I have a confession.
I have not been feeling very “sportsy” lately.
What does that mean exactly? Well, my life often revolves around sports. I have been known rearrange activities or even skip them because “the game” is coming on. I watch SportsCenter daily. I read ESPN.com daily to stay abreast on the latest happenings. And I answer at least one question a day from someone regarding something sports related.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you ~1 Thessalonians 5:18
Every fourth Thursday in November, people gather with family and friends to eat, drink, watch football, play football, chat, laugh and eventually take naps. At some tables, there will be a prayer said before those present begin to sample the feast laid out before them. At most tables, thank yous will be said and thankfulness will be acknowledged. At my table, we will do both.
Thanksgiving is a day set aside for us to be just that, thankful. However, in my life Thanksgiving is not just a day it is a lifestyle. When I arise from my sleep, I am thankful. When I go to sleep, I am thankful. All the hours in between, I am thankful. I am thankful because I realize that my life does not have to be as fabulous as it is and I realize that circumstances could change at any moment that would drastically alter my fabulous life. Do I have everything I want? Nope. Do I have everything that I need? Yes. Even though it seems like at times I am lacking in some “needy” areas but it has not stopped me from doing what needs to be done.
So on this day, a day set aside to give thanks, I want to give thanks publicly. Below are a few things I’m thankful for…
1) I am thankful for my relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without a doubt, I know that I would not be the person I am today without him. I would not have survived some of the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual traps that were set for me. He keeps me sane in an insane world. I seek to please Him in all that I do. He died for me so I will live for Him. SN: If you are reading this and you do not comprehend how I feel, my prayer is that one day you will feel the same way.
2) I am thankful for my family. All of them. My family is my backbone. When I don’t have anyone on this Earth that I can call upon, I know I have my family. Their love, support and reality checks are priceless. I draw a tremendous amount of strength from them and I am blessed to be linked, by blood, to each one of them. Without them, there is no legacy for me to uphold.
3) I am thankful for my friends. I am blessed to have an amazing group of friends who love me, support me, encourage me, correct me, uplift me, motivate me, inspire me and celebrate me. The older I get, the more I can appreciate those who have stuck by me when I had nothing to offer other than my love and friendship.
4) I am thankful for food. Seriously. Not just because it is necessary but because it is sooooo good. I love to eat! And I love fresh baked bread.
5) I am thankful for heat. I’m not made for this cold weather ya’ll. Nevertheless I am thankful for it because it means I am among the living.
6) I am thankful for my love of sports and working out. Nothing cures a bad day like a good run/workout and a game on my tv to scream at.
7) I am thankful to be home. It was not in my original plan but GOD’s plan is ALWAYS better than mine. This is exactly where HE needed me to be. I totally get it, now.
8) I am thankful for the beach. The peace, tranquility and serenity of the beach is unmatched.
9) I am thankful for the ability to see, hear, taste, touch and smell.
10) I am thankful for the many opportunities I have had to give back over the years. The joy I get when I am able to help others is indescribable. I take none of the credit. I am always thankful to GOD for placing me in the position to be able to help.
11) I am thankful for books. Not Kindles or Nooks. Books! I love to read! Sadly, I have not had much time lately to read as much as I would like but I have made a vow to read at least three books before the end of the year.
12) I am thankful for my blog. My own little space in cyberspace to share how I feel, when I want to, how I want to.
Have a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Twitter was all abuzz last night when the Los Angeles Clippers DeAndre Jordan made the Detroit Pistons Brandon Knight the newest trend.
In case you missed why, here you go…
Of course with any good posterization, you have to start looking at others. So I have provided links to some of my all time favorites. I am pretty sure nothing will ever replace Vince Carter’s dunk over 7’2 Frederic Weis in the 2000 Olympics. I mean really? Dude never stood a chance. And the leg shake after the dunk…classic. I am also pretty sure that up until this point there has never been a more disrespectful posterization than Scottie Pippen over Patrick Ewing. The dunk was nasty. The stare down he gave Ewing was nasty. And the fact that he made a beeline to Spike Lee’s courtside seat to let him know just how nasty his dunk was and how he felt about the Knicks was the cherry on top. Enjoy!!!
I have been debating all morning about which topic I want to write about, Oscar Pistorious or Danica Patrick. I woke up this morning and saw that Oscar was trending on Twitter so I was leaning towards that until I watched ESPN First Take. One of the topics of debate was Danica. There has been a lot of chatter about Danica not deserving the “hype” surrounding her.
