To Muse

Vacationing in Vietnam and Cambodia

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:41:00 +0000

Heather and I recently took a trip over Christmas and New Year's to Southeast Asia - Cambodia and Vietnam. It was an amazing trip - 17 days of serious travel. We came back fully relaxed and recharged.

Lately, we've been using Smilebox to document and share our get-togethers and special events like vacations and friends' weddings. Full disclosure, one of our good friends heads up marketing for the company but I will say it is in fact a very snappy tool and they've also integrated with your email (Google, Yahoo, MSN) and with other social media channels like Facebook, Blogger, Friendster, et al. to make it easy to 'share' across your network.

Check out our vaca...

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Day 25, Post Op #2, Gettin' the Boot!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 May 2007 06:10:00 +0000

I've been in the splint/cast for 25 days and joyfully headed to the doc's office today to get my second cast.

Once there, the ortho tech removed my cast with this crazy saw that cuts fiberglass but not your skin. I anxiously awaited to see what was underneath. The former raised stitched lines had flattened out and the skin had hardened under with scar tissue. My foot/achilles wasn't as stiff as I had expected since I had been moving it quite a bit in my cast.

Dr. Khan-Farooqi took a look and basically said it was in good shape and healing nicely. In the next few weeks, the focus was on allowing the collagen fibers to align correctly and form/bind and this would be achieved by adjusting the tension on the foot - a bit less flexed.

To my surprise and delight, Dr. KF gave me a few options. Either be in another cast for 2 weeks, go into a boot, or get into a regular shoe with some heel lifts. The latter being the most aggressive and the first being the most conservative.

He actually recommended the boot for me, as long as I was extremely careful when I was out of the boot (e.g. taking a shower or changing clothes).

Freedom at last!

Being able to walk now opens up doors - literally. My first stop was going to Starbucks for a grande black iced tea with half sugar and being able to walk out of the store with it in my hand. No more crutches.

So the plan now ... 4 more weeks in the boot (gladly) and then 4 in a shoe with lifts and then P.T.

Vegas Bachelor Weekend : Vegas baby

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 13 May 2007 15:34:00 +0000

Ian's bachelor party was met with great enthusiasm from all and a tinge of anxiety from the bachelor himself. A British stag party, as they call it, adheres to a very different set of rules from the American version - goals are to humiliate and accost the "man of the hour" as much as possible. And that certainly happened this weekend.

While the photos were scarce (on purpose), I will say that the partcipants took Vegas to a level I was proud to be a part of. I think it was the fact that some flew 5,000 miles from the UK to celebrate and honor Sir Ian while others just needed a party weekend away from the "mundacities" of jobs, spouses/partners, pets, et al.

So one "highlight" of the weekend.

We stayed at the new tower at the Palms and spent Saturday day recovering from an all nighter at Drai's. We were poolside in our cabana pounding $10 bottles of water mixed in with brewskis and daiquiris.

The pool is a scene/experience in itself - a voyeur's dream. It's a melting pot of greased up gym metros (who lube each other up), female porn stars, pasty Asian rich kids, body builder types, overweight middle Americans seeking the Vegas experience and the rest of us.

So anyway, at one point we see a strawberry haired white guy (extremely white) wearing a neon green thonged one piece suit just like Borat's emerge from the depths of the dark and tanned crowd. A sight to be seen it was!

In an instant, he became the focal point of the entire pool. People were taking pictures with their camaras and holding their gaping mouths, in horror/laughter.

I managed to snap a quick shot off as Borat was walking into the pool.

The New Borat at the Palms

Pic from the weekend.

Day 11, Post Op - 1st Doctor's Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 08 May 2007 14:51:00 +0000

Today I anxiously returned to my doctor to have my splint removed and my stitches taken out. The length of the incision turned out to be longer than I expected and very Frankenstein-like.

My surgeon, Waqqar Khan-Farooqi explained that there was more damage than a typical tear which required the incision to go higher up on the leg. He had to remove 2.5 centimeters of the frayed/damaged fibers to stitch it back together, where the norm is 1 centimeter.

In this 1st visit post surgery, I got the plan of attack which is what I was most excited about.

It's ... 2 weeks in Cast 1, 2 weeks in Cast 2, a few weeks in a walking boot and then physical therapy. So it's about six weeks till I can walk without the use of crutches. Unfortunately, I won't be returning to sports like basketball for 9 months.

