Feel the Sorrow of Panther Nation!

What in the world is HE talking about now?? I know that’s the question going through your minds right now…

Panther Nation, is none other than, Lufkin, Texas.

The town, the community, lost a leader of not only football players on the gridiron, but also a teacher, and a friend to many!

Last Friday morning, two days before Christmas, John Outlaw was out for his morning jog, and came home, and collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital after paramedics tried to revive him in his house, and in-route to the ER, only to lose the battle.

John Outlaw was dead at the age of 58.

Now--- WHO was John Outlaw?

I could give you his resume’ like everyone else has done in the media, but I have another side to John Outlaw that I would like to tell you about.

John Outlaw, the person, the one outside of the football field, and his Athletic Director position, was someone who cared about his kids.  His players, the parents of his players, and those who would just go to the games at Abe Martin Stadium, because they have lived, breathed, ate, slept, Lufkin High School Football.

This was a person who once he took the Coaching hat off, would sit and talk about all sorts of topics, that were important to not just him, but of his Community!  He would discuss the direction of education, but he would also talk about the direction of Lufkin, and the direction of what the state of our society was in.

He would use a catch phrase, when he was about to make his point, and drive it home on you…”There’s NO Question……” and then he would give you the reason why there was NO question about his answer!

Now he would do this also when he was giving “Coach Speak” on his team or the opponent he was bout to do battle against on a Friday Night in Texas!

John Outlaw died, as he lived, with energy, and with a drive, a purpose!

I am sure that there will be a few hundred (if not thousands) that will attend his funeral on the 27^th of December in Lufkin,  at the only place, outside of the stadium, that can hold such a service, at the Middle School!

I had the pleasure of dealing with him for two and half years, while I worked for a radio station in Lufkin, from 1999 to 2001, and the fact was that he was the most genuine person I met, he informed me of how this community is united, and comes together for each other, and even for the new people who have arrived in the town.  Just like myself, he wanted to make sure that I was welcomed, and gave me some advice, and introduced me to people who would be instrumental in helping me settle in.

John Outlaw will leave a void, the school, the community and of course his family!

As the saying goes, the good die too young! And in this case, it’s the truth!

Just a thought!

A Perfect Season Ends-- Let's Leave it at That!

I have been reading, and hearing, with some dismay, about how Skyline High School was "robbed" in the State Semi-finals last Saturday night.

Let me preface by saying, I am a Skyline Alum, and I was at the game, I saw the entire game, every play, every down, and Skyline out-played Southlake Carroll, up and down the field.  Some questionable calls from the coaches have me scratching my head, like going for it on 4th an 1 from near midfield and not making it, but the Defense held and Southlake didn't score.

OH! WAIT! Thats the entire point!

Skyline's complaint, from parents, and boosters, to alumnus and anyone else involved, have said, that Carroll's onside kick with 1:07 left in the game, didn't go 10 yards, and that they stole the game. NO they DIDN'T! They beat Skyline, because their defense didn't stop the  Dragons from scoring on a 38 yard run to give them the 28-24 victory.

You see folks, it all comes down to this--- so the call didn't go your way--- so you didn't get the ball and run out the clock-- you had that opportunity earlier in the game when you were up by 10.

The Dragons were able to score-- get the ball back, and gave themselves the chance to win and they did!

Whining about it, and making calls to the UIL will only make you look like whiners. That is NOT what we (Skyline) are about- our motto of the school-- PRIDE and UNITY!Well live it-- PRIDE in what they did for a season and being United as a community of the school and pass students of this institution!

These kids did an outstanding job-- they kept their grades up so they could stay eligible, they played their butts off during the season to run the table-- they were 14-0 going into the game against Carroll and they came up short.

In LIFE, we have winners and we have losers-- not every one gets a medal pass a certain age... the Steelers didn't get miniature trophies for losing Super Bowl XVL, they walked off the field and got dressed and left the stadium.... the Rangers didn't get anything for losing game 7 of the World Series. they just packed their bags, got on an airplane and flew back to Texas.

So Skyline loses-- and for that they will learn a valuable lesson, they had the game in their hands-- they didn't finish the job, they came up short on their accomplishment, of stopping Carroll for scoring on their last possession.... that truly is the bottom line!

Just a thought!

How a House of Cards Come Tumbling Down

State College, Pennsylvania, also known as Happy Valley, the home for Penn State, the university that has been rocked this month by a scandal that has shook the very foundation of what we think of high education, and trust with those, we place, in people to take care of children and harness their talent, and teach them.

What has happened with Jerry Sandusky, and the entire University, can only be said to be, tragic, horrific, devastating, and just plain SICK!

Here is a middle aged man, who was discovered in the University’s football locker room shower, with a 10 year old boy, sexually assaulting him, and someone sees it, and tells the head coach, a LEGEND in the NCAA, the 409 plus wins, right now mean absolutely NOTHING! NOT A DAMN THING! Joe Paterno has nothing left as far as a LEGEND is concerned, no more than what Woody Hayes left Ohio State with, after he cold cocked a Clemson player for intercepting a pass on his Buckeyes in the Gator Bowl back in the 70’s… Paterno will have to live with what He DIDN’T do, or not enough to do, to protect that small child, who along with more than 8 children over a period of time, that no one really knows how long this man has had his clutches in.

The University of Miami, Ohio State, and even go as far back as SMU, those penalties and infractions have very little meaning in the grand scheme of things when you see what took place on the campus of Penn State!

Pay players to play at your school is wrong, I agree—they get scholarships and that should be enough, then you have the players that traded their jerseys and championship rings for tattoos, alright that could be considered to be a no-no, and even the SMU players being bought cars and given cash through boosters, that’s wrong too—HOWEVER how do you explain this? YOU CAN’T! THIS IS SICK!

Our children, your son or daughter, we entrust with adults to teach them and give them the guidance, with in the confines of sport or academics…. How many stories have you read over the last 10 or 15 years, where a teacher has been arrested for improper relationships with their students, or worse—someone has become pregnant because of that relationship!

We hear it, we see it, and as a society, aren’t we just sick and tired of it? Don’t you think its about time WE do something about it? Put an END TO IT!

