And they both said ...

DERIDDER, La. -- I do.

Two words. A pair that is used together in many sentences every single day.

Yet when put into a certain context, the two words carry a powerful message.

In the case of Misti Harrington and Alan Walker, those two words supplanted their firm commitments to each other's lives. On Saturday, June 17, 2006, the two became one at First Baptist Church here in DeRidder.

What a joyful ride it was. Yes, there were tears. From Alan. From Misti. From the bridesmaids. Yes, even from me (and Michael Eddy, despite what he'll say). But they were tears of joy. The tears marked a crossroads -- from the tw0-year journey that brought Alan and Misti to the this point joining with the commitment they made at the altar until death do them part.

There were some great times over the weekend -- many of which I'm sad to say I didn't chronicle due to the fact of technical difficulties with a camera -- but the memories will last.

It was such a beautiful wedding. Misti looked wonderful, while my boy Alan was extra suave.

I'd like to congratulate both Mr. and Mrs. Alan Reynolds Walker. Continue to work hard, put God first and each other's interests ahead of your own. I'm sure there are many years of happiness yet to come for both of you.

Getting out and about

Had a hot date last night. No, seriously, I did. Elizabeth and I went to eat at a quaint, albeit slightly overpriced, Italian restaurant about a 1/2 mile from our house called Suburban Garden. Then we went to the movie, followed by dessert.

It was nice to get out of the house and do something fun. We've both been so busy with work and doing stuff around the house that we hadn't done anything fun. So we went on a date.

Elizabeth and I both like Italian, and the atmosphere at Suburban Garden was great, even if the service wasn't. When we walked in around 6:15, we literally were the only customers. Suburban Garden, I'm told, has been around for 100 years. Not literally. But it's an older place. Very dimly lit. I'm sure at night, with a few candles, it can make for a very romantic scene. In the middle of June, however, there's a bit too much natural light shining in. But it was still nice.

My chicken fetuccine was good, even if the portion was about half the size I could get at Monjuni's in Ruston. I was pleased. Elizabeth's spaghetti, to both of us, was a little disappointing. It was actually quite Italian, and even though we like Italian food, we like American Italian food, if you know what I mean. But the bread, oh the bread -- now that was some good stuff. Very fresh. Just out of the oven. Elizabeth absolutely loves, and I mean loves, bread. And I've grown quite a taste for it as well. So the bread was a highlight.

Onto the movies. Over the Hedge, a movie we've wanted to see for awhile. Some very, very funny scenes. Laughed out loud funny. Overall, not the greatest animated movie I've seen. But good. Enjoyable. Cute. Steve Carell is a genius, and his squirrel character, while reminding me a bit too much of Scrat of Ice Age fame, was the highlight of the film. Also had a good plot to it. Family is both what you make of it and important. Good life lessons.

Onto dessert. Dippin' Dots. You know, the ice cream of the future. Before coming to Alexandria had never seen an actually brick and mortar. They have one here. And more than your standard 3-4 flavors. It's no 32 like Baskin-Robbins, but they had 12-20 or so flavors to choose from -- including 2 NSA flavors, otherwise known as diabetic friendly. Fun times. Don't think it will be my last time savoring the ice cream of the future.

All in all, it was a good night. Very enjoyable time with my wife. It was good for us to forget about all the stuff we have to do around the houseand have a little fun. Tomorrow night, however, is back to the grind. We have a list of things to do, including but not limited to, cleaning up the computer room and the living room. There are still plenty of boxes that need to be unpacked, as well. But we are making progress. That's all I can ask for right now.

Wedding bells will be ringing

My trip this past weekend has me very much excited about this coming weekend. Alan's Wedding. Let's get the selfish stuff out of the way. I'm excited to see the guys again. This growing up and moving away stuff is different. I'm not used to not being around my friends. I'm adjusting. I'm fine. It's just different. So I'm very excited to see everyone again. I know it's going to be a blast.

Also my mother and aunt are coming down for the wedding. I know mom is excited about that. Alan is like another son to her, as are many of my friends. After the wedding, mom and Aunt Pat will come up to Alexandria to get their first look at the new house. Oh, it's still a mess. Call it a work in progress. But I'm excited for my mom to see my house. I'm awfully proud, and I know she will be too.

And then the wedding. First it was me. Then Kyle. Now Alan. Binni's next? Lord, I hope so. Alan Walker is getting married. The pimp is settling down. Honestly, of all the guys, I figured Alan would have the least problems getting married. Never seemed to have a problem finding a girl. The problem was finding the perfect girl. Well, he could have done much worse than Misty Harrington.

I'm very proud of Alan, who of all my friends is the most like a brother to me. When I first moved to Ruston in 7th grade, for one reason or another, I just took to Alan. I looked up to him, always setting my sights to better Alan. It wasn't competition. I didn't want to actually be better than him. I just knew Alan was going to do everything well. If I could do better than him, then I was doing something right.

It's funny how my friendships work. Alan was like my brother, even though we both have older brothers. Kyle was my confidante. We could talk about anything and everything. Our relationship was, and still is, very mental. Binni, he was my boy. We just clicked on a sports level. Although he's misguided in some areas (ha!), we saw eye-to-eye in just about everything when it came to sports. He was the guy who would listen to all my off-the-wall comments about sports. He also was the guy who I felt knew as much as I do -- and there aren't many of those people around.

But Alan was just different. He was my friend when I didn't have friends. Kyle and I really became close towards the end of my junior year in high school. Binni and I clicked in college. But Alan was always there. He didn't have to be there every hour or every day. But he was there when I needed him to be, and I hope he can say the same thing about me. Our relationship wasn't one where we had to communicate daily, but it was one where I knew if I needed to talk or wanted to do something or just hang out, I could count on Alan Walker.

Now the kid is all grown up -- a successful engineer in Houston and soon-to-be a successful husband, and maybe one day an even more successful father. A-Dawg, thank you for your friendship. You've meant so much to me over the years, more than you'll ever know or I'll ever be able to put into words. Congrats, buddy. I'm always thinking about you and praying for you. I wish you and Misty nothing but the best.

Downright Awful

Wow. Not only did the U.S. national team not look great in its opener today, the Yanks looked downright awful. Czech Republic came out, took it to the U.S. and dominated them in all phases of the game in the 3-0 win.

The U.S. backline was exposed by the attacking Czech team, while the offense looked disorganized. No attacking. Bad ball movement. Just a pathetic performance, honestly.

I'll break down the individual performances and see how the U.S. can regroup going into Game 2 against group favorite Italy.

Kasey Keller -- Keller was average. All three Czech goals were because of defensive breakdowns. The first one, in the 5th minute, came off a defensive breakdown on the left side, after Eddie Lewis had pushed up offensively. Jan Koller headed in a cross from point-blank range. Two of the goals were on shots where Keller simply had no chance. The second goal was a magnificent strike from 30 yards out into the upper-right corner of the goal. Beautiful shot. However, Keller didn't do anything spectacular either. He was simply average. He didn't show a great deal of leadership either in reorganizing his backline.

Eddie Lewis -- Lewis played all 90 minutes and was actively involved in both the offense and the defense. Had the early defensive breakdown, but responded to have one of the team's better performances. One of the few players who hustled and was active the whole game.

Steve Cherundolo -- Average game from right back. Played only the first half before being subbed out to get more offense on the field. Did not do anything to stand out -- either good or bad.

Eddie Pope -- Pope was solid. No glaring mistakes, which is usually the senior centerback's MO.

Oguchi Onweyu -- A World Cup debut worth forgetting. Has a reputation for fouling and lived up to it. Also picked up an early yellow card. Was beaten by Koller on the first goal. Also didn't clear the ball out of the zone to set up the Czechs' second goal. He's young and immensely talented. Improved somewhat during the second half. But he looked outclassed on this day. Nerves? Or sign of what's to come? That is yet to be seen.

Bobby Convey -- Another World Cup debut worth forgetting. Very passive. Did a lot of passing backward instead of attacking. When he did attack, he normally turned it over. Did have a couple of good moves, only to lead to bad crosses into the box. Rather disappointing performance. Must improve his game.

DaMarcus Beasley -- See Convey above. Whether he's not in great shape (most likely not the case) or he's uncomfortable playing on the right side (he's left-footed and normally plays left mid, like Convey), he looked out of it the whole game. Beasley's game is attacking, yet he did none of it against the Czechs. The move for him was to get him and Convey on the field at the same time. But the fact of the matter is they play the same position, and one of them will likely be sitting on the bench.

Pablo Mastroeni -- Played the first half and did his job. No glaring mistakes. He was forgettable, which at his position, unlike Beasley and Convey, is what you want.

