Spring Time in Texas

Aside from the allergies that arise this time of year, and of course spring fever with young love, and lets not forget the longer days since we moved to daylight savings... its also BASEBALL TIME IN NORTH TEXAS!

I was out earlier today at Rangers Ball Park in Arlington, picking up credentials for the upcoming season and getting a chance to chat with some of the players before their debut for the 2011 season.

They all seem in good spirits, they all seem to want to get this thing started, and they all know that that they have a big 'ol target on their back, since they are the defending American League Champions!

Michael Young, who has been with this team longer than anyone else, and has had more "jobs" than anyone else on the team, let's see, Michael started out at short stop, then moved to second then back to short, then to third and recently was asked to be a DH, a utility infielder, and platoon at first base when needed and fill in once in a while back at third. WHEW!

During the first few days of spring training there was talk about Michael being traded, and having all sorts of rumors floating around about how the team needed to move Young once they were able to acquire Adrian Beltre, the All Star third baseman-- they also were able to get Mike Napoli from the Angels, so he will most likely be the back-up catcher and platoon at first a little as well, its putting his bat into the lineup that has most people concerned, but speaking to him earlier today, he is thrilled to be in Texas, and is ready to contribute anyway the Manager sees fit!

Mitch Moreland was another youngster that contributed last year, but during the off season he had to do some work on his own to get a bit better coming into spring training, he spoke about working on his hitting, being a bit more patient at the plate, especially on breaking balls and sliders, then he went to say about how he worked extra hard on playing his position at first base, and working on agility, along with his footwork!

The atmosphere in the club house is like a finely trained horse ready to break for the gate, restless, eager, and ready to take on the competition. Alright maybe that's a bit romantic when it comes to this team, comparing them to a race horse, but truthfully, this team has some unfinished business to attend to. They all agree beating the Yankees was a great step in the right direction for the post season, but they all had a taste of what its like getting to the big stage, the big Show as players like to call it, the World Series, and they are sure ready to get 162 games out of the way so they can get busy on the second season!

As for the grand lady herself, the stadium has new amenities... a new video board that sits high atop the Right Field Porch, brighter and better, and players need to be careful of their language if you can lip read.. it won't take much to see it on that screen, then they did an overhaul on the centerfield board, which was mono-chromed, they now have a full color moving board in that Coca-Cola scoreboard, the concessions are better, and more of them, the fan's experience will be better than in recent years. Prices have come down on hot dogs and beer, thats always a good thing, and of course the merchandise-- well lets just say , if you don't have enough WORLD SERIES things, you can still buy it at the Majestic Gift Shop in Centerfield!

Opening day-- less than 24 hours away-- the Boston Red Sox are in town, three days of exciting baseball, and its just April! 

Its just a thought

Same Old Song- Just Another Verse

Seems that we sit down once again, open up the newspaper or turn on the Television, and the lead story seems to be once again DEZ BRYANT!

My goodness—for this young man—the hits just keep on coming!

One day it’s about Dez and his friends being asked to leave NorthPark Mall in North Dallas, because of their apparel, the sagging pants and looking “gangsta”… the next minute there is a lawsuit brought by a jeweler, then another, then one more on top of that from a landlord in Stillwater, Oklahoma for pass due rent!

AND THIS IS JUST MARCH!

I have seen Dez out in public, working with kids and being surrounded by the fans, he seems to be kind and takes time to talk and sign autographs, however, this other behavior, the kind that makes headlines and such is not good for his image or for that of the team in which he plays for.

The question is, HOW DO YOU FIX THIS?

The answer, is not so easy! It’s about changing the direction of your decisions, and the paths in which you choose to go down.

I use the example of a player on the team, that signed a six year contract for multiple millions of dollars back in 2007, and you never hear about him in the news, or for that matter on the field of play, yet he has earned Pro-Bowl status 5 years in a row, and is an All Pro as well.

Why do we not hear about him? Mainly because he was well grounded, had a great up bringing, and knows what it is to be in the public and for that matter he doesn’t draw attention to himself when he is in public. I’ve actually heard him tell someone who approached him, if he was a football player, his response was “no… I dance ballet”… now really? Seriously, that is great!

He doesn’t say it to get rid of them—he says it so they grin or laugh and then he proceeds to let them off the hook—sign the autograph or take the photo—shake their hands and goes on his way. The only thing that he request is, don’t interrupt his dinner or his evening out with friends or family! That’s his time to spend with them, and not the stadium or personal appearance. Fair enough don’t you think?

Dez Bryant should, and Jerry should also make this mandatory, to sit with Calvin Hill, that’s why he is employed by the Cowboys in the first place, to show these young kids who have come from an income that is nowhere near what they have become a part of in a short amount of time.  Unless their parents were athletes, which if they were, they weren’t making this kind of cash when they played, they have no idea how to handle that kind of wealth. NOT everyone has this problem, not everyone goes into a mode of throwing themselves into an arena where they are constantly being hit by people that have come out of the wood work to claim to be a family member or long lost friend from way back when.

What some people don’t know about Calvin Hill, is that he is an IVY Leaguer, a graduate of Yale University, was a first round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 1969, and was the first Cowboy to rush for over 1000 yards. Though his degree is in business and finance, he understands what it takes to be successful on and off the field. Mr. Bryant—I highly suggest you talk to Mr. Hill and learn from one of the very best! Just look at his son, Grant Hill, he hasn’t done too bad for himself either.

