Yes Christmas is coming and the goose is getting butchered or something like that and that means it's time to shop. That means it's time for finding that something for the man on your list. With that being said, let's think this over a bit. There is just some things out there that are the common everyday gift for the guy and when you give it to them they smile and nod and think.....again! So let's get some ideas starting with the no-no's of the gift giving list.
TOP FIVE NO'S
(5) Any tools from a discount store. PLEASE!!! Are you buying groceries at the gas station??!! Buy tools at the hardware store!!!!
(4) Singing fish and/or other animals. Think about this. One, they usually sing something stupid like that eeking eirking heart Billy Ray Kill Me stuff. Two.....YOU CAN EAT THEM!!!! If I am going to have a deer head hanging on the wall, I am going to have deer jerky in the freezer.
(3) Booze. Are you surprised? Here is the thing. This is a good gift following certain rules. One, if you know what brand your man prefers. Notice I said BRAND! Two, after you buy him a nice bottle of the creature, you can complain that he drinks to much.
(2) Framed art! REALLY!
(1) Santa Clause anythings! Sure giving him something he can only wear once a year and will get beat up by his co-workers for wearing it. Yeah, he gets that, you are getting a blender. Show me the shirt he already has that matches a Santa tie. Santa socks! Unless he is going without pants you are not going to see them anyway!!!
Ok know that I got that off my brain, let me give you some good ideas.
TOP FIVE YES'S
(5) A garage! YEAH! You want to make him give him the floor plans and the number to the contractor who will be building or remodeling his garage. And make it cool! No exposed studs and filling it up with totes and boxes of stuff. COOL! Keg fridge, big TV, good solid couch. All of those things we need to get some serious work done.
(4) Power Tools! Cool ones that you have to have an installment plan to pay for! FROM THE HARDWARE STORE! Computerized Tork Wrench!! Biscut Joiner!! We don't even care what they do or if we ever use them, but we are telling our buddies about the new stuff and they will have to come over a pay homage!
(3) Apparel for our favorite team! NOT FROM THE DISCOUNT STORE!!!!! Get the good stuff for cryin out loud. A t-shirt is NOT an official jersey no matter what the flyer in the paper said. Fitted caps! REAL FOOTBALL HELMETS (We can not promise not to test them at the office). REAL STUFF!!!
(2) Tickets! Now if you get tickets to Barry Manilow or Kelli the Pickler you are getting a blender. We are after those big tickets. World Series, The Masters, Superbowl, favorite college team, All-Star Game. The good stuff!!
(1) In house Beer on Tap System! Yes it can be done! Find a good refrigeration guy and they can get it done. Put the beer in the new garage and put taps in his favorite places. The kitchen, the den, the bathroom......ok well I thought I would just sneak that one in and hope for the best.
THE GIFTS YET TO BE INVENTED!!
(1) Deer on the Hood! Hope about a rubberized deer that we can leave on the hood of our pickup or SUV year around. SIGN ME UP!!
(2) Want to do a signing creature, how about Marilyn Monroe! Now we are on to something!!!!
(3) How about the pocket putter! Play golf in the office but it folds neatly so you can hide it in the drawer of your desk when the boss walks in!
Anyway, have a great and happy holiday and don't forget the reason for the season and the true man on your give list!
Until we chat again, have a great day and be good to each other out there!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Top Ten Ways to Tell You Live in a Rural Community
Top Ten Ways to Tell You Live in a Rural Community(inspired by Dave Quinn of the Levelland EDC)
(10) Nobody uses a turn signal because everyone already knows where they are going
(9) More accidents are cause by four legged motorists than two legged
(10) Nobody uses a turn signal because everyone already knows where they are going
(9) More accidents are cause by four legged motorists than two legged
(8) Our biggest fear......darn rabbits eating my garden
(7) Top three topics at the coffee shop...high school sports, how much rain did we get and hey who is that guy I have never seen him here
(6) Cops stop you, calls you by first name and ask how your mom is
(7) Top three topics at the coffee shop...high school sports, how much rain did we get and hey who is that guy I have never seen him here
(6) Cops stop you, calls you by first name and ask how your mom is
(5) Traffic Jams are cause by farm equipment
(4) Neighbor buys new chickens, news paper reports the story
(3) Everyone has there name masking taped to the bottom of all their cookware
(2) You say a meet and greet....people ask what kind of meat?
(3) Everyone has there name masking taped to the bottom of all their cookware
(2) You say a meet and greet....people ask what kind of meat?
(1) You know all your neighbors by first name, names of their kids, their parents and even the name of their dog
Have a great day and be good to each other!!!!
Have a great day and be good to each other!!!!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Time to Salute Those Rangers
It is time fans. Time to salute the Texas Rangers! Yes the Rangers have won a divisional race and square off against the Yankees coming up on Friday and for Rangers fans it has been along time coming.
Time to reminisce a little about the Rangers.
It was 1960 when the original Washington Senators packed up and left the capital city for Minnesota to become the Twins. Major League Baseball had already decided to expand in fear of threats of losing their antitrust status. The brought in two new teams. The new Washington Senators along with the west coast team known as the California Angels.
While the Twins kept the old Senators roster, statistics, and history, the new Senators and Angels began filling their rosters via the expansion draft and the story began.
The new Senators opened play in 1961 at what was Griffin Stadium and frankly were below average. Frank Howard won two homerun titles in the stretch of two years but other than his towering shots it was a team that averaged 90 losses a season.
The owner at the time was Elwood Richard Quesada who led a ten-man group. He knew nearly nothing about the game and it would come back to haunt the early years of the franchise.
One of the biggest blunders was the DC Stadium lease. Quesada's group signed just a ten-year lease on the park on led to the future move of the team.
During the time in Washington, the Senators were sold to two stock brokers, James Johnson and James Lemon, before being sold again to the hotel and trucking tycoon Bob Short who outbid none other than Bob Hope for the team in 1967.
Short's first action as owner was hiring slugger and Hall of Famer Ted Williams as manager and it looked early as the answer to the Senators' prayers.
They stayed in contention for most of the 1967 season and collected their first winning season, but while the team appeared to be turning around, the financials were suffering.
Short had borrowed most of the money he paid for the team and with creditors knocking at the door, the team went through a number of questionable trades to bring in much needed operating money for Short and as a result the winning streak was short lived as the Senators again plunged into the American League cellar.
The Baltimore Orioles did not help matters. The longtime franchise located just 45 short miles northeast of Washington was a machine. The birds won four American League pennants and two World Series from 1966 through 1971 and it crippled the Senators attendance.
The rough times even spurned an old joke about the team. "Washington: first in war, first in peace and still last in the American League."
In 1970 Short issued the city an ultimatum. Sell the team for $12 million in cash, up from the $9.5 million he paid for the team, or he would not renew his stadium lease.
Many bids were made, and all fell short of the asking price, but Short had an alternate plan. Move.
In 1970, the mayor of Arlington Texas was Tom Vandergriff and he had an idea. Add a Major League Baseball team to the Metroplex.
The area nearly missed a team years early as Charles O. Finley, the owner of the Kansas City Athletics, looked into moving the team to Dallas but was turned down by the American League owners and stayed in Kansas City to become the future Royals.
The good news was Arlington and Mayor Vandergriff had a hole card. Turnpike Stadium was a 10,000 seat arena built in the 1965 for the AA Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs of the Texas League but in foresight by builders was built to current Major League specifications.
