Dealin' with Doherty

Due to popular demand (and by "popular demand" I mean someone asked me to do it), I have decided to eschew my normal sports commentary and introduce a new feature called "Dealin' With Doherty."

Doherty is my roommate and one of my closest and dearest friends. I've known him since college and have been living with him since this past summer. He's a great guy, but he has some quirks that when combined with my own odd personality and quirks produces some hilarious results.

Now before I go any further, I must pass along something that I've noticed men and women do differently: how they treat their friends. With men, the worse they insult and treat each other, the closer they are. I'll give you an example: my buddy Lee is one of my best friends. I've known him since middle school. We played baseball together in high school and were roommates all throughout college. I was the best man in his wedding, and if I ever get married, he'll be in mine. Naturally, I insult him as much as possible. It's a guy thing.

The same applies to Doherty. We don't usually walk into a room and go, "Hey, what's up?" like normal, civilized people. Oh no, our standard greeting goes something like this:

"Well, well, well... LOOK who it is!"
"What do you want?"
"I hate you."
"Good."

If you know Doherty, you know he likes to argue a lot. Doherty and I argue all the time, usually about critically important social issues such as sports, tv shows, and women (For the record: Sara is WAY hotter than Kate in White Collar. Just sayin')

At least 3-5 times a day, our conversations/arguments inevitably devolve into the following exchange:

"You're an idiot."
"YOU'RE an idiot."
"That doesn't even make sense."
"YOU don't make sense."
"Oh my gaw--"
"Oh my gawd."

We're sophisticated like that.

Anyway, one of our latest "disagreements" involves the show White Collar, one of my favorite shows. For those of you have never seen it, it revolves around a con man named Neil Caffrey (Matt Bomer) who was captured by FBI agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay). Caffrey offers to help Burke and FBI solve White Collar crimes after being released into the custody of the FBI. It's pretty funny and has some great characters. Plus, all the cons they run to catch criminals and the history of the art and artifacts they are chasing is really interesting to me.

Doherty and I have a history of ribbing each other over our respective shows. It started back in college when he used to harass me about watching 24. Of course, he had no room to talk because his favorites at the time were Grey's Anatomy and One Tree Hill. I'm pretty sure the people at Miller Lite would side with me.

He's finally starting to come around and realize that I have better taste in tv shows. I don't know how many times he's walked in and said, "Man, (insert show name here) that's a good show!" He said it about NCIS, then Psych, and finally White Collar.

The other day, we were sitting around our apartment watching White Collar, and Doherty wondered aloud which character we all would be. The only thing we agreed was that our buddy Andrew was Mozzie. We both claimed that we'd be Neil. I argued that Doherty was Peter and I was Neil because: A. Neil is single, as am I; and B. Peter was married, and Doherty is practically married.

He didn't like that reasoning.

Doherty countered that Neil is a fashionable guy (it's true, he's always looking suave) and that of the two us, Doherty is clearly the fashion expert.

Normally, that would be true. Doherty has spent years working at the Gap (so much so that he once recognized the exact Gap shirt worn in a tv show. It was frightening) and owns more sweater vests than Jim Tressel. His girlfriend attests that he has more clothes than she does.

I, on the other hand, have a fondness for World War II-themed Hawaiian shirts, own Halo shirts-- plural, as in more than one-- and wouldn't hesitate to wear socks with sandals. (Hey, I like to wear socks and sometimes don't feel like tying shoes. Don't judge me)

Of course, when Doherty said, "And let's face it, I'm the fashion expert here!" and gestured to his body, he was barefoot and wearing Duke gym shorts and a white t-shirt that said, "Colorado: Here for the Beer."

I think I won that one.

On-Campus Stadium & Other CSU Football Thoughts

Colorado State recently hired Jack Graham, former CSU quarterback, to be its next athletic director. Graham then fired football coach Steve Fairchild after yet another disappointing 3-9 season and lured Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain to Fort Collins to be the Rams' next coach. McElwain's salary is over $1 million a year, which is no small amount for CSU. As if that didn't create enough buzz, Graham has also declared that he wants to build an on-campus stadium at CSU.

