I have tried all week to come up with a topic to blog about. I have nothing! This is frustrating. I pray next week is better. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!
Until next time….TOODELLS.
Category: Uncategorized
Well hello…
Hi everyone! I know it has been a while. Did you miss meeee? I planned to blog last week but unforseen circumstances prevented me from having the adequate amount of time to do so. On top of that, my Birfday was this past weekend so I had to celebrate :-}. I will be posting this week so stay tuned.
Until next time…TOODELLS!,,
Hiatus….until May.
Hello all!!! Just wanted to let you all know that I will be taking a brief hiatus until the week of May 6. Yes, that means no posts from me about tonight’s NFL Draft. The class is kind of blah this year anyway.
Until next time….TOODELLS.
For Boston…
I have gotten really tired of writing posts about sports related tragedies. Today is no exception. Yesterday started out as a normal day. Monday. Kinda gloomy. Warm. However, this Monday would not be like the previous Monday. The sports world started the day celebrating the accomplishments and legacy of Jackie Robinson and ended the day with questions and tears as the holy grail of marathons, The Boston Marathon, was rocked to its core.
Shortly after 2:45, two explosions took place. One near the finish line and the other about 50 feet away. As chaos ensued, emergency personnel rushed to the sites of the explosions to put their training to use. On a day that was suppose to mean to much to so many, it has now been marred by an hellacious act.
As a fellow marathoner, the tears immediately begin to flow upon hearing the news. I know what it is like to be within a few feet of the finish line. I know what it is like to see your final destination ahead of you. I know what it is like to know that all your hard work is about to pay off. I know what that finish line means. That finish line to many is a representation of all the obstacles, trials and devastation, that many had to overcome not only to make it to the finish line but to make it through life. Every marathoner has a story. Whether it was the death of a loved one, failing in school, being told you would never amount to anything, debt, abuse, depression, etc, the finish line sends a statement to the runner as well as the world, that this particular finisher is equipped with whatever he or she needs to overcome anything that comes his/her way.
The running community is a family, especially those in the 26.2 club. We know what it takes to finish those races. We know the hard work that has to be put in. We know the sacrifices that are made to ensure that we cross that finish line. Not only do we know but our family and friends know as well. Today’s act not only effects runners in attendance but their supporters as well. A marathon is about more than just the participants. Most of us would never cross the finish line without the support of our family, friends and complete strangers who come to marathons just to cheer for the runners. Trust me when I say that spectators, staff, emergency personnel, law enforcement and volunteers are just as important to a marathon as the runners themselves.
The sadness I feel is not likely to go away easily but it makes me even more determined to go out and accomplish yet another goal I have zoned in on. For those of you who have never crossed that finish line, it may be hard for you to understand. Or maybe not. Think about that one goal you have your mind set on. Think about how hard you have worked to reach that goal. Think about how you have put the plan in motion and you are almost there. 10 steps away from the finish line and then just like that, the line is gone.
The finish line at a marathon should serve as a source of triumph not of tragedy. It should be a place where runners are celebrated for their accomplishment not consoled because their dream was shattered. It should be a place full of exuberance, laughter and tears of joy not sadness, disorientation and tears of distraught.
Yesterday the finish line may have been compromised but it is not to be denied. The Boston Marathon will rise from the ashes again and the determination, dedication and resilience of the runners, supporters, volunteers, emergency personnel, law enforcement and spectators will be evident once again. This is now the stumbling block that many of the runners and those in attendance will now have to overcome. The thing that stands between them and the finish line. The situation that will motivate them to dig deep. Keep pressing. Keep pushing. Keep going. The finish line is waiting for you.
My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, those in attendance and all those who have been affected by this tragedy. UNITED WE STAND.
Just got paid, Friday niiiight…
A quarterback got paaaaaaaid Friday. A quarterback landed the a deal that gave him the second highest amount of guaranteed money, ever. A quarterback, not surprisingly, became the highest paid player in NFL history. What is surprising is that this quarterback’s last name is NOT Manning, Brady, Brees or Rodgers. His last name is Flacco. first name Joe. Some of ya’ll are probably saying, who?
When news broke on Friday that the Baltimore Ravens were preparing to make Flacco the highest paid player in NFL history, I was stunned. Six years, $120.6 million. $52 million guaranteed. We all knew a deal was coming but I do not think there were many who expected such a historic deal. Lets face it, even now Flacco does not routinely make it into analysts conversations about “elite” quarterbacks. He has the same amount of rings as Peyton Manning, Rodgers and Brees. Has appeared in more championship games than them the past five years. And he is still in his 20s.
Flacco is a baller. He is very boring. Even his dad admitted that. However, the numbers he has put up the past five years especially in the playoffs can stand up against any of the ‘elite” qb’s. I am still not convinced he is worth $120.6 million but hey, I ain’t mad at him. Get that money Joe!!!
Until next time…TOODELLS!
Welcome Back Robin!!
