I have been traveling a lot in the past month. First Santa Clara for SMX, then back to San Jose the week after and then last week was SES NY, yes almost elite status...

But because of the traveling, I had to take a break from playing basketball for a month. Last night was my first night back in the gym. Man was I out of shape.

I did manage to somehow stay on my feet for two and a half hours of basketball. We only had 10 people, so no sitting, just playing, even if you lose - not that I lost.

After the first hour of pain, the pain started going away. Then I got other pains.

Reminder, keep playing regularly! Tonight, I play again.

Posted at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Category: Sports | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday, I spent virtually the whole day (after working in the morning) watching football. Yes, my wife went out shopping without me, while I sat and watched football on the couch.

Yea, I had my laptop with me, while watching...

During the Giants game, I can't believe they won, I was using NFL.com's Game Center. It is truly an awesome aid to watching the game. It is basically updated in real time, no refresh required. It shows you every detail of the plays, you can rewind and see history as well.

You can quickly see the current drive's plays in a visual format. You can see an example of the Giants vs. Packer's via the drive chart.

If you got two huge screens, I say, put the game on one display and this NFL.com feature on the other. And seriously enjoy the Super Bowl.

I am a Jet fan, so I am always bummed - always.

Posted at 9:11 AM | Permalink | Category: Sports | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Last night was a historic night for my oldest nephew, Avi. As reported on the ASHAR Hockey site, my nephew scored his first goal ever, in an official elementary school game.

And I quote:

The big goal of the night came late in the game from defenseman Avi Borgen who took a pass back at the point and lasered it towards the net passed a screened Aaron Turkel.

Avi Borgen, he is my nephew. Congrats Avi on the goal!

I actually always hoped Avi would be more into basketball but his father influenced him in a different direction - Hockey. Well, I guess that is his father's problem now, since hockey is a much more expensive sport to be involved with. Joke is on you!

I guess hockey is your sport and it shows! Congrats again and I am sure you will be scoring plenty of goals this year and throughout your life!

Posted at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Category: Family , Sports | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

I play basketball a few times a week. One of the three times, I play in this small league. This year, I got a new shirt for the season. I have a new but yet unique number.

Now, I think that looks like a backwards 6. The guy who imprinted the number actually did it backwards - if that is possible. Personally, I think it is great. It confuses the referees.

Posted at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Category: Just Funny , Sports | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

For the past week or so, my right wrist has been killing me. Certain movements result in sharp pain. It first started hurting after waking up one morning in a lot of pain. I figured I slept on my hand and bent it badly and that I would feel better the next day.

I did not feel better, but I gave it a few more days. Now over a week later, it still hurts.

It hurts a heck of a lot more when I shoot a basketball, which I have been doing three times a week.

It even hurts when I type, but not as bad (or even close to as bad) as when I carry stuff or shoot a basketball.

My wife felt it might be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, so just now, I decided to read WebMD on the topic:

What Are the Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Usually, people with carpal tunnel syndrome first notice that their fingers "fall asleep" and become numb at night. They often wake up with numbness and tingling in their hands. The feeling of burning pain and numbness may generally run up the center of the person's forearm, sometimes as far as the shoulder. As carpal tunnel syndrome becomes more severe, symptoms are noticed during the day.

My fingers are not falling asleep. Did you see how much I wrote over the past week? My wrist just hurts.

So I have self-diagnosed myself. I will not go to a doctor, I will just wait it out a couple more weeks and see how it goes.

I just saved twenty bucks on a co-pay!

Posted at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Category: Sports | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

RustyBrick Bytes, is the name of a local team we sponsor and play on.

Last night was our playoff game. We lost but it was a really good game.

We had a five to ten point lead most of the game. We played a three-two zone, where we focused on their two main shooters. The other players on the opposite team couldn't score much without their two main shooters.

It worked very well, just until the end of the fourth quarter. Two other players on their team began to hit and we had to open our zone up more. We lost by about a point. It came down to the last second. It actually came down to us missing too many free-throws.

But the game was played well. The refs were solid. The game was played well all around.

Good times, even if we lost.

Posted at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Category: RustyBrick , Sports | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just amazing, just amazing...

Posted at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Category: Sports | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I don't think I have ever missed Tuesday basketball three times in a row. At most, maybe two weeks, but not even when I went on my honeymoon.

The first two weeks, I ended up stuck with work until well after 10pm each day.

But last night I missed for two reasons.

(1) My wife is sick, so I wanted to help around the house. Yea, I am a good husband. :)
(2) It was freezing last night and the gym really doesn't have heat. So it is like a big tin box, when cold outside, you feel it in the gym - minus the wind. So it was probably 15 degrees in the gym last night. Playing ball like that, after a while works, but it takes a while for you to feel the basketball in your hands.

I will make it next week.

