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!

Option offenses make Army-Navy game worth watching

Everyone knows I love the option offense (disclaimer: except when it’s being run against my team). Everyone knows I especially enjoy watching the Navy Midshipmen run their version of the triple option offense. So, today is like a football dream for me. When Army and Navy square off in Philadelphia for the 111th time in their history, I’ll be tuned in.

Even though Navy’s head coach Ken Niumatalolo has been rumored as one hot candidate for coaching vacancies from Minnesota to Vanderbilt, he’ll lead the Middies into the fiercest rivalry matchup in college football today, having beaten Army each time he’s been the head coach.

In fact, the last time Army beat Navy was 2001. But, Niumatalolo isn’t taking Army lightly. “This is a new year, a new team,” he said. “They’re bowl eligible. We know they’re much better. Their seniors want to go out on top, too, so anytime we play a service academy, you throw out your record, you throw out anything prior to that game and just get ready for the [game]. That’s all that’s going to matter.”

Navy will be led by senior quarterback Ricky Dobbs, who, at the beginning of the year, was a darkhorse candidate for the Heisman trophy, and fullback Alexander Teich. Army counters with sophomore Trent Steelman at quarterback. Steelman is good, but doesn’t quite have the explosiveness that Dobbs has employed the past two seasons under center in Annapolis.

If you can find a better quarterback suited to run Navy’s triple-option offense, call me and let me know. Ricky Dobbs is the X-factor in this game, but over the past season and a half he has been slowed by injuries. If Dobbs is too injured to go in this game, his backup Kriss Proctor will fill in. Proctor started against Central Michigan and ran 20 times for 201 yards and one touchdown.

There’s no question Army has improved and will give Navy a run for their money, but in the end (and I know I’m horribly biased) I think Navy will pull this one out. Dobbs and Teich torched the Notre Dame Fighting Irish earlier this year (in a game I predicted when my former head coach took the job in South Bend 365 calendar days ago) and there’s no reason they won’t bring their ‘A’ game today to Philadelphia.

Look for Navy to Represent the Sea (a modified phrase you may have heard before) and beat Army for the 10th consecutive time.

I’ll be tuned in. Will you?

Happy July 4th

Independence Day is here and with it comes all the food, fun, family and fireworks. The sports stations are playing replays of Army/Navy football games—maybe my favorite sporting event of the year (behind a certain NASCAR race in Indianapolis) and everyone is thanking the men and women in the Armed Forces who keep us safe.

Happy Birthday to America, and my mom.

Have a safe 4th of July everyone. I’ll be back tomorrow to start the Brickyard 400 countdown in earnest.

Odds and Ends on March 29th

Over the past week UC students had a break from classes and school work, and today that all changes. The ten-week spring quarter has begun and it’s back to work for college students here in Cincinnati, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to neglect my thoughts here. So for some tidbits of fun, here’s a few thoughts to get rolling for spring.

Moeller basketball ends up short in state title game
The Moeller Crusaders ran through the GCL South and the Cincinnati region before heading to the state semi finals on Friday evening. They faced Mentor in the final four game and withstood a state record for three point attempts. In overtime the Crusaders pulled away and clinched a spot in the state finals, defeating the Cardinals 66-59.

I had a seat courtside for that game as well as the state championship game the next evening where Moeller took on the Massillon Jackson Polar Bears. Jackson led 20-15 at halftime and opened the game up with a 24-5 advantage in the third quarter. Jackson won the game handily 57-34, denying Moeller the chance to win its fourth state title since 1999.

Through my current internship at Fox 19 in Cincinnati I got to witness both games, and from my vantage point nothing was more awesome than watching high school basketball up close and personal. The men of Moeller gave it their all, and even in winding up just a little short, they showed true heart and a spirit that made me proud to support a fellow GCL South school.

Check out this fun story on the Moeller cheering section, which exemplifies the spirit of an all-male cheering section, like any other GCL South school: http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/20100328/SPT01/3280308/Moeller+students+give+team+an+extra+lift

Almost Heaven, Indianapolis?
West Virginia is headed to the Final Four—the real one—in Indianapolis this upcoming weekend, and who would have picked that? While the popular picks for the national title were Kansas and Kentucky, my unconventional wisdom went with fellow Big East member West Virginia and former UC head coach Bob Huggins.

Turns out it could help my mom win her pool as only we have West Virginia cutting down the nets one week from today, but a WVU loss on Saturday evening could put us in second or third place. I’ll take my odd picks, and the bragging rights that come with picking a national champ.

Rainy days in Martinsville
Rain canceled yesterday’s running of the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 in Martinsville, Va., pushing the start of the race to this afternoon, a few minutes past midday. Tons of storylines to follow at NASCAR’s shortest track, so tune in if you have the time.

Mark Martin paced practice on Saturday morning, and he starts 16th today in Martinsville. Will he visit Victory Lane and bring home a grandfather clock? (NASCAR.com photo)

Spring football starts across the nation
UC got kicked off under new head coach Butch Jones two weeks ago before taking the last week off, and the two-time defending Big East champs will re-fire their engines tomorrow morning. The spring has brought a completely new style of practice to Nippert Stadium, but it’s just as intense as it was under the previous regime.

And part of the previous regime, most notably head coach Brian Kelly, got kicked off in South Bend last week. Kelly’s uptempo, energetic style of offense and practice surprised some Notre Dame players. It’s something the players at Cincinnati are used to, but at Notre Dame it’s all new, and it’s going to take some time for players to get used to everything.

While the head coach at UC, Kelly ran very high paced practices, a practice he has brought with him to Notre Dame (Photo from Twitter.com; Tom Gelehter)

One of Notre Dame’s opponents this season got kicking this morning in Annapolis, Md. Ken Niumatalolo and the Naval Academy Midshipmen got the ball rolling on spring practices with one of the most underrated players in all of America leading the charge under center, junior quarterback Ricky Dobbs. The Georgia native led the Middies to a huge win in the Texas Bowl last season 35-13 over Missouri, and captured ten wins for the Academy.

David Fox of Rivals.com says that Dobbs, “could end up being the academy’s top QB since Roger Staubach.” Pretty high praise for the best throwing Naval Academy quarterback in years. Dobbs’s threat to run and throw will keep defensive coordinators guessing all season long. It’ll be fun to watch Navy take on former UC defensive coordinator Bob Diaco when Notre Dame and Navy meet up on October 23 in East Rutherford, N.J.

I know who I’ll be rooting for.

More personal odds and ends
The girl’s basketball season is reaching its conclusion and although we’ve only won one game this season we’re trying to make some progress toward getting better for next season. As girls basketball winds down boys volleyball begins and I begin my fourth stint as an official.

I got to officiate two matches yesterday and although the kids seem to change from year to year very little changes at each school. It’s fun to think back to when I was a young kid running around the gym at St. William, learning all the skills necessary to become a decent volleyball player and have a little fun too.

The Beatles and I agree today, “How I long for Yesterday…”

Have a good one today, and stay dry if you’re stuck in the rain.