Words for Thought - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lately a lot of the quotes I have come across and taken inspiration from have been by Ralph Waldo Emerson so I decided to dedicate this blog entry to his words of wisdom.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” (One of my favorite of all time)

“Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.”

“For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”


“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”


“Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live as well as think.”


“Always do what you are afraid to do.”


“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”

 

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”

“We must be our own before we can be another's.”

“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.”

“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.”

“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.”

Chickstrong for Cancer

Kudos to these to cheerleaders for doing what many of us ladies would probably be afraid to do for someone we really didn't know. They shaved their head to raise money for cancer in honor of the Colts Head Coach Chuck Pagano.

Personally I think they look stunning without their hair.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000100359/Colts-cheerleaders-shave-heads-in-honor-of-Pagano?campaign=Twitter_videos_chuckstrong

My Crush of the Week - J.J. Watt

 Decided I would start a new weekly posting called My Crush of the Week. As anyone who knows me knows, I have had a crush on Tim Tebow for about 6 years. My girlfriends all though it was funny last year when Tebow-mania went wild because I have been talking about him non-stop for years (what can I say, I am a trend setter). Not only is he handsome, athletic, kind and intelligent, he also seemingly has a heart of gold when it comes to his charitable work. These are the types of guys I will be dedicating this weekly entry to; guy who are more than just their looks and use their celebrity for a greater good.

  This week's inaugural recipient is J.J. Watt, defensive end for the Houston Texans. When J.J. isn't busy sacking QB's or swatting down passes (how many of Mark Sanchez's did he swat down?) he spends time bonding with 3 orphan's he befriend earlier this year when their parents were killed in a head on collision. The accident left the sister Willa severely injured and the 2 boys paralyzed from the waist down.

The article reads as follows J.J. Watt Sack Celebration


A connection with a local family prompted J.J. Watt to alter his signature sack celebration Sunday.
After the Houston Texans star brought down Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne during the fourth quarter of a 43-37 overtime win, Watt mimed the motion of moving a wheelchair. He did it in honor of Willa, Aaron and Peter Berry, three children who were orphaned in July 2011, when a head-on collision killed their parents.
Willa, who was then 6, was severely injured in the accident. Aaron, then 8, and Peter, then 9, were paralyzed from the waist down. Watt has developed a close relationship with the Houston-area children.
"I was eating dinner at their house on Friday night," Watt said, via the Houston Chronicle. "They said they're going to be watching the game. They said give us a signal. I said OK, when I get a sack, I'll do the wheelchair."
Watt and the children came up with the idea for the sack celebration while playing a game of wheelchair basketball last week. When Watt got his opportunity, he didn't disappoint.




Below is the link for the foundation that was set up for the Berry Children, lots of adorable pics of J.J. with the boys.
https://www.facebook.com/BerryChildren


So not only is J.J. attractive and talented, he also has a heart of gold. What more could a girl ask for? Well done J.J., it’s always nice to see someone using their celebrity for a greater good.

That's all for now,

Sassy

P.S. Please send any suggestions for next weeks crush of the week, who and why.

My Current Obsession - Leopard and Lace

I have always had a love of animal print, whether it is clothing or accessories. Lately I love paring leopard and lace together. I like how the sweetness of the lace balances out the toughness of the leopard print.

Below are a few of my favorite looks and pieces.

                        

Notre Dame is #1!!!

Last night while I was out I looked at twitter and saw that both #1 K-State and #2 Oregon had been upset (awesomely enough be RGIII and Andrew Luck's replacements). I at once became giddy with happiness like a little kid. I don't think I was even that happy the day I met Tim Tebow. As a life long fan of ND, I truly never thought this day would come again. These past 16 years have been brutal since Holtz left.

Do I believe ND is better than likely to be #2 'Bama, probably not. But hey no one thought that ND could beat Oklahoma, so all things are possible if they meet in the National Championship.

ND's last stop en route to the National Championship is a game at the Coliseum in LA vs. USC next Saturday. It's always a great game between these 2 with USC winning most of the games as of late. I mean who could forget the 2005 "Bush Push", the same season USC went on to have their butts whipped by Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns in the National Championship. USC came into this season with a lot of hype and high expectations ranked #1. QB Matt Barkley came back this season for his senior year for a chance to play for the National Championship or go to a Bowl (since their bowl suspension is over) AND win the Heisman as he was the clear favorite in the beginning of the season. I feel bad for the kid because he no longer has a shot at the Heisman, USC kind of sucks this year (despite being loaded with talent) and he separated his shoulder when he was sacked last night in a loss to UCLA.  I don't wish an injury on anyone, but ND's road to the National Championship seems a lot easier now that Barkley is likely out next week and frosh Max Wittek starting in his place.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/prishe/2012/11/18/magnitude-of-notre-dames-2012-brand-restoration-hinges-on-usc-game/

As always, the past has taught me to be cautiously optimistic with ND every game; expect the worse, hope for the best.

