Trash, the NFL, and some reflection

 

Thank the baby Jesus that our long national nightmare is over – the dumpster fire otherwise known as the Kar-trash-ians are ending their 14 years and 20 seasons on the tube.   This is the best news I’ve heard in some time.  If you want to understand America and all of its warts, this was the show to watch.  How in the hell this ever got on TV in the first place is questionable, but how in the hell American people actually supported this shit is baffling to me, not to mention making these trash heaps multi-millionaires and billionaires.  Good bye and Good Riddance and may you never come into American consciousness again.  Now America can begin to heal - unless some scrub in La La Land comes up with another piece of trash show.  

Maybe they can be a part of a new clique, but then again, the Godfather may not approve.

Well, day two of the quick look at the NFL.

AFC South.  Jacksonville has too many problems, Indy is way too much of an unknown but always seems to rise up.  Houston is good, but do you trust the Head Coach?  Tennessee has a lot of talent and one of the better Head Coaches in the league and for that reason, I say Tennessee wins the division.

NFC South.   Carolina is in a tough spot and a tough division.  Atlanta is just a step behind the other two.  Tampa will make the playoffs with the crazy talent they have, but New Orleans should take the division.

AFC North.  Cincinnati ain’t ready.  Cleveland has too many questions.  Pittsburgh is intriguing, but Baltimore is the class of this Division. 

NFC North.  What a strange division.  Detroit is going to struggle obviously while Chicago knocks on the door.  Minny is building back up after some big losses, but Green Bay seems to be the team that will win the division.  Week 1 will tell a lot with Green Bay/Minny. 

Nature.  Today I saw an old story on CBS Sunday Morning where Ted Koppel visited Ted Turner at his ranch in Montana.  Now we all know Turner as a loud mouth and a big time corporate guy and perhaps as the owner of the Atlanta Braves and Hawks as well as that disgrace known as CNN.  But nowadays he has that huge ranch and was instrumental in helping bring back the American Bison, and that alone is worthy of my respect.

I have been to Wyoming and Montana and I find the Bison to be a beautiful creature and I am so glad that somebody stepped up and did something. 

Final Thought.  The other day, I was sitting with my fellow combat veterans distributing poppies and we traded stories as veterans often do when the conversation kinda turned serious when one said that he often wonders if he could go back and do it all again, would he?   He said yes, as did we all, but it got me to thinking and I realized that there can and should be no regrets. 

Do I look back and think that I could have done things differently?  No, but had I been a bit more mature, wise, and less stubborn and hot-headed, I could have gone a lot further in my careers.  But I also realized that perhaps there were more important things in my life – loyalty being one which I find sorely lacking in todays world.  Family being the most important. 

Do I think about my visits to so many different places?  Absolutely and I would have never had the ability to see and do the things I did without the Navy.  I am indebted to the Navy for that.  Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Japan, Kenya, Spain, and France – all were simply amazing and it gave me a lot of perspective about the world around me.    

So as I reflect back, I’m proud.  Proud of what I have accomplished – unfortunately only now learning from the mistakes and trying to be better.  Proud of my family and what they have accomplished.