My assignment for Ronna K Ross

Ronna Pennington, who was Ronna Ross when we went to school together at Henderson State and worked side-by-side at the Daily Siftings Herald in Arkadelphia, issued a writing challenge via Facebook. The challenge is sort of a New Year's Resolution type deal where we blog about something we love for the upcoming year. Or, something like that. I was never really good at following directions. Anywho, I suppose in 2013 I get to focus on one of my new loves and that's penning novels. Before you ask, I'm not on anyone's best seller's list. I don't have any books in print although I've sold one or two ebooks. And, yes, I mean literally, one or two. ("Damn, so-called friends too cheap to donate a lousy $2.99 to boost a starving writer's confidence," he thought to himself.) I admit, I'm not the greatest at shopping my books around to agents or publishers. To be honest, I enjoy the writing process a lot more than I do the after process of writing query letters and trying to convince others to please read my stuff. I hate that and I'm not good at it. As an author, I'd say I'm an acquired taste. I've written some things I really like and some things of which I'm not so proud. But, I enjoy the process of writing. I love creating characters most of all. I suppose it's the lingering affects of being an only child for the first seven years of my life. All these years later, those imaginary friends are coming to life on the pages of my books. In the future, it would be great if other people saw my books as a source of entertainment. But, even I don't sell enough books to buy a pizza, writing them is a source of enjoyment that I truly relish. I'm not a best-selling author but I am a happy writer. It ain't Stephen King but I'll take it.

The year 2012 was special for sports in Union County. Looking back, we had state championships in multiple sports with several students earning scholarships to Division I schools. In the end, though, it was easy for me to select the two top individuals from a glorious year of competition. My Male and Female Athletes of the Year are: Strong's Kenneth Dixon and Junction City's Courtney Lowe. Dixon's high school football campaign was actually in 2011. But, it was so good, it bled all the way through into 2012. He led the Bulldogs to the 2A state championship and set a state rushing record along the way. Dixon finished with 3,153 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns. He also started for Strong's basketball team before setting the collegiate world on fire at Louisiana Tech. As a freshman, he set NCAA records for touchdowns, rushing touchdowns and points. He was named Freshman of the Year recently by Louisiana Sports Writers. Lowe led Junction City's softball team to its first ever 2A state championship, earning MVP honors along the way. She recorded an 18-3 record in the circle with a 1.50 earned run average and 245 strikeouts. Offensively, she swung, by far, the biggest bat at the state tournament and finished with a .522 batting average with six home runs. She also signed with Louisiana Tech and, of course, recorded a hit in her first at-bat during the Lady Techsters' abbreviated fall season. Team of the Year for 2012 goes to Junction City football. The Dragons went 14-1 and claimed the 2A state championship in dramatic fashion against Bearden 27-26. After a season-opening loss at Earle, Junction City won 14 straight, including two victories over the state runner-up Bears. Sports Writer of the Year for 2012 goes to, once again, Tony Burns. This is my twenty-something straight year to win the award. It never gets old, though. I'd like to thank myself for creating this award and myself for choosing the winner and send a special shout out to myself for thinking so highly of myself to bestow the honor upon myself. Also, thanks to Michael Orrell of the El Dorado News-Times for the photos of our top athletes. Happy Holidays Everybody!

Do the right thing

From ESPN.com Three-star quarterback Tyler Cogswell (Plantation, Fla./American Heritage) was set with Arkansas since his commitment in May. When the Razorbacks went through coaching turmoil off the field and struggles on the field, Cogswell was still excited to be with Arkansas. But after a conversation with new coach Bret Bielema, Cogswell will have to find another school. Bielema informed Cogswell he no longer has a scholarship offer from the Razorbacks. “Yes, it’s true,” Cogswell said. “I know God has a plan for me, even a better plan. Knowing that, I know I will be OK.” Cogswell, who is 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds, had offers from Nebraska and Hawaii at the time of his commitment to Arkansas. He is not sure if those offers still stand because Cogswell has never looked at any other school since pledging to the Hogs. “I loved Arkansas and loved everything about the fans,” Cogswell said. “I’ll be looking for that same type of situation.” *** I'm excited about Coach Bielema being at Arkansas but I don't like the sound of this. I understand college football is big business and I also know Arkansas has a lot of young quarterbacks, including El Dorado's Taylor Reed. I wondered why they were about to sign a 3-star when they had both Reed and a 4-star recruit in Austin Allen. Still, the school offered this kid a scholarship and he eagerly accepted. He didn't look anywhere else because he had committed to Arkansas and was told the school was committed to him. I hate to see an athlete who loves the Razorbacks have the red rug pulled from underneath him through no fault of his own. I wish they'd find a way to keep him in Fayetteville, whether he plays a down at quarterback or not. Is that practical? Perhaps not. I just think it's the right thing to do. But, I guess doing something because it's the right thing is an out-dated concept.

107-2? Really?

A high school girls basketball game in Indiana, which ended with a score of 107-2 recently, has drawn the ire of fans throughout the country. The most common complaint is, “why would you beat someone 107-2?” I agree with the outrage. My question however, “why would anyone ever put a team on the court that could get beat by a score of 107-2?” The winning team in this situation used all nine of its players and ran a, reportedly, “aggressive” 2-3 zone defense. Indiana doesn’t have a mercy-rule situation. I don’t understand why the winning team is always at fault in these mismatched contests. What are they supposed to do? I’d rather lose badly than have an opponent feel pity on me and stop playing. I’ve never understood why it’s the fault of the team that has obviously put in the time and effort to perfect its skills and honed itself into a well-oiled machine. Hey, shame on you for out-working all the other teams. It’s about time someone focused on the “2” instead of the “107.” You see, I know what it takes to accomplish the “107.” It takes dedication and grit and desire and teamwork and persistence. What I don’t understand is how a team can be so incompetent to only score a mere “2” points in a regulation basketball game. That takes a lack of dedication, a lack of grit and desire and heart and competitive spirit. That’s a team that shouldn’t be on the floor in a competitive game. High school sports is about competition. If you can’t compete, practice until you can but don’t put a non-competitive group on the floor and expect players who have worked their tails off to be good to not put their skills on display. Sportsmanship and pity are two different things. It’s about time we got back to basics and started using the rules of the playground. If you can’t play, get the hell off the court.

Book help

I'm looking for some feedback on my latest book, Culled. The book was inspired greatly after I read The Hunger Games. I still haven't seen the movie, by the way, because I don't want to be disappointed. The book was so good. There's no way a movie could do it justice. Anyway, there are parts of Culled that are quite similar to The Hunger Games. The idea of kids competing in a game to the death came from The Hunger Games. But, I believe my story is different. At least, different enough to make it my own. For those who have read The Hunger Games and Culled, I'd like to get your opinions on if my story is too similar to it.

Try a 1-5-5 defense

Want to make a football coach's eyes roll to the back of their head? Suggest some of the strategy you use while playing college football on your Xbox. I went to El Dorado High School today for my weekly visit with coaches Scott Reed and John Panter. Panter is the Wildcats' defensive coordinator and is, without a doubt, one of the best in the state at his position. I often find myself drifting into a world of animation when he gets too deep into the intricacies of defending the option. It's as if he starts speaking a completely different language. I think maybe it's Finnish. Anyway, Panter was telling me about how his team had to adjust on the fly at Benton last week. The Wildcats actually went to a 3-3-5 defensive alignment for a few times as the Panthers totally changed their offense. As he was talking, I saw an opening for a zinger and I couldn't resist. "You know a defense that's great," I told him with a straight face. "You should try that 1-5-5. I use it on my dynasty team on Xbox when I take over a program that don't have many defensive linemen." Panter looked at me with disbelief. "I'm telling you," I continued, "that always works. You ever seen a team use it?" He couldn't say, "no" fast enough. He practically spit the word at me like a used-up piece of gum. "Sounds like something Joe Lee Dunn would do," he muttered. "Playstation?" "Xbox," I corrected him. I backed up as I spoke just in case he had something in his hand to hurl at me. Thankfully, he has a sense of humor and knew I was just messing with him. Obviously, I was messing with him, by the way. Although, I ain't lying. That 1-5-5 is a monster defense on my Xbox.

Leave Cam Newton alone

What's with all this hostility towards Carolina quarterback Cam Newton? So far, all he's done wrong is not win football games and then express disappointment in himself and his team in the post-game press conferences. As far as I know, he hasn't tested positive for any performance enhancing drugs. As far as I know, he's not battering women. As far as I know, he hasn't electrocuted any dogs. As far as I know, he's not driving drunk. As far as I know, he's not shoving teammates on the sideline. As far as I know, he's not a deadbeat dad. As far as I know, he's not on drugs or drinking something called "purple." Why is he being grilled by the national media? He loses a game and then stands up and answers questions when he could duck and hide. If he smiled after a loss, people would say he doesn't care. He expresses disappointment and those same folks say he's not showing leadership. I really believe professional athletes have every right to hate the nick-picking media. They built Cam Newton up as a rookie and now that he's failed to reach "their" too-high expectations, the media is taking great delight in picking him apart. I've never been a Cam Newton fan just because I'm from Arkansas and I didn't appreciate what he did to the Razorbacks. But, as far as I know, he's a good young man who is trying his best to do all the right things. He doesn't deserve the treatment he's getting.

Tyler Wilson speaks his mind

Do I have a problem with Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson calling his teammates out yesterday? Absolutely not. If he doesn't, who will? The Razorbacks looked pathetic in the second half against ULM. They looked even worse Saturday, bending over for a 52-0 paddling by Alabama on national television. Players fumbled, missed tackles, missed blocks, dropped passes. At halftime, Coach John L. Smith gave some humorous quote to CBS about the upcoming adjustments. When you're getting your arse handed to you on TV, it ain't the time for funny. The Razorbacks' collapse, not coincidentally, began about the same time Wilson was knocked off the field by an "above-the-shoulder" injury. After the Bama beatdown, he told the media that yes, he thought some of his teammates quit and it made him sick. What's wrong with that? He simply said what was painfully obvious to anyone who watched the game. But why go public? I'm not in Wilson's brain but I'll bet the senior QB noted a lack of accountability on the team. Bobby Petrino ain't the best human being in the world but he'll get all up in a player's backside if he screws up. None of that seems to be happening this season. Basically, Arkansas' football team is a ship without a captain, sailing in circles in the middle of a dangerous SEC ocean. Give Wilson credit. At least he's trying to be a leader. The team desperately needs one and the young man is stepping up and saying what the coaching staff won't. By saying it publicly, he's trying to force his teammates and everyone else to be accountable. He put pressure on himself to play like an All-American when he gets back on the field. He put pressure on his teammates, who will have to answer the question of, "who was he talking about? Was it you?" So, yeah, he turned up the heat on his own team. But, you know what, when you lose to ULM at home, maybe a little heat on the backside is called for.

