Mikey D

If only real life imitated Madden...

This is the actual video that is shown in Madden 11 if the Lions win the Super Bowl. Yep, that's Gus Johnson doing the announcing (I love that guy). Enjoy the video, because it's the only time you'll see a Lion with the Lombardi trophy.



~Mikey D

I've always liked Mitch Albom. One of my favorite books as a kid was "The Fab Five" by Mitch Albom (this was during the time in my life when I wore blues and golds around the house and my birthday cake had a gigantic block 'M' in the middle). I read the book cover to cover, and when I finished it, I read it again. I remember watching "Sports Reporters" with my dad with Dick Schapp and Mitch Albom was always on. He was my Michigan guy before I ever lived in Michigan.

To be honest I've never heard a bad word about Albom. His books have always been highly praised, from "Tuesdays with Morrie" to "The Five People You Meet In Heaven". He's the veteran Detroit sports guy. I mean, who has more clout as a Michigan sports journalist? Hell, he might be considered the best journalist to come out of Michigan (one could argue).

But apparently there's another side to Albom- a side that is seen by his peers in the industry and one that paints Albom in a completely different light. I find it interesting that so many writers are finding their voice to speak out on Albom now, as opposed to any point in the last five years. Perhaps there's just strength in numbers, and all it takes is one to open the flood gate. Here's a few good articles (short reads) that speak about Albom:

1) Joe Posnanski, "The Atomic Albom"
2) Dave Kindred, "Raising a little hell about this year's Red Smith Award winner"
3) Jason Whitlock featured on "The Big Lead"

***

A few points are made pretty clear from these articles:
1) Mitch Albom seemed to be an anti-social, and not well-liked amongst his fellow sports writers.
2) There is great resentment towards Albom because of his hypocrisy.
3) While there is a lot of anti-Albom sentiment amongst writers, many can still recognize the contributions Albom has made to sports journalism.

This was just a different side to Albom I had never known. I always felt he was looked at the same way I looked at him- as a legend.

I suppose he is still a legend, considering the numerous awards and recognitions he is still receiving. But he's not as well-liked of a legend as orginally thought. What's the sports equivalent of that? LeBron? A-Rod?

~Mikey D

I've been meaning to do this for awhile, but I really need to talk about Grace's blog, Money Smart Fashion.

Grace first started a blog a few years ago to keep in touch with friends and to write about random life events, but it has evolved into so much more. She's focused her blog on her primary interest in life, money and fashion (yeah not me). As a chronic shopper and spender it's been tough for her through the years to find the balance between having great style and keeping that great style within budget. Her blog is an open "diary" for her spending and ideas for creating fashions that don't break the bank (I've also noticed it serves as a never-ending wish list of dream outfits, accessories, and shoes). She posts not only her thoughts, but the outfits that she creates. Many of her posts are her in the outfits that she wears to work and out and about (I'd like to say I'm a proud contributor to her efforts, as I am usually her cameraman of choice).

Last year she had her site remodeled into something quite snazzy, and it currently has 83 followers (through Blogger and Bloglovin'). And she's gaining steam. She's an "Alpha Shopper" for Lucky Magazine, and sometimes gets random free things sent to her in the mail (soaps, bras, etc.), and not to mention free publicity for her blog on the website. She's been featured in Glamour Magazine's very popular "Slaves to Fashion" online blog. She's also been recognized by numerous fashion blogs, like "Runway Daily" and "Beauty and the Budget". Lucky...Glamour...these are very high-profile places! Right now she even has a giveaway contest going on for an online shopping store! They picked her blog to do a giveaway of a $60 gift certificate...very neat.

But I think the coolest will be in August when Grace will be in the September issue of "Lucky" magazine. It's one thing to be featured on a website, but another to go to your local grocery store, pick up a magazine, and see yourself. That's just crazy to me. I can't wait. And millions of people will see her...in print! Too cool.

In Grace's own words, her blog has become like a second job to her. She spends a lot of her free time creating and developing future posts, but her efforts really seem to be paying off. I'm very curious to see where this blog will take her, because in just a short while she's done so much. It's just great to see her pursue something she's so passionate about, despite the grind of full time job and night classes.

Money Smart Fashion...become a follower; support Grace.

