Christmas came early

To be more precise, it came about 32 hours early in the Schneider household. I absolutely love the Chicago 35-7 win over Green Bay. 2-0 vs. the hated Pack this year. I just hope they win the Super Bowl, so years from now when Packer fans are gloating about their title, I can remind them how the Bears smoked them in both meetings.
Green Bay-Chicago is one of the best rivalries in all of sports. OSU-Michigan ranks at the top. Yankees-Red Sox is up there. Army-Navy, just for the history and meaning behind the game. Duke-North Carolina for the hoopsters.
Speaking of OSU-Michigan, I love how the UM fans are all claiming Michigan St. is their real rival. Yeah, I wasn't hearing too much of that during the John Cooper era. Amazing how OSU ruling them over the last few years changes their tunes.

Dream Team reax

OK, you've had a few days to let the Dream Team voting sink in. Where did we get it right? Where did we go wrong?
I can say, the players of the year and coach of the year were the easiest votes to get down. No way anyone can argue with Dysert, Thompson or Schriner.
Remarkably, one of the hardest to get right was the linebacker position. There seems to be a wealth of LB talent around ... some of the guys on the honorable mention list could have easily made the first team.

He's ba-a-a-ack!

If it takes a real man to admit he was wrong, then I guess I'm all man. I thought Ada coach Mike Fell was crazy to play -- much less start -- Zac Dysert in Ada's first-round playoff game. For those of you living under a rock or just coming out of a coma, Dysert broke the thumb on his throwing hard only a month ago.
What purpose did it serve to play Dysert? Unless the Bulldogs found themselves down by three scores in the third quarter, I felt the prudent call was to stick with Mitchell Faine. Only then would I understand putting Dysert in.
And yet Fell went against what I thought and started Dysert. And what did the all-Ohio quarterback do? Throw for 311 yards and four TDs.
Guess that's why Fell is one of the best coaches in the area and I'm not.

The difference

I heard something funny at the Lima Central Catholic playoff game. Someone (I'm not sure who) said that the Thunderbirds would still be good as they are without Todd Ruggley.
I only hope this person was joking.
Sure, LCC has very good running backs in Matt Huffman and Chris O'Brien. But Ruggley is a great prep running back. All he did against Bucyrus Wynford was rush 24 times for 191 yards and a 30-yard score. Yeah, that's easily replaced.
Again, the T-Birds have very good players in Scott Kayatin (how he slipped to 2nd team all-NWC, I'll never know) and Jake Hyland. Plus, Ruggley might be the most versatile defender I've ever seen. He can line up at defensive end, lock-down corner or roam the secondary at safety like he did against Ada.
Not knocking the other players on the LCC roster because a team doesn't win with just one player. But they wouldn't be where they are without Ruggley.

Thoughts on week 10

I know it hurts right now, Jefferson fans. You're thinking, coach Damon Ulm should have kicked the field goal, right? Something about "You never take points off the board" that you heard some TV analyst say. Less than a minute left, kick the easy field goal and go to overtime.
But you're dead wrong.
You don't kick the field goal. You go for the win. The footing was shaky at best, so even an 18-yard try is no guarantee. Even if the kick is good, OT isn't a sure proposition, either. This was the best shot the Wildcats would get.
Don't second guess the coach. He knows more than you ... it's why he's on the sidelines and you're sitting under an umbrella and blanket in the stands, sipping on coffee.
Also in week 10:
I wish I could tell you I saw the O-G win coming ... but I would be lying. I thought Shawnee had the better defense and Brandon Stephenson is a star. Whoops. Congrats to O-G on the big win, the WBL title and the playoff spot. (Stephenson is flat-out money, by the way).
Win No. 2 probably couldn't feel better than Bath's 3-0 win over Wapakoneta. Well, unless it was in week two. Matt Louden nailed a 20-yard field goal with six ticks left. How far has Wapak fallen from its WBL title one year ago?
I really wish injuries wouldn't have taken Heath Nickles' first three seasons away from us. The Columbus Grove back rushed for 170 yards against Bluffton. Along with Stephenson and Blaine Schmitt, he is my favorite back to watch.
Speaking of Schmitt, I feel bad for the kid. He rushes for 175 yards on 31 carries ... and cannot get any help from his teammates. He's only like 5-foot-8 and maybe 170 pounds, but he's a fighter. He deserved better than 3-7 senior year.
Marion Local wins the MAC title by holding New Bremen to minus-41 yards rushing. Good luck to the rest of the Division V teams in Ohio. Nobody's stopping the Flyers.
It's getting close at Lima Senior, I really believe that. The Spartans drive down the field on their first possession and score. Good. They don't score again until 3:29 is left in the game. Bad. But fans, just give it time. (Shameless plug alert! Read my column on Wednesday for a good turnaround story. This coach and team have proven it can happen!)
And finally, there's Elida. I won't bang on the Bulldogs too much (I don't want any Letters to the Editor about my black heart), but come on. Elida gave up exactly 10 times as many points as they scored. 0-10 is bad enough, but when you score less than 50 points in 10 games and give up nearly 500, something is wrong.