Vandergriff offered up a multi-million dollar up-front payment to get the team to Arlington and on September 21st of 1971, a vote of 10-to-two was cast by AL owners and the team relocated to Arlington in for the 1972 season.
Washington fans went ballistic when the move was announced. A giant banner appear in the stadium announcing that "Short Stinks" and on September 30th of 1971, thousands of fans walked into RFK Stadium free as security guards walked off the job. The attendance for that game grew to around 25,000 fans despite only 14,460 tickets being sold. The Senators led the game seven-to-five with two outs in the ninth inning when fans stormed the field and raided the park for souvenirs. With no security guards left at the park, a fan literally stole first base and umpire in chief Jim Honochick forfeited the final game to the New York Yankees nine-to-nothing.
While Washington closed down, Turnpike Stadium was growing and preparing for the change.
The stadium named was changed to Arlington Stadium and Bob Short announced that team would be known as the Texas Rangers.
April 15th, 1972 the Rangers opened with a loss to the California Angels one-to-nothing but bounced back for a five-to-one win in game two and the season was on.
Things were changing rapidly for the franchise. Manager Ted Williams kept no secrets and announced his retirement after the first season after expressing a dislike and distaste for Arlington.
Two soon to famous names showed up in 1973. Whitey Herzog, soon to win titles with the St. Louis Cardinals, started the 1973 season, but was released and replaced by future Yankee manager Billy Martin.
The Rangers began to show color in 1974 when they went 84-and-76 and finished second behind 1974 World Series Champion the Oakland A's. Mike Hargrove was named Rookie of the Year and Billy Martin named manager of the year and the sun looked like it would shine well on the new team.
It did not shine long as the Rangers came back for 1975 and opened 44-and-51 prompting the firing of Billy Martin and the hiring of Frank Lucchesi.
The next four years would be dismal but the Rangers resurfaced in 1977 and surged to 1981 and looked like a playoff team early. Then the strike hit baseball and the Rangers fell yet again to the Oakland A's.
Five years would go by before the Rangers would post another winning season. The off stretch included one of the most unpopular trades in Ranger history when Golden Glove catcher Jim Sundberg was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Ned Yost.
Attendance fell as wins fell and fans began to notice the heat and humidity that soaked that stadium for nearly the entire season. They were even known as the hottest ballpark in the league until the Florida Marlins were added in 1993. Temperatures frequently clear 100 degrees forcing night games even over the weekends. Little did anyone know, that it would be in creation of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball as the Rangers had to get a special deal with the sports network to get their games on tv.
Into the late 80's and early 90's the team began to stabilize under the direction of longest serving manager in Rangers' history Bobby Valentine.
He would go on to manage 1,186 games for the Texas team as fans saw names like Ruben Sierra, Pete Incaviglia, Mitch Williams, Bobby Witt and more.
In 1986 the Rangers were again in the hunt and after finishing 87-and-75, they fell just five games behind the west winning California Angels.
It would be a 25 game increase on wins since finishing dead last in the AL West in 1985.
Then along came Ryan. The most storied player in franchise history, Nolan Ryan was signed in 1989 at the ripe old age of 41. It created a buzz in the ballpark and so big results as well. Ryan reached 5,000 stikeouts, 300 wins and pitched his sixth and seventh no hitter in 89 and behind the big bats of Juan Gonzalez, Rubin Sierra, Juilo Franco, Harold Baines and Rafael Palmerio the offense looked to be in playoff condition. The pitching staff added names like Charile Hough, Bobby Witt, Kevin Brown, and Kenny Rodgers. The result was less than predicted. The Rangers again finished second place and Bobby Valentine was let go in 1992.
During the era, the teams changed hands yet again. Oil tycoon Eddie Chiles sold the team in April of 1989 to a group headlined by future President of the United States George W. Bush. The sticker price, a mere $89 million and Bush would remain as the Managing General Partner until being elected as Governor of Texas in 1994.
During the Bush years, the stadium was rebuilt to the tune of $193 million and all with public funds. Arlington residents picked up the tag with a sales tax increase. Ground was broken for the new park in October of 1991 and became Rangers Ballpark in Arlington to the common fan. The park was built on 13 acres of ground seized by the Arlington Sports Facilities Development Authority and in the process brought the future demise of the Rangers. Landowners filed lawsuits of over $22 million and the Rangers failed to pay the tab.
In 1993, the Rangers again saw success. With Kevin Kennedy at the helm the Rangers battled for playoff spots in 1993 and 1994. Again the strike struck. With the Rangers in the hunt Commissioner Bud Selig cancelled the balance of the 94 season leaving the Rangers again at the door step of the playoffs.
1995 the sun begin to again shine. With a brand new ballpark that hosted the 95 All-Star game, Manager Johnny Oates put the Rangers in the race. The Rangers would win the west but the celebration was short lived as after 24 years of playoff drought, the were beaten in the opening round of the playoffs by the New York Yankees three games-to-one. Despite one of the most powerful lineups in Ranger history that featured bats such as Will Clark, Ivan Rodriguez, Dean Palmer, Rusty Greer and Mickey Tettleton the Rangers pitching collapsed and after winning the west in 1995, 1998 and and 1999, the Rangers never won a playoff series and after finishing second in the west in 2000, Oates resigned 28 games into the 2001 season.
While the Rangers showed title shots, the team again was sold. Venture capital billionaire Tom Hicks bought the team for $250 million and even agreed to pay of the lawsuits from 1991.
Prior to the 2001 season, the Rangers set baseball history that ended badly. A 10-year $252 million offer was made to then Seattle Mariners shortstop Alex Rodriguez bring the slugger to Texas. While Hicks was scorned by fans and the press for focusing so much money on one player, the Rangers again sank into the tank.
After four years of cellar dwelling the Rangers management had a falling out with A-Rod and he went to the Yankees for Alfonso Soriano and Joaquin Arias at the end of 2003 and again the Rangers fell off the baseball map.
The Rangers did make noise in 2004 but fell short and while the team dwindled away with players coming and going, the financing for the team was falling away as well.
2005 was a train crash for the Rangers. Relief pitchers Frank Francisco and Carlos Almanzar went under the knife for Tommy John surgery while starter Kenny Rodgers was sidelined for a 20-game suspension after attacking a camera man in Arlington stadium and the Rangers sank further.
2006 the Rangers closed at a third place finish of 80-and-82 and the future looked bleak.
2007 brought a new effort to Arlington. The Rangers announced that they had terminated an agree with Ameriquest Mortgage Company on naming rights of the ballpark and while the stadium came back to the Ballpark at Arlington, the organization coughed up $2.5 million in advertising rates from Ameriquest leading to further financial turmoil.
2007 did look like a good year for the Rangers offense. Sammy Sosa hit his 600th career homerun in Rangers uniform and Hank Blalock, and Mark Teixeria showed promising starts. It was short lived. Blalock exited the lineup with Thoracic Outlet syndrome and Teixeira was traded along with Ron Mahay to the Atlanta Braves. At the time, the trade looked bad but has proved better than expected. It included Jarrod Saltalamacchias, Elvis Andrus, and Neftali Feliz. Eric Gagne also was traded away bringing in David Murphy and Engel Beltre.
It was a hot and cold year. So cold, the Rangers set a record by being struck out 19 times by the Minnesota Twins on August 19th but on the 22nd scored the most runs in modern history as they plated 30 runs against the Baltimore Orioles.
