Reduced to watching NASCAR

Despite the popularity of NASCAR here in South Central Pennsyltucky (it's hard to find a truck or car without a #3 or #8 sticker) I have never bought into the "sport". I once told my rabid fan of an aunt that it was just cars going in circles and was nearly disowned.

Due to my busy schedule this past weekend, the only sports watching I did was the race in Texas yesterday. Room mate #1 beat me home, comandeering the 62" in the living room (or The Monster, as I refer to it) for some prime couch time. I puttered around a little, getting some laundry started and took a seat with him until it was over and I could drool all over Daniel Craig. I must admit, the more I watch, the more intrigued I am. These guys need some serious skill to keep those cars moving and NOT crashing. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of strategy involved in racing. When to make a pit stop, when to change tires, when is it the right time to pass and should I help my team mate or feed him to the wolves? Sure it's still just a bunch of cars going in circles but since I live with a NASCAR fan, it's become more like cars going in circles with some "strategery", as Will Ferrell so poetically put it.

This weekend marked the 60th Anniversary of Jackie Robinson's integration of Major League Baseball. My awareness of Jackie Robinson began as a little kid. Being the first born and only child for the first 7-1/2 years of my life, my parents went a little overboard on the buying of book sets for me. One of them was loosely based on the lives of famous people and attempted to teach values to early readers. I remember books about Eleanor Roosevelt, Maurice Richard (the famous Canadien's hockey player) and of course, Jackie Robinson. As I recall, the book was about courage. It never occurred to me until I was older how much courage it took for him to do what he did. Here he was, just a man who wanted to play baseball, not really intending to make a stand or break any barriers, signed by Branche Rickey to the Dodgers at a time when most African-Americans wouldn't even have dreamed of being in the majors. This man was the epitome of the word "courage". There is an excerpt from Cal Fussman's book After Jackie: Pride, Prejudice and Baseball's Forgotten Heroes" over at ESPN.Com. Go read it. Also, I found this piece on BBC.com, the British take on the whole thing, if you will. Then Google Mr. Robinson to find out more about this incredibly humble and courageous man.


More on the baseball front, things are looking pretty grim for the Spank Me's. Can't say I'm not more than a little happy to see them being put in a position the O's usually are. Not having any decent pitchers and actually losing.

The FA Cup is in full swing and the Man U boys are off to a great start. Fingers are crossed that it continues that way.

The computer at home is now officially off to that great trash heap in the sky. Until a new one is purchased, my posting will be few and far between as it isn't exactly easy to keep up your train of thought while trying to hide a window from your boss. Ahem. I have other changes to the blog in general in mind so please I beg of you, be patient.