Maybe we aren't done as a society.......yet!

I've been sitting here thinking about how I could talk about the events in Tucson without sounding like some sort of blowhard or crazy. It's something that I have strong feelings about and as much as I'd like to sit here and do a little four score and seven years ago about Sarah Palin and Sharron Angle further dividing the culture with their hateful speech and insidious rhetoric forcing people to feel like they have to defend themselves and their beliefs, I can't. Not because I physically can't because it's my blog and I'll say what I want. I just conscientiously cannot.

Even up until last night I was willing to shred the world and further add to the division but I instead would rather light a candle then curse our darkness. I instead will use this blog to be the rising tide that lifts all boats. It's not because I'm a bleeding heart liberal like my friends on the right would like to say.Instead it's because something has happened to make me feel different about this even if its just for a day. Being the idiot that I am, I lost my wallet in the middle of downtown Minneapolis last night. I didn't know it was gone for an hour or so and by the time I retraced my steps it was gone. History, Finito,Goodbye Charlie. Losing your wallet is the easily the shittiest feeling in the world. Your life is lost in the ether somewhere. Somewhere in the universe, somebody was enjoying my driver's license and bank card and Kwik Trip punch card and laughing at my driver's license photo which shows an overweight man with no neck.

I went home crestfallen and angry at myself. I wanted to just crawl in a hole somewhere and I did. In bed by 1am which was a new record for me when all of sudden at 7am my phone rang and it may have been the sweetest voice outside my friend Howse's voice saying to me "Tim Anderson please......" My groggy response"Yeah". This is Mesha and I found your wallet and since I work at your bank I was able to get your number." I did that thing that Jeff Bridges does in Lebowski after getting his car back. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iApz08Bh53w

I felt like my confidence in my fellow man to the right thing had been restored and for a moment I thought I don't care who she is or how old she is or if she looks like "Precious" or not, I should marry her!!! I thought better considering it probably wouldn't be worth it to her. Might make her never wanna do a good deed for someone ever again. So The wallet is back with me and I'll call it serendipity!

Now What does this have to do with Tuscon? Nothing really except that the ability to do good and help others still manifests itself in our divided society. If we are ever gonna get back on track in the civility department, we need to take a page out of my new friend Mesha's book and just do something because it's the right thing to do. She wanted nothing from me, Saying my thanks was enough and I went on my way. It's like the great philosopher Red Green says "Remember I'm pulling for you and we're all in this together." Preach on

Keep your stick on the ice
 
Tim

Thoughts on NFL, BCS and more

Playoffs!!! Don't talk about Playoffs!!
See, I bet you were assuming I'd open by talking about the NFL or as like to call it, the only game of football that matters but instead I'll open with my thoughts on the BCS and College Football in general. So Auburn is the apparent "National Champion" for this season in college football. Great!! I'm sure it was a real struggle through that grueling tournam.........Oh but it was apparent they were the best when they beat TCu...... Yeah.....seems none of that happened. Yeah, unfortunately the two teams were picked by a group of computers almost 40 days in advance of the game while the hype machine at ESPN exploited their images for millions of dollars.

It doesn't make sense, How can you be considered legitimate when you have 130 some odd teams in Division 1 college football when only the big major conferences are up for consideration for the title. TCU and Boise St. could have played 100 games and won them all by 50 and never would have been given a chance to play for the title.The Fact is unless you come from the money conferences like the SEC and Big 10 or thr Pac-10 you have no shot to play for the title. Instead. we have some lovely parting gifts for you backstage furnished by Rice-a-Roni and Cuisinart. Also, you can get an all expenses paid trip to Mobile,Alabama for the "Beef O'Brady's Bowl" The NCAA claims they have the students best interest in mind. Ok. If that's the case, How much of the 10's of millions of dollars in revenue generated in these games goes towards the athletes and school facilities. How come these bowl games have CEO's with six figure salaries?Bottom line, I'm bored with it, I didn't watch one second of this game and I'm glad, glad you hear. Get a playoff and then get back to me.

Playoffs!!! for real this time.
Ok time to talk real football. Here is the breakdown
Seattle at Chicago (-10)
If someone said to me at the beginning of the season that the Bears were going to host a playoff game and be giving 10 points to their opponent, I would have laughed that person out of the building with my patented BAHAHAHAHA.I was wrong. The Bears were tough this season and took care of this division in surprisingly easy fashion. There is a concern because Seattle already went on the road and beat Chicago once this season. It stands to reason they can do it again. For that I say they cover the 10 points but will lose the game in a tight one 24-21. Bears win.

Green Bay at Atlanta (-2.5)
Practically a pick 'em with a slight edge to the Falcons according to Vegas. It has been trendy to take Green Bay in this game and I too on my friends blog thought Green Bay but I am going to amend my initial gut pick and take Atlanta to win this game. Two reason why, one, Matt Ryan has only lost twice at the Georgia dome including quality wins this season over Green Bay and Baltimore. Ryan is a cool customer and taking nothing away from Aaron Rodgers, Atlanta is just better. Two. Mark Schlereth took Green Bay on ESPN, I think that guy is an idiot and refuse to agree with him on anything. If he told me the sun set in the west, I would believe it sets in the east. 31-24 Falcons

New York at New England (-9)
Back in February this year I took the jets as the team to come out of the AFC for this season. I said because I wasn't sure what New England had in the tank. I was wrong on new England. The jettison of Randy Moss and emergence of Danny Woodhead and a couple of rookie tight ends and the return of Belichick "the mad genius". Rex Ryan has been talking a good game and the rest of the Jets have been brash and loud. Sounds great but the loudest guy in the room is often the most worried guy in the room. Give me new England to cover the 9 points in what might be the most lopsided game of the round. 35-14 Pats.

Baltimore at Pittsburgh (-3)
What a slobberknocker this is going to be. A defensive struggle between two teams that truly don't like each other. I look at history here. The Ravens and Steelers always play close, always play in a low scoring game and if it's the playoffs the Steelers always win. Give me Big Ben and Mike Tomlin and the points . 17-10 Pitt.

Enjoy the games. The long blog is coming soon. Enjoy today