Smarty Pants...

Hey Lifers...

So somewhere after being a rebel without a clue, and before being a father of three clowns, I decided I needed to go back to school. In my earlier days I had always been one of these guys who just knew higher education wasn't for me. After high school I went straight into the workforce. At the time, I thought it was a great idea. I mean, I had a little jingle in my pocket, and I was away from my rents, what could be better? Well, turns out dollar bills in your pocket is better.

Like I said, I decided I needed to go back to school and get my degree. When I started my little school adventure life for me was completely different. I didn't even know my DW when I started. And the funny thing about going back to school is,  the earth doesn't stop spinning. Meaning, life goes on. Jobs go on, bills go on. Somewhere in there you meet the girl of your dreams, you settle down in a one horse town and before you know it you've got a family, and still no degree.

But, as so many before me have, I persevered. And after many hours of studying, papers, and sacrifice, I have completed my degree. This past weekend I participated in my college commencement. As I stood there in line I thought about the journey I was about to complete. I thought about all the people and experiences along the way. I thought about the years gone by and how I've grown since it all started. As I walked across that stage, with my parents and DW in attendance the feelings and emotions were overwhelming. I finally made it. I finally reached that goal. It is complete..... 

So...Now What????

J-Tony

The Grudge.. Part One

Hey Lifers...

Now I know that we're all supposed to let things go, and forgive and forget. Or turn the other cheek, blah, blah, blah. Whatever....

But tonight I'd like to discuss what we all have in common, well at least what all us sports fans have in common. You see, just like every other sports fan out there, I too carry a grudge.

Ahh yes, the sports grudge. Now this grudge can be towards a player on an opposing team who single handily beat your team causing them a game or worse, a championship. Ever heard of Aaron F-ing Boone?

Sometimes though the grudge is against a player on your own beloved team. Some knuckle head jack-tard who makes millions of millions who couldn't catch a pass, hit a ball, or make a free throw that cost the team.
For me, I have two major grudges. Grudges that no matter how long I live, I will never forget, and never forgive.
It was November 19th 2004. I had been an Indiana Pacers fan for as long as I can remember. Most of my life they hadn't been very good, but things were turning around for this team and the franchise. Just a few years prior to 2004 they reached the NBA finals before getting beat by Shaq and the Lakers. And now they were building on that success and had a team primed to make a run at a championship, or two.

Until the Brawl.

The Pacers were playing the Pistons in Detroit on this November night. These were the top two teams in the Eastern Conference and were bitter rivals. The Pacers were ahead 97-82, with only 45 seconds left to play in the game. They were clearly the better team on this night, and it looked like they would be the team to beat in the the playoffs. Things were looking very good.

Then a fight broke out....

 A Pacer player ran into the stands to beat up some drunk. Fans rushed the court. Pacer players swung roundhouse knockout punches at anything that came close to them. Fans thew beer and cups and popcorn and anything they could find. Security guards were clearly out numbered for the mayhem that was taking place.

When the smoked cleared and the dust settled suspensions were handed out by the league. The Pacers and their players receiving the worst if it. One player in particular was suspended for the remainder of the season, nearly three months.

The Pacers and the Pistons both made the playoff that year. The Pacers without arguably their best player lost to the Pistons in the second round. The Pistons eventually lost in the finals.

Nearly eight years later, the Pacers and their franchise are just now recovering. They had to make trades and suffer bad contracts that have strapped them financially. They've had to clean house and rebuild. No easy task for a small market team with limited funds. And because of this rebuilding, house cleaning ticket sales have bottomed, and the casual fan has turned it's back.

Now I don't completely blame the Pistons and or those jack ass fans for what happened, but being a fanatic, I hope they never win another basketball game as long as I live. Yeah I'm holding a grudge.

J-Tony

So tell me sports fans, who do you hold a grudge against? What player or team do you love to see lose because they burned your team?  

She's gone O.J...

Hey Lifers...

So the other day the clowns and I came home from Karate class to discover the DW all freaked out by a mouse in the house.

For those of you who don't know, we live outside of town, and by fields, so we get mice in the house from time to time.

So the DW is all freaking out and yada, yada, yada. So I start going into catch mouse mode. Then I noticed this on the counter...

Upon my puzzled look the DW said, I was gonna stab it?

What?....OMG I've married O.J Simpson.

Now  I've poked a dead cat along the side of the road with a stick before, but never actually stabbed another living creature. Not because I'm squeamish or anything, I guess I've just never been in a situation that calls for me to pull out a knife with a ten inch blade and stab something to death. Obviously, the DW has. I could understand it if she grabbed a shoe, a broom, heck even a brick for crying out loud, but the largest kitchen knife we have? Who is this lady Bear Grylls?

We did end up catching the mouse, and disposing of it, but I gotta say, that night I slept with one eye open.....

J-Tony