I like the boldness and energy that Graham has brought to the table so far. While I admired the old AD, Paul Kowalczyk and thought he was doing a decent job, I do like how Graham isn't afraid to dream big. Arguably my biggest frustration with CSU is that it can be complacent and accept the status quo sometimes. Yes, money is tight in these tough economic times, but if a school like Boise State can rise to prominence, why can't we be better? Sometimes I think there's this feeling of "oh, we can't be great because our team has struggled" or something like that. It feels like people have accepted mediocrity. I refuse to accept that CSU can't be a successful athletic entity; our volleyball team is among the best in the country, men's basketball is on the first, and the football team was a powerhouse under Sonny Lubick. If we did it once, we can do it again. I like the attitude that Graham has brought and how he has invigorated the university in just a couple of weeks.

At first, I wasn't that thrilled with the McElwain hire, but I must admit, it's grown on me of late. I'm more enthusiastic about CSU football than I have been in awhile. My initial fears were that this might turn out to be like the Josh McDaniels hire for the Broncos. Sure, New England (where McDaniels was the offensive coordinator) had a record-setting offense and has been the most successful team of the past decade, but in retrospect, that success was due to having Tom Brady and quarterback and Bill Belichick as head coach. Is Alabama's success mainly do to Nick Saban and his stifling defense?

Plus, Alabama's offense isn't really that great. Name one amazing Alabama quarterback of the past few years. Can't do it, can you? They generally ask their quarterbacks to be game managers and not turn the ball over. The Crimson Tide relies upon a strong running game (Heisman Trophy-winner Mark Ingram and Heisman Finalist Trent Richardson). There's nothing wrong with that, as I do love me a strong power running attack, but I wonder if a large part of Alabama's success is that they get the top recruits in the country. It's easy to win when you have better players than pretty much every team you play. Will McElwain be successful when he doesn't have a significant talent advantage? He was the offensive coordinator at Fresno State during the Bulldogs' heyday, so that bodes well. The more I think about it, the more optimistic I am. CSU football should be a lot better, as long as he doesn't get screen-happy like Fairchild. Some quick passes over the middle would be nice, too.

As for the on-campus stadium, I'm not sure what to think about it. For those of you who don't know, CSU's current stadium, Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium, is located a couple miles away on the west side of Fort Collins. It's in the middle of a large grass field, which is very conducive to parking and tailgating. I've always liked the off-campus location. One, it's not that far away. It's about a five-minute drive from campus. Fort Collins is on the grid system, so it's very easy to get around. The police do a great job of directing traffic, so it's easy to get to the stadium and get funneled into the parking lots. You're directed where to park, and the whole process is simple and efficient. Plus, not much goes on in that area, so you don't have an empty building taking up valuable space in the middle of campus or the city.

I've been to a few on-campus stadiums, and parking is always an issue. It's inconvenient for everyone: students and campus personnel don't like the limited parking available being taken up by football fans (and lack of parking is a gripe at CSU already). Plus, where would people tailgate? Those students who aren't football fans won't like the noise and influx of people. On the other hand, a campus stadium does offer a greater connection to the school itself; opposing fans would get to walk through the campus, and it's a chance for CSU to show off its great campus and what it has to offer. The first time I walked around CSU, I was sold. I knew that's where I wanted to go. Gamedays would be more of an event with an on-campus stadium, too, I would imagine.

I just don't know where a new stadium would go, though. The only open space on campus is the intramural fields, and that's not an option. One, it's not big enough. Two, it's right in the middle of campus and would be a logistical nightmare. There'd be no parking. Three, where would the intramural sports play? I've heard people mention north of campus, but there's nothing there but commercial buildings and neighborhoods. It's not feasible. Another location I've heard mentioned is just south of campus by the Hilton. That might work, but I don't know how much land there is. I know there's some open ground in the area, so I suppose it might be feasible. Plus, there's not much in the area, so if it could fit, a stadium there wouldn't have a large negative impact on the area. I'd be in favor of that.

