Sports and Religion Preview

           Sports and institutionalized religion are like twins who were separated at birth. Every Sunday they join together for the traditional day of church in the morning and NFL football in the afternoon. While both activities may not seem related at all, a closer look at their purposes may reveal that they’re not so separate. Whether you’re sitting in pews or bleachers, you’re a spectator in search of something more. Both sports and religion can provide this by giving people a sense of purpose, uniting, people, and giving people hope.

            Distinguishing the line between god and institutionalized religion is very important in understanding the comparison. While many people automatically connect god with religion, they are not synonyms. By definition religion is simply: a particular system of faith and worship (Oxford Dictionary). Religion attempts to connect us to the divine power of God. By doing so, it brings together many families and members of a community in one place for the same purpose: worship. It’s the actual act of coming together that provides a connection. The man in the pew becomes strikingly similar to the spectator sitting in the stands rooting on their favorite professional team.

             A prime example of institutionalized religion becoming a spectator sport can be seen in The Confessions of St. Augustine translated by Rex Warner. By Book III, St. Augustine reaches a low point in his relationship with god. He turns to the Manichee faith, which is a heretical version of Christianity. In this situation, Christianity has been tampered with and deviated from to create the institutionalized religion run by the Manichee’s. For ten years Augustine searches for salvation and his purpose through this religion. Rejection of the book of Genesis, treating God as a being, and putting struggles on God were all characteristics of this religious sect that ate away at Augustine’s soul. It was ten unhappy years as he found himself chasing faith in a “false” religion. Although he ended up with god, his journey was rocky. Augustine taught us that once you begin to center your life around certain religions, you’re trying to find your purpose in the wrong areas. You’re on the outside of your relationship with god, looking in just like a spectator in stands. This search of purpose in the wrong places is all too familiar in the world of sports.

 The search of purpose in the wrong places is all too familiar in the world of sports.

When people stray away from a personal relationship with god, there’s a lost and lonely feeling. Both sports and institutionalized religion attempt to fill this void. Personally, I love sports but I realize that it’s only a game. In our world today, sports has turned into more than just a game. The famous quote, “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing,” sums up how the importance of winning has overshadowed the meaning of life. Often, fans will place their hopes and purpose in the hands of a sports team even though they have no stake in the team. 




… This is a part of my religion and sports, I'm still working on sports and politics or sports and business. I took a turn with institutionalized religion based off of a book review I read that reminded me of Augustine. 

What Has America Become?

Ken Huber's article, What Has America Become, has been making its way around Facebook. This article going viral is great for people to read and it couldn't be more accurate. It's a summary of my political and social mindset. For bringing my point of views to millions on the internet, I thank you Mr. Huber.

How Sports Relates To Religion

Arguably the greatest attribute sports gives to the community is unity. Two strangers who support the same team can have conversations like they've known each other all their lives. The connection is fascinating. Supporters sections all over the country show the brotherhood the community shares to come together for one cause: to support their team. Below is a picture of the United States Soccer supports section, and yes I am in that picture (let's see if anyone can find me where's waldo style). Every time I sit in that section, I feel at home. It's a unity unlike any other. 

Religion also brings the unity affect. Each week communities unite in one place for a common cause of worship. It's a great atmosphere and also has a brotherhood about it. 

The feeling of Unity: it's the biggest similarity between sports and religion. 

My Final Paper II

The more I've heard about other paper topics, the more I decided against writing a major research paper. While rereading the final assignment, I saw there was an option to write two-1000 word essays instead of one-2000 word essay (If it's still alright with professor of course!).

I've taken the idea of writing one big essay on sports and politics and decided to try something a little more creative. Instead of dragging on a simple topic, I've decided to create more of a "Sports Series." One essay will relate to sports in politics while essay number two will compare sports to religion. These two essay's will parallel each other in a series format. I'm sure after writing the two essays, there will be driving correlations between the comparisons in both essays.

Responsibilities of The Media & Trayvon Martin

Freedom of the press is one of the most important amendments in our Constitution's Bill of Rights. However, major news networks have a social responsibility to deliver accurate news that takes a rational stance. Unfortunately, biases and ratings often come in between accuracy and stretching the truth. Both conservative and liberal media stations have been guilty of reporting twisted facts in order to drive ratings and prove their bias. 

