Collideoscope

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Dakoda Dowd, a 13 year old who has won numerous amateur golf tournaments, teed off this morning against the best of the LPGA in the Ginn Open. Dakoda birdied her first hole and went on to shot a 2 over par, 74.

But her score isn't the reason this story is making headlines. It's the reason she received an exception to play in the tournament that makes this story special.

Her mother, who beat breast cancer in the past, recently learned that she has terminal bone and liver cancer and her dream has always been to see her daughter play in an LPGA event. She got her wish this morning.

REUNION, Fla. (AP) -- Kelly Jo Dowd didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she did a little of both. With one swing of her 13-year-old daughter's driver, a mother's dream came true.

Dakoda Dowd opened play Thursday with a birdie in the LPGA Ginn Open, doing so while her terminally ill mother looked on, surrounded by friends and family. Wearing a pink shirt and black skirt, the teen teed off at 9:32 a.m., her first ball sailing down the left-center of the fairway. She finished the day with a 2-over 74.

Kelly Jo Dowd is fighting cancer for the second time in four years. She was given a clean bill of health after doctors believed she beat breast cancer, but she learned last year that she has terminal bone and liver cancer -- and, conceivably, only months to live.

"This is one of the best weeks of my life," Kelly Jo said Thursday before heading to the course. "It's such a warm feeling. It's almost like I'm walking and it's not really happening. I feel like a kid at Christmastime."

When Ginn officials learned Kelly Jo's wish was to see her daughter, who has won dozens of amateur tournaments, play against the LPGA's best, they made it possible with an exemption into the field.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Nice job with the sports-related story there, Denelle. I'm sure you know my stance on the topic of women being allowed in the dugout, since we extended an invitation for you to become a part of our "dugout." :)

Here at The Bench Warmer(s), we're suckers for a good cause, so Rick Reilly's article on si.com called "Nothing But Nets" caught my eye. Reilly, a long time SI writer, is asking readers to donate money to buy mosquito nets for kids in Africa. About 3,000 kids a day die from malaria spread by mosquitos, and this number could be cut greatly by nets that are covered in insecticide. Reilly has started it off by donating $20,000. I'm sure Reilly makes a decent paycheck, but he's a sportswriter, not an athlete making $10 million a year!

I've never asked for anything before, right? Well, sorry, I'm asking now.

We need nets. Not hoop nets, soccer nets or lacrosse nets. Not New Jersey Nets or dot-nets or clarinets. Mosquito nets.

See, nearly 3,000 kids die every day in Africa from malaria. And according to the World Health Organization, transmission of the disease would be reduced by 60% with the use of mosquito nets and prompt treatment for the infected.

...

So, here's the ask: If you have ever gotten a thrill by throwing, kicking, knocking, dunking, slamming, putting up, cutting down or jumping over a net, please go to a special site we've set up through the United Nations Foundation. The address is: UNFoundation.org/malaria. Then just look for the big SI's Nothing But Net logo (or call 202-887-9040) and donate $20. Bang. You might have just saved a kid's life.

Or would you rather have the new Beastie Boys CD?

You're a coach, parent, player, gym teacher or even just a fan who likes watching balls fly into nets, send $20. You saved a life. Take the rest of the day off.

Posted by: Denelle

I have a blog about some thing sports related (and sighs of relief are heard from Brad/David and Benchwarmers fans around the world)!

Over the weekend, former Cardinals first baseman Keith Hernandez (we'll just ignore his Met's years) made a major faux pas while acting as a commentator for the NY Mets (see all evil does stem from the Pond). It seems Mr. Hernandez questioned the presence of a female in the (Padres) dugout during Saturday's Padres/Mets game. The female in question, Kelly Calabrese, turned out to be a massage therapist for the team (did anybody else know that they place therapists on the roster for the year??).

