Six days until graduation

The time is now unbelievably upon us. In less than one week I’ll be able to call myself a graduate of the University of Cincinnati. Until then, I continue the graduation countdown with some moments of unbelievable pride in my school.

Moment 6: “BCS Mania”(December/January 2009 and 2010)

Yesterday I told you of the month of December in 2008, which ended on New Year’s Eve, where I found myself standing on the field that the Florida Marlins, by the strength of Edgar Renteria’s 11th inning hit, won the 1997 World Series on.

From way up in right field, this was my view of the Orange Bowl

I always say that Carrie Underwood was right, “Crazy Dreams do come true.”

Well, that 2008 season led the Cincinnati Bearcats to their first ever BCS Bowl game, a place usually reserved for the biggest names in the sport. I watched the 2006 Orange Bowl that pitted Bobby Bowden and Florida State against Joe Paterno and Penn State just a few years earlier. Cincinnati was not a team that should ever be in a BCS bowl game, but some guy named Brian Kelly was a wizard, and he made it happen.

The Bearcats take the field in Miami. It was certainly an awesome feeling.

Standing in Joe Robbe Stadium that evening was an almost surreal experience. Before we left the hotel that afternoon for the game, myself and my co-workers discussed how we had come to the top of the college football food chain, so to speak, and reached one of the pinnacles of the game.

My how we were wrong.

One year later we found ourselves sitting in the video office with a perfect 12-0 record watching as Colt McCoy scrambled to his right and threw the ball out of bounds in the Big XII title game. No time remained on the clock. We were headed to play in the National Title game.

And then, as you all know, it was deemed that time had not run out, and Texas hit a game-winning field goal to go to the title game, where they lost to Alabama.

Well, we were close at least.

Back to Miami, where although the matchup between Virginia Tech and the UC Bearcats seemed like it would be a close game, nothing ever really clicked for us beyond the first drive. Tony Pike threw four interceptions and we lost 20-7.

Even though we lost, it’s one game that I’ll never forget.

In New Orleans 365 days later things couldn’t have been more different. Kelly had gone to Notre Dame and interim head coach Jeff Quinn was named head man at Buffalo, but he was still around coaching the Bearcats in the Sugar Bowl.

That Sugar Bowl will forever be known as the final game for Tim Tebow. And Tebow made the most of it, throwing for 482 yards and three touchdowns. One reporter noted that the game was over by halftime, “30 minutes in which Tebow had already rung up the best statistical outing of his four-year college career.”

Tebow warms up before the Sugar Bowl where he absolutely lit up the UC secondary, leading then-UC defensive coordinator Bob Diaco to cry for mercy at halftime

That game may not have been fun to watch as a UC fan, but I enjoyed watching the team my brother has rooted for his entire life. It was pretty cool to see Albert and Alberta—the Gator mascots—and to hear the Florida band play their “Jaws” theme.

My brother Tony is still jealous when he sees photos like this one

Co-worker Joe Stanek even told me, “Your brother would love this I bet.”

He would have, no doubt, but I loved those two experiences even more. UC’s football program had truly reached the pinnacle of college football, and it was exciting to be wrapped up in those experiences. While we didn’t win either game, it was almost surreal to be at those games. I noted numerous times to friends and family that, “The endzones are painted just like you see them on TV!”

Yeah, I’m a dork. And I love it.

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That was moment No. 6 in the countdown, and tomorrow we check in to the beginning of the top five rundown in the most impactful and important moments in my undergraduate career.

If you’ve missed any of the top ten countdown, check the links below for the run down:

No. 10- http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/10-days-until-graduation.html

No. 9- http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/nine-days-until-graduation.html

No. 8- http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/eight-days-until-graduation.html

No. 7- http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/one-week-until-graduation.html

A progress report on the “Graduation Bucket List”

Six weeks ago, with 50 days until graduation, I compiled a list of seven things I wanted to do in seven weeks before I walked across the stage and received my diploma (Check it here: http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-7-things-to-do-before-graduating.html).