Not to shift gears, but while we are on the subject of changing—there was a story that is out about the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona, that they might lose their BCS seating, and that because of the investigation that is underway about misguided funds by the CEO, and that there are some real discrepancies, a real possibility is that the BCS might bring the AT&T Cotton Bowl into the fold as a BCS Championship Bowl.

This would be huge for the Classic, and bring more attention to the Bowl that was one of the big four before the BCS took over.

Remember, back in the day, on New Years Day, there were four games played that had the prestige, such as the Rose, the Orange, the Sugar and the Cotton. The other fell into place shortly thereafter.

If you read between the lines, from comments from Rick Baker, and others with the Cotton Bowl, and the BCS committee, originally they thought that the Cotton could be the FIFTH Bowl on the rotation, now it might be the FOURTH! And that would be great for North Texas… oh and NO temporary seats to worry about! (sorry for the reference to a botched Super Bowl)

All in all, the common word in both of these thoughts are that a change has to be made, and in both cases, its for the better!

Dez Bryant—change your direction, and take care of the law suits, its not like you don’t have the money to secure this, and for the Cotton Bowl, the change would be great for the North Texas area, and be a nice feather in the hat to take away the stigma that the Super Bowl left behind, despite the fact that most of the problems were weather related.

Its just a thought!

The Americans Get Ready for Playoffs

The Allen Americans are getting in gear for their second run for the Ray Miron Cup, that is the trophy that is given to the champion in the Central Hockey League.

In only their second year of existence, this young team has already been to the finals once, last year as they lost to Rapid City in a best of seven series 4-2… But this year they have the slogan of UNFINISHED BUSINESS!

A couple of days before their opening round match up against Rio Grand Killer Bees at the Allen Event Center on Thursday, March 31^st, 2011 at 7:30PM. The match up will have the first seed playing the 8^th seed.

For the season the Americans have led the Perry Division for all of just a week, and after that, the Americans never looked back.

A little background about the Allen Americans for those of you that have no idea who they are, or what they are.

The Central Hockey League is sorta like the what the Texas League is to minor league baseball for North Texas, there has always been a team representing the North Texas area in the league. There is some old timers that remember the old Dallas Blackhawks and the Fort Worth Texans/Wings/Texans (take your pick of their nickname) later there was the Dallas Freeze and the Fort Worth Fire, then the Fort Worth/Texas Brahmas, which by the way, in 2009, won the championship themselves. Now there is the Allen Americans which have taken the mantel, and has run with it for two years in a row now.

This league has exciting hockey that is considered double A type of teams. The Americans are associated with the Dallas Stars, in that they can move players around to the Triple A club in Austin, Texas known as the Texas Stars, and a possible step up to the major team, the Dallas Stars.

Now that you have your brief history, this team has a great venue to play in up in Allen, the Event Center holds about 6000 thousand capacity, close to the action, and good family entertainment, for a good dollar value. Oh and FREE PARKING! That right there is worth the price of admission!

The hockey is good, the value is good, the venue is great, and there is not a reason for anyone not to make it to a playoff game this spring, if you are living in the Plano, Allen, McKinney, Frisco area of the Metroplex, even though there are people that come up as far away as south Dallas. Its just FUN!

Dwight Mullins, the head coach for the Americans, has Texas ties, even though he’s Canadian, he played for the Ft. Worth Fire back in the late 80’s early 90’s, then was named as the coach for this new bunch of guys, no expectations last year, and to find themselves in the Finals in their First year, now here they are again in the second year, they are right back in the playoffs.

This might sound like an ad for the League or the team, and in a weird way it is, but the truth is, this is a good hockey team!

The BEST record in the league, and for that matter with over 40 wins with just 11 losses and a couple of ties on the season! What’s the old adage, “It don’t mean a thing, with out that RING!”… and that’s what this hockey team, this community, and this portion of North Texas is looking for!

Its just a thought!

Playoff Time in North Texas

Has it really been 16 years since the Dallas Cowboys were in a Super Bowl? Has it really been 4 years since the Dallas Mavericks were in the NBA Finals?  And has it really been 12 Years since the Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup?

My oh my! Lets see-- FC Dallas has been in the MLS Finals-- that's a good thing-- but as for the other teams-- its been slim pickings!

Last year-- in their first year-- the Allen Americans made it to the Ray Miron President Cup Finals in the Central Hockey League-- before that-- the Texas Brahmas won the whole damn thing!

Now with just a mere week or so away-- the Playoffs for the 2010-11 season is about to start for the Central Hockey League and the Allen Americans once again are in the thick of things.

Best record in the League-- they won the Governor's Cup... for that record-- they have over 40 wins this season-- however-- before we get ahead of ourselves-- many times-- we have seen this in other sports-- you might have the best record for the league-- but it don't mean a thing without that RING!

For those of you not familiar with the Allen Americans Hockey team, allow me to first tell you they play in Allen, Texas. Just north of the Dallas area and literally just north of Plano... they play in a beautiful facility called the Allen Event Center, they have a good fan base where they average just under 4000 a night in a 6000 seat capacity building. They are family friendly-- they also provide (hold on to your hats for this one) FREE PARKING to all events at the center.. there is an entertainment area , like restaurants in the immediate area, imagine that! And its cost effective for families to go and enjoy the evening!

