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Posted by: David Bunch

The new college basketball poll is out, and Duke remains in the number 1 spot. The Indiana Hoosiers moved up to number 17, and the LSU Tigers are ranked 25th after beating West Virginia over the weekend (West Virginia was ranked 13).

Overall pretty good news for the college basketball fan over at the Bench Warmer(s)....

And how could I have forgotten this jewel of information in my last blog? One of my most treasured books is a first edition of C.S. Lewis' Beyond Personality. If you've read Mere Christianity, you'll note that Beyond Personality is included in it. But in 1945, before Mere Christianity was published, Beyond Personality was done as a stand alone volume. Alas, if only the copy in my possession had the dust jacket!

How did I score the book you ask? Well, that's the other thing that makes the tome so special. It belonged to my late uncle, who as pastor in a little town called DeSoto, just outside St. Louis, amassed quite a library. In recent years I was given the supreme pleasure of plucking through this collection, and the above mentioned plunder was quite the prize.

Posted by: David Bunch

Happy Birthday C.S. Lewis! He was born on this date in 1898. I'm sure you're up to date on all the hype surrounding the imminent release of Narnia, but I do say with much pride that we were C.S. Lewis fans long before the local radio station offered free pizza, movie tickets, and regalia if we agree to show up and register at the shopping mall this coming Saturday.

May I recommend The Essential C.S. Lewis....it's a collection of excerpts from his writings (fiction and non), and is a great way to familiarize yourself with this great writer.

I ordered the new Kevin Max Christmas cd yesterday! I'll offer a complete report once I've listened, but what I've heard over at his website sounds promising. In fact, I'm thinking about giving this disc to Bradley for a Christmas present. Brad, maybe you won't have to learn to yodel those Christmas Carols after all!

And by the way...the Colts are still kicking. I like how the New York Times led into the story this morning.

Through five games, it was a lark. Through 10 games, it was a long shot. But at
some point in the 11th game, the notion of an undefeated season became real.

Posted by: kdc

Though Scripture clearly exhorts us to “touch not the unclean thing,” I was forced by a merciless former friend to wear Houston Astros gear as the result of God’s perfect will going terribly wrong.

However, my word is my bond, and there's no reason to stoop to his level. When the second of the two pieces of attire – an Astros cowboy hat (which Caleb adores) and a…well, a pink baby doll T-shirt that states “National League 2005 Champions – World Series” with a star – finally arrived, I decided I'd gladly suffer the affliction of the righteous rather than give the devil a victory.

Our annual youth retreat started last Friday night from church, so I wore the hat and pink shirt to see them off (this was Nita's year to attend while Caleb & I had a "Guy's Weekend" together).

Anyway, I decided to fire them up before they left so first I played and sang my reindition of “Lord I Lift Your Name on High.” Our youth pastor afterwards proclaimed he had thought it impossible to hear a new interpretation of that song, but I had achieved it in a rare way! (And I'm not making that up!)

Posted by: kdc

Then, once a spirit started moving, I shifted to the bongo drums for a stirring solo rendition of “Open the Eyes of My Heart.” (To say God moved would be an understatement.)

Posted by: kdc

I was feelin’ it! So, I galloped to the pulpit and began a short, stirring message on, “When God Deserts You and Your Friends Stomp on Your Dignity, Hang On Because Next Season’s Comin’!” In just under 17 minutes I had everyone in tears and murmuring.

You know enough about me by now to know that that I would never, ever brag about how God uses me all the time, but He does. Anyway, after that message from my heart, I had countless teens and adults stream up to me in awestruck silence and say they had never heard it on this wise. And I’ll bet they never had. (In case your calendar is open, I’m still accepting calls for Youth Week revivals in February and March.)

So you see, even when your brother plans harm upon you, God can use it for good.


May this short, inspiring testimony warm your heart and thrill your bones! Don't let adversity get you down! God is with you! Hang on just a little bit longer and who knows what He might do in your life!

(I'm still accepting calls for Youth Week revivals in February and March, 2006 - the Year of the Cardinals!)


God bless you all!