The Trayvon Martin case is just another example of the media gone wild. Yahoo stated, "The Trayvon Martin case has exposed some of the media's worst tendencies--selective editing, rushing to judgment, stoking anger for ratings and page views." The article goes on to talk about ABC exaggerating injuries, NBC twisting Zimemrman's words to make him look racist, and CBS  making other false claims about a lack of injuries. Yahoo's explanation of NBC's coverage sickened me. NBC reported Zimmerman saying, "This guy looks like he's up to no good. He looks black." When in reality, Zimmerman was answering a dispatcher's question: 

Zimmerman: This guy looks like he's up to no good. Or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about.

Dispatcher: OK, and this guy--is he black, white or Hispanic?

Zimmerman: He looks black.

Any death is a tragedy and it's extremely unfortunate that this happened. I have faith the American justice system will make the right decision based on their investigation. I don't want the media drawing conclusions to a case they weren't there or an investigation hasn't even been solved yet. They should present what they know, exactly how it happened, and let the American public draw conclusions based on facts. The media twisting facts and drawing uneducated/ inaccurate conclusions needs to stop. 

This case's media coverage has been horrific. However, if the case really does prove his innocence than I hope Zimmerman gets the death penalty. Anyways- guilty or not- rest in peace Trayvon.

Comment Post for Paul Krugman

All are welcome to post comments on my Paul Krugman essay on this blog post. Hope you all enjoy!

The Future of SHU

Every college student wants their university to be a top tier school. Sacred Heart is a young school, but it's quickly taking steps to becoming a gorgeous university with respected programs. With rumors of updated athletic facilities, a pool, a new health center, a parking garage, and purchasing the Jewish Home; I'm really excited for SHU's future. As jealous as I am that I won't get to attend SHU during its "prime years" I'm really proud. The latest sketches of the new College of Business and Education building have leaked onto the internet. It's innovative, beautiful architecture, and state of the art as described by the Minute Man News…


"The lowest of the four levels will consist of parking for 138 vehicles and will be out of sight. There will be parking for 72 more vehicles in a parking lot to the northwest of the building.


The second level will consist of classrooms, a library area and a dining area. The third level will have academic offices and classrooms and the fourth level will be primarily faculty offices."

That description would get even Fairfield U students jealous. I truly believe that at this rate my kids will be in shock when I tell them my alma matter. 

  

Final Essay Picture

While searching for topics for my final paper, I wanted to find a way to combine sports and politics. I feel that sports and politics is very intertwined under the radar. A big example of this was a few years back when the U.S government took over the steroid problem in baseball. This picture that I've attached is the perfect picture example  especially considering NASCAR is the most watched and "patriotic" sport. Personally, I'm not a NASCAR fan. However, the image of Jimmy Johnson and his huge republican following in front of Barack Obama and the White House really gives a feeling of unity between all parties. My only problem I'm going to have to get around here is avoiding skipping topics and connecting everything back to the picture. I'm excited to look into this considering it combines my two passions and two of the most followed aspects of American society.

President Obama Speaks On American Energy

Barack Obama's latest national speech put aside the economy and troubles in Iran to discuss American energy. Finally, a topic we can all agree on! Or can we? Obama cleverly opened up by taking a shot at the Republicans protests to dill baby drill. His retaliation- there's no quick fix and only steps towards renewable energy will solve this problem.

Since Obama took office, America's dependence on foreign oil has gone down every year. It's dropped from 60% to 45%. Obama is one hundred percent correct when he states we need a strategy combining both oil and pursuit of new energy. Republicans need to stop calling for more drilling all the time because that will not lower gas prices! It's not about the American supply of oil because oil is sold on a global market, therefore, prices are affected by world instability. It's not as simple as supply and demand within our country. And Republicans often ignore that under Barack we have more oil rigs than the rest of the world combined and more oil production in our history.

The president once again threw out the stat every American cringes at; we only produce 2% of the world's oil but use 20%. Barack's approach on American energy is one all parties should adopt. It's a realistic one that also looks out for our future. His conclusion to his speech hammers in the best viewpoint of all- he refuses to see the battery, natural gas or any clean energy industry go to China because we refuse to commit to it. Well said Mr. Obama, well said.

China's View Of The U.S

While casually reading through Chinese newspapers to see how they viewed America's situation in Iran, I came across an interesting article. I was a bit taken back by this writers perspective and wondered if this article portrays what a majority of Chinese think about the U.S. In short, this writer called for a Chinese- Russian alliance in order to over power any future U.S- NATO decision to police the world. He says, "Mainstream forces in Washington are trying to sell a ludicrous standpoint to the American people: that it is worthwhile to bear financial costs and even lose some lives to confront lurking dangers to US security in the Middle East." As an American I wonder, have I really been tricked by the U.S government?



