Great night of music/artistry

Let me just say right off the bat that this post may throw some people for a loop. I must qualify that statement by saying I have a very eclectic taste in music. I like country, rock and roll, jazz, Christian, classical, and the list goes on and on (rap not included). I also have an ear for Irish music and Celtic tunes. In recent years, I have become a big fan of a group called Celtic Woman. I attended my first Celtic Woman concert in Fargo, North Dakota about two years ago. This past weekend, my wife and I took in a second concert by these amazing performers at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland. The concert was absolutely fabulous and the talent of the singers and musicians is just beyond words. Many people are surprised when I tell them about my interest in this kind of an experience. Perhaps, my taste is a bit unusual considering that I coach a sport that many consider to be brutal, violent, and barbaric. This is a rather unique irony about my personality and one that I do not always fully understand. Within the white lines, I could be aggressive as they come. In fact, I will admit that I've even been thrown out of a few games in my career for fighting. However, I am rather laid back off the field. Away from football, I gravitate towards things like travel, golf, reading, philosophy, and keeping up on current events. I would rather take a walk with my daughter and pick flowers than watch a heavyweight fight or a UFC match. I know, I can't explain it either??? I have never liked to kill things and that surely explains why I don't hunt and probably never will. The only gun I will ever own is a water gun. Don't get me wrong here. I don't have any issues with those who like to hunt, but I just know I would freeze if I ever had Bambi in my sights and my finger was on the trigger. I guess one of the great things about getting older, and trust me, this is the only one I've been able to come up with so far, is this feeling that I am getting more comfortable in my own skin. Even if this skin is a lot more wrinkled that it used to be! My point is that I'm really okay with having interests off the field that are quite different from many of my colleagues.

In truth, I have been reluctant to follow a career path in pursuit of a Division I college football job because I have seen what it can do to somebody who is totally over committed. There were times at Trinity when I felt married to my job and I know the price of coaching at the Division I level is very high indeed. Just ask Urban Meyer about trying to find that correct balance. In any case, I just never want football to define me as a person. Football has always been an outlet for me, a legal way to display aggression and get my competitive juices flowing. It is a great rush and challenge to coach the sport. I am so thankful to be involved with the sport and have an opportunity to influence the lives of others. The only title I have in my life that sounds better is "Dad." It is a great honor to be called "Coach, even if I am the kind of coach who admits to getting all fired up for a Celtic Woman Concert!

The Bag Pipes added an interesting element to the concert

Mairead Nesbitt-- The most amazing fiddle player

Mairead and the 4 main vocalists

A wonderful concert at the Inner Harbor

Lights out.

Reflections on a Special Game

Recently, I realized that I never did post any pics from the Army/Navy contest. It has been a few months now since my son Kodie and I attended our first service academy game. The experience was certainly everything we thought it would be. The game itself was not one for the ages, but witnessing the ceremony and tradition associated with the event was really something special. I have a great respect for the service academies as well as the sacrifices and commitments that are made by all of the cadets off the field. On the playing field, cadets exemplify qualities that are becoming less and less common in the real world of sports. Sportsmanship is part of the equation when Army plays Navy. There is a respect for the game and a sense of integrity to uphold. There are generally few penalties in these contests because the athletes possess strong discipline and excellent attention to detail.

The crowd at these games is also very enthusiastic as cadets from each academy chant and cheer throughout the game to give their team support. Kodie was mesmerized by the paratroopers who parachuted onto the playing field during pre-game. The sound of jet flyovers and the sight of cadets doing pushups after each score only added to the electricity.

The game was close most of the way as Army played with great emotion to match the superior talent of their opponent. In the end, the midshipmen were just too much for the team from West Point. Navy cruised to victory and continued their recent trend of dominating this annual football game. Navy would later prove that they were no fluke during the 2009 season by defeating the University of Missouri during their college bowl matchup.

Rare picture indeed-- An option team passing the football

Looks like a cover 2 look to me

Army's pre-game introductions

A few West Point cadets rooting on their team

America's Game

Kodie at the big game

Looking out towards the Philly skyline

Part of the pre-game festivities

Lights out.

Say it isn't Snow

A nice clear driveway--- after two and a half hours of shoveling!

Cars are under there somewhere!

Looking out from the garage

A Sea of White

Looking out towards our townhouse

Having a great time in the snow

Sun setting over Greenway Farms

Winter of 2010

Our first winter back on the east coast will certainly last for some time in our memories. Record setting snowfalls have convinced many of our family and friends alike that we brought this "stuff" with us from North Dakota. The winter here is still mild by Montana and North Dakota standards, but a few of the storms have been pretty intense. We have received about 40-45 inches of snow since last Saturday, and the kids have been out of school for the whole week. All of us are feeling a little cabin fever right now and looking forward to doing something other than shoveling snow.

I am heading to a Glazier clinic in Baltimore this weekend with the coaching staff from Aberdeen High School. It will be nice to get out of the house for a bit and catch up on some new info. in the game of football. The winter clinics were a big part of my coaching routine in North Dakota. I used to get to the Glazier clinic in Minneapolis every year and sometimes made it out to other clinics in Chicago or even California. It is a great opportunity for networking with other coaches and staying current on new techniques that are catching momentum, especially in the college and pro game.

My upcoming coaching plans are to head over to Finland for a short spring camp next month. I will be flying out in a few weeks to Sweden and then taking a Viking Line Ferry over to Helsinki. It will be a good opportunity to see all the guys and meet our new players that have been signed for the 2010 season. Right now, the plan is to go back over to Finland in early May and stay through the end of the season, which could last into early September.

Lights out.

The 2010 Flag Bowl

I must admit I spent very little time watching the NFL's 2010 version of the Pro Bowl this past weekend. I thought it was a grand idea to alternate the game site between the mainland and the traditional venue in Hawaii. However, the game has lost its luster over the years and things were made worse when the NFL decided to hold the game in the week leading up to the Superbowl. Of course, this scheduling snafu robbed league fans of the chance to see Super Bowl players such as Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Reggie Wayne.

The NFL is a moneymaking machine and they are opportunistic to say the least. I realized the full reality of their marketing power when I attended last years Super Bowl. They had their paws in everything from merchandise, food, and even monopolized the event parking for the big game. When it comes to the Pro Bowl, I believe the league might want to revise their game plan. The game has become a glorified flag football contest, not worthy of the gridiron sport we call tackle football. In truth, many players don't even want to be involved with the event. If you question this, just give Vikings offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie a call and ask his opinion. Participants loathe any real contact and QB's have about as much time to throw as the average Super Bowl commercial takes to finish. I still like the concept of seeing all the superstars out on the field at the same time, but it hardly seems fair to charge game prices for something that no longer bares any resemblance to a football game. If nothing else, donate the proceeds from the game to a good cause like the relief effort in Haiti.

Lights out.