The Super Bowl is days away and the only thing more important than the game itself is planning and throwing an awesome Super Bowl party. This year the game will be between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburg Steelers. It will feature one of the top offenses in the league and the top defense in the league. The game will surely be a good one to watch. With the most popular event in the TV watching world on tap, all you need is a plan for a party to match it.
The most important part of any party is the food. Make sure and have plenty of it and have it all ready for when the game starts so you don’t get stuck in preparations during the kickoff or first few plays of the game. My favorite menu for the Super Bowl has always been home made subway sandwiches. I go to the store the day before the game and purchase some large Kaiser rolls or other large soft sandwich buns found fresh in the local grocery store’s bakery department.
Once you have picked your bread, make your way over to the deli to pick out either ham, turkey, or roast beef and have them slice it to your liking. I like mine sliced slightly thicker than regular sandwich slices. I like honey ham, smoked turkey, and Italian roast beef. If you don’t have any cheese at home, get some in the deli, too. Try Pepper Jack cheese, provolone, or Swiss cheese for a change of pace from regular cheddar (avoid the pre-sliced/packaged Kraft cheese slices). Purchase lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, banana peppers, and jalapenos (for extra kick) to top off your subway sandwich. When you are in the process of making your sandwich on Super Bowl Sunday, add oregano, salt, pepper, and vinegar and oil to add that extra bit of flavor. Then add mayo, miracle whip, and/or spicy mustard.
Now that your sandwich is taken care of, you need to buy the snacks and drinks to compliment your meal. Choose your favorite chips- mine is Salt and Vinegar potato chips and Lime flavored Tostitos. Purchase some dip for your chips or purchase the ingredients to make your dip. I always buy avocados and guacamole dry mix to make guacamole dip for the Tostitos. I also buy a variety of nuts including honey roasted peanuts, cashews, and almonds to snack on. For drinks, I usually just drink water, but popular drinks are soda and juices. Make sure the drinks are cold and there is plenty of ice. Salty snacks and cold drinks are a great combination. Make sure you have plenty of treats, too. M&M’s, cookies, ice cream, and candy are great to break out during halftime after you have had a chance to devour your subways and snacks.
Ask your friends, relatives, and even co-workers to come to your party. Let them know the time, your address, and anything you would like them to bring. When setting up your TV room for the big party set up lots of chairs, sofas, bean bags, tables (for the snacks and food), and TV trays. I have been to a few parties many years ago where there was hardly anywhere to sit. Plan your invite list according to how big your TV room is and also how big your TV is so that all those who come can get a good view of the game.
The party should be lots of fun if you invite the right people. You need the die hard football fans (like myself) so you can really get into the game, but you also need those cute girls who don’t know what a first down is (like my wife) to provide comic relief for the die hard fans. If the food is good, if you have a nice TV, and the game is close, then it will be an awesome party. Don’t forget the commercials either because those cute girls need something they can understand.
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Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Friday, January 23, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
The grand-daddy of sports: The Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the largest single annual event in the sporting world. Last year’s match up between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants had 130-140 million people tune into the game at one time or another. The Super Bowl is more than a football game; it’s a chance to get together with friends, watch the Super (expensive) commercials, eat good food, and watch the best teams in the NFL face off in the biggest sports battle in the World. The storylines will be plenty, the commercials will be talked about all night, and 2 great football teams will square off for 60 minutes in the biggest and best game of the year.
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This year’s Super Bowl features the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers. There are many interesting story lines this year that will make this game intriguing to watch starting with the fact that the Cardinals have not been to a championship in about 60 years. If you are looking for an underdog then the Arizona Cardinals would be the team you want to cheer for this year. Another storyline is the re-emergence of the Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner. Warner played for 5 years for the St. Louis Rams and was highly successful being voted as the league MVP for 2 out of the 5 years. He also took the Rams to, and won, Super Bowl XXXIV. Warner was released by the Rams and signed by the Giants where he struggled before going to the Cardinals where he had played average until this year where he broke out of his slump and had an excellent year leading his team to this year’s Super Bowl,
The final storyline, and probably the most interesting, has to do with the coaches. When Bill Cowher (head coach) retired from the Steelers 2 years ago, it was speculated that the offensive coordinator, Ken Whisenhunt, would take his place as the next head coach. The Steelers had other plans and decided to hire Mike Tomlin instead. Tomlin at the time was the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. Once Tomlin was hired he chose not to retain Whisenhunt or the defensive coordinator Russ Grimm, who was also a strong candidate for the Steelers head coaching job. Whisenhunt was subsequently offered the head coaching job for Arizona and he hired Grimm as his defensive coordinator. The Arizona coaching staff now meets up against their former team and the coach who came in to Pittsburgh and stole what they thought should have been theirs in the biggest game of all. This scenario will provide for very interesting interviews and discussions among players, coaches, media, and fans during the 2 weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. It may also provide that extra motivation for the Arizona Cardinals team.
The Cardinals boast a high-powered offense with a strong veteran quarterback in Kurt Warner with one of the best up and coming receivers in the league in Larry Fitzgerald. The Steelers bring to the table one of the all-time best defenses with James Harrison and James Farrior leading a fierce attack at the linebacker positions, and Troy Polamalu providing hard hits from the strong safety position. The Steelers will look to shut down the Cardinals aerial attack and the Cardinals will look to take it straight into the teeth of the Steelers defense and show the Steelers who’s boss.
Will the Cardinals win with Kurt Warner slinging the ball down the field or will the Steelers smash the Cardinals into submission- Tune in Feb 1st at 4pm to find out.
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Monday, December 29, 2008
Cougars Late Season Meltdown and the Packers Miss the Playoffs
The BYU Cougars finished the 2008 football season with a disappointing Las Vegas Bowl loss to the Arizona Wildcats by a score of 31-21. Arizona’s QB, Willie Tuitama, threw for 325 yards and 2 TD’s, adding a run for another touchdown, to key the Wildcats’ victory over the Cougars. Max Hall threw for 328 yards and a TD, and also ran for a TD, but also threw a costly interception. The BYU offense was not able to keep up with the WildCats. The Cougars running game got going as well with 116 yards total.
This loss and the disappointing loss to the Runnin’ Utes of Utah capped off a 10-3 season that began with high expectations, but finished with 2 difficult losses against very good teams. The Cougars only losses this year were against TCU (who won the Poinsettia Bowl against undefeated Boise State) and against Utah (who are set to play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl). BYU has both Max Hall and Austin Collie returning which should help their offense pickup where they left off this year. The defense has been the biggest problem for the Cougars and will hopefully improve this offseason and be stronger and more experienced to help the Cougars overcome some of the inconsistencies in that area this year.
BYU is a joy to watch with their high flying offense and strong passing game. They will be back in 2009 with a great team that will again have high expectations. Hopefully they can break into the BCS this time and face off in the national championship game.
Go Cougars!
The Green Bay Packers have just finished a disappointing season as well. They were able to win their final game against the Detroit Lions 31-21, but lost the last 7 of 8 before the season finale. They missed the playoffs this year after making it to the NFC Championship game in last year’s playoffs.
Green Bay, like the Cougars, featured a high-powered offense but lacked the defense to stop the opposing teams. There were some injuries that weakened the defense, but they should have been able to compensate for those losses. They were unable to and finished the season a measly 6-10.
The Packers will be returning all of their players next year and with a high number 9 draft pick along with a few key free agent signings, could very well be a team to watch next year. They should be able to make the playoffs in the 2009-2010 season. I will continue to watch and cheer for the Packers regardless of their season record.
Go Pack Go!
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This loss and the disappointing loss to the Runnin’ Utes of Utah capped off a 10-3 season that began with high expectations, but finished with 2 difficult losses against very good teams. The Cougars only losses this year were against TCU (who won the Poinsettia Bowl against undefeated Boise State) and against Utah (who are set to play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl). BYU has both Max Hall and Austin Collie returning which should help their offense pickup where they left off this year. The defense has been the biggest problem for the Cougars and will hopefully improve this offseason and be stronger and more experienced to help the Cougars overcome some of the inconsistencies in that area this year.
BYU is a joy to watch with their high flying offense and strong passing game. They will be back in 2009 with a great team that will again have high expectations. Hopefully they can break into the BCS this time and face off in the national championship game.
Go Cougars!
The Green Bay Packers have just finished a disappointing season as well. They were able to win their final game against the Detroit Lions 31-21, but lost the last 7 of 8 before the season finale. They missed the playoffs this year after making it to the NFC Championship game in last year’s playoffs.
Green Bay, like the Cougars, featured a high-powered offense but lacked the defense to stop the opposing teams. There were some injuries that weakened the defense, but they should have been able to compensate for those losses. They were unable to and finished the season a measly 6-10.
The Packers will be returning all of their players next year and with a high number 9 draft pick along with a few key free agent signings, could very well be a team to watch next year. They should be able to make the playoffs in the 2009-2010 season. I will continue to watch and cheer for the Packers regardless of their season record.
Go Pack Go!
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Monday, December 22, 2008
College Bowl Games and NFL Playoffs (these are a few of my favorite things)
With the holidays here and soon to be gone, the fun things to look forward to and enjoy are far and few between. I love the holidays because of the time away from work, being with my family, getting and giving gifts, eating good food, and many other things. Once this time is over, there is a let down or what others refer to as post-holiday blues. I have the perfect cure for those suffering from such a problem----football.
