“Trevin was Dilfer’s only son, the only other man in a house full of women. He loved to hang out with his daddy in the locker room and often challenged Trent’s teammates to footraces.”

Curtis Eichelberger interviewed many current and former NFL players including Mike Singletary, Justin Tuck, LaDainian Tomlinson, Oshiomogho Atogwe, and Jay Feely about football’s violent nature, the sacrifices players and families make, adversity they face, temptations they endure, and the call to being leaders and role models.

Eichelberger’s new book Men of Sunday reviewed here recounts the story of Trent Dilfer, his son, and his family’s heart-aching, heart-breaking, and inspiring saga. 1

Football and the Christian faith have often been linked, at least superficially, by players and coaches giving “praise” to God for their successes.

Not knowing, but hoping, that their faith was genuine I was thrilled when I saw Curtis Eichelberger’s book Men of Sunday was being published.  Subtitled “How Faith Guides the Players, Coaches, and Wives of the NFL,” I was excited what I might read.

Men of Sunday is a quick read. 

Eichelberger interviewed and highlights many current and former players including Mike Singletary, Justin Tuck, LaDainian Tomlinson, Oshiomogho Atogwe, and Jay Feely about football’s violent nature, the sacrifices players and families make, adversity they face, temptations they endure, and the call to being leaders and role models.

I read Curtis Eichelberger’s new book Men of Sunday this weekend.  It’s a compelling book I’ll quote several times this week before I post my full review this weekend. 1

As I read Eichelberger’s piece on former “Pro Bowl Denver Broncos offensive lineman Mark Schlereth I was inspired, awed, and perplexed.

I had to ask, is this man mad, filled with machismo or ministry minded?

Madness, Machismo or Ministry?

As I stepped out of the shower today I looked in the mirror to admire my four-pack. 

Yes, four-pack.  I saw it for a change. 

Usually it’s covered by what used to be piles of pasta, insane amounts of ice cream, or bowls of buffet.

Don’t laugh.  It’s the best it gets at this point: “The food I want or fitness?”

My occasional four-pack used to be a six-pack. And, when I was a skinny kid it was probably an eight-pack, but as Will Ferrell tweeted recently a six-pack on a skinny kid doesn’t really count; it didn’t take any effort.

I had just thrown an interception. In my opinion, throwing an interception was letting my team down. I failed to complete the pass. I failed to help my teammate Madison. She could have caught a good pass, but I threw it where she couldn’t catch it. 

“Other Scott” happily grabbed it. 

“Other Scott” won the game’s MVP award, but I — this Scott — let my team down. I hate when I let my team down.

Fortunately, I was not alone.

“God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but a spirit of power and love and self-control.” 1

Since I was very young I’ve been a baseball fan.

As a fan with a limited budget, televised games, box scores, recaps and baseball books often satisfy my fascination with major league baseball.

This summer, like many summers, I planned and read a few baseball books.

In May I wrote my review of The Baseball Codes by Jason Turbow and Michael Duca, a fascinating perspective of the culture of the game within the game.

Hopefully this isn’t breaking any international laws, but I love these posts and pictures so much I thought I’d make sure that they were in your hands too!

Inspirational moments: Oscar Pistorius in the best picture you’ll see

By Yahoo.com’s  Maggie Hendricks |

Oscar Pistorius has already inspired a generation with his 400m performance, despite being a double amputee. See?

(Twitter)

My neighbor, Tyko Jaddunath, plays cricket for the Minnesota Windies. 
Yesterday I went to their cricket match.

What’s cricket?

According to Wikipedia.com, “Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on a field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the runs scored by the batting team. A run is scored by the striking batsman hitting the ball with his bat, running to the opposite end of the pitch and touching the crease there without being dismissed. The teams switch between batting and fielding at the end of an innings.” 1

Subtitled “A Ballplayer’s Inside View”, The Game From Where I Stand by Doug Glanville is just that, “an inside view.”

I wasn’t certain what to expect when I began read Glanville’s book. As a baseball fan, and specifically a Chicago Cubs fan, I only knew Glanville as an outfielder.  He was a decent hitter — who was pretty quick on the base paths.  He was also a very capable outfielder who compiled an astounding 293-game errorless streak.

I didn’t know if his book’s “inside view” would be filled with scandalous allegations, tiresome self-promotion, or effusive praise for teammates.

This week is Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game.  One of the pre-game celebrations is the Home Run Derby.

The MLB Twitter-feed was filled with anticipation.

“Will @theCUTCH22 be McCrushin’? How many Trumbombs for @Mtrumbo44? Can Prince or Cano win ?#HRDerby? again?“

Here’s my interpretation:

Will (the Pittsburgh Pirates’) Andrew McCutchen win? How many home runs do you think (Anaheim Angels’) Mark Trumbo will hit? Do you think former Home Run Derby champions (Detroit Tigers’) Prince Fielder and (NY Yankees’) Robinson Cano win the Home Run Derby this year?

Last Year