Saturday, February 26, 2011

I love this team...

Many of my readers know I am a lifelong University of Louisville sports fan.  Even though I cheer for all Cardinal teams, the men's college basketball team holds a special place in my heart.  Growing up in Louisville, I know the importance of college basketball in this area of the country.  My parents raised me right and made sure I am a Cardinals fan.  I thank them for this every day, I couldn't imagine going through life as a U of K fan, completely oblivious to being mocked and scorned by the rest of the general public.


With this in mind, I think it is appropriate to create an entry about just how much I like this year's University of Louisville basketball team.  This years group was projected to finish 8th in the Big East and some pre-season magazines had them as a fringe tournament team.  Fast-forward to current times, and my Cards are ranked 16th in the country, with a great chance to knock off the 6th ranked Pitt Panthers in the YUM center tomorrow.  The Cards have swept UCONN, beaten Syracuse, St. Johns and UNLV (among others), and came back from 18 down with 6 1/2 minutes to go and beat Marquette.
Now I'm not saying I think this year's team is going to the Final Four, but I will not put anything past them.  There have been more talented U of L teams recently (2005, 2008, 2009) but none that played with as much teamwork and flair as this one.  There is no superstar on the team (other than Kyle when he's in his Korner), but they epitomize what a collegiate basketball team should be.  From great passing on the offensive end to an aggressive match-up zone defense, this team is built on teamwork. 

"If you have handlebars, a seat, a chain and a helmet piled up on the garage floor, you don't have a bike"
- Lance Armstrong 2004

One thing I am tired of is hearing people say that this team doesn't have ANY talent.  I will concede that they play above their talent level because they function so well together.  But to say that this team is seriously lacking talent is asinine.  Peyton Siva is an uber-athletic, pass-first true point guard.  Jennings and Buckles have started banging the boards with a fervor and their 2nd chance put backs allow the team to continue to jack up 3s even if they all aren't falling.  Preston is a clutch, senior leader who can score from just about anywhere on the court.  Dieng is a future NBA player whose length and upside have Cardinal fans drooling.  Mike Marra is a streaky gunner who is one of the most under-rated passers in the history of U of L basketball, once he gets 100% healthy his athleticism and shooting will come back. Chris Smith has been a welcome addition to this team, his energy and effort always seems to take the entire team to a different level.   Bullet, Van Beast, Russ Smith and George Goode have all contributed this season and Rick knows they play just as hard as the guys who get more clock.

Now fellow Cardinal fans are thinking...how can you forget about HIM?  Don't worry, he gets his own paragraph.  "He" being the homecoming king and fan favorite Kyle Kuric.  He assured that Freedom Hall went out in style by dropping a flurry of threes and dunks against then #1 Syracuse last year.  Now he's working on making his mark in the Yum center. He laid in a great pass from Preston that completed the come-back against Marquette.  He has a spot on the floor (Kuric's Korner) where he shoots 102%.  He also did this:

No matter what happens from here,  I can safely say its been a fun, spectacular year already.  There is something very special about this years edition of the U of L Cardinals, and I suspect they have a few more surprises up their sleeve.... (just kidding, they don't really wear sleeves)

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Lolita

I have recently finished reading the novel "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov.  I will start by saying if you haven't read it, you should.

In the story the narrator/main character is a pedophile who falls in love with a twelve year old girl.

HOLD ON!  HIT THE BRAKES!

*Disclaimer- Proctor's Type does not support or condone pedophilia in any way.

My strong feelings about pedophiles aside, the story is provocative and hilarious.  I have to admit that at times I felt grimy reading it, but just couldn't stop.  I am not a literary critic but I am going to share a few of my thoughts about Lolita:

I do not support book banning in any way.  This book has been banned at many libraries all throughout the world.  To me, this is a travesty.  Lolita is a work of fiction and does not condone pedophilia.  Throughout the story you see that Humbert is filled with guilt and never fulfilled.  His acting on his desires ruins his life as well as Dolores'.  The mere retelling of his love for Dolores (the story itself) is too much for him to live with, seeing that he requests that it not be published until his and Dolly's passing.  In the same way the movie Fatal Attraction makes an unfaithful husband think twice, I believe that a pedophile may strongly reconsider after reading Lolita.  The novel is not "Erotica", as many book banners claim.  The few descriptions of physical acts within the novel are disgusting and show just how truly cruel Humbert (or the typical pedophile) is.

