your life in america

Grey clouds cover the sky on another overcast Santa Barbara morning. Three years into my residency of this central coast town, I am realizing that this is the norm for this time of year. June Gloom, in full effect. I am still processing the recent, sudden death of my mother at the young age of forty-five , she left too soon. I am still unsure how to feel about the whole thing, but my instinct is to tell everyone i’m doing okay and keep moving forward. Life goes on, and so it goes. Love you Mom.

The weather is nice, I don’t mind it. Coupled with some apple cinnamon oatmeal and sparkling water, the ocean breeze is comforting and crisp drifting in through my living room windows. After a recent escapade through Ross and Kmart, my aunt and I added some nice curtains to the common area of our home. A stress filled dash through rod sizes, window measurements and a whole lot of “that’s what she said” jokes. Compression rods, a valance in the kitchen and I now know the difference between a sheer curtain and a “blackout” curtain. I feel a little more grown up now.

Since I was a kid, the television always seemed to be a source of background noise at mom’s house. Whether it was the KTLA 5 news with Jillian Barberie or Stuart Scott and Dan Patrick on a Sportscenter rerun, it was there. A habit I’ve carried into my adulthood, as I have MLB Network on low volume in the distance. Something about live television, whether I’m watching it or not, it comforts me. Weird.

I had a good conversation with my Dad last night about the LeBron vs. Jordan debate, an argument that will probably continue as long as the world is turning. Jordan never lost in the finals, and LeBron is 3-5. MJ played 15 total seasons in the NBA with a brief stint in Minor League Baseball, LeBron is currently in his 15th season and probably has a few more left. The finals record argument is indisputable, and is usually the first stance for the Pro Jordan side. In LeBron’s nine total finals appearances he has had talent around him with Dwayne Wade, Ray Allen, Chris Bosh, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, but for the most part he has been limited. We can also compare the ’91 Lakers, ’92 Blazers, ’93 Suns, ’96 Sonics and ’97-’98 Jazz to the current Warriors powerhouse that has troubled James over the last couple years. Looking back, I’m not sure what happened in the 2011 Finals when LeBron and the Heat fell to a so-so Mavericks team. MJ may gain a point for that.

Pro Jordan arguers will say that Michael was individually a better clutch player, valid. However, LeBron continues to add to his buzzer beater resume. Especially on his run to the finals this year. I can’t help but confidently say if JR Smith passed him the ball in Game 1, he would have sank the game winner. JR Smith is no Pippen, that’s for sure. Without question, James is a better passer and rebounder. But he doesn’t come close as a shooter, a point for Michael there. Jordan was a 9-time member of the NBA’s All-Defense First team, while LeBron has been selected 5 times. However, James can guard every position on the court effectively, something MJ was incapable of doing.

LeBron is bigger and stronger, averaging 260-270 lbs and standing in at 6’8. He is overpowering on the court. In his prime, Jordan was 6’6 215 lbs and soared through the court with the prettiest jump shot we’ve ever seen. Michael also hit .202 in Double-A baseball, a remarkable athlete.

As a fan, I am grateful that I have been able to see the greatness of both. So who is the GOAT? I have to go with Jordan.

It’s been almost six months since my last entry.  A lot has happened in that time, in both my personal life, and the world of sports and news.

I sit down to write a week after the sudden, unexpected death of my mother.  Still searching for answers why it happened, and why she felt the need to keep her pain so internalized and protected from vulnerability.  I don’t think I need to search too deep to find somewhat of an answer, looking back at the sudden unexpected death of my grandmother.  Both losses alcohol related, and not much was spoken to the family about the pain leading up to my mother and grandmother’s passing.  As I was on the floor of my mom’s bedroom cleaning her blood off the carpet the sound of Ceremony’s “The Separation” was running through my head.  Hearing Ross Farrar singing out the question, “Can you measure the loss?”.  I ask myself today the same question, and the answer I guess is no I can’t measure the loss.  All I know is that my heart hurts. My faith in an Almighty Creator has been tested this week, and today I feel confident that my mother’s spirit is alive and well.  Life goes on, and so it goes.  Love you mom.