WOW Does that sound like something that was tried to have been done in the Downtown Dallas area when they build the AAC and around that area called VICTORY PARK? Can YOU afford to go down there with a family of four? NOT!

In the North Texas area.. lets just say the Upper Metrocrest-- that includes-- McKinney, Frisco,  and Allen... there is enough entertainment in the area to enjoy with your family! IN Frisco alone you have the NBA "D" League-- Texas Legends coached by the legend herself Nancy Lieberman... along with the Frisco Roughriders of the Texas League and affiliated with the Texas Rangers-- you have the McKinney Marshalls and the North Texas Copperheads in the Texas Collegiate League at Craig's Ranch, you have the already mentioned, Allen Americans, not too mention the Texas Tornado (also hockey) the Allen Wranglers (Indoor Football) just to name a few!

People talk about not having anywhere to go for entertainment, that's a value to them and their family, I just named a bunch of sports teams, and to go along with that, concerts that are affordable or for that matter free at areas in and around that Plano/Allen corridor, how about the Eisman Center in Richardson, just south of what we have been mentioning, there are plenty of concerts, plays and performances there as well!

Its not all about sports! But lets face it-- when a sports teams makes their push to the playoffs, the fan base increases-- the excitement grows, and the word of mouth spreads!

Fairly soon the Texas Rangers will start back up, the Mavericks season will make their way to the Playoffs, the Dallas Stars are hanging on to one more spot for their shot at Lord Stanley's cup, and we still not sure what will happen in the National Football League!

So-- for now-- go and buy your tickets to the Americans Hockey Playoffs.. and enjoy the excitement of seeing the future of Hockey in North Texas-- the Americans by the way ARE affiliated with the Dallas Stars... wonder if we can exchange teams-- and see if these young lads can make a push to the playoffs--

HEY! Its just a thought!

Another Cowboy in Trouble

THERE'S A NO JIVE HEADLINE--

I don't mean to rail on a team that I have followed for many years-- but doesn't seem a bit ironic that since 1989--- the year that Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys-- there have been more news coming from the players than any other time?

Oh wait-- before that time-- we did hear about Lance Rentzel-- Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson and Duane Thomas getting into little fracas-- even Harvey Martin was in a bit of trouble as well...  Bob Hayes was arrested on cocane possession,ok-- lets compare that list to the list of players since Jones took over shall we?

Hmmm-- where to begin-- alright there was Michael Irvin-- pretty obvious one with the drug charges and all-- we lost Mark Tuinei to drug over dose in the spring of 1999-- Pac-Man Jones was arrested at a downtown hotel for pushing one of HIS security people into a mirror and breaking it-- Dwayne Goodrich was arrested for vehicular manslaughter and convicted... Dexter Clinkscales was arrested for sexual relations with an 18 year old boy-- Nate Newton was arrested for transporting marijuana--and recently-- Bryan McCann was arrested for public intoxication and Rookie Wide Receiver Desmond "Dez" Bryant was cited at North Park Mall... FOR of all things-- Showing his underwear in public (his pants-- along with his friends) were hanging below the belt line! North Park has asked Bryant not to return to the mall for 90 days-- this is after two other incidents in the plush mall--

So the question begs to be asked-- WHY do professional athletes get into trouble??? ANSWER: They don't have anything better to do!

Let's face it-- during the off season there is nothing to do, because you made all this money during the season-- it's been sitting in the bank-- and now you have the time to spend it-- or better yet-- show it off.

Players of professional sports-- get a paycheck ONLY during the season in which the play-- for Baseball Players that's like six to seven months worth of pay.... same of Hockey and Basketball players-- long seasons mean that you are either traveling or practicing or playing! take your pick! For Football players-- they play once a week-- they work the rest of the week with practice and such... then it's game time! The NFL wants to expand the season by two games to make it 18 regular season games- now that means that the first game would be played around the Labor Day weekend and we will still end in the first week of February with the Super Bowl- Somewhere with playoffs we would be at 24 weeks of football that's almost six months!  See where this is going?

Keep em busy-- that way they can't get into trouble... believe me, they will find ways of getting into trouble given an opportunity to do so.

The latest bouts of indiscretion is more about not using their heads--  I knew Dez Bryant when he played in Lufkin, Texas at Lufkin High School for John Outlaw, he was a nice kid and all-- always with a "yes Sir-- No Sir" type of attitude-- never seemed to be the type to get into trouble-- though it happened to him at Oklahoma State, when he lied about spending time with Dieon Sanders-- another Lufkin Ex had a similar situation when he turned pro. Reggie McNeal played College football at Texas A&M, led the team to a Cotton Bowl birth-- then was picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals-- only to come back to Houston , Texas and get arrested-- the question now is-- WHERE is Reggie? Oh Wait! Canada-- playing for the Toronto Argonauts! That's special!

When are professional athletes going to learn that this is not an entitlement for them to go about and use their "celebrity" to avoid being like the rest of us. I don't think you see too many young men going into North Park Mall or the Galleria Mall with their pants hanging down low enough to see their underwear.  Its not sexy by the way guys-- BELIEVE ME-- ask any woman-- they don't think its cute they don't think you are the type of person to bring home to meet the parents!

SET the example-- change the atmosphere-- YOU Have the power! Young kids look up to you, they still have their heroes-- they want to wear your jersey-- they want to call your name out when they see you in public-- they want that little piece of yourself that you can give with a smile-- that's a simple signature!

