How Can it Be so Hard?

The last couple of days have been interesting to say the least. I have many interesting

events happening in my life that I find exciting, boring, creepy, hard to understand, and weird.

Never did I think the day would come when I would feel all these emotions at the same time.

What makes me think I can get through all of this? Well that is for me to know and I might let

you know in my writing. I am adding the surprise so you have to read the whole thing for the

best part. I am like a freakin news station, so stick around for the great stories to come.

I will begin with the excitement in my life. I have two items to talk about here. First, the

NBA is back and I can’t wait to get my watch on. I have been missing the Blake Griffin alleyopps,

sweet assits from CP3 and D-Will, Superman blocking and rebounding, and The Big 2(not

three because Bosh is a panzy) seeking the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy. With the return of

the NBA from its “nuclear winter” I don’t have to worry about what I am going to watch when the

NFL is over. What a big relief. who would have known what would have happened with out the

return of NBA.

Why is Nick bored? Well the question should be asked to all you people out there that

ignore me for your cooler friends with money and stuff. (Wink, Wink) I think my boredom has

been brought on by the fact that I have no life outside of school and work. I have been working

50-60 hours weeks, and I have also been going to school full time. The combination of the two

provide me with little fun. I need to get out of this rut and find things to make my life more

fascinating. But that is all I have to say about this “boring subject.”

For creepy I have to talk about my parents (no offense mama and papa). The

creepiness in my life is brought about mostly by my parents. They divorced no more then nine

months ago, and now they told me they are getting back together. It was one thing to take in a

divorce and be okay with it, but then nine months later saying they have worked everything out

is just hard for me to comprehend. I don’t want you to get me wrong, I love my parents and

always will, but this whole thing I find creepy after everything that happened. What is the need

to rush back into something that was not working nine months ago. This is why the law on

divorce taking over a year to be final needs to be passed. If this was only in place today, some

of the creepiness would be gone and I would not have to go through a wedding. Weddings are

one of my least favorite things to attend. I have no choice though so bring on the creepiness.

Let us talk now about things that are hard to understand. For me the hardest thing to

understand is why I don’t have the balls to ask a girl out, and why it is so hard in the first place

to actually get a girl that wants to. I might not be the best to look out, but man do I have a good

personality. I feel like all the girl I go after just want to be friends. Man I effing hate the stupid

friend zone. What the hell makes girls think that is what I want?!?!?! I am a guy who has needs

and I need a girl to fulfil these needs. I recently watched a youtube clip found by my friend TJ.

It was filmed up at Utah State. I man simply went around the campus asking men and women

each the same question: “Is it possible to be just friends with the opposite sex?” Every women

answered with a quick yes, while men all answered with a hesitant no. The interviewer than

asked each of the girl follow up questions about the guys that are just friends. He asked

whether or not they thought the guy in question had a crush on her, or whether they thought the

guy would hook up with them if the simply had a chance. All the ladies answered with yes to

these questions and found them selves stuck in a pickle on whether or not it a guy and a girl

can be just friends. Now I am sure we all have a personal opinion on the matter, but mine is

somewhat bias to both sides. I feel that I have plenty of friends out there that are girls and we

are just friends. But there is no way I can say I have never thought about them being more then

friends. If I was to say this it would be an utter lie and I am pretty sure all the boys out there will

agree. A guy looks at females as a mate, and we just have a mind that can not avoid thinking

about them in that way. It is evolution of the male species after all, so it really isn’t all our fault.

The big question for me right now is why I don`t have the balls to ask a girl out that I find

attractive. Is it just me, or is it this hard and awkward for all men out there in my same situation.

It was just today that I found myself flirting with this cute girl named Kaity. I had been working

my magic talking finding ways to compliment her every class, and just simply talk to her each

class. So today was the last day of class and that meant I probably would not have another

opportunity to ask her out like I had right then. So the during the class I was working up my

courage to ask her for her number and ask her out. I felt like it was fast Sunday and I had the

urge to get up and share my testimony, but in the end I never get up and actually do it. O how

close I got to actually asking her out, but o how so far I came at the same time. We were alone

in the room after class talking and I just couldn’t get the question out. Man I felt like a huge

failure the rest of the day, and there is no way to go back and change what had just happened.