Of course in our politically correct world, anyone and everyone, including Padres Manager Bruce Bochy has jumped to her defense. As well they should. Ms. Calabrese seems to be a well educated, well trained and well respected therapist and as such she has every right to hold her current position. And as a member of the team, she is allowed - by MLB - to be present in the dugout during a game. (And let's be realistic, it doesn't hurt that she's attractive . . . I doubt anyone would be encouraging her to hang out in the dugout if she weighed 300 pounds and looked like Mike Tyson)

Is it really fair to come down so hard on a former ball player for expressing his opinion? After all, it's a free country and he's entitled to his opinion. Keith has since apologized if his comments were offensive to anyone (although the sincerity of that apology is certainly open for debate). But has everyone forgotten that baseball is a "man's" sport? Indeed, baseball is part of the good-old-boys-triumvirate (NHL, NFL, MLB). And the same men who are eager to call Kelly Calabrese a "part of the team" and defend her right to be in the dugout during the game, are the same men who would adamantly argue against allowing Kelly to actually play the game. The same men that criticize Keith Hernandez for being "backward", "retro" and "living in the stone age" are in fact nothing shy of hypocrites who spew whatever nonsense is most expedient at the time because they fear being ostracized or reprimanded.

What was it my mother used to tell me??? Ah, that's right "He that lives in a glass house, should not throw stones." Or perhaps Moliere was more eloquent when he said "One should examine oneself for a very long time before thinking of condemning others."

If you ask me that they're all a bunch of Neanderthals.

Posted by: Denelle

I hate those mornings when the alarm goes off and I wake up and I can't remember what day it is and why I'm supposed to be waking up. It leaves me feeling completely off-guard and unprepared for the day. Add to that the fact that we're having severe thunderstorms, the F train was ridiculously crowded and muggy because of the rain and before I could even make it into work today I was seriously considering calling in sick.

Hopefully everyone had a good weekend. Check out Kent's posts over at A Month In My Life. From the looks (and sound) of it, he seems to have had an excellent weekend.

Sidenote

Oh, and I thought some of you might be interested in knowing that Bro. Andy Smith (who Kent blogged about last week) was here in NY this weekend. He spoke about the book signing and what a great experience it was, and how his brother (who is not involved in our churches) has called him and thanked him several times for exposing him to the love and fellowship that was so obviously apart of those there to support Andy. Isn't it amazing how God can use one little event to impact the life of someone you would probably least expect?

Right or Wrong

A lot of hype is being made in religious circles about the upcoming release of The DaVinci Code. Love it or hate it, think it's the work of Satan or just an intriguing piece of fiction, there is a lot to be said.

However, I was "corrupted" by Dan Brown many years ago now so I'm more interested in discussing United 93 which opens this weekend.

Obviously this movie deals with the events of September 11, 2001 and the one hijacked plane that didn't reach it's target. While the families of the victims have all given their support for this movie, I'm amazed to think that anyone would really want to see this movie and relive that day in such agonizing (larger than life) detail. What do you think . . . is this a loving tribute to those who died or an attempt by the recognition hungry (aka Hollywood) to exploit this disaster for their own benefit?

I will moderate my comments and only say that for a multitude of reasons I won't be watching this (or any other September 11 films) anytime soon.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

I stumbled across a website recently that is like the Holy Grail for sports fans. How many times have you had discussions with your friends about what would happen if so-and-so team from so-and-so year met up with a different team from a different year?

Well, now you can find out, thanks to WhatIfSports.com.
I could spend days playing around with different matchups. You can even pick a starting pitcher and change lineups around. I pitted last year's Roger Clemens and the Astros against the '02 version of Clemens and the Yankees. I'm sad to report that the Yanks won 4 out of 7 games.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

There are many interesting story lines this year in the NBA playoffs, which begin tomorrow.

- The LA Clippers make their first appearance since Noah and the ark. The Clippers have steadily gotten better over the years and now have a coach and the players to be a decent team.

