Sugar Bowl Crash

I had something else planned to write about today, but the events of life often change our plans. Of course this is about the devastating Sugar Bowl loss that was handed to the Razorbacks and the entire state of Arkansas last night. All around the state today people sit at their places of work and blankly stare at the walls with thoughts of what if?

What if Joe Adams could catch a football?

What if Mallet hadn't thrown the ball directly to a DE in the final seconds of the game?

What if the Hogs could tackle Pryor?

What if the defense had recovered that fumble on OSU's first drive?

What if the DB's batted down one of those TD passes when they were in great position?

What if the Hogs had picked up the blocked punt and scored?

This type of speculation will go on until next fall. That is the curse of losing a bowl game. Most people can't get that taste out of their mouth until another game is played. But I'm writing today because that's just not me anymore. I still love the Razorbacks way too much. I still got very mad and may or may not have screamed obscenities when Mallet threw that last interception. I had trouble getting to sleep last night, and the first thing I thought of this morning was the loss.

Then I saw my beautiful wife. I knew she hadn't slept well last night. She's had a headache for about 36 hours straight. She said she was really tired. At that time football meant nothing. Arica is pregnant with two special little babies. She is struggling with feeling bad a lot of the time. All I wanted to do was help her feel better. So I just sat there and rubbed her back for a few minutes.

Then Braden, who stayed with his Grandma last night, came home. He was happily jabbering on about everything. Then he gave me a big hug and any lingering feelings of loss and pain caused by the football game vanished completely.

Before getting married and having a kid a loss like this would linger for weeks. At totally unexpected times the pain of losing would shoot down my spine. It wouldn't take much to set off the mourning cycle all over again, but now I don't have time for that.

It is a great blessing to have things in my life much more important than a football game. Today things go right back to normal. My main focuses are to help out Arica as best I can and play with my little boy. Those things bring true and complete joy that easily overcomes the pain of watching a team of people I've never met lose a football game on TV.

Yes I'm still a big fan, and I was extremely upset about the loss. But this is the part where escaping the carefree days of youth is a good thing. Now I have grown up responsibilities. I have things to occupy my mind other than wondering why Petrino called a straight drop back pass on 4th and 1.

Life is full of blessings. One of those blessings is the ability to enjoy sporting competition by participating or  by watching. A greater blessing though is the ability to share the joy of victory and to totally forget about the agony of defeat with my family.

Football on Thanksgiving

I am participating in a giveaway for the first time ever. I am no Bob Barker so you're not getting....A NEW CAR!!!! It's a fairly modest giveaway, but it involves football. How could I resist the opportunity to get a few free things while talking about football. I am going to talk about it anyway so why not get the free stuff too.

This post is in conjunction with the Clorox Toilet Bowl Contest. Click on over and learn how to win a trip to New Orleans to play in the first ever Clorox Toilet Bowl flag football game.  The celebrity QB will be former Florida Gator QB, NFL bench warmer, and current ESPN analyst Jesse Palmer. For all the ladies out there I believe he was once the bachelor too. Feel free to make any tight end jokes now.

Now that we have done that let's talk a little about Thanksgiving and football. Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. There is nothing like family and food. My favorite tradition it to eat so much that it makes me miserable. I think that is why someone decided long ago to put football on TV on Thanksgiving Day. While you are laying on the couch with a swollen stomach listening to your older male relatives snore off the tryptophan nothing can lift your spirits like watching the Cowboys. Unfortunately this year the Cowboys can only amplify any feelings of queasiness.

While our family has never played our own flag football game the sport has always been a part of Thanksgiving for me. In 1996 a new football tradition was added to our Thanksgiving repertoire, The Battle for the Golden Boot seen below.

Starting that year Arkansas and LSU began playing the Friday after Thanksgiving for that huge golden trophy. On alternating years I would either spend that Friday off watching the game on TV or in the stands in Little Rock. Recently the game has been moved back to Saturday, but it still always occurs on the week of Thanksgiving. And this year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving Arica and I will join my parents in the stands for what could possibly be a meeting of two top ten teams. I am excited already.

So there you have it. I eat as much turkey and dressing as humanly possible. I watch a little of the Cowboys. I try and do a little deer hunting. Then I cheer on my beloved Razorbacks sometimes even in person. That is my Thanksgiving tradition and it always involves football.

So here is where you get the chance to win a football and a Clorox Toilet wand. I know it sounds glamorous, but that it is just life as usual here at Life of a New Dad. Think of it this way. You will be receiving two Christmas gifts. A football is great for a little boy on your list. And you can give the toilet wand to your wife.

Just kidding. Don't do that. Don't even think of doing that. In fact let's pretend I didn't even say that.

All you have to do is leave me a comment preferably about football. If not about football then just say something funny. Whether it is funny or not will be left up to our judges (me). I don't want any followers just for the giveaway so only a comment is needed. I have gained all my followers without any giveaways and I want to keep it that way. The giveaway will be done next Wednesday November 24th so I don't forget about it over the holidays.

In case I don't see you again Have a Happy Thanksgiving everybody.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of Clorox and received a gift code, toilet wand and football to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Woooooo Pig Sooie!!!

