A Step In The Right Direction
by Cheval John
It looks like we might have a playoff after all.
Today, the commissioners of the BCS conferences agreed to a four-team playoff system at a meeting in Chicago.
The playoff will be a first in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest division in college football
The move could come into effect in 2014 pending final approval by the board of college presidents, who are set to meet next week in Washington, D.C.
Before, the two top teams that would play for the BCS title was selected based off of strength of schedule, the type of conference that a team came from and an undefeated season.
The selection is made by the Associated Press writers, coaching polls and the BCS computers.
The teams plays at a designated site to determine the national champion.
What do you think about a playoff in the FBS?
Rodney King Dead At 47.
by Cheval John
Rodney King, the central figure that triggered the race riots in Los Angeles, died early this morning at the age of 47.
According to reports by CNN, police received a 911 call from his fiancee, Cynthia Kelly and discovered his body at the bottom of the swimming pool.
They tried to revive him, but was pronounced dead at a local hospital, Captain Randy DeAnda said.
King was beaten by L.A. Police officers more than 50 times after a routine stop in 1991.
The beatings was caught on video by an unidentified person.
He turned the video over to a local station and from there the video got national attention.
The riots began in L.A. after jurors acquitted the four officers a year later that lasted for three days that left 50 dead and 2,000 injured.
King was paid 3.8 million dollars from the city after the beating.
He said in a 2012 interview that it was his fear of being stop for a drunken driving charge in ’91 that motivated him to evade the police, who were trying to pull him over.
The Luckiest Man In The World
by Cheval John
I can truly say that I am proud that Eardley A. John is my father.
He has been there for us during the good times and the bad.
He has taught me lessons that I am trying to emulate today.
One lesson that sticks to my mind is “Never say that you can’t do it.”
The lesson behind that happened thirty-three years ago.
He was promoted to division manager of a industrial store after the previous manager was sacked for disclosed reasons.
He was there from the very beginning when the store opened in 1977 on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
It was a part of a chain of stores that was based in Puerto Rico.
When he became manager, he just went out with a can do attitude and grow the store from within.
Over the years, the stores was acquired by a global industrial corporation and he has learned new things along the way.
His hard work and dedication to us and his work is an example that I want to emulate
Hopefully, I can do what he did in a different capacity.
Don’t Give Up On Your Dreams
by Cheval John
At times I wonder if I would find a full time job.
I know people who have graduated from college find a full-time job within a three to six month period.
With the current recession that began in December of 2007, it is harder to find a job because most positions requires that you have a certain amount of experience.
I worked in fast food restaurants during my time as an undergraduate and quit my last job after I graduated in May 2009.
I spent the summer in Chile because I wanted to experience the culture in a much deeper way.
During that time, I studied at a university and did an internship with a marketing company.
I thought that I was going to get a full time job once I returned because I speak English and Spanish, gained international marketing experience and had two college degrees.
To my surprise, no one was hiring.
It was frustrating because I grew up believing that if you had a college degree, doors would open up for you.
I kept searching for a year and wondered,“Will I ever find a job?”
I didn’t give up and when I least expect it, I got a job in a retail store.
Though it wasn’t what I wanted, I was happy because it was better than unemployment.
Along the way, I developed new skills that have put me in a position for a better job once the economy recovers.
You might think that your time in college wasn’t worth it because of the recession.
In reality, college is still the best option because you will learn new things that you would not have learned in high school and develop new skills within a campus organization that will give you an edge once you graduate.
And even if you did all those things and still can’t find a job, don’t give up because when you least expect it, you will land the job of your dreams.
A “Decision” That Has Ramifications
by Cheval John
With the Miami Heat defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder last night by the score of 121-106 to win the National Basketball Association (NBA) title, Lebron James can finally be considered as one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history.
James scored 26 points, pull down 11 rebounds and added 13 assists.
For his efforts, he was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NBA Finals.
Yes, he left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Heat to reach this milestone in his career.
But the way how he left is something that still has to be looked at even though it has been almost two years since the infamous “decision.”
I can understand if he went to Cavaliers owner, Dan Gilbert and told him, “I did everything that he could to bring a championship to the city of Cleveland, but it wasn’t enough.”
“So I decided that I am going to the Miami Heat in order to increase my chances at winning an NBA title.”
That alone would have been more commendable and if Mr. Gilbert got mad, then that would have been his problem because he had every opportunity for seven years to build a team around James.
But instead, he decided decided to stage a one-hour special on ESPN to announce his decision.
That to me was unprofessional and a disgrace because he declared that I am more important than you and at the same time, it embarrassed the city of Cleveland.
No other superstar have done what he did because they understood that it was all about the team and the fans that pays big bucks to see their home team perform.
For example, Didier Drogba, who was with the English football (soccer) club, Chelsea, F.C. for 8 years, left for the Chinese club, Shanghai Shenhua after the 2011-12 season.
He played an integral role in the club winning their first UEFA Champions League title in Munich, Germany last month against hometown favorite Bayern Munich.
He could have left in the same fashion as James.
Instead, he told his entire teammates and the owner that he was leaving for other opportunities because he felt that it was the right thing to do.
He even did an interview with Chelsea T.V., the club’s own television station to explain his decision and thanked the fans for their support of the team.
Drogba understood that the club gave him a chance to prove himself and that it wasn’t about him, but it was about the team.
Also, he was honest with his teammates and the fans.
Because of that, he will be welcomed back with open arms whenever he wants to return to the club while Mr. James will always be remembered for that infamous “decision” no matter what he does for the remainder of his NBA career.
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