"The Wisdom of Hot Chocolate"

By Clint Cox

I am not a coffee drinker. Apparently it is not a genetic trait because my dad could drink coffee all night long. I tried to learn to drink coffee when I worked the midnight shift as a correctional officer, but I just did not care for the taste. When I took little packets of instant hot chocolate, I got a pretty good ragging from my co-worker correctional officers. They did not see hot chocolate as being very manly. Especially when I messed up and took the packets with the little marsh mellows in it.

I’ve always liked hot chocolate and my wife forwarded an e-mail to me recently. She obviously felt that I could benefit from the message. After reading it I felt compelled to share a slightly modified version with our readers. I think we could all benefit from "The Wisdom of Hot Chocolate"

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, had gathered for a reunion and went to visit an old professor who was now retired. During the visit the conversation turned to complaints about the stress of the graduate’s work, lives and relationships.

The old professor went to the kitchen and returned with a pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups. Some cups were porcelain, some glass and some crystal. Some were plain looking while others were expensive and exquisite looking. He invited each of his former students to have a cup of hot chocolate. When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in their hand, the wise old professor started to share his thoughts.

"Notice that all of the nice looking and expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheaper looking cups. While it is normal to want the best, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cups add nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases the cups are more expensive and even hide what we are drinking. What you really wanted is the hot chocolate. You did not want the cup but you consciously choose the best looking cups. And soon you began to eye one another’s cups.

Now consider this. Life is like the hot chocolate. Your jobs, your money and your position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup does not define nor does it change the quality of life you are living. By concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has given us.

Always remember this, God brews the hot chocolate. He does not choose the cup. The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything they have.
So Simply Put…Live Simple…Love Generously…Care Deeply…Speak Kindly… Enjoy your hot chocolate…And leave the rest to God."

From the front porch: Coach said the richest person is not the one who has the most but the one who needs the least.

Simply Put-12/18/08

Simply Put
"Mr. Roy would have loved IT"
That thought occurred to me last Thursday night in Malone as I was there covering the Sneads Pirates boys basketball game against the host Malone Tigers. The Malone gym is called the Roy B. Beall Gymnasium in honor of Mr. Roy. I realize that some folks don’t know who Mr. Roy was (sounds like a good idea for a Yesteryear feature), but there are plenty of folks around that still remember all that he did for basketball in the county.
The Pirates and Tigers locked horns in another all Jackson County matchup. One of the great things that I love about Jackson County basketball is that every varsity team plays each other on a home and away basis during the regular season. That is not the case with many of the other sports, so basketball really gets the inner-county rivalries cranked up. And no matter the records or how the teams have been playing, every Jackson County game is a heated contest.
Thursday night was no different. The Sneads Pirates fans travel as well as anybody and they had a large contingency on hand. Malone as usual had their home folks in full force. All of these folks were packed into a gym that for the most part looks no different than it did 50 some odd years ago when it was built. And while I know some Malone folks would love a new gym, in my opinion the old gyms have much more character than the new gyms.
So the house was packed and the game was a classic. The two squads traded the lead through out the game. And with each lead change the crowd grew more intense. Malone got hot from outside the 3 point line and pulled out ahead in the fourth quarter. Their fans were in a frenzy as it looked like they might put the Pirates away. But back came the Pirates and a NBA style 3 pointer with five seconds to play sent the game into overtime and sent the Pirate fans into their own frenzy.
While the teams prepared for overtime the opposing fans rose to their feet and tried to out shout each others battle cries. In the end Sneads prevailed with a four point overtime win. It was a hard fought game on both sides. The players, and fans for that matter, were physically and emotionally drained when all was said and done. And while Mr. Roy’s loyalties would have leaned more toward Malone than Sneads, he really did a lot for basketball in the county as a whole. It wasn’t just for Malone and Marianna as some might think. So, Simply Put, Mr. Roy would have loved last Thursday night because it doesn’t get any better than an overtime battle of Jackson County basketball.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob noted that the early fish gets hooked for the same thing the early bird gets credit for.

Simply Put -"Honest Folks Still Around "- Dec. 11, 2008

By Clint Cox
Every day we are bombarded with news about all the ills of our society. Turn on the TV, pick up most newspapers (of course not The Times) or gather around the water fountain at work and most of the news you hear will be about folks, especially "these young folks" doing the wrong things. If we are not careful, we allow ourselves to think that the whole world is full of nothing but bad and dishonest folks.
But that is not true, and every so often my faith in honest and decent folks gets reaffirmed. One of those reaffirmations happened to me recently. I had made one of regular mandatory payday runs to Wal-Mart last Thursday night. On these mandatory pay day trips to Wal-Mart I always get the cashier to place a $100 dollar credit on a Wal-Mart gift card.
I use this gift card as a gas card at the Wal-Mart gas pumps since I can save an extra three cents a gallon when filling up my vehicle. The previous two weeks I had not traveled much so I actually already had about $45 dollars still left on my gas card. But sticking to my routine, I had the cashier ring up an additional $100 credit on the card. I grabbed my groceries, made my way to the car and headed home.
Three days later it was time to gas up but I could not find my gas card. After looking in all possible locations and unable to locate the card, I wondered if I might have left it at Wal-Mart. Of course my next thought was that if I forgot to get the card from the cashier or if I dropped it, there was a good chance that someone would have taken advantage of my hard earned $145 credit on the card. But I hoped for a long shot and on my way to Tallahassee that day I stopped in to see if the card might have been turned in.
To my amazement, the card had in fact been turned in to customer service. The cashier had put a little note on the card indicating that a customer (me) had left the card. It would have been so easy for the cashier or someone else to use the card. It is basically like cash and there would have been no trace of who used it. But the young lady did the right thing and turned the card in, thereby allowing me to reclaim it three days later. I wish I knew the young ladies name, but unfortunately I don’t.
One of my purposes or goals in writing a weekly column is to spread positive stories and ideas as much as possible. "Keep on the Sunny Side", as the old song says. So remember, Simply Put, there are still honest folks out there that do the right thing for the right reasons.

From the front porch: Coach said keep smiling! And if you notice someone is missing one, give them yours!

Simply Put-Dec. 4, 2008

"County Loses Big Sports Fan "
With the sudden passing of Ed Revell (see front page), Jackson County has lost one of our biggest sports fans. My path has crossed the path of Ed’s many times throughout my life and he certainly ranks among the top supporters of local athletics in the last 50 years.
I grew up playing sports with his son Steve and always remember Ed being around. He coached a lot during the early days and then served as one of the key men of the numerous booster clubs endeavors that supported our teams. Since Steve and I were in the same grade, I’m pretty certain that Ed saw every game we ever played and was at almost as many practices.
My association with Ed and local sports moved to a different level 18 years ago when I began covering Marianna sports on the radio. As I later added writing sports for the local paper, that association grew even more frequent. You see, during much of the past 18 years Marianna High was blessed with a trio of outstanding athletes by the names of Jake, Jeff and Jill Mathis. They are the children of Ed’s daughter Bunnee and son-in-law Danny Mathis. You won’t find a finer family around and for my money, Jeff or "Pup" as we called him, is the best all around athlete to ever wear the purple and gold of the Bulldogs.
Ed absolutely loved to follow his grandkids teams and he supported those programs with his attendance, hard work and finances. While a Farm Bureau agent he was one of our regular sponsors for Bulldog athletics on the radio.
The news of his passing took me by complete surprise for just two days before he passed away I had seen Ed. Both of us happened to stop in at McCoys to purchase a bag of oysters (we agreed that no winter holiday would be complete without oysters). There happened to be a long line of other folks with the same idea, so Ed and I chatted for 15-20 minutes while we waited. There were the usual inquiries about each other’s families. I commented how proud us Marianna folks felt every time we turned on the television and watched Pup play for the Los Angeles Angels.
As our chat drew near to a close Ed made a comment that now seems almost prophetic. He said "You know Clint, all our kids and grandkids have turned out really great. I’m so fortunate and I have truly been blessed with a wonderful life." We loaded up our oysters and wished each other a happy thanksgiving. Two days later Ed was gone.
Many folks have a lifetime of heartaches and headaches. Simply Put, we’d all be so fortunate to live a full life like Ed Revell and conclude that life by being able to say that we have truly been blessed with a wonderful life.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said you have to wonder about folks who think God is dead and Elvis is alive.

"Hello Ole FRIEND"

Recently I found myself with a little time to kill in Tallahassee after covering a volleyball match and while waiting on my wife to finish up at a friend’s baby shower. I decided to hunt up an ole friend from my days of living in Tallahassee.

After several wrong turns I finally found the right road that led me to the Lake Jackson Indian Mounds Recreation Area. It’s been over 16 years since I last visited this ole friend. Now some folks might say calling a place a friend is rather odd. But I don’t see it that way.

The Lake Jackson Indian Mounds are located a few miles north of Tallahassee and became my "get away" spot while living in the Capital City. Having been born and raised in Marianna, I found the hustle and bustle of city life stressful. I needed a place to get out in the woods and get away from folks. A place to ponder, as I like to say. The Indian Mounds became that place for me.

The area consists of six Indian Mounds that overlook about 20 acres of land that includes a large grassy meadow area, a creek and nature trail. The trail weaves it way through a hard wood forest and meanders along the creek.

So I roamed through the park and walked the trail for the first time in over 16 years. I reminisced about the many Saturday and Sunday mornings that I used to spend "walking and pondering" at the park. I reminisced about how much my life had changed since I last visited the area. And I reminisced about my sidekick that I took with me every time I went to the Indian Mounds.