So what does a guy like me do to overcome such disappointment? I write a blog and move on

to other things in life. Engulfing myself in other activities keeps me busy and gives me a good

excuse to tell my family why I haven’t been dating lately. I might be scared because the last girl

I was kinda dating turned out to be kinda crazy, and well I am really not one to deal with all that

drama.

This is my life, this is what I do. I don’t really expect much when it comes down to it, but

I really do miss having a girl in my life and I feel like it is something I want once again. Hope

that I can find that courage deep inside to be great. I need to get the boring, creepiness, and

weirdness out of my life and replace it with the excitement I really want.

Really.....I just LMFAO about PDA

People watching is one of my favorite past times.  I can be sitting in the park, store, or school and just sit and watch people for hours.  As I sit and watch people walk by doing there thing, it is always good to catch them in the act of doing something that they really didn't think anybody saw. 

One thing that makes me really happy is sitting and watching people skate board.  The whole time I am watching  I am praying for them to fall, and fall hard!  My favorite kind of humor is when I get to see people get hurt.  I don't know why this makes me so happy, but it does and I can't not laugh at a man getting drilled in his cojones by a board, ball, or any other fast moving projectile.  The happiness I receive from such experiences to others is just wrong I know, but how can one not be laughing there ass off when it happens.  When people put themselves in a spot for great failure, I find it a great opportunity to laugh and it really brightens my day(especially when it has been a tough day).  Words of wisdom from Nick:  Never underestimate the power of pain to either lift you up, or help you hit rock bottom.

Another thing on my mind as of late is the problem with PDA.  People, people, people.......the world is not asking for you to be making out in public.  We have invented cars, hotels, motels, cabins, houses with dark basements, rooms inside houses, and many other secluded private places that provide you privacy in the intimate moments.  No one wants to see two people with there hands all over each other in a public place.  If you are in the moment and you really need to get some lovin, go to your car or a dark private alley, or anywhere else I have mentioned above for your sexual activities.  Also please use protection if it comes down to it, because we don't know need these stupid minds of your bringing more stupid minds into the world.  PDA is a problem that needs to be dealt with, and I am willing to let you know that I am not going to take it.  I have set next to some couples during a sold out movie that think it is a good time to make out.  Well I am not one to say no to a good make out in the theater, but if it is a sold out movie have the respect for those around you.  This is a public service announcement to all those couples out there that don't think it is a problem.  If I am sitting next to you and have to listen to all the spit being exchanged between the two of you I will let you know how I feel.  Just ask the couple that decided to make out next to me during one of my new favorite movies "Moneyball."(if you haven't seen this movie you need to now before I hunt you down and make your life a living hell.)  If you are not going to stop sucking face during such a good movie I am going to turn to you and tell you it is annoying.....be prepared world because I am ready to make you blush and be straight up embarrassed.  

World lets respect the people around us and make PDA a thing of the past.  My word are set in stone(internet stone) and should be adhered to at all times.  I am wise beyond my years which leads me to believe that if you don't listen I will find you and it will make sure to make your future PDA will come with embarrassment and be as awkward as possible.      

Quote of the day:

"Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I exist!) -Rene Descartes 

What is the meaning of...........?

What is the meaning of……………?

            I have considered myself to be living a pretty average life.  I love sports, cooking, shooting stuff, and doing anything manly.  What is the meaning of it all though?  Every day is a new adventure with new questions as to why I do what I do?  Today I ponder the question of ‘what is love?’  Love is talked about by many.  Aristotle said “Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.”  Robert Frost said “Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.”  Yep, those just made me question my own question.  So I ask myself again to define love.  I define love as a bond between you and someone you have an emotional bond for.  As I walk the campus of Dixie State College I see many people who are dating, married, and even friends with benefits.  How do they know what they have found is true love.  Is it really a feeling inside of you that lets  you know?  If so what does it feel like? 

