I took this picture a month ago. It’s particularly interesting to me because baseball is not a popular sport in Dubai… it’s particularly American. And the Burj Dubai is so clearly visible in the background. My oldest daughters work the concession stand at the ballpark.
My parents came to town about a week ago and the last thing we did together was spend a day at the Dubai Desert Classic Golf Tournament. It was a blast! We saw Tiger Woods (who eventually won), Ernie Els, and many other great golfers.
The best moment was watching Ernie Els birdie the hardest hole on the course and then to have his caddie throw my daughter the golf ball!
Not much time to blog lately… my parents are in town. But I thought I’d share a fun link with you. This game was just mentioned in Fortune Magazine. It’s really fun and looks beautiful. Check it out here.
Screenshots for your viewing pleasure 
Ouch. I’m still sore from the Dubai Ultimate Frisbee Tournament. This was the second annual and it took place at the American School of Dubai to raise money for a school in north India. Last year my team came in 1st. This year we settled for 3rd. 
But fun was had by all and we’re already looking forward to next year’s tournament. (Boy, am I a “white” boy or what?!)
My x-rays from last week got lost and sent to the wrong clinic. So the doctor just called this morning to give me an update. Seems I might have a torn ligament but definitely have a fracture in my clavicle or collar bone. She re-emphasized that there could be no exercise, save running, until 6 weeks had passed.
Somehow knowing it’s fractured makes it hurt more
You may have read my post below about football (soccer). Well, we played our second game last night and I’m happy to report we won again 3-0. I’m not happy to report that I separated my shoulder during the game. I fell across a diving goalee as we both went for the ball. I went over him and landed on my shoulder. Ouch.
A shoulder separation (as I’m learning) is when the ligament that attaches the clavical to the wingbone or acromion. That ligament seems to be torn. And it will take 6-8 weeks to heal the doctor tells me.
I’m most disappointed that this will put me out of Ultimate Frisbee for more than a month. I better get my running shoes out of the closet and ready for a workout.
I like all kinds of football… the worldwide recognized kind (soccer) and the American kind as well. I really like watching English Premiership League and the professional and college level American football seasons have started up as well.
Just last night I joined with friends from the Arab Evangelical Church in Dubai to play in a Ramadan Football (Soccer) Tournament. I’ve played in this for four years now and this year we’re playing indoors rather than outdoors. It’s cooler indoors but I really enjoyed playing at the Iranian club fields in the past years. There was just something exotic about being an American walking past the Iranian club lobby with the pictures of the Ayatollah Khomeni and President Ahmadinejad hanging there prominently.
By the way, we won our first game 5-0
Here is a clip of one play from a game in the American football professional league weekend games. You can see lots more clips at www.nfl.com.
Watch the whole clip here…
An Amazing Flip!
Federer after the win… (sorry camera on phone is a little blurry)
I got to attend the Dubai Championship Tennis Tournament last night and watch Roger Federer (current world rank #1) barely get past a 19 year old Serb named Novak Djokovic. It was a great match and it was particularly interesting to see the technology called “Hawkeye” employed.
I think players had 2 challenges per game or set (not sure which). When they suspected a ball was not called out/in correctly then they could signal the umpire. Then everyone in the stadium would watch as the course of the ball was simulated on the large screen and the place where the ball had landed was indicated. The video would zoom in to indicate whether some of the ball had indeed clipped the line to be called “in” or whether it had, in fact, fallen outside the line.
The second set was decided on a “hawkeye” challenge. It was a tie breaker and the supposed winner was called “in” for Federer. But the replay showed it was out and so the tie break went on and the Serb won it!
As much as I love football (soccer) played the world around I still love American Football too. There are only 4 teams left in the championship, named the Superbowl, that will take place in the U.S. in two weeks.
I am a fan of the Indianapolis Colts as their quarterback and star player went to the same University I did. But it’s their owner, Jim Irsay (pictured left), whose comments I noticed this week. Read what he said about winning and losing:
“To me, there’s a lesson there. It’s who can lose and share in grace? Who can lose and congratulate the other owner and feel joy for him? I mean, that’s harder than winning. And it’s not about nice guys finishing last or that kind of thing. It’s about what do you tell your children when you don’t win? How do you conduct yourself? How do you treat people? How do you congratulate other people and the other man?
“That’s where life is for me. I want to win the Super Bowl as much as anyone, but I’m always prepared if things don’t go well. Because anyone can demonstrate what they’re about when things go well. It’s when they don’t go well that you have a chance to show what sort of individual you are.”
(And later…)
I just have the belief that if you do the right things, prepare and work hard, good things will happen. To me, it’s not something you stress about. Yes, people have their legacies defined at a higher level when they win championships, but I’ve never seen a hearse hauling a U-Haul, you know what I mean? You ain’t taking the trophy with you wherever you’re going.
I don’t know much about his spiritual beliefs but this sounds like a man who is thinking about eternity. He’s ‘never seen a hearse hauling a U-Haul”. Let me explain for those not familiar with the idiomatic phrase. A hearse is the large car that typically takes a persons dead body to the cemetery for burial. And a U-Haul is a type of trailer you can rent to pull things in behind a car. In other words, when you die, it will not matter what you have accumulated on earth. Character will matter. I believe that. Do you? (Go Colts
UPDATE: The Colts won! Greatest ‘comeback’ in division championship history!
