In the middle of the past high school swim season, I sat across from Isabella Gati, a ninth grade phenom, for our first interview. I'd heard about this young athlete, read her dominant results on paper, but it was our first meeting. It didn't take long for her to tell me her aspirations - to compete in the Olympics.
Isabella had it mapped out for a specific year and everything. She wasn't just talking. She had a plan.
I listened intently before I popped the obvious question.
"Can you get to the Olympics from El Dorado?"
Isabella, who was with her mother, glanced at her mom and then looked toward the floor, smiled at me and gave one of those shoulder shrugs. It wasn't really an answer but then again, oh yeah it was.
Isabella will be attending a boarding school in Virginia so she can compete on one of the country's premier swim clubs out of Washington D.C. She's among her peers, girls with similar hopes and dreams. She will be pushed by her coaches and competitors to reach her full potential.
It was an obvious move because, unfortunately, you cannot get to the Olympics from El Dorado. At least, not a straight shot.
I've been here 25 years. So far, El Dorado doesn't appear to be a launching spot to professional or world caliber competition.
No Wildcats in the NFL, NBA, MLB, PGA, LPGA, WTA, ATP, WNBA, MLS ... pick a letter.
Junction City's Kevin Payne made it to the NFL Chicago Bears. Junction City's James Anderson recently signed with the NBA Sacramento Kings. But, why has El Dorado been shut out?
Oh, it got close. Remember Amanda McCurdy? She's probably the best female golfer this state has ever produced. She finished second in the U.S. Amateur and made the cut in the LPGA U.S. Open as an amateur. She was close to getting on the LPGA Tour but never really got the support and backing she needed.
To me, that's the problem. If McCurdy had hailed from a community that backed her career financially, perhaps she would be on the LPGA Tour, wearing a Wildcat hat and teaching the world how to pronounce El-doh-Ray-doh. But, she didn't play football. She played golf and, specifically, she played GIRLS golf.
Football players get plenty of support in this town and I think that's great. El Dorado's Bijhon Jackson, hopefully, will soon end our unprofessional skid as he braces for a big year at Arkansas. He squatted 700 pounds the other night.
I just wish there were big companies in our area who would give that same kind of support to the other athletes. You can't get to the Olympics from El Dorado and it's getting difficult to get to a major college in sports other than football. Most of the kids from this area who earned Division I basketball scholarships - Anderson, Stetson Billings, Whitney Frazier, Savanna Langston, etc. - had to drive to Little Rock so they could play on elite AAU club teams. Courtney Lowe's dream was to playing Division I softball. She made it come true but she had to drive deep into Texas just to practice for her summer travel team. Hell, I remember years ago calling tennis hotshot Irene Jadic on the phone. She was headed to Hot Springs because she needed someone to hit with.
I think it's a shame that local kids with big dreams have to leave South Arkansas as soon as they can if they want those dreams to be realized. I'm not saying El Dorado can build a world class training facility for swimmers. If your child is a swimmer or gymnast or something so specialized as that, yeah, they're probably going to have to move from South Arkansas. But, this area is big enough to be more than it is. When I got here in the early 90s, Mellor Park Tennis Courts hosted the biggest junior tennis tournaments of the summer. Teaching professional Suzanne Phillips had built her local program to a point where the best players from around the state and region flocked to El Dorado because it's where the competition was playing.
Of course, Mellor Park is run by the city. The tennis courts started to crack and weren't repaired and, eventually, Miss Phillips quit and the local tennis scene disappeared. But, it was here and it was huge. I watched it.
There's no reason South Arkansas kids should have to drive to Little Rock to play elite level basketball. That's crap. All it takes is one large corporation to step up. Same for baseball and softball and tennis and track.
It's amazing to me that this part of the state has won all these state championships in all these sports. Yet, we've produced no world class athletes beyond the state level except for Payne and Anderson. It's not the kids' fault. They have the talent and some of them have the desire.
They just can't get out of El Dorado fast enough.
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Help me out here
I'm confused.
