Augustine on God

"You, my God, are supreme, utmost in goodness, mightiest and all powerful, most merciful and most just.... You are unchangeable and yet you change all things. You are never new, never old, and yet all things have new life from you. You're ever active, yet always at rest. You gather all things to yourself, though you suffer no need. You support, you fill, and you protect all things. You create them, nourish them, and bring them to perfection. You seek to make them your own, though you lack for nothing. You love your creatures, but with a gentle love. You treasure them, but without apprehension. You can be angry and yet serene. Your works are varied, but your purpose is one and the same.... You are my God, my life, my holy delight, but is this enough to say of you? Can any man say enough when he speaks of you? Yet woe betide those who are silent about you! For even those who are most gifted with speech cannot find words to describe you."



Confessions, 1.4

The 10 Spot: Ten Thoughts on the Weekend that was...

1. USC is really, really good. This might be the best team in the Pete Carroll era in Los Angeles. Mark it down. They're deep. They're fast. They're athletic. They're smart. I'm not saying the Trojans are a lock for the National Championship, but I am saying they are a lock to be there barring a rash of injuries.

2. Ohio State will lose two, maybe even three, more games. You can mark that down. They have been exposed, yet again. Only (thankfully) this time it came before the Big Game.

3. The Sweater (Jim Tressel) has to be kicking himself for letting Beanie Wells get hurt. But he shouldn't kick himself too much. Even with Wells, OSU would've only scored one more touchdown.

4. There is now a Quarterback controversy in Columbus.

5. Georgia Tech is better than I thought they'd be. They could've beaten Va Tech, and they still have a chance to be in the mix for the ACC title.

6. Why can't Georgia ever whip the Gamecocks? Without some timely Defense, Georgia would be on the outside looking in at their National Title hopes, and it's only week three. Steve Spurrier must have some spies in Athens. That's the only way I can figure that he always has our number. UGA AD Damon Evans needs to start playing Joseph McCarthy and start a "Committee on Un-UGA Activities" in Athens.

7. Expect a beat down next week in Tempe. After slipping twice now in the polls despite having a 3-0 record, Georgia's got a chip on their shoulder that might be that extra push to get them to the next level.

8. Don't expect the Sun Devils tuck tail and run though. This will be the second-straight week that the Bulldogs are facing an opponent a week after they were upset: South Carolina was upset by Vandy in week 2 and A.State by UNLV this week. What does this mean? Georgia's opponents are coming in with something to prove. What else does it mean? Simply this: Bad Timing for Georgia. With both South Carolina and Arizona State we've got the same scenario: Win, and you get nothing because you were supposed to win - everyone looks at the previous week and sees the glaring loss (to Vandy or UNLV, respectively) and thinks the Dogs' opponents are weaker than they are in reality. Lose, and well, your season's over. It's really a no win. So Arizona State's gonna put up a good fight. But watch out for a beat down. It could get ugly.

9. The commentators at the end of the UGA-USC game were exactly right: this is the kind of victories a team's got to have to be a championship team. If you can win on your worst day, you've got a quality team.

10. ESPN has annointed USC, Oklahoma and Missouri as the "Big Three" in college football for this season. Not one SEC team in their short list. I find it interesting that the best conference in the land doesn't get a nod for having a top team. Thus, the curse of the SEC. The best teams in the country play in the same conference and beat up (literally) on each other, week in and week out. So good that they play themselves out of the top-teir talk. Fortunately though, that's all it is: talk. At the end of the day, the last man standing in this league legitimately has claim to at least a spot in the National Title game. Everybody knows it. So let the talking heads talk. Let them anoint their Big Three. Heck, watch them even try to toss Ohio State back in the mix in November. That's what the boys do in Bristol. But run USC, Oklahoma, Mizzou, Ohio State, Texas, whoever, run 'em through the SEC schedule and see how many come out unscathed. In a bet we'll never get to test, I've got good money that says only one of those would. And that's the team I listed at the top of this post.

Obama / Biden

Did you see the AP column about the Barack's choice for a VP? Take a gander at this title:

"Biden pick shows lack of confidence".

Here's what Ron Fournier had to say: (Here's a hint ... it wasn't a favorable column.)

"The candidate of change went with the status quo.

"In picking Sen. Joe Biden to be his running mate, Barack Obama sought to shore up his weakness — inexperience in office and on foreign policy — rather than underscore his strength as a new-generation candidate defying political conventions.

"He picked a 35-year veteran of the Senate — the ultimate insider — rather than a candidate from outside Washington, such as Govs. Tim Kaine of Virginia or Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas; or from outside his party, such as Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska; or from outside the mostly white male club of vice presidential candidates. Hillary Rodham Clinton didn’t even make his short list.

"The picks say something profound about Obama: For all his self-confidence, the 47-year-old Illinois senator worried that he couldn’t beat Republican John McCain without help from a seasoned politician willing to attack. The Biden pick is the next logistical step in an Obama campaign that has become more negative — a strategic decision that may be necessary but threatens to run counter to his image.

...

"So the question is whether Biden’s depth counters Obama’s inexperience — or highlights it?
After all, Biden is anything but a change agent, having been in office longer than half of all Americans have been alive. Longer than McCain.

...

"And there’s the 2007 ABC interview in which Biden said he would stand by an earlier statement that Obama was not ready to serve as president.

"It seems Obama is worried that some voters are starting to agree."

You can read it all here.

I'm not going to do a whole Barack-bash here, but I will say this: The Senator's campaign has gotten more and more off-track, which could be because as he realizes that there really is no track when your only platform is "change".

And the Biden pick, while helping in one sense, as stated above really hurts in another sense. It's an illogical logical pick. In one move, Obama both strengthened and weakened his ticket. Not what you need when you dwindled to a one-point lead.

Barack's fading fast. And Biden won't be able to save him.

"In Christ"

Just a quick good word from John Murray, author of Redemption Accomplished and Applied. I thought about this chapter cited below as I read - and was moved by - Galatians 3:26-29 this morning.

The incredible news of the gospel - All the blessings that come to you as a Christian come because you stand "in Christ", that is, so deeply connected in the Son of God that as the Father looks on Christ you are seen in Him, that all the love and blessings the Father gives to Christ are given to you because you are so deeply one with Christ.
(A side note - this has major implications on our view of other believers -- race, social status, etc... every dividing wall of man is broken down based on this... Gal 3:28)

Murray:
"... Nothing is more central or basic than union and communion with Christ.
"... union with Christ has its source in the election of God the Father before the foundation of the world and it has its fruition in the glorification of the sons of God. The perspective of God's people is not narrow; it is broad and it is long. It is not confined to space and time; it has the expanse of eternity. Its orbit has two foci, one the electing love of God the Father in the counsels of eternity, the other glorification with Chrst in the manifestation of His glory. The former has no beginning, the latter has no end. Glorification with Christ at His coming will be but the beginning of a consummation that will encompass the ages. 'So we shall ever be with the Lord' (1 Thess. 4:17). It is a perspective with a past and with a future, but neither the past nor the future is bounded by what we know as our temporal history. And because temporal history falls within such a perspective it has meaning and hope. What is it that binds past and present and future together in the life of faith and in the hope of glory? What does the believer entertain the thought of God's determinate counsel with such joy? What can he have patience in the perplexities and adversities of the present? Why can he have confident assurance with reference to the future and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God? It is because he cannot think of past, present or future apart from union with Christ. It is union with Christ now in the virtue of His death and the power of His resurrection that certifies Him to the reality of His election in Christ before the foundation of the world--he is blessed by the Father with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ just as he was chosen in Christ from eternal ages (cf. Eph. 1:3, 4). And he has the seal of an eternal inheritance because it is in Christ that he is sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise as the earnest of his inheritance unto the redemption of the purchased possession (cf. Eph 1:13, 14). Apart from union with Christ we cannot view past, present or future with anything but dismay and Christless dread. By union with Christ the whole complexion of time and eternity is changed and the people of God may rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory."

