So many sports, so little time

With pro football season officially over (not that I gave a crap anyway, my football team sucked this year and they fired their coach...I'm bitter, but on a brighter side they did win the Super Bowl last year) I have become more focused on the good ol' Clempsun Tiga's and the soap opera that has consumed the athletics department and the AARC. Check out DFIG, The Sporting Gnomes, or TigerNet to get full updates on the current state of affairs.

Lately there hasn't been a dull moment for Clemson Athletics fans.

Signing day brought about an air of excitement, promise of the future, and a distraction from the steaming pile of crap that was the last half of our previous football season. However, this "air" was sucked out swiftly when several recruits were denied entry by the academic review committee and signed with other educational institutions which have comparable, if not, more rigid entrance standards. Academics and athletics have been at each other's throats and Clemson fans are getting frustrated. But, Hey...at least we got Willie Korn...that counts for something, right? I hope this young man knows the expectation to which he is being raised. I first heard of him 2 years ago, when he was still a sophomore in high school. Clemson football fans have been foaming at the mouth to see what this kid can do.

Our hopes of a "Cinderella Story" basketball team were all but crippled with losses in 5 of the last seven games. Their opening streak and painful decline reminded many of us of the football season from which we had just recovered. The time clock debacle at Cameron Indoor and the collapse of a sound beating versus Virginia made many fans sick to their stomachs. Fortunately, the Tigers have shown resilience and trounced FSU over the weekend. They'll be taking on the Deacs in Winston-Salem tonight in a Valentine's Day showdown.

Now on to the good stuff.

Clemson is ranked #1 in polls according to Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball after Rice went 1-3 in their series over the weekend. I love the fact that for the second year in a row we haven't played a game and we got moved to the top spot! I hope that this trend of starting strong and not finishing is something that Jack and the sons of Kingsmore can turn around. The Tigers open their season this weekend against George Mason in a 3 game series starting Friday.

Go Tigers!!

Valentine's Eve

When I was growing up, if we wanted a Jacuzzi, we had to fart in the tub.

Inspired by the notion that Valentine's Day is a "Hallmark Holiday" I went digging for the origin of St. Valentine and how this occasion has reached such a fantastic commercial altitude. I will not bore you with history, you are welcome to wiki it for yourself. This holiday has become so prominent that anti-Valentine's day parties have sprung up across the country, celebrating "Single Awareness Day."


At one time in my life I would have been a part of such categorization, but I never realized that Valentine's Day doesn't have to be about love between a couple. It can include familial love and friendly love as well.

Another response to the coming of this holiday is that love shouldn't be made known on one day out of 365. While I agree with this statement, I still think it is a good event for couples to maybe take time to show how much they love each other. Roses (or flowers in general), chocolates, romantic dinners and, recently, jewelery have become the normal present for this holiday. And typically the woman is on the receiving end of said gifts.

Commercial advertisements range from Doris Diamonds to Trojan Condoms.

I would like to send best wishes out to those guys scrambling to find the box of chocolates, a card, and flowers from Food Lion at 10 o'clock tonight. Good luck and may your significant other have mercy on your soul.

L'esprit d'escalier defeated

The spirit of the staircase is something that everyone knows about, but can't define. It is a phrase that describes the moment after something happens when you come up with the best response that would have been perfect for that situation. Only, the moment has passed and you'll never get it back again. I have felt this many times, but after tonight I can finally say the spirit of the staircase did not get the best of me.

Let me set the scene:

Interior: Generic Coliseum/Arena/Civic Center/Square Garden...

The opening band has finished their set for the headliner, the house lights are on and people are shuffling to go to the bathroom, talk to friends, or go get that last beer before the show starts.

In the row behind my wife and me, less than three feet away, sit a group of young girls gossiping about people they know and using expletives in the conversation that aren't necessary. One girl in particular was terribly loud. Given the fact that she was so very close, this girl's outbursts and exclamations were aversive and painful.


Random Fat Obnoxious Loud Girl (that has had 2 Tropical Breezes by Bartels and James): Oh my god! I totally know that he's going to play [insert random John Mayer song]!!! Is that Ronnie!!??!
I can't believe he's here!!! That's f'n crazy!!!!

This continues on and on for 20 minutes until RFOLG's friend said to her:

RFOLG's friend: You are being really loud.

I felt the moment for a nanosecond and I turned around and it came out...

Me (who has had a six pack in the last 2 hours) : She's right, you are loud, you are very loud.

RFOLG: Wha? I'm...Are you talking shit?

Me: No, I am just confirming what your friend told you.


As a pacifist and with an aversion to confrontation, the previous scene doesn't seem to fit with my personality. An overwhelming feeling of confidence came over me after that moment. My wife slammed home the point that we were not to be messed with as she turned completely around after she heard a comment about a fight from the group that was directed at us. She poignantly asked:

My wife: Are you saying that to us??

The girls stuttered and explained away the comment and weren't heard from the rest of the evening.

It was a great night to say the least...

SET LIST

Belief
Good Love is On the Way
Why Georgia
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
Clarity
Vultures
Bigger Than My Body
I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)
No Such Thing
Waiting on the World to Change
Gravity

-- encore --
Who Did You Think I Was
Your Body is a Wonderland
Covered in Rain
Neon

The Birthday Post

And another year has passed...traditional birthday idiosyncrasies ensued.

1. Gathering of friends and family....[check]
2. Large group of people eating at moderately priced restaurant....[check]
3. Pissed off waitress dealing with yet another 12 top....[check]
4. Alcohol, including, but not limited to, 32 oz. dos equis, Daiquiris, and a fishbowl margarita big enough to bathe a small baby....[check]
5. Additional stress on aforementioned waitress from half sober "gringos"....[check]
   
6. Cake adorned with trick candles....[check]
7. Oversized sombrero....[check]
   
8. Pointy party hats displaying SpongeBob SquarePants indicating the birthday boy's foolish wish to stay forever young....[check]

What can I say about my birthday celebration that isn't said in the previous list? I had a blast and I am very grateful to all who attended. I am also grateful to those that wished me a happy birthday on Facebook (although heaven knows half of you wouldn't have known it was my birthday if it weren't for the helpful reminder provided by FB, but don't feel bad, I am thankful for that reminder as well;)). Here are just a few of the pictures...