Doping Sucks

OK, quick question...when did this blog turn into a sports report?!?

I'm a cycling guy, and every summer there is this thing called the Tour de France. Love it. How sad this year to have drugs be the story as the Tour gets set to roll this weekend. Here's the latest from ESPN, but I think it's just the tip of the iceberg. As in baseball and other sports, it seems like some athletes will do whatever it takes to gain a competitive advantage.

Hmm, maybe this could apply in other arenas as well? For instance, what if I withdrew then froze my own blood, and then received a transfusion just before a large group talk? Imagine the power, the stamina, the amazing illustrations!

Clearly, I need more sleep...

A universal T R U T H

A clean office makes for a happy Staff worker.

Diablo Grande

Golf "season" for me officially starts tomorrow morning when I drag myself out of bed at 5am for a 2 hour drive to Diablo Grande Golf Course up in Patterson. Thus begins the long march to the season ending Golf Odyssey championship in December.

Tomorrow's Schedule:
5am Departure
6am Starbucks in Los Banos
7am On the tee at the Driving Range
7:30am Tee time #1
12pm Lunch
1pm Tee time #2
5:30pm Where's that air conditioned clubhouse?!?

And, for the record, tomorrow is supposed to reach 104 in Patterson with a high pollen count.

Can't wait...

People just need to STOP dancing...

Who am I to lecture anyone about dancing, right?

For the sake of the kids, a big, fat, PLEASE stop dancing goes out to:

Pat Riley
Connie Chung

Another Lucy moment

Lucy likes to come into Daddy's office to, well, to cause total havoc. It's not uncommon for me to unable to find the stapler, or the return address stamp, or the pack of thank you notes, only to find them under her bed, or in the toychest, or in Mommy's closet...you get the picture.

Recently her thing has been to pull books off the shelf and pretend to read them. Very sweet. But I've noticed that one book has her attention and has seemingly become the favorite. So now I proudly share with the world the first book in Lucy Dixon's 2 Year Old Book Club...drumroll please...

The Gospel in Black and White: Theological Resources for Racial Reconciliation

I know, I know, sounds heady for a 2 year old. But believe me she's ready to move past Goodnight Moon, Barney and the Berenstain Bears.

In related news, and keeping with IVP theme, Josh's bedside table is home to this book. And, we are now just days away from starting Grace with this one.

Why we hate soccer...

Bummer for the U.S. to lose today to Ghana. Even worse bummer to hear radio hosts and others absolutely tee off on the "stupid" sport of soccer.

Soccer is called the "world's game." It's truly the most popular sport on the planet. So why not here in the U.S.? Why the vitriol from Jim Rome this morning? Three thoughts on why America hates soccer:

1. We have a fascination with scoring that soccer doesn't provide. We love NBA teams scoring over 100 points, hockey elimates the red line to increase scoring and God bless Payton Manning because he and his Colts can run up the score. We are a "J" sports culture (for your Myers-Briggs fans) and the bottom line is what counts. Soccer is a game of subtlety, and the end result isn't always the main attraction. Often tightly played 1-1 draws are the most compelling games in soccer; to a Raiders fan, that's the equivalent of a horrendous 7-3 loss at home.

2. We're not patient enough for soccer. NBA games are 48 minutes in four 12 minute quarters; soccer halves are 45 minutes plus stoppage time. In the NBA you score multiple times a minute; in soccer your'e fortunate if you score multiple times an hour. In America, we have short attention spans and we like a quick fix (given this, I can't figure why baseball is so popular in our sports culture). Soccer doesnt' fit us because it is an intricate game that takes time.

3. We are addicted to a brand of superstar that soccer does not provide. We like our stars absolutely dominant and head and shoulders above the rest. England's David Beckham is a global superstar, no doubt, but he is not a superstar by our definition. He doesn't lead his team in scoring. He's one of 11 (Lebron is one of 5). He touches the ball far less per minute than, say, Kobe, Jaromir Jagr or Reggie Bush. And he can't single-handedly impose his will upon a game (though of course he can strongly influence both his team AND the game). We like the transcendant and matchless star, and soccer doesn't allow that.

