Are there not any good pastors out there?

I know this is a sports blog, so I give a wholehearted apology to all of those who are reading this to see my opinion on NFL labor negotiations or San Francisco Giants repeat chances. This article is in response to an article posted on a the blog at http://nearemmaus.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/are-there-no-good-pastors-out-there/. This blog is an opportunity to show gratitude where it is due.

I have recently left the tutelage of a pastor who has set the bar forever as to what a pastor should be. For me, all pastors will be compared to this man and I know that it’s not fair to the other pastors but that is just the way it is. Unfortunately I have never conveyed to him how much I appreciate him as a pastor and upon seeing this post I was challenged to write an essay about Pastor Jeff in hopes that he will know how much I appreciate him.

Pastor Jeff was a legend in the college I attended. He was a professor there and many tales were told about his spiritual abilities and disciplined pursuit of God, which was nothing short of epic. Some of these stories were far fetched like, if you ever looked him straight in the eyes he would know every moral struggle you had as well as your mother’s maiden name. I even heard he killed a bear with his bare hands to defend a family of helpless squirrels in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Other stories seemed more realistic like his discipline in praying at 4am every morning, fasting 3 days a week and doing a 40 day fast every year was great inspiration for many a bible college student who wanted to do great things for the kingdom of heaven.

I met Pastor Jeff when I was a student at Christian Life College, I had heard about him well before actually meeting him. I decided to go to CLC in response to a call of God on my life. Unfortunately for me, I never felt like I jived well with CLC expectations as to what an aspiring minister should be. I felt like a reject by the faculty because my attitude was bad and my ministerial aspirations were minimal. I feel very fortunate that Pastor Jeff was not swayed where other faculty was.

Pastor Jeff began pastoring a church in San Francisco during my junior year and I joined a group of students who drove to San Francisco every weekend to help out his church, in return Pastor Jeff would take the time to mentor us. I got to know him better than the rumors and epic stories. The amazing thing about him was that he turned out to be a very down to earth guy. As a matter of fact he was very approachable, always saying he wasn’t busy when you knew he was swamped. He was also a regular guy, able to talk about sports and life and you could talk to him about pretty much anything. But what made Pastor Jeff great to me was that he believed in me and trusted me even when most of his peers at the college doubted my sincerity in Christ.  He was different than any pastor that I had ever encountered before; he doesn’t pastor with a set of rules or a list of do’s and don’ts. He mentors by example as he follows Christ the best he can. And the result is a desire to also follow Christ and to be a disciple for your self.

 After graduating Bible College, I decided to move to San Francisco and I attended the church for the next 5 years. Pastor Jeff taught me much about God and what it means to be a disciple. I was able to find a role in his church, he used me in ministry when I don’t believe other pastors would have.

The church he pastors, San Francisco Lighthouse, has become a place where anyone can go and feel that relationship with God is attainable and that they have come to a sanctuary. Jeff preaches with a passion and love for God that is palpable. The time that he invests in studying the Bible allows him to relay messages with honesty and truth. He does the Word of God justice with his sermons, never trying to add to the word of God in hopes of further proving a point. I have often said that if Jeff pastored in Michigan or Texas instead of San Francisco he would have a mega church in his first year it would be that easy. If you know anything of the culture in SF it is a very hard city to try to reach. But today SFL has become so involved in loving and helping people that if it wasn’t there tomorrow, there would be a gaping hole in the heart of that city.

So in response to the question “are there not any good pastors out there?” There is definitely some, I feel very privileged to have sat under one of the great pastors out there today and I would like to say thank you Pastor Jeff for the many years you invested in my life, you have shown me what it means to be a pastor and a disciple of Jesus. I can easily say my life will always be bettered for the time I spent at SFL.

After knowing Jeff and being in his church all these years now, I’ve had some chances to discover how much truth is behind the legend of Jeff Garner and let me just say, I’ve looked him straight in the eyes and I’m confident he has no clue as to my mothers maiden name.

