came across these today... miss the gang! hope everyone has a safe & happy new year!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jEIgL39xxI

So, the blog has been pretty weak the last couple of weeks, so I decided to kick start it a little with some of my thoughts about random topics. Feel free to respond......

- I think the Colts are pussies. There has been over 40 Super Bowl champions over the years, but only 1 undefeated team and zero 19-0 Super Bowl champions. When you have a chance, you go for it. You can get injured walking down your stairs (see Artest, Ron). Your bye week is your time to relax and the fans paid a lot of money to see you play to win. I hope it bites them in the ass.

- I saw Russ Rollins from the Monsters working out today. Seeing him there wasn't strange in itself, but the thing that I found kind of weird is that myself and many of the people there obviously recognized him and I heard a few people in the locker room say that they saw him, and nobody said anything to him. I wonder if he knew that we all knew who he was or if he thought he was totally isolated.

- Tomorrow's game between the U and the W should be intriguing on many fronts. Just the contrast of the players should be interesting. For Wisconsin, most of the kids playing will have come from families in which neither parent has ever missed a game and probably has video tapes at home of every game that their son has played. On Miami, you will probably have many kids who don't even know who their dad is (note: that last stereotype was conceived during the watching of "The U" 30 for 30 special on ESPN).

- Urban Meyer needs to go. He cannot scale back his approach to coaching. How can you say that you are a husband and a father first and then continue to coach with a heart problem? It is totally hypocritical. If he continues to coach, he will drop dead of a heart attack one day, without warning, and leave his family without a father.

- The annual Favre choke fest is now entering its 12th year. With 2 out of 3 loses and fights with his coach, the purple fairies will now get a taste of what the Packer fans have felt for awhile.

- With the mighty Green Bay Packers from a city of less than 100,000 people clinching a playoff birth and the New York Giants being eliminated, the NFL, once again proves that it is far superior to MLB in the way it is run. In the MLB, the only thing that matters is how much money you can spend. In the NFL, everything is equal, and as a result, the league is way better overall.

- Lastly, I think I will like parts of xmas better when my kids don't believe in Santa anymore. I think they will appreciate it more. Especially after I spent 6 hours putting together a $1000 rectangular trampolene that I bought for the kids, only to realize the next day that I did it wrong and then spent another 2 hours fixing it. To 3 of the kids , they think that Santa dropped it down from the sky, pre-assembled and had elves make it. To Zac, he knew and I think he appreciates what I did more. Nothing beat the look on their faces, though, when they saw it.

I hope everyone had a great xmas and the Cobra Kai will be back in 2010

What's up dojo?

I just got back my parents farm on Friday afternoon. Basic training is not yet over but it is damn near close to it, once I get back to Ft. Benning I will only have 4 more weeks of basic then I move on to advanced training i.e. Airborne and Special Forces training. The training has not been that bad, the hardest part is dealing with the people. Infantry is where they send all the guys who were to stupid to get any other jobs in the Army.

If you guys have any questions hit me up I will be home til the 4th of Jan.

PFC DUB!

Ok, So I am filling out the Roster and I need to know exactly our team. So far, the players that responded to my posts Representing the Cobra Kai and/or made verbal commitments are as below.

Capt. Tucci
Koko
JohnnyBlaze
Me
Reger
Spragues

That is what I have as of right now. I need to know firm Commitments so I can recruit and/or complete our final team. Vern is also rumored to be making a special appearance in spirit.

Please, Keep in mind this is not for the faint of heart....Our First game after we roll in the Red Bug Championship will be at Mid-Night and after winning that game our next game I believe is currently slated for 5 AM.

If this is not do-able please let me know ASAP so we can make the necessary adjustments.

Has anyone ever considered the fact that maybe, the exact same gene/trait that made Tiger the best golfer ever, is the same gene/trait that led him to cheat on his wife?

The exact same gene/trait that has allowed some former "nanny" to live a complete lap of luxury life is the same gene/trait that is hurting her right now.

Now before everyone jumps down my throat, let me state, for the record, that I think Tiger's behavior is disgusting and deplorable. I don't support it at all.

However, Tiger posseses something that neither myself or anyone else on this blog possesses, an extreme, over the top passion to never be satisfied. It is this desire that drives him to never be satisfied, no matter how many tournaments he wins or how much money he makes. He can't help it. He always wants more and up until these allegations came out, this was viewed as part of what makes him so special. This is who he is.

Elin should have known what she was getting herself into. She saw the way he was. Most people would be completely satisfied to get paid a lot of money to do something we love, while, at the same time, be married to someone that looks like Elin. But that is not Tiger and nobody seems to be able to understand that. Like the song from " The facts of life" profoundly said " you take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and then you have the facts of life".

You can't turn it off like a switch. He will never be satisfied no matter how many tournaments he wins or how much money he makes. He also will never be satisfied no matter how hot his wife is.

Elin needs to either accept that fact, or get the fuck out and take his money, but if she thinks he will stop, she is crazy because that is not how he is wired.

Thoughts?

