Team Fischer Adventures

Signs of the Apocalypse

2010-08-06T07:06:00.002-05:00

So-called scholars and so-called experts have several theories and thoughts on why our great nation is currently not so great. I being a so-called scholar and expert I have a few thoughts on events that will further increase the problem.

1. Obamacare- If you don't want health insurance, then you shouldn't be forced to have it. If you do want health insurance either buy it or get a better job where your company offers it to full-time employees.

2. Obama ditches the Boy Scouts of America for 'The View'- That's right folks, our president, the leader of our country skips the Boy Scout National Jamboree in Virginia which celebrated the 100 year anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America for the likes of Rosie O'Donnell and Barbara Walters. I think someone is still bitter about not getting signed off on their 'Citizenship' merit badge. Some people responded to me on this issue with: "Hey man, boy scouts aren't old enough to vote." No, they're not, but their dads are and most own guns.

3. Couples showers- Huh? Really? My girlfriend has some friends getting married this fall so this summer has been filled with all the pre-wedding madness. So when my significant other told me we would attend so-and-so's wedding shower, I serious thought she was kidding. So somewhere in the course of human history a woman thought getting men involved in wedding showers would be a great idea. More sadly is that somewhere in the course of human history a man actually agreed to it. Thanks to that guy millions of men must now endure and suffer through something that should remain solely for the enjoyment of women.

No balls. No hope.

On a side note: I submitted my tax amendment on June 8 to get my $8K from Uncle Sam for being a first time home buyer before April 30. I called the IRS and they told me to wait another 4-6 weeks.

Bull spit.

The Summer of Concerts

2010-07-18T14:43:00.004-05:00

My girlfriend said to me a few weeks ago: "John, I think you should write a book."

Taken back by the rather bold and out-of-no where statement I asked: "And may I ask where that came from?"

She replied: "I read your blog ... and I think you're a really good writer."

Then it dawned on my how long it's been since my last post. I've done some pretty cool shit since then. Yeah, I went through a rough patch there but John B. Fischer is back and better than ever.

Summer unofficially kicked off when I moved into my townhouse in a historic St. Louis City neighborhood called Lafayette Square. In true Fischer form I threw a party that very night and made a great impression on my new neighbors when I found all my friends' cigarette butts stacked in a pile on my back doorstep. Awesome.

I'm 25 now. I'm closer to 30 than 20, which means my friends and I all have to deal with real world crap. Some of us sooner than later. My best friend came home from work one day to find all his wife's stuff gone from their apartment with a "Dear John" letter on the kitchen table. He received the divorce papers two days later.

Bitches ...

So what was originally a gift for getting accepted into the pharmacy residency program my friend turned into a "lets-show-this-guy-how-to-live-again" present: two tickets to Pearl Jam's first concert in St. Louis in six years. That was June 4.

Here a list of other shows I've attended this summer:

1. Tim McGraw with Lady Antebellum
2. Blitzen Trapper
3. Jay Farrar with Colonel Ford Trio
4. Cross Canadian Ragweed
5. The Eagles with The Dixie Chicks
6. Lynyrd Skynyrd (or what's left of them)
7. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers with Drive By Truckers (tonight).

I'm still working at GroupCast in their market research department. Been dating this girl Katie since February.

We went to her family's lakehouse for July 4 weekend. We went to Chicago for a SNU brother's wedding the following weekend.

Back in June I attended the Midwest Wildfire Training Academy which gave my a much clearer idea of the type of career I want long-term.

Peace, I'm out. I've got a Tom Petty show to go to.

Confessions of a Social Media Addict

2010-01-10T13:20:00.003-06:00

People who talked about their "karma" have always frustrated me. Most of them were not practicing Buddhists or Hindus, most of them were not vegetarians and most of them definitely did not want to reincarnated as cows in the next life. However, the concept of humans having free will to choose good or evil and suffer the consequences thus as actively shaping past, present, and future experiences is really just the Eastern way of saying "what does around comes around."

During my unemployment tenure I became obsessed keeping up with the latest job hunting trends, tools and tactics. Several of those strategies involved the use of social media such as blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. It all started in college, when Facebook selected the tech-savvy Indiana University to be a beta test sight for its new website. Upon college graduate I created a blog for my friends and family to keep up with what I was doing with my life. Upon unemployment, I joined LinkedIn to network with the professional community. Lastly came Twitter.

I wanted to be the most connected man on the earth. I wanted everyone who was someone to know who John Fischer is. I posted links to my blog and Twitter pages on my Facebook and LinkedIn pages and vice versa. I blogged my stories and tweeted exactly what was on my mind. Little did I realize that people were actually reading what I read. Looking back I had people warn me about what I put out there on the world wide web. I just ignored their warnings and went right back on to my old ways. I couldn't stop. I wanted to be on top of it all: social events, issues, news etc and social media was the ticket to it all.

some recent events in both my personal and professional life have made me realize how careful you have to be when publishing content that could be ready by the entire internet-connected world. Sarcasm, wit and humor often times cannot be interpreted in print. Sentences can be taken out of context. Some stories and experiences are just best kept private and personal.

Date Night

2010-01-06T13:02:00.003-06:00

A couple weeks ago I saw a car on the side of the road with its hazard lights on. I stopped and asked what the problem was. "My car just died," was the woman's response. So I pulled around to jump start her car. When the woman got out of her car, my jaw just dropped. She was beautiful and appeared to be in her twenties. I made every attempt to jump start her car and keep her dry as the rain fell no luck.
I gave her my number and told her to call me just to let me know she was okay. She was cute and I wanted to see her again.

To speed things up a bit, I convinced her to go on a date with me. I picked her up for drinks and appetizers at Bar Louie in Kirkwood. Things were kind of awkward at first, but we seemed to hit a groove and the conversation just flowed from there. She is a very smart and motivated young woman. Much more motivated than I was at that age. She hasn't even graduated from college yet but is already working for the company who will offer her a full time position in the spring. That's awesome.

Next thing we realized it was 11:30 or so. I picked her up at seven. We had lost all track of time in good conversation. A woman hasn't caught nor kept my attention like that in quite sometime. Unfortunately the night had to come to an end.

As I walked her to her front doorstep, I asked her if I could see her again.

She said yes.

Good bye 2009, Hello 2010

2010-01-06T11:40:00.002-06:00

As we toasted our red Solo cups of champagne, my friends are I were in agreement: we were quite ready for 2009 to be over. We hoped 2010 would bring the fresh start people associate with the New year.

People who know me best know that I was more than ready for 2009 to be over, which was by far my most challenging time period of my life to date. So what better way to start fresh than by sharing that fresh start with some of your best friends.

So I headed north, to the Windy City, to say good-bye to "The Aughts" and hello to "The Teens" with my college fraternity brothers from Sigma Nu- Beta Eta chapter at Indiana University.

Once again I took the Amtrak train leaving St. Louis bright and early New Year's Eve morning. I did the one thing I told myself I would NOT do ... meet a girl. Again, people who know me best know why this is. However, we had some mutual friends, were both Greeks in college, shared some common experience and because she a law student she seemed to have half a brain. Regardless, the conversation made the trip go faster and soon enough we were in Chicago.

I was a little better prepared this time so I research the "L" lines and figured out how to get from Union Station to Wrigleyville without an expensive cab ride. Next thing I knew I was getting dressed and prepping for the evening.

Instead of some foo-foo hotel party downtown, we decided on a much more relaxed venue- a sports bar. However, some IU grad rented it out and charged $70 a head for all you could eat and drink. Let's just say we got our money's worth. The time flew by and as the ball dropped the single guys tried to find girls to kiss with any luck whatsoever. Maybe next year, right?

New Years Day involved finding a brunch so we could fill our stomachs and attempt to kill the hangovers we all had. Chicken wings, sliders and eggs were just what the doctor ordered. We watched a few bowl games as we ate, drank a few beers and chatted while I texted with the girl I met before Christmas who had car troubles.

Whenever this particular group of guys gets together, it's just like being in the fraternity house all over again. Immaturity prevails, couch wrestling takes place and every possible dirty and sexual innuendo is made at every comment. However, it is one of those situations where even though it appears that we hate each other, we have each others backs and would support each other no matter what. Whenever I'm with these guys, I know that no matter what, everything is going to be okay.

I got up with some old friends as well. The Leslie-Rachel rivalry was renewed at both high school love interests turned friends fought for my free time. Luckily there was no blood shed.

My train ride was delayed. Again, I was better prepared this time, I packed some Tylenol PM and knocked myself out. Regardless, my 6:20 am alarm came way too soon the following Monday.

Here's to Twenty Ten.

'Tis the Season ...

2009-12-30T08:02:00.002-06:00

When your family calls you out during Christmas and asks you "Whatever happened to you saying you write more blog posts?" you definitely feel like a jackass.

So you wanted it, so you're going to get it.

Like most of us, the holiday season has been an exceptionally busy time of year for me and like most of us it sneaked up me quick. My EMT class was drawing to a close and my mind was focused on passing the written final exam and preparing for the national registry practical exam. Although confident in my skills in basic life support and relative ease with the written final, I was still nervous as hell when I was in that room performing under the eagle eye of my examiner. You be glad to know that received verification that I passed my practical exam a couple days later.

Even though I've been at my job at GroupCast for about three months now and have developed some great relationships within the office, you still just can't get to know one's true self in a work environment. The weekend before Christmas, my company hosted it's annual "Holiday" party at Kemoll's on the 40th floor of The Metropolitan building downtown. When someone else pays for the booze, people have a tendency to consume more than normal. The company party was no different. I got to see people's true colors and it was a good thing. I got to know some of my coworkers as people, not just coworkers. As the party began to wind down, those of us who are on the younger side of the spectrum, went out on Washington Ave. To make a long story short, I ended up asking the company's president's daughter to the George Strait concert in February. I learned she is a big fan of "The King" and decided I'd rather take someone who will appreciate what she's seeing/experiencing rather than some random broad off the street. My new strategy for climbing the corporate ladder I suppose.

However, I still have one Holiday season story that is pretty sweet.

As I drove to work last week, I saw a car up ahead with it's hazard lights flashing. Being the good Samaritan that I am, I stopped and asked if everything was okay and if the person needed a jump start for their car. It was still fairly dark outside, but I could hear a woman's voice say: "My car just died on me." I pulled my truck around, popped my hood and dug out some jumper cables. The woman got out of the car and my jaw dropped. This girl was drop dead gorgeous. I couldn't believe it. I made every attempt to get her car started with no success. However no good deed goes unnoticed. She gave me her phone number and asked me to call her sometime.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Heading to Chicago for New Years again this year. Like last year, I'm sure I'll have something good to report back on.

Volunteering and Public Image

2009-12-07T08:06:00.002-06:00

In my efforts to blog more and keep my writing/media skills sharp I will now tell you all what I did over the weekend.

Back in late July when I had absolutely no job prospects on the horizon I signed up for the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-B) class at St. Louis Community College- Wildwood campus. I was way beyond burned out from the the rigors of job hunting in a shit economy and job market, I was depressed beyond belief from the lack of income and the pathletic lifestyle that follows. I simply needed something to do and stimulate my brain. I was enjoying being a volunteer firefighter, so getting my EMT license was the next logical step.

Fastforward 20 weeks or so and I have my final tonight. St. Louis had so much going this weekend. A young professionals happy hour Friday in Soulard, a tacky Christmas sweater bar crawl on Morganford Saturday afternoon. It could have been a very social weekend, but I needed to study. The EMT class is based on a national curriculum developed by the Department of Transportation. You must score above a 75% on every exam. You can retake up to 3 exams, but the final is one and done. I've done well in the class thus far, but there's a ton of content to go over.

Saturday morning I pittled around the house before I decided the only way I was going to get any quality studying done was if I went somewhere else. So I called in and reported to a Eureka Firehouse to put in some volunteer hours. I have a streak of doing well on exams where I spent most of my study time at a firehouse. I guess I just have a better mindset there or something. Plus I figured I devoted this much time and effort to the class I better finish what I started and get my license.

I report to Eureka Firehouse 2 with "C" Shift. I get about 2 hours of solid study time before the captain says it's time to go. We were scheduled to make an appearance to the "Toys for Tots" Toy drive at the Eureka Wal-Mart as part of our public image efforts. Eureka Fire District is big on public image. Any thing they can think of to make us look better in the public's eye, they'll do. Which isn't a bad thing. Afterall, it's the public who pay the taxes which support public services like Fire/EMS.

So we staged the trucks in the parking lot and when all personnel were ready, we rolled up to the front of Wal-Mart with lights and sirens where Santa Claus jumped off our ladder truck to dump a bunch of toys into the box being attended by two U.S. Marines in dress uniforms. Yes, it's cheesy but kids and the parents eat that stuff up. It's the kind of stuff smaller districts have to do to get the money they need for equipment and supplies. The movies only highlight big city departments.

So if you were one of those folks who thought the fire service was all run n' gun, think again.

It's time to get my act together

2009-12-02T08:00:00.002-06:00

I've noticed that for the past few months I've averaged maybe one or two blog posts per month. Any credible blogger knows that any credible blog is updated with at least three posts per week. I still haven't given up a dream I had of working in the marketing/business communications arena. At first, I though the only organizations worth working for were professional sports franchises or other national brand names, but I'm learning every day that plenty of other, smaller companies are out there that provide quality products and services.

Take my new company for example. Maybe 25 people work here total. You'll probably never see a GroupCast spot during the Super Bowl. Not many people even know about us in St. Louis where our office is. But we offer a great product, with incredible customer service, our employees are happy and just trying to make an honest living.

I received an early birthday present from my late grandfather Herb "Papa" Fischer. He left each of the grandkids a piece of the pie for lack of better words. My parents originally decided that 25 would be a good age to give this gift. Since I was closer to 25 than 24 at the time and since I really needed the cash money, my parent gave it to me a little early. With that, I paid off my credit card instantly. So now that I'm credit card debt-free and working only ONE full-time job instead of a few bull shit part-time jobs, I hope to live a more exciting lifestyle.

Even though I'm (mostly) happily employed, I'm still networking my butt off. I still have long-term goals. I still think I know what I want to do with my career.

HIRED and College for the Weekend

2009-10-19T16:42:00.002-05:00

I know that most people in my life already know this but I accepted an full-time job offer from a company called GroupCast here in the St. Louis, MO area. I started the second week of my training and so far everything is gravy. I can't even begin to describe this past year which has been by far one of my most challenging. Right when I thought I was turning the corner and creating new opportunities for myself I had them taken away. The day-in and day-out grind of filling out applications, submiting resumes and scheduling follow-up calls are finally behind me (at least for now). At one point I was working 3 part-time, non career-minded jobs and all I could was: "What has my life come to?" It wasn't just the lack of a job. It was all the things that result from lack of a steady paycheck: no social life, an uninterested girlfriend, bills that can't be paid, etc. It adds up and I hit a threshold and now hopefully I am begining a bit of a Re-Birth of you will.

And what better way to start a fresh start?

Go to Indiana University's Homecoming with a bunch of you old college fraternity brothers!

I've never been to Heaven. Maybe I'll make it there someday, but as I crossed over Indiana State Road 37 on the Indiana State Road 46 bridge connecting Elletsville, IN to Bloomington- I was without question the happiest I had been in quite some time. I immediately when to a Sigma Nu live-out party where I was handed a cup of flat, keg beer. We started our bar tour at Upstairs Pub and ended up at the Sigma Nu house stopping at Kilroys Sports along the way. We were up until 6am. We were in the tailgate fields by 10am. I re-lived college for only 48 hours and couldn't help but wonder how I lived like this for 4 years. But it was good times all around. Every time I get together with the IU-SNU boys I just know everything is going to work itself out.

GO HOOSIERS!

When it rains, it pours

2009-09-27T21:26:00.002-05:00

All throughout this struggle, my mom has said: "John, when it finally happens- it's gonna happen all at once."

Maybe my mom should pick-up reading tarot cards or start predicting the future, because she was dead on.

My life started to come back when I received a phone call to come in for an interview for a 30 day temp. job making ten bucks an hour. I was desperate. I needed the money badly. My credit card had been maxed out and I knew that a car insurance payment was not too far away. I was offered the temp. job and during my very first week I started getting calls for interviews for real, full-time career-minded jobs.

In the past two weeks, I've had three first interviews, two second interviews, another second interview scheduled for next week and one official job offer. A few months ago I couldn't pay someone to give me an interview.

I will admit I changed my tactics a little bit. I started going after non-profits and smaller companies- organizations that NEEDED people. The Scottrade's and the Anheuser-Busch's of the world are doing more firing than hiring these days. I also started taking advantage of Twitter and LinkedIn to get my name out there. I started reaching out to complete strangers who are marketing and communications professionals asking them for advice and if I could add them to my professional network. On LinkedIn, you are ranked higher in keyword searches if you have more connections.

My profile actually started showing up in keyword searches because of how well I had my profile setup. That is exactly how Ungerboeck Systems International discovered me.

So as I mentioned before, I received an official job offer from a company called GroupCast, but I have a second interview with Ungerboeck on Tuesday. Cintas really wants me to work in their Fire Suppression Equipment division. I also have an application with the city of Jeffersonville, IN to be a full-time, professional firefighter. A family friend told me last week, his marketing manager wants to schedule a phone interview for next week. This is all crazy.

So I have some tough decisions to make of a different kind.

When it rains, it pours.

When all seems lost, there's hope

2009-09-03T15:29:00.004-05:00

Right when you think all hope is lost.

Right when you think things couldn't get any worse.

Life has a way of giving you hope.

Yesterday I had a mental breakdown. I broke down and cried like the day I found out my grandfather died unexpectedly. I had been pushed to my emotional limits. The constant flow of job rejection emails was getting too much. I was tired of making follow up phone calls and never getting answers. I've looked into every industy I felt qualified for. Marketing, PR, non-profits, school districts, and any type of communications-related job- you name it, I've looked into it. I've attended just about every St. Louis networking event in the past two months. But the question remains: Why can't I get a job?

But later on that afternoon I received a message from a man on LinkedIn who owns a sports and event management software company here in the St. Louis area. He is looking for a sports-minded marketing coordinator. He reached out to ME. Not the other way around. I, of course, called him immediately and told him of my interest and why. He asked for my resume and said he'd in touch for an interview.

Earlier today, I was helping the Eureka Fire District, where I am a volunteer firefighter, set up for the Firefighter Combat Challenge when I received a phone call from a gentleman from ABC News. I recognized the NYC area code so I knew this wasn't a scam. He was writing a story on unemployment and wanted to hear my story because of a message I sent to Good Morning America telling them of everything I have done the past several months to find a job. The ABC reporter wanted to hear MY story, so I told him.

That being said, he said he hopes his story helps me out and will run tomorrow morning hopefully.

Thanks Scott, I appreciate your help.

The Dog Daze of Summer

2009-08-02T13:43:00.003-05:00

I apologize for the lack of posts lately, but I will admit that I have become addicted to the micro-blogging sensation that is Twitter. Back in early July, I attended a workshop on how to beef up your LinkedIn profile and how to use Twitter to better market yourself, your brand, product or service. I was amazed at how quickly I saw results after applying some simple strategies. I won't give up those secrets because I want Lewis Howes and Ria Sharon to get the credit.

I've been networking my butt off. For a while I was attending three networking events a week. Unfortunately, I haven't made the kinds of connections I need in order to break into marketing and PR. When one door closes, another opens. I enrolled in a three-day intensive Dale Carnegie Training immersion seminar where one of the instructors works with a lot of fire districts. She put in touch with a few chiefs and officers up in St. Charles county. Perhaps the Fire/EMS service is where I'm supposed to be.

A few weeks ago I was up in Chicago for a college fraternity reunion. It was great. 15 of your best friends rolling deep in the heart of Wrigleyville just as if it was Kirkwood Ave at Indiana University. At the same time, it brought back some tough memories too.

I'm still actively job hunting and career searching. I recently applied to be on a St. Louis based emergency response team through AmeriCorps. Based on the job description my background and skill sets match up perfectly. I also though the same thing about the Chaifetz Arena marketing position and that didn't work out at all. A firefighter buddy is trying to help me get my foot in the door at St. John's Mercy Hospital because they're going to hire someone for their public relations department. I'm very interested in that as well. So I've got options and lines casted out there, it's just a matter of which one bites.

So tuned for an update.

Signs of Life

2009-07-12T11:11:00.003-05:00

I had an interview for a marketing job at the fairly new Chaifetz Arena in Midtown St. Louis. Chaifetz Arena is the property of St. Louis University and primarily the home to their basketball and volleyball teams. However, the university has outsourced the facility management and booking duties to company Global Spectrum- a leading firm in private facility management.

Global Spectrum is a part of Comcast Spectacor which owns a variety of sports and entertainment companies including the Philadelphia Phillies hockey club and Philadelphia 76'ers of the NBA. All in all, it's a mini version of Anschutz Entertainment Group which owned the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.

My main responsibilities would be marketing the arena's concerts and special events, leaving the SLU Billikens branding to the school's athletics department. I interviewed with the assistant general manager and I was surprised to see how young he was. He was probably in his upper 20's. I thought we hit it off well and I was relaxed throughout most of the interview. I felt like we were talking more than interviewing. We talked about music, sports and other things. I have a good vibe about this one, but I had a good vibe with the Rams public relations internship and we all know how that turned out.

I interviewed well, showed humility and eagerness to learn, wrote a hand-written "thank you" card, so I've done about everything that I can do. The rest is up to fate.

Reason to Hire John #22: Attitude

2009-06-29T11:56:00.002-05:00

I'll admit for the past few weeks I feel like I've been living a country music song.

I still don't have a job, my girlfriend dumped me, I had to put my dog down and I still live in my parents basement.

Holy crap.

Yeah, I get down on myself. Yeah, I get frustrated. Who wouldn't though. This isn't quite what I had in mind for 24 years old. Our country is going through some really weird stuff right now. However I'm smart enough to realize that attitude is everything. Despite my current situation I keep fighting the good fight.

I keep searching for jobs. I keep applying for any appealing opportunity. I keep an open mind. I keep networking. I make follow-up calls. I send e-mails. I've even walked right up to the front door and delivered my resume in person.

No one owes me a job because I want one. I have to fight for one.

So in the meantime, I try to keep myself busy and my spirits up any way possible. A new soccer session started at Vetta. I've got a new softball league starting up. I've got some fresh job leads and networking opportunities.

Attitude is everything.

Reason to Hire John #187: Sacrifice

2009-05-26T08:09:00.002-05:00

I volunteer to save lives.

Everyone loves firefighters ... especially ones that are volunteers. Running into a burning building is crazy enough as it is when getting paid a salary. However, when doing the same thing without any monetary compensation or something tangible in return is entirely different.

Which is why I do it.

