March Madness 2: Players through the years.

Nearly a year ago today, I sat at the same computer starting my second ever blog post.  In that post, I wrote a little bit about general NCAA March Madness things and wrapped it up with my five favorite Madness moments.  In that piece, I also said that I would be back with some of my favorite ever players.  If any of you were holding your breath, I sincerely apologize and this post will finally cover some of my favorite college hoops players over the years! (I'm going to skip some years, because I didn't have any strong feelings)

2015: Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin  
Yes, like many people in America, Wisconsin won me over in last year's tournament.  Their goofy, happy-go-lucky demeanor made them so easy to root for (see .gif). 

Of course, that was led by their star player, Frank Kaminsky.  There are several reasons why I found myself rooting for Kaminsky.  First of all, he is a very good basketball player.  His versatility allows him to stretch the floor for his teammates and open up the lane, which is a skill-set that is super important in the modern NBA.  In college (and to some extent in the pros) was able to use his athleticism to guard nearly anybody.  Secondly, he seems like the kind of guy that can get along with anyone.  Along with being my favorite player in last year's tournament, he is probably also the guy who I would have chosen if I was forced to have a roommate from any team.  Obviously, I don't know him and it's possible that he's a super creep, but based on what I do know, he seems legit.  Finally, I really respected that he decided not to enter the draft early and did the whole four years in college thing.  In today's game, it is all about the one-and-done phenoms, but he chose the college route to mature his game.1 
With each passing round, I found myself more and more invested in Wisconsin's success, and was weirdly gutted when they lost in the finals to Duke.  His success in college translated to becoming a lottery pick for the Charlotte Hornets, where he has transitioned with solid (but not amazing) numbers.

2013: Trey Burke, Michigan
I was a big fan of Trey Burke in 2013.  He was the perfect example of experienced player who caught fire at the right time to lead his team to a deep run in the tournament.  They made it all the way to the finals, where they were edged out by a superior Louisville team.  Like many of my favorites through the years, Burke was fearless and willing to shoot from anywhere on the court.  He was the leader of a young, talented Michigan team who was really easy to root for. 

  
2012: Victor Oladipo, Indiana

In 2012, there was no doubt that Victor Oladipo was the most athletic player in college basketball (see left).  He was a high flying offensive player who was a strong on defense as he was on defense.  I really enjoyed watching this Indiana team throughout the tournament, and Oladipo was a major reason why.  Like many of my favorites, Oladipo was not a one and done player, but instead honed his skills for three years at Indiana before being taken second overall in the 2013 NBA draft.  I can distinctly remember watching one of their mid-season games thinking "this guy is for real."  So far in the NBA, he has put up solid numbers on an Orlando team that is in a seemingly never-ending rebuilding cycle.

2011: Kemba Walker, UCONN
This tournament was the coming out party for Kemba Walker and it would be impossible to pick another player as my favorite.  In true UCONN fashion, he was able to carry his team through the Big East tournament and then continue the momentum with win after win in the Big Dance.  He used his ruthless crossover to make space for himself to shoot and gunned down opponents.  When it was all said and done, his Huskies defeated the defending Runners-up, Butler in a close game.  At the time, I felt really bad for Butler, because I was (am) a huge Brad Stevens fan and felt that his team deserved one,  but I had loads of respect for what Kemba was able to do during the tournament.  He turned that success into professional success, where he is one of the top players on the Charlotte Hornets.

  
2010: Gordon Hayward, Butler

It is a shame that the primary reason most people remember Gordon Hayward because he (narrowly) missed a half court runner at the buzzer that would have given Butler a massive Championship win over Duke.2   Working with President Brad Stevens as his coach, Hayward was able to lead his band of blue collar boys through the tournament and nearly win the entire thing.  I have always been a major fan of the Cinderella story, and the Butler run was truly that.  He was a truly impressive college basketball player, nearly averaging a double-double in the two years he was there, and went toe-to-toe with some of the best players that were out there.  Following his sophomore year, he entered the NBA draft and was taken by Utah.  So far, he has had a really successful NBA career (arguably one of the top 30-35 players in the league).  I still have my fingers crossed that someday he will land in Boston, but until then, there will always be 2010!