Ya know-- if the athletes would flood the market with their signatures-- believe me-- you won't see them on EBay much-- because lets face it-- its not rare!

Bryan McCann-- the young man from SMU-- all I can do is shake my head and hope that this all works out for you-- for Dez Bryant-- I have heard and seen first hand-- your kindness to children and to fans--but is this really how you wish to be remembered? REALLY?

its just a thought! 

The Allen Wranglers Indoor Football League

Starting to hear the rumors milling around about the new indoor football team in Allen-- they are called the Wranglers-- the Indoor Football League placed a team there with their owner Jim Smith who once owned an indoor team in Arkansas... now the rumor is that he is looking to dump this team before this Friday night's game against the Brawlers (3-25-11) or they will fold completely.

The story goes that Smith could not make payroll for the team after they returned from Fairbanks, Alaska (yes you saw that right) last week, and there is an underlying current that there might be a munity of players walking out on the team.

They have had money troubles since the inception of this team, and with that, they are close to losing this franchise, there is a source that is close to the team that said that Smith is asking for either an out and out purchase of the team or at least a partner to help with the operational cost.

A week before their first game at the Allen Event Center, the team had no merchandise to sell, and what they had made for a team that is playing spring football and into the summer months, was all winter sweat shirts as well as hoodies!  The pricing for tickets is higher than the Arena Football League's Dallas Vigilantes (a second year team after the Dallas Desperados and the league halted competition for one year). The other rumor is that the Vigilantes are looking to move to the Allen Event Center for their games most likely next season.

Makes sense when you consider that the AEC is smaller (6,000 or so seats vs. 17,000 seats for the AAC). The rent would have to be cheaper and the concession would be more of a split, there is free parking at the AEC so no one controls that, unlike the AAC where the team makes absolutely nothing on the parking and has no merchandise in the "Team Store" at the AAC-- everything is a booth for the Vigilantes.

Sources also say that General Manager of the Allen Wranglers, former Dallas Cowboy Wide Receiver Drew Pearson put up personal money in the beginning, however that cash flow is all tapped out. No word if Pearson is going to stick with the team after this Friday if no new money is brought in, and what the future would be for Pearson.

The Wranglers are 0-2 on the season after losing their opening game at home and losing on the road in Alaska.

Just a thought

-30-

Get Well Soon Steve Sabol!

I read the news today-- oh boy.... sounds like the beginning of a Beatle song, and it might just well be! However, I did read the sad news that broke today (Sunday March 20th, 2011) that a stall worth of a man, a pioneer in an industry that his dad created with just a few movie cameras and an idea, and turned it into an Empire that one of the greatest sport leagues has ever come to know, to help promote and drive to fans, so they can become closer to the action like never before.

It started with a company in 1964 called Blair Motion Pictures, named after the founders daughter-- he called his son up who was going to school at Colorado State, and informed him that the only two things he knew that his son was doing, was going to movies and playing football, and that made him uniquely qualified for his new position with Blair Motion Pictures, the father was Ed Sabol, his son is Steve Sabol.

This past February, Ed Sabol, the patriarch was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, a little overdue I suspect, but none the less he is now being placed in the hallowed hall.  Steve was in Dallas to accept his fathers enshrinement, on his behalf.

Today, however, the news is grim, that Steve Sabol, all of 68 years young had a seizure while in Kansas City for a speaking engagement-- the diagnosis is not good, it was discovered that he has a brain tumor and it is on the left side of his brain.

Sabol will go under treatment with radiation, as well as other treatments to try and shrink the tumor, they (the doctors) have not used the words-- " Terminal" yet! However, if they have caught this early enough- with modern medicine anything is possible.

I remember growing up, and the program, This Week in the NFL would come on Saturday afternoons, and it was film footage of highlights from the games played the week before, and that you hoped to catch a glimpse of your team, hopefully winning over a rival or other team, and the slow motion that they developed was marvelous, how the cameramen kept that spiraling football in the frame as it nestled into the hands of a wide receiver, or the running back being able to burst through the line of scrimmage with those powerful-- piston- like legs to churn out the yards... or maybe it was linebackers zeroing in on the running back and destroying him as he came through the secondary.  All caught through the viewfinder of the NFL Films (what Blair Motion Pictures later became known as) Cameramen!

Steve Sabol was one of those cameramen, and he knew what was needed and took it upon himself to hire the best editors, and cameramen, and assistants, to make sure that the product was the best to be put out to showcase the NFL.

It would be a shame if we lost Steve Sabol, his dad is already in failing health at the age of 92, but Steve seems to be vibrant, and still full of life, and willing to talk to anyone and teach anyone the craft that has made NFL Films world renowned for its noir of photography!

My little piece is simple, just wishing Steve good health, and a recovery that will come quickly, and allow him to continue his good work!

Just a thought.

In My Opinion

Truly that's all we have these days, when it comes to things going on in the world is our opinion.  I am no expert when it comes to sports, because I never played the game professionally, I have watched it, I have been around it, I have walked through locker rooms and club houses, but I have never once was hit by a lineman, or gave an assist on a basket, or saved a goal in either hockey or soccer-- I have never driven a car in an oval-- and I have never ridden a horse in a race, I HAVE, however hit a baseball and know that feeling, but never on the professional level.

Alright- so IF I HAVE NEVER DONE ANY OF THIS PROFESSIONALLY, what makes anyone think that I know anything about it as an expert?

