What's 55 inches that me and my girlfriend both love equally?

Our TV, you perverts.

As the NBA season closes its doors on the 2012 in the next week, I will be losing half of the sports that are currently in season that I somewhat care about - baseball being the other.

This will be bad news for the relationship that me and the large-and-in-charge 55" TV have developed since I moved in on June 1st. It will also be bad news for my good luck in betting on the playoffs, which seems to happen more often than not for some reason. (Although, the novice gambler in me says it's probably a good thing that my gambling outlets will be shut down).

It will be good news for someone though - you guessed it: the girlfriend!

From next week until football season starts, yours truly will likely cut back on my sports watching consumption. I guess this is really nothing new - as the NBA winds down every year, baseball remains the only competitive sport in its regular season for a couple of months that I give a crap about.

But with having the new TV, I feel like I need to be watching sports on it twice as much as before. I figure - this TV is about twice as large as the one I have downstairs; hence, twice the sports consumption. Will I watch more baseball on TV than before? I'd say likely, particularly on Saturdays when the lady is at work and the Fox game of the week is on.

With less sports on, Jen and I won't have to argue about who gets to watch the big TV and who has to watch the tiny, puny, pathetic TV in our room (ok, it's just tiny, puny and pathetic compared to the living room TV). So far during our time here, I've had the luxury of many evenings watching the last two rounds of the NBA playoffs while the lady has cooped herself in the bedroom watching her shows. I'll probably end up watching a few of these shows that she watches on demand, like True Blood & Game of Thrones as the summer commences and the sun sets on the NBA.

Once football season begins, it'll be another 17-week tour of duty over at Tim's and his version of the Big 3 - his 70" and two 32" TVs. I can't wait to watch games on the LeBron of his TVs, just as long as it never randomly turns itself off in the fourth quarter of a close game! (Zing - even I can find a time to lamely make fun of LeBron!). Had to get that reference out while I still can - dude has been playing unreal this playoff season.

A playoff season that I've been able to enjoy the past three weeks thanks to the luxury of my gigantic television. Soon, it will be relegated (and hopefully not fall asleep on itself) to several months of baseball and perhaps whatever golf or tennis major happens to be going on at the time.

I can't wait for that first NFL game and first college football Saturday of watching the early non-conference action. Until then, to the TV, I say - it's been nice knowing you. Jen will take good care of you to make up for the times I leave a dragged out baseball game on for too long.

B List - What's Your Fantasy: Favorite Fantasy Football Fings (List 5)

Ever since my work for the day has been done this evening, I've been in fantasy football mode. I just set up the fifth installment of the league I am commissioner of: Super Bowlek Nothing gets a bunch of football nerds going like discussing how awesome their fantasy football teams are doing or who they drafted a month before the league started.

In this blog, I'll discuss the newest B-list item: my favorite things about fantasy football, from studying to in-season stuff, in no particular order, but numbered anyways:

(7) Increased Football Awareness - I appreciate how much more people are aware of second-string running backs on teams that they would not normally follow. People watch more games and more coverage of the games than ever before. Some of that has to do with gambling, but the spike in ratings lately has to be more fantasy football related. People are watching more and becoming more aware of things going on in a game. The only thing I don't care about this is that it becomes all about fantasy and can't take enjoyment out of a good game if your player isn't doing so hot. This is a pet-peeve of mine for people who gamble as well. I've been able to find a good balance between betting and simply enjoying a game - I'd like people to do this for regular games as well.

(6) Beer -  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy having a few cold ones a few times a week, but something about enjoying a good beer during the draft process seems American to me. This year will be no exception.

(5) Dumb Moves - There's always that one person in your league who makes some bad moves that leaves everyone questioning the integrity of the league (or quite the opposite: makes people happy the person is in the league). I have weeded out most of the folks who would do this, as I'd like my league to be as competitive as possible. But there's no avoiding it. It makes the league more interesting when there's at least one dumbass in it.

(4) Constant Checking of Fantasy Scores - It's hilarious to see people get worked up about their team's score from the opening kick at noon until the Monday Night game is complete. With more Thursday night games this year, this process will be extended a little longer in the week. I am one of these people when my teams are good. Last year, all of my money league teams sucked, so I didn't follow my teams as religiously. If things change this year, I will likely be one of these idiots again.

