Bush Apologizes

President Bush has apologized for the conditions which soldiers endured while at Walter Reed. The President said:

The problems at Walter Reed were caused by bureaucratic and administrative failures. The system failed you and it failed our troops and we’re going to fix it. It is not right to have someone volunteer to wear the uniform and not get the best possible care. I apologize for what they went through and we’re going to fix the problem.

I wholeheartedly agree with the President that the problems at Walter Reed are “bureucratic and administrative”; not the actual care that is provided. What continues to bother me, however, is that this is not a new discovery. I’ve blogged about this already, so I will not rehash an old post. Suffice it to say, this is not a new problem.

As the current leader of the nation and the commander-in-chief, apoloogizing was the right thing for the President to do, but this is not his fault.

I Just Don’t Get It!

I do not understand the fascination and admiration that many Evangelicals seem to have for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Back when Newty was ramrodding the “Contract with America” he was the darling of Christan political pundits, and James Dobson has recently remarked that Newty is the

Brightest guy out there…and…the most articulate politician on the scene today

At the same time he appears to turn a cold shoulder to Presidential maybe, former TN senator, and current Law & Order actor Fred Thompson by saying

Everyone knows he’s conservative and has come out strongly for the things that the pro-family movement stands for…[But] I don’t think he’s a Christian; at least that’s my impression

Evidently the good doctor believes that “such an impression would make it difficult for Thompson to connect with the Republican Party’s conservative Christian base.” You can read the entire article to the here. But I guess Newty’s adultery is OK with the Republican Party’s conservative Christian base? Personally, I would no sooner vote for Newt Gingrich than I would vote for Hillary Clinton.

Thompson intrigues me. I need to learn more about his positions. Sadly, I have learned that if Fred Thompson does run for President the Law & Order reruns will be temporarily stopped!

Creation Museum to Open Soon

The Answers in Genesis creation museum is scheduled to open on Memorial Day. You can read a Lexington Herald-Leader article about the museum here.

The AiG museum is located in Petersburg, KY, just across the Ohio river from Aurora, IN – my hometown. I ministered for 7 1/2 years at the Dearborn Baptist church, also located in Aurora. In 2005 AiG offered a luncheon for local pastors, and I was fortunate enough to have attended. Along with lunch we were given a tour of the unfinished museum. I was impressed, not only with their service to pastors that day, but with the top quality product of the museum itself. Later in 2005 Dearborn hosted a Bible conference and AiG generously agreed to provide a tour and a bag full of free materials to all the pastors and missionaries in attendance.

I am eager to take my family to No. KY to visit this museum. And it is a museum and not a theme park as Michael Zimmerman has derisively suggested. Zimmerman is the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Professor of Biology at Butler University, he is also the founder of the Clergy Letter Project which is the sponsor of Evolution Sunday. Zimmerman has described Evolution Sunday as an…

event designed to provide an opportunity for congregations around the world to discuss the compatibility of religion and science, to investigate why religion and modern science need not be at war with one another. The event is designed to demonstrate that those shrill fundamentalist voices that assert that people must choose between religion and science are simply incorrect, that they are presenting a false dichotomy, that no such choice needs to be made. Indeed, one of the purposes of Evolution Sunday is to help elevate the nature of the debate on this topic from those who simply shout, “Accept evolution and you’ll go to hell.” Finally, one of the purposes of Evolution Sunday is to bring attention to the Clergy Letter, a letter signed by more than 10,500 Christian clergy members. This letter makes it clear that thousands upon thousands of Christian clergy members have no problem embracing their faith as well as evolution.

There may be thousands of “clergy members” who have no problem embracing faith as well as evolution, but I guarantee you they have a problem with the scriptures. If the first eleven chapters of Genesis aren’t true who is to say that any of the Bible is literally true?

That is just the point. Most “Christians” who hold to an evolutionary origin of species do not hold to a literal interpretation of scripture. If the Bible is not literally true then what “faith” is there to embrace?

I’m thankful for the apologetics work which AiG does so well. Visit their website, take advantage of their resources, and make plans to visit the Creation Museum.

Some People Never Learn

Cincinnati police have cited Cincinnati Bengal WR Chris Henry with three traffic violations; including driving with a suspended license. This guy just does not get it. Please understand, traffic violations are an improvement to his past misdemeanors, but one would think that a guy who has been arrested four times in 14 months would do everything humanly possible to avoid breaking the law.

Not Chris Henry. He either believes that he is above the law, or this guy is so dense he does not understand that frequent violations of the law is not a good thing.

Maybe he is trying to build his street cred for his heretofore unannounced post-football career as a rap artist. Maybe he and Ron Artest will form a group.

I’m certain that Marvin Lewis “strenuously objects” to Henry’s thoughtless, careless, and reckless behavior. But it seems as if Henry will be welcome in the Jungle so long as he remains a legitimate deep threat and a dependable target in the red-zone.All this team needs now is Randy Moss.