Evangelist Curry, out!

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

If you haven't read the post below from Kent, check it out! We should have some lovely pictures of him sometime today in full Astros' attire.

They sent you pink, Kent? Now WHY did they do that? They must've gotten my order mixed up with someone else. No way I ordered you a pink shirt. Or did I? [evil grin]

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I just realized I haven't posted our wedding plans yet. We're getting married in late December. Yeah. This December. My fiance' has always said she didn't want a long engagement or a big wedding and I'm all for eloping, so we settled on a family affair at a plantation-style bed and breakfast right outside of Baton Rouge. After the wedding, we're off to Hawaii for a five night stay! If I can find a good spot to sell coconuts, we may not come back.

Everyone seems amazed that we got this much done in a six week period, but all the plans are set. We even bought a house that we'll be moving into the week before the wedding. Now you see why I haven't posted much lately. 'Tis a lot to do, especially with classes demanding much of my time.

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Anyway, I promise to get to some sports soon. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Posted by: kdc

Okay, I actually wore the 2 articles of Astros' clothing this weekend & then it stayed hectic & still hasn't relented. I promise-promise-promise I'll have my public embarrassment go international by tomorrow night.

I mean, the pictures aren't hilarious or anything, so don't get your hopes up. They're just me in an Astros cowboy hat and a PINK baby doll "Astros NL Champions" T-shirt.

How hilarious can that be?

Posted by: David Bunch

My Dad is in Indiana this week. He'll be spending the Thanksgiving holiday with his parents (my grandparents....obviously). My travel plans are highly restricted this holiday season for reasons I'll enumerate later on. But suffice it to say my heart is right there in Indiana with my Dad. It's a great state...beautiful countryside, fond family memories, and good sports. At least for right now.

That's because the Indianapolis Colts are still undefeated after 10 games! This has the armchair quarterbacks looking for the first undefeated season for an NFL team since the 1972 Dolphins. Now, if you are like me, you are thinking that with 10 games won with 6 left to go, we're barely 2/3's of the way through the season. There's a lot of football left to play. But apparently, the consensus is that the rest of the Colt's schedule indicates a good shot at a perfect season, with the toughest two opponents coming in to Indianapolis to play. And, the Colts seem to be doing everything right both offensively and defensively.

As you know from my commentary on the World Series, I'm all about teams that are in a position to break or tie records, especially long standing ones. So I now have the keenest interest in the Colts and their future performance (though I really have no favorite NFL football team).

Now on to college hoops. My Indiana Hoosiers won handily on Friday, but then that was against a tiny college from Thibodeaux, LA called Nicholls State. The real reflection of how this team will likely perform this season will come November 30th against number one ranked Duke. I'm not looking for a win, but I do want to see these boys compete and stay in the game.

In college football, the mighty LSU Tigers dominated the Ole Miss Rebels and woke up today to find themselves ranked number 3 in the nation. The Tigers are playing well, and it's interesting to note that their only loss was to Tennessee in overtime. Do I think they are headed for a national championship? Well, that would be nice but it seems to me it's a long shot at this point.

So now you know that part of my loyalty to the Indiana Hoosiers stems from my family ties to the state. If they are good enough for my Papaw, then they are good enough for me! Seriously, I've heard "Hoosiers" all my life, and have followed them to one degree or another since the Bobby Knight days.

By popular demand, I've been asked to tell you about the exciting event upcoming in my life, which is also the reason I'll be sticking close to home this holiday season.

The Bunchienda is all aflutter in preparation for the January 12th arrival of Baby Bunch! This will be offspring number one, and it's a boy! Baby Dawson will be here in less than 7 weeks, and Mama Bunch just doesn't need to be doing a lot of traveling. Besides, with a January 12th due date, even a two week early arrival would push it back to right after Christmas and just before New Year. So we're taking no chances!

We are extremely pumped about our soon to be delivered bundle of joy. I just hope the stork has good directions to our place. As we have not yet picked out a middle name, I am open to suggestions. I will tell you that Benjamin is a front runner.

