I'm an unfeeling cur

I'm going to sound like a uncaring cur but, I am what I am. I'm sick of seeing retired football players on television talking about their health issues. Bret Favre is on some show today talking about his memory loss. Tony Dorsett was on last week, weeping as he revealed the serious after effects of his career. They even played sad music during the Dorsett interview. I'm not saying the stories of retired NFL players aren't sad. But guess what, welcome to the real world. Most people in their fifties are having health issues. And guess what again, most people in their fifties with those health issues didn't make enough money in their twenties and thirties to live on for the rest of their lives. My father died because his lungs were eaten up by asbestos that he worked in for thirty years. Where was his pity party? You expect me to feel sorry for athletes who earned millions of dollars playing a game they loved? Professional athletes were blessed with physical gifts that allowed them to make more money in a year than normal folks earn in a lifetime. Trust me, if I could've run a 4.2, I would've been in the NFL and I would gladly live with the consequences. Or, died with them. Nothing is for free. Everything has a price. Millionaire athletes live lives others fantasize about. But, at the end of the day, we all have a price to pay. Their bill doesn't come until they're in their fifties. Some of us pay on a daily basis. Junior Seau committed suicide after his career ended. I know three friends who committed suicide and they never played a down in the NFL. Why should I feel sad for Seau? You want to tug at my heart strings? Give me stories about the 19- and 20-year-old soldiers who died in combat. Tell me about the young fireman who died saving a life. Do a documentary about the young women battling cancer. But, please spare me the sob stories of millionaire athletes who suddenly realize, they're mortal, just like everybody else.

I back Bret ... but ...

Let me preface this blog by saying, "I back Bret." I think Bielema was a great hire as football coach at the University of Arkansas. Despite the Hogs' woeful season thus far, I think he's going to get it turned around. I believe the Razorbacks, under Bielema, will contend for the SEC title one day. The Hogs don't have the talent, especially defensively, to beat the heavyweights of the SEC. Most of that blame can be laid on Bobby Petrino's doorstep. Fact is, it was obvious Arkansas had nothing on defense a year ago when they were ready to use fullback Kiero Smalls at linebacker. This ain't Sparkman. Guys don't go both ways at the SEC level. It will take Bielema some time to recruit the kind of talent he needs to compete in the premier league in the country. But, the Razorbacks could compete better, right now, if the quarterback situation wasn't so bleak. I think Bielema made a mistake when he named Brandon Allen the starting quarterback way back in the spring and pretty much eliminated any sort of competition for the position. When he did that, both Brandon Mitchell and Taylor Reed took the hint that they weren't going to even get an opportunity to compete for the job and did what any competitive person would. They looked for a place that would allow them to compete for the job. Mitchell went to North Carolina State and Reed is at UCA. Now, I'm not saying either of them would've beaten out Allen, although I think both are just as good. But, one thing I do know, both of them are miles better than current Arkansas backup A.J. Derby. Allen is a mediocre, at best, SEC quarterback. Derby is a mediocre, at best, Sun Belt quarterback. I don't remember a time when the Razorbacks were so weak at the position. It's too bad, too, because Arkansas has good backs and a young but talented offensive line. But, it doesn't matter because the Razorbacks have no passing game. When Derby entered Saturday's game, I could practically hear Auburn's linebackers laughing on a play-action pass. In their defense, Arkansas' receivers suck. I can't blame Bielema for that. Can't even blame Petrino. Fact is, the Razorbacks' style of offense is not going to attract big-time receivers. I'm hoping the tight end will become a bigger part of the passing game. But, until Arkansas gets a quarterback, it doesn't matter. I've seen Mitchell play this season and I watched Reed play at Memphis. You will have a hard time convincing me they aren't just as good as Allen. I will never believe they can't compete with him. If they had been given that opportunity, even if they weren't starters, they'd be very good backups. I back Bret. Most of the issues on the hill were there when he arrived. But, the quarterback position shouldn't be as bad as it is. For that, the new coach has to take responsibility.