Best. Quote. EVER.

"I know (Washington Redskins linebacker) London Fletcher. We did a football camp together. So I know him. That’s the closest thing I know to London. He’s black, so I’m sure he’s not from London. I’m sure that’s a coincidental name."

This quote came from Miami Dolphins LB Channing Crowder, in preparation for the Fins' game in London, England. He might not know where London is located, but he knows Italy, "looks like a boot." And he just found out this week that they speak English in London, so he won't need a translator.
This might be the dumbest person alive, right up there in the Paris Hilton league. How in the world do you get through a few decades on the Earth on not know where London is?
My initital reaction was fits of laughter, but now I'm angry and scared. Mad as heck that this dumb*ss will make more money this year than I will in my life. And I fear for our future if this is what our society produces. Ever wonder why the world hates us? Because we put idiots on pedestals and lap up every stupid, moronic and mindless thing that comes tumbling out of their mouth.
It's yet another example why mom and dad need to worry more about their kids hitting the books than hitting a tackling dummy. At this point, I'd take a tackling dummy in a match of wits with Channing Crowder. What a dumb jock.

Welcome to the Kewpee Bowl at Lima Stadium

I just read an Associated Press report on how Northwestern is one win away from being bowl eligible. Quiz Bowl, sure. But they have no business in a real, honest football bowl game.
Granted, that doesn't mean the Wildcats will get picked, but COME ON! How in the world is this possible? Isn't this the team that got beat by Duke??
Just another example why we don't need all of these bowl games. Really, who wants to see that Northwestern-Fresno State matchup in classy Mobile, Ala.? I say, any bowl game that takes place before Christmas gets axed.
Northwestern. Whatever.

Top perfomances from week 9

Let's start out with the game I covered, Shawnee-Van Wert. The Indians defense might be the best in the area, with only LCC coming close. The Cougars had three first downs. Wow.
I also saw the best player in the area, Shawnee RB Brandon Stephenson. When Zac Dysert went down with a broken finger, it all but wrapped up Stephenson's spot as our Dream Team POY. The kid is strong, has great vision and is flat-out fast. Loved watching him perform. I still can't believe he's only a junior.
Cannot wait for that O-G v. Shawnee matchup.
Other players/teams of note:
*If you're a Delphos Jefferson fan, you had to love Tim Sanders' 3 TDs in the win over Ada. His 113 yards on the TD runs were more than Ada mustered as a team! He totaled 153 rushing yards on six carries, or over 25 yards every time he touched the ball. He's my choice for Athlete of the Week.
*Korey Lane had four TDs in Perry's win over USV.
*Yawn. Another week, another Marion Local win. QB Chris Stucke had 206 total yards and a TD. The Flyers won't be tested until they get to eastern Ohio.
*Bluffton's Jesse Herr had 170 yards rushing with a TD in the Pirates' win.
*Waynesfield RB Blake Knowlton went over the 1,600-yard mark against Ridgemont. He also scored two times.
*Man, football doesn't get any better than St. Marys. The Roughriders went to Kenton and didn't even attempt a pass! Isn't that some sort of sin?! Anyway, Koby Frye led the St. Marys charge with 235 yards and one TD.
*This is the kid I'm telling everyone to watch out for -- O-G sophomore Logan Kaufman. All he did against Celina was rush 13 times for 207 yards (almost 16 yards per tote!) and score twice.
*Congrats to LCC on its NWC title. Nothing tougher than everyone gunning for you and still pulling it off. Does next Saturday's game against Ada really mean anything now?

*Lima Senior rushed for 149 yards in its loss at Findlay. Ryan Nathan had 127 yards. That means the rest of the Spartans managed only 22 rushing yards. Ugh.

