Why Preseason College Football Polls Don't Matter

I know that as much as we all like to talk about how great our respective college football teams are gonna be in the coming fall because of preseason polls we all really have no clue as to how the season will play out. NEWS FLASH!!! Neither do those guys as ESPN. <------ If you reference this link you will understand what I am talking about. It is a link to the 2012 College Football Preseason rankings by ESPN last year. They were just about as clueless as JAMES is when he gets dunked on repeatedly by FROGGY FRESH.

After writing about something so serious I thought I would be good to take a minute and write  about college football again. 

Last season the people at ESPN said that USC was the #1 team in the country and Notre Dame was #25. Boy, were they wrong and boy will they be wrong again this season. ESPN and all of these supposed experts never predicted a few years ago that Appalachin State would defeat Michigan and completely derail a football program for several years.  No one except Notre Dame thought the Irish could play for the National Championship last year. Even though I don't like Top 25 polls at the beginning of the season lets look at one and examine whether or not some of these teams actually have a shot at playing for a national championship this season. The poll I will utilize will be the Bleacher Report Pre-Pre Season College Football Poll.

USC somehow made it into this poll at #24. Here is the long and short of it. As far as I have seen Lane Kiffin cannot coach by himself. The problem at USC has never been the talent. The problem is the coaching staff. There are some guys who are just better as coordinators. Case in point Charlie Weis at Notre Dame, Kansas and every other football program he has been head coach of. Kiffin could not coach at Tennessee and he is experiencing the same problems in his tenure at USC. Good luck Trojans.

SB NATION

Ole Miss arrives in this poll at #20. Ole Miss staggered to another 7-6 season last year which is mediocre considering the talent that Hugh Freeze has been able to Oxford. Let's face it the Ole Miss Rebels have not been relevant in 50 years and unless Robert Nkemdiche is all he is cracked up to be in his first season the Rebels will be irrelevant again this season.

Bleacher Report

Texas rolls in to this poll at #16. Bad news Texas fans. I am afraid it is going to be another long year for Mack Brown and the boys in Austin. One reason is because the Big 12 Conference and the Texas Longhorns became the bottom feeder of the two big schools the minute they decided to spurn the SEC and allow the Missouri Tigers to take their place they began losing recruits. The other issue for the Longhorns they just can't seem to figure out who the quarterback is going to be. Without steady leadership it doesn't matter how much talent you have. The reason the Longhorns were so good were for so long was because of three guys and they weren't on the coaching staff they were named Vince Young, Major Applewhite, and Colt McCoy. Sorry Mack Brown David Ash and Case McCoy are not even close to any of these guys. 

Eric Gay/Associated Press

Oklahoma comes in at #15. I would say more about Oklahoma but Bob Stoops, his players and coaching staff are the biggest choke artists in the last fifteen years of college football. Enough said.

Bleacher Report

Louisville comes in at #14. However, I think this might be the most underrated team in the entire preseason poll. The Cardinals are locked and loaded with a guy named Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater destroyed the higher ranked and unmotivated Florida Gators. Bridgewater is a true college football talent. As Bleacher Report has stated the only issue the Cardinals will have is if their rather unknown defense can step up and help them make a run for the National Championship. At this point I would point to the Cardinals being a dark horse candidate for the championship game.

CFBsection.com

Florida rolls into the poll at #10. What? Are you serious? When you look at the Gators schedule and how the talent level has fallen out in Gainesville you will notice that the Gators might only win five games this season. Florida's wins will probably come against teams that are suffering from the same issue they are. Lack of talent. The main problem for the Gators is they really do not have a running game and Jeff Driskel might be a prototypical sized quarterback but so is my cousin and he can't throw the ball either. There is no doubt Driskel can chunk the rock but he can't read defenses or react fast enough when the pocket collapses around him. I will boldly say it. For the first time in a long time Vanderbilt will finish higher than the Gators who will be hanging out with Kentucky and Tennessee in the SEC East cellar at the end of the season. 

Bruce Lipsky/The Times-Union

LSU comes in at #9. There is not a lot to say except this. If Les Miles does what Les Miles does and Zach Mettenberger can improve his accuracy and the LSU passing game the Tigers have the talent to dethrone the Crimson Tide and take control of the SEC West. However, the best these Tigers do is come away with one loss this season and lose the west again to Alabama. 

Catherine Threlkeld

Clemson comes is at #8, South Carolina is at #7, and Texas A&M is #5. In all reality all but one of these teams could sneak into a contention for the National Championship. That would be Texas A&M. Just so Kevin Sumlin and Johnny Manziel know everybody in the country has been watching film for 8 months figuring out ways to shut down Johnny Football. The honeymoon in the SEC for the Aggies is over. Texas A&M and Johnny Football will not be major factors this year in the world of football. Especially in the SEC West. Nick Saban will make sure that Kirby Smart and the boys in Tuscaloosa are more than prepared for The Aggies this time. If Clemson can get past UGA and South Carolina on their schedule then be looking for the Tigers to be playing for it all in January because, Florida State is simply under talented and overrated. If South Carolina and Jadaveon Clowney can get over the hump and win the SEC East they will finally have a shot at the SEC Championship and could easily write their tickets to the National Championship game. 

