I'm so glad we had this time together...

Why the NFL should dump the Pro Bowl

The NFL and NBC Sports hope fans want to tune in to the annual Pro Bowl tonight at 7pm ET. Commissioner Roger Goodell keeps threatening to get rid of the game if the quality doesn't improve.  But, it doesn't seem like recent moves with the event have done anything to facilitate a better game.

Fan voting is a joke; Nothing more than a popularity contest conducted at a time when we have no idea who will have played an "all-star' caliber season. (This is the case with all of the major sports all-star balloting.)  On top of that, too many of the players fans DO vote for (translated: the ones they want to see in the game) end up NOT playing because they are in the Super Bowl-- which wasn't an issue when the Pro Bowl was the week AFTER the big game-- or, they claim injury.  I say "claim" because it seems to me that the league, which thinks the Pro Bowl is important enough to stage,  has made it quite easy for elected/selected players to opt out of the game using injury as the excuse.

Inauguration Day 2013: Obama 2.0 & Congress 113

Congratulations and best wishes to President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden as the Obama Administration begins its second term leading America.

President Obama officially sworn-in
for second term on January 20, 2013.
(Photo: White House)

The President and Vice President were officially sworn in Sunday in accordance with the Constitution.  Today, we’ll all watch as the ceremonial events take place in Washington, DC.

I sincerely hope and pray that all of our elected officials in Washington will keep in mind that they are in DC to work—not for themselves—but, for us.

I sincerely hope and pray that the President and his team at the White House; Speaker John Boehner, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and their teams in the House of Representatives; and Majority Leader Harry Reid, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and their teams in the Senate will keep in mind that none of them will get everything they want, nor should they.

Compromise is not a dirty word.  It is—in fact—necessary and expected.  The petty partisanship of politics-as-usual is not acceptable.

The name of the game is moving America forward.  Democrats, alone, don’t have all of the answers.  Republicans, alone, don’t have all of the answers.  But, between them and various independent voices, America can flourish under the leadership of men and women who know and understand that we rise, we fall; we sink, we swim; we, as Americans, meet our fate together.

Godspeed to the Obama Administration and the 113th Congress as they work together to meet America’s challenges in 2013 and beyond.

Muted Emotions

Sandy Hook School in Newtown, CT

I woke up this morning and the emotional enormity of what happened in Newtown, Connecticut finally hit me - 24 hours after the event.

President Barack Obama wipes tears

from his eyes while addressing the

nation following the Newtown, CT

school shooting on December 14, 2012.

Despite having watched a great deal of the coverage and watching President Barack Obama deliver emotional remarks from the White House while wiping tears from his eyes and fighting to control his emotions, my emotions didn't fully manifest themselves until this morning.  This morning, when I turned on follow-up coverage and listened to the latest information and saw many of the same photos from the day before and found myself doing, a day later, what the president of the United States did at the White House. I wiped quiet tears from my eyes.

Titus Young Just Doesn't Get It

Detroit Lions WR Titus Young.
(Photo: DetroitLions.com)

Detroit Lions wide receiver Titus Young spoke with reporters today following practice.  It was the first time since he has talked publicly since his most recent exile from the team for disciplinary reasons.  Head coach Jim Schwartz deactivated Young for the Lions' Thanksgiving Day game agains the Houston Texans and sent him home for the week to, basically, get his head straight.  Judging by this session with media, I'm not certain he got the message. But, I'm not in the Lions locker room, team meetings or the practice field with the guy.  What do you think?

(Video: WXYZ.com)

I'm so glad that the reporters didn't ask Young questions about anything but his situation.  Nothing else he has to say matters until he addresses his behavior and its effects on the team.