End of an Era

By now, you all have heard the news. Joe Paterno has been fired as the Head Coach of Penn State football. I hope you've also heard about the real crime in this case was committed by Jerry Sandusky, who according to Grand Jury reports, sexually abused 8-10 minors within a 10-year span.

When I first heard the news, I thought we were dealing with 17 or 18 year old boys/men. However, once it was discovered we were talking about 10-12 year olds, who already had to deal with broken homes or mental health issues, it made the issue much more disturbing. Sandusky will get his day in court, and if/when he's proven guilty, he will suffer in jail, not only in time, but in physical pain.

I will leave the actual news media to cover Sanduskys devious deeds in detail, whereas I'd rather focus on a man, most are forgetting. Mike McQueary.

Mike, a former Penn State QB from 1997-1998, and highly regarded leader of the team, was the whistleblower in this case. According to Grand Jury reports, while in the locker room, he heard rhythmic slapping noises coming from the men's shower stall. Once he was close enough to the showers, he discovered a boy, who appeared to be no older than 10 years old, getting sexually assaulted by Jerry Sandusky. Here's where the story takes the inevitable turn. Instead of attempting to stop this horrific crime, McQueary turns and leaves the facility to call his father.

Now, this would be an acceptable excuse if you too were a teenager. However, when you're 28 years old, and large enough to play Quarterback for PSU, don't you HAVE to step up and do something? You were known as a leader of men a few years prior to that. Now, when faced with a real scenario, you turn and run. On top of that, his father advises him to wait till the NEXT DAY! to contact Joe Paterno.

For every man reading this blog, I'd hope if faced with the same scenario, you'd do one of two things.

#1 - Go into that shower, knock down the 60 year old Sandusky, and save that boy from any further punishment.

#2 - Call the Police ASAP, and have them end all of this immediately.

Those are the ONLY options, and yet McQueary managed to slither his way out of it, through a 3rd choice.

As far as I'm concerned, he is gutless, and hopefully will never receive an opportunity to coach or teach anywhere else for the rest of his life. How can you possibly advise others as to what right choices they should make, when you completely missed on a situation that will haunt at least one child for the rest of their life.

I've both heard stories and been a part of one, where men react to lesser crimes. I still remember Freshman year in college, while with a friend at the time, stopping some A**hole from slapping around his girlfriend. Mind you this was two teenagers/adults, and merely a physical altercation. I can't even fathom what would go through one's mind if faced with McQueary's dilemma.

We shouldn't be looking at Joe Paterno as the victim or the criminal. The victims were the 8-10 boys abused by Sandusky.

The blame should first fall on McQueary, then Athletic Director Tim Curley (who failed to report it to Police), followed by President Graham Spanier (for completely ignoring all of this), and if you're chopping down the whole department then Joe Paterno goes as well.

Paterno should not be the focus of this case, he's done so much more for thousands, even perhaps MILLIONS of students, that he truly deserves better than this. Judge the man by his history and his character. I 100% believe that if Joe Paterno knew the actual extent of the crime and not vague details, he would have done more. Joe always had the best interest of the University and students in the forefront of his mind. No one can ever argue that. Finally, before all the naysayers go condemning him, look at what he's done and how selflessly he's lived his life before you judge him.

In rememberance

It's been forever and a day since I wrote anything. After all the events of this past weekend, I can't help but comment.

It started late night on Saturday (technically Sunday), with watching a program entitled "I Survived". Normally, this show is very inspiring because it's about people who were in perilous situations and miraculously escaped/survived/were revived. However, this one had a bit of a twist. This episode featured several stories from survivors of 9/11. It included those who were trapt under crumbling buildings and rubble. As much as one could be thankful they survived, you were still left wondering about countless others. At the ending of this episode, current day updates were given on these survivors, none of which were "happy endings".

I ended up going to bed after this show and awoke with new aspirations of watching a full day of football, while reflecting on these past events only in my thoughts and mind.

Gameday kicked off with the Steelers vs Ravens coverage, and an awe-inspiring rendition of Taps being played by Marines stationed at every stadium that day, soon followed by the National Anthem. If this did not give you chills all over your body, you may want to go see a doctor. I imagine the adrenaline rush for these players was large enough, than any of them could have ran through brick walls without feeling a thing.

The Steelers were soon getting blown out and my attention immediately went back to the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. After speaking with many others about how they couldn't watch the numerous specials, because of its' depressing nature, I made a point to immerse myself in the programming.