Okay, the quarterback at Florida State, DeAndre Johnson, was kicked off the football team for hitting a female. I get that part. Men are physically stronger and larger and are supposed to be protectors of women. Punching a woman in the face is a criminal offense.
But, but, but, but.
The video shows the woman in this case as the aggressor. She balls up her fist, which he grabs and holds. She then tries to knee him in the groin and finally swings at him with her other hand.
Then, he punched her.
I'm not saying he should've punched her. But, I understand.
My confusion isn't what he did to deserve getting kicked off the football team. I don't understand how she gets away as if she's done nothing wrong.
Two wrongs don't make a right and they damn sure don't when only one of the wrongs is punished.
There are clear-cut consequences for any man who hits a woman. Why are there no repercussions for a female who instigates a fight with a male? Hey, I believe in equal rights for women. I've covered girls sports just the same as boys sports in our local paper for more than 20 years. But, if any woman walks up to me and punches me in the face, I guess I'm going to jail.
If you've got enough testosterone in your body to swing a fist. You should have enough to duck when a fist comes swinging back at you.
To be clear, I'm not advocating violence against women. If a woman hits me and I hit her back, I'm going to jail. I understand that part. But, she should be sitting there with me. I hate to sound like a 5-year-old but, "She started it."
Okay, the quarterback at Florida State, DeAndre Johnson, was kicked off the football team for hitting a female. I get that part. Men are physically stronger and larger and are supposed to be protectors of women. Punching a woman in the face is a criminal offense.
But, but, but, but.
The video shows the woman in this case as the aggressor. She balls up her fist, which he grabs and holds. She then tries to knee him in the groin and finally swings at him with her other hand.
Then, he punched her.
I'm not saying he should've punched her. But, I understand.
My confusion isn't what he did to deserve getting kicked off the football team. I don't understand how she gets away as if she's done nothing wrong.
Two wrongs don't make a right and they damn sure don't when only one of the wrongs is punished.
There are clear-cut consequences for any man who hits a woman. Why are there no repercussions for a female who instigates a fight with a male? Hey, I believe in equal rights for women. I've covered girls sports just the same as boys sports in our local paper for more than 20 years. But, if any woman walks up to me and punches me in the face, I guess I'm going to jail.
If you've got enough testosterone in your body to swing a fist. You should have enough to duck when a fist comes swinging back at you.
To be clear, I'm not advocating violence against women. If a woman hits me and I hit her back, I'm going to jail. I understand that part. But, she should be sitting there with me. I hate to sound like a 5-year-old but, "She started it."
Monday, June 8, 2015
Why Hope Solo still has a job
Who is the No. 2 goalkeeper on the United States Women's National Soccer Team? Whoever she is, she must be feeling pretty low, right now.
Hope Solo has been the U.S. goalkeeper for the past decade. In that time, Solo has established herself, clearly, as one of the best in the world, if not, the very best in the world at her position.
Also during that time, she's established herself as this country's most polarizing female athlete. There are a lot of little girls and grown men walking around wearing Hope Solo soccer jerseys. I won't lie. I priced them online myself.
I like watching the woman play. She's the best goalkeeper I've ever seen. I'll put that into some perspective by acknowledging, I've only watched soccer since about 1999. And, I don't watch men's soccer.
Still,she's very good at her job. But, it's not just her play that keeps my attention. Certainly, her appearance doesn't turn my stomach. Her attitude, though, has always made me smile. She's a bad girl who knows she's a bad girl. She knows she's hated by a large number of people. And, she doesn't care.
I like that.
But, after awhile, the act gets old. Her latest transgression, a charge of domestic violence against her half-sister and nephew, puts her in the same category as Ray Rice and Greg Hardy. Hardy was released by Carolina and picked up by the Cowboys, where he faces a suspension this upcoming NFL season. Rice, who was caught knocking out his then-fiancee on an elevator camera, is currently unemployed after getting dumped by Baltimore.
