Some things perplex me.

So, another semester has started at Samford.  Classes are underway, friends have been reunited, and, oh yeah, the campus is all abuzz about Step Sing.  But this second-semester freshman needs some clarification, or maybe just wants to complain, perhaps expressing thoughts that some of you may be thinking.

Firstly, Step Sing.  Ok, I get it's a big event.  When I say big, I mean huge.  And it's incredible.  And before you bite my head off for criticizing it, let me say that I have already purchased my ticket and will be sitting right there in row E, orchestra level of the Wright Center on Friday night the eleventh, enjoying every second of it.

But, being the unseasoned newbie that I am, I have concerns with the whole Step Sing process.  Firstly, I didn't quite get what was up with the whole banner drop thing, followed by the theme presentation at the basketball game yesterday.  Seems to me like the former was just a glorified version of the latter, followed by the crappiest rave I've participated in just over one semester as a college student.  Just do one without the other, and everything's just fine.

Next, I sorta get the whole thing about keeping the shows secret to everyone not involved in each show, but at the same time it's annoying.  Being a part of the OA, I can totally understand the concept behind mysteries and concealing stuff, so I guess it's just that as and outsider, I really want to know.  So that aspect of Step Sing isn't too troublesome.

The rest of my rant against Step Sing has to do with all the confusion, specifically surrounding all that ticket junk.  It took me about three days to figure out how and where to get a ticket, after asking fellow students, the Hub, and even members of the Step Sing committee.  And all this wristband business for the participants I know causes confusion, and always has in the past, that was one of the few things I understood at the banner drop.  So, here's an idea, Step Sing committee, give a certain number of tickets for each night to each group, and have them distribute them to their members accordingly.  That reduces so many questions about the process, all that needs to be known is how many people are in each group.

Another way to reduce so much chaos and confusion is not to kick off all the Step Sing stuff the moment students step back on campus.  Give them a half a week or a week to get settled in and acquainted with their new classes, then go into Step Sing prep.  If that means having to move the event back a week, so be it.  But it's just too much, too soon, in my opinion.

Alright, on to the class I'm sure we all love to hate:  CA.  It's so pointless.  I know how to write, and so do many people that have to take one or two courses in the CA program, I'm sure.  People should be able to "test" out if they take the equivalent to 101 and 102 in dual enrollment composition classes, and pass with no difficulty whatsoever.  This is not to say that I won't continue on with my CA 102 to get it over with, but I'll do so ever so begrudgingly.  I'm not spending any money on the stupid "how to write" textbook, I'll borrow someone's if there's some sort of required reading.  I'll show up to class, just because there's an attendance policy, even if nine out of ten times I won't get anything out of going to class.  So, I guess it just is what it is, and I'm not much of a fan.

Well, Samford, what do you think?  Am I being crazy for bashing Step Sing?  Is there logic behind my dislike of CA?  Does it really even matter what I think?  It's your call.

-Clayton

Well, since I've got it pretty much done...here's Thursday night's game in all its shining glory.

Bulldog Men win SoCon thriller against Elon, 69-67

By Clayton Hurdle

                The Bulldogs, led by John Peterson, Josh Bedwell, and Jeffrey Merritt, survived a late run by conference foe Elon on Thursday night to win at home.

                After winning the opening tip-off, Samford took a quick 12-5 lead, featuring two early baskets by redshirt freshman center Drew Windler.  Elon fought back, however, evening the score at twelve with ten minutes to play in the first half.  The next six points were scored by the Bulldogs, who eventually lost their lead briefly after Elon’s senior guard Chris Long hit a three-point shot to pull ahead by a point.  Two free throws by senior guard Josh Davis and a three-pointer from junior guard Jeffrey Merritt gave the Bulldogs back the lead.  The rest of the half was played with Samford ahead, and the Bulldogs were leading 29-25 at the intermission.

