Misdemeanor charges against San Diego Chargers receiver Legedu Naanee stemming from a Feb. 12 altercation with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police have been dismissed.
Click here to read the entire article.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Hot Diggity Dawg! A New Lunch Option in Danville!
Click here to read the entire article.
Tulsa Talons Shred Chicago Rush, 64-45
The Tulsa Talons (3-5) earned a convincing 64-45 home victory over the Chicago Rush (5-3) on Saturday night on the arm and legs of their quarterback, Matt Bassuener.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Week 9 Preview: Chicago Rush at Tulsa Talons
The Chicago Rush is in Oklahoma this weekend to battle a division opponent, the Tulsa Talons on Saturday night in the Arena Football League. Looking to keep pace with the Dallas Vigilantes (5-2) in the Central Division, the Rush (5-2) could use a victory.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
A Conversation with Chicago Rush DB Jason Simpson
Chicago Rush DB Jason Simpson currently leads the Arena Football League in tackles and is tied with teammate DB Vic Hall for the league lead in interceptions. He's a prominent player on a dominant defense. Just don't try telling him that.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Monday, May 2, 2011
That VooDoo That You Do Doesn't Work on Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush honored its head coach, Bob McMillen, by retiring his #44 jersey on Saturday night and also honored him on the field with a convincing 50-28 victory over the visiting New Orleans VooDoo.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Week 8 Preview: New Orleans VooDoo at Chicago Rush
On Saturday, April 30, the New Orleans VooDoo comes to Allstate Arena to take on the Chicago Rush. Rush head coach Bob McMillen's jersey also gets retired.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
The 2011 NFL Mock Draft of English Monarchs
Pure silliness, imagining what it would be like if the two major news events of the week--the NFL Draft and the Royal Wedding--collided in some sort of demented Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Grudge Judge Debate: Seahawks Deserved to be in the Playoffs
Yahoo! Sports has a new Facebook application called Grudge Judge, where sports arguments of all kinds can be settled in the court of public opinion. Did the Seattle Seahawks deserve to be in the NFL Playoffs last season? Read the article below, and then cast your vote on Grudge Judge!
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Jaded Sports Fan Saved by Kids
In a sports world spoiled by commercialism, cheating, and obnoxious TV personalities, a bunch of four- and five-year-olds manage to save a cynical fan's love of athletics.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Guide for New Writers: Dealing with Trolls
Freelance writing is a great experience until the internet trolls show up and ruin everything. Read my suggestions for dealing with trolls.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Youth as Resources Awards Over $5,000 for Youth Service Projects
The Hendricks County board of Youth As Resources of Central Indiana (YARCI) awarded more than $5,000 in grants on March 23 to local youth who plan to use the money on projects to benefit the community.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Searching for Lost Treasure: the Golden Rule
As a society, we are forgetting an important and central tenet of interacting with one another: treating others the way we expect to be treated.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Youth Baseball Leagues in Hendricks County, Indiana
Are you looking for a youth baseball league in Hendricks County, Indiana? Look no further. I have all the scoop right here.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Why Some Species Eat Their Young
The trials and tribulations of trying to get a three-year-old to hurry.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
The Natalie Munroe Incident: a Sign of Bigger Problems
Natalie Munroe--the Pennsylvania teacher whose personal blog entries from 2009 and 2010 have made her infamous in 2011--is at the center of an interesting storm: one that is an alarming statement on today's society.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Ten Great Alternative Albums of the 1990's
Alternative music has such a broad definition and contains infinite sub-genres that any list of top ten alternative albums from the 1990's is sure to create debate. What follows are ten albums that I continue to listen to and enjoy.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
The Five Stages of Winter
In her 1969 book, On Death and Dying, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross introduced the concept of five distinct stages that people go through when dealing with grief or tragedy. Her concepts can also be applied to how we handle the cold months.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
A Procedure to "Dye" For: the Arthrogram
A warning to shoulder injury sufferers about a procedure to "dye" for, a doctor who moonlights as a WWE wrestler, and the pretty nurse who shamelessly betrayed me.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Saving for College: So Easy that a Normal Person Can Do It
Plenty of financial experts have written hard-to-understand articles on saving for college through 529 savings plans. Read how an average guy in Indiana tackles college savings.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
How to Transfer Probation from One State to Another
People who are on probation occasionally want to relocate from one state to another for a variety of reasons. Can this be done? How does probation supervision get transferred from one state to another?
