A Dowminating Movie Review - "Scott Pilgim vs the World"

Ok, so I know that I have not posted anything in a while, but there really hasn’t been anything going on that I really wanted to post on… Yeah, Football season is about to start and that means that I have to work on breaking down the divisions and deciding who is going to do what, but that is going to take more time than I want to spend on right now. And there was a big fight in baseball on Tuesday but that is now officially old news as the Cardinals swept that series. So, after spending some time thinking about what to break back into the blog-o-sphere on, I decided that it is time to do another Dowminating Movie Review. So without further a due (cue the drum roll please) here is A Dowminating Movie Review: "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World"

Meet charming and jobless Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera). A bass guitarist for garage band Sex Bob-omb, the 22-year-old has just met the girl of his dreams...literally.  Scott Pilgrim has never had a problem getting a girlfriend. It's getting rid of them that prove difficult. From the girl who kicked his heart's ass--and now is back in town--to the teenage distraction he's trying to shake when Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) rollerblades into his world, love hasn't been easy. He soon discovers, however, Ramona has the most unusual baggage of all: a nefarious league of 7 exes who control her love life and will do whatever it takes to eliminate Scott as a suitor. As he gets closer to Ramona, Scott must face an increasingly vicious rogues' gallery from her past--from infamous skateboarders to vegan rock stars and fearsomely identical twins. And if he hopes to win his true love, he must vanquish them all before it really is game over.

After what I would personally call a rather disappointing summer movie season, Scott Pilgrim was a truly epic breath of fresh epic air. Yeah, there were a few rare gems that I wasn’t expecting like “Inception,” but none of them could begin to compete with the epicness of this movie. This movie had me laughing from the epic moment the Universal logo came up.
 
Now, I will say this about the movie. If you are not a gamer, or do not know a lot about video games, or have not spent any time playing video games from the 90’s, you will probably be spending part of time scratching your head and going, “WTF? I don’t get it.” This game is riddled with subtle game references from the 8 bit music at the beginning to the flashing red people at the end. But don’t let that discourage you from going and watching this eipc (just checking to see if you’re paying attention) movie. It still has some very epic and epic moments in this movie. For instance, Wallace (Kieran Culkin,) Scott’s roommate, has some of the funniest moments in this movie, and they have very little gamer references in them.

Another truly epic thing about this movie is that for the most part it follows the comic pretty well. Yeah, there are some things in the comic they left out and change the time of when Scott got a few things, but for they did a really good job of NOT changing a whole lot. Really the biggest thing they change is they removed one of Ramona’s fights and really shortened the final “boss fight” and combined it with another fight, but that was done mainly due to time constraints, and done in such a way that it really works out. They also removed some not so important moments in the comic, also done due to time constraints.

Overall, this is an epic movie that could have only been made even more epic if it had been done in 3D, and would have very much been worth the extra movie for 3D. It is a movie that I think will be enjoyed by all, especially if you’re a gamer. It is that epic Oh, and if for some reason you didn’t know that I thought this movie is epic before that last sentence, then you need an epic shot of epicness and need to go see this epic movie immediately.

oh, and by the way

HOLY EPIC EPICNESS OF EPIC!

All the Little Things

Since his passing on Monday, I have known that I would always miss my dad. To me, he was always this big person physically with an even bigger heart and personality. And I thought that I would miss him as a whole, however, I was wrong. It was not the big personality that made him who he was. It was his all of the little things about him that made up that big whole. And now I am starting to realize that it is all the little things that I will miss the most about him.

It s the little things like how he always took mine and mom’s lemons when the server brought them in our drinks after we both had asked for no lemon. The way he could always find a way to make me laugh and calm down when I was angry or upset. The way he would swing a hammer with expert precision, a skill that came from experiencing multiple smashed fingers and thumbs. And the serious look that he would have his face whenever he was thinking about something important.

I will also miss the jokes that we would make about his lack of hair, ok, that was just me making those. I will miss the long talks about football we had that always annoyed mom. The innocent, yet mischievous, look he got on his face when he was planning something ornery. The way he was able to make friends with anyone after speaking to them for just a few moments. The way he could make people laugh at just about anything. And that special smile he had only for me that let me know that he was proud of me.