Glad I made the trip

I made it to Fort Smith and back. Don't laugh because there was a question in my mind on whether I would. That's a long haul, folks. It was an adventure, too. I gave myself plenty of time to make the drive and, since it was payday, I put some extra cash in my wallet. You know, just in case I saw a Bed, Bath & Beyond. Hee! Hee! Thank God, I did. And, no, I didn't go to a Bed, Bath & Beyond. Did you know when you pay cash for a room at the Comfort Inn, they now require a $150 deposit? The clerk gave me my room rate of about $125. He then said, "we'll have to have a $150 deposit." I gave him $150, without really thinking about what he'd just said. He had that look in his eye and I realized, "Oh, you mean an extra $150?" I dug deep into my wallet, not sure how much cash I had. Turns out, my stop at Chick-fil-A left me with $152. Needless to say, I was just a little nervous five hours away from home with $2 in my pocket. What if they didn't honor my press badge and made me pay to get into the game? Thankfully, they did let me in and ushered me to the pressbox. The game was delayed for an hour due to the inclement weather. I wasn't bored, though. Fort Smith Southside principal Wayne Haver introduced himself and proudly told me stories about the history of Rebel sports and the school itself. He's been there since the sixties. He's a nice guy ... a real nice guy. I told him and the Fort Smith sports writer of my experience at the hotel just to see if they found it unusual. They did. Neither seemed to know of a $150 deposit for a room. I shrugged it off. I was in the game and I knew I would get my deposit back when I checked out on Saturday. But, I was stunned when Mr. Haver pulled out his wallet, fished out a twenty dollar bill and handed it to me. I turned it down, of course, and explained I'd get my money back in the morning. He insisted, though. "You can't walk around with two dollars in your pocket," he told me. "What if you want to get something to eat?" I politely declined the money again but, again, he insisted until I finally slipped the twenty into my wallet. I can't explain what a comfort it was just knowing my two lonely singles had some company. When the game was nearing its end, Mr. Haver excused himself. I asked the sports writer if he was surprised at what he did. He shook his head. "He's a good man," he said. I can't express how thankful I am for the hospitality shown to me by Southside and Mr. Haver. I look forward to giving him his twenty back when the Rebels come to El Dorado next year. As for the trip, it was long and I don't look forward to making it again. But, thanks to Mr. Haver, I'm glad I made it.

Way to go, Coach Smith

Congratulations John L. Smith for making Bobby Petrino look like Vince Lombardi. Smith took over Petrino's top-10 team and in two weeks, turned it into an unranked afterthought. Harry Houdini only wishes he could make something so big disappear so quickly. Yes, I know that should be past-tensed since Houdini is no longer with us. But, then again, Smith's status as Arkansas' coach should also be used in the past-tense. That job interview couldn't have ended any quicker if he'd shown up for the interview wearing flip-flops, a clown nose and one of those foam fingers. If anyone had any doubt, it's official. John L. Smith is not the man to lead Arkansas' football program. The Razorbacks couldn't protect Tyler Wilson against Louisiana-Monroe. Are you kidding me? Arkansas' quarterback was on the turf as much as the Razorback logo Saturday night. The Warhawks pummeled him senseless. What the hell would Alabama do to him? Offensive line was a concern last year. This year, it's a tragedy. How do you not improve that area? How do you not come up with a scheme to give your QB a little protection? ULM beat up your quarterback. I told anyone who would listen the Hogs were overrated when they gave up 24 points to Jacksonville State. ULM quarterback Kolton Browning looked like Favre, Vick and Montana all rolled up into one as he dissected the Razorbacks. Kolton Browning? Who? What? Arkansas was uninspired, unprepared and under-coached. On a day when the SEC flexed its muscle with Georgia and Florida welcoming new members to the league with losses, Arkansas showed once again it's in the SEC, but not really. If the only thing separating the Razorbacks from a Sun Belt team is the quarterback, then seriously, how good is your program? Last night's debacle showed Arkansas' football program has lots of holes, especially on defense and in the offensive line. But, the biggest void is on the sideline. We appreciate everything you've done for the Razorback nation, Coach Smith. Good luck in your future endeavors.

Listen up WNBA, sex sells

Must a women's professional sports league have sex appeal to thrive in today's culture? Notice I said thrive. The WNBA is surviving. Women's tennis and golf leagues are surviving. I wouldn't say any of them are anywhere close to the level of the NBA or even NASCAR, right now. What would it take for a professional women's sports league to reach the level of NASCAR in today's media landscape? Sadly, I think sex appeal has to be part of the deal. It's certainly not fair. There are lots of ugly male athletes who get respect and accolades based solely on their ability to perform, I've seen no evidence unattractive females would get that same opportunity, no matter how athletic and accomplished they are in sports. Before women start yelling, let me say, females are the biggest part of the problem. Women simply don't want to watch other women play sports. It's the society in which we've all grown up. We are programmed to believe men are supposed to be strong and fast and athletic. The stronger, the faster and the more athletic, the better. Women are supposed to be pretty and demure. The prettier and softer, the better. Strength in a woman isn't valued like it is in a man. Men respect female athletes more than women. A lot of men can watch a WNBA game and appreciate the skills we see. Women can watch the same game and poke fun at the way the players look and question their sexuality. Obviously, this is a generalization and there are exceptions. But, if women supported female athletes at the rate they support male athletes, women's sports would be thriving and not just surviving. Since women don't want to watch other women play sports, a professional league would have to attract men. How would a women's league attract male viewers? Call us pigs but we do know what we like. Men like attractive women. Surely that's not a news flash. Women's beach volleyball is a lot more watched during the Olympics than men's beach volleyball. That ain't because women are watching it, either. Say what you want about Anna Kournikova. When she was playing tennis, TV viewership was up. Interest in the sport was up. What would happen if Anna Kournikova played basketball and was one of the top players in the WNBA? You know the answer even if you don't want to admit it. It's unfortunate. But, it's the truth.

Nice girls don't

Bless her heart, Hope Solo does not have a humble bone in her body. The goalkeeper for the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team is on a media blitz promoting her new autobiography. She's the best female goalkeeper in the world and has been for several years. If you don't believe me, just ask her. Some of her comments make me cringe and I consider myself a fan of hers. And, I understand it takes a supreme confidence to be good at anything, much less a world class athlete. Honestly, it's not Solo's cocky-as-hell attitude that befuddles me. It's everyone's reaction to her cocky-as-hell attitude. Usain Bolt tells the camera to move in closer before he proclaims himself to be a legend, the greatest ever and number one forever. I laughed out loud, thought it was kind of cool. Solo states, matter-of-factly, that she's great at what she does and boasts of all the adversity she's overcome and I wince. What she's saying isn't as bad as what Bolt says but he comes off as charming and innocent. Why doesn't she? I guess it's the female thing. Maybe? Do we expect females to be shy, modest and quiet? Are women supposed to be humble creatures who cry at the sight of a spider while waiting for a man to rescue them? Is that what we expect? Why are strong women with opinions called bitches? If it's okay for Usain Bolt to say, "I am a legend" why do I shake my head when Hope Solo proudly talks about how good she is? It's not just me. I've heard others berate Solo for her comments. She's one of the most disliked female athletes out there. She's one of the most outspoken. She's also one of the best. But, if you put male and female athletes together in the same category, Hope Solo wouldn't crack the top 10 in the ego competition. Yet, somehow with her, it's different. I don't get it. I probably never will.

I love frosted flakes

Heard the quote of the year this morning on ESPN's First Take. Brainless Bayless and Stupid Ass Smith were comparing LeBron James to Michael Jordan ... again. They brought in Charles Oakley, who summed it up thusly in favor of his former teammate ... "it's like corn flakes and frosted flakes, they're both flakes but one's got some sugar on it." Yeah, six championship rings worth of sugar. Oakley was one of the best guests that show has ever seen. He needs his own show. In the Michael vs. LeBron debate, he hit the nail on the head. Corn flakes are good but frosted flakes are ... great!!!

Too bad she's a she

If Serena Williams isn't the lead story on ESPN, there's something wrong. She's not, by the way, the US men's basketball team was. I'm tired of preaching about the inequality in this country towards female athletes compared to their male counterparts. There is no more dominant athlete in the world, right now, male or female, than Serena Williams. If Serena had a penis and was named Sam, he'd be touted as the greatest athlete ever. She doesn't, of course, and is merely an afterthought in a world filled with Tigers and LeBrons and Phelps. It's not fair. Serena won the Olympic gold medal today in tennis. She beat Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1. I repeat, she beat Sharapova, the highest-paid female athlete in the world and former world No. 1, 6-0, 6-1. If you don't know much about tennis and you're not sure what that score means, let me explain - 6-0, 6-1 is an ass kicking. Serena beat world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-2. She beat former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-0, 6-3. She beat former grand slam finalist Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 6-0. She beat some Polish chick 6-2, 6-3 and she beat Jelena Jankovic, yet another former No. 1 player in the world, 6-3, 6-1. How dominant is that? She didn't drop a set, didn't lose more than three games in a set. She's won 17 matches in a row and 21 consecutive sets. Tiger Woods has never dominated like that. Michael Phelps has never been this dominant. Neither has LeBron or Kobe or Federer or Nadal or Tebow or any other athlete in the world. When a man, any man, runs over every other man in his sport, he's praised for his supremacy, elevated to almost God-like stature. When a woman, any woman, runs over every other woman in her sport, the other competitors are mocked and her accomplishments are diminished because of a lack of competition. It's a shame, really. You'd think in the year 2012, greatness would be appreciated no matter what form it came in. Title IX was a start. Without it, there would be no Serena Williams. But, you can't legislate sexism and gender bias. Those things are here to stay. It's too bad. Because all of the people who dismiss Serena Williams because she's a she and not a he, are missing out on one of the most dominant athletes of our lifetime.

