Backing the Blue!

The THIN BLUE LINE!

Sounds like the title of a movie, or just a slogan that has been used for many different reasons!

However, the phrase is so true today-- it is a very THIN Blue Line that people probably never see, they never noticed it, and some might even think that it exist because of a wrong doing by some police officer in their life!

That being said, I have had the privilege of working shoulder to shoulder with police officers, and have had the sad duty of being on the scene when an officer had gone down in the line of duty, and having to record the scene for evidence.

I know what it is like for the departments chaplain has to walk up to the house of the now, new widow, and inform her that her husband is not coming home, he was lost in the line of duty. The horrific look on their face, the sound of wailing that begins, and the sound of ultimate pain!

Over the last several months, this country, has laid to rest TOO MANY men and women in that wear uniforms of police departments, and law enforcement agencies. Killed in the line of duty, and at times, at home off duty!

Killed because of a senseless call to arms against the police because someone believes that their tactics are wrong, even comparing them to Gestopo tactics of World War II.

Don't even get me started on that! Not EVEN close boys and girls!

The phrase #BLACKLIVESMATTERS has been strewn across social media, and that the "Battle Cry" has risen, that now we see #BLUELIVESMATTERS or #WOMENLIVESMATTER-- I'm here to tell you all-- #LIFEMATTERS period, doesn't matter what color skin you are, doesn't matter what you wear, doesn't matter what cultural you come from, it DOESN'T MATTER-- YOUR LIFE MATTERS!

Armed confrontation with a police officer might result in death, that's a warning that bumper stickers used to say in the 80's in the Dallas area. It wasn't right, it wasn't meant as a joke, I assure you, it was however there, and it was causing some uneasy feelings in the community.

At the time... Police Chief Billy Prince didn't see any harm in that little slogan on the cars or in the community, however when officers were being shot down in the middle of the street on Commerce by a homeless man who took a gun away from the officer who had been on the force for three years, it was too much-- the homeless person took that gun, and shot point blank into the head of three year veteran officer John Glenn Chase, I knew him-- I did his rookie photo for his ID card! THAT MADE IT PERSONAL!

Since then, there have been others who have lost their lives in the heat of the battle, and were killed, the last one was in 2011... four years so far without a lost of a life in the Dallas Police Department in the line of duty!

Facts are simple, these men and women put on a uniform every day, they put on a badge over their heart, and they are sworn as peace officers to protect and to serve the community.

WE call them when we are in trouble, and yes there are times, when we feel that they stop us for what we consider a minor infraction of the law (Speeding mainly) and have to go through the ritual of being embarrassed on the side of the street, or in our neighborhood where they stopped us, and be told to take care of this with in 21 days yaddy yaddy yeadda! Truth is.. its THEIR JOB! Don't hold it against them for doing it... and it doesn't hurt to say thank you to them or even thank them for their service! Amazing what a little kindness would do for their attitude and YOURS!

We are all in this together, we all live in our communities, and we must, no matter where you live, protect those who protect us! Like one person said to an officer getting gas one  day "Got your back officer"-- we all have to watch their backs-- because lord knows they are watching ours!

Just a thought! 

Here We Are Once Again!

It seems every year, we go through this ritual of "First Day of School!" And we all see the photos, and here the news stories, and we are riveted by the scenes around elementary and high schools of students feet being photographed or videoed for the TV news, and such, and hearing the sobbing mom's and the doting dad's saying how proud they are of their little one heading off to school!

Alright, lets drop back 40-50 years ago, and NO one and I mean NO ONE cared about the first day of school, other than the Teachers, and the parents that had to drop of their kids before they went to work, because during the summer we still had schedules.

I don't know about you guys, but for myself and my sibling, we were involved with Summer activities at the local elementary school, or later at a YMCA day camp near Bachman lake in North Dallas.

Memories come rushing back to me, as I remember the summer months of Camp Kiwanis, where we could go swimming, or canoeing, or even Dinosaur Bone digging along the spillway (yes there was one found and brought to the Dallas Museum of Natural History to be verified), we had camp councilors that would bring their guitars and sing "Big Blue Frog"  (if you don't know it look it up on You Tube by Peter, Paul, and Mary-- their album 1700), that made the Dallas Morning News, and my sister sitting right next to the longhaired councilor, who wasn't a hippie because he actually wore socks! (Swear that was one of the kids response when they were asked about his "hippie looks")

I remember being at that camp with a school mate of mine who played baseball and had to be excused from certain activities so he could play that night, or the time I was jumped on by four other campers to beat me up, and some came to my aid!

