The Christmas Post

 Family Christmas Tree c. 1992

 Christmas is a very special time of year for the Spofford family.  I am sure that statement holds true for many families, and I am happy that so many people around the world find joy in spending time with their families and friends for the holidays.  As I go back into my memory bank to try to pull out specific moments from past Christmases, it strikes me as a good sign that the first things that come to mind are not the presents that I have received (although I was always blessed to have a family that had the ability to be generous at Christmas), but instead are snapshots of family (both immediate and extended).  As Christmas 2015 is fast approaching, it strikes and saddens me that some of my favorite holiday traditions are going to be drastically different this year due to things out of our control.  In this post, however, I do not want to focus on the sad, but on the positives of our Christmases past!  As I thought about this post, I wondered, what would be better to capture the family spirit of Christmas than having my family featured in my blog.  So along with some of my own writing, you guys will be treated by excerpts from the rest of the Spofford crew!

The older cousins!

Dad's Christmas Memory:
Our first Christmas, I gave mom a china doll.  She left DC to travel home to Maine.  A few days later, she sent me dozen red roses with cedar boughs.  When she returned after Christmas, a couple of friends and I met her at the National Airport.  She looked radiant in her green sweater with a white patterned yolk.  I knew at that moment that I would ask her to marry me.  Her beauty, inside and out, her kindness, her intelligence and her  love.  A month later, she said yes and we were married in June.  In 1983, mom was 5 months pregnant and we celebrated our first Christmas together in Alexandria.  I can remember that we showered each other with gifts as we sat on our new couch from Woodward and Lothrop.  In 1984, 1986, 1989 and 1992 we had new baby boys to celebrate.  We felt the joy and peace of the manger in our hearts as we welcomed life, born of love, into the world.  Our traditions of Mass, prayers before the crèche, a tree trimmed with special ornaments, bounteous gifts, holiday foods and family have been precious to us as we celebrate the commemoration of Jesus’ birth.  A birth that changed the world.  The center of our Faith and a beacon of hope for a weary, yet wonderful, world.  May Christ always be the reason for the season.  His light fills the darkest hours of the winter and our lives!

Top left going clockwise: 1984, 1986, 1992, 1989

Mom's Christmas Memory:
 The Night the Angel Visited the Spofford House

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house the Christmas Eve party was in full swing at the Spofford house.  There was music and chatter and plenty to eat; there was singing and laughter and wood burning heat.  All of the family was gathered together except one year old Noah, who didn’t know better.  Dear Noah decided to go exploring through the vast Victorian house.  He was quiet as a mouse as he toddled into the dining room and living room.  He didn’t go far when he spied his escape with the door leading to the front staircase was opened ajar.  He continued to venture into the grand hall.  As he proceeded to creep up the willow stairs, he started to fall.  His mother had noticed her youngest was missing and immediately went searching.  It was at the moment that Noah started to fall, that his Angel of Mercy appeared in the hall.  She swooped down to catch him with the speed of light to prevent a disastrous end to the festive night.  Noah landed safely in the arms of his mother who hugged him and kissed him and brought him back to the others.

Maybe it was this Christmas?

Joe's Christmas Memory:

The Christmas memory closest to my heart at this time is actually our most recent Christmas (2014).  At this Christmas, our Mimi and Papa were getting really old with their bodies and minds failing more and more each year.  Over the past few years, I have made it a priority to visit them as much as possible during my visits to Maine.  One tradition we had was that we cooked a big Christmas Eve dinner and had Mimi and Papa visit us each year.  We spent the day on Christmas Eve 2014 preparing the food in the kitchen with Mom.  Later in the day, Papa called and said that they would not make it because they weren't feeling well.  Our Dad did not accept this and said they were coming.  We picked them up and brought them over for the usual Christmas Eve festivities.  This particular Christmas Eve was special because I think all of us were completely in the moment knowing it might be our last Christmas Eve with our grandparents.  We had a beautiful dinner where we were able to enjoy Mimi's wonderful wit and laugh. Papa was also able to share some stories of year's past as his memory held up better than Mimi's.  After dinner we moved to the living room where we brought out the guitars and sang Christmas songs. Mimi and Papa's faces were radiant with smiles to light up our hearts.  We truly savored life on this night. 

It is now 2015 and two days before Christmas.  Mimi passed away a little less than a month ago and Papa is in a full time care facility.  Christmas Eve will be different this year, however their legacy of warmth and genuine joy will live on.  The Christmas experience in our family is one of the most beautiful, and intimate moments that we share.  It is something that I want to hold on to but know that things will change as our lives grow and change.  I hope that all of us will continue to be in the moment each Christmas time with our loved ones wherever our lives lead us genuinely rejoicing in family.

Josh's Christmas Memory:

Our parents have always opened the house to those that had nowhere else to go on the holidays.  As children, our elderly neighbor (and periodic caregiver), Mrs. Taylor, would spend Christmas Eve with us.  She delighted in spending time with the four boys and would often read with us and play Chinese checkers on the floor while eating ginger snaps and drinking mini bottles of ginger ale.  We grew older and eventually moved to Mississippi, but she stayed in touch with our parents and was sure to send along a gift for us.  In our preteen years, we received a game called "LifeStories" where the object is to move your token to a final goal while along the way sharing reminiscences based on the card that you drew.  When you reach the final square, all the other game's participants take turns sharing a memory about you.

On that first Christmas, we had tried to play as a family.  The game quickly fizzled into mundanity as we realized that we couldn't actually beat each other. We never did finish that first go.  A few years, however, we were looking for a game to play after we had finished our ritual Christmas breakfast and found LifeStories on the shelf.  Given that we're all a bit older and have come to a greater appreciation of the value of family, we decided to give it another shot.  We shared lots over the course of the next hour and, as each of us reached the game's conclusion, we had the opportunity to express our love, our pride, our joy in being parents/sons/siblings.  

