Influence

You think youngsters aren't influenced by what they see on television or in other forms of media? They sure are and it's obvious at our house the Olympics are having a positive influence. I have 3 daughters who always liked gymnastics and participated a little bit. A couple of my daughters can do the round off flip-flops and all that other flipping stuff. So of course, when my daughter Olivia and 4 year old granddaughter Lyla were at our house the other night they were glued to the TV watching the USA women's team winning the Gold.

A little later my wife went into our bedroom and Lyla was playing on our bed. And what grandma (my wife) saw was pretty cool. At the foot of our bed is a foot board that has a about a 3 inch wide board at the top that resembles a small balance beam in gymnastics. There was Lyla on the foot board walking and balancing doing her beam routine. She was definitely influenced by what she saw on TV. Well, it just so happens that we had Olivia's old balance beam in our garage. It's only 6 feet long and stands about 6 inches off the ground so it's kind of a mini beam. A good friend of mine built it for Olivia about 25 years ago. Lyla's eyes lit up when she saw a "real" balance beam that was her mom's when she was a little girl. Olivia loaded it up in her van and took it home. Lyla was so excited and couldn't wait to use it.

A little kid can use their imagination and have fun with anything. Who would have thought the foot board of our bed would be turned into a balance beam by a 4 year old? That's the influence of sports and shows the power of sport. Let's always use that power wisely. www.chiefpigskin.com

Yep, I'm Watching the Olympics

Yeah, I'm watching the Olympics. They have lost their luster a little bit over the last 20 years or so; we have so many new competitions that have cropped up and much more international competition that makes the Olympics seem not so special. But I am one of those who will continue to tune in. You see, I don't just like sports or even love sports. For better or worse, sports are a part of me. They are interwoven in my fabric, they run through my body, in my DNA. I have been this way as long as I can remember and it will never change.

I watch sports that I would not ordinarily watch. I never watch swimming, but I really get into Olympic swimming. I've noticed Michael Phelps has lost his fire. He's still great but after living in the pool training like a madman for at least 15 years it's wearing on him. Who can blame him? And how about Missy Franklin? She swims a semi in one event and turns around 10 minutes later and swims in the backstroke finals. And wins the Gold! Do you know how tough that is? It was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen in sport. I rarely watch gymnastics but I watch the Olympics. The men had a tough time but the women really turned it on. The pressure on those young ladies is unbelievable and it was great to watch them win the Gold. And what about the parents in the stands? They are so stressed they can't think. I've been there, I know how that is. I will also be watching track and field although I rarely watch track otherwise. The sprinters are sensational as well as many of the other events. If Lolo Jones doesn't win a medal she'll still be a star because of her personality and stunning looks. I haven't watched any basketball and very little boxing, which used to be one of my favorites. I love wrestling but they won't give it much coverage.

Yep, I'm watching for all those reasons and because it's history. It's tradition. It reminds me of when I was a young boy and our whole family would gather around the TV and cheer for the USA. I think it's still fun. Chiefpigskin.com