These are just a few of the things made my dad, the giant of a man that he was. And they are the things that I will miss the least about him. What I will miss the most about him is how, even at the end, he put others before himself. He cared deeply about people, more than he did about himself. That was why he was able to make me laugh when no one else could, and why he could make anyone like him. He wasn’t fake in the way he went about treating people. Everyone had his respect until they proved they didn’t deserve it, and even then, he still treated them with honor and respect. He had a way with people that just made them want to be around him.

I like to think that the way that he acted was the way Christ acted while He was here on this earth, but on a smaller scale. Christ had thousands of people following Him, and that was because He sincerely loved and cared about every one of them. He wasn’t afraid to touch the leper that society had shunned and disowned. He wasn’t afraid to talk with the woman in the heat of the day at the well that was thought of as less than human because she had been married multiple times and was a Samaritan. And He wasn’t afraid to forgive a man who had previously been hurling insults at Him as they both were dying on a cross. It was these Christ-like characteristics that made my dad the amazing man of God that he was. And it is these characteristic that we all will miss the most about my amazingly huge dad, Gary Dow.

Tough questions suck....

Okay, so here's the deal. You guys may or may not know this, but my dad has been back in the hospital since last Wed. He is going to be coming home 2moro, but things are not looking good. The Doctors have said that the cancer has spread to pretty much everywhere in his body and that at this point there isn't anything left that they can do. He is going to be placed under Hospice care when he comes back.

However, despite all this, my dad is still believing that God can heal him and is continuing to fight. He also, in my personal observation, has prepared himself for the worst and is ready to move on if that is what God's will is.

As you all can imagine this is a very tough time for me and my family, and we all have asked ourselves some very tough questions. For me, one of those questions was to myself. It was, "With everything that has happened in the last few months and years, how do I know that God really exists?" And the answer is because of the faith my father has had and still has during all this.

Now, my father is not a stupid man. He is one of the wisest and most intelligent people that I know. He is not one to follow blindly with out just cause and reason. It is because of his logical faith in God that I know God exists, has a plan, and, despite all the bad that has happened in the past few years, is using this situation to His tremendous advantage.

I cannot begin to tell you of the huge number of people, many of which I have no idea who they are, who at church have stopped me to tell me that they are praying for my dad. I have also heard stories about how my dad's faith has encouraged other in their own personal fights with serious illnesses. And God even used this situation to keep me from disaster when I had my appendix removed. But that is a story for another time.

I guess what I am trying to say is this. God exists. Period. End of story. If you don't believe me (which I know all of you do) then come get to know my father, and I mean GET TO KNOW MY FATHER. If you can walk away from my dad, after really getting to know him, and say that God doesn't exist, then let me know, so I can pray extra hard for you.

Now, I want to let you know, I haven't told you everything that is going on right now. Have told you the most important information as it relates to my current status. If you want to know more, then please visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/garydow where my mom keeps a more up to date kind of blog about what is going on.

I also want to thank you guys for all of your prayers, and ask that you continue to pray for us during this difficult time. I would also ask that, until I say differently, please do not ask me any specific questions about my dad in person. I have my reasons for asking this, which is mainly about my own personal pride, so if you would do this for me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you guys.

A Dowminating Movie Review - "Clash of the Titans"

Ok, I’m going to be honest with you. I was looking forward to this movie a lot. I personally am a fan of Greek/Roman mythology, and the story of Perseus is one of my favorites (Second only to the Iliad and the Odyssey.) Well, the original Clash of the Titans made in 1981 is loosely based on that story, but was a movie that was made ahead of its time. Anyone who has seen the original can tell you that that its special effects were done on such a large scale that it made the movie itself (despite the story) was very tacky. When I heard that the movie was getting a desperately needed facelift with new graphics, I was very happy. However, I didn’t go into this with very high expectations.

Clash of the Titans, is the story of Perseus (Sam Worthington), the son of Zeus (Liam Neeson) and his journey to save the beautiful Andromeda (Alexa Davalos) by killing the fearsome Kraken, the spawn of Hades. In order to accomplish the feat, he learns that he must kill Medusa, a formerly beautiful woman that had been cursed by the goddess Athena, who turns whoever looks at her face into stone. He manages to behead Medusa, and then races back to Argos upon his flying horse, Pegasus. When he arrives at Argos, he uses Medusa’s head to defeat the Kraken by turning it into stone and save Andromeda.

The graphics of this movie were every well done, and easily the most notable improvement from the original. The scenes with Medusa, the Kraken, and other creatures such as the Pegasus were very well done and visually pleasing.