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
How to Become a Probation Officer in Indiana
How does a person get started in the challenging and engaging career of being a probation officer in Indiana? Get information and tips from an Indiana probation officer here.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Five Ways to Succeed on Probation
Are you or a loved one on probation? Lots of people are. Read a probation officer's advice on how to maximize chances of successful completion of probation.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
A Life Lesson Learned on the Ski Slopes
Learning to downhill ski as a teenager with my dad turned out to provide a much bigger and lasting lesson in life.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
On-Line Resources Available for Parents in Hendricks County, Indiana
My very first article on Yahoo! Contributor Network. Brings a little tear of joy to my eye just thinking about it.
An overview of They're Our Kids--a free, not-for-profit organization in Hendricks County, Indiana, designed to promote parental involvement. Hundreds of valuable links to a variety of information in one central location.
Click here to read the entire article.
An overview of They're Our Kids--a free, not-for-profit organization in Hendricks County, Indiana, designed to promote parental involvement. Hundreds of valuable links to a variety of information in one central location.
Click here to read the entire article.
The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the 2011 Seattle Seahawks Schedule
With the release of the 2011 NFL schedule, let's take a look at the best and worst match-ups for the Seattle Seahawks.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
A Ridiculously Early Look at the 2011 Seattle Seahawks Schedule
The NFL has released the 2011 schedule! See who's on tap for the Seattle Seahawks!
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Top Five Draft Day Steals for the Seattle Seahawks
Five guys who came out of nowhere on Draft Day to star for the Seattle Seahawks.
Click here to read the entire story.
Click here to read the entire story.
Top Five Draft Day Busts for the Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks probably wish they could go back in time and not draft these five guys.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
A Ridiculously Early Look at the 2011 Indianapolis Colts Schedule
The Indianapolis Colts' 2011 schedule is out! How will they do this season?
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Chicago Rush Implodes in Loss to KC Command
Click here to read the entire article.
Week 7 Preview: Chicago Rush vs. Kansas City Command
The Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League returns to Allstate Arena at long last to host the Kansas City Command in the NFL Network's Arena Football Friday Game of the Week.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Chicago Rush Alleviate Pressure of a Perfect Season in Week Four
The Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League made a brilliant decision Saturday afternoon and removed all the pressure of an undefeated season by letting the Cleveland Gladiators win, 55-48.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Week 4 Preview: Chicago Rush at Cleveland Gladiators
The Chicago Rush (3-0) travels to northern Ohio in Week 4 to battle the unbeaten Cleveland Gladiators (2-0). Whet your appetite with a little preview.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Chicago Rush Tames the SaberCats in Week Three
The Chicago Rush made its case for moving into the top spot in the Arena Football League coaches' poll with a 54-41 victory over the previously top-seeded San Jose SaberCats on Friday night at Allstate Arena.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Get to Know the Chicago Rush: WR/DB Vic Hall
Chicago Rush WR/DB "Do It All" Vic Hall has had a spectacular start to his Arena Football League career so far in 2011. In a league that emphasizes speed and versatility, Hall has the skill set to become a star.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Chicago Rush Steamroll Philadelphia Soul in Home Opener
The Chicago Rush did not show much brotherly love to its former coach and star players now with the Philadelphia Soul on Friday night during its convincing 62-28 victory on national television.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Week 2 Preview: Chicago Rush vs. Philadelphia Soul
Preview of the Chicago Rush's home opener vs. the Philadelphia Soul in the Arena Football League on Friday, March 18, at 7:00pm Central.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Week 1: Chicago Rush 49, Milwaukee Mustangs 41
The Arena Football League's Chicago Rush barely survived a trip north against the Milwaukee Mustangs Monday night with a coronary-inducing 49-41 victory in their season opener.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Get to Know the Chicago Rush: DL Mark Weivoda
The Chicago Rush kicks off the 2011 season on Monday, March 14. Let's meet one of the Rush's defensive linemen who will be making AFL QB's miserable all season long: Mark Weivoda.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Week 1 Preview: Chicago Rush at Milwaukee Mustangs
A preview of the Chicago Rush @ Milwaukee Mustangs in the Arena Football League on Monday, March 14.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Chicago Rush Acquires WR/DB Charles Dillon
The Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League acquired WR/DB Charles Dillon from the defending champion Spokane Shock last week in exchange for claim order position. Who is Charles Dillon?
