its because the previous two years our team went to a BCS game. Two years....in a row.
Now, if you think we didn't deserve it...uh, guess what? Who cares? The fact is...they went to a BCS game during the first two years that Charlie Weis coached there. Excuse, me....lemme check to see how many BCS games that Ty Willingham coached Notre Dame in....hmmm...NONE.
So, ya know, maybe Charlie has earned a little bit of credit with those BCS games. Yes, we went and got beat....but we WENT. So this year, even with the worst season in 43 years....Charlie's got a one year pass.
Now, trust me...next year...Charlie goes 3-9?
All bets are off and the job is open for anyone that is interested.
Finally, back to Ty for one last second and why he got the axe. Ty was a HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE recruiter...don't ask me. its what the guy's like Tom Lemming and Rivals.com and Scout.com say.
He went two entire recruiting classes and recruited TWO offensive linemen. TWO.
And those guys Charlie was coaching last year?
Sorry, not all "Charlie" guys. All the seniors, the few 5th year guys and at least 2/3 of the juniors were guys recruited by Tyrone Willingham.
Ty Willingham, to his credit, had one really good recruiting class. The Brady Quinn class. The other classes that he recruited....uh, not so good.
And finally, if you think that Charlie Weis "totally played" Notre Dame in getting himself a pay raise midway through his first season...check out the way that Ty Willingham "totally played" the guys at ESPN.
Before he was fired by Notre Dame....let me repeat that....BEFORE HE WAS FIRED...he made contact with the Univ of Washington and inquired about the head coaching job. So when he got fired by ND, and then sat back and watched ESPN go on a witchhunt and accuse Notre Dame of being a racist institution (thank you John Saunders), was unforgiveable. This guy was crying the blues knowing that he had already tried to get out of the job and then sat there and said NOTHING.
I guess he forgot that Notre Dame wasn't that racist when they hired him. Nice double standard.
Sorry for the vent.
Jeff
Anyway, if you ever wanted proof that I know how to ramble on about various subjects, there's your answer....anyway, the questions continued.
Originally posted by RonChampMiller:
good post, jeff..great blog, btw
i'm not a big notredame fan...i call em, notrelame and ask why there are on NBC TV everyweek...
they WERE a great team, in the past...the time has come to move on
i'm not a big weis fan either...
3-9 is ok for another program, not ND
jeff, how do you think they will finish next yr? Thanks for the compliment about the blog.
Next year, I think that ND and Weis will probably go around 7-5. Couple of reasons why...first of all, their schedule is perceived as being a lot easier...at least the beginning. Now, that's the way I THINK they'll go...personally, I've heard everything from 6 wins to 8. I think if he goes 6-6, Weis is in trouble. 7-5, 8-4 and a "minor" bowl...I think he buys himself some time.
One thing that I forgot to mention in my rant is that while Willingham was perceived (correctly or incorrectly) as a poor recruiter, Weis is seen as someone who is doing a much better job. His first class (the kids that were juniors) were 2/3 Willingham's leftovers that decided to stay on and the kids he recruited after being with the Patriots in their Super Bowl win. Since then, his last two classes have been regarded as "top 10 in the nation" (whatever that means) and this year's prospective class is viewed by most experts as being either lst or 2nd in the nation.
That sort of news buys you time. Personally, I think its what got Bob Davie five years. He kept pulling in big name recruits.
Thanks again,
Jeff
PS...no problem with you not being a fan of the Irish. I can understand that they are a very polarizing team--you either usually hate them or love them.
Now, as you can see....people....they love me. I mean, is it any wonder I've been married three times? (rhetorical question--thank you very much) But still...the questions continue:
Originally posted by Curt Injurker:
Jeff -
You seem like a big Irish fan, so let me ask you this question:
Does the lack of progress the Irish football team made (or didn't make) this past year bother you?
Everyone knows Weiss can recruit (his Super Bowl rings virtually guarantee that) and everyone knows the guy can put together a gameplan.
The teaching aspect of college football seems to be the one big question mark pro coaches have when they hit the college ranks. Some coaches (Carrol) have staffs that can "coach 'em up" and some coaches (Groh, Wannstadt) don't.
