True Confessions of an Originaljoesnake

Back for another season with the Bedford Bearcats, last season’s blog can be found here. Cleveland.com is using a new blogging platform this year, so I’ve got a new address. Hopefully, the tens of people who read about the Bearcats last season will be able to find this blog at the new site and get their BHS football fill.

Of course, this season brings at lease one notable change- The ‘Cats have a new head coach, John Gibbons, who coached last year at St. Ed’s. Many of Bedford’s top players have returned this year, including quarterback Shon Byars, tailback Brian Darden, linebacker Jared Kimber, defensive back Jerrell Hodge, and lineman Nick Scott, who was picked by the Plain Dealer as the Lake Erie League Erie Division’s Preseason Most Valuable Lineman.

The weather on August 24, last Friday, if you remember, was extremely hot and humid with air feeling stagnant and oppressive. Under these muggy conditions, the Mayfield Wildcats rode into Bedford Stadium for the first game of the season. Although it cooled down eventually that evening, the Bearcat offense never broke out of looking like the day’s weather was feeling. If you were not promptly in your seats for the start of the game, you missed the only briefly watch able offensive play for Bedford- a massive touchdown run by Brian Darden that would have started the game off with a bang, but instead was showered with yellow flags and called back by a penalty. Mayfield then put 21 first half points on the board and needed to do little else to secure an easy opening game win by a final score of 23-7 and head home up 271.
Mayfield and quarterback Frankie Ferritto were impressive early on. Ferritto demonstrated agility and pose all night, avoiding the Bedford rush with his feet to make big plays downfield with his arm. In the first quarter, Ferritto avoided a rush and bombed a 38 touchdown pass to tight-end Dan Coleman. Special teams were the huge, deciding difference in the contest, however. The Wildcats used Carey Spears’ big leg to pin Bedford back deep on kickoffs and took advantage of the Bearcats’ weak punting game to harass punter Jared Kimber into multiple bad punts, including one that Mayfield blocked and recovered for the score to make it 14-0 in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Ferritto avoided a Bedford blitz and threw another bomb, this time to wide-out CC Smith for a 31-yard score. This effectively put the game out of reach, yet both teams continued to battle fiercely. The defenses of both Bedford, with the exception of about three big offensive plays by the Wildcats (the 2 TDs and a 30-yard Mike Gype run up the middle), and Mayfield were sharp all night long. Bedford could get absolutely nothing going on offense for the majority of the game, repeatedly trying to run the ball out of 4 or 5 wide sets. Wildcat linebacker Jake Powall was a tackling machine, harassing Bedford ball carriers all night long.

Bedford did get one score in the third quarter, as junior running back Jerrell Hodge tip-toed the sideline into the end zone on a 9-yard run. Senior Brian Darden was aggressive and impressive playing opposite his usual side of the ball at linebacker. However, the Bearcats will need to find consistency and success at the quarterback and running back positions to ensure a successful season. Coach John Gibbons rotated both Byars and Sophomore Bruce Edwards at Q, but both were stymied by the Mayfield defense with Edwards playing more snaps near the end of the game.

Tonight, the ‘Cats try to even their record and make the short trip to play Maple Heights at beautiful Stafford Park (you know, behind Liberty Ford and Wendy’s).

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Shearer’s Buffalo Wing Bleu Cheese Kettle Cooked Extra Crunchy Potato Chips are the best potato chips I have ever eaten. 

 These chips represent the pinnacle of human ingenuity, creativity, and accomplishment. Truly, I am reminded of what God said at the Tower of Babel, that when humans unite, “nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them”. I mean, if we can make a chip taste amazingly like a buffalo wing, effectively containing an intense flavor explosion on the surface of a normal potato chip, what can’t we do?

Vick

A lot of people have trouble believing Michael Vick when he apologized for dog fighting. He was involved in the “sport” for years; organizing, bank rolling, and gambling on the fights and only after he was backed into a corner with irrefutable evidence did he finally admit wrong doing. Initially, Vick claimed he was innocent and “looked forward to clearing his good name”. This is a guy who, for the majority of his life, has gotten away with just about anything he wanted to because of his immense athletic ability. Vick’s had a number of infamous off-field incidents in the past and was already viewed by some in the sports world as a thug. He probably thought he played life by different rules because of his talent and took for granted the wealth, women, and excess that his physical gifts afforded. I’m not saying he lived an entire life of horrible thuggery, but He probably scoffed at the whole dog fighting controversy, thinking he’d never get into any actual trouble.

But then he did. His football got taken away from him and to the people who matter; Vick’s star status wouldn’t get him out of the situation. His “boys” were ready to testify against him. At this point,Sports Center has been overrun with images of Vick at court, pleading guilty to the charges and apologizing for what he did.

