A Holiday Classic Revisited

I bet there's one big ass wishbone inside that bird.

A Quick Follow Up

Behold the leg kick that spelled the end for Matt Hughes's second title reign. I can only hope that it did not also signal the end of his ability to compete at an elite level.

Dustin, thank you for your comment on my last post. You're very right- One significant loss cannot undo the astounding career that preceded it. Matt's a NINE-TIME UFC Champion! (He would be an 11-time champion if Joe Riggs and Royce Gracie would have made the cut down to 170 lbs.)

To give some perspective on how truly significant it is to be a 9-time champeen, consider the following trivia: Randy Couture won a strap 6 times (or 7 if you're the type that recognizes interim titles); Tito Ortiz won 6; Frank Shamrock, Pat Miletich, and Tim Sylvia tie with 5; and Chuck Liddell has won 4 thus far. If Hughes is ultimately able to reclaim the welterweight crown, he'll add another stellar achievement to his resume by becoming the first fighter in UFC history to win the same title three times.

The now former champ is already eager to get back on the road to glory. Here's what Matt himself said today (See www.matt-hughes.com):

First off, I'd like to say that Georges fought a heck of a fight. He's a nice guy and a well-rounded fighter and he's going to be tough to beat. Number two, I'd like to thank everybody for all their support and I've already talked to the UFC about getting a rematch sometime and they said that's fine. I don't know when that will be or if I will fight anyone before that, but I anxiously await a rematch with Georges because I just think I can do so much better.

Going into the fight I felt very confident. Even up to the point where I lost, I really felt God was going to have me win that fight, but it wasn't His plan. I always pray that God's will is done before a fight and, as long as that's done, I'm happy and I'll definitely fight again. Even with a loss, I can't be anything but thankful for all that God has done in my life.

For those who might be worried about me, I'm fine. I've got some color to my face - a black eye and a few scabs and bruises; but this is not one of those things where I have to go out and 'redeem myself' so I can look myself in the mirror. I just got beat by a guy who was better than me that night and I can live with that. So, physically and mentally, I'm fine.

I have so much respect for this man. Even though some fighters and fans consider him to be arrogant, statements like this one reveal that Matt can also be quite humble. Even if we should learn that his best days as a competitor are indeed behind him, I'll never jump off his bandwagon.

New Champions and Fallen Heroes

[Blogger's Note: This essay is yet another entry using sports as a foil for discussing deeper dimensions of human existence. As long as you're interested in topics like joy, perseverance, and existential meaning, you don't have to share my sports allegiences to find the following eight paragraphs to be worth your time. ...At least I hope that's the case.]

In recent posts, I have used both the UFC and the NFL to help me think about how my existence as a social creature is shaped by the professional sports I enjoy. Several commenting friends agreed with my thoughts concerning the way that one's emotional life and relationships can be edified by one's involvement with a favorite athlete or team. I noted how it does my soul good to see "my guy(s)" be victorious and (even in defeat) perform at an elite level. Many entries on this blog have been devoted to my strong appreciation for Mixed Martial Arts and fighters like Matt Hughes and Randy Couture. I've expressed my anxiety and anticipation leading up to an important fight, and I've done my best to articulate my satisfaction when "my guy" prevails.

This post is my attempt to express the other side of the coin: the letdown when my favorite athlete falls short. Last night at UFC 65, Matt Hughes- the most dominant champion in UFC history- was himself dominated by the new 170-lb champion of the world, George St. Pierre. That Hughes lost is not itself shocking. On a day when the top two teams in college football went head to head in Columbus, OH, the #1 and #2 welterweights in the entire fight game threw down last night in the Octagon. And the unofficial margin between these rankings was widely regarded to be razor thin. So when the #2 man toppled the competitor who had held the #1 spot for so many years, the new king's victory did not come as a tremendous surprise.

