April 27

Tomorrow is the last day of finals in my first year of occupational therapy school at Brenau University. Yes, I should be studying my pediatric material for my test tomorrow, but there is too much going on in the world to not make a few comments. Lame title I know. It gets challenging to name the "random thoughts" posts.

Congratulations to Cleveland Browns RB Peyton Hillis. He will be the cover athlete for the famous Madden football video game franchise in 2012. He beat out some of the most popular players in the league including Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rogers and former cover boy himself Michael Vick. I have been a Hillis fan since his days at the University of Arkansas. I still find it hard to believe he beat the other Peyton and his Arkansas running back mates Darren McFadden and Felix Jones to the cover of Madden. (McFadden was on the cover of NCAA Football 09).

Samford has a new recruit making a visit to campus. Justin Combs, son of rap mogul Sean "P. Diddy of Puffy" Combs. Can you imagine the atmosphere at Seibert Stadium next year? And talk about some serious street cred. I am one proud alumnus.

To the college game. I am proud of Florida Head Coach Will Muschamp for kicking his First Team All SEC cornerback Janoris Jenkins off of the team after Jenkins was arrested a third time since moving to Gainesville. Muschamp has talked often about the Florida way, and this is a great start to changing a culture.

In other college football news, I am beyond tired of Ohio State and their coach Jim Tressel. Get him out of the game.

On a little more serious note, please pray for those affected by the tornado ripping through the southeast as I type. It has already done tremendous damage in Tuscaloosa and communities around Birmingham, a place I luckily called home for four years. Now it is my hometown of Rome, Georgia. Please pray for safety and the recovery efforts that will be soon to follow.

Maundy Thursday

On Thursday, I rode home with Ellen and was back just in time to see the Braves come from behind to take the lead in the ninth inning. Then, they blew the lead and we had to leave and head to the church for one of my favorite services of the year. I never feel quite ready without a Maundy Thursday service, and for the first time in a while I was able to be in Rome for the Thursday before Easter.

This year the Sanctuary Choir sang Dubois's Seven Last Words of Christ. Dubois's work uses scripture as lyrics to tell the story from the time Jesus is put to trial until he utters his final words. If you have never heard the work I suggest looking up a performance online.

Beginning with a powerful and frightening piece, the choir painted a picture during The First Word of what it must have been like to be Jesus on Good Friday. Singing from Matthew 27:22,25, "He is death guilty! He is death guilty! Take him! Let us crucify Him!" The Second through the Sixth words give insight to Jesus's thoughts as he prays in the garden and realizes the task he has before himself. The Seventh Word is the ending of His life. At the end of the work, a prayer is given in the form of a beautiful chorale.

"Christ, we do all adore the, and we do praise thee forever. For on the holy cross hast thou the world from sin redeemed. Christ we do all adore thee and we do praise thee forever."

As the chorale was being sung, three members of the audience came up to extinguish the Christ candle (explained in an earlier post) and covered the serving plates on Lord's Supper table. Once the table was covered, the crown of thorns, which had been around the Christ Candle, was placed at the head of the table and the candle was taken out of the Sanctuary. The picture below was taken after the service so you all could kind of get the idea of the end product, the image of a buried Christ.

My words can not do justice the meaningfulness of this service. I know I would have been in the middle of the masses on Palm Sunday praising our new king. And it pains me to know I would have been in the masses on Good Friday, too. To know Jesus still loves us after he was turned on so quickly during Holy week, and still  loves us today makes me ready for Easter Sunday.

Cam Newton Back in the News

The NCAA has released information saying they have begun a new investigation into Mississippi State's recruiting of former Auburn QB Cam Newton. MSU Head Coach Dan Mullen was Newton's offensive coordinator at the University of Florida and still maintains a strong relationship with the Heisman winner. Newton was thought to be headed to State for sometime but surprised many and headed to Auburn.  His questioned Auburn recruiting created a media fire storm during the 2010 season. My question is if he is found guilty of participating in a pay-for-play scheme at State would that not only affect State's current program but also his Heisman, the Auburn wins and National Championship? Talk about a quick way to heat up a low scoring rivalry.

My thought is he, similarly to USC RB Reggie Bush, was playing when he should not have been and the wins he contributed in should be vacated. Let it be known I do not have it out for Newton, but I am a fan of justice. I, like everyone else who watches football, am absolutely amazed by his abilities and think the Carolina Panthers are crazy if they do not take him with the number one overall pick in next week's NFL Draft.