In my opinion, the Notre Dame players were making the same mistakes against Duke that they were making against Georgia Tech.
The offensive line play was abysmal, both schematically and execution-wise. The tackling was poor, the coverage in the backend of the defense horrendous, and the backs seemd to pick the wrong hole (or miss the hole completely) as often as they hit the right hole.
Does the lack of progress bother you? Do you think Weiss and his staff can develop talent or will they be a victim of being only as good as the sheer amount of talent they can accumulate (like Groh at Virginia)? Hell yes it bothers me...and it bothers a lot of other people too. One thing that came out towards the end of the season...(hmm, suspiciously around the time that they lost to Navy) is that in the preseason drills.....the team did ZERO hitting. He essentially ran the camp like an NFL camp...which is great, if your running (hello!!) and NFL team. Of course, when you have a team of 19 and 20 yr olds, um, perhaps a little freakin HITTING might be in order???? So anyway, Charlie has assured all concerned that the spring session will be filled with lots o' hitting. Personally I think that quite a bit of the problems that we had offensively, and I'm only referring to our "lack of physicality", can be directly attributed to going through a training camp and not hitting. I mean, its one thing to be concerned about the depth you may or may not have at certain positions, but I really can't fathom having a training camp and not having any hitting. Boggles the mind. Even more amazing that no one one the coaching staff has either the stones or, and this could be a factor here, the stroke to go to Charlie and tell him what a huge mistake he was making. I know that Weis has an ego, but I find it hard to believe that someone like DB coach Bill Lewis, a former college head coach (Ga Tech & E. Carolina) and a longtime NFL assistant that I know that Weis really respects, can't go to him and tell him this isn't a good idea. By the way, I really didn't mean to hijack this thread with Notre Dame talk.....I apologize for that. Back to the top of the thread, lots of talk in the local (south Florida) papers about potential candidates....sounds like one of the Dallas guys will get the job though.
Well there has to be some end to this questioning...and here's what it happens:
Originally posted by Curt Injurker:
Jeff-
A couple of ND fans I know think that Weiss' ego could be the one thing that keeps the team from reaching the promise they seemed to have in the first couple years of his tenure. He can't/won't adapt his system and style to his talent, and will instead try to force what ever players he gets into his scheme. If he gets the right kids, they they win big. If they don't...
I think that's a fair criticism. One of the chief complaints on the Notre Dame websites is exactly that......the feeling is that Charlie is sort of laying down a "my way or the highway" sort of policy....which is great while your winning, but when you start to lose, you look like an unbending a-hole. We'll see how much Charlie is willing to adapt this year.....I think if he doesn't, it might cost him his job this time next year.
Jeff
Anyway....for you football fans, that's everything you wanted to know about Notre Dame's crappy season...and how it might play out next season. Hoped you enjoyed it to some extent...if not, why are you still reading this?
Later,
Jeff
Thursday, January 3, 2008
1/3/08---Seriously, what in the blue hell is going on with my family?
Okay, so what you don't know is that I was SUPPOSED to go and visit Mare & Lair this past weekend. Quick trip up, watch some football with Dad over the weekend, we were going to bring a Honey Baked Turkey--it would've been a beautiful thing.
Check out the word I capitalized.
Now, we were going to be leaving on this past Saturday around 1pm-ish....after the wife finished getting her hair done--nothing was going to stop that. Then, we would go up, and maybe stay until Monday afternoon, get back before dark and all the crazies that would be on the road....we're all set with our plan. Yeah......
So I call my Dad on Friday night to firm up the plans and let him know what time we would be arriving...it was about that time that Dad uttered those fateful words.
"I'm fighting a headcold."
Oh boy. Headcold. Now, the problem with the old headcold....I mean the problem besides the OBVIOUS problem with a headcold, is that yours truly is remarkable adept at catching colds, flu's, influenza or any illness of the like...if they get within approximately a one mile radius of me. And my daughter can catch them from within a TWO mile radius. Lovely. So I start talking to the wife, we're considering a change in plans.
