United Way

Ok, I've been strong armed by the powers at be to put the Wise County United Way banner over to the right. They were very pleasant at first but then black sedans began to drive by my home and office. I didn't want to test them. Throw some money at them. They tell me all proceeds are used locally.

Say What?

I don't think you can say that. (From The Evil Empire game a moment ago.) Edit: After creating this thing, I sent it to a couple of national sports blogs (Awful Announcing and Deadspin.) Both posted it immediately (with Deadspin incorrectly crediting Awful Announcing instead of me.) Bottom line: The number of hits this video is going to get will be mind blowing. Doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but it's kinda fun. Edit: And now a big debate has begun across the nation. Did he say "face rape" or "face rake"? And shouldn't every beautiful Saturday afternoon be spent debating that topic? Edit: As of Monday morning, the number of views were 49,486

That Was Insane

Saw the replay last night. I guy kills three people and then ends his own life driving into Lake Arlington while shooting himself in the head.

That was a dramatic exit of life.

Results . . .

. . . will be here.


Edit: Man, I'm confused. Just saw a hard copy of the Messenger and the story says Decatur won in overtime. Somebody answer this for me: Bridgeport goes first in OT and kicks a field goal. Decatur goes next and scores a touchdown and then (here's where I'm confused) kicks an extra point. Kicks an extra point when you just won the game in overtime?

Edit yet again: Someone commented that "the point system" decides ties at the end of the year for the district championship. Makes sense. I didn't know you were allowed to kick an extra point after scoring the game winning touchdown in overtime. Learn something every day.

"I Like Candlelight Dinners And Walks On The Beach"

I haven't really followed this story very closely in Tarrant County, but I saw where the defendant got crushed today.

The story yesterday said the defendant and the now-dead finacee met on match.com. That's not very good press for online dating.

Quincyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!

Arrested again this morning for marijuana possession.

That's worth than almost getting kicked in the head with a football in high school.

The Plan That Wasn't

On the eve of Bulls/Eagles tonight, I'm reminded of a moment in time which could have altered my life. It was 1978. I was a Junior in high school and a bad football player on a very good Bridgeport team. We were 8-1 with the a chance to beat Decatur for the first time in several years.

But in the fourth quarter, a key field goal attempt came up for Bridgeport. One of the few rolls I had was to block on the field goal team. I ran out onto the field and took my position. I looked over my shoulder and noticed the guy who was to play exactly opposite me on the right side was missing! This would give a Decatur player a clear shot to block the field goal.

Here's the setup:


So what does my razor quick mind do? Do I call timeout? Heck, no. I'm a Junior and I didn't have the guts to do that. Do I yell at our quarterback who was on the field as the placeholder so that he could decide to call a timeout? Nope. Never crossed my mind.

My plan, that was created in probably 10 seconds, was to block my guy and then streak across behind our offensive line and block the Decatur player that would be charging in. This is what I saw in my mind.

That, my friends, is the dumbest idea ever. First, I could never get there in time. Secondly, I might have wanted to consider that I'd be placing myself directly in the path of travel of the football as it came off the kicker's foot! Yep, there is a great chance I'd block our own team's kick.

So what happened? I remember hitting my guy and turning to run to the right. As I got about halfway I simultaneously heard the whistle blow AND the ball come whizzing by my head. For the first time it dawned on me the disaster my plan could have caused, and I almost went into shock. I can't remember why the whistle blew - I don't know if our coach called a timeout or if there was a flag - but we got to kick again with all 11 guys on the field. This time our kicker made the kick. A kick that ended up being critical in a 41-40 Bridgeport win.

But I always play "what if" in my mind. What if there had been no whistle and that ball had ricocheted off my head and I had single handedly lost the game for Bridgeport? It, without a doubt, would have been the most famous screw up in Bridgeport High School history, and I would forever be know as "the guy that blocked his own team's kick."

Fate saved me. Fate kept me from having to move out of state.

Tailgaiting Has Begun

uh....probably.....somewhere.

Another U.S. American

This youtube.com clip is showing up everywhere over the last 24 hours. It's some girl named Stacy Hedger who is competing in some pagent somewhere. (Good facts, huh?) Anyway, she is "playing" the Star Wars theme on a trumpet and spices it up midway with a little Charlie Chaplain dance. Good stuff.

Reader Submitted Pic

From the Bridgeport bonfire last night. I think that's a headstone.

Limited Interest

Rejecting what my audience wants once again (Wise County gossip and scantily clad women), let me digress.

For those that know me, I'm a stadium fan. Not necessarily a fan of teams, but stadiums. I like to go them, I like to experience them. So far, I've been lucky enough to attend an actual game in the following places:

College Football
University of Texas
Texas A&M
U. of Michigan
U. of Tennessee
U. of Georgia
U. of Florida
U. of Oklahoma
Clemson
U. of Alabama
Rose Bowl (Texas v. Michigan)
Holiday Bowl in San Diego (Tech v. California)
Sugar Bowl (Alabama v. Miami in a National Championship game)
Throw away: Baylor, TCU, and SMU

Baseball Stadiums:
Arizona Diamondbacks
Seattle Mariners
Oakland Athletics
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Obvious: Texas Rangers (both stadiums)

Pro Football:
Tennessee Titans
Atlanta Falcons
Cowboys (both at Texas Stadium and the Cotton Bowl. Lord, I'm old.)
Jacksonville Jaguars

Anyway, on my list to see is a night game at LSU. For those interested, someone shot about a minute of video from the end zone at last week's game against Florida. See it here. I've never seen a crowd like that.

