Landscaping Aggie Style

Kickoff is about 30 hours away from the 2011 season and the fault line in college football is shaking.  Texas A&M sent a letter to the BIG XII (no confirmation yet on if it was in crayon and included pop ups or pictures so Dan Bebee could understand) letting them know, “Hey – while you other 8 are happy sucking on Doloss Dodd’s teets…we want something better”  and are leaving the conference as of June 30, 2012.  Hello SEC!  Dan Bebee also released a statement here. That would put 13 teams in the SEC, 13 may work in the MAC but it won’t work in the SEC.  So the Aggies need a dance partner.  I’m guessing the most likely candidates are going to be from the ACC in Clemson or Florida State.  That puts the SEC at 14, you know the Pac-12 and Big Ten will not go quietly either, so we will go back to what we had last year in the landscape of college football being on shaky ground. The fate of the Big XII depends on Texas, and how many other schools have enough cache to go up against them?  Oklahoma – No….Missouri – No.  Texas is now more powerful than ever, but as we learned in SpiderMan, “With great POWER comes great RESPONSIBILITY!”  Who does Texas care about?  Texas.  You think that they care about Kansas or Kansas State or Iowa State?  NOPE!  Heck the Big XII catered to them when they moved the basketball tournament from Kansas City to Oklahoma City and Dallas (where no one cares about it) and moves head quarters to Dallas from Kansas City.  Basically Bebee bent over and grabbed ankles for Doloss Dodd’s and his Longhorns. Going to throw out some new prediction here.  In 2015 you will see a very different college football, because it’s all about football in the end,  landscape.  §  The conferences will grow to SUPER CONFERENCES.  The Big Ten, Pac-16, ACC and SEC will each have 16 teams.  The Big East will be shredded to the ACC and other conferences.  The Mountain West will almost have a conference USA feel to it and spread across the Central and Mountain time zones and capture a BCS Bid.  Notre Dame will have to join a conference or be left out.  The Big 4 will put enough pressure on them. §  The BCS will expand to add in the Cotton Bowl.  That will then be 12 BCS bids including the Championship Game.  Along with that, the 4 super conferences will now be assured at least 2 BCS bids.  Along with the Mountain West that will be 9 automatic bids.  Leaving 3 spots as “At-Large” §  Also in 2015 you see the Big Ten going to 9 conference games, which is great to play each other in your conference more, but there will be a 13 game regular season.  Games at home are lucrative for the BIG schools.  They supply the money to fund all the other varsity sports.  And more and more you hear about state regents offices wanting the this universities to be off state tax payer feeding.  Another home game helps.  Also, it frees up some scheduling.  In the case of Iowa with having the Iowa State game there, when you play at Ames you need to play 2 cupcakes at home.  This will free up to add another game vs the likes of Arizona that we’ve seen in the past. §  I wish I could say that bowls will be reduced but I think we may see more bowls…unfortunately. That’s just what I’m seeing in my crystal ball right now as of August 31st 2011.

Source Code

Saturday we rented Source Code from Red Box.  The Jake Gyllenhal movie where he is inputted into what you think is a program but may be an alternate reality.  He’s needed to go in and save a train from blowing up from by a hostage and prevent other bombs from going off.  What your told later is he’s being kept on life support and it’s mostly in his mind the alternate reality that is going on.  I had the bomber pegged after the “2^nd Load” into the system but still thinking of the reality or which is the reality and what is the “Source Code”  It’s kind of like Inception in that matter.  Really decent flick.

2.5 Stars / 5

Best and Worst of the Weekend – Downsizing is a good thing?

Downsizing really makes things a lot easier!  Really it does…Thursday night I took my son to grandmas and grandpas since he didn’t have preschool on Friday, Friday night I took my oldest daughter to grandma and grandpas and they got a weekend to spend with them.  Both have wanted to spend a weekend there with them and play with gma and gpa.  Bray was really pumped to play with grandpa.  Apparently on Friday he got to go see where grandpa works.  They got home Sunday afternoon and were spent!  My son slept from 5pm to 6am….I tried to wake him up for supper and he was out…he woke up for a drink of water and that was about it. 

