Sweet Emotion

A Regretful Post

2008-07-21T11:59:00.003-04:00

We are flattered at the concern coming our way about the inactivity of Sweet Emotion. Brett Favre is rethinking his retirement since Sweet Emotion reading will not be around next year. Alex and I have decided to retire the blog. Alas, this is just a precursor. We will have our final blog soon. Thank you to our 3 regular fans and we will post a farewell blog hopefully soon.

One More Reason

2008-05-16T15:09:00.002-04:00

Exams are done. So we should be updating a little more regularly. If we don't, we might have to call a meeting and think about shutting it down. We can't keep causing this kind of disappointment for the world every morning they hope to see a new post.

All I have to say is this: This blog discusses a lot of manly issues. And maybe there is none bigger than the issue of women in sports. Last week, Danica Patrick (female Indy Car driver) demonstrated why this needs to be an issue.

A Few Comments From The Weekend

2008-05-05T13:44:00.002-04:00

Trade that card away before it's too late

Two more weeks of school work and then sweet emotion will be rolling again. Alas, I emerge from my work to make a couple of comments regarding this weekend.

First: Has anyone had a more tragic career drop than Roger Clemens. Possibly O.J. Simpson? But seriously, this guy is spiraling faster than A.I. can get off his jump shot (Ok, I my apologies to A.I.....that was over-the-top, nothing is faster than that). But you get the point. And, has anyone done worse in their respective "apologies?" Clemens provides a nice window into all of our hearts. Seemingly every accusation against him is preposterous. Every mess up, is simply a "mistake." He shrugged off the affair allegations by admitting some mistakes but also said every human being has flaws. He would go along way with fans and the public if he admitted just who he was, and asked for sincere forgiveness. No one is saying that is easy, but trying to manipulate and live in a false reality will eventually wear him down.

Alas, We are all guilty of trying to minimize our problems and maximize others. How many times do I give myself the benefit of the doubt (ex. he just misunderstood what I said), yet refuse to give another person the same benefit. At the least, the Bible tells us we should grow skeptical of our own hearts (Jer. 17:9, the heart is deceitful above all things). If people keep confronting you with sin, just maybe they are seeing something you don't see yourself.

Secondly, I hesitate to blog on this because we try to stay devoted to legitimate athletes (which horses are not...we assume the definition of an athlete includes being a human being). PETA is at it again. They are out of control. Yes, I know "Eight Belles" having to be put down following the race is not a pretty sight. Back in the old days they would raise a tent and just shoot the horse. But seriously, to demand that the horse was unethically treated and therefore the owner should return the prize money is absurd. Do you know how much equity that owner just lost when he had to put the horse down? I promise the owner is more sad than PETA. Anyway, let's not forget, PETA could not even find Snowflake....it took the intellect of the one and only Ace Ventura. We need less PETA and more Ace Venturas. What makes me most sad about this incident is the sure resurrection of some Barbaro stories....ughh!

Back to the books

"I need to get some me!"

2008-04-29T17:17:00.003-04:00

Just a few thoughts for the day....

- With the long writers strike, are we going to have all our TV shows cut short this season? That is, I'm guessing we are not going to get the full 22 or 23 episode season. If that happens, shouldn't we get a MAJOR pricecut on the DVD purchase, I don't want to have to take out another morgage to pay for 2/3 of a season. The ironic beauty of this would be the writers getting 'less money' for the DVD's in which they originally held out for. All in all, I'd be happy watching "The Office" through June instead of baseball or reality TV.

- The NFL draft is over, and I'm so glad. Mel Kiper can finally go back to his tanning bed and hair salon until his pre-emptive talk is called upon again in October. The thing you gotta love about Mel is that he is always convinced he is right, walks around like the 'godfather' of something that he is convinced is second in importance behind the presidential race (little does he know 99% of us glance at the results in the same manner as finding out the next day who won the Academy Award for best picture, "hmm...Ok, didn't think Crash was that good"). I'm already laughing at "Mockdraft 1" for 2009 on espn.com, by the time mockdraft 786 comes around, I can actually get just as close. Does anyone else think that Todd McShay is Kiper's 'Robin'? (and I mean the 'Robin' from Batman Forever....the worst superhero movie of all time)

- The NBA playoffs, We are 2 weeks into it....only 17 more to go. Although, the Hawks (yes, Atlanta still has a professional team, if your shocked like me, you need to know they didn't dissapear with the Montreal Expos. trust me, I looked it up) are tied with the Celtics. Pretty exciting stuff...for about 2 minutes. Actually, I find it more exciting to find out what happened the next morning on "Mike and Mike" than to actually sit down and watch a game. But with my hometown 76ers, I actually do stay up and find out what happened on the local news. yeah for the NBA.

- Baseball, 25 down...137 to go...wake me up when it's over.

The Legend of Isaiah

2008-04-22T19:56:00.002-04:00

He set out to spend the most amount of money possible on the poorest evaluation of talent. Accomplished. He arranged for millions to be paid to men who were better set in their recliener at home. He traded away draft picks for promising team players, like Stephan Marbury. He formed a team that had one qualification to be on the roster....the largest ego in the game. He wasn't finished. So he chose to step on to the court and mold the talent he had arranged by imploring strategies similar to the drunken millionaire at the poker table. Surely this mockery had to end soon....so we thought.

It appears that Isaiah Thomas has been fired as coach, but is going to somehow still remain with the team. Knick's president Donnie Walsh has chosen simply to "reassign" Thomas, rather than doing what he should have done, putting him in a wooden crate on some ship to the far east. At this point of the news, I wasn't sure whether Walsh was so dilushend that he just had to convince himself "There's still some good in him, I can feel it". But then as I learned of the job description, the move became apparent. This is classic game of stubborn chicken, daring each other who can take on more embarrassment.

Here is the 'new' job description: Thomas has no official title, he is to have NO contact with any players or personel related to the Knicks. The "good news" is that Thomas may still speak to Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, who knows what they would even have to talk about? Walsh described Thomas' new duties like this, " I don't want there to be some kind of double-voice here, so he's answering to me and nobody's reporting to him."

Here's what we have: Isaiah Thomas is getting paid by the Knicks to have no contact with anyone on the team, occasionally hang out with Millionaire James Dolan, and be available to change the toilet paper in Donnie Walsh's office bathroom. In fact, Thomas will get in trouble if does any actual work. He is on salary to do nothing. Have you ever heard of this? Essentially, he has been assigned to a job that is intended to humilate any "Legacy" Isaiah wanted to write. The funniest part is that Thomas has yet to quit, he wants to play the game, go head to head with Walsh. Who is going to back down first?

This is the real life saga of the Seinfeld episode "The Voice", if you remember George Costanza's company wants to get rid of him b/c they found out he wasn't really handicapped. Ironically, George was handicapped, just not physically, or 'legally'. Play Now wanted George out, but couldn't b/c he had a 1 year contract with them, and "faking a handicap" was not proper grounds for legal dismissal. George chooses to go head to head with the boss refusing (like Isaiah) to quit, who tells him "I'll see you in Hell Costanza!!". George chooses to exploit the contract by meeting it's one demand: Showing up to work everyday. Play Now tries to force him out by 'reassigning' his office to the basement, boarding it up which forced George to climb through the vent, poisoning his food. But George persisted through, until he ironically bankrupts them at the end of the episode, putting himself out of a job.

Maybe that's what Isaiah will do next, figure out a way to bankrupt one of the richest franchises in sports. Who know's what is next. But the Legend continues....

Something to get excited about

2008-04-18T13:41:00.002-04:00

What else would he do? Possibly open a hair salon?

First, my apologies for the slow blogging. It will probably be this way until the seminary semester comes to a close. For some reason, seminary professors do not understand the vital influence sweet emotion has on the world and are relentless in their time demands. But, amidst the sports lull, I had to inform our readers about something we need to pull for.

Here is something to get excited about. Mel Kiper this morning on ESPN radio, in a staunch disagreement with another person that dared disagree with his life obsession (the NFL draft), made a striking statement. He said...and I do paraphrase...If Matt Ryan goes anywhere past the 8th pick, then I will not quit what I do.

Wow! That is something to get excited about. No more Mel Kiper and his year round NFL draft analysis. Don't get me wrong, I love the draft, but you've gotta pull for Matt Ryan to go past the 8th pick just to see if he will stay true to his word. I mean what will Kiper do with his life is there is no "expert" analysis.

Ravens, Dolphins, Jets and others...do it for the sake of everyone. On a sidenote, I don't really get the whole Matt Ryan thing? Did anyone see him when he played against the big boys?

Oh and by the way, your crazy if you don't draft McFadden.

It's Alex........whatever

2008-04-14T18:04:00.006-04:00

The sports depression continues to grow (OK, I'm not as bumbed out as Dr. 'abouttodie' in pic above). 4 Reasons:

1) I have been unable to contribute anything lately b/c of the frustration I had with the University of Kansas in the tournament. Jay Bilas got his wish and stomped all over my heart and the rest of America's by eliminating Davidson, then got out-of-this-world lucky in the championship game. I was bumbed Memphis didn't win b/c I wanted them to be able to stick it to Seth Davis, Jay Bilas, ESPN, Billy Packer and the rest of the media who dogged on them and said they were the 'weakest' of the #1 seeds...we were :03 away from that. Why didn't Calipari say in his TO "after he makes the second free throw_______" (you finish it).

2) The Masters is definitively now the "opening act" for golf's true main event in June, The US Open. How boring has this tournament become? They have made the course in such a way that it is impossible to make a move on Sunday but it is not so hard that you go out and shoot eighty-something (someone in the last group of the US Open has done that in 6 consecutive years). I am bored with Zach Johnson, I am bored with Trevor Immelmon. There are no roars on the back nine anymore. The two greatest Sundays at Augusta are Phil's charge in '04 and Jack's in '86 - we are not seeing anything close to this. All the Masters does now is get me in the mood for the US Open. It has lost some luster.

3) By the Way the NBA season is upon us...oh wait, they only have 4 regular season games left?? Oh well, the playoffs start soon and they only take 4-6 months, so that should be exciting. (All aside, if you can bare to watch and pay attention - the west is going to have an incredibly competitive post season).

4) Baseball has started: The good side is that means summer is on its way, Football is the next sport, and I can catch up on all the good movies I missed this year - the bad side is that Sportscenter will now begin with statements like "Tune in at 11 to see how the Royals squeked out a nailbiter in Cleveland tonight!" or hearing statistics like "The Duke led the American League this year in saves, ERA and hit batsmen. This guy once threw at his own kid in a father son game." We have a 150 games to go......

Somebody cheer me up. Then again, there's always wedding season. (Most "unmanly" thing I've ever said)

Battle of Alumni

2008-04-07T12:16:00.003-04:00

Senator Dole is a Kansas Grad

Of course the NCAA Finals are tonight and people are debating chances of each team. I would like to take a different approach in breaking down the game. Instead of studying x's and o's, backcourt size, and free throw shooting. let's take a look at the notable alumni from each school. My reasoning is as follows: Whichever team has the most distinguished alumni, has the most power, and therefore will hold the deciding X-factor in the game tonight. (So maybe the reasoning doesn't work)

Politics - Fred Thompson (Memphis) vs. Bob Dole (Kansas). A Republican Presidential Candidate verse the Republican's actual nominee. Fred was definitely a disappointment in this years race, but he was in Law and Order and Die Hard. Anybody that stands with Bruce Willis gets the victory.

Business - Ken May (Memphis) vs. Alan Mulally (Kansas). Ken brings quite a bit of money to the table in being the CEO of Fedex Kinko. Alan , as CEO of Ford Motor Company is no slouch either. In the end, we must give the slight victory to Mr. May. As much as I love a good American company like Ford, I would buy a Honda if it was up to me and Fedex Company made us less reliant on the governmental post office.

Non-basketball athlete - Isaac Bruce (Memphis) vs. Gale Sayers (Kansas) - As much fun as it was to watch the greatest show on earth featuring Kurt Warner and Isaac Bruce, you must go with the Hall of Famer here. Some mention the Kansas Comet as the greatest of all time had it not been for his career ending kee-injuries.

Movie/Television - in perhaps our most important category - Wink Martindale (Memphis) vs. Scott Bakula/Don Johnson. What a matchup of TV legends. Scott starred in the unforgettable series of the early 90's Quantum Leap, and Don Johnson dazzled the ladies in Nash Bridges. However, even Scott and Don can't compete with the legend of Wink Martindale. His gameshows Tic Tac Dough and Trivial Pursuit brought years of entertainment to all ages. The value of Wink in the hearts of Americans is just too much for Scott and Don to handle.

There you have it folks. Both schools are loaded with legendary alumni, but the scales are tipped in Memphis favor tonight. Should the Tigers win, an immediate thank you call to Fred Thompson and others should be in order. Tonight, just remember, you might be interested in the game...but not as much as Wink Martindale.

Lastly, I had never seen this before. Classic moment in college basketball.

Why We Love Davidson

2008-03-24T12:23:00.002-04:00

The first weekend of the Big Dance is over and one could discuss hundreds of highlights and subjects. However, I would like to focus on the most fun story of the tournament so far....Davidson College. Here are a few of my observations and why I am pulling for Davidson (and Tennessee for my bracket's sake)

1) We love Davidson because the fantasy principle. You look at Davidson and think, "Those guys are just like me." Therefore, as you watch them play, you start entertaining false notions about what you and your buddies back home could do. You think....just maybe we could have done something like this. (Note that I said false notions please). I'm not that silly...I'm aware of my 22 inch vertical and 5.6 40 speed.

2) It affirms the accuracy of Nintendo. One of the greatest basketball players in Nintendo sports was Dell Curry. Countless times, I would battle my brother in Super Nintendo's NBA Live '95. And countless times I would watch Dell Curry of the Charlotte Hornets light me up from beyond the arc. He was an amazing (Christian Okoye -esque...tecmo bowl) player. All that to say, anyone who played NBA Live '95 should have jumped at the idea of recruiting his son Stephen Curry. Alas, many coaches passed on the diminutive shooter, and now he is making them look silly. Curry has been the most enjoyable player to watch in the tournament....that reminds me...I wonder if Christian Okoye has a son....some football coach better be recruiting him.

3) Can I go on about Stephen Curry. When asked about his second half performance after a shooting slump in the first half against Georgetown, Curry responded with a quote that makes sweet emotion smile. "I guess I have Shooter's Amnesia." YES and Yes again. You can't score if you don't shoot...this is why we love A.I. and now Stephen Curry.

Thank you Davidson and go wildcats. Keep on shooting.

I was just checking the inline for the specs on the rotary-gurder...

2008-03-19T19:21:00.001-04:00

It's time to get this thang started! Get your picks in by noon tommorow to qualify for the custom made "Sweet Emotion Manly Package".

Get cha' popcorn ready....

2008-03-17T18:36:00.002-04:00

Tennessee got absolutely screwed. We can argue back and forth about whether Kansas or Tennessee should have gotten the 4th #1 seed. It's obvious the committee changed their minds this year about what 'really mattered' to them. In recent years, the conference tournaments meant nothing and most of the high seeds had already been determined before sunday. What the committee used to value was RPI, strength of schedule, and out of conference wins. The committee had been surveying the entire scope of the season. That has changed, what teams did in december and January really became obsolete. The total focus of the seeds was on how teams did in late Feb. and March. Teams who did really well in the conference tournament were rewarded, teams who flopped were punished.

Jay Bilas got his dream come true when his beloved jayhawks were given the final #1 slot (is it me or is it getting harder and harder to find likeable basketball analysts, we don't even have to mention how aweful Billy Packer is). It's obvious the committee went in this direction, and that's fine - they have the right to redetermine credentials. My complaint for Tennessee is that they went from being on the fence of a possible #1 seed, to the 4th #2 seed. They got screwed by being put in the toughest bracket with the #1 overall seed. It doesn't add up. Though Bobby Knight said continuously all weekend (I had a rare case of being able to watch ESPN regularly) that the seeds don't really matter that much, and since we've never had 4 #1 seeds in a final four, he's probably right. UNC, UCLA, Memphis, and Kansas will not be in the final four. so the question is....who will be?

We are not going to ask you to pick an entire bracket (i know you're most likely doing 6 or 7 of those) but only to pick your regional final teams - that would be 8 teams, and then list your final 4, and then a national champion. For example:

Regionals: UNC/Tennessee, Stanford/Memphis, Xavier/UCLA, Vandy/Wisconsin

Final 4: UNC, Stanford, UCLA, Wisconsin

National Champ: UCLA

Not much too it, we will reward 5pts for each regional team, 10pts for each final 4 team, and 20pts for the correct national champ pick. We will create something manly and uniqe to award you with. The prize will most likely be a package of manly items sent sincerely from Brian and I. Pick with care

He's on his final hole. He's about 455 yards away, he's gonna hit about a 2 iron I think

2008-03-10T19:40:00.009-04:00

"Are you kidding me...Are you out of your mind???.....Are you out of your freaking mind??.."

I'm sure Gruden had to say that a few times when he saw some of Daly's shots, or even when Daly simply asked for the big stick on the tee. Can someone please explain to me how this got together, b/c I want to know how we can make it happen again. How funny and at the same time admirable was it to see hardcore Jon Gruden carrying Daly's bag? It just got me thinking, who would make the most entertaining Caddies for a whole weekend with John Daly

James Carville - With each bad shot, he would demean Daly with phrases and thoughts that would go right over his head, and then his cajuin temper would snap right back in his thickest cajuin accent, "your only true profession is being a big fat marketing tool for hooters hot wings and beer." Carville would attempt to over-analyze each shot and then get into an argument with Daly when he simply doesn't understand. Most likely, Carville would drop the bag on the 8th hole and leave ranting about some connection between golf and politics that none of us understand.

Jack Nicholson - He's the only caddy would strike true fear into the deep buried soul of John Daly (We all know how deeply burried that is under that gut). He's one-liner statements would eventually lead to some tears on the course, "Now comes the part where I relieve you, nancing around in your pumpkin orange, of the burden of your failed and useless life. But remember, as my plastic surgeon always said: if you gotta go, go with a smile". Daly then walks off the course even more depressed than when he started, takes the next cab to Vegas to bet on the tournament, marries the hooters waitress in the restaraunt and then proceeds to eat 316 wings in honor of his tournament score.

Ocho Cinco - this would be great b/c if Daly ever did anything worth celebrating about, we would get some unusual celebration reactions from the couple. Ocho may ride the putter like a horse, or have Daly and himself pull their shirts up to have matching tatoos, or the riverdance across from the green to the tee box, or he could turn and just propose to John and then get up to smile to show us that beautiful grill!

Larry the Cable Guy - this would allow us to get a running commentary by someone who totally understands the life of John Daly, b/c he shares much of it. They could stop every 3 holes for some corn dogs, hot wings, and more beer. The only problem is that both of them might pass out by the 12th hole. Then they would both dream about drinking the world's largest Margarita only to wake up with their heads in the toilet of the men's locker room.

Kelvin Sampson - Surely he could figure out a way to help Daly win a frappin' tournament, kick his ball back into play, "John, did have an 8 or a......4 on the last hole?....i thought that was a 4." Heck, with Sampson on the bag, he might be able to help Daly challenge for the grand slam!

Here's to a wonderful Golf Season, soon to truly kick off in a month at Augusta.

So I jump ship in Hong Kong and make my way over to Tibet, and I get on as a looper at a course over in the Himalayas. A looper, you know, a caddy, a looper, a jock. So, I tell them I'm a pro jock, and who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lama, himself. Twelfth son of the Lama. The flowing robes, the grace, bald... striking. So, I'm on the first tee with him. I give him the driver. He hauls off and whacks one - big hitter, the Lama - long, into a ten-thousand foot crevasse, right at the base of this glacier. Do you know what the Lama says? Gunga galunga... gunga, gunga-galunga. So we finish the eighteenth and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness." So I got that goin' for me, which is nice.

Buffet Suggestions

2008-03-02T15:04:00.003-05:00

We are all about full, unbridled manliness on this blog, and so I needed to publicly address this crucial issue that has been running through my brain. On Friday, colleague of mine (Gray Hardison) excitedly called to inform me that he had spotted a wonderful sign. My ears tickled and my mouth watered as I heard him say, "I drove by the chick-fil-a in Atlanta and the sign out front said they had a Saturday Breakfast buffet." Maybe I've just been out of the loop on this one, but that is unbelievable. Are you telling me, on Saturday mornings I can drive to Chick-Fil-A and pound as many chicken biscuits with honey as I so desire? A dream come true, I can safely say that every time I've downed a glorious chicken biscuit, I've thought to myself, "I could definitely eat another."

That information got me thinking. Why don't more fast food restaurants go with a lunch buffet? Pizza Hut and Mazzio's continue to reap the benefits? My buddies and I have some pizza hut buffet stories from back in the day. KFC has also made a good run at it. Being that I was a marketing major in college, here are my top 3 restaurants that should offer a "Friday Lunch Buffet."

3) Arby's - Hands down, behind Chick Fil A, it's my favorite fast food. I went the other day and took advantage of their take 5 menu. What a deal, pick five items for $6.49. Anyway, what would make their buffet work is the variety of their menu. Their staples could be cheese sticks, curly fries, regular fries, Jalapeno Bites, Onion Petals and potato bites for side items. Their entree's could include market fresh wraps cut into smaller pieces, popcorn chicken, miniature bacon n cheddar sandwiches (my mouth just started watering). Items such as the Chicken Cordon Bleu and the Toasted Subs could rotate on and off. And then one could finish off their meal with dessert items such as cherry/apple turnovers or a jamocha milkshake machine. Variety is the key at Arby's and would enable them to piece together a mouth-watering buffet for $6.99.

2) Krystal - Need I even paint the picture. You walk in on Friday and spot a buffet table full of Krystal burgers, Krystal Burgers with cheese, Krystal Chiks, and yes...Chili Cheese Pups. My goodness I would be so excited. Add fries and chik'n bites for your side items and one is set. On the way out, you could grab a slice of their lemon icebox pie or a hot apple turnover....or both. The Krystal Buffet would be especially kid-friendly with their icee machines. The buffet would solve my constant Krystal Dilemma...how do I decide what to get? One rule for Krystal, by law they could only offer this once a week, lest the obesity problem in the United States get raised to the power of 10. Also, it would be $6.99

1) Drumroll please......Taco Bell. Hard and Soft Tacos, Chalupas, Mexi-melt burritos, chicken and steak quesadillas, chicken taquitos, nacho chips, Gorditas...I could go on and on. One could finish off with a handful of cinnamon twists. Here would be the best thing of all, they would only charge $4.25. That's the great thing about Taco Bell, even without the buffet you get like 6 tacos for a dollar. I am guaranteeing success on this one. I can already see the effects, men would be checking their watches at work around 9:30 a.m and then they would slip out from work about 10 minutes early just to beat the crowd.

Anyway, if you are the CEO of any one of these companies, take my idea and run with it. Just give all our readers a free trip to the buffet. Let's hope it happens, the world will thank Sweet Emotion.

Laugh, Laugh at Old Notre Dame

2008-02-29T16:24:00.001-05:00

We still have the Basketball tournament, a summer of Tiger Woods golf, a long-drawn-out baseball season, and 7 months till the college football season...but it's never to early to start making fun of Notre Dame

"Has anyone ever said to you that you've got a bad case of the mondays?"

2008-02-24T21:50:00.004-05:00

Here's the difference between college basketball and college football. Saturday night, Tennessee went into the undefeated #1 team's place, upset them, ended their 47 home-game winning streak, ended their perfect season, and made their own claim for #1. Sure it was exciting and somewhat surreal as a Tennessee fan (I can promise you that I never EVER thought I would see this day), but it really is a big "so what". It means absolutely nothing right now. Now if they had done something like that in Football, I would have run through the streets in excitement and called everyone I knew blasting rocky top. But the end of the football season is so pathetically boring and pointless, it is nothing but a bunch of yawns. if you lose a bowl game - who really cares; if you win a bowl game - whoohoo, your Outback bowl champs...what does that mean? But the end of the college basketball season is a month of excitement and thrills, everygame matters - nothing is boring - and it all has a point.