- Lebron James also makes his first, of what will probably be many, postseason appearances. Let's see if he has that winning disposition that took MJ a few years to obtain.

- Tim Duncan leads the defending champion Spurs into the playoffs as the top seed out of the West. It's partly Tony Parker's team now, though, and he'll have to be firing for the Spurs to win it all again.

- Kobe Bryant is back in the playoffs for the first time since he and Shaq divorced. Kobe led the league with an amazing 35 point average over the regular season. I hear people talk about how much of a ballhog Kobe is (especially after the 80 point game) and it's true, but he doesn't have too many other scoring options on that team. Can he carry his team to the second round? I sure wouldn't want to play him in the first round.

Speaking of Kobe, I don't know how anyone else could be voted MVP in the NBA. Now, I'm not a big Kobe fan, but when you can carry that Lakers team to 44 wins, you deserve an MVP trophy. Take him off of that team and they might win 10 games. He was as valuable to a team as one player can get. Besides his 35 point per game average, he brought down 5 rebounds and dished out 4.5 assists a game as well.

Anyway, when it's all said and done, I look for the old guard to still be standing in the Finals. I'm going to take the easy way out and say it'll be a matchup of top seeds, Spurs and Pistons, with the Spurs repeating.

(Now, look for both of those teams to be bounced out in the first round.)

Posted by: Denelle

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes welcomed little Suri Cruise (her name means princess in Hebrew or red rose in Persian) into the world yesterday. Ironically, the little TomKitten was born just hours after Cruise's arch nemisis (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little - but only a little) Brooke Shield's gave birth to her second daughter Grier Hammond. Who would have ever guessed the probability of this happening?

Somehow I doubt there will be any playdates scheduled for these two.

A little too ironic, yeah I really do think.

Posted by: Denelle

Our illustrious editor here at 90&9 (Mr. Kent Curry) is at it again, out hob-knobbing with some of the most well known (and well respected) people in Pentecost. All for the opportunity to bring you the most fascinating stories possible.

Check out his "live blog" posts from a book release party over at A Month In My Life. Having had the opportunity to hear the author preach on several occasions (they're adopted children of my church here in NY) I can whole heartedly encourage you to buy this book. Bro. Smith is an amazing man, with an amazing story and with a gift for words. He truly knows how to reach people so that he can minister to them. You should also hear him sing.

So after you've read Kent's blog, head on over to Pentecostal Publishing and order your copy of Bro. Smith's book(s).

Rumor has it that the end of the week Kent will have more live blogs. This time from encounters with authors like Salman Rushdie and Marilynne Robinson.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Hope everyone had an enjoyable Easter! My day was filled with plenty of crawfish. (For you Northerners unaware of crawfish, check out this post over on Duct Tape, Dixie, and Me.) I also got to hunt easter eggs and play ball with my three year old nephew, which was fun. He's got quite a swing for a three year old, so I'm thinking we may just have a future Astro on our hands!

Our buddy, David, had a devotion that fit nicely in the Easter theme, so be sure the check it out.

And, Denelle, I'm sorry you couldn't find toilet paper on Easter Sunday, but I'm kinda glad (and surprised) that New Yorkers respect the holiday enough to let their employees off.

Hey, Look. It's the NBA Playoffs.

The NBA Playoffs will be starting up soon. I usually don't get too caught up in the regular season of the NBA, mainly because I don't have a favorite team in the league like the Astros in MLB. The playoffs are always fun to watch, though. This is when the superstars kick it into gear and actually start playing defense and hustling.

Stay tuned for my pick to win it all!

Posted by: Denelle

Well, another weekend has flown by and this time it took Easter with it. Overall, I had a wonderful weekend. Great weather, great church service yesterday (and a new outfit - hooray), and the dog was relatively well behaved (if only I could teach him to sleep past 8 am on Saturday).