                The Phoenix of Elon dominated the first three minutes of the second half, tying the game back up as Long made back-to-back free throws.  After four more tied scores and eleven lead changes, Elon showed signs of pulling away after a seven-point run, led by a crucial Long three-pointer, put them in the lead at 55-50 with less than six minutes to play.  The five-point advantage was the Phoenix’s largest lead of the game, and it was the first time since the start of the half that a team had led by more than one score.

                Samford was not fazed by this five-point hole, however.  Junior forward John Peterson and senior center Andy King each scored five points in a 16-3 Bulldog run, giving the team a 66-58 lead and putting them in position to win with about a minute and a half to play.  Game seemingly at hand, Samford suffered several costly turnovers, allowing Elon to pull within two points as Long sank two three point shots within the next minute. 

Needing the ball back, the Phoenix intentionally fouled senior guard Josh Bedwell with eighteen seconds to go.  Bedwell was cool and collected as he nailed both of his free throw attempts, putting Samford ahead 68-64.  It took Elon just six seconds to get the ball back in the hands of Long, who made yet another shot from behind the arch to give the game a one-point difference.  Long was the game’s leading scorer, and finished 6-for-12 from three-point range.

With just over nine seconds to play, Elon once again committed a foul, sending senior guard Gaby Bermudez to the charity stripe.  After making his first free throw, Bermudez’s second attempt was rebounded by Elon’s freshman forward Lucas Troutman.  Troutman quickly got the ball to Long, who passed to wide-open freshman guard Jack Isenbarger.  Isenberger’s three-point attempt bounced off the back of the rim, and Peterson secured the Samford rebound as the buzzer sounded to give the Bulldogs a 69-67 victory.

                Peterson’s game-clinching rebound ended a game in which he scored 16 points, the most of any Bulldog and a career high.  The Bulldogs (11-10 after the game, and 3-6 in the Southern Conference) had two more players score in double digits:  Bedwell did not miss on four field goal attempts and three foul shots to finish with 12 points, and Merritt also scored 12.  Merritt also led the team with six rebounds, three steals and a block.

                For the Phoenix, Long scored 21 points while dishing out seven assists.  Junior guard Drew Spradlin added 10 points for Elon, despite committing seven turnovers, more than any other player.

The Times, They Are A-Changin'

Take a look at my first blog. 

Now, go through my entire archives.  (If it helps, I’ll throw in a few suggestions: from August ‘08, a mention of Annabell Lee, October 2008, May 2009, an entertaining post from November 2009, my insightful playoff blog from last year,  July 2010, and my most recent).

It would help if I had kept up CUBS on a regular basis, but it’s incredibly apparent that my writing style has changed immensely in the last two and a half years.  You can tell my language, typing style, and use of punctuation have changed so much.

I see the same thing in my archived interactions on facebook (picture comments, etc.)  And I daresay if you went to my Myspace page (I think it's located at http://www.myspace.com/cth7692 but it may not be, I haven't checked in months, and not regularly in over two years) you'd see a far different Clayton, writing and comment-wise, than the one you know now.

I don't really have a point to this one, I just think it's kind of interesting how my style of online writing has changed in the past three years.

Hopefully, tomorrow's blog will be much more interesting.  I'm planning on having a nice little pseudo-rant about some things, so if you like exaggeratedly angry college students, you'll love my post tomorrow!

As you can see, I have once again changed the look of CUBS, as a part of the Clayton Blog Makeover.  Tell me what you like and don't like, how it compares to the first change (don't worry, I saved a sample from it and will be posting a set of pictures from each new look to facebook so you can compare good and bad), and so forth.  I already have seen a couple items that will be staying from this look, font-wise.

Lastly, I'm still taking suggestions for my new blog's name.  Let me know what you might like it to be called.

-Clayton

I was totally worried I wouldn't have a good topic today...

Big news out of Nashville this evening is that Jeff Fisher will no longer be coaching at Tennessee.

This is huge, Fisher, having served 16 and a half years as a head coach for the Titans, will be moving on to bigger and better things next season.

This is a shocker, and I'm still trying to grasp it.  Like, it's just surreal.