So what do we do to make the college basketball season more exciting? The only reason I am really into the season is b/c I have a team to be excited about. That may be the only pull for any fan right now.

A Short Analysis of the Season

The tournament should be very exciting this year, because there really is no "team to beat". There doesn't seem to be 1 team that is head & shoulders above everyone else. There are about 8 really good teams, but none of those are unbeatable.

- Tennessee is solid, but the SEC really is weak. I honestly can't figure out what has happened to Ole Miss?

- I think North Carolina will make the most noise from the ACC, Puke is over-rated, they live and die too much by the 3. (Is Mike "Shashefsky"s team the Notre Dame of the basketball world)

- Kansas has gotten all the hype, but I think Texas is the best team from the Big 12 - they have really been off everyone's radar (I guess when you lose the best player in the country, that tends to happen), but I'd have my eye on Kansas State in the tournament - probably as a 4 or 5 seed - but Beasely is so dominant, he could be like Carmello Anthony was for the Cuse' in 03.

- UCLA will flop in the tournament, I don't know - just a hunch. O.J. Mayo will lose in the 2nd round and will be handed a cell phone as soon as the game is over, which will be his limo driver waiting to take him to the Laker's after game party.

- Memphis is good, I'll be shocked if they don't get to the finals.

Does anyone watch alot of college basketball season? Thoughts on it? Thoughts about the concept of 'bracketology'??

Chills

2008-02-20T12:20:00.002-05:00

There is nothing like hearing or seeing something from your childhood and then being whisked back to the enjoyment and thrill of it. I'm pretty sure watching this preview caused the hairs on my arm to stand. Only a few things in life guarantee chills for me. One of them is hearing Shooter in Hoosiers say, "Son, kick their butts." Hope you enjoy.

Writer's Strike

2008-02-18T17:25:00.003-05:00

The writer’s strike is over. The good probably outweighs the bad, although it could be debatable considering the shows that will resume. Let’s weigh out the pros and cons.

Con
-The Academy Awards will now go on. Which means we get the privilege of hearing Celebrities espouse their political views. And that makes a lot of sense on two levels. First of all, they are actors, which immediately legitimizes their political knowledge. Secondly, it’s a Movie awards ceremony, which again is a perfectly logical platform for political speeches. I can only hope they brag about going completely green again.
- Grey’s Anatomy – no explanation needed here. The longer this show stays off air, the better for everyone
- Desperate Housewives (See above)
- Law and Order, Law and Order SVU, CSI, CSI Miami, CSI New York, CSI Everything Else, Cold Case, Without a Trace, NCIS – All these shows are the same…how many different spin-offs can you have? Every episode seems to have the exact same plotline followed by a shocking conclusion that reveals the criminal wasn’t who you first thought. Could have fooled me that the writer’s strike affected these shows. Seemed to me it was still on ever hour of the day. Then again, every episode is the same so re-runs look the same as the new shows.
- The Tonight Show and the Late Show – With or without writers, Letterman and Leno are about the same in the humor department. In my opinion, Conan O’Brien far exceeds both of these men.

Pro
-The Office – best show on tv. Thursday nights at the Sorgenfrei house have been a little slower without Dwight Shrute and his antics. Rumor has it that 3-4 episodes were already 90% done so it will be returning quickly.
-House – I think it is one of the best shows on TV. The acting by Hugh Laurie, (Dr. Gregory House) is top notch. You would never know he was British, the first time I heard his real accent, my jaw dropped. Gregory House is one of the premier special cases doctors in the country. All cases that no one else can figure out come to him and his team.
What makes House work is the characters. Dr. House though a genius, is a miserable, lonely, atheist and for lack of a better term an all-around jerk House’s quirks combined with the hospital setting provide humorous dialogue and pressing ethic and religious issues. I highly recommend the show and am glad it will be returning.
-Less Reality TV – hopefully more written shows will necessarily subtract the number of reality shows.
-Cavemen might be dead – what a horrible idea for a show…did it ever have its premier?
-Lost – Can’t say I’ve ever watched it, but from people’s reaction…it’s gotta be a good thing.
-Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – might have salvaged it. My love of Terminator II spilled over into the new show. Not the greatest show on earth by any means, but watching robots throw each other through walls never seems to get old.
-24 – The writer’s strike forced it into next season, hopefully that will end up being a very good thing. It will give them more time to make up for the past two seasons and write a quality script.

Well after a short analysis, I’m thinking the writer’s strike should have lasted a few more months….at least until after the Oscars. Here’s to another Oscar awards show that will be completely Green.
The Wall Street Journal last week reported “to wit, trendy climate-change policies like ethanol and other bio-fuels are actually worse for the environment than fossil fuels.” How about that…nice work guys.

Putting out an APB for titles and characters...

2008-02-13T21:08:00.008-05:00

If this isn't the script for Will Ferrell's next movie, I'll be deeply dissapointed. A big-time Athlete who loves himself, comes across as charitable and influential, but doomed to his own anger-driven ego. A big-time baseball player from Texas who juiced up to prolong his overdue retirement, b/c he was so full of himself he couldn't imagine himself anywhere but in the spotlight, yet ironically this same ego drags him into a congressional hearing where he procedes to "set the record straight". And when it is overwhelmingly obvious he has been found a liar, he procedes to leave capital hill saying "boy..we sure told dem' didn't we boys". The climactic scene would be the Clemens Character charging the desk in rage threating to "open up a can" on somebody. Of course when everything goes down bad, Debby will leave for the now rich McNamee. It's just too perfect.

Nominations for Movie Titles:
- "Flex, Lies, and Audiotape"
- "Who Framed Roger Clemens?"
- "I'm Gonna MRI Your Ass!

Nominations for Clemen's Character: I would of course love Will Ferrell, but maybe he should just direct this film. My front-runner would be "David Puddy"....but only if he sits in the hearings with the blank stare he had on the plane with Elaine.

>

Nomination for McNamee's Character: Adam Sandler comes to mind with his ability to solidly impersonate the true NY accent.

Nominations for Clemen's Wife: This has to be some chick who is attractive, but definitely is a bit scarry. Maybe Helga from American Gladiators or that blonde gal who was a trainer on "the biggest loser".

Nominations for Chairman Waxman: Is that guy one of the funniest looking people you've ever seen? Not an exact look-a-like, but the short bald guy from "The Princess Bride" would be perfect. Can't you see him questioning Clemens while slobbering all over the desk.

Nominations for Andy Pettite: Ben Affleck, I think it would be funny to see him have a can opened up on him after he narked on Clemens. Also, it would be great to see him have to wear Yankees gear.

...We can read ESPN or C-Span for a true analysis of this event, but here we just need some more ideas for this movie.

A Giant Hole

2008-02-07T11:49:00.000-05:00

I’m going to bet you that there are some sorrowful New York Giants out there. That might seem a little odd considering that every media outlet is glowing over and celebrating the accomplishment of the G-men. Of course, winning the Super Bowl is a legitimate occasion for celebration (see previous blog). You will find few more blogs celebrating the Giants victory (errrr Patriots loss) more than Sweet Emotion. It was one of the greatest Super Bowls of my lifetime.

With that being said, I’m willing to suggest that some of the New York Giants players and fans woke up on Monday morning with an empty sadness. And that emptiness has been echoing throughout the week. It might echo ever so quietly, or it might hit like a ton of bricks. However, there is something sobering about finally obtaining that “thing” which you thought would finally bring fulfillment and happiness. Because when you obtain it, it does not do that which you thought it would. On the other side of the realization, is sometimes a dark and depressing reality.

Few of us have ever really gotten that “thing”, so we have never felt the emptiness of it. Listen to someone who has been there.

World Magazine highlighted the story of Daniel Naulty who pitched 4 years in the big leagues of baseball. He pitched 3 for the Twins before joining the New York Yankees for their championship run. Nault’s deepest despair came immediately following the World Series win. As he was riding home in a limo following the post-game celebration the echo of emptiness began to reverberate, and despair set in. He asked the driver, “is this all there is to life?”

To quote World Magazine “in the following days, that question continued to haunt Naulty. ‘I thought the World Series was going to be God; it was going to be salvation.’ He recalls. ‘And I realized after we won that it wasn’t salvation. It was still in the exact same placed I was two weeks ago, two months ago, or two years ago.”

Or listen to Tom Brady’s words from a 60 Minutes interview and feel the slight tinge of emptiness.

Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. I think, ‘God, it’s got to be more than this.’ I mean this isn’t, this can’t be, what it’s all cracked up to be.

Jesus tells us in John that He is the bread of God come down from heaven to give life. Indeed, only when our relationship with God is made right by the finished work of Jesus can we experience real life. With Christ as one’s identity and final goal, one can say with Paul, "in whatever situation I am to be content. " The only unshakeable “thing” is the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s why Augustine can say “you made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace till they rest in you.

18 and No!

2008-02-03T23:43:00.000-05:00

This was for me, one of the greatest nights in my personal sports history. Right behind Tennesesee's 98 national championship, the Braves beating the Pirates in the 92' NLCS, and maybe the Colts beating the Patriots in the 07' AFC championship. I've honestly cheered for the Giants since Eli's arrival (living in Philadelphia definitely has grown that interest), but the elation I had at the end of the game would not have compared if it had not been the Patriots at the losing end. I never again have to here anything again about a Patriots undefeated season and even more crap about the Patriots being the "best team of all time". But this was so good on so many levels. It's so brilliant that the Patriots 'story book season' had such a "story book ending". Here's what made this so great:

1 - All of the media mockery of Eli Manning is now put to rest. He didn't just show up and ride the wave of his defense (ala Trent Dilfer & Brad Johnson), he was clutch.

2- Tiki Barber is eating some serious crow and watching this realizing that all his team needed in order to win the Super Bowl was for his loud mouth to get out of the locker room and on to morning chick TV. It was also nice to know that Jeremy Shockey had to watch this and had nothing to do with it.

3- The Silent errogance of the Patriots finally caught up to them (Joel pointed this out to me). There's :39 in the Super Bowl, The Patriots decide to cover Plaxico Burress 1 on 1? It's like Coloneal Nathan R. Jessup thinking he just "did his job" and can just go back to his base.

4- Belichick not only lost, but became a more despicable loser than he already was. He walked off the field with a :01 left on the clock and didn't shake anyone's hand. Ha....that was so great.

5 - The Pats "almighty offense" only scored 14 pts, after Tom Brady laughed at the idea they would only score 17...yep, that would have forced overtime.

6 - The Patriots attempted to secure a trademark for "19-0" earlier this week. I smiled when I heard that and thought, "this get's better with every bit of info." One of the all time 'counting your chickens before your eggs hatch' mistakes.

7 - Junior Seau still has not won a Super Bowl ring. That's not really a stat, but it should be.

8 - Tom Brady lost tonight, that's always a good thing. But now he knows the pain of losing a Super Bowl. A guy on Fox Sports Radio called in and screamed how we can put this Brady/Montana comparison to rest, Montana never ever lost a Super Bowl. Brady has. He's not immortal, He's great...but not the best.

9 - We get to shut up the obnoxious city of Boston. The Red Sux have already won, the Celtics are dominating, it would have been unbearable for them to have all three.

10 - This is the best reason, we get to anticipate Bill Simmons having to suck it up and cry about how 'robbed' his team was, and better yet - that his beloved Patriots have had their season ended the last 2 years by the Manning brothers.

Whether you cared or not, this game reminds us why Sports is so great. No one gave the Giants any kind of a shot, no one. Any team can win at any given time, you really never ever know. And you have to just love the unpredictability of sports. I'm now remembering the Packer's run in the mid-90's, wondering how long they would be on top, but after they lost the Super Bowl to the Broncos everyone disbanded and their run ended. Is this the beginning of the end of the Patriots? I hope so. I propose a toast, with the 72' Dolphins, I toast to Eli and the Giants winning the Super Bowl, but even more so to the Patriots and their whining Bill Simons club.....enjoy the losing side for once. Brian and I have been begging the sports gods for this all season. Amen.

If I had a Million Dollars...

2008-01-30T11:29:00.000-05:00

It remains one of my 'fantasy fan' dreams to one day attend a super bowl. Just to be able to say I went, and I got the experience. I want to go, but the problem is that I don't have $2,000 just lying around for some nose-bleed ticket.

But then you watch some of the these NFL films documentaries and see "Jim-Bob Jawerski" who weighs 280 llbs but only stands 5'9, Jim has a thick mustache that is detectable through his painted face, but you can't tell what color his eyes are b/c he's wearing sun glasses even though it's not sunny. Jim has squeezed his body into his favorite team's jersey, the jersey of a player on the team that hasn't seen the field in at least 8-9 years. In fact the team has altered the uniform so much since then, you have to really know your football to know what team he is wearing. Underneath the jersey is an age-old turtleneck with the team's logo on the neck. His hat sits high upon his head, shaming Les Miles, and was obviously purchased at the Shell station right down the street from Jim-Bob's house. Coming out of the top of the hat is a pom-pom bearing his team's colors.

In one hand Jim-Bob has an amazing 64 ounce mug (the mug was orignally an athletic gatorade bottle that Jim 'converted' for personal use) full of the cheapest beer he could muster up, in the other hand is Jim's super bowl ticket that he has not let go of in over 2 weeks. In fact, it's probably super-glued to his finger tips. He even slept with it. Now as I gaze a stare at Jim-Bob, it's not hard to realize that he is not there 'on the companies money'. I am sure that all my past summer jobs at least equaled his annual salary. What I want to know is how in the world he got that ticket? How are the super bowl stadiums full of Jim-Bob Jawerski's? Easily this is one of the undiscovered 'mysteries of the universe'.

If I finally get to go one day, It will most likely be in similar fashion to the Jim-Bob's of the sportsworld. How can you just show up to the super bowl with no attire on? I've actually heard that security will escort you immediately to the exits. I'd sport the Jersey, hat, or if moment was right I might even paint the chest. I'd have to take in an enormous sign that would catch the camera's attention (Born to Ruin And Destory our Youth). The only problem would seem that you can't exactly take a 3 foot long sub into the stands, or where would you put an entire pizza? I doubt that would hold me back. Do I have any takers? Would anyone join me in this escapade?

If I were at the Super Bowl this week, my fantasy would be to bump into Bill Simmons in the beer line. I'd say "Are you Bill Simmons the sports guy?"...."Yeah, why?"......(right cross to the floor)....."keep the change you filthy animal...oh and the Giants just scored".....(the background of this would be the crowd cheering as Eli threw another TD).

Go Giants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Athletes meet Hollywood

2008-01-25T16:24:00.000-05:00

Sweet Emotion claims to bring a Reformed, Seinfeldian view of life to table. And for the next blog, that is appropriate for two reasons. Seinfeld found everyday things in life to poke fun at. I think you'll agree that the usual athlete's attempt to turn Hollywood star is usually humorous. Secondly, it goes to show that God really does gift his people in different ways. For example, I would shudder to hear the music from a band with me as the lead singer. It may come as a surprise to some of you, but I am not gifted in that way. On the same note, athletic ability is a gift from the God of the Bible whether that person recognizes is or not. The gift of athletic ability does not always translate into a successful career in Hollywood. I heard some people talking about Dan Marino the other day, and for some reason I recalled his "Oscar" role in Ace Ventura.

Here are Sweet Emotions Top 5 most memorable attempts at bridging the Athlete-Hollywood Gap. Highlighted in the list will be risk factor (how many lines was he required to speak), unintentional comedy level, memorable lines, quality of movie, and any other necessary note.

5) Andre the Giant - this assumes that Pro-Wrestling is an athletic sport. Again, I understand pro-wrestling (spoiler alert) is not real, but I could not leave him nor his crucial role in The Princess Bride out.
Risk Level - medium - Though he had more lines than one might think, keeping Andre in the role of a stupid giant enabled him to carry out the lines with little risk.
Unintentional comedy level - low - The Princess Bride is a GREAT MOVIE, so most of the comedy is intentional.
Memorable lines - After westley asks if he is just fiddling around with him. Andre responds with. "I just want you to feel you're doing well. I hate for people to die embarrassed."
Also this: Fezzik: We face each other as God intended. Sportsmanlike. No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone.
Man in Black: You mean, you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword, and we'll try and kill each other like civilized people?
Fezzik: [brandishing rock] I could kill you now.
Quality of movie - High. A classic. Nominated for 5 Oscars
Other Notes: He has one of the best cross over names (Fezzik) and his memorable hand to hand showdown with "Man in Black" is top-notch

4) Reggie Jackson - He played himself beautifully in The Naked Gun
Risk Factor - Very Low - I believe his only lines were, "I must kill the queen." And to further minimize the risk factor, they forced him to act like a robot.
Unintentional Comedy Level - High - Reggie tries to act like a robot and then is form tackled by Leslie Nielson. Beautiful
Memorable Lines - I must kill the queen.
Quality of Movie - high. One of my favority movies to quote. The whole baseball scene at the end still makes me chuckle. Surprisingly there were no Oscar Nominations.
Other Notes: Probably the only movie on the list that contains another athlete turned actor. O.J. Simpson. He is painfully bad, but they manage to minimize his lines by having him in the hospital doped up for most of the movie.

3) Howie Long - Taking a lead role in the movie Firestorm
Risk Factor - Out the roof - They actually put this guy in a lead role. And the movie pays the price.
Unintentional Comedy Level - again, out the roof. In a high action disaster movie with a Hall of Fame defensive lineman with more than 10 lines....the possibilities are endless.
Memorable Lines - Anyone? I'm sure he said something incredibly corny before killing someone.
Quality of Movie - only have seen bits and pieces of it on TBS or something.
Other Notes: Who can forget the scene with Howie emerging from a lake with an axe in hand ready to throw?

2) Tommy Morrison - Rocky V. What an emotional character and gut-wrenching relationship he had with Rocky.
Risk Factor - medium - not as high as you would think. Putting anyone next to Sylvester Stallone will make him look better than he really is.
Unintentional comedy level - High - The Rocky/Rocky Jr. scenes are saturated with unintentional comedy. The kid wears earrings, and cries in front of his dad. He also tells his dad about Picasso in one scene. Rocky and Picasso....hmmm.
Memorable lines: Anytime, anyplace, anywhere!
Tommy Gunn: Yo Rock. I ai'nt you. You ai'nt Mick. When are you gonna realize that this is a buissness? Where's the money?
Tommy Gunn: Duke gave me my title shot. You didn't.
Rocky Balboa: But, Tommy.
Tommy Gunn: No way Rock, it's my way or the highway.
Quality of movie: a complete disaster. First time I can remember being very disappointed at a movie as a child.
Other Notes: Tommy "The Machine" Gunn helped make Rocky V and embarrassment to the series. Actually, I don't count it as one. Classic moment does come when he pops Paulie in the mouth and Rocky says "Hey yo, my rings outside."

1) Dan Marino - as mentioned earlier, his role in Ace Ventura was awesomely painful to watch.
Risk Factor - pretty low...but not low enough
Unintentional Comedy Level - He is so bad in it that it goes beyond it and hurts
Memorable Lines -
Ace Ventura:Please don't kill me. I'll never tell anyone. Kill him, he's the one you want.
Dan Marino: No, no kill him.
Ace Ventura: No kill him. He held the ball wrong, remember? Come on, look at the guy.
Dan Marino: Whimp.
Ace Ventura: Jock.
Dan Marino: Cry-baby.
Ace Ventura: Muscle-head.
Lois Einhorn: SHUT UP.
Quality of Movie - love it. Even Dan Marino doesn't keep me from laughing.
Other notes: Mr. Shickadance is one of the greatest character names for any movie.

Honorable Mention - Dennis Rodman, Georghe Muresan, Brian Bosworth, Mario Lopez (he wrestled in high school)

Any I've left out?

Tuesday Thoughts

2008-01-22T14:19:00.000-05:00

Let me apologize for the recent slow moving activity at Sweet Emotion. Only a post a week is bush league and we apologize. No wonder the stock market has been spiraling downward the past few weeks. Sometimes we forget the influence we have on the world. With that being said, let me share a few thoughts.

1) The Super Bowl - I'm pretty excited about the super bowl. The Patriots have given me one more reason to dislike them. Two Words - Laurence Maroney. My goodness, where was this guy during the regular season? Oh yea....on my fantasy football team riding the bench! After they never gave him the ball during the regular season, they decide to let him run crazy for the playoffs. Mr. Maroney, you just got taken off our Christmas Card list.
The Patriots appear to be pretty much unstoppable. However, just maybe the Giants can pull off the crazy win. All teams that have played the Patriots twice have played them much better the second go-around.
A couple of observations from the games: 1) Tom Coughlin looked like he was in need of some skin grafts after the game. His face looked like the famous "pimple remover" episode in Saved by the Bell. 2) Terry Bradshaw needs to cut his hair. When he did post-game interviews without a hat....it was just disturbing. 3) Belichick did not wear his sweatshirt. 4) The Patriots offensive line is ridiculous. Tom Brady looks like he is playing back yard football with a "12 Mississippi" rush.

2) The master of the blogging world Gray Hardison had some scary video of Tom Cruise on his website. I was the other day where the "church" of scientology is suing the website for posting the Tom Cruise promo video. Here is a free tidbit of information for life. Anytime a "religious" organization does everything they can to keep the outside world from knowing exactly what it is they believe....run away.

3) The SEC is down in basketball this year. My prediction: Only 5 teams make it to the tournament. Tennessee, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Florida and Vanderbilt. Most teams will have to go 10-6, 11-5 in the SEC to make the Big Dance.

4) Looks like ole Coach O might be headed for the New Orleans Saints. Orgeron is a great "assistant" coach. I repeat, assistant coach. So could be possibly a good move for the Saints. It will be fun seeing Orgeron yell at Hollis Thomas

I'm not sure where Watlington has been, but I'm his trusty wingman so I'll track him down.

Weekend Review and other thoughts

2008-01-14T12:24:00.000-05:00

First: Thoughts from the weekend in sports. Some of the NFL results surprised me. How did the Colts lose to a chargers team that was without LT, Rivers (in the 4th), and Gates not up to par. Not to mention, the colts had quite a few calls go their way. I hate the chargers won because I think they have little to none chance of beating the Patriots. By the way, did anybody else see Philip Rivers jawing with the Colts fans. Philip, you are out of high school, time to quit that kind of stuff.

The Patriots and Packers keep rolling along with no big surprises there. Somehow the Giants keep winning. I guess they will be who I am rooting for the rest of the way. Their game plan seems to be working: Run the ball, come after the quarterback on defense, and let Eli take what the defense gives him. My prediction: Patriots Giants Super Bowl.

Second: Let me highly recommend two books for the New Year. Humility by C.J. Mahaney and Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges. Mahaney takes a good look at pride and humility and gives pointed application and direction for dealing with pride. He constantly reminds the reader that everything (talents, salvation, life, friends, etc) comes from the gracious hand of God...therefore a proud Christian is an oxymoron. It's a book that punched me in the gut a few times and I could use a few more good blows to the belly of my pride. As Mahaney asserts, Look to the cross of Christ constantly, for no man can stand prideful at its foot.

Respectable Sins is another gut-wrenchingly convicting book. He starts off by saying its easy in the culture we live in to look around and feel pretty good about yourself. We figure since we are not involved in any rape, murder, theft, or crazy drunkenness cases then we are doing just find. He opens the door of sin and examines the the "acceptable" sins of society. Bridges details sins such as anger, pride, gossip, anxiety, and ungodliness and applies the gospel to them. If one reads Bridges book and does not feel His need for a Savior...then I would worry.