The laws are getting tougher, and we are now aware if there is a sexual predator in our neighborhoods, we can mark them, and see them, but we still have to do more! PROTECT OUR YOUTH! They don’t have a voice, and we have to speak for them!

Penn State will have to face this music on their own, the law suits that will come flying at them, and the house cleaning that they have already done, with firing the Athletic Director, the Vice President of the School, and Head Coach Joe Paterno, an icon, and the face of Penn State for over 40 years!

There was once a time, in the NFL, that announcers would tell the viewers, when the cameras would pan the Dallas Cowboys Sidelines all through the 70’s and into the 80’s that Tom Landry was the only coach that the Cowboys had ever had… well Joe Paterno’s stay at Penn State is almost like that, he wasn’t the ONLY coach that the school has ever had—but he sure had been there the LONGEST!

Penn State will over come this dark cloud in time, how long? Well that’s for society to answer, but it won’t happen over night, and it might take as long as it has for SMU to get away from that stigma of their wrong doings in the 80’s.

For Sandusky…. Every one says the same thing—they hope that he finds himself in a prison that will take care of Jailhouse Justice, that might be harsh, but we all know how pedophiles are taken care of in prison… swiftly and without hesitation!

Just a thought!

The Allen Americans Open Training Camp

October 10^th, 2011, the Allen Americans open up training camp at the Allen Event Center.

The Americans enter their third year in the Central Hockey League, and in the previous two seasons, the Americans have captured their Division Title, made it to the League Finals in just their FIRST YEAR, and last year won the Governor’s Cup, which is for the best record in the league. However, they exited the playoffs early, and had to watch eventual champion Bossier City/Shreveport lift the championship trophy… now the irony of it all.

The league has seen teams come and go, and Bossier City is one of them, so their one and only championship in the Central Hockey League is the last one for them, some of those players along with other teams that had to close operations have scattered into the league and Allen was fortunate enough to pick up a few players from other teams, to improve their skills and speed.

Some familiar faces have returned to this team from last year, such as Colton Yellow-Horn, Bruce Graham, and Mike Berube just to name a few, some others have left, like Chris Whitely who manned the goal for the Americans last year, he is now in Europe tending goal for a team in Scotland.

Minor League Hockey has its good points and its bad, the down side, obvious is that fans get attached to some of the players, and they move to the next level or to another team that can use their services, much like Minor League Baseball does with trades and players to be named later.

However in Allen, where this team has actually built a pretty good fan base with putting in an average of 3500 per game during the season then selling out over 6000 seats for the playoffs, this team has solidified itself as part of the community.

They are one of the few teams in the league that has a broadcast team that not only does their home games but also their away games, and all of them can be heard through the internet with the help of a local radio station, KLAK in McKinney, Texas just up the road from Allen.

Tommy Daniels will be in his third year behind the microphone for the Americans, a true hockey fan first, but more so, his knowledge of the game, and his ability to paint the picture in your mind about what is going on the ice without losing the listener. His broadcast partner from last year will return as well Jarred Yost, a young man who played college hockey at Oklahoma University, as well as works with youth hockey teams in the Metroplex, as their coach, has a great knowledge of the game and brings that to the analyst seat in the broadcast booth.

Family atmosphere helps a great deal with being a part of the community, and the Allen Event Center has great sight lines, not a bad seat in the house, and more so, FREE PARKING and lots of restaurants and entertainment area to give the fans a place to go before or after the games every night.

Good rivalries help as well, with the Texas Brahmas across town in Fort Worth, helps the league, when you have two teams close in proximity, and able to give good games in both their home arenas… however if you put the Allen Event Center up against other arenas, this one will win every time, its built for comfort, for every event!

The Americans will have a new affiliation as well, the first two seasons they had the Dallas Stars as their National Hockey League affiliate, this year they will change and be associated with the Colorado Avalanche, so these young men will work hard to be a part of the NHL some day, but for now, they will learn from one of the very best in Coach and General Manager Dwight Mullins, and continue to strive to be the best they can be at this level, and maybe move up to the next level of the American Hockey League.

Come out to the Even Center, tickets are priced for families to enjoy the evening, and the players are available to talk to, and get to know, and that makes it even more special for the kids!

Just a thought!

THE RED RIVER RIVALRY!

Its that time of year once again, the second Saturday in October, the State Fair of Texas, the sounds, the smells, the feel of fall in the air... yes boys and girls-- its TEXAS- OU weekend!

For those of you that are new to the area, allow me to give you a little insight to this little annual shindig... Its the Sooners for Oklahoma University going up against the University of Texas Longhorns in a battle that dates back to the early 1900's... it has been played inside the famed Cotton Bowl since 1932-- prior to this, the two schools played home and home games.

What makes this game so unique and considered to be one of the top five rival games in the country?

Pure-- unadulterated HATE! Yep.. I used the word HATE! Sooner Nation despises anything that wears BURNT ORANGE-- and Longhorn fans can do without anything in Crimson!

Back in the day (we are talking a mere 30 years ago) the tradition of the Friday night revelry was to walk up and down Commerce Street in Downtown Dallas, flash the upside down 'Horns if you were a Sooner Fan or the Hook 'EM Horns sign if you were a Texas fan-- then the fights were on-- usually ending up with someone going to jail and losing their tickets to the game because they couldn't make bail in time to make the kick off!

Many stories about how the bonfire at the end of Commerce street would start and then end up with the Fire Department coming in and putting out the flames before they reached buildings- (though this is more myth then fact)... though in those days-- at the hour of midnight-- water trucks would be seen coming down the streets to spray the party goers to indicate that the Party Was OVER! and to disperse from the area!

Now there are planned pep rallies around the Downtown area, as well as other locations in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.. its a little more sedate and calm, but the fun times of those early days-- thats what defined Texas-OU!

The game itself, prior to 1996 the game was a non conference game-- since Texas was in the Southwest Conference and Oklahoma was part of the Big 8... after 96, this became a conference game when the two conferences merged to create the BIG XII... This game still has the same intensity as it did during the early years.