            I have spent my first 23 years of life with probably only a couple of things I can say I truly love.  I would say family, religion, and friends.  These are people that have been there for me through the thick and thin and I know that they are willing to support me through all life brings.  I guess at this point in my life I am suppose to be looking for a certain companion(girl) that is going to love me for ETERNITY!  Eternity is a really long time, and I wonder if there really is any girl out there that can last that long with me.  I look for a certain soul mate to live this life with, but what if I already passed her up?  Is that the end for me?  I believe there is to be more than one soul mate for each person in the world.  The trick is finding them and actually taking the bull by the horns and asking them for their hand in marriage.  I guess my first ‘bull’ to conquer is asking a girl on a date.  I have seen plenty of girls around that I find cute, but is it just me or is going up to a random girl and asking her on a date weird? 

*Courage-the first step to finding love.

            -Nick Barnum

            I am far from Love so I digress.  We all think about the meaning of certain things in our life.  Some believe dreams so future comings, or some believe horoscopes are facts and should not be taking lightly.  Now I am religious and love to read the scriptures.  We read in the scriptures about different prophets receiving vision from God through dreams.  This is God speaking to his people on how we can return to live in his presence once again.  Then there are just those crazy nut jobs, and well normal people who have dreams and believe that it has meaning and that they should follow through with what happened in that dream.  I find that very insane to say the least.  What we dream should be kept in our dreams.  I am talking about when we are a sleep.  The dreams we should pursue are simply the same as the goals we want to achieve in life.  These are the dreams we should follow.  Some might say it is impossible, but when I read this word I see “I’m possible!”  Never underestimate your potential to be the best you can be.  We should always be pushing ourselves to find our limits.  “Never Say Never”(JB)

            As I let you ponder meaning of everything in your life, I would like to know switch subjects to something I find to be mucho importante!........SPORTS!!!!!!!

NBA Lockout =Finally over

            This can only mean good things are coming.  As much as I have loved watching Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, BJ Raji, and Charles Woodson go undefeated in the NFL, there is nothing like a sweet alley oop to Blake Griffin, or seeing LeBron James destroy the opposing team.  The ESPN Top 10 plays just haven’t been as electrifying without these NBA stars doing their thing.   Let’s get this CBA signed and let’s play some ball.  Christmas day can’t come any faster for me.  I love the rumors of trades, the hint of retirement, and even seeing the small market teams make a push in the playoffs(Way to go Memphis!).  I root, as I do every year, for the Utah Jazz to be the best in the west.  It is going to be a challenge with such a young team, but the youth will give us an edge in a season that will be crazy.  They will have weeks were teams will play back-to-back-to-back.  The older teams are going to have a hard time keeping up with the quickness of these youthful players. 

            My mind wonders, as do all great minds.  I hope this was insightful to those who read; if not……well I could care less because my opinion is greater than all y’alls!!!!!  Let this be a disclaimer for future posts.  As I leave you this post I would like to end with the words of the greatest basketball player of all time. 

“Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”
-Michael Jordan

Peace Easy St. Geezy!!!!!

