Why I'm Not Looking Forward To Super Bowl XLIX

As the Patriots and Seahawks prepare to play in Super Bowl XLIX next Sunday, I'm preparing to make alternate plans. Aside from my football pools, I have very little interest in this years game. I don't like either team. And since it's not possible for both of them to lose, I'm having a hard time getting excited. If you forced me to pick a team to root for, I would reluctantly have to go with Seattle only because I despise the Patriots so much.

Over the past week or so, we've been hearing a lot about "deflated balls". It's kind of funny that a few under-inflated footballs could garner so much attention. Did the Patriots really alter the air pressure of the footballs in the AFC Championship game in order to gain a "competitive advantage"? Probably. I believe Bill Belichick would throw his mother down a flight of stairs to win a game. So, it's not really surprising that he would tweak the psi on the pigskin. But who knows? The bottom line is that the Patriots are going back to the Super Bowl whether they cheated or not.

As for "Deflate-gate", there is speculation that other teams have resorted to these type of tactics. I don't doubt that. However, the Patriots (allegedly) got caught this time, so they deserve their spot on the hot seat.

By the way, do you think Bill Belichick will comb his hair and wear a decent shirt to the Super Bowl this year? I personally think that his "vagabond look" has run it's course. He looks like the guy on the cover of "Aqualung".

Nonetheless, if the Patriots go on to win another Lombardi Trophy, it's going to be hard to stomach. We'll hear about the dynasty, the legacy, how Tom Brady is the best ever, blah, blah, blah. Sure, they're good. But I don't really want to hear about it.

And on the other hand, if the Seahawks win, we'll have to hear about how everyone doubted them early in the season. And we'll likely hear about how they believed in themselves and ultimately rose up, in a Christ-like way, to seize the NFL's most coveted prize. Yes, it will be nauseating.....

Really???

And, on top of all that, we'll probably have to listen to Marshawn Lynch give another one of his asinine press conferences where "he's only there because he doesn't want to get fined by the NFL".

And since I busted on Bill Belichick's wardrobe choices, I think it's only fair to say that the Seahawks probably have the ugliest uniforms in the NFL. I'm no fashion expert, but I'm pretty sure that royal blue and lime green don't play nice together. It's enough to give you a migraine!

Speaking of wardrobe's, maybe Katy Perry's will have a "malfunction" during the halftime show. That might be something actually worth watching.

Yes, I will likely wind up tuning into the game. But it ain't gonna to be easy. I sure hope that there's plenty of beer available. God knows, I'm going to need it.....

kw

Free Range Parenting?

I was reading an article* this morning about a couple of parents in Silver Spring, MD who are in a bit of trouble because they allowed their two children to walk home alone from a park. The kids in this case are ten and six years old and the park was about a mile from their home.

After the police were called by neighbors, it was explained that this was a case of "free range parenting". I had never heard of this term before, so I looked it up. Basically, this is where the kids are given the freedom to do as much as possible on their own. The theory is that this will build self-confidence and self-sufficiency. While I'll agree with this to an extent, I believe that are some common-sense factors that need to be followed. For instance, in the Silver Spring case, I personally think it's crazy to allow a 6-year-old to walk a mile with minimum supervision (aka a 10-year-old). For those who don't know, Silver Spring is a very busy suburb of Washington DC. It's probably not the best place to allow your young kids to "free range". Additionally, Maryland state law states that any child under 8-years-old must be accompanied by someone who is at least thirteen. 

However, with all of this being said, I do think that the majority of today's parents tend to overprotective. Hey, I understand it. Your kids are your life. I get that. But the down side of being so overprotective is that the kids never learn to be self-sufficient nor do they develop the social skills that will be so valuable later in life. I sometimes see kids, even in their late teens, clinging to their parents anytime their out in public. I've even heard of parents going to job interviews with their 16 and 17-year-olds. What are these kids going to do when Mommy's not around to hold their hand anymore? There's a fine line between guiding your kids and babying them.

