I've decided I'm going to try and write weekly blogs with the thing that I had on my mind that week.
Yesterday Shayne and I went to Katie and Skyler's new ward. Skyler got called to serve as a member of the bishopric in one of the UVU student wards. One of my biggest pet peeves of the church is that most members don't know how to bear testimonies anymore. After sacrament meeting I felt that all I heard was a bunch of stories of trials that either tried to one up the previous story, or just try and get you to feel sorry for them. I also heard some "testimonies" that made me feel like they just wanted me to see how well they were living their life. I was getting so annoyed that I was half tempted to just go up and bear my testimony on what testimonies are.
When you bear your testimony you are standing as a witness and telling everyone in the congregation what you know and what you believe about this gospel. It is not a time to tell everyone stories. It is not a time to thank everyone for what they have done for them. Save those for your blogs, relief society, or girls/scout camp. I don't care how you're feeling stressed because you had to drive here, and you don't know if you have enough gas to get back home. I never want to hear the phrase "before I bear my testimony I just want to share an experience with you" This is not the time.
In closing I just want to say that I think the best way to bear your testimony is to bear like you do after giving a talk. After everyone gives a talk they always bear their testimonies on the things they talk and that they are true. That is how we should all bear testimonies. I don't mean to be a stickler, and I'm not trying to be black and white here. You can have funny testimonies, and you can also have powerful testimonies, but please just make it a testimony, and not a storymony/thankamony.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Let Them Play
With the college basketball season narrowed down to four minutes, and my bracket looking almost worse than my two-year old niece's I decided to write about something different than who the best team is or anything like that.
I know some of my comments might sound a little sexist, but really you can't say anything unless you know sports or have played them yourself. Let's start with Women's Basketball, next to soccer, the most boring sport to watch. I'm sorry ladies but there is no talent in women's basketball. The university of Conncectiut is currently on a 75+ game winning streak, and hasn't lost a game in over two years. Frankly, I'm not that impressed. I give all credit to Connecticut, but let's be real here. I truly believe there's roughly 10 ladies in women's basketball with true athletic skills, and I think five of them are on the Huskies' team. That leaves all the other teams in the country to try and play with what they got. The reason why you haven't seen a men's basketball team do that since the days of John Wooden and UCLA, is because there is so much athletic talent in the men's league that there are numerous teams, loaded with talent. To me, UConn just out talents every one of their opponents, but men's basketball there are many teams on the same level and that's why it requires good coaching, and many other facets to influence a game.
My next comment is about the post player from Baylor. Her name is Brittany Griner. She is 6'8" and has just set the record for most blocks in an NCAA tournament. Again, hello? She's 6'8" and every other girl out there is lucky if they reach 6'3". I sure hope she can be able to block every single girl that comes in for a layup. No 5'8" women have the hops to jump over her and dunk it so all she does is just stand there and put her arms up. To be honest with you I don't even think she should be playing. During the middle of this season Brittany got in an altercation with a player from Texas Tech. Instead of pushing back or just walking away she came back and punched the player like a gang banger. What punishment did she receive you ask? TWO GAMES. Call me crazy, but I think any altercation like that deserves a suspension for the whole year. Heck Lagarrette Blount from Oregon was suspended for 10 FOOTBALL games for punching Boise State's Bryon Hout. I capitalize Football because there is only 13/14 games in a football season and 30+ in a basketball. Even that out and that's 25 or so games she should have been suspended. Click this link to watch the punch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtaPtQnu370
Now that i got that off my back the real reason I'm making this post is that after watching 40+ games this NCAA tournament there is still one that I tend to love the most and that is Michigan State vs. Maryland in the second round. In the last 30 seconds there were over three lead changes and, get this, NO TIMEOUTS taken. I loved watching it go back and forth without haveing to wait ten minutes for the next 10 seconds to play out. It was amazing. Click this link to watch the highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_qjKJelCkE
For those of you that don't know the timeout rules in NCAA here they are:
If a game is televised, which all of the tournament games are, there is one media timeout every four minutes.
Each team receives four 30 second timeouts and 1 60 second timeout a game. Each team can carry over their 60 second timeout and three 30 second timeouts into the second half.
Each team get's one timeout in overtime.
