For the last few weeks Elliot's been going to a basketball class for an hour on Saturday mornings at the community center. I know I'm not objective, but so far everything that Elliot has done (school, baseball, soccer, Taekwon-Do, etc.), he's always one of the few best kids in the game or in the class. He's smart, athletic, and competitive, but I think a big part of it is that he pays attention and focuses, listens to the coaches or teachers, and quickly learns how to be successful. Anyway, basketball is apparently no exception. Here are a few photos and videos from last Saturday:
Here he making a steal but missing the fastbreak shot at the buzzer
Here he is picking up a loose ball, breaking down the court, and making the shot this time
Here he is barely missing a shot and then playing some defense
Finally, here is with a nice cross-over dribble before getting mugged
From a NY Times article of the same title by Stuart Elliott about the Super Bowl ads:
More than a dozen spots celebrated violence in an exaggerated, cartoonlike vein that was intended to be humorous, but often came across as cruel or callous.
I don't know about a connection to Iraq, but I did notice this myself: an abundance of gratuitously violent commercials that left me wincing.
Watch out on Sunday...the NFL may be after you. From an article by Robert King in the Indianapolis Star:
The thousands of churches across the country that want to host Super Bowl parties Sunday night had better not pull out big-screen TVs, or they could face the wrath of NFL attorneys. The NFL is telling Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis that the church's plans to use a wall projector to show the game at a party for church members and guests would violate copyright laws.
The league even took exception to the church's plan to influence nonmembers with a video highlighting the Christian testimonies of Colts coach Tony Dungy and Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith.
NFL PARTY RULES
For groups that want to host Super Bowl parties -- other than sports bars and businesses that normally show televised sports -- here are rules the NFL says must be followed:
No admission fees (even to pay for snacks).
Only one television (55 inches or smaller).
No use of the words "Super Bowl" in promotional materials.
No exhibition of the game in connection with events "that promote a message."
I'd planned a post giving big ups to the Lipscomb basketball team for losing by less than ten points to South Carolina and Vanderbilt and playing Alabama close until the final few minutes...but then they launched into a string of losses to Kennesaw State and East Tennessee State University...so I'm not so impressed any more. Link: Lipscomb schedule/results
The speculation has been simmering since before the season began. Word is that tomorrow Bill Cowher will announce his retirement as Steelers coach after 15 (mostly successful) years. It will certainly be strange if he, as is speculated, returns to coach another team after taking a year off. Despite the fluke of last year, I think his career is a bit tainted by failing to win the big one when so many times he appeared to be in the driver's seat. As a life-long Steelers fan (my dad used to read me the scores out of the paper before I could read, and I could spell Pittsburgh in second grade), it'll be strange to see someone else on the sideline next season.
I'd planned a post giving big ups to the Lipscomb basketball team for losing by less than ten points to South Carolina and Vanderbilt and playing Alabama close until the final few minutes...but then they launched into a string of losses to Kennesaw State and East Tennessee State University...so I'm not so impressed any more. Link: 
The speculation has been simmering since before the season began.