ESPN.GO.COM

UGA comes in at #4. This might be a bit of a stretch for the Bulldogs this season. Here are some reasons why. The Dawgs have early season test like they have not seen since the early 1980's. Clemson is a challenge that may have the Bulldogs dragging their knuckles the next week against the USC Gamecocks. The one game where the Dawgs offensive line cannot afford to be tired is the USC game. Say what you will Jadaveon Clowney is the most talented defensive player in the SEC and I am sure before he leaves for the NFL he really wants to make a run at a national championship. Georgia is almost completely rebuilding a defense that was proven and powerful last season. The Bulldogs have reloaded but the new ammunition may not be a potent as the last volley thrown at the SEC East. Aaron Murray, Keith Marshall, Todd Gurley, Malcolm Mitchell, and Michael Bennett will have to outscore Clemson and South Carolina for the Bulldogs to win. Also, don't forget LSU comes to town in week 4 and they will be no small challenge for the Bulldogs either. UGA could win it all but they cold also start out 1-3 looking up at the rest of college football dazed and confused. 

blogs.ajc.com

Oregon is at #3, Ohio State is at #2, and Alabama is #1. Plain and simple anyone of these teams can win it all. The Ducks are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball and with a sophomore quarterback named Marcus Mariota and if you don't know who he is you will by the end of this college football season. The Ducks don't really have a flaw anywhere so their destiny and an undefeated season is in their hands. Ohio State and coach Urban Meyer are loaded like the Ducks. They have another special talent at quarterback Braxton Miller. With a perfectionist coach like Meyer and a year like last year the BIG10 has it's first real contender against Alabama. Alabama is more loaded than loaded. I would dare to say that the Crimson Tide could beat at least 2 NFL teams 9 out of 10 times they played them. What is the guiding force behind these teams? Two things A.J. McCarron and Nick Saban. Those are the two things that have not changed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. So, the Tide will again make a run for it, and the Buckeyes and Ducks will probably fight it out for who gets to play Alabama for it all. But just like I said. I really have no idea how things are gonna play out in this scenario. 

Kevin Cox/Getty Images

The sleeper of this college football season will be Vanderbilt. These guys are now competitors. Vanderbilt is the new Tennessee and the Volunteers have been reduced to the status of cellar dweller. 

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If I insulted your team or didn't do them justice just realize this is my opinion and it doesn't matter for much. Also, I have no idea if any of these scenarios will play out. For all I know the Colorado Buffaloes could win the PAC 12 and ARMY could win three games in a row this season. Who knows? See y'all on Aug 31st for kickoff. 

Marriage is Not About Your Spouse Making You Happy

When my wife and I decided to get married almost twelve years ago I had no ideas about the some of the challenges that we would face. I was a naive twenty-two year old boy who thought he knew how the world worked. Boy was I wrong about a lot of things. I didn't know that this endeavor that we were going to jump in together was going to be the biggest challenge of my life and continues to be to this day. I love my wife and thank God for her everyday. However, it is a challenge every day to live with another person(s). We love each other very much but we both find it a challenge to make our marriage work on a daily basis. So before I dive into the world of this post I will define what marriage is to me.

Marriage is defined by the Bible as a union between a man and a woman. Genesis 2:23-24 states: "This is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called 'woman,' because she was taken from man.'" This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." When I was a young man I never saw my parents argue in front of each other and thought that the marriage thing has to be easy because my mother always seemed happy and my dad just didn't show emotion so I always assumed he was cool with the way things were. My parents have been married for 40 years and over the past few years of my adult life it has been revealed to me that my parents marriage was not so perfect and they had a series of problems that with the help of a loving God, counseling, and prayer they were able to make it through.

My dad did not always make my mother happy with his decisions and I have not always made my wife happy with my decisions. That is just a fact of life. The husband nor the wife are here to make every one of your dreams come true. There are many problems with marriage today and one of them is the view of it in the United States. Marriage cannot be totally based off of love. I am sorry if that just either blew your mind or offended you but it is the truth. You might be saying "This guy is off his rocker." or "My marriage will be different." I am about to give the reader NEWS FLASH numero two. I am not off my rocker and your marriage will have it's high points and it's low points. That is just the way life is.

1. Men must treasure their wives because they are worth it: The Bible is the greatest instruction manual ever written in the existence of mankind. It speaks explicitly to this very thing I just said. Proverbs 31:10 states: "Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life." This verse in Proverbs speaks volumes to men if they would only listen. Here is why I say this. In the life that I have shared with my wife I can count on two hands how many times I have been right about something. The issues and arguments where my wife has been right have greatly enriched my life. I have learned how to properly cut a steak, speak in public, navigate a social situation without embarrassing myself and eat food properly in any social situation. These are just some of the things that have enriched my life because of her.