The sad part to me in this investigation is the Mississippi State program could suffer probation, scholarship reductions, and/or vacated wins. Yes, if found guilty they would have done wrong and deserve their punishment. But can we give them a break? It finally felt like something was going right in Starkville and half the state of Mississippi had legitimate reason to believe they would have a winning season this season (No way I am talking about the Ole Miss fans. They are a long ways from a winning season. Heck, they lost to Jacksonville State and Vandy!). I want to believe Dan Mullen was doing it the right way in one of the hardest places to succeed in the SEC.

Word of advice I had last week for Auburn and it still holds true... Go ahead and build the statues of Bo Jackson and, my favorite Tiger ever, Samford Bulldog football coach Pat Sullivan. Honor them with all the laud they deserve. But let's hold off on the Newton trophy at least until all the NCAA allegations are washed away.

For the Auburn fans whom I have offended, check out the Saban statue with his most faithful follower.

In exciting SEC news check out this link for the SEC Composite Schedule. Print it out. Put it on your desk. Put it on your fridge and let's hope the next 4 months flies by so we can kick it off again.

10 Reasons I Love the Masters

In no particular order...

1. "A tradition like no other..."- A perfect phrase to describe the most important weekend in golf. The Masters honors its tradition and the importance of past champions better than any other sporting event at the Champions dinner. A mutual respect is felt from rivals to those who have won at Augusta in the past while stories are shared. The locker room is filled with history of past champions, who will always have a place to store their things in the champions locker room. The trophy is full of the greatest names in golf.

2. The Back 9 on Sunday- Few sporting events last four days. Few sporting events can hold your attention like the last nine holes of The Masters did this year. Few sports have the beauty and challenge the final nine holes at Augusta National offer. The back nine holes are usually entertaining, but this year there were ten different leaders or co-leaders one the final group got to Hole 10.

3. Green Jackets- No prize is more recognizable in American sports than the meaning of the green jacket. Beginning in the late 1940s the previous year's champion gives the new champion a green jacket with the Masters emblem on the chest. A cordial interview is conducted just prior to the dressing in Butler Cabin with the previous years champion, current champion, and amateur champion and the President of Augusta National.

4. Masters Sunday- The winner claiming a green jacket has lead to many church men in the South, especially in Georgia, wearing their own versions with pride on Masters Sunday.

5. Roaring- One consistent part of The Masters experience is the noise, something not thought to go with golf too often. The eerie quiet while competitors read lines on puts and the roars that can be heard as a golfer makes a run up the leaderboard are a part of this great tradition. All the golfers and fans know when someone is making a charge because of the noise. Oh and this fan loves a Tiger roar as he drains a long eagle putt to gain the lead.

6. Redbud- 16th Hole- The course is familiar to fans and we all have a favorite hole. It is a hard choice to choose one, but if I have to the 16th hole at Augusta National is my favorite. It is a beautiful par 3 over a small pond and a tee shot to an always tough pin placement. The patrons have a good view of everything from the tee shot to the final put, which is full of pressure on the second to last hole. Who can forget this epic call from Verne Lundquist in 2005?

7. "Augusta" and Jim Nantz- Iconic sports broadcaster Jim Nantz's voice and CBS's coverage of Saturday and Sunday are synonymous with the Masters. There has been very little change, other than the addition of streaming online content, in their broadcast since I can remember watching. Continuity is the name of the game in Augusta and it is no different here. The song "Augusta" by Dave Loggins immediately takes me to lazy afternoons in the spring watching golf. The lyrics are pretty good, too.

8. Par 3 Contest- One of the most unique aspects of Masters weekend is the Par 3 contest on Wednesday afternoon. No winner of the Par 3 Contest has gone on to win the weekend's tournament, but it is still a wonderful way to begin festivities. Fans see a lighter side of the players and  it is the last opportunity for the players to spend time with their families before the stress takes over. Some players allow their children to caddy and even take their chances at the holes.

9. Family Memories- Family has become an important part of the Masters tournament. Not only, as I have mentioned before that some families play along with dad on the Par 3 course, but some players actually stay with host families around the course. As for me, one of my favorite sports memories was when Easter Sunday happened to fall on the same day as the final round of the Masters. We had, as we normally do, had my dad's Shorter choir students over for lunch on Easter. After everyone had left and the dishes were clean, the four of us sat and watched the final round of the Masters.

