Sunday, August 29, 2010

Zero Week Notes


As we announced Thursday night on TXA 21 during West Mesquite's 32-28 win over Rockwall, the Tom Landry Award will be presented at the end of the year to the areas best high school football player. If you scroll down you will see my initial list of the Top 50 players in the DFW area that I will be watching in consideration for this award. That does not mean that others cannot make their way onto this list, they certainly can. In the meantime, I wanted to look at how my top ten did this first week of the high school football season:

1) Jonathan Gray, RB Aledo: Stephenville set out to stop the Aledo running game and for the most part they did. Gray was held to 80 yards and no touchdowns, but Matthew Bishop stepped up to lead the Bearcats to a 20-3 win.

2) Jamal Turner, QB Arlington Sam Houston: Was average through the air, 8-14 for 92 yards and an interception. But Turner torched Crowley on the ground with 39 carries for 298 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 51-48 win.

3) Ladarius Brown, WR Waxahachie: Was held to just 4 catches for 56 yards in a 45-7 loss to Denton Guyer.

4) J.W. Walsh, QB Denton Guyer: Speaking of Guyer, Walsh was outstanding in the Wildcats win. 15-20 345 yards passing with 4 TD's and 0 Int's. He also rushed for 39 yards on 7 carries.

5) Miles Onyegbule, QB Arlington (Pictured): That's right, Scott Peach is playing Onyegbule at QB. Good move Coach. Onyegbule was 18-30 for 140 yards and 3 TD's through the air while running for 218 yards on 27 carries and scoring 4 touchdowns on the ground. Every score was needed in a 49-48 win over Plano East. All things conidered this is the performance of the week!

6) Trevone Boykin, QB West Mesquite: Was sensational in a 32-28 win over Rockwall that I had the pleasure of calling for TXA 21. Boykin went 16-29 for 165 yards and a touchdown through the air, and rushed for 212 yards and 3 touchdowns on 17 carries.

7) Brandon Carter, WR Euless Trinity: Carter is a do everything player and his line shows it: 1-2 passing for 23 yards, 3-35 rushing, and 5-110 and 2 TD's receiving in a 35-0 win over Tyler Lee in front of a national audience.

8) Jonovan Griffin, QB Mckinney Boyd: Griffin led the Broncos to a 38-10 win over Mckinney North with his arm (17-21 220 yds, 4 TD's) and with his legs (6-49 rushing).

9) Ryan Polite: QB DeSoto: Polite was 26-38 for 221 yards and 4 TD's in a 56-35 win over Leander. Unfortunately he also had 3 Int's.

10) Tevin Mitchell, CB Mansfield Legacy: No int's for Mitchell this week, although he did have a 60 yard touchdown catch in a loss to LD Bell 30-20.

Speaking of L.D. Bell, one of my rising stars of the week comes from the Blue Raiders, RB Kenny Farrow ran for 250 yards on 30 carries in Bell's win. Other notables included Flower Mound QB Paul Millard throwing for 440 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 69-31 win over Jesuit, and North Mesquite RB Joe Bergeron, a Texas committment, rushing for 275 yards and a touchdown on only 22 carries in a 22-21 loss to Rowlett. More updates coming later this week including a preview of our next TXA 21 Game of the Week, Colleyville Heritage at Hebron.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Football is Finally Here!


Our first game of the year on TXA 21 will be West Mesquite visiting Rockwall. This should be a very good battle between two evenly matched 4A teams. West Mesquite went to the playoffs last year but lost in the Bi-District round to Corsicana. The Wranglers return one of the top playmakers in the state in QB Trevone Boykin. Boykin, a TCU committment, passed for 1,666 yards and 10 touchdowns last year while rushing for over 1,200 yards and 24 touchdowns. Look for Boykin to be even more effective in the passing game this year due to a lot of 7-on-7 work over the summer and the fact that he has three good receivers coming back in Gary Owens, Greg Thurmond, and Fred Ngwu. Owens is a Tulsa committment who was 1st Team All-District last year.

The challenge for the Wranglers will be to slow down the Rockwall running game. Running back Josh Broach is back for his senior season after rushing for over 1,400 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior. He runs behind an experienced offensive line led by returning starters Robert Hinton, Payden McBee, and Chris Tanner. Rockwall has some depth but will use several players on offense and defense including TE/DE Jarrett Spencer who is committed to SMU.

The key to Rockwall's season will be the development of QB Alan Reed who replaces FBS recruit Adam Dingwell (San Diego St.). If Reed can stretch the field enough to keep opponents from crowding the box to stop Broach, then Rockwall should be able to come close to the 32.9 points a game they scored last year. The defense should be solid led by Spencer, Hinton, and LB Andrew Douphrate.

Both teams start the year ranked in the Dallas Morning News 4A Top 20 and both have high expectations for the coming year. This first game should be a good test for both teams. Our coverage begins at 7pm with a 7:30 Kick-off. Hope you can join us!

Friday, August 6, 2010

Football Time in Texas!


