Clemson football fans might not like this post.  If you have a weak stomach, or can't stand for some orange and purple bad news, you may want to close this page now.  I am going to say something that might upset you.  You know that 29-7 shelling we took by South Carolina last weekend?  Go ahead and get used to it.  It will probably happen for the next few rivalry games.  Now, before you curse my name and yell that I don't deserve to be called a Tiger alum, just hold on a minute.  I have bled Tiger orange since I was I little boy.  The soccer team I played for when I was in middle school traveled to see Clemson play soccer in the NCAA Tourney against Brown.  The Tigers lost the game but that day I looked up at the coach and the parents and said that I would play on that field one day.  A decade later, I was a goalkeeper on the Clemson Men's Soccer Team.  ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY!!!!  Ask my mom, she will tell you.  Also, if you can find my old teammate, Craig Hardin, his dad can confirm the story.  And my old coach, Mike Cook.  All of them can verify the words that came out of my mouth that day.

Back to initial topic:  USC will continue to beat Clemson in football for the next few years.  Some reasons are obvious: SEC football is better than ACC football.  Some reasons not so obvious: recruiting.  The reason why recruiting is not so obvious is because, as of right now, rivals.com has Clemson recruiting at #5, way ahead of USC at #17.  What does this mean?  It doesn't mean anything for the next year and I will tell you why: Spurrier has hit his stride.  This year he had a damn good South Carolina team who really only had one bad moment this year - a humiliating lost to Kentucky after manhandling Alabama.  Their only 2 other defeats came to a really good Arkansas team and a narrow defeat to #1 ranked Auburn who they play again in the SEC title game this week.  They have a chance to be a 10-win team with an SEC schedule.  That's right, The Gamecocks could win the SEC outright.

Now, on the other hand, we have the Clemson Tigers.  This is the part I hate to say.  I really do, but I am going to say it.  The Clemson Tigers, not just the football team, but all the major men's sports, have achieved a reputation in the last few years.  You can blame this one on Bowden, Purnell, Leggett....whomever you want.  The Tigers cannot win the big games.  PERIOD.  They can't.  You don't believe me?  Here are some examples: the last 2 years against USC in football, last years ACC championship game against GT, The College World Series against USC last year, the basketball team the last 3 years losing in the first round of the NCAA tourney.  Should I go on?  Now, I know in that stretch we have pulled some impressive wins.  We finished our ACC schedule in football last year to make it to the ACC championship.  That is correct, however, we beat teams that we should have beaten.  On paper, we were better than Miami, FSU, UNC Wake and Virginia.  We were arguable the best team in the ACC last year.  But, we couldn't handle USC or GT.

So now, the future is ahead of us. The southeast is a great part of the nation to recruit.  FSU. Miami, Florida, UGA, Alabama, Auburn and Georgia Tech have made a killing recruiting local talent.  The bad news is that Clemson is located in the middle of all those schools and now South Carolina is starting to pick from that pool of players.  Spurrier is now able to go to recruits and show them how they are beating up on Clemson.  No one wants to go to school that has a rivalry as deep as CU-USC and go to the weaker team.  You think Michigan is having a ball recruiting kids from Ohio right now?  You think Virginia kids really want to play football at UVA over VA Tech? NO.  Spurrier hasn't been in this position since his last season at Florida.  He is a good coach.  Right now, he is a better coach than Dabo.  That is not a jab at Dabo, he has a lot of potential, but Spurrier has the resume' and experience. 

Next season does seem positive for the Tigers.  We look to have a good QB to take over for Parker, who seemed to be thinking of the millions he is going to make in MLB every time he dropped back this year. Talk about a sophomore slump.  We have a good core of running backs that should be coming back next year.  We have a young team that only has 17 seniors or Graduate players.  We have a team that can make a name for themselves.  However, this freshman class should brace itself.  They may never beat the Gamecocks.  I hope you prove me wrong.

