it's time to get over it

It's a rainy Saturday morning on a holiday weekend. I slept late and am now watching soccer with Ben and Donald. I love sports; I'm not sure why though. Let me explain.

When I was in school I was never very athletic. Nor am I now, unless you call ripping up vinyl, tearing up carpet, hauling bricks, laying bricks, gardening, and doing tons of laundry being athletic. I always.....WHOA, Germany just scored again and the dude did a BACKFLIP after he scored!!!!!! Sorry, I tend to get sidetracked easily. But Germany just won the game people~!

As I was saying, when I was in school I always hated PE and standing there knowing I was not going to be chosen till the end. It was always the same and I was always embarrassed. There's something about standing alone or with one other person knowing that no one wants you on their team, but will have to take whoever is left standing. I always said if I ever taught I would never let kids choose sides. I would find another way to do it.

It was humiliating, and I still remember the feeling. On a more positive note ONE time in softball I actually HIT the ball and made it to FIRST BASE~! I still remember the elation I felt upon my success~! Still... and I'm 55 years old. See, I am definitely scarred.

I played basketball for six years. Well, maybe I should say I was on the team for six years. I went to a very small school and the only thing outside of schoolwork was basketball. When I was in seventh grade they were one person short of having enough to have a team. So the girls in eighth grade talked me into playing. I touched the ball occasionally, but that was about it. Why I continued playing I don't know. But I'm glad I did, cause in the eighth grade we had a fantastic coach and I enjoyed it much more. I still wasn't very good, but practiced often at home. I mostly threw up air balls in the gym, but I was so good at home. I was perplexed about this for years and after I started dating Donald I was telling him about it. He asked if I practiced on the goal that was in our front yard. I told him yes and he started laughing. He said it wasn't regulation height~! I never knew it because it looked totally different having nothing but space behind the goal versus a wall about three feet behind the goal in the gym. I would of been SO GOOD if they had lowered the goal the in the gym~!

When Donald started traveling about ten years ago I started watching basketball again with Ben. It was a bonding experience and he taught me lots about it. He knows players, statistics, rules, etc. If I like a player I grow quite attached to him. I fell in love with Steve Nash because he looked so little and cute. This was back when he played with the Dallas Mavericks. I affectionately called him "Little Stevie" and later found out he was 6'3" and taller than Donald. Wow, those other guys make him look sooo short.

When Donald was home on weekends he would watch with us. He didn't appreciate the fact that I talked throughout the game and screamed and hollered and jumped up and down. He wanted me to sit there and watch the game "quietly." Those of you who know me well knows darn well that "quietly" isn't part of my vocabulary, much less my makeup. He eventually gave up and I scream and holler all I want. Our kids' friends would come over to watch me watch the game. I had quite a reputation going there for a while.

Basketball is my favorite. I will watch college football (I don't care for pro), baseball, and soccer.

I can't stand golf. For the life of me I can't see what's so exciting about it. I mean, they don't even get exercise, they ride around in those little carts. Maybe that's the fun of it though. Sorry if you love golf. I don't mean to offend and obviously I don't understand.

I loved it when the kids played soccer. Donald had to strongly reprimand me once and tell me I was going to get thrown off the field if I didn't shut up. But hey, someone was messing with my kid and that's something you DON'T do. Play by the rules and be nice; is that so hard??? Obviously it was for this guy and the refs didn't see it or call it....so I did. What's so wrong about that???

The soccer game is over and Germany won and the only sad thing is that Dirk wasn't playing. Yeah, I know, he plays basketball not soccer. But he's from Germany and one of my favorite players. He would have been great~! :)

finding magic

I went to bed early last night. It seems all the dealings with the phone company and sinus pressure caught up with me. My head hurt! I lay on our bed and finished watching a show and started channel surfing. It seems my husband's habit has rubbed off on me. Except for watching part of the shows I just go the main menu and find a couple of things I like and go back and forth between the two. At 8:00 I returned to the menu and found that the Dallas Mavericks were already playing. I didn't know they were on (honestly Connie and Eddie, I didn't know).

The LA Clippers have acquired Baron Davis and Zach Randolph and have a pretty darn good team which their record doesn't reflect. They led the whole game until the last minutes. One of my favorites, J.J. Barea, made a three pointer to give them the surge they needed. They won 100-98~!