One of the biggest problems in our world today is that people are not willing to help their fellow man without expecting something in return. In our "what have you done for me lately" society, not many people help others just to help others.
Some people work in a food bank. Some people build houses with Habitat for Humanity. Some are mentors at Big Brothers-Big Sisters.

I spend my free time as Reserve (volunteer) Firefighter with the Eureka Fire Protection District. I just completed my 14 week basic recruit class, but everyone should know that a firefighter's training is never done. Firefighters know quite well the importance of education and the attitude of never stop learning, after all, it could mean the difference between life and death- not just for us, but for a complete stranger we're trying to save.

I volunteer to save lives.

What do you do with your free time?

Saying Goodbye

2009-05-08T10:01:00.002-05:00

Dear Potential Employers,

I'm sorry but I must take a break from my regularly scheduled blogging to write a tribute to my grandmother Wilma Bush Fischer who passed away late last week.

Saying good-bye to someone you love no matter what the circumstances is never easy. She had been battling with Alzheimer's and dementia for years, so needless to say I was much more at please with this death than my grandfather's this past summer. Her suffering is now over and she is in Heaven with my grandfather. However, I still felt my eyes welling up with tears and my voice cracking as the pastor spoke his words. I think it was because the pastor forced us to remember all the good times instead of the bad.

Yes, my "Gama" probably smoked a little too much, drank a little too much, cussed a little too much and was stubborn to the core, but she loved her family and encouraged them to reach their full potential which is now seen in her four children and ten grandchildren. Her memory and spirit lives on with us. I remember how proud she was when I told her I would attend her alma mater Indiana University. She could have died happy right then and there knowing her oldest grandson would graduate from Old IU.

Next week, I hope to have another post on why your company should hire me. And if you don't, Wilma's rage will rain down upon thee from the heavens above!

Reason to hire John #234: Perseverance

2009-04-29T12:30:00.002-05:00

"Don't give up ... don't ever give up!"
~ Jimmy Valvano

These words eloquently spoken by the legendary college basketball coach have been echoed and quoted a million times, but very few us actually take them to heart.

When I was in the seventh grade, I was cut from the middle school soccer team. When I was in the eighth grade, again, I was cut from the middle school soccer team. At this point, most people would have thrown in the towel and joined the track & field squad, but I didn't like running around in circles. I loved to play soccer- that was my sport.

So what did I do? I did something about it. I played more games. I practiced more on own in the backyard. I went to a week-long soccer camp at Indiana University. I played indoor soccer during the winter. I made that soccer ball my best friend. I watched every game that was on TV. I ate, drank, breathed, slept and dreamt soccer.

I barely made the team my freshman year of high school, but just being on the JV squad wasn't good enough, I wanted to be a starter for the varsity.

So what did I do? I did something about it. I played more games. I practiced more on own in the backyard. I went to a week-long soccer camp at Indiana University. I played indoor soccer during the winter. I made that soccer ball my best friend. I watched every game that was on TV. I ate, drank, breathed, slept and dreamt soccer.

When most of my teammates hit their peak in terms of developing as soccer players, I kept improving my game year after year, and the coaches noticed it. In the face of adversity, I didn't give up. I stayed the course and kept pushing toward my goal even others said it couldn't be done.

Perseverance: per⋅se⋅ver⋅ance [pur-suh-veer-uhns]
–noun
1. steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

Reason to Hire John #526: Leadership

2009-04-20T16:29:00.002-05:00

I grew up in the Boy Scouts and earned the rank of Eagle Scout by the age of 16. While in the scouts, I learned the importance of effective leadership. My troop was a "scout-run troop." The boys planned everything- the adults supervised, and when I say planned everything, I mean everything. We planned the camping trips, put together the food menus, duty rosters, etc.

As I got older I took on positions with the troop that required more and more leadership responsibility on my end. The highest role within the troop is the Senior Patrol Leader. The SPL looks over the Patrol Leaders and the PL's have their assistants. These duties showed how difficult managing your peers can be. Influencing different persons to work together for a common goal takes a great amount of effort. How one person is motivated is different than another. Scare-tactics might work for one team-member, positive reenforcement only works for another. As Senior Patrol Leader, I had to work with each of my Patrol Leaders differently to get the troop's overall goals achieved.

These basic leadership skills carried over into other venues. Strong leadership traits allowed me to be a successful soccer and rugby team captain, and be elected to my college fraternity's executive board. During summers 2005 and 2006, I worked as a backpacking instructor at the Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, NM. Leadership in the backcountry wilderness is crucial, because mistakes in the backcountry can be life-threatening and help is hours away. However, I effectively led groups of teenagers on 10-day backpacking trips through adverse conditions and rugged terrain with no major incidents.

In 2007, I earned my fraternity's highest chapter award- the "Herman B Wells" Leadership Award, which goes to the member who best exemplifies the ideals of Sigma Nu as an undergraduate.

To this day, I continue to develop as a leader as I train to be a reserve firefighter with the Eureka Fire Protection District.

Why you should hire John B. Fischer

2009-04-14T10:23:00.002-05:00

Readers both New and Old,

It's a dog eat dog world out there, especially right now given the current economic situation. As those close to me know, I've been out of full-time work since September 2008. It's been tough no question about it, but everyday I try to keep a positive attitude and do whatever I can to better my current predicament.

One thing my dad instilled upon from an early age was the importance of reading to gain more knowledge. Okay, like most college students I crammed for tests and skimmed through text books, but even with my undergraduate years behind me, I find myself reading a variety of material. Lately, it's been mostly "career advancement" and "how to find a job" type stuff.

The majority of this content is about how traditional job-hunting tactics don't produce results these days. Job seekers must think outside the box and be creative. In the April 13, 2009 issue of Fortune magazine, I read how young professional Jamie Varon, 23, had her heart set on working for Twitter. To get get noticed, she created the website twittershouldhireme.com.

I really liked this and thought I could use my blog in a similar way. For the time being, each of my blog posts will feature a reason why Company X should hire John B. Fischer. These reasons will vary from character traits to experiences from my life that set me apart from the crowd.

As someone who studied journalism and mass communications, I believe in the power of the media. Media is a powerful tool and hopefully I can harness that power and use it to my advantage.

Nulli Secundus!

March '09 Update

2009-03-29T22:20:00.002-05:00

As one month ends, another begins.

Most of my time during March was consumed by my job at Ozzie Smith's Sports Academy running their Spring Break Sports Adventure Camps. In all reality, we ran a glorified baby-sitting service. Moms and dads all across the West St. Louis County area realized that they might actually have to spend the entire day with their bratty kids, so they dumped them off on us. Most of them had little or no interest in sports. I threw my arm out playing dodgeball with six year olds.

When I wasn't doing that, I was logging up the miles driving to and from Collinsville, IL doing my part-time gig with Saint Louis Athletica of the new WPS league. The home-opener is this Saturday April 4. Everyone is in a frenzy, but I'm confident everything will run smoothly.

I'm still training to be a reserve firefighter with the Eureka Fire Protection District. Training has greatly intensified. We are doing more practical drills than class room lectures. Last Saturday we drilled and trained in the pouring down rain which made our turnout gear and hoses much heavier and bulkier than normal. However, fires don't always happen when its warm and sunny so its good experience.

I was supposed to coach a U13 girls soccer team but their training schedule conflicted with my night classes at St. Louis Community College so that didn't happen. However, I'm working with the coaches at Whitefield HS and they asked me to be a volunteer assistant with them this fall.

I've started playing soccer again. A guy in my accounting class has a team and he recruited me one night after class. I'm also playing in an outdoor Sunday league as well.

If you all must know, I'm still with "Train Girl."

February '09 Update

2009-02-24T11:25:00.002-06:00

A few months ago, I found myself sitting around the house with not much to do. These days the situation is much different.

I'm working about 20-30 hours week at Ozzie Smith's Sports Academy. I mostly help manage the facility and office even though I thought I was hired to be a soccer instructor. I haven't coached soccer once. The job isn't the greatest but I'm thankful to bring home a consistent paycheck once again.

As college basketball season comes to a close, I end a tour of duty keeping official stats for St. Louis University men's and women's basketball game. Sports PR and Information is still a career goal, so any experience is a plus.

Another possible career route is soccer coaching. I recently received my U.S. Soccer Federation National "D" License, which means I am eligible to attend the National Coaching school in a year. I will assistant coach a pool of 36 U-13 girls for the St. Louis Scott-Gallagher Soccer Club. The girls all train together but compete as two different 18-man rosters. The rosters change from week-to-week depending on the competition or tournament. I will coach alongside former IU player Ken Godat who won a national championship with the Hoosiers in 1988.

Godat is also the Director of Marketing Programs for Saint Louis Athletica of the new Women's Professional Soccer league. He has hired me as a part-time consultant and gameday coordinator given my experience with the Houston Dynamo.

On Tuesday night's I am taking an accounting class at St. Louis Community College. I'm considering going back to school to get an MBA. My wise father thought it would be a good idea to take a few business classes as a warm-up.

I have also begun training to become a volunteer firefighter with the Eureka (MO) Fire Department where my parents currently reside. I've always wanted to be a volunteer firefighter, but this is the first time it's worked out plus its another possible career route given the economy these days.

Cashing in my man-card

2009-02-03T10:12:00.003-06:00

After this past weekend, I have a pretty good idea of what it was like to be Big ... you know, Carrie's boyfriend from the tv show Sex and the City. Oh ... you really don't know who I'm talking about, huh?

Yes, I'll admit that I have watched Sex and the City late at night when Sports Center is over and I can't fall asleep. And yes, I'll hand in my "man card" right away.

Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda were some of Mahattan's finest socialites who never found a party or vodka martini they didn't like. Often times, Big was just along for the ride hoping he would survive the night.

When I went to visit my newly ordained "girl friend" this past weekend at Mizzou, I felt the exact same way. Being around your significant other within the friendly confines of each other is one thing, but when you add her posse to the equation, you can never be too sure what will happen.

To make a long story short, I did in fact survive and my girlfriend's friends liked me alot- or so I was told. So after a wild and sometimes rough weekend at Mizzou, it's back to normalcy as I ask myself how I ever survived college.

So after I make this blog post, I plan to watch all the Rambo movies, lift weights without a shirt on, eat a rare-cooked steak and possibly grow a beard to somehow hopelessly redeem my man-hood after using a Sex and the City analogy in a blog that is suppose to document my manly and testerone-driven adventures.

To all of man-hood, I apologize.

A new era begins

2009-01-30T10:42:00.002-06:00

I had a follow-up meeting with my contact with the St. Louis Soccer United and it went very as they offered me a "job."

My parents of course were excited as well the girl I'm dating, but when they asked: "So what will you be doing?" All I could honestly say was: "Well I really don't know yet." So I will do my best to describe the situation as clearly as possible.

Over in Collinsville, IL lives an ex-lawyer turned ba-jillionaire. He settled some big corporate case and become a millionaire over night, so I've been told. He has since reinvested his money into a variety of companies and enterprises. One of his projects is St. Louis Soccer United.

In short, St. Louis Soccer United is a professional soccer investment and development group dedicated to bringing a Major League Soccer team and state-of-the-art stadium facility to the St. Louis area.

St. Louis Soccer United is proposing the development of a multi-pronged project that includes:

1. Securing an expansion franchise in Major League Soccer
2. A state-of-the-art soccer complex with an 18,500-seat stadium
3. Eight fully lit FIFA-approved synthetic turf fields and a professional grass training pitch
4. Approximately 400 acres of new urbanism development including retail, office, and residential uses.

Affiliated with St. Louis Soccer United in St. Louis' long-time youth and amatuer Scott-Gallagher Soccer Club. Scott-Gallagher SC currently has 275 boy's and girl's teams training out of eight soccer complexes on both the Missouri and Illinois sides of the St. Louis metro area.

Mr. Cooper is also writing the checks for the Women's Professional Soccer team Atletica that kicks off this spring. Atletica will be affiliated with St. Louis Soccer United, but Cooper is the sole-investor for that franchise. The men's MLS team will be funded and a group of investors.

All in all, this whole thing is a massive operations and they need support staff memembers to make it all work. At the moment and under the current financial situation, St. Louis Soccer United cannot justify hiring more full-time staff. However, they offered me a part-time job that's more like free-lance work.

My contacts will call me with a project they need done and a deadline. When the project is done, I'll be reimbursed. Website development, e-marketing, game-ops and youth club communication, administration and coaching are some of the areas they can see me fitting into.

So if you want to know about my second job, that's the best I can do for now!

Fisch's Fury, Part Deuce

2009-01-16T13:14:00.002-06:00

I had a big morning yesterday.

I ran in former IU soccer coaches Jerry and Todd Yeagley at the NSCAA National Convention, met with another IU grad who's on staff with the group trying to bring MLS to St. Louis, and prospected for a coaching gig.

By the time I had to head to the O.S. Sports Academy for my shift, I was starving. As I drove through the Chesterfield Valley, my eyes locked onto a Hardee's looming on the horizon.

The drive through window had a line a mile-long, so I parked the truck and walked in. The very first thing I see when I walk in is a 350+ lbs man ordering a turbo-sized double thick-burger combo.

All I could think was: Seriously!

Eating fast food is probably half of this guy's problem. Just like Glenn Beck believes people should be required to have a license to engage in reproduction, I feel that people should need a license to eat junkfood.

It's simple, if you don't meet specific height-weight ratio requirments- No Micky D's for you.

President-elect Barrack Obama could even create a Bureau of "Food Police" as part of his job-creation plans!

Speaking of Obama, the City of St. Louis decided to change the name of one of its more well-know streets, Delmar, which goes through The Loop to "Obama St."

Once again all I could think was: Seriously!

This man hasn't had one day in office yet and everyone is making him out to be the second coming of Christ. I want all our presidents to be successful and keep America the greatest country in the world regardless of party affiliation, but who knows- Obama could suck worse than G-Dub.

We just don't know yet. So why should anyone name a street after an un-tested president. It's ludicrous!

A girl on a train

2009-01-12T07:06:00.002-06:00

When life throws you a curve ball, sometimes it's just best to pick it up and run with it.

I'm not sure when I first said this. Nor am I 100% sure it's an original proverb. But when I say it, the words couldn't be any more true.

Nearly two weeks ago I met a girl on my train ride up to Chicago. We exchanged numbers and met up once we got back to St. Louis.

We met up one night and somehow things just clicked. There was no real explanation as to why we hit it off so well- we just did.

Her mom calls it a "winter fling." At this point, I'm not sure what to call it- I'm just along for the ride.

She's a senior at Mizzou. I'm starting a new a job as a soccer instructor at the Ozzie Smith Sports Academy.

So who knows- we'll see where this goes.

New Years in the Windy City

2009-01-05T10:41:00.003-06:00

One ticket on Amtrak: $23.00
New Years Eve ticket at Hotel Sax: $140.00
Limo ride split 15 ways: $20.00

Spending New Years with your college fraternity brothers: Priceless.

Back in the fall, my college fraternity brother Bobby McDonald learned I was back in St. Louis and suggested I come up to Chicago for New Years. Bobby always was a real player and womanizer, and what was even worse was that he knew it. I always felt a little socially awkward around him- knowing I had zero chance with any girls that might have been around us at the time. I also wasn't sure if a classy New Years Eve party at an upscale downtown Chicago hotel was really my scene either. But Bobby has a way with pursuasion and convinced me to buy a ticket to the Hotel Sax party.

Bobby lives with two more of my SNU brothers Shane Wilson and Doug Davis in Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood just blocks away from the famed home of the Chicago Cubs- Wrigley Field. Right away I thought driving my truck up there wasn't the greatest idea. My sister took the Amtrak train to visit her college friend in Chicago a few years ago and highly recommend I do the same. Being on a tight budget, I bought the cheapest ticket possible, which had me leaving St. Louis at 6:35am on Dec. 30, 2008.

The nice thing about taking the train is that you can kick back and relax. As soon as the train left the station, I was sound asleep. I woke up a few hours later. The sun had come up and the early morning grogginess had faded away from most of the passengers. A group of super annoying girls sat directly behind me and would not shut up for anything. However, two very cute girls did sit just ahead of me in the next aisle over. The blonde one was very cute. I knew I had to somehow drum up conversation. They were already talking to a couple from Arkansas and apparent their son was sitting next to me. I acted like I was half interested in the conversation. I still don't know exactly we started talking but we did. These two young ladies and myself both were heading to Wrigleyville. We decided to split a cab once we arrived in Chicago.

We got to their friend's apartment and since I wanted to conserve money I asked the cab driver how far it was to my friends' apartment. He said it was only a few blocks so I decided to walk it. Luckily the temperature was fairly warm for Chicago in December. I walked the five blocks to where Shane was waiting for me. Once Bobby and Doug got home and SNU buddy Pat Goodwin showed up, we headed out for a few beers in Wrigleyville. We met up with some Alpha Chi's who would attend the party with us tomorrow night. We turned in early. Everyone wanted to be rested for New Years Eve.

Anticipation can be a deadly thing. And when all you do all day is sit around waiting in for something- it can consume you and drive you crazy. With TV remote in hand, I tried to kill the hours away until it was time to leave for the big party. Thankfully Bobby and Doung got off work early. Once they got back, the time flew by.
Our party tickets were all-inclusive, so we debated having a few cocktails before the limo would pick us up. We decided having one or two would be alright.

Soon enough it was 7pm and our limo was waiting outside. What better way to show up to a killer New Years Eve party at a downtown Chicago hotel than by a limo? We picked up the girls and had a few sips of champagne on the ride. We arrived to the party a little early, which I think is better than waiting in long lines, etc. A lot of people from IU were at this party. I ran into several familar faces and talked with many old acquaintances. I bumped into a girl from my freshman dorm floor and another from the IU women's soccer team when I covered them for the newspaper. Very strange. The live band started playing and it was time to dance- by now we had some liquid confidence. My buddies are good at bumpin' & grindin', pullin' hoes, etc. but they can't dance with sophistication the way I can. So when the band played the song from the movie Dirty Dancing, I grabbed the first girl I could and took her on a ride. We stepped, twirled and dipped. I could feel the eyes of the party-goers watching. I heard one girl say to Bobby: "Where did this guy come from?" And he said: "He's in our pledge class." After the song, Bobby said to me: "Fisch, that's why we bring you along." I replied: "Yeah, thanks for letting me tag along tonight." We both laughed.

By now, the party was in full swing. We would dance a few songs, get a drink, make a lap, and come back. A sushi bar was in the back. Bobby and Shane had a few samples, I loaded up three full plates. I paid for it- I wanted my money's worth. We were dancing and having fun when suddenly they killed the music and said: "10...9...8...7..." It was about to be Midnight. There had been no build up or warnings or anything. Most of us didn't even have drinks or champagne, so we had no choice but to give a Happy New Year high-five.

People often say they love the New Year because it's a fresh start. I had never really thought of it that way until this year. For the first time ever in my life, I truly needed a chance to start all over again. Getting fired was devastating to me. Never had I worked so hard and failed at something ever. Even though I didn't entirely enjoy my job, at least I felt I was going in the right direction. These days I feel lost.

The party went on for about another hour and a half. Drunkeness had taken its full course to most party-goers. The hotel lobby was total anarchy. Young women showed their dark side at the coat check while fights broke out over cab rides. Not to mention the temperature was in the teens. My buddy Pat said: "Fischer, I have to piss but I don't want to go back in there!" We found a bus hut to pee behind. We took turns looking out for cops. Traffic was a nightmare which killed our after-party plans as one by one the members of our entourage passed out. Surprisingly, no one brought anyone home with them.

Bobby and I were the first ones up on New Years day. We watched the first period of the Winter Classic hockey game which was played at Wrigley Field. We realized we were missing out on one hell of a party, so we got cleaned up and headed to the Wrigleyville bar scene. Blackhawks and Red Wings fans were every where. It just like a game-day atmosphere for a Cubs game. Bobby had a friend bartending at the Rebel Bar & Grill so we went there. Bobby and I could help but notice two very good-looking blondes who didn't seem to be with anyone. So we started talking to them. Doug and Shane hadn't shown up yet, so I made sure Bobby and I got our picture taken with these girls in case we needed photographic evidence of their existence. After a while the girls from the train ride met up with us, so I now had proof of their existence as well because my friends didn't quite believe my story. After a long, gradual beer-session, we headed home and called it a night around 11pm New Years day.

Friday, I had a Chicago-style deep dish pizza lunch with a friend to kill a couple hours before hitching a cab to Union Station to catch the train home. On the train, I drank a Budwesier and slept the whole way home.

Happy New Year everyone! Here's to a great 2009.

Vegas, WInter Meetings and the 7th Level of Hell

2008-12-12T12:30:00.002-06:00

24 hours earlier I had been two-stepping with an attractive IU co-ed on the floor of Las Vegas' Bellagio while sipping on a double Jack & Coke speaking Spanglish with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.

But at the moment, I found myself in a familiar predicament- stuck in Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport. The deep South gets snow about once every 30 years and one of those times had to be while I was scheduled to fly through it. I tried to remember how in God's name I was in the 7th level of Hell again and it struck me:

"Hey John, I'm planning on going to the Baseball Winter Meetings with my sport management class for the job fair," my friend Josh said, "You should come since you're looking for a sports job too."

Hmmmm, wasn't sure what to say about that one. I did have a credit for a plane ticket and splitting a hotel four ways in Vegas is pretty darn cheap. Hesitantly, I made my reservations for the 2008 Baseball Winter Meetings.

Despite having a lot of fun, everything that could go wrong did. My original early Monday morning flight was cancelled and my late morning flight was delayed. By the time I finally arrived in Vegas, I missed the whole first day of the job fair. That night, I lost $50 going 0 for 5 on five straight hands of $10 a hand Blackjack. However, I did meet a lot of cute girls.

Ah yes ... young, attractive women ... let's just say hiring managers have a weakness for them. I witnessed an official from the Texas Rangers walked straight up to one of the girls in our group and offer her a job. She told him she was just a sophomore and he bashfully said: "Oh really ..."

Oops!

By mid-morning Tuesday, I realized that most clubs with full-time jobs already had their interview schedules full and minds made up on those candidates. I interviewed for "marketing/promotions" internship with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox but when I discovered they were really looking for a video production and evening sales intern, I had to decline. I'm almost 24, I can't live on just $200 a month- even if housing is free!

However, I did have a positive conversations with the Sky Sox guys and they put this whole event into perspective. First, my resume was probably never even looked at because I preceded it with a cover letter. Every job I've even applied for required a cover letter. How was I suppose to know not to include one unless I was told? Second, the Winter Meetings are mostly a networking event.

For what its worth, I did enjoy some of the Vegas nightlife and about that ... well ... what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Lessons from Poker

2008-12-01T09:50:00.003-06:00

This year's Thanksgiving seemed to be just the same as it always had the previous 20 or so times I remember participating in the festivities. Thursday early afternoon was the traditional Thanksgiving dinner with the maternal side of the family. Large bird, tons of mashed and sweet potatoes, trimmings and, of course, pies.

