Super Bowl Redux

Note: I intended to write this peace yesterday, but with Colts loss (I'm a huge fan) I needed a day to get over the loss to the Saints.

My 10 thoughts from Sunday's Big Game.

10.) 106 million people watched the Super Bowl. 1/3 of our population watched the Super Bowl! It was the largest TV audience ever, breaking the record of the last M*A*S*H episode. This is remarkable in this day of endless viewing options.

Now, if the NFL owners and players screw up what they have going in their CBA negotiations and have a lockout of any kind - they would be the biggest fools on earth. The money pie is huge...8 Billion dollars huge! You can figure out a way for everyone to get a nice slice.

9.) I hated the Colts losing. Hated it. But if they were going to lose to a team in the NFL - I'm cool with it being the Saints. Drew Brees is a good dude. Despite the disappointment I felt after the game, seeing Drew holding his cute little boy after the game while his eyes filled with tears...that was special.

8.) Seriously, how long will we have to pay for Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction"? I don't have anything against The Who, but we need a more relevant halftime experience. The only thing that held that act together was an amazing stage production. That was wow. Here are some safe, but relevant suggestions for next year: 1) a country collage of Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Carrie Underwood. 2) Kings of Leon, Coldplay or Maroon 5. 3) U2. OR, put these guys on a 7 second delay: 1) Jay Z and Rihanna. 2) The Black Eyed Peas.

7.) The biggest play of the game form a football perspective was not the interception, the onside kick, but Pierre Garcon's drop in the second quarter. Manning hit Pierre in the hands around the 50 yard line, with about 25 more yards of running room. The Colts are almost guaranteed to score again, which would have eliminated one of the Saints possessions. Colts would have had a two possession lead, and I believe won the game.

6.) Peyton Manning is the most unjustly scrutinized player in sports. Maybe in sports history. He throws for 333 yds, and TD and a INT that people with real football knowledge know was on Reggie Wayne's unusual break to the ball - and somehow we are back to the Peyton can't win when the big game is on the line. I won't defend him long, because I'm admittedly partial, but give me a break.

5.) My Favorite Super Bowl Ads:
1.) The Doritos "Play Nice" (The little boy putting smack down on his mommas date.
2.) Lebron vs. Dwight vs. Larry Bird
3.) Betty White Snickers Bar
4.) Leno, Oprah, Letterman
5.) Jim Nance, FLOW TV Spineless man
6.) E-trade Jealous Baby Girlfriend
7.) Audi Green Police

4.) My Least Favorite Super Bowl Ads:
1.) Career Builder - Casual Day. Still have a little vomit in my mouth over that.
2.) Go Daddy Ads - How many miles of slutiness can they get out of these?
3.) Monster.com - Gopher/Beaver, Whatever it was it was weird and made no sense.
4.) Coke Sleep walking - Yawn.
5.) Charles Barkley/Taco Bell - yeah, Barkley needs a super size combo meal.
6.) Audi Green Police (Yeah, I know it's on both lists. If the Green Police weren't intended to be satirical, then I didn't like it.)

3.) Speaking of commercials. The Pam/Tim Tebow commercial. You know the one that got the NOW (National Organization of you better think like we do or you’re not a real Woman group) and other feminist groups all stirred up into a tizzy? Here is what I think: The groups that were crying that this ad was offensive and demeaning to women. The groups calling for CBS to pull the ad - These groups should be embarrassed of themselves. I don't mean a little flush in the cheeks embarrassed, I mean head in the sand, go on vacation for a month, profusely apologetic type of embarrassed at themselves for creating a firestorm over this ad. I emphasized should for a reason.

Terry O'Neil, the president of NOW, responded to the commercial by saying, "I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it," she said. "That’s what comes across to me even more strongly than the anti-abortion message. I myself am a survivor of domestic violence, and I don’t find it charming. I think CBS should be ashamed of itself."

So let me get this straight...Tim Tebow and Focus on the Family are "celebrating violence against women"? I'm sorry, but these assertions can only be described as idiocy, absurd, madness and lunacy.

2.) I think Jim Nance may be one of the best sports broadcasters of all time. He is so underrated.

1.) I feel a little pit in my stomach because it has just occurred to me that football is on hiatus until September...ah well, we have March Madness soon.

- Brad

Who cares? We do.

HT: Mint.com

Two great articles on President Obama's speech to school children

There has been some controversy, exaggerated in my opinion, over President Obama's speech to America's School children. Some conservatives went straight off the deep end with their everything liberals do is a conspiracy to warp America. I always cringe when this happens, and it seems to happen too often. I cringe because I think it hurts the cause of conservative/libertarian values. I have no problem with the health care debate - that is a huge, and legitimate issue to disagree on. The President addressing and challenging our children to pursue excellence in the classroom - not a big deal.

Of course many liberals do the same thing. They attempt to make meaningful arguments as to why Sarah Palin is the American version of Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadi Nejad. When they do so, it totally hijacks their sanity and ideas. I can't take anything they say seriously when I read such idiocy - and the their side won't take what conservatives say seriously when we go conspiracy theory at every Obama move.

