Stay out of it

Recently a host on the golf network suggested jokingly that the only way to stop Tiger Woods from dominating the golf world would be to take him out back and lynch him. These ill fated words led to her public apology and subsequent suspension by the network. Tiger Woods made a brief statement that he accepted her apology and that should have been the end of the story. Unfortunately, there are trouble makers that do not want the story to go away.

Enter Jim Brown, former star football and lacrosse player. In an interview this week he suggested that Tiger should have used this incident to make a "statement" but instead shirked his responsibility. What kind of statement does he want Tiger to make? Have her fired, sue the network? Complain about racism? How would any of that help race relations in this country. Instead, Tiger took the high road and his classy, gracious response was the correct statement. Jim Brown and other instigators want to turn her words into societal debate over race rather that what it was; a matter between two individuals. Tiger understood that. I wish others did as well.

Jim Brown grew up in an era when racism was thriving. But that is a long time ago, especially in the sports world. No longer are black people discriminated against but they are coveted because of their skills abilities and marketing opportunities. My guess is that Jim Brown is jealous of Tiger's success and fame. That's why he feels the need to interject himself into a debate that has nothing to do with him. He should just keep his mouth shut and let Tiger handle his own affairs.

An Old Friend and a Blanket

A couple weeks ago my friend Don came to Lansing for a short visit. He lives in NY now with his wife but he is from Michigan and still makes the occasional trek back here to visit family or for work. Don and I go back a long time. I met him 6th grade and we became friends almost immediately. He was much bigger than I was at the time so I would often use him as a body guard when I would get mouthy with others which happened a lot during my Jr. high days.

As we became closer friends, I recall my Mom being concerned that he might be a bad influence on me. I'm not sure why but the irony is that over our many years of friendship my Mom became quite fond of Don and welcomed into the family. In fact, a running joke was that she would often meet his girlfriends before I would.

While he was visiting this past time, we had a good time

playing race for the whitehouse, scrabble and even Talking Clue. It was fun to have someone over who appreciates games as much as I do. And like always he allowed me to win for which I am thankful.

But the best moment came as I was getting a blanket for his bed. Don recognized the blanket because I had bought it in high school while he and I were a missions trip to South Dakota. This incident may sound trivial but when he noticed the blanket it dawned on me just how far back our relationship went. Nobody else I know would recognize that blanket but Don did and that said something about our friendship. It revealed a shared history that was unique to us. To others it was just a blanket. To Don it was a reminder of our youth and the experiences we shared together.

As I get older my circle of friends continues to expand and sometimes it would be easy to shirk some old relationships. They often change and take work. But the reality is that you can never replace the depth of friendship that is forged over many years and many memories. Don's visit reminded me just fortunate I am to have such a long and enduring friendship.

The Gilmore Girls

Ok. I admit it. I am addicted to the Gilmore Girls. I started catching the occasional episode a year or two ago after I saw Lauren Graham on celebrity poker. But over Christmas break I began watching the reruns everyday and I am hooked. In fact, I rush home after work to catch the 5 O'clock airing. It reminds me of racing home from elementary school to watch Star Blazers with Ryan Boeskool.

I realize that the show is supposed to appeal to women. I can't help enjoying it. My Step dad thinks I am crazy and told me he couldn't watch it because the over acting irritates him. And while they do overact, that is part of the show's charm. I like the fast paced, witty dialogue and the endearing honesty in their relationships. No other show approaches their level in terms of addressing family dynamics. I especially appreciate Loralai's relationship with her mother. I am sure a lot of women can relate. And lately, I am enjoying Lane and how she balances her rebellious youth while still respecting her repressive mother.

Throw in all the quirky side-characters in town and it adds up to a very fun hour of TV. And unlike all my other re-run favorites, I haven't seen every episode several times. My only regret is that I never really watched it when it was on prime time. But good news; I hear they may make a movie based on the show.

Huck Yeah!

