Rants... Rants... Rants...

Pardon me, but I need to vent. There are so many things annoying me today, and I figured I should write them down.

1. If you want to cheer for Lebron James in his Miami Heat jersey, fine, but show some intelligence: don’t go to a Cleveland Indians home game wearing the jersey, especially when the Indians are playing James’ favorite team, the Yankees. You're asking for trouble. This reminds me of the time that I, as a stupid teenager, wore my Magic Johnson Lakers jersey and New York Yankees cap walking through Quincy Market in Boston. I got some dirty looks, but I am so glad I didn’t pull that crap at Fenway. Drunk Red Sox fans would likely have maimed me, even if I was only a kid.. You’re asking for trouble.

2. If you say you are a Christian, you need to act like it. You are never going to be perfect and you will make mistakes, but don’t be on your high-horse talking about God one moment and the next minute cussing people out and mistreating them. That’s disrespectful to other Christians who are doing their best to live in Christ and love people, and it throws mud on the face of Christ.

3. Okay. Middle-aged, balding white males should never - and I mean never - have dreadlocks, especially dreadlocks down to your butt.

4. Priorities, Priorities. This is not meant towards all parents, but just a choice ignorant few out there. Here’s an example: Let’s say I’m single and have two kids, with some money put away. We live in a small place which is definitely in need of an upgrade. The kids are old enough to get involved in sports, or maybe need tutors to help them with school. The kids haven’t been to a dentist in years, and one of them needs braces by the looks of their teeth. School is drawing near and they need new clothes. Which of these should I do with some extra money I’ve saved, and in what order?
A. Get the kid braces.
B. Get the kids in soccer, baseball, swimming, etc.
C. Get new clothes for the kids for the school year.
D. Get a tutor for the kid that struggles in school.
E. Get a bigger place that suits the family better.
F. Get myself Botox.

Anyone here think Botox is the first choice? I may not be a parent yet, but I still know that your kids and their needs always - let me say this again, ALWAYS - come first. You are their provider and you are the one that should be meeting their needs. No one else should be responsible for making sure your kids’ needs are met. God gave these kids to you, and to you alone, to raise them up and take care of them. So do it. There is no “I got botox because I deserve it” when your kids’ needs are not met.

5. There are numerous people out there who live their lives with illness and they still find a way not to mistreat other people. Just because you are sick, that does not mean that you have license to disrespect other people, even if you believe they’ve disrespected you. The Golden Rule still applies.

6. It might not be a good idea for a woman to go to a job interview dressed in a rather short pink party dress. I’m thinking that that won’t be seen as proper.

These are all instances I’ve seen in the past few days. I don’t mean to embarrass anyone or call anyone out specifically. I just need to vent. Some of it is just funny to me, and some of it is pretty serious. All of us are human and we all make mistakes. I am no judge, that’s for sure, I just needed to vent a little.

Nationals Park – June 8, 2010

Following our trip to South Carolina, where Jenn’s friends Beth and Brian took us in for a week, we made our way up to the Washington, D.C. area. We decided to leave a day earlier than originally planned so that we could visit Shenandoah National Park on the way. We camped out there on a Sunday night, which meant there was something like only five campsites being used. We virtually had the campground to ourselves! It provided a much needed peace after a rather stressful day.

The next morning, we continued on to the D.C. metro area, where we got to hang out with my old military friends, the McClures and the Greens. They gave us place to stay, they fed us, and most importantly, they spent some time with us. It was great to catch up with them; however, the brunt of our time in Washington was spent touring. We walked from monument to monument taking in as much as possible.

We were also sure to spend time going through the National Air & Space Museum and a couple other Smithsonian museums. Another activity that we did was stop in the town where I used to live, which gave Jenn an idea of where I’ve been, something that was important for me.

On June 8^th, we made our way to Nationals Park to see the Washington Nationals host the Pittsburgh Pirates. This ballpark opened on March 30, 2008, after the Nationals played their first three seasons in RFK Stadium. The ballpark itself is built differently from the more recent ballparks opened across the country: there is no red brick in this ballpark like the more recent retro-look that ballparks like Busch Stadium went for. Rather, Nationals Park is built out of steel, glass, and pre-cast concrete that was meant to reflect the architecture of Washington’s many buildings and monuments (specifically the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art).

It has plenty for fans to do, including numerous restaurants and an arcade. Another positive for the ballpark is that it’s easy for fans to get around. Jenn and I entered at the centerfield gate, went up one escalator to our level and walked right to our seats. There was no confusion, no double escalators, and no asking ushers where we needed to go.

However, the main issue that I have with the park is that it looked to me like an overgrown Minor League Park. The concrete, steel, and glass didn’t give it that special look that is reserved for a Major League ballpark. I understand what the architects were looking for, but it just didn’t work for me. It looked very sterile, and without character. It’s a nice ballpark with lots to do, but due to its lack of a signature look, it’s just a ballpark. I’m sure many fans will disagree with my assessment, but this is just my opinion. Overall it’s a nice ballpark, just not in my taste, and therefore not in my Top Ten ballparks.

