UConn Women's Basketball

2 nights ago history was made. UConn Women's Basketball won their 89th game in a row. Geno Auriemma and his Huskies broke the 88-game win streak set by John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins in the late 1970's. A streak that no one thought anyone would break, let alone a women's team.


Final Four on 2008, UConn lost their last game to date. In a sport dominated by a few teams, it seemed only right for them to lose to Stanford, another top team. UConn was set to win yet another national championship that year, but they lost. That feeling in the locker room after losing so close to the championship changed the way the team wanted to play, wanted to win. There are many people in the sports world who disregard women's basketball as competitive and exciting as men's college basketball. The women's league is dominated by a few teams, but isn't that the same in men's as well? Men's bball has been dominated by teams like Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, UCLA, UConn and a few other teams. Yes there may be other championship teams that break up championship streaks, but looking at total championships won there are a few elite programs that stand out. It's sometimes hard to see because NCAA men's basketball has been around a lot longer than women's. Since the NCAA recognized women's basketball in 1982 the 3-4 teams that are discussed every year: Tennessee, LSU, Stanford and UConn, naturally. When you're an elite female basketball player, you dream to play for one of these teams, therefore they are always going to be the ones winning championships. There aren't as many successful programs in women's basketball, so unlike men's, the elite talent is not spread out amongst numerous programs.

While at UConn, and beyond, there are few teams that I've seen control and dominate in their sport like the Lady Huskies.During this win streak, there have been 2 games where they haven't won by more than 10 points. One of those games being the first game of the season this year against Baylor, where they won by 1, 65-64. They're only true test during this streak, even last year in the 2010 NCAA tournament they beat Baylor 70-50 in the final four then went on to defeat Stanford in the championship. On average they are beating opponents by 30+ points. In their win over Florida State for their 89th win, they won 93-62. Few teams in any sport can say that they truly dominate like these women do. No it's not the same as a men's team, but in relating even the Wooden's UCLA didn't dominate like these ladies are doing. It is a team sport, but in this era the game itself is dominated by a single player from UConn, Maya Moore.

There have been man players in NCAA women's basketball history who have completely dominated in their time playing for their team: Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird (all from UConn), Candice Parker and Kara Lawson (Tennessee) and many others, but since 2007 there has been one player who can't be stopped: Maya Moore. It isn't a single person sport, but it's a team that since her arrival, has almost played around her. She's had some phenomenal teammates in Renee Montgomery and Tina Charles, both tops in UConn players, but when coming down to the wire of a close game (if there are any) you want Moore with the ball in hand driving the lane. In their last victory, at halftime Florida State had 27 points while Moore herself had 26. By the end of the game she had a career high of 41 points. Auriemma has instilled a motto with the team that has allowed their dominance, play a perfect game. They don't care what the score is, but they play to play a perfect game. 100% of shots taken made, no fouls, high rebounds, good defense. While the likelihood of that happening is slim to none, but this motto and goal has created this dominating team. And there is no one better to have on the team than the perfectionist Moore. When she was 2, she lost a game (not basketball) and hated the feeling of losing and vowed to herself that she would do anything in her power from then on to win anything she did. Her work ethic, if placed in any decent athlete, would make them great. She will stay after practice on her own and shoot layups or free throws or 3-pointers if during practice or a game she didn't make as many as she wanted. She's a phenomenal team player, if someone on her team is playing well in a game, she'll change her play to give them the ball. It's not just about her points, it's about the teams.

This is a big year in UConn sports. Men's basketball is ranked in the top 10 and playing like a high caliber team, football is going to it's first BCS bowl game, baseball is pre-season top 25, and my swim team has man swimmers in the top 50 and with NCAA qualifying times. It's not a bad time to be a Husky and with this women's team still winning, we're all proud.

U! C! O! N! N! UCONN! UCONN! UCONN!

2001 WIAA HS Swim & Dive State Champions

Going back and remembering a night, a single night, that happened a little over 9 years ago can be very difficult even when it's one of the most important nights of your life. However for me, remember this night, it seems like it was yesterday. I can remember it all perfectly. Friday November 10, 2001 changed my life forever.