2008 again showed offense promise. Four Rangers showed up for the All-Star game. Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Milton Bradley and Michael Young all graced the mid summer classic and made noise. Hamilton crushed a record 35 homeruns in the Homerun Derby while Michael Young drove in the game winning run for the second time in two years.
Despite the offensive talent the Rangers again closed under 500 at 79-and-83 and the beginning of 2009 looked bleak. All-Star Michael Young asked to be traded when the team told him he would move from shortstop to third to make room for rookie Elvis Andrus. After speaking with club president Nolan Ryan he withdrew the request and made the move. Milton Bradley did leave via free agency but with all the adversity the team soared.
The Rangers led the west in 2009 until they were overtaken by the Angels in August and September and with a record of 87-and-75 they fell short yet again and finished second place.
While the Rangers looked good on the field in 2009, the team was in financial ruin. Owner Tom Hicks became the focus of several reports showing financial issues in his holding group, Hicks Sports Group,the Dallas Stars, the Frisco Roughriders, and Mesquite Championship Rodeo.
The group was in default on a loan of $525 million and the announcement of the Rangers for sale rang through out the league.
Hicks borrowed money from the MLB to make payroll in July of 2009 and the team sunk further in debt.
On January 22nd of 2010, Hicks reached an agreement with Nolan Ryan and Pittsburgh sports lawyer Chuck Greenburg for $570 million and the deal appear to be done. The group, to become Rangers Baseball Express, would retain minor partners including Hicks, and businessmen Ray Davis and Bob Simpson and MLB owners looked to be in line to approve the deal.
Trouble struck when Monarch Alternative Capital, an HSG creditor, blocked the sale stating that the sale of the land surrounding the park would not cover the outstanding debt against it.
The sale was blocked and the Rangers were forced into Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on May 24th, 2010.
Back salaries had piled up to players such as Rodriguez, Kevin Millwood, and Michael Young and the team was in deep trouble.
The team went to auction with just two parties bidding. The group of Ryan and Greenberg's only opposition was headed by only one other approved buyer, Radical Baseball LLC and Houston businessman Jim Crane. The only other player at the time was owner of the Dallas Mavericks Mark Cuban who had recently fell short of buying the Chicago Cubs.
Baseball owners fell squarely behind Greenburg as Managing General Partner and Nolan Ryan as Club President and the group sealed the deal in the early morning hours of August 5th, 2010 with unanimous approval by MLB owners on August 12th.
The Rangers, on the field, looked to hover until a 21-and-six run in June vaulted them to the top of the AL West. Player moves followed as ace starter Cliff Lee showed up in Arlington followed by Mark Lowe, Justin Smoak, Cristian Guzman and Bengie Molina and the Rangers clinched the American League West for the fourth time in history with a win over Oakland on September 25th, 2010.
The Rangers went on into the AL Divisional Playoffs and after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in back-to-back games in Tampa looked like the sure thing.
Fans drew a collective breath after the Rangers dropped a Saturday and Sunday game in Arlington forcing a game five for Tampa on Tuesday.
With the game, Cliff Lee returned to the mound and again dazzled the Rays. Lee threw a one-run, six hitter gem on Tuesday night while hanging 11 K's on the board to seal a spot for the Rangers in the 2010 AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees.
The series opens on Friday in Arlington as 15-game winner CJ Wilson squares off against Yankees ace CC Sabathia after a 21 win season for the 30-year-old.
This story is to be continued......................................
Time to reminisce a little about the Rangers.
It was 1960 when the original Washington Senators packed up and left the capital city for Minnesota to become the Twins. Major League Baseball had already decided to expand in fear of threats of losing their antitrust status. The brought in two new teams. The new Washington Senators along with the west coast team known as the California Angels.
While the Twins kept the old Senators roster, statistics, and history, the new Senators and Angels began filling their rosters via the expansion draft and the story began.
The new Senators opened play in 1961 at what was Griffin Stadium and frankly were below average. Frank Howard won two homerun titles in the stretch of two years but other than his towering shots it was a team that averaged 90 losses a season.
The owner at the time was Elwood Richard Quesada who led a ten-man group. He knew nearly nothing about the game and it would come back to haunt the early years of the franchise.
One of the biggest blunders was the DC Stadium lease. Quesada's group signed just a ten-year lease on the park on led to the future move of the team.
During the time in Washington, the Senators were sold to two stock brokers, James Johnson and James Lemon, before being sold again to the hotel and trucking tycoon Bob Short who outbid none other than Bob Hope for the team in 1967.
Short's first action as owner was hiring slugger and Hall of Famer Ted Williams as manager and it looked early as the answer to the Senators' prayers.
They stayed in contention for most of the 1967 season and collected their first winning season, but while the team appeared to be turning around, the financials were suffering.
Short had borrowed most of the money he paid for the team and with creditors knocking at the door, the team went through a number of questionable trades to bring in much needed operating money for Short and as a result the winning streak was short lived as the Senators again plunged into the American League cellar.
The Baltimore Orioles did not help matters. The longtime franchise located just 45 short miles northeast of Washington was a machine. The birds won four American League pennants and two World Series from 1966 through 1971 and it crippled the Senators attendance.
The rough times even spurned an old joke about the team. "Washington: first in war, first in peace and still last in the American League."
In 1970 Short issued the city an ultimatum. Sell the team for $12 million in cash, up from the $9.5 million he paid for the team, or he would not renew his stadium lease.
Many bids were made, and all fell short of the asking price, but Short had an alternate plan. Move.
In 1970, the mayor of Arlington Texas was Tom Vandergriff and he had an idea. Add a Major League Baseball team to the Metroplex.
The area nearly missed a team years early as Charles O. Finley, the owner of the Kansas City Athletics, looked into moving the team to Dallas but was turned down by the American League owners and stayed in Kansas City to become the future Royals.
The good news was Arlington and Mayor Vandergriff had a hole card. Turnpike Stadium was a 10,000 seat arena built in the 1965 for the AA Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs of the Texas League but in foresight by builders was built to current Major League specifications.
Vandergriff offered up a multi-million dollar up-front payment to get the team to Arlington and on September 21st of 1971, a vote of 10-to-two was cast by AL owners and the team relocated to Arlington in for the 1972 season.
Washington fans went ballistic when the move was announced. A giant banner appear in the stadium announcing that "Short Stinks" and on September 30th of 1971, thousands of fans walked into RFK Stadium free as security guards walked off the job. The attendance for that game grew to around 25,000 fans despite only 14,460 tickets being sold. The Senators led the game seven-to-five with two outs in the ninth inning when fans stormed the field and raided the park for souvenirs. With no security guards left at the park, a fan literally stole first base and umpire in chief Jim Honochick forfeited the final game to the New York Yankees nine-to-nothing.
While Washington closed down, Turnpike Stadium was growing and preparing for the change.
The stadium named was changed to Arlington Stadium and Bob Short announced that team would be known as the Texas Rangers.
April 15th, 1972 the Rangers opened with a loss to the California Angels one-to-nothing but bounced back for a five-to-one win in game two and the season was on.
Things were changing rapidly for the franchise. Manager Ted Williams kept no secrets and announced his retirement after the first season after expressing a dislike and distaste for Arlington.
Two soon to famous names showed up in 1973. Whitey Herzog, soon to win titles with the St. Louis Cardinals, started the 1973 season, but was released and replaced by future Yankee manager Billy Martin.