January is the best month out of the year for football. First it begins with college bowl games. The bowl games are no longer just a New Year’s Day activity; they span over the course of a few weeks with the best games coming during the week after New Year’s Day. You have the BCS bowl games which pairs the top 10 teams in the nation against each other. This year on New Year’s Day the Orange Bowl features Virginia Tech and Cincinnati and also the Rose Bowl features Penn State and USC. On Jan 2nd is the Sugar Bowl which has Utah against Alabama (go Crimson Tide). On Jan 5th is the Fiesta Bowl which will be Ohio St. against Texas. On Jan 8th is the college championship game featuring No 1 Oklahoma vs. No 2 Florida.
The bowl games have always been exciting for me to watch. I remember growing up and watching the BYU teams always playing in the holiday bowl each year and now in the Las Vegas Bowl. I have also watched many of the BCS games and found them to be very entertaining and fun to watch although I am more of an NFL fan.
I did happen to be watching the best bowl game of all time 2 years ago when Boise State played against Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. This was one of the most exciting, fun to watch games, I have ever seen in any sport. Oklahoma was the big powerhouse team going against the smaller Boise State squad. Boise State started out playing fast in the first quarter and then Oklahoma caught up. Then in the second half the scoring started heating up really fast with both teams scoring at will. Boise State scored with 7 seconds left in the game tying it up to send it into overtime at 35-35. I was glued to the TV hoping that Boise State would pull off the upset. Oklahoma scored a touchdown with a 25 yard run to start the overtime period. Boise State scored on their overtime drive and opted for a 2 point conversion rather than the kick for 1. They faked the pass and the QB handed to his running back, on one of the best fakes I have ever seen, and the running back run in untouched for the 2-point conversion to win the game. It was one of the riskiest calls I have ever seen. The game is listed as my all-time favorite. Make sure you watch this year’s games so you don’t miss another one like this.
In addition to the college bowl games, the NFL Playoffs are upon us. If you want to see exciting, tough-nosed football, try watching some of the NFL playoffs in January. A lot of the games are played outside in very cold weather. Last year the Packers played the Giants in Green Bay and the wind chill was 25 below 0. The fans always show up and are as excited as ever. The hits are hard and the players are psyched up. This is the time of year where the game is a must-win to move on. This year’s playoffs start on Saturday Jan 3rd and will finish up with the Super Bowl on February 1st. The Packers blew it this year with a bad second half of the season which has left them out of the playoffs. Next year, they should fare much better after recovering from some injuries and adding a few more good defensive players to their team.
So turn on your big screen TV, pour up a cup of steaming hot cocoa, and watch some football this January. It’s the best show in town.
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January is the best month out of the year for football. First it begins with college bowl games. The bowl games are no longer just a New Year’s Day activity; they span over the course of a few weeks with the best games coming during the week after New Year’s Day. You have the BCS bowl games which pairs the top 10 teams in the nation against each other. This year on New Year’s Day the Orange Bowl features Virginia Tech and Cincinnati and also the Rose Bowl features Penn State and USC. On Jan 2nd is the Sugar Bowl which has Utah against Alabama (go Crimson Tide). On Jan 5th is the Fiesta Bowl which will be Ohio St. against Texas. On Jan 8th is the college championship game featuring No 1 Oklahoma vs. No 2 Florida.
The bowl games have always been exciting for me to watch. I remember growing up and watching the BYU teams always playing in the holiday bowl each year and now in the Las Vegas Bowl. I have also watched many of the BCS games and found them to be very entertaining and fun to watch although I am more of an NFL fan.
I did happen to be watching the best bowl game of all time 2 years ago when Boise State played against Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. This was one of the most exciting, fun to watch games, I have ever seen in any sport. Oklahoma was the big powerhouse team going against the smaller Boise State squad. Boise State started out playing fast in the first quarter and then Oklahoma caught up. Then in the second half the scoring started heating up really fast with both teams scoring at will. Boise State scored with 7 seconds left in the game tying it up to send it into overtime at 35-35. I was glued to the TV hoping that Boise State would pull off the upset. Oklahoma scored a touchdown with a 25 yard run to start the overtime period. Boise State scored on their overtime drive and opted for a 2 point conversion rather than the kick for 1. They faked the pass and the QB handed to his running back, on one of the best fakes I have ever seen, and the running back run in untouched for the 2-point conversion to win the game. It was one of the riskiest calls I have ever seen. The game is listed as my all-time favorite. Make sure you watch this year’s games so you don’t miss another one like this.
In addition to the college bowl games, the NFL Playoffs are upon us. If you want to see exciting, tough-nosed football, try watching some of the NFL playoffs in January. A lot of the games are played outside in very cold weather. Last year the Packers played the Giants in Green Bay and the wind chill was 25 below 0. The fans always show up and are as excited as ever. The hits are hard and the players are psyched up. This is the time of year where the game is a must-win to move on. This year’s playoffs start on Saturday Jan 3rd and will finish up with the Super Bowl on February 1st. The Packers blew it this year with a bad second half of the season which has left them out of the playoffs. Next year, they should fare much better after recovering from some injuries and adding a few more good defensive players to their team.
So turn on your big screen TV, pour up a cup of steaming hot cocoa, and watch some football this January. It’s the best show in town.
Return to the Neighborhood and while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the LDS newsletter brings you LDS articles, LDS products, LDS services, LDS resources and LDS interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. LDS Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Cougars Get Ran over by the Runnin’ Utes and the Packers at the Saints
BYU traveled to Salt Lake City this weekend to take on the University of Utah. The stands were flooded with red shirts and thousands of crazy fans cheering on the Utes. The Cougars had their fans spread out with Cougar blue shirts on hoping that BYU could take one in Rice Eccles Stadium. BYU would have no luck this year as they went on to lose by a lopsided score of 48-24 to the fired up Utes.
The first half of the game was very close with the score a manageable 27-17 lead for Utah going into the half. The Cougars running game looked great with over 200 yards rushing on the night and 3 touchdowns. Their passing game was just the opposite with Max Hall giving up 5 costly interceptions and 1 fumble for a total of 6 turnovers for the Cougars. He was held out of the end zone and barely had over 200 yards passing. It turned out to be the worst game of his career at BYU. He was not able to get the rhythm going in the passing game. The Runnin’ Utes shut down the vaunted BYU passing game and forced them to resort to the running game which BYU ran with great success. The only problem being as the Cougars got behind by too many points they had to keep resorting back to the passing game where there was no success at all. The game turned out to be a rout in the second half with Utah getting most of their interceptions in this part of the game and turning on their own passing game with Brian Johnson throwing for over 300 yards and 4 touchdowns.
It was an ugly game for BYU and was disappointing considering the great season that they had this year. They will now most likely receive a bowl game invite and somehow get over this loss so that they can play in December and win one last game this year. Max Hall has one more year left in his college career and with a lot of key players returning can be a top QB again the college ranks. He should learn a lot from this experience and will hopefully come out even better next year because of it. The BYU-Utah annual rivalry is in Provo next year and all I can say is look out Utah Utes, because next time the only running you will be doing, is in the other direction.
The Packers will go into New Orleans tonight to play the Saints in a Monday Night Football showdown. This game features 2 of the best offenses in the game and will surely be a joy to watch. I expect the packers to come out on top due to their superior defensive backfield and their emerging running game. The Saints are missing many of their start players on defense and will be suspect against the Packers deadly passing game.
I am predicting that the Packers will come out and score quickly and take this game by a score of 38-28. The Saints will hang close but in the end the Packers will be victorious and the only ones singing the blues will be the fans in New Orleans.
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The first half of the game was very close with the score a manageable 27-17 lead for Utah going into the half. The Cougars running game looked great with over 200 yards rushing on the night and 3 touchdowns. Their passing game was just the opposite with Max Hall giving up 5 costly interceptions and 1 fumble for a total of 6 turnovers for the Cougars. He was held out of the end zone and barely had over 200 yards passing. It turned out to be the worst game of his career at BYU. He was not able to get the rhythm going in the passing game. The Runnin’ Utes shut down the vaunted BYU passing game and forced them to resort to the running game which BYU ran with great success. The only problem being as the Cougars got behind by too many points they had to keep resorting back to the passing game where there was no success at all. The game turned out to be a rout in the second half with Utah getting most of their interceptions in this part of the game and turning on their own passing game with Brian Johnson throwing for over 300 yards and 4 touchdowns.
It was an ugly game for BYU and was disappointing considering the great season that they had this year. They will now most likely receive a bowl game invite and somehow get over this loss so that they can play in December and win one last game this year. Max Hall has one more year left in his college career and with a lot of key players returning can be a top QB again the college ranks. He should learn a lot from this experience and will hopefully come out even better next year because of it. The BYU-Utah annual rivalry is in Provo next year and all I can say is look out Utah Utes, because next time the only running you will be doing, is in the other direction.