August of 2001 was the beginning of my high school swimming career, a new chapter in my life. As a freshman, myself and the entire team knew that I was going to come in as one of the top swimmers immediately. Regardless, I was still scared shitless of the upperclassmen and the pressure of being at Shorewood. In the late 1990's, Shorewood had won 4 state championships in a row and were the team. Dominating every meet they went to and at the beginning of my freshman year there were some talks about our team in the next few years had potential to be almost as good. With a new coach we were nervous about how we were going to adapt to a new coaching style, but as the season progressed we started winning meets and swimming fast. Something was obviously clicking.

Conference and sectionals came and went and the next thing we know, we're preparing ourselves for the state meet. In Wisconsin, hs swimming is divided into 2 divisions, the smaller schools in division 2 and the larger schools in division 1. As one of the smallest schools with a swimming program in division 2, we were still able to have a dominant force. Winning our sectional and qualifying a number of swims to state our coach sat us down and Monday and told us how real it was that we COULD win state. Of course we wanted to win, but I think in the back of our minds we weren't sure if it really was possible. We had a week to prepare for the final meet of our season and come Thursday night, we were ready. With only 11 or so girls on our state team, we found it wildly hilarious that when we got to the parking lot Friday morning, our coach Rob had rented a full size school bus (that was the last year we did that) but of course it just made the day even better. We got in our bus and headed to Madison but before we went to the pool we stopped for lunch and a movie. Of all movies to see we sat down for Serendipity, a Christmas romantic comedy. Finally it was time to get to the UW-Madison Natatorium.


Now for anyone, the Nat can be a frightening place. Walking into the pool area, the pool itself and the separate diving well aren't so intimidating, except for the 2.5 ft high gutters and walls that make it nearly impossible to get out of the pool after you're done swimming, it's the stands that are the kick in the stomach. You walk on deck, turn around and look up to see the stands that seem to go on for an eternity, holding nearly 4,000 people. We walked onto the deck not really knowing what to expect, and as soon as our parents, teammates and other Shorewood students saw us a huge roar erupted followed by Shorewood cheers. If we weren't nervous before, we were at that moment. We got in for warm-ups and kept our routine the same as it had been all season. I don't get nervous often for a meet, I was always a very relaxed swimmer, but that night was one of the first moments I ever truly felt sick to my stomach with nerves.

We started the meet off with a bang, placing 2nd in the 200 Medley Relay. We had a good relay team all through the season, but unlike Whitnall, we weren't a sprinting team, so we knew that was their relay. With that energy that we got in that relay we continued to swim right where we needed to be, placing in the top spots either at our seeds or higher. What helped us win that meet wasn't just our swims that got us on the podium, but rather the ones that didn't. Everyone says that in order to win you need to win all the events, and yes that will help immensely, but it's the people who bring in the small points that can creep up on you. We had a few swimmers who got in those 4,5, and 6 points to keep us near the top of the leader board. To me there is no other meet quite like any high school state meet. Being in the Nat, you can barely hear yourself think at times because it's so loud. Everyone one of the competitors are there to win, there is no extra bonus or side incentive, pure competition to win the trophy and state title. We don't get paid to be there, we're there simply because we love the sport. Every stroke, race and finish is for ourselves and our team, nothing else.

As the meet progressed we started to realize that we really did have a chance to win the meet. We continued to place high in every race with at least one swim keeping ourselves in the mix. By the 100 Breaststroke, we were in 3rd place, but not by much. The rest of our team and coaches had figured out that if we won the final event, 400 Freestyle relay, we could win the meet, but for good reason did not tell us on the relay. Rob pulled us together before we walked to the blocks for the final race of the meet. Word for word he said (yes I still remember it): "Ladies, it's the last race of the night, you're in lane 1, outside smoke, no one's going to expect us. Swim fast and I better need a fucking crane to pull you out of the water when you're done". Our relay team of Marika Ross, Emily Whipp, myself, and Allison Clark had been together nearly all season. We knew exactly how we swam together and we ready for our final swim of the season.

Marika was our lead-off swim, she had the best start and got us out in front with Sauk Prairie and Oregon. Emily then dove in and kept us right there in the mix of things. Between us and the other 2 teams at this point we knew it was going to be a close race. Standing on the block for the 3rd leg we had the lead, I was shaking with nerves thinking "don't false start, don't false start"(and I'm shaking right now). Emily came into the wall and rather than making it risky I stayed safe, but still fast and dove into the water. I could barely see the other girls in the water because we were outside in lane 1, but I knew all I had to do was swim fast and keep my stroke strong and I could either pull ahead or stay with these girls. Finishing my 100, Allison dove in. She was our anchor our go to girl, if she was in the water we knew she'd be doing anything in her power not to lose the race. I pulled myself out of the water, out of breath, legs nearly dead, but I somehow mustered up the air left in my lungs to scream as Allison swam the final leg of our race. Allison swam that leg against two of the fastest girls in the state, Brittany Shutes (Oregon) and Lauren Bruenig (Sauk Prairie, 100 Freestyle state champion) and it all came down to the last 5 yards, the last stroke into the wall.