The Rangers began to show color in 1974 when they went 84-and-76 and finished second behind 1974 World Series Champion the Oakland A's. Mike Hargrove was named Rookie of the Year and Billy Martin named manager of the year and the sun looked like it would shine well on the new team.
It did not shine long as the Rangers came back for 1975 and opened 44-and-51 prompting the firing of Billy Martin and the hiring of Frank Lucchesi.
The next four years would be dismal but the Rangers resurfaced in 1977 and surged to 1981 and looked like a playoff team early. Then the strike hit baseball and the Rangers fell yet again to the Oakland A's.
Five years would go by before the Rangers would post another winning season. The off stretch included one of the most unpopular trades in Ranger history when Golden Glove catcher Jim Sundberg was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Ned Yost.
Attendance fell as wins fell and fans began to notice the heat and humidity that soaked that stadium for nearly the entire season. They were even known as the hottest ballpark in the league until the Florida Marlins were added in 1993. Temperatures frequently clear 100 degrees forcing night games even over the weekends. Little did anyone know, that it would be in creation of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball as the Rangers had to get a special deal with the sports network to get their games on tv.
Into the late 80's and early 90's the team began to stabilize under the direction of longest serving manager in Rangers' history Bobby Valentine.
He would go on to manage 1,186 games for the Texas team as fans saw names like Ruben Sierra, Pete Incaviglia, Mitch Williams, Bobby Witt and more.
In 1986 the Rangers were again in the hunt and after finishing 87-and-75, they fell just five games behind the west winning California Angels.
It would be a 25 game increase on wins since finishing dead last in the AL West in 1985.
Then along came Ryan. The most storied player in franchise history, Nolan Ryan was signed in 1989 at the ripe old age of 41. It created a buzz in the ballpark and so big results as well. Ryan reached 5,000 stikeouts, 300 wins and pitched his sixth and seventh no hitter in 89 and behind the big bats of Juan Gonzalez, Rubin Sierra, Juilo Franco, Harold Baines and Rafael Palmerio the offense looked to be in playoff condition. The pitching staff added names like Charile Hough, Bobby Witt, Kevin Brown, and Kenny Rodgers. The result was less than predicted. The Rangers again finished second place and Bobby Valentine was let go in 1992.
During the era, the teams changed hands yet again. Oil tycoon Eddie Chiles sold the team in April of 1989 to a group headlined by future President of the United States George W. Bush. The sticker price, a mere $89 million and Bush would remain as the Managing General Partner until being elected as Governor of Texas in 1994.
During the Bush years, the stadium was rebuilt to the tune of $193 million and all with public funds. Arlington residents picked up the tag with a sales tax increase. Ground was broken for the new park in October of 1991 and became Rangers Ballpark in Arlington to the common fan. The park was built on 13 acres of ground seized by the Arlington Sports Facilities Development Authority and in the process brought the future demise of the Rangers. Landowners filed lawsuits of over $22 million and the Rangers failed to pay the tab.
In 1993, the Rangers again saw success. With Kevin Kennedy at the helm the Rangers battled for playoff spots in 1993 and 1994. Again the strike struck. With the Rangers in the hunt Commissioner Bud Selig cancelled the balance of the 94 season leaving the Rangers again at the door step of the playoffs.
1995 the sun begin to again shine. With a brand new ballpark that hosted the 95 All-Star game, Manager Johnny Oates put the Rangers in the race. The Rangers would win the west but the celebration was short lived as after 24 years of playoff drought, the were beaten in the opening round of the playoffs by the New York Yankees three games-to-one. Despite one of the most powerful lineups in Ranger history that featured bats such as Will Clark, Ivan Rodriguez, Dean Palmer, Rusty Greer and Mickey Tettleton the Rangers pitching collapsed and after winning the west in 1995, 1998 and and 1999, the Rangers never won a playoff series and after finishing second in the west in 2000, Oates resigned 28 games into the 2001 season.
While the Rangers showed title shots, the team again was sold. Venture capital billionaire Tom Hicks bought the team for $250 million and even agreed to pay of the lawsuits from 1991.
Prior to the 2001 season, the Rangers set baseball history that ended badly. A 10-year $252 million offer was made to then Seattle Mariners shortstop Alex Rodriguez bring the slugger to Texas. While Hicks was scorned by fans and the press for focusing so much money on one player, the Rangers again sank into the tank.
After four years of cellar dwelling the Rangers management had a falling out with A-Rod and he went to the Yankees for Alfonso Soriano and Joaquin Arias at the end of 2003 and again the Rangers fell off the baseball map.
The Rangers did make noise in 2004 but fell short and while the team dwindled away with players coming and going, the financing for the team was falling away as well.
2005 was a train crash for the Rangers. Relief pitchers Frank Francisco and Carlos Almanzar went under the knife for Tommy John surgery while starter Kenny Rodgers was sidelined for a 20-game suspension after attacking a camera man in Arlington stadium and the Rangers sank further.
2006 the Rangers closed at a third place finish of 80-and-82 and the future looked bleak.
2007 brought a new effort to Arlington. The Rangers announced that they had terminated an agree with Ameriquest Mortgage Company on naming rights of the ballpark and while the stadium came back to the Ballpark at Arlington, the organization coughed up $2.5 million in advertising rates from Ameriquest leading to further financial turmoil.
2007 did look like a good year for the Rangers offense. Sammy Sosa hit his 600th career homerun in Rangers uniform and Hank Blalock, and Mark Teixeria showed promising starts. It was short lived. Blalock exited the lineup with Thoracic Outlet syndrome and Teixeira was traded along with Ron Mahay to the Atlanta Braves. At the time, the trade looked bad but has proved better than expected. It included Jarrod Saltalamacchias, Elvis Andrus, and Neftali Feliz. Eric Gagne also was traded away bringing in David Murphy and Engel Beltre.
It was a hot and cold year. So cold, the Rangers set a record by being struck out 19 times by the Minnesota Twins on August 19th but on the 22nd scored the most runs in modern history as they plated 30 runs against the Baltimore Orioles.
2008 again showed offense promise. Four Rangers showed up for the All-Star game. Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Milton Bradley and Michael Young all graced the mid summer classic and made noise. Hamilton crushed a record 35 homeruns in the Homerun Derby while Michael Young drove in the game winning run for the second time in two years.
Despite the offensive talent the Rangers again closed under 500 at 79-and-83 and the beginning of 2009 looked bleak. All-Star Michael Young asked to be traded when the team told him he would move from shortstop to third to make room for rookie Elvis Andrus. After speaking with club president Nolan Ryan he withdrew the request and made the move. Milton Bradley did leave via free agency but with all the adversity the team soared.
The Rangers led the west in 2009 until they were overtaken by the Angels in August and September and with a record of 87-and-75 they fell short yet again and finished second place.
While the Rangers looked good on the field in 2009, the team was in financial ruin. Owner Tom Hicks became the focus of several reports showing financial issues in his holding group, Hicks Sports Group,the Dallas Stars, the Frisco Roughriders, and Mesquite Championship Rodeo.
The group was in default on a loan of $525 million and the announcement of the Rangers for sale rang through out the league.
Hicks borrowed money from the MLB to make payroll in July of 2009 and the team sunk further in debt.