When my mom crossed the line, I had a particular moment in mind that I wanted to share --- a moment that has helped to define who I am today.  It was about a time when my Mom loved me when I wasn't capable of loving myself and reminding me that she would always have that love for me, whether I wanted to accept it or not.  I was so focused on getting the details right that I wasn't paying any attention to the reactions around the table.  When I finished and looked up, I realized that the entire family had tears streaming down and smiles lit up across their faces.  In that moment, I was so forcefully reminded of the spirit of Christmas - the indefatigable, inextinguishable spirit of love.

My Christmas Memory:

Each year, I find myself more and more excited for Christmas, but as I get older, the reasons for the excitement have changed dramatically.  Rather than thinking about what I am going to get for Christmas, I find joy in looking forward to the traditions of spending time with family friends.  I have always loved the ebb and flow of our typical Christmas day (which has looked very similar for a long time).  In recent years, I have been the first one to wake up on Christmas morning (aside from my parents of course).  Instead of waking the boys up, I wait with patience for an hour or so until either A. One other boy wakes up which justifies my waking the rest of them, or B. My parents decide it's time for everyone to wake up!  Once everyone is awake, the boys gather over on the stairs for our pre-present pictures.  This particular picture often catches many of us not in the best state (See below).  Following pictures, we exchange gifts.  I love the challenge of finding the just right gifts for everyone in the family.  Following gifts, we dine on a delicious breakfast feast (I particularly enjoy indulging on my mother's danishes)!  After breakfast, we enter into our Christmas Day lull between meals.  In our younger years, we would often gather in the basement to play with a video game or a toy we got for Christmas, but recently, I have gone over to Amy's house to participate in the gift exchange with her family.  We eat our delicious Prime Rib and baked potato late lunch, which never disappoints.  Then, we pile into the car to make our way across the bridge to spend time at my Grandparent's house with my Mom's family for some final merriment.  I have always loved the family-centricity of Christmas, and the relaxed nature of the day.  Typically, the boys find time to play some driveway basketball or street football to get some of the energy out of our systems.  It is truly a magical time of year around the Spofford home and I am grateful for a wonderful family to spend it with.

Isaiah's Christmas Memory:

 My favorite thing about Christmas doesn't necessarily fall on Christmas Day. In my opinion, Christmas Eve has always provided the best memories. Throughout the day we blast holiday tunes throughout the house. Sounds of Nat King Cole, the classic Creole Christmas, and my personal favorite, James Taylor fill the rooms as we help Mom cook the feast that will be eaten later that night. The night that we prepare for all day is the best part of the year because I am fortunate enough to be with my family, something that happens now once a year. Gathering around the tree, taking family photos before we head to church, singing Christmas Carols while Noah or Josh accompany on the guitar. These are the moments I've learned to savor because of the limited time we all have together and any other day we are all headed in all different directions. Christmas Eve Nights will always be be etched into my memories as some of those moments where I know I am blessed with a family that has such an abundance of love. Isn't that what the season is all about?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!  Hope your holidays are blessed!

Week 13: Patriots vs. Eagles

As I begin writing my second blog specifically about the Patriots, I realize they have now lost two in a row... Does that mean I should stop doing these?  In a week with some crazy outcomes, this game may (notice I said may) have been the biggest surprise in the NFL.  Here are my thoughts:

1. The Patriots gave that one away
For the second straight week the Patriots uncharacteristically gave up a couple of massive plays on special teams.  The blocked punt for a touchdown at the end of the first half was particularly back breaking.  After a dominant first half, leading 14-7, the Patriots looked poised to go into the locker room up seven and getting the ball to start the half.  Then suddenly, an Eagles special teamer slips through unblocked, they scoop it and score and the game is tied 14-14 and the Eagles stole all of the momentum.  I'm not sure who missed their blocking assignment, but that play set the tone for the rest of the game.
I will say that Philadelphia has been known for being an opportunistic special teams group, often capitalizing on other teams' mistakes.  They also have one of the best punt return guys ever with Darren Sproles.  As soon as Sproles found the edge, it was pretty clear a return touchdown was imminent.  It is easy to say sitting on the couch watching the game, but I think that Ryan Allen (the Patriots kicker) could have done a better job being a little more physical in trying to get Sproles out of bounds.  However, Sproles looks like a cannonball when he runs, and I would want no part in trying to bring that guy down when he's got a full head of steam.

2. Belichick made some suspect coaching decisions
In all of my years watching the Patriots play, it is very rare that I would second-guess decisions made by the Patriots coaching staff, but last night there appeared to be some really hurtful decision making, beginning with the weird pooch punt drop-kick in the second quarter.  I understand that they were up 14-0 at this point, and it is good to put plays on tape to make other teams have to prepare for a multitude of potential plays, but this really started to swing the momentum of the game.  The Eagles recovered, and all of the sudden they have the ball in pretty good field position.  After doing very little through the first part of the game, they were able to use the field position to drive down the field and score a touchdown to decrease the lead.
Later in the half, there was some brutal clock management.  I understand that the Patriots special teams is usually awesome, but when their kick was blocked, it changed the whole face of the game.  The passing attempt on third down allowed the clock to stop and forced the Patriots to punt, which, as we all know went very poorly.

3.  Speed Kills
The Eagles exposed the age an athletic ability of some of the key Patriots last night with their speedy rushing attack.  Using Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner as their primary running backs, it seemed like Sam Bradford went into the huddle and said "okay guys, let's run the same play again".  Sproles or Barner would get the ball, hit the hole and go for 5 or 6 yards a carry, allowing Bradford to get into really manageable third downs.  For the second straight week, Rob Ninkovich and Jerod Mayo weren't able to set the edge, as the running backs speedily bounced out and around.  In a game where "feature back" DeMarco Murray barely had any effect, one would have thought the Patriots would have had more success against the run.  Obviously, without Dont'a Hightower, there are clear struggles in that department.

4. Brady is the best QB in the league
In a game where there was little help to be found anywhere on the field, Brady continued to make big play after big play to keep the Patriots in the game.  I will overlook the horrible pick six, because it was very apparent that the fourth and fifth options on this team were on a different page than Brady.  At this point, it looks like he would have more success playing behind a few cardboard boxes, than his offensive line, who appear to be non-existent in the past two weeks.  Every time Brady dropped back, it seemed like he was being hit by an Eagle defender.  Once they finally got into their hurry up offense at the end of the fourth quarter, it looked a little better (probably had more to do with the defensive scheme and tired legs), but they have to protect the quarterback.  There were a number of plays that looked like sure sacks, but Brady maneuvered within the pocket to  buy enough time for his wide receivers (I have a few things to say about them), to get a little space to make plays.  He also accounted for four total touchdowns (so not too bad).

