My Two Favorite Coaches

Well, obviously Dugo's still my favorite coach of all time, but I thought this was a cool picture from @petecarroll 's twitter feed:


Anyone see Phil Jackson?

Antimatter

I'm surprised the world didn't end at this very moment.

I want this engraved on my headstone

It was written

I just wish Hansbrough said this after losing to FSU in the ACC tourney.

From deadspin via Miami Herald.

Ohio State Loses

My college football season can now end in gleeful bliss after Ohio State suffered another heartbreaking loss in a meaningful January game (they're really getting into it on the Ozone Forum) to a superior team from a real conference...that is to say NOT the "little 11".

Personally, I think Utah deserves the title...honestly. They're undefeated. They beat Oregon State (beat USC) and Alabama (beat Ole Miss, which beat Fla.).

Since Utah won't garner enough support and Texas didn't wipe the mat with tOSU, I'm rooting for the Gators. In spite of Urban Cryer, I freaking love Tim Tebow, and it will be hard to root against a guy like this on Thursday night:


A lot of good will come out of this. You have never seen any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. And you will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season. And you will never see the team play harder than we will the rest of the season. God Bless

Army-Navy Game Uniforms by Nike (football)

While a tough Navy team shellacked the Black Knights of the Hudson 34-0 in Philadelphia today, the highlight of the game were the Nike-designed uniforms sported by both squads.


Some folks are banging on them, but I think they're fun and pretty sharp (here's the release):

Nike Launches New Army and Navy Football “Enforcer” Uniforms

Next Evolution of Lightweight Football Uniforms to Make Its Debut on Field During Classic Football Matchup

BEAVERTON, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nike (NYSE:NKE) will debut its new “Enforcer” football uniforms this weekend as one of college football’s most storied rivalries enters into its 109th meeting. The new uniforms, which will be seen for the first time during the Army vs. Navy football game, were developed as the next evolution of Nike’s shrink wrap uniform with high performance materials that will help the athletes perform at their highest standard.



The Nike “Enforcer” uniforms designed for the Army and Navy squads are lightweight, breathable and more form-fitting, enabling superior field performance. The uniforms provide greater moisture management and reduction of grab points while also incorporating inspiration from two of the nation’s military units in its design.

I had a tough time finding many good pictures tonight, but here are the baddest of the bunch:




I always thought it would have been great to have Nike design our PT gear, instead of the sub-par stuff they foist upon us (by the Air Force especially, great job Moseley):



Beyond actually fitting, Nike-designed workout gear--instead of Lighthouse for the Blind or whoever had the contract--would have a shelf-life that extended outside the base and act as a promotional tool. Getting non-military folks to wear Air Force-inspired clothing is a coup, it promotes the service and get this--people would pay for the right to do so!

It should be noted that there's a precedence here, Brooks Brothers designs some of Navy's dress uniforms and Teddy Roosevelt wore Brooks Brothers military uniforms. Oh, and I should also mention that when you let the government design uniforms, this can happen:



Action shots from AP: (link)

All too real AF photoshop from this awesome collection: (link)

Morgan O'Brien's WIGO, College Edition

BCS News
I'm rooting for Florida this weekend, but I hope my man (and fellow Oct. birthday boy) John Parker Wilson does well. I'm trying to emulate his haircut...

In the Big XII, I have ties to Texas (as reported here) and think they're getting kind of screwed. I'd love to see Chase Daniel come up big and lead Mizzou to an upset.

Finally, Ohio State shouldn't be in a BCS bowl. Let Boise State play (at least they know how to win in the BCS)! Heck Boise should at least play Ball State--it's a shame that won't work out.

Awesome West Point stunt:


Go Army,Beat Navy

UNC Hates Jeeeeezuuz

As a Yankee down South, I quickly realized that my fervent Catholicism stood no match for the rapid Christianity wrought by residents of the Bible Belt. And for that, I can't imagine this new policy will last long:

UNC libraries to forgo Christmas trees
Chapel Hill library chief says staffers complained about the display.
By Eric Ferreri
Your vote has been counted, thank you for voting.

CHAPEL HILL For as long as anyone can remember, Christmas trees adorned with lights and ornaments have greeted holiday season visitors to UNC Chapel Hill's two main libraries.

Not this year.

The trees, which have stood in the lobby areas of Wilson and Davis libraries each December, were kept in storage this year at the behest of Sarah Michalak, the associate provost for university libraries.
more

That said, Christmas trees are not religious symbols--at least not Christian religious symbols--and it should be noted that Christmas is both a state and federal holiday.

