Inked Up and Feeling Good on Friday

Missed today's show?  Check the right side of the blog and click on the orange arrow... Yes that one Ma'. 

 

 

 

Turns out, the AdvoCare V100 Bowl

does a lot more for the little people

around here than we ever imagined!

 

Brandon Harris Lists His Super Seven Schools

Parkway High School soon-to-be senior quarterback announced late Thursday night which schools he will officially visit before he makes his choice in mid-July. Tweeting the news at 10:45 pm, the Brandon Harris list:

• Alabama
• Auburn
• Baylor
• LSU
• Ohio State
• Ole Miss
• Texas A&M 

According to the Bossier Press-Tribune's Russell Hedges, Harris (unofficially) threw for 350 or so yards Vs A.S.H. in the Parkway spring scrimmage. Approximately a dozen college coaches were cooling their heels on the sidelines of Preston Crownover Stadium this evening. 

They had to like watching Harris put the ball in a catch-and-go-with-it location throughout the night. 

A stellar student with a Fall goal of leading Parkway to a 5A title as true Road Warriors (LHSAA banned home playoff games for upcoming season due to incident with Live Oak Head Coach in 2012 post-season), Harris will have the heavy decision of where to take his skill-set out of the way before the end of 7-on-7 season.

Southern Trace Golf Course Hit Hard By Storm

 

From the 18th Hole on Southern Trace Golf Course. 

 

 

Fog blankets the damage, but it isn't hard to see the clean up on this course will be more than the average greenkeeper can manage.

 

 

 

It's disturbing enough to see usually tranquil landscape in such turmoil, but the sight of fish on a golf course teeters into the bazaar.

 

 

Zach Mawhorr is a big guy, which goes to show the size of the trees uprooted by the May 16, 2013 storm.

 

 

A golf course is not the place Josh Mawhorr usually goes to get his hands on a fish, sadly they are scattered about throughout the area.

 

 



Ed Hardy Turns His Attention To The Death Star!

The one thing the NFL can pride itself on is parity. The NBA, College Football & most glaringly MLB have the same 5 teams year in & out play for the championship trophy. But why is it so hard to think that a franchise with a recent abominable track record can ascend to the top? 

It may be easier than you think.

Recently, on Sirius NFL Late Hits, ex-Cowboy General Manager & NFL guru Gil Brandt raved about the Cowboys draft and their prospects for 2013 in the NFC East. Gil & Alex Marvez were interviewing Jerry Jones, praising him for the Blue Stars draft and the team's immediate future. At first glance, you might say, "Well, that's just cause he's a Cowboy homer!" If you know your Cowboys, Jerry fired Brandt so there really hasn't been any mutual affection.

Brandt nails player evaluations and makes stellar predictions way before the cream rises to the top. So with respect to Brandt, I will break the Boys down.

On the Cowboys draft: According to Brandt; The new center Jason Frederick is not a sexy pick but is cut from the Nick Mangold mold with better lower body strength.  So why have so many panned Frederick as the Cowboys #1 pick? The Cowboys not going sexy and flashy with that pick has something to do with it. Perhaps by sticking to meat and potatoes, the 'Boys are growing up.

On Cowboys leadership: Marvez asked Jones about their draft strategy & team leadership. Jones answered that he believes in his coaches, namely Offensive Coordinator, Bill Callahan to evaluate talent (Frederick) and future team schematics. Jones said the decision makers need to be surrounded by smart people---and when they've strayed from that formula, the Blue Stars faded. Jerry didn't fully endorse Jason Garrett but he did admit past failures with flashy picks. I take this as a huge step forward.

CASCIO'S MARKET BISTRO
2750 SHED ROAD, BOSSIER CITY
318-742-3205

On Cowboys 2013 Outcome: Brandt predicts Dallas  will win the East, stating too many reasons too mention.  My take is that the Cowboys do have balance. The Giants are solid on Defense but have questions on Offense. The Redskins surprised all in 2012 but a tougher schedule, RGIII's eventual sophomore slump and return from knee surgery makes a return to the top doubtful. I'm not buying Philly, as their defense flat out sucks. New head coach, Chip Kelly isn't a defensive cure either. So why not the 'Boys???


Just like when Bill Parcells led the Cowboys as Coach/General Manager, the team really took off when they:

• flew low under the radar

• made non-sexy personally decisions 

• played hard nosed physical football

They have accomplished A) as few are projecting a banner season ( sans Brandt )

Drafting core players and not blowing future on big Free Agent pickups, b) has been met

To me it all boils down to c). If the Boys simply play keep away, let Monte Kiffin run that "D" without taking so many risks ( blitzes) and keep the offense grounded with DeMarco Murray as the man, then the Boys will indeed have an awesome chance to win the crowded East. Those are all mighty big, "IF's".

But the NFL is a like a Ferris wheel, every year another chair/team rises to the the top. Stranger things have happened.



