Ricky Williams

The big controversy that took place last night on Monday Night Football between the announcers was whether or not Ricky Williams should play. Yes granted he did leave the NFL to go on to a spiritual journey, and he was suspended from the league do to smoking marijuana, but he is still a good player. Right now, Miami needs all the help they can get. I felt that last night, the coach made a good move by playing him. However because he played he got stepped on causing a chest muscle to tare which now sidelines him for the rest of the season. This is Miami's luck this year unfortunately. I am a huge Miami Dolphin fan and I stick with them through the thick and the thin never saying I don't support them because of their record. I feel that I am a true fan because I do not jump on the current winning teams' band wagon. I stick with my team no matter what. Yeah the dolphins are now 0-11 but look at everything they have lost. Their original starting quarterbacks, Chris Chambers, their running backs, and Zach Thomas. Of course they are not going to do well this season. But to say that they are the worst team in NFL history is not far because they have lost quite a few games by only three points. If they were the worst team in history, they would be blown out every game. Last nights game against the Steelers proves that Miami is not a terrible team, holding them till the final minute in the fourth quarter at 0-0. Although many people say that this was only possible due to the weather conditions.

Day back

Well this Thanksgiving went by extremely fast, it felt like we only had a day off! I had such bad luck when I came back to school today. After I had brought my belongings back upstairs from my car, I went back down to drive my car over to the parking lot. When I got to the parking lot, I checked my car many times to make sure that I was not leaving anything behind that I would need when I got back to my dorm. I was walking back and wasn't paying attention to anything because I was on the phone with my boyfriend, and apparently I dropped something without noticing that I did. Once I got to our back door, I went to grab my key to the dorm and it wasn't there. So I checked all of my pockets, my bag, and I still could not find the key. So someone in my tower, let me in and I came upstairs to see if I had left it in my friends room next to mine. No such luck, so we tried to figure out where I had it last and she suggested that we go see if any RAs are back in our tower. This way we could see if I locked my keys in my room. So we went to the fourth floor, and no one was there. So we went to the fifth floor to see if that RA was there. Again they weren't, so we checked every floor all the way to the tenth. Of course no RAs are there cause that would make this easy. So then we went down to see if the complex coordinator was in ad he wasn't. So we went outside and traced my steps back to my car. Luckily I happened to remember that I walked in a different spot from which I normally do, and there were my keys laying on the grass on the side of the curb! I was so lucky to find those because neither one of my roommates were back until late that night.

A vacation?

I thought when a school gave you time off for a "vacation," that it meant you can relax over the break that they give you. A vacation is given to students so they can relax and take their mind off of tests, essays, and projects. We are supposed to be able to relax and stress free so that we can clear our minds and come back to school with clear minds. However, teachers like to hand out more homework assignments and projects for us to do over break. Instead of enjoying our time off, we have to worry about these homework assignments. I believe that it should be a rule that you are not allowed to give students assignments to do over break, that these assignments should be either given in the beginning of the semester to do, or after break. Yeah school is all about assignments and tests but we do need a break, during break!!!!!! So here I sit on thanksgiving writing summaries, working on a portfolio, and writing a story. I am not able to sit and relax and spend time with my family. Let alone take a nap because of the big dinner or watch some football like normal people are able to do on this holiday. So I just ask, for future benefit that we should be given a break over break. I hate stressing and I should not have to over my vacation time, because I should be having fun and not thinking about school. Let alone not to mention this "three" day vacation is going by quickly. The two day weekend should not count as a five day vacation because we already get those off during the semester!

Clarkson Hockey

This past Saturday, I went and watched the Clarkson Golden Knights Hockey team take on Brown University. This was the second D1 college hockey game, that i have been to. The first time I went, I wasn't sure what to expect because I hate watching hockey on TV because I find it boring. However, it is much different in person. I find it exciting, and I love to see the players smash into their opponents. It is so amazing when they do this, especially when they have a hard hit which send the crowd into a huge uproar of "YEAH". I went with my former high school teacher/coach and her family. The player that we go and watch, is her cousin, who also graduated from the same high school I went to. He has improved so much since last season, that it is unbelievable. He is much quicker and handles the puck a lot better. It is fun to go watch him play. Another player that I enjoy watching is their goalie David. I have never seen a more crafted and talented college hockey goalie, in my life before. He pretty much is the guardian between the pipes. He makes unbelievable stops, which makes the fans go wild. The fan base at Clarkson's hockey games, are unrealistic. I have never seen so many students come out and support hockey. I am used to seeing the fan support be like that for football. These fans are in unison when they cheer at all times, using hand gestures and waving. It is so cool. Well back to the game. Clarkson went on to beat Brown 4-2.