"Seminarians" as Healthy Church Members

Thabiti Anyabwile (who will speak at the SEBTS chapel service on Tuesday, Sept 23) recently gave an interview on his new book, What is a Healthy Church Member?

In the interview, he answers one question that stood out to me in particular, "How can seminary students be healthy church members?"

Here's Thabiti's response:

"Seminarians should think of themselves primarily as church members, not 'seminarians.' I think a lot of men see themselves as ‘tweeners levitating somewhere between their previous church and the church or mission field they’re headed towards. They’re in a kind of suspended animation. And often a seminarian can suffer spiritually as they float out their in academic space somewhere. The church suffers too without their gifting and service.

It will be tempting to think of their studies as a special status that obviates their relationship to and responsibilities in the local church. But they are primarily Christians, and as such should be active in a local church body as members not seminarians. We don’t excuse other college students from the expectation that they should be active in a local fellowship; and we shouldn’t do it with seminarians either. So, they should join a local church and plant roots. They may be leaving in a few years but learning to love a church quickly will help them learn to love new members quickly when they’re pastors or when serving in highly transient areas.

And ... students should be humble and patient, avoid judging others and asserting unimportant preferences. They should see the church as the main classroom of Christ, and the classroom as an auxiliary. Given that, they should seek to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. And by God’s grace, they will as they humbly receive the word (Jam. 1:21), receive grace through the various administrations of God’s gifts (1 Peter 4:10-11), and are equipped for service until they reach maturity in Christ, the Head (Eph. 4:11-16)."

(HT: Justin Taylor)

Clemson Football, Revisited

Here's the question: can someone change what he wrote in this blog-world of ours?

I'm going to be man enough to say I made a mistake. I went the easy way out in my last post in regards to Clemson football, and essentially was called out about it by my boy Patrick. I looked at the Tigers' team, didn't think they could pull out an 11-1 year, but also didn't really know who they'd lose to. I don't really think that the Purple and Orange will lose to the Crimson Tide, and I was very unsure about it when I posted the prediction.

It seems more likely that Clemson will be Clemson, they'll lose to someone they shouldn't lose to. They'll scare the Clemson faithful, Bowden will be on the hotseat again, but he'll pull through.

Sound familiar? It should. That's Clemson football. That's what they do best.

Only this year it will be different. This year the Tigers are going to take the ACC. This year is their year. The conference is weak. They've got a great QB in Cullen Harper. They've got CJ Spiller and James Davis, "who may be the best tailback combo in all of college football," according to Tony Barnhart of the AJC. (Of course, the unknown is Caleb King, UGA's number 2 behind Knowshon. These boys, as long as they can stay out of jail, may give the Tiger tailbacks a run for that distinction.)

Clemson this year will go 10-2, win the ACC and play in a BCS bowl in January.

But who will the boys fall to? Duke? Virginia? South Carolina (Gasp!)?

I'm saying it's going to be Wake Forest. That's going to make it a tough go for the Tigers to come out of their division to the championship game, but in the mess of the ACC, Clemson will get help from outside to make sure FSU and WF don't get to Tampa.

So, the revised look:

Clemson, 10-2:
vs. Alabama (Atlanta) .... Win
vs. The Citadel ................ Win
vs. NC State .................... Win
vs. SC State ..................... Win
vs. Maryland ................... Win
at Wake Forest ............... Loss
vs. Georgia Tech ............. Win
at Boston College ............ Win
at Florida State ............... Loss
vs. Duke ........................... Win
at Virginia ........................ Win
vs. South Carolina .......... Win

ACC Championship, Dec 6, Tampa:
vs. Virginia Tech ............ Win

And on the Alabama game, my suggestion is take Alabama against the spread, but Clemson wins.

Hope my "flip-flop" isn't too much of a blunder. If it is, then I guess I only lose three readers. 100% of my audience, yes, but still a small number.

Football Free-For-All!

In response to the AJC's Mark Bradley, here are my football picks for the Falcons, Jackets and Dawgs (plus Clemson and USC) for 2008, "The Year of the Dawg."

Atlanta Falcons, 6-10:
vs. Detroit ...................... Win
at Tampa Bay ................ Lose
vs. Kansas City .............. Lose
at Carolina ...................... Lose
at Green Bay .................. Lose
vs. Chicago ...................... Win
at Philadelphia ............... Lose
at Oakland ..................... Win
vs. New Orleans ............ Lose
vs. Denver ...................... Lose
vs. Carolina .................... Win
at San Diego .................... Lose
at New Orleans .............. Lose
vs. Tampa Bay ............... Win
at Minnesota .................. Lose
vs. St. Louis .................... Win

Georgia Tech, 5-7:
vs. Jacksonville State ... Win
at Boston College .......... Lose
at Virginia Tech ............ Lose
vs. Mississippi State .... Lose
vs. Duke ......................... Win
vs. Gardner-Webb ....... Win
at Clemson ..................... Lose
vs. Virginia (HC) ........... Win
vs. Florida State ............ Lose
at North Carolina .......... Lose
vs. Miami ....................... Win
at Georgia ...................... Lose

Georgia, 11-1 (Reg Season):
vs. Georgia Southern .... Win
vs. Central Michigan ..... Win
at South Carolina ........... Win
at Arizona State ............. Win
vs. Alabama .................... Win
vs. Tennessee ................. Win
vs. Vanderbilt (HC) ....... Win
at LSU ............................. Win
at Florida (Jville) ........... Win
at Kentucky .................... Win
at Auburn ....................... Lose
vs. Georgia Tech ............ Win

vs. Auburn, SEC Championship Game .... Win
vs. Ohio State, National Championship ... Win

Clemson, 10-2:
vs. Alabama (Atlanta) .... Lose
vs. The Citadel ................ Win
vs. NC State .................... Win
vs. SC State ..................... Win
vs. Maryland ................... Win
at Wake Forest ............... Win
vs. Georgia Tech ............. Win
at Boston College ............ Win
at Florida State ............... Lose
vs. Duke ........................... Win
at Virginia ........................ Win
vs. South Carolina .......... Win

vs. Virginia Tech, ACC Championship Game .... Win

South Carolina, 7-5:
vs. NC State .................... Win
at Vanderbilt ................... Win
vs. Georgia ...................... Lose
vs. Wofford ...................... Win
vs. UAB ........................... Win
at Mississippi .................. Win
at Kentucky .................... Win
vs. LSU ............................ Lose
vs. Tennessee ................. Lose
vs. Arkansas ................... Win
at Florida ......................... Lose
at Clemson ....................... Lose

What to watch for:
Ga Tech vs. Duke: The Blue Devils, under new headcoach David Cutcliff, are better than advertised. The Techies pull out a win late in the 4th.

