20 things a new Bengals fan should know....

Well everyone, we are in the heart of the NFL season, and we are also two days away from Halloween, so I figured I would do a fun little blog about the orange and black Cincinnati Bengals (that's the closest I could get to a Halloween theme on this one). The gif blog I posted last time about diabetes was such a big hit, I decided to do, the 20 things a new Bengal fan should know.  I was only 5 when the Bengals last won a playoff game in 1990.  I hardly remember it.  Most of my years as a fan, I've encountered very few ups before the Marvin Lewis era.   The 1990's and early 2000's were a disaster.  We suffered through the bad draft picks of Kijana Carter, David Klingler, and Akili Smith.

We had fun with Shake n Blake and the return of Boomer.

Even the bright spots, however, were still bad years. Until Marvin arrived, most of the years were rough. Marvin was a savior when he first arrived he could do no wrong in the eyes of most Bengals fans.  He would be the sports equivalent to a messiah if he could just get the team to 8-8, and I'll be damned if he didn't do that.

He flirted with making the playoffs in his debut year of 2003, but ultimately fell short.  That year, he did draft Carson Palmer, who learned on the sidelines, and in 2005, Marvin took the Bengals back to the playoffs.  That became the Kimo Von Oelhoffen game where the 3 seed Bengals were upset by their rival, and ultimately the Super Bowl champions, Pittsburgh Steelers.  Von Oelhoffen, a former Bengal, actually rolled over the the leg of Palmer, tearing up his knee after he completed a 60+ yard pass to the late Chris Henry.  The Bengals since that game, have gone back to the playoffs in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013 losing in their first game each time.  During the Marvin era, we again had fun with Chad Johnson's celebrations, and TJ's tds, but that faded into disappointing seasons and Carson decided to leave.

With Dalton and Green drafted in the lockout year of 2011, their luck turned right back around where they made the playoffs for three straight years, but still as I stated earlier, lost each time. Sorry about this long intro to the list.  I could have actually written for hours longer, but I'd like to get to my list, so without further adieu, here are the 20 things, in gif form, a new Bengals fans should know:

20. Your team will draft superb athletes (sarcasm), like Andre Smith in the 2009 draft.

19. Your team will get used to left handed throws from their quarterbacks, like Gus Frerotte's left handed interception (he's right handed) to the rival Browns.

18. When you finally have hope a former teammate, playing for the hated Steelers, will come and crush your dreams of winning a playoff game.

17. Don't ever get used to your team getting a big-name free agent.

16. Get used to players showing up more on your police scanners and arrest sheets than in the stat sheets, unless of course, it's missed tackles.

15. Don't watch games when Bengals play in prime time, because we all know they don't show up for big games. Just ask Kevin Huber, who got his collarbone broken in a 2013 Sunday Night Football game where the Bengals got routed by the Steelers.

14. Speaking of punters, you better have a good one, because when your team isn't turning the ball over they will be punting, especially in the late 90's.  Field position baby.

13. Plan on your team disguising how bad they are by proposing to cheerleaders after scoring.

12. Be ready for your most famous fan to be the legendary Bootsy Collins.

11. Be ready for heart break season.  Some say it's before Christmas.  Not in Cincinnati, they break your hearts on Wildcard Weekend in January.

10. Get ready for everyone to refer to your team as the Bungles. Yes it's old, yet people still think it's funny and original.

 
9. Especially in the 90's this one was the case.  Expect to do something else when the Bengals' play at home on Sundays.  The game will be blacked out.

8. Expect that they will never fire the messiah, Marvin Lewis. No matter how bad he does, he is still better than before--- on the bright side.

7. Expect gray hair....trust me on this one.

6. If your like me, expect to be angry all week after a tough loss (one of the many problems with there only being one game a week, you sweat a loss wayyyy too long).

5. You will be excited when you realize they at least aren't the Browns or Steelers (sorry for the cliche piss on Browns image).

4. You will have glimpses of glory when players like Corey Dillon break records (and then they leave angry at the organization, but we are only focusing on positives).

3. Get used to players quitting on your team.

2. Your team will ruin superstar athletes' careers like Bo Jackson, and ignite other superstars like Brett Favre.

1. When all else fails, we have to rely on a ginger to attempt to lead us to the promised land.

Those are my 20.  And I know over the years there will be more, and after all of this, I am still a fan and I root for my team through thick and then and I love the Bengals.  They do frustrate me from time to time but I wouldn't want to be a fan of any other team.

20 Things Only Juvenile Diabetics Will Understand

Hello everybody, I've seen a few of these types of lists floating around the internet, so I thought I'd do my own.  This is for only diabetics to understand, specifically type 1 diabetics.  If you are not one, maybe this will help you understand our frustrations better.

1. When your blood sugar is feeling low.

2. When your blood sugar is high.

3. When someone tells you what you can or can't eat.

4.When putting in your site hurts.

