Simply Put with Clint Cox

“Blackberry Winter”

2011-03-10T10:15:00.001-08:00

I always like to learn something new. And even though I have now past a half century on this earth, there are still plenty of opportunities to learn something new. Just the other day I over heard two ladies talking at a local restaurant. One of the ladies made the comment “Well I guess this is just part of Blackberry Winter.”

My ears immediately perked up. Did she say something about blackberries and winter I asked myself? I am sure that my ears caught this comment because of my new found hobby of being a fruit farmer. That’s right, the Cox household has dived head first into planting a variety of fruit trees, vines and/or bushes. We started several years ago and each year add a few new plantings to our fruit crop.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“Art In Motion”

2011-03-04T09:32:00.000-08:00

It is track and field time of the year again on the local sport scene. This past Saturday I had the opportunity to take in the Panhandle Open at Tommy Oliver Stadium in Panama City. A total of 24 teams for the Panhandle took part in the event, including three of our local varsity teams (Marianna, Cottondale and Graceville).

From the Front Porch: Coach said a boss knows all…a leader asks questions.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“Florida in February”

2011-02-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

I suspect I’m like most folks, complaining about the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter. For the past two months we have endured some pretty cold weather. Then it seemed like it rained off and on for a solid week. While we certainly needed the rain, the drizzly overcast days don’t do much for the old body’s battery.

Then we get a run of weather like we had this past weekend. There was not a cloud to be seen for two days. The Carolina Blue sky beckoned us to come out of our partial hibernation. Temperatures were warm enough to get outside to enjoy the day but cool enough not to sweat or bring out the pesky insects that call Florida home.

I made the most of the picture perfect weather. Saturday, after doing a little “honey do” paint job, I headed for Hinson’s Park.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“Something Good Must Be Coming My Way”

2011-02-10T09:09:00.001-08:00

I recently saw Bill Sprouse at a recent sporting event. Bill then let me know that he is a faithful reader of my column Simply Put. As with most folks if someone tells me that they are a faithful reader of my column I take some pride in that fact. So when Bill told me that you might say that my ego meter went up just a notch. “Yeah, I am one of your eight faithful readers” he added.

My ego meter dipped back down with this comment. All that hard work for just eight faithful readers? “You are now one behind Homer Hirt, he’s got nine” Bill said. My ego meter was back on the rise as I realized I was closing the gap on Homer.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“A Evening With The Hag”

2011-02-03T10:33:00.000-08:00

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

So The Hag and I got together again last Thursday for a little reunion. My wife commented that it is amazing that he is still able to sing and play as well as he does at age 73. She was right. I thought of another amazing aspect to our reunion. After all those years of partying together, for this reunion both of us were stone cold sober. And both of us thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

There was a saying back in the 70s and 80s, “The Hag ain’t gettin’ older, he’s just gettin’ better.” By his own admission the Hag is old now. But Simply Put, he is still The Hag, The Okie, The Working Man, The Poet and The Legend.

“Behind Every Signee”

2011-01-28T10:20:00.000-08:00

This week’s front page of the sports section celebrates six Jackson County athletes that are movin’ on up to play collegiate athletics. You’ve probably heard the old saying behind every good man is a good (or even better) woman. That might not be a politically correct saying in today’s world, but the theme is right on the mark. Behind every success story there is usually a strong supporting cast. And that is certainly the case when a young athlete signs a scholarship.

Behind every signee there is a support cast of individuals that have helped that young athlete become the athlete, and more importantly, the person they are. Coaches, friends, school teachers and administrators are a big part of that cast. But often there is none more important supporting cast members than that athlete’s parents.

On signing day the athlete gets their picture and an article in the paper. That brief glimpse is what most folks see and know about the athlete and their family. But that brief glimpse is the culmination of many, many long hours of dedication by the athlete and their family. There are plenty of great athletes out there but often the difference between the kid who signs a scholarship and the one that doesn’t is that supporting cast. And most often the parents are at the top of the list of that supporting cast.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“2010 YEAR IN REVIEW ”

2010-12-30T08:58:00.001-08:00

Each year’s last edition of The Times is a look back at the year’s highlights. As I spent some time pulling together what I viewed as the sports highlights from the past year I once again realized that we have a lot of good sports programs in our county. So as you thumb through the sports section this week take time to relish the many sports accomplishments that occurred in our county this year.

Of course there is no way to include each and every sports highlight that occurred during the year. Time and space just would not allow us to do so. And I am sure that there are some highlights that some of you might feel that should have been included but were not.

My process for making these selections is fairly simple. I flip through each paper’s sports section for the past year and jot down those stories that I think are highlights. Then, usually because of space limitations, there is some culling of that list.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“Randy’s Rowdies - Part I

2010-12-17T10:31:00.001-08:00

As you might expect I travel around the county on a frequent basis. This allows me to form an opinion as to who has the best cheering sections. The Malone vs Marianna game two weeks ago in Malone was certainly a great crowd that was rocking on both sides. A few years ago the Cottondale Hornets had the “Let’s Get Cruncked Up” crowd that was pretty good.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

Turn Out The Lights

2010-12-10T11:51:00.001-08:00

On Monday morning I was saddened to hear the news of the passing of Don Meredith. “Dandy Dan” as we knew him died Sunday at the age of 72. For many the passing of Meredith was just another ex-athlete/broadcaster who had died and in doing so made the news. Meredith was much more than just an ex-athlete/broadcaster to me. As a young teenager Meredith was one of the main reasons I looked forward to Monday Night Football in it’s early days. For those of you who are too young or unfamiliar, Meredith served as one of the commentators on ABC’s Monday Night Football over a period of 14 years.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“It’s About Time”

2010-12-02T09:05:00.001-08:00

If you have ready my column on any regular basis you know that I have several soap boxes that I climb up on every now and then. Of course, some folks would say that at 5’5” I need to climb up on a soap box more often just to be seen and heard.

One of the soap boxes that I have stood on for several years now has to do with the issue of public school athletic programs having to compete against athletic programs from private schools. Over the last few years I’ve written several columns about this subject and have outlines the various advantages that I think private school athletic programs have over the public school athletic programs.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“Blessed”

2010-11-28T11:03:00.001-08:00

“Blessed”

Thanksgiving is a time to be reminded of all the things we have to be thankful for in our lives and our community. Oh I know that the evening news and the morning papers (not The Times of course) are full of stories that would make anyone wonder what we have to be thankful for. And I know there are plenty of bad things happening out there that make me shake my head in disbelief.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“Hats Off To The Head Hornet”

2010-11-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

We are routinely bombarded in the media with stories about athletes getting special treatment. And there are certainly some examples that prove that to be true. But how often does the media publicize when those athletes are held to a high standard by their coaches? Not often enough in my opinion.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“Two Different Worlds Part II”

2010-11-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

There is a letter to the editor about my column last week and I would certainly encourage our readers to read that letter. I clearly offended some folks with my comments about rednecks and homosexuals. Let me say right up front that I thought the comments made in the letter to the editor are for the most part well articulated and I am man enough to accept that others are going to have different opinions about the way we look at the world.

My intent was never to offend anyone. My intent was simply to show how in a short period of time I was in two different environments that could not have been any further apart. And I will confess that, as I often do, I was attempting to write my column with some humor. While I have had more than several folks comment that they saw the humor in my column, clearly there are those who would say that my attempt at humor was a very poor choice.

I can accept that some would say that my attempt at humor was a poor attempt and that as a sports editor maybe it would be best if I just stuck to sports. I was not attempting to bash anyone. I recognize that Ms. Sharp does not know me, except through my articles. But I think the people that do know me would tell her that I am not a basher. If anyone was offended by my comments last week, please accept my apology.

I don’t think it was fair though for Ms. Sharp to attempt to connect my article in some way to gay kids committing suicide for being bullied. My faith doesn’t teach me to do anything that might appear to be of a bullying nature. And suicide has touched my family twice, so I would never intentionally do anything that I thought would even remotely be part of that. However I should not have said anything that might have been construed by some as being mean spirited. Again those people that know me I think would attest that I am not a mean spirited person.

Ms. Sharp certainly has the right to express her opinion about me and I applaud the paper for running her comments. But even more so I would appreciate the opportunity to talk with Ms. Sharp either by phone or in person. Since I don’t know her or her phone number, this is my invitation to Ms. Sharp to call me (209-7319). From her letter I suspect that we probably have different opinions about the subject matter. But I’d like the opportunity to attempt to show her that I am not a mean spirited person, that I am not out to bully anyone and that I can agree to disagree with folks in a civil and respectful manner.

Simply Put, I’d welcome that opportunity.

From the Front Porch: Coach said words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.

“Two Different Worlds”

2010-11-04T11:07:00.001-07:00

“Two Different Worlds”

Last Friday afternoon Russell Register and I left a little early for Marianna’s game in Port St. Joe. We figured St. Joe would be a good place to cure a hankering we had for some good salty oysters. After several stops we were disappointed to find that St. Joe has no oyster bars.

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“Faces”

2010-10-28T11:12:00.001-07:00

I have recently discovered another sign of my aging process. At a gathering this past Sunday a gentleman introduced me to his wife. I made the usual comment about it being nice to meet her and she told me that we had met a week or two before where we both work. I’ll be the first to admit I am terrible at remembering names. But I am usually pretty good at remembering faces. I guess she could tell I was still clueless as to who she was, so she let me in on exactly when and where we had met. Once she did I then remembered meeting her.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“The Big Kahuna”

2010-10-22T10:14:00.001-07:00

Don Moore was many things to many people. For most folks around here he was that familiar voice on the radio for the past 30 plus years. For Russell Register and I he was much more than just a voice on the radio. As I pondered the passing of Don (see story on front page) I boiled our friendship down to three things.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“Glad To Be Wrong”

2010-10-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

As we now know FSU beat up on Miami and proved that the other three pickers were right and I was wrong. My reverse psychology worked. Simply Put, I can’t recall being so glad to be so wrong in such a long time. Go Noles.

From the Front Porch: Coach said we can respond to life’s adversities by choosing to be powerful or choosing to be pitiful.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“Real Grits”

2010-10-07T14:06:00.001-07:00

I’m a grits man. I’ve been eating grits for as long as I can remember. I prefer them with a little salt and real butter, but cheese is fine too, assuming fried fish is on the plate.

I buy a bag of Jim Dandy Quick Grits every few weeks and I’ve never really given much thought to why they’re called quick grits. That all changed this past weekend when I made another pilgrimage to Bradley’s Country Store. I wrote about Bradley’s and their country style sausage two weeks ago. While in the store I noticed they also sell country milled grits. I figured as much as I like grits and as much as I like their sausage, I ought to give these “real” grits a try.

To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“How ‘Bout Them Hornets”

2010-09-30T11:22:00.001-07:00

When the 2010 football season started I, like all local high school football fans, had my thoughts on who would do well this season and who would struggle. Much like the weekly college football picks that I have been butchering lately, my thoughts on who would do well and who would struggle once again prove that I don’t need to quit my day job just yet.
To read the rest of the story visit our virtual paper by clicking on this link!

“The Best”

2010-09-23T12:13:00.001-07:00

I don’t do a lot of endorsements. Some folks who live out their lives in the public eye will slap their name or picture on anything that moves, crawls or can be eaten. Some, like fellow Times columnist Homer Hirt, use a more subliminal approach to endorsement. I’ve just never been much into endorsements. And I am sure that has nothing to do with the fact that I’ve never had anybody approach me to endorse their product.

But I am stepping out this week into the endorsement world, even though the folks that make this product have not asked me for endorsement. Nor do I suspect that they need my endorsement as they seemed to have done just fine for the past 83 years without it.

I’ve said before that there aren’t many things I miss about living in Tallahassee where I lived for 8 years. But there are three things that I do miss: my tennis league, good Buffalo Wings and Bradley’s Smoked Sausage.

Twelve miles east of Tallahassee on Centerville Road one can take a trip into the past. Bradley’s Country Store has been serving customers since 1927. The store today looks much like it did in 1927. Wooden porch, wooden rocking chairs, screen front door, hard wood floors with shelves stocked with some of the necessities of living. But what draws customers to Bradley’s is in the back of the store. That is where they sell their smoked sausage.

Their smoked sausage is made right there at the store, using the same recipe that Grandma Bradley started using back in 1927. They have the same varieties as Grandma Bradley had back then. The top sellers are regular and spicy smoked sausage, followed by fresh made baby link and ground sausage.

This past Saturday I was in Tallahassee for a Cross Country race and had a little free time after the race. A quick call to my mom and a road trip to Bradley’s was in order. It has been years since I made the lovely drive out Centerville Road and much to my pleasure, nothing has changed. Same oak tree canopy drive, same store front, same store on the inside and best of all the sausage still taste the same. We got a couple of sausage dogs to go and they were delicious.

The only thing that has changed about Bradley’s Smoked Sausage over the years is the price. It’s not cheap, but it is certainly worth every penny. They had plenty of business on Saturday, so other folks must not mind paying for good sausage either.

So if you want some mighty fine sausage, make you a road trip to Bradley’s Country Store. For me, Simply Put, it’s “The Best” I’ve ever eatin’. Want to know more about Bradley’s Country Store? Check them out on the internet at www.bradleyscountrystore.com

From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said the average person thinks that he is better than the average person.

“Keep On Playing”

2010-09-16T09:48:00.001-07:00

Ronald Reagan was President, my good buddy Russell Register had a head full of hair and I looked more like a former wide receiver than a former offense guard. The year was 1988, and that is how long it had been since Graceville beat Marianna in football. But this past Friday night the Tigers pulled off a 24-21 win over the Bulldogs.

Last year was the first time in Bulldog football history that all three county football teams (Cottondale, Graceville and Sneads) were on their schedule. It was the first year Marianna had ever played Sneads, which the Bulldogs won, during the regular season. Including this year’s game against Cottondale the Bulldogs have won all 9 of the meetings with the Hornets.

Graceville has been another story though. Counting Friday night’s game the two teams have played at least 35 times, dating back to the 1930’s. While the outcome of two of the contest is unknown to me, of the 33 times there is a recorded outcome, Marianna has won 25 times. But that means the Tigers have pulled off 8 wins over the Bulldogs. They had two wins in the 30’s, one in the fifties, four in the eighties and last Friday night’s win.

Some folks on both sides of the street say these games should not be on the schedule. The smaller schools, those folks would say, don’t need to play Marianna. They would say that most of the time you are going to get beat and wins are harder enough to get. So why make it even tougher by playing Marianna?

Some Marianna folks might ask “why play the smaller schools?” You have nothing to gain if you win because you were supposed to win. And if you lose it is a bitter pill to swallow as the largest school in the county.

Some of those in favor of these games might note that it is a good payday at the admission gate. All programs need money to run and having these inter-county games are a big boost to the pocket books. While that is certainly true, I like these games for another reason.

Inter-county games are intense rivalries. It’s not just another game and it gets folks fired up. And when one of the smaller schools knocks the “Big Dog” off the porch so to say, it creates a memory for those players and that community that won’t soon be forgotten. I know the Marianna folks would just assume not be the fodder for making another team’s year, but that is the nature of sports. You win some, and Marianna has won most, and you lose some. Graceville has pulled it off 8 times, Cottondale has been close several times and Sneads will try again late this season.

So while there are some folks that say these games should not be scheduled, I say Simply Put, let’s keep on playing them.

From the Front Porch: Coach said that all potential means is that you haven’t done anything yet.

“Don’t Quit The Day Job Just Yet”

2010-09-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

Every August at The Times somebody, other than me, comes up with the idea to have a football picking contest. In other words have a contest sponsored by the paper in which local folks, and myself, pick who we think will be the winners of various football games.

Each year I do my best to nix the idea. This year the forces were too overwhelming and thus The Times now has the “Pigskin Football Contest”. I did win one battle this year. The idea to include local high school games as part of the contest was thrown out at my request. My job is already tough enough, and calling up coaches for information or quotes after I picked the other team to win doesn’t make for good public relations.

I’ve generally been opposed to these kinds of contest in our paper for several reasons.
For one, I must confess that I do not follow college football as close as I used to. I know that my column last week was about my excitement over the return of college football. But after covering the local sports scene week in and week out now for over four years I get my fill of sports. I still follow my favorite teams, but I don’t watch football all day and all evening like I used to. When I get some free time these days instead of watching more sports, I tend to prefer taking my wife out for dinner and maybe a movie. And I also don’t mind finding a river to paddle or a trail to hike.

Another reason that I don’t like these contest is that I tend to select with my heart and not my head. It’s hard to pick against some of my favorite schools and I’ve always been a sucker to pick the underdog. I feel better when my favorite teams win and I get lucky every now and then with the underdogs. But picking favorites and underdogs doesn’t usually pad my winning percentage.

And the last reason is these contest are brutal on my sports ego. I know some of our readers might find it difficult to believe I have an ego. But my lovely wife of 24 years often addresses the issue of my ego, so apparently I’ve got one. I’ve been a local sports broadcaster for almost 20 years and a sports editor now for over four years. That has lead some of the general public to think I know a thing or two about sports. And I’ve done my best over these years to keep up the charade. These pick the winner contest blow my cover and reveal that no one should consult my picks on the way to see their local bookie.

In fact, when this season is said and done, Simply Put, the Pigskin Football Contest is likely to show all our readers why I don’t need to quit my day job just yet.

From the Front Porch: Coach said to remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

“Bring On The Buffet”

2010-09-02T09:19:00.001-07:00

The last snap was more than seven months ago. That is when the Alabama Crimson Tide captured their 13th National Championship. But starting this Thursday night college football is back, and it comes back with a smorgasbord of ball games. There will be college football games on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Wives, throw away the honey do list for the weekend.

There is nothing quite like college football. I’ll confess that I am bias about the subject. Football is my favorite sport to watch, which is somewhat odd in that basketball was always my favorite sport to play. But college football ignites a spirit and enthusiasm among it’s millions of fans that is unlike any other sport. There is an entire culture that surrounds college football. Think of the millions that will fill the stadiums this season. And that pales in comparison to the millions upon millions that will watch college football. I know the other sports have their own culture and their enthusiast, but they are dwarfed when compared to college football.

This season also brings with it many questions for local college football fans. Crimson Tide fans waited for many years for the return to glory. Now they must ask themselves “Can Nick (Saban) lead us to a repeat?” While most Bama fans have master’s degrees from the Bear Bryant school of poor mouthing and will tell you all the potential shortfalls of this year’s team, I think Bama can repeat.

Florida fans, and their enemies, are wondering “Is there life after Tebow?” Gator QB Tim Tebow brought the Gators two national titles and dominated college football for the past few years. But I would remind Gator fans, and their skeptics, Florida has a long history of great quarterbacks that began long before Tebow. This new boy, John Brantley, will likely come out and sling the ball all over the field and probably set all kinds of new records.

Auburn and Miami fans are asking if their relatively new coaches (Gene Chizik and Randy Shannon) can return those programs to glory. Yes they can and they probably will this season. Georgia fans are asking for a better season and Georgia Tech fans say if they can get some defense they’ll win the games their supposed to win and then some.

And of course there is FSU. The Bobby Bowden era is over and Nole fans want to know “Can Jimbo Fisher jump start a Seminole program that has been mired in mediocrity the last few years?” “Can Jimbo Fisher be to FSU what Nick Saban has been to Alabama?”. I don’t know, but the two did coach together at LSU when the Tigers won a national title.

It all starts on Thursday and after a seven month forced starvation diet, Simply Put, bring on the buffet. College football is back and back with a furry.

From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said his mind is somewhat like lighting. One brilliant flash and then it’s gone.

“The Voice of Bulldog Football”

2010-08-26T09:03:00.001-07:00

On this page is an article I wrote about Russell Register beginning his 22nd season as the radio play by play announcer of Bulldog Football. You will note that he had three different color analysts in each of his first three years. As the third one, I joined him at the beginning of the 1991 season. For better or worse, he’s been stuck with me ever since. I calculated just how many Bulldog football broadcast he has done in the previous 21 seasons. Out of 249 broadcast, he has done 247 of them.

As a young child and teenager I used to listen to a lot of football on the radio. I listened to both high school and college football. Some of my earliest memories of listening to football on the radio was in the late 60’s. FSU played all their home games on Saturday night back then and my family attended those games on a regular basis. On the way back to Marianna my dad love to tune our AM radio to LSU football. They also played on Saturday nights but being on central time they were an hour behind the Seminoles. I can recall being young enough to lay in the front sit of our car with my head in my mother’s lap, listening to those strange sounding Cajun names and the roar of that rowdy Bengal crowd on a Baton Rouge Saturday night.

In 1990 I was living in Tallahassee but was home one weekend and made sure to tune the radio to Bulldog football. As the son of a former Bulldog football coach, the brother of two former Bulldog football players and having worn the purple and gold myself, I wanted to check up on the Bulldogs. I had also heard from my brother that Russell was doing the broadcast.

That was no surprise to me. I had known him growing up and could always recall he had a habit of “announcing” when we played pick up games of football and basketball. The minute I heard him broadcasting that game I knew that it was something that I would like to try. I am firmly convinced that the LORD made that opportunity happened a few months later. Twenty years later I am still tagging along.

Bulldog football fans are a faithful bunch. But like any group who gets used to something, they are capable to taking things for granted. Russell has been around for so long that I suspect some folks take him, and the quality of the broadcast, for granted. For the past 19 years I have listened to Russell’s voice come through my headset. He is the best high school football announcer I have ever heard. Simply Put, he is The Voice of Bulldog football and I hope that Bulldog football fans appreciate what he has done for our program over these past 22 years. From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said his son has a military golf game…left, right, left, right.

Out and About - The Hills of N.C.

2010-08-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a place to beat the swelter heat of Dog Days in Northwest Florida. Well the hills of North Carolina are callin’. Located in the western portion of the Tar Heel State, the Great Smokey Mountains and the Nantahala National Forest are the perfect get away places to for us Floridians. It’s no wonder that is seems like every other car tag I saw last week in North Carolina was from the Sunshine State. There are a multitude of opportunities when vacationing in western North Carolina and the following are just a few suggestions.

Hiking enthusiasts will feel like they have died and gone to heaven. This region is a mecca of hiking trails with amazing scenery. Of course the grand daddy of the hiking trails is the Appalachian Trail, but there are literally hundreds of other hiking trails in this region. I thoroughly enjoyed hiking the Big Laurel Falls trail on Standing Indian Mountain in the Nantahala National Forest. The long drive to get there was worth the hike and trip to Big Laurel Falls, which offered nice little pool of cool water just right for a summer time dip. The nearby portions of the Appalachian Trail are worth the hike as well, including the Wayah Bald Tower (elevation 5,342 feet). This stone lookout tower offers some spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding mountain ranges.

