The Two THINGS that are SHORT—TIME and LIFE!

On the weekend of the April 27th, 2019, the Metroplex, and for that matter, the world lost an iconic voice, and a sound that will never be replaced.  

Not so much that the sound can’t be replace, but the body of that voice, the personality of that voice, will never be matched by anyone! 

On Saturday evening the 27th of April, Roger Emrich, the rich stoic, tone, that has graced the airwaves of Dallas/ Ft Worth since 1989, and specifically since 1993 for KRLD 1080AM and the Texas State Network in one capacity or another. Be it, covering the state capitol or sports, with the Friday Night Scoreboard, or even play by play of High School sports- Roger Emrich has been a part of the landscape all of this time. 

In 2011, he became the Public Address Announcer for the Dallas Cowboys inside their new home AT&T Stadium.  

That BOOMING Voice, bouncing off the rafters in the stadium, got your attention.  

Truly a great choice by the brain trust of the Cowboys for choosing Roger for their “PA VOICE”.  

But when you strip all of that away, and you take the time to have gotten to know Roger, you would have found out, that the “Bigger Than Life” persona, that came with his voice, was truly the package in what you got.  

He shook your hand, looked you right in the eye, and called you “Pardna!” as if you had been friends for a million years, and yet you just sat down with him five minutes ago!  

Yes that is exactly how he made, you feel, like a part of the family! Be it his radio family, or his extended family, Roger made you feel that comfortable and that warm.  

He was a show stopper, he would enter a room, and immediately we all knew who was in the house. RAJ-MAHAL was here! 

He was a "YO ROGER RAPS"  by doing satire RAP music for the sports station in Dallas/Ft. Worth 1053 the FAN, and it was a treat to see who they would get to do a duet with him! And most times it was hillarious!  

I have tried to write a eulogy to my friend, but to be honest with you, I can’t write a mournful word about him, I can and will continue to Celebrate Roger, and the life that he shared with those of us that had the opportunity to be a part of. 

Knowing Roger for the 30 years that I have been in this field, I was treated to some of the best stories, the best food ideas, restaurants, and advise about how to better my craft! All because HE wanted to, I have done my very best to pay it forward because of his ability to share. I try to continue to do that. 

Roger and his wife ( Cris, who preceded him in death) absorbed you into their lives, and were always genuine when they asked how you were doing, not something in passing, but truly cared. When their son was born, and Roger would let him tag along to games, and be a part of his broadcasting crew, it was only natural that “Little Teddy” would grow up being in this industry and surpassing Pops!  

He’s no longer Little Teddy! Now he is TED EMRICH! And over the years, he has done well, ESPN Television, the Olympics, The Masters, and other sporting events for Westwood One Radio and For Television on ESPN U and other outlets.  

Roger was very proud of his son’s accomplishments, and extremely proud the day that Ted met his future bride Kate, and they were married, and shortly thereafter, made The RAJ-MAHAL and GRANDPA ROG!  

The little girl that has Grandpa wrapped around her little finger and knows it too!  

Ted and Kate, it is times, like this one, that your faith and family along with the many friends of not just those of yours, but those that your father and mother have, that will surround you with the love and the protection that you will need!  

Everyone will ask you, if there is anything that they can do for you, and never hesitate to ask for that help when you need it most!  

No one is an Island, and no one should go through this challenge in life alone! It is, just that a challenge, and we all grow a little bit from it! 

Roger instilled in you Ted, everything you have become, and those of us who have known you for the majority of your life, are just as proud of you as if we were related to you!  

We will miss your father, we will miss our friend, and we will miss the laughter and the stories, as well as the suggestions for restaurants. 

Once Roger found out that I was once married to a woman from New Iberia, LA, you could have sworn I was an Honorary Cajun, by his standards!  

From his meager beginnings, to his joining the Air Force, to writing for the News Papers, to making it to Radio and continue his journey from Louisiana to Texas! Roger Emrich will be forever forged into our memories, and into our hearts! 

WE will miss you my friend! WE WILL REMEMBER YOU ALWAYS!  

Just a thought  

Next Stop--- Basketball Immortality! The Hall of Fame

Number 41 in your programs, number 1 in your hearts, the best of the best—the 14 Time All Star, the League MVP, and a World Champion! The ONE the ONLY, Dirk Nowitzki!

Twenty one years in one uniform, 21 years playing for the same team, and 21 years of bringing a brand of basketball to a league, to a city that everyone can appreciate, and not once could you say anything wrong about his ability!

Yes, the sun rose on a Thursday morning in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas and for the first time in 21 years, there will no more Dirk Nowitzki hitting a fade away jumper from 15 feet out of the rim and letting fall between the twine of the net of the basket.

It is not the first time in the history of Dallas/Ft. Worth sports, that a “hero” had to step down from his playing days, and call it a career. Though rare that it is that you get to have that one player in your city for his entire career, and for that matter 21 years.

Most of the time its 10 years, give or take a few years.

Lets look at the others that have graced the front page of the Sports sections in this sports town.

Troy Aikman—10 years with the Dallas Cowboys, played his entire career in the same uniform, and retired with THREE Super Bowl Rings, Hall of Fame induction, Cowboy Ring of Honor, and countless Cowboys records.

Michael Irvin, 11 years as a Cowboy receiver. THREE Super Bowl Rings, Hall of Fame induction, Cowboy Ring of Honor and COUNTLESS records in the Cowboys record books.

Emmitt Smith—oops didn’t finish his career in a Cowboy uniform, nope he was released then went to Arizona to play one year for the Cardinals. But not before setting a NEW NFL Rushing Record, leap frogging over Walter Payton, and—YES, THREE SUPER BOWL RINGS—Hall of Fame induction, Cowboys Ring of Honor, and oh yeah that little thing known as a records.

Those are just a handful of the Cowboy greats, throw in  Roger Staubach, and his TWO Super Bowl Rings and Hall of Fame Induction and Cowboys Ring of Honor and we can just stay on this subject for the rest of article.

What about Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, he played the majority of his career for the Texas Rangers, but won a World Series ring with the Florida Marlins, and then bounced around to other teams, there is a patter that is about to follow, that not everyone one gets to start and finish with the same team- for a career.

Mike Modano of the Dallas Stars, started in Minnesota with the North Stars then the team moved to Dallas and became the Dallas Stars, and he played until they released him and one last season with the Detroit Red Wings and then retirement. The Stars did indeed retire his #9 sweater—and he does have a Stanley Cup Championship and numerous All Star appearance and Olympics as well!

Just to continue with this theme, prior to free agency, players were the property of the teams and their owners, they would start and end their playing careers with the same team unless they were traded to another team.

Look at Babe Ruth, started out with the Boston Red Sox, until the owner needed capitol to get a play on Broadway that, pretty much, FLOPPED. But none the less the New York Yankees paid to bring the Bambino to the Bronx and that is where he led them to championship after championship.

Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, all wore the pinstripes throughout their careers, but other guys like Billy Martin who, after a few altercations, was placed on the trading block and sent to Kansas City, (the Team owns you to do as they please, not getting the best offer from a team when your contract is up)

The few players that were able to start and end their careers with the same team, during the age of free agency, Cal Ripken Jr. comes to mind, who played his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles, and broke the Iron Man’s record for consecutive games played. Twenty years with the same team and played in 2632 games. Now that is a record that I doubt anyone will ever break, but then again, we said the same thing about home runs, and track records, that have fallen, all because, as the adage goes, “Records are made to be broken”.

Dirk Nowitzki, will be forever entrenched in the lore of the Dallas Mavericks, there were others that came into the Maverick fold, Brad Davis, Rolondo Blackman, Steve Nash, Jet Terry, and a host of others. But NO ONE will ever wear the number 41 ever again, and no one will touch what he has done for this team, for this city, or this community, and for his fans!

When the NBA season starts for 2019-20, it will be without Dirk as well as another star Dwayne Wade, who also retried this season, and the landscape will be in the hands of the other youngsters that will make their mark in the NBA.

Luka Doncic, has started his legend this year, as the rookie phenom, and the Wunderkind, to take the place of the Big German, as Nowitzki has come to be known over the years. There will be others, you can rest assure of that.

Come the dawn of a new season in six months or so, it will be a new roster and a new caliber of player to wear the uniform of the Mavericks and with that, hope will once again be on the side of the fans and maybe there will be a shimmering of hope that another NBA Title looms on the horizon.

Though when you think about it, it has been a lot of retirements happening since last summer, with the Rangers announcing the retirement of Adrian Beltre, and soon his number will be retired at the Ball Park, and to think they won’t even wait for several years to pass before they do that. Makes you wonder, how soon will Mark Cuban do that for Dirk, and retire 41 before he goes into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Thanks for all that you have done Dirk, for the Mavericks, the City of Dallas, and for the Community you have adopted as your home after coming over from Germany! Danke Shoen! Mein Herr!

Just a thought!

Celebrate 10 Years, But Remember the First Nine!

That’s what the Allen Americans are having to do this 2019 season, when they started out back in October, there was a bit of hope in the air, and with that, you would think that they had a chance to actually put something together to make their 10^th season on the ice in Allen, something to be remembered, 

However, that is not the case, this is a season to forget, other than the head coach Steve Martison, getting his 1000^th win behind a bench, and it comes during a season that, frankly should be soon forgotten. The announcement that a new NHL affiliation with the Minnesota Wild, and their triple A team Iowa Wild, seemed to be a good turn, for the last several years the team was associated with the San Jose Sharks.

Coach Martison seems to have a good relationship with most, if not all the teams in the NHL and could have helped any of the teams out there, but Minnesota came and signed.

Never quite understood why the team in Downtown Dallas, didn’t pick up the team in Allen to be their Double A affiliate, but none the less, as the team in Allen can and have said in the past, their lost is someone else’s gain.

But the truth of the matter is that this team has seen better months in this ECHL, and with this season coming down to the last few games, its pretty obvious that this team is not going to make the playoffs for the first time in the 10 years that they been playing in Allen.

Lets face it, this teams first appearance in the playoffs was their first year playing, they took it to the CHL Finals against Rapid City Rush, only to lose in six games. The second through their fourth year they made the post season then in the fifth year they win their first title in the CHL, the following year, they go back to back, then they move to the ECHL and win it there, despite being called a “Beer League”, then backed it up with another Championship. FOUR IN A ROW for this little hockey team in Allen, one shy of tying the Dallas Cowboys for most championships by one team.

Those are the memories that stick with the faithful of the Americans, but the season of 2018-19 will be one to forget, not getting anywhere near the playoffs, and that stings, talking to Coach Martison, he shows the wear and tear of a season, that for lack of a better word “Sucked”. So from here, the questions begs to be asked—“how do you improve?” The answer is, rebuild from the ground up!

No nucleus will be in place, from goaltender to scorers. This season alone there was no defense, at least that anyone would write home to mom about. This team overall lacked the killer instinct. Nothing to show for it!

So this American Team will have to find another way to get the right players to be on this squad! Marty (Coach Martison) will search and look under every rock and crook and cranny to secure players to put on the ice and give a fighting chance to at least make the post season for next year.

For now we will look back, look at the banners that hang from the rafters, and wear the championship gear that we have collected over the four years of this team, and remember that they were the best of the best for those 9 years on the ice in Allen!

Its just a thought!

Second Verse --- Same as the First!

It seems that every time a NEW football league comes rolling around, it has a bang of a start, then somewhere along the line, the league runs into the massive road block that is known as the Those THREE LITTLE LETTER! NFL! That’s right—the NO FUN LEAUGE!

They rule the gridiron as if they have a monopoly! They don’t like to have anyone else play in their sand box and Lord help you if you do!

So we have had the World Football League in the 70’s, we had the USFL that lasted more than one season (until Donald *Now President* Trump) meddled in the happenings, and that dissolved that league!

