From the Inside Out

I don’t know what’s wrong with me this year, but I’m not interested in the Olympics — not even a little bit. The Winter games include my favorite sports (figure skating, skiing, snowboarding, speed skating, curling), but I just cant get into it. I’ve watched only a handful of events so far, and they all bored me. It’s a little annoying because I want to catch the Olympic spirit. I want to cheer for the US athletes. I want to join the online banter. Alas, I just can’t bring myself to do it.

So, in honor of my anti-Olympic spirit, instead of bringing you a glowing rendition of the games and highlighting how incredible these amazing athletes are, I’m bringing you bloopers. Why? Because in my current mood, it’s much more entertaining.

Maybe I’ll get my Olympic mojo back before the games end this year. Maybe I’ll just have to wait for 2014. Until then, enjoy the videos.

Olympic Bloopers

I went to sleep in Texas last night, and when I woke up, I thought I’d been transported to Colorado! Everything was blanketed underneath a heavy coating of snow — a treat for those of us who live in North Texas. We normally get ice and sleet, and on those rare occasions when we do get snow, it’s only a light dusting. But not today! By mid-morning, we had three inches of snow on the ground. It was a pretty sight to behold.

Tonight, we broke the all-time record for snowfall in North Texas! It’s astounding. The previous record was 7.8 inches. We easily surpassed that record by early evening, and the snow is STILL falling. It really does feel like I’m in Colorado, not Texas — it’s fantastically bizarre! So much for global warming, huh?

Now if only there were some mountains nearby, I’d strap on my skis and go for a run!

We watched the New Orleans Saints make history tonight. First, we watched the team play in their first Super Bowl game ever (considering the fact that the Super Bowl has been around for 44 years, that’s a big deal). Second, we saw them win! I know my Louisiana friends are freaking out this evening. It’s a long sought after, well-deserved reward for a team that has endured many struggles in recent years.

At first, things didn’t look good for the Saints. The Colts started off strong and built a 10 point lead early in the game. However, things began to turn around for the Saints in the second half after they chose an interesting play, an onside kick, after returning to the field from the half time break. The momentum seemed to change after that moment, and eventually the Saints prevailed. I guess Madden NFL has once again accurately predicted another Super Bowl win!

Thankfully the game was interesting because the other entertainment — Super Bowl commercials and half time show — was terribly disappointing. The Who performed during the half time show, and I’m sure at one point (back in the 70s) they were a good band, but why can’t the NFL get someone relevant (and from this decade) to perform? It would make the show much more interesting. The funniest quote I saw from the Twitterverse tonight was, “who are these old guys singing the theme song from CSI?” That pretty much sums it up.

The new commercials, which are one of the things I usually look forward to, were also sub-par. Most of them were snoozers. Only a few were even worth mentioning. I’d have to say that the Doritos commercials were my favorites — at least they made me laugh. The screaming chicken and Betty White commercials were also humorous. And, let’s see….yeah…that’s about it.

If you missed the big show and the commercials, you can judge for yourself using the Forbes Ad Viewer below. Watch the commercials and then rate your favorites.

Hopefully next year, we’ll see the Cowboys in the Super Bowl. That would definitely make things much more interesting!

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According to Madden NFL, a popular sports video game from Electronic Arts, the New Orleans Saints will be the victors during Sunday’s Super Bowl game in Miami. Now, if you’re like me, you are probably ready to dismiss this information as interesting but not necessarily true. After all, how can a video game foretell who will win the big game this weekend?

Well, it’s a little creepy, but the game has accurately predicted the Super Bowl winner for five out of the last six years. Even critics have to admit that those are pretty good odds! Here’s how it works. Each year, Electronic Arts puts the two teams into a Super Bowl simulation game. The computer plays out the entire game on its own, and this year, the results were as follows: Saints 35, Colts 31. The game even predicted who would win the MVP award, Drew Brees with three touchdowns and 299 yards passing — in case you were interested.

There are a number of factors that the video game can’t take into consideration — like injuries, bad calls, and nerves — but even so, it’s still been a pretty good indication of who will win the big game. The only Super Bowl it didn’t predict correctly was a major fluke that no one expected. So, unless something strange happens on Sunday, we might just get to watch the Saints win their first Super Bowl ever! Go Saints!

Today’s role models seem to consist mostly of manufactured film and movie stars or morally deficient sports athletes. In the post-Clinton era, even the office of the President doesn’t garner the respect it once did. Many famous evangelists and ministers have fallen from grace; Catholic priests have engaged in unheroic behavior by taking away the innocence of young boys. In this type of world, where are the heroes — the men and women with unwavering faith who stand up for what they believe regardless of the cost? Where are the Rosa Parks, Mother Theresas and Martin Luther Kings of the world? Do they exist today? Are they part of a bygone era?

Unfortunately, sports stars tend to be popular heroes for children today. These impressionable kids wear the jerseys of their favorite players, watch their games and model their behavior. Remember the popular catch phrase, “I wanna be like Mike”?

To be honest, there aren’t many sports stars that I want to be like, but one athlete does stand out from the pack. Take the following story from the Dallas Morning News as an example:

A homeless man who goes by Doc was cashing in change at a Cinemark theater in Dallas when a guy walked up and offered to pay his way into the movie. Doc, who planned to spend his day passing out flyers for a few bucks, accepted a rain check before realizing that he recognized the generous gentleman.

“Was that Tony Romo?” Doc asked the kid behind the counter.

It sure was. Doc hustled across the street to the consignment store that paid him to occasionally pass out flyers and requested the day off. By the time he got back to the theater, “Role Model” had already started.

Romo, who confirmed the story but didn’t want to elaborate, waved Doc over to sit by him and his buddy. Doc sheepishly mentioned that he hadn’t showered in a few days.

“Don’t worry about that,” Romo said. “I’m used to locker rooms.”

And so the $67 million quarterback and a man who doesn’t have $6.70 to his name sat next to each other and shared laughs for 90 minutes or so.

For Romo, who made news by changing a couple’s tire on the side of the road on the way home the night of the season opener, it was just another kind gesture to a random stranger. It meant the world to Doc.

“For me, it was a blessing,” Doc said. “It came at just the right time. It gave me some encouragement and faith in mankind. I just wanted to say thank you.”

Is Tony a hero? No. However, he is someone whose behavior I want to model. Few people do what he did that day, especially those with “celebrity” status. No, it doesn’t make him a hero, but it does show me that there are still some good role models out there…even athletes.

So, where have all the heroes gone? I don’t have the answers. It remains to be seen whether any notable heroes will arise in the midst of a society plagued with scandal, immorality and compromise. I want to believe they are still out there, and maybe…just maybe we’ll see them again one day in real life, not just in the movies.