The last football for a while

I denounced god at the age of six.I’m not bragging, but just wanted to emphasize my normal distaste for goody two-shoe Christians who use their saving-the-world missionary work as a front for their real goal: converting other people to their moronic beliefs.

Regardless of his religious goals,I’m a huge Tim Tebow fan. Why? His passion for the game … it’s contagious.

I have been told my Tebow fascination is really just a man crush, but we won’t go there.

A player of his talents and convictions comes along once a generation and he will change the quarterback position in the NFL. Lately teams have been experimenting with new types of offensives and, despite a few close calls, still haven’t found that quarterback that can make plays equally with his feet as his arm.

Below are two sports writers who share similar thoughts.

Tebow doesn’t let the haters affect him

Championship revolves around Tebow

“And that is Tim Tebow’s greatest gift on the football field. Not his size, strength, speed and throwing arm. Not his ability to read a defense. It’s the insatiable competitive instinct that sometimes transforms him into a man possessed.”

***UPDATE***

In last night’s National Championship game the best player, not the one with the best stats, led his team to victory. It was the perfect finale to the best bowl season I can remember watching. Just imagine how memorable those epic last drives, big-time performances by future big-name NFL pros, and, of course, unlikely upsets would have been under a playoff system with a clear champion.

Despite all the problems facing America, if Obama can find time to call for a playoff system maybe it’s time. Yes we can!

In Ohio State news, Beanie Wells announced his intention to leave for the pros. The vastly overrated Terrelle Pryor is expected to cry  himself to sleep tonight. Yep, next season will be that rough for the Buckeyes.

Local radio stations are already saying the Browns could take Wells as the fifth pick or the Bengals at sixth. As much as I loved watching Wells play, his injuries are too much of a risk for a top pick. Then again, that’s also what they said about Adrian Peterson and he seems to be doing just fine.

Also, forgot a link to a great story by The Other Paper about the demise of OSU’s most fascinating figure. Best Columbus story of the year … so far.

So this is what BMX is like …

Saw this post about a true BMX legend finally getting out of jail. My favorite personal Lou Bickel story is when he invited us to his house, which was actually owned by his parents who were out at the time. He proceeds to put in a porno made by some of the few skaters at Section 8 with a girl of questionable age. All of a sudden his parents come in and he can’t find the remote to turn off the TV. Pure awkward panic.

Be sure to watch the embedded video (the police report ain’t bad either). Albert Street was the first BMX video I saw and it profoundly changed my life. Until that time I thought of BMX purely as riding and not the lifestyle. I remember thinking “So this is what BMX is like … “

Seeing all this reminded me about a post I’ve been thinking about lately: my 10-year BMX anniversary.

I’m 26 and have nearly as many broken bones as years riding. Two injuries led me to have a plate in my face and pins in my good wrist. Countless stereotypical life improvements (college, career, health, girlfriends, ect.) have been dampened by BMX. My back hurts so bad every time I ride I’ve thought about giving it up if I can’t self-remedy myself by the end of the winter.

But then I remembered that, with the exception of one girlfriend and possibly punk, I have not enjoyed anything in life as much.

I’ve rode around NYC with strangers for hours hardly doing any tricks, but laughing the entire time. I’ve been content to spend hours digging trails only to realize I couldn’t clear the jump I made. I’ve rode high-tech equipment used to test aircraft. The stories from Dodge Skatepark alone are numerous and priceless. As are all of the kids I’ve met and places I’ve been.

With the winter, being too broke to ride the indoor skatepark and working on the latest zine, I didn’t ride for nearly a month. On Dec. 30, the exact day I bought my first BMX 10 years ago, the weather was perfect and I went for a ride.

Minutes later about a block down the street from where I live is a medium-sized gap I’ve done a 100 times and I ate shit on it. I thought maybe 10 years was the end of it.

A few days later we got another nice day and I went to Dodge. I had fun flowing around the bowls, but didn’t do anything I haven’t done many times before. Some dude with bloodshot eyes and few teeth asked me when I was going pro.

If I can get my back figured out maybe 10 years is just the beginning of BMX.