ED Hardy reporting

Personal Disclosure: I was not influenced by The Cowboy, Brandy or Cowboy Corner, as this is my unbiased take

OUT!!!!!!!

Listen to TODAY'S SHOW- hit the Orange Arrow, Right Side Panel, Ma!

What in H-E-Double hockey sticks is Jerry Jones thinking? Dallas Cowboy Insider gave us some insight. The loss of Muncie: Then and Now.
LSU's NEW SPORT! Could it be the start of a beautiful new dimension for Jim Hawthorn impersonations?  

Dallas Donnie Disagrees with Fletch's RANT against the 'Boys!

Your son tells you he's not going to play for Michigan, he's going to be a Rap Star instead... uh...

Nick Satan... yep.

The Recruiting Game Just Went NC-17

The recruiting game can be a bit of a bugger. Coaches work the angles necessary to move up the pecking order of a 17-year old's wish list.  Promising playing time; Guaranteeing the parents a solid education for their offspring; Hooking them with the idea of providing the "best" route to the NFL.  

We now can add two more brands of molasses to the list in attracting the fly guys. 

Rap. And Porn.  



Happy To Be Spartans

If only Michigan State "embraced" the hip-hop, counter-culture, perhaps Pennsylvania 3-star wide receiver Jay Harris would be lining up for the Spartans next Fall.  Instead of hearing the perfect cheer in Lansing, Michigan come September, Harris--aka, DatBull--will be getting his spit and spliff on as a wannabe' Wiz Khalifa. 

Official Uniform Of DatBull

Harris posted his explicit rap videos on YouTube (racking up over 50,000 views) recently.  Michigan State coaches and athletic officials saw enough in the 2:46 video to erase what they had seen in his highlight reels, pulling the scholarship signed in February.




Sparty Is So Disappointed

Smoking Blunts. Bashing homosexuals and referencing women only as B--ches, the "Three B's" of Rap, are all covered by Harris.  That will definitely allow DatBull to slip into the scene he covets seamlessly.  His "other" videos, that show him running seam routes and slipping tackles, look rather pedestrian compared to his new career. 




Instead of helping teammates, DatBull will lead a posse.  He won't have to worry about English OR Drug Tests as DatBull, while Jay Harris would have had to cram for one and fail the other at Michigan State.  What a Life!

Enrolling as DatBull in the School Of Street Cred features more dead ends than open roads as opposed to Jay Harris' free education at a fine Big 10 institution.  The roster to be the next Kanye is much more than three-deep, unlike the Spartans Wide Receiver depth chart. Fourteen different players caught passes last year for M-State... only seven return this season.  Harris, one of the top targets of Coach Mark Dantonio's staff, would more than likely have found plenty of playing time.  But Harris/DatBull wanted Playah-Time. Big difference.

HOLMES LAND ROVER OF SHREVEPORT... 

THE HOME OF THE INCREDIBLY STYLISH EVOQUE. 

Elisha Shaw---burned by Firefox. 

Elisha Shaw/247Sports

The behemoth Tucker, Georgia senior-to-be has offers from six different SEC Schools including Alabama, Georgia and Arkansas.  Shaw also has offers in hand from Texas, Ohio State and Oklahoma State.  But it appears young Mr. Shaw is waiting for an offer closer to heart---in San Fernando Valley.  

Perhaps Pierce College will call. Or Everest College. Or Los Angeles Valley College. Shaw is a big fan of the main export from the area.

Porn. 

How big of a fan? Well, thanks to Clay Travis and the boys at Outkick the Coverage, we learned today that 4-star recruit Shaw REALLY wants to be a 5-star recruit.  He is lobbying the recruiting services to boost him that extra star. 

Speaking of Celestial Bodies, Shaw took a screen shot of his current ranking by 24/7 sports.  One problem.  In the screen shot, you can see other tabs the young man has open, including a porn site.  Not exactly the reason Al Gore invented this stuff, huh?

Will Shaw get that 5th star? Will he have to live with the nickname, "Isis" for more than his senior year?  Are college grad assistants delving deeper into Shaw's interest, only for "research" purposes? 

All this time I thought game tape was the key to recruiting. 

I've Lived The Lower 48

Tim Fletcher: A Very, Very, Short Story

48 years are now officially in the books.  Which books? Uh, the "Tim Fletcher Chronicles," the least perused items on Amazon.Com!  May 13, 1965 SEEMS like a long time ago---and having lived every one of those days between then and now---i can vouch for it. 

There has been some meandering along the way...especially from

"Phish" fans recalibrating 

1983 until 1994.  I couldn't have been more listless if I had followed Phish while listening to Jim Nantz call a chess match.  

That all changed once Shreveport became home.  Birthdays and workdays soon became interchangeable.  When I started working at KTAL as the weekend sports anchor, I was a married 29-year old father of a three year old.  By the time I hung up the lavaliere mic at KTBS, I was an overweight, married (2nd Time) 47 year old with a 21 year old... a 17 year old step-daughter and 13-year old step-son.  