Claudio Reyna -- Gave the U.S. its best scoring chance, hitting the left post on a strike that would have tied the game at 1 in the first half. Not his best game, particularly in the second half, when he dropped back to holding midfielder. He can play that position, and most likely will more during the Cup, but he's better suited for the attacking midfield position.

Landon Donovan -- Frustrating day for Landon. Started up top at forward and dropped back to attacking midfielder during the second half. Didn't get the ball on his feet much, which is when he's the most dangerous. And also didn't make many attacking runs. Donovan is the star on this team, and he has to have the ball on his feet for the U.S. to be successful.

Brian McBride -- Played about 70 minutes and didn't get too many chances. He provides a big target around the goal, but the U.S. never really got the chance to get the big fella involved in the game.

Eddie Johnson -- The youngest player on the team at 22. Entered the game at halftime and immediately provided a spark. Had 3 shots that all had a chance to go in. Really was the best player on the team against the Czechs.

John O'Brien -- The team's best ballhandler entered at the half due to fitness concerns. Injuries have limited his time on the international level since 2002. Looked good. Serves a great ball. The U.S. offense runs much better with him on the field.

Josh Wolff -- Entered for McBride late. Had one scoring chance. That will be Wolff's role on the team, a late sub to give the team some extra speed and spark up top.

Where to go from here against Italy? On the positives, Eddie Johnson earned a start up top. He simply came to play. Pair him with McBride up top against Italy.

In the midfield, you have to choose between Convey and Beasley. They are 2 of probably the 5 best all-around players on the team, but they play the same position. So who do you choose? While not an easy decision, it's Beasley. One, he's got more experience. Two, Convey had his chance to play on the left side against the Czechs. He didn't do much. So give Beaz a chance to play his natural position for at least the entire first half against Italy. In the middle, you put Donovan and Reyna. They are your young star and your captain -- your 2 best players. Mastroeni didn't do anything wrong, he's just left out due to the numbers game. O'Brien showed flash of his old abilities as a sub. Put him on the right side to start the game and see if he's fit enough to play 90 minutes.

In the back, Eddie Lewis was stellar. Another option here is Convey. He and Beaz attacking on the same side could be interesting. But Lewis played an outstanding first game. Cherundolo also didn't do anything to lose his starting position. In the middle, Pope is a given. And I understand Onweyu had first-game jitters. Do you give him a chance for redemption? Maybe Bruce Arena does, but I don't. I'm putting Carlos Bocanegra in, giving up a little size and power, but maybe getting a bit more polish.

With the 3-0 loss in Game 1, the U.S. has set itself up for a must-win game against Italy. A tie really does you no good because of the goal differential tie-breaker coupled with a three-goal deficit already. The Yanks must beat Italy -- and that's no easy task.

Pitch Fever

Rolled out of bed at 5:45 a.m. Sunday morning. Almost 20 hours later, crawled into bed at 1 a.m. this morning. Why? Soccer.

I've got the fever. Despite the fact the month-long soccer celebration known as the World Cup has kicked off, and the Americans start their Cup today (more on that shortly), I just needed to see soccer firsthand. So Elizabeth and I took a day-trip to Dallas, much like many we took while we were in college. In the process we saw FC Dallas defeat Chivas USA 2-1.

It was good to get back to an MLS game, as I hadn't been to one in two summers. After the World Cup 4 years ago, my friend Binni and I made several trips to the Cotton Bowl to see the Dallas Burn play. We had great trips, getting onto the field with the players and actually meeting a number of them -- including former national team players Clint Mathis and Cobi Jones. However, this was my first trip to see FC Dallas (the team changed from the Burn two years ago) and the team's new facility, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco.

Elizabeth and I met Binni in Shreveport early Sunday morning before driving over to Dallas, where we had lunch with my mom and stepfather. Afterwards, we drove up to Frisco to check out the new park and the game. And it was a blast. I love watching soccer on TV, but the sport is so much better live. They say the same thing about hockey. It's true because you get to see the whole field. You get to see the plays develop. You see the beautiful runs being made. It's just fantastic. I still can't figure out why this game hasn't taken off more in the States.

It was a great trip. I had forgotten how much fun it was to be around Binni when we are both in our element (that would be just about anything sports-related). Although we haven't spent a ton of time together recently, there were moments (and Elizabeth can attest to it) where it was like we've been around each other every day for the past year. Binni, thanks for the trip. Hopefully, we can put another one in this summer.

Yanks make their Cup debut

In a couple of hours, the U.S. national team starts its World Cup with the first of 3 matches in group play against the Czech Republic. Here's my prediction for the Starting XI and how the game will turn out:

Goalkeeper: Kasey Keller. No shocker here. Unless Keller gets hurt, he will play every minute of the Cup, like Brad Friedel did in 2002.

Defenders: Steve Cherundolo, Eddie Lewis, Eddie Pope and Oguchi Onweyu. Pope and Onweyu, the central defenders, are the anchor of the defense. Pope has the experience, while Onweyu is a pup. However, the 23-year-old is emerging as the future of the U.S. backline. He's set to have a coming out party this Cup. Cherundolo and Lewis both play important roles because of their versatility. They anchor the outside of the U.S. defense, yet they are both vitally important in making runs up the sideline to jumpstart the Americans' counter-strike offense.

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley, Claudio Reyna, Pablo Mastroeni, and Bobby Convey. Beasley is one of the fastest players in the world and perhaps the most creative player on the U.S. roster. However, he's moving from the left side to the right. How will he respond on the international level to playing out of position? Convey is the most fit athlete on the U.S. team, and the 23-year-old's emergence has moved Beasley across the field. Convey will do something special in his first World Cup. Reyna is the seasoned veteran, captain, leader and best all-around player on the U.S. team. In a comparison to basketball, he is the team's point guard. Or in football, the quarterback. In 2002, he was chosen as one of the best 11 in the tournament. Now in his fourth Cup, his ability to stay healthy and be the anchor could propel the U.S. to new heights. Mastroeni, much like 2002, will not get much notice. He plays a defensive midfield spot that if he's playing well is meant not to be noticed. Pablo does the dirty work and has no problem doing so.

Forwards: Brian McBride and Landon Donovan. McBride is a world-class striker, perhaps the only true goal scorer on the entire U.S. roster. How many opportunities he can get and whether or not he is able to capatilize will determine just how good this U.S. offense is this year. Donovan's versatility is his strength. While not a true forward, he does possess the ability to put the ball in the net. And his speed up top gives the U.S. a good 1-2 punch with McBride.

Subs: Tim Howard (GK), Marcus Hahnemann (GK), Chris Albright (D), Carlos Bocanegra (D), Gregg Berhalter (D), Jimmy Conrad (D), John O'Brien (MF), Clint Dempsey (MF), Ben Olsen (MF) Eddie Johnson (F), Brian Ching (F), Josh Wolff (F).

The subs are so important for head coach Bruce Arena because he likes to play so many people over the three games. Last Cup, all but one of the 20 position players got into at least one game. This year, I believe around 17 will play. Part of the strength of the U.S. is the fact its players (such as Donovan, Convey and Lewis) can play multiple positions on the field. This provides depth even when depth is limited.

For this first game against the Czechs, I see the Yanks making an early statement with a 2-0 victory against the world's No. 2 team. If the U.S. doesn't win or tie, it will not advance out of this group. Following the Czechs with the favored Italians, coupled with the fact that 80 percent of teams who don't score at least 1 point in their first game don't advance out of group play, adds to the importance of this game. But the U.S. has waited 4 years for this moment -- to prove 2002 was no fluke, to prove the Americans can play on European soil and to prove the U.S. has become a world power in soccer.

Brian McBride scores on a header off a corner kick, while Donovan puts in the second goal off a beautiful feed from Convey.

Fly like an Eagle

Ryan Moats. Here's a guy who I think about a lot, follow closely and unfortunately only get to speak to on rare occasions. Saturday was one of those rare occasions.

I try to follow Ryan, a former superstar running back at Louisiana Tech who was a friend of mine from our days together in Ruston, through the Philadelphia Eagles' Web site, where he is now a running back in the NFL. As I stopped by the site today, I saw where Ryan had updated his blog (caution: you might have to sign up to see this page).

Reading about Ryan reaching out to children in Philly and also talking about buying a house in Dallas made me think about how much I missed just chilling with the cool cat in Ruston. So I decided to call him. We had a great conversation, and I got to tell him that I had moved to Alexandria and the exciting things that are going on in my life. In turn, I got to hear the exciting things that are going on in Philly, as Moats prepares for his second season in the NFL -- and a much bigger role in the offense.

Also on the Eagles' site was a column written by Dave Spadaro, who runs the site and writes a daily column about behind-the-scenes info in Philly. Here's what Dave had to say about Moats:

RYAN MOATS, RB
This is player who has made a dramatic improvement in his game. It's obvious to anyone who has seen him practice and play in the last year.