For the 5th consecutive year, I am blessed to be the play-by-play voice for the TXA 21 High School Football Game of the Week. Over the years we have watched some of the best games, and seen some of the best athletes, that the North Texas area has produced. Our schedule this year is as good as any that we have had. Each game is an excellent matchup, and many of the top players in the area will be on display. Here is a look:

2010 TXA-21 GAME OF THE WEEK

8/26 Thursday West Mesquite @ Rockwall
9/3 Friday Colleyville Heritage @ Hebron
9/10 Friday Longview @ Allen
9/16 Thursday L.D. Bell @ Irving Nimitz
9/23 Thursday Denton Ryan @ Lake Dallas
10/1 Friday Guyer @ Coppell
10/8 Friday Arlington Martin @ Arl Sam Houston
10/15 Friday Plano @ Marcus
10/22 Friday Everman @ Mansfield Summit
10/29 Friday Rockwall Heath @ Highland Park
11/4 Thursday Irving Mac @ Trinity
11/5 Friday Duncanville @ Cedar Hill

Plus a full slate of area playoff games leading up to the State Championships. As always the Thursday games will be live at 7pm. The Friday games will be delayed to air usually at 11pm. Anyone who knows me knows this much: I LOVE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL! I can't wait for the season to start. Get ready kids, it is less than three weeks away!

Friday, July 9, 2010

DFW Top 50



I was recently asked to come up with a list of the top 50 high school football players in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for use in helping to select one player at the end of the upcoming season for a very special award (all I can say for now).

My criteria was simple, select the best players, regardless of position, classification (5A-1A) or grade. I tried to go primarily on what I saw with my own two eyes last year either in person or on highlight shows. I also relied on information from last years stats and records as well. I tried not to go by who had the most attractive scholarship offers, or who Rivals ranked in their Top 100.

Here then is my list, with a comment for each of the Top 10.

1. Jonathan Gray, Jr. RB Aledo: Best player I saw last year, rushed for over 2,800 yards and 50 td's. Led his Bearcats to the State Championship

2. Jamal Turner, Sr. QB Arlington Sam Houston:(pictured) Most dangerous playmaker in the state. Can kill a defense with his arm or his legs.

3. LaDarius Brown, Sr. Ath. Waxahachie: An impact player in all three phases of the game. Can catch, defend the pass, and return.

4. J.W. Walsh, Sr. QB Denton Guyer: A coach's son with a great head for the game. One of the top dual-threat QB's in the State.

5. Miles Onyegbule, Sr WR Arlington: Teriffic hands and a great body. Able to create space and also bring down the ball in traffic.

6. Trevone Boykin, Sr. QB West Mesquite: Burst on the scene last year as a threat to score on any given play. Committed to TCU recently.

7. Brandon Carter, Sr. QB Euless Trinity: Made the game winning catch in Trinity's State Title victory over Austin Westlake. Will play QB for the Trojans this year.

8. Jonovan Griffin, Sr. QB McKinney Boyd: Another dangerous dual-threat QB. Outstanding speed and a great competitor.

9. Ryan Polite, Sr. QB DeSoto: Led all area 5A QB's in passing last year. Could have a huge senior season with a great group of receivers to throw to.

10. Tevin Mitchell, Sr. DB Mansfield Legacy: A big defensive back with 4.4. speed. Capable of being very physical as well.

11. Chris Barnett, Sr. TE Dallas A. Maceo Smith
12. Cam McDaniel, Sr. RB Coppell
13. Damion Willis, Sr. RB McKinnney
14. Russell Bellomy, Sr. QB Arlington Martin
15. Paul Millard, Sr. QB Flower Mound
16. Marquis Jackson, Sr. WR FW Arlington Heights
17. Rob Hankins Sr. LB Dallas Parish Episcopal
18. Dane Evans, Jr. QB Sanger
19. Anthony Wallace, Sr. LB Dallas Skyline
20. Tevin Williams, Sr. RB Euless Trinity
21. Danzel Williams, Sr. RB Arlington Martin
22. Jonathan Lee, Sr. WR Allen
23. Lyndell Johnson, Sr. DB Plano East
24. Johnny Haynes, Sr. Ath. Irving MacArthur
25. Michael Means, Sr. QB Lucas Lovejoy
26. Tony Morales, Sr. OL Arlington Sam Houston
27. Steven West, Sr. WR Keller Fossil Ridge
28. Devonta Sparks, Sr. DB Arlington Martin
29. Jimmy Bean, Sr. DL Denton Guyer
30. Jacorey Shepherd, Sr. WR Mesquite Horn
31. Kyle Abuchon, Sr. QB Lewisville Hebron
32. Joe Bergeron, Sr. RB North Mesquite
33. Marcus Hutchins, Sr. OL DeSoto
34. Jakeem Grant, Sr. Ath. Mesquite Horn
35. Nico Ornelas, Sr. LB Richland
36. Kameel Jackson, Sr. WR Arlington Sam Houston
37. Dorian Lawry, Jr. RB Rockwall-Heath
38. Isiah Norton, Sr. DT Kimball
39. Tyler Kirkindoll, Sr. QB Frisco Wakeland
40. Jay Ajayi, Sr. RB Frisco Liberty
41. Matthew Bishop, Sr. QB Aledo
42. David Jenkins, Sr. DB Lewisville Hebron
43. Ty Montgomery, Sr. WR Dallas St. Marks
44. Franklin Shannon Sr. DB Dallas Skyline
45. David Porter, Sr. WR DeSoto
46. Kenneth Farrow, Sr. RB L.D. Bell
47. Driphus Jackson, Sr. QB Cedar Hill
48. Connor Crane, Jr. WR Denton Guyer
49. Desmond Roland, Sr. Ath. Lake Highlands
50. Garrett Simpson, Jr. QB The Colony