Going across Denton Dr, to the Marines Recruiting compound (Now a Dart Barn) where we could shoot .22 rifles and learn how to take care of a weapon-- and also how to "DROP AND GIVE ME 20!!!!"... (hey Vietnam was still going on, and military life was staring us in the face)

THEN after three months of that, it was time to go back to school! No fanfare, no trumpets blaring our return, just our neighbors walking the familiar walk to the elementary and seeing the flag raised, and our morning pledge of allegiance, and the morning announcements!

Some of us couldn't wait for our lunch break, and our social gathering in those days was meeting someone at the "Black Top" after lunch and hang out!

Music was a big part of elementary life, either singing in the choir or playing an instrument, for me it was the Violin, later the Drums, and when I got to high school it was being the Half Time Announcer for the band and drill team.

School-- first day-- last day-- it was the same, we got up, got to school, got educated, and left with accomplishment.

TODAY! Social media-- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pintrest, you name it, SnapChat, people are on it! Sending their pictures of their younin's on there, to make all of us see how they were dressed for this first day of school, and how hard it is to let go for some of them starting High School, or their Senior Year of high school!

I have a good and dear friend who will send her youngest-- her baby off to College at the end of the month, and in doing so, that is a huge emotion to do that. Three hours southeast of Dallas, in a town where there's not much to do, other than go to College, and go to the Football Games, the Basketball Games or other events, and pledge a Sorority, and maybe get a job at the local sports bar, and basically watch the traffic lights flash yellow at nine o'clock!

Yep thats life at Stephen F. Austin State University! And in doing that, my friend will become an empty nester, and hopefully she will be able to do things that she has not been able, since being injured on the job a year ago!

But in any case.. FIRST DAY of school is done, and over with, and my memories, are a bit skewed, in as much as I just remember being kicked out of the house at 7:30 so I could walk fifteen minutes to the school, walk through the doors, and see my homeroom teacher, and seeing old friends!

Welcome BACK STUDENTS! it only 1 day out of 180 that you will be in school, and lets not forget, the Winter Break (used to be called Christmas Break at one time) Spring Break (used to be called Easter Break) and then SUMMER VACATION (now known as 2 months and a few days of laying around the house bugging the hell out of parents -- I'm bored-- there's nothing to do).. GET A FRIGGIN JOB!

I laugh, because that was the EXACT words my parents said to me when I told them that I was bored! And I did! made all the difference in the world!

So lets get through this first week, there will be pep assemblies, football games on Friday nights, and after the games the gathering at the local hamburger joints (in our day it was KIP'S BIG BOY) today its more like What-A-Burger or other fast food joints! Miss Kip's! Forest Lane and Marsh! or the one on Northwest Highway at Hillcrest! There were others, but those are the ones in my memory banks!

Hell for a real good time-- My parents would load us up in the car and take us down to House of Gong on Northwest Hwy and Marsh Lane (north of Love Field).

I digress! Its the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!  And in just nine short months it will be the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! and then GRADUATION! (even from kindergarten to first grade and from middle school to high school, then from High School to College- and then from College to Bankruptcy- because of your student loans!) just sayin!

It's just a thought! 

THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME 2015

Once every year, the Football Gods gather in Canton, Ohio, these are the ones that sit , not on top of Mount Olympus, no, these are the ones that sit in back rooms and gather and vote on the ones that should be inducted in the Pro-Football Hall of Fame, and from the perspective that I have seen—I will tell you that that they got it right!

Jerome Bettis,  “THE BUS” from Notre Dame, goes into the hall, he was a great running back, that just bruised everyone that got in his way, and won a Super Bowl for his efforts as well with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and with THE BUS going in from the Fightin Irish, so did another member of the Golden Dome’s…

Dallas’ very own, Tim Brown.. .and here’s a little tidbit information, Brown is the FIRST Dallas Independent School member to enter into the Hallowed Halls of the Hall of Fame.. a Heisman Trophy winner out of Notre Dame, and a Cotton Bowl Classic participant, then made his way to the Silver and Black of the Oakland Raiders, a punt return specialist, and a wide receiver that made defenders look silly once he got his hands on the ball and good move. Brown is the answer to a great trivia question… only ONE public High School in the Nation has produced TWO Heisman Trophy Winners, can you name the school? ANSWER: WOODROW WILSON HIGH SCHOOL, Dallas, Texas.. the other winner was TCU’s Davey O’Brien, and then a trophy was named after him in his honor for the best College Quarterback in the Country.

Another Dallas connection went into the Hall of Fame, #94 in your program #1 in your heart.. .Charles Haley. The big defensive lineman that helped Dallas to win THREE Super Bowls in the 90’s and before that, he took TWO with the San Francisco 49ers! HE is the ONLY NFL player to have FIVE SUPER BOWL RINGS and yet took forever to get into the Hall of Fame.

Aikman, Irvin, Smith, Sanders, Allen, they all went into the Hall of Fame before a FIVE TIME SUPER BOWL CHAMPION was allowed in, I am not saying that this is in justice, it’s a bit mind boggling. I mean Haley deserves his place in the Hall, no doubt, but I would have liked to have seen it happen before 2015, he has been eligible since 2004, and it took another 11 years to get there!

Junior Seau, the San Diego Charger linebacker, who tragically took his life after all the head injuries, and brought attention to the concussion issues with the NFL and NCAA and even into High Schools, was inducted in this class of 2015, and there was a bit of controversy to it as well, as the NFL was NOT going to allow his daughter to induct him into the Hall with a speech. Thank GOODNESS someone woke up and reversed that, and allowed a very well spoke, very gracious young lady to stand at the podium and speak about her Father, with not just love, but with the passion that JUNIOR played with when he was between the hash marks. It was fitting, it was well spoken, and Sydney was eloquent, and complimentary to the right people with the Chargers, the NFL, and especially her Grand Parents. The first Samoan to be inducted to the Hall and as she said.. most likely not the last.

The Pro-Football Hall of Fame is not just about the NFL, its about PRO FOOTBALL as a whole, though the majority of the members did play for NFL teams there were those who’s career were involved in the Canadian Football League the Arena Football League, and leagues that were before and even during the infancy of the NFL.

Canton, Ohio, a small town, with a big place in the NFL and the beginnings of Pro Football.

With the Class of 2015 secured in their place, this Hall is just a bit more class! Congratulations to the newest members of the Hall, and from my perspective, its great to see a Woodrow Wilson Wildcat enter, and another notch for the city of Dallas! Well done!

Just a thought.

IT is JUST A THOUGHT!

And so it goes with that line that I have been using to end my journals and my blogs for more than 2 decades.

It is more than just a thought, it is a process of thinking through our minds, and our thoughts to come up with either a story, or an editorial on life, or whatever it seems.

In this particular case, it is something that must be said publicly, or it will be something that will be buried, and swept under a rug and never thought about, and it could prevent others from falling into the same trap.

Oh there will be those who think that this is torching a bridge, or making waves, but the truth is, its protecting the public, and making those aware of their mistakes, and for others to avoid making them in the future.

In the case of a business owner, and I use that term a bit loosely here, but none the less, a person who has an office, and runs a business, and hires employees to do a job, but in the long process of this, he fails to pay that employee, and tells them that "its a start up business" or "we will have investors taking care of our payroll", or "if you can just be patient, we will take care of you"... YEAH and the sad part of this all, is we fall for it! HOOK- LINE- AND SINKER!

I did this, not once, not twice, but three times, with in recent years.  You would think I would learn by now, but ya know, they're good friends, or they come to you and ASK YOU to work for THEM!

Thats the real kicker, they make the proposal that you work for them, because they "NEED YOUR EXPERTISE" or "You're the PERFECT fit" for the company, or "WHY AREN'T YOU WORKING FOR ME?"

Well if could have looked into a crystal ball, and see that you didn't have funds for payroll, or to keep the doors open, or make the opportunity to make a go at it, and after two months, four months and in one case 7 months, one would think that they would learn from those mistakes!

Not this one! OH NO NO NO! Step right on up, and get slapped in the face again with reality, no one has YOUR best interest in mind!

We keep going to places looking for work, in retail, they offer to pay you, and this is no joke, $8.00 an hour, (which is just truly above minimum wage) for someone that has 30 plus years experience, AND to boot, they want someone that knows the business, but they won't pay for the experience or the knowledge.

Or how about this one, you are over  the age of 50, and they look at you like you are just this side of retirement, but the fact is, that you are still able to get out of bed every day, and come to work, and put in your 8 or so hours, and do the job, but they rather have a younger employee, because they don't have to pay them as much, and they get what they pay for. Someone that they have to train, and teach, and get them experience, instead of getting someone that hits the ground running!

Our society has changed, I remember when working for a company for 20 plus years was the norm, and that companies wanted those in place for a long period of time, we have loyalty to company and company to employee, they took care of their own, we used to go into job interviews and usually after the initial questions and answers about your background and such, the question would be asked "Do you have any questions for us?" to which would come, "What about benefits?", and in the days before all sorts of crap came down, we would be told about health benefits, and insurance, and retirement and vacation qualifications-- NOW... hell, you're lucky if you have ANY BENEFIT other than a PAYCHECK every other week!

There are no benefits offered to employees of small operations, you have to work for large corporations, and even that is suspect, because they don't want to pay those premiums! They don't want that cost!

I have a friend who is a CFO of a company and he just changed their carrier because he could get the cost lowered, but in doing so, the employees deductable went through the roof! $1500.00! Thats right, so unless I am in the ER for a few hours, I have to chew through that deductable-- and lets face it--the purpose of having benefits is to take care of your health so you can stay on the job!

Recently there was a case where I was asked to work for a operation, and they came to me and asked me to be a part of their team. Gave me a title and all, but the fact is, they didn't pay me, oh they gave me a token check in April, and then a smidgen of one in May, but nothing since then. worked through June, and then July up to the middle of the month, when I finally threw up my hands and said enough!

Problem with this is that since last NOVEMBER, I have been out of work, nothing full time, and nothing that can pay the rent or the bills, now this all sounds like me crying in my milk, but the truth is, it's not for lack of trying! Believe me!

So here is the bottom line to those of you that run business, and have a choice to make,... either CLOSE the damn doors, and go work for someone else, or HAVE YOUR OVERHEAD COVERED! Either way, you are a pebble in the water, and the ripple effect that you create when you drop that pebble into the water is what effect everyone around you.

YOU CHOOSE! Bottom line boys and girls, we are not here to be YOUR puppet, we are here to earn a living, and not just a minimum wage living either, if I was 16 or 20 years of age, maybe but not at 55 years of age! This is where we EARN our keep, and should have been earning our keep since we were in our 30's or late 20's.

I have had some terrific jobs, that paid a living wage, and they lasted a couple of years, but one thing  or another happened that ended the job-- sometimes my fault, other times circumstances that I had no control over!

Doesn't matter, those were salad days, and now they are gone!

SO STEP UP and don't be one of those that I have to spread the word about and make you look bad to others, because I can! I have! and I will!

Nothing like having someone talk the truth about you, and it happens to be bad, and then YOUR reputation is sullen but by YOUR actions, not by mine!

YOU'RE NOTHING MORE THAN A CROOK! and by that, I mean you STOLE my time, my knowledge, and my experience and DIDN"T PAY FOR IT! 

Thats TEFT!

You live with THAT thought!

Because IT'S JUST A THOUGHT! 

History-- RIGHT OR WRONG-- DON'T RE-WRITE IT!

In recent days, and months, we, as a country, have come under some serious controversy, some of it has us wagging our tongues in anger, others has us wagging those same tongues in discussion!

Here is my take on the recent hooha of the Confederate Battle Flag, also known as the "Southern Cross".

We all NOW know what its true meaning was, and the reason why it was a BATTLE FLAG, and not the flag of the Confederate States, and therefore, its representation, and its implication has been distorted through history.

Even more, I have asked some friends of different ethnic backgrounds, of what certain flags mean to them when they see it.

I grew up in the South, Texas to be exact, we were under the flag of not only the Confederacy but also other countries, including Spain, France, Mexico, and of course the United States.

When I spoke with my friends, the Battle Flag-- the Southern Cross, the one that everyone says represents Slavery, or Hate... actually I know that the KKK has used that flag as their rallying cry for many years, and that they use it to symbolize that hate. Truth is, its just a piece of cloth, and for what it is worth, I don't get my ire up when I see it, I know its history and its background and I know that to some it gives off that vibe. But unless YOU teach the true meaning of it, the real purpose behind it, then you can defuse this hate, this representation.

Education is paramount! WE TEACH HATE, when a baby is born it knows no fear, it hasn't been taught what to be afraid of, be it the dark or the monsters under the bed at night. Or in some cases that we fear our neighbors. Truth is, FEAR and HATE are both TAUGHT traits, we aren't born with it, we have to be TOLD what to be afraid of, or who to dislike in our lives.

I grew up COLOR BLIND! I didn't, and still don't see a color of skin I see the character of the person. I have always agreed with the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he said, that he had a dream that one day, "Black Children and White Children will grow up together"... and judge one another by their character not by the color of their skin!

Being Jewish, I know when I see a Swatzka, or a German SS uniform, I get a little chill down my spine. I remember being 15 years of age, my dad was a member of an organization that brought to a local mall, a car that was give to, and driven by Eva Braun, and for those of you not familiar with her, that was Adolf Hitler's girlfriend (later wife), he had a customized Mercedes Benz built for her, and it was unique, in that it had 24kt Hubcaps, a German Eagle on the hood, and dual engines, one was Gasoline, the other was Diesel.

I was the only one small enough to get into the driver's seat and steer it into the mall off of the truck. Sitting next to me in the passenger seat, was the SS uniform of the Corporal that was assigned to protect her.  The collector of the this piece of history purchased the car and had it stored in his home in Arizona.

I looked at the uniform, and for a moment, I was intrigued by it, then realized that it represented a time in our history, World History, where men, that thought that they were GODS wanted to eliminate an entire type of people. The JEWS, they were the enemy of the Third Reich, they were going to keep the Thousand Year Reich from ruling the world!

Again, many of those people had friends-- good friends, close friends, neighbors, and yet-- because of what they were taught by their leaders-- it became HATE, and FEAR, and the next thing you know-- SIX MILLION Jews, Prisoners, War Criminals, were exterminated!

Slavery is not just, believe me I know, the slaves that built the Pyramids in Egypt, 400 years of being slaves to Pharaohs to build cities, and monuments, but yet we seem to forget that Slaves have been around for thousands of years.

Flags, emblems, uniforms, call it what you will, we cannot re-write the history, we cannot white wash it to fit our Political Correctness that we have fallen into. The Flag to the left is what angers and incites riots and fights-- the truth is... its not the flag that flew over the state house of the Confederate. This is a battle flag! 

This is the flag that flew-- and by the looks of it, it does not stir up the hate that the one above
does! 

Teach the HISTORY don't re-write it! However, in teaching it, give it the respect that it deserves, its not always good, and its not always evil, and its not always right or wrong-- it is just what it is.. HISTORY!

Flags don't cause hate... PEOPLE CAUSE HATE! and distrust! The first thing is, we have to learn about each other, the culture, the traditions of our culture. Don't think YOU know your own culture, just because someone tells it to you, learn about it, go to it, live it, breathe it! That's YOUR job now!

A Generation is growing up in a society that believes that everything that they see and hear on the internet is true, and we all know (at least in my generation) that's not always the case, I know that there is false history, and I know that if you let the MEDIA drive the direction it wishes to take you in, then you (WE) are nothing more than SHEEP!

Time to wake up and move forward and time to take a stand, and time to TEACH new methods of understanding each other.

GAY, Straight, Black, White, Brown, Yellow, Purple, it does not matter, Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddist, it doesn't matter..." we all live on this small planet, we all breathe the same air, we all are concerned for our children's future, and we are all mortal! "- John F. Kennedy, Americas University Commencement Speech 1963.

Just a thought

When Do We Wake Up?

It’s a simple question really, when DO we wake up?

This is a case of actually falling for the same routine over and over again, and never getting it right, because at times we are blinded by our own ambition, and in doing so, we fail to see that the light at the end of this tunnel, is actually the TRAIN, and not a metaphor!

I have taken positions with operations, that tell me that they want me to be a part of their operation, and that they like what I bring to the table, and that they would pay me a certain amount to do so!

HOWEVER! (Here comes the shocker boys and girls) there seems to be NO money to pay me, 

EVEN THOUGH! I have lowered my standards to be a part of something I thought was much bigger and better!

What has happened is that they operation, comes across as a multi million dollar business, and it turns out that they can’t even keep their own lights on much less anyone else. They proclaim that they have investors that are being talked to about this situation, and that money is on the way, when in fact that after the first two times they say it, maybe its true, but after the third, fourth, and so on, NOT SO MUCH!

I am in a situation, where I bought into this time and time again, because they come to me and ask me to be a part of their business, their operation, it happened in Radio, and now in Baseball!