A new start

Hello World,
I am back, and I am back with an eager vow to be the best blogger I can possibly be.  I have many different inspirations to starting my blog back up; sports, girls, family, friends, etc.  I find my life to be quite boring sometimes but why should that stop me from working on my writing.  I have focused on sports for most of my life and well that is what this blog will mostly include.  Along with the sports I will be including my every day thoughts.  A blog a day keeps the gastrologists away.
I would like to talk about online communication.  I recently deleted my Facebook account for a month to see what life would be like without again.  I find it really weird how today we rely so much on online communication to find friends.  Back when I was still in high school it was about talking to people and actually getting there number and then calling or texting them . People thought texting was an absurd way to communicate with others. It is strange how communication changes over the year but I still find online communication to be a huge lie.  Every online profile is a partial lie in mine eyes.  People find it so easy to hide behind a computer screen and talk themselves up.  Why not tell the truth up front with those you don't know, cause if you really like them they are going to get to know the real you when you meet in person.  So instead of hiding behind the screen of our computers, get back out there and find the guts to talk to strangers face-to-face to get to know them.
I see people losing their personal communication skills daily.  I would try and talk to people during the time I didn't have facebook and they all seemed to busy to talk but they would ask for my facebook so they could add me as a friend.  I would tell them I didnt have one. But my big problem here is how can they not have time to talk with me when they have all day to sit on facebook and watch people comment and message them there.  Society is so far gone from the original way of communicating that I can only worry about how bad it will be in the future for the kids i "might" have.
Marriage........is it really what brings us together?(just a random fact)
I thought facebook would come and go just like myspace.  But, it is sticking around and people are waisting a great amount of time on the web.
My life is strange, in a normal way that is.  I have my girls problems, friends are unreliable at times, but then again my family is always there and that kinda keeps me going for now.
Love what you are, and live what you are.  Don't fake what brings you true happiness.
Peace Easy

Is Tiger Back?

                After an impetuous downfall of a career, Tiger Woods is executing one of the biggest comebacks of all time.  Yes even bigger then Michael Jordan’s and Michael Vick’s. (Well maybe just as big)

                Nearly one and a half years after Tiger’s abrupt downfall in the golfing world, due to a huge sex scandal, Tiger is regaining his poise as an elite golfer.  On December 11, 2009 Woods took an indefinite leave of absence to focus on rebuilding his marriage.  His multiple infidelities were revealed by over a dozen women, through many worldwide media sources.  Many thought this scandal to be the end of Tigers career, but lo and behold he made his way back to the game. 

                With a 20 week break under his belt, Woods returned to competition for the 2010 Masters.  The field was packed full of young talent, and Tiger was looking to make a statement among the young and old.  With a 4^th place finish in the tournament life was looking up for Tiger, but it was a long spiral down from there.  On October 31, 2010, Tiger lost his #1 world ranking to Lee Westwood after holding it for 623 straight weeks (the most all time).  The game of golf was changing and this change was not good for the fan base of golf.  

                I have never been superb at golf, but I love to play a round every chance I get, but I cannot watch golf as much as I do other sports.  When you get down to it though, no one really enjoys watching much golf.  I personally don’t watch unless Tiger is playing to win.  He changed the way the game was played, and is fun to watch at that.  He drives the ball with ease, use his irons with consistency, and putts spectacularly (especially under pressure) which is possibly his biggest asset in the game.  These came from having excellent swinging coaches and a great caddy (Steve Williams), who can be credited with helping him with key shots and putts, and spending hours perfecting his game on his days off.   

                The talent of Tiger was thought to be lost until this April in the 75^th round of the Masters.  Tiger played a sloppy first round, supreme second round, even third, and ended with a run for the jacket coming up 4 strokes short in the final round, but showed he had what it takes once again.  Yes, he only came in 4^th place, but I saw a side of Tiger I hadn’t seen in probably 2 years.  The 75^th “Green Jacket” may have gone to Charl Schwartzel (well deserving with his excellent play in the final round) but confidence was won by Tiger, and that can be lethal in the tournaments to come.   In just 5 tournaments played this year, Tiger has had two top 10 finishes, and I dare say that is not the end.  He is fighting to regain power as #1 in the world.  So watch out Kaymer, Westwood, Donald, and Mickelson; Tiger is on the hunt and he is looking to be #1 once more. 

                I look forward to watching golf again as Tiger hits the links and triumphs as a true contender.  Hopefully ending the season with wins in the remaining Majors, and other tournaments around the world, Tiger will show he is back to play.  So watch out world, Tiger is coming, and I am here cheering him on no matter what others think of him!!!!!!!

