2007 NFL Draft

Today is the first day of the NFL draft and probably the most important day of the NFL offseason. ESPN shows the entire draft and each year I find myself watching at least part of it. It's fascinating watching each team try to put the last piece of their puzzle together via the draft. It's also fun watching the Lions blow yet another draft, for the fourth time in five years they've drafted a wide receiver in the first round, the morons. Seamus could make better draft picks than Matt Millen.

This year is the first year that Janna has watched the draft, in fact I think it's safe to say she didn't know about it until she met me. Janna knows nothing about the teams that are drafting players, she knows none of the players being drafted and she knows next to nothing about the game of football. Nevertheless, about two hours into the draft Janna turned to me and said "I blame you." I of course wondered what she was blaming me for. She informed me that she couldn't stop watching, the draft it seems was utterly fascinating to her. Apparently she enjoyed the drama of it all, never mind she doesn't know about anything that's going on. That said, she is enjoying watching former Notre Dame Quarterback Brady Quinn drop from a sure fire top 10 pick to, at this time, not yet drafted. Got to love Miss Janna.

Springtime For Hitler Or Springtime At the Birn Compound

Now that it's warm outside Seamus is able to spend a lot of time outside. He's very excited about it. When he's being a good boy he likes to lie out in the sun as he is above. Such a good boy Seamus is and such a good role model for young Stuart.
Seamus wants to play with his Daddy.
It seems Mr. Seamus has found a ball to play with. Seamus loves playing ball with his Daddy.
Mr. Seamus likes to run all over the yard with his ball, he's very protective of it.
Look at that Seamus go!
Even if Seamus doesn't have a ball he loves to run around the yard.
My, my he's wild today.
And now it's time for a little rest under a shade tree. Even sweet boys like Seamus need a rest.
In other news, Janna is still pregnant.
Seamus just loves driving his Mommy crazy, isn't he cute?

Michigan State: 2007 NCAA Hockey Champions!

On the banks of the Red Cedar,
There's a school that's known to all,
It's specialty is winning,
And those Spartans play GREAT HOCKEY!,
Spartan teams are never beaten,
All through the game they'll fight,
Fight for the only colors, GREEN and WHITE
Go right thru for MSU,
Watch the points keep growing,
Spartan teams are bound to win,
They're fighting with a vim,
RAH! RAH! RAH!
See their team is weakening,
We're going to win this game,
FIGHT! FIGHT! RAH TEAM FIGHT!


Michigan State won the NCAA title last night. The Birn household went absolutely nuts when Justin Abdelkader scored the game winning goal with 18.9 seconds left in the game. Jeff Lerg played great in net, keeping the Spartans in the game, including the amazing save pictured above that prevented Boston College from going up 2-0.

Tim Kennedy tied the game at 1-1 with about ten minutes left in the third period. Needless to say, I was nervous throughout the game. State went down 1-0 in the middle of the second and I thought for sure the game was over. BC is a better team, they have better skaters, a better power play and a better penalty kill. But I knew that so long as State was only down one goal, they had a shot to at least tie it. That said, it nerve wracking to watch them down one and even more nerve wracking when they tied it up. When Abdlekader put the puck in the net with 18.9 seconds left I screamed and jumped up, Janna was scared half to death and Seamus was alarmed. Chris Mueller got an empty net goal with 1.2 seconds left to give the Spartans a 3-1 victory and the national title.

For me, this is absolute huge. I've been suffering with this program for a decade and half now. Back when I was in school in the late 90's we had great teams and were often ranked #1 throughout the year only to lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament. 1998, 1999 and 2001 were especially bitter pills to swallow. This year's championship was very unexpected, State finished fourth in the CCHA, barely made the NCAA Tournament and no one expected them to do anything. We had less talent than every team we faced, yet our boys stuck to their game plan and grinded out four victories. Lerg was great in net, he only gave up 5 goals in 4 NCAA games, he deserves a ton of credit. He stood on his head when it counted.

This is what hockey is all about. Passion, teamwork and exciting games played for national titles. It's a great day to be a Spartan, all MSU alums should be proud of this team today. It makes up for all the disappointments of years gone by. To win a championship when no one expects it, to come out of no where makes it that much sweeter. Janna I think finally understands why I'm such a hockey fan, she witnessed it last night. Decades of suffering for one special night, it's worth every heartbreak.