Well, Esteemed Gentleman of the Dojo Our Time is Finally Here. The Time to prove to the rest of the world what we as Cobra Kai are truly made of. We are standing on the threshold of Greatness. We have an opportunity before us to claim greatness, but greatness in a way no other team has ever acheived.

And greatness, no matter how brief, stays with a man forever. Every athlete dreams of a chance for greatness, we have ours this Friday.

Due to some hardwork and dedication this Friday everything has aligned for our big opportunity. After a few phone calls and some convincing we have received a first round bye in our Friday Night Tournament.......meaning:

1.) We Play the Sharks in the 1st round of the Red Bug Lake Championship this Friday.
2.) Then We play the Championship game after we defeeat the Sharks and show them whom we really are.

3.) We celebrate.....briefly....then pack our stuff and head over to face the winner of the Elks Moose Lodge vs First Unity Baptist Church at Midnite.

Yes, You have read that correctly our First Game in the Friday Night Tournament is at Midnite! Meaning our 2nd Game will most likely be around 3 AM.

So, Let's get our Rest this week and Be ready for one Hell of a Friday as we prepare to unleash Hell on the softball world and acheive a level of greatness never seen before.

This Will Supplant the Cobra Kai legacy forever. We will surely re-tell this story to our kids, grandkids, hell anybody we have a beer with most likely for the rest of our lives.

It all Starts Friday under the Lights......See You Then!!!!!


Who is With Me???????

Ok U Fans you had your day when The U came to Orlando and escaped with a victory against UCF. Well, Now Big Bad Wisconsin is coming to Orlando to take on the U Tuesday Dec. 29th at the Citrus Bowl.

I think this calls for an exclusive Dojo Outing. Get ready to call in sick two more days this year....so save a vacation day before the end of the year.

New Years......Ahh...Where Koko breaks out the Sportcoat, the Drinks Flow, and Legends are born. It was a fateful New Years Eve when Koko first Met the star of the Mean Joe Greene "Coke" Commercial.

New Years is a time to spend with friends, reflect on the year gone by, and look forward to the next one.....but most importantly it is a time to throw back an extensive amount of cocktails.....and Party!!!

I would like to extend an open invitation to all Dojo followers and Cobra Kai's to our House for a New Years Eve Celebration.

Liz and our neighbor promise to make it a bit more than just us sitting around Drinking as they are trying to spice it up with an Italian Mobster theme.......but regardless it should be a great time. No matter what the Women put together I'm sure most of us will still spend the night on the back patio or in the garage playing beer pong and talking about the amazing Run the Packers are on in the Playoffs or on Softball Strategy......or maybe a debate about Derek Jeters' legitimacy.

We even sent an invite to Tiger Woods and his wife.

Anyway, Just wanted to float this out there in case any of you are starting to prepare your New Years plans.....look for an Evite (again not my planning) soon.

Here is Regs Post.....For those of you that are too lazy to cut and paste....Good Find Regs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i5FlC1MpkE

JETER WINS SI SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR

Derek Jeter has become the first Yankee to win the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award.

Go ahead and let the disparaging begin. But don't lose track of time, I wouldn't want you guys to be late for your creationism classes.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4699981

Inspired by Koko's great Fantasy Recap SCENARIOS...it got me to thinking about what the different scenarios could be for Tiger Woods most recent accident at his Isleworth Home?

I would love hear everybody's predictions. In case you are living under a rock.....Check out the info involved:

-Tiger was taken to the Hospital Late Friday Night...AKA Thursday Morning.
(Thanksgiving Night Tiger wraps his car around a Fire Hydrant/Neighbors House at 2:20 AM??????)

-He was pulling out of his OWN Driveway???

-His Wife had to take a 6 Iron to the back Window to get him out of the Car???

-Tiger was going in and out of Consciousness when the Ambulance Arrived???


OK....I my prediction is that he was Fretting about his Upcoming Tournament and was about to pull a ROCKY IV and go out for a late night Drive to 80's music in an outstanding Montage.

However, there are so many interesting scenarios that could come of this??

-Was he going on a Milk run for his wife at 2:22 AM Thanksgiving Night?

-Was he Going to hit some Balls????

-Was He running from His 6 Iron Wielding Wife????

Of Course We probably won't get too much more as far as details go and I'm sure it really is nothing.....but really who totals their car in their own Driveway at 2:22 AM and doesn't have an interesting Story???????

Curious to hear the Dojo Predictions...

The Smell of Victory was in the Air this past Friday night as the Cobra Kai’s took the field in pursuit of another Championship season. We squared off against the Frost looking to continue our 2 game winning streak. “I wanted us to pick up where we left off last game as our bats were on fire and I wanted us to maintain our No Mercy Mantra” Said Capt. Tucci after the game.

The Kai jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and played spectacular defense behind Mad Dog’s stellar pitching effort. Spragues took the Strike First and Strike Hard mantra to a new level when he attempted to sniper off the Frost’s SS after he rounded second too liberally. “This is our house, nobody tests our team, and he did…..So I did what I had to do".” Johnny Blaze had to hold back the upset SS after Spragues drilled him in the back with a warning shot one that would set the tone for our team and deflate any chances of the Frost heating back up. “I just told the guy to “Cool Off” Blaze said calmly after the game.