(3) The Afternoon of the Draft - I don't know why, but I've gotten the biggest kick out of setting up all the seats for the draft, buying the draft board and stickers, and all that other jazz. When it comes to fantasy football and all the leagues I enter, I take the most pride in my league, so I try organizing and setting it up as best as I can.  

(2) Watching the NFL Games W/ Friends -  I enjoy watching people's reactions to every play that their fantasy player takes part of. If their running back fumbles the ball, the profanities that come out of my friends' mouths is enjoyable to say the least. People (including myself) get way too serious about their fantasy football teams, to the point where it becomes annoying about 98% of the time fantasy football comes up as a topic of conversation. Yet, for some reason, I still love this aspect of it. Guess I'm a glutton for punishment.

(1) The Draft Itself - Nothing beats the actual composition of your team, from first pick to last. Not only that, but the bickering, yelling and teasing that comes from the draft are always priceless moments. Anyone who has never done an in-person draft and who is a big fantasy football person, I recommend doing one just to experience it once. I believe you will like it better than doing the draft in person and never want to go back. I am to the point where I do three drafts per fantasy season in person and I really don't want to do it online anymore.

Turn the Heat Up: NBA Finals Preview (OK, more of a LeBron rant)

Outside of my B-lists, I haven't found much time to write lately. That's what packing and moving and trying to settle into a place will do to a guy.

Probably won't be too long with this blog, but I figured I should get my NBA Finals blog in before deadline.

As you may have read before, here's the predictions I made before the playoffs started. For once in my life, I got a Finals prediction right, with several predictions coming in exactly as stated.

Now, about 30 minutes away from tip off, I've already read plenty of stuff about how LeBron is going to choke again, how he will never win a title, how he's not the best player in the league.

Some of this I believe to be the product of the 24/7/365 (this year, 24/7/366) news cycle that requires networks such as ESPN to have a loud opinion at all times. And as in the news, whatever bleeds, leads, so we have the negative nonsense that drips from the mouths of a-holes that ESPN dares to call analysts.

In this day and age, the target of everyone's venom is LeBron James, whose biggest crime was to make a fool of himself on national television and decided he had had enough of playing with a below average basketball team. He's such a jerk, all the $2.5 million in ad revenue that came from The Decision went to the Boys and Girls Club of America. What a dick. So as he said the words, "I'm taking my talents to South Beach", so began the unreasonable hate of LBJ, a hate that many sports fans seem to thrive in.

The energy exuded as people talk about him makes me think that LeBron killed your family and made you watch. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that no, he didn't kill your family. The dude dribbles (and many times, "dribbles") and shoots basketballs for a living - not exactly stuff that people need to get all worked up about.

Yet, every time I look on Twitter, Facebook or any NBA-related programming on TV, all I ever hear about is how is LeBron going to choke this time, how LeBron sucks, how LeBron will never be Jordan, etc. I do think, at least here in Chicago, there is the constant need for us to compare the players that are considered the greatest now to Jordan, which is not fair to anyone - not Jordan, not James, not anyone. When we hear the words MVP and greatest, we don't want to believe that there will ever be another Jordan - which any reasonable person would agree is not going to happen.

In Jordan, we had a guy who hated to lose. You got the feeling that Jordan would run over his mother in the lane if she was standing there if it meant an inch closer to victory. With LeBron, you don't get that feeling. In that way, I can see a reason to shake your head at with James.

I think in all aspects of life, we should embrace and respect greatness, whether it's on a basketball court, a concert stage, or even a kitchen. Not only that, but we should want to see the great want to be great and do whatever they can to be great. We shouldn't want people to settle for mediocrity. If the most talented at their craft consistently show the urge to be great, it can be a great thing to witness.

What we saw in Game 6 with LeBron James just flat out taking over the game on the brink of elimination was a thing of beauty. If you hate the guy after a performance like that, you're suffering from a severe case of jealousy. We should want to see great. What many people have hated from LeBron is when he has looked average in the past when we know what he is capable of.

I know this is not much of a preview, but I just wanted to stress how it doesn't do us as sports fans any good if James doesn't win this year. Do you really want another year of losers like Skip Bayless saying that LeBron sucks (while touting incompletion machines like Tebow)? The annoying chatter will only get more annoying, will only take up more air time. WE. DO. NOT. WANT. THAT. If you do, you're a sadistic person and you'll get what you'll ask for.

