Giving Him the Bizz-Ness

You will get talked about at Champps!!

Oh man, i had to blog about this while it was fresh in my mind! Tonight I rounded up a bunch of people to go watch the Packer-Cowboy game at Champps in Addison. If you've never been to a restaurant or sports bar for a big game, I highly recommend it. The atmosphere is great. TV`s everywhere, cougars on the prowl & the occasional over dressed fan, usually make for a great time. All that being said I had a great time tonight and it wast because of the any of the aforementioned reasons. Because of the high demand of the game alot of the tables were pushed close together. This made it easy to talk to other tables about the game and just make general conversation. It also made it easy to hear what other tables were talking about. Well , midway thru the third quarter my entertainment began. During a commercial timeout I just happened to hear the tale end of a very heated argument between the people sitting next to me. "Muthafucka, you don't fuckin know me. I ain't the one." When I turned around to see where these words were coming from, I saw this skinny white girl with bad skin, rolling her neck and snapping her fingers, raining down expletives on this black guy who had a smirk on his face. The white girl had a girlfriend (who was black) and the the black guy had another guy with him and both these sidekicks were struggling to keep from laughing. So at this point im not even looking at the game anymore, im more interested in seeing where this situation is headed. Before I could make more sense of the situation, the white girl continued, " Fuck you, I went to a black school & Im an AKA so I can talk how I wanna talk, I ain't the one". I started grinning and repositioned my chair away from the tv screen & in front of this train wreck. Apparently, this black guy was giving the white girl a hard time for "talking black", and I guess she tried to justify her "blackness" by volunteering all that info. Big mistake. As soon as she said all that, it was like a light switch was turned on in this guy, because he started talking bad to this girl. "Bitch you only went to a black school because you didn't have the grades to get in anywhere else". "Hoe, i don't know why you trying to be black, you need to concentrate on being white! You got on all that make up and still got bad skin.......shit don't make sense" He just started verbally assaulting this chick and all I could do was laugh.......hard. She tried to get him back......"that's why you fat". Hearing that was like a seeing a pitcher toss a softball to barry bonds, only one outcome can occur. "Mr. Bonds" shot back wit "Don't worry bout me, u need to take ur skinny ass to tha gym. This bitch cant even afford a gym membership. working at customer service making 7 dollars an hour." When he said that half our table started listening and laughing. It was about this time when the white girls black friend jumped in and tried to help her. "That's why you talk so low with that fat ass gut" Oh man, these comebacks were so weak. It was like they brought knives to a gun fight.....and this guy had a fully loaded clip. He started going hard on the black chick, "bitch are you even black? you ain't even got no ass! get the fuck outta here!" "Bitch you got on fake jewelry too! All that lead around ya neck from shopping at Sam Moon! Keep buying that cheap shit "3 dollars will get you killed" At this point me and half my table are all laughing uncontrollably. Soon as he saw he had an audience the material just got better (or worse for the people getting talked about) "Bitch you ugly! Wearing glitter on you face like you 15! Who the fuck wear glitter on they face? "This ain't the circus" "Take this white girl to Karma, Max wells or whatever black club y'all going to and get the fuck outta here" Oh my God. I didn't even care about the game anymore. I had tears in my eyes. I kinda felt bad , because me and about 6 others were pretty much laughing in their faces, but we couldn't help it. His timing was on point and his delivery was outstanding. "You hoes cant even fit regular clothes." "Y'all went to baby gap to get outfits to come to Champps? Who does that?" "You hoes broke too! This bitch brought her own cup into the bar?!!! What kind of bum ass ghetto bitches bring their own cups to the bar?!!" What made this hilarious was the fact that these chicks actually brought their own wine glasses to Champps!! I was dying!! He laid into them for 30 good minutes. Dude was out of control. The whole time the white girl had her face down pretending to text people on her sidekick. But it wasnt hard to tell that each insult cut deeper than the last. I was hoping for tears but it didnt happen. To those girls credit, they sat there and took it on chin for a good minute. [im thinkin they stayed so long because there was no where else to sit, but ill still give them the benifit of the doubt] I laughed so hard that my stomach started to cramp. The hardest laugh came when the white girl decided shed had enough and took the walk of shame out of the restaurant. As she walked away he said, "Truth hurts don't it. See ya at Karma!!" [For those of you who don't know, karma is a black club in Addison. extremely ghetto] YES!!! He talked about her so bad that she left Champps!! Packers game was good but this scene stole the show for me. Good times!!! The moral of this story is that if you are a white girl with bad skin, just be a white girl with bad skin - just be yourself and you wont get talked about! My tab that night was 15 bucks . potato skins -6 dollars, frozen margarita - 6 dollars, tip - 3 dollars (yes I'm cheap) & seeing a white girl trying to be black get talked about so bad that she left the restaurant - priceless

Till next time......