The town of Cherokee offers a variety of fun things to do as well as some cultural enrichment opportunities to learn more about the history of the Cherokee Indians. While some aspects of Cherokee fall into the classic “tourist trap” category, don’t let that steer you away. My favorite place in Cherokee is the Oconaluftee Islands Park in downtown Cherokee. This public park has pavilions, grills, and shade trees that invite you and your family for some quality outdoor time. The main attraction though is the Oconaluftee River. The river offers an opportunity to tube or swim, which are ideal on a hot summer afternoon. The kids will absolutely love playing along the river’s shallows with the thousands of river rocks.

The Great Smokey Mountain Railroad departs out of Bryson City and offers two routes, one to the Nantahala Gorge and the other to Dillsboro. The route to the Nantahala Gorge offers nice scenery of the mountains, Fontana Lake and the Nantahala River. An hour layover at the Nantahala Outdoor Center offers the opportunity for lunch and, if you are brave enough, a dip in the frigid waters (52 degrees) of the Nantahala. I can attest that the Nantahala River makes Blue Springs feel like a hot tub.

The region demonstrates their love of music as almost every community offers “Music In The Park.” On most Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights these communities offer free musical entertainment in the downtown park areas. And their first choice of music is their beloved “mountain music” or better known as Bluegrass music. With a little scouting of local newspapers you can map out the various musical opportunities available. While the music may not be what you normally listen to, I assure you that you will see and hear some of the finest musicians anywhere when taking in these venues.

“Doing Nothing…Mountain Style”

2010-08-20T08:10:00.001-07:00

While vacationing last week in North Carolina (See Out and About…The Hills of North Carolina on page B3) we ventured to the town of Cherokee. Everybody had their planned activities for the day. Some of my tribal clan planned to contribute to the local Cherokee economy at Harrah’s. My youngest son Patrick is too young for Harrah’s, but he also wanted to do his part to help the local Cherokee economy. So he planned to do some shopping at the quintessential tourist shopping strip.

He turned to me and asked what I planned to do. “I’m headin’ to my favorite place in Cherokee” I said. “You must be going to that park” he replied, in that tone that only a 15 year old can use that suggest they are questioning their parent’s sanity.

“You got it,” I fired back, “I’m heading to Oconaluftee Island Park.” Not only is it my favorite place in Cherokee to visit, it is one of my favorite places in all of the mountains to visit. The town of Cherokee has some elements of a “tourist trap” and I normally try to avoid tourist traps. But I don’t mind Cherokee because I know I can relax at the park. This public park’s feature attraction is the Oconaluftee River’s rippling waters on either side of the island.

The river is just right for a relaxing tube float or dip in the cool waters on a hot summer afternoon. When our kids were little they could spend hours along the river’s shallows, playing with the thousands of river rocks. And of course a mandatory rock skipping contest was held at each outing at the park.

My kids have outgrown much of that now and the park doesn’t hold the same appeal to them. “What are you going to do at the park?” Patrick asked me. “Oh I’ll probably float on a tube and take a little dip. After that I’ll probably just sit in my chair under a shade tree and watch the river roll by.” He shook his head and I could just image that his 15 year old brain was thinking ‘he’s just going to sit in a chair and watch the river roll by’, how boring. “Doesn’t sound to exciting, does it” I asked. Again he just shook his head as if to wonder about dear ole dad’s state of mind.

I felt compelled to explain to him the wonders of doing nothing. In fact I told him, Simply Put, sometimes doing nothing…especially in the mountains… is my favorite thing to do.

P.S. – after his shopping trip, Patrick joined me at the park for a swim and rock skipping contest. He beat his dad at skipping rocks and proved he hasn’t quite out grown the park yet. Neither have I and I hope we never do.

From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said if you are lucky enough to be in the mountains…you are lucky enough.

“Reading Simply Put”

2010-08-13T08:21:00.001-07:00

From time to time folks stop me and talk about this column. I’ve been writing a weekly column now for almost four years and I guess I’m still a little amazed that folks like to read what I write. Most of the comments that I get are favorable and a few folks have even told me I should have gone into journalism for a living.

As flattering as that is, I can’t help but wonder what Ms. Musgrove, Ms. Gibson or Mr. Almond would say about me writing a column and sports each week for the newspaper. The ladies were my 8th and 9th grade English teachers and I am positive that I would have been their #1 choice for “least likely to succeed in the field of journalism.” I suspect that Mr. Almond, who tried to teach me English at Chipola, would be completely baffled at the prospect of my writing anything for the newspaper.

Halfway through the semester Mr. Almond offered me some advice. After exhausting his supply of red pens grading my papers, he told me I had two choices. Option #1, drop the class and retake it next semester. Option #2, stay in the class and maybe learn enough to help me pass the class when I retook it next semester. Realizing my chance of passing his class was worst than a snowball’s chance south of the border, I went with option one. I suspect that choice was much to Mr. Almond’s relief.

I am also somewhat amazed when folks talk to me about when and where they read my column. One lady told me that she gets her paper by mail on Friday. She spends her Friday evenings relaxing while reading the paper and my column. Lots of folks tell me that they read the paper and my column in the mornings while relaxing with a cup of coffee.

One fellow told me that he reads my column while in the “library” seated on his “throne.” I wasn’t quite sure how to take that comment. Was it meant as a compliment that he reads my column while using the bathroom, or does he equate what I have to say with what he is doing?

Here’s what I do know. I still find it amazing that I can figure out something to write about each week, and for the most part that something is apparently enjoyable to our readers. Here’s the other thing that I know. As you are reading this week’s column I am in one of my favorite places in the world, the mountains of North Carolina. And as I enjoy a little down time, I am reminded of what an honor it is that you allow me to come into your homes, and I guess even your bathrooms, on a weekly basis. So, Simply Put, thanks for reading Simply Put. If you’ll keep on reading, I’ll keep on writing.

From the Front Porch: Coach said every path has a few puddles.

“Not Ready For the Pasture”

2010-08-06T20:25:00.001-07:00

Last week’s column about getting older has resulted in several folks making comments and observations to me. After a while all the talk of getting older was beginning to make me feel….old.

One commented that most of their conversations are about doctors, hospitals and medication. Another told me that if it weren’t for their doctors appointments they would rarely leave the house. Then I was surfing the TV channels one night and saw a program on aging. Talk about depressing. If watching a program on aging doesn’t take a year or two off your life, nothing will.

It began to occur to me that talking about being old and thinking about being old just makes me feel even older. While being 50 doesn’t qualify me as a spring chicken, being 50 isn’t nearly as old as it used to be. I can remember when I was a teenager a fellow told me he was 28. I thought to myself “man is he old.” It doesn’t seem like that many years ago to me that someone being 40 or 50 was a clear sign that they probably already had all their funeral arrangements laid out. Not so anymore. Now being 50 just means I’m a seasoned veteran. I’m just getting broke in. Heck, even 60 don’t sound that old anymore.

I’m told that two good ways to avoid “getting old” is to stay physically active and watch your diet. I’ve got the physically active part down pretty good. I jog 3 miles at least 3-4 times a week. I trained several months getting ready for my Freedom Springs triathlon back in July. I still love to canoe, kayak and swim as a way to enjoy the outdoors and get some exercise. Next week I’ll be heading to the mountains of North Carolina and I’m sure I’ll take in a few hiking trails and do some whitewater rafting.

I’ll confess my diet needs a lot of improvement. I have an absolute love affair with food, and most of it is unhealthly. Is there anything better than a thick juicy bacon cheeseburger? I love just about anything that is fried, potato chips are still the #1 snack food and a 9 pm bed time snack always sounds good to me.

But diet aside, I am trying to think young so that I don’t get too old too quick. There are still a lot of things I want to do in life. And many of them are going to require that I be physically, and mentally, up to the challenge.

So while I can’t do anything to stop getting older in years, I can do something to stay physically fit and young in mind. Because, Simply Put, I’m not ready just yet to be put out to pasture.

From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said his cousin quit school in the 10th grade because of pneumonia. Not because he had it, but because he couldn’t spell it.

“Diver Down”

2010-07-30T09:32:00.001-07:00

Its official, I’m getting old. After turning 50 in February I am racking up the frequent flyer miles to the doctor’s offices and I’m not thrilled about these flights. First they put me on cholesterol medicine. You know your getting old when the conversations with your buddies turn from your athletic abilities or youthful escapades to what is the name of your cholesterol medication. And it’s kind of like golf in that you take a strange sense of pride if your milligrams are lower than what they have to take.

Then they signed me up for a colonoscopy. It was not near as bad as some made it out to be, but just the same it won’t bother me not to wait another 10 years for round two of “here’s looking up your ole address”.

When I went for my five year annual check up I realized my wife had flanked me. Dr. Cox had been telling me for a year or so that I had sleep apnea and needed a sleep study. Like a well trained husband I ignored her diagnosis. So while at the doctor’s office herself one day she told our doctor about her diagnosis. So at my five year annual check up our doctor warned me about sleep apnea and recommended a sleep study. Realizing the two were in cahoots, I knew I was whipped. Two sleep studies later it was confirmed, I have sleep apnea.

The treatment for sleep apnea is a machine that blows air into a hose. This hose is hooked to a mask that has to be worn while you sleep. I got my device this week and it was a little like getting a new car. The saleslady proclaimed the wonders of the latest model, Model #9, like a car salesman. It’s sleek and shiny, looking somewhat like a Bose stereo. It has all the bells and whistles. The Swift FX mask, with pillows, has the latest comfort designs on the market. I thought about asking how many miles to a gallon (distilled water) it gets.

I have several friends that have these machines and mask to help them sleep. Some proclaim them the best thing since sliced bread, while some say they wouldn’t even make a good boat anchor. I must confess that while traveling with some of these fellows I have teased them about their bedtime accessories. They put on their mask, hook up their hoses and fire up the oxygen tank. They look like scuba divers getting ready for the big plunge. When bedtime rolled around for them I would howl “diver down” and chuckle as I crawled mask less into my bed.

Well those days of teasing my buddies are over. I have joined their ranks and from now on, Simply Put, it’s diver down for me too.
From the Front Porch: Coach said never tell anyone your problems to anyone…20% of them don’t care and the other 80% are glad you have them.

“Peach Run”

2010-07-22T12:35:00.001-07:00

Last week’s column about Grandfathers had me thinking a lot about my family tree. And then last Tuesday I went to the grocery store and made my way to the produce section. A box was sitting on the floor and it quickly caught my eye. It was a box of peaches. But not just any peaches. It was a box of Chilton County peaches.

The roots of my family tree run deep in Chilton County (Alabama). My great great grandfather, Littleton M. Cox, moved his family there in 1870. Some contingency of our family has been there ever since. My folks left Chilton County and moved south of the border (Florida) in 1954. But they made regular trips back there to visit family. Growing up I can recall that any trip made during the summer meant the added treat of Chilton County peaches.

In my dad’s later years he began making a peach run each summer to Chilton County. It started out with a few baskets and each year the payload increased. By the end the payload was the bed of a truck full of peaches making their way back to the Sunshine State.

Upon seeing that box of peaches in the grocery store I picked out several and took them home to promptly devour them. One was sliced and eaten immediately. The others ended up in a cobbler. As usual they were delicious. Between that box of peaches and the reminiscing about my family, the light went on in my head. I realized that action was needed, and needed now. It was time for a mission. It was time for a peach run.

Contact was made on Thursday with my cousins Danny and Tim Carter, as well as my uncle Raymond Cox. Tim’s nephew works at a peach orchard and arrangements were made for five boxes of peaches to be ready for pick up Saturday morning. On Friday I called up my mom in Tallahassee and she accepted my spur of the moment invitation to join this mission.

The mission went off without a hitch. After picking up the peaches and short visits with my cousins, uncle and some of my mom’s family in Montgomery, we motored our way on back south of the border. Smokey and the Bandit would have been proud of this mission.

There’s an old country song that hails the wonders of home grown tomatoes. “Ain’t but two things money can’t buy, that’s true love and home grown tomatoes.” I don’t know of any songs about peaches but I do know that The Allman Brothers Band titled their 1972 album “Eat A Peach”. The Allman Brothers were southern rockers from Georgia and while Georgia peaches are okay, they don’t come close to Chilton County peaches. Simply Put, ain’t no peach like a Chilton County peach.

From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said the key to being a good manager is keeping the people who hate you away from the people who are undecided.

“Grandfathers”

2010-07-15T06:35:00.001-07:00

Over the past few months I’ve had the pleasure of chatting several times with Bing Tyus about his grandfather, Tower Stevens (Yesteryear Bing Tyus – Part II). And this past Sunday I spent some time with Bing at the ole Stevens home place south of Graceville.

It is clear to me that Bing has a very special place in his heart for his granddad and the ole Stevens home place. I can see the sparkle in his eyes when he reminisces about the good times he spent with his grandfather and about his plans to return to the ole home place to live. I know that we are not supposed to be envious of other folks, but I must confess that I envy Bing and that sparkle in his eyes. You see while the Lord has blessed me in more ways than I can count, I never knew either one of my grandfathers. My mother’s father died almost 20 years before I was born. My father’s father died when I was one year old.

I have thought about this fact on more than one occasion and also the fact that none of my kids have known either of their grandfathers. Both my father and my wife’s father died before any of our kids were born. All this pondering also got me to doing a little digging in my family tree and what I found was alarming.

I can trace my paternal family tree back for six generations and my digging revealed that the last four generations have been deprived of knowing their respective grandfathers. I don’t know about the fifth and six generations, but I know for sure that neither I, my children, my father or my father’s father knew our paternal grandfathers. My Jackson County math tells me those four generations of not knowing their paternal grandfathers spans 120 years and counting.

While I don’t lose sleep over this, nor am I in counseling or on medication because of this fact, it is something that bothers me. And for several obvious reasons, I am hoping that this unfortunate trend doesn’t continue with my children’s kids. Both for my sake and their sake, I’m hoping to be the first Cox grandfather in a long time for the next generation of Cox kids.

Granddads are special and, as attested by the Bing Tyus Part II story, can have a life long impact on their grandchildren. They can have the kind of impact that leaves a sparkle in the grandchildren’s eyes when they talk about grandpa. If you have known your grandfather and have had that kind of relationship, you’ve been blessed. If not, like me and my children, we must settle for looking to the future. Simply Put, I hope the Lord lets me live long enough to break the past trend in my family and to be a “Tower Stevens” kind of granddad.

From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said the best armor is to keep out of range.

“A Tri-Athlete I Am Not”

2010-07-09T09:48:00.001-07:00

After covering last year’s Freedom Springs Triathlon at Blue Springs I set a goal to do the race in 2010. Participants swim ¼ of a mile, bike 10 miles and then run 3.1 miles. I had done the race at age 35 and then again at age 45. So I figured that setting a goal to do it again at age 50 would be a good motivator to get me exercising.

I showed up ready to roll this past Monday morning. When I arrived I was once again reminded of several factors which clearly demonstrate that I would not be considered the prototype tri-athlete.

The first clue was my waist line. You don’t see very many overweight tri-athletes. Most tri-athletes aren’t packing any “love handles”. According to my doctor, and his weight charts, my love affair with food has put me squarely in the overweight category.

The second clue was my bicycle. Most tri-athletes showed up with these aerodynamic bicycles that are designed strictly for speed. I showed up with my cruising bike that features my number one cycling priority these days, an extra wide padded seat.

The third clue was my outfit and color scheme. Most tri-athletes wear a type of wet suit designed for swimming, biking and running. They look a little like the old spandex outfits and these “body gloves” leave nothing to the imagination. And for some reason almost all the outfits are black. I am not sure if black outfits make you faster, but I kept looking to see if Johnny Cash had made an appearance.

I will confess that I did have on a pair of these new fangled running undershorts. The label said they’re a large, but I looked like I’ve been poured into them. So I wore a swim suit over them so that folks wouldn’t talk about the old fat guy in the back of the pack. My color scheme was all wrong too. My swim suit was light blue and my biking/running shirt was yellow. So instead of a tri-athlete, I looked like I was a UCLA Bruin fan.

The last and most telling clue was my performance. I finished dead last. My final time of just over one hour and 59 minutes was slow enough that several gentlemen in their 70’s smoked me. And wouldn’t you know it, there was Royce Reagan capturing me on film for all eternity, crossing the finishing line in last place.

But for that last ½ mile of the run I switched my MP3 player to Lynard Skynard’s “Call Me The Breeze” and kicked it into high gear. So while my athletic ego didn’t get any boost and I won’t be appearing on any Tri-Athlete magazines covers, I did finish. And I did so without having to stop or walk. Simply Put, I accomplished my goal and, for me, that was what it was all about.
From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said the best way to always remember your wife’s birthday is to forget it once.

“Primitive”

2010-07-02T10:30:00.001-07:00

On page B4 is a feature titled Out and About…Tugaloo Lake. This is a lake that my oldest son Taylor and I went camping at last weekend. As I indicate in the article, primitive means that your shelter is a tent and there is no electricity, water, bathrooms or anything remotely considered to be a modern convenience.

And of course without electricity, or a generator, that means no air conditioning or fans, which is tough for an old fat fellow like myself during the summer months. And I will acknowledge that my days of sleeping on the ground are long gone. An air mattress and air pump are at the top of my list of camping gear.

Every now and then folks will ask me why I still like to go on these trips. I must confess that on nights, like last Friday night, when I was sitting in my tent with a thunder storm brewing outside and the inside being somewhat of a sweat lodge, I even ask myself these questions.

But then the sun will come out the next morning, the sky turns blue and a beautiful day in the outdoors is had. The night comes and miraculously the humidity takes a short vacation. A camp fire is built along the edge of the river bank. A father and a son spend some down time along side a river’s edge with a camp fire. A working man gets away from all the phones, complaints, dead lines, projects and hassles that come with making a living.

It reminds me of the commercials. Like the one that says “It doesn’t get any better than this” or the one that list a price of various items and then on the last items list it as …priceless. We all need to find our ways to unwind, relax or just get away. And there are many different ways folks enjoy doing that. And roughing it is not the only way that I enjoy unwinding or relaxing.

But going on these periodic excursions of roughing it or primitive camping offer something to me that takes me back to my youth. That sense of getting outdoors, back to nature or that sense of exploration. I know that may sound silly to some folks but hey I’m a guy that loves to read about Lewis and Clark’s exploring the newly purchased Louisanna Territory in the early 1800’s. I am the guy, and apparently I’m not alone, that likes to watch all these survivor man shows even though about half of it is fake.

So if I take a trip every now and then that falls into the roughing it category, don’t think that I’ve lost my mind. Just know that for me, Simply Put, going primitive once in a while has it’s purpose for me.

From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said he is ready to christen anyone a true genius who can adjust the thermostat to suit his wife.

“Coming Home”

2010-06-25T11:35:00.001-07:00

I’ve often heard it said, and you probably have to, that our young folks have to leave Jackson County to find good paying jobs. It is said, and it’s fairly accurate that our rural county does not have a lot of industry and that forces our young folks to have to move away to set up shop so to speak. In all of these comments and thoughts it is almost implied that to be “successful” one must move away from our fair little community.

I won’t dispute that well paying jobs or highly skilled industry are not in abundance in Jackson County. But in this week’s Times our Yesteryear feature is about a young man from our county who went off to school, got a law degree and has returned to Jackson County to hang out his shingle.

As I talked with Ladray Gilbert about why he chose to return to Jackson County it once again reminded me of the choices that we all have to make about where we are going to live our lives and what factors go into making those decisions.

It reminded me of that time in my life when I left Jackson County to live in far off Tallahassee. And while Tallahassee was a good place to live, for me and my wife it was not home. So after six years of city life we made the decision to move back home. That was almost 20 years ago. I know that Jackson County is not a perfect place and yes there are occasions when I allow my mind to wonder about how our lives would have been different if we had stayed in Tallahassee. But I know without any hesitation that it was the right decision for our family.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not knocking those folks that chose to leave and not return to live here for economic reasons. I have friends that likely would not be able to make the same kind of living in their chosen field if they lived in Jackson County. Some would not even be able to make any kind of living if they lived here. Moving home meant some sacrifices for us. My wife’s degree in Interior Design was almost useless in Jackson County. She had to work out of her field and while doing so went back to school to get a degree in counseling and psychology. My sacrifices were much less dramatic. I simply had to live without a good chicken wing restaurant and my USTA tennis league.

My point is that we all have choices to make and some have made the choice to move away while some of us have made the choice to live in Jackson County. So in my book you don’t have to leave Jackson County to make a living. Simply Put, a person can choose to stay or come home and still live the good life.

From the Front Porch: Coach said don’t corner something that you know is meaner than you.

“The Sea King Is Back”

2010-06-18T07:51:00.001-07:00

In June of 1978 a major miracle occurred. Somehow, someway my 18 year journey through Jackson County’s school system culminated with my graduation from high school. My parents were so elated, or surprised, they asked what’d I like for a graduation present. I knew better than to ask for a new car, so instead I requested a boat.

My wish was granted when for $375 dollars my dad bought a used 14 foot aluminum Jon boat, complete with a trailer and 9 horse motor. The boat was made by Montgomery Ward and was called a Sea King. The motor was a 10 year old Wizard (Western Auto) and would shear a pin quicker if you sneezed wrong.

The ole Sea King wasn’t the fanciest boat around but it was mine and I was the Captain of the ship. Six years later I sold a motorcycle and bought a brand new 15 horse Evinrude motor. The ole Sea King still wasn’t fancy, but I had a ton of fun on that boat. Some of my fondest memories from that time in my life are associated with the ole Sea King.

A few years back though the ole Sea King started having some problems. The trailer needed a lot of work and the motor quit running. I neglected her and didn’t get her fixed. She sat patiently waiting for some attention. Well this past spring my oldest son Taylor requested and was granted permission to restore the Sea King to her original glory.

Time had not been on her side. In fact while it seemed like it she had only been out of commission a few years, a closer inspection revealed that the last boat sticker I bought was in 1995. And that closer inspection revealed extensive work that needed to be done on the boat, trailer and motor. I knew I didn’t have the time, skill nor willpower to get the job done. And I wasn’t sure if my son had what it took to get the job done either.

I must proudly say that not only did he have what it took to get the job done, the ole Sea King looks better than she ever did before. He completely refurbished the trailer, built new carpeted floor boards and mounted new seats for the boat. His proclamation that he was going to give the Sea King a camouflage paint scheme had me worried. But he did a great job and it has a matching camouflage gas can.