I get a lot of friends, casual friends at that, asking me about the NFL LOCKOUT or what I think the Mavericks will do in the playoffs, or now that Chuck Greenberg is out of the picture with the Texas Rangers how will that effect the players... or my favorite one is, how will the Stars do if they make the playoffs-- PLAYOFFS? REALLY? (fill in your own punch line here)

I am a reporter and I have done talk shows about sports-- I will give you an opinion, but yours is just as strong or accurate as mine.  I ran into a college student the other evening-- and he was talking about Orlando Scandridge of the Dallas Cowboys, and how he should be signed again by the team and not allow to check free agency-- since there is a Lock Out in process-- there is no Free Agency going on... however, none the less- I said something to fact that Orlando did nothing to impress me, and all of a sudden the student goes into this tirade of how I don't know squat! (well I cleaned it up a bit).

The truth is, in my opinion that is the case! I believed that Bryan McCann from SMU (the rookie free agent) did more last year for the Cowboys filling in-- in tight spots and did a hellva job considering the situation he was thrown into! YES that is my opinion, it doesn't mean I am an expert!

Scribes, the ones that write for a living for newspapers or magazines or blogs for that matter, all have opinions, especially if they are writing columns for the publications. I have a couple of friends that do that for a local paper in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, as well as for a national publication, not too mention the Blogs.

Not a one has played the games in which they cover, professionally! They have the same seat in the press box as I do for all the games and events, and yet not one has walked between the lines and been face to face with the enemy! However, we take what they say or write to be gospel! Its just an opinion. Its a thought, its an insight that the average fan might not get because they are not allowed into the inner sanctum of the locker room or club house.

Those of us that wear credentials and ARE allowed in, we might hear something that makes us a little bit more insightful, we might see something that allows us to form a thought about something in particular, we might be able to break something down on our own to inform you that there might be a change coming with that team, be it a transaction or firing.

Last year when Coach Wade Phillips was ultimately fired from the head coaching position of the Dallas Cowboys, the writers were all jumping on the fact that the trigger was pulled too late! That this should have happened after week 5 and not week 7 and the horrible lost to the Green Bay Packers.  None of those people were on the front line of the Dallas Cowboys football team that had to go out onto the field and play those Packers, or for that matter any of the other teams that they lost to in the early portion of the season!

YOUR Opinion matters just as much as theirs,  so don't think we don't listen to you, but remember we do have some advantage by going into the areas in which you can't have access as an average fan! However, even still, we form an opinion just like you do!

By the way-- just for the record-- what is an expert? The guy who did wear the uniform and stepped between the lines and was hit, or dunked or slammed or driven, or caught anything for a living! THOSE ARE THE EXPERTS and their opinion is more valuable than any one of us with a microphone, lap top, or yes even the old fashion typewriter!

It's just a thought!

Bad Grammar????

Alright-- here we go-- lets start in on a really hot topic-- lets put all of our energy to really correct an oversight of grammar used today by a generation who uses text messages and short hand to do so--

Let us-- take a moment-- and critique a High School Basketball Coach's deal that she made with her basketball team if they win state.  Lets take for a moment that we are going to really place all our attention as adults and tell the Coach--even after her team won the championship-- and brought home the hardware-- then was awarded the Keys to the City of Irving... and tell her that her wager with her kids is WRONG!

WAIT! I don't think she did anything wrong here-- she made a wager with her team-- she and her assistant coaches agreed that if they were to win State-- that she would adorn her arm with the the words "We in Dat Thing"... which is slang-- which is part of a rap song that apparently the Irving MacArthur High School Lady Cardinals rallied around-- and perhaps Suzie Oeleschlegel didn't see anything wrong with-- even though she is an educator.

Oh there are Parents-- and other teachers that are besides themselves that an educator would adorn herself with words that are grammatically in correct! PLEASE! Give it up-- thats like the entire state of Louisiana going bezerk when WHO DAT was being used as a rally cry for the Saints on their Super Bowl quest and later Victory!

WE (knowledgeable people) know the difference between good and bad grammar and structure. WE know that it is not good English... however we are also aware that today's society-- nothing is as it should be. REALLY!

Rap music uses all sorts of slang that those who follow that culture use every day, and for the rest of us, I believe that there is enough music with bad use of sentence structure to make any English teacher cringe! I know that there is lots of music and poetry that has to use a certain phrasing or word use to make it work for either rhythm or for flow of the poem.  However we consider this to be artistic license to do so!

But for a High School Basketball Coach-- and a woman at that-- HOW DARE HER!? --- REALLY???? you are going to waist your time and energy on this? Good gracious people, grow up, and get a life and leave some stuff alone-- the fact that it even made the news is pretty scary to me... let the Coach pay her debt to her team and hopes that other teams that follow these girls have a battle cry to rally around and embrace as well!

For what it's worth-- I say-- GO FOR IT COACH! The only thing is-- YOU have to wear it and live with it and it will be a part of you forever, and if thats alright with you-- then by all means do it!

As for your team-- its also great to talk about how these young women who are Seniors have a GPA thats above average and are making their way to Colleges and University to either continue to play Basketball or at least continue their education! GOOD ON THEM!  For the rest of you-- may I suggest you concentrate on something a bit more important, like how to keep those educators working and not on the un-employment line!

Just a thought!

Chuck Greenberg!

