What I Have Realized…

On By kassienetteIn SportsLeave a comment

I am sure some of you are wondering why I have been a little inconsistent lately with my blogging. Well, I would like to tell you some great story about me galavanting all over the world which has left me with little time to blog. Eh, that is not the case. The truth is that blogging consistently is a challenge. One that I welcome but one that can be very hard to meet when you have not been setting aside time consistently to write. I have come to the conclusion that if  want to be taken serious in my craft then I have to devote time to it whether I have the time or not. The last few weeks I have let the demands of life keep me from doing one of the things I truly love: writing. Writing is therapeutic. Writing is fun. Writing is consistent. Starting next week, I will be back to blogging at least three times a week. I owe it to my loyal followers and I owe it to myself. Life is going to continue to throw curveballs at me to try and get me off track but I am determined to not let that happen. The Korner is my new marathon :-}. I did not let anything stand in my way when it came to reaching that goal and I will not let anything stand in my way when it comes to taking this blog to the next level. I hope you are strapped in because it is about to get really real on the The Korner. GET READY!!!

Until next time…TOODELLS!!

Ahhhh, boo…

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Baseball, Basketball, College Basketball, Football, NFL, Olympics, Sports, WolfpackLeave a comment

Yep, I am still dragging. I have made peace, for the most part with my 9ers losing. I am still somewhat avoiding ESPN. You do not realize how much they talk about the SuperBowl after the fact until your team loses. And if that “I’m going to Disney World” commercial chases me down one more time, I am going to scream. Thankfully, I have had the remote near by every time and I have managed to avoid hearing those words.

Since I have made peace, I am sure you are wondering why I am still dragging. Football season is now officially over. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Say it ain’t so!!!! What am I going to do?? No Olympics coming up to keep me occupied during the summer months. I do love college basketball and baseball though so I guess I will immerse myself in those. Although, my Wolfpack is not doing so well. *insert sigh* I have faith in them though! We will bounce back.

Last night there was not much to watch on tv, as usual. However, March Madness came early. I managed to catch the last nine minutes of the Michigan-Ohio State game. That was good stuff!! The back and forth. The barrage of threes. The defense. Overtime. Last second shots. Two of the biggest rivals in collegiate athletics. You could not ask for much more on a Tuesday night. Although, I am sad about football season being over, last night’s game was a great reminder of why I love March Madness. If last night’s game is any indication of what is to come in March then we are in for a treat.

Yeah, that is all I have for today. Until next time, TOODELLS!

Approximately 23 weeks until NFL Training Camps open!!!!!

Still Forever Faithful…

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Football, NFL, Sports2 Comments

Ugh. So close. Sooooooooooo close. I still can not believe it. Less than 10 yards away, maybe it was 15 from my team winning it all. Ugh.

This is not the blog I expected to write. I expected to come on here and tell you all about how much I screamed and hollered and lost my voice during my victory celebration. I expected to come on here and tell you all how I cried after my team hoisted the Lombardi trophy into the air. I expected to tell you all that I sprinted out of the house(ala Aldon Smith when he gets a sack) after the clock hit zero. However, it was not meant to be. Ugh.

My 9ers. My 9ers. My 9ers. Oh, my 9ers. They left me with a broken heart. They are making me avoid ESPN for the rest of the night. Um, I will also have to avoid ESPN at least another day. Tragic. They left me deleting posts off my Facebook page from people who wanted to rub it in. Some may call that being a sore loser and that is fine. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I call it being passionate about my team. In that moment I was sad and I did not want anyone adding to my sadness. Some losses sting. Some losses leave me shaking my head. And some losses just down right hurt. This was one of those hurtful losses. I was sad. Very sad. I think I even had a tear in my eye. To battle back the way that we did and still come up short is aaaah. I do not even have the word for it. Ugh.

I refuse to blame our loss on the refs, the secondary, the defense, the coaching staff, etc. Sure, there were some penalties I thought the refs missed. Sure, the secondary made huge mistakes., Sure, there was some questionable play calling but hey it is all a part of the game. How you react to those factors is what decides who wins and loses. Overall, I still think we had the better team on the field but the Baltimore Ravens refused to be denied. They are to be commended for their effort and for a great season. Although I am avoiding ESPN for another day or so, I am sure at some point I will search for the coverage of Joe Flacco, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Torrey Smith and offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell all hoisting that trophy. Ok, probably not but it sounded good. I have great respect for those guys and that organization. Congrats to them and their fans. Look at me coming out of my sadness. I did not even end this paragraph with ugh. See :-}.

If there is one bright spot, it is the fact that we have a very young team that is only going to get better. I am pretty sure we have found our QB. I am pretty sure we still have the best O-line in the game. And I am pretty sure we will be drafting some secondary players this offseason. Once this team can consistently put together a complete game, I think you will see that 9ers dynasty rise, once again, from The Bay. Last year, we lost in the NFC Championship game. This year we lost in the Superbowl. If the trend continues, then this time next year I can scream with pride, Ladies & Gentlemen, the San FranSIXco 49ers!!! And this member of the Faithful still loves the sound of that!!!