The meal always feels short-lived compared to the amount of time that went in to prepare it, but I guess that's just the way it is. Just as always, we retired to the basement afterwards to witness another pathetically hopeless Detroit Lions vs "X-Team" game only to slip into food comas. This year we jazzed things up a little by going to see the new Australia movie. A good flick for a date, but not something for a guys night out.

Friday morning the paternal side spiced it up and went paint-balling. Good times. We laughed, had fun, played games, told the same stories for bajillionth time. That evening we ate leftovers, played poker and watched football. For the most part every thing felt the same, but as I sat at the poker table with a King and 9 of Spades watching the flop come down, what had been bothering me all day finally came to fruition.

I missed my grandfather's last Thanksgiving. I was with a friend in Alabama because I couldn't afford the plane ticket.

I felt sick. I became nauseated and light headed. My uncle said: "Action to John" bringing back my focus. I looked at the board. Two spades hit the board on the flop. I now had four Spades- only one more for a flush.

A diamond came down on the turn. Nothing. My heart was pounding. I call the next bet. The river card comes down ... it's a Spade. I now have my flush. My cousin goes all-in and I call her bet. She has two pair- not quite good enough.

In the end, I was lucky. This was only a play money game. No real hard cash, but it shows the concentration and focus needed to be successful at the poker table. One stray thought can be the difference between a profitable night and a disastrous one.

I didn't sleep much that night feeling guilty about not being there for what turned out to be my grandpa's last Thanksgiving. You start playing the whole "if I had only done this instead of that game" game again. If I had stayed in that one night instead of going out to the bars with my friends. If I had not spent that $40 on a new dress shirt, maybe I could have afforded that plane ticket.

I don't know ... Am I crazy???

2008-11-17T16:14:00.002-06:00

I don't know if it's just an uncharacteristic cold front, but I don't remember the weather being this cold in the Midwest this time of year. So there I was, all bundled up, watching the overcast grey clouds spit snow as I refereed youth soccer games right in the heart of metropolitan St. Louis, MO. At point I definitely asked myself: Am I crazy?

Anyone who knew what I was doing on Saturday could have easily made that argument. Overcast skies, no sunshine, a bitterly chilling wind from the northwest ... maybe South Texas wasn't so bad after all. However I kept myself motivated as parents shouted, criticized and even went so far as to call me an idiot. I promised myself a couple pints of Guiness Irish Lager afterwards at a nearby soccer pub.

As I thawed out at ye ol' New Amsterdam Tavern, the barkeep noticed my referee gear under my jacket. We talked about the beautiful game, our favorite clubs, our stories, etc. He used to work for the U.S. Soccer Federation. I used to work for the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer. He asked if I played and I told him I was looking for a team. He recruited me for his men's side Steinclub right there on the spot.

The downside was that the squad wore the green and white hooped jerseys of Glasgow's mostly Catholic supported Celtic FC. I happen to support Glasgow's traditionally Protestant club Rangers FC because native Fort Wayne-ian Damarcus Beasley plays for the side. So when I took the pitch for Steinclub's Sunday league match, I reluctantly put on the green and white shirt. However, the slightly older and injury stricken squad needed some younger, fresher legs. Again the temperature was in the 40's but at least the sun was shining to provide a morale boost.

I think I am crazy.

Hoosier Country

2008-11-11T11:41:00.004-06:00

I was due for a visit to my alma mater since I returned to the Midwest. However a hectic and unpredictable schedule make the task next to impossible. However the stars and planets aligned in the galaxy and somehow I managed to have open the weekend of November 8- the date of the Indiana-Wisconsin football game.

I acquired the very last of my late grandfather's IU football season tickets and headed east on I-70 for Bloomington, IN. Like most respectable college town, getting there isn't easy because the town doesn't lie on a major U.S. highway. The weekend was about as unpredictable as my life as of late.

I arrived Friday evening and went to the Sigma Nu house to kill some time. Believe it or not, but I actually still do know some people there. I played catch-up before meeting up with my friend Miranda who invited me to a work party. Contrary to what this seems like, it was actually a professional moves versus an event with free food and beverage. Miranda works for a PR firm and is trying to help me get a job- SO THERE! All in all the evening ended rather early because we all wanted to get up early on Saturday for tailgating.

Saturday morning came soon enough. We bundled up, loaded my truck and set-up shop in the reserved parking section right outside the stadium. My friends both new and old were impressed with my "hook-up." The weather was less than favorable. Overcast skies, temperatures in the 30's and a heavy wind from the west. I think I picked the worst weekend of the fall to attend a football game, but after a few beers and/or mojitos everyone was in much better spirits. In a moment of weakness I bought a fleece IU jacket because I was so cold.

The first half of the game was incredible. The Hoosiers fought tooth and nail with the Badgers. In the third quarter, reality set in and the Cream & Crimson had a nuclear meltdown. I'll give the girls who came to the game with me major props. Despite the poor weather, not once did a single one of them complain. They were troopers. Sucked it up and had fun regardless. One of them was a former IU cheerleader who had never tailgated before. We left shortly after the third quarter.

We took power naps before venturing out for a night on Kirkwood Ave. For those who have been fortunate to socialize on this beloved street, then I need say no more, but since most of you haven't, well, that's too bad. We went to the favorites: Nick's, Upstairs Pub and even Kilroys was thrown out there as a possibility but we thought better of it.

After a slow Sunday that included breakfast at everyone's favorite hangover-cure hot-spot Village Deli, Miranda and I went to a concert at Bluebird. Monday morning I woke up and drove home.

2008 Election Reflection

2008-11-06T09:20:00.002-06:00

Barrack Obama will be the 44th president of the United States. Let's be honest, we all saw this coming. Even a staunch conservative like me saw this coming. The GOP's track record the past 4 years has been anything but stellar. Hopefully this will be the wake-up call the Republican Party needs.

Is Obama truly the better man for the job than McCain? Time will tell. Despite the many "good things" he has done in his career, he has never been truly in a political position with legitimate executive power. Since both the House of Representatives and the Senate will be controlled by the Democrats, will Obama be a pawn? Or will he stick to his campaign platform even when faced by stiff opposition from his own party. We will see. America will be watching. The World will be watching.

What I hope that society gets from this election is mostly this: I hope all the minorities are paying attention to this election and realize that no one is being held down by the evil white man anymore. The system is not holding anyone down. Everyone has the power to write their own story. Obama came from very humble beginnings. He was not a son of wealth and privilege. Everything he accomplished was because of his own hard work and drive. I respect that.

Obama talks a good game. All through his campaign he talked about change and doing "good things" like creating jobs and reforming business. I'm unemployed (mostly), so is he going to get me a job? Is Obama going to pass my resume out to his colleagues and say: "John Fischer needs a job and you should give him one because that would be a good thing to do." Yes, it would be a "nice" thing to do, but to the overall economic scheme. Why give a job to one person when another person, who is more qualified, could do the same job with twice the production rate.

Like I said, time will tell.

Halloween Shenanigans

2008-11-05T13:32:00.003-06:00

I was really looking forward to Halloween this year. I mean I really- REALLY was looking forward to Halloween. All four years of college I never dressed up or anything, but this year I was ready to go all out.

Why, you ask?

Simple.

I needed a distraction. I needed a distraction from everything- resumes, cover letters, follow-up phones calls and countless hours probing the World Wide Web searching for the next opportunity. I haven't been making much progress. Which is another topic for another day.

The Blues played the night before Halloween and we all got to dress up in costumes. A buddy and I went as Wayne and Garth from Wayne's World- it was awesome.

I had made arrangements to celebrate All Hallows Eve with a friend of mine that I work the St. Louis Blues games with. This girl is absolutely gorgeous in every way and a personality to match. I was confident the night would be a blast no matter what happened.

I was wrong.

This girl is a walking soap opera.

Every bar or venue we entered we had to leave because of some nut job from her past would show up. The went into every bar on Morgan Ford St. in downtown St. Louis. Talk about a buzz kill.

I still can't get over the fact at how many "slutty" costumes are out there. Slutty police office, slutty nurse, slutty school teacher, slutty firefigher- the list goes on and on. No element of wonder exists anymore. Everything is all out there in the open- and for most of the broads wearing those costumes should NOT have been wearing those types of costumes.

Why?

Because those chicks were fat and ugly. As my grandfather would say: "Two Bag Ugly." You know, a girl so ugly she needs two bags over her face?

My friends and I eventually ended up at Bar 101 in the Soulard area where we danced and carried on into the early morning hours.

All was made good again the next morning when my dad and I went kayaking on the Meremec River. We paddled 11 miles down the river. In some areas forgetting about you humble Midwest settings is easy. High rock bluffs, rapids and rolling hills on both sides add to the package. The kayak trip was the first real adventure that I had been on in quite some time. I hope to make it a higher priority from now on.

The Lure of Smalltown America

2008-10-23T11:31:00.003-05:00

i seem to recognize your face
haunting, familiar, yet i can't seem to place it
cannot find the candle of thought to light your name
lifetimes are catching up with me
all these changes taking place, i wish i'd seen the place
but no one's ever taken me
hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away...
hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away...
i swear i recognize your breath
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising
me, you wouldn't recall, for i'm not my father
it's hard when, you're stuck upon the shelf
i changed by not changing at all, small town predicts my fate
perhaps that's what no one wants to see
i just want to scream...hello...
my god its been to long, never dreamed you'd return
but now here you are, and here i am
hearts and thoughts they fade...away...
hearts and thoughts they fade...away...
hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away...
hearts and thoughts they fade...

"Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town," Pearl Jam

Earlier this week I went to New Albany, IN to help my mother clean out my late grandfather's house. New Albany is right across the Ohio River from Louisville, KY and is often overlooked by the home of Papa Johns and the Kentucky Derby. In the afternoon I met my uncle at a local watering hole called Richo's- home of the New Albany Brewing Company. Not many people occupied the bar, but every single one of them knew my uncle- a local attorney. One was a high school buddy and another asked if he was running for "office" again. Even the bar owner had a picture of my uncle on the wall (I'll leave out the description of the photo in case other family members have not seen it).

I was surrounded by complete strangers yet I felt a comfort and feeling of protection that I have not felt in some time. I cannot explain the phenomena. My whole life I planned to escape away to the exciting big city, but once I arrived there- I hated it. I now find myself in Eureka, MO just outside St. Louis and once again I yearn for those city limits. I still cannot explain it.

Update

2008-10-18T13:22:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone I just wanted to give you all an update on me because I haven't written anything in almost a month. Well I'm back in St. Louis now living with family seeking out some opportunities. I'm currently working part-time for the Blues, Rams and St. Louis University athletics department. They're all great opportunities that will definitely lead to something down the road, but unfortunately you can't make a living off of it. When I'm not doing those things, ever spare minute I'm out on the soccer fields refereeing. Really nothing exciting. Stand-by for more at a later date!

Houses, Yards, Dogs & Wives

2008-09-29T20:27:00.003-05:00

There are few things pure in this world anymore,and home is one of the few.
We'd have a drink outside, maybe run and hide if we saw a couple men in blue.
To me it's so damn easy to see that true people are the people at home.
Well, I've been away but now I'm back today, and there ain't a place I'd rather go.
I feel home, when I see the faces that remember my own.
I feel home, when I'm chilling outside with the people I know.
I feel home, and that's just what I feel.
Home to me is reality, and all I need is something real.

"I Feel Home," Of A Revolution

If there was one good thing to come out of me losing my job in Houston, it was that it allowed me much more time at my friend Austin's wedding. I've learned over the years that I will develop different bonds with different groups of friends. The bond I had with my college friends will be unlike anything else and the bond I have with the guys I grew up will be unlike anything else. None of us could remember the last time we were all together but it had been definitely four years plus, so Austin's wedding was a highly anticipated event. You don't realize what kind of friendships you have until you don't have them anymore. It wasn't until I moved to Houston, TX and didn't know a single person when I discovered this. So now that I didn't have a job or a boss to report to, I decided to take some time and spend some time with the people I know and the people that make me feel at home.

My first stop on my way to Ft. Wayne, IN landed me in Indianapolis on Wednesday where I planned to have lunch with my college friend Dave. I hadn't seen this guy since his wedding last summer. In addition to his wife, he has a house, a yard and a dog. When you're still living the bachelor's life those objects are things you laugh at because it's what "old men" have. However, Dave does not match this stereotype at all. He is still the crazy, tall, goofy kid with glasses and a chest hair problem that I remember from college. Yet, he's so clever that he guilt-tripped me into staying over night so we could hang out longer. I now got to see another college friend, Matt, because of my extended stay. He's in dental school and wasn't free until later in the evening. We ate nasty, greasy Chinese food and acted like college-aged morons. They kept heckling me: "John, you got to move to Indy! We'd have so much fun!" Definitely a tempting offer and one I'll consider if the right opportunity comes along. Unfortunately the night came to an end and it was time to go.

Thursday morning the plan was to meet high school bud Greg at Huntington Reservoir to go mountain biking. Greg and I had always been into the outdoors and high adventure thing. We he started mountain biking a few years ago, we always talked about riding together but we were just now getting to it for the first time. We rode the 12 mile loop just once and once was enough because of how unfit we were. Besides, we still had to get ready for Austin's bachelor party. We picked up tuxedos still covered in sweat and grime from the mountain bike ride, we were on a mission and had a limited amount of time. After quick runs to the grocery, liquor and cigar stores we the essential gear for the bachelor party and one more thing ... we were going chucker hunting.

The rally point was the groom's dad's barn outside of Ossian, IN. The location was place where hillbillies go to get away from it all. Once everyone showed up the scene looked like Dukes of Hazzard on steroids. Trucks, gun, camo and a bunch of good ol' boys ready to hunt. This was my first hunt and I soon learned why hunters rave about hunting. Although I can't quite describe me emotions, bird hunting is addicting. I was just getting warmed up when the sun set behind the trees and ended our hunt. After that, it was back to the barn for a feast of food, light domestic cold beer and cheap cigars. As the beer flowed, so did the stories and dirty jokes. I heard jokes that were so disturbing that they made me want to go church the next day. We went back to Austin's house later that night and I met the bride to be for the first time inebriated off my ass.

When Friday morning rolled around, I couldn't help but notice that Austin also had a house, a yard, a dog and soon he would have a wife. Life really starts to get weird when your friends start getting married, especially when you yourself are no where even close to getting married. Anyways, on Friday morning the only things left to be done were the usual wedding stuff: decorating, rehearsal dinner, the wedding itself and the reception. The rehearsal dinner was a hog roast at a lodge on Oubache State Park. The groomsmen all received flasks and we played Nintendo Wii to kill time before the wedding ceremony. The reception was at this place called Camelot way out in the boonies. We danced, we drank, we laughed and had great times that I'm glad I share with my close friends for so many years.

To Austin and Alisha- good luck and I hope I will see you again soon.

The Day from Satan Himself & How the Lord Fought Back

2008-09-12T14:49:00.006-05:00

So there I was at a complete standstill like a sitting duck on I-45 northbound towards Dallas. Everyone on the Texas Gulf Coast had decided to get the hell out of dodge and avoid Hurricane Ike's rage. After three hours of stop and go traffic, I had decided to get out of dodge myself- that is, get off the interstate and get some food at a Whataburger. I pulled over, got on the off-ramp and looked for the Whataburger I saw advertised a few miles back. It was no where to be found so I turned around. When I got back to the highway, Texas state trooper had closed to interstate to any more hurricane evacuation traffic. But I wasn't evacuating- I was moving home. Hurricane Ike was a mere coincidence. Either way I would have lost my sanity sitting in that traffic- even with a full stomach. There was only one thing left to do:

Trek it cross country.

I whipped out my map and charted a course that would take me to Ft. Worth, TX where I would stay with a college friend for the night. After a series of state highways and farm roads, I made my way to Highway 6 just south of College Station where I witnessed wide open roads. The speed limit may have been only 55 mph, but I was making progress and putting miles between my and Houston (Hurricane Ike, too). Highway 6 would take me all the way to I-35 which would cruise into Ft. Worth like a warm, summer breeze. Driving through the heartland of America and Smalltown, USA is one of the most enjoyable experiences any traveler can have. People only hear about what happens in the big cities, but everyone dies famous in a small town.

I finally made it to I-35 and I was making good time. After about an hour I was in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metro area, when I felt the trailer I was pulling tug and pull more than normal. I quickly glanced in my rear view mirror and my trailer was flying left to right, back and forth. I thought I hit a pot hole and it would stop. But it keep moving uncontrollably. My adrenaline kicked in. I thought for sure this would end badly for me and the cars around me. I hit my emergency flashers and made my way to the inside should of the road. Sparks flew everywhere. I thought the trailer and everything in it would be totaled. When I examined the scene I discovered the bolt which holds the ball onto the hitch had come loose and ultimately fell off. Nothing held the trailer onto the hitch. One small part was completely crucial and vital to the whole operation. Go figure. I called U-Haul's roadside assistance- one hour for a mechanic plus $200+ for the service. Thankfully I was close enough to my friend's place.

That's when you find out who your friends are.

I sat there in my truck with my face buried in my hands. I lost my grandfather- my job- I had no money and over a thousand miles from home I was stranded on the highway with a banged up U-Haul trailer. I had hit an all time low. I lost all hope, but then my phone rang. It was my college friend asking me where I was because she was worried. I told her what happened and she asked if I was hurt or anything. She told her boyfriend what happened and he said he had a 2-inch ball hitch on his truck and that he drive out and help me. I can't say I know too many people who go help out a complete stranger on the highway.

When I finally arrived at my friend's apartment, she had a grilled cheese, popcorn and a beer waiting for me. She gave me a big hug just thrilled to know I was alive and well after everything that had happened that day. We talked, share stories and reflected on some fond memories of our college days at IU. I hadn't such a meaningful conversation like that in a long time. I felt that my friendship was needed and appreciated again. I was so overjoyed I could have broke down into tears right there in her living room if her boyfriend hadn't been right there.

I awoke the next morning to the ringing of my cell phone. I didn't recognize the number, but I answered anyway. One of my fraternity brothers called to see if was okay with all the hurricane stuff happening and if I had evacuating. Awkwardly, I told that yes I had evacuated Houston, but that it was a permanent evacuation because I lost my job. He was sympathetic to my job situation but took great comfort knowing I was out of harm's way. My friend heard my conversation and seeing I was awake before she had to leave for work, she insisted she buy me breakfast before I hit the road to Oklahoma City. I could have stayed in Ft. Worth for a week because it felt so great to be with such a great friend.

So if you're going through hell, keep on moving- don't slow down-face that fire, because you might be out before the Devil even knows you're there.

Flirting with Disaster

2008-09-11T12:18:00.002-05:00

I'm in the midst of preparing my exodus from the prison that has been Houston, Texas for the past year of my life I had forgotten about one small detail.

Hurricane Ike brewing in the Gulf of Mexico.

He had always been there, but I forgot about him because, you know, I lost my job and had to figure out what my plan would be. My decision was to head for home and the Bayou City in my dust. Once my person frenzy concluded and I grew tired of Law and Order re-runs, I watched the local news to discover that Hurricane Ike was knocking on the Texas Coast's door step.

State government officials ordered the mandatory evacuation of Galveston Island this morning. Mandatory evacuation of Houston is expected later this afternoon. All the major highways are already a mess. I-45 N towards Dallas is bumper to bumper. I had to run some errands and fill up my gas tank. The lines at the gas station at 10:30 were 3-4 cars deep.

I can't go anywhere until I get the U-Haul trailer which I reserved for Friday. My friends are supposed to throw me a going-away party tonight but I know of a few of them who have already left town.

Shit is getting real. The next few days could be a true test of wills.

Terminated

2008-09-10T11:39:00.003-05:00

Well folks there is no point in denying it anymore. I lost my job with the Dynamo last week. In the cut throat world of corporate sales, you're expected to generate a certain number of dollars, and when you don't, well, you get the picture. Yes, I'm disappointed, but I look at it as a blessing in disguise. I didn't really enjoy ticket sales. I did simply to get my foot in the highly competitive door of professional sports. So here I am in Houston, TX with no job, no money and no family.

Where do I go from here.

Good question.

After spending the bulk of last weekend to think about and seek out any other opportunities I have decided it's time for me to come home. Houston was a great place to live for the time being, but I had no desire to stay there. The city is too big and too dirty. I'm sorry, but dealing with crack heads left over from Katrina on a regular basis gets old real quick.

So Friday morning I'm loading a U-Haul trailer and heading for Oklahoma City to spend the weekend with my best friend Cory and his wife (Yes, I said 'wife.' Trust me it trips me out too) before finishing the trek to STL Monday.

Blackberry and Bluetooth Nation

2008-08-25T17:17:00.002-05:00

Last week I got on the parking garage elevator like I always do and I couldn't help but notice five of the other six passengers all had their eyes glued to their Blackberries. Trust me, I'm a big fan of no awkward conversation on elevators but the scene struck me as humorous. So with a grin on my face, I stepped into the elevator to the harmonious clicking chatter of thumbs on Blackberry buttons.

As someone who is not the beneficiary of a company issued Blackberry I never really noticed how popular and widely-used the device is until that moment on the elevatory. All I have to say is: those damn things are everywhere. I mean EVERY WHERE! Now that I noticed I see people on those things waiting in line, walking down the street, driving cars (yikes), sitting at bars (yikes), etc. C'mon people! Is that email or text message really THAT important?! It can't wait 15 minutes until you get to your desk from the car or lunch? Apparently not. I can see how the technology is useful for some professionals, but it's quickly becoming a fad. I really can't see why my school-teacher friends really need a Blackberry, but realize this is the guy that was the last to own an iPod or accept text-messaging as a suitable form of communication. Perhaps someday when I'm a department director instead of a lowly ticket sales peon on the very bottom of the sports franchise pyramid I'll possess a Blackberry, but until then I'll remain happily in the Stone Age.

I had another experience in the parking garage elevator, but this one involved a Bluetooth. You know, one of those hands-free cell phone talking devices you stick in your ear. When I stepped into the elevator dead silence filled the air. After a few quiet moments, the woman erupts in chatter scaring me half to death. The woman had long hair and I didn't notice the device in her ear. Again, the more I paid attention the more I see those things everywhere! Not that I'm a descendant of Abcrombie or Fitch, but Bluetooths are definitely the fashion blunders of 2008. Some people actually keep those things lodged into their eardrums while at ball games and bars as if it's a cool thing to do. That's one fashion statement they can have. But if it's endorsed by David Beckkham, maybe I should consider it.

Are you kidding me?!

2008-08-04T17:00:00.002-05:00

Last week was a blur.

Tuesday night the Dynamo renewed their rivalry with Mexico's Pachuca after a 2-1 win that kicked off at 9pm. I can usually handle one game a week and not feel like I'm working overtime, but we had to host the Columbus Crew again on Saturday. Fortunately, the kickoff time was a normal 7:30.

