Mathematicians Show Happiness In Decline

Trending: Tweets show global happiness down : http://usat.ly/tX9ebG

Rodgers is 2011 AP Male Athlete of the Year

Aaron Rodgers named 2011 AP Male Athlete of Year : http://usat.ly/s01Vzh

Rodgers - Sporting News Athlete of the Year 2011

Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers named Sporting News 2011 Athlete of the Year.

Verifying Trig Identities

GoAnimate.com: Verifying Trig Identities by krstitt

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Aaron Rodgers Is Lapping The Field

Aaron Rodgers - QB Green Bay Packers

Quarterback Ratings as of November 12, 2011

1. Aaron Rodgers 129.1
2. Drew Brees 100.6
3. Tom Brady 100.0

Going into this weekend, Aaron Rodgers had a quarterback rating that is 3.6 standard deviations above the mean in the NFL. This would be like having an IQ of about 154. Drew Brees is second coming in at 1.3 standard deviations above the mean, followed by Tom Brady at 1.2 standard deviations above the mean. The fact that Rodgers is at least 2.3 standard deviations above everyone else is statistically unbelievable. Rodgers has lapped everyone at least once and in many cases several times. At the half way point of the season, the MVP race is not even close.

Rodgers and Favre

During the Green Bay - San Diego game today, I heard an interesting comparison between Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre. Green Bay receiver Donald Driver, in his 13th season, has played with Favre and Rodgers. Driver appreciates how Rodgers does not put his receivers in situations that can get them hurt. Rodgers is extremely accurate and he rarely forces passes into dangerous areas. Favre, the ultimate gunslinger, was more apt to put receivers in a compromising situation by putting the ball in positions that required receivers to have to go and get it. Driver's career has been extended with Rodgers at quarterback.

Favre and Rodgers

As I have said before, I loved Brett Favre as the Packers' quarterback. But Aaron Rodgers is an amazing quarterback. At this point in the NFL season with Green Bay 8-0, Aaron Rodgers is running away with the MVP award.

What Will Happen at the Top of the Men's Tennis Tour in 2012?

I don't have a crystal ball to tell me what 2012 will be like for men's tennis. But I will try to make some comments and predictions.

Next week, Andy Murray will move past Roger Federer for the #3 world ranking. Murray has been the hottest player on tour in recent weeks. This will be the lowest ranking for Federer in about 8 years. The rankings will look like:

1. Novak Djokovic

2. Rafael Nadal

3. Andy Murray

4. Roger Federer

Djokovic has produced some of the best tennis ever in 2011. Nadal has experienced confidence issues, especially against Djokovic. Nadal is also susceptible to injuries. Murray is on a roll right now and appears to be healthy. Federer is not playing enough tournaments at the moment to stay ahead of Murray in ranking points. Understandably, Federer is primarily focused on winning Grand Slams. At his age and stage in his career, Grand Slams are what Federer gets up for. Federer trains hard and remains remarkably injury free. Still, Federer may need to play more tournaments to keep his ranking high and his seeding high in the major tournaments.

The health of the top players will play a large roll in the outcome at the Grand Slam tournaments. Nevertheless, my predictions for 2012 in the Grand Slams are:

Australian Open - Roger Federer
French Open - Raphael Nadal
Wimbledon - Novak Djokovic
US Open - Novak Djokovic

I will probably change my mind many times on these predictions. But for now this is my story.

Division by Zero

Here is what happens when you divide by zero.

1st Annual GHS Open House Chair Race

Watch the exciting video of the 1st Annual GHS Open House Chair Race held on 9-21-11.
 

Jimmy Conners Rocked New York.

Twenty years ago, Jimmy Conners put on an electrifying 11 day performance at the US Open at the advanced tennis age of 39. Conners played the New York crowd like Eric Clayton plays guitar. I liked how Conners treated a tennis match like a battle that you spilled your guts to win. Conners was the Brett Favre of tennis, a gunslinger.

Tennis Championship Banners

I was in the Greenville High School gym today. I noticed that the Region 1 Championship and the Tri-County Championship for 2011 had been added to the Greenville Boys' Tennis banners. Looks great. It is a goal for the tennis team to add championships to the banners every year. Congratulations to the players who have made this possible.