The City That Never Sleeps, But That Grinds To A Halt On Easter

My biggest gripe results from the fact that I had several essential items (aka toilet paper) I needed to pick up from the store yesterday, and since it is much easier to get to Target and/or Wal-Mart out in Long Island (since the car is already out, etc) I just figured I'd do my regular Sunday afternoon run to get what I needed. So imagine my surprise when I pull into Target's parking lot and discover it's virtually deserted. My immediate reaction was "cha-ching - shopping and no crowds". That was until I noticed a piece of what paper taped to the door. So I drove my car up to the doors and read "Closed Easter Sunday, April 16, 2006". WHAT? Target (a major chain) closed on Easter? Ugh. Well at least Wal-Mart (while the opposite direction) isn't far. So I drive to the other side of town and pull into Wal-Mart's parking lot (more cars here, that's a good sign), park, get out and walk to the door only to find the exact same sign on their door. So I called my local Eckerd (back in Brooklyn) thinking I'd find out how late they're open and whether or not I can make it back in time to stop there. They closed at 4 pm. The clock in my car reads 4:01. Hello? People, I do not live in the middle of nowhere. This is New York City. I can understand that mom and pop stores are closed. I can even understand closing early so your employees can be with their families. But this is Easter, not Christmas. Shoot, even at Thanksgiving and Christmas Wal-Mart and Target are open part of the day. Thankfully Rite-Aid had the good sense to stay open for those of us who found themselves in desperate straights. Unfortunately, I paid way too much for toilet paper.

News of the Weird

Elizabeth Arden has recently released a men's fragrance called "Daytona 500" (wonder if it smells like burning rubber, gasoline and axel grease). Likewise, the Ecuadorean Football Federation has released three new soccer related fragrances. The scents range from "sporting" to "an intense smell ideal for after work". Ummm, ewww. Hot, sweaty, nasty soccer player is not what I want any guy I know to smell like.

For more of this week's bizarre news, CLICK ME.

Did You Know?

Brad Pitt is sporting a mohawk, just like adopted son Maddox?

The Pulitzer Prizes were announced today. But maybe this is a topic better covered by David.

Nearly a year later, there may be new information surfacing in the disappearance of Natalie Holloway.

Sports Talk (no lawsuits for trademark infringement please)

Well Brad, it seems like your Astros are still atop the standings in the MLCentral. I'll try not to be bitter. However, the Cardinals are tied for third and with a win (or two or three) could quickly catch up. Especially if Pujols keeps hitting like he did yesterday! Unfortunately, some people seem to think that Pujols may be headed for "Barry Bonds" treatment (aka walking him before he can hit). The Cards went through this same thing several years back with Mark McGuire. Personally, I think it's a cop-out on behalf of the other teams and they shouldn't be allowed to constantly walk somebody just because they're too afraid to pitch to him. Excellent batters just require you to counter with excellent pitchers. Play the sport the way it's meant to be played.

Good Night and Good Night

Sometime in the middle of the night on Saturday I woke up and went to get a drink from the kitchen and almost killed myself in the process tripping over the dogs toys. It's like having a kid. My mom suggested teaching him to put one away before he got the next one out. Yeah. That doesn't even work with kids. If he were a kid, I have no doubt this is what I'd be dealing with.









Have a wonderful evening!

Posted by: Denelle

Why is it that you can be having a perfectly lovely week, things are good, not too crazy but with enough excitement to keep it interesting and the BAM! (thanks Emeril) everything goes crazy all at once and you suddenly can't keep up?

Do those experiences qualify as corollary's to Murphy's Law?

The Ultimate sacrifice

For as long as I can remember Easter has been one of my favorite holidays. My mom always makes the best Easter baskets (even through college) and we have a wonderful family dinner. Church service is usually very moving - with beautiful songs, the occasional children's drama and a communion service - and full of visitors. There is lots of laughing and eating and bright colors. The weather is usually very nice. And I think all of that has over the years given me a truly wonderful view of Easter. But sometimes we need to remember that Easter is more than just traditions (even if they're good ones).