All I know is I will be out in full ND garb next Saturday at 8pm ready to watch ND beat USC and head to the National Championship. GO IRISH!

Till next time,

Sassy

Games of the Week

Giants are on a bye and ND is playing Wake Forest this week so not too much for me to be excited for this weekend. But here are the games I will be tuning into.

#13 Stanford vs. #2 Oregon - This will be the Ducks first real test this season aside from USC (who has failed to live up to their hype this season despite being loaded with talent). 'Bama's loss to Texas A&M last weekend has opened up the race for the National Championship. If Oregon, K-State and ND can stay undefeated the rest of the season it will be interesting to see how things play out in the BCS computers. Oregon without doubt has the most explosive and speedy offense in college football, question is can their D stop a pretty good Stanford offense. I take the Ducks in this match but really would not be shocked with a Stanford upset.

#3 Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest - This is ND's Senior Night and last home game of the season. I look for the Senior's (T'eo, Eiffert, Wood, Golic Jr. among others) to play their hearts out Saturday night. As it stands now T'eo aka Heismanti is # 2 in the Heisman race behind Klein of K-State. It would be nice to see a deserving defensive player win for a change, but my guess is barring Klein playing horrible the last few games, the Heisman is his. I take ND in this game, but as always I am cautiously optimistic with ND.

Jets vs. Rams - Remember last year when everyone blamed the Jets woes on OC Schottenheimer, yeah will he is gone this year and they still suck. Schotty is the OC of a steadily improving Rams offense lead by former Heisman winner Sam Bradford. He also has a dependable receiver in Amendola and a great RB in Steven Jackson. Given the discord in the Jets locker room and their atrocious play as of late, especially offensively, I am guessing the Rams will win this game. But who knows, maybe the Jets will surprise us all and actually play well enough to win a game.

Colts vs. Patriots - Great game with 2 of the best QBs this year, Brady one of the best of all time vs. Luck one of the future stars. The Colts have been playing inspired football as of late and have been looking surprisingly well. Patriots have been great but also inconsistent. I personally hope the Colts pull off the upset since I hate the Patriots, but no matter what it will be a great game.

Lots of concussed QB's out this week; Vick, Cutler and probably Smith. Nick Foles the rookie for the Eagles will be making his first start, if he plays well I suspect he may win the starting job soon. Bears fair a bit better in that their backup Jason Campbell actually has a few years of starting experience in Washington and Oakland, but the Bears are playing San Fran this week so it will be a tough game for the Bears to win even if Cutler was starting. Smith has not been ruled out yet, but if he is Kaepernick has played pretty well. Would be interesting to see a MNF game with 2 backup QB's.


That's all for now.

Till next time,

Sassy

The Jets are free falling and the backstabbing has commenced

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/tim-tebow-terrible-unnamed-jets-teammate-tells-york-130832876--nfl.html

I see the Jets are back to anonymously talking about each other. I find this article funny because an anonymous Defensive player is saying Tebow is terrible. I'm sorry, I seem to recall Tebow wearing the Jet's D down last season and running all over them and through them (yeah I am talking to you Revis and Jim Leonard) and helping to lead the Broncos to a win over the Jets 1 year ago. Looks like some Defensive players are still a bit bitter over that. http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_19359785

I give Matt Slauson credit; he is man enough to own up to his words unlike all of the other anonymous sources and players. If you are playing a grown man's game you should act like a grown man and own up to your words or keep your mouth shut. No one is playing well enough on this team (except maybe Nick Mangold) to be bad mouthing another teammate.

Sanchez has now had 3 1/2 years to prove he is worthy of being a franchise QB and I really do not think he has proven that. Maybe he could be under a new coach or with a better supporting cast, but I think his days with the Jets are numbered barring a dramatic turn of events. So why not see what you have in Tebow or McElroy.  I am not saying Tebow is a great QB (he is a great athlete I know) or he is the solution to their problems. Truth is the Jets really do not have a talented enough coaching staff, the playbook or the type of receivers or running backs (ok the Jets really have no talent at either position) to really let Tebow work his magic like he did in Denver. As for McElroy, he is not as great of an athlete as Tebow and Sanchez, but what he lacks in athletic skills he makes up for in intelligence (he scored 43 out of 50 on the Wonderlic and applied for but did not win a Rhodes scholarship). In 2009 he also led his Alabama team to a victory over Tebow's Florida Gators in the SEC Championship game and to win the National Championship vs. the Texas Longhorns. So he is no stranger to big stages. As much as I would love to see Tebow start, the Jets are in a free-fall and I don't know that anyone can really save them.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/tim-tebow-terrible-unnamed-jets-teammate-tells-york-130832876--nfl.html

Words for Thought - Hope

In light of recent events in the tri-state area and discord about the presidential election outcome my topic for the week is Hope.

“You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one.”

-          John Lennon

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.”

-          Bil Keane

“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.”