'Melo is great for the Knicks

The thing about basketball is that you can only play 5 players at a time if you have 2 of the 10 best players in the league you can hang with and you will probably beat anybody. Some people out there are saying that the players the Knicks traded to get 'Melo were too much of a price to pay.

ESPN reports, "As a part of the deal, the Knicks will send Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and a 2014 first-round draft pick to the Nuggets, who would get additional picks and cash, the sources said. Along with Anthony, New York would acquire Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman. New York will send Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry to Minnesota as part of the deal in exchange for Corey Brewer".

People are trying to tell me that Gallinari, Felton and Mozgov are irreplaceable.I say get out of town with that crap and go back to Jersey. The fact is, there are 10 or 12 of these players in every draft and there are hundreds of them in the B league and the European league.

Let me take Rondo for example; the world loves Rondo and considers him to be a premier point guard in the league. I say the only reason we even know Rondo's name is because he is surrounded by the leagues best players every time he steps on the court. You could grab any point guard from Rucker Park today and put him on the Celtics and he would look like an elite Point Guard in the NBA because he's surrounded by that level of talent.

Now you want to tell me that Gallinari or Mozgov are too much to lose to get 'Melo... come on man. Any role player at the league's minimum pay will look like a stud, even I would look like a stud if I played for the Knicks today. Do you remember when Pippen went to play for Portland after his career along side Michael Jordan? It only showed us how great Michael Jordan was. When Pippen left Chicago the world realized he was an average Joe. It was Mike that made him look like a stud.

As far as I'm concerned the Knicks could have given every player they had except Stoudemire and replaced them with B leaguer's and we would say "wow, the Knicks are brilliant judges of talent, where did they find these guys?" But it could be me playing at the Garden and I suck, but 'Melo and Amare are that good.

David Stern is bad for the NBA

When asked about the future of Dwight Howard and where he will play next year; David Stern said something like "trade speculation of Howard going to a power house team is bad for the NBA"; or something along those lines. I would like to say David Stern is bad for the NBA.

Henry Ford is commonly quoted as saying "there's no such thing as bad publicity". The NBA needs any kind of publicity it can get. TV ratings of the NBA finals have been on a decline for many years in a row now and its safe to say that last year they hit the bottom. Last year the NBA playoffs got killed by the NFL draft. Were talking about one of the biggest series of the whole year being pummeled by the draft, not even a game, the draft. Has anyone ever considered watching an NBA draft or MLB draft? I don't think so. I'm not saying they took a hit, I'm saying nobody even knew a game was being played 5.4% of households in the US market watched the NFL draft. The NFL draft is people walking across a stage to wear a hat of the team that picked them.How can people consciously choose that over the NBA playoffs?  The fact is the NBA hasn't had that kind of following since Michael Jordan's heyday.

Who's fault is it that the NBA sucks? David Stern is the one steering the ship, so if anyone needs to go overboard its him. Now he wants to tell us whats bad for the NBA. We already know whats bad for the NBA. Do you remember the Tim Donaghy scandal? Former NBA referee gets caught manipulating games for a financial profit. Donaghy is not trusted with anything he has to say but he raised some good points about the NBA executives telling them to call games a certain way to extend a series. He also said they were to keep the all stars in the game by not calling fouls on them.He described game manipulation being ordered from the top to help out ratings. The beauty of sports is that you don't need to tamper with it to make it good, and we can tell when its being tampered with. Sports is good enough by its self, it doesn't need to tampered or prodded any direction, let it be.

Have you ever watched NBA game that felt like torture? Almost all of them. The ball stops every 15 seconds so Kobe Bryant can go to the foul line...again. Then the ball stops again for another questionable call and passed in. Then Kobe Bryant goes to the foul line again. Then when the game develops any kind of flow, the game is stopped for a 20 second timeout that takes about 3 minutes and includes a commercial break. YOUR KILLIN' ME HERE, what channel is playing Dawsons Creek these days?

