For those of us who live, breathe and eat high school football, the season is going by entirely too fast.
As of this writing, five games have already been played and we are still trying to remember all the jersey numbers.
One good thing is that those who were injured prior to the season are about to make their season debut--sometime soon.
On the bright side, for those who are winning the season is only one-third finished. However, for those who are struggling it's half over already.
Now, if someone would just find out a way to slow down the progression of the current football season, I would be very grateful.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Coaches shouldn't have to clean up stadium
It saddened me to see that among those picking up trash after the Calvary game with Lakeside were most of the Calvary football coaches, their wives and a few others who work their tails off during the week trying to put on the best show on Friday nights. Something about that just ain't right.
Sure there were a few parents and students helping, but the coaches probably have a lot more important things to do, including getting home to spend some quality time with their wives and children.
The good news is that many of the fans on the Calvary side did take care of their own area prior to leaving the stadium and the trash containers were filled to capacity at the bottom of the steps.
Last week, after the game with Rayville, I even noticed one of the pastors from the church bending over picking up the smashed cups and debris. I had the opportunity to thank him one afternoon during the week and express my gratitude for the sacrifice of time he put in.
Before I left the press box with The Times' sportswriter I began picking up the cups and bottles left behind in that area only to turn around and discover that someone had beaten me to the garbage bag in that room.
I gotta confess, I felt guilty watching the coaches, their wives, some athletic office ladies and others stay so late and clean up the mess.
Calvary is a great place to be due to the sacrifice of so many who never get the pats on the back they deserve. To everyone who bent over to pick up even one piece of trash after the game, I offer that pat on the back to you and say thanks.
Sure there were a few parents and students helping, but the coaches probably have a lot more important things to do, including getting home to spend some quality time with their wives and children.
The good news is that many of the fans on the Calvary side did take care of their own area prior to leaving the stadium and the trash containers were filled to capacity at the bottom of the steps.
Last week, after the game with Rayville, I even noticed one of the pastors from the church bending over picking up the smashed cups and debris. I had the opportunity to thank him one afternoon during the week and express my gratitude for the sacrifice of time he put in.
Before I left the press box with The Times' sportswriter I began picking up the cups and bottles left behind in that area only to turn around and discover that someone had beaten me to the garbage bag in that room.
I gotta confess, I felt guilty watching the coaches, their wives, some athletic office ladies and others stay so late and clean up the mess.
Calvary is a great place to be due to the sacrifice of so many who never get the pats on the back they deserve. To everyone who bent over to pick up even one piece of trash after the game, I offer that pat on the back to you and say thanks.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Make a nice day for someone
I heard a pastor from another denomination on the radio a few weeks ago say something that really hit home with me.
The phrase, "Have a nice day" has become so commonplace, and most of us mean well when we say that to people we meet, but do we really mean it?
The radio remarks made by the pastor mentioned above challenged us to "Make it a nice day" instead of just saying "Have a nice day".
He went on to encourage us to actually make it a nice day for others and help others to do their part in making it a nice day for those they meet. Take some initiative, go out of your way to do something nice for someone and help make it a nice day for them.
Open a door for someone you don't even know. Pick up something someone dropped. Let someone get ahead of you who's blocked in by traffic. Introduce yourself to a stranger.
Pick up that smashed cup off the ground. Offer to do something yourself instead of asking others to do so. Offer them a prayer or a good word. All these things would certainly brighten someone's day. We all could use a good dose of kindness, and in return we reap what we sow.
If we all followed this bit of advice, it would indeed be a nice day for us all.
The phrase, "Have a nice day" has become so commonplace, and most of us mean well when we say that to people we meet, but do we really mean it?
The radio remarks made by the pastor mentioned above challenged us to "Make it a nice day" instead of just saying "Have a nice day".
He went on to encourage us to actually make it a nice day for others and help others to do their part in making it a nice day for those they meet. Take some initiative, go out of your way to do something nice for someone and help make it a nice day for them.
Open a door for someone you don't even know. Pick up something someone dropped. Let someone get ahead of you who's blocked in by traffic. Introduce yourself to a stranger.
Pick up that smashed cup off the ground. Offer to do something yourself instead of asking others to do so. Offer them a prayer or a good word. All these things would certainly brighten someone's day. We all could use a good dose of kindness, and in return we reap what we sow.
If we all followed this bit of advice, it would indeed be a nice day for us all.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Radio listeners at game in time warp
I never knew so many Calvary fans listened to the broadcast of the Cavalier games while watching live from the stands.
Many of those who listened at Friday's home-opening 54-12 win over Southern Lab, found themselves in what appeared to be a time warp as they tuned in to the game on their headsets. Allow me to say that none of you were kidnapped by aliens and taken to the land of 20-second delay; rather, the radio station that picked up our broadcast was doing so through our live Internet feed.