I attended the Mike Huckabee rally in Grand Rapids over the weekend. I took my friend Jen to the event. She had read his website and was intrigued by him because of his support for music education (She is a music teacher). It was a nice size crowd of about 800 people or so. Not bad for a campaign with zero organization in the state. In fact, we got there a little late and had to stand in the balcony with only one spot where you could actually view him speaking. The crowd was mostly homeschoolers, evangelicals, fair tax people and a smattering of environmentalists.

He gave a good speech hitting all the Republican talking points but he was definitely at his best when he focused on the working class, blue collar issues. I am not sure exactly what his plan is to help the middle class but he has an ability to connect with that group. I think this is because he comes from the working class and not from wealth like many of the other candidates do. I did have to laugh when he started mentioning his union endorsements. The Republican crowd wasn't really sure if they were supposed to cheer or not and they settled on polite applause. At the end he grabbed the guitar and played with mustang sally with a local band was fun and roused the crowd.

I would say the enthusiasm level of the crowd overall was about 8. It was good but wasn't quite like the McCain crowds in 2000 when you could feel the enormous energy. Although I don't think even McCain is generating the enthusiasm he had last time around. A lot of people at the Huckabee rally were just curious to see who he was and what he had to say. And I would guess that most people left with their mind made up to vote for him.

I keep hearing through the grapevine, that he is having big turnouts in other parts of the state as well. That's a very good sign. Tuesday could be a big day for Huckabee and if he wins Michigan it will definitely be because of the grass roots.

10 year anniversary

Today marks 10 years since my Dad passed away. Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of my Grandma's death. I will never forget that time in my life. It is hard to believe it has been 10 years already. Some days it feels like just yesterday. Other times, it seems like a completely different lifetime. But even today, the first weeks of January still haunt me and cast a dark shadow over each new year as I remember 1998.

It started just before Christmas when I got a call from my Mom that Grandma was in the hospital. I wasn't worried until I arrived in Pittsburgh a few days later and saw that she was already in bad shape. When I left to head back to Michigan, I recall the uneasy thought that I wasn't going to see her again. The day I got back, I called my Dad to let him know I was in town for Christmas. His phone rang and rang and I remember finding it odd that the answering machine did not pick up. That night I received a call from the hospital and learning that Dad was in a house fire and was in the burn unit. It was quite a shock. My Step dad took me to hospital and I had no idea at the time just how bad he was. Although my body must have known deep down as I threw up in the parking lot on my way to see him. By the time I arrived, he was already unconscious. I like to think he knew I was there but I'll never know.

Both Dad and Grandma were both remarkable fighters and both held out as long as possible. My Mom spent time in Pittsburgh along with my Aunts and Grandpa. Meanwhile my brother and I along with Dad's side of the family stayed in Michigan. I have vivid memory of their last days as my Mom called Friday evening to tell me that Grandma had passed away and then less than 12 hours later Dad finally gave up. It was a remarkable shaking to lose two people I loved within hours of each other.

I do miss both of them. I thought of my Grandma quite a bit during my cousin Brie's wedding this past fall. She would have loved the wedding because Grandma had a great appreciation for the beach. Brie was also her favorite as she was the only granddaughter. I am thankful that my last memory with Grandma before she got sick was sitting by the pool in Margate NJ. She was vacationing there as she did most years and I made a weekend trip up from DC to visit. We had a really good talk about her time living in Washington and I enjoyed hearing her stories. It was a good way to end my time with her.

I don't have quite the same happy ending with Dad. I never got to say goodbye and my last phone call a few months prior was filled with mostly superficial small talk and I remember thinking afterwards that he didn't really get me. I had hoped to talk more to him when I got up to Michigan for Christmas but I never got the chance. I still think of him often. I cannot watch a Maryland game or hear about Robert Kennedy (his political hero) without feeling like he's somehow with me in spirit. I usually cry when I hear the Neal Young song that Uncle Brian played at his funeral.

Over the past 10 years, I am realizing just how much of my life both Dad and Grandma have already missed. They'll never know that I moved back to Michigan or ran a winning political campaign or any of my girlfriends or that I am finally a home owner. Most days this doesn't matter but today I really wish I could share these past experiences with them. I hope to use this feeling to ensure that I share my present and future experiences with my family and friends who are still with me.