When I hear about things like "free range parenting", I always tend to reminisce about the "way it was when we grew up". At 10-years-old, most of us walked to school by ourselves. After school, many of us would congregate at the local park, where again we would walk to all by ourselves. Yeah, yeah, I know it's a different world out there today. But I think we still tend to go overboard with the way we shelter modern day kids. For instance, I sometimes see parents in my neighborhood drive to the bus stop to pick up their kids after school. On the surface, it might seem normal. However, these kids only live a few houses away from the bus stop. Would a short walk and some fresh air be so bad? I'm not judging these parents, I'm just trying to point out the contrast in the times.

Everyone has their own idea of what good parenting is. And, let's face it, it's tough and sometimes cruel world out there. While protecting our kids should definitely be our top priority, we also need to allow them to learn and grow. One thing's for sure, it's not as easy as it sounds......

kw

* http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/01/15/md-parents-under-fire-after-letting-kids-walk-home-alone/

Adventures in Parking - Baltimore Edition

Driving in Baltimore can definitely be an adventure. But parking can also present some unique situations. If you've ever had the pleasure of parking around Baltimore City, I'm sure that you can relate to some of these scenarios....

If you try parking in the city and it happens to be in front of someone's house, be prepared to catch a serious attitude from the homeowner. It's like these people have radar! The second you start to back into the vacant spot, they'll magically appear on their front stoop. They usually won't say anything, because there's nothing they can really do. After all, it's a public street. However, their icy stare will assure you that they are not happy about the situation. You'll feel their eyes burning a hole in your back until you're out safely out of sight. My advice is to walk very fast.

I remember visiting a friend of mine in the city a few years ago. There was maybe three cars parked on the whole street. So, I randomly parked alongside the curb. Well, as soon as I exited my vehicle, a woman comes out of her house and says, "Hey, that's my husband's spot!"

I didn't like her attitude, so I said, "Are you kidding me? The whole street is empty. I don't think your husband will have any trouble finding a spot."

"Oh, no. My husband always parks in that spot", she explains.

As I walk towards my friend's house, I tell her, "Look, m'am, I'm only going to be a few minutes. How about I just leave my car there. And that way, no one else can take your husband's spot."

She looks at me in a confused way and replies, "Ok, as long as you're not going to be too long." I just smiled and kept on walking.

Oh, here's another situation. A few years ago, I had to do some work in a rough part of the city. Well, I park on the street and gather up my belongings and then start to head into the office building. I notice three young men, who I assume are unlicensed pharmacists, hangin outside of a nearby vacant house. One of them calls out, "Hey, my man. You need somebody to watch your car?"

A bit confused, I ask, "Why would I need someone to watch my car?"

He then explains that there are some "shady mutha-fuckas" in this area and that one of them might try to break in. Of course, these fine young gentlemen couldn't have possibly been part of that shady group. The guy then explains that for $5, he and his friends would make sure no one messed with my vehicle. To his credit, he actually made it sound like a real bargain. So, essentially, I was given a choice of forking over five bucks or having my car vandalized, presumably by these guys. So, I wound up getting back in my car and parking in a garage on the other side of the building.

Have you ever driven through Baltimore after it snows? If so, you've probably seen those people who use their lawn furniture as placeholders! That's right, after they shovel their car out, they go to the back yard and drag out the lawn furniture. They then pull their car out and put the furniture in it's place. And the placeholders aren't limited to lawn furniture. I've also seen kitchen tables, dressers, coat trees, coffee tables and in one case, a La-Z-Boy recliner. Is this kind of thing even legal? Does shoveling the snow instantly give you rights to this small, yet coveted, piece of real estate? I have to imagine that there's been some pretty brutal altercations over this situation.

And then there are those people who will park anywhere, anytime, legally or illegally. This often results in the person stopping right in the middle of the road. In the city, they refer to the as "double parking".