2. Men and Women are to Treat Each Other Kindly: This is true but in the course of being treated kindly and loved by your partner you may not always be happy with the way they are doing things. Colossians 3:18-19 states: "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly." For many years this verse was used by uneducated lay pastors to allow husbands to rule their homes with an iron fist. However, they were only utilizing verse 18 and not verse 19. Husbands and wives are not always going to make decisions that make each other happy but when making decisions that involve you and your wife (which means every decision you make after you say your marriage vows.) you have to be thinking of them when you are doing it. This means as men and women you have to think about the spiritual, financial, and emotional effects that are going to occur when you make said decision. As husbands and wives we are not going to be able to make decisions all of the time that will fulfill every dream that your spouse has. Your spouse is going to become angry at you but it is how you as a spouse deal with it that matters. Charles Swindoll has been quoted as stating "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." This has been a powerful truth in my marriage since day one. Most of the time my wife is not aggravated for the decisions I make on a daily basis. Rather, she is mad when I make a mistake and then improperly react to it.

3. The Main Goal of Your Spouse is to Help You Grow, Spiritually: My wife is my equal partner on everything and it has always been that way. We live in a Christian home and as such I have the final say on all matters but my wife has a massive influence on all of those decisions. I am by nature a heathen. My wife has kept me on track spiritually since we met in 2000. She has also been behind me all the way since I told her I was going to pursue a career in the ministry even though I do not come from what may consider to be the traditional Christian pedigree for pastors. My wife has built me from the ground up and stood by me in all of my faith struggles without judging me. But most of all she has helped me understand that as a husband I will not be perfect and she does not expect me to be. My wife and I do not always pray together and do Bible studies together but we as a couple keep each other spiritually grounded and continue to help each other grow.

4. Friendship is More Important the Sex: When I met my wife I was kind of still in a relationship. The first time I saw her I was very physically attracted to her. But, when I had my first conversation I knew I was going to have a great friend even if I this attempt by me to court her was unsuccessful. When we first started hanging out we were leaving relationships that had very emotionally drained us. When we talked we didn't talk about our attraction to each other. Rather, we discussed things that mattered to us and what we wanted in life. My wife and I were hanging out and just doing things together for three months before we even had our first official/accidental date. We never even really looked at each other and put a label on our relationship until we were engaged. I am not always the best communicator but my wife brought out the communicator within me. We still have arguments about me being quiet and not effectively communicating but we always work our way through it. Almost all couples today are having sex before marriage and this is the quote I often hear when I ask people why they do it "You gotta test drive the car before you buy it." This quote comes from both men and women. That surprised me when I began asking this question but then I realized that this generation has grown up in a world where MTV and the rest of the world have told them that it is okay to do this because it will help their marriage succeed. The Sex in my marriage is by no means the most important part of my marriage and it never has been. The fulfillment from the time I get to hang out and interact with my spouse has been the most important part of my marriage. I want all those out there to know that I am not saying sex is not important in marriage because it is. But it cannot be the focal point of your relationship or it will fall to pieces when the fire runs out.

In Closing: It is my firm belief that if Husbands and Wives need to concentrate on their spiritual lives, friendship and finding ways to help each other grow as people. I believe that if you do these things together as a couple the issues of kids, bills, disease, and death will take care of themselves. God Bless

Two Weeks Will Determine the National Championship,SEC Championship, and Possibly the Heisman Trophy

In the south we all know that college football is king and the king is returning on August 31 in grand fashion. On this day the University of Georgia Bulldogs will play the Clemson University Tigers in Clemson, S.C.. It appears from the reading I have done regarding this upcoming game that it might be one of the toughest tickets in town and might serve as a battle between two national championship contenders.

Why does this game matter so much to UGA's national championship hopes?
The Bulldogs will find out a lot about themselves in this first game of the season. The Bulldog defense was decimated by the NFL draft and will need to make a major impact with its underclassmen filled defense. If they are exposed early and often by Clemson the game film from this performance will be utilized over and over by opposing defensive coaches to expose UGA's defensive flaws.

UGA has only one full time returning starter from last season according to ESPN which is defensive back Damian Swann. This might not be all bad for the Dawgs. The previous Bulldog defense struggled mightily against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship game and a new gang without previously developed bad habits might be just what the Bulldogs need at defense.

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images USA

UGA has to be able to put away Clemson early. This is the simple truth when you think about the monumental task that UGA will have against Jadaveon Clowney and the South Carolina Gamecocks. What Mark Richt and the UGA faithful are asking the Bulldogs to do is nothing short of fighting two heavyweight championship fights in back to back weeks. Georgia cannot afford to go deep into the night against Clemson on Aug. 31. They cannot come out flat but must find a balance that allows them to keep the Tigers down without running their players ragged for the Carolina game.

UGA must be able to effectively use it's four headed monster on offense. Those who know anything about UGA football know I am speaking about Aaron Murray, Todd Gurley, Keith Marshall, and Malcolm Mitchell. Mike Bobo has not really had a problem finding an effective way of using his personnel but it is a new season and no one will be sleeping on these Bulldogs.