Now I'm not one to question the government, but if they don't keep an ear open to Chinese voices, this could cause problems. After all, China and Russia have the two most powerful militaries in the world right along us. If combined together, we would bow down to their commands. Therefore, taking into account Chinese beliefs in further military actions would be a safe bet. 

My Encounter With Paul Krugman

To honor the community in which he was born, Economist Paul Krugman decided to put on his latest speech at UAlbany. Being an Economics major, I could not pass up the opportunity to see one of the world’s most respected Economists in my own hometown. I took the ten-minute trip over to UAlbany’s campus and walked into their auditorium in which I was taken back by the overwhelming media presence. It’s evident that news stations don’t want to miss a word that comes out of this man’s mouth. And boy was it crowded. Movement was severely constricted in the 830-person Page Hall- even the Edgerton fits 770 people and Sacred Heart is twice as small. I overheard the people around me discussing how far they came to see him speak- a three-hour trip! It made my ten-minute drive seem like a walk in the park.

After Krugman was introduced by the head of the Economics department, he strutted up to the podium sporting the typical “math teacher” look. His professor- like style must have been adopted somewhere along the lines of his years teaching at Ivy League schools. Before diving into the material, he cracked jokes left and right. I thought Economics professors were supposed to be dry but Krugman actually had a pretty good sense of humor to warm the crowd up. His speech on the European debt crisis awed the crowd. I know he could’ve used that MIT language he had in his arsenal of words, but spoke to the audience in a manner they could understand. His phenomenal delivery is his greatest attribute as a public intellectual.

Since my friend’s dad works for UAlbany’s Economics department, I was offered the opportunity to go backstage to meet Krugman. I was nervous and hoping I wouldn’t ask any questions he would think of as “stupid.” But after listening to his speech, I understood his relaxed, humorous, and approachable personality, which lowered my stress levels.

I personally introduced myself to him and his firm handshake showed his confidence. I’m sure he had twenty others waiting to meet him, but he politely didn’t rush our conversation at all. His trademark scruffy beard looked even grayer up close. After telling him I loved his New York Times column and enjoyed him destroying Bill O’Reilly on Tim Russert, he responded with a modest appreciation. In my head I questioned if he really cared what a teenager thought of his work. He must’ve because he asked me which of his columns I enjoyed the most. Getting put on the spot was the last thing I wanted to do. I thought I did pretty well to answer his questions especially since I’d consider myself conservative, completely contradicting his liberal views. After all, the last thing I wanted to do was get into a fiscal debate with Paul Krugman. Avoiding a debate, I walked to the parking lot with my pride still intact. He was the type of person you have a conversation with and just feel like you need to go home and open up a book. I then went home and proceeded to read my Economics textbook. 

Symbolically Renovating The U.S Embassy

This past weekend, I took a trip to the U.S Embassy building in New York City. The experience opened up my eyes to international gatherings I didn’t know much about. It was amazing to see a room full of chairs- not one country left out- where major worldly discussions would take place. However, I was surprised about the out dated furniture and lack of a modern feeling the building gave. I expected to walk into a luxurious, modern facility in which the U.S kept up to date in order to impress all countries that visited.

As I thought about it, I realized that the U.S is famous for spending $1.10 when it only has a dollar. To modernize the Embassy building would not only destroy the history, but also give less developed countries a sense of inferiority. It would be waving our riches in their faces. Then they must go back to their broken down government buildings. The United States has made a good political move to suck up their pride and not feel the need to show off.

Although I must admit, the elevators are a bit scary and could be modernized, I respect the United States’ decision to preserve the history. As of recently, the U.S Embassy building has been going through renovations. I’ll be keeping my eye on the process to see how much of the Embassy actually gets touched. If we go all out, hopefully we don’t offend any third world countries. I'm not one to over react about political correctness, but our country's image in the eyes of the world is surely an important issue.  

If You Build It, They Will Come

Being a $70 billion business, the sports industry deserves only the best. American sports fans enjoy the luxury of some of the greatest sports stadiums in the world. The new Cowboys stadium and Giants stadium cost their owners over $1 billion dollars. Yes, BILLION dollars. The motive- if you build it, they will come. It's the motto that has even trickled down to being adapted in college sports. 