But really…I forgot how easy it was to just have one kid and go do things.  Having just Ryleigh around and how easy she is was amazing.  It wasn’t like work, it was just life.  Was out most the day on Saturday running errands, got some new Hawkeye shirts for everyone.  Got Addy here school picture outfit.  Got Brayden a Darth Vader shirt that he keeps calling “Darth A Vader”  Also bought a rug for the upstairs living room (it really ties the room together) and Ryleigh is loving it just sitting trying to crawl and playing and rolling.  I got down and played with her on the rug with her new letter links.  So had  a nice lil day…went to Home Depot and some other places..didn’t have time to make it to Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Even had breakfast pizza for breakfast and slept in till 8-9ish.

Sunday started out ok…woke up around 730 and just got going.  We got the house cleaned and clothes put away.  Shawnna cleaned out the van…pulled it in to the garage when the rain started to keep it dry.  Then when we went to go leave to pick up the older kids…the van wouldn’t start.  First thought was battery or alternator.  Tried jumping it with the Honda, and nothing.  So called a tow truck.  The guy pulled up, put on a “Power Pack” and said the battery was a notch or 2 below where it should be and then it started right up.  The numbers increased so it wasn’t the alternator…need to get a new battery this week for it.  So that was a $65 jump start.  Guess what I get to do this week!

Kids got home and had some soup for supper…except Brayden.  As said above he was out.  Got some dishes done and lunches made and played Xbox and then it was time for GAME WEEK to start.

But really, downsizing – it’s much easier with one kid, I can’t even remember what it was like with just Addyson.  And don’t take this the wrong way, I’d never trade the kids for ANYTHING.

Another best…the US Government/FEMA seemed to have learned something from Hurricane Katrina and Rita that hit New Orleans…they were all ready for Irene that was on task to destroy the East Coast.  North Carolina got the brunt of it but saved New York but it seemed like the Govt and FEMA know what to do now…if they could only work like this on economic issues in congress.

Also the US beating Japan in the Little League World Series!

Worst – The damage that Irene did to North Carolina…and also the rest of the East Coast.

Also a very personal worst – Hayden, my dog who turns 8 this December, got hit by a car about 4 years ago, she’s been having some leg issues come back where she got hit and it’s showing now.  It’s hard seeing her struggle on the laminate or the stairs, but you get her running she seems fine.  I’ve helped her with her food and got her close to her dishes so she doesn’t have to move too much.  But it’s just sad. 

So College football starts this week, highschool football is in Week 2 (or 3 depending on your pt of view) and things will be happening here in a flurry….so here is the schedule I’m going to try to keep up.

Thurs – Big Ten Football Predictions

Fri – Iowa HS Football Predictions

Sun – Big Ten Weekly Awards

Sun/Mon – GFR Football Computer Rankings

Mon – Best and Worst of the Weekend

Also going to throw in some “Who’s in your 5” and “Lasting Images” and also my movies and life happenings.  We’ve had over 1000 hits the last 3 months, let’s keep that streak going!

Iowa High School Picks - Week 1

This week games really get started, last week Valley pulled off the upset over Defending Champion Dowling...leading to a mediocre 5-4 week by yours truly. 


Full Slate of games that range from out of Class matchups. 


Week 1 Picks.
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4A	Ankeny over Ames
4A	Bettendorf over Davenport-West
4A	Newton over Pella
4A	SE Polk over DM Roosevelt
3A	Carlisle over Pleasantville
3A	Carroll over Carroll Kuemper
3A	Clear Lake over Charles City
3A	Huxley over Dallas Center-Grimes
2A	North Polk over Bondurant-Farrar
2A	East Marshall over BCLUW
2A	West Marshall over Madrid
2A	Prarie City-Monroe over Knoxville
1A	Gladbrook-Reinbeck over South Harden
1A	Dike-New Hartford over Grundy Center
A	Clarinda over Martensdale St. Mary's
A	MC Newman over Hudson
A	Iowa City Regina over BGM
A	North Tama over GMG
8M	NE Hamilton over Coon Rapids-Bayard
8M	Janesville over Dunkerton

Missed 2 games this week - East Marshall got beat by BCLUW and Martensdale St Mary's beat Clarinda. 