The Packers will go into New Orleans tonight to play the Saints in a Monday Night Football showdown. This game features 2 of the best offenses in the game and will surely be a joy to watch. I expect the packers to come out on top due to their superior defensive backfield and their emerging running game. The Saints are missing many of their start players on defense and will be suspect against the Packers deadly passing game.
I am predicting that the Packers will come out and score quickly and take this game by a score of 38-28. The Saints will hang close but in the end the Packers will be victorious and the only ones singing the blues will be the fans in New Orleans.
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Friday, November 14, 2008
Thanksgiving Activities
Thanksgiving is a great holiday to get together with family and enjoy a wonderful meal together and then spend an afternoon doing fun activities which help to strengthen relationships with some of those relatives that you may not see as often throughout the year. Here are 5 different ideas of fun activities and things that you can do after you are done eating that final piece of pumpkin pie.
1. Watch the Cowboys football game. Other than turkey, the thing most associated with Thanksgiving is football. The Dallas Cowboys play in the annual afternoon football game that starts after most people’s Thanksgiving meals are finishing up. There isn’t anything more bonding for men than to watch a good football game together. This also helps to get the men out of the way of the women so they can accomplish the projects they enjoy working on.
2. Cards, Scrapbooking, and Crafts. Women love to get together and create things and visit while they are working. I have seen this many times over the years since I have been married to my wife. Her family makes cards and crafts once the Thanksgiving feast has been finished. They clear the tables and sit out their card making equipment, pictures for scrapbooking, and other various crafts.
This also helps the men to get the women out of the way so they can watch their football game without interruption.
3. Board Games and other Games. The kids need something to do after Thanksgiving so that the men and women can do their thing. In my family we set out a whole bunch of board games and play with the kids and let them play by themselves. We also let them play dress up and other little games. The kids love seeing their cousins and playing together all afternoon long.
4. Shooting Guns. My wife’s family is not the sports fanatics that mine is, so the men shoot their shotguns at clay pigeons and target shoot following the big dinner. They enjoy being outside and watching each other miss (I mean hit) the target and clay pigeons.
5. Watch a Movie. One of my favorite things to do on Thanksgiving night is to put in a good movie, start a warm fire, pour up a cup of steaming hot cocoa, curl up on the couch, and put in a good movie to enjoy after the kids have gone to sleep.
While doing these activities we should remember how lucky we are to have a wonderful family to be together with, how lucky we are to have the freedoms we do, and also all of the blessings that we receive each and every day of our lives.
Make your Thanksgiving a fun one with the activities listed above and make sure that
you don’t eat too much food, because your New Year’s resolutions are coming up.
Return to the Neighborhood and while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the LDS newsletterbrings you LDS articles, LDS products, LDS services, LDS resources and LDSinterviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.LDS Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.
1. Watch the Cowboys football game. Other than turkey, the thing most associated with Thanksgiving is football. The Dallas Cowboys play in the annual afternoon football game that starts after most people’s Thanksgiving meals are finishing up. There isn’t anything more bonding for men than to watch a good football game together. This also helps to get the men out of the way of the women so they can accomplish the projects they enjoy working on.
2. Cards, Scrapbooking, and Crafts. Women love to get together and create things and visit while they are working. I have seen this many times over the years since I have been married to my wife. Her family makes cards and crafts once the Thanksgiving feast has been finished. They clear the tables and sit out their card making equipment, pictures for scrapbooking, and other various crafts.
This also helps the men to get the women out of the way so they can watch their football game without interruption.
3. Board Games and other Games. The kids need something to do after Thanksgiving so that the men and women can do their thing. In my family we set out a whole bunch of board games and play with the kids and let them play by themselves. We also let them play dress up and other little games. The kids love seeing their cousins and playing together all afternoon long.
4. Shooting Guns. My wife’s family is not the sports fanatics that mine is, so the men shoot their shotguns at clay pigeons and target shoot following the big dinner. They enjoy being outside and watching each other miss (I mean hit) the target and clay pigeons.
5. Watch a Movie. One of my favorite things to do on Thanksgiving night is to put in a good movie, start a warm fire, pour up a cup of steaming hot cocoa, curl up on the couch, and put in a good movie to enjoy after the kids have gone to sleep.
While doing these activities we should remember how lucky we are to have a wonderful family to be together with, how lucky we are to have the freedoms we do, and also all of the blessings that we receive each and every day of our lives.
Make your Thanksgiving a fun one with the activities listed above and make sure that
you don’t eat too much food, because your New Year’s resolutions are coming up.
Return to the Neighborhood and while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the LDS newsletterbrings you LDS articles, LDS products, LDS services, LDS resources and LDSinterviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.LDS Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.
Monday, November 10, 2008
BYU gets Back on Track and the Packers Lose another Nail-Biter
The Cougars hosted the Aztecs of San Diego State this past Saturday. The players surely wanted to show the fans that they were ready to play this week and wouldn’t settle for another close finish. They finished off the Aztecs by a score of 41-12 making it a third consecutive unbeaten season at home. Max Hall was back at it throwing for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions. Austin Collie was yet again his favorite target catching 9 balls for 127 yards and 2 touchdowns. I doubt there is a better QB-WR combination in the league than Hall and Collie. They have been phenomenal this season.
BYU showed San Diego State no mercy by going up 20-0 at the end of the first half. At the end of the third quarter BYU was up 27-6 and then put up 14 more in the final quarter to end at 41-12. The Cougars running game looked impressive gaining over a hundred yards led by Harvey Unga with 37 yards. The Cougar defense also looked impressive with a first half shutout and holding the Aztecs to only 12 points for the entire game.
This was a game that BYU sorely needed to gain their confidence back. It was a great way to finish the last home game for the season. Three straight years without losing at home is very impressive and probably has not been accomplished by many other programs in college football. BYU has 2 more games left this season with next week at Air Force and then the big finale with the University of Utah, which looks to be one of the biggest and best games in years for this great rivalry. First, I need to pick the game against the Falcons of Air Force. This is a classic trap game for BYU after a big win at home and huge game coming up after this one against the Utes. Games like this are hard for teams because they look ahead to the big game and they might be coming down after the emotional win at home. I think Coach Mendenhall will keep his players focused and they will come out victorious against Air Force by a score of 31-20.
Green Bay fell short by a field goal for the second straight week. Last week they lost to Tennessee in overtime by a Tennessee field goal and this week was a similar fate but the Packers were the ones trying for the field goal and missing at the end of regulation losing to the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 28-27. The Packers offense struggled in this game and couldn’t get much going through the air or on the ground. Aaron Rodgers gave up 2 safeties in the opening half based largely on the Vikings ferocious defense led by Jared Allen. At the end of the first half Green Bay was trailing 14-10 in what was a classic defensive battle in the first. Green Bay had 2 interceptions in the first half and Minnesota had 2 safeties and a couple of sacks.
In the second half of the game Green Bay got 2 quick touchdowns- one on an interception return by safety Nick Collins and the other on a punt return by Will Blackmon. The Packers would take the lead by a score of 24-21 with only 1 quarter left.
Green Bay would score a field goal to go up 27-21 with only a few minutes left in the game. The Vikings marched down the field and scored on an Adrian Peterson 29 yard touchdown scamper to put the Vikings back up 28-27. Green Bay then got the ball with 2 minutes to go and moved it all the way to the Minnesota 35 yard line with seconds remaining on the clock. The packers kicker, Mason Crosby, lined up for the winning field goal and kicked the ball toward the goal post having it fade wide right by a few inches and missing the go ahead score for the Packers. This was an emotional loss for the Packers, but they must prepare for next week’s game against their other division rival, the Chicago Bears. If the packers can pull off the win against the Bears and the Vikings lose (playing in Tampa Bay) it will be a 3-way tie for 1st place in the NFC North division. I expect the Pack to come out and beat the Bears handily on the frosty field of Lambeau. The score will be Green Bay 27 Chicago 21.
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BYU showed San Diego State no mercy by going up 20-0 at the end of the first half. At the end of the third quarter BYU was up 27-6 and then put up 14 more in the final quarter to end at 41-12. The Cougars running game looked impressive gaining over a hundred yards led by Harvey Unga with 37 yards. The Cougar defense also looked impressive with a first half shutout and holding the Aztecs to only 12 points for the entire game.
This was a game that BYU sorely needed to gain their confidence back. It was a great way to finish the last home game for the season. Three straight years without losing at home is very impressive and probably has not been accomplished by many other programs in college football. BYU has 2 more games left this season with next week at Air Force and then the big finale with the University of Utah, which looks to be one of the biggest and best games in years for this great rivalry. First, I need to pick the game against the Falcons of Air Force. This is a classic trap game for BYU after a big win at home and huge game coming up after this one against the Utes. Games like this are hard for teams because they look ahead to the big game and they might be coming down after the emotional win at home. I think Coach Mendenhall will keep his players focused and they will come out victorious against Air Force by a score of 31-20.
Green Bay fell short by a field goal for the second straight week. Last week they lost to Tennessee in overtime by a Tennessee field goal and this week was a similar fate but the Packers were the ones trying for the field goal and missing at the end of regulation losing to the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 28-27. The Packers offense struggled in this game and couldn’t get much going through the air or on the ground. Aaron Rodgers gave up 2 safeties in the opening half based largely on the Vikings ferocious defense led by Jared Allen. At the end of the first half Green Bay was trailing 14-10 in what was a classic defensive battle in the first. Green Bay had 2 interceptions in the first half and Minnesota had 2 safeties and a couple of sacks.
