But it’s always great to play Tennessee. Neyland Stadium is beginning to be like another home game. The Gator Sports Shop should set up an outlet store there.

The best part of winning any rivalry game is to read the newspaper of the opposing school afterwards. This article is good…but the comments at the bottom of it, from loyal fans of the Stumbling Vols, are priceless.

This picture, from the Gainesville Sun, of a guy going with the Heath Ledger/Joker look…how appropriate, if not a little creepy.

Go Gators.

Picks of Faith bracket (church league)
Current score: 19 (tied for 8th out of 12)
Leader score: 21
Best pick: Davidson over Gonzaga
Worst pick: Cal State Fullerton over Wisconsin
4 of my sweet 16 have already been eliminated.

BQ Bracket Busters (Bible quiz league)
Current score: 20 (5th out of 11)
Leader score: 23
Best pick: Davidson
Worst pick: South Alabama over Butler
Again, 4 of my sweet 16 are gone.

Hoops Gurus (league with Gary Robles)
Current score: 100 (7th out of 7)
Leader score: 168
Best pick: Davidson
Worst pick: CSUF
Only 3 of sweet 16 gone, but I’ve lost interest in this bracket. Rules were changed after tourney began, with players allowed to change their picks before today’s games, though I didn’t know it. Weak.

Google (my bracket, no league, just to test the iBracket widget on the Google home page)
Current score: 42
Best pick: San Diego over Connecticut
Worst pick: Georgia over Xavier
3 sweet 16 picks gone, the worst being Drake, whom I had making it to the Final Four. Crazy, but what did I have to lose?

But it’s still the best period of sports of the year – the Tournament, Opening Day for baseball, the Masters – all within a few weeks.

Shae as we wait to get in. You can see Sam sitting in the background

Sam was tired after staying up all night.

Actually, he was happy. He’s just serious about eating.

This is on the ramp on the way to our seats. Sam would make a new friend shortly after this picture.

Ashley Pounders and Shae.

From our seats, high in section 312.

The Gators on the field.

Fireworks were at eye level.

Apache flyover

My favorite picture and memory of the whole day

My picks for this weekend in the USA Today pool I’m in. Other members of the pool mostly are connected with Assemblies of God HQ in Springfield, Missouri. Was invited by my sister, Tammy. (Hey – Tam – no fair looking at my picks. Specially since I’m ahead of you right now!)

For those of you that don’t know, Sawgrass is home to the PGA headquarters. We got to play the Dye Valley Course on Thursday, followed by the TPC Stadium course on Friday. Steven Porter and myself played the two-man scramble together, shooting an 82-80, finishing 2nd in our flight. (Yes, we were in the bottom flight.)

One great moment was on the famous 17th hole on the Stadium course. After making it safely on the green with my tee shot, I had almost the exact same putt as Tiger’s famous “better…than…most” shot. His was better than mine, too, when mine BARELY lipped out. Still, a par there felt pretty good.

Got a few pictures (including some of the hotel that I didn’t post) including the 17th and 18th holes, plus the clubhouse.

Convoy raised over $800,000 at the event to help their efforts around the world. Ironically, while I was there, I found out that my nephew, Nathan, is currently interning with COH and will travel to China in a few weeks.

Overall, it was a lot of fun. And what takes more hope than golf? Especially on a world-class course like the TPC?

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Just finished reading a long discussion about the upcoming General Council of the A/G and the Relational District Resolution on the FutureAG blog. Interesting. I understand the reasons for the resolution, but I’m not convinced this (re)solution is the best one.

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Mark Teixiera and a pitcher for Jarrod Saltalamacchia and five other players. I hate losing Salty. I think he’s going to be great. But I hope it works out for the Braves.

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Much has been said and written about When Bad Things Happen to Good People. But why do Good People Do Stupid Things? {sigh}

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I am reminded almost everyday that our time with all our children in the home is growing shorter. This is a golden time.

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Speaking of our children, Sam and Shae are working hard, getting ready for next week’s National Fine Arts Festival. They are performing a sketch (along with their friend, Adam). Shae also has a Book Chapter entered. We leave Monday.

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I have been sitting on an idea for a new podcast. For about a year. Sometimes it’s hard to pull the trigger.

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A new poll is on the right side of the main page. If you don’t know what the poll is asking, choose “Neither”.

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Many people participated in yesterday’s prayer and fasting for families. I’m looking forward to hearing some testimonies. I already know the enemy didn’t like it.

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I feel sorry for Barry Bonds. I wish he wasn’t going to break the record, but I still feel bad that people treat him as an object, instead of a human being.

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I haven’t done a new episode of the Bible Quiz Podcast since I went to Arizona, and I really need to. Hopefully soon.

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We had a GREAT episode of the Church Drama Podcast on Sunday. Maybe it wasn’t so great – but I laughed much. It should be posted soon. (It’s taking forever to encode the video.)

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I still like my iPhone. And next week – the new iMac!

We – Ray, John, Paul, and myself…four Bible Quiz guys – headed to The Gallery today for a round of golf. Paul rode along while the other three of us played.

The interesting thing was, while we were driving to the course, Ray started talking about his son. I’ve known his son for a long time, and I knew he had recently moved from his church in South Carolina to a church in Texas.

Before I finish that story, I need to add that my roommate here in Tucson, Josh Weber, recently moved to the Tampa area from Nashville. He attended Cornerstone A/G, where a guy named John McKinzie used to be on staff. John is now lead pastor at Hope Fellowship in Frisco, Texas.

And it wasn’t until today, when Ray mentioned again about his son that I made the connection. His son, Scott Berkey, is children’s pastor at Hope Fellowship, not only the home of John McKinzie, but the new home of another old friend – that I’ve mentioned in this blog – Mark Lunsford.

Small world, indeed.

{Picture is of Scott Berkey’s dad, Ray}