US Presswire

If UGA loses to Clemson they still have a chance at the SEC championship but they will more than likely be knocked out of the national championship picture. However, if the Dawgs suffer a loss to Clemson they will more than likely suffer a loss to the Gamecocks. It does't matter what you believe Jadaveon Clowney and the USC Gamecocks are gonna give the Dawgs a fit. This game has been a fight year after year. It appears that it will continue to be as long as Steve Spurrier is the head coach at USC. If these two losses happen the Dawgs can prepare at best for a two loss season where they come up short of expectations again. 

Sports Illustrated

What does this game mean for Tajh Boyd and the Clemson Tigers?

This game means one thing for the entire Clemson Tiger nation LEGITIMACY. Clemson lives in the shadow of the entire SEC. Especially South Carolina and Georgia with whom they are constantly in recruiting wars with. Dabo Swinney has spent his first few years building the Clemson football program in the the ACC team that has almost gotten it done. Believe this ACC fans Clemson and Dabo Swinney are for real. I have often heard of them as being referred to as the Oregon of the east coast. Clemson and Dabo would have liked to have claimed legitimacy when they defeated LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Jan 1. However, Dabo and Boyd both know that without a win over UGA in the season opener this year all their efforts will be a failure. For Clemson this game will decide recruiting wars, conference bragging rights and could signal a shift in prime SEC East recruiting country for the ACC by showing they are ready to play "BIG BOY" football. This game will also give the Tigers a legitimate shot at making it to the National Championship game. 

With the recent success of both programs you better believe this will be the biggest game of the early part of the college football season. The University of Georgia has not won a National Championship since Herschel Walker and Vince Dooley walked the sidelines of Sanford Stadium. Georgia has come close to playing for the national title in 2008 and then was five yards short of the big game in 2012. The Clemson Tigers have not seen the National Championship trophy since 1981and have not really been close to playing for it since that year. However, this resurrected rivalry that was one of the fiercest of the 1980's will surely be entertaining and is critical for the future success for the rest of the decade. 

For more reading on this matter check out what Sammy Watkins Clemson's top wideout had to say about playing Georgia this season. Sammy Watkins Comments courtesy of @ajcuga on Twitter.

The final factor for this matchup will be the effects it has on the Heisman Trophy race for both Aaron Murray and Tajh Boyd. Both quarterbacks are viable candidates for the trophy but they will be judged by the big games this season. Some people will argue that Teddy Bridgewater and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel are the front runners but, this might not be the case after the first football game of the season. I hope this one is as good as advertised. See y'all on August 31. 

College Football and Character

This post originates from the fact that as we begin to prepare for my favorite time of year College Football Season the young guys around the planet that I know need to learn about some character  issues.      

 

Mike Zirrilli/Getty Images

In recent weeks we have seen Johnny Manziel all over the sports news for doing some things that should appear questionable to the Texas A&M fans and the college football fan base. Recently Johnny Manziel was removed from the Manning Passing Camp, a University of Texas fraternity party and was seen giving the Texas Longhorns hand sign at a concert in Austin, TX recently. Manziel was not removed from the Manning Passing Camp because he was partying in New Orleans. Rather, it was because he overslept for a meeting at the camp according to multiple sources to include ESPN. Here is a link to the official ESPN report Manziel Leaves Manning Camp. Johnny Manziel is the current Hesiman Trophy winner and as such he is supposed to represent college football in the best manner. However, what I see happening is a severe misrepresentation of what the college football player should be. Here also, is a reference to the recent events that Manziel participated in while in Austin, TX. Johnny Manziel in Austin, Manziel Asked to Leave Party. These recent behaviors represent some character issues that need to be addressed with Johnny Football. This also says to me that the awarding of the Heisman Trophy should not be based off of athletic performance alone. It should be based off of on and off the field performance. A lot of people say that it is awarded to the "best athlete" in college football. The term BEST ATHLETE should encompass community service, grades, and on field performance. Johnny Manziel was awarded the Hesiman Trophy as a freshman and it is beginning to show in his actions. Some of the small amount of known community service Manziel appears to have completed has been in conduction with consequences of partying and alcohol usage this comes from a New York Times  article completed on the quarterback in 2012. Although he has stepped up since winning the Heisman Trophy to support cancer research. However, he will be completing community service as part of his recent plea agreement from his arrest last year according to Sports Illustrated. It is the opinion of this sports fan that never should a freshman be awarded the Heisman Trophy. Partly based upon the media attention and other many obligations that come along with it. Johnny Manziel has also recently plead guilty to misdemeanor charges where he did not properly identify himself to police officers and used a false identification card. Manziel Pleads Guilty. I am not trying to crucify Johnny Manziel here rather, I am trying to have the sports audience at large take a look at character issues when delving out awards to football players. Johnny Manziel made his mistake and I am willing to allow him to make it up in the large scheme of humanity but when I think about it he has continued to show small bouts of irresponsibility. I think this can be corrected with age and maturity but only time will tell with this young man.