Another aspect of the movie I liked was the action sequences. While they were somewhat stylized and heavily dependent on CG for, they were still very well done and choreographed. The one thing I always ask of any movie action sequence is “Does this fight serve a real purpose to the story?” if it doesn’t then it shouldn’t be in the movie. With Clash of the Titans, every action sequence serves a purpose as they are trials that Perseus must face in order to accomplish his goals. If you were to take out one of them, the story would be incomplete.

Ooo.... Shiny!

One thing I did have a problem with was the acting. Sam Worthington performance as Perseus was mediocre at best. He seems as though he is unable to separate the different characters he has portrayed in his previous movies from the character he is currently portraying. He gave Perseus the same look and emotional depth as his charaters from Avatar and Terminator: Salvation, which isn’t saying much. The same could be said of Ralph Fiennes who portrayed Hades. Ralph Fiennes brought the same mannerisms to Hades as he did with Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter movies. The only actors who I felt like they did a good job were Liam Neeson and Mads Mikkelsen. (Best known as Le Chiffre from Casino Royale) However, I felt as though Liam Neeson didn’t bring his “A” game to the role of Zeus, and who could blame him. It is hard to be taken seriously when you’re wearing bright shiny silvery armor.

Another disappointing aspect of this movie was the soundtrack. After the awesome music we got in the trailer, the music was a big “MEH.”. I later learned that the music from the trailer is "The Bird and the Worm" by The Used. However that doesn't change the fact that composer Ramin Djawadi had the opportunity of a lifetime to make a memorable, epic soundtrack, but failed. The music was largely forgettable and unoriginal. I felt as though it was written more for a video game instead of an epic movie.

As for the 3D aspect of the movie, I didn’t go and see it in 3D. The reason for this is because the movie was not shot in 3D, but those effects were added during post-production, so I went and saw it in 2D. My experiences with movies that have not been shot in 3D are that the 3D effects are often poorly done and that they look horrible. And every report I have heard or read about the 3D for this movie was no exception. In fact, according to those reports, it was probably the worst 3D movie experience one could go though. A picture I found from ScreenRant shows just how bad the 3D. From the pic they give (shown below) it looks as though the 3D is just a bunch of 2D images stacked on top of each other, and very poorly at that. Because of this, I would highly recommend saving your money and not seeing the movie in 3D.

See what I am talking about, this is bad....

I would have to say that, while I was entertained with the movie, I was still disappointed even though I didn’t have high expectations. The story itself was very well done, although there were some changes. This is a movie that I would recommend waiting to see till it is at the cheaper venues or even released on Blu-Ray/DVD

A Dowminating Movie Review - "How to Train Your Dragon"

You ever hear the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, the same can be said about movies and their titles. When I first heard about this movie, I thought it was going to be some dumb kids’ movie. I mean, common, just look at the title. It screams “KIDS MOVIE! All Adults who like their movies to have a thing called a plotline STAY AWAY!” Well, after seeing a few previews, I thought it probably would be a decent movie to go and see. I figured I would at least get a few laughs and be somewhat entertained. I could not have been more wrong.

“How to Train Your Dragon” is a heartwarming story of a young Viking named Hiccup who wants nothing more than to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a great dragon slayer. There is only one problem; he is the scrawniest misfit that makes all other misfits look good. One night, while his village is being attacked, he manages to use an invention of his to shoot down a dragon. The rest of the village doesn’t believe Hiccup, so goes out on his own to track down his prize. However, when he finds the beast, he is unwilling to kill it, so he sets it free. This act of kindness results in a series of events where he eventually befriends the dragon. As a result of this unusual friendship, Hiccup comes to question everything that he and his village know about Dragons.

I would have to say that the 3D animation in this movie is very well done and probably the best 3D experience I have ever had. If "Avatar" set the bar or 3D movies, "Dragon" just set it even higher. The 3D experience in “Avatar” I felt at times could be overwhelm with all of the stunning graphics. “Dragon” managed not only to make you feel like you were in the action, but did it in a way that you were not overwhelmed by it all. "Dragon" also didn’t fall into the classic 3D pitfall of throwing lots of things at the camera, and whenever they did, it seemed like it was something that should have happened that way, like flying though a fire-burst or having an attacking dragon coming at you,

Also, the flight scenes of this movie were absolutely breathtaking and were my favorite parts of the whole experience. They are probably the most well animated segments of the movie, and when you add the 3D aspect of the movie to them, you are left with just this feeling of awe, wonder, and the longing to know how to fly.

