Benson Henderson - UFC - Walkout Song on 4/20/13

Tonight Benson Henderson walked out to R-Swift's adaptation of Rich Mullins' Awesome God.



Bendo was rocking it and singing to it as he walked out.  Love it!

MN Vikings - Exceeding expectations?

I'm a fan of the NFL.  Specifically of the Minnesota Vikings.  Having grown up in South Dakota, and now living in Minnesota, it came by proximity if nothing else.  My favorite NFL team for many years was the Detroit Lions due to my fandom of Barry Sanders.  Those years of many disappointing teams prepared me well to become a Vikings fan.  Disappointment is familiar to both organizations.

In August during the NFL training camps, I sat down and looked at the Vikings 2012-13 schedule to project out my own expectations of this team.  Down the list I went, adding up wins and losses.  Considering which teams projected to be good, where we might eek out a road win, and whether any of our divisional foes were vulnerable.  I even tried to factor in that Percy Harvin might have migraine issues again.

When I tallied it all up, gave weight to a still developing quarterback and Adrian Peterson coming off a major ACL/knee injury, considered that the defense was looking vulnerable at the end of last season, I came to the conclusion that the Vikings would finish 6-10.  And I was happy with that record.  I thought it was progress for this team, and it would be a platform from which to build upon.

Then we got into the season this year, and Adrian Peterson proved yet again he is a superior physical specimen.  Ponder's first game of the year he went 20 for 27 and 270 yards to 7 different receivers.  Percy Harvin showed he cold be a change of pace from the backfield and a dangerous threat even on a bubble screen.  Three games into the season we shocked the San Francisco 49'ers which further raised expectations - not a win that I foresaw (though I also expected to beat the Colts in week 2).

It could have been easy at that point to get really excited.  To adjust up my expectations.  But I resisted.  Barely.

From there it has been up and down, especially for Christian Ponder.  Ponder has had 3 games where he failed to reach triple digits in yards passed.  5 games with less than 120 yards passing (3 of which have come since Percy Harvin was injured).

The defense has been frustrating. I went to the Tampa Bay game in the Metrodome, and it was nothing but frustration as Doug Martin was a one man wrecking crew.  Didn't help that punter Chris Kluwe stunk the place up that night as well.  But they have struggled to get pressure on the QB like they have in the past few years.  Jared Allen is dinged up (shoulder) but it is more than that.  To the credit of the DB's though, I think they have improved significantly with Harrison Smith being a very big key to that improvement. 

My other observation from the Bucs game was that Ponder has zero time to throw the ball.  He was is self preservation mode all night, and by the end of the game looked a little shell shocked.  While some of the issues this season have been him being inaccurate, I think an equal part has been spotty protection and receivers (outside of Harvin) who just aren't top shelf material, or at least they haven't shown it yet.

So as of today, the Vikings are in the playoffs hunt sitting at 7-6 on the heels of a HUGE win over the Chicago Bears last Sunday.  The Vikings have been good at home and not so much on the road, and they travel to a beatable St. Louis Rams team this weekend.  The Rams have been playing well of late, so it'll be interesting to see how it goes.  It is an indoor stadium which tends to help the Vikings somewhat, though the advantage is probably neutralized since the Rams are accustomed to it as well.  I'm going to pencil in a narrow win by the Vikings, bringing us to an astonishing 8-6 which will further raise the bar for many people's expectations.

The following week brings the Houston Texans - in Houston.  While I think the Texans may limit the number of snaps for some of their key players, I still think they play hard enough and long enough to defend their home field.  Vikings drop to 8-7.

The final game is the much hated Green Bay Packers in the Dome.  This far out it is difficult to say if Green Bay will have anything to be playing for in this game.  I imagine they'll rest their key players some, and possible quite a bit if the game doesn't matter to their positioning in the playoffs.  The Vikings have a shot at winning this game, probably moreso than the Houston game.  I'd still put it at 50/50 at best, but for the time being I'm putting it down as a win with how well the Vikings played the Packers at Green Bay two weeks ago.

That would put the Vikings at 9-7.  Had you suggested that when I predicted 6-10 at the beginning of the season, I'd probably have laughed at you.  And while it may be 8-8, or even 7-9 when the season closes, I can't help but remark that the Vikings have exceeded my expectations for this season.  Sure I've been frustrated with Ponder, pondering whether he's the QB of the future.  But at the close of the season, I know I'll look back and think that there was little to be disappointed in overall.  Sure I'd like a different coaching style.  Sure there were games I'd rather not have a QB in the game and just direct snap to Adrian Peterson 50 times.  But really, they've done well in my book.  Everything from here on is gravy in my opinion.

Jeremy Lin giving his testimony of faith

Jeremy Lin of the NBA's New York Knicks giving his testimony at his home church in California.

