The Showdown Or The World Series

For the 1st time in the history of the AHS /CHS game, a majority of the fans in town are having to ask themselves, "Do I go to Shotwell Stadium for the Crosstown Showdown, or do I stay at home and watch the World Series?"

I never thought that folks would be asking that question, but here we are. My daughter even ask me on the way to school, "How many people do you think will blow off the game to stay at home and watch the World Series?"

That's a tough one. "I don't know" was my answer. There are life long Rangers fans who have been waiting their entire lives for the Rangers to be this close to winning a World Championship. There are also people that bleed Black & Gold and Red & Blue.

This is a great problem for folks to have. I am excited that the Rangers fans are getting enjoy a Game 7 with their team in the game. I am excited that Abilene High and Cooper fans are looking forward to winning the Crosstown Showdown and claiming the District 3-5A title. This is a GREAT night for sports fans in Abilene, but what in the world are we going to do?

Here's my best guess. Most folks that have tickets to the Crosstown Showdown will go to Shotwell Stadium, as planned, but they will be, either, watching the World Series on their phone or listening to the game on the radio.

Here at the station, I will be watching both. I am more of a football fan than a baseball fan, so the Crosstown Showdown has most of my attention, but this World Series is right there.

The Future Of The Big XII

What is the future of the Big XII? I don't think it's so bright. Losing Texas A&M is not the real problem for the conference. The real problem is the Longhorn Network.

This not how this works in the rest of the country. The conference is in charge of the network, not a single school. This give the single school an advantage over the other schools in the conference.

It is great for the University of Texas. They get the advantage, and if history tells us anything, they will take the advantage.

Why in the world did the other members of the conference lets the Longhorns have their own network? If Texas insists on keeping the Longhorn Network to itself, it will kill the conference. The rest of the members of the Big XII are going to get tired of that thing, and they will revolt. It is not a question of if, it is a matter of when.

It's great that the conference is going to add TCU, but until that Longhorn Network problem is solved, the Big XII is in trouble.

Trip Down Memory Lane

I took a trip down memory lane on Wednesday morning starting at 7am. I got up early to head south to cover the Stamford Bulldogs in the Class A State Baseball Tournament.

I haven't gone to that tournament in years, but because of a short staff, I got to make the trip to Round Rock.

A few things hit me on the way down to and back home from the Austin area.

1)The older you get the harder it is to get up in the morning.
-- The last time I went, I hoped right out of bed and hit the road with no trouble. This time around, it was harder to get my 43 year old bones out of bed.

2)Don't drink a 16 ounce bottle of water and a 20 ounce Diet Coke and then a 32 ounce Diet Coke from McDonald's and another 16 ounce bottle of water on the way.
-- I already knew that in theory, but no I know for fact. It makes the trip longer.

3)I am bad luck for Big Country baseball teams.
-- I have never witnessed a victory in the State Baseball Tournament. Stamford's loss to Johnson City continued a long bad history for me and our teams. It started with the Gorman Panthers in 1991, and it continued in 2011 with Stamford. I am guessing that Big Country teams will be paying me to not go to their games at the State Tournament.

4)Problem with #3, I really enjoy going to the State Baseball Tournament. It's the best baseball in the state of Texas. Who doesn't enjoy a day at the ballpark?

Just A Few Thoughts

It's been a while, so I am going on a stream of consciousness.

-I am frustrated with the world that we live in these days. Does it bother anyone that there are people out there that will shoot you for cutting them off? Does is bother you that someone shoots the "finger" at you when they make the driving mistake?

People are so hot headed these days that they can't even stop for a second to contain their emotions.

Why is that? I will tell you. It seems that a good chunk of our society stops developing emotionally at the age of 5. If things don't go there way, they pitch a fit like a 5 year old. Problem is, these emotional 5 year olds have guns and are driving cars and motorcycles.

How about we all GROW UP! Grown ups know how to walk away from a difficult situation. Grown ups know that it's smart to just let the guy that cut us off drive away from us. Grown ups know that people make mistakes on the road on occasion, and the grown ups in the room let it go. Grown ups are not looking to fight someone around every corner.

On to more pleasant topics.

-Cooper is about to hire Todd Moebes to be the next head football coach. Moebes has never been a head coach, but he told me on Monday that he is ready for the job because he worked for coaches like Mike Spradlin and Katy's Gary Joseph. I am anxious to see how Moebes handles not only the head coaching duties but the job of athletic coordinator.

There are many examples of hiring from within not working. However, we have 2 great examples of it working right here in Abilene.

Hugh Sandifer was already the basketball coach at Wylie when he was hired to be the head football coach. I would say that 1 state title and 2 state runner-ups make that a good hire.

Steve Warren was an assistant at Abilene High when he was hired to lead the Eagles. 12 straight appearances in the playoffs, 6 district titles and a state championship are good enough for me to call that a success.

Coach Moebes takes over a program that is in much better shape than either Warren or Sandifer took over. He is set up for success, and I hope he has a great deal of success.

-ACU's Edmond Gates really impressed at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Sunday. He tied for the fastest 40 yard dash time for wide receivers. Add to that, Gates was 2nd in the broad jump and 5th in the vertical jump. I still question his pass route running ability, and most scouting reports say he can't get off the line of scrimmage if pressured, but he is going to get drafted. F-Y-I, when asked which bird was the fastest, Gates knew that it was the Perigrine Falcon, so he's got that going for him.

-The Wylie girls are back in the State Tournament, and Peyton Little is leading the way. Little, who verbally committed to play for the University of Texas, is easily the best girls basketball player to come through this part of the state since Lynn Corn led Wylie to the state championship in 1990. For the 2nd year in a row, Little has taken the Lady Bulldogs on her back and carried them to Austin. Here's the crazy part. Little is just a Junior, and this Wylie team has just 1 senior. You can look for another trip to Austin in 2012.

Welcome Home

Coming home.

For me, coming home means I am back at the house after working a 10 hour shift at the television station.(It might be longer during the football season) It is nice to be home, but I was there just 10 hours earlier. I was there earlier in the day, and I will be there tomorrow.

On Friday, I had the opportunity to welcome home 1 of my best friends from fighting in our War on Terror in Southwest Asia. Andy has been gone from his house, his wife, and his family for 6 months. In that 6 month period, his son started high school, his oldest daughter is 6 months closer to starting school, and his youngest started walking.

Coming home for Andy and the rest of the 9th Bomb Squadron is a BIG DEAL.

The scene in the hangar as we waited for Andy and the rest of the deployed 9th was electric. The husbands and wives were almost beside themselves, and the kids couldn't wait to see dad or mom, again. Folks like Conni and me were excited about seeing our friend coming home safely.

The cheers went up when the door opened on the plane at Dyess Air Force Base. Families were calling out the names of their loved ones. Hugs, kisses, and tears of joy were in abundance.

This is the 2nd time I have welcomed my friend Andy back from the war, and it is just as special as the 1st time. For the 2nd time, I am glad he is back with his family, and for the 2nd time, I am glad to have my friend home safe and sound.

WELCOME HOME to the 9th Bomb Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base. May your spotlights shine bright and your bombs always hit their target.