Thoughts on a Superbowl Sunday

Chicago Bears:    Once again Richard Dent was denied entry into the NFL Hall of Fame. He deserved to be among this year's class that includes Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith. Six out of the seven years past, he has made the list of finalist only to be cut. Once again, I'm disappointed and disgusted along with every other Bears fan. Richard Dent was a key player for the Bears during their Superbowl run and his stats speak for themselves. Richard "mess-with-me-you're-gonna-get-bent" Dent deserves to be a Hall of Famer alongside teammates Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, and Dan Hampton. Next year they better get it right.

Shockers: Not sure who that team was that showed up last night for the game against Indiana State. A haunting of seasons past? One thing is for sure, last season's team would not have fought it out and overcome a 15-pt. deficit to win the game. Whew. They cannot overlook these final teams of the season, especially Utah State. They will definitely have their work cut out for them during Bracketbuster Saturday. All in all, what a great season for the Shockers. We may not take the conference title, but this team has shown a lot of maturity, resiliency, and determination. Too fun!

Kansas Now/Channel 22: Does anyone listen to Haertl and Stevens during the KS Now Shocker basketball broadcasts? Every devoted Shocker fan I know turns on their radio and mutes their television when those two hit the air waves. In a word, HORRIBLE.  The other night I actually listened to them because the 3-5 second delay between radio and tv was a little bothersome. I'm thinking the delay is better than having to listen to cliche after cliche (charity line, 3-ball, glass eater...), the use of the words "strong, strength, tremendous," ("tremendous" was used 6 times in the first half, my husband lost count of "strong and strength"), and the non-game related babble. Seriously. These guys are terrible. Possiby Haertl would be much better with a different color commentator. Someone at KWCH needs to get a clue.

Superbowl Sunday: I just can't get too excited about Superbowl Sunday without my Bears. We will make the obligatory wings, nachos, and other hallowed junk food items, have a few beers, and pick a team to cheer. This year, I'm going with the Saints. I'm not a band wagon jumper, I've always admired the Saints and their fans, especially during the years of the "Aint's" and the wearing of brown bags over their heads at games.

Back in my football days when I spent most Sundays at Players watching all the games, there was a woman who joined us and she was from New Orleans. She would arrive in her Saints jersey with Hebert's name on the back (Bobby Hebert, QB. aka Cajun Cannon), and her gold and black beads. She taught us the Who Dat cheer (first I'd ever heard of it) and how to do the umbrella dance after a win. She was a hoot. More than that, I respected her, as I respect all true fans. We pick our teams and we rise and fall with them, no matter what. We never bail. We never jump ship. We remain devoted, no matter the pain, no matter the disappointment until the day that our loyalty is repaid with a chance at a Superbowl win. That repayment is oh so good.

So until my Bears return to the bowl, I'll cheer for the Saints today and remember that crazy lady and her umbrella dance. "Who dat say dey gon beat dem Saints? Who dat? Who dat?"

Shocker History

 I love the new pregame video at our Shocker men's basketball games. It is awesome. Our Shocker history, our Shocker future. And all to the music of U2. What more could a Shocker fan ask?

(there is a commercial first, so be patient)

Tell me why

Why? That tiny yet heavy word has been tripping through my head lately. Who would've thought that three letters, one syllable, would become so burdensome. Why?

This is why. 

I know that we are taught not to question the divine plan, why bad things happen to good people, etc. I know all that. But it's usually what causes me to stumble repeatedly as a Christian. I tend to question. I tend to mull. I tend to become frustrated and disillusioned. And what begins as a whisper turns quickly to a shout. Why?!

And I know that after a while, after the anger, after the tears, I will begin to find my way. I'll pray reverently for those in need and for my own questioning soul. I'll gather my strength once again, I'll look toward the heavens and believe with all my heart that there is a reason behind all of this. All of this.

But it breaks my heart. And I'm not sure how much more my heart can be broken. It is already haphazardly patched, held together by a sometimes shaky faith, stitched with the threads of hope, and beating with the unconditional love of others.

So it goes. So life goes. And with that I keep hearing the final verse of the Annie Lennox song, Why:

This is the book I never read
These are the words I never said
This is the path I'll never tread
These are the dreams I'll dream instead
This is the joy that's seldom spread
These are the tears...
The tears we shed
This is the fear
This is the dread
These are the contents of my head
And these are the years that we have spent
And this is what they represent
And this is how I feel
Do you know how I feel
'cause i don't think you know how I feel
I don't think you know what I feel
I don't think you know what I fear
You don't know what I fear

I Guess WU Doesn't Believe in Snow Days

Imagine my surprise...

Wichita Head Start	CLOSED
Wichita Montessori Sch	CLOSED
Word-of-Life Child Care	CLOSED

Wha? Where's Wichita State? Wichita school district closed, surrounding school districts closed, Catholic schools closed, Friends U., Newman...

Surely there's been a mistake?

Wu and I need to have a talk.

The Continuing Downward Spiral of Professional Sports

Arenas and Crittenton were suspended for the rest of the NBA season. Thank you, David Stern. But I would have been much happier with the two thugs being tossed completely from the NBA. Seriously. I mean, if I pulled a gun on a co-worker there would be no behind doors conferencing, no weighing of issues. I would be out on my rear. Immediately. Most likely in handcuffs.

But an athlete in our society plays by a whole different set of rules. Obviously. This is why it has become harder for me to watch professional sports. The games I love have been tainted by unsportsmanlike conduct, inflated super-egos, and a thug mentality.

And I thought I was appalled by the actual incident, the actual reports of two players pulling guns on one another in the locker room of the Washington Wizards. I was wrong. I believe I'm more appalled by this:

"He said he and players' association executive director Billy Hunter would meet in the coming weeks to perhaps build a stronger gun policy than the one in the collective bargaining agreement."

What? There's a gun policy in the NBA collective bargaining agreement? To make matters worse, Stern mentioned that the players have to sign agreements regarding the gun policy and are reminded of the rules regarding firearms at weekly security meetings. Really? You have to tell basketball players not to bring loaded guns to work? Plus remind them on a weekly basis. This is what the NBA has become. And our society?

Did anyone ever have to tell Julius Irving, Bill Russell, or Larry Bird not to bring weapons to the arena? But I guess in an NBA world filled with the likes of Marbury, Artest, Iverson, and Arenas, what should fans expect. Now, I do understand that there are always no-class players, or players that can't seem to keep themselves out of trouble, players like Chris Webber, Dennis Rodman, and Shawn Kemp. And I know that many are tired of the NBA and its players been referred to as thugs, but what are we left with to describe the ongoing antics of professional basketball? For every Tim Duncan, there seem to be more Ron Artest's.

And while some may argue that it is the media highlighting the bad seeds of the game, my argument remains that if you are being paid, and paid well, to play basketball or any sport, that is your job. That is your profession. And if you get caught with drugs, beat up a customer (fan),  or pull a gun on your co-worker, you should be fired. End of story. No more cheers. No more bling. Just the harsh realities of unemployment. Just like the rest of us.