The Arrow's Path

Good sports writing is becoming harder and harder to come by these days. It is either ESPN in tabloid form, shallow on substance, or else just plain in-your-face trash. It can still be found, but you have to look for it. I came across this good piece by Joe Posnanski over on CNNSI.com. It's about Hall of Fame pitcher, Bob Gibson. It is worth a read.

Well, a fossilized one , anyhow.

Setting: Chapel teaching session at Thunderhead Episcopal Camp for 5th and 6th Graders The Archer (pointing to holy water and an aspergelium sprinkler): So, does anyone know what this is? Children: Holy Water! Archer: Yes, that's right! Do you know what the priest does with it? Child 1: He drinks it after a long sermon? Archer: No, the priest usually does something with it...anyone know? Child 2 (after some thought): Sometimes the priest at home sprinkles it on people during Mass? Archer: Yes, very good. And what does the priest say when he sprinkles it on people? [awkward pause while children think...] Child 3 (very excitingly waving his hands and in all seriousness): I know! I know! 'The Power of Christ compels you!" Archer (amidst chortling from the adult counselors): "Well...uh...I usually say, 'Remember your baptism!' but that is technically a correct answer...although I don't often get called on to do exorcisms in the middle of the...

I was the chaplain for the 5th-6th Grade Family camp out at Thunderhead Episcopal Camp this week (hence the lack of bloggery.) We took an outing to some falls in Spearfish Canyon. I got some great shots.

Dear Friend in Christ, On April 20, 2010, an offshore oil rig exploded and sank in the Gulf Coast, causing a massive oil leak that is threatening coastal communities. In the wake of this disaster, Episcopal Relief & Development is working closely with the Diocese of Louisiana to assist those most impacted. We are also in close contact with and standing ready to assist the Dioceses of Mississippi and the Central Gulf Coast. Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting the activities of Episcopal Community Services of Louisiana (ECSLA) and its partners. "The work in Louisiana is already reaching people who might otherwise fall through the cracks because they can't access sufficient resources, whether due to transportation challenges, lack of information or uncertainty about the different avenues they might pursue for assistance." said Katie Mears, Episcopal Relief & Development's Program Manager for USA Disaster Preparedness and Response. Your help ...

For WWII History buffs, the BBC Radio 4 has done an interview with some surviving "women, now in their 90s, who as part of their cultural education, visited Germany in the 1930s. A few went to Hitler rallies, remembering the sound of metalled boots on specially metalled roads." This interview clips are fascinating. Listen to them here .

" For me, Father’s Day is not about cards or forgettable presents, but about the gift of memory and the small moments that shine the brightest." -Patti Davis, in an article here concerning being the daughter of a President. 

I apologize for my lengthy rants pontifications about the state of college football in my previous blog posts. As I said last time or in a Facebook discussion (I can't remember which), I'm just done with that topic on this blog. As much as I love the game of football, I'm just done with major college football. It's all about the money, and I'm tired of it. My old coach used to say, "If it ain't fun no more, ask yourself, 'Why am I still doing this?' " As such, I'm moving on...nothing to see here. In other news, the northern plains are about to wash away. We've been battling floods and torrential rains for a week now (over 8 inches.) My garden plot is under water, and everyone's basements are flooding. I am probably not going to get much fresh produce this year. I reckon this balances out last year, which was optimal growing season. As such, whoever is praying for rain, would you please stop? Thank you, -The Management

Nebraska officially will join the Big Ten Conference. I might be a bit more supportive if there was some remote other reason for it than the money. I thought Nebraska was a higher quality caliber institution and sports program than to simply sell out one's institutional colleagues and conference for the money. If they think the Big XII was tilted toward Texas, they'll simply love the fact that the Big Ten revolves around almighty Michigan and Ohio State. I wish them well on the path they have chosen. Sadly, it is a path this old Southern boy can't follow. They just lost a fan.

Today is the anniversary of my diaconal ordination, being the Feast Day of St. Barnabas . Barnabas, thus, has a special place in my heart because that is really the only Saint day I get an anniversary on, as my priestly ordination was on the Feast of the Ascension, which is a floating holy day. The Collect Prayer for St. Barnabas Day: Grant, O God, that we may follow the example of your faithful servant Barnabas, who, seeking not his own renown but the well being of your Church, gave generously of his life and substance for the relief of the poor and the spread of the Gospel; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The imagery of the icon has to do with the legend of his death.  According to the History of the Cyprus Church , in 478 Barnabas appeared in a dream to the Archbishop of Constantia ( Salamis, Cyprus ) Anthemios and revealed to him the place of his sepulchre beneath a carob-tree. The foll...