Then came along the XFL but that didn’t have anything to do with the NFL it imploded on itself, thank you Mr. Vincent Kennedy McMahon! YOU pretty much screwed that up all on your own!

So now that brings us to this incarnation of a league—THE AAF! The Alliance of American Football.

Eight teams that were put together, in towns that pretty much didn’t have professional football and were eager and hungry to have something to cheer for and call their own!

San Diego, San Antonio, Birmingham, Memphis, Salt Lake City, Orlando, Arizona, and Atlanta, now two of those entries have NFL teams in them.. Atlanta and Arizona, however, they play in other stadiums other than where the NFL team calls home, none the less, these 8 teams are in trouble, they have played 7 weeks out of the 10 scheduled, they got an influx of money from the owner of the Carolina Hurricane of the NHL, of 250 million dollars and that was just to cover payroll.

Now from there, they named Thomas Dundon who was a majority investor in the league, the “chairman” and to make the best moves in the interest of the league.

HOWEVER—and this is where it gets really sticky- Dundon has stated that this league, unless it gets some help from the NFLPA (that’s the National Football League Players Association—in other words UNION) to allow players that are on practice squads to play with the AAF, it will have to fold, due to the lack of quality players for fans to keep their interest in.

So far the NFLPA has not responded to his request, and the other grand move, is that in late April, the 27^th to be exact, the AAF Championship game WAS to be played in Las Vegas, Nevada at Sam Boyd Stadium—the home field of the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) but Dundon moved the game with some negotiation with Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones, to Frisco, Texas- which is the World Headquarters of the Cowboys, and their facility at the Star, and Ford Center. The Cowboys indoor practice field.

So all of this is being done, and the outlook is that this league won’t survive after that game is completed. Its pretty much doomed.

EVEN with the signing of former Heisman Trophy winner (2012) Johnny Manziel, and the buzz that it creates is still not enough to make this league make the profit it was hoping for.

They have some “name” players on rosters, and coaches in the right spot, but the fact is the product, though for the most part, is not bad, its not drawing attention that they had hoped for.

CBS Television was one of the major players in this league, hyping the league with promotions during the Super Bowl broadcast, that “football isn’t over—the week after the “big game” will have the new AAF”. Well they showed up, and their ratings were great, but as the season went on, the over the air broadcast didn’t exist, now you have to watch it on cable, or sometimes online!

You are not able to watch YOUR team in your area, because of the way that the broadcast is being fed. Unlike the NFL—which divides the country up for better viewership, and lets face it, if the Dallas Cowboys are on the schedule to play on a Sunday afternoon—most likely they will get the late game slot, if they are on Monday Night, Sunday Night, Thursday Night Football, well you can bank your bottom dollar that the ratings for that time slot will be won by game is being played as long as the Cowboys are a part of it!

Its not brag—its fact! The Cowboys draw, love them or hate them, they will put eyeballs on the sets and that’s great for advertisers!

AAF—not so much—you have to figure a better way to skin the cat!

Lets look at another couple of leagues that DID have the blessings of the NFL… The World League of American Football in Europe, was a summer league and it filled some of the stadiums but not the TV sets in America, the Arena Football League (AFL) had backing of NFL teams and were using the NFL facilities for training and help with players, and such, but because of a greedy Commissioner, it folded and ceased operation one year, the league has never come back to what it once was, and there are now splinter leagues from the AFL trying to survive.

SO as you can see, the NFL wields the power, and all others must fall into place. There is another league going to kick off next season in 2020 and it’s the resurrection of the XFL, but this time more serious than the first incarnation of it, but in the same boat as the AAF, no agreement with the NFL to use their players, and if that is the case, you might as well fold up your tents and call it a day, since the NFL is not going to let you play with their toys in their sand box, the likely hood of you succeeding is pretty slim and nill and lets face it, SLIM just left town.

So all in all there is more about this than meets the average eye, and in the end its all about the one and only thing, its about money and its about surviving!

Its just a thought.