On April 15th, LeBron “The King” James began yet another journey toward a championship.  I remember when he came into the league in 2003, headband and all.  I loved him then, and I still do now.  Through the first three rounds of the 2018 playoffs, James has put the entire Cavalier’s organization on his back and carried them to the NBA Finals.  The King is averaging 34.0 PPG and 41.3 minutes per game, having played all 48 minutes in Game 7 against Boston.  Cleveland faced elimination in a Game 7 versus Indiana where LeBron scored 45 points in 43 minutes, sending the Cavs on to face Demar DeRozan and the number one seeded Toronto Raptors.  Not to mention a buzzer beater to beat Indiana in Game 5.  James would add another game winning buzzer beater in Game 3 against Toronto, giving him five total game winning shots in his playoff career.  The King and his not so strong Cavaliers went down 2-0 to a tough Celtics squad, but battled back to tie the series.  After losing Game 5, LeBron faced yet another elimination game.  Game 6, James dropped 46 points and quieted the haters.  Game 7, LeBron goes for 35 points in the TD Garden and is on his way to the Finals for the eighth straight year.

The King may have a losing record in the Finals, fine.  He may have tainted his legacy when he was aired on National Television, making “the decision” to take his talents to South Beach.  The fact can’t be denied that Lebron James is one of the greatest athletes of this generation, and of all time.  In a time where the NBA has fallen below the standards of the “old-timers”, James is the shining light of a hardworking athlete who truly loves the game he plays.  He dominates on the court and takes control of the game.  When people talked about the Bulls they talked about Jordan, when people talk about basketball they talk about LeBron James.  Will LeBron lead the Cavs passed a ridiculously talented, star studded Golden State Warriors team?  Probably not. The odds are stacked against Cleveland as the Warriors are favored 1/10.  One thing about The King is that he is always there, he’s never missed a playoff game.  Throughout his career his most severe injuries have been a sore knee and back, and some cramps.  He’s indestructible.

James won’t give up, and will make history if he can carry his team of misfits past the greatness of the Warriors.  San Antonio, New Orleans and Houston all showed us that Golden State is mortal by handing them some losses.  A true athlete and a true champion, would a 3-6 overall record in the Finals be the end of the The Chosen One’s Legacy?  If so, I’d like to ask him, could he measure the loss?

Let me start off by saying I haven’t wrote in over a month.  Maybe it has taken me that long to process my post World Series Dodger blues.  Or maybe the heart-breaking tragic death of my childhood favorite Roy Halladay.  I think I have too much invested in my beloved boys in blue to write a piece about them and the World Series.  They could’ve done this, they could’ve done that…They should’ve started Alex Wood in Game 7 yada yada yada.  Would any of that even mattered given the monstrosity of George Springer?  Maybe, maybe not.  Much love to the Astros, they earned it.  Not a better time to bring glory to H-Town either, after the hurricaine.  Life goes on, and the Dodgers will be back with a vengeance next season.

What inspired me to write today?  I can’t really put a finger on it to be honest, but I do know it has something to do with my absolute love for sports.  From Major League Baseball to the NHL, I love everything about sports.  From the gut wrenching emotional roller coaster in Game 5 of the World Series, to a cold hard-hitting Monday Night Football AFC North showdown.  And is it just me or does College Football have the most media hype and outside influence on the game of football.  I thought the NBA was the center of attention in the pop culture of sports, but dear Lord after following the selection for the College Football playoff I have changed my mind.  What’s the problem with a standard playoff system?  Maybe take the top two teams from each conference and let the best teams battle for the title.

I have a smart TV, which to be honest I don’t find very smart.  I can’t ever seem to get Netflix working, which actually has been a good thing in the last month.  I say a good thing because it forced me to venture into the deep archive of YouTube documentaries that are available to watch.  What have I stumbled across?  Only some of my greatest childhood memories brought back to life.  Those memories all attached to my favorite athletes and Super Bowls, NBA Finals and World Series Classics.  Seeing that Barry Sanders respectfully handed the ball to the referee after every single touchdown he scored.  I didn’t have the most serene childhood but I was able to escape and lose myself in the greatness that was Michael Jordan and Curt Schilling.