My sidekick was our dog Emmy Lou, a beagle that my wife gave to me just before we got married. Emmy Lou, named after one of my favorite singers Emmy Lou Harris, enjoyed the park even more than I did. After being cooped up in the back yard all week, she could run and play unhindered. Quite frequently she’d find a rabbit or squirrel to chase and off she’d go, baying and having a large time.

I had to put Emmy Lou down a few years ago and don’t mind saying I shed a few tears. Visiting with my ole friend, The Indian Mounds, brought back fond memories. And even though I don’t live in the big city anymore, I still enjoy and treasure my "walks and pondering" in the woods. I have two new friends for this, Citizen’s Lodge Park (I prefer the outer trail through the meadows, woods and down by the river) and our yellow Lab named Jack.

Simply Put, visiting with my ole friend took me down memory lane. It brought to mind a line from an old Eric Clapton song "Hello Ole Friend, it sure is good to see you once again."

From the front porch: Coach said discipline is not what you do to somebody; it is what you do for somebody.

Simply Put-11/20/08

"Sneads Volleyball – Public School State Champs "
By: Clint Cox

I stood on the sidelines this past Saturday in Tallahassee and watched as the Sneads Lady Pirates volleyball team fell to Maclay in the Regional Finals. A win would have sent the ladies to Lakeland for the FHSAA Volleyball Final Four. But that was not to be as Maclay ended Sneads season.
A couple of observations came to my mind while watching this match. One is that today’s brand of volleyball is one of the more exciting sporting events that you can watch. This is not your "leisurely lobbing the ball over the net game." This brand of volleyball is fast paced with plenty of hard driving shots. The ladies are very athletic and it is obvious that they have spent much time bonding as a team, as their teamwork is critical to their success. There is every bit as much strategy, fundamentals and technique that go into volleyball as any other sport. If you haven’t been to a high school volleyball match, check one out next season. I think you’ll enjoy it.
Secondly, the ole private school vs. public school debate entered my mind. Here was Sneads, a public school that has absolutely no control over their admissions, taking on Maclay, a school that has total control over its admissions. As a public school, Sneads must take their current student population that shows up and carve out their respective athletic teams. A private school on the other hand can admit who they want. And while I know they admit a lot of good students, it sure seems that they also admit an awful lot of good athletes.
I decided to sample the elite 8 of the FHSAA volleyball playoffs. That’s the last 8 schools that are in the Regional Finals and have a shot to go to Lakeland. There are six classifications in volleyball and in the lower three classifications (1A, 2A & 3A) there were a total of 24 teams making the elite 8 in their respective classifications. Of those 24 teams, 23 were private schools and 1 was a public school. That one public school was Sneads.
Having covered the sports of football, basketball, baseball, softball and wrestling, I can tell you that sampling the elite 8 of those sports would produce similar results. It’s just not right. Whether the private schools recruit, and I imagine some do, or whether they simply groom their student population through the admissions process, they have an unfair advantage.
Some states have separate playoffs for private schools and some make private schools play in higher classifications. At least that demonstrates an effort to level the playing field. Florida unfortunately is not one of those states and that is a shame.
I congratulate the Sneads Lady Pirates. You made school history with an appearance in the regional finals. Hold your heads high and know that, Simply Put, you are the 2008 Class 2A Public School State Champions.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said well done is better than well said.

"All Four County Teams Won – Con’t."

Last week I wrote about trying to find out when the last time all four county varsity football teams won on the same night (like they did on 10/31/08). I needed to know this after a shout out from Sneads Head Coach Don Dowling during the "Don Dowling Show" on CCTV.

If you recall in my column last week I noted that the Florida High School Athletic Association’s web site only goes back to 2002. There had not been a time during the past 6 seasons when all four teams had won. So I needed to go further back but as I stated in my column there is no one out there sitting around keeping won / loss records for the county football teams.

I could not have been anymore wrong and the information was almost right under my nose. To use the ole saying, "if it had been a snake it would have bit me. When I walked in to work on Friday morning (after the Times came out on Thursday) my good buddy and partner in crime, Russell Register, gave me that "oh ye of little faith" look and speech. He has every schedule with wins and losses for the four county varsity football teams dating back to 1990.

I had briefly thought of calling him while I was typing my column last week. But it was Tuesday night (the night of my deadlines) and I figured that he has some of the schedules but probably not all of them. As usual, I should have gone with my first instinct or gut feeling and called him. But I talked myself right out of it. I know that never happens to any of you.

Russell began doing Bulldog Football on the radio in 1990 and during halftime talked about what the other county schools were doing. I then joined him in 1991 and we’ve continued that practice for the past 17 years. I did not realize though that he had kept all those yearly schedules for the past 18 years. I probably thought that because I can’t keep up with my paperwork for 18 hours, much less 18 years. But he has every one of them.

So I’ve asked for his forgiveness for doubting that he had the records and in his honor I’ve included a quote attributed to his favorite coach for this week’s From the Front Porch. I think it is a fantastic quote from one of the all time great coaches in college football. Thanks Russell .

From the front porch: Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant explained his philosophy of coaching this way "There’s just three things I ever say. ‘If anything goes bad, then I did it. If anything goes semi-good, then we did it. If anything goes real good, then you did it. That’s all it takes to get people to win football games for you. I can do that better than anybody. That, and I do know a little something about winning."

Simply Put- "Dowling Is one of the Good guys "

9/25/08 By: Clint Cox

As I stood on the sidelines in Sneads last Friday night, it was fun to watch Pirate Head Coach Don Dowling get his first win. Dowling, who took over as Head Coach this season, saw his Pirates fall in the preseason classic to Graceville and then lose a close game to Cottondale in the regular season opener. The Pirates then had last week off. So he’s had to wait a full month before experiencing the thrill of victory for the first time as the Head Pirate.

I say it was fun to watch him get his first win because I’ve known Dowling for more than 15 years and I believe he is one of the good guys of coaching. In the 15 plus years that I’ve known him I’ve always found him to be a straight up fellow.

It’s no great secret that he was not ready to leave the Marianna Head Coaching job when he was not rehired after the 2006 season. But after 6 seasons the decision was made by the administration to go in another direction. Say what you want about his record while at Marianna (if my memory is right it was about .500), but I can tell you that the overwhelming majority of players who played for him loved and admired him immensely. In my book that makes him a success.

Since I cover Marianna football on the radio each week I am not normally able to attend very many of the other county’s varsity football games. But Marianna was off last week so I headed to Sneads and stood on the sideline with Dowling and his Pirates. I watched as he rode the roller coaster of emotions that coaches ride each game. He was enthusiastic and animated when the Pirates jumped out to an early lead. He then turned to cheerleader and butt chewer when his team was sputtering in the third quarter. And then he returned to his sideline enthusiastic animations when they began to put the game away.

But the most telling reason that his players love him was demonstrated late in the game. One of his team leader’s drew an unsportsmanlike penalty late in the game. Dowling pulled him from the game and chewed him up and down. But just before the game ended I saw Dowling return to that player and put his arm around the player’s neck. I heard the words of encouragement that Dowling relayed to the player, extolling him to be the leader he should be. And I could sense the player’s admiration of his coach in return for those words of encouragement. Folks that’s what good coaching is all about. Simply Put, it’s not about wins and losses in the record books. It’s about wins and losses in the relationships developed with your players.

From the front porch: Coach said that it has been said often, but it remains true, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going."

Simply Put- “Peanuts ”

9/18/08
By: Clint Cox

If you read my column with any frequency you know that I am a huge football fan. There are several reasons for the sport of football being my favorite major sport. One of which is that football season arrives at the same time as the harvest time for peanuts.
I like peanuts. And I like them most anyway you want to fix them. But without a doubt my favorite culinary version of this nut is boiled. I can’t imagine sitting down to watch a college or high school football game without having some boiled peanuts. It would be like going to a movie and not ordering up a tub full of buttered popcorn. It just would not be the same.
I’ve had two great culinary questions in my life. Who is the first person that thought to bust open a raw oyster and eat it. And secondly who came up with the idea to boil peanuts. I don’t know who those folks were, but I am eternally grateful for their insight and contribution to the betterment of our world.
When I think of boiled peanuts I recall a trip I made some twenty years ago while working in Tallahassee. I had this fellow from Holland that was in the States touring prisons. I was assigned to take him on a tour of a youthful offender prison in Trenton, Fla. Naturally he talked with a strange accent (he thought the same about me) but he was a right nice fellow. As we drove down Highway 27 he questioned me about different aspects of the Florida Prison system. Right in the middle of these questions, he asked me "What is a boiled peanut?" It took me a moment to realize he had been seeing numerous signs along the way at the roadside stands hawking my favorite treat.
I was not well traveled at that stage of my life and was shocked to think of someone not knowing about boiled peanuts. Once I recovered from my shock I explained to him what boiled peanuts are and he seemed interested. It didn’t take long to find a roadside stand and we stopped to buy several cups of the boiled goobers. They were long gone by the time we reach the next roadside stand so we promptly stopped to buy several more cups. He absolutely loved them (what’s not to love) and was saddened to learn that it would be extremely difficult to take some back to Holland without them spoiling.
Periodically when I’m munching on boiled peanuts I think of that fellow and wonder if he ever figured out a way to get boiled peanuts in Holland. And to all the folks that enjoy reading my column, you can express your appreciation to me anytime you’d like with a few boiled peanuts. Simply Put I’d be most grateful and honored.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said one reason his son in law never changes his opinions is that they have been in his family for generations.