Lastly, Senator Hillary Clinton's tears over the toll of her presidential campaign reminded me of some tears in the past from her husband. The clip always made me laugh. Anyone remember when President Clinton was laughing it up with a friend at a funeral until he saw a camera. It is uncanny. Have a great Monday. Here is the clip as narrated by Mr. Rush Limbaugh.

Thoughts on the 2 Weeks of 2008

2008-01-10T15:49:00.000-05:00

It's been a while for me, sorry about the absence, there's been much to cover but while I was out of a routine I blanked regularly on what to say. Quick thoughts on the recent events of the New Year:

The BCS
Fox has done the most pathetic job of any network in covering the major bowl games. They are a complete disgrace and have ruined more so what is becoming a faded holiday - New Year's Day. The announcers are bad, but more so (I know it's all about the $$) the spreading out of the games has made the BCS championship the MOST anti-climactic championship game in major sports. If ten years ago, when we had New Year's day dissasters like Michigan and Nebraska both undefeated and not playing each other, you would have told me that College football was going to get it's version of the 'super bowl' where we actually had a championship game, I would have been ecstatic. But the delay of an entire week has made viewers forget and fans like me not realizing the game was on until you turned on ESPN that night and they mentioned something about it on sportscenter. Did anyone else think that college football had lost a little bit of steam by the 8th of January? The spreading out of the other games on the 2nd and 3rd is boring enough, pointless, and is making January 1st less and less exciting. I was so annoyed how ESPN had that running clock on the bottom of the screen counting downt the time till the Rose Bowl.

It's almost like ESPN/ABC was going to campaign for USC to get some 1st place votes before the bowls even took place. All the commercials, gameday being there, ABC's lone BCS broadcast - it all reflects an attitude that still wants to equate the Rose Bowl with the Championship game. I was so annoyed that Chris Fowler and co. still couldn't "clearly claim" LSU the national champion. They say that they were not sure "LSU is clearly the best team". Who the hell cares about that question? That is the most subjective argument and is simulatneously pointless. Were the Pittsburgh Steelers the best team in the NFL during the 2005 season? It doesn't matter, they won the Super Bowl and are therefore the champions- end of argument. Was Syracuse the best team of college basketball in the 2002-03? It doesn't matter, they won the tournament.

I can appreciate conversations trying to get to a playoff system (though the Georgia President came across as a whiner with his timing), but their are still idiots out there who voted USC #1. It would be like the voters voting for a team that lost in the final four. I know it's not exactly the same thing, but college football has a championship game. The winner wins the national championship, end of discussion ESPN.

NFL Playoffs

I was going to make picks for the games last weekend, but luckily I never posted it. I really thought the Redskins could beat the soft/lame/pathetic/wimpy/whining Seattle Seahawks. Jacksonville won like I thought they would, but I hope they have something left for Saturday. New York impressed me, I really thought they were going to have a letdown and Eli would have another bad playoff game. Norv Turner outsmarted himself and actually won a playoff game, San Diego did look ugly beating a beat up Tennessee team.

This weekend, it's unfortunate that Jacksonville's two stud DT's will be out, with them (Stroud & Henderson) I think they could really give them problems. My hope is that the game is really physical and takes a tough toll on New England. I'd be more shocked if a Norv Turner led team could win a playoff game on the road than if Jxnville knocked off New England. I think we will be able to know what will happen in the NFC with the 1st Quarter of the Dallas game. Good or Bad Romo? If Dallas comes out sharpe they will run away with the NFC. Seattle has no shot in Green Bay. I repeat that...no shot.

College Basketball

I think I now realize why some areas are not excited about college sports, they don't have a team to cheer for. I was very indifferent to College Basketball untill Tennessee became a respectable team 3 years ago. If you don't have a team to be excited about, it's painful till March....very painful. The Ole Miss/Tennessee game last night was an instant classic. The jury was out on the Rebs, and they proved they are for real. I think those are clearly the best two teams in the SEC.

Politics

I think everyone I talk to agrees that this is the most exciting primaries in our lifetime. I have opinions on most of the candidates, but one thing I'm constantly laughing at is the media and youth opinion of Obama. Whenever I see one of his rally's, I have to remind myself this is not E! and I'm not watching a Michael Jackson apperance in Japan. I dislike Obama for one main reason - Oprah publicly endorsed him.

Happy Belated New Year. Please enter your picks for the playoffs this weekend....

American Gladiators Returns

2008-01-07T13:49:00.000-05:00

Per request from Daniel Luter (we try to please our readers). The weekend was a big one for sports. Why? Because the American classic TV program “American Gladiators” returned in style. Here is Sweet Emotion's quick review of the classic tv gameshow return.

1) Larry Thompson is desperately needed back – the overweight ref (Al Kaplon) that screams "Contestants are you ready," instead of Larry’s “GLADIATORS…READY” just doesn’t cut it. In my research, the reason behind Al’s performance was obvious. He was an American League umpire. Larry Thompson was a college football ref and Al was a MLB ref. Need I say more. I am waiting for the crowd to start a “We want Larry, we want Larry.” Chant. Larry would have Disqualified _____ for holding onto the rope in the new game “Earthquake.” He does not allow funny business and runs a tight ship. There will never be another Gladiators referee like Larry Thompson. I need to check with Liza to see if I am now related via marriage.

2) The injury in the first game of Powerball was an instant classic. I can't find video footage, but watching the knee buckle of the female contestant was a moment.

3) Helga is the scariest gladiator male/female. I never saw her compete in the first hour of the show, but she has got to be 6’4” 245.

4) The Old Games are still the best. Earthquake, Pyramid and the bridge game, while innovative…have nothing on the Joust, the Wall, Powerball, and assault.

5) They need to cut away from too many interviews and wrestling showcases. The gladiators are better when they treat the game realistically instead of trying to become some cartoonish villain like “Wolf.” Leave that for pro-wrestling, this stuff is real.

6) Mike Adamle and Larry Csonka are much needed. Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali are too much. They subtract from the professionalism that is American Gladiators. (See point 5). I sorely miss Mike Adamle saying, my co-partner needs no introduction, please welcome Larry Csonka.

7) The Eliminator is new and improved. If you did not see the exhausted girls performance…words cannot describe it. I like the barrel roll and the handbike moved to the end.

8) On a sidenote, here is the greatest eliminator finish of all time. You must watch this…Bam Bam versus Mark Ortega. Notice four things in the video and it will show you the pinnacle of entertainment that is the original Gladiators. If you don’t get chillbumps watching this…I question your Patriotism. Read the following before watching…it’s called your show prep.
1) Notice the photo finish
2) Notice Bam Bam’s despair after the loss
3) Take not of the Crowd’s hysterical reaction….probably equal to the Cal Marching band finish
4) Notice Larry Thompson charge in a make the ruling immediately following the finish.
5) Listen to Mike Adamle’s excitement. All you need to know to petition for Mike to be back.

Sweet Emotion's Humble New Year's Wishes

2007-12-28T11:48:00.000-05:00

With New Year's fast approaching, I thought I would reveal my wish list for the new year. I think its safe to say that though I (Brian) am authoring this blog, the wish list goes for Sweet Emotion as a whole.

1) Tom Brady, Bellichick and the Patriots lose. I am ready for the Patriots hysteria to come to an end. I would love nothing more than for the Patriots to lose to the Giants in the final game of the season and then take an early exit from the playoffs. Of course, that scenario will only bring forth an unending series from Sportscenter about "Will any team ever go undefeated again?" But that is a whole lot easier to swallow than a 7 week series on "Are the Patriots the greatest team ever?"

2) LSU destroys Ohio State. I'll be honest, much to the chagrin of SEC lovers, I don't think it will be like last year. Ohio State is coming into this game with a chip on their shoulder from last year's embarrassment. Here's to a New Years wish that will once again humiliate the Big 10.

3) Neither Senator Hillary Clinton nor Senator Barack Obama wins the 2008 presidential election. Sweet Emotion has yet to endorse a candidate (hence the stalemate in the GOP), but I can assure our readers it will be neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama. The Iowa primary on January 3rd will be interesting. More to come from Sweet Emotion.

4) A Wikipedia appearance from either Sweet Emotion or one of its authors. How I wish wikipedia had been around in my high school days. The fact that I can look up all I ever wanted to know about game show legend Marc Summers at just a click of the mouse is amazing. Wouldn't it be great if Sweet Emotion made such headlines next year that it landed itself permanently in the records of Wikipedia. Though our chances are slim, if one had to bet, Alex would be our best hope. With his seminary career coming to a close, he will soon be making headlines across the country.

5) Become fluent in playing Guitar Hero III on the Hard level. Yes, I did receive Guitar Hero III for Christmas. Yes, it is amazing. Yes, I stayed up till midnight playing last night. And yes, my mom stood in line with other mothers to purchase it for me. Other mothers were chatting about how excited their 10 and 8 year old son would be when they received it for Christmas and my mom proudly said "my son is 26 years old." p.s. I played Pearl Jam's "Evenflow" last night....I had a face melting performance

6) Ole Miss makes the NCAA tournament, College World Series, and a bowl game all in one year. (ok, Alex is probably not in on this one). I'm not sure which is more unlikely, this wish or #4. The most likely appears...appears to be the NCAA tournament. Next would be the bowl game...simply because the odds are much greater. And least likely to happen would be for the Rebels to actually advance past the super regional.....Ok, I know this wish is too much to ask.

7) The BCS comes crashing down.

8) The "feminization" of men comes to a stop.

9) Mario Kart and Smash Brothers for Nintendo Wii lives up to its hype.

10) Movie Theater and Gas Prices somehow plummet. *** to go along with that...people quit thinking its cool to be disturbing in movie theaters.

11) A church basketball title. (I know...its embarrassing, but its all I've got left).

12) My nephew Graham's first words are "Brian, you are the greatest uncle I could ever hope for."

13) A new "scientific" breakthrough shows that talking contributes to global warming. The discovery forces former Vice-President Al Gore to quit babbling ridiculously about it.

14) Allen Iverson (A.I.) becomes bored with basketball and decides to take up football and thus dominates two sports.

That about sums it up for me... Let's hear from you. Thanks for being with us another year and we look forward to serving you in 2008.

Genealogy Thoughts

2007-12-20T10:50:00.000-05:00

The celebration of Christmas is almost here. And with the holiday necessarily comes a flood of thoughts, activities and traditions. Various circumstances has brought my attention back to the beginning of the New Testament. Matthew opens his Christmas story and the whole of the New Testament with the genealogy of Jesus. Let's be honest, those 17 verses filled with name after name can get repetitive. However, what a grand reminder it is of the glorious Savior we have in Jesus.

Is it not shocking that the one man who could choose His family tree, chose to put such names as Tamar, Jacob, the wife of Uriah (Bathsheeba), and Rahab in it? Tamar bore a son through a deceptive, incestuous relationship. Jacob was a deceiver. Bathsheeba was the product of King David's lust and murder. And Rahab was a prostitute in the pagan city of Jericho. Yet, Jesus proudly says, "I want them in my family tree." What a Savior we have that is not ashamed to call helpless, filthy sinners to be in his family. Matthew 9:13 "...For I cam not to call the righteous, but sinners." Christmas is a glorious reminder of the God who saves undeserving sinners as myself by sending His Son to die in their place. If you have received Jesus by faith, He is not ashamed to have you in His family.

I hope its not inappropriate to switch from the Christmas message to an upcoming movie. But we cover all of life here at sweet emotion so I must share my excitement. Christian Baele helped save the Batman sinking series a few years ago with "Batman Begins." And the second installment comes out "summer 2008." I'll admit, when I heard Heath Ledger was going to play "the Joker", I thought it was some kind of joke. But I dare say, he looks pretty cool. There is no way he will have as many memorable lines as Jack Nicholson (Where does he get those wonderful toys, It's as though we were made for each other. Beauty and the Beast. Of course, if anyone else calls you 'beast' I'll rip their lungs out)...but I am pretty excited.

The All "I can't Stand You" Team

2007-12-18T19:23:00.000-05:00

In the wake of the NFL's pro-bowl selections (which by the way made me smile to see Sean Taylor selected to it), Sweet Emotion presents its "We can't stand you" team. This team consists of players measuring up to qualifications such as: incredibly annoying, extremely overrated, flat out Jerk, or a Whiner. Each player will be qualified for his selection with either a Tom Cruise (very annoying b/c blabs his mouth too much about nothing or something else just about him), a Ben Affleck (gets attention for no good reason, extremely overrated), a Sean Penn (He whines and complains about everything, you just want him to shut up), or a Colin Farrell (He is just a full of himself Jerk).

Offense

QB - John Kitna/Jake Delhome - These conflate together as a Tom Cruise and could be combined with a Ben Affleck. How everyone at ESPN and Sports Illustrated kept thinking that Carolina could win a super bowl with Jake Delhome is beyond me. John Kitna's "We're going to win 12 games" really gave Len Pasquerelli the same rxn Matt Lauer got from "you don't know the history of pyschology, I do!!!".

QB - Donovan McNabb - This is an obvious Sean Penn. He is the biggest Whiner in sports, and yes....he supercedes Kobe Bryant.

RB - Lamont Jordan - This guy groaned about a lack of playing time in NY, demanded a trade and has done almost...wait....absolutely nothing in Oakland. Shut your trap you Tom Cruise!

RB - Sean Alexander - This is a classic Ben Affleck. Maybe the worst NFL MVP of all time on one of the worst Super Bowl Teams of all time. He has never been as good as his stats, also he played college ball at 'Bama, another reason to hate on him.

WR - Hank Basket - Most of you may be wondering who in the world this guy is, he epitomizes the talentless Philadelphia Eagles WR corps who screams and rants about the media's valid scrutiny of Andy Reid's pathetic eye for WR talent. The best way to classify him is a Sean Penn.

WR - Steve Smith - despite his talent and play-making ability, pathetic attitude and loud mouther. Welcome to the Tom Cruise Family.

WR - Jabaar Gaffney - He is a classic Colin Farrell, what a jerk.

TE - Jeremy Shockey - Ditto. I don't even need to keep talking.

TE - Jeremy Stevens - Maybe a combination of everything but Ben Affleck, b/c I don't know anyone who thinks he is good.

OL - John Runyan - umm, he played at Michigan. That makes him a Tom Cruise.

OL - Luke Petigout - umm. he played at Notre Dame and was supposed to be a "lock" for the Giants at LT, he was terrible and signifies mediocrity. Notre Dame - Ben Affleck Connection is pretty standard.

K - Mike Vanderjagt - This guy may not be in football right now, but I had to still bring him up. He is all 4. Maybe even the poster-child for each category. He is a white guy with earings.

Defense

DL - Warren Sapp - A standard Colin Farrell, I hate this guy.

DL - Shawn Merriman - Another Colin Farrell, plus he cheated with Steroids.

DL - Hollis Thomas - Ugly, Fat, druggy, overrated. He is a unique Horatio Sans.

LB - Matt Vrabel - He played at Ohio State, and now the Patriots, and he embodies the Billichick attitude on the field. He reminds me of Colin Farrell in S.W.A.T.

LB - Teddy Bruschi - I just don't like him, he annoys me, like when Tom Cruise jumped on Oprah's couch. He just annoys me.

LB - Lofa Tatupu - Same as Bruschi, he just annoys the crap out of me. He is a northwestern Tom Cruise.

DB - Charles Woodson - He is still complaining about the 'tuck rule', its as if that game was last year. He is the defensive Sean Penn.

DB - Brian Dawkins - He has the worst post-game attire I have ever seen. His 'flexing' annoys me, everything annoys me about him, but I think he has been vastly overrated in his career. I'd make him a Ben Affleck.

DB - Asante Samuel - This guy drives me crazy, probably b/c he is so good. I just really don't like him. I've got nothing else on him, so I'd have to make him a Tom Cruise.

DB - Rodney Harrison - As simple as I can say it, "I CAN'T STAND YOU". But he really is best described as a combination between Colin Farrell and Tom Cruise.

Life Time Honorable Mentions

BILL ROMANOWSKI - An Absolute Pyscho, throwing a punch at Tony Gonzalez, kicking Larry Centers in the head, breaking Kerry Collins' jaw. He also spit in J.J. Stokes face, and broke teammate Marcus Williams' eye socket (forcing him to retire) by punching him during a Raider's practice. He was a Colin Farrell, before anyone heard of Colin Farrell.

Chris Weinke - most pathetic collegient athelete of all time.

Joe Theisman - not sure if he belongs in as a player or an Analyst. Both could apply. I miss Luke telling me over and over how much he hates him.

Coaches

Bill Bilichick

Mike Holmgren

Andy Reid

Mike Martz

Announcers

Brian & Greg Gumbel

MNF Crew

Brian Baldinger

Boomer Esiason

Chris Collinsworth

I have to say that this list was compiled by me and not Brian. Brian may have some adjustments to it and you may have some extreme objections or additions. So Who's on your team?

"It was the world's first!....I promise."

2007-12-14T20:18:00.000-05:00

Ole Miss' old blogging 'punching-bag' and current Tennessee offensive coordinator has accepted the HC job at perinnial super-power DUKE. Turning this program into a winner will be as tough as Billy Martin trying to convince Judge Henry E. Hudson that Michael Vick is truly "sorry". Lucky for Cutlcliffe, when Duke posted the job on their website (not making that up) winning was not a requirement of the incoming coach. So what does this mean for Tennessee? This situation probably echos the Seinfeld episode where Jerry and Janeanne Garofalo break up and claim that it was completely mutual. Cutcliffe did what he was brought in to do, turn Erik Ainge into a quality QB, and that he did (by the way, it's an absolute disgrace that Ainge was not All-SEC last year and 2nd team this year - Andre Woodson is a joke). With Ainge graduating and Tennessee in real need for some new flavor, a change is welcomed. Tennessee was not looking to make any change, but as it is happnening no one is freaking out. From Cutcliffe's perspective, he was in a dead-end job where he was never going to get any promotion. He loves Tennessee and Tennessee will always love him. But when Ronald Regan's 8 years were up, no one tried to change the Constitution to keep him in office, it was time for change.

Tennessee will hopefully promote WR coach Trooper Taylor or lose him to Baylor. If that happens, Fulmer will have to spend his whole off-season finding new coaches and not have any time for recruiting a class that is already lacking. So the future is uncertain in knoxville, but we do know that Cutcliffe is leaving the SEC for the first time in 25 years. So long ol' Cut, Vol fans wish you the best, thank you for your services, and hope you can take Duke out of the basement of College Football. Borrowing the words of Miracle Max, "Have Fun Storming the Castle!"

Can it get any tougher?

2007-12-12T09:52:00.000-05:00

Arkansas hit the jackpot by landing Bobby Petrino. They were rejected 3x by mediocre ACC coaches and then rode the "Michael Vick Fiasco" wave from Atlanta to Little Rock. What seemed to be a potential disasster and looked like they might promote some local junior high defensive coordinator turned into another successful college coach coming to the SEC.

OK, seriously, has there ever been a conference that had as many good coaches at one time as the SEC will have next year? There are no more "Barney Fife's" roaming the sidelines on saturday's in the south. Maybe the weakest link in the SEC West is.....Sylvestor Croom??.....nope......Les Miles???....potential national champion........Houston Nutt??.....doubtful. You tell me? The east is stacked as well, Bobby Johnson has talentless Vanderbilt as tough as they are ever going to be, Rich Brooks has turned Kentucky around. Who's next? Is Bill Parcells going to come out of retirement and succeed Spurrier when he gets bored at South Carolina?

If LSU wins the national title, you will then have 5 different coaches who have won national titles (should be 6 with Tubberville and Auburn, so we will call it 5.5 coaches who have won titles). Mark Richt has been to 3 BCS bowls in 7 years, Petrino had people picking Louisville to be the National Title game for several years - he had to settle for an Orange Bowl victory at a basketball school.

So who is the "weak link" of the SEC now? The great thing about this off-season coaching carousel is that Michigan is looking more and more like the biggest loser. I'm loving seeing coaches left and right turn down that job. I hope they get stuck with someone fatter than Charlie Weiss and more scared than Lloyd Carr. Did anyone see the AP All-American team that had 3 Michigan players on it (a team that didn't have enough talent to beat 1-AA Appalachain State). Hail to the media's-valiant!!

those dadgum Patriots

2007-12-09T22:28:00.000-05:00

My feelings towards the Patriots are very much rooted in David's words from the Psalms, I hate them with a "perfect hatred". These feelings are obedient as I am only "hating what is evil". As much as I do despise this team (more than any other assembled team in sports history), I do recognize them as a very talented and well put together team. They do everything right. Nothing more needs to be added to Boomer Esiason's or Chris Collinsworth's love-affair with the Patriots, but there are some things that have not been mentioned about this season they're having. I keep asking myself why........

1) Have the Patriots been able to avoid injuries, they have not lost a single significant player to injury. Every good team has had to overcome some injury problems (Dallas, Green Bay, Indianapolis,ect..), but the Patriots have not lost anybody. Surely someone has got to get hurt.

2) Have the Patriots been able to avoid turning the ball over in the NFL? I've seen several dropped Int's and fumbles that went out of bounds for the Pats - they almost never turn the ball over. I mean in the NFL if a ball is tipped or a poor pass, it's almost always Intercepted - how have the patriots avoided that?

3) Have the Patriots not had a letdown? This is probably due to incredible coaching and personal motivation, but in their 13 games they have not played an "off" game. Surely once they will just not have their magic....surely.

When I see Billichick on the sidelines I'm reminded of evil sinister British Colonel Tavington from the movie The Patriot. I imagine Billichick thriving in the humiliation of each coach he embarrases, "You know, it's ugly business doing one's duty... but just occasionally it's a real pleasure." I watch him reactionless on the sidelines, mumbling into the headset, yet giving viewers at home the faintfull feeling that he knows more than you and your coach. If I was an NFL headcoach and lost to him, after the game was over when I had to shake his hand I would grab his 'dead-fish' hand shake as tightly as possible, yank him towards me and whisper in his ear..."Before this war is over, I'm going to kill you."

Surely before this season is over, someone will get hurt. Brady, Moss, somebody....something has to go wrong. I can't take anymore Chris Collinsworth or Boomer Esiason. I honestly think they will either lose one of the last three games of the regular season or will lose in the playoffs. I'm considering fasting in hopes that this perfect season ends soon.

Change of Pace

2007-12-05T11:11:00.000-05:00

Since our mission statement says we have a "reformed.... view on life," that means we take all of life into account here at Sweet Emotion. We even take a look at the small things in our world.

Today I want to briefly step back from the national football scene and appreciate one of the smaller pleasures in life...gum. Who would have ever thought the gum industry would explode into such a diverse arena. Alas, it is one of the many beauties of Capitalism. I write this blog, for the simple reason that my wife recently introduced me to "Stride" gum. Since I am sure you have pondered this question in the shower or while driving to work, let me help you with the answer. What is the best gum on the market?

6)Big Red - You buy this gum for two main reasons. The price for a pack is still well under $1 (sometimes even a quarter), and that fresh cinnamon, hot-blast taste that fills your mouth during the first 10-11 seconds of chewing. However, therein lies the weakness. The flavor is so short lived that one finds himself consuming a whole pack in 20 minutes. Another weakness involves the packaging. Stuff it in your pocket and you will end up with sticks of gum removed from the package and scattered at the bottom of your pocket.

5)Juicy Fruit - You purchase this gum for three reasons. 1) See above regarding the price. 2)Tradition - most every kid had a love for this taste, so it is always a blast from the past. 1)Taste - No other gum has been able to mimic the fruity taste of Wrigley's Staple favorite. However, the weakness is the same as Big Red. If Big Red's taste lasts for 10 seconds, then Juicy fruit lasts for 3...tops. One more side note, with Big Red and Juicy fruit, one still can ask for a stick of gum.