5. The Wide Receivers need work
Nothing was more apparent than the help that Brady needs at wide receiver.  There were countless plays where Brady threw the ball perfectly only for it to be dropped by the intended receiver (drops all around no one player to be blamed.)  This was displayed for all to see on the final drive, when the Patriots receivers had four drops to end the game, the worst of which came from Brandon Lafell, who inexplicably dropped a perfect pass that would have been a first down.  I'm not saying that it would have changed the outcome of the game, but it very well may have.  The injuries have disrupted the flow of Patriots offense, who looked unstoppable for the first half of the season.  I think having a couple of games under the belts of the more inexperienced players will help them down the line, but in the short term, it isn't the prettiest.

6. Brady is the best Wide Receiver in the NFL?

The trickery was magnificent.  I saw :04 seconds left on the play clock, and was thinking "What is he doing... he needs to get to the line..."  All of the sudden, the announcer said "the ball was snapped!"  I immediately thought "another botched play... you've got to be kidding me."  Then I saw Amendola with the ball, then Amendola throwing the ball, then Brady catching the ball with miles of green ahead of him.  I couldn't contain my excitement!  The Patriots, who are as predictable as the Nicholas Sparks movies, ran one of the coolest trick plays I've ever seen!  The play also illustrated that Brady has great hands and showed off his breakaway speed.  "This was the spark they needed," I thought, then an interception the very next play... OOF.

7.  Opposing Third Downs are a problem
Something I have noticed while watching the Patriots all these years, is that they often struggle getting off the field on third downs.  This showed yet again last night, when they had the Eagles in third down situations several times, and failed to dial up enough defense to make the plays they needed to.  A short rushing gain here, a pass interference call there, and the Eagles kept plugging away.  On many of the plays, the pass rush that the Patriots dialed up was a step short.  I think that the more reps Jamie Collins gets, the better this will be in future weeks, but it is a major blow to the defenses momentum and energy level if they can't dial it up an get the stops in crucial situations.

8.  Stephen "Beaver" Gostkowski is the best kicker in the NFL
A few things first: 1. Gostkowski used to play soccer with my brother (when I was very little).  2. We used to give him rides to soccer games in our sweet van (chronicled in an earlier blog).  3. We knew him by his nickname "beaver." 4. When the Patriots picked him up all those years ago, our family was really excited.  5. We did not keep in touch, so there is no chance I can get you tickets to games. 

Back to my point... This year, more than recent ones, bad kickers have been exposed in a big way.  The extended extra point has crushed some kickers to the point that they are not even in the league anymore.  Conversely, it has placed a spotlight on the good kickers, the best being Gostkowski.  Not only is he an excellent field goal and PAT kicker (he has yet to miss a PAT from the extended range), but the things he does on special teams can't be overlooked.  There have been several occasions where he has had to come up with an important tackle, and makes it.  He also prevents teams from being able to get big returns, because he just puts it out of the end zone.  It makes offenses struggle a whole lot more when they have to go 80 yards every time.  But wait, it doesn't stop there!  In addition, he is phenomenal at the onsides kick.  Since he has been with the Patriots, they have successfully recovered four onside kicks (a number that surely can't be matched around the league by any other kicker).  He is an excellent kicker, and I'm glad the Pats have him on their side!


9. Not all hope is lost
In a game where the Patriots gave up 21 non-offensive points and made numerous mistakes, they were still able to give themselves a chance to tie the game at the end.  It is very likely that this game will be the worst game that they play this season, so that should give Patriots fans hope.  When they were down 21, I like the fans that were filing out of the stands thought that the Patriots were rolling over and conceding victory, I even texted one of my friends saying: "Chalk it up as a bad game" (this was mid-way through the fourth).  I wasn't wrong that it was a bad game, but the Patriots seized some opportunities and made it a lot closer than it really should have been.  Here are the positives that I took from the game: 1. James White made some big plays, which should boost his confidence and Brady's confidence in him, 2. Brady is still the man, 3. The Pats defense started to figure things out a little bit towards the end, 4. The injured players will be back soon (minus Lewis), and 5. Like I said, likely their worst game of the season, and they only lost by 7.  

Week 12: Patriots v. Broncos

I will begin by saying that I am a Patriots fan, so therefore this will likely be a little biased, but these are my observations from the Patriots' first loss of the season.

1. Tom Brady is the best QB in the NFL

When Tom Brady took the field last night, he did so without three of his top four offensive play-makers.  Sure, Gronk was out there, but it's a lot easier to cover one guy when some other favorites are missing.  He was going up against the league's toughest defense in the snow... he's going to be doomed, right?  With any other quarterback in the league (maybe except Rodgers) this would be overwhelming and likely a sure loss, but Brady took lemons and made lemonade yet again, making some back up guys look really great, against a good defense.  I mean let's be honest here, if you were down three with 1:09 and one timeout left, is there any other quarterback in the league that you would rather have on your side than Tom Brady.  You can hate him all you want, but he is just so surgical in situations like that.  Unfortunately, they were stalled in overtime when Von Miller was just too much for the Patriots offensive line.

2. Denver's Defense is really good
Something that was talked about during the game, but not really highlighted for Denver was that they lost two of their key defensive starters early in the game.  This could have been a massive blow, but drive after drive, they managed to stall the Patriots' attack.  Other than the game tying drive, and the long catch and run to Bolden, the only other scores the Patriots created came from short field situations (Bad punt and Interception).  In a game where field position was critical, Denver won that battle.

3. Brock Osweiler looks like Edward Cullen

Thank you internet for making my life a lot easier.  But seriously, look at this!! Broncos were lucky it was a night game, because Brock's skin would've gotten all glittery...