Last night my brother and I had a very theological discussion about Easter and how it ties in with our understanding that Jesus was 100% man and 100% God Almighty. The topic is well beyond the depths of my limited cognition (which is why my brother can so deftly run circles around me in this area) and I won't try to recap it for you, but it stirred me and caused me to consider Calvary in a way I never have before.

Having been raised in church I know that in the Garden Jesus struggle (intensely struggled) with the requirements of Calvary. And I've always appreciated the sacrifice that was made on Calvary. However, I think I've always considered these experiences from the "divine nature" point of view. Namely, that Jesus (as God) knew that he was going to have to die and he knew that he would rise again and while his flesh did not want to suffer it was part of the plan and hence had to be done.

Yet, when you consider the "human nature" that Jesus was dealing with it gives the whole picture a slightly different hue. Jesus being human - aka just like you and me - knew fear, pain and doubt. It wasn't just the thought of suffering that his flesh abhorred, but there was a fear of the unknown, a fear of death that Jesus had to struggle with. It is even possible that His humanity tried to cast doubt on the knowledge that he would live again.

Have you ever been so afraid that you are virtually incapacitated? Your heart rate increases until it feels like it's going to beat through your chest wall. Your throat constricts until you can't swallow and your body simply refuses to cooperate with any of the commands your brain is giving. I would imagine that facing a certain and immanent death would produce that kind of fear.

But even in his humanity Jesus was able to face that fear and willingly allow himself to be crucified. As a man He was beaten, mocked, shamed and ultimately killed. And he did it all for me. For me that is incredibly humbling and makes my salvation even more intensely personal. And it makes Easter even more special to me.

And . . . Ugh

That's all for me. Sorry I haven't been around more this week. Work is killing me right now and I just can't seem to find 5 extra minutes. I'll be around more next week (I hope). Have a wonderful Easter!

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Well, the baseball season kicked off with a bang and I'm going to brag while I can. The Astros are currently in first place in the NL Central. Unfortunately, they are tied with two other teams with a 5-2 record. Early indications are that this will be a tough division as five of the top six teams have a winning record so far. The season is but a puppy, though, so there is no reason to talk about standings yet. (I just can't help myself...)

The poor Florida Marlins are off to a bad start with a 1-6 record and I think I know why. Not only do they start about 12 rookies, it seems there is also a problem with balance on the team. About half the team can't put their hats on straight!

I knew Dontrelle Willis had the disease since his hat has been crooked for a few years, but after watching the Marlins play the other night, I noticed it has spread to a few other young players. Apparently, it's contagious.

Can someone in Florida confirm that it's a weird gravitational pull over there or perhaps something in the water that's causing this imbalance? I have a feeling it could mean 10-12 for this young team.

Posted by: Denelle

Yesterday (Palm Sunday) was my spiritual birthday. I've had the Holy Ghost 22 years now. And no, I'm not that old, the Lord just had to save me really young.

Celebrate Good Times, Come 'On

It's a celebration . . . at the New Busch Stadium. And ESPN has great pictures up. Man I wish I could have been there today. I bet it was incredible! One of my fondest memories from growing up was watching from the stands as Ozzie Smith did a back-flip when he came on to the field.

We won't discuss the fact that the Astros are currently ahead of the Cards in the standings. The season is still young and we'd hate to cause bad blood here at the Benchwarmers. Besides the Astros are still behind the Reds, the Cubs and the Brewers. You see, the Astros are only slightly less hated than the Mets but probably deserve more disdain because they are in the same division and more of a direct threat.

For the Moniker Challenged

Having spent most of my life (hmmm, well all of my life) with a name that is difficult for most people to pronounce (although it's not difficult at all) I can feel for the moniker challenged. Remember people when you name your children that it is something that will stick with them for life. And unless you want them so scarred from tauntings on the playground that they have the legal name change paperwork all ready to go and file on their 18th birthdays, I suggest choosing wisely.