Last Night

The debates were finally interesting. Getting rid of the also rans and letting the candidates actually speak for more than 30 seconds helped. Since Romney is fond of the olympics, he must have felt like Nancy Kerrigan being taken out at the knees by Tonia Harding. It was obvious that all the candidates took personal pleasure from attacking Romney. It makes me wonder why he is so disliked? Regardless, it doesn't really matter because no way does he survive the attacks last night. McCain is looking better and better and even Thompson had a good night.

On the Democratic side, Clinton showed her ugly side after getting ripped by both Obama and Edwards. Watching her I thought she was going to have an aneurysm. So much for her likability. Obama came across very confident and level headed. The only questions left are the margin of victory for Obama and will Edwards beat her for second.

Meanwhile my Steelers disappointed me again. Their offensive line was awful and Ben played his worst half of the season. But as always, they teased me by taking the lead late only to give away the game. Coach Tomlin definitely coached like a rookie. He should have never gone for 2 especially after the 10 yard penalty. He also was way too conservative when they got the ball back with the lead. Oh well, they were only going to lose to the Patriots next week anyway.

Big wins for Obama and Huckabee

Well my predictions were not too far off except I underestimated my man Huckabee or more likely overestimated Romney's vaunted organization. I guess it goes to show you that even the best campaign strategy and execution can't overcompensate a weak candidate. It is surprising though how well Huckabee did without a lot of paid staffers on the ground in Iowa and with the barage of negative ads run against him. Chalk it up to the power of personality.

Romney is finished. He may hang around for a while but McCain will win New Hamsphire and probably Michigan and Huckabee will win South Carolina. I am surprised Thompson hasn't dropped out already but he will shortly and most likely throw his support behind McCain. The wildcard is Giuliani. He needs to keep relevant and hold on until Florida and then pull off the upset over Huckabee. That would set him up for Feb 5th but I don't think he can do it. I suspect the race is down to Huckabee and McCain and that the establishment that fled McCain this summer will rally around him to stop Huckabee.

Obama's win is even bigger than Huckabee's. Does anybody else find it odd that a black man won in Iowa where there are like maybe a dozen black voters? I still think he'll face racism along the campaign trail but last night should help alleviate at least some of those fears. Edwards is finished and would do best if he quickly dropped out and then cut a deal with Obama to be VP again. I don't think he'll do it but he has no shot at winning. Hillary could still make a comeback but to do so is going to be very ugly. Obama is going to feel the full force of the Clinton hit machine over the next couple weeks. There is still a lot we don't know about Obama but we will most certainly find out soon.

Today is the day

For all us political junkies, the real action has finally arrived. Today is the Iowa Caucuses. And for the first time I can remember, neither party has any idea who is going to win Iowa yet alone the nomination. This uncertainty makes for great entertainment. I heard this morning that they are expecting record high turnouts for the Democrats and record low turnouts for the Republican. This tracks with the same level of enthusiasm that has appeared at campaign events and fundraisers. Needless to say this is not a good sign for Republicans.

Let's start with the Republican side. The race is very very close. I suspect Romney has a slight lead going into tonight. Probably about 1 percent. When you consider they expect about 90,000 voters that amounts to only about 900 voters. The interesting thing about Romney is that he should be running away with the race. He has business and government experience, is a good speaker, has tons of money and has run a very smart, traditional campaign. Contrast this with Huckabee who is flying by the seat of his pants, has virtually no money and no staff on the ground and you wonder how he is keeping up with Romney. So why are they so close? Mostly, because Romney has a hard time relating and connecting to the average voter. He does and says all the right things but people either don't believe him or don't like him. That's a bad combination. He brought most of this on himself by trying to remake himself into a down the line conservative when he is most likely a northeast moderate. Most people can see through that phoniness.