Jimmy Fallon does Jeremy Lin parody to Pearl Jam's Jeremy

This is Jimmy Fallon at his very best in my opinion. I'm fairly indifferent to Fallon usually, but love Pearl Jam, and this mashup for Jeremy Lin of the NBA's New York Knicks is exceptionally well done!

NBA player Jeremy Lin is a Christian

While he might not (yet) be getting quite the attention that Tim Tebow did this past NFL season, NBA player Jeremy Lin is very open about his faith in Jesus Christ.  Patheos has a two part interview they did with him two years ago while he was still playing for Harvard.  Part 1 and Part 2.  It is fun to see Lin get the spotlight while leading the New York Knicks these past few games.

More on Tim Tebow's Faith

The following comes from Pastors.com.

Tim Tebow starts for the Denver Broncos today. Here’s some insight into his Christian beliefs (from July 7, 2010).

CUMMING, Ga. (BP)--With dozens of kids toting Florida Gator signable footballs or miniature orange football helmets, or decked out in blue jerseys with "15" on the back -- and grown-ups wearing their game-day Gator shirts -- it could have been October in Gainesville, Fla.   

Instead, the site was First Redeemer Church, a sprawling, 4,000-member SBC church in Cumming, Ga., right in the middle of Georgia Bulldog and Georgia Tech country. The draw was Tim Tebow.

The 6-foot-3, 250-pound former University of Florida Gator, Heisman Trophy winner and new Denver Bronco quarterback spoke to 4,800 in two packed worship services and at a breakfast on Sunday, July 4 [2010] as part of the church's annual "God and Country Day."

Tebow, who turns 23 in August [2010], was nattily dressed in a pink tie and gray pin-striped suit that failed to hide the bulging left arm that helped lead Florida to two national championships and two SEC championships. But Tebow, a member of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., didn't come to talk about football.

"I was recently doing an interview with a nationally known sports reporter," Tebow said. "She said, 'Now that you've graduated from college, are going to the NFL, will make a lot of money, everybody will know your name and want your autograph ... because of all that, do you count your life as a success?'  

"I told her, yes, I count my life as successful," Tebow said. "But not because I'm famous or won two national championships or the Heisman or going to the NFL, it's because I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ."

Bethel Fantasy Football Team

The last few years I've been part of a Fantasy Football League made up of various Bethel Seminary professors and alumni.  Our draft was tonight and since my 2 year average was pretty strong it meant I got slotted to draft #11 in a 12-team league.  We're a 1 QB 2RB 2 WR 1 TE 1 D/ST 1 K 1 Flex league, having only added the flex this season.  Flex = either RB or WR

I drafted:
Aaron Rogers - QB
Rashard Mendenhall - RB
Javid Best - RB
Austin Collie - WR (flex)
Miles Austin - WR
Jeremy Maclin - WR
Jason Witten - TE
Packers - D/ST
Alex Henery - K

Bench:
Brandon Jacobs - RB
Donovan McNabb - QB
Robert Meachem - WR
Michael Bush - RB
Lions - D/ST
Davone Bess - WR
Tashard Choice - RB

I debated with my final pick on whether to take Choice or another TE.  None of the TE's looked that appealing, so I went with an extra RB & will have to scramble on Jason Witten's bye-week.

Interestingly - all but 2 of my starters are NFC players, and all but 2 of my bench are NFC players.  I'm pretty heavily weighted in the NFC North and East with Rogers, Best, Packer's D, McNabb & Lion's D from the North and from the East I have Austin, Maclin, Witten, Henery, Jacobs, and Choice.

I can envision a week where all my starters outside of my K & TE are injured, but if they all stay healthy I think that is a pretty strong team.

Loser Super Bowl Gear Donated

The National Football League is continuing it's more than 15-year partnership with World Vision to donate the multimillion dollar merchandise from the Super Bowl's losing team's pre-printed championship clothing to Zambia, Armenia, Nicaragua and Romania. According to the NFL Director of Community Affairs, for a lot of the recipients, this would be their first time having brand new clothing. Other philanthropic organizations that donate the losing team's apparel are Reebok, Sports Authority, Dick's and Modell's. [ChristianPost.com]

Football and Faith

(for the record, we're having church on Super Bowl Sunday!)

Every year, in the midst of the hype surrounding the Super Bowl, churches and Christian organizations attempt to remind us that, while sports can be a great diversion, there are other things in life that have lifelong and even eternal impact.

While there are a number of Christian players or coaches on both teams that will be competing on Sunday, there are some who stand out because of either their character and testimony or the causes they choose to support. For example:

• Green Bay Packers starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has been nicknamed "Leader of the Pack" by the media, told Baptist Press on Tuesday at Super Bowl XLV Media Day that he only wants to be a leader of God's pack as it relates to influencing others for Christ. "We all have a platform, we all have a message in our lives. I just try to follow Jesus' example, leading by example," said Rodgers.
• Packers' kicker Mason Crosby understands that big games are often decided by a last-second touchdown or field goal. "I think He [Christ] helps me knowing that kicking is what I do, not who I am. It's not everything that I am. I can escape [the pressure] knowing that my relationship with Christ is what carries me," said Crosby.
• Pittsburgh Steelers team chaplain, Kevin Jordon, who was formerly an assistant to coach Tony Dungy and is associated with Athletes in Action, says he greatly appreciates the support and access given to him by head coach Mike Tomlin. According to Baptist Press, Jordon says he plans to continue his regular schedule of players' and coaches' meetings, Bible study and team chapel while in Dallas.
• Steelers coach, Mike Tomlin, the youngest coach ever to coach in and win the Super Bowl, spoke of being "blessed" and "humbled" by his success. When asked about his Christian faith he said, "It provides a confidence, not only for me but for everyone who is a believer. Football is what we do; it's not who we are. It is our job, it is our business. We all are very passionate about it, but [faith] keeps it in perspective."
• Many churches, such as First Baptist Church in Dallas, plan to cancel their regular Sunday night services to host Super Bowl parties which will include a Christian-oriented halftime video. "We are not capitulating, but capitalizing on the Super Bowl," said Pastor Robert Jeffress. [Baptist Press, Christian Post]

Super Bowl Allowed at Churches

In a Feb. 29, 2008 letter, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that the League would not object to live showings of the Super Bowl by religious organizations, regardless of screen size, as long as the viewings are free and are on premises that the church uses on a routine and customary basis. They may take up a donation to help with the cost of the event, if desired. To avoid any copyright infringements, churches may want to call their event a "Big Game Party" rather than "Super Bowl Party." For more information, go to www.rutherford.org/articles_db/press_release.asp?article_id=747. [Rutherford Institute]

Minnesota Vikings - 98.5 KTIS Day Sept. 21

Not that I want to encourage anyone to miss our wonderful church service - but if you have to, this might be an acceptable absence.

Celebrate Faith and Family with
98.5 KTIS and the Minnesota Vikings!

And this Minnesota Vikings home game will be a bit different.

Join 98.5 KTIS for Faith and Family Day with the Minnesota Vikings! You'll see the Vikings battle the Carolina Panthers Sunday, September 21 at Noon at the Metrodome. After the game you'll be able to hear defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and defensive line coach Karl Dunbar share their testimonies on the difference God has made in their lives.

Ticket Info:

$48 ticket discounted to $43 (High Upper Level Corner/Endzone)

$60 ticket discounted to $55 (Upper Level Corner/Endzone)

To Order:
Download and fill out this form (pdf)

Mail to 500 11th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55415

or Fax to 612-333-0458

For questions, please contact Travis Hamre, Vikings Account Executive at 952-918-8409

Technorati Tags:
98.5 KTIS, KTIS, Minnesota Vikings, Vikings, NFL, Carolina Panthers, Panthers, Metrodome, Family Day, Leslie Frazier, Defensive Coordinator, Defensive Line Coach, Karl Dunbar, God, Testimony, Travis Hamre, Vikings Account Executive

Super Bowl 2008

I'll go on record to say I'm cheering for the New York Giants. I think the final score will be 34-17 with New England winning. Hopefully I'm wrong. Michael Strahan is one of my all time favorite football players, and I'm not a fan of Spygate.

Here's to some good commercials!

Technorati Tags: Superbowl, Super Bowl, New York Giants, Giants, Football, NFL, NFL Playoffs, National Football League, New England, New England Patriots, Patriots, Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Spygate, Michael Strahan, National Anthem, Superbowl Commercials, Touchdown

Weightlifting and Cardio...

On Halloween day, my wife and I joined Life Time Fitness. I have been diligently working out 5 days a week since that point. I have focused on cardio, doing 30-60 minutes a day of recumbent bike and elliptical. I often warm up and cool down on a treadmill as well. Tonight I did 30 minutes of recumbent and 12 minutes on the elliptical, and then hit the weight room. I have been lifting fairly light weights the past few weeks working on form. Tonight I moved on to some heavier weights (nothing really heavy honestly, just in comparison) and I felt amazingly strong.

When I last lifted with regularity, I had maxed my bench press working weights at 395lbs (I hadn't maxed yet on that program, but I know I could bench 435 naturally for sure). That was November 2002. Since then I have gotten weak and flabby while strengthening my mind in Seminary. Tonight I did reps with 185 - 3X10. It will be interesting to see over the next few weeks how my body responds to lifting. I am naturally inclined to moving heavy things. I'm a big guy by any measurement. Additionally, I actually enjoy lifting heavy things. So we'll see how things go. I know my testosterone levels are lower than they were 5 years ago (part of the aging process) though I suspect they are still high enough to get good gains. The thing that different for me now is that I'm doing cardio like never before. Cardio was a swear word in my mind. I would play basketball or something, but never intentionally work my conditioning.

So from time to time I might post on how I am doing. We'll see what kind of body transformation I can enact. I will say I am already feeling a lot better. I can go longer and harder during my cardio sessions. I am sleeping better. I feel like I have more energy at the end of the day than before. So far so good!

Technorati Tags: Weights, Weightlifting, Weight Lifting, Weight Loss, Cardio, recumbent bike, Elliptical Machine, Bench Press, Strength training, Life Time Fitness, Lifetime Fitness

Minnesota Vikings vs. San Diego Chargers

Earlier this week I had a co-worker offer me two tickets to today's football game between the Vikings and Chargers. He was asking roughly 1/3 of face valued, and after a quick consultation with my wife I made the purchase. Oh how happy I am of that purchase!

Today we saw Adrian Peterson singlehandedly DESTROY the Chargers. Peterson rushed for an NFL single game record of 296 yards on 30 carries. He had 3 touchdowns along the way as well. Perhaps most amazing is the fact Peterson gained 253 of those yards in the 2nd half!

We also saw the longest return in NFL history to close the first half. Ryan Longwell came up short on a 57 yard field goal attempt, and Antonio Cromartie grabbed the ball just inches from the end zone line. Cromartie proceeded the length of the field, untouched, to score a touchdown. A big swing in the score, and a big swing in apparent momentum going into half time.

The crowd was less than inspiring the first half of the game, but by the end of the game it was fan fueled frenzy!


Technorati Tags: Vikings, Chargers, Minnesota, Minnesota Vikings, San Diego, San Diego Chargers, Adrian Peterson, NFL, Football, National Football League, Ryan Longwell, Antonio Cromartie, Touchdown, NFL Record, Rushing Record, Single Game Rushing Record, Metrodome, Vikings Fans

Vacation!

Colorado is the place to be! Craig Groeschel and his family just got back from vacation there, and my wife and I are heading there for the next week. That means this blog will be even more silent than it normally is, and it also means that you should check out what Craig will be writing about in the coming week. Groeschel will be responding to questions about preaching, and I am sure it will be very interesting.

We'll be visiting family, touring SE Utah and SW Colorado (Arches, possibly Mesa Verde, and Moab). We'll also be taking in a Rockies game late next week against Tampa Bay. I absolutely love Coors Field. The view of the mountains as the sun sets behind them during the game is spectacular.

While on vacation (and I suspect primarily while flying) I hope to read through a good deal of Mark Batterson's book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars. I have already read the first couple of chapters and look forward to the rest of the book. I will also be bringing with me Mark Driscoll's book The Radical Reformission: Reaching Out without Selling Out which I have had for some time, but with school and life haven't gotten around to reading.


Related Tags: Vacation, Colorado, Utah, Arches National Park, National Park, National Monument, Mesa Verde, Moab, Grand Junction, Rockies, MLB, Baseball, Coors Field, Craig Groeschel, Mark Driscoll, Mark Batterson, Devil Rays, Tampa Bay, Radical Reformission, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Sunset

Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith - Christian Coaches leading the way

"I'm proud to be the first African-American coach to win this," said Dungy during the trophy ceremony Sunday night, according to the Associated Press. "But again, more than anything, Lovie Smith and I are not only African-American but also Christian coaches, showing you can do it the Lord's way. We're more proud of that."

(for the full Christian Post article click here)

Tony Dungy is a member of Northside New Era Baptist Church. NNE seems to have a solid Evangelical basis from what I can gather from their website.

I'll admit that I thought the Colts would win, but that I was cheering for the Bears. I didn't think the bears were playing well enough on offense to overcome the new found defense for the Colts. When the Bears ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown I had a moment of hope, but Peyton Manning and the Colts offense systematically crushed those hopes for most of the rest of the game. Rex Grossman didn't help much either.

I was asked by my pastor (Phil Print) about how I choose who to cheer for in the game. When I told him I have a system to determine who to cheer for, he looked at me like I was a bit strange, so I explained.

I am a Lions fan first. Yes, it's hard to admit that. The Lions are TERRIBLE. I became a Lions fan when they drafted Barry Sanders, and it has been tough to watch them since his retirement.
The Vikings by proxy are my second team. I live in St. Paul, so it's hard to not be somewhat influence by them with every game of theirs on local TV.

From there I cheer for any team in the old NFC Central over any other team. So I'll cheer for the Bears, Packers, Bucks over other teams. I prefer NFC teams over AFC teams with the exception of the Miami Dolphins (influenced by my uncle Bob) and the San Diego Chargers.

I use a similar system for the NBA and MLB.

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