KURT WARNER'S RETURN TO THE DOME IN ST. LOUIS

After Kurt was a Super Bowl MVP, he returned in the Spring of 2000 to be featured with Rev. Billy Graham in the evangelical preacher's last crusade in St. Louis. What an awesome event!!

To hear Rev.Graham preach, to hear George Beverly Shea sing, to hear the rest of the worship team/praise team bring glory to God, and to hear Kurt Warner's testimony was truly an outstanding memory in my life. I think it must have been like a little bit like heaven.

At the invitational, I witnessed hundreds, maybe a thousand people accept Jesus Christ as their savior. As they poured out of their seats to join Mr. Graham as the choir sang, "Just As I Am."

When Kurt led the Rams to the victory over Tampa Bay in the NFC finals, I was impressed with his leadership and absolutely picture perfect pass he threw to a well-covered Ricky Proehl. As I've shared before, it was the loudest sound I've ever heard at a stadium event. Even louder than Three Dog Night at the SIU Arena in 1974 when we were sitting about 9 rows from one of those huge speakers of the day. When Proehl hauled in that pass to put the Rams into the Super Bowl, I thought my ears might be bleeding. Wow!

Will that kind of excitement occur in the EDJ tomorrow? I hardly think so. Will that kind of reverance be shown to Kurt? Again, I hardly think so. And he sure wouldn't want it. He knows it's not about him. Right Rick Warren?

But I hope there's excitement. I hope he throws at least one touchdown pass and doesn't get sacked. Actually, I hope he plays as great as he is. And I hope the St. Louis fans remember.

If you go to the game, yell loudly for Kurt just once for me. And if you don't take a new or slightly used coat for his charity, put in $10. It once got me an autograph of Kurt on a hand held fan. Complete with a bible verse--Romans 6:33.

DON'T PLAY AGAIN LIKE THESE COWBOYS

Critical. Crucial. Pivotal. This week in the MVRL is all of these and more. To compound things, the trading dealine occurs before Sunday's games. Which means you could be a pretender and not know it till it's too late.

If my Cowboys play like these guys in the picture, again, then I could easily become one of those also rans. Injuries to Big Ben and Torry have decimated my team. No I haven't forgotten about Julius Jones: his injury and the culpepper fiasco forced me into some trades I really didn't want to make. And no I hadn't given up on Griese. I liked using him in favorable match-ups, but for the 2nd or is it 6th straight season he turned into baseball's version of J.D. Drew or Scott Rolen?

Also I haven't forgotten about David Akers, a high draft pick for a kicker for the Owls. And yes, I released him when it appeared his season was over. Oh well, everyone has hardships.

At least my MVP, Warrick Dunn has proven to be a stud. And I like my pick up of Jason Elam. I still have some favorable match up defenses that will pressure Stevie and me to play the right one, the right week. This week was especially tough with the Rams, Seahawks, and even Buffalo having appealing games. Stevie and I went with the Hawks, hoping they wouldn't have a meltdown after last week's big win over an uninspired Ram team. At least we know the 49-ers will be uninspired. I still love it that they're so bad.

Anyway(s) good fortunes to all this very important week in the good ole MVRL.



But I don

THE SNAKEPIT: CHAGNON GYM (NEE VERNOIS)

On the cusp of the start of high school basketball, I'm reminded of the time back in 1966 when Ed Sullivan came to watch a Mt. Vernon Ram/Marion Wildcat game in Vernois Gym. He was there to promote Sullivan Cablevision tv when it came to the King City. He was introduced to the crowd, stepped onto the court about where the Rams talk it over with the coach. He then stepped back, went to his seat and watched Greg Starrick of the Wilcats shoot the rock.

Starrick later played for Kentucky before transferring to SIU where he set a national record for free throw shooting percentage. It was a sick .977 or something. I think it was broken just a few seasons ago.

At Vernois Gym that night, he was left with a poor team after leading the Wildcats to a State Tournament appearance as a sophomore. They defeated the Rams in the first Sweet 16 game at the new SIU Arena. That was a Ram team featuring Terry Gamber and Hoobie Hester. But by the time his senior year rolled around, Marion was terrible. Except for Starrick. His father, Wendall, was the coach and there were rumors that he was going to get the Mt. Vernon basketball coaching job and bring Greg with him, of course. Too bad it never materialized.

Starrick would take one dribble past the center line and let it fly. Keep in mind, this was before any three point shot line. He scored 70 points in one game at Marion that year. Not this night, but if I recall he totaled 40 or so.

Besides watching one of the greatest high school players I'd ever seen, and without a doubt one of the best pure shooters, I remember being awed by Ed Sullivan. I mean, just two years earlier he had introduced The Beatles on his Sunday night tv show. My comment to the buddies I was with that night, "He looks green with all that make-up on."

It was just one of the many great nights I spent in the Snakepit.

THE WONDER YEARS

"We didn't have to hate ourselves for growing old. We just had to forgive ourselves for growing up." I have no idea why I kept this quote from the old televsion show that I never missed, but I found it written on an advertisement card, so I figure I must have jotted it down when I watched an episode. And I think it so true. Like a lot of lessons offered in the show.
I'll tell you how much of a Wonder Years nerd I was: This picture was just before Kevin and Winnie's first kiss in the park near their home. Everybody should have a park nearby or a Metzger's Field. Definitely everybody ought to have a Winnie. A gal that you can put on a pedestal. A gal that like/hates you. A gal that can break your heart. (Gal--is that an old word or what?)
Anyway, here's a poem that I wrote that should have been in a Wonder Years show. From time to time, I'll try to wax poetical. Don't get too excited though. They're not all that good.