Don't believe the hype

The point I was trying to make about Michael Phelps winning 19 medals to become the most decorated Olympian ever is, why is this record only now important? Why wasn't it a big deal when Larisa Latynina was the most decorated Olympian ever? If your answer is, because Phelps is an American, then you're proving my point about American-media hype. Sports shouldn't be about hype. That's the great thing about sports. You have a winner and a loser. The first swimmer to touch the wall wins. Period. Why can't we leave the hype out of it. If being the most decorated Olympian of all time meant that person was the greatest Olympian, why was Larisa Latynina not in the discussion four years ago when the Phelps' hype train first got on the tracks? As a media member, it's probably sacrilegious to say this but, I hate hype. The only intelligent thing to ever come out of Flavor Flav's mouth was, "Don't believe the hype." And, no, I'm not saying Michael Phelps is all hype. He's one of the greatest Olympians ever, one of the greatest swimmers ever. But why are we so quick to say he's the best of all time? Hell, he might not be the best Subway pitch man, right now. I kind of like Michael Strahan. The point is, hype is what makes people leap to conclusions. We can't wait to proclaim this athlete as the greatest ever, whether it's Tiger Woods or LeBron James or Brett Favre. We're so quick to forget about Jack Nicklaus and Michael Jordan and Joe Montana. We can't wait to sweep them to the side. We can't wait for the next big thing. Michael Phelps the greatest Olympian ever? Since, apparently, only Americans can qualify for this title, I'll say he's not the best American Olympian ever. I guess Carl Lewis didn't win gold in the 100, 200 and long jump in 1984, didn't win gold in the 100 and long jump in 1988, didn't win gold in 1992, didn't win gold in 1996. I'll do the math. That's 12 years of world class excellence. Did I dream Jackie Joyner Kersee won back-to-back golds in the heptathlon in 1988 and 1992 along with a long jump gold? She came back and won silver in 1984 and bronze medals in 1992 and 1996. I'll do the math again. That's more than a decade of world class excellence. Ever heard of Edwin Moses? Probably not. Well, all he did was go undefeated in the 400-meter hurdles from 1977 to 1987. I didn't stutter. He didn't lose a race for nine years, nine months and nine days, 122 consecutive races. He won gold in 1976 and 1984 and didn't win in 1980 because of the U.S. boycott. Along the way, he set four world records. But, yeah, you're right. What Phelps has done is much more impressive than an unbeaten streak that lasted a damn decade. I'm not even going to talk about Al Oerter winning Olympic gold in the discus in 1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968. Yeah, nobody has ever done what Michael Phelps has done. Except for Mark Spitz, who won every time he leaped into the pool in 1972. I was eight years old when Spitz went 7-for-7, seven gold medals, seven world records. It's not really his fault there are more races now than back then. Actually, I guess it is his fault. Back then, he didn't have the American-media hype machine lifting him up. He had to let his performance speak for him.

Phelps is the best?

Is Michael Phelps the greatest Olympian ever? Child please. I love how the American media annoints an American athlete as the top dog of them all when he breaks a record no one knew or cared about previously. I don't remember anyone hailing Larisa Latynina as the greatest Olympian of all the times. Latynina, a Soviet gymnast, won 18 medals from 1956-1960-1964. Who knew that? Better question, who cared? But, as soon as Phelps wins one more medal, all of a sudden, a record no one gave two shucks about is now the most important, most fabulous, most awesome feat ever accomplished. You gotta love ESPN and all the rest of the U.S. media hype machine. Their philosophy is simple. A record is only important if an American has it. Give me a break.

Olympic break

Trying to get into the Olympics. It's not easy because I don't have the primary NBC station on my satellite. I've missed all of glamour events, swimming and gymnastics, but I'm getting a lot of the soccer, equestrian and tennis. Honestly, I don't really care about the tennis. I want to discover new athletes. So far, other than the American judo lady who won bronze, it's been disappointing. Where's Mariel Zagunis? How am I missing the women's indoor volleyball? I'd like to see the hot shot table tennis player. Oh well, there's always next year for the Olympics. Oh, wait. Anyway, I finally sold an ebook. Thanks to whoever bought them. Even if you don't read them, I appreciate the support. To be honest, I'm surprised it took this long to get anyone to fork out $2.99. Quite the eye-opener, I must admit. Football practice began so I guess that officially means my summer slow season is over. It's hot as hell out there, by the way. Thanks to everyone for their birthday thoughts on Facebook. I tried to hit the "like" button to all of them but, for some reason, I think I messed it up. So, if you said something nice and didn't get a "like" hit on it, I meant to. What else? Oh, I'm not going to waste a lot of time talking about Penn State. I just thought it was eerie how fans were actually worshipping the Joe Paterno statue. It looked like a scene from the Bible. Glad that thing was taken down. Penn State is lucky the NCAA handed out its punishment and not me. Talked to former El Dorado quarterback Taylor Reed at practice yesterday. He said a couple Arkansas freshman receivers might have to play right away since the suspensions and/or dismissals. He also told me Byran Jones is looking studly on the defensive line. Working on a new book, as if anyone actually cared. I'm liking it so far, although I'm currently at a hard spot I'm trying to work through. Look for it on Smashwords or Barnes & Noble in the not-too-distant future. No title, yet.

Best female athlete ever?

Is Serena Williams the greatest female athlete of all the times? It's a question that's being asked these days as she goes for, yet another, Wimbledon singles championship. Serena is most certainly in the discussion. She's as dominant in her sport as anyone else is in their's, including Tiger Woods and Federer, Michael Jordan, etc. But, the greatest of all the times? It's amazing what short memories we have these days. There have been some incredible women athletes over the years. And, no, I won't insult women by including a freaking horse like ESPN did several years ago. I still can't believe women didn't boycott ESPN or burn down Bristol for that crap. But, let me present 12 women athletes who changed the game and are also in the discussion for top female competitors and athletes ever. Since none of the people reading this consider anyone born outside the United States relevent, I'll keep my list to American-born female athletes. Okay, Rick? My list includes: Mickey Wright, the greatest female golfer of all the times. Wright won 82 LPGA titles and 13 grand slams. She helped put women's golf on the map. Have you heard of Mary T. Meagher? The original Madam Butterfly won gold in the 100 and 200 butterfly in the 1984 Olympics and would've won in 1980 if not for the boycott. Meagher's world records in the two events are considered two of the most astonishing records ever in any sport. Both records stood for nearly two decades. Joan Benoit won the first-ever Olympic women's marathon in 1984. She still holds the record for fastest times in the Olympics and Chicago Marathons. Her record in the Boston Marathon lasted for 28 years. Figure skating is a sport and Dorothy Hamill introduced it to a lot of Americans in 1976, when she won Olympic Gold. Hamill is still one of the most popular female athletes ever. She has a move named for her (Hamill camel), has a haircut named for her and had her own doll. She also was a reason a lot of young girls put on ice skates for the first time. In the same category is Mia Hamm, who did for soccer what Hamill did for figure skating in this country. Hamm has scored more goals in international competition than any other male or female soccer player. She has two Olympic gold medals and won two World Cups. Mary Lou Retton was the first female born outside of Eastern Europe to win All-Around in the Olympics. In 1984, she won individual gold, team gold and individual silver and bronze medals. Nearly 30 years later, Mary Lou Retton is still the first name is women's gymnastics in this country. Wilma Rudolph was the fastest woman on earth in 1960, winning gold in the 100 and 200 at the Olympics. Her story of overcoming polio is the stuff movies have been made about. She's also considered a pioneer for both civil rights and women's rights. If you've never heard of Althea Gibson, all she did was win five tennis grand slam championships and also compete on the LPGA. Now, it's starting to get tricky as the cream is about to rise. Female athletes are still benefitting from the efforts of Billie Jean King. She's famous for beating Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes in 1973. But, she's one of the top female tennis players ever, winning 12 grand slam championships. But, yeah, her biggest contribution is in the advancement of sexual equality in sports. Perhaps my favorite was Florence Griffith-Joyner. She's still the fastest woman of all the times. She broke the world record in both the 100 and 200 in 1984. No one has come close to equaling those performances since. I discovered her when she was just Florence Griffith. I noticed her because of her looks. A stunning woman, she was finishing third and fourth in most of the races. I was stunned when she suddenly looked muscular and, almost manly. She went from third place to world champion in a span of a few months. I must admit, I don't know what to think about it. A lot of people consider Jackie Joyner-Kersee the top female athlete. It's hard to argue. She was Olympic and world champion in the heptathlon in 1988 and 1992. She won silver in 1984. She also won gold in the long jump in 1988 and bronze in the long jump in 1992 and 1996. Doing the math, that's more than a decade as a world class athlete. Don't forget, she was also one of the top 15 best basketball players ever at UCLA. And, finally, Babe Zaharias. I understand 1932 was a long time ago but this woman was ahead of her time. In her own way, she paved the way for female athletes by taking a lot of heat from men who suggested she was too manly and should pretty herself up and wait for a man to ask her out. Instead, she won Olympic gold in the 80-meter hurdles and javenlin in 1932 and silver in the high jump. She also won 41 titles on the LPGA tour. She was also an All-American in basketball and played organized baseball and softball. Reportedly, she was also an expert diver, roller skater and bowler. I'll just throw these names out there for your consideration when discussing top female athletes ever. I know Serena is a really good tennis player. I'm just saying. By the way, next time I do this list, Brittney Griner's name might be on it.