If there is a glaring omission in your opinion. I would love to know about it.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Conference Chaos


No other sports development in recent memory has captivated me like the conference chaos we are currently seeing in college athletics. Maybe it is the twitter-verse because it seems that every 15 minutes something new and earth-shattering is breaking there. In our rush to know the latest, however, we sometimes get too far out ahead of the story and have to reel ourselves back in. Here are some thoughts on the things that we do know:

1) Colorado is gone from the Big 12. The Buffs accepted the Pac-10's invite and are not looking back. This alone does not spell the end of the Big 12 but it certainly does not look good for the conference considering all of the other rumors that are circulating at a tornado like pace. Colorado was a weak sister in the Big 12 and they improve their standing in the college sports landscape if, big IF, they are the only defection from the Big 12 into the academic pantheon of the Pac-10. (By the way Pac-10 eggheads with your tweed jackets and elbow pads, Colorado just lost 6 scholarships for having one of the worst performing groups of "scholar athletes" in the country. Good luck with that.)

2) Nebraska aiming for Big 10. Unlike the Colorado move, this does have the potential to destroy the conference, at least that is what we are lead to believe. The Cornhuskers are easily the most dominant program in the North Division and their departure at the very least knocks the Big 12 off their feet. Can they get back up? Yes. Do they want to? That is the bigger question. It seems to me that Nebraska is the Dr. Kevorkian in this drama, the Huskers are not killing the Conference, they are assisting a suicide. Texas, A&M, OU, Okie State and the rest (except Baylor) all see greener pastures to the east (SEC) and the west (Pac-10), but nobody wants to be the bad guy...Nebraska going to the Big 10 would provide UT and the rest with a patsy on whom to pin the blame.

3) The love of TV Money is the root of all evil. I am a realist, an optimistic realist, but a realist none the less. I know that money, especially tv money, is what is driving the bus on conference realignment. I can accept that as a harsh reality of college athletics but that does not mean I have to like it. As much as I love college sports, and I really love college sports, thinking about the things that college coaches and administrators do to win at all costs, or bring in their obscenely large amounts of cash, makes me want to take a shower.

Some quick thoughts: Texas and A&M need to stick together...Conferences can come and go but regional, traditional rivalries still need to have a place in college sports. Bottom Line. What does this mean for those left behind? For some like Baylor and....well mainly Baylor, it is a loss of epic proportions. The Bears go from being in one of the most highly regarded conferences in the country to hoping that someone like the Mountain West will take them in....could be a blessing in disguise though as Baylor can compete with anyone outside of football and in a lesser conference Art Briles might be able to get the Bears to a bowl game.
As for other schools...Houston, UTEP, SMU, Rice, UNT...all of them could stand to benefit by the conference shake-up by moving to a higher profile league or by simply re-structuring current conferences to make travel easier and to include more attractive regional matchups.....finally...read Dan McCarney online yesterday, he covers UTSA athletics. He was commenting on how the Roadrunners were going to respond to the Southland Conference's decision to allow full sponsorship only to those schools that play all sports (including football) as SLC members. This is a little bit of a blow to UTSA who was hoping to keep all other sports in the SLC while their fledgling football program (which has yet to even strap on a jock, much less hit anybody) pursues a FBS Independent schedule until a major conference invite comes along. McCarney calls the SLC villians in his piece. Baloney. Was the Big 12the villian for putting Nebraska on the clock, saying "either you are with us, or against us"? No. So why shouldn't the SLC do the same thing. The Southland has member schools who are proud to have ALL their sports in the league. They don't need a school enjoying the benefits of conference membership on one hand, while presenting the image of being too good for the conference on the other. I don't begrudge a school trying to ramp up their athletic program to true FBS status, but don't tell me the conference is wrong for trying to protect their interests and the interests of their Universities.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Coaching What Matters


It's very easy to be cynical about the world of sports. Ego's get out of control. The importance that we place on the outcome of sporting events is ridiculous compared to how little importance we sometimes place on things in our lives that really matter (i.e. God, Family, Country, Friends). The pedestal that we put even high school athletes on based solely on their ability is nothing short of shameful.