Of course, the Heat have to earn it, which they will do if they win. The Thunder are a great team, probably a little deeper than the Heat. I don't need to get into match-ups - not really my thing anyways.

I'm banking on the Heat's experience from last year to play a role in this year's Finals. I expect a split in the first two games, Heat taking two of three at home, then taking home the crown in a great 6 game series.

I was called a Heat apologist from a friend of mine. I can see why he might think that, but in reality, all I want to do is find the Truth, which is somewhere in the middle of everyone's unnecessary hate of LBJ & the Heat and my "defending" them.

I'm no Heat fan - just a fan of folks not being dumb when it comes to criticism. If you're going to hate LeBron, hate him for his effort if he doesn't show his full display of talents. Don't hate him for some decision that 98% of us would agree is a reasonable one - leaving a fledging business to become a co-CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

For the next two weeks, I'm rooting for the Heat because I want to be able to watch the NBA next year without hearing the same narrative play out another year. Is that too much to ask?

B List: 7 Wonders of This World - The "What If" List (List 4)

If only this and this would have happened, things would have been different.

We all have wonders in our lives on what could have been if something in our lives would have changed. It doesn't mean a regret, which is something one should never have anyways, as we all need to make mistakes in life on occasion to get on the right path.

There are certain moments that you can look back on and say, if only. This list is inspired by something that just happened today, leaving the sporting community wondering "if only..." 

Below is a list of 7 athletes, actors and musicians who either had their lives or careers end tragically in my lifetime, with probably more of an emphasis on athletes. I'll rank them in order based on a combination of potential cultural significance of what they could have been and their relevance in my areas of interest (i.e. sports hold more of an interest in my life than music).

What could have been for Oden...

7. Greg Oden - Tabbed by many as one of the next big franchise centers for years to come, Oden has only played 82 games since being drafted #1 by the Portland Trailblazers in 2007. He didn't play in a game until a year and a half after he was drafted, and from there, he just continued to get injured. Worse for them is that Kevin Durant was drafted by the Supersonics (now the Thunder), so they'll always have their own version of "what if". Despite his lackluster stats in that 82 game sample of a career (9.4 points, 7.3 rebounds per game), anyone who watched Oden in college and before know the type of talent that he had. In the absence of hindsight, three scoring titles and at the very least, an NBA Finals appearance, there was a good reason why Oden was drafted with the first pick. For the most part of NBA history, the staple of sustained success was with having a big talented guy at center. I hope he can eventually get healthy and make a comeback of sorts. I hate watching talent go to waste.

He overdid everything - including drugs.

6. Chris Farley - He'd be higher on my list if it wasn't a shock that he would end up dying in a very tragic way at an early age. Anything that Farley did, he overdid, whether it be in acting with his pratfalls or with his drinking and drug use. Farley's legacy for our generation was summed up in his appearances on Tommy Boy and Black Sheep, and the classic SNL skits such as the Chippendales auditions and Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker. I'm not sure how much more he could have done with his brand of comedy, as his range was limited to a very specific role (fat, aloof idiot who we couldn't help but love). Seeing what a similar actor in terms of lack of range  (Adam Sandler) did with his "talents" over the years after a successful SNL stint, I'm sure there would have been a career full of movies for Farley had he stayed alive. However, I doubt they would have matched the appeal of his first two major roles (see: Beverly Hills Ninja).

Cobain hated the fame that his music created .

5. Kurt Cobain - Like Farley, Cobain's demise was apparent to those who knew him best. Even in his lyrics, you could hear the wanting out of life that Cobain desired. In April of 1994, he shot himself dead at the age of 27 (no, it wasn't Courtney Love). I didn't get into alternative music (and music in general) until about 2-3 years after his death, so his death doesn't hit home with me as much as it might some others. I know some people who think Nirvana is overrated, and I admit that I haven't listened to them as much over the years as I did before - mainly because their library of music isn't as deep as most artists I listen to (and thus, I get sick of it quicker). However, there's no questioning the new era of music that came in with Nirvana and the album Nevermind. To many, Nirvana was music's answer to the fluffy era of rock music that preceded it, one that actually reflected the angst that many teenagers were dealing with. I don't know how much more Cobain could have done as a musician, but his early death will leave people wondering....if only. Could Nirvana have had as much staying power as Pearl Jam has? My opinion - no, only because I believe Dave Grohl already had Foo Fighters lined up before Cobain died. To think, Foo Fighters have been around since 1994 (its 19th year as a band). That's about five times longer than Nirvana lasted.

