Friday Five

Here are five things that I'm loving in 2011:

Bosu Ball This is one of my favorite pieces of equipment to use at the gym. You can use it to practice your balance, do planks and push-ups with it. My favorite use for it is balancing on it while tossing a medicine ball to a friend. Some day I will own one of these. Oh yes, it will be mine.


The Hunger Games
I got this book for Christmas and once I started reading it finished it in under a week. It's aimed at young adults and reminded me a lot of The Giver and The Lord of the Flies.


Rooibos Tea
I first tried Vanilla Rooibos during college and loved it. Recently I've been drinking plain Rooibos, which is grown in South Africa. It's got a warm, rich and a little bit sweet flavor. It's great for people who almost like Chai.

Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths Shampoo & ConditionerThis shampoo is designed for long hair but is also an effort to promote the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program, which is a program that encourages the growth and donation of hair to make wigs for cancer patients. You can read about their program here. Their requirement for length for donation is 8 inches, which is shorter by a couple of inches than many comparable donation programs.


Snowshoeing

This is one of my favorite ways to get out in the winter and get some exercise. It's much cheaper than downhill skiing (especially if you invest in some snowshoes) and is a great way to spend a day. Pack a lunch and a map and enjoy scenery like this.

Mighty Oregon

Yesterday the University of Oregon (my alma mater) Ducks won a berth to the BCS National Championship. I'm always proud to be a duck, but my feathers are especially puffed out today. Last year this seemed impossible. After a season marred with behavior issues, a post-season full of legal issues and the loss of Jeremiah Masoli as quarterback things didn't look good for 2010. In August I had a conversation with some southern football fans in which they expressed that Oregon didn't have a chance since we'd just lost our QB to the SEC.

I defended our team, because being a duck isn't about rankings, high profile boosters, or even how many uniform options you have. It's about the feeling in the air as you walk across the footbridge to Autzen Stadium on game day, a feeling that can only be equated to an adult's version of Christmas morning. It's about being on the other side of the country and seeing someone wearing the "O" and shaking hands. It's about supporting the PAC-10 as we consistently try to shed our underdog status. And it's about building an empire.

The state of Oregon has 1/10 the population of California. We have a small number of universities. Our economy has struggled, even when the country has experienced prosperity. I'm glad to see our great state be in the news for being among the best of the best at something. I believe Chip Kelly has kept the heads of our players on straight this season. As we rose in the rankings and continued to be undefeated he reminded them that can all change overnight. So thank you to Coach Kelly, to all the players and to Mike Bellotti who laid the groundwork. You've given us so many reasons to be proud to be ducks this year. The road has been paved for future teams, now it's time to build.

Happy 86th Birthday to Warren Miller!

{Image via WarrenMiller.net}

Legendary ski film pioneer Warren Miller turns 86 today. Let's hope he's taking his own advice that he's so generously dispensed to us year after year in his movies.

"If you don't do it this year you'll be another year older when you do" -Warren Miller

People have strong feelings

Image via New York Times

LeBron James announced today that he's leaving Cleveland to play for Miami. I didn't watch the one hour broadcast on ESPN but I imagine it was roughly the sports equivalent to the President's infomercial during the 2008 campaign. Obviously people feel very strongly about this. Specifically people in Cleveland.

Abubaker Kaki

On Saturday, July 3 Abubaker Kaki of Sudan will attempt to set the world record in the 1,000m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene. Kaki is a two-time world champion and seems poised to set the record at one of the most elite track and field events in the world. The prospect of a world record being set on the track I walked past every day on my way to class during college is, in a word, thrilling. While running may be the most understated of international sporting events, it is by far the most competitive. There is no gear to obtain, no fancy practice facilities required, a nation's GDP doesn't make its runners faster and it sure doesn't guarantee them more guts in a race. Sure, high altitude training helps and of course sponsorship and access to accomplished coaches, but when it comes down to it, man was built to run. It's hard to find a playing field more level than that.

So on a day in July, in a small town in Oregon known mostly for its college, the world will watch a man from a country most of us will never visit attempt to do something that until that moment was impossible.

Image via BBC

Godspeed, Kaki.

Underneath it all

Image via ESPN

I first heard the name Alexi Lalas while reading Sports Illustrated for Kids (SI for Kids for those in the know) in 1994 shortly after the World Cup that year. I remember noticing him because of his hair color and he was essentially the only famous soccer player profiled. Back in the day Lalas had long hair and a long beard. He pretty much looked like my uncle Arnold did during grad school in the 70's and I thought this was hilarious. It was the nineties, grunge rockers and old hippies had long hair, not athletes. Looking at this picture now, I can only think about how Lalas was in his 20's during his time in the MLS.

Fast forward more than 15 years to the FIFA World Cup 2010. It is clear that social media has been a friend of this event because you couldn't escape the buzz if you tried, of course why would you? What's not to love about an event that truly brings the world together on (pardon the pun) an even playing field. The winners in this contest aren't determined by GDP or military strength, having the best educational system or strongest tourism industry doesn't score goals. The results come strictly from the most skilled teams with the most heart. On father's day I caught some World Cup coverage and who should be an ESPN analyst? None other than Alexi Lalas, MLS ambassador of the 90's. I heard the announcers say his name before I saw his face, which is a good thing because I likely would not have recognized him otherwise. Behold, the striking man that faced the camera:

image via ESPN

Let us never underestimate the power of a decent haircut.