LET THE MADNESS BEGIN…March 19, 2009

Everybody has a favorite time of year and for me it has always been the month of March because of the conference and NCAA basketball tournaments. March Madness has barely begun and I am already wiped out and exhausted.

The madness began in our household on Sunday when my dad’s team, Queens College locked up a spot in the NCAA DII tournament by winning their conference tournament. Although I am on the opposite side of the country we were able to watch the game via the internet. (The wonders of modern technology). Of course this left me with no choice but to book a flight to New York so that we could support the man who rarely missed any of his children’s games. On Wednesday I packed up the two kids, my husband dropped us at the San Jose airport for the red eye to New York and several hours later my husband was picking us back up as the plane was having some form of technical difficulty. LOTS OF FUN sitting in an airport with two children for hours. Needless to say we will be watching the game tonight on the internet.

Yesterday all we did was watch the Big East tournament on television and nothing else mattered. Dishes remained in the sink, beds unmade and children swinging from the chandeliers. The great thing about living on the west coast is that when you wake up, the games are already on! The heartbreaking part is that if you grow up near Madison Square Garden attendance at the Big East Tournament is mandatory and that is hard to do if you are living on the west coast. I almost felt as if I was there because I watched the Syracuse vs. UConn game with one of my old teammates from Hofstra, April Fitzpatrick. She lives on the opposite coast but that’s why they invented text messaging. It was just like old times when we sat next to each other on the Hofstra bench; yelling at the referees, second guessing coaches, imploring players to go harder and loving the fact that walk-ons and third stringers decided the outcome in what has to be one of the greatest games in the history of the Big East Tournament.

March Madness strikes everyone at some point. I spoke to my mom this morning who was driving to Philadelphia to cheer my dad on tonight. She could hardly form a sentence since apparently she stayed up until 2am watching the UConn/Syracuse game. Did I mention she and my sister took half days from work so that they can get to the game in time? I have to run now the Georgia Tech game is about to begin and I am hoping they can pull off another upset.

FOR NOW I am hoping to get out of my pajamas before noon!

LOST MY MIND...March 10, 2009

A few clicks of the mouse, a payment of $112 and I have actually paid to torture myself for the next two months. Running a marathon has always been on my “list” of things to accomplish in life before the age of 35 and since that day passed several weeks ago, I apparently have left myself with no choice but to enter the Big Sur Marathon at the end of April. That would leave me approximately 8 weeks to train and be able to actually cross the finish line.

This would be a piece of cake for me if it was 1991 when I was 108 lbs and could run a mile under 5 minutes. Or 1994 when I could run lots of 6 minute miles, or even 4 years ago when I could run ten miles in a 76 minutes, but sadly it is none of those years and somehow I haven’t run any kind of race in at least five years. It may be because I have been pregnant in 2006, 07 and 08 and the only place I actually ever ran to during that time was the freezer for some extra ice cream. I would love to say that I am motivated by an intense desire to cross an accomplishment off of my list of things to do in life, but I have a sneaky suspicion that I am driven more by the fact that I don’t want to be the “plump mom” in my sister’s wedding pictures this August. (Although I have been lobbying to be placed between the two bridesmaids that will be pregnant)!

I am also driven to cross the finish line at Big Sur because a player I coached at West Point, Adrienne Payne will be running Big Sur as well. (She ran 20 miles last Saturday, I ran not so many). Quite simply Adrienne is one of the toughest individuals I have ever come across, she suffered through numerous shoulder injuries as a player yet still found a way to inspire and lead her team. I would hate to miss out on an opportunity to run in the same race as her. Although I am hoping that she won’t fall asleep waiting for me at the finish line. So tomorrow morning I begin the great experiment of attempting to get myself in shape to run BIG SUR in two months.

FOR NOW I know why moms run marathons, it is because they have lost their minds.

A LIFETIME OF DEDICATION...March 3, 2009

I love athletics but have always wished that high school coaches received the plaudits on a national level they deserve. The majority of high school athletes do not go on to play at the collegiate level, thus their last chance to be mentored in a team environment is the high school level. Therefore it is on the shoulders of high school coaches across the country to affect as many student athletes as possible before they move on.

How do these numbers strike you for a basketball coach's career? 611-354, 5 Elite 8s and an induction into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coaches Hall of Fame in 2001 and a 2009 Regional High School Boys Basketball Coach of the Year. Wonder who it is and why you missed his final home game as he concludes his 38 year career. He is Tom Wierzba head coach at Farmington HS in Illinois.