I looked forward to the Crew game because it reunited with me former Kickin' Hoosiers Jed Zayner and Danny O'Rourke. Although I didn't get to talk with them much, they were glad to see me working for the league.

After the game, I made plans to meet up with some work buddies to grab a few beers at bar in Midtown that's a convert house. Literally. I get there first, I buy a beer and just stand their waiting for my friends minding my own business.

Out of no where, a young woman my age grabs my arm and asks me to sit down at a table with her friends. Being polite, I said of course. They immediately introduce me to their friend Alesha before going outside for a smoke. I begin asking her questions to dig myself out of the incredibly awkward situation. Stuff like this never happens to me. I wasn't wearing anything special: jeans, red polo, faded Chicago Bears hat, unshaven, no cologne- nothing special. I really didn't even feel like talking to any woman that night. I just wanted to chill with my boys. But here I was sitting across from this attractive, young working professional woman.

I look over my shoulder to see my friends standing right there. I had idea how long they had been there or what they may have seen or heard. Oh well. I invited them to sit down and before long both parties were mixed as part of a very random series of events. The group moved outside.

With all seat taken, Alesha decided to sit on my lap. Behind her back, my friend Neil shrugged his shoulders and made a suggestive facial expression. I couldn't help but grin. Afterall I was in shock. This girl sitting on my lap didn't seem drunk, but deep down I felt she had to be. She asked me to get a drink with her. I needed one too so I thought what the heck. Once inside, she pulled into the shadows and kissed me. Being polite, I kissed her back but I still suspected something. I waited for someone to jump out with a video camera and say: "GOT YA!" But it never happened.

The night died down. She gave me her number and told me to call her tomorrow. I called her out and asked if she would even remember me tomorrow. She promised she would.

Sunday afternoon rolled by. I still hadn't called, but I decided it was worth it. She was pretty cute. Sure enough, the call went straight to voicemail. Reality had sunk in, but I left a message anyway. A few hours went by and my phone rang. Alesha had remembered and told me she wanted to get together. Of course I couldn't say no to that.

So when random sh*t happens, sometimes it's just best to roll with it.

2 to win on 4

2008-07-27T20:23:00.002-05:00

Beer. Horses. Wagering. Live music.

Can it get any better?

If so, someone please tell me.

The Sam Houston Race Park has a summer concert series that is paired with live horse racing. I had been meaning to check out the horse race park anyway, but when I found that my new favorite band Southern rockers Cross Canadian Ragweed was coming to play a show I bought my tickets right away.

So Friday night my friends Tina, John and I met up at the race park for a summer's night of entertainment. Walking up to the horse paddock where the horses are saddled and the jockeys then saddle up brought back some childhood memories of Keenland and historic Churchhill Downs where I first learned the insanity of horse race wagering. I remember my mom's strategies which included live earnings and silks colors. Mom always insisted on betting on horses whose jockey wore purple silks. Real scientific.

My friends were horse race park rookies and needed to be educated. After I quickly refreshed my memory on how to wager by skimming through the program, I share with them my limited knowledge on how to pick a winning horse. The races were short, however, only lasting between 300 and 550 yards. These Texas-bred quarter horses were sprinters. This was a major disappointment. What makes horse racing addicting is the exhilaration of watching your horse battle it out down the straight-aways and around the corners to pull ahead down the final stretch to Win, Place or Show glory. It's the anticipation. The races I witnessed were over just as quickly as they started. It was better than nothing.

The concert stage is on the in-field where more of the partying takes place. Sound familiar? You get there by walking through a tunnel that goes under the track. Along its walls are banners advertising upcoming shows. Dierks Bently and Billy Ray Cyrus stuck out the most as I passed by. Once in the in-field I saw some of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my life. True blue Texas cowgirls. Cut off jean shorts, cowboy boots, long hair blowing in the gentle summer evening air. I though I had died and gone to cowboy heaven. By this time I had a few beers in me and I had drowned my frustrations and sorrows from the previous work week. It was a Friday night and in the words of Alan Jackson I "was ready for a good time."

In my opinion, Cross Canadian Ragweed is the Lynyrd Skynyrd of my generation. Their sound is the perfect mix of outlaw country and rock. The band utilizes the electric guitar but doesn't over do it. Perfection. CCR rocked out their best jams, or at least the ones that I know. I have to admit I haven't been listening to them very long. My friends and I sat out on the lawn so the music wasn't as loud as I would have preferred but I guess you can't have it all even on a great night of fun. Maybe its my age, a hectic work week or the lack of a truly "fratty" lifestyle, but as the show came to a close I was exhausted.

When I got home at 1am I looked forward to sleeping in.

I woke up at 8am.

We called him Papa

2008-07-20T13:47:00.002-05:00

On Thursday I said my final goodbye to one of the greatest men I will ever know personally. He was not great in the sense of a doer of daring deeds or accomplisher of great feats. What made this man great was that he put his family and loved ones first up until the very last day of his life. He was a loyal husband, loving father, generous grandfather, everyone's friend and friend to everyone. He was the man my fellow grandchildren and I called Papa.

So many different things come to mind when remembering Herbert Albert Fischer, Jr but what I will remember the most was his generosity. As a child of the Great Depression, Papa saved his household poor forgoing luxuries many of us take for granted so he could provide when it mattered most. As a proud graduate of Indiana University, Papa made sure his four children received a college education. But Papa's kindness did not stop there. Many years later when I was a teenager, I remember one Christmas when Papa handed each of his own kids a simple white envelope. Many of the grandkids were preoccupied ripping open boxed presents but my eyes were fixed on my mother as she opened my dad's white envelope. Her voice cracked, her eyes filled with tears, and she raised her hand to cover her mouth. Although still to this day I do not know the sum of money that was given that day- I could only imagine.

Behind his family, golf and Indiana University were a close second for the two things Papa loved most. As far back as I can remember Papa had full season tickets for both Indiana Hoosier football and basketball. Although Indiana has never been known for its football program, some of my fondest memories growing up were my dad and I getting up early on a fall Saturday to meet Papa at the Wendy's in Columbus, Indiana before driving to Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. Papa never directly told me, but I knew he was proud that I attended Indiana University for my college education. I know this because he never hesitated to send me his football or basketball tickets for a game I wanted to attend. In four years, I never once paid to see an Indiana University athletic event. Thank you, Papa. I will never forget that.

Papa loved to eat and entertain. He is the only man I think in the history of mankind who installed a pool in his own backyard even though he could not swim. Even though his own children had left the next and moved on, he still wanted his house to be the epicenter of all family functions, and at these functions there were always plenty of cookies, cheese & crackers, and shrimp cocktail. My boy scout troop once took a trip to Southern Indiana and Papa did not even think twice about opening up his backyard, grill and pantry to a group of mostly strangers. Papa even picked up one of my friends from the Indianapolis Airport so he could surprise me for my Eagle Scout ceremony when I was 16.

Above all things, Papa was a loyal husband. My grandmother had her faults and her bad habits became catalysts for her poor health, but never once did I see him become angry or bitter. Shortly after my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary, my grandmother's health turned for the worse. She was in and out of the nursing home, before a stroke and Alzheimer's kept her there permanently. Papa was by her side the whole time. He was there waiting when the nursing home opened in the morning and stayed until they closed their doors for the night.

Papa passed away exactly one week ago to date. His death happened so quickly and so suddenly that it still has not sunk in with many of us. He had routine gall bladder surgery that went smoothly, he came out just fine, was alert and talking, and the doctors thought about having him get up and start walking, but just a few short hours later he was on full life support because his whole intestinal system had shut down. You can't restart it like the heart, nor can you replace it like a kidney. The Lord had decided it was time for Papa to go home.

I will admit, I was angry. After all, it was not supposed to be like this. Papa was not supposed to go first. But he did and it is a reminder that we are not in control despite how much we think we are. The Lord has a plan and all things happen for a reason.

In memory of Herbert Albert Fischer, Jr. 1929-2008.

Lord there ain't no place like home ...

2008-07-10T19:47:00.009-05:00

Anyone who believes America is an economic crisis definitely did not spend any time in Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport over Independence Day weekend. First off, the tickets prices are triple what they normally are and yet every flight was booked to every destination you could land a plane at. Even though I was trying to get there, I never thought of St. Louis as a top tourist destination, but I spent nearly 15 hours on stand-by. Never do it- trust me. In the meantime I read the entire book Into the Wild and ran into my high friend Rachel Esther who's a pilot for Continental.

This is where I come from. These are my people.

I eventually made to Saint Louis and the adventure I have been seeking I got a full dose of when my dad took me kayaking down the Meremec River Saturday morning.

Dad and I had a lot of fun and saw more of Missouri's finest than we cared to, but that wasn't the main reason for me coming home that weekend. It was the Cardinals vs. Cubs game.

Welcome to Baseball Heaven . . .

Sibling love.

"This life that I live has took me every where, but Lord there ain't no place like home ... 'Cause I can see the concrete slowly creepin'. Lord take me and mind before that comes!" ~ Lynyrd Skynyrd

Me and the two women in my life.

Company and Fish

2008-07-02T16:13:00.002-05:00

Last weekend my parents and sisters flew down to Houston to visit yours truly. With the exception of my mom, I had not seen my dad and Thing Two since Febuary, and Thing One was my long lost sister since Christmas. Weird. Even though I was very glad to see them, my great-grand mother's wisdom rose from her grave echoing: "Company, like fish, starts to smell after three days." And an intense three days it was as I played tour-guide taking my household family from one end of the Houston metro area to the next.

They flew into Houston Hobby airport late Thursday morning. In a hurricane force downpour, I picked them up for lunch and showed them the light that is Freebirds- a burrito joint that puts all the others (Chipotle, Moe's,etc.) to shame. Lunch was brief because I had to get back to the office before heading to the stadium for the Houston Dynamo-FC Dallas Texas derby match-up. Family and my dad's old fraternity brothers experienced a great game with over 15,000 in attendance live on ESPN 2 television.

Friday, we were off to the west suburbs to have dinner my two of my dad's old fraternity brothers. After a few beers, the stories began to flow with the alcohol. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The late 70's University of Evansville Sig Eps did the same stuff the early 2000's Sigma Nu's of Indiana University. Fratty stuff. I could try to explain but you non-Greeks out there just wouldn't understand.

Saturday was NASA day. The Johnson Space Center was the only thing I could think of that was uniquely Houston, plus I hadn't been there yet. We arrived to an empty parking lot and no lines so immediately took one of the tours. The space center reminded me of an ugly college campus. The buildings looked beat-up and plain- definitely not the place that orchestrated putting a man on the Moon in the late 1960's. After the tour, my family and I were greeted by two of my least favorites things in the world: large quantities of little kids and Boston Red Sox fans. The Sox were in town to plays the 'Stros so the cult that is Red Sox nation followed. I will admit, I enjoyed walking alongside a Saturn 5 rocket that fulfilled the Apollo missions and other spacecraft. I was amazed at how small the capsuls are.

By the time the afternoon rolled around, I needed food and ibuprofen badly. Luckily I had the afternoon to unwhind. For dinner, I showed my fam. a true Bayou City delight: boiled crawfish- holding true to a Fischer tradition of eating foods with heads and torsos still attached. My dad and I struggled to learn the art of eating crawfish, but once we got the hang of it we were an unstoppable machine.

That night, I showed Thing One (who's 21) how we do things in Houston'd Midtown. We pregames at an interns kegger with a round of beer pong before rolling out to sports bar/club Pub Fiction which is kind of an upbeat place to see and be seen if you're a young working professional. I introduced her to some friends before I we walked around the corner to dueling piano bar Howl at the Moon to have her meet the work crew who's still young enough to go out and booze on a Saturday night.

Sunday was church at Houston's First Baptist, another afternoon at the poolside, before dropping the parents and sisters at the airport. The good-bye wasn't bad because I'm going up there for July 4th weekend. I have to admit, I let out a sigh of relief because things were a starting to smell.

The Ultimate Wingman

2008-06-15T16:07:00.004-05:00

When Cory asked me to be his best man, he immediately said there was no other person he could think of to fill this special role on his special day. That statement meant a lot to me considering the great obstacles we have had to overcome to maintain our friendship. Geography, time zone differences, etc. But yet we still made the effort and somehow it miraculously worked. So a little over a year later, the big show went down in the OKC and I had to play the role of the ultimate wingman- the groom's best man.

Adrenaline, caffeine and alcohol played a vital role in my survival of the weekend that was. After about four hours of sleep because of a Dynamo game I had to work the previous night, I left my apartment Friday morning for Hobby Airport to catch my flight to OKC. Thankfully the flight was short. Cory picked me up and immediately we were off for final wedding preparations. We dropped off my bags at his crib downtown, then it was off for tuxedos, his house, then the rehearsal dinner. We had a little downtime, but it was hardly relaxing that Friday. What made matters more awkward was the fact that I didn't know anyone in the wedding or anyone who was going to be there. For the past 365+ days, Cory and Jilian's families and friends had heard: "Cory's friend John is going to be the best man." I was known only in name.

When we arrived at the gardens for the rehearsal, I could the feel the eyes looking at me wondering who this guy was standing next to Cory. Thankfully, Jilian arrived just in time before I lost it and introduced me to her bridesmaids and family. This was my first wedding and I no clue what to do, especially as the best man. I'm thankful we ran through everything a couple times or it could have been ugly. I was paired with Jilian's cousin Jessica who definitely shared her cousin's sense of humor.

At the rehearsal dinner, I spent a good amount of my time answering the question: "So John, how do you know Cory?" Pause while I take a deep breath ... I enjoyed seeing their facial expressions when I told them I was friends with Cory since the fifth grade when he lived in Indiana. I don't think Jilian's family had any idea Cory ever lived in the Hoosier state. Once everyone was served I gave the speech I had been thinking about for nearly a year. I saw quite a few teary eyes, so you know it was a good one. The guys had plans of going out on the town to give Cory one last final hurrah before the main event tomorrow, but a wonderful Oklahoma thunderstorm had other ideas. So we had guys night out at Cory's apartment and let's just say we finished a bottle of Jameson's Whiskey three ways and invented the Bear Grylls drinking game. I'll end this part of the story with that.

Surprisingly enough, I felt great the next morning. The actual wedding day was quite relaxing. Everything was ready to go. We slept in, ate some food, and watched tv until it was time to leave for the gardens where the ceremony would take place. All of the groomsmen had to get dressed in a closet. Bodies were on top of each as we struggled to put on our monkey suites. Then there was another factor- the heat. The Lord blessed us with a sunny day and a nice breeze, but it was still in the 90's which made life pleasant in four layers of clothing. We took pictures first, but Cory and Jilian had a special, private first encounter. Before I knew it, we were lined up into formation and walking down the aisle. My hand were full too. I had Jilian's wedding band dangling on my finger and a special champagne glass in a cloth in the other. Luckily, I didn't screw anything up and the ceremony went smoothly.

Once it was over, I wanted to get my dance on and party. However, the food buffet, cake cutting and my second speech/toast cramped my style. I only knew about one speech ahead of time. Now I was told I had to give another when my best material had already been used. So I told a story in a similar style to the one told in the movie Old School. Yeah, you're feelin' me- you love it. So I gave another kick-ass speech that made everyone both laugh and cry. Maybe I should make a living by writing best man toasts and speeches. Could be fun? After much anticipation, it was time to dance, but there was not much room to begin with and all of the little kids occupied the remaining space. Oh well. I kept drinking the free Boulevard Wheat. Before long it was time for Cory and Jilian to go off to their hotel room and do their newlywed thing. I told Jilian to be gentle with Cory. She assertively shook her head no. I shrugged my shoulders replying: "Very well."

Meanwhile ... as all of these festivities took place, word had gotten out that the best man was a single, eligible bachelor. I became curious of this when several members of both families approached me telling me of a niece, daughter or female family friend they would like to introduce me to. I don't think I've ever had so many people trying to get me ass in my entire life. Too bad they don't live in H-town. I went back to Cory's parent's house for the after party, but once everyone sat down and relaxed, they began to drop like flies and call it a night. I felt I should probably do the same, so I went back to the hotel where my mom stayed only to find the bridesmaids having an after party. I tossed my bag in mom's room and went down to the lobby. Unfortunately, what happened at the Bivona residence soon repeated itself at the hotel. Darn.

Luckily, I got to see Cory and Jilian the next morning going to the airport. Me to Houston, them to Cancun. Darn. This weekend was great and I am glad I got to be a part of it. The more time I spend with the Cory and Jilian together, the more I can see that they are meant for each other and words cannot express how truly happy I am for them. Hopefully I'll find a love like that someday. And when I do, I know they'll be there.

To Cory and Jilian, I wish you only the best.

Guys night out

2008-06-11T16:24:00.002-05:00

Last a bunch of guys from the office and some friends met up at a bar to watch the Celtic-Lakers NBA Finals game. We drank beer, talked sports, ate nasty bar food, carried on, told stupid stories and acted like we didn't have a care in the world for a few hours.

I haven't had like kind of fun in a while. No girls, no dress codes, no censorship, no nothing. Just hanging out with the boys is probably what I miss the most about post-college/fraternity life. Just bonding with men your own age and not worrying about careers or girlfriends.

I think guys in serious relationships don't make a solid effort to have a "Guys Night Out" nor do women in serious relationships encourage their significant other to have a "Guys Night Out."

Trust me ladies, if you want to keep your man happy- let him have one night a week.

He'll be more inclined to make it up to you later.

The Tejas Triathlon

2008-06-09T17:17:00.002-05:00

600 yard swim. 11 mile bike. 3 mile run.

It was an hour and seven minutes of pure hell.

For some reason I allowed my friends to convince me this was a good idea. All things considered- it was. In my post-Little 500 days, I have struggled to find a new athletic challenge and people to do it with. At IU, cycling is a cool thing. It's respected and admired. Connecting with people who share that desire to push their bodies to their physical limits is difficult.

But it took a couple of young women from my Sunday school class to literally shame me into signing up. What can I say- I have my pride. So sure enough I signed up and had basically a month to prepare. I was in good running shape from soccer. I still ride my bike on a regular basis. But I had not swam laps in a pool since high school. And I have never done all three consecutively in the same event.

I could tell from the get-go this first triathlon was going to be an interesting experience. So I started swimming in the morning at the downtown Houston YMCA. Let's just say there were quite a few muscles that had not been used for a while. I got on a running program as well and kept my cycling routine intact. But I never actually did a transition until the day of the race.

Sunday June 8 came quickly. I had bought special triathlon gear and all the little accessories that would shave minutes of my time. Even at 7am, it's hotter than hell in South Texas. The race official lined up the age divisions marked by their respective colored swim cap. The official fired the pistol and 35 men ages 20-25 hit the water.

The swim was by far the most difficult. Bodies are piled on top of each other and the water was so murky you couldn't see a thing in front of you. Breathing is even more challenging when water is constantly splashed into your mouth. Luckily I have four guys in front of me who slowed me down or I would used too much energy. When I left the water, ran up the beach and into the transition area, I realized how tire I really was. My arms and legs felt like lead weights. All I could was: "I have to get on the bike now?!"

However it was the bike that saved me. The bike was my domain. I got into a rhythm and kept my pace right around 20mph. I caught my breath and regained focus. I most difficult challenge for a cyclist in a triathlon is not drafting. Drafting in a triathon can mean major penalties. I was very careful to avoid this at all times. Even though I held back my pace and conserved energy, my legs once again felt like lead weights in the transition area.

For the run, I picked a pace that felt comfortable and hung on for the ride. The nice thing was that there were other racers all around you that you could pace off of and use to push yourself. Even better was all the spectators that cheered you along. Every mile there was water which I splashed down the back of my neck. Once I was in the last mile it was go time.

I was so tired and I thought I was going to die, but after some gatoraid, pizza, leg massage and a Budweiser, I was golden.

I can't remember enduring that kind of pain, but I definitely caught the multi-sport bug and I plan to sign up for another.

Sports Madness

2008-06-06T12:22:00.002-05:00

I apologize to all my readers out there (Mom, Dad, Uncle Steve) for not posting any entries for a while. My life has been just so crazy and it's all revolved around sport.

As I mentioned many months ago I started refereeing youth soccer as a method of flexible secondary income. It is some of the easiest money I have ever made and the most difficult at the same time. Concrentration is key. Focus is essential. Taking you eye off play for just a moment could mean the difference between the right call and the wrong call. And when you make the wrong call, the whole world lets you know it. As an official sports official myself, I now have much more respect for the men in zebra suits (basketball, hockey, football), umpires, and highliter yellow (thank you MLS) who do this professionally at a much highler level than a U-14 girls game.

In my never ending quest for adventure, challenge, and self inflicted suffering- I signed up for a triathlon. For as old as he is, my dad can still talk a good game and back it up. He did his first tri at an age much older than mine so I felt obligated to do one of these things. Not to mention a girl from my church group called me out. I wasn't about to let that happen. Training has been interesting. I haven't swam laps in a pool since or on a running program since high school. Biking isn't an issue since I'm fit on the bike since my Little 5 days. Plenty of soreness has taken place in the place few weeks as muscles that haven't been used in a while are brought back to life.

Despite being hotter than hell in the summer (which it is right now), Texas has an incredible musis scene dating all the way back to Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson who rebelled from the pomp of Nashville and went home to Austin. Last weekend I went to a new Houston venue called the Merdian to see alt-country band Old 97. Their sound was a modern Johnny Cash. Rock music with a two-step beat. The show rocked and played a double encore. I've never seen that before.

Plenty of good soccer has been going on lately. The MLS season is in full swing. The Dynamo are finally starting to play better which makes selling their tickets much easier. The European Championships begin tomorrow which will make for some great television viewing on the ESPN family of networks. I'm glad ESPN is finally starting to see the value of soccer. In fact, the championship game will broadcast on ABC.

How awesome is it to have a Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals! Finally, there is a match-up people actually care about. I have to admit this is the first time I've cared about the NBA in a long time. I love watching the old footage of Magic Johnson and, of course, the Hick from French Lick/State Bird of Indiana himself Mr. Larry Bird.

We might also have our first Triple Crown winner this year which is something the sport of horse racing desperately needed.

Follow Follow

2008-05-04T13:49:00.003-05:00

If you help people, people will help you.

I support a Scottish soccer club known as Glasgow Rangers FC. I have reasons to follow this team. Fort Wayne, IN native DeMarcus Beasley plays for the first team as well as Dave Weir who played three years of college soccer for the University of Evansville Purple Aces. Indiana connections.

Rangers FC is world famous and has fans all over the world. They make this public through a network of supporter club chapters across North America. Houston, Texas has a chapter known as the Texas True Blues RSC and they have followed their boys since 1999 at Big John's sports bar. I had never been before, but I wanted to watch the UEFA Cup semi-final against Fiorentina. I wanted to make a good first impression so I brought some Dynamo t-shirts to give away. Based on their reaction, you would have thought I had given them a check for a million dollars. These Rangers supporters deep in the heart of Texas now had a new best friend and what made it even better was that he worked for the local professional soccer club. They thanked me by making me a honorary member of their club and gave me a free club t-shirt.