The wonderful world of the Big 10 Network

While I was at the Division II and III state golf championships Saturday at the Ohio State University golf courses, I wanted to check out the score of the Buckeye football game. Except for one, small detail -- the golf course doesn't get the Big 10 Network.
How does that happen? The golf course, owned and operated by the University, can't even show the school's football game on T.V. Just another example of why the Big 10 Network is a joke.

Why is he in there?

Zac Dysert broke the thumb on his throwing hand against Crestview, ending the senior's season at QB. He was making a tackle in the first half of Ada's 23-14 loss to the Knights.
I don't want to second guess coach Mike Fell, because it's not his fault and I think he's a quality coach, but why have Dysert in the game at DB? I can understand Dysert is a premier athlete, but the Bulldogs are done without Dysert at QB. No questions asked, DONE. (Fell pretty much agreed when Dysert broke the pinkie on his non-throwing hand in the preseason)
Why risk it?

LeBron wore a Yankees hat ... The world is over!

I'm sure everyone saw that LeBron James wore a Yankees hat to game one of the Indians-Yankees game Thursday night. Sure, I thought it was weird, but I didn't make much of it.
It seems people are making a big deal of this. It's not. LeBron wearing a Yankees hat to a Tribe game might be poor taste, but it has nothing to do with his commitment to the Cavaliers or the city of Cleveland. It doesn't mean he's going to jump ship.
Quit your whining Tribe fans. Fans are allowed to root for the team they choose. And that's all LeBron was ... a fan.

"We need someone to move in like they did."

This is a quote from Spencerville football coach Bruce McConnell on ... guess who? LCC running back Todd Ruggley. Remeber Ruggley is the teenager who created quite a stir this summer when he left Bath for the T-Birds.
(And for the record, I don't think Ruggley moved anywhere. But that's neither here nor there, I guess.)
All I have to say is, Wow. Agree or disagree with what McConnell is saying, finally someone outside of letter writers and faceless internet posters said what he feels.

A completely different game

I've been hanging around with a lot of the top prep golfers in our area recently ... Dillon Klein of Delphos Jefferson, Tony Conn of Van Wert, the whole LCC roster. And it got me to thinking -- the 68 Conn shot at Country Acres on Thursday is something I cannot imagine. Heck, I've been close to 68 after a bad NINE.
These guys are playing a completely different game than me. Klein drops a 320-yard drive dead perfect in the middle of the fairway. Conn snakes home a 20-foot putt for birdie. I top a drive to the left that travels 75 yards deep into the trees. My 20-foot putt is for double bogey and stops five feet short of the hole.
God, I love this game.

T-Birds changing opinions

After Friday's game, Lima Central Catholic defensive lineman Jake Hyland talked about how people were calling the Thunderbirds overrated. I was one of them. I thought they were one of the most over-hyped 4-0 teams that I had ever seen. It was only a matter of time before someone exposed them for the frauds they are.
I didn't believe in them. Until Friday night.
LCC completely dominated every part of its 34-7 win over Delphos Jefferson. I mean dominated. I could go on and on about exactly what impressed me. It was one of the most dominating defensive performances I have ever seen. Not to mention the running game and smart passing.
But the best I can say is, I believe. I was wrong.

Big weekend for LCC boys golf

Friday should be big enough. Lima Central Catholic enters the Northwest Conference boys golf tournament undefeated (as of Monday). But Saturday trumps even that as the Thunderbirds make the trip to Dublin and participate in the Muirfield Invitational.
Yes, that Muirfield. The one Jack built.
"That's what everyone's saying, 'You're going to be walking in the same steps as Tiger Woods,'" LCC No. 1 golfer John Goetz said. "I'm real excited to go play it. Of course I want to play well, but the thrill of being there is going to be real exciting."
Competing in the Invite are some of the big guns in Division I boys golf, including Columbus Bishop Watterson, Dublin Jerome and Upper Arlington. Should be a great test for the T-Birds heading into Division III sectional play, which starts Sept. 27.
"Last year, we really had a down year," Goetz said. "This year we want to turn that around."

Remember this name

Before the Ottawa-Glandorf v. Wapakoneta game last night, I was talking with O-G AD Al Laubenthal. He told me to watch out for this sophomore running back, Logan Kaufman. Now, I'm going to tell you the same thing.
The kid is 5-foot-11, 196 pounds and runs like a Mack Truck. He isn't all power, though. He made a spin move in the third quarter that would have made Barry Sanders weep. On his 36-yard TD run, Kaufman broke through the first wave of Wapak defenders and shifted into another gear to outrun the rest.
This kid is the real deal.