                

Bye Bye Manny

19 seasons, 12 All-star appearances, 9 Silver Slugger awards, and 2 World Series (MVP in 2004), that is one hell of a career to end.  Manny Ramirez was one of the best designated hitters (DH) to play the game.

As the baseball world sees his career end on a bad note of suspension in view, Manny decides to retire and not come back.  He already served a 50 game suspension with the LA Dodgers back in 2009 and does not want to deal with it anymore.  The prolific hitter had stints with 5 MLB clubs.  The most memorable team he played for would have to be the Boston Red Sox.  The Red Sox had been under the curse of the great Bambino until the year 2004 when the Boston Red Sox broke the curse by winning the Yankees 7 games after falling behind 3 games to known early. The offensive power of Manny helped the Red Sox overcome the Yankees and win the World Series, and he was named the MVP of the series.

Yes Manny is leaving as the only player to be caught twice using performance enhancing drugs, but he will be forever remembered as one of the best players in the game.

Many will question whether or not Manny is worthy of being elected in to the Hall of Fame after all that has happened lately.  I believe it will happen, but it will take many years for that to come forth.  The election committee is going to need time to get over the fact that he did what he did and give him that honor as a Hall of Fame player.

He was a great teammate in every club house, and will be greatly missed.  As a teammate he was a friend and loved playing the game.  The hard work he put into the game wasn't visible to the public because we all saw him as a big kid, but many of his teammates saw the side of him as a hard worker.

He worked hard to perfect his swing and worked hard to become a better defensive player all the time and it will be tough to see this great hitter go down on such a sour note.  The game is always changing with players coming and going, but some players have a bigger impact in the league and replacing them is one hard job.

I will remember Manny for his hard work ethic, child like antics, and great swing as I hope he enters the Hall of Fame in the years a head.

A “Nugget” of Hope in Denver

The history of this successful team dates back to the days of the ABA.  They were called the Denver Larks for a couple years.  They were then sold and called the Denver Rockets.  They spent 9 seasons on the ABA until the NBA-ABA merger in 1976.  In preparation of joining the NBA they changed their name is the Denver Nuggets because the name “Rockets” was taken by Houston.  Denver started there NBA franchise with head coach Larry Brown.  They were very successful in their division winning the division their first 2 seasons in the NBA. 

            The 1980s brought great success to the Nugget franchise.  They brought in a new head coach, Doug Moe, who brought with him a “motion offense” philosophy.  The Nuggets set many scoring records during the 80’s which they still hold today.  They averaged 126.5 point per game in the 1981-82 season, and on December 13, 1983 they combined for an amazing 370 points in a triple overtime game with the Detroit Pistons.  They were a power hungry offense and had Alex English and Kiki Vandeweghe at the two forward spots.  They were true scoring machines in the paint and with the jump shot respectively.  

            The 90’s brought along a painful couple seasons, but then success, and pain again.  They were able to become a greater threat on the court with picking up great players such as Dikembe Mutombo, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (who changed his name from Chris Jackson prior to the 1993-94 season), Jalen Rose, and Antonio McDyess.  The talent seemed to be there for some season in the 90’s but they still flirted with the worst record in NBA history for a couple of seasons.            

            The 21^st century then brought on a new era of Nuggets all together.

The Denver franchise went through 3 head coaches.  First there was Jeff Bzdelik who was fired during the 04’-05’ season and replaced by interim head coach Michael Cooper.  Cooper finished out the season and then the Nuggets hired head coach George Karl.  George has been an amazing coach for a team with many egotistical and cocky players. Coach Karl dealing with his cancer can’t possibly make it any easier for him to run a team. 