All 3 relay teams, state teams, fans in the stands, watched intently as these 3 girls came into the wall. With us being in lane 1 you could barely even see us swimming from the stands. The girls came into the wall at what to the naked eye was the exact same time and the entire natatorium went dead silent as everyone (including other teams) turned their heads to the scoreboard to see who won. What seemed like an eternity for the scoreboard to release the times it finally showed:

Shorewood 3:40.56
Oregon 3:40.62
Sauk Prairie 3:40.68

12-hundredths separated us from 3rd place. Chills ran up my back and all through my body with excitement and before I could even fathom what was going on we were jumping up and down with pure excitement that we had won the relay. We looked into the stands and saw the Shorewood cheering section erupting chanting "Shorewood Relays... Shorewood Relays!!!" Allison got out of the water and we were beyond ecstatic as our the rest of our team on the deck came running to us screaming "We won! We won!" we looked at them and were like of course we did, but then we realized as they changed the scores on the leader board that we had done it... we won state. That relay, those .06 hundredths of a second, won us the meet. Allison's perfect finish won us that meet. We couldn't believe it. Jumping up and down, looking to the stands, the feeling can't be described, it just can't no matter how much I try. Joy, excitement, elated, exhausted, pride, overwhelmed, nothing can describe how amazing it felt.

We waited impatiently as the award ceremonies happened then finally we got our chance to stand atop the podium for the 400 FR relay. The four of us squished on thee small podium didn't matter, we looked into the stands to see our teammates, family and friends, raised up the #1 and it was perfect. Finally, it was our chance, they announced the runner-up team, Whitnall, acknowledged their great meet. Then our trophy was handed to us, it was even better to see in person in our hands. Holding it up to the rest of the team, it was our time, our moment, and no one can take that away from us. We jumped in the water all together didn't matte if clothes were on. Once we were able to change in the locker room we walked out to the main hallway to an eruption of cheers and a mob of hugs. The amount of pride that came from our high school couldn't be matched that night. Even our principal and other teachers were there to support us. Our tradition was to go to the Olive Garden after the meet, they keep it open for us and bringing that trophy back there once again was indescribable. We ate, laughed, and shared stories from the night. Getting back onto the bus to drive back to Milwaukee we were rowdy and on such an adrenaline high we thought we'd stay awake the whole ride home, but alas we fell asleep. I woke up about halfway home and looked to the back of the bus, between the 11 of us there, everyone was laying across the aisle on two seats parkas on, we were a team, we won together and now we were all sleeping together. A perfect way to end the night. I can't help but smile right now thinking about how amazing that day was for us. No event in my life has been able to match the joy of that night and to this day I still remember it like it was yesterday.

"Shorewood Re-lays... Shorewood Re-lays..."
We... We are... We are the mighty... We are the mighty Greyhounds...

UConn Football

A school really known for anything other than basketball is now hearing more about it's football program on ESPN than basketball. Well not really especially since the women's team are 2 wins away from tying the all time winning record of 87 games in a row (John Wooden's UCLA team) and the men's team is finally showing themselves to be worthy of ranking again thanks to Kemba Walker. But for right now, at least until January, UConn country is looking at the football field. Last night thousands of UConn students, alumni and fans were glued to ESPN during the BCS special to find out that UConn will be playing Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, AZ on January 1st.

UConn football has been far from a powerhorse like many teams from the SEC, Big 12 or the Big Ten, but in the last few years they have come from a nearly invincible team to right in the mix of things. While we maybe don't deserve to be in the Fiesta Bowl like some other teams but it's the way things panned out and we can't change it at this point. We're going to a bowl game, it's happening, and we're ready for it.

