Snow and sidewalks

Is it really that difficult people to shovel your sidewalk? I believe it is a law but I could be wrong. In the crazed world known as Chicagoland, people drive like crazed maniacs. When I go out for a run I like to stay alive to finish my run. To help me achieve that task I like to run on sidewalks. Running through snow is not fun. Please shovel your sidewalk. Thanks!

Back on the horse....

I need to set things straight, I do not ride a horse nor do I plan on ever riding a horse. That title was a figure of speech. I intended it to mean that I am getting back into blogging. For the last month or so I have been attempting to find a story worthy of my so faithful readers. It has been a struggle. I believe I have finally found a topic that I am good at....complaining. I am not sure that I should admit this, but Jim Rome is my inspiration. I guess I could use Jim Rome as an entire entry and complain about him but I won't. On his television show "Rome is Burning" he has a segment devoted to complaining about something that occurred in sports. I am going to call my segment, "You Annoy Me."

For my first installment I want to focus on a couple television commercials. The people in the Olive Garden commercials annoy me. If I ever saw people act they way they do in a real restaurant I might be tempted to throw food at them. They are loud and obnoxious. YOU ANNOY ME!

Jared The Galleria of Jewelry, might be the worse. If I ever find that special someone that I want to marry, I will not go to your store. And if I did, and she went to her friends and family and told them of our engagement by saying, "He went to Jared." The engagement would be off. Seriously, I have no proof of this, but I am sure your diamonds do not sparkle more than others. Nor do we need to be bombarded with your lame commercials. YOU ANNOY ME!

My deepest apologies

I am very sorry to all the faithful readers out in Blog Land (actually John Brandt and Kevin Murawski might be the only faithful readers) for not making a post in quite awhile.

Let me give you an update on things. Coaching football for the Cougars consumes my life. Well, that should about do it for this post and my life. Till next time everyone...I mean John and Kevin.

Season Preview - by Jim Egan Concordia Sports Information Director

This can also be read at http://concordiacougarfootball.blogspot.com

Our Cougar football team takes the field at 1:00 tomorrow for the 2008 season opener against Blackburn College. Concordia will be looking for their third straight opening win over the Battlin' Beavers following last year's 33-14 win in Carlinville and a 13-3 win in 2006, the game that got Coach Lonnie Pries' CUC coaching career off to a roaring start. Coach Pries has moved the team forward in each of his first two years, and this year will look to be more of the same while dealing with the challenges of play in the new (for football) Northern Athletics Conference. Gone are the old Illini-Badger rivals Greenville and MacMurray (although Eureka will stay on this year as a non-conference opponent), and in their place will be new football rivals Wisconsin Lutheran (Oct. 4), Rockford (Oct. 11) and Maranatha Baptist (Oct. 25).
Tomorrow's game will feature the debut of several players while still retaining many of the familiar faces from last year. On offense, Mike Marotta will start at quarterback, having held off the challenges from a couple of newcomers in camp. Marotta will not be a stranger in the position, as he started five games in 2007 and led the team to wins over Benedictine and MacMurray. The junior QB will have plenty of targets, as is customary with the Cougars' offense of the last few years. Lukas Weeks and Savonte Hunt have earned starting positions at wide receiver and slotback respectively, while speedster Jamal Thomas (Weirsdale, FL/Lake Weir H.S.) will also figure prominently at receiver. A hearty "welcome back" goes out to Mike Egebrecht who sat out the 2007 season but has rejoined the team to contribute at slotback and possibly as a return man for special teams.Khyree Copeland will pose a threat to opposing defenses once again in the backfield. The 5'8" sophomore rushed for over 650 yards last year and enjoyed his best game against Blackburn with a combined 225 yards in rushing and receiving. Copeland's speed and elusiveness may become even more dangerous this year behind an offensive line that returns three starters (Francisco Vargas, Mason Thompson, Phil Klopke), a fourth-year veteran (John Lally) and a converted defensive lineman (Chip Wylie). The offensive line averages 6'1" and 280 pounds per man, and the combination of size and experience bodes very well for both the rushing and passing games.
On defense, the Cougars' three-man front will include two returning sophomore ends in Matt Boswell and Cory Howard, and they will flank freshman nose guard and Walther Lutheran grad Steven Campbell. The core of linebackers will feature an interesting mix of new and old - the newcomers are middle linebacker David Ewart (Ocala, FL/Lake Weir H.S.) and outside backer Terrence Miller (Jacksonville, FL/Potter's House Academy). Senior Ricky Lach, like Egebrecht, is back after missing the 2007 season, and he is expected to hold down the other outside position. The two inside positions are held by senior Steve Malok and sophomore Jason Talos.In the secondary, the experience and leadership of junior Jarin Davis will come into play at one of the corner positions. Cory Volkman will play at the other corner, while newcomer Jonathan Stephens (South Holland, IL/Thornridge H.S.) will step in at the free safety position. Stephens is another player that may have the ability to contribute on special teams.
The Cougars were picked to finish seventh in this year's pre-season poll of the NAC coaches, but Pries and the Cougars have higher expectations. "Lakeland and Concordia Wisconsin are always tough, and Rockford may be the best of our new conference opponents," allows Pries. "But our confidence has grown in leaps and bounds these past two years, and we are fully confident that we can compete and win against anybody if we take care of our business."