No love for C-Lowe

I gave the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette a quick glance Sunday just to make sure Junction City's Courtney Lowe was not named the paper's Softball Player of the Year. Oh, she's good enough to be considered. She led the Lady Dragons to three state championship games and was MVP of the 2A State Tournament this year after winning it all. But, I didn't think she'd get it just because of where she plays. I'll just leave it at that. Well, my quick glance turned into a 15-minute study period. The Democrat-Gazette named 25 players from around the state, plus a Player of the Year. I swear, I went over the list four times and never did Courtney Lowe's name cross my eyes. What the ...? It's baffling to me how this continues to happen over and over and over and ... If you don't give enough of a damn to do something right, stop doing it. They didn't offer statistics for the 25 members of the All-Arkansas Team. The paper's Miss Softball, a young lady from Bryant named Peyton Jenkins, had an impressive 32-0 pitching record with 260 strikeouts. She batted .477 with six home runs. She signed to play at Central Baptist College in Conway. I can't argue with her selection. I wouldn't say negative things about any of the athletes chosen. That ain't my style. I will only note Courtney Lowe's numbers: an 18-3 pitching record with 246 strikeouts. She batted .532 with six homers, led her team to a state championship and signed to play Division I softball at Louisiana Tech. You can argue about her winning Miss Softball. You can't argue about her being one of the 25 best players. I watched the 2A State Tournament. She was by far the best player there. I told someone, it was like watching James Anderson in basketball several years ago in Danville. James was clearly the best in the tournament. Courtney was just as dominant. Yet, two other girls from Class 2A were named ahead of her? Come on, now. Be serious. I know C-Lowe probably could give two rips about this. She's busy getting ready for her college career. And, it doesn't matter what I say. Kids from this part of the state will ALWAYS be overlooked for this kind of recognition. It, literally, happens every single year. It shouldn't. The News-Times sports staff is a phone call away. If you care at all, you'll make a call and ask if there are any local athletes to be considered. We have stats and everything and would be more than happy to share them with anyone who has an interest in Union County student-athletes. It's just a shame kids down here will NEVER be recognized. I'm assuming it's because of their location. Maybe I'm wrong. It just bothers me the heck out of me.

Top female hoopters in Union County

I just want everyone to know, I put some thought into my list of the top female basketball players in Union County over the past 20 years. I’m hesitant to publish this only because there were so many outstanding girls, I know I’ll leave someone out. I tried my best, though. First, my criteria for consideration is the player had to graduate from Union County. The senior year is too important not to be included in my examination. So, I have to exclude players like Destinee Rogers, Desiree Rogers, Brittany Johnson and Jasmine Canser from Strong, Julie Smith from Union, Kristian Tester from El Dorado and Chasity Henry from El Dorado. For the rest of my criteria, see my previous blog post. Without further adieu, counting backwards, here are the best dozen girls basketball players in Union County over the past two decades. 12. Kendra Marsh - Smackover: Kendra had a solid career at UAPB after leading the Lady Bucks’ program from the cellar to the penthouse. The 5-3 point guard joined a Smackover team in the midst of a three-year losing streak. As soon as she arrived at the end of her freshman season, she led the team to its first win and into the regional tournament. Her 82.8 free throw percentage is still the best in the county. I’ve never seen anyone in any sport turn an entire program around so quickly. Kendra was a two-time News-Times Player of the Year because of her leadership in addition to her stellar guard skills. It helped she was part of an outstanding group of athletes, but she was the unquestioned leader. 11. O’Sheta Terry - Junction City: O’Sheta is a bit of an enigma for me. She never won Player of the Year and was underwhelming at times, especially in big games. At about 5-10, she was an incredible athlete and a robotic, pogo rebounding machine. In 1994, O’Sheta averaged 26.1 points and 13.5 rebounds. Incredible numbers but the Lady Dragons were just an average team. I, personally, questioned the validity of her rebounding statistics but, even if they were inflated, she was still one of the best offensive glass cleaners I’ve ever seen. She signed with Henderson State but never played for the Lady Reddies. 10. Maranda Parker - Strong: If I could build the perfect female player, she’d be about 5-foot-10 with guard skills, 3-point range, strong enough to play in the post and an unselfish attitude. Throw in some blonde hair and you have Marandalynn Parker. I’m partial to versatility and she epitomized that. She was a role player on Strong’s back-to-back state championship squads. As the lone returning starter, she led the Lady Bulldogs to the state quarterfinals in her final season. It was her senior year that she showcased her overall skills, both on the court and as a leader. Maranda went on to enjoy a solid career at OBU. 9. Mary Beth Gilmore - Union: What can I say? I have a soft-spot for self-made players. No one, except maybe Dana Hodges, got more out of her ability than Mary Beth Gilmore. At about 5-8, she was a dominant post player who re-tooled her own game to become a dynamic 3-point shooter. It’s not her skills and certainly not her athletic ability that puts Gilmore on this list. She’s simply the most hard-nosed player I’ve covered. Relentless, opposing coaches told me off-the-record their players, literally, feared her. Strong as a bull and about as a nice, no one enjoyed physical contact on the court as much as Mary Beth, who owned the state record for free throws made in a game (28-of-31 vs. Stephens) and in a season (271-344, 78.7 percent) in 2003. After leading Union to the state finals, she signed with SAU but never played after ankle surgery. 8. Jamie Floyd - Smackover: Another 5-foot-10 athlete, Jamie had the luxury of playing beside Kendra Clark for her first two years. The two of them formed an incredible, athletic post duo for the Lady Bucks. Jamie made a living with her athletic ability, chewing up rebounds like Skittles, but she was also money from about 12 feet and in. Jamie went the JUCO route out of high school but finished her career at the Division I level at Southeastern Louisiana. 7. Latasha Smith - Strong: I like versatile players but Tasha Smith was too good in the post to leave out of the conversation. She was only about 5-foot-10 but her strength under the basket made her a feared foe during her four-year career. But, I think Smith’s athletic ability is over-looked. She wasn’t much of a leaper but her footwork and stick ‘em hands made her tough to deal with. Tasha was plagued by knee troubles throughout her career but still led the Lady Bulldogs to four state tournaments. She signed and played at SAU. 6. Sharonda Davis - Union: Give Tootie credit for both her success and the success of Mary Beth Gilmore, who had to revamp her game and change positions or sit on the bench behind Davis. Tootie, a 5-10 athletic forward, was blessed with off-the-charts leaping ability. But, she was also skilled with a turnaround jump shot as good as anybody’s I’ve covered. She always turned to her right, over her left shoulder. Everybody knew which way she was going to turn but her shot was impossible to block once she rose into the air. And, it was cash money from about 15 feet. As a senior, she showed the clutch gene, hitting incredible game-winning or game-tying shots. She went on to have an outstanding career at SAU. 5. K.J. Smith - Strong: Oh, what could have been. I say this but K.J. never did. She tore her ACL in the first game of her freshman year. She tore the other ACL in the last game of her senior year. In between, she won a couple Player of the Year awards. The 5-8 point guard was the ultimate winner. K.J. could score. She scored over 50 points in the final Union County Tournament game in 1998 and averaged 19.5 points. She could pass, defend, rebound and, most importantly, she could lead her team. It didn’t hurt her career that she played for legendary coaches Ron Triplett and Betty Burge. She went on to play at SAU. 4. Savanna Langston - Parkers Chapel: Simply, the best, most skilled post player I’ve had the pleasure to cover on a daily basis. Savanna could’ve relied on the fact that she was 6-foot-2 and the tallest player on the court. But, she didn’t. She became a deadly 3-point shooter, better than average ball handler and passer and developed a myriad of go-to moves in the post. Savanna’s personality was also a strong suit. Unassuming, she treated accolades the same way she did triple-teams - with a shrug of her shoulders. She led the Lady Trojans to their first-ever state finals appearance before signing with Louisiana Tech. 3. Creshuana Tate - Norphlet: Creshuana was sort of the LeBron James of her time. A lot of folks liked to nit-pick at some of the things she didn’t do well. She didn’t go to her left a lot and, at 5-5, was very thin and could be bumped off balance. I’ll tell you something she did better than anybody I’ve covered - the girl could put the ball in the hole. She could put the biscuit in the basket. She could flat-out score. Creshuana averaged 34.5 points per game in 1992. She’s the only player to score a thousand points, finishing with 1002 in 29 games. Gilmore is next with 756 points in 39 games. Those numbers don’t lie. As for her ability to go left, if nobody’s quick enough to force you left, I guess it doesn’t really matter, does it? Her jump shot was about as pretty as they came, too. Creshuana signed with Arkansas State before finishing her career at SAU. 2. Ashley Harrell - El Dorado: People who only saw Ashley at El Dorado might question this choice. Even she’d probably admit, the Lady Wildcats’ system wasn’t conducive to her overall skills. But, at 5-11, Ashley was one of those rare five-position players I like so much. I saw her at Harmony Grove use all of her skills - scoring, passing, ball handling, defense and just running the team. That was probably the skill she didn’t get to show at El Dorado. Ashley could set teammates up as well as anyone. Her creativity didn’t flourish in the Lady Wildcats’ system, which was too bad. But, she was still a bad girl. She signed with Southern Mississippi and made the all-freshman team before finishing her career at Oklahoma Baptist. 1. Whitney Frazier - El Dorado: Prisoner of the moment, you say? Nope. Whitney graduated high school as the most ready-made college player I’ve covered. At about 5-10, okay, I’ll give her 5-11, she was always the most athletic girl on the court. But, she worked her butt off and sharpened her skills, developing as a ball handler, stretching out her perimeter shot and adding to her low-post move-set. But, Whitney’s leadership vaults her to the top spot. The Lady Wildcats won a state championship for several reasons. But, the main reason was because Whitney wasn’t going to let them lose. I love a leader, especially one who is willing to spit out an expletive to a teammate and demand they give her the ball at that crucial moment. Whitney went on to earn the WAC All-Freshman Team last year at Louisiana Tech. Tech fans believe she might be an all-conference, perhaps even conference player of the year candidate before she leaves Ruston. We’ll see about that. For now, I hope she’s content with topping my list of best players I’ve covered in Union County.