The recorded audio of first responders, eye-witness videos, and personal stories, all shook me to the core. Ten years later it's still impossible to believe all this happened. Even when viewing actual footage of not only the WTC being hit by two planes, but the crumbling of the buildings seemed unreal. I felt like I was watching a "Horror film", wishing it was all untrue. As all (or many) of us were alive and in the Northeastern US for this event, you remember every detail of where you were, who you huddled around the TV with, and all those you reached out to hoping they were not in NYC, DC or PA that day.

The horrifying events those people experienced in watching burning buildings, bodies falling from the sky, and being swept away in storms of smoke, are nightmares that may never end.

My main question through all of this was singular: After being considered "lucky" and surviving this event, how does one go one living a normal life? Many of the workers that day, first responders, firemen, policemen, and stock traders alike, had to move away from the city. That the lingering effects of that day were played out every moment they awoke in the city that never sleeps.

For those who had loved ones who passed away that day, it must be even more mortifying to watch these programs. Which led to my last thought of the day. As someone who had no real ties to that day, other than being a proud American, I can't stomach this day again.

I feel between the one year and ten year anniversary of this event, proper decorum has been followed. It should never be advertised or documented on TV again after yesterday. Yes, we will never forget and eternally be grateful to those affected by the events that transpired that day. However, the tragedy still lingers 10 years later, and I don't know if it will ever get any easier. The fact so many others could not bare to watch any of the documentaries should say enough. This is a day we will always remember, but soon wish we forgot.

Thank you to all out there who continually make this world a better place to live.

Pittsburgh Half-Marathon

First, Congrats to all my friends/runners in this past weekend's Pittsburgh Marathon, and thank you to all who cheered on! Who knew so many people were ridiculously in shape, and completed the 13.1 or 26.2 Mile challenge with ease. I'm truly impressed and thankful I got to experience such an event with everyone.

This whole journey started back in February a bit before my 29th birthday. After realizing I was going to be 29 in a few shorts weeks, and 30 in a year, I started to panic.....alot. Joking around about being one of the oldest people in this group of friends is one thing, but joining the "elder" crowd in their 30's is a whole different ballgame.

With a bit more than a year left before the 3-0, I started to put together a list of activities I wanted to accomplish in the next year. Chatter started in February about a group of Pitt folks running in the Pittsburgh Half-Marathon. Immediately I thought, "13 miles? I can do this! I have 3 months to train, which is plenty of time!" Those may be the most ignorant words I've uttered in the past 5 years.

I started on weekly runs of 2-3 miles in the beginning of March. Always feeling tired, but never exhausted I was optimistic about my chances. Soon after, I built up the distance, increasing a half-mile each week. However, right around 5 miles I began to experience extreme discomfort in the back of my knee. Not knowing what to do, I rested and put off running for a bit. Soon weeks flew by, and I attempted running again. Now after only 1-2 miles into the jog, the pain was back.

Feverishly, I researched diagnosis and treatments. I concluded it was IT band related, and after purchasing a new pair of running shoes and a IT-Band wrap, I thought I had the problem solved.

WRONG! Once again, two miles into running I could barely take another step. At this point, it's early April and I (like many times in life), gave in and figured there's no chance to compete, yet alone COMPLETE this half-marathon. Two more weeks flew by, after being consumed by re-locating to Herndon and other activities.

One constant throughout this entire ordeal was Gigs urging a few things:
1) See a doctor/professional
2) Accept the barefoot/minimalist running religion as my savior
3) Just attempt the half-marathon, b/c whats the worst that could happen?

My answers were always the same back to him:
1) I don't want to see someone about something I can solve through trial and error
2) I'm not a runner and those shoes will never work
3) My knees could explode and I'd never be able to compete in any sport

One week before the race I started to look into selling my bib, but still researched for a solution to my knee problem. The friendly folks at Potomac River Running, spoke with me for about 15 mins after I described my whole ordeal. I asked about a knee compression sleeve, which they agreed that sounded like a great option to try.

My first run with the sleeve was a four-miler, with no pain whatsoever. A mere fluke I thought. Two days later I went on a 8-mile walk/run, only because I became extremely lost in the suburbs of Reston.

Two days before the race I found a buyer for the bib, and figured there was no way I could jump from running 5 miles to 13. I'd simply show up for morale support and cheer the other 10-15 people I knew who were conquering this race.