Georgia - Florida: A 1 vs. 2 matchup in Jacksonville, this one won't need the buildup and hype that the media machine will give it, replaying last year's endzone dance over and over in the week prior to the Cocktail Party. Florida puts up a tough first half, but Georgia wins by 12.

Georgia at Auburn: There's no way the Dogs are making it undefeated through this schedule, but they're going to surprise most by making it this far. Toomer's Corner is rolled like never before after the Dogs lose a tight one to the Tigers (But get sweet redemption a couple weeks later in Atlanta.)

Clemson - Alabama: The Georgia Dome (now clad in Red and Black ... sorry Tide and Tigers, the Dogs own the Dome) is packed for the first annual Redneck Bowl, and Saban's Tide puts a damper on Clemson's high hopes as Alabama wins by three.

Clemson at Florida State: The elder Bowden wins his last Bowden Bowl.

South Carolina at Clemson: Clemson wins, but Spurrier's still not on the hot seat. Seems as if USC will never get over the hump. Spurrier considers retirement after the Music City Bowl.

Thoughts on the Braves

The good news is that we (that is, Braves fans) may see something like this again one day:


That was, for the uneducated, catcher Greg Olson leaping into the receiving arms of John Smoltz in 1991 as the Braves clinched a tie for the NL West pennant (later that day winning outright when the Dodgers lost to the Giants). The Braves famously went on to play in the "Greatest Series Ever Played", losing to the Twins, but becoming the first team to have the worst record in baseball in one season (65-97 in 1990) and advancing to the World Series in the next.

The good news, the only good news, from this week is that we may get to see something like that again. But it ain't gonna happen this year.

But there's light in the Tex-for-Kotchman trade. We just landed a solid defensive firstbaseman who is 25. He seems to be a .280/15-20 HR/80 RBI guy, which isn't great, but is serviceable. (Sid Bream, the Braves 1B in that 1991 season, hit .253/11/45 and .261/10/61 in '92.) And we've got Kotchman under contract through 2011.

And then there's cap space. The Braves just cleared plenty of it. Tex is making $12,500,000 this season. Kotchman? He's taking home a paltry 1.5 million.

What does that mean?

One of two things have to happen now: Either the Braves go for broke next season or we move to a serious rebuilding mode.

Option A, my favorite, is attractive because realistically we have a small window in which we can make a serious run. Here's the skinny:

Hudson's out for the rest of this year with elbow surgery, but looking to next year he's coming back fresh in July 2009 for his final few months with the Braves. That's like adding a legitimate number-1 starter at the trade deadline, ready for a possible final push.

We know Chipper's always battling injuries, but we also know that when he's healthy, he's still a force to be reckoned with at the plate. The man's a gamer, and while his days as a full-time starter are numbered, he's still got a couple more years in him. I think.

Smoltzie's gone for this year, but he's a competitor, and he's going to want to go out on his terms. That means, not retiring because of shoulder surgery. This man has altered his pitching style so many times he's probably lost count. I'm betting he'll do what it takes to make one last go at a full season. A season as a closer, no less, which means our ninth-inning troubles should be shored up next year.

We've got Kelly & Yunel rounding out the infield and one of the game's great young catchers in McCann. We've got a young guy named Jordan Schafer coming up in the outfield. And I'm hoping, hoping that Frenchy figures out how to be "The Natural" again.

That said, we've got cap space and a ownership group who has verbally committed to increasing salary, and we need a legit number one starter (Ben Sheets?) and another mid-rotation guy to go along with Jair. And we need a corner outfielder.

The Kotchman trade cleared the way for all of that.

Or, we can take Option B: rebuild.

The good news: we've got the building blocks in place. We've got good, young talent in six of the eight everyday positions. But we'll need to build some pitching. And that takes time. And so, if we go that route, it won't be long before the Braves are finishing behind the Nationals (the Nationals!).

But then, maybe one day, one glorious day, we'll see a catcher leap for joy in the arms of a young pitcher as the Braves return to glory.

Good thoughts...

From Ray Ortlund:

I believe in the sovereignty of God, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Solas of the Reformation, I believe that grace precedes faith in regeneration. Theologically, I am Reformed. Sociologically, I am simply a Christian – or at least I want to be. The tricky thing about our hearts is that they can turn even a good thing into an engine of oppression. It happens when our theological distinctives make us aloof from other Christians. That’s when, functionally, we relocate ourselves outside the gospel and inside Galatianism. The Judaizers in Galatia did not see their distinctive – the rite of circumcision – as problematic. They could claim biblical authority for it in Genesis 17 and the Abrahamic covenant. But their distinctive functioned as an addition to the all-sufficiency of Jesus himself. Today the flash point is not circumcision. It can be Reformed theology. But no matter how well argued our position is biblically, if it functions in our hearts as an addition to Jesus, it ends up as a form of legalistic divisiveness.

Here's the conclusion:

My Reformed friend, can you move among other Christian groups and really enjoy them? Do you admire them? Even if you disagree with them in some ways, do you learn from them? What is the emotional tilt of your heart – toward them or away from them? If your Reformed theology has morphed functionally into Galatian sociology, the remedy is not to abandon your Reformed theology. The remedy is to take your Reformed theology to a deeper level. Let it reduce you to Jesus only. Let it humble you. Let this gracious doctrine make you a fun person to be around. The proof that we are Reformed will be all the wonderful Christians we discover around us who are not Reformed. Amazing people. Heroic people. Blood-bought people. People with whom we are eternally one – in Christ alone.

HT: Justin Taylor

SBC roll call

Here's an interesting piece from Ted Olsen on the recent SBC resolution on regenerate church membership. The numbers are eye-opening to the current state of SBC churches.

Check it out here.



HT: Justin Taylor

Saturday Afternoon in Athens

The following is a post I made in reply to Bryan Barley's rundown of College Football's Greatest entrances, in which he left off UGA. (And a few others of note - Clemson, FSU...see the other replies.) Just thought I'd share this here as well....

Brook Whitmire's voice booms over the loudspeaker in Sanford Stadium and 92,746 are summoned to their feet.

"It's Saturday afternoon in Athens!"

They've spent the past two hours at the Dog Walk, lining the way between Lumpkin Street and the Bridge with red and black. The team has walked the walk, looking the Bulldog Nation in the eyes as they prepare for the game ahead.

The Redcoat Band now stands Between the Hedges as Whitmire's voice fills the air. Then, there in the southwest corner of the stadium, a lone trumpet soloist stands, and the Battle Hymn of the Bulldog Nation begins.