It would be naive to except Vick’s apology (like he owed me an apology anyway) outright and think that the dog fighting was a one-time mistake that won’t ever happen again. Michael Vick has been involved in dog fighting for years, doing things most people consider heinous, reprehensible, and worthy of condemnation to hell. I don’t think he was doing the dog fights thinking to himself “I’m so evil and heinous”, rather he probably didn’t feel like dog fighting was really that bad. Without going into all the racial implications being made about this, he was involved in a “sport” that most of mainstream culture just doesn’t understand.

[Vick went] by the nickname “Ookie” around the Bad Newz Kennels…the name of the outfit that operated from Vick’s property and raised pit bulls to fight.

So, to think overnight Michael Vick has changed his whole way of thinking just because he got caught- I’m skeptical. However, Vick’s unmistakable expressions of contrition, shame, and remorse…genuineness may be questioned, his comments… were among the most apologetic remarks ever heard by a professional athlete. ” The apology didn’t seem like it was written by a PR person, it seemed like Vick was genuinely sorry. Whether he’s sorry for the actual dog fighting or just sorry that he got caught I don’t know and I don’t believe anyone else really can say for sure, either.Only time will show if Vick is truly repentant for his actions or not. We all can speak words, but actions will demonstrate that Vick has actually changed his mind about dog fighting. A lot of media are saying Michael Vick can show he meant what he said by donating to animal abuse charities and shelters and volunteering at them. This would be a great idea and if Vick is truly repentant and humble in heart, he’ll do something like this.It’s a little insane that people have acted so harshly towards Vick because of his involvement in dog fighting. Don’t get me wrong: what Vick did was horrible. I could not fathom how a human being could do things like he did to animals. But to say:

“I am confident that the hottest places in Hell are reserved for the souls of sick and brutal people who hold God’s creatures in such brutal and cruel contempt!“ as West Virginia Senator Robert Byrddid is crazy. If anyone should know about forgiveness, judgment, and second chances, it’s Senator Byrd, who in his younger days was a leader in the Ku Klux Klan and at one time viewed African-Americans as “race mongrels”. Do we really get to determine God’s punishment for Michael Vick just because our culture values pets? Honestly, Vick would have received far less public outcry if he would have faced murder or rape charges.The portion of Vick’s apology that stopped me was:

“Dog fighting is a terrible thing, and I did reject it.I’m upset with myself, and, you know, through this situation I found Jesus and asked him for forgiveness and turned my life over to God. And I think that’s the right thing to do as of right now.”

Did Mike Vick really accept Jesus Christ? Predictably, some media are saying this was a predictable cop-out by Vick to play the God card and have taken this opportunity afforded by Vick to point out that it’s so typical for someone to turn to Jesus when they’re in trouble like this. Was Michael Vick just trying to get the sympathy of “people who believe in such rubbish”?

On the other hand, it takes drastic, horrible, suffering or circumstances and mistakes we create in our lives because we’re horrible at life before we finally realize that we don’t have everything figured out and all together and we do need God. That’s the nature of salvation: we need to stop trying to handle things and realize that we can’t. If Vick finally realized that for all his on-field accomplishments, he still was an off-field screw-up in life and asked Christ into his life, that’s awesome.

I’m skeptical as hell though. Michael Vick is extremely gifted, yet thus far hasn’t used his talents to be a positive role-model to those looking up to him. A lot could be said about that- Is it really Vick’s job to be a role model? Did he ever really have a suitable role model himself? Real role models aren’t measured by vertical leap, they’re measured by things like character and integrity. However, like it or not, along with being considered one of the most talented athletes ever comes the implied responsibility of having it together off the field too.

I swear though, I always root for these kinds of players. I wasn’t a Michael Vick fan before, but I’m hoping he honestly has turned to Jesus and gets his life together whether or not he’s ever a success on the field again. Maybe this time he can make good on the opportunities his talent affords him, rather than exploit these gifts. Vick will get a chance to play again, for the same reasons he thought he’d never be caught in the first place- he’s too good for a team not to take a chance on him. The NFL is full of drunken-driving, wife-beating, maniacs just like the rest of society. The only difference is the NFL has the ones who can score touchdowns. It might make the story more compelling if he where to come back and do well again in the NFL, while at the same time being a success of the field and staying out of trouble.

Vick is going to be my new William Green, the former Browns running back who had a plethora of infamous off-field incidents before his release from the team. While not the superstar Vick is, Green seemed, at least at times, to have all the physical tools to be a good player in the NFL. He just kept screwing up off the field, driving drunk (with no shirt or shoes on) or getting stabbed by his girlfriend. Supposedly, Green had a tough up-bringing and I always hoped he’d turn his life around and have success for the Browns. Sadly, without a “Where are they now?” episode of former Browns draft picks to work from, or a generic list of gifted people who’ve thrown it all away, more often than not these super-talented players too often make mistakes, fail to live up to huge promise and greater expectations, and never recover.