Here’s the list again, with some comments on how close I am to completing it.

7. Learn the rules of lacrosse (Done)

I may not know every intricacy of each rule of lacrosse, but I’ll tell you this, I have a much better understanding of the general rules of the game after the two weeks I spent working on my 3-plus minute story for FOX19.com.

The story can be viewed here: http://www.fox19.com/story/14689199/lacrosse-growing-at-high-school-level-in-cincinnati

All the feedback I’ve gotten from the story has been positive. Once again I’ve got to thank the fine folks at Summit, Seven Hills and my alma mater Elder High School for the help with the story. I’ve got a much greater appreciation for lacrosse now than I ever have before.

6. Go to the Newport Aquarium (Not complete)

As I said in the original post, I’ve lived in Cincinnati my entire life and I’ve still never been to the Aquarium. Anyone want to go? I’ve only got a few days to get this one done.

5. Reds-Marlins series (Done)

The Reds and Marlins played at the beginning of the month of May and I got to go to one game, a Marlins win, on Sunday. It was pretty cool. I enjoyed it.

4. Kentucky Speedway’s tire test (Done)

If you’ve missed any of my posts about the Kentucky Speedway tire test, just scroll down a little. Brian Giesenschlag and I went to the track on Wednesday and did everything Goodyear would let us do. I was disappointed, but at least there were some sights, sounds and smells to hold on to before the Cup cars really get rolling here in about five weeks.

3. Buy a suit (Done)

My dad and I headed out one Saturday afternoon and found some suits. I’m currently getting them, or at least the pants, fitted so I can look good when I have the chance to wear them.

2. Begin writing my book, or books (Not complete)

I spent 14 straight days working on that lacrosse story and much, much more for both FOX19 and the UC football team in that time. So I haven’t started writing anything book wise, but I have been writing a ton of blogs.

The month of May was actually the busiest month on the blog. Check out all the fun posts by clicking over on the right side of the blog under 2011, and May. Happy reading.

1. Write thank you notes to everyone who has supported me (Not completed, yet)

I do plan on writing a big, long thank you note sometime this week, and it will not be mailed out to everyone and anyone who has supported me while in college. But you’ll be able to find it, trust me.

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Stay tuned for the countdown and some more Kentucky Speedway notes from Greg Biffle and Joey Logano later this afternoon.

One week until graduation

With just one week until I graduate, it’s time to take a look back at one of the more awesome months that I spent at UC: December 2008.

Moment 7: “Coast to Coast”(December 2008)
Imagine waking up on December 1st and dealing with snow. It’s nothing out of the ordinary here in Cincinnati, but in 2008, I was thinking “Mele Kalikimaka,” which is, as Jimmy Buffet sings, Merry Christmas in Hawaiian.

On Tuesday, Dec. 2, I stood shivering my butt off in Nippert Stadium, but the only thing I could think about were the blue skies, sand and 85 degree weather that I would be enjoying one day later. This may have been the roadtrip I was most looking forward to going on in my second season as the endzone video guy at UC.

And it was well worth it.

The view from my hotel balcony as the sun set

We left on Wednesday of that week, and stayed in Hawaii until after the game ended on Saturday night. It was much better to stand in shorts and t-shirts filming practice than worrying about the cold and snow that our friends and families were dealing with in the Queen City.

One morning my mom called me (and due to a five-hour time difference it was 1 p.m. in Cincinnati) and said, “How’s the weather?” Not trying to be a smart aleck (and failing) I replied, “Well I’m standing on the balcony of my room in shorts looking out at the ocean.”

“Adam, I’m going to kill you when you get back,” my mom said, laughing. (She was kidding about the killing, although I’m sure there were times when she wanted to do so, and I don’t blame her!)

We ate at Cheeseburgers in Paradise more than once, and how could we not being in Hawaii for half a week?

I also experienced a personal first in Hawaii: dipping my toes in the ocean. I’d never been to the beach before, and all it took was one time for me to say, “This is pretty awesome.”