While stadiums like Syracuse’s Carrier Dome are famous for their advancement, the NEC making it’s own strides to impress the sports landscape. And it’s much needed. Attendance has been infamously the biggest issue in the conference. Although the NEC is an average mid major conference -usually hovering around 25th out of 32- the attendance has constantly been last. The community and students simply don’t show up for games. You can’t blame the level of play because either way you look at it, it’s a division I conference. Even division III conferences get more consistant attendance.

Quinnipiac built themselves a gorgeous new state of the art arena that houses both their hockey and basketball teams. Their $50 million dollar investement was in hopes of increasing attendance and bringing in better recruits. Despite the millions spent, Quinnipiac's attendance has only risen slightly to 1,800 fans. Not the outcome they were looking for.

Soon, Sacred Heart will be looking to address their attendance issues with significant upgrades to the athletic facilities. An ice rink, swimming pool, and potentially upgraded basketball arena all seem to be in the plans for the future. But Quinnipiac built it, and nobody came. 

Hopefully, Sacred Heart can get enough hype to get the athletic support that unites a campus. Unfortunately, judging by Quinnipiac failures, it seems culture cannot be changed. You’re school is either a sports school or not. You’re in a big conference or doomed. Only time will tell whether the investment can make this Park Avenue campus bleed pioneer red. 

Seconds to Impress: The Super Bowl Commercial Reviews

All the critics have had time to speak their opinions on last weeks super bowl commercials. A majority of articles I've read have provided favorable reviews. Even this week's spectrum article written by Jeff Daley polling a few Sacred Heart students returned back a majority of positive responses. After taking into account all of the reviews, I've come to my own conclusion about the most effective super bowl commercials. My top 4 ranking follows..

1. M&M's humor mixed with the chart topping LMFAO song had people talking a few days after the big game. Personally, I'm not a LMFAO fan, but it was such a clever way to advertise the new chocolate M&M without forcing humor.

2. Chrysler's emotional, uplifting, and creative play on halftime using the famous Clint Eastwood. Basic marketing fact: the super bowl commercials that get the most talk are the most effective. This sure accomplished that.

3. Chevy's commercial shows the Mayan's apocalypse coming true, but everybody who drove a Chevy truck survived. It's a great play on the 2012 drama going on, and they even snuck in a little shot at their competition, Ford.

4. Etrade's famous baby commercials come out every super bowl and they never seem to disappoint. I must admit, I look forward to the talking baby every year.

Krugman: To Cut or Increase Spending

After the nation's economy caught a glimpse of hope in early 2012, momentum seems to be slowing. Economist Paul Krugman's theories are taking center stage, but I question how they are becoming so popular. I read his articles and many common sense questions come to mind. His spending, stimulus, and expand deficit spending policies just don't seem to make logical sense.

One of Krugman's main critics, Jeffrey Sachs, questions Krugman's theories in a recent Bloomberg article. Sachs sums it up nicely when he says that Krugman has “under-emphasized the risks of growing debt, he’s over-asserted what we really know about the effects of these policies and he has underestimated the long-term need for public-sector change and reform.” I completely agree with Sachs. It gets to the point where our national security is at risk when our debt is so deep. The thoughts of turning into Greece sends chills down my spine. Barack Obama has tried to pump money into the system and realized solely stimulus plans do not work. A median needs to be struck. Krugman's fiscal belief that we didn't put enough money into the system puzzles me. 

Krugman states the U.S economy is headed towards depression because an excess supply of savings prevented full employment. In reality, people are getting laid off because companies are in too much debt to pay employees. The issue is rooted in our debt. As Sachs correctly claims, fix our debt, make spending reforms and we'll get back on track soon enough. Economists will continue to argue and hopefully the correct decision is the one implemented! 

Say Goodbye To Summer School

As spending cuts increase, the education system is stripped of some of it's luxuries. In elementary school, my generation took for granted what we had. For example, the opportunity to join the band at a young age or summer school for underachieving students. Times have been rough for too long and the frustrations are trickling down to the public education system in America. The most shocking cut from the budget has been summer school. Looking back on the concept of summer school, I give the politicians credit on the cut.

Summer school was a way for underachieving students to have a second chance so they could graduate with their class. For weeks, they'd sit in classrooms hotter than heck just trying to obtain that passing grade. Some students needed the extra help and others were just simply too lazy to hand in their work the first time. Little did I realize that summer school was as expensive as it was. I spent lots of time digging through the internet, and I didn't get an exact number of dollars summer school would save the districts. But when dissecting it, money would be saved in the teacher salaries, utilities, janitor salaries, and gas for the buses (and we all know gas prices are on the rise).

