FOOTBALL SEASON IS ALMOST HERE

30 DAYS TO KICKOFF!

     College Football is almost here and practice begins around the country TODAY! I saw a great deal on a 46" TV today 46UL605VPK and it may be in my living room in time to watch LSU and Oregon on Sept 3.

     In the category of things to watch, ESPN has announced the subject matter and titles for some episodes of the critically acclaimed series "30 for 30". One that I am looking forward to watching will be "Roll Tide/War Eagle", which chronicles the the history between the Iron Bowl, the bad blood between fans, and how this intense rivalry reached a frenzy just as these two teams needed each other the most. This series has been exceptional at times, you don't want to miss it. Here is a link to the site:
http://30for30.espn.com/ 

     I have also come across a really great website for the TV stations and times for this years NCAA season. http://lsufootball.net/tvschedule.htm. Here's to season full of memorable touchdowns and gut wrenching battles. I can hardly wait!

     

Bama Back Where They Belong

I watched enough football from Friday to Sunday that I may have radiation burns and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from flipping channels (God bless those folks at DirecTV). This kickoff weekend has been exciting. And it ain't over yet. As I write this, I am looking forward to the Bearcats of Cincinnati taking on the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers and Bobby Bowden's Seminoles versus the once mighty Hurricanes of Miami.
But this little roadside sports grill on the information superhighway is serving up some Crimson Tide piled high on the Hokies of Virginia Tech. Saturday night's Chik-Fil-A Kickoff Classic (I should get paid for these shameless plugs) was all that it was billed to be, and maybe more. Defense wins championships, and Alabama showed a defense that may gel into something unstoppable in the next few weeks.
Alabama's 800th win (Bama joins Michigan, Texas, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Ohio State and Penn State with 800+ wins) came with a few silly penalties and some miscues on offense, but provided a satisfying start to the season. Hokies head ball coach Frank Beamer may have summed it up best. "They've got it. We played one of the great teams in the country and just didn't play well enough to match 'em."
"IT", in case you were wondering, is that intangible, unmeasurable, elusive thing known as a winning spirit. Every matchup, weather you're talking about bar room brawls or pillow fights, has it. But only one side can grab it, claim it, and hold on to it. And to be able to keep it through an entire season is something that only a few can boast about.
I am reminded of Alabama's 1979 unstoppable behemoth that shut out 5 teams, hung 383 points on the season's opponets while allowing only 67, and letting only 2 teams (Tennessee and Auburn) to score more than 10 points on a 12-0 Championship Team. That is championship spirit. And it is rare indeed. The only missing ingredient in this years team may be a high powered offense. But as Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast, my friend". We saw a power runner in Mark Ingram and true freshman Trent Richardson stepped in late to pop a bruise or two on the Hokie defensive line. The "Rudy" award for the most heart should go to Brandon Deaderick. (If you are not familiar with the movie "Rudy", you cannot call yourself a fan of college football and must head to Blockbuster immediately) Not even a crackhead's bullet could keep him from playing in Atlanta on Saturday night. That is true grit, even by John Wayne's standards.
The surprise of the night may be reserved for last years backup QB and this years future star Greg McElroy. Making his first start since he hit the dance floor at the '07 Carroll Senior High school prom (I'm guessing he impressed some folks that night, too) Southlake, Texas' McElroy threw for 230 yards, a touchdown and 1 interception. Of course his dance partners Saturday night were a little bigger, smelled of Icy Hot instead of Coco Mademoiselle, and did a little more than step on his feet when he wasn't paying attention. Virginia Tech's defense sacked McElroy only twice, but put him down after nearly every pass attempt.
Bama fans should be thrilled about Saturday nights outcome. It is an improved team that Nick Saban has begun to mold. A team that showed some championship spirit in the first game of 2009 and hopefully, one that will bring Alabama some championships very soon.

Memorial Day

We remember those who were called upon to give all a person can give, and we remember those who were prepared to make that sacrifice if it were demanded of them in the line of duty, though it never was. Most of all, we remember the devotion and gallantry with which all of them ennobled their nation as they became champions of a noble cause. I'm not speaking provocatively here. Unlike the other wars of this century, of course, there were deep divisions about the wisdom and rightness of the Vietnam war. Both sides spoke with honesty and fervor. And what more can we ask in our democracy? And yet after more than a decade of desperate boat people, after the killing fields of Cambodia, after all that has happened in that unhappy part of the world, who can doubt that the cause for which our men fought was just? It was, after all, however imperfectly pursued, the cause of freedom; and they showed uncommon courage in its service. Perhaps at this late date we can all agree that we've learned one lesson: that young Americans must never again be sent to fight and die unless we are prepared to let them win. But beyond that, we remember today that all our gentle heroes of Vietnam have given us a lesson in something more: a lesson in living love. Yes, for all of them, those who came back and those who did not, their love for their families lives. Their love for their buddies on the battlefields and friends back home lives. Their love of their country lives.

