Archive for August, 2009

I’m sure Cayley Burleson is a sweet girl.
She said she is the valedictorian of the junior class at Hirschi High School, so I know she is smart.
But the kid was way off base in her “Sound Off” last week.
She wrote: “I wanted to let you know how much I did NOT appreciate the unbelievably negative way you presented your story in Saturday’s paper about the Clyde-Hirschi game.”
I was in no way negative in my story.
The Huskies got a bum call at the end and lost 21-20.
Without ragging on the official for making the “excessive celebration” call, I just objectively reported what happened.
Cayley wrote: “We have improved tremendously and the team has an extremely positive attitude as well as a lot more ambition this year, but of course nobody would write about that. They will only write about us having our eighteenth loss.
“Having reiterated that four times in your story and including that piece of information in your headline, it makes it seem as though we didn’t even score a touchdown.”
Take a journalism class.
You don’t write about positive attitudes or ambition in straight game stories.
As far as the 18th straight loss, that is news. It has to be reported.
I wrote about all three of Hirschi’s touchdowns.
The headline on the story was weak and did not at all reflect what happened in the game.
But the writer of a story does no write the headline for the story.
Cayley went on to say:
“Hirschi has incredible spirit and pride, even when it seems as though the whole town is against us with its newspaper fueling their taunts.
“We continue to hold our heads up and strive for success, no matter what the situation. The faculty and students work hard to show people the true heart of a Husky, and that is determination and spirit.
“There is a lot of talent on the team this year; why don’t you mention some things like that? Your article is biased. Maybe the Times Record News needs some new sports writers.
“You know that Clyde was trembling when they narrowly beat Hirschi, thanks to some ridiculously controversial calls.”
I respect Hirschi High School and do my best to give it equal coverage with Rider and WFHS.
Sometimes I fail.
But I still try.
I also wrote a column for Sunday saying I thought the Huskies got a really bad deal with that late call.
I respect Neil Searcy for what he has done with his team.
Thanks for reading, Cayley.
Go Huskies!

Not a whole ton of surprising things happened this weekend.
But some quick thoughts of what transpired:

(more…)

The first week of high school football is in the books, which means we have a winner of the “Sack Zach” contest.
It’s RCC who picked 9 of 10 games correctly (missing Burkburnett-Sweetwater game). RCC actually tied with football 12 (missed the Stamford-Munday game).
But RCC won the tiebreaker, guessing 46 points in the Munday game. He almost made it right on the dot.

(more…)

So far it looks like there’s about a dozen people signed up to “Sack Zach” in the high school football picks this week.
A couple people got Saiginaw right (I had WFHS) and lots of people didn’t make picks until after the game had started. So it’s anybody’s game right now.
There’s still a few more hours left to sign up before kickof tonight. And even if you miss this week, sign up and play the rest of the weeks.
Now thoughts on last night’s games:

(more…)

The pick-em contest “Sack Zach” is up and running now. I just made my picks, and couple others have as well.
Go ahead and get logged on and choose this week’s games. The WFHS-Boswell game is one of the selections, so hurry and select winners. Here is the link:

http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/sports/high-school-football/1trn/

The Bible says there is:
One body.
One spirit.
One hope.
One Lord.
One faith.
One baptism.
One God and Father of all.
So please someone tell me why are there some many brands of church?
My yellow pages list 40 different categories of church.
They are all right there appropriately listed between chiropractors and cigar-cigarette dealers.
There’s the Church of Christ and the Church of God.
Then there’s also the Church of God in Christ.
Some are orthodox and some are unorthodox.
Some are “united,” meaning I guess that some are un-united.
Some call themselves interdenominational. Some call themselves non-denominational.
There are the Seventh Day Adventist and the Seventh Day Baptist.
Speaking of Baptists, there are seven different kinds listed in the phone book.
There is one thing all of these churches have in common — they all think they are right.
They are doing things “God’s way,” as if Jehovah whispered some secret in their ears and didn’t let the others guys in on it.
God forbid someone playing a piano in church, the a capella Church of Christ people tell us.
God forbid sprinkling, the Baptists tell the Methodists.
We speak in tongues and you don’t, the Pentecostals tell the Baptists.
We have our own special book from God and you don’t, the Mormons tell everybody else.
The Catholics have their very own Pope to bless them.
Just when I think I have heard it all, I turn on my TV and see this great commercial for the church of Scientology.
Couldn’t find them in our phone book, but I’m sure some day soon one will pop up in a deserted strip mall or an old Jiffy food store building.

One day to go until the high school football season opens, and there are one district’s predictions to make.
9-A holds a special place in my heart. Maybe because it always produces a great team that makes a run at the state title. And maybe because all of the teams in the district are from the area.
For a couple years, it was the toughest in Class A. It is still tough now, but when you have two 1-9 teams playing in it, I don’t think it can be labeled the best.

(more…)

“My brother need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life. He should be remembered simply as a good and decent man who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.”
Those were the tearful words of Ted Kennedy as he delivered the eulogy for his brother Bobby 41 years ago.
Today, they should be repeated as our country mourns the loss of Ted Kennedy.
He was a man who was given much but spent his entire life fighting for those who had little.
A loud voice for the common man is now silent.
America weeps.