What can Bruce Bowman do with Temple?

Temple Christian basketball. Those three words usually don't inspire the admiration and awe that other programs do. Maybe Bruce Bowman, who coached the Pioneers through the 1990s into this decade, can do something that previous coach Bob White couldn't.
My initial reaction is, No. The program have averaged six wins a year over the last four seasons. That's not going to change.
It's not a slap at Bowman, White or Temple Christian. However, when a team's bench is only one or two players deep, it's bound to show.
And it has in every Temple game I've covered. The Pioneers have stuck with teams for the first three quarters and wilted in the fourth. They have great talent (Clayton Leimeister might be the best player you've never heard of), but they don't have the subs to give guys like Leimeister and John Buczko a rest.

A "WOW" Performance

Columbus Grove didn't win. Heath Nickles only rushed for 72 yards. But Nickles might have put together one of the best performances I have ever seen from a prepster.
Nickles wasn't supposed to play against Ada. From what I heard, the senior has a broken rib. Forget football, that hurts to just breath.
There was Nickles, though, on the field to start the second half. There was Nickles breaking sizable runs as Grove tried to comeback and nip Ada. There was Nickles, putting his suffering and pain aside for the better of his team.
So, yeah, Grove lost. And, O.K., Nickles didn't crack the century mark.
All he did was show true character. He is why I love covering prep sports.

Happy Anniversary

This has nothing to do with sports but the 50th anniversary of the publishing of "On The Road" is Sept. 5. In case you couldn't tell by the picture to the right, Jack Kerouac is one of my biggest influences.
I can still remember getting the book. I would have been around 19 or 20 years old. I was in Cleveland for an Eric Clapton concert. While everyone else decided to shop the next day, I stopped in at Barnes and Nobles and picked up "On The Road" planted myself on a bench and started reading.
I don't know why I picked up that book. But it has played a huge role in who I am today. I still dream about having $50 in my pocket and setting out from New York City for the West Coast. Hitch hiking with assorted characters. Sleeping under trees in Kansas. Living on a diet of apple pie ala mode.
I have gone on to read most of Kerouac's books. My favorite is "Desolation Angels." I enjoyed "Town and the City." Still, "On The Road" holds a special place in my heart.
So, here's to Jack Kerouac.

Limaland crowns Kings, track champs

There was more going on Friday night than just prep football. Limaland held its final races of the 2007 season, crowning its track champions and Kings of the Quarter-Mile.
It was a great night for Terry Hull, who won the Professional Computer Company UMP Modifieds feature and the Kings race. Hull has now won three Mod division titles in a row. Hull's domination over the last month of the season was unbelievable. Almost equally astonishing was how his fellow Hoosier, Todd Sherman, stuck with him point for point.
Phil Gressman won the Elwer Fence Sprints feature, but Mike Dussel successfully defending his crown as track champ. Luke Hall lead from start to finish in the Kings race.
In the stocks, Kevin Gossard won the feature and Tony Anderson won his third title in a row. Anderson also won the Kings race. Anderson told me many times over the season when his car is hooked up, there's no one that can beat him. More times than not, Anderson drove in with a great car and drove out with another big novelty check.
Finally, I would like to personally thank everyone at Limaland. I walked into this beat without a clue what to do. I'm not going to single anyone out because there were tons of people who made my first year on the Limaland beat enjoyable and a lot easier. I made a lot of friends and can't wait to see everyone next April.
Keep it tuned to "Without A Paddle" and I'll keep everyone up to date on what's happening at the best quarter-mile track in the country.

Is Grossman just a name ...

or a description of his play? Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman was the epitome of hot and cold last season. If he wasn't throwing for 250 yards and a couple of scores, he was throwing for 30 yards and a couple of picks.
Listening to the broadcast of the Bears-Browns game on the Chicago radio station (thank you, Sirius!), Grossman said one of his personal goals this season is just to be consistent.
Boy, how that would help out. If he was consistently good ... look out. But if he's consistently bad, at least it would easier for Lovie Smith to throw him on the bench and break out Griese.
Certainly the fate of the Bears in '07-'08 doesn't rest solely on the shoulders of the QB. Belive it or not, they have a few issues on defense. And they are starting a new running back. But the play of Grossman will have the biggest effect on their record.
Sorry for the Bears rant. Chime in with thoughts on your favorite NFL team.