And of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that, ya know....DAD wasn't probably feeling up to a house full of people, no matter what the heck he tells you. So, I decide to maybe put my trip off until the day after New Year's....maybe I'll go up by my lonesome...spend some quality time with them both....and, ya know...
It was in the late afternoon of the next day that my Mom called me......
"So, um...your father is in the hospital....they think its pneumonia."
Well that's a fine hi-howdya-do.
Now, one of the really, really good things about me is that I'm may just be the world's biggest hypochondriac......stomach ache? Must be a tumor....chest pains? When's the last time I hard a cardiac checkup? Headache? Am I dieing? Seriously....my wife has rolled her eyes at me so many times her eye color is changing. Of course, I should mention on my behalf that my daughter is WAAAAY worse at that than me, but that's a story for another day. Anyway, I begin to freak out just a bit, because about a year or so back, my Dad let a bad cold turn into pneumonia by not taking care of himself....and it was not a pleasant experience for him--or us, who were worried sick ourselves.
So naturally I get on the phone with my sister....who I will always love, but who's worried phone calls are usually subject to post-conversation analysis. (sorry sis)
What did she REALLY mean by that? Is she making too much out of this? Anyway, my sister is worried that my Mom is so concerned that SHE'S not eating....its one huge cluster. So sis informs me that she's heading on down that way the next day to do a little recon work....and I call Mom back and do a little phone recon--only to discover that Mom, as I discovered via my extremely clever question and answer session.....has in FACT been eating!! What in the Holy Clara Barton was my sister talking about? Like I said...post conversation analysis.
Now, as if THAT isn't bad enough....down on OUR homefront...we had a minor crisis.
My beloved dog Beezer (aka Bee-da-lee, aka My Sweet Prince, aka a few other cute but weird names that every other pet owner gives their pet--cough) had developed yet another ear hematoma--this time in his OTHER ear (prior surgery on his right ear for the same thing). So it was back to the doctor for surgery for "Hematoma Boy" (yet another nickname--see what I mean?) to drain the hematoma and then essentially cross-stich the ear to keep it from happening again. Just another thing to worry about!!!
So meanwhile, back up in Orlando, I call my Dad in the hospital, and they got him on all sort of anti-biotics and he's a little crabby at the prospect of missing some of the football games on New Year's Day---not that I can blame him on that particular matter, because i would be a complete NIGHTMARE to deal with if it was me.
The next day I was very happy to find out that my father did NOT have pneumonia, but just a good case of bronchitis (very rare those two words are used together) and a slight case of asthma---but not pneumonia, and the doctors were very happy that he didn't wait, ya know....two weeks or whatever it was the last time to turn himself in for treatment. Men! What the hell do we know about being sick, am I right?
And back at Mom & Dad's house, Mom is sorta//kinda sick herself...probably do to the fact that Dad is sick...but sis is there and doing the old TCB.
I call back to Dad's room...and Dad is not there. I call the house...and Dad is home.
(My medical training indicates to me that this is a good thing) He says he's still a little raspy, but doing okay. I tell him not to let it get too bad, and to go back to the hospital if he starts feeling too weak or anything. The good news is, that my brother is coming in later in the day for, you got it....some re-con work after buying a boat in the area.
Personally, I think he just wanted to show off the boat and get credit for being a concerned son....but who am I to judge?
This morning I got up far earlier than I should when I'm on vacation to take Beezer to the vet for his surgery. He gives me "the look" (and you know what I mean if you own a pet) and I head home to wait for the news on his surgery. A few hours later the doctor calls me to tell me that he's coming out of sedation, that they have some headphones on him....he's listening to some Pink Floyd and has a satisfied look on his face. Whoops, wrong surgery. Anyway, the doctor says he came through it like a champ...and should be ready for pickup later in the afternoon.
Later in the morning I call to check up on my Dad to see how he's progressing. Mom informs me that he's supervising my brother doing some randomly assigned task. Trust me, this means Dad is feeling better.
Early in the evening, Kim and I pick up the Beez, and the doctor comes out and describes how the surgery went, and gives us the instruction on the various medications.