4)Big League Chew - There was no better gum to chew when sitting in the dugout during little league baseball. Reaching into the package, grabbing a wad and stuffing into your mouth made the most inept little league right fielder (it's where the weak kid always got placed) feel cool. Advantages - Unique packaging with a resealable top to ensure freshness, a cool picture on the package, the unique small strips of gum that enabled you to grab a handful of gum, the strong flavor, and the bubble blowing ability. Weakness - If it got too hot in the dugout, the gum lost its texture. Also see number 6 and 5 for short-lived flavor.

3)Trident White - The small cube of gum packs a powerful sometime tongue numbing taste. It has a package that enables the individual to stuff it in his pocket without harm to the gum. With it's tin foiled backing, one can simply pop out a piece to a friend's open hand. The biggest advantage of all is the unique ingredient known as Recaldent. Rumor has it that it recalcifies your teeth, thus filling in small cavities. Hey, I'm 26 and still have not a single cavity. Also a great breath freshener. Weaknesses include: Price is over a dollar and the package creates noise. (The noisy package creates problems in a church setting, or in a setting where you don't want anyone asking you for gum).

2)Orbit - I was a longtime advocate of Orbit. The packaging is enticing with the fold out back and layers of sticks on the inside. The taste lasts relatively long and their lemon-lime flavor tastes much like the old Gatorade gum (wow...that should have made the list). Orbit is solid all-around. Weakness: Price and the package is not durable,

1) Stride - My wife brought me home a package and I am sold. Sleek and savvy packaging makes you proud to pull it out in public. It has a unique double fold design that gives you sticks at the top and the bottom. However, what puts Stride gum over the top is its long lasting flavor. I've been chewing my current piece for 30 minutes and it continues to produce a strong flavor. I didn't believe my wife either when she told me (usually not a good idea). Weakness:Price.

This does not relate to college football, and I hope it does not anger our readers. I just thought we would take a quick break from the scene and look at some overlooked things in life.

p.s.
worst kind ever -- the Topps Baseball Card Package gum. Weakness: Too many to number. Taste was awful. Texture and makeup of gum - one could use a piece of Topps gum as a paperweight or even a hammer. The sanitation of the gum was poor. Something about opening a pack of baseball cards and seeing a square piece of gum laid bare.

A complete dissaster

2007-12-03T12:57:00.000-05:00

I'm just going to continue the conversation we have going from the previous post. Here are my last comments.....

Georgia, Oklahoma, and USC all are hot teams. I think all those teams are better than LSU, but LSU won their conference and "survived" the most brutal regular season of all those teams. The only caveot with Georgia is that they are the only one of their teams that isn't a conference champion. I respect Mark Richt's comments for telling it like it is.

Andrew...how can you say the Pac 10 is not a good conference?? Oregon was hot until Dixon went down (which does actually say they were a 1 man team), Arizona State is pretty good, and of course USC is. I do think the Big 12 is the second best conference. It's not brutal, but it is not a 2 team conference this year like it has been for several years.

The biggest crap about this is how the BCS AWARDS Ohio State for not playing this past weekend. LSU deserved to be awarded for playing a championship game of a conference in which they were clearly the best team. I think the same with Oklahoma, they destroyed the #1 team in the nation. The BCS cannot continue to award these teams from conferences that don't have to play a 13th game. If Missouri didn't have to play that championship game, they would be in the NC game. I personally think it should be LSU vs. Oklahoma

....discuss.....

Championship Week

2007-11-30T14:08:00.000-05:00

It's championship week, or rivalry week if you don't have a championship game. In order to help your stress level, I thought i would hand out a few predictions.

1) ACC Championship - Look for VA Tech to win by at least a touchdown. Thank goodness the Matt Ryan Heisman talk has come to an abrupt hault.

2) SEC Championship - I am taking Tennessee in a close one. I think they will jump out early on the Tigers and then hold on in the end. The deflating loss last week combined with coaching questions will have LSU not playing up to par. Tennessee has nothing to lose and will come out of the gates firing. Alex, enjoy Tennessee's return to the BCS.

3) Big 12 Championship - Though I think Oklahoma has more talent across the board, I'm going with Mizzoura. Something didn't look right everytime I looked at Missouri's name. Then I realized there was a #1 beside it. Let's face it, that is just strange. Anyway, Chase Daniel will keep their run alive by edging out the Sooners.

4) USC vs. UCLA - USC. The return of Mr. Booty has given them quite a spark

5) Oregon vs. Oregon St. - Oregon. Nothing more to be said

6) Big 10 Championship - Oh wait, they don't have one. Thank goodness. One less week of the ESPN/Ohio State marriage, and one less week of slow football. I'm secretly hoping to see a West Virginia/Ohio State National Championship just so we can watch the Buckeyes get it handed to them again.

Have a good championship weekend. My Rebels just barely missed a bowl game this year....ahem. College Basketball is cranking into full gear.

The Nutthouse comes to Oxford

2007-11-28T15:04:00.000-05:00

No where to go but up for this guy in Oxford

The Houston Nutt hiring is all the buzz in the Ole Miss world. I must say at first it was a surprise to me and I had a few reservations, but here is my overall outlook at the Nutt’s trip down to Oxford.

Negatives:
1) There is something to say about a pretty substantial group of Arkansas fans trying to run him out. There is always fire under smoke, now it might be a lot of smoke and a little fire…but it is one of my reservations

2) He has been at Arkansas for 10 years, which translates into a monopoly on recruiting. He will definitely be in the hotbed of recruiting fighting against LSU, Alabama, Auburn and State. It will be interesting to watch his recruiting.

3) He can sometimes come across as a little goofy and he wears a straw hat

Positives

1) He actually has this thing called head coaching experience. Sadly, it is something we have not had around Oxford in quite awhile

2) I had forgotten until I went back to his wikipedia site (always my source of info) just how many games he has won at Arkansas. He went to Atlanta three times at Arkansas, so something has to be said for that. That is three more times than Ole Miss has gone.

3) He takes what he has and builds around it. Again, it will be refreshing to see someone actually build around the talent instead of forcing the talent into a system (Cut and O). I heard part of his press conference and he talked about how he changes according to the talent he has. I can’t complain when a guy realizes he should put the ball in Darren McFadden’s hands 30+ times a game. Would have been nice to do that with Deuce. I bet he wouldn’t have Shaeffer dropping back into a pro-style offense either.

4) He wins wherever he goes…from Murray State, Boise State, to Arkansas

5) He has handed it to Ole Miss and Miss. State over his career. If you can’t beat him, convince him to join you.

6) He constantly flashes fingers on the sidelines. What they mean, I don’t even think he knows, but it’s exciting

7) The national media (whatever weight they hold) seem to think that Arkansas was crazy for showing him the door.

8) He always seems to make the most with whatever hand he has been dealt. His teams have differed in talent over the years, yet for the most part he keeps finding ways to win.

9) It was a safe hire for the Rebels. If Ole Miss had taken another chance on a young coach at this critical point, it could have been a disaster.

10) He knows SEC football.

11) I could understand him in his press conference

12) He probably won’t head butt anybody

"college football is on fire!!"

2007-11-24T23:13:00.000-05:00

A few years ago I was watching a college basketball game during the regular season (which means the game actually meant little to none) and Billy Packer said, and I quote, "College Basketball is on fire!". I honestly sat there and thought, 'what in the hockey does that mean??' - it was typical Billy Packer, barking off comments that can only be understood by Bill Walton.

Borrowing Packer's confusing comment, I think we can say after this weekend that this college football season has provided the most upside down, exciting, and unpredictable results. These are some thoughts I had saturday night:

- As mindblowing as Tim Tebow's statistics are, I would still vote for Darren McFadden for the Heisman. His performance friday was just insane. He is the best player in college football and the best RB in the SEC since Bo Jackson.

- Is LSU at the raw end of two tough losses....or....were they really not as stout as we thought they were? Who is the real LSU? I am of the opinion that Les Miles just coached his last game in Baton Rouge. LSU will have find another coach...again.

- How many lives does Tennessee have? The answer is enough to get to the SEC championship game. Everyone needs to shout out props to Brian for picking the East and West winners. Some people will be annoyed or in disbelief that Tennessee is headed to Atlanta, but it would have been just as disbeleiving to see Georgia there. I'm sitting here trying to figure out how Florida lost 3 SEC games.

- South Carolina just completed the greatest tailspin in the history of the SEC. On the third saturday in October they were 6-1 and ranked #6, they then went on to lose their last 5 games and may be left out of a bowl. How much longer will Spurrier stay through this? This has got to annoy him and be weary on him.

- Is Tubberville going to Texas A&M? The only more distrustful person in college football is across the other sideline in what has become a meaningless Iron Bowl. When was the last time that game mattered?? Tubberville and Saban's pregame conversation reminds me of that scene in the godfather when Pacino walks into the restaraunt and sees the two guys at the table waiting for him.

- I'm watching this Kansas/Missouri game on ABC, can this really be a huge game?? Kansas and Missouri? The beginning of the game looked like 2 teams who had never played in a big game. But I think Chase Daniel is a legit player.

- Kirk Herbsreit has become the biggest bafoon on Gameday. Nothing he says makes sense anymore, his opinions on the BCS and Big 10 football is laughable. He just said that if a scenario played out where a 2 loss team was needed for the national championship game, his first choice would be Georgia. Are you kidding me? He would want to see a team that won't even win their conference. LSU could win their conference with 2 losses, USC as well. But redeemable, he has finally layed down his Pac-10 Heisman campaign and conceeded that McFadden is the best player in the country.

- I saw that Ole Miss fire Orgeron after an 0-8 year in the SEC and some of the most boneheaded calls which cost his team the game. I think this is a good move for Ole Miss. Not sure what the Rebel nation thinks though??

Happy "manly" Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T09:31:00.000-05:00

I love this holiday, i'm not sure if it gets a whole lot better than tommorow: eating, sleeping, family, and football. Well, here on Sweet Emotion we are about three main things: a seinfeldian, reformed, manly life. So here is how to have a sweet emotion thanksgiving...

1) Eat so much the button on your pants springs off, all the way across the room if possible. Eat no less than 3 full plate fulls. Don't serve yourself either, sit at the table and demand to be waited on. Only speak in imperatives, like "Turkey..NOW!!"

2) Watch at least 8 hrs of football. If you of course naturally fall asleep, make sure to tape the games and watch them later, or if neccessar pop in an old tape from this fall!

3) An outdoor football game is an absolute for sweet emotion. A trip to the hospital only confirms a memorable thanksgiving - someone better have blood on their shirt.

4) If you are asked to say the thanksgiving blessing, since we are reformed on sweet emotion, make sure to use words like "covenant" or "eschatological" when you pray about being thankful, none of your relative will really know what that means, but hey...you sound pretty smartt!

5) some of the best memories of thanksgiving come from stories that start with "remember when uncle Jerry drank so much...." or "i'll never forget the time Grandma found mom's..." or "Mom, the dog ate granpa's heart medicine and is...." You get the picture. But being reformed, we don't condone any provoking-but you know what needs to get done to make those memories.

6) If thanksgiving gets bored, go ahead and celebrate "Festivus", all you need is a big pole and to start beating someone, that will spice up the day.

Please drop us a line and do your communal 'thanksgiving wishes' on the comments page - it's nice to share the holiday together. (always remember, there is nothing more "unmanly" than to sit on the phone all day during a holiday where football is on TV) also, how freakin' huge is that white house turkey, very manly George!!..I'm sure he just broke it's neck and cooked it himself.....Happy thanksgiving everyone!!

Why Tim Tebow Should not win the Heisman

2007-11-18T23:52:00.000-05:00

Even though his statistics are rediculous, and that his winning would promote the SEC, and it would keep another crappy player from being added to that list of aweful Heisman winners, and he has single handedly kept his team in some games and won some...He still should not win the Heisman. I think there is a legitimate "sweet emotion" reason he should not win it. It's not because He plays for the 'fruity gators', It's not b/c he plays for the Whiniest (being contested in my household if that's a word) coach in the SEC, It's not b/c he has the gayest TD dance in football. The reason is simple: There's no crying in football. There's no crying in Football. There's no crying in football!!!!!!!

The "Truth" on ESPN's 25 greatest players list

2007-11-13T18:54:00.000-05:00

Dear ESPN,

I don't know what kind of non-sense compells you to do what you do sometimes, but this is just funny, that's what this is - it's funny. The fact that you named Charles Woodson as the 11th greatest player of all time in College Football is damn certain disgrace. I don't want to dispute whether or not this squirrel could defend himself or catch a nut or even that he belonged in a tree. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about it on message boards, you want him on that wall -- you need him on that wall. It doesn't matter to you that he only had 6 interceptions, 11 "amazing catches", and was 70th in the NCAA in punt return average. He did it against Ohio State and on National TV. We use words like "Character" "Leader" "Winner." We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defining something. You use them as a punch line and taint them because someone wears that hiddeous Mazon and Blue.

I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a Network who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very ratings that I provide and then questions the integrity in which I provide it. I would rather that you just said "We screwed up, and should not have given him the Heisman" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up an encycolpedia and talk to some intelligent football fans. Either way, I don't give a DAMN what you think He's entitled to because he played for Michigan!

Somebody at that Chicken-little network better explain how they think he was better than Reggie Bush or Johnnie Rogers or Dick Butkus or Jim Brown. Do your Job. All you people did was weaken an honorable list. You have no idea what it takes to define greatness. You make me sick. I'm thinking about ripping out your eyes and spitting in your skull. Michigan is a disgrace. I'm going back to my base.

Sincerely,

Col. Nathan R. Jessup

Thank You Coach K

2007-11-12T11:37:00.000-05:00

Coach Andy Kennedy is back at it again. There are many things I love about the 2nd year basketball coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. 1) He wins basketball games. 2) You can understand him in interviews unlike his football counterpart. 3) He tells it like it is with some good dry sarcasm.

Here are his comments following the Ole Miss victory on Saturday.

On freshman Zach Graham, who played 17 minutes and had zero rebounds: "That's the same as a dead man."

After junior Terrence Watson took an atrocious jump shot that was out of his range and missed the rim by three feet, he turned and ran back down the court. He was greeted by a glare from Kennedy and a sarcastic "Great shot, Terrence."

On Williams, who's shooting touch has improved: "3-for-5 from the foul line. Are you kidding me? That's a miraculous step for him."

On the Ole Miss post players shooting a combined 12-of-14 from the field against MVSU's undersized team: "When we got it close, we scored efficiently. And I hope we would against 6-foot-2 guys."

Trick or treat

2007-10-31T10:08:00.000-04:00

Sweet Emotion wants to wish you a happy Halloween with a good trick. I found this prank pretty clever and humorous. As if your already not nervous enough using a porta potty.

Also, in case you were not aware, the Patriots and Colts play on Sunday. NBA regular season started last night (chirp, chirp....tumbleweed passes by)

Weekend Comments

2007-10-29T10:31:00.000-04:00

Start the ESPN Hype

College Football
The Ole Miss Rebels are in the cellar. Miles, Gray, and I loaded up on the Rebel Express and headed to Auburn. It's about as bad as it gets right now. There is no debating the fact, Ole Miss is the worst team in the SEC....by far. Auburn's defense is good, but our offense made them look like the New England Patriots. Let's move on to basketball season please

Tennessee might have saved Fulmer's job. I'm not a Tennessee fan, so I don't know all the inside scoop, but if they had blown a 21 point 2nd half lead, that might have been it. Now it looks like they are back in the driver's seat of the East. (see preseason picks...yours truly had them winning the East).

Division III Football
If you have not seen this clip of how my (and Kurt's) beloved Millsaps Majors lost, well it's better than any backyard football play I've ever pulled off. It's hard to follow the ball, but just take a look. To make things worse, this play pretty much knocked the Majors out of the playoffs.

NFL Football
Don't look now, but the New Orleans Saints are showing signs of life again.
Oh, and in case you have not heard. The Patriots and the Colts play this weekend. Just flip it to ESPN and you will see some sort of preview for the game within 5 seconds. I believe they are calling it SuperBowl 41 1/2. Be prepared for the hype all week.

2 rants

2007-10-26T12:03:00.001-04:00

Look at the progression of the Mississippi tag. The bottom left one is our proud new one!

Sorry to interrupt our manly hero voting, but on the way to work today I saw a new Mississippi License plate. That's right, Mississippi has just released its new flashy license plate. I know not many of our readers probably care about a license plate, but can I just say that it is absolutely heinous. Mississippi is last in many things, and we continue our strong tradition by unveiling a license plate that looks as if it was made by a Gulf coast, air-brush T-shirt store.

I love my state, but I hope whoever passed the new design through did it as a joke. I'm looking forward to the day I get replace my tag with the new airbrush pink and blue lighthouse. Sorry for the rant.

On a second note, this talk of Boston College's quarterback Matt Ryan being a Heisman candidate must stop. The guy was horrible for most of the game last night against the first decent opponent he has faced. The ACC is a joke this year and seeing Boston College ranked number 2 makes me wonder if I could have played professional football.

Greatest Action Hero of All Time

2007-10-24T20:04:00.001-04:00

Again, sorry about the lack of posts lately - it's been hectic. One thing that is overdue here is determining more of our hero's. So I put it to a vote....greatest action hero. The qualifications are: at least 50 people have to die in the movie, the hero himself must come close to dying or be in a lot of pain, they have to blow something up or something spectacular like it, and they must have a very memorable line that has been requoted by you when looking in a mirror. Here are the nominations.

John McClain (Bruce Willis - the original "Die Hard")

....personally, He get's my vote.

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford - Any of the trilogy)

James Bond (Sean Connery specifically 'Goldfinger')

Jason Bourne (Matt Damon - Any of the trilogy...but maybe he was the ultimate BA in "ultimatum")

The Terminator (Arnold SCHWARZENEGGER - now he is such a Hero in all his movies, but this is his 'magnum opus')

Maximus (Russel Crowe - "Gladiator")

Casey Ryback (Steven Seagal - "Under Siege")

Rambo (Sylvester Stallone - "First Blood II")

Harry Callahan, ala Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood - 'Dirty Harry')

Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson - "Mad Max" - )

I debated with Mel Gibson on whether or not I should go with his character from Lethal Weapon or not, difficult choice. There are some characters I may have left out intentionally or unintentionally. But vote away.....

apology

2007-10-22T15:19:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to apologize to our oh so few regular readers. Alex and I have been bogged down by schoolwork. A terrible excuse I know, but accept my sincere apologies for lack of posting.

Too Upset and Depressed to Post

2007-10-15T13:40:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to say that Saturday did me in for the Rebels. Losing like that on a very controversial call to say the least was about all I could handle. I've never had someone punch me in the gut as hard as they can...but I think I now know what it feels like. I'm just going to leave it there and move on.

On a happy note, give one up for 87 year old Vinny T! I called him Vinny T out of endearment and because I did not want to take the time making sure I spelled his last name correctly. The fountain of youth himself won another game.

A big 10 team is number one in the BCS....I just threw up a little in my mouth.

Have a good week, I'm going to read some more articles about the frustrations of Ole Miss football.

Half-Way Home

2007-10-10T11:59:00.000-04:00

It’s actually sad to think we are at the mid-way point in college football. This Saturday is already the beginning of the second half of the season. While in baseball, basketball, or hockey it only takes 3 months to get there, it takes a long drawn out 6 weeks in college football. The Saturday it really seems to take off means your half way done, oh yeah bring on the NBA. But the university presidents are right, it really is “too much” on these players to go any more, we wouldn’t want to “burn them out” before they do this FULL TIME. So half-way home, we are left to ‘repent’ of some of our preseason thoughts, reflect on what’s happened, and project what’s left in the next 6 weeks.

I largely, with many others, underestimated Les Miles. The coaching job he did in the Florida game (the antithesis of Jim Tressel ball) was the gutsiest I’ve ever seen. Now if some of those 4^th downs/fake field goal were not converted – we might be dogging him. But Florida gave everything they had and had LSU on the ropes. Miles made the right calls at the right time. Enjoy him LSU, he’s only there for 6 more weeks.

Auburn would be a tough game if weren’t in death valley.

I’m so glad to see USC lose, while I was surprised it was Stanford – I’m not surprised they lost. I’m so sick of every year “this is the best team ever” crap, it was beautiful when Texas ended that talk, it was great when UCLA ended that, and it’s even better with Stanford. Enough is enough, how are they not further down in the rankings? I don’t think Stanford could beat App. State. Michigan fell completely out of the rankings. AP writers love some USC.

Mike Gundy’s rant was the highlight of a month of true highlights. They play that clip on Philadelphia sports talk radio daily. “I’m 40….I’m a MAN!!”….hasn’t gotten old yet.

How far will South Florida and Boston College go? I think BC will fall in the next few weeks (nice call Tom O’Brien) but South Florida could run the table. If so, how do you leave them out of the championship game? I would HATE to see them there, but they are not Boise State or Utah – they play in a conference with an automatic bid. Thoughts??

The Big 10 is so bad that Ron Zook looks like a genius in that league, give me a break.

The 0-5 start for Notre Dame was as fun for me as any winning streak Tennessee’s been on. Lou Holtz is reporting that they will somehow get back into a BCS bowl and win 10 games with only 6 games left on their schedule.

I’m so sick of Tim Tebow and he’s only a sophomore. Somebody break his leg…though he is legit and shows shadows of Vince Young. Still, I want someone to score a TD in the swamp and begin to wave their hands up in the air and attempt to “pump up” the crowd. It would be very Terrell Owens like.

The Pac 10 is a good conference, enough ESPN.

Why is Desmond Howard still on TV. They should simply refer to him like Eddie Murphy’s old pal from ‘Life’. He will now be referred to as “can’t get right”.

Predictions:

SEC: The quest in the east as to who will be the ‘sacrificial lamb’ for LSU in the championship game is wide-open. Strange to say this, but the Tennessee – South Carolina could be the deciding game. Florida will need some help and I think they will get it to get back there. If they do, look for LSU to do the same thing they did to Georgia in 03’ in that rematch. Tennessee actually might have the easiest road out of all the east teams, but will they be the team that beat Georgia or got waxed by Florida? All in all, LSU should win. Arkansas will continue to crumble and Houston Nutt is gone, I have a hard time imagining Ole Miss will want Orgeron back too. Any rumors flaring??

PAC 10: Cal is a good team, they are not 12-0 good. Somebody will stumble them…surely. I just hope USC doesn’t find their way again to the top. Get this, USC could have three conference losses by end of year. They still have to play Oregon, Cal, and Arizona State – all good teams. John David Booty is the most overrated player in CFB. Again, nice Heisman hype Herbstreit.

Big 10: Ohio State is a good team benefitting a lousy conference. Michigan is having a nice rebound…once they got into league play. There is only 1 top 25 team in that conference. Someone needs to knock-off Ohio State.

Big 12: I’m surprised at Texas being down, Oklahoma is good but I think someone beats them again. I could be way off. Missouri is a surprise, but how long will that last? Kansas fans are excited until basketball starts in a month and then they will forget they have a football team. Oklahoma will win, even with 2 losses.

Big East: Louisville is bad, terrible coaching hire. Rutgers was a splash in the pan (Greg Schiano had all these offers, but nope I’ll stay at Rutgers!!...nice). West Virginia is suffering from injuries and people are beginning to figure out that offense. Will South Florida be the new “Miami” in 10 years?? It’s not like they have to go far to recruit. South Florida wins out but gets jipped for having no real CFB history.

ACC: not worth discussing.

I have no thoughts or ideas on the bowls or national championship games, I don’t care about the Heisman - my only thought is that Deshaun Jackson deserves more hype.