Ranking the top players

I challenged myself to rank the top female basketball players I’ve covered since I began working at the El Dorado News-Times in 1991. I’ve had the privilege of watching some incredible talent, including Cheryl Ford (LA Tech), Sytia Messer (Arkansas) and Kimberly Wilson (Arkansas), from Summerfield, Waldo and Hampton, respectively. I’ve seen (LA Tech) Brooke Lassiter from Hamburg and (LA Tech) Jamie Scheppman from Van Cove. I covered (LA Tech) Erica Smith from Palestine-Wheatley, (Arkansas State) Caroline Starr from Benton and (Oklahoma) Krista Sanchez from Springdale. When it comes to high school girls basketball in Arkansas over the past 20 years, I’ve seen most of the best players, if not in high school then definitely at the collegiate level. I’d like to think I have a fairly good sense of what an outstanding player looks like. I know the attributes I value most - competitiveness, skills, attitude and athletic ability - in THAT particular order. Let’s break those categories down. Competitiveness, to me means simply, a burning desire to win. That’s the most important thing for any athlete. The game is about winning and losing, after all. The name of the game is to win. I love watching players who will do anything to win a game. Without this trait, I have a hard time respecting an athlete. Skills: Basketball, especially, is a game of skills. I’m not just talking about dribbling the ball behind your back or shooting 3-pointers from 30 feet out. Catching the ball is a skill. Passing the ball is a skill. The ability to use both hands is an advanced skill, unfortunately. The best player is usually the one who has developed the most skills. Skills can make up for a lack of athletic ability, which is why it ranks higher on my list of priorities. Attitude, to me kind of goes with competitiveness. A winning attitude is a competitive attitude. But, attitude also includes getting along with teammates. Basketball is a team game, after all. No one player can do it all by herself. Everyone needs teammates. A positive attitude is essential to being a team leader. No one wants to follow someone who has a crappy, selfish attitude. You aren’t a leader if no one is following you. What’s that saying? A leader without any followers is just walking alone. Finally, athletic ability is a necessity to winning at basketball. Being the quickest person on the court is a valuable tool. Being the tallest person or the person who can jump the highest can erase a lot of mistakes. I believe skills are more important than raw athletic ability. But, in a matchup of equally skilled, highly motivated players the better athlete has the advantage. Sadly, during my tenure in Union County, referees often rewarded athletic ability over skills. Basketball games sometimes came down to a pushing and shoving contest. It doesn’t matter how crafty a ball handler you are, when a bigger, stronger defender hip checks you out of bounds, even John Wooden can’t give you any advice to overcome it. As I consider all of the athletes I’ve covered, I will use the categories in MY order. Feel free to come up with your own factors and share your list with me. I hope you look forward to seeing what I’ve come up with in the next couple of days.

Football is rough?

Did anyone else realize that football is a violent sport prone to injuries? I knew this but apparently the folks at ESPN showed up late to the dance. All the talk lately, especially since the Saints' Bounty-crap, has been about the violence in the NFL. Junior Seau's recent suicide has folks speculating that it could be attributed to the hits he took on the football field. I ain't no doctor so I'll stay away from the Seau stuff. I will say, however, that I find it hard to believe athletes in the NFL don't know the risks they are taking. I realized during third grade recess that football (and tackle-tag) was one of the roughest sports a human being could ever play. It didn't take long to figure it out, either. Gilbert Burch slung me to the ground and I hit my head so hard I saw stars. They were white, by the way. I tried to tackle Johnny Belin and the sucker stiff-armed me in the face. He had about two fingers in my mouth and another five or six were jammed up my nostrils. I know that's a lot of fingers from one stiff-arm but, hey, I was a kid and that's what it seemed like at the time. Anyway, it didn't take long to separate the kids at Hermitage Elementary into two groups - boys that played football at recess and the boys who didn't. I played football because I liked it. Others didn't play because they didn't enjoy the pain that came with the sport. That is the point. Football is a sport that centers around pain and punishment. Who can dish it out and who can take it? For these athletes to try to sue the NFL for injuries occured during the course of a football career, I have to ask - how did you not know what you were getting yourself in? These guys knew the risks they were taking. But, at the time, the size of those paychecks outweighed any possible future damage to the bodies or brain cells. Now that the body is broken and the checks have stopped, they want to file a lawsuit and pretend they didn't know the sport was so dangerous. Well, boo-freaking-hoo. Unless these guys skipped the third grade and went straight to the NFL, I ain't buying it.

A view of the Summitt

Many, many moons ago, a new sports writer got the bright idea to push girls basketball in our newspaper. I started doing features on, not just local kids, but I watched college games on TV and introduced some of those players to my readers.
I got that idea when I did an article on Kimberly Wilson, a player from near-by Hampton, who was a stand-out at the University of Arkansas. Wilson was considered as a local girl so it wasn't difficult to get an phone interview with her college coach. But, I wanted to do more so, just for the heck of it, I flipped through the media guide and found phone numbers for other schools. On a whim, I dialed one of the numbers.
"Hello, this is Pat."
I was so surprised, I nearly swallowed my gum and I wasn't even chewing any.
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt stepped down today after about 38 years on the job. She's labeled a legend only because there isn't a stronger word to describe her impact in basketball and women's sports in general.
I must admit, I wasn't a Lady Vols fan. I rooted against them consistently, mainly because of their relentless and almost ruthless style of play. They were physically dominant and just pounded opponents on the glass and beat them down defensively.
It wasn't pretty to watch. That's a big reason I wasn't a fan.
It was effective, though.
Summitt put women's basketball on the map. Yeah, Louisiana Tech and Old Dominion and even Cheryl Miller and USC did their part, too. But, Tennessee was the program that every other school aimed at. The Lady Vols were the gold standard that the rest of the country had to reach.
What impressed me about Summitt was her willingness to bring other programs to her level. I remember back in the days when very few women's games were on TV. I watched Tennessee travel to Storrs, Connecticut to play a program I didn't know existed.
There was no Sue Bird or Diana Taurasi or even Rebecca Lobo. Thinking back, I'm not even sure if Kerry Bascom was there.
I just remember Summitt giving an up-and-coming program some much-needed national TV exposure. Sometimes I wonder if Geno Auriemma remembers that, too.
Summitt won a whole bunch of games at Tennessee. I wasn't offering a standing ovation for any of them.
But, what she did for women's basketball deserves everyone's applause. She put her sport on the map. She let it be known to girls everywhere that it was okay to be big, strong, aggressive and even nasty at times. That's not playing like a boy. That's just playing ball.
Summitt could've been content standing alone at the top of the heap. Instead, she reached down and brought other folks up with her. Anything she could do for women's basketball, she did. Whether it was going on the road to help a no-name coach build a program or spending a few minutes on the phone with a no-name sports writer.
Pat Summitt IS women's basketball.

Let's go Hog fans

I really hope it's just a rumor that someone is making death threats toward Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long. Please, don't be true because if it is true, Razorback fans just stormed past Happy Valley as the biggest football dopes in the country.
As much as I enjoy watching Arkansas win on the football field, Bobby Petrino left Long no choice. He simply had to fire the man.
I said from the beginning, if there was any possible way for the university to keep Petrino, they were going to do so.
It's not the cheating.
It's not even just about the lying.
You simply cannot give a $55,000 job to your girlfriend when there are almost 150 other applicants.
Damn Sam, how stupid you be?
Anyway, Long had no choice but to fire Petrino at the worst possible time. There are no outstanding unemployed coaches out there, right now. It's in the middle of spring practice. It's also recruiting season not to mention the Razorbacks are poised to make a national run next year.
You think Long wanted to fire the man?
Why anyone would blame the athletic director for the mess in Fayetteville ... well, I guess anyone dumb enough to blame him would probably be insane enough to threaten to kill him.
Okay, I get it.It makes sense now.
Wooo! Pig Sooie!

What if I got to watch the game?

One of the primary reasons I stayed home last night was so I could watch the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship game between Notre Dame and Baylor. I don't get excited often anymore about basketball games at any level.
I'm old. I've seen it all.
But, I wanted to watch this game because I've felt all season these were probably the two best teams. This was the correct matchup for the final game of the season.
Unfortunately, a storm blew through town around tip-off time. The game was close when my satellite signal was lost. By the time the game came back on, Baylor was celebrating as the final seconds ticked away.
I should've gone to work.
I watched Brittany Griner's highlights and listened to the experts discuss Baylor's chances for a repeat next year. The Lady Bears could easily win it again.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, lost in the finals for the second year in a row. Stanford is still ringless despite five straight trips to the Final Four.
What if Skyler Diggins had chosen Stanford over her hometown team Notre Dame? The Cardinal, from what I understand, was in the running for her services out of high school.
What if Diggins had gone out west to Stanford, which has been the mecca for frontcourt players over the past seven years or so. The Cardinal annually has the biggest, most skilled frontline in the country. And, the weakest, most fragile backcourt.
What if Diggins had gone to Stanford?
1. Notre Dame wouldn't have been to two Final Fours, must less title games.
2. Texas A&M would not have its national championship.
3. The Cardinal might be in the middle of a two, possibly three-year title run.
4. UConn's winning streak might be considerably shorter.
5. Condoleeza Rice would actually smile while watching the games.
Obviously, this is off the top of my head. No research has gone into this column. But, in my opinion, the entire landscape of women's college basketball would be turned upside down if this one player had changed her mind in high school.
The thing is, you could say the same thing about Griner. What if she had gone to Texas instead of Baylor? We'd have one less coaching change, that's for sure.
What if Elena Delle Donne had stayed at Connecticut? Those damn Huskies might have a decade-long winning streak.
What if Tennessee's Shekinna Stricklen, Baylor's Jordan Madden, Ohio State's Ashley Adams and Oklahoma's Morgan Hook had stayed in-state and gone to Arkansas?
What if my dadgum satellite hadn't gone out and I actually got to watch the game?
Recruiting is such a delicate yet crucial part of college sports. Coaches get so much credit but in the end, if you sign Brittany Griner or Skyler Diggins out of high school, you have a better chance of cutting down the nets than if you don't.