On January 22nd of 2010, Hicks reached an agreement with Nolan Ryan and Pittsburgh sports lawyer Chuck Greenburg for $570 million and the deal appear to be done. The group, to become Rangers Baseball Express, would retain minor partners including Hicks, and businessmen Ray Davis and Bob Simpson and MLB owners looked to be in line to approve the deal.
Trouble struck when Monarch Alternative Capital, an HSG creditor, blocked the sale stating that the sale of the land surrounding the park would not cover the outstanding debt against it.
The sale was blocked and the Rangers were forced into Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on May 24th, 2010.
Back salaries had piled up to players such as Rodriguez, Kevin Millwood, and Michael Young and the team was in deep trouble.
The team went to auction with just two parties bidding. The group of Ryan and Greenberg's only opposition was headed by only one other approved buyer, Radical Baseball LLC and Houston businessman Jim Crane. The only other player at the time was owner of the Dallas Mavericks Mark Cuban who had recently fell short of buying the Chicago Cubs.
Baseball owners fell squarely behind Greenburg as Managing General Partner and Nolan Ryan as Club President and the group sealed the deal in the early morning hours of August 5th, 2010 with unanimous approval by MLB owners on August 12th.
The Rangers, on the field, looked to hover until a 21-and-six run in June vaulted them to the top of the AL West. Player moves followed as ace starter Cliff Lee showed up in Arlington followed by Mark Lowe, Justin Smoak, Cristian Guzman and Bengie Molina and the Rangers clinched the American League West for the fourth time in history with a win over Oakland on September 25th, 2010.
The Rangers went on into the AL Divisional Playoffs and after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in back-to-back games in Tampa looked like the sure thing.
Fans drew a collective breath after the Rangers dropped a Saturday and Sunday game in Arlington forcing a game five for Tampa on Tuesday.
With the game, Cliff Lee returned to the mound and again dazzled the Rays. Lee threw a one-run, six hitter gem on Tuesday night while hanging 11 K's on the board to seal a spot for the Rangers in the 2010 AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees.
The series opens on Friday in Arlington as 15-game winner CJ Wilson squares off against Yankees ace CC Sabathia after a 21 win season for the 30-year-old.
This story is to be continued......................................
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Mascot Mania!!
It's mascot mania on Just Wiiestin' Away. How about the top ten strange mascots in the state of Texas follow by the strangest mascot from each state in the country.
Why? Because we can!
Top 10 Texas High School Mascots!!!
Hamlin Piped Pipers
Springtown Fighting Porcupines
Port Lavaca: Calhoun Fighting Sand Crabs
New Braunfels Unicorns
Lewisville Fighting Farmers
Frisco: Frisco Fightin’ Racoons
Dallas: Hockaday School Daisies
Pampa Harvesters
Pampa Harvesters
Winters Blizzards
Kress Kagaroos
And from Around the Country!!!
Montgomery: Sidney Lanier - Poets , Alabama
Point Hope: Tikigaq - Harpooners , Alaska
Yuma - Criminals , Arizona but they are nothing without the Mesa: Heritage Academy - Heroes
Stuttgart - Rice Birds, Arkansas
Los Olivos: Dunn HS - Earwigs, California
Brush - Beetdiggers, Colorado
Kent: Marvelwood School - Screaming Pterodactyls, Connecticut
Willmington: Padua Academy - Pandas, Delaware
Tarpon Springs - Spongers , Florida
Savannah: Johnson - Atom Smashers , Georgia
KaMakani: Hawaii Prep - Gentle Breeze, Hawaii
Sun Valley: The Community School - Cutthroat Trout, Idaho
Cobden - Appleknockers, Illinois
Frankfort - Hot Dogs , Indiana
Scattergood: Friends - Scattergood Crew, Iowa
Lawrence - Chesty Lions, Kansas
Somerset - Briar Jumpers, Kentucky
Metairie - Chipmunks, Louisiana
Brewer - Witches, Maine
Allegany: Campers, Maryland
Ashland - Clockers, Mass
Watersmeet - Nimrods , Michigan
Blooming Prairie - Awesome Blossoms, Minnesota
Bay St. Louis: St. Stanislaus - Rock-a-Chaws , Mississippi
Maryville - Spoofhounds, Missouri
White Water - Penguins, Montana
Omaha: Benson - Bunnies, Nebraska
Tonopah - Fighting Muckers, Nevada
Inter Lakes -- Lakesters, New Hampshire
Belvidere - County Seaters , New Jersey
Carlsbad - Cavemen , New Mexico
Tarrytown: Sleepy Hollow - Headless Horsemen , New York
Greensboro: Grimsley - Whirlies, North Carolina
Dickinson - Midgets, North Dakota
Norwalk - Truckers, Ohio
Paoli - Pugs, Oklahoma
Lakeview - Honkers, Oregon
Aliquippa - Quips, Pennsylvania
Coventry - Knotty Oakers, Rhode Island
Mullin - Auctioneers, South Carolina
Newell - Irrigators, South Dakota
BellBuckle: The Webb School - Feet , Tennessee
Hamlin - Pied Pipers, Texas
Meridian - Mongooses, Utah
Fair Haven - Slaters, Vermont
Annandale - Atoms, Virgina
Blaine - Borderites , Washington
Poca - Dots , West Virginia
Eau Claire: Memorial - Old Abes, Wisconsin
Campbell Co. - Camels, Wyoming
Until we talk again, have a great day and be good to each other out there!!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Defining the Fan
Are you a fan? A fan of what or who? What kind of fan are you?
Ok so maybe question one and two are easy, but what about question three?
What kind of fan are you?
Yes there are many types of fans so I think it is time we defined the fan.
Fan number one is the "Bandwagon Fan." How much to true fans loath these people. You know who you are. Suddenly you have always been a fan of the Indianapolis Colts. Yep, I have always been a fan of the New Orleans Saints. Ok, so the good news, these people are not to hard to find out. Ask them about the Colts when they were still in Baltimore. If they say "What," you have yourself a bandwagon fan. The good news about Bandwagon Fans is they never get in the way when you are buy tickets, unless your team ends up in the playoffs and then problems. They typically won't take to much space up at the sports bar because they are too busy ordering new fan gear on line every other year. Bandwagon fans are irritating but they only show up during the playoffs. Kinda of like box elder bugs.
Number two is the "Thug Fan." These are literally fans of the thugs. Are you a fan of Pacman Jones? That was easy! Trouble is that thug fans hide out among the regular fans but they will show up every time their thug shows up. When Kolby Bryant got in all the trouble in Colorado, all his fans showed up. The punk formerly known as Chad Johnson changed his name and became Chad Ochocinco. Probably a good think he is not a fan of Bulgaria or his his name would be be Осемдесет и пет. The point is, this group will by anything thug boy endorses. ANYTHING! Bad news is that these are the goofys that show up on all the talk shows, make the headlines and make the balance of us just sick.
Number three, is the fair weather fan! YUCK! These fans pain me terrible. I am about as far from this as possible. These are the people that scream the loudest, know everything their is to know about the team, want the coach to run from president, and are sure their team is the best in history.......when they are winning. When they are loosing, you can't hear them at games, they leave early, the coach should not be allowed to be the town dog catcher, and we are the worst team in history. Ok, let me tell you, I know what it means to be on the short end of the stick. So be careful and stay out of that group.