I agree that Danica has gotten a lot of publicity and “hype” that is typically reserved for those who have proven over a period of time that they are winners. I agree that a lot of the “hype” stems from the fact that she is a pretty woman and in our society women are typically judged on how they look, first, before they are even recognized for their abilities. However, that is not her fault and I do not think she should be ridiculed for it. Has she capitalized on it? Absolutely. Who wouldn’t? Happens all the time. Just ask the dude who sings “Gangnam Style.”
The media hypes up the “next” such and such on a daily basis. It happens all the time in football, ie Ryan Leaf, JaMarcus Russell, Reggie Bush. It happens all the time in basketball, ie Kwame Brown, Adam Morrison, Michael Olowokandi. Do I need to continue? What has happened to Danica is no different than what has been happening for years. The difference is she wears makeup and everyone I listed does not.
No one knows what type of career Danica will ultimately have but I find it deplorable that members of the media, especially women, have taken it upon themselves to call her out for what she has not done opposed to what she has done. Yes, I know she has participated in almost 200 races and has only been declared the victor in one. By society’s standards she has failed. In my opinion, she has succeeded. She is participating in a male dominated sport, one where there is not a separate league for women. Her peers do not look like her. Just because she has not won a lot does not mean she does not have an impact. I think her not winning speaks louder than winning does. It shows us that even when the odds are against her she is willing to get in the ring and fight even if she knows she has little chance of winning. That is what life is all about, right? Getting knocked down and continuing to get back up to continue the fight.
Even if Danica never wins another race, she has already helped pave the way for female drivers that will follow in her footsteps. The truth of the matter is not everyone will make it to the mountaintop. Some of are here to make the path easier for others to follow. That could be Danica’s purpose. Judging by her actions, I think she is ok with that. And for that, she deserves a round of applause.
Until next time…TOODELLS.
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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.
Well, the day has come. The last day of Twenty Twelve. I know you all are sitting around saying the same thing we say every year, “This year went by so fast.” I guessssss.
What a year it has been, personally and professionally. I have been tested in more ways than you can imagine but I MADE IT! GOD gets all the glory! When I started this blogging journey in August, I did not know what to expect. I knew I wanted to share my wealth of sports knowledge with the masses :-}. However, my goal was to inspire others by doing something I loved. The response to my blog has at times been overwhelming. I have been retweeted, followed by former writers and editors of magazines, chatted with ESPN anchors and have been told by many that they love my style of writing and that I inspire them to follow their dreams. WOW! With all the madness and sadness that we have all experienced in this world this year, I am truly grateful to have a place where I can spread a little sunshine.
I stepped out on faith this year and I am challenging you to do the same in 2K13. STEP OUT ON FAITH!!! Really, what do you have to lose? If it does not work out, cool! It was not meant to be but what if it does?!?! Imagine the possibilities!!!! In this world, you can not afford to be afraid or opportunities will pass by you faster than a Tony Romo interception. So sit down, write out your plan and then go after it! Somebody is waiting on you to get ‘er done!!
Until next time…..TOODELLS.
P.S. I would have loved to have done a ‘top 10 sports stories of the year’ post but I am just getting back from vacation, my beloved WOLFPACK plays their bowl game at 12(yeah, I know you are surprised I am not there) and I still need to squeeze in one last workout before midnight. So yeah, I do not have time to do it :-}. Whatever you are doing tonight, be safe!!! HAPPY 2K13!!! Peace and blessings to you in the new year.
Oh, just a little glimpse of my current thoughts….
1. I am so ready for Sunday!!! My 9ers vs. Russell Wilson’s Seahawks!!! GO NINERRRRRRS!!! And don’t act surprised. I’m a Niners Faithful even if the opposing QB is a Wolfpack alum.
2. I still do not understand this whole shoe release phenomenon. Sleep is waaaaaaaaay too important to me to wait in the cold for some rubber and shoelaces.
3. I like RG3. Those braids, not so much.
4. The NHL should just cancel their whole season and focus on getting it together for next season. Got everybody “on ice.”
5. The Beef O’Brady’s Bowl is tonight. HAHAHAHAHA!
6. Before Sunday’s game, Adrian Peterson needed either 509 or 599(I think it was 599) to break Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record. Some guys debated me and said he could not do it. I said he could. AP had 212 yards rushing Sunday. Guys still doubting me. SMH. Ya’ll gone learn!!
7. I have yet to watch an NBA game this season. I flip to TNT to see my man Sager!!!
8. Want a good workout? You Tube some MC Hammer videos and get your dance on. My thighs are still a little sore from that workout.
9. My nephew turns 3 tomorrow. Those years went by fast!!! HAPPY BIRFDAY BOODA!! Auntie loves you!!!
10. There is no 10. I only wanted to do 9 :-}.
If you are not following me on Twitter, do so!! The name is @KassieNette.
Until next time….TOODELLS!!
Kassie Nette's Korner 