Hello, Durwood: Adventures in Name-spelling

My given first name is Darryl. Over the years people have spelled it in any number of entertaining ways. I've seen too many to spread here. The most-used include Daryl, Darrel, Derrell, Dirrl, and of course Durwood (for those who remember the TV show Bewitched).

One of my favorites was Darrly, as if I am an adverb.
But this is by far the most unique spelling I have seen. DARRYRL. Don't injure yourself trying to speak it aloud.

Tim Tebow Sates the Lions... for Now

The presser was full of grace. The incoming backup quarterback smiled as usual and said the 'right' things. Tim Tebow has signed with the New York Jets.

Starting QB Mark Sanchez says, I'm not worried. No one believes Mark.

Why do so many assume that Tebow is going to get eaten alive by the NYC media and fan pressure? It's understandable, but not likely. Tebow has, in a sense, thrown himself to the lions. Since he purposely came to New York, when Jacksonville was interested, means one thing: Tim ain't skurred.

Maybe Tebow doesn't care for the 'safe' option.

He puts the lie to that aw-shucks image. There is a perception that Tim, and by proxy any athlete who pays more than lip service to Christianity, are basically soft. Too soft to keep a steady head in the heat of New York's kitchen. Too soft to succeed at the most elite levels of sport.

Christian athletes who are tough enough... A.C. Green and David Robinson spring to mind. So do George Foreman, Albert Pujols, Kurt Warner, and Mariano Rivera--all top-notch sportsmen who publicly profess. It's an impressive list. And a short one.

Doppelgänger, NCAA Tourney '12 Edition: Kanye West v. Darius Johnson-Odom

Random rifle shots on the 2012 NCAA men's tournament:

• Doppelgänger--Marquette's Darius Johnson-Odom and entertainer Kanye West. Darius is like a younger, harder-headed version. Kanye is softer, but his head is much larger. They have the same underbite-prominent smile.

• The field has been whittled to 30 as these words are written. The obligatory upsets have splashed down. Duke and Missouri were #2 seeds that went down to #15's. Lehigh played out of their mind, and for a school like that, beating a perennial power is amazing. But it's no longer surprising when the Blue Devils go out early in the tourney. They live and die by the three. When they are hot in March, Duke is always capable of making the title game, but trey consistency only happens once in a while.
• For some reason, no one else asks why Coach K's game plan has shifted to three-point bombs in the last six seasons or so. Duke has a solid big man legacy, and that's changed since the turn of the century.

• As usual the referees are catching some heat. When the best image-capturing technology on the planet is replaying fractions of a second, sometimes the human eye will seem second-rate. The zebras should get the benefit of the doubt, unless the error was ridiculous.

• Ohio State's Jared Sullinger is the most easily-frustrated college player in recent memory. The mini tantrums are a sign of bad judgment, and it's a sure thing that NBA teams have taken notice. At least one team won't care, because Sullinger is very good. He's not transcendent on any level, however. He lost weight before this season, but his legs and feet are simply heavy. That points to a very average professional player--one who will likely spend a lot of time clenching his fists on the bench.

Super Bowl 2012: Predictions and Notes

Just a quickie prediction, two hours before the Super Bowl kickoff:

New England 27, New York 23.

From the moment these teams were set, everyone jumped on the Giants bandwagon. There were all of these gasps over New York's three-point underdog status. Top to bottom, the Giants have more talent, I kept hearing.

But the Patriots have Tom Brady.

Belichick is an all-time coach, and maybe it seems the Pats have an advantage there, too. Except Tom Coughlin, who like Philly's Andy Reid is about to lose his gig every single season, is a very good coach as well. Call it a push in that area.

I predicted that, after almost 14 days of "Giants are great" talk, the betting trends and general backlash would have people flip-flopping. ESPN Radio host Colin Cowherd, who was absolutely aghast when the SB lines debuted, had changed his tune just before the weekend. Being contrarian can be sweet. It's true.

Brady has had this expression of contained fury since the last weeks of the regular season. Reminds me of Kobe's face during the Laker-Magic Final of '09. As in, I will not lose. Eli Manning's been "hotter" recently, but this is a one-shot situation. Brady comes through in those situations. He will again tonight.

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post-game:

Giants win, 21-17. I thought New York's defense was a bit overrated. They shut me up.

Brady wasn't as in the zone as I expected, but he played well enough. It is Eli Manning who was inspired and, in a commentator's opinion, "brilliant".

And now, we turn to his brother...

Signs of the Times: Beer Pong

I used to be a big-time beer drinker, before I got saved. Drinking was business to me, more than pleasure, so games that get a person drunk were not necessary.

Saw these cups at one of my local Sheetz, while waiting for my chemicals to cook in the kitchen. The package made me laugh.

www.Getpong.com sells plastic cups and bouncy balls in the same bag, and yet Not intended for use with alcoholic beverages. Some might say the company is just protecting itself. Too kind. They just have crazy-mad nerve.

Roanoke, VA: Old-Timey Car at the Waffle House

Just some quick flicks I took early one Sunday morning. If anyone knows what kind of car this is, let us know.

I'm tempted to make a joke about being able to write my name in chalk on this machine's tire, while it is in traffic. But that's too much. I and a good partner could beat it in a three-legged race, though.

The good people at Waffle House know my face, if not my name....

Owners and Property, Masters and Slaves



We could say we are at a strange point in America's race relations. But the United States' whole history of obsession with skin color has been strange. Bryant Gumbel doesn't help when, in the words of mainstream media, he "evoked" slave-master criticisms of NBA commish David Stern during the lockout.


He made the comments on his HBO show Real Sports, and his commentary sparked controversy, as Gumbel meant it to. He's too experienced a journalist and TV personality to not have considered the backlash. He must have thought it through, because he's fanned these flames several times in the past.


No one talks about Bryant Gumbel until he says these things. So he must be considered suspect.


Gumbel is probably right: in his heart, Stern (and the other NBA powerbrokers) do see the players as "boys" in the literal, business, and diminuitive sense. All heads of companies and industries think this way about the little cogs of people, doing the grunt work. Makes it hard to understand why any Average Joe Schmoe would ever side with the very wealthy, on just about anything.


Observe how your boss's boss's boss treats you, when he or she strolls through for the yearly visit. And remember that it's not always simply sweat and hard work that gains worldly success.


People who've never cracked a Bible have heard Jesus's words: "And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24, KJV) This verse says: you give me a man who's acquired great wealth, and I'll show you a man who's likely in love with the world.


The fact is, we are all property. In the flesh, anyone reading this is working for someone else. Shelter, food, clothes, transportation... the rest is a bonus.


On a spiritual level, you are either of the devil, or you belong to the Lord. You and everyone else must choose, even David Stern. Our President, past presidents, and the leaders of all of the other countries, have already made their choice. Watch them carefully and see for yourself. More importantly, ask: Who are you working for?