Simply Put- "David vs Goliath "

9/11/08
By: Clint Cox

Most of us remember the bible story of David, the small sheepherder boy, taking on Goliath, the massive giant of a man. And as most of us know, the outcome went the way of David. Of course he didn’t do it alone.
The story of David and Goliath has been used for many years in sports analogies when a small school or team takes on a large school or team. This Friday night the Graceville Tigers come to Marianna to take on the Bulldogs. The Tigers are a class 1B school, the smallest football classification in our state. The Bulldogs are a Class 2A school. Our state currently has six football classifications, which in ascending order are 1B, 1A, 2B, 2A, 3, 4, and 5. So from that you can tell Marianna is two classifications higher than Graceville.
Thus it is easy to make the David and Goliath comparison. And while the two teams do not play every year, they have played often enough that this is a big rivalry. Marianna has won the last two contest in 2006 and 2007. But the Tigers have had some success against Marianna in years past. And to say that they are chompin’ at the bit to take on the Bulldogs would be an understatement.
Small schools love to take on a larger school, as long as they don’t have to do it every week. When taking on a larger school they can play up the underdog mentality. They have nothing to lose in some respects. They are not picked by most folks to beat the larger school so if they do, it’s a feather in their cap. If they lose nobody expected them to win anyway. But don’t let that fool you into thinking they don’t want to win. Rest assured. The Graceville Tigers would love nothing more than to come into Marianna, the largest school in the county and the county seat, and knock off the Bulldogs. And they’ve got a team that could do just that this year. For the larger schools, in this case Marianna, playing the smaller schools is somewhat of a no win situation. If they win, everybody will say "So what, you beat a smaller school." If they lose, everybody will tease them that they got beat by a smaller school. But make no mistake, the Marianna Bulldogs would much rather be in the former situation than the latter. The ‘Dogs will be just as hungry for a victory.
So Simply Put, when it comes to an all Jackson County Football rivalry, both squads will lay everything on the line. Come out to Bulldog Stadium on Friday night and watch David (Graceville) take on Goliath (Marianna). It should be an outstanding game.

From the front porch: Coach said wisdom is knowing when to speak your mind and when to mind your speech.

Simply Put- "It's Back"

9/4/08
By: Clint Cox

As I stood on the sidelines last Thursday night in Cottondale, I once again found myself saying, "Finally, high school football is back." I said that even though I was standing there drenched in sweat from head to toe due to the humidity which was as bad as to be expected in late August. I also said that even though the game I was covering, Freeport at Cottondale, was a preseason game that we refer to as a Kickoff Classic. The next night, Friday night, I was in Quincy covering Marianna at East Gadsden. It was also a Kickoff Classic and it was also hot and humid. Graceville hosted Sneads in a classic and I liked Sneads Head Coach Don Dowling’s description of the humidity. "it was like breathing through a mop." But even though it was hot, humid and only "practice games" I was loving it.
There is nothing quite like high school football. I can’t seem to think of another single sporting event that is so embraced by each community.
You’ve got the color and pageantry of the football uniforms, cheerleading outfits and band uniforms. All of which instill a sense of pride for each respective community. You’ve got the stands full of folks for the community. They are laughing and talking as they catch up with each other after a summer of being out and about. I realize that plenty of folks come out to the basketball and baseball games. But I still am of the opinion that football is king of hill when it comes to attendance.
You’ve got the concession stands cooking up hamburgers, hot dogs and boiled peanuts. Of which the smoke and smell drift out across the stands and field. Nothing advertises hamburgers, hot dogs and boiled peanuts like the smoke from a grill or steam from a big pot full of boiled goobers. And of course there is the action on the field. From kickoff returns for touchdowns to halfback passes for touchdowns, nothing is like the game of football. And when one of the Hornet defenders rocked a Freeport runner, you could hear the pop all over the field, which in turn drew the oohs! and ahs! from the crowd.
This Friday night the schools get down to the real thing, opening night for the 2008 season (See Friday night preview for a listing of the local games). So let me highly recommend that you go out to your favorite school’s football field, grab a burger or dog, along of course with some boiled peanuts, and enjoy the glorious return of high school football. Simply Put, there is nothing like it.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said "vegetarian" is an old Native American word for "bad hunter."

Simply Put- "Yesteryear & Rollin Down The River"

8/21/08
By: Clint Cox

If you’ll recall we started a couple of summertime features back in late May called Yesteryear and Rollin’ Down The River. Simply Put, the response has been far greater than we could have ever imagined. People stop me on the streets and call me on the phone to tell me how much they have enjoyed one or both of these series. Just the other day I had a lady tell me that she looks forward each week to Rollin’ Down The River. Another lady told me that she feels like she has taken a trip down the river, including taking those swims in the cool waters of the Chipola. That was a major part of this concept, that we would take you on a trip down the river a week at a time.
And based on the comments, calls and e-mails, Yesteryear has been even more popular. I would say that Yesteryear has been the most enjoyed feature of the sports section, maybe even the whole paper, since I started at The Times almost two years ago. But now summer, I’m sad to say, is drawing to a close. And with summer coming to a close that means the sports scene is soon to be fast and furious.
So what do we do with these two very popular series? Well, here is the game plan. In regards to Rollin’ Down The River we’ll just have to put up the paddles, canoes and kayaks until next summer. We know that is not what some of you want to hear. But come summer 2009 we’ll break out the gear and pick right back up where we left off. We’ll start at Peacock’s Bridge and make our way down the rest of the Ole Chipola until we hit the Apalachicola River.
Yesteryear is another matter. We’ll continue the series but it will be in a little different format. Instead of two pictures every week, one from the previous week and one new one, we’ll run one picture on a two week cycle. We’ll run the picture one week and let folks try to guess who it is. The following week we’ll have that same picture and an article about the picture. The end result is that each Yesteryear photo will be on a two week cycle, as opposed to a new photo every week. Starting September 4th (in two weeks) we’ll begin our new format for Yesteryear. In preparation for this new format we’ll not have a new picture this week.
And for next week make sure to check out all the old photographs in the Yesteryear section of the 2008 Gridiron Gazette (football preview special). As I’ve said many times before, it is a privilege to be able to come into your home and life each week with local stories about local folks. I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed these features and please, keep those old photographs a comin’.

From the front porch: Coach said the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.

Simply Put- "The Olympics"

8/14/08
By: Clint Cox

Like many of you I have been enjoying the 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing China. We’ve already seen some great stories from the Americans like the men’s gymnastics team and the individual performance of swimmer Michael Phelps. I am sure there are more great stories and finishes to unfold over the remainder of the Olympics.
Like so many things in life though, at least in my life, the Olympics of today just don’t hold the same pizzazz as the Olympics of days gone by. I can remember being a young child and being glued to the TV to find out the latest winners and medal totals (always hoping that we were ahead of the dreaded Russians). The earliest Olympics that I can recall were the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. Then there were the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Unfortunately my most vivid memory of those Olympics was the hostage taking and killing of members of the Israeli Olympic team by Palestinian terrorists. While I was much too young to understand the complexities of the Middle East, I was older enough to realize that the 1972 Olympics would be forever associated with that terrible act. Swimmer Mark Spitz set the high water mark that year, winning 7 Gold medals.
In 1976 14 year old Nadia Comaneci thrilled the world by scoring a perfect 10 in gymnastics, eventually earning a total of seven. And for many, the proudest moment in American sports history came in 1980 at Lake Placid when the U.S. hockey team upset the heavily favored Soviet Union.
With the onset of adulthood I guess other things began to occupy my time and interest. I guess it’s that way with many things. Most of us feel that the music of our youth was the best music that has ever been.
Ask any generation and they will proclaim the music of their youth the best. So maybe the Olympics are the same. Maybe the Olympics of our youth are the best that has ever been. I think another factor involves television. In my youth the sports that we saw on TV (all 3 channels) was primarily limited to a few events on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. When the Olympics came around it meant that we had sports on TV every night. It was special. Then came ESPN and other all sports channels. And now we have the internet to get our sports fix anytime we want. We are so saturated in today’s world with sports that I just don’t think the Olympics hold quite the same place as they once did.
All that said though, the Olympics are still special. As I write this column Phelps is going for an Olympic record 10th Gold medal. And I suspect there are some kids out there watching his performance that in 30 years will tell their kids about the great Olympian Michael Phelps. Simply Put, there is nothing like the memories of our youth.

From the front porch: Coach said sweat plus sacrifice equals success.