Another great aspect of this movie is the action. Vikings are not known for their peaceful ways, and this movie has just the right amount of action for its story. The action in this move serves a real purpose to the story and in character development. These scenes have some of the best character development you could ask for in an action scene. You get to know some of the other characters who don’t get a lot of screen time very well here, and those you do see throughout the movie, the action helps you get to know them even better.

One other amazing thing about this movie is the soundtrack. As a lover of music, I set a very high standard for the soundtracks of movies. After all, a soundtrack can make or break a movie. John Powell did a wonderful job in making the music for this movie fit. It blends in very well with the scenes and sounds amazing. You are not aware of the music that is playing, yet if the music were not there, you would know that something was missing. It is one of the better movie soundtracks and does its job of complementing and completing the movie.

Overall, I would say that this is easily the best movie to have come out so far this year. This movie is very much worth, and would even go as far to say that it should only be seen in 3D. It has everything one could want in an animated movie: absolutely AMAZING visuals, great action, a very well thought out and funny story, and a little bit of guy gets girl. This movie has set the bar that all movies to come out this year will be very hard pressed to match, let alone overcome. So, what are you waiting for? Stop reading this and go see “How to Train Your Dragon” if you haven’t already. And if you have seen it, then go see it again. It's worth it.

Who, What, Where. My 2010 Mock Draft

With the NFL Draft coming up, a lot of experts are coming out with their Mock Drafts. I decided to do a bit of research into what the first ten teams need and come out with my own personal Mock Draft. So here is Dowminator Mock Draft 1.0

1. St. Louis Rams:
Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma University
Marc Bulger is getting old and is not performing like he did when he took the reins for this team from Kurt Warner. The Rams need a quarterback who can be the face of the franchise and take them into the future. Normally, I would worry about a pick like Bradford this early. He is coming off recovery from shoulder surgery and only played a couple of games last season. However, reports show that he is throwing very well and he has proven that he has the mental capacity to be a very good quarterback in the NFL.

2. Detroit Lions:
Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Last season the Lions spent the top pick of the draft on Matthew Stafford, signing him to a huge multi-million dollar deal before the draft even started. Well, last season he took a beating, being sacked 24 times in 10 games. Both Schwartz and general manager Martin Mayhew know that Stafford is the face of the future Detroit Lions, and in order to protect their hefty investment in their future, they take the best offensive tackle available and draft this beast from Oklahoma State

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
In the 2009, the Bucs ranked last in Rushing Defense. The biggest cause for this was that they didn’t have an inside presence that could be a brick wall. McCoy would fill this hole very nicely. They could also take Ndamukong Suh. However McCoy is just a little bit better and would also help out just a bit more in the passing game as well as being that big presence inside against the run.

4. Washington Redskins
C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
Many think that Shanahan is going to take an OT or a QB with the number 4 pick, but I don’t. However Shanahan has proven that he loves running backs and Spiller easily meets the requirements Shanahan likes in a RB. He is fast and explosive out of the backfield and has is a threat in the passing game. This is just the kind of running back the Skins need to shift their running game into high gear.

5. Kansas City Chiefs
Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
I could spend forever on the Chiefs, but I’ll try and be as brief as possible. The Chiefs could go 2 ways here. They could easily take Eric Berry, the Safety from Tennessee, to help out with their atrocious passing game. However, it has been proven that Safeties taken in the top 10 are not that much better than those taken later in the round or even in the second round. Or they could take Bulaga, place him at the left tackle position, and move Branden Albert to right guard, filling 2 holes in their offensive line. Also, GM Scott Pioli likes character guys and Bulaga fits that bill very nicely with no off the field issues. So the choice becomes clear, and that choice is Bulaga.

6. Seattle Seahawks
Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
With OT Walter Jones retiring, the Hawks have a huge hole to fill on their offensive line, and Trent Williams fills this hole nicely. They could also take Jimmy Clausen (QB, Notre Dame) but right now the tackle position is the place where they will need the most help.

7. Cleveland Browns
Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
The Browns have several needs and so they have several options. They could take Jimmy Clausen, and taking Clausen at this point would allow them to take the time to shape him into the signal caller that he has the potential to be. However, their greatest need at this point is at the Safety position, so they take Berry for the immediate impact he would have on their defensive passing game.

