Heather Dorniden Wins an Inspired Race

I stumbled on to this video on Google+, and I was, like, O.M.G. and Un.Be.Lie.Va.Ble.  

It was the Big 10 Indoor Track & Field Championship, and University of Minnesota student Heather Dorniden ran a race for the ages. I was curious to know who she was and what happened, so I was glad to have found this post-race interview by Down the Backstrech - Heather Dorniden's Big Ten Adventure: You Can't Keep a Great Runner Down - posted on March 4th 2008:

DtB: What happened that caused the fall? 

HD: My original hopes were to cut to the inside of the track before I got to the curve for that final lap, and I obviously underestimated my stride length and cut in a bit too close. I remember feeling my elbow come into contact with the other runner and that was my first clue that I was closer than I thought. I certainly didn't intend to impede her motion, so my apologies go out to her and to Penn State. My parent's watched their video footage of the race in slow motion today and told me it looked like my leg's back-swing got caught up on her foot coming down in front. My mom said it looked like she 'brushed my hair with her spikes' when I was down, so I'm very thankful for everyone's quick reaction to get over me!! 

DtB: What went through your mind as you went down, got right back up and into the race and saw that you were catching everyone? 

HD: For some reason, I told the announcer yesterday that when something like that happens, a lot of four letter words come to mind, but in truth all I got out was a "Oh no!" on the way down. One beautiful thing about racing is you can have a million things running through your head on the starting line, but as soon as the gun goes off, it becomes pretty instinctual. I try to tell myself before the start of every race that all things are possible through Christ, and first and foremost I have to send the credit his way, because I certainly didn't feel like I did that all by myself. Immediately after the fall, I told myself, you have to get up to at least get a time that will score-- the team points were very close and I know everyone was counting on some points in that event. I think anyone else would have done the same thing if they found themselves in my position. Luckily, I am a native Minnesota girl (and pretty darn clumsy) and have had my fair share of falls on ice in the winter where I've tried to get up really fast...(thinking maybe no one saw me??) One thing I can say with certainty is I am so grateful we were hosting this meet. My team, coaches, family, and tons of fans were going crazy around the whole track, and I felt like their energy just filled me up. I heard everyone cheering for my freshman teammate, Jaime Dittmar, who was doing an AMAZING job of taking the race where I left off, and told myself I can get back in there. Coming around the final curve, I heard the announcer saying "And watch out for Heather Dorniden!", which also got me pretty pumped...and the rest is history. 

DtB: Any bumps and bruises from the fall? Did you feel them later? You still had the four by 400 to run, and the adrenaline doesn't stick around that long, did you feel the fall during the relay or just block it out? 

HD: I got just a little scrape on my left knee, which is only appropriate because I had a pretty nasty scrape on my right knee from falling off my bike last Friday (I told you I was clumsy!!). I figure at least now I am symmetrical. If I were to kneel on both of them it probably wouldn't feel the greatest but other than that, I am blessed with major damage done. The adrenaline from the fall was certainly down a bit by the time we ran the four by four, but at that point I think a whole new batch of it was brewing, knowing this was the last event of the day and we may have just barely won a Big Ten title. Coach Wilson prefaced the race by saying, "Just stay on your feet Dorni!" and we just need to get the baton around the track, and I was fairly confident I could do that. :) 

DtB: It was a busy day with the mile, the 600, and the relay, how did you approach the triple? How do you manage your energy, motivation, or does the the team element take care of much of that? 

HD: Thinking about all three races at once is a pretty daunting task, and after doing the same triple last year, I knew it was best to take it one race at a time. After each race you quickly erase it from your legs' memory and tell yourself you are fresh and ready to go for the next one. Basically, the key word I tell myself is TRUST. Trust that you will be capable of sticking up there in each race, and trust you still have one more race in you. In all reality, you should be asking this question to Jamie Cheever, who ran the mile prelims and 3K on Saturday and came back to run an amazing mile final and 5K on Sunday. In fact, I think she ran NCAA provisionally qualifying times in all three events- simply phenomenal. I was hoping if I ran well in the 600m she wouldn't have to run the 5K, but the meet was so close that we didn't want to chance it. Another person who would probably give some good insight on this is Liz Roehrig, who WON the pent, and did high and long jump with a lingering injury in her ankle. Those girls are my heroes, along with the rest of the team who made our team championship possible. I feel like the excitement of my crazy race is taking the glory away from my amazing teammates, so I hope everyone can recognize their accomplishments as well! 

