11/18/2008

So, in preparation for the Thanksgiving feasts (notice that there are multiple dinners involved here) that I will be heading to this year, I had to get out there and do my thing in the gym.

That ended up including a visit to Anna Kooiman's Turbo class on Monday.

Now, I know that I may have intended to write about this wonderful experience on Tuesday, but because of the muscle pain that I have in my fingers from the extense workout that Anna put us through, I wasn't able to soldier through.

Just kidding.

The class was fantastic. I'm more of a lifting-and-playing basketball type of guy, but this reminded me of my days at the ol' DC when we would do all sorts of cross-training in order to get in shape for baseball season. Anna had the class rockin'! Now, I wasn't supposed to be the only McAllister guy out there looking lost, trying to keep pace with Anna, but my cuz...we'll call him "L" (I don't want to embarass Lorin by using his real name...oops! My bad!!)...well, let's just say he was out there for 5 seconds before he was gone off to do chin-ups and bicep curls. Thanks!

I had a lot of fun, though, and  I would recommend it to anyone that works out at the Y. Anna is a great, energetic instructor that makes sure that the group is with her, having fun, and meeting their workout goals for the class. I felt great afterwards and, moreso, it inspired me to get back into the gym regularly again. I hit the gym yesterday to get a workout in. I'll be back again today as well.

I will go back again. When I do, hopefully I'll see you there as well.

And maybe "Baby Shemar Moore" will stay out there a little longer as well, right cuz?!?!

TCNGB

11/16/2008

Hi everyone - I hope that you are doing well this weekend. I am doing well.

I had a chance to get out there on the basketball court this Saturday. The family and I get up early on Saturday mornings and get together at a local church in order to play some 5-on-5. It was fun. Before, we got producer Sam Badger out there on the court so that she can show off her game (she has a good mid-range jump shot), but she would not grace us with her presence yesterday. We did, however, have Bryon Wray from the Fox Charlotte family, out there on the court Saturday morning.

Now, I had fun, but I didn't play well - if you were wondering. Our teams did win, but it was certainly in spite of me, not because of me. I really want to get back to working on my jumper. See, that's my hobby. I don't play a lot of video games. I do like to read. I do like to write (obviously.) And I love hanging with the crew at Fox News Rising on Mondays. But, when it comes to pushing myself in a competitive sense, the athlete comes out in me. I can't run anymore and I certainly can't jump anymore, but to be able to shoot...that's my challenge in my post-college athletic days.

Byron and I won the majority of the games we had, even with my family cheering against us on the sidelines and on the court. It was good. Anytime you can get good prayer before the games begin (we pray as a group before we begin the first game) and play good games with sound people afterwards, it's a blessed way to start a weekend.

And why is this blog titled, "UMPER"?

Because I wasn't quite able to find my J on Saturday.

WHile I am a GATOR HATER , FL seems to have the inside track to the BCS game.   But I really hope PENN STATE has some calculation on their schedule.   THE BIG 10 never play anyone and some at ESPN say it is a glorified WAC.   SEC teams constantly play 4-5 tough games and now the BIG 12 teams have a tough schedule (usually not the case).  If Florida beats Bama in the Championship game they should to the BCS game.  Penn State who doesnt also have a Champ game like SEC and BIG 12 should be ranked #5 at best.

I finally will crank up my FireCoachTuberville.com site this week for Auburn fans.  While giving Florida a NEW one 2 years in a row , that Coach will remain mediocre forever... with this year being torture.

My top 10 now:

1. Texas Tech ( how long it lasts?)
2. Alabama (TT would kill BAMA)
3. FLorida (improved by that darn Ole Miss loss)
4. Texas (.01 sec loss)
5. USC
6. Oklahoma State
7. Oklahoma
8. Penn State ( they play only 1 tough game and no conference game)
9. Utah
10.Boise State

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has suggested that NBA owners freeze ticket prices over the next two years.  Barkley thinks that due to the economy, the NBA season will be hit pretty hard - the length of the season (82 games) and the price of tickets being the main reasons that people will not shell out the cash. 

Do you think that tickets for NBA games are too high?  Should the owners put a freeze on the prices?  If you have always attended Charlotte Bobcats games - or any professional basketball game, will you be going this year?

More controversy has come up about ineligible players at local high schools, so who do we blame?  And is forcing the high school teams to forfeit their games the correct punishment for breaking the rules?  Is is really fair to punish the many who go by the rules because of the few who break them?

What do you think?  Click on the link below to check out the story on FOX NEWS Edge and then tell us what you think.

http://www.myfoxcharlotte.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox
/Detail?contentId=7744297&version=1&locale=EN-US&layout
Code=VSTY&pageId=5.1.1

Well....here we go again.  Below are a number of reasons why I have not attended any games since the 07 season:

• The # 1 reason; the economy...Mr. Johnson should have a little more empathy for the citizens of Charlotte and the surrounding area. The economy, job market and gas prices sucks. People are being laid-off, cost of living is rising but our wages are not moving. We are all at a stand still.
• The ticket prices and cost of parking is just a little too much for people who don't know whether they are going have a job tomorrow.  People are worried about paying their mortgage vs. attending a game.
• Mr. Johnson has really left a bad taste in my mouth due to I don't see what he's doing for the community here. You promised if the arena was built our taxes would not be affected, well, I can't tell.