The Swami was in control of the OF with the help of Capt. Tucci and crew and nothing got by them on this fateful night for the Frost. Regs was back in full effect after he sparked the team’s bats last game after a two game hiatus and even tried to take out the Frost’s scoring effort in the 4th throwing a frozen rope to home that just barely missed.

Koko wore his Don Mattingly underoos this game as he was snatching balls at 1B with reckless abandon and even made a diving catch of an errant pop up close to 2nd Base. “I hear Koko coming and when he is in a zone like he was Friday you just let him take over” Keith said after the game.

The Swami controlled the batting tempo for the Kai’s as he struck relentlessly against the Frost and The Kai posted 7 runs to their 3 in a winning effort.
Ultimately, The Kai’s cooled off the Frost and look to annihilate whomever the Red Bug Lake directors send our way Next Friday in the Playoffs.

On behalf of all Cobra Kai Family Members I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving this week and look forward to returning to the field of battle the following week with everyone.

Capt. Tucci has mentioned it but now I need to get a head count for the All-Night Softball Tournament Friday Dec. 11th.

Our Red-Bug Lake Season will be done and this will be a great primer to test the waters at a different field. If anybody is interested let me or Capt. Tucci know ASAP or simply reply to this thread.

When: Friday Dec. 11th Games Start at 7:30 and run through the night till the wee hours of the morning.

Where: Braddock Park in Winter Garden--
(This is right across the street from my house so basically if we have any extended layovers we can hang at the house and imbibe a few frosty ones)

Cost: $15 per person will cover the entrance fees and a toy donation to the toys for tots.

Why: Why Not? Plus, it benefits a good cause raising money and Toys....For Toys 4 Tots.


Double-Elimination Tournament.

2 Quick Thursday Morning Hits:

I always thought that Florida has some of the weirdest news stories come out. Whenever there was somebody that had their left butt cheek bitten off by an alligator after they passed out from meth or somebody that was living in a tree and now claiming they didn't want to pay taxes I knew it was from Florida.

Well, now we can all rest easier knowing that Florida has officially been named the state with the weirdest News.Was there any doubt? A Web site today announced that Florida is the state with the strangest news in the nation.

It said it analyzed nearly 2,000 Associated Press "strange news" stories in the past year to rank states and cities.

Florida topped the list of 10 states with the strangest news.

It noted such stories as a man in South Florida who called 911 after a fast-food restaurant ran out of lemonade and one about a Tampa-area Lottery winner who wants to open a nude dude ranch.

The second-strangest state was New Hampshire. Alaska came in at No. 3, followed by Wisconsin.



Next, I want to either rant or sympatheize I'm not sure about this Eric Mangino saga. In case you didn't hear Kansas Portly Football Coach is under fire and might lose his job because he yelled at his football team on occasion and even....gasp......poked one of them in the chest during a practice.....mind you the player was wearing pads.....so he did not have to go to the hospital for any injuries incurred from the chest poking.

Here are a few other quotes from former players on the abuse they sustained from Mangino:

A player Ray Brown cited two examples. He said that once, his younger brother had been shot in the arm in St. Louis. Then came a game.


"I dropped a pass and [Mangino] was mad," Brown said. "And I said, 'Yes, sir. Yes, sir.' The yelling didn't bother me. But then he said, 'Shut up!' He said, 'If you don't shut up, I'm going to send you back to St. Louis so you can get shot with your homies.' I was irate. I wanted to hurt him to be honest with you."

Brown said another teammate had confided in the team that his father was an alcoholic and the player dreamed of becoming a lawyer.


"One day, [Mangino] said in front of the entire team, 'Are you going to be a lawyer or do you want to become an alcoholic like your Dad?' " Brown said.

OK....Now that is not very christian or Jew Like to say but still is that really that bad? I mean these are grown adults (over the age of 18) not pee-wee leegue or High School players and for the most part have full ride scholarships to a major D1 football program. Let's face it...Football is a physical sport and if demonstrating or motivating a player entails you yelling at them or poking them...I'm fine with that.

And, Mangino was not lying on any of the verbal rants toward players. He didn't say anything racial he was simply stating truths. Now, Would I motivate players like that? No.......but under Reger's freedom of speech act Mangino has every right to say these things but on the same token the players every right not to go and play for him. Once again.....these are kids playing college football....if they don't want to take the heat then simply quit and transfer or just take your free ride and go to class and enjoy yourself? Am I wrong in thinking this?

Just to add in another dose.....this was my favorite quote that got one of my favorite college basketball coaches Rick Majerus in some hot water:

Majerus kept telling [former Utah player Michael] Doleac that he needed to keep six inches between himself and his opponent in the post. When Doleac was caught shortly after leaning on his man, the coach erupted. "'Jesus fuckin Christ, Doleac! When a guy catches the ball in the post, you gap him six inches!'" Doleac recalls Majerus yelling. "Then he turns to the guys sitting on the baseline and says, 'Six fuckinin inches,' and he says, 'the size of the average white dick!' and then pulls out his penis to emphasize length."

