"Use This Autumn, Plan Ahead To Impact Another...."

In this picture, at one time in our lives, we all felt this safe. This picture was taken at a "Pet Expo" in Kansas City. There was a giant Newfoundland laying on the blanket, with kids just walking up and giving him some love, petting him, and some (like this little one) just sat down with a picture. A three and a half year old boy, sits down next to a dog, who could easily kill him (if he was to turn on him) and not one person could stop it. However, he new no better and this little tike was in his comfort zone, as he knew no better and the rough trials of life have not jaded, changed, or made him have self-absorbed worries. Therefore, he is living a simple life, pleasing his parents and living a truely happy life.

You may be able to give this feeling back to another person. Helping them to have a better holiday season, Thanksgiving, or winter time. One change and action can make this new season a beautiful one, if people get out of their comfort zone and try to make a diffeerence. Try to utilize the next 8-9 days (2 months) to do something for someone, besides yourselves/family, and make an impact. Donate some clothes and/or food to a church/pantry/Salvation Army (as winter is coming and they are in need), walk for Breast Cancer, just do anything that will get you out of YOUR comfort zone, to IMPACT someone else's life. Help someone else, get some peace and safety, coming into this winter season.

Without people getting out, working hard to get into the lives of others (to help), and just overall trying to work hard to make our country and the world a better place, we are all bound to fail, together. The winter is a bleak time for the homeless, unemployed, disabled, depressed, and others with problems, so step outside yourself, help someone at a grocery store get something off the top shelf, hold a door, or go the extra mile(s) and do something even more provocative/productive.

Last thing and please do not forget, the fall/autumn is when most places/churches run their clothing, food, and currency drives. Please check into your favorite charity, church, or use some of the sites listed (100% trusted and guaranteed), to make that impact for someone less fortunate, fallen to the economy, or just needs some help.

Peace and God Bless You,
copyright. Mike/DMAN from The Thought Spigot
http://www.thethoughtspigot.com/

Why "Great" Teams Are Diving & Chiefs Are 3-0?

Living in the Midwest has it's drawbacks, but it also has it wonderful perks, as well. As a rule, people who follow sports, live and die with the team around their city, and even if they are not fans, they love to follow and bash them (See: K. C. Royals, Chiefs, Cleveland Indians, Browns, Denver Nuggets, etc..etc...). Hence, this article was born. Sports is not just a bunch of gifted and "bigger" than the normal people, with skills, and those skills propel them to win (See: K. C. Royals in '85, Cardinals '83, N. Y. Jets '09, Boise State, the last three years). Hence, the term/saying, "There is no "I" in "TEAM." These are team sports, and there are several reasons why a team, like the K. C. Chiefs (this year) are 3-0, while Bret Favre's Vikings are 1-2 (with their win, over Detroit, who's RB was hurt the second half and their #1 draft pick, last year, is done for the year). Kansas City should go 10-6 this year, while the Vikings should go 9-7. K. C. will get a wild card seat, and Minnesota will just miss the playoffs.

Regardless of team sport, the only way they will win year in and out (Patriots, Lakers, Devil Rays, Jayhawks) is thru playing as a team and as individuals, knowing your role and shutting your mouth. Sticking with the Chiefs and Vikings, as the rule/example, this is glaring right now. For the Vikings, they have Sidney Rice (http://sidneyrice.com/) out for the first half of the season, Brett Favre is not healthy, and the Defense (Jared Allen) are playing as individuals, period. The Minnesota Vikings (http://minnesotavikings.com/) were one game away from the Super Bowl, last year, but that was last year. The Chiefs (http://kansascitychiefs.com/) were not good last year and were not picked above the Chargers (who they beat in the opening game) and Denver, much less having a 3-0 start. The Chiefs, unlike the Vikings, players know their roles, as of now. Dexter McCluster, one of the Chiefs top picks, out of Mississippi, this year is serving as a fast slot receiver, running back, special teams return guy, and he gives 100% every snap. Matt Cassel, unlike Favre (http://brettfavre.com/) who should not have come back this year, is making the short passes, not turning the ball over and is making a big play when he has it (42 yard strike to Bowe) and also checks down/throws the swing pass/looks for 2nd and 3rd options. The stats from week three games, of both the Chiefs and Vikings, tells the story of the two QB's, right now:

Favre 23 of 34, 231 yards, 1 TD, 2 int's Cassel 16/27 251 yards, 3 TD's, 1 Int

Another example of the difference from the Chiefs and Vikings, is they are not playing like every play is their last play. Football is truly a "game of inches." Read anything you can on Vince Lombardi (http://vincelombardi.com/), as he showed and coached every game, getting his team to buy into that kind of a mind set. The Chiefs are not playing every down this way, and it is truly because (my opinion), the days (for most players) of playing every down, play, pitch like it is your last, are over. Money and attitude has crept into ALL major league games, and into the colleges, giving coaches a harder time to pick the best players. Even in the interviews, OTA's, and all the tests they test players on, before drafting them, coaches and general managers choose players, as best they can. The Chiefs have a very young team, while the Vikings are made up of mostly veterans. The Chiefs are playing hungry, while the Vikings look like they are playing for themselves, stats and the "highlight play." With the exception of Adrian Peterson (http://adrianpeterson.com/) Shiancoe (TE) and E. J. Henderson (LB), as of now, are the only players who would "fit" on the Chiefs roster. This is due to age (Favre, Berrian), superstar attitudes (Allen), and poor execution and blaming others, after. The Chiefs being young and led by a quarterback not 100% tested (Matt Cassel, out for the whole season last year) they have a handful of plays a game, like the Vikings have, more than half the time. However, the Chiefs are playing hard, are winning in any way they can, and all the players are playing for time, for the win, but most importantly for the WIN. They are not "phoning in the win," like the Vikings look like this year (or the Saints looked like, last Sunday Night, week 3, who also, lost).

Last, the reason the Chiefs are a playoff team and the Vikings are not, is the Vikings have not made the choices, draft picks and trades to retool their team, but the Chiefs have. The Chiefs, grant it because they have struggled for a while, so they have had higher draft picks, have made the deals (Cassel, Thomas Jones, Chris Chambers), trades (getting rid of Jared Allen, for high picks and cash), and they have built the team thru the drafts and from the defensive side of the ball (Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali, Eric Berry, etc..etc..). Yet, they have also made good on their late draft picks and the "signings" (meaning the team didn't draft the player, but every other team passed on them, and they picked them up in the supplemental draft, or just signed them as a free agent). In the third round, the Chiefs picked up tight end, Tony Meoaki, from Iowa in the third round. He is in the top five of statistics for all tight ends in the NFL, as a rookie, and wasn't "hugely" touted, coming out of college (at least not to the extent he is playing). Eric Berry, safety, is playing like his job is on the line, not like the number one pick of the Chiefs, who will play either way. This attitude comes from the coach, period. Everything starts from day one, with a coach who either gets it, knows his players (which ones to coddle, which ones to hammer, and those to leave alone, as they know what they did wrong, and those to praise). Todd Haley, the Chief's head coach, is doing a great job, in leading a team of first thru fourth year players. While, Viking's head coach, Brad Childress, has reigned in Brett Favre and the options he has at the line. A man who has not missed a game, since he started his first game in the NFL (http://nfl.com/), now has a leash on him? His nickname, the gunslinger, now has his guns put in his holsters? All this, after almost going to the Super Bowl, last year. Is this good coaching, while Jared Allen is celebrating "assist tackles," with his patented celebration?

I could write a novel on just these two teams, so I will end this with just three examples. However, when the Chiefs are in the playoffs, and the Vikings are at home for them, Favre retires, the Vikings have to have two to three years of "rebuilding" and the Chiefs start reloading, don't say that nobody spoke up, or had any idea. This did not just come out of the blue skies. All this and I am a Rams fan, and can't stand the Chiefs.