Alright, you all knew it wasn't going to take very long before I had to chime in on this story!

Chuck Greenberg, the man along with former Texas Ranger and Hall of Fame Pitcher Nolan Ryan, pretty much saved the franchise last summer, when they went to auction and out bid Mark Cuban for the Texas Rangers for a mere 593 Million Dollars.

Now 7 months later, Chuck Greenberg is stepping down as the CEO of the Rangers, and after being pretty much the face of the Rangers, in putting pricing back to where it should be, and bring the fans back in a positive way, even after the debacle that Tom Hicks left the team in! IT showed fans that he was a FANS-FAN!

However, during the off season, when the sweepstakes for Cliff Lee was underway, it is said that he over stepped his bounds by visiting the All Star Pitcher numerous times and low balling his bid to sign him, against the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Philly's... among other teams that were trying to get his services... then all of a sudden we read where he signs with Philly! Then we hear about Michael Young when they sign Beltre to play third base.  Michael Young-- the man who has been with this team for 10 years, was considered to be the franchise and clubhouse leader, is now being asked to move from another position, and play either DH full time or first base on a platoon basis, or in one case, asked to be traded, but somewhere that got mis-communicated and we hear now that there were illegal talks with Young and Greenberg and other teams.

Now another rumor has surfaced that Greenberg, got cross ways with Nolan Ryan, and that is what has led to having Greenberg resign!

Baseball finally got its DREAM TEAM ownership with Ryan in the catbird seat as the President of the Rangers, and Greenberg as the CEO, now thats all going to change. Will the Rangers be in any financial trouble from all of this? I doubt it, I am certain that there is enough money from the investors that will cover whatever Greenberg is getting as a buy out and his resignation.

All in all, this is been a wild roller coaster ride for the Rangers, but hopefully the dust will settle down and the full story will be revealed, and when it does we will see what really happened on the inside of the Rangers front office.

ITs just a thought!

Common Sense!

I have realized that sometimes we have to make a stand-- whether its for our Freedoms or for our RIGHTS!

Ya know I write sometimes about sports-- and I sometimes write about using common sense! WOW! 

There's a phrase that has died somewhere along the lines!

We now have to have law makers in Washington, D.C. to tell us-- that being on a cell phone without the aid of a hands free device or texting is dangerous to our health, especially if you are behind the wheel of a car! REALLY!? You're just now figuring this out? There are some cities that have made it against their city codes to drive and text in school zones-- DUH! COMMON SENSE PEOPLE! There are those who text while driving 70 mph down a Tollway-- and you wonder why you get into accidents and maybe cause deaths... DUH! COMMON SENSE PEOPLE! OH and let's not forget the biggest one of all-- drinking and driving-- there are laws against doing that too-- but IF you are caught or worse-- you've already caused the accident or death! DUH!!!! COMMON SENSE!!!!

Now we have lawmakers passing a bill in the state of Texas that will now make it against the law to smoke anywhere-- PERIOD! REALLY???? You're wasting your precious time worrying about second hand smoke in places like Bars and Clubs???? REALLY? Where people go to drink (oops there we go again) and socialize with others? REALLY? WHY? that's the 64MILLION Dollar question to be asked... WHY is it that the State Legislature under taking such a bill? Because they CAN!

When did we assign the word BABY SITTER behind their designation of being a State Senator or Legislator ? HMMM? I don't remember it being there, yet they seem to deem it necessary to be just that.  They claim that second hand smoke cause people to have breathing difficulties, or worse contract some illness like cancer- and even death... the last one is a bit hard for me to swallow, since it has never been proven by any medical doctor or medical examiner in any city in any county, in any state of the Union! Smoke inhalation by fire is one thing, but sitting in a bar or club is another.  OH they go on to say that they're protecting the workers in the bar.. really? have you asked them why they work there in the first place.. most will tell you, aside from the tips, which are pretty good in some bars-- they can SMOKE WHILE THEY ARE AT WORK!

Now you might ask the question, why am I so bent out of shape over this.. because the use of tobacco is not illegal, just like consuming alcohol is not illegal until you get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, then we have a problem, because now you are behind the wheel of a deadly weapon, which in turn could be considered using deadly force on a person! But smoking is not!

Let's face it, smoking is a culture, and back in the golden age of cinema we didn't see a movie when the two main characters or for that matter everyone on the set was lit up smoking a cigarette-- product placement was important in certain TV Shows, we thought of it as glamorous, no different than when the man of the house came home from work, the wife was dressed in a dress, heels and pearls and had a martini waiting for him as he took off his jacket and hat. Alright so that's a little over the top, but the point is, I know that this is not 1950, but 2011!

But it is still your right to do as you please, what makes you comfortable, as long as it is not breaking the law-- and last time I checked tobacco had not been deemed illegal.  Though today-- they make it where purchasing pipe tobacco, you have to take out a small loan just to purchase a few ounces... hell at those prices, no wonder the choice is to smoke the illegal substance-- its cheaper, because it's not govern by Congress!

If the owner of an establishment wishes to make his or her location a smoke free environment, then good on them, however if they choose to allow smoking in their place of business (Bar or Club or Restaurant for that matter) that's their business and it should not be left up to a state or federal body to tell them how to run their business.  We speak of less government, and more pro-active ways of making our country better! Well right now, I don't see it happening.  What I do see is that the generation that is making these decisions are doing it for their own agenda.  They are not protecting you, they are governing you!