I love that one.....but I take exception to being grouped into most white males average length???????

What does the dojo feel about this?

I don't even know how to comment on this

What is up with Sammy Sosa's Face?

I sure hope this does not happen to A-Rod's good looking grill or Andy Pettites, or.......well we could go on and on with all the Yankees that have been associated with Sammy and Roids but that is not the point. Is Sammy suffering from Michael Jackson' disease or is this some side effect from Roids? And how did he pull that tail?

Still got something to say?

Talk to the hand in Jeter's 4th Gold Glove.

The New York Yankees end the ‘00’s decade the same way they started it, with a championship.

Although they did not win a championship between the bookends, The Bombers totaled 2 championships, 4 AL Pennants, 8 AL East titles, and 1 Wild Card. With all the degradation of the Yankees falling off the MLB pinnacle since 2001, the ’09 campaign quickly reverses the polarity of the once again, “Evil Empire.”

For the second decade in a row, the Yankees are the most successful team of the last 10 years. Now before all the haters whip out that payroll crutch they hold on to so tightly, try to achieve a little balance before scarfing down that double deluxe envy burger, dripping with venom. Of course the Yankees spend more money than any other team, they have to. If their commitment to winning wasn’t equal to the percentage of gross they bring in, the fans would be outraged. All that would be discussed is how greedy and selfish the Yankee ownership is with their profits. “How can that team make so much and spend so little?” That’s what the new hate mantra would be if the Yankees did not have their current business model. In fact, they go above and beyond what any organization does for their fans in terms of a commitment to winning. The Yankees do not have to spend nearly the amount they currently do to give their fans a great team. They do it, because they care. They actually care about winning. Not just pocketing profits year after year, like many of the MLB franchises crying foul because they are not willing to slice off a piece of the profit pie for the well being of their roster.

Go ahead and scream, “They bought a championship,” until you’re vocal chords pop. Go ahead, and push aside the fact that money alone in no way shape or form guarantees you a championship. The World Series is the most difficult championship in all of sports to conquer. After you spend the money, you still have to actually win the pennant and World Series. Teams can’t just purchase World Series Rings online, unless we’re talking about Lenny Dykstra’s. Yankee fans should stop being defensive about the amount of money the team spends; instead they should embrace it as a compliment. “Yeah that’s right, my team makes more money and spends more money than your team. What’s wrong with your team? Why can’t they generate more income? Why doesn’t your owner think of innovative ways to increase revenue? Why doesn’t your team have their own cable channel? Why doesn’t your team put a large chunk of the profits back into personnel? Why don’t your fans fill the seats?

For the 27th time the New York Yankees are the best team in baseball. When a sports organization reaches their ultimate goal for the 27th time, it just might be time to halt the resentment and simply tip your cap.


Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos

The Dojo would like to congratulate Brewers legend and Now World Champion CC Sabathia and his Yankee Teamates.

Congrats to Koko, Scotty, Neil, Goat, and the Rest of Yankee Nation on the Dojo for obtaining another World Championship.

If we could all display the class, professionalism, and dedication to his team that Derek Jeter displays we would dominate Red Bug Lake.......Yes, I said it.....Jeter isn't that bad.........he may be getting over the hill.....but He is still one of the greatest.

Even though it pains me to say the Yankees are good for Sports and America. They care more about winning than anything else. They may have essentially bought a championship but at least they had the passion to win at all costs. Plus, I can only imagine what that Yankee payroll generated in tax revenue for the American government.

Look at the Mets, they have similar resources to the Yankees and haven't done anything with it.

In the 80's USA was in an arms race with Russia and we all supported it and it made America much better until Rocky finally went into Russia to end the Arms race....but it was our American Zest for winning that spurred us to victory. And Yes, that is exactly the same mindset the Yankees display.

This does not mean once in awhile the underdog can't sneak up and win one though.

Watch out for the Brewers in 2010!

Strike First, Strike Hard, and No Mercy. The Cobra Kai’s got back on track following our motto last week taking down the East Coast Believers. However, our mantra of No Mercy was shelved as we debated the moral ethics of it eventually deciding to re-instate it. But, I do believe that hesitation carried over into our match-up with Del Taco. We had been gifted delicious bean burritos a few weeks back by Del Taco and we sub consciously returned the favor in the first two innings of our match-up.

The Team was down but not out missing our clean-up hitter Regs and our hot hitting LF Miguel not too mention our team energizer Sully. Forced to play with only 3 outfielders the team was determined not to let it affect our rhythm. As I have said time and time again Momentum can be the difference in a win and a loss. Del Taco came out fired up after fueling up on Bean Burrito’s all day and jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first inning. Our D was rattled and our bend but not break defense was starting to break after the Beans added another 7 runs in the 2nd. Down 14-0 the evening looked bleak for the Cobra Kai.

I was not about to let my troops go down like that Capt Tucci said at the post game press conference. On August 5th, 2001 the Cleveland Indians trailed the Seattle Mariners 12-0 after just two innings. The Indians rallied back to win and cap off the greatest comeback in MLB history. Koko gathered the team to remind us of that since he remembered so fondly since his Yankees were chasing that great Mariner team that year.