DtB: What's next? NCAA Champs? What event/events? 

HD: For the NCAA's, we are planning on our provisionally-qualified DMR to make it, and I plan on running the 800m. The team is ranked pretty high for us, so hopefully we'll all recover well from this exciting weekend to be fired up for the big finale. As far as what will happen at the NCAAs, certainly I cannot predict, but like I said, I believe anything can happen if you keep the faith. Thanks for the opportunity to shed a little light on what went down (besides me!) yesterday!!!

Heather Dorniden

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD

Blackhawks Need to Shore Up Team Defense

Jonathan Quick makes a save on Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews 

The Chicago Blackhawks have often leaned on their offensive depth to get them past opponents, particularly in the playoffs.

The Blackhawks have relied upon everyone from their stars to their role players, and from their first to their fourth lines to give them production in the past.

The Blackhawks aren’t getting that across-the-board help through three games against the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference finals, and that is part of the reason why they’re facing a 2-1 series deficit.

Reference: Blackhawks not finding offensive balance.

I was curious about the premise of Scott Powers' article on ESPN.com, and offered an alternative viewpoint in the Chicago Blackhawks community on Google+:

I think, in general, the Hawks have had good offensive balance in this series: two defensemen, a 3rd liner and a 4th liner, plus big guns like Toews and Sharp have all scored. Also, I saw more shots on net in Game 3, instead of waiting for the perfect pass or perfect shooting lane.

The main issue has been on the (team) defensive end, including goal tending. A loss of focus resulted in the 3rd period massacre in Game 2. Some loose play in the neutral zone and below the goal line, especially in the 2nd period of Game 3, did them in. Not to mention those penalties: Kings have poked holes in our vaunted PK!

With these defensive breakdowns, three goals are not enough to win the match. So talk about offensive balance and production comes up. But tighten up the neutral zone, protect the puck in our zone, look to make the stretch pass, and the offense should come along nicely (rf. Leddy's and Smith's goals in Game 2).

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD

Blackhawks vs Kings - Toews 3-on-1 Goal

I posted the video above and comments below in the Chicago Blackhawks community on Google+.  It was Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, and the Los Angeles Kings were at the United Center for a showdown with the Stanley Cup Champions.  It was Sunday, May 18th 2014.

After having difficulty closing out the first two games against the Blues, the Blackhawks have shored up their overall play in a big way - and won 9 of 11 since. This 3-on-1 to close out the Kings yesterday was a thing of beauty, so let's have a closer look.

(a) Bickell tried to clear the puck, but took a dangerous forecheck to the knee in the process. The puck trickled out of the zone anyway.

(b) Hossa was Marian-on-the-spot, and picked up the loose puck with a head of steam. He lays a perfectly-placed drop pass, then skates left to create a formidable triangle attack for the hapless lone defender to defend.

(c) Oduya picks up the pass, waits-waits, then makes a brilliant Magic-Johnson-esque no-look pass to his right.

(d) The Captain has his stick cocked, and he's, like, give it to me, baby, give it to me! His slapshot requires him to make an awkward but amazing torque with his body, which reminded me of Kane's double-OT, series-winning goal against this very Kings last year.

Finally, long after people cleared the UC, the referees were still talking to Toronto to make sure there was no goalie interference on that (2nd) Toews goal.

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD

Derrick Rose a Risky Bet for Building a Team

Derrick Rose and John Wall

1. Who would you rather build your team around right now, Derrick Rose or John Wall?

Friedell: Even the most ardent Rose supporter would probably have to admit that Wall is the better option right now. That's because Wall is an All-Star who has recently proven that he can stay on the floor. Rose has only played 50 games in the past three seasons, and nobody is quite sure what kind of player he'll be when he does return. Wall is still getting better, and nobody knows if Rose will ever reach the MVP level he was at before his first knee injury. 

Who would you rather build your team around right now?
Derrick Rose
John Wall 

Jon Greenberg, ESPNChicago.com columnist: It's easy to say Wall because he's on the floor right now. Rose's injury spell has drastically altered his reputation. As Thibs would say, it's a make-or-miss league. When you miss this much time, people forget. So I'd still stick with Derrick. Maybe I'm stubborn like Rose and Thibodeau, but I still think he has another six or seven years of top-flight basketball left. Maybe more. In his brief return to action, Rose showed he still had that nasty first step and could still explode toward the rim. The timing hadn't come back all the way, but you were getting a sense it was close. Rose's most recent knee injury isn't anywhere near as serious as the ACL tear. He'll be back to normal much quicker. Wall is a very, very good point guard, but I just don't think he has Rose's ceiling. Then again, he's out there playing, so maybe that's good enough.

