So I've gotten soft, you say?

I don't mind being called out. In fact, I welcome it. If someone sees me doing something wrong, tell me. If i'm out of line, pull me to the side and let me know about it. Granted, I may not agree with you and I may be a bit stubborn, but I respect the fact you could to me (not behind my back) and tell me about it. I especially expect this from my closest friends. They are the ones who know me the best and should be comfortable coming to me in an appropriate fashion. I find it disturbing when people I know, see me out of order and don't say anything about it.

I know you're wondering, "what did you do now?" Well to me, nothing. It's a new year, I've turned over a new leaf and I thought I was doing a good job and having fun in my return to bloggin'. But as always, when you think you're doing something wit' yourself, you get brought back down to size, so to speak. Ever direct and always quick to tell me about myself, my dear friend "EJ" said in so many word that my bloggin' was soft. I had to step back for a minute. I know, I don't bring the "fire" like I did back in the Boom-Boom room, but that Big J is gone. I think different, I look at the world different. I'm more mellow that in the past. However, that doesn't mean I can't get my juices flowing from time to time.

As I complete this blog, I'm watching Around the Horn on ESPN. They're talking about Tank Johnson and his rants of being a victim of racism. Tank's a punk who should be in jail, but is getting the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl for no other reason I can think of, other than the Chicago judge is probably a Bears' fan. If you don't know Tank's story here it is. So I laugh at Johnson's claim of racism. Racism isn't having loaded guns in your house with your kids like you're about to go to Vietnam. Don't cry racism when YOU have been arrested three times in 18 months. Don't accuse the white man of being racist when YOU are the one putting yourself in these situations. We as black people easily blame others when we are in trouble. Yet we rarely take responsibility for our own actions. Tank is a prime example.

But right on cue, Brother Johnson got all religious on us as my girl Jemele writes so eloquently. It's easy to call on Jesus when you're in trouble and everyone is "out to get you" So I want to ask Tank, where you actin' Christ-like when your boy got shot up in the club? Were you talking to God when you got into a scuffle with the cop? I have a beef with guys who cry racism when people call you out for something YOU did. It's time for someone to be accountable, to be a man about theirs once in a while.

Don't be like Tank and don't take it when someone says you're soft.

Continue...

I carry a message with me on my right wrist everyday. A message that simply says "continue" It's engraved on a silver braclet that my parents gave me last summer for my 24th birthday. This one word carries so much meaning that there aren't enough words to describe. While it may seem simple, to me, it's not.

"Continue" is a verb and, according to Webster, means to maintain without interruption a condition, course, or action. I'll admit now, some seven months later, that when I first looked at the braclet with the inscription, I didn't get it. I thought that because the braclet was rather small, they couldn't think of anything else that would fit and be appropriate. But when my dad explained it to me, my vision, which was a tad cloudy, cleared up. By saying continue, the message was simply to not get comfortable. By continuing, I won't get satisfied with where I'm at. When I reach a goal, I can't get complacent, I have to keep going to try an reach the next milestone.

One simple word is missed by a lot of people. We tend to not push ourselves to maximize our potential. When we do this, we fall short of our goals and what we can achieve if we had just continued. It doesn't matter the pace or how quickly we continue, it's just the fact that we do.

The message is clear. Like Diddy says, "we won't stop, cuz we can't stop" No matter how good things are or even how bad, it's important that we keep moving ahead, keep pressing on and continue...

Soul Bowl I: It's a big deal...to us at least

This past Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007 was just like any other Sunday in my life. I relunctently got up, went to church, went to eat and made my way home. However, I went with some co-workers to grab a bite to eat at the local soul food joint, so as I was driving back, I looked at the clock and knew I wouldn't make it back home in time for kickoff of the Bears-Saints game. So, being the technologically-savy person I am, I turned on my Sirius radio to listen to the game. Much to my surprise, the Bears were up big early. I was one of the many who ASSumed the Saints' wonderful story would continue and they would cruise past the Bears to the Super Bowl. I mean, after all that happened with Hurricane Katrina, it seemed only right that they end up in Miami. But despite an inspired effort, the Saints fell to the Bears - there season over. While it was a disappointment to see New Orleans' season end, I felt a sense of pride to see Lovie Smith, a black man, lead his team to the Super Bowl.

As Smith stood on the podium to accept the NFC Championship trophy, not only was a sense of excitement hoover over his face, but a sense of pride. While it didn't come out of his mouth, it showed all over his body that he was proud to become the first black coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl.