And then....Beez comes out. And naturally, having had surgery on his ear...he's wearing:
(say it Audrey)
THE CONE OF SHAME
Yes he's wearing the cone, or the satellite dish, that will prevent him from trying to scratch at his ear or whatever he might do that will cause a problem for his still bandaged ear. The best part, again, is when he first sees you. He comes out, there are other dogs in the waiting room....he sees you (which makes him happy)....he sees the other dogs (while wearing the CONE)....and the look of disgust he gives you.....the one that says:
"Oh MAN! Do you know how much crap I'm gonna get around the neighborhood for having to wear this thing? I mean.....DO YOU?????"
So finally, I call back to give one last check on my Dad's health. Mom informs me that he is returning to a state of normalcy, making phone calls to his lodge, making demands, issuing orders....yep, the Commander is back on duty. And then Mom says:
"But...oh, your brother is going to the doctor tomorrow....he's not feeling good...."
So like I asked already.....what in the blue hell is going on with my family?????
Later,
Jeff
Check out the word I capitalized.
Now, we were going to be leaving on this past Saturday around 1pm-ish....after the wife finished getting her hair done--nothing was going to stop that. Then, we would go up, and maybe stay until Monday afternoon, get back before dark and all the crazies that would be on the road....we're all set with our plan. Yeah......
So I call my Dad on Friday night to firm up the plans and let him know what time we would be arriving...it was about that time that Dad uttered those fateful words.
"I'm fighting a headcold."
Oh boy. Headcold. Now, the problem with the old headcold....I mean the problem besides the OBVIOUS problem with a headcold, is that yours truly is remarkable adept at catching colds, flu's, influenza or any illness of the like...if they get within approximately a one mile radius of me. And my daughter can catch them from within a TWO mile radius. Lovely. So I start talking to the wife, we're considering a change in plans.
And of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that, ya know....DAD wasn't probably feeling up to a house full of people, no matter what the heck he tells you. So, I decide to maybe put my trip off until the day after New Year's....maybe I'll go up by my lonesome...spend some quality time with them both....and, ya know...
It was in the late afternoon of the next day that my Mom called me......
"So, um...your father is in the hospital....they think its pneumonia."
Well that's a fine hi-howdya-do.
Now, one of the really, really good things about me is that I'm may just be the world's biggest hypochondriac......stomach ache? Must be a tumor....chest pains? When's the last time I hard a cardiac checkup? Headache? Am I dieing? Seriously....my wife has rolled her eyes at me so many times her eye color is changing. Of course, I should mention on my behalf that my daughter is WAAAAY worse at that than me, but that's a story for another day. Anyway, I begin to freak out just a bit, because about a year or so back, my Dad let a bad cold turn into pneumonia by not taking care of himself....and it was not a pleasant experience for him--or us, who were worried sick ourselves.
So naturally I get on the phone with my sister....who I will always love, but who's worried phone calls are usually subject to post-conversation analysis. (sorry sis)
What did she REALLY mean by that? Is she making too much out of this? Anyway, my sister is worried that my Mom is so concerned that SHE'S not eating....its one huge cluster. So sis informs me that she's heading on down that way the next day to do a little recon work....and I call Mom back and do a little phone recon--only to discover that Mom, as I discovered via my extremely clever question and answer session.....has in FACT been eating!! What in the Holy Clara Barton was my sister talking about? Like I said...post conversation analysis.
Now, as if THAT isn't bad enough....down on OUR homefront...we had a minor crisis.
My beloved dog Beezer (aka Bee-da-lee, aka My Sweet Prince, aka a few other cute but weird names that every other pet owner gives their pet--cough) had developed yet another ear hematoma--this time in his OTHER ear (prior surgery on his right ear for the same thing). So it was back to the doctor for surgery for "Hematoma Boy" (yet another nickname--see what I mean?) to drain the hematoma and then essentially cross-stich the ear to keep it from happening again. Just another thing to worry about!!!
So meanwhile, back up in Orlando, I call my Dad in the hospital, and they got him on all sort of anti-biotics and he's a little crabby at the prospect of missing some of the football games on New Year's Day---not that I can blame him on that particular matter, because i would be a complete NIGHTMARE to deal with if it was me.