Carolina's new chancellor and fellow Maui Invitational attendee Holden Thorpe chimed in, although not very convincingly:

I understand that the Library staff made the decision not to put up a Christmas tree this year after giving it a lot of thought. The university administration doesn’t get involved in decisions like that. Departments can choose to put up a tree or not. And if you take a walk across campus, I think you’ll see that. The façade of Memorial Hall, our major performing venue, is fully decorated for the holiday, and The Nutcracker is its major December attraction. Student Stores is like any retailer this time of year. They have a tree decorated with Carolina ornaments in the window and, in the store, there is a mantle decorated with Carolina stockings. The Student Activities Fund Office has a Christmas tree in its window. There’s a big Christmas wreath with a Carolina-blue ribbon on it in the Student Union. Our own Carolina Inn is again featuring its Twelve Days of Christmas displays throughout the hotel. And just as we have for the last 59 years, our Morehead Planetarium and Science Center is featuring The Star of Bethlehem.

So Christmas is recognized on this campus.

Thanks for your interest in Carolina, and have a joyous Christmas season.

Holden Thorp

Blue Ash is Gangster, or...

...Ohioans take football Way too seriously:

Ohio woman, 89, accused of keeping kids' football

BLUE ASH, Ohio (AP) — Police in Ohio say an 89-year-old woman was facing a charge of petty theft because neighborhood children accused her of refusing to give back their football. Edna Jester was arrested last week in the Cincinnati suburb of Blue Ash.

Police said one child's father complained that Jester kept the youngsters' ball after it landed in her yard. Police Capt. James Schaffer said there has been an ongoing dispute in the neighborhood over kids' balls landing in the woman's yard.

Jester said Monday she has received many calls and didn't have time to discuss the matter any more.

Jester is to appear in court next month. The maximum penalty for a petty theft conviction in Ohio is six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com

Hook 'em Horns!

As a Notre Dame fan, I haven't had much to care about in recent years upon the announcement of BCS rankings. However, this year, I'm excited to see Texas at the top of the list (released today):

Poll Positions

The top five of the BCS standings released Sunday:
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.



For complete BCS standings, and AP and USA Today polls, click here.


In related news, I caught a little of the Texas-Missou butt whoopin' last night and was reminded of my favorite Longhorn, Defensive End Aaron Lewis. I had the pleasure of serving with Aaron's dad, Chaplain (Col.) Jerry Lewis, at Kirtland and wrote one of my favorite pieces on Aaron and his unique challenges faced as an elite athlete/military brat.

Ed's note: I have it on good authority that I'm not the only Catholic who held Chaplain Lewis in high regard...in fact, a certain priest I know still gushes over him to this day!



One of the neatest things I got to do in researching the article was interview former fighter pilot and Dallas Cowboy's defensive lineman Chad Hennings, who served as a mentor for Aaron. I just finished reading Jeff Pearlman's Boys Will be Boys, a startling account of the Dallas Cowboys of the early '90s. Pearlman singles out Hennings as one of the God-fearing good guys on a number of teams marked by debauchery.

From what I recall, he was incredibly gracious with me and happy to talk about Aaron. He lived up to the hype, and besides, I'll always be a fan of athletes who served.

I'll keep pulling for Aaron, who's a starter on Mack Brown's squad, and hope that they can pull it out over the coming months.

Anyway, here's my award-winning* piece:

Gridiron Glory and Praise
Faith, Family Drive Football Star

Decked out in his navy blue number 66 jersey, in hot pursuit of the quarterback, the defensive end busts through a futile attempt at a double team by the opposing offensive line.

The defensive end is Aaron Lewis, a senior at Albuquerque's La Cueva High School, a young man used to overcoming obstacles to not only reach opposing quarterbacks but to accomplish a host of lofty goals.

On Wednesday, the prestigious 2005 U.S. Army All American Bowl announced Aaron selection to the team.

As if punching his ticket to San Antonio for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl isn't challenging enough on its own- the game is considered the pinnacle of honors for high school football players- Aaron has overcome many obstacles as a "military brat."

Thanks to the career of Aaron's father, Chaplain, Lt. Col. Jerry Lewis, Aaron covers both the field and the map. Aaron has lived in 7 different places starting in Homestead, Fla.; with stops in Bentwaters, England; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Montgomery, Ala.; San Antonio, Texas before settling in his current home in Albuquerque.

When legs that squat 475 pounds and arms that dead lift 525 are coupled with the 4.6-second forty-yard dash closing speed of a sprinter and the sheer power of a 6'4", 260-pound frame, the defensive end has the God-given talents designed for catching quarterbacks-as he's done 46.5 times during his career.