Just like that the Cobra Kai bats started moving. Spragues sparked the team continuing his hot hitting streak into his 40’s. Capt Tucci and his never say die attitude kept things rolling in the 4th stealing second base on a head first dive and scoring two plays later when Koko drove the ball to deep Left Field.

The Swami himself found his groove again and was destroying the ball with the smoothest swing in Red Bug Lake. “I was not going to let the Kai go down like that and especially in front of the largest announced crowd of the year” the Swami said.

The Victory drum was in full force and Del Taco was frozen in fear as the Kai kept mounting run after run fueled by the drum beat. DonJuan reached base three times with his keen eye and solid swing and Figs came through with two huge hits to keep the rally alive. “I love that guy Figs, He is a Yankee fan and I’m a Yankee Fan…..I think this could be the making of a fantastic Bro-Mance” Koko said after the game.

However, the 14 run deficit and playing one man short in the field proved to be too much for the Kai to overcome on this night. “I promise we will not lose another game this year, I will make sure of that Tim Tebow Style” Johnny Blaze said walking away from the field.

All was not lost for the Cobra Kai as we received a much needed visit from Big Daddy Gutierrez at Gators. Richard decided to awaken the Kai by taking the big stage and teaching everyone the dance moves he has learned in the greater Tampa/St. Pete’s area. One can only guess where he has been spending much of his time.

Well, the Cobra Kai’s take the field this Friday night against the Goonies still in contention for another title.

Victim In Fatal Car Accident Tragically Not Glenn Beck

Does your Beer Define You?

Some research team actually got paid to research this. Match up the Beer with the Beer Drinker. Do these seem acurate?

LITE BEER
Are LITE drinkers just Beer guzzlers on a diet? Not a chance. These personalities actually skew quite different from their more-caloric sibling.
Light beer drinkers profile as lacking in carefulness. They are grounded but respect authority. Lighters can also have frat boy-like personalities, particularly when it comes to personal risk-taking. In regard to others, these good-time guys and gals are accepting of most everyone and generally easy to get along with.


Hmmmmm Pretty Much defines most of us at point or another"

BLUE MOON
The personality traits of people who prefer Blue Moon, a Belgian style wheat beer, tracked similarly to the same type of people who prefer craft beers

Blue Moonies are socially liberal and usually quite willing to go against convention. They really hate moral authorities, and believe children should be exposed to moral dilemmas and allowed to come to their own conclusions. They can also be sarcastic and snide in order to get a point across.

People who drink Blue Moon beer are 105% more likely than the average person to drive hybrid cars, 77% more likely to own Apple Mac laptops, 65% more likely to purchase five pairs or more of sneakers every year, and 32% more likely to not be registered voters.

Hmmmmm Does Sarcastic and Snide to get their point across define Koko???? No Way???

MICHELOB ULTRA
Have you seen the 2008 TV spot that's still on about the hip, handsome young male executive dashing out of a meeting to put on running gear? He meets up with an equally fetching athletically garbed woman for an inner-city run before both magically change into trendy threads and hit a fabulously decorated rooftop-bar party with even more young and beautiful friends—all drinking Michelob Ultra, of course. Every personality trait Mindset Media came up with appears there.

Michelob Ultra drinkers rate high in superiority; that is, they think highly of themselves and can be a little bit conceited. They care what other people think about them and want to appear perfect. They also tend to be take-charge types with strong opinions, and can even be confrontational. Michelob Ultra drinkers are 43% more likely than the average person to consider sustainability a priority, and 34% more likely to buy life insurance.


Hmmmmmm....Does the take charge type with strong opinions and even confrontational define Rob when he is pounding Beers???????????

HEINEKEN
There's a slang term that could sum up Heineken drinkers: posers. These self-assured people believe they are exceptional, get low scores on modesty and high scores on self-esteem. They love their brand badges—a role the distinctive green glass bottle may play—and in fact, this group is attracted to luxury products in general. They are also energetic and dynamic and enjoy being both the center of attention and in the middle of the action.

People who choose Heineken as their favorite beer are 58% more likely to have American Express cards, 45% more likely to be early adopters of new mobile phones, and 29% more likely to drive sports cars.

Scott...I was glad to see you graduated from this category.

Micro Beers
These specialty made beers get lumped into one category both because there are fewer fans (and thus less statistically significant data) of them, but also because the personalities of one type fairly well describe another. This group is more likely to spend time thinking about beer rather than work. They are more open-minded than most people, seek out interesting and varied experiences and are intellectually curious. Craft-beer drinkers also skew as having a lower sense of responsibility—they don't stress about missed deadlines and tend to be happy-go-lucky about life.

Craft-beer lovers are 153% more likely to always buy organic, 52% more likely to be fans of the show "The Office" and 36% more likely to be the ones to choose the movie they are going to see at the theater.

I love to delve into the mindset of people and recently read a great article of the peoples choice of drinks and is it based on loyalty to a brand or their pure preference.

