The Year That Was 2005

My Top 8 Sports Moments of 2005

1.  Chicago White Sox sweep past the Houston Astros for their first World Series title in 88 years.  Absolutely amazing postseason for the White Sox (for my sister and I also).  Paul Konerko.  Starting pitching.  Joe Crede turning into a defensive dynamo.  What a great time in Chicago.

2.  Illinois going undefeated and making a run to the Final Four.  Their comeback vs Arizona in Chicago in the Elite Eight was the best college basketball game I've seen in a long, long time.  Down 75-60 with less than four minutes left, Deron Williams and company hit four late three-pointers to win in overtime, 90-89.   

3.  Tiger Woods holes out on the 16th at The Masters.  The ball rolled for days and Tiger's reaction was why we watch The Masters on Sunday.

 

4.  Lance Armstrong winning his seventh consecutive Tour de France.  He is my athlete of the year until the day he dies. 

5.  Matt Leinart.  Fourth and nine.  Down 31-28.  At Notre Dame.  Best pass in college football since Doug Flutie's hail mary 20 years ago.  A 61-yard gain to Dwayne Jarrett that set up USC's 28th straight win.  Leinart then called his own name and sneaked into the endzone for the game winner vs the Irish.  Unbelievable.  College football's game of the year.  The Trojans also dominated my Sooners in the National Championship game last January.  I can admit it.  That's Step #1.

6.  Baseball's steroid controversy.  Mark McGwire pleading the 5th.  Sammy Sosa still trying to speak English in front of Congress.  Rafael Palmeiro adamantly stating 'I have never used steroids, period.'  Funny.  Five months later he tested positive for 'performance enhancing drugs' AKA STEROIDS!  Stupid.  At least McGwire pleaded the 5th. 

7.  Terrell Owens being a complete idiot.  Where to start.  Getting kicked out of camp.  Sit-ups in his front yard.  Ripping his team and his quarterback.  Stupid...er...super agent Drew Rosenhaus' news conference 'Next question.  Next question.  Next question.' 

8.  Roy Williams getting his first NCAA men's basketball title at the University of North Carolina.  Nobody deserved it more.  He had a few teams at Kansas worthy of winning the title.  He took a bunch of guys who wouldn't or couldn't (either way) play for Matt Doherty straight to the top.  Helps having four of those guys drafted in the top 14 in the NBA Draft.  One player came off the bench, Marvin Williams.  Can you imagine not starting for your college team but being the number 2 pick in the draft?  Incredible.

For me, 2005 is a year I don't want to end.  Seeing the White Sox in the American League Championship Series and World Series was the most fantastic time of my life.  (I also got stuck in traffic on my way down for the Division Series Game 2 vs Boston...talk about pissed.)  Being front row for Coldplay didn't hurt either.  Following my brother, Mik, and his friend, Brian finishing Ironman Wisconsin in great times was awesome.  The best was watching my nephew, Wesley, run the last couple hundred yards with his proud dad.

Here's to 2006 being another 2005.  For me at least.

I Am The Scientist

The Scientist by Coldplay

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are

I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart

Tell me your secrets
Ask me your questions
Oh, let's go back to the start

Running in circles
Coming up tails
Heads only science apart

Nobody said it was easy
It's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard

Oh, take me back to the start

I was just guessing
At numbers and figures
Pulling your puzzles apart

Questions of science
Science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart

Tell me you love me
Come back and haunt me
Oh, and I rush to the start

Running in circles
Chasing our tails
Coming back as we are

Nobody said it was easy
Oh, it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard

I'm going back to the start...

Life

You'll Think Of Me by Keith Urban

I woke up early this morning around 4am
With the moon shining bright as headlights on the interstate
I pulled the covers over my head and tried to catch some sleep
But thoughts of us kept keeping me awake
Ever since you found yourself in someone else's arms
I've been tryin' my best to get along
But that's OK
There's nothing left to say, but

Take your records, take your freedom
Take your memories I don't need 'em
Take your space and take your reasons
But you'll think of me
And take your cat and leave my sweater
'Cause we have nothing left to weather
In fact I'll feel a whole lot BETTER
But you'll think of me, you'll think of me

I went out driving trying to clear my head
I tried to sweep out all the ruins that my emotions left
I guess I'm feeling just a little tired of this
And all the baggage that seems to still exist
It seems the only blessing I have left to my name
Is not knowing what we could have been
What we should have been
So...

Take your records, take your freedom
Take your memories I don't need 'em
Take your space and take your reasons
But you'll think of me
And take your cat and leave my sweater
'Cause we have nothing left to weather
In fact I'll feel a whole lot better
But you'll think of me

Someday I'm gonna run across your mind
Don't worry, I'll be fine
I'm gonna be alright
While you're sleeping with your pride
Wishing I could hold you tight
I'll be over you
And on with my life

So take your records, take your freedom
Take your memories I don't need 'em
And take your cat and leave my sweater
'Cause we have nothing left to weather
In fact I'll feel a whole lot better
But you'll think of me

So take your records, take your freedom
Take your memories I don't need 'em
Take your space and all your reasons
But you'll think of me
And take your cat and leave my sweater
'Cause we got nothing left to weather
In fact I'll feel a whole lot better
But you'll think of me, you'll think of me, yeah

And you're gonna think of me
Oh someday baby, someday