Catching Up

First off, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Hopefully they were filled with love, laughter, family and friends. 

I saw a great movie today. My family’s tradition is to see a movie on Christmas Day. Past flicks included the Aviator and Meet the Fockers (on the same day, no less). Today was Slumdog Millionaire. Everyone should see it. No. Everyone must see it. It is the best movie I have ever seen. Now, wait a minute. The best movie you’ve ever seen? That seems like an absolute statement. Explain. I’m glad you asked. Slumdog Millionaire, a movie based on destiny, hope, and love, is one of those movies that you do not want to end. I, and the fifty other people in the theatre, stood up and cheered. I won’t give away the movie- it would be rude of me to. But I will say this. Anyone seeking a heartwarming movie should see this. If this does not win the Oscar, I will yell in protest.

I’m dying to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. That I might see Saturday. Any other suggestions?

Moving away from movies, I want to speak of the hot topic. The Yankees. More specifically, the Yankees spending like it’s going out of style. How could they do this? We’re in a recession! This is blasphemy! Money doesn’t buy championships! This is a classic case of the rich getting richer. Before you get riled up, let me you stop there. No, it won’t matter that the Yanks are actually spending less money this year than last year. No, it doesn’t matter that the Yankees got the three best players on the market. All that matters is that they used their economic muscle to push and shove their way to the top of the baseball pyramid. And even though I’m a biased Yankee fan, it doesn’t bother me. All of my non-Yankee fan friends, were up in arms. Why? Because the Yankees have the most money? If you won the lottery, would you keep the money? No! You’d spend it. And that’s what the Yankees are doing. They’re spending the money they have. Wait a second. You’re championing this absurd spending in an economic downturn? People are hurting, and you want the Yankees to keep spending? You could care less about the people in trouble, and more about winning a championship. I do care that people are struggling. It sucks. Recessions are friends to no one. But baseball works differently. This isn’t the real world. This isn’t even close to the real world. The minimum salary is close to -if not more than- the President of the United States salary. So this economic downturn isn’t affecting baseball. It may look bad that they’re spending upwards of a half a billion. It does. But it doesn’t ruin the game of baseball. They’re playing by the rules. Last I checked, that was fine by me.

Speaking of economy, I have one pet peeve. Every day we hear something along the lines of this: In this economic crisis of ours, or, the economy continues to spiral downwards, or, in this time of economic peril, or something along those lines. The more we continue to say we’re in a crisis, the longer we will be. We are in a crisis. But the more we say it, the more people panic. And that does no one good.

In terms of the blog, posting might be scarce these next couple of days. Family functions to attend, dinners, holiday parties, the list goes on. If I don’t talk to you, have a wonderful holiday season, and a happy New Year. We all deserve it.

Stevie Franchise Traded

In one of the biggest ironic moments in sports of the last decade, Steve Francis ‘Stevie Franchise’ was traded from the Rockets to the Grizzlies. Why the irony, you ask? Francis was originally drafted by the Grizzlies. He didn’t want to play there. Back then, the Grizzlies were in Vancouver. So he requested a trade. And got traded to the Rockets. Now, years later, he’s going back to where it all began. The place he refused to play in. Amazing. Granted, Francis isn’t the player he once was. Not even a shell of it. He’s just a guy with two bad knees. Maybe, just maybe, he can regain his form. In the place where he wouldn’t play. How ironic.

Hockey at Wrigley starting to take shape

The second NHL Winter Classic is coming up, pitting the Red Wings vs the Blackhawks at Wrigley Field. Here’s a time lapse video of the making of the ice:

Pretty cool. Hopefully this Winter Class will be as good as the first one.

No, I don’t think the Celtics will ever lose

The Boston Celtics are on a roll. Let me rephrase that. The Boston Celtics are on a historic roll. A roll to the tune of 19 straight wins. The best roll in team history. One of the best rolls ever. They are 27-2. I don’t think they will lose again. All kidding aside, the Celtics are not only the best team this year, they are the best team next year. Lock it up. The Celtics will have a three-peat, provide they stay healthy. I cannot wait for Christmas. Not for the holiday cheer. No, for the Lakers and Celtics. Oh what a game it will be.

Daily Video

Here it is:

Yanks get Tex

That was fast. And surprising. Mark Teixeira signed with the Yankees today. The long shot Yankees. Amazing. We set the odds at 5-2. In fact, we were one of the first sites to mention the Yankees as a strong possibility. Most sites had the Red Sox closing in, with the Nats not too far behind. But here come the Yanks, the rich Yanks, to swoop in. I’m not sure if it’s politically correct for the Yankees to spend this much money in a time like this. But hey, they’re the Yankees. When did they ever care about being politically correct?

