My crack reporting on the Professional Pillow Fighting Leauge has had some of you asking..."Where can I see this?"  "Will it be in my area?"  "How much are the tickets?" and "When can I finally see my favorite fighter, Boozy Suzie?" 

I may hold the answers to these questions.  Your dreams may have come true because now you can be the dirty old man in your own home.  I am sensing theme party nights, involving kegs, ribald jokes and drinking games.

ESPN has purchased the rights to air the Pillow FIghting Leauge.  Now the ladies, who are scantily clad, big busted and full of angst, can battle it out for you in your own home.. for free!!!  ENJOY!

Touchy Feely ALERT for all you MANLY MEN

This post comes right off the heels of a busy weekend and a busy Monday.  What I learned over the weekend is worth writing about and sharing in light of a terrible American tradgedy.

This weekend I learned that people, all ages, sizes and abilities love sports.  Sports build self esteem and friendships.  Even the most rudimentary of events creates such a happy environment. This also is about volunteerism and how taking what you love and know, and sharing that knowledge, can effect others.

On Saturday I volunteered through my club, to help with a "Fun Day."  Now we can't call it a junior olympics or a special olympics because those are trade marked.  This was truely a fun day for all.  All participants were mentally disabled adults from 3 different schools in our area.  The events were meter run/walks, an obstacle course and a football/softball throw.  Very pure and simple sporting events, but a challenge to these awsome participants.

I was the head of the 21 to 30 group, and a more excited bunch of people, I have never seen.  All wore their numbers proudly and were there for the competition.  My group was a mix of men and women rangeing from my main man Derrik who was deaf and mute to my highly functional Downs Syndrome Diva Shea.  I had some challenging participants but all were proud of their accomplishments.

I have never felt so happy and humbled at the same time.  When medals were given, I felt so much joy as my athelets took there awards.  I titled this post the Universal Equalizer because I felt like the outsider.  These guys know only joy and happiness for each other and themselves.  My main man Derrik won a gold medal in every event!!  As we all were departing and hugs and e-mail addresses were passed out, I saw Derrik placing 2 of his medals around a woman's neck who had won none.  It made me tear.

Competition brings out so much in us.  In this case, this day, it brought out the very best in these competitors.  As a fully functioning healthy adult, I was brought up to their level on Saturday.  I realized that competition makes us all equal, not in ability, but in our love of sport.

I support volunteerism whole heartedly.  I would strongly urge anyone to work with the handicapped and menatly disabled.  They are pure and fun and greatly appreaciate the opportunity to meet you.  Organizations need people like us who enjoy challenges and who have a knowledge of sports, to help at every level.  I feel blessed to have been able to lend a hand and I met some wonderful friends along the way.

Cheers!

As I was playing a round of 9 holes with my mom and grandmother yesterday, I asked myself  "Why do I still play?"  Mind you, it is season still here in Florida, there are a million and one elderly people pileing up behind us.  I hear one guy swear and a la Happy Gilmore, his club goes flying into the fairway. 

I took up golf becasue there are more golf courses than young people where I live.  I figured it was better to see what the game was all about than to bitch about all of the golfers.  I have played for about 4 months now.  I am still really bad!  I swing like I am in a softball game, I make more holes than a gopher, at least I can putt.  Mini golf was my thing when I was younger.  So, again why do I play?

The answer is I am competitive!  I will not let it get the best of me.  I will be better at golf or I will die trying.  I think it is in all of us to try to master something we are not good at.  Once you become an athletic person, that nature sticks with you through all aspects of your life.  If you were coached by great people throughout your life, you know that giving up on something because you are not good at it, is really not the right choice.  All in all it comes down to who we are as sports fans and lovers of all types of competition.  I love the outdoors and as long as I am outside doing something, I am happy.  Frustraited maybe, happy definitely.

So, to all of you who are currently in an endevor that is just not working for you, I stay stick with it.  It will come to you, giving up is not the answer.  You're a sporty for gods sake!  

Cheers!!!! 

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B06EFD81130F93BA25752C0A9619C8B63&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=3

I had read this article after wathchin a 60 minutes spot on this same thing.  I am curious and scared for the health of NFL players and professional athletes as a whole.  I just wanted to know what you all think.  My uncle played football in highschool, and was told that he could no longer play after his 3rd concussion.  I know that if he was thier star athelete, that would not have happened.

There have been some real breakthroughs in medicine that suggest that concussions can cause big problems later.  In this case major depression.  This aricle discusses the test group of 2,500 retired athelets.  It's scary.

Just a food for thought article.

Cheers

Yes, there is a PFL,  a professional Pillow Fighting League.  This was brought to my attention by LSU fan on my blog about WPFL (Womens Professional Football Leauge).  I of coarse thought he was jokeing, not so!!  Here is a brief description and history of the emerging obscure sport.

About a year ago in Canada, a drummer for a band, named Stacy P. Case (swears it's his real name), came up with the concept.  During one of his gigs there was an act that had two clubgoers pillow fighting.  It snowballed from there.  The sport was formed and made it's US debut in NYC in late January.  There are 22 fighters, one is  a famous Canadian model named Katrina Randall, whose fighting name is "Sally Spitfire".  There is a huge cult following, and it's sweeping small venues here in the states.  The PFL's motto is "Fight Like A Girl" and there are rules.

There is no hitting below the belt, no lewd acts and no foul language.  There is a male referee (duh) and matches last for 5 minutes.  Matches are won by pinning the opponent to the ground with the pillow.  There are no "bricks" in the pillow allowed and all pillows are checked to make sure they are regulation.  Regulation being man made fiber bed pillows.  Down can clump to the bottom and pack too much of a wallop.  Be on the look out, the PFL could be coming to your town. 

PS.  Watch out for the creepy old guys in the back!