Regardless of location, we do need a new stadium. Hughes is a dump. It's basically two sets of giant concrete bleachers with a large sidewalk ringing them. It's just not a pretty structure. They've made some great improvements with the landscaping outside, but it's a pretty dull building. The sound system is a joke. It's hard to hear anything, and I swear there is just one speaker. It's like they took a computer monitor speaker, upscaled it about 1,000 times, and stuck it on the jumbotron. I think Hughes was built in the 1960s, too, so it's fairly old. A new stadium would create buzz and energy with the program and get people excited about CSU football again. It's going to cost a lot, but Graham has already shown he can raise money and get people involved.

For once, I'm excited about the future of CSU football.

NCAA Coaching Scorecard

The Holiday Season means a lot of things: shopping, Christmas trees, music, lights, long lines at stores, and the firing and hiring of college football coaches. There’s been a whirlwind of change so far at schools across the country as 23 teams have decided to make a coaching change, and the first bowl game hasn’t even been played yet.

Here’s a rundown of the coaching carousel to this point:

ACC

North Carolina – Plagued by scandal, North Carolina fired coach Butch Davis prior to the start of the season and named defensive coordinator Everett Withers interim head coach. The Tar Heels started the year strong under Withers, going 5-1, but collapsed down the stretch and finished 7-5. The school has announced that it will hire Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora, pending approval by the board of trustees.

Fedora had an overall record of 33-19 at Southern Miss and led the Golden Eagles to an 11-2 record and first Conference USA title since 2003. Southern Miss upset previously undefeated Houston in the conference title game.

Big 12

Kansas – The Jayhawks were one of the worst, if not the worst, football teams in the country in 2011, and coach Turner Gill was fired as a result. In only two seasons in charge, Gill posted records of 3-9 and 2-10. This year, the Jayhawks finished dead-last in points against, giving up an average of 43.8 points per game. The school announced that it has hired Florida offensive coordinator and former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis to replace Gill.

Weis made his mark in the NFL as a member of Bill Belichick’s staff with the New England Patriots. He helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls and was then named the head coach at Notre Dame, his alma mater. His inaugural season was a great success, but he never managed to live up to lofty expectations afterwards. He was fired with six years remaining on a ten-year extension. Weis regularly boasted some of the top recruiting classes in the country but failed to translate that into on-field success.

Texas A&M – After a disappointing 6-6 season that began with the Aggies ranked in the top ten and harboring national championship hopes, Texas A&M fired head coach Mike Sherman. In his four years leading the Aggies, Sherman went 25-25. His beat year was 2010 when the Aggies went 9-4. That led to high expectations for 2011, but the Aggies blew big second-half leads in several of their losses and were a huge disappointment. Kevin Sumlin is rumored to be the leading candidate, and it was reported that Air Force coach Troy Calhoun interviewed for the job, but as of yet, Texas A&M has not named a new head coach.

Big Ten

Illinois – Ron Zook was fired, ending an up-and-down tenure with the Illini. He took Illinois to the Rose Bowl in his third season but followed it up with back-to-back losing seasons. He was widely thought to be on the hot seat, but a 7-6 campaign and bowl win over Baylor in 2010 saved his job. The Illini started the year 6-0 but lost their final 6 games, becoming the first team in history to do so. Overall, Zook was just 34-51 in 7 years at Illinois. No replacement has been announced, although it is expected that the school will name Toledo head coach Tim Beckman as its new coach.

Ohio State – Another school rocked by scandal, Ohio State fired coach Jim Tressel after it was discovered he lied about knowing some of players had received improper benefits. Defensive coordinator Luke Fickell took over the reins for 2011 and guided the Buckeyes to a 6-6 record. The school hired a little-known coach named Urban Meyer to take over the program.

Urban Meyer has a career record of 104-23 with stops at Bowling Green (17-6), Utah (22-2), and Florida (65-15). While he was at Utah, the Utes became the first school from outside the BCS conferences to play in a BCS bowl. He won two national championships at Florida before retiring after the 2010 season because of health issues, stress, and a stated desire to spend more time with his family.