El Dorado, Hooten's Football Town of the Week

When Chad Hooten contacted me to interview for his television show on El Dorado football, I hesitantly agreed. I'm not hesitant to discuss the Wildcats and their success, I'm just not much of a public speaker. I nearly passed out when I had to give a presentation in college. I haven't gotten much better since. But, El Dorado football is a subject I can probably talk about in my sleep. Plus, Chad asked several times and has been more than gracious with us at the News-Times over the past few seasons. So ... I stepped in front of the camera. Unfortunately, I didn't understand the subject fully. It wasn't about El Dorado football. Hooten is doing a story on El Dorado being one of the top football towns in the state. Uh oh! Okay, it's not that I don't think El Dorado is a good football town. I just think it's a typical football town. Wildcat fans have shown to be fairly fair-weather when it comes to football. When the team is No. 1 in the state, the fans probably rank that high as well. I was amazed at the showing of purple a few years back when El Dorado played at Springdale Har Ber. The fans traveled in droves to Jonesboro and Fort Smith and even to Greenwood last year. Very few communities would make those trips the way El Dorado did. However, if the team isn't as good, the fan support can dip faster than the temperature in October. Even I was surprised last week, though, when the Wildcats drew one of their weaker crowds in recent memory. Chad Hooten had his camera ready to show the state one of the best football crowds around. Instead, he got a sparse contingent for a key conference matchup against rival Texarkana. It was embarrassing but only a little surprising. Even when the Wildcats were in the middle of their three-year run of championships, people would ask me, "are they going to win this week?" I'd say, "Probably. You coming to the game?" "No," they'd answer. "I'll wait until they play a good team." Perhaps spoiled is the word I'm looking for to describe the fans. It's not enough to have a good team. It has to be a championship team. Then, it's not enough to have a championship team, they have to be playing a great opponent. For the most part, that's typical of most communities in this state, especially at large schools. Fans are only as passionate as the team's record. Had I been better prepared, I would have said something like that to Hooten when he had the camera rolling. Actually, I probably would've declined the interview had I known it was about the fans instead of the team. Instead, I talked my way around it as best as I could with my limited public speaking skills. And, I didn't lie. El Dorado's fans are as good as most of the larger communities in the state. But as last week's crowd at Memorial Stadium showed, that's really not saying that much.

My son, Jadeveon

If South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney was my son, what would I tell him? I would ask him one question. Son, if you shattered your leg and could never walk again, would Coach Steve Spurrier take you into his home and take care of you? If the answer is, "no" then I suggest you take care of yourself now, while you still can. Clowney told his coaches last Saturday that he was injured and couldn't play in the team's game against Kentucky. His timing, a few minutes before kickoff, was bad. Other than that, I don't see what all the fuss is about. If not for some archaic NCAA rules that force athletes to stay in college, Clowney would already be a millionaire in the NFL. Instead, he's forced to play a dangerous game for free, while others around him reap the rewards for his sweat. I don't blame him one bit for refusing to play through an injury. If he was my son, I'd tell him to not get back on the field until he's a hundred percent healthy. All those coaches and fans and media-folks criticizing him for his selfishness? Where will they be when he tears his knee up and can't play anymore? College football isn't about amateur competition. It hasn't been for a long time. It's a business. It's big business with millions of dollars exchanging hands. Those dollars aren't supposed to touch the hands of the athletes. That's fine, I suppose. They are getting a college education, if they want it. But, for the few who can actually use their God-given talents to actually make a lot of money, they should think about themselves first and their team second. Spurrier was rich before he ever met Clowney. He'll be rich long after he parts ways with Clowney. But, Clowney's window to make money will open and shut once and it won't be open for long. Football is big business. The athletes play for their respective teams. But, I would never advise any athlete to put his own future in jeopardy for the sake of the university. Whether you play or not, South Carolina will be alright, son.