MSU, we love thy shadows
When twilight silence falls,
Flushing deep and softly paling
O'er ivy covered halls;
Beneath the pines we'll gather
To give our faith so true,
Sing our love for Alma Mater
And thy praises, MSU.

More Free Hockey

Last night Janna and I went to the Griffins game against the Toronto Marlies. It all started back on Feb 7th when the Griffins played Syracuse. The Griffins were offering discounted tickets in the lower bowl for $5 and we decided to go to the game. What we didn't know is that the Griffins had another deal by which if they win their games on Wednesday nights everyone gets a free ticket to the next Wednesday night game. The Griffins won on Feb 7th, then they won again on Feb 21st, then they won again on March 14th and again on March 28th. Because there were no more Wednesday night home games, everyone got a ticket to last nights game, which they of course won. Needless to say, we parlayed $5 tickets into five games, and the Dutch and Jew in us rejoices.
Last night was perhaps the best night of all, it was Steve Yzerman night. Yzerman was my favorite player growing up and sadly I wasn't able to get tickets to his number retirement in Detroit earlier this year. But this wasn't a bad makeup for that disappointment. Yzerman spoke briefly, thanking the Wings fans in West Michigan. Yzerman was humble as he always is. Of all the players a kid could look up to, Yzerman is definately one that parents would want. He's humble, puts team first and from all accounts is a respectable family man off the ice.
I usually hate mascots, especially minor league mascots. But I will have to say that Griff amuses me. He's one angry looking bird and he flys in the face of all these silly mascots that have goofy smiles on their face, as if everything has to be smiley and fun. One of the teams the Griffins played had a logo of a smiling skull, I mean come on now. Griff is ridiculous but at least he looks annoyed.
The game ended with a 4-0 Griffins win. Jimmy Howard looked playoff ready in net last night and here he is saluting the fans after he was named #1 star of the night. (Matt Ellis was #2 and my boy Kip Miller #3) After the game I took Janna to the Sierra Room for desert. Sadly the Sierra Room is closing at the end of the month, so this was our one last chance to stop in. Janna got the Creme Brulee sampler (chocolate peppermint, espresso and vanilla) and I got a cheese sampler. (parmesan reggiano, an aged American cheddar and a wonderful goats milk cheese called midnight moon) In any event, we planned on sharing both of our deserts and share we did. We both agreed that the chocolate peppermint and espresso creme brulee's were excellent and the vanilla wasn't very good. I am not a fan of cheddar but Janna said it was very good. We both agreed midnight moon was excellent, it had real depth of flavor with subtle hints of brown butter. The parmesan reggiano was excellent as well.

And thus ended a fine evening in downtown Grand Rapids. How I can't wait to take Stuart to his first hockey game next season. Did I mention we're excited about taking him to Chicago for his first Cubs game in June? Good times, good times.

The Joys of Grilling

Last week we were blessed with slightly warmer weather and with that warm weather we were able to break out the grill. Oh the joy of being able to grill animals outside, there is no greater enjoyment in life. I was as excited as a June bride on a feather bed when I tossed some Birn burgers on the grill last Tuesday. Later in the week we enjoyed some wonderful lemon pepper chicken and on Sunday we enjoyed Berkshire pork chops with Merlot sauce. (Joy you have to try this sometime, it's soooooo easy and it's wonderful.)

Saturday we grilled a split turkey breast on the grill and made turkey bacon sandwiches out of it. Let me tell you, if you've never had grilled turkey before you don't know what you're missing. It was simply amazing, the turkey came out perfectly moist and the smoke from the grill gave it an added debth of flavor. Thinly sliced and placed upon wonderful toasted french bread with some perfectly cooked center cut bacon and it is a real treat. Not only was it wonderful in taste but it was wonderful on the pocketbook as well. Our dinner came out at less than $9 and we had enough left over for sandwiches on Sunday as well.

Unfortunately it seems that God has decided for us to have cool weather this week and so grilling won't be on the Birn menu. It gives us a chance to enjoy our old winter favorites again one last time. Sadly, Janna refuses to allow me to make gumbo and for that I am extremely disappointed. Nothing says yum like a good pot of gumbo. Sigh....