Chi'Lantro

I experienced Chi'Lantro for the first time a few weekends ago with my boy Kevin and this weekend I introduced the homie Torre and my friend Aleise to it.

If more people don't know about it now in Austin, they will soon enough if I have anything to say about it.

Maybe I can get them to sponsor me.  Check out their website: http://www.chilantrobbq.com/

Here's the menu:

I usually get one Spicy Chicken taco, one Beef taco and Kimchi Fries (Fries with Carmelized Kimchi, Bulgogi, Cheddar Jack and Monterrey Cheese, Cilantro, Onion, Korean Peppers, Spicy Orange Sauce).  I know it sounds weird but I promise you, you won't regret it.  I gotta figure out how to get one of these up to the Dallas area.

The coolest thing is they do it all from a traveling truck so you can find out where they'll be on any given day or night by checking http://twitter.com/chilantrobbq or the Chi'Lantro Facebook page.

Here's some pics of the food I found on the net...don't knock it until you try it:

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Kimchi Fries

 I always manage to catch them at the corner of 5th and Colorado when I'm in Austin.

Teleras Bread, Korean BBQ Tacos, City Meat Market, & H-Town

This past weekend was a pretty good one.  I woke up Friday morning and decided I wanted to snag my latest breakfast addiction.  There's this place called Fuzzy's Taco Shop off of Abram in Arlington that I like to eat breakfast and lunch from time to time.  For the longest I'd been wanting to try one of their breakfast sandwiches because its on this bread called Teleras bread.  Well let's just say the sandwich didn't let me down.  Bacon, eggs, cheese, jalapenos and cilantro on Teleras bread with a side of Latin fried potatoes.  Doesn't get much better than that.  Took it back to my office and grubbed

Fuzzy's Breakfast Sandwich

I managed to make it through my day and left work around 3pm.  I ran home and played a quick game in my Orangebloods Online Dynasty in NCAA 2011 and then packed a bag because I was heading to Austin for the weekend.  Initially I was just going to ride down to Austin with my best friend Torre.  He wanted to go out and watch some DJ's mix in Austin because he's trying to get in DJing.  I ended up decided I'd just go ahead and drive myself because I needed to be able to get around and do a few things while I was back home.

Torre met me over at the crib around 6pm and as we got ready to hit the road I couldn't find my wallet.  I looked everywhere and it was nowhere to be found.  Where was the last place I saw it?  Fuzzy's.  I called the shop and they said they didn't have it.  I checked online and didn't have any new charges so I'd resolved that maybe I'd just left it in my office.  Luckily I had my CHL and a credit card so I decided I'd just go ahead and hit the road.

Once we got to Austin we chilled for a little bit before hitting the town.  I had to borrow some cash from my mom because where is my wallet?  Somewhere in Dallas.  Another really good friend, Aleise, decided she'd roll with us so we went to this spot downtown called Karma Lounge.  We've been going there for years now and are friends with owner so we always have a good time.  The scene has really changed in the last two years though and unfortunately not for the better.  All the same, my boy Donte was DJing that night so at least we knew the music would be legit.  At the end of the night when the clubs let out I wanted Torre and Aleise to try this spot I discovered with my boy Kevin last time I was in Austin.  Almost like it's straight out of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives was one of those truck stands.  This one was different than any other I've had: Korean BBQ Tacos.

Korean BBQ Tacos

 Now usually I'm pretty skeptical of something like this but as you can see from the line, it's pretty popular. We each had one beef and one chicken taco and I also had something they call Kimchi Fries that had some kind of spicy cabbage type relish and chicken on it.  Out of this world.  My poor camera phone image doesn't do it any justice.  All in all we had a successful night.