            This was the era of Carmelo Anthony(2003-2011), Allen Iverson(2006-2008), and Chauncy Billups(2008-2011).  Anthony was drafted as the third overall pick in the 2003 draft, which was one of the most talent packed drafts of all time (The 2003 three draft also brought in LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Chris Kaman, David West, and Mo Williams.).   Anthony took his talent on the court, and helped turn around the Nugget team as they began to win more games.  Carmelo was then able to join forces with an aging Allen Iverson.  The years played together by these two where somewhat over rated.  Carmelo and Allen where the two top scorers in the league which lead to lots of chemistry problems and lots of first round knock outs in the playoffs.  The nuggets then traded Iverson for Chauncy Billups in 2008.  This would prove to be a better teammate for Anthony.  The duo was able to put together a 54-28 record, which matched the most wins Denver has ever had in a season.  The duo of Anthony and Billups seemed to be working out really well for the team.  But it soon came to a screeching halt when they were both traded to the New York Knicks during 2011 season.  

            After the mess of rumors that floated around Carmelo all year had finally been vindicated by his trade to New York, many people, including myself, thought it was the end of the season, and the Nuggets would just give up and try for a good rebuilding season in the 2011-12 season.  I can’t imagine anyone saw them becoming a winning team and making the playoffs as a 5 seed or maybe even better.  Since the trade of Anthony and Billups the Nuggets have gone 13-4 with a perfect record on their home court.  Somehow the team chemistry has never been better even with the hot head of J.R. Smith, and crazy antics of Chris Anderson still on the team.  George Karl has taken the great talent he was given and understood perfectly how to mesh the team together. 

            The Denver Nuggets have proved to be one of the best teams in the league and will be a huge threat in the playoffs this year.  Any team playing the Nuggets will take them for granted and Denver is not a team to do that with these days.  I am not a Denver fan; I am a Utah Jazz fan through and through.  I won’t however be seeing my team in the playoffs this year and will be rooting for the underdog Nuggets to make a run.  Props to the Nuggets and the hard work they put into the game and never giving up.  If anyone should be scared it is the team the Nuggets will face in the first round of the playoffs.  

Check n' Jimmered

Every year the NCAA picks a national player of the year and Jimmer Fredette was just that.  Jimmer showed his true potential as a point guard in his senior season of basketball at BYU.  He was a true athlete that took BYU to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1981.  Jimmer was the Pete Maravich of the 21^st century and ran the court like a champion.  Jimmer was a true threat in college and was able to take his game to the next level year after year.  He led the nation in points scored per game, and really showed he could dominate the defense of other teams with his scoring.  He was a true threat because of his leadership, offensive awareness, and hard work.

            Every basketball team needs a true leader on the team, and that skill was brought to the court by Jimmer every game.  He was very responsible as a player and kept his academics at the top of his class.  He wasn’t a party animal, and stayed away from alcohol and drugs.  Jimmer was able to keep his body healthy and clean by avoiding all narcotics.  He also had respect from many BYU alumni, students, and fans.  Jimmer was an icon for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints all around the United States.  He played with great sportsmanship, and played basketball very relaxed.   He knew when he was relaxed the game was easier to play.  He was more accurate with his shot, and his passing was very precise.   He became a bigger offensive threat with every game when he was relaxed. 

            Jimmer’s offensive game came very easily to him, and he ran BYU’s offense with pure ease. Jimmer’s offense begins with his excellent shot.  He has a quick release that allows him to shoot the ball more.  His shot was also very accurate from anywhere on the court.  He could also penetrate the lane which opened up the court for the rest of his teammates.  Jimmer would drive the lane for lay ups, while drawing the foul for three point plays.  His shot came easily to him, so he was able to work on his ball handling skills more.  Jimmer could keep his dribble in traffic, which made it possible for him to find the right pass at the right time.  His passes would end up most of the time with a high percentage shot in the paint.  Jimmer’s skill came from hard work of the court and during practice. 