Today is a good day! Unless you have been living under a rock, then you are aware that today is the day that Robin Roberts returned to Good Morning America(GMA). With so much tragedy dominating the headlines, it is great to wake up to this type of story.
As most of you know, Roberts was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome and received a bone marrow transplant from her sister, Sally-Ann. In a very tear jerking announcement last year, Roberts announced to the world that she would be taking a leave of absence of fight the disease. It was clear during her announcement that she intended to win the battle, just like she did when she beat breast cancer in 2007.
I have been a big fan of Roberts since the early 90s. As I have stated before, back in my middle school days my mornings consisted of Rocky & Bullwinkle, cheese toast and SportsCenter. Roberts was one of my favorite anchors. I could not wait for her to do a segment so I could hear her yell out her famous catchphrase, “Go on with your bad self!” Although I was disappointed when she left ESPN, seeing her have so much success on GMA has been a joy to watch.
As a person who truly admires Roberts, I want to join the rest of the world in saying WELCOME BACK ROBIN!!! When I joined the Twitterverse, I would often chuckle when I would see people tweeting celebrities. I would be thinking in my head, “They have hundreds of thousands of followers. They are never going to see or respond to your tweet.” However, I found myself being one of “those people” during Roberts time away from GMA. I have often tweeted her scripture and inspirational quotes, not in hopes of getting a response, but to simply do what I could to keep her encouraged. To give back to her what she has given to millions. Roberts has often stated that the tweets she receives from her followers keep her motivated and I felt like my tweets were simply my way of saying thank you. I hope that one day Roberts gets to read this post because she has truly been an inspiration to me. In the last few months, I have endured some difficult tests and trials. During those moments when I felt like giving up and throwing in the towel, I often think of people who have faced hardships and have overcome every obstacle that has stood in front of them. People such as my mother, my grandparents, my aunt, my cousin Nellie, my friend Quincy and on a more recognized level Josh Hamilton and Roberts.
Thank you Robin Roberts for sharing your story with the world. Your faith, strength, perseverance and determination have served as a blueprint for how to fight and defeat whatever stands in our way. And to see you do it in such a beautiful and graceful way has left me in awe. You are truly an inspiration. GO ON WITH YOUR BAD SELF!!!
Almost Jerry. Alllllllmost…..
October 26, 1993. I still remember the breaking news from the sporting world that day. It was the day the Carolina Panthers were born and it was also the day I became a fan. In case you missed the memo, yes I am a 9ers and a Panthers fan regardless of what you say. You still can not question my fanhood!!! On this same day, I watched Jerry Richardson, owner of the Panthers, guarantee that the team would win a SuperBowl within their first 10 years of existence.
Fast forward to February 1, 2004, nine years after the Panthers first season(the Panthers started playing in 1995), SuperBowl XXXVIII(38). The Carolina Panthers vs. the New England Patriots. Could my Panthers really keep Jerry’s promise? After the way things had unfolded for my Panthers in the playoffs, anything was possible.
My Panthers easily dismissed the Dallas Cowboys in the first round to advance to a divisional playoff meeting with the St. Louis Rams. My Panthers were leading by 11 with three minutes to go when the improbable happened. The Rams tied the game!! In what will go down as one of the most exciting games I have ever watched, my Panthers managed to get the job done on the first play of the second overtime. QB Jake Delhomme hit WR Steve Smith in stride, the middle of the field for a 69 yard TD to send my Panthers to the NFC Championship. The clip of Delhomme celebrating that TD will never get old. Classic Jake :-}.
Next up was the opponent that stood between my Panthers and the SuperBowl, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles would play without their workhorse RB, Brian Westbrook and would later lose QB Donovan McNabb during the game due to an injury. My Panthers won 14-3 to advance to the big game.
Besides the fact that my team was playing in the game, one of the main reasons that this game stands out is because I was in Charlotte to watch the game. A friend was invited down by another friend and my friend invited me to come as well. Keep in mind that I lived a little over two hours from Charlotte and I had to be at work at 8:30 the next morning but of course that was not going to stop me from going to Charlotte for the anticipated celebration. We ate. We laughed. We cheered. We covered our eyes when Janet played peek-a-boo. And with about three minutes to go and the game tied, we began to prepare for the trip to downtown Charlotte to celebrate Jerry’s promise. We had full confidence in our team. Then former Patriot Adam Vinatieri happened. With four seconds left, he shattered the dreams of Jerry and millions of Panthers fans along the East Coast with a swift kick that sent the ball through the uprights and sent the New England Patriots home with the Lombardi Trophy.
As I drove home that night, well morning, I began to laugh because I could only imagine what time I would have been leaving Charlotte if we had won. I wondered what I would have told my supervisor when he would have caught me sleeping at my desk. I decided I would have told him the truth. He knew I was a die hard and he was a great sport when he lost our bet during the NFC Championship game(he was an Eagles fan). If we had won, I surely would not have been productive that day but it would have been well worth it!!!
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