As many of you might know I am a big football NFL fan.  I participate in a few fantasy football leagues throughout the season.  I try to schedule a little as possible on Sunday afternoons so I can watch football (I have been very unsuccessful at this recently).

Anyway, tonight one of my favorite games of the year is taking place, The New England Patriots vs The Indianapolis Colts.

As a Patriots fan I can’t help but root for my beloved Patriots — the key of this matchup is the QB of each team….Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

Many sports greats had their all time rival —  Larry Bird had Magic Johnson, Muhammad Ali had Joe Frazier, Jimmy Connors had John McEnroe. In the NFL we now have Brady and Manning.

Brady and Manning, will always be linked with one another because of the high level on intensity they share  on the field and the success both clubs have had over the last 5- 10 years.

This weekend, the Patriots and Colts will face off for the 10th time since 2003. It’s the seventh straight year the clubs have met in the regular season and  I think I read somewhere that 5 out of the last 7 seasons one of the teams is undefeated going into the game.  That is true again this year as the Colts are 8-0.

Manning is playing at an all time high right now and Brady has gotten most if not all the rust shaken out since missing least year with a knee injury, so I have high expectations for this game.

One of the things that I really enjoy about this rival is that both Brady and Manning have a deep respect for one another and they bring everything to the field.  Unlike some sports starts who trash talk all week before the game (cough)Joey Porter (cough) – Manning and Brady have nothing but good things to say about each other and they let their play do the talking.

Recently this game has more hype and high level of play than the Superbowl – I can’t wait.

Share on Facebook

For more insight check out:

Tom Brady (Football Superstars)

Moving the Chains: Tom Brady and the Pursuit of Everything

The NFL Schedule is out, I wish it was the sole thing that plans my fall but it doesn’t.  However, it certainly gets me excited about the fall and the possibilities of another perfect regular season.

Overall, I think the schedule looks pretty good. I like the match-ups that we have.  However, the Pats are on the road alot to the west coast.  A few times it might make more sense for them to stay out west during the week!

Week One: September 7th – vs Kansas City Chiefs 1:00pm (CBS)
Opening Day at home.  This is not the flashiest match-up for a team who played in the Super bowl last year. But the great mind of Herm Edwards (former Jets coach) vs. the genius of Billicheck

Week Two: September 14th – @ New York Jets 4:15pm (CBS)
Always a good game. Perhaps there may be more Jets fans where I am going than Pats fans (But I think Buffalo will be overwhelming) But Mangini and Company are coming to play and wanting to win.

Week Three: September 21st – vs Miami Dolphins 1:00pm (CBS)
This will be the first of two meetings between Bill Parcells new look Dolphins.  We will see if Bill can get them to win more than one game this year.  Not this one I can tell you that.

Week Four: September 28th – BYE WEEK
I don’t think I have seen this early of a Bye week in a long time. Too bad it was not between their travels out west.

Week Five: October 5th – @ San Francisco 49ers 4:15pm (CBS)
First of the four trips to the west coast.   The 49ers might get a look at what could of been if they kept their 7th pick.

Week Six: October 12th @ San Diego Chargers 8:15pm (Sunday Night NBC Game)
I would of thought this might of been the opening weekend game.  A rematch of the AFC Championship game. Should be a good game but this brings back to back West coast games. Will the Patriots just stay out West all week?

Week Seven: October 20th vs. Denver Broncos 8:30pm (Monday Night ESPN Game)
Should be a good game. Denver gives us a run for our money when we play them. After the two trips to the West the Pats I am sure will be happy to be home.  Plus it is a MONDAY NIGHT GAME!!

Week Eight: October 26th vs St Louis Rams 1:00pm (FOX)
Back to back home games– the Rams are doing good things in the off-season. Should be a good game.

Week Nine: November 2nd @ Indianapolis Colts 8:15pm (Sunday Night NBC Game)
The Super Bowl of the regular season every year.  We will see who comes out on top this year.  Just to note: The Colts will also be coming off a prime time game with the Titans the week before.

Week Ten: November 9th vs Buffalo Bills 1:00pm
I hope my church does not kick me out if the Pats beat the Bills- which I think they will.

Week Eleven: November 13 vs New York Jets 8:15pm (Thursday night NFLN Game)
Short week for the Pats.  They will be facing their old foes on a Thursday night.

Week Twelve: November 23 @ Miami Dolphins 1:00pm (CBS)
Going to see the stadium that Parcells build. Well maybe not but we will see how the Dolphins are doing at this point.