Players who have played in this game, will tell you that the feeling that they get standing in the tunnel of the Cotton Bowl, before they run out onto the field, there are no words to describe it. The hair on your arms and the back of your neck rise up-- the sounds of 90 thousand fans screaming and the sounds of your fight songs being played by the bands-- the chants of BOOMER-- SOONER-- or TEXAS!!! FIGHT!!! is heard throughout the stadium-- the 50 yard line acts as the Red River itself, as half the stadium to the north is bathed in Burnt Orange and the other half is colored in Crimson! NO other rivalry is this unique, maybe Army- Navy which plays on a neutral site, but this game-- was the granddaddy of them all to be held 3 hours from either campus.

Bragging rights, the chance to know that you beat your neighbor, and possibly have them go on to win a National Title, its been proven on the floor of the old lady known as the Cotton Bowl... Texas snapped a five game losing streak in 2005 to the Sooners-- handing them a 45 -12 defeat-but then went on to run the table and go undefeated and winning the National Championship with a win over USC... however there are other National Championships that were won by Oklahoma under Bud Wilkerson, and Barry Switzer as well as Bob Stoops, it was Darryl Royal that won Three National Championships in the 60's and 70's... and Mack Brown who won the crystal football in 05... the game sets the tone-- it creates the urgency-- and when the dust settles three hours after kick off.. the party starts for one school and ends for the other!

Just to give you some perspective about this game-- and the impact it has on the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, 30 million dollars is spent in hotel, rental cars, restaurant, bar, and club money! YOU saw it right--30 MILLION DOLLARS per year!

Now for anyone that is not savvy with economics-- that's a WHOLE LOT OF MONEY! and if this game were to EVER leave the Cotton Bowl... well you can imagine that we would take a major hit for the second Saturday in the month of October!

Spoke with a local taxi driver in Dallas.. and they informed me that they make their entire year on that one weekend! Imagine just one independent, cab driver-- will make his YEAR on three days! I would say thats a pretty damn good reason to fight and keep the game right here in Downtown Dallas!

So whether you're a HOOK 'EM HORNS or a BOOMER--SOONER... the Red River Rivalry beats them all!

ENJOY!

Just a thought (oh by the way-- HOOK 'EM HORNS!)

AND THEN THERE WERE NINE!

Well let's see, when we last left our hero, he was hanging on for dear life, by a thread if you will, and then_____________

Kinda feels like that, or worse a badly written Soap Opera, thats what the BIG XII should be called-- another "Peyton Place"... (for those of you too young to remember that particular Soap Opera, ask someone over 50!)

Alright, so here's the deal.... Texas A&M has now officially left the BIG XII Conference to take their toys and move to the Southeastern Conference  (aka SEC), and it has been said, so they will no longer be made fun of, joked about, or disrespected! REALLY?????

So much for over 100 years of tradition, 100 years of being a part of a rivalry that is pretty much the fabric of College Football, no, they took their toys and left, because the University of Texas has their own network, and didn't share with the rest!

Lets back up a moment, shall we? 

Oklahoma University (OU), Oklahoma State University (OSU), Texas Tech (TT) and Texas (UT), were all ready to bolt the BIG XII to head to the PAC 12... but wait-- the PAC 12 said.... NO WE DON"T WANT YOUR LITTLE SORRY ASSES HERE IN OUR CONFERENCE.. well maybe thats not a DIRECT quote, but you get the jest of the subject! So they decided to hang-- but there's a caveat, brought upon by OU, they wanted current BIG 12 commissioner Dan Bebe to resign! Which HE DID! IN DOING SO, the conference is now back together, because OU said they would stick, and with that, OSU HAS to stay, because by Oklahoma legislature they have to be together (joined at the preverbal hip as it was. Now Texas never really wanted to leave, and Texas Tech is sort of the younger brother and will do whatever Older brother says! in this case Texas.

NOW! With Nebraska, and Colorado leaving, and Texas A&M sprinting off next year, they will leave the BIG IX, unless they find someone to fill the other three spots!

Here are some schools being considered-- BYU (Brigham Young) TCU (Texas Christian) SMU (Southern Methodist), and Houston (UH).  Now I am not sure about TCU since they reneged on their situation with the Big East, since both Syracuse and Pittsburgh have decided to go to the ACC.... TCU has decided to return to the Mountain West Conference, though if they were to come to the BIG IX they would have a great rivalry with Baylor, and IF SMU comes in, with their cross I-30 rival! But what about Texas.. they still have Oklahoma, but they two schools had a rivalry long before they were in the same Conference- -in FACT-- Oklahoma once upon a time ago was in the SouthWest Conference-- they left and went to the BIG 8, and yet the rivalry survived on the 2nd Saturday of October during the State Fair Of Texas... now will Texas A&M Continue their rivalry with Texas during the Thanksgiving Holiday? Interesting thought don't you think?

So here we sit, once again trying to figure out-- Good bye to Texas University, So long to the Orange and the White... Good luck to dear old Texas Aggies... They are the boys who show the real old fight

Really? SERIOUSLY? YOU BUYING THAT?

Not any more-- those are the words to their own fight song-- they make direct reference to the school that they hate so much-- and yet they ran from, when they, (UT) was able to solidify a Television deal with ESPN to make their own network-- REALLY? AGGIES? THE BOYS WHO SHOW THE REAL OLD FIGHT? C'mon now!

Alright-- so here's what might happen-- the BIG IX will once again get two or three teams to join to take the place of the ones that have departed-- Texas and A&M might continue their rivalry somewhere down the road but now right away!

118 years-- that's how long this rivalry has been going on-- that's almost FIVE GENERATIONS that have grown up knowing about this hatred for each other-- that's 118 years of telling each other to "GO TO HELL".. that's A&M Sawing off Varsity's Horns... and Texas saying Texas Fight, Texas Fight and its GOOD BYE to A&M in their fight song! So now who are they going to call out?

Texas and A&M will continue their rival game-- it just won't have the same impact-- sorta like when Texas used to play OU in the old days before the BIG XII... when The Southwest Conference and the BIG 8 were still in business-- they kept the second Saturday of October date at the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair-- then after 1996-- it became a real game-- a fight if you will for a Conference win or loss-- Now with A&M it will just be a none conference game that will count in the overall wins and losses for the season! Here's to old traditions-- in hopes that something's never die!

Just a thought!

SEPTEMBER 11, 2011 TEN YEARS LATER

THIS IS A DAY THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY!