4. Patriots need to get healthy
Last night provided a major illustration of how much trouble the Patriots are in if some of their key guys are out.  The Jamie Collins injury has hurt them overall in the last couple of weeks, but when that was paired with a Dont'a  Hightower knee strain last night, it was killer.  Jerod Mayo is still a valuable player when he plays limited snaps, but can't be that every down guy like he used to be.  Once Hightower left with the injury, the Patriots had a lot of trouble setting the edge and Anderson and Hillman just ran straight downhill.  Collins is one of the best pass defending/rushing linebackers in the league, and I can't help but think that with his health, Osweiler would have had much more difficulty getting the ball to Owen Daniels (who had a number of important wide open catches).
  
On the offensive side, Brady misses his quick hitter receivers in a big way... all three of them (Amendola, Edelman, and Lewis).  I believe that with just one of those guys, the offense would have clicked better last night, as the often found themselves unable to get out of the third and six jams that they are usually so good at.  The loss of Lewis a couple of weeks ago is a double edged sword, because his quickness and elusiveness in turn allow Blount to bring the boom on tired defenses.  James White just doesn't have it.  There were a couple of plays where White got the ball and had it been Lewis, there would have been a move and likely a missed tackle, but that is not the case with White.

5. Rob Gronkowski: Part 1
When Rob Gronkowski was writhing in pain with an apparent season ender at the end of the fourth quarter my stomach fell to my feet.  As we've seen in years past, when Gronk is out, the Patriots just are not as good.  I love to watch Gronk play, because he plays hard, he has fun, and he's really hard to stop.  On the first drive, two guys tried to body tackle him and he threw them off of him on his way to a nice touchdown.  For the rest of the game, Denver did the only thing that anyone who plays against Gronk knows how to do to take him down: torpedo his knees.  The injury hit aside, there were at least two other plays that I can recall where I cringed  and waited with bated breath hoping that he would pop back up (on those plays, he did).  I don't fault the defenders for going low to bring Gronk down, but I do fault the NFL for essentially promoting these hits with their stingy tackling rules.

Do we really need a repeat of this?

6. Rob Gronkowski: Part 2 
I think that it has become very clear over the course of this season that referees call the game differently when Gronk is involved.  There have been a number of plays this season where Brady throws to Gronk, and before the ball is close, the defender is draped on him like a bathrobe, he drops it, and the flags are nowhere to be seen.  I know football and basketball are different entities, but it is almost like the Shaq rules, where a defender would have to do something really drastic to have a penalty called against him.  In a league that strives for quality officiating (we'll deal with this in a minute), it doesn't seem fair to have these calls missed so frequently. 

This was ruled an offensive pass interference on Gronk

This was a no call a couple of years ago... HOW?!

Here are some interesting statistics from this season: Stat 1: There have been 69 offensive pass interference calls in the NFL this season. Stat 2: 9 of these have come against the Patriots. Fact: Rob Gronkowski has been called for OPI five times.  Stat 3: the next closest team has only been flagged for this offense 5 times.  That means Rob Gronkowski has matched the maximum OPI calls for any other team in the NFL.  I do not have any explanation for these stats, so I'll just leave them there and let you make your own conjectures as to why this may be. 

7. The Refs
I am burying this one deep in this blog, but there was nothing more frustrating on Sunday night than watching all of the 50/50 calls go against the Patriots.  I understand that refs are humans and humans make mistakes, but the officiating in the NFL recently just seems absolutely brutal.  I found a really good article  about the potential missed calls against the Patriots on plays that really swung the game (feel free to read that, I don't want to plagiarize).  Looking around the internet, something that I feel was blatantly missed (and obviously I can't find a gif) came when Brady threw an incomplete pass, and after it left his hands, one of the Denver defenders launched himself very high up on Brady, that I felt should have been a roughing the passer call, but the flags stayed in the pockets.  Finally, take a look at the youtube clip at the two huge interference calls against the Patriots, they look SO similar, but the Patriots ended up on the short side of the stick.

There has been a lot of coverage of the errors that the referees have made this season, so I don't want to harp on that, but the NFL needs to spend a lot of time in the offseason taking a look at hoe to make their rulebook more cut and dry so that every single play does not have to come under this scrutiny.  Is it really that bad if a player makes a little contact when they are going to make an offensive or defensive play.  When I watched games in years past, it was always clear to me what was and what wasn't a catch or pass interference or holding, and now everything is in this gray rules purgatory.  Just simplify it, NFL!

8. The Broncos played well
Coming into this game with a backup quarterback, it wouldn't be unheard of for a team to face an undefeated opponent and fold.  This was not the case for the Broncos, who stepped up to the challenge and kept themselves in the game and ended up hanging around long enough to win it.  I thought they had a good gameplan, and took full advantage of the Patriot injuries.

9. The Broncos won the game, the Patriots won the night
I think that Denver fans have the right to be excited about this win, but Patriots should feel good too.  They just went toe-to-toe with arguably the AFC's second best team playing with third string wide receivers and linebackers.  If the Patriots are able to get up to 95% health (knowing that Lewis is out for the rest of the year), they are still going to be as dangerous as ever.  If they do face the Broncos again, it will likely be with a healthy roster, which is significantly better in many ways than they were Sunday night.  I really hope they face each other again, when both teams have healthier rosters to see the outcome.

I have a lot more to say, but not enough time to put it down on here, so those are the thoughts I'll leave you with for now!

Until next time!

Noah's Crazy Sports Thoughts

Based on my blogs about sports, you guys all know that I am an avid sports fan.  I eat up sports and watch them when I can.  In college, I was fortunate enough to live with guys that also loved sports.  As expected, we consumed as much sport as our brains allowed (which meant it was on TV a lot).  During the games, I would often annoy my roommates by claiming that I could do what a specific athlete was doing or that I could step into the ring with Manny Pacquiao (which I know obviously isn't true, but it used to get the biggest rise out of Benny).  When I wasn't doing that, I would spitball rule changes or abstract strategies that I thought would improve the sports.  My roommates would laugh at me (mostly because they thought the ideas were stupid), but I have been left undeterred, so the following are things that I believe would make various sports more exciting!