No Thin Skin, Obama Must Become A Leader, Not Play Two Sides Of Issues

President Obama recently visited the Florida region, in order to spur travel, show the country the "Gulf is perfectly safe, and now he is off again. He will be touring several states over the next four days, thru the "Presidential Work Week" (if you will). Then, he will go to take another ten day vacation, with his family. Personally, the way Mr. Obama is handling a couple of issues, makes me want to give him praise and the benefit of the doubt. Yet, there is a wide window, and every time the benefit of the doubt, a good job is being done, from Capitol Hill, there is enough space in that window, for two things to be happening.

He goes to Florida, with his family, to show the country and world, the gulf is safe (also the next day, being the first day of fishing/shrimping, in the Gulf of Mexico), so a win-win, right? If the story ended there, it would be. However, President Obama decides to have a press conference, with a wide angle, showing his two TelePrompTer, wife and "team" right there. Therefore, it starts looking contrived. The next day, he shuts down the press photographers, stating "only" the "White House Photographer" only, would be giving a picture to the media. It comes out, but where he and his daughter are swimming is in the Jacksonville part of Florida, but it is more inland and not actually in the gulf, at all? This just came to the forefront on Tuesday.

This is another example, but it is the same principle. Friday, Barack Obama kicked off the "Ramadan Season" (the Islamic/Muslim Holy month), by having a multitude of Muslims from all around the world, to celebrate. In his statement/prepared speech, the President of the United States proceeded to talk about the States "not" being a "Christian Nation" and that the Muslim people (living in America), "have every right to build a mosque, on private property, and they would be protected under the law and it is welcome." When I first heard his comment, it was refreshing he spoke up and said "The Constitution" would not be trampled on, for Muslims to not be able to build that mosque. (I don't believe it should be built there, at least 5-7 blocks farther away, but they do have every right, under the law, to build it.) However, the very next day (Saturday), the press asked him about his quote and the dinner, since he got standing ovations and multiple rallies from his crowd, on Friday night (as they believed he was for them building it and it was right to do it), "What do you think about the philosophy (this question was asked multiple ways), of the mosque being built on what you admitted and called, "Hallowed Ground?" Instead of saying what he said and sticking to what he said, the night before, he changed and went legal speak on the matter. The problem with this, like the "gulf picture," is it looks like he will say whatever Barack Obama has to say, at that time, to make everyone happy. He did it in Cairo, Germany, and other places over seas, as well.

There are a few topics that are way ahead of the curve. The Mexican Border, Social Security, the economy, jobs, two wars, and the gulf (by the way, how does millions of barrels of oil, 75-80% just disappear, unless there was so much chemical put in the gulf and it is laying on the bottom of the 2-5 mile mark of the ocean, it is in?). However, when he does talk and try to tackle a problem, there is only a couple things coming out of his mouth: 1. Something that can be, or comes out as two different stories (like above). 2. He sends Robert Gibbs out and he doesn't answer the question (stating "I will have to check on that and get back to you", but there is never any "getting back" live, on CSPAN, for the American people to hear). 3. He talks down to the American people, or acts like/acts on, what he and his administration wants (not what the people want. See: Health Care, several different bail outs, the mosque, I digress). It will/would be (if it doesn't happen) for President Obama to come to the forefront, lead our country (without TelePrompTer and speeches), quit taking vacations, and quit worrying about the November elections, which is exactly what is going on. He is not wanting to lose the House and Senate, doesn't want anything to stick to the Democratic Brand, and he will not speak and look at what the majorities of Americans want and are worried about (jobs, the economy, the border, the gulf, the wars, this is in order, as of last week, of what Americans are most worried and want to know about).

