Rob_Haswell's Blog

I've talked about this numerous times in the past both in this blog and on the air during Wake Up but just to recap ... I am about as athletic as a drunken three toed sloth. 

My father fancied himself a bit of a jock.  He was pretty good at hockey and held his own in most other sports but he was hoping for a son that would eclipse all that and shine on the field of sports battle.  As a result he was enthusiastic to say the least when I played baseball or hockey. 

Dad would scream and shout and make more noise than anyone cared to hear in the stands.  It wasn't a big deal in hockey because I was way down on the ice with a helmet on so I couldn't really hear it but in baseball it was a nightmare.  When it came to the great American pastime, this Canadian boy stunk and stunk badly! 

Point of clarification here - I played softball not baseball.  There were few if any of what we called "hardball" leagues in Canada at the time (1970s) and none in my area.

I make that point because even with a larger ball I wasn't much of a hitter. Short of playing with a beach ball, I wasn't likely to get a "big hit" but that didn't stop dear old Dad from shouting about a big hit.  His favorite was "you're due!   you're over-due!" which always made me cringe because essentially he was pointing out to my teammates as well as the opposing team that my batting average was just north of a big goose egg!  There were other cringe worthy calls like "get in the game", "where are you throwing?" and "dear lord stop picking dandelions!" Alright I made that last up but you get the idea.

All that being said, you'd think I'd sit quietly and cheer politely for my kids at t-ball right?  Wrong.  I can't seem to help myself!  I'm hooting and hollering just like dear old Dad!  Even borrowing some of his favorite lines like, "run it out" when the ball barely goes a foot or two or his classic "go go go".  Is it in the DNA or something?  Perhaps.

In an effort to break the cycle, I am much better ( I think ) at avoiding any cheers that point out the deficiencies of my kids athleticism unlike the old man.  But, I am still one of the noisy parents and I don't seem to care.

My point?  Well, I guess I understand my father a little better now.  I don't have the same desire to see my kids as stars on the field as he did but it doesn't seem to matter when it comes to being vocal in the stands.  Dad may not have made the best choices in what he said but now I understand why he couldn't keep quiet.  He was a father and the desire to tell the world "that's my kid" just can't be denied!  In a way, I'm impressed that he kept cheering even as it became more and more evident that I was more likely to win an Emmy or a Tony than a World Series or Stanley Cup.

I'm a little late (okay, a LOT late) in getting this posting up but I wanted to say a big CONGRATS to the 12 and under track team from Feith Family YMCA in Ozaukee!

The team competed in the Milwaukee Metro YMCA Tack Meet last weekend - know know as the Bossman Classic and took the silver medal!  The team was the defending champ so it was sad to hand over the big trophy but the kids from Kettle Moraine earned it in a tough race to the podium!

Also a big note of thanks and congrats the the ever-present Coach Pat who is a wonderful leader and huge asset to the Feith Family Y.  He never strays from the Y's motto of combining sports with moral character and put as much effort in teaching the kids how to run the relay as he did teaching them that boo's had no place in this event.  Well done.

If you watch Wake Up, you already know that I am no athlete so I am a bit of a fish out of water at these things but it was a wonderful day in the sun and my heart was pounding as we cheered on the Feith relay team to a near sweep of the event.  My son is just getting started and fell a bit short of making the podium for an individual ribbon but his face was just lit up when he got to put that silver medal around his neck as a member of Team Ozaukee!

I'll post a team pic later today.

Yes, I know it's a little sad that it took me two full seasons to get down to Miller Park but I finally got out to a game last night with my son and we had a blast!

What a great time for kids. 

The game wasn't exactly the kind kids like with lots of home runs and big hits - in fact there was only one run - but at least the Brew Crew won!

My son loved the new kids area with the racing sausages and he insisted on clocking his pitches with the radar gun twice!  He did pretty well for a 6 year old - 21mph fast ball!  Another 70 mph and he could be pitching in the bigs!  I'm not holding my breath.

Of course after the kids zone we had to have peanuts and Cracker Jack!

Side Note:  Is it me or are the Cracker Jack toys getting kinda lame!  I remember getting whistles or buttons or some other little toy.  Noah got a paper thing that you're supposed to stick on a pencil.  Huh?

Anyway...  We washed it all down with a WAY too big soda and spent some time going through his new Brewers baseball cards that the Police handed out as we walked in.

All in all, it was a great night and we'll be back soon!

What was your first Brewers game like?  Share your story here!