            Jimmer’s hard work ethic started when we was only a child in upstate New York.  He practiced day after day, improving his game a little at a time.  Jimmer would practice with his older brother and father to gain toughness.  He also played ball with the inmates in a local prison nearby.  Jimmer also had the support of his parents and friends.  His older brother was a good example, helping Jimmer grow as an athlete.  His parents also did all within their power to make his basketball dreams possible.  With all the help from his parents and friends, Jimmer lived a very moral life in his youth.  He was always willing to help others in need of service.  He was very service orientated, and spent a lot of time with his LDS church helping others in need.  He was a leader, offensive genius, and hard worker.

            College basketball truly brings out the best in Jimmer Fredette.  His leadership, competiveness, and hard work helped BYU succeed during every season at the school.  He was a true threat from any spot on the court, and would be at any level of basketball.  The talent, quickness, and diversity of Jimmer should never be underestimated at any level of the game.  No matter what league Jimmer played in, he continued to work hard and his game. 

                

Opening Day

Step up to the plate,

It’s the bottom of eight,

The pitcher throws the ball,

Anxiously waiting for the call.

Another throw,

To the seats it’ll go,

The crack of the bat,

That’s where it’s at.

Rounding the bases,

Seeing the smiling faces,

Finally the game is tied,

Fighting to maintain the team’s pride.

Now it’s the top of nine,

Looking in to the catcher’s sign,

Strike one, Strike two, and then strike three,

The final out is the key.Now it’s the bottom of the final inning,

But it feels like the beginning,

Strike out, ground out, then stepping up to the plate,

Hoping that two outs doesn’t mean it’s too late.

The beautiful sound of bat on ball,

Watching it fly over the outfield wall,

All began with the familiar call,

Of the umpire yelling “Play ball!”

Well today is the opening day for Major League Baseball.  Today begins the race for the World Series Title in October.  It is one of the most busiest seasons for any major sports in the world.  With 30 teams, competing in 162 games, over 6-7 months, it is an average of 1 game every 1.36 days.  It is a crazy schedule trying to figure out  what your starting 5 pitcher rotation will be and excepting for the rotation to be moved around a little with injury and other on seen problems that might appear.   

As the season begins I focus my attention on San Diego, my favorite team of all time but gets treated like a farm house team, and then I have the power house Red Sox in my top teams.  Yes i am a BoSox fan and have loved them since the day I turned 9 and received my first Boston Cap.  There was "the Curse" and the year they came back from 3 behind to the Yankees to win it all later in the World Series.  What can I say. Yes I guess you can say I love to see the grass grow as the pitcher finds his pitch and as the hitter patiently awaits that one pitch he can clobber out of the park.  I love the green monster, and all its glory.  I dream of the day I sit a top the wall watching the Red Sox slaughter the Yankees in the playoffs, or going to Petco Park and seeing my Padres try to dig out a win every night in one of the most under rated division in the league.  It is about the winning streaks, the no hitters, and the feeling of being in the bottom of the ninth with 2 out a batter on second and you are down by two.  What is going to happen.  Is Adrian Gonzalez going to step up and hit it out of the park?  Is David Ortiz going to get up and get the ball in play?  Or is it going to end horribly with a strike out or a simple grounder to first?  

Baseball is one of the most emotional sports I have ever played and watched.  Baseball taught me early in life how to work hard for the things you want and made me a better athlete over the years. It is the American Past time, and should be celebrated as such.  The feeling of going into Dodger Stadium for a game and getting the Dodger Dog is just so marvelous and can't be compared to anything in the world.  If you aren't a fan of this spectacular sport then I hope you change your mind someday and enjoy it with me.  But for now all I can say as I end my thoughts for now is..........

PLAY BALLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

The Utah Spaz.....I mean Jazz!