Moats always had the startling quickness and that low-to-the-ground running style. He's jitterbug-fast and he changes direction so well that I imagine he's like tackling a fish swimming downstream.

After a promising rookie year, Moats has made strides this spring. Where Moats has worked the hardest, it's clear to see, is his ability to catch the football and transition up the field. He battled the ball last year a bit. That was a weakness. He wasn't entirely comfortable coming out of the backfield and smoothly making a catch and getting into high gear.

In these post-draft camps, Moats has been outstanding catching the football. Not flawless, for sure, but truly outstanding. He is smooth. He is confident.
Maybe it's because Moats now knows where he is supposed to go that he's playing so well. He has the talent; he's also armed with knowledge now.

I have seen many instances when Moats and Brian Westbrook have been paired in the backfield, and I think that is going to give defensive coordinators fits. I would imagine that coordinators will challenge Moats when they see him in the backfield and that they will send a blitzer and force Moats to prove he can pass protect sufficiently. We will see in training camp how much Moats has improved in that phase of his game.

To date, there is no more improved player in this camp. Moats is exciting to see, and the thinking here is that the coaching staff is going to find a way to get him on the field a lot.

Chatting futbol

Had another story in today's paper. This was one of those stories that just happens. Was doing some work for the story that ran in yesterday's paper and just happened to run into this former women's national team player working a camp here in Alexandria. Had the chance to chat with her for about 15-20 minutes about the state of the game.

Very interesting. Learned a lot. I always enjoy talking with people who know soccer. For awhile, my only source of information was Binni. I sort of became Binni Jr. Now it's nice to get out and actually pick other people's brains.

The Cup starts today, for those of you who care. There are far too few of us who actually do in this country. In fact, opening kickoff is just about an hour and a half away right now.

I constantly hear people say, "Oh, you like soccer?" Like it's the plague or something. And they don't want to hear my chatter about the game's growing (it's the No. 1 youth sport in this country now). But I have firm proof. It's called TV. Did you know that EVERY game will be on TV this year? And not just like (to steal a line from Dodge Ball) ESPN 8, "The Ocho". I'm talking about ESPN, ESPN2 and even ABC. All 64 first round games will be televised. That's simply amazing and is positive proof that the game is growing here in America.

There will be plenty of good soccer on TV this weekend. Most of you, if you care at all, won't care until 11 a.m. (CST) on Monday -- when the U.S. opens its Cup against No. 2 Czech Republic. But for those of you who might want to check out some of the other top teams in the world, here's a list of some of the top games this weekend:

Friday
Germany vs. Costa Rica (11 a.m., ESPN2)

Saturday
England vs. Paraguay (8 a.m., ABC)
Argentina vs. Ivory Coast (2 p.m., ESPN2)

Sunday
Netherlands vs. Serbia and Montenegro (8 a.m., ESPN2)
Portugal vs. Angola (2 p.m., ESPN2)

Start paying attention

Well, I recently expanded upon my job title of assistant metro editor by putting together a package including this story and a column in Thursday's edition of The Town Talk. In addition, I will have another story in Friday's edition.

As the self-professed soccer guru of The Town Talk -- although assistant sports editor Jeff Matthews is also a fan -- I have taken it upon my shoulders to try and get more soccer coverage leading up to the world's biggest sporting event, which begins Friday (as an aside, the U.S. kicks off play at 11 a.m., Monday, against the Czech Republic).

For those of you who miss reading my stuff, here's a chance to get some good soccer facts backed with a dose of my opinions. I thought it came together for a pretty nice package, and tomorrow's story is a nice complimentary piece as well.

I don't know how much I will get to write, as my main responsibilities are on the editing side. However, I will keep everyone up to date whenever something like this happens.

Laval goes up in SMOKE

For the first time in more than 2 decades, LSU's baseball program appears to be in utter disarray.

Smoke Laval, LSU's head coach for the past 5 years and previously the head man at NLU/ULM, resigned Sunday morning, ending months of turmoil and speculation over his job security. Laval, who had the unenviable task of following the legendary Skip Bertman, now LSU's athletic director, had led LSU to 2 College World Series but couldn't fill Bertman's shoes and saw the Tigers finish eighth in the SEC this year and miss out on the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1984.

I feel bad for Smoke. The former LSU assistant was hand-picked by Bertman to be the coach's successor. But nobody wants to try to fill the shoes of a legend. It's always said you want to be the man who follows the man who followed the legend. Now someone gets that chance. But who will it be?

The News-Star's story lists Alabama's Jim Wells, Mike Bianco at Ole Miss and Kentucky's John Cohen. Other potential candidates are ULL's Tony Robichaux, Tulane's Rick Jones, Louisiana Tech's Wade Simoneaux and LSU assistant Turtle Thomas. With LSU's storied tradition, the list of potential candidates could be even lengthier.

But why would these guys want the LSU gig? The Tigers are far removed from the glory days of the 1990s, when Bertman won 5 national titles in 10 years. The SEC, arguably the best league in the nation along with the ACC, is very, very deep. And parity is beginning to seep into collegiate baseball. Sure, some of the big names are always there. But the talent pool is getting deeper and instead of the same 8-12 teams competing for the CWS every year, now there are a legitimate 20-25 teams vying for one of those coveted spots.

Let's take a look at each potential candidate and assess the possibility of their taking the LSU gig.

Jim Wells -- Has been at Alabama for the past 12 years, where he has built the Crimson Tide into a national powerhouse. In 1995, he took over the worst program in the SEC. Ten years later, what a turnaround. Won the SEC title this year and currently has Alabama ranked 4th in the nation. The Tide defeated Troy 14-5 Sunday night to wrap up its regional and will host a super regional next weekend. However, he does have Louisiana ties. Wells is a native of Bossier City and has previously coached for 5 years at Northwestern State. Wells also began his college career as a grad assistant for Bertman at LSU. Wells has coached in 3 College World Series in his career and has a good shot at a 4th this year. While it makes tremendous sense for LSU to take a shot at Wells given his success and Louisiana ties, I don't think he'd be too ready to leave Tuscaloosa -- unless the price is right.

Mike Bianco -- In his 6th season in Oxford, Bianco has the Rebels in the super regional for the second straight year after a 12-4 win over Tulane Sunday night. Bianco has completely turned Ole Miss around, winning a school-record 48 games in 2005 and another 43 so far this season. Like Wells, Bianco has ties to Louisiana and LSU. Bianco is an LSU grad and former LSU assistant under Bertman. He got his first head coaching gig at McNeese State, where he served for 3 years before moving to Ole Miss. Like Wells, Bianco has turned around a dormant program. Unlike Wells, Bianco has been in Oxford for a dozen years. After 6 seasons, especially if Bianco can get the Rebels to the CWS for the first time ever, it might be time for him to go back home.

John Cohen -- Considered one of the hot young coaches in the country, Cohen is in his 3rd year in Lexington and led the Wildcats to an SEC East title this year. He's also got UK in the Super Regional after a 12-9 win over Ball State Sunday night. Like the previous 2 candidates, Cohen has ties to Louisiana -- like Wells, he's a former head coach at NSU, where he coached for 4 years. Unlike the previous 2 candidates, he doesn't have any LSU or Bertman ties. Cohen played college ball at Mississippi State. He's a native of Tuscaloosa, Ala. After failing to win 30 games his first 2 years in Lexington, Cohen has had a breakthrough year. He might want to jump ship and take a higher-paying gig in Baton Rouge. Although he might want to build a program at Kentucky, his previous track record doesn't indicate that. He spent 5 years at NSU, 2 as an assistant at Florida and the past 3 at UK. His longest tenure was his first job, as an assistant at Missouri, where he spent 6 seasons. Of all the coaches, I think he'd be the most likely to jump ship to Baton Rouge.

Tony Robichaux -- Overall, Robichaux had a disappointing 2006, failing to make an NCAA Regional. However, for his tenure in Lafayette, he has put up some incredible numbers. In 12 years at ULL, he's won more than 400 games. In 19 total seasons, he's won nearly 700. Prior to ULL, he served for 7 seasons at his alma mater, McNeese State. While he's not quite the hot commodity he was in 2000, when the Ragin' Cajuns won 49 games and finished 3rd in the CWS, the man has been fairly consistent throughout his career. The question is his mind is can he get ULL back to the CWS? If he feels he's peaked in Lafayette, he may be looking for the next big thing -- a trip to Baton Rouge. However, the man has turned down jobs before, including LSU when Laval got the job. He's been loyal to ULL and is, at best, a longshot for the job this time. No question, though, the man can coach.