Hogs' loss is disappointing

Disappointing is the nicest way to describe Arkansas' 30-10 loss at Florida. It's not the first word that comes to mind but ... it's the nicest thing I can say. I'll preface the rest of this by saying, Bret Bielema is a great coach for the Razorbacks. He's my kind of coach and I'd rather lose playing his style than lose playing a different style. But, Saturday's game ... that was ... disappointing. Florida is better than Arkansas. The Gators' defense is big-time. Offensively, however, Florida is seriously flawed. The Gators don't blow out many opponents because they don't score a lot of points. The Razorbacks, with a team made for ground-and-pound, had the blueprint for the upset. Run the ball. Shorten the game. Use the punt as a weapon. Keep it close and see which way the ball bounces late in the fourth quarter. It was working, too. By the way, moving freshmen Kirkland and Skipper to guards was a stroke of genius by Bielema. Along with Swanson at center, the Razorbacks are solid up the middle. That's the strength of this offense. I guess that's why it was so disappointing to watch Arkansas abandon the run on Saturday. Brandon Allen completed 17-of-41 passes for 164 yards. As a team, the Hogs were 17-of-43 throwing the ball. Too many of those passes came when it was a one-possession game. The drive that put Arkansas up 7-3 started with an incomplete pass. It then went, Collins for 10, Hackett for 9, Collins for 3, Williams for 12, Collins for no gain, Allen pass to Henry for 31 and Williams for a 4-yard touchdown. I'll do the math - eight plays, 6 rushing, 2 passes. The formula worked and was never used again. Pass. Pass. Pass. The only thing worse than the quick three-and-outs that helped sap Arkansas' defense was the predictable Pick-6 Allen threw to the Gators. So disappointing to give a team that can't score a defensive touchdown. Let's get this straight. The Razorbacks needed a near-perfect performance to beat Florida. The loss isn't disappointing. Losing in the manner they lost is disappointing. Arkansas didn't give itself a chance. Allen is, at best, a middle-of-the-road SEC quarterback. Any game plan where he's asked to throw 40 times should be re-thought. Not that it was all on him. Arkansas has no big-play receivers. They can't get open and when they do get open, odds are about 50-50 on whether they'll catch the ball if it hits them in their hands. So, couple an average to below-average quarterback with subpar receivers, multiply it by two outstanding backs and a good, young run-blocking offensive line and what do you get? It ain't 43 passes. That's for darned sure. Bielema is going to improve the talent level at Arkansas. Until he does, however, the coaches have to devise a game plan that gives the out-manned talent the best chance at success. Losing because you're outgunned is understandable. Asking a piss-poor passing attack to consistently convert third-and-longs after incomplete passes to open a drive is not understandable. In fact, it's ... disappointing.

Thank you, Brad Slatton

Thank you, Brad Slatton. How long has it been, now? About ten years since you introduced me to the college football video game? I was perfectly content in my own little world of watching TV and surfing the internet. But, you had to broaden my entertainment horizons. You had to show me what was all the rage. You had to stick that plastic controller in my hand, slip a DVD into your game console and expose my eyes and mind to a world I never knew existed. You watched and grinned as I was immediately sucked into that world. You knew I would never escape it. There was no way I would ever find my way out of that maze's magical mixture of fantasy, reality and football. You knew I was hooked. Now, I sit here a decade later, wasting another hour of my rapidly evaporating puddle of life, recruiting two-star athletes to join my pitiful Arkansas State program. Oh, it'll take awhile but I'll turn the Red Wolves into national champions. The same way I built Hawaii and Army and Arizona State (love those black uniforms). And when I do and the game asks me if I want to save the National Championship trophy, I'll click "yes." I always save the first one. And, I'll feel a smidgen of accomplishment even though I know it's a game. It's not real. It isn't bettering me or the world around me. That's when the guilt sets in and I turn the game off, set the controller to the side and vow to grow the hell up and stop wasting time. A few weeks later, sometimes even a couple months will pass but, at some point, a storm will knock out my satellite dish or I'll forget to pay my internet bill. And, I'll hear my controller whispering to me. "All I need is electricity and your attention," it says. It summons me back and I obey it's call. I always come back to that dark world. I have Brad Slatton to thank for showing me that dark side. And, if I ever have the opportunity to see him again in a one-on-one, man-on-man confrontation, I'm going to do to him what I should've done ten years ago. I'm going to put a controller in his hand, sit him down on the couch and then we're going to play two games. I'm going to take my team and beat him. Then, I'll take his team and beat him. In the real world, playing games, especially at our ages, are a waste of time. But, in that dark world, games are only a waste of time if you lose. And, thanks to Brad Slatton and EA Sports, all I need is an hour and electricity, and I'm a winner.