On Friday morning we didn’t have to film practice but we got lucky enough to visit Pearl Harbor. And I can describe it in one word: breathtaking

After the game though we had to say goodbye to Hawaii, but it wasn’t all bad. When we landed at 2 p.m. in Cincinnati we had four hours before FOX was live on air to announce where we’d be playing in our bowl game.

The destination: Miami, Florida, and the 75th Orange Bowl.

Seriously, could the month of December be any better than this?

So we went from Jimmy Buffet to Will Smith, but no matter what your musical tastes, I think you’d find it hard to say that you don’t envy my month of December in 2008.

On Christmas Day I embarked on journey to Miami with all the other guys I worked with and equipment folks as well as our student trainers. While the 20 hours on a bus wasn’t exactly my idea of fun, when I got out of the bus in front of the Fontainbleau Hotel (yes, that Fontainbleau Hotel) I was in the city I had always dreamed of visiting.

When we weren’t working on practice my co-workers and I had an opportunity to dip our toes in the Atlantic Ocean. We literally dipped our toes in both oceans in less than a month. I stood in warm sand at the end of the month of December and simply stated, “Isn’t this awesome?”

As a Florida Marlins fan, I have watched the Fish for years on TV from here in Cincinnati, but nothing prepared me for walking on the field at Joe Robbe Stadium, a place that I daydreamed of playing at when I was a kid (and long before I realized I’d never ever make it as a baseball star).

I got to sit in the Marlins dugout. I got to see the outfield wall that the Marlins post their “World Series Champions” banners on during the baseball season. I was giddy. This was pretty flippin’ cool.

In fact, the entire month of December 2008 was pretty flippin’ cool.
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I hope you enjoyed moment number seven. What fun month it was too. Tomorrow I’ll give you moment No. 6 and a little update on something I brought up about six weeks ago. If you’ve missed any of the top ten countdown, check the links below for the run down:
No. 10- http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/10-days-until-graduation.html
No. 9- http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/nine-days-until-graduation.html
No. 8- http://adamniemeyer.blogspot.com/2011/06/eight-days-until-graduation.html

Marlins take two of three from the Reds

I love the Florida Marlins, and I take plenty of heat for it. No, I didn’t just jump on the bandwagon in 1997 and 2003 when the Marlins won their two World Series titles and then jump back off. Trust me, I have friends (and family) that will vouch for me on this, I have loved the Marlins for a very long time.

Why? Not exactly sure why, but the best case I can come up with is that as a young lad I had a Florida Marlins pillowcase, and they just became my favorite team. Hey, as Sugarland would say “It happens.”

For the first time in many years I had an afternoon off to go watch the Florida Marlins play here in Cincinnati, and did I enjoy it.

The view that Sarah and I had from the bleachers this afternoon. Her Reds lost to my Marlins, but it's all in good fun between us

I’ve never seen so many homeruns in my life, but that’s what you get from the place nicknamed “Great American Smallpark,” and “The Great American Launchpad.”

I might have been one of the only folks in the stadium pleased with today’s outcome—and this weekend’s outcome—but Reds fans know that their team will bounce back. I’ve seen it happen before, and I know they’ll be fine.

It won’t stop me from smiling though.
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It was fun to enjoy the game today and not have to worry about editing highlights for the news, which is how I normally view the game. But the downside to that was having to pay for tickets. I guess I can take the good with the bad from time to time. Especially when the Marlins are involved.

The Quaker State 400 is 100 days away

Contrary to what anyone has told you about today, opening day is only 100 days away. And if opening day for the Sprint Cup Series at Kentucky is anything like opening day in Cincinnati, expect an awesome race.

Reds fans are all fired up about another walk-off win, and NASCAR fans in the area are just hoping that they’ll see a finish akin to what we were all given on this past Sunday when Kevin Harvick motored past five-time defending Cup Series champ Jimmie Johnson on the final lap.

So even though my favorite baseball team, the Florida Marlins, don’t kick off action until tomorrow, I know the countdown to NASCAR in Kentucky is slowly dwindling.