Daniel Shirey OnlineAthens.com

Aaron Murray has been the pillar of strength since arriving in Athens, Georgia. As quarterback of the University of Georgia Bulldogs he is the example of what a young man should be in the opinion of this writer. Although I do not know either of these men personally I can through media reports gather some idea of the type of character that they possess. Mark Richt and Mike Bobo always speak highly of the character and work ethic of their starting quarterback. He is a young man who appears to be sensibly grounded in his faith with Jesus Christ and is comfortable with who he is. During his time in Athens Murray has not been the subject of off the field incidents that a few of his fellow and former Bulldogs have been subject too. Before I go any further let me preface this with the knowledge to the reader that I am a UGA Bulldog fan but I write this piece on a non-biased premise of what is acceptable in society and what is not. 

Aaron Murray has some of the best statistics for a UGA quarterback in the history of the football program and some of the best stats ever among Southeastern Conference quarterbacks in history. This is not what sets him apart from his peers. What sets him apart is character, work ethic, and leadership. He is a man who is focused on his future but present goals at the same time. In an age when players leave school early and go for the glow and lure of the National Football Leagues big money Murray went back to "Finish the Drill" as they say in Athens. "Murray has graduated from the University of Georgia in 3 1/2 years with a 3.5 GPA and is now continuing his studies in graduate school. By coming back to UGA he has set a standard for what is expected out of the young men of the future who  will be chosen to be the UGA quarterback. Yahoo Sports."In another recent event Aaron Murray personally led a 96 year old fan on a tour of the UGA Football facilities as a gesture for the woman who was recuperating from a hospital stay. What I do know and see about this young man tells me that he is a special human being that from a football program only comes along once a decade. Matthew Stafford was a good UGA quarterback but he is not Murray and Murray is surely not him. The way people in the UGA football community speak about Murray speak volumes as to who and what he aspires to be. In September 2012 Murray was named the SEC Community Service Team Member of the Week, AFCA Good Works Team, and Peach of an Athlete Role Model. When a man achieves his undergraduate degree and begins working on his masters degree what you can see looking past the surface is that he understands that there will be life after football and he knows he should be prepared for it. 

I do not know Murray personally and only have one communication with him in the history of my life and this was very recently. I have been going through many issues regarding my ACL ligament in my knee and just recently had my second ACL repair. As a joke I sent Aaron Murray a tweet with a picture of me sitting in my chair wearing my UGA shorts asking him to pray for me. A couple of hours later he tweeted me back and said he was praying for me. Now I do not know if this was just lip service but for him to stop and take a moment to send me that tweet gave me great encouragement that maybe he sent up a quick prayer for me because, I need all the prayers I can get trying to get through this surgery. 

David Flanders

Alans Stream

Johnny Manziel wants to Leave

With all this being said we as fathers are to raise young men of character and your children will never listen to everything you have to say. However, if you need to point to a college football athlete, are a Christian, hate the Florida Gators and don't wanna use Tim Tebow then this guy is a pretty good substitute. God has given us the awesome responsibility of raising young men and women who have character. We as fathers and mothers must never forget our responsibility in this matter. God Bless.

Disrespect of Women is Not Acceptable on Any Level

So for the past couple of weeks I have heard this song on the radio by Robin Thicke. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Thicke He is a somewhat accomplished singer and songwriter but has never really hit it big until these last few weeks. He has released a song known as Blurred Lines I will post the video below so you can form your own opinion later on in the blog. However, I find this song and video highly disrespectful to women and the women who hear it should feel disrespected. Twice within the lyrics of the song Thicke refers to women with the word "BITCH". Now I don't know about you ladies out there but there is nothing respectable about being called a bitch. One of the major problems with this is that women and men have stood idly by while we allow major record labels and movie studios dictate how the use of the english language has changed in the United States. Then there is the presence of T.I. in the video. This guy is a great guy to have your kids listening to on the radio or their I-Pods. Here is an idea of the type of person who is putting ideas into the heads of your children. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T.I. T.I. has been arrested at least twice once for FEDERAL weapons charges and again after finishing a light prison sentence for DRUGS in Los Angeles, California.

The women in this video are half dressed, thrusting their bodies at men, and one of them runs around multiple times throughout the video with just her arm covering her breasts. When did this become acceptable to women. Why do they allow themselves to be portrayed as sex objects only. I believe that a woman should be allowed to express herself but why should she do it while she is being called a "BITCH" and being told what kind of sex acts a man wants to perform on her. This is not the type of world we should allow our little girls to grow up in and if our boys see this mess they think that it is okay to talk and treat women this way.

The main issue I have with this song is that it takes away from how a man should treat his wife and how men should treat women in general. Women are to be cherished by their husbands just as husbands are to be cherished by their wives. With this kind of musical lyric going into the head of a young man or young woman they are not receiving the proper message in any way, shape or form. Ephesians 5:25-26 states: "For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up His life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word." Ephesians 5:28-30 states: "In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body."