I had another similar situation with a guy named Tony who owns a bar in Midtown. He has jerseys of all the teams in Houston- Astros, Rockets, Texas, Aggies, Longhorns, etc. He asked for a Dynamo jersey because he is from Croatia and a big soccer fan. I told him I couldn't make any promises but I'd do what I could. I got him a jersey replica t-shirt and gave him a pair of tickets to an upcoming game. I now have free drinks every time I go to this place.

These examples go to show that how a little kindness and generosity can go a long way in our self-centered world. It seems that no helps other people just to help other people. Everyone has a "what's in it for me" kind of attitude and that's really sad.

Now on the Dynamo ... The State of Orange is still win-less on the season. However, we are currently on pace to break the league record for most ties one season. George H.W. Bush was in attendance at the game last night on HDNET (thanks Mr. Cuban) and I actually got to shake his hand. Shaking hands with a former United States president was a first for me. However it would been better if all the Secret Service agents had not been there making me nervous as hell.

FOLLOW FOLLOW! We will follow Rangers! Every where- anywhere! There's not a team like the Glasgow Rangers! No not one and there never shall be one!

6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon

2008-04-28T10:01:00.003-05:00

There is a game called 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon. The whole concept of the game is that actor Kevic Bacon is connected to every other actor through 6 different movies. Surprisingly enough, I have yet to find a situation where it does not work. Of course, this game is based on the mentality that every person in the world is connected somehow through six degrees of varying relationships. When I moved to Houston, I knew three people- the two gents with the Dynamo who hired me and the guy they hired at the same time as me. So it's safe to say I hardly knew anyone in America's fourth largest market. However, through this 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon reasoning, I have been amazed at how many people I really do know.

I frequent this Irish pub called Brien O'Neils. The place has great beers on tap and cheap appetizers- the perfect venue to unwind on a Friday evening. Little did I know that I was connected to one of the waitresses. After a little discussion, I find out she is the niece of my dad's fraternity brother. Strange? You bet.

I can go on. During the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament, another IU grad and I watched our dismal Hoosiers at the time lose to Arkansas. Just before tip-off, I noticed another Cream and Crimson clad young person sitting by himself alone. There aren't many of us in South Texas, so I was polite and invited him over to watch the game with us. He works for the Rockets, so we had a lot to talk about. Turns out, one of his co-workers is a roommate and good friend of my friend Hannah.

I could go one, but those are two that stick out the most. Most people have an attention span of five seconds, so I'm sure you readers out there are already wanting to read something else.

I would like to wrap things up and give a shout to my friend Jackie. I wish her the best as she takes an incredible opportunity with the Pacers Sports and Entertainment group. We went to high school together and she has been so helpful to me here in Houston and I wish her all the best. Good luck Jacks and God bless you.

Share the trail!

2008-04-17T20:34:00.002-05:00

Memorial Park is an oasis within Houston's I-610 loop that makes up the bulk of the metro-area. The park has baseball diamonds, soccer fields, swimming pool, golf course, and most importantly mountain bike trails. My mountain bike has been getting much more love than normal because I'm afraid to ride on the roads after work. I've had way too many close calls in my truck which has left me petrified to ride on just two wheels. So after a hard day's work, I speed down Memorial Drive to vent off the day's frustrations. When I get there I'm excited. I can't wait to bunny hop over some logs, burn up some trail, and get a good sweat going. I unload my bike and spin off to the trail head. About two minutes go by and I see some riders coming my way. I say "heads up!" by they ignore my call and whiz right by forcing me into the brush losing my momentum before a steep climb. Since I no longer have physics on my side, I unclip and walk up the hill. I jump back on the bike and spin off again. I ride for about 5 minutes this time and the same thing happens with a different, larger group of riders. I call out again and they act as if I'm not even there. So much for getting away from it all. Yet, I keep riding wanting to get back in cycling shape after being inspired by last weekend's Little 500. This whole predicament happens a few more times, but the last time I had had enough. This time I lost my balance and ate the dirt. I dropped an f-bomb, and all the guy could say was: "Dude, it's crowded- what do you want me to do about it?" Well dude, I'm not saying you have to do anything about the crowded trails, but you could show some common courtesy and slow down when you see someone up ahead.

So to all you Houston urbanite mountain bikers- SHARE THE TRAIL!

-Upper Management

I go back

2008-04-14T22:13:00.005-05:00

Jack and Diane painted a picture of a life in my dreams,
Suddenly this crazy world made more sense to me. . .

In his song "I Go Back," Country artist Kenny Chesney alluded to the lyrics of John Mellencamp's hit "Jack and Diane." The song sheds light on what its like to grow up and live in a small town in the heartland. In Chesney's song, he reflects on several stages of his life and how every time he hears Mellencamp's song, he "goes back" to that lifestyle of long ago.

Whenever I am homesick or just flat out fed up with the big city that is Houston, TX; I find myself listening to the tunes of the Indiana born and raised Mellencamp. This past weekend I took it a step further when I travelled back to Indiana University for the 58th Running of the Little 500 bicycle race.

Unless you have experience Little 500 for yourself, there is really no way to describe the event and truly do it justice. Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong tried when he said "I've been to Super Bowls, World Series, and the Monaco Grand Prix, but the coolest thing I have seen was the Little 500- every sports fan should see it live."

I went back for a few reasons, but the main reason was because I had unfinished business on the track. I led a team of mostly rookies to a respectable finish of 15th. Three of those riders would return with a freshman that made all of the veterans look like school boys I was told. They needed my help on race day. I also had not seen most of my friends since August before I left for Houston.

My flight Thursday was scheduled to depart at 7:45pm and get me in B-town just the night scene was picking up around 11pm local time, but my flight was delayed three hours because of the nasty weather that had plagued most of the country all day. I didn't arrive in Indy until 1:30am which posed another problem because the car rental places had all closed. A fraternity brother arranged for a pledge to pick me up from the airport, I did not learn this until as I was walking down the tunnel and onto the airplane. When I finally arrived almost everyone was already in bed from a long afternoon and evening of drinking. I was still wired. My friend John and I had a few beers then we called in a night.

The next day I went over to the Sigma Nu-Beta Eta house. Everyone was excited to me my return for the World's Greatest College Weekend. After checking in with the bike team riders, I was off to the women's race pre-party my pledge brother's apartment who have a patio on there rooftop which made for the perfect party venue. For the second straight year, the pair of the men of Sigma Nu had claimed victory in the women's Little 500. Congratulations to the women of Delta Gamma. After the women's race, I had dinner with the Sigma Nu bike team then I was off for more partying in one of the country's most beautiful college towns. I caught up with an old friend that night on Kirkwood Ave, but all the bars we liked we too crowded so we went to a place neither one of us had been as actual students.

Soon enough it was time for the big show- the men's race. The SNU's started of strong and led the race at one point, but soon enough their lack of actual bicycle race experience showed. The cold weather, wind, and snow flurries did not help much either- especially when one of the stronger riders began to cramp. Thank God I had hand warmers. I think the overall fitness of the team could have been better, but as I have learned this past 365 days is that 365 days from now it won't really matter. What is important is that you did do it and did take on the challenge because there are so many IU students who don't.

After the race, I crashed the big IUSF party at Nick's English Hut and that is where I ran into most of my old friends. The IUSF is a big family at IU and I met some great people through my involvement with the race. Going back to IU this weekend was good for me in several way. First, I enjoyed seeing my friends. Second, I realized that my time at IU has passed. For the longest time I felt like I was the only one who graduated and left, and for some reason I thought this weekend would be just like old times. Yes, in some ways it was, but in most ways it wasn't. When you go to your favorite hangouts and don't recognized anyone- it's a sign. I'm thankful for my time at IU but it made me realize that it is indeed time to move on. I just hate the fact that it is so hard for me to get back if I wanted to go to a football or basketball game.

But every time I hear that song (Jack and Diane) ... I go back.

Opening Day

2008-04-10T08:32:00.004-05:00

I don't know what it is about the start of baseball season that gets my spirits up, but some reason it always does. I guess because I grew up in the Midwest it was the first real sign that spring was here and summer would soon follow. Even in South Texas where it rarely gets below 60 degrees it had the same effect. What better way to see real, live baseball than by watching my beloved St. Louis Cardinals. When I first told my sister I was moving to Houston, the first thing that left her mouth was "You better not become an Astros fan." Of course not. Since 1892, the Redbird have been a cornerstone in the National League. The Cardinals are the All-American baseball franchise. The location of St. Louis geographically allows the Cardinals brand to reach out to the vast expanses of the American heartland. Yes, the Yankees and Red Sox are popular, but their true fans remain in the frozen Northeast. The Cardinals Radio Network expands over nine state: Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Mississippi, Iowa, Tennesee, Illinois, Arkansas, and Oklahoma- that's a huge chunk of real estate. The Cardinals is the kind of team that everyone can become of a fan because of its players. They don't buy championships and not every man on the roster is a celebrity. The players come from all backgrounds and act just like everyday folks (Albert Pujols was seen at a Chuck E. Cheese with his family).

Although Astros fans in general need an education on what real baseball tradition is all about, Opening Day is special regardless of the teams playing and I am grateful to the Houston Astros fan who gave me her extra ticket. I had fun. I enjoyed myself. And even though my team lost that first game, I knew we would come back and win the next two games and capture the series.

Cardinals lead the Cards-Stros Challenge 2-1

A big pile of shift work

2008-04-05T10:35:00.002-05:00

So there I was ... on my Saturday morning, staring from 34th floor office building trying to sell some tickets for the Dynamo's regular season home opener against FC Dallas ... and all I could think was ...

I WANNA GO BACK TO PHILMONT- I WANNA GOOOOO BAAAAAACK TO PHILMONT!

And I don't think I have ever meant it more.

The corporate world has been kicking my ass lately. For nine hours a day, 5 days a week, my life is consumed by it. For another 7-8 hours, I'm sleeping. That remaining 8 hours just does not seem to exist. I feel like I have no time for pleasure and adventure- two things that Edward Abbey said were mandatory for a long, happy life.

I talked to my friends who live in Colorado the other week. They talk about going skiing on the weekends and stepping out their front door to those majestic Rocky Mountains. When I hear this it really makes me think about what I'm really living my life for. I love soccer and I love working for a professional soccer team helping to grow the sport, but is it really worth all the extra hours,nights, weekends etc that take away from the other things I enjoy? Some days I really wonder. Maybe I'm just still so green to this working fulltime thing that I just don't know any better. Flooding recently devastated the town my parents live close to- that put everything into perspective.

Well, when I finally do get out of here, I'm going to clear my head with a long bike ride through Houston, maybe go fishing, and then I'm going to watch some basketball. Big game against FC Dallas tomorrow.

Las Madres de Futbol (Soccer Moms)

2008-03-31T20:15:00.003-05:00

For the longest time I could never really quite understand why there are so many soccer haters out there, but then I guess I starting looking at the sport from a different viewpoint. As a front office employee, I can't get emotional during the games. I have to remain professional. Now that I am refereeing soccer games, I realize how difficult officiating really is and how many whiners are out there. I realize- that there really is a lot to hate.

I blame the moms. (Not my mom, of course). Soccer moms are either too nurturing or too demanding. They yell, scream, carry on, and act like fools. In any case, they deserve a big super-sized serving of the Just Shut Up Award.

Soccer has a funny way of explaining the world, it is a sport that is a microcosm of the larger social issues in our everyday world. I refereed a game that put a rich, white club against a poorer,blue collar Hispanic club. Both teams possessed talented players and moved the ball down the pitch well, but the second the boys from whitey-tighty'ville went down a goal, the game might as well have been over. They hung their heads down, pointed fingers, and all in all gave up when the going got tough. One kids whined about every call that didn't going in his teams favor. Meanwhile, the Hispanic team kept scoring goals. They had faced and overcome adversity before- at home, in their lives off the soccer field.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I refereed a girls game later that day that was a make-up and had no influenced whatsoever on advancement to the state cup tournament. One of the moms acted in such a way that probably would have gotten her escorted out of Robertson Stadium. All of her ranting and raving was in Spanish, so that's probably what kept anyone from saying anything. Regardless, it was annoying.

I can go deeper though. That evening, there was a watch party at a soccer pub to watch the Dynamo's first regular season game against the NE Revolution. A mother was there with her two daughters. The mother appeared to be inebriated and was teaching her daughters soccer drinking songs. (YOU'LL NEVER BEAT PAT ONSTAD! YOU'LL NEVER BEAT PAT ONSTAD!) It's 7:30 pm, do you know where your daughters are?

So all you soccer moms out there, do your soccer playing kids a favor and keep your mouths shut. You're making the game look bad.

MLS 2008 Preview

2008-03-28T18:40:00.002-05:00

It is the eve of Major League Soccer's 12th season and there are several questions out there that need to be addressed. The only way I see it appropriate is to look at them team by team. So here we go and I'll try to be as unbiased as possible.

Houston Dynamo: As MLS's second only back-to-back championship winner, the 2008 edition Dynamo are the team to beat this season. As last year's cup winners, the Dynamo have already been tested in the Pan Pacific Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup. So what you will about the PPC, but I give props to the league for trying something new and trying to extend its brand to areas of the globe that aren't targeted much by other leagues. The CONCACAF Cup continues to be of importance as the young club continues to gain credibility amongst the large Hispanic/Latino community in South Texas. The Dynamo also play in Super Liga against the best clubs from Mexico. The main question here is: can a squad with so many older players already stay healthy over the course of such a marathon season? Despite its depth every where else, the team still needs a true goal scorer with a knack for finding the back of the net.

DC United: The club of our nation's capital continues to be the class of MLS both on the field and in the front office. The signing of DP Marcelo Gallardo fits in well with DC's already South American heavy roster. DC is expected to do well in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and be in contention for the Supporter's Shield once again. I'm all about teams signing the best players they can afford, but does anyone else feel that DC has gone overboard on the Latino players? After all, part of the genesis of forming the league was to help develop American players. Maybe that's just me.

Chivas USA: Fantasy Chivas as I like to call them remains L.A.'s best team despite the fact I hate having two teams in one city. Their financial support from their parent club allows to not have to worry about issues facing other clubs. Chivas field another strong squad led by skipper Brad Guzan who always has an eye on the league's next young prospects.

NE Revolution: The Revolution has been to the MLS Cup 4 out of the last 6 seasons. Does MLS have it's own version of the Buffalo Bills? Scotsman Steve Nicol beefed up his team in the back, but the loss of Pat Noonan to Europe thinned out the attack. The clock is ticking for the Rev's to have a legitimate shot at the title.

Chicago Fire: A lot has changed on the Fire roster from the days of Pole Peter Nowak and the current days of Mexican Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Blanco continues to take MLS to new levels with the Hispanic fan base, but can he stay fit and healthy to endure a season where is expected to be a trivial part of the attack on a regular basis? He has to be if the Fire wants to be a contender instead of a pretender.

FC Dallas: The Hoops parted with Carlos Ruiz which despite criticism was a step in the right direction if you ask me. FCD definitely still has an identity crisis as it tries to market its brand to suburbanites with players none of them have ever heard of. Mom, can I get another orange slice please? Does anyone else think the location of Pizza Hut park is absurd? From a performance-on-the-pitch perspective (alliteration): FCD has no room for error.

New York Red Bulls: I'm all about commericalism in sports, because its how I make a living. I'm all about jersey sponsors and big time investors, but actually naming the club after an energy drink is right up with FCD building its stadium 35 miles from the city that bears its name and wonder why no one comes to your games. Some one tell RB that just because you know how to sell caffeine- that has no bearing whatsoever on your ability to operate a successful professional soccer club. Personally, I thought it was shady that Juan Carlos Osorio took the Chicago gig just to kill time until the NYRB job became available. Now he's in the hot seat to get results and prove he's every he says he is. Former natty team captain Claudio Reyna either needs to start playing or start looking at real estate in Fort Lauderdale.

Kansas City Wizards: God Bless the late Lamar Hunt for being such a big investor in MLS and keeping it alive during those first few tough seasons financially. However ... naming the team the Wizards, playing in the Chief's stadium, then going to a minor league baseball park! WTF! Thank God you guys have a great stadium and commercial development project on the horizon because for the longest time it seemed guys could do nothing right. Boss Curt Onalfo strengthened up the back line, but was veteran Nick Garcia worth a first-round draft pick? Will his other moves pay off? The Wizards franchise does have post season experience, but only time will tell.

L.A. Galaxy: Despite it's on-field performance and never ending drama between GM Alexi Lalas and head coach Ruud Gullit, the Galaxy are still considered to be the league's most important franchise for reason (or should I say player) and one reason only: Mr. David Beckham. Becks has generated more publicity for the league in the past 10 months than in its first 10 seasons combined. Sellout crowds where ever his team plays, endorsements, jerseys, etc. There has been an interest in our domestic league that had not existed until now. But despite all the PR and commercial benefits, at the end of the day- it's about results and winning championships. Becks will never silence his critics unless he helps LA bring home a trophy. This year, the Galaxy could be the most exciting to watch or the most horrific.

Columbus: The Crew used to be the pride of the MLS with its gem of a "soccer specific stadium" that was the first of its kind in American. But historically, this team is just flat out bad. The team is completely dependent on one player- Guillermo Barros Schletto- and coach Sigi Schmid continues refusing to play young players.

Colorado: Didn't the Rapids create some unique partnership with Arsenal a while back? If so, you'd think they might have a little bit better of a team- a team worthy of the great venue it plays in. Hopefully the Gomez combo of Christian and Herculez will provide a much needed spark on offense. If nothing else, play former Hoosier Jacob Petersen.

Real Salt Lake: RSL is my sleeper for the 2008 season. I think they will do far better than most believe. Former MLS standout Jason Kreis has hand-picked his squad and what better way to break in that new stadium than with a playoff run?

San Jose: The Earthquakes couldn't get a stadium deal done in round 1, why do they think they can pull it off during round 2. The defense for the resurrected Quakes is solid and will things close, but if you like watching games with a ton of goals- this isn't the team for you.

Toronto FC: TFC is without question the most financially successful club selling out season tickets entirely for 2008, but the fans deserve to see a winning club and in all honesty their roster looks exactly like it did a year ago.

Congratulations on Seattle getting a team for '09 and Philly for '10.

St. Louis- you're next!

March Madness and Sport Adultery

2008-03-23T19:51:00.003-05:00

Growing up in Indiana, the month of March was always a special time. The land began to thaw from the previous winter, the snow melted and the green grass tops popped through. Club soccer practice kicked off on slushy fields and you go outside without a heavy jacket. But the month of March meant one thing in the Hoosier state: basketball. Whether it was the IU Hoosiers, Butler Bulldogs or Purdue Boilermakers; or the local high school team, every resident had their eyes glued on the basketball team of their choice. The story of the '07/'08 Indiana Basketball team was one of peaks and valleys. Ranked in the top 25 for most of the season it seemed the Hoosiers were back in the national spotlight like in the days of Branch McCracken and Robert Montgomery Knight. After one too many phone calls, coach Kelvin Sampson was fired and the team began a gradual downward spiral. We were one and done losing to Arkansas in the first round. A talented team with a top in-state recruit Eric Gordon played a tough season for nothing in my opinion. Regardless of the loss, I still found myself glued to the TV set pulling for the other teams I like to see do well like Butler and Louisville. Basketball, like football in Texas, is a part of our culture. It's the farmer's son who practicing his jump-shot long after the sun has set on a beat up rim and backboard nailed to the side of a barn. It's the packed gymnasium on a cold January night and all the streets and shops are empty. Call it just a stupid game. Call it what you will.

On Friday night I watched the Arkansas-IU game with an IU buddy I met down here. At the BW3's in Midtown, I met another IU Class of 2007 grad who works for the Rockets. It's always good to meet a fellow Hoosier- especially one that works in the sports biz.

A friend of mine, frustrated with my diehard sport loyalty, asked (borderline screamed) at me: "John, can't you cheer for just ONE Houston sports team! You live here after all!" In my usual smart ass way I told I cheered for the Dynamo, but they pay me so it's different. I told her that I'm a one-team kind of guy- like the way a loyal husband should be with just one woman- his wife. My team may be a little down, but I cannot commit a term I fabricated called "Sport Adultery." I refuse to bail on my teams I've pulled for my entire life just because I live in another part of the country. So here's to you, Houston Texas. I will not cheer for your indoor football and baseball teams nor your lousy NBA team just because I live here.

My job been brutal lately working a lot of long hours and with nothing much in return. The Dynamo hosted its first meaningful game this past week- a CONCACAF Champions Cup game against Guatemala's CSD Muncipal. Thank goodness this game was not our official MLS season Home Opener that we're pushing so hard. We had horrible ticket operations and logistical issues. On top of all this, the sales team as a whole is struggling to make quotas and goals. Despite our utmost efforts, management threatened to take away people's jobs last week. This rubbed me the wrong way of course and put a lot of things into perspective. I know for a fact there is something in Major League Soccer that I am meant to do and be successful at. I just don't know what that specifically is. I was willing to give ticket sales a try- just so I could get started.

22 Days of Rodeo

2008-03-16T14:55:00.003-05:00

First off, I apologize to my dedicated readers for the lack of posts lately. In all honesty my life has been pretty boring and you haven't missed out on much until recently. I've been working my ass off to not only sell as many tickets I can for the Houston Dynamo, but mostly to keep my boss off my back.

Anyways, yesterday I made my debut at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and I have never before experienced anything like it. For almost the entire month of March, the city of Houston in engaged in daily rodeo, carnival, livestock show and the biggest names in country music. Since my arrival in September I heard rumors of how huge and extravagant the Houston Rodeo is. I couldn't wait. As much as I wanted to be there every single day of the event, I had to pick and choose for monetary reasons.

I picked March 15, the day Brad Paisley was scheduled to perform after the rodeo competition that day. So immediately after the Dynamo season ticket holder event took place that day, I changed into my wrangler jeans, put on my cowboy hat, and jumped on the metro rail to Reliant Park. I met up with some friends from my church class and right away upon my arrival I bought a Bud Light and a BBQ turkey leg. I was more excited to see some real cowboys compete. The fact that Brad Paisley was performing afterwards was an added bonus. I fell in love with rodeos when I was a ranger at the Philmont Ranch in Cimarron, NM and I hadn't had my fix for well over a year. I decided that could definitely compete in the calf-wrestling competition. Basically a cowboy chases down a calf on his horse,jumps off and rolls the calf onto his back for time. Bull riding is the most respected event, but a little too insane for my tastes. I played rugby, so I've brought down my fair share of large, dumb animals. The concert was incredible. Paisley played several of my favorite songs and there is nothing more fun than rocking out to country music.

