Case of the What If's?

Let me first throw out a quick movie tip for your weekend: don't go see "The Mist". I saw it on Wednesday night and haven't slept right the last three nights. Above and beyond for Stephen King and that's all I have to say about that.

Usually, football will bring me to a better place and keep me from having to go into a "deep thoughts" moment. Yesterday, however, was not one of those days. I spent a good hour or so switching back and forth between the end of the games between Arkansas-LSU and Texas-Texas A&M. I have been so exhausted with college football in previous years because the games in the regular season have all this hype leading up to a bowl season that yields a return of memorable plays and bragging rights. In other words, I'm in favor of a playoff.

This year, I have paid more attention just to see all of the number one and number two teams get to the height of the pedestal only to be knocked off in a matter of a week or two. My question today is not to those teams but to the posers in Fayetteville and College Station: what would have happened if you played that way every week? What if Dennis Franchione could inspire and lead his team to play the way they did yesterday every week? What if Houston Nutt implemented Darren McFadden and Felix Jones every week as well as he did yesterday?

Watching Arkansas run the ball the way they did against LSU who, for the time being is the #1 team in the country, was a masterpiece. Imagine if they could have done that against Tennessee? What if A&M could play every week with the passion that they bring against Texas?

On the flip side of the coin, both Texas and LSU are asking "What If" questions this morning. I imagine a mental checklist that is rifled through to answer the "what could we have done better" or "what didn't we do that we did in practice" questions. Life lessons learned for all four teams last night.

What about us? I feel like I always ask the "What If" questions....I usually try to answer those before a situation occurs but life will continue to throw curveballs when we least expect it. My gameplan today may look completely different than what is drawn up a month or year from now. The moral of the story is to always perform at the best of one's ability no matter what the record or the score because the "What If" questions are always the hardest to answer.

mmmm...Pumpkin Pie

Wrapping up an era and starting a new one. I'm about to become a full-time youth and family minister and decided it's time to begin writing. My wife says I'm a great writer and I've always received great grades on papers so why not start the WAY OVERDUE process of beginning a blog. So, how else to start off a blog on Thanksgiving weekend, as I watch the first snow of the year get eaten by my dog, than to talk about food!? Is it fair to identify a holiday with a certain kind of food? For those who know me, familiarity with food isn't exactly a weakness of mine but there are certain things that must be eaten at certain times of the year and ONLY at that time of year.

For instance, marshmallow bunnies are never good but they have a little attraction around Easter. Who eats candy canes in the summer? You eat them at Christmas especially if they have been freshly picked from someone's Christmas tree. Nothing says 4th of July than a good burger off of the grill and nothing says Thanksgiving better than a piece of pumpkin pie.

It signifys the holiday more than the turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing. It is the cherry on the ice cream sundae, the banana on the split and the crunchy things on grandma's green bean casserole. It makes watching the Detroit Lions lose a little more unsettling and makes watching the Dallas Cowboys win a little more satisfying.

Pecan pie, you ask? Too rich and a bit too nutty. Cherry pie? Please....not even considered a holiday food. It is the smoothness of the pumpkin that makes Thanksgiving Day all so perfect.....and please pass the Cool Whip.