With this language the Apostle Paul is teaching us that we should cherish women and treat them with love and affection not sexual objects that are created for a mans pleasure. Men and boys today seem to have a very blurry view of what is right and wrong when it comes to the treatment of women. In the lyrics to this song with a title called "Blurred Lines" it is clear that the lyrics point to the idea that their are no defined rights and wrongs. It appears that the writer here wants the listener to question what is right and wrong. He wants the listener to question the established rules of pre-marital sex and lust. I again will never say that I am or have been perfect in my existence on this earth but, the questioning of such principles and ideas are a massive problem in the post modern society that we are living in. Here is a good basic definition of what postmodernism is if you wanna check it out hit this link http://www.pbs.org/faithandreason/gengloss/postm-body.html.

The lines as far as what is right and what is wrong regarding the treatment of women, sex, lust and marriage are not blurred but the major music and entertainment industries would like you to believe that they are. One of the main drivers of the male brain these days is sex, sex, and more sex. The industries know this and push this on people more and more it seems. 1 Corinthians 6:18 states: "Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body." Here is where I am going to unpack this verse and what it means to the youth and adults of todays society. I was teaching a class not to long ago and during that class I asked the students what they had done over the weekend. One of them stated "I got laid." and I asked a genuine and hard hitting question right after that. "How did you feel when you woke up about it?". He stated to me these words. "I felt empty, alone, and dirty." This is the problem with this kind of music is that it creates a culture where it is okay to do these things but in the end what we find is that sexual sin is a lot like doing illegal drugs. We receive a temporary high and then after receiving that high we wake up feeling dirty, and empty inside. We as human beings have a need for affection but that cannot be fulfilled by having various sexual encounters with various women and or men. We have to be willing as Christians and human beings in general to discipline ourselves from sexual immorality. This includes the music that we put into our brains and the brains of our children.

In the video men are seen drinking alcohol and getting "BLASTED" with a group of women. Okay, so everybody knows that alcohol lowers the humans ability to make good decisions and getting blasted further enables a persons ability to make good decisions. Before you go and say there goes that crazy SOUTHERN BAPTIST and this PROHIBITION statement let me be clear. The Bible does not say that as a Christian you cannot ingest any alcohol. It does however, advise against copious amounts of alcohol and getting "BLASTED". 1 Timothy 5:23 states: "Don't drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often." Now in the context of the language of this verse the Apostle Paul is speaking to Timothy and advising him to use the wine for medicinal purposes but not for getting "BLASTED". Proverbs 31:6-7 states: "Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for those is bitter distress. Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their troubles no more." Now what is apparent here is that while we have a reasonable expectation to know that poverty stricken people will drink large amounts of alcohol to numb the pain of their issues we as people at large should not glorify getting "BLASTED". Especially when it comes to the premise of women being involved with men in a sexual manner.

One last part of the language of this song is when the lyrics refer to "domesticating" a woman. Okay so here goes. In the twelve years I have been with my wife I have never tried to domesticate her. The inference of the language here is that women should never stay at home with their husbands. Rather, they are more like wild animals and should roam the streets looking for sex like wild animals. My wife and I do not restrict what each other does with our friends. Rather, we have found our refuge in each other in our marriage. I have never told my wife she could not go anywhere or not do anything because "I run my house." rather, we leave it up to each other as to whether or not we should put ourselves in certain places with certain people. When we as people have examined if we should be in certain places at certain times we have often decided not to go because I value my wife above all things besides my faith. I believe it is good for men and women in a marriage and or committed relationship to spend time apart but we do not believe by asking a partner to stay in or not go out clubbing that we are trying to domesticate each other. Is there really a problem with being domesticated? What is wrong with acting like an adult? Why do we as post-modernists feel we need a second adolescence and party until we are 35? As adults we are serious questions we need to be asking ourselves and thinking about as we grow older and as we raise our children.

This post will offend some people and some people may even think me to be narrow minded in my beliefs. However, I will state that my belief system is rooted in deep biblical roots and I will not falter in this belief system. I will also caveat that I am not perfect and I do not pretend to be. I am a sinful being just like every other human being. Only through the grace of Jesus Christ am I saved.

Link to SONG LYRICS: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/robinthicke/blurredlines.html

Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse in the Florida Panhandle

1. It's all about LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.

In the western part of the Florida panhandle the city of Pensacola gives a strategic advantage for getting away from zombies. It also has two very well preserved fortifications on its coast. The first one of these is my first choice Fort Pickens. Pictured below.

Photo by Katie King of the Pensacola News Journal

It is accessible by two ways. One is a road that is only two lanes and could be easily destroyed. Two is by water and in all of the zombie material I have read zombies cannot swim. Fort Pickens has an open parade ground in the middle of the actual fort which would provide excellent for growing fruits and vegetables and having been preserved well many of its portions could still be used as apartments and private spaces somewhat normal life to continue. 

A second location would be Fort Barrancas. On Pensacola NAS. Pictured below.

Image taken from www.pensacolapolice.org

The reason this is the second choice is because it has some issues. 

1. It has multiple access points.

2. It is not on an island to itself.

3. Mass amounts of people will make a run for functioning military bases for protection.

That is why Fort Pickens wins out in my opinion.