Simply Put- Race in Basketball and Baseball

7/31/08

I continue my writing this week concerning the issue of race in the sports of basketball and baseball. If you read my column last week you know that I, along with many others, have notice the decline of African Americans in the game of baseball and the decline of white Americans in the game of basketball. Some of the latest national figures bear out this trend. In Major League baseball African Americans now comprise about 8% of the league. In 1959, one year after integration, it was 17.25%. In the mid 70’s it reached as high as 30%. The National Basketball Association is just the opposite. In the 60’s the league was 80% white and 20% black. Those figures are almost exactly opposite now.
I’ll spend the next two weeks throwing out my theories, which I’ve boiled down to (1) Money and (2) Culture. First the easy issue of money. In my day, you signed up to play city league baseball and you had a glove, most likely a hand me down, and a pair of cleats. The coach or the league provided a few bats and helmets, of which you selected the one that came the closest to your size and needs. Go out to any Little league game these days, especially an All Star event. Each player will show up with their own equipment bag. In that bag is at least one glove, possibly more; 1 bat, possibly more; a pair of cleats; a personalized batting helmet, many of which are airbrushed with their name and a host of other equipment. Simply Put, baseball has become an expensive sport. Those personal equipment bags can easily contain $300-400 dollars of equipment. Once you get into high school, the cost just keeps going up.
Basketball on the other hand is much different. Sign up for a city league and you just need a pair of basketball shoes. Sure you can spend lots of money on a pair of shoes, but you don’t have too. And even if you do it still will be much less than all that baseball equipment.
And the reality is, even though many economic strides have been made for improvement, many African Americans families are not in a position to pay $300-400 dollars for their kid to play baseball for one year. Some might ask "which came first, the chicken or the egg", i.e. did the decline of the African American baseball players just evolve over time and thus those that were left were kids whose families could and would spend the money. Or was it because of the increased spending there has been a decline in African American being in a position to afford to play the sport. I haven’t figured out the chicken and egg theory but I can’t help but believe that the high cost of playing the game of baseball has caused some African Americans to just say no. From the front porch: Coach said those that mind don’t matter and those that matter don’t mind.

Simply Put- "Just An Observation about Race in Sports"

7/24/08

Speaking about and writing about the matter of race in our day and time is always a sensitive endeavor. And while I would advocate that we’ve made many great strides with racial problems throughout our culture, I would be the first to admit that there are still many areas in which the matter of race is still an issue. This past weekend I made an observation that cemented observations that I have been making for several years now.
This past weekend I covered the AAU 2008 Summer Shoot Out, a basketball tournament held at Marianna Middle School and Chipola. I also covered the Dixie Youth State Baseball tournament at the MERE Complex. Let me say that both events were very well organized and gave our youth some excellent opportunities for competition and sportsmanship.
But I noted that these two events affirmed a growing trend that I, and others, have noticed over the last few years. As hard as our culture has tried to stamp out racial inequities and segregation, two very prominent sports have in effect become segregated. The sport of basketball has become predominately comprised of African Americans and the sport of baseball has become comprised predominately of white Americans and Hispanic Americans.
While this appears to be the case at every level of the game throughout our nation, it is especially evident in the youth and high school leagues. I would estimate that African Americans comprised about 98% of the players and spectators at the AAU 2008 Summer Shootout. I would estimate that white Americans comprised about 90% of the Dixie Youth State Tournament players and spectators. Hispanics probably accounted for about 8% and African Americans accounted for about 2%.
If you think these events were just a fluke, take in any high school basketball or baseball games in your community. I think the numbers, with a few exceptions, will be fairly consistent. I base these observations on the fact that in the past two years I have probably been to as many high school basketball and baseball games as anyone in the county.
I, and others, have different theories as to why there are so few African Americans playing baseball and why there are so few white Americans playing basketball. Maybe I’ll share some of those theories next week. And I don’t think Jackson County is unique in this area, because I see similar numbers when I travel to other parts of the state and region. And I know, or at least think, that it shouldn’t be that way. Simply Put, there are too many young African Americans that are missing out on the great game of baseball and there are too many young white Americans missing out on the great game of basketball.

From the front porch: Coach said the cost of losing your integrity is greater than whatever it cost you to keep it.

Simply Put- "YesteryearJackson County Style"

7/17/08

First and foremost let me say that I welcome getting e-mails or phone calls from our readers. And while most comments that I receive are positive and indicate our readers enjoy the sports section, as you might expect I occasionally get comments in which readers express a disagreement or a preference for something different.
I recently got one of those comments, by e-mail, in which a longtime reader very tastefully pointed out that much of the recent sports news was concentrated on the Marianna community. The reader expressed, again very courteously, that there have been some outstanding teams and players from the remainder of the county as well as Marianna. In my response to the reader I mentioned my efforts to ensure that the sports coverage was equally balanced among the different communities. I mentioned that during the school year this was especially true and that I felt I had done a fair job of covering the different high school teams throughout the county during the past school year.
But I also acknowledged to the reader that one of our weekly summertime features, Yesteryear, had in fact so far been exclusively about Marianna. And I’m sure that this reader is not the only one to have made note of this fact.
This is my dilemma. If you recall the way Yesteryear works is that folks send, bring or e-mail old photos to The Times. They provide some background information and then we run the picture. The following week we run the information after we have had folks try and guess who is in the photos. And so far the only folks bringing or sending in old pictures are the Marianna folks.

But, as I acknowledged to the reader, I need to work harder to get more Yesteryear features from throughout the county, not just Marianna. And as you see in this week’s Yesteryear I have gotten an old photo from a non-Marianna team. It’s up to you to guess which school it is from. But, Simply Put, I need your help!! I need to get more old sports photos from teams and athletes from the other communities throughout Jackson County. Please send or get me some old sports photos. While the Yesteryear feature has been even more popular than I could have ever imagined, I never intended for Yesteryear to just be about Marianna. I know that there are some great sports teams and stories out there from the communities of Malone, Greenwood, Bascom, Grand Ridge, Sneads, Alford, Cottondale, Campbellton and Graceville. So dig through your closets and scrapbooks. Get me some old sports photos and let’s make it where we can rightly proclaim the feature "Yesteryear, Jackson County Style". And keep those e-mails and calls coming, it will make me and our sports section even better.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said he still carries a little black book, only now all the numbers are for his doctors.

Simply Put- "Yancey Bridge”

7/10/08

"Yancey Bridge"

This week’s Rollin’ Down The River features a portion of the river that includes Yancey Bridge. Of all the places on the Chipola River that I have spent time at or on, the Yancey Bridge area would have to be the most frequent. Having lived on the north side of Marianna for most of my 48 years, rarely does a day go by that I do not cross the bridge. On many days there are multiple crossings. It has always been my closest access to the River, so it stands to reason that it is a place where I have spent a lot of time.
My earliest memories of the Yancey Bridge area are the shark’s teeth my brother’s used to find there. While the shark’s teeth were fascinating, that dark water was a little too spooky looking for this little boy. Fortunately, that fear passed as I got a little older and I can remember going swimming there often. At one point someone put up a rope swing and that made for many fun afternoons during my teenage years. More than 30 years later there is still no better way to beat the heat of a hot summer day than by taking a dip in the cool waters of the Chipola. And I can’t count the number of times I have launched a boat, canoe or kayak from Yancey Bridge. Of course any time you frequent a place as often as I have Yancey Bridge not all memories will be fond ones. I recall when a family friend was killed on a motorcycle at Yancey Bridge. Some of the teenagers had taken to the dangerous habit of climbing the hill from the parking lot up to the road on their motorcycles. On one sad day this family friend topped the hill and was struck by an oncoming car.
At age 16 I was there on another horrible day when a childhood friend and football teammate of mine tragically drowned. The tears I shed that day were evidence of my first real encounter in the fragileness of life. To this day I do not go to the Yancey Bridge area without thinking of my childhood friend and teammate. While we got a new bridge a few years ago, I still like the old bridge. I’m still mad that they cut down a majestic old cypress tree in the project for, in my opinion, no good reason. The old bridge had more character and you could at least see the river from the bridge. The good news about the Yancey Bridge area is that the county has recently obtained the property. If Citizen’s Lodge Park is any indication, I’m sure that Chuck Hatcher and the gang at the County Parks & Recycling Department will give the area a much needed face life.
Simply Put, Yancey Bridge is like an old friend and I like to visit there often.

From the front porch: Coach said truth is a habit of integrity.

Simply Put- “Living in America”

7/3/08
By: Clint Cox

The day after this week’s edition comes out our country will be celebrating July 4th. There will be the usual abundance of hot dogs, watermelons, ice cream and fireworks. All the upcoming celebrations got me to pondering about living in American and what follows. A column. There are a boat load of folks that spew out all the bad things about living in America. If you dwell on all the rhetoric, you would get the impression that living in America is terrible. The far left decries the war, the economy, gas prices, racial problems, over zealous government and law enforcement and the lack of gay’s right to get married. All these woes of course are the far right and President Bush’s fault.
The far right decries those wanting to abandon the war before the job is fully done, the economy, gas prices, taxes, crime, drugs, gangs and gay lifestyles shoved in their face every time they turn on the television. All of these woes of course are the far left and President Clinton’s fault. I know our country has problems. The current gas crisis is certainly one of them. But I get tired of all the left wingers blaming it all on the government. One of these left wingers was complaining after his $100 fill up at the gas station recently, saying it’s the government’s fault. He then promptly went out and got in an SUV that gets maybe 15 miles to the gallon. We are to blame just as much as the government. We have refused to give up our gas sucking SUVs, big trucks and go anywhere anytime mentality. We can do our little part by driving smaller and more efficient vehicles, walking or riding a bike occasionally and staying closer to home more often. The country’s drug problem is another example. The left blames the government for not funding enough treatment programs. The right blames the government for not dealing more sternly with the countries that grow and import the drugs. But we Americans have the power to strike a blow to the drug cartels of the world. Stop buying the drugs and they’ll go out of business. Or legalize the drugs, load’em down with taxes and take those taxes to expand drug treatment programs. I guess I’m just tired of hearing all the folks bad mouth living in America. If life is so bad here, why is the rest of the world trying to cross our borders to join us. So to all the nay sayers of our country, Simply Put, give the rest of us a break. As we celebrate our nation’s independence, take a day off from all your negativity and let us spend the day enjoying our family and our freedom. From the front porch: Coach said a team is where a boy can prove courage on his own. A gang is where a coward goes to hide.