Penn State – Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past several weeks, you know what happened at Penn State. Coach Joe Paterno was forced out amidst a sordid child sex abuse scandal involving former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, who allegedly raped at least one child on school grounds. Several administrators, including the university president and athletic director, have been suspended or fired for their part in the affair. Current defensive coordinator Tom Bradley has taken over as interim head coach. No head coach has been announced, but Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen is the subject of many rumors.

Conference USA

Memphis – The Tigers ousted head coach Larry Porter after just two years. During that time, he compiled a measly 3-21 record. Memphis was 115^th in the nation in points for, averaging just 16.3 per game, and was an equally dreadful 106^th in points against, giving up 35.1 per game. Only 2,500 people turned out for the final home game of the season this year.

The school hired TCU co-offensive coordinator Justin Fuente to replace Porter. TCU is known for its vaunted defense, but its offense has become a highly-capable unit under Fuente. Former quarterback Andy Dalton set school records under Fuente’s tutelage and is now an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Horned Frogs currently boast the ninth-best scoring offense in the country, putting up 41.7 points a game.

Southern Miss – Head coach Larry Fedora has left to take the vacant Ole Miss coaching job, and the Golden Eagles have yet to name a successor. Southern Miss went 11-2 and defeated undefeated Houston in the Conference USA championship game to win its first conference title in eight years.

Tulane – Head coach Bob Toledo resigned in mid-October after a 2-5 start, and offensive line coach Mark Hutson was named interim coach. Toledo was just 15-40 in over four years with the Green Wave. New Orleans Saints wide receivers coach and New Orleans native Curtis Johnson was tapped by Tulane to be its next football coach. Despite lacking marquee receivers, the Saints have one of the most explosive and prolific passing attacks in the NFL.

UAB – The University of Alabama-Birmingham fired Neil Callaway after he went 18-42 in five seasons. The Blazers haven’t had a winning season since going 7-5 in 2004 and ended 2011 by losing to previously winless FAU. UAB hired Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee as its new coach. Arkansas boasts one of the top offenses in the SEC, ranking 13^th in the country in passing yards and 15^th overall in points per game.

MAC

Akron – Rob Ianello was fired after posting a record of 2-22 and generally being non-competitive in the MAC during his two seasons at the helm of the Zips. Only one of those wins came against a Division I school, and one of the 22 losses came at the hands of a Division I-AA school (Gardner-Webb in 2010). The school has yet to name a replacement.

Massachusetts – The Minutemen are making the jump from Division I-AA to Division I and have hired Notre Dame offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Charley Molnar to replace the fired Kevin Morris. UMass joins the MAC next year but will not be eligible for a bowl game conference championship until 2013.

Mountain West

Colorado State – The past few years have not been kind to Colorado State, my alma mater. In 2007, legendary Rams coach Sonny Lubick was forced out. Fairchild, a former CSU quarterback and offensive coordinator under Lubick prior to coaching in the NFL, was hired to replace the legend and experienced immediate success. Fairchild took the team from 3-9 to 7-6 and capped the season off with a win in the New Mexico Bowl over Fresno State, a game in which running back Gartrell Johnson III set an NCAA record for yards from scrimmage with 375. His 285 rushing yards were the second-most in a bowl game in NCAA history.

It was all downhill from there, though, as the Rams suffered three straight 3-9 seasons. Fairchild could never translate recruiting success to the field, going just 16-33 with a 7-24 record in the Mountain West. Colorado State has not hired a new coach as of yet.

Fresno State* – Longtime coach Pat Hill was fired after Fresno State finished the year 4-9, its worst season in 15 years under Hill. The Bulldogs were largely successful under Hill, adopting his “anybody, anytime, anywhere” mantra and regularly pulling off upsets of BCS conference teams. He led Fresno to a 112-80 record and went 78-40 in WAC play. However, the Bulldogs were only able to win the WAC once, in 1999, and could never get past conference foe Boise State. Fresno State had begun to slip in the past few seasons.  No replacement has been named.