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Randoms:

~So Columbia, where I live, came in at #2 on Money Magazine's annual "Best Places to Live List". This really surprised me, and I'm really curious how you guys view the place when you come down for the weekend. Perhaps I'm just bitter at my recent $800 annual Columbia Association fee (completely separate from HOA fees, mind you), but I don't view Columbia as a top-50, let alone #2, place to live. As Grace always points out, it looks like Columbia was built exactly like the architectural model probably looked. Every tree seems too perfectly placed, and it just seems...fake. I don't know, you guys can provide an outsider view.

~I survived the earthquake that happened today! A 3.6! That was a first. It happened right around 5 in the morning, as I was getting ready to hop in the shower. When everything first began to shake, I thought it was just a plane flying too low overhead (we have planes flying into BWI go over us all the time), but the shaking continued. Then I thought that there was something wrong with our heater, and that it was shaking violently making the house shake (I know, random). So I ran downstairs and by the time I got to the basement the shaking had stopped. I definitely became confused, but since I was still half-asleep I went back to my original thought that a plane was just flying too low. I checked the news later that morning and there was no mention of an earthquake. But later at work, yep, turned out to be a quake.

Grace ended up sleeping through the whole thing, which tells you a lot about what kind of sleeper she is. But if I were going to describe the feeling, I'd say it was like someone was shaking you to wake you up, something very soft, with only low vibrations. It wasn't anything scary, but it was loud, which I guess explains why I thought our furnace was going to explode. Interesting to say the least.

~Mikey D

I was reading Details magazine yesterday when I came across an interview with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (the guy from 3rd Rock from the Sun, Angels in the Outfield, and now Inception). I wasn't planning on reading the article, but before I flipped the page I did a double-take.

Adam?


Holy shit, how much does this picture look like Adam!?!?

~Mikey D

I really feel for Cleveland- which is something I never thought possible after the whole Izzo courtship. But in going through the Izzo ordeal it helped me feel what life could possibly be like without our beloved coach- and it sucked a whole hell of a lot. The future looked bright, as long as Izzo stayed. Without him…everything would feel dark. Hope just wouldn't seem possible. I’m imagining the entire city of Cleveland today is feeling covered by a blanket of despair, loss, and hopelessness. And, sadly, it was LeBron that brought that blanket and tucked them all in with it last night.

I know there’s a lot of backlash about LeBron’s special last night (how it’s not good for sports, journalism), but how does a decent human being go through with something like that? Obviously LeBron was going to hurt three cities last night. Only one of them was going to get him, so there was going to be more disappointment than excitement going around. But being a Cleveland native, he had to have understood what he meant to Cleveland, right? I mean, New York and Chicago, in a day, or a week, they’ll have moved on. But Cleveland? That city’s sports fan base is absolutely destroyed. LeBron used a charity as a front (wow, what a great guy) to announce to Cleveland that he doesn’t want to win with them. He broke up with Cleveland in the most publicly humiliating way possible- on television, with a smile, for a prettier girl.

I should hate Cleveland. The Izzo wooing is fresh in my mind. The Cavaliers taking out our Pistons en-route to the NBA Finals- oh I remember. And yes, all the way back to the late-90s when the Indians took out my beloved Orioles in the ALCS. You deserve a giant fuck-you from me.

But I’ll save it for the next time you do something to make me hate you. I cannot believe the number of people that say that Cleveland should just “get over” LeBron, that LeBron made the Cavs into something great, that he gave seven years to Cleveland that they should all be grateful for. What? Think about what that area has for a second. A football team in the Cleveland Browns that has had two of the most historic playoff collapses, was moved from the city, and has been Lions-like since returning. A baseball team that once played in a stadium dubbed “Mistake by the Lake”, that is watching its best homegrown talent (CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Victor Martinez, to name a few) play for other teams, that had its hearts ripped out in the 97’ World Series, and hasn’t won anything in over 60 years. A basketball team, whose franchise highlight reel before LeBron James came consisted of Jordan’s shot over Ehlo on a continuous loop, was best known for having that super tall white guy Shawn Bradley on it. Can you imagine if Detroit had the same type of futility? We have a blessed sports city in Detroit, and an overall blessed sports state.

The one thing Cleveland did have was LeBron. And he’s gone, without seemingly caring a bit about the fans and public of Cleveland. And people think they’re going to get over it quickly? Cleveland has nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not even hope. Think about that.

