It's Done

The school year is done - all of my classes are finished, everything is done (minus an easy 2-3 page paper that's due Friday) and I am happy as ever. There's been some problems this year but I finally have my mojo back. It started with a huge rally in Jew Bible and ever since then I've been on fire - the mojo has returned and I'm actually caring about everything I've been doing. I've been taking care of myself more and it all started with an abs program I kicked off this April and have been bumping that up ever since. I'm back with pushups and upper body workouts too because the shoulder is better. I've been swimming, I've been running, I've been doing all kinds of things to stay in shape and improve my athleticism and self-confidence.

Now it's summer time - it's time to see if this work paid off. The kids I coach are going to keep me on my feet and keep me in the water swimming and making sure if they are in tip top shape. If I, along with our great head coach, can teach them all these things it will be a winning situation for us. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a group of kids you mentor and coach do the things you want and do the things they deserve to have - improvements in their physical abilities. With that being said, the swim season kicks off Tuesday in the brand new, beautiful Virginia Hills Deluxe pool. It's going to be fun - no matter how many or how few come to learn, it will be another rich and rewarding experience.

Five Things to Fix

Another blown lead - something has to be done. Here's what I'd do with the Nats to make them ready to play in the big leagues:

1. Send Hanrahan, Mock to Syracuse or lower; promote Jason Bergmann to closer role; call up Jesus Colome: This move does a couple things. It gets rid of two of the biggest issues we have with the bullpen - the two guys who have blown the most games. Bergmann would be ideal for the role of closer because he has great stuff and his confidence is incredible; last season we saw his great ability to bounce back from poor showings to throw some great stuff on the mound. Colome can play mop up duty along with Rivera to get his/their confidence up before they can be promoted when the next meltdown happens.

2. Trade Nick Johnson for young starting pitching; demote Daniel Cabrera or Scott Olsen; move Adam Dunn to 1B: As much as I love Nick Johnson, this move does a couple of things for our organization. It allows us to get starting pitching to send one of Cabrera/Olsen (preferrably Cabrera) down to the minors or DFA one of them. This also gives more at bats to Josh Willingham, who has better outfield defense than Adam Dunn. Dunn would be less of a risk in the infield, I feel. Young, reliable starting pitching also gives us something to build on and a little more competition. Also waiting in the organizational wings is Chris Marrero - a young prospect with incredible upside who I hear has been tearing it up in the minors.

3. Draft Stephen Strasburg, demote other Cabrera/Olsen/Martis: Drafting Strasburg gets the starting ace that we can build the team around. Getting rid of the unreliable starting pitching makes the rotation a lot scarier, and if the entire starting five at that point (Lannan, Zimmermann, Strasburg, traded pitcher, other slot) is reliable, then they can go 6 or 7 innings and take pressure off a tired bullpen.

4. Switch Manny Acta's and Jim Riggleman's roles: Don't fire Manny Acta - he's a great personality to have around especially with so many negatives with this team. Instead, make him the bench coach - and promote Riggleman to the role of manager. This puts a more aggressive Riggleman into the role of manager, while still keeping Acta to coach the bench. I considered just making this a Fire Manny Acta/Promote Jim Riggleman thing, but I like Acta too much to completely get rid of him. Sometimes I like my thoughts too much.

5. DFA Alex Cintron; keep Alberto Gonzalez in majors: With Harris coming off the DL (and Guzman too), there's a little less space on the bench for pinch hitters. Cintron hasn't shown me anything and is not worthy of a spot in the major leagues. Alberto Gonzalez has shown me a lot and I think he can stick around in a 7 or 8 slot, or pinch hitting, unless the club would like him in the minor leagues to get every day at bats. In that case, still get rid of Cintron. He's terrible.

Note: While these five things probably won't turn the Nats into a World Series contender, they would certainly fix the club up a lot and make for a smarter and better team, more built for the future. Let's see how many of these come true in the coming weeks and months.

I Can't Believe It... But At the Same Time I Can

The pool is almost done. The $350,000 renovation that signals the reconstruction of an entire community - from its low point a few years ago when only 65 people were members of the pool - to now - the next page that we have turned. Moving on from the old can be tough, but this moving on has so much hope. Yes, we will miss the old house-shaped pool. Yes, we will miss the oversize baby pool. But this renovation says COME ON IN and enjoy Virginia Hills.