The younger Lewis' physique isn't the only thing he considers God-given. Known for his pew-rattling sermons that drum up a chorus of "amens," Chaplain Lewis, a military brat himself, and understood the challenges his son faced. "Compared to Alabama and Texas, New Mexico is not exactly known for its football," said Chaplain Lewis. "Thankfully, God took care of all my concerns."

Chaplain Lewis is no stranger to athletic success, having played college soccer, basketball and track at Methodist College in Fayetteville, N.C. Methodist is where Chaplain Lewis met his wife and Aaron's mom, Debby-also a military brat.

Aaron credits his Christian faith as the key to his good fortunes on the gridiron. "When I found out that we were moving from Texas to NM, I relied upon faith," said Aaron. "My dad sat down with me and said, 'The lord has a plan for you, just go with it and everything will work out."

"That's the special thing about faith," said Aaron, "You believe in faith, you don't see it."

In an era where high school athletics are the end result of years of youth football and growing up in a system, Aaron moved to Albuquerque before his sophomore season, and was forced to play catch up.

Not only did he catch up, he quickly moved to the head of the pack, and has a strong support group at home that helped him make it happen.

While New Mexico may not be a high school football powerhouse, Aaron's La Cueva Bears team won the 2003 state championship with a 13-0 campaign, and looks likely to do the same in 2004 (the team is 12-0 heading into the state championship against Clovis tomorrow).

Running back to the sideline, number 66 doffs his silver helmet with interlocking "LC" on the sides, and turns to the crowd, searching for his mother. He finds her, and extends his pinky, index finger and thumb, sign language for "I love you," then he bends his thumb in, and flashes the "Hook 'em Horns" sign.

In addition to his faith, Aaron cites his family as the key to his success.

"Aaron has always set goals for himself," said Debby Lewis. "A division one scholarship was one of those goals."

While Aaron's size is currently a huge blessing, it hasn't always been-especially when he was a fourth grader forced to play with kids three to five years older than him in a weight-based Pop Warner football league.

One of Aaron's more recent goals has been selection to the Army All American Game, in which he wanted to play after seeing it on television (this year's game will be played on January 15 and will be aired on NBC).

"I'm so honored to be selected to the game," said Aaron. "There are lots of guys who bust their butts as hard as I do, when you realize that there are 1200 schools in Texas, that's at least 2,400 defensive ends in one state!"
"Some of (the moving) has been challenging, it's tough to enter a group of players who have spent years together. For the most part, I've enjoyed seeing new places and making new friends."

Sans helmet, his head covered by a navy blue 'do rag and his breath visible in the cool autumn air, the defensive end watches the fourth quarter from the sideline-his team pitching the ninth shutout of the season-shouting encouragement to his teammates and enjoying the fruits of his hard work.
Thanks to their travels, the Lewis family has surrounded Aaron with many strong role models.

"Aaron's a leader, and a great role model for a lot of young kids to look up to," said Chad Hennings, a former Air Force fighter pilot and Dallas Cowboy. "I talked with him about the importance of education, to go to a school where you're going to get the best education possible.

Hennings spent time with Aaron after meeting Chaplain Lewis "(U.S. Air Force Academy head football coach) Fisher DeBerry was also a tremendous influence on my football career," said Aaron. "He would let me hang around the team when I was younger and would always take the time to talk to me about my football career."
The elder Lewis became friends with DeBerry when he was the team Chaplain for the Air Force Academy Falcons.

"I also told him to trust the coaching staff-because that coach and that coaching staff is going to be your surrogate parents when your away from home, they're going to have to be of the same moral fiber of your parents."

When the defensive end returns home from the field, he does what every other red-blooded teenage boy does, turns on X-Box and plays the standards: Halo and Halo 2.

For now, Aaron looks forward to playing the game, "I'm excited to go and prove why I'm there. I feel like I have a lot to prove to the fans and people of Texas, and show that I'm ready to be a Longhorn"

-----
*2004 AFMC Best Sports Article

Morgan O'Brien's WiGO 10.14.08

Nassau is going to keep the Wall of Shame!

Nassau to Keep Posting D.W.I. Suspects’ Photos
By DERRICK HENRY
Published: October 12, 2008
Critics say it may be better to use a Web page intended to identify drunken drivers upon conviction, not arrest, suggesting the way it’s done now strips suspects of the presumption of innocence.

I think that this is a great tool, and any move designed to deter this behavior is fine with me. Anyone that gets on the road under the influence puts me in danger and that's not cool. That said, I feel for anyone that was wrongly arrested, and see the value in waiting until a conviction gained before posting.

