With only a few weeks left in 2006 I took some time to reflect on the past 11 months and have decided to name it the best year ever to be a stay-at-home-dad. Of course I speak from a sports fan point-of-view. (If you are not a sports fan that's fine. I don't know what you do with yourselves but God bless you.) When you are a SAHD, as with any stay-home parent, the days can be long. There are days where you simply work to get to the first nap. It's a sad, honest truth. No matter how ideal a parent you are, boredom can set in.
So for 2006 my first full year as a SAHD I was saved. Saved by sports. Sports beyond my imagination. Sports I would be home to experience. Sweet. Now before you think that this means I was not raising my son, I simply mention that my sanity was maintained by the immense amount of sports available to me between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (Central Standard/Daylight Time).
Let's recap the best sports year ever...for the stay-at-home sports fan:
February 2006 - My son turns one as I get to watch the XX Winter Olympiad. Now I am a big fan of the Olympics to start and prefer Winter to Summer so this could not have had a more auspicious beginning. Curling? Live? Yes, sir. Hockey? Live? Oh yeah. Olympic coverage as Andrew and I build and knock down block towers over and over? Amen, brother! Who cares if I heard results from evening events? I saw live Olympic events. What a great 16 days.
March 2006 -- Two words. March Madness. No worries about hiding games on my computer screen from that annoyingly pesky boss (or snitchy co-worker). First two rounds of the NCAA tournament all day. Now of course would have loved if I could have watched rather than listened to coverage but I don't want to become a whiner...half a loaf and all.
World Baseball Classic is born. Games stream through XM radio. Dad is pleased.
April 2006 -- Baseball season begins. As my favorite sport it was wonderful to welcome the National Pastime back. (Commercial interruption. Satellite radio is actually the biggest assist I received in at-home parenting. Not just for sports XM Kids, Bob Dylan Show, old America's Top 40...simply awesome.) Now back to our show....baseball season guaranteed me afternoon baseball usually twice a week, Wednesdays and Thursdays. And when the Cubs were home another 2-3 days of listening to Ron Santo explain the finer intricacies of the game. Five months of afternoon sport options. Does it get any better than this?
June 2006 - Yes, yes it does. Two words for the stay-at-home sports fan: World Cup. It was awesome. Games beginning at 8:00 a.m. and lasting until 6:00 p.m. the event that captures the attention of the entire planet. Add a bit of fantasy World Cup play and the next thing you know you are completely addicted to football. Only four years until South Africa.
From July - October 2006 I could check on the British Open and Ryder Cup in golf. Other soccer matches as the regular league seasons continued, ended, and re-opened. Pennant races in baseball. Just a nice way to finish up.
Eight months of daylight sporting events. Who could imagine? Four more years until anything equals it. So thank you 2006. Thank you for your international flavor, your athletic excellence, your 96-loss-but-day-game-playing-Cubs, it was greatly appreciated.
Oh in case you care, during that time my son learned to walk, speak, play air guitar, identify the color blue, and walk the dog. So we both had a good year
Pardon the Interruption!
Josh,
I enjoyed your post on sports. I'd like to add two important sports moments for me in 2006.
The 1st is the Cardinals almost tanking in the regular season and then winning the World Series. I enjoyed a few division series games during the day.
The 2nd is the show "Pardon the Interruption." This is the one show that I watch during the day, and it provides me with a short break before I start dinner. I think you're a fan and a regular viewer as well. My daughter refers to it as "Daddy's show." When she occasionally objects to the show being on (instead of Sesame Street), I have her search for the Elmo in the background. It is on at 4:30 central on ESPN. Even if you're not a sports fan, I'll think you'll enjoy these two talking heads banter about sports, pop culture, media and, of course, women half their age. Catch it if you can. If you have Tivo or record on a VCR, you can watch it in about 20 minutes.
I never had time to do any fantasy sports before this year. I definitely enjoyed the World Cup fantasy and the NFL football is fun as well. See you on the fantasy field this Sunday!
Jim
PTI
Ah yes, PTI. A huge help in the later afternoon. I definitely should have included that. And the Elmo tip is fabulous.
Of course the Cardinals win should be a highlight - unfortunately it did not make the list for MLB's classic failure to broadcast any Series games during daylight - oh how I wish they would.
Thanks for the comments. And, btw, McGwire, in or out of the HOF?
Josh
SAHD Since August 2005
Cards fan?
JimD, Are you close to St. Louis?
Used to be in STL. . .
KevH,
I used to live in STL. I grew up there and I've lived there on and off throughout my adult years. Now I'm in Chicago where Cub fans try to convert me on a daily basis. Are you in St. Louis?
