This is amazing!

On Wednesday I spent the day with Hector Picard. Hector is a 43 year old native Miamian, he is a triathlete, he shoots hoops, plays racquetball, and uses the weight machines at LA Fitness. Oh yeah and he is a bilateral amputee. Hector is missing both arms. His right arm is amputated at the shoulder and his left arm just below the elbow. But his "handicap" is about the last thing you notice about Hector. He is funny, determined, and a big sports fan. I was lucky enough on Wednesday to follow him around and watch him perform regular, everyday stuff and I realized one thing, he is better at all of them than me. Here is the full interview we had over lunch! I am asking the questions and he is answering them.


Q: Where you an athlete before your accident?

A: Yes. I played baseball growing up, some football, basketball. Yeah very active in sports. I was better at baseball.

Q: Have you ever thought about competing in the Paralympics?

A: What I noticed is the paralympics are either for somebody with one good arm and no arm or a leg. But not really a bilateral upper extremity amputee. I don't see what I could compete in, cause there's not really a big category for that.

Q: What are you trying to get accomplished with the videos we shot today?

A: I want other bi-lateral amputees like myself to know that they can accomplish things as well. But to inspire other people, anybody. Any able bodied person to say ok if this guy has a positive outlook on life and is able to play these sports aggressively and competitively, I can do the same.

Q: What is your ultimate goal athletically?

A: Be in good shape, and stay healthy. I wanna compete, I love the feeling of competing against other guys able-bodied or not. You know the whole neck and neck, and racing, I love it. I get a thrill out of it and it keeps me positive.

Q: How does that carry over to life?

A: Well if I succeed here, I can succeed in the business world because my competitive nature is there. It helps me. If I am healthy i will be able to perform at work as well. I can translate sports into everyday life!

Q: Do you prefer to compete against handicapped, or able bodied people?

A: I'd rather compete against able-bodied people. I love it. Knowing that I beat people that are able-bodied is a great thing. I look at the results and they tell me 674 out of 728, damn there is 600 and something people ahead of me, that I want to beat.

Q:Have you made any head-way on a golf prosthesis?

A: The problem with the golf prosthesis is that is going to take money, a little ingenuity, and some time.

Q: So what sport do you plan to conquer next?

A: Wakeboarding. It gonna be all me. It's gonna be fun. I may go out there and fall on my face, but I'll figure it out. I was watching the kids do it and I can do this.

Q: What is the hardest part of the triathlon physically?

A: Endurance, being able to handle the beating. Most everyone complains about the swimming. It is the hardest for me because I haven't perfected it yet. I haven't found a style that works for me. I can do it, I've done it twice now. But it is a physical drain.

Q: What about mentally?

A: I am afraid that if I push myself too much I won't be able to compete. I know that if I push myself the day of the competition I will hurt the next day. But I want to compete.

Q: Can you throw a football?

A: Yeah I can sling it around with my stump, with my arm. About 20-25 feet.

Q: Does it spiral?

A: No it wobbles. I can catch it. I will catch it five out of ten times.

Q: Do you believe that you are an inspiration?

(Long pause)

A: Not 100%. But yeah I think that I can inspire people because there is no stopping me. I can do anything. If I think it, if i plan it, I'll do it.

Q: Are you trying to be an inspiration?

A: Number one I am trying to see how much I can do. Inspiration is a result. It all comes down to being competitive. I hate people that see me on the street and say poor guy. That's horseshit.

Q: Who would you play one on one in any sport?

A: I would take Kobe on. I would love to take Kobe on.

Q: Would it be horse or one on one?

A: Shit, he's gotta give me a handicap, pardon the pun. (He laughs.) Horse, no dunks. (More laughing.)

Q: Sum up your message in one sentence.

A: Believe in your self, always.

I don't feel that I need to say much more. Hector's answers say a lot about him. He is charming and kind, and very self assured. I hung out with him that morning and I feel that his bone spurs bother him more than being a bilateral amputee. That says a lot about him. Live like no one is watching and "believe in yourself, always.

Hector is also on facebook and youtube, search "amputee triathlete", or "Hector Picard".If you want to learn more about Hector and his amazing ability check out these other sites.

www.sun-sentinal.com search Hector Picard
www.manwithnohands.com

Jim Johnson

Jim Johnson, decorated defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, passed away today after a battle with melanoma. I had planned to write an exciting blog about David Beckham and his relationship with American fans, but this seemed more important.