The pool is almost done! Apr. 26, 2009

Sure, other pools are nice. Other pools have the high member counts. But here, you leave your attitude at the door - you are a member of a family. This reconstruction signals the fact that families change sometimes. And sometimes other family members become more powerful and do what is good for the pool. Because having only 60 members and not telling anyone about the impending crash and burn of a community is NO WAY to handle that sort of crisis.

The low point. Feb. 7, 2009

Some people chose to be negative when this news broke - but others chose to take the positives and to look ahead at the bright future that this place holds. Those who took the positive direction planned for change. They knew the potential - and not only did they know it, but they actively went out and sought it. And succeeded. So now we stand at another crossroads - yes, we were taking a chance by not waiting to renovate - but we chose to do so, proactively. And now we have an even brighter future ahead of us.

Just wait 'til you see us in five years.

It's Only Two Games

Sure, two games is a lot of games... in the NFL. Going 0-2 in the National Football League means you had better start getting your act together, buddy... or else your next big thing will be the Draft in April. But in Major League Baseball, going 0-2 is nothing. The Phillies are 0-2... the World Series Champions of last season are 0-2. Nobody in Philadelphia seems to be pulling the plug just yet. The Phillies have also scored only one run in the 2009 campaign.

But when the Washington Media comes up with all kinds of problems with a team that finished with a lousy 59-102 record... that bugs me. Yeah, we knew Scott Olsen would struggle. Sure, nobody expected John Lannan to have that rough Opening Day start... but it's just one start for the both of these guys. Both of these pitchers have the potential to rebound - it's their first time pitching in a real situation - expectations are so high for this team this year because everyone is now under the microscope. Everyone is accountable after last season's terrible finish. Settle these young pitchers down and they have the chance to show their very best.

But boy does the Nationals offense look potent. Nine runs in two games... something that was unheard of in four or five games last season. 19 hits over the same span... and all of the sudden something is wrong. I think things are just fine offensively - most everyone looks to be sharp... plus it's only two games so I think everything will even out. So when you say Ryan Zimmerman is 0-9 and we need to start worrying about his season - that is just stupid.

Give these guys about a week and a half and then see where things have gone from there. There is no way that two games should ever be a litmus test for an entire season. Don't forget that two games into the 2008 campaign, the Nats had yet to lose. And what did people think about the team back then? Sure didn't align to what they finished out with.

So give these guys a chance. I still think that 70-75 wins are not out of reach. We have a long way to go for this season to be over with. As far as I seem to recall, the playoffs start in September.

The Best Game Ever

Tonight was one of the best sporting events I have ever been to... WITHOUT A DOUBT.

Buffalo vs. Washington - a team that's on the edge of the playoffs against a team that's already in and looking to improve their position in the conference standings. The atmosphere was absolutely electric when I sat down in the press box. Fans from each team were going at it, and you knew this had to be an epic showdown. Who would gain the momentum going into the last week of the regular season?

I'm an avid Buffalo fan so I found it tough throughout the game to keep neutral... but I found a way to do it. I had to. First it was Washington striking with the league's best player. But then Buffalo scored twice within a minute. Then Washington tied it and took the lead 9 seconds after the tying goal. Buffalo tied the game, then Washington went ahead, and then Buffalo tied it up a bit under 10 minutes out. The last ten minutes were so exciting... back and forth and back and forth but you could tell someone was grabbing the momentum going into the extra frame.

Then Pominville struck. Turnover by the Caps and he had a partial breakaway and deposited it behind Simeon Varlamov. It sent the home team packing (although the point gave them the division title) and gave the visitors from Buffalo extra momentum. I'm siked up. Not only did Buffalo win... but Atlanta beat Florida, keeping Florida's momentum back.

Now, Buffalo is 4 points out of the playoffs, Florida is 2, and it's going to be one heck of a race for 8th place in the Eastern Conference. Can Buffalo continue its hot finish towards the playoffs? Or will the Rangers shut the door on them? Or could Florida jump up and punish the Rangers and the Sabres? It's going to be a fun couple of weeks.

