Rick Neuheisel can exhale now

Gary A. Vasquez/US PRESSWIRE

Bruins beat Vols 27-24 in OT

What a game... er, 4th quarter and OT. The Bruins' brand-spanking new QB, Kevin Craft, sent groans through the Rose Bowl after an atrocious first half wherein he tossed up four miserable interceptions. Boos followed him to the locker room.

Somehow, someway as a result of Neuheisel's commitment to relentless optimism, his reminder that he threw four interceptions in his first game as a college QB (I couldn't help but wonder which sports investigative journalist is going to track down that fact - is it mythology or rooted in reality?), Craft got back in the driver's seat, demonstrated that he has the essential, magic quality of a great QB (amnesia!), and led that team to two TDs (one drive flawless with 6 for 6 completed passes).

The two minute drill looked masterful! This is not Dorrell's Bruins who managed to squander 3rd and long every damned time they were confronted with one. This time Norm Chow created the tricks, the spin, the fun that made Bruin football a pleasure to watch and now to anticipate.

Gene Wojciechowski gets it right.

Don't ask how -- I'm not sure Craft even knows -- but the first half from hell turned into the second half from heaven. Craft began throwing completions, this time to his own teammates. And by the end of UCLA's 27-24 overtime win, Craft had become part of gutty little Bruin football lore...

Craft's second-half total: 18 of 25 for 193 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions. By game's end he had completed passes to nine different Bruins receivers. He also had withstood everything Tennessee and the crowd could heave his way.

Beach Volleyball: Walsh-May Conquer All!

I can't believe we won't see them again. They've created the enduring memories of these Olympics and the last ones. Yes, Phelps. Of course, Nastia and Shawn. But for me, I have to say I enjoyed every single match Kerri and Misty played. They couldn't stop bouncing after they won!! Such exuberance. What joy!

Wonder how the Chinese blog?

We did. In fact, we were interested to know how the Chinese type anything into a keyboard with literally thousands of characters (pictograms) to choose from. So thanks to the Almighty Google, we discovered the complex world of typing in a non-phonetic system.

Google has launched a self-promoting Chinese-language blog, not long after unveiling its controversial Chinese search engine last month. According to the Washington Post, China already has as many as 16 million bloggers. How do you type Chinese characters on a keyboard?

All I can think after reading about how they handle the idea of keyboard and writing is that their brains must be a heck of a lot more agile than ours as they juggle the hundreds of micro-thoughts and adjustments we never have to face.

Check out this story.

In the Peoples' Republic of China, most computer users type out their Chinese in transliteration, using the standard Roman alphabet keys on a QWERTY keyboard. To generate a character, you type out its sound according to the same spelling system—called Pinyin—that represents the name of China's capital with the word "Beijing." The computer automatically converts the Pinyin spelling to the correct Chinese characters on the screen.

Or at least it's supposed to. There are lots of Chinese words that sound similar but look different on paper. If you're using the Pinyin input method, you'll have to put in some extra effort to make sure the right characters show up onscreen. First, you can follow a syllable with a digit, to indicate which of several intonations you want. If the computer still doesn't have enough information to pick a character, you'll have to choose from a pop-up list of possibilities.

Aren't you loving all this exposure to China? Isn't it, too, a bit, um, intimidating?

What a week!

I'm going to run down through the events that kept me off the blog this week, in the order they occur to me.


1. Tiger wins the US Open with two fractures and a torn ACL eliciting the highest TV ratings for daytime TV on a Monday both for cable and network TV. All those conspiracy theorists were silenced; Tiger really doesn't fake pain for sympathy or strategy. Why am I not surprised? Jason Sobel ranks Tiger's wins putting this Open number 2 behind the 1997 Master's. But when Tiger was asked if the Open was his greatest win, he said, "Yes."

I will sorely miss him for the rest of the season. I have Carson Palmer palpitations too - that nervousness for his knee's future.

2. Lakers get blown away in Game Six. But Kevin Garnett's teary-eyed delirious interview with Michelle Tafoya erased any loyalty I had to the Lakers. To see Kevin's pride in the Celtics' achievement was worth the west coast's humiliation. (And may I just add that I have a girl crush on Michelle? Is she not the best court-side, side-line, clubhouse interviewer in sports? And such a great voice!)

3. Jon's best friend in L.A. called to say his wife left him three weeks ago. Ugh.

4. Noah turned 21! He and his gf Amanda spent the evening celebrating with us. We bought the nearly sold-out Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition Box Set for him. Check out this hilarious article from Wired to get a feel for how the reactions to this newest version are hitting fans. (All message board addicts will recognize the archetypes!)

5. Johannah taught us how to eat vegan (or at least, how to eat her vegan brownies... which tasted really good!).

6. Jacob went on his first date (took his girl to a park for a picnic that he prepared all by himself... romantic that he is).