But then there are nights like Tuesday night that makes all that bad stuff seem less signifcant. Tuesday night I had the honor of attending the National Football Foundations annual banquet hosted by the NFF's Dallas Gridiron Club at Cowboys Stadium. The NFF's is about promoting amateur football and rewarding not only athletic achievement, but primarily academic achievement and citizenship. Several college football players and 53 local high school players were recognized in front of family, friends and coaches.

It was a chance to acknowledge some young men who, while they may not make it into your living room on Sunday's...they will have a tremendous impact on the world around them when they go on to become Doctors, Air Force Pilots, and leaders in business. It was also a reminder that at the heart of amateur football are coaches who, despite what you may have heard or believe, actually care about shaping young men to be more than hitting machines.

The Keynote speaker was SMU coach June Jones. Jones gave a wonderful speech about persistence, determination and having the courage to take calculated risks in your life, the kind of risks that usually lead to the greatest rewards of your life. Jones was truly uplifting when he closed with this thought: That the reason we are here is to let God work through us, to reach out to others with the love of Jesus Christ and to that our lives may bring glory to God.

It struck me as I sat in a room full of men that I admire greatly (Todd Dodge, Ronnie Gage, Steve Lineweaver, Randy Allen, Chad Hennings, Art Briles and many others) that as long as football is coached by men of character like this, there will be young men of character graduating into the world....and that is a wonderful thought indeed.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

All we are is Dust in the Wind

Watched the implosion of Texas Stadium this morning. I heard some people cheer, saw some people in tears, and while everyone is entitled to their own reaction, my own emotions fell somewhere in the middle. Too many memories, too much regard for the events that transpired in that building to cheer its demise, but I also understand that it is a building, and buildings, now matter how special, are not worth crying over.

I saw some great football games at Texas Stadium. Some of them Cowboy games, but most of my memories are of the high school games that I had the chance to call there. Among the many memorable games I had the privilage of seeing, here are a few that stand out:

Carthage vs. Celina (2009) TXA 21 This was the final high school game ever played at Texas Stadium. It was a 3A State Championship game that was won by Carthage behind the spectacular performance of running back Dwight Smith who you will be seeing soon running the ball for TCU. It probably would have been a more storybook finish if Celina had won the game, but it was a great way to end almost 40 years of high school football tradition at Texas Stadium.

Abilene vs. Southlake Carroll (2008) TXA 21 The game that brought the Southlake Carroll dynasty to an end. The Dragons lost quarterback Riley Dodge early in the game due to a hit from Abilene LB Chris Williams. Dodge was 8-8 passing at the time and was poised to lead the Dragons to a rout, but then came the Williams hit, resulting in a seperated shoulder for Dodge, and the game changed. Abilene deserves credit, they played well, they won the game, but I for one have to believe that the game would have been another convincing Dragon victory were it not for the injury to Dodge.

Southlake Carroll vs. Smithson Valley (2006) TSN Radio Carroll got all they could handle from the Rangers and future All Big-12 LB Joe Pawelek, but a 41 yard field goal by Kevin Oretega as time expired gave the Dragons a state, and a national championship.

Among the other memories...Lewisville winning four of their six playoff games at Texas Stadium on their way to the 5A-DII State Championship in 1993...Chris Francis' goal line stand, and William Cole looking super human as Cedar Hill beat Garland in the state semifinals on their way to their first State Championship...Watching future college stars like Stephen McGee, Jordan Shipley, Matt Stafford, Greg McElroy, and many many others. Texas Stadium will be missed.

Meanwhile up the road another stadium is in its last season. Fouts Field at the University of North Texas is in its final year and it is long overdue. UNT needs the new stadium that is being built right across I-35 in Denton for so many reasons, namely, recruiting, revenue and respectability, all of which are very much tied together. You know another thing that builds the three r's? Winning. That is what the Mean Green have to do to this year to keep Head Coach Todd Dodge employed. Judging by Sunday's spring game, they have a better chance to do that than in recent years. North Texas seems to have some good playmakers including QB's Nathan Tune and Derek Thompson, RB's Lance Dunbar and James Hamilton, and a bevy of WR's that now include former qb Riley Dodge. If DC Gary Deloach can bring the defense around, the Mean Green should be able to win at least as many games in 2010 as they did in the last three years combined (5).

Coming, a look around the state at some of the biggest questions teams are hoping to answer this spring.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Hired!


Funny how things work out in the world of college basketball. Less than a month ago Tom Penders and the University of Houston beat Tony Barbee and the UTEP Miners in the Conference USA Tournament Championship. Since then, Penders was allowed to resign at UH as opposed to being run out the door by AD Mac Rhoades, Barbee left El Paso for a BIG RAISE and a high profile new gig at Auburn, and both schools have new coaches. One alumni base is giddy, the other is downright fuming.