Week 1 (18-2)
Season (23-6)

2011 Summer Movie Awards

It's that time of year again, football is starting along with school and my time at the theater is going to be declining.....and also time for my 3rd Annual Summer Movie Awards.  I was able to 7 summer movies this year.  In order they are Thor, Bridesmaids, KungFu Panda 2, XMen First Class, Transformers 3, Cars 2 and Captain America.  This Summer definitely has a SUPER HERO feel to it with the 3 Marvel movies and the Green Lantern too.  With out further ado here are the 2011 Awards.

Best Movie 

XMen First Class

Best Dude

James McAvoy : Charles Xavier : XMEN First Class

Best Dudette

Melissa McCarthy : Megan : Bridesmaids

Best Scene

Magneto as a young boy with Sebastian Shaw in Poland Nazi Concentration Camp  - You really see what builds Erik’s 

personality. : XMEN First Class

-Honorable Mention - Charles and Erik recruiting mutants and the cameo by one Wolverine. : XMEN First Class

-Honorable Mention - Sam watching the execution of Bumblebee…the connection between the two is seen there. : Transformers 3

Best Fight

Optimus Prime vs Sentinel Prime vs Megatron…could have been longer with all 3…something the WWE would have been jealous of. : Transformers 3
-Honorable Mention - Captain America vs Red Skull in the Valkyrie : Captain America The First Avenger

Biggest Dud

Cars 2 - Cars was such a great movie, this one just fell flat, a miss by Pixar

Anticipated Sequel

XMen - I want to see this expand and tell more stories.  There are so many more XMen stories to tell..Wolverine 2 needs to be its own story arc…keep the XMen Story line characters and Wolverine characters separate.

Summer movie not seen that I want too

Fast Five

Looking Back – Back to School

In my email the other day I got a message from my daughter’s elementary, it was the list of school supplies needed for 1^st grades for the upcoming year.  Wait a second…didn’t we just get out and have summer going?  Then looking at the calendar, and man it’s almost the end of July.  Time has flown.  Guess the softball, work and now 3 kids has made it go by quicker than usual.  But yea, it has.  With a newborn and daycare costs, we haven’t got to do a family vacation like we hoped to but next year its coming.  We’ve gone fishing, trips to the zoo and all around town on the weekends to keep the kids busy and entertained, but school supplies already?  Even Target is ready with all their school supplies now taking over the area where summer items were.

Getting the list I was thinking back to when I was a kid, did I really need all that stuff?  A list of 20-30 items?  Usually it was a folder so, some crayons, glue, pencils and pens and notebooks.  Some years we’d supply some Kleenex so we wouldn’t have to use the sandpaper the school usually had for us.  Also there was the new shoes and backpack if needed and a few shirts and jeans. 

The one thing I loved to get was my 5 star notebooks.  Why I’m not really sure.  I usually got 2, one was one I used for logging college football scores, the other was used for school.  Maybe it was because of the dividers with folders, the harder cover.  I don’t know, but that’s the first school supply I went to grab.  Usually to make sure I could get a black or blue cover and not red or green.  I couldn’t possibly get Cyclone or Packer colors!

Now back to my daughter’s list for 1^st grade…check this out.

And this is what the list looks like.....

A lot different than what I was bringing.  Then I’m sure will also add an outfit or something and then a picture day outfit too.  Now I like the school she goes to, she loves it but I wonder if the cuts the government makes is what is causing these lists to be more extensive than in years pasts.  Cut education and fund other programs and salaries…way to go elected officials!

So now that the list is out, the calendar if it isn’t out already will be in my mailbox and I’ll be working to get that on my calendar to see what days she has off and getting out early.  In 2 years she’ll have a brother in kindergarten which is even harder to believe.  Where is the time going?

Best and Worst – Cubs/Braves – Travel fun & More

Haven’t done this in a while so time to throw one up…gonna span a couple weeks.