In the second half of the game Green Bay got 2 quick touchdowns- one on an interception return by safety Nick Collins and the other on a punt return by Will Blackmon. The Packers would take the lead by a score of 24-21 with only 1 quarter left.
Green Bay would score a field goal to go up 27-21 with only a few minutes left in the game. The Vikings marched down the field and scored on an Adrian Peterson 29 yard touchdown scamper to put the Vikings back up 28-27. Green Bay then got the ball with 2 minutes to go and moved it all the way to the Minnesota 35 yard line with seconds remaining on the clock. The packers kicker, Mason Crosby, lined up for the winning field goal and kicked the ball toward the goal post having it fade wide right by a few inches and missing the go ahead score for the Packers. This was an emotional loss for the Packers, but they must prepare for next week’s game against their other division rival, the Chicago Bears. If the packers can pull off the win against the Bears and the Vikings lose (playing in Tampa Bay) it will be a 3-way tie for 1st place in the NFC North division. I expect the Pack to come out and beat the Bears handily on the frosty field of Lambeau. The score will be Green Bay 27 Chicago 21.
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Friday, November 7, 2008
Thanksgiving Memories
Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays that is very relaxing and enjoyable. The basic premise of the holiday is to eat a lot of food, watch football, and celebrate together as a family the many blessings that we have and receive daily. We are truly a blessed people to have the many blessings and luxuries of life that we enjoy on a daily basis.
As a child I have many fond memories of Thanksgiving. I remember preparing the night before the big day by setting up the tables and chairs and helping my mom get the house ready for the large group of extended family that would be coming the next day. When Thanksgiving morning arrived my brother and I would put on our clothes and coats and play the annual game of Thanksgiving football. We played the game one-on-one and would hold our little game in rain, sleet, or snow. I remember many years when the snow would be coming down heavily but we would still be out there running around tackling each other. We would then come in and have a cup of hot cocoa and get warmed up and start helping our Mom finish up the final preparations for the big dinner.
About this time, the relatives started to arrive. My uncles, aunts, and cousins would come over for the big feast. It was fun to visit and play together while waiting to start the meal. We would often watch football while waiting. I remember watching many games with my uncles and cousins on Thanksgiving afternoons. The nearby coal stove would warm the room while we watched and the aroma of the food being cooked in the kitchen filled the entire house. We would snack on appetizers of chips and dips and veggie trays.
My Mom made the best Thanksgiving dinners. If the smell of her homemade rolls didn’t delight you, the taste of the crisp buttery outside and soft inside would win you over quickly. Her golden basted turkey always smelled incredible and the slices were moist and would melt in your mouth. She always made the best mashed potatoes and gravy. She used potatoes right from our garden and made the gravy from the turkey drippings. To this day when I smell hot butter rolls or a large turkey cooking in the oven I often think of the Thanksgiving days growing up as a young boy.
After enjoying this incredible meal every year, we would then retire back to the TV room to watch more football. The Dallas Cowboys would play their yearly game and it always seem to be an exciting game full of long passes, hard hits, and close finishes. After the game the desserts would start making the rounds. My Mom made pies, cakes, cookies, ice cream, and every other dessert you can imagine. As a child I thought this holiday rivaled Christmas. What can be better than lots of food, football, and family?
Now I have my own family, and we trade off every year going to my wife’s family for Thanksgiving one year and my parents the next. I still enjoy the hot rolls, the moist turkey, and watching football. I still enjoy the family and visiting together. I no longer play my brother in the annual football game, but the memories will always be there and I will play it out in my mind every year Thanksgiving comes around.
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Monday, November 3, 2008
The Cougars Win a Shootout at CSU and the Packers Lose a Tight One to Tennessee
BYU squared off against Colorado State this week and pulled off the big win in a classic shootout. When the dust settled in Fort Collins the final score was BYU 45 CSU 42. BYU had to make a late game comeback to win this game, but was victorious nonetheless. BYU’s QB Max Hall had 389 passing yards, 5 touchdown passes, and 1 interception putting him at 29 touchdown throws for the year. He was able to find his favorite target, again, Austin Collie, who had 9 catches for 156 yards and 3 touchdown catches. This week, the tight end, Dennis Pita, also got in on the action with 12 catches for 175 yards and 2 touchdown catches of his own, for what was probably the best game of his career. BYU’s offense was again hitting on all cylinders with the high flying act of Hall, Collie, Pita, and also Harvey Unga. The Cougars featured running back ran for 133 yards and 1 touchdown. The defense didn’t fare so well.
The Cougars defense allowed the Rams of CSU to score 42 points while allowing their QB, Billy Farris, to throw for 251 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Rams seemed to score with ease against the Cougars defense, which a few weeks ago, was holding good teams scoreless. BYU needs to get their defense going so that when a tough defense comes to play, such as the Utah Runnin’ Utes, they won’t have to rely on their offense so much to win these shootouts. Next week the Cougars will face San Diego St in the Lavell Edwards stadium. After posting back to back close games, I would expect them to shut down the Aztecs and hold them to a minimum amount of points. I predict the score will be BYU 38 SDSU 10.
The Packers lost 19-16 in a nail biting overtime game at Tennessee. The Titans were undefeated and ranked first in the NFL going into this game, but the Packers were getting players back healthy, riding a 2-game win streak, and coming off a bye. All of these factors were still not enough to overcome the defensive and running strength of the Titans. The Packers were able to throw the ball effectively with Aaron Rodgers posting 314 yards passing and 1 touchdown throw to Donald Driver, but had a hard time getting the ball into the end zone. The Packers settled for 3 field goals by Mason Crosby, who has proved to be a very reliable and effective kicker for Green Bay. The Packers had the ball with about 4 minutes to go and had a chance to go down the field and score, but ran out of steam and had to punt to the Titans with 2 minutes left in the game. Tennessee led by Kerry Collins as QB, drove down the field riding the hot feet of Chris Johnson, to put themselves in position for a last second game winning Rob Bironas field goal. He kicked the 47 yard field goal and it hit the right upright of the goal post and bounced off as time expired. The game then went into overtime.
The Titans won the coin toss and elected to receive as the Overtime session began. They then began to drive down the field just as they had at the end of regulation to put themselves in position for yet another field goal to win the game. Rob Bironas didn’t miss this time, hitting a 41 yard field goal to finish the game and keep Tennessee undefeated on the season. The Titans are now 8-0 and the packers fall to 4-4. It was a tough game and the packers played hard but in the end they came up short. Green Bay travels to Minnesota next week to take on the Vikings, their biggest division rival in what should be another close game. I am picking the Packers to win this one by a score of 27-24 on a last second Mason Crosby field goal.
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The Cougars defense allowed the Rams of CSU to score 42 points while allowing their QB, Billy Farris, to throw for 251 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Rams seemed to score with ease against the Cougars defense, which a few weeks ago, was holding good teams scoreless. BYU needs to get their defense going so that when a tough defense comes to play, such as the Utah Runnin’ Utes, they won’t have to rely on their offense so much to win these shootouts. Next week the Cougars will face San Diego St in the Lavell Edwards stadium. After posting back to back close games, I would expect them to shut down the Aztecs and hold them to a minimum amount of points. I predict the score will be BYU 38 SDSU 10.
The Packers lost 19-16 in a nail biting overtime game at Tennessee. The Titans were undefeated and ranked first in the NFL going into this game, but the Packers were getting players back healthy, riding a 2-game win streak, and coming off a bye. All of these factors were still not enough to overcome the defensive and running strength of the Titans. The Packers were able to throw the ball effectively with Aaron Rodgers posting 314 yards passing and 1 touchdown throw to Donald Driver, but had a hard time getting the ball into the end zone. The Packers settled for 3 field goals by Mason Crosby, who has proved to be a very reliable and effective kicker for Green Bay. The Packers had the ball with about 4 minutes to go and had a chance to go down the field and score, but ran out of steam and had to punt to the Titans with 2 minutes left in the game. Tennessee led by Kerry Collins as QB, drove down the field riding the hot feet of Chris Johnson, to put themselves in position for a last second game winning Rob Bironas field goal. He kicked the 47 yard field goal and it hit the right upright of the goal post and bounced off as time expired. The game then went into overtime.
The Titans won the coin toss and elected to receive as the Overtime session began. They then began to drive down the field just as they had at the end of regulation to put themselves in position for yet another field goal to win the game. Rob Bironas didn’t miss this time, hitting a 41 yard field goal to finish the game and keep Tennessee undefeated on the season. The Titans are now 8-0 and the packers fall to 4-4. It was a tough game and the packers played hard but in the end they came up short. Green Bay travels to Minnesota next week to take on the Vikings, their biggest division rival in what should be another close game. I am picking the Packers to win this one by a score of 27-24 on a last second Mason Crosby field goal.