Hope Solo still faces criminal charges but has not been convicted. Her 30-day suspension earlier in the year was for an unrelated incident involving alcohol and her husband. She is on the roster and will likely start tonight in the U.S. World Cup opener against Australia.
Talking heads on ESPN call it a double standard. They want to know why Hardy is suspended and Rice is unemployed, yet Hope Solo is still proudly wearing the red, white and blue.
I'll answer that with a question. Who is the No. 2 goalkeeper on the U.S. National Team?
I don't know who she is but she ain't Hope Solo. If the United States' roster of players included anyone with comparable skills to Solo, Solo would be So Long. If you think Hope Solo's teammates and coaches like her, you're not really listening when they answer questions about her.
They loathe her. And, they need her ... desperately.
If you think about it, that's the same reason Hardy has a job and Rice doesn't. Hardy can make a difference on the field. Rice is a run-of-the-mill running back, not worth the distractions.
People who want Hope Solo kicked off the U.S. soccer team don't give a damn about the team's success or failure. Get rid of Solo and you flush away Abby Wambach's last chance at a World Cup title.
At this point, even I realize that Hope Solo is crazy. She's nuts. She's a felony waiting to happen. She could explode at any moment. But, she can do one thing better than anybody else in this country. She can keep the ball out of the United States' net.
That's why she has a job. Until someone comes along who does it better, she'll always have a job.
Go USA!
Hope Solo has been the U.S. goalkeeper for the past decade. In that time, Solo has established herself, clearly, as one of the best in the world, if not, the very best in the world at her position.
Also during that time, she's established herself as this country's most polarizing female athlete. There are a lot of little girls and grown men walking around wearing Hope Solo soccer jerseys. I won't lie. I priced them online myself.
I like watching the woman play. She's the best goalkeeper I've ever seen. I'll put that into some perspective by acknowledging, I've only watched soccer since about 1999. And, I don't watch men's soccer.
Still,she's very good at her job. But, it's not just her play that keeps my attention. Certainly, her appearance doesn't turn my stomach. Her attitude, though, has always made me smile. She's a bad girl who knows she's a bad girl. She knows she's hated by a large number of people. And, she doesn't care.
I like that.
But, after awhile, the act gets old. Her latest transgression, a charge of domestic violence against her half-sister and nephew, puts her in the same category as Ray Rice and Greg Hardy. Hardy was released by Carolina and picked up by the Cowboys, where he faces a suspension this upcoming NFL season. Rice, who was caught knocking out his then-fiancee on an elevator camera, is currently unemployed after getting dumped by Baltimore.
Hope Solo still faces criminal charges but has not been convicted. Her 30-day suspension earlier in the year was for an unrelated incident involving alcohol and her husband. She is on the roster and will likely start tonight in the U.S. World Cup opener against Australia.
Talking heads on ESPN call it a double standard. They want to know why Hardy is suspended and Rice is unemployed, yet Hope Solo is still proudly wearing the red, white and blue.
I'll answer that with a question. Who is the No. 2 goalkeeper on the U.S. National Team?
I don't know who she is but she ain't Hope Solo. If the United States' roster of players included anyone with comparable skills to Solo, Solo would be So Long. If you think Hope Solo's teammates and coaches like her, you're not really listening when they answer questions about her.
They loathe her. And, they need her ... desperately.
If you think about it, that's the same reason Hardy has a job and Rice doesn't. Hardy can make a difference on the field. Rice is a run-of-the-mill running back, not worth the distractions.
People who want Hope Solo kicked off the U.S. soccer team don't give a damn about the team's success or failure. Get rid of Solo and you flush away Abby Wambach's last chance at a World Cup title.
At this point, even I realize that Hope Solo is crazy. She's nuts. She's a felony waiting to happen. She could explode at any moment. But, she can do one thing better than anybody else in this country. She can keep the ball out of the United States' net.
That's why she has a job. Until someone comes along who does it better, she'll always have a job.
Go USA!
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Something to live for
"Yea though I walk through the Valley of Death, I take a look at my life and realize there's nothing left."