Oh, and Mark Martin makes his 800th Sprint Cup start at Martinsville this weekend. I’ll talk more about that tomorrow. I can’t wait to see Mark Martin live in 100 days.

Maybe he’ll be in victory lane. That’d be awesome.

A Christmas Wish List: Sports and More

One of my favorite parts of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” is where Charlie writes his sister Sally’s Christmas wish list. “If it seems too complicated,” she says, “just send money. How about tens and twenties.”

“Tens and twenties!” her older brother yells. “Oh! Even my baby sister…”

I’m not asking for tens and twenties (yet) but I thought I’d compile a Christmas wish list for my favorite sports teams, amongst others, and by doing so, I’ll create a wish list of sorts for myself.

So, let’s get this thing started…

Dear Santa,

Here’s my Christmas wish list. Don’t send tens and twenties please, save those for people who need them (like Terrelle Pryor or DeVier Posey). Wait, that was mean, oh well.

For the UC Bearcat football team (and fans), a packet of mind-erasing, memory clearing medicine.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a billion times; no one, absolutely no one, could have expected the colossal drop off that the UC football team experienced this season. No expert, real or perceived, could have said Butch Jones was going to take over and win only four games in his first season as UC head coach. At worst UC was a 7-5 team.

Injuries mounted up and the Bearcats imploded. I’d sure love to be planning another BCS bowl trip, but sometimes you don’t get what you want. Santa, please, take us back to a bowl next season!

For Ricky Dobbs, current Navy quarterback, a political advisor.

My favorite part of watching the Naval Academy play football is watching their patented triple option offense click at the highest level. It’s been tough to find someone more adept at running this offense than current quarterback Ricky Dobbs. In just a little over an hour he gets to do it one final time.

Oh, and after football, after his chance to serve his country in the Navy and after he gets his shot at the NFL , Dobbs wants to run for President in 2040. Santa, I’ll vote for him. Will you?

For Mark Martin, a Daytona 500 win, a Brickyard 400 win and a Sprint Cup title.

He deserves each of them, and it’s a surprise he hasn’t gotten at least one of the three already. And even though this season was a bit of a downer after the awesome run of 2009, I fully expect Mark Martin to be up on the wheel when we get to Daytona in a few weeks. Let’s see what magic you can pull for us Mr. Claus.

For the NASCAR fans of Cincinnati, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway.

Oh, wait. That already happened? Shoot. Consider this a typo of habit. We’ve been waiting so long that it’s been on my list for a decade now. Well, we’ll take that one off Santa. Thanks Bruton Smith!

For the Florida Marlins, a fan or two to show up at their games would be nice.

I kid of course with you Santa. I know fans show up to Marlins games, but my goodness. Could any team take more of a beating for their poor home turnouts than the poor Florida Marlins? If someone could find a way to get me tickets to a few games I’d be forever grateful Mr. Kringle. However, my one trip to Joe Robbe Stadium was pretty cool, so I guess I can’t complain too much.

For my two favorite college coaches ever (Joe Tresey and Greg Forest), jobs in the college game.

Sure Coach Tresey is in the UFL, but we’d sure love to see him back in the college game. As for Coach Forest, I said earlier this month that I’d love to see him get a job, and hopefully he’ll be close enough to go to that NASCAR race with us. See what strings you can pull for us Santa, please.

Thanks,
Adam
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P.S.- Merry Christmas everyone. Go Navy!

Cincinnati Reds one game away

The Cincinnati Reds are one win, or one St. Louis Cardinals loss, away from clinching their first playoff appearance since 1995. I barely remember that year, and while I have grown up rooting for the Florida Marlins as my favorite team, I have also kept a close eye on the hometown team.

Maybe this year I’ve kept an eye on it more so than at any other time.

As you may know from keeping up with the blog, one of the biggest Reds fans I have ever met passed away in July—my grandfather, Joe Lasita.