My first definite sports memory is the 1996 Super Bowl between the Cowboys and Steelers.  I was living in Virginia at the time, and I remember watching Emmitt Smith run out of the tunnel and Phil Simms saying he was on his way to be the greatest running back to ever play the game.  From that Super Bowl on I can remember all kinds of players, teams and championships.

Chipper Jones, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and 19 year old Andruw Jones.  The 1996 Braves were NL East Titans and their showdown with Yankees that year was fantastic.  Not to mention the 2001 World Series.  Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Andy Petite, Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Tony Womack.  Destiny in the Desert.  I would like to write a piece about that World Series alone, I’ll never forget that one.  Between 1995 and 2003 the Yankees were the team to beat.  At least that’s how I remember it, they were unstoppable which made it that much better when they fell to Arizona in 2001 and the Marlins in 2003.  Alex Rodriguez was my favorite player during those years.  I loved Griffey of course, but I was always let down by his injuries.  Ken Griffey Jr., the most beautiful swing I have ever seen to this day.  Fifteen years later, my favorite baseball player of all time is Derek Jeter, hands down.  I could do another piece sometime about why the captain is my favorite.

Can I talk about Michael Jordan?  I mean, the greatest basketball player of all time may be an understatement.  MJ was a God amongst men.  He never lost in the NBA finals, NEVER.  I saw an interview with him and Ahmad Rashaw where he said he wanted to keep playing until he lost, but the Bulls weren’t able to work it out where the team could stay together.  His career began with a game winning to shot to give UNC an NCAA Championship and finished with a shot to give the Bulls their 6th Championship.  Not to mention Jordan retired following the tragic death of his Father, gave baseball a try and then came back only to 3peat like a BOSS.  Even coming back with the Wizards, although strained by a bad knee MJ had multiple 40 plus games (including 51 against the Hornets).  He also defensively shut down up and coming superstars Vince Carter, Allen Iverson, Paul Pierce and Latrell Sprewell.  Michael was 38 years old at the time.  Lebron who?  Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player to ever set foot on the court.  Russell Westbrook is the best player in the NBA right now.

Although the NBA, MLB and NFL are nothing like they were in the 90’s and early 2000’s, I still have an absolute love for the game.  Watching the Dodger killer George Springer tear his way through the post season revamped my love for the game of baseball.  I love baseball more than anything.  Watching Russell Westbrook put up a triple-double against practically ever team in the NBA last year revamped my love for the game of basketball.  Watching up and coming Running Backs like Alvin Kamara and Kareem Hunt scoot through defense’s this year has revamped my love for the NFL.  I’d like to see the NFL turn back into a running league.  I’d like to finish this entry off with a list of all the NFL players I can name who have had an impact on my life and shaped my love for Football from as far back as I can remember.  Next time I will do an MLB list.  No googling, no research just my heart and mind reminiscing.  In no particular order, here it goes.