This brings me to another topic of discussion:  Humbert's "guilt".  Delving into the pedophile's mind, as this book does, is a complex journey.  Some critics have forgiven Humbert completely, basically the "you can't help who you fall in love with" argument.  I cannot disagree more.  Humbert is a human being who knows right from wrong, not a robot who is programmed to be a pedophile and be with Dolly Haze at all costs.  Throughout his telling of the story, Humbert shows that he is a very intelligent, insightful man, who clearly knows that Delores does not love him, nor is she capable of loving him.  Through acts such as bribing Dolly for sex and restricting her from being around boys her age, Humbert shows he is manipulative and conniving.  Any "love" or emotional connection he feels he has for Dolly is far outweighed by his physical attraction to her.    

An interesting counterpoint is that Humbert still wants to be with Lo when he goes to try to take her away when she is pregnant and seventeen.  I do not believe her offering to go away with her is an act of love but more an act of guilt.  He feels responsible for her loss of innocence, and is willing to take her in as some type of, what he considers to be, a humane act.  He masquerades as if he still loves her but shows through his actions that he is jealous and possessive.  I consider it similar to an established adult who has the opportunity to repurchase the car they had when they were sixteen and wants it despite it having no true use to them.

Well readers, thats a few of my thoughts about Lolita, I highly recommend reading it.  It is a story you will never forget, even if you try.  Let me know what you think after you read it.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Indianapolis

Within a minute of LeBron making his "decision", I made a decision myself to see the "big three" (LeBron, Wade, and Bosh) asap.  Laura and I found out that the Heat would be in Indianapolis to play the Pacers on February 15th.  The plans were set in motion and then it was merely a waiting game.  Laura found herself, Sam and I tickets in the upper section of Conseco Field house and price-lined the downtown Indianapolis Marriott for $55.


 Sam, Laura and myself jumped in the Jeep yesterday morning at 10 am.  No trip up North 65 could be complete without a stop at the Edinburgh outlet malls.  Luckily it was a Tuesday and we didn't have to worry about the weekend outlet mall types (just kidding).  One hundred and fifteen bucks got me a Polo® button up "blake" shirt, two pairs of Izod® pants (it should be noted that these pants have a sun protection factor of 50), and a pair of Jordan® brand basketball shorts.


We grabbed lunch at.....
It was good, standard roadhouse fair.  I had a burger.

We arrived at the Marriott and self parking cost only...28 dollars.  The hotel is splendid: big and clean with plenty of knowledgeable staff.  Serious props to all of my readers who work for the Marriott.  

Quick note:  In the middle of the Marriott lobby there is some iced water with fruit floating in it.  Don't make the mistake of asking any questions to the guest services about this...everyone will think you're an idiot.

After looking at a downtown Indy map with numbers and dots, we set our sights on a "lil' Irish Pub" called 
Calddagh's.  We walked the scenic route and finally found our destination, with a FTW "$3 Pints" sign out front.  To put it bluntly: this place is the real deal.  They have about 15 beers on tap with some seasonal selections.  Personally, I enjoyed a couple Upland Schwartz, a strongbow (i know..) and a Smithwick's.  At the server's recommendation I ordered their Corned Beef and Cabbage Rolls appetizer.  From their menu: corned beef, cabbage, potatoes & monterey jack cheese in a wonton, served with sweet chili & thousand island dipping sauces. 6.99 .  These bad boys are absolutely delicious and the one appetizer was enough for us three to share and get a nice pre-game snack.




Around six it was time to head to the game.  After a five minute walk, we had arrived to the game.  Conseco is a beautiful facility (just ask Sam).  Prior to the game, I bought a Danny Granger Jersey T-Shirt ($22).  We headed to our seats which were high up but not behind a basket (which I hate).  I would say our section was about 50/50 Pacers to Heat fans.  The most popular jersey worn was D Wade, followed by LBJ, Granger and Reggie Miller.

The arena was packed and rocking.  I bought a $7 miller lite and it was GAME-TIME.
Starting Lineups:
Pacers               Heat
Sam's Highlight of the Trip
G- Collison        G- Chalmers                                        
G- Dunleavy      G- Wade
F- Granger         F- James
F- McRoberts    F- Bosh
C- Hibbert         C- Ilgaukus

One event we definitely wanted to chronicle was LeBron's chalk throw ritual.  Laura, expecting this to take place in the center of the scorer's table, thought she had missed it.  However, the video below actually caught LeBron throwing the chalk up.  Look in the upper right hand corner...







Seeing players the caliber of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade in person was an experience I will never forget.  Dwayne Wade went for 22 in the the first quarter!  He finished with 41.  LeBron got 27 and Bosh scored 22.  The Big Three lived up to the billing, accounting for 90 of the Heat 110 points.  As for my Pacer's, they played hard.  They fought back from a 22 point deficit and actually took the lead mid-way through the fourth quarter.  I was very impressed with the play of Tyler Hansbrough off the bench.  The Pacer's are a solid, growing, young team and will get in the playoffs if they continue to play well.