7. Caitrin spent the week at SOS (Summer of Service) at the local Vineyard. They assemble 800 sweaty kids from around the states to attack Cincinnati with love by handing out water bottles, washing cars for free, building house frames for Habitat for Humanity, and buying lunches spontaneously at places like Arby's for customers because God told them to. Yeah it's a nice way for kids to spend a week. I could do without all the hyper spirituality that seems to go along with it. Apparently this set of kids is convinced they are THE generation, the "generation of revelation," the one that the Lord will really use this time with signs and wonders, Hallelujah! Strange thing is: I thought MY generation was that one... Guess apostasy thwarted the big plan.

8. Liam is baby-sitting the cutest ferret to ever cross our threshold (well, and yes, the only one). Up, down, in, out, poking his long nose and slinky body into all the crevices of Liam's room. This furry girl is like a living Redwall character. Given Liam's obsession with that novel series, it's not surprising he's head-over-heels in love with this little doll. I have a hunch I know what he'll want for his 14th birthday in just over a month.

9. Jackie O meet Michelle O. Apparently Michelle's off-the-rack dress made quite a splash on The View. It sold out in stores and online within 24 hours.

And some people still think McCain has a chance to win....

Tiger Woods for President!

Oh wait... well, it's just I'm so caught up in emotionalism and the hype, the sense that Tiger is the greatest man today, based on his two eagles and that ridiculous birdie, and the crowds cheering... I just imagined that all that drama and emotion must mean that Tiger Woods should be president! At least, that's what I've been told. Excitement is emotionalism is validation of qualification which leads inexorably to voting.

In any event (in any golfing, football, primary campaign), just wow!!! Those last six holes of the third round, with Tiger grimacing in pain because of his slowly recovering knee, wincing away from the camera, walking up the fairways like an old man, while holing an 80 foot putt, a chip in birdie (as it obeyed the flag pole, dropping into the cup where all Tiger highlight shots are meant to go) and a final 18th hole eagle from 30 feet to take sole possession of the lead... well, if you love golf, and you love drama: today you got both! What a day!

So off to bed for me.

I won't be surprised at all to find out that by morning, Tiger is running for president, and Obama is playing his final round... They are both just stand out guys who do what they do extraordinarily well and never cease to surprise and inspire me.

Lakers choke: Blow a 24 pt lead

Seriously. Why watch? Basketball is so volatile. I only watch when the Lakers are in it as we grew up on the Lakers. But this is just shameful. How do you blow a 24 pt. lead at home in the play-offs?

...Unless perhaps, Boston just is a better team! Sure as hell looks like it. Their defense made the Lakers look like they'd poured cement in their sneakers for the whole second half.

And then there's Tiger at the US Open: double bogeying, twice. But he is cool as a cucumber saying,

"To make two double bogeys and a three-putt and only be four back, that's a great position to be in, because I know I can clean that up tomorrow," Woods said after his first competitive round since the Masters.

Yeah, well, let's see.

I'm just glad I don't have a baseball team to root for. I need until August to lower my blood pressure.

UCLA makes nail biters of us all

The Bruins won't allow fans to breathe, pee, grow nails or blink. That's their style of winning and it doesn't seem to abate during the tournament.

Bill Simmons has given them the kiss of death by picking them as the champs. Great article, if I could read it without that annoying "last 30 second twitch" haunting me.

Bracket update: Georgetown loses and my final four suffers its first blow.

UCLA does its thang

without any Pac Ten ref help! Pac Ten Champs. Go Bruins! I predict they take it all in the Big Dance.

Oh, and By. The. Way. Anyone notice how Tiger Woods raised himself from the dead yesterday? Geesh.

Update: Shut up! Tiger wins it on the last hole with a 21 foot birdie while not having made a putt over 18' 10" all week. He was so excited by his own god-like prowess, he threw his hat, fist pumped both arms and yelled like we were in 2001.

Tiger is now tied with Hogan for career wins at 64, has won five in a row and 9 of the last ten, four in a row in 2008 and hasn't lost a tourney in six months. Two days ago, the sports writers thought this tournament would be the stopping point of his incredible streak. Tiger begged to differ.

It is just such a treat to be alive at this time in history and to watch him play. I grew up on Johnny Miller. It was nothing like this.

Tiger peaked at eleven?

Don't you believe it.



What a weekend for golf fans. Can he get any more dominant? It used to be: Tiger wins his first tournament at ______________. Now every time he wins, they simply put another hash mark next to the golf course and tourney, state and month (after all, perhaps we can start saying "He won Torrey Pines three times in February, twice in June, parsing it all the way down to temperature "and once when the temps fell to 42 degrees"). Good grief.

I remember one commentator saying that Tiger will singlehandedly reverse the effects of deforestation as, by the time he's done with golf, all the records will be put on one sheet of paper with his name at the top.

I feel lucky that I get to watch history unfold.

Are you kidding me? Eli does it?

What a win! What a come back!

More analysis later. I'm speechless. A game that drew yawns for the first 40 minutes became one for the ages in the last minutes.

Update: Two things. Tiki Barber must be crying in his cereal this morning. Second: The Manning family is ridiculous. Can you imagine being Archie? Good for them.