New Mexico – The surprise wasn’t that Mike Locksley was fired but that it took this long. In just over two seasons, the Lobos were an abysmal 2-26 under Locksley. His first two seasons culminated in identical 1-11 records, and he was fired this year after starting the season 0-4 and losing to Division I-AA Sam Houston State. If that weren’t enough, Locksley was at the center of several scandals. He was suspended for a game for punching an assistant coach, sued for sexual harassment by a former employee, and a 19-year-old teen was arrested for a DWI after almost hitting a pedestrian while driving a car registered to Locksley’s wife and son. Defensive coordinator George Barlow was named interim head coach for the rest of the season.

New Mexico has hired Bob Davie, ESPN analyst and former head coach at Notre Dame, to replace Locksley. Davie was named coach of the Fighting Irish after Lou Holtz retired and went 35-25 in South Bend.

*Fresno State will be joining the Mountain West in 2012 along with Nevada. Hawai’i will join in 2013 for football only.

Pac-12

Arizona – The Wildcats fired Mike Stoops on October 10, naming defensive coordinator Tim Kish as interim head coach. Stoops led Arizona to bowl games each of the past three years and were ranked in the top ten at one point last year, but the Wildcats could never get over the hump. Stoops was 41-50 overall but only 27-38 within the Pac-10/12 conference. The Wildcats stumbled out of the gate to a 1-5 start, with the only win over Division I-AA Northern Arizona. Of course, having to play Oklahoma State, Stanford, Oregon, and USC in consecutive weeks didn’t help.

Arizona has hired former West Virginia and Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez to replace Stoops. Rodriguez was wildly successful at West Virginia, leading the Mountaineers to several BCS bowls. He had them on the cusp of playing for a national title before being upset by Pittsburgh in 2007. However, Rodriguez was less-than-successful at Michigan, winning less than half his games. His tenure was also marred by NCAA rules violations.

Arizona State – Not to be outdone by their rivals to the south, the Arizona State Sun Devils also are in need of a new coach for the 2012 season. Dennis Erickson will no not be retained as the school’s head coach. His first year was a great success, as the Sun Devils were in the top five at one point, but he was not able to sustain it. In his five years at the helm, Erickson could never get ASU, long considered a sleeping giant, into the upper echelon of the Pac-10/12. His teams were plagued by poor discipline and untimely penalties went a mediocre 31-30 under Erickson with one bowl game remaining. The Sun Devils started the season 6-2, giving Oregon a scare, and appeared to be a lock for the Pac-12 South title, but they collapsed down the stretch and lost 4 straight games.

Erickson will coach ASU in its bowl game against #7 Boise State, and the team has yet to hire a replacement. There are reports that June Jones was close to reaching an agreement with the school before negotiations broke down. ASU is a high-profile job with a lot to offer: great location and facilities, close to fertile recruiting grounds, and a lot of talent returning for next year in quarterback Brock Osweiler and linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

UCLA – The Bruins fired Rick Neuheisel prior to the inaugural Pac-12 championship game. He went 21-28 in four years at his alma mater and failed to show improvement. Worse, the gap between UCLA and crosstown rival USC appeared to widen despite NCAA sanctions leveled on the Trojans. UCLA managed to go 6-6 and capture the Pac-12 South title (due to USC being ineligible), but after suffering a 50-0 drubbing at the hands of the Trojans, UCLA decided it had seen enough. The vacancy is still open, and the Bruins have reportedly been turned down by Boise State’s Chris Petersen and Miami’s Al Golden.

Washington State – Like their brethren in Los Angeles, the Cougars dismissed a coach who was an alumnus and former player. Paul Wulff went a dismal 9-40 in Pullman with a record of 4-34 in conference games. In four years with Washington State, his best season was 2011 when the Cougars finished only 4-8.