I was at UConn from 2005-2009, but being from Wisconsin I grew up watching Badger football. It's just a notch above the program UConn has and not to mention a very different atmosphere at the games. I went to my first football game the first week at UConn (student-athletes get in free) and while different than the games I've seen at Wisconsin, it was a lot of fun. Like any college sporting event it's a time for students to come together and have a great time. As my years continued at UConn I got to know some of the players. You see them in class, in the training rooms and around the campus (even sometimes at the bar) and unlike some other bigger programs, they don't feel so unapproachable because of their "celebrity" status. So when we're watching these games on tv or at the stadium you look at them more as peers and you can actually say "hey I know that guy!". Randy Edsall has a different type of program and while it may not work for other teams, it works at UConn.

Edsall is still building a program, but going from 1-AA to a BCS bowl in 12 years is pretty damn good. No we haven't beaten a lot of powerhouses but this team is slowly establishing themselves as a team that should be recognized. We don't have any flashy all stars or Heisman trophy candidates, but we do have a group of phenomenal athletes who together work as a team. Last season we lost one of our teams best players, Jasper Howard, in a fatal incident after the homecoming game victory against Louisville. The next weekend we played Notre Dame @ South Bend, a very emotional game for the UConn community. This was quite possibly going to be one of the biggest games to date that UConn would play. A team like Notre Dame, who in recent years has fallen off, but is known historically for their success is playing an unknown program from UConn at home. I don't think a lot of people thought it was going to turn out the way it did, but UConn prevailed. For us it was a big moment, a win over that kind of program in prime time tv. Fast foward to the current season. UConn traveled to Michigan to play in the Big House. We faltered in the beginning of the game and fell behind, but coming back out in the 2nd half we played pretty well holding our own. The experience for our team to play in that kind of environment really helps for future seasons.

Now that the season is over, UConn players are watching tapes of Oklahoma and vice verse, preparing for one more game of the 2010 season. It's not the national championship, but it's still a big deal. These players need to think about this as just another football game, 4 15:00 quarters to execute plays and score more points. As a UConn alum, it's an exhilarating feeling to be able to watch my school in a BCS game. I've watched many games throughout the years wanting a team to win, but it never meant as much as this one. Let's Go Huskies!

Green and Gold

It's a tough thing to like a sports team. They can bring so much excitement and happiness into ones life but they can also cause an immense out of pain. People claim to love their home team more than someone else, but no one can say how much you love your team. Some fans have it tougher when the organization they root for doesn't win very often, if ever, but through thick and thin true fans will stay faithful to their team.

Since birth, I've bled Green Bay Packer Green and Gold. There is nothing better than that team winning on Sunday (or Monday or Thursday). We've had more up and down seasons than many other teams in the NFL. We've gone from being the best team in the league to the worst in a matter of seasons, sometimes within the same season. The organization has a history unlike many others in professional sports. From the beginning as the Acme Packers, a group of Wisconsin meat packers led by Curly Lambeau, have remained true through and through. The Packers are the only NFL organization true to its roots, still playing as the Packers and in the founding city of Green Bay. (They did play some seasons in Milwaukee, WI). What we can hold over the rest of the NFL is a few things. One, we won the first 2 Superbowls, one being the legendary "Ice Bowl" against the Cowboys. Two, the trophy everyone wants... the VINCE LOMBARDI trophy, was named after the legend. Lombardi is God in Green Bay. He changed the game with his coaching and with what he did in his years at Green Bay. Excuses weren't an option on his team and his word was the final word. It wasn't a bad thing either that he had players like Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, Jerry Kramer, and Willie Wood. Under his leadership the Packers were lead to their 10th and 11th "NFL World Championship" (Before Superbowls 1 and 2, they won the first 3 by league standing and the next 6 by the "NFL Title Game") The Packers eventually won the 1997 Superbowl to claim their 12th world title, which by the way is the most for any NFL organization with the closest being the Bears at 9.

After Lombardi's reign ended, so did the winning, however that didn't deter the fans. If anything that made them even more crazed than before. Packers fans are unique. We don't like the hot weather, we prefer the below freezing temperatures where we can drink beer and wear our coveted Cheeseheads. Despite many a dreadful seasons, Cheeseheads continued to flock to Lambeau Field for every game with hopes of a victory, or sometimes even a touchdown. I'd say more about this era but that's all there was, fans showing up to games hoping for a win and more often than not, getting nothing. From Lombardi's departure to Brett Favre's arrival the Packers only had 5 winning seasons. FIVE. The 1992 happened. 1992 was an ever changing season for the Packers. With Mike Holmgren now the head coach hired by Ron Wolf and some young QB traded from the Atlanta Falcons named Brett Favre, Packer Nation didn't know what was coming.