The boat motor, which wasn’t running 15 years ago, had become a Mecca for dirt dobbers. The mechanic said it was the worst he’d ever seen. It took him a while but he got that Evinrude running like a clock again. So if you are out and about and see a tan camouflage boat on the water, it just might be me or my son because thanks to him, Simply Put, the Ole Sea King is back in business.
From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said honesty pays, but apparently not enough for some people.

“The Wiz is Gone”

2010-06-11T10:18:00.001-07:00

The world of sports, in fact the world for that matter, was saddened this past week with the passing of legendary former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. Dubbed the “Wizard of Westwood” for how his squads absolutely dominated the game of college basketball for more than a decade, Wooden was a true winner both on and off the court.
His attributes on the court are astonishing. As a player he led his high school team to a State Championship. He led his Purdue Boilermakers to a college National Championship. As coach at UCLA his teams set the high water mark, especially from 1964 – 1975. In those 12 seasons they won 10 National Championships and went 339-22.
But for many of us it was not just that he won but how he won. He was not a coach that ranted and raved at his players like a Bobby Knight type coach. He said there was no need to yell at young men or snatch them around. His greatest motivator, he said, were the seats next to him on the bench. He coached by respect and motivation not fear and intimidation. Wooden won 10 National Championships, Knight won 3.
If he was anything he was a man of integrity and principal. When his big man, John Walton, proclaimed that it was his right to grow a mustache and long hair, which was against team rules, Wooden didn’t blow up at Walton. But he didn’t back down either to arguably one of the best big men to ever play the game. He calmly agreed with Walton that it was his right and he was welcome to exercise that right at any other team in the country. Walton shaved the mustache and cut his hair.
One might think that as a youngster I would have disliked UCLA because they were always beating my favorite southern teams like Kentucky and North Carolina. But they were a team that was hard not to like, in part because of their unselfish play. But I became an even bigger fan of Wooden as an adult when I read several books about him and by him.
When I began closing my weekly column 3 ½ years ago with humorous one liners I started with the mythical figure of Uncle Bob. After reading a book by Wooden I decided to start rotating insightful one liners from the mythical figure “Coach.” That was in honor of Coach Wooden and many of the one liners that I have used over the last 3 years are quotes from Coach Wooden.
Simply Put, the Wiz is gone and we’ll never see another coach like him. But we can all pay tribute to him by encouraging today’s coaches to deploy the John Wooden model for coaching. And I will continue to pay tribute to him with thoughts “From The Front Porch” by Coach.

From the Front Porch: Coach Wooden said talent is God given…be humble; conceit is self given…be careful.

“Help The Jays Take Flight”

2010-06-04T09:08:00.001-07:00

This past Thursday night I had the privilege of being invited to sit in on a meeting of the Big Bend Baseball League. (See Jump Starting The Jays on this page). I say privilege because they thought enough of me to invite me to this meeting. That plus the fact that Homer Hirt was there and any time I can spend time around an octogenarian I figure it’s a privilege.
The Big Bend Baseball league started several years ago and last year was the first year that Jackson County had a team. For those not familiar with the league it is basically geared to young men ages 18-30 that enjoy still playing the game of baseball. I say that age range simply because you have to be at least 18 to play and most men over 30 aren’t in much baseball shape anymore. But if you are over 30 and can still play the game at a competitive level we’ll I’m sure they’ll give you a shot.
While the overall league has been very successful, our Jackson County Jays team has not prospered as some would have hoped. Logic tells folks that with five high school baseball programs in the county, there ought to be an ample supply of young men that would like to play for the Jays. Throw in a few from Chipola, a few that are home from college or have been out of school for a few years but still want to play and you’d think there would be no problem finding at least 9 guys to play on any given Sunday.
Some of the communities around Jackson County have been able to raise ball clubs without too many problems. Calhoun (Horseman), Washington (Bruins), Liberty (Diamond Dawgs) and Chattahoochee (Red Birds) have had a lot of success in getting plenty of players to come out. If those communities can do it our community should be able to do it.
My personal opinion is that the missing ingredient for the Jays right now is a coach. What is needed is a former coach that still wants to be involved with the game. Someone who can come out of retirement, so to speak, and has the experience of managing a team. Maybe there is an ole ball coach sitting around that has fished all he wants to fish or has gardened all he wants to garden. Heck if nothing else it might be a good excuse to tell the wife that her honey do list will just have to wait until fall (and cooler weather).
So if you are an ole ball coach looking for something to do, the Jays might just be your ticket. If the Jays could get a coach, and the right coach, Simply Put, I think the Jays could take flight.

From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.

“Back On The Sidelines”

2010-05-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

This past Friday night I covered the Marianna football spring game against Northview. It was not unlike many other spring games that I have covered, with one exception. There patrolling the sidelines for the Bulldogs was an ole familiar face. John Donaldson, or J.D. as some call him, is back at Marianna High School and back coaching in the football program.

This ain’t J.D.’s first rodeo so to speak with Bulldog football. He was a fine player for the Bulldogs in his younger days and went on to play at Florida State. After graduating from college he returned to his alma mater for a long tenure as an assistant coach. He was coaching at Marianna during their big run (1996 -2000, that included four district championships, four straight years of making the FHSAA playoffs and a State Runner Up) under Greg Guy and continued on in his role as an assistant under Don Dowling.

For all the joy that comes with coaching, it also comes with low pay and a lot of long hours away from your family. Over the years the long hours and low pay often takes a toll on coaches. The fire in their eye that they had for coaching is often reduced, at best, to a smoldering ember. That is why you don’t see many old coaches around anymore. And it finally took a toll on J.D.. So a couple of years ago he left the school system and went to work in private industry.

I don’t know much about what type of work he did in private industry. I just know that many of us missed seeing him on the Bulldog’s sideline. So we greeted the news of his return to Marianna High and Bulldog football as welcomed news.

Friday night’s game was just a spring game, but J.D. was on patrol. When his offensive lineman did something good he was showering them with accolades. When they missed a block or used a wrong technique, he was showering them with instructions on what they need to be doing. And if he saw someone loafing he was chomping on their backside. Folks that’s what good coaching is all about and unless I’m badly mistaken, ole J.D. has the fire back in his eye.

I’m in the camp that says the Marianna football program will be better off with J.D. back. But even more importantly than the program, the young men that play for J.D. will be better men for having played for him. And I suspect that the late Coach Hud would join me in saying, Simply Put, it sure was good to see J.D. back on the sidelines. I betcha Coach Hud would say that is where J.D. belongs.

From the Front Porch: Coach said that the race not always goes to the swift but to those who keep on running.

“Tough Times Abound”

2010-05-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I started to write a column about the fact that four families that I call friends had suffered major tragedies. For various reasons I did not write the column. Well in the last week two more families were hammered with devastating news. In less than two months I know six families that got devastating news about their young folks. That devastating news included two daughters / granddaughters that died, two sons/grandsons that died and two sons/grandsons that were arrested for pretty serious charges.

My heart goes out to these families. And it has left me and my family asking those all too familiar questions. Why? And what’s going on? It has also left me disheartened at times when I hear folks around me make statements about these situations that are careless, insensitive, flippant, cruel or downright wrong. So for the record, if you are around me and are thinking of making these kind of statements about these situations, do us both a favor and keep your opinions to yourself.

Maybe you’ve heard about these situations and before you know it find yourself thinking that surely these were bad kids from bad homes. Well get off your high horse and quit looking down your nose at folks. I know all six of these families and their children and guess what. They’re not any different than many of us. They all come from middle class homes and most had two loving parents. I guarantee you that every one of these young people had parents or grandparents that sit next to you in church, at a ball game or at a civic club.

Did some of these young people make some very poor choices or were they clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time? Yes. But that doesn’t give anyone the right to climb up on their high horse and spew venom from their tongues. And that is just what it is when they make their snide remarks, poison.

As I talked with a group of six men the other day about one of the recent tragedies, all six of us acknowledged that the same thing could have happened to anyone of us in our younger days. How true the old saying is “But for the Grace of God there go I.” Maybe some folks have lived just such a perfect life that none of these situations could have occurred for them or their families. Well good for you, but please keep your thoughtless comments to yourself. Better yet ask yourself if that is what Jesus would say in these situations. I suspect not.

Most of us live in the real world with real problems. And is sure hasn’t been easy lately. Simply Put, tough times abound. We all need to humble ourselves before God everyday, asking for the strength to carry on and to fill our cups with compassion.
From the Front Porch: Coach said Live Simple. Love Generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly. And leave the rest to God.

“The Grind”

2010-05-14T15:29:00.001-07:00

It all begins around mid-August. Job #2 (radio/internet broadcasting) and Job #3 (Sports Editor at The Times) that I hold down kick into gear with the start of the school year. The fall sports season (August – November) includes a heavy dose of football at all levels along with high school volleyball, golf and cross country. Middle school football gets coverage too so I usually work four times a week during this stretch.
The winter sports season (November – February) brings on the onslaught of basketball season. Chipola trots out a men’s and women’s team the first part of November. Our county has four teams per high school when you count boys varsity & junior varsity squads along with girl’s varsity & junior varsity teams. Throw in about 8 middle school teams and that’s a whopping 26 basketball teams that deserve coverage. Toss in a wrestling program at Marianna and I usually work four times a week during November and December.
The spring sports season (February – May) includes a tough overlap of about three weeks when the basketball and baseball seasons overlap. Chipola baseball and softball throw out the first pitch in February and our county has 16 high school baseball and softball programs. The middle schools now play baseball and softball as well so there are a total of 26 programs that deserve coverage. The four track & field programs in the county deserve, and I tried to provide this year, just as much coverage as baseball and softball.
The Grind is in high gear from January through mid-May. With Chipola sports and high schools sport, and that tough overlap period, I normally work about five times per week. When the dust has settled on the school year, August – May, I have normally worked about 160 times with my newspaper and radio/internet broadcasting. And this is on top of holding down a full time job, being a husband and father.
I know some folks might not care about “The Grind” or might say that there is an easy solution to “The Grind,” just quit. Others might say I chose to accept Job #2 and Job #3, so quit complaining or at least don’t use my column to complain. If they say that they would be totally misunderstanding the point of my column.
For as tough as “The Grind” is, I still enjoy what I do with the paper and on the radio/internet. So I’m not complaining, but rather I am celebrating. My writing this column is not so much for you the reader but more so for me. Simply Put, “The Grind” is over for another school year. I can recharge my batteries for the next three months and get ready for another school year. Meantime, bring on the summer, Yesteryear and Rollin’ Down The River.
From the Front Porch: Coach said you cannot unsay a cruel word.

“Names”

2010-05-06T13:29:00.001-07:00

After almost 20 years of sports broadcasting surely I have heard and pronounced, or mispronounced, just about every name imaginable. I still remember my first broadcast with my buddy Russell Register back in December 1990. It was a basketball game between Marianna and Walton County. The Braves had a pair of twins on the team that were obviously of Polish ancestry. I was already nervous enough, but trying to pronounce their names was more than I could handle. By the end of the game I was simply calling the pair by their first names.
Over the years I have continually been surprised to see, and then have to learn, names that I have never seen before. I’d like to think that I have gotten better at pronouncing the names but I will tell you that some sports, like girl’s basketball, still routinely present a challenge.
As our broadcast crew (myself, Russell, Sandy Westmoreland and Mike Miller) drove down last week to Auburndale for the FCCAA State Softball tournament numerous topics were discussed. During a discussion about major league baseball I jokingly professed my disdain for Japanese baseball players. I told them my disdain is not about their playing ability, but rather about the difficulty in trying to pronounce their names. We all had a good laugh and drove on.
Upon arrival at the state tournament, the Executive Director of Deep South Sports Broadcasting (Russell Register) assigned me to do all the Miami Dade broadcast. He figured that with my marriage to a lady of Hispanic decent and my travels last summer in Nicaragua, I was the best suited to handle all the Hispanic names of the Miami-Dade roster. No problem I said.
A quick glance at the Miami Dade roster had me shaking my head in disbelief. Who would ever figure four Japanese Brazilians were on the team. There last names were spelled Miyahira, Suetsugu, Fukunishi and Morimoto. I went to their coach for help with the names. He barely spoke English, so he sent me to the assistant coach. She spoke English but with a Spanish accent as thick as a brick. She did the best she could and so did I. I then wrote their names as much as I could like they were pronounced. They came out something like this: Me–yah-hair-uh, Sweat-sue-goo, Fu-ka-knee-chee and More-e-moto.
With the fast paced game of softball, just imagine my North Florida drawl trying to spit out “ground ball to Sweat-sue-goo, she throws over to Fu-ku-knee-chee and she comes home to More-e-moto”. The folks from Miami Dade that watched on the internet are probably still trying to figure out which mountain I came down from. I know one thing, no more joking about Japanese names. Simply Put, I can always count on a few names just around the corner to keep me humble.
From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.

“Ole Dogs”

2010-04-29T14:06:00.001-07:00

I was honored last week to be invited to a gathering of a bunch of Ole Bulldogs. (See page three of sports for photos). This is a yearly gathering that takes place at McMullian Farms in Dellwood. Andy and Amos McMullian, a couple of Ole Dogs, are gracious to open up this homestead to what amounts to a reunion for former Marianna High School students and athletes that graduated in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. I’m an Ole Bulldog myself, just not quite that old of an Ole Bulldog. But I, along with my wife and mother, get an invite because my dad was one of this gang’s favorite coaches. So while he can’t be there, we do our best to fill in for him. And I suspect that The Times feature “Yesteryear” keeps me in pretty good standing with most of these folks. This was my second time attending and I don’t mind saying that I thoroughly enjoy these gathering of Ole Bulldogs. And of course some mighty fine fried fish, hushpuppies and cheese grits don’t hurt my feelings either. With my work in the newspaper and on the radio I have been somewhat a student and collector of information about the history of Bulldog athletics. I have a copy of every football section of the Marianna yearbook dating back to the 1940s. Except for a couple of years in the 1930s, I have a notebook that has team records, players, coaches etc on every football team in Bulldog football history. And I grew up hearing the stories from the likes of my dad, Harry Howell and Mack Rooks about all the great athletes that came along in the 40s, 50s and 60s. So to be able to mingle with these folks is not just fun, it is a privilege and an honor. For example, I have heard and read many stories about a standout football and basketball player from the early 50s by the name of named Jackie Finlayson. Mack Rooks, Frank Rooks, Jack Brown and others have sung his praises over the years. But I had never met him. I looked up the other night and there he was, sitting at a table talking to Ms. Elrod. I introduced myself and took his picture. I suspect he had no idea how much I enjoyed finally meeting him. To do what I enjoy doing, i.e. the newspaper and radio, and to hear some of the stories from these Ole Bulldogs is invaluable to me. Not just from an enjoyment standpoint, but also from the standpoint of learning as much as I can about the history of Bulldog athletics. I could sit and listen to their stories about games won and games lost all night long. I hope we keep getting an invite to this yearly gathering. Simply Put, it’s hard to beat good fried fish and even better some of that good Ole Bulldog fellowship.
From the Front Porch: Coach said it don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.

“Track – Part II”

2010-04-21T15:52:00.001-07:00

I wrote last week about why covering track and field sports in the county has been tough. One of the reasons that I listed was because all of the track meets are held outside of Jackson County. I was surprised to learn recently that the reason there are no track meets within Jackson County’s borders is that there is no full fledge track complex at any of our high schools.

Even with as little as I know about the sport of track and field, I am amazed that a county with four varsity track and field teams has no full fledged track complex. Several have a track around the football field, but I’ve come to learn that a track around the football field is far from having a full fledge track complex. That is kind of like saying we have a backstop and four bases so therefore we have a baseball field.

The closest thing to a real track complex is located at the new Marianna High School around the football/soccer/band practice field just east of the school. The track is new and is one of the modern “rubberized” surfaces. The first thing that I’ve learned about track recently is that they no longer run on dirt or concrete. The new surfaces are some type of composite material that has a spongy feel to it.

But even the new track is lacking in many respects. While they have just recently added a pole vaulting pit, there is still no long ump, triple jump or high jump stations at the complex. There are no stations for the discus or shot put events and the program does not have any hurdles.

Not having a full fledge track complex hurts in two ways. First for the athletes they really can’t get the needed practice time in some of these more specialized events. That makes their success in the recent district meets even more amazing. There are a total of 51 track and field athletes from our county that placed high enough in their district meets to advance to the regional meet in Jacksonville this Friday. That’s not bad not have a full fledge track complex in the county.

Secondly it means that you really can’t host a track meet in the county because other teams from around the panhandle don’t want to come to a meet that does not field the full slate of events. So our athletes from the county must continually travel out of the county for track meets, using up more of their time and our tax dollars for travel cost.

I am hoping that the powers to be recognize that the lack of a track complex in the county should be addressed and rectified. I know I closed with this same line last week but, Simply Put, our county’s track athletes and coaches deserve it.

From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said you think you are a person of influence, just try ordering someone else’s dog around.

“Track – Part I”

2010-04-14T16:26:00.001-07:00

I have a confession to make. I have been the Sport’s Editor at The Times for over 3 ½ years now. I’ve gotten a few pot shots for not covering a few events but overall most of the comments I get are very favorable. But I must admit that during these 3 ½ years my coverage of this county’s high school track programs has been, at best, poor. There are several reasons as to why the coverage has been poor.

(1) Track season occurs in the spring and coincides with the stick and ball sports of softball and baseball seasons. There are five varsity softball teams and five varsity baseball teams in the county. Throw in Chipola’s baseball and softball squads and I am busting my backside trying to cover those twelve teams.

(2) Track meets are tough to cover in that they are very long and are very spread out. A typical track meet will last a minimum of four hours and can go as long as six to eight hours. And there are multiple events going on at one time. So while a race is taking place, the high jump and shot put may also be taking place at the same time, all in different locations of the field.

(3) The four county varsity track teams (Marianna, Cottondale, Graceville & Sneads) don’t go to many of the same track meets. This would make it much

easier to cover all the county teams. Last Wednesday in Wewahitchka was the first and only time this season in which all four county varsity track squads participated in the same meet.

(4) All of the track meets are held outside of Jackson County and I try not to travel outside the county very much to cover sporting events. The reason there are no track meets within Jackson County’s borders is that there is no full fledge track complex at any of our high schools. (See next week’s column, Track – Part II, for more on this subject)

While in my book these are valid reasons for the poor coverage, the reality is that they are just excuses on my part. The five varsity track squads, along with a solid track program at Grand Ridge Middle School, amounts to more than 100 county athletes. Those athletes work just as hard as any other sport in practicing and preparation for the meets. They experience the same highs and same lows as any other athlete. So they should be recognized in the same fashion as the stick and ball sports (that’s a nickname for traditional sports such as football, basketball. Baseball and softball).

I’ve been trying to do better this season and I hope page three of sports this week (Freeze Frame) is another step in the right direction. Simply Put, our county’s track athletes and coaches deserve it.

From the Front Porch: Coach said our actions are the springs of our happiness or misery.

Power to The Paddle

2010-04-08T08:11:00.001-07:00

I’ve had several folks comment on my column last week regarding the issue of not allowing motorized boats to put in on the Chipola River in the new Greenway parks. As you may recall I support the city and county’s efforts to make the launches in these greenway parks designed for non-motorized vessels like canoes and kayaks. Some folks whole heartedly agreed with me and some thought that I surely must have hit myself in the head with one of my paddles.

Most of the folks that prefer gas powered boats can whip out the reasons they prefer a motorized boat over a canoe/kayak quicker than they fire up their Evinrude. That got me to thinking about the advantages that a canoe/kayak offer over motor boats. So in the interest of countering the motor boat folks (and maybe even sway one or two toward a canoe/kayak) I thought I would list the following reasons I like a canoe/kayak over a motor boat:

 No boat trailer is required

 Easy to launch and load

 Quiet, tranquil and relaxing

 Good exercise

 See more wildlife

 Reach hard to get places

 Better for the environment

 No noise, exhaust,
gas/oil slicks

 Basically maintenance free

 Easy to store

 Cost less to buy

 Cost less to operate

 No gas/oil required

 No boat trailer tag required

 No boat registration required

 No boat motor repairs

 Won’t break down on you

These are just a few of the advantages and of course, like anything, there are some disadvantages. The required portage for vehicles and the perceived limitations on water travel are the most common cited. The most valid disadvantage I’ve heard is from a motor boat friend of mine who said it is just too hard to urinate from a canoe or kayak.

Well folks, the weather is finally getting right. So, Simply Put, do yourself and the river a favor. Leave the cover on that ole motor boat, grab a paddle along with a canoe or kayak and head to the river.

From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said if you’re in a bad situation, Don’t worry, it’ll change. If you’re in a good situation, Don’t worry, it’ll change.

“To Paddle or To Motor – That is the Question”

2010-04-01T14:49:00.001-07:00

I, like most of you, enjoy reading “Getting It Right” by my friend and Times Managing Director Sid Riley. And more often than not I am in agreement with Sid. But in last week’s rudiments he commented on his disapproval of the “Greenway” project plans along the Chipola River to use taxpayer money to build public boat ramps that would be designed for canoes and kayaks only.

I suspect that Sid is not alone in his opinion that this is unfair, or even illegal, to use taxpayer money on boat ramps that restricts access to folks with motorized boats. It may come as no surprise to some that I would support the efforts to make these launches for non-motorized vessels.

Greenway projects are a popular way in which city and county governments can tap into state and federal grant money (our tax dollars) to preserve areas just such as that along the Chipola River. The greenway projects are designed to allow for low impact public use of the area.

Canoe and kayaks are in keeping with this low impact concept. Gas powered motor boats are not. Canoes and kayaks don’t pollute. Gas powered motor boats do. Want proof. Just spend a few minutes trailing a gas powered motor boat on the river. It’s kind of like when we used to run behind the city truck that sprayed for mosquitoes. And long after the boat is gone the exhaust hovers over the water like fog. Just check out when the gas powered motor boat puts in and takes out. It usually produces an oil slick that would make the Exxon Valdez proud.

I am not proposing that gas powered motor boats be banned from the river. I know that is not realistic. And I’m sure just how much real damage is caused by gas powered motor boats could be debated. But even a little bit of pollution is not good.

Another argument is that gas powered motor boats would not actually be denied access to these areas. For example, they can put in at Yancey Bridge and motor down or put in at Magnolia Bridge and motor up. They can be in the greenway areas in a matter of a few minutes.