Rollin’ Down the River – Bellamy Bridge and Christoff’s Ferry

6/26/08
By Clint Cox, alias "The Panhandle Paddler"

After failed attempts to hit the river Saturday and Sunday, I finally made it to the water on Monday after work. I put my kayak (The Yellow Submarine) in at the Highway 162 bridge for a short trip down the Chipola River. The Highway 162 bridge launch site is used primarily by canoes, kayaks and lightweight boats as it does not have a concrete launch pad. It is also moderately difficult to access with a vehicle, especially during rainy weather.
The Sunday rains muddied up the water but made for easier paddling. There were one or two trees to maneuver around but nothing too difficult. About a 10 minute paddle down from Highway 162 I approached the rusty old iron structure known as Bellamy Bridge. Bellamy Bridge is most notably known as the centerpiece of our local legend "The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge." The central figure of the legend, Elizabeth Jane Bellamy, died in 1837 and is buried in a family cemetery not far from the current iron frame structure of Bellamy Bridge. Local Historian Dale Cox has researched and written about "The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge". You can check out his findings at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellamybridge. It is great reading, even if it does disheartened some of us local folks who grew up hearing about "The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge." (See Simply Put) Dale Cox has also lent his support to Rollin’ Down The River by agreeing to supplement this series with some brief historical information about the sites along the Chipola River.
Christoff’s Ferry, or Christoff Landing as it is noted on several local maps, was the take out point for this trip. It is located about 5 miles north of Marianna off Bump Nose Road on Christoff Ferry Lane. It has a well maintained concreted boat launch. There is ample parking as well as a primitive camping area just west of the landing that is part of the Upper Chipola River Management Area. Just a few feet to the north of the launch is where the Waddell Mill run enters the river. This run originates at the Waddell Mill Pond and flows several miles before meeting up with the Chipola.
Overall, this is a nice little run. I say little because it only takes about 1 ½ hours to paddle. For the most part it is free of any significant obstacles or trees to traverse. The river shows some signs of traffic (trash) but is still a fairly remote area. There is some high banking on the east side of the river, plenty of bird watching opportunities, good fishing and as always some beautiful scenery. Rollin’ Down the River is a weekly summertime feature of the Jackson County Times that highlights the Chipola River through pictures, stories and articles. For more photos, please see Freeze Frame on back page.

Bellamy Bridge & Christoff’s Ferry By Dale Cox The first Bellamy Bridge was built in 1850 by Dr. Samuel C. Bellamy under contract with the Jackson County Commission. It was an open, wood bridge. Bellamy, of course, was the husband of Elizabeth Bellamy about whom the ghost story grew. It was called Bellamy Bridge because his brother, Edward, owned the land there. The current iron structure was built sometime around 1900 and is one of the last surviving such structures in Jackson County.
Regarding Christoff’s, the first mention of it I have found is from 1826, before Marianna was founded. The original road or trail leading east to west through the center of Jackson County crossed the Chipola River at the Natural Bridge at Florida Caverns. This road was used by the Spanish at least as early as 1674 and it remained in use until after 1818. Then, as settlers began making their way into the county, a pretty large settlement grew in what was called the "Chipola District." This was the area basically from U.S. 90 North to Waddell’s Mill Creek and from the Chipola west to U.S. 231. These first settlers continued using the crossing at the Natural Bridge, but it proved difficult because the swamps there overflow badly when the river is high.
At some point between 1818 and 1826 they relocated the road slightly to cross at Cristoff’s Ferry. This provided a better approach to the river and allowed travelers to avoid the swamps around the Natural Bridge. The earliest record I have found is an advertisement by an inn keeper who placed ads in the Pensacola paper announcing that he was moving his inn from Cristoff’s Ferry on the Chipola to a hill about 1/2 mile west. It remained an important ferry until Marianna was established, then diminished in importance, although a raft or "flat" was kept there for years after.

Simply Put- Bellamy Bridge

6/26/08
By: Clint Cox

This week’s Rollin’ Down The River (on this page) features the portion of the Chipola River that includes Bellamy Bridge. As I paddled down to Bellamy Bridge this past week I was flooded with memories of days gone by at the bridge and of course "The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge." I don’t recall when I first heard about the ghost or the first time that I went to the bridge. But I do recall hearing about the ghost early and often as a child growing up in Jackson County. As a teenager I can recall some fun times had at Bellamy Bridge and its little park area. I recall swimming, camping, fishing and just hanging out at the bridge. I can remember a few of the braver fellows, or dumber depending on your perspective, scaling the iron structure that is the remnants of Bellamy Bridge. I can even remember one evening when a fog or mist rolled in across the river. For a moment we all wondered, is this the Ghost? Of course it wasn’t, but it made for a great opportunity to scare some of the girls in our group.
As the years went by we continued to hear and tell of the legend of "The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge." Looking back I realize that there were many different versions of the legend. And while I never really believed there really was a ghost, I did think the story surrounding the last days of Elizabeth Jane Bellamy were true. I had heard the story so much that I just assumed it was factual that her wedding dress caught fire (several different ways depending on which version you heard) and she died from the wounds associated with that burning dress.
Local historian Dale Cox had heard the story too. He thoroughly researched the legend and lo and behold, found out not only is there no ghost, but Elizabeth didn’t die from a burning dress. She, and her young child, died of fever associated with what was most likely malaria. You can read all about the legend, the myths and the facts, at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellamybridge.
I love history and I certainly want to know the facts. So my hat’s off to Dale for a thorough job of research and writing. But I must confess that as a youngster that grew up hearing about the ghost and the story surrounding it, I was disheartened to hear that the facts of the story don’t support the legend.
Bellamy Bridge and the boat launch area next to it are now all on privately owned land. It is s no longer accessible to the public and has become overgrown.
Simply Put, that is unfortunate. It is a beautiful area, rich in local folklore and the home to many fond memories.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob noted that when it is all said and done, there is usually a lot more said than done.

Simply Put- "Festival Life"

This past weekend I took my middle son and a friend of his to the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. Most folks ‘round here have never heard of Bonnaroo. Don’t feel alone, I had not heard of it either. Bonnaroo is a 3 ½ day outdoor music festival in the middle of nowhere that offers a wide array of musical artist, along with very primitive housing arrangements. I agreed to lead this excursion knowing full well that it would mean camping out for four nights. And when I say camping out I don’t mean in a RV or travel trailer. I mean in a tent with no electricity and no running water. But my son had heard it was a really good festival, so attempting to be a good father (remember last week’s column) off I went.

On the 8 hour return trip this past Monday I had time to reflect on my festival experience. First the music. I’ve written before about how I love music and many different kinds of music. From a music standpoint, Bonnaroo was a lot of fun. I came away with my musical appetite being well fed. My musical menu included Bluegrass (Yonder Mountain String Band, Sam Bush & Bela Fleck), reggae (Stephen Marley, who is Bob Marley’s son and Israel Vibration), Country (Willie Nelson), the Blues (B.B. King), rock (Metallica and Pearl Jam) and pop (Jack Johnson).

But I must confess that as much as I enjoyed the music, festival life itself was tough on this 48 year old body of mine. While I jog at least several times a week, my legs were not prepared for all the walking. By my estimate I walked at least 10 miles a day and it took it’s toll after four days.

Four days of living out of a tent also reaffirmed my fondness for the following modern conveniences that I normally take for granted. (1) a bed – while an air mattress softens the blow, four nights off sleeping on the ground gets old; (2) a hot bath – four days of sponge baths with water from a jug just isn’t the same as a good ole hot shower (3) a bathroom – they’ve made great engineering improvements to Port- A- Potties, such as better ventilation and a urinal on the side for us fellows. The ladies are also most appreciative of this improvement. But four days of the new and improved Port-A-Potties remind me they are still just a glorified outhouse. (4) air conditioning – four days in south Tennessee in mid June with no air condition. What was I thinking?

Simply Put, while I thoroughly enjoyed the music I’ll leave the Bonnaroo Festival Life to the young folks. As for me, give me a nice bed, a hot bath and a clean toilet. And while you’re at it, bump that AC down a notch too.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said politicians are like diapers. Both need to be changed often.

Simply Put- “Being a Father”

6/12/08

Father’s Day is this Sunday. Days in which we recognize or honor different groups of folks usually gets me to thinking, or pondering as I like to call it. And when I get to pondering, a column is not too far away.
When I turned sixteen I went to get my driver’s license. There were several requirements in order for me to get my license. I had to have completed driver’s education, which I had. I had to take a written exam and pass, which I did. And then I had to take the driving portion of the test and execute the dreaded parallel parking maneuver. When is the last time you’ve pulled off a parallel parking maneuver lately. Not much use for it anymore. But back to my story. I took the driving portion of the exam and somehow passed to get my driver’s license. I went back to the driver’s license office when I turned 18 so I could get the blue background for my picture. That provided a quick glance proof that I was of legal age. I am not proud of my motives for wanting that blue background.
When I was 26 I got married. I had to go to the court house and get a marriage license. They asked me a few questions, asked for proof on a few of the questions and then issued me a marriage license. I have been certified in CPR for more than 25 years now. Each year I take a refresher course, pass a test and get a new card.
So what’s all this got to do with being a father. I had to pass a test or provide proof of meeting certain criteria to drive, get married, and do CPR.. These are just a few examples of proving I was ready to measure up to the task at hand.
But all I had to do to be a father was, well you know. Theres was no requirement that I take a class, pass a test or do anything to demonstrate that I was ready to take on the most challenging endeavor I would ever face.
On the other hand, could any class or test ever prepare me for what lay ahead? I’ve heard it said, and agree, that our kids bring us our greatest joy and our deepest pain. I certainly don’t claim to have mastered the art of being a great father and I’ve made more than my share of mistakes. But isn’t it ironic, about the time we remotely start to figure out some of this father business, our kids are about grown. So to all the fathers, Simply Put, hang in there, count your blessings and belt out a few "Because I said so" to let’em know that you’ve still got it.