Prince Caspian

2007-10-04T11:37:00.000-04:00

Recently I picked up C.S. Lewis second book in his Chronicles of Narnia series. Yes, I am ashamed not to have read Prince Caspian before. I loved it for a couple of reasons. First of all, it was on my level. Second of all, Lewis' worldview soaks every page of the book. Not only did I get chills when the Christ figure Aslan appears on the scene, but his quick conversation with little Lucy was profound. It went like this:

“Welcome, Child,” he said.
“Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.”
“That is because you are older, little one,” answered he.
“Not because you are?”
“I am not, but every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

That statement could be mulled over for a year. Is that not part of the "upside downess" of the Christian Life? As a young teenager, God was someone who loved me, heard my prayers, and created the world. Yet, the older we get, instead of him fitting in a nice little box, we slowly start realizing that is an impossibility. Our finite minds cannot comprehend His infiniteness, His eternality or His perfection.

And perhaps the greatest part, His infinite love for His people begins to boggle our minds. God sending His own Son to die on the cross for our sins was something discussed and affirmed as a child. Hopefully, the older you have gotten, the more you have begun to treasure His work. As the gospel keeps working its way into our lives, we see our own sinfulness and our own meager efforts at selfless love. As a result, we start seeing just how "big" God's love is for us and His words in John resonate in our life "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends." (John 15:13).

I for one am looking forward to the movie Prince Caspian coming out in May. I hope they keep this quote in the movie. Actually, I'm sure with the international prominence of sweet emotion, there is now no way they can keep it out.

Bill's Level's of losing

2007-10-03T00:44:00.000-04:00

I'm not a big Bill Simmons fan, but his article (which was recently modified) on the levels of losing is genious and the best article he's ever written. My only qualm with it is that there is no CFB love, so i've adapted it somewhat for our CFB love. Please excuse all the Tennessee shout-outs, naturally those come to mind for me...please add to the lists as I can't remember some of the best examples.

Level XVI: The Princeton Principle
Definition: When a Cinderella team hangs tough against a heavy favorite, but the favorite somehow prevails in the end ... This one stings because you had low expectations, but those gritty underdogs raised your hopes...
Recent Memory: Vanderbilt @ Florida 2005. Vandy was on somewhat of a roll and almost pulled one out in the swamp, but came up short in OT. Ole Miss/Tennessee 2004, Vols were on the ropes in a game that should not have been close, Brian couldn't call me for a few weeks after that....we've never really spoken about the game...we'll leave it at that.

Level XV: The Achilles' Heel
Definition: This defeat transcends the actual game, because it revealed something larger about your team, a fatal flaw exposed for everyone to see. ... Usually the beginning of the end. (You don't fully comprehend this until you're reflecting back on it.)
Best Example: 2005 Michigan romps Notre Dame by putting ball in the air, Notre Dame still hasn't stopped anybody. Also in 99' Florida was 9-1 going into last game of season against Fla. State, Noles exposed the Gator's defense...and Gators lost last 3 games badly.

Level XIV: The Alpha Dog
Definition: It might have been a devastating loss, but at least you could take solace that a superior player made the difference in the end. Unfortunately, he wasn't playing for your team. You feel more helpless here than anything.
Best Memory: 2006 Rose Bowl. Two words: Vince Young.....Will Ferrell is still crying.

Level XIII: The Rabbit's Foot
Definition: This applies to those frustrating games and/or series in which every single break seemingly goes against your team. You know that sinking, "Oh, God, I've been here before" feeling when something unfortunate happens, when your guard immediately goes shooting up?
Recent Memory: Florida State/Miami...Wide Right.....Every Georgia/Florida game I can remember (except 97'). In 2002 Georgia came into the game undefeated, Florida was average at best. Georgia takes opening kickoff and scores in like 6 plays. Richt decides to get Shockley some PT and all the breaks changed. Georgia missed 3 field goals, and Terrance Edwards drop forever wrote his legacy in Athens.

Level XII: The Over Time
Definition: You lose in OT and walk straight out of the game without saying a word, there is silence in the first 2 hours of the car ride home.
Personal Memory: 2000 Tennessee lost in OT @ LSU. The pain Alabama must have felt in 03' in losing to Tennessee in 5 OT's would have been crushing...in Tuscaloosa, that was beautiful. The Ole Miss/Arkansas (what year was that?) would have produced legendary stories. The 96' Auburn/Georgia game deserves a shout-out here for being the first SEC OT game. Maybe the most painful would have been for those Miami fans after the 03' Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State, b/c they had already won the stankin' game.

Level XI: Dead Man Walking
Definition: Applies to any season in which your team remains "alive," but they just suffered a loss so catastrophic and so harrowing that there's no possible way they can bounce back. ... Especially disheartening because you wave the white flag mentally, but there's a tiny part of you still holding out hope for a miraculous momentum change. So you've given up, but you're still getting hurt, if that makes sense.
Personal Memory: 2005 Tennessee/Alabama....Tennessee was struggling coming in, but a win over #5 Alabama would have turned things around. Corey "Freakin'" (edited) Anderson Fumbled on the goaline with 1:30 to play, ball goes through the endzone....Alabama gets their only big play of game on a miracle catch....kicks field goal on last play of game. Tennessee's season was over that day in Tuscaloosa.
Good Example: In 2004, Florida was still alive against LSU in early october, they blew a 10 point lead in the last 4 minutes of the game at home, that was the beginning of the end for Zook. The next week they lost to Mississippi State and Zook was fired.

Level X: The Monkey Wrench
Definition: Any situation in which either (A) the coach or player of your team made an idiotic game decision or (B) a referee/umpire robbed your team of impending victory.
Player Example: 2004 Kentucky has Florida beat, just need to run out the clock. Jared Lorenzon is being sacked, as he is twisted down he tries to "throw the ball away"...it hit Jarvis Herring right in the hands going the other way...Florida won. Ironically, one week earlier Florida suffered some nasty controversy in knoxville.
Coaching Example: 2001 Auburn/Georgia....What was Mark Richt thinking trying to run the ball with no timeouts and :12 left on the clock, i don't care if your on the 3 yard line. The only people "suprised" were the Georgia fans?
Personal Memory: 2000 Jabar Gaffney's TD "catch" with :04 against Tennessee. Verne Lunquist and Todd Blackledge still talk about how horrible of a call that was. Also, 94' cocktail party when Florida "Called time-out" in the rain....don't bring that game up in good company.
Best Example: 1990 Colorado's 5 downs...it was a Big 8 game and I was still mad. 2006 Oklahoma/Oregon....worst call i've ever seen.

Level IX: The Full-Fledged Butt-Kicking
Definition: Sometimes you can tell right away when it isn't your team's day. ... And that's the worst part, not just the epiphany but everything that follows -- every botched play; every turnover; every instance where someone on your team quits; every "deer in the headlights" look; every time an announcer says, "They can't get anything going"; every shot of the opponents celebrating; every time you look at the score and think to yourself, "Well, if we score here and force a turnover, maybe we'll get some momentum," but you know it's not going to happen, because you're already 30 points down. ... You just want it to end, and it won't end. ... But you can't look away. ... It's the sports fan's equivalent to a three-hour torture session.
Recent Example: 2007 Tennessee/Florida....it was over when Brandon James ran a punt back with 13:44 in the first quarter. 2004 LSU/Georgia, big hyped up game that was over in 5 minutes. Georgia embarrassed the defending national champs.
Best example: 2006 BCS championship game, how painful that must have been for Buckeye fans. To turn the tables....Florida vs. Nebraska 1995.....2004 BCS championship game, If I was an Oklahoma fan, I would have left at half time...and driven straight to Norman. Also in 2001 BCS championship game, it couldn't have felt good for Nebraska fans to see Andre Johnson running down the field with no around him...and then to be down 34-0 at half time in a national championship game. I'll never forget Zolich's pregame comments "we deserve to be here".....yeah, ha!!

Level VIII: The "This Can't Be Happening"
Definition: The sibling of the Full-Fledged Butt-Kicking. You're supposed to win, you expect to win, the game is a mere formality. ... Suddenly your team falls behind, your opponents are fired up, the clock is ticking and it dawns on you for the first time, "Oh, my God, this can't be happening."
Recent Example: 2007 Auburn/Miss. State. One of my Auburn buddies sent me a text after the game that read "did that just happen....fire Tuberville", i'm glad to report that he's repented of that after last weekend. 2006 Georgia/Vanderbilt....the faces in the stands after that field goal said it all..."This can't be happening". 2003 Florida/Ole Miss in the swamp, just beautiful....One of my Florida friends threw his shoe at me when i gave him the 'gator chomp' after that.
Personal Memory: 1996 Tennessee/Memphis....Memphis gets a late hail mary miracle with :28 left by a gimpy QB to a WR who i'm sure got cut from his highschool team. I'm pretty sure I threw up after that game.

Level VII: The Drive-By Shooting
Definition: When your ranked in the top 5 and lose to I-AA team
Only Example: Hail to the Victor's vailant!!!!

Level VI: The Broken Axle
Definition: When something causes the wheels to come flying off in a big game, leading to a complete collapse down the stretch. You know when it's happening because (A) the home crowd pushes their team to another level, and (B) the team that's collapsing becomes afflicted with Deer-In-The-Headlitis.
Personal Memory: 2003 Tennessee/Georgia...3pt. game just before half time, Tennessee opts to go for six from the one yard line instead of kicking field goal on last play of the half....Clausen fumbles, Sean "What's his name" picked it up and ran 99 yards....Tennessee should have just stayed in the locker room at half time. I had to watch that crap as the only vol fan around 90 Georgia students...worst experience of my RUF internship.

Level V: The Role Reversal
Definition: Any rivalry in which one team dominated another team for an extended period of time, then the perennial loser improbably turned the tables. For the fans of the vanquished team, the most crushing part of the "Role Reversal" isn't the actual defeat as much as the loss of an ongoing edge over the fans from the other team. You lose the jokes, the arrogance and the unwavering confidence that the other team can't beat you.
Personal Example: Easily one of most painful losses ever to me, Tennessee/Georgia 2001...."P-44 Hayes" with :06 left. My dad and I were on the phone yelling and celebrating when Travis Stephens scored with :40 left, after Georgia scored....we didn't call each other back and we didn't talk for at least a week. This game elevated Georgia into the top tier of the SEC and changed the momentum of a dominated series. Georgia has dominated series since.
Classic Example: Georgia finally beating Florida in 97'....Also in 03' when Ole Miss beat Auburn at Auburn, i know it gave Brian lots of air to walk on and proved that Ole Miss was for real that year.
Recent Example: Texas FINALLY having an edge on Oklahoma, though it was done somewhat anti-climactically b/c when they turned it, they were so much better. Before 05' you just knew Texas wasn't going to beat Oklahoma, now it's a toss-up.

Level IV: The Guillotine
Definition: This one combines the devastation of The Broken Axle Game with sweeping bitterness and hostility. ... Your team's hanging tough (hell, they might even be winning), but you can feel the inevitable breakdown coming, and you keep waiting for the guillotine to drop, and you just know it's coming -- you know it -- and when it finally comes, you're angry that it happened and you're angry at yourself for contributing to the debilitating karma. ... These are the games when people end up whipping their remote controls against a wall or breaking their hands while pounding a coffee table.
Best Example: 2004 Alabama/Auburn, Alabama couldn't hang on but you could see it coming a mile away....2006 Tennessee/Georgia, Georgia's breakdown started with the second play of the second half....2004 Texas/Oklahoma State....as much as I hate them, this was 2005 USC/Notre Dame - you just knew USC was going to drive down and win that game.
Personal Memory: Tennessee/Florida 2006, Vols were winning whole game until Tebow came in and converted 4th and 1...Florida scored on next play to win game....My friend Alex Graham said "we just lost a game we controlled for 55 min.....but i never thought we were going to win."

Level III: The Stomach Punch
Definition: Any roller-coaster game that ends with (A) an opponent making a pivotal (sometimes improbable) play or (B) one of your guys failing in the clutch. Usually ends with fans filing out after the game in stunned disbelief, if they can even move at all. Always haunting, sometimes scarring.
Good Example: 1997 Nebraska/Missouri, what do u make of the "kick-catch". 1994 Michigan/Colorado...Kordell Stewart threw that ball 75 yards!!! That was painful even for Keith Jackson.
Best Example: 2004 LSU/Kentucky...fans storming the field, actually taking down the goalposts...and Devery Henderson running into those students as he crossed the endzone....best ever.
Personal Memory: 2006 LSU/Tennessee.....Vols had that game...4th and 8.....who would have thought Jamarcus Russell wouldn't choke, but threw the go ahead TD with :06? That game hurt to the core of your soul.

Level II: The Goose/Maverick Tailspin
Definition: A good team seems to be cruising through a season and then one game or one play seems to send the team into a downward spiral that will never end. It's all downhill after this one.
Best Example: Everytime Ohio State lossed to Michigan in the 90's....they were so finished by the bowl game.
Personal Memory: 1992 Tennessee is ranked #3 hosting a bad Arkansas team...Arkansas kicked a field goal on last play of game to win....Tennessee then lost three in a row and eventually Johnny Majors was fired...sandwiched in those losses was ANOTHER frappin' loss to Alabama. It felt like you were drowning and forgot how to swim.

Level I: That Game
Definition: That one dadgum game that words cannot describe the misery, the loathing, the seemingly eternal agony that follows this game.
Personal Memory: 1990 Tennessee/Alabama....Tennessee is ranked #2 coming off a 45-3 win over Florida, Alabama is unranked and comes in having lossed to memphis...Alabama had won 6 in a row coming into the game....with :15 left Tennessee is lining up to kick winning field goal, Alabama blocks it and it rolls backwards 50 yards....Alabama kicks field goal on last play of game to win. My dad lost a loyal patient that day when he refused to go to his office afterwards. Our friend Bill walked out of our house w/o saying bye or thanking us for having him over. My dad proceeded to take the tape (we were taping the game anticpating a memorable win over Alabama) and stomped on it in the driveway to a million pieces. We still talk about this and immediately begin banging my head on the cabinet in disgust.

Best Example: You tell me..........Share your own.

New SE hall of fame inductee

2007-09-26T23:26:00.001-04:00

The amount of media coverage that this press conference tyraid has recieved has in no way been overblown. I'm a few days behind on this, but Mike Gundy is certainly now in the Sweet Emotion Hall of Fame. He is our kind of man. His reasons for induction are:

1) He put the media back in it's place. The media attempts to exercise too much power and have more of a voice in spors than the sport itself is willing to hear. It controls way too much and thinks they know more than they do. He totally put them in their place.

2) He humiliated a woman who attempted to write an article about football

3) He proved women know nothing about football and shouldn't be allowed to have a public voice in it.

4) He defended his players and protected them.....by lashing out on an idiot woman

5) He reminded us again of all the great press conference flip-outs by coaches

"you play to win the game"...."they were who we thought they were!!"..."playoffs?? playoffs?"..."F*&% those f*&%$' fans who come out here and say they're Cub fans that are supposed to be behind you rippin' every F*&%$' thing you do"..."practice dawg, not a game, we talkin' bout practice"..."we couldn't do diddley poo on offense, we sucked, we got our a@$ kicked"..."I'm gonna KILL YOU!"..."put that in your pipe and smoke it!"..."the kids are playing their tails off and the coaches are screwing it up!"..

Where does Gundy's ramp rank in the history of outbursts??

Quote of the week

2007-09-21T10:59:00.001-04:00

My friend Kurt Cooper alerted me to this quote from the one and only Ted Nugent

Ted Nugent, rock star, NRA board member, and avid bow hunter from Michigan, was being interviewed by a French journalist and animal rights activist. The discussion came around to deer hunting.

The journalist asked, 'What do you think is the last thought in the head of a deer before you shoot him? Is it, 'Are you my friend?' or is it 'Are you the one who killed my brother?'

Nugent replied, 'Deer aren't capable of that kind of thinking. All they care about is, 'What am I going to eat next, (something here removed for our younger viewers), and can I run fast enough to get away. They are very much like the French.'

Rumor Mill

2007-09-18T22:42:00.000-04:00

After what has quickly become known as the "debacle in Gainesville", the Vol nation is in complete uproar. There is a frustration that far suceeds anything in the recent past. After a terrible 5-6 season in 2005, many Vol fans were frustrated but had much hope and faith that Fulmer could turn things around. Randy Sanders was fired, and ironically has quickly help turn around a Kentucky offense while Tennessee has stayed the same, and a return to the top was seen as a near possibility. All that is now gone, the faithful Fulmer fans are gone and are overwhelmingly convinced it is time for change. The rumors floating around now are that if Tennessee loses to Georgia, Fulmer is out at the end of the season. A loss to Alabama and he may be let go the following week. The truth is that Tennessee is not "on it's way down" nor is it a "sinking ship" - it is already a sunken ship, it is already down - Tennessee and much of the media has just been in denial. The saying goes "if your thirsty, it's b/c your already dehydrated."

So what would be next for the Vols? There are names being tossed around, but they are all rumors. For the sake of blogging, i'll share what's been going around. Bill Cower is one of the first names being tossed around. It is reported today that the Tennessee AD gave him a tour of the university, though i don't think that is directly related to him as a possible replacement but they are good friends. John Gruden is another name, he was an assistant there when he was younger and met his wife in knoxville (her family is there). It's not hard to realize he's getting bored in Tampa. Chris Richardson at Boise State is another name being tossed around, he has no connections - but is a young and successful coach. And this is totally second hand (i cannot emphasize this enough), a friend of mine is close buds with an assistant coach at Georgia Tech and he claims Steve Spurrier is interested in the job. I have no belief or thoughts on that, but it's just what i was told. All together, it's time for a change.

On another level and connection I have, the eagles fans (big shock here....) are growing tired of McNabb and Andy Reid. If things continue the way they are, don't be suprised to see McNabb on the bench in as little as 2 weeks. It is being said he is no better than 70% healthy right now. If the Eagles don't make the playoffs, the Andy Reid era will be over and it is likely McNabb will be cut. Things don't look good for the Eagles, the easiest part of their schedule is the beginning and they are 0-2 and (I can't believe I'm about to say this.........) about to host a hot Detroit Lions team.

Anyone else got any rumors????????????????????

At it again

2007-09-14T15:07:00.001-04:00

If you are tired of Lou Holtz, I am sorry. I know we have pointed out 43,000 ridiculous things that he said over the past year and a half. You would think the law of repetition (did I just make up that law?) would kick in at some point and I would cease to be amazed at his comments. However, last night during halftime of the West Virginia game, I found myself laughing out loud again and then rewinding on Tivo to make sure my ears had heard his statement correctly. He reached 43,001 ridiculous comments in startling fashion.

Surprise, Surprise, the folk at ESPN were talking about the Michigan/Notre Dame game. In the process of gabbing back and forth, Lou took center stage and said (I am paraphrasing because direct quotes are just too hard to remember from him: "If Notre Dame loses and starts out 0-3, I just don't see anyway they can get back to a BCS bowl for the third straight year."

Is anyone else in the world honestly thinking Notre Dame still has a shot at a BCS bowl if they can just get by Michigan. I think I saw his counterparts even start giggling at his comment. Wow!

Have a good weekend folks!

Cheaters

2007-09-12T11:16:00.000-04:00

Whoops

I already can't stand the Patriots and this morning gave me one more good reason to continue those feelings. The New England Patriots were caught video taping the NY Jet's signals. Now, I'm sure many excuse the actions because "everybody does it." Whether that is true or not, I have no clue. All I know is that the Patriots were caught cheating and it gives me one more reason to cheeer against them. As if the Pat's being caught wasn't enought, the way they were trapped was even more humorous. Apparently Bill Belichick was a jerk to Eric Mangini back in the day (big surprise). In return, Eric kindly tipped off the Jets on Bill's signal stealing system.

I want to know your thoughts. Should they be punished? Is it that big of a deal? I hope the commish sticks it to them, but maybe that is just sour grapes.

Mountains and Valleys

2007-09-09T22:46:00.000-04:00

For a college football fan, there is nothing better than a win and nothing worse than a loss. After a big win you become convinced your team can run the table and that the gameday crew is going to give you lots of props. But after a loss, it's time to fire the coach. Within a matter of 7 days, you can go from a total high to rock bottom.

An opening season loss (like the one I went through with Tennessee) is about the most dissapointing thing for a fan. All those hours of internet page reading, research, catching the daily radio programs, following ESPN hoping they mention your teams name, spending more money than you should on pre-season magazines..all of it feels in vain, like a complete waist. You just want the season to be over, imagining none of this ever happened. Fire the coach...our players suck....is there any NFL team I can cheer for......where is the jack daniels?.......bring on basketball. The pessimism is exagerrated to the umpth degree. You wonder if your team can beat anybody. You can't turn on your computer, have no desire to watch ESPN, and avoid talk radio like the plague...in fact you pop in a CD you find in your glove-compartment to get your mind off of football. NCAA 2008 on X-box or playstation is out of the question. A round of golf sounds really good about now. It's usually thursday or friday before you can even check espn.com again.

But......

A win the next week (like Tennessee did saturday) turns everything around. The optimism returns. The desire to read EVERY POSSIBLE message board and remotely related football page returns. Phone calls go out left and right, in fact you even 'call in' to your favorite radio program to give your two cents on a never-ending pointless conversation. Why in the crap does ESPN not have the highlights of our game in the little video box? If you taped the game, you re-watch it 3-4 times during the week. Their is enormous excitement for the next game, probably too much. You smile at more people, treat your wife a bit better, tip your waitress an extra dollar or two. The air smells better, it seems like you find parking meters with 30-45 minutes still on them.

The point is that it is certainly exagerrated. Some fans (Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss) are now in the dumps, experiencing solid first week wins and then frustrating 2nd week losses. Cheer up, a lot of football left to play. By wednesday or thursday it'll be ok, you'll start reading web pages and stuff again. What makes it soo good is not how awesome it feels to win, but how pissed you get when you lose.

So drink your sorrows away, make your nasty phone calls, write your mean emails, or boycott....but come thursday or friday, get on the wagon again. It's football season, get into it. There is no greater hobby for a man.

NFL Smackdown

2007-09-07T11:41:00.001-04:00

I don't know how Reggie Bush ever got up from this or even decided to come back this season.

NFL preview

2007-09-07T11:28:00.001-04:00

While we don't spend as many thoughts or hours reading and discussing the NFL, it's here. Instead of a full-blown preview, we'll just share a few thoughts on the upcoming season.

- How is John Kitna still in the NFL? Again, Matt Millen has a real eye for talent.

- I think the Patriots have become the New York Yankees of the NFL. Signing used up players with all-star name potential. After the Yankees started buying everyone they stopped winning championships...i hope the same is the case with the evil patriots, emperor Billichick, and their bastard children in L.A., They become the most obnoxious franchise since the 1989 Detroit Pistons

- Ladanian Tomlison is a fantasy football dream, Norv Turner is football fan's nightmare. Can all of San Diego's talent overcome his incompetance?

- Rex Grossman is still with the bears...unbelievable, yet their division is pathetic.

- Larry Johnson will be so overused that he will retire or die by the end of the season.

- The Raiders sign Michael Vick in October after starting 0-6, there is a huge protest just across the rainbow bay.

- Eli Manning must take his game to the next level, Donnovan McNabb needs to play one season w/o getting hurt, Tony Romo needs to be consistent, and the Washington Redskins just need some talent.

- Bobby Petrino watches Louiville go undefeated and Brian Brohm throw 50 touchdowns, while he tries to win with Joey Harringon and no WR's. To boost team spirit, Fans suggest the team wear gold chains on their uniforms. Each day he walks to his office, "What the Hell was I thinking coming to the ATL?"

- Carolina wins 3 in a row, loses 4 in a row, wins 3 in a row, loses 5 in a row. And then they realize that Jake Delhome is their QB...oops

NFC Playoff teams: Cowboys, Eagles, Saints (despite lastnight), Rams, Bears, 49ers

AFC Playoff teams: Chargers, Patriots, Ravens, Colts, Titans, Jets

NFC Championship: Cowboys over Bears

AFC Championship: Ravens over Colts

Super Bowl: Ravens over Cowboys

As for last night, was that the NFL season opener or the Peyton Manning show? Good commercials but come one....but then he threw 3 TD's and it seemed OK. Don't worry Brian, Saints will be OK i think. Think Vick saw the game last night??