Gut Check Picks - the second week

My debut of Gut Check picks was more like a sucker punch to my gut. I went 6-4 in the Camden News Pigskin Picks and my other prognostications weren't much better. I guess this proves you really should do some research before predicting the outcomes of football games. Let's try it again. In local high school, I have El Dorado over LR Central; Fairview over Warren; Magnolia over Hamburg; Harmony Grove over Arkansas Baptist; Junction City over Bearden and Fordyce over Monticello. In college: Arkansas over Rutgers; Florida over Tennessee; LSU over Auburn; Stanford over Arizona State and Arkansas State over Memphis. Just for fun, Harvard and Philip Hay opens its season at San Diego. San Diego has played twice, although is a 38-35 win over Western New Mexico really a game? Who knows? I'll pick San Diego. In the NFL: Oakland over Denver; Philly over KC; Green Bay over Cincinnati; Dallas over St. Louis; San Diego over Tennessee; Minnesota over Cleveland; New England over Tampa Bay; New Orleans over Arizona; Detroit over Washington; Carolina over NY Giants; Houston over Baltimore; Atlanta over Miami; Buffalo over NY Jets; San Francisco over Indy; Seattle over Jacksonville and Chicago over Pittsburgh. *** Oh and the WNBA Playoffs are finally here. The Sky over the Fever and the Dream over the Mystics in the East. In the West, I'll take the Sparks over the Mercury and the Lynx over the Storm. I'll buy a Diet Dr. Pepper to anyone who knows the city of these teams without looking it up.

A 'real' coach can win at Grambling

Grambling just fired Doug Williams as head coach two games into the 2013 season. I find it outrageous that it took two games for the school to see what was fairly clear to most. Williams, a Grambling legend and NFL trailblazer, wasn't getting the job done. Grambling sits right in the middle of a hotbed of football talent. Surrounded by South Arkansas, East Texas and North Louisiana, you can't tell me a coach that's serious about his job can't find players in Shreveport, Monroe, Haynesville, Junction City, El Dorado, Strong, Camden, Texarkana, etc. Coach Williams let that program drop to never-seen-before depths and that's a shame. But, Grambling is still Grambling. Any coach who is serious about being a football coach can win there. It will take some work but it won't take a whole lot of gas money. The talent is sitting all around the campus.

It's Gut Check time

It seems every sports writer is an expert on football these days. Every time I turn on the TV, some dude or dudette is telling me who is going to win a particular game or explaining why a team lost. Explaining why a team lost is easy. It's called hindsight and even Stevie Wonder is blessed with it. El Dorado lost at Camden Fairview last week because of, first, the Cardinals' speed and skill, second, the Wildcats' own miscues. El Dorado came out jittery, which is understandable with so many new faces. A mistake here, a bobble there and it's 14-0. The Wildcats never recovered because Fairview never let up. How's that for hindsight? Well, here's a little foresight. This week, I'm going to start predicting the winners of games at the high school, college and NFL level. I'm calling it Gut Check because I'm not doing any research. I'm just looking at the teams and going with my gut. Here are my predictions for the Camden News Pigskin Picks, in which I participate each week: Fairview over Hamburg; El Dorado over Southside; Monticello over Magnolia; Star City over Harmony Grove; Bearden over Hampton; Junction City over Rison; Strong over Smackover in an upset; Alabama over Texas A&M; Ole Miss over Texas and Dallas over Kansas City. My other college picks are: LA Tech over Tulane on Thursday; ASU over Troy; Arkansas over Southern Miss; Oregon over Tennessee; South Carolina over Vandy; Auburn over Mississippi State and Wake Forest over Louisiana-Monroe. My NFL picks are: Patriots over Jets; Raiders over Jaguars; Falcons over Rams, Panthers over Bills; Bears over Vikings; Packers over Redskins; Dolphins over Colts; Eagles over Chargers; Ravens over Browns; Texans over Titans; Saints over Bucs; Lions over Cardinals; Broncos over Giants; 49ers over Seahawks and Bengals over Steelers.

Random ramblings

I've been busy putting the El Dorado section of our football tab together. Ever try to fill 15 newspaper-sized pages on one high school team? It's not easy but, thankfully, it is finished. Perhaps I won't be leaving the office at three in the morning again for a few weeks. Since I've been focused on football, I've sort of skimmed the sports world recently. There were a few things that caught my attention ... briefly. 1. Okay, Johnny Manziel gets off with a 30-minute suspension (imposed by Texas A&M and not the NCAA) for selling his autograph? When it first happened, several media members expressed their outrage that the rule even existed. I found this odd. Low-income student athletes lose their eligibility when they exchange complimentary tickets for pizza money but a rich kid sells his autograph so he can buy rims for his Mercedes Benz and that's when the media says the rule stinks? 2. Whoever designed Victoria Azarenka's tennis dress for the U.S. Open should be whipped on the legs and buttocks with thorny branches. 3. Bret Bielema brought the Razorbacks' football program back to SEC-caliber. No, I know they're not a championship contender. But, the style is what I'm talking about. It's a lot more smash-mouthed than Bobby Petrino and a lot more high-flying than Houston Nutt. It's football and I don't care what the record ends up being, if the Hogs keep trying to run the ball and throw it smartly, I'll be happy. 4. WWE superstar Darren Young recently announced to the world that he was gay. I don't know if this is real or a wrestling stunt but Young, who lost nearly every match before his announcement, has won nearly every match since he said he was gay. I guess times have changed. The last time Vince McMahon had a gay wrestler, they made him wear pink trunks and a feather boa. 5. Speaking of ... San Antonio Silver Star (that's a WNBA team) Sophia Young recently announced she was for some sort of local legislation that was anti-gay. I don't know the details but the team's website, which I am a member, sent me an email saying they were changing the name of the site from Silver Star Nation as long as Miss Young was a member of the team. I don't know if she deserves credit or ridicule for taking such a public stance. Being anti-gay in the WNBA is like being a vegetarian in a butcher shop. Okay, that analogy was terrible. I'm sorry. I'm not at my best.