And, to add to that, this guy was in that same stadium on Saturday. He, sir, is the master of the "call back joke."

Lindsey Is Officially Out Of Rehab

And, hey now, the world is a better place for it.

Perfect Gift For That Special Someone

I almost spit out my Lean Cuisine 6 grams of fat Mexican dinner today at lunch when I ran across this ad from Cheaper Than Dirt in the Star-Telegram. I've heard of the store, but never been in it. If memory serves me correctly, you can buy all sorts of crap that will allow you to survive a nuclear holocaust or race riot. Ok, sounds fun.

But, seriously, who needs a $10,000 sniper rifle? And is anyone else disturbed about the word "sniper"? What do you do with that thing? If I want off someone, I think I could hire someone to do the deed for less than 10 grand. (And, for the record, I'm not thinking of doing that. Really. Promise. I'm in a happy place right now.)

Reader Submitted Pic

From the Decatur Pep Rally last night.

Fox News

I can't tell you how much I hate Fox News. Example: Barack Obama has stopped wearing his American lapel pin. Why? Who cares. But this clip (21 seconds) demonstrates Fox News' analysis of the situation. (Courtesy of Lewis Black on "The Daily Show.")

Of Course, Everyone Will Wonder Where The "H" Came From

You can't help but notice the progress of the under construction water tower in Rhome. I'll give 'em credit, that's a perfect place for the tower and it looks good. Considering the thousands (millions?) of people that will pass by it at the intersection of 287 & 114, it's good press.

Everyone will know where Rhome is.

The University Of Florida

That's all I got. The University of Florida.

Reader Submitted Pic

Labeled "Sunrise: Catlett Creek 10-10-07"

I didn't know where Carlett Creek was so I looked it up: Catlett Creek rises five miles north of Decatur in north central Wise County and runs southeast for twelve miles to its mouth on Sweetwater Creek, five miles north of Bluett. The stream is dammed in its upper reaches. It traverses flat terrain surfaced by clay and sandy loams that support water-tolerant hardwood trees, conifers, brushes, and grasses.

Realtor Murder

The capital murder trial of the longest last named defendant in recent history, Chanthakoummane, is halfway through. A Collin County jury found him guilty today after 30 minutes of deliberation.

The lead defense lawyer, who I saw on TV last night, looks about as beaten down as a guy can be. Having a case that is a sure loser will do that to you. He basically had to admit his client's guilt (DNA didn't exactly help the defense) but will now try to persuade the jury to sentence the defendant to life in prison instead of assessing the death penalty. Prediction: Sarcastically said, "Good luck with all that."

T.O. Left A Note Today

Dear Reporters,

Due to the magnitude of this week's game and high volume of questions for the Original 81 about the other 81. I will be taking all questions immediately following Sunday's game.

Sincerely,

Terrell Owens (autograph)

p.s. Getcha Popcorn Ready

The guy is a nut (and I still think he might blow up - in a bad way - this year), but the "Getcha Popcorn Ready" catchphrase is pretty funny. He's used it before. (And the other 81 he is talking about is the equally crazy Randy Moss.)

From Fort Worth

At the driver's license hearing a second ago, I had a Wise County cop slap me on the back and say, 'big fan.' I suppose he means this blog. But it was a funny moment.

Now back to waiting.

Charge!

Got a big bag of nothing today. A plea. A motion to suppress (that turned into a plea) and now a trip to Fort Worth for a DL hearing. But I leave you with Classic Video of Texas Tech fans in 2002 tearing down the goalpost and then shoving it into a crowd of Aggies. (Or you can watch a kangaroo on a race track. Good times.)

Can't Believe . . .

. . . I'm watching some of the Republican debate of MSNBC.

I think I'd vote for Ron Paul over the rest of those pre-programmed robots. Heck, I might vote for Ron Paul over anyone.

Edit: And Fred Thompson has no desire to fight for the job.

Battle Of The Big Sandy

Just saw a preview issue of the Messenger and they stole some of my schtick! Well, maybe. Five years ago I did a Bridgeport/Decatur comparison with the lead of each entry being "Best [insert category]". Tomorrow's Messenger does the same thing with some equally crazy and even identical categories. (Them: "Toughest Cheerleaders". Me: "Cheerleading Squad Most Likely to Engage in Fist Fight".)

I still think mine was funnier. Again, maybe.

But looking back over my old comparison, I'm stunned how much things have changed. And I think I brought bad karma on Bridgeport since they haven't won since.

(And why the above pic? Not sure myself. I searched Google Images for Decatur and Bridgeport and that came up on the first page.)

"They call me Big L'y, Big Silly. Big Money, Big Billy."