Above his sight
Above his mantled eyebrows
Sits a furrowed wrinkle
In the top quarter of his brow.
He, like Cassius, is a thinker
And when told the world was
Black and white in 1957
He was puzzled.

KUDOS TO YET ANOTHER FLYING CHAUCER AWARD RECIPIENT---MR. PUJOLS

Two of the big three end of year awards deservedly went to the St' Louis Cardinals. The third, manager of the year should have. But I know that Tony would rather have Carpenter and Pujols pick up the hardware than he. In MVRL history, I'm sure I'm not the sole owner who's captured both Cy and MVP Awards. I figure Scott, Derek or Ryan will know.

Now about the other Pietsch. Troy, my man, whatchu thinking? Jonesy was overrated by the writers, Third, maybe, but how did he beat out Lee? When he hits for a better average, in fact, much better average than .263 then we'll talk about it. And .207 with men in scoring position? Come back when you grow up Andrew.

And Lee, a former Chaucer, had a phenomenal year. Not quite Pujolsian, but he deserved second place. He was torrid. He could challenge for MVP for some time. And yes, he would make a great Chaucer.

The Rookie of the Year Award went to yet another St. Louie guy, Ryan Howard (I told you he was a stud, Wes) who plays for the wrong team . Willy Taveras appropriately finished a close second.

It was a great St. Louis year. Until the playoffs. Again. Time to re-tinker, re-tool, re-capture that NL flag. And win one more series for the Cardinals.

A FART IN THE NIGHT

The big comeback for the Flying Chaucers vs. the storied Benchpressers failed to materialize when the Cowboys forgot to show up until the last 7 minutes of the game.

Four points from Bledsoe and Jones. Four points! Oh well. It was still another great week in the MVRL. Even with (another) loss.

I am going to write about parity with a slant. NFL style. Perhaps, at mid-point next season, the teams totally out of it, like the Bears and Bengals and, oh wait a minute-- this is 2005. The Cardinals, the 49-ers, the Texans, the Titans, the Jets, the Saints, the Ravens, et. al, including the Rams could combine teams for the second half.

You could at least have some interesting teams with new merchandise for the NFL Second Half fan. By combining the Cardinals and Ravens besides getting a better on-field product, you could have a helmet with a red raven, or black cardinal, or combine the birds into a new ravnal. The possibilites are limitless. A Texas Titan, a Saint Jet, a Bronco Colt--oh wait, they're both good. How about an EagleRam with claws and horns and talons and sinew and...

It wouldn't take long to put the teams together. They're no good anyway(s) so what makes you think they'd be good by combining. It's kinda like that fart in the night. It could be a fizz. Or it could be a fuzz. But I'm not sure what a fizzy fuzz is.
Maybe another bye week for everybody. The week after Thanksgiving. Then let them tee it up. Besides, you'd get an extra week to sell the merchandise.

MY BAD
That was Torry Holt's comment on his first dropped pass in the Seattle loss yesterday in NFL action. A loss that buried this year's version of a playoff team in St. Louis. I'm not sure about his second dropped pass in the corner of the end zone. I gets his comment might be "my real bad." Or "my bad, my bad."

I've never really understood that expression. In fact when I first heard Coach Creel's son use it in my class years ago, I though it was "Am I bad?" That makes more sense to me.

But before I start sounding too much like Andy Rooney, I'll just give a composite list, certainly not exclusive of all the cliches that broadcasters make that I've heard enough of.

Number one on my list is "110%." Sorry guys, that's not possible. I even heard an athlete say the other day that she would give 200%. Ain't gonna happen, though "her motor (could) constantly be running."

"it's not rocket science." "pin their ears back." "it's gonna be a battle." "level the playing field" "the game is played on the field" "you know what I'm saying?" "buying more time" "the clock is their enemy, not (insert team )" "take it one game at a time" "Sweating bullets" "took points off the scoreboard" "you gotta protect the ball" "close the gap" and " a must-win situation."

There a a jillion more, of course. The picture at the start of this blog is a lap writing desk out of the early 1900's. It's not a great picture. Oops, sorry. My bad.

I'VE NEVER GOTTEN OVER IT

The 1985 World Series loss. The Denkinger blown call. I do agree with Scott that Cuzzi this year stole a playoff game from the Cardinals for whatever pent up reason. I'm not just talking about throwing out Tony and Edmonds. His strike zone the whole game favored Backe. Backe of all people. He's simply not that good. But a generous strike zone can transform an average pitcher into an untouchable one.
So why do I bring this up now? Yesterday's ASU/UCLA football game on ABC. The Pac-10, in addition to calendar girls also has the best officials rule I've seen. (I know a previous blog hinted at this concept.) I told you I couldn't get over it. One official (Don May, Ray Bate, some two syllable guy) reviews plays in the booth with two tech guys to assist him. No officials on the field have any conversation with him except to report his ruling. Sometimes it takes awhile. But you know what? He got every one of them right. Some favored the Sun Devils and some the homefield Bruins. But he never missed a one. And some were very close, very controversial at the time.
Also I saw no player or coach contest one of the calls in an emotional game. It's a Pac-10 rule, so they're familiar with its use.
I say bring it on. And don't stop with football. It would have reversed everett's phantom tag, but not cuzzi's. After all it's not a perfect world.