Addyson performed last Saturday (13^th) at the Iowa State Fair for her tumbling/dance class.  This a few days after her brother knocked her front tooth out.  She did really good and we got to spend a day at the fair.  Always fun, always busy.  Got the new Iowa poster, one for me and one for my son.  My son wanted it up on his wall when we got home.  After 7 hours they were spent (and me too).  Then Shawnna and I went out to eat at Joe’s Crab Shack.  We had a couple good drinks, a Shark Bite and a Twisted Cherry Limeade.  Shawnna has since tried to recreate the limeade at home.

Also last weekend (14-16) I was lucky enough to travel to Atlanta for a conference for work.  I got down there at 9 am on Sunday morning.  A buddy, Ferg, picked me up and took me to a small restaurant (Thumbs Up) for a great breakfast.  Spent 8 bucks for food that would have been enough for 2.  I don’t think I could have bought a meal like that in Iowa for that much.  I had southwestern eggs.  It was half a plate of fried tators, peppers and onions, then 2 huge breakfast burritos loaded with scrambled eggs, black beans, bacon, sausage and topped with pico de gaulo and guacamole.  I ate maybe 60% of the meal, it was huge and good. 

Somehow also I ended up sitting in like cream from a cinnamon roll and had that stuff all over my ass.  Me only packing one pair of shorts, we had to make a run to Target and I got a 2^nd pair of shorts.  We then went to meet up with some of Ferg’s coworkers and head to Turner Field for the Cubs-Braves game.  Arriving at Turner we saw the old torch that was used in the 1996 Olympics.  The wall from old Fulton County Stadium, they also have the bases painted in the parking lot and a spot marked where Hank Aaron’s record breaking homer landed.

We tailgated for 2 hours before the game, and I purposely wore my Hawkeye hat, and got a half a dozen “Go Hawks”.  We wandered into the game during the first and the Stadium looks really nice.  There are a hand full of statues that we got pictures with (hopefully I’ll get copies of them soon). We sat out in right field for the first half of the game, and then headed behind home plate for the 2^nd half of the game.  I drunk tweeted a few pics during the game.  The Cubs fell behind 4-0, but came back to win 6-5.  They also stopped Dan Uggla’s hit streak at 33 that day, a play that included a great diving catch from Darwin Barney.

The work conference was fun and interesting.  I went down with 2 others from Wells.  Meet them later after the game.  The hotel, the Intercontinental Buckhead was really really nice!  I finally got to put names with faces of others that I call and talk to what sometimes feels like a daily basis and also meet some other people who use the program we use and had some really good discussions.  Also meet a lot of other people at the evening events that were fun too.  Over all a great time…till the flight home.

My flight was supposed to be leaving Atlanta at 5 get in Minneapolis at 7 and 3 hour layover till 10pm flight to Des Moines.  Um….yea, that didn’t happen.  Flight delayed what the airport said was going to be an hour…yea it was like 2 hours.  Once on the plane…I don’t think I’ve had that much fun in a while.  I sat by two ladies from Canada going to Minneapolis for the gymnastics championships (you read that right, they flew Toronto-Atlanta-Minneapolis).  They were older, prob 40-50….and we laughed the whole time.  They were hilarious.  If you’ve seen Bridesmaids, one of them had the same sense of humor that the lady who plays Molly on “Mike & Molly” has in that movie.  So we were cracking up.  And we needed too because when we landed in Minneapolis in a rain storm at 9 we were stuck on the tarmac 100 ft from our gate for an HOUR.  We couldn’t hit the gas a little and roll up to it because of lightning.  That sucked.  My 3 hour layover turned into me running for my gate at another concourse.  My flight to Des Moines though was thankfully delayed. We left at 1045.  Funny thing on my flight back to Des Moines is I sat by a millionaire, the owner of Van Wyk trucking, and a handful of banks, some storage companies among others.  But what is also interesting is he knows my banker, and also worked with my uncle in my hometown (of 500) back in the 50s/60s.  Small world.  So I got home at midnight, worked 50 hours that week and that was without working on Friday. 

Friday I was off and supposed to take my boy to Adventureland to play since last time we were supposed to go, we didn’t since he got sick.  BUT 2 temper tantrums later he wasn’t going and he was back to preschool.  I’ve learned you can’t reward that bad behavior.  Hopefully next time he’ll learn.  And one thing we’ve done with him is from a book called 1-2-3 Magic.  With that his temper, reactions and listening has really improved.  Go check it out fellow parents.  So my Friday was spent relaxing! 