Honestly, even though I was cheering for the Pacer's, this trip was more about seeing the Heat and some of the amazing plays they can make.  Including this::



Lebron's tweet:   LeBron James 

Great win for us tonight in Indy! @ went Ham tonight and probably threw the best pass in NBA history. Check it out

The game was everything I was hoping for (minus a Pacer's win) and afterwards we headed to Scotty's Brewhouse for some post-game food and beverage.  

The last couple of times I was in Indy I wanted to check out Scotty's and never got the chance.  Its in a great location and has 40 plus beers on tap.  Overall, I would say our experience there was very hit and miss.  The beer selection was great but they didn't run their normal Tuesdays specials because there was a Pacer's game (smh).  The bar food choices were expansive but slightly over-priced.  Laura's burger came out cold and my chicken sandwich was just "OK".  I think we would have had a better time had the service had been more prompt and consistent.  We also weren't informed when it was last call...a major no-no with me.  I'm going to charge this experience to the game and give Scotty's another chance down the road.  One great thing, they have Old Rasputin on tap, I enjoyed a 23 oz. for $7.25.

We walked back to our rooms, and after a Bailey's nightcap, we hit the hay. The next morning, after a brief gym trip and a shower, we packed up and headed out.  Having seen a Pacer's game two years in a row, I can say we are definitely going to make this an annual thing.


Sad to leave

View from our hotel room

Friday, February 11, 2011

The Five Greatest Athletes I Have Ever Seen In Person

As this blog grows and evolves, readers will realize I love lists/rankings and sports.  With this in mind, here is the first of many:

While walking the dog this morning, I started thinking about my upcoming trip to Indianapolis.  Laura, Sam and I are going to see the super team that is the Miami Heat (side note: the Pacers are playing as well).  Although I am not necessarily a huge fan of the Heat (I like the Lakers and Pacers), I cannot wait to see LeBron James play basketball in person. Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are just icing on the cake.  LeBron is 6'8" 260, fast, quick, strong, a phenomenal leaper and defender.  I may not say hes my favorite player, but I can say I respect his never-before-seen ability and marvel at his game.  


With this in mind I began thinking about who the best athletes I have ever seen in person are.  Its an interesting thing for sports fans to think about, especially if you live in a city with no professional sports teams like I do.  For us going and seeing a major four (NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL) professional sporting event is a trip and a special occasion.   Before we get started a couple of rules about this list: 


1. Seeing someone play at an amateur level does not count.  I have been to COUNTLESS U of L sporting events and have seen D Wade (Marquette), Angel McCoughtry, Elvis Dumervil etc.  These games, although highly entertaining, are not the highest level of competition and will not count towards this list.  


2.  I have to have been old enough/ sober enough to really remember the event.


3.  Horse racing does not count.  I do love the horses and jockeys though.


So here is the list, ranking them was hard, especially across sports, but I think I have it nailed down:


5.  CC Sabathia-  
Laura and I went up to Cincinnati to catch the Red's last home series of 2008.  It was a special weekend considering we got to see CC pitch and won a cruise of fan appreciation day.  
Going into this game, the Brewers were making a late push for the playoffs and had basically "rented" CC from Cleveland for the second half of the season.  CC was a BEAST, it seemed like he was winning every game down the stretch, all the while pitching on short rest.   He didn't disappoint,  going deep into the game and winning yet again for the Brewers.  I am in the "CC will one day be a Hall of Famer" camp, which makes seeing him pitch even more special.


4.  Ken Griffey Jr.-
I have seen Griffey a few times, all with Cincy.  I can't recall one single game or play that I saw him make.  I can tell you definitively that his swing is even sweeter in person.  Its almost like an optical illusion in that the ball is obviously going fast but his swing looks so controlled, almost as if it were in slow motion.  I cannot put into words how cool it would have been to see him in the Seattle days when he was 100% healthy and his defense was just as special as the offense.  An obvious first ballot Hall of Famer, Griffey was fun to watch in multiple viewings.


3.  Alex Rodriguez-  
    Back in 2002, the same year the All Star game was called a tie, I was on a mission trip with my at-the-time girlfriend's church.  We were in the twin cities working with impoverished kids.  One day after our work was done, the youth minister told us that we could go to a baseball game for fairly cheap.  Being an avid baseball fa myself, I jumped at the opportunity.  However, to the more casual fan, the idea of going to see the twins play in the Metrodome wasn't as appealing.  That all changed when we found out who the opponent was: the Texas Rangers.  A Rod stopped through Texas for a couple years prior to signing with the Yankees.  I cant even remember who won (I think the twins), but I did see A Rod homer.  Despite all of the controversy surrounding him now, I still positively look back on seeing one of the greatest players of my generation blast a pitch over the Metrodome's center field fence, all the while playing for a last place team. 