Tom Petty! SuperBowl Halftime

Opens halftime with my personal anthem: "American Girl." I used to drive my dad's Datsun 240Z (sea breeze green) over the 405 with this song blaring from my speakers, knowing it was just for me. Tom Petty was one of my college faves. He wrote about Ventura Boulevard and Century City... my world.

So far so good.

del.icio.us links

I've joined the del.icio.us craze and have added the RSS feed to my sidebar. Most of the stuff on my feed will be related to Brave Writer (my business that teaches writing) because that's what I do most of the time (search for good writing ideas, models, tips for parents and so on). So if you're one of those reluctant writers or a closet novelist or a hack blogger, there'll be good stuff there for you as I find it.

I can't imagine I won't also include good sports writing when I run across it, as I think sports writers are some of the best daily journalists.

Btw, did you know Tiger kicks it off today at the Buick? I need to go see how he's doing, come to think of it. Aha! Through 13, he's at -5 and tied for the lead. Yep, sounds like Tiger.

I wonder what Tiki Barber is thinking now....

One year out and his Giants are in the Super Bowl. Do you think he regrets retiring early now?

Gotta wonder if this team pulled together more easily with his cranky disposition out of the way....

NFL Play-off Picks

Seahawks v. Packers: I pick the Packers. Go Brett. This is his year, again.

Jaguars v. Patriots: Has to be the Pats.

Chargers v. Colts: I hope it's the Colts. I have less confidence here, but the RCA Dome should be a big advantage.

Cowboys v. Giants: It's trendy to go with the Giants right now and I admit to having a motherly affection for Eli (in his brother's shadow) Manning. Plus, if the Giants went all the way and the Colts knocked out the Pats, we'd get a true Manning Bowl! But in the end, I have to go with rested Romo (scandal of the play-off season).

Wanna post your picks?

Rick Neuheisel lands head coaching position!

And all the Bruin alumni chanted "U-C-L-A! Fight, fight fight!"

Yeah, I'm glad. Read the full story here.

Fantasy Football Champion!

My first year of fantasy football (Team Footsies) resulted in winning the championship play-offs in our league (My record: 12-3-1). It's been a journey I will detail later, but I just had to start with a celebration. Unlike the Cleveland Browns, I'm having a very happy Christmas.

Campaigning for Rick Neuheisel for Bruin Coach!

Remember when?

My slogan (feel free to add to your own blog):

Gamble on Rick! Best Bet for Bruins!

Go Bruins!

Quote of the day: Bill Simmons, Page 2

Over on ESPN.com:

The greatest hitter and pitcher of the past 50 years both cheated to get where they were ... and if that's not enough, our all-time hits leader was a convicted felon who bet against his own team. Ladies and gentleman, America's pastime! Is it time to remake "Field of Dreams" and include a scene where Shoeless Joe sells $3,000 of HGH to Moonlight Graham?

That about sums it up, I think.

Sports: cheating and lying

They're a bunch of cheaters and liars, aren't they?

We have the Patriots spying on the defensive signals of the Jets, tainting Bill Bellicheat's reputation as a "genius coach." Their response? Defend the coach's honor by playing well. And honestly, playing well is what gets them the pass, doesn't it?

The Bengals, with off the field criminal behavior destroying the team last year, were the laughing stock. Had they been play-off bound, they'd be admired for having overcome adversity off the field and pulling together on it.

Bobby Petrino has broken three long term contracts in the last 18 mos, assured Arthur Blank that he would stay with the Falcons the night before he turned up in Arkansas doing the Pig Suey Chant.

The Mitchell Report discloses what Colin Cowherd has been saying for years: Roger Clemens uses. And his usage overlaps with his explosive performances as a pitcher at age 41, better than at 25.

Marion Jones not only has had her medals stripped after she finally cracked and admitted steroid use. Now we have to watch the Olympic committee determine whether or not to take away the medals of her relay teammates... which of course they should. She cheated. Their loss.

Just last year an NBA referee admitted to being on the take with the mob for throwing games.

You just have to wonder how deep all of this deceit and desperation to win goes. Too much money in sports. Loss of virtue follows.

What I wonder is how long the public can enjoy sports when there is the threat of the other shoe dropping to undo all that celebration and success.

Bruins take on Trojans today

Chanting: Do it again!! If we win and Arizona loses, there's a teensy chance the Bruins can get to that Rose Bowl.

Edited to add: Unless Karl Dorrell is your coach. Unbelievable!! Let's ask all our sports fans out there - if your D stops the Trojans on third down at the 2 (that means three downs they've used their muscles and stopped the Trojans from scoring), but there's a holding call against the Trojans and they could repeat third down from around the 10-15, what would you do?

Naturally. You decline the penalty and force Pete Carroll to decide whether or not to kick a field goal. You *dont'* give John David Booty space to throw a pass into the endzone, you don't force your defense to have to hold up for potentially two more plays...

And so, yes, on the next play, SC scored. Who didn't see that coming? KD, of course.

His head on a platter.... that's what Bruin Nation is calling for.