Once we got out of the stadium, Lauren and I were on a mission to find some deep fried food. This effort forced us to enter the carnival area with all of the carnies out to get your money. We had to be cautious. I decided on deep fried Oreo cookies, which I didn't think was possible, but they pulled it off and were quite delicious with powdered sugar sprinkled on top.

Lauren and I met up with more friends before going into The Hideout. The rodeo turns the floor of the old Astrodome into the giant dance floor. I was a lone cowboy amongst several young women so I had my work cutout for me keeping them all entertained and guaranteeing they all got their fair share of two-stepping on the dance floor. I would dance with one for a few songs, get a drink, then dance with another for a few songs. Very tiring work. Things started to die around 10:30 pm but Lauren and I weren't done for the night so we went to country music club Whiskey Creek in Midtown for more beers and dancing. By 2 am, I was exhausted, dehydrated, and covered in thin layer of salt from all the sweating I had done.

All in all my first Houston Rodeo was awesome and I'm trying to make it out for the last weekend to see the championship series and Brooks & Dunn on March 22.

When World's Collide

2008-02-18T19:45:00.002-06:00

This weekend I participated in two worlds that I had very little prior knowledge of, but threw myself into the mixer of them both and hope I would come out without too much self-inflicted damage.

The first of these unknown worlds was Texas A&M University in College Station. I had worked with Aggies at Philmont and I currently work with them at the Dynamo as well. I have known about their traditions, rituals, etc. for quite some time, but there's nothing quite like experiencing the real thing. Friday night my Philmont Ranger buddy Jameson had his ring dunking party. At TAMU, class rings are a big deal and everyone gets one because that is the tradition. When an Aggies gets their ring, they drop it into a pitcher of pitcher, chug it, and the time it takes you to drink to drink the pitcher is something you are supposed to remember your entire life. I don't quite get it either, I'm sure Aggies would find IU's traditions a little strange too. But it doesn't stop there, my friend Jameson is in the Corps of Cadets. TAMU was originally founded as a military academy and did not enroll women to the school until the 1970's. These days it is basically the "Purdue of Texas" but it still holds true to its military traditions by keeping the Corps of Cadets program. So at 0800 Saturday morning, Jameson joined his Fox Company "brothers" for PT on the quad. I was still hungover. That afternoon we went to a basketball game. TAMU does not have cheerleaders. They have Yell Leaders that are from the Corps and every yell is done hunched on your knees. During one of their songs, everyone interlocks legs and sways back and forth and all I could do was hang on for the ride. I like checking out other universities to get an idea of what other experiences were like. It also makes me appreciate my time at IU even more because it shows how unique and special my alma mater really it. Even though I had fun, I still like TAMU is a cult. Sorry Aggies. You can try to gig me later.

After a two hour drive through thunder storms, down pours, wind, and possible tornado conditions, I arrived in Dallas to see my sister compete in a cheerleading competition. But this wasn't just any cheerleading competition, it was the NCA National Championships- which still means nothing to me. Anyways, I enjoyed seeing my parents and sister. My good friend Cory was there in the exact same hotel for a pharmacy conference. We bought beer and cigars and I hung out with his school friends for the remainder of the night/early morning. But no amount of alcohol, nicotine, etc. could have prepared me for what I was about to witness the next day and I'm not talking about visiting Dealy Plaza and standing on the Grassy Knoll. I'm talking about the actual cheerleading competition itself. I had no idea how big this other kind of cult had become. I don't even know where to begin. Walking into the convention I saw a grown man wearing a bright purple tracksuit that had "Cheer Dad" embroidered on the chest. This same man wore a purple afro wig as well. Inside, I saw more skin in one place than ever before and none of it looked to be over the age of 16. Jailbait. Nothing but jailbait as far as the eye could see. The costumes were flamboyant and covered in rhine stones. These "girls" were caked in make-up and other "add-on" type features. Some things were so unbelievable they cannot be described because such words do not exist. The whole event was easily a multi-million dollar operation. I was impressed by the level of skill and athleticism required for the routines I saw, even though short- 2.5 minutes are allowed. T-shirts, giveaways, lights, fog machines, an emcee- I could go on and on. I was blown away.

I think it's great for girls to be involved in athletic competition, but the only thing that I really really had problem with was the number of guys I saw there. I'm not talking about innocent bystanders like myself, but guys that were on actually competing on these squads. Guys wearing varsity letter style jackets and trolling around wearing rhine stone covered outfits like it ain't a thing. My bitterness and anger only comes from the fact that there is a huge shortage of real men in America these days. No one knows how a real man is supposed to act and behave. In our world of material possession and pursuit of health, wealth, and happiness, the current generation men does not take the time nor effort to teach the generation below him. This neglect has been going on for years. Manhood is becoming a lost art and I don't how guys jumping around like a bunch of fruitcakes helps the situation. Maybe I'm just old fashioned and a homo-phobe. I guess this is what it's like when worlds collide.

Where did my weekend go?

2008-02-11T08:26:00.000-06:00

My latest work schedule of 10-7 has really cramped my style since we started it back in January. By the time I get home around 7:30, I'm tired and hungry, and when that's done it's much too late to do anything else. I've tried to get up early and workout or ride my bike before work, but it's next to impossible to avoid morning commute traffic. Since my life is consumed by work all week, I've had to reserve the weekends completely for my extracurricular activities. I look forward to the weekend more than ever these days, but every Sunday night I think to myself: "Where the hell did my weekend go?"

Weekend Re-cap:

Let's been honest, we could all use a few extra dollars. I've looked for part-time employment since my arrival in Houston, but with a schedule as hectic as mine working for a professional sports team, it's hard to find a company that will hire you. I needed something flexible. My solution was to start refereeing soccer games. Every person I know who has done it said it was some of the easiest money they have ever made and it paid straight cash. Perfect. So I took the class and started looking for soccer clubs close to where I live to get affiliated with. I made my soccer referee debut this past weekend with Bellaire Soccer Club playing host to a U-14 girls exhibition tournament. Being a referee in any sport is the most thankless job in the world. You really have to concentrate. Even though these games were just for practice, I had parents and coaches breathing down my neck. I completely missed seeing the offside flag once, and by the time I did see it play had already gone on and the team who would have had the advantage already was in possession of the ball. My class instructors said I would have my fair share of embarrassing referee stories before it's all over. I just didn't think it would happen this soon. That same game, I thought the game was over and started walking toward the car when it was really only half-time.

That evening, my dad's college friend invited me out to his house for an awesome dinner of baked potatoes, BBQ ribs, salad, and of course beer. After that I went over my new drinking buddy's apartment to pre-game a little before heading out. This guy is a recent IU alumnus I met on the social networking sight Facebook. I know it sounds lame, but I was really struggling to meet people my own age in an incredibly huge city. Anyways, after a couple beers we met up with a girl I met on a flight from St. Louis who just graduated from Purdue. I find it funny at how small the world is sometimes. One of this girl's friends went on a trip to London with one of my fraternity brothers. So strange. My buddy and I hung out with the Boilermakers for a while before heading to country bar Whiskey Creek for my coworkers birthday celebrations. I had never been to Whiskey Creek but everyone said it was my kind of place. The place was awesome playing kick-ass music, but way too crowded. I have to admit, I'm starting to not enjoy going out. In college I used to love the thrill of the hunt, but I knew most of the people at the places I went to and it was easier to network. I enjoy going out with a group of friends but I'm no longer a fan of going to bars to meet random girls. To conclude the night, my friend and I ate a late night breakfast at a 24 hour diner close to our apartments.

Unable to sleep in, I arose for Sunday school a little after 8am Sunday morning. I went to church and then to lunch with my class. Now that I'm starting to meet some of the guys, I'm actually starting to connect with a few of them. I still think they're way too uptight, but it's better than nothing. My IU buddy and I went looking around for a new place to live once our leases expire and then we took a random trip to Galveston. Galveston is a dump and a total disappointment. Don't ever go there. By the time I got home from that and made some dinner, all I could think was: "Where the hell did my weekend go?"

USA-Mexico Soccer "Friendly" Re-cap

2008-02-07T13:13:00.000-06:00

Last night the city of Houston's Reliant Stadium played host to an international soccer exhibition between the national teams of the United States and Mexico. The game was the talk of Houston for several weeks and was by far the hottest ticket in town. All day long, the only thing the Dynamo staff could really concentrate on was making their predictions on starting line-ups and the final score. 5:30pm rolled around and most of the office had departed for Reliant. Everyone but the sales team now working some unpleasant hours in our effort to lock in as much new business as possible before The Men in Orange take the pitch on March 19. Finally 6pm rolled around and we walked out. I changed clothes in the parking garage while my friend Neil bought beer. We drank a few beers in the parking garage while we waited for other work friends to join us before jumping on the Metro Rail to the stadium.

As I expected, a sea of green awaited us at the stadium. Although there were several patched of Red, White, and Blue. I wasn't worried because I had requested tickets in a USA section. When Neil and I got to our seats, we were the only gringos to be seen. Luckily the people around us were there to have fun and see a good game. We talked smack but nothing was meant by it. The way it is supposed to be. The Yanks took the lead early and held the lead twice. All in all it was a hard fought match. Both sides clearly wanted to win for the purposes of regional bragging rights. The US played sloppy defense, lacked touch and could not finish. In the end the 2-2 draw was the best result possible given the circumstances.

Former IU player and friend Drew Moor was the brunt of several jokes this morning. Several Dynamo staff believe he had no business being out there as well as several other young players. Yes, the USA squad lacked poise, a fine touch, and turned the ball over. Yes, this was USA-Mexico. Yes, this was our biggest rival and all, but at the end of the day- it’s just a friendly. Is it really worth risking our best players for a game that doesn’t mean anything? Is it worth the risk when the Olympics are this summer and then World Cup qualifying shortly after? This game had bigger, broader intentions. Last night's game was about getting the next generation of U.S. National team players some invaluable big-game experience when the "big-game" didn’t mean anything. The game atmosphere resembled something straight out of the World Cup. The Yanks played in front of a largely pro-Mexico crowd of 77,103. If that doesn’t simulate World Cup conditions then I don’t know what does.

2010 South Africa will be here for we know it.

Birthday- Texas Style

2008-01-28T18:50:00.000-06:00

Life is all about relationships. It's not necessarily what you know, but who you know. A perfect example is a guy I work with who is a few years older but has yet to finish his college degree and is working for a professional soccer team. Yikes.

My birthday celebration revolved entirely around relationships. Last Friday my friend Averick (my token black friend) and I went to a bar called Pub Fiction for happy hour. I met our bartender Gabe a few weeks prior- he's a big Dynamo fan. He gave me free shots of Petrone and fat discount on my food. We had to play a soccer game that night, so nothing happened after that.

Saturday night was the main event. I met the owner of a new bar in Midtown called Shot Bar a few weeks ago. He's from Yugoslavia and a big soccer fan. He gave a special VIP reserved area for my birthday with our own bartender. My friends were rather impressed. Shot Bar was rocking because it's almost just like Kilroy's back at IU. My friends came from all sorts of relationships: work, Philmont, and an '07 IU grad that did not meet until Houston.

In addition to the festivities I passed my referee's class and once again relationships are going to get me some games right away and some additional income.

O-Meet

2008-01-21T19:45:00.000-06:00

This past weekend made it all too clear why my mom supported my involvement in Scouting so much during my teen years.

She knew there would be at least one weekend a month and one full week a year that I would be out of the house allowed to act like the complete teenaged mutant that I was without bothering her.

After battling the Houston traffic for well over two hours just to get out of the metro area in monsoon-like down pours, I met up with a Philmont crew I led into the backcountry to join Venture Crew 2770 out of Buda, TX for the annual "O-Meet" at Bastrop State Park. I had never done an orienteering or land navigation competition before and have always wanted to. Not to mention I look for any excuse to get out of the city.

So there I was standing in a field shivering on a rather frigid Texas morning waiting for the meet to start watching hundreds of teenaged boys with nappy, shaggy haircuts run around like little Osama Bin Ladens burping, farting, wrestling, and talking about how Mountain Dew was their favorite soft drink because of the caffeine. Oh Lord have mercy. After witnessing the chaos around me, my Scoutmasters should be eligible for sainthood.

I really didn't care about the competition. I was there simply to camp and to have an excuse to buschwack around the woods. My Team Ranger Danger teammate and fellow Philmont Ranger friend Jameson Pugh had competed before and knew the general location of most of the markers. The meet began and the frenzy ensued. The first markers had large crowds but they soon slimmed down as the kids' became frustrated and gave up. Ranger Danger was on pace to score a lot of points, but my teammate's knee began to bother him and we called it a day.

The rest of weekend involved eating and sitting around the fire to stay warm. Only two things could have made it better: a beer and an ATW . . . all-terrain woman.

Livin' In Fast Forward

2008-01-15T19:49:00.000-06:00

I'm young. I'm single. I'm independent. I live in the 4th largest city in the country where there are a ton of things to do, places to see, and people to meet. Sounds great right? There's only one problem ... I'm broke as a joke. That's right folks. I have all the freedom in the world but no money to utilize it. The bills keep piling up and the truck payments are still due at the first of the month. What's a young 22 year old to do? I wish I had the answer. I think about all the adventures I've had and all the ones that are still on my "to do" list. I'm afraid that I'll never have this kind of flexibility again. Who knows, a few years down the road I could have a wife and a kid- then what? Scary, I know. No more weekend road trips seeking life lived on the edge. Just more bills. More expenses. More burdens.

Now that I'm starting to establish myself and have a life away from the job, I'm actually starting to like life down here in South Texas. Meeting people with common interests and attitudes in such a large place is still difficult. I did a group bike ride with an IU alumnus last weekend. I had a blast even though it reminded me how out of shape I have gotten since Little 5, but I couldn't help but notice how much younger I was than everyone else. I've had similar experiences at the rock gym and other places. If there is anyone out there who is in their 20's who likes to bike, camp, etc., please let me know. I'm in a Sunday school class for young singles, but the guys I've met are a bunch of stiffs. I'm the "Saturday night on the town- church boy on Sunday" kind of guy.

I will admit this state does have it all. Forests, lakes, prairies, deserts- the works. I can drive 30 minutes south and see the Gulf of Mexico. I can drive 3 hours west and experience some of the best rock climbing in the country. I want to see it all while I'm here. It's mouth watering to think of all the outdoor adventure opportunities that are just a short drive away. I recently bought a new mountain bike to replace the one stolen from my truck bed. I go to a park right in the heart of the city. The park is pretty big and when you're in the middle, it feels like you're in the middle of nowhere. I use it as my escape and it has been working.

This weekend I'm meeting up with one of my Philmont Ranch crews for a land navigation competition. This is my first real trip deep into the heart of Texas (clap clap clap).

Here I go again on my own

2008-01-05T07:50:00.000-06:00

It's 8 am on a Saturday. I can't sleep so I decided to blog:

As I drove back to my apartment from Houston's Hobby Airport a few days ago, I couldn't help but listen intently to the lyrics from popular Whitesnake song Here I Go Again.

An' here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
An' I've made up my mind
I ain't wasting no more time
But here I go again . . .

These verses hit me because that is exactly how I was feeling at the time. The 2007 Holiday season was the conclusion of my first real stint at life on my own and here I was getting ready for round two. My time in Houston has been challenging and full of ups and downs. I'm truly "on my own" down here. However things seem to get better each day and I am excited for what awaits in 2008. Ticket sales is still a very tough gig, and even though I still want to something else later down the road, I am giving it all I have for the time being.

The temperature was actually cold when I arrived back in the Bayou City. Winds brought the air down to the upper 20's at night. I turned my heat on for the first time, but it is already back in the 70's. This weekend Houston is venue for MLS sister company Soccer United Marketing's InterLiga, which is a tournament of Mexican clubs playing in the U.S. of A. The goal of SUM is to convert current foreign soccer fans into Major League Soccer fans. They do this by hosting events such as InterLiga where Mexicans can see their favorite teams by purchasing "bundle-pack tickets." These bundle packs will include a ticket to InterLiga and a Dynamo game. SUM and MLS hope that the InterLiga buyers will use their MLS ticket simply because they already paid for it. If everything goes right, the InterLiga will see a great MLS game, realize they can see soccer in their place of residence a few times a month, and become a MLS fan. The plan sounds crazy, but has worked with the Hispanic population here in Houston.

I have to be at the stadium at 5 pm this evening, I'm sure I'll find something fun and exciting to do until then.

Home for the Holidays

2007-12-26T21:55:00.000-06:00

The common cliche says there is no place like home for the Holidays. However, the word "home" has been a rather strange concept for me to grasp the past few years of my life. For me, home has been a constant state of transition. Mr. Webster offers a few definitions of the word "home." Home can be defined as one's place of residence, the social unit formed by a family living together, a place of origin, or a familiar or usual setting. I was born in Southern Indiana, but grew up in Northern Indiana. Most are oblivious to the cultural rift between the two areas. I stayed within Indiana for college, but my parents relocated to St. Louis my freshman year. I still lived most of the year in Indiana, but spent my summers working at a ranch in New Mexico. The summer after college I worked for a baseball team in Illinois and I now reside in Houston, Texas. All of this happened within four years. So it is easy to see why I have a difficult time grasping the concept of home. I'm not sure what or where "home" is for me.

I will admit that this was the first time I actually looked forward to coming to my parents' house 30 minutes southwest of St. Louis, Missouri. They live out in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but hills and winding country roads, which exactly what I needed. Living in downtown Houston wore me down. I guy like me needs to see some nature every once in a while. Christmas allowed me to do that this year.

Christmas has been a difficult time of year for me in recent past. Christmas is often associated with reliving childhood memories, keeping traditions, and visiting with friends and family. Anymore, I feel that Christmas has become just another over-rushed, over-hurried event that is synonymous with the modern American lifestyle. I find the irony in all this almost humorous, but mostly frustrating. My household does what I call "The Blitzkreig." Blitzkreigs have nothing to do with Hitler and the Nazi regime, but are visits to where most of my kinfolk live. The Blitzkreig's primary objective is to see as much family possible in the shortest amount of time not exceeding 24 hours. I mentioned irony earlier. When I was a teenager, my mother told me the importance of family and how you need to enjoy them while you can because they won't be around forever. If family is so important then why does everyone seem to make an effort to spend so little time with them? I find the only way to truly connect to people is through conversation. I have known my cousins for most of my life, but in all reality I know nothing about them. I wish I knew them better, but every time I'm with them I feel like cattle being herded from one dinner to the next. At these dinners everyone spits out the usual chit-chat small talk. Nothing genuine. It's fast and to-the-point. Over-rushed. Over-hurried. This year, I think I had only two complete conversations. One with my uncle about Freemasonry and one with my aunt who was the only one who bothered to ask how my job in Houston. I gave her a full account only to be criticized by my siblings claiming I talked about myself too much. Two weeks ago, my sisters could not wait for their Big Bro to come home. Five days later I get lectured on why the world needs nurses and not professional sports. Again irony.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Happy New Year!

Good Luck to Coach Lynch and the Indiana Hoosier football team in the Insight Bowl!

Country Boy in the Concrete Jungle

2007-12-12T16:59:00.000-06:00

The Houston Dynamo organization rode its back-to-back momentum as long as it could. Now we're just another MLS club deep in the heart of Texas. The people who know me well laughed when I told them I was moving to Texas saying how well I would fit in there. Ironically it's been quite the opposite. Despite my efforts to get tapped into the things I enjoy. I've struggled to find my niche down here. Last weekend I went to an alumni event to watch the Indiana-Kentucky basketball game. I had a lot of fun, but I was by far the youngest person there. One of the guys is a big soccer fan and player. He's only a few years older, but he's married. I've done the third wheel thing my fair share of times and I'm tired of playing that game. However I did meet an alumn who cycles and wants to get me on his club because I'm an ex-Little 500 legend in my own mind. After that I had dinner with a Philmont adviser. Talking about something other than Dynamo/soccer was a treat. She's signing me up for her Venture Crew so I can attend their events in the future. That night a friend of mine from church and one of our Dynamo girls had her birthday at the dueling piano bar Howl at the Moon. I tried to recruit a few buddies from work, but to no avail. I went anyway. Most of the people there were from our Sunday school class and we're nothing but a bunch of stiffs. They didn't sing along or get into it, which is where the fun is. All they did was stare at their diet cokes and sprites on the rocks. I drank a few beers, but it's not like I got hammered. My friend Jennifer put it this way: if you were Greek in college and a Christian- you get it. I'm a Saturday night out on the town and a Church boy on Sunday. So for the time being, I'm going to crank up my John Mellencamp and George Strait CD's and keep on being a country in the concrete jungle.

FINALLY . . . Some normalcy!

2007-11-28T08:33:00.000-06:00

Last night I met up with an alumnus from my college fraternity who is a lawyer here in Houston for the Indiana-Georgia Tech basketball game. The event was nothing spectacular or anything extraordiary but it was nice to talk with someone who had a similar background and some knowledge about Hoosier Hoops. We ate some wings and put back a few beers at the BW3's in Houston's Midtown. Some of the guy's friends showed up and it was nice to meet a couple more professionals in the city. The night went by fast after Indiana beat G-Tech and Duke easily rolled over Wisconsin. One of the guys is a die-hard soccer fan. I could tell these guys were lawyers as they constructed arguements both for and against a college football tournament. I was out of my league but it was fun nonetheless. Hopefully I'll meet up with these guys again.

Thanksgiving Re-cap

2007-11-27T12:39:00.000-06:00

This was my first Thanksgiving away from I had done for 21 years before. My financial situation did not allow me to make it back to Southern Indiana from South Texas. My friend Jason invited me to join him, his girl friend, and girl friend's mother for dinner at his home in Mobile, Alabama. Since I did not have other plans, I accepted. I left Houston for Mobile Wednesday afternoon. The office was dead and their wasn't much reason to stick around. I drive was going very easily until just past Lafayette, Louisiana where an entire 70 mile chunk of I-10 had been shut down both eastbound and westbound lanes. All of the traffic was detoured to a back-road state highway that definitely not equipped for the extra Thanksgiving Weekend travelers. Needless to say my roadrage was in full bloom. I finally made the drive in just under 8.5 hours.

Jason's girlfriend did a fabulous job of cooking Thanksgiving dinner. It tasted no different than my grandmother's cooking. Despite the great tasting food, the overall atmosphere just wasn't the same without my relatives and all of their characteristics. Saturday, Jason and I hit the rock-climbing gym. I'm incredibly out of shape on the rocks and Jason is just plain out of shape. If I wasn't achored in, belaying my friends could have been a safety issue. The holiday was a nice break from the hectic Dynamo front office that had been my world for the past few weeks during what I now call MLS Cup fever, but needless to say it was a reminder of the homesickness I still get from time to time as I take on the challenges of a new life and new city all on my own.

MLS Champions!