I'll Have Another in the Kentucky Derby

4. I'll Have Another - In terms of a sports story, it doesn't get much sadder to see a horse miss out on a chance to win the Triple Crown because of a career-ending injury. I'll Have Another paid me a handsome sum back in May when he raced out of the 19th post as an 18/1 and took home the Kentucky Derby. He followed that victory up with another head-to-head victory over Bodemeister in the Preakness, en route to becoming the first horse since Big Brown in 2008 to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown. A swollen tendon is what will hold the horse from having a chance to be the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.  If he would have won the Triple Crown, the marketability of the horse and horse racing in general would have had a short-term spike. Nevertheless, I'm sure his stud fee is through the roof, so no tears to be shed for his owners.

Biggie & Tupac's deaths left a hole in hip hop that will never be filled

3. Tupac/Biggie - I know many of my friends aren't the biggest fans of hip hop music, but the deaths of these two rap legends left a hole in the hip hop industry that they have never really been able to replace. Both deaths were violent endings to Hall of Fame rappers, both of whom connected to their listeners in a rare way and brought hip hop music to new heights. It's unfortunate that these guys had to die when they did.   To think that I've already lived four more years than either one of them did. I would probably have these guys up higher if I was a bigger hip-hop fan (I consider myself a fan of limited hip-hop, the small part of the genre that doesn't constantly rap about "big screen TVs, blunts, 40s and bitches"*). I wouldn't blame people having these guys as the biggest "what ifs" of our generation in terms of what could have came from their future talents. I believe they would have done more with their future talents than Cobain would have.

*A nod to the Steve Berman track on an Eminem record

Bias a couple days before his death

2. Len Bias - For those of you who don't know who Len Bias is, I highly suggest you do a quick Google search and read everything about this guy's freakish athletic ability. Before Michael Jordan comparisons became the norm in the era of the 24/7 news media, Bias (from many accounts) would have been the closest thing to him in terms of his athletic prowess. According to Wiki, the Boston Celtics' famed coach Red Auerbach said he planned on drafting Bias for the Celtics for the three years before he actually declared for the draft. A few days after being drafted 2nd by the Celtics in the 1986 draft, Bias died of a drug overdose. I've heard that the 30-for-30 piece about him on ESPN (Without Bias) was well done, although I can't say I've seen it. All I know is that his death more than likely prevented the Celtics from continuing their dynasty into the early 90s (and perhaps allowed the Chicago Bulls to have a chance to secure their own dynasty with one less roadblock in the way).

One of the best athletes that's ever been around.

1. Bo Jackson - With the talents that he possessed, Jackson could have been a Hall of Famer in both baseball and football. He had power and speed that the NFL had never really seen before, especially from the running back position (his Tecmo Bowl replica was probably the most devastating video game character ever). His limited NFL career had plenty of highlights, most notably the destruction of roided linebacker Brian Bosworth, who dared to talk shit to Bo. According to his Wiki profile, he is the first athlete to be named an all-star in two professional sports. His 4.12 speed in the 40m run is still the fastest recorded time at an NFL-draft combine. If he wouldn't have suffered his severe hip injury in the 1990 season, he would have had a good chance to become an all-time great running back (based on his 5.4 yards per carry in his career). In addition to his football talents, Bo also hit 20 home runs in his first four full seasons in the pros - the four years preceding his hip injury (including a career high 32 in the 1989 season). Bo was somehow able to make a comeback to baseball in 1991, signing with the White Sox. After missing the 1992 season, he came back in '93, artificial hip and all, and helped the Sox make their first postseason in 10 years in limited action. The hip injury ultimately derailed any chances Bo had of becoming Hall-of-Fame worthy in either sport. It's a shame too that much of the generation that followed me wouldn't even know who Bo Jackson is.

B List - Best Value on NFL Super Bowl Futures (List 3)

We're still over 3 months away from the regular season starting, yet I can't stop thinking about it. The sport itself is enough to enjoy, but add to it the element of fantasy football and gambling, and we have a recipe for my favorite sport. While it is not the most timely of topics, it is one I cannot avoid.

Below are futures bets (odds to win the Super Bowl) that I'd consider great values at the moment. I'll eventually write an NFL preview with predictions and may not have the same opinion of the teams listed below as I do now.