Remembering the 2011 Championship Season for Greenville Tennis

The 2011 season for the Greenville Boys' Tennis Team was emotional to say the least. We lost our leader and #1 player, Jimbo Saxion, in an automobile accident at the beginning of the school year. Everyone loved Jimbo. It was hard to think about starting the tennis season. However, as we got closer to the beginning of the tennis season, I heard some of our seniors (like Kenny Surano and Sebastian Estrada) talking about how they couldn't wait to get the tennis season started. This motivated me to see if we couldn't find the strength within us to capture a 4th consecutive championship season. In the end, the team overcame the obstacles and stayed focused to go undefeated (12-0) in Region 1 and to capture our 3rd consecutive Region 1 Championship. Then the team battled to become Tri-County Champions for the third time in four years. Fittingly, we were co-champions of Tri-County with Kennedy Catholic. I will never forget this group of players who completed 4 for Jimbo.

Jimbo

GHS Boys' Tennis 2011

GHS Boys' Tennis 2011

 Jimbo was Garrett Fisher's best friend. Garrett has captured his thoughts on the loss of Jimbo (nearly one year later) and the amazing tennis season on his blog ripjs1.tumblr.com.

http://ripjs1.tumblr.com/post/8136779831/4forjimbo
http://ripjs1.tumblr.com/post/8136976621/this-was-after-zack-and-dans-win-against-their
http://ripjs1.tumblr.com/post/8081290306/remembering-a-legend

Singles Championship at Sharon Open 2011

 

In a sweat drenched two set match, I was able to beat Al Kelly 6-2, 7-6 (4) to win the Men's Intermediate Singles Championship at the 2011 Sharon Open at Buhl Park. This was a special win because it was the first tennis championship that my daughter watched me play.

Before the match, my 5 year old daughter hit a few tennis balls. I hope to win some mixed doubles championships with her some day.

Remember The Fun You Had As A Kid

Remember the fun you had playing board games as a kid? I get to see it through a new set of eyes.

Grand Finale Fireworks

 

Grand Finale Fireworks in Greenville, PA.

Who Does Federer Really Want To Win Wimbledon?

Federer is the all time Grand Slam leader with 16 titles. No current player is even close, except for Nadal with 10. It is clear that Federer will not be collecting Grand Slam titles at the pace he did for 6 glorious years. He may still have one or two left in him as he rapidly approaches the age of 30. Therefore, my thoughts are that Federer may secretly root for Djokovic and others (but not Nadal) to share future Grand Slam titles. No one is likely to catch Federer in Grand Slam titles except Nadal.

Sponge Bob - Rock Star

GHS Tennis Team 2011

GHS Tennis Team 2011

A couple of pictures of the Greenville High School Tennis Team getting ready for the  team photo for 2011.

TitleTown Wins 13th Championship!

The Lombardi Trophy returned to Green Bay as the Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in Super Bowl 45. In addition, the sports world witnessed a great performance by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers is a superstar quarterback in the lineage of Brett Favre and Bart Starr. Vince Lombardi must be smiling!



Aaron Rodgers



Brett Favre



Bart Starr

Packers Fans in Steelers Country

The rare Packers fans at Greenville High School in Greenville, Pennsylvania. Two days before Super Bowl 45.

Practicing With Ustream

Trying to work out the details with ustream.

Super Bowl 45: A Long Time Coming

I have lived most of my life in Pittsburgh Steelers country. However, I lived in Green Bay Packers country (Racine, Wisconsin) when I was something like 4 and 5 years old. That was where I derived my allegiance to the Green Bay Packers.

Now we are on the verge of seeing Super Bowl 45, a matchup of two of the best franchises in all of sports. I have waited all my life to see a Packers-Steelers Super Bowl.

Repeatedly today, Steeler fans kept saying things like, "we're going to beat you." So the entire Steeler Army is seeking to beat me (a single person). If they must send their entire Army, then I accept their challenge. Go Pack Go!