NFL

1. Points off the Kickoff:
I am admittedly most proud of this idea, because I think it does a few things: 1. Increases the value of a kicker (who, sadly the NFL are trying to push out of the league) 2. Makes for higher scores and potential momentum changes 3. Increases the excitement of a game.  I believe that if the kicker is able to kick the ball through the uprights, their team should be awarded three points.  The receiving team would still be able retain the ball, the score would just be three points different.  For example, a team is down 10 with less than a minute left in the game.  They score a touchdown and kick the extra point.  In a normal game, viewers would probably stop watching and consider it a junk time td, because mathematically the lesser scoring team does not have enough time if the onside kick is not recovered.  Instead, with my proposed rule, the kicker has an undefended chance to kick a field goal through the uprights to tie the game.  If the try is successful, the recieving team has just under a minute to drive and try to win the game.  WOULDN'T THAT BE AWESOME!? COME ON!?

2. Increased value of long field goals
As you may be able to tell, I am a big proponent of things that can earn a field goal kicker more relevance on a football team.  My proposal here is that any kick between 50-59 yards is rewarded 4 points and anything 60 or above is worth 5 points.  Imagine that your team is down by three and you have fourth and 8 from about 56 yards away from the uprights.  A 56 yard kick is far from a guarantee!  Wouldn't it be so rewarding for the kicker (and us fans) if those kicks are just a little bit more valuable?

  If you disagree with me, just take a few minutes to watch the field goal compilation above.  Those kicks are soo long!

3. GO FOR IT ON FOURTH DOWN
I am not, by any means an advocate of a team going for a fourth down conversion every time.  Sometimes it makes more sense to punt the ball away and rely on your defense.  But in an increasingly more offense-centric league I think that if a team has the ball beyond their own 40 and are under 4th and 5, they should go for it.  I'm not saying go for it by running your running back into the wall of defenders (a play that I have seen fail far too many times), but go for it with play action plays and qb bootlegs.  Any average NFL team is capable of picking up 4 yards, so why does it become different when it is fourth down.1

 (However this play isn't the type of going for it that I am talking about)(What a stupid play)

4. Stop trying the end around and jet sweep 
This is a new soapbox that I am standing on this year I do not like these plays at all.  If you are unfamiliar with the terminology, it's that play where the wide reciever runs all the way across the field, receives a handoff and loses four yards.  Granted, there have been successful jet sweeps (see video below), but the majority of the time it is a fancy looking play that goes nowhere, because blockers can't get where they need to be and wide receivers don't have the trained patience to find the holes that running backs do.

This play is successful, because Tavon Austin is insanely fast and does a great job improvising when his original running lane is plugged up by the opposing defender.

5. Coach's Challenge the Referee
As I was typing this on Friday, this specific rule did not cross my mind.  But as I was watching the games yesterday, I remembered how much I favor a coach's ability to be able to throw a challenge flag to try to overturn a bad call that a referee has made.  Football is a sport where things happen really quickly, and no matter if it is being called by the best official in the world, there are going to be plays that they get wrong, it's human error.  Rather than listening to local fans whine about a blown call and placing the blame on a win or loss on the refs, why don't we give the coaches a chance to let the referees rectify their mistakes?  As a Patriots fan, I watched in dismay as Malcolm Butler was flagged incorrectly for a pass interference on Odell Beckham Jr., allowing the Giants to maintain their drive and move into field goal range.  If Belichick is able to throw the flag, that play gets overturned, the Giants likely punt the ball away, and the ending of that game potentially looks a lot different.2     

6. Get a new commissioner
I understand human error, but routinely getting everything wrong shouldn't go unpunished.  The fact that NFL owners don't hold him accountable for dragging their league through the mud baffles me.  I could definitely say more about this, but there have been enough words spilled about this to force you all to read more.

7. Mandatory shake-ups for commentating teams
There are exactly two pairs of NFL commentators that I enjoy listening to right now.  Burkhardt and Lynch and Michaels and Collinsworth (I don't have ESPN, so I can't judge their team).  Even though Chris Collinsworth says senseless things on occasion, I think he brings a lot of football knowledge to the table.  Other than that, I would love for any network to at least try out some new folks.  I watched the replay of the Colts-Saints super bowl from several years ago and had to listen to Nantz and Simms salivate over Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, just like they do now.  The fact that these guys are basically tenured into their positions as commentators often leaves the commentary stale.  So give some new people a try... I'm sure we can find someone better than Simms...

NBA
Create a four and a five point line
This rule change is pretty simple, we have a three point line, which is already a pretty long shot, but if we added a four and five point line that were even deeper shots, players who were sharpshooters (Steph Curry, for example) would be able to spread the floor even more than they already do to open up space in the half court.  The lines may lead to the demise of guys like Josh and J.R. Smith who would heave a lot of bad shots just to get more points (and likely miss), but it would definitely be an added layer of excitement.  Down by 20, NO PROBLEM, we just have to hit four five pointers and we're back in this thing.  Let's at least try it during an all-star game, it would certainly make that more exciting.

5 on 4
I will be the first to admit that this thought is not my brainchild, but I like the idea.  It is pretty basic: Rather than playing 5 on 5 in the half court, leave one of your weaker defenders (and stronger offensive players) to sit and wait by the other team's basket as an outlet for an easy lay-up.  The idea behind this is simple: the best NBA players shoot at an average of about 60% from the floor.  That means they miss four of every ten shots that they take.  If you can get two rebounds and kickouts for easy layups, that means less work that you are putting in going end to end.  Theoretically, if a team wanted to rest players, they could have a rotation of "floating players" so that they can defend hard for 24 seconds, then get a breather when they are not on the defensive end.  There are obvious critical flaws (i.e. one person will always be open on the other team), but if your team is fast enough and long enough, they should at least be able to partially contest every shot.  It may also bait bad shooters into shooting more (if you choose to defend their four best shooters very tighly, it leaves the one bad shooter open, and he'll have no choice but to shoot the ball).  Just typing this has made me want this to happen even more than I already did. (The strategy was also devised by the Sacramento Kings, who aren't exactly the poster child for good basketball ideas).  