Women's sports, here we go again

As a champion for girls and women in sports for more than twenty years, I watched with much interest ESPN's documentary, Branded, Tuesday night. Every ten years or so, ESPN will do a piece on women's sports and why they're not as popular as men's sports. This was just the network's latest offering. I find it amusing that ESPN would rather use its considerable resources to tell us why we don't like female athletes instead of introducing us to female athletes we might like. Just yesterday I saw a delightful 17-year-old named Victoria Duval at the U.S. Open. There's a woman named Alysa Kleybanova who is returning to the court after undergoing cancer treatment. A young woman named Elena Delle Donne is totally renovating the WNBA and soccer player Alex Morgan has everything it takes to be a bonafide super star. If ESPN truly cared about the popularity of women's sports, it would show us features on these women, tell their stories and the stories of so many other outstanding female athletes. But, I digress. Branded came to the same conclusion every other ESPN-produced show has discovered - men don't enjoy watching women play sports. That's true, to an extent, but the real problem from what I've seen in my two decades of covering female athletes is, women don't support female athletes. I can't tell you how often I've heard girls and women say, "I like to watch the guys. I can't stand watching the girls play." I've talked to college-caliber female basketball players who admit they've never watched a WNBA game. They watch the NBA but have no interest in the WNBA, can't name one WNBA player. San Antonio Silver Star Shameka Christon gave a free clinic to girls at El Dorado a few years back. She gave them an opportunity to ask any question they desired. The questions were, "Have you met Tracy McGrady? Have you talked to LeBron? What's Kobe Bryant like?" Not one question about the WNBA. Not one question about her career or what she had to do to get to where she was. I've heard people on TV ask up-and-coming female tennis players who they idolize and, more often than not, the answers are Federer, Nadal or Djokovic. Here's the question ESPN should send to its female audience - if women won't support women's sports, why would you expect the men to support women's sports? Yeah, there's a large segment of the male population who like sex appeal. Hell, I'm a member of that group. I like pretty, athletic females. I liked the Lingerie Football League. Sue me. But, I liked that league in part because of the intensity of the competition. I liked the Lingerie Football League because they were playing football - hard-nosed football. I ain't watching no Lingerie Pillowfight League. But, yeah, sex sells in sports and, fortunately or unfortunately, women are judged as much on their appearance as their athletic skill. That explains some of the lack of male viewership. It doesn't explain why the women aren't watching and that is the question that needs to be answered. If women supported the WNBA the same way they support the NBA and NFL, we'd have a whole different story. But, they don't so we won't and I'm pretty sure that's just the way ESPN likes it.

FoxSports One, a distant number two

I had high hopes for a new sports show called FoxSports One mainly due to my increasing annoyance with ESPN's Sportscenter. My problems with Sportscenter are vast. A big one is its insistence on focusing only on the big three sports - NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball. I guess you could say big four sports if you include Tiger Woods. Notice, I said Tiger Woods and not the PGA. Anyway, rather than see a one-hour Sportscenter that includes forty minutes on Tom Brady or LeBron James or Kobe Bryant or Johnny Manziel, I was hoping to see an alternative that covered more sports. Sadly, I'm afraid FoxSports One is going to try to out-Sportscenter, Sportscenter. It's a similar format except for couch breaks for very short discussions between host Charissa Thompson (formerly of Sports Nation) and former athletes, including Gary Payton, Donovan McNabb, some other random retired NFL dude and Andy Roddick, who looks and acts as out of place as Riley Cooper at a Soul Train Reunion Special. I actually like Charissa Thompson. Nevermind her obvious attractiveness, she has wit and personality. You could pair her with a mime and she'd still be entertaining. I hope they find a mime, soon. I was disappointed. I liked the original Sportscenter thirty years ago and the way they finished off one sport's highlights before moving to the next. They did American League, then National League, then NFL, etc. If I wanted to see how the Orioles did, I had an idea when that information was coming instead of their random all-over-the-place crap they do now. FoxSports One does the same mess. I understand they don't want viewers to tune out after they get the highlight they're seeking but, for once, why not make it viewer friendly. And, the show focuses on the same things Sportscenter does with the exception of more MMA and soccer ... so far. I've only seen one show so I'm sure they'll evolve into something better. But, it's not off to a great beginning.