The grim, horrible statistic wins again by Jemele Hill Page 2

Sean Taylor's death wasn't random.
Maybe it was, but it wasn't.
As the details emerge about the circumstances surrounding Taylor's death and Miami police hunt for the person responsible for claiming a vibrant life, this much already is true: The grim, horrible statistic won again.
The leading cause of death for black men 15 to 24 is homicide. Taylor, who died from a gunshot wound early Tuesday in connection with an apparent robbery at his home, was 24.
For the second time this year, an NFL player -- a young, black male -- has been murdered. Tragedy struck on the first day of 2007 when Darrent Williams, a Denver Broncos defensive back, was shot to death during a drive-by near a Denver nightclub after attending the birthday party for Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin.
Denver police believe the shooting was linked to an altercation involving people who were with Williams that day. He wasn't involved in the altercation. Not that the bullet cared. He was 24 when he died, too.
Their fame and wealth and playing for respected professional sports franchises didn't protect Williams and Taylor from an epidemic more lethal and closer than any war overseas, or any boogeyman terrorist we can unearth or create.
Violence in America has laid a special claim on young, black men. When it made its way to Taylor's exclusive suburban Miami neighborhood, it didn't care that Taylor was engaged, the father of an 18-month-old daughter, the son of a police chief, a trusted teammate, the fifth overall pick in the 2004 draft, a hard-hitting safety who teammates nicknamed "Meast" (half-man, half-beast), a Pro Bowler, the Redskins' leading tackler last season. Or that a plaque honoring him for a generous, monetary donation rests in the cafeteria at his former high school, Gulliver Preparatory.
"It sounded like things were getting better," a still-dazed Steve Howey, Taylor's high school coach, said early Tuesday morning. "To find out he'd died this morning, it just knocked the wind out of me."
Howey, now the football coach and athletic director at St. John Neumann High School in Naples, Fla., won a state title with Taylor in 2000 -- the defensive back's senior year. This is the first football player he's ever lost to violence.
"You hear about stuff like this from time to time," Howey said. "It's never been this close."
Perhaps the most pertinent question is, how much closer does it have to get before we realize these unfortunate incidents are reflective of an enormous crisis that requires our immediate attention and action?
A New York Times article reported the homicide rate among young, black men in America was seven times higher than any foreign country studied.
That article was published in 1990.
Why has nothing changed?
Studies conducted in 2006 at Columbia, Princeton, Harvard and other institutions concluded a black man is more than six times as likely to be murdered than a white man.
This isn't to say Taylor was killed because he was black. This is to say that, because he was black, Taylor was more likely to be killed. The weight of that should be just as jarring as waking up and discovering an NFL player died from a gunshot wound. Please don't roll your eyes, release a frustrated breath, and trivialize this as "playing the race card."
This is an American problem, not just a racial one. The fact that it has spilled into the sports world should indicate just how serious it is.
As unfortunate as Taylor's death is, as representative as it is of a much more substantive issue, the saddest part is his passing may never be put in its proper perspective.
Although study after study shows black men are more likely to be victims of crime, rarely do they receive victim treatment. When black athletes are crime victims, the undertone seems to be they somehow were at fault. Eddy Curry, Antoine Walker and Bucs cornerback Phillip Buchanon all have been victims of home invasions that seem as orchestrated as the one that claimed Taylor's life. In March of 2006, Buchanon was stripped naked and tied up by seven men in ski masks who robbed him and jammed a gun in his mouth. This past July, Curry and his family were bound by duct tape as men robbed him at gunpoint in his suburban Chicago home. The Pistons' Flip Murray narrowly escaped the same fate, slamming the door on two gunmen on his porch before he called police. Yet we seem to think it's much more likely a black athlete is holding the gun instead of staring down the barrel of one.
By now, everyone is well aware of Taylor's past brushes with the law. They should be equally aware that those who knew him best thought he had distanced himself from those troubles; he was someone who had overcome the growing pains associated with being a professional athlete given unimaginable wealth at a young age. No matter what, Taylor's past doesn't in any way justify him meeting this tragic present.
We should, of course, remember Taylor with a heavy heart. But it's even more important that we remember there are thousands just like him in communities within walking and easy driving distance. And they shouldn't have to wear a NFL uniform for us to care about them.
Page 2 columnist Jemele Hill can be reached at jemeleespn@gmail.com.

McClaren Fired: Too Little Too Late

As a die hard England/ Beckham fan, Wednesday was a tough day for me. Watching this team, who had everything to play for; only needing a draw to qualify for Europe's biggest tournament, lose to a team with nothing to play for is unbelievably shocking. I still cant believe England will not participate in Euro 2008. It seems fitting that McClaren ends his tenure as England Manager the way he started it: making mind bogling decision. His latest and last mistep was benching Beckham again and starting a rookie goal keeper in the most important game in English Football. I think after watching the womens world cup final most people would know the importance of having an experienced goal keeper minding the nets in a big game. Not this genius. He gave Scott Carlson his first ever England start and he played AWFUL!
Then he benches a man that constantly performs everytime he puts on the England shirt. For all his supposed flaws, Beckham has set up goals in every game he has played this year for England.
When Macca took him off the field he sealed his fate. For non soccer fans, ill try to put this into perpective. England not going to the Euros is like the 1992 Dream Team not qualifying for the Olympics. I could blog about this in further detail but I think Ill let the english fans speak on this. Here are some posts by devastated fans around the world that pretty much share my feelings on this subject.........