A few weeks ago, I was hanging out with a friend in Clarendon, VA.  It is in Arlington, VA and is full of bars and restaurants.  I often see Clemson tee's and hats in this area as we have a pretty big DC/Baltimore alumni association.  I often converse with many CU grads and current students.  But, on this night, after walking out of one bar about to walk down the street to another, I saw a Gamecock t-shirt.  Instinctively, I yelled, "Go Tigers!"  The man turned to me and calmly replied, "which tigers? Auburn, LSU?"  To this, I could only laugh.  After all, it was only playful banter between two grads from the opposite sides of the state.  My initial thought (to myself) was that of course there are many tigers and one Gamecock because no one is stupid enough to have their mascot be a chicken.  That is, other than VA Tech.  But, my next thought was he is right.  Clemson does not have their own identity.  At least not like the LSU Tigers, or the Auburn Tigers, or even the Mizzou Tigers.  We even got our name from Auburn.  We need to create a true identity for ourselves and we need to do it fast.

Please heed this as a warning and not a white flag.  I would never give up on my Tigers.  I am just letting everyone know that is things don't change soon, the picture at the beginning of this post my resonate for a few years down the road.

GO TIGERS!!!! 

Naked in a Hotel Room

I am in a hotel room. I am not naked. But it always feels weird when I am. I was born naked, I shower naked. It is no big thing. However, whenever I am in a hotel room, I always feel weird when I am naked. I don't know if it is the fact that I am not at home or the fact that it seems like all hotel bathrooms are right next to the front doors, but something just seems off. What is even funnier is the fact that I make sure that all the locks on the door are securely locked before I enter the bathroom for any reason. For some reason I always believe that the housekeeper will break in while I am showering, pull back the shower curtain and take a picture of me. That picture will then appear on every billboard in Times Square just like Smith Jared's Absolut ad. (If you did not get the previous example, do not feel bad. It either means that you are a man or you do not own a TV.)

A hotel room can be very scary. Not only in the obvious since but in more minuscule ways. The fact that most hotel rooms have had more people in them than the ........well you can make your own joke for that one. I actually had some time to think about this while brushing my teeth this morning in room 201 in the Fairfield INN in the great metropolis of Fayetteville, NC. A city who's great reputation is only surpassed by it's vast cultural diversity. It's funny how easily we accept what hotels really are without questioning anything. Most rooms are a basic bed, TV, bathroom and sink that has been used by hundred or even thousands of people. And we pay good money to be one of those people.

The next time you are in a hotel, take a look at the cleaning cart if you pass it in the hallway. I have never noticed any bleach or cleaners that contain bleach. I understand not wanting to clean your own place with bleach but in a location that is inhabited with so many creatures, you would think everything would be washed with bleach. But, the reason we don't notice these things is because hotels know exactly what people do look for - unnecessary attention to detail. Think about that for a second. Why does a hotel fold the paper at the end of the toilet roll? Why do they always place the remote control back in the same spot? Why do they make sure that the shower curtain is always pulled back to same side of the shower? It is all smoke and mirrors. It's a poor attempt on a magic trick that works almost all the time. This way, when you walk into the room, you assume that the sheets were washed and the ac vents were dusted and the sink and bath tub was thoroughly disinfected with bleach. We assume that if the hotel paid so much attention in putting the pillows back in the exact position they were in yesterday, everything else received that much attention.

Now, I have had the pleasure of staying at some really nice hotels. I have stayed at a Four Seasons in California and a jacuzzi suite at the RIU in Cabo. Those places have plenty of reasons to pay attention to detail. They have a reputation to uphold. Also, I have seen them clean a room and they do a great job. On the other hand, why the hell would a Fairfield Inn need to pay attention to detail? You don't pay for it. You only pay for a clean and safe room. You pay for a room that is free of bedbugs and weird stains that can only be detected by a fictional character on CBS at 9pm on Thursdays. (If you did not get that reference, then you don't own a TV.)