I wish I had words to use, but this is one of those rare instances where exhaustion meets with disbelief and raw emotion.  All I can say is I am upset, and intensely shocked.  Jeff Fisher has been the head coach of the Oilers/Titans franchise as long as I've been a football fan.  I suppose all good things must come to an end, but it's so sudden.  He should be on the sidelines for the Titans next year.

I can not see how this doesn't have to do with Bud Adams.  Just twenty days after saying that Jeff Fisher would be the Tennessee Titans head coach in 2011, somehow, mysteriously, Bud Adams finds himself looking for a new head coach.  It's astounding, absolutely, thinking that Bud Adams turned back on his word.  If you'll remember, he was the guy that said Vince Young and Jeff Fisher would both be Titans through next season.  He made these commitments, and now has turned back on both of them fully.  That rubs me the wrong way, backing out of commitments.  Thus, I have lost all respect for Mr. Adams, and although I remain a Titans fan, I will not support a team of which Bud Adams is the owner.

So, what comes next for Clayton?  Temporarily, at least, I'll be supporting the Philadelphia Eagles more.  They are my favorite NFC team, and they're a lot like the Titans.  So hopefully they won't disappoint me.

On a happier note, Samford men's basketball pulled out an thrilling win over conference foe Elon.  I won't elaborate much; I'm writing my first article for the Crimson, so I'll post it when I get finished so as to do the game full justice.

And now, I turn it over to you, the readers.  Am I reacting too harshly?  Or are my thoughts justified?  What are your opinions?  As always, topic suggestions are wonderful.

-Clayton

Going Interactive

Ok, folks, here's what's up.

It's time for a bit of a change for Clayton's Universe: Blog Style. Yes, the basics of the blog will still be the same, but I'm looking at adding a bit more structure to it. So, here's what's happening, in a nice bulleted list.

• I'm still going to be blogging about sports, music, life, and so on.
• In addition, any suggestions for blog topics you might have, I want to know so I can write about them.
• This blog will be informal, and more personal. This is in response to the more professional-like blog I will be maintaining for my JMC class.
• Image: I'll be experimenting with some new aesthetic formats and layouts. With the new interactive-minded blogging style I'll be using, of course I'll want feedback on what you like and don't like.
• I'm going to try to upkeep the blog daily, so look for a new posting every afternoon.
• Again, feel free to give me any feedback, on anything. Or if you have something you want to tell someone, but you're not sure who, I'll be here to talk to you, privately or otherwise.

Now, the new blog. It'll be officially going live on Monday, January 31, at around 4pm CDT, but I'm planning on getting it made this weekend. It will be a semi-professional (semi, mainly because I imagine I will be progressing from student to professional during its tenure) review and analysis blog. For the next semester, I will be exploring the Chicago Tribune, analytically reviewing one or two stories per issue, week, or something in between--once I get a feel for it, I'll have a better gauge of regularity--as well as posting a few reviews and analyses of class projects. If you have any ideas for names, formats, etc, I can use (keep in mind, I'm using this as a resume-builder, so keep it formal/professional) for the blog, let me know.

It's an exciting time for Clayton Hurdle Enterprises (yeah, not really an Enterprise. But if you need a ride, and I have a car, you can know for sure that I'd pick you up.) and the Blogger world. Stay tuned for more excitement and adventure.

-Clayton

Looks like Tuesdays and Thursdays will be homework days...

But for now, I'm surfing the web all afternoon.

Not much to note today, other than the beginning of Latin 202. We'll call it "The Last Semester of Latin....EVER." So, naturally, pretty pumped about that. Not so much about the class part, but we'll see. Got my book for the class at B&N online for less than 10 bucks. We'll call that a steal. Speaking of stealing, I hope the Steelers lose. Also, Black and Yellow by Wiz Kalifa is going to be one of my least favorite songs over the next two weeks. But, I digress.

Anyway, just chilling most of the afternoon, and a quick wisdom teeth update: woke up this morning and my gums weren't feeling weird at all, so I ended up eating some Chick fil A chicken mini biscuits for breakfast, and a salad for lunch. So, I'm progressing into a not totally soft diet now, which is great. It'll be nice when I have a full variety that I feel comfortable eating.