Why Dawson for a first name? Well, besides the fact that we like it, the name is translated from the Welch or Gaelic or something as "son of David". Pretty fitting, eh?

Posted by: David Bunch

We at The Bench Warmer(s) are quick to criticize the bone heads of sports, but it is equally worthy of our time to bring to you some of the more inspiring stories as well. Michael Redd of the Milwaukee Bucks recently gave his father, who is a pastor, the ultimate Father's Day gift....a church!

But the new contract allowed him to make good on the vow to his faith, to his
father and to himself. So a few months before James' 50th birthday, Michael made
it official: It was time to bid on a prime piece of church property on the east
side of Columbus.

"That was the first thing in my heart," Michael says.
"The Lord, he gave me life. What I did was to give it right back to Him. That's
the least I could do, is buy a church. The very least I could do."

Not only is it very commendable that Michael would buy his dad such a present and contribute to the work of the Lord, it is also so nice to see such an inspiring leader in the sports world. In an area of our society that brings out the worst in so many, I want to be sure to take time to applaud a true role model. And a true role model Michael is.

The Redds won't divulge exact figures, but those familiar with the church
purchase say Michael wrote a check in the millions. There were other
contributors, but nothing close to all those zeroes and commas given by Michael.

"Without hesitation," he says of his decision. "You reap what you sow.
You reap what you sow."

Posted by: kdc

Alas & Alack!

The dreaded 2nd Astros package has at last arrived at the Curry household. It hasn't been opened (the cameras aren't yet primed), but will be soon. Although the details of my losing wager to Bradley & his Astros were spelled out, I feel it only fair that I wear the items around town, so that will probably be Saturday (since there is a certain dress code at work and I won't be out in public much most evenings this week). Anyway, until then, I'm praying for the rapture.

My only succor is that the Great Pujols was awarded his first MVP award today. (Not that he shouldn't have won 2 and 3 years ago against the steroid-heavy Barry Bonds.)

More to come very, very soon I'm afraid.
k

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

I'll be heading out shortly for Tuscaloosa, Alabama for the LSU/Alabama football game tomorrow. It should be a good one. Alabama is ranked 4th in the country, with LSU right behind them at number 5. Both teams are ranked at the top in defense, so it could be a 2-1 final score. I'm hoping the Tigers will find a way to utilize their speed on offense and break a big play or two.

If LSU wouldn't have blown a 21 point lead to Tennessee, they would be undefeated right now and right in the middle of a National Title hunt. As it is, the Tigers have won their last six and could possibly make it to the title game with a little help. The new coaching staff looks like they have a better idea of their team now and I don't think a 21 point lead would slip away at this point.

It's been quite hectic around here lately, so I'm looking forward to a football weekend. In the last couple of weeks I've helped (a little) plan our wedding, planned a honeymoon, bought a house, and finished three projects for school. Most of it is exciting stuff, but I wish I could pause the schoolwork for a while. I haven't even had time to see what's happening in the NBA. What a shame...

Geaux Tigers!

Posted by: David Bunch

NCAA men's hoops got started yesterday. Syracuse won an easy one over Bethune-Cookman (has anyone ever heard of those guys)? And check this out. Our editor over at Ninety and Nine made the headlines.

Curry Powers Cowboys past Oklahoma City.

Okay, okay, it's a different Curry than our beloved Kent, but I bet you couldn't resist checking out the story...

There's the usual fanfare over which team will do what this year, including the pre-season poll ranking Duke No 1. Interestingly, North Carolina is the first defending champion not to be ranked in the next season, pre-season poll since Kansas City in 1988. North Carolina lost 7 key players from last year.

To let you know, I'll be pulling for the (unranked) LSU Tigers and the No 23 Indiana Hoosiers this year (just like every year). I rank the Tigers as mediocre and predict one post season game only. The Hoosiers are a little more difficult to predict, especially since they have now lost a key player to a broken foot for at least six weeks.