Why does it matter?

There is an assitant coach who was upset with some critical things I wrote about his team's performance in week 1. And sure enough, he went to the old, "I wonder if he's even played football before" line.
What does that have to do with anything? I can't see something as obvious as a quarterback running for his life, play after play? I can't tell you one of the biggest reasons TEAM A lost was their QB had no time to throw from the pocket ... because the last time I played football is 14 years ago.
Maybe I should turn in my press credential today. The closest I've been to participating in an athletic event in the past decade is a pick-up basketball game or 18-holes at Springbrook.
So, I guess from now on I'm not going to take anyone's harsh words about my writing to heart. Unless they've written for a newspaper before. Because they obviously just can't understand.

This could be ugly

I'm not sure what the thinking was in scheduling this game, but the Lima Senior-Dublin Coffman game should be ugly. Strike that. It will be ugly.
Coffman, a Division I regional finalist from last year, beat Troy 56-14 in its opening game. The Shamrocks field a team with no less than five Division I college recruits, including two Ohio State commitments. The running back has in the neighborhood of 20 offers to D-I schools.
I talked with a friend at a newspaper in Columbus. The story he's been getting from his boss and the folks at Coffman is Lima Senior will give the Rocks all they can handle. They point to the 1996 state title and a great, proud history. I had to inform my buddy that was all in the past.
The Dubliners will be disappointed if they truly believe the line they're feeding. I'm hoping it's a case of the "Lou Holtz" syndrome, where you pump up an inferior opponent to make your win look even better.

Congrats to Gressman

With the NRA Sprint Invaders season championship race canceled because of rain, the point standings stay in place from the previous race. Phil Gressman, who won two NRA races, ends the season atop the points. Finishing just behind is Mike Dussel and Mike Brecht.
Brecht seemed to be in the best position to catch Gressman. After switching to a Seeling car a few weeks ago, Brecht won a NRA event as well as a Elwer Fence race.
It's disappointed we won't get to see one last duel between Gressman and Brecht this year. Last week's race was one of the most entertaining of the season.
The three divisions at Limaland -- the Elwer Fence Sprints, Bud Thunderstocks and Professional Computer Company UMP Modifieds -- wrap up their season next Friday.

Dysert gets the green flag

Sorry, been spending too much time around racing. Anyway, Ada quarterback Zac Dysert got the official O.K. on Tuesday to play football. So, despite what might have been prayed for in Dola (just kidding, Bear fans!), Dysert will suit up and start against Hardin Northern.
"I'm feeling great," Dysert said. "The finger is fine. Everything is fine. It doesn't hurt at all. I'm good to go."
It's funny how the hopes of an entire community ride on the smallest digit of the finger of a high school senior. But, there you have it.

Vick ... Gone?

What Michael Vick did is wrong. As someone who grew up with pets, I think he's a ... well, I can't say and keep my job. Let's just say THUG.
He broke the law and he is getting punished. For that, I say good.
But, really, is what Vick did any worse than any of the other NFL'ers that appear on the police blotter? In the end of it, Vick is just the latest poster boy for NFL commish Roger Goddell's get-tough policy. All this will do is create an atmosphere of mistrust and quick accusations (and judgements) in the public.

Warriors open playoffs

The Lima Warriors open their playoff run with a home date against the West Virginia Crush at 7 p.m. Saturday. The visiting Warriors beat the Crush, 49-20, on July 14, so confidence has to be running high in the Lima camp.
The Warriors ended the regular season with the franchise's first 10-0 season. It was led by the defense, which surrendered only 39 points and 729 yards. The offense averaged nearly 44 points per game and racked up 3,097 yards.
As the top-seeded team in the United States Football Alliance playoffs, the Warriors will continue to host games (Aug. 25, Sept. 8) as long as they keep winning. Frankly, the attendance at the two games I covered this year didn't knock my socks off. In the home opener, the announced attendance was around 250. However, against Northwest Ohio, there was no "announced attendance" but I counted around 125-150 people.
Why? It's not like we live in Chicago or Columbus where there are so many entertainment outlets. Do people just not care about the Warriors?