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Monday, October 27, 2008
The Cougars Run the Rebels Out of Town
BYU squared off against the UNLV Running Rebels last Saturday and when the dust had settled the Cougars won 42-35. Max Hall led the Cougars potent aerial attack with 4 touchdown passes and 245 passing yards with 0 interceptions. Austin Collie was, again, his favorite target with 7 receptions totaling 113 yards. BYU and UNLV exchanged touchdowns throughout the entire game with the game tied at 21 going into the half. At the end of the 3rd quarter the game was again tied at 28. The final quarter is where things got very exciting.
The Cougars marched down the field twice in the first 8 minutes of the 4th quarter hitting a Mitch Payne field goal on each drive making the score 34-28. UNLV countered back with a long drive of their own resulting in a 15 yard touchdown pass putting the Rebels up 35-34 with 6 minutes to go in the game. BYU then made a long, time consuming drive that used up 5 minutes and went 70 yards with Max Hall connecting on a 6 yard TD pass to Dennis Pitta. The Cougars were now up 40-35. BYU went for the 2-point conversion so they could try and gain a 1 touchdown lead and succeeded with a pass from Hall to Harvey Unga. The Cougars then proceeded to hold off the Rebels in tying the game by sacking their QB in the closing seconds and then intercepting the last second “Hail Mary” pass in the endzone.
BYU really needed this win to not only keep their confidence high, but also to show the country and the pollsters that they still belong in their current top 20 ranking. BYU faces off against Colorado State this week in Fort Collins. Colorado State should give BYU a tough game, but the Cougars should be able to gain another win with Max Hall and Austin Collie hooking up for more long passes and multiple touchdowns. The score will be BYU 45-Colorado State 17.
The Green Bay Packers have a bye this week. The Packers are flying high after a big win against the Indianapolis Colts last week. They are full of confidence and should have most, if not their full team, completely healthy for this Sunday’s game against one of the leagues best teams, the Tennessee Titans. This will be a great statement game for the Packers. They can show the league that they are one of the best teams with a win against the mighty Titans. I am predicting that the Packers really push the “Big Boys” with a pounding running game and an efficient passing game. The Packers win the Titans 27-17.
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The Cougars marched down the field twice in the first 8 minutes of the 4th quarter hitting a Mitch Payne field goal on each drive making the score 34-28. UNLV countered back with a long drive of their own resulting in a 15 yard touchdown pass putting the Rebels up 35-34 with 6 minutes to go in the game. BYU then made a long, time consuming drive that used up 5 minutes and went 70 yards with Max Hall connecting on a 6 yard TD pass to Dennis Pitta. The Cougars were now up 40-35. BYU went for the 2-point conversion so they could try and gain a 1 touchdown lead and succeeded with a pass from Hall to Harvey Unga. The Cougars then proceeded to hold off the Rebels in tying the game by sacking their QB in the closing seconds and then intercepting the last second “Hail Mary” pass in the endzone.
BYU really needed this win to not only keep their confidence high, but also to show the country and the pollsters that they still belong in their current top 20 ranking. BYU faces off against Colorado State this week in Fort Collins. Colorado State should give BYU a tough game, but the Cougars should be able to gain another win with Max Hall and Austin Collie hooking up for more long passes and multiple touchdowns. The score will be BYU 45-Colorado State 17.
The Green Bay Packers have a bye this week. The Packers are flying high after a big win against the Indianapolis Colts last week. They are full of confidence and should have most, if not their full team, completely healthy for this Sunday’s game against one of the leagues best teams, the Tennessee Titans. This will be a great statement game for the Packers. They can show the league that they are one of the best teams with a win against the mighty Titans. I am predicting that the Packers really push the “Big Boys” with a pounding running game and an efficient passing game. The Packers win the Titans 27-17.
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Monday, October 6, 2008
Report on The Cougs and the Pack
The BYU Cougars played this past week against the Utah State Aggies in Logan in a classic Friday before general conference game. I remember watching this semi-annual match up many times while going to school at Utah State. When I went to school in the late 90’s the Aggies actually had a team that could compete every year and even won a few games especially when they were in Logan. This year was a different story although the Aggies came back at the end to make an exciting finish for the folks in Cache Valley.
BYU came in to play the Aggies ranked 8th place in the National Polls. The Aggies were coming in as one of the worst in all of Division 1 football. The first quarter really amplified this difference in ranking. BYU had a 24-0 lead at the end of the first quarter with the help of 3 Aggie turnovers. It appeared the Cougars were on their way to another shut out like the previous 2 contests. The Aggies then went on to hold the Cougars scoreless in the 2nd quarter before yielding 10 more points in the 3rd quarter. The score at the beginning of the 4th quarter was 34-0. The fans from Utah State were out in force and the student section was true to their team and was rewarded with 2 touchdowns by their Aggies in the 4th quarter. They attempted an onside kick following the second touchdown and were very close to recovering it, but failed. BYU went on to win by a score of 34-14. The Aggies actually outscored the Cougars 14-10 in the last 3 quarters of the game.
Knowing the coach of BYU, Bronco Mendenhall, and the attitude of this team, New Mexico better be prepared for an onslaught of touchdowns and ferocious defense that wants to show that they are better than they played in Logan against the Aggies in those 3 quarters of the game they played. I expect the crowd to be rowdy and ready and the players to put on a great show when they take in the Lobos in the Lavell Edwards stadium on Saturday October 11th. My prediction for this game is for the Cougars to win the Lobos 45-7.
The Packers are the other team that I enjoy reporting on. Green Bay has had a very difficult year so far. They started out winning 2 games and then proceeded to lose the next 3 in a row starting with the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and then this past weekend losing to the Atlanta Falcons. The Packers have a great offense which looked really good in the Dallas and Atlanta games, but not so good in the Tampa Bay game, where the defense did their job, but the offense faltered. The defense has looked good at times, but terrible at others including the Atlanta Falcons game giving up large amounts of yardage and yielding 27 total points. The Packers lost that game 27-24. I think the Packers have a pretty good team this year but due to some key injuries and also some inconsistent play it has lost them some games as of late.
The Packers go into Seattle this weekend to play the Seahawks. I think that with the problems Seattle has had with injuries and their poor running game, the Packers should be able to sneak out a win up there. My prediction is that the Packers will close one by a score of 24-21 on a Mason Crosby winning field goal.
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BYU came in to play the Aggies ranked 8th place in the National Polls. The Aggies were coming in as one of the worst in all of Division 1 football. The first quarter really amplified this difference in ranking. BYU had a 24-0 lead at the end of the first quarter with the help of 3 Aggie turnovers. It appeared the Cougars were on their way to another shut out like the previous 2 contests. The Aggies then went on to hold the Cougars scoreless in the 2nd quarter before yielding 10 more points in the 3rd quarter. The score at the beginning of the 4th quarter was 34-0. The fans from Utah State were out in force and the student section was true to their team and was rewarded with 2 touchdowns by their Aggies in the 4th quarter. They attempted an onside kick following the second touchdown and were very close to recovering it, but failed. BYU went on to win by a score of 34-14. The Aggies actually outscored the Cougars 14-10 in the last 3 quarters of the game.
Knowing the coach of BYU, Bronco Mendenhall, and the attitude of this team, New Mexico better be prepared for an onslaught of touchdowns and ferocious defense that wants to show that they are better than they played in Logan against the Aggies in those 3 quarters of the game they played. I expect the crowd to be rowdy and ready and the players to put on a great show when they take in the Lobos in the Lavell Edwards stadium on Saturday October 11th. My prediction for this game is for the Cougars to win the Lobos 45-7.
The Packers are the other team that I enjoy reporting on. Green Bay has had a very difficult year so far. They started out winning 2 games and then proceeded to lose the next 3 in a row starting with the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and then this past weekend losing to the Atlanta Falcons. The Packers have a great offense which looked really good in the Dallas and Atlanta games, but not so good in the Tampa Bay game, where the defense did their job, but the offense faltered. The defense has looked good at times, but terrible at others including the Atlanta Falcons game giving up large amounts of yardage and yielding 27 total points. The Packers lost that game 27-24. I think the Packers have a pretty good team this year but due to some key injuries and also some inconsistent play it has lost them some games as of late.
The Packers go into Seattle this weekend to play the Seahawks. I think that with the problems Seattle has had with injuries and their poor running game, the Packers should be able to sneak out a win up there. My prediction is that the Packers will close one by a score of 24-21 on a Mason Crosby winning field goal.
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Monday, September 29, 2008
Get Out and Exercise!
This time of year is a great time to get in shape and exercise. The weather is cooler and there is plenty of yard work to do to prepare for the long winter. Autumn is a beautiful time of year and there is no better time to be outside enjoying the few weeks before winter starts to set in. I have tried to stay in decent shape over the years and have found that being outside and enjoying this time of year have always helped me to not only feel better but also to look better. Exercise doesn’t always have to be hard work and drudgery.
Here are several ideas of things to do this Fall with your family and also ways to get in some exercise while doing them:
Play games outside with your family. I have many fond memories of playing football in my parent’s backyard with my older brother. We had the most fun on the cooler nights in September and October. We would play one-on-one or just throw the ball back and forth. It was great because it didn’t even feel like exercise because we were having so much fun together. I now am able to play outside with my own kids, although my girls don’t like football much. We do kick the ball around, play tag, along with other games. The nights are as cool as when I was younger and watching the girls laugh and smile bring back the memories.