Lou Holtz: Take Two

2007-09-04T11:17:00.000-04:00

Can't get anything past this guy

While everyone else was overwhelmed by the Appalachian State victory this Saturday, Lou Holtz simply had this to say in the post-game. "The Appalachian State victory over Michigan wasn't even an upset." Week in week out he never ceases to disappoint.

Surprises from the weekend:

1) Tennessee's performance. I really was hoping for another SEC dominated game. I was sincerely disappointed. Alas, I did hear about some vintage Cutcliffe. 4th and goal from the four, let's throw a 2 yard out to our runningback.

2) Auburn's poor performance - looks like their defense must carry them all the way.

3) Texas

4) Lou Holtz was allowed on camera yet again.

5) Seth Adams first drive with the Rebels. He actually looked poised and actually threw for more yards than Schaeffer did in a game last year. No promises for the future but....

6) My computer locked up in our fantasy football draft last night. I had the number one pick and so didn't fret too much believing that my computer would draft Ladainian Tomlinson anyway. Much to my surprise it read as follows: Who Dat (my team name) drafted Laurence Maroney. Probably the only person in the world that took him with my first pick.

Lazy Moments

2007-08-30T11:01:00.000-04:00

Ever had those moments where you look up and realize "Wow, that was a lazy move." I had one of those the other day and just wanted to share my experience and make sure I'm not alone out there.

1) I was texting (yes, I am an avid texter) on my phone, and came to a word that was not in "predictive text." Instead of taking the 7 seconds to type in the new word, I spent 10 seconds thinking of a different word that would surely be in predictive text. Yes, a nice lazy move.

2) Ever not watched TV because you couldn't find the remote?

3) Ever watched a TV show you weren't interested in because you didn't want to take the time to find the remote and change the channel?

4) Ever decided not to read an e-mail because it was over 2 paragraphs long?

5) Ever chosen to stay in bed while severely having to go to the bathroom? You struggle and fight trying to go back to sleep, but finally after a miserable 25 minutes you get up, take three minutes to go to the bathroom, and then fall back to sleep.

Anyway, just wanted to throw those back out there. Football season begins tonight!

p.s. Great article today by Albert Mohler and Mother Theresa's doubts that have everyone going wild. Take the 4 minutes to read it...well worth the time.

Prediction time

2007-08-28T10:43:00.000-04:00

I think its safe to say that everybody woke up with a little skip in their step Monday morning. The sun was a little brighter and birds were fluttering outside the window. Why? Because college football season is finally here. Goodbye Baseball dominated Sportscenter. And now, without further delay, here are Sweet Emotion’s predictions in alphabetical order for the strongest conference in the NCAA.
SEC EAST
Florida
Alex – 2nd . We all know about Florida’s recruiting classes, but the
experience factor again is significant. I'll say both Tenn. and Fla go 6-2 with a tie for the eastern division championship.
Brian – 3rd. The National Champs have a rough season by their standards (great by my beloved Rebels standards). With losses to Tennessee and Florida, they fall to 3rd. They will find that it was just too much to replace the defense of last year.

Georgia
Alex – 3rd. I see a possible 3-way tie like we had in 2003, but maybe more like a 2-way tie. If i go with a two-way tie, The first team I eliminate is Georgia. Simply b/c they have so many "wildcards", their offensive and defensive lines are all brand new. I'm sure talent is there, but relatively speaking, lack of experience makes me not want to put
my $ on them.
Brian – 2nd. Matthew Stafford will have a breakout year and Georgia will finally break past Florida. Georgia is too solid all-around, but will just barely come up short of the SEC championship game as usual

Kentucky
Alex – 5th. Kentucky won't be able to handle the hype of
another possible 6 win season.
Brian – 5th. Andre Woodson will enable the Cats to play some close games with the big boys, but they will still be Big Blue

South Carolina
Alex – 4th . South Carolina will be a disaster with all the off-field distractions and suspensions. All the talented recruits did not get in school, 4-5 SEC wins at best.
Brian – 4th. I want to see Spurrier win, the conference is always more fun when he does. However, playing in the East will prove just too tough for him this year. He’ll get a big win, but will slip up over a team he should beat as well.

Tennessee
Alex – 1st . Tennessee has the least amount of 'mystery' in the division, they have experience everywhere but WR.
Brian – 1st. This is the year of Tennessee. No surprise Coach Fulmer has his star runningback on the field for the first game despite some undisclosed conduct issues. Erik Ainge will have a terrific year and Tennessee will pull off a one loss SEC season.

Vanderbilt
Alex – 6th. Vanderbilt will live in the basement...again.
Brian – 6th. The Dores show their gold again, finish last in the east, but first in team GPA

SEC West
The way Alex sent me his picks, I have to leave it in paragraph format. So I will make my picks and then follow with his remarks
.
1) LSU – Too much talent on both sides of the ball. Even Les Miles can’t screw this one up. And some inside sources tell me the new offensive coordinator will make sure enough points are put on the board. Look for an undefeated season from the Tigers.

2) Auburn – With only 2 losses, it will be a good season for the Tigers. They are solid all around, but with gimpy Brandon Cox at quarterback, they just can’t do it.

3) Alabama – I hate even picking this one. I would love nothing more than to see Saban finish last in the west…but the west is just too weak this year. So, while it will not be year two thousand Saban, they will still end the season with an annoyingly third place finish.

4) Ole Miss – Put on your red and blue tinted glasses for this one. A strong offensive and defensive line will keep the Rebels in games they have no business hanging around in. And with a win over Alabama and Arkansas they pull off 4th place. However, with Seth Adams at quarterback it will not be pretty

5) Arkansas – Darren McFadden is a freak. However, in the SEC he won’t be able to handle the full load of Arkansas expectations. Expect a great season from Darren and a sub-par performance from the rest of the team. The Nutthouse will keep flashing his fingers on the sidelines though.

6) Miss State – The beating will begin on Thursday night and just carry through the rest of the season. This might be it for Coach Croom.

Alex
SEC west story: So much talk about how incredible LSU will be. For the sake of an interesting post, I'll go against the grain. Here's why: While they have tons of talent, it is nowhere as talented as they have been the past two years - and they couldn't win a championship. I don't buy all the confidence about Matt Flynn. He had one good game against a Miami team
that cared nothing about playing in a peach bowl and simply laid down. The game before that, he was AWFUL against Georgia in the SEC championship game. Les Miles will find a way for them to lose 2 SEC games again. Arkansas (despite what their
'deliverance-like' fans say) will be a disaster. Darren McFadden will not win the heisman, and may get injured. Every team will be gunning for him, spying him, and seeking to knock him out of games. The media-hype will get to him, the off-field distractions with Houston Nutt, the injuries, etc...a losing season awaits them. My pick for the SEC west will be Auburn
at 7-1. Good defense and good coaching will get them back to Atlanta. Bama will improve, but won't win more than 8 games. Miss State will be terrible, worse than Vandy, and take home the SEC's "big ten" team of the year.

SEC Championship
Alex - If Tennessee gets to the championship game, Vols beat Auburn. If Florida gets to the championship game, Auburn revenges an earlier
season loss and wins.
Brian – LSU and Tennessee battle it out with LSU taking it home.

National Championship
Brian – Not original at all, but LSU vs. USC. LSU proves the SEC dominance again as ESPN doesn’t know what to do with their “greatest teams of all time” honors already being handed to USC before the game.
Alex - USC vs. West Virginia (USC wins)

Other notes:

Alex - Houston Nutt will get fired in November...Bama' fans will be outraged with only 7 wins...Michigan will lose to Ohio State again...Notre
Dame wins 6 games...Wisconsin wins Big 10....Even with Notre Dame starting out 1-5, Lou Holtz is still convinced the Irish can turn it around to win 10 games.....Texas beats Oklahoma and wins Big 12.....Holtz is shocked to learn that Notre Dame will not play 15 regular season games...Miami vs. Florida State becomes one of the most meaningless games of the season....Lou Holtz' slur becomes so bad, ESPN begins
to insert sub-titles during his comments....

Brian – Tim Tebow is annoyingly hyped every week by ESPN. Darren McFadden will set an SEC single game rushing record…. And Lou Holtz mysteriously “disappears” from the booth halfway through the season and ESPN acts like he was never apart of their cast from the beginning.

The Curse Of Madden

2007-08-24T10:52:00.000-04:00

The legend continues to build regarding the Madden Curse. For those who are a little foggy when it comes to this term, let me jog your memory. It is a haunting trend that every time a player appears on the cover of the EA Sports game "John Madden Football", he proceeds to have a rough year to say the least. Let's take a quick glance at some past victims of the Madden Cover. You must understand that Madden "2000" would cover the 99-00 year of football.

1999 - Garrison Hearst - in 1998, Garrison had the best season of his career by rushing for over 1500 yards. The curse of Madden appears to be avoided until as Madden would say "Boom", he suffers an ankle break in the playoffs.

2000- Barry Sanders - He retired before the season started. I think he just didn't want what he knew was coming. In response, EA sports released a cover with Dorsey Levins. How did Dorsey perform? He gained less than 300 total yards from scrimmage. Ouch.

2002 - Daunte Culpepper - After a career year, the year of his Madden fame, Culpepper throws 13 interceptions in his first 11 games and then was sidelined the rest of the year with a back injury.

2004 - Michael Vick - Let's just say the cover came slamming down on Vick. He suffered a pre-season fracture to his right fibula. By the time he returned, the Falcons were out of the playoff hunt.

2006 - Donavan McNabb - By now, you would think people would have learned. McNabb's appearance on the cover earned him a hernia followed by season ending surgery.

2007 - Shaun Alexander - After one of the greatest statistical seasons from a running back, the "curse" breaks his foot, taking him out of 6 games and forcing his first sub 1,000 yard season.

2008 - Vince Young - Thank goodness it wasn't one of my New Orleans Saints. Seeing Drew Brees go down with a broken clavicle would have done me in. Is the curse true? Who knows, but I don't think you will see my drafting Vince in my fantasy league. Unfortunately with Jake Plummer retired, I don't know who I will gamble with this year. It was always exciting to get "Snake Bitten" towards the end of the year.

On a further note, the Madden Curse looks to carry over into more serious territory. Mike Vick appears to be pleading guilty and most likely will spend some time in jail. People will playfully blame it on the curse?. However, it should come as no surprise that so many of our cultural icons who appear to "have it all," seem never to be satisfied. Most would think that an endless supply of money along with national and worldwide fame would most certainly bring satisfaction. Yet, if that were the case, then the people of the United States would be the most joyful and content people in all of history. But, our culture is plagued with a bass note of discontent. It's not a new problem, Ecclesiastes reminds us that outside of Christ it is all "vanity of vanities! All is vanity." True satisfaction and joy is only found only as we live according to our Maker's design. Which at the end of Ecclesiastes is summed up with his conclusion "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."

P.S. Look for Sweet Emotion's college football picks coming Monday or Tuesday. Yes men...it's that time.

one flew over the cuckoo's nest

2007-08-21T11:15:00.000-04:00

Al Gore claimed to have invented the internet. Dr Evil claimed that his father invented the question mark. George Costanza claimed to have "artistic integrity". Sheryl Crow claimed we can slow down global warming by whiping with one sheet of toilet paper. And now, Lou Holtz has claimed that Notre Dame is a top ten team with real BCS potential. Holtz doesn't need counseling or anything like that, he needs a whole team of doctors. like at the university level, classes need to be dedicated to studying and analyzing the words that come out of his mouth. Somebody could write a valuable disertation on the outrageous claims of Lou Holtz and their meaning. Let's compile all of his recent statements that deserve a double take (that would include most of them). Please list any outrageous claims worth noting, especially one's by the old raisin behind the ESPN desk.

The Sweep

2007-08-16T12:10:00.000-04:00

With college football season looming on the horizon, I wanted to get in another game show ranking before I am too late. Yes, I know the top ten game shows of all time (ranked by Sweet Emotion) has rumbled along as fast a Grant Heard 30 yard touchdown run (you Ole Miss fans know what I'm talking about). None the less, I now continue a look into the world of game shows and announce the #7 game show of all time.

7) Supermarket Sweep - It's the only reason that any sweet emotion reader should have ever tuned into "Lifetime." Supermarket Sweep (SS) was made famous in 1990 for its fast paced grocery store action, and middle America appeal.

Host: (rating 7) David Ruprecht. Some might protest David getting an equal rating with the likes of Pat Sajak, however, David's unintentional comedy level soars his score way up. David had catchy lines, a permanent smile, and changing hair color. His compassion always showed forth after a failed Bonus Sweep. The upset team would walk back to David and then he would kindly walk them down the aisle to the winning product. Upping David's score was also his catchy ending soundoff, "When you hear the beep, think of all the fun you can have on Supermarket Sweep."

Game Format: (rating 7). In the show, three teams, usually married couples (although my brother and I could have kicked some tail) competed in a series of grocery based quiz questions. Then based on the teams performance, time is awarded for the "Big Sweep." During the Big Sweep, one shopper from each team ran wild through the aisles accruing as much pricey goods as possible. The shopper who spent the most (don't forget the 20 dollar turkeys) went on to the final round. If the game format was only rated based on the Big Sweep then the rating would be much higher. However, the round robin and other quiz games brought down the score. A question about the "Big Sweep:" Did anyone ever grab the fresh fruit or vegetables?

Grand Finale: (rating 6.5) The grand finale was known as the "Bonus Sweep." The team had 60 seconds to find 3 products based on various clues. Usually, the show ended with a gut wrenching search for the final product that everyone watching tv could see, but the contestants somehow missed. I usually got frustrated with the team's performance, but I did appreciate how seemingly few people completed the task. The "fan of money" on the last product was a nice display. My only negative for the bonus sweep was my growing frustration with the contestants poor performance.

Overall: (rating 6.9) A unique idea for a game combined with fast paced action and an above average host brought our TV sets a classic game show. The mandated sweaters with a built in collar, inflatable bonuses, and the ever evolving chances to earn more money in the big sweep (roasting coffee, etc) all kept the show exciting. What watcher of this who has never thought about the game show while hurrying through your local grocery store. Now that Lifetime no longer carries "Supermarket Sweep" I can return to my manly ban on the station. Who can forget the cheesy beginning where a product was called and the possessor of that product came running down the steps. A poor imitation of "come on down", but again the unintentional comedy was worth it.

Star Wars Hermeneutics

2007-08-13T11:44:00.000-04:00

I watched 'Jedi' the other day and had a kind of "ahah" moment. I had a kind of capernican revolution that I will subject to further criticism. When Luke is before the Emperor watching the rebel fleet get ambushed, he is being taunted and encouraged to pick up his light saber and strike down the emperor. This act of "anger" (as the Emperor describes it) will be his path to the darkside. Being provoked more and more, Luke reaches for his lightsaber and attempts to strike down the Emperor - only he is stopped by Darth Vador blocking the strike with his sith-colored red lightsaber. Here is where my thoughts pondered, Was Vador's action an attempt to protect the emperor from Luke....OR....was it an attempt to protect Luke from the Emperor? Was he protecting his master from being destroyed or his son from joining the dark side?

I have some reasons that could seem to go either way, but I pose the question to be discussed.

Why I love Capitalism

2007-08-11T11:26:00.000-04:00

I could write paragraphs on why I love Capitalism. However, I will just have a show and tell.

Michael Vick Dog Chew Toy

The newest T-Shirt from PETA haters.

Only in a capitalistic society could these kind of of things sell in an open market. I love it.

No big surprise in the PGA tour. Tiger Woods is tying course records and will continue to mow down the competition the rest of the weekend. No doubt the highlight has been John Daly's performance. I can only hope he stays competitive through the weekend. When John is playing well, the humor level of the tournament rises exponentially. Where else can you see a golfer smoke a cigarrette per hole and down a diet coke every other one. He ended the day Thursday with some priceless quotes including but not limited to: "I am in better shape than Tiger."

Football season is in the air. Watch closely for Sweet Emotion's predictions.

The Real King

2007-08-08T11:30:00.000-04:00

Oh Hank, we adore you and salute you as the real home run king. Suck on it Bonds, and we hate the people of San Francisco.

...we also salute the Babe for doing it on beer and hot dogs....

weather thoughts

2007-08-07T23:38:00.000-04:00

It's late and i am randomly thinking. We've had some really Hot and Humid weather up here in Philadelphia this week. It's been in the upper 90's all week. The news up here is so over the top with how they handle this. Hot weather will be the lead story on the news....ahead of 2 to 3 murders, a robbery, or any national news. Today they actually discouraged people from going outside and kept "reminding" people to drink water. What do they think we are doing outside? running marathons and digging ditches? This heat was like every summer day in Georgia, and i imagine the same throughout Mississippi and most of the south. Down there, if it's gonna be 99 tommorow they say "well, it's gonna be warm again tommorow." These people up here are freaking out. It's like they think there's an invasion or something. Just get a frappin' pool.

Putting on a Clinic

2007-08-05T23:34:00.000-04:00

There are times when Tiger Woods is impressive and then there are days like today where he puts on an absolute clinic and begins to play at a different level than anyone has dared go. What made the day even more mouth dropping was the manner in which he did it. He played alongside Rory Sabatini and toyed with him like a cat with a crippled mouse. In case you missed it, Sabatini was quoted a few months ago as saying "Tiger is more beatable now than ever, I like the new Tiger." Of course that ticked Tiger off, and so he took great pleasure in not just beating Sabatini but delicately taking him apart hole by hole. Get this, Tiger started the day one shot back and won by 8 shots...8 shots. Sabatini struggled, hacking it all over the course - Tiger watched all day with a small smirk out of the corner of his mouth. When Sabatini putted, Woods "pretended" to be occupied with cleaning his cleats or leaning carelessly on his putter. It was all intentional, every little action was meant to personify "I'm kicking your butt...and enjoying it." Tiger finished the day as the only player in the tournament under par, he shot 65 to Sabatini's 74, he chipped in twice from the fringe, hit almost 80% of the greens in regulation, didn't make a bogey, and most impressive -- he did not miss a put inside 8 feet all week. From puts 8 feet or less, he was 100%!! After 12 holes Nick Faldo said that they should pause for a time of silence in honor of Sabatini's funeral procession. Tiger ripped a drive on 8 so far, David Fehrety said "that's vaporized." The whole round was simultaneously mindboggling and funny.

The PGA championship is this week at Southern Hills. The recent memory there is the 2001 U.S. Open, Retief Goosen missed a short putt on 18 and had to win it in a playoff next day. Tulsa, Oklahoma is going to be very hot and humid. Golf fans desperately need someone worthy to win the tournament, this is turning out to be one of the lamest group of major winners of all time. On thursday/Friday the Masters/U.S. Open/British Open champs play in a group together. Compare this: last year the group was Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and Geoff Ogilvy - this year it is Zack Johnson, Angel Cabrera, Padrig Harrington. While last year everyone followed the champions group, i think it will be pretty barren.

I love the PGA, they've chosen really great courses in recent past - had the best champions (last three have been Tiger, Phil, and Vijah) - and produced exciting finishes. As much as they are pushing the Fed-Ex Cup playoffs, this tournament really brings the season to a close and moves over for pre-season football. I implore you to tune in to CBS next weekend, maybe our summer will finally get a decent champion. Any thoughts on the PGA or potential champs...other than Tiger, think a little.

Ramblings

2007-08-02T16:01:00.001-04:00

Oh the wide range of topics we cover here in our sweet emotion world...from circus peanuts, to the Pac-10 to the NFL...let me throw out a couple of Michael Vick comments

Michael Vick - I would like to hear from our two frequent readers what they think about this sticky situation. Personally, the first time I heard about it I thought it was no big deal. But it appears the more they dig into the situation, the worse it looks for ole Mr. Vick. I think ultimately he will end up just having to pay some sort of fine...but his co-defendant pleading guilty might change my opinion. One thing is for sure, this season his playing time is going to be severely diminished. On the bright side, the Falcons now turn to Joey Harrington...oh wait. Don't be surprised if you hear Joe Horn volunteering his services at the quarterback position. I love Joe Horn, and for him it will be just more opportunities to get the ball into the right man's hands.

Is it just me or is the outrage at Vick a little out of proportion. Don't miss what I am saying. If Michael participated in the brutal crime of dog fighting then he should be punished. However, as I heard one person point out... was there this big of an uproar when Ray Lewis allegedly was involved in killing a man? Were people protesting the streets? Sometimes it appears that people are more outraged with animal abuse than human abuse.

On another note, is anyone else sick of ESPN ramming David Beckham down our throats? Does anyone else feel that they are trying their best to make us care about MLS soccer? One more example of how out of touch they sometimes are. Please stop.

Oh and...I'm not sure I'm going to the Auburn-Ole Miss pre-game anymore. Did not know eagle's could do this.

Pac 10, good conference?? good whiners!!

2007-07-29T22:10:00.000-04:00

Other than when it had the BCS national championship game, I really don't give a crap about the Rose Bowl. It's not a grandaddy or anything special, it's just another new years day game that I watch. On ESPN radio (LA) today it was reported PAC 10 commissioner Tom Hansen threatens to pull the conference from the BCS if there is a "plus one" playoff system (as being considered). Hansen, and presumably the PAC 10, likes the current bowl system. What a bunch of pathetic babies. These are the actions of 10 year olds. If I don't get my way..I don't wanna play. In 2000 Hansen threatned that if Oregon State was left out of the Fiesta Bowl, they would withdraw from the BCS. The fact that that is even an option is absurd. No NCAA basketball teams threatens to "not compete" if they don't get a good seed or if the field expanded or shrunk. I'm so sick of these commissioners speaking on behalf of the players. I know the players don't like the current system. Who can forget that picture of Matt Leinart wearing his "F*&% the BCS" t-shirt while riding a bike. I don't know if the plus-one system is the way to go, but the so called "threat" due to possible discussions is beyond pathetic. You know what Tom Hansen, go ahead. Just let USC go independent and you can take the rest of your crappy conference and do whatever with it. Play in your pretty little Rose Bowl.

...man it feels good to start talking about college football, fall practice starts this friday!!

a round with Will

2007-07-24T13:12:00.000-04:00

Connell Barrett (writer for Golf Magazine) recently had the priveledge of playing a round with Will Ferrell and his college frat buddies. He documented the day and published it in this month's issue. What a priveledge it must have been. Here is a summary of it:

Will begins the day by walking up to the tee and proudly proclaiming "I'm currently 127,000th in the world...Tiger can hear my footsteps. He knows I'm coming for him. This is my secret weapon." Will then cradles his treasured 4-wood with a sweet-spot the size of a postage stamp. "She's a bee-yoot. I keep her in the bag to psyche out my opponents. Make's them think I'm 87 years old. this baby is goin in the Smithsonian."

As he 'warms up', Barrett begins the interview, "Hey Will, what's your power secret?" Ferrell responds "Every morning I put a half cup of steroids into my Sanka. And I grip the club as hard as I possibly can, until I see the whites of my knuckles." Barrett follows up with, "What about your first-tee Jitters?" Chauvinistically, Will says "Simple. Before my opening drive, I throw up for two minutes in the bushes. That calms me right down."

A round with Will is much like it would be in a movie, full of sarcastic skits throughout the round. Ferrell doesn't get to play much, but he only plays with his college Frat bro's. It's just a normal eight-some - Ferrell says "yeah, it really speeds up the play." They joke around, drink lots of beers, and shed clothes throughout the round. Ferrell says, "yeah, we don't get asked to play much anywhere...I can't figure out why?"

