Meet The Boys - Part 1

Friday night was draft night for the Buffalo Blogger Fantasy Football team. While I am positive that I will not have anywhere near the best team in the league, I'm pretty pleased with most of my selections. I'm not really an innovative fantasy drafter; I just try to pick Peyton Manning as my fantasy QB and at least one Buffalo Bill. After that, I could really care less.

Because I know that many of you share my love of random facts about athletes, I am going to lay out my team, complete with random tidbit that no one needs to know about them.

Now I present to you, the roster for Poz's Posse:

Quarterbacks:

1.) Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts): Has a cereal named after him, "Peyton's O's"

Peyton is my favorite NFL player for many real reasons, like his intensity, intelligence, and charity work. But let's face it, we all really love him for his commercials:

2.) Trent Edwards (Buffalo Bills): His sister was a substitute teacher last year at my alma mater, St. Mary's in Lancaster. According to my sister, good looks must be in the Edwards gene pool.

Running Backs:

1.) Edgerrin James (Arizona Cardinals): Edge and Matt Leinart are co-owners of one of the largest indoor go-cart tracks in Arizona.

2.) Darren McFadden (Oakland Raiders): Has the most random nicknames I've ever heard of, including "Run DMC" and "Humanity Advanced"

3.) Deuce McAllister (New Orleans Saints): His full name is Dulymus.

4.) Dominic Rhodes (Indianapolis Colts): Wants to start a real estate company after his career is over.

Wide Receivers

1.) Terrell Owens (Dallas Cowboys): Published a children's book entitled Little T Learns to Share. Oh yeah, and there's always this video.

2.) Plaxico Burress (NY Giants): His "unique" first name was chosen after his uncle.

3.) Jerry Porter (Jacksonville Jaguars): Won a slam dunk contest while in high school.

4.) James Hardy (Buffalo Bills): "General Studies" major in college, which I think is another name for "I go to college to play football and not pick up a book" studies.

Tight Ends:

1.) Chris Cooley (Washington Redskins): Has his own blog, which is actually really funny. Hmmm...Peyton may have some competition...

2.) Greg Olsen (Chicago Bears): Became the starter at Miami after Kevin Everett was drafted by the Bills.

Kickers:

1.) Mason Crosby (Green Bay Packers): Shares a last name with a certain hockey player, which is NOT the reason I picked him (or at least that's what I'm telling people).

2.) Jeff Reed (Pittsburgh Steelers): Was a journalism major in college.

Defense/Special Teams:

1.) Chicago Bears: Brian Urlacher used to date Paris Hilton.

2.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ronde Barber was named one of People's Sexiest Twins Alive, along with his brother, former Giants RB, Tiki.

So there's my team. Tomorrow, I draft another one for my family's league. Tonight, I try to catch up on the sleep I lost yesterday at my cousin's amazing wedding!

Guess Who's Back!

I've returned to the land of the blogging!

The family and I had an excellent time in Myrtle Beach soaking up the sun. We even got to take a side trip to Duke University because my sister and I are such huge Blue Devils fans. Let me just say that I had a serious case of college envy after that trip.

Not that Canisius isn't a lovely school, which it is. I'm back in full swing now, so hopefully I can still keep this blog running even when I'm already behind in my reading (don't tell my professors...).

Now, onto more interesting matters than "How I Spent my Summer Vacation."

I watched more Olympic coverage than I ever thought possible on my trip. I jumped up and down like a kid on Christmas when Michael Phelps won his eighth gold. I laughed at the excitement of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh when they won. I envied the grace and skill of Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson. I comforted my sister when the women's softball team lost the gold medal game to Japan in what was their final Olympic appearance. I surprised myself by getting goosebumps watching "The Redeem Team" sing our national anthem.

Those days are gone now, and we sports fans find ourselves with only football preseason and the hope of hockey news to get us by.

The first option is not my favorite. I find the preseason far too long and meaningless, especially after the starters get taken out. It made me happy to see JP Losman out there again, and I love any chance I get to see Poz, but I can't wait for the real games to start.

The second option, hockey news, has been a disappointment. I was sure that someone would call me while I was away with the glorious news of a Jason Pominville contract extension. Alas, that has yet to be the case. Come on, Darcy! My poor heart cannot take the strain of worry that some crazy person is going to make an offer sheet next summer that will separate Goose and his BFF forever!

However, there has been some positive Pommer news lately. Just as I have returned to the blogging fold, so has our beloved Captain! Thanks to Anne for finding the link!