Cancel the season, Brady's hurt

Did you hear the shocking news? New England quarterback Tom Brady got a boo boo in practice the other day. He didn't get hit but two other guys were engaged and fell into the Golden Boy's knee. Oh the horror! Did you hear about it? If you have ESPN, of course you did. Over and over and over. Brady getting hurt in practice was the lead story on every ESPN show. I think they mentioned it during the Little League softball broadcast, too. The thing is, he walked off the field under his own power and will be at the next practice. How is this a major story? On Twitter, I saw tennis players talking about Marion Bartoli. The reigning Wimbledon champion announced her retirement. In the history of the world, how often has the current Wimbledon champion called it quits? I honestly thought someone at ESPN Sportscenter would throw up a quick graphic to tell me that it's never happened before or perhaps once back during World War II or something. Nothing. Not a peep. Not a word. Not a sniff. Not a clue. All because Tom Brady got a scratch on his leg. Before you claim, 'Tony Burns talking about women's sports again when no one else cares.' It's not about that at all. Not this time. I'm not even a Marion Bartoli fan. I'm glad she's retired. She got on my nerves. My problem is this new "Star super syndrome" that ESPN is tripping on. Players get injured every day in practice. Check the NFL Network and you'll hear about a whole bunch who have already been listed as out for the entire season. You didn't hear about them on ESPN because they're not "stars." Only the "stars" matter. When I was a kid, I gravitated toward the other players. I liked Fred Biletnikoff, not because he was a star. I liked his game. I liked Greg Pruitt and Chuck Muncie and, believe it or not, Jim (Freaking) Hart. My favorite baseball guys were Amos Otis and Ken Singleton and Sixto Lezcano. I loved Charles Barkley until he became a "star." Then, I no longer liked his attitude. The great thing about sports is it teaches teamwork. Not everyone can be the "star." Someone has to do the dirty work. I fear that ESPN with its "star" obsession, is giving young athletes the wrong ideas about sports. Pretty soon, kids will be telling their pee wee coaches, "If I can't play quarterback, then I'm not playing." And, who could blame them? In the ESPN world of sports, if you ain't what they call a "star" you ain't nothing. The only thing lower than nothing is the poor sap who missed the block and got pushed into Tom Brady's leg during practice. Congratulations Nate Soldier. You finally made Sportscenter.

Griner's gay? No way

I'm trying to be patient but it's difficult. Brittney Griner came out of the closet. Actually, she did it in such a cool, nonchalant manner, "coming out of the closet" isn't the best way to put it. She was never hiding in a closet. She was out in the open, dressing the way she wanted to dress, acting the way she wanted to act, being the person she wanted to be. Griner acknowledging she was gay was about as newsworthy as revealing that she can dunk. Griner? A lesbian? No way. Gee, never saw that coming. Obviously, I don't have an issue with her speaking honestly and openly about her sexuality. I mean, the media is asking her these questions. The fact that she is an openly gay athlete is fine. The problem is, now, the media insists on making it into a bigger deal than it should be. If I read another sports columnist write about, "she's so brave" or "what an impact this is going to have" or "she's paving the way for others like her." You know what would be really cool? It would be nice if the media and everyone else would treat Griner being gay the same way she did. It is no big deal. You asked the question. She answered the question. Next question. I'm going to assume gay athletes want to be treated like any other athlete. Seeing Griner's face on every sports website and reading columns talking about her "gayness" probably does very little to convince others like her to follow her path. Griner has said her parents know and support her lifestyle. Others aren't so lucky. We have to get to a point where it's not front page news for an athlete to speak up. Griner is gay? Really? Do you think any other WNBA players are lesbians, too? That's sarcasm, folks. Let's move on from this. Did you hear, Griner came out of the closet? No, she was never in a closet. But, a lot of us still have our heads in the sand.

Lady Leopards win

HAMPTON - With four starters on the floor suffering leg cramps throughout the second half, the Norphlet Lady Leopards fought off their toughest challenge of the season to remain unbeaten and win the 2A South Regional championship Saturday night over Spring Hill 67-54. Norphlet improved to 31-0 on the season. The Lady Bears lost for the first time, falling to 28-1. Junior forward Ashalei Conway pumped in 26 points to go with eight rebounds. Jalisha Willis scored 18 with Anna Bolding, Samantha Marshall and Kalisha Willis contributing nine, eight and six, respectively. Norphlet built a 9-5 lead as it led, nearly, from wire-to-wire. Marshall’s 3-pointer put the Lady Leopards up 18-16 after one quarter. Rachel Nedina, Spring Hill’s junior point guard, kept the Lady Bears step-for-step in the game. Her 3-pointer cut the lead to 26-23. Moments later, she threaded a bounce pass through traffic to Jamie Nance for a layup with 3:30 left in the half. The Lady Leopards answered with free throws by Jalisha Willis before Bolding cranked a 3-pointer as Norphlet led 34-31 at the half. The lead was 38-36 midway in the third before Conway seized control, beating the Lady Bears down the floor for a pair of layups in her own personal 10-3 spurt. Conway’s rebound and putback put Norphlet up 48-39 with 2:22 left in the third, which ended with the Lady Leopards up 50-43. The margin was 52-45 when Spring Hill rallied. Lauren Kidd scored inside. After a free throw by Nedina, Claire McMaster hit a jumper, then pulled up from downtown for a 3-point bomb, giving the Lady Bears a 53-52 lead with 4:12 left in the game. On the ensuing possession, Conway kicked out to Bolding, who answered with a 3-pointer, triggering a 7-0 spurt. Jalisha Willis scored before Conway went baseline for a lefty reverse layup, giving the Lady Leopards control with a 59-53 cushion with 1:50 left to play. Norphlet put the game away with an 8-2 spurt to end the game. Nedina led Spring Hill with 17 points with Kidd adding 14.