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Looking Ahead to the 2011 Chicago Rush 10th Anniversary Season
The 2011 Chicago Rush season is just over a month away in the Arena Football League. Enjoy a brief overview of the Rush's previous nine seasons as they prepare to celebrate the beginning of their 10th Anniversary Season.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Are You Ready for Some Football? A Conversation with Ron Jaworski, Lynn Swann, and Jerry Kurz
Ron Jaworski and Lynn Swann stepped away from their preparations for Friday night's 24th season opener in the Arena Football League to participate in a conference call with Commissioner Jerry B. Kurz this afternoon.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
An Arena Football League Primer
The NFL season is over. Now what? Try checking out the Arena Football League. Read this article to learn how the AFL and NFL are similar, and how they're different.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
No NFL? No Problem
This Seattle Seahawks fan will probably be better off without a 2011 NFL season. Here's how I'll be spending my Sundays this fall.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
I Won't Suffer Without the NFL
Jay Feely said on ProFootballTalk Live on March 14, that if the NFL doesn't get its business sorted out, "fans are the ones who will suffer." Not this fan.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
NFL Suspensions Coming For Flagrant Hits on Defenseless Players
New rules are coming down the pike in the NFL to suspend defenders who hit defenseless players and expand the definition of "defenseless." Is this a good thing or not?
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Tiki Barber Should Reconsider His Return to the NFL
As I read about former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber filing paperwork with the NFL office to be reinstated from retirement, I'm puzzled as to why he would want to do this.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Do You Know Who Legedu Naanee Is?!
A back-up wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers, Legedu Naanee, tries to throw his "fame" around in Indianapolis. It doesn't work out particularly well for him.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Super Bowl XLV is a Disappointment
As the confetti fell in Cowboys Stadium after Super Bowl XLV, I was left with a feeling of disappointment. And it wasn't because of the quality of the game or the fact that the Packers won. It was everything else.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Jay Cutler Reaps What He Sows
As news of Jay Cutler's Grade II sprain of his MCL is reported, the social pendulum suddenly swings from Cutler as a quitter to Cutler as a martyr. While Cutler's injury may be legitimate, he earned this kind of backlash from Bears fans.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
Jay Cutler Inexplicably Quits on the Chicago Bears
Jay Cutler pulls himself out of the NFC Championship Game with a phantom knee injury. Bears fans should be outraged.
Click here to read the entire article.
Click here to read the entire article.
The Article That Began My Relationship with the Chicago Rush
For someone who has been watching football games since August, there will be a sudden void in my life after Super Bowl XLV has concluded. My solution? The Arena Football League.
Click here to read the full article.
Click here to read the full article.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Small Fish in a Big Pond
I’m trying something new. I set up a profile with the Yahoo! Contributor Network a few days ago, and I’m going to try submitting some writing for on-line publication. It’s pretty much like blogging, but submissions have to go through editors first, and some of Yahoo!’s corporate partners might pick up an article if it tickles their fancy.
There’s a potential to earn some money doing this, but I can’t imagine that it’s very lucrative. I’m sure it takes somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.3 billion hits to earn a nickel, so I’m not quitting my day job anytime soon. But at the same time, I’m not turning down an extra quarter or two in my pocket every six months.
My main motivator for doing this is to see how my writing stacks up to that of the rest of the world. To be honest, I’m pretty nervous about going through editors. What if they don’t like my stuff? That would be embarrassing. I’ve long considered writing to be one of the few things I’m relatively good at, so for that to be taken away would just leave drinking beer and losing fantasy football championship games as my only talents worth mentioning.
But what if they do like it? That’d be pretty cool.
I’m also motivated by their suggested limit of 300 to 500 words per submission. Brevity has never been a strong suit of mine, so this will be a challenge. Being challenged is something I enjoy.
I submitted a few things yesterday and the day before, and they’re all awaiting review. Well, to be honest, one of them was declined today. After overcoming the debilitating shame of having my worth as a human being reduced in value, I worked up the courage to read the reason why it was declined. There was some problem with the picture I attached to it. The picture wasn’t critical at all to the submission, so I just removed it and resubmitted the article. Whew. I’m not a failure after all. Yet.