Washington State made perhaps the biggest coaching splash this year when it hired former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach to turn around its football program. Leach was controversially fired by Texas Tech after it was alleged he had mistreated receiver Adam James, son of ESPN analyst Craig James, who had suffered a concussion. Leach claims the allegations are false and that he was fired as part of a power play by administrators who disliked his candor and wanted to avoid paying him. He has lawsuits pending against both Texas Tech and ESPN.

Leach went 84-43 at Texas Tech and took the Red Raiders to ten straight bowl games. He received national coach of the year honors in 2008 when the Red Raiders knocked off Texas and were undefeated and #2 in the BCS standings before losing to Oklahoma.

SEC

Mississippi – Head coach Houston Nutt was forced to resign, effective at the end of the year, after Ole Miss struggled to a 2-10 finish this season. Nutt’s tenure started great: the Rebels went 9-4 in 2008, upsetting a Tim Tebow-led Florida team that would go on to win the national championship and pummeling #7 Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. The 2009 campaign resulted in another 9-4 finish, but things went downhill after that. In 2010, the Rebels opened the year by losing in double overtime to Division I-AA Jacksonville State and ended up going 4-8. Ole Miss went winless in SEC play this season and has lost 14 straight SEC games. Arkansas State head coach Hugh Freeze has been hired to take over for Nutt.

Sun Belt

Arkansas State – For the second year in a row, the Red Wolves will be searching for a new head coach. Hugh Freeze guided the Red Wolves their first outright Sun Belt title and first 10-win season since 1986. Arkansas State went from 4-8 to 10-2 under Freeze’s watch. Freeze left Arkansas State to accept the head coaching vacancy at Mississippi. Arkansas State has yet to hire a replacement.

Florida Atlantic – Legendary coach Howard Schnellenberger, who led Miami to the 1983 national title and has coached the FAU program since its inception back in 2001, announced back in August that he would retire at the end of this season. He was 58-74 at FAU and went 2-0 in bowl games with the Owls. Florida Atlantic went 1-11 this year and has hired Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pellini to succeed Schnellenberger.

WAC

Hawai’i – On December 5, head coach Greg McMackin announced his retirement. McMackin was promoted to head coach from defensive coordinator after June Jones left the program to take over head coaching duties at SMU after leading the Warriors to the 2007 Sugar Bowl. McMackin went just 29-25, including 18-13 in the WAC, but led the Warriors to a share of the WAC championship last year with a 10-4 record (7-1 WAC). Hopes were high this year, especially with Nevada rebuilding and Boise State off to the Mountain West, but Hawai’i stumbled to a 5-8 mark. The school has not hired a new coach.

Ode to Oreo

Oreo ~ January 3, 1996 - December 5, 2011

My Beloved Puppy

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." - Anatole France

Prior to leaving for my freshman year of college, my mom made an awesome scrapbook out of pictures of my dog, Oreo. That quote appears on one of the pages and truly sums up how I feel about Oreo and the impact she had on me.

A few hours ago, Oreo was put down. It's been tough to take. I can't believe that she's gone, that I won't be able to hold her anymore or feel her soft, lustrous fur against my skin. No more kisses. No more hearing the jingle of her collar against her food dish or hearing the "clack" of her claws as she strolled across the kitchen. I'll never again walk through the garage door and see her lounging on the couch or spy her through the window traipsing about the backyard. I will never again witness her doing her "cute" pose where she sat back on her haunches. It was absolutely adorable.

I know it was the right decision. She had been in decline for awhile now, but things really took a turn for the worse a few days ago. She was down to about half her normal weight and was pretty much just skin and bones. She couldn't really stand and support herself and had to be hand-fed. It was sad to see.

Knowing that, however, doesn't make it any easier.

Oreo was a birthday present for my 10th birthday. A friend of the family was getting a new puppy from someone who bred Shih Tzus and Westies, and my mom went along. At the breeders', my mom saw the cutest little puppy. She was a Shih Tzu-Westie mix that looked nothing like either but had the cutest little nose. My mom was taken and came home with the 2.5-month-old puppy.