Kimchi Fries

 The next morning came way to fast.  My dad is a morning person.  I'm not.  Ever since I was little my dad has always felt as if everyone should be awake when he is so he made it a point to be extra loud and wake me up.  This particular morning was a little bit different though.  My brother and I had been wanting to get my dad a new barbecue pit for a LONG time.  He really needed it because he loves to barbecue and well...this is what his old one looked like:

My brother found some guys in Houston that would make a pit the way my dad wanted it and do us a solid on the deal since it was a friend of a friend kind of thing so we made a family road trip out of it.  My dad, mom, brother and I piled into my truck and decided to hit the road to H-Town but not without first stopping at City Meat Market in Giddings along the way.  If you ever are near try their Boston Butt.  No pun intended.  We grubbed.

City Meat Market - Giddings, TX

The Menu

My brother ready to grub

Before

After

After we were good and full we were back on the road.  Had to make a quick pit stop at my favorite "store" - Buc-ee's.  I say "store" because it's a gas station, deli, sandwich shop, craft store and outdoors store all wrapped in one.  If you ever see one, stop.  You will not be disappointed.

Buc-ee's

 We got back on the road and finally made it to Houston.  We went straight to the place to pick up my dad's BBQ pit and the second we turned in there my dad started grinning from ear to ear.  His pit turned out to be a flat out beast.  The guys who made it were real cool and reminded me of just some good ole country boys from back in East Texas where my mom's side of our family is from.  We talked to the guys for a little while and finally hooked the pit up to my truck and made our way back to Austin.

My dad (left), folks who made the pit and my brother (middle)

Hooked up to my truck and ready to roll

Back in Austin getting it into the backyard was fun

 My dad through some meat on there for a test run and it turned out pretty damn good.  I'm just glad we cook put a big smile on my dad's face.  He's the hardest working person I know and rarely let's us do anything major for him so to allow him to be able to enjoy barbecuing the right way is priceless.  

I loaded up and hit the road back to Dallas so I could get home in time for the Cowboys/Bengals preseason game.  I'm not even a Cowboys fan but it was live football that I've been without for 6 months so I wasn't about to miss it.

All in all in was a very productive and personally rewarding weekend.  Teleras Bread, Korean BBQ Tacos, City Meat Market, H-Town.  Not bad at all.

-M.G.M.

No Shag On My Head

I try to get in the barbershop at least once every two weeks. Well. Let me clarify.

Usually I go to the shop on Thursday nights or Friday afternoons. Let me give you a brief run down about me and barbers/barbershops I've only let a few people cut my hair in my lifetime: my dad (didn't really have a choice), Larry Dibbles (college teammate - when I was a broke college kid there was nothing like a free cut), Jett (my long time barber in Pflugerville) and Chico (my barber in Grand Prairie). I'm real particular about who cuts my hair and I'm very much a creature of habit. When I first moved to Grand Prairie, I didn't get my haircut for almost a month because I wasn't comfortable with any of the barbers in the Dallas area. You won't catch me with a shag on my head. Yea - that picture below on the right - that's a shag worn by non other than OU-ex and Dallas representer Lendy Holmes. One of my old teammates Michael Huff (@Huffy247 on Twitter) has been known to rock one to this day. He plays for the Raiders now and if you ask him, he'll tell you he's "from the Crooked I" - you probably know that place as Irving, Texas.

 

I can't be THAT guy.  Nope.  I stick with the good ole taper fade.  At any rate, last night's trip to the barbershop was pretty uneventful.  I was able to pick up a couple of the latest DVDs that aren't supposed to be out yet (Kevin Hart's Seriously Funny and SALT).  That was the polite way of me saying I copped a couple bootlegs.  Chico was running a little behind today so I ended up sitting around for a good while before I got in the chair.  This too is a common theme in the black barbershops across America.
 
This trip's main topics of discussion were Shaq to the Celtics and how he makes them better (doesn't matter - as much as I hate to say it, the damn Lakers are going to 3-peat) and a conspiracy theory that the National Championship game between Texas and Alabama was fixed and that's why Colt McCoy couldn't return to the game.  Oh if you could have only been a fly on the wall for that discussion.  LOL.  I think I'm going to have to take my camera into the shop one day and do some videos....maybe that'll be what my shop blogs turn into.  We'll see.
 