Larry Munson's voice now, distinct and raspy as ever, comes over the speakers while the images of Bulldog greats - Herschel Walker, Vince Dooley, Erk Russell, Lindsey Scott, Kevin Butler, Eric Zeier, Champ Bailey, Robert Edwards, David Greene, Boss Bailey, Mussa Smith, Thomas Davis, Matthew Stafford - roll on the screen. Lindsey Scott's crushing 80-yard TD run on Florida in 1980. Herschel's legs pumping through Tennessee in his freshman campaign. Dooley getting carried off the field on shoulders - "Look at the Sugar falling out of the sky!" Verron Haynes stomping on the Volunteer's face with his hobnail boot. David Pollack stripping and recovering for the TD against the Gamecocks. Michael Johnson leaping over Auburn to capture the TD and the SEC East.

All this to The Voice of the Bulldogs, in his legendary style, and on the backdrop of the Battle Hymn:

"Heroes have graced the field before, with the hearts, bodies and minds of which the Bulldog Nation can be justifiably proud. The tradition of unbridled excellence demonstrated by these, whose memory spans more than a full century. And now a new breed of Bulldog stands ready to take the field abound to assume the reigns of the Georgia forebearers and continue that tradition, understanding that there is no tradition more worthy of envy, no institution more worthy of such loyalty, as the University of Georgia. As we prepare for another meeting Between the Hedges, let all the Bulldog faithful rally behind the men who now wear the Red and Black, with two words, two simple words which express the sentiment of the entire Bulldog Nation..."

And 93,000 fans, filling the stadium and bridge, yell at the top of their lungs, in exact unison with Redcoat Band,

"Go Dogs!"

I'm not saying that Sanford Stadium has the greatest single moment of entrance, but I challenge anybody to give me a greater two hours leading up to game time than you'll find on any fall Saturday afternoon in Athens.

Mars and the Watts

Two places to go... or not to go, really... whatever.

The first, check out NASA's mission to Mars. This is pretty incredible, if you ask me. I had a great uncle who died a few years ago in his 90's. He swore up and down that we never sent men to the moon, but that in fact they just walked around in the Arizona desert. I wonder what he'd think about a robot on the Red Planet...

Here's NASA's Mars Pheonix site.

The second is probably not worth your time, but I had to go for the name's sake. I saw it on a banner ad on CNN today. I think it's the first banner ad I've ever visited.

Here it is: www.SaveTheWatts.com. Awesome. They're trying to save my family.

You really might not want to visit it. It's about energy conservation or some junk like that...

The 10 Spot

Ten random thoughts... No rhyme or reason...

10. I've just found the worst broadcast combination in Baseball, Darren Sutton and Mark Grace of Fox Sports. Yes, worse than Joe Morgan. At least he has Jon Miller to support him. Listening to Darren Sutton and Mark Grace is like listening to Joe Morgan broadcasting with his partner, Joe Morgan. I'm watching the Diamondbacks at the Braves right now on Fox and I promise you I just heard Darren Sutton say "Corky Miller. One of the great names in baseball. First name Corky. Last name Miller." Wow Darren! What insight! And Mark Grace. I kid you not, a batter comes up, his numbers are put on the screen, and it's like the first time Grace has seen his stats. Corky Miller's .100 BA, 0 HRs and 3 RBI come on the screen and a second later Mark gracefully adds "Man, he's not having a great year at the plate." Good eye, Mark. Good eye.


Oh, and they seriously said about Randy Johnson, "He's not your father's big unit." What? Can they say that on daytime t.v.?

9. Speaking of Joe Morgan, be sure to check out his website, http://www.firejoemorgan.com/, "Where Bad Sports Journalism Comes to Die." I wonder if Jon Miller secretly contributes to this site.

8. Even with the bad broadcasters, at least I'm getting to watch the Braves. It's just the second time since I moved to North Carolina that I've been able to catch them on the tube. It's like a piece of me has died.


7. My fantasy baseball team, Donkey's Jawbone, is doing poorly, as July Johnson would say. After sitting pretty in first for a few days, I've hovered around fifth, about 19 points back of the leader, for the last week or so. Not good. It's just a run of bad luck. I'm still banking on it turning around.

6. I spent my first two picks on Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. Last year's stats: Fielder, .288, 119 RBI, 50 HRs; Cabrera, .320, 119 RBI, 34 HRs. So far this year: Fielder, .265, 24 RBI, 6 HRs; Cabrera, .283, 26 RBI, 7 HRs.

Cabrera's projected to finish with 24 HRs, 89 RBI and Fielder's looking at 21 HRs and 82 RBI.

5. Fielder's gotta start eating meat again.

4. My catcher is Gerald Laird. He looks like this:

Allow me now to introduce you to a friend of mine, Will ElLaissi. He looks like this:

You decide.

3. Oh, and I'm probably in fifth place because Gerald Laird is my catcher.

2. The Braves are 1.5 games behind the Marlins. The Marlins. The Mets are crashing hard and are now facing distractions from their manager. The Phillies remembered they're the Phillies and only won last year because the Mets lost. I think the Nationals quit playing games sometime around the first week of April.

The Braves are going to win the East.

1. In two games against each other this year, Tim Hudson is 2-0 against Johan Santana. Which is amazing, because if you listened to ESPN in the offseason you would have thought Santana was immortal. Turns out he's just a Met.

Global Warming?

There's a petition out that's been signed by over 31,000 scientists, including over 9,000 with PhD's, denying that "global warming" is caused by manmade greenhouse gases.

I'd be interested to see Al Gore's response. Maybe he'll sign it too in order to not feel guilty about his house, the one that used twice as much electricity one month than the average household uses in an entire year. (Check it out.)

Here's the text though for anyone who is interested:

"We urge the United States government to reject the global warming agreement that was written in Kyoto, Japan in December 1997, and any other similar proposals. The proposed limit on greenhouse gases would harm the environment, hinder the advance of science and technology, and damage the health and welfare of mankind.

There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the earth's atmosphere and disruption of the earth's climate. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial upon the natural plant and animal environments of the earth."

You can go to their site here.

The implications of this are big. This many scientists, going against mainstream thought, will cause tidal waves of ripple effects. Stay tuned...

The heart of it all

So I'm in the heart of Paul's word on justification before God by faith as opposed to works. And I thought I'd share some of Mr. Murray's words again this morning that proved to be incredibly encouraging to me.

In making his point from the Old Testament that justification has ALWAYS been by faith, not works, Paul recalls both Abraham and David. After quoting Genesis 15:6, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness" Paul proves that "to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness."

And it keeps getting better.

Paul continues, "just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: (citing David in Psalm 32 now) 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.'"

And now John Murray's thoughts:
"What David spoke of in terms of the non-imputation and forgiveness of sin Paul interprets (in the preceding verse, verse 6) more positively as the imputation of righteousness."

"(Paul) is dealing with justification by faith in opposition to works. Nothing could be more illustrative of this than the pronouncement that the blessed man is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and to whom the Lord does not impute sin. For what is contemplated in this pronouncement is not good works but the opposite, iniquities and sin. And the blessed man is not the man who has good works laid to his account but whose sins are not laid to his account. David's religion, therefore, was not one determined by the concept of good works but by that of gracious remission of sin, and the blessedness, regarded as the epitome of divine favour, had no affinity with that secured by works of merit."