Words that sound familiuar to those of you that are old enough to know your history.... President Franklin D. Roosevelt said those same words on December 8th, 1941, to declare war on the Empire of Japan.

However, on a clear, crisp September morning, Tuesday to be exact, two airplanes, commercial airplanes for that matter, were hijacked, and flown directly into two buildings, in New York, then a thrid smasked into the side of the Pentegon and yet another flight was headed for either the White House or the Capitol, until i twas taken back by passengers who knew they were doomed!

Where were you when you heard the word, or saw the images? What were you doing? What did you feel?
We ask our parents or grand parents how they felt when they first heard that the Japanese had attacked those Naval Ships that were moored in the Harbor, and we saw images of the plumes of smoke bellowing from the hulls of the great battle ships, the USS Arizona listing, then sinking, the USS Oklahoma capsizing and loosing all that life that were on board or shot and killed by straffing aircraft.

This was different-- this was not war, this was innocent lives that were taken, they had not taken an oathe to protect or defend our nation against all enemies, foreign or domestic, they were just people going about their lives, going to work in Lower Manhattan, in two office towers that stretched into the sky! They were secretaries, lawyers, accountants, diamond brokers, just every day people doing what they do, day in and day out. They were passengers on aircraft, going to business meetings, or seeing family, or whatever took them to the destination they were choosing to go. They were pilots, and flight attendants who were in charge of taking care of those passengers. They were Policemen, and Firemen who were asked to protect and to serve the public in New York, they lost their lives as well when the two towers were dropped after those two aircrafts smashed into them.

The military was attacked as well at the Pentegon, when the third airplane smashed the side of the outer ring, our leaders were being protected, we had no idea what else was about to happen.

I was living in Lufkin, Texas, and for 18 and half hours, we were on the radio trying to bring calm, just to another portion of the country, to assure them that we were going to be safe, at least for that portion of the state.

We had politcal leaders on the air with us, to talk to the community, and to try and make some sense of all of this, even though no one knew any information, we had no idea who was actually behind the attacks, we had no idea if there were going to be more, or if this wave of terror was it for the day. The sounds outside our radio station in Lufkin, Texas was absolutely quiet. No sounds at all. No cars on the roads, no airplanes flying overhead, and the talk was in hush tones.
Remembering that during the first moments, when word came to us that a plane had struck the first World Trade Center building, we all thought the same thing, "Oh the tragedy!" That someone had mis-calculated, and flew his plane into the building, then we saw how much damage was casued by the plane, and it wasn't long after that, while watching live television, we see a second plane smash into the other tower, and the person who i was on the air with, and eveyrone in our office said the same word at the same time-- TERROIST!

From that moment forward, our lives changed, some for the better, others, not too sure how that worked out, but none the less, we found out quickly, that once again, a sleeping Giant had been awaken, and those who were responsible for this were hunted, and back on May 1st, the proclaimed leader of the attackes Osama Bin Lauden, was killed by an elite team of Navy Seals, only to have lost their lives not too many weeks ago themselves when they were shot down out of the sky by another faction of terrorist.

Remembering what we were doing, what we said, what we were feeling... for me it will be the Friday of that week, when America decided that we were not going to allow this event stop our lives completely... the 14th of September was a night that was somber, it was special, it was nieghbor, friend, stranger, teacher, parent, student, athlete, stepped into a stadium, the lights were turned on, and the first strains of the National Anthem was playing... EVERYONE stood, and placed their hand over their heart, their mouths didn't sing the words, they almost shouted them-- for once those words were not just something said out of habit-- they actually had meaning... Tears streamed down faces, and arms wrapped around people to assure them that WE, as a community and as a nation were going to be ok!

Everyday since that horrible moment, we have changed our life, we have had our difficulties, we have had our differences, but the same constent theme continues.... you don't mess with America! THIS IS ONE NATION, that is going to fight back, and not be taken lightly!

To those who wear uniforms of our armed forces we salute you and applaud you for a job that at times is thankless.. and to those a little closer to home... there is a reason why you are known as the Finest and the Bravest, because you do a thankless job-- and you do it selfleshly, rushing into harms way at times, protecting and serving us so no harm comes to us!
We will ask for G-d to bless those who need comfort on this day of rememberance, and to our country to keep her strong, and to keep our protectors as strong!

Just a thought!

What a Tangled Web We Weave!

It starts with a single drop of a pebble into the water and we watch the ripple affect.

That’s what is happening with the Big XII… or TEN or whatever you wish to call the conference these days.

The Texas A&M Aggies have informed the conference of its intentions of leaving the conference in June of 2012, and in doing so, possibly going to the Southeast Conference (SEC), and no sooner is that announced, the Pac 12 has said, they are entertaining the offer of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech to join their conference to make it the Pac 16.

NOW, that leaves teams such as Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Missouri, and Baylor to fend for themselves.

Speculation is that the Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State might go Big East or ACC. Missouri to the Big 10/12 (whatever) and that leaves Baylor- dog paddling to find a home.

This also leaves SMU, and Houston, that thought about joining the Big XII remaining in Conference USA, or maybe another conference. So what would happen if—the Big XII were to maintain Baylor as the corner stone, and bring (now hold your breath) SMU, Houston, Rice, UTEP, maybe Tulsa, Tulane, and Arkansas State into a conference of 8 teams, and call it (wait for it) The Big 8 or Southwest Conference—OH perish the thought!!

REALLY! Those who are much brighter than me, have stated that would give those schools a fighting chance to have some sort of opportunity for recruiting, and keep those schools in major markets (i.e. Dallas/Ft. Worth being the biggest, followed by Houston) How much would that help? I have no idea, other than I can’t see this working, but Bob Stoops and Mac Brown have both stated that this is about money, and making Super Conferences, and when you consider that if that happens, College Football will have to truly consider the possibility of a playoff system to crown a National Championship.

In my own opinion, I think that the temptation that the Pac 12 is offering needs to be held off, that the 10 year plan that the Big XII had put in place needs to be maintained, and bring in two more teams (and make your choices as they are), but in the end, the SUPER CONFERENCES will make the sport more convoluted, and watered down. I think that the power house teams will find out that they are going to be the top schools year in and year out, and that the also ran in the conferences will be left out in the cold.