This completed my ballpark trips for 2010 and possibly for 2011. I’m thankful for the friends that I got to visit and the sights I got to share with my newlywed wife. And I’m thankful that I have a woman in my life who supports me on these adventures.

Turner Field – Atlanta, GA

I woke up the morning of June 1^st, 2010 with the certain excitement that only comes for me when I’m going to the ballpark. I was heading to Atlanta to take in a game at the gorgeous Turner Field. However, there was a little more to it, too. This would be the first time since I was 16 years old that I was going to see my friend Laura, who has had such a positive impact on my life. It was going to be a fun night!

We got to the ballpark around 4 p.m. and parked across the street. Walking up to the ballpark, we saw that it had an extremely large boardwalk in the front of the stadium; in fact, it was the largest one I’ve seen at a ballpark. (I later read that the boardwalk was there as a result of Turner Field being retro-fitted for baseball after being used as the Olympic Stadium for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The extra space left over from the stadium reconstruction enabled the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games to build the outfield sections, complete with the front boardwalk, and numerous fan attractions, including a team shop, activities for children, and a couple of different restaurants. When we entered the ballpark, we could not tell it was ever used as an Olympic Stadium. We just found ourselves walking into a beautiful ballpark.)

Since we got to the ballpark early, the first thing Jenn and I did was seek shelter from the heat while we waited for Laura to get there. We sat down in the team restaurant and enjoyed a small meal, (one of the few times we actually ate out on our vacation). After getting our water bottles refilled, we went over to the team shop, and finally, Laura arrived. I slipped her ticket through the gate and she got into the ballpark. It was such a strange thing seeing her for the first time in years: I last remember her being a spirited teenager, and now here she was, a mature adult. I was glad to see her, and it was nice for her to meet Jenn. That was the important part for me: I wanted Jenn to meet this great person I’ve known for years, and vice-versa. I hope they will one day become friends.

Because Jenn and I were on an extreme budget, we bought the cheapest seats we could, in the upper reserve section on the first base side. (But it worked out well: we were so high up that we were under the rather small roof that covered only the highest seats, which protected us from the sun and the rain that came later.)

Off to our left, they had constructed a large Coca-Cola bottle and next to it the Chick-fil-A cow that does the tomahawk chop with the fans. There is also a small baseline built near the upper level for children to run down during the game.

The rest of the stadium was pretty standard, but sharp. The outside of it had a brick outlay with some old-school looking gates that bring flavor to the ballpark. However, there was more than the architecture that brought flavor to the ballpark.

The really special thing about going to a game at Turner field is how much fun it is. Doing the Tomahawk Chop and other cheers with the fans was a blast. The fans are so enthusiastic, which surprised me because Atlanta fans are stereotyped as awful; I was happy to find that that simply was not true. They were a joy to be around. Both the fans and the ballpark were entertaining and it was such a refreshing experience to watch a game there. I strongly recommend it.

My Top 10 List

1. PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA – Beautiful park with a great view of the three rivers. Go at night…it’s one of my favorite views.
2. Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO – Gorgeous Ballpark, with a great view of the Arch. The fans are very knowledgeable and courteous. It was just a wonderful place to watch a game.
3. Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD – Another great looking park. This park is the starter for all the new constructions of the 1990’s and in my opinion still has the old-time baseball feel the architects were aiming for. The warehouse in background is still a cool sight.
4. Fenway Park, Boston, MA – The newer parks look better in so many ways, but nothing beats the party going on at Fenway on game day. There is so much going at Fenway the moment you get to the park. It does look old, but they keep it painted and the Monster is still an awesome sight.
5. Angels Stadium, Anaheim, CA – This is an old ballpark, but when I visited in 2004, it had been overhauled into a baseball only-facility (the Rams used to play there), and it was gorgeous. It’s especially great at night to watch with the fountains where outfield bleachers used to be. I admit with the Angels being my favorite team, I’m probably biased.
6. Comerica Park, Detroit, MI – This ballpark doesn’t get mentioned enough with other ballparks, but it is absolutely gorgeous. I love the history they put into it with the statues beyond the outfield wall. I really enjoyed visiting this park.
7. Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia* – See Above
8. Citizen’s Bank Park, Philadelphia – This park is a nice-looking park, but what I thought was cool was the all the stuff they have for kids to do there. In the walkway section of the park there were all kinds of games and stuff to occupy the kids before, during, and after the game. Very cool.
9. Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, OH – Very nice ballpark that captures the history of the city well with its steam boat representation and the Ohio River in the background. There isn’t a bad seat in the ballpark.
10. Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH – There was a time when I’d rank this ballpark higher, but the last time I went to see a game there, it looked as if it were not being taken care of. It’s still a decent place to catch a game, but I remember how great it looked when I first went in 1997. Last time I went, it looked like the Indians were saving money on maintenance as well as being cheap with their players.
    
