So, And Thus...

Russ Rose Develops Characters

If you don't following volleyball, then you might not know that the Penn State Women's Volleyball team has been breaking records over the past 4 season. This season, they became the first team ever to win four national championships in a row. Last year, the were the first team to win three in a row.

Their coach, Russ Rose, became the first coach to win five NCAA titles.

I have a lot of respect for Russ Rose. He knows how to get results. He understands that it take all kind of players to make a team.

Penn State coach Russ Rose: Developing character ... and characters - espnW

"I'm different than a lot of other people. I'm not judgmental in any way on anything. People might avoid kids that don't look like they play well with others or have eating issues or sexuality issues. I don't care about those things. The world is made up of a lot of different groups. If you want to go somewhere and do something, you can do it here."

"I think you can only be your best when you're the most comfortable. If you have to live in a closet, life's really hard. You're alone. Life's tough enough when you have to interact with people. It's really tough if you have to do it alone."

After reading this, my respect for him grew even more.

I wrote an email to "Coach", congratulating him on the win. He responded with a nice note.

Serena Williams To Be Under Investigation

Well, Serena's outburst was all over the sports news last night and this morning.

For those of you who do not know what happened, Serena lost her semifinal match to Kim Clijsters after being awarded a penalty point on match point. (video). She had received a warning earlier in the match for racket abuse, which ultimately lead to her penalty.

It's really hard to tell if there was a foot fault from the angle of the camera, but I did see the front of her foot come down and pivot where the line seems to be.


Regardless of the fault, I agree with the tournament referee's decision. There is no excuse for this kind of behavior. And Serena's press conference did nothing to convince me otherwise.


Source: Serena's outburst to warrant investigation - Tennis - Yahoo! Sports

NEW YORK – Serena Williams is set to become the subject of an in-depth investigation after launching into a profane outburst that prompted her exit out of the U.S. Open.

Yahoo! Sports has learned that Williams will be asked to explain her actions and comments toward a female line judge at the end of her semifinal defeat to Kim Clijsters on Saturday night. A source revealed that representatives from tennis’ governing body – the International Tennis Federation – plus members of the Grand Slam Committee, which oversees the four major tournaments – will convene along with U.S. Open referee Brian Earley on Sunday.

The group is expected to review video footage of the incident, seek clarification from the line judge and most likely hand down a heavy fine to Williams. A representative from the WTA Tour is also expected to be included, although the Tour does not have jurisdiction over Grand Slam events.

Tuesday Afternoon Pick-Me UP!

Who needs coffee when you've got pics of Jon Hamm!!  Not only am I now awake, but I think it's getting a little warm in here.  Whew!!! 

I'd prefer him in person, however, this is probably as close as I'll get.

There are two more great pics at the following link at HuffPost Entertainment section...ENJOY!
'Mad Men''s Jon Hamm: Gratuitous Photos

** BTW-Does anyone have any tips on how to remove tongue tracks from a computer screen?**

Check Your Testicles

Rugby team helps teach how to check for testicular cancer.

Volleyball - The Setter

I'm a setter for 3 teams. I don't get to hit that often.

The Setter

As the cornerstone of every effective offense, the setter needs to be quick and precise. He needs to be able to chase a ball that is passed off of the net and still be able to place it exactly where the hitter needs it. A setter who places the ball in a different place every time, will quickly frustrate the best of hitters.

Along this same line, a setter must know his hitters extremely well. He needs to know their strengths and weaknesses, which sets they can or can not hit. For example, if a hitter has a hard time hitting the ball down the line, then setting the ball tight on the antenna is not a good idea. Also, a setter must know the differences between his hitters and be able to adapt his sets. If one outside hitter is slower than the other, then the setter needs to adapt his sets for each of the players; setting the exact same ball at the same speed and height will hinder one, or both, of the outsides.

A crucial role often adopted by the setter is that of leadership. While it is not necessary for the setter to be the leader on the court, it seems to be a natural extension of his existing duties. The setter coordinates the offense on serve receive, giving commands as to which type of set each hitter will receive and directing players to their positions on the court. In many ways he is the conductor of the team and so it is only natural that he assumes the leadership position.
Crucial Skills

* Setting
* Blocking- On most teams, the outside hitters will receive a majority of the sets. The setter is just as important as the in neutralizing the opposing team's outside hitters.
* Consistency- Hitting is very much based on routine and habit. In order to be most effective, hitters need the ball to be set to the same exact place every time. This includes the height and speed at which the ball is set.
* Agility- Simply put, setters need to be quick on their feet. This is especially true for teams which lack accurate passing because the setter will have to chase a lot of balls. As such, agility is crucial for setters; a bad pass is not an excuse for a bad set.

Secondary Skills

* Passing- With the exception of back court defense, setters pass very few balls. They are never involved in serve receive nor free/down ball passing, nor should they be.

Bad Volleyball Mom... BAD.

This is what happens when you use volleyball in evil ways:

pnj.com | National news | Pensacola News Journal

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) -- A woman will have to spend up to 90 days in jail and make restitution for sending her children door to door seeking donations for a trip to a volleyball camp.

Carley Torres will have to pay back more than $3,000 after pleading guilty to theft charges.

The 35-year-old Torres and her 33-year-old husband, Laramie Torres, sent their children through neighborhoods in Medford, Ashland and Eagle Point last year to ask for donations to send their oldest daughter to a volleyball camp.

But the couple instead spent the money on shopping mall trips, monster truck rallies and weekends at the movies.

Laramie Torres will help his wife make restitution, but he got community service instead of jail time for his guilty plea to theft charges.

Wonder if they really play volleyball.

Palin Bingo!

Be ready for tonights debate!

 

palinbingo

Tigre Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

USA Men's Volleyball - Clayton Stanley

Okay, I'm usually NOT attracted to volleyball players (not beefy enough), but this guy is CUTE!

Clay Stanley

There was a lot of him in the Olympics this year. Phenomenal player.

From the USA Volleyball website:

Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawai’i) led the United States with 20 points on a match-high 15 kills, three blocks and two aces. He finished as the best scorer of the tournament with 146 points on 116 kills, 15 blocks and 15 aces. He was also the leading serve.

On top of that, Ein Oso and I noticed how Stanley kept on spanking the other players when they celebrated points. OOOOOOOOH!

I can't wait to play tonight. I'm inspired to... spank!

New Volleyball at 2008 Olympics

If you were watching any indoor volleyball this past Olympics (and who wasn't!), you might have noticed that they were using a new ball.

Pretty.

Here's a press release on the new ball.

This new design is supposed to give players "dramatic and improved ball control". There are dimples in the ball and a special coating that will help with slippery balls cause by sweat from players. The balls will also have a more stable flight path because of the design.

I've played once with this ball. It seems a bit heavier than I was used to and the cushioning definitely affected my passing, something that will go away one I play enough with it. When I was setting, I ball felt really good in my hands. I hope all of my leagues will start using the new ball. This is really going to help with those long games when the ball gets really sweaty.

My team got me this ball for my birthday. Can't wait to play with it!