Oops...Almost Forgot

I neglected to give my prediction for this weekends Ryder Cup:

Europe 17
USA 11

Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup, starting Friday in Wales, has snuck up on me. I knew it was coming, but it took so long I think I forgot about it. The 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla was one of the most entertaining experiences of my life (I got to see Boo "combatibate" after all!). That team combined with the atmosphere at Valhalla had everything going for it.

With this team, I feel the opposite. Playing in Wales against a hostile crowd just throws more sand on already buried lie.

• The United States has one player on its team with a winning record in the Ryder Cup: Hunter Mahan is 2-0-3.


• Five guys have never played a match: Ricky Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Jeff Overton and Bubba Watson.
  
• The teams combined record is 35-51-20.
  
• Our best player, Tiger Woods, shot his worst round of his pro career just a few weeks ago...and his record at the Cup isn't stellar either: 10-13-2. This combined with currently revamping his swing (again) does not lead me to think he will suddenly return to form.

Bright Spots on the 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup Team:

• Hunter Mahan is steady in his last two appearances and has been playing well again this year. He's a steady player with experience and should be good at getting them points, even if they are halves.


• Jim Furyk is coming off a win in the Tour Championship. This doesn't really mean anything other than we know his game hasn't left him. If he can keep from making the one or two bad swings around he has been prone to do, I think he will be solid.


• Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson may be a good pairing, especially in alternate shot. Two lefties that love being aggressive could lead to blow out wins or licking there wounds in the clubhouse waiting for the rest of the groups to play the back nine.
• I like Matt Kuchar. He seems like a solid, steady player with an iron stomach and I think he will be a star "Ryder Cupper" for years to come.

Doubts:

• I'm not sure about Corey Pavin as a Captain. Nobody knows until everything plays out. He has made some decisions and comments that make we wonder.


• Will having Tiger Woods back on the team actually hurt? I was hoping Pavin would select him for the team and I'll still think it's the right decision no matter what. I can't justify not selecting the world's number one ranked player as a captain's pick.


• Does this kid (Rickie Fowler) look like he could beat anyone on Europe's team?

Besides looking like a backup dancer at a Justin Beiber concert, the only guy it appears he could contend with is this guy:

But it won't happen. Ian Poulter would win no problem.

I always look forward to the Ryder Cup and it's nice that it will be on early in the morning. I have two years to earn enough points to be on the 2012 team back here in the states. Wish me luck!

Rivals

While driving to work this morning, I listened to 790WKRD. The discussion was about the St. X/Trinity game and the hosts had Billy Reed on as a guest. I know Billy Reed has been reporting sports in Kentucky for a long time, but I never paid much attention to him. All I really remember is the "I Beat Billy" t-shirts Dad and Kevin had when I was little.
I came to the conclusion (after listening to him for only a few minutes...maybe it's not fair) that he is an idiot.
He stated he didn't understand the rivalry between St. X and Trinity. His argument was they are so much alike, if the names were removed no one would be able to tell the difference. He went on to say he can understand a West Coast team being a rival with a East Coast team. He also stated rivals should be two different types of teams that "don't like the way the other team does things."
Billy...let me introduce you to the definition of the word rival (I highlighted the definitions that apply to this conversation):
ri·val
n.
1. One who attempts to equal or surpass another, or who pursues the same object as another; a competitor.
2. One that equals or almost equals another in a particular respect.
3. Obsolete A companion or an associate in a particular duty.
v.
1. To attempt to equal or surpass.
2. To be the equal of; match.
v.intr.
To be a competitor or rival; compete.
[Latin rvlis, one using the same stream as another, a rival, from rvus, stream; see rei- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: rival, compete, vie.
rival [ˈraɪvəl]
n
1.
a. a person, organization, team, etc., that competes with another for the same object or in the same field
b. (as modifier) rival suitors a rival company
2. a person or thing that is considered the equal of another.
vb -vals, -valling, -valled US, -vals -valing, -valed (tr)
1. to be the equal or near equal of an empire that rivalled Rome
2. to try to equal or surpass; compete with in rivalry
[from Latin rīvalis, literally: one who shares the same brook, from rīvus a brook]
hc_dict()
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

Another Catch-Up (Ketchup? Catsup?) Post

Hi...don't I know you from somewhere? I know it's been awhile, but I feel sure we have met before. Brian's my name. You may have seen me out on the "internets" at a place called Buckle B.
That's where you are now. Welcome back!

