That's what the Atlanta Braves are sayin' right now. They entered September leading the National League East by three games over the Phillies, who were 1.5 games ahead of the Giants for the wild card. So essentially, the Braves were leading the race for a playoff spot by 4.5 games going into the final month of the season. Now they're 6 games behind the Phillies for the NL East and a half game behind the Padres for the wild card. Yes, you read that correctly. The Phillies gained nine games on the Braves in less than a month, thanks to their 18-2 start and the Braves inexplicably losing game after game to inferior opponents (a la the Nationals). The only good news is that the Giants are only a half game ahead of the Padres for the NL West and those two teams play a 3-game series at the end of the season, so somebody has to lose those games which will make it possible for the Braves to come back and win the wild card. Even though they're behind in the standings, the Braves still technically control their own destiny. Now if they could just stop sucking...
In other sports news, JMU beat Liberty in football this weekend by a score of 10-3. It was the closest anticlimactic game I think I've ever seen. The entire game was an exercise in futility for both teams. Liberty's only score came in the second quarter and that drive was kept alive by a roughing the kicker penalty. The game was so bad that I don't even know how to characterize it. It wasn't that sloppy... one turnover and a handful of penalties for each team. It wasn't a bad weather game... the conditions were perfect for a good game of football. It wasn't a game shortened by long sustained drives... aside from Liberty's ten-minute scoring drive, both teams held the ball for a couple minutes before punting it away (twelve punts in all, six for each). The only thing I can think of is that it was a defensive struggle, but it really didn't seem like the defenses were that good. The offenses were just that bad. They combined to go 7 for 28 on 3rd downs. I'm glad that we won and it's nice to know that we can win a game like that, but it was painful and boring to watch.
It was really great to get to see my JMU friends before I leave a week from today. We were reliving our glory days by ordering pizza (mmm Chanello's) at 2 AM and then staying up playing video games until 4 or 5. I'm still the king of NBA Jam for the SNES but Rob has definitely surpassed me in Halo. I guess the days of me only allowing myself one bullet to kill him with couldn't last forever. Of course it was awesome to go to one last JMU home game and tailgate with some good friends and good food. We got to sit in the student section even though we're not students anymore and listen to the band play and watch the streamers being thrown whenever we scored (or whenever something good happened since we barely scored; penalties in our favor got streamers it was so bad). Also, there was a four-minute fireworks display after the game which I caught on video and will be showing to Costa Ricans along with some pictures and other videos I took at the game. They need to know about American football and how awesome JMU is at it! But the fireworks were a little too much if you ask me. There were about thirty seconds of them for each point we scored. If they did that for Ohio State, Wisconsin or Michigan, they'd have a full July 4th display on their hands after those blowouts. Just sayin'.
That was definitely my last big thing before leaving, so now I have to face the music and start the packing process. I've said all my goodbyes besides my family and it's time to go... I know this is something I'm meant to do and I still want to do it, but I'm sad right now to be honest. It's not like it happens very often that I get to see all my friends together like that, maybe once a year, but it's still hard knowing that it won't be possible again for 2 to 3 years. And by then we might not have the luxury of all of us still living in VA. While I'm gone, I'm sure to miss out on some reunions. I already know I'll be missing Rob and Shelley's wedding. There may be others that haven't been set yet that I'll miss or one of my friends could have a baby or something. And those are the good things. God forbid something bad happens while I'm away. But that's just part of the deal when you decide to go overseas. Luckily, I didn't miss out on too much the last couple times I left. The only thing I missed out on when I went to Ghana was Rihanna's umbrella song and I didn't feel like I missed out on too much there. Same with Korea: Twitter, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson's death, Twilight and the whole vampire craze were the only things I missed and I didn't care about any of it. Between Korea and Costa Rica, I'm strategically missing most of Obama's first term, which is nice. I think he'll probably get re-elected, so maybe I'll go on some more trips after this one haha! Just kidding, he's not that bad. I'm gonna end this post before things get too political around here.
I may not post again before I leave so just to let everyone know my traveling schedule... I'm leaving Roanoke next Sunday for D.C. where my orientation begins on Monday the 4th. Early Tuesday morning, we leave the hotel to go to the airport and connect in Miami before arriving in San Jose. After that I know next to nothing except that I will be living with a host family and training for the next two and a half months. They won't tell me where my site is until about a week before training ends, but I've heard that the TEFL program will be working primarily in urban settings. That's literally all I know up to this point. But maybe that's how it should be. It definitely makes it hard to develop expectations that will probably not be lived up to anyway. Buenas noches!
i don't appreciate that obama comment...
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