Schools such as Vanderbilt, or Cal, that haven’t sniffed a National Championship will never make it to that tier. That they will always be looking up, and what does that get you in your conference, other than when you find them on your schedule, you mark it as a WIN. It happens year in and year out!

Look at schools such as Northwestern in the Big 10, they have gone to the Rose Bowl once in the last dozen years, or Indiana, when was the last time they played in a major bowl, what about Arkansas—how’s that really working out for you Razorbacks, when was the last time they were close to the National Championship—1969? Really? Baylor? The same—Texas A&M 1930 something? And you have a better opportunity to run the table and be in a major BCS Bowl this year than any other year—Texas is not the same team as they were two years ago, Texas Tech is getting there—Oklahoma will most likely be playing for the a Championship, maybe LSU out of SEC, and who in the Pac 12 will lead them to the promise land—USC is on probation, and in the Big 10? Take your pick…

Super Conferences might be the way of the future according to Stoops and Brown, but the facts are, it will be the same schools just different conferences, and the lesser schools will still be fighting for their lives.

The ripple affect is spreading and, it doesn’t have a ending, or if it does, it might not be a good one.

“Oh what tangled web we weave when we first practice to deceive”—Walter Scott

Just a thought….

Got the Dress—forgot the Pumps!

That’s probably how Texas A&M feels about their sending the word out that they were ready to jump from the Big XII to the Southeastern Conference!

A&M pretty much feels like they could do better by going to the SEC for their sports, maybe in some capacity, but the engine that drives that car is FOOTBALL, and to be absolutely honest with you, I don’t think that the Aggies are that good to put up with the likes of Florida, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Georgia—shall I continue… I mean over the last few years, the SEC have that crystal ball in their trophy cases, and the Big XII has a couple, with Texas being the last one to win it in 2005!

Texas A&M will tell you that its has nothing to do with the Longhorns having their own network, and that this is business.  WELL SHUT MY MOUTH and CALL ME SASSY! Ya THINK?

HEY AGGIES—ITS ALL ABOUT BUSINESS! And in the best interest of business and tradition, why would you or anyone else for that matter throw away the years of competition that the Aggies and the Longhorns have had over the last hundred years, and toss what its suppose to be about tradition and family!

Have you forgotten that in 1999 when your bonfire fell, and 12 Aggies lost their lives, what school came to your aid and threw out the hatred to wrap their collective arms around you, and felt your loss and your pain—it was the ORANGE BLOODS! YES the Texas Longhorns! Forget that this ritual of hating each other over a land deal, and remember that the competition on the field of play, be it football or basketball, or even baseball for that matter—is still about beating each other there. EVERYTHING ELSE is about taking care of our own!

You think that the Longhorns Network is not a good idea, and I can tell you, that it’s a tremendous idea, not just for the University of Texas but for the entire BigXII, why? Because when you are on the screen with them—YOU”RE Being promoted just like Texas is.  What’s the old sales adage! ANY PUBLICITY IS GOOD PUBLICITY! Schools like Texas A&M and Nebraska and Colorado, and all the others that jump their conferences for the greener pastures, don’t think about the alumni, and how they feel about their rivals.

NEW SCHOOL isn’t always the best—sometimes OLD SCHOOL has its place! You’ve must have forgotten back 25 years ago, a company thought, that by changing their formula of their product, that they would WIN over new customers! WRONG! They had to “crawfish” (look it up if you don’t understand the phrase) and go back to their ORIGINAL formula and call it “CLASSIC”… oh yeah—the product was Coca-Cola! YA THINK!?!?!?!?

I have listened to students at high schools, talk about how they don’t get the traditions at their school and why they think that they should “up-date” their traditions.  I love telling them to go up to Southbend, Indiana and tell the Fightin’ Irish to go to a GREEN HELMET! Do you really think that’s going to go over well, or tell USC to remove their sunglasses from the band!—maybe tell the Aggies to sit down during a football game that their 12^th man is no longer needed! REALLY? TRADITIONS! They are there to be handed down from class to class—from generation to generation…. HIGH SCHOOL is where you learn about keeping tradition, and College is where you learn to LIVE the tradition!

So why end the tradition of playing your rival—Texas A&M—you’ve been around since 1876—as the University of Texas was around since 1883—your rivalry is over a land deal that went sour.. 1/3 of the deal went to A&M and 2/3 went to the 40 acres in Austin, and ever since the Aggies have been wanting to “SAW THE HORNS” off of Bevo.

Hell even BEVO’s name is great folklore—as the Aggies beat Texas 13-0 and branded the steer with that score—so inventive as the Longhorns are, they re-branded the beast with taking the 13 and making it a “B” taking the dash and turning that into an “E” …putting a “V” and then taking the 0 and making it an “O” to make the name!

Instead of making the conference that harbors your rival, and others, and make it stronger, you wish to weaken it, and leave it for greener grass, that truly is not all that green! The SEC is not the answer, taking care of your business and creating something special for yourselves NOW and for the future, make your own deal, create something that your alum will be proud of, and will keep new students wanting to come to the school!

It really is that simple, for some reason, some people WANT to make it harder than it is! That’s how you keep things going, you don’t like what Texas has done with ESPN—then make something happen for yourself! OU is on the verge of doing something for themselves, we already know about Notre Dame, and their deal with NBC- so why not, get together with FOX SOUTHWEST HOUSTON or FOX SPORTS, or who knows who else and make your own foot print! QUIT CRYING about what someone else has done—and improvise, adapt and overcome—hell you’re an institution that still have the Corp of Cadets! You claim to be the SPIRIT OF AGGIELAND! PROVE IT!

Prove you have a spirit—instead of picking up your toys and running off at the drop of the hat—and stop crying wolf!

You’ve done been told NO by the SEC for now, but truth is, you’ll get over what Brother has done to your G.I. Joe and get back to doing what you do best—play the game and educate your students and make them the future of our society!

Just a thought!

Pro Football Hall of Fame!

This weekend—the Pro Football Hall of Fame will induct players into the hallowed halls, and welcome them with their gold blazers and send them their Hall of Fame Rings for presentation in stadiums when the time comes.