Let's get to know the Dojo:

I would love to hear everyone's go to Beer and their soft drink of choice. I think it is safe to say I could nail almost everyone's beer....cause let's face it I have drank with most of you on several....maybe waaaaaay too many occasions.

I'm a Miller Lite guy and I would categorize nearly everybody else as a "Lite" beer drinker....cause that is just what I see you drinking most of the time.

Now, please state your go-to beer. When you ante up to a bar or are at a buddy's house and they say "You want a beer"? What do you usually drink....7 out of 10 times.

Please don't turn this into (shades of Koko rules) Well My favorite beer is Stella Artois or Sam Adams Winter Ale. Cause I don't think I have seen any of you drinking those beers on a consistent basis. Your go-to beer doesn't have to be your favorite beer just the one you are most loyal to and/or order the majority of the time.

Sully is a Yuengling guy through and through. I would say Koko is a Blue Moon guy and Prosthetic Johnson is a Heineken guy. Other than that I would have to categorize the rest of the Dojo as "Lite" beer guys since that is what I see in your hands the majority of the time. I know Blaze indulges in a Red Stripe from time to time but it is still usually a Lite beer.

Anyway, do you think you are loyal to your beer or drink it cause you just really enjoy the taste? I know mine is about 50/50. I enjoy Miller Lite but I also have a loyalty to it cause it is brewed in my home state.

What about your soft drink preference? I used to be a Coca-Cola guy growing up. Always drink Coca-Cola and rarely venturing to a Pepsi. I beleive this to be cause my Dad was a fiercely loyal Coca-Cola drinker. He claims he like the taste. However, it was not unusual for my Dad and his Sister (my Aunt Ruthie) to remain so loyal to Coca-Cola that when at a restaurant and the waitress gave that old "We have Pepsi not Coke" response they would actually switch their drink order to something else.

They claim they don't like the taste of Pepsi but I believe it is because they feel an intense loyalty to Coca-Cola and don't want to betray that by cheating on them. This is the typical mindset of a Packer fan as well. We feel like it is a badge of honor to remain loyal to something even if it is blind loyalty.

This is why the whole Brett Favre saga is so ugly in Wisconsin. The typical Wisconsin resident can't fathom why he would do that to us? Why would he get so greedy and come back? He is greedy to come back and not leave $20 million on the table. How could he come back for the rival?

Anyway, Just curious to hear everyone's preferences for their beer and soft drink.

Many of You Know and/or have agreed with me in the past that it seems sometimes professional sports has.......ummmm.....agenda's they want to accomplish. Like giving favorable calls to the New York Yankees cause they will generate the most money and interest in the World Series. I'm sure everyone has heard the SEC refs are pulling for Florida theory as well. Or making questionable calls on the Packers yesterday to give Brett the breaks he needs to complete the best story in Pro sports this year. This is the best storyline.....not even Vince McMahon could have written a better storyline than this.

But that HeadButting penalty on Johnny Jolly after the pack stuffed the Vikings in the red zone was garbage...I saw so much jawing going on and to make a back breaking call like that was brutal......But I digress cause Brett and the Viking did beat the Pack squarely.

Well, if you beleive Tim Donaghy then all of these theories have legs. Check out the excerpts below from his upcoming book......and many more HERE. DonJuan and Blaze...I hope you enjoyed that Heat title over the Mavs a few years ago.

Allen Iverson provides a good example of a player who generated strong reaction, both positive and negative, within the corps of NBA referees. For instance, veteran referee Steve Javie hated Allen Iverson and was loathe [sic] to give him a favorable call. If Javie was on the court when Iverson was playing, I would always bet on the other team to win or at least cover the spread. No matter how many times Iverson hit the floor, he rarely saw the foul line. By contrast, referee Joe Crawford had a grandson who idolized Iverson. I once saw Crawford bring the boy out of the stands and onto the floor during warm-ups to meet the superstar. Iverson and Crawford's grandson were standing there, shaking hands, smiling, talking about all kinds of things. If Joe Crawford was on the court, I was pretty sure Iverson's team would win or at least cover the spread.

The 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings presents a stunning example of game and series manipulation at its ugliest. As the teams prepared for Game 6 at the Staples Center, Sacramento had a 3–2 lead in the series. The referees assigned to work Game 6 were Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney, and Ted Bernhardt. As soon as the referees for the game were chosen, the rest of us knew immediately that there would be a Game 7. A prolonged series was good for the league, good for the networks, and good for the game. Oh, and one more thing: it was great for the big-market, star-studded Los Angeles Lakers.

In the pregame meeting prior to Game 6, the league office sent down word that certain calls — calls that would have benefitted the Lakers — were being missed by the referees. This was the type of not-so-subtle information that I and other referees were left to interpret. After receiving the dispatch, Bavetta openly talked about the fact that the league wanted a Game 7.

"If we give the benefit of the calls to the team that's down in the series, nobody's going to complain. The series will be even at three apiece, and then the better team can win Game 7," Bavetta stated.