Some would say; that's basketball, that's how its played. Not the NCAA championship last year, Butler vs Duke had me glued to the TV from tip off to a near miracle shot finish. I held on to every play and did countless hail mary full of grace prayers that God would bless Butler with an upset of a lifetime. It was one of the greatest basketball games I've ever seen because they let the players play. The ball didn't stop every 15 seconds because the "Kobe clock" went off...time for more free throws. It was a sporting event for the ages and it can't be the same sport that David Stern runs.

How is it that an NCAA game can be so much better than NBA game? Because it has the qualities of a playground hustle that you and I can experience any time we take our ball to the nearest court, its something we can relate to. It includes one of the greatest tournaments in sports. As far as tournaments go the NCAA is topped only by the World Cup and that only happens every 4 years.

So how do you take such a great sport and turn so many people away? I don't know, maybe we should ask David Stern he seems to know whats "bad for the NBA".

42 Days to Opening Day

As the NFL season has come to a close again, I'm left with Hockey, which I really don't follow, the NBA which is just a hard pill to swallow. I want entertainment here, not pills to swallow. March Madness is a Sports mega event which I love, but its still a ways off. The next big thing for me is Baseball season, My San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins will lead me once again.

The down side is I'm in New York, I got the Yankees, BOOOOOO; and the Mets (Boring). So I looked into the schedules of my 2 teams to see when they were coming to town. Unfortunately they are both early in the season, meaning I've got to get on my feet quick to get some tickets. My World Champions San Francico Giants will be in Queens to face the Mets on May 3,4,5. Catching one of these games, preferably when Lincecum is on the mound is a new life priority; right behind finding a job.

The last several games I've been to were all San Francisco Giants games and I followed them from game 1 last season all the way through the World Series championship.There were some moments of serious torture, they were blowing it big time and weren't even going to make the playoffs. Then they would get hot and be exciting again, it was a roller coaster season that ended with total triumph. It was like the Lord of the Rings wrapped up in baseball instead of a mythical world.

The other must see series will take me to Yankee Stadium, which is a must-see sporting venue any how. I will watch my Minnesota Twins attack the Pinstripes on April 4 thru 7. The Twins always struggle against the Yankees in games that matter, and I hate the Yankees.

With 42 days to go I am excited for another baseball season, my pre-season prediction: World Series will be Minnesota and San Francisco; hahahahahaha I wish.

It Should Have Been the Birth Of Favre's Legacy

If you look at some of the old barns in the Wisconsin country side, you can still see the number '4' buried beneath a fresh coat of paint. You have to look very hard, but it's still there. The people have painted over what could have been the greatest legacy in Green Bay history right next to Lombardi himself. No matter how many coats of paint are added, the # 4 will always be slightly visible. The terrible shame of it all is that they ever had to paint over it in the first place.

Wisconsin is celebrating another Super Bowl win and loving their new future Hall of fame quarterback. Meanwhile, all the media wants to discuss how, "Wisconsin has officially moved past the Brett Favre era." The people of Wisconsin have literally painted over the number '4' they used to wear proudly on the side of their barns and in most cases they have tried to make it look like a number '12'. But did it really have to be this way? Why couldn't they say, "Thank you Brett for the memories, and we love Aaron too."

Aaron Rodgers is now an elite NFL Quarterback. He will be a Hall of Famer and he will never have to pay for drinks in the State of Wisconsin again plus he's classy. When constantly given opportunity to throw Favre under the bus, he will not do it. Although he has never said one good thing about the man, at least he won't say anything bad.

Meanwhile, Brett Favre officially had the worst year of any man in sports. He returned for one season too many. He played like complete crap, ended his consecutive start streak and tainted his name with the Jen Sterger incident. And now his former team has just won the Super Bowl without him. With his life now, I wouldn't be surprised if he comes back for another season just to get out of the house because his wife must be fuming over the picture texts he was sending to other women.