Not a fairy tale

Gather around children and teenagers because I’m about to tell you a little story. You’re going to think it’s make-believe but it’s very, very real. This story isn’t about the Fouke monster or Bigfoot. This story is much more frightening than those tall tales.
A long, long time ago back in the early nineties, there was something called the state tournament.
Now hold on. I know you think you know what the state tournament is all about but the event I’m talking about is much different than the one that’s played today.
You see, back in the olden days, getting to the state tournament was sort of hard to do. Actually, for most teams it was an incredible dream, hopelessly out of reach. Basketball coaches used to highlight state tournament appearances on their resumés with golden thread.
Thinking back, any team that extended its season beyond the district tournament had reason to smile. Regional tournaments, many of them, were like mini-Final Fours, played in sweaty, jam-packed, often far-away gymnasiums. For most of the best teams, their seasons ended in the regional tournament. The list of teams with 35 or more victories that didn’t qualify for the state tournament is almost endless.
Yeah, I know. Scary, isn’t it?
I can remember a district girls championship game played in either Poyen or Donaldson between Union and Parkers Chapel. Both teams had more than 30 victories. In fact, almost all of their losses were against each other.
PC and Union were playing for probably the fifth or sixth time that season. Although they’d qualified for regionals, there was still a lot to be decided on that Saturday night - a top seed in the regional. The loser would have to beat Delta, ranked No. 1 in the state, in the regional at Monticello. The winner only had to get through Arkansas City, which was ranked No. 4, to earn a berth in the state tournament.
The Lady Trojans and Lady Cyclones fought for four quarters. At the end of the night, Union’s players cut down the nets in celebration, although the players knew there was still a mountain between them and the state tournament.
The Lady Cyclones won twice in the regional, including a thrilling upset over Arkansas City, which qualified them for the state tournament. I rode the bus with that team to Harrison. I documented their frustrating first-round loss to Mount Pleasant.
Despite a quiet, somber bus ride home from Harrison, I watched a team have an incredible journey.
That’s the difference. It was a long, hard, arduous journey with each step more tumultuous than the last. Every victory represented another step. Each step was a celebration.
It seems far-fetched that a team could win close to 40 games and not make it to state. But, it’s true. And, yes, there used to be schools named Union and Delta and Arkansas City and Mount Pleasant with mascots called River Rats and Bluebirds.
Those schools don’t exist anymore. Everything is different, now.
I’m not saying the state tournaments today aren’t as good. I’m not saying it was better in the olden days. The fact that I liked it better back then is simply my opinion and isn’t any more valid than anyone else’s.
It’s just different.
You don’t have to be great to make it to state these days. You don’t even have to be real good. In the large classifications, you can be actually be winless because every team automatically goes to the state tournament in Class 6A and 7A.
Sort of makes it less of an accomplishment doesn’t it?
It’s different and different isn’t necessarily better or worse.
Area basketball players who participated in the state tournament last week should be proud of their accomplishments. I’m not going to lie and say getting to state isn’t easy because it actually is. But, players have to travel the road to get there that’s put in front of them. Youngsters in 2012 didn’t choose their path anymore than those teams did back in the olden days.
All I’m saying is, even though it’s different, now, appreciate the journey.

Union County All-LFL Team

I had an interesting Twitter discussion yesterday with Junction City softballer Courtney Lowe, who revealed a fondness for football. Not watching, by the way, but actually getting on the field and knocking heads.
For girls, playing football isn't a fantasy anymore, thanks to several leagues, including the Lingerie Football League, which airs on MTV2. The LFL's uniform is almost as revealing as beach volleyball but, other than that, the women, a lot of whom are former college athletes, play real football.
Courtney, or Big Red, will be playing college softball at Louisiana Tech next year. A pitcher and infielder, she has a strong arm. She has also won trophies in bench press competitions. So, when she says she'd like to play quarterback or linebacker, anywhere she can get to hit somebody, I have no doubts she'd be a good player on the gridiron.
It got me to thinking. C-Lowe isn't the only girl in Union County who could do some damage on the football field. With that in mind, here's my Union County All-LFL Team for this season.
At quarterback, obviously would be Lowe. The three offensive linegirls would be El Dorado's Traliese Ford, Smackover's Kayla Nelson and Junction City's Breanna Lee. These three girls are all strong and were apparently too physical for basketball as they were all constantly in foul trouble this season. Now, they can push and shove all they want without fear of fouling out.
The running back would be El Dorado track star Rickitha Hicks. She's short, at just around 5-feet, but her speed in undeniable as the defending 6A state 100-meter champion. The two receivers are El Dorado soccer standout Meredith Rice and Parkers Chapel basketball forward Caleh Wall.
Rice, as the goalkeeper, probably has the best hands in the area. Wall is an aggressive rebounder and, since she's rumored to be kicking for the Trojans' football team next year, is a natural selection.
Defensively, the two down linegirls are El Dorado's Charlotte Bradley and Junction City's Ebony Holyfield. Bradley is an obvious choice with her bull-in-a-china shop mentality. Holyfield often picked up two fouls during the lay-up line so she should feel right at home putting a headlock on opponents legally.
The linebackers are Strong's Bre Newton and, since Big Red wants to hit so bad, Courtney Lowe. These girls are hard-nosed and athletic and, probably mean enough to strike fear in opposing players.
The defensive backs are Norphlet point guard Samantha Marshall, El Dorado point guard Sequoia Snowden and, although she's currently injured, EHS basketball and soccer player Hannah Burroff at safety.
Marshall is quick and changes directions smoothly. Snowden is quick, aggressive and unrelenting. She's the shut-down corner. Burroff is athletic enough and competitive enough to get the job done. Plus, she got a yellow card in last year's state tournament. She's not gonna back down and that's what football is all about.
So, there you have it. The first, and probably only, Union County All-LFL Team.
Keep in mind, my team's uniform will have longer shorts and full t-shirts. This is about athletics, after all, and nothing else.

Chambers develops hair-trigger release

Prevailing logic says all you have to do to stop a 3-point shooter is get a hand in their face.
When the shooter is Kansas State’s Brittany Chambers, that’s much easier said than done.
Chambers, on Monday, became the fifth player in school history to earn multiple All-Big 12 first team honors. The 5-8 junior was one of two players in the Big 12 to register 400 or more points, 180 or more rebounds and 60 or more assists this season. She ranks eighth in the league with 14.3 points per game and leads the Big 12 with 2.5 made 3-point field goals per game.
“What you have to do when you are guarding Chambers, is you have to quit looking at what is happening on the floor and focus on Chambers,” said Texas A&M coach Gary Blair.
“She has a great step back move and her range is from here to wherever she is from.”
From her hometown of Jordan, Minn., to Manhattan, Kansas is a seriously long shot. But, Blair isn’t exaggerating by that much.
Chambers is the focal point of opposing defenses and has to extend her range to well beyond the 3-point arc just to get off a shot.
“This year, I’m not getting the wide-open looks I got last year. Teams are guarding me and they’re switching screens so the easy three isn’t there. I’ve had to bring back more of the off-dribble game, shooting floaters and stuff,” said Chambers, who was asked about her shooting range.
“It depends. There are nights when I’m feeling it and I’ll shoot it from pretty much anywhere. It’s one of those things where I just feel if the game comes to me. If I feel like I’m on and I have a good look, I’ll usually take it seven feet back. Obviously, if it’s not that kind of night I’m not going to just chuck it up there.”
One of the most prolific long-range bombers in women’s college basketball, Chambers is far from a chucker. She admits it’s taken a lot of hard work since arriving at Kansas State to get to this point.
“When I was in high school, my shot wasn’t very good. It was okay but when I got to Kansas State, my coaches kind of changed my shot,” said Chambers. “They changed my footwork and they changed my shot. My release is a lot quicker. It’s something I really had to work on in college, something I had to adapt to the game because I wasn’t getting my shots off with the kind of pressure people were showing.
“I used to pull it down. They changed it so I kept it right at my shoulder the whole time. They eliminated extra movement in my shot, just little things that take even a millimeter of a second off. But, the big thing was not dipping it when I caught it. Most players like to catch it and then bend their knees and then go up. They changed it so I immediately catch and then shoot. In high school, I really didn’t shoot it well at all. I was very streaky. The elimination of the extra movement helped my accuracy a ton.”
Tinkering with a player’s shot can be a risky proposition.
“I was scared. I didn’t think I could do it and it was frustrating at first because you don’t make shots at first and you’re not used to it,” she said. “I was not shooting very well right at away. But, it came along faster than I thought it would. It started making a difference in my shot pretty quickly which was nice. Usually, that doesn’t happen.”
Chambers’ shooting motion is hair-trigger quick. Whether it’s catch-and-shoot or off the dribble, her lightning release is remarkable, especially considering the distance of her shots. Coming off screens, she actually catches the ball and shoots it in the same motion.
“The big thing for me is my feet and getting set before the ball even comes,” she explains. “I’m already thinking before it comes to me. I think that’s a huge part. You can’t set your feet down once you catch it. You have to be prepared already before it comes. That was something I had to work on. To get your shot up, you have to already have your feet set and ready before the ball ever hits your hand.”
Having a green light to always think shot first must help.
“Yeah,” she said with a giggle, “very much so.”
Getting a hand in Chambers’ face is a difficult task. She runs around a mine field of screens and has an impressive array of off-the-dribble step back moves. Still, as the Big 12 season wore on, teams have persisted and found ways to limit her looks.
“It’s tough,” said Chambers. “Normal, typical looks like off the screens and stuff just haven’t been there because they’re either double teaming or switching every screen. Going into games, I know that’s coming now so it’s not as hard. At the beginning of the Big 12, it was a lot tougher. It is a little bit of pressure because I know I have to score and find ways to score for my teammates. But, I also feel like we’ve gotten to the point with my team that if I don’t score, it’s not the biggest thing in the world. We’ve had games where I only got four shots because that’s all they’re giving me.
“That’s the thing I’ve had to work on, actually. My mindset was always getting open or making cuts to get myself open. But, I try to think about when I’m not getting a shot, I’m pulling two defenders so I find ways to cut so I can pull a defender with me so someone else can get a wide-open shot. That’s something I had to change that I never really used to think about, making plays or making cuts just to get other people open.”
Kansas State plays Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament Thursday at 11 a.m.