Why do I cheer for the Hoosiers? It's a real complicated mess that has something to do with my grandfather and my leanings toward the grassroots of most anything (especially sports). I'll explain more as the season rolls on.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

I'm sure you will all be overjoyed (maybe not Kent) to learn that the backordered package I ordered for Kent has been shipped. In the words of MLB.com:

We're pleased to inform you that the following item (that will look SO adorable on Kent Curry) from order 6770311345-001 have been shipped. For items with a status other than shipped, you will receive an e-mail notification of the shipment when it occurs. Your credit card has now been charged for the item (which is WAY cooler than any St. Louis gear) that have shipped, plus any applicable sales tax.

So, be sure to be on the lookout for pictures of Kent adorned with gear from his new favorite team!

A dose of sports before I leave...
The Colts are good, the Hawks are bad, and TO is gone.

Posted by: David Bunch

Once again an overpaid professional football player is showing us what he's really made of. Terrell Owens has been indefinitely suspended by the Eagles due to comments he made publicly because he was upset that the Eagles did not acknowledge his 100th touchdown. How heart breaking. There's also a report today that a former team mate has admitted that he and Owens got into a locker room fight in which "no punches were landed". Hey guys, this isn't the kindergarten play ground here. You have a responsibility to the fans and public in general to behave yourselves like upstanding citizens.

On a more positive note, the college basketball season is just about ready to get underway. Here is the pre-season top 25, and an interesting article on how the NCAA would like to see the season start. This makes a lot of sense from a marketing standpoint. If you think about it, NCAA men's basketball gets a lot of attention for a few weeks in March. If I'm the NCAA, I want to expand that interest, okay hype, for as long as possible to make as much money as possible.

And while I'm rambling about what's on my mind today, this weekend my wife and I picked up the new Todd Agnew cd. It is a fantastic record. Musically it's bluesy and gritty, bordering at times on edgy. This will probably limit it's appeal since the lion's share of the market seems to be geared to "adult contemporary/pop" sounds, but this album deserves attention for another reason. The lyrics are of the "stop you in your tracks and make you think" variety. An example is the song "My Jesus" in which Agnew states:

My Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet

Heavy hitting stuff. Other songs explore similar themes and many take lyrics directly out of the Bible.

For more information on the record, check out Ninety and Nine's review of the album here.

Posted by: David Bunch

Bunch checking in here....I decided to give Brad and Kent plenty of room for their World Series banter, and that was followed by an out of town business trip that included a hotel that, get this, had NO BUSINESS CENTER. Crikey! And this was a nice hotel. I thought all hotels had business centers...but no, I had to pick the one with no internet access.

I want to offer congratulations to Brad and Jaime. I can't believe that "Killer" is finally settling down...but I knew Jaime would tame him in the long run. I knew it the day Brad bought her the candle making kit for Christmas and then took it back on the advice of his sister. Clearly, Brad was taking no chances.

So congrats to you guys!

I just can't pass up the opportunity to tell you about the book I scored at Borders on my business trip. For only $5.99, too (I admit it is a remainder). The name of the book?

"Why Sinatra Matters"

I mean for $5.99, who can pass up a title like that? Turns out it is a critical analysis of his life and music, with an emphasis on why his art continues and will continue to linger on. Not bad stuff for a light hearted read.

And, it should serve as a good conversation piece on my bookshelf. Can't you just see someone walking in and asking, "you mean Sinatra matters"?

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Hmmm. Kinda quiet on The Bench Warmer(s) these days, eh?

Well, I do apologize for the inconvenience, but I have an excuse. I just got engaged. :)

Yep. After three years of dating, my girlfriend..err..fiance' and I will be getting married shortly. I figured it was about time to have someone warm the bench with me permanently.

Sooo, the next few weeks will be extremely busy with wedding/honeymoon planning (the honeymoon is my job), finishing up two projects and final exams at school, and buying/selling a house. I do plan on dropping in regularly to throw my comments around, but you have my primary excuses ahead of time. I'm sure Bunch will keep you heartily entertained. Bunch? BUNCH!! Get over here, boy!

By the way, one of my packages to Kent has been backordered, so we may have to wait a little while longer before he sports his new Astros "attire." It will be well worth the wait, though.