None of this is necessary. This should have been Favre's Superbowl just as much as Aarons but Favre refused to have anything to do with his younger pupil. When Rodgers was drafted in 2005 he was given an opportunity to sit behind one of the all-time greats. He could have learned the game from a veteran who has seen and done it all. It was a perfect apprentice-teacher situation except the teacher was threatened by his apprentice and instead of mentoring him, he ignored him completely. When Favre was given a chance to install his legacy to the next generation, he went out of his way to make things more difficult for the man below him. If Favre would have been the teacher he was supposed to be, he would be hoisting the trophy with his Packer teammates and congratulating his former pupil but Favre has chosen a different legacy for him self.

Legacy's are built on those who will invest in the lives of others. Can you believe that 100% of NFL head coaches today can trace their roots back to 1 of 3 coaches: Bill Parcells, Bill Walsh, or Marty Schottenheimer. This means that with every Superbowl that is won today, one of these men are given credit every year. Their legacy grows every year because of their investments on those who served under them. These men have a legacy that will last as long as the NFL.

What will the legacy of Brett Favre look like? Brett Favre has set records that will never be touched. He rescued the Packers from a garbage team into Super Bowl champions and his accomplishments are amazing. He will be in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, no question. But he has destroyed his legacy in his refusal to befriend Rodgers and the whole of Green Bay has rejected the man as a contributor to this team today.

If Brett Favre was concerned with his legacy; we would have seen Rodgers showing some love to the man and attaching Favre's name to this Super Bowl win. The Favre legacy in Green Bay wouldn't have missed a beat and Brett could have been the same hero today as he was after winning Super Bowl XXXI. Instead he drew a line in the sand and said "him or me" and Wisconsin moved on because Brett demanded it.

Rodgers wouldn't have hesitated to thank Favre for everything he did for him; except Favre never did a thing for him.

Last Sunday was going to be the birth of Brett Favre's legacy, he could have been on the side lines with his former team, offering his support after ending his season in Minnesota. He could have hoisted the Lombardi trophy once again. He could have hugged and cheered with Rodgers, his pupil, and he would have sprayed champagne with his old team mates and been part of all the festivities that come with winning the Superbowl. He even could have even been hired on a as quarter back coach in Green Bay. The Favre legacy could have been tied to every Superbowl win in Green Bay from here on out. But instead of the birth of a new legacy, the people have re-painted the barns and the people have moved on.

Ndamukong Suh is the new Tiger Woods at his position

    Congratulations to Ndamukong Suh, who just won NFL defensive Rookie of the Year.
   
    This was one of the easiest decisions voters have had to make. It's like asking fans if we want 2 more football games in a season.
    It's unfortunate that the Heisman voting wasn't as easy 1 year ago. Suh was clearly the best pick for the Heisman but because Defensive lineman will never be as high profile as running backs and quarter backs the trophy was given to Mark Ingram from Alabama.One year removed from the voting we see Mark Ingram is just another running back who was overshadowed by team mate Richardson. Meanwhile Suh has been tearing the heads off quarter backs and mailing them to their mothers. 
    If ever a player can match highlight reels with the most explosive RB's in the league it's Suh. Suh is not a man, he is a physical specimen. He tied for the most sacks by a rookie ever and is the first defensive tackle in 16 years to win the DROY award.When talking about how great Suh will be, we aren't discussing potentially another Dwight Freeney and we're not even talking about Reggie White. The best comparison I've heard is that of Charles Jefferson, the character played by Forrest Whitaker in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High". Jefferson played with a blind rage after getting his car wrecked and spray painted. He killed the other team so bad it can only be a fictional story but with Suh we see the incarnate Charles Jefferson.
    Suh provides fans with a new player so dominant at his position he can only be the Tiger Woods of Defensive lineman but because he is only a lineman he will never get the fame he deserves. He is as good at the Defense line as Michael Jordan was at basketball. He is more of a character from Greek mythology than he is a real man and he just finished his rookie year. Hopefully we get to watch more of Suh in all his underrated splendor for many more years.