Somehow big sports outlets managed to miss the final home game coached by Wierzba as he coached Farmington to a win on Saturday night. Nearly 100 former players and coaches attended the game but perhaps none more important than his two sons, Ben and Rhett. Both are former DI players, now deeply immersed in their own coaching careers at the college level. Rhett is the Director of Basketball Operations for the U of Maryland Women and Ben is an Assistant Coach for the men at The University of Evansville. Rhett changed his ticket two times to make the game and Ben thought he couldn't possibly make the game when ESPN assigned them a tip-off time of 2:00pm for their bracket buster game. When you need to show your love and gratitude to the man who has given so much to you, your family and the game of basketball it leaves you with no choice but to charter a plane to get home in time for the game! (Who cares if Ben will be eating Ramen noodles for the next 30 years)?

The players, coaches and fans that showed up to support and express their thanks to Coach Wierzba are the one that truly understand the value of high school athletics. So my hope is that all high school coaches can have as profound an impact as Coach Wierzba has made on his student athletes.

FOR NOW I am keeping my fingers crossed that Coach Wierzba is awarded the 2009 National High School Boys Basketball Coach of the Year for which he is one of 6 finalists.

A-nonymous...February 9, 2009

Clearly there is no such thing as an anonymous drug test in the world of MLB especially if you are Alex Rodriguez. My dad always told me don’t put anything on paper (or apparently in a cup) if you aren’t fully prepared to stand by the results, criticism or reviews. For the past few days I have heard that A-Rod has ruined his legacy, his numbers are not legit and he should not be inducted into the hall of fame.

My first question is how has he failed a drug test that was anonymous? If this was truly an anonymous drug test by MLB then how do we know that A-Rod failed? An “anonymous” drug test would not have names attached to the 1,198 samples that were drawn from the players; vials not labeled simply would have been tested and the results recorded. The actual samples of 1,198 players were kept in one lab in Las Vegas and had codes, not players' names. A list with the names and corresponding codes was in an office in Long Beach, Calif. They were never supposed to be united. Clearly MLB didn’t live up to the standard of anonymous testing. Now the fans, the press and Curt Schilling want the rest of the 103 names released so that the remaining 500 or 600 players’ names won’t be tainted. I say no way! The samples were provided under the auspice of anonymity in the hopes of developing a mandatory drug testing policy for players. Two wrongs don’t make a right and all that MLB players will take from this is not to agree to any further “anonymous policies” that may help benefit the future of MLB.

All Alex Rodriguez can do now is speak the truth if he used illegal substances, take ownership like Andy Pettitte and Jason Giambi and stop making a mockery of what MLB has brought upon itself. If MLB had instituted proper checks and balances years ago the choice to use steroids by a player never would have been an issue if the threat of automatic dismissal existed. After all the promise of hundreds of millions of dollars causes people to usually lose their moral compass.

FOR NOW I AM PRETTY SURE THE MAGIC OF BASEBALL DISAPPEARED A LONG TIME AGO and THAT “HEROES” LIKE ROGER MARIS, BABE RUTH AND HENRY AARON ARE SIMPLY MEMORIES. (Such a shame that Maris isn’t in the HALL OF FAME)

LONG LIVE THE QUEENS...January 30, 2009

As a rising senior in high school the assistant coach from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, Tom Flahive called to express interest in my truly amazing point guard skills :) The match didn’t end up working out, but somehow his presence remained in my life for the next 17 years. When I was in college at Hofstra University he interviewed for the assistant position on the staff; as Coach walked him through the gym I thought to myself hey there is the assistant from St. Francis, wonder what he is doing here. Once again no match.

Ten years after that I went to work as an assistant at Army and our director of basketball operations turned out to be his daughter Kelly who became my roommate. So Coach Flahive was at our games, our house and eventually got his break as a head coach at Queens College in New York. A well deserved opportunity after mentoring plenty of New York basketball players. However a daunting task lay ahead of him as Queens College was not the dominant Women’s Basketball Program it was in the late 70s.