As he stands on the tee, he makes good contact hitting a good 240 yard fade down the right side of the fairway. "Sweet mother's milk!" he yells. "Right from the teat!" But oh no, it's in the middle of the fairway. Will walks to his ball and says "This lie always gives me trouble, I'm never here." He then shanks his approach 50 yards short of green into a downhill bunker. Barrett says "Will, you know this is the hardest shot in golf, right?" Ferrell says "Yeah, and I love it. I relish the opportunity...hahah....how do i hit this?" As he finally reaches the green, he stands over a 20 foot putt and then asks "Is this a par 8 or par 9?" His friends respond, "Par 9". "Sweet," Ferrell responds, "Then this is for eagle!"

As they walk off the green, Ferrell sulks b/c he three-putted "for par." He notices an unmistakable white and orange storefront sign glaring in the near distance, a sign only found on a public course. "hey, anybody want anything from Home Depot? A circular saw? Power drill? It's on Golf magazine?"

The group jokes around the entire round, with Ferrell performing bits throughout. But all his friends say that is is Will 'just being Will'. One friend says "he's always been like this, ever since I've known him." In fact, Ferrell testifies that it was his fraternity brothers who urged him into acting. They say he was constantly pulling stuff that made every laugh hard enough, that they urged him to do full time. At USC homecoming one year (at the Coliseum mind you) he showed up in only a bath robe stumbled down to the front row swigging a bottle of tequila (it was actually apple juice) and kept shouting "GO TROJANS! RUUUUUUUUN! RUUUUUUN!!" Another time many of his friends were in an English Literature class together. The professor was lecturing on something boring and they hear a knock on the door. Ferrell walks in wearing a janitor's uniform, welding goggles, a hard hat, big rubber gloves, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, and holding a bucket. He said, "Someone puking in here? I got a call someone puked!"

Ferrell is the same in person as he is on the screen. He never leaves character, in fact his frat bro's just drag it out more with him. He's a classy guy with them, never flaunting anything or boasting in his success. In fact one of Will's friends is a cancer survivor who lost both of his legs from the illness. Will befriended him throughout and plays with him to help raise money for cancer awareness. As they play the round, Will's cancer surviving friend Craig Pollard wins the most skins and takes home the big pot. He sunk a put on the 16th to seal the win. "Not bad," Ferrell says. "Think how good you'd be if you had your feet!"

Did I just throw up in my mouth

2007-07-20T16:43:00.001-04:00

It's unpatriotic to call this food a "candy"

For some reason the thought of a circus peanut crossed my mind today. Has there ever been a more disgusting candy invented? It's almost heretical to call a circus peanut a piece of candy. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought candy usually implied that as you chew it a deightful smile emerges on your face. Instead, when i put a circus peanut in my mouth, the look on my face can be likened to what would happen if I saw the end of a Michael Vick dog fight. Not only does it taste like a piece of styrofoam dipped in sweet'N'low and then covered in a light coat of plastic, but it is also outwardly unappealing. Nothing like the sight on an orange peanut to get me excited. Who doesn't love to eat orange plastic?

It baffles me that the circus peanut can still be found in stores. Or maybe no one has actually bought a circus peanut in so long that they have sat on the shelves for 30 years....thus explaining their revolting taste.

Anyway, just wanted to give my salute to the unloveable circus peanut. Here are the ingredients:
sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, soy protein, food coloring and artificial flavor. I guess the artificial flavoring is the kicker. The maker of this "candy" must have said, "let's see if I can create an artifical flavoring that will mimic the taste of vomit."

Anybody with any good circus peanut stories out there?

p.s. I found a positive, the shavings of circus peanuts in a cereal actually inspired Lucky Charms.

quote of the week

2007-07-18T11:13:00.000-04:00

David Wells, always up for a good quote or two had this to say in his rant after being suspended and fined $3,000 for an argument with an umpire.

"Whether it's coming from a higher power, or they're tired of it, but they're changing the game of baseball. We're not allowed to do anything. Pretty soon we'll all put skirts on and we're all going to play softball. You're going to have to throw underhand. If you throw overhand, you're going to get a 20-game suspension. That's kind of how I see this game going.

Can't get rid of that fat?

2007-07-16T15:00:00.000-04:00

Does this old fogey have anything to say to us today?

As one of my friends recently put it, “Sin is like my fat, I’m on the beach, rollover and it is right there….my sin just like my fat goes with me wherever I go.” Yes, it is a beautiful and a manly analogy all at the same time. And just what Paul tells us in Romans 7.

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no , the evil I do not want to do- this I keep on doing.

Maybe it’s just me, but I get sick of my sin. Lately, I’ve been learning more and more how I just can’t seem to get away from the darkness of my own heart. I mask it and make it look ok to the outsider, but I can’t get away from it. I then came across a letter written by the ole pastor and hymn-writer John Newton (1725-1807). Sometimes I think old Christians of the past are either somehow not relevant and understandable today, or have some sort of super holiness that makes their writing less applicable. However, as usual, I was reminded again of how fallacious my thinking can be. Here is John Newton’s thoughts on a believer’s inability on account of remaining sin.

The Lord has given his people a desire and will aiming at great things; without this they would be unworthy the name of Christians; but they cannot do as they would: their best desires are weak and ineffectual, not absolutely so (for he who works in them to will, enables them in a measure to do likewise), but in comparison with the mark at which they aim.

He then goes on to describe a constant struggle of a Christian not excluding himself. I bet this 18th century writer hits you square on the nose like he did me.

(A Christian) would willingly enjoy God in prayer; he knows that prayer is his duty, but, in his judgement, he considers it likewise as his greatest honour and privelege. In this light he can recommend it to others, and can tell them of the wonderful condescension of the great God….that he should stoop so much lower, to afford his gracious ear to the supplications of sinful worms upon earth….By prayer he can say, You have liberty to cast all your cares upon him that careth for you. By one hour’s intimate access to the throne of grace, where the Lord causes his glory to pass before the soul that seeks him, you may acquire more true spiritual knowledge and comfort, than by a day or a week’s converse with the best of men…. But alas! How seldom can he do as he would! How often does he find this privilege a mere task, which he would be glad of a just excuse to omit? And the chief pleasure he derives from the performance is to think that his task is unfinished: - he has been drawing near to God with his lips, while his heart was far from him. Surely this is not doing as he would when he is dragged before God like a slave, and comes away like a thief.

I am now raising my hand and agreeing with his common assessment of at least myself. As Christians, we should never grow tired of growing tired of our nagging sin. But, to end this blog and to wrap it up with some encouragement…we return to Newton:

But blessed be God, we are not under law, but under grace. And even these distressing effects of the remnants of indwelling sin are over-ruled for good. By these experiences the believer is weaned more from self, and taught more highly to prize and more absolutely to rely on Him…The more vile we are in our own eyes, the more precious he will be to us; and a deep repeated sense of the evil of our hearts is necessary to preclude all boasting, and to make us willing to give the whole glory of our salvation where it is due. Again, a sense of these evils will reconcile us to the thoughts of death; yea, make us desirous to depart that we may sin no more, since we find depravity so deep rooted in our nature, that (like the leprous house) the whole fabric must be taken down before we can be freed from its defilement. Then, and not till then, we shall be able to do the thing that we would: when we see Jesus, we shall be transformed into his image, and have done with sin and sorrow forever.

I think Mr. Newton pretty much covered. One day, our sin will be no more. Do we long for that day?

my boy turned 1

2007-07-11T15:19:00.000-04:00

Whit turned one yesterday. It's been a whole year. I thought this picture was relatively "manly", only b/c he threw all manners out the window and devoured his piece of cake. He never used the spoon for eating, only to chew on. I think we can commend him for this early step. I post this b/c I think it would be nice to give him any advice or 'manly' birthday wishes.

Everyone give attention to live earth!

2007-07-10T14:49:00.000-04:00

Did anyone know we have a "Climate Crisis?"...I don't think the media has reminded me.

My colleague Gray Hardison has already spoken about Live Earth in his blog. However, I just wanted to add a few comments. First of all, I found it humorous that one of the excuses for a low turnout for the concerts was.....cold weather. Besides the irony, let's just be honest, Live Earth was a dud because in my opinion people don't care. Even with the media frenzy over the concert, it still raked in a whopping 2.7 million viewers on its primetime slot Saturday night. To put it in perspective, that is less than half the audience that "48 hours" drew in the same night and only slightly more than the daily viewers of Sweet Emotion (ok...obviously the last one was a lie). Sometimes ESPN (Who's Now anyone), and the media are just out of touch with reality.

Speaking of "Who's Now" on ESPN...I heard an explanation of it from Scot Van Pelt and still don't understand what the contest is. But, anyone care to notice which bracket is a little bit out of place. The Michael Jordan bracket, The Babe Ruth bracket, The Muhammad Ali bracket, and the Billie Jean King bracket. Wow, did they really just put Billie Jean King in the same category.

Finally, I've caught up on my summer movie watching. So far, "Live Free or Die Hard" has been my favorite. I think there is a maximum of 7 minutes without an action scene. It is a manly movie indeed.

Shame on America

2007-07-09T14:45:00.001-04:00

How disappointing and embarrassing it was to find out that our nation, on it's birthday week (which symbolizes kicking butt and taking names), went to go see Ratatouille rather than Die Hard. This is just a disgrace to men everywhere. Shame on all the pacifists.

Barry Bonds

2007-07-06T12:26:00.000-04:00

If I have to see the Chasing Aaron caption one more time on ESPN I think I'll.....I better stop because I know I will see it again. I already dislike the severely tainted record chase, but ESPN's every 45 second continuous reminder makes it gut-wrenching. Has there ever been a more despised record breaking effort? If Bonds breaks the record, which I'm sure he will, I just hope it is broken at an away stadium....Milwaukee would be best. That way, I can join in the chorus of boo's coming from the stands. Wanna bet his teammates won't even look very happy when he breaks it.

Secondly, it is dang hot. I saw where it is 116 degrees in Las Vegas. Granted, that is hot, but then I saw where it was only 3% humidity. Please..... I've been in Colorado where they are all complaining of 97 degree heat with no humidity. I invite all these mountain people to come down to the swamp of Jackson, Mississippi and feel the effects of 150% humidity. The only reason the deodorant company "Mitchum" (I think it's just Elmer's glue) has a market share is thanks to the sweltering south.

Taking back the 4th

2007-07-03T17:11:00.000-04:00

I am all about the 4th of July. I think it is one of the few holidays where Men can actually take over and make it there own. In fact if you don't take advantage of it, you have some serious issues. Here are some solid tips on what to do to make this your manly holiday fantasy:

- Spend the whole day outside, it's probably best to not wear a shirt most of the day. Sunblock is for wimps. A real leather thick sunburn shows you spent your day well.

- Have friends over, lots of them. Neighbors, co-workers, people you went to pre-school with if you have to dig that far. Invite your local butcher if he's not booked, but only if he'll bring some huge meat.

- Grill out. Grill out. Grill out. In fact, do like me...start the night before. Try to grill so much meat that 'tree-huggers' start writing you hate mail on the 5th. Also, try to be more creative than just burgers and hot-dogs -- something with a barbeque sauce.

- Have music playing all day. You should probably only stick to Bruce Springsteen. In fact, "Born in the USA" ought to just be on repeat.

- Play lots of outdoor yard games: botche, yard golf, horshoes, badmitten. These games are lots of fun. All games must be played with your shirt off and with sunglasses on. Also, gambling makes things much more interesting. Be sure to challenge guys who have a beer in their hand before 1pm. Sure money.

- Fireworks are the most neccessary and crucial way to end your day. Shoot lots of them. In fact, shoot some bottlerockets at some people or even better at the neighbors cat (if you can hit the cat, your an excellent shot). These are the most fun when people are just screaming, it'll be sure to give you a laugh.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope you do try to really keep it manly. There aren't many days like this a year where we can totally make it our own. Also, remember speak only in 'imperatives' (This is classic advice from Brian).This will remind everyone what this day is really abou - being a man!....if it wasn't for that stupid declaration of Independance.

Trickle Down "Millen-nomics"

2007-06-26T18:13:00.000-04:00

I'll tell you what makes my day, it's to read more news from the Detroit Lions camp. After choosing a WR in the draft for the 4th time in 5 years - boldly sticking to their losing philosophy, you would think the players and fans had had enough and would be angry, oozing with pecimism. If you thought that, your accidentally mistaking them with SF 49er fans.

Matt Millen's "Kramerica-industries" philosophy has bled down into the very souls of Lion's organization. They are convinced that they are on the right track. So much so, that QB John Kitna (I can't believe that guy is even still in the league - I think Reebok is even ashamed to print him a Jersey) came out and said that the Lions are going to win 10 games next year, something they havn't done since 1995.

But after "seeing the schedule", he changed his mind. He humbly now says:

"I'll keep to myself what I think we actually will win. But it's more than 10 games,".

The report says the large part of his optimism is the recent draft choice of Calvin Johnson. Kitna, who now apparently has been certified by Millen to evaluate talent, says this about Johnson:

"I don't like putting a lot of pressure on people, but Calvin Johnson, to me, will have about the same impact that Reggie Bush had in New Orleans,"

I love that Kitna says "to me". Forget that they don't have an offensive line, a stable RB, a defensive line, LB's, or a shut down CB - Kitna believes that they now have the winning formula in another golden WR -- "Ketchup and Mustard in the same bottle....oooh, I like that." I read this and don't know whether to laugh or be sympathetic. I can just hear Kitna calling Millen after the Lions wasted their pick on another WR again "Just when I think you can't get any dumber, you go and do something like this....and totally redeem yourself!!!!!"

Dear John Kitna: If you win more than 6 games next year - Sweet Emotion will pay enormous homage to you and devote a week of posts to your honor. I also personally promise to paint a lion on my bear chest and wear it for a day.

Zebra Hunt

2007-06-25T16:22:00.001-04:00

Tecmo Bowl and other comments

2007-06-19T12:35:00.000-04:00

Sorry, I'm going to go ahead and admit this is a lame blog. However, this guy writing about the lessons learned in Tecmo Bowl is beautiful. If you were a child of the 80's, you'll appreciate his thoughts on Christian Okoye, Barry Word and the rest of the Tecmo Bowl gang.

Secondly, saw where Tennessee Titan's Pac-Man Jones is involved in another strip club shooting investigation. This is all post telling the Titans that he is a new man. Just a suggestion....probably want to stay away from strip clubs. Don't think much good is going to come from being within 300 yards of one.

Thirdly, Bob Barker's microphone sold for something like $17,000 on E-Bay. I'm waiting for the wheel to be auctioned off before I get into the bidding. Have not decided, but thinking about taking a second mortgage on our house to increase our chances at winning the ole wheel. (Let's not even talk about what I would do for a PLINKO board).

Fourthly, Prediction: Senator Fred Thompson will be the 2008 Republican Presidential nominee. Cmon, he is friends with Die Hard's very own John Mclain

Lastly, my wife and I will be in Cajamarca, Peru beginning on Saturday for about 10 days. I will be out of the Sweet Emotion world, but am sure I'll discover some local Sweet Emotion readers in Peru.

#8 Game Show of All Time

2007-06-13T10:53:00.002-04:00

I'm sure everyone has anxiously been awaiting the return of the game show rankings. Without going into the excitement of game shows, I continue the rankings. Video Power and $25,000 pyramid came in at 10 and 9 respectively. At #8.....

8) Wheel of Fortune - It's the second longest current running syndicated game show in the U.S. The hangmanesque puzzle game stormed on the nightly scene in 1983 and has not looked back.
Host: Pat Sajak (rating - 7). Pat is strong. With a recognizable face and a quick wit, he's become a household name. He always has a few humorous comments as he banters with his contestants. His only weakness is his stature. I would guess he measures in around 5'5 but hides his age well.
Vanna White (rating - 4). While Wheel of Fortune does have a famous duo, let's be honest, Vanna is bringing Pat down. Maybe in the early 80's she was still needed, but I think something called technology has erased her need.

Game Format: (rating - 6.5) The wheel is a good gimmick. Any great game show has a marquee gimmick to build around. Spinning the wheel (though probably stolen from Price is Right) adds suspense and the much hated "bankrupt" slot can always level the competition. The incessant clapping while the wheel goes around can get annoying, but overall it's good. On a side note: I've always wanted to see just how big the wheel is.
The word game itself is one a viewer can play at home, but with no change throughout the rounds it can get boring.

Another plus for a game show is anytime a line from the show makes its way into the home. Wheel of Fortune got one of these with: "I'd like to buy a vowel please." Come on, whose never used that line at a party to grab a chuckle or two?

Grand Finale: Bonus Round (5) - Nothing special here. The contestant chooses three additional consonants and one vowel to go along with R,S,T,L,N and E. The contestant then has 10 seconds to guess the word. The suspense was nice with the constant ticking in the background, but there just needed to be a little more. However, Pat did the best with what he had and frequently pulls a Bob Barker to draw out the suspense when revealing the prize. Here is a side note fact: one puzzle, "Baby", was actually solved with no letters showing at all. I didn't see that one, but I'm sure Pat went crazy.

Overall: 6.3 - The show lives and dies with Pat's nightly performance. Good set, good gameplay, but lacking in some creativity and action. Maybe they could add a dueling round where one contestant "word dueled" with another for a jackpot prized.
Fun Fact: Alex Trebek and Pat Sajak pulled a switch on April Fool's day in 1997. I'm guessing Pat was more comfortable with the switch than Alex. Alex seems like a guy that doesn't like change. All the bells and whistles of the Wheel of Fortune set probably ensured it was a one time gig for Trebek.

Pretenders and Contenders

2007-06-12T09:34:00.000-04:00

The Masters will always have it's southern prestige and charm - the white Caddie suits, heavenly landscaping, green Jacket, Butler Cabin, Amen Corner, ect....but the grind, pressure, and excitement of the US Open makes it my favorite. The golf season is beginning to peak and find it's most exciting time of the year, what better place and time than at our Nation's national championship at one of the most prestiges courses - Oakmont Country Club. The U.S. Open is not for everyone - you have to hit every fairway, the greens are ridiculously fast, the course is long, and the gallery is bit more on the tipsy wild side than at anal-retentive Augusta. The selection of courses would make any golfer drool at the opportunity to play Oakmont, Winged Foot, Pinehurst, Shinnecock, Bethpage, Southern Hills, or Pebble Beach. It is a long grind, and on Sunday pretenders fade into the ranks of 'wanna-bees'.

Shockingly, the U.S. Open has provided some lousy winners in the recent past - nothing compared to the embarrassment of the British Open - but some flukes have prevailed. Michael Campbell's fortunes at Pinehurst in 2005 quickly come to mind, he benefited Retief Goosen's melt-down and Tiger's inability to keep the ball in the fairway. Last year, while Geoff Olgivy was not by any means a joke, he certainly rode the fortune of his competitors mistakes. I hate when tournaments end like that, there is nothing more anticlimactic and lame than watching some guy survive other people's melt-downs. I want someone to win it, like Payne Stewart in 99' or Goosen in 04' - 2 or 3 guys dualing it out and one guy coming through.

The question for this week then, is who are the pretenders and who are the contenders?? NBC (network broadcast for the tournament) had an article about Woody Austin as a possible contender b/c of his win last weekend. Ha! I've also read people wondering "Is it Sergio's time?" No it's not. Here are some clues to picking winners:

1) Guy's wearing Hawaiian shirts and being sponsored by things like Wal-Mart, Hooters, Cheverolet, Cleveland ...these guys are pretenders. They don't wear Nike and Callaway for a reason. Sorry Woody Austin

2) Angry Europeans, while they may play well thurs-Sat, don't count on their "pissed at the world" attitude to take you only so far. Even Superman belt buckles see the cryptonite on Sunday.....

3) South Africa, these guys just know how to play this tournament - it fits there game. Goosen and Els have won 4 and should have had more than that - the others always are true potential contenders.

4) If the U.S. Open were 70 holes, Phil Mickelson would be a 4 time winner - sadly it's 72 holes. I'm sure we'll see some 180 yard flop shop out of the thickest rough imaginable through 5 trees attempting to stop the ball on the fastest green on the course on Sunday at the 18th with a one shot lead---again, somehow creatively blowing it. ....also, Phil's hand still is in pain so he may not even get to this stage.

5) If Tiger can hit the fairway on thursday and Friday, he will win on saturday and Sunday ---- that Simple. Though, the knowledge of his wife being close to her due date and the Junior prodigy child on the way - difficult to know if he will be all there.

Since we do not condone betting on here, "choose" a guy who will hit fairways and greens - he will be there on Sunday. Experts say that the scoring could be tougher than ever - watch for #8, a 288 yard par 3. I'm sure Adam Scott will try to hit about a 7 iron. On a sad note, when I googled "U.S. Open" - that pathetically boring Tennis tournament came up first. Tennis may be one of the most "anti- sweet emotion" sports.

No more Paris Hilton News Please

2007-06-08T16:57:00.000-04:00

It's amazing to watch our culture. Paris Hilton's jail cycle is consuming the news. Let's think about that. With all the things going on in the world, it's a young, wealthy blonde's DUI consequences that is consuming the U.S. I don't necessarily blame the news. Simple economics (supply/demand) means the news will show what people watch. We must confess that as a nation, we are consumed with the meaningless. Far from saying I am above this (Bob Barker's retirement still hurts), instead, I am critiquing myself as well. But I do not care what Paris Hilton ate for breakfast today.

What do we say about a culture that for the most part is more concerned with "celebrity" hookups and party scenes than war, abortion, divorce, and God? It is just evidence of the "gods" our culture worships. Entertainment, popularity, fame, and money are the gods of our culture. I am not bashing American Idol, but when more people are interested in electing the next American Idol than the next president....something is awry. In high school and college, we live for the next fun party or weekend road trip. It is no surprise that post-college, entertainment and popularity continue to be the driving force of culture. We have truly made a god of the entertainment industry.

C.S. Lewis once said "Just like the Nazis, by valuing too highly a real, but subordinate good, we have come near to losing that good itself." The arts, entertainment, enjoyment of company, and celebrities are all good things. However, they are subordinate goods that are to be enjoyed under and in subordination to the ultimate good. We've made a "subordinate good" THE GOOD.

It should remind us of the wisdom of Ecclesiastes. Anytime wealth, approval or sex is treated as an ultimate good....its declaration is "vanity." Why, because one day it will all vanish. Its why Paul's statement if Philippians seems so foreign sometimes. "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Only when all of life is realized as being subordinate to life with King Jesus can culture be enjoyed for what it truly is. For Paul the removal of popularity or wealth by death meant nothing. No, his ultimate meaning in life came from a relationship with the King. No weekend party or worldly achievement was better than that. For Paul, death doesn't end life, instead it ushers in a more glorious experience of his ultimate life (A life serving Christ).

In conclusion, I'm reminded of a newspaper article I once heard about. A lady wrote for a New York newspaper and was constantly around celebrities. She knew plenty struggling actors and actresses while they waited tables trying to "make it" in the Hollywood world. She specifically knew 3 celebrities when they were struggling and looking up saying "if only I can make it, then I would be fine." But when they finally found fame in the entertainment world, instead of being fulfilled they were unhappier than before. She said this: "I pity celebrities, no I do, celebrities were once perfectly pleasant human beings, but now their wrath is awful, you see they wanted fame, they worked, they pushed, and the morning after each one was made famous, however, they wanted to take an overdose. Because that giant thing they were striving for, that thing that was going to make everything ok, that thing that was going to provide them with personal fulfillment.....(when they finally got it)....the disillusionment turned them howling and insufferable."

Christians should be leading the way in meaningful culture. Which means keeping first things first and everything else secondary. As Lewis states, "at least the suggestion is worth a thought. To be sure, if it were true that civilization will never be safe till it is put second, that immediately raises the question, second to what? What is the first thing? The only reply I can offer here is that if we do not know, then the first and only truly practical thing is to set about finding out."

