A sports fanatic. Me?

Nothing like moving to a major sports city to get the excitement and enthusiasm of of sports going.

I finally understand the basics of baseball. Go Cubs! Cubs slideshow with kickass Cubs anthem
Truth be told, I hate the song. So dated. But you just gotta listen for yourself. Hysterical!

I am religious about plopping down before the tube AND reminding Mark about the Bears game, and college football on Sat, Sun and Monday nights. Go Bears! Go Bama! Go Auburn! Go Gamecocks! Go Bulldogs! Boo to alllll California teams!

And most of all, I'll be sad when football and baseball seasons are over. I think that makes me a bona fide fan. And I'm considering buying some jerseys. Hmm. Urlacher or Hester?
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Christina: another thing you and I have in common...between Gamecocks, Steelers, Panthers, Pitt, Penn State, Yankees, Red Sox, etc. etc. I have a busy time watching TV, reading sports sections and keeping up with ESPN Sportscenter. Then again, with everything going on, it also probably keeps me sane!

Jeremy: I used to not understand why people get so obsessed about sports or bother following them. Then I realized that we all need distractions. And a team to rally behind.

Me: Absolutely. A team with an IDENTITY and history, be it good or bad, at that. Especially in the doldrums of the impending winter, and the lazy homebodies like us!

Been there, done that. Enjoying the moment.

It just occurred to me this afternoon after I returned from the garage sale (which I made a profit of $215 for having sold 40 items), settled into the couch with M and dinner and watching the Masters, that I AM WATCHING THE MASTERS!

I am not watching the Masters Golf tourney and dealing with the stress of my colleagues, and damning the rain delay. I am enjoying the Masters for the first time, and in front of my 50-inch flat-screen TV! Man, that National grass is splendid.

It will be difficult for those who have not worked in a newsroom to comprehend why I'm blogging this. And I bet it's extra-annoying for my Chronicle pals that I'm blogging this. Sorry, guys.

But believe you me, if you should leave the Chronicle, you will at moments wish you were back in the madness of Masters prep and toil. But you will also, like me, be hit with the realization that you are actually breathing normally for once during this week in April. And it just occurred to me in the 3rd day of the Masters that I'm kicking back and loving life.

So hate me if you must. But be sure to drop me a note when you get hit with this very moment of eureka.

Together, we'll take in the full beauty of the moment and the game.
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Ray: DAMN YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
OK maybe not!

Christina: Reminds me of what it used to be like when we worked in Myrtle Beach during Harley Week. This year I'm going to Harley week with friends to actually ride on a Harley, not interview people doing the same!

My Response to Christina: I forgot all about that Harley Week. So which Hogan-lookalike will you be strapping yourself to?

From the Dust bowl to the Cotton Bowl

On New Year's Day, we left the horrific Dust Bowl of Lubbock (see blog below) and headed for the Cotton Bowl 2006, which pitted Texas Tech against the University of Alabama.

The five-hour drive to Dallas took us along the backroads where we were a few distance away from the grass fire. It was a surreal sight to see the glow of the fire and smoke in the horizon. What wondrous colors in the midst of a horrible situation.

We awoke early the next morning at 6 a.m. to make it to our parking spots at the Texas Fair Grounds. Yes, we had parking permits. Not only that, we also had tickets to the 3rd row on the 40 yard line. It's good to have connections, baby. Now I know why management hate to give up their jobs. Along with that, they'd have to give up with perks.

Some of you may not know this. M's from Alabama, near Mobile. His parents went to the University of Alabama (and Auburn subsequently). We got tickets via the AJ's connections. Guess who we are rooting for

We had earlier planned to root for both teams, generally a good game. So, there we were, seated among the Tech fans (with the exception of another Alabama supporter, see 2nd picture), cheering for both teams.

I felt rather schizophrenic after a while. I gave up around the 2nd quarter. Make up your mind, Ling. Stick to one and stand by the decision.

So, after Alabama made a touch down in the first 4 minutes of the 1st quarter (a play that was disputed AFTER the game), an approximate 80-yard run, I switched allegiance.

To be fair, I was going to root for Bama. I figured blood is thicker than water and since M's mom couldn't be with us, somebody gotta be the unpopular one among the Tech fans. I'm not afraid.

And did my allegiance pay off. Bama broke the tie at 5 seconds to the end of the game by kicking a field goal, making it just inches from the bottom left of the post. Now, that's a game. 13-10.

Photo below: A few of us thought he was a chicken. M immediately figured he was a cotton ball. How brilliant. He even had the physique for it! Oops, that was rude.

The ugliness at football games

Well, I attended the game afterall. Tech vs OU. And I was glad I went. It turned out to be the best game yet.

The points were close, down to the final seconds. And Tech won. They have a chance to go to a bowl game.

But what made an otherwise great time in the blustery cold were the annoying fans that felt obliged to give a blow-by-blow play-by-play. I'm all for enthusiasm and rooting for the home team. Point your gun-finger salute when the school band plays the game fight song, scream for the touchdown, clap till the hands bleed. That's all fine and dandy. I, afterall, do a great amount of whooping and hollering at plays, good and bad. But I don't do what they do.

At every home game, I've know-it-all commentators in the row behind ours, calling out "Go, D (as in defense)!", and calling out to the quarterback and defensive linemen et al how to play the next shot. I know they are intelligent enough to know the players can't hear them. I know they may be more enthusiastic than me. But do they realize they are plain annoying to those who want to see the game?

Maybe I don't have the spirit for the game. Maybe I'm too uptight. I suppose if everyone behaves civilized like me, the stadium will be as hush-hush as a study hall, and all waves will die. Maybe I'm just a killjoy.

How do you behave/react at games?

And don't get me started on those fellas who upon seeing the good seats available and are yet to be occupied (I had shown up late at a few games in the past) decide to take them until the person who purchased these high-priced seats come by.

Fairweather supporter

So Tech football team blew it. They lost to OSU this past weekend, hence knocking themselves off the bowl invitational.
They were even considered for the Cotton Bowl if they were to win that game.

They are playing their last home game this weekend against OU.

We have the tickets, but frankly, what's the point of attending, right?

There's nothing to cheer towards now.

The legendary Bob Knight

OK, he is notorious but if you get a chance to be this close to the legendary Bob Knight of basketball fame, you would gloat about it, too.

M had the AJ's suite tickets to attend the Red Raiders vs. San Jose State game yesterday. We went and were instantly offered COURTSIDE SEATS by his boss (the pub), but on the condition we would return on the second half so a kid and his dad will have their chance, too.

So we took our spots and I took out my cellphone to snap a photo of Bob Knight to prove it. Alas, the picture was really crappy. Heck, the phone's quite inferior with its camera capabilities to begin with. Oh well.

But the highlight is, I was seated directed across the court from the legend himself. How cool is that?

I even heard him bitch at the referee, something about him not knowing the "goddamn rule book!" That's priceless.