8. Oakland Raiders
Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
Owner Al Davis should have learned his lesson last year and draft for the needs of the team and not speed. Nothing would make me happier if Al Davis wasted another pick for the Raiders again this year, but I don’t think that will happen. Campbell fits in nicely here and fills a hole they have had for some time in their O Line.

9. Buffalo Bills
Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma St.
Last year, Terrell Onews had minimal impact at this position and he is now looking to move on. As a result the Bills have a need at the receiver position and Bryant would fill that need nicely. His off the field issues raises some questions, but Chan Gaily is one to overlook them and give Bryant his shot with the Bills. However, if they decide not to take a risk with Bryant, Jimmy Clausen would fill in nicely here if he is still available.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
The Jags have a glaring need at defensive end. Last season, both ends only produced a combined 2 sacs. Pierre-Paul has the speed and talent to be a great end, but lacks experience. However pros, when combined with the need, outweigh the cons, so the Jaguars take a gamble and go with Pierre-Paul.



This here is what I think the first 10 teams will take as their picks. That doesn’t mean that this these represent who I think they SHOULD take, as all of these teams have many problem areas that they could address. For instance, I think the Browns should think long term and draft Clausen, but Mike Holmgren (Brown’s GM) has said that he will not take a QB in the first round. But I am not the GM of these teams, so what I think has no bearing on what they will do. All I have done here is look at trends and needs of these teams and said who I think is going to go where. We will see just how right I am come draft day on April 22.

Death to Sudden Death!

Ok, so I am going to start off by saying this. I love football. My favorite time of year is the 4 months at the end of the year (and the January for the playoffs) when the primary focus of the US, in terms of athletics is on football. However, after the season ends, there isn’t a whole lot of excitement in the world of Football. Yeah, there is the draft and maybe a big free-agency splash, but that is about. But today is the exception, and that thing is what I’m talking about. “What happened?” you ask? Not much, just a simple rule change. But this rule change is one of the most hotly discussed rules in recent years.

Many of you who know football know that I am talking about the rule for Sudden Death Overtime, and know just how out of hand things have gotten because of it. For those of you who do not know, please allow me to give you a bit of a history lesson mixed with some statistics.

In 1974, the NFL put in place the current Overtime (OT) Sudden Death rule in an effort to limit the amount of ties that were occurring. What this did is, in the event of a tie, the game would continue into a 5th 15 minute period until either team scored. The first team to score would win the game. If at the end of the 15 min period neither team had scored, the game would end in a tie. This change did what it was supposed to do, and limit the number of ties that were occurring.

During the time from 1974-1993, the team that got the ball first won the game 34.4% of the time on the first possession. Now here is where things get hairy. In 1994, the league moved the spot of the kickoff back 5 yards from the 35 yard line to the 30 yard line. The reason for this change was that kickers were kicking the ball into or out the back of the end zone on a consistent basis, resulting in a touchback and no chance for return. Making this change moved the average starting point for offenses from the 20 yard line (on a touchback the ball is places on the 20 yard line) to around the 30 yard line. Now most of you are asking, “How does this translate into Sudden Death?”

After this change, the team that won the coin toss at the start of OT won the game (on the first possession) 59.8% of the time. Basically since offenses didn’t have to go as far to get into field goal range, the team that lost the coin toss didn’t even get to touch the ball. Not very fair or completive at all.
Now that you know, here is how the rule is changing.
1) If first team to score a touchdown wins the game
2) If the team that wins the coin toss kicks a field goal, the opposing team gets an opportunity to have the ball and
a. Tie the game with a field goal or
b. Win the game with a touchdown
3) If both teams have had the ball for at least one possession and the game remains at a tie, the first team to score wins

Now, before you all run in the streets celebrating this change, know this. These rules will only apply in the playoffs. So during the regular season, it’s going to be same old sudden death as usual. But this change is still a good thing. This simply means that at the owners meatings next year, they will evaluate if the change was a success and allowed for more competitive and fair OT’s. If they like the results they will most likely vote allow this change to occur in the regular season, where it will have the most impact.

Overall, I am very happy with this change. This means that games will not be decided by a coin toss, which was what was starting to happen. It give teams a fair chance to compete and remain competitive if they find themselves on the losing side of the coin toss. So Kudos NFL for a step in the right direction.