New Blog

I would like to invite you to a new blog I am sure you will love. Please visit it and visit it often. http://concordiacougarfootball.blogspot.com. Enjoy and go Cougars!

Squeezing Prayer Into a Busy Life

Last week I had the opportunity to join my family in the north woods of Wisconsin. My aunt and uncle have a beautiful house on Kentuck Lake which is located just outside Eagle River, WI. While there I was able to do plenty of biking and running while enjoying God's awesome creation. Anyways at 4:30 am on Friday July 4th my aunt was taken to the Eagle River hospital. She is doing great now, but while visiting her my cousin came across a pamphlet titled "Squeezing Prayer Into a Busy Life". Inside was this prayer (this is not a joke):

Prayer Over Empty Beer Cans Discarded on the Sidewalk
"Lord, please be with whoever left these cans. If they drank from sorrow, heal their hurt. If they drank to escape, help them to face difficulty. If they were simply careless, help them and all of us to remember our duty to preserve the beauty of your creation. Help all of us celebrate the right things, to enjoy like fully but wisely."

July 4th-What Price is Freedom

I received this in an email forwarded to me from my aunt.

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners...men of means and well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas > Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates. Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told me a lot of what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't just fight the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government! Some of us take these liberties so much for granted...We shouldn't. So, take a couple of minutes while enjoying your Fourth of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid, for freedom is truly never free!

MetLife Duathlon 2008 - "Race Around the World"

Sunday June 22, 2008 was my first duathlon of the 2008 season. I like to call this one my warm-up even though the competition is probably the hardest of all my races. For those that are not familiar with the duathlon format, it is a run, bike, run (it is for those of us that don't want to swim).

The "Race Around the World" Duathlon is in it's 8th year to raise money for various local charities. This year's race raised money for Together We Cope, which is a homeless prevention agency located in Tinley Park. The "Race Around the World" Duathlon is the largest multisport event in the southern Chicago suburbs with 360 individual participants and 54 teams.

Last year I completed the 2 mile run, 11 mile bike and 2 mile run in a time of 1:07:01 for a 112th overall finish (out of 349) and an 11th place finish in the Male 25-29 Age Bracket. My goal this year was a time of around 1 hour. I came up short in that aspect, but I did have a nice improvement. I completed the race in 1:02:38, for a 59th overall finish and a 2nd place finish in the Male 25-29 Age Bracket.

Please stay tuned for an update on my other upcoming races. July 12th in Kenosha, WI (3.1 mile run, 25 mile bike, 3.1 mile run) and August 3rd in Clarkston, MI (2 mile run, 16 mile bike, 4 mile run).

Sports Controversy

In a time when new controversies in sports seam to be an everyday occurrence, I believe I have found one I cannot fathom to accept. The Journal Sentinel Online has a "Daily Sports Poll" and toady's poll asks the readers if they believe the Sausage Race held at every home baseball game for the Brewers is rigged, fixed, set-up. As a fan of the Brewers and especially the Sausage Race I am hurt. I can handle the Barry Bonds steroid issue, Spy-gate does not bother me or who cares what Jose Canseco says. These stories do not tear at my heart and soul like the thought that the Sausage Race is fixed.

As of 12:00 pm today (May 29, 2008) 372 readers responded to the poll. 31.7% said NO that the race is not fixed while 68.3% said YES! If the race is indeed fixed I will never cheer for #3, The Italian Sausage.

"Where a kid can be a kid?"