I was pontificating over on Father Tim's blog earlier (some of which I will recycle here), and he suggested I flesh out my thoughts. Truly, the comment I left was a lengthy blog post in itself. He had posted an opinion about what I would call the lack of civic discourse in this country. His aim in that post was geared more toward the civic realm. But, upon further reflection, I think I may expand on that theme just a bit. This culture has moved beyond being able to have coherent civic discourse in a reasonable tone of voice. I would argue that we can no longer even have civil discourse on virtually anything, including the weather. (Make a benign comment about the weather, and insert something about global warming and see what happens if you don't believe me...) We live in a polarized and cynical age. I was on the bus to Minneapolis a few weeks back to check out the new Twins stadium. I did not discuss two things about that trip when I was reviewing the new Target Field becau...

Interesting article on the late UCLA coach, John Wooden, and his faith. The greatest college basketball coach of all time, and he had this refreshing statement to say of sports: "Basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior. Until that is done, we are on an aimless course that runs in circles and goes nowhere."

I have been thinking about the possibility that I discussed in my previous blog entry about the possibility of Nebraska joining the Big Ten conference. I think this is all a bunch of collegiate scuttlebutt and rumor that ultimately won't go anywhere. In normal times, I would write it all off as off season nonsense. It is being circulated just enough in enough venues and newspapers across the country that I think it has some credence, and this disturbs me. But conferences are becoming paranoid, and in an ever increasingly win-at-all-costs keeping-up-with-the-Jones sports realm, anything is possible. Personally, I think worse case scenario in terms of conference realignment is that Notre Dame joins the Big Ten. I think if the Big Ten can pull that off, they will largely be mollified of their expansionist ideas. (Of course, all this from the man who never thought Virginia Tech and Miami would bolt the Big East and join the ACC a few years back.) I think the Pac-10 expansion is somew...

This whole Super-conference thing is just more peculiar than I can find words to describe it. If there was any doubt that major college football was about anything but the money, this would be proof positive of it. UPDATE: After reading the above link this morning and making this post in my blog, I found this article by Omaha World Herald writer, Lee "You can't make up a name like this:" Barfknecht. The quote from the Iowa State fan at the end says it all: " 'Don't ever tell me again,'' one ISU employee said, 'that this is about the student-athlete.' ''

“You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” -Former UCLA Basketball coach John Wooden, who died this week at the age of 99

For those who don't keep up with baseball, there has been a brouhaha the last week over a heart breaking blown call by an umpire on the last out of what otherwise would have been a perfect game. Perfect games are therefore incredibly rare pitching feats. A perfect game is slightly different than a no hitter. A perfect game is where no base runner of any kind is allowed on base by a hit, walk, or hit by pitch. A no hitter can still have had a guy or two on base by walks, etc. The replay clearly shows the guy was out , but all things considered, it was a bang-bang play, as they say in the announcing trade. If you watch it full speed, I think you will have a bit more sympathy for the umpire in question. Umpires only get to watch it full speed, except in cases this season of a potential home run over the foul pole. I witnessed a home run called off after replay when I was in Minneapolis last week. The umpires disappeared into the dugout for like five minutes. They finally came ou...

This is heart breaking .

Click on the image to read the full comic. (

Reading Red Smith's superb collection of baseball stories, I came across one example on how the famed Baseball announcer, Red Barber, would re-create a game on the radio. I found it interesting for because even though he would recreate a ballgame using telegraph reports, it sounded an awfully lot like recreating a game nowadays via a twitter feed or text message. -The Archer ----------------------------------------------------------------- "This is just a business," Mr. Barber explained before the wire opened up for the third game of Brooklyn's series in St. Louis. "We don't try to fake it. We have the telegraph sounder right in here near the microphone where it can be heard because we don't kid the listeners this is anything but a telegraphed report. "From spring training on, Connie Desmond [Barber's co-announcer] and I are studying the mannerisms of the players in the National League and memorizing them so that when we do a [re-created] game...

Reading Red Smith's superb collection of baseball stories, I came across one example on how the famed Baseball announcer, Red Barber, would re-create a game on the radio. I found it interesting for because even though he would recreate a ballgame using telegraph reports, it sounded an awfully lot like recreating a game nowadays via a twitter feed or text message. -The Archer ----------------------------------------------------------------- "This is just a business," Mr. Barber explained before the wire opened up for the third game of Brooklyn's series in St. Louis. "We don't try to fake it. We have the telegraph sounder right in here near the microphone where it can be heard because we don't kid the listeners this is anything but a telegraphed report. "From spring training on, Connie Desmond [Barber's co-announcer] and I are studying the mannerisms of the players in the National League and memorizing them so that when we do a [re-created] game w...