Friday night my daughter had her first “real” sleepover with a friend she went to preschool with.  Her and her friend have a blast all the time, it’s too bad they don’t go to school together anymore.  Saturday my son had his first “real” birthday party to go to with a friend from preschool and some other kids that go there.  It was at a nice little park in Lakewood.  He loved it because he could throw rocks into the lake.  Sunday we spent the day outside, mowing and playing and riding bikes.  I fixed the wheels on my grill and overall just a good day. 

This coming week we start school, the kids go to grandma & grandpas so hopefully it goes quick!

And Iowa High School Football started!  Too bad I started 5-4.  Valley beat Dowling in a classic in that series. 

Now for the bad.  Little Ryleigh has an ear infection and is teething.  IT SUCKS!  She’s 6 mos old and can’t express herself without crying and squirming and not eating or sleeping.  We got some meds for her and she’s been ok the past 12 hours.  Still a little fussy.

Also out of my realm…what the hell is going on in the world of sports?  Fights busting loose in Candlestick Ball Park?  I love going to games but this is a shame.  It’s not just happening in San Francisco, it’s all over on college campuses and pro cities.  It makes me wonder about taking my kids to a game.  I don’t want to put them in that environment.  It’s sad…and thankfully the experience at home and TV in HD has gotten so good you don’t have to go to enjoy it.

Then there’s the “NEW” CyHawk trophy that was unveiled last Friday at the State Fair by the “NEW” rivalry sponsor Iowa Corn.  First off you don’t need a fricken sponsor for a rivalry, rivalries aren’t built on sponsorships.  I can’t stand that. You’ll never see Floyd of Rosedale changed or sponsored by Hormel or Oscar Meyer (at least I hope not).  With that being said the old trophy is well cheap looking, but it has some history and has something to do to with FOOTBALL and the game.  The new trophy revealed with a family of farmers has NOTHING to do with the game other than the scores on the base.  It has drawn scorn from all over the state and country with the Govenor, Hayden Fry and ESPN chimming in.  One paper from Oklahoma said it’s a terrible trophy but at least the sports world knows Iowa-ISU now play for a trophy.  Today (Tues Aug 23) Iowa Corn has a press conference to discuss all the backlash the new trophy has brought.  Hopefully it gets changed.  And please, please Iowa-Nebraska Heroes trophy, learn something here…don’t mess up. 

So this is kind of a book but had a time to cover. 

Iowa High School Picks - Week 0

Light week to open Iowa Highschool football, but you get the #2 rivalry in the state with WDM Valley vs WDM Dowlilng and Ankeny vs Waukee.

Below are my 1st set of picks for the 2011 Season.

4A	Dowling over Valley - L
4A	Ankeny over Waukee - W
4A	SE Polk over DM Lincoln - W
4A	Indianola over Hoover - W
3A	Heelan over SC East - W
3A	Harlan over Denison-Schleswig - L
1A	AGWSR over Grundy Center - L
A	GMG over Earlham - L
A	MC Newman over Northwood-Kensett - W
8M	Lenox over Fremont Mills - PPD

Season : (5-4)

2011 College Football

A one stop shop of all my prediction posts.  Click on the logo to go to those picks

And feel free to join the College Football Pick'em game and all the others!

                        



2011 College Football Predictions

Ahh college football is back….No lockouts here, just paying recruits and tattoo scandals and Longhorn Networks threatening to destroy what’s left of the Big XII….oh and some new faces in the Big Ten and Pac-12.  Last year we had Auburn with Cam Newton running the table getting the SEC the National Title for the 5^th year in a row.  I think that run ends this year. 

Without further ado…my sure to be wrong college football picks for 2011.