Curtis Martin, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, Marshall Faulk, Edggerin James, Jerome Bettis, Ladanian Tomlinson, Ricky Williams, Shaun Alexander, Clinton Portis, Ahmad Bradshaw, Mike Alstott, Warrick Dunn, TJ Duckett, Emitt Smith, Dorsey Levens, Corey Dillon, Willis Mcgahee, Ahman Green, Deshaun Foster, Tiki Barber, Priest Holmes, Jamal Anderson, Ray Rice, Demarco Murray, Felix Jones, Marshawn Lynch, Deuce Mcallister, Darren McFadden, Garrison Hearst, Darren Sproles, Lesean McCoy, Todd Gurley, Leveon Bell, Matt Forte, Torry Holt, Issaac Bruce, Keyshawn Johnson, Tony Gonzalez, Denniss Pitta, Steve Smith Sr., Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones, Troy Brown, Heinz Ward, Plaxico Burress, Ed Mccaffery, Rod Smith, Donald Driver, Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, Antonio Gates, Randy Moss, Chris Carter, Dante Hall, Devin Hester, Antonio Brown, Golden Tate, Desean Jackson, Julio Jones, Roddy White, Michael Crabtree, Kevin Dyson, Stefon Diggs, Martavis Bryant, Aj Green, Chad Johnson, Terrell Owens, Alshon Jeffrey, Brandon Marshall, Dallas Clark, Kordell Stweart, Rich Gannon, Tom Brady, MICHAEL VICK, Dante Culpepper, Donovan Mcnabb, Tommy Maddox, John Elway, Trent Green, Kurt Warner, Steve Mcnair, Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Tony Romo, Dak Prescott, Jameis Winston, Trent Dilfer, Alex Smith, Phillip Rivers, Matt Ryan, Drew Brees, Marcus Mariota, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Jared Goff, Aaron Brooks, Cam Newton, Vinny Testaverde, Jeff Garcia, Carson Palmer, Carson Wentz, Ken Dorsey, Vince Young, Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Matt Hasselback, Russell Wilson, Ronde Barber, Deion Sanders, Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Brian Dawkins, Leo Shepard, Ed Reed, Ty Law, Champ Bailey, Brian Urlacher, Teddy Bruschi, Troy Palomalu, Ray Lewis, Julius Peppers, Richard Sherman and the Legion of Boom, Reggie White, Ladarius Webb, Haloti Ngata, Adam Archuleta, Aqib Talib, Darrel Revis, Rodney Harrison, Pacman Jones, Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix,  Terrance Newman, Adam Vinateri, Justin Tucker.

It’s been awhile since I have written anything on here, and today I have some time to sit down and share my thoughts and experiences over the last couple weeks.  I’d like to start by saying once again, I will not be writing about the Dodgers until the World Series is over.  As hard as that is right now, there’s too much there for me to get into.  San Francisco.  I grew up and carried into my adulthood this biased opinion about the bay area and northern California.  I used to say that LA was “the city” and was adamant that the bay would never compare and that I would never consider visiting.  That changed a couple weekends ago when I took a weekend trip to SF with my girlfriend.  What a cool place.  We started Saturday morning by stopping by 924 Gilman, a venue that I have heard so much about and so many of my favorite bands have made songs about.  We then traveled passed the coliseum and the arena where the Warriors play which as a avid sports fan was really cool to see.  Then the Golden Gate bridge.  A massive bridge I had never seen in person, which was awesome to drive across and view from a nice spot on a hill my girlfriend found.  Then on into the city, and after this trip I will now refer to San Francisco as in fact “the city”.  So I Married an Axe Murderer, one of my favorite movies takes place in SF and there is a scene at a restaurant called the fog city diner.  We had lunch at the same restaurant which was delicious.  Haight Street, what a trip.  I have never seen that many hipsters in one radius at a time.  Vintage clothing stores lined the block, and a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream shop where we enjoyed a twice baked frosting and sprinkle covered cone.  I found some awesome vinyls in the Amoeba music store, including the soundtrack for the Wes Anderson classic “Rushmore”.  My favorite part of the city was definitely Little Italy.  We stopped an had some strong delicious espresso, and an “affagato: which is espresso over ice.  Bomb.  The whole atmosphere and visuals of Little Italy were fascinating, I felt like I was in a movie.  Not to mention the best Panini I have ever had.  Traveling out of the city back to our hotel we were lucky enough to drive across the Bay Bridge all lit up, it was such a cool sight to take in.  San Francisco was amazing, and I have a newfound respect for the bay area.

Fall is in the air.  What a relief.  The air has that slight crisp feel to it, and that smoky kinda smell is starting to come around.  AMC is constantly playing Halloween movies, which takes me back to Fall of 2013 in Riverside County Jail.  Man, I must’ve watched the Halloween series 3 or 4 times that October in county jail.  Football season is halfway done, and it’s been a decent one so far.  The Raiders have really fallen off which is surprising.  But there are tons of rookies making names for themselves in the NFL which is so cool to see.  Leonard Fournette and Kareem Hunt are two of my favorites right now.  And how about Deshaun Watson?  I haven’t carved a pumpkin in a really long time.  During Game 4 of the World Series I carved a pumpkin and baked pumpkin seeds, so much fun.

