Dome Pondering

"I want to win pennants and we need ballplayers! I've stretched my efforts in this two-year search for players of promise. Do you think you can do it? Make good in organized baseball?" Robinson shifted to relieve his mounting tension. "If...if I got the chance." This was the brief dialog between Branch Rickey, Brooklyn Dodger boss, and a young Jackie Robinson in 1946. Robinson made it clear to Rickey that he was able to conquer all of the obstacles ahead of him to make the game of baseball better for all people. Robinson met and hurdled all of the obstacles. Robinson opened the eyes to many that baseball was anyone's game, and enlightened a nation stuck in its ignorant ways. Because of Robinson, there was an opportunity provided for African-Americans to participate in America's game. Fast-Forward sixty-years later. Coming off the heels of celebrating Robinson's 60th anniversary of breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, the sport...

New York City is often regarded as a city that is complex in its existence and its operation. It is a city that is often in overdrive, slowing up for no one, nor showing any regression or compassion for those that are swamped by the pace. It's a demanding and peculiar culture. However, despite the pressure that is laid upon every individual in this city, New York City begs to be sought after to every New Yorker. No matter where you are going, have gone, or will go, New York City possesses qualities and characteristics that can't be duplicated or replicated anywhere else. I missed this City. I forgot how unforgiving this town can be. Only a place like New York City, where a man can be vilified and be the center of attention the way that Alex Rodriguez has been this season. Whether it is his on-the-field performance, or his personal life, A-Rod cannot escape the madness, the intrigue, and the controversy. I forgot how passionate this town can be. Where else will fans use the word...

Every college senior class experiences a time of rejoice, reminiscence, and repose. It is a time when change is imminent, and every graduate prepares to walk through the tunnel into that big stadium that is life. Commencement speeches are usually an attempt to wrap up all the feelings that a collegiate senior is experiencing. As a graduating member of the 2007 class at Cazenovia College, I was selected to give a speech to the class of 07' at the Awards Banquet. After reviewing and reading many commencement and awards speeches given to graduates by students, faculty and celebrities across the nation, I found many of them to be cliche' and monotonous in their meaning and personalization to the graduates. Although they were rich in humor and inspiration, I felt that most missed the true opportunity to get across a message that is often overlooked. That message was the importance and rarity of a college graduate. In preparing my speech, I wanted to stay true to that message. I...

So, we need more troops? How much more? 22,000? No big deal right? Well, President Bush doesn't seem to think so. In his latest address to the nation on the status of the war in Iraq, President Bush unveiled his new plan which centers around increasing the number of troops deployed to Iraq. A plan which is very controversial and seems questionable even amongst republicans and the most fervent Bush supporters. President Bush's new plan calls for an additional 22,000 troops in Iraq to cover "mistakes" from the previous operation. The troops will be used to protect already safe areas, and to protect the Iraqi border. Bush also calls for effort from Iraq and claims that under the new plan, American forces will fight alongside Iraqi forces. Bush said that, "failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the United States. A democratic Iraq will not be perfect. But it will be a country that fights terrorists instead of harboring them." To ensure that this will hapen, Pr...

2006. What a year it has been. It seems everywhere you turn, everyone has their own version of “year-end” memories and awards. To follow in this ever so popular and cult-like trend, yours truly will also delve into memory lane and dissect the year that was 2006.

"You were fooled because you believed it was about me. I believe it takes five. But you're not a fool, are you?" Many Adidas commercials boast this slogan promoting teamwork amongst the company's endorsers. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady and Gilbert Arenas each reverberate the slogan throughout their individual commercials promoting their personally endorsed shoes. Arenas is part of Adidas' new strong campaign to corner the basketball market. With the Nike's of the world having stars such as Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Kobe Bryant under contract, Adidas might have found themselves a true star under the radar. With all the current news being about Allen Iverson and his move to Denver, many have failed to honestly recognize the type of season that Gilbert Arenas is having. Arenas has evolved over the past year and a half before the NBA fan's eyes. His true rise to fame came last year in an unforgettable series between the Cleveland C...

Life is about understanding, learning and experiencing. To harness and benefit from these qualities, we seek others who have understood, learned, and experienced. We seek their mind, their guidance and their teachings from those that are where we are, where we are going, and where we hope to never end up. However, there are those that we wish that we can have fifteen minutes to pick their brain. When asked that proverbial question, "If you can meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be?", these would individuals appear on that mental list. With that said, I have compiled a list of individuals I would like to spend fifteen minutes to simply ask questions about their experiences, and life in general. 10. Darryl Strawberry - This seems like a shocker. However, Strawberry could have possibly been one of the greatest baseball players ever. His demons got the best of him, and his baseball career was basically wasted. The chance to ask Strawberry about his career, his addict...

T he New York Knicks . That statement alone used to be enough to represent prestige, tradition, honor and excellence. Today, it represents an ongoing circus of drama, poor basketball, and a skid mark on the World's Most Famous Arena. Yes, the New York Knicks are at it again. It seems whatever they do, they can't do it right. Saturday's melee in the Garden was yet another example of this as the Knicks continue to mess up and give newspapers and sport writers more ammunition to fire away on the barely pulsating franchise. The replay has been shown many times in various angles and speeds, but no matter how you view it, the Knicks have done wrong - again. Fans are upset. Front Office is a wreck. Team is in disarray. The Garden is empty. We blame Isiah Thomas. We blame James Dolan . We blame whoever has finger prints on this tragedy. Nonetheless, I will be that guy to stand up for Isiah. Although this is his team, he inherited an aging, nonathletic and huge...

Trust. It’s a concept so complex, so rich in meaning that it causes the mind to go into overdrive. Trust. It’s a concept so powerful, it causes a person to become so overwhelmed with paranoia. Trust. A concept so conquering, it can break up the tightest of bonds. Trust. A scarcity in life. “Life is an amazing adventure. Each day a new journey unfolds” Throughout life we experience and endure many challenges. Through these challenges we learn more about life, its purpose, and ourselves. Many of these challenges are tasks that are too difficult for one mere mortal to tackle. The tasks cause an individual to look deep down inside, swallow their pride, and admit that they need help. In order to be fully committed, one will have to trust someone to overcome the specific situation. Whether you do this with awareness, or subconsciously, we all come to this fork in the road called life not once, not twice, but numerous times. How we handle it, depends on the person. Trusting another individua...

Terrorism... February 26th, 1993. World Trade Center bombed. Severe building damage. Towers remain intact. 6 dead. 1,000 severly injured. July 26th, 1994. London, England. Israeli Embassy Attack. Car-bomb wounded twenty - including children. March 20th, 1995. Tokyo Subway System. Sarin Gas Attack. 12 dead. 6000 severly injured. April 19th, 1995. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Oklahoma Federal Building-bombed. 168 dead. 19 of them, children. Largest domestic terrorist attack in U.S. history. November 11th, 1995. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Suicide bombing. U.S. army headquarters. 15 dead. February 25th - March 4th, 2006. Series of four suicide bombings. 60 dead. 284 wounded. July 27th, 1996. Atlanta, Georgia. Centennial Olympic Park. Bombed. 1 dead. 111 wounded. February 24th, 1997. Empire State Building. Man opens fire. Claims U.S. is "enemy of palestine". 13 dead. Many more wounded. August 7th, 1998. U.S. Embassy bombings. Tanzania and Kenya. 225 dead. 4,000 injured. October 12th, 2000. U...