UTEP probably could not have done better than hiring favorite son Tim Floyd. Floyd was the obvious choice when it became apparent that UTEP was not interested in bringing back Billie Gillespie. The 56 year old Floyd was an assistant under UTEP's basketball icon, Don Haskins. He has coached in the NCAA and the NBA, most recently as an assistant with New Orleans. Floyd has the support of the Administration, the Alumni, and even the Bear's widow...Tony Barbee left the proram in great shape and with any luck Floyd will be able to maintain and even improve on what Barbee started. More importantly for UTEP fans, Floyd has a history in El Paso going back to his earliest years, and could be for the Miners a coach that will stick around and leave a legacy rather than use the job for a stepping stone to something bigger.

Houston on the other hand is stunned at the hiring of James Dickey. Cougar fans have been salivating for weeks over the idea of nabbing former UTEP, Texas A&M, and Kentucky coach Billie Gillespie. So for AD Mac Rhoades to haul out James Dickey? A major disappointment. Dickey was a decent coach at Texas Tech, even making the Sweet Sixteen with Darvin Ham, Wil Flemmons, and "Leaping" Lance Hughes...but that was ages ago and Dickey is not thought to have very good connections with the kind of people that can help him bring top-notch talent to Hoffeinz Pavillion.
Dickey could turn out to be a great hire, but on the surface it looks like Houston really messed this up. First they don't seem to be on the same page regarding Gillespie, with Mac Rhoades wanting him but the University President not being so sure. They gave Sam Houston coach Bob Marlin no reason to think he was a serious candidate, prompting him to take the Louisiana-Lafayette job. They never seemed interested in UNT coach Johnny Jones, who not only has done a great job with the Mean Green, but has deep ties to Louisiana and could really do a good job recruiting the Bayou region.

Speaking of Bob Marlin, the Rajun Cajuns make a terrific hire. Marlin has proven his ability to get the most out of his players, and judging from what I saw from the Cajuns this season that is exactly what they need. U-La-La has athletes, they need someone to bring them together and teach them to win games. Marlin knows how to do that.

Coming soon...some thoughts on spring football, the second greatest sport in Texas next to fall football...in the meantime, Go Butler!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Madness Re-cap


From 65 to 16. The first two rounds of the NCAA tournament produced the requisite amount of surprises, shocks and expected routs. The state of Texas did not fare very well with only Baylor surviving to the round of sixteen. Baylor, however, had a pretty tough time just getting past Sam Houston State in the first round. A brilliant defensive strategy from Bearkats coach Bob Marlin which involved installing a triangle and two defense, kept the vaunted Bears backcourt off their game throughout. As a Southland Conference fan, I was extremely proud of the effort put forth by the Bearkats. They showed the country that the SLC is capable of producing a team that can play with the big boys. Now they just need a team to get over the hump and produce an upset in the first round.

Coach Marlin is being mentioned as a candidate for the head coaching job at Houston, another program that went out in the first round. Tom Penders steps down after taking his fourth team to the Dance and with a career 648 wins. The hot name in the Houston coaching search appears to be former Aggie coach Billy Clyde Gillespie but the Cougars could do much worse than to hire Marlin, a class coach who has proven he deserves a shot at the next level.

Another coach to keep a close eye on is Johnny Jones at UNT. Four 20 win seasons and two NCAA tournament appearances in the last four years will get your name out there. Jones has apparently interviewed at Auburn, an SEC school Jones knows well with his roots going back to LSU. Whether Jones jumps ship at UNT remains to be seen but two things are clear as we head into this off-season: 1) Jones would leave the program in far, far better shape than how he found it, actually making it the kind of job that would be attractive to up and coming young coaches across the country. 2) Even if Jones leaves, North Texas cannot go backwards, the next step for this program is to win an NCAA Tournament game and the Mean Green must make that their expectation. If Northern freakin' Iowa can get into the sweet sixteen, so can the Mean Green. The Bearkats and the rest of the Southland Conference should feel the same way after what we witnessed over the weekend.

As for the other Texas teams in the tourney, Texas saw their "Titanic" of a season finally sink mercifully to the bottom of the ocean. How one team goes from the highest of highs, to one and done is a great mystery of our time but it is one that Rick Barnes will have to figure out and quick.

Tony Barbee looks like he is building a solid program at UTEP. Barbee, a John Calipari desciple, is focused and intense, and not afraid to take chances on risky players like Derrick Caracter. It's a mind-set that could pay some big dividends or backfire miserably. If Barbee can run a clean program and continue to recruit well, the Miners could be a yearly participant in the Big Dance, and can generate a lot of excitement around El Paso, just as the programs in Las Cruces and Albuquerque have done.

The Aggies are taking a lot of heat for falling to Purdue, but honestly, the Boilermakers were placed as a fourth seed for a reason. Just because they were banged up and less than stellar down the stretch does not mean they can't play. The Aggies had a good year and are finally creating an identity all their own in College Station.

Baylor...well Go Bears. The last Texas team standing gets my support. Hopefully they will give us some exciting basketball this coming week. Love the backcourt of LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter, but my favorite Bear is Quincy Acy, a player I had the chance to watch in high school. Tremendous hops on that young man and a good kid as well.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Not a Wash-out


To summarize: Ron Washington uses cocaine, just once, gets tested by Major League Baseball in a most unfortunate case of bad timing, tells his bosses Jon Daniels and Nolan Ryan, goes to all the right doctors, says all the right things, and apologizes to the known world when the story breaks nine months later. Got it? Good.