Rick Jones -- Jones has made Tulane a national power in baseball. In 13 years, he has 2 trips to the CWS. He's can legitimately say his team is a rival of LSU. Why would he want to leave? Good question. Tulane was knocked out of the NCAA Regional Sunday night by Bianco and Ole Miss. He's been to 13 regionals and the CWS in 2001 and again last season. In fact, his team knocked Laval and LSU out in 2005. But when is it time to move on? Tulane can still compete with anybody in the country. And Jones knows that. I doubt he'll seriously consider LSU should they offer.

Two other names that might get outside consideration are Simoneaux and Thomas. I doubt Sim has done enough at Tech to warrant serious consideration, and Thomas was passed over last time by Bertman. I don't see why this time will be any different. In the end, though, it should be fun to follow the saga. Will LSU ever be the same again? Depends on if they hire the right coach. In my eyes, Cohen or Bianco are the leaders in this chase.

America's Pastime -- college edition

The NCAA's baseball tourney kicked off this weekend as the 64 postseason teams began play in 16 regionals.

While my alma mater, Louisiana Tech, faded at the end of the year and didn't make the postseason, there are still plenty of times to Ruston.

In Tuscaloosa, Ala., two Ruston High alums are battling -- as Brandon Belcher's Alabama team has the No. 1 seed and Daniel Best's Southern Miss Golden Eagles were seeded third.

On Friday, Belcher, a leftfielder, went 1-for-5 in the Crimson Tide's 13-1 win over Jacksonville. Best, meanwhile, watched from the bench, as the nation's premier closer couldn't get into the game in Southern Miss' 10-8 loss to Conference USA rival Troy.

Today was better for Best, though, as Southern Miss stayed alive, beating Jacksonville 6-2. Best, a lanky 6-4 sidearmer, threw 1.2 innings to get his 13th save of the year -- tying him atop Southern Miss' single-season record books. The Golden Eagles will now play Troy again after Alabama won 4-3. Belcher, hitting out of the 8th spot, went 0-for-4.

On Sunday, Southern Miss and Troy face off at 1:30 p.m. The winner will face Alabama Sunday night, needing to knock off the Crimson Tide twice to advance to a super regional. Should Alabama lose Sunday night, the rematch would be at 1 p.m. Monday.

Tuscaloosa isn't the only regional with a Ruston tie. In Oxford, Miss., Best and Belcher's high school teammate, Stoney Stone, is a reliever for Ole Miss.

Ole Miss won its first game Friday over Bethune Cookman, 3-2, and then advanced to the championship with a 9-7 win over South Alabama. Stoney, a senior, has yet to pitch in the regional.

Bouncing around the rest of the regionals --

In Athens, Ga., Florida State appears ready to beat host Georgia, as they did 6-4 Saturday, and head back to the super regional. Going to the CWS seems like a rite of passage every year for the Seminoles.

In Austin, Texas, the Longhorns were stunned by Stanford, 12-8. National player of the year Drew Stubbs, another player with Ruston ties (although way down the line) has to pick his team up to get them to the super regional.

Like high scores, head to Chapel Hill, N.C. Winthrop 14, UNC-Wilmington 2. UNC 15, Maine 7. UNC-Wilmington 21, Maine 19. UNC 14, Winthrop 4.

At Clemson, Elon beat Mississippi State Friday. Maybe LSU does have a complaint. What happened to State, once the best team in country? Tech happened, that's what. Once the Bulldogs made that magical comeback, MissStake hasn't been the same. They came back to beat UNC-Asheville 5-4 on Saturday but now faces Elon again for the chance to face top-seeded Clemson.

Arkansas lost. At home. To Oral Roberts. Man, what has happened to the SEC?

It keeps getting worse. Kentucky, a No. 1 seed, lost at home to Ball State. Wow. Same regional. Notre Dame loses to College of Charleston. So much for the Irish's complaints about poor seeding. Kentucky came back to beat Notre Dame. Peace out Irish. Meanwhile, College of Charleston (who?) is rolling, 11-0 over Ball State.

In Lincoln, Neb., host and No. 6 team in the country, Nebraska, is 2-and-out -- losing 4-1 to Manhattan and 5-1 to San Francisco. Boy, those are two powerhouses there.

Out in Malibu, there was some good baseball. Two 3-2 games, No. 1 seed Pepperdine over Missouri and No. 2 UCLA over UC-Irvine. On Saturday, Missouri beat Irvine, 5-4, and Pepperdine beat UCLA 6-0.

Like many people out there, I don't follow college baseball too closely during the season, but I love the tournament!

Quick Hits
Das win the game! Dirk "the German Werewolf" Nowitzki scored 24 points to lead Dallas to a Game 6, and most importantly 4-2 series, win over former running mate and league MVP Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns. Nash had 19 and 9, while Boris Diaw, who came out of nowhere to become a star, had 30 and 11. Imagine how good this team could have been if Amare would have been healthy. One word: LETHAL!

Instead, it's Dallas getting over the hump. Can't say I'm happy. Nowitzki is good. Just doesn't excite me. Would much rather watch the uptempo Suns. They are what Dallas used to be. Guess Nash still can't get over the hump, though, despite the MVPs. Like Flash, aka Dwyane Wade. Hope the Heat win. Would much rather be watching Phoenix vs. Cleveland. Oh well. NBA playoffs. Catch the excitement!

Bonds watch: Appears 73* is safe. Pujols heads to DL with oblique strain. Meanwhile, Barry goes 2-for-3 with 2 1B, 2 BB, an RBI and a run in 6-4 win over Mets. Then, shockingly, he sits out the second game of the doubleheader, a 3-2 Giants loss.

It's over!!! I'm calling it -- my Braves are done. A doubleheader sweep to the D-backs drops Atlanta to 28-28, 6 games behind the Mets. Atlanta cannot continue to play .500 and keep its impressive streak of pennants alive. The MLB season is long, very long, but Bobby Cox has to do something to kickstart his team, especially his pitching staff.

Eric Musselman?!?! C'mon, Maloofs, you can do better than that.

Can't wait for the big b_hoss blog preview on Monday? The U.S. is rarin' to go. Follow the World Cup here.

It's not all about me

OK, for the past couple of weeks or so, I feel like all I've been talking about is me, me, me. Sometimes I get so busy that I forget to slow down and talk about other people besides myself. So that's what the majority of this post will be about -- you guys, the people who make up my life.

For the next, oh, 16 years or so this time of the year will be about one thing -- nephews. I've got three of them, and they all have birthdays in May or June. Connor, my brother's son, saw that milestone known as his first birthday last month. This past weekend was his birthday party, which because of the move and the new schedule, I was unable to attend. I did want to send out a belated shoutout to my boy, though. Caleb, my eldest brother-in-law's son, turned 2 years old yesterday, while Thomas, my other brother-in-law's son, will be 2 on June 30. Happy birthday to all!

There's also another celebration occasion in the McCormick household this weekend. In case you've forgotten -- June 4, that would be Sunday, is my anniversary. It's hard to believe it's been a year already, and at the same time that year has flown by so fast. So much has changed since we both said "I Do" in Pineville on that blazing hot summer day last year. I never would have guessed that one year later I'd be living in my own home across the river and working at The Town Talk. It's funny how life throws curveballs at you.

Another reason to celebrate: today was a big day for my boy, Grant Terry, who signed to play college baseball at Northeast Texas Community College. Terry will join two of his former Ruston High teammates, Cole Bishop and Turner Brasher, at NTCC. Just for the record, both Terry and Brasher are looking up at me in the standings of our fantasy baseball league.

For those of you who don't know my story with Grant, who I know simply as GT, here it is. I saw the kid around a lot during his first two years at Ruston High. He just, like me at his age, went to a lot of sporting events. Since I covered sports for The Leader, we talked about sports, naturally. Gradually, our conversations turned into friendship. And I'm proud today to call Grant a friend.

I'm very proud of him. Here's a kid who didn't play varsity baseball until his senior year. He could have easily quit, much like I did when I was his age. But he stuck with it. Due to his work ethic, he took an athletically limited body and improved himself to become a college athlete. Hopefully with continued work, he'll be wearing a Bulldog baseball uniform in two seasons. Congrats, kid.

My stepbrother, Wayne West, is getting married in a week. Less than a week now. Read more about it here.

Things are going well around the house. It's still a mess, just not quite as big of one as it was yesterday. I mowed my yard for the first time this morning. Not too much work. I've also edged about half the front yard, the rest I will finish Saturday morning. Now that was a lot of work. I can tell it hasn't been edged in quite some time. But when it's all said and done, the yard will look very good. And I will be able to keep up with it, so it won't require quite as much work next time.

Good news, since we're in that kind of mood tonight. Elizabeth got a job! She'll start working Monday at Sabine State Bank here in Alexandria. She will be able to build upon her experience at Community Trust Bank in Ruston.

Quick hits

Peace out Pistons. You got demolished by Miami.

Jon Papelbon is now 20-for-20 on save opportunities, extending his rookie record. The kid is simply lights-out right now with a 0.32 ERA.