The first reaction to cutting summer school would be sympathy for the struggling students who really do need extra help. However, I truly believe this is a smart cut. It's a smarter cut than taking away band or sports from the students. As a student, you have 180 days to pass your class. Let's be honest, passing high school classes isn't exactly hard. If you haven't passed high school the first time, you probably didn't give it your all. If you did, than an extra 180 days of relearning the material would really benefit you. Cramming a whole year into less than a month isn't realistic. Therefore, teachers are forced to water down the subject to match the audience they're teaching. Is that really fair for the students that took the tough version the first time? Staying back affects one person, but a school's 20 million dollar deficit affects all the students. 

Lastly, spending cuts in the education system really couldn't go anywhere else. Students need to be held accountable and study the information presented to them. The education system is broke and teachers must get paid. Being a teacher is one of the most important jobs in society, and to cut their salaries would be an injustice to them. Keep appreciating the teachers and hold the students accountable! Staying a year back isn't the worst thing in the world, but losing our teachers are. Good job politicians, that's one decision you got right. 

People Watching In The Mohag

Sitting the mohag room is the perfect time to complete the assignment on observations. It doesn't exactly compare to people watching in New York City, but it's the closest we'll get here on Sacred Heart's campus. Quickly, you realize the lack of diversity on campus. Generalizing, people seem to be of the middle to upper class. When zoning in on 5 specific people, I tried to notice differences without drawing inaccurate conclusions.

Person #1: Immediately the girl's neon green shirt sitting across from me caught my eye. That shirt could possibly be the new work outfits for construction workers. You cannot be missed in that shirt!

Person #2: There's a boy sitting at a table with 5 girls. He's just sitting back and enjoying being social. This kid must have some sort of game! Or maybe he sat down being uninvited? Interesting.

Person #3: A professor is sitting down behind me. It's rare professors choose to get work done in the mohag, but I enjoy seeing them in here. His eyes are fixed on his computer screen, probably finishing up his lesson before he heads over to teach his class. And to think only students saved work for the last minute!

Person #4: This person has decided that wearing an Oakland Raiders football hat is socially acceptable after they failed to put up a winning percentage over 500% this year. I won't make fun of him too much because the gray hat matches his gray shirt nicely. He does know style and I give him credit on his matching. Knowing football might be a different story..

Person #5: Oh man, I just made awkward eye contact while scouting this person out. Oh well, little does this person know they're getting blogged about right now. As he does makes his trips from table to table, I can make the inference that he's pretty popular. I see this kid around a lot and, once again, he's wearing Sacred Heart apparel. Either he got a nice gift card to the school bookstore, or he has lots of school pride. I appreciate when kids have school pride and wear the SHU logo around.

Paul Krugman: Spreading His Influential Perspectives

When Paul Krugman releases an opinion via social media, the world listens. His official webpage and blog in the New York Times provides insightful information through the eyes of Krugman. Being an economics major, I've studied Krugman's work as a leading economist. I've chosen to use him as my midterm assignment because he's what everyone studying economics strives to be. We've all heard the jokes surrounding the inconstancy of economists… “Ask five economists and you'll get five different answers; six if one went to Harvard” is just one of the many examples. Krugman seems to be right so much in a profession where people are always so wrong! Immersing myself into his opinions, views and work will only benefit me as an aspiring economist! 

The Morning After.. Football That Is

It's an empty feeling for some. You wake up on Monday morning, roll over, hit your alarm and see it's February 6th on the calendar. Football season is over. It's the awkward transition between America's most popular sport (football) and America's past time (baseball). A majority of Americans ask themselves, do I look to hockey to fill the void? NBA basketball? Just hold out until the March Madness tournament? That's what a majority of sports fans end up doing; holding out until March Madness basketball.

This is where the famous quote, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened," comes into play. It was a great season with an exhilarating Super Bowl to end it. However, I don't want to hear complaints about the NFL season being over. Sure, it's a long wait until September rolls around again. I believe true sports fans are well rounded and knowledgeable about a variety of sports. I hear lots of complaints about football season being over, but f you can't enjoy other sports in the meantime, I question whether you're a true sports fan at all. The world of sports is so deep, it goes way beyond football. These NFL players take monstrous hits weekly so it's time for their bodies to rest. The studies have shown that the brutality of NFL hits is terrible for a person's body. Each NFL game is comparable to a serious car accident to the players bodies. While the NFL players are relaxing their worn out bodies on a beach somewhere, you should be tuning into your local hockey, soccer, basketball team etc. In conclusion, be a well rounded sports fan, it's important! Support your city in different sports. Lastly, I can't forget to give congratulations to the New York Giants! Well deserving of being the world champions!