The question I find most intriguing...Who merits a second chance in America? People are coming down on both sides of the fence in the Ron Washington debate. Some say a 57 year old Skipper of a Major League Baseball team must have the common sense to never put himself in such a situation and should have been terminated on the spot. Some say the way he handled the situation shows contrition and maturity and therefore he should not be judged so harshly.

I heard someone say that Wash has done all the right things, and with the exception of snorting the coke in the first place, I would tend to agree. If it is true that this was a one time deal, that he made a stupid mistake that never happened before and will never happen again, I think I would have come to the same conclusion that Daniels and Ryan obviously did, which was to give Washington another chance. The consequences of that decision will be playing out in front of us all over the course of the upcoming season, which promises to be uncomfortable for Washington and his players for at least a few months. Every move Washington makes will be up for scrutiny from the front office, his team, the media and the fans. Hecklers from Anaheim to New York must already be working on their material for when the Rangers visit. These things could prove to be a mighty distraction or could prove to galvanize a manager with a team that knows a thing or two about guys being on the edge of the abyss. Was it a gamble for the Rangers to stick with Wash, absolutely, but betting on a good man is always worth the risk.

I am big on forgiveness, and yes big on second chances. Does that make me a bleeding heart? Maybe. Does it mean I have a heart. God I hope so.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Ah, the Madness


Here we go! Even before my obsession with high school football, I was infatuated with college basketball. Hours upon hours spent in front of the couch on the first two days of the NCAA Tournament watching my bracket go to pieces was a highlight of my year. I don't get to play hookie anymore but I still get very amped about the Tournament. This year it is especially exciting because seven teams from Texas are in the field including two teams that I have a close connection with, UNT (Alma Mater) and Sam Houston State (Southland Rep).

First let me say that all seven teams are deserving of the Dance. I am sure that the three Texas teams who received automatic bids, Houston from C-USA, UNT from the Sun Belt, and Sam Houston from the Southland, would not have made the field if they had not won their conference tournaments. That being said, winning a conference tournament is an accomplishment that is worthy of the automatic bid. As for the at-large bids (Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor and UTEP) I have no problem with any of them reaching the final 64, they all produced a body of work that merits post-season invitation.

I am very interested in two games that take place at the same time on Thursday. North Texas as a 15 seed taking on number 2 seed Kansas State in Oklahoma City, and 3 seed Baylor playing 14 seed Sam Houston State in New Oleans. The Mean Green are red hot and coming off a Sun Belt Conference Championship but is obviously a huge, huge underdog to the Wildcats of the Big 12. They say backcourts win in the tournament and UNT has a good one in Point Guard Josh White and SG Tristan Thompson, plus George Odufuwa can rebound with anybody. I can't sit here and predict a North Texas victory but there is no team I will be pulling for more than the Mean Green.

The Bearkats of Sam Houston State are right behind North Texas in my rooting interests. I really respect Coach Bob Marlin and the staff at SHSU and watching them for the last two years on the Southland Conference Television Network I have been impressed with the Bearkats style of play. They are agressive on defense, pass the ball extremely well and normally shoot well from the outside. They will need to be near perfect in all those areas to have a chance against the Bears. Gilberto Clavell will have to play much bigger than his 6-6 frame, which he usually does. Corey Allmond cannot have an off day. But if the Bearkats can play at their best, they can take down Baylor, giving the Southland Conference it's biggest basketball win ever including Northwestern State's win over Iowa in in 2006.

Had some thoughts up here about Tiger Woods returning for the Masters, but took them down. It has been my opinion from the beginning that what goes down between Tiger and Elin, or between any married couple for that matter, should stay between the couple and not become a media spectacle and fodder for talk shows. I can't stop the runaway train that is "Tiger Talk" but I can choose not to jump on. Jesus told the people about to stone an adulteress "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone". As Bob Dylan said: "It ain't me Babe".

Monday, February 22, 2010

Back to the Blog


Catching up on a few things over the last week.

First the Olympics, some observations from the first week of action:
1) USA, USA, USA!
2) Shaun White is why I love watching the Olympics. I watch snowboarding once every four years but a guy like White makes me and anyone else who watches it every four years an expert because we all knew he was the absolute best guy to hit the halfpipe and there was no maybe about it. I love to watch the person who is the BEST IN THE WORLD at something do that something that he is the BEST IN THE WORLD at doing. In snowboarding, Shaun White is obviously that guy.
3) Best Week Ever...Evan Lysecek, he captures the men's figure skating gold medal and then scores a perfect ten (see photo)! Seriously, Lysecek and Nastia Luikin, imagine what that DNA could do in the hands of cold war era Soviet Scientists.
4) Great win by the United States over Canada in Hockey, but tap the breaks on comparisons to the Miracle On Ice...one is a nice win over a seemingly superior squad in a preliminary round game...the other is perhaps the defining sports moment for any human being's lifetime if said human was born prior to 1975. I have a good, not a great memory but the Miracle on Ice is a "Where were you Moment" for me...9 about to be ten years old, the house on Harrison Street in Amarillo, Texas, sitting in front of the television with my best friend Jason Mask, and yes Al, I believe.