Reds Prepare for ‘07

Last night I watched the Reds preseason game against the Red Sox and Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka. Actually, I led an evangelism training session at church, so I wasn’t able to see Dice-K pitch; I only viewed the game’s final four innings. For the first time this pre-season I was able to hear Thom Brennaman and Jeff Brantley. I haven’t heard whether or not they have totally replaced George Grande and Chris Welch. I hope not. While Thom Brennaman, like his father, is one of my favorite baseball announcers; however, the “hi, hello, how are ya” Grande and the “crafty left-hander” Welch have, for the past few years, become familiar friends in my living room.

I’d hate to see them completely vanish, but I am eager to hear Marty and Thom working together.

Back to the game last night. Josh Hamilton, the Rule-5 pick up and former overall #1 draft choice is continuing to impress. (Read an article about Hamilton here.) Most of the noise about his play this Spring has been offensively minded, but the defensive play that this 25 year old made last night was extremely impressive.

In the bottom of the ninth a line shot was hit over his head. He perfectly played the short hop off the wall; making a difficult adjustment on a bad hop which would have eluded most defenders. He then turned and launched the ball into second base on an absolute frozen rope. What should have been a stand up double was an outfield assist at second.

If Hamilton can continue to improve he should make things interesting in the Reds outfield this year. The outfield is already interesting enough with Junior Griffey moving from CF to RF. That’s right. If you haven’t already heard the news; the greatest centerfielder of my generation has been moved to the right corner in the outfield. Personally, I think the man can still play the position as well as anyone in either league. At the same time, I think the move from “8″ to “9″ will, hopefully, enable him to stay healthy. There is also little argument that Ryan Freel can cover more ground than Griffey in this stage of their respective careers.

I’m sad to see Grif moved to the corner, but I think it’s best for him and the Reds. I only wish that Larkin would have taken to this idea and moved from SS to 2B or 3B. Who knows; maybe Larkin was open to that but was forced out of town anyway. I don’t know. I just hope that Griffey will play somewhere between 145 and 155 games this year.

Most people are not expecting much from Cincinnati this year; not much has been expected of them since 2000. I think (read: hope) that they can surprise teams this year just as they did in 2006. Only this time I’m hoping that they finish strong instead of limping into the fall.

What a Wonderful Memory!!!

Can anyone honestly say that this doesn’t bring back beautiful memories. The image of Smart hitting that baseline shot is just as vivid in my memory as the picture in this post. USA Today has an article about this most fantastic March Madness moment.

In the near future we will hopefully have more opportunities to watch dramatic finishes to national championship games.

(HT: Tim Ellsworth)

Concerning the UK job; Yahoo sports columnist Dan Wetzel argues that Memphis’ John Calipari would win championships at Lexington. I think that he makes an excellent point. Calipari has been a winner everywhere he has coached (except for the NBA). He has taken UMASS to the Final Four (1996), and he currently has Memphis in the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season. He has recruited NBA level talent at UMASS and Memphis. Were Calipari to travel NE from Memphis to Lexington I fear that he would build a juggernaut.

It gets worse for the dedicated IU fan, because Tubby will build the Gophers into a formidable program.

Maybe UK will hire Bob Knight. I really hope they do. In fact, it would be a wonderful thing to see Bob Knight patrolling the UK sideline.

I am happy to announce that I have a perfect Elite Eight bracket. Although I wish the two mid-majors (SIU and Butler) would have advanced. I was wrong about the local teams and Notre Dame, but my Final Four is still a possibility.

There’s Always Next Year

Yesterday evening’s contest between two storied basketball programs was one of the ugliest games played in Tournament history; at least from a shooting perspective. The game was a mighty illustration of defensive skill, and a perfect example of this streaky 2006 Hoosier offense.

20-13 at halftime. 54-49 final score.

IU scored 13 points in 20 minutes. Forget that UCLA was only better by seven. IU just missed plenty of good shots, and too many front-ends of one-an-one free throw opportunities. For the game IU was only 10-21 from the charity stripe, and many of those misses were front ends. Hit your free throws and win the game. But this team couldn’t score all night. They missed their first ten three pointers.

In spite of that the Hoosiers had every chance to win the game and advance to the Sweet 16 in Sampson’s inaugural season. They finally converted from behind the arc, hitting five of their last six. They tied the game at 49 with under a minute to play. After falling down by two – 51-49 – following to Aaron Afflalo free throws, the team still had enough time to inbound the ball, run the offense, and get a good shot.

Too bad they couldn’t inbound the ball.

Lance Stemler forgot IU’s uniform color at the end of the game. Three times he attempted to inbound the ball, and three times he threw the ball away. The third time was the charm for UCLA as Collison stole the errant pass, was fouled, and then iced the game by hitting his two foul shots.

Just like that the game, which IU had no business winning but were still in position to win, had slipped away.

Click on this link if you want to read a thoughtful analysis on the game.

Right now all I can say is: there’s always next year.

Indiana Advances!

