Seven and O

“It’s a Miracle…”

Freddie Mercury of Queen.

Holy cow!

The Bears are incredible. That was the most dominating performance yet this Sunday, and it was shown in the first 13 minutes. They are unreal.

The Special teams have gelled; the Offense has become a machine; and the Defense is DOMINANT!

The Chicago Bears are the class of the NFC.

As Keith and I watched the game (eating some delicious Pizza from Bianchi’s from Ottawa) with our friend Dan, we were shocked as to how well this team plays.

Shades of 1985; ...well perhaps. In my opinion, the jury is still out.

If there is a better team in the NFC, I have not seen it. Granted the teams the Bears have played have been, for the most part, lousy—the team still manages to destroy the opponents in relatively short order.

Next victim is Miami.

Then the Bears face the dreaded road trip. I still have not washed my Urlacher jersey, for fear of washing the luck out, since the first week of the season. I think I have grown a bit rank, bit Keith and Dan are polite enough not to comment. They however, are rude when it comes to my friend Hunter Hillenmeyer--who Keith accuses me of having a non-sexual crush ipon since I sing his praises. All I will say is when I met him, he was a nice kid when he spoke at out United Way ceremonies two years ago.

And every game I call my brother or vice versa, as he lives in Florida—and watches the games with my folks in some bar. That would be so cool.

So to all who have waited 21 years for this:

GO BEARS!

Hot Steel; Cold Ice; Warm Blood

“You’ve been Thunderstruck!!!”
--Angus Young, AC/DC, from “Thunderstruck” from the Razor’s Edge LP.

Pam and I went to see the Bloomington Prairie Thunder Hockey Game Saturday night. Whereas some hockey teams are pro—and this one is—it is more like single A Baseball.

Still it was fun as it combines the grace of figure skating with the carnage of President Bush’s “peace” policies. We watched and were amazed.

First a girl comes out and skates around with a flag.

Then the intro begins with a Bison running through goalies on the screen in computer animation. To be honest, having lived near Buffalo Rock in Illinois, I never saw a Bison run, they kind of waddled around—but no matter.

The players and their pictures are shown on the big screen next.

Then the game begins.

The fun part, aside from watching hockey, which I personally love, is the jumbo screen where they show various people in the crowd. They also have plenty of giveaways to promote this new entertainment in town.

I went to the inaugural night and was given a magnet schedule—which was OK and all, but kind of cheap. The reason we went Saturday was to acquire a free hat for my Uncle and for me. Hat giveaway was a good night as these are very well-made and sharp hats.

Like my Aunt, Pam hates the logo. I think it is cool, a picture should be above—you decide.

Pam enjoyed the music they played—rap, some White Zombie, some alternative, and of course AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” throughout most of the evening. I had to wonder when they played Toni Basil’s “Oh Mickey!” but I am sure there was a valid reason.

Attendance when I went on the first night was 5200, Saturday was 4300. The place seats 6500. Hockey, like coffee, stout beer, and Mallo-Creams is an acquired taste, but once one becomes comfortable with the flavors, it can be pure ambrosia.

I will go again and again. My friend Dan is a true hockey fan and he goes to every game. I enjoyed it because I have also watched enough hockey to know the rules—not that they are complicated—but many folks do not know. The town’s businesses are supporting this, as McDonalds gives a free Big Mac to every person in attendance if the team scores four goals. Two weeks ago, the Thunder scored 4 to 2 and my Big Mac tasted great. We even saw three fights.

This week they lost 4 to 3. No Big Mac, no fights, but for $10.00 per ticket, it was a fun evening. Even Pam “did not hate it,” which is her way of saying she enjoyed it.

And the Emmy goes to...

“Muscled, black with steel-green eye
swishing through the rye grass
with thoughts of mouse-and-apple pie.
Tail balancing at half-mast....
And the mouse police never sleeps ---
lying in the cherry tree.
Savage bed foot-warmer of purest feline ancestry.
Look out, little furry folk!
He's the all-night working cat.
Eats but one in every ten ---
leaves the others on the mat....
And the mouse police never sleeps ---
waiting by the cellar door.”

--Ian Anderson, "Mouse Police Never Sleeps" from the LP Heavy Horses, 1978.


Well, I won an award.

Now some might say this is because my wife is on the board of the local Humane Society, but I say no. She did not want me to win, because of a conflict of interest, but everyone else said yes, so I won. Pam was proud, and reluctant to admit that I deserved the bid—but in the end, she spoke well of me at our Bowzer Bash.

I won the Humane Society Volunteer of the Year Award due to my efforts to train folks and running the TWELVE BEERS OF CHRISTMAS events—an event I will gladly run.

Training new volunteers is a rewarding experience because I watch people grow and work with our animals.

Working with animals is fun and they always seem to appreciate any attention they are given.

Our aim is to ensure a fine home and a lasting relationship with a human. We screen our adopters carefully as to match the pet with their personality and their character.

I may have won an award, but after adopting Guinness and Dylan, I would gladly walk through a minefield to support our Humane Society. After the loss of Pepto, I felt that no animal could ever fill the void. But since her loss, we have found a different kind of love with Guinness for me and Dylan for Pam.

So for our good friends and family members Pepto, Foggy, Guinness and Dylan, I gladly accept this award. And for my lovely wife Pamela, thanks for all you do as well.

The Bears Are a Team of Destiny

“It’s late, it’s late, it’s late, it’s late;
But not too late…”
--Freddie Mercury of Queen.

“I’m drained,” my brother told me after the latest Bears game.