In the visit, I also learned that the tendon actually weakens after surgery as your body is still in recovery phase. While the sutures that keep the tendon in place are essentially as strong as kevlar it's the weakened tendon that must be protected (i.e. cast and no weight bearing) and be given enough time to heal and strengthen.

This is what makes this injury frustrating, relative to an ACL replacement. You can't influence the pace or quality of recovery by working hard in rehab. Recovery is simply left to time and your God-given genetics, which one has no control over. How unfortunate. :)

Here are a few pics from the visit.

ESPN Article on Achilles Rupture

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 06 May 2007 16:22:00 +0000

After spending many hours online OCD'ing over this injury, I found one article that actually sated me and potentially answered my question of how and why it happened.

The doctor in the ESPN article describes a common cause as the combination of a concentric and eccentric load on the tendon. The stopping and starting movements in athletes.

Eccentric means applying a load when it's already stretched (e.g. running backwards) and concentric means applying a load when it's already shortened (e.g. doing toe raises).

So injuries occur commonly when eccentric loads are quickly followed by concentric loads and vice versa. Perfect example, a quarterback dropping back to pass and moving forward or a tennis player running to the net for a volley and then backwards for the lob.

And to boot, "there seems to be a direct correlation to aging where the aging athlete, in general has less blood flow to the region."

Ah ha! 2 strikes against me. Eccentric/concentric load and the "aging athlete."

Not sure how I feel about that or how one defines aging .... aren't we all aging and does early thirties count as aging?

Link to article

Spiderman III Caught In a Web

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 06 May 2007 16:11:00 +0000

Hit the big screen last night with Ian, Manon and Yannis to see the third entree of the Spiderman franchise. It was pretty bad - terrible acting, extremely campy and way too literal in its messaging. While I do support the virtues of humility, friendship, truth and service. I don't need them to be spelled out in crayola in each scene by emotionless characters.

The best part of the evening was hitting the Fox Grill for some sangria, mini-burgs, lettuce wraps and BBQ chicken nachos. That was a great way to recover from the ten bucks I threw away at the box office.

Day 6, Post Op - Achilles Surgery

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 May 2007 02:21:00 +0000

Day 6 could come no faster. The intense pain has more or less gone away. It's more about stiffness, tightness in the lower leg and that is especially acute in the mornings getting out of bed. Like a nasty [insert here], it flares up.

Yah, the main inconvenience now is my mobility and the lack of my hands when I move around. Imagine trying to carry a sandwich and drink without the use of your hands. Impossible.

NFL Stars with Achilles Ruptures

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 May 2007 04:48:00 +0000

LaVar Arrington, LB, Giants, 10/23/06
Ronald Curry, WR, Raiders, 10/19/05
Brandon Stokley, WR, Colts, 12/10/06
Rien Long, DT, Titans, 7/30/06
Todd Pinkston, WR, Eagles, 8/5/05
Greg Ellis, LB, Cowboys, 11/14/06
Trace Armstrong, DE, Raiders, 10/1/01
Takeo Spikes, LB, Bills, 10/05
Reggie Hayward, DL, Jaguars, 9/06
Dan Marino, QB, Dolphins, 1993
Vinny Testaverde, QB, Jets, 1999

Day 3, Post Op - Achilles Surgery

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 May 2007 01:40:00 +0000

Today was a better day... didn't have to resort to the meds since the pain was way less intense than yesterday. The Motrin kept things in check.

I'm also getting more efficient with the crutches - moving around about the house with more ease. Going up and downstairs, though, is quite the work out and trying to balance on one leg while going to the bathroom ...

Tomorrow I return to the office. We'll see how that goes.

Night of and Day After Achilles Tendon Surgery

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 22:38:00 +0000

I must say that I'll take a tendon rupture over an ACL tear any day. (am I speaking too soon?)

I was actually able to catch some decent z's the night post op. This, however, only happened after I so aptly regurgitated my Red Mill burger and fries heading up the stairs (fyi, Red Mill was voted one of best burgers in the U.S. by the Wall Street Journal). Between the anesthesia stupor, greasy burg & fries, and vomit, I was able to make peace with some rest.

So the following morning was nice - very little discomfort in the leg. This was too good to be true.

With my laptop and remote control in hand, I sat on the couch surfing to my heart's content while watching in horror as Brady Quinn dropped past the ninth pick in the NFL draft. Had to feel sorry for a guy who was supposed to be a #3-5 pick and gets dissed by a Miami team who was destined to make him the next Dan Marino. Oh, I digress.

