Opus 2025-433: Full Court Press

I was marveling at the way in which God can deal with human beings who are each individual creatures.  I guess statistically you may be able to find someone in the world that is almost identical to you, but in reality it’s not going to happen.  We each look at things differently.  We have different values.  We have different priorities.  You get the idea.

And yet God deals with all of us in a way that is just and righteous.  It may not be fair, but it is just and righteous.  How does that work?

As I was pondering this, I got to thinking about the game of basketball.  Basketball has rules.  The rules are the same for both teams.  The equipment is the same for both teams.  Both nets are the same height on the ground.  The time allowed is the same for both teams.  Now I accept the fact that you may have a referee that is not having a good day, but they are supposed to be the same for both teams.

Now think about the UCLA full court press introduced by John Wooden.  I marvel at watching how in his first national championship with a bunch of guys who are really too short to be playing that level of basketball win it all walking away.  It was awesome.  It was coaching.

When I was in high school we had a church basketball team and we had a young guy who came in and taught us to use the full court press.  We ate them up.  We were 17 wins and one loss that year and the one loss was in triple overtime against a team that had three players who were starters in the freshman team at our college the next year.  Opposing them were a bunch of us non-basketball stars.  We had a guy who was good on baseball and I believe one who ran track, but they were the only genuine athletes in the group and they were not tall or great basketball players.

What made the difference?  Coaching.  Knowing how to make things work in a way that brought us to victory.  That’s how God works with us with our differences.  He coaches us in a unique way.  He knows us as individuals.  He knows our strengths and weaknesses.  He knows our environment.

And he gives us the benefit of a spiritual full court press.  Of course, it only works if we listen to what He tells us and play the game the way He teaches us.

Play ball.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-220: Interest

I was thinking about Texas football and how I can’t seem to generate a whole lot of enthusiasm to know the difference between the different college teams.  This kind of makes me an outsider at church.

I’m thinking about how years ago I quit watching sports on TV.  I was never much interested in professional basketball although during the John Wooden era I followed UCLA quite a bit and I played on our church team and really enjoyed it.  Just watching professional sports didn’t do much for me.  Gradually I lost interest in watching.  My wife feels betrayed because we used to watch the World Series and now I am not even sure who is playing.

That changed while my children started playing basketball when they were younger.  Our church had a gym and we had a number of league things going on there and I remember going and cheering and having a great time.  This was not because my children were great athletes.  To give you a feel my daughter got the sportsmanship award.  My son was allowed to sit on the bench.  Actually he got to play because that was required.  He was good at bouncing the basketball, once.  I could never teach him anything because he thought he already knew it all.

Texans love their football.  Our little church has an ex-professional football player and a retired baseball player.  I may need to brush up on my sports.

homo unius libri

Opus 2022-066: Really? Again?

Did we just have a super-bowl?  I am afraid to look but I keep seeing memes about it.  I would ask who won but I am surrounded by people who would just give me a blank look.

If I missed it I must confess that I don’t.  It is right up there with the winter Olympics.  There was a time in my life when I would have watched both but those days are long gone.

I am better for it.

homo unius libri

Opus 2022-024: Headlines: Covid Tennis Balls

I am no longer a sports fan.  I found that as I played less I watched less.  I have never been one to follow professional tennis but I keep seeing the click bait about Novak Djokovic being denied a visa to Australia.  He appears to be a super star in tennis.  He has won the Australian Open nine times.  In my book that is a long time to be at the top of any sport.  The Daily Wire had an article about the shenanigans going on down under.  He was given a visa.  It was cancelled.  He got a judge to reinstate it.  The elected officials overruled the judge.

The article I read was objective and well balanced.  Let me throw in a bit of yellow journalism.  I am wondering if the reason he is being kept out of Australia is because he might win the tournament again and someone, somewhere has a reason for that not happening.  Perhaps it is to keep him from beating an Australian favorite.  Perhaps there is a player from another country who is having officials bribed to exclude him so they can win.  Perhaps some new “science” has emerged that actually shows the China Virus is deadly.  Perhaps unicorns really fart rainbows.  I digress.