As Gametime Approaches, What's The Meaning of It All?

With the 2012 Super Bowl quickly approaching, Giants and Patriots fans can barely sit still. They're putting on their Manning and Brady jerseys in anticipation for kickoff. The nerves make unbearable butterflies in their stomachs as if they're playing in the game. But wait, they're not! In fact, nothing in their life will change whether their team wins or loses today. It's this concept that blows my mind about sports. People live and die with a team they literally have no connection towards. I can't deny it, I'm the same way. You don't want to talk to me the day after the Yankees or U.S soccer loses. As much as I try to remind myself a Yankees loss doesn't deviate my life's path in any way, it just doesn't work. Why I ask myself!?

Sports changes America's landscape, especially every football Sunday. Fans come together from all over the country to celebrate their team's win or cry together after their teams defeat. Sports provides a sense of belonging, gives people a purpose, unites people, brings out the best in people, and brings out the worst in people. Fans want a win for their team more than anything. Sign onto YouTube and you’ll be able to watch fans go at it in the stands all day. Stadiums, such as Red Bull Arena, and Lincoln Financial Field even have jail cells built into them to detain fighters. Why do fans ruin their criminal records over a team they’re not even a part of? It's the passion! The passion stems from pride. Everybody wants to be able to go back to work the next day with their head held high knowing they are the champions. They want to rub the loss in their co workers face or give their boss a high five in celebration of the win. On the surface, sports set up artificial competitions that don’t really serve any purpose. After all, nothing really hinges on who gets to the finish line first. But I am so thankful for sports. It brings the world together unlike anything else in existence. 


Tonight, a city will be united as champions of the world. Their fans will parade in the streets, proudly wearing their team's jersey on their backs. World champions gear will be sold at record setting rates. My life may not change with the Giants victory tonight, but I'll feel a sense of belonging I haven't felt since their last super bowl win. I'll feel a sense of unity and belonging with my fellow New Yorkers and G-men nation. And that is why I have an excuse to feel as nervous for this game as our starting quarterback. 

Things That Stopped Me In My Tracks

                                                         Part 1:

Three Things That Stopped Me In My Tracks:

1. Getting denied from one of my internships.

2. Walking past Dick’s Sporting Goods, sparked my dream from the previous night.            

3.  Seeing a picture of the Empire State Building lit up Giants colors.

            1. On Thursday I received a pretty disappointing email notifying me that I didn’t get accepted into an internship I applied for. At first the feeling of rejection and disappointment made me pause for a while. Opening that email was not what I wanted to hear, especially because I felt like I was qualified. However, it was a top internship and I should’ve expected top competition. I believe whatever’s meant to happen ends up happening so I wasn’t too upset. I applied for a job and still have my night job with a minor league baseball team, so my summer will still go smoothly. On a positive note, I’ll be making money instead of getting slaved through an internship!

             2. I love remembering my dreams! Well, except when they’re nightmares of course. But dreams always seem to help me wake up thinking. It’s an exciting way to start the day. This weekend, I didn’t remember my dream right when I woke up. The dream wasn’t too special, I remember walking through the U.S soccer section of Dick’s Sporting Goods wanting to buy everything! During the weekend I walked past Dick’s Sporting Goods and it sparked my dream. The memories of the dream started to unravel in my head, and that déjà vu definitely made me stop in my tracks! 

            3. Beauty always catches the eye. When the Giants played the 49ers in the NFC championship game, the top of the Empire State Building was lit up blue. It looked gorgeous. The wow factor stopped me in my tracks. I can’t wait to see what they have in mind for the Super Bowl to support the Giants!

                                                                           Part 2:

           

            Sports seems to be involved in every aspect of my life. Whether the connection is obvious or not, sports is there. In the second and third points, sports was at the forefront of the story. In the first point, My job in sports was there for me to fall back on. I guess that’s the life of a sports junkie!

            Besides the sports connection, everything that catches my eye involves me thinking about my past or future. The first point I was thinking ahead to my summer, second point I was recalling last night’s dream and third point I was thinking forward to the Super Bowl. I think there’s something mysterious about the future, and interesting about the past that catches people. I try not to live in my past because you get caught in regrets, but my determination to be successful keeps me thinking ahead to my future. It’s good to be motivated but sometimes I need to remind myself to live in the present, don’t wish valuable time away!