Scoop Jackson, ESPN.com columnist: Wall is the easy choice to say right now since we haven't seen Derrick play at peak level in 2 ½ years. I don't know if it's fair or possible to answer that question "accurately" without being a prisoner of the moment. But for the sake of conversation, I'll say Rose. Whereas Wall is a great, soon-to-be elite player in the league, Derrick (when healthy) is special. Like, LeBron/KD special.

Reference: 3 Points: Build around Wall or Rose?

I posted this article on Google+, and noted:

I agree: John Wall > Derrick Rose, Noah needs help, Thibs must use his options. 

A friend questioned my note:

John Wall greater than Derrick Rose?!?!? Are you saying as a total player, or just in the 3 point shooting department??

+Zac Zamarripa Derrick Rose is a major question mark. We'd all like to see him return to MVP form, but in the three years since, he's played just 50 games. Besides the major knee injuries, he's had assorted injuries that have been serious enough for him to miss a lot of games. His game is so explosive and athletic, that he puts so much twisting and pressure and impact on his body. His body certainly looks like it's wearing down, even at a young age. But can he recover his MVP form? No one knows, for sure, not even Derrick himself. He could have a Peyton Manning-like return from a serious injury, and have amazing career years. But he could end up being like Grant Hill, too, who was never the same after his injuries. Again, we don't know. In a way the comparison to John Wall, or any other top or up-and-coming point guard, is unfair. But the reality is the way it is: There are three years of evidence that suggest he just isn't a good bet to build your team around. Two of the three ESPN writers in this article pick Derrick, but they all qualify their choice. Which I think speaks to the quandary that Derrick really is. He's absolutely special, no doubt, but that's talking purely from the past. So, on balance, right now, John Wall is the better bet. 

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD

Patrick Kane's OT Goal was Kompon-esque!

Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane corrals a bouncing puck and roofs a shot on his backhand in OT past Minnesota Wild goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.

Patrick Kane won it for the Blackhawks, after his Game 6 OT goal eliminated the Wild out of the playoffs.  I offered the following comment in the Google+ Chicago Blackhawks community ...and the obligatory winning goal GIF:

In one from-the-bench interview, assistant coach Jamie Kompon talked about F1, F2 and F3 positioning in the offensive zone. It was a bit too academic, when he explained it, but that thrilling OT goal made me understand it finally.

Here's my read of that whole play: (a) Instead of just dumping the puck up the boards, or even shooting on goal, Seabrook shoots it off the back glass. Apparently it hit the stanchion, and bounced right in front. Perfect!

(b) F1 is Regin, and while he attempted to play the puck, and missed, he did the next best thing: Take Suter out of the play.

(c) F2 is Kane, who was of course Patrick-on-the-stop! His amazing deke-then-backhand was the 2nd of two great moves he made. The 1st, as you said +Jack McDonald Burnett, was blowing by Cooke. Who was especially big in Game 4, after his return from suspension, and like Stoner, knew how to put the body on the Hawks. But little Kane got the last laugh on Cookie!

(d) F3 is Sharp, who actually scored the 2nd OT goal on the play. At first I didn't know if Kane's shot went in, but then I saw Sharp punch it in. Just in case. Bryzgalov was already out of position, so Sharp was also Patrick-on-the-spot (lol)!

Bottomline: Wild were screwed, as Seabrook skated up ice and initiated that brilliant Kompon-esque play!

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD

Bulls' Tom Thibodeau Not a Fit with LaLaLand!

Tom Thibodeau

The Lakers reportedly plan to ask for permission to interview Tom Thibodeau for their coaching position.

Reference: Lakers want to 'make a splash.'

My sister asked:

Do you think he'd go??????????

I responded:

Nope. The Lakers' front office doesn't really know what it's thinking or doing. D'Antoni was a dumb hire, e.g. Thibs is a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy: He coaches a grind-it-out, gutsy defense, and wins low-scoring ball games. That's exactly what LA fans don't like. Pursuing Thibs is another dumb idea, because he's just not a fit with LaLaLand.

Yah - but they had Phil Jackson so doesn't LA have other pursuits versus taking the Chi town coaches??????