2.   Ichiro Suzuki-
  Last summer Laura and I did a tour of Michigan as our summer vacation.  While planning this vacation, we checked the Tiger's schedule.  Seeing Seattle listed as playing in Detroit while we were near there changed my "wanting to go to a baseball game" to "having to see Ichiro".  I have now adopted the Tiger's as my AL team, but I have to admit, I was more excited about seeing Ichiro than anything else. 


  We went with our great friends Lindsay and Ryan and had a blast.  If you ever get to see Ichiro, DO NOT MISS BATTING PRACTICE.  The stories about Ichiro in batting practice are not urban legends, he hits pitch after pitch about 10 feet over the right field fence.  I have no doubt he could hold his own in the HR derby, all the while not hitting a ball over 380 feet.  During the game, he went 2 for 5 and threw out a runner going for second.  Just another day at the office for Ichiro, but a very special experience for myself.


1.  Peyton Manning-


Those of you who know anything about me know this:  I am a Tom Brady guy .  That doesn't mean I don't respect the hell out of Peyton Manning.  So when my friend Derek told me he had Falcons vs. Colts tickets, I knew I had to go.  It took us six hours to drive to Indy in the snow (it normally takes two) but I would do it again in a heartbeat.  Keep in mind this was back before Vick went to prison and we all found out what a piece of crap he is.  Manning vs. Vick...


This is still the only NFL game I have ever been to but it was awesome!  The QB battle didn't live up to the hype though, Vick played terrible while Peyton had one of his perfect passer rating days.  Manning is a machine and I can say I have seen one of the greatest ever.  Now I just need to see him again in Lucas Oil...




So theres the list...  an interesting side note is that I haven't seen the majority of my personal favorite players play.  The next five I have to see (considering I am seeing LeBron) are 1. Tom Brady 2. Derek Jeter 3. Kobe Bryant 4.  Tiger Woods and 5. Miguel Cabrera (he missed the game we went to last summer)  I'll consider this some type of short term "Bucket List".

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Heavy Bags of Leaves

I will take you back to Saturday January 30th 2011.  If you were in Louisville KY you may remember a beautiful, mild weathered, winter's day.  It would be easy to remember because it is the only "nice" day we have had in months.  Weeks earlier I had promised myself that on the next semi-warm weekend day I would rake up and bag ALL of the leaves (for the third time this season).  
I woke up motivated and went to work, raking and bagging, raking and bagging.  I picked up dog (poop), I trimmed a tree, I moved cement blocks and bricks that had been sitting in the same place since we bought our home.  After working from 10am to around 5 pm, I was finished.  I had filled up a very large trash container and 10 huge yard bags full of leaves.  I celebrated by having a couple of friends over and starting a fire in the fire pit.  

Yard waste pickup is every other Wednesday, which just happens to be today.  After I go to the gym and walk the dog, I proceed to carrying the half frozen, very heavy leaf bags to the end of the driveway from the backyard.  I rolled the huge, heavy trashcan full of wet leaves to the curb.  These leaves were finally going to be gone from my life....then I got home from work....





I guess they don't pick up yard waste in the winter time.  Fail.

Monday, February 7, 2011

I cant stop laughing about this...

For some reason Carl has started standing on the picnic table out back:

Sometimes he stands there and barks, other times hes just chillin'.  I have heard many theories about why he may be doing this but none of them make a lot of sense.  We almost renamed him Mulder when we got him, which would have been appropriate because this is an X File.

I am blogging now, just what the world needs

I have been thinking about blogging for a long time now and I finally decided to.  I named my blog "Proctor's Type" , which I think is genius.  The goal or "point" of Proctor's Type is to convey my thoughts and feelings on a whole host of subjects.  I considered just a sports blog but I have a lot more to offer the world than that.  With this being my introductory blog I will just throw a few things out about myself :




This is me with Carl, who is becoming my best friend.  I am engaged to the most beautiful and intelligent woman in the world: Laura Hayes.  Besides my big-headed dog in the picture, I also have two cats: Bagheera and Ichiro.  The five of us reside in a one story ranch in the Lyndon section of Louisville, Kentucky.  I have lived in Louisville my whole life and I cant currently imagine living anywhere else.  As I have grown and matured, I have realized how much God has given me and that I have taken my multiple blessings for granted.  I have the two best parents anyone could ever ask for.  Hugh and Jennie Proctor are loving, genuine good people.  I have a sister, Laura, who is currently the busiest person in the world, and one of the funniest.

Alright guys, I am heading to Fifth Third Bank where I am a Personal Banker.  Its time 2 grind