2012 State of The Union

The 2012 State of The Union was important to both America's future and President Obama's reelection. Every time President Obama speaks, people are intrigued by the confidence displayed by his extraordinary public speaking skills. Although I'd consider myself a conservative, Obama's speeches put me on board with his campaign. His speeches tricked me into thinking he would be a hero to this country. His speeches sound so good, so why is our country still struggling? My theories were confirmed while watching Tuesday's State of The Union. 

My friend once told me, "Barack sounds great when he talks, but closely listen to his words. Then tell me what he actually said." When doing so, I've realized he says so much, but doesn't say anything at all. In other words, his statements don't have much behind it. This was mostly what I got out of the State of The Union. For example, it's evident that we have a crisis of work in this country and President Obama proposed nothing in policy changes that will get us to boost the economy or economic growth. Instead, he acted more as a cheerleader to tell everybody to trust in the country and get behind each other. It sounds good, but it doesn't provide any framework for the country going forward. 

Expanding on the economy, Obama stated that a shrinking number of people do real well and more people struggle to get by. He brought to our attention the severity of income inequality and his aspiration to keep the high taxes on the rich. If not, it either adds to the deficit or someone else has to make up for it. Well President Obama, your spending is the reason our debt is so high. Barack is so caught up on income through taxes, when cutting spending seems to be the logical solution. His big government being paid for with higher taxes hasn't worked, and won't work if spending isn't cut. Bigger government and higher taxes will not lead to jobs and growth. Bigger government and higher taxes will instead lead to more people on food stamps and people relying on the government.

The most bold proposal made by Obama was cracking down on insider trading within government. To be honest, this completely shocked me and came out of no where. It seems like a common sense reform and will help restore faith in American government. 

The strongest point, and statement I most agreed with, was dealt with the service of troops. It doesn't matter whether your rich or poor, gay or straight, you look out for the person next to you. You rise and fall as one unit. This was inspirational and completely true. I've always agreed that no matter who you are, if you're willing to put your life on the line for my freedom I respect you. 

The part of Barack's speech he did back up with a plan was during his discussion of bringing home overseas business. Lowering tax rates for companies that stay in America, making companies pay taxes for overseas profits, and providing financial help will all help keep companies in America. It's a reward and punishment system that seemed flawless when he outlined it. 

The part that appealed most to me was his speech on education. Sometimes I worry if my college tuition debt will hang over my head long into my lifetime. It stresses me out, and pressures me to get a high paying job since Sacred Heart is so expensive. I loved how President Obama called out colleges on the rising costs of tuition. But once again, there was no plan behind it in place to take steps for controlling tuition. Therefore, I don't expect anything to get done here. On another note, I do hope he follows through with his proposal that every state requires students to say in school until 18 or graduate. 

Overall, I didn't walk away feeling like I knew enough details of America's future. As I mentioned earlier, Barack once again failed to lay down plans behind his talk. However, it's essential for him to follow through on this State of the Union if he expects to get reelected in November.

USC Football Leaning On Eachother

Lean On Me- USC

It always seems to be the inspirational videos that leave a lasting impression on me. This video dates all the way back to 2009, but still remains a top Youtube video in my eyes. When the University of Southern California's respected football program got together, their head coach began playing Bill Withers' "Lean On Me" to send a message to his team. Coach Pete Carroll has always been known as a "players coach" who really understands upping team morale and chemistry. The next day, he pulled a prank on his team with Bill Withers himself. This video is a mix of humor and unity that shows the brightest side of sports. 

Blogs That Most Interest Me

Based on my investigation of major blogs, each successful blog has a specific message that appeals to a large audience. It must separate itself by being unique or being the most knowledgeable in their topic. Extra footage, such as video, also helps enhance some blogs.

A common feature I’ve found throughout all these blogs is a focused message and clear goal. Some have blogs to spread their opinion, inform or market. My blog will be to express my opinion.

The design definitely is an appealing factor to the reader. I find a simple color scheme works best and doesn’t overwhelm the reader. I want to create an unmistakable identity. Most importantly, I want to incorporate videos and unique articles that appeal to a large group of people. A few examples of blogs I’ve found are listed below.

http://blog.nj.com/horseracing/index.html

Little have I known, I’ve been reading this blog religiously my whole life. Growing up in Albany, I’m a short drive from Saratoga Race Track. I’m not a big gambler, but I do enjoy betting on thoroughbred horse races. The atmosphere, tradition and hope of striking it rich provides for an entertaining, and almost addicting experience.

