Shots of Jame-O: August 18, 2011

Summer TV is Awful:

As everyone knows, I'm a huge fan of serialized TV shows.  I don't watch garbage on MTV, I don't watch reality TV and even though I'm a sports nut, I don't really watch random sporting events or the NFL Network just to find out how the Lions look in the preseason.  So for someone like me, the summer is just AWFUL when it comes to TV.  Mid-season baseball games are meaningless (unless you are a Phillies fan and update your Facebook status every week night from April through October), the NFL doesn't start until August, and the NBA and NHL end in June.  The only good summer sport is golf - US Open in June, British Open in July and PGA in August - but we all know how I feel about golf right now (did I mention Tiger Woods sucks?).  As for TV, most serialized TV shows end in May and don't start back up till September.  So yeah, the summer TV schedule is terrible.  Despite that, there are a few shows that are airing new episodes right now that I watch religiously - Breaking Bad (awesome!), Curb Your Enthusiasm (hilarious!), and Entourage (is it over yet?).  But guess what?  They ALL air on Sundays!  And all between 10-11pm!  WTF?  Obviously I'm not making it up until 11pm while suffering through Sunday Depression Mode.  I don't want to wish away the summer...but damn, I cannot WAIT until September when we get college football Saturdays, NFL Sundays and regular weekday TV shows.  Not to mention jeans and hoodie weather.  The best time of the year.

College Football is Right Around the Corner:

Speaking of college football, less than one month until week 1 of the season.  Now, I'll go ahead and say this right up front:  I'm not a huge college football fan.  I root for Penn State, consider myself a fan and I've been to at least one Penn State game in Happy Valley for the past 5 or 6 years straight.  But mostly just because I love a good tailgate.  I'm heading up again this year for the Penn State-Alabama game which should be awesome.  Penn State will likely get murdered (like last year) but the atmosphere will be great (and of course, the tailgating).  I went down to Tuscaloosa last year for the Penn State/Bama game with Jesse and Colin, and we had a blast.  Maybe blur is a better word to describe it?  Anyway, the one thing I'll remember most:  southerners really are ridiculously, overly, almost obnoxiously nice.  Penn State fans were dominating the Bama bars and walking up and down the streets chanting "WE ARE - PENN STATE."  Yet every time I struck up a conversation with a Bama fan, he would wish me good luck, say that PSU fans are great, etc.  I can guarantee you they won't be saying the same thing about us when they head back home September 11th.

University of Miami Scandal:

I know it is probably overkill at this point, but I had to say a few words about this University of Miami scandal.  For those who don't know anything about it, even if you are non-college football or non-sports fans, check out this article.  It's long, so I know Walsh and Colin won't read it, but it's great.  Quick summary:  Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports reported that a booster named Nevin Shapiro gave illicit benefits to University of Miami football players for almost a decade.  He gave them everything from cars, cash, parties and yes, even prostitutes.  Of all the allegations and unbelievable stories in the article, one thing stood out to me:  dude is a 5'5 white guy!  All the talking heads are discussing whether Miami knew about these allegations and to what degree they knew.  Let's see, you have a 5'5 white guy parading around Miami, bouncing in and out of clubs and strip joints, with 10-20 HUGE black guys!  Umm...this is normal, how?  Of course they knew!  The other thing that made me laugh - Shapiro said that he decided to blow the whistle on this whole ordeal because his "friends" didn't have his back when he went to prison.  What friends, dude?  You don't think the players were using you for free gifts, parties and girls?  Clearly this guy was throwing around his millions trying to make friends just like any other guy with little man's syndrome.  Really pathetic...but I gotta give him credit, he had one hell of a 10 year run.

Blogging Expectations: 

I started this blog because I like writing and I feel that I'm a fairly decent writer.  Obviously I was a little nervous when I posted the first blog on Twitter and then on Facebook, wondering how people would react.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Most people seemed to like it, even if they were just being nice, which I appreciate anyway.  But hey, starting a blog carries with it some expectations.  "Hey I read the blog.  Pretty solid writing...but I thought it would be funny."  (I thought it was?)  "Nice blog Dan.  Can't you write about X though?"  (Sure, wanna pick up my salary when I get fired?).  I actually enjoy the constructive criticism and all in all, it's been a solid first week.  The best part:  having someone I don't even know find my blog while googling "sports blogs", retweet it on Twitter and tell me that he picked mine after looking through 50 "crappy" blogs.  Pretty cool. 

Special Shout Outs:

Finally, just wanted to give a few special shout outs.  First, to my cousin Andy and his wife Stacie who just had a baby boy Tuesday night (their first kid) - Nolan Michael.  Congrats!  Also, congrats to Kait who just accepted her first "big girl" job and can no longer go to the beach for 10 days at a time or say things like "I think I'm going to lay out today!" as I'm walking out the door for work.  And last, I'm pumped for this weekend when I get to see my niece Sophia again.  Think I'll be able to pry her from my mom's grasp long enough to hold her this time?  Nah...me either.   

Update:  I'm a terrible son.  Congrats to my parents on being married for 32 years today!  I have no idea how my mom has put up with Lars for 32 years!  Wow.  Only kidding dad.  Kinda.