O'Neil: Pittman provides Texas-sized inspiration

O'Neil: Pittman provides Texas-sized inspiration

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Great story! Dexter Pittman has my full respect for his utter kindness towards a kid much like him. Kudos to the Texas Strength Conditioning Coach, Todd Wright, for reaching out to the Connollys to help them. Read this story, it puts a good light on the integrity of sports.

This is War

In 2006, I came across a band (credit 93.3 for finding this music before any other CO radio station) named 30 Seconds to Mars. I remember sitting in Newspaper working on an article when I first heard "The Kill." It was unlike anything I had listened to before. It was dark, mysterious, cunning, and strangely uplifting. It was, by association, screamo music. At the time, I was definitely NOT into anything that involved screaming. But this was also during the time when my musical interests completely changed; in fact, "The Kill" probably had a lot to do with that change.

Later that year, another 30 Seconds to Mars single became an instant hit: "From Yesterday." This single became one of my most inspirational songs; it helped me prepare for races, basketball games, long runs, intervals, etc. It made such an impact on me that it rose all the way to No. 3 on my Rock 100, where it currently stands ("The Kill" sits at 29).

I've waited 3 very long years, but their new album, This is War, is finally here! And having listened to it constantly for a week, it trumps their last album, A Beautiful Lie, by a landslide. From start to finish, each and every song has the power to move mountains; it has the strength to defeat Goliath; it has the motivation needed for a courageous fight; most importantly, it has the voice to inspire dreams. In other words, it's pretty good:).

Not only is this my most anticipated album since Blink-182's self title six years ago this month, but it is also the best album, from beginning to end, since the All-American Rejects's self-titled album hit the shelves in the summer of 2003. It also got me thinking about the best albums I've purchased since my first modern rock album (Sugarcult: Start Static) was given to me on Halloween 2002. So, without further adieu, here are my Top 20 Albums of the Decade:

1) NINE DAYS: The Madding Crowd
2) ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS: The All-American Rejects
3) 30 SECONDS TO MARS: This is War
4) RISE AGAINST: Appeal to Reason
5) JIMMY EAT WORLD: Chase This Light
6) BLINK-182: Blink-182
7) THE FRAY: The Fray
8) RISE AGAINST: The Sufferer & the Witness
9) ANGELS & AIRWAVES: I-Empire
10) JIMMY EAT WORLD: Futures
11) LUCKY BOYS CONFUSION: Commitment
12) YELLOWCARD: Ocean Avenue
13) THE FRAY: How to Save a Life
14) ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS: Move Along
15) GOOD CHARLOTTE: The Young and the Hopeless
16) NEW FOUND GLORY: Sticks and Stones
17) SIMPLE PLAN: No Pads, No Helmets, Just Balls
18) 30 SECONDS TO MARS: A Beautiful Lie
19) NEW FOUND GLORY: Catalyst
20) PARAMORE: Riot!

This is War officially puts 30 Seconds to Mars up with Rise Against, All-American Rejects, The Fray, and Jimmy Eat World as my favorite bands of all time.

So go listen to This is War. You'll be inspired!

Congratulations

At the end of each year, Sports Illustrated awards an athlete for its excellence in its sport. The Sportsman of the Year award, created in 1954 after Roger Banister's revolutionary sub-4 minute mile, has become the most prestigious individual sports award of our time. This'll come to no surprise to any of you, I'm sure, but I am a big fan of the Sportsman of the Year award, because I believe SI does its absolute best to pick the best athlete, both on and off the field.

This year is no different. Actually, it's one of the smartest picks SI has ever made. This year's Sportsman of the Year is Mr. November, the face of the New York Yankees, Derek Jeter.



Since his rookie season in 1996, Jeter has been the captain of the Yankees, leading them to four titles in his first five seasons. It took another nine years for his fifth, but this season's World Series ring could be his greatest yet. Not only did Jeter lead his team with great hitting and solid defense at shortstop, but he also rallied the Yanks together at the start of the season amid the potentially devastating reports of Alex Rodriguez using steroids, which is practically a death sentence in today's baseball world.
SIDE NOTE: A-Rod used to be one of my favorite players when he played alongside Ken Griffey, Jr in Seattle. I had an incredibly hard time watching A-Rod admit he knowingly used steroids while playing for Texas. I did, however, gain respect for him with how he handled the situation and it was refreshing to see him overcome what is usually a ticket to early retirement and help the Yanks win the World Series.

After A-Rod's infamous interview with ESPN, Jeter was there for his teammate with open arms. They were able to get past this scandal and find a way to win it all.

Jeter's leadership has been the biggest intangible for the Yankees since Joe DiMaggio in the 50's. And to top off one of his best seasons, Jeter passed the immortal Lou Gehrig for the most hits in Yankee history (his hit total currently stands at 2,747). I don't think any athlete deserved this award more than Mr. November. Congratulations, Derek Jeter!

Holidays=Stress? Not so fast

So I've finally figured out why I've been less than ecstatic about the Holiday Season the past few years; since Thanksgiving '06, I have had a job that requires all employees to work on important days, such as Turkey Day, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and (my version of Black Friday) the day after Christmas.

I worked Thanksgiving day in '06 and '07 at the Briarwood and The Keg, having to work 11 hours with no break at the Briarwood. Another Briarwood horror was having to work the same shift for Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day, not to mention being forced to listen to what Pat Williams wryly dubbed as the "Zelda Christmas" CD. I swear they played the same four songs from Thanksgiving Day through New Year's Eve. The music alone at the Briarwood could (and did) drive people insane!

Last year, I experienced what it's like to work in retail during the Holidays. Having to wake up at 3AM on Black Friday to start my shift at 4AM was definitely not one of my better memories. Although the mere thought of having to work 10 hours with 2 20-min breaks isn't exactly appealing, I would pick working Black Friday anyday over working Thanksgiving at a fancy restaurant. The worst part about working at Dick's during the Holidays was the nightmarish 6 hour shift on Christmas Eve. I seriously did not stop checking out people until 15 minutes before close. Then, two days later, I had the wonderful opportunity of dealing with ruthless, rabid return shoppers. I have never seen so many people pissed off about their gifts. A loving person GAVE you something at no cost to you and you're MAD? People are crazy. Above all, the fact that I had to listen to the Jackson 5 Christmas CD from Black Friday to Christmas Eve was enough to keep me away from shopping malls every December. Online shopping, I love you.

This year, I work at Wheat Ridge High School. That means I had the entire Thanksgiving Week off! I also get Winter Break off, but - even better - I'm helping out my former boss, Sonya, at Runner's Roost! So not only did I successfully avoid the terrors of Zelda and Jackson 5 Christmas Music for a month, I also get to work in a running store again, which should prepare me nicely for my (hopeful) future job at the running store in Orem: Runner's Corner.

Ok, my last Holiday jobs really weren't bad at all; in fact, I really enjoyed my time at Dick's last year. I just feel very fortunate to currently have a great job that doesn't involve angry customers, scary bad music, or wild shifts that keeps me away from properly celebrating the Holidays. That is the main reason why I am so excited for the arrival of December.