Now most coach's keep almost all of their timeouts for the second half. Add that up and that's eight timeouts that can be taken in one half. PLUS the four media timeouts. That's 12 timeouts... in 20 minutes! That's insane. Some coaches also save two to three timeouts for the last three minutes of the game if its close. It's ridiculous. We all love the overtimes cause there's only one timeout for each team in five minutes of play. You get to watch more of the game and less of the Ivan Brothers, or men lifting up their shirts saying, "Bags Fly Free"
Here's what I think the timeout rule should be:
Each team get's three timeouts a half. (two 30-seconds and one 60-second)
No timeouts carry-over
Media timeouts are adjusted to every five minutes. (One at the 15:00 mark, 10:00, and 5:00)
That way they can still save their timeouts, but if a team goes on a big run at the start of the second quarter, it doesn't allow you to just weather the storm for two more minutes and then have the media bail you out.
Most of this might have blown right past your head but for those who understand what I'm talking about I think that we should ought to just let the boys play!
I know some of my comments might sound a little sexist, but really you can't say anything unless you know sports or have played them yourself. Let's start with Women's Basketball, next to soccer, the most boring sport to watch. I'm sorry ladies but there is no talent in women's basketball. The university of Conncectiut is currently on a 75+ game winning streak, and hasn't lost a game in over two years. Frankly, I'm not that impressed. I give all credit to Connecticut, but let's be real here. I truly believe there's roughly 10 ladies in women's basketball with true athletic skills, and I think five of them are on the Huskies' team. That leaves all the other teams in the country to try and play with what they got. The reason why you haven't seen a men's basketball team do that since the days of John Wooden and UCLA, is because there is so much athletic talent in the men's league that there are numerous teams, loaded with talent. To me, UConn just out talents every one of their opponents, but men's basketball there are many teams on the same level and that's why it requires good coaching, and many other facets to influence a game.
My next comment is about the post player from Baylor. Her name is Brittany Griner. She is 6'8" and has just set the record for most blocks in an NCAA tournament. Again, hello? She's 6'8" and every other girl out there is lucky if they reach 6'3". I sure hope she can be able to block every single girl that comes in for a layup. No 5'8" women have the hops to jump over her and dunk it so all she does is just stand there and put her arms up. To be honest with you I don't even think she should be playing. During the middle of this season Brittany got in an altercation with a player from Texas Tech. Instead of pushing back or just walking away she came back and punched the player like a gang banger. What punishment did she receive you ask? TWO GAMES. Call me crazy, but I think any altercation like that deserves a suspension for the whole year. Heck Lagarrette Blount from Oregon was suspended for 10 FOOTBALL games for punching Boise State's Bryon Hout. I capitalize Football because there is only 13/14 games in a football season and 30+ in a basketball. Even that out and that's 25 or so games she should have been suspended. Click this link to watch the punch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtaPtQnu370
Now that i got that off my back the real reason I'm making this post is that after watching 40+ games this NCAA tournament there is still one that I tend to love the most and that is Michigan State vs. Maryland in the second round. In the last 30 seconds there were over three lead changes and, get this, NO TIMEOUTS taken. I loved watching it go back and forth without haveing to wait ten minutes for the next 10 seconds to play out. It was amazing. Click this link to watch the highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_qjKJelCkE
For those of you that don't know the timeout rules in NCAA here they are:
If a game is televised, which all of the tournament games are, there is one media timeout every four minutes.
Each team receives four 30 second timeouts and 1 60 second timeout a game. Each team can carry over their 60 second timeout and three 30 second timeouts into the second half.
Each team get's one timeout in overtime.
Now most coach's keep almost all of their timeouts for the second half. Add that up and that's eight timeouts that can be taken in one half. PLUS the four media timeouts. That's 12 timeouts... in 20 minutes! That's insane. Some coaches also save two to three timeouts for the last three minutes of the game if its close. It's ridiculous. We all love the overtimes cause there's only one timeout for each team in five minutes of play. You get to watch more of the game and less of the Ivan Brothers, or men lifting up their shirts saying, "Bags Fly Free"
Here's what I think the timeout rule should be:
Each team get's three timeouts a half. (two 30-seconds and one 60-second)
No timeouts carry-over
Media timeouts are adjusted to every five minutes. (One at the 15:00 mark, 10:00, and 5:00)
That way they can still save their timeouts, but if a team goes on a big run at the start of the second quarter, it doesn't allow you to just weather the storm for two more minutes and then have the media bail you out.
Most of this might have blown right past your head but for those who understand what I'm talking about I think that we should ought to just let the boys play!
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