The enthusiasm for covering sports remains high, which explains the morning alarm sounding at 4:30 each weekday to signal the start of my new sports-day at KWKH (1130 The Tiger).  I fully expected my former work family at KTBS continue to chug along without missing a beat, or missing their sports director the last 14 years. What I DIDN'T expect is how little I miss the day-to-day grind of television news.  

Focusing the bulk of my attention on our three-hour daily sports-talk show has re-energized me beyond expectations.  Working on a daily basis with my bride, Aly; my daughter, Sydney; our board operator/production director Chris D. (aka, Cupcake); my good friend, Ed Hardy (Justin S.) and the forward-thinking crew of TownSquare Media has been a Godsend. 

Any indication that I didn't enjoy my job at KTBS would be headed down the wrong path. I definitely loved my job. However, the direction of the industry puzzled me over the last couple of years. Dabbling in radio and writing this entire time, it hit me like a slow moving train with a really loud whistle. TV has not embraced the next level/wave of interacting with it's audience the way radio/newspapers/bloggers have over the last few years.  

Television continues to tell viewers when news begins and when it ends.  5pm-5:30pm; 6:00pm-7:00pm; 10-10:35pm.  Check Twitter or the websites of the Shreveport Times, Nola.Com, al.com, Deadspin.com, profootballtalk.com, etc. during and in between those time frames.  Saving you time, I'll tell you: 

The News Doesn't Stop.  

Local TV still makes the bulk of their revenue based on ads placed inside prime programming.  They are hoping the audience hasn't bought into the idea that we can grab those stories from other places on our time, on our dime. 

With the radio show, we are able to deliver news in real time and continually update stories as they progress during air time. The fluidity of the medium plus the "free-flowing" spirit of the program is like a breath of fresh air.  

In the last two weeks, we have been proud to be the lead dog on the Advocare V100 Bowl funding issue, focusing on Representative Barbara Norton's role.  One local TV station dedicated five minutes to the story three days after our interview with Rep. Norton.  One thing missing from their report?  An interview with the Protagonist/Antagonist (depends on your point of view), Barbara Norton!  This station also partners with Rep. Norton for an annual parade during Black History Month.


Last Thursday, the American Basketball Association let everyone else know what Times sports editor, Roy Lang tweeted a week earlier: The East Texas entry in the far-flung minor league would move to Shreveport and play their games in Hirsch Coliseum.  Every local television station reported on the news---playing sound bites with the owner and/or coach with general fluff on how the "Mavericks" would win/sell tickets.  A minor league team deciding to chase a profit down the well in Shreveport-Bossier is going to happen.  BUT... an organization hooking their wagon to the aged Hirsch, as opposed to the shiny SMG managed CenturyLink Center? Hmmmm.  


"The Hirsch" is a 59 year old who isn't holding her age very well.  The CenturyLink, the crown jewel near the Red River, didn't exactly service her clients in the Central Hockey League and the Arena Football League very well, according to top officials with both the Mudbugs (CHL) and BattleWings (AFL).  Trying to turn a profit in a league where fannies in the seats are vital for the bottom line, the last thing a team needs is a heavy-handed lease.  The Bugs or Wings would only make money if they had league-leading attendance---a hard bargain to drive in a city known for minor league sports apathy.  The ABA's Mavericks skipped the losing proposition of working with the CenturyLink Center.  Chris Giordano the executive director of the State Fair Of Louisiana (The Hirsch's management) joined our show last Friday morning.  Within ten minutes we knew the owner of the Mavericks:

• Had Serious Cash (Oil and Gas)
• Owned a venue near Beaumont, Tx that books concerts on the level with local casinos (Steve Miller Band, Reba, etc.)
• Was working on lease w/Hirsch that allowed him to run Hirsch year round-November through April for hoops, April through November for other events
• Would be responsible for several Hirsch upgrades

In addition, Giardano said Hirsch would definitely allow tailgating at events, as opposed to the stiff upper lips of SMG.

CANTINA LAREDO---THE PATIO IS OPEN! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, AN INVITATION? COME ON OVER TO THE C-L ON THE D-L, SHOPPES AT BELLE MEADE ON YOUREE DRIVE... LATE NIGHT HAPPY HOUR!

Local television still leads the way with breaking weather.  But if I were a wagering man---as a guy who chugged a 16 ounce bottle of Tobasco on a dare, it's safe to say I fall under that umbrella---I would look to the Times and to shows like ours for in-depth reports on sports events that affect our community.  

48 years on this earth has taught me plenty---the main lesson? There is so much more to learn and discover.  

What our show can shed light on without fear of repercussion from a parade organizer, or a legislature, or an advertiser means the world to me. Especially since my world now revolves around life in Shreveport and Bossier City.