Despite knowing all of this, Gwynneth Paltrow has named her newest addition, Moses. As in parted the Red Sea, lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, Moses (big sister Apple is probably thrilled that she alone now holds the corner on the fruit name market). That's almost the equivalent of naming your child Jesus. Do you think mom had one to many Guiness before giving birth or do you think it is actually a tribute to dad's song writing abilities?

I do however reserve the right to name my children Hazel or Phinneaus if I so choose (and 10 points to the first person who can tell me which celeb those children belong).

Out And About

Another week has come and gone and we are inching closer to everyone's favorite day of the year . . . April 15th. Are your taxes done? Will you be standing in line on Saturday along with 11 million other people trying to get them post marked? Or have you (like me) already filed and spent you return? Well, I'm still waiting for my NY return. It's been 60 days you'd think they could have processed it by now, although I suppose I will just be grateful whenever I get it.

Our buddy David has an interesting link up in his blog about Dublin. Home to one of my favorite writers (Oscar Wilde) Dublin is an awesome city that certainly knows how to treat their hometown talent right.

Did you know that today is National Golfers Day?

In other news, my mother is an OR Nurse and according to her you wouldn't believe how often things like THIS happen. Personally, I'd like to believe the instances were few and far between. Unfortunately, I also work in the legal field and I know what idiots are out there. My advise? Eat healthy, exercise, and if your surgeon screws up - pray - because your lawyer isn't likely to be much brighter.

And because it's a small glimpse into my daily world (check it out today because the link will change tomorrow - say the slightly tech challenged female).

Have a great evening!

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Barry Bonds

Here's an article that may have been what you were looking for, Denelle. A syringe was thrown in the direction of Barry Bonds during the Giants opening game in San Diego. I found it quite humorous since Bonds is involved deeply in the steroid scandal. The syringe contained no needle and looked plastic to me, so I don't think bodily harm was the intention.

However, the act has garnered negative publicity and Jesse Jackson even came to Bonds' rescue, saying that Bonds needs to be better protected. I'd like to throw something at Jackson; something big enough to fit in his mouth and shut it up.

The Masters

Augusta National, the site of The Masters golfing event, has also been on the receiving end of negativity. The course was lengthened this year some 140 yards to keep up with technology in equipment that gives golfers more distance.

While some people like the change, the players are complaining that it takes the excitement and fun out of the game, because there will be less birdies and more higher scores. I like this quote from the guy who runs Augusta:

-- Masters chairman Hootie Johnson

I agree somewhat with the added distance and toughness. It's not something I'm real passionate about, but when guys are shooting 28 below par (Phil Mickelson, last week), maybe the courses could use a little toughening.

Posted by: Denelle

So I talked to the White House this morning. Unfortunately it wasn't the Oval Office, but I did speak to someone in the Scheduling Office, who transferred me to reception, who wouldn't give me the Press Office because I'm not a member of the press but who did transfer me to the Public Affairs office so that they could help me. Nice to see that buracracy is alive and well and that there is still plenty of red tape in DC.

It was really cool to hear them say "Hello, White House" just like I was calling the Smiths next door or something. I totally felt like I could have asked for George and they would have said, "one moment, let me see if he's available."

Purely Ridiculous

So Jesus walked on ICE not water? Whatever. Why is faith so hard for some people? Must everything be backed with some rational explaination? That must be a terribly disappointing way to live your life.

Baby Watch

Still no news on the arrival of little TomKitten or Jolie-Pitt. Although this disturbing picture of Katie Holmes was posted around the net today.














Ummm, I've never seen a pregnant woman look like that except when I played Mary in our Christmas pageant when I was 16 and we put a balloon under my costume. Our assistant pastor joked for weeks about me looking like I was having the "holy trinity". Sorry Katie but that does nothing to quell the rumors that this pregnancy is a farce and that you and Tom are adopting.