When the news passed across the ESPN screen that Jim Johnson passed away half of the bar was confused as to which Jim Johnson it was. One patron asked if it was the race car driver or the former coach of the Cowboys and Dolphins. See Jim Johnson of the Eagles was an anonymous contributor to casual sports fans. He did his job well with very little fanfare.

Early in Jim Johnson's career he was a head coach for a couple of colleges. He served as a defensive coach under Dan Devine, legendary football coach. In the NFL, Johnson paid his dues. He was a defensive backs and linebacker coach for a variety of teams before finally landing the defensive coordinator position with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999. Head coach Andy Reid trusted Jim Johnson and handed him the reins of the defense almost immediately. Under the watchful eye of Johnson, the Eagles defense was dominant and efficient. In his first year as defensive coordinator Johnson's defense forced 46 turnovers, best in the NFL that year. The defense also had a 34 game stretch of allowing 21 points or less. That is second longest of all time. Johnson's defense produced 10 pro bowlers with 26 selections. It would be an understatement to say that he was one of the very best at what he did.

In a day of Mike Vick and Brett Farve dominated sports coverage, it was sad that this was the news to break the monotony. I, being a Dallas Cowboys fan in passing, had to watch the work of Jim Johnson in awe and anger. But he was undeniably great. Jim Johnson dead today at 68. Live like no one is watching and respect the competition.

Still the best??

Lance Armstrong finished the Tour De France today in third place proving one thing, he is the greatest cyclist of all time. After three plus years off, Lance was in striking distance of the yellow jersey entering the final week. I think the most impressive thing is that Armstrong is already looking ahead to next year, including securing Radio Shack to sponsor his 2010 team. With a full year to prepare you can bet that Lance Armstrong will be the odds on favorite to win the world's most grueling athletic competition.

Some things will have to change for Armstrong though. Due to his age the explosion he once showed in the rugged climbs seems to be gone. In 2010 he will definitely have to be a more consistent rider than he has had to be in the past. I am not convinced that it was just his time off that took the pop out of his legs, he is closing in on 40 so he will have to re-evaluate his riding style to stay on top. He and Alberto Contador, this year's winner, share the same strengths but Contador is older and obviously stronger. Armstrong will need a different approach to the sprints as well as the climbs. But he can definitely do it, he proved that by placing a strong third after long lay off.

We have watched Armstrong defy odds throughout his long illustrious career. He has beat cancer and put together an amazing streak of victories. He never ceases to amaze the sports world with his iron will and stiff determination. I am already looking forward to a race that I watched for the first time in three years again this year. Live like no one is watching and, just so you know the Cubs are in first place!

WOW! PERFECT!

It is funny how when you are watching something, it is almost too late before you know you are seeing something special. Today with no sound on one of the smaller televisions at work I watched 7 innings in passing before I realized what was happening. It wasn't until a regular said to me, " Nate put this on the big screen this Mark Buehrle guy is perfect through seven." I was impressed so I through it on and as they say the rest is history.

To set this up we have to take a look a the perfect game. There have now only been eighteen perfect games in Major League Baseball history. Some have been thrown by the most dominant pitchers in history. Of those eighteen perfect games only nine have been in the span of my life from 1982. I have only seen three of these games. The first one I saw was David Wells in 1998, then Randy Johnson in 2004, and now Buerhle in 2009. Like I said though it is something you don't realize right away, but apparently Buerhle says he knew "from the get-go."

27 up and 27 down that is a perfect game. No errors, no walks, no hits. That is the most impressive string of no's you will ever see since I tried to date a cheer leading squad in college. Today in Chicago I couldn't believe what I was seeing, once I realized what was going on anyway. But I am glad I started paying attention, because the most amazing baseball moment of the season happened with one out in the ninth inning. Pat Buerhle threw a strike to Tampa Bay's Dave Kaplar in a 2-2 count and Kaplar blasted it deep into a center field, it was a home run for sure. Bye-Bye perfect game and no hitter in one swing, then Dwayne Wise rose over the wall and snatched the home run back into the park. He even added some drama by bobbling it before securing it with his bare hand. Buerhle's said, wow, and he knew he had to get that last out or he would let down Wise. He did get the last out and the celebrations began.