Right after his passing, I wrote this: “I went to see the barber who cut my grandpa’s hair for as long as I can remember. He told me, ‘Your grandfather was a great man. A great man. And he loved the Reds. It’s just too bad he won’t be around to see them win the World Series this year.’I don’t like the Reds, but if that happens, I know there won’t be a dry eye in my house.”

So tonight, the Marlins are eliminated (and have been for quite some time), so my allegiances must lie with the Cincinnati Reds. And I know everyone in my family will be rooting on the Redlegs too.

It seems like fate, but if the Reds pull it off, and go all the way, I might have to put the radio near my grandpa’s grave, and let him listen to the World Series he didn’t get the chance to see.

The soundtrack of my life

I’m not one to share every detail of my life here, but something I think is fun to share is my taste in music. One of my favorite bands is Lifehouse, a group that has become more mainstream over the past few years, but was a group that wasn’t too big back when I first heard a song that has become my favorite song of all time.

In March Lifehouse released a new album titled “Smoke and Mirrors.” After giving it a listen through I have to say I was thoroughly impressed. I liked the album overall, and I’m even thinking about using a song or two in highlight films.

Before I get to my favorite songs from that album it’s worthwhile to take a walk through Lifehouse history (complete with YouTube videos) to listen to some of my favorite Lifehouse hits.

In 2001 the band had a hit, in fact the year’s biggest hit, with “Hanging by a Moment.” It became the most played song of 2001 and won the Billboard Year End Hot 100 award for the best song of the year. Last year, “Hanging by a Moment” was ranked as the No. 26 most successful song of the past decade. That’s pretty darn good.

It’s a song that has an upbeat tempo, and of course, lyrics that begin the Lifehouse story for me. If you stick around here long enough, you might get to hear it. Not today though. But here’s the song that I feel put these guys on the map:


It wasn’t until the day after my dad’s birthday in 2005, January 18th, that Lifehouse released what could be their most widely known song ever: “You and Me.” It was the first single off their self-titled album.

Back when I began driving, which was around the time this song was released, I remember hearing it. I liked the song, but little did I know it would soon become my favorite song of all time. In fact, I didn’t even know who sang the song until March of 2006. But once I figured out who sang it, and it became the soundtrack of one fine evening, I vowed never to forget.


In fact, that song pretty much made a fan out of me. And once I did some looking around, I found that numerous Lifehouse songs hit me the same way.

So when Lifehouse came out with their album “Who We Are” in 2007, I knew I had to get my hands on it. The hit single off of “Who We Are” was another upbeat song titled “First Time.” In 2008 the UC football team traveled to Oklahoma, and although we lost to the Sooners, the halftime show was the best I’ve seen. Any marching band that can pull off Lifehouse is great in my book.

The 2008 Oklahoma Sooner marching band performed Lifehouse's hit "First Time" at halftime of the UC game. Luckily I got to hear it.

The song was a huge hit on the radio, and explains a lot more about why I love the group. Like I said earlier, I’m not one to get too personal here, so enjoy the song while waiting for the whole story to come out.

So when “Smoke and Mirrors” came out I went searching for the next big song. I enjoy the first hit off the album, “Halfway Gone,” and I enjoy it even more knowing that Kevin Rudolf helped the band with it. But, it wasn’t the same as the previous three songs I have mentioned above.

However, the song “Falling In” gets the same point across as “First Time” did in 2007. It’s another one of those semi up tempo songs that reminds me of all the songs that have made Lifehouse’s music so important to me.


These four songs are only four of many Lifehouse songs I enjoy listening to, but they describe a lot about my life. I once joked that if there was a movie made about my life that Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts would provide the tunes. In all actuality, I’d probably say Lifehouse is the group that needs to provide the soundtrack.

I’m not one to share much about my life over the blog here, but I know that sharing a little always helps you, my faithful readers, understand a little about me. I’ll try to find some more fun music stuff to share over the next few weeks and months. After all, reading about NASCAR can get boring right?

Not if you’re me. Enjoy your day today folks, Go Marlins!