As history shows, Sacramento lost Game 6 in a wild come-from-behind thriller that saw the Lakers repeatedly sent to the foul line by the referees. For other NBA referees watching the game on television, it was a shameful performance by Bavetta's crew, one of the most poorly officiated games of all time.

Well, Maybe Donahy is full of BS or maybe he is just trying to make money hawking a book. Either way.....You have to read these excerpts....they are just priceless.

On a side note....keep up the good work posturing with the Umps at Red Bug Spragues.

In a follow-up to "Regers Rant" click on this link" to see where local radio host (DonJuan's Favorite) Dan Sileo has been suspended because he upset Tampa Bay's Owners the Glazer family.

Sileo said the team lost over $440 million in the Maddoff ponzi scheme and was trying to sell the team because of it. Well, the Glazers were not happy so they pulled their weight within the fledling local radio business and pushed for Sileo to be suspended because of his comments.

Once again, Rob.......Sileo is not looking at any immeninet jail time just losing a pay check because he opened his mouth and said something his bosses didn't like. Maybe his bosses did or did not care about what he said...but in a dying AM talk show market pissing off the big money of the only professional football franchise in the area probably is not a smart business move.....and thus his bosses had to act accordingly. Obviously, there were no racial, or homophobic overtones but the same premise as LJ being suspended for doing something the people whom cut his check don't like. Is this a violation of the constitituion or simply business people making business moves?

On a another note I am looking to the Dojo members to help me solve my own dilemma with Freedom? Freedom to watch TV that is. I am going to the UCF V Marshall game Sunday night at 8:15 and would like to tailgate. However, as you know the NFL game of the year is on at 4:15 when the unamed Prodigal son returns to Lambeau.

Is there any way to watch a game from the parking lot? I have a power source, but I don't beleive TV's work anymore unless they are plugged into a cable outlet. Is there any way to watch an NFL game on the Internet or someway to utilize a TV? I look to my Tech guru's to solve my dilemma. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.

So, I have a question that has been bugging me for awhile. Since when has it become such a heinous act to have an opinion about something? What ever happened to freedom of speech and freedom of expression in this country?

What I am refering to is the treatment of Larry Johnson and Carrie Prejean by the gay community and the treatment that they are getting by society in general for having certain opinions protected by their civil rights.

Whether you agree with the way Larry Johnson handled himself after another loss (I don't) I certainly think he has an inalienable right to say what he said. For a guy to possibly get suspended for the rest of the season for calling reporters a bunch of faggots is preposterous.

The same thing applies to Carrie Prejean for stating an opinion. (Let's face it, she signed her death certificate when she said that, no matter what the pageant officials said).

It is so hypocritical for gay rights groups to act this way. Supposedly, they stand for equal rights and equal opportunity for all. But this stance only applies if you agree with their stance. Disagree with their opinion and then suddenly you should lose your rights. This whole thing makes me sick.

I personally could care less what people do in the privacy of their own homes. Stick your dicks where you want to, I don't care. But when they force their views on people and act like it is a crime to not share the same views, it makes me less likely to ever vote in their favor again. As long as Larry Johnson is not a hiring employer descriminating against a gay person for a job, he should be allowed to say what he wants. That is the American way, for good and for bad.

What is the deal with those oversized Hemp Looking necklaces almost half of the Pitchers in the MLB wear?

When did this fashion accessory take off? And why is it so popular with pitchers?

These are questions I need answered.


And How come Every Yankee Fan thinks they know more than the Yankees highly trained, highly paid, and one time Manager of the the Year?

http://theproducers.weei.com/sports/boston/dennis-and-callahan/will-people-ever-learn/

The Debate has been raging in my head ever since I saw our schedule this week. The Win less East Coast Believers Church.

Do we continue the Cobra Kai motto of Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy on these poor just trying to spread the good word of the Lord church movers or do we take it a notch down?

My initial thought is to go at them full speed ahead. I am just not wired to let up in an athletic competition. I want to go all out or else it is not worth it. However, coming off our drubbing by our newest hated team THE Sharks....I feel like we should have a different perspective?

That was one of the ugliest games I have ever taken part of. And for Elliot, Spragues, and Regs I will spare the three of you any details. By the way....Sprague's I think You now lead the team in ERA after you conveniently were AWOL for the past game pulling your own Mad Dog Move.

Regardless, I believe it was more a matter of us playing not to lose and just waiting to get shell shocked which eventually happened. As, I have always said sometimes in life it's usually a matter of perspective. If you look for something hard enough you will usually find it. I think we were looking for a beat down and we were not our usual team because we were expecting an annihilation and that is what we got. Just like whenever you go out to dinner with a person of a certain religious descent........I mean a South Floridian.......I mean a food critic they are usually walking into the restaurant waiting to critique and break down the service and/or food.

Well, that food and or waiter does not have a chance in hell. Any place you go you can find something wrong......and if you look for it hard enough you will find it. This Cheese is not melted perfectly......My Lettuce is not green enough.....these fries are not crispy enough.....etc....etc...etc....I pounded my glass of water immediately when I sat down and the waiter took a whole two minutes before he noticed.....Brutal!