Rake Leaves Together as a Family. I love to rake leaves. I don’t know if it is more because I love this time of year or if I love to see the fruits of my labor or if it is just to be outside working. My wife and I live close to my parents and for the past few years have been helping them rake their leaves. They have many tall trees that produce massive amounts of leaves during this time of year. I always get nostalgic when we drive in on a cool late October afternoon to start raking those pretty red and orange leaves. My girls love to jump in them and go for rides in the wheelbarrow as I move the piles of leaves to the garden.
Cook a Meal Together and go for a Walk to Deliver it to a Neighbor. Making a meal together as a family really causes you to help each other and work as a team. My Mom taught me to cook from the time I was young and I enjoyed the many September and October nights making a steamy, warm pot of my Mom’s famous chili and then making several pans of the best smelling cinnamon rolls you ever “laid your nose on”. I remember playing outside raking the leaves or playing football and coming in to a house filled with the fresh aroma of homemade wheat bread. Once during each Fall make some extra soup and extra cinnamon rolls or another meal of your choice and walk them to a neighbor or someone that you know and let them know that you were thinking of them and thought they could use a nice meal and some treats. This will make a great impression on them and even more of an impression on your children and also give you a chance to get out of the house and be together while exercising.
Don’t wait any longer to get out and enjoy the fresh air. The days go by too fast this time of year to be inside. Take time to go outside, play together with your kids, make meals together. Get out and exercise!
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Here are several ideas of things to do this Fall with your family and also ways to get in some exercise while doing them:
Play games outside with your family. I have many fond memories of playing football in my parent’s backyard with my older brother. We had the most fun on the cooler nights in September and October. We would play one-on-one or just throw the ball back and forth. It was great because it didn’t even feel like exercise because we were having so much fun together. I now am able to play outside with my own kids, although my girls don’t like football much. We do kick the ball around, play tag, along with other games. The nights are as cool as when I was younger and watching the girls laugh and smile bring back the memories.
Rake Leaves Together as a Family. I love to rake leaves. I don’t know if it is more because I love this time of year or if I love to see the fruits of my labor or if it is just to be outside working. My wife and I live close to my parents and for the past few years have been helping them rake their leaves. They have many tall trees that produce massive amounts of leaves during this time of year. I always get nostalgic when we drive in on a cool late October afternoon to start raking those pretty red and orange leaves. My girls love to jump in them and go for rides in the wheelbarrow as I move the piles of leaves to the garden.
Cook a Meal Together and go for a Walk to Deliver it to a Neighbor. Making a meal together as a family really causes you to help each other and work as a team. My Mom taught me to cook from the time I was young and I enjoyed the many September and October nights making a steamy, warm pot of my Mom’s famous chili and then making several pans of the best smelling cinnamon rolls you ever “laid your nose on”. I remember playing outside raking the leaves or playing football and coming in to a house filled with the fresh aroma of homemade wheat bread. Once during each Fall make some extra soup and extra cinnamon rolls or another meal of your choice and walk them to a neighbor or someone that you know and let them know that you were thinking of them and thought they could use a nice meal and some treats. This will make a great impression on them and even more of an impression on your children and also give you a chance to get out of the house and be together while exercising.
Don’t wait any longer to get out and enjoy the fresh air. The days go by too fast this time of year to be inside. Take time to go outside, play together with your kids, make meals together. Get out and exercise!
Return to the NeighborhoodAnd while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the LDS newsletterbrings you LDS articles, LDS products, LDS services, LDS resources and LDSinterviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.LDS Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Cougs and the Pack
This past weekend the BYU Cougars posted another impressive shutout while the Green Bay Packers got beat by the Dallas Cowboys. I am a big fan of both the Cougars and the Packers so each week I am going to review the previous games played and preview the upcoming games for each team. I do have to say that BYU is looking very good this year and is currently ranked at 11th place in the AP polls. The Packers are looking pretty good as well despite their loss to one of the best teams in the NFL in the Cowboys.
BYU played Wyoming this week in Laramie. This has been a pretty heated rivalry over the years (although not even close to the rivalry with the Utes). Through the years the annual meeting with Wyoming Cowboys has been pretty rough and ugly and lots of big hits, and that is just describing the fans in the stands. BYU went up to Laramie this year riding a winning streak of 3 games including big wins over Pac-10 powerhouses Washington and UCLA. The Cougars shut out UCLA last week by a score of 59-0. BYU beat Wyoming in the same fashion by a score of 44-0 by using a strong defense and its power passing game. The Cougars forced 6 turnovers against the hapless Cowboys and returned 2 of them for touchdowns. Max Hall added to his passing touchdowns on the season by throwing 3 more touchdown strikes making it a total of 15 for the year. All of Hall’s touchdowns occurred in the Cowboys game in only 3 quarters of play. The BYU passing attack seems virtually unstoppable week after week this year. With an incredible offense with an outstanding coach in Bronco Mendenhall and an awesome quarterback in Max Hall along with an improving defense, the Cougars look poised to have a great year making a push for a BCS game and possible shot at the title game if they can go undefeated.
Next up for BYU is Utah State on October 3rd in Logan. Utah State is actually my Alma Mater. Yes, I am a true Aggie, for those of you who know about Utah State. Anyway, BYU should easily handle the under-manned Aggies. Utah State has struggled for many years in football. My prediction for the game is 45-7.
I have been a Packers fan for about 15 years now and have watched only one QB play for them- Brett Favre. I was able to attend one of his last games as a Packer last year when they played the Denver Broncos. It was incredible with the Packers winning in overtime with a Favre touchdown pass to receiver Greg Jennings on the first play of overtime. Favre is my favorite player and was set to retire this year before deciding to come back. The Packers had since moved on to the quarterback waiting in the wings for the past 3 years in Aaron Rodgers. So far this year, Rodgers has been pretty amazing. He has thrown at a high percentage, 4 touchdown passes, no interceptions, and has been more mobile than Favre ever was. I think that the Packers have a future with Aaron Rodgers. The Packers were able to beat the Vikings in week 1, get past the Lions in week 2, before losing to the Cowboys in week 3. Dallas was a far superior team in that game beating the Pack in every phase of the game. Green Bay lost that game by a score of 27-16. The Packers will be traveling to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers. I think the Packers will win that game 27-17.
Tune in next week to read all about the Packers ball game and more analysis on the BYU Cougars’ march to glory.
Return to the Neighborhood
And while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the LDS newsletterbrings you LDS articles, LDS products, LDS services, LDS resources and LDSinterviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.LDS Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.
BYU played Wyoming this week in Laramie. This has been a pretty heated rivalry over the years (although not even close to the rivalry with the Utes). Through the years the annual meeting with Wyoming Cowboys has been pretty rough and ugly and lots of big hits, and that is just describing the fans in the stands. BYU went up to Laramie this year riding a winning streak of 3 games including big wins over Pac-10 powerhouses Washington and UCLA. The Cougars shut out UCLA last week by a score of 59-0. BYU beat Wyoming in the same fashion by a score of 44-0 by using a strong defense and its power passing game. The Cougars forced 6 turnovers against the hapless Cowboys and returned 2 of them for touchdowns. Max Hall added to his passing touchdowns on the season by throwing 3 more touchdown strikes making it a total of 15 for the year. All of Hall’s touchdowns occurred in the Cowboys game in only 3 quarters of play. The BYU passing attack seems virtually unstoppable week after week this year. With an incredible offense with an outstanding coach in Bronco Mendenhall and an awesome quarterback in Max Hall along with an improving defense, the Cougars look poised to have a great year making a push for a BCS game and possible shot at the title game if they can go undefeated.
Next up for BYU is Utah State on October 3rd in Logan. Utah State is actually my Alma Mater. Yes, I am a true Aggie, for those of you who know about Utah State. Anyway, BYU should easily handle the under-manned Aggies. Utah State has struggled for many years in football. My prediction for the game is 45-7.
I have been a Packers fan for about 15 years now and have watched only one QB play for them- Brett Favre. I was able to attend one of his last games as a Packer last year when they played the Denver Broncos. It was incredible with the Packers winning in overtime with a Favre touchdown pass to receiver Greg Jennings on the first play of overtime. Favre is my favorite player and was set to retire this year before deciding to come back. The Packers had since moved on to the quarterback waiting in the wings for the past 3 years in Aaron Rodgers. So far this year, Rodgers has been pretty amazing. He has thrown at a high percentage, 4 touchdown passes, no interceptions, and has been more mobile than Favre ever was. I think that the Packers have a future with Aaron Rodgers. The Packers were able to beat the Vikings in week 1, get past the Lions in week 2, before losing to the Cowboys in week 3. Dallas was a far superior team in that game beating the Pack in every phase of the game. Green Bay lost that game by a score of 27-16. The Packers will be traveling to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers. I think the Packers will win that game 27-17.
Tune in next week to read all about the Packers ball game and more analysis on the BYU Cougars’ march to glory.
