3 B's to Combating the Wintertime Blues

It's the last of January so I'll just come right out and say it. I hate winter. With a passion. Growing up in Wisconsin conditioned me to just stay indoors and that instinct has stuck with me in Utah, drawing some ski bums to ask me, "Why don't you like skiing?" And I reply ...

Seriously, believe when I say I've had my share of cold weather in my lifetime so any leisure time I have is not going to be spent bundled up in a North Face jacket on a ski hill.

Anyway, here's my personal, non-skier guide to the 3 B's of combating, and distracting yourself, from the winter doldrums.

Beer: Doesn't every solution begin with beer? My personal choice would be Samuel Adams Winter Lager to keep you warm.

Basketball: The conference races and battles from the NCAA Tournament bubble really start to take shape in February so buzzer-beaters and intense games across the nation will become a nightly occurrence in college basketball. And it couldn't be better timing. With the Super Bowl on Sunday (GO BRONCOS!) depriving us from football until spring drills start for the college guys and NFL mini-camps in March, we're not left with much else except Blackhawks hockey until baseball gears up. And of course, March basketball is the best basketball there is.

Baseball: Speaking of baseball, the opening of spring training is the ultimate sign of springtime.

The first set of pitchers and catchers to report is the Arizona D-Backs' pitchers and catchers report to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Feb. 6!). My beloved Cubbies roll into Mesa the following week and hold their first full workout on Feb. 19. I'm really excited to see who wins this year's bunting tournament. (Not really, but that seems to be the biggest news because they can't make any other moves, but that topic deserves its own post).

But in the meantime, here are some alternatives to get your baseball fix:  

- Replays on MLB.tv
- Rewatch Ken Burns Baseball documentary
- Baseball movies (Major League I and II, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, just to name a few ...)

Stick with the three B's and it will be summer in no time.  

The Iron Brigade --- WISCONSIN MADE

I came across an article on the Wisconsin Historical Society's web site, http://preview.wisconsinhistory.org/Content.aspx?dsNav=N:4294963828-4294963805&dsRecordDetails=R:CS3355/, detailing the Civil War triumphs of Wisconsin's most famous group of soldiers, the Iron Brigade.

The Iron Brigade included units from Indiana, Michigan and a section of the U.S. Military Light Artillery, but the majority of its members were from the great state of Wisconsin as its 2nd, 6th and 17th infantry regiments led charges for the Union in several crucial battles.

ON WISCONSIN! (Courtesy of ironbrigade.net)

Even to this day, I like to think that the origin of the nickname 'Iron Brigade' reveals the core qualities that make the citizens of Wisconsin so special.

The name "Iron Brigade" came from a remark made by Gen. George McClellan when he saw the brigade advancing under a murderous fire. He was told, "It is Gibbon's Wisconsin brigade." "They must be made of iron," McClellan replied, and the name stuck.

General George McClellan (courtesy of http://jarosebrock.wordpress.com/union/henry-halleck/george-b-mcclellan-draft/)

It is that kind of toughness that sets Wisconsin apart. And the serves a precursor that the people of Wisconsin will keep persevering and advancing forward no matter which obstacles are in their way, whether it is heavy snowfall, freezing temperatures or a budget crisis.

The Iron Brigade fought in two of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War: Antietam and Gettysburg. If the people of Wisconsin can make it through that then a rough winter suddenly doesn't seem so bad.

And they say history is for nerds ...

Well, I am a nerd, but not because I like history. Were you aware that the owner of the Blatz Brewery, Valentin Blatz, was born on this date in 1862?

According to the Wisconsin Historical Society (http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/thisday/?action=search&month=10&day=1), Blatz was born in Miltenberg-on-the-Main, Bavaria, came to New York City in August of 1848 and then arrived in Milwaukee in 1849, where he founded one of the most well-known cheap-beer producers the Midwest has ever seen.

Blatz has evolved into a cultural icon right up there with Pabst Blue Ribbon, The Beast (Milwaukee's Best) and Natty Ice, so be sure to tip one back for good old Valentin and be thankful advertising for beer has progressed somewhat from the add below from http://milwaukeebreweries.wikispaces.com/Images:

First of all, I must be getting punked ... There's no way this add is real. But let's dissect it for comedic value any way, shall we?

'How Mother and Baby "Picked Up": What better way to get the whole family through a tough day than some Blatz?