Number four is the die hard. There I am. I have been a Kansas City Royals fan since I was a kid. The Royals have not even been close to the playoffs since 1996 but yet each year I am convinced that next year will be the year. Oh Cub fans, you know what I mean. I have been a Green Bay Packers fan since before that was cool. Still am even since my boy Brett left to Minnesota. These fans wear their team cap all the time. They complain when TV does not air their team even if they are 20 games under 500. It is always going to be "the year," that things turn around. These people are fun, faithful and will always proclaim their affiliation and wear their colors with pride.
Our next fan is the equal oppertunity fan. These are just plainly fans. They love the game period. The big plays, the class act players, the underdog story, and the pure joy of your sport no matter what it may be. I am one of these as well. Yes I am a Royals fan, but also I have my secondary teams such as the Texas Rangers, the Minnesota Twins, and the St. Louis Cardinals. If my Royals don't make the World Series (2011 is our year) then one of these teams will work.
An finally, the junkie. Do you have a channel on your TV dedicated to your sport that DVR's all the time? Do you watch preseason games, scrimmages, training camp video and the draft live? Ok so I am that too. I watch preseason baseball. I just love the games! A bad day at the ballpark is just not possible.
What kind of fan are you?
If nothing else be a good one.
Till I see you out cheering on the team, have a great day and be good to each other!
Ok so maybe question one and two are easy, but what about question three?
What kind of fan are you?
Yes there are many types of fans so I think it is time we defined the fan.
Fan number one is the "Bandwagon Fan." How much to true fans loath these people. You know who you are. Suddenly you have always been a fan of the Indianapolis Colts. Yep, I have always been a fan of the New Orleans Saints. Ok, so the good news, these people are not to hard to find out. Ask them about the Colts when they were still in Baltimore. If they say "What," you have yourself a bandwagon fan. The good news about Bandwagon Fans is they never get in the way when you are buy tickets, unless your team ends up in the playoffs and then problems. They typically won't take to much space up at the sports bar because they are too busy ordering new fan gear on line every other year. Bandwagon fans are irritating but they only show up during the playoffs. Kinda of like box elder bugs.
Number two is the "Thug Fan." These are literally fans of the thugs. Are you a fan of Pacman Jones? That was easy! Trouble is that thug fans hide out among the regular fans but they will show up every time their thug shows up. When Kolby Bryant got in all the trouble in Colorado, all his fans showed up. The punk formerly known as Chad Johnson changed his name and became Chad Ochocinco. Probably a good think he is not a fan of Bulgaria or his his name would be be Осемдесет и пет. The point is, this group will by anything thug boy endorses. ANYTHING! Bad news is that these are the goofys that show up on all the talk shows, make the headlines and make the balance of us just sick.
Number three, is the fair weather fan! YUCK! These fans pain me terrible. I am about as far from this as possible. These are the people that scream the loudest, know everything their is to know about the team, want the coach to run from president, and are sure their team is the best in history.......when they are winning. When they are loosing, you can't hear them at games, they leave early, the coach should not be allowed to be the town dog catcher, and we are the worst team in history. Ok, let me tell you, I know what it means to be on the short end of the stick. So be careful and stay out of that group.
Number four is the die hard. There I am. I have been a Kansas City Royals fan since I was a kid. The Royals have not even been close to the playoffs since 1996 but yet each year I am convinced that next year will be the year. Oh Cub fans, you know what I mean. I have been a Green Bay Packers fan since before that was cool. Still am even since my boy Brett left to Minnesota. These fans wear their team cap all the time. They complain when TV does not air their team even if they are 20 games under 500. It is always going to be "the year," that things turn around. These people are fun, faithful and will always proclaim their affiliation and wear their colors with pride.
Our next fan is the equal oppertunity fan. These are just plainly fans. They love the game period. The big plays, the class act players, the underdog story, and the pure joy of your sport no matter what it may be. I am one of these as well. Yes I am a Royals fan, but also I have my secondary teams such as the Texas Rangers, the Minnesota Twins, and the St. Louis Cardinals. If my Royals don't make the World Series (2011 is our year) then one of these teams will work.
An finally, the junkie. Do you have a channel on your TV dedicated to your sport that DVR's all the time? Do you watch preseason games, scrimmages, training camp video and the draft live? Ok so I am that too. I watch preseason baseball. I just love the games! A bad day at the ballpark is just not possible.
What kind of fan are you?
If nothing else be a good one.
Till I see you out cheering on the team, have a great day and be good to each other!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Feeding Fans -- Culinary Delights of the Concession Stands Under Review!
{Singing} ....buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks......
Ah yes, buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks. Does ballpark fare get any more traditional than that. Speaking of which, a man can not live on peanuts and cracker jacks along (I just made that up) but truly what our your favorite ballpark delights?
I have been in a lot of ball parks, stadiums and arenas over the years ranging from the Metro Dome in Minneapolis, Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mile High Stadium and old McNichols Arena in Denver along with parks in Chicago, Nashville, South Carolina, St. Louis, and several other profession venues.
I have enjoyed the fare at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Rosenblatt and Qwest in Omaha, at Allen Field House in Lawrence, as well as places like Norman, Boulder, Ames and a handful of Division Two fields in the NCAA.
Wow, how many concessions stands have I seen at local parks. Last count is somewhere in neighborhood of 100 different high school venues over a span of twenty some years and toss in those gas station stops from playing sports through high school and running the roads chasing sports over 15 years.
I have ate a bunch of things that make my doctor cry. My life insurance agent has a poll going at this point I am sure but the bottom line is nothing beats ball park bistros, stadium suppers and arena appetite fillers.
What are some of your favorites?
I have seen some crazy ones. Deep fried Twinkies and Oreos in Tennessee and Alabama. No harmful effects at all there. Deep fried cheese curds in Milwaukee and Green Bay. Feel the blood pressure go up. Chocolate dipped soft pretzels in high school park in Kansas. Candy for Valentine's Day works but the woman in your life will not be as amused by that as you are.
I have seen some serious meals at the ball park that you nearly need a waiter to carry. Try the brisket sandwich with the garlic and parmesan fries at Qwest Center Omaha. So what if it costs as much as your car payment. There was the two-pound chili dog you could get your hands, or rather fork on, at the Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming. Don't forget the "personal pizza" the size of a 1970's Buick hubcap at Sioux City Explorers games. Break out the Rolaids people, we are not sleep for three days.
Area favorites are awesome! The Frito pie is a big hit at concessions stands around west Texas and a treat to be sure. Kansas City at Kauffman and Arrowhead do some serious BBQ that will knock you out. Minnesota has brats the size of a muffler and they know how to smother them in kraut and hot dog sauce (otherwise known as mustard). Coors Field in Denver they serve this great beverage, and need I say more.
What are your favorites?
Around the neighborhood, I will be looking for the best concession stand fare, so if you see me coming shout out. Let me know what is on tap. Send me your favorites right here on the blog or email them to michael@hprnetwork.com and let me know what to watch out for.
Until I see you again, have a great day and be good to each other out there!!!
Ah yes, buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks. Does ballpark fare get any more traditional than that. Speaking of which, a man can not live on peanuts and cracker jacks along (I just made that up) but truly what our your favorite ballpark delights?
I have been in a lot of ball parks, stadiums and arenas over the years ranging from the Metro Dome in Minneapolis, Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mile High Stadium and old McNichols Arena in Denver along with parks in Chicago, Nashville, South Carolina, St. Louis, and several other profession venues.