2009: Levance Fields, Pitt

 I will admit, I am super impressed with myself for even remembering this name.  Fields was the point guard for a very good '09 Pitt teams who lost a heartbreaker to Scottie Reynolds and Villanova in the tournament's Elite Eight.  When Reynolds drove the whole court with just seconds remaining to hit a thrilling buzzer-beater.  The crazy thing about this pick for me, is that Levance Fields wasn't even the best player on the Pitt team, that distinction went to Dejuan Blair (who shared the Big East player of the year honor with 7-3 and long forgotten Hasheem Thabeet).  I remember really liking Fields' game because he was always the guy on Pitt that wanted the ball in his hands for the big shots.  He did not have the build for long-term success in the NBA, but used his work ethic to give himself and his teammates a huge boost.  I also really liked his commitment to the Carmelo Anthony cornrows.  For some reason, I watched a ton of Big East basketball in '09 and I was always drawn to the hard-nosed play of Pitt.   

2008: Stephen Curry, Davidson    

In 2008, I loved Stephen Curry.  I never expected that he would go on to become one of the the best players (statistically) in NBA history.  Here's this kid, who looks like he hasn't aged since high school, playing for a small school outside of Charlotte, leading his team so deep into the playoffs.  At this point in his college career, he was not an unknown player, as his scoring prowess led him to become one of the top scoring players (by average) in the country that year.  In this particular tournament, he was able to use his super-human shooting ability to advance deep into the tournament and go toe-to-toe with the perennial powerhouse, Kansas in the Elite Eight.  In their run during that tournament, they beat Gonzaga, Georgetown, and Wisconsin, with Curry scoring at least 30 in all three of those games.  The most surprising thing about this is that he elected not to enter into the NBA, instead, remained at Davidson for one more season, where he continued to fill up the stat sheet.  Now we all know what happened from there.  Scouts doubted his durability and ability to play point guard, he had some ankle problems early on, he started to show signs of being a great shooter, he became NBA's MVP last season, won an NBA championship, and now leads a Golden State team that has a chance to break the regular season wins record (a record that many thought was untouchable).  Not bad for an undersized shooter from Charlotte...

2007: Joakim Noah, Florida

For fans of Florida University during this time period, there is no doubt that these were their glory years.  They were dominant in both Football (See Tebow, Tim) and Basketball and they were (hopefully) living in a nice warm climate!  With that said, this Florida team was nasty.  We all know how hard it is to repeat as a national champion, and this squad did it with style and selflessness.  Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah, and Al Horford all opted to stay in college one more year to try to reach that achievement, and definitely did not hurt their draft stock in doing so.  Noah was my favorite of the bunch.  His goofy look and scrappy nature was very easy to root for!  He was the type of guy to make a layup and then sprint down the court and slap the floor on defense before blocking some poor guy.  I must say, that his name played a role in my favoring him.  Not surprisingly, he went on to the NBA, where he has had an outstanding career as a post scorer/rebounder on the Bulls.  On more than a few occasions, he has been public enemy #1 as a pro (especially when the Bulls and Celtics had a good rivalry going on), but it's hard not to respect and enjoy watching a guy as good and intense as Noah is.  It is hard to find a more vicious competitor.

2006: Adam Morrison, Gonzaga  

Yeah, that's right.  We all remember him... that lovable, long-haired, free-spirited, college basketball anomaly.  In 2006, Adam Morrison split player of the year honors with J.J. Reddick (ugh, Duke).  He was the leader of a Gonzaga team that made a run in the tournament and was not hesitant to take the big shots.  He looked more like he had just come from the set of Dazed and Confused than a basketball player, but as a sophomore(?) in high school, I was a big fan.  Morrison was the leading scorer in the nation that year for a very good Gonzaga team, who lost a heartbreaker to UCLA in the tournament after having the lead the entire game.  As the seconds ticked away, it was plain to see that Morrison's heart was broken.  He clearly gave everything he had to the success of his team and came up short.  I always liked him, because of the fire he played with, seemingly giving every piece of his will to the game.  His fire allowed him to get drafted very high by the Charlotte Bobcats, who tried and failed to develop him as a successful NBA star.  He ended up becoming somewhat of a journeyman around the NBA, with teams trying to reignite the magic that burned in college, but he never found any long-term success.  He did have some bright moments, but none like the years that he played in college.
2005: Salim Stoudamire, Arizona

In 2005, I spent a lot of time playing video games.  The game that I spent the most time playing was ESPN College Hoops 2k5.  I often spent my time in fierce battles with my younger brother, him being Chris Paul's Wake Forest, while I played as Illinois or Salim Stoudamire's Arizona.  In the video game, he was a lights out 3 point shooter, surrounded by other really strong players such as Channing Frye.  In real life, he was a lights out three point shooter, surrounded by other really strong players such as Channing Frye.  From my stand point, there was a lot to like about him!  Among many other things, he was a strong competitor, wanted the ball in his hands at the end of the game, and was a great shooter!  He also had a sweet afro!  Quick note: when I used to create players on video games, they always had afros! (I wish I could have an afro...).  Anyways, Stoudamire led Arizona to the Elite 8, where they had their hearts broken by a ferocious University of Illinois comeback (outscored 20-5 in the final 5 minutes).  Stoudamire went on to have a short NBA career, where he put up moderate numbers.  Just another one of those "better in college" type guys.
2004: Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's University