The same goes for sports. If you go into a game thinking we are going to get smoked, well the first thing that goes wrong just sets the tone and the game starts to implode. Did you ever notice in the old days that always happened to us? We would have that one inning where one thing would go wrong and then our collective heads would start to hang and we just expected a bunch of things to go wrong and they almost always did leading to that 11 run inning we would give up. How come we would give up all those runs in one inning and then hardly any the rest of the game? Well, Momentum can work both for you and against you.

Usually, we would come roaring back and gain our own momentum driven inning as well. I think once the Swami diagnosed this problem he helped us conquer that demon and his absence Friday may have lead to that, but that is besides the point. Maybe it was a lack of team community on the dojo and that is largely my fault for not perpetuating more discussions on the dojo. But we had no life from the get go Friday. I know the Sharks are the Sharks and we can hate on them all we want which is entirely debatable subject. However, do we remember that feeling this Friday and take out our anger on the Church group or play with empathy since we know how much that game sucked?

Personally, I thought we needed to loosen up and just try to have fun Friday and score a few runs and make small strides. However, the East Coast Believers have had happen to them every game this year what happened to us Friday. So, My question to the Dojo is do we go at them full force? Yes, it is their job to stop us. And, I felt the same way Friday. At first I wanted to make an errant throw that hit one of the Sharks but then I remembered I am a Man and it is my job to stop them not theirs to give in. But at some point enough is enough? But what is that point? That is my question.

I have a parking pass for Garage D for the Canes game. If any of you want to put anything (chairs, etc) in my car that you don't have to lug around tomorrow, bring it to the game tonight! Go Canes!

Is anyone buying this? The towels made me lose the ball? Keith's lord and savior Colin Cowherd is actually defending Holliday on his show today. He says it's a legitimate distraction. I don't know, this is a little hard to take. I would believe it more from a batters perspective but an outfielder, no. As soon as that ball is hit you know everyone stops waving until they see what happens with the play. It's the pause factor, as soon as the bat makes contact everyone holds their breath for a second, freezes and waits to see where the ball goes. The only way for there to be any kind of distraction is if everyone was waving their towels all the way through the play. And I find that hard to believe. Why don't we ban everyone from wearing white shirts as well? Absoultely ridiculous. Just man up and say you fucked up the play.

Kai faithful, I would like to apologize for my lack of involvement on the dojo. As most, if not all of you know I will be shipping out on OCT 5th, unfortunately Uncle Sam has a problem with shippers driving long distances before their ship date, thusly I will be unable to make it to Orlando before I leave.

I will not have access to a computer or a cell phone for the first few months of training, so postal service will be the only method of communication. I do not have an address as of yet, but you can send stuff to my parents in Madison if you feel so inclined and they will forward it on to me. I only ask that you do not send material of a compromising nature (gay pictures or letters confessing your love for me, Rich).

So again I would like to apologize for my poor planning in not getting down to see the Kai before I left and my lack of participation of late.

Good luck with the season!

JDUB

Why does all the media outlets say Matt Millen is a tremendous Analyst and we should forgive him for his atrocity in Detroit cause he is a really smart guy and great analyst. I think he is horrible on Monday Night Football.

It seems everything he says Steve Young and Stu Scott look at each other and think to themselves.....He's lost it. Millen looks so out of place and out of touch......maybe cause last week he was sick and was picking his nose a lot but this week he still felt awkward to watch. Am I wrong????

Also, What is the deal with David Maus? Does he try to come off as a Cheese-Dick? His commercials are my favorite cause they are the definition of cheesiness. He alwasy has some new image schtick in every single commercial. And that Monday Night commercial where he has all those fans at his house watching a make believe football game is just plain odd. There are fans in Browns Jerseys, Jets Jerseys, Bucs Jerseys,........and that Overweight Somoan dude is just plain silly. I don't even know what jersey he is wearing........and he looks like he is about to pass out sitting on the couch. And the dude in the Browns jersey actually picks his nose???? I mean....Can't he put together a better commercial than that?????

Just a few of my thoughts from Monday night........................Watch out For Justin Fargas in week 4!!!!!!

http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/2009/09/21/chip-kelly-is-a-man-of-his-word-seriously/

Can we stop this now please? As someone who has watched just about every game Eli has played, I've always known he was much more than an average or above average QB. However a lot of people just like to regurgitate what they hear on TV or talk radio.

Why does this guy have to keep proving himself? I know, it's an image thing. He's the little brother to the greatest QB in history (I know that's another debate, but he is). The "aw shucks" attitude. The soft spokenness. There's another guy in NY with a soft demeanor that's finally getting the nation-wide respect he deserves after 14 years, only because the evidence is now undisputable. I guess Eli will have to follow the same path as the Yankee captain for the rest of the country to fully realize just how good he is.

Oh by the way, it's only his 6th year playing. Eli is one of a handful of QB's you would want for a final drive to win the game. Any mistake he's made, forgotten. A minute left and no time outs, cool as ice. The pocket is collapsing and the defense is stretching the #10 into a #1_____0, he can get out of it.

Time for some respect, he's a Super Bowl MVP and a top tier QB, nuff said.

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