This lyric from Coolio's hit song, "Gangster's Paradise," rings clearly in my mind from time to time. As a man who has now entered into his fifth decade, it resonates with me. I can easily imagine what it would be like to see my days on earth coming to an end and not be satisfied with how I lived them.
It's my greatest fear.
Not death.
But, dying without leaving any sort of a mark.
I have no children. It wasn't my plan to never marry or have a family of my own. It just worked out that way. I don't regret it. Other than having no one to name as my next of kin, I'm happy being a bachelor. But, obviously, that is an empty spot on my life's resume.
Early on in my career as a sports writer, I thought I might be making a difference in a few lives. Through my work, I tried to inspire, encourage and/or enlighten. And, truly, I believe I impacted some lives, even if just for a short time.
But, encouraging a girl to play high school basketball is hardly a life-altering accomplishment. I've written about hundreds of youth. But, once they become adults and venture out into their own worlds, my impact on their lives fades into just a distant blip on their screen.
Fifty years old and what have I accomplished? How did I make the world a better place while I was here?
Maybe I can still leave a mark. Perhaps I can still touch someone's life in such a way, they'll be impacted long after I'm gone.
I wake up every day thankful that I'm not yet walking through the Valley of Death. I can still look at my life and know there's still some left.
This lyric from Coolio's hit song, "Gangster's Paradise," rings clearly in my mind from time to time. As a man who has now entered into his fifth decade, it resonates with me. I can easily imagine what it would be like to see my days on earth coming to an end and not be satisfied with how I lived them.
It's my greatest fear.
Not death.
But, dying without leaving any sort of a mark.
I have no children. It wasn't my plan to never marry or have a family of my own. It just worked out that way. I don't regret it. Other than having no one to name as my next of kin, I'm happy being a bachelor. But, obviously, that is an empty spot on my life's resume.
Early on in my career as a sports writer, I thought I might be making a difference in a few lives. Through my work, I tried to inspire, encourage and/or enlighten. And, truly, I believe I impacted some lives, even if just for a short time.
But, encouraging a girl to play high school basketball is hardly a life-altering accomplishment. I've written about hundreds of youth. But, once they become adults and venture out into their own worlds, my impact on their lives fades into just a distant blip on their screen.
Fifty years old and what have I accomplished? How did I make the world a better place while I was here?
Maybe I can still leave a mark. Perhaps I can still touch someone's life in such a way, they'll be impacted long after I'm gone.
I wake up every day thankful that I'm not yet walking through the Valley of Death. I can still look at my life and know there's still some left.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Historic victory for freshman
At the 2015 Arkansas High School Swimming & Diving Championships, El Dorado's Isabella Gati won the state championship in the girls 100-yard butterfly. The freshman dominated the event in a time of 57.70. Russellville's Andrea Bond was a distant second in 1:01.37.
I wrote at the time Gati was "believed" to be El Dorado's first-ever state champion in swimming.
After some research, I feel confident she is the first and only El Dorado girl to win the title. El Dorado sports historian Randy Ross did some research and discovered the name of Bobo Sweeney, who swam for the Wildcats and won the boys state title in the 200 individual medley back in 1965.
Mr. Ross could not find records of an El Dorado girl winning. I've been here since 1991 and I'm almost positive the school hasn't won any swimming state titles in that time.
Basically, congratulations to Miss Gati for accomplishing an historic feat. I'm looking forward to seeing how much more history this young lady can make during her high school career.
I wrote at the time Gati was "believed" to be El Dorado's first-ever state champion in swimming.
After some research, I feel confident she is the first and only El Dorado girl to win the title. El Dorado sports historian Randy Ross did some research and discovered the name of Bobo Sweeney, who swam for the Wildcats and won the boys state title in the 200 individual medley back in 1965.
Mr. Ross could not find records of an El Dorado girl winning. I've been here since 1991 and I'm almost positive the school hasn't won any swimming state titles in that time.
Basically, congratulations to Miss Gati for accomplishing an historic feat. I'm looking forward to seeing how much more history this young lady can make during her high school career.