In 2004, my brother Joe was a student at the University of Rhode Island, which is in the Atlantic 10 conference.  During this time, Saint Joseph's was the dominant team in that division, going undefeated in the regular season.  One of their closest games that season came towards the end against URI, when they nearly lost on a Dawan Robinson buzzer-beater (quite the mind vault, eh?) Jameer Nelson was a big reason for this success. I have always said, and will continue to say that Jameer Nelson has one of the prettiest shots in basketball.  His smooth stroke allowed him to garner the respect of defenders who had to defend him deep, allowing him to easily dribble into the lane: a deadly combination.  They had a great run in the tournament, with their marquee win coming over Chris Paul's Wake Forest team who also had a strong showing in the regular season.  Unfortunately, they were defeated in the last seconds of a game by Oklahoma State and their improbable dominance came to an end.  Nelson's career however did not end in college.  Unlike a lot of the guys that I have mentioned in this blog, Nelson has gone on to have a really illustrious NBA career.  In his 11 year career, he has averaged 15 points and nearly 7 assists, numbers that have warranted a long career.  In his later years, teams have used him as a seasoned veteran, and take advantage of his experience off the bench.  

There you have it.  I think I could keep going, but earlier than 2004 and my mind is a little bit fuzzy on details!

Until next time!

Why Customer Service is relevant in Schools.

A few days ago, my Dad called me to seek my help on a presentation he will be making at a local high school in a week or so.  These are some of my thoughts on why customer service is such a relevant part of teaching!

When my Dad called to ask me to share my thoughts on why customer service is important in schools, a million thoughts raced through my head.  I had many initial thoughts that I could have shared, but I felt so strongly about the importance of this idea as an educator, I did not answer immediately, but asked if I could write down my response instead.  Here are a few of my thoughts about why I believe customer service plays an absolutely essential role in the world of education.

First, a little bit about me.  I am twenty-six years old.  I am a history teacher by training.  I have spent the last eight summers and counting working at a small camp near Camden, ME.  I would never claim to be an expert on the world of education and know (and love) that I have so much more to learn about my (our) craft.  These are just observations that I have had in my few short years in and around the classroom. 

In order to get my thoughts in order, I had to think about the restaurants, venues, retail stores, and events that I frequent, and dive into why it is that I chose these places to return to time after time.  Not surprisingly, many of these places share the same characteristics: friendly/genuine staff, predictable (I’ll get more into this in a minute), fast service, honesty, quality products, smooth operations, etc.  Looking back through the list, I was not surprised that as a teacher, these are also qualities that I aim to emulate with students, parents, and peers. 

Student Buy-In:

A good education is the most important thing that can be “sold” to a student.  When teachers aren’t able to sell their students on the topic they are teaching, students will likely miss concepts and the teachers will be wasting their time.  I think (may be a biased train of thought) that this generation of students is probably the hardest to teach, because they have instantaneous access to so many different stimuli.  So as teachers, what can we do to convince students that it is worth their time to listen to what we have to teach?  Why is our product valuable to their learning?  I think that much of that has a lot to do with their interests and goals, but if lessons are framed with your particular students in mind, I believe that there becomes a correlation with their success. 

Stay Current:

If you walk into Wal-Mart hoping to buy the newest FIFA game and they only have copies of the game from 10 years ago, I doubt that they would have much success making that sale.  Why would the classroom be any different?  My first year teaching was 2012.  I was assigned to a classroom that had a broken LCD projector.  While I still had use of my computer to use as a personal reference, I felt that my students were short-changed in some ways by the lack of technology.  When I finally got a new projector, my lessons became much better-rounded and students responded positively to the presence of technology.  As a customer service industry, I believe it is essential to learn to be proficient with all necessary tools and current on content and methodology. What can we do to strengthen our lesson plans? What do I need from others to help achieve this?

Challenge Students:

This is an idea that contributes to an excellent customer experience in the classroom, but may not have much success in other platforms.  For example if you are a car salesman and the customer comes in trying to buy a lightly used Ford Focus, they may not respond well if you then said, “you know what, I can see that you can do bigger and better things, why not just upgrade to our brand new super-sporty Mercedes Benz?”  My response would probably go something like this: “Well, you know, because I’m a teacher…” 

It is such an essential part of the student’s experience to be challenged to search for different perspectives or to practice new methods they are learning.  Without that challenge, the final product will likely be lackluster. How can you challenge students without putting them off?      