From the front porch: Coach said the most important ingredient to success is failure.

Simply Put- “Killing Several Birds With One Stone”

June 5, 2008
By: Clint Cox

"Killing Several Birds With One Stone"
Well another school year has come and gone. So the high school sports calendar that starts in late August and ends in mid May is over. With that comes a lull in the action so to speak as far as much of the sporting news that is covered in the Times. Of course there is youth baseball and softball that is still going on and we’ll make sure we give them plenty of coverage. The dilemma is this. Since we are a paper that covers only local sports and recreation news, how do we fill up four pages of sports / recreation during this three month lull? I think I have figured out a way to kill several birds with one stone.
Bird #1 – Fill up four pages of local sports/recreation during the summer. Bird #2 - Folks love old photographs and the stories that go with those photographs. Bird #3 – Folks around here love the Chipola River.
Stone #1 – Have a weekly feature about old local sports / recreation photographs (Yesteryear) and a weekly feature about the Chipola River (Rollin’ Down The River).
Yesteryear will work this way. You, the readers, will send your treasure sports / recreation photographs and memories to the Times. We’ll run the picture and ask our other readers to guess who is in the picture and tell us any memories or information they know about the photograph. The following week we’ll run the picture again along with the memories and information that you the readers have sent to the Times. And each week will also include a new "Yesteryear Photograph".
Rollin’ Down the River will work two ways. You, the readers, will send your treasure pictures and/or stories about the Chipola River to the Times. We’ll run your pictures and stories as part of this feature. Secondly, I will paddle my way (by canoe or kayak) on different runs down the Chipola River as it meanders through Jackson County. I’ll do a little write up for each run, including photographs, and publish that as part of this feature. My goal is to paddle the entire portion of the river in Jackson County over the course of the summer. So you, the readers, will be Rollin’ Down the River all summer long without ever having to leave your house. See this week’s introductory Rollin’ Down the River on this page.
I hope this works and I hope you, the readers, will enjoy our summertime sports and recreation news. But in order for this to work, Simply Put, I need you, the readers to send me your photographs and stories. Send them by e-mail or drop them off at the office (2866 Madison St. in Marianna). If that is not feasible, call me (209-7319) or e-mail me (clintcox@jacksoncountytimes.net) and I’ll make arrangements to pick them up and then get the photos back to you.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said he doesn’t approve of political jokes. Too many of them get elected.

Simply Put- "A Chat with the Ole Ball Coach

May 29, 2008
By: Clint Cox

When I write about coaching styles as I did last week I usually get numerous comments from our readers. I ran into one of my former coaches last week who told me he had enjoyed my column about aggressive coaches. But, after a slight chuckle, he wanted to know if I would put him in that category. I quickly assured him that I would not. When I left I thought about my 8th grade year when I played football for him at the middle school. Was he tough? Boy, was he. Was he demanding? Yes. Was he competitive? Absolutely. Was he a disciplinarian? In the truest since, yes. Would he chew you out if you did something wrong? Yes. Were we any good? We went undefeated. Would I categorize him as an "aggressive coach"? No way.
You see some folks might take a tough and demanding coach as being aggressive. I don’t see it that way. This former coach did it the right way. He sat us down at the beginning of the season and laid down the rules. He also laid out the consequences for violating those rules. His rules applied to both the classroom and the football field.
He told us practices would be tough. He didn’t lie to us. My recollection of those practices were that there were more rocks on the field than grass. It was always hot, we drilled, we hit and we ran a lot. The games were a cakewalk compared to practices. But we were prepared and we were in shape.
He didn’t lie about the team rules or the consequences either. If you caused problems in a classroom, you faced the music with him. I remember when some non-football players and I got caught skipping a class. The non-football players got off with a lecture from the assistant principal. That afternoon though I had to go see the ole ball coach. He had warned us about the "board of education". He didn’t lie about that either. He applied the "board of education" to me harder than anyone before or since and I didn’t skip anymore classes.
But for all his toughness, I never once remember him humiliating any of his players. He didn’t feel the need to bully players around. He didn’t feel the need to sling or jerk players around. I never heard him utter any profanity. When he raised his voice, and he did, it was in a manner to challenge us to do better, not to belittle us. He wanted us to practice hard, play hard and be the best we could be in the class room and on the field.
So, Simply Put, Coach Phillip Clikas did it the right way. And I along with many other young boys, were better football players and are better men for it. So from all of them and myself, thanks Coach Clikas.

From the front porch: Coach said the key is not having the ‘will to win’, everyone has that. The key is having the ‘will to prepare.’

Simply Put- “The Trio is Gone”

By: Clint Cox
May 22, 2008

I’ve written before how 3 young guys met at Troy Teacher’s College while playing football in the late 40’s and became life long friends. The three included Jackson County natives Harry Howell and Mack Rooks. It also included a young fellow from Clanton, Al. named Charlie Cox. After college the trio stayed pretty close. Howell came back to Jackson County to coach at Marianna. Rooks and Cox followed him to the area in the mid 50’s. Cox came to Marianna in 1954 to coach basketball and football at Marianna. Rooks went to Defuniak Springs to coach football. In 1960 the trio all teamed up again at Marianna High with Howell as Principal, Rooks as Head Football Coach and Cox as Head Basketball Coach.
Even after they had left coaching and moved into more lucrative careers in administration, the trio remained in the Panhandle area and remained close friends. As the youngest son of Cox, I grew up listening to the "war stories (a.k.a. Marianna football / basketball stories) of Howell and my dad. Those stories made an impression on me and shaped my future aspirations. I knew from a very early age I wanted to play football for the Bulldogs. I wanted to be a part of that tradition that I had heard about so many times as a youngster.
Mack Rooks entered my life 18 years ago when he married my mother after my father’s passing. He carried on the tradition of telling me "war stories" about Bulldog athletics. He even took me further back to the 1940’s as well. Those stories also had an impact on my life as I covered Bulldog athletics on the radio and in the newspaper.
The trio became my story tellers. I love to listen to stories about days gone by. And I must admit that as I get older I like to spin a story or two myself. Story telling is part of how we pass on our traditions. I’ve always admired the Native American culture how they passed their "family tree" down to each generation through the art of story telling.
But the trio of story tellers are gone now. First it was my dad in 1982, then Howell a few years ago and now Rooks, who passed away last month. I don’t mean this as a sad column, because such is the circle of life. Rather this column is to pay homage to the stories these men passed on to me and to pledge to carry on the tradition. One of the reasons that I love what I do on the radio and in the newspaper is that I’m carrying on that tradition of being a story teller. Simply Put, I learned it from the trio, who were three of the best.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said that while the early bird may get the worm, it’s the second mouse that gets the cheese from the trap.

Simply Put- Aggressive Coaches

The headlines of the front page of a local paper recently announced criminal charges against a former wrestling coach at Marianna High had been dismissed. The coach had been charged with abusing 2 athletes over a year ago and was initially charged with felony child abuse. Those charges were later reduced to misdemeanors and have now been dismissed. I noted a couple of interesting comments made in the article.

First, the assistant state attorney indicated the charges were being dismissed because the victim does not wish to press charges and without the victim there is insufficient evidence to prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt. That’s not what I would call a ringing endorsement that nothing occurred.

Secondly, the article attributes a self assessment by the former coach which he said that as a wrestling coach he is aggressive and direct in his approach. That got me to thinking. Just what is an aggressive coach? I looked the word aggressive up in the dictionary. Aggressive is defined as "inclined toward hostile behavior".

When I think of aggressive coaches and non-aggressive coaches, two successful college basketball coaches come to mind. Bobby Knight would certainly fall into the aggressive category. And he certainly has had success in coaching, having won more basketball games than any other coach in Division 1 basketball. I know that he has a lot of folks that admire him. I am not one of those folks.

Aggressive coaches, in my opinion, used tactics such as humiliation, intimidation, fear, confrontation, harassment, manipulation, bullying, throwing tantrums, throwing property (such as chairs) and culminating at times by physically putting their hands on athletes in a threatening or abusive manner. Knight has used many of these tactics. In my experiences, aggressive coaches suffer from low self esteem and base their entire self worth on their winning record or championships.

When I think of non-aggressive coaches I think of John Wooden, legendary former coach at UCLA. While Knight has won more ball games than Wooden, he pales in comparison to Wooden when it comes to National Championships. Knight also, in my opinion, pales in comparison to Wooden as a coach and a man. Wooden was a teacher that used respect (not fear) to motivate his players. Rest assured he was as competitive, tough and demanding as Bobby Knight. But he never felt the need to try to humiliate, intimidate or bully his players. He certainly never felt the need to put his hands on his players in a threatening or abusive manner. A John Wooden type of coach is comfortable in who they are and know that their self worth is based on much more than their winning record.

So when I hear any coach describe themselves as "aggressive" I shake my head in disgust and get as far away from them as possible. For me and my kids, I’ll take a John Wooden type coach any day of the week. From the front porch: Coach said be quick but never hurry.