As to the legality of the issue, there is already some precedent. Walking, hiking, jogging and bicycle trails are routinely established with tax payer money in parks and nature preserves. These trails favor one segment of the population to the detriment of another, as in they do not allow access by motorized devices such as four wheelers and motorcycles.

So at the risk of having all the motorized boat folks and bream fishermen (armed with their propellers and fishing hooks) out to get me, I applaud the city and county planners for their initiatives. To borrow a line from Sid, Simply Put, I think they are Getting It Right. Let’s go paddling.

From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said that by the time you have money to burn, the fire has about gone out.

“Debunking Global Warming”

2010-03-24T14:24:00.001-07:00

You need not go any further in looking for scientific proof that global warming is a farce. I have absolute scientific proof that there is no truth what so ever in this hypothesis. I know that Al Gore and his gang have been flying all around the world with their power point presentations demonstrating that global warming is for real. And yes I know that some folks have ditched the global warming title and come up with “climate change.” Whatever.

Without any further ado, I’ll tell you how I have concluded global warming is a hoax. With the conclusion of basketball season I have now been attending area high school baseball and softball games. If anybody believes in global warming, they sure haven’t been to any ball games lately. I haven’t seen any evidence of global warming at the games I’ve been attending. All I’ve seen are folks wrapped up in warm coats and blankets.

Apparently when all the high school administrators and coaches got together many years ago to decide where the best place to put their baseball and softball fields, they all decided to put them in the coldest places in Jackson County. Half of the fields are in some type of depression or sunken area. This ensures that the temperature is a good five degrees colder than the surrounding area and that the cold air will hover like a space craft over the field. The other half are out in wide open spaces where a good 40 mile an hour breeze always reminds me that I should have left the windbreaker at home and brought the heavy parka.

Something has happened in my lifetime that I can’t figure out. When we used to play baseball it was always hot. I must confess I didn’t play baseball in high school, but I used to go to their games and I don’t remember it being cold. Regardless, I am thoroughly convinced that when Alexander Cartwright invented the game of baseball back in 1845, he meant for it to be played in warm weather.

When me and my good buddy Russell Register decided to try broadcasting Marianna baseball back in the early 90’s we envisioned sitting outdoors with our short britches and flip flops calling a game. That’s how we recalled listening to Skip Carey and the gang call the Atlanta Braves games back in the 80’s. We’d sit out by my trailer in our summer attire, fire up the grill and listen to the Braves on the radio.

We could not have been anymore wrong. There were no short britches and flip flops for Bulldog baseball. We ended up in the shivering in the back of my pick up truck, wrapped up in blankets as we announced the games.

But alas, they say spring time is coming. Simply Put, it can’t get here to soon for me. I’m ready for some warm weather baseball.

From the Front Porch: Coach said time is the one thing you can never get back.

Hughes Carries On

2010-03-18T13:19:00.001-07:00

An ole Marianna boy was back in town this week as Bobby Hughes, Head Baseball Coach at Coosa Valley High School, brought his Rebels to town during their spring break to take on some of our local teams (See related article on this page). Seeing Bobby patrol the dugout and third base box got me to thinking, and you know when I get to thinking a column is usually soon to follow.

Bobby is just one in a long line of Hughes that have excelled while wearing the purple and gold of the Marianna High School Bulldogs. If my calculations are right, there has been at least one Hughes that has been involved in Marianna athletics in every decade since the 1950’s. That’s at least 60 years of the Hughes family in Bulldog sports.

Bobby was an excellent football player. As a wide receiver he hooked up with QB Tim Daniels to form one of the best passing combos in Bulldog football history. He knew what to do on the defensive side as well at his safety position, picking off 4 passes in one game which tied a state record.

Of course being a Hughes he was a fine baseball player as well. And after high school he played at Chipola and University of Auburn Montgomery. Since graduating from college he has been in the coaching profession. This is his first year at Coosa Valley, which is southeast of Birmingham.

This is not the first time he has brought his teams through this area on their spring break, but this year’s trip was different from any of his previous trips. During the past year Bobby’s mother Peggy passed away. Add to that, his aunt June Hughes also passed away during the same time span. He has dedicated this season to his mom and no doubt still grieves her passing.

As I watched him coach Monday night I recalled the times I enjoyed watching him haul in a pass reception or stroke a hit on the baseball diamond. He seemed to be a typical carefree teenager who loved playing sports. He is now a 36 year old man, who’s learning to deal with the death of a parent. As many of us know, losing a parent is one of the most difficult things we will ever face. Life is just never quite the same after you lose a parent.

But I am of the opinion that sports can help us through the tough times. We learn through sports that we will have some bad times. And in the bad times we can do one of two things. We can give up and quit, or we can get back up and carry on. But by all appearances he is carrying on and doing what he loves, and that is coaching baseball. And Simply Put, I suspect that is just what his mother would want him to do.

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

“Good Job Chipola”

2010-03-12T13:51:00.001-08:00

We all know that winning is no problem and that it is easier to show some class when you win as opposed to showing that same amount of class when you lose. And we all know that folks in the community are eager to lend you a hand when you are winning but sometimes not so eager when their squad is on the losing side.

This past weekend Chipola College played host to the FCCAA / NJCAA Region 8 Basketball Tournament. The folks from Chipola have been doing this for more than 10 years now and it has become old hat for them. Not that there is any less work to be done,but they’ve got it down now and know how to run a first class tournament.

But this year’s tournament had a different twist. For the first time in eight years there was no Chipola squad in the tournament. The men and women’s squads have been regular attendees the past 8 years and have won their fare share of the tournaments. But no one stays on top forever and this year saw both the men and women’s squads finding the going rough in conference play.

So it would have been real easy for the hundreds of local folks that are needed to pull off a tournament of this magnitude to just say no thanks or I’ll pass. It would only be human nature to be less enthused about spending 12 hour days at a four day tournament when your local team’s uniforms are all tucked away and waiting for next season.

But that is not at all what happened as our community turned out in full force. Oh to be sure there was a tinge of disappointment that surfaced periodically. But that did not seem to damper folks willingness to put in the long hours to make this tournament another great success. I heard one of the athletic directors from one of our conference rivals make the comment that it is a tribute to the folks of Chipola and this community to work just as hard to put on a first class tournament, even though their teams weren’t playing.

Now some folks might not give a hoot about a basketball tournament of this nature being in our community. Well just ask the folks that run our local restaurants, convenience stores, lodging facilities and etc. They’ll let you know right quickly that we need these types of events, especially in these economic hard times.

I’ve often written about different times and events that make me proud to say that I was born and raised in this community and am proud to be living out my days right here in little ole Jackson County. So, Simply Put, good job Chipola and Jackson County for putting on another outstanding tournament. And I suspect Coach J would be right proud.

From the front porch: Coach said that happy is the one who learns to bear that which they can not change.

“Protecting The Ole Chipola”

2010-03-04T13:57:00.001-08:00

Last Thursday night I attended a meeting held by the County Parks Administrator Chuck Hatcher about the Chipola River Greenway Trails. (See related article on this page). The whole plan sounded great to me and of course got me to thinking. And you know that is always dangerous.
There has been a series on PBS recently about our national parks system. The series is really interesting and documents the efforts of some of the early innovators in regards to setting aside land for preservation and public use. There are two early names that stood out, John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt. I’d heard of Roosevelt but not of Muir. They had this crazy idea to preserve areas like Yosemite Valley and Yellowstone as national parks. For those of us who have grown up with state and national parks abounding, that idea doesn’t sound crazy. But more than 100 years ago it was a radical idea and there were many who opposed such a notion. They said all land should belong to private citizens or corporations and be used as the land owners see fit.

Fortunately the folks like Muir and Roosevelt won out and thus we have the National Parks System that preserves many pristine areas of our country. From that concept came the State Parks systems that went even further to preserve our natural wonders. Just image what would have happened to these areas if left to private citizens or corporations to develop.

My good friend and Times Editor Sid Riley likes to jam the government folks for interfering too much in our daily lives. And there are plenty of times when he is “Getting It Right”. But there are times where government needs to step in and protect us and/or the environment. Private citizens and corporations are too often motivated by how much money can be made and the havoc they reek through over development can be devastating.

What’s that got to do with the Ole Chipola? Well we are fortunate that we have some folks in our city and county governments with the foresight to protect this little jewel right here in our back yard. Most folks may not realize this but in the first 10 miles or so of the Chipola, there is not a single house on the river. On the next 8 miles or so there are only two houses. That’s about 18 miles of river and just 2 houses. In this day and time that is almost unheard of. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not opposed to folks having houses on the river. In fact I wouldn’t mind one myself. But if we don’t set aside some areas of the river for preservation, our future generations will not be able to see the Ole Chipola in her true beauty. So, Simply Put, keep up the good work city and county administrators. You’re getting’ it right.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said that he is in excellent shape…given that round is a shape.

“Good Year For Boy’s Basketball”

2010-02-24T13:13:00.000-08:00

Jackson County has long been known for outstanding high school basketball programs. The 2009-10 season has come to a close and it’s been another fine year, especially on the boy’s side. Now some naysayers might point out that we have no boy’s squad going to Lakeland to compete for a state championship, so maybe it’s been an off year.

If they said that they would be flat wrong. All five of the county’s boy’s basketball season had outstanding seasons. Two of the teams, Marianna and Malone won 20 or more games. That has always been a bench mark for an outstanding season. Graceville was not far behind as they won 19 games. Sneads won 17 and Cottondale won 16. That’s 97 wins for five clubs and I suspect there are not a lot of years when all five clubs won 16 games or more. In all, the combined for the five teams is 97 wins and 40 losses.

Those naysayers might saw that we only had two district championships and only three of the five teams made the playoffs. Those naysayers might point out that there have been some years where the county had 3 or four district championships and all five teams made the playoffs. Well that just was not likely to happen this year and probably won’t happen next year.

Every two years the FHSAA remakes the classifications and districts. With the most recent changes three of the county’s five teams ended up in the same district (Cottondale, Sneads and Graceville). That automatically means that at least one won’t make the playoffs. Throw in the fact that they were in an 8 team district and that makes the case tough for the remaining two teams. Only Graceville survived district tournament and they did so as the district champ.

Malone got a new district as well and their new district included FAMU. The Tigers beat the Baby Rattlers twice during the regular season but fell in overtime in the district title bout. That put them on the road against a good Paxton squad that eliminated them from the playoffs.

Marianna also got a new district but they did not let it faze them. Their district included six teams and the Bulldogs went unbeaten in the district during the regular season. They then swept through the district tournament to claim a district championship. But with the reclassifications East Gadsden and Rickards both dropped from 4A to 3A. Both are much larger schools and both stood between Marianna and a third straight trip to Lakeland. While the Bulldogs dominated East Gadsden (see story on page three of sports) Rickards proved to be another matter and the Bulldogs season came to a close on Tuesday night.

So to any potential naysayers about this year’s basketball class, go bark up some other tree. Simply Put it was another outstanding year for hoops in Jackson County.

From the front porch: Coach said it’s not the falling down that matters. It’s the getting up that counts.

Half A Century

2010-02-18T13:59:00.001-08:00

This past Saturday I reach another milestone. The Lord has allowed me to live on this earth for half a century. There is an old saying that says “gettin older sure beats the alternative”. I don’t care much for that old saying. When my time is up and I stand in the presence of my almighty creator, I don’t think I’ll mind one bit having departed from this earth.

That said, there is also the old bluegrass gospel song that says “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.” And I’m not quite ready to go now either. There is still a lot of things I want to do and a lot of people I want to spend time with.

I’ve never been one to fret much about getting older. Turning 30 and 40 never bothered me like it did some folks. And turning 50 doesn’t bother me either. It does however cause me to stop and ponder (that’s thinking for old folks) about things a little more so than turning 30 or 40 did. Sometimes I begin to ponder about how much the world we live in has changed in 50 years. When I came into this world there were no cell phones, no computers, no internet, no satellite or cable television. Most of us are so dependent on these technological comforts of life now days that we almost feel naked if we go off somewhere without our cell phone or laptop.

Marianna, my birthplace and hometown, was a different place 50 years ago. Most, if not all, of the businesses were locally owned and operated. Saturdays meant a trip to town and a visit to one of the barber shops. We went to either the one on Lafayette (main street) or the one on Market Street (back street). There was only one hair cut style but that buzz cut was worth it, because of the bakery that was on backstreet. I don’t recall the name of it, but I can still close my eyes and smell the fresh baked pastries that beckoned us through the doorway. I’ve searched for the last 40 years to find pastries that have that same white cream like the back street bakery had. I haven’t found it yet.

But turning 50 also reminds me that life is short and is not meant to be lived in the past. I like the old saying “Life is what it is, not what it was.” Turning 50 reminds me to cherish my relationships with my family, tell them that I love them and make sure that I spend time with them. It reminds me while I’ve done a lot of things that I have enjoyed, I still have even more things that I am looking forward to doing. So, Simply Put, bring on another half century. I’m just getting broke in.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said that he is young at heart but a good bit older in most other places.

“A Simpler Time”

2010-02-04T15:49:00.001-08:00

I’ve shared with our readers in the past about my addiction to the one eyed evil monster, aka the television. This past weekend I had a chance to get away from my addiction. My wife and I took in Wakulla Springs State Park and stayed overnight at the lodge. When we checked in my wife said “Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the bedrooms don’t have a TV.” The shock and horror of it all, no TV! What would I do?

Well let me tell you what I did. I spent the afternoon and evening attending a wedding at the lodge. It was a lovely wedding and I even wore a coat and tie without putting up a fuss. There was a lady who played the piano in the lobby during the wedding. Even more enjoyable was the fact that for several hours afterwards she continued to play.

After an excellent evening meal I retreated to a large comfortable chair near the piano player. For almost an hour I just sat and listened. I read a few brochures about the park, but mostly just enjoyed the music and conducted one of my favorite hobbies of people watching.

It struck me that the lodge, built in the 1930’s by Edward Ball (St. Joe Paper Company), was from a different era. It was from the pre-TV era. It was from an era when the one eyed monster wasn’t the focal point of so much of our entertainment. Think about it. So often our gatherings these days are centered around watching a sporting event, movie, show or something else on TV. I recalled hearing some of the older generation talk about the days when they would get together for sings, dances and social gatherings that included playing games or something as simple as just talking.

After all the festivities I retired to our room and not being able to turn on a TV, instead picked up my book “Undaunted Courage, “ by Stephan Ambrose. In my mind I joined the Lewis and Clark 1804 expedition in their canoes. I waited in anticipation for what lay around the next bend. And then the next morning I went for a 3 mile hike through the woods, just me, my hat and my hand made hiking stick.

The whole TVless weekend left me with a sense of peace and relaxation. I am soon to turn 50 and the older I get the more I appreciate the soothing sounds of a softly played piano, a quit walk in the woods, a leisurely paddle down a river or just plain old fashion socializing with other folks. I know that the good ole days might not have been so good as far as some of the comforts, but Simply Put, they were a simpler time and a time that I think I would have thoroughly enjoyed.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said that his brain is like lightening. One brilliant flash and then it’s gone.

“Fan The Flames Of Kindness”

2010-02-04T15:07:00.001-08:00

I wish it weren’t so but I often eat at fast food restaurants given the fact that I work three jobs. And I have the waist line and cholesterol pills in my medicine cabinet to prove it. I have noticed a growing trend in fast food restaurants the last few years, and that is poor customer service.

More times than not I find that the folks taking and serving my order don’t seem to appreciate the fact that my business is paying their salary. At best they often act like they don’t care, not saying thank you or may I help you or any other pleasantries. At worst they are down right rude. Throw in the high error rate for getting my order wrong and it’s a wonder I even stop at the fast food businesses any more.

But fortunately there are always exceptions. Last week I was in the Burger King on Highway 90 East. The lady that took my order was very pleasant, which now days stands out like a sore thumb. As I was eating my meal a man took his order back to the counter and loudly proclaimed “I ain’t eating this hamburger, it ain’t cooked enough.” The lady took his hamburger, assured him they would get him another burger in just a moment. A couple of minutes later she took his freshly cooked burger to his table. To which he then loudly proclaimed that he wanted a fresh order of fries, saying his previous order was now cold. The lady calmly and politely dealt with him as best as possible and eventually agreed to get him another order of fries.

My first thought was to go and tell the fellow quit making a scene and get some manners. But I didn’t. I then thought that on my way out I should compliment the lady on how she handled the matter. But I didn’t do that either. As usual I got in a hurry, thinking only of myself and the fact that I needed to get back to work. That I didn’t offer her an encouraging word has bothered me all week. It might just have made her day to have a stranger offer her a compliment. I know I feel good when someone pays me a compliment and it even adds a little pep to my step.

So I am challenging myself and all of you to a kindness competition. For one week let’s see how many people we can catch being kind. Then offer a word of thanks or encouragement to that person. I would welcome your emails of acts of kindness you caught. I know is sounds corny but I really believe kindness can be contagious. So Simply Put, let’s fan the flames of kindness.

From the front porch: Coach said what lies behind us and what lies before us pale in comparison to what lies within us.

“Perseverance”

2010-02-04T14:29:00.001-08:00

170. That’s the number of Simply Put columns I have written in 3 ½ years as the Sports Editor at The Times. Last week doesn’t count as part of the 170. If you saw my column last week you know that I chose not to say anything. It had been one of those weeks.

Several folks asked me about my week. I won’t bore you with all the calamities, but the top three highlights (or low lights) were (1) finding out the engine on my wife’s vehicle needs to be replaced, (2) our electric panel blew out last Sunday night leaving us with no heat in 25 degree weather (3) one of our dogs (Chance) got arrested, thrown in jail and I had to bailed him out. Throw in a crazy week at work (see page A7) and you know the saying, when it rains it pours. It was what I call a “mountain slide” week, which are those times when I want to grab my tent and head for the hills to escape from life’s trials and tribulations.

But our Heavenly Father always has a way of pointing the way, sometimes in the unlikeliest of places. This past Saturday I was at Pace High School for my son’s wrestling matches. In the lobby of the gym there is a display on the wall. It features great documents of our nation like the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Gettysburg Address. It also features the Ten Commandments, which pleasantly surprised me to see it include in this day and time.

But the document that caught my eye the most read as follows:

• He Failed in business in ‘31

• He was Defeated in the state legislature in ‘33

• He tried another business venture in ’33, it Failed.

• His fiancée Died in ’35.

• He had a nervous Breakdown in ’36.

• He ran for Congress in ’43 and was Defeated.

• He ran again in ’46 and was Defeated again.

• He tried running for the U.S. Senate in ’55 and Lost.

• He ran for Vice President in ’56 and Lost.

• He ran for the U.S. Senate again in ’59 and was Defeated.

• He ran for President in ’60 and Won.

• The man who signed his name A. Lincoln became the 16th President of the United States.

The difference between history’s boldest accomplishments and staggering failures is often simply. The diligent will to Persevere.

While my Southern ancestors would roll over in their graves to hear me say this, the numerous books that I have read about Lincoln would lead me to conclude that he is the greatest President this county has even known. His life serves to remind all of us that when we have those rough days, weeks, months or years, quitting is not an option. Simply Put, we must Persevere.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said that if everybody thinks it’s a good plan, it probably won’t work.

“Nothing To Say”

2010-01-13T15:09:00.001-08:00

It’s been one of those weeks folks. You know the old saying “If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all”. So I’ll just say nothing this week.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said he has tried awful hard to like his neighbor, but has failed miserably.

“Bowden & Blackie”

2010-01-08T14:48:00.001-08:00

As a lifetime member of the Seminole football nation I, along with many other tribe members, hated to see the Bobby Bowden Era come to an end. But my sadness in watching the era come to a close is also in part because I always had a self imposed personal connection to Bowden. You see Bobby Bowden and my dad, who’s nickname in college was Blackie, had a lot in common.

Things Bowden and Blackie had in common.

• They were almost the same age: Bowden was born in 1929; Blackie in 1928.

• They grew up 50 miles apart in Alabama: Bowden in Birmingham; Blackie in Clanton.

• They both grew up in Baptist homes with God fearing parents.

• They both were very competitive.

• They both were very good athletes in high school.

• They both grew up loving the University of Alabama football.

• They both played college football: Bowden first at Alabama, then Howard (now Samford); Blackie at Troy.

• They both played offense. Bowden a QB; Blackie a running back.

• They both got married to their high school sweetheart during their freshman year of college.

• They both played football against each other in 1951. (Troy beat Howard, with Blackie scoring on a 13 yard run. Incidentally the only mention of Bobby in the newspaper is that a Bowden fumble lead to a touchdown by the Red Wave (former nickname of Troy).

• They both went in to coaching after college.

• They both came to love Florida State Football.

• They both loved to laugh.

• They both had a great wife and mother to their children.

• They both unabashedly proclaimed a personal relationship with Jesus

• They both placed the utmost importance on their faith

Blackie loved how Bowden was building the program at Florida State, especially the wide open offense of the Seminoles. And for 6 years (1976-1982) Bowden had no bigger fan that Blackie. Blackie, along with his son and several friends, abandoned a dove hunt in 1980 to listen on their truck radio as FSU beat #3 Nebraska on the road. FSU football had arrived and the hunting party celebrated with a 20 gun shotgun salute. But sadly Blackie never got to see Bowden and the Seminoles not just reach the mountain top but stay at the mountain top for many years.

So for the last 28 years I often thought of Blackie when I watched Bowden on the sidelines. I had my own little personal connection that nobody else had or even knew about. Bowden’s retirement, for me, means that the Seminole’s sideline will never be the same. But, Simply Put, there will always be that Bowden & Blackie connection in my heart.

From the front porch: Coach said don’t count the things that you do, but do the things that count.

“The Skinny on Boys High School Hoops”

2009-12-28T10:02:00.001-08:00

Last week I wrote about the ladies high school hoops scene so this week it is the boy’s turn. This is quickly shaping up to be another outstanding season for high school boys in the county as several are off to excellent starts and the rest are also off to good starts. At the writing of this column all five teams have winning records.

The top of the heap, at least at this point, has to go to the Marianna Bulldogs and the Malone Tigers. The Bulldogs are off to an 9-1 start and look like they can make another run towards Lakeland. They’ve got three big guys like Kruize Pinkins, Kendall Leeks and Tommy Stephens that can control the game down low. And with outside players like R.J. Bowers, Tre Long and Tre Jackson the Bulldogs are solid.

Malone, off to a 10-2 start returns T.J. Smith as one of the top scorers around the Big Bend. And he’s got a supporting cast that makes these Tigers dangerous. Ladarius McElroy, Marcus Leonard, Chai and Ty Baker are just a few of the cast members that make this another classic Tiger team. They’re cat quick, love to shoot the long ball and play pressure D.