ESPN reported that Lakers will take their time finding a coach, and apparently they have several names to consider. First, they should find a coach as quickly as possible. The team is pretty broken and aimless, and the new coach will need a lot of time preparing for next season. Second, it doesn't matter who they've got on their list: They still don't know what they're thinking or doing. We can expect the Lake Show to be a side attraction at the local carnival for the next couple years. Which is too bad, because after the Bulls, I love the Lakers. 

But why ask to interview Thibs????? It's not like the Bulls advanced or anything (!!!) + he's not a SoCal kind of guy - hahahahaha. He came from Boston then Chi....besides the Bullies - I don't like anyone else. Lakers? Seriously broseph???????

Well, the more I think about it, the more curious* it is... Maybe they've got something up their sleeve. After the Lakers, I like the Knicks (because of Phil Jackson)

When we get together at Popsicles tonight, ask me why I think Tom Thibodeau is like Doug Collins^.

*The curious thing is, NBA insiders sense, or flatly know, that there is unspoken tension between Thibodeau and the Bulls' front office.  Teams like the Lakers, and even the Warriors, are wading in to test the waters further.

^Not only is Thibodeau like Collins, but also he is like former Bears coach Lovie Smith.  More on this in a future article.

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD

(3) ESPN 30 for 30: `Arnold's Blueprint

Arnold's Blueprint focuses on Arnold Schwarzenegger's teenage years in the Austrian Army and is directed by Michael and Jeff Zimbalist, who previously directed the highly-acclaimed 30 for 30 film "The Two Escobars." The film focuses on the years before Arnold was the "Universe's Perfect Specimen," when a young Schwarzenegger seized upon an opportunity to use the sport of bodybuilding to catapult himself to international stardom. The short documentary will show how the young Austrian farm boy's mandatory military service played a critical role in his journey to international fame.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was 30 when `Pumping Iron showed in 1977, and I was just 18 years old.  He is 66, and I am 54, now.  ESPN knows it's apropos at this age to walk down memory lane, so it was that this short documentary covers his early personal life.  Long before the fame and size of bodybuilding, and long before the stardom and wealth of Hollywood.  All in an effort to surface the blueprint of what makes him tick and makes him such a success.

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD

(2) `Raw Iron - The Making of `Pumping Iron

Arnold Schwarzenegger, as Conan the Barbarian

As the Terminator

Conan and the Terminator were just two of the roles that propelled Arnold Schwarzenegger into Hollywood royalty.  I was more the academic sort, so except for the seminal Terminator, I eschewed many of his films.  The plot and his acting were terrible, and he never quite smoothed out his rough Austrian accent.  They were forgettable, at best.  Still popular culture loved him and lapped him up, and that is what is most important for stardom.  `Raw Iron - The Making of `Pumping Iron, released in 2002, on the 25th anniversary of that iconic film, has Arnold Schwarzenegger covered.

In 1978, I happened into T'ai Chi.  I never really let go of lifting weights and getting fit, but going into the 1980s my whole notion of fitness changed drastically.  Throughout graduate school (1986 - 1993), for example, I worked out at Northwestern University and lifted massive weights and swam laps in the Olympic pool.  Still T'ai Chi brought on meditation, spirituality and philosophy as ways of being and exercising.

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD

(1) `Pumping Iron was an Inspiration

Arnold Schwarzenegger

(image credit)

I was a small, skinny kid.  In 7th grade, for example, I remember weighing just over 70 pounds.  I was a conscientious, resourceful kid, and took it upon myself to get bigger and stronger.  It was the 1970s, and I discovered Arnold Schwarzenegger.  To say that he was an inspiration is an understatement.  I was enthralled, and I learned a lot about how to train with weights, how to eat for size and muscle, even how to pose in a bodybuilding contest.  One diet, for example, had me drinking a gallon of milk a day.  I definitely got stronger and more muscular, but nowhere near the level of competing.

I knew Arnold Schwarzenegger, before he became such a Hollywood star.  He talked about pursuing success on the big screen with the same forthright and vision that he poured into bodybuilding, but I didn't care about that pursuit.  I just cared about the latter.  I even had the book Pumping Iron already on hand, so when the film was released in 1977 I was stoked.  I was enthralled, as I knew many of the bodybuilders in its cast already.  It was about my inspiration coming to life.

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD

Taking Comic Potshots at Donald Sterling

Benny, the Chicago Bull

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD