Football and Doing What's Right

San Diego, Ca., January 25, 2015.  Okay - time to weigh in on the Inflate-Gate - or rather what sports represents.  First let me just say that I grew up with sports - both playing sports (although certainly not great at it), coaching sports, umpiring sports, and as a fan of sports, which pretty  much sums up everything there is about sports itself, with the exception of being a news reporter for sports.

So the comments I'm about to make regarding my feelings on the New England Patriots and their football issues come from a multifaceted view.  As a kid I played baseball pretty much from the time I was in elementary school until the time I had to trade baseball for working to gather college money - I probably played little league for 10 years.  When I wasn't playing little league, I was an umpire hired by my township of Piscataway, New Jersey.  We had some training before they threw us behind homeplate, and I remember quite vividly that two things where not to be tolerated at any time.  What were they?

First and foremost was 'un-sportsman-like conduct', followed very closely by "cheating will not be tolerated'.  Those two rules were simple enough and I followed them diligently by throwing out my share of managers who were acting like babies, and players who cheated by deliberately hitting someone with a pitch or hurting some else on the field.  There were even a few instances when I forced a team to forfeit their game because they violated the two golden rules.

When I had children of my own, I had the opportunity to coach their softball teams (I had girls) and always obeyed the two simple rules that I forced the coaches and managers to follow when I was running the field.  There was Never a time that I cheated, or allowed my team to cheat, or displayed any un-sportsman-like conduct.

So what's the big deal? Is there even a big deal at all about the New England Patriots playing with footballs that violated the league's rules?  You bet there are ... I can Guarantee You that every single one of those players and coaches have been told time and time again that Cheating in sports is unacceptable - all kids are taught that as they are learning football.  The parents know that and the coaches know that.

Punishing cheaters in sports always resulted in forfeiture by the offending team - there is absolutely NO WAY that any of the decision makers in the NFL offices would have allowed their kids to lose to a cheating team - they would have INSISTED that the the cheating team be disqualified.

Cheaters are disqualified in the Olympics - for crying out loud.  So why on earth is it even an issue for second about what the league needs to do to the New England Patriots - they must forfeit the game they cheated in -- it's incomprehensable to think that anything else BUT that can be the result of their cheating.

Does it matter that Coach Belichick didn't know about it?  Absolutely not - it's his job to make sure that the players, coaches, and equipment folks do their jobs and don't cheat - and if they do cheat then it's immaterial - cheating is cheating and the team that's doing it should be disqualified.

Who cares if it was a blowout??!  It's not about the final score - they were caught cheating and should NOT BE REWARDED by being allowed to advance to the Superbowl !!  What kind of league chairman rewards cheating teams???

What the heck is the matter with the NFL????  Have some balls fellas (no pun intended) - it isn't about "well the Patriots would have won anyway," it's about not rewarding cheating teams by sending them to the superbowl.

Two wrongs don't make a right.  The New England Patriots tarnished themselves - but by rewarding them by letting them advance to the Superbowl??  That's allowing them to tarnish the entire game of football itself.

Shame on the Patriots -  Shame on the NFL - and Shame on the rest of us if we watch the game.

Joe Lizura

A few Random Thoughts and Back to Being "Empty Nesters"

Sunday January 18, 2015.  Just thought I'd jot down a few random thoughts about things.  We just took our younger daughter back to college today, which means both kids are back at school and we are back to being empty-nesters.  It's not really a bad thing, but being that we get along with our kids so well, we actually miss having them around - so I'm a little bit sad at quietness of the house.   Hopefully I'll snap out of it once Downton Abbey comes on.

So I guess that since the kids are back in school, that means the holidays are officially over, so I guess I'll need to take the Santa Claus off the front porch.  Speaking of the Christmas break, it was a pretty good one - although we didn't get to travel and spend it with relatives (gotta change that for next year) we did get to spend some fun times with the kids!

January has been off to a busy start, I can't believe it's only the 18th, because it feels like it should already be February judging by how much we've done in the first 18 days of 2015!

Also from the random category, I'm glad that we actually saw some of the movies that are nominated for 'best picture' by the Oscar folks.  Most notably, we managed to see 'Boyhood', 'Birdman', and Grand 'Budapest Hotel', all three of which were really great films - if you didn't get to see them, they are worth the time!

Today we got to see the teams for the Superbowl!  New England and Seattle - I really wish I could say I cared about the match-up, but there's a good I'll be out on the golf course instead of watching the 'big game'.  Now on the other hand, I would have watched if Green Bay had made it!

Speaking of 'making it', did those two runaway teens really think they could make it anywhere when law enforcement all around the entire country were looking for them?

I'm also kind of glad I'm not back on the east coast right now, because there part of New Jersey where my family members live is covered in ice, and the 50 car pile-up today was pretty close to my brother's house, so I guess once again, there is something to say for living in San Diego.