Right behind these two squads come the Sneads Pirates and the Cottondale Hornets.

The Pirates are off to a 7-4 start and seem to be coming together just fine. They don’t have the one go to guy like some squads, but they have several players that on any given night that can take the helm. Terrence Green, Jamar White and Jeff Bell have been leading the squad in scoring. But players like Will Holmes, Jeff Davis and Josh Rogers can score as well.

Cottondale, like Malone and Graceville, has a prolific scorer that can light up the scoreboard. Marcus Humose is averaging over 20 points a game and can score from anywhere on the floor. He has a solid group around him as well as big men Drew Bellamy and Cody Saye patrol the lane. The Hornets, 6-4 on the season, have a bevy of talent on the perimeter in Dominique Webb, Juwon Johnson, Tristin White, Darien and Darius Pollock.

The Graceville Tigers are last but certainly not least. They are off to a 4-3 start but don’t let that fool you. They’ve got a kid that can score as well as anybody in North Florida. Cameron Dozier can fog it from the outside or take it to the hoop. He can square up, shoot off balance or weave his way to the basket. He’s had three straight games of 30 plus points. The cast around him is young and inexperienced. But Craig Myrick and Jamal Miller can score as well and Leander Ford is the big man inside.

Simply Put, buckle up it’s time for Jackson County Basketball.

From the front porch: Coach said average is as close to the bottom as it is the top.

“The Skinny on Girls High School Hoops”

2009-12-17T14:50:00.001-08:00

Each year about this time I write a column or two about the local high school hoops scene. You might call it the “State of the County Hoops Address.” Being a gentlemen, I’ll let the ladies go first.

Of the five varsity girl’s teams in the county, one stands head and shoulders above the others. That one would be the Graceville Lady Tigers. As of this past Monday the Lady Tigers are 10-0 under Head Coach John Haboli and look like they picked up right where they left off last year (making it all the way to the Regional Finals before falling to FAMU High). Mychea Williams seems to be the lead scorer but Wynterra Pittman, Tiara Sorey, and Jessica McClendon can all score as well. Brittany Flournoy drives the machine as the primary ball handler.

Not far behind Graceville would have to be the Marianna Lady Bulldogs. Head Coach Chuck Brown has resurrected the Lady Bulldogs program and led the team to the Regional Finals last year. This year’s squad is led in scoring by Sharae Williams. Several other key Lady Bulldogs include Shamiqua Davies, Christina, Tia Bass, Ravin Borders and Temperance Wooden.

Without question the most improved team on the year would have to be the Sneads Lady Pirates. First year Head Coach Tyrone Livingston has infused a new enthusiasm in the program and it shows both on and off the court. It doesn’t hurt either that Sneads has got some ladies that can shoot the hoops. They are led by the trio of LaTilya Baker, Shan Gillette and Jonie Bonine. Down low Meagan Smith patrols the lane and out front Bridgett Dawson runs the floor show.

That leaves two schools and both of them also have new coaches. The Malone Lady Tigers have Kendall and Marcy Murdock as their new coaches, both of whom played for the Lady Tigers. Malone has some good ball players but they are also very young. Vanessa Olds, Venisha Hearns, Shakira Smith and Autumn Speigner have been doing most of the scoring. Tessa Shack has played well and Malone has arguably the best young player in the county in 8th grader Courteanna “Mee Maw” Brelove.

The Cottondale Lady Hornets have a new coach, but a familiar face. Randi Scurlock was a standout athlete at Cottondale a couple of years ago and has returned to her alma mater. Cottondale has been one of the top programs around for the past few years, including several trips to Lakeland for the Final Four. But this would be labeled as a rebuilding year as they have a freshman and sophomore in their starting lineup. They have some experience though in Jakia Grimsley who can score from anywhere. Khadejah Ward and Kieysha Paul handle the ball and can score as well. Syrinna Pope plays down low under the boards.

Simply Put, it should be another fun year of girls high school hoops.

From the front porch: Coach said humbleness is not thinking less of yourself but rather is thinking of yourself less.

“Advice For Retirement”

2009-12-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Clint: I didn’t think Dear Abby would understand so I am hoping as a sports man you can help me out. After 34 years of pouring my heart and soul into my job, my supervisors basically offered me an early retirement plan. I was hoping to hang on for another year and feel like after all I’ve done in my job (coaching 34 years at one college) that I deserved to retire on my own terms, not on someone else’s terms. Fortunately I have my faith and my family to rely on, but I must confess I am struggling with how this all ended. Got any advice? Signed “Put Out To Pasture Too Early” in Tallahassee

Dear “Put Out to Pasture Too Early in Tallahassee” - Rest assured that you are not the first person, nor will you be the last person, to be nudged out the door before you feel you are ready. There are many other long time employees, in a variety of professions, who feel like they were shown the door while they were still capable of contributing. You mentioned your faith so here is my advice (gathered from the good book.

Do not be bitter or filled with resentment (Ephesians 4:31). Too often folks who feel they’ve been nudged out the door too early, or at least in their opinion too early, become bitter. They are resentful towards their former employer, who they perceive having wronged them. They spend their remaining years complaining to everyone they encounter about how they were done wrong. So rise above the temptation to sling mud at others. Remember that bitterness and true faith can not dwell in the same house.

Be thankful (1st Chronicles 16:34). You’ve had a long and successful career so don’t sit around having a poor pitiful me party. Not many coaches can say they coached at one place for 34 years, climbed the mountains you climbed, had the relationships that you had and the impact you had on thousands of folks.

Be humble and gracious (Matthew 23:12). There is nothing more appealing than humbleness and nothing more appalling than arrogance.

Be active and serve (Psalms 100:2). You’ve been quoted as saying there is only one big event after retirement (death) and you’re not looking forward to that. Don’t sit around waiting to die. Remember that we never retire from our faith. Use your God given gifts to do things you enjoy while at the same time serving God and others.

Remember your purpose in life (Isaiah 43:7). Our faith teaches us that God created us for his glory. There is no glory in bitterness or feeling sorry for yourself. But by being thankful, humble, gracious and serving God you will fulfill your purpose in life and Simply Put, what more could a man want.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob took the Florida State loss to Florida like a man, he blamed it on his wife.

“The End of An Era”

2009-12-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

Unless you’ve been hibernating in a cave you’ve heard by now that FSU Head Football Coach Bobby Bowden has announced his retirement. I wrote a column a few weeks back about the subject, saying in essence that he should be allowed to coach another year if he wants to, but that I was not convinced that it would be the best thing for the program.

Supposedly Bowden was recently offered two choices for next year, (1) remain in an “ambassador type” role or (2) retire. I suspect he viewed option one as an insult so he choose option two. I also suspect that this whole situation did not play out like Bowden wanted it to, that is going out on top or at least after a real good year so that he could feel like the program was back to where it used to be. He probably wanted to be like his counterpart Joe Paterno at Penn State and prove that he could right the ship. He kept hoping for that one good last run, but it never came.

He has won 388 games, second most in the history of college football. He has won two national championships and will have coached in 28 straight bowl games. For 14 straight seasons, 1987 – 2000, they finished in the AP Top Five and won 10 or more games each year. They only lost 19 games in all 14 years.

It’s been said that the only thing more difficult than getting to the top is staying at the top. In the last nine years they have won 10 games once. They’ve lost five or more games five out of those nine years. In the last four seasons they’ve had 6 losses three times and lost a total of 22 games. Last year things seemed to improve (9-4) and the Seminole nation, including Bowden, felt like we were on the verge of righting the ship. But they finished this regular season 6-6 and need a bowl game victory to avoid a losing season.

Nobody in the Seminole Nation wanted it to end this way. Everyone would have loved it if Bowden could have gone out on top or with the program on the rebound. If anybody ever deserved to go out on top it would be Bowden. And not for just what he has done on the field, but what he has done off the field as well. But life doesn’t always work out that way. We all know, painfully, sometimes life just isn’t fair.

So after 34 years of having Bobby Bowden as our Head Coach he is retiring. Simply Put, it’s been my privilege and honor as a fan to be a part of the Bobby Bowden era, from beginning to end. We likely will never see another era like this again in college football. Tune in next week as I’ll give Bowden some unsolicited advice on his departure.
From the front porch: Coach said life is what it is, not what it was.

“Holidays Can Be Hard”

2009-11-27T11:38:00.001-08:00

This edition of the Times will come out on turkey day, i.e. Thanksgiving Day. That also means that Christmas is not too far away either. So like most families, our family will be gathering to celebrate the holidays.

This past Sunday night our pastor shared with us that one of our members had asked him to keep her in his prayers during the holidays. You see this Thanksgiving would be her first without her husband who has past away. Our pastor encourgaged us to do two things. One, keep folks like this lady, and many others that have lost loved ones, in our prayers.

So often folks get so busy with the holidays, with all the cooking and running around, that it is easy to forget that there are many around us that are hurting during these times. When you turn on the TV, pick up the newspaper or turn on the radio you are bombarded with images, sounds and stories of folks gathering around their families, eating, laughing and having a good time.

But those of us that have lost close loved ones know that after that loss the holidays are never quite the same. The first holiday season after we’ve lost that loved one is downright dreadful. It brings back to the surface all the grief that we have tried to move past. After that first holiday season the next few are only a little better. The emotions are still pretty close to the surface. Hopefully as times goes by you no longer dread the holidays but can actually enjoy them with your remaining loved ones. But again, the holiday season will never quite be the same for you.

The second thing our pastor encouraged us to do during the holidays was make sure that we tell those folks about our loved one that is not with us anymore. In doing so, we can keep their memory alive and ease the pain just a little bit.

This will be the 28th holiday season without my father being present. It will be the 23rd holiday season without my brother in-law. Our families are well past the grieving phase so it’s not so much that it is painful or dreadful anymore. We can and do enjoy the holiday season. It’s just that each time we gather there remains a void that can never be filled.

Over the years, especially during the holidays, I have tried diligently to tell my kids about their grandfather and uncle, both of which they never knew. So I encourage everyone to follow our pastor’s advice for this holiday season. Simply Put, keep those folks that are hurting in your prayers and tell someone about your loved one (s) that have passed away.

From the front porch: Coach said change is difficult but often essential to survival.

“It just Ain’t Right”

2009-11-19T13:37:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday the Sneads Lady Pirates volleyball squad was ousted from the FHSAA Regional Finals for the second straight year by Maclay. After the match Sneads Head Coach Shelia Roberts voiced her frustration with public schools having to play private schools in the playoffs. (See related article on this page).
I’ve used this column previously to express my agreement with Coach Robert’s opinion. It is an opinion that is greatly shared by numerous public school coaches and administrators. My previous columns about this matter have laid out some of the advantages that private schools have over public schools so I won’t take up space repeating those advantages. Instead I’ll lay out some numbers that will demonstrate the stranglehold the private schools have on the lower classification playoffs (there are no large classification private schools) and how it directly impacts our Jackson County high schools.

For the 2009 volleyball playoffs in classes 1A, 2A & 3A Sneads was the only public school out of 24 teams in the Final 8 teams for all three respective classifications. The 2008 volleyball playoffs were exactly the same. All three State Champions for both years were from private schools. Think volleyball is unique? Wrong.

In the 2008 football playoffs for class 1B 15 out of all 16 teams making the playoffs were private schools. Graceville was the only public school. In classes 1A, 2B & 2A 7 out of 12 of the final four teams were private schools. All state champions for the four lower classifications were private schools.

In the 2008 boy’s basketball playoffs 10 out of final 12 teams in classes 1A, 2A, & 3A were private schools. Marianna was one of only two public schools to make it to Lakeland. All three state champs were from private schools. The numbers are exactly the same for the girls. Cottondale was only one of two public schools to make it to Lakeland and again all three state champs were from private schools.

Think baseball and softball are any better? Wrong again. Malone was the last remaining public school in the final 8 teams of the Class 1A 2008 baseball playoffs. Class 2A actually had two public schools make it to the final four but Class 3A was all private. All three state champs came from private schools. In softball Graceville was the last remaining public school team in the final 8 in Class 1A. In the lower three classes only 5 out of 24 teams were from public schools and the private schools claimed all three state championships.

So out of 19 2008 state championships in the above sports and classifications, there was not a single state champion that came from a public school. A check of the years prior to 2008 reveals very similar numbers. Like Coach Roberts said, Simply Put, that’s not right and it ought to be fixed.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob’s son in law said that if he just had some humility he’d be perfect.

“Ole Roy Gets a FACELIFT”

2009-11-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday night several hundred folks gathered in Malone for the ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening of the renovations made to the Roy B. Beall Sr. Gymnasium. (See related article “ Malone Gym Undergoes Renovation” on page 3 of sports)

It’s no great secret that I am not from Malone but that I am from Marianna. Those two schools have been arch rivals on the basketball court since the two schools began playing in the 1920s. If the walls of the Roy B. Beall Sr. Gym could talk they could tell us some exciting tales about great games in Malone between the two schools.

Malone’s gym has been legendary in regards to being a tough place to play. Most Malone fans don’t care for the nickname given to the gym by other schools. But “The Cracker Box” is notorious for being a place to play that opposing teams dread. That has been even truer in the later years when the 3 point line came into effect. The opposing teams knew that if Malone got hot from the outside you could hang it up. And get hot they often did. No doubt that the Roy B. Beall Sr. Gym played a part in Malone’s tradition and winning 13 boys state championships (second most in the state) as well as the girls run to a state title and being state runner-up five times.

Malone’s current gym was built in 1949 and named after Mr. Beall in 1976. Many of the other county schools also had gyms built in the late 40’s and early 50’s. Over the years however those other schools in the county began to replace their gyms. First there was Graceville when they built a new school in the late 70’s. Next was Sneads who built a new gym after a fire at the school forced some major renovations. The next new gym came at Grand Ridge. About five years ago Marianna got a new ‘Dog House when the new school was built out on the Caverns Highway.

That left only Cottondale and Malone with the older gyms. Cottondale’s gym underwent renovations a couple of years ago similar to that of Malone’s recent renovations. In addition to cosmetic renovations, both gyms have now been brought into the 21st century with the installation of heating and cooling systems.

I know that some folks had hoped Cottondale and Malone would get new gyms. But I for one am glad to see the renovations rather than new buildings. The old gyms have so many memories and so much more character. I just hate to see the old gyms, like the old ‘Dog House, put out to pasture. And from all appearances last Thursday night the fans, former players and coaches all enjoyed seeing the facelift for the “house that Roy built.” Simply Put, I think Ole Roy would have been proud.

From the front porch: Coach said that he’s noticed a turtle only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

“Fascination ”

2009-11-05T14:43:00.001-08:00

“ This past Saturday evening I took in a couple of the festivals put on by two local churches as alternatives to traditional Halloween festivities. Both festivals were well attended and once again reminded me that the volunteer spirit is alive and well in our local community. These events don’t just accidently happen. A ton of planning and preparation goes into putting on a successful event.

For all the enjoyment that everyone seemed to derive from these events, two moments stood out in my mind. At First Baptist Church’s Hallow Him Festival a big crowd was on hand and enjoyed entertainment, numerous activities, boiled peanuts, hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy. Also there was a life flight helicopter from Sacred Heart Hospital. Visitors were invited to see the helicopter up close and learn more about the mission of the life flight helicopters.

The main attraction seemed to have occurred though when the helicopter made its departure. Most of the other activities came to a stop and hundreds of folks gathered to watch the helicopter take off. It began with the slow revving up of the chopper blades. As the blades gradually increased in speed, the wind likewise began to pick up. It culminated when the pilots went to full throttle for lift off. Folks had to hang on to their hats and everything else to keep them from blowing away. As the helicopter lifted off the ground it made a full rotation so that all could get a glimpse of the pilots in action. The crowd, young and old a like, gave a round of applause to express their delight. And then the chopper went up, up and away, kind of like Superman.

After leaving First Baptist I journeyed to Citizen’s Lodge Park where Evangel Worship Center was hosting a Halleluiah Festival. A large crowd was on hand for this festival as well, and likewise were treated to a host of activities, food, fun and entertainment. The evening culminated with a fireworks show over the pond at the park.

Like the helicopter’s departure, the fireworks show had young and old alike watching with delight. Folks gazed into the cool clear fall evening to watch round after round of fireworks light up the sky. And as usual there was a thundering finale that had the crowd cheering. And when the last firework was gone, the crowd gave a round of applause to express their enjoyment.

This certainly was not the first time I had watched a helicopter take off or watch a fireworks show. But as I watched the crowds that evening it struck me that no matter our age, most of us are still fascinated by flight and by fireworks. Fascination is one of the little pleasures in life and Simply Put, I hope we never lose that fascination.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said it is a fine line between being warmed up and worn out.

“The Rivalry Thrives”

2009-10-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

The Marianna vs Chipley football rivalry added another log to the fire (reference last week’s Simply Put) this past Friday night as the Tigers pulled off an exciting 49-42 victory over the Bulldogs. The game didn’t say much for either teams defense but the offensive fireworks made this a game that will be remembered along with the many great games in this long time rivalry.

As I noted last week a check of the record book reveals that the only team that Marianna has played more than Chipley is Walton. By the way I compiled that record book after realizing years ago that there is not one central record book that contains all the records for the past Bulldog football squads. That record book was compiled from old yearbooks and old newspaper articles that I painstakingly researched on microfilm. It should also be noted that my “record book” is missing most records from 1926-1936 because I have been unable to locate much or any information about those years. All that said, here is what we do know. Marianna played Walton and Chipley during the Bulldog’s first season in 1925. The Bulldogs tied Walton 6-6 and beat Chipley 13-0. And so the rivalries were born. Counting 1925 and since 1936 Marianna has played Walton 73 times, winning 43 and losing 25. There have been three ties (back before the tie breaker system was implemented) and there are two games (1937 & 1938) in which I know they played but do not know the outcome. Since 1936 there has only been five season (1980, 81, 82, 95, 96) in which Marianna did not play Walton.

Counting 1925 and since 1936 the Bulldogs have now squared off against Chipley 67 times. Since 1936 there has only been seven season (1937, 42, 43, 69, 75, 76, 79) in which we did not play Chipley. If you think the Chipley rivalry has been close you would be right on target. Going into this past Friday nights game both teams had won 31 apiece and there had been four ties. So after this past Friday night Chipley now has a 32-31 edge on the Bulldogs.

And that is what makes great rivalries, close games and each side winning their fair share. If you’ve ever noticed, it’s not much of a rivalry if your team wins all the time. Some will recall that a few Chipley folks were downplaying the rivalry during the late 80’s and early 90’s. That’s because Chipley won 9 straight games before the Bulldogs broke the drought with a 29-20 win in 1995. After four straight Bulldog wins from 1997-2000 it was once again a big game to the Tiger fans.

So this past Friday night’s was another great game in this age old rivalry. And even though the ‘Dogs were on the losing side, the game was one for the record books. Simply Put, the rivalry is alive and well.

From the front porch: Coach said to learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for tomorrow.

“Put Another Log on the Fire”

2009-10-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

This Friday night the Marianna Bulldogs play host to the Chipley Tigers. This game has always been Marianna’s biggest rivalry on the grid iron. In fact the two squads hooked up in 1925 in Marianna’s first football season and have played almost every year since. A check in the record book reveals the only team that Marianna has played more is Walton County.

Throw into this year’s game that it’s homecoming, and Chipley is now in Marianna’s district again. A win by the Bulldogs puts them into the playoffs. And oh yeah there is one more twist that will make this year’s game even more interesting. Chipley’s current Head Football Coach was Marianna’s Head Football Coach for the last two seasons.

Rob Armstrong came to Marianna for the 2007 football season. For two years he put a solid team out on the field that made the playoffs as the district runner up. Last year’s squad won 8 regular season games, the most by a Bulldog squad since the 2000 season. But after two seasons he departed this past summer and took the job at Chipley.

Another check of the record books reveals no previous Marianna Head Football coach that left to take the same job at Chipley. In fact I don’t know of any Marianna Head Football Coach that has ever been a Head Football Coach at Chipley. So Armstrong’s departure to Chipley, and return to Marianna this Friday night, is history in the making.

I’ll be the first to admit that I was not close enough to the situation to know exactly why Armstrong left Marianna for Chipley. I do know that he was close to Marianna’s Principal Randy Ward, who hired Armstrong in 2007. The two had coached together at Graceville years ago and both liked each other. With a new superintendent of schools there were some shuffling of principals and Ward was one of those principals. He was transferred to Grand Ridge.

Like most folks I suspect I have heard some of the other reasons he might of left. But I don’t know what is factual or not. I’ve never asked Armstrong and don’t plan to, ‘cause I figure it ain’t any of my business.

What I do know is that it is going to be very interesting this Friday night. As far as I know, both Armstrong and the current Bulldog coaches and players have nothing but mutual admiration for each other. But while neither side would publically admit it, rest assured both want to beat the other awfully bad. Not out of disrespect or dislike, but rather out of respect. So an already intense rivalry, Simply Put, just got another log put on the fire.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob says he is not a brick shy of a load, as some have claimed. He does admit however that the load has shifted a bit.

“Head Coach In Waiting, Part II”

2009-10-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

I continue this week with more thoughts on the situation at Florida State with Head Coach Bobby Bowden and Head Coach in waiting Jimbo Fisher. As I said last week I didn’t like the Head Coach in waiting idea in 2007 when Bowden, Fisher and FSU all agreed to the concept. And I don’t like it any better these days.

Bowden has made two statements recently that are dead on the money. Last week he said that winning would take care of everything. Before Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech Bowden told the players that it is not about him but it is about the team. I agree with him 100%.

The problem is they lost again and are off to their worst start (2-4) since Bowden’s first year at FSU (1976). They are 0-3 in ACC for the first time since joining the conference. Clearly something is not working. The team or program doesn’t appear to be heading in the right direction.

After some public officials said Bowden should call it quits after this season, FSU has reiterated that Bowden can coach through 2010 if he so chooses. However they are also rewording Fisher’s contract at the end of this season to give him sole authority for hiring and firing assistant coaches. While winning will take care of everything, losing doesn’t take care of anything. Rumors of coaches not getting along and dividing into factions are swirling. While none of us know for sure just how accurate these rumors are, it would be no surprise if there is some truth to the rumors. Finger pointing is not uncommon when you are 2-4 and 0-3 in conference play.

So what is going to happen at the end of the season? Bowden will decide if he wants to coach another year. And Fisher will begin assembling the assistant coaches for next season, which includes replacing out going longtime defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews.