2. Boats

Pensacola is an boat community and as a boat community there will be massive access to boats of the undead. 

www.marinapal..com

With the use of these boats it would be easy to get to Fort Pickens and zombies don't know how to use boats either and unlike the roadways the inter coastal waterway will be loss clogged than the roadways. I have a feeling that people are not going to go for their boats first they will go for their cars first. I will go for a boat first. 

3. Horses

Pensacola has another major resource the Escambia County Equestrian Center. At this location there are always horses and these would be an amazing advantage over cars on a day like this. Especially for when all of the fuel runs out. Scouting, hunting, and getting away from those pesky zombies would depend heavily on speed and horses give you speed.

www.examiner.com

4. Fish

In all of the zombie apocalypse material I have read I have not read about the fish population be heavily effected by the matter. With the human population greatly decreased and the commercial fishing business all but gone in the area Pensacola would be nothing short of a fertile fishing ground for being able to feed the people of your colony. Fish have many health benefits and would be great fertilizer for growing your veggies.

Stock Image from Getty Images

5. North Florida Loves Guns

North Florida is a very republican area. Especially since Pensacola is right next to southern Alabama and Mississippi. There will be no short supply of guns. There is actually a somewhat hidden gun store around the corner from my house and when I mean around the corner I mean around the corner. I can walk to it in five minutes from where I live right now. I am a card carrying member of the National Rifle Association and there are many people like me around this part of the state. Even our women and kids know how to deliver lethal force with an AR-15.

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/m4

www.ar15.com

6. Rain Water

Pensacola is the second wettest city in the United States only to Mobile, Alabama. Now this might come from tropical storms and hurricanes but Fort Pickens has been weathering storms since it was first built. Water reclamation systems are relatively easy to build and this is another solid reason to pick Pensacola. Plus if there is a major hurricane it will wipe a large portion of zombies when the initial wall of water hits the city. Zombies can't swim. Wettest Cities in America

7. Getting a Tan Will Easily Distinguish You From the Undead

Why hide away in a cave when you can get a tan surviving the Zombie Apocalypse. The key advantage to having a tan is that it will easily distinguish you from the undead beings trying to kill you. Nobody is really into extremely white girls anymore. However, you don't wanna be this girl.

www.sodahead.com

8. I am not Worried about Finding a Cure I am Worried about Surviving.

I would love to have a Medical Research degree but I do not. Therefore, I have to worrying about surviving and that is about it. If there is a cure then hopefully someone will find me on Fort Pickens and bring the cure to my colony. 

So this is my synopsis on how to survive the Zombie Apocalypse on the Florida Panhandle meanwhile you should come and visit lovely Pensacola we have a lot going on this time of year. These are some of my favorite places to go. See y'all in a couple days with a new post.

http://www.visitpensacola.com

Pensacola Blue Wahoos http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t4124

http://www.cityofgulfbreeze.com/index.html

http://www.thetincow.com/webcon/

http://atlas.goodgrits.com

http://visitpensacolabeach.com

Are you a Baseball Guy or Football Guy?

When I finish writing this post some people will argue that you can be both. Some will argue that the NBA and basketball should have been put into the argument along with the NHL and MLS. However, in this country we call the United States it is still ruled by two things. Baseball and Football. These are two games that are ours. Yes they were partially derived from other sports that were played somewhere else on the planet but we made these games great. There are some serious questions a man must ask himself when trying to determine what kind of sports guy he actually is.

1. Are you a deep thinker or do you think on your feet?
I would argue that if you are a man who would consider himself a deep thinker then you would lean more towards the category of a baseball guy. Here is why. Simply put baseball is a lot like chess and football is a lot like checkers. In the game of baseball there are multiple optional things one can do with any given situation in the game. However, football can be a bit more chaotic in its execution. Football coaches spend much of the afternoon thinking of ways to outfox one another and every single football play is designed to score a touchdown but, unless you get lucky and every little piece comes together on that play you will not be able to score a touchdown. In baseball the lineup is heavily plotted out everyday using number crunching and plotting by the manager. The game of baseball moves at a slower pace and requires a person who is not always willing to sacrifice everything in the final moments of the game. With a large deficit it is easy to see that in football you have to take bigger risks when far behind or you will see a football coach pack it in mentally and run all over the field with his players much like a person with one checker left does until you back them into a corner.

2. In the game of football many times the players have to think on their feet and make rather quick decisions regrading how they will proceed in the game. Examples include quarterbacks who have the ability to move around in the pocket, receivers who come back for the ball, and safeties who can sense what is going to happen next on the field. In the game of baseball many of the situations dictate themselves and allow for only certain circumstances to take place. This can also be considered true for the game of chess. Eventually based on the chess pieces you have and the moves they can make you can only do so much.

3. Are you a nostalgic kinda guy?
When asking this question one must ask themselves how attached to the history of a given team are they attached to? Baseball is a game based on history, folklore and truth all mixed in together. Football is a game of grit, power, strength, and war. Baseball is a game that bound the country together during the Civil War, World War I and World War II. Football is a game that up until the Super Bowl existed was not even close to being the big kid on the block. Baseball is the equivalent of OLD MONEY and Football is the equivalent of NOUVEAU RICHE. Baseball is the land of constants while Football is ever evolving game.