In the gospel of God's grace, the unmistakable indentifying feature for anyone who believes (anyone!) is not that God forgives just his sins. It's not that God just credits him for his own good works and says that's enough. No, it is far better than both. It's that God forgives his sins and gives him all the goodness and reward that deservedly belongs to Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:21, "(God) made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." And in the words of Jonathan Edwards, "What sin was it? Why that sin that was in us. So we are made the righteousness of God. But what righteousness of God is it that we are made? Why that which was in Christ."

And so I hope we say with the father in Mark 9:24, "I believe! Help my unbelief!"

Why Barack Obama is not an option

Here is a clip of Mr. Obama addressing Planned Parenthood in July, 2007. (Clip starts at about nine seconds.)



The first ten minutes is enough to see his perspective. In the clip he defends very passionately the "right" to choice, the freedom to choose abortion. He says "On this fundamental issue, I will not yield" and in discussing the recent gains that pro-life advocates have made in the Supreme Court, he says "This is what is at stake in this election" (the ability to reverse some of these recent trends, and the fear that if not, pro-lifers will win out).

Keep in mind also that Mr. Obama is not just discussing abortion. He is defending partial-birth abortion as a legitimate option for women. In his condemnation of the Court's decision in Gonzales v. Carhart, which upheld the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, he is arguing for partial-birth abortion, the bringing of the child out of the womb before taking it's life.

Barack's view is that Abortion is all about the opportunity for the woman to have the same life as the man, that the fundamental issue is opportunity for her. While I believe in the right for women to live that kind of life, and agree wholeheartedly that the woman's life is just as valuable, just as meaningful, just as impactful as that of a male, it is a complete smokescreen to make that the central issue in abortion.

If two people, a male and a female, want their life to have the utmost opportunity for success, then they need to plan before sexual intercourse what will be the best path for that success, not make that plan as a reaction. Today, 50% of abortions are the couple's only means of birth-control. If we're talking about opportunity for success, our society, male and female, needs to be responsible, not careless. And let me be clear, the onus for this falls on both the male and the female. When they fail at this, the government and our society does not need to pat them on the back and tell them all will be well after this "procedure," we need to love them and care for them and help them make the best decisions to care for this new life while building their own lives as well.

This is what is at stake in this election. Not the right to choice, but the right to life. How can we consciously place the emphasis on choice? How can we in good conscious say that this is not about a new life, but about a mere preference for the mother? To borrow from Mark Driscoll, how can some in our society call for the end of a war because they don't want terrorists to die, but be agreeable with the killing thousands of children here in our own nation? How can some make the conservation of nature their battleground while agreeing with the murder of children?

This is not about choice. It is about life. This election is not about the kind of "change" America needs if Barack Obama is the author of that change. A man who stands so passionately for the murder of the unborn and so callously calls it mere choice is not the kind of man that America needs writing policy.

Wanting the right kind of change,
Bert

HT: Justin Taylor

Hey Barry! You want some cheese with that whine?

Barry Bonds is back. Well, back in the news. Not in baseball. And that's what the news is all about. Earlier this week, the MLB Players Association filed "expressed concern" over the lack of any offers to certain free agents, specifically Barry Bonds, intimating their belief that the ownwers are acting in collusion, a big no-no.

Let's see, Barry Bonds is the only player named in a concern filed for several unsigned players. Does anybody think Barry himself isn't directly behind this?

But collusion? Seriously, Barry. You must be a moron. It doesn't take collusion to keep you off the field. It takes just a little thing we thinking humans like to call "reason".

Let's say I'm an owner.

Hmm. Barry Bonds is available. I've got a need for a DH. (Even though I hate the DH and wish I owned an National League team and we played real baseball. But I digress.) So I need a DH and Barry Bonds is available.

Barry. Home Run King. .480 OBP last season. Career .607 slugging pct. 762 career dingers. Over 1000 more walks than strikeouts in his career. Potent offensive threat, even at age 43.

But then there's Barry. Indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice. He's the King alright, the King of Performance-Enhancing Drugs. Most hated man in baseball. Fans hate him. The media's all over him. And he doesn't help the situation.

Let's see. I could hire a stop-gap DH who might get 75 rbi over the rest of the season, but who would also bring me the more negative publicity than if I killed a puppy on the pitcher's mound. I think I'll look elsewhere.

And so it goes. It's not collusion, Barry. It's just that you cheated, and got caught, and everybody knows it except you. You're not getting hired because the cons far outweigh the pros of your employment. So move to Florida, play bingo and get used to the retirement life.

John Murray on Romans 1:17 - "It is a God-righteousness."

Romans 1:17 - For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith...

"It is a 'God-righteousness.' Because it is such, God is its author; it is a righteousness that meets all the demands of His justice and therfore avails before God. But the particular emphasis rests upon its divine property and is therefore contrasted not only with human unrighteousness but with human righteousness. Man-righteousness, even though [or, even if it were...] perfect and measuring up to all the demands of God's perfection, would never be adequate to the situation created by our sins. This is the glory of the gospel; as it is God's power operative unto salvation [verse 16] so is it God's righteousness superveing upon our sin and ruin. And it is God's power operative unto salvation because the righteousness of God is dynamically made manifest unto our justification. Nothing serves to point up the effectiveness, completeness, and irrevocableness of the justification which it is the apostle's purpose to establish and vindicate than this datum set forth at the outset--the righteousness which is unto justification is one characterized by the perfection belonging to all that God is and does. It is a 'God-righteousness.'"

-John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans, p. 31

Take a look...

If you'll notice, I've added several new links on the right sidebar. These are some great sites that I visit on occassion and seem to always be encouraged by them.

Also, just to keep some perspective on what matters, there's the new "Unreached People of the Day" insert as well. Let me challenge you to this - if you're here, and you believe in prayer and the God of the Bible, take a minute and pray for this group to be reached with the Gospel of Christ. JoshuaProject.net is the homesite for this feature, it's a great resource for updates on the progress of reaching the world with the gospel, as is Operation World.

Matthew 24:14 - And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Al Mohler on Obama's "Functional" View of Faith

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=1131

On the Convictions Side...

"I believe the potential for life begins at conception," Democratic presidential nominee and former first lady Hillary R. Clinton said last night. "For me, it is also not only about a potential life. It is about the other lives involved. ... I have concluded, after great, you know, concern and searching my own mind and heart over many years, ... that individuals must be entrusted to make this profound decision, because the alternative would be such an intrusion of government authority that it would be very difficult to sustain in our kind of open society."

The AP story went on to say that she "added that abortion should remain legal, safe and rare."

That's an interesting point of view, Hillary. What exactly is "potential for life"? Is it something like life? Scientifically, is there a scale somewhere that gives a timeline from "Able to produce life" to "Potential to life" to "Actual Life"?