Wrong knows no color

I'm not in a good place emotionally, right now.
Something happened recently that's been eating at me. I don't like it when supposedly grown adults mistreat children. That bothers me. It especially bothers me when the mistreatment could possibly be racially motivated.
That pisses me the hell off. It makes me angry. It makes me very, very mad.
It goes both ways.
Several years ago at Strong, when four starters off a state championship team transferred, the lone returning starter was Maranda Parker. A white girl on a predominantly black team, Maranda was billed as the best player and got a lot of credit for the team's success the previous year.
Apparently, some Strong fans thought she got too much credit and thought it might have been because of her skin tone.
During a game at Magnolia, the opposing team double and triple teamed Parker, forcing her into turnovers and just a bad game. Some black fans screamed at her on the court and made derogatory comments about her.
That was wrong. Adults targeting a child is wrong. It pissed me off then.
Saturday, white fans yelled negative comments about a player on their own team, who happened to be black. No doubt, the comments were racially motivated just as much as those were against Maranda Parker.
They pissed me off.
Maranda lashed out at the negativity in her own way, which I won't put into print because I don't use that type of language.
She didn't handle it well but then again, she was a kid.
The player who was targeted Saturday didn't handle their situation any better. In fact, they handled it worse because they stopped playing. The player got benched and deservedly so. If you're not going to play, you sit. That's common sense.
In the end, the white, red-necked fan won. They wanted to run the black kid off the team and they did just that. It bothers me that the kid fell into the trap and cooperated in their own demise.
Then again, it's a kid.
Maranda had the last laugh several years ago. She perservered and led her Lady Bulldogs to the state quarterfinals in a year when they weren't one of the top eight teams in the state. She's now celebrated in Strong, perhaps even by the fan who heckled her back in the day.
Sometimes good trumps evil. Sometimes it doesn't.
It pisses me off when evil wins.
Racism is always a factor. Let's not be naive. I talked to Maranda on Saturday and she admitted, a black fan yelling at her affected her differently than if a white fan had yelled the exact same thing.
It's human nature. We're not color blind. I see color. You see color. Don't freaking lie and say you don't. We all do.
When you admit that, it will allow you a certain sensitivity. I don't know what it's like to be white. I'm sure people of other races face problems I don't know about and perhaps couldn't understand.
Being black ain't easy either, especially in a predominantly white environment. Especially when people don't want you to excel. Especially when people openly root against you.
Especially, when you're a kid.
Wrong is wrong, no matter what color in which it's packaged.

Almost in a class by herself

By TONY BURNS
She blocked a shot and wrestled away the rebound on one end of the floor and feathered a perfectly-timed alley-oop pass on the other. She also scored on a post-up, knocked down a pull-up jumper on a 1-on-1 clear-out, helped handle the ball and defended both on the perimeter and in the post.
No, she’s not Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne or Stanford’s Nnemkadi Ogwumike or even Baylor’s Brittney Griner.
Georgia’s Anne Marie Armstrong may well be the most versatile player in women’s college basketball. When it comes to all-around performers, like legendary NFL coach Bum Phillips once said about Earl Campbell, if she ain’t in a class by herself, it don’t take long to call roll.
Armstrong currently ranks among the top-10 statistical leaders for SEC games in 9-of-13 categories, including top five in scoring and minutes played, sixth in assists, blocked shots and defensive boards, seventh in rebounding, steals and assists-to-turnovers and ninth in field goal percentage.
"Anne Marie just gets better and better," said Georgia coach Andy Landers. "She has such a good sense for the game and she's unselfish. That's what makes her so much fun to watch. She'll help her teammates on defense and run the risk of her man scoring. She'll pass when other people are open and she is too. She's a fun player to coach and watch."
Thursday night, the 6-foot-3 junior scored 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor with seven rebounds and five blocked shots. With the game tied at 4.8 seconds left on the clock, she giggled before toeing the line and hitting the game-winning free throws in a 61-59 win at South Carolina.
“I was trying to get un-nervous,” Armstrong said. “I was a little bit nervous but I was trying not to think about it. I thought if I could make myself smile or laugh I wouldn’t be thinking about it as much. I’m glad I looked cool as a cucumber because I wasn’t.”
Armstrong’s deceptive looks serve her well on the court. Long and lanky, she almost looks out of place on the perimeter, where she shoots 37.9 percent from 3-point range. Her slender frame appears almost brittle in the paint, where she nudged her way to almost seven rebounds per game and is one of the league leaders in shot blocks.
“In high school I played mostly post but in the beginning I played point guard,” she said. “Coming here and being able to shoot the ball, that’s why I’ve been able to play in the games, being versatile, playing the two, three, four and the five. I would say my main position is at the small forward.”
A native of Norcross, Ga., Armstrong is a three-time state champion in basketball and volleyball and is a three-time state high jump champion.
“I’ve always been pretty tall,” she said. “My freshman year in high school I was like 5-11 so as far as high school, I was always pretty tall and I grew consistently through high school until I was 6-2, 6-3. Just developing as a player, I started off as a guard and then as I grew taller and became one of the taller players on my team, I had to play in the post some. Being on a team in high school where we were successful and playing different positions has definitely helped me be more versatile in the college game.”
Just like laughing when she’s nervous, Armstrong is difficult to judge. Is it possible to be gangly, yet smooth? A ballerina on stilts? She blocks shots in transition, can take the ball from the wing to the basket in one long stride and is a dead-eye shooter from long range - an American athlete with a European style.
“Nemanja Djurisic on the (Georgia) men’s team is from Europe and our game is kind of similar as far as being able to post up, shoot it, handle the ball and being able to pass the ball as far as seeing the court well. I guess I’ve heard that but not many people have told me that I have a European style,” she said.
“I think I’m pretty athletic. If I’m at the guard, my quickness is something I have to focus on when I’m guarding other guards especially in the SEC. At the four position, I can match up with almost anyone. I may be a little undersized against some players but I know how to use my length on defense. So, I think I’m skilled and athletic as well - maybe more skilled.”
Armstrong’s game isn’t ordinary. Perhaps her coach summed it up after a game this season against Furman.
“A couple of times tonight, Anne Marie reminded me of Larry Bird,” Landers said. “She has crazy size, point guard and forward skills and passes it well because of the way she sees the floor.”
Yeah, you could say some of those same things about players like Delle Donne and Ogwumike. So, Armstrong isn’t in a class all by herself. But, it don’t take long to call the roll.

RIP Whitney

I always forget how quickly a gap surfaces between generations. I walked into the office Saturday afternoon to hear the news that Whitney Houston had died. It was almost as shocking as if a family member had passed away.
I'm not sure why I was so stunned. While I always appreciated the fact that Houston had one of the greatest voices of my generation, I was never just the biggest fan. Never bought any of her albums or anything like that.
But, the news of her death hit me in the chest like an anvil. I suppose it was just because she was such a large figure for my generation.
I found out that generation has passed, however, as the weekend editor at the newspaper, who is in her twenties, wasn't even sure if news of Houston's death merited mention in the Sunday edition.
I couldn't believe my ears.
Apparently, today's young 'uns were born too late for Whitney Houston and Prince and, maybe even Madonna. She really and truly didn't understand what the big fuss was about.
Well, I kicked and stomped and pouted and raised enough hell until she finally put the story on one of the inside pages of the newspaper. I even got her to tease to it.
I vaguely remember Elvis Presley's death when I was a teenager. Somehow, I knew the significance of it even though his music was slighty before my time.
Times have certainly changed.
RIP Whitney Houston. Even if some young people don't understand, your music left a mark that will stand the test of time. Well, at least for my generation.

Gotta get on the good foot

I've been trying to get myself going but lethargy is wearing me like a turtleneck sweater. I can't seem to get motivated to do anything productive, especially sitting in front of a computer.
I really need to do some serious re-writing on a couple novels. I think "Culled" and "White Flight" are close to completion with some tweaking. I have an idea of what I need to do. Sitting down and getting it done is the issue, especially since this is sure to be a tedious process.
I have to make some serious cuts to "Culled" and get rid of a lot of useless information. I'd really like to change the lead but, frankly, I can't come up with anything better than I already have.
As for "White Flight," I've thought of a completely different ending that I think will work better. For those who don't know, "White Flight" has a bit of a who-done-it flavor. I'm gonna change who-done-it.
Of course, "gonna change" and "changed" are two different things.

Coach Gisele?

Tom Brady's wife thinks the Patriots' receivers should catch every pass her husband throws.
Really? Is that what passes for a sports story these days?
If you didn't see or hear, Brady's wife, super model Gisele Bunchen, was being heckled by Giants' fans after the Super Bowl on Sunday. Gisele, obviously perturbed by the outcome of the game, said to no one in particular that her husband can't throw the ball and catch it, too.
It was her honest assessment of the game.
Don't blame her for saying it. She certainly didn't mean for it to go viral. She was just pissed. Lord knows I'm glad there's not a camera recording me everytime I get peeved.
But, there are actually sports stories turning her reaction into some sort of big deal. How do you expect her to react? She's a fan of her husband and his team. They just lost the Super Bowl. She's not in the mood to be politically correct, especially when she doesn't know she's being filmed.
Reporters went so far as to ask Patriot players what they thought of her reaction. Really?
"A super model said you should've caught that pass. Your thoughts?"
Well, gee whiz, I guess she would know.
If Tom Brady muttered under his breath how he thought the wings on the Victoria's Secret costume were too big, would that be big news, too?
Get a grip. We need to let human beings have human emotions and honest reactions.