.....how can people still doubt David Beckham? Anyone who has played football knows how difficult a ball like that is to play. ...and yes, SWP could do that......COULD, but DIDN'T... Beckham does it everytime he puts an England shirt on, nobody else does. I agree, he is not quite the player he was, but still performs when it matters - another thing that no other player seems capable of doing (Crouch's performance yesterday excepted). Are you Beckham haters blind or do you simply not understand what makes a decent footballer? It's not what they can or can't do in theory, it's what they actually do on the pitch. Even with an unfit Beckham, he still makes the game changing deliveries.

.....Beckham and Crouch were the heroes last game, but even they could not manage to stop the disaster unfolded on Wembley. there were mistakes, stupid mistakes and from the only one man.McClaren beckham should have been from the first second on the pitch not from the second half

......Wow, there's so much to comment on where to begin...

Well first, let's pin the blame. It falls not on McClaren (despite his complete ineptitude) but the people who selected him for the job. What were they thinking??? They recruited someone whose sum achievements count as one League cup victory against Bolton. Yes please re-read that last sentence. How did this man win the most important job in English football?

You can't blame a man for taking his dream job (not to mention dream salary) but the blame falls squarely on those that made such a categoric error for English football. Heads should roll.. preferably literally.

What is SO frustrating as a football fan is that you really don't have to be the slightest bit intelligent to realise that a crucial match at home against good opposition when you need only a draw is not a good time to experiment with a new goalie (and sympathies to the lad who must have felt the pressure, but he was AWFUL. Robinson, for his flaws, would have kept out all three goals.) This tactical catastrophe simply should not be allowed to happen if the selectors;
a) knew a damn thing about football
b) recognised someone who knew a damn thing about football.
On the show of football tonight you could really go up the drunkest fan in any bar, and I'd honestly rather see him pick the team. At least he might have the good sense to pick Beckham from the start who, despite the odd dip in form (normally over hyped dip in form - just 'cos he doesn't score from every free kick doesn't make him a liability) has proven his match-winning potential, work ethic and bulldog spirit time and time again.

The fact is we;re not as good as we think we are, but the sooner we realise that a manager is the most important 'player' there is, and move to secure one worthy of the job, the sooner we'll finally be able to challenge for the big tournament. Personally i'm almost relieved that i don't have to waste my summer watching this mis-managed team struggle through the group stages only to fall at the first penalty shoot out.

Normally as an England fan I have some sense of injustice to complain about but this time I can honestly say we don't deserve to qualify... nowhere near. It's a great shame for the players who are getting a bit older and probably won't have a chance to compete for these titles again. As an England fan all I can say is that the time under McClaren has been wasted and detrimental and someone should take responsibility for this.

We've the fourth biggest economy in the world, 60 million people, a wealth of talented players, enough money to employ any manager we like and yet we're outplayed - considerably - by a country of less than 5 million people who had nothing to play for. How proud I could be if only I was born in Croatia.

You Got Knocked the **** Out!!! Vol I

I think im gonna start a weekly Big Hit post because lately there have been some bone crunching hits. People are getting fucked up on a weekly basis. As long as people continue to get jacked up like this, I will bring it to you. This first one comes from last weeks LSU v Ole Miss game. Watching this hit made me want to put the pads back on! The second clip comes from the Wisconsin v Michigan State game a few weeks ago. This might be the hit of the year. The third and final clip came from the USC v UCLA game last year. I know its old, but it is very worthy of being mentioned....Enjoy







Till next time...

I love me some Fight Club!