Number decline regular Season Overtime
I am taking this idea straight from the NHL, but I think it could really improve NBA regular season.  I think it would be so cool if for each overtime, the teams lose a player (i.e. overtime 1: 4-4, overtime 2: 3-3, and so on, until you get down to one-on-one).  This would do a few things.  It would drastically decrease the congestion of the half court sets, opening up a whole new arsenal of plays coaches could draw up.  It would speed up the game.  It would bring on an almost street ball improvisation type feel, where players have to rely more on instincts and those who think and move quickly get a leg up on the competition.  If there ever was a game that went into quintuple overtime, how cool would it be to see each team's best player play a little one-on-one (or would it be the best player?)  Obviously, I would only want this to happen in the regular season to help add some excitement to the incredibly stale midseason, when most of the teams are on cruise control and the fans can feel it.  This would just spice things up a little bit.

 

Professional Soccer
No More Short Corners
I have watched and played a lot of soccer in my lifetime, and I really dislike short corners.  You know, the play where the corner kick taker passes the ball to a nearby teammate to potentially get a better cross angle, but by that time, the defender is already on them, forcing them to rebuild the attack they had built to win the corner.  This is not to say there isn't a time or place for this strategy.  For example, a team is in extra time with a one goal lead and they are trying to kill off some clock.  This would be an excellent time to use the short corner and hold possession.  However, I have seen this play fail far more often than it has succeeded and it negates the opportunity to get the ball on goal.  I think that part of the beauty of the corner kick is the chaos that occurs once the ball has been played in from the corner.  If the ball is fed into the box, a number of things could happen: 1. It could be headed or volleyed into the net, 2.  There could be a poor clearance leading to a chance on goal, 3.  There is a shot on goal that is saved, that produces a rebound, that leads to a goal, etc...  On the other hand, the short corner allows a defense to move their line forward, shrinking the field, making the game more predictable.   Just look how many of these are attempts at playing the short corner:

Overall though, I think soccer is a pretty pure sport and doesn't need too much fiddling with.  I am glad that they use goal line technology to make sure that they get goals and non-goals correct though.  That would've really benefitted the United States vs. Germany in 2002.

(Even now, I'm gutted for USA)

Youth Soccer
Please don't ban headers for youngsters
When the news came out last week that US Soccer has recommended that you training programs ban headers for players under 10, I was truly disappointed.  I understand the risks of headers and the serious nature of concussions, but this is not the answer to future prevention.  I believe that the concussion risk is much more prevalent among players who have not been taught how to properly attack the ball.  In my twenty years of playing soccer, I have seen very few concussions, and even fewer that stemmed from a player heading the soccer ball.  This action is an integral part of the game and it can change the outcome of games.  I think that there needs to be an emphasis on how to head and where on the head a player should be striking the ball, but banning heading would drastically decrease the momentum that U.S. soccer has made in becoming much more competitive on the world scale.  I don't have all the facts, but I do think that education, not expulsion, is the answer to the header concussion dilemma.  

NHL
Goalie-less powerplays
I have seen this happen exactly once.  The Bruins were down by a goal with about two minutes left, and the Flyers took a penalty leaving Boston a man advantage.  Being down a goal, the Bruins took the risk, pulled the goalie and played a 6-4 powerplay.  They passed it around brilliantly, the Flyers never touched the puck, and the Bruins scored to tie it up.  This idea is a little bit radical, and extremely risky, but I believe that teams in the NHL should consider playing 6-4 and pulling their goalies no matter what point it is at in a game (unless they are defending a lead).  With six skaters on the ice, that leaves an ample number of players to keep the puck in the opposing zone and even if there is a turnover, it creates a difficult shot from distance for the team on the penalty kill.  Obviously 6 players are much more difficult to defend than 5 and gives the team on the power play an even bigger advantage.  This should especially be used when a team is down to three men on the ice, as it would be truly overwhelming for the other team.

MLB
I am actually not an MLB fan, so I'll leave these opinions to the professionals.  But it is definitely not America's past time anymore.

These are all my thoughts for now.  When more come I'll update!

Until next time! 

1. This would inevitably devalue the punter (and those who read this know I want to add value to the place-kicker position.  I think there would still be some value, but I think an NFL team is capable of picking up 10 yards in four plays.
2. Other than Malcolm Butler, who played so well last night, I thought the Patriots secondary looked terrible.  Routinely getting beat or giving up bad pass interference penalties to no name wide receivers.  It reminded me of watching the Pats secondary of years past, which is not good.  Also, they need Jamie Collins to get healthy fast, because Freeny is not going to cut it as a full-time starter for the long-term.

Amy: A boyfriend's perspective.

Ever since I finished with camp, my writing has been very sporadic.  This has happened for a few reasons: 1. I have been busy at Milton (I've done a ton of subbing), 2. I enrolled in a gym (hacking away at the free time that I did have), and 3. I have really struggled to find the motivation and think of fresh new content.  I think that if I could do writing as a profession, I would be able to keep my posts fresh, long, and entertaining, but these things really take a lot of time and thought! (also, I do it for my enjoyment, not money).  The post that I am writing now is long overdue, may get a little sappy, and comes at a time where there isn't an outside factor (birthday, holiday, anniversary, etc.) that is motivating the blog other than the fact that she deserves it for being wonderful everyday!  There are so many things to say about Amy (and I know I won't cover it all here), so I will just start at the beginning!

The high school senior version of Amy and Noah

For those of you that are wondering, no, I would not consider Amy and me high school sweethearts.  I feel like that title is usually designated to the starting quarterback and head cheerleader that we've seen in all of chick flicks... ever.  We did go to high school together (and as we would come to find out as time went on, had quite a few classes together) but we ran in very different circles early on.  If you had asked me to tell me a little about Amy Johnston I probably would have said something like this: "she is one of the really smart twins who came from China or Vassalboro or something...".  If you had asked Amy to tell you a little bit about Noah, she probably would have said something like this: "who is Noah?" JUST KIDDING! In actuality (if she was being completely honest) it would probably sound something like this: "Noah plays soccer, hangs out with the popular kids... I'm not sure if he's very nice..."  Unfortunately, that was the rap I had in high school.  It wasn't until people got to to know me that they realized that I am a very decent human being.  Anyways, as I was saying, she had her priorities and I had mine.  It wasn't until senior year, when we happened to have the same homeroom that I really got to know her and realize that she was actually super cool.  To make a long courtship story short: I joined the swim team, got to know her more, we started talking a lot, I took her on a date to a punk rock show (which is totally not her type of music), we went to prom together, I ended up at Camp Bishopswood where she finally realized that I was worthwhile, and then started officially dating shortly after our freshman years of college began.  It has been nearly 8 years since I joined the swim season, and to quote Wicked, "my life has changed for the better" (Yeah, I typed it.....)  Here are a few reasons why we have (and will continue to) worked so well!