School chokes big time

According to an article on ESPN.com, North Dakota has suspended men's basketball play-by-play radio announcer Paul Ralston for two games after he used the phrase "choke job" following an overtime loss to Northern Arizona. The article states, "The Grand Forks Herald reports that Ralston used the words during his interview with coach Brian Jones after the team's 74-72 home loss Saturday. North Dakota led in the final minute of regulation, but Northern Arizona rallied to force overtime and win. North Dakota missed five free throws over the final four minutes of regulation. Athletic director Brian Faison says Ralston will not call the game at Northern Colorado on Wednesday or Saturday's game at Nebraska-Omaha. Associate athletic director Kyle Doperalski will handle the play-by-play duties for those games. Ralston will return to his play-by-play role on Feb. 28 against Portland State." Never mind the irony in a school fighting to preserve the nickname, "Fighting Sioux" being offended by the phrase, "choke job." Forget all that. But, what the hell else do you call it when a team misses five free throws late and loses in overtime? Look up "choke job" in the sports dictionary and there's a picture of a player clanking a free throw down the stretch. I know we're in an overly sensitive society. I watched an old episode of Sanford & Son recently and, no doubt about it, that show would not be on the air today. Words and phrases that were no big deal in the seventies and eighties are now taboo. But, are we really at the point where an announcer can't call it as he sees it? How long before I'm reprimanded for pointing out a high school kid missed a field goal or simply stating that little Johnny struck out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth? I'm not going to use the phrase, "choke job" when I write about high school kids. But college athletes on scholarships are a different matter. And, frankly, gagging in big moments are apart of sports. Sometimes you choke and sometimes you rise to the occasion. It's silly to tell a writer or an announcer that he can point out one but not the other.

Back ... with inspiration

I took a short break from this blog because, quite frankly, I haven't been inspired by much. Manti Te'o's story was more sad than anything. Alabama's dominance was expected. Didn't care for either of the Super Bowl teams and the college basketball season? I'm just not feeling it. Probably the most fired up I've been over sports lately was the football recruiting season. I thought Bret Bielema finished strong for Arkansas. The Alex Collins' "mama drama" is embarrassing on a number of levels but props to the kid for handling it with class. To be honest, I haven't blogged much because I've been busy with my latest book, "Blackport." I'm about thirty-thousand words into it after finally getting into a bit of a flow. And, the area high school basketball season is in its home stretch. The district tournament is this week followed by the regional and state tournaments. The absolute dominance by Norphlet's girls has made the regular season insignificant, unless you were enamored by the battle for second place between Strong and Parkers Chapel. To be honest, I enjoyed the battle for second more than I thought I would. PC and Strong gave me two really good, intense battles and probably saved the season for me. As for the postseason, for me, it's all about the Lady Leopards. Undefeated and untested, Norphlet has a real shot of making a long run in the state tournament. Of course, they were in the same situation last year and flamed out in the first round. They're seniors this year so, I think it'll be different. At least, I hope so. Either way, they have my attention and my interest. Because of them, I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks of basketball. Since this is what I get paid to cover, that's a good thing.