Robbery victim in training

This morning was C's first basketball game. If you've never attended a game played by a group of 6 year olds, you have missed out on a lot of fun.

Well, honestly it's probably only fun if you are watching your own 6 year old play. I wouldn't skip out on anything you've already got planned to watch a game, but it is an enjoyable way to pass some time.


(As a brief side note here, you may be surprised to know that I actually played basketball -very badly- in high school. Since I really wasn't blessed with any remarkable skills, I relied heavily on my towering height of 5'3" to help me out on the court. OK, so I was both short & lacked talent, but I was a team player. I was never a ball hog. Seriously, I almost panicked every time I found the ball in my hands & did whatever I could to get it out of them as speedily as possible. My Alma Mater actually won the state title in girls' basketball last year - with my cousin leading them as coach! This tells me two things: 1. I clearly did not inherit the basketball skills that both my cousin & sister were blessed with. 2.I would have no hope of making the team if I were in high school today).


Anyway, I have to say that while my basketball skills have only gotten worse with age, I do remember the rules of the game. When watching basketball played by kindergartners, the first thing you need to know is that almost none of the normal rules apply. The ref doesn't make any of the normal calls, there is no such thing as traveling, double dribbling or even a foul. In fact you are not even allowed to take the ball away from another player. This is true even if they stop dribbling and try to hand the ball to you, which actually happened a couple of times. When you are on defense, your only job is told hold your hands in the air & try to block that person (without touching them or the ball) from shooting a basket. I like to call this the "Please don't shoot me, I'm unarmed stance."

C was a natural at this aspect of the game. In fact, he was so good at it, he almost never put his arms down. It didn't matter what end of the court he was on, his arms were in the air.

He didn't seem to understand, at first, the fact that he was on offense on one side of the court & defense on the other end. On both ends, he kept his arms in the air & tried to block his "man" from the basketball hoop.

At least in this shot he's on defense. In the first two pictures his team was actually on offense.


I think he started affecting his team mates with this new method of play. It really started to catch on. Here they are on offense again and he and his new friend are camped in front of the basket with their arms in the air. I'm telling you one thing, if he's ever in the bank during a robbery, he's all set. He's got that motion down!

Thankfully, by the second half of the game, he started to catch on and gave his arms a bit of a rest. He even got the ball & attempted a few shots. In the end he had a good time & that's really all that matters at this age. I'm just glad his arms aren't sore. He's got to defend the rebel forces from an attack by the Imperial armies at his birthday party tomorrow afternoon.

What a nut

Saturday was the big annual show down between the 2 rival schools Ohio State & Michigan. I am very happy to report that the Buckeyes came out on top this year 42-7. Go Bucs!




I myself did not attend Ohio State, nor did Mr. Crackers. We both went to another state run school that at the time boasted the longest losing streak in the nation. In fact the football team at my Alma Mater (a school that had an enrollment of almost 16,000 students) did not even tie a game until my junior year. So, I don't think you can blame me or Mr. Crackers for backing a team that has a much better track record in athletics. It's more fun to root for a team that has an outside chance of winning a game at least once a season.



Thankfully, mascots have no bearing what-so-ever on the outcome of athletic events. I say this because the team I have chosen to root for every college football season for the past 4 years has chosen as it's mascot, a nut. I think it can be said without any fear of argument here that there is nothing intimidating at all about a buckeye nut. It is in no way malevolent or frightening. Really, it doesn't even smell bad.









While I am sure there was a good reason for this decision on the part of Ohio State, I really can't fathom what was going through the heads of whatever committee voted to approve this choice all those years ago.



I'm no expert, but I can't think of another school that has chosen a small inanimate object as the mascot for their athletic team. There are a few other schools that have made some interesting choices. Take the UC Santa-Cruz Banana Slugs for example. Theirs is not a mascot that really strikes any fear in the hearts of their opponents. And yet, I must point out that a Banana Slug (with the proper motivation) could probably do some real damage to an unsuspecting buckeye nut. If nothing else, the slug may be able to push it around a bit.






Then there are the Scottsdale Arizona Fighting Artichokes- again, a very unusual choice for team mascot. At least though they added the word fighting to the name. It makes it a vegetable to be reckoned with. I myself would think twice before messing around with a fighting artichoke. Seriously, I want my vegetables motionless and inanimate.






This brings us back to the venerable buckeye nut. A strange choice, but at least Ohio State hasn't let it get the better of them. And you know what - at least it's a mascot with a fashionable twist. String a bunch of buckeyes together and you've got a nice necklace (well maybe not a nice necklace, but a necklace nonetheless).



There are very few schools that could say the same. The thought of a banana slug necklace fills me with absolute horror (of course that may be my irrational fear of slugs talking here..shudder, shudder).

I take it back. I am frightened by the banana slug. Well done UC Santa Cruz!