Our paths crossed again as he hired my dad to be his assistant coach; two Irish Catholic men out of Brooklyn and the Bronx, a coaching match made in heaven! One loud, one not quite as loud, both with the ability to talk to anyone about anything. (Actually on a phone call from Coach Flahive, I was able to put down the phone, get a drink and came back without him taking a breath!) More importantly both possess a desire to teach, coach and mentor student athletes, all the right reasons for coaching and none of the wrong ones. My father and Coach Flahive made basketball their life calling over the past thirty years and are now realizing their dreams after retiring from the jobs that allowed them to raise families. Last night Queens College beat Molloy College to take over first place in the ECC and run their win streak to 12 games in a row. Not many teams in the country can say they have strung together 12 wins in a row at this point in the season.

And so a phone call to our house 16 years ago has come full circle as two coaches perfect for each other and their team, are leading the women of Queens College on the ride of a lifetime!

FOR NOW I AM CHEERING THE QUEENS COLLEGE KNIGHTS!

TODAY WE SALUTE YOU MR. YELLOW JACKET MAN and MRS. BASKETBALL PLAYER’S MOM... January 12, 2009

Tonight my husband and I loaded up the family and drove north to San Jose to support my former boss at the U of Hawaii, Jim Bolla as his team took on the San Jose Spartans. We should have stayed home.

Our 2 year old, Isabella was excited as we entered the gym and began yelling, “Basketball Basketball”. Unfortunately for her, when the event staff at San Jose dons their bright yellow jackets it causes them to misplace their sense of kindness and understanding. Isabella had the audacity to run up and down the sidelines (supervised and behind the rope) when Mr. YELLOW JACKET MAN approached us, informing us that he thought it best if Bella sit down for the rest of the game. I explained to him that she was 2 and with 326 people in a 5,000 seat arena I didn’t think she was obstructing anyone’s view. Mr. Yellow Jacket Man thought he should offer some outstanding parenting advice by telling me that I should let her know who the parent was in this relationship. Hey thanks buddy I wasn’t sure who popped her out after 12 agonizing hours of labor.

I held my New York tongue against my better wishes and took her over to an area where there was not a single soul in the 200 seats in that section. We sat on the bottom step and tried to watch the game. Faster than I used to down a Bud Light in college, Mr. YELLOW JACKET MAN whipped out his big walkie talkie, radioed his co-worker that we were sitting on the stairs and she raced over to inform us that the stairs had to remain clear in case of an emergency. HUH? Whose escape are we blocking? The 200 people not sitting in that section? To top off the night, our two month old had an explosion that would never allow me to get her to the bathroom; however there was an abundance of empty bleachers, so I laid the changing pad down and took care of business. Wouldn’t you know, MR. YELLOW JACKET MAN didn’t think this was appropriate and started to head for us. Fortunately my husband shot him with his look of death and MR. YELLOW JACKET MAN changed course. Careful MR. YELLOW JACKET MAN, you never know who my husband is in real life.

SO TO YOU MR. YELLOW JACKET MAN I SALUTE YOU AS A TRUE AMERICAN HERO. AS BUD LIGHT SO ELOQUENTLY STATES, “More than any neon sign or exploding scoreboard your yellow jacket says look at me…you think it looks cool, but made of space age fiber it can repel anything including women”. WAY TO BE A HERO!

Isabella and I did return to our seats where we had the pleasure of sitting in front of a Mrs. Basketball Player’s Mom, (you know everything about basketball, even though your full time job has nothing to do with coaching) from the U of Hawaii and truly witnessed objectivity blinded by love. Thoughtfully, she introduced Isabella to the word Bull Sh**, which I thank you for since now I won’t have to include it in her vocabulary lesson next week. (Saves me some time) Note to the family, if you want your child to get playing time move up 18 rows, don’t sit three rows behind the bench and scream at the coach “That’s B.S.” numerous times. When your daughter throws the ball 4 feet over another player’s head, ITS NOT A GOOD PASS!! As my father very gently explained to me in 1992 that if I wasn’t playing it was probably because the player in front of me was better. (She did have 1000 pts and 500 assists). So lady get a clue, no coach sits someone that can help their team win.

So to you Mr. Yellow Jacket Man with the big walkie talkie, the cool jacket and the orthopedic shoes I offer you a word of advice; you are Mr. Yellow Jacket Man not secret service, let a supervised child have fun. And to you Mrs. Basketball Player’s Parent- Those that can DO; Those that can’t teach and those that can’t Do or Teach TALK the WHOLE FREAKING GAME. So please just shut up, take the blinders off, invest in a dictionary, and get rid of all the hate. Last I checked Coach Bolla of Hawaii has over 350 wins and if you are sitting in the stands it probably means you have zero at the college level.