Gotta run into the bank? Not a problem if you think like these guys:

I'll just park here in the middle of Pratt Street and run in. People will just have go around me. If they have a problem with it, they can f*ck off! 

So, in addition to dodging the UPS trucks, bicycles and the occasional shooting victim, you also have to maneuver around the jackasses who think they're much too important to use a parking meter.

And speaking of parking meters. be careful. If you pay for two hours, you'd better have the key in the ignition at 1 hour and 59 minutes. If not there will be a meter maid with a hyperactive ink-pen waiting to slap a ticket on your windshield.

Yes, parking in Baltimore can be a bit adventurous.......

kw

The 2014 Ravens - Over & Out

Ok, I'm not going to elaborate on yesterday's Raven's loss. But I do want to touch on a few things. First off, the Patriots won. Raven fans need to accept that we were outplayed and out-coached. Hey, I can't stand Tom Brady or Bill Belichick either. But you have to admit, these guys are good. They deserved to win. The Ravens had 14-point cushions twice during the game but their secondary had no answer for Brady's "dinking and dunking" in the second half. The Pats quickly identified the Ravens' weakness and fully exploited it. You've got to give credit where credit is due.

The whining from Jim Harbaugh about being "deceived" is a bit over the top. Is Bill Belichick a classless dickhead? Of course, he is..Could some of his tactics in yesterday's game be considered "bush league"? I would say yes. But, as an opposing team and/or coach, you've to be ready for these things. Bitching about the other coaches' play-calls only makes you look like a sore loser. Raven fans, including this one, often criticize Tom Brady for being a whiny bitch. So, when our own coach does the same thing....well, let's just say that it's hard to defend.

I have several friends who happen to be Patriot fans. Yes, we gave each other a bunch of crap over the past week. But when the game is over and the dust settled, we're all still friends (I hope!). To those folks, I will say congratulations. However, I will certainly be rooting against the Pats in the next round!

With this being said, my buddy Ray brought up an interesting point yesterday. He pointed out that while fans often argue and hurl insults back and forth in an effort to "protect their players", the players themselves really couldn't care less about their fans. They can't even sign an autograph for a fan unless there's an fee attached. But still, we will practically go to fisticuffs with opposing fans to defend these guys. It's really kind of crazy when you think about it.....

With the exception of winning the Super Bowl, the end of the season is always a bitter pill to swallow for fans. The separation anxiety immediately kicks in as you're faced with the harsh reality of not seeing your team compete until next season. After several months of gathering with your friends on Sunday afternoons, you now have to find an alternate source of entertainment.

In my opinion, although they came up a little short, it was a great year for the Ravens. They were faced with a slew of injuries as well as the Ray Rice debacle. For them to to make it as far as they did was rather impressive in my opinion. And playing a tight game against the Patriots in Foxboro is no easy task. The Ravens hung in there until the very end. And even if you don't happen to be a fan of the purple birds, I think you've got to respect that.


kw

Those Screeching Kids!

Have you ever been ambushed by a screaming kid? These are the kids who seem to be preoccupied with random kid-stuff and then out of nowhere, they let out a screeching blast that nearly punctures your eardrums! No one seems to know why they do it.

I was recently at the car dealer having some minor work done on my vehicle. While I was sitting in the waiting area, I received a work-related phone call. They was a couple of young girls playing nearby, so I walked down a small hallway to find a quiet spot. As I commenced my phone conversation, I noticed the girls, presumably sisters, wandering down the hall. As luck would have it, they began to fight over a toy. And that's when the fun started.....

Sensing that things were about to "get real", I instinctively turned to face a corner of the hallway. As I resume my conversation, one of the girls lets out a scream that was shrill enough to break glass. My ears were practically ringing afterwards. I apologized to the person on the other end of the phone and shot a "WTF" look at the girls' mother, who was buried in the latest edition of People magazine. She was oblivious to the situation. I guess as long as the kids were out of her hair, she didn't care.