That being said, I read two fantastic articles on the President's speech and thought I would pass them along to you.

You can read Dr. John Piper's take HERE.

You can read Dr. Al Mohler's take HERE.

- Brad

God and Country

There is a conflict that reflects a deep divide in today's American culture - a conflict that, if resolved, could pave the way for our nation to come together and successfully address the issues that fill the airways.

In May Andy Stanley of North Point Community Church preached a two part series of messages called God and Country. They are challenging and relevant to the times we are living in.

Let me encourage you to visit www.northpoint.org/godandcountry

Take some time and watch these two messages.

- Brad

Young women of America, you can do everything but

have a traditional conservative opinion. Good article by Andrea: Andrea Tantaros

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Nashville

Julie, Rylee and myself headed to Nashville yesterday for a day at our State's Capital. I had some official business - praying to open the Senate session, for which my uncle Ken Yager is a member of.

Funny thing - I thought I was the guest of honor - until after I stepped away they introduced the real guest of honor. Country Music Singer Marty Stuart. I took 30 seconds to read my Biography, and 30 minutes to read his. BTW, his hair looks like that in real life.

- Brad

Bigger than Gay Marriage...

There is an interesting, and troubling article from the Washington Post. "Faith Groups Increasingly Lose Gay Rights Fights"

Read it HERE.

- Brad

The End...

Here is a facinating synopsis and analysis of the election results and events leading up to from Charles Krauthammer.

Enjoy.

- Brad

A look outside our borders is reason enough to be thankful for America.

Girl, 13, stoned to death in Somalia

- Brad

The Brightness of it

Well, it is the day after the Presidential election. Slightly more than half of the country is happy, slightly less than half of the country is sad.

I was not a Barack Obama supporter. He is far too liberal in far too many of my conservative ideals. However, there is something I am happy for today.

This country elected a black man as President.

145 years ago that couldn't happen - The country was just on the verge of making a black man free.

40 years ago our country was vying for basic equality.

Less than 24 hours ago "The Dream" was fulfilled for many people. An African American family will be in the White House, not as tourists, or staff members, but as The First Family.

One of the unheralded forces that has helped allow this:

It will not be be viewed by many in this fashion, but I believe George W. Bush deserves a significant amount of credit for embracing diversity. There has been no President - Democrat or Republican that has ever put as many minorities and women at higher levels of office than 'W'.

There will still be some in our nation on the two outside extreme fringes of the race equality conversation in this country. There will still be Rev. Jeremiah Wright's and Skin Head Nazi idiots. But, today they become irrelevant, small noises in the symphony of reality.

No matter the President, It's a great day to be an American.

- Brad

Poli-Ticked?

Tired of the campaign season - both the local and national ones? I am. Annoyed with the state of our government and political system? I am. Poli-Ticked? I am. So with one week to go, here are some questions I have for our politicians:

Social Issues:

- Abortion. For those who are pro-choice, I do not agree with your position. However, this question isn't about when life begins, it is about your agenda. Why are so many pro-choice politicians and activists pushing for legislation that would prohibit parental notification for abortions performed on minors?

Every 16 year-old has to sign a note of parental consent to ride a school bus on a field trip...but having an abortion is off limits?

Economic Issues:

- Socialism. We need to help the poor and helpless, but not the poor and lazy. Why do so many of you feel that raising taxes on corporations will help the poor? Wouldn't corporations having more capital to create jobs for the poor be a better way to help the middle class?

- Wall street. Regulation isn't the answer. Prison time is. Will you pursue people at the head of financial frauds as severely as you do Martha Stewart and Major League Baseball players that use steroids?

Health care:

- Universal Health care. I am uninsured, yet I do not feel that the government owes it to me to provide me with health insurance. I am entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...not an HMO. If you tax me to pay for someone else's health insurance, will you eventually tax me to pay for someone else's college education?

Race:

- What demographic is most concerned with race in this election? I can honestly say I have never looked at Obama as the 'black' guy, or McCain as the 'white guy'. Is it me, or is the majority of my generation just not as racially oriented?

Just some questions from my my musings.

- Brad

McCain footage released

The French national archive has released footage of John McCain as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Here is the video:



- Brad

This will help calm your November Presidential anxieties:

007 is back in November! James Bond will make everything right.

Big Bang Theory

MSNBC published this article concerning new technologies that have just been released. I love the opening line of this article on MSNBC:

"After 14 years of preparation, a new scientific wonder of the world opened for business Wednesday with the official startup of Europe's Large Hadron Collider.
The $10 billion particle accelerator is the biggest, most expensive science machine on earth, designed to probe mysteries ranging from dark matter and missing antimatter to the existence of extra, unseen dimensions in space."

Has anyone mentioned to them that when the Big Bang 'happened' that there were no scientists, or 10 Billion dollars?