IF you don't wish to patronize a place because they allow smoking, then it is your right not to go in there, don't complain, just leave.... if there are enough like you, that turn away from that type of business... most likely the owner will get the hint and make that choice on his own, not leave it up to the government to do it for him! If a CHAIN of bars and clubs tell all of their locations that they are smoke free that's their business, and their right, and if you choose not to go in there because you are not permitted to light up a cigarette or cigar, then that's YOUR choice, and you may go else where. BUT MAKE IT THE CHOICE OF BOTH PATRON and BUSINESS OWNER, to do as they please. 

You tried outlawing alcohol, we saw how far that got you.... now you are going to force the person who enjoys a good cigar or pipe, or even a cigarette to go under ground and feel like a criminal for doing so.

I- for one- do not advocate the use of cigarettes, I never understood the appeal to them, but they are still legal to smoke, however cigars and pipes that's different, because most of those smokes, like wine aficionados will tell you, its all about the taste of the product. Not the inhaling, and if you consider that second hand smoke from a cigar or pipe is deadlier than cigarette smoke, then you are on another planet... neither one has been linked to anything more than breathing and most likely that person already had a pulmonary  problem to start with, and being around the smoke exasperates the issue.

It is time that you stand up for what you believe in, if you think I am half cocked off my rocker, than do nothing, say nothing, if on the other hand you think that Government should leave the choices of our lives alone, then I suggest you get a hold of your Senator and your representative in both Austin and Washington D.C. and bombard them with your voice and your email, let them know that they were not voted as your baby sitter but someone who protected the State of Texas and the U.S.A!  PERIOD!

Just a thought!

Question For YOU!

Here's a question for you.... "Why is it, that we care more about those who make more money than the average person?" Why is it, that we want to know what is going on in the lives of those we have no 

opportunity to be like, since we lack the talent or the skill to do as they do?"

Alright-- so the answer is obvious! Because WE CAN!

It's true, we can deluge ourselves into the lives of celebrity or athlete, because we can, with Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Google, Bing, and every other instant information connection out there, not too mention our IPads, IPhones, IPods, and I and I and I-- sounds like a broken CD!

We as humans, have always been curious about others, hence the phrase, "The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side"... we don't wish to take care of our own little world, we want to know what is going on with OTHERS!

The recent calamity of Charlie Sheen is almost comical, and I know he is an actor that acts in a Situation Comedy... but seriously, this guy has just gotten fired for pretty much mouthing off about one of the writers and producers of the show he is on-- and makes millions for doing!

Lets not forget about the times that Mr. Sheen has been in and out of Re-Hab-- it runs in the family-- Martin Sheen, his father, was also a drug user, and then had become sober and clean and resurrected his career in the TV Series WEST WING! Fabulous job, and more so, if we could get Aaron Sorkin to write the script of a President, that person could win re-election in a heart beat and more so-- win an EMMY as well!

Obviously my tongue is firmly placed in my cheek about that, but truthfully, why do we care about Celebrity? Because we can!

Athletes are no different, we worry about the City of Dallas' Mayor Pro-Tem awarding a Key to the City to Philadelphia Eagle Quarterback Michael Vick when the Super Bowl was in North Texas. WHY? WHY do you care? because we can!  As it has been said before, the Key to any City doesn't hold the prestige that it once did many years ago, now its just another piece of Chatchka that sits on a shelf or inside a desk drawer forgotten and never looked at again! SO why do we care? Because we can!

Feel good stories-- such as The Texas Rangers Centerfielder Josh Hamilton, now that's a story we can embrace, because of what he went through and came out to become- He is a hero to many and to others, he is something that they wish to aspire to!

However, I know of a young woman, who, after graduating high school, took a path that drove her to use drugs and manufacture drugs and did this for a number of years! She the cheerleader that the Captain of the Football team wanted to be seen with, she was beautiful, vibrant, and delightful to be around, then a path that took her down a road of Meth, and the dark side of her life. She turned it around, she became clean, she turned her life over to a high being, and she tells her story so others won't follow the path! Yet we don't hear about her story, she is not a celebrity, nor is she an athlete, she is just a woman, a daughter, a sister, a mother and a wife, and yet we don't hear her story! Yet WE CAN! and we SHOULD!

We hear about  the deaths of our service men and women overseas, yet we don't "celebrate" what their job was, which is to protect us, our lifestyle, we, at times, even ignore the idea of them being buried with their coffin being draped by the American Flag! WHY? Because we can!

Lets stop worrying about the celebrities, lets concentrate on the stories of our lives, and maybe, just maybe these over paid imbeciles will make an impact on our lives in a positive way. THEN we can all say "WINNING!"

Just a thought!

Sixth Graders Organized Fight Club at School!

I read today in the paper of a group of sixth graders in Tacoma, Washington, that were involved in some sort of a “Fight Club”.

They would stage these fights on school grounds and in private homes, video them, put them on websites or Youtube! The club was discovered when one of the relatives talked to a news outlet in Tacoma, and watched a video that was on a cell phone—the club had their own set of rules—one of which was not to hit their opponent in the face, each match was timed—and no one was to know about it!

What in the world are we coming too? When was it allowed to have fights in school?

I remember when you had a fight at school, it was because someone was picking on someone, or you talked to someone else’s girlfriend, or you had a school bully on the grounds.