The definition of greatness

2007-06-07T10:28:00.001-04:00

I had a conversation with a guy on monday that is certain that Lebron James is now the greatest player in the NBA and one of the best 5 of all time. My friend (who is a Spurs fan) strongly objected that he is even the greatest in the game now. Certainly Lebron's performance in the last four games of the conference finals was amazing - but he still seems to have some lapses that seem to keep him from being the best. He's only 22, but it made me wonder how we define true greatness in sports. I really think Lebron has to lead the Cavs to the NBA title in order to assert himself as the greatest in the league. He's certainly one of the best, but being the best in the NBA is doing what Bird, Magic, and Jordan did - time and time again when it counted most. Each sport seems to define itself differently. In 2005 Vince Young had a great season, but his Rose Bowl performance was unquestionably the greatest performance ever in a college football game. I think from that game on that stage it is legit to call him great and one of the greatest of all time. I think some of Joe Montana's, Tom Brady's, ect Super Bowl performances is substantial evidence to declare them as all-time greats. Because the season is shorter and individual games/performances are more crucial (there are no "series"), single game performances in football can declare someone as great. While in Basketball, it cannot be affirmed from one game or even one series. I think to be declared great, there must be the unspoken statistic of consistency and deliverance when it counts. While Karl Malone was a good player, no one is prepared to call him one of the greats of all time - no consistent greatness when it mattered. Baseball seems to be even more difficult, we have seen numerous "fluke" seasons over the years where someone seemed to be great and then followed the next season in the doghouse. Remember Brady Anderson?? Sure you don't, he had one year as the best slugger in the league -no one calls him great or has even thought of nominating him for the Hall of Fame. The varied difficulties of acceptance each sports Hall of Fame speak volumes for how we should think of greatness in each sport. In Baseball, how many "rookie of the years" end up as a joke. I remember refusing to trade my Walt Weiss baseball card after the 1988 season - sure he was on his way...now it's worth 15 cents. Golf may be even more difficult. Everyone was raving about Phil this time last year, 2 majors in a row - but after Winged Foot, the jokes kept coming.

So how do we know when we have seen greatness? You just know. You see something, you have to call somebody, you never forget where you were when you saw it, you have conversations with friends that don't even have words - all it takes is "did you see"...."yeah I saw"....There is nothing like seeing greatness unfold before you, especially in person. Watching something you know will be show again and again - highlights forever. I'll watch the NBA finals, not b/c i love the NBA or the teams involved - but b/c i don't want to miss out on possible greatness. I don't want to miss a star become great. He's not quite there yet - but there are 7 games left.

Weekend Ramblings

2007-06-04T11:05:00.000-04:00

With the utmost of humility I always enjoy pointing out the influence Sweet Emotion has on the world today. Just Friday, Billy Donavan announced that he was leaving the Florida Gators for the Orlando Magic and sealed the deal in ink. Sweet Emotion shortly thereafter proceeded to post an analysis of his decision. We called his decision poor and counted Billy as the next college coach to get frustrated with the NBA. Later that night, rumor has it that Mr. Donavan perused his usual blogs. Upon reading Sweet Emotion's analysis, he reconsidered his decision and is now clawing his way back to Florida. We wish you the best. It feels good to continually make our mark on the world.

Speaking of making your mark on the world. Jackson, Mississippi's very own Mississippi Braves (AA- organization) made quite a stir this weekend. The manager was tossed from the game and turned in the performance of a century following his ejection. Yes, that is a professional manager doing an army crawl to the pitcher's mound. Props to Phillip Wellman for making the most of your time. I've never seen anyone exit the stadium via the bullpen with second AND third base in hand.

And finally, need a little proof that the cubs will always be the cubs. Carlos Zambrano promised a World Series appearance and a Cy Young award this year! This is how he leads the team. He better pitch better than he hits....was that a slap?

Three Point Discussion on the NBA

2007-06-01T09:38:00.000-04:00

I know many of you out there are wondering, "what am I supposed to do with all these NBA headlines?" Have no fear, Sweet Emotion will help you intelligently think through the recent NBA situations.

Question: What am I to think about Billy Donavan going to coach the Orlando Magic?
Answer: Billy Donavan has just joined the ranks of a long list of college coaches that will end up hating their job. Five things Donavan had at Florida: Influence over his players, great recruiting, the disparity of college sports (a.k.a. no salary cap, no draft, you can get as much talent as you can recruit), quite a lenient window for some bumps in the road (if one wins back to back national championships he can do no wrong for at least a couple of seasons....see Coach Rod Barnes), and sole possession of the slick backed hair look. He has now thrown those things out the window for an extra three million and a house near Disney World. Don't get me wrong, the proximity to Disney World might get me to Orlando as well. However, I think he will have the same experience as Rick Pitino and John Calipari. The NBA is a players run league, coaches are marginalized, and Pat Riley is king of the slicked back hair.

Question: How good is Lebron James
Answer: Ridiculous! He scored 29 of his teams final 30 points...25 of those points coming in a row. And oh yea, he is 22. Lebron is amazing. I don't think they have much of a chance against the Spurs, but that was Jordanesque last night.

Question: What am I to think of this Kobe Bryant Trade/Jerry West demand.
Answer: Kobe needs to settle down. He needs to remember two things. First of all, he is the employee. Sure his team might have made some less than wise moves. However, they pay you millions to play basketball, and you are the employee....not the reverse. Second of all, how quickly Kobe turns his back on the Lakers. Remember just a few years ago with the rape scandal in Colorado. The Lakers incessantly backed their star player amidst shaky times. What does Kobe pay them back with? He pays them back with trade talks, management demands and other whiny pleas.

Glad Sweet Emotion can help your day. Feel free to disagree and we'll continue the game show rankings next week.

Top GameShows of All-time

2007-05-30T14:50:00.000-04:00

Number 9 on our list

If you are a child of the 80's as myself, then I'm sure game shows were a large part of your life. My reasoning is as follows: During the summers, with soap opera's being off limits, sportscenter being over, Nintendo being banned due to a recent fight what else did you watch between the hours of 10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.?

Game shows are an American icon. Where else could useless knowledge win a person thousands of dollars? Think about it. You mean if I guess the right price of that sofa, then I win the sofa and the globe! That's correct! The knowledge will get your nowhere in life, but it sure is fun. Not only did the contestants play, but you could play along at home. Not to mention the host became household names around the Sorgenfrei home. Over the next week I will share my game show love with our readers by ranking the top 10 game shows of all time.

10) Video Power - I'm going out on a limb on this one. Most normal people in the world probably didn't watch this surprisingly short-lived game show.
Host: Terry Lee Torok (Rating - 1) Nothing else needs to be said here.
Game Format: using your knowledge of video games and playing ability contestants would answer quiz questions and play various video games (Rating - 2)
Grand Finale: The "Prize Round" was the name of the game. The winner would clothe himself in a Velcro suit and run wild through a "store." Every game he could pick up and Velcro to his suit would be his if he made it to the finish line in the appropriate time. (Rating - 4)
Overall: (1.7) Let's be honest, one had to be a true video game geek to enjoy this one (I'm raising my hand). I mean how many quiz questions about Donkey Kong or Paperboy can one really answer? The enjoyment of the show for me came as I dreamed of being on the show. I was sure I could destroy those kids in "Excite Bike" and the thought of running through a store with a velcro vest was beyond me. Ok, it was a terrible show...but good times.

9) $20,000 Pyramid - Longtime favorite of daytime TV fans. It combined celebrities with contestants in a primitive game of Taboo
Host: Dick Clark (rating - 8) It doesn't get much better than the one and only Dick Clark. His signature salute along with "This is Dick Clark saying So Long." will always be remembered
Game Format: (Rating - 3) I probably would have enjoyed it more in my elder years. However, sitting around giving clues trying to get your teammate to come up with the answer gets old. Some celebrities would crack a few jokes here and there, but overall it was like watching Taboo....without the Taboo words.
The Grand Finale: The Winner's Circle(Rating - 5.9) - It was difficult and intense. The clue giver would actually use arm straps to keep himself from using hand signals. In 60 seconds, the team would have to guess 6 words in different categories and win $20,000
Bonuses: The set was great. I always wanted to look into one of the red boxes the players used to get their word. Also, the winner's circle with chairs facing one another was classic. It was also one of the only games I know of that the timer actually counted upwards from 0 - 30. Lastly, the game used bonuses on the board.
Overall (5.5) - Fun game to play at home, but I needed a little more humor from Dick Clark. I did always enjoy the Winner's circle followed by Dick Clark leaning over the rail to give a few more helpful clues. Credit the Pyramid with bringing in big money prizes and celebrities.

That's all until next time...as Dick Clark would say "So long."

The Pistol

2007-05-26T18:51:00.001-04:00

I'm in the process of reading the newest biography on Pete Maravich. I could comment for awhile, but will save my thoughts until I finish the book. It's a fascinating story of a literal "basketball android" as he calls himself. It goes without saying that "The Pistol" has Sweet Emotion's full endorsement. He scored 44.2 points a game. Let me say that again...44.2 points a game without a three point line. We here at sweet emotion always have the solution in basketball....just gotta get more shots. Pete believed this and lived it out. Just watch the video... some of his passes will leave you wondering how they even got to the person. Enjoy the magic of Pistol.

Cardinal Sin

2007-05-22T20:59:00.000-04:00

Dear Lebron,

We love most everything you do, But don't ever do that again. Always remember "Get More Shots!"

sincerely,

Sweet Emotion

...ps...MJ would have never done that...

Let's go Mississippi

2007-05-21T12:28:00.001-04:00

Clinton Portis of the Washington Redskins spoke out yesterday. I'm sure Michael Vick is thankful for the support. Mr. Portis said:

"I don't know if he was fighting dogs or not, but it's his property, it's his dog,"
"If that's what he wants to do, do it. I think people should mind their business."
"a lot of back roads that got the dog fight if you want to go see it" and that "if it's behind closed doors, it's okay."

Overlooking the fact that Mr. Portis assumes one can do whatever he wants on his own property, Mr. Portis, before saying..."a lot of back roads"... referenced that he is from Laurel, Mississippi. I for one don't think John Saucier would let this business go on in his backyard. Regardless, it's more good press for Mississippi (just stamping the stereotype).

Extreme Home Makeover: Some Reflections

2007-05-21T11:27:00.000-04:00

I find it extremely ironic that TV producers took one of the "manliest" ideas possible and created the most "unmanly" show on the air. Ty Pennington and his 'tissue-bound' gang are the complete antithesis of Tim the tool-man Taylor. For every Grunt that Tim let out ('ahgahahgahhgaaa!!) there are 10 sniffles on 'home-makeover'. There are no explosions, no crashes, no one gets hurt -- every thing is a fairy tale ending. The handkerchief's used are not for wiping grease off your face. Since sunday night football ended, there is nothing to watch - thus, I am left in my chair, feet propped up, book in hand -- and my wife with the remote watching extreme home makeover. I catch glimpses here and there, but am never caught up in the story. I do have to admit that i pay a little closer attention when they are rebuilding a house for a black family. For white families, when they move that bus they all kind of hug and cry...it's supposed to be sweet or something. But when they move that bus for black families, it's like they won the Super Bowl. It's great, lot's of dancing, running up and down the street, hands upside down over the mouth---you almost don't know whether they are excited or scared out of their minds.

I do think what's going on during the show is a wonderful thing. Spending $ on people who are in a dead end in life and taking care of their needs. Our culture somewhat defines someone as being "dead" by being homeless, Jobless, and in debt. In some manner, this show seeks to "bring these people back to life" by giving them a home and relieving their debt. These people somewhat undergo a 'resurrection story'. They had a women who adopted children with AIDS and was shunned by the Church - yet this show, not the church became the means of her "redemption". I qualify that in order to ponder what we actually mean by "redemption". I don't know what the cast or producers of this show believes - but we do know that they seek to help people in need. We should be joining them in this.

However, I do ponder the nature of how this show is edited and put on the air. I don't want to take away from or assume the actual character of the cast - but much of what is done, while good, is done for effect. They are trying to draw you in with tears. When they sift through applications, they have to be wondering which story will bring out the most effect. It is ratings driven. The goal is tears.

The families speak of the show as a turning point, as an almost 'resurrection event' - referring to this event as pinnacle in their life story. They speak of their life as changed or saved. Is this show really bringing about change though?? Immediately we answer yes - houses restored, debts relieved. It's almost as if the year of Jubilee has come to them. Here is what is intriguing, when they speak of 'change' in their life - most of the families language isn't referring to what has changed their bodily circumstances. They are mainly referring to soul experiences. The house building is merely a means of what they are calling a dispositional change upon all of life. The show is then not all about rebuilding someone's house - but about rebuilding their entire life. The producers are after reconciliation in all areas. Two questions to think about: What message of Change is the show really bringing to these people? And secondly, is this really bringing about change?

If the message is happiness and some brief prosperity - why don't they ever do shows where they check in on the family a year from now - or two years from now and see how things are going? I imagine this show will be on the air for a long time, b/c there is no reason to take it off. I hope more and more of the poor get aid - it's sad it took a TV show to start this. If they got rid of that Ty Pennington and brought back Tim "the tool man" Taylor - I'd watch as a fan.

...by the way, Brian P. Sulpher - do they air this in Canada?.......

Big Night!

2007-05-16T13:04:00.000-04:00

An American Icon

Attention to our 5 frequent readers: exams are over, and sweet emotion will be back on schedule.

We wouldn't be doing our audience justice if we didn't remind them of tonights monumental event. Bob Barker will be honored tonight with his final prime time edition of "The Price Is Right." (See previous post for the greatness of the show). Bigger prizes, the chance to win 1 million, and a crowd that will be going absolutely ballistic is goin to make for a memorable night.... tune in at 7:00.

My predictions:
1) Viewers will see all the big games. Plinko, the Golden Road, Triple Play, and Punchboard will all be pulled out.
2)Bob will be in a snappy Tuxedo
3) 1,000 pets will be spayed or neutered tonight
4) Bob is gonna break some rules tonight and give people 2nd and 3rd chances at winning. Heck, he'll probably just declare people winners and give them the prize if even they lose.

I also wanted to change subjects and comment on Dr. Jerry Falwell's death. I didn't always agree with his worldview/theology, and sometimes I disagreed with his public comments. However, the man loved Jesus and his family, and his soul is now made perfect in holiness in heaven. He preached the gospel and many people will praise God for all eternity because God's work in their life through his insrument Jerry Falwell. My point of the blog is this: The response has been scary.

I read a n article on the Washington Post website regarding Falwell by Dr. Al Mohler. It's an appropriate article about Falwell and his passing away. When the reader scrolls down and reads the comments...it is appalling. I didn't post the comments out of respect, but you have to read it to believe it. Is it not ironic that the people are blasting based on his intolerance? Hatred and intolerance are spewing out of their mouth based on his intolerance...hmmm.

It's another lesson about true intolerance. In our present day, tolerance is something that affirms and accepts everything. Yet, what ends up happening is hatred for those who don't fit their definition of tolerance.

Only Christianity has the true basis for true tolerance. Tolerance is NOT belittling truth by claiming every truth claim is valid, or by never standing on tough truths. No, tolerance is standing by the truth while loving those who do not agree with or even hate it. The Lord Jesus Christ took on flesh and never denied truth, but actually upheld and fulilled the law perfectly (Matt. 5:17). Yet, he suffered and died for people that reviled him and hated him from birth. Only the gospel promotes true tolerance. The gospel works an amazing truth into a person's heart and changes them from the inside out. Because Jesus both upheld truth, and died for his people "while we were yet sinners,"(Rom. 5:8)...now we can uphold the truth, call others to submit to it, butlove and suffer for those who reject the truth. It's true tolerance. The free grace of God promotes truth and tolerance. The two words are incompatible with the our culture's view of tolerance, but are inseparable in the true definition of it.

SNL sessions

2007-05-10T03:55:00.001-04:00

Last night's SNL classic got me jumping around from strong claims "this is the funniest skit" and then the next one would come..."no, this one is.." The same was with the characters - it really is amazing how great some of the cast has been. It makes me wish for an all-star cast to do a season, nothing but the best - all the time. It seems those "best of SNL" DVD's don't quite do the justice needed for the huge plethera of humor SNL has had. Maybe just in our dreams though...If i had to make a list of the greatest cast members of all time, here is the top 5:

5)Adam Sandler
4)John Belushi
3)Eddie Murphy
2) Will Ferrell
1) Chris Farley

Those are the best. I appreciate Grey Hardison for his continual Youtube posts that stir up the laughs.

...also, say it with me now "Let's Go Spurs!!!!".....

This Just In...

2007-05-09T10:30:00.000-04:00

The Eudora Welty Library in the bubbling city of Jackson, Mississippi just made this announcement:

The Eudora Welty Library on North State St. is offering visitors wireless access to the Web.

Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) access is now offered in three sitting areas around the library, with two on the second floor and one in the Mississippi Writers’ Room on the first floor.

Wow...you can always count on Jackson to be on the cutting edge of any new development. I'm sure the library will be flooded today with laptops and anxious users.

Sorry, the posting has been so sporadic. Exams and Summer Conference are making for a rough couple of weeks. Sweet Emotion will be back in full force in roughly a week.

Comments on the Draft and J.C. Ryle

2007-04-30T16:03:00.000-04:00

I was only able to check in on the draft here and there. But a few comments are necessary.

1) If I were a Detroit Lions fan, I would sell all my Lions Jerseys and hats this morning. I can understand making the same mistake twice. I wonder what goes on in the Lions war room? If I had the chance to be in the draft war room, here’s how our conversation would go.

Brian: Mr. Millen. What are you thinking for your pick?
Matt: Brian, we’re just one good receiver away from making it to the playoffs.
Brian: Who is going to throw the ball to these receivers? Jon Kitna?
Matt: Brian, we’re just one good receiver away from making it to the playoffs.
Brian: Who is going to block for Kitna (muffle a laugh) and give him time to throw to your receivers?
Matt: Brian, we’re just one good receiver away from making it to the playoffs.
Brian: Mr. Millen, How many alcoholic beverages have your consumed this morning? Mr. Millen, did someone bet you a lot of money that you wouldn’t draft 4 receivers in a row? Mr. Millen, is Mike Ditka your personal draft advisor?

2) Looks like owners/coaches/G.M.’s of NFL Teams are closet readers of Sweet Emotion. What other explanation could there be for Brady Quinn dropping into the late first round? Sweet Emotion is impacting the world.

3) Worst pick of the draft has to be Ted Ginn Jr. I’m not saying they should have taken Quinn, but good grief. I don’t see Ginn being anything but at best a good number 2 receiver.

4) Best draft: Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots. I’m sorry, but Randy Moss! If he doesn’t explode in the locker room, Randy Moss with the New England Patriots is a scary combination. It will be fun next year watching a Bill Belichik and Randy Moss yelling match on the sidelines. The New England Patriots might just be the new Miami Dolphins. Randy Moss and Brandon Merriweather (head stomper in Miami) should be quite a combo.

Changing gears now....around every corner there seems to be bad news. Cancer, hardships, and death seem to be more frequent. It’s probably only a part of aging and comes with widening the scope of people one knows. However, it’s made me think. Amidst all these events, I’ve noticed something that J.C. Ryle brought to my attention.

A murder, a sudden death, a shipwreck or a railway accident will completely occupy the minds of a neighhbourhood and be in the mouth of everyone you meet. An yet these persons dislike talking of their own death and their own prospects in the world beyond the grave. Such is human nature in every age. In religion men are willing to talk of anybody’s business rather than their own.

How true: We can talk about death, but refuse to think about our own. We hear about cancer, but rarely think about the logical conclusion: There is a good chance I might be diagnosed. An individual loves discussing “religion”, but is deathly afraid to confront himself with tough religious questions. Case in point: ask a person in the south if he’s a Christian, and many times it’s an offensive question.

However, death, illness, and tragedy remind us that no one will avoid the grave. Where is my/your hope? If it’s not in the Lord Jesus Christ who has lived the life I should have lived on my behalf, and paid the penalty of my sin on the cross, then the last beat of my heart is a paralyzing fear. It’s a paralyzing fear that can only be dealt with by avoiding the subject altogether.

“The state of our souls should always be our first concern….The converted man will always think first of his own heart, his own life, his own deserts and his own sins. Does he hear of a sudden death? He will say to himself. “Should I be found ready if this had happened to me?”…Let us feel tender pity and compassion for all who suffer violence or are removed by sudden death. But let us never forget to look at home and to learn wisdom from ourselves from all that happens to others."

How to make the right pick

2007-04-25T10:46:00.000-04:00

The NFL draft each year seems to provide some of the best comedy in all of sports. Teams spend countless hours studying college kids and where they might be "picked", we could really compare this to our neighborhood pickup wiffleball games when we just chose teams - it seams the only difference is actual money is involved. There is comedy from the analyst's who get upset when teams don't pick who they think they should pick. in 1989 just before his excessive hair dying began Mel Kiper responded to the NY Jets picking Freeman McNeil from UCLA "It's obvious to me that the Jets just don't understand what the draft is all about." I can envision him one year being way off and just getting up from that desk and looking around at all those people like Jack Nicholson in a few good men "this is funny, that's what this is. You freakin' people! All you did was weakin' a league today. That's all you did. You put people's lives in danger. Sweet dreams, son."

The NFL fans are hilarious - they pack out Madison square garden in Jerseys, tailgate before hand, get loaded all to see there team do the same thing they saw in gym class, 'we pick carl!'...The loathing that goes on is just, but hilarious. I heard a 49ers fan call in a show last year to comment on Matt Leinhart not being the #1 pick, when asked if the 49ers would have taken him over Alex Smith the year before, the fan said "we would have taken Leinhart with one arm, then taken his other appendage and beaten Alex Smith to death with it!!" Imagine the continual frustration of the Detroit Lions fans. Thats all i look forward to, the reaction on the faces of Lions fans and the look of assurance from Matt Millen after the pick -- it's small smile with a nodding head and a quick eye wink. Honestly, what kind of research are they doing?? It's like all Matt Millen does is watch CFB highlights on sportscenter. "hey Matt, did you see that catch that Michigan State WR made last night?"..."Yeah, what's his name?"...."can't remember, but he seems like a lock"..."yeah, let's check out his ratings on playstation NCAA 2002!!" If the Lions draft Calvin Johnson, It will be like "We usually don't pick up hitchhikers but I'm-a-gonna go with my instinct on this one. Saddle up Partner!"

So what do you do on Draft Day?? By no means am i any kind of an expert - but Luke Evans and I have had long conversations about this. There is somewhat of a strategy about building a team and then adding to one. I think if your team is the cellar (like the Raiders, Lions, Texans) there are do's and don'ts. You HAVE TO take a risk on a QB---sure it can backfire (Jeff George, Joey Harrington, David Carr, Ryan Leaf), but there are so few good QB's - when a possibility is there you just can't stick with an old alcholic/pill-popping/PMS/whiner (that's meant to be a summary of all the QB's on the raiders roster last year). But after that, you have to...you have to...you have to draft a left tackle. There has to be real patience in building teams, sorry Matt - you can't throw the ball if you don't have time to do it. It's almost like Matt Millen keeps buying these "sweet rims" w/o a car to put them on.

What to do: - if a good QB is there and you don't have one, take him - draft a solid OL - if a shutdown CB is available, take him - The first defensive position you have to fill is DL

What not to do: - Never draft a WR in the first round (too many Marques Colston's out there, its too easy to find talent here) - Rarely, very rarely draft a RB (very replacable, all i can think about is the Denver Broncos and how they year in and year out plug in all these no names and run the ball well) - draft a kicker (Al Davis drafted Sebastion Janikowski in the first round - genious) This could go on forever, i think we should just comment on the worst draft picks and the best gambles that we can remember.

Two closing thoughts. Mike Ditka in a Hawaiian shirt with cigar in mouth on draft day 1999 confident in his decision of Ricky Williams (maybe that wasn't a cigar) - and Peter King of Sports Illustrated critiquing the Colts in 1998, "the Colts have made a huge mistake in not taking Ryan Leaf, he is a winner."