Thursday, January 27, 2011

I am back!!

Well, after taking a long,long hiatus from blogging and seeing as how 2011 is just about a month deep already I thought I should do some blogging!! I know a lot of people are wanting to talk about resolutions and plans for the year well.....I'm not really going to be any different ha ha. But I think I will break these up into 2 sections one about my personal goals and another about sports.
First up, ME!! I have decided to make 2011 the year where I try to do things that make me happy and move me forward to the goals and ambitions I have for myself. The most important one is too move into at least a rental house. I have been spending the last 2 months or so researching and looking. Although, for once, I am early on doing something. After talking with several rental people. I have found out that most places that rent out only want to start talking about things about a month in advance so seeing as how my lease is not up til March I am still having to wait before I really hone in on what I need to do. The only thing I know for sure at this point is the simple fact I am headed back to Chandler. I am just not an apartment guy, I got no garage and no grill so the "man stuff" doesn't really work without it. But I loved my house before and that's where I want to go again.
One of the next things I have planned for this year is to get my schooling back under way. I have put it off with excuses of no money, no time. Well to get to where I want to go means that I can have NO excuses at all. But perhaps in some regards the delay has helped as our great governor is deciding to cut state's budget and one of the major programs getting cut is the education budget. How f'ed up is that???!!! Well, it has brought a thought back into my mind that I didn't really think would come back and that's the thought of staying in Arizona. My plan that I was comfortable with was for me to stay in Phoenix another couple of years while I finish school, then when I was done with that I would move up to Northern Arizona. I had narrowed down to someplace in either Show Low or Payson, Flagstaff was also a possibility but that was more of the last resort kind. Well with budget cuts that means some teachers are losing their jobs and schools will close and with smaller town schools it will be even harder to get into one. So, moving to Oregon has come back into my mind as place to go when school is done. I am going to have to research more about the teaching field in the state and see how things work but one way or another I will be teaching our future generations and hopefully leaving an impact on them.
Another goal for 2011 is to be more outgoing and not so reserved all the time. I realize that regardless of where I move I will have to meet new people and create new friendships and unfortunately that doesn't happen sitting at home waiting for a knock on the door. Plus, I am going to be 30 this year. Yes, 30 it's hard to believe with my boyish good looks, but it's the honest truth :). I want to have kids before I am too old and once again the ladies just don't come knocking at the door. So, I am hoping that with being more extroverted I can meet new ladies and perhaps start a new relationship and go on from there. Of course, tying into that is the traditional resolutions of eating better and more exercise. Which in 2010, I made good positive advances in both so now it's just continuing to eat right and then getting back on the ball with exercise. I plan for my 30th birthday to be my best looking birthday.
The final resolution I have for myself is for me to be more giving. I have wanted to volunteer as a Big Brother for quite sometime and just like with school I find excuses to not do it. Well, that will change this year, I enjoy spending time with kids and just being that person that can be their friend and also be someone they trust to talk to when things are going rough. I know a lot of friends have asked me for advice on just about every subject so why not help kids who may have no one that can really see what their side of the issue is. It all seems pretty lofty but with a little time management and some luck all of these can be done and make 2011 a year to remember for a long time.

On to sports....the whole point of my blog!
Let me start with football, probably my favorite sport next to baseball. The Super Bowl is just a over a week away so its been some great games over the past weeks to get there. Sadly, my team was no where to be found for this season's playoffs. So, here are my resolutions so my Cards can make another run to the Super Bowl. The first and perhaps the greatest resolution is to find a GOOD quarterback. I know that with a possible lockout, more on that in a bit, we can't really sign anyone until that is resolved. But should it get worked out in time, I don't know if draft a QB with our #5 pick is wise but if they decide to go that way "DO NOT TAKE NEWTON" I don't think that he is a good choice for us as we need a down field QB not a scrambling QB. I would take Gabbert from Missouri he has a great, big arm, good field vision, and most importantly of all accuracy. That was something sorely missed this past season. I would much rather look at a veteran QB, someone like Marc Bulger, Kyle Orton out of Denver, even Carson Palmer from Cincy. I think we need someone who can take control of the team and say we will not play like crap!
The next thing we need is a good Defensive Coordinator. Our defense had a down year this year but has the talent to be a top tier defense and with a coordinator that will be more in the face of players I think will make all the difference in the world to our team. And perhaps Coach Whiz should get an offensive coordinator as well, I think it's too much to ask for him to do all the offense and head coaching jobs just too much work to be done.
Speaking of defense, 2 more positions we need help in is cornerback and outside linebacker. We need some to help cover the other teams wide receivers and as well as some to help on the pass rush for those plays where the other team looks down field. We got eaten up by the pass all year, the run we didn't do well on either to start but did get a little better as the year went on. One of these positions is where we need to focus during the draft. But I am not consulted on these matters but given the chance I think the team would value my input!!!
Like I mentioned before there is a chance for a lockout of the NFL this upcoming season. I for one hope this doesn't happen. It took baseball a long time to recover from the 94 strike and it took performance enhancing drugs to do it apparently. However, this is a lockout from the owner's who think that players get too much. I am no expert on things, but I do agree with a rookie pay scale, $50 million guaranteed before the kid even takes a snap, that's ridiculous. I think that is the problem with sports nowadays anyway with the amount of money paid to athletes in the first place. But I will leave that subject for another time.
My final part of the post tonight deals with baseball. My team, like the Cardinals, stunk out the place last year. But some good things to come from that season we fired the idiot general manager and in his place came one of the better GM's in baseball. My whole thing last year resolved around 2 big issues, a crappy bullpen and no veteran leadership. Luckily, some of these issues have been addressed and I for one am looking forward to the upcoming season and not just because I am getting to go to a handful of games, thanks to an awesome Christmas present!!! Our new GM has essentially made our bench out of solid veteran players who will do the small things necessary to help the team win. Laying down bunts, shallow hits to move the runners, extending an inning. Things that we just did not and would not do last year. So, hopefully with the mix of players young and old we can find the chemistry we had when we made the run to the NCLS. The pitching staff, mainly bullpen, has gotten better we have a defined closer to start the season. Assigned roles for a lot of the other bullpen guys. Our starting rotation, however, may not have the lineup that puts fear in the other teams hitters but I think we have enough good pitchers that hitters will earn what they get.
So here is hoping to a great 2011 in all sports and to everyone, hope this is the best year ever. May all your wants be fulfilled and may your beer be forever cold.

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