That afternoon, Heather and I head out about town to Fremont with my new best friends, Crutches. After hobbling around town for an hour or two, some discomfort.

Was it the drugs wearing off?

Whatever it was, a burning, throbbing sensation began to settle in.

So much for a smooth and painless recovery.

I guess that's to be expected when somebody slices your leg open and sews back the largest and strongest tendon in your body. :)

Day of Achilles Surgery & Decision Factors

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:49:00 +0000

A few more hours till my surgery at 1:30 pm PST. I'm going to be super hungry and thirsty post surgery since I was allowed no food or drink since yesterday at midnight.

Some updates from my appointment with my orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Waqqar Khan-Farooqi. Due to complete rupture of my achilles, surgery was pretty much the only option if I wanted to walk normally and return to sports.

Two options for surgery: open surgery and percutaneous surgery. Open is making a 3-4 inch incision on the medial side which allows the surgeon to have full access to the tendon and surrounding "tissues." Percutaneous is making a few tiny incisions instead of one big one.

The difference as described to me was that a percutaneous stitching is not as clean or precise of a procedure - less visibility and inability to clean up any loose ends, strands. Also, rerupture rates tend to be 3-4 percentage points higher (1-2% for open and 4-5% for percutaneous).

One downside to the open surgery is that it tends to have more complications around the wound healing (i.e. infections). However, if you are young, healthy person, you should have no problems.

So ..... open surgery was the clear cut choice.

Achilles Tendon Rupture: The Last Injury from Flag Football

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 02:17:00 +0000

Well, well. It's been quite a year ...

One full of injuries that no man or woman (or animal) should ever have to endure in a lifetime let alone in twelve months. Last year, I broke my left clavicle and then six weeks later, I tore my left ACL in my first flag football game back. It's not like I've been fighting in the UFC, we're talking about flag football. Read: non-contact pass and catch. If I were a Wildebeest, I'd already be a fancy meal for some lions.

It's slightly frustrating .....given that I'm just 9 months out of ACL surgery and had just returned to my former self through a combination of metabolic based lifting, yoga and agility classes. So much for discipline and conditioning. I could have just as well sat on my couch, drink PBRs all day, and pop Ho Ho's into my mouth.

The upside? At least I made it through 4 and quarter games ... before I ruptured my achilles tendon. Woo hoo.

The way it happened is quite ridiculous. Playing QB, I received the ball upon "hut," dropped back three steps, set up, planted and then "clack!" It felt like Bruce Lee had kicked the back of my heel. Luckily, I kept my balance and released the ball on my good left foot and was able to get the pass off. Despite the catch by Johnny, I knew I was done. Done for the year, done with flag football.

I made the call to the boss of the house and we headed to Swedish Medical Center's ER. I was happy to see that they had remodeled the waiting area. I spent the next two hours getting confirmation of my fate and was sent home in a plaster splint.

Next stop ... my visit with Dr. Waqqar Khan-Farooqi, a Foot & Ankle surgeon at the Orthopedic Physicians Associates.

Dog People and Elizabeth Louise

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 16:30:00 +0000

You know you've become dog people when you start addressing your dog like a person and start asking your in-laws if they got Christmas presents for the dog. I think we may well be down that path. I will have to say that my relationship with my dog, Lizzie, (otherwise, known as Lizzie Lou) is quite different than the one I had with my childhood dog. It's much more parental in nature and I will leave it at that for fear of being ridiculed by Heather for analyzing the relationship. :)

Christmas Party 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 16:00:00 +0000

Christmas and New Year's have gone by in the blink of an eye and I am already playing catch-up in 2007 on a number of fronts, including this blog. Heather and I hosted a Christmas party and we think it went quite smoothly: people sated by the apps and quenched by the alcoholic bevies.

Big props go to Yannis and Priscilla for helping us pick up and do the dishes at 3 in the morn.

Here are a couple of pics throughout the evening.

The HBS Crew

Baura, Happy as Can Be!

Levy's Chilling with Ian and Sara

Hello Ladies

Kellogg Boys

Internatioanal Couple of the Year, Priscilla and Yannis

Party it Up with Jenny, Nicole, and Debbie

Speed Freak Awards, Week 13

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 14:15:00 +0000

Another thrilling week of NFL action with late winning field goals and outstanding play from some special athletes. Specifically, I'd like to call out three guys who demonstrated that speed does kill and who helped lead their teams to victory with their God-given talents. In fact, they are all rookies. Does it say something about youth?