I don’t know the answer.  Two things I do know.  Things are never what they seem and most conspiracy theories are a lot of hot air based on a grain of truth.

homo unius libri

Opus 2021-024: PGA Goes Woke

If you are keeping track of the political sell-out of sports teams you can now add the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) to the list.  They have just withdrawn thier competitions from golf courses owned by President Trump.  The rot of the swamp can be found even on golf courses.

I am someone who started playing golf late in life.  I enjoy the game but have no talent and little drive to become good.  I am not sure when the last time I played.  I was never impressed by the course that has a PGA pro to teach and advise.  I am even less impressed now.  Next time I play I will keep an eye open for gators.

homo unius libri

Opus 2020-192: Exxon Skins?

I keep reading about how the Washington Redskins are looking for a new name.  I read about a lot of suggestions.  I don’t have a name but I have a suggestion.

If my memory serves me correctly what is now the Exxon Corporation came up with that new name after a long search for a word that had no negative connotations in any language.  I might suggest that the owners of the Washington Football Team contact the CEO of Exxon and see if they can have access to the list.  Maybe they can choose the number two name and save a lot of time.

Just a suggestion.  Unless they publish the results on one of the blogs I read, I may never know.

homo unius libri

Opus 2020-030: Super Bowl Evolution

This has been a good year for my mental acuity.  I knew that the Super Bowl was coming.  I found out that Kansas City won.  I am somewhat in doubt about the losing team but from the memes I am seeing I am thinking it was San Francisco.  Don’t bother correcting me if I am wrong.  I didn’t watch and don’t intend to watch next year.

I know there was a time I enjoyed the Super Bowl.  The interest gradually waned.  Eventually I took a nap during the game.  Sports were a big deal to me when I was young and limited.  I could tell you how many games the Dodgers were out of first place.  I knew the ERA of the Dodger pitchers.  In Junior High I lettered in football, basketball and volleyball.  In high school our church group played football every Sunday afternoon and still made it back for evening service.

No longer.  I like to play golf but don’t get out very often.  I only watch golf in waiting rooms.  For all other sports I always bring a book.

I hope your team won.  In reality unless you had a big bet going with your local bookie or need bragging rights at your local bar, it wont’ make much difference.  Not remembering your wife on Valentine’s day might matter.  Not going to your kids’ basketball game might have long term consequences.  As far as professional sports go, there will always be another game, another season, another team.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-038: Definitely Not Couch Potatoes

I have never planned on being a hunter.  I have no problem with going hunting in principle but I am not sure I would be able to shoot anything but a rat.  I am talking about the four legged kind, not the ones in congress.  Most of the stories I hear about hunting involve starting in darkness, sitting motionless in snow or being waist deep in murky water.  Not my idea of fun.

Recently I was at a family/friend event and spent a few days talking to and listening to a real, live hunter.  He has trophies on his walls and everything.  He was sharing the details of a moose hunt that he and some friends went on recently.  They waited for years to get the tags or whatever they call them.  They had to charter a company to fly them far from civilization.  They slept in tents and tromped through the wilderness.  It rained almost the entire time. 

I probably won’t ever do something like that.  I learned another reason I probably will never go hunting:  It is too expensive.  The trip cost each of them around $10,000.  That is a bit rich for my blood but it reminds me of what a great country we live in.  He is a retired blue color worker and he has been able to put himself in a position to take trips like this.  Only in America can people who are died in the wool members of the working class have the resources to follow a dream like this.

What a country.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-033: Is It a Boycott if You Never Watched?

We went to lunch today and the sign on the door said that today they closed at 6:00 P.M.  That puzzled me until I realized the Super Bowl would be played today.  I am guessing some time after 6:00.

I keep forgetting.