Now, a really quick plug. My friend Dakota has a special-needs brother. Their family is trying to raise money so that they can have a canine assistant for him. You can read about their predicament at their website. If you feel led to help out by sharing the site or making a donation, please do so. I know that it would be very much appreciated.

Well, that's it for now. I'll have info on the new blog up tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Back to school, and this time, I'm jumping right in.

Well, I'm a second-semester freshman now. I had my first day of classes (and it was a full day) today, so the semester's already off to a rolling start. In 26 hours back, I've already

• Watched football with some great friends.
• Eaten three cafeteria meals.
• Reconnected with many, many people.
• Unpacked, completely.
• Made a CD exchange.
• Participated in a Rave.
• Lent a book.
• Attended three classes.
• Consumed copious amounts of caffeinated beverages.
• Requested three transcripts
• Purchased two books
• Prioritized.

I'm really excited about that last one. I've got a list going of things I need to do today (Should be headed to dinner in about ten minutes, so I've gotta hurry up writing this blog entry), and a list of "To Do" things in my free time. I'm hoping I can keep this up past day one, but a start is better than I've done in past semesters, both of college and high school (Middle and elementary schools too, for that matter).

Today started with a 7:50-ish wake up call. After showering, I found myself eating breakfast in the caf for the first time since September, and made it with ample time to spare to my CA class. I think I'm going to find it much less challenging than my last attempt at CA 102. My teacher is one of those that will sap up every last second of class time, though. Being a 9:15er, that will be a little tough for me. But I'll deal with it. After about a 75-minute break, I found myself right back in the same classroom for CP. It'll take another class to get a good feel for the class, but I like the literature we're going to be reading. After lunch, I got a really great price on one of my CP books, and comparison shopped for several others. Then for the 3:00 class. Ugh. But it's JMC, and it's my best bet for something so late. I shudder to think about CA at 3. Or CA at anytime for that matter, but I digress.

Anyway, the primary reason I'm writing this blog this afternoon is that one of my primary assignments in my JMC class is: writing a blog! Right up my alley, right? Chances are it won't be located here, but I might just use this one as much or more frequently from now on. I'll keep all six of you that might ever read this (if you are one of the lucky few, do leave a comment and let me know what's up with you! Or, have an idea of what I should blog about? Tell me!) posted as to where you might find this new, professional-like blog once it is created.

Of course, I would be remiss not to mention the big sports news of the day (Other than Jay "Ouch, that really hurt" Cutler), and that is Carson Palmer wanting out of Cincinnati. Hey, the Titans are looking for a new QB. One stipulation, Carson, you gotta switch your number back to the 3 you wore at USC (Incidentally, that's where Coach Fisher played his college ball, if you'll remember). Ain't nobody gonna take Air McNair's number. That's sacred. Well, football sacred at least.

Lastly, on the terrorist attacks in Moscow today, be in prayer for the family of those affected, and the Russian government as they try to deal with an unspeakable tragedy.

Well, that's it. I'll keep you posted on the new blog, and, in case you were the wondering, I'm pulling for the Packers to win the Super Bowl, although I have a feeling I'll be disappointed. Sorely disappointed.

-c

Instant Reaction: VY OUT at Tennessee

Well, this evening, Titans owner Bud Adams announced that Vince Young would not be returning to play quarterback for the Tennessee Titans in 2011, should there be NFL football next year. So, this poses several questions. First, what happens to Vince? Second, what happens to Jeff Fisher? Third, what happens to the Titans QB position? These answers and more, right now.

