One Shining Moment

Just the words bring tears to my eyes. The song that has come to define college basketball is also one of the most talked about aspects of the tournament. I have to admit, I try to watch all of the championship game every year, but I make sure I see OSM. Last night’s was okay, but not classic. Someday they are going to come out with a DVD of all the OSMs and I am going to have to have it. Do you have a favorite? I really don’t, b/c the year the Hogs won OSM was fairly lame. I bought the single a couple of weeks ago and the song has been stuck in my head since.

As for the game, it was a great game. I feel bad for the Memphis players, but you have to hit your free throws. Someone said they missed 7 of 8 down the stretch. If that is true, then they have no one to blame but themselves. But KU won it as much as MU lost it. They hit shots in the last 3 minutes, made two key steals, and played solid D. While MU’s missed FT helped, KU played well enough to win. But honestly, neither team played their best. Not sure if that was b/c of defense or nerves. KU shot horribly (Bill Walton HORRRRIBLE) and looked out of sync all night. Memphis didn’t look much better. But the game was entertaining b/c they played hard. So congrats KU, enjoy. And Bill Self, you might as well take the $$$$ and run. You may not win another championship at OSU, but that kind of money is unreal. It may surprise some that I would say to make a decision based on money, but coaching is different from any other profession b/c of the number of people watching & thinking they know as much or more as you. Now, if he loves the program, the atmosphere, etc.. then stay. But if it’s not everything that you thought a top 5 program should be, then you better go to Stillwater. Or stay at KU till Lute does retire and take the AZ job.

Changing lanes, I am on a fast from Diet Coke. Our church is going through Downpour, and I asked our people to give something up for the eight weeks of the series. After praying about it, I felt like God was calling me to give up DC. Every time I crave a DC, which is often, it reminds me to pray for myself and my fellow churchmembers who are going through the series. In some ways, this has been harder than any of my 40 day fasts. Like a person who smokes, there are times of the day that I want a DC so bad. Certain restaurants trigger the craving, certain foods, and certain times. For instance, one of the more enjoyable times of my day is in the evening after dinner to pop a DC and enjoy. God has been good though, the headaches have been minimal. And the study has been good.

One of The Five Best Days of My Life

Do you remember where you were on April 4, 1994? I do. Vividly. On that day, in Charlotte, NC, the Arkansas Razorbacks defeated Duke 76-72 to win the NCAA Championship. It really is one of the five best days of my life. I remember watching the game from my home in North Richland Hills. I remember the friends that were there with me, how nervous I was, the joy when Scotty Thurman drained the jumper, and the elation when the clock hit 00.0. What a great feeling.

Razorback Basketball & Football

There are rumors that Billy Gillispie is out at UK whether he takes the job at OSU or not. And that is causing some nervousness among Razorback fans. Gillispie is not a good fit at UK. His skin might be a little thin and his style does not hearken back to Pitino. UK fans are never satisfied, and they think that they are the center of the basketball world. Their arrogance is only eclipsed by UT football fans. Getting off to a slow start this year was extremely damaging to his credibility, and even though he did a great job in conference (and somewhat quieted the critics), not winning a tourney game turned up the heat. Of course, no one should feel sorry for Gillispie, he brought this on himself. He left the Razorbacks at the altar last year in order to take the newest suitor, Kentucky. So he gets what he deserves.

 The reason his possible ouster from UK makes UA fans nervous is obvious. We don’t want to lose Pelphrey. Obviously if the UK job is open, he will be a candidate. I was hoping Gillispie would last 5-6 years before getting sick of UK fans, because if the ‘Cats wanted him then, it would mean that he had taken the UA program back to elite status. But if he were to leave after only one year on the job, the recruiting losses could really set us back.

 Pelphrey has done a good job his first year and appears to have a firm grip on the program. He has good discipline, seems to be bringing in a good class, and has the support of the fans. To take an underachieving, senior-laden team that had no mental toughness to the tourney and win a game is a great accomplishment. The 6 are still the most disappointing class to ever wear a Razorback uniform, and Sonny Weems is the only senior who gave his best every game, all year and got the most out of their talent. All the rest (even Charles Thomas, who played very well late) never got the most out of their talent. So we Razorback fans hope that Gillispie stays at UK for a long time. Pel looks better in Red than Blue anyway.

 On another note, our other new coach has begun spring practice. Bobby “Easy Come, Easy Go” Petrino had his first practice with the football team, and even with the rain, the excitement is palpable. In two minutes of talking about the QB’s feet, shoulder position, and hips, he showed that he pays more attention to detail than H did with his QBs passing techniques. I like H, and wish him well (except Oct 25) but it was time for him to move on. He had divided the state to the point that the damage was irreparable.