-          Emily Dickinson

“The world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places. But still there is much that is fair. And though in all lands, love is now mingled with grief, it still grows, perhaps, the greater.”

-          J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

“Hope
Smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering 'it will be happier'...”

-          Alfred Tennyson

“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”

-          Martin Luther King Jr.

“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”

-          Barack Obama

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”

-          Epicurus

“Hang in there. It is astonishing how short a time it can take for very wonderful things to happen.”

-          Frances Hodgson Burnett

Great Weekend of Football

What a great weekend of college and NFL football. Looking forward to having football take my mind, albeit temporarily, off the devastation of Sandy on Hoboken, NYC and the tri-state area.

College

LSU v 'Bama - rematch of last years National Championship where 'Bama killed LSU. 'Bama is going into this game ranked #1 and undefeated, LSU is ranked # 5 with 1 loss to Florida. I am taking 'Bama in this game, their D is looking incredible and their QB McCarron is playing great and has far more experience playing big time games than LSU rookie QB Mettenberger. 'Bama is looking good this year but I don't know I would go as far as HC Nick Saban to say they could beat and NFL team, well maybe Kansas City.

Oregon v USC - Going into this season USC was supposed to be the team to beat this year with QB Matt Barkley returning and some of the best receivers in college football. I am not a Lane Kiffin fan so color me happy to see USC struggling as of late and Barkley aka Ken Doll falling out of Heisman talk.  Oregon goes into the game ranked #4 and and 8-0, USC goes into the game ranked #17 and 6-2.
Oregon has pulled their starters early in the last 2 games vs Arizona St and Colorado and still won overwhelmingly. They pulled their starters half way through the 2nd qtr last week vs Colorado and still won 70-14. No one has ever questioned how fast and talented their Offense is, outside the SEC they are the fastest (if not the fastest with DAT) most skilled college team. The knock of Oregon has always been on their Defense. This year their D has really stepped it up and I think it will be the difference in the game this year. I am taking Oregon (in their first real challenge of the year) to beat USC in this game.

Notre Dame v Pitt - Usually I am skeptical about any ND game, but this year things have changed. The #4 ranked team is playing great football on both sides consistently. I do not want to jinx myself and ND, but I am taking ND to beat and unranked Pitt this year. God I hope I am right. Looking forward to watching T'eo put up another Heisman worth performance.

NFL

Giants v Steelers - Gmen look to continue their winning streak versus the Steelers this week. It's a battle of 2 of the best QB's from the 2004 draft class,Manning and Roethlisberger. They have only played 2 times since then, once in their rookie seasons with the Steelers winning 33-30 and again in 2008 where the Giants won 21-14. Manning will be up against the NFL's top-rated pass defense in a Steelers unit that is yielding 182.6 passing yards per game, but a meager pass rush that has only 12 sacks all season. The absence of Polamalu has been big for the Steelers. Hopefully the Giants can get a good running game going. The Steelers offense has looked less than stellar this season as QB and OC Haley have continued to bang heads and not see eye to eye on the direction of the offense. Steelers will be traveling game day to NY as their hotel is still without power due to Sandy and no rooms available elsewhere. I have the Giants winning, but it will be a close game.

Eagles v Saints - Both teams have had better seasons. The Saints seem to have the advantage as they have been playing much better with the return of Vilma and Interim head coach Joe Vitt. The Eagles look like a train wreck as of late. The were decimated last week by the Falcons, looking lifeless and clueless on both sides of the ball. Vicks ball management skills have continued to plague him all season. Some suspected that Reid would bench Vick this week for Nick Fowles but I don't think starting a rookie for his first time on MNF at the Superdome would be the best time to do that. If the Eagles lose this one I suspect more changes will be coming to the coaching staff and starters. Not really sure who I take here, I give the Saints a slight edge, but their D is horrible so maybe Vick has a chance.

Colts v Dolphins - Only thing I am looking forward to in this game is seeing how Andrew Luck and Ryan Tannehill fair vs each other. Two very impressive rookies with a lot to prove. Both teams have been playing well as of late, should be a good game.

Misc.

In other heartbreakng news, My Tebow apparently has a new lady friend Camilla Belle, not sure how I will survive this heartbreak.

Jahvid Best who has not played a game in over a year has officially been ruled for the rest of the season and possibly for his career. Sad what severe head injuries can do.

Giants will be activating Travis Beckum, TE who tore his ACL in the Superbowl for the for this Sunday's game. They made room for him by waiving backup guard Mitch Petrus. Should be interesting what roster moves they make next week when Safety Will Hill returns from his 4 game suspension

That's all for now. Till next time,

Sassy

Look of the Day - Emily Blunt

I am not usually a big fan of orange, but Emily Blunt looks absolutely amazing in this orange Alexander McQueen halter gown with a gorgeous rhinestone collar. She keeps her hair, makeup and accessories minimal making the dress the focal point. Her McQueen knucklebox clutch is brilliant, it's jewelry and a purse in one. The end result is chic and stunning.