Simply Put- Headin' For The Hills

If you’re reading this column on Thursday I’m en route to Wilkesboro, North Carolina. If you’re reading it Thursday night or later, The Good Lord willin’, I’ve made it to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Carolina. I’m headin’ there to attend America’s largest Bluegrass festival, Merlefest. I’ll join 80,000 other folks as we’ll take in 4 days of the best bluegrass you’ll find anywhere.
For those unfamiliar with bluegrass, it is the genre of mostly acoustical music comprised of guitars, banjos, fiddles, dobros, an upright bass guitar and no drums. Some folks poke fun at the music, calling it hillbilly music. I heard someone recently call it hoedown music. Others call it mountain music and that’s just fine with me.
You see the mountains have a very special place in my heart. I can’t explain why, but the mountains and the culture that surrounds them have always fascinated me and captivated my interest. Even as a youngster I found myself drawn to the culture through books such as "Where the Lillies Bloom." As a young teenager in the early 70’s I listened to rock and roll just like everybody else. But I also become hooked on bluegrass, in part thanks to my brother Gary. The first bluegrass I remember listening to was music that belonged to him. He had the album that was the soundtrack to the movie "Bonnie and Clyde". Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs played a very traditional brand of bluegrass for the soundtrack and songs like "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" fit the movie like a glove. But I enjoyed some of the newer strands of bluegrass as well. Groups like "The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band", who put out a double album called "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" that is on a bluegrass lover’s must have list. Another group was called "Goose Creek Symphony" and they mixed bluegrass in with some rock and roll as well as country to produce a sound unlike anyone else. My brother also took me to my first bluegrass festival which was in Tallahassee and called Miller’s Landing Bluegrass Festival.
That was over 30 years ago and I’m still hooked on bluegrass. And I have come to love the mountains more and more over the years. The mountains grip me down to the very depths of my soul. When I’m in the mountains I feel like I belong there. I don’t believe in re-incarnation, but if I did I would say that I had spent a previous life in the mountains.
Don’t get me wrong. I was born and raised in Marianna and I’ll probably live here the rest of my life. It’s home and it’s where my wife and I chose to raise our family. That should say a lot. But I love the mountains and I’m headin’ for the hills this weekend. Simply Put, paddle faster boys I hear banjos ahead. From the front porch: Uncle Bob said the trick is growing up not growing old.

Simply Put- My Mother's Husband

In 1990, eight years after my father Charles Cox was killed in a car accident, my mother remarried. She married Mack Rooks, who had been a long time friend of our family. Mack and my father had become good friends in college at Troy back in the late 40’s where both played football and basketball. Both were married at the time and their families, along with Harry Howell and his family became lifelong friends.
Mack’s wife had passed away and so when he and my mom got married they did so with our full blessings. Not that they needed our blessing, but they had it and we were glad to see our mother happy again. But I must confess that as a 30 year old young man that still missed my father immensely, I could not warm up to calling Mack my step father or step dad. I meant no disrespect to Mack and in fact he told me that my dad was one of the finest men he had ever known and that he would never try to take his place in my life. So when I referred to him to other folks, I called him "my mother’s husband".
For the next 18 years we shared countless good times together. I loved to sit and listen to him tell the old stories of ball games from days gone by. He especially loved to tell the story of how his Defuniak Springs squad with Harold Donaldson at Quarterback beat his beloved Bulldogs in 1956. It was the Bulldog’s only loss that season and they were coached by his ole buddies Harry Howell and Charlie Cox. Mack joked that he never let Howell forget that game. He loved to listen to me as I would tell him about my radio broadcasting and sports writing, especially when it came to the Marianna Bulldogs. He always wanted me to give him the latest report about Bulldog athletics. He bled purple and gold.
He loved to tell me and my kids stories about my dad (and their granddad). So for 18 years I told folks that it was a great blessing when he and my mother married. And I meant it every time I said it. But I still referred to him as "my mother’s husband".
On April 22nd I, along with the rest of our family, stood around a bed and watch Mack play the final quarter of his life. While standing there I reflected on the fact that Mack had been everything I could have ever wanted in a husband for my mother. Mack had been everything I could have ever wanted in a grandfather figure for my kids. Mack had been everything I could have ever wanted in a friend. Simply Put, for 18 years Mack had been my stepfather. And I’m proud to say that I will no longer refer to him as "my mother’s husband". He will forever be my stepfather. I’ve truly been blessed in my life to have had a father like Charles Cox and a stepfather like Mack Rooks.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said a true sports fans is one that can leave a game and ask "What Cheerleaders?"

Simply Put- Unconditional Love

We all are preparing to celebrate Mother’s Day this Sunday and I’ve certainly been blessed to have a mother, a wife and mother in-law like I have. It has often been said that behind every great man is a great woman. I would phrase it that beside every great man is a great woman. Mother’s are truly special.

I think what I see as a mother’s greatest attribute is her unconditional love for her children. It reminds me of the unconditional love our heavenly father has for us. No matter how bad we screw up as children, our mother’s love never wavers. Even as adults when we make a mess of things, and we do, our mother’s love is still as strong as the day we came into this world. I suspect that has something to do with their unconditional love. They’ve carried their children in their womb for 9 months. They’ve nurtured those children from birth through infancy to teenagers to adults. As much as us men folk like to think we’ve been right there every step of the way, the reality is that it is not the same as being the mother.

Any mother, like my mother and my wife, that brings up three boys through the teenager years has earned her stripes. Even as their children become adults mothers still hurt when their children hurt, cry when their children cry and suffer when their children suffer. I’ve learned that none of that stops just because the children move out of the house.

As I said I’ve truly been blessed. My mother had to endure three boys, who like all kids had times when we were good and times we weren’t so good. I’ve also been blessed in that my wife is a wonderful mother to our children. She, like my mother, has three boys to raise and four if you count me. She must feel like the Lone Ranger in a house full of men folk. But I’ve seen her unconditional love for her children up close. When I’ve had enough of teenage boys and am ready to show them to the door, she is steady as a rock with her unconditional love. And my mother in law has treated my like a son and I’ve seen that unconditional love from her as well. Having been a teenage boy long ago, the unconditional love of your mother is an anchor we all need. We might not want to admit it at the time, but that unconditional love of our mother is what can pull us through some very tough times. That’s just as true when we are adults as well.

So to my mother, my wife and my mother in-law, thanks for the unconditional love that you’ve shown to me and our children. While one day a year is not enough, it’s a small step toward saying thanks.

From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob’s mother told him don’t trouble with trouble until trouble troubles with you.

Simply Put - "Citizen’s Lodge Park"

This past weekend the Marianna Arts Festival, dubbed the Pork N’ Paint Festival, took place at Citzen’s Lodge Park in Marianna. The event was another huge success and fine example of volunteers coming together for the good of the community. There was plenty of art, good eats, activities and music that filled the air.
For all the hard work of the volunteers for the event, behind the scene was another star performer. That star performer was Citizen’s Lodge Park. This park has come together over the last few years to be a "jewel" for our community. The folks at the county’s parks department, Chuck Hatcher and the gang, deserve a pat on the back for a job well done. If you haven’t taken in the park recently I strongly suggest you give it a try. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how this park has evolved.
The area has been several things over the years. Mother Nature has used and continues to use the area as a flood plain for the Chipola River. For many years it was a pony farm known as Beall’s Pony Farm. For a while the main building or lodge was used by Citzen’s State Bank, now known as Suntrust, for meetings or events.
About 8 years ago the area was purchased by the state and leased to the county. It was then announced that it would be developed as a community park. I began to visit the park as walking or running trails were first established. During those 8 years I have watched as they added pavilions, paved walking trails, exercise stations, bathrooms, picnic tables, playground equipment and a gazebo by the pond. The latest edition is a top of the line performing arts stage that was put to good use this past weekend by the many bands that entertained the crowds. All these improvements and the natural beauty of the landscape make it a perfect location for events like this past weekend’s festival. But even more importantly, it has become a location where folks can escape the hustle and bustle of the world and get a little down time to relax. They can do all that, and even get a little exercise, in the serene surroundings of a majestic meadow along the Chipola River.
The only drawback to the park these days is that it is almost too popular. I remember the days when no one would be at the park but me, my boys and our dog. But I can’t blame folks, there are just enjoying the same things we enjoy. So, Simply Put, thanks to all the folks that have made Citizen’s Lodge Park into an outstanding place to unwind. Keep up the great work. From the front porch: It’s true that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. But Uncle Bob said you sure can make that horse awful thirsty.

Simply Put - "It’s The Pants"

By Clint Cox

For the last two weeks I have written about why some baseball players wear there pants hiked up to their knees, thus showing their stockings, and why do some prefer to wear their pant legs all the way down to their ankles. While I have had a lot of comments and e-mails about the articles, I had no intention of writing a third column on the subject.
But I showed up on Monday night in Sneads to cover the Pirates and the Tigers of Blountstown. I immediately noticed something different about the Pirates. I had just covered them a week ago in Altha and only one Pirate player had his pant legs hiked up to show his stockings. That was the pitcher Pat Jones and by the way he struck out 19 batters with those stockings showing.
On Monday night the Pirates had a look that was reminiscent of the uniforms worn back in the early days of baseball. Call their throwback uniforms a "Field of Dreams" look if you will. Their pant were baggy and the legs were hiked up to their knees. Every single Pirate player and coach was displaying their blue stockings. I’ve got to admit that I liked what I saw.

Some of the players didn’t seem to care for the look as much as I did. A few Pirates accidently, or possibly on purpose, allowed their pants legs to drift back down to their ankles. The Pirate coaches and other players would have nothing of it and the players were told to hike’em up or head to the dugout.