I really forgot just how good fight club is. As I was watching it, I found myself strangely identifying with Edward Nortons character. For those of you who are not familiar with this movie, It's the story of a man who is subconsciously fed up with the monotony of everyday life and creates a new persona inside his mind to revolt against his repetitive lifestyle. When I say I identify with Norton's character, I only mean the part of him that is driven to create his alter ego. I'm talking about the part in all of us that go through this monotonous routine called life & struggles with the question of "Is this all there is". Maybe its just me, but I am bored out of my fucking mind. My God, I don't know what my perception of what life was gonna be like after school, but so far this is not what I expected. Shit if you ask me what I expected, I probably cant even tell you, but I'm sure it wasn't this.Recently Ive been thinking about meaning & purpose when it comes to this life. For 52 weeks, I Wake up, go to work, work out, go home, watch tv till you fall asleep. Wake up and do it again. Repeat this four more times and then "rest" on the weekends? Watch Friday go by as quickly as it came, waste Saturday doing nothing and then begin the "Damn I gotta go to work in the morning" countdown on Sunday. I guess you can sprinkle in a few random unique events that break up this routine, but for the most part you spend your life pretty much doing the same shit over and over until you die. I feel like the weeks come and go. Life is quickly passing me by. This probably doesn't feel good to read, but sometimes I wake up thinking Whats the point of all this? In my "youth" getting the approval & praise of my parents used to be enough to keep that previous question out of my mind. I would try to do well in school, football, and any other extra curricular activity to please them ; often falling short of their expectations and constantly having something to strive towards. I'm 25 years old now. I did well enough in school to graduate high school & college. Check. I was able to get a football scholarship, start & be a productive member of my team, & I got a fat bowl ring for my trouble. Check. After I graduated from college it took me two weeks to find my first job. Check. I made enough money from working to buy the truck I dreamt about in college. Check. Even after I spent all that money on the truck, I was somehow able to get a nice condo with my brother. Check. To me, I have reached or exceed a lot of the goals I had when I was younger and these days I struggle with finding what to do next that will motivate me in the next 25 years of my life. I have this overwhelming feeling of NOW WHAT??? What am I gonna do now that's gonna give meaning/ purpose to my life. I know what isn't gonna do this for me, and that's working. I probably sound like a lazy fool, but I think this is the one thing that I detest the most. I remember being in school and telling some of my classmates, "Yea man, I cant wait till I get out of school so I can get a 9-5 and make some money!". I wish I could build myself a time machine & go back in time to the precise moment when I voiced those misguided opinions to others; so I can kick my ass for being so naive and stupid. Hindsight is a bitch! I LOVE MONEY, but at this early point in my career, I'm not sure what amount of money will offset or outweigh the dread and hate I have for getting up in the morning and going to work. Maybe I'm not making enough right now and I'm just bitter, but I know people that make 3 times as much as me that have pretty much the same sentiments. I was talking to a friend last night and she was asking me : What makes you happy? The fact that I have no clue how to answer this question really bothers me. I have no clue what really makes me happy. The more I thought about this question, the more I started to realize that outside of the occasional sporting event, I really have nothing to look forward to. Sounds odd to say that, but for me this is the case unless you count the fact that I will one day become and old guy with a receding hairline (thanks dad), not be able to stay in shape like I am now and have all the other eventual problems that come with age. The only thing that I really think will give my life purpose and meaning would be to have kids. I think having some kind of positive profound impact on one of my own, would somehow validate this life for me. I sense this every time an old friend calls me asking for work/relationship/ or general advice and im able to help or at least put perspective on things. I like helping people or at least steering them clear of potential disasters. So yea, I think having kids would be my "motivation", but the only problem with that, is that you need this thing called a woman. Im not of big fan of you guys these days. I wont get into this ordeal, but these days you can just call me Ethan Hunt. Because finding & keeping a woman has officially become Mission Impossible. Anyway, this same friend was telling me that maybe I'm feeling this way about life because I'm single. I told her that she may be right, but I don't think someone can make you happy unless you've found a way to make your self happy first. Maybe this is the reason no relationship has really stuck for me. How can you find happiness with someone when you don't have it within yourself? Good question. Wish I had the answer to this one, but i fucking don't. The more things i try, the more things i find that don't make me happy. Ill be sure to let y'all know when Ive figured this one out. Because right now, I have no clue.....

Jumping back to the working subject, I guess I'm starting to see why there are so many small businesses out there. People fed up with working for someone else, thinking if they are their own boss they may actually enjoy what they do more. When you put it that way, it sounds good, right?..........wrong. Even this has its own set of drawbacks. My parents have their own business and its probably gonna drive them to an early grave. Not that I want my parents to leave this earth or anything, but I see the added stress that owning, operating and ultimately being responsible for your own business, has on a person and it seems almost as bad as working for someone else. I work for lack of a better idea. I work because I want to get promoted and make more money ( if i have to work, why not get paid top dollar). I work because if I'm lucky enough to get married, I don't want the bachelor party to be held at Dave & Busters and the reception held at McDonald's. I work because if God blesses my life with a special woman, I want to put a fat rock on her finger and be able to take care of her. I work because someone has to pay for my condo. I work because I like driving my truck. I work because I like to look good in expensive clothes that I don't need. I work because every now and then, girls like to be wined and dined and that shit takes money. I work because if i didn't id probably be another statistic.......because my parents would kill me. I work because it makes my parents proud to have a son that is "doing well". I work because I have student loans to pay back. I work because my brothers will hopefully follow my example. You didn't see "I work because, it makes me happy", because the bottom line is that working really sucks and I'm starting to think that "happiness" is about as real as Santa Claus

Till next time.....

X-Mas Come Early

Jay-Z recently announced plans to drop an a cappella version of his American Gangster album.

The instrumental free American Gangster will be available on Hov's born day - December 4 - the same date as releases from Ghostface Killa, Wyclef Jean and DJ Drama.Hov previously released an a cappella version of 2003's The Black Album which eventually helped launch Gnarls Barkley producer Danger Mouse into the spotlight.Danger Mouse was among a number of DJ's and producers to use the acappella for a mashup - his project The Grey Album set Jigga's vocals over unauthorized samples from The Beatles.The a cappella version of The Black Album spawned numerous remix albums, including Hov's collaboration with Linkin Park for Collision Course, the Mike Shinoda-produced set that remains the only Black Album remix to get an official stamp of approval from Jay-Z.It's still too early to guess how producers and DJ's will put the American Gangster a cappella's to use, but with December 4 right around the corner time will soon tell.

