Welcome E-link Readers.

Welcome to my blog.

If you are reading this, there is an excellent chance that you read an article from Sovereign’s e-link article about me and clicked on a link that led you here.. I wrote this blog so you’d know just a little bit more about me. Many of you I may never have the opportunity to meet in person so I thought I’d give a quick introduction on the blog.

I am 29 years old. My wife, Rhiana, and I live in Warwick, Rhode Island. We met three and a half years ago and just got married in June of 2006. We have two Labrador retrievers, Buca (black) and Kayla (chocolate) that are both rescued shelter dogs. We enjoy riding bikes, taking our dogs to the beach, cooking, and spending time with Rhiana’s family.

Most of my family lives in Indiana. My mother still lives in my hometown of Columbus, Indiana with her husband and my grandmother. My father lives in Greenwood, Indiana with his wife.

I have two sisters. My older sister, Wendy, lives in Flagstaff, Arizona. Last fall, she moved there from Cambridge leaving the hustle and bustle of Boston for the relaxed and laid back life of the Southwest. She is a CPA working for Northern Arizona University. My younger sister, Lesley, lives in Indianapolis and is a counselor for a Hospice-like care organization.

I was born and raised in basketball country. Columbus, Indiana is a small mostly blue collar town of about 30,000 residents. It is famous for it’s amazing architecture in a small setting. Columbus is also well known for being the home of Cummins Engine Company (the maker’s of the Dodge Ram diesel engine.) Famous names that share Columbus with mine as their hometown are:

Chuck Taylor- the basketball shoe guy.

Tony Stewart - the current reigning champion of NASCAR.

Jamie Hyneman - the Mythbusters guy.

Here are few quick facts that would help you get to know me:

I have joined the millions that have been sucked in to Myspace. Feel free to “add me” as a friend.

I just pushed shuffle on my I-pod…these are the first five songs that came up:

King Nothing by Metallica
New York, New York by Ryan Adams
If I Had It All by Dave Matthews
Where’d You Go by Fort Minor
Dirt Of f Your Shoulders by Jay-Z

I can ride motorcycles.

I can play the trumpet, baritone, and euphonium.

I like the Indiana Hoosiers, Indianapolis Colts, and Indiana Pacers.

My left eye is two colors. It is green with a brown birthmark.

A little more about me and my career:

I have worked with Sovereign for nearly 4 years.

I am an Assistant Vice President with the Auto Finance Division.

My first job in banking was as a receptionist with a small credit union.

In closing I’d like to say “Thanks” for visiting my blog. I apologize there is not a whole lot written lately. After the wedding we’ve spent a lot of time getting settled into our home and enjoying life after the big day.
Thanks again.

The World Under Coack K's Pressure

Finally Team USA basketball will be instilling fear into its opponents. On a decline over the last decade the US National and Olympic teams have become the laughing stock of international basketball.

No longer. Not with Coach K running the show. I read Dan Wetzel's article about a recent scrimmage with the Puerto Rican national team. I'm hot and cold on Dan's writing, but this article really just makes sense...much like Coach K and his style of "high pressure" defense.
My guess is that when the wolrd gets a taste of the new press, there will be a lot of crying and complaining about the new style "American ball." I say in response..."What Zidane did in Germany is going to pale in comparison to the hurt that USA basketball is about to put on the world." Not only are we about to see the return of ridiculous margins of victory (43 points per game in the '92 Summer Games), but teams are likely to score less than 30 points facing this smothering defensive edition of USA basketball.

KUDOS I say to the powers that be whom brought Coach K in to do this job. I've never been a big fan of Larry Brown and I'm glad the world is laughing at USA basketball because of his idiocy...Coach K is one of the trump cards we had in our back pockets...and he's about to be dropped on the table.

I was a couple of paragraphs in the article by Wetzel. Namely this line right here: After each made basket in a scrimmage against Puerto Rico Tuesday, the USA Basketball team did a simple, seemingly obvious thing they slapped a harassing, smashing full-court press on their opponent.

"Why would you not?" said coach Mike Krzyzewski.

I don't know, ask Larry Brown.

It was not particularly enjoyable for the Puerto Rican guards to stare into a trap that featured, say LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul swarming the front court.

That is quite possibly the scariest vision that has been painted into sports reporting about USA basketball since the early 90's. At that time the precursor to the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona was a roster including names such as Jordan, Bird, and Magic. But its not the roster names that are scary, its the game in which they put onto the floor that stikes fear into the heart of future opponents...and this fear has been all but conquered thru the late 90's and early parts of the new century.

No more. The fears will return soon, because of one name on the roster and the defensive mindset that is inspired by that name. That is name: Mike Krzyzewski. A man who stops at nothing to find the right way to win.

To the world of basketball that has been snickering at USA basketball for the better part of a decade please know this. You have been put on notice. Coach K is coming for you. You can no longer hide behind your trapezoidal key and international three point line. The only release you will find is when you see USA basketball kissing its gold medal in Beijing.