Cute and he blogs, what more can a girl ask for?

I love some of his answers. It's good to know that other players have noticed how much he looks like a poodle as well. Although I think he looks more like my fluffy golden retriever mascot that shares his name.

Tomorrow I hope to preview the big Buffalo Blogger League fantasy football draft coming up on Friday. This brings me to a very important request - if anyone has any good tips for me, please send them my way. I am such a terrible drafter!

Sorry I Haven't Posted - I've Been Watching the Olympics

I know that the reason I got a blog in the first place was to talk about the sports I was watching, but I've honestly been so sucked in by the Olympics that I've neglected my computer for the first time in a long time.

To show my remorse for this, I present a smattering of Olympic Lists:

Favorite Moment of the Games (so far):

1.) The Men's 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay. I am big fan of classifying things as "the best EVER," but, seriously, that relay was the greatest Olympic event I have ever seen. There was just so much great drama about it - the French talking trash (I don't know why that idea made me giggle, but it did), the "Michael Phelps medal quest" angle, the fact that we had to come from behind to win. I loved how the commentator was talking about the fact that he could see no scenario where the US could win gold. I guess he wasn't expecting Jason "Clutch" Lezak. By the final leg of the relay, I was screaming at my TV in a way usually reserved for hockey games. The elation on their faces may be my lasting image of these games.

2.) The Men's Gymnastics Team Winning Bronze. I think this was the happiest I'd ever seen an American team to win bronze. Why shouldn't they have been overjoyed? They were missing two of their best gymnasts in the Hamm brothers, and everyone had pretty much written them out of medal contention. Jonathan Horton may be the cutest male gymnast I've ever seen. He has such an earnest face, and his strength and leadership was such a huge part of that victory. What I liked best, though, was that, like in the swimming relay, this was a team win. You got to see the guys get genuinely happy for one another, and you got to see how serious they take their role as representatives of the US.

3.) Eric Shanteau's Personal Best Swim. For anyone who hasn't heard this amazing story, Eric was diagnosed with testicular cancer before the Olympic trials. He decided to put off surgery in order to compete in Beijing. In the qualifiers for the 200-meter breaststroke, he swam a personal best time of 2 minutes, 10.10 seconds. He failed to make it to the finals, but seeing his smile after finishing brought tears to my eyes. He got to accomplish his dream of swimming for his country in the Olympic games, and that was all that mattered to him. Get well, soon, Eric, I know you've got a lot of people praying for you.

And now, because this is such a professional blog, I give you:

The Most Attractive Olympians:

1.) Justin Spring, USA Gymnastics

2.) Michael Phelps, USA Swimming (and Gold Medal Machine)

...and for the male readers

3.) Jennie Finch, USA Softball (really, I just want to be her so bad - she's good at everything!):

Now, I must finish packing for the family trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I'll be gone until the 23rd, but I will hopefully have some blogging time. Feel free to e-mail me (or Facebook me) to keep me up-to-date on all things Buffalo sports and Olympic goodies.

Things I'd Like to See While I'm Gone:

1.) Michale Phelps wins 8 gold medals.

2.) USA softball takes home the gold in its last Olympics (which is ridiculous, if you ask me).

3.) USA beats China in the medal count.

4.) Jason Peters starts talking to the Bills.

5.) Jason Pominville is signed and made Captain.

100 Things: The Big Finale

I've decided that I really dislike two things:

1.) The rain

2.) Boring football games

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see Poz out there on the field again, but I think my last trip to the dentist was more enthralling than the snooze-fest that was last night's Bills-Redskins game. I was, however, happy to see JP throw that touchdown and 2-point conversion. I always loved him and his spacey look and aversion to throwing accurate, short passes - that love will never die.

I was saved from the boring game by Michael Phelps and many lovely birthday gifts from my family and friends. My personal favorites have been season's tickets to the Bandits from my two best friends and...

...a signed picture of Sid's favorite and mine - Colby Armstrong! Did I ever mention how cool my sister is? I'll post a picture of my picture tomorrow!

In honor of turning the big 2-0, I shall share with you all the final 25 random facts about me that you will never need to know (though there may be a test later):

76.) My favorite summer Olympic sport is the individual medley in swimming or softball. In the winter, it's hockey or pairs figure skating (feel free to laugh).

77.) My sister says I have no "indoor voice." I inherited that from my father and my aunts.

78.) I have two godmothers and no godfather. My mother wanted her sister to be my godmother and my dad only has sisters (4 of them), so the roots of my feminism were set down at an early age.

79.) My favorite place on Earth is the auditorium at St. Mary's High School in Lancaster. I have more good memories of that place than any other in my life.

80.) I think I may be legally blind. Seriously, people with bad vision always think I'm exaggerating until they put my glasses up to their eyes.

81.) My top five favorite books are: 1.) The Great Gatsby 2.) To Kill a Mockingbird 3.) Their Eyes Were Watching God 4.) any book in the Harry Potter series (especially Prisoner of Azkaban) 5.) Twilight

82.) I don't sing in the shower but I LOVE to sing in the car.

83.) If I was on Dancing with the Stars my dream dances would be a cha-cha to "Smooth" by Rob Thomas and Santana and a waltz to "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan. I would dance with Maks of course!

84.) My favorite food is lasagna, but I could live on just eating breakfast.

85.) I'm a huge literary geek who looks for symbolism everywhere. I also subconsciously edit everything I read (a habit I got from my mom).

86.) I love taking pictures and have about 15 picture frames. I believe that all memories should be captured.

87.) I'm addicted to Facebook like the worst kind of junkie.

88.) I have a bit of a potty mouth. I'm not sure when it developed, but I think high school had something to do with it.

89.) I'm an extremely emotional person who cries at pretty much everything, especially A Walk to Remember and Moulin Rouge. I have to turn off The Notebook before it gets to the sad part because I can't take it.

90.) I was a theater geek in high school. I performed in three plays and four musicals in high school. My favorites were The Dining Room and Seussical: The Musical.

91.) I have the hardest time spelling "definitely." I think it's the second "i" that throws me.

92.) I have a very distinct "signature face" that I make in way too many pictures:

93.) If I could marry any man (who doesn't play hockey or football) it would be Justin Timberlake. Nothing is hotter to me than a man who can dance.

94.) My favorite sound is the ocean or the crescendo of an orchestra.

95.) My favorite scent is the smell of wood (like Home Depot).

96.) I'm the only older sibling who shows up regularly at my sister's softball games, and I take pride in that fact.

97.) My five favorite movies are: Beauty and the Beast, Singin' in the Rain, Wedding Crashers, Miracle, and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

98.) If one quote could define my attitude about life it would be: "Dance like nobody's watching. Love like you'll never be hurt. Sing like nobody's listening. Live like it's heaven on Earth." by William H. Purkey.

99.) My best sports memory is being at HSBC Arena for Game 5 of the 2007 EC Semis vs. the Rangers. I will never stop thanking my dad for giving away his tickets to me and my best friend.

100.) I've always been known as someone who writes too much, way more than is necessary. If I've done that here, thanks for bearing with me.

It's Time to Celebrate!

There are many reasons to be happy today:

• The Olympics have begun! The opening ceremonies are on right now, and there is always something so stately and moving about them. I love watching the smiles on the athletes faces, smiles that say that they are making memories to last a lifetime. I love the idea that sports can bring people together, which is probably why I've loved the Olympics ever since I was old enough to understand what they represented. I especially loved watching Yao Ming hold that little boy who went back to try to rescue his classmates during the recent earthquake, it was a goosebump-inducing moment. Plus, the US outfits are amazing this year:
  
  
• Sidney Crosby turned 21 yesterday! Now, I'm sure this is not terribly exciting for Sid, as he could drink in his home country since he was 19, but he can now (legally) imbibe in Pittsburgh with his Pens buddies. Happy belated birthday, Chops! I hope you celebrated with your BFF Colby and your beverage of choice, just hopefully not to "Soupy singing" levels of "celebration."



I hope Colby gives Sid some birthday man-love, too!




• TEPPO'S BACK!! In case you haven't heard this most wonderful news, the Sabres re-signed Teppo Numminen today to a 1-year deal worth $1.1 million. I've only been dreaming of this for the last few months - thank you, Darcy! Teppo will give us so many of the things we missed last year - defensive stability, calmness on the bench, veteran leadership, and a great teacher for our young d-men, especially Sekera.

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend! I'll be watching the Bills open their preseason (Saturday) and celebrating a little birthday of my own (on Sunday).

Katie Goes to Training Camp (Finally!)

Sorry for the terrible delay in my posting. My sister's softball tournament in Rochester this past weekend went far better than anyone expected, as in, they won the whole thing! I was such a proud big sister, and I must say that she had a pretty impressive weekend. She hit in the tying RBI that brought one game to extra innings, and made several awesome plays in the outfield in the semis and the finals.

So, congratulations West Seneca Magic on a great season (and if you're browsing this Amy, I'm very proud of you...again...)

Between unpacking from the trip, packing for my next one (10 days in South Carolina starting next Thursday), and buying books for Canisius, I've had very little time to do anything.

Until now, that is, when I can present to you a photo recap of my Bills Training Camp Experience 2008.

First of all, someone should tell the Bills that those buses that they have to shuttle people to St. John Fisher are HOT and humid. My pulse was racing before I even got to meet Paul Pozluszny. Here, Amy and I sweat it out on the ride to campus:

Once we got there, we met up with my aunt, uncle, and three younger cousins to watch the practice. This, for me, meant watching for good-looking guys and scouting for my fantasy drafts.

I saw many things at camp that impressed me more that I expected. Some of these being:

• Poz's propensity to turn his very nice posterior to me whenever I had my camera ready. I was also very surprised by how much he really is ALL MUSCLE. I don't think there's an ounce of fat on his body:
  
• The fact that JP Losman still does exist! It was like seeing your ex-boyfriend, who took the breakup really badly, while you're busy gushing over your new guy (that would be you, Trent)


• How gorgeous Trent Edwards really is. I know he gained muscle weight in the offseason to help his game, but I think it's helping more than that...
  


• How nice Josh Reed is. My uncle has his jersey (I'm still not sure why), and Reed ran over to us when he saw it, taking time to talk to my uncle about the upcoming season and joke about how few people have his jersey.
  
• The fact that Jon Corto has such a good sense of humor. He's the safety from Orchard Park who spent last season on the practice squad. He's back again this year, and his family was at camp. When my cousin wished him good luck this season, his mom said "Let's just hope he makes it first!" He seemed to just be happy to have a chance to hang with the big boys of the NFL and to play at home. He was a big hit with the autograph-seekers, including one girl who had him call her friend, which he played along with shockingly well.


• Just how flustered I got when Poz was within inches of me. My hands were pretty much shaking when I handed him my jersey, and I've never gotten that jittery (and I've talked to Pommer, Goose, and Derek Roy before). All those nerves went away though, when we had what I now refer to as our "moment":

Me: Good luck this season; can't wait to see you out there.
Poz: (looks at me with his beautiful eyes) Thanks so much!

Now anyone who can speak "Poz" knows that what he was really saying was "You're Polish, you like football, and you read more books than I do. Will you marry me?" However, I was too blinded by his sheer manliness to actually accept his proposal. If you're reading this now, Poz, I accept!

Tomorrow, I hope to have the conclusion of my "100 Things" list ready to post. In the meantime, I'm off to read more of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Yes, it's "that vampire book. " If you haven't read it, go to your nearest library and get it - you'll be glad you did!

100 Things: Episode III

The family and I went to training camp for the Bills yesterday and had a blast. I took a lot of pictures, which will hopefully be up sometime tomorrow or Monday, as I'm going to Rochester for another softball tournament for my sister overnight.

To tide you over until I can provide you with a Paul Posluszny fix, I bring you the continuation of "100 Things - Katie Style":

51.) I believe that I learned about the two sides of the human race from my two favorite books - To Kill a Mockingbird (the good side of humanity) and The Great Gatsby (the dark side).

52.) I can quote every line in the film That Thing You Do! (including all of the songs).

53.) I'm a constant worrier.

54.) I've visited the campus of Duke University twice (with a third time coming in about 2 weeks). It was my dream school, but I didn't get accepted.

55.) If I could go back to any time in my life, it would be the last six months of my Senior year of high school and the summer before college.

56.) I'm a musical theater junkie. I've seen RENT, Wicked, and Mama Mia two times each (and I'm hopefully going to see RENT a third time this January). Those three are probably my favorite shows, with Aida thrown in as well.

57.) My first crush was on Zach Morris on Saved by the Bell.

58.) If I was stranded on a desert island and could only have one food with me, it would be Buffalo Wing Goldfish crackers.

59.) The 24-hours from 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve to 4 p.m. on Christmas Day is my favorite day of the year.

60.) I go to Church every week. There's just something so peaceful about it.

61.) My favorite poem is "I Carry Your Heart With Me" by ee cummings. I used it to close my Valedictorian speech at my graduation.