Josh,
I do think McGuire should go to the HOF, although I think the voters should make him sweat it out for a year or two.
Jim
You're kind
word on the street is he may never make the Hall. If he doesn't get in by the writers apparently the current HOFers dont want him anywhere near them...
Btw, stay strong in your Cardinals loyalties. Audrey and I jumped on the Cubs simply because we have AL teams (Red Sox/Yankees, respectively). But why do your friends even THINK that you would bail on the historic (and winning) tradition of the Cards for century long futility highlighted by the residents of Wrigley Field?
Josh
SAHD Since August 2005
Steroid cheaters
Given the current class of HOFers this year, McGwire probably couldn't get in on the first ballot regardless of the "I don't want to talk about the past" flak.
Here are two things surrounding this that are more interesting.
1. Pete Rose. All time hits leader. NEVER proven to have betted on baseball while playing. He should be in the HOF.
2. Barry Bonds. Will be career home run leader. Admitted to taking a "clear substance" but didn't know it was steriods. In other words, he took steriods. He will get in the HOF. He shouldn't.
Baseball is screwed up...that's why I like the BCS =)
Convert you daily? Jim!
I have never tried that! I respect your red-birdness! You know that!
C'mon you gotta give some of us Cub fans some respect! Sheesh!
: )
Big Mac & Shawne Merriman
Well, Josh, you were right. Big Mac was sent a big message this week. He better hire a good PR person and start talking soon.
Congrats to Ripken and Gwynn, two deserving HOFers.
On the topic of steriods, I'm disgusted with the NFL and SD Chargers' Shawne Merriman making the Probowl team. In case you haven't heard, he tested positive for steriods DURING THE SEASON and was suspended for four games. There ought to be some sort of rule that you can't get postseason awards after a positive test result.
Jim
Big Mac Attacked
Wasn't hoping to be right but wow he was hammered....who knew?
I don't know how I would have voted. Apparently four eventually HOFers came back and were elected with percentages as low or lower than McGwire (Duke Snider, Luis Aparicio, Billy Williams and Don Drysdale) so it's not completely hopeless.
What I'm still trying to figure out is how Tony Gwynn had 5 less votes than Ripken. What the heck were those five writers thinking? You don't want to make anyone unanimous, fine, but Gwynn and Ripken should be equal at least....craziness.
Josh
SAHD Since August 2005
Juiced Player era
This is what the age of the home run is coming to be known as.
The Hall of Fame voters need to decide what to do about the steroid issue. With many players admitting using, many denying it, and most just shutting up, there is no way to prove which superstars did or did not use steroids. I do not think it is right to keep out players just because of steroid suspicion. Other stars might have just been really smart about their PED use and never been suspected.
I say if the numbers put them in, put them in!
Pete Rose?
So what about Pete Rose then?
Never proven to have betted on baseball. Never betted on baseball while he PLAYED. Holds the hits record and isn't in the hall due to suspicions just like Big Mac. Put Rose in, put Bonds in, put 'em ALL in. The hall's already full of plenty of cheaters anyway.
Rose
OK Rose admitted to betting on baseball in his book....here's a reference from Wikipedia:
Coming clean
In his autobiography My Prison Without Bars, published by Rodale Press on January 8, 2004, Rose finally admitted publicly to betting on baseball games and other sports while playing for and managing the Reds. He also admitted to betting on Reds games, but said that he never bet against the Reds. He repeated his admissions in an interview on the ABC news program Primetime Thursday. He also said in the book that he hoped his admissions would help end his ban from baseball so that he could reapply for reinstatement. The criticism of Rose did not diminish after this admission—even some Rose supporters were outraged that Rose would suddenly reverse fifteen years of denials as part of a book publicity tour.
So Rose stays out...not an intelligent man...but a heckuva ballplayer....
Josh
SAHD Since August 2005
Vote YES on Rose?
Personally, I think that as long as he never threw a game he should be in. When that book came out, a lot of guys went on the talk shows with anecdotes about Rose betting. Sometimes he'd use a clubhouse phone. All just talk, but why would they be making this stuff up. Anyone who saw this guy play knows he never, ever, played to do anything but win.
I think the main difference between rose and the juicers is that baseball has had a longstanding 'line in the sand' regarding gambling. There is no right way for baseball people to bet on their sport. It gives the impression that games might not be on the up-and-up.
Greenies, anyone?
Well it very much depends on
Well it very much depends on the team you are supporting. Even the best sports year ever has winners and losers, I guess it's all about the point of view. You are right, we had some great events to watch but I am still waiting for my best sports year to show up.
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