What was surprising was the way Georges St. Pierre owned Matt Hughes. For roughly seven minutes St. Pierre had his way with the defending champion. He continually scored with punches and kicks on the feet and convincingly stuffed the two or three takedowns Hughes attempted. When St. Pierre's left high kick connected to the right side of Hughes' head, the pit of my stomach dropped out. Seconds thereafter, St. Pierre was on top of his floored opponent putting the exclamation mark on his performance. He hit Hughes with punches and elbows until the referee pulled him off and called a stop to the fight. Days ago, I was debating whether Matt Hughes might retire with the title belt still wrapped securely around his waist. Now I genuinely doubt that my favorite active fighter will ever hold championship gold again.

Joy and pain indeed go hand-in-hand with being a devoted sports fan. At the end of the day, however, they are the byproducts of deeper processes and structures. One's sports commitments help to shape not only one's activities and relationships at the micro level. These commitments, in degrees that vary from person to person, also play a role in shaping the understanding one has of the past and one's expectations for the future at the macro level. The struggle to lead a meaningful and rewarding life in a harsh and seemingly arbitrary world requires us to dangle the proverbial carrot in front out ourselves to keep up pushing forward from day to day. At the same time, we need to know the carrots we once pursued were objects truly worthy of our attention.

Sports serve as one source of these carrots. Our incentive for making it through the day, the week, the month, the year is often to make it to tip off, kick off, the first pitch or the opening bell. We can endure many nuisances and trials because these carrots assure us that something potentially invigorating and validating awaits us if we can get there. Whether one prefers to view it as a form of community building or vicarious living, even the mere anticipation of cheering on "my guy(s)" to victory can sweeten an otherwise sour stretch of existence. That sweet taste can linger for year upon year if we can conscientiously maintain that history has validated the accomplishments of our favorite team or athlete. (Recall my previous G.O.A.T. rant.)

But a sweet taste can turn bitter if the ever-unfolding events of this life compel us to reinterpret accomplishments that until now have served as a source of satisfaction. In the sports world, a poignant loss in the the big game can ruin an entire year's worth of joy. For example, the adulation and excitement that accompanied the Colts' 13-o start last year were quickly forgotten after the team dropped three of its last four games and didn't even come close to championship glory. For the tried and true, White and Blue faithful who had selected the Colts as an important locus of their hopes and satisfaction from September through January, the team's unceremonious exit from the post-season flat out hurt.

I'm trying to determine the nature and depth of the hurt I feel over Hughes' loss last night. Unlike the NFL, accomplishment in the UFC is measured from single bout to single bout rather than in terms of an entire season. I've already documented the extensive success Hughes has had as an MMA competitor. One championship loss to St. Pierre cannot undermine the legacy he's built over the past six plus years. But what his loss does do for yours truly is cast a bit of darkness over the future. It limits, if not outright precludes, many of the hopes and aspirations I held dearly on Friday.

One of my heroes had his ass handed to him, and I'm more than a little bummed about the whole thing. The new champion is an amazing fighter, a great guy, a humble guy. But he's not "my guy." I wonder how what has happened to Matt Hughes will shape my interest in and enthusiasm for the sport of MMA- what has long been a great locus of enjoyment and satisfaction in my life. Only time will tell.

The Roaming Teacher: What's in a Name?

After two months of work as a substitute teacher, I'm still discovering new aspects of the job. I've presided over every grade in elementary school (including preschool), and yet I sense that I have not even begun to exhaust the remaining possibilities for novel classroom experiences.

Case in point: Just this week I began excepting a peculiar type of assignment. The assignment I speak of is that of the roaming teacher. I had seen it listed many, many times before but never accepted such a position because I was under the impression that I would receive less pay it than I would for a "regular" job. Having recently learned from a veteran sub that this belief is an ill-begotten fallacy, I decided to explore the world of the roamer.