The funniest part of it all is that while all this was going on, in my bar there was a Cubs fan, a Marlin Fan, and a Mets fan rooting Buerhle on. When the ball was headed toward the fence we were silent and when Wise brought it back we erupted. It was a great sports fan moment. I loved every minute of it. See pro sports, even baseball, can still be captivating even if for one afternoon. Live like no one is and witness something good, no matter how trivial!

Athlete Reality Shows?

Athlete's are barely tolerable on talk-shows and in press conferences. So when I heard a couple of them would be debuting their own reality shows this summer I was underwhelmed. But then when I heard the concepts of the different shows I decided I would have to take a wait and see approach.

I am not sure if any of you wasted the time to watch the T.O. Show on VH1 on Monday. But if you did I apologize for the waste of your life. The show was scripted horribly and showed us nothing new about T.O. He cried, he bitched and he took his shirt off. I have already seen T.O. do all of these things. T.O. also apparently doesn't have any friends and has to hang out with his publicists and some actress hired to play a real estate agent! If I was basing my stance on athlete reality shows on the pilot of this God awful mess, I would definitely be disinterested.

But there is another athlete reality show coming out this summer, and this one has extreme amounts of potential. Shaq, who is one of the most entertaining athletes on the planet, will be starring in a show on ABC. His show will pit him against other super star athletes in their respective sports. He will swim against Micheal Phelps, play tennis against the Williams sister, play football with Ben Rothlisberger, and many other stars. This will be fantastic!

T.O. doesn't have the personality to carry a show. He has already turned off the majority of America with his antics in the locker room and on the field. Shaq, on the other hand, is a funny guy with a personality almost as large as he is. It will also be fun to see what kind of athlete he really is. So I say athlete reality shows are ok as long as they are interesting people. Live like no one is watching, and save the drama!

Not what it seems!

Lance Armstrong moved into second place today in the Tour De France but lost ground on the Yellow Jersey. I am completely confused by cycling but this one is fairly simple to understand. Second place rider, and Armstrong teammate, Alberto Contador took the lead in the Tour by winning Sunday's stage and Armstrong came in ninth, one minute and thirty-five seconds behind Contador. There are very few upsides however to Lance's strong showing today and his borderline miraculous contention up to this point.

It is a widely known fact that the climbs have long been Lance Armstrong's strong point in the Tour De France. He has only been trailing after the first big climb once. But he finds himself trailing today. There is a lot for Lance to think about tomorrow during his day of rest. See Contador and Armstrong both share the climbing stages as their strengths, and if this was a test of whose will was stronger I would pick Armstrong 100 percent of the time. But this Tour will test far more than Lance's desire to win. Armstrong must decide now if he will really play the good teammate as originally planned and set Contador up for victory, or if he will cut all ties with his teammates and make a final run at glory. See Lance is at a disadvantage due to his age and his absence from the sport, but like I said earlier you cannot question his intestinal fortitude.

With the Tour playing into both Armstrong and Contador's hands, we will have to wait and see which one chooses to play the proverbial bad guy. I hope with all my might that Lance will go out and take the Yellow Jersey, but it will be just as admirable if he settles into his role as second fiddle and aids Contador in victory. Either way these two men should start to run away with the Tour at this point and the rest of us will have to watch with our breath held. Live like no one is watching and conquer your hills!

Congratulations Lou Holtz!

One of the most inspirational men in the history of college football was honored today. Lou Holtz was elected into the college football hall of fame. His numbers alone qualify him for this prolific award. As a coach Lou Holtz is 249-132-7 all time, which ranks him 8th all time in victories. He is also 12-8-2 in bowl games. But Lou Holtz will long be remembered for more than just his win loss record.

Lou Holtz has been guiding young men and changing lives for over 40 years. He has written five books, all of which deal with success off and on the field. I listened to him speak at a seminar and I was inspired ten times over. Lou Holtz dedicated his life to making young men better. He has reached countless numbers of young people through speeches and books.

I was overjoyed with the news today of Lou Holtz's induction. I think he is the greatest speaker I have ever heard and not too shabby of football coach either. He is truly deserving of this honor and I am sure the men he mentored are truly grateful. Live like no one is watching and "that's the way it is."