Now that everyone knows the Titans are getting rid of VY, it really does give Vince a leg up on the so-called "process", in that he more or less will be able to determine his value, and go to the highest bidder, so to speak. This means, if he or his agent think that there's a team willing to spend money, instead of a player or a draft pick or two, for him, it's going to be tough to trade Young away. Something tells me he's going to try to keep the Titans organization from getting anything for him if he sees free agency as a feasible possibility. As a Titans fan, I would enjoy if we could trade him to a team like Denver or Philadelphia for either of their respective backups. I'd even be satisfied if we could get some middle-round draft picks, or even a pick or two for the 2012 draft, from any team interested. As a realist, I don't know if it will work out best for the Titans. I do hold onto the thought, though, that Vince proved himself this year to not be the best leader, and still had to mature a lot. Other teams will look at that one of two ways: either he's not equipped to be on their team, or it was just an environment, and it's worth a player or a couple of draft picks to give Vince a second chance. Here are the top three places I see VY:

1. San Francisco--It seems to me that they have the most to gain from picking up a guy like Vince Young. The Niners will be starting over with coaching, and I daresay they'll be getting rid of both Alex and Troy Smith. At the very least, San Fran will give Vince a shot at earning the starting job. Plus, it wouldn't be a horrible situation if they trade the Titans one of the Smiths (preferably for me, Troy) for Vince.

2. Miami--Maybe Vince can follow the footsteps of LeBron James and take his talents to South Beach. Perhaps he'll be appreciated by a team that has a little bit of a question where the quarterback position is concerned. Hey, I wouldn't complain if I was throwing the ball to Brandon Marshall fifteen times a game...

3. Arizona--Like San Francisco, the 5-11 Cardinals were merely a couple of wins away from earning the NFC West's playoff bid. They drafted Matt Leinart the same year the Titans drafted Young, maybe the Cards were hoping VY would fall in their laps that year...now's a great time to take a chance on him. If Vince was traded, I definitely would rather get draft picks...much better than a guy that takes this s--t too serious.

Next, whatever will happen to Jeff Fisher? I think it is in everyone's best interest that now that Vince is out of the way, Bud Adams lets Coach Fisher run out his contract. He's got one more year; if the Titans have a great season, re-sign the man. If the season's not-so-great, the contract's up, Jeff and the Titans go their separate ways, and there aren't very hard feelings. My only concern is that Fisher will let it get to his head that he's coaching for a new contract, and that has the possibility of more conservative play-calling in certain situations where more aggressive tactics might be needed. But I sincerely think that the Titans should give Fisher at least one more year now that the VY situation is behind us. Quite honestly, I don't know who would be a good replacement should the team get rid of Jeff now, so that's an added incentive to keep him on for another year.

Now the Titans will more than likely be looking for a quarterback going forward. I say, definitely keep Rusty Smith on, and have him work for a possible starting job, but bring in a 5- or 6-year veteran QB that hasn't necessarily started a lot, but is a good talent, to compete with Rusty for the job. I'd like to see either Troy Smith (2006 Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State, formerly of Baltimore and currently with San Francisco), Kevin Kolb (benched for Mike Vick in Philadelphia), or Kyle Orton (the seasoned Purdue alum tossed around from Chicago to Denver, most recently benched for Timmy T) brought in for that purpose. I would keep Kerry Collins on in an advisory sort of role, maybe do some player-coaching if he's ok with it. The other option is to use that eighth pick in the draft and try to get another Quarterback of the Future. I've rethought my previous blog, and I'm not so sure the Panthers will want to draft a quarterback with the first pick, as they recently (see, last year) invested a rather high pick on Jimmy Clausen. So, that may open up the Titans (the second through seventh positions, respectively, belong to Denver, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Arizona, Cleveland, and San Francisco) to a good QB pickup (or a trade for the fifth or seventh spot, leading to said QB pickup) such as Ryan Mallett (should Carolina pass him up), Andrew Luck (same), Jake Locker (although, with two PAC-10 QBs in the same draft, one of them's gotta be a bust) or Cam Newton. I'm not a big fan of Newton's NFL prospects, but I've rethought my opinion on Luck after that Orange Bowl.

Of course, I'd rather we spend our high draft pick on a linebacker, but there really aren't that many LBs talented enough to be a top-10 pick. I say that with hesitation, there is almost always a defensive player taken high that no one could see coming (see recently: Jerod Mayo, Tyson Alualu). All I know is it will be an incredibly interesting offseason in Nashville. We'll see what happens.