Bobby runs a tight, no nonsense, no idle talk, practice, press conference, you name it. It is all business. And that is not necessarily a bad thing. Whether it’s true or not, and I would say that it is, it feels like you get twice as much accomplished in his practices because of the pace. That is a GREAT thing. While I wish that he had handled leaving Hotlanta differently, it is a good thing for the UA to have him.

Last Word: Good job to AD Jeff Long. He has transitioned well, made good decisions, and handled the backwards politics that surrounds the UA very well. If donations continue to be strong, you can deduce that he has hit a home run. I just hope that his frustration with certain parties does not push him to look at other jobs like he did earlier this year. Jeff, well done.

Infinite, Inerrant, Infallible

On what does my faith rest? My own intellect and reasoning? My education? What I have been taught by my parents and the environment they provided? If that is what my faith rests on, then it is very limited. But my faith does not rest on anything of my own. My faith (and all the XN faith) rests on an Infinite God who is both Inerrant and Infallible. My faith rests on His Inerrant Word that is also Infallible.

God is infinite, without beginning or end, with power, knowledge, and ability that is unlimited. God cannot have a beginning, or He could not, by definition, be God. When Moses said, “Lord, who are you?”, God answered him by saying. “I AM.” That literally means, “I Am that I am.” The Hebrew word is very interesting. It can also be translated, “I have been who I have been” and “I shall be who I shall be.” In its most literal sense, it reads, “I is the ising One.” In other words, God wanted Moses to know He is/was/will be the One who is/was/will be. He is infinite. Yes, the more traditional word is Eternal, but I used infinite to get you to think, and because it fits with the other two (I don’t know how Adrian did it all those years, it’s difficult).

God is also Inerrant, as is His God-breathed Word. He is without mixture of error as is the Bible. Many deny this, but all they are doing is trying to make themselves god. If He were not inerrant, he would not be God. But beyond that, He is Infallible. It is not enough to say God has no error, He is not capable of error. That is infallible. He is infallible as God the Father; He is infallible as The Word made Flesh, God the Son; and He is infallible as teacher, comforter, encourager, the Holy Spirit.

Every XN should understand this: It is God who gives understanding & wisdom. You can have an IQ off the charts and be completely dumb about God. You may have read the Bible many times and studied it yourself, but if you don’t have the Holy Spirit inside you, you are incapable of knowing God. It is God who is Author of your life (God the Father), Enactor of your salvation(God the Son), and Revealer of truth (God the Spirit). Everything comes from Him. That is great comfort to me (and all believers) because I can know God just as intimately as even the most knowledgeable person. What a great God! The deeper one gets into XNTY, the more organized one sees that God is & how well He has thought everything out.

Grab a Paddle; REAL Reality TV

“Grab A Paddle!” The slogan for Kayakers may soon be true for all of us in NWA. Yes, I know, my life must be boring to write about the weather. And it’s probably true that only old people talk about the weather. But man, did it pour today. I was afraid that the small town that I work in was going to become an island and I had no way off (which is actually possible, if it rains more). Anyway, God did promise not to destroy the earth by water again, but he didn’t say anything about a small town and a few neighborhoods in NWA. So, if you are reading this, what have you learned? That I’m old and boring. Oh well. Both are probably true.

 At least my Sweet 16 predictions came true this weekend. I am not sure what I am more excited about: My predictions were almost all right and we have all #1’s in SA or the fact that Texas lost (and they lost badly). Oh, who am I kidding, I am much more excited that the ‘horns were humiliated! It was awesome. But now we have the table set for a great Final Four. I will officially turn off the cell phone Saturday at 5 pm and plant myself in front of the TV. The two games are must see. And for those of you that think “reality TV” began with Survivor, you really do need to get a life. Real reality TV has been played out in sports for years. There are no directors, no producers, no one gets voted off (well, except for the stupid college football BCS system). If you want to see real emotion, real tragedy, real stories, then watch the games Saturday. We have lots of storylines: Can Memphis finally break thru? Will UCLA come short in it’s 3rd straight FF? Will Bill Self’ change his image of being “the best coach not to win a title” and win a big game? Will Tyler HansIdon’tknowhowtospellhislastname come through, or will he suffer another painful loss, “Oh So Close”. 