At any rate, I'm fresh and clean again and people shouldn't mistake me for Wolverine anymore.  But you definitely won't find a shag on my head anytime soon. In fact - not neva!
 
-M.G.M.

Sunday NFL Ticket - The Myers Way

I go through this every single year with DirecTV.  Same song and dance.  They go up on their prices for Sunday NFL Ticket.  I threaten to cancel.  They give me all kinds of discounts.

This year was a tad different - initially.  I found out DirecTV was changing the Sunday NFL Ticket package to remove SuperFan and make it one package.  Really what they did was remove the online viewing part of SuperFan, renamed it “To Go” and put everything else (Red Zone Channel, Game Mix, Shortcuts and HD) into the base package.  What's all that mean?  A renewal price of $300.  Most people would feel like this is ridiculous to pay but the way I look at this is as follows: $300 divided by 17 NFL weeks equals a little more than $17 a week to be able to watch every single NFL game from the comfort of my home, on my computer and/or on my BlackBerry (which will be extra cool when I cop this new BlackBerry Torch when it comes out next week).

Now for a fantasy football geek and football addict like myself, $17 a week is pretty damn good if you ask me.  That being said, mama didn't raise a fool.  I used to be embarrassed when we'd go places and my mom would complain about poor service to get a discount at a restaurant or electronics store.  The apple didn't fall far from the tree though. Take too long to bring my food out at a restaurant if you want to. "May I see your manager please (after the food is delivered of course)?"  I did the same thing with DirecTV...again...this year.

A couple months ago I signed up for DirecTV's Whole Home DVR Service.  This was the final piece to what I needed to keep me from going to UVerse.  Well I've been having some problems with my service and I used that as an opportunity to haggle DirecTV some.  The key to this is when you call, ask to directly speak with Customer Retention.  Skip all the other stuff.

I explained how I've been a loyal customer for years, paid the premium to have the Whole Home DVR Service and that service isn't working properly and how I needed to be compensated in some fashion or - and this is the key - I'll cancel my subscription and go to UVerse since they already have my phone and internet business.

At that exact moment it was like the gates of heaven opened up, choirs started singing, birds started chirping, the stars got a little brighter...you get the point.  The rep immediately started typing away and said she would give me $20 off per month for 6 months (the duration of football season).  Let's do the math: 6 months times $20 per month equals $120 off.  $300 initial price minus $120 equals $180 for the Sunday NFL Ticket.  $180 divided by 17 weeks of the NFL season equals about $10.50 per week.  Pretty good huh?  Most people would stop there right?

Not Cheryl Myers' son.

I continued to explain how I had friends who were just now signing up for DirecTV that were being rewarded with package deals as new customers and yet each year my bill continued to increase as a loyal customer.  Again I hear her typing away and next thing I know she comes back saying I'll get an extra $10 off my overall bill (equates to negating the $10 per month HD service fee) for the next 24 months and after that, if I call again, they'll give it to me for another 24 months.  Well for the NFL season, that now takes me down to $120 for Sunday NFL Ticket.  $120 divided by 17 weeks in the NFL season equals me watching EVERY SINGLE NFL GAME for a whopping $7 a week.

So if any of you are looking for me during this NFL season on a Sunday I'll be in my Man Cave...well...pretty much all day.  I'll go to the 7am service at my church and from noon until about 10pm at night I'll be in the Cave with my remote in one hand, a drink in the other, laptop to follow my fantasy teams progress at my side and some food nearby.

Oh...and I forgot to mention...someone is coming out on Friday afternoon to fix my problems with my Whole Home DVR service.  A service call usually runs $44.99.  "But mam...do you realize how flawed it is that I have to pay to have one of your employees come out to fix something that I'm not responsible for its technical flaws?"  More typing.  Response: "As a valued customer Mr. Myers, we'd be happy to provide with this service free of charge."  Worst part about all this?  I'll probably call back in a few days and see if I can get them to knock another $5 or $10 off a month somehow.  Why settle right?  Worst they can say is no.

Yep.  Cheryl will be proud when I tell her about this one.

-M.G.M.

T.O.

T.O. signed with the Cincinnati Bengals this week and it seems people have two different views on the signing. On one hand you have people who don't like T.O. the person and as a result, they say they can't figure this signing out at all.

Then you have people like myself that think it's actually a pretty good move if you think the Bengals are trying to make a serious run at a Super Bowl this year. Taking a good look at this offense, there's no way that one can truly say adding T.O. to the mix makes them worse. Imagine the Bengals breaking the huddle with Carson Palmer under center, Cedric Benson in the backfield, Ochocinco and T.O. split out wide, Jordan Shipley (or one of their other receivers) in the slot and Jermaine Gresham at T.E. Who do you cover?

It's become apparent that Antonio Bryant isn't healthy (if he was they wouldn't have a need for T.O. and I'm sure if the Bengals' brass could go back and un-do that signing they would in a heart beat. For whatever reason they haven't given Quan Cosby a true shot at receiver and I kind of see his career somewhat mimicking Wes Welker to a degree in that it may take him getting cut and going to a team that knows how to properly use him prior to him having a true impact in the league from the receiver position.

A lot of people have painted T.O. as a continued distraction but I think they are still having glimpses of T.O. from several years ago. Typically in his first year with a new team he's always a model citizen and realistically, I really have a hard time believing he is such a cancer to a team. Sure we've all seen the blow ups but by and large all he wants to do is win and strongly feels that he can be a big part of a team's success. I'd have to say that in most circumstances, I have to agree with him. T.O. managed to put up decent numbers last year despite the worst QB situation he's been in. Hell, it was the worst team situation he's been in. You didn't hear him causing any ruckus. He just did the best with what he had. From everything I can see he's calmed down a bit and realizes that his career is on the downswing and now he wants a ring.

I think this move obviously helps Carson Palmer and T.O. probably wouldn't be in Cincinnati now had Palmer not vouched for him since their recent work outs together in Los Angeles. T.O. on the other side of the field makes it damn near impossible to double team Ochocinco or shade coverage his direction so his numbers and production should improve as well. Having a tight end that can stretch the seam like Jermaine Gresham will keep any safety honest and all of them combined make it that much more difficult to stuff the box which could bode very well for the running game.

If everything goes according to plan, Cincinnati could make a lot of noise this year. People are quick to forget that Cincinnati swept their division last year. The addition of T.O. can't make them any worse offensively.

Look out NFL fans. The newest reality TV show will be on your screen every Sunday this fall and T.O. is the newest co-star.

-M.G.M.

The Dog Days of Summer

It's been a hot minute since my last blog.  Couldn't really tell you why.  Mainly I've just struggled settling on topics to discuss.  One thing is for sure: my title of this blog is probably an understatement if there ever was one.

This part of summer is rough on a sports fan like myself.  I'm just close enough yet too far away from the college and pro football seasons.  Team USA was knocked out of the World Cup too early for my liking.  The LeBron sweepstakes ended in "dramatic" fashion. Baseball is on - but who really cares about baseball?

Thank GOD that NCAA 2011 came out this past Tuesday.  That should at least give me some hours of mind numbing entertainment on my XBOX 360.  I'm actually now counting down the days to NFL training camps.  I just printed out the 4 week schedule of the NFL preseason and I think I'll probably find a couple preseason games to attend.  I'll DVR the rest and watch them.  Every snap.  I even started to prep for some fantasy football drafts.  I'm THAT bored.  I'm THAT guy.

I'll probably find myself just randomly going to the lake to ride my jetskis with a couple neighbors.  When I say randomly, I mean we might go out there tomorrow at like 5:30pm when I get home and ride for an hour or so.  I wandered around Home Depot yesterday just looking for things I could do around the house.  I ultimately settled on fixing a part of one of our fences at the house.  Oh - and I picked up some ant killer to get rid of some jumbo ant piles in the backyard.  Exhilarating stuff I'm doing here.  I know.