    *Changes – Dodger Stadium drops out of the top ten with Turner Field moving into 7^th on the list.

Goodbye Lebron

Well, after having a night to sit down and think about the departure of Lebron James from the Cavaliers, my perception has changed a little. Here are my thoughts:

A. The big problem I have with Lebron leaving the Cavs is the way he did it. He had six teams make their way to Cleveland, but he was only going to consider a couple of them. He wanted to win a championship. I believe that. I also believe he knew his best options for that were Chicago, Miami, and Cleveland. So he had the Knicks, Nets, and Clippers come to Cleveland for nothing. Then he reaches out to ESPN to make a TV special announcing where he is signing on national television. Can you think of any sports player that has ever done that? Not even the great Michael Jordan ever did that. Lebron didn’t even call the teams he wasn’t going to play for beforehand to let them know he was signing elsewhere. Cleveland wasn’t told about it until one of Lebron’s reps called just moments before the announcement. Lebron then announced on national television that he was leaving his hometown to play for a championship. Basically, he was saying he believed he could not win a title in Cleveland, which may or may not be true. They have been close the past couple of years. Either way, it was a cold way to say goodbye to your hometown. If he was going to leave, he should have done it quietly. Have a man-to-man with the owner that invested as much into you as you did into your team. That’s why Dan Gilbert is really upset. Check this article out.

Those of you that are saying, “Well wait, Lebron did that on national television to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club! How is that wrong?” also need to sit back and think about this: Lebron has numerous different avenues in which to raise money for them. He’s been raising money for them for a long time. He didn’t need to go on national television last night to raise that money. There are so many better ways out there to raise it without having to go with the route he did. The ends don’t justify the means.

B. I don’t have a problem with Lebron leaving the Cavs as a free agent. He gave them his game for seven years, and he was special to watch there. He earned the right to be a free agent and if he wants to play with Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade, then he should go for it. I may not like seeing him in a Miami uniform, but as a basketball fan, it will be interesting to watch. I do think that if Lebron should have gone anywhere, it should have been Chicago. They have a better core and are young.

C. I think what people are not realizing is that Lebron, Bosh, and Wade are all giving up money to play together, as Stuart Scott noted on this morning’s Mike and Mike show. People tend to get upset with players for taking the money instead of going for a championship. (Joe Johnson in Atlanta comes to mind. The Hawks will never win a title as it is built.) Instead they all gave up some money to play together. They chose the opportunity over the money, and there is respect due for that choice. I want to be able to tell my kids that money is not always the answer. Don’t get me wrong, they will still get their money, but they could each have earned more on their own.

D. Dan Gilbert’s comments in his letter posted on the Cavaliers website are out of line and not classy. However, there is a lot of truth in what he wrote. There is even more truth in his criticism of Lebron during the playoff runs in the past two years, which he spoke about in a radio interview given last night in Cleveland. Dan Gilbert is wrong to have publicly slammed Lebron afterward, but he said what a lot of basketball fans were thinking.

E. I do not think all hope is lost in Cleveland. Looking at their roster, they have some quality players, but not stars. They are fairly young, with the exception of just a couple players. If they can attract a free agent or two next off-season, they’ll be back in the hunt for the playoffs and maybe more. They will have some cap space with Lebron leaving.

F. Even with Lebron, Bosh, and Wade, I don’t think Miami is the favorite to win the title. Boston and Orlando are still there and have players of their own, even if Boston is getting older. Fans can be sure that both the Magic and the Celtics will have deeper benches than Miami, and Chicago is going to be better. Oh, and there is the World Champion-loaded Lakers in the Western Conference. I’m sorry to all the Heat fans out there, but the Lakers are too deep to lose to the Three-man show in Miami this upcoming season. That will likely change in time, and I do think the Heat will eventually win a title with their new Big 3, but it won’t be right away.

G. I know the fans in Cleveland will hate Lebron for leaving, but I hope in time they can respect him for what did accomplish in Cleveland. They got to the NBA Finals for the first time ever, and he led them from improbable win to improbable win. He brought a lot of excitement to a down sports town. Unfortunately, his departure reminds Cleveland fans that they seem to be cursed, and so a hungry sports town must find a way to move on without their hero.

Relationship

Ever since I started studying for the GRE (or shall I say fretting over the GRE?), I’ve struggled to find time with God. I used to listen to music on the way to work and pray, but of late, I’ve gotten away from it as the music has gotten stale and my mind has wandered. When I went to work, I studied for the GRE instead of studying God’s word. When I’d go home, I’d study some more for the test. However, when I got to work on Tuesday morning, I felt something missing within me. I missed my time with God. Just like He longs for relationship with us, as we grow, we long for relationship with Him. Even now, just a couple days later, I feel the heart ache from that morning. I was grieving the loss of relationship with my creator and it broke my heart. Oh how I love my God, and oh how He loves me.