“My brother need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life. He should be remembered simply as a good and decent man who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.”
Those were the tearful words of Ted Kennedy as he delivered the eulogy for his brother Bobby 41 years ago.
Today, they should be repeated as our country mourns the loss of Ted Kennedy.
He was a man who was given much but spent his entire life fighting for those who had little.
A loud voice for the common man is now silent.
America weeps.

Before I examine 5-2A, I promised an update on the “Sack Zach” pick-em competition we’re doing this year.
Here’s the deal. Each week, you’ll pick the winner of 10 games going on in the area. The person/people who get the most winners, gets a T-shirt each week.
And they’re pretty cool. Saw them today — they’re black with the words “Football Freak” on the front.
Every weekend I’ll post the results (probably Sunday afternoon) and get in touch with the winners. You’ll also see how you stacked up against me.
Whoever picks the most games right for the entire year will win something else. Don’t know what yet, but I’m sure we can provide some sort of gift certificate or something. To win this, you’ll want to make sure you choose each week’s games.
To pick the games, go to our website — www.timesrecordnews.com — and you ‘ll also have to set up an account (which is free of course) with the selection program we’re using.
This should be up and running hopefull by Wednesday. At worst, it’ll be good to go Thursday morning. And one of the games is WFHS-Boswell that night, so you’ll want to make your picks Thursday so you can get that game in.
Now onto 5-2A:

(more…)

Until this week, most of us had never heard of propofol.
And we wouldn’t know Conrad Murray from Arthur Murray.
All that is about to change.
For the next few weeks, months and maybe even years, we will learn everything there is about both propofol and Dr. Conrad Murray.
The two are being blamed for killing Michael Jackson.
The LA coroner who did the autopsy on Michael has concluded that his death was a homicide.
Homicide, on the streets where I come from, is a nice word for murder.
The 24-hour news people are doing some serious high-fives over this news.
Now Michael Jackson will be in the news from here to eternity.
The brain washers from Fox News may even quit stirring up hate for Obama to do some of their famous “fair and unbiased” reporting on this murder.
All of these networks and useless shows like “Entertainment Tonight” are going to overload you with Michael Jackson news.
Right now they are keeping their fingers crossed that there is a big O.J.-type trial that will make celebrities out of lawyers and judges and reporters.
If you thought they overkilled Anna Nicole Smith — well, baby, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
I would not be surprised to see somebody come up with MJN — the Michael Jackson Network.
Full 24-hour Michael coverage — news, videos, exclusive interviews neighbors, friends, followers and everybody named Jackson.
And don’t forget all those interviews with the people who make and sell and prescribe and use propofol.
If you missed the funeral, that’s OK.
It will be replayed every day on MJN.
They say they are finally going to bury the King of Pop this Saturday on what would have been his 51st birthday.
But Michael Jackson isn’t dead.
He will live on in 24-hour infamy.

Until this week, most of us had never heard of propofol.
And we wouldn’t know Conrad Murray from Arthur Murray.
All that is about to change.
For the next few weeks, months and maybe even years, we will learn everything there is about both propofol and Dr. Conrad Murray.
The two are being blamed for killing Michael Jackson.
The LA coroner who did the autopsy on Michael has concluded that his death was a homicide.
Homicide, on the streets where I come from, is a nice word for murder.
The 24-hour news people are doing some serious high-fives over this news.
Now Michael Jackson will be in the news from here to eternity.
The brain washers from Fox News may even quit stirring up hate for Obama to do some of their famous “fair and unbiased” reporting on this murder.
All of these networks and useless shows like “Entertainment Tonight” are going to overload you with Michael Jackson news.
Right now they are keeping their fingers crossed that there is a big O.J.-type trial that will make celebrities out of lawyers and judges and reporters.
If you thought they overkilled Anna Nicole Smith — well, baby, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
I would not be surprised to see somebody come up with MJN — the Michael Jackson Network.
Full 24-hour Michael coverage — news, videos, exclusive interviews neighbors, friends, followers and everybody named Jackson.
And don’t forget all those interviews with the people who make and sell and prescribe and use propofol.
If you missed the funeral, that’s OK.
It will be replayed every day on MJN.
They say they are finally going to bury the King of Pop this Saturday on what would have been his 51st birthday.
But Michael Jackson isn’t dead.
He will live forever on 24-hour news.

I can remember seeing the Astrodome for the very first time.
It was back in the dark ages — the 1960s.
Before cell phones, the Internet, Ipods, Blue Ray and microwave popcorn.
We had VD but not HD.
And the first domed stadium was called the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”
Today, if you ever go to Houston and drive down Kirby Street, you will see a huge football stadiumj. But it’s no longer the Dome.
Reliant Stadium is huge. It makes the Astrodome, which still stands beside it, look like a Porta Potty.
I thought about this last Friday night when I covered my first football game at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
As large and majestic as Jerry World is, we all know that some day — not so long from now — somebody will build a stadium larger and more majestic.
It’s hard to believe that right now, but you know it;s going to happen.
How can anybody out-do Jerry Jones?
Here’s my idea.
You build a gigantic casino in Las Vegas — and put a stadium the size of Jerry’s right in the middle of it.
It will be surrounded inside by hotel rooms and slot machines and buffets and a shopping mall and quite possibly even a golf course.
Heck, build it all right in the middle of a NASCAR track.
And that 60-yard TV screen?
Make it 3-D or even better, IMAX.
When a wide receiver catches a pass, he lands in your lap.
I’ll bet Steve Wynn is thinking about something like this right now.