FOR NOW I AM DISGUSTED WITH MR. YELLOW JACKET MAN and MRS. BASKETBALL PLAYER’S MOM

Common Sense?...January 9, 2009

I am so confused that my head is starting to hurt. Last night Florida and Oklahoma played in the National Championship game, so common sense would imply that the winner is the number one team and the loser the number two team in the country. Obviously common sense is never applicable when dealing with the BCS. Only in their system can a team play for the number one spot, lose the game and end up with a final ranking of #5.

Then again only Utah can find their team ranked #2(AP) and #4 (USA Today) while being undefeated, having beaten 4 ranked opponents, kicked the bejesus out of Alabama 31-17 who was ranked #1 in the country for 5 weeks and who Florida had to beat to get into the National Championship game. Heck I guess at the end of the day they should be happy that they even received one first place vote. Of course they suffer from the same disease that Texas Tech quarterback fell victim to; you just aren't big time enough which is why Urban Meyer hit the road and went straight to Gainesville when offered his golden ticket.

Is it asking too much for the NCAA to step in, take ownership and develop a playoff system? My husband, a graduate student at the Naval Post Graduate School is actually considering doing a quarter long project on how to develop an effective playoff system for NCAA football using linear programming or game theory. Are you kidding me? Its freaking football. X amount of teams make the playoffs, they advance, as you get down to the final 8 games, they are considered bowl games. Sponsors, college presidents, coaches all go home happy because they will still get a big fat pay check and there will be no debate on who is the number one team in the country.

Now if we can only get President Elect Obama to sign off on the antitrust violation against the BCS, but apparently he thinks he should be focusing his time on creating 3 million more jobs. Go figure.

For now I am confused as usual...

VINCIT QUI PATITUR-HE CONQUERS WHO ENDURES, December 18, 2008

When I was an assistant basketball coach at ARMY each day I walked past a beautiful monument before entering the gym for practice. On it was inscribed one of my all time favorite quotes… On the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that on other days and other fields will bear the fruits of victory –General Douglas MacArthur. I have always felt that it so adequately sums up what all forms of athletics provides each participant. Every person who has ever taken a field, a court or participated in athletic competition leaves that arena with some form of a life lesson.

Kevin Colbert was a fullback and linebacker, who roamed the football field at West Hempstead High School during the early 1990s. He possessed an intensity, passion and desire for the game that some believe has yet to be matched on that same field. His senior year he led the West Hempstead Rams to the county playoffs at Hofstra University, a feat that would not be repeated by the RAMS for another ten years. Kevin was a warrior on and off the field; if you were going to battle on the field you had better pray that he was on your side. To know him off the field was an experience that would certainly provide you with plenty of stories that only his friends and family can hold in their hearts.

Kevin was my brother’s (Pat) roommate when they were 19 years old and he was bigger, stronger and louder than anyone I had ever encountered; his brute strength was legendary among his friends. (Their apartment provided me with a great place to nap on days I didn’t want to attend summer class at Hofstra) I remember feeling such relief when my brother called at 5pm the day the Towers fell to let us know he was alive and for some God given reason his Firehouse had been sent into the Battery Tunnel instead of the Towers. That feeling of elation was snuffed out just hours later when word got around that no one had heard from Kevin. Somehow Kevin’s life path found him as a bond trader on the 89th floor of the World Trade Center.

It is a struggle today for Kevin’s family as they attempt to fund his memorial scholarship for the WH football team. Time has passed, people are forgetting and some really “cool” vandals burned down the snack shack at the high school football field. Unfortunately this snack shack helped generate funds for the Kevin Colbert Memorial Scholarship. (Amazing what people find cool when they are complete idiots). So my question for the players, coaches, friends and all of West Hempstead is where are you now? If each and every player that took the field with Kevin found a way to donate it would allow his legacy to continue on. A teammate most adequately captured Kevin when he wrote “Kevin’s legacy continues to touch me in ways that will always keep his memory alive. Every year on the morning of September 11, I share his life with those that never knew him and put on the Colbert #24 T-shirt.. He embodied all the heart and soul of a town that looks out for each other and will stand up with one another when times are tough. He gives me strength and teaches me to value each and every day we have with our family and friends. He is a foundation of what brotherhood is all about.”