Tomorrow is a big day in the state of Arkansas. Our beloved Arkansas Razorbacks ranked #10 in the nation take on the defending national champion #1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. It is by any measure the biggest game to take place in the state of Arkansas since #1 Texas came from behind to beat #2 Arkansas 15-14 on the final day of the season in 1969 with President Nixon in attendance.

As you might surmise I am excited. I am wearing a Razorback shirt at work today. For that matter I wore one yesterday too. As David Putty once explained, "You gotta support the team." Furthermore, if the Hogs are going to pull off the upset they need everyone to help including me.

I have been trying to raise Braden to love the Hogs all his life. His room is decorated in Razorback attire with the walls painted red and white. He can call the Hogs although it is hard to get him to participate. He does regularly exclaim "SooiEEE" though. That is what he calls Razorbacks. If he sees one on his shirt or anywhere else he will point at it and say "SooiEEE". It is an awesome thing to see for a life long Hog fan.

Before Braden was born when people saw all the Razorback stuff he was getting they would often innocently ask, "What if Braden doesn't like the Razorbacks?"

I would usually laugh and shrug off the question as if it was insane. When pressed I would offer, "If he wants to root for another team he better find another place to sleep at night."

Such is the devotion to the Hogs in my house and all across the state. We don't have a pro team. We don't have any big cities. Heck, we don't even have a good reputation around the country. What we do have is our Razorbacks.

So on Saturday afternoon rednecks and hillbillies alike will be gathered around our TVs with the rabbit ears tuned just right to support those Hogs. Hopefully come next week everyone in the sporting world will be saying nice things about our great state.

If not then we will just shut down Wal Mart to get back at all of you.

Back in the Summer of 2010

Give yourself a sticker for surviving Summer 2010 because it is gone. I don't care what the calendar says, it's over. I know this for certain because on my daily drives to and from work I don't have to dodge fourteen boats piled high with tubes, kids, and coolers as they head for the lake. I am not seeing as many people roaming around Wal Mart in their swimming suits with armfuls of potato chips and sunscreen. Our little town has slowed down again for the winter. It is nice, and to top it off we have even had rain for three straight days.

To further cement the end of summer football has returned to our lives. The Razorbacks won their first game and have climbed to #14 and #15 in the polls. This Saturday Arica and I are heading off to our first football game of the year. We will see friends, have fun, and call the Hogs on their way to another blowout victory against a former directional Louisiana school that is now simply ULM.

Even with the joy of football season beginning we will mourn the passing of another summer. There are good and bad things about every summer in Arkansas and this year was no different. Really the only bad thing was the oppressive heat. The temperature was over 100 degrees for nearly the entire month of August. That leads to huge patches of dead grass, nearly zero outdoor activities, and high energy bills. But even the heat can't keep us from having fun.

Now it is time to recap the good things about Summer 2010 aka Braden's second summer.

This year was the first family vacation which included Braden's first Cardinals game and a trip to the zoo. We also took Braden on his first of hundreds of lake trips. We went to water parks with and without the little man. Arica and I snuck in one trip that ended with a free Billy Currington concert. God is great. Beer is good. And people are crazy indeed.

There were plenty of other little things that were equally as awesome as vacations, water parks, and free concerts. For example:

We introduced Braden to snow cones.

Braden learned to help feed the dogs, and now he loves to do it every day. He has even developed somewhat of a friendship with the old hounds.

And finally there is one good thing that all this heat brings, besides all the water activities. It gives you a great excuse to run around the house in your underwear.

So that is it Summer 2010. It seems we hardly knew you. Until next Memorial Day when I fire up the grill and pop in the Saving Private Ryan DVD, I hope you enjoy your trip to the Southern Hemisphere.

Who's On Stage: Super Bowl XLIV

I have nothing on my mind about parenting today, so I will tackle the Super Bowl. It is the dominating topic in our country this week so I might as well join the fray.

I think there could be a new Abbot and Costello routine born this weekend.  I foresee one of the many young kids that the NFL funnels down to the stage to dance and act crazy during the halftime show turning to a more educated fan to ask about the pensioners playing on stage. It might sound like this.

kid: What are these old geezers called?
adult: They are called The Who.
kid: I can't hear you. Who?
adult: That's right.
kid: What's right?
adult: The who
kid: That's what I'm asking

Now after that awful attempt a humor I will give you my 10 thoughts about Super Bowl XXIV. That is Roman for Super Bowl 44.

1. More people will watch the game for the commercials than for the athletic contest.
2. Many businesses will suffer a huge lack of productivity on Monday.
3. There will be no less than 100 references to Hurricane Katrina.
4. Some players between now and Sunday will make the news because of something that happened after dark on South Beach.
5. I will eat a lot of food.
6. The pregame shows will be ridiculously long and boring.
7. Someone will ask what does XLIV mean.
8. We will get plenty of random shots of celebrities especially those working for CBS.
9. There will be commercials about beer.
10. Peyton Manning will become the dorkiest QB to ever win two Super Bowls.