Alright, here we go. The season kicks off in only four days, so it is the perfect time to look at my district previews.
Full disclosure: This is how I voted in our TRN football preview section that comes out Wednesday. By the way, if you enjoy reading about area high school football, I strongly suggest picking up a copy.
Anyway, here’s my 5-4A predictions:

(more…)

No, not actually sack me. That would hurt.
I’m not very elusive anyway, and since I’ve had three knee surguries from sports-related injuries, I’d rather avoid any physical contact.
I just wanted to give everyone a heads-up on a pick-em high school football contest we’re putting on called “Sack Zach.” I’ll have more concrete details hopefully on Monday, but here’s the deal.
Basically, each week I’ll choose 8-10 games — probably all three city teams and the most competitive or hardest-to-choose area games.
Then I’ll make my picks and anyone on the website can make theirs. Like I said, the details haven’t been worked out yet, but maybe whoever gets the most right each week gets a small prize (most likely a First and TRN T-shirt).
And whoever picks the most right during the entire season will get something worthwhile, I can assure you.

(more…)

It’s hard to believe the season is less than a week away. Once it starts, it seems like it can go by pretty fast.
Looking at the 2009 master schedule, there are three weeks where the matchups look even more tantalizing than the others.
Those are the weeks where I wish we had another couple writers to send to area games.
In my opinion, here they are:

(more…)

Congrats to Holliday and Seymour, who both made the Preseason AP Top 10 released today.
The Eagles tied with last year’s 2A state champ Muleshoe for 7th in the 2A poll.
Seymour was No. 8 in the Class A poll. Graham also received a couple 3A votes.

(more…)

I don’t drink buttermilk.
Never have. Never will.
I can’t understand why anyone would drink buttermilk.
Never have. Never will.
But my wife loves it.
That should not come as a surprise to anyone who knows us.
Jenee’ Gholson and I are complete opposites.
She’s Beethoven. I’m the Beatles.
She’s Republican. I’m Democrat.
She’s outdoors. I’m indoors.
She’s Coors. I’m Budweiser.
She likes riding horses. I like betting on them.
She loves a cold glass of buttermilk.
I’d just as soon drink hot horse piss.
My first introduction to buttermilk was in the school lunchroom.
I liked plain milk in its little red cartons.
I liked chocolate milk in its little brown cartons.
So surely I would like the buttermilk in those little green cartons.
I spit it up.
That had to be some of the sourest spit I’ve ever tasted.
Why would anybody drink this spit?
But I’m bet all of us old geezers who grew around here had grandmothers whose favorite drink was crusty cornbread pieces in glass of cold buttermilk.
“I put Fritos in mine,” my wife said.
Why does that not surprise me?
She told me real buttermilk has pieces of butter in it.
“It has body,” she said.
I wonder if any of the good people in Windthorst have any of that real “pieces of butter in it” buttermilk in their refrigerators.
If you do, give me a call.
My wife would love it.
I’ll drink a Bud and watch her drink it.

The folks in this area who actually care about the price of sorghum have spoken.
Joe Brown has been voted Texoma’s Best local writer for 2009.
Larry McMurtry might want to argue with the results, but not me.
Joe Brown is one of the good guys.
And he is also a really good writer — although only old-timers like me really know how good.
Back in his younger days, Joe wrote stories for the paper under the pen name “Hardy Culture.”
It was some of the funniest stuff that has ever appeared in the Times, the Record News or the Times Record News.
Joe is a real journalist — something you don’t see much of these days.
He can write the “who, where, when and what” stuff with the best of them.
But he can also pen words that can sometimes make you cry, sometimes make you laugh and sometimes make you think.
OK, sometimes those words are misspelled, but that’s what they pay editors for.
So to the sweet person who sent me a text this morning saying:
“What an injustice! Joe Brown? What a joke!”
Let me say that you really don’t know my friend.
Joe Brown is a local hero in the rural area.
People in small towns around here can relate to him.
He speaks their language.
This newspaper has never had a better ambassador than “Do it Up” Brown.
Congratulations, buddy. I am just proud to call you friend.
But El Chico for “Texoma’s Best” Mexican food, best margarita and best chips and salsa?
Now there’s your real “What an injustice!” and “What a joke!”

I promised a blog every day until the season kicks off Thursday night.
We’re in the single digits now, by the way. I got pretty busy working on things for the preview section (which comes out next Wednesday by the way and will be pretty cool), so I did not post this until after midnight.
But don’t worry. Two blog posts will go up today (with a lot of sleep in between).
I stumbled across this link and thought it was pretty cool.

(more…)