Elsewhere...went to Conway, Arkansas this weekend for Southland Conference Basketball. The conference tournament is just a couple of weeks away and there is still much to be decided. Sam Houston State suffered their first conference loss, falling in OT to UTSA, should those two teams meet again in the tournament it will be a war. Stephen F. Austin lost to Southeastern Louisiana which puts the Lions just one game behind the Lumberjacks in the East division. In Conway, UTA put the clamps on UCA defensively and waltzed away with a 71-47 victory...UTA is lacking in size, but they get after it on defense and they do have the silky smooth Marquez Haynes leading the way...they could be dangerous in Katy. Darkhorses include Northwestern State who has now won three in a row, and how about McNeese, defeating A&M Corpus Christi...just goes to show you that in the Southland, any team can win on any given night.

One last thing, a shout-out to the absolutely great Sports Information Directors that work in the Southland Conference. Broadcasters who work in the SLC could not do what we do without the help of those guys. Thanks.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Just The Facts

Last night I had the honor of speaking at Hank Dickenson's Sports Broadcasting class at the University of North Texas...this is the class I took under Bill Mercer that set me on the path of becoming a play-by-play announcer...it's always great to see those future broadcasters and offer advice and encouragement to the next generation...the following is something that I have developed over the years that has helped my play-by-play and helped me to work with partners who were not experienced broadcasters...I shared this with the class last night.

The “Just the Facts” Approach to Play-by-Play

I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.

-Ruyard Kipling (Just So Stories, 1902)

In journalism and in police reporting there is a maxim known as “The Maxim of the five W’s (and one H)”. Play-by-play is as much about story telling as anything, so by answering these six questions, you should be able to tell a complete story. I have found this maxim useful as a play-by-play announcer and in working with color commentators who were not experienced broadcasters.

Play-by-Play
1) Who? Player identification. Who has the ball? Who made the tackle? Who is open downfield? Who applies to any player that is involved in the action. Also “Who won the game?

2) What? The Action. What is the person who has the ball doing with it? What are those around him doing? What are the circumstances surrounding the game? What does a win mean? A loss? Most important what: What is the Score?

3) When? Time Elements. How much time is left in the quarter, or the game? Time left on the play clock, the shot clock, etc. In baseball, the inning, the count, the outs left.

4) Where? Location. (Painting the Picture) Where applies to the location of the action on the field of play. Yard line, Left or Right sideline, Left or Right hash mark. Basketball: 3 point line, Left or Right wing or elbow. Baseball: shallow center field or deep center field, etc.

“Smith (who) takes the snap (what), looks downfield (where), flings it (what) down the right sideline (where), Johnson (who) makes a diving catch (what) at the 25 yard line (where). First down Mean Green with 2:30 left in the first quarter (when).

Analysis

5) Why? Question of Strategy (Motive). Why applies to the decisions made in the game and also applies to the success or failure of those decisions. What did they go for it on fourth down? Why did it work? Why didn’t it work?

6) How? Execution. How is the x’s and o’s. How did the receiver gain separation from the defensive back? How did the double team force the point guard to turn the ball over?

Monday, February 1, 2010

The New World Order


High School Football districts are now set for the next two years. As usual there were winners and losers in aftermath of the UIL Realignment which took place on Monday. My take on some of the highlights.

1) The Little Southwest Conference is back...I am glad to see this. Abilene, Abilene Cooper, Midland, Midland Lee, Odessa and Odessa Permian back together in a six team district. Cooper moving up to 5A made it possible. This district makes sense from a travel and a rivalry standpoint. Defending State Champ Abilene should have some stronger competition that what they faced the last two years in Tarrant County.

2) 8-5A is a monster...take Allen, Plano, Plano East, Plano West, Hebron, Flower Mound Marcus and Flower Mound and throw them in the same district? Some good teams will be sitting on the sidelines come playoff time in this district.

3) Welcome to 5A Denton Guyer...the 4A power now really has a chance to prove they belong with the big boys as they enter a district with Southlake Carroll and Coppell among others. Coach John Walsh has some solid returning talent but this could be a tall order.

4) No rest for DeSoto...the Eagles were hoping to be put back in a DFW district but that was not the case as they will again have to travel to Tyler and now to Longview as the Lobos jump back into 5A.

5) Gas up the Bus Stephenville...it could have been worse, but the Yellowjackets will have some long road trips as they are in a district with the Waco ISD and San Angelo Lakeview. On the plus side, they don't have Everman or Aledo in their district.

6) 16-3A another monster...now with Carthage, Gilmer and Henderson in the same district, it is possible that 16-3A will be one of those rare districts that produces two state champions in the same year.

7)Things get tougher for defending champ Pilot Point as they move up into class 3A, they are joined by Aubrey at the next level as well.