Remember too, for gamblers, betting on odds to win the Super Bowl isn't always about picking the team who will win it all, but rather what team can guarantee you some profit depending on their level of advancement in the playoffs. Profit should always be the goal, so hedging against these picks in the playoffs would guarantee some money back either way.

Without further ado...

7. Kansas City - 50/1...A year removed from a division championship, the Chiefs offer great value for a team that resides in the NFL's new worst division. Last year, it felt like the entire Chiefs team got injured with ACL injuries in the first couple weeks. With a presumably healthy Jamaal Charles & Matt Cassel coming back, along with a nice complement for Charles in Peyton Hillis, I believe that the Chiefs have a great chance to win the division again. My initial thought of winning this division a few weeks ago was San Diego, but I'm not sure how much I can trust a team led by Norv Turner, who must have naked pictures on the Chargers owner for continually avoiding the chopping block.

6. St. Louis - 80/1...The Rams have a well-respected coach taking the helm this year. Like the AFC West, we're not talking about one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. If Bradford can stay healthy behind center, I expect the Rams to surpass the Vegas win total of 6 for the 2012 season by at least two games. I don't think the Rams are better or more talented than the 49ers, but even I know that the leap the Niners took from 2010 to 2011 is likely to have a regression of sorts. If that regression is in the 9-10 win range, I think the Rams could threaten for the division. Another great thing about the Rams is the tremendous amount of youth on their team - it could end up working in their favor.

5. Miami - 40/1...In the first half of 2011, the Dolphins were looking like strong contenders to be in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Then, after an 0-7 start, something strange happened...they started winning. They closed the second half of the year with a 6-3 record, with many blowout wins in that stretch (their average margin of victory in those 6 games was about 16 points). They were even slaughtering the Patriots in a Christmas Eve tilt before Brady and company came back and stole one at home. The Dolphins may have drafted Ryan Tannehill for the future, but I believe Matt Moore's solid run down the stretch behind center deserves a second look entering the season. I could see Miami contending for a Wild Card in the AFC, with an outside shot at the AFC East crown if New England loses Brady for a significant period of time.


4. Chicago - 28/1...Last year, I liked the odds they had in the preseason as well, and their odds looked like a steal until Cutler and Forte went down in mid-November and their team, which looked like a team who could make a run in the playoffs (despite the likelihood of playing nothing but road games), went to completely crap. A 7-3 start was followed by a 1-5 stumble in the last 6 games without Cutler. This year, Cutler and Forte are back and have experienced backups (Jason Campbell and Michael Bush) that would make injuries to the starters less harmful to the season's prospects. With Brandon Marshall in the fold, Cutler has his favorite target from Denver. Their defense has hardly ever been an issue, so I expect them to be strong there again. Division champions have about a 50% turnover rate every year, so it would not shock me to see either the Bears or Lions overtake the Packers in the NFC North and have a high seed in the playoffs.

3. Carolina - 44/1...After seeing what Cam Newton did in his first year behind center, I am a big believer in his abilities and I think he will be in the elite QB discussion for the next 10 years. A blog of mine back in January pointed out that most teams who win Super Bowls have a Hall-of-Fame quality QB behind center, and while it was only his first year, I believe Newton's career arc will have him contending for Super Bowls in the near future. With the leaps that teams make from year to year, who's to say the Panthers can't go from 2-14 to 11-5/12-4 in a two-year span? Consider me one of the first on their bandwagon.

2. New Orleans - 16/1...The Saints are one of the most difficult teams to project in the NFL. The coach who led them to the Super Bowl - suspended for year. Some key defensive players - suspended for portions of the year (Vilma for the entire year). I wouldn't be surprised if the distractions of what has happened this offseason caused the Saints to dip to an 8-8 or 7-9 record. On the other hand, it wouldn't surprise me if Brees and company picked up where they left off last year and dominated their division once again. The latter thought is what makes me think that New Orleans has great value at this price. If NO were to make the playoffs in a similar fashion as last year, their odds will end up being a lot lower. And don't forget - if they do make the Super Bowl, it would be a home game, with the Superdome as host for this year's big game.

