Angel on My Shoulder

Good things come in small packages

I had an ugly, ugly day at work Thursday, but it all turned around when I got home and found a little package from Columbia in my mail. It turned out to be a DVD tribute to the 1961 and 1996 football teams narrated by Jerry Recco. It was a longer version of the vignette they put up on the video screen at halftime of the homecoming game against Princeton last year, (that one was narrarated by Brian Dennehy).

The package was sent by a kind person I'd never even met before named Mark Lufkin. Mark works as a development officer, (that means fundraiser to you and me), for Columbia athletics and he wrote in the card that he's a fan of the blog. Now, as you might know, writers crave praise more than anything else, (even money), so the note and the gift were really a fantastic gesture. In fact, I thought it was too fantastic to just keep between Mark and me, so I wanted all the readers here to know about his kindness and how it brightened an otherwise awful day.

Pay Mark back by making a donation to athletics.
Now if I can just get John Kluge . to be as generous to me and the football program, we'll really be talking!



Tad Breaks In

Tad Crawford did record one tackle in the BC Lions final exhibition game last night in front of 31,650 fans at Edmonton. I believe there is one more cut for him to survive before the season opener at Rogers Centre in Toronto next Thursday night. I think he's got a great shot, and I'm sure Tad is psyched about making his professional regular season debut in his home province of Ontario.

(What Tad may not be psyched about is the creepy photo of him they have on BC Lions roster, (click on Tad's name above to see what I mean). What's with the no-shirt thing? It reminds me of one of the most disturbing album covers of all time).

By the way, I've been to Rogers Centre, (formerly known as "Skydome"), for a baseball game and I have to say it was one of weirdest experiences of my life. I felt like I was watching a game at the food court at the mall. And the 30-minute wait to actually start moving out of the underground garage made parking at Baker Field seem very, very pleasent in comparison. But my parents live in Toronto, (they moved there in 1996 to, "get free health care and avoid the draft"), and going to ball games with them and my family is a great way to spend the day.


Roar-EE, without the hot sauce (CREDIT: BWOG.net)


Eat a Burrito for Athletics!


For those of you who didn't get the email, there's going to be a fun event at the new Chipotle restaurant, (where the food is so good I may even learn how to pronounce "Chipotle"), this coming Wednesday. Coach Wilson, Coach Paul Nixon from women's basketball, and the ever-lovable Roar-EE will make appearances. You know, any weight you gain from eating at Chipotle could probably be lost after about 5 minutes of wearing the Roar-EE costume in late June.

But in all seriousness, this is something we should all support in any way we can. We want more local businesses getting involved in athletics and creating a community buzz for students and residents alike. Here's the official announcement from Columbia:


Dear Columbia Fans,


Please join us as Columbia Athletics welcomes our newest sponsor, Chipotle Restaurant, to its newest location, at Broadway and 110 th Street. The Restaurant's official opening is scheduled for June 28th. However, on Wednesday, June 27th, the Restaurant will host the Columbia Sports Kickoff Day. Everyone pays just $5 for a giant burrito and a drink with Columbia Athletics receiving the proceeds from the event. Head Football Coach Norries Wilson (12-2 PM) and Head Women's Basketball Coach Paul Nixon (2-4 PM) will be on hand to sign autographs and Roar-ee the Lion will make his appearance (5-7 PM). Stop by for hourly prize drawings. Please spread the word. We'll see you there!



Roar!

Columbia Athletics



I may not make it on Wednesday, but I will be sure to drop in to Chipotle the next time I come up to campus and many more times after that.