That's actually none of it. Allow me to translate: "I believe the potential for life begins at conception" = "I believe I can dupe conservatives into thinking I said 'life begins at conception' and actually keep my abortion views that are inconsistent with that sentiment at the same time. Genius!"

She meant to say, "I have actually concluded, after great, you know, counsel from my advisers an hour ago about the most politcally winsome thing to say about abortion."

That's politics. So it goes.

But, Hillary. Are you serious? "Individuals must be trusted to make this profound decision, because the alternative would be such an intrusion of government authority that it would be very difficult to sustain in our kind of open society."

Let's look at this from her standpoint, the "Potential for Life" view.

If this view wins the day, then one day relatively soon, trust me, we will be in a society where "Potential for Life" (and it's okay to terminate "potential" life) will include the severely mentally handicapped. The "girl who can never grow up" would be terminated. (And she's already in today's society undergone a highly debated procedure... there's a great point made in the first paragraph under "Reactions" in the link.)

What is the "Potential for Life" Hillary? How do you define it? You say it begins at conception. You say it's okay to terminate this potential. What about when someone else defines "potential" as someone who doesn't have the "potential" to live a normal life?

And abortion should remain "rare"? Has she seen the numbers, that there have been almost 50,000,000 abortions since 1973? Is Fifty-Million in 35 years "Rare"?

Statistics wasn't her strong suit at Wellesley.

The feel good thing to say is that America needs to wake up. The American people need to decide for themselves what's right and what's wrong. Americans need to set their own morals.

That's true. We do. Only we live in a society where part of the way we do that is by the election process. We elect people who set our standards for us. We call them laws. "Thou shalt not murder" is not just the sixth commandment, it's on the books in every state of the union.

To say we cannot legislate morals is to say we cannot outlaw murder or theft or a host of other things. Murder is the taking of life of another, but morally falls under the value you place on the life of another. If we cannot legislate morals, and your morals say that the life of your neighbor is worth less than the cost of a gun, then so be it, have at it. If we live in a society that cannot legislate morals, we live in a society that will annihilate itself.

We must legislate these things. We do already. We must continue.

We say we're out to ensure life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We cannot ensure number two or three until we ensure number one.

Brave New World

"The Braves are younger than the Mets and Phillies, deeper in most respects than the Mets and Phillies and have a better farm system to mine for reinforcements than the Mets and Phillies."

-Jason Stark, ESPN, in his column predicting the Braves to win the World Series.

Click here for the full-text.

I'll give my rundown this week sometime... But here's a quickie:

NL - Braves (East), Cubs (Central), Dodgers (West), Phillies (Wildcard)
AL - Red Sox (East), Tigers (Central), Angels (West), Indians (Wildcard)

World Series - Braves over Tigers in six.

Sweet Goodness

So I'm losing to my wife in our brackets, but not by much. But here's my Sweet 16 picks:

Tar Heels over Washington State (in a close game by Tar Heel standards)
Louisville over Volun-tears (and the Vols still have never been to the Elite 8)

Kansas over 'Nova (though I'd love to see the upset here)
Wisconsin over Stephen Curry (Eventually somebody's gonna guard him)

Michigan State over Memphis (in my real bracket I've got Memphis winning, but I've got a feeling with this one)
Hook'em Horns over Stanford (Only because Stanford is cocky enough to name themselves The Cardinal... Who does that? What about the Cardinals? Are they The cardinal? Kinda like The Ohio State University... Makes me sick...)

UCLA over WKU (Haven't you seen the commercials? There are no cinderellas)
Xavier over West Virginia (Bob Huggins can only take the Mountaineers so far)

*Side Note: I only had 9 of the 16 teams correct in my bracket... I certainly didn't pick all these matchups correctly coming in. That's what happens when you've got teams like Davidson and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the mix. Or are they The Hilltopper?

The Daily News

I read this today on FoxNews.com and thought it was good enough to share...

_____________________
"Man Claims to Speak 'Austrailian' After Allegedly Being Raped by Wombat.

SYDNEY — A New Zealand man has been sentenced to community service after telling police he was raped by a wombat and the experience had made him speak "Australian".

Arthur Ross Cradock, 48, from the South Island town of Motueka, called police on February 11 and told them he was being raped at his home by the wombat and he needed help, The Nelson Mail newspaper reported.

The orchard worker later called back and said: "Apart from speaking Australian now, I'm pretty all right, you know."

Cradock pleaded guilty in the local court to using a phone for a fictitious purpose. He was sentenced to 75 hours' community work.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Chris Stringer told the court alcohol played a large role in Cradock's life.
_____________________

Those New Zealanders are funny...

Bracket Bulldogs

Anybody else got Georgia facing North Carolina in the NCAA Finals?

Baseball is Beautiful

In honor of my fantasy baseball league, and because I just can't wait...

Mock Bubbles

I'm hoping to keep this quick this week... But there's two things that are completely useless in the world of sports (Unless your name is Joe Lunardi or Todd McShay or Mel Kiper, Jr. - The ESPNians who make there living off of the following...):

Mock Drafts and The Bubble Watch.

The NFL Draft is April 26 and 27, and on April 28th Kiper will have his 2009 Mock Draft already posted on the web. And it'll get updated about once a week between then and April 27, 2009.

Is this guy really making a living off of guessing over and over and over again about who's going to draft whom? Are you serious?

And then there's Joe Lunardi's Bracketology and Bubble Watch. Like we're all sitting on the edge of our seats waiting to see who the 12th seed will be. Has a 12th seed ever done anything worth mentioning?

I don't understand how these guys get paid big bucks to "project" who really will be in the NCAA tourney or when Matt Stafford will get drafted and by what team next spring. With everything that can happen between now and then, what are the chances that Kiper ever gets it right? I'd like to see some stats on this, people.

I don't understand how there's a market for this.

And then I do. And I think of the third thing that's completely useless in the world of sports... People obsessed with Bracketology and Mock Drafts.

What I Hope...

Free Agency has hit in the NFL. The Hawks have made a move. The Thrashers have dumped an All-Star. And the Braves are "working" at Disney.

Good times are here again!

Because February really bites. Post-Super Bowl, what's the month good for? You've got the NHL All Star game (yawn) and the NBA's Ugly Uniform Show (er...All Star game) (yawn) and of course their festivities - slam dunk contest, etc.

Speaking of etc., those festivities were actually entertaining this year. Check out the highlights:



Sick nasty.

But that's not really sports. That's more of the "E" in ESPN.

Which brings me back to the "S". As in Sports and Spring. Those two words were designed for each other.

One promises hope. New life. The other promises a fight, a challenge, the unexpected.

So what do I hope for this Spring for Atlanta Sports?

-I hope that the Falcons take Derek Anderson in Free Agency, drop Joey Harrington, and give D.J. Shockley an actual chance to be the number two guy.

Derek Anderson, still technically of the Browns, just dropped a bombshell on Cleveland last night when he turned down their contract offer to test free agency. But, he's restricted, which means a team will have to give up a first and third round draft pick if they sign him.