I am a big time admirer of Bowden, both on and off the field. He ranks in the top three all time college football coaches in my book. He has certainly earned the right to coach another year if he so chooses. But I would hope that Bowden would truly be honest with himself in answering two questions. Will his staying for one more year make FSU a better football team and better football program? And will it help in the transition from the Bowden era to the Fisher era. Because, as Bobby said it so well, this should not be about what is best for Bobby Bowden, but rather what is best for the FSU football team and program. And as much as it pains me to say it, I am not convinced his staying will make them a better team or help in the coaching transition. If he decides to stay I hope I am wrong. But either way, Simply Put, Go ‘Noles.

From the front porch: Coach said that we are motivated by our goals and paralyzed by our fears.

“Head Coach In Waiting”

2009-10-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

Over the past three years in writing this column I have written several times regarding the Florida State Seminoles football team and coach. In fact I just wrote one a couple of weeks ago titled “It Ain’t Hard To Be Humble” when you’re a Seminole fan. The following week the Noles soundly beat BYU and appeared to be righting the ship. Well the last two weeks have been a return to the land of the humble.
In fact things have digressed to the point that some public officials associated with the school are now calling for Bobby Bowden to announce that he will retire at the end of the season. And if he chooses not to retire, the call is for the school to make the change themselves. Let the feeding frenzy begin.

I’ve been reading some of the blogs related to the story and there appears to be a consensus among the bloggers. Most say that they are huge Bobby Bowden fans and appreciate all that he has done for FSU football. But most are also saying that the time has come to end the Bowden era. Bowden for his part has said that he will not respond to the comments made by these public officials. In the video footage I saw he appears defiant, and even uncharacteristically disrespectful to a female reporter when he commented “that sounds just like a female.”

But there is another sentiment that is voiced by many of the bloggers in which I whole heartedly agree. It should not have come to this, i.e. folks publically calling for Bowden to call it quits. Surely there could and should have been a better way for all this to unfold. And I don’t think the worst has yet to come. If FSU can’t start playing better on the field, which is very possible, the calls for his ouster will only intensify. This thing could get really ugly.

Two years ago some were calling for his ouster and the promoting of Jimbo Fisher to head coach. I wrote that I felt Bowden should have more time to right the ship. I wanted to believe that he could turn things around. He had done it before. Then FSU did this “head coach in waiting” deal with Jimbo Fisher. I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now. And I don’t think it has worked. There must be one head coach, and it should have been either Bowden or Fisher. As the old saying goes, you can only serve one master. Well a football team can only serve one head coach, not two. Simply Put, this “head coach in waiting” is for the birds.

So what to do now? Tune in next week for my idea on what should be done.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said the peak years of mental activity are between the ages of 4 & 18. At 4 they know all the questions and at 18 they know all the answers.

“Finally, A reprieve”

2009-10-04T13:58:00.001-07:00

I don’t know about you folks, but I for one am glad to see some cooler weather arrive. The past couple of days have been a welcomed relief for the heat and humidity that seems to have gripped us for the past month. I know that we had some hot days this past summer but the humidity in the past couple of weeks has been almost unbearable.
This past weekend appeared to be the apex of humidity. At Friday night’s football game at Marianna (vs. Walton County) I saw more players cramping than I have in a long time. The heat itself wasn’t so bad but the humidity left both teams, especially the defenses, out of gas by the second half. Basically neither team’s defense could stop the other team’s offense. And to adding insult to injury, the game went into overtime (at least Marianna won).

I took in the festivities both Friday and Saturday at the Marianna Day Festival. The poor folks wearing all the uniforms and other garments from the 1860’s era had to be downright miserable. Just imagine wearing wool uniforms or petticoats and southern belle dresses on a hot muggy September afternoon. And while the overall festival appeared to go really well and had a good turnout for the first year, the heat and humidity didn’t make for a relaxing outdoor experience.

I got home Saturday night and caught the weather report and low and behold I heard those magic words. Cooler and dryer air is on the way. I began to take notice of the change as early as Sunday night and by Tuesday and Wednesday the fall weather was in full force. And I know that this won’t last, as warmer weather is already on its way back. But maybe at least we’ve seen the last of the heavy duty humidity for another year.

I was talking with Stephanie Parker’s folks on Saturday at the festival. They are down from Illinois for a visit. When I asked how they were enjoying the visit they replied that they were having a great time and were even getting used to the humidity. I chuckled when I replied that I have lived here all my life and I’ve never gotten used to the humidity. But Simply Put, we finally have gotten a reprieve. Here’s to hoping we’ve bid farewell to the humidity until next summer.

From the front porch: Coach said there is no dollar sign for peace of mind

“Marianna Day”

2009-10-04T13:25:00.001-07:00

“This weekend brings the first edition of Marianna Day, a weekend of fun and festivities for the whole family. For a full run down of what will be taking place and when, see the ad on page B4.

The entire festival is centered around the Battle of Marianna, the historic event that took place during the War Between The States (or Civil War as most call it) on September 27, 1864. I learned to call the war “The War Between The States” from longtime history teacher at Marianna High School, William Grant. I know that I am not alone when I say that Mr. Grant, who is now deceased, single handly instilled in me, like he did so many students over his lengthy teaching career, a life long love of our local history. And that certainly includes the Battle of Marianna.

When the festival, along with the parades and battle re-enactments were first announced, the reaction was mixed if you read some of the blogs on the local media outlets. Some folks welcomed the idea and concept. Others didn’t. Some said it would be good for tourism, others liked the history aspect with a re-enactment on the actual battle site (first time ever). Others, like myself, were thrilled that it would all culminate with a bluegrass festival at Citizen’s Lodge Park. But there are some in our community that have not really warmed up to the festival. Based on some blogs that I have read, some folks don’t share the enthusiasm for all the festivities. I take from their blogs that they see nothing honorable about fighting and dying for the cause of slavery and they feel that festivals of this nature do just that. And the site of all those Confederate Battle Flags is a bit much for them.

My column is not long enough to articulate all my thoughts about the War Between the States. But I’ll say this about the Battle Flag. It is a part of our history and as such should be displayed in a historical context. The problem is that there have been many of my own race that have used the flag as a symbol of hatred and violence. And I think if the brave men who fought to save this town from destruction saw how some folks, like the skin heads, Neo-Nazis and the KKK have used the battle flag, they would turn over in their graves.

So the battle is part of our history and I hope folks will turn out to enjoy a couple of days of good history lessons. I suspect that the Mr. Grant would have thoroughly enjoyed it. And besides all that, the festival concludes with a bluegrass festival on Saturday. Simply Put, for me it don’t get no better than good history and good pickin’ and grinnin’. See y’all at the festival.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said a lot of trouble in the world is caused by combining a narrow mind and a wide mouth.

"It Aint’ Hard To Be Humble"

2009-10-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

In writing this column I’ve never tried to hide the fact that I am a FSU football fan. I was raised as a Seminole football fan and plan to be one until my time on earth is done. I must admit that I’ve gone through times in my life when I was more than just a fan. You might say I was a bit overzealous about Seminole football. I credit that overzealous passion to arising from the days when they weren’t very good, in fact they were downright bad, and for $5 you could sit anywhere in the stadium you wanted.
But then came Bobby Bowden and the program began moving in the right direction. The program went from a nobody to a somebody. With each passing year of progress, my zealousness for Seminole football grew. Throw in a few good rivalries with Florida and Miami and you had the makings of some intense passion for Seminole football.
Then came "Wide Right", the infamous failed field goal attempt in 1991 that cost us a win against Miami and possibly a national championship. I was at that game and must confess the loss was too much to bear. I went into a state of despair after the loss and did not come out for three days. When I finally emerged from my tailspin, it occurred to me that I might be taking this football stuff a little too seriously. So I tried to back off the throttle so to speak and not get so worked up.
During the past few seasons it has been easier not to get so worked up about Seminole football. The Seminoles just have not been the same team they used to be. Last year was better, but still not like the good ole days. Each year I’ve hoped for a return to the glory days, only to be disappointed. But by not getting my hopes up too high, it softened the fall.
So there I found myself Labor Day evening, watching another classic Miami vs FSU game. It reminded me of the old days and both teams seemed to be playing like they used to play. It went right down to the final seconds, all the while I’m telling myself to not get my hopes up to high. You know, it softens my fall if my hopes aren’t too high. I wasn’t doing real well with that though and sure enough, FSU came out on the short end of the stick. I didn’t figure to rest well so I grabbed a book, read a few minutes and drifted off to sleep. But before I went to sleep I thought, oh well, it least it wasn’t wide right. And my final thought that night was, Simply Put, it ain’t hard to be humble when you’re a Seminole.
From the front porch: Coach said freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.

“Clemente”

2009-09-14T11:02:00.001-07:00

Several weeks ago I wrote a column about a book I had read about one of my child hood heroes, Pistol Pete Maravich. As soon as I finished that book I picked up another book about another sport hero from that same era. At the risk of turning my column into a book review, I have to write about the book that I just finished titled Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero by David Maraniss. The book caught my eye in the book store because I was a young boy during his heyday with the Pittsburh Pirates. Clemente also had a connection with Nicaragua, the homeland of my wife, and we had just traveled there back in the spring (yes I know that I wrote about that too).
For those that might not remember him or know who he was, Clemente was arguably the best right fielder to ever play the game of Major League Baseball. He won 12 straight Golden Glove Awards, four National League batting titles, was a 10 time selection to the All Star team, was National League MVP in 1966 and World Series MVP in 1971.
I can’t say that I idolized Clemente as a childhood hero. He played baseball and to be honest most of my sports heroes were football and basketball players. I followed the game of baseball though, as an Atlanta Braves fan (Rico Carty, Felipe Alou and Hank Aaron) and knew enough to realize that Clemente was a special athlete.
The book, which is well written, highlights some aspects of Clemente’s life that I was unfamiliar with. Aspects such as his temper, his disdain for most sportswriters who he felt portrayed him as a hypochondriac, his overwhelming pride in his homeland of Puerto Rico and his battle to end unfair treatment of minorities in pro baseball. Clemente was a black Puerto Rican, so in his mind he got a double dose of discrimination.
But the book also details his humanitarian efforts and his kindness to many a child who looked up to him. That humanitarian side of him is what eventually led to his death. He had coached the Puerto Rican All Star teams in the International leagues several times when they journey to Nicaragua. He developed a fondness for the people of that country and in 1972 was dismayed at the devastation caused by the massive earthquake in the capital city of Managua. He organized plane loads of relief for the country and was tragically killed in a plane crash en route to Nicaragua on New Year’s Eve, 1972.
Clemente had a saying, “if you have a chance to make a difference in someone’s life and you don’t, you’ve wasted your time on earth”. Simply Put, he didn’t waste his time and we shouldn’t either.
From the front porch: Uncle Bob said if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, you can bet their water bill is higher.

“Tough Times For JV Football”

2009-09-07T07:55:00.001-07:00

I wrote a column two years ago about this time of year regarding the Cottondale Hornet’s football program not having a middle school football team that season. The good news is that the Hornet’s middle school football program returned last year and once again they will field a team this season.
The bad news for football programs in the county though is that three of the four football programs in the county will not put a junior varsity team on the field this season. Cottondale has not had a JV football team for several years now, and that is one of the things I lamented on two years ago with the cancellation of the middle school team for that season. It meant that for some kids they would not begin organized football in a school setting until the 9th grade. And then that organized football in a school setting would be as a 9th grader on the varsity.
Joining Cottondale this year with no junior varsity teams are Graceville and Sneads. In talking with all three Head Coaches at these schools, they are the first ones to tell you that they would much prefer to be able to field a JV football team. And they would be the first ones to sell you on the importance of a JV team to their overall football program.
So what is the problem? It’s a numbers game. Or to put it another way, they do not have enough players to adequately field a team. And that’s a shame. Ninth and tenth grade kids at Cottondale, Sneads and Graceville now must play at the varsity level. And while you might occasionally have a ninth or tenth grader ready to play at the varsity level, by and large most are not.
For those that are not ready for play at that level, it can’t be much fun. Just imagine, you get beat up all week long in practice by the older players and then for the most part are a benchwarmer on Friday nights. Unless they have a tremendous desire to play football, it won’t take long for some of those young players to hang up their cleats and call it quits. And even if they stick with it, they are not getting playing time like they would at the JV level. So their skills and talents are not being developed as they should.
The end result is that this can not be good for football in our county. Hopefully things will make a turn for the better next year. Until then, Simply Put, these are tough times for JV football.
From the front porch: Coach said if you don’t know where your going it doesn’t matter which road you take.

“Not Quite The End”

2009-08-31T07:54:00.001-07:00

I had originally titled this column “The End”. It was to be the column that brought our summertime feature “Rollin’ Down The River” to an end as I had planned for this week’s feature to be about the end of the Chipola River. But mother nature and the Chipola River had other ideas, as I had gotten the cart before the horse so to speak.
I thought that where “The Cut” and the Chipola River meet (see Rollin’ Down The River) was the end of the Chipola River. It seemed to me that the Big River was overtaking the Little River and anything south would be considered either part of The Apalachicola River or possibly a new river, like Brothers River as I had heard. But as I paddled the area this past Saturday I conversed with a few of the locals, most of whom were enlightening their thoughts with their favorite malt beverages.
“Nope, that there is the Little River (local slang for Chipola River),” they replied when I asked if the river south of the cut was considered part of the Apalachicola or Brothers Rivers. Brothers River comes in further south and the 18 mile stretch from The Cut to The Big River (local slang for Apalachicola River) is considered to be the Chipola River.
Not that I didn’t trust their information, but I went back and watched the Dick Hinson video about his trip in 1986 with Sonny Anderson down the Chipola. The video has served as a trusted resource for my journeys down the river. Somehow I had not paid close attention to the final portion of the video because the locals were right on the money. The video confirmed that the Chipola indeed runs on south of The Cut before eventually meeting up with the Apalachicola.
What’s all this mean for Rollin’ Down The River? We are not through yet. We still have another section to paddle to complete the entire river, from start to finish. But I had mapped out my trips this summer to wrap up this week, as the onslaught of high school football and volleyball will fill our sports pages.
So I’ve made an executive decision. The “final run” is “on hold” until cooler weather. I’ll also give my buddy Chris Matthews a call to see if he’s up to a fall or winter overnight excursion. I suspect we’d have to do a little camping along the way and right now the heat and gnats are just too much to take. So Simply Put, we are not quite to the end. But stay tuned ‘cause we’re going to make it, just you wait and see.
From the front porch: Uncle Bob said he is getting to the point where he can’t stand people who are intolerant.

“Pistol”

2009-08-31T07:49:00.001-07:00

A little while back I noticed a book on Judy Riley’s desk at The Times’ office. The book was about a sports hero of mine. Judy told me that it was an excellent book and that she would let me read it when she was through.
I got the book, “Pistol – The Life of Pete Maravich” by Mark Kriegel a few weeks ago. As I began to read the book I realized Judy was right when she said it’s the kind of book that when you start reading you don’t want to put it down. I think it would be great reading for anyone, but for those of us who grew up pretending to be “Pistol Pete” in our backyards it is even better reading.
I can remember watching Pistol Pete play on TV during his college days at LSU. The things he could do with a basketball inspired us kids to want to be like him. All of a sudden we were trying behind the back and between the leg passes to our buddies. When the passes occasionally happened to work, we would hoot and holler call ourselves Pistol Pete.
As the book details, his professional career was hampered by bad teams and bad knees. But he was still Pistol Pete, and he could still make all the fancy moves and shoot the lights out. But the book spends much more time detailing his relationship with his father.
In some respects, Pistol Pete and I had something in common. His dad, like my dad, played college basketball, went on to become a high school basketball coach and wore a flat top haircut. The similarities ended there though. Pete’s dad had an obsession with the game of basketball and passed that on to his son. My dad had a passion for the game of basketball and passed that on to his sons. Make no mistake, there is a big difference between an obsession and a passion.
But that obsession is what drove Pete’s dad. And it drove Pistol Pete to become one of the greatest to ever play the game. But by his own admission, Pistol Pete was never really satisfied with his performance. He had a hard time enjoying the game because his obsession always drove him to think he could have done better.
Some might say his sudden death at age 46 was tragic. But I think the final few chapters of the book, and his life, however brings everything into real focus. After never being satisfied with his performance and after trying everything under the sun to find happiness, Pistol Pete accepted Jesus as his Lord and savior. He finally found true happiness. He found purpose. He found a passion and not an obsession. And he spent his final days on this earth fulfilling that purpose and living out that passion. Simply Put, what a wonderful ending to the fantastic book and life of Pistol Pete.
From the front porch: Coach said laughter is the closet distance between two people.

“Southern Hospitality”

2009-08-17T12:37:00.001-07:00

In this week’s Rollin’ Down The River feature I profile a recent kayak trip on the Chipola from the Highway 20 Bridge to Scott’s Ferry. Chris Matthews and I made this journey two weekends ago and as usual had talked several times during the week about the plans and details of the trip. One of my jobs was to bring Saturday night’s supper entrée. Now while I love to cook at the house, especially on the backporch grill, cooking on camp outs is usually stream line to the basics. So the Saturday night entrée was going to be hot dogs, the great American staple food for camp outs.
Well the hot dogs somehow got left in my refrigerator, along with the jelly for my peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches, the other great great American staple food for camp outs. But Chris had a back up plan as we would be roughing it at a cabin at Scott’s Ferry and there is a little store at the Ferry. The store has frozen pizza that they can bake up right there. So it appeared our supper plans were in order.
After we had arrived at Scott’s Ferry and unloaded all our gear in the cabin we saw a large crowd gathering at the large pavilion. One of our sources leaked some information to us that there was going to be a fish fry taking place at the pavilion. As Chris and I made our way up to the store to pay for the cabin, we concocted a plan to use our social skills to see if we might garner an invite to the fish fry. When walking by the pavilion we spoke to the “chief fish fryer”. There was some small talk about us being on a kayak trip down the Chipola and he did not bat an eye before he uttered the magical words “Want y’all come eat some fish with us tonight,” he said. It turns out the family was gathering to celebrate the 65th birthday of “Nanna.”
If that was not good enough fortune, when we got back to the cabin we struck up a conversation with our neighbor. He had been frog giggin’ the night before and had down right nicely. When asked where he was from he replied from Cottondale. Of course we advised him we were from Marianna and started trading names to see who we all knew. It came out that his wife worked at Jackson Hospital, which is where Chris’s wife Debra works. Turns out that they actually work together in the same department at the hospital. Our neighbors, Gary and Robbie Finch, had also gotten an invite to the Birthday celebration.
So that night, instead of hot dogs or frozen pizza, we dine on fried mullet, fried scallops, french fires, hushpuppies and baked beans. I ate so much fish and scallops that I could not eat any of the 7 layer chocolate cake for desert. When it was all done we wished Nanna happy birthday and thanked the head chef. Simply Put, there is nothing like living in the south and that good ole Southern Hospitality.
From the front porch: Coach said laughter is the closet distance between two people.

“Strike It While the Iron is Hot”

2009-08-10T10:16:00.001-07:00

The Times has been running a Yesteryear feature for the past three weeks dealing with Catgut Canyon. And this week’s Yesteryear is also on Catgut Canyon, so that is four weeks in a row about this mystical place in Marianna. In the 1 ½ years we’ve been doing our Yesteryear features, none have stretched into a four week run. And while some of our readers may have wished we’d moved on from the canyon by now, there have been a lot of readers that have expressed their enjoyment in recalling this former childhood playground.
So many folks, in fact, have called, e-mailed or talked to me that I felt we should run another story again this week. Clearly these articles have brought back a lot of fond memories. And I am proud that our paper could be a part in so many trips down memory lane.
It’s not a great secret that my job as Sports Editor at The Times is just one of three jobs that I hold down. I have a full time job, two part time jobs and a family. And to be honest there are days and times when all the work begins to pile up and I wonder if I can continue to juggle three jobs and a family.
But along comes a story like Catgut Canyon. Even though I have basically lived in Marianna most of my life, I had never even heard of this place until a month ago. But Al Padgett called with the idea and the rest as they say is history. So even though juggling this job at The Times can be tough, when I can be a part of something that brings so much enjoyment to our community, it reminds me why I do this job. Sure the extra money helps, but the main reason that I’ve continued to persevere is that it allows me the privilege and chance to bring enjoyment to the community in which I was born, raised and now live and raise my family. Thanks you to all those folks that have expressed their enjoyment to me.
If you’ve watched football you know that sometimes the offense runs an off tackle play for big yardage. So the offense runs the play again, then again and yet again, figuring we’ll run the play until the defense stops us. Well Catgut Canyon is kind of like that. Folks have been enjoying it so much that I just figured we’d keep running it until the readers stop us.
So this may be the last week or it may not. You, the readers, will decide. If anyone else has anymore Catgut Canyon stories, let me know. Simply Put, we’ll strike it while the iron (Catgut Canyon) is hot.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said the man who complains about the way the ball bounces is probably the one who dropped it.

“Great Job Marianna”

2009-07-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

For the past two weeks the City of Marianna has played host to three different state baseball tournaments at the MERE Complex / Optimist Park. These tournaments include the Dixie Youth Ozone (11 & 12 year olds), Dixie Jr. Boys (13 year olds) and Dixie Boys (14 year olds) state tournaments. Over the course of the past two weeks a total of 36 teams, comprised of 12 players on each team, from all over the state have made their way to our little corner of the world.

The economic impact this has on our little corner of the world can not be understated. I recognize that not all 36 teams stayed in Marianna as 6 teams were from Jackson County and several others were within easy driving distance. I would say though that ¾ of the teams did stay for at least a portion or all of their respective 5 day tournament. That’s staying in hotels, eating at restaurants, buying gasoline, site seeing and of course making the mandatory shopping trips to Wal-Mart to get the things that they forgot to bring. And even the teams that drove in from out of the county spent some of their hard earned cash eating at our restaurants and buying gasoline.

Last year the City of Marianna played host to the Dixie Girls World Series and I wrote a column about how well the event was organized and run. So I know I’ve said some of this before, but folks the reason that we can have these types of events in our small town, and reap the economic benefits, is because of the hard work of many local folks.

Chief among the locals is the City of Marianna Recreation Department. Clay Wells is the City Recreation Director and in my book has and is doing an outstanding job. The MERE / Optimist Park, as well as the other city parks, look great. His two trusty assistants are Jeff Faircloth and Jehron Clemmons. There may be others that I don’t know, but I do know that these three guys deserve a lot of credit. When you see them out and about, give them a pat on the back.