That year the Packers went 9-7 and already started to turn heads in the NFL. But when they signed Reggie White your head went a full 360. This team was going to be unstoppable. Almost at once, the Packers found success with this revamped team. The next two seasons they made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs and finally to the NFC championship in 1995, sadly all 3 years they were defeated by the powerhouse that used to be the Dallas Cowboys. All the while I'm growing up in Wisconsin during this resurgence, now I'm not even 10 years old at this point but despite what others may say, I remember this time period. Growing up, Sundays were spent at someone's house watching games with a group of other loud Cheeseheads. The only attire allowed was Green and Gold, food was themed to the game. Some of these parties were (and still are today) bigger than some holidays, especially when we get to the playoffs. Everything in those years revolved around 2 main players: Brett Favre and Reggie White.

Brett Favre, the man who not only changed the Packers but changed the way people watch professional football. An unknown 2nd round draft pick by the Falcons, traded to the Packers replacing Don Majkowski in 1992 almost instantly became the face of NFL. No one played like he did. Legends like Steve Young, Troy Aikman, and John Elway didn't know what to think of the young gunslinger from Mississippi, and neither did anyone else. But it didn't matter, especially to Packer nation, because he was throwing touchdowns and winning games all with that boyish grin. He took a lot of chances that many other QBs would never take and more often than not, it worked. I remember countless times holding my breath when he'd launch a rocket 40 yds down the field to Robert Brooks and not breath until the ball was caught. And while nervewrecking to watch it was thrilling all in the same. People criticize him for having a high number of INTs in his 20 year career in the NFL, but for me I look at it differently. He took chances, and yes sometimes they didn't turn out the way he wanted, but he took that chance. He went for it, gave it all he could. There are countless games that I remember watching Favre play with the Packers, but one will forever stand out, besides their Superbowl victory in the 90s. December 2003, Favre's father had died the day before their game against the Oakland Raiders. A number of people expected Favre to not play, but he did quite the opposite he played the game of his life. Anyone who watched that game could feel the emotion coming from not only Favre but the entire team. They all wanted to win for him and seeing him after the game looking to the sky will bring tears to anyone's eyes. For the better part of 2 decades, I watched that man play for my team, and right now I want nothing to do with him while he plays for the enemy but when it's all said and done, what he did for the Packers and for the NFL can not be overlooked. He's one of the game's greatest QBs and players of all time. Anyone who refutes that just doesn't understand.

During the 1990's on the other side of the ball was the gentle giant that we knew as Reggie White. When the Packers picked him up as a free agent, I think deep down every other team knew they were in trouble. It's because of White that I have an immense respect for the Philadelphia Eagles organization. White was never like a lot of players in the NFL then or today. He didn't over-celebrate a sack or a tackle, he didn't get into fights with other players or bad mouth refs (not saying that he didn't get upset at a bad call because he did) but all he wanted was one thing: to play the game. He was an unstoppable force and would play each play like it was his last. You could see in his eyes, from the moment the ball was hiked that he was going to do anything he could to stop the play. Known across the league as the Minister his gentle nature and leadership was unmatched. While it's always exciting to watch a good offense make plays and score points, that's not what it was all about w/ the Packers. During White's tenure with the Packers, fans got just as excited to see the defense take the field. When Reggie got a sack you could have sworn it was a game winning TD. Reggie's legacy in Green Bay and with the Eagles will never be forgotten. He was good man until his death in the early 2000's and we will remember him forever. Rest In Peace Reggie, you're in good hands upstairs with the other greats of the NFL.

Superbowl 31... Packers/Patriots... Bledsoe/Favre... Holmgren/Parcels. Going into the game many thought it was going to be an evenly matched game, but it all changed as soon as Desmond Howard caught that first kick off return and ran it back for a touchdown. I remember being at a family friends house for the game and thinking this is going to be good. All pistons were firing together that day. The Packers could do no wrong and when the final seconds ran out, the joy that was felt was unmatched. I couldn't believe that I had seen a Packers Superbowl victory before the age of 10. The talk for the next months leading up to the next season was, How many more Superbowls could the Packers win before Y2K? Little did we know... it would be 0. The next year we played the Broncos, in San Diego. A heartbreaking loss and one I wish to never have to relive again. We had gone from a dominating performance the year before to a devastating loss. The next 10 years were hard on the entire Packers organization. We lost a lot of players, many losing seasons, devastating losses but nothing hurt more than the loss of our leader: Brett Favre. After his first decision to retire in 2007, the season of the heartbreaking loss to the Giants in the playoffs on a Favre INT, a lot of Packer nation thought we would never recover. But then we found a new leader in Aaron Rodgers. The man truly stepped into a big pair of shoes and in my honest opinion, he has succeeded beyond my expectations. While we may not have seen a lot of success like we did in the early 90's it's not something to be pinned to Rodgers himself. Since his start, he's been a phenomenal QB making some plays that even Favre himself couldn't make.