WHOA!!

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Lil' Romeo is headed to Southern California to play basketball.
The teenage hip-hop performer signed a national letter of intent to attend USC on Monday at a news conference held at a posh hotel near Beverly Hills.
Lil' Romeo, an actor and rapper whose full name is Percy Romeo Miller, is currently a senior guard at Beverly Hills High. He averaged 13.9 points and 5.6 assists last season. His father, hip-hop mogul Master P, had tryouts with two NBA teams in the 1990s.
"This is the most important thing I've had to do and hopefully it sends a message to kids across the country that education is more important than money," Miller said at the news conference. "Getting a college scholarship is more important than winning an American Music Award, and I plan to be the best student-athlete I can be at USC."
One recruiting service ranks Miller, a 6-0, 170-pounder, among the top 15 prep point guards in the country.


My take:

I had heard rumors that this kid was nice, but I didnt know he was this good. Getting a scholarship to USC is no small feat. I cant wait to see him play with Mr. Mayo next year. How crazy would that be if he was good enough to go pro? Im old enough to remember the days when Master P had a ten day contract with a couple NBA teams about 10 years ago. Guess he passed his "skills" on to his son. Stay tuned.

Till next time....

When people let you down....

I'm sure this is a topic that we can all relate to on some level. For me, this is something I struggle with almost on a daily basis. I don't know what it is about me that makes me that guy that has to be the one to "Let them make it", "Hold my tongue", or " Give people a "pass" when they let you down", but apparently I'm that guy. I guess I have always been that guy and I'm just now realizing it. When people let me down, in whatever form or fashion that may be, I kind of shut things down and throw the charm/positiveness/energy into neutral and eventually the relationship is lost. If the friendship isnt lost, the innocence usually is and the relationship is never the same. I don't know why I do this, but I guess Ive just trained myself to not give my all in any relationship at the first sign or hint that others may not do the same for me. This year alot of friendships have tapered off because of this.........at an alarming rate. The realist in me, says "Good riddance, you probably didn't need them playing a role in your life anyway". The optimist in me thinks that maybe I should have given them a chance to redeem themselves because most people [generally] are inherently good, just not perfect. I guess the point to all this is, that when I think of the friendships Ive let fall by the waste side, it kinda makes me sad. Not that having a million friends is the end all be all, but when I look at the number of people that I "didn't let slide", "didn't give a pass" or " didnt let make it", it makes me wonder: Is there something wrong with me?? If you are often identified as a person that can let people slide when they f**** up, (not many people can, Mr. Hodridge stand up) why should you always have to? Am I really asking alot by expecting people to treat me the way I would treat them in relationships?
When I get in any type of relationship / friendship, I honestly try to go in with a positive mindset. Ill do my due diligence on the person, (find out if we mesh well, have similar interests ect) & when they have jumped through all those "hoops", Ill call my best friend in Houston and tell him "We got another one". Here lately, Ive been having to make the same phone call and say "We just lost another one". In this world, I think its rare to find true friends that you can relate to and are genuine in there approach to their friendship with you. I guess because of this reason, when I find people that could potentially become great additions to the friendships I already have, it hurts that much more when the test of time proves that they are not. I'm not sure why, but I really take it personally when some one falis to meet my expectations. Maybe I give people these unrealistic expectations that no one can attain. Maybe I am setting myself up for continual disappointment. I read somewhere that "Having realistic expectations for others involves realizing that all of us are less than perfect." While this makes perfect sense, I really don't like the idea of expecting people to F*** up and then being surprised when they don't. I don't want to view the world or people in general in this pessimistic view, but maybe this is the lesson that God has been trying to teach me this year. "Don't expect too much and you ll have peace of mind"

I read this on a friends blog and I think it is very relevant:

"On the rare occasion that reality meets my expectations, one would think I'd be pleasantly surprised….but that is not the case. Why should I be excited about something/someone just meeting my expectations? Do you get excited when your car cranks up? No…because you expect it to run" -SH

I am grateful for the many friendships that I have gained over the last year, but when I look at the ones that were lost or are in danger of being lost, I wonder if hoping people meet my expectations is expecting too much. I wonder, if I had turned the other cheek and overlooked the issue that caused the friendship to be lost, if any of those people would be around today? I wonder why, when people notice you have that other cheek to turn, they continually find ways to slap it? I wonder if maybe I am the problem. I wonder, if I'm the problem, what and where is the solution. I wonder what life would be like if you always expected the worst in people, because you rarely got their best. I wonder how many people reading this are "that guy " and are as tired of this role as I am. Maybe I should expect to be let down from the start and when this happens, I haven't lost; and if my expectations are somehow "exceeded", thats a win. But does anyone really win when you approach relationships this way?

Till next time.....