It is time to stop and PROVE that his San Francisco comments (when he did not know that he was being taped, in a fund raiser of "upper crust" Democrats), where he said, about people in the middle of the country (Pennsylvania, is the state he spoke of by name and then he went on to the "middle of the country."), they (the middle people, middle class) cling to their guns, Bibles, are not good with different types and colors of people (which race is a staple in his office and speeches) etc...etc.

If people look at the above and couple it with, the fact he has been a walking apology for the U. S., every time he is out of the country. In Cairo, he apologized for America colonizing the Middle East. Yet, another double entendre, as he was placating the Muslim countries and crowds (while there) and the glaring problem that the U. S. has no colonies in the Middle East (U. S. bases, like in Kuwait and in the Middle East, but there is not a city of New York, Saudi Arabia, or Hollywood, Iran. Is there?)

Americans should love our country, our President, and all we have here in the states (where we are FAR from perfect, and have made mistakes, like the Crusades), as America has set more people free, fought in more countries for other wars (more than all other countries combined, in modern history), and has been a true beacon in the night, for the world. As people of such a wonderful country, Americans need to take up the mantle and demand from representatives (local, state and federal) honesty, no laws being broke (at least no felonies and cheating American's thru taxes and off shore accounts, both Dems. and Republicans), President Obama, in his last two years has to follow thru on being "the most transparent White House of all time," and no more double standards and/or two sides to every story coming out. Plus, less vacations and more working on the top five to eight things, "American People," are mostly concerned and worried about.

NCAA, IRONICALLY, SHOWS COUNTRY WHOLE BULL, WITH KILLING BIG 12

The mighty have fallen (due to cheating), if there was ever ANY doubt about NCAA sports being about money (there is NONE now) and not the athletes/student athletes, and there is NO shred of actual allegiance to anything, in college athletics anymore (for players, coaches, athletic directors, or teams). There isn't anyone, unless not a sports fan, or they were living under a rock for the last week that hasn't heard about the disintegration of the NCAA's Big XII Conference, bulking of up the first "Super Conference" (what should be known as the PAC-16), and the fact USC received the death penalty, due to Reggie Bush (with family) and O. J. Mayo's taking money, housing and "extras" (to come and play at the University of Southern California). However, the biggest shot, for the American public to take a look at "the real side" of college sports, it's corruption, lack of integrity, and overall money bound principled staffing is the fiasco in the Big 12 and Pac-10 conferences. The fact Colorado has already signed with the Pac-10, Nebraska is all but in the Big 10, and all the southern schools (except Baylor, in the Big 12) are leaving the way of West Coast football, the land of the Pete Carroll's, countless allegations, felonies, thugs of players, and cheating (see Reggie Bush, OJ Mayo/O.J. Mayo, and Oregon's football team).

First things first, there was supposed to be a Nebraska and Missouri situation, both leaving for the Big X. However, MU was not the draw, which Nebraska was (at least money, television rights, and outright sales, merchandise and otherwise), so the University of Missouri is a college without a conference, right now. Yet, Nebraska is basically in, with the Big X, all top athletic people and dean's saying, "All that needs to be done, is for them to sign on the dotted line." Next is the University of Colorado, the first to make the exodus to the "Pac-10," on paper. Colorado is not the bastion of sports, but they have the third biggest television market (for NCAA sports) in the West Coast area, bring a huge basket of cash with them, and is the sixteenth team (in the future "Pac-16").

The wild cards in all of this are the Texas A&M Aggie's, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Oklahoma State Cowboys, and the two big time draws, the Oklahoma Sooner's and Texas Longhorns. These teams, with Colorado, will be the "Super Conference" (as it is being called on talk sports radio, ESPN and other sporting outlets), the "Pac-16." There are two HUGE problems lurking and showing a big light on the underbelly of college sports. Missouri getting the shaft, from the Big 10, as they were not good enough, couldn't draw away from KU, KSU, and Nebraska for the west half of Missouri (state), and they are just not good in any one sport, much less with any big tradition (in any one sport, like Texas Football, KU basketball, etc..etc..). They will either end in a weaker and less money conference, such as, the WAC (Western Athletic Conference), the Missouri Valley (which is probably to small), but likely they will (with no loss of irony, having UMKC being in this situation) an independent team. As the Notre Dame Fighting Irish would be FOOLS not to take the offer, that is definitely coming their way, via the Big 10 (imagine, UND, with the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, etc... just in football alone.