I talked with Head Coach Mark Guerra about my recent articles and his decision to shake up their look. They had thought about doing so on several occasions he said but just had not done it. Monday night’s district game seemed to be the right time. Guerra talked about wearing the throwback uniforms during his days of playing professional ball and how he liked the idea of the throwback uniform look on occasion for his Pirates.

He also let me in on his thoughts about the stockings. With baggy pants the uniforms lend themselves to hiking the legs up to show off the stockings. But most of the uniforms worn by today’s players are much more tight fitting and don’t lend themselves to hiking the legs up as well.

We all know that a uniform really has no impact on performance. But Simply Put, the Pirates won for the first time in a long while in the throwback uniforms. You can bet that Pirate fans and opponents will see more of this "Field of Dreams" look. And who knows "If you wear it, they will come"

From the front porch: Coach said that if you aim at nothing you’ll hit it.

By Clint Cox

Photo Caption: Clayton Smith of Sneads rounds third base as he heads to home plate for a run in the Pirates 13-2 win over Blountstown on Monday night. Photo by Clint Cox
Wins have been hard to come by this year for the Sneads Pirate’s baseball squad. So Monday night’s big 13-2 district win over Blountstown was a welcomed reprieve from some recent tough losses, and to add a little nostalgia to the win, the Pirates had donned their "old timer’s uniforms". All the Pirate players and coaches wore baggy pants with the pant legs hiked up to the knee. While the look may have been retro, the win was something very new for the Pirates. "It’s been a while for us since we got a win. We’ve been playing better lately but the wins haven’t come. So this was a really good win for our squad," said Head Coach Mark Guerra.

Blountstown jumped out to an early lead with a home run in the top of the first inning. Trailing 2-0 going into their first at bat, the Pirates knew they needed to answer. Answer they did as Trevin Hall’s RBI double scored Taylor Edge. Josh Blount’s sacrifice fly then scored Hall to tie the game at 2-2. Pat Jones stroked a RBI single to score Johnny Yawn and Clayton Smith’s sacrifice fly scored Jones. That gave the Pirates a 4-2 lead after the first inning. The second inning was more of the same as Marcus Beauchamp led off with a walk. Hall then crushed a fast ball and sent it over the left field wall for a 2 run home run. Jake Roberts followed with a single and Jones hit a RBI single to score Yawn, who had come in to run for Roberts. The Pirates managed to load the bases and then Jerry Bamberg’s 3 RBI triple made it a 10-2 game. Sneads added 3 more runs in the fourth inning as Josh Blount’s RBI single scored Yawn and Beauchamp’s 2 RBI single scored Smith and Blount.

Guerra credited the pitching job of Jake Roberts for setting the tone in the win. "Jake pitched a great game. He threw strikes and gave up no walks. That helps keep the infield alert and then our bats were really good tonight," said Guerra. And of course then there is the pants. He also is optimistic that this win could help jump start his Pirates "Hopefully this will get us started playing better down the stretch as we get ready for the upcoming district tournament (in two weeks)." And of course being a good superstitious baseball coach, Guerra said the Pirates will continue with the old timer’s uniforms. "It’s the pants and we’ll keep wearing them until we lose" Guerra said.

Photo Caption: "It’s the Pants" Members of the Sneads Pirates all wore their pant legs hiked up on Monday night (See Simply Put) and are picture here celebrating a two run homer by Trevin Hall. Photo by Clint Cox

Simply Put - More on The Stocking issue.

by Clint Cox

Last week I wrote about the burning question that has been on all of our minds. Why do some baseball players wear there pants hiked up to their knees, thus showing their stockings, and why do some prefer to wear their pants all the way down to their ankles.

I’ve written some columns that I thought would really generate some discussion about important issues in our lives and communities. Some did and some didn’t. But this question about stockings has certainly generated some e-mails and discussions in the baseball stands around our county. While this is not an issue that will change our earth’s rotation, it is good to know that folks are at least reading my column.

One reader, Lane Harris, sent me an e-mail that hooked me up with some websites that addressed this issue. Apparently I’m not the only one that has wondered out loud about this question. One of the web sites gave a little history on the issue and I’ll pass it on.

In the early days of baseball the players pants were knickerbockers, i.e., pants that were banded just below the knees. Most of the pants were fairly drab in appearance and most looked the same. One of the ways a team had to add color to their look and distinguish themselves was by having stockings or socks that set them apart. Some even came to tie this into their team name. Ever wondered where the clubs got the names like Red Sox or White Sox? Now you know. It was also felt that the stockings made their legs look longer and pitchers especially liked that elusion.

Over the years however uniforms became more colorful and more distinctive. It was not all without criticism. Do any of you remember the out cry when the Oakland A’s came out with their colorful uniforms, and "gasp", white shoes in the early 70’s.

For awhile it was the stirrup portion of the stocking that took center stage. Eventually someone started wearing the legs all the way down and it caught on. Shawn Larkin tells me that a few years ago at a tribute to Satchel Page, the Hall of Fame pitcher, some of the players wore their pants hiked up to the knee and had baggy pants on to pay honor to Page. So what comes around goes around and some of the modern players went back to this style. Others still feel this is more of a look for college and high school. Oddly enough at a recent game between Sneads and Altha, I noticed only one player on either team, the Sneads pitcher, displayed his stockings.

In the end, they say it is all a matter of personal preference on the stocking. Some like to show’em and some don’t. Simply Put, I still think we can tell something about a person by their choice of fashion on the stocking matter.

From the front porch: Coach said the price for keeping your integrity is never more than the cost of losing it.

Simply Put - The Stocking Question?

By: Clint Cox

By my account, I have written at least 80 "Simply Put" columns. None have made a difference in which direction the sun comes up, but a few have at least struck a nerve with some folks. This week’s column may be right up there with questions such as What is the meaning of Life? or Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

The burning question that I have been asking myself for a couple of weeks now is what makes some baseball players wear their pant legs at the knee, thus showing their stockings, and what makes other players wear their pant legs all the way down to their ankles? If you’ve been to a baseball game at the high school, college or professional level, surely this question has come to your mind as it has to mine.

There must be some deep psychological reason that players make one of these two choices. I’ve asked some of the high school players and they saw it as just a personal preference. That’s too simple, there must be more to it than just that.

I’ve ask a few of my friends that have spent many years and a lot of money getting degrees that allow them to make in depth analysis of some of life’s more perplexing behavior. They speak a language that I call "Psycho-babble" so as to either dazzle us with brilliance or baffle us with, well you know the rest of the line.

But none of my "psycho-babble" friends could come up with any deep meaning explanation of why a player makes a specific choice about whether to display their stockings or cover them up. Surely this decision making fits into some type of profiling analysis that is laid out in one of their "psycho-babble" books. But they claim not.

So, without the aid of any well educated and or well paid behavior analyst, I was forced to come up with my own theory. Simply Put, I’ll call it the lunch pail theory. The guys that wear their pants legs up to their knees like the look of stockings on a baseball uniform. It adds a little more flash or pizzazz to the uniform. They are the guys that would make sure to have a nice shiny lunch pail in which to tote their lunch to work.

The guys that wear their pants legs all the way down to the ankles aren’t too worried about how they look. They are not into flashy uniforms, they just want to go out and do their jobs. They are the guys that will tote the same lunch box to work for years, regardless of how many dents it has or how it looks.

So how would you wear your pants legs on a baseball uniform? Send me an e-mail or blog me on the webpage. And if you have any other theories about this burning question of the utmost importance include that in your e-mail or blog.
From the front porch: Coach said never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.

Simply Put - Bring On Baseball & Springtime

It’s time to put away the sneakers and break out the cleats. Most folks will be getting their sports fix outdoors at the ole ball park. Nothing quite like taking in a baseball game at the ballpark. Kick back in a lawn chair, maybe have a hot dog, or two and heckle ole blue behind the plate about his poor eye sight (which usually isn’t much better than our own).

I’ve written before about how I like the transition from basketball to baseball. We go from a fast pace game, played in packed indoor gyms on cold nights with plenty of loud music to a leisurely paced game, played outdoors at parks where folks tend to scatter out a little more. A few programs will have some music but it’s not near as loud and I can usually understand most of the words to the songs.

But baseball season means other things as well. It’s a sign that the season is about to change from winter to spring and then to summer. The cold dreary days of January and February are giving way to the sunny days of March and April. Spring is a comin’. Now some folks who struggle with allergies dread the coming of spring. The Lord blessed me with no allergies to speak of so spring time is my one of my favorite times of the year.

We see the Lord’s awesome creations begin to blossom and brighten up the landscape. We hear the birds singing again and lots of new little creatures in the meadows and pasture lands. There is just something that spring time brings that give us a little extra pep in our step. For those of us who love the outdoors recreational activities like fishing, canoeing, kayaking, boating, swimming, hiking, walking, jogging or bird watching, springtime brings regeneration.

Of course it’s not all a bed of roses. Again, if you struggle with allergies my heart goes out to you. There’s enough yellow pollen floating around these days to make my little black Pontiac Vibe look like a bumble bee. And with all the rain we’ve had recently, the mosquito factories have been working overtime. And they have produced a bumper crop so look out for incoming swarms of the pesky insects.

But I’ll fight off the mosquitos best I can, keep my car rinsed daily to rid it of the layers of pollen because, Simply Put, it’s time for baseball and springtime.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said baseball is like church. Many attend. Few understand.