To be honest, I can't say I've had a more boring summer in a good while.  It just seems to keep dragging on and on.  The most interesting thing each day is seeing which washed up free agent is trying to get down to Miami now.

Here's to football getting here.  Fast.  Damn the Dog Days of Summer.

-M.G.M.

G.O.A.T.???

Greatest Of All Time.

G.O.A.T.

It’s often thrown around and to me there is no competition. There is only one G.O.A.T. when it comes to basketball and that is Michael Jordan. MJ.  23.  Whichever you prefer.  We all know (or should know) what he did so for me it’s not really worth even beginning to detail. But then you have the constant debates of who can possibly challenge MJ for the title. Some will say Kobe. I disagree and for the purposes of this entry I’ll stay away from why.

What got me thinking about the title for this entry was a quick comment my boy David made to me via Twitter regarding the rumors of Lebron and Chris Bosh to Miami to join D Wade: “…nothing confirmed...but if it happens...LEBRON can never be considered the best...in my opinion.” I got to thinking about that statement and as big of a Lebron fan as I am, I can’t help but agree. Let me shed some light on that statement: I’m from Austin, TX. The pro team in Austin is the Texas Longhorns so I’ve never had true affiliations. Basically I’ve just always enjoyed good sports and to a further extent, I’m a bigger fan of players than I am teams. So as a result, whenever the Lebron hype started in high school, I started to follow him and have become a big fan.  So back to the topic at hand…  For me, no matter what Lebron were to do going forward it would be hard for me to even consider him as a candidate for the G.O.A.T. title because he’d be going to a team with other superstars for the sole purpose of winning a championship.  Not saying there is anything wrong with wanting to win a championship.  Nothing wrong with that at all.

This is about his legacy more than anything. For me to consider you as the G.O.A.T.-to-be I need to see the ability to bring a team from the ashes and turn them into a champion. A true powerhouse. I always thought Lebron was on the right track in doing that in Cleveland and secretly hoped he’d just stay there and get a piece here and there and develop them into a champ. Instead it seems as if the dollars and the need for a championship right now is driving him. I can’t say I blame him necessarily but I do think it makes his legacy take a hit if he does what most think he'll do.

As a friend pointed out when I raised the “issue” in a recent Facebook status: “If Lebron, Bosh and Wade all end up on the same team, they are only two players short of an Olympic squad.” It seems like it’d just be too easy to go that route. I want the person that is coming for MJ's title to grind it out. Whether that’s fair or not, I can’t say. I’m only speaking from what I personally want to see. I may never see it because these days anyone with enough money and cap space can pretty much go out and buy championships in the NBA. Ask the Lakers and Celtics in recent years.

So if Lebron reads this somewhere (yea right), go for the rings. Go for the money. I don’t blame you. But don’t expect to be considered the G.O.A.T.

Ever.

At least not in my eyes.

-M.G.M.

Game. Blouses.

I gotta be honest. I think today was the first time in a long time I’ve watched an entire soccer game. I watched bits and pieces of USA vs. Slovenia and after I saw us get hosed I was pretty much convinced the fix was in when it comes to World Cup soccer. I couldn’t help but think it was worse than the NBA. At that point I was pretty much done with soccer for the year.
But as Americans, we tend to rally together in spite of adversity and when you throw sports in with some patriotism it creates a beast like no other. So when I saw I could watch USA vs. Algeria today online, the wheels in my brain started turning on my way to work as to how I’d be able to keep up with what was going on.

Somehow my schedule at work turned out perfectly today. I didn’t have any appointments from 10am until 1pm today so I was streaming the game on my computer through ESPN3.com while doing some paperwork in my office. When Clint Dempsey put the ball in the net in the 21st minute against Algeria I wasn’t looking at my computer. I heard the commentators scream goal and instantly I turned to see that once again, we were getting jobbed. The goal was called offside. I couldn’t help but think – “here we go again.”