"A case of Blatz Beer in your home means much to the young mother, and obviously baby participates in its benefits": A sixer just won't cut it. The wife and baby need a case. And perhaps my favorite part: "and OBVIOUSLY baby participates in its benefits." So let's get the whole family trashed ... errgghhh, I mean ... participating in the nutritional value of Blatz beer.

"The malt in the beer supplies nourishing qualities that are essential at this time and the hops act as an appetizing, stimulating tonic."

The kids these days have some crazy slang, but "nourishing qualities" has to rank right up there ...

Vacation Recap

I just returned from 11 days of rest and relaxation back in my native state, Wisconsin. I go back twice each year to visit family and friends. Here is a quick rundown of some highlights ...

Meet the Carters
Catching up with my family is the primary purpose of the trip so I met the Carters: my brother-in-law Kevin, sister Ann and of course the main attraction, my niece Reese (who is turning 2 in August).

My niece, Reese Carter, with my mom.

My dad and I took in the Pirates at Cubs game on July 7 from the right-field bleachers at Wrigley Field: A 3-2 11-inning, victory for the good guys! (Go Cubs Go!). By the way, don't look now but the Cubs have been playing decent ball recently, taking six of their last eight and pulling away from the Brewers for cellar-dweller honors in the N.L. Central. (And due to operator error, my thumb managed to photobomb two out of the three photos ...)

No summer vacation to Wisconsin would be complete without a brewery tour so I went with my parents and Ann and Reese to the Lakefront Brewery, which was a short walk from where my sister lives in Milwaukee. And we ended up missing the actual tour because we strayed too far away from the group after registering, but that was beside the point. It was a great time! Good conversation and good beer! On tap for next summer is a tour of the New Glarus Brewery for some Spotted Cow.

I hear the tour was good ...

I ventured west to Baumgartner's in Monroe, Wis., for Wednesday night ribs with my mom's side of the family. This place was awesome and I'm already scheming to come back for Green County Cheese Days in September 2014!

Baumgartner's in Monroe, Wis., with my mom's side, the Albrechts.

A visit to the O.G. with my parents and my aunt Marge and her husband Rol on my last night in Wisco was a great way to end the trip!

There were also a lot of little things that made this vacation memorable:
- Laying back in my designated recliner and having coffee with my parents every morning
- Being able to thoroughly enjoy Jay-Z's "Holy Grail ... Magna Carta" four times without interruption
- Going to work out at the Janesville Athletic Club whenever I felt like. (Quick sidenote, I did manage to go 10 times).
- Getting recommendations on books and movies from parents. I took notes on my iPhone and now have homework assignments!

So now I'm refreshed and re-invigorated for the upcoming year of University of Utah Athletics! Go Utes!

- Mike

Jazz Need to Do Their Own Thing Now

There comes a time in everyone's life where you have to move out of your parent's house and go out on their own.

For me personally, it meant going to college and moving across the country to pursue professional endeavors. I needed to get out on my own and succeed and/or fail by my own accord and this is what current Utah Jazz head coach Tyrone Corbin must seize his independence as well from the Jerry Sloan era of Utah Jazz basketball.

Hiring Karl Malone and today's news of Sloan onto the coaching staff as a senior basketball adviser just perpetuates that need to cling onto the past.

RT @GregInUtah: I am pleased and honored to have Jerry Sloan back in the Jazz family in an official capacity.
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 19, 2013

One of the toughest things to do in sports is to follow a legend and it must be especially difficult under the circumstances that Corbin found himself in after Sloan's abrupt departure midway through the 2010-11 season amid the controversy with the Deron Williams trade.

I understand the significance, value and downright necessity of honoring and embracing the tradition of a successful organization. It is great to build statues, give them court-side seat or name facilities after great players from the past, but having them around and involved in the day-to-day operation of the current team could prove to be a distraction.

Think about your own job. Would you like it if the predecessor at your job, who was really good and was loved by everyone, just came back and started observing and nit-picking at your every move? Maybe even pointing out your shortcomings or offering unprompted 'This is is how I would have done it ..." suggestions.

Malone, John Stockton and Sloan built Jazz basketball into what it is today, but that was about 15 years ago and now is the time is now for the current Jazz squad to create its own legacy.