2007-11-26T08:43:00.000-06:00

This entry is way overdue, but should not be forgotten.

As a full-time employee of the Houston Dynamo I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel with the team to Washington DC for the MLS Cup final against NE Revolution. And what a ride it was.

We arrived in DC late morning Friday, so after a bite to eat my friends and I headed out on the metro rail for L'Enfant Plaza and the National Mall to see all the sights and monunments. DC is a very beautiful city that was definitely planned out in advance before anything was built. After walking all over the place in fairly cold temperatures, we had a bite to eat over by the Marine Barracks were the top general of the Marine Corps lives. The beer and food for some reason tasted alot better in our nation's capital.

On Saturday was a day of old friendships. I met up with long-time Scouting friend Jeff O'Brien for lunch and a few museums. That night at the MLS Cup pregame party I met with fellow IU soccer hooligan Zach Zayner. Seeing some familiar faces and talking about some common ground was a nice added bonus to already incredible weekend.

Sunday started early. The diehard Dynamo supporters including myself and office friends wanted quality tailgate time before kick-off. Waiting for the metro was a scene from London, England. We were a group of dedicated soccer supporters all decked out in our club's colors catching the underground to the stadium chanting and singing the whole way. Some NE Rev's supporters were on the train as well and exchanged a few looks along the way. The weather on gameday was perfect: sunny and in the low 60's. A large contingent of Texian Army and El Batallon made the trip from Houston. We mingled in the parking lot mixing drinks and scavaging for beer.

For the most part, the game was a blur. I can't remember details or specifics, and it wasn't because I was too drunk. All I know is that we were down a goal going into halftime and that we came back to win 2-1. We had an official victory celebration party at a three story sports bars a few blocks from our hotel. It was wild. So wild that I almost missed the bus to catch our plane home the next morning.

The following Tuesday, City Hall hosted a Victory Rally for us. Whenever a city council member or local government official was introduced, our fans kept chanting "WHERE'S OUR STADIUM?"

A good question indeed ...

MLS Cup Fever!

2007-11-12T09:05:00.000-06:00

Houston Dynamo is back in the MLS Cup Championship versus New England Revolution. This is an exact repeat of last year's matchup, but the road to DC was anything but pretty.

Houston was already down a goal in the aggregate scoring system playing host to FC Dallas on Friday November 2. When Dallas struck first scoring the first goal, the outlook was not good. Late game heroics by the Dynamo sent the game into overtime and two more goals scored in overtime sealed Dynamo's advancement to the Western Conference Championship. Now all we could was wait for the result of the Kansas City-Chivas USA game to see where the game would be played. KC dug in and held their 1-0 lead from the first leg. Houston would host the Wizards in the WCF.

The arrived in the office on Monday November 5 to sound of ringing phones. Those phones did not stop ringing all week long. To make things interesting, our phone system crashed because of the flood of incoming calls. The week was grueling with alot of extra hours in the office. Before we knew it, it was game-day.

I was working the will-call tent when some fans asked us if they could buy tickets here. I pointed them in the direction of the ticket window, but they said it was closed. That could mean only one thing: there were no more tickets to sell. We had officially sold-out Robertson Stadium.

I was confident that if Dynamo scored first we would win the game. Our team was firing on all cinders after the come from behind win over Dallas. But even after Nate Jaqua's gem of a header into the net from a corner, the Dynamo attack did not stop. They took no chances. They wanted to dominate KC. Houston scored again in the second half, but still continued to dominate every aspect of the game.

When the final whistle blew, I was relatively calm where as most of my coworkers were estatic, but as I said earlier I knew if we scored first we would win. With 30,972 people in attendance, it was fate to return to MLS Cup. As I stood on the field watching the sea of Orange around me go all out crazy for their team, I could do nothing but smile. I thought about where I was just a short time ago, unpacking from college in my parents basement. I had no job, no leads, nothing. How here I am getting ready to travel to our nation's capital for the MLS Cup championship game.

The "New" American Cowboy

2007-10-31T11:27:00.001-05:00

Pardon my American English, but I would like to take a moment and say a big F*** YOU to Annie Proulx. For those of you who do not know, Annie Proulx is the author of the novel Brokeback Mountain, which of course inspired the movie. Ms. Proulx, your novel has forever destroyed the image of the American cowboy - even in the state of Texas. An image that was once was the personification of masculinity, self-reliance, hardwork, toughness and Western romaniticism is now nothing more than an association with homosexuality and something more than just harmless Village People reference. Thank you, Ms. Proulx, thank you very much. Ever since your book became a movie, everytime I wear the clothes I enjoy wearing- wrangler jeans, button down shirts, and my favorite cowboy hat around my own peers, I must deal with references to your literary work. Rodeos and ranches have become "Brokeback Fan Conventions" instead of gathering of some of the toughest athletes in all of sport. Ms. Proulx, I think you should give a public apology for all the cowboy's lives you have brought unnecessary harm to.

A Day in Big D

2007-10-31T10:33:00.000-05:00

I normally don't take horoscopes seriously. A couple weeks ago a friend of mine read my Aquarius horoscope from Teen Cosmo (don't ask) and it said something like "a much needed trip out of town will leave you feeling like the Energizer Bunny." So when I had the opportunity to get out of Houston to road trip up north to Dallas for Dynamo's first round playoff game against our I-45 rivals FC Dallas, I didn't hesitate. What an interesting trip it ended up being. I couldn't find a carpool group, but I went anyway driving the four hours by myself. I met up with other front office staff once I got there and we took advantage of my pick-up truck to consume a few adult beverages in true Texas style before kick-off. All week I had been looking forward to seeing a college friend who lives in nearby Ft. Worth. As the game wore on and on, and Dynamo played worse and worse, my friend had still not arrived. Dynamo lost for the first time ever to Dallas and my friend arrived nearly 30 minutes after the game ended. In the meantime, I met some Dynamo supporters and jump-started some Dallas supporters' car. I guess what happens on the field stays on the field. Jennifer and I finally reunited and had a late dinner. Seeing a familiar face and talking to someone on the same page as me was a blessing. The visit was short and soon it was time for me to hit the road. As I ventured south through the Dallas metro area, I got lost in a sea of orange construction barrels. Somehow I got on an off-ramp and there was no on-ramp back onto the highway to be found. I wandered aimlessly through downtown Dallas looking for a gas station so I could fuel up the truck and get some directions. I pulled up to a gas station and all the pumps were shut down. My fuel light was already on. I figured if I could just get back onto the highway I would be alright. Traffic that night was a nightmare due to all of the "weekend before Halloween" festivities. I eventually got back on southbound I-45, but no gas station could be found. I finally saw a Shell Station light and pulled over. As I pulled up I was hit by deja vu- it was the same sketchy Shell Station my mom and I stopped at two months ago when I moved down here. Only this time it was close to 1am and the crack heads were out in full force. The second I got out of the truck a man started washing my car windows asking for a few dollars. I told him that if he told me how to get back onto the highway I would give him a few dollars. He did, but washed my windows anyway. The other crack heads saw this interaction and desided to try their luck- it worked. I shelled out 10 bucks just so I would be left alone. I was so freaked out that I decided that I was sleeping in my own bed that night no matter what. I set my cruise control on 85 mph and held on for the ride. I got home just before 4am.

Surprisingly, the change of scenery was just what I needed. I started my work week refreshed and ready to go. Maybe horoscope's aren't so crazy afterall.

Fisch's Fury

2007-10-09T16:06:00.000-05:00

In my lifetime I have learned that writing about your personal frustrations is quite therapuetic. It allows one to vent in a positive way. Therefore, I debut a new segment to my blog this afternoon that I call "Fisch's Fury." In the next however many words that it takes readers will learn about everything that is pissing me off right now. So without further delay, here we go.

Houston Traffic: No matter what time of day or day of the week, a ridiculous amount of cars, trucks, SUV's, etc. are always on the roads. I don't have a problem with the morning and evening commute stuff- that's just part of life, but when I'm fighting to change lanes on a Saturday afternoon or a Sunday at 8am it gets a little old. Not only is there a lot of traffic, but most of the traffic are horrible drivers. Driving is almost spiritual around here. I've found Jesus on more than one occasion while driving around Houston.

Small, yappy dogs: Not to be confused with large rodents, the Houston Metropolitan area is home to hundreds of small, yappy dogs. This is expected given the lack of wide open space which is more appropiate for a Labrador or larger dog. The other day I was pulling into my apartment in my big ass truck, when Fido decided he liked the red paint and ran straight toward my 6,000 lbs of 4 wheel drive madness. The dogs owner glared at me as if I was at fault. Am I bitter? A little, simply because that dog probably eats better than I do.

This next section might seem a little hypocritical given the theme of the "Fisch's Fury" entry.

People who complain/whine: I worked my ass off to get where I am. I applied for countless jobs in anything from minor league baseball to independent arena football. I know how hard it is to land a job in sports, especially if you do not live in a large market. The Houston Dynamo organization was orginally located in San Jose, CA as the Earthquakes. Several people from the Earthquakes remained with the organization and relocated to Houston. However, everyday I hear co-workers bitch and moan about how Houston is too hot, the people here are rednecks, this sucks, that sucks, and it goes on and on. I'm tired of it. First off, if you hate the weather that much then leave. No one is forcing you to stay in Houston. Secondly, this is the South, not hippy California. People beat to a different drum down here. Southerners are a little more laid-back, and just because it's different than what you're accustomed to doesn't make it wrong.

And if one more person gives me shit for listening to country music, I just might have to go "country" on their ass.

Proud to be a neo-Texan and proud to work for HOUSTON DYNAMO!

Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy Weekend

2007-10-08T14:41:00.000-05:00

One night can change a lot of things. One night's events can set a chain reaction in motion. After one month here in Houston, homesickness had sunk in and I was questioning why I even had come down here in the first place. However one night changed all that. Last Friday night I sort of went on my first date in quite some time. I asked a girl from my apartment complex to join my friends and I for an evening in Houston's Midtown. My friends already were quite "happy" by the time we arrived and not before long, it was just the two of us. But we had a great time nonetheless. I enjoyed our coversation and getting to know her better. Connecting with someone of the opposite sex is a feeling like no other. The feeling sets a man free. I look forward to our next evening together.

Saturday night the same theory applied as I watched LSU's surprise come from behind win over the Florida Gators, and Stanford's surprise upset over USC. Once again the BCS system has been rocked and all the rules thrown out the window. I cannot remember a crazier season for college football in my lifetime. On any given Saturday David can overcome Goliath. I really do not see two undefeated teams going to the BCS National Championship Game. Ohio State is the lone Big Ten school that remains undefeated but has remained under the rader with all of the crazier events occurring on the grid-iron.

And last but certainly not least the big MLS Western Conference clash between Houston Dynamo and LA Galaxy. We had completely sold out the stadium two weeks prior, so we anticipated a large crowd despite the unlikelihood that a certain LA midfielder named David Beckham would make the trip. We arrived at the stadium at 8:30am to begin our preparations for the gates opening at Noon and a 2pm kickoff. I had to help pass out materials once the gates open, and the people just kept coming and coming. When I finally entered the stadium with 10 minutes remaining in the first half, I was overwhelmed by a sea of Orange. Every corner of the stadium was packed with dedicated Dynamo fans. The game was by far one of the best soccer atmosphere's I had ever been in for a regular season MLS game. Despite the front office's performance to sell out the game, the team on the pitch did not perform live up to its end of the bargain. Even though Dynamo scored first, a lackluster defense and overall team effort allowed LA to score to unanswered goals losing 2-1 in front of 30,000 Houstonians. The loss puts the MLS playoff picture into a scramble once again.

Workin it . . .

2007-10-04T13:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I had had enough of making cold sales calls- the kind of phone calls where you basically pick a phone number, call it, make the pitch, and hope for the best. Sometimes it works, but most of the time it doesn't So I decided to acutally try and do something what productive with my time. I pulled out my Sigma Nu fraternity alumni directory and flipped to the Houston, TX region. I found a guy who worked for a big law firm downtown and called him up. I introduced myself as a recent SNU IU grad who moved to the area just a few weeks ago. We talked about IU and fraternity stuff for about 20 minutes. I didn't mention who I worked for once until he asked me. Without pitching anything, he said he would be interested in hearing more about what Houston Dynamo had to offer. Finally having a positive phone conversation was a pleasant change of events.

That afternoon we had to count all the seats in the stadium to make sure they all actually existed. The front office is taking every necessary precaution to gurantee every fan in attendance for our last home regular season on Sunday has a positive and memorable Dynamo experience.

Later that evening I had my first major networking/ public relations event. The weekly radio show Dynamo Power Hour hosted by Glenn Davis broadcasted an extended two hour show at the Taco Milagro restaurant downtown. The restaurant chain is owned by one of our larger clients who has not been the happiest with his Dynamo partnership lately. Before the account was assigned to me, the account executive before me has promised him the world and obviously could not provide it. The sales team has tried to patch the relationship ever since. When it was appropiate, I sat down with the client just in introduce myself and learn more about his business. We talked soccer, the status of the stadium being built, etc. He said he was very happy with everything and verbally committed to renewing his partnership for 2008. A great crowd showed up for the show and got to hear commentary from players Brian Ching and Stuart Holden, and head coach Dominic Kinnear.

I Still Got It!

2007-10-01T15:48:00.000-05:00

You can take the man out of the fraternity, but you can't take the fraternity out of the man. After our indoor soccer game Friday night, some friends from the Dynamo front office decided to meet up in Houston's Midtown to celebrate the end of the work week. The venue of choice that night was the Tipsy Clover. The place reminded me a lot of Kilroys at Indiana University. Similar set up, vibe, and crowd. My friends and I were talking about everything but work, when they dared me to go talk to some girls who just entered the patio. I smiled and said "okay." I don't think they expected me to go through with it. I approached the lucky ladies, said I was new in town, and introduced myself. From there it was like pushing a canoe down a wild river. No looking back. I amused Maia, Denise, and Amy with my Midwest small town charm. They were so impressed that they invited me to go to another bar with them. We conversed for nearly three hours. My partners in crime could not find me at the Clover and had moved on without me. Unfortunate for them because I had every intention of introducing them. Maybe they will think twice before daring me to talk to young women. Afterall, I don't think they liked what happened. I got three phone numbers, they got nothing. There's still a little SNU left in me after all.

IU Football beats Iowa on the road 38-20
IU Soccer beats Michigan 3-2 (OT)
Houston Dynamo beats FC Dallas 3-0

From Minor League Baseball to Major League Soccer

2007-09-27T16:48:00.000-05:00

I once heard somewhere "If you can work in minor league baseball, you can work anywhere." Whoever said knew what he was talking about. In minor league baseball you have small staffs, work long hours, host six to eight game homestands, and barely have a weekend off. Interning for the Rockford RiverHawks in the independent Frontier League was no different. Our staff was so small, interns made up half of the "full-time" staff. Any time there was any type of event, everyone was there. Everyone from the GM to the grounds crew. Working in major league soccer is a whole different world. First, I have worked only one game and I have been here almost a month. When it comes to community events like the Dynamo Charity Golf Outing and Houston Soccer Challenge Tournament, the ticket sales team's presence was not needed. Enough people from the front office would be there. In Rockford, I was expected to due anything and everything necessary to get things done. In Houston, I am expected to due one thing and one thing only- sell tickets. It's different- like night and day. We have a seperate department for sales, marketing, media relations, operations, and sponsorships. The Riverhawks had one person for each of those tasks. Yesterday we had a big staff meeting to talk about our marketing strategy for when Dynamo plays its playoff game here in Houston. Our goal is a sold-out crowd. We've got a lot of great things planned. Welcome to the big leagues I guess.

DREAM. SCREAM. BELIEVE. Forever Orange.

Aging Frat Stars

2007-09-21T16:47:00.000-05:00

At 22 ripe years of age, I still feel very much attached to the college lifestyle and last night proved I could still party with the best of them on a Thursday night. However there is one major difference worth noting: in college, I didn't have to be at the office at 8:30 in the morning. Up to this point, I hadn't had the chance to experience much of the Houston night life, so when a guy from the office invited me to join him for his Thursday night prowl, I of course said yes. When someone buys you a shot at a bar, the polite gesture and proper bar etiquette is to drink it. Since I'm still the new guy in town, several new people that I met welcomed this Hoosier with a shot of their choosing. One shot isn't a big deal, but several of them over the course of the night mixed with the beer bottle I had as my sidearm added up to a lethal equation. Time passed as I rocked out to an 80's cover band and talked to several beautiful,"surgically enhanced" women. Before I knew it, it was 3am by the time I got home and my alarm clock sounded just 4 hours later. The whole 9 to 5 thing prevents me from taking the afternoon naps I was accustomed to, so staying out late and getting up early really takes a toll on you. Recovering took me most of today proving officially that I am an aging frat star.

Life Beyond Sigma Nu

2007-09-17T10:45:00.000-05:00

For the past three years, I have lived with nearly 80 guys. There was constant action and human interaction almost 24/7 within the halls and walls of the Sigma Nu Fraternity house on the Indiana University campus. Now I live alone in a one bedroom apartment in downtown Houston, Texas. My apartment complex is very quiet and I rarely see any of my neighbors. The only one I have met is the guy next door to me and that is only because I got bored and decided to introduce myself. His name is Ali and he is a French-Iraqi immigrant. Everyday I see a car with an Illinois license plate and a Delta Zeta window sticker. I wouldn't mind meeting her. I have caught myself on several occasions waking up in the middle of the night or looking around while watching television trying to figure out why it is so quiet. If it was ever completely quiet inside the SNU house, something was wrong. The constant noise and interaction is something I had grown quite accustomed to and something I really enjoyed about the fraternity lifestyle. Needless to say, it's been weird living alone in a big city where you do not know many people. I have been getting out though trying to meet my kind of people. There is a bike shop just a couple blocks from my apartment and I took a fly-fishing class Saturday morning.

Big weekend for sports:

Indiana Football 41, Akron 24
Houston Dynamo 3, LA Galaxy 1- Dynamo clinch playoff spot.
Chicago Bears 20, KC Chiefs 10
Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are 2nd & 3rd respectively in the NASCAR chase.

Sucking Wind and Dodging Bullets

2007-09-13T08:33:00.000-05:00

Obviously most people working in the Houston Dynamo front office are soccer fans and former players. I am no different. Some guys from the office and I play indoor soccer twice a week. Even though most of us are in our 20's, we talk about the "glory days" of our playing careers reflecting on intense high school state tournament games in horrible weather conditions and wild stories from club soccer weekend tournaments. There also exists the key element of how out of shape we all are. One of the requirements to make the Carroll HS varsity team was to run two miles under 14 minutes. These days, I can barely run five minutes during an indoor game without running out of juice. One of the most important things in soccer is your "touch" or how easily you can control the ball with your feet. When your energy and endurance goes out the window, your touch quickly follows. You can't control the ball if you can't keep your head above your knees. This was my problem the other night. I couldn't control the ball to save my life. I even completely wiffed receiving a pass and watched the ball shamefully roll into the back of our own net. No wonder soccer is called the beautiful game.

I've noticed that weather and traffic are the two main news topics on any given day in the Houston area. So when a tropical storm began brewing in the Gulf of Mexico, the Bayou City entered a minor state of crisis. I didn't think much of it at first, but as that tropical storm was given the name Humberto and began spiraling toward the coast, I couldn't help but get a little concerned. You see, in Indiana, don't have to worry about Hurricanes. You get the occasional tornado, but never do you have to worry about your house getting flooded and ripped of its foundation in the same natural disaster. The locals in the office took advantage of this Midwestern boy telling me to stock up on bottled water and non-perishable food items. I almost fell for it. Everyone was too calm for me to get worried. That night, I laid in my bed waiting for the storm to hit. It never happened. The next morning, the news anchors said we dodged a bullet, but I thought to myself "What about the people to the east who didn't dodge a bullet? What about them?"

The Great Migration

2007-09-05T14:24:00.001-05:00

There wasn't much space left in my Chevy Silverado pick-up truck when my mom and I left the St.L for Houston. The entire bed and extended cab was packed to its max. The drive was relatively uneventful except for driving along an enormous lake in Oklahoma and getting caught in a horrible thunderstorm in Dallas during rush hour, the one thing we didn't want to happen. The tarp covering my new furniture and belongings barely offered any protection from the rain. So mom pulled over to a gas station on Dallas' south side aka "The Hood" if you've never been there. We left not much longer despite the rain. We stopped for the night right when our nerves were getting tense. We were about an hour from Houston. Texas is a beautiful state- a true Southern belle if you will. My Philmont friends from Texas often said it was my destiny to one live in the Lone Star state.

Driving through morning rush hour traffic in Houston was probably more nerve racking than evening rush hour traffic in Houston. Trying to change lanes and navigate in a place where you know nothing is quite the challenge. MapQuest is not as helpful as it might seem. Ultimately, mom and I found the apartment. By the time we moved everything in, I looked like I had jumped into a swimming pool. Looking outside my bedroom window and seeing skyscrapers is something that is going to take some getting used to. I did get to bring my mom to a Dynamo game. Since I've been here everyone has been very helpful and friendly to the new guy on the block. I've already made some friends, found a couple bars, and started playing some indoor soccer.

Now that I'm working for Houston Dynamo of major league soccer, a good amount on this blog will be dedicated to soccer in the future.

Best Weekend Ever

2007-08-28T10:51:00.000-05:00

When Houston Dymano made me a formal offer to join their sales team, I looked at a map, and I realized I would not get the chance to visit my beloved alma mater Indiana University for quite some time. I lucked out and my start date in Houston allowed me one weekend to visit B-town when my Sigma Nu brothers were there. Last Thursday I packed my truck and headed to Hoosier Nation, which didn't seem strange at all. For the past four years, the end of August was always B-town time. When I arrived at 1015 North Jordan Avenue, there were boxes and furniture everywhere. Brothers still moving in. Nothing seemed different to me. Everyone was very excited and supportive about my opportunity. We wasted no time in getting down to first weekend business. Thursday evening was Hairy Bears at Bears Place. About eight SNU's walked into the back room and it was nothing but Zetas, Kappas, and AZD's. A solid 5:1 girl to guy ratio. After not one, but two Hairy Bears, the Men of Beta Eta chapter decided the women in the establishment needed to be lead in an inebriated version of Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. Soon after, it was off to Kilroys on Kirkwood. I ran into a lot of people I never expected to see again. Luckily the night ended early and with good reason because we were going pontooning on Lake Monroe all day Friday.