[In order to make sure the reader and I are on the same page, perhaps I should say a few words about the duties of roaming teachers. These teachers are substitutes who are brought in to cover multiple, partial assignments in the same day. So if a particular school was going to have one teacher gone for the first half of the day, and another who would be absent for the second half, the administration has the option of bringing in a roaming teacher to cover both absences rather than dealing with the potential hassle of bringing in two separate subs.

Another common instance where this position is offered is when a school needs its faculty to attend certain important meetings. In this situation, the regular teacher leave their classrooms for a few hours, and a roaming teacher is brought in to cover for them until their return. When that regular teacher returns, the roamer goes to another class and the process repeates. This is the scenario of which Dave Scott was a part these past two days.]

I don't know who chose the name "roaming" teacher, but I think they made a poor choice. Reasonably enough, these subs can be regarded as "roaming" insofar as they move from one classroom to another throughout the school day. So the term is certainly appropriate. But I still don't like it.

To me, "roaming" has a pejorative connotation. When I think about of "roaming teacher," I think of "wandering" teacher, "aimless teacher" or, to push the creepy factor up a bit, "lurking teacher." I have the image in my mind of an discombobulated individual weaving through the halls of an elementary school committing random acts of education. As long as the point of the term is to note the movement of the substitute, I think "mobile teacher" would be more appropropriate nomenclature. "Mobile" is neutral in connotation. It's sterile, safe. Even still, "mobile teacher" sounds a bit too stodgy.

That's why I've invented my own unique term for the position I've held the past two days. The roaming teacher goes has no prior knowledge of which grade levels one will work or how many. This sub must go where the front office tells them, when the front office tells them. Thus I call the roaming teacher "The K6 Bitch." Granted, being called a bitch isn't any less negative than being a roamer, but it sure is a lot funner. And there's certainly nothing uptight or white bread about it.

"Bitch" most often smacks of condescension and misogyny, but it can also indicate submissiveness and obedience. Aren't these qualities administrators would want in their subs? Especially ones as dependent on the office for direction as the roamers are? So K6 Bitch strikes me as not only simultaneously offensive and entertaining, but a fundamentally fitting descriptor. And it'd look great on bumper sticker:

"Proud to be a K6 Bitch in Wayne Township!"

In a future report, I'll share some bitchy anecdotes with all of you. But, because this post is already too long, I'm gonna put the subject to rest for the time being. I hope this read has been more entertaining than burdensome.

All good things...

The following article was posted on Sherdog.com this morning.

Hughes: Two More Fights Before Retirement
by Greg Savage

There have been rumblings from the Miletich camp for several months that UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes was considering winding down his extraordinary career. Hughes recently confirmed to Sherdog.com that he indeed plans on fighting out his current UFC contract, which will have one bout left following his title defense against Georges St. Pierre on Nov. 18, before retiring from active participation in the sport of mixed martial arts.

The question was first broached when Hughes was asked where he saw himself a year from now. "Hopefully retired with my family back home," the UFC welterweight champion responded. "In a perfect world" Hughes declared that he would "fight a couple more times, retire, [and] go back home." Hughes cited the strain of being away from family, including a newborn daughter, as motivation for hanging up his four-ounce gloves. The two time UFC champ, who stands at 40-4-0, made it clear he has come to a point where the benefits of fighting are far outweighed by the negatives that come along with it.

Hughes, 33, did leave open the possibility, should he get past a very tough St. Pierre, of moving up in weight to face UFC 185-pound champion Anderson Silva in hopes of becoming the first fighter to concurrently hold UFC titles in multiple weight classes.

Now I know many of you who check my blog are in the habit of skipping over my posts on the UFC. But even those of you who only skim the titles and pictures of such posts should have gathered that I have a great deal of admiration for Matt Hughes. As I said in September, he is my favorite active fighter, and his name must be mentioned whenever the subject of MMA's G.O.A.T. is being debated.