What was the phrase?: “Meet me at the flag pole after school!” and the fight was on at that point!

I had my struggles growing up, I can’t tell you how many fights I got in when I was in elementary school, there were two kids that were bullies! Clifford Attaway, and Mike Murphy! They constantly picked on me, and were always in my business, and just cutting me down, and causing grief.

I would come home beat up, and messed up, but I got home soon enough that I was able to clean up and not let my parents know about the troubles. Until one day I took a shot to the face, and got a pretty good size shiner under my left eye from a right cross to the face!

That’s when I decided that enough was enough!

The next time I was involved in a fight, Our Coach caught us… dragged both of us into the gym, and informed myself and Cliff that if we were going to fight we would do it fairly—no wrestling, no going to the ground—it was with boxing gloves and he would supervise!

Once the gloves got on my hands—I just envisioned being Mohammed Ali! Started to dance on my toes to my left—flicked my left hand into Cliff’s face—then drew my right hand—and just one move—my right hand slammed into the bridge of the nose of Cliff, his eyes started to water, and the next thing I know—he crumpled to the ground on his knees and started to cry! Just as he had made me cry numerous times when he would pin me on the ground and start in on me! The empowerment that I felt that moment was incredible—I beat the bully! From that moment forward, I never had problems with Cliff or Mike, or for that matter anyone else!

This was the way it was for generations before me and for a few after my time in school.  There was once an incident at my High School, that a friend of mine—in his ROTC uniform, was confronted by another student who was met our bus when it arrived at the campus—my friend stepped off the bus, and the next thing I know—His face was met with a strait right hand to his jaw—and it dropped him like a sack of potatoes! No fight club—just two people getting into an altercation!

This is different—this is organized, this is where a group of kids get together and just plain fight bare fisted against each other!

The nine that were involved have all been expelled from school—no word as to their permanent situation, though if I am the parents of these children, I would first have them in some sort of counseling, or maybe if they are that good—into the Golden Gloves program!

There are many Police departments that offer after school boxing programs, and these kids might need an outlet that will help them vent whatever angst they have!

I am not sure where our society is going, I am not sure that I understand it.  I am old school to a point because in some cased—OLD SCHOOL works best! Its not that its outdated or so old that it can’t keep up with technology! Sometimes, too much technology is not always best!

When children are no longer going outside to play in their neighborhoods just to play games— such as street football, or maybe a sandlot baseball game, we had a game called “Grab the Flag”… now there are organized games—such as Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, maybe even select Baseball, but do you have any clue how much money we spend on that—and trust me when I tell you that your child involved with any one of those organizations is never going to guarantee that your child will make it a profession out of it! My own experience with that is that—its good competition, but if a college really wants to take a look at your child—they will do so while they are in school working with the school program!

Fighting is never a good solution for any reason, we know that wars are sometimes the only solution to situations! But children are in school for one purpose and that is to learn—to be educated! WE need to implement that more! Its not longer a good enough to just make them go to class—its important for them to learn while they are there—and not disrupt the classroom. When that happens there has to be more than detention, or sent to the office! It has to have some consequence to it, and suspension is not the answer either! Keep them in school! And with budget cuts in the state of Texas, as well as other states, its difficult to make that happen!

Here’s an idea—since there is a possibility that there won’t be a NFL season this year, why don’t we make the owners of the NFL donate the 4 billion dollars that they are scheduled to make this year from the networks, that are not going to air their games if there is a lockout and put it back into the EDUCATION budget for all 50 states.. lets see—4Billion divided by 50 comes out to…$80Million Dollars per State—HELLO! ANYONE! BEULLER? BEULLER?

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out—just think of the possibilities we can have if that simple gesture is made (alright lets say they take half of that—and donate it—that’s still 40 million per state!)

Its just a thought!

Reflections!

Its funny-- but that was the name of the High School Newspaper-- REFLECTIONS-- and now that same high school is celebrating 40 years today!

Yes this day- March 1st 1971 the doors flung open to a new concept in education-- today its as common place as the ABC's...  MAGNET SCHOOL!

Hell the very term was made up-- and though there were detractors from the idea-- it forged through... and Dallas had the very first of its kind-- 80 acres of land-- it had and still has the only air hanger on campus with Cessna's and Bell Jet Rangers-- for students to learn air line mechanics-- horticulture-- child and youth development-- science-- electronics-- auto repair-- plastics-- food services-- and the list goes on and on-- over 27 different clusters-- and those were three hours of time set aside for a student to learn their vocation-- and there were those of us who chose to go to this school full time and leave our home school behind.

The diversity of students that walked the halls of Skyline High School was incredible-- you chose to go to that school-- so you  can imagine the type of students that were coming into the building-- we had one graduate who went on to be a real live rocket scientist.. others were well known athletes-- some actors and actresses and performers-- Some became lawyers and doctors-- and others chose a craft that would take them down other paths.

All in all-- Skyline Center and Skyline High School was not so much in the early days of winning football games or other athletic trophies-- it was more about academics and taking what you learned to another level...

Skyline was born on this date as a building, but the truth is-- it was born in 1968-- it just took it 3 years to get it right--

I am proud to say I am a graduate of this High School-- because of what it gave to myself and others like me-- it was unique-- it was special-- and for the rest of the country and in some parts of the world-- it gave a new way to teach!

Happy Anniversary Skyline! Live on Raiders!

Just a thought!