Even though I love basketball I'm really more of a people fan. If I like a player or coach I get upset when they get traded. Take Avery Johnson for example. I loved Avery as their coach. He took them to the playoffs a couple of times and because they didn't win the title they axed him. I got mad! I haven't even given Rick Carlisle, their new coach, much thought (other than I'd rather have Avery than him). I know that's pretty childish as it wasn't his fault Avery left, but back to my story. Last night after the game I was watching the post game show and they interviewed him. He made this remark, "For a four-minute stretch we caught lightning in a bottle and found some magic.''

I'm afraid I may have been wrong not to give him the benefit of the doubt. Anyone who can talk like that is pretty great. Welcome aboard, Rick.

Can you see me now??

I just received an email explaining how I can go to a Dallas Maverick basketball game for free~!
This is all I have to do.......


Want to attend the Mavs game for free? Paint your face and/or body and join the Party on the AT&T Plaza with Ali D and Ro Parrish starting 2 hours before every home game. The rowdiest, loudest, and proudest fans will receive free tickets to the game.

Now those of you who have watched basketball with me already know I can get pretty loud and rowdy and I'm already proud of my guys! It's worth a shot, don't you think??

unbelievable but true

For those of you who could care less about basketball you probably want to move on to another blog today. But I just have to comment. What in the world is Phoenix thinking in trading Shawn Marion for Shaquille O'Neal???????? Now I have never been a fan of Shaquille, but really, how in the world do the Suns' think he can keep up with their run and gun style of basketball?? He does have a pretty big ego, but I'm not sure that will get him up the court any faster. Here are a couple of quotes from him during the news conference introducing him as the newest member of the team.....

Someone asked if he knew he looked good in purple.
"I already knew that," O'Neal said. "But thank you very much."

"I'm very upset," he said. (about criticism of the trade) "You just don't really want to get me upset. When I'm upset, I'm known to do certain things -- like win championships."

We'll see on that one.

"I think with the addition of me it gives the guys the extra that we can make it," O'Neal said. Maybe he could sell some of his inflatable ego??

He will energize the locker room, he said, "just by being me."

And finally my favorite......."If you want to take me in a room and examine me yourself, you could see for my age I have a fabulous body." Ah, no thanks; not interested in doing that.

Okay, so I left part of the quotes off. You can read his full comments here if you are so inclined.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/02/07/shaq.suns.ap/index.html

Maybe in a few years after I'm finished homeschooling I can become a sports writer. I am pretty opinionated. The only good thing about this is that Phoenix got him and not Dallas.

Now you may be asking why in the world I care about this?? Because Steve Nash is one of my favorite basketball players and used to play with Dallas, until the Suns paid him a huge amount of money that Dallas wouldn't match. So yeah, I do love watching the Suns play.....at least I used to before they traded Marion and got O'Neal.

Go Mavs!!!!

Eli Who??

I have a new team. I just screamed myself hoarse during the Super Bowl; I don't even really like football all that much. The New York Giants just won!!!!! They have officially been "my team" the past two games they've played. Before then I had heard of Eli Manning a time or two but that was just about it. I don't know any of their other players. It doesn't matter. I chose them because they were the underdog. Key word: were.....Now they are the NFL Champions.

Back in the Saddle Again

Earlier in the week I decided I was just too passionate about basketball. I'm one of the Dallas Maverick's greatest fans. After this series with the Golden State Warriors and near elimination from round one of the playoffs I was in the throes of despair for awhile. (Maybe you have to really love basketball to understand that one.) I decided I just wasn't going to watch the game. I had tried earlier this week when they lost. I did laundry, dishes, and ironing during the game; all the while sneaking peeks at the television and getting in a yell every now and then.

Last night I decided I would be a true fan and go down with the ship so to speak. Dirk came through in the final minutes after they blew a huge lead from the first half. So now it's a 3-2 series with another game Thursday night. And guess who is going to be in front of the tv cheering for her team??? Maybe my title should be "Back Again" or "Passionate Return."

If anyone wants to watch the game Thursday night I'll be here. Go Mavs~!