Given that he will only be about 34 years-old when his current contract is up, I'm a bit surprised that Matt has already finalized his plans to walk away from the sport. I can't help but feel a certain measure of disappointment. Of course, as Michael Jordan demonstrated for us, retirement need not be permanent. But given the reasons Matt cited for his retirement, it will likely be a few years before we see him compete again. Whether he returns or not, the fact remains that Hughes' run of dominance will soon come to an end.

What remains to be seen is how Hughes will exit the sport. Will he retire as champion, the UFC Welterweight belt still around his waist? For that to happen, he first must prevail against the uber-tough St. Pierre next Saturday evening. Greg Savage mentions what Matt's next move might be if he retains the title. Yet if he should falter against the present No. 1 contender, who will stand across the Octagon from him for his swan song? That fight would have to be meaningful. Would this be the ideal time for a rubber match with B.J. Penn? Or might the UFC place their living legend against a hungry, young lion like Diego Sanchez? Many fans would go crazy over that match up, and it would fit into the "Old School vs. New School" format the UFC brass seem to be in love with.

Whatever the near future might hold for Mr. Matt Hughes, I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to observe his career. I am also thankful for the privilege of having been able to cheer him on during some of his most memorable contests. He is the type of champion that can only be succeeded, never replaced.

Thank you, Matt. If any one has earned the right to retire on top, it is you. Now go out in style and kick some French Canadian ass on the 18th!

You're My Boy(s), Blue!

Marvin Harrison, I love you! Your amazing and critical catch saved our collective ass. That's why they pay you the big bucks, sir.

Over the last eight weeks, I have experienced much joy and frustration on account of the Indianapolis Colts. This past Sunday night, I experienced a lot of both. The Boys in Blue played visitors to one of their most heated rivals- the New England Patriots. The game was competitive throughout. Despite the fact that the Colts never trailed through four quarters of action, tension remained thick until the final minute as the Patriots offense kept pace with Peyton Manning & Co. In the end, my team was victorious and they walk off of the field that night as the only team in the NFL that remains undefeated (8-0). I'm doing my best to enjoy these elating moments. Not only because this calibre of success is fleeting in the tempestuous world of professional sports, but because I have not always had the luxury of witnessing these moments with my own two eyes.

About a year and a half ago, I made the decision to take some time off from school after completing my Master's degree at Candler. I knew there would be several benefits to this break. First and foremost, I knew this would be an opportunity for me to rest up and recover from the last six years of hard, academic work. I place a lot of pressure on myself to perform at a top level and the stress that pressure creates was burning me out to the point that my passion for my studies was flagging. Many times over the last two months, I've repeatedly thanked the good Lord for the absence of papers and exams in my life right now. There are many things about the school experience I presently miss, but the continual worry is definitely not one of them. (Even the great stress I felt preparing the GRE was still considerably less than what I ususally feel over a significant paper.)

A second and wonderful benefit of this break is that I have REAL weekends. Saturday and Sunday are an opportunity for fun and fellowship free of the burndens of assignments or other such responsibilities. In graduate school, weekends are the time to do all the homework you don't have time to do during the days you have class. During my time in Atlanta, there were very few weekends that I didn't spend half my waking hours with my nose in a book or my fingers on a keybord typing something school-related. Consequently, Sunday afternoon and evening were usually anthing but a time of rest. And from September to late December, setting aside three hours of my Sunday to watch a football game wasn't something I could do in good conscience.

This, in turn, meant that I saw very little of my hometown Colts before final exams were over. During the 2004 and 2005 seasons, I did not watch an entire game of football until Thanksgiving break. This meant that I missed most of the games when Peyton was setting the single season record for touchdowns thrown, as well as most of last year's 13-0 start.

NO MORE! This year is different, my friends. This year I have alread watched six Colts games in their entirety (as well as 4 or 5 other whole games that didn't even involve my team). As I said before, I know this is a luxury- a blessing, to use more theological language. Even though I've never been any good at athletic competitions, I've always derived great joy from watching them and cheering my favorite teams. When I was small lad growing up in Bloomington, my family dressed me in Cream and Crimson and instilled in me a love for Indiana basketball. So deep was my love for the men's basketball team that I literally wept when Duke eliminated the Hoosiers from the 1992 Final Four. As I grew to adulthood, familial and regional ties led me to cheer on other teams with comparable fervor. The Indiana Pacers, Greenbay Packers, and San Antonio Spurs are prime examples. Not too long after I moved to Indianapolis in 1994, the Colts were added to that short list.