I had been skiing with my dad, and when we got home that night, I noticed a dog kennel in the family room. I'm sometimes slow on the uptake, so when I was told that it was for our rabbit, I didn't think anything of it. After being prodded to go to the basement, and not catching on, I opened the basement door and saw my brother holding our new puppy. She was wearing the cutest little birthday hat. We spent the next couple of days trying to decide a name, and eventually we picked Oreo, a name my dad had suggested because of her black coat with white chin, chest, and paws.

Oreo was an independent, stubborn little thing full of spunk, and that's what I loved most about her. She got out once when she was little and ended up crashing a graduation party up the street. She walked right in the front door and hung out for awhile. Little party animal. My parents got this spray that was supposed to keep her from chewing on the furniture and stuff. Yeah, it didn't work. We had these little pads that were supposed to help house-break her. She tore them up. We even bought one of those collars that was supposed to stop dogs from barking. She chewed it up... literally. That's my girl. :)

She also had the biggest, strongest heart I've ever encountered. She had an iron will and was a tough little dog. She tore her ACL, but you would never know from watching her. She had a liver defect yet lived nearly 16 years. Even when the rest of her was failing, her heartbeat remained strong. She was never one to give up, and even to the end, she gutted it out. She was so full of life, and the saddest feeling I've ever had was when I felt that heart beat in her warm, furry body for the final time.

Her heart will beat on, though. It will beat on in me for she will always have a piece of my heart. I love that little dog so so much, and it hurts knowing that I will never be greeted by her cute, comforting face anymore. She had the sweetest disposition and would always put a smile on my face.

"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face." -Bern Williams

That is perhaps my favorite dog quote because it is so true. The last few years haven't been easy for me; I've battled some depression. No matter how low or upset I've felt, though, Oreo could always lift my spirits. She could tell. If I was upset, she'd walk over and show me some love. Hell, even I'd get angry while playing Halo or NCAA, she'd wander over and demand I pet her. It never failed.

There was no situation that couldn't be remedied by holding her on my lap and petting her. She always brightened my day. Even now, when she's gone, just remembering her puts a smile on my face. I remember how she used to sit on the top of the couch and gaze out the window. She loved to sit on the rug by the front door and just observe the goings-on of the neighborhood. She'd go berserk and bark up a storm if a squirrel dared step foot in our yard. After chasing the offender away, she'd come back inside, head held high. Whenever there was snow outside, she'd come back to the door looking like Santa Claus. She'd have this white beard and looked absolutely adorable. You couldn't help but laugh. I remember the first time it snowed after we got her, and she had a ball outside chasing the snow. Whenver she'd jump, she'd kick up some powder upon landing. She'd jump after it, kick up more snow, and jump after that.

I used to love sitting on the basement steps with my head at floor level. She'd always wander by, lick my face, and then go about her business. We used to love playing tug-of-war with her toys. She had "Das Boot" (a rubber army boot chewtoy), Tough Guy (a cigar-chomping bear that said "How you doin'?!" when you squeezed it), and her "Minky" (a little stuffed monkey). She had this stuffed lobster toy that had three little baby lobsters. She used to carry all three in her mouth. She also would use random objects as toys: she particularly enjoyed tossing her bed about.

Oreo also loved her pigs' ears. She was funny with those. She'd get all excited and want to show it off, so she'd wander around to display her prize to everyone. If you ignored her, she'd growl at you as if to say, "Hey! Look at what I've got!" Then, if you gazed too long, she'd growl again like, "Hey! This is mine! Get your own!" Of course, her tail'd be wagging the whole time.

Christmases were especially fun. She'd wade through the sea of wrapping paper, clutching a pig's ear. We'd always give her one as a Christmas present and to keep her calm during the unwrapping of presents. She'd always bury it under all the wrapping paper.

Oreo was an intelligent dog, too. We used to play a game with her involving treats. It was sort of like the shell game; we'd take a treat and hide it in one of our hands and make her pick. She'd sniff one hand and then the other and then paw whichever hand she thought had the treat. More often than not, she got it right.