It probably didn’t help that I just finished watching the best ESPN 30 for 30 to date last night – The Two Escobars – which detailed Colombian soccer and how it was fueled by Pablo Escobar’s drug money. Drug cartel’s would pay off the refs back in those times to try to fix games and I couldn’t help but find myself Googling Algeria and Slovenia to see if there were strong drug presences in either country after that goal was taken from us. If you enjoyed that ESPN 30 for 30 last night you should look into watching the documentaries called Cocaine Cowboys and Cocaine Cowboys 2. Very similar in many regards. Anyways - back to the game.

I was almost ready to shut off the game and go right back to good ole Pandora for the rest of the day. But a sense of pride started to swell up in me. From this moment on I was glued to the screen. I was incensed with a feeling of “us against them” and just found myself literally cheering the USA team on from my office. I think people were initially kind of shocked as they passed by my office at how into it I was. Occasionally they’d ask “what’s going on?” My response? Soccer. USA. This was followed by them rushing to their respective offices and tuning in as well.

As the 90th minute drew closer and closer you could see the USA players ramping up their play and becoming more aggressive. All the while I’m cheering on from my office and posting “USA! USA! USA!” updates on Twitter with my friends. I just kept on getting the feeling that any moment I’d be able to shout for joy. It just felt like they shouldn’t lose. Sure enough, true to American resolve, Landon Donovan came through in the 91st minute. It seemed like everything slowed down for a second and then of course I had to yell and post on Twitter - GGGGGGGGGGOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!! Three of my co-workers came into my office and we quickly watched some of the replays. It was probably one of the cooler sporting moments I’ve experienced without having any true personal affiliation. After the game Donovan said: "We're not done. We believe, man. We're alive, baby." I don’t know if that’s a sign of things to come or what but it just feels like I watched something special take place.

With that being said, let the chants of “USA! USA! USA!” continue. As long as we're still in it I have something to do that will keep me busy until NCAA 2011 drops on XBOX 360. Football season can't get here fast enough but this soccer thing will do for now. For you Chappelle’s Show fans out there the best way I can sum up that finish is the following: Game. Blouses.

-M.G.M.

Somebody Tell Albert Haynesworth, We Want Our Money Back!

Playing devil’s advocate for a second: I understand Albert Haynesworth didn’t come to the Redskins under the same regime that is currently there. They went out and hired Mike Shanahan who has completely shaken things up and determined that he doesn’t want the same defense. So now Haynesworth is unhappy and doesn’t want to be in Washington. He wants to be traded. That part, I understand. Or at least I understand what I think he’s saying. I don’t agree with it but I think I understand. Haynesworth feels that he’s being forced to change positions without his permission. Cool. You don’t like that. More power to you. I’ve even seen some try to defend Haynesworth position by basically saying “he’d do what any of us would do” when negotiating any kind of deal in life.
I can’t say I agree though.

If I was Albert Haynesworth and I truly had ZERO intention of playing for the Washington Redskins again I wouldn’t accept the $21 million bonus he received on April 1st of this year. Let’s say that one more time. Matter of fact - let’s type it out so we common folk can see all the zeroes: $21,000,000. That’s how much money Haynesworth accepted as a roster bonus for being a member of the Washington Redskins. Haynesworth should’ve sat out and probably done the opposite of T.O. when he was protesting the Eagles. Instead of holding court in his driveway and doing pushups and stuff in front of the media, Haynesworth should’ve sat outside the Redskins facilities and invited the media to watch him eat ice cream or whatever kind of food Haynesworth enjoys.

But no. Good ole Al took that money and now he wants to run.  Too bad the Redskins are now coming for that $21 million. . I hope he didn’t spend it all in one place.

I think the true tragedy in all of this is that not only is he letting his teammates down (even though he doesn’t care to be their teammates anymore) but that he’s now creating two problems, one for himself and one for others.