1. Detroit - 23/1...Stud QB, check. Stud WR, check. Stafford and Calvin Johnson showed what they can do together in a full season, which led Detroit to their first playoff appearance in centuries. In a passing league, having elite guys at these positions is key to making a series run at a ring. The front part of their line with Fairley & Suh is as talented as they come. The one thing I worry about with the Lions is their character issues. Fairley, Titus Young & Mikel Leshoure have all been arrested this offseason for various reasons. Leshoure missed 2011, but he could be the key in Detroit taking the next step in 2012. If the Lions could add a running attack to that passing offense, the Lions could be contending for the #1 seed in the NFC. There's still some issue with a weak secondary, but I place Detroit as the best value in terms of somewhat long-shots because I believe their ceiling is the highest of these teams. It'd be a risky 23/1, but one that could pay itself off in a big way.

B-List - Things I've Learned While Packing (List 2)

Welcome to the second edition of B-list. Last week's first list featured my top 7 favorite White Sox players of all time.

This week's list is on another timely topic. As many of you know, I'm about to move to the city with the girlfriend. I'm still in the process of packing stuff that has been collecting in my room for the past decade and a half.

The packing process has brought back some memories. In no particular order, seven random thoughts...

7. I've collected waaaaaaaay too many things. You need four or five copies of The Daily Illini from 9-12-2001 that reflect the tragedy that our nation suffered the day before? This guy had them. What about some random bent-up baseball cards from the early 90s of guys who are probably changing oil on your car? That doesn't include the stuff I still collect, like hats and beer glasses, which are all coming to the new place (as the Lady smiles).

6. Me and my friends used to be skinny. I was looking at some old pictures of y'all. Sorry to say, ladies and gentlemen, but Father & Mother time hasn't been friendly to our mid-sections. Do I blame alcohol? No. Laziness? No, not that. Decreased Metabolism? Nope. Terrible dieting habits? Uhmm....nope, not that either. Screw it, I'll just blame global warming. Increased earth temperatures caused us to balloon up 20-50 pounds. Not alcohol.

5. One Hit Wonders. I'm sure every generation of kids has a handful of albums they've bought for that one hit, only to realize that the other 11 songs are complete shit. There's a reason many of these groups did not make it beyond that one hit. Anyone looking for that Dishwalla reunion tour opening for the New Radicalz (with a 'z' cuz they're edgy and cool) might be waiting a while. Yes - I have a Dishwalla CD from the 90s, and no - I have no idea why I didn't throw that into the fireplace at some point over the years. At least I wasn't dumb enough to put them on my I-tunes playlist; otherwise, based on my new year's resolution of listening to every single song on the I-Pod, I might have to (gulp) listen to....Dishwalla. If you don't know who they are, go on YouTube and search "Counting Blue Cars" (I apologize for putting you through that 4 minutes). But please, whatever you do, don't tell me all your thoughts on God.

4. Dusty Rubbers...I'll leave that one to the imagination.

3. So much stuff, so little space. If you've ever been at the house, you'd know that my room is one of the smallest in the house. Before I moved down here in the mid 90s, the room was home to all of me, my brother and sister's toys. When shoving a bed and a dresser for clothes into the room, there's not a whole lot of square footage to navigate in the room. For this much stuff to be in the room is quite amazing. And yet, I'm still not done in there. That's more due to procrastination.

2. The Devaluation of Memories. Packing up all the trophies I received from the bowling, basketball and baseball leagues over the years, I have much different thoughts about some of those experiences now than when I experienced them back in the day. The biggest trophy in my collection was an indirect subject of my blog from yesterday - since I don't actually remember playing a single game during that baseball tournament. These participation trophies are a lot cooler when you're younger than now, when they're just reminders of your lack of playing time. It also reminds me of the three-point contest that I never got a chance to compete in during middle school since my coach gave me the wrong time for the start of the competition, and funny enough, his kid replaced me in the contest. That team participation medal that I got that day went immediately into the trash can. Fuck that guy.

Ok, I'm done venting. Seriously though, if you're ever a coach of a sports team for kids, don't be as big of a dick as that guy was.

1. I'm really gonna miss this place. That's what living in one place for 26 years (including the years at college, when this place was still technically my home) will do to a guy. Sure, don't get me wrong - I cannot wait to start my new life in a new place with a great gal. I can't wait for the new memories that are awaiting me in the future, but being the reflective guy I am, I can't help about the great times I've had at this place, save for Item 4. The toilet toss, Monday Night Raw sessions, pick-up basketball games, poker games. To leave this place behind is gonna be tough. But I'm ready to move on.