Major Conferences

ACC – Florida State over Virginia Tech

Big East - West Virginia

Big Ten -  Nebraska over Wisconsin

Big XII – Oklahoma

PAC 12 – Stanford over Arizona State

SEC – Alabama over South Carolina

MtWest – Boise State

       

Big Bowls

National Championship – Oklahoma over Alabama

Rose – Nebraska vs. Stanford

Fiesta – Texas A&M vs. Wisconsin

Sugar – Boise State vs. LSU

Orange – Florida State vs. West Virginia

Big Ten Bowls

Nebraska - Rose

Wisconsin – Fiesta vs. Texas A&M

Iowa – Capital One

Ohio State - Outback

Penn State - Gator

Michigan – Insight vs. Baylor

Michigan State – Texas Bowl vs. Texas Tech

Northwestern – Ticket City

Illinois – Pizza

Big XII Bowls

Oklahoma – National Championship

Texas A&M – Fiesta vs. Wisconsin

Oklahoma State – Cotton

Texas – Alamo

Baylor – Insight vs. Michigan

Missouri – Holiday

Texas Tech – Texas Bowl vs. Michigan State

Heisman Trophy

Landry Jones – Oklahoma

2011 Heisman Candidates

I really am not a fan of this and well I'm not sure while I'm doing it, but I am.  ESPN has their way to influential terrible power poll....these are just my few players  to watch that could take home the Heisman, and also the RoughRider Offensive Player of the Year.


Andrew Luck - QB - Stanford : He would have been the first pick in the NFL draft this year had he come out, and will be this next year most likely.  Should put up big numbers again even though Jim Harbaugh is now with the 49ers.


LaMichael James - RB - Oregon : Another stud in the Pac-12.  Helped led the Ducks to the National Championship game and last years Doak Walker Award winner.  He should have another big year.  Oregon-Stanford is the game of the year in the Pac-12.


James White - RB - Wisconsin / Montee Ball - RB - Wisconsin : The Badgers like to run, a lot!  White ran for 1050 yards last year sharing duties with a John Clay and Montee Ball.  IBell ran just under 1000.  If they are healthy 'they'll put up a lot more than that.


Marcus Lattimore - RB - South Carolina : Who would have thought the ole ball coach would have an stud RB in his offense?  Lattimore ran for almost 1200 yards and 17 scores.  He'll need to do the same to get South Carolina back to the SEC title game.


Trent Richardson - RB - Alabama : In shared time with Mark Ingram, Richardson put up nearly 1600 yards from scrimmage.  This year Ingram is gone and he'll get most of the Tide touches, and Saban will ride him like they rode Ingram.  He could put up big numbers.


Kellen Moore - QB - Boise State : How long has this kid been there?  A Heisman finalist this year, he's passed for 10,000+ yards already for the Broncos.  He's got 38 career wins and is on tap for double digit more.  Should be back in New York for the Heisman Ceremony.


Landry Jones - QB - Oklahoma : In 2 years as the Sooners QB he's already tossed up nearly 8000 yards.  He has a stud WR to throw too in Ryan Broyles and has the weak Big XII to eat up.  He should put up another big year as should Broyles.


Justin Blackmon - WR - Oklahoma State : A physical beast!  Almost 1800 yards receiving and 22 touchdowns in the Cowboys explosive offense.  He should put up around 1500 this year as he will be a marked man and he is most likely the #1 WR taken in the NFL draft.  

Oh what a day....

Sometimes you just have some days that are like....wow...really, this is all happening.  Especially with kids.  Today was one of them.  


This morning my 3 yr old son woke up crying and screaming in pain.  This isn't normal...really.  He doesn't like to wake up really unless he's getting to stay home and watch cartoons.  So he is staying home obviously.  I call and get him an appointment but not till midday.  He struggled through the morning but laying on his side he was ok.  he had trouble walking comfortably, and getting up and down off the couch or chairs.  


Then comes the appointment.  We have a nurse come in and talk to us and she can visibly see that my boy is hurting.  She left and the doctor came in 30 mins later and did some initial looking over of him.  She had him on the table and did the normal check of ears, eyes and nose.  Also checked his tummy which was obviously hurting him.  She ordered a blood test, pee test and xrays.  


Pee test he did fine.  XRays were good.  He stuck his tongue out at the "camera".  Then came the Blood Test.  I sat up in the chair, in charge of holding an arm and two legs.  Another nurse was in charge of holding him down, another held and iPad for him to watch a Toy Story movie/book to calm him down.  But it didn't matter, as soon as that needle went in his arm, he was wiggling and crying.  It seemed like forever knowing he was hurting there and holding him....but he got through it and made it.  In the end he scored 8 Toy Story and Captain America stickers.  