Huckabee on the other hand is nowhere near as polished or disciplined as Romney but his pastoral skills help him connect with the average voter. And while much is being made of his evangelical base, I believe his blue collar, working class message is what separates him from the rest of the field. Plus his humor and guitar playing supplement his politics making him the "fun" candidate. I mean would you rather listen to Romney's powerpoint or Huckabee's guitar rift? But some people are beginning to question if the fun candidate will make a competent president and that is a troubling question for Huckabee. It appears more and more that the safe choice is Romney and then maybe McCain.

Here is what I expect tonight. Due to Romney's stronger campaign structure, he should out perform the polls and win by a couple percentage points over Huckabee. Huckabee will come in a close second but not close enough to give him the national momentum he needs. Thompson is going to cut into his evangelical base and that will push him into third place just ahead of McCain. Paul will be a respectable 5th place and Giuliani will be lucky to break 5 percent. The stories of the night will be Romney surviving and Thompson coming in third and both getting a bounce out of the evening.

On the Democrat side all three top candidates are in a statistical dead heat. Having said that, I think a large turnout helps Obama. I also think the way the Democrats do things by eliminating all candidate below 15 percent helps him as well because it consolidates the anti-Hillary vote. If turnout ends up being lower than expected then Edwards has a chance to pull the upset. This is secretly what Hillary wants because she now knows she has no chance of winning and she'd rather see Edwards with momentum than Obama because Edwards doesn't have the money and structure to take on Hillary in all fifty states. Hillary is already downplaying the results and trying to lower expectations. My prediction is Obama narrowly over Edwards and Hillary a distant third.

Republicans
Romney 30
Huckabee 27
Thompson 15
McCain 13
Paul 10
Giuliani 4
Hunter 1

Democrats
Obama 34
Edwards 32
Clinton 24
Richardson 5
Biden 4
Dodd 1

What's up with Drudge?

Every day on the Drudge Report, there is a new "article" blasting away at Mike Huckabee. It's as if they are doing the dirty work for Romney. It's bad enough that Hugh Hewitt practically begs Romney to french kiss him every time he writes a column but I like Drudge and expect more from him. After all, I view his site everyday but I don't need to read any more Romney press releases. Enough already. It just reveals how truly desperate Romney is and I suspect his internal polling is worse than the public polls. Romney is in trouble with a capitol T; and not just in River City but all across Iowa.

One thing that I am beginning to notice is that Romney and Thompson are both going after Huckabee for being too liberal on crime, immigration, taxes and spending. Ironically, Huckabee's "liberal" side is what draws me too him and what separates him from the rest of the field. Me personally, I am a social conservative and there of plenty of candidates to choose from. But I am also an economic moderate and Huckabee is the only candidate who comes close to my political philosophy. I won't support someone who blames illegal aliens for all our ills, offers nothing but tax cuts and "the free market" to help the middle class and thinks health care and the environment are democratic issues that will take care of themselves. If that's your candidate (Fred Thompson) more power to you but that's not for me.

I am sure the political establishment will continue their attacks on Huckabee but I don't think they will work. In fact, I foresee him increasing his lead going into Christmas and winning big in Iowa and South Carolina.

michigan coaching search

The past week has been rough for Michigan fans. First word leaked out that we were interested in Kirk Ferentz but apparently he wasn't interested in Michigan. Then the athletic director, Bill Martin, screwed up with Les Miles by not contacting him with any reassurance that he was the school's first choice despite an ESPN report that he had already accepted the job. This forced Miles to state publicly that he was staying at LSU. Late last week Greg Schiano withdrew his name from consideration to stay at Rutgers. Fricken Rutgers, a school that is roughly on par with Indiana in the big ten. It's like getting turned down on prom so the gal could go with the math club president. Then my personal choice, Paul Johnson, took the job at Georgia Tech and I fully expect them to be a national power within 3 years. Now I hear Brady Hoke's name mentioned which is startling since he has a losing record at Ball State. Apparently his only qualification is that he was an assistant at Michigan under Carr. Oh and both are crappy assistant coaches interviewed as well.