Accidents

I have been doing research for our next paper, and I have found many interesting things. The freak accidents that occur in sports, are unbelievable. A couple of years ago a lacrosse player from Cornell was struck by a ball, in the chest, during a game. It had hit him at the exact millisecond when his heart was not beating, and caused it to stop. In Binghamton, a high school lacrosse player was stick checked (legally) in the chest, and it killed him. Another incident that occurred was a 14 year old boy was warming up for a lacrosse game, where the team was doing a shooting drill. The shot that the boy took, missed the goal, so he went behind the goal to retrieve it. While he was getting it, another player took a shot that missed the goal also, and hit him in the back of the head, where his helmet did not cover. This ended up causing his death. Another incident happened in Florida, where a four year old boy walked in front of a pitch back net, where he was struck in the chest by a ball, and killed right there on the spot. Many people do not think that sports are dangerous, however they need to look more into the dangers of the sport before they play. I think that every sport, should have to have more padding involved when playing, to prevent deaths, and accidents like these.

Saturdays

I'm sitting here in my living room, at home, trying to figure out what I am going to write about for our next story. I cannot think of anything that I can extend to be fifteen pages long. I would love to write about a common sport, which we cannot due. So i figured I might as well write this blog that's due Monday. However, I cannot think of anything to write about for this either. My boyfriend is sitting on the couch watching football. Not only does he love to play it, but he loves to watch it. Every Saturday and Sunday it is the same thing whenever I am with him. Saturdays, are his days to watch college football, and Sundays are NFL days. Don't get me wrong I absolutely love football. I am a huge Miami Dolphin fan, yes I know they suck but I am not one who jumps on the bandwagon and cheers for a team who is doing well. I stick with my team through the good and the bad. However, I can only take so much of watching it. I can watch football for about eight hours. But it drives me nuts having to watch it for forty two. Granted we don't watch forty-two hours every weekend but I know that it is what he wants to do especially if Michigan is playing or the Dallas Cowboys. I don't mind watching those games because those are his favorites but for me the other games don't really matter. It is funny because when I am at his house on Sundays, no matter what, on the TV downstairs the TV channel is on an NFL game from one till midnight. He has two other brothers, so when it is Sunday it is all three of them and their dad out in the living room watching football. It drives their mother nuts because once Sat and Sun come along nothing gets done around the house, so I have that to look forward to for my future.

Weather

Just last week, some of us were walking around in shorts and a hoody. Some people were in shorts, a short sleeve shirt and flip flops. Not even a week later, when you venture out into the campus on your way to classes, you see Michalen Man mascots. People are wearing five layers of clothes!! They are breaking out the gloves, mittens, hats, ear warmers, boots, and winter jackets. Last night, when I ventured out to go to Corey Union, I was dressed warm. I had a short sleeve shirt with a long sleeve shirt on top of it, with a sweatshirt and then a jacket. I was also wearing sweat pants, with wind pants over them. Walking as if I was a padded wall, I also had my gloves on. Well I noticed almost everyone was dressed like I was, until I was on my way back to my room. On the way back, I noticed a guy walking towards me, wearing shorts and a fleece! Here it is, in the beginning of November, where the wind is blowing hard and it is cold and it is SNOWING. I cannot believe that this guy was in shorts. So I looked at him, "It's freezing out and freakin snowing, how are you wearing shorts?" The guy just looked at me like I was nuts to ask him this, and he just kept walking. Yeah OK, sure I am the one that's nuts. I'm not the one in shorts. It just kills me, how some people can walk around in short sleeves and shorts when it is practically winter weather!

Soccer Game

Today I went to a high school girl's sectional championship soccer game right here at our stadium. This just wasn't any high school game and any high school team, but a team that was from where I am from. This team, was Lyme. Lyme is about twenty minutes from my house, which is pretty much in the middle of no man's land. Lyme is a school who graduates under 100 students a year, because their population is so small. I believe that the total population is around three hundred and fifty students. Well today they were playing McGraw, which I think is a bigger school than Lyme is so therefore I automatically assumed that McGraw was more than likely going to crush them. However I was wrong. Lyme scored in the first half and maintained possession of the ball for almost the whole game. They were the ones in control of the game, and that was obvious. Each girl was sprinting to where they needed to be and knew what they needed to do. By looking at this team, you could tell just how well they "gel" together. Whenever someone on the team had the ball, they would not have to look up to see where their fellow teammates were because they knew where they would be. It was unbelievable to see such a small school, from which I have always known, come out on top and be a sectional champion. This is the first time in about twenty years that Lyme has captured the title.