Too (Arm)Strong...

With 10 stages down in the Tour De France, Lance Armstrong remains within striking distance. He is in third place and just eight seconds of the lead. His teammate Alberto Contador is sitting in 6 seconds off the lead. There seems to be a small amount of tension between Contador and Armstrong although both deny it. See Armstrong seemed to believe that he could be the supportive teammate, but now with the Yellow Jersey in his sights he seems to have a different idea.

No one has ever doubted the competitive nature of Lance Armstrong. So there were a lot of skeptics when he came back for the eighth Tour De France under the facade that he was going to be the wing-man for team Astana's star Albert Contador. Immediately after Armstrong announced that he would race an eighth time the media started pondering, "Can he win it again?" I was highly skeptical myself. But it seems, at least so far that he has a pedaler's chance and i think he is running with it. He even has Contador so scared that he broke away from the team plan in a stage to try and go out and get the Yellow Jacket.

I am pulling for Lance. But I also want him to win it the right way, and I am not talking about drugs. I am talking about working within his team and if the team feels Armstrong has the best chance to win the Tour than let him go for it, but if it is Contador, then Lance should play the good teammate. Live like no one is watching and make the tough decision!

UFC 100....ok!

Once again UFC failed to impress me. I figured that with a lot of first time watchers UFC might put on a fantastic show. I was wrong. It was the same old UFC. But at the the end of the last fight, the Heavyweight Championship bout between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar, something very interesting happened. Brock Lesnar won the fight than lost his frigging mind. It was not only disgusting, but also the most interesting thing that happened all night. This poses the question, is Brock Lesnar good or bad for UFC?

First I want to discuss the event itself most of the fights were relatively lack-luster. During a fight between Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping, Henderson went down on the ground to land a devastating punch to a motionless Bisping's chin. Henderson had knocked Bisping out while they were standing up, then landed the final blow "to shut Bisping up." Any event where you can punch a guy in the face, after he has been knocked out, should not be labeled a sport. But the apparent disaster for UFC was yet to come. There was a great show of mixed martial arts in a fight between Thiago Alves and George St. Pierre. St. Pierre fought a very technical fight and rendered Alves' heavy hands useless. But after that we saw a lame rematch between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar. Mir is the only man to have beat Lesnar in the octagon. Lesnar dismantled Mir less than 2 minutes into the second round. What followed was a ridiculous display of roid rage by Lesnar. He first taunted his very classy opponent, he then went on to insult a major sponsor. He seemed to think he was playing the heel in some bizarre combat entertainment league. A ton of first time UFC viewers that I talked to have lost all interest because of the two events mentioned in this paragraph.

I did gain a lot of respect for Dana White, the President of UFC. He apparently got in the faces of both men and tried to straighten them out. White said on ESPN this morning that he "doesn't believe that all press is good press." He created the UFC to be a sport built on sportsmanship and mutual respect, so he says, and he doesn't need that kind of non-sense to sell tickets. Look I think this sport has reached it's plateau in popularity. This was the sport's chance to gain a new kind of fan and the talent might have ruined it. I think Brock Lesnar might be bad for the UFC. Live like no one is watching, and avoid being punched in the face!

Ochocinco....Atleast he is interesting!

I am not a huge fan of Chad OchoCinco. I think that he is creative and funny, and he stays out of trouble off the field, which we all know is my biggest pet peeve. There are some questions as to what kind of team mate he is but I think that we over evaluate all the things he does. I believe he loves attention, and I am ok with that. His latest transgression though, has been entirely overblown.

Chad has recently mentioned that this upcoming NFL season he will Tweet from the sidelines during the game. I don't see a big problem with this. I use my twitter at work and most everyone I know at least uses some kind of social media while they are at their jobs as well. Everyone sneaks a peak at their email or updates their Facebook status. Why is it a big deal if OchoCinco tweets his fans while he is on the sideline. Offensive players in the NFL rarely pay attention to the defense and visa versa. When they are on the sidelines they are looking at pictures of plays and talking with coaches. It takes just a few seconds to send a quick Tweet. As long as Chad is being entertaining and performing on the field what does it really matter? Sports fans and media are highly hypocritical of things we really don't understand. If you believe sending a quick tweet will take Chad's mind out of the game then you have obviously never played a sport. I mean who among us haven't shot a quick wave to our parents or girl during a sporting event. We all do it. I would appreciate a quick shout from OchoCinco, if I were a fan. Hell I started following him today because I can't wait for this stuff to happen. Maybe I can reply to tell him that he needs another touchdown to help my fantasy team win that week.