1. She is the epitome of kindness.
There are so many things that I could have started with here, but there is nothing that shines brighter when I think about Amy than her kind, selfless attitude.  She will always look out for the well-being of others (both human and animal) before her own needs. Amy has an absolutely innate need to please others and make sure that they are happy. When we host people at our apartment or spend time with friends, there is rarely an occasion when she doesn't follow up the visit with some variation of: "I hope they had a good time!" (of course they had a good time, because they are our friends, and you are the most gracious entertainer of all time!!)  When I am having down day, she goes out of her way to make the efforts to cheer me up (even when it isn't working).  With her friends and grad schoolmates, she never forgets a birthday, and always brings at least a card to help them celebrate.  

Her kindness and gentle heart shine most brightly when she is around animals.  Her eyes light up and she pets them so that they feel loved and cared for (she is incapable of watching an animal movie without crying). Above is a picture of a random cat named Mochie (I think) that she contently patted for at least 15 minutes.

2. She and I have shared interests

Snow day walk!

It seems kind of obvious, but relationships will not work if there aren't shared interests involved.  We listen to similar music, have similar clothing tastes (no I don't wear girl clothes, just shop in the same stores), enjoy shopping, like making people happy, don't mind having a quiet night in, appreciate each other for the little things, enjoy having a solid routine, like being outdoors.....the list could go on and on.  Last night we were watching Master of None, Aziz Ansari's new show on netflix (which is really great, by the way) and one of the characters was talking about how great it is to not have to worry about going out and making plans, and being content to just have a quiet night at home watching the latest critically acclaimed show.  As he was talking about it, Amy and I looked at each other and just laughed, because it sounded exactly like our average night, and that is just the way we like it!

3. She has a great sense of humor
While I will never tell this to her face, she actually has a pretty good sense of humor.  She loves to smile and laugh (especially at her own jokes).  The mood around our apartment is almost always light and cheery thanks to us having such compatible sensibilities in the humor department.  Many of Amy's jokes are ridiculous, but she tops them off with boisterous laughter at herself, at which point I can't help but laugh along.  My oldest brother Joe told me to find a girl that smiles and laughs a lot, and I am so thankful that I have found one!

4. She is a great travel companion!!

Washington D.C.

Seattle

Orono, ME

New York City

Bar Harbor

Philadelphia

Chicago

 I think the pictures really sum up how great it is to be able to travel with Amy!

5. She is the type of girl I can bring home to the family
When I was in the "looking for a girlfriend" stage of my life, this made a huge impact on my  courtship of young women (trying to be respectful and not sound like a creep).  I could not have hit a bigger home run than Amy.  Amy is like when a batter steps up to the plate and smashes it 500 the feet over the fence and out of the ball park.  Even early on, I could tell that my parents were big fans (mostly because Amy reflects a lot of the positive qualities that my Mom has).  I was amazed that she stuck around after the first time she met my Dad.  As she entered the kitchen, my Dad grabbed Sam and started dancing around with the dog singing "Once in love with Amy, Always in love with Amy"... somehow, Amy managed to laugh politely, and I got her away from that scene as quickly as possible.  When she wasn't scared away by crazy Dad, I knew that I should keep this one around.  Naturally, she and my mom hit it off instantly, both being simple Maine girls, that was an easy connection.  When it came time to meet the brothers, they knew how happy she made me, so I think they would have liked her well enough for that, but her quiet, kind nature won them over as well.

6. She is a great cook!
Unfortunately, the ability to cook is not present in everybody.  But luckily, Amy is a fantastic cook!  She is able to make a variety of different meals and keeps Isaiah and me well fed!  Just the other day she was proud of herself for being able to accurately estimate measurements instead of measuring them out in a cup or teaspoon (a sign of an experienced cook).  On a weekly basis, we enjoy anything from shrimp scampi to chicken enchiladas!

7. She has a great family.
Ever since I have entered the picture in Amy's life, her family has been nothing but kind and welcoming, which makes everything so much easier.  It certainly helped that I was able to meet her Dad before anything started (he coached the Waterville swim team), and he got to know me as a hard worker and fast learner in the pool.  Amy's family and my family have very similar sets of values, creating good and easy relationship between our families.  Her parents have always been willing to provide support for me and Amy when we have needed it.  They have always been very helpful and generous (especially when my cars were going through problems)!  Amy's twin sister Catherine is great as well, and is always trying to get me to listen to the new music she discovered or asking me for fantasy football advice (although she should give me advice, because her teams are tearing it up).  Coming from an active family, I thought it would be hard to find a family as active, but the Johnstons are always on the go.  Whether it is heading up to camp to renovate their new cabin or running half marathons or working in the garden or chopping down trees or swimming or doing yoga (I think you get the idea) they are phenomenally busy and active people.  Their activity clearly rubs off on Amy who makes a very grand effort to do some sort of workout every single day.

Amy and her Dad Post-half marathon!

 There is so much more that I could say, but this is where I will leave it for now.  I am so happy that she entered into my life eight years ago, because she is absolutely wonderful!

Until next time!!