And you think Simon & Paula don’t get along? Who would want to miss Roy Williams coaching against his former team, Kansas. Don’t think there won’t be some bad feelings there. Not on Roy’s part, but, in case you have not heard, he is not well liked in Lawrence. These are real storylines that aren’t made up by a director. That is reality TV. You keep your bachelors, your idols, fat camps, houses, and islands, I’ll take the real life stories! Like watching Brett Favre saying he can’t summon the mental strength to come back again b/c the pain of losing is worse than the joy of winning. And for all of his records, his first ballot HOF career, and his being in the argument for being in the top 5 QB’s of all time, he will always have to live with this: his last pass cost his team a trip to the Super Bowl. Now, that’s reality. Get a life, Simon. Go do something relevant.

Sorry, got off on a rant. Can you tell how I feel about reality shows? Now, on to my picks. I am not feeling real good about half of this, b/c Memphis is playing so well. But, in the Semi’s I will pick UNC over KU by 10 & UCLA over Memphis (very close). On Monday night, UNC will cut down the nets and beat UCLA by a score of 79-70. “Ol’ Roy” will win his second championship. And, while I am not a UCLA fan, I am a John Wooden fan. And I wonder if this will be his last Final Four? I hope not.  Best wishes, coach Wooden, I hope you get well soon and are around for a while longer. Now, everyone go to SI.com and read Reilly’s piece on Coach Wooden. It is must reading and you will want to print it up and share it with others.

Precious In The Sight …

Today is a sad day for many of us, but joyful in heaven. Monday morning, while sitting in her chair, Mrs. F, a precious and godly woman, went to be with her Savior. My guess is that her late husband was excited to see her too. Mrs. F’s passing once again reminded me that my prayer support is getting thin. You see, I have a special love for Mrs. F. Very early in my ministry, back when I knew that I knew it all, there were a group of 10 ladies who prayed for me at least 30 minutes a day. Mrs. F. was one of those ladies. Now, time has passed since college, and I am not saying she still did that every day the past few years when we didn’t see each other regularly, but she was a woman of prayer. And her prayers meant a lot to me. Heaven’s gain is our loss. She was a godly wife, a loving mom, and a true servant. Thank you, Mrs. F., for the difference you made in my life.

Changing lanes suddenly, it is the first night of the Sweet 16. Here are my picks for the Weekend. In the East take Carolina over Wazzoo, & The Ville over The Pearlettes. And the Heels will dance over the Cards on Saturday. In the Midwest, Take Kansas & Davidson over ‘Nova & the “Stinking Badgers”. And it’s Rock, Chalk, Riverwalk Jayhawk! In the South, I just pray that Memphis beats Michigan State, b/c even though I like the “H to the Izzo”, his team plays ugly basketball. And dear Lord, between Austin & Palo Alto, please let the Smarter Team win. That’s all I ask, Lord. And if The Tigers can get past the Spartans, I think they will be able to take Beale Street south to the Alamo Dome. In the West, UCLA will dominate WKU (it won’t be close), and Xavier ends “Huggy Baby’s” season (it will be close). And UCLA will make the 4th number 1 to be in San Antone. Now, do I really believe four #1’s will make it? No. But I don’t want Texas to be there, and I don’t think Stanford is capable of beating both TX & MU; and while I would love for Davidson to beat KU, I don’t think the slipper will fit. And yes, I am just praying that Davidson beats WU, it’s not much of an educated guess. But I can’t root for ’sconsin. Having any Big 10 team in the final sets basketball in general back 15 years. It’s just not good for the game.

Baseball Has Started, Right?

I heard a rumor that the baseball season has begun. I even saw a score that The Red Sox beat the A’s yesterday, and the A’s returned the favor today. I wouldn’t know. You know why? Because the game was in freakin’ JAPAN!!! AT 6 IN THE MORNING! What is MLB thinking? I know, I know, they say that they want to “expand the international market” and “grow the game of baseball”. Well, I have a newsflash for them – they might ought to think about growing the game here in the US. Do they realize that even though attendance figures have never been better, hardly anyone bothers to watch the MLB playoffs? They are in danger of becoming the third or fourth most popular sport, behind NASCAR & College Football.

I am a marginal baseball fan. I love sports, listen daily to ESPN radio, love the Cardinals, keep up with the baseball standings. I only listen to some of the Cards games on radio, and rarely have the opportunity to see a MLB game in person. My guess is that I am like most people.  I do enjoy Opening Day. I used to enjoy catching 3 or 4 games on ESPN throughout the day and being excited about the start. But opening day as far as I am concerned is over. They have already let the cat out of the bag. Who told Bud Selig this was a good idea? The same guy that told him that “Steroids is not a major problem” five years ago? If they are not careful, even the Red Sox – Yankees fans won’t save them. Yes, lots of fans are coming to the games. But there is not nearly the excitement about the start of the season that there used to be. They had better make sure they grow the game here, or else baseball is in danger of becoming less and less relevant.