I can’t see how any future teammate can trust him to be there when he’s already received a lucrative deal and bounced. I mean, how are you to rely on this guy when he’s been paid more than anyone else at the position (ever...in life...if I'm not mistaken) but ultimately even THAT was not good enough? Who is even a potential trade partner? I mean, what GM wants to deal with that headache?

Along the same lines, the second problem is that now, it’s going to be tough for a defensive tackle in the future to get similar deals. I follow Darnell Dockett on Twitter and from what I've seen of him in interviews and NFL films behind the scenes stuff, I like him as a player and a person a lot. He seems like a guy that brings his lunch pail to work every day. What I would hate is that when it comes time for his payday, a GM has to think in the back of his mind “well I wonder if Dockett might pull a Haynesworth on me. Better be careful with how much we give him.”

I know it’s not Haynesworth’s job to figure out that kind of stuff. But it is his job to do what he’s paid to do and that’s play the game of FOOTBALL. If he doesn’t agree with what he’s being asked to do then he shouldn’t have taken the money.

So in my best Houston rapper voice (was it Slim Thug or ESG?): “Somebody Tell Albert Haynesworth, We Want Our Money Back!”

-M.G.M.

I Can Talk

No - seriously. I can talk. A lot. Probably - no - DEFINITELY too much at times. I can give an opinion on pretty much anything. That's probably a bad thing in some instances but for the purposes of this blog we'll just disregard that for now. That's the reason that this blog has finally been brought into the world to be honest. Sometimes I talk too damn much. And when I can't talk? I'll type. I Tweet – a lot. I update my Facebook status when I feel the need. Sometimes I just can't find a way to shorten what I want to say. Ever type what you thought was the perfect Twitter or Facebook update only to find out you exceeded the allowable characters? I'm THAT guy.

A friend of mine recently (as in this morning) told me that I could probably choose to argue a side of a story even if I knew it was completely wrong and somehow make people believe something about it is right. I realized I guess that's kind of true. Sometimes I argue things just for the sake of arguing them. Sometimes I really believe in what I'm arguing. Sometimes I just want to see if I can form an opinion that will get people riled up and in the process try to defend it. My blog will probably be a combination of all of these.

If you manage to stick around and read it on even a semi-consistent basis, please don't take me too seriously. Despite how it may seem, I don't even always take myself as seriously as I may come off. I'm a bit of a smart ass. Blame Andrew Kelson, Chris Ogbonnaya, Robert Killebrew and my other college teammates that sat at our Friday night and Saturday pre-game meal table. Hell, blame my whole team in general. If you didn't have thick skin or a quick one liner to fire back, you probably didn't make it long on our teams – especially if you happened to have a locker in the Suburbs (I'll explain in another blog one day).

The one thing I'm probably most "serious" about is my love of sports. They've always been a huge part of my life and I still marvel at what sports have done for me over the years. I formed great friendships, visited the White House, met the President, traveled to foreign countries, met influential people in the business world and even had my undergraduate education paid for - all because of sports.

Somehow everything always comes back to sports for me so that'll probably be what most of my blog entries are about – something sports related. Then again, I'm a pretty big nerd too. I like the latest and greatest electronics. I like to read. I even still play video games. But eventually I need to find a way to parlay all this sports mumbo jumbo into some cash because this 9-5 thing (really 6:30-6 - I consider when I wake up and get home as the start and end of my work days) is for the birds. So if any of you reading this feels like paying a brotha (or knows someone who might want to) at some point feel free to let me know. No - seriously. I won't be mad at you if you do.

Lots of people have opinions on what I should be doing. Some say I should be a lawyer. My brother was once convinced I should be an agent. Most close to me agree that I should, at the very least, do a blog. I finally gave in. My opinions will probably piss you off at times. I confess – I probably don't care. They're MY opinions. If you can't tell already I went to THE University of Texas. That alone will probably piss some of you off. Some thoughts will probably make you laugh because most of the time I'm just too stupid to get out of my own way and as a result, it might produce a funny here or there. It's all a work in progress so we'll see how it goes. So yeah - this should be interesting. Enjoy my Pointless Direction.

-M.G.M.