Then Friday night, Jane sends me a text that Derek Boogaard had died. I was stunned, shocked and left wondering whys and what ifs. Derek was a winger on the New York Rangers hockey team. I never met the man, but since the Rangers were my 2nd favorite team, I knew plenty about him. Derek was only 28, and suddenly had his life cut short. It's a tragic situation and just goes to show that when your time is called, that's it. You gotta live your life as full as you can with every day you have left.

Between the text from Jane, my thoughts of the situation, and a bit of final encouragement from Gigs and Sarah, I HAD to do this, there was no excuse anymore. Even if I had to walk the remaining 8 miles, I would finish.

Race morning came and I was scared as hell. The rain was coming down and after wishing a few people good luck, there I was, alone with my thoughts and music.

Ironically as my Corral is called to start running, "Final Countdown" hit my MP3 player, and we were off to a slow start. About a mile into it, my mouth is already dry and I'm beginning to wonder how I'll get through 12 more. I continuously search around me for anyone I know or recognize, while trying to find a comfortable pace.

Right around Mile 2, one of the bands on the side of the road is playing "Master of Puppets" by Metallica. The song gave me chills, and shocked my entire system, almost like a re-boot. I picked up the pace a bit, found a breathing rhythm and raced onward.

Shortly after, we hit the first Refreshment stand, and after a cup of Gatorade (LIFE SAVER!) and water, I finally feel awake and energized.

Around mile marker 5, I find the final motivation I need to keep a steady pace for the next 5 miles. I'll give you a clue, it wasn't an ice cream truck. A doe-eyed brunette, who resembled a shorter version of Anne Hathaway, was the answer. She was part of a 5 person running crew all wearing the same "Pittsburgh Half-Marathon" shirts, handed out the day before. Knowing I was both in a race and that she was outta my league, I kept my mouth shut and kept pace.

The group disappears around the 15 KM sign, because I need to re-adjust the knee-sleeve due to the pain onsetting. At this point I was entering the South Side, which I knew was the last leg before heading Downtown to finish. What did I have to lose??

Right before heading through the long stretch of the South Side, an angel gave me a gift in the form of GUMMY SAVERS! Thank you to whoever it was from "TEAM IN TRAINING" that handed out this snack!

We circle around the South Side and are about to head over the bridge by Station Square to enter the final 3 miles Downtown. The temporary sugar high was wearing off and I began to wonder where the next Gatorade stand was.

Just then I hear, "GO STEEEEEEEVE!". I look around to see Bryan's (Gigs) g/f Sarah, over in the crowd cheering us on. Just as when I heard "Master of Puppets" earlier in the day, this was the shot of adrenaline I needed. I sped up and over the bridge, knowing I only had 2 miles left. Right around Mile Marker 12, I hit a brick wall. It's as if my legs knew I was so close, but said NO MAS!

The last bridge near PNC Park was all that remained. Just then a friendly family was handing out drinks in unmarked cups at the bridge. Wary and worried about this substance I thought, "what the hell", and drank whatever it was. It was either lemonade, Gatorade or some combo of both, but it has enough sugar to propel me through the last mile. Just as I could see the finish sign about a quarter-mile away, I hear "MIIIHHHHLF!", from a screaming Laura Recchie, only soon to be followed by another "MIIIIHHHHLF", coming from the other side from Snoop. A huge smile comes across my face and I run with everything I have left to the finish line, making sure I beat the official clock that read 2:20:00.

I soon found out my time was 2:11:26.

Ironically, throughout the race, I didn't see any of the amazing 15 friends who were running in the half-marathon. But in the finish/recovery area, I ran into so many friendly faces, it made the entire day sooo worth it.

With an almost exact 10-minute mile pace, I was satisfied with the results. For someone who never ran track in high school or participated in 5Ks or 10Ks, I thought this was a great starting point.

Thanks and Congratulations to all the runners and cheerleaders, both friends and unknowns (Anne Hathaway look-a-like) and especially to those who ran for Kyleigh's Foundation. It was a great time, and I look forward to doing it again soon, once I get the robotic knees installed haha.

- Derek "Boogeyman" Boogaard, this race was for you.

G.O.A.T.

If you know me, you know Rockband is by far one of my favorite games. Nothing better than pretending you can sing classic 80's, 90's and 2000's rock songs (sounds like a radio plug). This, coinciding with reading a career piece article on a band currently touring and coming to Pittsburgh, got me thinking.