The Stage Is Set

RAMAT GAN, Israel (AP) - England's bid to qualify for next year's European Championship is still alive.
Israel beat Russia 2-1 Saturday night, preventing the Russians from climbing past the English into second place in Group E with one game remaining.Russia had put itself in control of gaining a berth with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over England in Moscow last month. But now England can qualify with a tie or victory on Wednesday against first-place Croatia at Wembley.
Croatia (8-1-2) clinched a berth because of Israel's win despite a 2-0 loss at Macedonia and leads with 26 points, followed by England (7-2-2) with 23. Russia (6-2-3) is third with 21 but England has the tiebreaker because of a better goal difference in its two games against the Russians.
Russia could have virtually eliminated England by beating Israel but now win at last-place Andorra on Wednesday and hope the English lose.
"Of course we are very, very disappointed," Russia coach Guus Hiddink said. "We were close. We were the team who was dominating the game."
The English enter Wednesday's game missing Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen and John Terry because of injuries and Rio Ferdinand due to a suspension.
Elyaniv Barda gave Israel the lead in 10th minute, but Diniyar Bilyaletdinov tied it in the 61st. Dmitry Sychev, who entered early in the second half, nearly put Russia ahead in the 90th, but his shot hit a post. Omer Golan then just stayed onside when he took a pass in second-half injury time and scored the tie breaking goal.

My take: Prayers were answered on Saturday night. The English are still alive and with a draw on Wednesday they can book their reservations for the Euro 2008. Beckham once again assisted in the goal that put England ahead in their friendly on Friday against Austria. Seems pretty simple. If Beckham had stayed in the team since the World Cup, England wouldn't have to sweat it out on the last day of qualifying. Well the stage is set for another Beckham miracle and I hope he can recreate this moment and prove all the doubters wrong. I still get goose bumps watching this!

Till next time....

Dont talk to me in the bathroom!!!

When did it become ok to try to hold a conversation in the bathroom...........while ur taking a piss? Am I crazy or has traditional bathroom behavior just fallen by the waste side in favor of this bizarre new practice. I can usually make a routine trip to the bathroom without being harassed or even making eye contact with anyone. Well today at my place of employment, a fairly new co-worker decided today was the day to break up my sacred routine. In retrospect, I should have just turned around and went back to my desk as soon as saw this clown in the rest room. I'm sure most of you have those co-workers who you try to avoid, because you know if you acknowledge them, they will trap you in some long drawn out, useless small talk. This is that guy. Anyway, against my better judgment, I walked into the stall and began to release the hounds. I usually drink alot of water through out the day, which meant that I would be standing at the stall an extended period of time. So I'm minding my own business when I hear " Hey Emeka, haven't talked to you in a while, how you been?". In my head, I was asking myself, "Is this guy seriously trying to talk to me right now?". I didn't know what to do. I was shocked and mortified that this guy was holding his johnson in the stall next to me and trying to make eye contact while attempting small talk. We were both using the standing urinal and the divider was too low for me to pretend like I didn't hear him talking to me. I think I stood there with dumb face for about ten seconds before I thought about how to respond. Clever me, I figured that if i ignored him, he would get the hint. WRONG. As I ignored him, I started to feel him staring a hole in the side of my head. Obviously this guy had been drinking alot of water as well and he wanted to chat it up to pass the time. WTF. How come I cant take a piss in peace? When did this shit start? Where do these people come from? I did my best to act like I wasn't phased by this awkward situation and gave him a generic "Just busy". I thought the conversation was over, but this guy came with "Oh really, what are y'all working on"....OMFG!!! Was this really happening?!!! I swear to GOD this was the longest piss Ive ever taken. My mind started working in overdrive trying to figure out what combination of words I could use to defuse the situation. God smiled on me and brought another unfortunate sole into the bathroom right after he asked me that ridiculous question. Thankfully, this new sucker was drawn into small talk and got me off the hook. As I finished up and started washing my hands, I just marveled at the fact that two grown man were talking in the bathroom. I cant be certain, but I think the second guy was on his way to the closed door stall for a number 2.......and he was still talking!!! I think this is just another sign of the Apocalypse........

NEW RULE: No talking or unnecessary eye contact in the bathroom. Handle your business and leave....

Till Next time.....

Holy S***

It seems like Ive been bloggin about sports alot lately. Oh well, I thought this was blog worthy. Enjoy

Foot N Mouth

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has spoken with the Los Angeles Lakers about a comment coach Phil Jackson made following Tuesday night's game in San Antonio.
The Spurs made 13 three-pointers in their 107-92 victory, and Jackson was asked if too much penetration was leading to open outside shooters.
"We call this a Brokeback Mountain game, because there's so much penetration and kickouts," Jackson said. "It was one of those games."
The 2005 film, which won three Oscars, depicts two cowboys who conceal their homosexual affair.
"The remarks are in poor taste, and the Lakers have assured us such remarks will not occur in the future," league spokesman Brian McIntyre said.