Mr. Johnson and his millionaire partners seem to be a little out of touch with the realities of the community here and the daily struggles we all go through. I understand he is trying to make a profit, but dear, you have been in business long enough to know there are setbacks to be expected with any new buisness. 

We common people are trying to survive during this recession and Mr. Johnson, you are not affected like we are. You don't have to worry where your next meal is coming from, how to pay your mortgage, whether to put gas in your car or pay your entire utility bill and I don't think you have to worry about how to care for your very ill spouse. See these are our concerns. Maybe you should try some different marketing tecniques to draw people in.  Obvisously what you currently have in place is not working. Try to think about the people and not your pockets, remember when you used to do that? Greed gets you no where except for where you are now. 

Also Mr. Johnson, your negative comments about a certain candidate throws people off and makes them not want to support anything you have your hands in. I would be very mindful about my comments especially when you are wanting the same type of support.

Just want to know why the North Carolina High School Athletic Association always feels the need to have the state basketball championships go head to head with the ACC Tournament. Why are you forcing us to choose one or the other. (I ask this last question as both a fan and a memner of the media). Wouldn't it make more sense to move the HS Finals up a week...play them the week before the ACC Tourney. That way we can enjoy and cover) both.  By the way, that's when SC plays their Championship games.

I asked an official of the NCHSAA that question once. He told me it really did not matter when the High Schools played, because fans of the ACC are different from Prep fans. I could not believe my ears. So you're saying no college fan would ever want to watch High School Hoops.  And even if that is the case...maybe if college fans were exposed to the hs championship games, they'd become fans of the NCHSAA Tourney. Gentlemen of the NCHSAA, it is no longer 1944. Move the games up a week and let everyone see first hand how great the Prep talent is in North Carolina.

Just a few thoughts from your friendly neighborhood Snyder-Man

So Brotha Fred and Snyderman gets into a "little" debate about Nascar and if it was red neck or not. Why did you give in Brotha? We all know that Nascar is the most redneck past time in America. Why were you afraid to defend your views? Probably like me..afraid to "offend" the nascar community...I mean come on...race cars going around a circular track...country music...bogangles chicken...oh and beerz!!!!!! Am I politically incorrect by voicing my opinion?? Come on Brotha and be a man!!! Yeah I know alot of peoples feathers will be ruffled by my comments. Good thing you can voice your opinion in America. Now if you want a real sport...check out extreme snowboarding or maybe the great Tony Hawk on skateboard, how about Matt Hoffman  on his Pro BMX bike getting nasty with a no hander or ice pick grind.....geez... that takes talent, skill and a whole lotta kahunas... my 3 year old son can ride on his big wheel in a circle. Maybe even do a doughnut for ya.

Let me say right up front that when it comes to NASCAR, I am impartial. I have several friends in the NASCAR community, as I'm sure, many of you do as well.  Having said all that, it is good for the Sport when Dale Earnhardt Jr is winning. He is to NASCAR, what The Yankees are to baseball, the Lakers to the NBA, and the Cowboys to the NFL. In other words, love them or hate them, those respective sports are always more interesting when The Yanks/Lakes/Boys are competitive. You think a Red Sox fan gets as big a thrill out of winning without stomping on the Yankees??? Absolutely not.  The NFL was thrilled the Cowboys were in the playoffs. The TV ratings were at all-time highs, as were advertising revenues. By the same token, when Junior won last weekend's Bud Shoot-out, all of a sudden, this exhibition race became the Weekend's big story (Along with Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch doing their Hulk Hogan/Randy macho man Savage Imitation.) NASCAR needs Junior to keep on keepin' on. And with Hendrick's technology behind him, I'm guessing he gets his first Points win by Bristol.

Just a few thoughs from your friendly neighborhood Snyder-Man.

This Wednesday, the greatest rivalry in sports will once again engage in Chapel Hill.  Duke and UNC are poised for another exhibition of why college basketball is the most pure of all team competition.  It will be the best 2 hours of entertainment this year and then repeated later in March at Cameron.

Let's just hope that Coach K will allow his team to play championship basketball instead of engaging in the kind of "thug fueled" nonsense that occurs so often in this rivalry.  Duke is unquestionably in the top 5 of all programs since K's arrival and the talent and success speaks for itself.  But, Duke seems to think they should be the Detroit Pistons of the ACC.  Let us not forget 1992 when Eric Montross had to leave for a quick 7 stitches due to a flagrant elbow, 1993 when Christian Laettner stepped on Brian Reese's head while he was sprawled on the floor and of course last year when Gerald Henderson showed Duke's true colors with a cowardly and aggressive tomahawk forearm to Tyler Hansbrough.  In each of these games, Duke was trailing UNC and justice was served in each as Carolina prevailed in the end.

It will be a great game, no matter who wins.  Let's just hope K will show a little more class.