In no way am I saying that all hotels are bad. I am just bringing to light how easy they get away with stuff. But then I guess there is the other end of the spectrum - how we act in hotels. I, personally, keep my place very nice and neat when I am there. Then, once I walk into a hotel room, I feel like I can do anything and not have to worry about it. Which is, somewhat, true. We take personal hygiene vacations every time we enter one of these rooms. This is our natural trade off - we allow hotels to skim on the necessities of cleaning and disinfecting so that we, on the other end, can not care about our surroundings whether that be a night or three weeks. It all makes so much since, now.

I still hate getting naked in a hotel room.

I was just looking through some old computer files today and I came upon this piece I wrote awhile ago. Just wanted to share:

"Why do you talk so white?"

I pronounced “e-r’s” at the end of my words.
That is, except for the word nigga.
That’s just wrong.
I know the difference between and metaphor and a simile.
I even know the definition of a pronoun antecedent and a preposition.
But, because I was raised to speak correctly, my minority peers often explained to me that, no, I was not speaking correctly – I was talking white.
As an adolescent, did other kids ever say “Wow, he speaks so properly; he must come from a good family that values education and positive self-representation?”
No, that was not said. I was called words like “sell-out” and “wanna-be”.
And to think, just because I spoke properly, my racial classification was decided for me.
I spoke, therefore I was.
I wonder if those kids would still see me the same way today?
My skin is darker.
My credit is bad.
I wear air force one’s and I occasionally listen to misguided hip-hop songs with misogynistic lyrics.
I wonder after all that will my race determined on how I speak.
I have heard great reviews spoken about wonderful Irish limericks and marvelous English prose.
However, the funny thing is, I have never heard great reviews printed about a play written in Ebonics, have you?
Or maybe you’ve heard a dazzling masterpiece displaying the true talent of using the phrase “you know what I’m saying” over 25 times in a song.
You never hear of the Nasdaq reporting stock prices jumping from the recent influx in sales of 26 inch rims and “ice’d out grilles”.
Albeit, speaking how I speak gets much praise from the corporate world.
They love how I enunciate my words and often repeat the phrase, “He speaks so well” as if I should speak like I just stepped off the Amistad.
I guess people can think of me as a broke and less significant Barak Obama.
Maybe I should have posters up on my walls of Codeleeza Rice and Colin Powell.
The thing that confuses me the most is the younger “white generation” that try to emulate hip-hop culture and speak in a tongue that most people can’t even decipher.
Some days, I believe I am bilingual as I have to translate one form of English spoken by my Negro friend and explain to my pale-skinned brethren that “bad” does mean “good” and “hot shit” is not necessarily fresh cow dung.
Don’t get me wrong. I was not privileged in the negative meaning of the word.
I would never raise my nose to a fellow American attempting to speak “American”.
During Ebonics conversations, I just continue to make eye contact, nod my head in agreement and use phrases like “say word” and “for real though”.
I often wonder about other cultures and their different dialects.
Maybe “poor English” and possibly “Spanglish” should be considered dialects in this country.
This makes me wonder one more thing: Would Martin Luther King and Malcolm X have been more relatable leaders if they had ended their speeches with the phrase “Holla at Cha Boy?”
I mean, Tiger Woods gives millions a year to the less fortunate, but would he be better remembered by the black community if instead of pumping his fist after he sinks a huge putt, he were to throw his club in the air, continuously fist pump his chest and yell out “that’s what I’m talking about, that shit was tight, ya’ll know what I’m saying!”
I cannot change the way I talk. I mean, I could, but I would sound ridiculous calling my girlfriend “boo” and everyone else “son”.
All things considered, if someone offered me millions of dollars and a record deal to utter phrases like “get that cheese” and “pop that booty” I might drop this “white” disguise I’ve been wearing all these years and put my “blackness” back on so I can send our culture back another 100 years.
Maybe then I’d be black.

GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE..........