After Easter

After Easter. Hmmnn. It’s kind of a depressing thing, like the day after Christmas. All last week I could say, “Happy Easter!” to people and they would smile and say, “Thank you.” It was exciting to look forward to celebrating the rez. But now it’s over. I wonder what the disciples felt the day after the resurrection? Or better yet, the day after the ascension? Did they wake up after the amazing day before kinda melancholy? Easter was awesome, but now, not only is it a Monday, but it’s the day after Easter. At least it was sunny today. And I still had the “afterglow” of a great Resurrection Sunday, thanking God all day for the blessing of yesterday.

On an altogether different subject, my brackets are trashed. In one set of brackets (yes, I had two), I have 12 of the remaining 16, but 2 Final Four teams out. Thank you Pitt and Georgetown! So much for the “vaunted Big East.” In my other bracket, the one I had time to edit and think about more, I have 13 of my 16, and Kansas, UNC, and UCLA remain.

There are 3 things you can root for in March madness, other than your team(s). You can root for your brackets, your conference, or “Cinderella”. Each can be equally fulfilling, and surely one of those can keep your interest. Which raises the question: Do you root for a hated rival (Kentucky, Texas) if they are still in it and your team isn’t? For me, the answer is easy. If it’s the longhorns, absolutely not. I would never degrade myself to rooting for them. I’m better than that. But if it’s Kentucky, or another SEC team, yes, I could see myself rooting for them. Although it’s hard to root for Kentucky b/c they have won so much, and I like underdogs. But if they were playing a Big 10 team or someone I didn’t like, sure.

It’s also fun to root for your brackets. Why are brackets important? Well, I am sure ego is one reason. The pure pride of being able to say you were right. But I look at my brackets as a way to evaluate my basketball IQ. It helps me know how well I am “up on” the game and how well I have evaluated match-ups. That’s not important to anyone else, but b/c of my love for college basketball, it’s important to me. I want to think I still know the game, even though I can’t play it. I do my brackets more for my personal joy rather than anything else. It doesn’t give me great joy to tell someone I am smarter than them because I picked the right team. It does, however, give me great joy to have a good knowledge of the game and be able to tell which team will win. For instance, I took great personal joy in being able to realistically look at the Razorbacks region, analyze it, and know why they would beat IU and why they would lose to UNC by more than twenty. I knew that match-up wise, the Razorbacks would be outclassed at the point, and would not be able to even come close to Carolina’s speed. Carolina plays at a different level, and it is going to take a team with a GREAT PG as well as defensive excellence to beat them. And Gary Irvin is barely a good PG, definitely not very good or great. Sorry, Gary, don’t mean to be rude, but you should have transferred to a smaller conference. You just aren’t SEC (or ACC) material.

Finally, it’s fun to root for your conference. And against other conferences. For instance, it was fun to watch Florida win the last couple of years b/c of the way they played. They had a team-first attitude, played with joy, and played the way you should play. So it was fun rooting for the SEC. Of course it’s fun to root against other conferences, like the Big 10. The only way I would ever root for a Big 10 team is if they were playing Texas. Sorry, I just hate the B10. In all sports. And while I love the SEC, I like Carolina better, so I will be rooting for them. As for the SEC, Tennessee is all we have left, and I just don’t care for Bruce Pearl. Why? It’s the divorce thing. I hold coaches to a high standard, and his divorce bothers me. I wish I knew more of the reasons behind that so I could know if he tried as hard at his marriage as he did at coaching. He is a great guy, and likable. I like the fact that he goes to Pat Summit’s games and cheers for them. But the SI article, his comments after last year’s SEC tourney, and his attitude just rubs me the wrong way.

So there is still a lot of the NCAA tourney left, and there are still lots of stories to root for. And, Happy Day After Easter, everyone!

Blog or Time Capsule?

That is the question. I have been thinking about blogging for some time now, but I don’t know if I have the time or the discipline. I don’t want to do this if I won’t be committed to maintaining it regularly. I can very easily see how this becomes a time capsule of a month or so of my life. It is so easy to miss a few days and all of a sudden the daily blog looks more like an annual than a daily. But, if I could get into a routine…