I have enjoyed the fare at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Rosenblatt and Qwest in Omaha, at Allen Field House in Lawrence
Wow, how many concessions stands have I seen at local parks. Last count is somewhere in neighborhood of 100 different high school venues over a span of twenty some years and toss in those gas station stops from playing sports through high school and running the roads chasing sports over 15 years.
I have ate a bunch of things that make my doctor cry. My life insurance agent has a poll going at this point I am sure but the bottom line is nothing beats ball park bistros, stadium suppers and arena appetite fillers.
What are some of your favorites?
I have seen some crazy ones. Deep fried Twinkies and Oreos in Tennessee and Alabama. No harmful effects at all there. Deep fried cheese curds in Milwaukee and Green Bay. Feel the blood pressure go up. Chocolate dipped soft pretzels in high school park in Kansas. Candy for Valentine's Day works but the woman in your life will not be as amused by that as you are.
I have seen some serious meals at the ball park that you nearly need a waiter to carry. Try the brisket sandwich with the garlic and parmesan fries at Qwest Center Omaha. So what if it costs as much as your car payment. There was the two-pound chili dog you could get your hands, or rather fork on, at the Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming. Don't forget the "personal pizza" the size of a 1970's Buick hubcap at Sioux City Explorers games. Break out the Rolaids people, we are not sleep for three days.
Area favorites are awesome! The Frito pie is a big hit at concessions stands around west Texas and a treat to be sure. Kansas City at Kauffman and Arrowhead do some serious BBQ that will knock you out. Minnesota has brats the size of a muffler and they know how to smother them in kraut and hot dog sauce (otherwise known as mustard). Coors Field in Denver they serve this great beverage, and need I say more.
What are your favorites?
Around the neighborhood, I will be looking for the best concession stand fare, so if you see me coming shout out. Let me know what is on tap. Send me your favorites right here on the blog or email them to michael@hprnetwork.com and let me know what to watch out for.
Until I see you again, have a great day and be good to each other out there!!!
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES (9/23/2010)
American League
Minnesota 5, Cleveland 1
Chi White Soxs 4, Oakland 3
Tampa 7, NY Yankees 2
Detroit 4, Kansas City 2
Seattle 6, Toronto 3
Boston 6, Baltimore 1
Texas 2, LA Angels 1 (12)
National LeagueWashington 4, Houston 3
Philadelphia 1, Atlanta 0
Pittsburgh 11, St. Louis 6
Florida 7, NY Mets 5
Chi Cubs 2, San Francisco 0
Milwaukee 13, Cincinnati 1
Arizona 8, Colorado 4
San Diego 3, LA Dodgers 1
Minnesota 5, Cleveland 1
Chi White Soxs 4, Oakland 3
Tampa 7, NY Yankees 2
Detroit 4, Kansas City 2
Seattle 6, Toronto 3
Boston 6, Baltimore 1
Texas 2, LA Angels 1 (12)
National LeagueWashington 4, Houston 3
Philadelphia 1, Atlanta 0
Pittsburgh 11, St. Louis 6
Florida 7, NY Mets 5
Chi Cubs 2, San Francisco 0
Milwaukee 13, Cincinnati 1
Arizona 8, Colorado 4
San Diego 3, LA Dodgers 1
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES (9/21/2010)
American League:Kansas City 9, Detroit 6
NY Yankees 8, Tampa 3
Baltimore 9, Boston 1
Toronto 5, Seattle 3
Minnesota 6, Cleveland 4
LA Angels 2, Texas 0
Oakland 7, Chi White Soxs 2
National League:
Cincinnati 4, Milwaukee 3
Philadelphia 5, Atlanta 3
Washington 8, Houston 4
Florida 5, NY Mets 2
San Diego 6, LA Dodgers 0
Arizona 3, Colorado 1
San Francisco 1, Chi Cubs 0
Pittsburgh 5, St. Louis 2
NY Yankees 8, Tampa 3
Baltimore 9, Boston 1
Toronto 5, Seattle 3
Minnesota 6, Cleveland 4
LA Angels 2, Texas 0
Oakland 7, Chi White Soxs 2
National League:
Cincinnati 4, Milwaukee 3
Philadelphia 5, Atlanta 3
Washington 8, Houston 4
Florida 5, NY Mets 2
San Diego 6, LA Dodgers 0
Arizona 3, Colorado 1
San Francisco 1, Chi Cubs 0
Pittsburgh 5, St. Louis 2
Loboettes Just Gettin In the Groove
The groove. That mystical place in life where everything is going well.
More importantly, that place you get to in the sports world were everything just clicks.
Question is, how do you get "in the groove?"
Playing "Shake Your Groove Thing," by Peaches and Herb is not the right answer, although a good jam.
The trick to getting in the groove involves several things. The things you can control are things such as getting your reps, practice, being together as a team, focus, discipline, effort and others.
Things you can control to a point. Scheduling of who you play and when, where you play, when you take days off, health of players and others.
The things you don't control. The teams you are playing and their groove, health of players, and if the sports planets are aligned on every given night or day. There are many other variables that fall into this category but it does not change the thought process.
The bottom line is, as a team you either get into that mystical groove and make your days go easy, or you fall out of the groove and living is tough.
The Loboette Volleyball team started the season in scrimmage play with back-to-back losses to Trinity and Plainview way back on August 6th. Since that time, they found a five game winning streak in early September and before struggling a bit through the River Road Tournament at Amarillo the Loboettes are two-and-one in recent history and ready to open a district field on a four game home stand.
Back to the groove.
In the first week of August this was a team that the groove seemed like a river in China. It was just that far away. Now the groove is like walking across town. It is truly that close.
For the assets that this team can control they have many of these items on the lip of the cup. This team is to a point where the flow is much better than August. Players are falling into the system, as their game is crisper and faster with less unforced errors. Is it a team that has talent and balance of talent.
Senior Clarrisa Hurn is just talented. Quick, good sports sense, and really can cover a wide variety of needs for the Loboettes. Toss in senior Kendall Wheatherred. This senior seems to get better every night as an outside hitter and despite the lack of height, Wheatherred is learning to do a lot with her skill set. Add senior Mari Flores from the libero position. Quick is the word. She gets to a lot of balls that maybe should not be gotten due and really shows promise from the service line.
The big hitter, junior Morgan Riley has real promise. For a big gun style hitter with very good speed and power, she also shows development of court vision or where and how to hit a ball to garner the kill the team needs.
The sophomore class shows great talent. Tara Blair is not the tallest player in the world but certainly can play that way. As her kill numbers come up, she also shows good setting skills and is a threat from nearly everywhere on the floor from the service line to the kill line. Lauren Morrow has proved a pleasant surprise. Morrow shows steady improvement in all aspects of the game and will prove a force down the road. Newcomer Alex Herrera still remains a bit of a question mark. Despite a short tenure in the lineup she does give the Loboettes another weapon on the horizon as she could turn into another solid outside hitter befor all is said and done.
Sometimes freshman are looked at as roster and bench fillers but not in this case not true. Brooke Durham is coming along as she covers frount line duty when Flores steps off the floor. At this point Durham will be good for a couple of kills and a block or so a ballgame but has shown marked improvement since the opening of the year. Meanwhile Sydney Shakespeare's minutes of play continue to come up as she again gives the Loboettes options in the outside hitter slot. Morgan Himango falls into the Clarris Hurn mold. While Himango lacks experience as just a freshman, she shows promise as a utility player. She serves fairly well, has good court speed and appears to be attacking the ball and the game with more confidence. Toss in young Brittany Caddell as an improving threat in the back row and you have a nice crop of freshmen.