No Divide, Santa Barbara’s best local band ripped apart the Lighthouse Skateshop on Saturday.  A new guitar player added a harder sound which was nothing short of RIGHT ON POINT Saturday afternoon.  LOUD.  AND HEAVY.  They are loud, and I love it.  It seemed after only so much head nodding the kids had to start pushing each other and broke out into a nice circle pit.  Keep your eyes out for this band, adding another guitar player should show you they aren’t messing around.  Check out their Facebook page for all the information about their upcoming shows.  Lastly, I can’t stop listening to the Ceremony song “Intro the Wayside Part 1/ Sick” what a great intro to a great album.  Ross Farrar screaming “sick of going sober, sick of starting over” and “sick of Black Flag, sick of Cro-Mags”.  Ceremony was a band that had a big impact on my life as a teenager, with their Violence Violence LP and Scared People EP.  Their sound transformed over the years with their 2015 LP The L Shaped Man echoing a New Order/Joy Division style.  Great album, great band.  This blog is named after the Ceremony song, “your life in America.”  Until next time, Go Dodgers.

It’s been a week since my last entry, I guess I could say I haven’t been inspired since then.  Life is definitely in session with Pharmacology and Psychology classes along with forty hours of work a week.  I love my job though, and school helps me to excel more with my clients.  A lot has happened this past week in the world of sports but I don’t feel like writing about that.  I will say I am not going to write about the Dodgers because I don’t want to interfere with whatever good energy they’ve got going after sweeping Arizona in the NLDS.  I am surprised and impressed with the Bronx Bombers winning two in a row against a tough Indians squad.  I loved seeing the Packers take down the Cowgirls in dramatic fashion.  So I am sitting here cooking some chicken and brown rice drinking water and waiting for the Direct TV installation guy get to my house.  My own house in which I pay rent, a Direct TV package that I am paying for, cooking my own somewhat healthy food which I bought and having just finished a PSYCH 100 homework assignment, and 45 minutes of exercise.  Not to mention I fed my new baby betta fish Cosmo.  My life was nothing like this two years ago.  I lived my life in about an 8 block radius and kept everything I owned in a backpack, slept at a park, rarely showered, you get the picture.  Why was my life like this? Heroin addiction, that’s why.  I love California.  I love the beach, I love the mountains, I love the city and I love the streets.  The streets aren’t so cool and loveable when they are your home however.  Riverside is very hot in the summer, and cold in the winter.  I remember nights it was so cold and I was so hungry I could not fall asleep.  As soon as the sun started coming up it would warm up but then I would have to see all the productive members of society buzzing around to their jobs and school.  I hated that shit.  Probably because I never thought I’d be one of those people, and I had zero clue as to where to begin.  I remember walking by houses at night and peering into the living rooms of families watching Sunday night football and crying because I wanted to so bad to have what they had.  But all I had was Heroin and a host of fair-weathered friends.  My life in California, it was a nightmare.  Especially when I was homeless in Long Beach one cold fall night in 2013 when I watched the Dodgers lose to the Cardinals in NLCS through the windows of the Rock Bottom Brewery.  So today as I’m sitting here writing and the Direct TV guy is installing TV in my home I begin to fill with gratitude.  I can now be one of those people who watches Sunday Night Football in my living room and cooks dinner.  I am one of those people who wakes up with responsibility on a Monday morning, a job to go to and homework to finish.  Not only that, but I get to do all of it in beautiful Santa Barbara.  A lot different from Riverside but I have adjusted.  Not too far from LA, a couple blocks from the beach and all kinds of cool places to eat and cool theaters.  My Life In California, now it’s pretty awesome….