The only thing in life that was able to overcome #24 was the same amount of force required to topple the Towers in NYC. Kevin’s friends now have families, children, houses, and even suffer from hair loss, but for Kevin time has remained still and he will always be #24 with a smile that could light up an entire room.

FOR NOW I KNOW THE PEOPLE OF WEST HEMPSTEAD WILL STEP UP FOR ONE OF THEIR OWN! GO RAMS!

Anyone desiring to donate to the scholarship fund in memory of Kevin can send a check to:
West Hempstead Football Parents Club
c/o Bob Ainbinder
3544 Milburn Avenue
Baldwin, NY 11510
(In the memo area write “Kevin Colbert Scholarship)

IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE AN OTTER!, December 15, 2008

If you live anywhere from Santa Cruz to Carmel Valley the time has come to get off your couch, out of the mall, leave the nail salon, hop in your car and drive over to a CSU Monterey Bay Women's Basketball game. When time allows I volunteer with the CSU-Monterey Bay Women's Basketball team, not because they need my basketball knowledge but because I need them to keep my sanity with two young girls at home. The OTTERS are off to a school record start of 6-2, breaking records for game attendance, upsetting the top ranked team in the CCAA and their charge out of the gate has everything to do with first year head coach Renee Jimenez.

Leadership can make or break a program, especially when attempting to build tradition, while changing the culture of a team that is accustomed to losing. Coach Jimenez leads her team with positive energy, great communication and high standards of accountability for all team members including herself. What a refreshing change in this era of high maintenance coaches! (There is a lot to be said for having a coach who can recently recall her own playing days). How did CSUMB manage to land a head coach who helped engineer a turnaround at San Diego State University as an assistant and who interned at Stanford under the legendary Tara Van Derveer? There could be a million reasons, but the most obvious is the opportunity to build tradition at CSUMB, be the leader of her own destiny and affect student athletes’ lives in a positive way.

Coach Jimenez has convinced All-American candidate Dana Andrews to place the team first and her scoring average second. I hate to use the word convinced since Dana is a competitor who wants to win first and foremost, so while her scoring average might be a bit lower than last year (17ppg vs. 18.8ppg), the Otters have already doubled their win total from last season and are only 8 games into the season. Did I mention Dana has a 3.8 GPA and is graduating in the spring? Anyone out there have a job for this young lady?

People are often evaluated by the company they keep and Coach Jimenez has done herself and the OTTERS a world of good by hiring Tina Samaniego as her assistant coach. I would find it hard to believe that there is a more motivated or qualified assistant in the CCAA. Personally, I like her because her bluntness and sarcasm is guaranteed to make me laugh at least twice at practice. (If I didn’t know better, I would swear she was a native New Yorker).

When my husband and I left a team dinner the other night he said, “I never expected the coaches to be this enjoyable”. I think he had become accustomed to the nights I spent sleeping in an office, student managers having to hold the head coach’s diet coke while standing in a bus aisle, so it wouldn’t spill on her if we hit a bump and the early mornings of driving a boss's husband to work. I think now he understands why even when I am absolutely exhausted from our month old baby, I make an effort to be around the CSUMB family.

So on your next free Friday or Saturday night, come find out what the CSUMB community already knows… it’s great day to be an OTTER in the KELP BED!

FOR NOW I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT HOME GAME ON January 15th at 5:30pm against San Francisco State University. (Did I mention this is Coach Jimenez’s alma mater?)

Happy Holidays Graham, December 12, 2008

“Hi, you have reached Graham Harrell, I can’t get to my phone right now, I’m in Orlando Florida at the College Football Awards, after that I will not be on my way to New York City for the Heisman Trophy Awards Ceremony. Leave a message at the tone and I will get back to you.”

“Hiya Graham, this is Tim Henning coordinator for the Heisman Trophy Trust. Just wanted to let you know we are sorry that we didn’t invite you to participate in the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York. I know, I know you have 4,700 yards passing this year and Texas Tech, Florida, Oklahoma and Texas all have an identical 11-1. You see fact of the matter is that Texas Tech is not a big name football school and has never been a big-name program. You have done a tremendous job bringing recognition and prominence to a football program that has never before been in the national spot light. Unfortunately, we just can’t reward you for your hard work and outstanding leadership, as this has everything to do with politics. I hope you won’t take it too personally. Besides the way the economy is right now, we didn’t really want to spring for an extra plane ticket and hotel room in NYC. You know how overpriced NYC hotel rooms are especially during the holidays. Oh yeah before I forget, good luck going for those two touchdown passes you need to break Colt Brennan’s career record. Happy Holidays!”

A Good Walk Ruined?, December 2, 2008

On Saturday morning my husband and I ventured out for a walk, with our new daughter and Isabella our almost 2 year old. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was out glittering off the ocean and I realized that I am every golfer’s worst nightmare. Regardless of their status, pro, amateur, weekend warrior, I am a good round of golf ruined.

I have lived in the most perfect places for golf. I grew up on Long Island, where the fabled Beth Page Black is located. Even golfed there in a fundraiser once, but was much more excited to attend a wedding at their facility. When I worked at Hofstra University, myself and our Director of Operations Beth Shackel were the designated “golf” fundraising participants. I am assuming it is because we had our own clubs and not because they didn’t want us in the office. We signed up for every conceivable fundraising golf event, because well we didn’t want to be in the office. Once we arrived at the event I usually became the designated golf cart driver, because after 9 holes my mind seems to wander. Blame it on adult ADD or too many beers, but all focus would be gone. There was also the “incident” were I hopped in the wrong golf cart, started to drive away and found an irate golfer chasing me down. (I think Beth may still be on the ground laughing). Once I even assembled a foursome to participate in the women’s athletic fundraiser at Hofstra, consisting of myself and 3 of my brother’s friends. Ed and Pete are always good for a day out of the office; of course Pete got a tad carried away when he made a great shot and last I saw of him his shirt was over his head as he ran circles around the green, screaming at the top of his lungs. It was like a real life version of Happy Gilmore, but of course we haven’t been invited back since.

When I first started coaching, it was at the University of South Carolina Aiken, where Mike Carlisle has won 3 NCAA DII championships in a row, as well as 3 runners up finishes. I worked for a boss, Phil Stern, who if you said, “anyone care to golf?” would run you over in an effort to beat you to the golf course. Great set up huh? Beautiful weather and courses, built in coaches, right in the heart of golf country, only 12 miles from Augusta National. I purchased the golf clubs, the towel, the balls, the cool Nike golf shoes and gave it my best effort. Once again by the ninth hole I was usually driving the cart and checking the temperature of the beers.

Eventually I married and we moved to Hawaii. I could have golfed on a military golf course for hardly any money, or at beautiful Kolina golf course which was 5 miles from our house. But why strain myself when I could lie on the beach and drink a beer, instead of having to drive a cart, whack a ball, chase it and get frustrated.

Now we are fortunate enough to live in beautiful Pebble Beach. (I’m not making this up)! We live across the street from Monterey Peninsula Country Club, where if you don’t have a membership, you can’t access their website, let alone golf even if your name is Tiger. (I mean you don’t want that kind of publicity attached to your course do you)? Spanish Bay is ½ a mile to our right and of course Pebble Beach is a short 10 minute walk for us. Haven’t yet golfed at any of those courses and my clubs are still in their travel case, sitting in my parent’s basement in Long Island, NY. Perhaps this is why I like playing basketball; you don’t have to pay and if you hit a foul shot you can usually get in a game somewhere.

Of course all of these places make for gorgeous walks with your 5 day old and 2 year old. That would have been Isabella yelling as she ran down the cart path of an unnamed “private” course, because it sounds cool when you run down hill. She was pleasant though when we passed other golfers and said hello neighbor! After we got out of sight of the golfers, we cut across the fairway, over a small bridge and made our way home. Fortunately we didn’t let a game of golf ruin a perfectly good walk.

For now if you see us out for a walk on your cart path give a wave.

JUST ONE VOTE…, November 5, 2008

Last night history was made in the United States, as the country elected Barack Obama. Regardless of which candidate you voted for this was an historic election, something that our children and grandchildren will learn about in their history classes. Unfortunately one man, Albert Haynesworth of the Tennessee Titans, will not be able to tell his children or grandchildren that he participated in this election.

Yesterday I read the following quote from Haynesworth, “Honestly, I’m not even going to vote, I just don’t believe in it…One man can’t make a difference with his vote. Letting us vote satisfies the feeling, ‘Oh you do have a say in this.’ But not really. I think the government really controls it.” Well Mr. Haynesworth since you don’t believe in the right to vote perhaps you can move to a country where you are not afforded all the freedoms America provides you, such as life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and the opportunity to make millions of dollars playing a sport.

Speaking of millions, we may want to start a retirement fund for Haynesworth, he is concerned that Obama will take more of his money since “I only have a small window to make as much money as I possibly can, and if we get somebody in office who’s going to raise taxes 50%, that’s going to hurt. What am I supposed to live on when I’m 60, 70 years old?” Hmmm…however will you survive as you are forced to live on your NFL pension and the millions you made as a young man? Why don’t you pose that question to the millions of Americans who manage to function on pensions that equal about $45,000 a year. Here is a suggestion for you, try not to live above your means, save for a rainy day and plan for the future.

What an insult your views are to the people who fought for the right to vote, for freedom, who left their homelands because of oppression and the soldiers that sacrifice their lives so that you can sit home on voting day. If you do not believe that JUST ONE VOTE can make a difference you are sadly mistaken.

FOR NOW I WILL FOCUS ON THE RECORD SETTING NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO VOTED BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE ONE VOTE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Run Mom Run! November 3, 2008

If it is a beautiful Sunday in November and the fire truck from FDNY L102 in Bedford Stuyvesant, New York is parked at the corner gas station it must be time for the ING NYC Marathon. Somehow Paula Radcliffe found a way to win the women’s side of the race for the third time in her career, in 2:23:56. (Not sure what most of us did with 2.5 hours of our Sunday, but I am guessing it was not quite as productive). No easy feat if you take into account that she has had a leg injury for the past several months. Last year Radcliffe won the ING Marathon, only ten months months after giving birth to her daughter, so we already know that she is tough as nails.

What is it about mothers that causes them to perform feats that require more hours and time then any 24 hour day has to offer? Perhaps the real success stories of the NYC Marathon are the moms who somehow find a way to run in a marathon, with no coach, no sponsors and only themselves (or perhaps the promise of a quiet hour or two) to hold them accountable to train. Perfect example is my former basketball teammate at Hofstra University, Melanie Carpenter. When we were in college she ran cross country in her spare time because she thought it was fun…slightly different then my idea of fun.

Now twelve years after her last intercollegiate basketball game, she finds herself a founder and partner of I-advize Corporate Communications on Wall Street, as well as a wife and a mom to two children. Seven years have passed since she first ran the NYC Marathon, so with all of her spare time she figured why not run it this year. The last time she prepared for this race, her father would ride his bike while she did her long runs. He has since passed away, so she was on her own as she ran through the streets of Middletown, NJ.

Melanie knew going into the race that she hadn’t trained enough (simply aren’t enough hours in her day) that it would be a tough race and only her mental toughness would allow her to complete the race. Can you imagine lining up to run 26.2 miles, knowing you weren’t fully prepared, but deciding I will just gut it out? Complete it she did, although she said there was no sprinting the last two miles like she did in 2000. (Right now I would pay good money to sprint to the end of my driveway)

I am sure there were thousands of women who completed the NYC Marathon today, who rise everyday at the crack of dawn so that they can run, before their “real” jobs begin as business women, teachers, wives and moms. Never underestimate the strength and desire of a woman!

For now I hope Mel is giving herself the day off tomorrow, if not I will take one for her!

And so Lute goes…, October 24, 2008

Well it seems that Lute Olson is officially retiring. It has been a whirlwind of going, coming, staying, leaving, I am here, I am not here and finally after a year of speculation he has decided to hang up his whistle. I hope that fans across the country don't remember him for this past year, but rather the good he did for college hoops and the fact that among active college coaches only Coach K has more wins then Lute.

We are talking about a man who has won 12 conference titles, 780 games, coached in 5 Final Fours and a National Title. He coached the likes of Steve Kerr, Elliott, Lofton, Miles, Bibby and Dickerson. Players most coaches would give anything for the opportunity to mentor and develop.