Top: Ndamukong Suh
Right: Charles Jefferson

Here comes the UFL

    The Cincinnati Bengals have been wallowing in mediocrity for at least the last 15 years. After one of the worst seasons in recent memory, upper management made the moronic decision to bring back head coach Marvin Lewis, who has shown almost no hope in scrapping together a team that can contend with the NFL's elite. It is of no surprise that Carson Palmer demanded a trade the following week, at some point a man has to say "enough is enough". Alas, "the squeaky wheel gets the oil" and in attempting to console Palmer they fired the Offensive Coordinator (good move) and hired the brother of offensive genius and Monday Night commentating phenom John Gruden. Where did they dig up the brother of Gruden? (As he will be officially referred to) He was the head coach of the Florida Tuskers in the UFL, this is probably the first of many major acquisitions coming out of this relatively unknown semi pro league known as the UFL.
    . Not only is it another source of football, but it's a great source of football talent, when trying to count the number of high profile Offensive Coordinators in the NFL I am surprised at how few there are available, especially when considering the magnitude of the sport. The UFL provides great coaches and players with an opportunity to get the notice they deserve, and the hiring of Gruden's younger brother is the first eye opening hire from that league, I predict many more in upcoming years.
    Cincinnati may have been acting out of desperation, but lets be real here; its the smartest move they've made since letting Terrell Owens go. Perhaps other teams could benefit from the UFL as well; Arizona needs a skilled QB, I recommend Omaha QB and NFL veteran Jeff Garcia; Jeff Garcia has taken every one of his teams into immediate contention. If Arizona played Jeff Garcia this year, they would have won the NFC West and been in the playoffs. The UFL is full of great football talent, BJ Sams is the top kick returner in the UFL, meaning he could have played for the 49ers who have had about 1 kick returned for a TD in the last 2 years. Thirdly,  Defensive Tackle, Larry Tripplet could add immediate pressure on any QB who has too much time in the pocket, he would have been a great fit for the Jacksonville Jaguars who had the least sacks of any team this year.
    If there is a lesson to be learned from the New England Patriots its that there is a lot of talented game breakers out there, they just need a chance.

Ben Roethlisberger, the Piano Man

     Who am I going for in this weeks Superbowl? There is no question, I want to see the Green Bay Packers take the Steelers down. The Steelers are the new Patriots, but they're even worse than the Pats'. Pittsburgh has won more Super bowls than any other team in football and their 5th win over the Seahawks was the most blatantly rigged game in NFL history. If the Steelers win this year they will be one step closer to my all time hate list.
     There are three sports teams that I will always root against no matter who they are playing and quite honestly I don't want Pittsburgh on that list...but I'll do it, oh yes I will. The three teams I live to hate are: the Lakers, the Yankees, and Ohio State. Every game they win makes me want to hurl; while every game they lose brightens my day like a free breakfast at the island coffee shop.
     Being the casual betting man that I am, let me also say that if the opportunity presents itself to win some money betting against Pittsburgh, that is one bet I won't make. Pittsburgh possesses a team chemistry that you don't often find on professional sports teams and chemistry is the #1 ingredient to winning championships. Its the main reason the Yankees don't win every year and its the reason the San Francisco Giants won the World Series this year against far more talented teams; they did it on team chemistry.
     Do you remember when the Detroit Pistons dismantled the Laker All Star team in 2004? Team chemistry. How about when Boston came from 3 games down and beat the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS and went on to win the World Series? Team chemistry again.
     How does a team build chemistry? Its not easy to do; its the small details that allow players to be them selves and know their team won't hold it against them, like Aubrey Huff parading around a locker room in a rally thong. It's taking shots of Jack Daniels as a team before the biggest game of the year (04 Redsox) and it's taking your lineman out to a BBQ dinner and singing stupid piano songs at the top of your lungs a few days before the Superbowl.
     I'm not saying the Packers can't win, I'm just saying the Steelers have the #1 ingredient to playing championship football: they're a family. For the Packers to win this game I recommend Aaron Rogers lines up 53 shot glasses of Wild Turkey or buys 53 rally thongs for his team to play in; or at the very least, get in a bar fight against a group of UFC fighters in Pittsburgh Steelers jerseys. With as stupid as these ideas may be somehow they lead to championships.