Consistency is key:

Consistency manifests itself in so many different ways, but is so important.  My family and I have been going to the same Chinese restaurant for years.  We know that when we get there we will have a friendly waitress, the food will be prepared quickly, and it will taste delicious!  In all of the years we have been going, we may have had two or three less than stellar dishes, but because we have built up the trust in the restaurant, it does not deter us.  Now imagine we had gone once, had poor service, and sub-par food… do you think we would have gone back?  Probably not.  I have found the same is true in so many ways in the classroom.  As you all know, students are much more perceptive than they get credit for, especially when they sense inconsistencies.  In what ways could these inconsistencies manifest themselves? How can that effect the final product?

Reputation matters:

I used to eat my fair share of Chipotle.  I think it is delicious!  Every time I ate it, I did so without any ill effects (other than being really full).  However, since the reports came out of the e. coli incidences I have not touched a burrito.  Even since they have made sure that all of their products are safe and ready to go, I just do not have that trust anymore.  Unfortunately, that’s the way things go with reputation.  Building a positive rapport with students, teachers, and other parents can go miles towards building that reputation and trust within your classroom and school.  I think that this is such an essential piece of the customer service experience not only in schools, but in any business!

Keep parents involved:

I have worked in two schools since graduating.  In my brief experience, I can definitely attest that students whose parents play an active (but not overbearing) role in their learning usually show a higher affinity for learning.  The most difficult part of this is cultivating a relationship with the parents to maintain an open dialogue about what their kids are learning and putting forth conversation starters to further the students' learning.  I think that this goes way beyond the surface questions of "did you finish your homework?" or "did you get any grades back?", but instead "tell me about something you learned today," "are there any difficult concepts that you are running into," "how can what you learned be put into practical use to make it more applicable to your life."  I believe that this simple change in general conversation can make a huge difference in a students' learning process.   How can you use parent involvement to promote a students’ success?  How can you “sell” what you are teaching to the parents to generate healthy conversation outside the classroom?

Mimi and Papa: A Grandson's Point of View

On December 31, 1955 my wonderful Mimi ended her year-long diary with this entry:

"This year is over, and tomorrow a new one rolls in. I have known love, despair, sorrow, grief, happiness, joy, discouragement, and what have.  Best of all, I have known love.  This is a love that will last forever -- We'll have our ups and downs, arguments, peace and everything else that makes two people love each other.  With the help and grace of God we'll come out of it O.K."

Fast forward just over sixty years, six children and fourteen grandchildren later, these words written by my Mimi about her and my Papa could not have been more true.  On Saturday, with their children and grandchildren gathered to celebrate their amazing lives, we laughed and cried as we read the final few months' entries of 1955.  It was so fitting that the final words Mimi wrote about her engagement year of 1955 were written with optimism, joy, and unbridled excitement for the things to come (traits that were cherished by her kids and grandkids.)

A couple of months ago, I wrote a blog post highlighting some of the things that I loved most about my wonderful Mimi and Papa.  After I wrote it, my parents went over to their home, and read it to them.  Mom and Dad reported back that Mimi and Papa loved it (which comes as no surprise, since they were always quick to offer their support).  While writing it, there was no part of me thinking that within just a few months, they would have both passed away.  It has been a really hard couple of months.  I think that my Dad nailed it right on the head, when he talked to me about how constant and steady their presence was in our lives.  Prior to their rapid decline, it was hard to imagine a world without these things.  Now, a few weeks after Papa's passing, I am left with fond memories and nostalgia about my wonderful grandparents.

I loved that there was never a moment of judgement with Mimi and Papa.  These were qualities that they shared with their kids, who have passed them on to us.  They always loved us despite our flaws. They never pried, but they always extended themselves when they could for our well-being. 

Mimi and Papa were willing to drop everything at the drop of a hat to make sure that we were okay.  I can recall feeling really sick once in high school, and Mom and Dad weren't able to pick me up.  I called Papa and he came over immediately to take me home.  When we got there, he made sure I was comfortable, and then called the house later on to make sure I was doing okay. 

They kept a warm, inviting home with a door that was always opened (but seriously, it was only a few years ago that they actually starting locking the house).  I always knew what to expect when I went over to visit.  Papa would tell stories of the past (some of them more than once).  Even when I went to visit him in his nursing home a couple of weeks ago, he was sharing stories that I had never heard before.  Mimi would always have some treats prepared for us.  Even if it was a surprise visit, we could count on coke, twizzlers, and usually a delicious cake (Papa loved his treats).  We would sit in living room and they would listen intently as we filled them in on our latest escapades.  They would chime in when they could and make sure that we knew how proud they were of us.