Oh, and there's that Opening Day thing on Monday.

At Least It's Almost April

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April means the end of the semester isn't that far away, and it's about time it rolled around already. After all the ridiculousness of the past few weeks I'm looking for the end of the semester. April is followed by May and May has to be the shortest of all the months... I'm pretty sure it is. April is going to be one of the busiest months in a long time, and once we're done, it's basically over from there on out.

But I'm still confused. I feel like I have to enter April with a clear head, and there's only two days with which to do that. To be honest there's a lot of things going on right now and I'm unsure about all of them. I don't exactly understand how people are reacting to certain situations and how people have been so short-sighted in their interpretations. It's going to have to be something I figure out over the next couple of days. If I enter April with an uneven head I'm going to have to find out what's going down before my birthday.

And I feel like this "battle" I'm having isn't with other people and trying to make them understand my points of view. At least yet. It's trying to understand where they are coming from. For one of the first times in my life, I think I have to step out of my opinions and see what other people feel, and respect their opinions. It's part of growing up and I feel like I haven't done that well on this part of maturing as I should be. There's a lot of things I'm going to find out in the next few weeks.

I also have to do a lot of choosing in the month of April. Who do I cut ties with from this year and not see again? And who do I strengthen ties with to hang out with next year? What about my love life?

Then after April it's downhill from there as it's all finals in May, or at least I feel that it's that way. Looking way out ahead, the last one is May 19. Then it's about a week break before I'm thrust into the role of assistant head coach for the swim team. The pool is looking really good. The coping stones that go around the edge of the pool are in place and the tiling work has begun. Meanwhile, with the baby pool, the pumphouse structure is going up. This is so exciting; in a few months we'll be swimming in a great pool with a great small team. The ceiling is so high with this group of swimmers; the "bad guys" were removed a couple years ago, and looking ahead into the next few years, it's looking incredible!

In between the end of the finals and the beginning of the swim team, the next big purchase may take place... an upgraded phone. But will I go with the Blackberry Bold, the more professional looking phone? Or will it be the iPhone, the more application-heavy phone?

I'm Sorry, But...

Sometimes you gotta know when to cancel a series. This one is not looking good. If you know what I'm talking about it's going to be a tough battle the next couple of weeks.

Season 6 has been a lot worse than Seasons 1-4. I really miss those old times.

Hope for the Future

The grass is uncut down the street and high fences block front yards of houses. Bars adorn the windows blocking potential burglars from entering homes. A few blocks away, the empty shells of former houses stand beyond a fence. Yet, somehow in this neighborhood, in these times of economic troubles, there is hope. Hope stands behind the metal doors of St. Hope Academy and the Triumph Center. Here the underprivileged children play and laugh as if nothing is wrong.

We can all learn something from these children. So much goes wrong in our lives; so many financial burdens, so many personal problems in their lives, but they know nothing of them. Yes, they care about what is important to them, but they are able to laugh it off and go about their day with positive and hopeful attitudes. It's something we all should do - if something "serious" comes about, rather than saying our lives are miserable we should just accept things as they are.

I've learned a lot on my vacation to California - I used to at one point think that I could only see myself on the East Coast, in Washington, in Alexandria, or wherever that was within Metro distance of America's capital city. Now I've been able to get out and see what life is like on the West Coast. On the East, everyone rushes around trying to make their appointments. But on the West, everyone is more relaxed and seems to have no problem with everyday events.

There's still a piece of California I have yet to explore, and I'm saving it for when I am ready. This week I told myself I wanted to take a cross-country journey and explore America. But I'm not sure if I'm quite ready yet. I love the state of California so far in my short visit, but I need to hold myself back. Maybe I can take the journey when I'm more ready, but it doesn't seem like now is the time to go. I think after college is the time to explore. I'll be young, but I'll have learned a lot more lessons in the two years I have left at the University of Maryland.

This is my 100th post here at Blogger, and I hope that the next 100 are just as fun as my first. My first post was back in November of 2007... when I was still a freshman. Times were good... I was learning a lot of new things in my first semester in college... not only in the classroom but in my personal life. I still have a lot of ways to go there, and I hope you will join me on the journey that will take me down the road from here.

The World Is Full of Uncaring People

A little more than three weeks ago I sustained a shoulder injury which I thought to be more moderate than severe. I dislocated (and relocated) it during a football game. Then last Monday I reinjured it, so I figured I should go to the doctor to get it checked out. Finally on Friday, appointment time came around, and my guess was that it was a partial separation of the joint. Turns out I was completely wrong. X-rays showed a break in the scapula (that's a fancy word for shoulder blade) and I was set for a referral to orthopedics for Monday (yesterday).

Referral time came around and the orthopedics doc examined my shoulder and confirmed from the X-ray that there was indeed a break. The treatment for this is at least 3 weeks with a very annoying arm sling and a total of 6-8 weeks without heavy lifting or sports and strenuous activities.

So today came the first day of classes with the sling, and I must say it's a pain in the butt. The injury is to the right shoulder which sucks because all the desks in my first class are right handed desks. AKA I'm screwed and can't have my shoulder rest comfortably anywhere. Or use my laptop. So I scrambled around to find a left handed desk and switch it out with my chair. Meanwhile, everyone in the class watches me do this and does nothing to help even though I only can use one arm to pull this thing over to my area. It's not that the desk was heavy, it's just that when you see someone struggling with something, shouldn't you offer help... especially to someone with an injury?

Now I'm not saying that everyone is doing stuff like this because so many people have been helpful by holding doors open and offering to carry things for me. But there's some other people who do a half-ass job of it, such as the girl who (kind of) held the doors open for me on the way to Meteorology. Here, read held the doors open as held them about halfway so I was left helpless to kick the door the rest of the way open. I had my laptop in one hand and the other arm in a sling, so there was not much I could do.

This experience in a sling, though short for now, is going to teach me some things, but mainly the importance of helping people out when they need it. Holding doors all the way open when someone can't do it themselves, not only in the physical sense but in the metaphorical sense, too. Helping people carry their burdens. Those types of things. And this injury has made me realize just exactly how short-sighted people are, and how being short-sighted is not a good thing.

I'll keep you all posted on the rest of my recovery. By the way, I did the calculations for 6-8 weeks since the appointment, and that puts me at late April or early May for a return. With such an uncommon injury in a sensitive area, though, that timeline could very well be extended. 

The Double Standard...

The double standard seems to continue... seems like some people will never learn that treating some people differently than others is a BAD POLICY. You treat people fairly and respectfully in society... not some as dirt and others as gold. It's tough to say this as a swim coach when you have some show up to practice every day and others never show up, but I'm honestly working on it. At winter swim practice I've been doing my best to treat everyone as the same person but still remembering individual differences. Punishment is the same for every person and every wrongdoing... it's not a question.

So now we've got to talk to the guy who's been doing this double standard thing and we have got to set the record straight. This is going to be a tough discussion but it has to be done... we are tired of living this way. This must end and we have to start it now.

In other local news, I've decided to shut down the other blog and concentrate my efforts here. It almost seems like that blog was bad luck for snow around here...

Thoughts...

My thoughts are all over the place right now, but let me start by saying that the thought that someone can get away with treating someone horribly and then not face any repercussions is absolutely ridiculous. There's double standards everywhere, and I can't wait for the tables to turn around. That's all I have to say about someone who can act so immature, and then for the other person to accept criticism like nothing ever happened is also beyond my reasoning. Ridiculous.

Another way double standards have hit... someone with destructive behavior getting favored over someone who doesn't destroy things... interesting.

Jim Bowden has resigned as general manager of the Washington Nationals, and it's interesting to say the least. I think he was going to be fired and they gave him a chance to step down and not have the firing on his resume. I think it will be interesting to see who the team picks as his successor. Regardless of whom they pick, it will be a classy move for the organization to rid of someone who hasn't really been the classiest of people.

And speaking of the Nationals organization, critics really need to do their homework. Everyone always says how terrible the team is without doing their research. You try managing a team with six different first basemen. Then injure your entire starting lineup and their backups. Learn something before you say it.

Those are my thoughts.

Site Updates

Some updates to the website on the right side; I'm playing with HTML and throwing some weather information over there. Check it out and make sure to refresh every few minutes because I'll be putting some new things over there.

(Translation: I'm really bored, it's Friday and I have nothing better to do, and I want to have fun.)

Jim Bowden

It's been an interesting couple of weeks with the Washington Nationals. Just when you think Jim Bowden can't do anything right, the team up and signs Adam Dunn, perhaps its biggest offseason acquisition since Alfonso Soriano. Then the Esmailyn Gonzalez/Carlos Daniel Lugo Alvarez (or whatever his name is) scandal breaks out, followed by the profit skimming scandal.

So now we're locked in an interesting position here. What does the press report and how much does the press speculate? What does the team do next? They've already gotten rid of Jose Rijo who is pretty much responsible for the Gonzalez/Lugo scandal, and potentially the profit skimming scandal. Now the target is on Bowden. But who is pointing the gun? Is it the front office or is it just the press and its thoughts?

This one's going to unfold rather dramatically, and nothing good can come out of this. Keep it posted for the very latest. If something big happens, you'll hear about it at DCSportsFan.com.

Virginia Hills Update

Half of the main pool and all of the baby pool are completely gone!!! By completely I mean completely. Here's a picture:

As you can see the outline for the new baby pool is there. The stairs on the slide are gone, I'm guessing because they're either getting ready to move it or in case someone decides to show up in the middle of the night and slide down it. But anyway, this Sunday afternoon I'm going back home for a swim team event and I'll probably (read: likely) go by the pool and get an updated picture. Very exciting news for a pool that really needs a facelift.

Busy Time!

Since the Nats signed Adam Dunn yesterday, there's been a flurry of excitement. The first big free agency signing that I've been able to write about for DCSportsFan.com. It's going to be busy today because the Nats are holding a press conference in which they will introduce Dunn, at 3 p.m. at Nationals Park. I'm going to try to get down to my first Nationals press conference, so that will be interesting. My only concern is that I get turned away. So we'll try and see what happens. Unfortunately, class goes on during that, so I may have to bum out of those to get to the conference.

This is very exciting!!!

Through the Looking Glass

Today was a board meeting for my pool, and the team rep for the swim team gave a swim team update to keep the board members posted on the latest with the team. In case people don't know, I was the assistant coach for the team last season. The head coach, I would say, might be perhaps the best coach to lead our swim team in the past ten or so years... speaking as a member of the team since the ripe young age of 10.

He taught me a lot when I was coaching, still fully learning the craft of coaching. The previous coach taught me an incredible amount, but this coach increased my confidence and taught me a bunch of new tricks. Not only that, with other coaches, you see improvement to the team, but not as much improvement as this coach has shown us. So I want him to stick around for another year so I can undergo some more seasoning before I'm ready to be head coach.

However, he has a conflict with another swim team that he coaches on the side. He was able to coach last summer but we're not sure if he can coach this summer. My hoping is that the schedule does not conflict and he can come back. However, the team has a winter swim coach lined up in case this does not work out. I went back to observe winter swim and help coach. This coach is a great coach, but my first priority is the coach that we had last summer. If he does not come back, I will most likely apply for head coach if I am given the opportunity. I'm not sure if the board will try and wait to hear his schedule. The winter coach is interested in coaching us this summer, but has an offer from another team.

Things get interesting from there, because if last year's coach does not return, and the winter swim coach is not able to coach us, the position might possibly fall to me. Those two things have to happen for the position to fall to me, but I'd prefer last year's coach come back. If the position does indeed fall to me, I have my assistants picked out, and I know the plan that I will institute. It's going to be an interesting next few weeks, but my guess is that I will be back in some form to the coaching staff this summer. That's a guess. Nothing is set in stone yet but that is the guess at this time. Stay tuned for the latest!

And yes, this entry's title is an episode of LOST.

The State of the Mall

So I went to Springfield Mall to pick up my paycheck from American Eagle and to poke around to see if anything had happened. Since I observed the opening of the brand new Easy Spirit, absolutely nothing has happened except for a few old storefronts boarded up with white and gray walls to signify that "work" is going on behind there. Kaybee Toys and Chique have been boarded up since their closing, but I can't reveal what will be going in Kaybee Toys' place. The floors haven't been improved, and the ceiling still leaks. One thing that I will say is that Sports Authority looked rather empty. Things were on clearance without new items on the wall... so what's going on there? We'll have to wait and see. Modell's looked a bit empty as well. And the rumors are that the first work would go on in the Modell's section. And the new entrance is supposed to be where Sports Authority is. Interesting developments, but nothing major has been unveiled. I probably will wait til March to make my next visit. Stay tuned for anything that I might hear.

I Need to Start Working Out

Yeah, so I need to start working out pretty badly. I'm pretty much out of shape and the summer is slowly, but at the same time quickly, approaching. So I need to get into shape and start working out. That sort of thing.

There's nothing really else to say here, there's not much on my mind that I want to reveal. So there you have it for my musing of the day.

I Had Hoped...

Well, I had hoped to have been moved in Saturday night and to have an enjoyable weekend in College Park, but that didn't seem to be my plan at all. Shortly after I moved in I got this stomach pain and thought it was just me being very hungry. But it wasn't. I ate and then a couple hours later got really sick, and had to come home. I didn't get a great night's sleep Saturday night and slept for part of Sunday while recovering. Then last night I felt even better and got even more sleep, so today I feel so much better. I'm able to eat solid foods now and am drinking apple juice, all to get Vitamin C so I can have more energy and go back to school today. I'm also calling up DOTS to see if I can get a parking space this winter. Hopefully I do and hopefully I can drive back today. All that's left of this evil 24 hour bug is a slight headache and some body aches. But it feels like it's moving out of here. Hopefully I'm back at the university in a few hours!

State of the Mall

The state of the mall, in January 2009, is looking up. Before and after my shift at American Eagle today I walked around the mall... before the shift looking on the second floor, and after it looking on the first floor... just to see, has anything been done since the last time I've been through there? Well I can say that the upstairs Hallmark will be closing soon. Kaybee Toys is fully liquidated and was closed today. That's about it. There's nothing else big that I've noticed, but for some reason there's a big blank space in the JC Penney area, with nothing around but a Modell's. There's talk of this new third floor going on top... could this be the start of that renovation, once Modell's closes? We'll have to wait and see. For now, it's the waiting game. In a couple of months, I may venture back to see how everything looks... but I will be back at the University of Maryland so it will be tougher to do so.

Another Miss

You'd figure that with the historic inauguration, there'd be a historic snowstorm or something. It doesn't seem to be the case, except to our south. I looked at AccuWeather and saw that places like Norfolk are looking at 3-6 inches of snow tomorrow night into Tuesday. There's some talk about model error and how it could hit Washington, but I don't see that happening.

A note about tomorrow - it doesn't matter what your political persuasion is... this is a history-making event. This whole thing just sends shivers down my spine... when Barack Obama was born - he couldn't ride a bus with white people... his people were segregated. I can't believe it's almost come full circle. It's amazing.

I HATE incandescent bulbs...

They made my gummy bears melt together cause the bulb was so hot - and some of them are just deformed now.

About a year ago I got my parents on the "switch to fluorescent bulbs" track, so they did. Today, because my lamp got too hot that the switch didnt work anymore, I broke the old bulb in there and put in one of these new bulbs to hopefully cool it down. It seems as though the other week, we actually used up the last of the incandescent bulbs so we are on our way to becoming an energy efficient house - and one with a lower electric bill too. I'm sure my parents will be sure to thank me for saving them money monthly. Plus if this whole global warming thing is real, hopefully this sort of energy saving tactic can reverse it.

Anyhow, that's why I hate incandescent light bulbs... they're a menace to the environment and gummy bears alike.

About Time Already!

So I was strolling through the hallways of the lovely Springfield Mall today before work, and noticed that the large jungle gym that occupies a big space by the food court is now GONE. The mall looks like a real mall in some parts and appears to be moving forward. Yes, there's still the fact that if you stand in one part of the lower level, you can look around and see no open stores, but some new stores are finally open.

Last week, I had the pleasure to go inside one of the new stores, which I think is the only new store in the mall. It's not a brand new store, but it is a remodel of Easy Spirit. My mom and I walked into the store, and it was bright and beautiful. It had brand new, beautiful wood floors and was very brightly lit. If this is the future of the mall, it is a good one.

Word on the street is that construction on American Eagle's new store will begin February 1. If I see anything else new, I will be sure to take note.

The Official Reaction

Call me jealous. Call me bitter. Call me whatever you want. But there is no way Joe Flacco got that ball snapped before time on the play clock expired. If I'm right (and I know I am), then I saw the play clock expire, and another second on the game clock tick off, then the snap. It would have backed the Ravens up and it would have forced a 4th down because the Ravens would have needed more yards to get the first down. And then they would have had to punt, and that would have meant no field goal.

I don't give a damn who you are, that was not a legal snap and I will hold that to Ravens' fans til the end of time. And let me justify that by saying... when the Titans won in the regular season, the same Baltimore fans said the refs were on our side. Which is not true... because I saw how many "penalties" Tennessee got in that first half.

But let's stop dwelling in the past. Let's focus on the future, and why Baltimore simply can not - and will not win next week's battle against the winner of San Diego @ Pittsburgh. For one, Baltimore forced three turnovers, and only scored 13 points. Just 13... and don't forget three of them were handed to them on a penalty that didn't exist. Also, the Ravens' defense allowed an exorbitant 391 total yards by the Titans, 281 of them in the air. Believe me... when a team like Pittsburgh or San Diego, both of whom hold on to the ball a lot better than the Titans do, faces Baltimore, those kinds of yards will lead to points. Joe Flacco won't get the benefit of facing a beat up defense, either.

And now let's focus on the further future. Where to go with the team in the offseason? The first priority has to be re-signing Albert Haynesworth. I don't care if the Lerner family themselves are running the Titans... Haynesworth needs to be re-signed, and it's going to take a raise. We also need to make sure that there are a couple good young defensive tackles in the system in case Haynesworth isn't re-signed, and/or when he retires. Haynesworth is an excellent player, and he needs to be secured. He's the face of the defense (though some might argue for Vanden Bosch or Bulluck).

The second priority is establishing a second big-play threat. The Titans offense had bite, until Chris Johnson went down with his ankle injury. After that, there was nothing out of the Titans all day... a key reason why the team signed him last offseason. It seems as though there is a lack of talent and/or depth at wide receiver. The offseason needs to be establishing a big-play receiver on this team who can lead the team to a deep playoff run; the pieces are coming together elsewhere.

Another priority has to be finding a long-term solution at quarterback, and we know Kerry Collins is aging fast. Collins had an excellent season, but isn't the most reliable of passers. Cut him or keep him around for another year, but make sure the future is secured with the next great quarterback. Is it Vince Young, Chris Simms, or someone else? Decide that sooner rather than later so we can return to the playoffs and go deep. We've seen what happened when Tampa Bay made the playoffs with no quarterback. It wasn't pretty.

A lesser priority seems to be special teams. Love him or hate him, and most hate him, but Pacman Jones was an incredible athlete who always had the potential to run back a big one. Maybe the next return specialist needs to be found. This goes under the category of a big play threat.

So here's the priorities in summary for this offseason: re-sign Haynesworth, find a big play threat, get a receiver, and find the long-term solution at quarterback.

And, congratulations has to go out to the Arizona Cardinals, for winning two playoff games and reaching the NFC Championship Game. Just goes to show you that even the seemingly hopeless-forever franchises can improve and succeed. I'll talk about Arizona another time. But I've got to wash my jersey, pack it in the closet, and shave the few hairs off my playoff beard. Until next year, Go Titans!

Migrated and Ready to Go

Okay, the old blog is migrated to the new e-mail address and we are all set up and ready to go. Now I'm going to start updating this much more. Hopefully every day.

The latest musing comes from Springfield Mall, where the old carousel has been taken down and is now gone from mall premises. This is excellent news for people who want to see this mall project come to fruition. It signals the start of renovations. Word on the street is that electrical work is also underway. American Eagle is reportedly going to be under construction beginning February 1st. Finally, finally, this mall can be like Tysons, or at least closer. Springfield Mall is going to be back like it used to be - back in the 90s when it was cool to hang out there. I'm excited to say the least.

Tomorrow I have an eye appointment and I can at last be able to see when I get new glasses or contacts. That will happen later this week. And tomorrow may get interesting when the weather gets tricky. Keep it tuned over at It Never Snows for the latest.