So here's the thing...soccer is the most important and popular sport in the vast majority of countries in the world. If we are one of the few who fail to see it that way, the question might not be what's wrong with soccer, but what's wrong with us...

Something else to do in meetings...

Don't tell my Staff about this one...

Thanks BG!

We'll try to enjoy tomorrow then...

When I see a forecast like this, I'm reminded of my friend Rob's words when he and I pulled up in the UHaul that fateful moving day back in Summer 2004 (and as you read this don't forget the think British accent):

"My God, Dixon, you've moved into an oven."

Father's Day = Sports on TV

Let me be your tour guide to a Sunday full of amazing sports on TV. Clear off the couch, here I come!

6am Croatia vs. Japan (ABC)
8:30am Brazil vs. Australia (ABC)
9:30am U.S. Open golf (NBC)--on until 4pm
10am NASCAR from Michigan (FOX)
11:30am France vs. Korea (ABC)
5pm Red Sox vs. Braves (ESPN)
6pm NBA Finals: Game 5 of Miami vs. Dallas (ABC)

My only problem is figuring out what to do between, oh 8 and 8:30 and then 4 and 5...

They say a tie is like kissing your sister...

...but props to the U.S. Soccer team for a well-earned tie today vs. powerhouse Italy. Down from 11 to 9 players, and down one man to Italy, they scrapped and clawed and outlasted their way to a draw.

And with U.S. yet to score a goal themselves in this World Cup, look for a blowout win vs. Ghana on Thursday morning. I'm calling 4-1.

Yet Another "Lucy Moment"

The scene: it's after baths in the Dixon house, and the water is draining out the tub. Amy is with Josh in the kids room getting him into his PJs. Rob is in the office. Already dressed in her PJs for the night, Lucy roams the halls.

Small splash
Amy: Rob, what was that?
Rob: Nothin. Probably just Lucy throwing something in the bath.
Rob (yelling): Lucy, come here!
More splashing
Amy: Rob, I think Lucy is in the bath
Rob: No way
Splashing and giggling
Rob: Umm...
Amy gets up and goes into the bathroom
Amy: LUCY!!!

Here's the result:

Sports and Politics

I suppose in an ideal world sports would function independent of politics. In such a place, major world sporting events would happen irregardless of and unaffected by the current or historic geopolitical reality. Sort of a sports version of the United Nations, where countries of the world put aside whatever would divide in the name of good and wholesome competition.

Unfortuately, the above really is just a dream, an overly simplistic dream. The world is too complex and the realities of colonialism, war and historic oppression--current and former--are too strong to avoid, even by and in the arena of sport.

We have some family history with this. In 1980, Jimmy Carter opted to pull the U.S. out of the Moscow Olympics in the name of protest for the 1979 Soviet invastion of Afghanistan. 45 to 50 other countries followed our lead and that resulted in some 80 countries missing the Moscow games that year. One casualty from Carter's decision was my Dad's cousin Fred Dixon, a top-ranked decathlete. Fred had competed in Montreal in 1976 but because of the boycott was denied a shot at redemption in 1980 (he had finished 23rd in the '76 decathlon after tripping over a hurdle at the beginning of day 2). And then of course boycotts begat boycotts, as the Soviets subsequently chose out of the 1984 games in Los Angeles.

Flash forward to this summer's World Cup. Angola vs. Portugal was an interesting match because Angola was under Portuguese rule until 1975 (and because a previous match had to be abandoned due to too many Angolan red cards after their players took runs at the Portuguese players). Germany vs. Poland was interesting because these neighboring countries still struggle with echoes of WW2 atrocities. And then there's the unfortunate reality for the United States team: SWAT teams around 24/7, traveling in unmarked buses, heightened security when they arrive in town, curfews and other protective measures (same is true for Iran, England and maybe another country or two affected by the War in Iraq).

