I can’t stand North Austin A-Holes who stay in the right hand lane when they want to go straight even though there is a green right hand turn signal!
I drew a map to better explain myself.
As you can see there are two lanes on Great Hills Trail. The right lane has a red stoplight to stop you from going straight, but while that red light says you can’t drive forward, there is a green right hand arrow saying, “Hey it’s all cool to turn right”. Now I know this intersection well. I used to work at The Ann Taylor that is just beyond the Great Hills Trail and Jollyville intersection. When I worked at the AT I would get in the left hand lane and then once through the intersection I would change lanes into the right hand lane so I could turn right into the shopping center. I did this four to five times a week for over four years. It is not hard. Therefore I don’t understand why other people can’t do this. It is not hard to change lanes after the intersection! I never missed my turn! Don’t worry people, you will have plenty of time to easily move into the right hand lane to get to Starbucks and Saks. But do people think about other people? No, they don’t. They can’t get their mind off their Venti Mocha Latte long enough to logically think that they are sitting at a green arrow light and maybe the cars behind them would like to turn!!! I’ve never wanted a “You’re a bad driver and shouldn’t be allowed on the road” neon sign on the top of my car more than when I’m trying to turn right onto Jollyville so I can get to work.
What else I thought about on my way to work…
Everyone that knows me knows that I am a huge football fan. I could care less about basketball, baseball, golf, tennis… but I love me some football! College or Pro; I’m not picky. Boyfriend has gotten me hooked on listening to sports radio. Every since the start of preseason I’ve been switching back and forth between 104.9 The Horn and ESPN’s 1300 and 1530. I can’t get enough of it. I enjoy a lot of what they have to say and I disagree with a lot of what they have to say. NFL Football has already tested my patients and it is only week two. What continues to bother me, and to a lesser extent Boyfriend, is that no one will talk about Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans. Since they are not the Cowboys, Patriots, Eagles, Baltimore, or Jets they get no air time.
Okay, so this morning I was actually excited to get in the car and turn on the radio because I figured after the horrible lose to Pittsburg, those radio people would have to talk about Tennessee. (It’s sad that I know they will talk about how horrible Vince is but never how great he is.) But still they aren’t talking about the Titans. They can’t stop talking about Michael Vick playing for the Eagles and Mark Sanchez at the Jets, but no Vince. Angry, I turn off the radio.
Then it hits me! Vince Young is totally just like Ron Weasley from Harry Potter. Hear me out…
Yes I know Ron Weasley is a red headed, British wizard with a deep love for Quidditch and Hermione and Vince Young is a black quarterback from inner city Houston with a passion for football and this mom and grandma. Yes, they are very different. Horrible people with no imagination might even call out the fact that Ron Weasley is a fictional character and Vince Young is a real man. Like I said hear me out…
In Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Book #6) Harry Potter becomes Quidditch caption and has to hold try outs for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Ron Wealsey has always wanted to find glory on the Quidditch pitch. Even in Sorcerer’s Stone (Book #1) we learn that when Ron looks into the Mirror of Erised he sees himself as Quidditch Caption. Over the complete Harry Potter series the reader understands that Ron isn’t dumb and Ron isn’t bad at sports like Quidditch, but he doesn’t have a lot of positive self esteem. Ron has five older brothers who all, in their own special way, have gone on to be extremely successful. Whether it is working with Dragons or running their own joke shop, Ron believes he has a lot to live up to. Therefore when he is 16 and gets the opportunity to try out for his house’s Quidditch team, he is nervous as hell. His nerves are his problem. Harry knows that Ron is a good Keeper because he has played two on two Quidditch with him every summer since they were 12, but Ron cannot see or understand why anyone, let alone Harry as team Caption, sees him as anything other than a clumsy failure.
In Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Ron makes it on to the Gryffindor House team. (With a little help from Hermione.) For the first game of the season Hermione catches Harry pouring a potion into Ron’s juice before the match. She freaks out because she thinks Harry is cheating by giving Ron some of his Felix Felicis or Liquid Luck (which is illegal for a player to drink before any sporting games). Ron freaks out because he is sure he is going to have the best game ever because he will be lucky. As he is walking down to the pitch the sun even comes out, which in no small event in England. Ron thinks he will stop every Quaffle from going through the three tall hoops because he is lucky. In all reality, Harry didn’t put anything in his drink, but just let Ron think he did. Ron played well because he wasn’t self doubting himself. He played well simply because he is a good player who was able to get past his own self doubt and pity.
Okay, Vince Young time. Vince Young is a good quarterback. People can talk all they want about his weird throwing style or how he can make awful decisions, but you can’t argue with his record and awards. He was the 3rd overall 2006 draft pick. During his first year he was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He has been to the Pro Bowl twice. His record for the Tennessee Titans is 35-10. No matter what people think of his personal life or his mindset, the man is a good quarterback. But, just like Ron Weasley he lacks the self-esteem to be the greatest and to live up to his full positional.
Vince Young can be amazing when he is on, when he is hot. The 2005 BCS Championship game proved that. He pretty much single handedly won that game for Texas. The same thing happened again last year when Tennessee played the Arizona. Funny enough he was playing against the same quarterback, Matt Leinart. Vince did the same thing he did in college. He took charge and in the last seconds, when the Cardinals has pretty much packed up on the sidelines, charged down the football field, into the end zone and won the game. Say what you want, Vince can be awesome.
His problem comes about when he isn’t having such a great day. One interception he is okay. Two interceptions and he completely losses it. It’s like he can’t remember how to be great. You can see it on his face. He has this, “Oh shit Grandma, how do I play this game again?” look under his helmet. And it gets worse and worse as the game goes on. His team had five turnovers on Sunday and Coach Fisher took him out of the game. Okay here we can kinda compare Fisher to Harry Potter. Harry Potter would never have taken Ron Weasley out of a game. (Yeah I know in Quidditch there are no substitutions, but you get the picture.) Harry believes in his friend and teammate. Jeff Fisher, although he doesn’t have to be Vince’s friend, doesn’t believe in his team’s leader and starting quarterback which is only going to make Vince feel worse and not play any better.
We never learn in the Harry Potter series if Ron gets over his self esteem issues and becomes a great Seeker and Quidditch player, but I think he did. He stabbed the Horcrux locket in the woods, he kept fighting after the death of his brother Fred, and he even remembered to save the House Elves thus winning Hermione’s heart for good. Yes, I think he got over his fears.
What will happen to Vince? As much as I love Tennessee and the whole team, I almost think he needs a fresh start with a team and management that hasn’t seen him struggle up close and personal. I want him to be great, but to be great you have to have your team behind you and that includes coaches, managers, and owners. Vince you need to get out of your head, remember that you are a good quarterback and you can be great… just like Ron Weasley.
No comments:
Post a Comment