The Perfect Season

Forget the New England Patriots. This afternoon I saw the perfect season. The Miami Dolphins. Yup, you read that right. The very same Dolphins who started the day 0-13 and were on the verge of securing the first overall pick in next year’s draft. "On the Clock" they were chiming.

Oh, but on this day I found the team that will become the measuring stick for all future teams.

When I was growing up, I played Little League baseball and only one year did my team do anything in the post-season. That was the year my team placed second. I missed most of that post-season as my family took a trip to Chicago. Hmmm, does that say something about my baseball talent? I hope not. Oh wait... I was bad.

We were young then. We didn’t turn on each other when we were losing, but when you’re young, for the most part you just want to win and have fun. I still do want to have fun when I play anything. But I am ultra competitive and can rarely do something – just for fun.

Those 53 players and dozens of coaches who have endured 13 straight losses this season, 16 if you go back to last year, showed us what it means to be a team.

Rarely over the last 14 weeks have any of the players or coaches gone to the press to air the dirty laundry. None of this, ‘if they weren’t here’ or ‘he’s the reason’ talk. It’s been a team.

They played like a team. They lost as a team. Today, they won as a team. A whole team effort and with the help of misfortune for the other team, the Miami Dolphins finished their game today with a record of 1-13.

When Greg Camarillo crossed the goal line for the winning touchdown in overtime, the stadium was roaring, the players running around like they had just won the Super Bowl. Did anyone know that it was Camarillo’s first touchdown of his pro career? Or head coach Cam Cameron’s first win of his pro career? Or that at half-time the team and fans honored the 35^th Anniversary of the undefeated team?

Not after that touchdown.

These Dolphins are now my team. The team by which all teams should be measured.

The Right Man

Eight years.

I have waited eight years for this chance.

Sadly, I no longer live in Iowa where I can make a difference. Sadly, the citizens of my adoptive state seem to not want him. Even worse, the country doesn’t want him.

But why?

It’s because he’s not a politician. He’s a man. He’s a clean-cut, honest, hard working man. He’s a former POW. He’s a member of the “Greatest Generation.” He’s a hero. He’s my guy.

I am firmly behind the Senator from Arizona, John McCain in this Presidential election.

Eight years ago, I believed America needed a hero to lead us. Today I feel the same way, but for different reasons.

Senator McCain is the most honest politician I have ever met. Even he knows it.

‘Straight Talk Express’

I loved that bus – because it was and still is true. I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting Senator McCain and asking him one of the most pressing questions of our time. I asked, “So why haven’t you all done something about Social Security?”

He looked at me, straight in the eyes and with a heavy heart, “Because we are scared.” He continued to say that it won’t be fixed before 2009 because there is an election coming up.

I remember recently former Senator John Edwards, who in my opinion was a Senator because it was a cool thing to do and it can lead to me becoming President; he said, “Americans want a President with bold ideas.”

That statement made me laugh. If I recall, President Bush has proposed some bold ideas only to be rebuffed. Nonetheless, President Bush became my choice eight years ago by default. He became my choice four years ago because of desire.

Now, I have the real choice I wanted eight years ago. At this point, if I had to vote tomorrow, I would walk into the voting booth, fill in the circle for a write-in and proudly take my pencil and write, “J o h n M c C a i n”.

He’s my guy. He’s my guy for my generation and the next.

David Brooks of the New York Times described McCain as the only great man from either party in the race.

Debra Saunders of the San Fransisco Chronicle wrote yesterday, “As McCain said of his support of the Senate Immigration Bill, ‘I came to the senate not to do the easy things, but the hard things.’ But do voters want the hard things?”

It appears not. They want clean, perfect candidates. They want people who have never learned from their mistakes. They want career politicians who are there because they think it’s a cool gig.They want tested answers and polls for laws to be passed. They want Clinton, Guiliani, and Hucka-hoo?

My man is McCain. The Right Man.

Just Another 'Reality' Check

Poor American Idol. Poor reality television. Poor mother. Poor us. Television sucks… end of column.

Before I go on my tirade that has been building for three months, I must say, I do watch some reality television. But that doesn’t stop me from saying that giving the right cast, the right story, the right time, and a slow trigger finger, we can again have a Seinfeld.

The bottom line is that reality television is funny. Now, those ‘winners’ get to be the basis for my anger today.

Was it possible to sell worse than Taylor Hicks’ debut album? I didn’t think it was possible, but season six Idol winner, Jordan Sparks’ debut album is doing just that.

I have been a ‘fan’ of Idol, if for nothing else than the fact that it has given us a few great artists in Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry. But I much prefer when they make fun of people and it makes me feel better about myself.

Reality television does that. We all watch Big Brother or Survivor and say, “Oh, I would never do that!”

Really? You wouldn’t stab a friend in the back to win?

Oh sure, maybe it’s not stabbing so much as it is not returning phone calls or emails. Same difference.

I digress…

Looking the list of recent reality programs is staggering: Laguna Beach, Real World, Road Rules, The Simple Life, Nike and Jessica, COPS, The First 48, Idol, Big Brother, Deal or No Deal, Project Runway, Top Design, The Mole, and The Contender.

I’ll admit that I watch a few reality programs. I have long since been a fan of American Justice and the First 48; what can I say, I just love the law in order. I used to watch Survivor and attended three Survivor parties. I now watch Project Runway.

Back in the 1960’s, game-shows were all the rage on television and that led to the 1990’s and the rise of situation comedies and hour-long dramas. Oh, those were the days.

Must See TV. The 1995 ‘Must See’ lineup was this: Friends, The Single Guy, Seinfeld, Caroline in the City, ER. What a night that was.

Now, it’s hard to find a quality mental release on television. Shows are canceled before they even have a chance to find their niche, their audience.

Imagine if NBC had done to Seinfeld what it has done to Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Joey in recent years. 60 was a great comedy that NBC literally gave up on after six episodes. Joey was just a terrible production but a great concept. Then you have a show like Jericho which was canceled, only to be re-called because their fans were “unhappy.” Screw that. I have been unhappy for years!

I bet you didn’t know, but after the Pilot episode of Seinfeld was aired, NBC offered it to FOX, to which they passed.

I’m simply tired. I’m worn out. I need some entertainment. I need that release. I need Monica to be so crazy about the cleanliness of her apartment that I don’t feel so bad about the water ring that has formed on the tea cup tonight. I want George to yet again get fired so I don’t feel so bad about my own professional career. I want Robert and Ray back so I can watch my family in action.

But I will turn on the television tonight and find the NBA on ESPN because they find that to be more appealing than the Davis Cup Final between the United States and Russia.

Oh, the loss of my television. What is a man to do?