The second big problem is the Kansas Jayhawks and the Baylor Bears are left fending for themselves. This is where KU will show, if the mass journey of Texas Teams, to the Pac-10 wasn't enough proof, the whole NCAA sports program, across the nation is corrupt, greedy and is full of holes in their systems. Of course, there will still be other teams without a conference, come the near future (Iowa State, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, and Baylor), but KU (especially) has been a household name brand, nationwide, thru their men's basketball alone for years, but they have also had big seasons in baseball, bowl games in football, and much success with lesser known sports. They will land on their feet, due to money and the television rights they can bring alone, and they will go to a BIG TIME conference, at the most premium price. The biggest loser and what shows/proves this theory of the ugly side of college sports and Baylor Bears, who has exploded onto the sports scene in men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, and big bowl games in football, not counting the lesser known sports, like track where they have excelled. Out of all the schools, Baylor packs the biggest punch for their GPA's. Baylor, as a school (not just athletes, yet counting them) is the 51st highest ranked GPA undergrad program in the country (highest in the Big 12), and it has over 6 other specialty fields (education, science, and others). Yet, this counts little, if any, in the eyes of the boosters, television sponsors, and all standing to make a buck in this monstrosity of a shift, in the college landscape.

There is only one thing, which has been true for a long time, the dollar is king in NCAA Sports and schooling, period. From before the times of the "Nike Air" shoe and Michael Jordan (though it was NEVER this bad and blatant), it has been the same. The difference now is the coaches (Lane Kiffin, blazing Tennessee after one year, to USC), to athletic directors treating the athletes as cattle (instead of student athletes, where they HAVE TO go to class and make those grades, for longer than a year), to the top of the NCAA System and Chairpersons are not teaching our young people how to be ethical, break the rules as long as you get something out of it, at that time (taking barrels of cash, homes for their parents, Reggie Bush and O. J. Mayo, just to name the last two. As the "Rush Brothers" thru KU, came with a price tag and Roy Williams blazed for Tar Heels, of North Carolina), and they are not teaching them the fundamentals of being men and women, of strong minds, bodies and souls. Instead, they soak every cent off of their sweaty, salt laden bodies, and leave them to wolves. Most of these student/athletes, leave school without degrees, some not able to read and write properly, and the least of the crimes against our college youth is nothing is expected of them, as the example before them has been laid.

copyright. DMAN At "The Thought Spigot"
http://thethoughtspigot.com/

Notre Dame Smacks #7 Cornell, To Go To NCAA LaCrosse Finals

Notre Dame came out today and just handed the #7 team in the land, a smacking 12-7. Notre Dame who snuck into the field as a "Bubble Team," unranked, has beaten three power house lacrosse teams, to get to play on Memorial Day. Neil Hicks with four goals, the defense stiffling the Cornell power offense, and Scott Rogers (6'4'' 250 lbs.) with stellar play in goal, is what powered the Irish past "The Big (or not so big) Red."

They will play either Duke #5 (who they beat earlier in the year, dramatically, but lead by the number one scorer Ned Crotty and C. J. Crostefield), or the #1 team in the land (with the best player in the land, in Shamel Bratton). Bratton, if they do beat Duke, can single handedly beat a team, he is that good. However, Notre Dame has the bragging rights, as of now, going to the finals, as an unranked team (the first time since UMASS in 2006).

It would be nice for an Irish Title in something, since the NCAA Basketball team laid an egg, two years in a row. :)

Peace, God Bless, and Go IRISH!!!!!!

copyright. DMAN/Mike @ The Thought Spigot

http://thethoughtspigot.com/