Why hasn't Mitt locked this thing up yet? He's been running for president since 2007. He's raised more money than any of his competitors. He's had only one wife, and has the religious conviction and will power to not drink coffee or alcohol. (Quite impressive.) But after losing (just barely) in Iowa and South Carolina after having once been believed a shoo-in in both states, his stranglehold on the 2012 GOP presidential nomination has loosened, allowing Newt to improbably connive his way to center stage.
Maybe this ad was Romney's downfall?
Maybe it's his recent string of inexplicable decisions, led by his refusal to release his tax returns, artificially elevating the importance of the issue even as it's a standard practice for presidential contenders to do.
This is sad - freestyle skier Sarah Burke, the dominant X-Games competitor and leading proponent in getting women's halfpipe skiing into the upcoming Winter Olympics, crashed in training on January 10, suffered a ruptured artery in her brain, and succumbed to her injuries Thursday morning. I admit, I didn't know who she was prior to this news breaking, but this clip gives an idea of who she was:
Very sad for her husband and her family. They've set up a fundraising site to help them deal with the half million dollars in medical bills accrued. Here is a well-written tribute to the trail-blazing skier.
Cheer up! We live in a beautiful world, where tragedies and accidents are possible and occur everyday, but that's no reason to stop living, right? Burke died doing what she loved, and her legacy will continue long into the future: her organs were dispersed to needy recipients after her death, ensuring that she will never be forgotten.
You don't see many college football superstars in the front row supporting their school's basketball team:
I'd be remiss too if I didn't revel a bit in UM's 3rd consecutive hoops victory in the ongoing rivalry with Sparty. This was a great game; it helped (just a little) to soothe the sting of that football losing streak.
Epic press conference after Michigan polished off Va Tech. Yes, victory was extremely lucky, what with two interceptions reversed, an overtime touhdown reversed on replay for them, countless special teams miscues by, according to reputation, the highest performing special teams team in the country, including a fake field pass tipped by a Va Tech player and caught by the long snapper, maybe the one player on the team whose name I didn't recognize. Crazy game. And yes, other victories along the way involved good fortune as well (ahem, ND.) But sometimes luck is made rather than just received, be it from hard work, serendipity or just being due. I think after 2008-2010 we deserved it. So cheers and farewell to a terrific season, bon voyage to the seniors departing on a high note after roller coasters of careers and come on 2012, I can't wait for more college football to arrive.
A last prediction: LSU 24, Alabama 17. LSU deserves it, having beaten 'Bama, Oregon and West Va already this season, all on the road. And I don't like (former Sparty) Nick Saban.
Here's a great interview with injured Rutgers football player Eric Legrand. He made the cover of Sports Illustrated too. We're doing a lot of similar things in our recoveries, which is cool. He's got a great attitude and is very inspirational. Check out a portion of his interview:
What's the status of your rehab at this point?:
"Since the injury occurred, I've been pretty successful. A lot of people didn't think I'd be where I'm at today. … I'm doing this walking program that's five days a week from 3-4:30. I walk for an hour and then I get on the mat and have to sitting up drills. I was able to sit up 35 seconds, 23 seconds by myself. I'm working to get to 30 by myself and just working every day on that. And, actually, the doctors are wondering how I'm doing that. They actually want to run a test on me to see now if I have the motor function below my injury, where I was hurt. So I'm very excited about that."
So you're doing stuff now that is defying medicine?:
"Oh yeah. From when they first told me I'd never walk again or come off the ventilator and I'd probably be on a feeding tube the rest of my life, they didn't think any of this. Now when they see me, it's like, ‘Wow.'"
When the accident first happened, did you know immediately you were in a lot of trouble or were you unconscious and not really knowing?:
"You know how in Hollywood movies, when somebody gets knocked out, you see stars and everything and the vision gets blurry? … You wonder if that's the real thing. Well, it is. As soon as I hit, everything was just blurry and I felt like I was seeing stars. When I got on the ground, I just could not breathe. I had the wind knocked out of me and everything. … I was like numb, like when you get it in your shoulder. I was just thinking it was a full-body stinger. … Then I couldn't move and I was like, ‘What's going on here?'"
Any regrets about playing football given what you know now?:
"No regrets. I believe everything happens for a reason. I was supposed to play for 15 years of my life. … Now I'm putting my passion toward football in another direction, toward sports broadcasting. It's something I always wanted to do, so I'd always be around the game of football."
Are there doctors out there that have projected that you will walk again?:
"I honestly can't tell. That's the thing with spinal cord research. I'm trying to spread awareness about it. It's so unknown and not a lot of people know about it. … You never know because everybody's injury is different and everyone's severity of it is different. The way I was, people never I would be where I'm at today, being here able to sit and talk to you. … The doctors honestly do not know."
It's finally arrived. After a lengthy layoff, Big Blue will take the field in the SuperDome tonight for the 2012 Allstate (you're in good hands) Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech. A lot is on the line: Big Ten pride, after everyone but Sparty choked, an 11 win season, momentum going into next season, a last minute recruiting boost...
The season will still be considered a success no matter what happens. Back in January, or even August, if I had to predict a win total I would've been satisfied with 8. Well, expectations have changed and Michigan football is back. And how sweet it is.
Welcome to my life. I broke my neck at the C-5/6 level in July of 2007 while abroad in Spain. I have since graduated from the University of Michigan and am now engrossed in regaining the ability to walk. Come with me on my journey!