Week Thirteen: November 30 vs Pittsburgh Steelers 4:15pm (CBS)
I wonder if this will be a flex game.  It all depends on how Ben’s arm is doing. I am sure it will be tired when they come to our house.

Week Fourteen: December 7 @ Seattle Seahawks 8:15pm (Sunday Night NBC Game)
Sunday night – Prime Time out West — Glad it is not me :

Week Fifteen: December 12 @ Oakland Raiders 4:15pm (CBS)
Once again, do the Patriots stay out West somewhere in between the Seahawks game and this one?  We will see how Russell holds up against our D

Week Sixteen: December 21 vs Arizona Cardinals 1:00pm (FOX)
Back home for another 1:00pm game.

Week Seventeen: December 28 @ Buffalo Bills 1:00pm (CBS)
Closing out the schedule at Buffalo, the Bill showed improvement last year, could they be vying for a playoff spot here?  Will I be able to see them? Who knows?

I am excited for the season.  I think it will be good. Now we will see how things pan out in the draft.  I am looking forward too it.

Share on Facebook

For more insight check out:

Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule (ADIS-IV) Child/Parent Version Combination Specimen Set (Treatments That Work)

The American Patriot's Almanac: Daily Readings on America

Tomorrow is — for me one of my favorite days of the year.  Bigger thank Christmas, Easter, and even my birthday. It is Superbowl Sunday.  My friend over at Here I Stand – as I am sure many people out there do not appreciate the expense that goes into Super week as well as the commercial aspect of the event.  I say that I must agree to a certain extent. I think the commercials do draw people together and bring more people to the game than otherwise would watch it.  I hear over and over again that people watch the Super Bowl for the commercials.

I am extra excited about the game this Sunday because “my team” the New England Patriots are playing in the game.  Before the comments about the patriots being “cheaters” and the patriots “running up the score” start.  Make sure that you are well informed about the situation.

First I have listened to many NFL commentators say that they do not believe that video taping the first half of the first game of the year make any difference this season.  So before you attack the 2007-2008 season there is no evidence of them having any edge over anyone else for this season.  Now past seasons there is a chance that they have videos — however, with that being said, I am sure 75% of the NFL teams have some sort of “illegal video hiding around their media rooms.  There is as much evidence of that as there is any other patriot “cheating video.”

The other point that I would like to make about this it does not matter if you have the entire game plan in your back pocket.  What you need is the talent to execute.  You need the personal to carryout the game plan.  With Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker leading the way there is no one that can stop them.  Not even the New York Giants.

This will be the game of the top NFC and AFC teams playing head to head for a winner take all game.  Aside from all the hype when you look at the pure football aspect of the game there is nothing else that is better.

Share on Facebook

I should be happy, I really should. I feel like I should be out celebrating because a huge load has come off my back. I FINALLY sent in my assignment papers for the ELCA assignment process next February. However, I was nervous sending out my papers. What if I could of said something differently? Was three times enough to go through the spell check? Did I leave a very important piece out of my profile that might turn a church around? Too many questions for me to worry about. I need to lift everything up in God’s hands because that’s where it is now.

Admist the craziness of life I am having a pretty good week. The end of last week I had a lockin at church- followed by the Souderton Christmas Parade, I was kinda disappointed by Santa Clause. There are more and more Santa’s around that have real long white beards and my son knew that this was a fake and he is only three. He just asked what was on Santa’s face, I just said that Santa was cold and he seemed okay with that.
This followed with lunch and the much needed nap.

Sunday was church and then a trip to the King of Prussa mall to the Apple Store. Currently on my labtop (where I am typing from) I am missing the F2 and F5 key, the space bar, the left and down arrows. This is caused by the aforementioned son. When he was smaller he would sneak onto the computer and pull off keys. They told me it would be $150.00 to get it fixed. The computer is functional and I have adapted this long it would not matter for alittle while longer. Like our cars I am hoping this computer will make it through the rest of seminary.

I don’t think I would ever go after a PhD. I was intimitated enough by coming to seminary for my masters degree. Plus the language would keep me out of most programs. However if I do get my Dmin down the road. I would love to get into the idea of Theodicy and Psychology. I just had to write a paper along those lines and I think it is very interesting. How does evil come into the world? When we talk about evil and an individual – what is the psychological make up of those individuals? And how does God fit into all of this. I would consider doing a Dmin down the road with perhaps a focus on becoming a CPE supervisor. I think I could tie those two things in together and that would be something that interests me. But right now I am thinking that would happen 5-10 years from now.