They say it could take up to two weeks to get something published, but responses are often much quicker. I hope they’re quicker than that on my first submission. It was the Seahawks bit just below this entry. It’ll look pretty dumb if it’s published sometime after Saturday afternoon.
We’ll see how things go for awhile. School starts back up next Thursday, so that will drastically affect how much time I have for recreational writing until sometime in mid-May, but if you want to check in from time to time to see how it’s going, I encourage you to check out my profile. Every day. Roughly 2.3 billion times a day. And if you’re interested in becoming a Yahoo! Contributor, too, click on the little graphic of the bullhorn in the right-hand column of this blog. For every 9000 people I recruit, I get a free toaster.
Incidentally, this entry is 494 words long. Jackpot.
UPDATE: My first article was published this evening (1/7/11). Check it out here.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6190438/online_resource_available_for_parents.html?cat=8
There’s a potential to earn some money doing this, but I can’t imagine that it’s very lucrative. I’m sure it takes somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.3 billion hits to earn a nickel, so I’m not quitting my day job anytime soon. But at the same time, I’m not turning down an extra quarter or two in my pocket every six months.
My main motivator for doing this is to see how my writing stacks up to that of the rest of the world. To be honest, I’m pretty nervous about going through editors. What if they don’t like my stuff? That would be embarrassing. I’ve long considered writing to be one of the few things I’m relatively good at, so for that to be taken away would just leave drinking beer and losing fantasy football championship games as my only talents worth mentioning.
But what if they do like it? That’d be pretty cool.
I’m also motivated by their suggested limit of 300 to 500 words per submission. Brevity has never been a strong suit of mine, so this will be a challenge. Being challenged is something I enjoy.
I submitted a few things yesterday and the day before, and they’re all awaiting review. Well, to be honest, one of them was declined today. After overcoming the debilitating shame of having my worth as a human being reduced in value, I worked up the courage to read the reason why it was declined. There was some problem with the picture I attached to it. The picture wasn’t critical at all to the submission, so I just removed it and resubmitted the article. Whew. I’m not a failure after all. Yet.
They say it could take up to two weeks to get something published, but responses are often much quicker. I hope they’re quicker than that on my first submission. It was the Seahawks bit just below this entry. It’ll look pretty dumb if it’s published sometime after Saturday afternoon.
We’ll see how things go for awhile. School starts back up next Thursday, so that will drastically affect how much time I have for recreational writing until sometime in mid-May, but if you want to check in from time to time to see how it’s going, I encourage you to check out my profile. Every day. Roughly 2.3 billion times a day. And if you’re interested in becoming a Yahoo! Contributor, too, click on the little graphic of the bullhorn in the right-hand column of this blog. For every 9000 people I recruit, I get a free toaster.
Incidentally, this entry is 494 words long. Jackpot.
UPDATE: My first article was published this evening (1/7/11). Check it out here.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6190438/online_resource_available_for_parents.html?cat=8
Monday, January 3, 2011
Why the Seahawks Shouldn't Be in the Playoffs...or Should They?
I'm a huge Seahawks fan and have been since their inception in 1976. I grew up in Washington State, so they have always been my home team, regardless of where in the country I have lived. So last night, I was overjoyed when they beat the St. Louis Rams, 16-6, won the NFC West Division, and became the first division champion in NFL history with a losing record (7-9). I've been hearing Chuck's son--an avid New York Giants fan--grumbling for weeks, with growing intensity as the regular season drew to an end, about how his Giants may not make the playoffs, while my Seahawks could.
On Sunday night, his worst nightmare came true.
I imagine that Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-6) fans had a similar reaction.
And you know what? I can't say that I disagree with either set of fans' frustration. Were the roles reversed, I'd be mad if the Seahawks finished 10-6, but some other team won their division at 7-9 and made the playoffs at the expense of my team. Many readers of sports articles about the Seahawks' improbable playoff berth have expressed emotions varying from frustration to rabid hatred of anything from the playoff system to the NFL Commissioner to the Seahawks to the entire Pacific Northwest.
