Monday Night Football

That's right ladies & gentlemen! While agents are negotiating contracts for overpaid athletes in the NFL & teams are threatening to move from the amber waves of the Midwest to the sunny shores of Californi-A, there are still great...nay, superior athletes still grinding it out through the summer months to make sure that the thirst for Americanized football is quenched. Luckily, the great state of Utah was blessed with an Arena Football League team last year...and last night was my fourth game that I've experienced...and the first...on MONDAY NIGHT!!! That's right, ESPN2 showcased the Utah Blaze (named by guys who drive Harleys & smoke Marleys) for the first time to a nation-wide audience...and my father & I were sitting 4th row. How good were the seats? Take for example this picture from my crappy cell phone...WITH NO ZOOM. ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBAAAAALLL???


The opening ceremonies included it all. A shout-out to those celebrating birthdays in the attendence of 15,241; martial arts demonstrations from local youths; Carmen Rasmussen sang the National Anthem (I've heard better at Buzz games. Happy birthday Cambria!!!); sexually suggestive dance sequences from the Blaze Girls; and off course...PYROTECHNICS!!!


The game was not your usual AFL game. For example, I attended a game six weeks ago versus the Arizona Rattlers where the score at halftime was tied, 48-48. There haven't been many Jazz games with a halftime score like that. This game was Utah 31 - Colorado 7 at the half. The Blaze defense was much more significant in this squabble. However, a 4 score lead in the AFL is NOTHING!!! In fact, it can hinder you. Okay, not really...but still...it's not the NFL were coming back from a defecit like that will get your name into the Hall of Fame (Frank Reich in 2008). The people sitting next to us (Kip & Lori) were big Denver Bronco fans...and because the owner of the Colorado Crush is John Elway, who apparently was a quarterback for them a long, long time ago (my high school days) they were rooting for the Crush. Ill-advised on this day.


The game was slightly slower paced in the 2nd half...and the Blaze walked away victorious, 51-14. Holding a team to 14 points in an AFL game is the equivalent of a NASCAR race going without a crash. It doesn't happen very often & it's great...yet somehow disappointing. The game was thoroughly enjoyed by all (except our neighbor friends Kip & Lori who left early...but it was their own fault). Now the Blaze stand in good position for a playoff berth in only their 2nd year. Good for them!!! GO BLAZE...out back with your buddies.


I was able to get one good picture of a touchdown.

I think that I may be a professional photographer one day...but not with sports...something with a bit more..........sheets.


Also, today is Hunger Awareness Day. I would suggest that everybody reading this blog sponsor a little Starvin' Marvin in Africa or Hungry Hong Li in Asia...and together, we can feed up to a dozen people across the globe. It's a small goal...but I think that we can do it. WHO'S WITH ME??? LET IT BE KNOWN!!!

On a completely unrelated sidenote, the title of Champion Hot Dog Eater was FINALLY reclaimed by an American. Joey Chesnutt of San Jose, CA beat out 4-time champion Kobayashi (has a 1st name...but he's a famous athlete like Nene & Ronaldo, so I only speak of the family name) and reclaimed the supreme title of competitive gluttony at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Championships yesterday. There's the Miracle on Ice during the 1980 Olympics, Rulon Gardner in the 2000 Olympics, and Joey Chesnutt shoving a bunch of hot dogs in his mouth. This is a once in a generation moment, when the underdog comes out on top...and still hungers for more. Once again, the United States is recognized as the most wasteful nation in the world. Take that Japan!!! By the way, please sponsor a starving kid in a country somewhere.

Conspiracy of the Day - Now this may just be me, but since half the people reading this blog work where I do, let me run this past you. Now you've all heard my random theories about this or that...which may or may not be based in fact...but I came to work today...and it was fairly warm outside today as it tends to be in a salty desert in June. I make a stop at the bathroom to straighten my hair a bit (AC broken) & I'm schwitzing a bit. (That's "sweating" for the non-Yiddish) Upon leaving the bathroom, I walk into the break room & it's still hot. When I walk into the sales floor......whoosh......a cool refreshing breeze befalls me & my knees buckle slightly in titalating pleasure (happens all too rarely). During my various breaks, I go into the breakroom or bathroom...and it's STILL a good 20-30 degrees warmer in those rooms...with absolutely no people in them around midnight. Now for the conspiracy...

Is my workplace trying to convince me (like a Pavlovian dog) that it is much more refreshing to be on the sales floor where I can do my job & even get momentary chill-gasms for making them money...as opposed to doing personal things like visiting the Crapper (So named so in honor of Thomas Crapper, who popularized the toilet. Look it up.)??? I'm not one to start a rumor for no apparent reason.....that's why I'm going to take this hypothesis & send it straight to THEORY status. Please let me know what you're thoughts are. Share with the world. Is your job trying to do the same thing?