play on words

We all knew it was coming sooner or later, but word just came in that Peyton Manning was named the NFL Most Valuable Player for the 2008 season.

It is his third time winning the award and no player in history has ever won it more. Of course, the humble and gracious Manning we know and love is quick to deflect the media attention, calling this a team award and looking ahead to tomorrow night's playoff opening game in San Diego.

Who would have ever thought this little kid would grow up to be one of the best to ever play the game... Now here's to rooting for a Manning Brothers Super Bowl in Tampa later this month!

Since our postal carriers are overworked this time of year, we figured we'd send our holiday card by email (and save on postage!). At first I recommended a poem... but that was quickly shot down. Then we did everything we could to get the ENTIRE Weplay team together for the photoshoot, including our athletes, but the winter storm that slammed much of the country late last week wreaked major havoc on airports and resulted in delays, cancellations and an incomplete group picture. Instead, we decided to just keep it simple... take a look below. And no matter what you celebrate this season, we hope you and your families have a great holiday and look forward to big things in 2009.

And just in case you were really pining for a weplay holiday poem, I couldn't disappoint you this season, could I?

'Twas the night before deployment, and all through the office,
The Weplay staff was working; fueled by hot coffees;
The code was written by Lee and Ross with care,
In hopes that new youth teams soon would be there;
Anthony and Trevor designing buttons in red
hoping they "pop" behind LeBron's talking head;
Jeremy pounding away on a well-used laptop,
As new snow was falling against a spring sports backdrop.
When just down the hall arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my cubicle to see what was the matter.
A whole new project began to take shape,
as Josh cried out, "All finished, email scrape!"
Luke and Ilio dished-out high-fives;
"Another way we've improved coaches lives!"
Celebrations abound, much congratulations,
but more to be done, all! "Back to your stations!"
Then, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a full slate of work in the next calendar year!
With lots to build, we must be agile and quick,
A marketing plan, Gregg will be rolling out thick.
Cori on crutches has partners coming aboard,
and T.J.'s rollout plan will impress our dear board...
"Now, Incentives! Now, Safety Center! Now, SMS notifications!
On Inbox! On Games! On, Email verifications!"
Like little old elves, our work does not stop,
Constantly working until we reach the top;
One thing's for sure, we're here to stay;
So tell all your friends about a site called weplay.
And thanks for joining our growing website...
Happy holidays to all, and to all a good-night.

It's the ultimate dilemma these days... what holiday gifts to get for your kids this year. If you're anything like me, you've still got a lot of work to do this weekend. And we all know how hard it is because everyone has an opinion... family, friends, people on TV, those annoying holiday gift guide recommendation articles you read on the web (this one excluded, of course) and, of course, the kids themselves.

But often what they want to get and what you want to give them do not necessarily align.

Toys? Too dangerous. All that lead paint from overseas is not what the doctor ordered...

A nice sweater? Yuck. That's just inviting your kid to get beat up.

Video games? Why not just remove their brains while you're at it.

Books? Ehh, maybe. But once they read them, then what do you do with them?

Socks? Booooo-ring!!!! You're not fighting through crowds at the department store just for that, are you?

It's really a no-win. Unless, that is, you are a parent of young athletes who love to play sports. For you, it's actually not that hard at all, right? When I was growing up, I got new sports gear or equipment every year - a new bat, new basketball sneakers, a new football. It was the best! Of course, depending on where you live, the only hard part about getting new sports equipment this time of year is having to wait to play with it. Or not. I distinctly remember braving sub-freezing weather to try out my new Dominique Wilkins basketball out on my driveway hoop.

But it really does make good sense... With our kids getting bigger every second, outgrowing last year's stuff and hearing them complain about how their friends having the newest or latest piece of gear, you're most likely going to be buying new equipment for the spring sports season anyway. A new lacrosse stick, a new mitt and definitely a new pair of cleats in the next size up. And with the economy the way it is, why not kill two birds with one stone this holiday season... get them what you know they'll be asking for in a few weeks, do it just a bit earlier than they expected.

Plus, by surprising them now with the newest sports equipment before their friends get it in spring, they'll be the coolest kids around. Even though you know they already are...

Unlike high school and college football, whose national champions are determined by a series of polls and computer rankings, the nation's youngest football players actually settle any and all debates ON the field. In fact, champions are being crowned each and every day at the 2008 Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer and Dance Championships, a week-long extravaganza at Disney's Wide World of Sports that wraps up tomorrow.

Meaning that hundreds of athletes between the ages of 8 and 13 were hoping some of that Disney magic would bring them some good luck as they went for their respective titles... not to mention the rather sizeable contingent of weplay staff in Orlando all week. Candice and Lauren have been manning a weplay booth on-site and meeting so many weplay members in person! Even some teams not competing were represented and stopped by to introduce themselves.

Other great highlights from the week:

- The Brick Dragons Jr PeeWee cheer squad became the first team on weplay to win a Pop Warner national title. Watch!

- One of our weplay cheer teams, the Avalon Wolves was named Most Inspirational/Most Spirited at Monday night's award ceremony. They placed 7th overall in the Intermediate Division Jr Pee Wee Large squad category.

- And a big congratulations to the Detroit Hurricanes, National Champions out of the Mid-America Region. Travis Nicholson posted a bunch of pics in a gallery within the Pop Warner group.

- Each year, Disney closes down one of its theme parks to the public and invites all the Pop Warner participants and their families to go wild. This year's Pop Warner Party was a night of funat Hollywood Studios.

- The Edgewood Eagles go for it all today. Good luck, guys!

Check out lots more photos and videos from the past week right here!

Were you there? Tell us your stories and upload your pictures and videos!

And check out lots more of Peyton's family holiday movies on his profile...