Go Get Em: October 2010

10/25/10

WHO INSPIRES ME

I've said it before but I can't say enough about Sarah Kustok. She's the mini mayor of Chicago. Everyone loves her. There is literally NOTHING wrong with her. I think one of the first times I truly began to think about being a sports reporter was when I saw her interview after a game.

I just got home from school for the summer.My dad sent me and my little brother to a Blackhawks game. I don't think he and I said a word to one another 2 of the 3 periods

(I try but he gets way too into it.)

Little bit of a recap of the game. It was the Western Conference Finals. Hawks were playing the sharks for a 3-0 lead in the best of a 7 game series.

The mini-melt:

2nd period:

Sharks ahead 1-0 early in the second period with a 5-on-3 goal, but Patrick Sharp got in there and put one up for the Hawks

3rd Period:

Dave Bolland put one in... putting the Blackhawks ahead 2-1.

But the Sharks came back and put one in again tying the game at 2-2!!

This is about the time when every fan was sitting on the edge of the seat...sweaty...and gripping anything they were holding. My heart was pounding, I could feel my pulse in my finger tips I had such a tight fist. Meanwhile my brother was digging his nails into my arm.

Lovely.

::OVERTIME::

12 min into overtime and Dustin Byfuglien scored at 12:24 of overtime Friday night to give the Hawks a 3-2 victory

::And this is when it happened::

I remember sitting there and wondering how exactly would that feel to be them in that moment. I literally remembering thinking in the mist of everything that was going on..wishing to know what that would feel like. And then this happened.

Kustok captured exactly what I think everyone watching wanted to know. The

amount of energy in that room could have jump-started the Titanic in the bottom of the Ocean. You could tell she had a game plan before even talking to him. However she recognized that moment offered 1000 opportunities more than something preplanned. By asking "Describe this moment" She captured the fleeting second. she's an amazing reporter because she went off her gut and recognized the adrenaline both on the ice and in that packed arena. She changed how I view sports. People want to be involved right along with the athlete. They want to know what's going on in their head. I can't just watch sports as an outsider anymore. Kustok is someone I hope to be half as good as. That moment is one of the many that ignited me... not just because I was at that game, but because she introduced me to a whole new one.

10/24/10

"UNTIL YOU FIND PEACE WITHIN YOURSELF, YOU WILL NEVER BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YA HAVE."

"I'm afraid of:: not having enough time. Not enough time to understand people, how they really are, or to be understood myself. I'm afraid of quick judgments and mistakes that everybody makes. You can't fix them without time. I'm afraid of seeing snapshots instead of movies."

It’s not the fear of growing up or aging or having to make big decisions that affect other people. I’m afraid of forgetting all the little feelings and moments that you feel right now. I am afraid of letting moments pass by without recognizing them. A bucket list of all your hopes or dreams or things that give you a rush can breathe life back into you that you didn’t even know you could feel.

My friends and I put together a list of things we all want to do before we leave one another...Some are for our own individual needs but most are for the thrill of this short and speedy life. This list wasn’t made in fear that we were going to die soon but because we wanted to make sure we were truly living. Some on the list are:

1) Say yes to something completely unexpected.

2) Every day laugh so hard you cry.

3) Learn something new about yourself and don’t be afraid.

4) Do something nice for a complete stranger.

5) Get in the car and go somewhere with no exact destination in mind. Pack a small bag and money for food.

6) Change someone’s opinion about you from negative to positive.

7) Amaze someone unexpected or amaze someone who doesn’t seem to ever be amazed.

8) Tell someone exactly how you feel and have no regrets.

This list isn’t about traveling to some distant far away country, climbing some impossible mountain or asking out the love of your life. It’s about being the love of your own life. This list is more about doing things you might not otherwise ever do if you didn’t challenge yourself to step out of your safety zone, to make yourself comfortable with the uncomfortable and to be able to find yourself in that process.

The list is more about becoming the person you hope to be. It’s not about taking chances but about making your life filled with things that make you happy--and maybe making someone else happy along the way.

It’s about at the end of the day, the year, your life, you can look back and be proud of what seemed to be little accomplishments that may have changed your life or someone else’s in the process. Some day when I have a flashback of my whole life, I somehow don’t think it’s going to be about the major events. I think it’s going to be about those little things that, at the time, don’t have any significance but are really the things that make you or someone you knew a better or happier person.

“You measure yourself by the people who measure themselves by you”.

"The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it." ~W. M. Lewis

10/13/10

HEEBY JEEBIES

Too good.

10/10/10

TRAVELING

So much traveling lately... Some saving tunes.

Clarity-John Mayer
Sweet Disposition-The Temper Trapt
Follow Through- Gavin Degraw
Good Life- One Republic

10/6/10

COUNTRY KID

James Vandenberg....A country kid from Iowa has made the small town of Keokuk a little more well known. The 6'3 "inch" rocket arm has been the talk of a few more slightly bigger towns. Perhaps Iowa City?

He's the runner up behind QB Ricky Stanzi for the University of Iowa.

Stanzi injured his ankle playing Northwestern in 2009. Vandenberg made his debut against OSU and since the moment he took the field he has awed watchers and fans.

Reports such as Bleacherreport.com says, "Vandenberg has the potential and skills needed to lead this offense—he was the best high school quarterback in Iowa's history."

Vandenberg holds Iowa high school records in 12 categories, among them passing yards (7,709), touchdown passes (93), single-season passing yards (3,729 as a senior) and single-season touchdown passes (49 as a senior).
As if Iowa records weren't enough, Vandenberg sits sixth all-time nationally in single-season completion percentage (70 percent) and tenth nationally for career completion percentage.

But, the best thing about this 212 lb kid is he is truly is one heck of a good human. He's never one to brag or talk about all his awards and accomplishments. You would never know how great he is at the game by talking to him. He's a family man, the oldest of five siblings: Olivia, Elliot, Gabe, and Isabel. They grew up on dirt roads, trees for miles, and a huge yard every fairytale childhood book writes about.

His tiny town splashes "VANDENBERG COUNTRY" on every shiny glass window that lines the main street. He's a town celeb. And you would never know it.

He's special.

His career started in 2008 when he was a redshirt Freshman.

But

According to Hawkeyesreport.com, "2009 - - Saw action in four games, completing 42-87 attempts for 470 yards, with two touchdowns and five interceptions . . .

saw first career action in 35-3 win at Iowa State as offense gained 426 yards total offense . . . completed 2-3 passes for 38 yards at ISU . . .

saw action in 17-10 loss to Northwestern . . . completed 9-27 passes for 82 yards, with one interception, and also had two rushing yards . . .

started at quarterback in 27-24 overtime loss at Ohio State . . . completed 20-33 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns at OSU, with three interceptions . . . had nine-yard scoring pass to tie game in third period and 10-yard scoring strike to tie the game with 2:42 remaining . . . completed first seven pass attempts of the game in leading Iowa to 3-0 first period advantage . . .."