If you're a regular reader of my blog you already know I am an Admirals fans and try to get to as many games as a father of three can in a given season.  This year they are doing very well - even after their top goalie got called up to the NHL!

I took the whole family to the big game on Sunday against Houston - what a game!  Shoot out and everything!  Plus a big win!

So, I thought I'd share a picture my wife took of Nadia (our newest addition) at her first hockey game.

No, I, unfortunately, never had the pleasure or privilege of meeting Mr. Favre but he was a big part of sparking my interest in the Packers.

Before moving to Wisconsin, I had been a lukewarm football fan at best. I never had a chance to play the game much as a kid. Partly because the sun rises and falls on the hockey rink in Canada but also because our school was a rugby school because funding just wasn't there for football. I followed the Argos (CFL) and the Bills as the closest NFL team but the sport never really got my pulse going.

That changed when I moved here and it changed quite quickly.

My first full season following the Pack was during the same time that I was spending long hours renovating my basement. I would put the radio or the little portable TV on in the background and hammer away. The first few weekends, it was background noise. After a couple of games though, the hammering would pause at the snap would then intensify with either frustration or elation depending how the play went. I have never been a big sports fan so I even surprised myself when I noticed how much I was getting into the game.

By the end of this season I was jumping around, doing what we've called the "touchdown dance" with my kids as we watched the Packers in an amazing playoff run!

For me, Brett Favre was a HUGE part of catching Packer-fever. He was a joy to watch. He played the way we all dream of playing when we're tossing the football around in the backyard and doing our own play by play. He made it fun to be a fan and he made it easy to wear a cheesehead with pride!

Thanks Brett!

now I know I have Brewers Fever.

 

I was aware of it first when I started watching the specialty sports channels on my satellite that I have had for a long time but rarely if ever watched because I'm not really a huge sports fan but now I've gone to the next level.

 

Last night not only was I watching Fox Sports Wisconsin - gotta support the parent company - but after I saw the crew would win, I wanted to check the Cubs game on the other alt channel and that was blocked in my area which irked me to no end!

 

So now I've gone from not knowing what was on any of those extra sports channels to not having enough sports channels!  It's official, I have the fever and the only cure is a World Series Win!

 

By anyone's estimation, I am no athlete and as a result of my minimal or non-existant skills, I have never been a big sports fan but I must admit, I have caught Brewers Fever!

When it comes to sports, I have always rooted for the underdog, the little guy - being a little guy it's a given - but it's always more satisfying to watch David slay Goliath and there are numerous sports films to back my position!

Of course, Milwaukee and the Brewers aren't the littlest of the little guys but we're not the big dog either so of course, I am a Brew Crew fan and love it when they beat the Cubs!

It's a good time to be a Crew-backer too with the team in a race for the top spot and it was music to my ears and eyes this morning when I heard they scored another win and a full game lead in the division! Now they just have to keep it going!

Have you seen these shirts by the way ... what a hoot!

YOST SHIRT

Okay... my kid is a psychic! He was busy playing by himself in our basement and suddenly starts yelling "Packers Win!... Packers Win!"

My wife and I doubled over laughing because we weren't sure he even knew who the Packers were! Later that afternoon I popped on Fox 6 and what to wondering eyes should appear but a winning Packers team!

My son insisted on a watching "those Packer guys" for a while and he seemed to enjoy it but eventually Dora The Explorer won out.

So there you have it, the newest football prognosticator is a 4 year old from Ozaukee county! I'll let you know his picks for next week as soon as he has them ready! :-)

We had a bit of video this morning of a high school soccer fight.

I know it's easy to lose your cool and there were more than a few fights in my high school but it's just pathetic when student athletes lose their cool and start throwing fists! First of all, you're supposed to be the role models for the rest of the school, many eyes are on you and while some might be jealous of your celebrity status as a member of the schools hot team, many more look up to your and want to follow in your foots steps. So step up and set a good example! I am happy to report this video wasn't from Milwaukee.

My other point is this... you look really stupid fighting on video tape! Yes, every guy thinks he can throw a punch and look like John Wayne or Jean Claude Vandamme but the reality is you look more like Richard Simmons trying to swat a bee! My point? If you think fighting makes you a tough guy, you are so very wrong and the proof of that will come if you ever get caught on video!

For the record, the same holds for women just substitute looking like scene off of the Jerry Springer show for my Richard Simmons analogy and you get the same sad result!

PLAY NICE!