Two years ago when my daughter was barely 2 months old, we traveled to Tucson to visit my in laws, while my husband was deployed in Iraq. My father-in-law (Big Papa) was kind enough to get us tickets to a University of Arizona basketball game, fourth row seats if I remember correctly. Big Papa forgot to mention that I would be sitting next to his mother, Grammy M who knows more about coaching the Wildcats then Lute Olson ever did. So my poor daughter had the band playing on her right side, Grammy M screaming on her left side and her new mom wondering if this was the best possible environment for her daughter, who was actually covering her ears. Of course it was! She was surrounded by family that loved her, fans supporting their college, student athletes playing hard and a legend coaching on the sideline. What better environment for an infant?
Now as she grows up, I will be able to tell her that she saw the great Lute Olson coach. I just hope that Grammy M recovers from Lute's recent engagement and retirement. (I think she may have a crush on him).

For now I hope everyone congratulates Lute on a job well done!

THE GREAT AMERICAN WAY, October 23, 2008

I love the United States of America and all the freedoms she affords her citizens. The privilege of Freedom of Speech is an entitlement that millions would die for, but in our country allows false accusers to profit after destroying the lives of others. It has been two and a half years since the so called Duke Lacrosse Team Scandal occurred and come hell or high water, you knew the false accuser, Crystal Mangum would find a way to eventually profit. Today she launches the sale of her book with a title I will not name because I refuse to be a participant in the promotion of profit for her publisher, agent, supporters or her as 47 young men are still rebuilding their lives.

You will have to forgive me if I seem angry or cynical, but when the Duke Lacrosse scandal broke two and a half years ago I was sick to my stomach. Grow up on Long Island and you are surrounded by little boys and girls carrying lacrosse sticks at football, soccer and other lacrosse games. It is a given that you have some connection to a lacrosse family. I worked at Hofstra University with John Danowski, who is now the head coach at Duke and whose nephew was married to my boss. When the story broke, his son Matt was not just a member of the Duke team, he was considered by many to be the best player in the country. Dan Flannery (then Captain of the Duke Lacrosse team) an All-American is the brother of Anya who played high school basketball and soccer with me at Sacred Heart Academy. (Of course the last time I saw him he was an annoying ten year old who wouldn’t leave us alone at his parent’s house). Casey Carroll, a Duke defender (possibly the best in the NCAA) played lacrosse with my cousin at Baldwin High School and became one of his closest friends. All of these student athletes were from good, hard working, dedicated parents, middle class families, not rich elitist families that the media was attempting to portray. None of it seemed to make any sense to me and I remember feeling relieved when Matt, Dan and Casey were not among the three accused, but then feeling appalled at my relief, as I knew three families where having their hearts broken.

As this book is released I implore you to think about the grief this young lady caused the three accused, as well as their team members. According to the press release by her agent "This book is an important tool to discuss race, class, sex and the judicial process. It also provides very important lessons for any young person trying to make good life-choices." Can you say that again please? I am a bit concerned that her agent believes I would read this book and then attempt to apply life lessons from Crystal Mangum’s insights. Hmm… I need to make some extra cash, what would Crystal do in this case? I want to destroy some innocent lives, what would Crystal do in this situation? I need to incite race relations at a particularly tense time, let me think what Crystal would do in this instance. Perhaps President Broadhead of Duke can award her a Master’s Degree, since she is now published. After all the support he showed his own students in their time of need and crisis, perhaps the award of a PhD to Crystal would be more appropriate. I am also wondering if the residents of Durham can sue Crystal directly since she cost them thousands of tax dollars.

As Crystal concocted and changed her story, wrongly accused and innocent team members had their home addresses given out, their pictures posted throughout Durham and their names tarnished forever. Their transgression was their lack of common sense when they hired dancers to come to their house. Crystal’s publisher (as he is laughing his way to the bank) is urging people to follow in the footsteps of the great Dr. Martin Luther King and lend a hand to someone that needs help. Speaking of those that need help, I’m going to presuppose Crystal’s publisher urged her to apologize in her book to all who were affected by her lies and misrepresentations. (Of course I will never know because I will not read her book). Shall I also take for granted that she will be donating all profits from her book to the families who had to lay out thousands of dollars in their quest to defend their sons who were victims of her lies? (I didn’t think so). Will President Broadhead and the “88” Duke faculty members be present outside the book signing issuing apologies because their actions and poor leadership are now helping Crystal profit?

It is a shame that when there are so many true victims of abuse, a false accuser has received so much media attention and is continuing to profit from her ulterior motives. It is the actions of a Crystal Mangum that make it all the more difficult for true victims of rape and abuse.

For now I urge you not to buy her book and allow her to profit off her blatant lies and dishonesty.

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