"We kept our rep bro"

I should probably be writing about the night Kendall and I just had at Harrah's. But in all honestly, I don't remember enough of the hands with much detail. So I won't bore you with the few hands I do recall. I'll just say this. 4 hours, and together we won nearly $400. That's a quality Thursday night. Now onto the goods. I was recently reading a column by the Great Sports Guy on espn.com, in it he and another author went back and forth on a variety of topics. The one that has stuck with me is how fans choose teams to cheer for. Chuck Klosterman, the other guy, grew up in one of the Dakotas, and Mr Simmons asked him how he picked teams to cheer for since he grew up without any major league franchises. Klosterman went on to say how he never understood how fans only rooted for their local teams, and the same team forever. He put up a well thought out statement but c'mon, don't be such a wuss.

So anyway, one thing lead to another and now I'm wondering why fans in different regions, and fans of different teams can be so different from each other in how they support their teams. And one question that has always perplexed me is how do you move to another city, and just jump on board with your new "home team" I've lived in Kansas City now for 16+ years. And I simply can not get behind the Chiefs or Royals. Most people don't know this but, there was a time I actually tried. 8th grade, I went to a few Chiefs games, even wore a Chiefs hat (it was signed by Christian Okoye!) But I just couldn't do it. In fact I've done the complete opposite of rooting for the local team, I root against them. I can't put a reason into words. Is it the fans? To a point. But mostly I think its my way of remaining loyal to MY teams. Basically, I'm in a long distance relationship with them. (some of you know my history with long distance relationships) But going for the KC teams, that would just be finding a local girl out of convenience. I have no connection to these teams. Even if the players I first started to follow, are long gone from the NY teams. I simply can not turn my back on those teams.

Now I have this friend Mike, and in high school he was a die hard Arkansas Razorbacks fan. It made sense, his dad went there. Its the same reason I wear an Ohio U hat. But I never remember him giving a damn about KU. In fact, if I remember correctly, he disliked them. So Mike goes off to college at KU, and genuinely buys into the team. Quickly becoming a die hard fan. It made sense to me. It wasn't just to jump on the band wagon of a national power house. For starters, there were some good guys on the team that were easy to root for. And at the time, a beloved coach who was, at the time someone you just had to respect. Myself, I liked KU and I do root for them now. But I can't consider myself a big KU fan. Another buddy, Austin, through out middle school and high school the only teams I knew he really cared about were his Cubbies, the Bears, the Bulls and to a point he liked the Chiefs. Never really picked any specific college teams. But he hit KU, and now the Hawks are right next to the Cubs for him. Those were instances were I understood how these guys began rooting for a new team. But in many other cases, I just don't get it. (names are changed in this part) I know a fella, we'll call him..um..Derrick, born in Detroit. Moved to So Cal in his early teens. So he was old enough to understand loyalty. So years later, even after the Lakers and Pistons hooked up in the NBA Finals, this guy Derrick, ends up adopting the Lakers. This shit baffles me. I'm sorry, no disrespect to him but not only did you adopt your "new" home team. But this is a team that you watched your guys battle, with everything on the line. Sure the fact that the Lakers were a dynasty, and one of the all-time great franchises make the change appears like a pretty easy jump. But in my book, that's all the more reason to NOT make the switch. I just don't get it. And this isn't meant as a dig on Derrick, I welcome him to stop by and post a response.

So I totally went on much more than I meant to on that topic and will have to revisit the whole difference in fans across the country. I think I'll go recount my winnings and go to bed.

I'm baaaaaaack

Mark off bachelor party in Vegas from the list of things to do before I cash in all my chips. My buddy Roma, the Russian cat that is shorter than me, is getting married next month. And for his bachelor party a group of us hit Vegas for a long weekend.

The scene: THEhotel at Mandalay Bay
Suspects: Roma, Felix, Illya (Julio) Max, Mike and myself.
The Crime: Getting engaged
Punishment: See suspects.

That's pretty much all you get. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas right? Unless you're Kendall and Starla, in that case what happens in Vegas spits up.

But on a serious note. I did have a good time, and I don't want to sound like a big baby (ma ma, wha, wha) cause I've been some great places and done some very cool things in my 28 years. Yet, in all honesty I can't remember a trip or a vacation that actually lived up to my expectations. It's probably my fault, for letting my imagination build things up to a point that is nearly impossible to live up to. Or some weird thing of being unable to fully relax. Anyway, check out the new photos. Should have some more soon.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=445413023106&page=1&sort_order=0

Picture page, picture page

Coming soon: Las Vegas 2005


Gregg has shared photos with you.
You're invited to view my online photos at the Gallery. Enjoy!
- Gregg


http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=ay3msx6.21ok4rbm&x=1&y=j8kn67
Questions? Visit http://www.kodakgallery.com/Help.jsp.

That porqchop kid kicks ass. Vote on your favorite hirp.com poster.

Time to weight in on the tragedy in New Orleans. I saw Kanye West's comments on W and although I was a little disappointed, I've seen him a lot more articulate before, he was right. George Bush doesn't care about black people. Neither does most of America for that matter. Now I'm not saying its some big conspiracy to rid the US of blacks. No, its much deeper in our subconscious. It comes down to this, if those faces we've been seeing on CNN all week were the pale, if they were white people down there not even holding onto life, just dying before our eyes. The government and the rest of the country would be down there in record time. When 9-11 happened, about 90% of the victims at Ground Zero were white, and a great number of them were upper middle class.

I do believe Bush, that we have the resources to fight both a war in Iraq and have troops deployed to help in New Orleans. But don't tell me it wouldn't be easier to help our own citizens with all those troops back home. Now imagine over there. You have a brave soldier who joined up after 9-11 to get those bastards. And he ends up in Iraq fighting the "axis of evil". And its some time later, we've already captured Saddam but we're doing the right thing. Instilling democracy in this poor country that's never known such freedoms. Never mind that "instilling democracy" makes about as much sense as saying Kobe was "instilling love" with that 19 year old in Colorado. So anyway, you find out your hometown has been pretty much washed away. And just as you're taking fire from some locals in Iraq for trying to help, so are the paramedic in Louisiana. The same paramedic who are trying to find your parents. But they can't have adequate security because there are some looters out there getting free Nikes. Now try to make sense of all that. As for the looters, I cant figure out whose priorities are more out of whack. The idiot stealing or those in charge who want to stop them. But if I were them and in the sporting goods store, put down the Jordan's. Go grab a wet suit. Lets not forget that a third of the police department abandoned post. Yes, there's still 2/3rds left and they are all brave souls and hero's. But the other third? Cowards. Now the citizens have been protected by these people for how long? Are they really wrong to not trust the police?
And what is this I hear about us having to review offers of help from other countries? And we wonder why the world hates us. The tsunami hit, and we were there. Quake rocks China, and we help. But we need help, and we have to do what, check references? This could actually help build relations with other countries. Let them help. We need it, they can offer it. Castro is offering doctors, and almost as fast as Bush did. Friggin let them come. The French are offering to send help. C'mon its a city without running water, no one will notice their stench.
It's funny to me. Everyone said how 9-11 brought out the best in us, and I agree. But this, this is bringing out the worst in us.