Posted at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Category: Homey , Sports , Weather | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Talking about a die hard Chicago Bears fan. Woman offers pregnant belly as ad space for Super Bowl tickets tells the story of a devoted Chicago Bears fan that wants tickets so bad to the Super Bowl that she is willing to sell her pregnant belly's ad space to get a pair of tickets.

Jennifer Gordon "self-professed "die hard" Chicago Bears fan is offering up her nearly nine-months pregnant belly space for advertisers to paint. She'll showcase it at the Feb. 4 Super Bowl, when the Bears play the Indianapolis Colts in Miami."

Her Craigslist ad reads:

I will agree to have your message painted on my belly visible to Super Bowl attendees and the millions of fans around the world who watch

This kid better be a sports fan, if not, he/she will have a sad life. I think the idea is cool - but I doubt my wife would ever do that. ;-)

Posted at 1:09 PM | Permalink | Category: Just Funny , Sports | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I am fairly well known for always having my laptop bag with me at all times, especially at SEO conferences. (hence the bag on my cartoon version of me).

But technically, I never have the shoulder strap over on my right shoulder. Yes, I am a right handed man, but ever since some time in college, I stopped using my right shoulder to hold my bag.

One Friday I was playing tackle football in the park. I must have been about 19 or 20 years old. I intercepted a bad pass by the quarterback and began to run it back. This incredibly strong guy picked me up from behind, lifted me in the air, flipped me around so that I was upside down and slammed me down. I landed on my right shoulder.

At first, I thought I dislocated it. So I had a bunch of the guys hold me, and an other group of guys pull my arm the other way - trying to get them to pop it back in. It wouldn't go. But it was for sure out of the socket, I felt my shoulder and it was not connected fully to the arm.

After that didn't work, one of the guys drove me to a local EMT who tried to pop it back in. He failed and told me to go to the hospital.

So I went home, asked my dad to take me to the hospital (this is about 30 minutes later). My dad needed finish a few things, and then he took me (felt like forever). We got there, did an xray and they told me it was a separated shoulder and not a dislocated shoulder.

A separated shoulder is also known as a acromioclavicular separation or AC separation. For now, all I could do it take meds to relax the pain and try to keep it still, so it won't hurt so much. After that, they told me, it will heal, but never go back in place. If I wanted, I can go get cosmetic surgery, but typically, there is no need to.

Here is a picture from WebMD:

Separated AC stands for separating the "collarbone (clavicle) and the end of the shoulder blade (acromion)."

The Wikipedia has a xray of what that looks like, I can't find mine...

In any event, it took a few months to heal, my shoulder is still separated, I never had the surgery, but I typically do not have much pain there these days.

Since then, I had to learn to switch from carrying my bag on my right shoulder to my left shoulder. Took a while to get used to, but I did. Now, I wish I can switch back to my right shoulder, but it just feels to awkward.

Posted at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Category: Sports | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Growing up, all I did was play basketball. In elementary school, after school and on weekends, we went to my friend, Scotty's house, and played ball outside as much as we could. In fact, instead of going to camp, we went to Scotty to play ball.

During that time, Michael Jordan was an upcoming star in the NBA. He ruined the NY Knicks chances to win a championship a few times. Now, growing up in NY, liking Jordan so much, that I was a Bull fan, was not easy. All my friends called me a traitor, front-runner, etc. But I was amazed at how unbelievable he was at the game. So I ignored the criticism I received, laughing it off by the Bulls stomping on the Knicks, time and time again.

Throughout elementary school and early high-school I collected probably over a hundred Michael Jordan basketball cards. They are now sitting in individual plastic holders, somewhere in my parents home. Reminder to self, make sure to check on them...

It was sad when Jordan starting playing for the Wizards. I was not comfortable watching him play basketball outside of a red jersey. It was also sad to see him retire early, a couple times, and then come back out of shape.

In any event, I continued to play basketball throughout high-school religiously. In fact, I skipped breakfast and lunch and used all my free time in the gym. I was known as one of the "gym rats" in the school, but it was an all boys Jewish school, so I wasn't missing anything. My high-school routine looked a bit like this, if I remember.

- Got to school
- Morning services
- Breakfast; I played basketball
- Before the first class, I grabbed an orange slice for 50 cents
- Classes with 7 minute breaks (I think 7 minutes), so I sometimes jumped in the gym, in between classes
- Lunch, I played ball and grabbed an other orange slice
- Classes
- GYM (twice a week - of course basketball)
- Went home

That was my high-school experience. Playing basketball, and watching Jordan master the game.

Now? I play three nights per week. I am much heavier. I am much slower. But I still enjoy the game. I miss the old games with Jordan in late 80's early 90's.