The class of 2011 will have members entering that played the majority of their playing career with one team, and there are others that played with several teams… one in particular, the one man who can lay claim to have played in a Super Bowl and a World Series in the same year, he was able to change the game to a degree with offenses changing the way they throw the ball, or keep him away from the intended receiver, and with one phone call on a September day in 1994, he came to a team with a Star on the Helmet, and Stars that already were on the team, and just one more made it complete!

Neon- Deion Sanders! PRIME TIME! The man from Florida State, came to the Dallas Cowboys and propelled them to a Third Super Bowl Championship in four years, with a win in Super Bowl XXX over the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was after his former team the San Francisco 49ers beat San Diego in Super Bowl XXIX (too many X’s and not enough O’s)… so now Deion has TWO rings—and now has a Hall of Fame entrance to boot!

So what’s next? Does he enter the “RING OF HONOR” at Cowboys Stadium, interesting debate, only in the fact that Sanders has already stated that he is not interested in the Ring, and that he believes that it should be held for those who have played there their entire career! Politically correct statement from Sanders—however did he not provide for this team another Super Bowl Victory? Similar to that of Charles Haley, or Tony Casillas both of whom came to this team from others, Haley- from the 49ers and Casillas from Atlanta, and both contributed in major ways for the Cowboys to secure three Super Bowl Trophies!

So are they deserving of a place of honor in the Ring? Just wondering… personally speaking the ones that are missing from the RING today—Drew Pearson, other than having a problem with management some time ago—I would think that time heals all wounds… why is he NOT in the Ring so far? Good Question Mr. Jones… others that belong, why is Charlie Waters not in the Ring, why is Jay Novacek not in the Ring— Why not Everson Walls (just his gift of life for Ron Springs should be a huge reason, as well as his rookie accomplishments) However even with all these other names—the one that is missing is PEARSON! Number 88! The Original—the man on the other end of Roger Staubach’s Hail Mary pass in Minnesota in 1975… the man that caught Clint Longley’s MAD BOMB against the Redskins on a Thanksgiving Day—and the man that caught the game winning pass from Danny White in 1981 to send them to the NFC Championship game against the 49ers and when you look at that game- Danny White almost pulled that one off with Pearson leading the way!

Now with all of that, WHY is he NOT in the Ring? Mr. Jones? We can’t hear you! You’re not saying much—you’re not responding, only to say that it is a committee decision and that committee is ONE person—YOU! Isn’t it about time to burry the hatchet and put Drew Pearson into the Ring of Honor!

Just a thought!

The Big XII that’s really the BIG X

“X” sometimes marks the spot, and sometimes it misses the mark by a mile!

In this case, the Big XII Conference is made up of 10 teams, since both The University of Colorado and Nebraska have jumped the conference and made their way to be a part of two other conferences. 

By now you know the story, but for those of you that need a refresher course, here is the “Readers Digest” condense version.

Both of those aforementioned schools left the “12” to join, in Colorado’s case, the Pacific Athletic Conference—also known as the PAC 10 and now is the PAC 12… Nebraska joined the BIG 10 which really is the Big 12, but since that name was already taken—they will keep the title of “10” and let the BIG XII keep the “12” even though neither conference can count—AND this is suppose to represent the HIGHER education system of our country! REALLY? They can’t even count! How would “THE COUNT” of

Sesame Street

feel about that??? HMMMM????

Alright enough of the sarcasm…. The truth is, this is the time of year that coaches, and players, all gather in one location, and become a part of the circus that the media creates for two days in a hotel in Dallas.

All 10 teams come here with a choice players, and their head coach, their Sports Information Director (also known as a “SID”), and an entourage of people to handle their people! WHEW!

Each coach and player all say the same thing, because the same innate question gets asked to every single person that sits in front of the camera or microphone. And the same answer pretty much is given verbatim!

“How do you feel about the conference schedule, where you play everybody in the conference?”  REALLY? That’s the best you can come up with? This is what you got your degree in, and this is the best you can ask? TWELVE players and coaches stepped in front of the same group of cameramen and reporters and that question was asked to each and everyone one of them! That was original… or the other favorite one was asked to every University of Texas player..” Which is a bigger rivalry—The Red River Shootout (Texas vs. Oklahoma) or the Thanksgiving game with A&M (Texas A&M)?” Are you serious man????? Please.. any person who has stepped inside the Cotton Bowl on the second Saturday of October, and stood in the tunnel before they run you out onto the field, there you are standing shoulder to shoulder with the person you’re about to go into battle against, for the next three hours, 90 thousand people, screaming at the top of their lungs, half bathed in Crimson and Cream, the other half in Burnt Orange and White and right down the middle of the 50 yard line is the RED RIVER (metaphorically speaking)… the hair on your arms and the back of your neck just stood up because of the chills of this football tradition! No where can you match that intensity, maybe Army vs Navy, maybe Michigan and Ohio State, but truly…. Seriously… TEXAS v OU! Nuff said!

Then there’s the other game, the one that was brought on because of a land deal, the burning desire deep with in those who wear Maroon and White, the one’s that, once upon a time ago, showed that burning desire, by burning a Bonfire to prove that hatred! The Fightin’ Farmers, the Aggies of A&M! Now this game is based on pure, un-adulterated HATE!

Texas vs Texas A&M, the only two schools, who’s fight songs actually make reference to each other with in the lyrics, the rivalry is so rich in tradition, that when the tragedy of 1999, the fall of bonfire, and 12 Texas A&M Students were killed, the half time show alone, there was not a dry eye in the house, when the University of Texas marching band, showed that its one thing for the two schools to talk trash, but when it comes right down to it, the brotherhood of those two schools reaches well beyond the hatred.  The Longhorn band played Amazing Grace, they lowered their flags in homage, and a collective, wrapping their arms around their rival to let them know that they were there to help them heal when it counted most.

The RIVALRY—THE GAME! Texas vs A&M, whether its in Kyle Field or Darryl Royal Memorial Stadium, the sounds, the decibel level, the color—the tradition!

Now after reading all of that, which game is bigger???? REALLY? That’s the best you can come up with, with all the degrees of journalism in one room—those were the best questions to come up with?

You really have to wonder, why our youth, the future of our world, have no clue how to do communicate-  I was watching more people texting each other, while they stood no more than 10 feet from one another, we have lost the art of talking to one another, that’s for sure, and the best questions they could come up with were about the conference schedule and which was a bigger rivalry!