Until next time….TOODELLS.

P.S. The 9er motto for the postseason was #QuestForSix. I think without a doubt, the motto for next season should be UNFINISHED BUSINESS. I think I will tweet them and let them know.

P.P.S. What am I going to do until August?! Ugh.

faithful

Almost Jerry. Alllllllmost…..

On By kassienetteIn Football, NFL, Panthers, Sports, UncategorizedLeave a comment

image

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!!!

The #QuestForSix continues….

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Football, NFL, SportsLeave a comment

Hi, my loyal Korner Kickers!! I hope you all are well. I want to apologize for my lack of posts last week. I have a lot going on!!! Good stuff though and I have not had time to write. This is another hectic week but once I get through it, I will be back to my usual writing schedule.

As you all know, IT IS SUPER BOWL WEEEEEEK!!!! I can hardly contain my excitement. Just wait until next Monday when I am posting about the San FranSIXco 49ers!!!!!

In honor of SuperBowl week, I have decided to blog about memorable Super Bowls. They may not be memorable to you but they are to me and in some instances it may not be because of the game.

My 9ers have appeared in five Super Bowls and have won all five. Although, I was a fan of the 9ers as a youngster, I did not really start developing my love for the game until I was in middle school. Therefore, the 9ers SuperBowl appearance that stands out most for me is SuperBowl XXIX(29). My 9ers vs the San Diego Chargers. Jerry Rice, Steve Young, Deion Sanders, Merton Hanks and the chicken dance, Ricky Watters, Bryant Young, Dana Stubblefield & Ken Norton, Jr. vs Junior Seau, Natrone Means, Stan Humphries and the other Chargers. My 9ers were 18.5 point favorite, rightfully so.

The game was deemed as a coming out party for Steve Young as he emerged, in the eyes of many, from Joe Montana’s shadow. On the opening drive, three paid into the game, Young found Rice in the endzone and just like that the route was on. Young threw for touchdowns on his way to MVP in a 49-26 win. Equally as impressive in the win was the fact that Rice had 29 catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Greatness.

As I celebrated loudly in my living room, I had no idea it would be another 18 years before we would grace the big stage again but we are back!!! That is what makes REAL FANS so special. They are there through the good and bad times. LETS GO NINERS!!!! BRING THE TROPHY BACK TO THE BAY!!!

image

WE ARE GOING TO THE CHIP….Championship Weekend Recap

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Football, NFL, Sports, WolfpackLeave a comment

faithful

OMG GEEEEEEEEEEE!!! MY NINERS ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!! OMG GEEEEEEEEEEE!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! Excited. Thrilled. Overjoyed. Happy. None of those words describe how I felt when Navorro Bowman knocked the ball away from Falcons receiver Roddy White with 1:13 remaining in the game to seal the come from behind victory. None of those words describe how I feel now. OMG GEEEEEEEE!!! The scream I let out yesterday at the restaurant scared everybody. Eh well :-}. And I must admit, my eyes watered a little. It has been a long time coming!! The years of continuing to be part of the Faithful(nickname for the legion of 49ers fans) has paid off. I was 12 the last time my 9ers went to the Super Bowl. I was a fan then but I am a die-hard now and this is a feeling I can get used to. Down 17-0 early in the second quarter, my 9ers begin to mount a comeback to pull within three only to let the Falcons score before the half to take a 24-14 lead into halftime. However, there would not be a repeat of last year! My 9ers scored two touchdowns in the second half including Frank Gore’s go ahead touchdown with 8:23 remaining to seal the fate of the Falcons. Gore nicely showed them how to do the ‘Dirty Bird’ before jogging off the field. The Falcons, who dominated offensively, in the first half could not get anything going and was shut out by the league’s number one scoring defense in the second half. The Falcons made it interesting driving the length of the field while draining the clock. My nerves were shot until Bowman took matters into his own hands and allowed Faithful everywhere to celebrate in a way we have not been able to in 18 years. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! WE ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!!! I think my reputation as a Faithful speaks for itself. You would not believe how many phone calls, texts, Facebook messages and tweets I received from people offering up their congrats. I think my 9ers need to put me on payroll. I am representing hard on the East Coast! Oh and shoutout to my little cousin who owes me a Zaxby’s meal. Poor little Falcon fan. Eh well!!! SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS. NFC CHAMPIONS. The Quest For Six continues….

