Rank Event Brand Value ($mil)
1 NFL Super Bowl 379
2 Olympic Games (Summer) 176
3 FIFA World Cup 103
4 NASCAR Daytona 500 91
5 Rose Bowl 88
6 NCAA Men’s Final Four 82
7 Olympic Winter Games 82
8 Kentucky Derby 69
9 MLB World Series 56
10 NBA Finals 47

The above is a ranking by Forbes that values a brand based of TV rights fees, sponsership revenue, ticket receipts, & licensing revenue. They then divide by the number of days the event is on.

I am interested in five of the ten. In order of importance is College Football (Rose Bowl), College Basketball (Final Four), Pro Football (Super Bowl), Winter Olympics, and then Summer Olympics. It is interesting that football is the most valuable sport and then the Olympics. For me it was obvious which college teams to follow. California Golden Bears football and Indiana Hoosier basketball. However, I was torn between the S.F. 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts for Pro Football. I grew up liking the 49ers, however when I got to b-school I really enjoyed the Colts. However, I decided since I have actually lived in Indy, I will go for the Indianapolis Colts as my NFL team. It is also good timing since they are in the Super Bowl tomorrow. I root for the U.S. team in the Winter and Summer Olympics. I actually like the Winter Olympics better since I love skiing and snowboarding. In addition, the Summer Olumpics the U.S. is so dominant it is not as fun. In the Winter Olympics the U.S. is probably tied for third with Russia after Norway and Germany in terms of most successful.

The World Cup is interesting but not enough to really follow. I am really surprised at how big the Daytona 500 is. I was saddened that the Indy 500 wasn’t above the Daytona 500. I want to attend a NASCAR event to see what all the hype is about. The Kentucky Derby doesn’t really interest me and the World Series is OK but can get boring. The NBA is not that much of a team sport and there is not much strategy.

In summary, I like football and college basketball. Football is really fun to watch and college sports in general is cool because of the fan loyalty. Also the NCAA basketball tournament is cool. The Olympics are really big and have a whole different feel about them because of the international aspect.

I had a physical in September of 2006, just after my half-marathon. I was healthy with good blood pressure and heart rate and no diabetes. However, my cholesterol was high. Just above the borderline high range. Well I got it checked today at Long’s Drugs and my cholesterol dropped 33 points. So now I am in the low range of the borderline high level. In 3 months I would like to drop it to below the borderline high range.

In addition to the fiber supplements, I am going to add fish oil to my diet.

Below is a list of my favorite restaurants. Please click on picture to see list.

Being a new parent it is easy to look ahead. I have heard that after the first three months it gets easier since they cry less. And also it is nice when they turn one since they are much stronger by then. And according to my mother-in-law at 16 months because they are really cute then.

However, God has taught me something important this week. In BSF we are looking at Ch 8 of Romans. According to BSF it is arguably the best chapter in the Bible. Romans 8:28 says that “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good, for those who love God; for those who are called according to His purpose.”

At times I find myself looking ahead as well mainly because I like to have control over my life. And when you have a newborn it changes things. I can’t always run at a certain time, or even if I did I might not have gotten the sleep I wanted. In addition, there are more concerns and responsibilities (usually not what a guy wants). However, studying this verse gives me comfort that in all situations God will cause me to grow more in the likeness of His Son. Parenting can add some wrinkles in one’s life, but this will allow one opportunities to grow and produce spiritual fruit e.g. patience. I have learned to enjoy the time I get to spend with k now despite her cries. I love it when she is peaceful and she looks at me. But also I enjoy it when she cries and I get to use my fake Italian accent to try to calm her down.