When am I going to learn that people want you to work for free and not get a paycheck for your work that you render them!

I am not an intern, nor do I wish to be one at this age, what I would like however, is someone to own up to their shortcomings and tell me straight up front that they can’t afford me, that way I don’t waste their time or mine trying to come up with solutions for their fall out!

I love my job, don’t get me wrong, and yes in ways, it does beat working for a living, but the fact is, I do work for a living, and I work hard at my craft, just at my age, no Radio Station wishes to hire me, and no Cigar Shop wants to pay me what I am worth after 30 plus years in the business, and over 35 years in the Media, be it with a camera or with a microphone! Either way, it should bring something to the table, I am just frustrated!

I have been through this more than once, and each time there is only one person to blame—and that’s ME, since I am the one that falls for this time and time again!

So here’s the bottom line to anyone reading this, if you can use my services, and you wish to actually pay a rate more than minimum wage, (alright a little bit more—a lot more—you figure it out) please contact me through email, davemichaels@davradioproductions.com or if you are looking to advertise I will be more than glad to talk to you about that as well!

Thank you for your understanding, and your friendship! Its more important than any job out there!

Just a thought! 

A CITY OF CHAMPIONS!

Allen, Texas—The City of Allen is now known as the City of Champions, mainly because for the last three years, not only has the High School won State Championships, but now the Minor League Hockey Team that resides there, has done the same!

The Allen Eagles, High School Power House in football for the state of Texas has claimed three championships in a row, and the last year, moved up in classification as 6-A.

This past October, the CHL (Central Hockey League) folded and seven teams moved over to the well established, older league, known as the ECHL (East Coast Hockey League) including, the Allen Americans.

With this move, the schedule was such, that the Americans, and the six other teams, would play the majority of their games against each other, with a smattering of ECHL opponents thrown in now and then, but when it came to the playoffs, that would be a whole different can of worms.

And so it goes, the Americans proceed as a TWO TIME defending CHL champion in this new league, and has to fend off not only their old foes, such as the Tulsa Oilers, or the Missouri Mavericks, but new battles with Ontario Reign.

It was against the REIGN that the Americans had to go through them to get to the finals, and in doing so, showed this NEW LEAGUE, that this CHL “BEER LEAGUE” Team can hold their own against the OLDER ESTABLISHMENT!

AND SO IT BEGAN, the best of seven series that is known in sports as the FINALS, for a Hockey crown, in this particular case, the Kelly Cup!

It was an odd format, mainly because of travel and cost, so it was a 3-3-1 series, and neither team really had the home ice advantage, with visiting teams taking 2 a piece on the other’s ice, and winning one to protect, but it call came down to ONE game on Allen’s home ice, and the stats don’t lie!

Steve Martisen, the head coach and general manager of this Allen Americans team, has never lost a game seven on home ice since he has been coaching, 18 years behind the bench, in different leagues, and now NINE championship rings and banners to his claim!

This game seven started out with intensity, with the Americans scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes, then in the second period, three more times, including with time running out in the period on a power play to go up 5-0. The final period, one more goal to seal the deal, and the South Carolina Stingrays, the NUMBER ONE DEFENSIVE TEAM in the league with a LEAGUE MVP on their team in the nets, get ran off after it was 4-0!

The Stingrays, a former Kelly Cup Champion themselves, thought that they could come into Allen and take care of business, but for the first period, all hey saw were white sweaters beating down their defensive line, and finally getting to the net minder, not once, but twice within 3 minutes of each other.

Once the sixth goal was scored, the celebration in the stands started for real, with chants of “THREE PETE” going up and the countdown at 10 seconds, and then the balloons dropped from the ceiling, it was the party that six thousand fans had been waiting for!

The Americans have proven that this team, is a team of the Decade in Hockey, the only team in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex to have won championships for the last three years, that is considered a professional team.

The Rangers came close, but didn’t pull it off, the Mavericks won in 2011, the Stars last won in 1999, the Cowboys in 1996, FC Dallas hasn’t won a championship but came close, the Frisco Rough Riders won in 2004 the Texas League Championship, but it’s the ALLEN AMERICANS that hoisted the championship cup THREE TIMES in THREE YEARS- and in a City north of Dallas, they lay claim to the CITY OF CHAMPIONS!

Congratulations ALLEN!

Just a thought!