Sports Wrap-up

It was a great day at the ballpark yesterday. Cold and windy outside, warm and sunny inside AND the Rangers smoked the Indians. Some impressions:
1. An Army band was there playing some pre-game music and the national anthem. Last year, the same band was playing at a game via a live feed from Afghanistan. Pretty cool that they were there to play live.
2. It was the first time I experienced a pre-game timing problem at a Rangers game. Two B-1 bombers flew over at the exact time they were supposed to but we were only halfway through the national anthem. You cannot hear a band playing or the person next to you singing when two B-1 bombers fly over you.
3. George Bush got a HUGE reception of cheers when he came out to throw the first pitch. It was a strike.
4. The Rangers infield played as good a game as they could play I think. Young Elvis Andrus made some great plays at shortstop and Michael Young looks like he'd always played 3rd base.
5. Every time Josh Hamilton comes up to bat, people expect a home run.
6. Jerry Jones was at the game. I expected to hear more boos when he walked out but maybe people didn't notice...or didn't care.
7. The Jerrydome is HUGE.
8. A kid stole 3rd base. It's a promo deal where the kid has to run from the left field fence, grab 3rd base and run back in 40 seconds. I thought it was pretty cool and then it turns out the boy who did it was sitting behind us. He was pumped. Funny thing was, someone else was supposed to do it and they couldn't find him and the boy behind us was walking by the people looking at the right time.
9. I like the checkerboard baseball field.
10. The crowd doesn't respond much to the people throwing t-shirts in the crowd.
11. I liked the old-time scoreboard in left field but the new video board is kind of neat. People who couldn't see the big screen above home run porch can get all the info now.

It was a fun day and a great start to the Rangers season. 161 more to go.
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North Carolina ran away with the game last night. They were my pick to win it all but I was afraid Ty Lawson would be injured and went with Memphis. Ty Lawson wasn't hurt enough not to play, was the Player of the Game and dominated throughout the tournament. It wasn't a great game to watch but not surprising.
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A different note. There's a funeral for the police officer killed in Bridgeport today in Decatur. I read part of an interview with the police officer's mother the other day and one of her statements is still with me. She talked about praying for the family of the guy who killed her son and talked about their loss also. Amazing grace and mercy from a woman who is suffering and a beautiful story for all of us. I know they will be in pain today and many other days but it seems their family is focused on the greater reward.