So with talent and promise this team has started to click or as first year Loboette Coach Ebony Williams says "Are getting comfortable with each other."
Williams along with other Levelland athletic staffers have put this team in a good spot with their scheduling abilities. The Loboettes were scheduled for a seven day break, but Coach Williams was able to fill it and with a solid opponent. For a seasoned team seven days off is not such a bad thing, but a team on the learn needs the reps and she got them with games against a very solid Lubbock Home School.
The scheduling gods were good as well to the Loboettes. In a district with peaks and valleys the Loboettes get to open with four home games in a row. The stretch includes tough district foes in Shallowater and Lubbock Cooper but for a team still knotting up the loose ends opening at home is a big advantage.
Of course it means road trips at the end of the district run, but by the time the Loboettes get back on a bus, they could be four-and-oh in a ten game district schedule.
The groove is there and the Loboettes are nearly in it.
The trick is to say there. Hall-of-Famer Johnny Bench once said, "Slumps are like a soft bed. They're easy to get into and hard to get out of."
Can the Loboettes avoid a slump? Time will tell the tale and the tale starts Saturday with the Shallowater Mustangs coming to Levelland.
Until we talk again, have a great day and be good to each other.
More importantly, that place you get to in the sports world were everything just clicks.
Question is, how do you get "in the groove?"
Playing "Shake Your Groove Thing," by Peaches and Herb is not the right answer, although a good jam.
The trick to getting in the groove involves several things. The things you can control are things such as getting your reps, practice, being together as a team, focus, discipline, effort and others.
Things you can control to a point. Scheduling of who you play and when, where you play, when you take days off, health of players and others.
The things you don't control. The teams you are playing and their groove, health of players, and if the sports planets are aligned on every given night or day. There are many other variables that fall into this category but it does not change the thought process.
The bottom line is, as a team you either get into that mystical groove and make your days go easy, or you fall out of the groove and living is tough.
The Loboette Volleyball team started the season in scrimmage play with back-to-back losses to Trinity and Plainview way back on August 6th. Since that time, they found a five game winning streak in early September and before struggling a bit through the River Road Tournament at Amarillo the Loboettes are two-and-one in recent history and ready to open a district field on a four game home stand.
Back to the groove.
In the first week of August this was a team that the groove seemed like a river in China. It was just that far away. Now the groove is like walking across town. It is truly that close.
For the assets that this team can control they have many of these items on the lip of the cup. This team is to a point where the flow is much better than August. Players are falling into the system, as their game is crisper and faster with less unforced errors. Is it a team that has talent and balance of talent.
Senior Clarrisa Hurn is just talented. Quick, good sports sense, and really can cover a wide variety of needs for the Loboettes. Toss in senior Kendall Wheatherred. This senior seems to get better every night as an outside hitter and despite the lack of height, Wheatherred is learning to do a lot with her skill set. Add senior Mari Flores from the libero position. Quick is the word. She gets to a lot of balls that maybe should not be gotten due and really shows promise from the service line.
The big hitter, junior Morgan Riley has real promise. For a big gun style hitter with very good speed and power, she also shows development of court vision or where and how to hit a ball to garner the kill the team needs.
The sophomore class shows great talent. Tara Blair is not the tallest player in the world but certainly can play that way. As her kill numbers come up, she also shows good setting skills and is a threat from nearly everywhere on the floor from the service line to the kill line. Lauren Morrow has proved a pleasant surprise. Morrow shows steady improvement in all aspects of the game and will prove a force down the road. Newcomer Alex Herrera still remains a bit of a question mark. Despite a short tenure in the lineup she does give the Loboettes another weapon on the horizon as she could turn into another solid outside hitter befor all is said and done.
Sometimes freshman are looked at as roster and bench fillers but not in this case not true. Brooke Durham is coming along as she covers frount line duty when Flores steps off the floor. At this point Durham will be good for a couple of kills and a block or so a ballgame but has shown marked improvement since the opening of the year. Meanwhile Sydney Shakespeare's minutes of play continue to come up as she again gives the Loboettes options in the outside hitter slot. Morgan Himango falls into the Clarris Hurn mold. While Himango lacks experience as just a freshman, she shows promise as a utility player. She serves fairly well, has good court speed and appears to be attacking the ball and the game with more confidence. Toss in young Brittany Caddell as an improving threat in the back row and you have a nice crop of freshmen.
So with talent and promise this team has started to click or as first year Loboette Coach Ebony Williams says "Are getting comfortable with each other."
Williams along with other Levelland athletic staffers have put this team in a good spot with their scheduling abilities. The Loboettes were scheduled for a seven day break, but Coach Williams was able to fill it and with a solid opponent. For a seasoned team seven days off is not such a bad thing, but a team on the learn needs the reps and she got them with games against a very solid Lubbock Home School.
The scheduling gods were good as well to the Loboettes. In a district with peaks and valleys the Loboettes get to open with four home games in a row. The stretch includes tough district foes in Shallowater and Lubbock Cooper but for a team still knotting up the loose ends opening at home is a big advantage.
Of course it means road trips at the end of the district run, but by the time the Loboettes get back on a bus, they could be four-and-oh in a ten game district schedule.
The groove is there and the Loboettes are nearly in it.
The trick is to say there. Hall-of-Famer Johnny Bench once said, "Slumps are like a soft bed. They're easy to get into and hard to get out of."
Can the Loboettes avoid a slump? Time will tell the tale and the tale starts Saturday with the Shallowater Mustangs coming to Levelland.
Until we talk again, have a great day and be good to each other.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES (9/20/2010)
American League:Detroit 7, Kansas City 5
NY Yankees 8, Tampa 6
Baltimore 4, Boston 2
Minnesota 9, Cleveland 3
LA Angels 7, Texas 4
Oakland 3, Chi White Soxs 1
National League:
Cincinnati 5, Milwaukee 2
Philadelphia 3, Atlanta 1
Houston 8, Washington 2
Florida 4, St. Louis 0
NY Yankees 8, Tampa 6
Baltimore 4, Boston 2
Minnesota 9, Cleveland 3
LA Angels 7, Texas 4
Oakland 3, Chi White Soxs 1
National League:
Cincinnati 5, Milwaukee 2
Philadelphia 3, Atlanta 1
Houston 8, Washington 2
Florida 4, St. Louis 0
Here We Go!!
Hello you all you happy people (officially stolen from Droopy the cartoon dog) and welcome into the first edition of the world of Just Wiiestin' Away.
As you drop by the first time, you will ask the same question that my bosses ask me before the first post. "What is the point of this?"
Tricky question. I don't really have one.
In all honesty, I love this job and I love sports. This becomes an opportunity for me share my thoughts, or as the bosses put it "to infect the brains of old people."
So folks, stop by anytime, enjoy, suggest topics and leave comments.
Until the next time, have a great day and be good to each other out there.
As you drop by the first time, you will ask the same question that my bosses ask me before the first post. "What is the point of this?"
Tricky question. I don't really have one.
In all honesty, I love this job and I love sports. This becomes an opportunity for me share my thoughts, or as the bosses put it "to infect the brains of old people."
So folks, stop by anytime, enjoy, suggest topics and leave comments.
Until the next time, have a great day and be good to each other out there.
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