But the other thing that makes these tournaments so successful is the countless numbers of volunteers that have spent nearly two full weeks helping run these tournaments. Keeping scorebooks, pitching logs, doing public address, taking up tickets, running the hospitality room and working the concession stands are just a few of the things that non-paid volunteers do to keep the wheels of the tournaments running smoothly.

So to Clay Wells, the gang at the City Recreation Department and all the volunteers that have worked so hard these past two weeks, Simply Put, job well done. Now go kick back and relax somewhere. You’ve earned it.

From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said it is true that all men are born free and equal, but some of them get married.

“rollindowntheriver.blogspot.com”

2009-07-16T13:43:00.001-07:00

As we’ve been running our Rollin’ Down The River feature again this summer I continue to get a lot of positive comments from our readers about how much this featured is enjoyed. When I got to the office the other day there was a message to call one of our readers who thoroughly enjoys this feature and wanted to talk about it with me. I’m honored that you folks enjoy reading this feature as much as I enjoy doing the feature.
As I talk with folks about Rollin’ Down The River I am often asked if there is anywhere that the feature has been consolidated or compiled into one publication. My goal is to eventually put a DVD and maybe even a book with all the information and pictures. But in the meantime there has not been a central place to access all the articles and pictures that have been compiled so far.
Well, thanks to Stephanie Parker, Editor at the Jackson County Times, that has changed. Stephanie has put all her talent and skills into building a Rollin’ Down The River site on the internet. I got my first glance at it this week and I’m so excited about what she has put together for our readers and for that matter, anyone else who has an interest in the Chipola River.
So how do you access this site on the internet? There are two simple routes. One way is to type in rollindowntheriver.blogspot.com. The second way is to go to the newspaper’s website, jacksoncountytimesonline.com, and go to the sports section. There you will see a link title Rollin’ Down The River. Just click on that link and you will be in business.
The site has all the articles that have been written as well as a selection of pictures associated with the articles. So for those that have been waiting, the site is up and running. I must confess, I don’t know much about blogging. But I plan to brush up on it and I hope that you folks will tour the site. Once you’ve toured the site, blog me (which I think means give me your comments, suggestions, request, etc). There is a place on the site to do that and I would really enjoy reading your comments.
We plan to keep the site updated and I’ve even talked to Stephanie about having some sound effects (such as rippling waters or maybe a little background music, bluegrass of course, to add to your viewing and listening pleasure). So, Simply Put, fire up your computer and go Rollin’ Down The River.

From the front porch: Coach said most lessons are caught rather than taught.

“A Trip To Remember”

2009-07-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I embarked on a two night / two day Chipola River canoe and camping adventure. I had hooked up with Chris Matthews, who is an avid paddler and outdoorsman. He, like many of us, have a passion for spending time on the Ole Chipola. I had hooked up with Chris because I haven’t traveled on the Chipola River much south of Johnny Boy’s Landing. So he served as my tour guide, and did an excellent job.
The adventure began with a Friday night rendezvous at Chris’s river property at Turtle Bend. After unloading our canoes and gear we spent the evening watching the river roll by on his riverside dock. We shared some good fellowship with Mike Hale, Greg and Madison Lambe, who came down for a few hours. A grilled steak and baked potato where on the menu and they were mighty fine. After supper, and with a big day ahead of us, our visitors departed and it was lights out at 9 pm.
Rising early the next morning, we dine on deer sausage and bacon before shoving off on our journey. The day was first warm, and then hot. But the Ole Chipola’s cool waters were the perfect remedy for chasing away the heat. Lunch was had at Tater Hill and we then continued our long day of paddling. We paddled 18 miles that first day and made camp at Lamb Eddy boat landing. A gentle breeze blew up our way, running off most of the mosquitoes and making for a nice evening of tent camping along the riverbank. The only little hitch in the night came at about 2 am when the party crowd showed up at the boat landing. They weren’t too considerate of the tent campers with the loud music and all, but they finally left and we were able to get back to sleep.
The next morning we got a visit from Newell Cheesborough, who we had seen on the river the day before. Newell, a Marianna native, retired a couple of years ago from Birmingham and now lives down on the river near Lamb Eddy with his wife. We had an enjoyable visit with him and then it was back on the river. Seven miles later we made it to our take out point at the Highway 20 Bridge. Chris’s wife Debra met us and we loaded up the canoes and gear and headed home.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be writing about some of the sites we visited and explored. But I’ll tell you now that the Ole Chipola was absolutely beautiful. We canoed, swam, explored, camped and had some great fellowship all along the way. Simply Put, it was a trip to remember.

From the front porch: Coach said every problem is an opportunity in disguise.

“Reflections on Spring Creek”

2009-07-06T07:48:00.001-07:00

We have a little jewel in our small corner of the world, and that little jewel is called Spring Creek. Featured in this week’s Rollin’ Down The River segment, there is no place around like Spring Creek. Similar to my recollections last week about the Mill Pond, I have an abundance of fond memories about Spring Creek. It has long been a favorite swimming and recreation spot for local folks. Sites like Turner’s Landing, with its shallow clear spring waters are an open invitation to come and cool off with your kids.

I can’t recall the first time that I went swimming in Spring Creek, I just know that I have been swimming in it most of my life. Like the Mill Pond, many a hot summer night during my teenage years concluded with a trip down to Turner’s Landing to cool off. Long before folks outside Jackson County discovered the creek, me and my buddies organized many a flotilla that made its way down the creek. In addition to floating down the creek, I recall numerous camp outs down where the creek meets up with the river.

Spring Creek is right at the top of my list for places that I enjoy fishing. I don’t claim to be a big time fisherman, or to be very good at it either. But spending a day wading the creek and catching stump knockers is just about as good as it gets with me.

So all these fond memories about this precious little jewel in our community makes what’s happening to the creek these days even more painful. Much has been written about the trashing of Spring Creek. As the popularity of floating down the creek spread to cities like Tallahassee, Dothan, Panama City, the traffic on the creek during the summer weekends has exploded. I don’t think I am overestimating when I would speculate that as many as 1,500 – 2,000 folks are floating down the creek on a normal weekend.

While I’d like to think that most of these folks don’t trash our little jewel, even if 25-30% do, you’re talking 250-300 people trashing the place up every weekend. I know law enforcement has made some efforts to police the put in points and the take out points. But they’re not making a dent in the amount of trash left on the creek and river.

I applaud our local government and tourist development council’s effort to promote eco-tourism of local attractions like Spring Creek. But we need those same groups, or some civic organization, to take the lead and formulate a comprehensive strategy to help keep our little jewel clean for current and future generations to enjoy. Simply Put, if we don’t there will come a day when there won’t be anything to promote and our little jewel will be lost for good.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said he is about to the point where listening to music is tougher than facing it.

"Reflections on the Mill Pond"

2009-06-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

You’ve all heard the saying "The ole gray mare just ain’t what she used to be." This week’s Rollin’ Down The River feature is about Merritt’s Mill Pond and that saying could well be said about the Mill Pond. It just ain’t what it used to be.
When spending time on the Mill Pond now, with all the hydrilla and algae, I find myself sounding old and a little cynical when I think that it just isn’t as pretty as it used to be. I think back to the many fond memories I have about the ole gray mare. My family briefly owned a house on the Mill Pond and I recall first swimming there when I was five or six years old. In my teenage years we used to spend time out there swimming, fishing and just kickin’ around. On some nights, especially when the moon was full, we would head to the Mill Pond after summer football or basketball practices for a moonlight swim.
In 1978 my parents bought me a 14 foot aluminum Jon boat with a 9 horse Montgomery Ward motor for my high school graduation. It wasn’t anything fancy and I’m pretty sure the motor was older than I was. You could sneeze wrong and the motor would shear a pin. You had to take the top cover off the motor half the time to rewrap the cord to get it to crank. But it was mine and I was captain of the ship. Many a carefree day was spent in my late teens and early 20’s serving as captain of the ship on that boat at the Mill Pond.
I remember the day that I was cooling off in a tube by the boat. My then girlfriend and now wife commented that there was a big snake in a tree not far away. Being the outdoorsman that I am, I kicked back in the tube and told her it was no problem. She then screamed as the snake made its way towards our boat. After scrambling to get aboard, I realized the anchor line was tied to the front boat handle, which was right at the water line and right where the snake was headed. I fought off the snake with a paddle and finally managed to get the anchor pulled up and we motored away.
The memories are too numerous to print. But the older I get the more of them I seem to recall. And I am still making memories on the Mill Pond as it is still one of my favorite places to spend time. And I find that my sons are making there own memories on the Mill Pond as the cool clear waters beckon them as well to come and enjoy the Mill Pond. So while the ole gray mare just ain’t what she used to be, Simply Put, the Mill Pond is still a treasure to be enjoyed by all.
From the front porch: Coach said there are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going.

“The Value of a College Education ”

2009-06-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

There’s an old country song that has the chorus of “it’s too hot to fish, too hot for golf and too cold at home.” Well I don’t know about it being too cold at home but it is certainly too hot to fish, golf or do much else outdoors unless it involves cooling off in a pool, river, lake or spring. The scary thing about this current heat wave is that we are just in the middle of June.

As I write this column on Tuesday night we’ve had temperatures in the upper 90’s for the last week. A check of the 10 day forecast calls for 10 more days of the same. Well there is one day in there that we’ll get a cool snap as they are predicting a high of only 92.

Some folks say that the first real heat wave in June is always the worst, theorizing that our bodies just haven’t adjusted to the heat yet. They go on to say that the same type of heat wave experienced in July or August is just as hot, but our bodies are more acclimated to the heat. Others would theorize that this much of a heat wave early in the summer is proof of global warming.

Of course I have my own theories about the heat and I’ve expressed them before in this column. As a whole, most of us just aren’t able to handle the heat like we used to, you know, the so called good ole days. We’ve gone soft. And being a middle aged, overweight and out of shape fellow like myself doesn’t help with the heat. I readily confess that I purposely spend as much time as I can in doors under the air conditioning during these heat waves. But I find myself embarrassed when some of us bellyache about the heat on the way from the parking lot to our air conditioned offices.

When I catch me or my co-workers complaining about the heat on the way to our offices I always remind myself out loud, “It could be worse. I could be roofing for a living on a day like today.” In the summer of 1979 I helped put on a new roof in the middle of July. Simply put, that sold me on the value of a good college education.

If it weren’t so hot I’d take my hat is off to all the folks that have to make a living outdoors this time of the year. But I’ll keep my hat on for the time being to keep my head cool. So drink up folks, water that is, and stay as cool as possible ‘cause it’s going to be a long hot summer.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said be careful not to argue with an idiot because somebody might be watching and not be able to tell the difference.

“Rollin’ Down The River”

2009-06-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

It’s back by popular demand and not a minute to soon. I’ve had several folks asking me when we are going again, with our summertime feature Rollin’ Down The River. For those unfamiliar with the feature, last summer I would paddle a section of the Chipola River, take a few photos and write an article about my trip. The general idea was to give our readers the feel of a summertime journey down the Ole Chipola. We also included a few articles and stories by our readers about trips they’ve taken on the river. The feature was extremely popular and folks are ready to get it going again.

Our final stop last summer was Peacock’s Bridge in southern Jackson County. We’ll pick back up there in a few weeks but first we’ll start the summer and paddle at least one of the main tributaries of the Chipola. This week we are featuring Blue Springs and later in the month we’ll feature Merritt’s Mill Pond and Spring Creek. While there are many folks that are familiar with Blue Springs, the Mill Pond and the Spring Creek, I thought it would be good to chronicle these sites since they have a direct connection with the Chipola. And after that I might even try to throw in a feature on Dry Creek, which I have never paddled before.

Next week we’ll have a “Rollin’ Down The River” for a good cause as we’ll have an article and photos from this past weekend’s Canoeing For Cancer Fundraiser. I wasn’t able to attend due to having weekend duty at my real job but Shelia Hayes and the gang did another fine job of raising money for the fight against cancer. And all the while they spent a beautiful day on Spring Creek and the river.

Once we get those tributaries chronicled, the plan calls for picking back up at Peacock’s Bridge. From Peacock’s Bridge we’ll quickly depart Jackson County and paddle into Calhoun County. Notable stops on this leg will include several springs, Hayes Landing and Johnny Boy’s Landing. South of Johnny Boy’s Landing, which is west of Altha, we’ll encounter Big Lookin’ Tremble.

South of Big Lookin’ Trembel we head to…, well, I don’t know where we’ll head to south of Big Lookin’ Tremble. You see I’ll be in uncharted waters, at least for me, once we get south of Big Lookin’ Tremble. So I’ve hooked up with Chris Matthews to help me chronicle the lower portions of the Chipola River. Chris is a veteran at canoeing the river and knows his way around this neck of the river. I hope everyone will enjoy their summer and our upcoming “Rollin’ Down The River” features.

So, Simply Put, saddle up. It’s time to go paddling.

From the front porch: Coach said our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude toward us.

"It’s Been a Good Ride For Heiar and The Indians ”

2009-06-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last week the news came that many of us local sports fans have been expecting for some time now. Greg Heiar, Chipola’s Head Basketball Coach for the past five seasons, announced that he was leaving to become an assistant coach at Southern Mississippi.
The five year ride with Heiar at the helm has been phenomenal and we’ve known that he would eventually leave to pursue his goal of being a division one head coach. His record at Chipola was 165-15 and the Indians captured four out of the last five State Championships. In making four trips to the National Tournament, the Indians made it to the final four three out of the four times.
Having been one of the basketball announcers for Indian basketball during Heiar’s tenure at Chipola, I’ve had the opportunity to watch him at work. There are several attributes that serve Heiar well. Obviously he’s got a good head for the game. You don’t win 165 games in five years, which is a winning percentage of just over .900, without knowing the X’s and O’s of the game.
But Heiar has two other coaching skills that sometimes went unnotice. First there is the recruiting. He could arguably be considered the best JUCO recruiter in the nation during the past five years. The level of talent that he brought into Chipola the last five years was just amazing. And each year he seemed to outdo himself from the previous year.
He was able to convince some of the nation’s top basketball players to come to a rural area like Jackson County. He did so by promoting Chipola’s great basketball tradition and Chipola’s approach to treating their athletes like family. For many of these young men, who may have come from difficult backgrounds, that family like environment and a packed house at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center were just the right combo. They could come to Chipola, be treated like family, get on track academically, fine tune their basketball skills and be on a nationally recognized team.
To me though, his greatest skill came in molding 12 young men into a cohesive unit each year. Remember most of these 12 players were the star players on their respective high school teams. Only five can play at one time and managing all those egos and attitudes is no easy task. But Heiar had that ability to get the team to pull together. Oh I’m sure there were arguments and heated discussions that most of us fans never saw. But when they hit the floor the Indians played as a team.
So as Coach Heiar departs from our little corner of the world, we all wish him the best. He has set a high water mark that will be hard to follow for new interim Head Coach Jake Headrick. Simply Put, it’s been a good ride for Coach Heiar and the Indian Nation.
From the front porch: Uncle Bob said that when sailors are trying to navigate through high seas, there are a lot of wise men ashore.

“Another School Year has Come and Gone ”

2009-05-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

They say time flies when you are having fun. It is hard to believe but another school year has come and gone. It seems like yesterday that we printed the Grid Iron Gazette, our preseason high school football publication that serves to kick off a new school year of high school sports. But that was over 9 months ago and the 2008-09 school year comes to a close this week.

Looking back on this school year one has to say it has been another banner year for Jackson County High School sports. In the fall two of the county’s football teams (Marianna and Graceville) made the playoffs. Only one of the county schools (Sneads) had a losing record. On the girl’s side both Marianna and Sneads made the volleyball playoffs. Sneads advanced all the way to the Regional Finals before falling to Maclay. That was a school first for the Lady Pirates.

Moving on into the winter sports we all know that basketball is near and dear to us Jackson County folks. This year our county school did their best to uphold that Jackson County tradition by sending five of the ten programs all the way to the Regional Finals. In girls basketball the county had three of the five varsity programs (Marianna, Graceville and Cottondale) make it all the way to the Regional Finals. Cottondale won their Regional Final and made the Lakeland trip for the State Semi-Finals. Marianna made it to the Regional Final for the first time in ten years. Graceville finished the season with a 25-3 record after falling to a solid FAMU team in the Regional Finals.

The Boys didn’t do too bad either. Four out of the five varsity programs in the county made the playoffs (Malone, Graceville, Cottondale and Marianna). Graceville, Cottondale and Marianna all made it to the Regional Finals. And the Bulldogs made another trip to Lakeland for the Semi-Finals. That’s back to back Lakeland trips for the Bulldogs and the only other time that has occurred at Marianna was 1977 & 1978.

Springtime brought baseball and softball and the county had four baseball teams make the playoffs (Malone, Graceville, Sneads and Marianna). Malone made it all the way to the Regional Finals where they fell to an outstanding Eagles View team. The Tigers were the last public school standing in the Class 1A playoffs. In softball three of the county’s five teams made the playoffs (Graceville, Sneads and Cottondale). The Lady Hornets made it all the way to the Regional Finals. And not to leave the track folks out. Cottondale, Graceville, Sneads and Marianna all did well in their respective Regional meets and several county track athletes made it to the State.

So it has been another great year of high school sports. Simply Put, it was another year of what we’ve come to expect in Jackson County sports.

From the front porch: Coach said change is inevitably but progress is optional.

"Spring Practice "

2009-05-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

I spent the last few weeks railing about some things that just don’t seem right (Sidewalk to Nowhere and Weight Rooms While We Lay Off Teachers). But in order to dispel the speculation that Sid Riley is rubbing off on me, it’s time to relax a bit and return to some sports news.
If you catch my article on page two of sports you’ll notice that spring football practice is wrapping up this week. But you’ll also notice that one school, Sneads, did not have spring practice at all this year. Another school, Graceville, cut their spring practice short and are not playing in their scheduled jamboree. A third school, Cottondale, had their Head Coach on limited duty early on due to being involved with the Lady Hornet’s softball squad in the playoffs.
The good news for most of these schools was that their baseball, softball and track teams did really well this year and made the playoffs. The bad news, especially for the three smaller schools, is this meant that many of the football team’s players and /or coaches were unavailable or limited in the abilities to participate in spring football.
Some football gurus are fretting over this fact. But most of the coaches really don’t seem to be that concerned. Sneads and Graceville could have mustered up a semblance of full spring practice but the thought seems to be, why bother. With players and coaches likely to miss the first portion of the spring session, it really is not worth the time and effort to get all the equipment out. At best they’d only have a few days to get some work in.
Even under the best of circumstances some would say spring practice is not really that benefical anymore. Spring practice has been reduced to three weeks, beginning May 1st. The first week is without pads, just helmets and shorts. The last week usually includes a spring game or jamboree on Thursday. So teams will spend at least a couple of days getting ready for that game. Do the math and that really only gives a squad about 8 days in full pads. Some would say that is just enough time to get a few folks hurt. At the very least it is not enough time to get much done.
The larger schools are not in quite the same shape as the smaller schools. They’ll likely have enough players at least to practice. But they usually will be missing a few of their better athletes that are still involved in baseball or track.
So to the football gurus worried that their favorite squad might be lagging behind. Simply Put, take a chill pill. The coaches will have the guys working all summer long and come fall they’ll get geared up and will be ready to go.
From the front porch: Uncle Bob said he agreed with Albert Einstein, who said "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results".

"Weight Room and Teacher Layoffs ”

2009-05-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I wrote about the "sidewalk to nowhere", the planned project to build a sidewalk from Citizen’s Lodge Park on the Caverns Highway all the way to Marianna High School. I’ve had several folks echo my sentiments that this seems to be a poor use of stimulus money for our area. Another recent announcement that has got some folks upset is the construction of a new weight room facility by the practice field at Marianna High School.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve said it before that my family and I bleed purple and gold. And I am all for the sports program having the best possible facilities. And that includes a weight room for the athletic programs at my alma mater. When they built the new school several years ago, it did not include a weight room. The plans called for the construction of a weight room facility several years later.
The stated reason for needing a weight room and the location of the new facility all make sense. They have been making do with the weights in a room for about five years now. But that room was not designed as a weight room and a better location is needed.
In addition, the practice field, located just east of the school, has no bathroom facilities or dressing rooms. The practice field is used by a variety of teams including varsity and junior varsity football, soccer and track. The band also uses this same field to practice as well. So the practice field gets a lot of use and students needing to use the bathroom or change clothes must go all the way back inside the school.
So an argument can certainly be made that they are in need of a weight room facility. The problem is that coinciding with the beginning of this project is the news that Jackson County must lay off teaching and support staff due to shortfalls in the budget. But apparently the money for the weight room had already been allocated and comes from budget entities other than teacher’s salary money. I have worked for 26 ½ years in state government and I understand just enough about state budgets to be dangerous. I understand that there are times when money from one entity can’t be spend in other entities.
But you tell me, does it make any sense to build an $800,000 weight facility when we are also announcing layoffs of teachers and support staff. Surely the bean counters could figure out a way to wave their magic wands and fix this problem.
My last two columns have probably got some folks speculating that I’ve been working around Sid Riley too long. But with the "sidewalk to nowhere" and the new weight room while we lay off teachers, Simply Put, we ain’t getting it right.
From the front porch: Uncle Bob said a happy marriage is a matter of give and take. The husband gives and the wife takes.

"Money and Athletics "

2009-05-04T18:49:00.001-07:00

Recent headlines in some of our local papers, including the Jackson County Times, as well as papers in Tallahassee have announced that the Chipola College faculty union has complained about the amount of money being spent on athletics at Chipola. First let me say that I am not privy to the details of just how much is spent here and there in the athletic program. And is suspect, as with any organization, there are times when what is spent might be better used elsewhere.
That said, I am generally all for funding athletic programs to the fullest extent possible. That I feel that way is probably not a shock to most folks, given that I am the Sports Editor at the Times and have been broadcasting Chipola athletics for almost 10 years now. But my opinion is based on my belief that college athletics is good for the student athletes, the school and the community.
It is good for the students athletes in that they are able to get an education while benefiting from the side effects of participating in sports. Character traits such as self discipline, self confidence, teamwork, maintaining physical fitness, setting goals and working towards those goals are just a few of the well known benefits of participating in athletics. All the while they are getting an education. And some of those athletes would not get an education if it were not for athletics. My father was one of those athletes in the 1950’s. He was the only one of seven children to go to college and the only reason he was able to go was because of an athletic scholarship.
College athletics is good for the school. The Indians recent success on the basketball courts, softball and baseball fields have garnered the school national recognition. I think there is a direct correlation between successful athletic programs and increase enrollment. And allegiances to athletic programs are often passed down the family tree and that means generations attending a college, often because of that allegiance to the athletic programs.
And athletics is good for the community and the economy. As a community it can give us a sense of pride and camaraderie, in a day and time when it is far too easy to retreat inside our air conditioned homes and stare at the one eyed monster (TV). When I see the Milton H. Johnson Health Center routinely filled to capacity with close to 3,000 folks to watch an athletic event, that suggest to me that the community is in favor of these athletic programs and the money they bring in to our area.
I suspect the academic folks of the world have some valid concerns at times and these are some difficult days as far as state budgets go. But in my book, Simply Put, money spent funding athletic programs is generally money well spent.
From the front porch: Uncle Bob said that when you’re up to your rear end in alligators, it’s hard to remember you were sent there to drain the swamp.

