I was in the office Saturday talking to News-Times photographer Jim Lemon. Lemon is a Native American. He said his tribe has a school on the reservation. Joking, I asked him what the mascot for the school's athletic teams might be.
I was shocked when he said he thought they might be called "Indians."
Being a jokester, I immediately offered to pen a letter condemning the tribe for using "Indians" as a mascot because it is so insulting to Native Americans.
As I thought about it, I decided to change the school from Native American to African-American. What if a school of all-black students called its sports teams something like "Brothers?" What if the school's mascot was a black dude sporting an Afro hairstyle and ran around acting like Rollo from Sanford & Son?
Would I be offended?
No. Actually, that might be kind of cool.
Then again, what if the mascot wasn't a black man with an Afro but was a white man in a costume?
Now that wouldn't be cool. In fact, that would be incredibly offensive.
Bottom line is, it isn't what you say but it's who is saying it.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Ball rolls along
Congratulations to Strong girls basketball coach and Parkers Chapel native Jamie Ball, who said she has accepted a coaching gig at Cutter Morning Star.
Ball, who was coached at PC by Lee Scroggins, will take over the program that Scroggins had a couple years ago. Scroggins' daughter Emilee graduated from Cutter Morning Star this year.
Scroggins, by the way, is a principal at Hot Springs Lakeside.
***
Our annual AmerCable/News-Times Scholar Athlete Awards Banquet is tonight at College Avenue Church of Christ. We're all a little nervous because Shea Wilson did a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff for the last several years.
No one really knew what all she did or how she did it. Now, someone else has to do it.
Hopefully, everything will go as smoothly as it has the past 13 years or so.
Ball, who was coached at PC by Lee Scroggins, will take over the program that Scroggins had a couple years ago. Scroggins' daughter Emilee graduated from Cutter Morning Star this year.
Scroggins, by the way, is a principal at Hot Springs Lakeside.
***
Our annual AmerCable/News-Times Scholar Athlete Awards Banquet is tonight at College Avenue Church of Christ. We're all a little nervous because Shea Wilson did a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff for the last several years.
No one really knew what all she did or how she did it. Now, someone else has to do it.
Hopefully, everything will go as smoothly as it has the past 13 years or so.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
How you living, Rachel Ball?
The AmerCable/News-Times Scholar Athlete Awards Banquet is scheduled for next week (May 26th). This is the most hectic time of the year for me. It's also one of my favorite occasions because I get to meet some athletes I'd never spoken to before.
One of my favorite interviews this year was with El Dorado softball player and cheerleader Rachel Ball. She was refreshingly open and honest, which isn't easy for anyone who is talking to someone for the first time.
She was so easy to talk to, I felt comfortable enough to teach her a lyric from a Biggie Smalls rap track. If you see her, ask Rachel, "How you living, Rachel Ball?"
Anyway, I'm not the biggest fan of cheerleaders but she intrigued me. Most cheerleaders, if they play a sport, don't play a dirty sport like softball. There ain't nothing glamorous about softball. But, she loves it and she loves cheerleading as well.
“There are different things I like about both," she said. "They’re both competitive, especially the (cheerleading competition). That‘s when I really enjoy it. I just like being there for our football team and basketball teams. It kind of makes you apart of everything.”
One of her disappointments, she said was when the softball team had a tournament on the same day El Dorado's girls won the state basketball championship in Hot Springs.
“I didn’t get to cheer. We played in a (softball) tournament that day," she explained. "But, then I went and watched in the crowd. I did get to go. I just wasn’t there to cheer. I was there in my softball uniform. It was important for me to be there. With Whitney and Kanedria and Emily, I played with that group of girls. I stopped in the seventh grade but in the Boys Club from kindergarten all the way up to (sixth grade), I played with them. My mom actually helped coached them. It’s kind of like your team. They’re my babies.”
***
I was saddened the other day when I came across an obituary for Dr. Claude Windell Sumerlin, 87, of Lynchburg, Va. He died in February of this year.
Dr. Sumerlin was my journalism professor at Henderson State University until he retired in 1988. I didn't take journalism in high school so he pretty much taught me everything I know about newspaper writing and reporting.
I don't remember many of my professors from college. But, Dr. Sumerlin is someone whom I'll never forget.
One of my favorite interviews this year was with El Dorado softball player and cheerleader Rachel Ball. She was refreshingly open and honest, which isn't easy for anyone who is talking to someone for the first time.
She was so easy to talk to, I felt comfortable enough to teach her a lyric from a Biggie Smalls rap track. If you see her, ask Rachel, "How you living, Rachel Ball?"
Anyway, I'm not the biggest fan of cheerleaders but she intrigued me. Most cheerleaders, if they play a sport, don't play a dirty sport like softball. There ain't nothing glamorous about softball. But, she loves it and she loves cheerleading as well.
“There are different things I like about both," she said. "They’re both competitive, especially the (cheerleading competition). That‘s when I really enjoy it. I just like being there for our football team and basketball teams. It kind of makes you apart of everything.”
One of her disappointments, she said was when the softball team had a tournament on the same day El Dorado's girls won the state basketball championship in Hot Springs.
“I didn’t get to cheer. We played in a (softball) tournament that day," she explained. "But, then I went and watched in the crowd. I did get to go. I just wasn’t there to cheer. I was there in my softball uniform. It was important for me to be there. With Whitney and Kanedria and Emily, I played with that group of girls. I stopped in the seventh grade but in the Boys Club from kindergarten all the way up to (sixth grade), I played with them. My mom actually helped coached them. It’s kind of like your team. They’re my babies.”
