A GREAT YEAR. Thanks to the Scrapper football team, the band, cheer squad, moms & dads, coaches and booster organizations for a great 2018 season. It would have been nice to go to War Memorial again, but you still did your hometown proud.
A few years ago I was covering another team’s game in an eastern Arkansas town. At halftime the guys in the pressbox started talking about towns that always seemed to have great football teams. The timekeeper asked me where I was from. “Nashville,” I told him.
“Now that’s a great football town,” one other pressbox guy said. “I’ve never seen the Scrappers, but I’d like to, someday.” That was a great compliment from a couple of fans who not only knew another team’s nickname, they recognized that it was a great program year in and out.
I’m just sorry our majorettes didn’t have an equally good season.
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IT WAS AFTER halftime of the Razorback-Missouri football game, Friday afternoon, when Daughter Julie and I strolled into the Hog Pen memorabilia store in Little Rock. Our team was doing so poorly that we had stopped watching it an hour or so earlier and had gone out to fight the crowds for lunch and Christmas gifts.
Inside the store were two customers — me and Julie — and two clerks. I was in search of a little trinket for someone on my Christmas list. We browsed around for a little bit, but we were like a lot of dispirited Hog fans. Sorta not interested in acquiring team stuff at any bargain price.
But this was Black Friday, and I really expected that there’d be a few other shoppers.
Nope. We would be in the store for a half hour, and no one else was even in sight.
The game was playing on a hidden radio, but the volume was so low I couldn’t hear how much the Missouri team had run up the score on our swell Razorbacks.
What’s the score, I asked Clerk #1. He mumbled something. What? He mumbled again.
Finally I understood him to say something like “28.” Is that their score? Yes, he mumbled.
And what is our score? This time Clerk #2 answered with something that sounded like: “Mmphf.” Finally, after trying a few more times, I understood her to say ‘nuttin.” So, at that point it was 28-0 and it would get worse. Let’s just say they weren’t bragging about the score.
If we had one more game to play, I would suggest this to the coaches:
Let the offensive linemen take turns playing quarterback and see what it’s like to get knocked on your backside every down.
As for the defensive backs, send them into stands to get a hot dog. We’d still get burned deep on pass plays, but at least some of the team would be fed.
For the quarterbacks, try to throw the ball to our team as often as you throw to the opponent.
For defensive linemen: watch and learn what your counterparts do because they seem to know how to get to the quarterback occasionally.
For linebackers and special teams, when you hit someone, hold on for dear life. Don’t turn nobody loose ‘til the whistle blows. Nobody.
Yes, this is me — the Official #1 Fair Weather Razorback Football Fan, and after blood stops coming out of my ears, nose and the corners of my eyes, I’ll be looking forward to next year. My advice is free, too.
At least the Razorback band has majorettes.
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WE MISSED IT, OF COURSE. It was overcast and freezing on the ‘best’ nights for observing the annual Leonid Meteor Shower back in early November. What’s new? The Leonids are a leftover trail of ice and rocks from the Comet Tempel-Tuttle. Earth moves through this debris trail every year in mid-November.
I do love watching the night sky. And, supposedly, there is something good coming. Actually, TWO somethings good — two comets.
It always gets me in trouble with the police when professional skywatchers say something is visible to the naked eye. Every time I get caught naked in my driveway it costs me $250 in Municipal Court. Not to mention cold.
First will be Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinum. Go out between midnight and dawn and look East near the Constellation Capella, wherever that is. The only constellations I can recognize are the Big Dipper and Orion.
Next, in mid-December, will be Comet 46P/Wirtanen. At its closest, it will be a mere 7,300,000 miles from Earth.
If it’s not overcast (ha ha) go out after dusk and look southeast somewhere near the Pleiades Constellation. Wherever it is.
Since this viewing opportunity is not after midnight, you should be aware that there may be more traffic and therefore you are more likely to get the cops called on you if you are naked in your driveway.
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THINGS I LEARNED from opening email: You use 300 muscles when you are standing still.
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WORD GAMES. The twins: High and Low. They’re searching.
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HE SAID: “If I were given the opportunity to present a gift to the next generation, it would be the ability for each individual to learn to laugh at himself.” Charles M. Schulz, creator of ‘Peanuts’
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SHE SAID: “So when it came to role models, I looked at presidents’ wives. Of course, you’re talking about a farm girl who stood in the fields, dreaming, years ago, wishing she was that kind of person. But if I had been that kind of person, do you think I could sing with the emotions I do? You sing with those emotions because you’ve had pain in your heart.” Tina Turner, rocker
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SWEET DREAMS, Baby