Perhaps my favorite memory of her is how she used to pretend that she didn't get on the couch. We got new couches one year and tried to keep her from getting up on them. She'd been allowed on the old couch and didn't see why she shouldn't be allowed the new one, too. Whenever we'd leave, she'd hop up on the couch and lay down. She had her little spot; she even formed her own groove. Well, whenever we'd return home, she'd either be waiting at the door or sitting in her bed like a good girl. Of course, you could see the little indentation and still feel the warmth from where she'd been sitting.

Another favorite memory is how such a little dog could take up so much space. We have these Love Sacs (basically giant bean bag chairs) in our basement, and naturally, Oreo preferred to lay down smack dab in the middle of the biggest one. Whenever I let her sleep on my bed, she'd always lay right in the middle. I'd have little room, but I didn't care. After all, my little ball of warmth

I have countless memories of Oreo, too many to list here. I will cherish them always, though. Oreo was special to me. We grew up together. I realized today that I've spent about two-thirds of my life with her. When I'd come home from school, she'd be sitting at the front door and see me pull up. By the time I got to the garage door to go inside, she'd already be waiting there for me. Whenever I'd wake up in the morning and my parents were gone, she'd be right there at the side of my bed. I loved to read with her on my lap.

Oreo was the best dog a boy could ask for. She was so gentle and taught me so much. I learned how to be compassionate and feel empathy from her. She showed me what it was to love unconditionally and with every fiber of your being. No matter how poorly I viewed myself, she loved me. She didn't care what flaws I had. It didn't matter to her. She just loved me, and I loved her. My mom often joked that I'd spend more time saying goodbye to the dog than her, but I wanted Oreo to know how much she meant to me. Honestly, she was my rock. Whenever there was a storm in my life, she was my safe harbor. It's amazing how all your troubles drift away when a dog's licking your face or when you're stroking her face or scratching behind her ears.

I've always been one to conceal my emotions. I'm generally pretty even-keeled, but the downside is that it's hard for me to convey my feelings, even to those I'm close to. Oreo helped me greatly in that regard. She showed me what was possible if I got in touch with my feelings. 

Oreo was the walking embodiment of Life and Love. She just had a vitality around her. I've already mentioned her spunk, but there was just something about her. Feeling her warmth and heartbeat just reminded me what life is. Forget about all the other stuff, just enjoy life. Live it. Life is a precious thing, and Oreo's presence constantly reminded me of that. She was so small, but she had so much life in her. She was just so full of life, and she made the most of it.

She didn't  just have an impact on me, either. One of the most touching experiences of my life involved her and my dad. My dad wasn't in favor of getting her in the first place and didn't want to have the responsibilities that came with owning a dog. I was always afraid that he resented getting Oreo, yet her passing hit him hard. When I told him that I'd made the decision to put her down, he said, "I'm not ready to let her go yet. I need more time." My heart just about broke right there. Her rapid decline these past couple of days forced our hand, but he still insisted on giving her one last bath. That was tough, but he wanted her to look her best. "Look so pretty smell so nice!" as we used to tell her.  

Carrying Oreo into the vet's office today, I could feel her heart beating away even through the bundle of blankets we had her in. As I held her while the vet put in the needle that would end her suffering, I could still feel her heart beat. It was slow and steady, until it beat no more. As I felt it beat for the last time, I couldn't even speak. Her heart was so big and so strong, and it was full of so much love and tenderness. I petedt her limp body for quite awhile after she'd gone, and the image of her laying there on the vet's table with stick with me forever.

Oreo, wherever you are, I just want you to know how much you mean to me. I'll always remember you and cherish all the good times we have. You showed me so much and had such an impact on my life. You were the best thing that ever happened to me, and I am eternally grateful for the time we shared. I will probably have other dogs, but they will never be you. You will always be my Pup, my Little One.

I love you Oreo, so very much, and I miss you terribly. I'll miss your sweet disposition and your gentle kisses. I'll miss your inquisitive nature and your funny little "wwwwrrrruuff." I'll miss seeing your shaggy face perched upon the couch.

Most of all I'll miss holding you and feeling your warmth and love.

I love you Oreo.  

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