Monday, March 9, 2015
No good byes in state
El Dorado's basketball teams said goodbye to their seasons Monday. Actually, that's a misnomer. There's no such thing as a good bye.
Well, perhaps in football, a bye isn't the worst thing in the world. Most teams welcome an open date during such a grueling season.
But, in the sport of basketball, teams that are awarded a bye in the state tournament can usually wave bye, bye, bye to their seasons.
First of all, there shouldn't be any byes in a state tournament. It's supposed to the best of the best all playing on equal ground to see who reigns supreme. For that reason alone, byes should be eliminated from the 6A and 7A Basketball State Tournaments in Arkansas.
Here's the other obvious reason, it's a huge disadvantage.
In the 6A Tournament Monday night in Siloam Springs, eight teams took the floor after having a first-round bye. Four of those eight teams were upset.
That included El Dorado's boys, who battled for a good seed all season only to come out flat and fall to Russellville 85-61. The Cyclones, of course, had a state-tournament game under their belt and entered the game on a high. The Wildcats, meanwhile, had the normal jitters of taking the floor for the first time in the big tournament. Throw in the fact they hadn't played in about 10 days due to the weather cancellations and, well, when you think about it, it really wasn't that much of an upset.
Parkview's top-ranked boys also fell victim to the bye, falling to No. 6 seed Pine Bluff 49-48.
On the girls side, top-seeded Little Rock Hall lost to Jonesboro 69-60 and Mountain Home awoke from its bye to find the host Siloam Springs looking down at the Lady Bombers after a 46-26 stunner. Hell, Greenwood was supposed to be a heavy favorite and had to rally from five down in the final minute to beat Benton 55-54.
I'm not trying to sell any of the winners short. That's kind of the point. Having a bye and then playing a poor team isn't a big deal. But, playing a good team that is coming off a win while you've been sitting at home or in a hotel room is simply not a fair fight.
El Dorado girls coach Stephen Harshaw said so before the state tournament. Although the Lady Wildcats fell to Parkview 50-41 Monday, Harshaw felt good about his team's chance because they did not have a bye.
Arkansas Activities Association, are you listening? Having a bye in the state tournament is such a big advantage that nobody wants it.
What are the solutions, you say? There are only 16 schools in Class 6A. Do we let everybody in?
No, we don't.
But, why doesn't Class 6A play two conference tournaments? The four semifinalists in each conference advance to play in an 8-team state tournament. Play the conference tournaments the same week the smaller classes compete in their regional tournaments.
I'm sure there are a million reasons this won't work so I'll sit back and let you throw 'em at me. Hey, I'm just trying to find a solution because one thing is for certain - we need to say goodbye to byes in the state tournament.
Well, perhaps in football, a bye isn't the worst thing in the world. Most teams welcome an open date during such a grueling season.
But, in the sport of basketball, teams that are awarded a bye in the state tournament can usually wave bye, bye, bye to their seasons.
First of all, there shouldn't be any byes in a state tournament. It's supposed to the best of the best all playing on equal ground to see who reigns supreme. For that reason alone, byes should be eliminated from the 6A and 7A Basketball State Tournaments in Arkansas.
Here's the other obvious reason, it's a huge disadvantage.
In the 6A Tournament Monday night in Siloam Springs, eight teams took the floor after having a first-round bye. Four of those eight teams were upset.
That included El Dorado's boys, who battled for a good seed all season only to come out flat and fall to Russellville 85-61. The Cyclones, of course, had a state-tournament game under their belt and entered the game on a high. The Wildcats, meanwhile, had the normal jitters of taking the floor for the first time in the big tournament. Throw in the fact they hadn't played in about 10 days due to the weather cancellations and, well, when you think about it, it really wasn't that much of an upset.
Parkview's top-ranked boys also fell victim to the bye, falling to No. 6 seed Pine Bluff 49-48.