Is Bon Jovi one of the greatest bands of all time??

I think no matter how you look at it, the answer has to be a resounding YES!

Let's look at the evidence. Bon Jovi officially formed in 1983, but their first major release was in 1984, Runaway. That was their FIRST hit, yet I'm sure you still hear it often today and can even recite the lyrics "oooooohhhh she's a little runaway". They opened for KISS that same year, who were near their apex of awesomeness. When a pioneer of rock like KISS choses you to open for them, that's one helluva endorsement.

Two years later, they struck GOLD with their third release, Slippery When Wet. Take a look at this album lineup: "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin on a Prayer", and "Wanted Dead or Alive".

I would bet my life, that when you hear those songs at a bar, in your car, at home, or a party, you morph into a teenager and scream out the lyrics. Those songs came out in 1986, and I'd still put them against any rock song in the past 20 years.

A few years later they release two songs that every teenage boy put on a mixtape for his frizzy-haired girlfriend at the time, "Bed of Roses" and "Always".

I really don't need to go on any more, down through memory lane with their countless other albums and hits songs. My point is this.

What started out as a hair-band during the glam 80's rock era, has turned into OUR generation's Rolling Stones. In both 2008 and 2010, they had the most profitable tour in the world. Yes, you read that right, the most profitable tour was completed by a band who has been touring for almost 30 years.

They've crossed from glam rock, to acoustic, to hard rock, to even country, and never were accused of selling out.

Yet, somehow they are left out of any discussion for greatest band of any era, or even for discussions as inductees into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame. You could ask anyone from age 10 up to age 60, to complete this line "shot through the heart and you're to blame...." and without skipping a beat would belt out "YOU GIVE LOOOOOVE A BAD NAME!".

In two years the Super Bowl will be held at the stadium in New Jersey, and after watching the Black Eyed Peas debacle, who better and more fitting than Bon Jovi should perform? Who says you can't go home?

Day of reflection....

Everyone knows at this point, the Super Bowl is over, the other team won...blah blah blah.

It was difficult getting behind hating on the Packers, b/c under any other circumstance, I would have been pulling for them to win. Especially due to the entire Favre corollary, which luckily for everyone in America, is now over, done and buried. It was similar to when the Steelers played the Cardinals. If the Cardinals would have won, I would have been happy for Larry Fitz and Kurt Warner. Yet, this one hurt much worse.

I'm not sure why. Is it because when the Steelers were down early, you knew they'd come back? Is it because they almost tied it up (if not for that missed FG)? Or was it because Green Bay exposed the Steelers weak-point for the past 10 years, the defensive secondary. Yes, we have Troy back there, but otherwise it's much like LeBron on the Cavs. You can have one superstar, but you need other role-players. There wasn't a single one to be found. Bryant McFadden, Ryan Clark, and Ike Taylor, repeatedly were torched by every pass of Aaron Rodgers. Even Troy made one extremely bad read, which resulted in their last touchdown.

Ben played his normal, great at some moments, and terrible at others style of game, but didn't have that "Two-minute" drive in him.

Or is it because even when the Steelers lose, there were always the Penguins to fall back on? Which brings me to my second point.

The Penguins are DONE. You may think I'm overreacting a bit, but it's true. Crosby will come back, but he won't be the same player at least for the rest of this season. Concussions are the taboo words in professional sports today, and the treatment of them being even more paramount. There is no reason to rush Sid back. With Malkin out for the rest of the season, the Pens are not going anywhere. Will they make the playoffs? Sure. Beyond that, nothing is possible. Teams can focus solely on Crosby, and not pay for it.

I was at the Caps vs Pens game on Sunday (THANKS JANE!!), and got to see firsthand what this team is like. Defensively the Penguins are strong and will remain that way. However, their shots on offense were weak and mostly coming from the point. Jordan Staal is a STUD of a player, but he is by no means a #1 Center. The Caps were buzzing around, and with all the shots they took, it was only a matter of time before Fleury got sloppy and let one in. It'll be a long few months, but this again illustrates the NEED for the Pens to get a top-line winger. Someone who can create scoring opportunities, crash the net, and distract the opposing goalie. We've had that player before in Gary Roberts and Marian Hossa, and need to find someone similar. With that type of player, I'd still say the Pens have a chance this year.