Rumors are also floating around that AJ is going to give birth in Namibia. NAMIBIA??? Hello, that's a third world country, why would you go that route?

Ah to be rich, famous and completely senseless.

Promises, Promises

I know I said I was going to try and include some sports stuff in here and all but it's been a long day for me (I'm still at work) and I really can't think of anything intersting in the sports world right now. I was trying to find an article about what a fan threw onto the field at Barry Bonds yesterday but for once (gasp) Google has failed me. So you'll just have to research that one on your own.

I'm out.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Now, Denelle, you didn't tell me you would come in here cheering for the Cardinals! That's why Kent Curry recommended you, huh?! He wanted a Cards fan in here to combat my Astros posts. Umhmm. I'm on to you guys.

It's good to have you, nonetheless. I might even be a St. Louis fan if they weren't in the same division as my Astros. Anyway, welcome!

Speaking of baseball, I joined a fantasy baseball league this year. This is my first year to play fantasy baseball, but I've been doing the football thing for a few years. So far, it doesn't seem like it'll require as much time as football, but it's just as addictive. Now I care about games even if they don't involve a team with "Astros" for a nickname.

In honor of Opening Day and my lost partner, David Bunch (if you've visited A Month In My Life recently, you know he loves poetry), here's a baseball poem called Double Play by Robert Wallace:

In his sea lit
distance, the pitcher winding
like a clock about to chime comes down with
the ball, hit
sharply, under the artificial
banks of arc-lights, bounds like a vanishing string
over the green
to the shortstop magically
scoops to his right whirling above his invisible
shadows
In the dust redirects
its flight to the poised second baseman
pirouettes
leaping, above the slide, to throw
from mid-air, across the colored tightened interlude
to the leaning-
out first baseman ends the dance
drawing it disappearing into his long brown glove
stretches. What
is too swift for deception
is final, lost, among the loosened figures
jogging off the field
(the pitcher walks), casual
in the space where the poem has happened.

Posted by: Denelle

Is it really safe to come in here? I sort of feel like I'm on sacred ground. A GIRL in the Benchwarmer(s) blog? What is the world coming to?

For those of you that don't know me, my name is Denelle and I live in NYC (well, I live in Brooklyn and work in NYC). I've blogged for 90&9 several times now over the past two or three years (whenever it was that they had the contest for a female blogger). I won't bore you with many more details than that, other than to say that I've never blogged about sports and as anyone who's known me for any length of time can attest, I'm not exactly athletic so this area is a bit new for me. That also means you can expect me to talk about things that aren't sports related but that will hopefully manage to keep your interest anyway.

March Madness

I know that it's officially over, but I'm hoping that someone out there can help me out with a question. Where exactly did the term March Madness come from? Is there a reason behind the origin? Or is it just because most guys I know (and some girls) go "mad" during this period of college basketball mania? I'm truly interested in knowing.

As you can probably tell, I'm not much of a basketball fan. In fact, all I know is that Xavier is the best college basketball team in Cincinnati. A fact that I picked up while in college there and that despite their protests to the otherwise, I think my friends in the 'Nati need to finally concede.

Much like Brad I'm bored with basketball so let's move on to baseball.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

There is just something about growing up in St. Louis that instills a lifelong love for all things Cardinals in you. It doesn't matter that I've lived in cities with other great (or good) baseball teams (the Dodgers/Angels, the Reds, the Mets/Yankees). The best baseball I've ever seen has been at Busch Stadium. The home opener at the New Busch Stadium is only 6 days away, but the Cardinals opened the season last night with a smashing 13-5 win over the Phillies. GO CARDS!

I'm currently struggling with the moral dilemma of whether or not as a Cards fan I'm allowed to go see a game at Shea Stadium. I think I'd feel like a traitor hanging around with Pond Scum (aka the Mets) but their seats are considerably cheaper than the Yankees. Hmm, maybe I would feel better about going to see the Cards play the Mets? I'll have to check out the schedule.