4. Fast Paced or Slow Paced Life
I believe this is one of the key elements when figuring out what kind of guy you are. Although I live a lifestyle where I am connected to the rest of the world much like many Americans I believe that a man should be deliberate and careful when making decisions regarding most things. However, in the game of baseball you occasionally have to make a quick decision an place it all on the line. A lot of people I have asked this question to have told me that they do not watch baseball because it cannot hold their attention span. I think this speaks largely to the society that we are living in today. I think football appeals to more people today because it is largely more of a show than baseball will ever be. You know what you are getting with baseball. You are getting a good, solid, and pretty young lady who won't change too much and won't be super exciting all of the time. However, with football you are getting the girl that everyone wants, she is flashy, hot and brings major drama into your life for four months out of the year and when football season is over just like a summer romance she is gone with the wind until next year. Baseball is a log commitment and, many of us today just are not into that.

5. I would deduce that I am a Baseball guy. It was the first game I ever played and I remember my first ever at bat very well. It was a strike out. Yet, I was hooked. Do not get me wrong I love the game of football just as much as the next man but when it comes down to it I am rooted deeply in stories from my father of Joe Dimaggio, Hank Aaron and Satchel Paige. My first love as a kid in baseball was a guy named Dale Murphy of the Atlanta Braves. There is nothing finer to me than the trot from the dugout to centerfield. Nothing finer than throwing out a runner at third from the right field fence. I played more baseball than football and deeply understand the game today. So here goes I would like you guys to either agree with or challenge my theory here. If you agree tell me what kind of guy you think you are. The guy below is my all-time favorite.

P.S. : THE NBA, NHL, and MLS

I think the NBA is a waste of space and should be played more like the college game. I personally enjoy the NCAA tournament but I seriously believe the NBA is the most terrible sports league on the planet. The NHL will never appeal to the entire American sports base. We love rough sports but if you think about it the NHL just isn't our thing in the southern United States. I will give the NHL it's due because it takes a real man to play hockey year after year. It is just not something I am into. MLS is the fastest growing sports league in the United States with some MLS teams out drawing Major League Baseball. However, it is still a baby as far as sports leagues go and although I love the worlds game I still want to wait another ten years and then hopefully see an MLS team seriously challenge a team like Manchester City, Real Madrird, or Manchester United.

4 Four Things Every Man Needs to Have any Woman He Wants

4 Four Things Every Man Needs to Have any Woman He Wants

1. Presence: You may ask what is presence? Presence is the ability to either walk into a room and grab everyones attention or the ability to smoothly control a room with as little action as possible. There are two ways to do this. If you are a person who is over the top and loud you may need to make your presence known quickly or your ability to become part of the room will pass you by. However, if you are the more smooth and observant type you may need to carefully find out where your place is within the room then adapt to the environment around you. Women love a man with confidence and if you exude that confidence either smoothly or in a boastful manner you will find that this will attract more of the opposite sex. Here are some examples of men with PRESENCE past and present. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Matthew McConaughey, Frank Sinatra, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Blake Shelton. 

2. Personality: Now, when I say personality I am not talking about Jim Carrey or Will Ferrell personality. I am talking about the type of personality that goes hand in hand with presence. You do not have to be over the top funny to have personality. All you need is a healthy sense of humor and the ability to properly express your personality without having those awkward moments. The first date can be the last date solely based on this alone. If you lack personality on the first date and have one too many awkward moments there is a good chance the second date will never come. However, you also will not want to give away too much personality on the first date because she could easily turned of by your awkwardness early in the courtship. This is a fine line you must walk but after a few failures and getting to know yourself you will figure it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIZU_NZRfjA (Don't be this guy on the first date.)

3. The Ability to Listen: Great Leaders and Great Husbands always have one thing in common. The Ability to Listen. This one I cannot stress enough. The reason for that is I struggle with it and often have trouble getting past my own pride. However, I have found that when I do listen and take in what my wife is saying she has a good point on mostly everything she talks about. Men, women are emotional creatures and they need you to listen. They do not always want your advice. In fact you should only give your advice when prompted for it. If you choose not to listen all this will do is cause small, regular arguments that you both do not need in your life. Women want to be treasured in this part of their lives. If you cannot listen you cannot be successful at relationships.

4. The Ability to Create Great Conversation: Ok, so ya wanna be successful with the ladies. Here is the final piece of the puzzle. If you are not well educated it may be harder for you to have a conversation with a college educated woman. However, some country boys can hang with the educated ladies in this department. Looks and money will only get you so far in this thing called the dating game. Women today are more educated and opinionated than ever. They want their voices to be heard and cherished. No longer are the days of ignoring your wife and not conversing with her on the controversial and not so controversial subjects. You will have to be well read and willing to learn about things you never cared about to make your marriage/relationship successful. So put down your video game controllers and read a book guys because this will serve you better later on in your relationships. Without knowledge you will not be able to put all four of these things together.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkCNJRfSZBU (Don't be these guys.)