GodsendJen

My team is experiencing an identity crisis of sorts.  They are apparently auditioning for a spot in the American League as that is the only thing I can think of to explain their rattling off 51 runs in their 4 games since the All-Star dud break.  The occasional double digit run game you expect, but 4 in a row? One of the most exciting things to watch in sports is a good come back from a team that is behind.  This year my Bravos found themselves needing that kind of comeback to salvage their season and it certainly looks like they are giving it their all.  This should inspire Shurholtz to make that move and shore up the bullpen.  With the way Wilson Bettimit was playing last night (he was 4 for 6 in what has been our ultra unproductive leadoff spot) I say trade Marcus Giles and Jorge Sosa (who is obviously on Cox's @#$@ list for his general apathy--I mean he got chewed out on the mound last night when we were up by more than 10 runs) for a veteran reliever who can come in a close games for us.

This just in.  According to Elias (via the Daily Quickie) The Braves are the first team ever to score 10-plus runs in four straight games against first-place teams.

The folks at the Galax Gazette report that the Kazim Hillibillies just celebrated their 30th birthday.  I think this makes them my favorite thing that is my age.  Growing up they were the highlight of every parade we went to.  The junky old cars, the barrels, the rolling Jail, that fab moonshine still.  They were just plain old fun in what is otherwise a boring parade filled with fire-trucks, church floats and mediocre  local marching bands.

Gazette Story

Its that time of year when you can sense football season up ahead.  That sensation is much scarier this year than usual.  My team lost 12 starters from last year.  14 players from last years team are on NFL rosters.  That adds up to a heaping lot of talent that we need to  replace.  What could make it more challenging?  Try losing 4 members of the coaching staff--the most coaching turnover the Hokies have had since 1992.  Our new coaches are reponsible for the Quarterback, Defensive Backs, Offensive line and Deffensive Line. We haven't hired lightweights in those positions (the new QB coach is a former D1 head coach at NC State, the new DB coach came to us from the Chicago Bears) but wow.

The annual pre-season annalysis is starting to flow and there is pleanty of hope in what I'm reading.  There is even a sense that we will put a large emphasis on character this year after the last few seasons that were filled with the soap opera that was Marcus Vick and enough personal fouls in games to shame a sailor.  (I can't help but wonder if this change is spurred on by the fact that the evil Wahoos had a better recruiting class than us for the first time in years?) 

My favorite quote of the preson this far is from ESPN's Blue Ribbon Year Book.

The Hokies still view themselves as underappreciated underdogs in the blue-blood ACC. The truth is that Virginia Tech is a legitimate powerhouse, a program that reloads, not rebuilds.

If they get good quarterback play -- particularly avoiding mistakes -- the Hokies have the defense and special teams to hang with anyone in the country. Again.

How healthy is Beamerball? Of the 101 players on the spring roster -- and that's a pretty healthy number to start with -- 66 have had a redshirt year to get bigger, stronger and more mature.

Who knows.  Put togather all those redshirt players and our patty cake schedule for September and maybe we'll be back in the mix again.

Go Hokies :)

I've been playing with a new photo site online called Tablo.  They do poster style arrangements of your photos in varrying layouts.  This one has pictures of my last trip to Virginia. Click on it to view it in real size.

About once a year I can count on getting sucked in by a show on Discovery.  Past shows to grace my TiVos season pass manager include Monster House, Wing Nuts, MythBusters and American Casino.  I'd been hearing some guys at work talk about their newest Discovery fav, Deadliest Catch.  I hadn't been interested enough to go out and look for it on TV.  I mean it's a fishing show about guys who smell of fish and are out in so much cold that they have icicles on their beards.

Then yesterday, faced with a rainy day in Georgia, I found myself being a bum in front of the tv.  And what did I watch?  Deadliest Catch.  Not just one episode...I found the marathon and had consumed at least 5 hours of that show before I went to bed. I don't know if its the elements, the danger the narrator keeps on telling us about, the Bon Jovi theme music, my efforts to guess the number of crab in a pot, or just the thought of eating so much yummy Alaskan crab.

Get out the peanut and set a wish list...

Deadliest Catch.

A nice article about the work Dorothy and her grandparents are doing with a ministry to the homeless. Complete with photos.

Ministry Helps City's Homeless

I've been mesmerized by the Stanley Cup finals. I'll admit it.  The improbable road that Edmonton has travelled makes for a great story--and what has at times looked like both horrible and incredible hockey.  Despite this, the "Quest for the Cup" sure hasn't consumed my life...but some people appear to be more taken in than I've been.  Exhibit A:  My-NHL.com.  MyNHL was this year's marketing push by the league, but I don't think they are behind this site.  Whoever these funsters are, they are making excellent use of a video camera and a bubble hockey table.

Here is my favorite one so far....possibly because I too believe Rod Brinda'mour is a bit rough on the eyes.  Check them all out at http://my-nhl.com/

This week's races.  I think I need a video gallery now.

Butterfly

FreeStyle

Backstoke

When I was growing up I remember trying earnestly to convince my cousin Chad, whose birthday fell on Christmas Day, that my birthday was better because grown-ups care more about Flag Day than Christmas. 

I've since realized the foolishness of that argument and thought that in honor of my birthday it would be fun to create a list of other cool stuff that turned 30 today. You would think that the wonder that is google would make this easy.  Sadly the only pop culture event I could find attributed to my birthday was the premeir of the Gong Show.

What I did turn up was a few terrible things that happened on June 14.

1940: Auschwitz, the largest Nazi concentration camp was established in German-occupied Poland
1954: The first national civil defense drill was held. 
1985: TWA Flight 847 was hijacked by Lebanese Shi'ites after takeoff from Athens, beginning a 17-day ordeal

Other events attributed to "Today in History"

• In 1775, the United States Army was founded.
• In 1777 we adopt the stars and stripes.
• 1789 - Whisky distilled from maize is first produced by American clergyman the Rev Elijah Craig. It is named Bourbon because Rev Craig lived in Bourbon County, Kentucky.
• In 1846, a group of U.S. settlers in Sonoma proclaimed the Republic of California.
• In 1946 Donald Trump was born.
• In 1951 the first Univac Computer was dedicated.
  
• In 1954, President Eisenhower signed an order adding the words ``under God'' to the Pledge of Allegiance.
• In 1976...well that's when I showed up.

Cheers to getting older.

Wow. For spots enthusiast who didn't know already, there is a company out their helping you in your battle to make sure junior appreciates your college team.  Team Baby Entertainment has a selection of DVDs and other merchandise to start the brainwashing training out on the right foot. Soft merchandise includes sunshades, mobiles, puzzles and books.  The DVD itself features officially licensed footage of Hokie sports, mascot, marching band and campus attractions to expose children to Virginia Tech in an exciting, playful and educational manner. I don't know what's worse: that we brand our kids so young, or that I want to buy the dvd for my nephew.