Posted at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Category: Sports | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

My brother-in-law hooked us up with tickets to the Jets game this Sunday. They played the Texans and pretty much took control of the game in the second half. Jets played well against a pretty bad team. I believe this was the first Jets game I have been at when they actually won. So that is a good feeling...

Here are two pictures I snapped on my Treo during the game.

I used the Flickr Slideshows generator for the pictures above. Kind worthless to use for only two pictures, but whatever.

The game was also a good opportunity to bond with the new family; father-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law. Not that we talked much during the game, the place was too loud for that. But we sat amongst thousands of other people in the middle of this row, about 30 yards up from the field. Not too bad.

Thanks AJ.

Posted at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Category: Sports | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

I am sure you all know by now, that the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series Friday night.

Just wanted to note it here, just to have.

http://cardinals.mlb.com/

Great year for St. Louis. ;-)

Posted at 9:26 AM | Permalink | Category: Sports | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am way more excited for the St. Louis Cardinals to win then my wife is, and she is from St. Louis. St. Louis beat the Mets, and I wasn't devastated about it. It would be nice, very nice, if St. Louis beat Detroit.

I was shocked that they pulled last nights game off, being down 3-0.

After building a 3-0 lead, the Tigers battled bad luck and shaky fielding to creep within one loss of elimination against the Cardinals. Sean Casey homered and drove in another run on a single, but Curtis Granderson's misstep in center field and Fernando Rodney's throwing error allowed St. Louis to pull out the Game 4 win.

More details on game four here, just amazing.

Go Cards!

Posted at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Category: Sports | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I grew up a Met fan, was a big Darryl Strawberry fan back in the day. But as I grew, I got bored watching baseball and lost a lot of interest in the game. That with the Mets really not playing all that well, didn't help me with my interest in the game.

However, we all know the Mets are in game 7 against the St. Louis Cardinals as I type and watch this on my Niko. They win this game, they go to the world series, who would of thought?

Now, my wife is from St. Louis, her family, especially her dad, is a huge Cards fan. He loves baseball, knows more about the game that I will ever know.

I want the Mets to win, I really do. But if they lost to any team, St. Louis is the first one I would opt for in a game like this.

Yea, I am a kiss up. ;-P

But I really want the Mets to win right now, so they can lose to the Tigers.

Posted at 9:28 PM | Permalink | Category: Homey , Sports | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Last night I was playing basketball, like I do about three times per week. The first play of the game, the tip off, I was getting position and the next thing I know, the back of a head has smashed into my nose, pushing my nose into my face. Deal is, you can't let anyone know that you are hurt - so you continue going as if nothing happened.

As I continued to play, I felt as if, not only has my nose been pushed in, but my bite has been warped. I also felt a coldness in my upper head portion of my face. But I continued to play.

I assume there is some bruising internally, but my nose looks just fine the next morning. No scares, no black and blue. It just feels a bit tender still and my bite still feels off. I tend not to bruise easily but who knows.

We happened to win, go RustyBrick Bytes!

Oh, that is a picture I found on Flickr for a search on [nose], click over to it and you will see the photographer's markups, if you mouse over it. Pretty cool.

Posted at 9:50 AM | Permalink | Category: Sports | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I heard this on the news this morning, that Yankees Fan Jack Nicholson Refused To Wear Red Sox Cap in New Film. The director of the film is Martin Scorsese and he was the one who could not convince Jack Nicholson to put on the red sox hat on. Deal is, Nicholson is playing a role as a Boston, Massachusetts, gangster. S'more details at NY Mag.com.

Even worse, Jack’s sadistic Irish Southie is so evil that he wears a Yankees hat on the streets of Boston. “First of all, they wanted me to wear a Red Sox hat,” he grumbles, “but I said, all things being equal, I don’t want to.

“My Yanks, they came before the Lakers, of course,” says the Jersey native. “But Kristen [Dalton], my inamorata in the picture, she wore a Red Sox cap both to subtly indicate domestic conflict and to politically mollify the fans in Boston.”

And Yankee fans are proud in this forum.

Posted at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Category: Just Funny , Sports | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have been a Jet fan since I was a little boy. As you can imagine, it was a rough childhood for me, being a Jet fan and all. But we hold on to our hope and faith, "there is always next year." The Jets pulled off a win yesterday, they are 1-0, a perfect record, for now. They beat the Tennessee Titans away, 23 to 16.

First half, the Jets completely ruled the game, well Mike Nugent stunk up and decided to miss his first extra point in his career. But he then missed a few more "easy" field goals after that.

The Titans came back to tie it in the 4th, but the Jets managed to hold on, stopping a 4th and goal attempt by the Titan's Collins at the end with a safety blitz. Phew!

Next week, the Jets play New England Patriots at Giants Stadium (home) at 4:15 (EST) on Sunday.

Posted at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Category: Sports | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)