"We" were proud too.

Some two hours later, things didn't look so bright for Tony Dungy, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts and unofficial president of the Light Skin Association. The Colts trailed the Patriots 21-3 in the second quarter, which left many thinking, "Here we go again." But somehow, someway, Dungy, Peyton Manning and the rest of the Colts fought back to win the game 38-34.

Mission Accomplished: Soul Bowl I

While many may not admit it openly, that day, black folk silently cheered for Smith and Dungy, even if they weren't a fan of the Bears and Colts. Silently, we wanted to see history made. Silently we hoped, at least, for one of the two to make it. But both?! A certain sense of pride sifted through our communities, our churches, our barbershops. For a few hours that Sunday evening, it seemed as though we collectively had something to enjoy as one. Something to be proud of. To say that the black communities response is racists is far from the truth. There's a difference between racism and race pride. That's all it was. "We" were proud to see "our" brothas achieve.

So, on Feb. 4, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith will make history. It's fun now to find humor in the event. To call it the "Soul Bowl" to say only chicken and barbeque will be served at halftime. But the reality is, this is a big deal, to us at least. Many remember when the idea of just having a black quarterback was laughable and the thought of a black head coach was inconceivable. Sure, this is 2007 and we as a country have come along whay, but in order to know where you're going, you have to appreciate where you've come from.

We appreciate Lovie and Tony and will be proud no matter who wins.

She-Her

I remember vividly the first time I met her. She was very busy, but out of respect for a friend, took the time to introduce herself and shake my hand. I saw the look on her face. It said "and you are" and "well, um, nice to meet you." As she walked away, her strut sent a feeling of intrigue and curiosity through my soul. She was in a zone, in her element and she probably forgot about me be the time she got across the room. I thought about her here and there and a few days later, I went to a house party and she was there. I wondered if she remembered my name, because I remembered hers. We watched the game, making small talk along the way. I was simply trying to feel her out and see what she was about. At the time, I couldn't "express" myself to her, because she wasn't my "she,", so I just conversated with her to see where her head was at. She became so bold, that she made a joke about me in front of everyone. Oh yeah, her head was big. I was like "does she even know me like that?" But, nonetheless, I let her have her moment. She felt good about herself.

Over time me and her would become good friends. As I experienced perhaps one of the toughest times thus far in my 24 years, she was there. Her advice and support was need and right on time. She made sure she wasn't a distraction or wasn't getting in the way, but she was and still is always there when I needed her. She became my party buddy. Me, her and others would take over the club. All eyes would be on us. The vibe between me and her was never forced, it seemed so natural, as though she had been in my life for 20 years. It, in a short time, got to the point where I could just look at her and know what she was thinking. When her finger points, I know what she means. When she gets excited, her face gets red.

She likes The Shawshank Redemption. One of her favorite topics of the movies is hope. Hope is a good thing. It's a phase that me and her use often. When she says it, I know what she means and vice-versa. So, the more I get to know her, the more I hope she stays around. I hope to be in her presence. She is very simple, but her simplicity intrigues me. I hope if she reads this, so realizes how much her being my friend means. She makes me smile and I hope it stays that way, if only for a little while.

Stay classy, LT

People continuously ask me to weigh in on the latest happenings in the sports world. While I love sports and find it flattering that people value my opinion, what they fail to realize is that it's not my life. Granted, my career has revolved around sports to this point, there are many other things that peak my interest. But there are certain occassions when I decide a sports-related post is warranted.

This past Sunday, the boring, yet consistent New England Patriots surprisingly defeated the San Diego to earn their way to yet another AFC Championship game. The Chargers finished the season 14-2, the best record in the NFL and to some, were the favorites to represent the AFC in Super Bowl. But a series of bad breaks, turnovers and awful coaching cost the Chargers the game and ended their season far earlier than expected.

LaDainian Tomlinson (pictured above) is a beast. Not only did he rush for over 1800 yards this season and an NFL-record 31 touchdowns , but he helped me dominate my fantasy league and win $450. But after the loss, LT, who in his words "is always classy" kind of lost it when some Pats players were dancing on the field and being unclassy.

At first, I sided with LT. Yes, the Patriots have 3 Super Bowls, they've been there before. Are they allowed to celebrate? Yes? But are they supposed to "show up" the opposing team on their home field? Probably not. But after I looked back on it, I realized that, while LT had a point, the Chargers simply shouldn't have lost the game.