As for the real answer to the best question, which was fired off to Mac Brown the head coach of Texas, when he was asked about last years 5 and 7 season, Coach Brown looked right into the eyes of the person who asked the question, and informed him, that it was his “responsibility to prepare his team to win, and when they lose, it is his responsibility for not giving them the tools or the opportunity to win”… WOW! Taking on responsibility, what a refreshing idea, no blaming, no finger pointing, just flat out, its accountability!

Players all back their coach, and they will say the same thing, but for one young man—Senior Wide Receiver Jeff Fuller out of Texas A&M stated that he grew more mature with surrounding himself with people on the Aggie Team that were older, and able to teach him how to behave, and to keep his head about him, even when everyone was telling Fuller to for go his senior year, and jump to the Pros. I would bet, that his father, Jeff Fuller Sr, might have had something to say about that, the former All Pro Defensive back for the San Francisco 49ers and former Aggie, might have had a long talk with his son, about getting more seasoning, and that the NFL isn’t going anywhere.

Every one of these men, who play in this conference all believe that the 10 team schedule will work to their advantage and the best team coming out of the conference will play in a BCS Bowl, and possibly for the National Championship if they can run the table.

For now, the press conferences continue, and the questions are the same to each player and coach, and the answers are contrived and clichéd, but all in all—Every team is optimistic, and looking forward to a fun year of college football.

It’s just a thought!

For Those Who Went Before Us!

It’s a slogan that is used by an organization called, Guns & Hoses.

Now I know you read that, and immediately thought Guns & Roses… but nope its HOSES! As in Fire Fighters!

Guns & Hoses, is an organization that raises money for families of Officers and Fire Fighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

They have been in the Greater Metroplex for the past 10 years, with their major event being a Boxing Tournament held in the fall. Law Enforcement vs. Fire & Rescue, they put on the gloves and go at it inside the squared circle. There is a trophy that is delivered to the team that wins the tournament, and bragging rights for the year!

We bring this up, because they have added all sorts of events throughout the year to continue this fundraising.

In May, they have one of the largest Golf outings that have been brought to the North Texas area, with over 400 golf teams involved, (times that number by 4 per team, and you get an idea of how many people participate in this event), this past July 16^th, they held the first Annual Pig Skin Championship at Cowboys Stadium (yes you read that right as well) where the Fire beat the Police 8-7, and again bragging rights for one year, and later they will have their Second Annual Basketball Tournament at The Dr. Pepper Center in Frisco, and then in October, the Granddaddy of them all, the Boxing Tournament.

These Officers, and Fire Fighters, along with countless volunteers, and family members put their time and efforts to bring these events to you the public, but, there’s something missing! YOU! That’s right YOU the public, need to make an effort to come out and watch and participate, and get involved. Buying the tickets, or maybe even being a sponsor of an event, and bring more awareness to this organization.

This Foundation provides for those families who have lost their loved one in the line of duty, by donating a check immediately upon word that an officer has died, they take care of their children, with funds for just buying Christmas presents, or maybe helping with college funds for the children until they reach the age of 18.

When those who choose to wear a badge go out and protect and to serve our communities, they risk their lives to protect you and me, as a first responder, we know the perils that these men and women go through. We read it about it every day in the newspapers and on our television screens.

How many times have  we seen that someone has decided to go up against a police officer, and kill them, or they were killed in a traffic accident while they were protecting someone else at the same time. We know about the fire fighters who lose their life while battling wild fires, or a house fire where someone was lost in the fire while trying to save someone else.

We sometimes take these people for granted, that they are here all the time, but when one goes down, it doesn’t matter what community, or city, we all feel the lost.

In the 1980’s the Dallas Police Department lost several officers in that decade, and at one point, the community rose to support the Department when a local Grocer sent out bumper stickers with a “THUMBS UP and BACK THE BLUE”, we turned our headlines on to show our support, and were encouraged to just gesture officers driving around town with our own THUMBS UP to let them know we are behind them!

Here is another way to show that support! Yes we are having fun, with football games, basketball games, golf tournaments, and with boxing, but all in all, we are in this together. From Ft. Worth across to Dallas, and all the communities in between, there are hundreds of men and women who kiss their loved one’s good bye on any given day, and its when they don’t come home after their shift, that we are all touched.

That’s where Gun & Hoses steps in and takes care of their own, and we as a community should embrace them and help as well!

Getting involved is not that hard, a donation, or just buying a ticket to an event, and watching someone that you might not even know, but this is such a fun way to learn about them, and once again, showing them that THUMBS UP that you are backing the Blue as well as the Red for their efforts and their commitment to taking care of US in our time of need, and it’s a wonderful gesture to say “THANK YOU”!

Circle some dates on your calendar, August 27^th, 2011, the Basketball game in Frisco, and on October 22^nd, in Mesquite at the Resistol Arena for the Boxing Tournament.  What fun you can have for not a lot of coin to enjoy the event, and get to know these men and women who put their lives on the line to PROTECT & TO SERVE you and me!

It’s a great way to say THANK YOU!

Just a thought

Trying to Make Sense of it All!

Last night at Rangers Ball Park in Arlington, a baseball game was underway, the Rangers and the Oakland A's.

Earlier in the day, the A's were informed that their former manager, Dick Williams, the man who led them to back to back World Series Championships, had passed away.

So there was already an air about the game, and somewhere in the second inning, a screaming foul ball bounces off the stands and trickles into left field, where Josh Hamilton, the Texas Rangers' left fielder was playing, and as he picks up the ball, fans in left field scream for him to toss it into the stands, and like any other night, in any other stadium that has a baseball game going on, the player obliges the minion, he lifts the ball into the air for someone to catch it, and for that moment, that player is more than a ball player, he is now their hero, and a bit closer to them than before.

In the case last night, as this was unfolding, the fan, a father, a husband, and a fire fighter from Brownswood, Texas, about three hours drive southwest of Dallas, leaned over the railing, and lost his balance and fell down behind the electronic score board in left field, some 20 feet to concrete. There were fans standing next to this fan trying to catch him before he went over, their effort, valiant and all, but could not hold on to him, and with his son standing next to him, watched as he landed head first onto the concrete.