The Hoosiers have advanced to the second round by gaining a rare “road” victory. They had a double digit win over Gonzaga, the team that knocked them from last year’s tournament. Rod Wilmont looked impressive; in fact, he carried the team in the first half. Wilmont finished with 22 points; 18 of them 3-point field goals, and he had a lofty .500 FG percentage. DJ White scored 16 points, 14 of them in the second half. I thought it was even more impressive that he was 4 of 4 from the foul line. IU was stellar from the FT line: 15 for 16 I think. They were in the bonus early and took advantage by hitting the first of their one-and-one opportunities. The defense was solid; as was the rebounding. I was disappointed in their silly turnovers; for perimeter players Wilmont and Ratliff just do not take care of the ball.

Here is my concern: what would have happened had Wilmont’s treys not dropped in the first half? As I mentioned, White only had 2 points in the first 20 minutes of the game, and he scored that bucket towards the end of the half. He simply was not getting the touches he needed, and when he did receive the ball he was too far from the basket to do anything but pass it off. Obviously that improved in the second 20 minutes; White was actually given the ball in a position on the court where he could be successful, and successful he was.

IU can kill a team from the outside, but too often they rely on the three. The offense should always run inside out. And that inside out can happen two ways. The first way is by feeding DJ on the block (instead of the wing or at the top of the key). Second is dribble penetration. IU was adequate at this tonight, but I believe they will need to do a better job on Saturday.

Right now, however, I am just going to enjoy this win; a win that I never expected when the season began.

Bye, Bye, Blue Devils

I love to see the Duke Blue Devils get beat. Ever since Christian Laettner stomped on that UK player’s chest (I don’t like UK, but I really don’t like poor sportsmanship); ever since they beat my beloved Hoosiers in the 1992 Final Four (same year for those of you keeping score); I have taken great pleasure in their defeats. Ever since ESPN became the unofficial Blue Devil network, and ever since Mike Patrick and Dick Vitale became the unofficial ACC and Duke head cheerleaders, I have loathed Duke.

IU’s most recent Final Four appearance (2002) was especially sweet because they upset Duke in the Sweet 16. Whenever I need to think happy thoughts I think of AJ Moye blocking Carlos Boozer as time expired.

It was great watching the Virginia Commonwealth Rams upset the Blue Devils. I know that this was a down year for Duke, but it is always good to see them bounced from the tournament in the first round. It’s going to hurt my bracket; I had Duke advancing to the Sweet 16. That’s OK. Duke has lost, and this year’s installment of March Madness has started off on the right foot.

One and Done…Again

I was not surprised to see the following score flash across my laptop at work this afternoon: Boston College 84 Texas Tech 75. Once again Coach Bobby Knight has led his team to the NCAA tournament only to see them go down in flames: one and down has become synonymous with a Knight coached team.

Let it be stated for the record that I think Coach Knight is one of the best basketball coaches in the game’s history. Let it also be noted in the minutes that he is one of the most arrogant, narcissistic, loud-mouths that has ever stalked the coach’s box.

As an ardent IU fan I appreciate the three titles, the numerous Big 10 championships, consecutive 20-win seasons, etc. I am proud that he always did, and still does, run a clean program that emphasizes academics and is no respecter of persons. Other than the constant vulgarity, choking of players, and chucking of chairs; he really is a fantastic coach. But if he is so fantastic, why can he not advance in the tournament? How did his team lose to Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament? I know that his Red Raiders reached the Sweet 16 a few years ago, a place not many Texas Tech teams have ventured. Still, since the early ’90s Coach Knight is basically one and done. When I fill out my NCAA bracket, I rarely have a Knight team advance to the second round, and never to the Sweet 16; the odds are against it.

I realize that some, if not many, IU fans still long for the days when Knight terrorized Big 10 officials. Honestly, I wish that Kelvin Sampson would install the motion offense. Ever since Knight departed the offensive systems of both Davis and now Sampson drive me insane. But I’m glad that Knight is gone. Why? Because the man never learned from his mistakes. What he expected from every one else: respect, loyalty, disciplined behavior; he never exhibited himself.

Had Bob Knight ever learned to control himself I am confident that he would not only still be coaching IU instead of in exile at Texas Tech, but he would have broken Dean Smith’s record one or two seasons ago. He most likely would have won at least one, maybe two more championships, and be in line to win another this season. Currently the finest talent in college basketball hails from the Hoosier state. Sadly, none of that talent plays for Hoosier colleges; specifically IU. Admittedly that will change next year when Eric Gordon dons the candy striped warm-ups. But that’s next year. The most frustrating aspect of the past two seasons has been watching McRoberts at Duke; James at Marquette; and now Oden and Conley at Ohio State. Before that it was Gardener at Arizona, Randolph at Michigan State; Montross and Mays at North Carolina.

Knight has been his own worst enemy, and it has not only cost him but it has cost IU and her fans as well.

It’s sad when a Hall-of-Famer can’t coach his team out of the first round. It’s even worse when said Coach consistently bids the tournament adieu after just one contest.