I will not be watching the Super Bowl this year.  I would like to say it is because of the millionaires protesting how brutal life is in the United States by showing a lack of respect for our flag and national anthem.  That would be a lie.  The truth is I stopped watching the Super Bowl years ago.  I almost wish I was still watching football on TV so I could make a protest, but it is not to be.

You might be better off if you took a walk or read a book.  Enjoy your evening.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-362: 2-2

My wife is enjoying her first World Series as a Texan.  She is rooting for the Astros because she now lives in Texas.  Added frosting on the cake is that the other team, who shall go unmentioned, are from California.

We have not been able to watch.  She has not been able to find the game on the TV connections we have but that does not keep us from enjoying the progress.  It would be a welcome gift to see our first baseball season in our new state ushered in by a win for the home boys.

Go Astros.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-358: Headlines: Or Lack Of

Yesterday was the first game of the World Series.  We did not watch it.  That is not new.  I still wanted to know how it came out so I went to my morning news outlets:  Crickets.

I checked three news sources and Drudge and could not find any reference to the game.  Eventually I Googled it and found out the Dodgers won.  I wonder if this is tied in any way with the honeymoon of the NFL ending because of the temper tantrums of multi-millionaires. 

I lost interest in professional sports years ago.  It looks like the country may be catching up.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-337: Watch Out for Falling Rock

I am assuming that this is a genuine report on Daily Time Waster.  One person was killed while rock climbing as a chunk of the mountain fell.  There are some really great pictures.  It is easy to overlook the loss of life.

My sympathy goes out to the families and injured.  Also of great concern is that I expect the caring people of the Nanny State to try to make rock climbing safe so that no one gets hurt.  Of course that will destroy the sport.  I have no interest in climbing rocks.  It isn’t just the danger.  I am too lazy.  But I think that part of the joy of life for some people is taking the challenge presented by risky endeavors.  Unlike drag racing on city streets, rock climbing does not generally threaten innocent bystanders. 

Let them take the risk.  They do not need your protection Sir Nanny.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-333: Locker Room Humor

You may have caught that one player on the Pittsburgh Steelers did not follow the coaches instructions.  Instead of cowering in the locker room and giving implicit support for the Anti-American antics of football snowflakes, Alejandro Villanueva came out and showed respect for the values of our country.  His parents taught him right.

At this point I am expecting him to be disciplined by the coach or the management.  Free speech is a one way street in the world of Progressive blizzards.  It only works when you are hating on America.  Perhaps one of his teammates will blind-side him in an attempt to teach him that hate will not be tolerated. 

I salute him.  I expect him to pay.

The frosting on the cake is that one account had the fans booing the team when it came out after being AWOL for the national anthem.  Kudos to Pittsburgh. 

In an interview after the game the coach was quoted at Powerline as saying,

“...he was looking for “100 percent participation” in whatever course of action the team took during the national anthem.”

It goes without saying that such a sentiment only applies when the action supports the left.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-330: Headlines: A Blizzard of Snowflakes

It looks like the battle between the working classes in America and the prima dona snowflakes of the sports world is escalating.  Again some disclaimer.  I do not pay attention to professional basketball.  I have never paid attention to professional basketball.  Now it seems that they are moving toward the list of overpaid-to-play-games crowd that live in a bubble. 

The NBA champions (?) will not be invited to the White House this year.  I think that is the impact of the headlines I am seeing at My San Antonio.  There seems to be some disagreement on whether they were invited in the first place or would ever consider attending but it is more fun to watch than an NBA game, at least for me.  I remember ignoring sport teams visiting the White House in the past.  Now I can ignore them not going.

We have all the hoopla over the NFL knee problems.  America as a whole has been cheering Trump as he says, “Fire the bums” even if we think turning off the TV is enough.  Now it seems to be spreading to the world of basketball.  Will baseball be next?  (Just checked Drudge, the answer is yes)  NASCAR?  Probably not, it is hard to kneel while driving a car.

I only hope that the librarians of America don’t start getting political in this way.  I would hate to boycott the public library.

homo unius libri