10 BILLION Dollars and 14 years or research! Wow. Man is really nervous about his origin. I wonder why?????

- Brad

Every Child's Right

Last night I watched the last half of Dem's Convention in Denver, Co. As a prelude to the night's big speaker, Hilary Clinton, the other speaker's including Chelsea, quoted her famous stump speech line:

"Every child deserves the right to reach their potential."

That line must have been uttered at least 10 times.

I just wandered: "Does every unborn child deserve the right to reach their potential?"

- Brad

Rick Warren and the Presidential Candidates

Rick Warren will sit down with both Barak Obama and John McCain before the conventions for and hour long question and answer session. This is going to be awesome I think. Way to go Rick, let the PD haters begin thier misery.

Here's more form CNN.


HT: Todd Rhodes

- Brad

What to make of Obama and his Pastor/Spiritual Mentor?

Warning, the video below may contain content that is offensive.

Controversy of this magnitude rarely makes itself known until the general election. I suppose the hotly contested Democratic primary was enough to bring out the full array of political weaponry.

You must have heard of Rev. Jeremiah Wright by now, if you haven't Google his name for 5,012 news articles detailing his insanity and extreme racism. Obama finds himself in a real tale spin that he and his aides may not be able to control. The image damage may be too great to repair.

The fact that stings for Obama is that he has claimed to be a member of Wright's former church for 20 years. Additionally, he has leaned on Wright as a 'mentor' for several years. It is simply impossible that Barack was unaware of these extreme views

What thoughts do you guys have on his future campaign?

- Brad

I think Sir Charles is a bit confused...

1.) He thinks Republicans are Christians
2.) He thinks Political Conservatives are Christians

Check this video clip out...

A few quick points:
1. While many Christians may be aligned with Political Conservatism and the Republican party it is intellectually dishonest to say that Republicans are Christians and visa versa - the two are not connected fundamentally.
2. For all who say, "You shouldn't judge others" because the Bible says so...would you READ the Bible just once! Jesus says to the Pharisees religious piety in Matthew 7:1-3:

"Do not judge, so that you won't be judged. 2 For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but don't notice the log in your own eye?

BUT IN THE SAME STINKING CHAPTER HE SAYS:

"Don't give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces..."Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You'll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from hornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn't produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you'll recognize them by their fruit."

This command requires us to 'judge' or discern what is right and wrong. Even a 3rd grader could read Matthew Chapter 7 and come to that conclusion!

3.) A true man of the people lives in a resort, but buys a secondary residence in Alabama so he can run for Governor. Hopefully you "Don't Judge me people" can read the sarcasm.
4.) You can be against Abortion and Gay Marriage and it not be an extreme position. It is a normal moral position that CNN and liberals have built a mirage of extremism around.

You guys have any thoughts?

BTW, I have always like Barkley, but not necessarily thought he was right.

- Brad

Liberal Hypocrisy

I have written a number of times on this blog about the 'in your face' hypocrisy of the liberal establishment that includes Bill Maher, Hillary, Sharpton and so on. Add to the list Columbia University.

This week Columbia is hosting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a guest speaker at the University. Naturally, there has been outrage expressed over having this anti-American, anti-Israel, anti-woman, anti-Jew, pro-Hezbollah, pro-al qaeda crazy man at the campus of an American University. Early reports of a special tour of ground zero sparked all sorts of pundits and political action groups to influence the NYC mayor to forbid the ridiculous agenda packed charade.

What has stood out to me the most however is the response of the Columbia University Administration, who feel that allowing Ahmadinejad to speak represents 'free speech', the 'American way' blah, blah. John Coatsworth, one of the deans at the Ivy League University made a chilling remark stating that if Adolf Hitler were alive today that he too would have an opportunity to speak at the the University.

Well isn't it just wonderful that Columbia allows people from all walks of life to share their views and opinions on their campus...oh wait! That's a load of junk!

This same 'free speech' Columbia University hasn't allowed ROTC on campus since 1969 and hasn't granted credits for ROTC since 1990. Why this hatred for the U.S. Military? On of the primary reasons is the perceived discrimination of homosexuals in the military.

Why is this interesting? Ahmadinejad supports state-sponsored stoning of gays in the public. The in your face hypocrisy of Columbia in regards to their stand against Conservatives who frown on homosexuality and their acceptance of a man who supports the execution of homosexuals is enraging. The Ivy League school, with their academic depth have become intellectual vacuums. The local community college may not have the esteemed Physicist, but is likely to give a better education that these 'elite' institutions of 'higher' learning.

Question? Will the female students of Columbia be allowed to attend the sessions? Just curious, since they are banned from soccer games in Iran.

Yeah, George W. Bush is really a tyrant!

- Brad

Tony Snow on his Faith and battle with Cancer

"Blessings arrive in unexpected packages—in my case, cancer."

Christianity Today had a wonderful article regarding the Testimony of Tony Snow. Tony has been the White House press secretary and will soon leave his post because of his battle with cancer.

His testimony is worth a read. You can find the article HERE.

- Brad