I understand sports purists and old fogeys who don't understand what Twitter is, getting all in an uproar. But times and the game are changing and OchoCinco is an entertainer. So let him entertain us as long as it doesn't take away from the game. I mean who can forget the "NFL please don't fine me again" sign. That was classic. Like I said I am not a huge fan of OchoCinco, but I am now a twitter follower. Live like no one is watching and remember, the more attention he gets the more Chad will act out! CHILD PLEASE!

What I'll remember most....

In light of the recent information we are learning about Steve Mcnair, people seem to believe he wasn't the man that we though he was. To me this is total bull-honkey. Steve Mcnair is still exactly who we thought he was, it just seemed there was more going in his life than he chose to share with us. I still admire McNair for his on the field accomplishments and his off the field endeavors. We forgive a lot of our superstars until they show a flaw we didn't expect, then that is all we can talk about. So here is what I will remember most about Steve "Air" McNair's life, no matter what the circumstances surrounding his death.

I was first introduced to Mcnair in 2004, his senior season at Alcorn State. This was after his heroic toughness in a game against Grambling the ear before. In his senior season McNair was up for the Heisman trophy. I was 12 years old and I wanted to be a college football star so bad, and McNair was doing it all, from a small 1-AA University. He finished third in the Heisman voting that year. Which is almost unheard of considering he wasn't "playing with the big boys". In his senior season he accumulated over 6,000 yards both rushing and passing. His career total offense record for division 1-AA still stands at 16,000 plus yards. He won the Walter Payton Award and finished third in the Heisman voting. I was so amazed. I tried to find everything I could to read on him, I was inspired by his grit and leadership skills. In 1995 the Houston Oilers grabbed Mcnair with the 3rd overall pick and the critics starting chirping. They were all wrong. He went on to have a solid 13 year career. His numerous gutsy performances are things of legend. He would miss full weeks of practice with countless injuries and still show up and perform for his team every Sunday. McNair was a 3 time pro-bowler and the Co-MVP in 2003. He even missed winning a Super Bowl by one yard. His football career was something that would make a great movie, and it seemed that his life off the field was just as inspiring.

Steve Mcnair was a well known figure in the community. I have not educated myself in all of his off field ventures, but his contributions to the community are noticeable in the out pouring of emotion by the member of that community. He was a mentor to Vince Young during Young's collegiate career. McNair was always smiling and seemed to be an all-American guy. He was married and a father of four boys, and he was one of my heroes.

I will not judge Steve McNair for what seems to be an obvious infidelity, I only know of the warrior that I saw compete every Sunday and the gracious smile I saw when he was interviewed. We may never know what happened to Steve McNair, but you have to know he was great! Live like no one is watching and never judge anyone!

Is 15 alot?

I will be the first to admit that I know almost nothing about tennis. Even the scoring confuses me. Why do they call it love, zero is such a cooler word. But I do know great sports (I think). Last year when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played that epic match I thought that was the best tennis I would ever see. But I was wrong. Today at Wimbledon, Andy Roddick and Roger Federer competed on a whole other level. The match was important for a few reasons so let's get into them.

Andy Roddick is a beast. He hits the ball fast, but the rest of his game has lacked the quality it takes to be an all around great player. He has worked to fix it, changing coaches what seems like a million times. His quest for legitimacy has taken a lot of turns. But his run during Wimbledon, was spectacular. That run was capped off on Sunday with an epic match with Federer. Roddick kept his composure and played like a champion. It was almost sad that somebody had to lose.

Roger Federer needed this match for a whole different reason. He is above legitimate in the world of tennis. His rivalry with Nadal have become the thing of sports legend. After being written off last summer as past his prime, Federer has stormed back this summer with a whole new head of steam. He finally won his first French Open, even though he didn't beat Nadal to do it. That win tied him with Pete Sampras for 14 Grand Slams titles, the most of all time. As Wimbledon approached Nadal withdrew due to injury. Federer was poised to win his record 15th Grand Slam title. He breezed through everyone in his way. Then in a 5th set on Sunday that went from tennis skill to battle of wills Federer cleared that hurdle. According to the numbers, he can easily be viewed as the greatest of all time, and he definitely deserves it.