The Utah Jazz

            What can I say I am a sap for the pick-n-roll.  I grew up as a Utah Jazz fan and I never waiver from that fanhood.  Yes it has been tough seeing the Jazz go 2 and out with the Chicago Bulls and not win a championship, but what can you say other then “All Hail his holy Airness.”  I come into every season with a high hope that maybe this is the year they make it again.  You can only hope though, for the Utah Jazz are the most injury prone team in the nation.  Every year starts out with a  fresh start of something knew with a great team.  But one month into the season you hit the first injury and it is all down hill from there.   There is Okhur and his achilles, Kirlenko and his back spasms, and the constant “Super Star” on the team with a little pusidice. (Pusidice is a word referring to the star of the team just being a straight up loser and not wanting to play cause he is to cool for school, or pussy-pardon my French.)  I love my Utah Jazz but I just can’t see them winning the NBA Finals any time soon so don’t get your hopes to high. 

            If we look at all the great players that have played for the Jazz, many are sure to stick out.  First you have John Stockton.  The man that wore short shorts tell the day he called it quits.  He wasn’t one to follow trends of others, but he was a person to stick to how it should be done.  He was a prolific point guard that had eyes all other and knew where you were at all times on the court.  Then you have Karl Malone or “the Mailman.”  He and Stockton alone become two of the greatest players to ever play the game.  There are also many other names such as Pete Marovich(only play for the New Orleans Jazz), Jeff Hornacek, Adrian Dantely, Thurl Bailey, AK-47, and I guess you can but Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams in those names but they are the ones that had pusidice and couldn’t play unless their needs were met.  You can see the talent hasn’t lacked in the locker room for the Utah Jazz, I guess you could say what lacked was mostly passion to win most of the years.  I can go on also about the coaches but that is coming next. 

            I don’t want to bash on the Jazz to much but I have been such a good fan for so many years I feel I have the right to point out the many flaws they have had along the ways. 

            The latest flaws have been trading Deron Williams, and the whole Boozer era was a huge mistake.  D-will was a great point guard and he sure knew the game very well.  He played very hard for his first couple seasons and really brought pride back to Utah after losing the Mailman and Stockton.  It wasn’t easy to keep a superstar like him happy and it was only a matter of time before his pusidice stepped in and he would want to leave for a bigger market of the game.  He left and it has destroyed all chemistry the Jazz had.  It isn’t easy to see them struggle but with struggle comes growth and hopefully it all works out in the end.  Now onto Boozer and his crazy antics on the court.  Yes Boozer came in with a good heart but after a couple seasons he just gave up and you could see he wanted out.  But instead of using him as bate for a good trade, they held out to free agency to let him go.  He then moves on to a mediocre Bulls team, to what is now a championship ready Bulls team.  Why he didn’t like Utah?  Well my theory is Jerry Sloan.  Yes he was one of the greatest coaches of all time, but he was stuck on the whole defense first, then get down the court and set up the pick-n-roll.  It was a game changing offensive scheme, but with new players comes new talent so you need to play to what they have to offer.  That is where Jerry Sloan slacked in his last years as coach of the Jazz. 

            I know this is just a bunch of thoughts put down on a piece of paper but for now it will do.  There are so many things coming about the Utah Jazz I don’t want to give it all away on the first day.  So for now this is good bye and tomorrow brings yet another adventure for me and my writing.   

The Beginning of the End

One Love……

               

         In the beginning I was given a sheet of paper and told “Nick write an essay on The Civil War,” or “Write me a three page essay on why you think school should be shorter.”  I looked at these assignments as tedious and time consuming.  I wanted to write about my one love in life, and not about these meaningless topics in the public school system.  I didn’t learn much from public school writing but now I want to take my writing to the next level.  My “One Love….” is referring to the sports and everything about them.  I am dedicating this blog to my improvement in writing as a take the path to become a writer for ESPN.  I have loved sports since my parents first entered me into the magical world of sweat, injury, and success.  I don’t consider myself omnipotent when it comes to sports, but I can say I know a lot more than most average joes out there in the world.  Hopefully I can connect with anyone that decides to read my blog and get the criticism I need to perfect my skill of writing to a level that will get me my dream job.  I look forward to your comments and hope to receive positive and negative criticism from all who read, as it will help me grow as a writer.  So please follow and I will try and keep your minds wanting more knowledge about the sports world.