Now the waiting game begins as we count down to Week Zero...among the first matchups of the year that I will be watching for will be Cedar Hill vs. Allen in the Tom Landry Classic, Denton Guyer vs. Waxahachie and Carroll vs. Copperas Cove. Is it wrong of me to already be counting down the days? Probably. But I am what I am and I LOVE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL!

Sunday, January 24, 2010


What a weekend! Started off with a double-header of basektball action from Prather Colesium in Natchitoches as Northwestern St. was hosting Nicholls in Southland Conference play. Did you know that Prather Colesium was the last place Jim Croce played? He died in a plane crash leaving after a concert there on September 20th, 1973. That is not relevant to the games but it does make Prather a landmark of musical history as far as I am concerned.

As for the game...saw the best Southland Conference basketball game yet on the Network with a 99-98 double-time victory for the Demons over the Colonels. Anatoly Bose scored 46 for the Colonels but the Demons hit some clutch shots down the stretch and just out fought the Colonels for their first conference win of the season and snapped a six game losing streak. We will be in San Marcos next Saturday as an interesting Texas State club plays host to UTA and the SLC's leading scorer Marquez Haynes.

Obviously the biggest game in Louisiana this weekend was not in Natchitoches but rather in New Orleans on Sunday. What a game. Saints beat the Vikings 31-28 in overtime. Every coach in the world says football games come down to two things, turnovers and penalties, Minnesota had way too many of both. Two Texans Austin Westlake's Drew Brees and Southlake Carroll alum Garrett Hartley send the Saints to their first Super Bowl. Hartley seals it with a 40 yard boot in ot...couple of things, good for Hartley, the young man was suspended at the beginning of the year but has done all the right things since to earn his job back and live up to his massive potential...secondly, pretty sure Joe Buck does not know much about Southlake Carroll football because he would not have gone on and on about Hartley's lack of experience if he did. Playing at Carroll you get used to the pressure, the games don't get bigger, only the crowd.

New Orleans needed this...the State of Louisiana needed it...It was wonderful to see the scene on Bourbon street after the game even if I personally would have stayed a million miles away from it. Guess I am getting old.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Be True to your School

Signing Day is less than a month away and at least three prominent college football programs are in major shake-up mode. Pete Carroll leaves USC, Lane Kiffin leaves Tennessee to take over the Trojans, and Tommy Tuberville is trying to stabilize the situation in Lubbock while Mike Leach brings litigation against Texas Tech. There is a lesson to be learned here, and it is not a lesson for you or for me, unless you are a high school football star being recruited by an FBS University.

The lesson is this, college football coaches, no matter how much integity they may appear to have, are liars. By nature they must be, they may not like it, or even be very good at it, but make no mistake, they do it, each and every one of them.

Pete Carroll was telling USC recruits a month ago about the Trojan tradition, sitting in some stud linebackers living room telling his parents that they could trust him with their baby boy for four years...and then Hello Seattle! Kiffin, who was not exactly a Supreme Court Justice before showing up in Knoxville, now has blazed a trail of betrayal on his way back to the west coast, causing near riots on the Tennessee campus. In Texas a four-star quarterback from Denton, Scotty Young, wonders what his future holds now that none of the coaches who recruited him to Texas Tech are staying on.

If you are among the few who are gifted enough to trade your football talents for a four year education at a major university, let me offer this little bit of advice...choose a University for the school itself, the campus, the curriculum, the ability to expand your mind and your prospects as a future pro, be it in football or some other occupation. Do not marry yourself to a coach because coaches will leave, it is what coaches do. You must ask yourself, will I be happy here four years from now no matter who is coaching the football team? If you can say yes to that question, then you will have found your school. Be true to it.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Good Season Frogs!


I was driving through the beautiful TCU campus today and reflecting on last nights Fiesta Bowl. Proud of the Horned Frogs program, realizing that this little campus in south Fort Worth is still home to one of the top ten football teams in the country despite the loss to Boise State. In my mind the Broncos victory over the Frogs can be attributed to one significant factor: experience.

TCU was playing in their first BCS game and they played like it, especially through the first half. Boise State, having tasted BCS success two years ago in their unforgettable victory over Oklahoma, learned lessons and gained a swagger that was evident on the field on Monday night. The fake punt in the fourth quarter was vintage Boise State but the game was won on the balance that the Broncos showed during the course of the game. Kellen Moore and Titus Young are studs, the defense completely vanquished a high octane TCU offense and of course there was the special play by the special teams that led to the go ahead touchdown. The Broncos have earned the right to start next year ranked in the top 5 in the country and probably will.

As for TCU, Gary Patterson has the Frogs going in the right direction, they should start the year ranked in the Top 15 and with the number of returning starters and talented redshirts coming back, they should have a chance to get back to a BCS bowl.

Now I can't wait to see what the BCS Championship game holds on Thursday. Two quarterbacks I had the chance to see in high school going head to head for a National Championship, pretty cool stuff. More coming on the Horns and Alabama tomorrow.

Doug