After such an amazing game, it was hard for me to concentrate on the AFC Championship game. I was still on a natural high from earlier. Plus the Wolfpack was playing soooo yeah my mind was elsewhere for a while. This year’s AFC Championship was a rematch of last year’s. Last year, the Patriots were the victors and New Englanders were already expecting a repeat of last year’s outcome. Some even went so far as to put up a billboard letting everyone know that Ray Lewis’ retirement party would start Sunday night in Foxborough. Welp, Lewis and the Ravens had other plans and they made sure, just like my 9ers, that they did not have a repeat of last year. Down 7-13 at the half, the Ravens came out and dominated the second half on both sides of the ball. The defense held one of the leagues most prolific offenses to zero points in the second half. The Ravens left no doubt as they scored three more touchdowns to advance to the SuperBowl. Looks like New Englanders will have to wait another two weeks for Lewis’ party to begin although they are unlikely to attend.

So there you have it folks. SuperBowl XLVII(47 for those of you who can never figure out those Roman numerals) is set. My SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS(I plan to call them the San FranSIXco 49ers after we win) vs. the Baltimore Ravens. Jim Harbaugh vs. John Harbaugh. Little Brother vs. Big Brother. The HarBowl. This is going to be classic, smashmouth football. I know the Ravens have tons of motivational factors on their side but I am rolling with my Niners all the way. I mean, that is how the FAITHFUL rolls!!!

quest-for-six-profile-thumbnail

He admitted it and cancer still does not care….

On By kassienetteIn Controversy, Cycling, SportsLeave a comment

Before I went to bed on Monday night, I browsed my Twitter timeline to see what was happening in the world of the people I follow. While browsing, I begin to notice tweets about ESPN anchor, Stuart Scott. I found out, unfortunately, that he is battling cancer for the third time. I immediately begin pray for Scott, his family and his friends. Yesterday morning, I tweeted Scott a picture of us taken a few years ago at UNC’s Late Night with Roy. Scott in his blue and I in my red. Along with the picture, I tweeted well wishes and my favorite Bible scripture, Luke 1:37. I ended my tweet with the word #LIVESTRONG

…………

Sad. Disappointed. Frustrated. I wanted it to not be true. Confused. Deceived. Relieved. We now know the truth. Lance Armstrong was using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) during the time that he won seven straight Tour de France titles. In an interview scheduled to air on Thursday night, Armstrong will admit to Oprah Winfrey and the world that he lied for years. Undoubtedly, Winfrey will ask why and we may or may not get a straight answer. There are a lot of questions that can and need to be asked but it may not make a difference to most.

In a sport where doping is normal, many will fail to understand why Armstrong did what he did. I would assume he did it to give himself a better chance of winning. I would assume he kept doing it because “everyone else was.” I would assume he kept doing it because the more he kept winning the more endorsements and exposure for his charity. Maybe I am wrong but I doubt it.

Back in October when I wrote about him, I supported him 100%. At the time, naive as it may sound, I still wanted to believe that he was telling the truth. He had done so much good that I wanted him to be an “hero.” Back in October my stance was that regardless if he did it or not, the man had raised over 500 million dollars for cancer awareness and research. Back in October, I did not want hear what I heard this week.

…………

Sad. Sad that he doped. Disappointed. Disappointed that he felt the need to lie about it for so long. Frustrated. Frustrated because what he did wrong actually helped churn out a lot of good. Confused. Confused about steroid use, in general. Deceived. Armstrong owed it to his supporters to come clean years ago. Relieved. Breathing a sigh of relief knowing that the initial witch hunt is over.

Now what? To completely dismiss Armstrong means you dismiss what the LIVESTRONG movement means to so many. Yes he lied. Yes he was wrong. Yes he has made his supporters look foolish. And yes there is a good chance that the LIVESTRONG foundation would not be the global force that it is today if Armstrong had not taken PEDs. Did the end justify the means? In the world of public opinion, probably not. In the world of cycling, yes. It was the norm. Maybe Armstrong could have accomplished the same feat without the use of PEDs. Maybe the will to accomplish all these things was inside of him the whole time. Maybe, just maybe, he could have had am bigger impact on the world if he had not used PEDs.

What we do know is that a man who “cheated” to gain an advantage in his sport also gave a lot of people hope. They saw he beat cancer and felt they could to. With one single accessory, Armstrong changed a whole world and made it easy to identify all those who were in the fight, literally and figuratively, against cancer. Is that something we just forget because of what he did?

Before he even asks, I accept his apology. I will never understand why he did what he did nor will I try to. I commend him for finally allowing himself to be freed from that dark place. He could have easily, without any positive tests, taken this lie to his grave but he has chosen to admit his mistakes and face whatever consequences are waiting for him on the other side. Often I remind others that none of us are perfect. We all have our skeletons. We all make mistakes. The true test is in how we respond to those mistakes. Do we let the mistakes consume us? Do we crawl into a corner and wither away? Or do we put on our boxing gloves, get into the ring and fight until the end? I look forward to seeing how Lance Armstrong responds in this heavyweight bout.

Now that he has come clean, going forward there is only one acceptable way for Lance Armstrong to respond…..LIVESTRONG Lance. LIVESTRONG.

image