The next day I was very happy to find out that my father did NOT have pneumonia, but just a good case of bronchitis (very rare those two words are used together) and a slight case of asthma---but not pneumonia, and the doctors were very happy that he didn't wait, ya know....two weeks or whatever it was the last time to turn himself in for treatment. Men! What the hell do we know about being sick, am I right?
And back at Mom & Dad's house, Mom is sorta//kinda sick herself...probably do to the fact that Dad is sick...but sis is there and doing the old TCB.
I call back to Dad's room...and Dad is not there. I call the house...and Dad is home.
(My medical training indicates to me that this is a good thing) He says he's still a little raspy, but doing okay. I tell him not to let it get too bad, and to go back to the hospital if he starts feeling too weak or anything. The good news is, that my brother is coming in later in the day for, you got it....some re-con work after buying a boat in the area.
Personally, I think he just wanted to show off the boat and get credit for being a concerned son....but who am I to judge?
This morning I got up far earlier than I should when I'm on vacation to take Beezer to the vet for his surgery. He gives me "the look" (and you know what I mean if you own a pet) and I head home to wait for the news on his surgery. A few hours later the doctor calls me to tell me that he's coming out of sedation, that they have some headphones on him....he's listening to some Pink Floyd and has a satisfied look on his face. Whoops, wrong surgery. Anyway, the doctor says he came through it like a champ...and should be ready for pickup later in the afternoon.
Later in the morning I call to check up on my Dad to see how he's progressing. Mom informs me that he's supervising my brother doing some randomly assigned task. Trust me, this means Dad is feeling better.
Early in the evening, Kim and I pick up the Beez, and the doctor comes out and describes how the surgery went, and gives us the instruction on the various medications.
And then....Beez comes out. And naturally, having had surgery on his ear...he's wearing:
(say it Audrey)
THE CONE OF SHAME
Yes he's wearing the cone, or the satellite dish, that will prevent him from trying to scratch at his ear or whatever he might do that will cause a problem for his still bandaged ear. The best part, again, is when he first sees you. He comes out, there are other dogs in the waiting room....he sees you (which makes him happy)....he sees the other dogs (while wearing the CONE)....and the look of disgust he gives you.....the one that says:
"Oh MAN! Do you know how much crap I'm gonna get around the neighborhood for having to wear this thing? I mean.....DO YOU?????"
So finally, I call back to give one last check on my Dad's health. Mom informs me that he is returning to a state of normalcy, making phone calls to his lodge, making demands, issuing orders....yep, the Commander is back on duty. And then Mom says:
"But...oh, your brother is going to the doctor tomorrow....he's not feeling good...."
So like I asked already.....what in the blue hell is going on with my family?????
Later,
Jeff
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
1/1/08---HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
First of all...the proverbial Happy & healthy New Year to everyone....saying that means a little bit more than usual today, as my Dad recently spent a few days in the hospital after originally being diagnosed with pneumonia--turned out to be bronchitis and I'm happy to say that he's back home tonite with his #1 girl (uh, that would be my Mom).
Anyway, to get you prepared for the upcoming year, I thought I'd give you a new top 10
resolutions for 2008!!
Anyway, to get you prepared for the upcoming year, I thought I'd give you a new top 10
resolutions for 2008!!
10. Gain weight. At least 30 pounds.
9. Stop exercising. Waste of time.
8. Watch more TV. You've been missing some good stuff.
7. Procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow.
6. Create loose ends.
5. Get further in debt.
4. Break at least one traffic law.
3. Wait around for opportunity.
2. Focus on the faults of others.
1. Never make New Year's resolutions again.
Sarcasm....its my life.
Later,
Jeff
9. Stop exercising. Waste of time.
8. Watch more TV. You've been missing some good stuff.
7. Procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow.
6. Create loose ends.
5. Get further in debt.
4. Break at least one traffic law.
3. Wait around for opportunity.
2. Focus on the faults of others.
1. Never make New Year's resolutions again.
Sarcasm....its my life.
Later,
Jeff
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