So let us hope that if sports and politics are going to be inextricably intertwined, that sports serves to bring healing to the other. Will the simple and traditional act of respect of Angolan and Portuguese players exchanging sweaty jerseys at the end of the match override years of colonial oppression? Probably not, but perhaps it's a start.

Ronald-he didn't just do that!

Brazil v. Croatia today was the best match of the tournament thusfar. A friend sent me a link for some sweet video of Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho. Check it out here.

World Cup Fever

I totally have World Cup on the brain. Always the trooper, Josh has been gracious about letting me watch even though it means less MarioKart time for him.

But it was miserable to watch the U.S. get drubbed by the Czech Republic yesterday. Even so, it's been fun to see the headlines generated: "Reality Czech," "Czech Mate," and "Czech Threat."

But here's one I haven't seen...How about "Cup Czech"?!?

Notable upcoming games I'll be watching:
Brazil/Croatia today at noon
Spain/Ukraine tomorrow at 6am
Germany/Poland tomorrow at noon
England/T and T Thursday at 9am

Good for the ego anyway...

We're on the road somewhere this weekend and the sun is situated such that it's shining directly in Josh's eyes, prompting the following question:

"Daddy, can you move the sun, please?"

Sometimes it's tough to live up to the hype...

Road Warrior

I've been traveling like a regular Mad Max lately (minus the bizarre apocalyptic future, Tina Turner, the Thunderdome and '75 Impalas outfitted with gun turrets). Here's the recap:

Spent a weekend in Sacramento with Amy's family. Bonus side trip up to Redding for Daniel and Amy's wedding.

Spent 4 daze in Hilmar, CA at a meeting. If you've been under some rock and are unaware of where Hilmar is...well, you're not alone. So let me enlighten.

Spent this past weekend with the fam out on the Central Coast celebrating Adam and Tina's wedding. We stayed in San Simeon, ate in Cambria and played raquetball in SLO.

We're home now for a good stretch, which is nice since my homemade go-cart helicopter needs some serious rest...

Something I'm still trying to digest...

My friend Tina sent me this link about a huge issue of injustice surrounding the upcoming World Cup. I'm going to pray for protection and salvation for these women every time the game I'm watching kicks off.

Christian (yeah) Right

Good news! 76 year old Pat Robertson bench-pressed 2000 pounds. Here's the story on MSNBC.com.

Props to Pat! Only another 500 lbs and you've caught me!

3 Random Questions

1. I was watching a commercial for tourism to Germany today during the U.S. Soccer telecast. One quote went something like "come see our beautiful stadiums." Question: wouldn't it be stadia?

2. We went to church this morning and they did a Memorial Day shindig. And honestly, it is always difficult for me to go to church on Memorial Day. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate my long list of relatives who have served sacrificially (including my grandmother) and I recognize we must both honor our servicefolk and pray for the state. But, question: is it hard for anyone else to worship the Lord with the backdrop of a maybe 50 foot tall U.S. flag and with "God Bless the U.S.A." in the worship set?

3. With a 4 year old who asks questions like mad, a 1.5 year old whose whole goal is to cause as much havoc as possible and with a 6 week old who yesterday blew out her diaper so hard that we had to throw away the outfit, question: how does one go about buying more patience?

Everest

I've long been fascinated by stories of the folks hardy enough (and foolish enough) to climb Mt. Everest. The best story of course is the first proved one, Sir Edmund Hillary's climb in 1953 (that's Hillary pictured along with Tenzing Norgay). Honorable mention: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer.

But it must be climbing season right now on the mountain and Everest is in the news. First, there's the story of climbers pursuing the summit even though it took them past a dying man. Next, there's the tale of Lincoln Hall, left for dead on the mountain but then discovered alive, barely. And finally, there's this.