This blog has serious success due to its appeal to people with hopes in winning. When money is on the line, people tend to do their research. This blog is unique compared to other horse racing blogs because it’s offered for free. This man enjoys horse racing, and doesn’t care about making money off his picks. This blog is an excellent source for small tips on which horses to invest in. He doesn’t rant about the horses, but rather gives an informative few sentences. It’s simple and to the point, making it easy to read.

http://mittromney.com/blogs/mitts-view

Unlike most blogs, this blog’s primary goal isn’t to just simply inform. Mitt Romney uses this blog to market himself. It’s extremely successful due to the popularity of the GOP race. In an age where people are put on a pedestal, it gives the world a closer look at Romney. It’s an excellent technique to keep his fans in the everyday life of Mitt. Romney takes full advantage of the internet marketing, especially Youtube, and is providing serious results in the Republican Primaries. The excellent design, and video footage enhances this blog.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy

http://espn.go.com/espn/blogs is made up of a bunch of bloggers, blogging about many different sports topics. It’s great that you get a bunch of different perspectives and news on every little sport. Andy Katz writes the blog that stands out most to me on ESPN. His blog on college basketball is the premier college basketball blog. The amount of detail, inside information, and the quickness of delivery all help his blog rise to the top. He has no bias towards an individual team. Instead, he tells it like it is. The credibility of ESPN and the resources available also help him to come up with the best information and rumors. 

Lions For Lambs- A Contradicting Argument

As the United States’ occupation of the Middle East seems to be easing, the results of the war will become clearer. As the famous saying goes, hindsight is always 20-20. Yet, throughout the war, opinions varied and people continually took shots at the United States government. The strong opinions and battle with the issue of war morality was expressed in the 2007 film, Lions For Lambs. Using three complimenting scenes, director Robert Redford brought together different perspectives. Looking beyond the topic of war, the film also shows the importance of passion. I agree with freedom of speech. However, I disagree the way some opinions were expressed were in the movie.  

Although I most strongly disagreed with reporter Janine’s liberal views, my least favorite character was the class professor. His views might’ve been more similar to mine, but his personality had its flaws. I respect the professor’s passion for leading others, but he came across as narrow-minded. He might have looked out for others wellbeing, but he didn’t look out for their best interest. Simply put, the safest decision isn’t always the best one. Just because his war experiences weren’t favorable doesn’t mean that the armed forces isn’t someone else’s calling. For every person that suffers from PTSD, there’s a soldier that was built by his service, such as the senator. As long as someone pursues what he or she deems as important, they’re fulfilling their life’s calling. As my blog title states, the purpose of life is to live a life of purpose.  

The Professor’s argument’s showed serious contradiction. In one scene he’s telling his lazy student, “What good is a $90,000 Benz when the streets are decaying.. If things are really as bad as you say they are, than how can you enjoy the good life. Rome is burning son.” In a future scene, he’s telling two aspiring soldiers to rethink their decision to protect “burning Rome” solely based off his less than favorable experiences.

The movie gets its title when the professor describes how a German general wrote acknowledging the bravery of the British in World War I. He recalls, “No where else have I seen such lions led by such lambs.” In other words, he’s describing how it’s not the smartest people leading the war strategy. It’s this lack of trust in the government that could tear a country apart, just as it hurt our home front during the Vietnam War. And if he truly didn’t believe in the brains behind the war, why doesn’t he try to take action in politics, just as he tells the lazy student to? The two aspiring soldiers were right when they responded, “Because it’s going so badly makes it even more important Doc.” This quote directly relates to the previous quote about Rome burning.

In conclusion, my criticism of the professor is in the fact that he tells one person a nation needs to be protected and then attempts to talk enthusiastic citizens who wish to protect us out of it. Also, he preaches to the lazy student to be the change he wishes to see in the world, but then he doesn’t pursue that change himself.

Emotion really sunk in at the end when the two soldiers died. It was a heart-wrenching scene that seemed to provide an anti- war statement by the producers to some. I took it more as a reminder that each decision has a consequence. The benefits and cons of being a soldier are both enormous. There’s a big debate about the morality of war. Everybody agrees, a young adult dying is not a part of anyone’s utopia. Unfortunately, war seems to be a necessary evil in this world we live in. Hopefully, the world continues to move towards peace, but Iran seems to be making that tough. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid of Iran and what I think may come of this clash. Just as in Lions For Lambs, I hope the people that have the passion and drive to protect this land continue to do so under any leader.