Phil Jackson "Apologizes"

No Class

I'm gonna start this post by conceding that the Dallas Cowboys are a good team. They swept my Giants and made it look pretty easy. I want you to know that writing that last sentence was very painful! In summation, Cowboys = Good, Giants = (cock tease)

But you know who isn't good........PATRICK FUCKIN CRAYTON. Who the fuck does this guy think he is? When did this circus come to town? I didn't see any trucks.
This fucking guy is mediocre at best and grabs most of his shine because of the presence of Jason Witten & Terrell Owens. You take those guys off the field and Crayton is sitting next to me at home watching the game. Your probably reading this thinking, damn Emeka is a hater. Well your probably a Cowboy fan so I really don't give a shit. This guys sucks and he embarrasses himself and the Cowboys every time he pulls stunts like this and opens his cock sucking mouth! Look at this guys stats for the year:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6975/gamelog

The way he talks, you'd think he was some Football Jesus walking on water and catching touchdowns. This guy is such a non factor that I'm actually giving him too much shine by blogging about his sorry ass. Here is what Bob Sturm had to say about Crayton the Great:

"Patrick Crayton is a nice 3rd receiver. But, man, when he talks, I believe he thinks he is Owens. I wasn’t crazy about him running his mouth after New England whipped Dallas, didn’t care for his Touchdown reach yesterday, and then he was barking again in the room after the game. I am not sure what it is about Wide Receivers that require them to make complete fools out of themselves, but here is the bottom line…If you are unstoppable like Owens or Moss, then it is your right to be a fool. But, if you are Patrick Crayton, put a skin on the wall before you imitate those who will be in the Hall of Fame."

I'm actually glad that hes doing all this premature barking because one day he will do something stupid besides dropping wide open touchdowns and you Cowboys fools will finally realize what an idiot this guy is. Then Ill personally call each of you and tell you I told you so.

Bottom line is that this guy needs to know his role and SHUT THE FUCK UP!!

Till next time.......

Kanye West @ The LG Action Sports Chamionships

Let me first say, that when we first heard that Kanye West was gonna perform at this event, I wasnt really expecting much. The tickets were $20 bucks and I just figured they were using his name in association with the ASC to get a few extra butts in the seats. Shit, thats the only reason I went. I really dont give a shit about that Actions Sports stuff, but I figured, I waste $20 bucks at some of these usless clubs in Dallas, so what the hell. Hell probably do one or two songs , take a few pictures and be on his way. ILL BE DAMNED IF KANYE DIDNT KILL THAT SHIT ON FRIDAY NIGHT. We got an hour and a half of Kanye and it was off the chain. From the minute he hit the stage the had the crowd going crazy. It was awesome. The whole time I was there, I was wondering, "How the hell did this only cost $20 bucks?" For me, its very seldom that I go anywhere and my expectations are exceeded. Well, you guys can mark this, because for my money, Kanye Went above and beyond all my expectations. For a guy that bitches when he loses awards and always claims hes the best MC of all time, On Friday, November 9, 2007 , he fucking talked the talk and walked the walk. It was a great way to start the weekend. Lord please let my Giants win on Sunday to complete this weekend of awesome-ness.......

You can check out the pics we took here.

Till next time........

LG Action Sports Championships

Went to the LG Action Sports Championships last night and had a great time. Initially i was there to see Kanye West, but I actually enjoyed myself before the concert. Im no expert on this stuff, but I can appreciate the skill and balls it takes to do some of this shit. Flying of a ramp and standing on the seat of motorcycle is pretty awesome when your watching it live. There are no nets. If they fall..........well I think we all saw what happened to ole buddy at the xgames. I think thats what I was really looking for. That guy who takes an extreme risk and busts his ass. Didnt happen though, these guys know what they are doing and it was a pretty cool experience.

Here is another pic of the bmx bikers. They had their "championship" earlier in the year, so the top three came to dallas to perform stunts for the crowd. Like I said before it take alot of guts to do what these guys are doing.....

Huge shout out to my boy Julian who took this pic. This shit was amazing. Fucking camera was low on battery life so it we were very fortunate to get these pics. I think im gonna invest in some rechargeable batteries, because im wasting too much money on bullshit batteries.....

Last Chance??

David Beckham was recalled to the England squad Friday for what could be Steve McClaren's last games as England coach. McClaren admitted he was keen to bring Beckham back into the fold because he wants to draw on as much experience as possible for the Croatia.
"He hasn't played games but is included because, with the likes of Rio Ferdinand and John Terry out, we are lacking experience," McClaren said. "We need big game players and David Beckham is one of them.
"Believe me, this Croatia match will be a big game. I've always believed that. You need your experienced, big-time players in these matches. Before the pivotal Israel-Russia game, England plays a friendly in Austria next Friday, when Beckham will be hoping to add to his 97 caps. Just 15 months into the job, McClaren's prospects of staying on will be bleak if England fails to reach its first major tournament since the 1994 World Cup. The final Group E match against Croatia on Nov. 21 could be meaningless unless Russia fails to win in Israel five days earlier.

My Take:

I along with the other 100 million England fans will be praying hard that Russia slips up against Israel. Having the European Championships without England there will tarnish the whole competition. Everyone knows how good the English are, but for some reason this idiot McClaren cant get it right. This guys jobe cant be that hard. Some of the best players in the world come from England. He should have never taken Beckham out of the team. They wouldnt be in this mess if he had just stuck to the program. Now the English are in danger of becoming the laughing stock of Europe. I really hope Beckham completes his comeback by helping England book their ticket into the Euros and then the FA fire McClaren. Win , lose or draw........this guy has to go!