I tend to try and find life lessons in every situation. The measure of a man (woman) is how he handles himself in time of adversity and trials. So to hear the self-proclaimed "classy" LT essentially whine about the Pats players doing their thing, I lost a lot of respect of him. So in life, if you don't want someone to rain on your parade, so let them build a better float.

Our time in history...

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. - George Carlin

The above passage was taken from an email I received this morning from a very special person. It was written by George Carlin, who has made a career off of borderline inappropriate comedy. So, at first glance, it was surprising to me to read the way in which expressed Carlin himself in such a fluid manner and at the same time not losing the effect of the piece.

It appears that Carlin wrote this piece after his wife died some years back, an event that can soften even the hardest comedian. At the risk of not wanting to bore you, I won't post the entire writing, just let you know that it perfectly summarizes this day and age.

In an age of high technology, fast cars and fast money, we often take for granted the little things in our lives, which in reality should matter the most. Things such as family, friends and just the ability to laugh have been put much lower of the priority list. One of the lines in Carlin's passage was where he said "we spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less." Often times when we enjoy financial success, we tend to think this is our key to happiness. We buy clothes we don't need, cars that take all our money in gas and eat food that's not healthy. While these things may provide temporary enjoyment and satisfaction, the fade away fast and we find ourselves left with an empty feeling and the cycle begins again.

Our time in history is short. Granted some people's stay on Earth is longer than others. However, we must make the most of our time, because we never know when the light switch will be turned off forever. It's important that we live, love and laugh. We must not get caught up in the world and what it has to offer, rather we must put higher priority on the little things, like family, friends and self happiness. These things and more will have bigger impact on our time in history. We must use our time wisely...if only for a little while.

You smell that?

So, the hot news of today is a "pervasive" odor that's been sifting through the streets of Manhattan. At first, one would just assume it was Jersey, but that smell usually goes away after sometime. But unlike a normal gas leak, which happens all the time according to NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg, this odor was, and as of the time I'm writing, still is very prevelant in parts of the city. NYC is definitely not preserving the sexy today. I obviously find stories like these assuming, mainly because of the ridiculous overblown coverage of it. I mean, seriously, do we really need Soledad O'Brien, although she is good t.v. eye candy, reporting live from 34th and 8th asking people what to they smell? So to get to the bottom of it, I got in contact with my dear friend, Miss Erinn Johnson who is a self-proclaimed New Yorker, but in reality is from central Pennsylvania. If anyone would know what was going on, I figured it would be EJ.

Her response: "I don't smell shit."

It baffled me that someone who worked in Manhattan claims to have not smelled anything all day. I thought to myself, either EJ is lying or needs to have her nasal passages checked. Because, accoring to CNN, all of two people (insert sarcasm) were rushed to the hospital.

I'm not in anyway trying to minimize the dangers of a hazardous leak, but this story was clearly blown out of proportion.


In other news...

- I made a conscious effort to get up and attend church Sunday morning. I know the Lord and although he hardly didn't recognize me at first when I walked in the sanctuary on Sunday, I hope at least my face looked familiar to him. Nonetheless, I felt good on the inside to start the first Sunday of the year off in the house of the Lord.

-Speaking of going to church, for the first time in a few years, I actually wrote down about 10 goals in which I want to try and achieve this year. I won't discolse them, but when I do (and I will) accomplish them, I'll let you know.


Until next time...

2007

A las! The prodigal son returneth. So, here we are in a New Year, a new beginning, a new chapter of life. Less than a week ago, I said goodbye to 2006 and hello and bring it on to 2007. But before I can go forward, I have to look back with thanks and appreciation to the year that I was blessed with in 2006. All in all, 2006 was a good year for me. As always, there were doors opened for me and just as many doors were shut. I laughed, cried, left a job, started a new one, moved and made a life-changing decision.

So, as a sit in the beach chair today, I'm in a calm state. I'm happy. Just like sitting on the beach looking out to the ocean wondering where it ends, I wonder with excitement what 2007 will bring. I know there will be adversity. I know there will be good times. I know there will be times where I'm alone and will wonder and question myself and where I'm at in my life. The key to this year being a success is to first, know that these things will occur and second, be mentally prepared to handle them.

Things can go good for only so long. God has a way of throwing curve balls to test our faith and see how we handle certain situations. He's always there, but he gives us opportunities to make sure that our audio is hooked up to our video. For as happy as we are when things are going smooth, we have to be able to accept it when things don't go our way, as painful as it may be at the time.

So yes, it is 2007. I'm ready for it. Bring it on!