I called him after Rackers missed. “OMFG!” I yelled.

This was a magical moment. Granted the Bears looked un-Grossman-like and more Orton-like; but they did it—they did the unbelievable as they were unBearable.

According to ESPN—they are the first NFL team to ever come from a 20 point deficit to win without scoring an offensive point. Think about that.

Now there are some nay-sayers who will slam the boys, but it is a TEAM game, and there are three aspects or three teams that play—Offensive team; Defensive team; and Special Team. When your Offensive team is down; you need to count on the others. All three can score and all three defend the goal. I say the fans saw something special tonight.

The special thing we saw was Brian Urlacher literally took control of the game and literally changed the outcome by his actions—he simply wanted the victory more. This was a great effort by one man who proved he can dominate the destiny of the team.

Mark Anderson is another incredible talent, and he does not even start.

Devin Hester sealed the fate of the Card-gals, and the rest was history.

Did the Bears need to rely on a Neil Rackers error to win? Sure, but good teams find ways to force wins. Maybe “icing him” worked for once. Maybe the Defense was inside his head after they took control. "Maybes" can only be answered in the Netherworld, but we know reality took place.

I was cocky at work and the lunch crowd of teachers teased me with my close friend Mike (a confirmed Dolphin fan) saying “We are going to hear it from cocky Bear fans for a while.”

Someone else reminded me of a Bear letdown. I recall one of the toughest games in 1985 was against a very weak Colts team.

I will continue to be cocky and I will continue with some caution—but someone explain how this team does not deserve the praise and how they have proven to be something special. They have more wins thus far this season as compared to two years ago. Lovie is doing everything right. Destiny is a course that only the bold try to control, and the team is nothing if not bold. True that implies their cockiness, but I call it confidence.

Well now the Bears’ Offense can back off reading their press clippings because they were miserable—so much for confidence; but the Defense can be relied upon once again to save and change the games as far as points scored.

It’s late, as I quoted Queen; so you’ll have to excuse me as I retire from the keyboard tonight.

Like my brother, I am drained.

Playing Favorites

“It’s a little bit funny,
This feeling inside;
It’s not one of those
You can, easily hide…”
--Elton John, “Your Song” from the album Elton John, 1971.

Pam has her cat that favors her, as I do mine. Foggy, well, she is a neutral being for the time.

Guinness is clearly “my” cat as he sits with me and follows me wherever I go. He, like me, enjoys his moments of solitude as he sleeps downstairs—which is fine. He loves a good brushing and he seems at home resting with me on the chair.

Dylan is clearly “Pam’s” cat and truly dislikes me because I give him his pills. He sits with Pamela and wants her to rub his head. He meows at her for attention and sits close to her lap, but he is not quite there yet. He hates to be brushed and likes a belly rub.

Foggy is “my” cat by default because Pepto was so much Pamela’s cat. I was sloppy seconds, which I can handle. My ego is not so fragile. She is my little (i.e. runt) girl. What she lacks in courage, she more than makes up in spirit.

It is a bit funny how they favor one or the other in this life.

Whereas they may favor us, we do not favor them. Which is a lesson I learned as a result of teaching: all my kids are my favorites. I am amazed at how gifted they all are, and they know they are “one of mine” in my class. I respect them all, try to understand them all, and will help them all.

I treat my students like I would want to be treated, and if one bothers me, I just believe I have not found the right quality yet that makes him or her special. So in the end, like the cats, I favor them all.

Fortunately for me, Social Sciences are popular because we explore the quest that is true humanity and achievement. At the same time, we ask who, what, where, when—but we really concentrate on the how’s and why’s. We reach out to a type of student that the others may not find and we feel that through exploration, research, and discovery that the goal is to achieve a greater understanding of the quality of mankind and social structures.

Sounds a bit heady, but the same is true of the selection of cats.

They reach out for the one that suits their personality and their preference in this life. They judge a bit quickly, but the cats reach a point of understanding and compromise with the human with whom they reside. The difference between a cat and a dog is that a dog knows its owner and a cat knows its caretaker.

Cats are so much more "human;" although I think mine would take that comment as an insult.

The Best of the NFC

"We Will We Will Rock You..."
Queen, 1975.

Well now, heck, even I—the great one—has to admit to being wrong. I wrote:
“I predict Griese will be starting in four weeks.” I must have been drunk.

The Bears are doing what even I could not imagine.

Grossman is playing some incredible football. The defense is led by Brian Urlacher and Tommy Harris. And Special teams are “special” thus far.

I predictced Griese to be the QB by week four, and I admit, I was wrong. I really thought the running game was going to lead the Bears and I was wrong. I thought the special temas would be weak and I was wrong. I thought the defense would be tough and I was right.

Hey, even a blind pig finds an acorn in the bucket sometimes.

The most incredible thing about MY Bears is the offensive line. They are nothing short of fabulous. The Defensive line is tough, with rookies earning five sacks, Tommy Harris and Wally on a rampage, and the rest disrupting the game. The linebackers are tough in Urlacher, Briggs, and my buddy Hunter Hillenmeyer. Secondary has played well led by Mike Brown, but I still think Peanut will be replaced by Manning, Jr. before the season ends.

The Offense is wild. Jones carries the load, Berrian and Mohammed lead the reciving corps, and Clark makes a great tightend, and if he cannot, Gillmore can. Again, kudos to the line and Grossman.

With a schedule that favors the boys in Orange and Blue, I expect great things. The S B Words will not be uttered yet, but there is no better NFC team in an easier division.

GO BEARS!