5. When someone doesn't know the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

6. When you need sugar bad.

7. When others stare at you while changing insulin in public.

8. When you are happy your blood sugar is in range.

10. The lazy days where you don't feel like being diabetic.

11. When people say diabetes isn't that severe of a disease.

12. The day you are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.

13. When you forget to set your bolus.

14. When it's time to see the doctor and you know you will get yelled at for not checking your blood enough.

15. When your blood is high and you are dying of thirst.

16. When you don't feel well but want to act normal.

17. When people tell you repeatedly to check your blood and you don't feel like it.

18. When someone acts to be an expert on diabetes when they are not.

19. Every morning you wake up after having diabetes for a long time.

20. When people say Diabeetus instead of Diabetes.

I'm very angry: The Archdiocese vs The Ice Bucket Challenge (ft. Stem Cell Research)

For the most part, I don't like this blog to deal with serious issues. I write blogs mostly for fun and to make people laugh, but sometimes things just get to me.  ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease is one of the most awful diseases on this planet.  It crippled baseball's first iron man (who played in the most consecutive MLB games ever until Cal Ripken Jr. broke his record) until it ultimately lead to his death.

Lou Gehrig's famous farewell speech.

The disease is cruel it deteriorates those who were once healthy-seeming beings and turns them into nothing more than mush.  It is hard to see some go through it.  Those who have the disease eventually become totally paralyzed due to the lack of muscle nourishment.  You can read more about the disease at the ALS website, http://www.alsa.org/about-als/what-is-als.html.

I knew about Lou Gehrig's disease before, but it didn't hit me hard until former Saints player, Steve Gleason announced he had the disease in 2011.  This guy, like Gehrig was a hero.  Sure he wasn't one of the greatest Yankees of all time, but he blocked the famous punt in the game that reopened the Super Dome after Hurricane Katrina hit.  I learned about the disease through various NFL feature stories on his life and I saw the effect it had on one's body.  You can learn more about Gleason at his website, http://www.teamgleason.org/.

                                       Steve Gleason before ALS                                             Steve Gleason with ALS

I bring this up because, like many critical diseases, no cure has been found as of yet. That doesn't stop many doctors and scientists from trying to find a cure everyday.  As many of my readers know, I have Type 1 Diabetes or Juvenile diabetes.  I am too looking for a cure.  My pancreas doesn't work.  Imagine this:  A vital part of your body just not working. That's what happened to me in 1997 at the age of 11.  My doctor told me in my lifetime there would be a cure.  What do cures take? brains, time, thinking outside the box, effort, and most importantly, support (money).  My disease luckily has the JDRF which raises a lot of money towards curing diabetes and they have a major fundraiser called The Walk to Cure Diabetes which my family walked in this year.  I'm happy to say with the help of my friends and family, my team The Walking Diabetics raised over $3,000.

(Above) The Walking Diabetics

ALS also has several good organizations to raise money for a cure to an awful disease.  The #IceBucketChallenge was started on social media to raise awareness and money for ALS.  And it did its job, former presidents, celebrities, and athletes including the great Michael Jordan participated.

How it works is you dump a bucket of ice over your head, if challenged, within  24 hours or you donate to an ALS charity of your choice. No one SHOULD have a problem with that right?  Check out this fact below from Mike & Mike's facebook:

The challenge has been spreading quicker than I spread marshmallow fluff on a piece of bread when I'm hungry.  All well and good until I read this article about how my religion feels about the issue, http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2014/08/20/ice-bucket-challenge-cincinnati-archdiocese/14342977/.

"The Archdiocese of Cincinnati has asked the principals at its Catholic schools not to encourage students to raise money for the ALS Association as the ice-bucket challenge becomes an internet sensation.

The challenge itself is fine, said Dan Andriacco, spokesman for the Archdiocese.

The Archdiocese just doesn't want fundraising to be sent to the association, which funds at least one study using embryonic stem cells, Andriacco said.

"(Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a terrible disease," Andriacco said, a day after an email was sent to principals from Superintendent Jim Rigg.

This news inspired me to put this up as my status on facebook:

I know stem cell research (If you don't know what stem cells are read more about them here: http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/stem-cell-transplant/in-depth/stem-cells/art-20048117)  has been linked in there with stances on abortion and things like that when it comes to politics and the Catholic Church is also doing so, but does any of that really matter when it comes down to it?  This is about saving lives.  This is about improving my damn life expectancy and how I feel on a daily basis.  I was 11 years old the last time I felt physically and mentally 100%.  The people in Washington D.C. and the people running the church don't know how I feel.  They don't know how Steve Gleason feels.  Their lives aren't slowly deteriorating.  Juvenile diabetes is a struggle every day of my life.  It gives me no breaks.  There have been several breakthroughs where they get closer each day to finding a cure, and I'm sure raising all of this money for ALS will help them in their fight too, but this issue is a no brainer for me, use stem cell research to help cure diseases like diabetes and ALS.  Until someone lives with a disease like these, one can not begin to imagine what we go through.  I can't imagine how someone with ALS feels, just like most of you cant begin to imagine how I feel.  I want these opponents of research can look in their hearts and see what it feels like to have hope for a disease. I am ashamed to say I am Catholic today.  Jesus would not call this a sin.  He would call it a miracle.