The basic problem is that Martin sucks as an athletic director. He is a bean counter with no real expertise in athletics. Unfortunately this means he is relying way to heavily on Lloyd Carr in this process. That's a big problem because Lloyd got us in this mess in the first place and is probably responsible for not hiring Miles right away. Apparently, Carr doesn't like him. So what? Carr's leaving should be a wake up call to the program but hiring someone just because Lloyd likes them would be the equivalent of hitting the snooze button. And if that's what Martin wants to do so be it; but that is not what fans and boosters want. We don't want a Lloyd Carr clone. In fact, we want just the opposite.

Our best hope is that Jeff Tepford from Cal expresses some interest. He is a good offensive coach who could recruit out west. The other option is Brian Kelly but for some reason he seems to be out of the mix. I have a bad feeling that Michigan is in big trouble.

Ramblings on the Trinity

I am taking a class on the Trinity taught by a professor at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. It's interesting to participate in a thoughtful academic discussion and reminds me of my time in college. One thing that was mentioned last night was that creative theology is most likely in error if it strays from the traditional orthodox teaching of the church.

I agree, but then we got into a tangential discussion as to which traditional teachings are sacrosanct and which ones have more room for discussion and interpretation. Obviously, since the class is on the Trinity, it makes sense that understanding and accepting this teaching is essential to being a Christian. But my experience growing up in the church makes me question if we as the church really believe this. Most Christians will say they believe in the trinity but ask many of them to explain it or defend this belief and they have few good answers. (Evangelicals included) So if the trinity is truly an essential part of our faith, why is there such a dearth of understanding it.

I know that I have been taught the doctrine of the Trinity since I was in junior high, but I have many questions such as why we refer to two thirds of the trinity in masculine human terms but the third is spiritual. Also, if all three are equal why choose to explain their relationship in terms of father and son which suggests a hierarchy. And doesn't a father exist before a son yet we are taught that they both always existed.

These questions don't even begin to address the historical development of the doctrine which didn't formally exist until three hundred years after Jesus death. Why do we trust that the church leaders who determined this doctrine are in fact correct? Many protestants will reject other historical teachings of the church but they accept this one. Why? For instance we reject the idea that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ during Communion and yet this was an essential teaching of the church for over a thousand years and still practiced today by catholics.

Finally what about the application and treatment of each part of the trinity within the church today? For instance, the holy spirit is all but ignored in many churches as we focus on our relationship with Jesus. Other churches focus almost exclusively on being baptized in the holy spirit and question others faith if they haven't been. If the doctrine of the trinity is essential to our faith how come we don't exercise its practice consistently? And what would that consistent practice and teaching look like?

I realize that you could probably apply this same question to other "essentials" of the Christian faith. But since I am taking this class on the trinity, I figured I would focus on that doctrine. And before I get deluged with comments, I want to state that I do believe in the Trinity and will defend it to the best of my ability. But these are legitimate questions that I have, and if I have them, then my guess is that many others share the same questions.

Handicapping the Race

Today I was speaking with my co-worker and we realized that everybody in our office was supporting a different Republican candidate for President. Each of us represents one vote for each of the five leading candidates. Ironically, the most conservative person in our office is backing Rudy and the most liberal is backing Huckabee but that' s a different post for a different time.

Our office is microcosm of just how wide open the Republican race truly is this year. There is a candidate for every type of Republican but not one who can rally all the factions behind him. If I had to guess right now I would say that Rudy is leading but just barely, Romney is a close second, Huckabee is third but with momentum and McCain is still a possible dark horse candidate if everyone else falters. It' s getting harder and harder to see just how Thompson wins the nomination.

One can only hope that as the field whittles down that our party can unite around one strong candidate regardless of who wins the nomination. But as I listen to the rhetoric it may prove difficult to mend fences. Hopefully, we have Hillary as the opponent and as the driving force to reunite. Unfortunately, she is looking more and more desperate herself and Obama seems to be on his game recently. I have been worried about him from the beginning hoping that the Clinton machine will take him out for us. But her clumsy attacks so far only seem to be driving women voters away from her. She could be in real trouble. I was hoping that she would wait until the general election to implode and show her true colors but she appears to be starting early.