Very interesting story on Adam Morrison by ESPN.com's Andy Katz. Katz, by the way, has always been one of my idols. He, along with John Feinstein and Mitch Albom, is perhaps my favorite sportswriter.

Speaking of the NBA Draft, things aren't looking very good for Louisiana Tech's Paul Millsap, who has fallen out of the first round in this latest mock draft.

Does anyone actually think Lance, or any athlete, is clean today?

Who is this Ryan Howard cat? Hit his 19th bomb Friday night.

Bonds Watch: No news due to rain. Next up: doubleheader on Saturday. Here's a bold prediction: Bonds will sit out the second game.

What's up with Frank Thomas? Guy is hitting .230 with 36 hits. 13 of them are dingers.

Can the D-League survive? It would certainly help the NBA to have a bonafide developmental league.

I'm planning a big blog on the World Cup, which starts next week. Most likely, I'll post it on Monday. Just a heads up, my first byline and column will appear next week. Both are on the World Cup.

All sports ... all the time

Let's dive right into the sports talk ...

Yeah right!

I know everyone out there wants an update on what's going on down here in Alexandria. Well, we're in the house. Tonight is our first night, and let me tell you, for all the trouble I've gone through already with this place, it's very rewarding to know the bed I sleep in tonight is in my very own home!

Boxes are everywhere. It's still a big, fat mess. But Elizabeth and I are home. We've got telephone service, cable and the Internet. So, as the Taco Bell commercial says, I'm good to go. We've the bed made up -- with our new sheets and comforter. I'm just very excited to be home -- and although Ruston has been home to me, this is MY home.

I've almost completed my first project. Without getting too nasty or descriptive, I had to take down all the air vents from the ceiling and clean them. After being soaked in Chlorox and water to kill the mold (after being soaked in water and Simple Green, then scrubbed by yours truly, I was told about the quicker, much more effective cleaning manner), the air vents were spraypainted white to make them look (almost) as good as new.

Well, I guess that was my third project. The first project was painting. The living room and dining room are (for the most part) done. The living room is done -- walls and trim on the bottom. We still have future plans to do some more around the windows, but I don't know when we'll get to that. The dining room -- the one we glazed -- actually turned out fantastic! It's a very pretty room. Elizabeth and her mom did a great job in there. We still need to paint the trim in that room, but we bought that paint tonight. Further plans are to repaint one of the bedrooms (which right now is set up as a nursery -- very pretty, but not us) and then to pain the den/computer room (TECH BLUE, BABY!) The second project was fixing the cabinet above the refrigerator -- which used to be the cabinet that was in the way of our refrigerator going where it needed to. Mr. Raymond and I took care of that project, and he also helped out a great deal over the Memorial Day holiday. Honestly, he was a life-saver. I'm trying my hand at this handyman stuff, and Mr. Raymond has showed me a great deal of tricks already.

Well, there's so much more that needs to be around here. Thankfully, we can relax and breathe a little, knowing we have plenty of time to get all of those chores done. One thing that has surprised me is just how truly big this house is -- 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen, living room, den and dining room. And besides the kitchen, which isn't small by any means, all of the rooms are BIG. Very big. I didn't realize how big until we got all our stuff in here. Our apartment was small and cozy. Our house is nice and big. I'm looking forward to filling it up ... in time.

What a week!

Wow, it's 10 a.m. Saturday morning, and I feel like my week is finally winding down. Yes, I have to go into work this afternoon -- sometime between 2 and 5 p.m., probably closer to 5. And man am I ever looking forward to my 3-day weekend (yes, it will be full of unloading and unpacking, but we'll get to that later). In addition to my normal Sunday and Monday off, I'll also be off on Tuesday for my Memorial Day holiday. It couldn't come at a better time.

I can honestly say I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders this week, and I neared the breaking point yesterday. I can't count (yes, I probably could, but I'm not going to) the number of hours I worked this week. It all boiled over yesterday, when I spent nearly 16 hours at the office and didn't get home until nearly midnight. As I've shared earlier in this blog, the week started out with my supervisor on vacation, which led to additional responsibility in just my 4th week on the job at The Town Talk. Then the managing editor (my supervisor's supervisor) was out on Thursday and Friday, as well. All of this in the middle of both graduation season (an absolutely deplorable time -- yes, I'm happy for the kids, but it's painful for us newspaper folk), as well as our major hurricane package, which starts in Sunday's paper and runs until June 1, opening day of hurricane season. Needless today, it's been one helluva week. I'm ready to relax. But I can't. Which brings to me the next part of my blog.

FRIENDLY ADVICE

Don't use U-Haul! Just listen to me on that one. It's not worth the headache. As I write this blog, my wife and her family are up in Ruston (thankfully) packing our belongings into a U-Haul truck. At 7:30 last night, we didn't know if we were getting a truck. Yeah, that just added to the stress in my life -- and Elizabeth's.

Despite doing what both of us thought was the "smart" thing -- reserving a truck online two weeks ago -- U-Haul apparently is way behind the times. You see, we live in an Internet age. Online banking. Bill payer. Information available 24 hours a day, seemingly at a moments notice. Many places, including a lot of banks Elizabeth has found out, only accept applications online nowadays. However, U-Haul just hasn't grasped that concept. Their online reservations are horrible.

We got an e-mail saying we'd get a call by 5 p.m. the day before we got the truck to let us know when and where to pick up the truck. Now, I'll admit, that should have been the first red flag. Like when I'm renting a hotel or buying a plane ticket, I want to be able to pick my date and have it set in stone. Apparently, you can do that at Budget. Even though Budget is slightly more expensive, I've learned it's certainly worth the extra cost! Oh yea, back to that phone call that I never got. I called at 4:59 literally, only to have U-Haul tell me nothing was available in Ruston and I might have to drive to pick up a truck. Not the best option, but that's cool, as long as they give me extra mileage. They'll call me by 8 p.m. Never got a call. Once again, I had to call them. Now the customer service on the phone wasn't horrible (it wasn't great either), but if you tell me you're going to do something, by golly just do it!

Anyway, there's a truck available in Shreveport. That's the closest to Ruston. Sure, it's only an hour out of the way. That's not horrible in the grand scheme of things. But oh wait, there's one available in Alexandria. Hey, we're in Alexandria. That'll be perfect! Oh, no. Too easy. Since we're dropping off the U-Haul in Alexandria, they can't give us any mileage to go to Shreveport. We'll have to pay for the mileage -- 40 cents a mile -- and it would cost us nearly $100 extra. Oh, yeah, and if we cancel that's a $50 fee. So we're stuck. And don't get me started about how Elizabeth and her parents had problems getting the truck this morning because we "weren't in the system" -- even though the customer service rep said she transferred me over and told me where to pick up the truck.

I'd like to believe it would have been better if I'd just dealt with the local company instead of going online, but I can't say that's true. A co-worker of mine also moving this weekend (which, by the way, is the busiest moving day of the year, I'm told; great timing there, Bret) recounted his problems with U-Haul to me last night at the office. He dealt locally in Alexandria and was scheduled to get his truck on Friday. Truck broke down. Couldn't get one. They'd call him this morning to let him know if he'd get one. Yeah, don't hold your breath with them actually calling. Lucky for him, he's just moving across the river (Alex to Pineville), but still, there are only so many things he can fit into his Grand Am.

It's been one big adventure! Again, will somebody please explain to me why I chose to move and buy a house???

NOW ONTO SOME GOOD NEWS

Got an e-mail from my friend, Erik Boyle, from Utah. We went to junior together in Ruston and played baseball together before his family moved to Utah. Through the years we've kept in touch via letters and e-mail, and the occasional phone call. On May 17, two days the 1st birthday of my brother's son Connor, Erik and his wife, Diana, got a precious gift they call Hannah Elizabeth. While I am in no way ready for any of my own, I love little children. I get such a joy from being around them. And I am very happy for both Erik and Diana. I know they will be wonderful, loving parents. Hopefully, Hannah is the first of many lovely little Boyles.

Personal message to Erik -- your life is about to completely change. I know this because I have a brother and two brothers-in-law that have children between the ages of 1 and 2 years old. Parenthood is one of the most difficult, yet joyful, tasks anyone can undertake. It is no longer about you and Diana. Everything is about that little girl. She will become your life. And I can honestly say, I know that's just the way you want. I'm proud of you, man. Keep striving for your goals, but remember, everything you do now affects that little girl. I'm sure she'll be Daddy's pride and joy. Good luck with many sleepless nights!

JUST A LITTLE SPORTS

For the most part, it truly has been a no-sports week. I haven't watched any on TV. The only way I've kept up with it is through our newspaper and the couple of minutes I've had online this week.