If you didn't see the match today, you missed some great competitiveness. I was locked in during the 5th set and was memorized by both athletes and their toughness. The thing that I really hopes comes from this is that Roddick plays at this level again and again. Congrats to Roger Federer. Live like no one is watching and compete at all times.

On a much sadder note, I have to mention the passing of Steve "Air" Mcnair. When I got serious about football as a kid I tried to pattern the toughness with which I plaed the game after this man. McNair combined unequivocal talent with a leadership quality that was also unmatched. He was always a stand up guy in the NFL, and i respected him and his game. The specifics of his death are being slowly let out. But despite what it is that caused his death, I want every one to know that this tough, gutsy quarterback inspired a nonathletic skinny kid to play the game with everything he had! Rest in peace Steve McNair.

Eight is Great!

Today, July 4th, Lance Armstrong will begin his bid for his eighth Tour De France championship. He has now been out of the elite professional cycling world for 4 years. This is a major lay off for any professional sport, but for Lance it just seems trivial. I am super excited because I am a huge fan of the Lance Armstrong story. I hope he at least has a good showing. But there are a lot of things standing in his way.

The first challenge to over come for Mr. Cyclist is the lay off. It is almost impossible for a professional athlete at the most elite level to come back after four years off. He has not had to face the competition at this level. His drive and determination are unquestionable, but his age and the time off could prove to be a problem. The wear and tear that this race puts on your body combined with the layoff could prove to be a big hurdle for the "unbeatable one." Lance's strong points in the race have been the hill stages. The hill stages require more fortitude, both mentally and physically, than other of the race's stages combined. This has never proved to be a problem for Lance because, more than anything, his mental toughness was far above any other in the race. But he will have to challenge more than hills to win this race.

Because of his success, and the reputation of cycling, Lance Armstrong has been accused of being a doper. That's right people claim he cheats. Cycling is among the worlds worst in PED problems. Many of cycling's biggest stars are under the dark cloud of those who cheat, even Lance. The French Sport's Minister says that Lance will be "particularly monitored" during the Tour de France. See the problem exists, not only with the sport but, with the fact that an American has dominated the French flagship event. The French will find any opportunity they can to take Lance down.

I hope that Lance has been completely honest about being clean. His story is one of the best in American sports ever. I will be heavily rooting for him to succeed. But the obstacles may seem to great. For all of the conspiracy theorists out there, even if Lance doesn't win this year that doesn't mean he was dirty. The lay off and the age could have a devastating effect on his performance. Good Luck Lance! Live like no one is watching and LiveStrong!

Suspicious Minds!

It makes me angry that I even have to address this question. But since some of my readers are asking than I will go ahead and weigh in on the issue. So here is the question that is being thrown at me over the last week or so: Do you think Albert Pujols is clean?

The reason that this question is being posed, is that Albert Pujols has hit 30 home runs as of July 1st. Barring injury or catastrophe, that puts Pujols on pace for 62 home runs. If he hits 62 home runs he will break Roger Maris's record of 61, which baseball purists still see as the real home run record. But we all know it is not the home run record because Mark Mcgwire hit 70 in a year and Barry Bonds hit 73 in a different season, and here is the kicker neither of them EVER tested positive for steroids. Did they take steroids? I don't know but I think so.

Now back to Albert Pujols. He is playing in an era where they test for steroids, and he has passed every test. I think that if he hits 62 this year a big deal should be made about it because that is a major accomplishment, but I am not willing to stick my neck out and say that any player is clean in this era of baseball. I mean just a few short years ago we were all hoping that A-Rod broke the all time home run record so that it would be "clean" again. I like Albert Pujols, even though he is a St Louis Cardinal but whether he is clean or not is not for me to say. All I can do is believe the tests, and he apparently hasn't failed any.

I wish continued success for Pujols and the Ken Griffey Jr., who is another player I want to believe is clean. I also hope, for baseball's sake, that neither of them have ever or will ever test positive for steroids. I and I also hate that I have to talk about this. Live like no one is watching and be positive, just don't test positive!