Return to the Neighborhood
And while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the LDS newsletterbrings you LDS articles, LDS products, LDS services, LDS resources and LDSinterviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.LDS Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Football and BBQ
Fall is my most favorite season of the year and September is probably my favorite month. Not only has football season arrived, but the weather is getting cooler, and the holidays are soon coming. One activity that a lot of people forget this time of year is barbecuing. For most people, summer time is the most popular time of year to fire up that old BBQ grill and throw on some mouth-watering steaks, but for me and other football fans September is the best time for a BBQ. There is nothing better than throwing on some marinated BBQ chicken or some T-bone steaks on the grill while watching your favorite team on the large screen TV in your living room.
I love to grill various meats and fresh, crisp vegetables on the grill. Here is one of my favorite recipes that I love to enjoy while watching the Green Bay Packers or the BYU Cougars play on the weekend.
Steak and Chicken ShishKabobs
1 large steak of your choice (cut into bite size cubes)
1 large chicken breast (cut into bite size cubes)
Cherry tomatoes, green and yellow squash (sliced thick), large mushrooms (pull stems off), red onions (peeled and cut into cubes), green, red, and orange peppers (sliced)
Marinade
2 cups Olive Oil
2 T. Worchestershire sauce
2 T. Soy sauce
2 Garlic (minced)
½ cup honey
4 t. chili powder
Fresh lime juice
Mix the marinade ingredients together and marinate the steak and chicken in a zip lock bag for several hours.
Thread the meats and vegetables on several bamboo skewers until meat and vegetables are gone.
Use a brush to spread marinade on the vegetables and meats. Spray the meat and veggie filled skewers with cooking spray (to avoid sticking to grill). Sprinkle them with your favorite BBQ spice such as Grill Mates and then sprinkle on Kosher Salt and fresh ground pepper.
Heat the grill to high heat and when fully heated, add the skewers to the grill. Use a glove on your hand to rotate the skewers around frequently to cook all sides evenly. Once all sides have been exposed to the high heat turn the grill on low heat to cook the food inside fully. Continue to rotate the skewers but not as often.
Remove the Kabobs from the grill, enjoy, and hope that your team is as successful as your BBQ’ing was.
Return to the Neighborhood
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I love to grill various meats and fresh, crisp vegetables on the grill. Here is one of my favorite recipes that I love to enjoy while watching the Green Bay Packers or the BYU Cougars play on the weekend.
Steak and Chicken ShishKabobs
1 large steak of your choice (cut into bite size cubes)
1 large chicken breast (cut into bite size cubes)
Cherry tomatoes, green and yellow squash (sliced thick), large mushrooms (pull stems off), red onions (peeled and cut into cubes), green, red, and orange peppers (sliced)
Marinade
2 cups Olive Oil
2 T. Worchestershire sauce
2 T. Soy sauce
2 Garlic (minced)
½ cup honey
4 t. chili powder
Fresh lime juice
Mix the marinade ingredients together and marinate the steak and chicken in a zip lock bag for several hours.
Thread the meats and vegetables on several bamboo skewers until meat and vegetables are gone.
Use a brush to spread marinade on the vegetables and meats. Spray the meat and veggie filled skewers with cooking spray (to avoid sticking to grill). Sprinkle them with your favorite BBQ spice such as Grill Mates and then sprinkle on Kosher Salt and fresh ground pepper.
Heat the grill to high heat and when fully heated, add the skewers to the grill. Use a glove on your hand to rotate the skewers around frequently to cook all sides evenly. Once all sides have been exposed to the high heat turn the grill on low heat to cook the food inside fully. Continue to rotate the skewers but not as often.
Remove the Kabobs from the grill, enjoy, and hope that your team is as successful as your BBQ’ing was.
Return to the Neighborhood
And while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the LDS newsletterbrings you LDS articles, LDS products, LDS services, LDS resources and LDSinterviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.LDS Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Classic Cougar Football
It’s that time of year again when the football fans get excited because football will be playing for the next 4 months. The BYU Cougars have got off to a great start this year beating some good teams. I grew up in a household where the Cougars football team was the favorite sports team in the family. I have many fond memories waking up on a cool autumn morning hearing my Mom playing the BYU school song on the radio while making us a great breakfast for game day. I wanted to spend a few minutes sharing some more of my favorite BYU football memories while growing up.
On every Saturday during the fall, we would wake up and enjoy my Mom’s breakfast and then go outside to do our weekly chores in the garden and in the yard, before the game started in the afternoon. The games usually started at about 1 in the afternoon so we would prepare hoagie sandwiches and chips while settling into our regular places on the couches. My Dad would go get his old radio and set up in the TV room because he preferred listening to Paul James rather than the TV announcers. I can still hear Paul James in my mind when I think of these fun days from many years ago. It drove my brother and me crazy because the radio announcing came a few seconds after the play on TV. We begged to turn the radio off and listen to the TV, but my Dad was probably the biggest fan of Paul James in the land of the Cougars.
The game was finally ready to begin. Once that kickoff was underway it was time to enjoy 3 hours of watching the greatest team on the planet. We loved to watch not only because they are BYU, but also because they had the best passing attack in football. LaVell Edwards was the coach back then and he loved the pass play. He had long passes, short passes, and shotgun formations. It was fun to see the long passes for touchdowns. It was fun to watch LaVell on the sidelines. We all know his famous facial expressions of frowns and no smiles. He took the game very seriously and knew not to get too excited and not get too upset. He was the most even keeled coach I had ever seen. His record over the years proved that his approach to the game worked.
The players (especially the quarterbacks) that he recruited and coached went on to have great careers in the NFL. He coached Steve Young, Jim McMahon, Marcus Wilson, Ty Detmer, and many others. Many referred to LaVell’s system and BYU as a quarterback factory and indeed it was. There were also great receivers; Glen Kowzlowski, Todd Christensen, Matt Belini, and others. They had countless amazing catches over the years. They had great defenses with one of my favorites being the defensive lineman Jason Buck.
It was a fun time for me growing up to be able to watch the awesome coaching and the great players on the Cougars football team. They had many great years and even received the national championship in 1984. Over the years they went to many Holiday Bowls and other bowl games and won the majority of them. Who can forget the incredible comeback led by Jim McMahon in the 1980 Holiday Bowl against SMU or the 1984 Holiday Bowl against Michigan that earned them the national title that year. The Las Vegas bowl brought some excitement last year when BYU blocked the field goal attempt by UCLA in the final seconds of that game.
The players may have changed over the years and now BYU has a young new coach, but they still have a passing game and a winning tradition. When you watch this year think of the great winning tradition and all the great games over the years and know that you are watching one of the greatest teams ever to play the game.
Just be thankful that you don’t have to listen to Paul James on the radio during every game.
On every Saturday during the fall, we would wake up and enjoy my Mom’s breakfast and then go outside to do our weekly chores in the garden and in the yard, before the game started in the afternoon. The games usually started at about 1 in the afternoon so we would prepare hoagie sandwiches and chips while settling into our regular places on the couches. My Dad would go get his old radio and set up in the TV room because he preferred listening to Paul James rather than the TV announcers. I can still hear Paul James in my mind when I think of these fun days from many years ago. It drove my brother and me crazy because the radio announcing came a few seconds after the play on TV. We begged to turn the radio off and listen to the TV, but my Dad was probably the biggest fan of Paul James in the land of the Cougars.
The game was finally ready to begin. Once that kickoff was underway it was time to enjoy 3 hours of watching the greatest team on the planet. We loved to watch not only because they are BYU, but also because they had the best passing attack in football. LaVell Edwards was the coach back then and he loved the pass play. He had long passes, short passes, and shotgun formations. It was fun to see the long passes for touchdowns. It was fun to watch LaVell on the sidelines. We all know his famous facial expressions of frowns and no smiles. He took the game very seriously and knew not to get too excited and not get too upset. He was the most even keeled coach I had ever seen. His record over the years proved that his approach to the game worked.
The players (especially the quarterbacks) that he recruited and coached went on to have great careers in the NFL. He coached Steve Young, Jim McMahon, Marcus Wilson, Ty Detmer, and many others. Many referred to LaVell’s system and BYU as a quarterback factory and indeed it was. There were also great receivers; Glen Kowzlowski, Todd Christensen, Matt Belini, and others. They had countless amazing catches over the years. They had great defenses with one of my favorites being the defensive lineman Jason Buck.
It was a fun time for me growing up to be able to watch the awesome coaching and the great players on the Cougars football team. They had many great years and even received the national championship in 1984. Over the years they went to many Holiday Bowls and other bowl games and won the majority of them. Who can forget the incredible comeback led by Jim McMahon in the 1980 Holiday Bowl against SMU or the 1984 Holiday Bowl against Michigan that earned them the national title that year. The Las Vegas bowl brought some excitement last year when BYU blocked the field goal attempt by UCLA in the final seconds of that game.
The players may have changed over the years and now BYU has a young new coach, but they still have a passing game and a winning tradition. When you watch this year think of the great winning tradition and all the great games over the years and know that you are watching one of the greatest teams ever to play the game.
Just be thankful that you don’t have to listen to Paul James on the radio during every game.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Fantasy Football Fanatics
I admit it; I am a fantasy football fanatic. I am part of a yearly private league that every year participates in the fantasy football world that includes millions of players. I get excited every year when August and September come because I know that not only is football watching right around the corner, but so is playing fantasy football. For all of those who have never played fantasy football it is probably hard for you to understand why there’s such great excitement for just a game. I will fill you in on what fantasy football is and why there are millions and millions who participate in this game each football season.