To quote Hillary, we are finally getting down to the fun time.

Christmas Time

This weekend I put up my Christmas Decorations. My Grandpa gave me his Christmas decorations a couple years ago in a spirit of Bah Humbug but this is my first time putting them out. My friends Erin and Tameshia came over to help give it a woman's touch. Thankfully, they let me hang my Steelers Stocking and Michigan football ornament so it still looks like a bachelor's tree. It took us a while to assemble the tree but after an hour or so we figured it out. and it looks really nice. After we finished, we baked cookies that turned out very well. I had a really fun time and enjoyed their company. It definitely put me in the Christmas spirit. Well that and the eggnog with rum.

This is why I don't play football

A couple weeks ago, I decided to play football with a group of guys in our community. Some of my friends who play every week had been inviting me and I kept turning them down but they finally won me over.

I was one of the oldest, slowest and smallest guys on the field and it was a serious game, not some family picnic game. And while I didn't excel, I don't think I embarrassed myself which is saying a lot since I hadn't played in a long, long time.

Well during the game, I attempted to make a tackle and afterwards noticed that my thumb was a little sore and bent out of shape. I figured I just dislocated it and kept playing. Fast forward two weeks and the thumb feels okay but won't bend or work at all so I break down and see the doctor. My initial thought was that maybe I broke it and would need a little thumb cast. Uh no! Apparently, I torn a tendon in my wrist which is why I can't move my thumb. Now I have a temporary cast on my left arm and am scheduled for surgery on Monday morning to repair the tendon.

It's frustrating because my thumb doesn't even hurt and yet I still have to have surgery and wear a cast for up to 8 weeks. So lame. I mean knew I was getting old but this is ridiculous. The only good thing to come out of the whole incident, is that several women think it makes me look tough. Especially after I tell them I injured myself playing football.

Online

They just posted my sermon online. It is available here.

Go Mike Go

Mike Huckabee continues to climb in the polls and last night he shined in the presidential debate. For those that think Huckabee is a one trick pony who is going to ride away after Iowa, forget about it.

Just this week he surpassed Romney in Iowa despite being greatly outspent there. He also has more enthusiastic support than does Romney, as many of Romney's voters said they could still change their mind about voting for him. Not so with Huckabee supporters.

Huckabee is also rising in South Carolina. He places third in the most recent poll only 4 points behind Romney and 2 points behind Thompson. Huckabee is the one with momentum. He is the one with an engaging personality and an attractive message.

One pundit said it best when they stated that Huckabee is the only Republican that has story and agenda that connects with the middle class. I completely agree. And while some will say he is not a complete conservative, I say so what. America doesn't want the same tired conservative dogma that die hards want to pass off as an agenda. That's the problem Fred Thompson is facing.

Many people are trying to say the race is now down to Rudy and Romney. And that may still be the case but if Huckabee beats Romney in Iowa then Romney is finished. And if Huckabee can squeeze Fred Thompson voters in the south he has a real shot at beating Rudy head to head. So don't believe the political hacks like Hugh Hewitt, who try to tell people that voting for Huckabee is throwing your vote away. They just say that because they support Romney and don't want Huckabee to embarrass them.

I suspect that the attacks will continue to be ramped up against Huckabee as he continues to gain in the polls. But unlike others, his likability will shield him from the attacks. And ultimately Huckabee will be left standing after Feb 5th.

Oh No, Not Kirk Ferentz!

I just read from a reliable source that Michigan has offered the job to Kirk Ferentz of Iowa. This is the same source that broke Lloyd Carr's retirement so I have confidence it is not just a wild rumor.
Unfortunately, Bill Martin was honest when he said he wanted a clone of Lloyd Carr as Ferentz has the same stale, predictable football philosophy as Carr. Basically Ferentz is Carr but without the high winning percentage, big ten titles, national championship and strong recruiting skills. If you think Michigan football was stagnate with Carr, just wait til Ferentz accelerates the decline and turns Michigan football into Iowa East.

I really question why Michigan would make such a choice. I guess they think they are such a good program that they don't need a great coach and that they will win just because they are Michigan. Well look how that turned out for Nebraska. But maybe this signals that Michigan really isn't the dream job that every other coach wants. Maybe they already sent feelers out to other coaches and Ferentz is the best they could get. I really hope that's not the case.

Our only hope is that Ferentz turns down the job to stay in Iowa out of some sense of loyalty to his players. After all he has such great talent coming back next year, he wouldn't want to miss going 7-5 next season and playing in the Alamo Bowl.

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who prayed for me last night. The sermon went very well and I sense that it was just the right message for our community. I'll admit that I was nervous before hand and almost panicked when I got a call just before the service, that our entire worship band was not coming because they were sick or out of town. Without any music, I didn't like the idea of being the sole center of attention. But thankfully, it wasn't about me and when I was reminded of that, it helped me relax a bit.

So instead of singing, we prayed and took communion and it was a really good service. I have to laugh because last Easter we didn't have heat in our building and now on Thanksgiving we didn't have music. I suspect Christmas will be interesting. Maybe we will run out of coffee or have no power. Good thing we are flexible.

Last night's message was from Numbers 11 and was a reminder to be thankful for what God provides in our lives. I think the church will have a podcast available of the sermon later this week on our website. So for those who missed it in person you can listen at home.

This weekend at Barefoot

For those interested, I am preaching this Saturday night at Barefoot Church in Lansing. Our pastor is out of town visiting family and I am filling in for him. I will be speaking on thankfulness for our daily bread. It should be a very exciting service. I would encourage those who are in Lansing this weekend to come by and check us out. Here is the link to our church. See you Saturday.

Goodbye Lloyd

Over the past few seasons I have not been a big fan of Lloyd Carr. But watching his press conference today did make me a little sad and reminded me of what I do like about him and what I like about Michigan football. I was reminded of my first time at the big house which was also Coach Carr's first game. It was against Virginia and they had an amazing fourth quarter comeback on a last second catch from Scott Driesbach to Mercury Hayes. It was the start of a special run at Michigan.

And while I want to win every game, there is something to be said for running a clean program with honor and integrity. Lloyd Carr did that. On top of that he did win 75 percent of his games and delivered us the only national championship in my lifetime. He was also one heck of a recruiter. He can certainly leave Michigan football feeling very proud of the things he accomplished. Unfortunately, I don't think was able to keep up with the new schemes in college football and his inability or unwillingness to adapt is what ultimately led to his downfall. I also don't think he ever truly got the most out of his players. Look at Tom Brady for example.

Now as for the new coach, I have seen 20 names listed as possibilities. Here are a few that are mentioned most often:
Les Miles - LSU
Brian Kelly - Cincinnati
Rich Rodriguez - W. Va.
Kirk Ferentz - Iowa
Paul Johnson - Navy
Jeff Tepford - Cal
Mike Belotti - Oregon
Chris Peterson - Boise St.

The most prominent is Les Miles from LSU. I'll be frank, I don't want him coaching Michigan. I have watched LSU this year and they have great talent but even though they are ranked #1 they have under achieved and play below their talent level. For those Michigan fans who are upset with Carr, that pattern should sound familiar.

My criteria for the next coach is someone with experience running a winning program and someone who is a good recruiter. They also need to be innovative offensively and able to get the most out of their talent. Most of the coaches listed above fit that criteria but not all (See Kirk Ferentz). My top two choices are either Brian Kelly or Paul Johnson. Both are having good seasons with minimally talented programs and both would excel with the kind of athletes that Michigan attracts. Chris Peterson intrigues me as well but he doesn't have a very long track record although 23-1 in his first two seasons is pretty impressive.

I suspect it will be a couple weeks before we find out who the next coach is. But in the meantime, I am going to remember the good job that Carr did and be thankful that he leaves the program in good shape for whoever the next coach is.