Friday morning began with Doug Davis going to the senior rooms mustering the troops for pontooning. We had done our recruitment of local talent the previous evening. After a run to the grocery and liquor store, the SNU's were off to Lake Monroe with several very attractive Zetas and Chi-O's. In all seriousness, there was not a single girl on that boat who was not drop dead gorgeous. We did nothing but swim and drink cheap beer for a solid eight straight hours. The weather was warm and sunny. Perfect weather. The boat broke down in the late afternoon and I ended up stranded in the lake, but I was with a beautiful woman so I had no complaints really. When we got back to the house, I had to quickly get cleaned up to go over to Morhbach, Eaton, Meiers, and Staresenich's house for a kegger. I was sun burnt, dehydrated, slighty drunk, and basically had no business drinking again, but I did anyway. Those guys were very happy to see me. I then got a call from my friend Abi who wanted to meet up for dinner. We had a pizza at Nicks and the whole time I felt two steps away from death, but I went anyway. We visted for about two hours. I walked back to 10th street only to walk back to Kirkwood for a brothers 21st birthday. I ran into a girl from the pontoon boat, she looked horrible too. I bascially socialized until I couldn't keep my eyes open.

Saturday was all about one thing: the live band from Little 500 that was to perform that night in the house courtyard. I took my cousin Ashley around town and had dinner with my former superviser Tyra, who happens to be a Texas native. We all helped the band setup and hung out with them before the show. Soon enough it was time to tap the kegs and get things started. We had two off-duty police officers working the back and front doors to keep the random strangers away. The band rocked and the party was a huge success. Every freshman there wants to be a SNU now and every sorority girl there said this was the best fraternity they have ever been to. Even after the band finished their set, the party was still just getting started. Every brother had a girl on his arm. I don't think anyone went to bed before 5am. I know I didn't. Everyone kept giving me hard time saying I was crazy to walk away from another year of this.

On Sunday, no body woke up before noon. A bunch of us went to the Gresham food court for breakfast/lunch. Going there brought back some memories. Soon enough it was time for me to say my goodbyes and hit the road. Before I officially left, I walked around campus one last time and took those pictures I had not got around to yet.

Thanks guy for a weekend I will never forget.

Heil to Old IU

2007-08-18T09:37:00.001-05:00

I received my college diploma in the mail the other day, which can be a weird experience. As I opened the envelope and held my 8x10 inch piece of cardboard in my hands, all I could manage to think was: "Is this it?" After four years of classes, late nights, exams, papers, cramming sessions, and a roller coaster of emotions all I have to prove that I did it is a piece of cardboard with few signatures on it? I sort of feel like I've been hosed. Afterall, it's not like anyone will ever ask to see my college diploma. However this whole ordeal forces me to reflect on my college years in a different way. College is not about "proof" or learning a particular craft or trade such as business or journalism. College is about getting an education, and that "education" can be viewed in several ways. There is the academic education and the life experience education. My years at IU were probably the most influential on me becoming the man I am today. Never before had I been so challenged in so many ways. Never before had I been broken so far down and built back up. I got to meet some great people. I got to do some great things. Few of these examples were in the classroom but in the world I lived in around the classroom. I know I'm never going to feel that way again. I look back at how naive I was about the bigger world around me and I can't help but laugh. I may never actually use my "journalism degree" but my four years at Indiana University made me a stronger person and I am grateful for the time I spent there. The fact that I will not return to Bloomington this fall still has not quite sunk in yet, but no matter what I do or where I go, I will always take the time to say "Heil to Old IU!"

God Bless Texas

2007-08-11T19:45:00.000-05:00

If you're gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band. That lead guitar is hot but not for an Indiana man . . . okay, so I ad-libbed a few words in my own rendition of this classic Alabama song, but hey I'm entitled to these days. The Houston Dynamo offered the position I was looking for. I'll be a salesman in the corporate division of their sales department. Basically, I'll make phone calls to Houston businesses and corporations trying to convince them to buy season ticket packages or setting up group events. So two things are official. One, I'll be working in professional soccer, and two, I'll be living in Texas, which is ironic. Many of my Philmont Ranch co-workers are Texans and kidded with me saying I was the biggest, boldest fantasy Texan. Basically they meant that the only thing that prevented me from being a true Texan was the fact that I was not from Texas. My former boss in the media lab at IU said it was my destiny to live in Texas at some point in my life. I don't have to report until early September, so in the meantime I am home with my parents in St. Louis looking online for apartments, furniture, a new truck, and anything else I might need for my new life. I'll be at IU in a few weeks to visit everyone there one last time for a while.

You aren't a laid-back Southerner are you?

2007-08-04T11:15:00.000-05:00

The Houston Dynamo professional soccer club flew me down to hang out with them for a couple days, so I could take in a game and to hang out in the front office a little to meet the sales team and other staff. I had to drive to Chicago's O'Hare Airport which is the biggest pain in the ass ever. When I arrived, however, I got the V.I.P. treatment. Now I know how everyone else feels when a big company brings them in. The team's vice president and director of sales picked me up from the airport, and took me straight to an absolutely fabulous hotel in downtown Houston. I took a much needed 45 minute power nap then walked the two blocks to the Dynamo's office on the 34th floor of The Wedge skyscraper. I ate some pizza with the staff then went over to the University of Houston campus where the Dynamo currently play their games. I got a full tour of the stadium and an all-access field pass. I ran into former Hoosiers John Michael Hayden and Jay Nolly. They were both very excited to hear that I might possibly work in Major League Soccer. One thing I really liked was the V.I.P. tent for season ticket holders. Before league games, one of the assistant coaches will speak to season ticket holders and break down the day's match-up. Supporter groups Texian Army and El Batallon provided plenty of noise and atmosphere. A decent sized crowd attended the mid-week Super Liga game. When the final whistle was blown, I was starving and exhausted. I went straight to bed after some food. The morning the vice prez treated me to breakfast and took me over to the office to sit-in on a staff meeting. I sat down with the sales team one-on-one. I felt confident that I would fit in and contribute to the franchise. I thought the nail was hammered into my coffin when the British born vice president asked me if I was a laid-back Southerner. My heart skipped a beat. I thought I was done for. I answered: "From a cultural stand point yes, but my parents didn't raise a slacker." They said they would have an answer for me by Monday, so until then, all I can do is wait.

The Frid's Wedding and Fort Wayne

2007-07-28T14:40:00.000-05:00

Matt Bueter's words at the conclusion of Dave Fridley's wedding summed up just about everyone's thoughts: "Can you believe that just happened?" As I stood next to my longtime friend Rachel Esther, I was in total agreement. I had just witnessed my first close friend to get married. A strange situation. Dave's wedding brought me back to my "hometown" for the first time in nearly three years. Which made for an interesting 24 hours.

The journey to my hometown was an interesting one. I left Thursday night after a RiverHawks game. My plan was to avoid the Chicago traffic by driving through it at night. I would drive until I was too tired to drive anymore. I went to my apartment, grabbed my stuff, and hit the road around 11pm. I got through Chicago, and called it a night at a sketchy truck stop just outside Valparaiso. I slept in the back seat of my Jeep. The air was muggy, but I kept my windows up for security purposes. I finished the drive to "The Fort" Friday morning.

I had many people to see and very little time to do it in. This would be a quick visit. I had to be back in Rockford for a game Saturday night. I saw a few people, but then I realized I really wanted to see Dave before the main event. I showed up at his house right as his dad finished breakfast. His mother welcomed me in with open arms. Every one was very calm, relaxed, and in good spirits. I hope it's like that on my wedding day. After a couple hours of playing Guitar Hero on xBox, Dave and his groomsmen had work to do. So did I. I had lunch with long-time friend Austin Hill. Two hours at Buffalo Wild Wings was not enough. I expected to feel awkward as I drove through my old stompin grounds, but it surprisingly did not feel that way. Rachel Esther was my date to the wedding. I had finally gotten Rachel to go on a date with me after nine years of trying and after she gotten engaged. Oh well.

The wedding was at the beautiful St. Vincents church. Dave and Lindsey looked amazing. During the whole ceremony I laughed to myself because the whole time I thought "This is Dave, and he's getting married!" I don't think the guy took anything seriously his entire life and here he was getting married- one of the biggest decisions of your life. I knew most of the groomsmen and bridesmaids, which made for a fun reception. After a nice meal and several beers, it was time to dance. In typical Dave Fridley fashion, it was all country music. My kind of music. I taught a few people to line dance. As the night went on, I still had more people to see. Another friend, Leslie Scott-Slayback was in town for our friend Aimee Kien's birthday. They both knew I was in town and both begged me to see them. We met at a bar in downtown Fort Wayne that we grew up hearing about, but I had never been to. Both Leslie and Aimee looked incredible. Even though I hoped not to run into Carroll HS people, I ran into several. Everyone thought I had disappeared. I informed them of my family's relocation to St. Louis. They asked me what I was up to and I told them of my summer in minor league baseball and my upcoming trip to visit the Houston Dynamo of MLS. I enjoyed seeing their eyes get real big when I told them of all the amazing things I had been a part of the past few years at IU. Not bad for the shy, quiet kid in high school that no one took seriously. I told them all I enjoyed seeing them and wished them all the best. The night was not nearly long enough, and over before I knew it. I knew I had a long drive Saturday morning and did not want to push my limits.

I had a hero's welcoming when I returned to Fort Wayne after a three year absense. But I had to realize that that was a rare occasion. Leslie, Aimee, Rachel and Austin were my high school friends. We had some great times together and I miss them dearly. Dave, Matt, and Lindsey were my close friends in college, and we also had some great times together and I will miss them dearly as well. Dave's wedding made me realize one important fact of life: you don't know you've got until its gone.

Best wishes Dave and Lindsey. Best wishes everyone.

Rocky Mountain High Colorado!

2007-07-23T12:59:00.000-05:00

That John Dever is definitely not full of sh*t. Any one who has ever felt the thrill of climbing a mountain knows it is a high unlike any other. So when when I received my invitation for the MLS ticket-sales job fair in Denver, Colorado, of course I was going to hit the backcountry. Luckily, I have a few friends in the area. After my interviews Thursday, Erica Jenewein picked me up at the hotel. Erica and I did some mission work together Summer 2002 on the Black Pines Lakota-Sioux Reservation just south of Badlands National Park. We had not seen each other in five years, but it felt like five days. Erica and I explored downtown until we met up with my Philmont Ranger buddy Lee Tolbert. The truly awesome thing about working at Philmont is that you have friends all over the country. We met at the Rock Bottom Brewery and began making our adventure plans. We decided we were going to knock out not just one 14er, but three. Mt. Lincoln, Cameron, and Bross were our backcountry destinations. Friday was all preparation for our hike. We left for the trailhead at 12,000 feet that evening. Camp was a packed house. We had to pitch our tents in a meadow. In the parking lot, I met a former IU girl who lived in the Kappa Delta house next door to Sigma Nu and happened to be a Little 500 rider. Small world. We arose early Saturday around 5am. The air was cold, but the 2000 ft elevation gain in 1.5 miles warmed us right up. The trails were steep and the wind vicious. We met some really cool people, and dogs, along the way. The elevation crippled me a little, but nothing major. All in all, we bagged four peaks in four hours. Not bad for a guy who lives in the Midwest and had only two days to acclimate. Our trip to the 14ers of Colorado was exactly what the doctor ordered. My summer in minor league baseball has been fun, but a little lacking on the adventure side. Once again, I conqured the moutain. My only wish is that I could do it more often.

Risk and Money

2007-07-23T12:38:00.000-05:00

As my summer-long quest for sports industry knowledge continues, I came upon one incredible revelation as I sat on a bus headed toward Denver, Colorado from the airport: He who takes the least risks, makes the least money. This statement is 100% Jon Spolestra- the man who wrote the book on sports marketing. A man I have become a true disciple of. That statement is why I found myself at the Radisson Hotel outside the Mile High City the morning of the MLS All-Stars vs. Celtic FC match. I applied for an invitation to the one-time-a-year league-wide job fair and I actually got invited. My dad put it bluntly: "You have to go." So that's all there was to it, plain and simple. Despite my reluctance at first due to my yearning to hold onto IU life as long as possible by going to grad-school, deep down I knew dad was right. Never let an opportunity pass you by. I may not get the chance to meet with people from every single professional soccer club in the USA ever again.

The job fair went very well. I got to see which clubs I would actually fit in with. I felt I had strong connection with the Houston and Dallas teams, but that is just my perspective. The decision is ultimately there's, not mine. The 10-15 minutes I had with team officials flew by like the wind. It seemed that everyone else was talking much longer than I. Denver is still my #1 choice, but that may not happen. We'll see how things work out.

Minor league ball, major league dreams

2007-07-10T09:16:00.000-05:00

The original goal of the Frontier League was to bring professional baseball to locations that could never possibly attract a major league affiliated ball club. Independent league baseball has recently been the target of frustration and ridicule among my colleagues and I, but there was something about being at GCS Park, home to the Gateway Grizzlies, that brought it all together. As I gazed upon the St. Louis skyline beyond the first baseline bleachers, my eyes drifted down to a family of five sitting a few rows behind me. I could see the excitement in the young boy's eyes. I also could see the burden in his father's eyes from a long, hard 40 hour week of labor in the hot, humid Mississippi River valley air. I could tell this family simply did not have the means to cross the river and attend a Cardinals games. But why should this young boy and his family be denied the opportunity to watch a live baseball game in person? The green grass. The roar of the crowd. The smell of the hotdogs and popcorn. All add to the package that can only be experienced in person. That young boy probably will not get to attend many games in his lifetime, but he will remember the games he did attend. So I guess it's best for him to attend a Frontier League game than no game at all.

The very next night, my dad took my family of five to a Cardinals game. Our seats were in the Redbird Club section directly below the broadcasters booths behind homeplate. The Redbird Club was exclusive with its own air-conditioned bar, catering, and food much nicer than your average ballpark food. Dad bought us all the food and drink we wanted. I never asked him how much the tickets cost and I cant comprehend how much money he spent. Sometime during the seventh inning stretch I thought of the family I saw at Gateway and I was thankful to be where I was in Busch Stadium. I was also thankful for what the Frontier League provided for those less fortunate than me.

To good times and good friends . . .

2007-07-03T14:49:00.000-05:00

I went to visit some fraternity brothers of mine in Chicago last weekend. We had a great time and somehow managed not to get arrested, but it made me realize I spend way too much time living in the past. This summer has been rather surreal. The fact that I have a college diploma with my name on it has not quite sunk in yet. Maybe that is why I find myself looking at old pictures or thinking a million "what-if" situations where if I had done one thing versus another my life would be better. Thinking about the past is a waste of time. You can only move forward.

The two weeks I spent at home after school were some of the hardest of my life emotionally. I went from being Big Man on Campus as a senior and bike team captain of Sigma Nu Fraternity to just another guy. I had no job. No plan. Nothing. I didn't think a life after IU was possible, so I held onto what was safe for as long as possible. This internship with the Rockford RiverHawks has at least calmed my fears about post-college life. No matter where I go or what I do, there will be good people you can relate to.

My college buddies will always be just that- my college buddies. We had our time and it was great. I wouldn't change it for anything. The games, the parties, the tailgates- all great times. I know I can rely on them for advice, but I also know I can rely on new friends for just as good advice.

Rockford Purple Sox

2007-06-28T14:06:00.000-05:00

In addition to my many duties for the Rockford RiverHawks baseball team, I'm currently leading a campaign to change the franchises name to the Purple Sox. The season is almost half-way over and up until about a week ago, our team was the worst in the Frontier League. The players wore purple socks one game for the "Give Cancer a Curveball" Night. The team has not lost a game since. The team has not stopped wearing their purple socks either. The manager J.D. Arndt goes as far as pulling up his pants legs with his purple stockings in full view for all to see. All athletes have their superstitions and rituals, but baseball players are a whole different breed. If somehow, this Rockford baseball team is dubbed Frontier League champions this year, then I feel it is only appropiate to change the team's name to the Purple Sox.

P.S. I want to give my former superviser Tyra Robertson a big shout-out for bringing some Texas attitude to the IU School of Journalism Multi-media lab.

Perks of the Job

2007-06-28T13:42:00.000-05:00

People have many misconceptions about working in minor league baseball. People ask me what I do and they say "it must be great seeing all those games!" I chuckle and tell them I hardly get to watch the games, and when I do, I don't really get to enjoy it. As an intern, I work long hours and don't get paid jack. However, there are some pretty awesome perks to the job. After the the last fan left the stadium after a six game homestand, the general manager rolled out a keg. Play some music, add beer, get some 20-something year olds together, and just like that it's a college party all over again. We played cornhole and beer pong in the beer garden until 1 in the morning having just a good old time. Fun is good. Sure the days are long and you have to deal with some of the most obnoxious people, but if you're not having fun working in sports, then you ought to get out.

Coach Hep: The Rock of Indiana

2007-06-20T08:23:00.000-05:00

My alma mater Indiana University lost a dear friend. Indiana head football coach Terry Hoeppner passed away from brain tumor complications yesterday morning in the Bloomington hospital. Coach 'Hep' was a players' coach. He was a students' coach.

From the moment he arrived on campus, Coach Hep did everything within his power to turn around the Indiana football program. More importantly than the win/loss record, Hep made us all proud to be Hoosiers again. He led his players through the tailgate fields and stadium parking lots encouraging everyone he passed to come inside to cheer "their" team to victory. Inside Memorial Stadium sat a giant limestone rock and it was every fans' obligation on Saturday afternoon to "Defend the Rock!" After every win, the players led the fans in "Indiana, Our Indiana"- the fight song. The Indiana native himself understood the history and tradition that did exist with Indiana football. He used his state connections to emphasize the importance of in-state recruiting when establishing a winning program.

Hep's fight against his illness paralleled his never say die coaching style. He was a warrior. He was a fighter. During the 2006 season, he endured two surgeries and miraculously missed only two games. He very much wanted to be healthy again and return to coaching the Hoosiers. In his short tenure as coach, the Indiana football program made incredible progress.

Rest in peace Coach Hep. You were the rock of Indiana. You will be missed.

Field Trip

2007-06-19T15:38:00.000-05:00

I had not been on a field trip since I was in high school, and I could not think of any other way to describe my day trip to Chicago anything other than a field trip. The RiverHawks production crew and I went to a Chicago White Sox game to get a "behind-the-scenes" look at how a major league team produces its game and runs its scoreboard. So even though I got a day off work to go to a baseball game, it was a learning experience.

The day started out as a great adventure in public transportation. Where I come from, public transportation is piling fifteen guys into the bed of a pick-up truck. We rode the Metro train into the city, hopped on a water taxi to the Billy Goat Tavern, walked down Michigan Ave. and then rode the subway train to U.S. Cellular Field. I learned more about Chicago history in one afternoon than in the 22 years of my life. The Billy Goat Tavern is where the Chicago Cubs "Curse of the Billy Goat" legend originated, as well as the SNL "Cheezeborger cheezeborger cheezeborger!" sketch. We received VIP honors at the ballpark and went to a lot of places most people do not have access to. Maybe it is just because they are Chicagoans but going to a Sox game with my colleagues was like living the movie "Fever Pitch." I'm a big sports fan and all. I love my Hoosiers, Bears, and Cardinals more than any other, but these guys who are way too obsessed with their baseball team.

Best Man

2007-06-11T10:08:00.000-05:00

My good friend Cory Bivona asked me to be his best man for his wedding last night. I accepted the honor without hesitation telling my friend that I would be there anyway. I might be stricken to a wheel chair with tubes coming out of every orifice of my body, but I would be there.

In the back of my mind, as Cory gave me the details of the wedding so far, I wondered: "What exactly does it mean to be someone's 'best man'?" The tradition of the best man has been around for years, but does anyone really stop to comtemplate its meaning or significance? I doubt it.

Cory continued, telling me all the reasons why I was the only worthy canidate. He said I was the only constant source of friendship that he has had in his life when it mattered most. I was present at all the most important events of his life. I was the only friend from Indiana that ever visited him or called him after he moved away. I don't think I have ever received a better compliment.

Cory and I go way back. On his very first day of 5th grade class in Indiana, this kid talked about a boy scout camping trip he went on. Cory was a scouter where he used to live. Turns out, that kid was me and I got him involved with Troop 12. We went on our first backpacking trip together and went on a 12 day trek at the Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico.

As Cory talked on, I started to get a better idea of the best man's role, but I wasn't satisfied. I did some research first thing this morning. The role of best man was introduced by the Germanic goths at approximately 200 AD. Due to a shortage of women. Goth men frequently resorted to bride kidnapping to procure wives. When the groom went to the bride's house with the intent of carrying her off, the best man was dispatched to help fight off the relatives of the bride.

Backpacking may not be of the same intensity as Germanic Goth-style wive-stealing, but I was starting to get the concept. The groom and the best man overcome some sort of obstacle together. Being the groom's best man meant to be his best friend, and no greater title or honor exists than to be a man's best friend.

The crack of the bat . . .

2007-06-06T10:06:00.000-05:00

"The heart of the game is the crack of the bat." James Earl Jones spoke these words narrating a documentary on baseball as you begin your tour of the Louisville Slugger bat factory and museum. I heard these words several years ago, but their meaning did not hit me until last night.

Last night we had a double-header against Windy City. The first game went along just fine and the RiverHawks actually won, but the second game was one of those games that drug out forever and the home team was getting slaughtered. Everyone just wanted the torture to end. The air was cold and the wind made matters worse. At one point there were maybe 20 people left watching the game. The game did not end until well after midnight. All I could think about was going home.

Right when I was about to leave, another intern said: "Let's go play on the field." Everyone grabbed their gloves and I reluctantly followed. For the next thirty minutes or so we hit, catched, and threw just like we were kids again. I had not had such innocent fun in quite a long time. Playing ball on that minor league field in Rockford, Illinois took me back to a time when all was good about sports. A time when people did not play for fame or fortune, but for love of the game.

Whether we want to admit it, baseball is in each and everyone of us. Baseball is an allegory to the American dream. Baseball, like the American dream, has changed over time, but has stood the test of time.

Meeting Danica Patrick

2007-06-03T10:52:00.000-05:00

Working in minor league baseball has its perks besides free brats at the ball park. You get to meet some cool people. So just as any home grown Indiana boy, I love the Indianapolis 500. It's without question the greatest spectacle in racing and the best team is the Andretti-Green Racing team. When Danica Patrick left the Dave Letterman team it was a big deal because the Letterman team gave D.P. her big break. Danica happens to be a Roscoe, IL native which is very close to Road Ranger Stadium where the Riverhawks play. She's come back the past few years in between races to make a community appearance and help raise some cash for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. As a front office employee of the Rockford Riverhawks I had the opportunity to meet the best-looking spectacle in racing.

River Hawks Professional Baseball

2007-06-03T10:21:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. This came up sudden, but I’m currently working as a video production intern with the Rockford (IL) Riverhawks baseball team. I read about the job on a Tuesday, drove up for an interview on Wednesday, hired on the spot, and started that afternoon. Opening day is Friday May 25th, and we’ve been running around like maniacs trying to get things ready to go. I’m having a great time though and learning a lot about minor league baseball. Hopefully this will get my foot in the door and launch me to the next level.

Congratulations to my boy Cory Bivona on his recent engagement.