Who will sign Tex?

As one of the last major free agents out there, Mark Teixieria should be signing soon: some reports have mentioned before Christmas. There have been five mentioned teams with interest. Let’s do some odds:

RED SOX: 3-1

The clubhouse favorite, even though they publicly bowed out of the bidding. All reports say that they are still very much in it, and still very much the favorites. But, it begs the question. Why would they publicly say they’re out of it? Here’s what owner John Henry said:

“We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him. After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor.”

Do they want to drive the price down? Not sure of the motive. Maybe they really are out of it. Whatever the case may be, they still seem to be the favorites.

YANKEES: 5-2

Even though they haven’t been actively courting him, something tells me they are hot on the trail. They’ve spent a large amount of money this offseason. But, they are the Yankees–they can find more.

ORIOLES: 10-1

The allure for playing for your hometown team is there, but, let’s face it, the Orioles stink, and might not want to pony up 180 million, and have it tied up in one player.

NATIONALS: 10-1

You could say the same for the Nats as you could for the O’s, but they really want Tex. And are willing to spend upwards of 180 million. Then again, the Nationals are awful. I don’t know about you, but ten years in last place is not the way I want to spend my career.

ANGELS: 50-1

They’ve said they are out of it. You could say a double standard exists. Why are the Red Sox still in it, yet the Angels aren’t, even though they both stepped out? A good question.

FIELD: 100-1

In all honesty, this is a two team race: Yankees and Red Sox. It always seems to be this way, doesn’t it?

Rob Parker in Hot Water

Rob Parker, writer for the Detroit Free Press, is in some hot water. Here’s the video:

Here’s his on air apology:

Crazy. I know the Lions are awful, and the defense isn’t helping. But why attack a family member? That goes beyond journalism. It’s heading towards a suspension, or firing, for Parker.

Daily Video

Here it is:

New Year Resolution List

It seems like every year we make these. These New Year’s Resolutions. And yet, it seems like we almost never follow them. Include me in that. I make lists. I check them twice. And I never follow up on them. This year, I hope, will be different. Here is my list (feel free to add your own, or help me with mine):

1. Eat Healthy

Everyone says this. I’m going to try,though. If it means cutting back on chips with lunch, so be it. Maybe I can make my sandwich a wrap-wich. Little things like that go a long way. 

2. Cut back on Soda

You have no idea how much soda I drink. This is my bad habit. I go to Burger King or McDonald’s daily to get a medium diet coke (they happen to have the best). Ironically, I don’t get food from there a lot. I do get a lot of sodas. If I cut back on that, I help solve my first goal. Win-win. But, this is going to be so hard. It’s like stopping smoking cigarettes. You can try, but it is hard. 

3. Be nice

This might be general, but I want to be nicer to be people. I try to be nice. But it doesn’t always come off that way. By making a concerted effort, I can come off even nicer.

4. Don’t hold grudges

Everyone has grudges. I’m going to try and get rid of mine, and not create new ones.

5. Get  cards for birthdays

I’m bad on birthdays. I try and call, but I usually forget. This year, I’m going to get everyone close to me a birthday card. I’ll get them in advance. That way, I won’t have to forget. Genius!

6. Make my sites better

I’m going to try and make The Blog of Champions ten times better. Not sure how. But, I think by posting more, and making it more personal, I can.

7.Rant a little more

Ranting is good for the soul. I rant a lot on this blog. I want to rant more. Get more things off my chest. Besides, I find my best posts are of the ranting sort.

8. Reach out to friends I don’t see enough

There are some friends I just never see or talk to. Scheduling makes it impossible. This year, I’m going to reach out more to my friends who I need to see more. Everyone wins. 

9. Give back

With this economy, people are struggling. Badly. And even if you’re struggling, there’s a good chance someone is hurting worse than you are. So this year, I want to give back to charities who need help. I’m thinking Food Banks. And this one goes to all of you: give as much as you can. A little goes a long way.

And last but not least:

10. Give Thanks

I happen to be very lucky. Great family. Great friends. Great job. Great everything, really. I want to give thanks more. Say it more to my family, friends. Say it more to myself. Say it more. The people around me deserve it.

It may seem like a daunting task, but, hopefully, I’m up for it.

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