Through the ups and the many downs, Packer fans are more faithful than any other team in the NFL. We've been through some of the hardest times and still have sat through the below freezing games with the smallest hope that they could pull out a win from 14 points down. This 2010 season has already caused me to have about 6 mini heart attacks but have I stopped watching the games, absolutely not. I feed off the thrill every week of watching my team. Yesterday's loss to the Falcons was especially painful, but the team they have is outstanding. The Packers didn't show up with everything they had and the Falcons did. There is nothing we can do to change the outcome (unless something happens to the Falcons organization and they're stripped of all their victories in the 2010 season) so we have to move on, prepare for the next game and hope the final score is in our favor.

"I don't wanna work, I just wanna bang on the drum all day"

GO PACK GO!

Hugs for Zach Benefit Weekend

There isn't often that one person can influence so many others with a such a positive Ora and personality. But fortunately for myself and many others we have been able to meet someone who does just that. Let me tell you about my friend, Zach Powers.


Zach is one of the most amazing people I have been fortunate enough to meet. We met approximately a year and a half ago on a Dave Matthews Band fan club message board known as the Warehouse. I know it seems lame to meet people through it, but as in previous posts, they are some of my closest friends and because of them I have some of the greatest memories of my life. Zach is one of those people. We officially met in July 2009, when he, along with many other people who I knew, and had yet to meet, came up to Wisconsin for the DMB shows @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre. We all went downtown Milwaukee the night before the first show. Before I could even get a word out Zach was there giving me the biggest hug (I showed up around midnight). We stayed for a few hours until bar close and in those few hours, I already knew just how awesome Zach truly was. He was either sitting at a table telling awesome stories, drinking Appletinis w/ his pinky up with Matt, or dancing for a group of people doing some of his favorite dance moves. Little did I know he'd become one of my closest friends.

Fast forward a year or so and we're in the next DMB summer tour season. Zach is part of the reason I went to half of the shows I did. Because it would give me a chance to see him. By this time Zach had become very close. Many inside jokes, constant txting, phone calls at 3-4 am just for the hell of it. I ventured down to Indy for the n2 show at Deer Creek, aka Best.Seat.Buddies.Ever night (see DMB Part 2 post). I waited a few weeks for Alpine Valley and of course Zach was there. We all spent the weekend camping in Ang's parents backyard and I couldn't ask for a better weekend. I don't know how many times he did the worm, but every time someone asked, he was happy to do it.
No matter who he was talking to they had a smile on their face. Besides Jeff, when he lost the Worm-off, well more like failed miserably. If it weren't for Zach pulling me away that afternoon, I probably would have been beaten up by some Notre Dame football players with whom I was trash talking to (I blame the tequila).

September 2010 rolls around and we're all together once again in Chicago for the DMB shows at Wrigley Field. So many people came in for the weekend and it was going to be memorable, good and bad. The weekend was amazing, great shows, good people, good times. Saturday night/early Sunday morning we were struck with a tragedy. Zach fell from the 8th floor balcony of our hotel to the roof of the hotel's convention center. An accident that we are very lucky to have him still alive. He is currently at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and has a long road ahead of him in his recovery. He has a broken pelvis, 3-4 fractured vertebrae and about 6-8 fractured ribs, with some moderate brain damage that with time will heal. But thankfully there is no serious brain damage or paralysis. Right now we're just waiting for him to fully recovery and get back to his normal self.