Football recruiting just feels right

At the risk of seeping into full-fledged sports geekdom, I must admit I'm really getting into the college football recruiting scene. It certainly helps that we have so many outstanding high school seniors in our area this season.
I'm also excited about Arkansas, which is being considered by a couple highly-touted five-star caliber athletes. I have to be honest, February 1st can't get here soon enough for me.
How excited am I?
I actually spent time on the interent looking up recruiting information. I've been known to use the internet for a lot of things but reading about high school kids has never been one of them.
Anyway, it turns out the Golden Triangle has three of the most highly thought of student-athletes in the state. Only one of them, Bearden's Defonta Lowe, is going to be a Razorback.
Lowe is ranked the 76th best prospect as an athlete by ESPN.
Strong's Kenneth Dixon, who has committed to Louisiana Tech, is ranked the 64th best running back nationally.
Smackover's Jeff Savage, who has committed to Louisiana-Monroe, is ranked the 93rd best defensive tackle nationally.
All three kids are considered three-star recruits.
Before you start in on me, I understand these recruiting services don't mean a doggone thing. A five-star can flame out and a no-star can be a first-round draft pick in the NFL.
But, it's still kind of fun just the same. Like I said, I feel a little nerdy sifting giddily through this stuff. I guess it's better than some of the other stuff I've sifted through on the internet.
Now that I think about it ... I gotta go.

What you talking about Willis?

Would've loved to have been a fly on the wall around the breakfast table yesterday in the Willis household. Norphlet drubbed Woodlawn tuesday in a pair of senior varsity games.
The Willis children - junior twins Kalisha and Jalisha and their sophomore brother Jontavis, combined to score 86 points in the wins.
Kalisha scored a career-high 34 points with sister Jalisha adding 22 in an 86-34 victory. Later, Jontavis pumped in 30 points in a 67-40 win in the boys game.
Coach Justin Welch joked that whatever the family ate for breakfast Tuesday, he hopes that turns into a daily routine.
***
On the recruiting trail, there is news out of Memphis that concerns El Dorado's Taylor Reed, who started at quarterback this year as a freshman. The Tigers have a verbal committment from a three-start tight end from Florida.
That's great news for any quarterback.
The bad news?
Texas Tech transfer QB Jacob Karam has signed a letter of intent with Memphis, according to the school's official athletic site.
Karam, who threw two career touchdowns for the Red Raiders, originally signed with Texas Tech in 2009. Karam was rated as a four-star coming out of high school and he was a top-20 QB nationally.
Welcome to college football. The competition never stops.

'Uh, oh!'

When I heard over the summer that Strong had pursuaded Anthony Avery to coach the girls basketball team for a year, I said, "uh, oh!"
The once-proud Lady Bulldogs' program had been in a steady decline since its back-to-back state championships in 2005 and 2006. Last year was an all-time low, ending a long stretch of regional and state tournament berths.
It didn't look to be much better this year ... until ... "uh, oh!"
I wasn't sure what Avery could do with the team, which seemed to underachieve last season. One thing I knew for certain, though, he would have the players' respect. Even if he didn't field a team, Coach Avery would not sit on that sideline and be disrespected.
Well, he got his players' attention. The Lady Bulldogs are playing hard again. That was always the staple of this program. They played hard even when they didn't play smart. They always won the board battle. They always got the loose balls.
Even when they couldn't shoot, couldn't dribble, couldn't pass they made up for it by getting more shots and more possessions just because they got every loose ball.
As someone who loves "skilled" basketball, the Lady Bulldogs aren't always my favorite team to watch. Their sling-it-toward-the-rim and go get it attitude isn't aesthetically pleasing but it is very effective.
I watched Strong push a superior Norphlet team last week. When I heard the Lady Bulldogs beat Parkers Chapel last night, I wasn't stunned. No, I didn't predict they'd be sitting in second place in the league, right now. But, I knew if Avery didn't run 'em all off, the old trademarks would return and they'd be a team no one wanted to face - a team that even if you beat them, you'll walk away with scrapes and bruises and a desire never to play them again.
That's old-school Strong girls basketball. It's no fun to watch and even less fun to play against.
Coach Avery has brought it back.
"Uh, oh!"

RIP JoePa

When I die, I hope to be judged not solely by the mistakes I made but by the accomplishments I achieved. Life is not about being perfect. It's about trying to do the right thing, even though sometimes it comes out wrong.
Joe Paterno had a remarkable career filled with more positives than one can count. May he rest in peace. He deserves that much.

Big numbers on court

The seal is off the basket in Union County. Two days after Smackover's Deonta Baker dropped 41 points on Harmony Grove, Strong's Stetson Billings lit up Bearden to the tune of 57 points.
Five dimes, a nickel and two pennies is a lot of change in one night. But, the UALR signee is more than capable of cashing in big on any given night.
I have to admit, boys basketball in Union County is kind of nice this season. All the teams are competitive, including Norphlet. In Billings, Strong has the best player and Parkers Chapel is the defending state runner-up.
In contrast, area girls hoops isn't what it used to be.
In might've gotten weaker Tuesday when El Dorado's Hannah Burroff injured her knee in Little Rock. Coach Stephen Harshaw told me today the doctor confirmed she tore her ACL and MCL and will miss the rest of her senior season. That's devastating news for the Lady Wildcats and even worse for the young lady, who is even better on the soccer pitch than the basketball court.
In my 20-plus years of doing this, it never ceases to amaze me how these types of injuries always seem to happen to the best kids.

Thanks ESPN

Gotta send a big thank you out to the folks at ESPN. The sports network's non-stop, round the clock coverage of Tim Tebow forced me to find my remote control and explore other options on my DirecTV.
Did you know there are two channels devoted entirely to food?
Oh! You did?
Well, it was news to me, which is probably a shocking announcement coming from a guy my size.
Anyway, thanks so much to ESPN for driving me away from sports to the food networks. I'm not a big cooker. I don't even own a stove. But, I do like food.
The past several days I've spent hours watching various shows demonstrate amazing ways to prepare tasty food dishes. I watched in awe at first until I started to think that perhaps even I could attempt some of these recipes.
Without an oven or even a hint of cooking expertise, my options were limited. But, yesterday I attempted a type of salad featuring apples and mandarin oranges. The most important part of the dish is a sauce that includes honey and orange yogurt. It only took about 10 minutes to prepare but it was well worth the time.
I'm still chowing down on it a day later.
I'm contemplating a dish with peaches, honey and chicken. That one could be tricky. We'll see how it goes. Who knows, maybe I'll eventually turn into the Iron Chef or maybe that arrogant guy from Restaurant Impossible?
To think, I have ESPN's exhaustingly gruesome coverage of everything Tebow to thank for my new interest.
Go Raiders!

Get it right, AAA

Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012 is a huge day when it comes to high school basketball in Arkansas. It has nothing to do with the games scheduled for this date.
The AAA Board of Directors will meet at 4 p.m. to decide the tournament site selections for 2012. The meeting will be held at the AAA office in North Little Rock.
The 2A South Region has bids put in by Foreman, Norphlet and Parkers Chapel.
Foreman hosted this region last year. Saratoga has hosted it. Mineral Springs has hosted it. Mount Ida hosted it. Caddo Hills hosted it.
Over the past few seasons, I've driven to Fouke and Prescott and Lafayette County and Centerpoint for regional games.
Tomorrow, the AAA will award the 2A South to, supposedly, one of three schools. One of those schools, Foreman, hosted the tournament last year in a gym that was woefully undersized. The four finalists drove hundreds of miles from Union County to Foreman to compete.
The other two schools, Norphlet and PC, have large gyms, are located around a city with numerous hotels and eating spots and have driven all over the state for the past several years, playing other teams on their homecourt for the right to advance to the state tournament.
If the 2A South is held outside of Union County this season, it will be one of the most biased, unfair decisions since the O.J. verdict.
I dont complain much about the AAA's decisions. If Foreman is awarded this year's regional, I will be forced to speak out.
***
On another note, El Dorado is the lone bidder for the 6A State basketball tournament. I'm assuming this means the tournament will be held at the brand new Wildcat Arena. I can't wait to see the looks on the AAA big wigs' faces when they're given a ticket and told to ask someone at the concession stand for something to drink.
The first-ever state tournament without a hospitality room will be the biggest story that comes out of Wildcat Arena. I'm looking forward to writing it.

What about the Cotton Bowl?

Apparently, if a football game isn't on ESPN, it doesn't exist.
The sports network has a billion talk shows devoted to college football. I've watched all week and have not heard one peep about tonight's Cotton Bowl.
Finally, I checked the TV Guide and saw the game will be broadcast on Fox.
I understand ESPN is not going to run promotional ads for a game on a rival network. But, to totally ignore the game and pretend it's not going to happen just shows how petty ESPN has gotten.
At one time, the sports network covered all the big events. That doesn't mean the big event was aired on their network. But, sports fans could still tune to ESPN to hear their analysis on the game.
That's what a sports network does. It gives highlights and analysis of all the big "sports" events.
Today's version of ESPN limits itself to Tim Tebow, LeBron James and Alex Rodriguez. That's the extent of the sports network's extensive coverage except for the events it is directly broadcasting.
ESPN will give an hour of discussion on a hot dog eating contest if it's aired on that network. But, a college football game between two highly-ranked team isn't worthy of a mention because it's on Fox.
Now, that's some brilliant sports coverage, right there.

Welcome to Fantasy Island

Since I didn't see this in the El Dorado News-Times (for some reason) I'd like to announce in this space that the Birds of Prey, coached by yours truly, won the championship this week in the Southside of Hell ESPN Fantasy Football League.
The week before, the Black Widows, coached by yours truly, won the championship in the Southern Comfort Fantasy Football League.
These were the only two leagues in which I participated.
I won them both.
Yes, I am THAT good.
Those who think Fantasy Football is more luck than skill, EAT IT!
Was it luck that I picked Cam Newton with the last pick in both drafts?
Was it luck when I smartly plucked Reggie Bush from the waiver wire after he was discarded by another coach?
Was it luck when I picked up C.J. Spiller off the waiver wire late in the season?
Was it luck when I benched Jermichael Finley in favor of Hernandez last week?
Okay, there was a tinge of luck in that substitution but also some gut instincts.
I certainly wasn't lucky when all of my running backs missed most of the season with injuries. There's nothing lucky about Dwayne Bowe, who might catch 7 passes for 150 yards or 1 pass for 5 yards.
Face it folks, I am the man. I've proven it not once but twice.
That ain't no Fantasy. That's REAL!