Gotta be there games

We are hard at work here getting the Prep Football preview section together, which debuts Aug. 23. One of the pieces is on the Top-10 "Can't Miss Games."
I'm not going to spill the whole list (you're just going to have to pick up a copy of the paper!), but one of them is the Ada-LCC battle set for Oct. 27. This should be the two best teams in the hyper-competitive NWC duking it out on the last day of the season for bragging rights. Plus, the Dysert and Co. Air Show against the Four-Headed Back attack from LCC will be fun to watch.
What do you think? Which games are you sure to be there for -- games that there is no way you're going to miss?

Bulldogs hold their breath

The last place Ada coach Mike Fell and all-everything quarterback Zac Dysert wanted to be after Saturday's scrimmage against Parkway was at the Orthopedic Institute of Ohio. But that's where they ended up after Dysert broke the pinkie finger on his left (non-throwing) hand.
"He got drilled right as he was throwing it and put his hand down to break his fall," Fell said. "I was not a happy man."
The good news is Dysert is benched for only a week and shouldn't miss any time in the regular season. He's going back in about 10 days to get official clearance for the regular season.
Fell sounded like a guy who had just woke up from a nightmare. Ada came this close to giving up all hopes in the NWC and postseason. No disrespect to Kyle Baker, Nate Vermillion and the rest of the Bulldogs, but they go as far as Dysert can take them.

Finally ... FOOTBALL!

Yes, ladies and gents, the first day of prep football practice has come and gone. I made my way to a few practices to get a feel for what I feel are three pretty good questions leading into the season. Here are my questions and answers.

1. Is the Ada offense and quarterback Zac Dysert really all that great? And what about the loss of star receiver Heath Jackson?
First things first ... Yes, Dysert really is that good. He spent the summer working with his receivers, so the senior QB looked sharp in the first practice. I don't think it's an overstatement to say Dysert should be on the short list for Mr. Football this year.
As for Jackson, who moved to South Carolina, I don't see how losing a kid that grabbed a state-record 123 balls last year CAN'T hurt. The Bulldogs have capable receivers back, particularly Nate Vermillion and Kyle Baker, but the loss of Jackson is going to hurt.

2. What can be done at Lima Senior and what can new coach Darnell Collins do about it?
The answer to both, unfortunately, is nothing. It pains me to say it because Collins has struck me as a great person. I really want to root for Collins and see him succeed at the impossible. But this program is so bad it's beyond one person's control. Case in point -- there are only 55 players out for the football team. Heck, I bet Cleveland St. Ignatius gets that many out for their cross country team! (And the players out for the Spartans didn't strike me as a collection of great players ... or even average) I think the Spartans have two wins in them ... max.

3. Is it another 10-game season for Delphos St. John's or can they make it back to the playoffs?
Wow. This might be the toughest question of the trio. The Jays aren't returning much from their 6-4 team from last year. Add that to their tough schedule (they open with LCC and play in the MAC) and it might be two years in a row without a postseason appearance. Having said that, however, my money is on the Jays to make it back to Week 11.

So, what do you think? Am I being too hard on Lima Senior? Do you think I have a crush on Dysert? Is St. John's really on the decline of a storybook decade?

Hey, aren't you Sergio Garcia?

I always find it amusing to check out the leaderboard of golf's major championship after the first round. At least then you know who is NOT going to win the title. It's hard for a golfer to win wire to wire. And it's usually some also ran that came up with an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime round.
I don't think Sergio Garcia will hold the lead consistently over the next three days, but I think he can win. I don't have a great reason other than, Why not? Here's an idea, take a chance a pick a player without a hot, Swedish supermodel wife. Or someone who didn't marry a former Phoenix Suns dancer.
The out-of-right field golfer didn't do too shabby in the last two majors. Come on, take a chance.

The first of many

We're in a new era, one both feared and embraced by journalists and newspaper people. The age of the internet. Sure, we're just a decade behind the times ... people have been using the internet since the 1990s and it has just gotten bigger.
With the push by newspapers to make a bigger presence on the internet, this is the latest and greatest product of that -- blogs. It has been a long time coming. I was told quite a few months ago that each of the sports writers in the department would have his own blog. Now here we are.
Hopefully this blog will be fun. Even more so, hopefully it will be funny. I'm still new at this, so the blog might change directions a few times before I settle on the true intent.
One thing this place won't be is a breeding ground for the seedy elements that invaded other blogs. If you have any name-calling to do, go somewhere else. If I have to do this, it might as well be fun.
So, enjoy. And feel free to let me know how you feel.