Time to create a new home in a new area. I can't wait.

Fuck that guy. Sorry, still stewing about the end of Item 2.

Little League, Big Disappointment

In the past 10 days, I've had flashbacks to my Little League days - but not the good "Home Run" or "Nice Catch" memories pop up. More of the LSD/'Nam flashbacks where you just want the acid trip to end (note, I've never done acid, just to ease your mind in case you worried - this is just to make a point).

Last week, I went to a White Sox game with Jen, her friend from work and the friend's husband. The Sox were facing the Tigers. We had decent bleacher seats in right field, kind of close to the vistiting team bullpen. As the Tigers half of the first inning ended, I saw a familiar name warming up the right fielder. Turns out an old classmate of mine is now the bullpen catcher on Detroit and gets to play catch with the outfielder during the game.

Look at this stud

I knew this guy was in the Tigers system, but that's not the story. The sight of this player brought back some memories of my Little League days. I played with him in a baseball league back in the day, including making a traveling All-Star team when I was 8 years old. I say "made the team", but unfortunately did not involve much playing. This team was coached by the guy's dad. It sucked as a little kid sitting on the bench for these games while my peers got to play every game and every inning. Sucked even worse for my parents who came to all my games, hoping that I would get some action, only to be a bench prop game in, game out. I have a trophy that proves that I was a part of the team, but I was no more part of the team than you were. You would think that all kids in a setting like that would get close-to-equal playing time, but this particular coach was all about winning.

My second reminder of these days happened earlier this week. I was watching America's Got Talent, and some 7-8 year old kid was showing off his rapping "skills". The judges buzzed that kid off before he could finish, which led the kid to cry. While I don't remember crying when these baseball games were going on and I couldn't play, I was definitely just as disappointed at not being able to play. The weird thing with this incident was that I completely sided with the judges on this one. The kid didn't deserve to advance - he sucked. The judges are required to be critical of bad talent and advance the good talent. Obviously doesn't always happen that way, but they get it right more often than not in these shows. Anyways, Howard Stern was given heat for critiquing the kid, even though he was hired to be critical. It's as if a kid is just automatically supposed to advance because "he's cute" or some other BS.

In both of these cases, a young person (me and this kid) were exposed to disappointment at a very young age. Despite my negative experience, I didn't have a ton of sympathy for the kid who got voted off. If this kid is as good of a rapper as he and others may think he is, he will continue to work on his skills, practice his craft to no end, and perhaps someday show some actual talent in rapping. Whether you're the best at what you do or looking to advance in the field of your choice, practicing and looking to learn how to get better is necessary.

While I didn't give up Little League after that experience, I did give up playing baseball when I got cut from the high school team in freshman year. My line of thinking was - OK, I didn't make the team this year - no way will I make the team in future years. So instead of trying to get better and make next year's team, I quit playing.

These experiences as a youth can definitely carry over to one's adulthood. While I was definitely disappointed with how my traveling baseball experience went when I was younger, it gave me a life lesson really quick. One that we're afraid to expose to younger kids - the concept of disappointment. As parents (or in my case, a future parent down the line), we want our kids to be happy and have a better childhood than we did - even though many of us can't really complain about how things turned out.

Unfortunately, it's hard to spin a disappointing event in a kid's life into a positive. It's hard to tell a kid, "This is how life is sometimes. It's not fair." As a kid (or even a high schooler), if I really really wanted to succeed at baseball, there's no guarantee that I would have made future baseball teams. Sometimes, it's just a true lack of talent in something that holds you back from making a team; other times, it may be some silly politics, where kids make teams simply based on who they know or whose asses they kiss.

However, there is a definite guarantee in not making the team if I don't try out for it. I suppose I just didn't care to succeed in baseball, that I was somewhat burnt out from playing for the past 9 years and just wanted time to myself.

The best thing you can teach a kid in a moment of childhood disappointment is that while life doesn't always go the way you want it to, if you really want something, you have to keep trying, keep practicing at making yourself better. You may not always catch the right eyes and get what you want (more playing time or your first record contract), but you won't catch anyone's eyes if you just give up because someone said you weren't worthy or weren't good.

As the cliche goes, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take. You may miss some (or most) of the ones you do, but if you really want something, a certain level of effort is needed. Otherwise, you have only yourself to blame for it.