Here they are:

#3 Devin Hester, 5'11, 189 - electifying 45 yard punt return for TD

#2 Jerious Norwood, 6'0, 203 - riDunkulous open field 62-yard TD run

#1 Reggie Bush, 5'11, 203 - 4 TDs and a plethora of jockstraps left on the field. The kid moves in video game speed and is jacked up (see pic below).

Kids Night Out - Ian & Manon's Engagement Soiree

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:56:00 +0000

A QUIET DINNER AT HOME WITH FRIENDS

HARRY TOASTS THE CROWD

BERT HAMMIN' IT UP WITH HIS STORIES

LINDSEY AND HARRY, NEWLY ENGAGED

GYRO IS TEMPORARILY DOWN FOR COUNT ...

LET'S GET JIGGY PEOPLE

"WHO DA' MAN!?! PUNKY B LIKEY BILL."

MEAT PERFORMS PART-TIME AT CHIPPENDALE'S

GYRO, "SHALL WE DANCE MY FIGURE SKATER SVETLANA?"

SPUNKY BEING SPUNKY

DIRK AND IT GIRL, SUNNY

HARRY AND SVETLANA IN RAVE-LIKE SYNC

JANE SHAKES THE DERRIERE

"LOWER GYRO! POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME, IN THE NAME OF LOVE."

Pride Is Forever in Mii Form

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 01:57:00 +0000

As demonstrated here, I've been spending WAY too much time playing around with this cool flash app. But it's so much freakin' fun making these Mii's of your friends and it helps when the brain can only do some much after a long night of imbibing.

To help determine who they are, each person is linked to an NFL player that matches their style of play.

In order from right to left.......

Row 1: Ray Lewis+Todd Heap, Jay Novacek, Matt Birk+John Gruden
Row 2: Michael Strahan, Dave Meggett
Row 3: Keyshawn Johnson, Mark Brunell****, Asian Pop Star+Rod Woodson
Row 4: Brian Urlacher+Chris Cooley, Steve Largent

****Please note: Mark Brunell in his prime (i.e. Jacksonville days as Pro Bowler), not as a backup with the Redskins.

Who is Who?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 17:22:00 +0000

After some fine dining at Hammer's posh pad - celebrating the wonderful engagement of Ian+Manon and Tim+Bridget, these crazy group of kids took Seattle's nightlife by storm. Their alter egos emerged to show Britney, Paris, and Lindsay that we, too, can party.

Row 1: Svetlana, Bill
Row 2: Bert, Sunny, Dirk Dracula
Row 3: Lindsey, Guy, Gyro
Row 4: Jane, Harry, Spunky
Row 5: Punky B, Humpty, Meat

Donovan McNabb Joins the ACL Club

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 22:52:00 +0000

Today, Donovan McNabb, All-Pro quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles had ACL surgery on his right knee. Feeling his pain.

Two Sundays ago, he tore the ACL on a somewhat freakish play running out of bounds on a QB scramble to his right. It wasn't a force impact type injury .... it seems that a lot of ACLs are injured like this. By happenstance, you catch your knee the wrong way and it pops.

The head trainer for the Eagles is saying 9 months post surgery that he'll be back which I think is very realistic. He did have some meniscus work done but given that he's a professional athlete and will have 100% of his time devoted to rehabilitation, I'm pretty sure Campbell's Chunky Soup spokesman will be back to true form by the 2007 season opener.

Welcome to the Club Donovan and best wishes on a fast recovery.

Vacationing in South Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 02:40:00 +0000

Over one's time on earth, vacations become an instrumental means to detach from the realities of life and recharge those ever-aging batteries. In the four days spent in sunny South Florida in Miami Beach, Heather and I certainly took advantage of this to do just that.

We indulged ourselves with lots of sleep (yes!), late dinners, some shopping, and lots of drink (champagne at the Delano). South Beach provided the perfect backdrop for such gluttony, as the place simply does not shut down.

Here are a few pics of the places we strolled, ate at, shopped, etc.

The Pelican Cafe on Ocean Drive

-- Must try here: seared tuna seaweed salad with wasabi and a cup of cappucino

Miami Ink, tailor parlor and site of famous TLC reality show

-- Caught a glimpse of Ami and crew. Very cool.