Speaking of San Diego - I have the opportunity to work on a fun new project and I look forward to writing about it in the weeks ahead!

So that's about it for the random thoughts for now.  Oh, one last thing.  Here is a link to someone who wrote quite nicely what it's like to be an empty-nester, maybe it'll give you a little glimpse into how I feel sometimes.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shelley-emling/empty-nest-syndrome_b_3956231.html

Cheers!  Joe

January 11, 2015.  Fun times this weekend!  Lots of football, went and saw Birdman at the theater last night, the Golden Globes are tonight, and the best of all was being live on KUSI receiving a check presentation donation from our friends at Barona for The Solar Alliance Foundation.

A big Thank You to Barona for their donation!

The Foundation (here is the link:  http://solaralliancefoundation.org) is starting its third year of helping injured and disabled soldiers and veterans who because of their injuries can no longer earn an adequate income and need financial assistance.  Unlike some foundations which provide 'one-time' donations, the Solar Alliance Foundation gives them a completely free solar electric system, which in turn eliminates their electric bill each and every month for decades to come. Now that's making a difference!

Unfortunately, it can't be done without donations, and that's what was happening in Tierrasanta yesterday morning when Dana from Barona stopped by and presented a check for $5,000.

On hand were also Dave Stahl, the car guy who does live shots with the station and one of our veteran recipients, Mr. Greg Roderick who was celebrating the one year anniversary of the installation of his free system from the foundation.

So while watching the Packers beat the Cowboys was fun - it was really the fact that we will be installing another system for a veteran in a couple of weeks due to the Barona donation.

Thanks!!

Joe Lizura

Joe Lizura's Welcome To The New Year!

It's the New Year!  I absolutely can not believe how fast the last 12 months have flown by.  It seems like just yesterday that I was sitting in January saying that "I definitely would blog every couple of days this year."  Yet before I knew it, the year was almost over and I hadn't taken the time to write, which is really a sad thing, because I love to write.

So here goes again ... If all goes well, I'll actually write on a regular basis this year!

You know, with the start of every new year, I think about the months ahead wondering they hold in store, yet it always amazes me that no matter how hard you think about what's ahead that there are so many things that will happen that there is just know way of knowing or even fathoming in advance. This past year was no exception - for example, who would have even thought that we would lose someone like Robin Williams, or that an entire airplane would completely disappear without a trace and with absolutely no explanation - or that we would land a spacecraft on a comet? Or that oil prices would get chopped in half.

What also amazes me is how many great things happen.  In 2014, Tamie and I became 'empty-nesters' which was always some "in the distance" event that would never really happen, kinda like when you're 21 years old and people are telling you "Just wait until you get old!"  These are just things that never really seem like they are real until they actually happy - definitely strange. Our kids are such great people that it was very sad on my end when the reality hit me that they were both out in the real world.

It was great to see our youngest daughter graduate high school, I have never been prouder of both our girls who made it through high school and got into college.  When they were babies, I remember holding them in the late hours when they would wake up crying and it never bothered me in the least - I told myself that I would enjoy every bit of what came our way with the kids and when they both became great young adults, Tamie and I sat down and talked about all of the work, time, and effort (most of it on Tamie's end) it took to guide them into adulthood and how proud we were of them.

So now it's on to a new year, one that will see our older daughter Taylor become a college senior in the Fall (another one of the things that you know is coming but it doesn't ever seem like it's really ever going to happen), and our Madison will get through her freshman year, which is usually the toughest year at school.

I have some lofty resolutions this year, and hopefully I'll have the energy and drive to make them happen.  I'd also love to connect with some of the very close friends I've had in my life who I don't ever hear from anymore (which I always find to be a sad thing).

I plan on moving the Solar Alliance Foundation (http://solaralliancefoundation.org) into high gear - it's a wonderful foundation that was formed in 2012 and I've had the pleasure of directing.

I don't know if there will be a family reunion in the works this year - last year we all got to enjoy one in Myrtle Beach and it was so great to be with the whole family!  I do miss my sisters, brother, and father so very much, so when I get to see them it's always a special time.  Last year I had the extra bonus of seeing everyone in Chicago at my sister's house in May and that was nice as well.

Hopefully they'll be lots of golf in 2015 and lots of time with friends - even though most of the people we know are very busy, I hope that we can meet up with them.

At finally, just a few thoughts about all of those things that await in the year ahead - I hope the tragic events a far and few between, I hope the new scientific discoveries are very exciting, I hope that medical discoveries happen that save lives, and I hope that my family and friends (those I see often and those I think about often) are safe, healthy and that everyone gets what they are hoping for.

Welcome to the New Year!

Joe Lizura