What truly amazed me in this situation is the outpouring of love that has come from not only his friends and family, but the entire DMB community. Within 48 hours of the accident there was a PayPal acct set up in his name taking donations from anyone and everyone. Within a few weeks we had a trust fund, Hugs for Zach, set up with nearly $3000 purely from donations. While the money is helpful, what's amazing are the cards and gifts sent to his hospital room. A group of people here in Chicago and across the country thought of the idea to have a few benefits to help raise more money for his trust. Here in Chicago, I helped put together and run this regions benefit. We had raffle prizes, paintings, an incredible musician in Alex Hoffer and even Zach himself on the computer via Skype. In NYC, they had a phenomenal turnout from the DMB community with raffle prizes as well as bunny ears galore (Zach this year at Alpine Valley was given a pait of bunny ears that we could all see in the pit in front of the stage the entire night, we felt it tribute to wear them for him)

Between the 2 benefits 1000 miles apart we were able to raise more than $3000. We may not be professional event planners, but I think that's pretty damn awesome. The outpouring love and support from everyone was the best part. To see his family and friends able to talk to him on the computer and cheering him with their drinks was beyond amazing. The best part of the evening, his mom, Gina. She was given the chance to finally get out and see his friends and share with us the stories about what makes him so amazing. In NYC, Operation Rabbit Rampage and MSG n2 was a success. Nearly a hundred bunny ears were seen throughout the venue and more people became aware of what we were doing and who it was for.

A friend of mine put it best for the past weekend: 2 benefits, 2 different cities, all for one guy...pretty amazing.

It's not done yet. With DMB at their "Last Stop" in Charlottesville, VA we've got a few more benefits and gatherings for Zach that I know will be a huge success. Not many people can impact so many lives, but Zach, he's one of them. I can't wait for him to get better and I can dance with him once again.

For any information about Zach please visit www.hugzforzach.org

LoVe

Mid-American Junior Golf Tour

As a child growing up my mom always believed that during the summer I needed to be doing something active at all times. Whether I was signed up at a month long girls camp (Camp Agawak) in northern WI, going to College for Kids and UW-Milwaukee or taking various sports camps, there was always some activity for me to participate in. Summer is about being outside and enjoying youth before it slips out from under our feet. I spent many summers playing various sports and going to various sports camps. Sports, among other activities, provide many kids stability in their lives and allow them to focus on something they enjoy. This summer was truly a new experience for me watching the juniors play on the Mid-American Junior Golf Tour (MAJGT).

Golf is a different sport, some people will often say it's not a sport at all, but rather a game. It may not be deemed as athletically challenging as football or wrestling or even baseball, but it indeed takes a lot of physical strength to play the game. To hit a ball 250+ yds (and in many cases further) it takes a lot of strength. It's true than anyone can hit the ball, maybe not as far, but they can hit it. What it comes down is the strength and accuracy that these kids can really hit the ball. They want it to go 300 yds from the tee to the middle of the fairway and when their swing goes right or they get the right bounce of a hill, the ball will land right where they want it. Depending on the hole they might have to try and hit it further or choke up on their club and hit it softer but then do it 18 times with hopes of either hitting the green (on the par 3's) or in the fairway everytime. It's challenging anyway you look at it. Not only does a player need the strength to swing the club, but hell walking 18 holes and carrying that ungodly awkward and heavy golf bag, you've gotta be at least somewhat athletic to do so. On average a golf course is between 6500-7000 yds which equates to approximately 3.75 miles. For anyone to walk that distance and then again the day after is impressive.

What is most impressive however is these kids' mental game. We see kids from the ages of 10-18 playing a sport that most people would say is better suited for an older generation. While like any other sport, the kids get frustrated and angry when they hit a bad shot or miss a 2 ft putt for birdie. We do on occasion have to give them warnings about their actions because like I said it's a respectful game. Our players need to keep in good form with the sport by respecting the rest of the field and not lashing out. However, it is good for them to grunt, slam a club or throw a towel to let out a little frustration. In watching the 20+ tournaments this summer I came to realize truly how awesome these kids are at what they do. At one tournament in Indiana, there was a 13 year old kid who was leading after the 1st round of the tournament. On the 2nd day he wasn't doing that well, mentally he was intimated by the other older players. He finished the 11th hole w/ an 11 (it was a par 4) and when we saw him on the 12th tee he had already re focused his mind and forgot about the 11th hole. He came out and birdied 12. I'll remind you, he's 13. A lot of kids his age aren't mentally able to keep that kind of focus in a sport. Not all of the players have that ability, we do see a lot of tears and lot of frustration. But still in the end, they come back for more because they love the game.