When I was in fourth grade, I made the decision to play the violin.  I had never played an instrument before, but the teacher was fun and I received encouragement from my Mom and Dad.  When Papa found out, he was so excited for me.  There was rarely a moment at the Dumont house that music wasn't playing on the radio, and when we couldn't hear it, that usually meant that Papa was playing a tune on his accordion or violin.  He was quite the fiddler.  When it came time for me to purchase a full-sized violin, I didn't have to look far.  I went over to Mimi and Papa's house where I found several violins of various conditions laid out for me.  The one I chose needed a little bit of work, but when it was all said and done it looked and played beautifully.  I was often shy about playing by myself, but I wish that I had played for Mimi and Papa more often.  Papa loved listening to the oldies, especially the French-Canadian tunes.

Mimi and Papa loved their bean suppers (especially Papa).  They combined three of their favorite things, baked beans, same-generation folks sharing old stories, and pie (Papa loved his treats).  I can't remember how many bean suppers I attended with them, but it was surely in the double digits.  The most memorable of these happened in Freeport before we watched the Preservation Hall Jazz Band play the night away as part of the L.L. Bean free summer concert series.  We walked down the street looking for something to eat, when suddenly we noticed a baked bean supper sign.  After finishing, we walked outside where I balanced on a short ledge.  Fooling around, I stuck my foot into an opening of a nearby trash can.  Mimi said, "You shouldn't do that Noah, it might get stuck."  In my youthful arrogance I laughed and began to pull my foot out.  As I pulled my foot out, it stuck on the lid of the can and I fell right on my butt.  After making sure I was okay, Mimi laughed with me at my silliness and often reminded me of that story.

Mimi loved to spend her mornings drinking hot coffee, doing the daily crossword puzzle, and watching the birds outside of their home.  When we visited her, we often found her doing just that. When she wasn't doing those things, her motherly instincts took over, as she cooked, cleaned, and did laundry.  She was a great cook and I was privy to many a fantastic meal.  When we were young, Mimi and Papa hosted our Thanksgiving celebrations, making the home welcome for their kids, in-laws, and grandchildren.

Papa spent most of his days in his workshop, where he crafted furniture, clocks, and small toys for the grand-kids.  Like all the he did, these tasks were slow, meticulous, and well-crafted.  Their home is like a treasure trove of quality Papa-made fixtures (the house itself was also Papa-made).  I can vividly remember driving to different lumber yards on several occasions to get just the right material for Papa's projects.  I wish that I had more interest in learning his woodworking hobby, but at that age I was all-consumed with sports.

The Boys and their toys from Papa

Papa loved travelling around the state, and as we did, telling stories of his days working as an engineer for Maine's department of transportation.  It was nearly impossible to travel to a place in Maine for which Papa didn't have a story.  We often went to Hallowell, where Papa would talk about the old Granite quarries and the time a truck full of Granite lost its breaks and barreled down the steep hills of Hallowell.

Mimi loved her grandchildren (all fourteen of them) and was always quick to offer her babysitting services.  She often brought us in tow as she ran her errands around town (we went because we knew that McDonald's would likely follow).  She would ask us what we wanted to do, and then she would selflessly drive us to Giffords and Benton Family Fun park and watch along contently.

Mimi and Papa loved the outdoors.  On warm, sunny days, it was never a surprise to drive up to the Homestead and find them sitting out in the yard enjoying every minute of it.  In our younger years, Papa would have been smoking a pipe (a habit which he kicked eventually).  They often sat quietly just to enjoy the wildlife around them.  When we spotted turkeys in the back yard, rather than say "oh, yeah, we see them every day..." they would smile and watch with us and tell stories about the turkeys fleeing from the fox a couple of days ago.  Papa loved to talk about how smart the turkeys were (especially when it came to evading predators).

Mimi and Papa loved having a good time.  When the family was around, they always had a smile on their faces.  On special occasions, they enjoyed a glass of wine or two and played charades or sang old French-Canadian songs.  Weddings were always quite festive.

I loved my Mimi and Papa and there is no question that loved me too.  I am so happy to have had them in my life for 26 years.  They have left behind a legacy of love and caring that will be carried on for many generations.  It gives me joy to know that they are dancing, singing, and smiling down on us from heaven.  I know that we will meet again someday, but until then I will do my best to match the joy for life that they shared with us!

I love you Mimi and Papa!

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!