After all this and getting him a snack, we headed up to the doctors office again.  He was a good trooper.  Sat and watched cartoons well and was really quiet though he was in pain.  Eventually 4 hours or so into the whole trip, we got the results.  No appendicitis....no constipation or a lot of poop in the intestines... don't really know what it is.  So that's that.  4 hours all those tests and "oh just watch him"  How is that supposed to help?


As a parent seeing my kids in pain is one of the worst things, this is one of the worst moments.  So trekked home.  Think that is enough for one day?  Oh no.  


Tonight while playing a matching game my boy, who by this time was feeling a little better, hit my daughters gatorade bottle that happened to be in her mouth.  Instant screaming and bleeding.  The right front tooth is bleeding and hanging.  Crap just what needed to happen.  Sent the boy to his room and we got the tooth out.  


So that was my day.  I'm worn out, ears feel weird....throat too and now gotta get hook up with the tooth fairy tonight.  


Never thought the day would begin with my son not barely able to walk and get up on the couch...and ends with him knocking out his sisters front tooth.  


Time to bed.

How I'd fix the WWE

Welcome to the WWE....notice things haven't changed in a while.  Cena with a title belt.  How long has it been like this?  Like for the past 3-4 years.  It was like this before that when it was HHH who held the belt for years, and then long before that it was Hogan for like 5 years straight.  At least in the 90s you got Stone Cold, the Rock and Mankind fighting over the belt with a little Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho and Big Show too.  But yes I get it, I get it, Cena sells shirts and the kids love him.  He's Vince's cash cow.  


What they don't seem to understand is that Cena doesn't need the belt to still sell all the shirts and merchandise. Cena doesn't need a belt to make Wrestlemania matches sell.  I don't understand why the WWE doesn't get this?


And for the past 5 or 6 years there have been 2 champions.  Huh?  How can 2 be champs.  It's like 1990 when Georgia Tech and Washington tied for the College Football National Championship.  Just not right.  There should only be 1 champ.


How I would fix the WWE.  And before we get into it all, yes i know its staged.  But here we go.  The talent is so thin the Rogain guy needs called in for help, the rosters of Smackdown and Raw need combined.  You get to much of the same crap over and over.


When you do that you have a 32 men bracket for the WWE Championship.  The World Heavyweight championship is gone.  No more.  Sorry Big Gold Belt.


As each person loses they get thrown into one of 2 battle royals, one for the Intercontinental Championship and the other for the US Championship.  Your roster all gets exposed here pretty much.  New feuds can be created than the normal ones we see.  


With only 3 belts there and a full roster, you can build up the Tag Team titles.  Remember back in the 80s when there was Demolition, the British Bulldogs, and the Hart Foundation.  Now we get Santino and someone.  The tag titles have taken a hit.  You build that up and newer talent can build off each other.


Finally bring back the Hardcore title.  This can be something like the ECW title where it was EXTREME!  When Big Show had the ECW title he KICKED ASS, TOOK NAMES!  Now he gets beat by dudes 1/3 his size.  Not right!  Let him roll with the Hardcore title and just beat the tar out of people!


Finally to go in further with the WWE title bracket, you need Cena to go far, maybe final four, and lose.  Then run in on the championship and turn heel!  No one would expect it.


That's how I'd fix the WWE.  What do you think?

2011 Fantasy Football Games

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Password - beer

$5 Entry Fee - via pay pal : hawkeyemkn@gmail.com

Payouts - depending on number of entries

NFL PICK'EM

Group - Wide Right

Password - beer

$17 Entry Fee -  via pay pal : hawkeyemkn@gmail.com

Weekly winner gets $1 back - Pay out top 3

 

College Football Challenge - BIG TEN

Group - Wide Right

Password - beer

No Entry Fee

NFL Eliminator Challenge
Group - Wide Right
Password - beer
No Entry Fee

NFL GridIron Challenge

Group - Wide Right

Password - beer

No Entry Fee

College Showdown

Group - Wide Right

Password - beer

No Entry Fee