Tag: #DallasCowboys

  • SPORTS

    I just want to get this out of the way; it really rubs me the wrong way when “artists” hate on sports. From making a Mitt Romney type joke – “I like sport,” – to the playing dumb – “I hope our team makes more homeruns then the other team,” – to outright hostility – “A bunch of dumb jocks, and your dumb for liking it!” I know some of it comes from the fact that most “artists” went to schools where the arts were pitted against sports, and that resentment never went away.

    I come from a very competitive family, and my dad had a rule which was that we had to play a sport or have a physical activity until 16. After that age, we could do whatever. I played team sports up to seventh grade, mainly basketball and baseball, but that’s when it became very clear I didn’t have to coordination, nor the killer instinct, that was needed to be successful an athletics. For the next two years, I took tennis lessons, and I was pretty good, but it wasn’t anything that I had a passion for. It was just fun. Anyway, by the time I was 16, I was theatre nerd, and in a sense, I was part of a different team sport.

    When it came to watching sports growing up, I always found it pretty boring. But as I get older, I seem to find myself reminiscing on fond memories of being around my dad, and sports being on the tv. During summers breaks, Wimbledon would be on NBC, and I remember watching that with the old man. And March Madness, that was one that he looked forward to. And when the Cowboys were really good in the 90’s, that was another moment when we would watch Troy, Emmitt, Michael, Jay, Moose, and Alvin.

    And then there was my grandfather and his never-ending faith in the CUBS, while watching them on WGN.

    The other thing I find true about myself is that I like sports because it can tell a dramatic story; Underdog and GOAT, rookie and veteran, superstar and utility player. You have to believe that your team can win, and complain about the owners.

    Anyway… sports.

  • Covid in The City: Part 3 (But Could be Part 6?)

    I really wanted to write about Tottenham getting back to form and playing Liverpool to a draw. I even thought about putting a sport post together, and talk about the Cowboys as well.

    But alas, it was not to be.

    Because Covid is back in New York City. It feels like this is the third wave that has hit the City, but when I look at the US cases graph, this is like the 6th spike we have been through since the start of this whole thing.

    We can’t get away from it.

    Even though NYC has a 71.6% full vaccination rate, and Manhattan has an 80% full vaccination rate, I cannot deny that the lines of people getting tested, have been growing every day for a week, and now are wrapping around the block. The running of ambulances all day and night has started up again. Just about everyone is in a mask now on the street.

    Covid is back.

    Is it Delta, or Omicron?

    Who knows, but it is starting up again. And it is depressing and disheartening. New Yorkers had taken this thing serious. 70% to 80% was considered herd immunity, and we are there. Once more kids get vaxed, it looked like we were going to close in on 85% to 90%.

    But it feels like even if we do hit those numbers, it won’t stop people from getting sick.

    I have friends right now that are documenting their infection, and in one case reinfection of Covid.

    It has created a feeling malaise, and add that to the general oddness of this Christmas, and it makes a potent combination resignation going into 2022.

    I’m trying to stay upbeat, but a third year of a plague feels really awful. I wish I had a more creative way of saying it, but I have used up all the adjectives.

    It’s just awful.

  • ODDS and ENDS: Tottenham Red Flag, Cowboys Red Flag, and Sondheim

    ODDS and ENDS is my continuing series of random thoughts and follow ups…

    So, on Thanksgiving Day, as we were preparing our meal, I was able to sneak in and watch Tottenham play Mura in the Europa Conference. The match started out awful with the Spurs giving up a goal in the 11th minute, and then a red card left them down a player. But, finally, Harry Kane showed up and secured an equalizer, and it looked like Tottenham might just squeak by. And then, they gave up a goal in stoppage time, and well… First of all, credit to Mura for playing like their lives depended on it. As for Tottenham… same old problem; they just can’t get out of their own way, nor play solid for the last ten minutes of a match. I fear that the rest of this season will be an act of long suffering.