I’m cautiously optimistic, but I hope Vick is different and truly undergoes a remarkable life change.

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Brady Quinn is looking good and I don’t mean in a homo-erotic way, although the new buzzed hair-do looks way better. It’s apparent that he’s going to be the Browns’ starting QB sooner than later. In the 3rd quarter he threw a perfect 30 yard spiraling pass to Joe Jarevicius. The ball was a bomb that landed precisely in Joe’s arms after avoiding the defender. Replays seemed to show that Joe managed to get both feet in, but Romeo didn’t challenge (probably because his mind was on post-game hoagies) which was criminal because I haven’t seen a Browns QB throw a pass this beautiful since the days of Bernie.

Bernie Kosar was a good great quarterback, but he may be an even better commentator. Bernie always sounds and looks drunk and isn’t afraid to say things normal announcers would cringe at. I remember last year Charlie Frye threw an awful pass (you remember that too, don’t you) and Kosar quickly exclaimed something like “He’s going to get his reciever killed!” or something like that to the horror of the other announcers in the booth with him. He’s really rough in the booth. He’s sporting a red t-shirt. It looks like Bernie just rolled up to the studio in his sweats and a T and the station had to find a sport coat to put on him for television. Some people are saying that Bernie might have Parkinson’s, which isn’ t that far-fetched because he’s talking crazy, jittery, and doesn’t look good.

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The new rides at Cedar Point are all super tall, amazingly fast beacons of man’s ingenuity for thrill seeking and money making. A day at Cedar Point is a hot, sweaty, chaffing, bank account draining, exhausting experience. The genius carnies behind the mega-park grind you down all day with a simple and expected formula: long lines, waiting, walking, waiting, walking, long lines, waiting, hot, sweaty, walking, the wafting of BBQ smells into the lines, well-placed pop machines in the lines, waiting, walking, elephant ear smell, long lines, waiting walking, hot, sweaty, until you submit, curl up into the fetal position, open up your wallet and start buying overpriced everything in sight.

I mean, for a penny pincher, Cedar Point is hell. I think I’d save myself mental anguish if I’d just approach a day at the theme park like smart folks approach Las Vegas- they set aside a certain amount of money that’s reasonable and then they go into the gambling with the mindset that losing that amount is expected. Once they lose that amount, they stop. Does betting $50 on a hand of black jack make sense? Well, about as much sense as buying a $5 pepsi at Cedar Point does, but you go into both situations expecting to lose money because the odds are not in your favor- the house always wins.

Do I like going to Cedar Point? No, not really. But, every year or so, it’s part of being an American type person and it’s just what you’re supposed to do. Besides, there are things to do at an amusement park that are fun and don’t cost money. A trip to Cedar Point is as much a day of waiting in line as it is an advanced master’s degree program in Bad Decision Making: Tattoos, Body Piercing, and Apparel. Where did all these tattoos come from? Why did it seem a good idea at the time to get a tribal basketball on my arm or a full back tattoo of my last name over a humongous cross? If I’m a woman with big, droopy breasts and cellulite, why wouldn’t I wear a bikini? Truly, I am amazed at the amount of people that have tattoos. I’d say not having a tattoo is the new tattoo. 20 years ago, a guy with a full-sleeve of tats on his arm was a severe outcast from society. Now, you see normal looking suburban fathers that are all inked up.

So, Cedar Point and amusement parks in general are this American tradition. Cedar Point keeps coming up with bigger, faster, and more innovative ways to “thrill” people with rollercoasters and rides. I have to believe that an underwater ride is next. Can you hear the bored-out-of-his-or-her-foreign-exchange-person-spending-the-summer-in-Sandusky-mind Ride Operator now: “You’ll reach speeds up 2324 MPH and be under water for more than 3 minutes! Enjoy the rest of your day at Cedar Point, America’s Rocking Roller Coast!” Let’s see the line for the coveted “front car” on that underwater ride, as the people in the front would be first to smack into the water…

I guess what’s so exiting about rollercoasters is they’re so fast and kind of dangerous, right? I mean, you’re twisting and turning and up soooo high- you could potentially fall and die. Some people don’t ride them, it’s too scary, while others get off on the thrill. I’m somewhere in between- the long lines aren’t really worth the thrill, but rollercoasters are fun-when they’re not slamming you around, making your head hurt. But, in my opinion, the newest most “dangerous” rides really aren’t dangerous at all. These multi-million dollar Millennium Forces have been so tested and retested and they shut down for hours at the slightest wind blow without a moment’s notice to the chagrin of people that have been waiting for two hours in line. No, the real death trap at Cedar Point is those damn Sky Cars- those little rickety booths that suspend a hundred feet over the midway on a rusty ass little cable. If you’re going to die at Cedar Point, it’s crashing to the ground in one of those. Seriously, when I ride those things, I’m white knuckled on the pole in the middle of the car the entire time.

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