Some of the comments make no sense, such as the person who stated that the Detroit Lions would have won the NFC West this year, had they been in that division. (Um, no. Detroit finished at 6-10. That would only have been good for third place.) But looking beyond the flawed logic of spurned individuals, the general message is clear: a 7-9 team should not make the NFL Playoffs, and definitely shouldn't host a first-round game.
Their case is easy to make. The Giants finished the season with a 10-6 record, tied for first place in the NFC East. Their problem? They lost both games against the Eagles, who also finished with a 10-6 record, tied for first place in the NFC East. The head-to-head tie-breaker goes to Philly. Chuck's son will be quick to remind me that the Giants pounded the Seahawks, 41-7, back in November. He also likes to argue the point that the NFC West is a much easier division than the NFC East to win because the East teams are better than those in the West. I don't think that argument carries much weight, though. The Giants and Eagles finished atop the division with a 10-6 record, and the Giants were swept by the Eagles. The other two teams, the Cowboys and Redskins, each finished at 6-10. While the Giants swept the Redskins (once handily and once, on Sunday, by a field goal against a Rex Grossman-led team), they barely beat the Cowboys once, and they lost to them the second time. The Giants also lost to the Tennessee Titans (6-10), the Colts (10-6), and the Packers (10-6). Had they beaten either the 6-10 Titans or the 6-10 Cowboys, they'd be in the postseason. Had they beaten the Eagles just once, they'd be in the postseason. Had they done something better than lose two of their last three games, they'd be in the postseason.
I think Buccaneers fans have a much more legitimate beef. Tampa Bay also finished the season with a 10-6 record, but in their division, that was only good for third place out of four teams. (Hey Giants fans, THAT'S a difficult division to win!) Like the Giants, the Bucs pounded the Seahawks a couple weeks ago, 38-15. In fact, they beat every NFC West team this season. Where did Tampa's losses come from? Two of them came from the division champion and #1-overall playoff seed Atlanta Falcons (13-3). One of them came from division-mate and playoff wild card New Orleans (11-5). One came against the AFC North champion Steelers (12-4), and one came against AFC wildcard Baltimore (12-4). The last loss came three weeks ago, at home, against the Detroit Lions (6-10). Despite that embarrassment, though, winning against the Lions wouldn't have gotten them into the playoffs. What would have been an 11-5 record would still have lost out to the Saints by virtue of New Orleans having the better division record.
In the big scheme of things, should the Seahawks be in the playoffs instead of the Giants or Buccaneers? Of course not. Obviously, those two teams each finished with three wins more than the 'Hawks. They also both pounded the Seahawks head-to-head. The only win worth mentioning for Seattle was in Chicago early in the season against the NFC North Champion Bears (11-5), and I'm not really sure how the heck that happened.
But NFL rules state that if you win your division, you not only get into the playoffs, but you also host a first-round game. So by those standards, should the Seahawks be in the playoffs instead of the Giants or Buccaneers? Absolutely. The Seahawks did what neither of those teams could do--they won their division. It's not the Seahawks' fault that the NFL allows for a 7-9 division champion. It's not the Seahawks' fault that they're in the NFC West instead of any other division. I still remember when the NFC East was so bad that they were referred to as the NFC Least. And yet their division champion always made it into the playoffs. And it's not exactly like the NFC South has a long history of winning with their teams being Atlanta, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, and Carolina. At various points in time, all four of those teams have long histories of being god-awful. It also wasn't long ago that critics were griping about how weak the AFC West was.
In fact, it was only two years ago.
New England and New York fans probably felt similarly in 2008 when their 11-5 Patriots and 9-7 Jets missed the playoffs because the San Diego Chargers won the AFC West with an 8-8 record.
A funny thing about those 2008 Playoffs, though: San Diego won their first-round game on the road against the 12-4 Colts before falling to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Steelers (12-4) the next week. Over in the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals won the NFC West that year with a 9-7 record. In the playoffs, they beat Atlanta (11-5), Carolina (12-4), and Philadelphia (9-6-1) before eventually losing by a whisker to the Steelers in the Super Bowl.
So don't hate the Seahawks for getting what they earned. Sure, New Orleans will likely pound them into dust on Saturday, but until the NFL changes its playoffs system, Seattle deserves to be there, and they deserve to host the first round.
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