This is an article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal:

Chuck E. Cheese's again beset by fights
Police calls to Town of Brookfield restaurant rise
By JACQUI SEIBELjseibel@journalsentinel.com
Posted: May 21, 2008
Town of Brookfield - Five years after Chuck E. Cheese's restaurant hired private security because of excessive calls to police about disturbances, officers are making even more trips for fights and other problems at the children's party restaurant.
Invariably, restaurant officials say, it's the adults, not out-of-control children, causing the worst problems at the restaurant.
"We expect kids to fight at Chuck E. Cheese, but it's the parents," company spokeswoman Brenda Holloway said.
The Town of Brookfield Police responded to the location at 19125 W. Blue Mound Road 81 times since the beginning of 2007, according to police records. Fifteen of those calls involved serious fights, battery or disorderly conduct in progress. The remaining calls included responses for thefts, 911 hang-ups, accidents and other traffic-related matters.
Police were there another 15 times just to walk through the restaurant and parking lot to ensure peace, something the department started doing after another wave of incidents in 2003. There were 40 police responses to the restaurant that year.
Holloway contends the number of fights have actually decreased since security guards, some of whom carry guns, have been added to the payroll for the busy weekends at some Chuck E.Cheese's throughout the country.
"There are a few scattered fights," Holloway said of the 533 restaurants in the United States and Canada. In a perfect world, there would be no fights at a place with the slogan of "Where a kid can be a kid" and the company is baffled by any fighting in the restaurant, she said.
"We don't want that reputation," Holloway said. The publicly traded chain is owned by CEC Entertainment Inc., based in Irving, Texas.
The pizza and Whack-a-Mole games bring high-spirited children's birthday parties in droves to Chuck E. Cheese's, which also serves alcohol to adults.
Town of Brookfield Capt. Tim Imler said he couldn't say for certain that the alcohol is the source of the problem. It may be a matter of too many people in one location, he said.
Not the children
He also agrees with the company spokeswoman that the problems are rarely caused by the children.
"It appears the company is trying to make improvements to create a family-friendly environment but, unfortunately, being open to the public, there is only so much control of who walks through their door," Imler said.
On April 4, police responded to a fight inside the restaurant involving up to 40 people yelling and pushing each other, according to police reports. It was chaos when police arrived. Officers called for mutual aid from the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department and the City of Brookfield. No one would come forward to say who instigated the incident, so there were no arrests.
When town officials first expressed concern about the calls to Chuck E. Cheese's five years ago, they asked the company to hire its own security. That was done.
Then on Feb. 17, 2007, police responded to Chuck E. Cheese's for a fight involving 15 to 20 people. When police arrived, the security guard was standing in the parking lot pointing a gun at 15 people, mostly children ages 6 to 16, lying on the ground. Police allowed the children to sit in their cars until officers could talk to them.
The fight started when one group told another group to be more careful while playing the games because a 1-year-old child was nearly hit by a ball. Words were exchanged between the groups and one person was "getting in people's faces," police reports say. No one was arrested, but one man was given a ticket alleging he lied to officers about his name.
No more armed guards
Following that incident, the Town of Brookfield police told Chuck E. Cheese's they could not have armed guards, Imler said. The town has an ordinance that requires a permit for armed security, which the restaurant did not have.
On Milwaukee's south side, Chuck E. Cheese's resolved problems it was experiencing by voluntarily giving up its liquor license, according to a Milwaukee alderman. The restaurant raised the ire of neighbors and police after police were called to the location at 2701 S. Chase Ave. 18 times in a two-month period in 2006, including once for a fight involving 40 people.
Ald. Tony Zielinski had called for the possible closure of the restaurant and arcade, so the restaurant voluntarily gave up its liquor license in February 2007.
Since then, Zielinski, who has been monitoring the restaurant, said the situation has improved significantly. The company improved the lighting in the parking lot and added armed security guards too. Although Zielinski isn't happy about the armed guards, he contends alcohol served at a restaurant for children was a contributing factor in the problems.
The Chuck E. Cheese's in West Allis, the closest to the Town of Brookfield location, has had 33 calls for police assistance since the beginning of 2007, West Allis Police Lt. Barry Waddell said. Of those calls, one involved an assault, he said.
Imler said it would be up to the Brookfield Town Board to consider revoking the restaurant's liquor license. There has been no discussion, he said.

2008 Tour de Cure - Milwaukee Style

This past Sunday I participated in the 2008 Tour de Cure located in Milwaukee, WI. Actually it started in Grafton and moved throughout Ozaukee County so in reality it was not in Milwaukee. The Tour de Cure is a bike ride that takes place all across the United States on various dates, to raise money for the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The Milwaukee version had 4 distances to choose from. There was the 100K (62.5 miles), 54K (34 miles), 25K (15.5 miles) and the 10-mile family fun ride. Each rider was asked to raise at least $150.00 for the ADA.

I decided to participate in the 100K distance. This distance would be a new personal high in mileage biked at one time for me. I was very nervous going in. Just hoping I would be able to finish under 4 hours. As we began, the course took us straight into a very hard wind. There was a group of 15-20 riders that stuck together for the first 15 miles. At the 15 mile mark we lost a good portion of our group and we were left with 10. After another 5 miles we were down to 5, myself and 4 others. We stuck together until we reached the turnaround point. Our group of 5 became 4. With about 5 miles left we reached a hill that under normal circumstances would not be too difficult, but after 57 miles on the bike it was not fun. We lost another rider. As we pulled into the finish, there were only three of us left. We crossed together.