The Carlyle, hotel

-- One of my favorite art decos in the district

The Biltmore Hotel, world reknown

-- National historic landmark with largest hotel swimming pool in the country

The Avalon Hotel on Ocean Drive

-- Houses the top seafood restaurant (IMHO), A Fish in Avalon
-- Impeccable service and food

Casa Causarina, Versace's Mansion

-- Built in 1920 and can be rented out for a sick party

South Beach beach

The Sunrise at South Beach

Hotel Victor at night on Ocean Drive

-- Sleek, modern interior
-- Swanky lounge

ACL Update, Week 10: Knee is Coming Back

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 03:38:00 +0000

I am going on week 10 of my ACL recovery. Today was my 2 month checkup since surgery (a bit early) and based on the measurements, the knee and core muscle groups (quad and hamstring) are coming back. The differential in size between the thighs is only 1.5 cm compared to 5 cm after surgery. Strength (measured in centimeters) is the barometer for recovery and I need to continue the 3-4x week exercises to cut down that differential in size.

So the key question I asked Dr. Green was "how does an ACL surgery affect one's speed?" Can you return to your former self and clock that 4.2 forty time? (a la Deion Sanders)

He was emphatic in saying that he's seen athletes achieve their pre-injury forty times on average in 8 months post surgery. That's very good news.

Despite the return of speed, many athletes say the knee is still 'off'. What remains is still physiological. It's the rebuilding of nerves, blood vessels, and bone and the feedback of your knee to brain and back and forth. Having all of that in sync varies per person, ranging from 9-18 months.

Finding Your Fit, A Job That Works

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 07:34:00 +0000

Having switched jobs rather frequently in the last four years (three to be exact), I've come to see what fits and doesn't fit in each particular job. The strong job market has certainly helped create more positive 'fits' than not.

More specifically, 'fits' are things like .....

The role matches your skills, interest, and career goals (higher match = more success)
Your manager (supports your development/success, can learn a lot from him/her)
Company culture (coworkers you respect and enjoy spending time with)
Growth trajectory of role and company (e.g. flat and "earlier stage"= rise faster)
Compensation (more is better)
Commute (makes quite the difference!)
Autonomy (ability to make decisions and act on them)
Participation in company success (i.e. equity, stock options)

Each person clearly places different weights on particular 'fits' and it's the weighted average of all of them that creates an overall score for happiness in a job. By no means is it scientific. It comes down to the feeling you have when you wake up each morning and head off to work.

The process of switching jobs has helped refine the values I place on 'fits' and helped me come closer to my ideal. For me, it was realizing that I thrive in certain organizational structures better than others (e.g. flatter and smaller) and truly understanding what gets me pumped (e.g. online monetization, the consumer). It's kind of like finding the beat to a song that starts to stick and then reacting to it. For the '80's kids, think 'sprinkler' and 'running man' ... at will and all the time.

Some are lucky enough to find their 'fit' earlier in their career than others. Most do not and that's ok. Many use graduate school (business school in my case) in general to discover the ideal. I know I did. I was your typical career switcher that attempted to make the move from investment banking to technology product management. It certainly didn't happen over night but it eventually worked out.

During the transition phases in between jobs, it's a great use of time to reflect and gain self-awareness of your strengths and weaknesses. Understanding this about yoursefl is so important in successful career management. It helps you make better decisions and ultimately steers you down a path that you'll be better equipped for and most importantly, a path you're more likely to enjoy.

ACL Injuries in the NFL & Other Stats

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 13:44:00 +0000

I was curious to know how many notable NFL players have had ACL injuries and recovered. I did a quick Google scan and this is what I found.

It's quite interesting to see that recent medical advancements have certainly improved players' chances of returning to the field and being successful.

I've highlighted the success stories (in bold).

Edgerrin James - RB
Jamal Lewis - RB
Willis McGahee - RB
Deuce McAllister - RB
Dominic Rhodes - RB
Terrell Davis - RB
Correll Buckhalter - RB
Frank Gore - RB
Jamal Anderson - RB
Kijana Carter - RB
Greg Jones - RB
Jerry Rice - WR
Brian Finneran - WR
Lee Evans - WR
Tyrone Calico - WR
Braylon Edwards - WR
Daunte Culpepper - QB
Brian Griese - QB
Carson Palmer - QB
Antonio Cromartie - CB
Roman Harper - S
Kailee Wong - LB
Will Demps - S

I asked my physical therapist about how an ACL injury might affect your speed. Theoretically, it shouldn't because it's your quad, hamstring, and calf muscle fibers which determine speed but she does think it may marginally affect the natural knee joint motion. I'll have to bring up this point with my surgeon Dr. Green next week.