The Oakland A's bullpen just feet from where this unfolded, watched the man fall, and then witnessed the rush to his aid by paramedics and other emergency people. The reports from the players were, that the man was alert, and was asking about his son, and wanted to make sure he was alright. Then they transported to a local hospital, where he succumb to the injuries.

This is like the ripple affect of the pebble falling into the water. What sort of effect does this have on those that were directly involved?

For Josh Hamilton, the man who tossed the ball into the stands, as he has done countless times while he has worn a major league uniform, needs to know that it wasn't his fault.... He has survived his demons and he has accomplished so much in his return to his major league best over the last several years. His story has been talked about by not only himself, but by others. His faith, his sobriety, his ability to overcome all that he has done to himself, his a testament to his strength in faith, and those who he surrounds himself with. How will he deal with this in his head, only he can answer that question, but more so, his teammates, and the “Ranger Family, will all be effected and must come to each others aid to deal with this.

For other fans that watched this unfold, it will be something that everyone will have to deal with on their own. They are affected, they witnessed it, they know now, from news reports and video, of this tragedy, and will take from it what they will.

Baseball, is the one sport, aside from maybe hockey and Arena Football, that you can walk out of the stadium or arena with a piece of the game that was actually in use at the time that you were able to retrieve it. Think about it, a baseball, a hockey puck, and sometimes a football are items that are used, touched by those who we consider to be special people, heroes maybe, but just the same, we are able to take it from the field, along with the memory.

I have gone to countless games of baseball, and all the while I have come close to catching a foul ball only to have bounce away from me, or caught just before it was able to reach my hands. I did fight off a ball boy for a foul ball while I was working as a photographer once... at the old Arlington Stadium

Gary Ward was at bat, and he cued ball a foul tip to the first base dug out, where the photographer's well were, and the ball boys hands reached down, and mind slid in underneath and snagged the ball. NOW this really doesn't count, because the ball boy would have given me the ball anyway after the game, but it was just the same as I was able to secure the ball, and throw it into my photographer's bag for safe keeping.

I remember my Dad telling me, when we used to go to games, (before he passed away) that the fun thing while he was growing up in New York, was to see if they could get the player to sign the ball that was hit as a foul ball or home run, I took that to heart, and took that foul ball, and had a bunch of guys sign it, old timers that played the game, they had assembled for a promotion for Upper Deck trading cards, and I was able to get Hall of Fame, and future Hall of Fame players to sign it. That ball now resides in a plastic cube in my house.

I wonder, how this baseball that was so precious to retrieve for the young son of the fire fighter, who reached over and lost his balance, and passed away, where will that wind up, and what kind of memory will be kept with it, and for a moment in the sun, the boys dad was bigger than any hero, he was THE DAD!

Just the thought is that, those involved will find strength in their faith, and surround themselves with friends and family, and to get through this horrible moment, and find that the sun will rise again, and it will continue to do so, and that the game of baseball can, and will serve as a reminder that there is still good things to enjoy! But for now, we will remember, and hope that they will be alright!

Just a thought!

Returning to the Broadcast Booth!

Yes—a return to the booth, to broadcast baseball, Texas Collegiate Baseball… sorta where it all began!

Back in 2004, while broadcasting a high school baseball game at the Ball Park in Arlington, I was asked by someone if I would be interested in interviewing the General Manager of the Highland Park Blue Sox, where I naturally said “sure, why not.”… during the fourth inning of the game, this very young red headed guy comes into the booth, and we put a microphone in front of him, and start talking about this team and this league that no one had ever heard of, but they were going to start playing in June of 2004.

During the interview, I asked him “ where can people hear the game at?” To which he replied… “No where”… that’s when I decided right then and there that we would take on the task of broadcasting their games.

We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into… BUT!!!! WE were able to put it together and make it happen.  And by doing that, other teams fell into place with their own broadcast on the internet, and so we blazed a path for others to follow.

That first season, Texas had the wettest June on record.  I figured if you ever wanted to end a draught, just plan a new league or build a swimming pool in your back yard, and you are going to guarantee the Rain Gods will open up the heavens and make it pour. 21 days of rain! A lot of doubleheaders to make up, but we had fun. The first All Star game in Graham, Texas, with Jim Morrison (the Disney movie “The Rookie” starring Dennis Quaid) threw out the first pitch and we had a chance to interview him. Just a great time.

The Highland Park Blue Sox moved after the 2005 season to Plano, changed their name to the Plano Blue Sox, and that was the last year we did any broadcast for the TCL, but in some ways, it saved my life (that’s a long story, and I will have to tell that in another article when I have a grasp of it)

During the ’05 season we took on not just the Blue Sox, but we also took on the Coppell Copperheads and the Weatherford Wranglers, and we were blowing and going for the TCL. WE made them look and sound like a league that people were paying a attention to.

We then took on the Continental Baseball League in 2007 and in 2008… that was the last time we broadcast baseball.

Then comes an opportunity to work with the Coppell Copperheads again, for the 2011 season, and with some creative scheduling, we are back in the booth to finish out their season and give the listeners, not just the fans of the Copperheads but the other teams that travel into the area, to be heard.

This is more about having parents, family, friends, colleges, scouts and professional teams to hear about these young players, and see the future of the great game of baseball improve.

For those of you not familiar with the TCL, it’s a wooden bat league that is similar with the Cape Cod or Alaskan League, for college athletes to hone their skills with not just the bat but also pitching and fielding, and baseball fundamentals to take back with them to either their school or maybe increase their stock to be drafted in the future.

Our part is small in comparison to what the coaches do with these players, and we are proud to have that small part, but in the grand scheme of things, we also give a link for the players and their families to have the opportunity to showcase their skills and have some fun doing it.

So one more time we are basking in the summer sunshine, and we hope that you will log on to listen to the games, and hear the future of this game we love so much, and call America’s Past Time, and interact with us when you have a chance, because we do enjoy the feedback!

You can find the games listed on our website, http://www.davradioproductions,com/ , and when this season comes to an end, we will start up high school football for our 10^th season with the Richardson ISD, and we hope you will enjoy that as well!

We will thank you in advance, and appreciate you listening.

Just a thought