"Beauty and The Beast" Part II

2009-04-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

I continue my writings about our family’s trip to Nicaragua, the homeland of my wife to which she had not been back in 30 years. As I said last week, Nicaragua is a country of stark contrast, or what I called Beauty and The Beast. Last week I wrote about the beauty. This week it’s the beast.
The beast is in large part due to the country’s history of civil wars and natural disasters. Since the 1920’s the country has experienced at least four civil wars that were directed against either the right winged American back governments or the left wing communist governments backed by Cuba and the Soviet Union. At least two of their presidents and numerous political rivals have been assassinated in these revolutions.
Added to the political chaos have been several major natural disasters. In 1972 the capital city of Managua was rocked by a massive earthquake that killed 5,000 people, left the city in ruins and 60% of its inhabitants homeless. The aftermath of the earthquake also took the life of the Pittsburg Pirate’s Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente. He was killed in a plane crash on his way to help the victims of the earthquake. Hurricane Mitch and the resulting mudslides in 1998 killed 9,000 Nicaraguans and left 2 million homeless.
The end result is the second most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere. Over 50% of the people are unemployed or underemployed. 80% of the people live on less than $2 a day. My mere words can not adequately convey the utter poverty that we observed. Nicaragua is the largest country in Central American and the vast majority of the people live in absolute poverty.
The cities are the worst in many respects. Managua has to be one of the most filthy cities in the world. Trash is everywhere and the stench of sewage can be smelled frequently. The rural areas often look like they probably did 100 years ago. Horse drawn buggies and tin shacks with dirt floors are common sites.
The most heartbreaking though is the children. Many are orphaned or working on the streets. They are begging or selling anything you can image (except of course hot water and air conditioning). It is no wonder that Nicaragua has become one of the top mission fields of evangelical churches from the United States.
For us the major discomforts were 8 days of no hot water and little to no air conditioning in 95 degree weather. The trip made me realize that we Americans are spoiled. Even our most impoverished folks live like kings compared to other parts of the world. And I have even less tolerance for all the Americans, both on the left and the right, that want to complain about the ills of our country. Sure, we’ve got our problems but, Simply Put, we’ve got it made in the shade compared to many of the folks around this world.
From the front porch: Coach said sorry looks back, worry looks around and faith looks up.

“Beauty and The Beast” Part I

2009-04-19T15:36:00.000-07:00

I continue my writings about our families trip to Nicaragua, the homeland of my wife to which she had not been back in 30 years. The country of Nicaragua is a country of stark contrast, or what I’ll call over the next two weeks Beauty and The Beast. This week I’ll write about the beauty.

There were several locations that we journeyed to during our eight day visit that were very beautiful. The most beautiful to me is what they call Laguna De Apoyo (Apoyo Lagoon). Nicaragua has more volcanoes, some dormant and some active, than you can shake a stick at. The Apoyo Lagoon was created when one of these volcanoes erupted thousands of years ago. The lagoon is now surrounded by vast hills and the dormant volcano known as Mombacho. The water is crystal clear blue and is great for swimming. We rode horses down a mountain trail and after a 1 ½ hour horse ride, the swimming was fantastic. After a horse ride back up the mountain, we were treated to some breathtaking views from the hill tops (See photos on the right).

Another location that we enjoyed was the beaches of Las Penitas / Poleloya / Playa Roca. These beach areas are on the west coast of Nicaragua and feature the Pacific Ocean. Playa Roca (Rock Beach) features some very large rock formations on the beach that my wife’s grandfather would take all the grandchildren to many years ago. When the tide is just right, these rock formations create tidal pools that youngsters can enjoy, safe from the hard pounding waves of the Pacific. By the way, those hard pounding waves are a favorite of the surfer dudes, several of which came from the United States just for the surfing.

In the towns of Granada and Leon we also visited several of the Cathedrals that date back to the 1700’s. While I’m not much on architecture, even I could appreciate the craftsmanship that built these cathedrals 300 years ago. In Leon we toured one of the cathedrals (they have 18 in the city) and the artwork and interior were stunning. Our tour took us to the top of the cathedral for fantastic views of the city.

While not necessarily beautiful, one fascinating stop that we made was at the Volcuno Massaya National Park . This park features an active volcano (Massaya). You can drive to the top, park you car and then peer over the edges of the volcano. You can see the actual crater as well as see and smell the gases billowing from the volcano. That was quite a sight.

Next week I’ll write about “The Beast,” as there were plenty of aspects to the country that were not at all beautiful. But there are parts of the country that are certainly worth seeing and, Simply Put, I will treasure the opportunity to have seen them.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said he doesn’t mind the wrinkles on his face because wrinkles only go where a smiles has been.

Simply Put

2009-04-08T13:53:00.000-07:00

"Home "
As I wrote in last week’s column my wife is from Nicaragua and had not been back to the country in 30 years. She had not been back for a variety of political, family and financial reasons. But we bit the bullet and made the trip last week. It was quite a trip, or maybe adventure would be a better description. I hope you won’t mind, but I plan to take the next few weeks to write about our trip.
This was not a typical vacation and I’ll be the first to say it sure was good to come home. You know, sleep in my own soft bed, recline in my own recliner, take a hot shower and things of that nature. But it was also good to come home to Marianna and Jackson County, the place of my birth, my child hood and teenage years. The place where I have chosen to reside as an adult and raise my family.
I have a newfound appreciation for being home. My new found appreciation for being home is because of watching my wife for the past week. As I said my wife had not been back to Nicaragua in 30 years. From the late seventies until the early 90’s the country was ruled by a communist government. That communist government, known as the Sandinistas, came to power in a revolution that resulted in the death of my wife’s father. He was a pilot in the Nicaraguan Air Force and was killed in the early stages of that revolution. So with the Sandinistas in power, traveling back to Nicaragua was not an option for my wife.
The Sandinista’s fell out of power in the early 90’s but the country was still in turmoil. Add to that that our children were small and medical services in the country are poor at best. We just did not feel it was safe to take small children into that situation. Before we knew it 15 years had gone by and we still had not made the trip. So this year my wife proclaimed we were going and we did.
This was an emotional trip for my wife. For 30 years she had not been to the country to which she was raised as a young child and spent her summers as a teenager . She had not been to the grave site of her father. She had not been to the grave site of her grandparents, both of whom died since she was last in the country.
It made me realize that those of us who live in the same area in which we grew up are fortunate. We have roots and those roots are right here with us. We can see and touch those roots on a daily basis.
Simply Put, we’re home.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said that the same dog that brings a bone home will carry one away.

"Check Another One off The Bucket List "

2009-04-01T14:39:00.001-07:00

Simply Put

Last month I wrote about my bucket list. I got the idea for a bucket list from a recent movie that I saw called "The Bucket List." The movie is about two older fellas that come up with a list of things they want to do before they kick the bucket.
Hopefully it will be awhile before I kick the bucket, but I came up with my own bucket list. Things that I want to do and places that I want to go while I’m still young enough to do them. As you read this column I’m on one of my bucket list trips as my family and I have traveled to the Central American country of Nicaragua. While some of the locations on my bucket list like Key West and the Grand Canyons are travel hot spots, Nicaragua is probably not at the top of a lot of folks preferred travel destinations.
So why Nicaragua? Well that is easy. My wife’s father was from Nicaragua and that is where she lived when she was a young child. You might wonder how a Jackson County boy marries a girl from Central America. It is an intriguing story complete with local flavor. My wife’s father was a pilot in the Nicaraguan Air Force and came to train at Graham Air Force base in Marianna back in the 50’s. While here he met a young local girl name Patricia Griffin. Her parent’s family had moved to Marianna some years earlier from the metropolitan area of Gap Pond in Washington County. Gap Pond is south of Wausau, home of the world famous Possum Festival.
So this young Nicaraguan Air Force pilot fell in love with this young Marianna girl. They got married in the Graham Air Base Chapel, which is still used as a Chapel for Sunland. They moved to Nicaragua and had four children, with my wife being the 2nd oldest.
If you know much at all about Nicaragua, you know that it is a country that has had its share of political turmoil, including civil wars and revolutions. My wife’s father was tragically killed in the early stages of a revolution that would ultimately result in a communist take over of the government in 1979.
My mother-in-law found herself widowed in a foreign country with four small children. She eventually returned to Marianna to live and raise her four children. The end result of that, at least for me, is that I met the young lady that I married in 1986.
We’ve always wanted to go to Nicaragua but for a variety of reasons (political, family and finances) we’ve never pulled the trip off. My wife has not been back since 1977 and has yearned to return to her homeland. So we made our minds up to go and have made the journey south of the border. So, Simply Put, check another one off the bucket list and Adios Amigos.

From the front porch: Coach said that a good sport has to lose to prove it.

Simply Put "Third Ain’t Half Bad "

2009-03-25T13:58:00.001-07:00

The Chipola Men’s and Women’s Basketball squads returned from their respective National Basketball Tournaments this past week with a pair of third place finishes. While I suspect there is some measure of disappointment with not winning a national championship, for both squads from the same school to finish in third place in the nation is nothing to sneeze at.
The disappointment for the men’s squad might be a little heavier than for the ladies. The men have been ranked number one in the nation for most of the season. After losing their second game of the season the Indians then reeled off 32 straight victories. That string of victories included going 12-0 in Panhandle Conference play and winning another state championship (three in a row, five out of the last six years). They headed to Hutchinson, Kansas and avoided a disappointing first round loss like they suffered last year. They made their way to the Semi-Finals before falling to Salt Lake CC, the eventual National Champion. The 2008-09 Indians finished the season with a third place finish at the national tournament and a record of 34-2.
I suspect the Chipola Lady Indians are also disappointed, but hey there were plenty of folks who probably thought they would never see Kansas this year. The Lady Indians, after winning three state championships in a row (2007, 2006 & 2005) failed to even make the state tournament last year. Head Coach David Lane and the 2007-08 Lady Indians had to endure last year’s state tournament as spectators from the stands. This year’s squad finished second in the conference and knew that a state championship would likely have to go through Gulf Coast, Chipola’s arch rival and Conference Champions for this season. That is exactly what happened and a last second basket by Pearl Johnson gave the Lady Indians a thrilling 68-67 win over Gulf Coast for the State Title. That earned them a trip to Salina, Kansas where they also finished in third place. They concluded their season with a record of 30-6.
When athletes and coaches have invested so much physically, emotionally and mentally over the year, getting so close but not getting the cigar so to speak can seem worse than never getting so close to begin with. But the reality is that there are thousands of athletes and coaches out there that would trade places with the Chipola squads in a heartbeat. The success that both squads had this year (combined record of 64-8) have carried on the phenomenal run that Chipola athletics has been having the last 5-6 years. And once the disappointment from their recent losses wear off a bit, I hope the athletes and coaches can appreciate the outstanding season they’ve had and realize that finishing third in the nation, Simply Put, ain’t half bad.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said that one thing about the little town that he grew up in is that there is still no place to go that you shouldn’t.

"River Talks "

2009-03-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

Simply Put
I had the privilege to be on CCTV’s River Talks program recently and the comments that I have gotten through e-mails, phone calls and folks stopping me on the street tells me that we’re on to something good. If you did not catch the show, which aired locally on Comcast Cable Channel Four, you may be able to view it on the internet at www.chipola.edu/tv. If you can’t find it there, call Royce Reagan at Chipola College and maybe he can help you navigate your way to view it on the internet. If you’ll pay him off with some boiled peanuts, he’d probably burn you a copy on a CD.
Some of you may be wondering what I would be talking about on River Talks. I was invited to be on the program to talk about The Times series last summer called Rollin’ Down The River. If you recall the series, I paddled different portions of the Chipola River. I then wrote weekly articles that chronicled my trips and included pictures.
Stephanie Parker, The Times editor, took some of those pictures and organized them into a slide show. I took this slide show with me to the River Talks program and shared the slide show with the program’s host, Gary Latham and the viewers. Gary and I talked about the series and then talked about the different slides. We concluded the show with another slide show of the pictures along with a little background music, bluegrass of course. The idea was to give the feel of traveling down the river without ever having to leave your recliner.
Our plan is to continue the journey down the remainder of the river this summer (I made it to Peacock’s Bridge last summer). Once again I’ll chronicle my journey with weekly articles and pictures. Our long range goal at the paper is to put together a DVD that would offer a pictorial tour of the Ole Chipola River, from beginning to end. The DVD would include some narration, historical information about the river and of course some mighty fine bluegrass music as the backdrop.
I felt like this was a good idea but you really never know how folks will respond until you throw it our there. Judging by the response from our readers and viewers, this Rollin’ Down the River idea is a good one. Who’d a thunk it? Well you know the old saying, even a blind hog finds an acorn every now and then. Well we’re going to take the ball and run with it to use a sports analogy.
So to Stephanie Parker, Royce Reagan, Gary Latham and all the others who have helped or showed their support for the project, Simply Put, thanks.

From the front porch: Coach said that the road to success is always under construction.

"Once Again, You never know "

2009-03-11T14:42:00.001-07:00

Simply Put

I’ve written on numerous occasions about the fact that coaches can have a tremendous impact, both positive and negative, on the young folks under their care. I’ve also written on how we often fail to realize just how much we impact the lives of those around us.
About two weeks ago I got an e-mail from Bob Langford. He had been a member of the 1952 Rotary team that was profiled recently in our Yesteryear feature. He now lives in Navarre and subscribes to our paper. I am sure to his surprise, the Yesteryear feature was about his little league baseball team from more than 50 years ago. But I did not have any information about where Bob or teammate Jimmy Kelly were these days so I had not profiled them as I did with the other team members.
Bob gave me some information about what had been going on with him since his little league days. He also happened to be familiar with Jimmy Kelly since the two were college roommates and have kept in contact.
In Bob’s email he also mentioned that my father, Charles Cox, had been his football and basketball coach in high school. He further relayed how much he admired my father and how much of an impact my dad had on his life. In fact, long after high school Bob relayed that he went to my father for some career advice.
My dad, like most coaches and administrators, came into contact with thousands of folks over his lifetime. While I know he always tried to make a positive impact on people’s lives, I suspect that he did not consciously think about that every time he dealt with someone. But he has been gone now for over 26 years and it never ceases to amaze me how many people still recall the impact that he had on their lives.
I know that I have written often about my father. Maybe, some feel, too often. But the point of my column is not really about my father. My point is that coaches and administrators always need to be mindful of the impact they are making on the people they come into contact with. We, myself included, often get so busy with the hustle and bustle of coaching or administrating that we lose sight of how we can make a difference in people’s lives.
My father and others like him set the standards, or high water marks, for us to follow. It is up to those of us who benefitted from their mentoring to carry on the tradition of making a difference on those folks around us. Want to know a good measuring stick? Twenty-six years after you and I are gone from this earth, Simply Put, will anyone still remember the impact that we had on their lives?

From the front porch: Uncle Bob asked his daughter’s date one time if his intentions were honorable, to which the young man wanted to know if he had any choice.

"More On Jackson County Basketball "

2009-03-04T14:08:00.001-08:00

Simply Put

Last week I wrote about how the Jackson County girl’s varsity basketball programs recorded an outstanding year as three advanced all the way to the Regional Finals and one program, Cottondale, made a trip to Lakeland for the FHSAA Final Four. Well guess what? The boy’s varsity basketball programs were not going to be outdone and sent three of their five county teams to the Regional Finals as well.
The Graceville Tigers represented the county in Class 1A. The Tigers got out of the gates slowly this year but as the season wore on, they got better and better each week. Under first year Head Coach Mike Carter the Tigers avenged two regular season losses to Malone by beating the Blue and Orange Tigers for the District Championship. They posted playoff wins against Laurel Hill and Paxton before falling to The Rock in the Regional Finals. They finished 16-12 on the year and look for the Tigers to be a force next year as they were really young this season.
The Cottondale Hornets were the Class 2A representative for the county and they too started a little slow. Like Graceville, the Hornets were young and inexperienced at the beginning of the season with only two seniors. But once 2009 arrived the Hornets caught fire and reeled off a string of victories under Head Coach Chris O’Bert. The Hornets captured the District Championship with a win over Bozeman and they got a first round playoff win against Freeport. Their 72-70 triple overtime win over Baker in round two was as good a high school game as I have seen this year. Although they fell to Franklin County in the Regional Final, they finished 19-11 on the season. They’ll be even better next year.
The Marianna Bulldogs are the Class 3A representative and they posted another fine season under Travis Blanton, the reigning senior head basketball coach in the county. After losing some outstanding seniors from last year, Blanton found a way to steer the Bulldogs to another 20 plus win season. They beat Chipley for the District title and then manhandled South Walton and Pensacola Catholic in the first two rounds. Last Saturday night they beat powerhouse Jacksonville Ribault to earn a return trip to Lakeland for the Final Four. The 1976-77 and 1977-78 Bulldogs were the last Marianna teams to make back to back trips to Lakeland. Blanton, a Bulldog basketball alumni, has now racked up 82 wins in the last four seasons.
On top of those three teams, both Sneads and Malone had solid seasons as well with both finishing with winning records and Malone making the playoffs. So, four of the five boy’s teams made it to the playoffs, three made it to the Regional Finals, one is headed to Lakeland and all five posted winning seasons. Like I said last week, Simply Put, that’s Jackson County Basketball.
From the front porch: Coach said the mighty oak tree was once a little nut that held its ground.

Simply Put 2/26/09

2009-02-25T15:06:00.001-08:00

"Hats off to the ladies"
Something rare in the world of local sports happened this past Saturday night. Of the five Jackson County varsity girl’s basketball programs, three of them made it all the way to the FHSAA Regional Finals. And while only one of the teams won and will advance to the Final Four in Lakeland, the fact that three teams from the same small rural county made it that far is quite remarkable.
The Cottondale Lady Hornets will make the trip to Lakeland after beating Port St. Joe on the road. Cottondale is under the direction of First Year Head Coach Laura Holman. If you recall Chris O’bert had been pulling double duty the last two years at Cottondale, coaching both the boys and girls squads. He turned the helm over to Holman this year and what a job she has done. Even more amazingly, this is Holman’s first coaching job as she just finished college last year at Troy where she played for the Lady Trojans. The Lady Hornets enter the Final Four with a record of 21-5, and two of those five losses came in close games to Graceville.
Speaking of Graceville, the Lady Tigers smoked most everybody during the regular season and entered the playoffs with a record of 23-2. After opening round wins over Rocky Bayou and Paxton, the Lady Tigers ran into a buzz saw this past Saturday night call Precious Hall (FAMU). On her home court Hall blistered the nets for 28 points to eliminate the Lady Tigers from the playoffs. Second year Head Coach John Habali led the Lady Tigers to a final record of 25-3.
As outstanding as those two teams have been, without question the biggest turn around this season has been the Marianna Lady Bulldogs. Charles Brown Jr. (or Chuckie) is in his second year and the Lady Bulldogs made tremendous strides this season. Back in the 80’s, under Charles Goodson, the Lady Bulldogs were a powerhouse that went to Lakeland routinely. But the past few years have been hard on the Lady Bulldogs so this year’s turnaround has been impressive. Marianna had opening round wins over Pensacola Catholic and Walton County, before losing in a close game on the road to Jacksonville Ribault Saturday night. They finished with a record of 19-8.
So, that is three coaches in their first or second year with their programs, leading the three squads to a combined record of 65-16. You can look long and hard at plenty of other small rural counties and not find that kind of success. Simply Put, we call that basketball, Jackson County style. Congratulations ladies and coaches on an outstanding year.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said his teenage son eats like there is no tomorrow and sleeps like there was no yesterday.

"coach j"

2009-02-18T14:08:00.001-08:00

Simply Put

The Indian nation is in mourning with the passing of Chipola’s legendary Head Basketball Coach Milton H. Johnson. At both his viewing and funeral there were numerous stories recounted of how he had touched literally thousands of lives. I too, along with the thousands, have stories of how he touched my life and the lives of my family members.
Our family was first touched by Coach J in the 50’s when, as Head Basketball Coach at Campbellton, he coached against my father while Daddy was Head Coach at Marianna. I can tell you without any hesitation that, although the Wildcats beat the Bulldogs on plenty of occasions, my father had the utmost respect for Coach J.
In the early 70’s my oldest brother Terry was the starting point guard on the Indians basketball squad for two seasons. Those familiar with the game of basketball know that there is a special bond between the Head Coach and a point guard. That point guard becomes an extension of the coach. My brother, like my father, had the utmost respect for Coach J.
I rolled into Chipola in the late 70’s. Needing some P.E. classes I signed up for badminton. Having played tennis all my life I figured it would be an easy and fun class. And it was, in large part due to the instructor being Coach J. I’d like to think that he took a special liking to me because of his past relationships with my father and brother. But in reality he made everyone feel that he took a special liking to them. That was just part of his attributes, to make everyone feel special.
At his funeral Gordon Wells spoke of Coach J’s fondness for the game of badminton. I can attest to that fondness and his ability to play the game. When the semester started, being young and a little brash, some of us boys challenged Coach J to games of badminton. Suffice it to say, he humbled us and beat us like a drum. Our youthful pride was smashed, but he was a gracious winner and correctly predicted that we would be able to beat him before the semester was over as we learned more about the game and used our youthful athleticism. He was right about that too.
John Wooden, legendary basketball coach at UCLA, is one of my heroes in life. Coach J and Coach Wooden had some similarities in their coaching styles. Not a lot of yelling and hollering. They didn’t humiliate their players. They were motivators instead of intimidators.
Coach J’s accomplishments in the game of basketball are overwhelming. But to me his most astounding accomplishment on the floor is that in 32 years of coaching at Chipola, he never got a technical foul. Simply Put, I can think of no other measurement that speaks more volumes about the man, his character and integrity.

From the front porch: Coach said excellence is not a skill, it’s an attitude.