Ever since Sloan resigned in 2010-11, the Jazz have struggled to choose between the old and new with their product on the floor, too. A spirited debate has swirled around the Wasatch Front over the last two seasons about whether the Jazz should go for playoff appearances with a veteran roster filled with players like Al Jefferson, Raja Bell, Marvin Williams, etc., or should they sacrifice some short-term success and think long-term and turn the reigns of the franchise over to the youth movement with players like Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, etc.

To me, the youth movement is the way to go. Why be happy with an eighth seed in the Western Conference? The only way the young guys that they drafted based on potential can turn that potential into production is to play every night and take their lumps on the floor.

The Jazz cannot have it both ways and it is time for them to pick one plan and go with it. So what's it gonna be? We'll have to stay tuned.

- Mike

Jinxed It

Are you kidding?

You're kidding me, right?

Just when I'm pumping up the Spurs as the ultimate closers.

Just as I'm sure the Heat were going to finally be stropped.

Manu Ginobli misses the front end of a double-bonus free throw situation. Mike Miller misses a 3-point attempt, but the Spurs can't grab the board and Chris Bosh finds a drifting Ray Allen in the corner behind the 3-point stripe. SPLASH.

I'm still stunned.

In past 15 seasons, teams up exactly 5 points with between 20 and 30 seconds left, as Spurs were last night, win 98.6% of the time.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 19, 2013

The best franchise in the NBA over last 15 years was up 5 with 28 seconds left and they couldn't close the deal. And there was no way they were going to win in OT after that.

The worst part is that even though neither team has won back-to-back games yet in the series, I don't know how the Spurs can come back and win Game 7 on Thursday. But that's the great thing about it, the Spurs will have 48 minutes to prove me wrong and I really hope they do!

Coffee Is For Closers

Finishing. You can either do it or you can't.

This fact defines winners and losers in every walk of life.

Any individual or group can cruise along to success when things come easy from the start, but winners create their own success after facing adversity and manage to do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals. Now when, I use the term 'losers,' I'm not pointing to people who come out on the short end of a contest or on a scoreboard (I've lost plenty of games in my lifetime), I'm referring to people who go away from what they know is right (i.e. cheat) or just give up altogether when the first sign of adversity hits them.

Of course, no matter what you do for a living, you need to have poise under pressure to get where they want life. I simply use sports as an example because of the endless exhibitions of courage and persistence that are on display in front of millions of people each day offer us a tangible sequence of events that exposes how a group performs 'in the clutch.'

Some teams thrive when the game is on the line and they are rewarded for it. The San Antonio Spurs have a chance to clinch the NBA Title as I type. In Game 6 of the NBA Finals in Miami, the Spurs' lead was cut to 1 but they didn't panic and immediately stormed back with an 12-0 run of their own to claim their largest lead of the game (to this point).

Not panicking and sticking to your proverbial guns in crunch time is the most admirable trait of champions that I can see. That's why I always look at the third-down conversion rates of championships football teams. You can always bet that it will be a pretty good percentage because great teams always seem to come up with big plays when the they need them most.

To this day, I still remember going to Camp Randall Stadium on Nov. 19, 1997 to watch No. 24 Wisconsin take on eventual national champion Michigan, ranked No. 2 at the time, with eventual Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson and Brian Griese. I couldn't dig up the box score, but I remember that every time the Badger crowd and defense would get revved up for a much-needed, big, third-down stop, the Wolverine offense never wavered and would convert and move the chains. The belief on that sideline, even under the intense scrutiny of more than 80,000 Badger fans, was so powerful that it didn't matter how loud it was, the Wolverines were going to pull out the win.

And on the other hand is my favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs. This a cursed franchise if I ever saw one and they never seem to come up with big plays when it matters most. I'm not sure what it is. They just lose composure and stop doing what brought them to the edge of success. The Cubs just collectively tense up and stop believing in themselves.

Everyone knows they haven't won a World Series since 1908 and everyone remembers that meltdown in 2003 when it seemed like they just gave up and started feeling sorry for themselves after Steve Bartman interfered with Moises Alou down the left-field line. Tonight, the Cubs were ahead 4-1 heading into the ninth at St. Louis, but Starlin Castro was able to come up with the play they needed to preserve the 4-2 win.

I guess Blake from Glengarry Glen Ross is wrong tonight! The Cubs get to drink their coffee!



And remember, sports are merely an example of the importance of being able to finish. If you don't get that big sale or promotion you were looking for, stick with what got you to this point, fight through that adversity and be ready to pounce on that next opportunity.

My name is Mike and I'm a motivational blogger.