Here's how it can work: The Falcons should trade the talented but disgruntled and destructive DeAngelo Hall to the Giants for a first round pick and (plenty of) cash or a player. They'd then have the Giants pick, Round 1, #31, that they could give to the Browns and still keep the number three overall pick, with which they would no longer feel compelled to draft an overrated QB like Matt Ryan and instead take one of the better players in the draft - Jake Long or Glenn Dorsey or Darren McFadden.

The QB pool in this draft isn't the best in recent years, but I'd much rather see them wait till round two or three and draft Chad Henne than waste a first-rounder on Ryan. They'd be wise to draft a lineman. Of course, I've said that before. And I'm not paid to make those decisions.

And I don't really feel the need to say why they should sign Anderson. I'll just share this: He's a tall dude - 6'6", 230 whose got a great vision of the field and a good arm. And that, my friend, produces numbers like these when he got a chance to be a starter (and star): 3787 passing yds and 29 TD's. Good stuff. Better than what we've got or anything else we can get. Go get him.

But I doubt Thomas Dimitroff reads this.

***It doesn't matter now. I just heard that Cleveland managed to re-sign Anderson today, just hours after he declared free agency. So goes that pipe-dream.

What's the next best option? Still a big fat NO to Matt Ryan.

If I'm Dimitroff, I have Redman and Shockley go for the number one spot, with Redman penciled in up top. I draft Chad Henne or John David Booty in the second or third round to be your number three and (potential) future guy. And I still draft a lineman (Long) with the number 3 pick.***

-I hope that the Hawks make the playoffs (because I gotta root for Atlanta teams) and they still fire Mike Woodson and Billy Knight and hire real, living basketball guys for coach and GM (because I gotta root for Atlanta teams).

Who should they hire? I don't care. Hire Bobby Knight. Hire Billy Donovan. Heck, hire Billy Madison.


Just do something. Anything's gotta be an improvement.

-I hope that the Thrasher's do the same with Don Waddell.

In June he'll celebrate his ten-year anniversary with the Thrashers. In June Thashers' fans will mourn for a decade of this:


Waddell's blank stares at how to run a hockey team.

-And finally, hope of all hopes, I hope the Braves return to the postseason and - gasp - win The Series.

Big hopes, you say? Big dreams?

Yeah, well, those were bigger hopes in 1991 when they still came one run shy of winning the greatest World Series of all time.



They were big hopes in 1995. The strike saved the Braves from falling to Montreal in 1994's division race and who knew if the same would happen in '95? But a Justice home run here, a Glavine masterpiece there and Mark Wholers save to cap it off and the Braves were celebrating in old Fulton County Stadium.





They've got a lineup that I believe rivals any in the East. (Yes, I really do believe that. Having your 3 and 4 hitters both being high-average, run-producing, homer-hitting and SWITCH-HITTING bashers is huge. Not too many teams (do any?) have back-to-back solid switch hitters in the most important spots in the lineup.) Johnson, Escobar, Chipper, Teixeira, Francouer, McCann, Kotsay, Diaz... Solid.



They've got stud pitching even if Hampton doesn't come back. And he will.

They've got the makeup of a team that can make a serious run at October. And I'm not just talking as a fan here.

So, hope of all hopes, I hope the Braves can stay healthy this year. And if they do, you'll see them in the Classic.

SB: Extra Large Two

There are three reasons I'm glad that Super Bowl XLII is just two days away. Reason number one is that I'm getting pretty tired of seeing the same clip of Bill Belichick running in his grey hoodie with the cut-off sleeves a-swayin' and the chin fat a-bouncin'. Reason number two is that I'm always ready for baseball. And Super Bowl time means that it's getting pretty close to time for pitchers and catchers to report to Florida. And reason number three is, I think, my favorite: I love the underdog, and the underdog is never more successful than in the Super Bowl.

Shall we go further?

Reason number one actually entails a lot more than just ESPN getting it's kicks off of Belichick's stern expression while he lightly jogs to the lockerroom in the halfway slow-motion clip that The Network keeps playing over and over again anytime his name is even uttered on-air. It's about air time in general. And my venting extends beyond the NFL into the college realm, and beyond sports into politics. And it stops there because that's about all I watch on TV, if I watch TV at all. (Except for my occassional laughs at "Everybody Loves Raymond.")

But seriously, how many times can they break down the Super Bowl in this two-week period? Is that why the NFL gives us a two-week break between Championship Sunday and the Super Bowl, so that we'll all go crazy watching ESPN try to fill the gap with programming? If you've watched Sportscenter just once over the past two weeks you've seen two-thirds of it's airtime given to this game. Which would be fine if that were true about today (Friday) through Sunday night only. But no. They're breaking down Plaxico Burress versus the Pats' Secondary today for the 1,000th time in the past ten days. True Story.

Wait, not true. Because ESPN can't get past the Fourth Coming of Tom Brady and The Hoodie. We can't get any news about anything else because it's all about how Tom Brady and Randy Moss are going to own the Giant's Defense, and how "If you give Bill Belichick two weeks to prepare he can beat God himself."

I tired of hearing about Bill Belichick's gameplanabilities.

Just like I'm tired of hearing about USC, Ohio State, and the Republican and Democrat frontrunners in the election.

What is it about the news media and picking their favorite topic and keeping it in the spotlight, flexing their authority over the national conversation?

Does ESPN cover USC and OSU more than any other team because that's who the writers across the country really think are that good, or do the writers around the country really think they're that good because ESPN covers them more than anyone else? Their annual number one status affects the rest of the season's polls, but is it legit? Or the result of mass hype? We don't know. We'll never know. Because of ESPN's irresponsible coverage.

But that's just sports. That's not really a big deal. But what about politics? ("Sports and Convictions") Was John Edwards the third candidate because everyone really cared about Hillary and Obama and so CNN covered them more, including in the debates? Or did CNN give them more time in coverage and in the debates and so everyone flocked to them? Why is there a four-man GOP race right now (yes, Huck and Ron Paul are technically still in it) but if you watch CNN you'd think it's down to Romney and McCain?

Because networks have too much control over the national conversation.

And, in the case of Super Bowl week, their control backfires. Every third story is about the Patriots "Pursuit of Perfection," and I think about 98% of the country doesn't really care anymore.

Thanks, ESPN. We're so glad the game is finally here.

Reason number two is pretty cut-and-dry. Football might be America's Passion, but Baseball is America's Pasttime. And so the Super Bowl means we're just days away from Pitchers and Catchers reporting to Spring Training, which means we're just a couple weeks from Spring Training actually starting, which means we're only a couple of months away from the season, which means Spring is near, Summer is soon, and the grass really is greener on that side of the calendar.

When I hear "Pitchers and Catchers report," I start getting that feeling that Shoeless Joe Jackson gets in Field of Dreams. "Is this heaven?" "No, It's Iowa."

Or, "No, it's just spring."

Oh. Well, that's pretty close in my books.

And while I'm not ready to predict the season yet, I will say this: It really isn't the end of the season for the rest of the National League just because the Mets traded for Johan Santana. Does anybody out there in sportsland remember last year's big pitcher signing, Barry Zito? Seven years, 126 million dollars, and eleven wins for the Giants. Big splash. His numbers rivaled those of Chuck James.

