LEFT FIELD

He ruled the P.E. Department with an iron, czar-like approach to physical fitness. All the young ones were in good hands whether they were running the mile or playing an illegal game of dodge ball. Welcome the most recent guest to Left Field, Dan Rohde.

As you and all the LF readers know, there are no softball lobs for questions. We throw hard to hit inside fastballs: What PE unit do you miss most? This question does seem like a softball lob. With out a doubt in my mind, it is Badminton. Although the dance unit is a right behind.

National Bike to Work Week just recently passed. Did you partake in the festivities?I was only able to bike one of the days. I really do not have a good reason, but I was focusing a lot of training on my upcoming triathlon (see later question). I went into scramble mode in my training for the swim, which took a majority of my energy.

Word on Blogger Boulevard is that you moved into a new place. Give us a descriptive tour. BIGGER! Enough said. My roommate and I no longer live in a broom closet (I believe that is how your son once described it).

You are the defensive coordinator for the Cougars of Concordia University Chicago. What’s the best part of your job? Obviously the fame, fortune and ladies that come with being a college coach. I hope the readers here are very gullible. In all honesty, being a college coach is like having two jobs. My first job is coaching and my second is recruiter. When coaching I enjoy the practices where I have the opportunity to teach and improve the playing ability of the athletes. As a recruiter there is nothing better than getting the commitment from a student-athlete that I have been kissing up to for several months.

Any prognostications for your football Cougars in the fall of ’09? I really don’t have anything for the team, but I can guarantee many, many trips to 7-eleven by the Cougar coaching staff.

Left Field operatives perused your bio on the school’s web page. It gives great detail about your educational and athletic background but nary a word on your cycling passion? Explain yourself. I can’t explain this. Apparently our Sports Information Director does not deem cycling important. I will lay down the law with him. The fans need to know.

You have experienced several duatholons (races that involve running, cycling, running) but recently you opted to join the ranks of triatholons. (swim, ride, run). Why the additional athletic challenge? My father claims the Rohde family is “mediocre” when it comes to a lot of things especially athletics. Apparently, we are efficient in many athletic endeavors, but not phenomenal. After a relatively successful 2008 duathlon season, I decided to work towards a new challenge.

While training in Lake Michigan along the beaches of Lake Shore Drive do you ever swim over floating corpses. You know, those people who lost an argument with Da Family? I have not. I try to plan my swimming route around the areas where bodies are notoriously found. The rotting corpses tend to smell which makes training difficult.

Your presence has been greatly missed in Macomb County, especially at Buffalo Wild Wings. Are you surprised that your BW chums still leave an empty chair/seat for your when they get together? I don’t know what their thought process is. I think they are still hoping a female will see the empty seat and sit down.

Your former roommate got another cat and named it Hobo. Explain, as best you can. I really do not want to talk about it. All I know is that I prefer to call him Homo!

Lutheran North’s girls’ freshmen basketball coach has a plan for next year’s fillies that will involve shooting at least 5 triples per quarter. Perhaps you read an earlier blog about it or a follow up to the initial blog. Not everyone in Mustangville buys into the idea. Your reaction? Go for it! Let the shots fly! What is the new head coach going to do? We all know he is a gutless chump. It isn’t like he will fire you.

Doping has weakened an already feeble support base for cycling in the United States. Why hasn’t the same happened with baseball? Politics. I am not sure how, but I have heard other people use it for a variety of reasons. I thought it fit well with this question. Whenever you hear about doping in cycling it is during a major race. Usually during the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia or the Olympics to name a few. Imagine hearing about a baseball player testing positive for something in every playoff series. Is it fair to cycling? No, but it is what it is.

POP FLIES:

Quintana Roo or LeMond? Quintana Roo. Only has-been cyclists ride a LeMond.
Miller Park or Comerica Park? Miller Park
Brett Favre or the Detroit Lions’ quarterback du jour? Brett Favre (unless he goes to play for the Vikings)
Run, Bike or Swim? Bike
Mechanical pencil or gel pen? Mechanical pencil
Hamlet or Green Eggs and Ham? Green Eggs and Ham
The Red Line or the Blue Line? Green Line
Swimmers Itch videos or MTV? Swimmers Itch videos
Jack Bauer or Jack Sheppard? Jack Bauer
The Office or Room 118? Room 118Blog or Twitter? Twitter