More kids in todays society are getting stuck in an environment where playing video games all day long is okay. That sitting around doing nothing but play on computers is what's best for them. It's not. Kids, at any age, need activity, they need to be out in the world creating experiences and memories. Socially it's better for our younger generations to be able to create social experiences and develop. The more they can experience the better they are able to figure out exactly who they are. For me, in swimming I found out that while I'm very determined and hard working to achieve my goals, I need to be able to have fun while doing it or else it's going to make it that much harder to achieve my goals. I goofed around a lot when at practice and at meets, but that's because it helped me to stay unfocused and loose rather than overthink what I was doing. Parents, grandparents, brothers/sisters, whoever you are, make sure we don't lose our younger generations to computers and video games. Get out in the world and give them the activities that you got when you were a child. Hell even throwing a football around can make all the difference.

NCAA Football season is upon us once again

It's that time of the year. For sports fans it's the start of 2 of the best seasons in sports: the NFL and NCAA Football. It's the perfect way to spend a weekend. Thursday through Sunday there is something to watch. Even for those who are still invested in baseball season, the playoff race is beginning to get tighter.

I grew up in a family that completely immerses itself into sports. Saying that we like football would be a complete understatement. We grew up in Wisconsin therefore of course making us Green Bay Packer fans. Not just fans, diehards but that's for another post. In addition to being Packer fans my family grew up watching the Big Ten Wisconsin Badgers. My family loves this team so much that my aunt when she turned 60 got the Bucky Badger tattooed on her ankle. Now that's dedication.

This week is one of the most highly anticipated weeks of the sports year. Each team, whether they're a conference powerhouse or they are just a small division III school, this is the start of a new season, a new chance to win. Every year is a clean slate, anything that happened since the previous season is behind them, if you dwell on bad games, it's going to effect the way you approach the upcoming season. Even schools like Lane Kiffan's USC team this year who is under probation from illegal recruiting in the past have a chance to prove to the sports world that they have what it takes to win. We look at some of the programs who get the constant media attention: Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame, USC, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas and the likes, yes they are powerhouses who dominate season after season and they make for great football but some of the truest players and teams are found in the smaller programs.

We start this season with Alabama and Ohio State atop the AP polls, but then the Broncos from Boise State sneak into the AP poll and #3. A lot of sports fans alike have already put their money on Boise State to win the BCS championship. For years the Broncos have been rising amongst the top dawgs of college football. Building a program like they have has finally shown the critics that not every year is going to belong to the standard SEC or Big XII powerhouse. Boise State stands apart from many other teams. First they play on a blue field, something that you can't ignore. Other teams watch Boise State play and when it's their turn to play on that turf, it's almost surreal to them, and it's as if they forget how to play the game. But when traveling to the blue turf that's the least of their worries. This team, who by the way for those who don't know went undefeated last year and STILL didn't make it to the BCS championship game, wants to win more than almost any other team out there. They aren't a flashy team, they don't recruit players who showboat their talents. They want players who simply want to go out there play the best football they can and win.

Those who are most excited about the season to start aren't just the college football fans, but the students themselves. Now I can say that I'm a college football fan because I am, I love all parts of the game. But when you're a current student and whatever college you're attending, nothing is better than spending a Saturday at the football stadium. Some school's have such history with their football programs that without the students it wouldn't be the same. I went to a basketball school (UConn) where everything revolves around basketball season but since the early 2000's UConn has started to develop themselves into more of a football school. While our traditions may not be as timely as schools like Ohio State or Notre Dame, we're creating our own traditions that we can call our own. Each school has something that they are known for. Ohio State's marching band has their infamous "dotting of the I" in Ohio as well as the O-H-I-O cheer. Wisconsin at the end of the 3rd quarter will play "House of Pain-Jump Around" where the entire student section will jump causing nearly the entire stadium to shake. It's because of the fans that some teams shake with fear when entering the domain of teams like Texas, Ohio State and Michigan.

My Alma Mater is traveling to Ann Arbor this weekend for what might be the biggest game of their season. Last year UConn beat Notre Dame in amazing fashion after tragedy struck the team when a friend and teammate Jasper Howard was killed. For our still developing program that was a huge win. This Saturday has a chance to top that. If we're able to overcome the intensity that the Michigan stadium brings and pull out a win there, we can win anywhere. Every team goes into a game no matter who they are up against with the mindset that they can win. And when they walk off that field all they need to know is that they played their hearts out and left it on the field.

This season is already shaping up to be pretty amazing and I look forward to sitting in front of a tv on consecutive Saturdays to watch more football games than one can count. Expect more posts during the season. I'm already planning one about rival schools. College football season is here, I hope you're ready.