As I see it, there are three noble reasons to watch sports teams like the Colts. First, sports can be appreciated deelply for their aesthetic value. My football I.Q. is rather low, but my ignorance does afford me a great opportunity to learn more about the details and dynamics of American football. I love to see top athletes performing the astonishing and difficult feets that only competitors of their formidable skill could perform. Similarly, I love to see the testing of superior minds and wills against one another, as the coaches and players on one side attempt to out maneuver the opposing coaches and players. Sporting events by nature are far from shallow and empty; they possess a richness and depth that can never become passe for those who have eyes to see these qualities.

Second, sports are an excellent form of entertainment. One needn't understand the intricacies of a game to feel authentic satisfaction while watching it. Again, I embody the truth of that reality when it comes to the Colts. Even for folks that have a solid master of all the X's and O's, the drama created by tradition, rivalries, and the promise of championship glory make competitions all the more interesting to observe.

Last but not least, sports can be a highly effective means of building community. The truth of this observation is self-evident to those who have experienced it. (For another stunning example, use the "Resonance" link to check out Erin Miller's recent posts about what the St. Louis Cardinals' World Series victory has meant to their fans.) Over the last six weeks, I have spent quality time with The Tranbargers, Aaron Homoya, and Perry as we watched the Colts together. The highs and the lows I experience as a fan take on greater significance when I share them with friends and family.

And now I get to have these experiences on a weekly basis again. Not only do I have a chance to watch the games but I get to watch them in Indy with other hometown fans. It's good to be back. Especially when the team we're all committed to keeps on winning. :)

What Are the Chances?

So I was just visiting the Candler School of Theology homepage to look up a professor's e-mail address. As the page appeared in my browser window, I was surprised to see a picture of yours truly (among others) attending a chapel service. Seeing as that happened a grand total of about 5 times during the two years I attended Candler, I found it peculiar that an image of this rare event now greets those who access the school's website.

I'm sure the page is set up so that there is a cycle of different images appear, but just in case you'd like to see Dave Scott participating in worship, here's your chance to see a snapshot of it.

http://candler.emory.edu/

Thanks Friends

After my last couple of posts about the GRE, I felt I should thank all of you- my wonderful friends -who have been bearing with me over the last couple weeks. To Erin, Dustin, and Aaron: Thank you for patiently withstanding all my anxious questions about how you studied for the exam, your experience taking it, and what you've heard professors say about the test's importance.

In addition to these three friends, I also thank Dana, Beth, Susan, Perry, and anyone else who has made the effort to encourage me during my preparations. One way in which my soul is polarized is that one of the areas of life where I excel the most (academics) is also one of the areas of life where I am at my least confident. I greatly appreciate all of you who have continued to stand beside me as I've struggled with self-doubt and anxiety over the challenges I'm facing. I hope to take your strength into the testing room with me tomorrow morning.




To close, I'll offer one last update on my studies for the GRE. This morning I took a practice test to see what kind of score I might expect to get on Friday. The result was a score of 680 on the Quantitative (Math) Section and 630 on the Verbal.

I have a few quick observations to share on these stats:
1) It cracks me up that I did better on the Math section than the Verbal. Apparently I am more competant in subject matter I've been away from for 6 years than I am in the material I need to master for this exam. At this amusing tidbit, I can only shrug and move on.

2) If I didn't have the concerns I expressed yesterday, I would be perfectly content with these scores.

3) A verbal score of 630 is below the "Johnson Cut Off" of 700, but it is still respectable. The truly worrisome part of me expected to score somewhere in the high 500's. If I can do this well tomorrow, hopefully that result won't to keep me out of the programs I will apply to.