Other Stats:

Grass and turf had equal rates of ACL injuries
ACL injuries accounted for 2% of all injuries
66% of injuries occurred in games
RBs have the highest risk of injury
81% of team physicians said the ideal return to play time is 6-9 months post surgery
Nearly 100% of NFL athletes were able to return to competition after surgery

Source: Bradley, Sekiya, Kaplan. A Summary of ACL Injuries in the NFL, 2001.

Lazy Sunday: Fantasy Football, NFL, and Hooters

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 04:00:00 +0000

To get the full story on this photo, you'll have to read on.

It was a good way to end the week. Wake up late on a Sunday morn', grab a short latte at your favorite coffee joint (Zoka), head to the gym to pre-burn the calories you're going to consume that afternoon, make your favorite beef stew recipe, and head to Hooters for some Week 5 NFL action. That's a lazy Sunday every guy should have .... every week.

Yes, we are at Week 5. A few comments ....

Can you believe da Bears are 5-0?!? Is it all D, not at all. Rex Grossman looks damn good in the pocket, throwing ropes off the back of his foot into the endzone and pinpoint bombs down the sidelines. I've never heard of his receivers but he's making them look All Pro (some former Arena league guy and a guy named Berry-an).

Reggie Bush. My fellow San Diegan is representing SoCal. His punt return for a TD was a display of pure footspeed. I don't think he ran the 40 in the combines but I'd have to say he looks to be the fastest guy in the NFL. I'm talking football speed. Reggie is uncatchable once he gets to the outside. If you saw his press conference post game, the Saints are paying for that speed. His Princess cut diamond earringwas the size of a small walnut.

Cowboys and Eagles. The non-return of T.O. to Philly for the battle of the NFC East. It was too much home field advantage for the 'Boys. The D-McNabb show it was. I think Donovan has dispelled all notions that he's not an accurate passer. The guy has a gun for an arm. Did you see that flea flicker pass to Reggie Brown? Preeetty.

Peyton Manning has proved again why he is the best player in the league. He can singlehandedly win a game with his arm and football intelligence; it's all about the flapping wings and the feet stuttering on his three step. Give the guy 60 seconds and he can take his team down the field and put up six and then call it a day. Granted he has a set of Pro Bowl receivers (Harrison, Wayne, and Dallas Clark) but nonetheless ... the guy wrote the manual on the two minute drill.

My fantasy results are going well despite the loss of my #1 pick, Shaun Alexander. In fact, I've come to the conclusion that he is an overrated back. I wouldn't not put him in the class of an L.T. who I think is a better athlete - better hands, better cutback ability, shiftier, faster and more versatile. Nothing against Alexander the Great but the guy had an awesome line and a passing offense that is well respected. You can't put 8 in the box on Hasselback & Co.

So Search & Destroy, the name of my fantasy team is heading into Week 5 at 3-1, not because my team is dominant but because I've had some favorable matchups thus far. I don't expect this to continue as playoffs are a different story. My strategy has been active management - picking up players in free agency who can put up points that week and have the potential to be starters further down in the season.

As I mentioned earlier, Mike D and I spent a "lovely" afternoon at our local Hooters franchise. It was a football date of sorts, mixed in with debates on the demise of Social Security and how we allocate personnel for next season's flag football team.

The food and views were equally scintillating. The wings were delicious - greasy as they come and to-die-for when doused with Ranch dressing. We did get our veggies requirements, each having a celery and carrot stick. Towards the end of the Cowboys & Eagles game, the waitresses were preparing for the WWE crowd influx (who you don't want to mess with - that's a whole other story in itself). Anyhow, part of this preparation involved an all-restaurant dance on top of the chairs with the Hooters ladies.

Mike's 007 good looks caught the eye of a waitress who pulled him up with five other patrons to shake their tailfeathers. To my delight, my trusty Treo came to the rescue and caught Mike in butter-cup form with the other unlucky blokes.

Mike's the second from right, next to the nerdy looking Asian dude. And that Asian dude is not me!

Bengals & User Generated Videos

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 13:06:00 +0000

The Cincinnati Bengals are leading the NFL in not only having one of the most explosive offenses but also in the realm of Internet technology. On their website, Bengals.com, the Bengals have added a section that allows fans to upload their favorite Bengal videos.

It's a tough decision ..... video on Carson Palmer setting up on a throw to a streaking Chad Johnson or a dance routine by the Ben Gals.

Click HERE.