Then, for some unknown reason, the two girls took turns screaming in each other's face. The shrieking was loud enough to wake Helen Keller. The person on the other end of the phone asked, "What the hell is going over there? Is everything ok?" Again, I apologized and explained that I was stuck in a noisy waiting area at the car dealer. And for some reason, I felt the need to mention that the shit just got real between the two girls.

I would have simply walked outside but it was about ten freggin' degrees on this particular day. For a moment, I actually thought about pushing the kids out the door and locking it (Hey, don't look at me like that. I would have let them back in before the frostbite set in). Figuring that someone would report me to Social Services, I let that idea go and searched for plan B. I eventually ventured out into the garage area. Amazingly, the loud howl of air compressors and impact wrenches was serene compared to the two screeching girls inside. I was finally able to complete my phone call out there. Of course, when I walked back into the the waiting area, the two girls were quiet as church mice. Funny how that works.....

Hey look, I know kids will be kids. And don't get me wrong, I love kids. But do they have to be so loud?

kw

Ravens vs. Steelers - The Grudge Match Continues

After missing the post-season for the first time in six years last season, the Ravens rebounded this year and find themselves about to face their arch nemesis, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The rivalry between these two clubs is undeniable. We can expect some hard-hitting, throw 'em down and smack 'em yack 'em football this evening. But the big question is whether or not the Ravens can finally knock off the Steelers in the playoffs. In the their three previous post-season meetings, Pittsburgh has put an abrupt end to Baltimore's journey to the Super Bowl. All three of these games were played in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers are favored by three points in tonight's game which basically means that it's even, since Pittsburgh is playing at home. In the two previous meetings this season, both teams have each won a game by a margin of 20 points.

The biggest blow to Pittsburgh is going to be the loss of their star running back, Le'Veon Bell. With the forecast of a wet field in Pittsburgh tonight, I'm not sure how big of a factor Bell's absence will be. Nonetheless, I'm sure the Steelers would love to have him out there tonight.

If the Ravens expect to win this game, they are going to have to figure out a way to contain Pittsburgh's receiving squad, most notably Antonio Brown. Baltimore's pass coverage has struggled much of the season. They really need to find a quick solution. One option might be to drop an extra guy (or two) back into coverage. Of course, you sacrifice the pass rush in this scenario. But since Ben Rothlesberger is not only hard to sack, he's also very good at capitalizing on busted plays. So, dropping an extra man into coverage might be worth the gamble. The Ravens will also have Haloti Ngata back on the field tonight. So, this should give them a little more security against Pittsburgh's running game.

The Ravens will also have to be careful to not commit any stupid infractions. They can not have players blatantly lining up in the neutral zone. Are you listening, Mr. Dumevil? And they certainly can't have any of those ridiculous personal fouls. Discipline, discipline, discipline!

Joe Flacco has been remarkable in the post-season through his career. He needs to pull out some of that magic tonight. If the offensive line plays well, we should expect to see a productive day between Flacco and the two Smiths. The number one priority for the O-line should be to keep James Harrison off of Flacco's ass!

Pittsburgh's eight-time Pro-Bowl safety, Troy Polamalu, has been hobbled by a sore knee over the past two weeks. He is expected to play tonight but will he be at 100%? If he shows weakness early, we might expect to see Baltimore's receivers test him. If this happens, Flacco has got to be very careful not to under-throw these guys or it could turn disastrous for the Ravens really quickly.

Here's an interesting fact about Joe Flacco. Since 2010, he has a higher combined passer rating in the post-season than Aaron Rogers, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and, drum-roll please, Tom Brady. However, if he doesn't win tonight, that rating means nothing.....

Admittedly, as a Raven fan, it's really hard for me to be completely objective. But I really think that Baltimore has a chance to win this game. That's why, I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that the Ravens win 27-24 in a typical Baltimore/Pittsburgh grudge match...

kw