If finally happened. It took a while, but the inevitable has happened. I finally met the Texas couple that I expected to meet while working in this state. I must start by saying I have been pleasantly surprised by the state of Texas. The people here are extremely nice, welcoming and kind. They have offered me water or sweet tea at every house and have been more than willing to help me out when I mention that I am far away from home. But, I was waiting for the stereotypical Texas couple and I found them.

As soon it happened, I was enjoying a drink and meal at Buffalo Wild Wings in the small town of Lubbock, Texas. Home of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. A school that is well known for their southern tradition and football team. (I guess that could be said for any school in rural Texas) But, as I was sitting there enjoying the Braves beat up on the Mets, the ESPY awards came on the large projection screen. A couple had sat next to me and the woman had a tough time remembering the name of the awards show and the host. Being the nice person I am, I explained that it was the ESPY award and Samuel L. Jackson was the host. She thanked me and after a few quiet moments she started a conversation with me. This is no big deal in Texas. People here would strike up a conversation with devil if he sat down next to them just to prove their southern hospitality. So, I politely indulged her and her husband and began small talk. I was then asked if I was from Lubbock which, to be honest, was a rhetorical question because everyone knows everybody here so I might as well have had the word "Tourist" written in huge letters across my forehead. In the next few sentences it was discovered that I was in town for business and the woman sitting next to me worked at the same company in which I worked.

Usually, in this same situation in the DC area, that would end the conversation as people in that area don't have time to talk. But, in the south, where I was born and raised, this adds about 3 hours, 15 emails, a facebook request and a wedding invitation to the conversation. The conversation stayed pretty vanilla for a while until the subject of "church camp" came up. Now the statement I said was a simple and obvious one, but, as it always goes, the smallest things often lead to the biggest things. I simply said that there are a lot of "church camps" in Texas. From there, the husband, who I will call Bill, said, "Yeah, you've noticed the christian, conservative ways in Texas."

At this point, I was praying(yes PRAYING. I am in Texas. When in Rome......) well I was praying that when he used the word conservative, he was not about to start a political conversation with me..........

.....COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN.......

Well, apparently God has a dry sense of humor as the next few minutes were polluted with political conversation. I must stress the fact that I did not say anything political. I stay the hell out of political conversations with people that I just met in a town were I am a TRUE minority. There are 1.6 trillion other things to talk about and I know because I have counted. But, for the next 10 minutes, Bill had the podium, microphone, soapbox and pedestal. It was explained to me that he can't wait until 2010 when the largest stimulus package in American history would passed and apparently democrats will turn into gremlins and the republicans will apparently find the Holy Grail and put Indiana Jones to shame. (I may have added some of my own details to that sentence, but you get the point) Also, it was explained to me that the California's current budget crisis is directly related to it's evil liberal agenda and that the recession only affects liberal states and has not affected Texas, let alone Lubbock. Apparently Bill and his wife are doing wonderfully.

At that point, I was thinking of all the customers I had helped in the area that had become very candid with me and explained that because of the current economic climate, they couldn't afford to repair their vehicles or even their $500 deductibles. Or, all the abandoned buildings that were forced out of business due to the increase in overhead costs. But, I must say that I was okay with what he had said so far. Apparently, people drink the kool-aid in many parts of this country and I was allowing him to spread his propaganda as I am not one to judge and people are entitled to their opinions, even if it was never asked for. But, I had to change the conversation when he started to quote Fox News. I mean, if you want to make a point, just make it, do immediately go to your Fox News talking points. I wasn't even disagreeing with Bill and he immediately went to Fox News. So I conveniently changed the conversation back to work. That was short lived.


.......AND WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

Now, whenever someone prefaces their statement with the saying, "Now don't take this the wrong way," it is fair to assume that the next thing coming out of this person's mouth will be some damn offensive stuff. Well, Bill's wife, who works at the same company I do, explains the reason why she knew I was not from Lubbock. Like any curious individual, I asked why. She stated, verbatim, "Because all the black people in Lubbock talk in Ebonics." She then backtracked and stated that only most of the black people in Lubbock speak in Ebonics. Then her husband stepped in and stated that I speak properly.