***
I was saddened the other day when I came across an obituary for Dr. Claude Windell Sumerlin, 87, of Lynchburg, Va. He died in February of this year.
Dr. Sumerlin was my journalism professor at Henderson State University until he retired in 1988. I didn't take journalism in high school so he pretty much taught me everything I know about newspaper writing and reporting.
I don't remember many of my professors from college. But, Dr. Sumerlin is someone whom I'll never forget.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
My opinion has changed
After my last blog, I got a call from El Dorado football coach Scott Reed. Reed said when he learned what time the girls were playing, he moved up football practice to 3 p.m. and shortened it to 4:45 p.m.
"Any of my kids that wanted to go were excused from practice," said Reed. "And, we shortened practice so they could get to the game for the second half. One of my kids had a sister playing and he wanted to go. Any of my kids that wanted to go to the soccer match were excused. I try to support all of our teams."
I was initially disappointed when Coach Reed told me football practice would be at 4 p.m. on Monday. I'm happy to hear that he changed the schedule so his athletes would have the opportunity to support the girls soccer team.
The coach was disappointed in me for not getting his side of the story before I wrote anything. He's probably correct. I should have asked if he was doing anything different in light of the soccer team being at home playing in the semifinals. Obviously, I would never put anything in the newspaper without checking both sides but ... a personal blog and Facebook page are different, or so I thought.
Still, what I write here is my opinion. My opinion is allowed to change. My opinion has changed.
I think it's great that Coach Reed and the football staff changed their schedule so their players could support the soccer team. I think it was the right thing to do and I'm sorry I didn't have all the facts when I wrote my last blog.
"Any of my kids that wanted to go were excused from practice," said Reed. "And, we shortened practice so they could get to the game for the second half. One of my kids had a sister playing and he wanted to go. Any of my kids that wanted to go to the soccer match were excused. I try to support all of our teams."
I was initially disappointed when Coach Reed told me football practice would be at 4 p.m. on Monday. I'm happy to hear that he changed the schedule so his athletes would have the opportunity to support the girls soccer team.
The coach was disappointed in me for not getting his side of the story before I wrote anything. He's probably correct. I should have asked if he was doing anything different in light of the soccer team being at home playing in the semifinals. Obviously, I would never put anything in the newspaper without checking both sides but ... a personal blog and Facebook page are different, or so I thought.
Still, what I write here is my opinion. My opinion is allowed to change. My opinion has changed.
I think it's great that Coach Reed and the football staff changed their schedule so their players could support the soccer team. I think it was the right thing to do and I'm sorry I didn't have all the facts when I wrote my last blog.
Thanks for the support
The 6A Soccer Tournament came to El Dorado and went on Monday. I'm not a soccer guy but covering it for three days didn't kill me. It helped that the Lady Wildcats made it to the semifinals so I had a local team to cover.
Anyway, El Dorado's girls lost in the semifinals Monday afternoon.
They were beaten handily by a solid Mountain Home squad 6-1. The Lady Wildcats tried but were simply outclassed by a team with more speed.
What frustrated me a little bit was the lack of school support for the team. It was especially disappointing to hear the El Dorado football team was practicing at 4 p.m., the exact starting time for the Lady Wildcats' semifinal game.
Come on, Coach Reed.
I watched as the entire student body traveled the entire length of the state to support El Dorado's football team. They went to Springdale for a nonconference game. It didn't matter where the Wildcats went, the students, including members of the softball, swimming and soccer teams, were there to support them.
No one had to drive to Fayetteville or Mountain Home to watch the home girls play for a chance to win a state title. All they had to do was drive across town to the El Dorado Soccer Complex. How easy is that?
But, no, El Dorado couldn't even be bothered enough to postpone spring football practice for 90 minutes so the players could show support to the same girls who supported them.
I mentioned this to an El Dorado fan and he said, "well that is football and this is soccer."
This is true. I know the difference between the two sports. One uses a helmet and the other doesn't use their hands.
The one thing they have in common in this instance is they're both El Dorado High School student-athletes. I wouldn't expect El Dorado fans to travel across the state to follow the soccer teams.
I just don't think driving across town on a beautiful Monday afternoon is asking too much for people who are supposed to be loyal supporters of the school.
Anyway, El Dorado's girls lost in the semifinals Monday afternoon.
They were beaten handily by a solid Mountain Home squad 6-1. The Lady Wildcats tried but were simply outclassed by a team with more speed.
What frustrated me a little bit was the lack of school support for the team. It was especially disappointing to hear the El Dorado football team was practicing at 4 p.m., the exact starting time for the Lady Wildcats' semifinal game.
Come on, Coach Reed.
I watched as the entire student body traveled the entire length of the state to support El Dorado's football team. They went to Springdale for a nonconference game. It didn't matter where the Wildcats went, the students, including members of the softball, swimming and soccer teams, were there to support them.
No one had to drive to Fayetteville or Mountain Home to watch the home girls play for a chance to win a state title. All they had to do was drive across town to the El Dorado Soccer Complex. How easy is that?
But, no, El Dorado couldn't even be bothered enough to postpone spring football practice for 90 minutes so the players could show support to the same girls who supported them.
I mentioned this to an El Dorado fan and he said, "well that is football and this is soccer."
This is true. I know the difference between the two sports. One uses a helmet and the other doesn't use their hands.
The one thing they have in common in this instance is they're both El Dorado High School student-athletes. I wouldn't expect El Dorado fans to travel across the state to follow the soccer teams.
I just don't think driving across town on a beautiful Monday afternoon is asking too much for people who are supposed to be loyal supporters of the school.
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