Standing in at 6’7 281 pounds is the Yankees monster of a right fielder, Aaron Judge.  At only 25 years old he put together a phenomenal rookie season with a whopping 52 home runs and 114 RBIS, the kid is the real deal.  Not to mention topping Giancarlo Stanton in the Home Run Derby blasting towering dingers reaching well over 500 feet.  Aaron Judge can definitely play ball, and his season is not over yet.  The Bronx Bombers will face off against the surprise visitors to the playoffs, the Minnesota Twins.  Oh how I love to see teams like the Twins this year squeak into the playoffs.  The Twins are coming into Yankee Stadium tonight having lost a playoff series four times to the Yanks since 2003.  However, I think there is something special happening in the Twin Cities with the veteran status of Joe Mauer and a 44 year old Bartolo Colon still managing to find himself in the starting rotation.  And the young talented hot bats coming from Byron Buxton and Brian Dozier may give the Twinkies a decent chance for an upset, along with their scrappy defense.  Let’s talk about who’s on the hill for both squads, being that I grew up watching Ervin Santana sling it for the Halos.  Now Santana comes into the game with a 16-8 record and 3.28 ERA on the season, which is very good for 34 year old inconsistent Ervin Santana.  I am a huge Sonny Gray fan but can understand why the Yanks are going with the electric Severino instead, in a wild card game anything goes and the bullpen will probably be stocked with whoever Girardi needs to get the job done.  I love the vibe that the MLB playoffs create.  It’s finally starting to feel like Fall outside and I can’t even imagine how amazing the atmosphere is going to be at Yankee stadium tonight.  It will be an interesting game, and my heart is pulling for the Twins to pull off the upset even though I am a huge fan of Aaron Judge, DiDi Gregorious and Starlin Castro.  Can Judge and the rest of the Yankees all rise to the occasion?  Or will the youngsters from the Twin Cities take home the W?  We will have to wait and see.  Whoever it is will move on to battle a RED HOT Cleveland Indians team who are dangerous in all aspects.  Go Dodgers.

I woke up this morning in a new room, in a new house, with a refreshing feeling about another chapter in my life.  I started my morning routine as usual with extra strong Foldger’s instant coffee (a county jail habit I can’t seem to break), making my bed and talking to God for a little bit.  After the caffeine did it’s trick and I had my nicotine fix, I proceeded with my usual pushup/burpee/jumping jack exercise routine, nothing crazy.  It’s amazing what 45 minutes of exercise and a good sweat can do for the spirit early in the morning.  I couldn’t have been in better spirits getting into the car with my Aunt when she informed me there was a mass shooting in Las Vegas and at least 50 people were killed.  My heart sank, as it usually does when I hear about this sort of thing.  But this time was different, I didn’t sit and try understand why?  Or get wrapped up in the details of the gunman, and sit baffled and confused as to how someone could do such a thing.  I just thought to myself… mankind is twisted, the human mind is so complex beyond our understanding, and there is so much pain built up within each and every one of us that of course these kind of things are going to happen.  Have I become desensitized to death and tragedy because of the field I have chosen to work in?  Day in and day out witnessing deaths and disappointment due to drug addiction, alcoholism and compulsive behavior…possibly.  I have come to realize that very few people actual get in touch with who they really are and most of us including myself run away from emotional pain.  Pop culture and songs on the radio tell the kids to drink cough syrup and smoke marijuana until they can’t feel anymore.  Kids are given iphones at age 8 and sent to Netflix when parents don’t have time to talk about their feelings with them.  Are we just one giant realm of avoidance?  Maybe so, and maybe we have come so far from talking about how we feel that we think no one gives a shit anymore.  So, mental health problems are ignored and anger builds and builds in the depths of a person who isolates until they decide to unload round after round into a mass of innocent people.  It breaks my heart and I will ask God to place healing on those families who are impacted by this tragedy.  Another tragedy like this will happen again, and really is there anything we can do about it?  Is the human mind so powerful and complex that it can’t be helped?  I think not.  I’m not trying to change the world, I’m just trying to do my part…  Congratulations to the Twins for getting that wildcard spot.