On the girls side, top-seeded Little Rock Hall lost to Jonesboro 69-60 and Mountain Home awoke from its bye to find the host Siloam Springs looking down at the Lady Bombers after a 46-26 stunner. Hell, Greenwood was supposed to be a heavy favorite and had to rally from five down in the final minute to beat Benton 55-54.
I'm not trying to sell any of the winners short. That's kind of the point. Having a bye and then playing a poor team isn't a big deal. But, playing a good team that is coming off a win while you've been sitting at home or in a hotel room is simply not a fair fight.
El Dorado girls coach Stephen Harshaw said so before the state tournament. Although the Lady Wildcats fell to Parkview 50-41 Monday, Harshaw felt good about his team's chance because they did not have a bye.
Arkansas Activities Association, are you listening? Having a bye in the state tournament is such a big advantage that nobody wants it.
What are the solutions, you say? There are only 16 schools in Class 6A. Do we let everybody in?
No, we don't.
But, why doesn't Class 6A play two conference tournaments? The four semifinalists in each conference advance to play in an 8-team state tournament. Play the conference tournaments the same week the smaller classes compete in their regional tournaments.
I'm sure there are a million reasons this won't work so I'll sit back and let you throw 'em at me. Hey, I'm just trying to find a solution because one thing is for certain - we need to say goodbye to byes in the state tournament.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Always play to win ... unless ...
A few days ago, Slick Rick suggested I blog about the Tennessee high school girls basketball teams who were each trying to lose a game in order to get a better draw in a tournament. The story is old enough that most have heard about it so I won't bother to re-post any of the original article. I believe both of the teams and coaches were reprimanded for their actions.
I've read a few opinions, most suggesting the coaches and players should be burned at the stake or, at the very least, be given a stern dressing down. As Herm Edwards says, "you play to win the game." If you're not playing to win, then you're doing something wrong.
My first thought, however, was what a horrible job of bracketing a tournament. When it's more advantageous to lose than it is to win, that's a faulty bracket.
If I had a high school team, my ultimate goal would be to advance to the state tournament and try to win it. If by losing a game earlier in the season, I can somehow get an easier path to the state tournament, I'm not gonna lie, I might consider it.
Hey, in this year's Arkansas 2A Boys Tournament. Junction City and Clarendon, arguably, are the two best teams. The bracket has them meeting up in the semifinals. If either one of them had lost in the regional finals, they would've been on the opposite side of the bracket.
I'm not saying they should've thrown the game. But, if they had, as Chris Rock might say, "I'd understand."
I understand why the Tennessee coaches did what they did. Perhaps their biggest crime was being so blatant. To have kids intentionally miss free throws and shoot at the wrong basket, that really is making a mockery of the game.
If you're going to play, play to win.
On the other hand, if you're going to draw up a bracket, do the damn thing right. Seed the teams properly and this sort of thing won't happen.
I've read a few opinions, most suggesting the coaches and players should be burned at the stake or, at the very least, be given a stern dressing down. As Herm Edwards says, "you play to win the game." If you're not playing to win, then you're doing something wrong.
My first thought, however, was what a horrible job of bracketing a tournament. When it's more advantageous to lose than it is to win, that's a faulty bracket.
If I had a high school team, my ultimate goal would be to advance to the state tournament and try to win it. If by losing a game earlier in the season, I can somehow get an easier path to the state tournament, I'm not gonna lie, I might consider it.
Hey, in this year's Arkansas 2A Boys Tournament. Junction City and Clarendon, arguably, are the two best teams. The bracket has them meeting up in the semifinals. If either one of them had lost in the regional finals, they would've been on the opposite side of the bracket.
I'm not saying they should've thrown the game. But, if they had, as Chris Rock might say, "I'd understand."
I understand why the Tennessee coaches did what they did. Perhaps their biggest crime was being so blatant. To have kids intentionally miss free throws and shoot at the wrong basket, that really is making a mockery of the game.
If you're going to play, play to win.
On the other hand, if you're going to draw up a bracket, do the damn thing right. Seed the teams properly and this sort of thing won't happen.
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