And the song remains the same

Well, most of you know by now that I am a huge sports fan. Not to mention I am a huge fan of a certain team that lives above Texass that happens to wear Crimson and Cream on their uniforms. (Seeing I am employed by Baylor in the Big 12, I try to keep my love for this team to a certain level, which is matched by the same love I have to my employer.) I am also a die hard New York Mets fan. I have theories on how both teams can determine the outcome of each team’s season. The Mets won the World Series in 1986; same time Oklahoma won the National Championship. The Mets made it to the World Series in 2000, the last time the Sooners won the National Championship. You see the pattern, if the Mets do well, the other team does well.

Well, as you can tell the past three to five years both teams have been in a slump. One team has made it to the playoffs once, and the other keeps getting pummeled in bowl games. It has been tough for this fan to sit by and watch this, but I have deep roots for both teams, and I have also made a vow to myself of never becoming a band wagon fan. (Like most of the fans for the team that lives above Texas) I have sat through the 1990’s with the Mets and never wavered in my allegiance to them (and they were very bad). I have also sat with my other team through the late 80’s and 90’s and when it was fashionable to take to another team (Florida State, Miami, Nebraska). While in high school, my roots were planted firm, no matter how much crap I got from people (which are now all of a sudden “die hard” fans of Oklahoma). I mean I was at the game when the schooner fell over and I still kept my faith.

Well, as I listen to “Whiskey River” by Willie Nelson, I can help but think that some how my oddball theory is right. That one team does determine the outcome of the other. My poor Mets have limped into the final death throws of a horrible season with a roster of minor league guys and half of the roster on the disabled list. This came to light this past week when the #1 Tight End hurt his knee, then the nightmare of a heisman winning quarterback getting hurt and watching as Oklahoma got upset. Call me crazy, but I feel my Metropolitans tried to tell me this outcome back in June when their season started to unravel. I am praying that this does not rub off on Baylor; we don’t need this bad mojo that is getting tossed around. Baylor has to have a good year to right the ship for me. They are the team I am keeping my faith in to help me out of my slump!

You maybe asking yourself “Does Kristen have to listen to this craziness?” yes, yes she does have to listen to my weird theories during the sports year. (There may be a theory of her and my sports teams as well, but that is another blog all together.) I have started Sloan on this love of sports teams, poor thing thinks the Rangers have always been good, and not to mention the Rangers set her up by winning every time we go and see them play. She has no idea what she is in store for when she gets older. Honestly, the love/hate relationship I have for my sports teams are why I do what I do. I am very lucky to be working in sports, I am glad my Mom and Dad encouraged me to follow my dreams. I just feel sorry for Kristen this year; it’s going to be a long sports year for her.

Music for this week:

Well, as everyone that knows me well, I have been waiting for Jay-Z’s new album to come out. I am a huge fan of Jay-Z. I did get to get a sneak peak listen to his whole album last week, and it is really really good. I would put it up there with the Black Album. I am also waiting like a good little boy for Pearl Jam’s new album to come out. I am ready to bust just to get my hands on it. I really don’t have any new albums to recommend to anyone this week. So in rare form I am going to put down (this is hard), 25 of my favorite albums, at this time. This is not a “all-time” list, that is just too hard for me to put down albums in that category. Here we go…………

25. Beastie Boys- Liscense to Ill
24. Beck- Midnite Vultures
23. Green Day-Dookie
22. Violent Femmes- Violent Femmes
21. Willie Nelson and Family- Live
20. Outkast-Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
19. The National- Boxer
18. Ben Harper- Live From Mars
17. Lenny Kravitz- Mamma Said
16. Phoenix- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
15. The Roots- The Roots Come Alive
14. Rage Against the Machine-Rage Against the Machine
13. The Black Keys- Attack and Release
12. The Jimi Hendrix Experience- Axis: Bold as Love
11. Sublime- 40 oz. to Freedom
10. Jay-Z- The Black Album
9. Bob Dylan- Blood on the Tracks
8. Kings of Leon- Because of the Times
7. Morphine- Bootleg: Detroit (live)
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers- Blood, Sex, Sugar, Magik
5. Weezer- the Blue Album
4. (tie) A Tribe Called Quest- Midnight Marauders
Black Crowes-Amorica
3. Jack Johnson-Brushfire Fairytales (Kristen and I listened to this constantly when
we first met)
2. Radiohead-Ok Computer
1. Pearl Jam- No Code (one of my top two albums of all time from them, Ten being
the other.)