SWEET REVENGE

As a die hard Giants fan, I strongly advise that every Cowboy fan make a trip to the liquor store this weekend. After the Giants get there revenge and expose Dallas for the pretenders that they are, you idiots will need something to ease the pain.

See ya on Sunday.........

Tuskegee Homecoming 2007: Random Thoughts

This weekend me and a group of my friends took a road trip to Tuskegee, Alabama for their homecoming. My boy Julian and his cousin Shana went to Tuskegee and had been telling us how great homecoming was down there, or up there? ; anyway i had nothing better to do, so what the hell....

Ten Hour Trip......

This might be me being a bych, but every time I go on a road trip and we stop at a gas station, I feel like every weird looking person at the gas station is there to rob the place. I'm serious, every stop we made, I had to take a deep breath before I walked in the station for fear that I was gonna have my year book picture on the channel 4 news as one of the victims in gas station massacre. It didn't help that we did alot of night driving so it was 2 am and 4 am when we made stops. I guess I watch to much local news, but the people that I saw in Louisiana and Mississippi all fit the profile of those crazy bastards that are always getting busted for knocking over gas stations. Aside for my heightened sense of security, the trip to Tuskegee was really uneventful, alot of sleeping, snoring & Kanye West.

Tuskegee America....WTF

(If you like Alabama, go ahead and skip this section now)

So we finally get to Alabama and I wasn't very impressed at all. As you can see from this picture, Alabama is pretty much a shit hole wit a bunch of these random shacks scattered through out the state. I used to think that Oklahoma was the shittiest place on earth, but I think I found the runaway winner. This place is definitely not a tourist destination. Holy Shit.....this picture is indicative of the scenery you ll find in good ole Alabama. Who ever wrote sweet home Alabama, must have been high and stupid, cause there is nothing sweet about this place unless you like unpaved roads, , random horse shit everywhere, shacks and rundown mom & pop shops on every corner......

Tuskegee Homecoming

After showering up, we went to the "yard". For those of you unfamiliar with Greek lingo, this is the common area outside of the student union where all the students & Greeks gather and socialize/strut/catch up with old friends. At Tuskegee they even had local merchants and student organizations selling various items from bootleg videos to frat gear. It was similar to a Big T bizarre or Traders village.They had everything and anything. I even picked up some aviator sunglasses for $5 bucks. The atmosphere was unlike anything Ive ever been apart of. I enjoyed my college experience at UNT, but its was very obvious that I missed out on alot by not attending a Historically Black College. Being on the yard Friday and Saturday and seeing all the activities made the whole trip worth it for me. Apparently Tuskegee has a pretty good football team. They were 8-0 going into Saturdays game. I'm not sure who they played, but the score was 37-0 at halftime. Pretty impressive. The game atmoshpere was interesting because you had people tailgating inside the stadium. Picture an old high school stadium with all the open space around the stands filled wit tents and lawn chairs. All you can eat bar b q at a football game is always a good thing. Special shout out to Charlene Wright for hooking us up with the food at the game. After the game, everyone went back to the yard and all the Greeks gathered around their respective historical landmarks and engaged in various acts of brotherhood/sisterhood. (singing, chanting, praying) It was pretty cool. It was nice to Greek life at another school. Kinda made me wish I had gone through with my own Greek aspirations. Anyway, Shana and Julian`s Tuskegee stories lived up to the hype, because I was very impressed and glad that I was able to make the trip.

Quick Hits...

A) I must have gained 10 pounds this weekend. Is it me, or do you just go crazy on food when you go on trips. Dang, i felt like a food junkie that fell off the wagon. I ate everything and anything within an arms reach. Gonna need two a day work outs to repair tha damage

B) I had a bright idea of going for a run early Saturday morning, and I wish I would have stayed my ass in the house. There weren't many paved roads where we stayed, so i had to run on the highway to the nearest neighborhood with a paved road. Not a good idea. Running in the street is some scary shit. Every time a car passed me, i had to say a prayer and beg God not to let me die in Alabama.

C) So after about 20 minutes of running, I started back toward the house and this fucking stray dog came outta nowhere and chased me down the interstate. I think I must have run a 4.2, because i was running scared! Shit! All I wanted to do was get a decent workout in, and I almost pulled a hamstring and had a heart attack in the process..........moral of the story, wen ur on vacation, stay ur ass on vacation

D) I think i am finally getting old! We went to this college party in Tuskegee and I couldnt recognize one single song they were playing!!? Whats happening to me? I'm looking around and people are singing the words to these songs and I had no fucking clue. Am I that outta touch? Is there a such thing as a quarter life crisis?

E) This picture was probably the best one I took while I was down there. I dont condone what the shirt says, but I think its pretty awesome that she had the balls to wear it.

All in all, I had a great time and this mini vacation was exactly what I needed. We took alot of good pics. Check out the slide show here....

Till next time......