The Internet feed will have a delay, much like you get when you turn on your television set when watching LSU without the volume and listening to Jim Hawthorne on the radio. Come on, you know you do that too. That's what every die-hard LSU fans does.
Anyway, thanks for listening anyway. See you at the games!
Many of those who listened at Friday's home-opening 54-12 win over Southern Lab, found themselves in what appeared to be a time warp as they tuned in to the game on their headsets. Allow me to say that none of you were kidnapped by aliens and taken to the land of 20-second delay; rather, the radio station that picked up our broadcast was doing so through our live Internet feed.
The Internet feed will have a delay, much like you get when you turn on your television set when watching LSU without the volume and listening to Jim Hawthorne on the radio. Come on, you know you do that too. That's what every die-hard LSU fans does.
Anyway, thanks for listening anyway. See you at the games!
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Real home games for local football
With the exception of Byrd High School, there should be no reason every high school in the area could not have its own football stadium. Byrd has a disadvantage when it comes to building a football complex since it is situated at the busy intersection of Kings Hwy. and Line Ave. However, all the other schools could easily accommodate the "crowds" they draw with a stadium in their own back yard.
It's sad to see schools with such tradition as Woodlawn, Huntington, Southwood and Fair Park "pack" fewer that 200 fans in mammoth Independence Stadium. The lack of attendance makes one glad the South endzone of Independence is closed in from the view of I-20 traffic.
Schools drawing fewer than 200 fans to a football game when their enrollments are over 1,000 is a sad commentary of our times.
I was always told not to gripe unless I could offer a solution to a problem. My solution is to add 100 more seats to the visitors' side of the current bleachers at each campus above and at least make the place profitable. Let the school booster clubs rack in the profits from the concession stands and save us the bill of turning on the light banks at Independence Stadium.
It's sad to see schools with such tradition as Woodlawn, Huntington, Southwood and Fair Park "pack" fewer that 200 fans in mammoth Independence Stadium. The lack of attendance makes one glad the South endzone of Independence is closed in from the view of I-20 traffic.
Schools drawing fewer than 200 fans to a football game when their enrollments are over 1,000 is a sad commentary of our times.
I was always told not to gripe unless I could offer a solution to a problem. My solution is to add 100 more seats to the visitors' side of the current bleachers at each campus above and at least make the place profitable. Let the school booster clubs rack in the profits from the concession stands and save us the bill of turning on the light banks at Independence Stadium.
Southern Lab gets no respect
Calvary's opponent in Week No. 2 of the 2007 football season gets no respect from the media and that's a shame.
Being a "wannabe" sports writer, I began looking for information on the Kittens' big 53-0 win over Grambling in Week No. 1 of the season. It's always good to know what you are going up against and it helps bring interest, and hopefully readers to my other site, when I can tell them something about the teams we will be facing.
However, look hard as I may, I could not find one line of credit toward the Southern Lab win over Grambling in the Ruston newspaper, the Monroe newspaper or the Baton Rouge Advocate. That's a shame! A team with such tradition as Southern Lab deserves more. Numerous websites mentioned how college coaches almost camped out at the Baton Rouge school drooling over their athletes in hopes of recruiting them for their own teams one day.
Surely, the No. 2-ranked team in the state 1-A classification would get some ink after making back-to-back trips to North Louisiana to take on another team in Calvary. Same song, second verse--no media coverage--at least in the early edition of The Times, and none whatsoever in the Baton Rouge Advocate.
Granted, it is impossible to cover every team in depth for every week of the season, but give Southern Lab a break; or better yet, give them some ink in the paper.
Being a "wannabe" sports writer, I began looking for information on the Kittens' big 53-0 win over Grambling in Week No. 1 of the season. It's always good to know what you are going up against and it helps bring interest, and hopefully readers to my other site, when I can tell them something about the teams we will be facing.
However, look hard as I may, I could not find one line of credit toward the Southern Lab win over Grambling in the Ruston newspaper, the Monroe newspaper or the Baton Rouge Advocate. That's a shame! A team with such tradition as Southern Lab deserves more. Numerous websites mentioned how college coaches almost camped out at the Baton Rouge school drooling over their athletes in hopes of recruiting them for their own teams one day.
Surely, the No. 2-ranked team in the state 1-A classification would get some ink after making back-to-back trips to North Louisiana to take on another team in Calvary. Same song, second verse--no media coverage--at least in the early edition of The Times, and none whatsoever in the Baton Rouge Advocate.
Granted, it is impossible to cover every team in depth for every week of the season, but give Southern Lab a break; or better yet, give them some ink in the paper.
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