My buddy Kyle, an assistant sports information direction at Louisiana Tech University, called me from Fresno, the site of the 2006 Western Athletic Conference baseball tourney, to let me know my beloved alma mater lost to Hawaii in the first round of the WAC tourney, 8-0. The Diamond Dogs bounced back yesterday with a 14-9 win over Sacramento State and will play Hawaii in a rematch at 5 p.m. tonight. Thankfully, Hawaii's ace, junior Stephen Wright, a projected high pick in next month's MLB draft, won't be on the mound for the rematch.

No matter the outcome, and I think my Dogs will win, of course, it's been a great season for head coach Wade Simoneaux and his crew. Projected to be one of the worst, if not the worst, teams in the WAC, Tech started hot and is trying to play its way into an NCAA regional somewhere. There are currently 33-24, but probably need to win the tourney to get into a regional. Either way, the Dogs are here to stay. They had great senior leadership this year, but the majority of the team is very, very young. Freshman Jericho Jones is already a star, but he's going to be a superstar. The team's leading hitter at .365 with 16 HR and 56 RBI, Jones is also 5-3 on the mound as a starting pitcher. And, most importantly, he'll be in Ruston for at least two more seasons.

Meanwhile, LSU is out of the SEC tourney and hoping, praying for an NCAA regional bid. After beating No. 1 seed Alabama (which, unfortunately, might have clinched the NCAA bid), the Tigers were simply drummed by both Ole Miss and in a rematch with Alabama to go home with their tails between their legs. While the Tigers used to be the big dog on the block, they have simply been knocked off their perch in the ultra-competitive SEC. My boy Brandon Belcher (who's 3-10 in the tourney) and his Tide are rolling. But they must face another former Ruston boy, Stoney Stone, and his Ole Miss Rebels now. If Belcher can return on the mound next year, and the Tide get All-American and former Barbe High standout Wade Leblanc back for his senior year, they could be a dangerous duo next year.

Another Ruston High product, Daniel Best, one of the best closers in the country, now must wait and see if his career his over after his Southern Miss Eagles went 1-2 in the Conference USA tourney this week. Best gave up two hits in his only appearance of the tourney Friday, when the Golden Eagles were eliminated by Memphis 8-5. For the season, Best went 6-2 with a 2.19 ERA and a career-high 12 saves with 49 K's and just 10 walks. He was more than a closer this year, pitching nearly 50 innings in 29 appearances. While falling one save short of the single-season record, Best did set the school record for career saves with 23. He was the heart and soul of the pitching staff, which struggled all year as Southern Miss finished a disappointing 38-21 and tied for 4th in CUSA -- and now waits in hopes on a call about a regional.

That's all I have for you right now -- there might be another post tonight if I'm lucky.

Assistant handyman reporting for duty

First order of duty -- painting. Check. Well, almost check. The living room is done -- thanks to some last minute touch-ups by Elizabeth's mom this afternoon. The dining room has the base coat in preparation for the glaze -- you know, what I have no idea how to explain, but hopefully Elizabeth and her mom can do after watching The Woolie© DVD. Now they just have to add the other two coats mixed with the faux glaze that we bought at Home Depot.

Second order of duty -- becoming Mr. Raymond's assistant handyman. Not so check. I mentioned yesterday that we picked up our refrigerator from Sears. What I didn't mention is the refrigerator we bought was a couple of inches too tall to fit underneath the cabinet in the kitchen. So Mr. Raymond and I (yeah, like I'm useful) are "fixing" the cabinet -- i.e. cutting off a couple of inches to make the refrigerator fit. Well, tonight's adventure saw us take off the cabinet doors and cut off the spare inches. Now we -- err, Mr. Raymond -- have to fix the doors and make sure everything fits back into place. Anyway, I actually felt like I was useful tonight. Mr. Raymond is pretty good about that -- even when I'm not helping a bit.

Luckily, after a late late night Tuesday night, we made pretty short work of it tonight. Elizabeth and her mom finished up the painting, while Mr. Raymond and I tackled the fridge/cabinet problem after we had some -- hahaha, I left all of y'all hanging here. We had pizza for supper. We tackled the problem after eating Little Caesar's.

SOUL PATROL

Congrats to Taylor Hicks for winning American Idol. Taylor was one of mine and Elizabeth's favorites from the very beginning of the competition -- and apparently he caught the nation's eye, as well. Despite Simon's initial reluctance to send the gray-haired, soulful, dance-crazy Alabaman to Hollywood, even the black-teed tough guy warmed up to Taylor.

During the competition, it became apparent that Chris Daughtry was the best man on Idol. I still believe he should have won. However, I never stopped rooting for Taylor. His personality was just infectious, which is why he won -- despite his lack of certain characteristics you would think an American Idol would possess.

In the end, I think Taylor will be successful. He may not sell 10 million albums. American pop radio may be disappointed in Taylor. But in his eyes, in his mind and his heart, Taylor Hicks will be a success. He's living the American dream, as he says. And he will always have the faithful Soul Patrol -- his group of followers that drove him to the AI victory.

In a fitting touch, Taylor's first single is "Do I Make You Proud?" -- a song that could be viewed as somewhat cheesy. I prefer to view it as very touching. Yes, Taylor, in the eyes of all your Soul Patrolers -- you do make them, make that us, proud.

Why oh why?

I pulled up to the Granger residence at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, dirty, sweaty and exhausted. Now, almost 10 hours later, even after showering, I'm still "dirty" -- or better yet, just call me "painty". There are still specks of paint all over my arms, and I'm not certain I got the whole streak off my neck, either.

Remind me again why I decided to buy a house. Oh yea, I'm an idiot. That's the only explanation I can come up with for jumping feet-first into the heaps of debt, responsibility and flat-out work that is required with home ownership. And that's before we even move a single thing into the house. Well, check that, Elizabeth and I are now the proud owners of our very own refrigerator, which her father and I moved into the kitchen yesterday. Nevermind the 6 inches or so of cabinet that still must be sliced off to make the refrigerator actually fit into its hole.

Yesterday was a rough day. Another sports-free day. Heck it's going to be a rough week. Perhaps even a sports-free week -- something I don't know has ever happened before! I guess that's the price you pay when your immediate supervisor is out on vacation the same week you are trying to move into your very first house! Needless to say, I have responsibility everywhere this week -- more at work, and even more at home.

Even with all the "complaining", my 4 hours of painting yesterday yielded -- after Elizabeth's work all day while I was at work -- an almost finished living room. Much thanks to Our Lady Peace, the Supertones, Sixpence None the Richer and Jars of Clay for helping me through the tedious, arm-tiring work of using painter's tape and then actually painting.

Elizabeth and I love Ruston. We can't get away from it. Even after moving away, we decided to bring a piece of my home with us. Our living room will be Peach Ice -- a beautiful color that is very similar, in fact almost identical, to the color of our apartment in Ruston. After another long day of too much responsibility at work, I will get to go home and finish the few touch-ups I have left in the living. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and her mother will begin work on the dining room -- employing a concept I don't truly understand. I believe the term is glazing, and it looks very pretty in the pictures I've seen. Hopefully, it will turn out pretty on the wall. I'd explain to you what they are going to do, but I don't truly understand. All I know is it requires the Peach Ice as a base paint, along with some Mineral Red and a color in between. That's as good as you're going to get from me.

Oh the joys of home ownership. And I haven't even gone to buy my lawnmower yet!

Just sign here ... and here ... and on and on

No sports today. It was a sports-free Monday. Yeah, I know, tough to comprehend. But very true. I was much too busy to worry about sports today.

This morning Elizabeth and I signed our life away -- finally closing on our 3-bedroom, 1,900-square foot cottage house in the Garden District of downtown Alexandria. So now we own a house. Or more accurately we owe our mortgage company for the next 30 years for the privilege of living in the house we might one day actually be able to call completely our own.

It was a whirlwind day -- taking care of tons of things that must be done when moving and buying a house. Elizabeth starts painting tomorrow -- the living room and the den. We chose the colors and bought the paint today. I'm very pleased, and very excited.

There is still much work to be done before the big move this weekend. Some day, I keep telling myself, we will be able to relax a little bit and breathe. No, the work won't be over. Who knows if it ever will. There are so many things we'd like to do with our first home. So many dreams. So little time.

For now, I can just exhale and soak in the full (scary, yet exciting) understanding of the fact that Elizabeth and I are now homeowners.

Can we get some help in Cleveland?

LeBron couldn't do it by himself. Despite single-handedly keeping the Cavs in Game 7 against Detroit, willing his team back into the game after trailing 7-0 and 14-4 early, in the end Cleveland couldn't overcome the adversity -- playing on the road, in their first Game 7, against the defending NBA champs, without anyone besides LeBron willing to step up their play, take a big shot or contribute offensively.