• I went to my first UK football game of the season Saturday. I went with Julie, Jeff and Dala. We met Jeff's dad and cousins in the lot for a bit a pre-game tailgating. On the menu was tenderloin sandwiches and baked beans. I also ate my weight in cashews, peanuts, kettle corn, chocolate covered pretzels and cookie cake (blue and white of course).
• I will be in Evansville this coming weekend for a wedding. We will leave Friday and be there for the rehearsal dinner. The wedding is Saturday afternoon and we should be headed back Sunday morning. Don't worry, I will record the UK/Florida game...I know that is everyone's primary concern. And if I see that "cute little bald headed boy," I'll let you know.
• I will be going in for an ultrsound on my heart Monday the 27th. I had a physical last week and all the blood work came back great, but the doctor saw a slight anomaly in the EKG. He just wants it checked out...he didn't seem too concerned, so I'm not either. I think it was because the nurse had to hold the electrodes on because of my hairy legs.
• The next day I am getting a tooth bonded. I apparently had a crack and didn't even know it. They also discovered I had the world's smallest tooth growing behind it. It looks like the white tip of a piece of candy corn. How my last dentist and oral surgeon from a few years ago never noticed this makes me wonder.
• Our softball team is 3-0 on the season. I pitched the last game and we won 10-7. The other team was very slow getting on the field and coming to bat, so we only played 5 innings. I had a single up the middle and a sac fly to deep right center to score a run. I scored once and had an RBI.
  

Speaking of Flip Books

This is an outtake from the movie Hot Fuzz.

Funny T-Shirt

Burning the Qu'ran

I'm sure everyone (who reads my blog anyway) has heard on September 11th, a congregation in Florida is going to burn several copies of the Qu'ran. This story has received more attention that it deserves, but here is my take on it.
I feel confident in stating the pastor and his congregation is probably full of backward idiots and my gut feeling is they would burn any book as long as it wasn't their Bible. However, I have no issue with burning the Qu'ran, besides being pointless, and here is why.

1. The fear is the act of burning the Qu'ran will put the U.S. Military in danger and be used as a recruiting tool for Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. Really? I've heard they are having a hard time finding recruits and the military has been getting thank you cards the last nine years.


2. I don't have a problem with burning the Qu'ran for the same reason I don't mind someone burning the Bible or any other book, religious or not. It's simply paper and ink; a symbol of the religion. Burning a book does not destroy the ideas contained within it. It's a symbolic disagreement of a symbolic book. I'm not a fan of symbolism (Who?! Who will not wear the ribbon?!) and letting a book guide your life is dumb...and so is the thought that burning it really matter (unless you need to to stay warm of course).

Here is what will happen: The Qu'rans will burn and we will see protests on the news for a week and then we will never hear about it again.

Now if you'll excuse me, I want to go draw a cartoon flip book of the prophet Muhammed on the bottom corners of my Qu'ran.

Softball Season Begins (For Me Anyway)

We opened our softball season last night with a double header. We played at 8:30 and 9:30 and won both. The first game was a route from the beginning. We went up 15-0 in the first two innings and won 19-3. The second game was close the first two innings while our bats fell asleep and we made some sloppy plays on defense. Then we scored 12 in a two out rally in the 4th inning and won the game 18-9.
I pitched 3 innings each game. The first game I pitched a shutout and the second game I only gave up three runs (I'm sure it was my arm and not the defense behind me). I made a few plays at the mound and only walked one guy who was looking for a walk when he came up because he struck out his first at bat.
I sat a couple of innings to let other guys play as well as played first a few innings.
The first game I went 1-3 at the plate. A single up the middle, a pop fly to shallow left-center and a line drive to first base while trying to score guys from second and third.
The second game was a little better, but not great. A fly out to left and bloop single over second and a solid line drive single to left-center.

Here is my schedule for the remainder of the year:
Thursday, September 16th @ 8:30 on Field #1 (JCC)
Thursday, October 7th (doubleheader) @ 7:30 & 8:30
Thursday, October 14th (doubleheader) @ 6:30 & 7:30
The single elimination tourney starts Thursday, October 21st

Start the Football Season Off Right

With the UK/UofL game coming up Saturday to kick-off the 2010 season, I want to make sure the Wildcats warm-up properly. Here is a little video from Kige Ramsey to make sure our Cats stay healthy and loose throughout the year.

"Oh golly, I'm hot today."

Golfer's swing sparks 12-acre blaze
Associated Press
IRVINE, Calif. -- Forget "Fore!"
"Fire!" was the cry of the day for a golfer whose off-target swing sparked a 12-acre blaze in Southern California.
The golfer at the Shady Canyon Golf Course in Irvine landed a shot in the rough Saturday. On his next swing, his club snagged a rock, causing a spark that lit the rough ablaze and eventually attracted 150 firefighters to the scene.
Fire officials say the fire burned through the rough, into vegetation next to the course and over two dry, brushy hillsides.
No charges were filed against the golfer, whose name was withheld.