McAdvertising

Guess what people! It’s almost time for the Olympics and I am stoked. I love the Olympics. It is the one event where the world’s best athletes in their respective sports gather together and compete to see who can call themselves the best. It is a time of greatness, competition, sacrifice, and advertising…

Wait… advertising? Yeah, I’m talking about advertising. Look around. Every major sporting event is now sponsored by one or more (usually more) major corporation. Take for example, The Olympics. It is being sponsored by several major companies that include Omega, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Visa.

Some of the Olympic sponsors make sense, like Omega. Omega is a timepiece manufacture, and since all Olympic events have to keep time for one reason or another, it makes perfect sense to have a company like this as one of the sponsors. However, some of the sponsors make no sense to me at all.

Mc Donald’s for instance. It boggles my mind as to why a sporting event like the Olympics is sponsored by a fast food chain like Mc Donald's. Have you had a Mickey D’s burger lately? They are just as much a heart attack waiting to happen as ever, not something one would expect a world class athlete to be eating on a regular basis. Yet, back in the 70’s they were able to latch themselves onto the Olympic name and they put enough money into it that they will never be gone from the games. And people wonder why there is a childhood obesity problem in this country.

The Olympics should be a time when we are inspired to better ourselves physically. Yet we now receive a double message because of sponsors like McDonald’s and Coke. That message being you can still eat fating food on a regular basis and be able to compete at an International level which is a complete lie. Go talk to any Olympic athlete. They will tell you that they are very careful about what they eat and drink. Yeah, they will have a McGrease Burger and a Coke from time to time, but it is very rare for them to do so.

Now, do I you to go out and start a revolution demanding new advertising sponsors for the Olympics? No, let be honest. Too much money is involved, and for a company like McDonald’s to feel it would be in there best interest to pull out as Olympic sponsor, a lot of things would have to happen internationally. I do think the world would be better off if McDonald’s chose how they advertised during the games a bit differently, but that also isn’t going to change any time soon.

Fareware to the Pro Bowl

REPENT! The end of the world is NEAR! The football season is almost over! THE END IS UPON US! I know that most of you don’t feel this way, however I do. Football for me is the greatest sport that has ever been created. One of my favorite quotes is, “In 7 days, God created the heavens and the earth and rested. And on the 8th, he created football to get Adam away from Eve for a few hours on Sunday.”

For those who are completely oblivious to the world of football, the end of the season is marked by the postseason playoffs ending with the Super bowl and then the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. Wait what…. The Pro Bowl is in Hawaii? I thought it was in Florida this year and the week before the Super Bowl. Well, this year the game the NFL is calling the “Pro Bowl” is going to be the Sunday before the Super Bowl in Florida.

However, I refuse to call this game the Pro Bowl. Don’t believe this lie the NFL is trying to push on us. IT’S NOT THE PROBOWL. The Pro Bowl is a game that is supposed to be for the fans, where the fans can pick the players they feel are the best in the league and then watch those players play w/ and against each other. However, this year things are going to be different, many of the marquee players that were selected to go to the Pro Bowl have either said that they will not be going, or may not be able to make it cause they playing in the much more important Super Bowl or are hurt.

Take players like Larry Fitzgerald and Tom Brady. They have refused to come because they are still recovering from injuries. Also there is Payton Manning. He has become a Pro Bowl fixture during his career and he loves to play in the Pro Bowl. But this week he will be playing against the Jets in the AFC Championship Game. If he were to lead his Colts to a victory in that game, he would not be able to play in the Pro Bowl because he would have to use that time rest and prepare for the Super Bowl.

Now answer this, if the Pro Bowl is a game for the fans, where the fans pick the players, why has it at a time when some of the players will not be able to go. The answer is Money. The NFL feels that they will be able to sell more tickets to the Pro Bowl if the game is during “Super Week” before the Super Bowl and in the continental United States. Now I agree that having it in a Place like Florida is better that having it in Hawaii. Reason being that Hawaii is too expensive and too far away for the average person. But they may be more inclined to go to Florida or California to see the game. I don’t have a problem with the location of the game, just the time.

Another thing that is being lost with having the Pro Bowl before the Super Bowl is all the skills challenges and competitions. I personally enjoy watching all the players run through drill against each other. One of my favorite competitions is when the quarterbacks show just how powerful their arms are. Another competition I enjoy is when the “fastest” players race each other in heads up relays and one-on-one races. Things like this will now be lost because many players will either be resting cause they were playing in the playoffs, or they won’t come cause the meaning of these completions are lost.