Mimi and Papa

As the leaves start to turn, the weather cools down, and days grow a little bit shorter, it finally feels like fall has arrived in Massachusetts.  Although I will tell you that late spring into early summer is my favorite season, if I were to really sit down and think about it, fall has a very compelling argument.  Between birthdays and soccer (among other things) some of my best memories have come in the fall.  I am very fortunate to have a job at Milton Academy that allows me to spend a lot of time enjoying the outdoors (which becomes less enjoyable in the winter)!  I have gotten to experience and appreciate the leaves changing and the air becoming crisp and unleashing the unmistakeable scent of fall.  Next to our playground, a fence separates us from several Milton athletics fields, and during the after school hours, several of the kids sit and watch, as Milton's JV boys soccer team practices each day.  As I watch with them, it brings me back to my days in high school, where I would sit through classes, eagerly awaiting practice or games.  Then I start to think about games, and how for the 16-18 games of the season I was doing something that I was really good at, and looked up to as a leader (looking back, I could've done a better job in this avenue).  In risking vanity, I also loved game-day, because it gave me a chance to showcase the skills that I had spent so much time working on.  I always got a little boost and played a little harder as the crowd got bigger.  I have so much to say and so many great memories from my years playing high school soccer, but this particular blog is about two fans who attended (almost) all of my games: my Mimi and Papa.

Mimi and Papa are my grandparents on my mom's side.  For many years of my life, our family (Spoffords) have lived very close, thus I have been fortunate to be able to spend a lot of time with them.  It would be really difficult to find two people as loving as kind as my Mimi and Papa are.  They have lived truly remarkable lives.  There are so many things that I could say and want to say, but I will stick to the effect they have had on my life in particular.

I will go back to soccer, because that is where I began.  For Mimi and Papa, soccer was not even close to their radar.  They had limited familiarity with it, as my Uncle Andy did some coaching, but other than that, it was not something that they had been exposed to much growing up (which makes sense based on the generations that they were born into).  Obviously, soccer played a major role in the development of the Spofford family.  When we moved back to Maine, we all (minus Isaiah) were very active in the Waterville soccer world (between travel teams and high school teams).  Being active and having games nearby, meant that there would be opportunity to local family to come and watch us play.  It was no surprise that shortly after we began to play, Mimi and Papa began to make their way over to watch us play.  They may not have known much about the game, but their constant support drew them across the bridge.  It wasn't long before Papa took a real liking to the game.  He enjoyed the constant back and forth and liquidity with which the game is played.  However, he did not have the greatest understanding of the game.  Naturally, his engineering background kicked in, and he wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the game (especially if he was going to come to a lot of games).  He began to find books about the strategies and tactics of soccer, and before long he became quite soccer literate.  For the first few years, they came to games once in a while, but as time went on, they could be spotted in the folding lawn chairs at almost every game.  It was always uplifting for me to see them at games, showing constant support.  I would make sure to call them up the night before my home games to remind them what time the game was, so they could come and watch.  Typically for away games they didn't travel, unless it was in a neighboring town, but I remember seeing them on the sideline of my very last game at Brunswick and being filled with pride to have them as my grandparents.

Their love and family values are very clearly reflected in the proximity with which their children live to them.  Having six children, one would assume that the family moved apart and now lives all over the country.  However, with the Dumonts, that is not the case, with the furthest family on three hours away (and the rest no more than 25 minutes).  The Dumont kids have always visited regularly, keeping their family tight knit and showing the grandchildren true family values.  It is clear when we are all together during the holidays, that the Dumont kids had a great childhood and that they love and respect Mimi and Papa to no end.  The house is filled with warmth, smiles, and hilarious stories from days of the past. 

For me, going to Mimi and Papa's house has always been something that I look forward to with great joy, and that has a lot to do with the people who built it (Mimi and Papa of course).  As a little kid, I was always greeted with warm smiles and hugs, then offered candy (usually a Werther's or Twizzlers) and a soda.  I mean what kind of kid wouldn't love a place filled with candy and soda?!  They really knew the fast track into our hearts.  After that, the kids (whether it was just the boys or cousins as well) would typically disappear into the basement to play indoor soccer or with the toys that they had saved since their children were little.  If we ever needed anything, Mimi and Papa were always around to help.  When we lived in Mississippi, we would come up to Maine in the summers, and Mimi and Papa would graciously offer us their spare bedrooms and be the most wonderful hosts.  When I was sick, Mom and Dad would drop me off at Mimi and Papa's where they would look after me and make sure I was okay.  On teacher's workshop days, Isaiah and I would go in the morning and Mimi made us two minute eggs and toast (which are always delicious).  As I got older, I would go over there to watch soccer games on TV with Papa and help him out with chores around the yard.  Papa had a system for every chore that we did (which always made them a little longer, but made sure that the task was done right).

One of my favorite traditions with Mimi and Papa is our annual Christmas Eve dinner, in which we host them for a wonderful tourtiere pie feast put on by my Mom.  Every year at Christmas time, they come over to our house and eat and open their presents from us, and it's always a wonderful time for us and them.  Usually at some point in the night, we play guitar and sing Christmas carols, and Mimi and Papa's eyes light up as they join in on the songs and sing along.  These are some pictures over the last few years:

When I was in high school, my AP United States History teacher assigned the class a 10 page paper about a topic of our choosing, with the only stipulation being that it had to be related to the history of Maine.  I chose to write about Flagstaff, ME, a town that was flooded in an effort to create a reservoir and now sits at the bottom of Flagstaff Lake.  I thought there would be tons of material about it, (I mean a residents were moved and a town was flooded!) but there turned out to be a lot less than I had expected.  I eventually made contact with a man who was once a resident of Flagstaff, and moved to nearby Stratton.  My Papa used to work on the roads out that way, so me, my mom, Mimi and Papa took the trip out so that I could meet my primary source!  In high school, like today, I am quite shy around new people, so it was a good thing Papa came along.  He and the man talked for at least an hour about all things Maine.  I got SO much information!
I am so thankful to have such wonderful grandparents, who were so active in my upbringing!  They are true models of good family values, hard workers, and always encourage us to do our best.  They have spent years worrying about their own children and grandchildren's well-being and always act in the best interest of their family.  In turn, they are showered by love and devotion from the children, in-laws, and grandchildren.  I have so much more that I could say about Mimi and Papa (and likely will in a later post!)  I will close in saying Thank you to the best Grandparents a kid could have!!

-until next time!