And In Other News

Someone in Hollywood heard about Brad/David and this fabulous blog and decided to do a movie entitled The Benchwarmers. Wonder which one of the guys was their inspiration? lol I'm not a huge fan of Dana Carvey, Rob Schneider or Jon Heder (can we say Napoleon Dynamite overload) but the movie itself looks rather humorous.

Yesterday over at the monthly blog site, David wrote an entry about our culture's obsession with celebrities. While I will admit to being fascinated by them (sort of in the same way you're fascinated by a car wreck and can't look away) I will agree whole heartedly with his (and NY magazine's) comments about Paris. Let us all give a BIG AMEN!

That's all for me today, I'm off to scour the net in search of news about the arrival of the Holmes/Cruise (purely for its twisted appeal) and Jolie/Pitt (for reasons I can't even explain) genetically gifted bundles of joy.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

If you haven't noticed, our boy Bunch is blogging over at A Month In My Life. Check him out as he pines away on topics like poetry, music and maybe even sports.

Since David has forsaken me over here at The Bench Warmer(s) and I'm too scared to do it alone now, I've got help coming in!

Brace yourself.

We've got a GIRL coming to blog at this very spot. Yep. A real, live GIRL. We figured we could lower the testosterone for a while and come out the better for it. We're even going to allow her to blog on other subjects besides sports!

Don't worry. I'll be here (whether you like it or not) to give you the regularly scheduled sports coverage, but it will be a nice change to have a different subject roll through every now and then.

So, without further ado, please welcome a past A Month in My Life blogger, Denelle Burns!

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Florida had about as much trouble dispelling of UCLA as the Bruins had in getting rid of LSU. The Gators went up early and never looked back tonight, winning the National Championship by 15 points.

I don't know of too many teams that could've beat Florida tonight. The Gators had a dominant inside game (about 40 dunks in the game), they hit outside shots, and played excellent defense. Not too many college teams can do all of those and do them as well as Florida did tonight.

The win by Florida gave the 90&9 Bracket Championship to my dad, Bobby. Amazingly, my mom finished second, only one point behind my dad. I finished in eighth place. Not too bad, but not too good, considering I was 3rd place in my family alone.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

If anyone sees a lost LSU basketball team wandering the streets, please let me know. That would be the team that beat Duke and Texas and somehow lost it's way to the arena before the UCLA game. That couldn't have been the same team that actually took the floor against the Bruins.

I'll go ahead and say it: LSU flat out got whooped! There wasn't one thing they did well Saturday night. Their defense and intensity has been the stable factor all season, but even that seemed to be missing. The Tigers never had enough offense to compensate for a bad defensive night and, against UCLA, the Tigers were even worse than usual.

I'm not sure if they got overconfident after beating two highly ranked teams or if they just had a off night, but it wasn't fun to watch. I've followed this team all year and this had to be the worst game they played this season.

I must give UCLA credit, though. The Bruins definitely came to play! They made shots and got all the loose balls and did everything needed to win a Final Four game. I just wish LSU would've shown up and the game would've been competitive. It was over in the first five minutes.

The Lady Tigers didn't fare much better. For the third year in a row, they've failed to advance to the championship game after making the Final Four. Their game was similar to the men's, but at least they got their offense going in the second half and cut the game to six points at one point. That was as close as they could get and Duke quickly pulled away.

As disappointing as both games were, congratulations are in order to both LSU squads! It's remarkable to have two teams in the Final Four the same year and they definitely made it a year to remember! Geaux Tigers!

Well, I was getting tired of basketball, anyway! On with baseball! Today is opening day in Major League Baseball and the Astros are playing as we speak. I'm going to watch the game and I'll report back on how many games they'll finish above the Cardinals this year. :)