I think that’s why Dan Gilbert came out with the letter he did. He is both angry and bitter at James, but more than anything he sounds frustrated. It seems as if Gilbert did everything in his power- from new facilities, allowing James’ entourage on the team plane, allowing James a personal masseuse, to hiring one of his friends- to accommodate and please James. It all wasn’t enough. He gave everything and was scorned. This, in a way, makes his letter almost like the voice of Cleveland. He gets what James meant, but like all the fans, he understands what the city and team gave. And he vented, on behalf of all of Cleveland.

Let the dark years of Cleveland sports begin (continue?). Not only is there no team close to a championship, there’s not even a team close to the playoffs. In fact, there’s probably not a team that will be close to .500 in the next few years. It’s sad, and I feel for you, Cleveland. I would be depressed, too.

~Mikey D

PS~ There was one line from Dan Gilbert’s letter that caught my eye. In it, Gilbert referred to James’ TV special and decision as a “shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own”. Isn’t it ironic that Spartan fans felt the same about Gilbert just a few short weeks ago?

The annual drawing of the names out of a hat has been done (and with the usual indifference by Grace)! With baseball being the only sport going right now, it's time to start looking ahead at football. Well, it's time for me to start looking ahead at football...The rest of you will probably be normal and wait for at least training camps to start.

2010 Knob Hill Fantasy League Draft Order:

1. Adam

2. Grace

3. Amber

4. Brian

5. ???

6. Mike

7. Stacey

8. Kevin

***

~We still need someone to take that #5 slot. Adam, do you think Brian or Jane would want to have a team? I liked them.

~Weird coincidence that Adam and Kevin flipped draft spots from last year. But if last year proved anything, it doesn't matter where you draft- both Adam and Kevin made the playoffs.

~I have to keep my pledge and name my team in honor of Tom Izzo, but am struggling coming up with something. I don't want it to be an MSU dedication, but rather more about Izzo. Ideas would be appreciated.

~Mikey D

It's been awhile since I've posted...

I've started my summer school job at a school in D.C., and last week was our week of "training" (get the rooms set up, plan, etc.). From where I live the drive is about 30 miles- almost identical to the drive I take to my regular teaching job. Bad news is it takes me twice as long to make the drive (one of the differences between D.C. and Baltimore).

The two hours of my life lost each day to highway traffic aside, I've loved the job thus far- and I haven't even taught a class (that's this coming Tuesday). The people I've worked with are so friendly, collaborative, and inspiring. And while that sounds really corny, it's everything I've been missing from my regular teaching job. I'm sure I've vented about it before on a previous post, but everybody kind of does there own thing at my school. It's been really nice to bounce ideas off people that want to hear them. Plus the people are really cool- I get along with all of them- and I'm completely myself (something, as Grace knows, I struggle mightily with).

So the job is going great, but it's a lot of work. There is tons of planning to do (I'm planning 6th and 7th grade math), and very little time to do it. I've planned two of the three weeks for both grades, which is good, but it's time consuming. I spent a good four hours today typing, and about the same four other days this past week (hence my non-blogging mood). I'll be glad to be done typing and start teaching.

Anyway, Grace thinks my sometimes-less-than-enthusiastic attitude towards teaching has less to do with me not liking teaching, and more to do with the school I'm at. She suggests that maybe I just need a change of scenery. We talked for a bit the other night about it, and I think she's right. I can see all the things that another school could offer, better things for me as a teacher, things that would make me a happier person. But as weird as it sounds, it'd be hard to leave where I'm at right now. There's a comfort where I am. But what sense is there being comfortably semi-unhappy?

***

Changing gears, I don't give out thumbs-up too often for movies (decent movies can get thumbs middle, or 3/4 thumbs, but rarely thumbs up). In fact, I can't remember the last movie I gave a thumbs-up to.

Well last night Grace and I watched "Remember Me" with Robert Pattinson (yeah, THE Robert Pattinson from Twilight...and yes, Grace, that's Pattinson, not Patterson like I originally thought) and Pierce Brosnan. It was fantastic...wonderful. Thumbs up.

I won't spoil it in case you want to see it (I'm not sure if it's up either of you guys' alleys), but Pattinson and Brosnan are exceptional in it. They were perfect for both the roles that they played. And while the movie is a little slow in some parts, there are some really powerful and great scenes.

And the ending...like I said, I won't spoil it for anyone...but I think it's possibly the best ending I have ever seen to a movie. At the very least, top five. When you are watching a movie, and you know that something is about to happen, and yet you still get completely blown away...that says something. And completely blown away might be an understatement.

If you got a couple hours, and you're intrigued, check it out.

~Mikey D