I predicted an unbelievable individual performance from King James. Well, he didn't disappoint. Unfortunately, the rest of his team did. LeBron had 27 points and 8 boards, and only Larry Hughes -- his teammate who hadn't played in 4 games due to the death of his brother -- finished in double figures with 10 points. Boy do they need some help in Cleveland. Where were Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Drew Gooden? Apparently they never got off the flight to Detroit.

The loss, while depressing, is OK for the LeBrons. Even Michael Jordan had to face adversity -- at the hands of the Detroit Pistons, as well -- before he went on to win 6 NBA titles. The Pistons won as a team, with 4 players scoring in double figures, led by Tayshaun Prince's 20 points. LeBron couldn't do it by himself. What he needs in a good sidekick, a Scottie Pippen to Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant to Shaq. That was supposed to be Hughes, who missed most of the season due to injury and hasn't lived up to his billing. No. Cleveland needs real help -- a Chris Bosh or Charlie Villanueva, or another athletic young post player that can help LeBron over the hump.

What you saw from LeBron James this year was nothing short of miraculous. He had an MVP season, although he didn't win the award. And he's only 21. The best is yet to come for the superstar, who led the Cavs to the brink of the Eastern Conference finals, when most people felt they would be swept by Detroit -- especially after they fell into an 0-2 deficit to start the series. Just keep watching the kid. He's destined for greatness.

Babe ... Babe ... I Got You Babe

So I'm in the middle of reading all about Barry Bonds' alleged steroid use. Don't care. Not right now. I'm willing to celebrate No. 714 -- even if MLB and the rest of the world aren't. You see, today is a magical day. Yes, it honestly pisses me off to think that Barry Bonds cheated his way into history. And it angers me even more to realize that he's not the only athlete ruining the integrity of America's Pasttime. But let's just take a minute to celebrate the greatest player of this era, my era, The Steroid Era. After all, Barry was a tremendous player, an eight-time All-Star, a three-time MVP, even before he bulked up by using massive amounts of questionable, albeit not necessarily illegal, tactics. The steroids (and human growth hormone, insulin and whatever else he thought to ingest) didn't change his near textbook swing, and they certainly didn't improve his crystal clear vision, which is Bonds' truest, most powerful weapon against opposing pitchers. Yes, it's a time to celebrate. MLB didn't want Barry to catch the Babe. And they certainly don't want him catching Hank Aaron. But even Bud Selig can't deny that Barry Bonds is a truly special, memorable player.

Sucker Punch
Michael Barrett has some 'splainin to do. I'm still trying to figure out what the Cubs catcher was thinking when he slugged fellow catcher A.J. Pierzynski in a 7-0 Cubs loss Saturday afternoon. Here's the setup: A.J. is coming home trying to score. Barrett, as catchers do, blocked the plate. Before the ball arrived, Pierzynski leveled over Barrett, got up and slapped the plate emphatically to indicate he scored. Everything's cool, right? Wrong. As Pierzynski gets up to grab his helmet, which flew off in the collision, Barrett grabs him, for some reason complains he didn't have the ball (even though he was blocking the plate) and then even more inexplicably, simply cold-cocks A.J. in the mouth.

After the punch, as Pierzynski put it, "all hell broke loose." The benches cleared. Full-out brawl mode takes place. In the end, four players were ejected. Inexplicably, in the umpires' infinite wisdom, they ejected Pierzynski, who after doing nothing illegal, simply walked away after being punched. I'm still trying to figure out why he got tossed. After all, he was the "victim" in this. Even stranger, Barrett, the one who, ya know, actually threw the punch that started this whole deal, wasn't immediately ejected! Yeah, good job there, umps.

In defense of Barrett, he owned up to his mistake after the game. Shouldn't have punched the guy. You never hit a grown man. And he expects to be disciplined. Barrett was doing what catchers do, and Pierzynski was doing what runners do. Barrett just snapped and wasn't thinking. And he'll pay a price -- hopefully a big price. My suggestion: 20 games. At least. It simply was a sucker punch, one that could have been much worse if Barrett had actually landed it cleanly.

The two teams conclude the series on Sunday. I would expect it would be a clean game, especially in the light that there could be major suspensions arising from this. Now when the two teams face off again in a three-game series at Wrigley Field, from June 30 to July 2, it could get really interesting. For some reason, teams don't tend to forget these types of melees.

Barbaro Breakdown
Poor Barbaro. One day you're on top of the world, the next your life literally flashes before your eyes. The Kentucky Derby champ and Preakness favorite entered as the only horse in the field with a chance to win the Triple Crown -- the goal of every horse each year. Barbaro had all the glitz, glamour and pressure of being a champion. And it showed, as he jumped out of the gates early with a false start. The second time, he waited, but he wasn't in the race long. He quickly faded, the result of a fractured ankle, an injury that could lead to Barbaro's being put to sleep. You see, we humans get bed rest after a fractured ankle. Six weeks. For horses, that is impossible. So to put them out of their misery, they are literally put out of their misery. Euthenization. The horse that yesterday all it all, now may have only a few days remaining in his life.

Big Easy to remain 'Chocolate'
Wow. Ray Nagin somehow retained his job Saturday. More than 52 percent of voters apparently think Nagin is doing a good job as mayor of New Orleans. Either that or the city has no faith in Mitch Landrieu -- the state's Lt. Gov., the brother of the state's senior senator and the son of a former New Orleans mayor. How bad does Landrieu feel right now? A challenging Democrat, in a democratic city, lost to the incumbent Democrat, who acts more like a Republican than a liberal.

Coming off the heels of the worst natural disaster in America's history -- a crisis that pointed out Nagin's lack of leadership abilities -- the man whose approval ratings were in the low 30s just 8 months ago has been reelected. Simply amazing. I'm stunned. Nagin is a completly ineffective leader who loves to pop off at the mouth and scatter to the blame around anywhere but on his own shoulders. At times, he is incompetent. In fact, most of the time. Nagin makes Gov. Kathleen Blanco look like a powerful force in politics. And that's hard to do.

Where does Landrieu go from here? He still gets to keep his day job as Lt. Gov. -- a position held by Blanco before she became the state's top leader. But does losing to an incumbent mayor that nobody seems to like ruin your political career? It will be interesting to see how Landrieu bounces back. I think he's tapped out his potential -- any thoughts at a run towards the governor or a national Congress seat are pretty much thrown out the window now.

Quick Hits

It was a bad day for catchers, period. Braves catcher Brian McCann injured his ankle after being run over at the plate. McCann entered the game with an NL-leading .353 batting average.

Speaking of the Braves, how about they were destroyed by the D-backs. Brandon Webb, my fantasy team ace by the way, moved to 7-0 on the year with the win.

Let the countdown begin. Albert Pujols launched No. 21 Sunday, meaning he needs just 53 more to pass Bonds' single-season record.

Larry Hughes will play in Game 7 of the Cavs-Pistons series, which tips off at 2:30 p.m. Sunday on ABC. Hughes has missed the past 4 games after the death of his brother. He returned to the bench for Friday's Game 6 loss, but didn't play. ESPN Insider Chris Sheridan says LeBron's legend and Pistons' legacy are at stake.

Not that it's yet to the point where I'd actually care, but Buffalo beat Carolina to take a 1-0 lead in the NHL's Eastern Conference finals. Edmonton leads Anaheim 1-o in the West.

Am I right or am I right?

If you scroll down to my post last night about interleague play, I called the Chicago series "one worthy of paying attention to". Boy did I hit that one on the head -- or wait, did Michael Barrett do that for me? I love me some drama!!

Am I wrong or am I wrong?

Last night I also said Barry Bonds would be stuck on 713 until after Astros reliever Russ Springer returned from his 4-game suspension for plunking Bonds. Well, was I ever wrong on that one! Bonds blasted a leadoff HR in the second inning on a 1-1 delivery from Oakland's Brad Halsey. Now he sits tied for No. 2 with the Babe, one away from the goal he has strived for since he starting juicing back in 1998.

If Barry can ever relax -- and after one more HR I figure he will -- look for him to start deliver mammoth, dare I say Ruthian, blasts over the fence once again.

Some things just can't be explained

I read the tragic story of Kyle Ambrogi this morning. I can't lie and say this story didn't touch me. I can't stand suicide. Hate it. Perhaps it's because I don't understand it. This kid seemingly had the whole world at his feet, but there was something desperately wrong with his life that it caused him to commit suicide. Just let this be a sign to all of us that we need to enjoy every minute we get to share with our loved ones. We don't know how many more we're going to get.

King James Coronation Postponed

"Nobody thought we would be here"

The world's witnessing of the rise of a superstar unlike any other in basketball will have to wait one more game.

LeBron "King" James, despite another sterling performance with 32 points and 11 boards, couldn't muster enough to close out the defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons Friday night, falling at home 84-82.