    Later in the day I moved on to the Cowboy against the Raiders, and though it was an exciting game, I am starting to get worried about Dallas. Las Vegas is a good team, and I didn’t expect it to be an easy, but right now, Dallas is just lost when they play a good team. Dak is struggling, and it’s like Elliot just can’t run anymore. Maybe it’s the offensive line’s fault, but sure isn’t the defenses’ fault. Dallas has six games left, and they only play one team with a winning record, so the odds that they will end the season 12-5 is very high. But when it comes to the playoffs, I don’t think they will make it out of the first round.

    And then there is Sondheim. First, I had no idea he was 91. I thought he was like 75. Second, I’m not going to say anything more profound than the outpouring of comments from his friends, and fans. But what I would like to say is what I find so impressive about him is that he inspired so many people to try their hand at writing a musical. Sure, having a huge body of work is impressive, and an amazing achievement, but I think inspiring people is more impressive, and important. Writing a musical is damn near impossible, and getting one made is even harder. Having lived here in New York, I have met so many people who have moved here to compose their musical. Sondheim’s name always showed up on their list of influential people, and then they would tell me this story of listening to the cast recording of one of his shows, which made them say, “I want to do that.” That, to me, is an impressive testament to his legacy.

  • My Sporting Weekend

    I’m not the biggest sports fan, but I do enjoy writing about it, and spending this time, when I’m trying to figure out what to blog about, to think about sports in my life.

    This weekend wasn’t the best. Tottenham went down in flames against Arsenal. The North London derby was more like a stampede and massacre all rolled into one. And Arsenal isn’t a good team, but damn, they sure did make the Spurs look worse. It was one of those matches where the other team seemed to be everywhere on the pitch. I gave up at half time and cleaned the bathroom.

    Then I thought I would look up where the Cubs were in the standing, and I knew they weren’t having a good season, but I saw that they were 26 games back. It was like the Cubs from the 80’s had returned from the grave. I was expecting to see Mark Grace and Andre Dawson out there on the field. Looking at the Cubs stats for the season just made me angry again at the Ricketts selling off the team a month or two ago. Looks like another 100 years of rebuilding.

    And that now leaves me with Monday night football and the Cowboys playing against the Eagles. I have hope the Cowboys will win, as I despise the Eagles as a team, and Eagles fans as well. They are just not nice people. They threw snowballs at Santa Clause, you know. And the old Veterans Stadium used to have a jail and a courtroom in it to deal with the drunk rowdy fans. Anyway, I’m hoping that the Cowboys will win, and Elliot will have a good game. Like, “get me 15 points so my fantasy team can win this week,” good game.

    Not that I’m a sports fan.

  • ODDS and Ends: Tottenham and Kane, Dallas Cowboys, Project Management for the Home

    “Odds and Ends” is my continuing series of random thoughts and follow ups…

    And… Have I mentioned that I know nothing about the Premiere League? Looks like everything I thought about the Harry Kane saga was wrong. Was my theory based on anything that I had read by professional sports writers? Oh, golly no. It was a gut feeling, and it was clearly wrong. I still don’t understand what Tottenham is doing, nor do I understand what Kane will do if he doesn’t get his trade, which he clearly wants as he hasn’t shown up for training, and the season starts on the 15th.

    Also in sports, the Dallas Cowboys played a preseason game, and I could not have given two craps about it. It was pre-season after all. In all honesty, I’m not very excited about the team this year. Sure, it will be nice to see Dak back on the field, but other than that, not much going on there. The Cowboys play the Bucs on the first game of the season in about a month, and not looking forward to it.

    I’m a stay at home parent, I think most of you know that, and I have been thinking that there really isn’t a project management app for people like us. I was in operations in the not-for-profit world, and in that line of work, there were apps and programs to help you manage multiple projects. I can’t seem to find anything for a household. I don’t need something with SLACK integration or any of that crap. Just basic project management.