Fantasy football has been around in one form or another since 1962. It started to really gain popularity when the computer and internet were more widely used and allowed fantasy football players access to the information they need to play the game.
Fantasy football is basically a game where usually 10 or 12 players get together to form a league. Then these players hold a fantasy draft or a time to pick their players from the actual players in the NFL. They decide a draft order usually by random chance, and then each take turns choosing players to be on their team. Most leagues have teams that consist of 1 starting quarterback (QB), 2 starting running backs (RB), 3 starting wide receivers (WR), 1 starting tight end (TE), 1 starting kicker (K) and 1 defense/special teams (DST). They then pick 4 or 5 players of any position as bench players to fill in during bye weeks or in case a player gets injured.
Once the draft has happened, each owner decides which of his players will play in the first game of the NFL. The players each gain points by how well they do in the actual NFL game that they are playing. For example, the QB gets 1 point for every 25 yards he passes, 6 points for every TD pass he throws, and then the RB’s and WR’s get points for yards gained and TD’s scored as well. The combination of all your starting players’ points that week determine your fantasy football team’s score that week. Each week you play another fantasy football team and the winner is determined by how well your players perform that week and what kind of score they get.
If you love football, then you will love fantasy football. It is very exciting to watch your players week in and week out and makes for watching football on TV even more exciting, if that is possible. It is also fun and challenging to pick your team each year during the draft and trade and pick up free agents throughout the year. I have been playing now for 8 years and have won the fantasy football super bowl twice. I am hopeful for another title this year because I have great players and I feel like I have the experience and knowledge to play the right players each week. The first weekend of football is right around the corner so join your first fantasy team before it is too late.
You will be amazed at the fun and excitement you will have when you join the millions of fantasy football fanatics.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Football is Finally Here
The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler, and it is sad to see that summer is starting to fade away, but the month of September is my favorite time of year. This is the time when the football teams take to the fields to play in the best sport in the world. On September 4th the Redskins and Giants will play in the NFL season opener. This is the day that I have been waiting on since the Giants won the Super Bowl back in February. I am not a fan of baseball and basketball is pretty good, but football is hands down my most favorite sport for many reasons.
Football starts during the most beautiful time of the year. The leaves on the trees are starting to change colors, the weather gets cooler and not so hot, and the kids all go back to school (my wife likes that part). I remember going to Payson High School football games and BYU football games with my Dad as a child. The air was chilly but we would bundle up and get hot cocoa and hot nachos at the concession stands. My wife and I are expecting a little boy (we currently have 2 girls) to be born in September and I plan on taking him to many football games over the years and will watch them on TV with him as well.
Football is the most team-oriented sport of the major sports. You need all 11 players on offense and all 11 on defense working together as one unit whereas basketball and baseball you can have a lot of one-man “showboats” on your teams. In football you need your blockers and your running backs and receivers working together to help protect and catch passes from the quarterback. It is fun to watch how the team interacts with one another and how they feed off each other’s successes and the support they give each other during the hard times.
If you enjoy action, suspense, big hits, and lots of unpredictability then you need to watch a football game. I have never seen anything to compare to a football game with seconds left in a game, the team moving down the field, Brett Favre as your quarterback throwing a huge bomb to a receiver in the end zone, the excitement of the win in the final seconds. I was witness to such a scene when the Green Bay packers traveled to Denver Broncos last year in October on a Monday Night Football game. My wife joined me on this monumental event in my life.
I had been waiting for 15 years to watch the Packers and Brett Favre to play in real life. It was finally my chance. The field at Denver was awesome. There were Packers fans everywhere. The game was exciting and thrilling and the Broncos scored a field goal in the final seconds to send the game into overtime. I couldn’t believe that I was in Denver on a cool October night watching my favorite team and my favorite player now going into overtime with the home team. The tension was mounting as the Packers received the ball first. Favre got under center and faked a hand off and heaved the ball about 50 yards to a streaking Greg Jennings down the left sideline. Jennings outran the defender to score an 80 yard touchdown on the first play of overtime leading the Packers to victory over the Broncos…and I was there to witness it.
Make sure to watch this year’s football…you never know what you might miss.
Return to the Neighborhood
Football starts during the most beautiful time of the year. The leaves on the trees are starting to change colors, the weather gets cooler and not so hot, and the kids all go back to school (my wife likes that part). I remember going to Payson High School football games and BYU football games with my Dad as a child. The air was chilly but we would bundle up and get hot cocoa and hot nachos at the concession stands. My wife and I are expecting a little boy (we currently have 2 girls) to be born in September and I plan on taking him to many football games over the years and will watch them on TV with him as well.
Football is the most team-oriented sport of the major sports. You need all 11 players on offense and all 11 on defense working together as one unit whereas basketball and baseball you can have a lot of one-man “showboats” on your teams. In football you need your blockers and your running backs and receivers working together to help protect and catch passes from the quarterback. It is fun to watch how the team interacts with one another and how they feed off each other’s successes and the support they give each other during the hard times.
If you enjoy action, suspense, big hits, and lots of unpredictability then you need to watch a football game. I have never seen anything to compare to a football game with seconds left in a game, the team moving down the field, Brett Favre as your quarterback throwing a huge bomb to a receiver in the end zone, the excitement of the win in the final seconds. I was witness to such a scene when the Green Bay packers traveled to Denver Broncos last year in October on a Monday Night Football game. My wife joined me on this monumental event in my life.
I had been waiting for 15 years to watch the Packers and Brett Favre to play in real life. It was finally my chance. The field at Denver was awesome. There were Packers fans everywhere. The game was exciting and thrilling and the Broncos scored a field goal in the final seconds to send the game into overtime. I couldn’t believe that I was in Denver on a cool October night watching my favorite team and my favorite player now going into overtime with the home team. The tension was mounting as the Packers received the ball first. Favre got under center and faked a hand off and heaved the ball about 50 yards to a streaking Greg Jennings down the left sideline. Jennings outran the defender to score an 80 yard touchdown on the first play of overtime leading the Packers to victory over the Broncos…and I was there to witness it.
Make sure to watch this year’s football…you never know what you might miss.
Return to the Neighborhood
Monday, July 7, 2008
Football Training Camp
July is the month known for the 4th of July, 24th of July, hot weather, and…football training camp. I know it seems early to be talking about football, but for us die hard football fans talking football is a year round hobby. It all starts with the NFL draft in late April and then comes the mini camps in May and June. Then the real training starts in late July.
Training camp is a very hard and demanding time for the players. They have 2-a-day practices on the hot field; they learn and perfect the plays not only on the field, but also in the film room and the class room. The players move in together to eat and breathe football 24/7. (If you asked my wife, she would tell you that I eat and breathe football 24/7 all the time).
I am a huge football fan. I am also a dedicated Green Bay Packers fan. I love to watch football, talk football, and read about football. I love to read articles about training camp each year. All of the players come in to Green Bay to practice together and make themselves better as a team. I served a mission in Green Bay and was able to attend a training camp practice. You would think it was a live game by the amount of fans that would show up for these training sessions. People would line the fences and cheer and yell and act like it was a playoff game. I love this time of year because there is so much hope and optimism for the coming season. It is fun to listen to fans talk with each other about players, strategies, coaches, and anything football related. The amount of time and money that fans spend on football is astounding. When you factor in players and coaches salaries, game tickets, concessions, apparel, trading cards, fantasy football leagues, etc—it is easy to see why this is truly America’s favorite sport.
My anticipation for this year is already starting to build. The training camps are opening soon, the fantasy football leagues are starting to form, the football fields are being groomed and prepared for that day when the players take the field, and both the fans and players alike are full of hope that this season will be the one where their teams go on to win the Super Bowl.
(Of course we all know that the Packers will be the team this year to take home that honor.)
Return to the Neighborhood
Training camp is a very hard and demanding time for the players. They have 2-a-day practices on the hot field; they learn and perfect the plays not only on the field, but also in the film room and the class room. The players move in together to eat and breathe football 24/7. (If you asked my wife, she would tell you that I eat and breathe football 24/7 all the time).
I am a huge football fan. I am also a dedicated Green Bay Packers fan. I love to watch football, talk football, and read about football. I love to read articles about training camp each year. All of the players come in to Green Bay to practice together and make themselves better as a team. I served a mission in Green Bay and was able to attend a training camp practice. You would think it was a live game by the amount of fans that would show up for these training sessions. People would line the fences and cheer and yell and act like it was a playoff game. I love this time of year because there is so much hope and optimism for the coming season. It is fun to listen to fans talk with each other about players, strategies, coaches, and anything football related. The amount of time and money that fans spend on football is astounding. When you factor in players and coaches salaries, game tickets, concessions, apparel, trading cards, fantasy football leagues, etc—it is easy to see why this is truly America’s favorite sport.
My anticipation for this year is already starting to build. The training camps are opening soon, the fantasy football leagues are starting to form, the football fields are being groomed and prepared for that day when the players take the field, and both the fans and players alike are full of hope that this season will be the one where their teams go on to win the Super Bowl.
(Of course we all know that the Packers will be the team this year to take home that honor.)
Return to the Neighborhood
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