Finally, the experience of the Caps vs Pens game was overwhelming. It was my first live experience in this rivalry. My biggest grief with Caps fans were they were mostly "bandwagon" fans. Ones who only go to games because it's the "cool" thing to do in DC. People who could name, Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin, but not Laich, Johannson or Erskine. It's scary, but its slowly changing. The fans are getting smarter.

The overall game presentation is amazing in person. Their third period video montage of famous sports motivational speeches to "UNLEASH THE FURY!", gave me chills. People are cheering at the right time, arguing the correct calls, and understanding the terminology better. On a scale of 1-100, with 100 being a Canadian hockey fan, and 1 being Florida Panthers' fans, the Caps have gone from around a 40 to 65 in the span of three years. They're on the right track with the overall experience and team building. I only give it such a score, because there are still plenty of people who buy the Ovechkin jerseys b/c he's the main star.

Come on, do some research, pick someone new, or someone that plays a complete game. There are a few (GULP!) good players on this team. First and foremost Mike Green, who bought our tickets yesterday and provided some amazing seats.

As a fan of the game, I can only hope this trend continues. I love seeing the old school uniforms, and throwback players names. It makes the experience better and the rivalry more intense. Gone are the days when I could simply dismiss the fans for not being true fans of the game.

The entire Pens vs Caps argument, just took a huge step forward, and will only become more intense as the months and seasons go by. Strap yourself in, because the next few years are going to be scary good.

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!!

A plea to America

I.....I....I can't believe it's been two months since I've written anything. It blows my mind b/c I was at a steady pace of twice a week. We are still talking about writing right?

Anyway, so much has happened in the past month alone it may take me awhile to get caught up, but today I'll focus on something other than sports. It's the over-caffeinated, hyper-sensitive, reactionary culture we live in today. Part of this blogumn is owed to Dennis Leary, but only b/c it's fitting.

We have reached a point, especially after the recent tragedy in Arizona, that society and the media NEED someone or something to blame events on. If we were to believe certain critics, we'd be led to believe that 9/11 was an inside job, and that Sarah Palin put the gun in Jared Loughner's hand.

Pundits have pointed out that Palin established a map with a bullseye on it, with Arizona being one of the "targets", and referenced "re-loading". Did Palin also say to go after an unsuspecting 9 year old, a judge and other civilians? I don't remember that as part of her speech.

Before we get any further, I'm certainly not a fan of Palin. In fact, if she were ever elected Vice-President or President, I would give serious thought to becoming a Canadian citizen.

Yet, as soon as this shooting happened, those with "Liberal" views, tried to establish a connection and someone to blame. Look back at every tragedy, and you'll see a pattern. Parents wanting to blame video games, athletes, their teachers, TV shows, and music. Never just chalking it up to "just because they were crazy".

My god, if you are that easily influenced by what a song says or video game shows, not only does a newborn baby understand more about the world than you do, you deserve to be locked away for life in an institution.

I can see it now, soon people will be demanding for Target to change their symbol from the big Red Bullseye. I LOVE Target, and this would be completely ridiculous, but if you think about it, how far-fetched is that outcome?

This is the same society that has demanded for Sports Teams to change their name, b/c they were supposedly offensive, degrading, or endangering the thoughts of millions. The Washington Bullets had to change the name they've had since the 1940's because of violent overtones. When the public chose the "Wizards" there was MORE outcry b/c Wizard is a ranking in the KKK. As far as I know Wizards in my mind were usually associated with magic, but I digress.

St. Johns University became the Redstorm because the media felt "Redmen" was too gender-specific and racist towards Indians. Wrap your mind around that one for a minute.

Society as a whole needs to take a step back and breathe. Sometimes things happen, and the only reason is "just because it did". More often than not, there were no underlying meanings, agendas, or conspiracies. People are just crazy sometimes, and we need to deal with it, not diagnose it. They were not suffering from anxiety, OCPD, ODD, PTSD, OPP or ABC, they were just insane. They weren't wired correctly from the start. I will say there is always evidence of some sort a person is ready to snap, that you can prove 100% of the time. Unfortunately 90% of the time, you find out too late what someone was planning.

I'm not trying to make light of the situation whatsoever, I'm saying society as a whole needs to relax and simplify things sometimes. Not everything can be related or caused by another event or person. Let's get back to the basics, and place the blame back on "just because".