Fantastic Voyage

Sean Miller will always be my coach. I'll back him up no matter what happens. I wish him the best of luck at Arizona and I will root for him to win and succeed. In fact, I'm going to get my hands on some fresh 'Zona gear so I can rep for Sean as long as they're not playing X because then I'll rep the X just like I always have.

It was bound to happen, if you didn't believe that then you're crazy. The timing is what burns everyone. Sure I'm upset. I wanted him here as long as everyone else. But, the reality of the deal is Sean is so good at what he does for as much as Xavier flew below the radar to the national audience, Sean didn't. Unfortunately, Arizona opened up and Sean took the job. No one here can look me in the eye and say their not going to take that job especially with that money included in it. Now, I'm not saying money was the motivator because I don't believe it was. I believe it was Sean's competitive nature to take that job. When you think of the top 10 schools to coach basketball at, I find it impossible to mention 10 schools without saying Arizona. Again, it's the timing that hurst because of how good Xavier could be next year. But, when is another opportunity like this going to come along for Sean? Say UCONN opens up this spring, I honestly believe Sean goes there anyways. But, that job may not open for another 3 years. Pitt isn't going to be open anytime soon. Maryland won't open for another 4 or 5 years. These are all jobs that I know Sean could get. But, I think this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

The negative attacks toward Sean I think are completely uncalled for. Look what he did for Xavier and the program. Has everyone forgotten about the great things he has done? Because I know I haven't and I'm ready to see the predecessor continue to do so.

If you don't want Chris Mack to be the coach then you must be crazy. To me he is the clear cut and only candidate for the job. He is the only answer to salvage next season and make the seasons to come great. He's a Cincinnati native. He hooped at St. X. He hooped and graduated from X. He's been under the tutelage of Skip. He's recruited most of the legit cats we have. He'll run the program the same way; same practices, same defense, more or less same offense. He is the guy Xavier has been looking for. The long term answer at the helm. So, I'll tell you what, raise one up to C. Mack. This program is moving forward. It's rising up. It will march on and by march on I mean X is going to march right through March of 2010 right to the Final Four in the Nap.

You may agree or disagree with what I have to say and that's fine. But I will always stand behind Sean not only because I think he's a great coach but, he's done so much for me and he did so much for Xavier. I only hope my deep rooted hatred for Dayton will carry on because it was Sean who fed that fire every year.

Dayton still sucks. UC is probably worse.

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This spring and summer I’m playing on a softball team with some people from work. First let me start off by saying I will be playing mainly outfield on this squad. I liken my skills to Manny Ramirez. I’m honestly out there just trying to have fun. You may see some lollygagging out there because quite frankly I’m just trying to model my game after Man-Ram. I floss a flat-billed fitted UVA baseball hat, I pull it low and cock it slightly to the left. Already, there was some Mannyness last week in my first game as I let a ball go through my legs; poor fielding on my part. I also dropped a fly ball this week. However, I have been ripping the ball and getting on base. I’m just doing what Manny does.

I don’t have a whole lot of softball experience. But, growing up in Worthington Hills in Columbus, Ohio my house backed up to a park where many a softball game went down. I have vivid images of these characters that would throw down behind my house. All in all these images put together create the alter ego I like to call Softball Guy. I will try and convey these same images to you.

You will most likely find Softball Guy playing in these rec leagues that have become ever so popular. Generally they range in age, somewhere between 25-45 would be my best guess. These guys are out there still hacking it. The majority of them, like me, are out there just to have fun and just enjoy a nice summer evening showing the hide and ripping the wood. There is a difference I am a softball player not a Softball Guy. I will go on to show the differences. There are three different forms: angry young guy, fat guy, and stat dork.



In a nutshell, angry young guy is out there playing like it’s game seven of the World Series. He’s out there playing like it’s game seven because he truly believes that had his high school coach not hated him he would be playing in game seven. Well, I have news for you dude, how many coaches are going to look at a guy who’s the best player in the school and cut ‘em? Five-tool guy, cut ‘em. Best player ever to come through and cut ‘em. Sorry buddy, your coach probably had a reason to not play you and thus you are still out here trying to make it. Besides having a lot of rage, angry young guy is out there with the freshest gear. He’s flossing the $500 bat, he’s flossing shades, gloves, stirrups, eye black, metal spikes, wrist bands, etc. You all know the drill. So not only does he have the nicest gear but, he’s the guy in the on deck circle with the donuts taking swings trying to time up the 10 mph lob pitch. Since he was able to time the pitch up from the on deck circle, he’s making it to base. So, this is also the guy who is always going hard into second base to break up double plays. Angry young guy claims he’s playing the game the right way and gets extra salty when guys around him don’t do as such. This guy argues with the umpire. He wants to fight the other team if he loses. He’s dropping profanity in front of little kids. He tells the teammates to work the count. He’s convinced a walk is as good as a base hit. This is the guy who is taking hacks before the game at the batting cage to loosen up. You are angry young guy if you come home from a tough loss and tell your girl friend to “shut up.” If you’re out there for any other reason than to just have fun and hang with the fellas, then you are angry young guy.

Fat guy is the guy who is out there just hating his life, hating his job, hating everything and just is out there to get wasted and swing the stick a bit. He just wants to get out and think about nothing but mashing and pounding. Fat guy is also the guy who likes to piss in my backyard while my family and I are trying to eat dinner on our back porch. Yes, that really happened.

Stat dork keeps all of the numbers and keeps the scorebook. State dork doesn’t even play. He created the team website and updates it everyday with the stats of the dudes on the squad.

*I need to apologize because somewhere between my copying and pasting from Word and the adding of photos to this blog entry my disclaimer paragraph was left out.  The inspiration behind my sharing about Softball Guy comes from a classic Jim Rome take on the Jim Rome radio show.  Thanks to my main man Jared from Kalamazoo pointing out my mistake.  My apologies and I would just like to say to Jared, "Do what we do.  No excuses, no explanations."*

Stop Sexting.  This can happen to you.

The following makes me laugh every time.

War green jackets.

-'Killa