A father and a son share a special relationship. Though I was not around for the 1986 Masters this video makes me think of my own relationship with my father and the bonds we share. On Fathers and Sons

10. It's in Georgia- Very little gets the whole state of Georgia does as the Masters does. There is a buzz around the entire state. Golf unofficially begins its seasons and the courses fill up. Old men tell memories of the time they went to Augusta in April. Young men think tell stories of how that should be them, or wish it could be. Even those that do not watch sports will know the Masters is going on. Being in Georgia means it is not too far away, and some day, maybe way on down the road, I am going to be at Augusta National during the first weekend of April and see the glory of the Masters.

Daddy-Daughter (and Brother/Son tag-a-long) Weekend

Last weekend I went to Athens for Ellen's and Pops Daddy-Daughter weekend. I know it was supposed to be their weekend, and I am thankful for the envite. Since we have both moved out of the house I try to take advantage of any opprotunity I can to see the family. 





Entering Foley Field

After getting kicked out of UGA's spring football practice (starting WR Tavarres King eventually came to sit by us at the game), the three of us went to my first SEC baseball game. I had seen my Samford Bulldogs take care of business against Alabama and Auburn, but had never been to an SEC baseball stadium and seen two SEC teams go at it. University of Georgia has a a great setting to watch their Bulldogs play ball. They have a couple of houses behind the right field wall reminiscent of my college days. Needless to say, they were not the heckling force the Right Field Rowdies have become at Joe Lee Griffin Stadium at Samford University. Few are and that is a whole other post. One of the my favorite parts of Foley Field and its construction is the fans are looking down on the field and literally sit on top of the dugouts. The action is under your nose and there was not a bad seat as I walked around to check it out.



UGA was once again playing Mississippi State, the same school they played when I went to a basketball game earlier this semester. The result was the same... Dawgs won, the home Dawgs that is. It was a good time for the three of us as Pops and I got to meet some of Ellen's friends, one of which got to participate in an on-field contest. He won.

Our Seats

After the game the three of us went and got steak dinners, went back to the hotel, and laughed with each other until we fell asleep. No family is more fun than the Reaves in a cheap hotel room and this time Mama was not there to moderate. It was great. I always love spending time with the family and am looking forward  to Easter when the four of us will be together again.

Tonight in Houston

Tonight at Reliant Stadium in  Houston the culmination of March Madness will begin its ending with two games tonight and the National Championship Monday night. Tonight's matchups include two powerhouse programs and two Cinderella teams, if you can call a Butler team that has been to back-to-back Final Fours a Cinderella.

The first of the two games will feature the Cinderellas, where someone's carriage that has brought them thus far will become a pumpkin again. The Butler Bulldogs and the Virginia Commonwealth Rams will fight for a spot in the title game, where Butler lost last year to the Duke Blue Devils. The game will be decided by which team can impose more of their style on the other team, a sign of two impressive, young coaches. VCU, who has beaten opponents from every major conference (minus the SEC), has had success by making opponents try to run and shooting lights out from three. They have made 12 3-pointers in 3 of their 5 tournament games, a number they did not reach but three times the entire regular season. Butler, on the other hand, will try and slow the game down and play stifling defense. The Bulldogs allowed 71 points in an overtime win last weekend against Florida. They hadn't allowed that many points since January.

The late game will pit two elite programs, with elite players, and elite coaches. Speaking of the coaches, both have had their share of problems with recruiting in the eyes of the NCAA. Connecticut Huskies Head Coach Jim Calhoun was banned from coaching the Huskies first three games of the Big East season and Kentucky Wildcats Head Coach John Callipari has had two previous Final Fours vacated at former schools because of recruiting violations. UCONN  and Kentucky met earlier this year at the Maui Tournament, a game and tournament UCONN won. The Wildcats and the Huskies have morphed tremendously over the season and tonight the two will try will renew an old coaching rivalry that dates back more than 20 years.

Who wins?

In the early game I have too much faith in Brad Stevens and believe that surely VCU can not be as hot this weekend as they have been the the last two. Also, it is easier to slow a game down than to speed it up. Butler wins with tough defense and a big game from Guard Shelvin Mack.

The one team in this year's Final Four I picked, Kentucky, will win the second game and "March" on to the program's 11th championship game.