I'll be sure to share how the real test goes down. Once more, thanks again for your unwavering support of Dave Scott.

"I'm Not Dead Yet"

After a few hours and several deep breaths, I'm feeling more optimistic than I did this afternoon. I just spent about 90 minutes going through a study book I picked up at the local library. I did rather well answering the exercises in the chapters on Antonyms and Analogies...hence my increasingly positive outlook. Now if I could only boost "more optimistic" up to full-on "optimistic," then we'd really be getting somewhere.

36 hours to go.

GRE = The Death of Me

I apologize for this kingdom's recent lack of activity. Since Monday, about 70% of my daily energy has been going into preparation for the GRE (not the GED, mind you), which I will take on Friday morning. I registered for this time slot back in September, when November 3rd felt years away. Sadly, I didn't begin studying for this exam until this week due to a potent combination of procrastination and a surprisingly busy work schedule. In an attempt to "cram" as effectively as I can, I have stayed home from work all week. Doing 7 to 8 hours of GRE prep has been my sole job the past three days. Tomorrow will be more of the same.

Standardized tests have never been my strong suit. Only on the ACT, when I scored in the 99th percentile, have I ever done an impressive job on such an exam. I took the SAT only once, and I loathed the entire experience- the preparation, actually taking the exam- all of it. I more or less vowed to never take it again. So when I discovered my score (a 1300) was the absolute minimum SAT score I could have and be considered for the top academic scholarships, I was more than happy to settle for being in the 89th percentile.

But now my academic future may hinge on the score I receive on the verbal section of the GRE. This test appears to matter more than all the other standardized tests I've ever taken. So I'm feeling more than a little bit anxious about how I will perform on Friday.

Why do I think this test matters so much? When a friend of mine from Candler spoke with widely respected New Testament scholar Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson about how much of a factor one's GRE score is when one's Ph.D. application is under consideration, Dr. Johnson said that the verbal score is how the admissions committee decides whose transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc. they will even examine. Supplementing such a report is the rumor I've heard that a great GRE score won't get you admitted to a graduate department of religion, but an average one can keep you out. And what, according to Dr. Johnson, is the cutoff score for the verbal section? Seven-freaking-hundred! That's no modest number, my friends.

My three days of practice and review have not left me with any assurance that I can achieve this lofty goal. The study software I have been using to prepare provides sample questions from past exams. As I've worked through these problems sets I'm averaging about 8 for 12 on both the Antonyms and Analogies sections. That's a "D" in the school sytem I work in. Thankfully, I'm doing much better on the Reading Comprehension and Sentence Completion problems, averaging about 14 out of 15 on the former type and better than 9 out of ten 10 on the latter. Whether those four averages could possibly produce a 700 verbal score I have no idea. But my less than impressive track record in half those categories only feeds my natural pessimism.

At this point, you may be saying, "So what, Dave Scott? Why get so worked up about merely one of many things you will submit with your applications?" Why? First of all, I don't need much to get my academic anxiety going. Second, and more importantly, if what Dr. Johnson told my friend is true, that single thing could keep the powers that be from even looking at the other things I submit. Thus a sub-700 score could very well render my grades, recommendations, and past degrees invisible and kill my chances of being accepted. That would mean at least one more year outside of the academy, spinning my wheels with the same two unprofitable degrees under my belt.

I have two other friends whose common area of study is the physical sciences. Apparently the test didn't mean nearly so much when their applications were up for consideration. One of these friends even described the GRE as a cakewalk and its score as mostly unimportant. Oh how I wish I knew that to be true for religious studies. It would really take the edge off of my anxiety and paranoia.

Failure sucks, and the anticipation of possible failure is worse. But even flat out failure isn't the end of the world. I guess even if I mess up and Vanderbilt or Princeton won't have me, there's always Dallas Theological Seminary.