Look, just because a guy does well in the American League doesn't assure his dominance of the National League. So before you give the NL crown to the Mets, consult your history books, or your recent sports pages for crying out loud.

Let me quote myself: "If the Mets don't get Johan Santana, and the Braves old starters don't break down, and the Braves bullpen holds up, and the Braves new center-fielder, Mark Kotsay, holds up, and Chipper holds up, then the Braves will win the East.

If the Mets do get Johan Santana, and the Braves old starters don't break down, and the Braves bullpen holds up, and the Braves new center-fielder, Mark Kotsay, holds up, and Chipper holds up, then the Braves will win the East.

If any of the latter doesn't happen, well, expect to see a repeat of the past two years."

Is there a list of things that must happen for the Braves to win the East? Yes. Is there a list of things that must happen for the Mets to win the East? Yes. Does Johan Santana make a difference. Yes, but it's been vastly overstated how big in recent days.

I've still got the Braves.

Reason number three is in the blood of every American. It's why we love Rocky, Rudy and the Rutgers football team. It's been in our blood since 1776. We love the underdog. Especially in the Super Bowl.

And because everybody's nodding their heads right now (and my post has already reached an ungodly length) I don't have to explain this one.

I'll just suffice it to say this: My gut is telling me that the Giants are going to win, but my brain is telling me otherwise. My gut is telling me that Eli's staying on his hot streak, Plaxico's too big and the Pats' linebackers are too old. My gut is telling me that Brady's gonna be sacked. A lot. My gut is telling me this one's gonna be like David and Goliath, and the big boy's going down.

The rational part of me wants to say take the Giants and the Points (12) but Pats win.

But a man goes with his gut. Even if its irrational. That's why we get lost all the time.

So, I'm saying Eli's going to Disneyworld. The underdogs win by four.

The 10 Spot

Ten Observations:

10. The Falcons hired this guy:



Who looks a lot like this guy:



Is it just me, or did we just hire J. Peterman from Seinfeld?


9. But seriously, Mike Smith - he's in the top picture - is your new Falcons coach. Can't get much more plain than that name. Or face. He's not a flashy guy.


8. Which is why I love it. From this end, I'm placing bets on it being a good hire. From what I hear and read, he seems legit: Sound fundamentals. Good background. Gets good reviews from around the league. The Birds need someone to come in, clean house, and win. Not flash and pop.


7. Which is where I must admit that I was wrong. I was placing my bets on Blank hiring Mike Singletary.


6. And the Falcons brought back this guy:



Brian VanGorder,
who also looks a lot like this guy:



Horror writer Stephen King.
Which makes me happy, because it makes this guy mad:



Side Note: South Carolina hired Brian VG, who was the Falcons linebackers coach, for the USC Defensive Coordinator Job back in December. He worked for Spurrier for about a month before leaving to come back to Atlanta. That's about a month too long for anyone to be around the Spur.


5. It's like a double treat for me. My NFL team gets a good defensive coach, who has ties to my alma mater. And at the same time somewhere in South Carolina Steve Spurrier is throwing his visor. What a great day!


4. And who cares if VanGorder has had six (6) jobs in the last four (4) years?

(Granted, we just got burned by the same thing by Bobby Petrino, vowed never to allow that to happen again-i.e., hiring a guy you can't trust to stay-and then we turned around and hired Brian VG.)

He's a good coach (who might bolt on us) but we get him and Steve Spurrier doesn't.


3. Count on VG to stick around for a while. I give him three years. And the Falcons in the top ten in total-D in the last two years of that.


2. If the Mets don't get Johan Santana, and the Braves old starters don't break down, and the Braves bullpen holds up, and the Braves new center-fielder, Mark Kotsay, holds up, and Chipper holds up, then the Braves will win the East.

If the Mets do get Johan Santana, and the Braves old starters don't break down, and the Braves bullpen holds up, and the Braves new center-fielder, Mark Kotsay, holds up, and Chipper holds up, then the Braves will win the East.

If any of the latter doesn't happen, well, expect to see a repeat of the past two years.


1. UGA should NOT be a preseason number one next year. Neither should USC or The Denim Shorts Club of Gainesville.

No one should be a preseason number one next year.

I can't wait till the day that we don't have preseason number anythings.

Brady: "It's gotta be more than this."

A must see clip of a Tom Brady interview. The man's on top of the world, and still not satisfied. (Thanks, Wilhite.)



Unbelievable? Not really.

"Win One for the Limper"

Or, Philip Rivers' pregame speech to Billy Volek. Right before Volek meets Mike Vrabel, Adalius Thomas & Company and finds himself understanding personally why the Pats are undefeated.

The Chargers-Patriots contest might go down as the most one-sided conference championship in NFL history. It might go down as the most one-sided game this season.

These games are supposed to be close. They're supposed to be a dog-fight between the best two teams in their conference, clawing and scratching to see who'll come out on top.

Traditionally, that's been the case.

Since the Plan-A Free Agency went into effect with the 1993 season there have been 28Conference Championship Games played. The average margin of victory: just over 13 points. Competitive Balance has won out. The games have been somewhat close. A bounce here, a break there, and any team is in it.

Well, except for the 2000 Minnesota Vikings, who looked like a WNBA team against the NY Giants, putting up a goose-egg and losing the NFC title by 41 points.

Until Sunday, January 20, 2008, that will be the standard-bearer of beat downs.

That is, until Billy Volek leads the LT-hurtin & Philip Rivers-missin, undermanned & overmatched San Diego Chargers into Foxboro.

Look, you've got The Hoodie-Bill Belichick-who goes for it on fourth down when he's in field goal range with the game in the bag, a quarterback who just set a new TD record, a wideout who's trying to prove he really is just a good football player and not a thug, and a team who has gone from most-loved to most-hated faster than any team in history, and they're going against Billy Volek and the San Diego Chargers?

Well, all you can say is, "You stay classy, San Diego."

Pats win by 45.

(P.S. - My greatest New Years wish is for Brett Favre to demolish the Pats and then ride off into the sunset as the greatest QB in NFL history... And have that feat never, ever, ever passed by Tom Brady.)

The White Boy is Back

The white boy is back
And you know that he never smoke crack
The white boy is back ('cause you know he's the white boy)

-Everlast, "White Boy is Back"

I never said that was a good song, or wholesome (note: disregard the rest of the lyrics to the song), but just that it fits.

Cause I'm back. And better than ever.

So here's the thing: my last post was Dec 11, 2007. Let's go over my schedule since then:

Dec 10-13 - Meetings in Duluth, GA
Dec 15 - I got married. True story.
Dec 16-21 - Well, you know.
Dec 22-26 - with the Fam.
Dec 27-28 - At home, but no internet, and setting up my new house
Dec 29-Jan 2 - In Nashville at a conference
Jan 3-present - At home, but still no internet, and now back to work on campus.

But don't worry, internet is coming soon to a house in Dahlonega. So there should be something to say (well, there's always something to say), there should be some time to say what I've got to say in the coming days. Keep on the lookout. 'Cause there's plenty going on for me to rant about.

And the White Boy is back...