For the current time I am goign to be in the draft and I have indicated on my forms that I am in conversation with Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission. Basically I was told by my advisor that I should consider being a mission developer or a Church Planter. I would not mind doing something like this, acutally I think it could be fun and that I could do a good job at it. This Friday I have a prescreening for the position.

Well I should get back and watch my Patriots. Right now they are not doing so good. GO PATS!!!!!

Share on Facebook

For the last few weeks I have had a major pain in my lower back. It happens every six months or so. The last time it happened was last november. I remember because it was during the Luther Bowl. I played anyway but I was useless because I was in a lot of pain. I went all out with Physical therapy and basically I was told that I had to wait it out before it got better.

Now it has been two weeks and my back really hurts. I got up this morning and I could barely walk. I finally broke down and I called the doctor and I am going to see them in a little bit. I don’t know what will happen. I will most likely go to the hospital and get xrays. It just makes me fusterated becuase I have plans for the day. I have things that I need to get done but I can’t because I have to go to the doctors now and then perhaps the hospital.

I guess this is a good lesson on self care. I don’t know if it would of made a difference or not if I did this whole thing earlier or if I should not worry about class and choir and all the other things that I need to do today and I should worry about myself.

In other news the Patriots once again beat the Bills yesterday hands down. It was a great game (from what I hear) and I am excited that they are doing so well. They have scored 38 points in their first three games. Brady and Moss have connected on over 100 yards a game. If they keep this up they both will be running for MVP for this season. I know it is too early to tell but I can see it going that way.

An international sting operation broke this weekend called Raw Deal. It has to do with steroids. I guess there are ten countries involved with this operation and it was an undercover operation from the DEA. The main drugs taken in this operation were
Anabolic steroids
• Human growth hormone
• Human chorionic gonadotropin: used to stimulate natural production of testosterone
• Insulin growth factor 1: A protein that enhances muscle growth

There are going to be a lot of names named from this scandel. If I was a professional athlete I would come clean before I was a name on a list. It is better to do this now then to feel the wrath of what will happen once this comes down. The amount of drugs they took was crazy and I am sure this is just the start of it. I guess we will find out later today what happened and who was a part of it.

Keep me in your prayers today for my back. I just pray that it is nothing serious.

Share on Facebook

I can’t keep my silence any longer. Given that football is my favorite sport and that the Patriots are my favorite team I can’t keep my silence about the events that happened the past week.
For those of you who do not follow sports – A week ago Sunday when the Patriots were playing the New York Jets, one of the security officers caught an employee for the New England Patriots video taping on of the defensive coaches giving hand signals to the players. His goal was to capture this video for further review so in future competitions between the two teams the Patriots would know the hand signals and know what the defense would be. This would give them a competitive advantage.

Roger Goodel reviewed the tape and a fine was given to Bill Belichick ($500,000.00) the New England Patriots ($250,000.00) and they lose a first round draft pick.

Given all of this for a tape that is pretty harsh and there have been mixed reviews about it. I don’t know about you but all this for a tape? Now this would be considered cheating, and that is wrong, so I am not saying they should not be punished but in this case I believe the punishment deserves the crime.

Now, after this came out there have been “reports” that the Packers and the Lions caught the Patriots doing this last year and they did not do anything about it. There are people saying that the Patriots have done this and have done that and that there should be an * next to the Super Bowl wins!!! That is CRAZY!!!! Now I have lost some faith in the team because of all of this. I have seen the Patriots the last few years at the best team in the league no matter what their record. They have been able to take “troubled” players and they have been able to “rehab” their careers. They have had more wins in the last 5 or 6 years than any other team. They use their salary cap wisely so they can have a big year getting all these high-class free agents. But now this kind of changes everything. There is a little doubt deep within side me that maybe they have won a few games here and there because of the taping, but nothing I would admit in person.

I think though if they had the number on different teams, why would they be up more than 20 points in last years AFC championship game and then lose it? I believe you can have all the right calls and you can make the right predictions but you need the players to pull it off. That’s what I believe separates the Patriots from other teams. I am 100% positive that the players had no idea this was going on, so why punish them? It is their coach who screwed up and he is getting punished from it. Why punish the whole team by suspending him or making the team lose the game?

This trickles down for me to my own life and what I am teaching my son. He is just starting to learn how to play games. There is a part of me who wants to sick by the rules so he learns what is fair and what is not fair. But when we play goldfish he does not care if we keep going until we run out of card because then “WE BOTH WIN” Am I teaching him wrong? Should I stick by the rules? Or is it better at this point to just play the game and have fun with him? In the long run will one damage him and the other make him shine? I really don’t know to be honest.

Share on Facebook