------Now I must cut in here and mention the fact the before the second part of this conversation, Bill had mention the fact that he thought Michael Jackson was a pedophile. For those who know me, I don't have to say anything else. For those who don't, this statement really didn't sit well with me. Back to the story.

I have met many people in Lubbock, not many blacks, but a few. ALL OF THEM. Let me repeat, ALL OF THEM, spoke proper English. But, as the patient and non-confrontational person I am, I bit my tongue and continued to listen.

The next part of the conversation really rubbed me the wrong way. We got on the subject of my girlfriend, Nada. We covered many topics and by this point, Bill had walked away to speak with other people and his wife and I talked about marriage. The obvious question was asked: When are you gonna marry her? But for some reason she asked what Nada's last name was. I said Abdelaal. Then the other obvious question: is she Muslim? I answered yes. Then she said the most ignorant thing of the night. She told me, again verbatim, "She probably wants to take your last name." She explained to me that she probably gets a lot of slack for her last name and she probably wants to change it.

There are so many ways I could go at this. The first and only thing I explained to her was that people in the big, bad, liberal world of Washington, DC are accepting and it is a melting pot of cultures.

Next we talked about children and Bill came back to the table and explained the differences between raising girls and boys. Apparently, to him, it is easier to raise a boy because the only thing you have to protect him from is being gay.

Shortly thereafter, I excused myself politely because I had to work in the morning, drove to my hotel and wrote this.

In no way do I feel that this couple is a true reflection of Texas, but I do think it is sad that people still think this way in America.


God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.


Somethings I cannot change. OBVIOUSLY.

What I have learned from my first 30 years.......

That is a wonderful question to ask yourself every birthday. To put an answer like this in words is kinda difficult. I have learned that loved ones and enemies can switch places at a moment's notice and the line between them can be thin and blurry. I have learned that the things that you value the most when you were younger can turn out to be the most irrelevant things once you get older. I have learned that friends that will still be your friend once you have wronged them have a place ready for them in heaven. I have learned that sometimes my humor can be hilarious to some and annoying as hell to others. I have learned that money does not buy happiness. Or maybe I have never been good with money until this year so maybe I should head to Walmart and look if they have slashed their prices on happiness. What aisle would that be in? I have learned that mothers always have your best intention in mind however cannot always understand that mistakes have to be made before positive progress. I have learned that family should always come first even when every instinct in your body tells you otherwise. I have learned the saying, "If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it was never meant to be," is the stupidest saying ever spoken. I have learned that I am better off than most but that should never keep me from trying to do better. I have learned that the best conversations usually happen at 3 in the morning with a few coronas and a half empty bottle of Captain. I have learned that Clemson, SC may be the most beautiful place on Earth. I have learned that I have never slept as well as I did in the room I was raised in on High Meadow Dr. in Norcross, GA. I have learned that racism still exists today and may never be eradicated. I have learned that glass ceilings exists I have seen many friends hit their heads on them. I have learned that "me-time" is precious and should be taken daily. I have learned that to much time is spent on the negative and more needs to be spent on the beauty in the world. I have learned that Atlanta has put out some really good music. I have learned that Atlanta has put out some really bad dances. I have learned that my parents are really cool people and deserve the best. I have learned that my sister is a really great person and will continue to reap the rewards of her success. I have learned that my brother is wonderful person and has 2 beautiful little girls who will grow up to raise as much hell as we did but it will be well worth it. I have learned that no matter how many years you spend in school, the only thing people remember is if you graduated. (Lawton). I have learned that people from Texas are crazy and love their state more than the country it's located in. (Andy). I have learned that it will always be BATs 4 Life! I have learned that my girlfriend does love me even though she is asleep and my 30th birthday is in 25 minutes.

Finally I have learned to never take myself too seriously. Really, I am not that important.

IS THIS WHAT AMERICA HAS BECOME?