The heck with the details about this story, I'm more fascinated by the aliases used by those indicted. Although I'm too scared to make any jokes about any of them.

Roy Arredondo, Jr., a.k.a. West, age 33
Juan Antonio Vasquez, a.k.a. Juanillo, age 36
Hector Manuel Ayala, a.k.a. Hec; a.k.a. Homicide, age 34
Marco Medina, a.k.a. Pantera, age 35
Javier Soliz, a.k.a Payaso, 37
Walter Lopez, a.k.a. Big Homie, age 34
Primitivo Ybarra, a.k.a. Munch, age 29
Daniel Arredondo, a.k.a. Weasel, age 43
Arnulfo Rodriguez, a.k.a. Isaac Rodriguez; a.k.a. Gangster, age 36
Emilio Noyola, a.k.a. Mili, age 27
Daniel Garcia, a.k.a. D, age 27
Edwin Barron, a.k.a. Beaver, age 37

Tuesday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Dirty, Sexy Jerry

If you've seen ABC's Dirty, Sexy Money (I watched half an episode and kind of liked it), and you can pick Jerry Jones out of a lineup, you'll probably be entertained by this two minute skit from ESPN last night.

"I'm A Man! I'm 40!"

OSU coach Mike Gundy's meltdown a couple of weeks ago may be one of my favorite press conferences in history.

Here is the original.
Here is a very funny fake Coors Light commercial about it.
Here's another spoof.
Here is an actual commercial making light of it.

It's Getting Hot

Heard that lots of people were getting overheated at the Jonas Brothers concert yesterday at the State Fair (pic above.)

I don't think I know who the Jonas Brothers are.

Teacher Cheers/Dances In Class

A kid with a cell phone decides to tape it and it ends up on The Today Show this morning. Not really sure why. I give her a thumbs up.

Aaaaaaaag?

So I'm sitting here watching the Cowboy game when I see this. With two interceptions, perhaps that is what he is feeling.

(Admittedly, the pic is a little blurry.)

Edit: Make that four interceptions (at this point). But Dallas will win this one anyway. That's a bad Bills' offense.

Edit: Now it's 10:59 p.m. Holy cow. Folk just mad a field goal for the win but Buffalo called a time out at the last second. Let's do it again. Holy crap! He did it again. Cowboys win.

Edit: When I wake up tomorrow, I think I'll decide that was one of the craziest Cowboy games ever.

Edit: If you didn't see it, the last part of the game (some 19 real minutes) is on Google video. But it won't be there for long.

Edit: A less than 3 minute clip (that cuts out all the commercials) is here.

Edit: What's up with the sign of The Evil Empire?

Oh, My

I normally don't link to overseas stories because we all know that if it doesn't happen in 'merica then it isn't important.

But this pic and this story are worthy on an exception.

Speaking Of Pooches

Devon Energy buys the Wise County Sheriff's Office a drug dog. That dog is renamed "Devon." Dog promises to carry on the "War On Drugs" unless it involves a Devon employee.

(OK, two of those three sentences is are true.)

Edit: Getting lots of post (especially one from an anonymous coward who constantly emails me) that this story is three years old. May be true. For some reason it showed up on my RSS Feed today.

Uh Oh

The folks out at Tech have come up with a controversial T-shirt for this week's game against A&M. (You need to know that the A&M Mascot is a collie and you need to know who Michael Vick is.)

Edit: If you read the story in the link, you'll come to the conclusion that no Tech student has a name. Almost all the quotes are from "a student", "a fan", or "a Tech fan."

It's All About Me

As a follow-up to my post two days ago about my battle with the obstacle course, one person was nice (?) enough to send me photographic evidence. That's me going through the tires (after tripping on tire #2), and that's me looking like a crazed orangutan jumping over a pit (which was probably full of snakes - I'm not sure.)

Fortunately, there weren't any pics of me slipping off the parallel bars and almost knocking my teeth out. This was not pretty.

Edit: And I apologize for not posting a comment straight out of Full Metal Jacket. It was very funny, however.

It's Always Nice To Remember . . .

. . . that the Cowboys play tonight. You know, I'm actually interested again.

Edit: The Cowboys are getting a little cocky in its advertising. Playoffs?

Sheriff's Deputy Goes Nuts

This is day old news, but man it's a crazy story. ABC News said that it was the result of a "love triangle" with more details to follow. Disturbing.

Edit: Wow. He shot himself three times before finally getting it right.

Just Put Your Lips Together And Blow

The idea of putting a whistle on a life vest is a great idea. Although Kate Winslet screaming "Jack! Jack!" will stick in my brain for the next two hours.

On The Square This Weekend

(Reader submitted pics. Thanks.)

Part of the $50 Million Cotton Bowl Renovation

Call me crazy, but I prefer a "flip down" seat with a back instead of a bench. No wonder the Cotton Bowl will soon be a thing of the past.

From The Morning News Yesterday

I simply do not believe that. I don't believe a cop was "randomly" pulling people over nor do I believe her kids said that. I think she is simply calling attention to the Irving "arrest and deport" policy that is all over the news.

Uh, and let me label this post an opinion.