Ronald Reagan - Speech at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial 1988

During this Memorial Day Holiday, let us all remember the ones who gave their lives in defense of freedom and liberty. Here are some quotes, some famous, some forgotten.

These heroes are dead. They died for liberty - they died for us. They are at rest. They sleep in the land they made free, under the flag they rendered stainless, under the solemn pines, the sad hemlocks, the tearful willows, and the embracing vines. They sleep beneath the shadows of the clouds, careless alike of sunshine or of storm, each in the windowless Place of Rest. Earth may run red with other wars - they are at peace. In the midst of battle, in the roar of conflict, they found the serenity of death. I have one sentiment for soldiers living and dead: cheers for the living; tears for the dead. ~Robert G. Ingersoll

And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier's tomb, and beauty weeps the brave. ~Joseph Drake

And I'm proud to be an American,where at least I know I'm free.And I won't forget the men who died,who gave that right to me.~Lee Greenwood

For love of country they accepted death... ~James A. Garfield

God Bless the United States of America.

Why you can't believe the news anymore

Recently, on Dateline NBC, they ran a program entitled, "Year of The Tornado". I turned it off within the first 5 minutes when the reporter started out telling one lie after another, in the first 5 minutes. He quoted that in the last ten years "we have had only 1 (one) F5 Tornado. This year, we have already had 2 (two)". This is an outright LIE. According to the National Weather Service, and this link - http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/f5torns.html - from April 8th, 1998 to May 25, 2008 we have had FIVE (5) F5 Tornadoes. In 3008 we have only had one (1), on May 28, 2008. We have had 850 Tornadoes in the US this year. He also went on to state that "Colorado rarely has tornadoes". Another outright fabrication to sensationalize the story. Colorado, according to NOAA, averages around 21 tornadoes in any given year, (http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/Boulder/tornado.html), with the month of May averaging 19 tornadoes.
Starting this year, I will attempt to document the falsehoods in the "Drive-By" Media, when it comes to so called "Global Warming" and other facetious, blatant attempts to make things worse than what they really are. Feel free to debate me on this. I guarantee you, that if you look at the cold hard facts, you will be proven wrong each and every time.

Until we kill the planet, or our resolve to report the truth, whichever comes first,

Ken Smith

Go-Carts and 14 year olds

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Capital of my fair state of Alabama. One of the higlights was to visit the legislature "in-action". It is my opinion, that every single citizen of Alabama make the trip and witness first hand what actually goes on in our "hallowed halls". I believe if everyone saw a glimpse of what we pay these children we call our Senators and Representatives to do, many would be calling for an airsick bag.
Folks, our legislature is a joke and our elected officials in Montgomery are a sick punchline to the joke. I watched from the gallery as the people's business was "performed" in front of me. And let me stress PERFORMED. As I listened to a few of our elected officials speak to each other, somehow I was transformed back in time, and imagined all of them sitting around someone's garage, say sometime in the 70's for some, and the 50's and 60's for others. "It's my turn, Timmy!" "When can I ride Jimmy?" "You've been on that thing for hours, I want to ride!" "Gee, Tommy, I wish I had a go-cart, but my parents can't afford one".
A fair description of what goes on down there is this: They act like a bunch of 14 year old's fighting over who's turn it is to ride the go-cart.
May God help us all.

It's Springtime

It's Springtime. And that means football season is getting close. Only 5 more months till kickoff. Since I took about a year off since the last post, Nick Saban became the head coach at Alabama. That's like getting Van Halen to play at your hunting lodge's opening day here in the South. The first season was sort of like your first date, you didn't really know what to expect, but you knew it was going to be great because all your buddies were going, " All right, man, she's hot!" Then you said something stupid and dropped her off at home around 8:30.
Maybe this year, we can jump stright to getting introduced to her mom and dad (BCS Bowl). Stay tuned...