The ride was definitely one of the best bike rides I have ever . To work together with a group of guys was such an awesome experience. To be in a pace line working together to cut down the wind while conserving energy was fun. I look forward to doing this even again next year. Thank you to all who helped me raise $280.00 for the ADA.

Miles Per Gallon

I know with the rising prices of "crude oil" thus the rising prices of automobile gasoline has caused many a conversation at the ole' water cooler, but some people have gone too far. Seriously, these new Smart Cars? Have the people that have bought these actually looked at them? I know they get an estimated 40 city and 45 highway miles per gallon but WOW! These cars are so small the circus would be lucky to get 5 clowns into it. RIDE A BIKE!

Idiot!

Dear Idiot,

When driving a truck, and your are approaching a bridge that largely displays a sign stating that the bridge is "11 feet 10 inches" high, one would assume you do not want to drive your truck that is taller than "11 feet 1o inches" under the bridge.

Sincerely,

Common Sense

A Little Slice of Heaven

The weekend of March 21-23 was truly a memorable event. It all started on Good Friday. Not only was I able to celebrate the ultimate sacrifice that the Lord made for me, but it was also the first official day of Spring. Yeah, it snowed 13 inches while I was home in "God's Country" Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

On Sunday my family and I celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. It was great seeing my God Parents Lynn and Carla Podoll again. But sandwiched in between the two religious holidays, I celebrated the Annual Bike Expo at the Wisconsin State Fair Park. Wheel and Sprocket holds there expo there every year. This was only the second time I have been able to attend due to the fact that I lived in Michigan for 4 plus years. Last year was tremendous, this year was even better. Even though I have not purchased a bike myself, it is always a good time when someone in my family does. Last year my father bought a bike, this year my mother featured into the world of the road bike. It is a cute little Trek bike. I am looking forward to participating in the same race with her this June. The Tinley Park Duathlon. Sorry mom, but I'm going to try my hardest to beat you.

Proud or Embarassed?

I am not sure if I should be proud of our players or embarrassed...

California

I recently returned from a trip to California. Anaheim to be exact. I was there for two conferences. On Friday and Saturday I went to the National Strength and Conditioning Association Sport Specific Conference at the Disneyland Conference center. On Sunday and Monday I went to the American Football Coaches Association Conference at the Anaheim conference center. The conferences were both very informative. I look forward to implementing the information I gathered to make the athletic department at Concordia better both physically and mentally.

Now it is time to complain. Why are cats allowed on planes? I urge the executives of airlines to sit in coach, between two people then to deal with a cat that is not happy during the landing. This cat was so unhappy that it could not control it's bowels. Yes, you read that correct. It crapped on the plane, and it smelled atrocious. Just one more reason to dislike cats.

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Celebrate the birth of the Christ Child!

Recruiting

Why do some high school football coaches just not care? The other coaches and I call to make visits and they do not call to cancel if that time is not good. When that happens the highlight of my day are either walking around Target, Kohl's or Barnes and Noble for an hour. Sometimes I take a book and read in a parking lot. There are days that I take a nap inside my sweet Dodge Neon that says Concordia University Chicago on the side.

Ninja

• Free Time - I cycle, lift weights, run


• Profession - Full-time football coach


• When necessary - NINJA

The Next Season

As the leaves on the trees continue to fall, I'd like to take this time to reflect on some things. First, on Saturday November 3, 2007 the Cougar football team concluded it's season with a final record on 3-7. While we did not reach our goal of 5-5, looking back there are some positives:

• First time since 1992 a Concordia River Forest/Chicago team had more than 2 wins.
• Defeated MacMurray College for the first time since the 1992 season.
• Since Coach Pries took over, the offense is averaging 6 more points per game while the defense is giving up 15 points less per game.

I definitely learned a lot as a first year college coach. Hopefully I continue to learn, grow and become a better coach and person in the process.

The recruiting season officially began. Last week I made my first trip over to Michigan. I was able to speak with several former students at Lutheran High North. That was definitely a pleasant day. On the following day I went to Lutheran Westland. While I was not able to speak to any seniors, hopefully someone will be able to look a the vast literature I was able to drop off. At Lutheran Northwest I had the opportunity to meet with 5 athletes.

Hopefully this off-season or as we are calling it "Pre-Season" will be an exciting time for the Cougars. I recently learned that Florida may become a major area for me to recruit. I guess I may take one for the team and schedule two week long trips to the land of sunshine and warm weather.