The Cavs improbably, miraculously beat the Pistons 3 straight games -- something nobody had been able to do before all season long. However, they couldn't make it 4 in a row, and now must go back to The Palace to try to close out Detroit in Game 7 to advance to face Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals. Can it happen? Sure. Will it happen? It's not likely. However, LBJ has done stranger things. Call me crazy -- but I'm predicting something simply amazing from the 21-year-old phenom, a ridiculous individual performance, but more importantly a team victory.

BONDS WATCH
Barry Bonds is still stuck on 713. After going o-3 Friday night as a DH against the A's, it has now been 9 games since his last jack. Meanwhile, Central Louisiana (Pollack's) own Russ Springer was suspended 4 games for intentionally throwing at Bonds. Here's guessing Springer will be back before Bonds hits his 714th jack. The Curse of the Bambino lives!!!

Interleague Play
Tonight that great bastion of baseball tradition returned -- interleague play. It was a great concept when it was first introduced. For years and years and years, teams from the opposite leagues only faced each other during the World Series. It was part of what made the Series so special. It was also why interleague play was so intriguing.

Now for the most part, it lacks drama. Like when teams from the AFC and NFC play each other, it doesn't really mean anything. It's just another series. But there are some good games this opening interleague weekend.

The Battle for the Angels. Sure the Dodgers are L.A. And the Angels really are Anaheim, although they claim to be the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, or as Dan Patrick famously says, the Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim's Starbucks on 22nd Avenue. But it does present a regional rivalry, one that many fans in Los Angeles have an interest in.

Chi-Town. Sure the Cubs are losers, even if they aren't so loveable anymore. And the Sox are the defending champs, and once again one of the better teams in MLB. But it's still one of the best interleague series out there, and one worthy of paying attention to.

Subway Series. No interleague series, however, carries quite the drama of New York, New York. And David Wright's walk-off single over Mariano Rivera, who at 36 might not be the game's most dominant closer anymore, is just what this Yankee hater loves to see. Then again, with the Mets tearing up the NL East, any game they win is another dagger in the heart of my beloved Braves. But the season is long (too long, if you ask me, but that's another posting for another day) -- and any temporary damage to the Yankees is enough to cheer for!

QUICK HITS
Out with one Sutton, in with another. Hopefully Sean has learned some hard-luck lessons from his father over the years -- both in coaching and in life.

Pujols is quickest ever to hit 20 homers. The Latin Launcher is on pace to absolutely shatter Bonds' single-season record. If it ever comes out Pujols is juicing, I will lose all hope in baseball. The guy seems to have it all together.

Never, ever count out Timmy Duncan. Just when it looks like the Spurs are done, finished, caput -- back comes the Big Fundamental with a quiet 24 points and 8 boards. Manu Ginobili stepped up and led the Spurs with 30 points and 10 rebounds. It's back to San Antonio, where the Spurs will win their 3rd straight to wrap up the series.

Remember Danny Almonte? He's the kid who first became news by cheating his way to Little League glory. Now he's a high school All-American with a 90-mph fastball, a wicked curve and a 30-year old wife (what???). It appears his saga never ends. While expected to be picked in next month's MLB draft, if not he will attend a junior college in New Mexico to pitch and play first base.

Ryan Moats shares his thoughts on the Eagles latest mini-camp. The former Tech running back appears to be more comfortable in the Eagles' system and is primed for a much bigger role in his second season in the NFL. Paired with all-purpose back Brian Westbrook, the Eagles have a talented duo that is capable of making a lot of noise in the NFC this season. Hopefully, the quiet, humble kid from Dallas is ready to shine when called upon this year. For some reason, I'm positive he will be.

The big day

Obviously, today is a big day because of the release of The DaVinci Code in theaters. Haven't read the fiction. Meanwhile, here in Alexandria-Pineville, many are planning to protest the film's opening on Friday.

Just remember it's fiction. It's meant to be enjoyed in its element and context. Brown created -- well borrowed -- a fictional concept about Christ's divinity and a relationship with Mary Magdalene. But it's fiction. Enjoy it for what it's worth, and only what it's worth.

Now onto more important things ...

Finished reading Last Dance by John Feinstein tonight. Good book. It takes an in-depth look at the Final Four, starting with 2005 and UNC's national title run. However, the book is so much more than that. Feinstein gives his readers an in-depth look behind the scenes at Final Fours in years past. Feinstein, like many of my favorite writers, is simply, easy to read and a dogged reporter. While he doesn't hesitate to give his opinion, Feinstein will give you facts, facts and more facts. Part of me wants to become Feinstein, along with many more of my favorite sports journalism figures. He just loves covering sports -- something I'd like to be able to do myself some day.

Like I mentioned yesterday, the next book is Game of Shadows -- chronicling Barry Bonds' use of steroids, as told by two reporters from the San Francisco Chronicle. I'm very much looking forward to delving in to the dirty aspects of my once-favorite sport. For so long I was young and naive about baseball, thinking about the game in its purest form. Now I know it's changed, and I'll never look at the same way again.

Somehow, someway, I'm still fighting in my fantasy baseball league. Despite a recent slump -- well if you can call 3 weeks "recent" -- Hoss' Heroes are sitting pretty in a second-place tie, eight "games" out of first. If we can keep plugging away, Vlad Guerrero, Mike Young and Lance Berkman will heat up and start carrying the team like they are supposed to.

Apparently the ACC, upset over getting just 4 bids last year, wants to expand the NCAA tourney field. One option -- which I favor -- is adding 3 teams to make the field 68, then having 4 play-in, or "opening round", games. An option which I vehemently oppose would be to expand to 80 teams -- far, far too many. However, my proposal goes a step further. Unlike the current play-in game, my system would exempt all conference tourney champs from the play-in game. The 8 lowest at-large teams would square off in the opening round, then be placed in the bracket with a normal seed.

Sad to hear about Albert Belle. Belle was elected into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame last year. Buddy Davis, a former colleague of mine who covers the La. Hall, told me it seemed like Belle had genuinely recuperated from his bad attitude that he carried with him during his playing days. But it seems the Shreveport native can't shake his bad rap, and trouble continues to haunt him.

Guess who's back ...

Well, it's impossible to catch you up with what's happened in the last SIX MONTHS since I posted to my blog, so I won't even try.

MY NEW LIFE

Greetings from Alexandria/Pineville. For those of you who don't know, I have left Ruston and now am working at The Town Talk in Alexandria. Things have been a blur the past 3 weeks. Elizabeth is in Ruston for this one final week, and we close on our very own house this coming Monday. It's a very exciting time in the McCormick household.

CG BAND

Tonight I spent a few minutes with some buddies in The Commonground Band -- a praise and worship band based out of Ruston. It was good to catch up with old friends and relieve some old memories. When I was a student, I would travel around all over the place to hear these guys lead worship. They can simply lead people to the throne of worship. I enjoyed chatting with Brent, Chris, Josh, Jason and Jamie. If you get a chance to check these guys out, please do. They are about to embark on their annual summer schedule -- which keeps them bouncing from camp to camp every week.

I'M A WITNESS

Start believing! LeBron James is simply amazing. 32 points to lead the Cavs to a third-straight win over the Pistons. The defending NBA champs now sit on the brink of elimination. It's not supposed to be this easy for LeBron. Even Michael Jordan had to struggle his first few years in the playoffs. But here is LeBron, all of 21 years old, and he has his team on the brink of the Eastern Conference finals. I'm starting to believe the Cavs can win the whole dang thing. After all, if they can beat the Pistons -- and they have them on the brink of elimination with Game 6 in Cleveland -- then they can beat anyone.

While he didn't get named MVP, King James was named the top vote-getter on the All-NBA team.

BONDS WATCH

Why did Central Louisiana's own Russ Springer plunk Barry Bonds last night? That's a great question. It only took 5 pitches to do it, too! Barry is STILL stuck on 713 -- it's inevitable that he will catch and pass the Babe, and it makes for great drama the longer it takes him to get there.

Speaking of Bonds, Albert Pujols thinks we should all "give the guy a break". I can't ignore the signs anymore. Barry did steroids -- and the book I'm about to read will prove it!

But maybe we should all listen to Albert Pujols -- who, by the way, is the subject of a great story here . Don't we all just want Barry to disappear from the news? I know I certainly do.

WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN

The World Cup kicks off on June 9. I'm sure I'll talk more about this as it draws near. You can follow the latest developments of the team here. Just a quick aside -- the U.S. is not only in a tough group, but it also faces the stigma of trying to win on European soil, something the Yanks have always struggled with. While I think a quarterfinal run is not out of the question, it doesn't look good on paper going in.

SHAMELESS PLUG

To wrap up tonight's post, I want everyone to read about how great and wonderful I am!

Signing off for tonight -- I will see you later!