As I was driving in Oakton, VA, which is part of Fairfax, VA - one of the wealthiest counties in the US, I was happy to see numerous Obama signs. Then I saw this sign. I almost ran off the road. I immediately pulled over and went to the house where the sign was stationed. The owner, Greg, told me that he had already called the police and they were on their way as this had just happened last night. His face showed his frustration and his words filled with disappointment. His wife, who I also met, stated that she had just got the sign and was infuriated that this had happened. I am still trying to decide which emotions I am going through right now, but I had to quickly share this with all my readers and pose the question: Is this a reflection of America in 2008?

I know that it is naive to think that there is no more racism in America - that is obvious. But, what will it take to end racism in America. And to pose another question, what will it take to end all discrimination in America because we seem to move from discrimination of Blacks to Latino's to Women to Homosexuals to Jews and back again.

THIS HAS TO STOP!

I must preface this post by explaining some advice that I received recently from a dear friend. That really doesn't explained my true friendship to this person. He is an actual person that I would take an actual bullet for. Not in the arm or the leg, but a fatal shot that would save his life and take mine. I have to say, friends like that are hard to find and harder to keep. But I digress.......my buddy explained to me that he has enjoyed all my blog posts and is always awaiting a new post. He explained that he wished he had the voice of reason to post blogs because if he were to post a blog, he would get so mad that he may hear some knocks at his door from the FBI. I explained to him my protocol for writing a post. I explained that I get an idea in my head but I do not write it then, I let the thought simmer for a few days so I can keep emotion out of the blog and possible find an plausible opposition to my view. This method, in his mind, for lack of a better word, was unacceptable. He wanted me to include all the emotion that he knew was in me and have my words explode off the page. To please him, I planned on writing a post that same day; however, that was yesterday, and I decided to use the same protocol I had been using for a while.

I have to give some background on this friend of mine. He is a middle class, single dad, raising a nine year old in a working class neighborhood. I used to work with him at a company that will not be named(it does not deserve the free advertisement), and I was actually his manager. I would never introduce myself as his manager but he would often introduce me that way. He had no gripe that I was younger than him, he always treated me with respect and to this day, he defends my name at the company that I was fired from wrongfully.

When we talked on the phone, with the climate of America, the obvious subject was William Ayers. Just kidding, we are both democrats, so we spoke about the issues. In my opinion, it seems like a lot of republican pundits and political leaders were getting all of their talking points from the same source. I don't know the exact source, whether it be Sean Hannity or Dick Morris, but they were all saying the same thing. "Obama is a shady character with a shady background." My main issue was not what they were talking about, but how they all were saying the same thing. You would think one person, either Newt Gingrich or Rush Limbaugh, would say that this needed to stop and someone needed to voice another conservative opinion, but no one did. My pleading case to my friend was that I hoped he was teaching his son to think for himself. I hoped he was teaching his son to get his own information and question those in power and not be a parrallel voice. He instructed me that this was already in the works.

In all fairness, I know my friend so well, that I knew he was already doing this, but I guess I was acting like a manager again and asking a question that did not really need to be asked but had to be asked. Also, a point was brought up about defending your ticket by referring to the other. I absolutley hate this. Here is an example. On one of the many online social networks, I got into a friendly debate with soemone in regard to Sarah Palin being unable to list Supreme Court cases that she disagreed with. There also was a picture of Joe Biden on the screen. Instead of this person just defending Palin, he said, and I quote,

"Joe, could you tell me which article of the Constitution declares that an American has a right to kill a baby? I didn't think so..."

He was basically talking to Joe Biden about his stance on Roe v. Wade. So, in defense of Palin being a moron, he brought up Roe v. Wade. This reminds me of when we were kids and one kid would say to another, "You are so stupid," and the other kid would reply, "well, at least I have nice shoes!" You are basically conceeding the fact that you're are stupid, but are justifying it because you have nice shoes. This really irritates me. If you want to defend your candidate, defend them directly, do not concede the point and take a swipe at the other ticket. That is cowardly.

Again, I hope everyone does the most American thing that they can on Novermber 4th, get to the polls and vote!