62.) My top five favorite songs (at the moment) are: "Let it Be" (The Beatles), "Hallelujah" (the Rufus Wainwright version), "Sexyback" (Justin Timberlake), "Lifetime" (Beth Hart), and "She Will be Loved" (Maroon 5).

63.) I come from a very close, very proud, Polish family. My two oldest cousins on my mom's side are like my big brothers, and we all get together once a week for dinner at my grandma's house (and a hockey game when it's during the season).

64.) I'm addicted to Facebook.

65.) I go see every Pixar movie that comes out. Wall-E and Finding Nemo are the best.

66.) I love Audrey Hepburn. I have a purse, a makeup case, a charcoal sketch, and a calendar of her. To me, she epitomizes glamour and class.

67.) I wrote a 28-page paper during my Junior year of high school on women in the 1920s. Sometimes I wish I could have been a flapper.

68.) I believe F. Scott Fitzgerald was right when he wrote: "Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." It's my favorite season.

69.) One of the most rewarding experiences of my life was dancing onstage in Disney World with my competition team last summer.

70.) My nervous habit is biting my lip or playing with my earrings.

71.) I still have the same group of best friends that I had in high school, and we try to get together as much as possible.

72.) I can't cook. I guess I can follow recipes, but I'm no Betty Crocker.

73.) Kathy Griffin is my favorite comedian.

74.) One of my favorite things to do is walk through the Quad at Canisius in late summer or early fall, in the morning when there's practically no one there. It makes me glad that I chose that school.

75.) I drive a black 2008 Chevy Cobalt and my best friend has a matching blue one (she got hers first).

100 Things - Part Deux

If this enough enough to satisfy your list-fix, check out last night's musings on the many reasons Craig Rivet should love it in Buffalo.

26.) I took French for two semesters in college but can remember more from what I've learned in dance class than at Canisius.

27.) I've wanted to be a writer since I was 8 years old. I wrote a 10-page journal entry about our field trip to the Naval Park, and my teacher told me I should be a journalist. I haven't looked back since.

28.) It took me 18 years to figure it out, but my father and I have the same personality. We sound like echoes of each other during a sporting event.

29.) Asking me to choose between Starbucks and Tim Horton's is like asking me to choose between Goose and Pommer.

30.) When at the aforementioned establishments, I order one of the following: at Starbucks, a tall Caramel Macchiato or White Chocolate Mocha; at Tim's, a Small Cafe Mocha or Iced Cappuccino.

31.) I have a list of words that I love to use when writing, and "aforementioned" as at the top.

32.) Both my iPod and digital camera are hot pink.

33.) The main TV in our house is 25 years old and hasn't broken yet.

34.) I have the smallest feet (size 5 - 5 1/2) of anyone I know.

35.) I've had the same best friend for 5 years, and I can honestly say that we've never really fought.

36.) I HATE calling people on the phone. Picking up the phone is fine; it's the calling that makes me freak out.

37.) When I was a little girl, I wanted to be Princess Leia from Star Wars.

38.) For all the books I read, I don't use fancy bookmarks. A scrap of paper or movie ticket is fine with me.

39.) I still wish on stars and when I blow out my candles on my birthday cake.

40.) I'm a bit of a Harry Potter fanatic. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are my two favorite literary characters of all time.

41.) My Senior quote in my high school yearbook was by the Muppets: "Life's like a movie, write your own ending."

42.) If I had to only have two TV stations, they would be ESPN and Bravo.

43.) My favorite reality show is So You Think You Can Dance. Cat Deeley is 10,000x cooler than Ryan Seacrest.

44.) I got my driver's license when I was 19, and I still am not a huge fan of driving where I'm not familiar. I do, however, love driving into a sunrise or sunset with a good song on the radio or my iPod.

45.) I have two ringtones on my phone. They are "Sexyback" by Justin Timberlake and "Finale B" from RENT.

46.) My pinkie toe on my left foot is permanently facing the side from breaking it in pointe class and not taping it.

47.) I once dated an exchange student from Germany, whose crazy acts of chivalry still make me want to move to Europe sometimes.

48.) I own more sunglasses than most people have shoes.

49.) My favorite actors are Denzel Washington (current) and Jimmy Stewart (all-time). My favorite actresses are Reese Witherspoon (current) and Audrey Hepburn (all-time).

50.) I'm not superstitious until it comes to sports. Then, there is a specific chair I have to sit in, clothes I have to wear, and restrictions I must follow (the Sabres ski cap and earrings cannot be worn during games because they are bad luck).