Great to see that Bengal fans are not of the fair-weather variety

CINCINNATI -- Disappointed fans of the winless Cincinnati Bengals are trying to unload thousands of tickets for remaining home games, many of them well below face value.

The online ticket agency StubHub.com has 3,000 tickets for Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. At least 4,000 tickets are available for each of the remaining games.

Some sellers don't care about making a profit. There are $64 tickets priced as low as $24.

Bootsy!

Personnel Shortfall Slows State Department

As if morganobrien.com didn't admire and respect the work of Defense Secretary Bob Gates enough, he goes and gets quoted in an article saying stuff like this:

Perhaps contrary to conventional wisdom, this is not a turf war the current defense secretary wants to win. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates favors stronger State Department funding.

State Department "programs are not well understood or appreciated by the wider American public, and do not have a ready-made political constituency that major weapons systems or public works projects enjoy," he said. "As a result, the slashing of the president's international affairs budget request has too often become an annual Washington ritual -- right up there with the blooming of the cherry blossoms and the Redskin's opening game."

Basically, he's saying that compared with the Pentagon, State is the Rodney Dangerfield in international matters -- it gets no, or certainly too little, respect.

The article goes on to hilight an impressive stat: "If just one war per generation is avoided because of effective diplomacy, think of the savings it brings to the nation."

It's a diplomatic victory -- and not a military victory that could only be gained by the spilling of much blood.

Yet, at the same time, the Department of Defense has played an ever-increasing role in diplomacy, much to the dismay of diplomats.

"The 'militarization of diplomacy' is noticeably expanding as DOD personnel assume public diplomacy and assistance responsibilities that the civilian agencies do not have the trained staff to fill," the report says.

Now, if only we could ensure that guys who never deployed never wore stars...

Cowboys now have two Roy Williamses

Now, all they need is Carolina's head baseketball coach to complete the set!

And here's a neat article about the two from their college days on the warring sides of the Red River Rivalry (link).

And finally, please tell me you dig Nike's new LT/Polamalu Ecstasy of Gold commercial:

As always,

With my Greatest Respect,
Morgan

Return to Chapel Hill

Had the opportunity to return to Blue Heaven over the weekend to see the Notre Dame Fighting Irish square off against the Tar Heels of my alma mater, the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

In an exciting matchup, the Heels ended up edging the Irish by a 29-24 margin that came down to the final whistle.

As great as the game was, it was secondary to the sights and sounds of the game in making this a fulfilling experience.

The Kenan Stadium PA announcer, "The Voice of the Tar Heels" needs to buy professional strength afrin. His nasal intonations grated on my nerves. I wanted to stab my eardrums with a pen when he would say "First DOOOOOOWOWOWOWOWOWOWO
WOWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
CaroLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINAAAAAAAAAAA"

There is nothing freakier than seeing fans decked out in Notre Dame gear and striking up a conversation with them only to get an answer in an accent straight out of Deliverance. "I'm from Albermarle...Some call it a sling blade, um huh. I like Jimmy Claussen."

Carolina football fans are a bigger wine and cheese crowd than our basketball fans. Seriously, we're the JV SEC when it comes to Southern football. Throughout the game, their ignorance of college football was readily apparent. Like when they demanded a roughing the kicker call when a Tar Heel player ran into their own kicker. Nice job.

Some gems from the obnoxious Carolina fan behind me:

1. "Go back to Raleigh!" To the ACC refs working the game, apparently they weren't partisan enough.
2. "And the Oscar goes to..." To the ND punter on a roughing the kicker call.
3. "Back to the North!" Anytime the 'Let's go Irish' chant started (get it? Let's go Irish... back to the North.)
4. "1861-1865; North 1, South 0" That was what Officer O'Brien said about the Carolina fan behind us.

Putting the exclamation point on Tar Heel Nation's poor performance was when fans threw lemons on the field as the last play of the game was being reviewed. Real classy.

GAME NOTES: Notre Dame integrated Kenan Stadium in 1953, it took the South a few years to catch up...I saw Hansbrough at Players Dance Club, but for some reason he wouldn't take a picture of me and the Victor brothers...Some girl on the line at Players thought Dash Victor (aka Mr. Jane Slater) was Spencer Pratt and asked for a photo with him:

Spencer!

In what happens to be the shock of the century, they closed BW-3 on Franklin Street...Blue Cups at He's Not Here are freaking big...The game started with a B-2 Flyover (probably piloted by an ND alum):