Now, how do we go about correcting this huge and very insulting change to the Pro Bowl? The Answer is simple. Don’t watch it. Contrary to popular belief, most of the money the NFL makes is from television advertisements. If people don’t watch the game on television (or internet) the networks will not make any money on the game and they will inform the NFL that people were not watching the game and pay the NFL less money. The NFL seeing that they made less money will then have no choice but to change the time of the game back to a few weeks after the Super Bowl, thus making it a game for the fans again.

We must take responsibility for this and take it upon ourselves to show the NFL that we do not appreciate. Rise up! Take to the streets! Go out eat. For God’s sake, do something other than sitting your but down in front of the television and DO NOT watch the Pro Bowl!

The Effect of Music

Lately I have been listening to a lot of symphonic music, just enjoying the beauty of it. The more I listen to these songs, the more I think about the emotional impact music has on us; not only as individuals, but as a society; and the more I feel the need to express those thoughts to you. I think Ralph Waldo Emerson says it best, “Music takes us out of the actual and whispers to us dim secrets that startle our wonder as to who we are, and for what, whence, and whereto.”

People say that a book can take us to far distant lands and times, experience things that we would never have the opportunity to in our life. But I say that it is music that defines those things, makes us FEEL those experiences. Think about it, would Darth Vader have had the same effect on us without the Imperial March? No. He is defined by that 3 min long piece of music, just as a person is defined by the music they listen to.

Each person has their own "Musical Fingerprint" Don't believe me. Go look at your best friends iPod. Dollars to doughnuts says that they have different songs on there than you do. Yeah, there will be similarities, but their iPod will have songs on it that yours doesn't, and yours will have songs on it that theirs does not. I firmly believe that if you want to know who a person is and what they believe, go scroll though their iPod. But why is that?

The reason is that music has some deep emotional connection to us all. Just like a movie is incomplete without a soundtrack, so our lives our incomplete without music. Someone once said, “Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole. (Music) flows from heaven to the soul.” And its true.

When I think about individual emotions, certain songs come to my head. When I think about anger, heavy songs like "Bombshell" by Powerman 5000 come to mind. When i think about fear, songs like “The Imperial March” come to mind. Love: "Breathing" by Lifehouse. Happiness: "If I Had a Million Dollars" by Barenaked Ladies. Sadness: "Aerith's Theme" from the Final Fantasy 7 soundtrack. Pride: "The Star Spangled Banner" or "Enterprising Young Men" from the new Star Trek movie. And the list goes on for all emtions

But music just doesn't define our emotions. It defines many our experiences as well. For instance, when i hear the song, "War" by James Horner off the "Avatar" soundtrack, I am taken though a wide range of emotions I have felt in my life, like the emotions i have felt all through my dad's battle w/ cancer. But its not just limited to that. I am also reminded of the greatest game of football I ever played in. It was a cold, rainy night in November when i was in the eighth grade, and the team we were playing was our cross-town rivals. It was a very hard fought, cold, muddy game that I cannot express in words. But this one song expresses everything I felt during the course of that ONE game over 10 years ago and that I had never realized that I had felt till now.

Several of you are probably wondering why I am writing this. Well, the music I have been listening to A LOT as of late has been from the "Avatar" soundtrack. And as I listen to it, I cannot help but feel and emotional response to the point of my eyes welling up w/ tears. A lot of people who know me will tell you that I am a very emotional person (even though I don't see it at times) but I rarely get emotional enough to start tearing up. And for not just one song, but several to bring tears to my eyes is an accomplishment in and of itself. And these are not all tears of sadness. When I listen to this soundtrack, I do not relive the movie, but rather I am taken though an entire emotional journey of my life (like that game so long ago.) I go from places of sadness, to anger, to joy, to love, to pride, and much, much more. No other song or soundtrack has done this.

Now I cannot help but feel sad. Many people will never get the opportunity to experience what I have never felt until now. Some of you reading this will never understand not only why I feel this way, but why I must share these feelings with you at all. Most of you will agree with me that you feel some kind of emotional connection with music. But until you find that one song that defines who you are, that one song that forces you to relive your whole life's emotions and experiences you will never fully grasp these words. Mary Kay Ash best summed this up by saying, "“Most people live and die with their music still unplayed. They never dare to try.”