The day that they come out with a cure to diabetes, I will cry my eyes out.  I will not think of whether or not it was derived from stem cell research.  I will just thank the person who came up with it, and be forever grateful to have a working pancreas again.  If I died from my disease tomorrow, the truth is I wouldn't be here to support my religion, so how can they be against it?  How can anyone?  If you are against it, you don't understand this world.  Do you see how ALS took one of the best baseball players ever and turned him into someone who couldn't tie a shoe?  Do you see how diabetes has messed up my nervous system to where my hands and feet tingle constantly and are very sensitive to hot and cold?  How can a religion watch its own followers suffer all because they don't support modern science?  I am of the belief that no one can be against such an issue if they have something so horrible that can be cured only with the help of stem cells.  I don't care how religious you are, when it comes down to it, you are going to want to survive as long as possible.  To make that possible, ideals can't be coming from 2,000 years ago or even in the dark ages.  You have to change and be willing to change.

To anyone who is against stem cell research, I will quote someone Catholics will just love, Charles Darwin, who said: “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” 

I will be taking the challenge tonight for ALS as I was challenged by my father, and I will flip off the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and I will be proud to do it.

Dave Brooks Sr. takes the #IceBucketChallenge and challenges me.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Update below: My Challenge

Diabetes: My Battles & Please Donate to the Walk (PLEASE SHARE THIS)

Juvenile Diabetes is not only the biggest challenge in my life; it is a way of life.  As many of my readers know, I was diagnosed in 1997.  You can read about my struggles with those early days in a blog I wrote in January of 2013, My First Week with Diabetes. I also have written about my most recent struggles with peripheral neuropathy and that can be seen at this link written in November of 2013: I Have Peripheral Neuropathy. I have written in this blog about my diabtetes, but in all honestly those of you who truly know me, understand that I don't like to talk about it.  I don't make it a big deal.  It may be a way of life but it is not MY LIFE. I don't want pity.  In fact I'd rather be treated like everyone else.  I try not to let it slow me down.  I try to hide my disease from the public so I don't get sympathy.  I don't want it.  I just want to live normal.  That has been my wish since than infamous day in February of 1997.

When the insulin pump was introduced to me as a senior in high school, it gave me flexibility.  It gave me the ability to not have to eat on a set schedule and a limited number of carbohydrates (which probably made me fatter but oh well). I have a set amount of insulin streaming into me from a pager- looking device and when I have a meal I can program it in and the pump will give me a set amount of insulin to cover the carbs I am taking in.  Without the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), this device could not have been possible.  They help raise money for Juvenile Diabetes research and are helping to find a cure, and in the mean time help us diabetics live a more normal life than we normally could.  The pump has flaws, however.  I've had three models and they improve each time but there are times when I forget to program things in and it causes me to get high blood sugar levels which eventually causes long term effects of my body such as the peripheral neuropathy that I have been dealing with lately. The nerve pain is strong and it hurts.  It is not life threatening but I will live with it every day until I die, even if a cure for diabetes is found.

Picture of me with my 3rd generation insulin pump in Dec. 2013

My doctor at Children's Hospital once guaranteed me back when I was first diagnosed that a cure for diabetes would happen in my lifetime. With the help of the JFRF, this can really happen.  Research is getting close.  I feel it coming.  I am not only writing this for me.  I am writing this for my friends, Jonathan Stefanopoulos, Brandon Berne, and  Devin Daley.  They all have type one diabetes and they need a cure just as much as I do.  I do it for Jay Cutler and Adam Morrison, both athletes with type 1 diabetes  (even though I don't like them).  I do it for Ray Allen's son and that Jonas Brother.  I do it for the millions of others with diabetes.  

Ray Allen of the Miami Heat with son who has juvenile diabetes

Without having diabetes, it is hard to explain the impact it makes on your everyday life.  It's as bad of a disease as cancer it just slowly eats at you every single day.  You have to control and when your sick you can throw the rule book out of the window. Life is hard with diabetes. I'm not going to lie.  All I have wished for is a cure.  How would I survive on a deserted island? The answer is I wouldn't be able to.  I could never be on Survivor.  If there was a zombie apocalypse, no one would want me on their crew because I would have to slow them down raiding all the pharmacies for insulin and needles which I'll need every day.  

I'm writing all of this to ask that you please donate to the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes.  I will be participating June 7 at Kings Island.  I have in the past during my childhood, but this is my first time as an adult.  My sister, Sarah Brooks, has been pushing me to do it and I really think it helps in finding a cure.  I don't have anything to give except maybe a few more years added to my life.  Maybe that's a good thing.  Please follow the link to donate : http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR?team_id=153294&pg=team&fr_id=3349. I really appreciate anything you can give and I try not to ask for much but this cause is near and dear to my heart (literally) so please share this link to any friends and I appreciate all of you out there who help my cause.