No Divide.  Fast, Thrashy, Angry and Heavy.  The perfect band to set the tone for a small show in a bar in Grover Beach where the punk scene is alive and well.  Especially with long time street punks The Casualties coming into town rockin a new frontman after the nototrious Jorge gave up the crown.  First, back to NO DIVIDE.  Friends of mine from Santa Barbara that have put together a raw three piece band and are up and coming in the central coast punk scene playing shows and recording music.  It’s like D.R.I. meets Negative FX with a female vocalist that sounds NOTHING like Vice Squad or The Voids but some gritty real pain with a lot of heart. Keep your eye’s peeled for NO DIVIDE playing soon in a city near you.  Now, The Casualties… oh the Casualties… with their recent allegations of sexual assaults and losing Jorge the face of their band for 27 years they came rollin into Grover Beach mohawks, studded vests and all.  They put on a decent show (No Divide and Los Creepers were better) playing some classics like “Riot” and “Made in NYC” which I found myself getting pretty hyped for, I grew up listening to Die Hards on repeat. UP THE PUNX!.  And of course the classic “Punk Rock Love”.  After breaking my ankle at Sound and Fury Fest this summer during a Bracewar set it was nice to hear live music again and know that my slamdancing days may not be over just yet.  It was great to see all the kids out for the show, smoking cigarettes and talking shit like any good punk rock kid should be doing.  There is something special about being in a tightly packed space with a bunch of sweaty kids jumping off shit and stomping around angrily in a circle.  I grew up going to Showcase Theatre in Corona, CA and punk shows were a place for me to get wild with my friends and just let go of all the stress I had, sing alongs, stage dives and 40 oz. King Cobras.  Being 26 and sober now I still love the atmosphere a small venue provides.  Punk is not dead, and we will always be OUT OF STEP…WITH THE WORLD.

Poor Mike Glennon, rough night against Green Bay tonight with the looming talks of when he will be replaced by the faster seemingly more confident 2nd overall draft pick Trubinsky.  Glennon finished the night with 218 yards 2 picks a snap that him in the knee resulting in a turnover and ultimately a 35-7 loss to Green Bay.  And what about that hit on Davante Adams…ouch.  I’m not particularly an Aaron Rodgers fan, but he’s a Super Bowl Champ gotta respect that.  When I was a kid the Packers were Brett Favre, Ahman Green and Donald Driver.  I don’t have a favorite football team just like to see my fantasy guys do well, and maybe Ezekiel Elliot break his collarbone and some ribs and be out for the remainder of the season.  Thursday Night Football still hasn’t seemed to take off yet, I still enjoy the midweek game though.  October…..in my eyes the finest month in sports.  MLB playoffs, NBA, NHL, FOOTBALL, COLLEGE FOOTBALL it’s really a beautiful thing.  Let’s talk about my beloved dearest deeply loved Los Angeles Dodgers.  Coming off a great season with some extremely low lows and excessively high highs will this be the year they take it all??  I have yet to see the Dodgers in a world series since I’ve been alive. Plenty of NL west division titles but that’s about it, my dad used to take me to see Mike piazza, Gary sheffield, Darren dreifort and hideo nomo.  Now it’s Bellinger, Turner, Seager, Puig, Forsythe, Taylor, Hernandez, Joc, yaz, and my man from Riverside Austin Barnes!! With Alex wood, Kershaw, Darvish, and even Rich Hil looking good, and Kenley to bring the heat in the 9th. It looks good on paper but we will see what happens.  I am anxiously anticipating the NBA season with all these off-season moves it’s crazy! Can kyrie carry the Celtics? Can LeBron navigate his greatness with the return of DWade and the injury prone Derrick Rose? And how about the Western Conference?! I don’t have a favorite basketball team but I love to watch Westbrook and I enjoy Damien Lillard, with all that being said it will be an interesting NBA season. I’ll save my opinions on the Ball family for another time. And we can’t forget Dustin Brown and the Kings looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs last year. So much to talk about in the world of sports right now; Giancarlo Stanton is a BOSS 58 HR reminds me of the Sosa/Mcgwire race of 98, kneeling during the anthem, Rick Patino and the FBI?!?! Which brings me to my final point. I love sports, I love the hype, i love predictions, I love the trash talk, I love the history, I love the primetime events and i love the games that become classics which is why I decided to start this blog.  Just a place for me to rant and talk about the world of sports like some of my biggest influences Michael Rappaport and Max Kellerman. Until next time, keep Mike Glennon in your prayers…✌