Steve's Notes

reasons I love wrestling

2011-05-31T13:04:00.001-07:00

Things have changed a lot since I was a kid. (I will now pause a moment to wait on all of you to quit laughing.)
Okay now that the commotion has settled down, there is one thing that hasn’t changed and I hope, never will.
And that is professional wrestling in South Georgia in small gyms and armories.
Which brings me to the reason for this little bit of prose from me.
I want to see the South Georgia Pro Wrestling group succeed for the simple reason I hope it can give kids memories like I have from my childhood.
When I was a kid, professional wrestling was my way of seeing good overcome evil.
I remember like it was yesterday seeing Mr. Wrestling II battle Abdullah the Butcher at South Georgia College in Douglas. After II has vanquished the Butcher, my daddy and I walked out and II walked past. I could see the blood on the inside of his famous white mask. I knew he gone the distance to vanquish the evil Butcher.
That was just one of many memories of those times.
I have another memory of Mr. Wrestling II. This time I remember he was signing autographs at the very back of Allison’s Skating Rink in Albany. I was so excited, because I was in line to get his signature.
But when I was about to get my prize, II had to stop and rush to the ring to help rescue either Jerry or Ted Oates, who was being doubled or tripled-teamed by some more bad guys.
You see there were many reasons I wanted to see the bad guys get their comeuppance, but most of all I was mad because I didn’t get my Mr. Wrestling II autograph.
It was a big thing for me at that time, because I grew up loving things like westerns. Pro wrestling in a way reminded me of wrestling because I was always excited that the duel at sunrise that the good guy would end up getting the best of the bad guy.
To this day even though I am now older and wiser about the ways of the world, including wrestling, I still get a kick out of seeing the good guy get the best of the bad guy. Heck that’s the way nature intended it.
Having seen the first two SGPW cards, I have had more fun watching the kids. They go crazy for the good guys and boo and despise the bad guys.
At the last card, I saw a kid catch Vordell Walker’s wrist bands and grin from ear to ear. That young man will always remember that, because he got something that represented his hero. In other words he got his Mr. Wrestling II autograph.
Good old-fashioned pro wrestling is something kids and families can enjoy and in a small environment they actually get to reach out and touch their heroes and make sure the heels hear their boos.
The folks that go leave with smiles on their faces and great memories. And to me there is nothing wrong with either of those things.
From what I understand, SGPW will hold their next card June 25. Please make plans to attend, it will be a great cheap way to spend a Saturday night.

very impressed

2011-05-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to drop a quick note about the Tift County High School basketball banquet last night.
It was great to see the emphasis on academics that coaches Eric Holland and Julie Conner places on their players. It was also great to see guest speaker Mike Curry, an assistant coach at Troy, tell the players to realize they need to have plans when "the ball stops bouncing."
Knowing high school kids like I do they don't realize that they will eventually get old. They need to replace youth is fleeting.

2011 Press Pass Element racing

2011-05-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

I love collecting cards. It's a way to learn about my favorite athletes, and to me there is nothing more satisfying than being able to put together an entire set.
That's the reason any card collector would love 2011 Press Pass Element racing cards. They are informative, colorful and the duplicates are rare which means you can build a set from a box.
There are also chances to collect autographs from up-and-coming drivers, as well as current drivers.
In every hobby box, there is a one card mystery pack that includes either an autographed "Undiscovered Element" card or a black-bordered base card that is serially numbered under 35.
In my box I pulled a Brandon McReynolds autographed "Undiscovered Element" card, numbered 200 of 225. The cool thing about the card for me is the fact that the card is hand-signed meaning the signature is on the card, and not on a piece of tape applied to the card. In other words, Brandon McReynolds actually held the card to sign it.
Besides the one-card mystery pack, there are 24 six-card packs in the box. As I said I was able to build the base set from the 144 cards, I was also able to get a good start on the 12-card "High Octane Vehicle" subset, as well as the 10-card "Tales of the Track" subset. I also pulled a NASCAR Hall of Fame card of new inductee Ned Jarrett.
As an extra bonus, there is also one memorabilia card and one autographed card per hobby box.
I was able to pull a Tony Stewart "Finish Line" card, numbered 4-of-10. The card included a swatch of an actual race-used checkered flag, which was very cool.
My autographed card was even better.
It was 1-of-1 press plate signed by Elliott Sadler. Like the McReynolds card, it was actually signed on the card by Sadler, which made for a very cool pull.
With the ease of set building, and with the high quality inserts, 2011 Press Pass Element racing was a fun box to have, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves racing and collecting cards.
For more information, go to www.presspassinc.com.

I am back :D

2011-05-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

hope no one has missed me. I will be on here more and more in the future. I may not always realize what I will be talking about until I start talking but anyway LOL

Even though the Braves appear...

2009-10-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

on the way to ending the season on a sour note, there is still a lot to look forward to in 2010. One of those things is of course, Tommy Hansen.
Upper Deck will have autographed rookie cards of the Braves' phenom in the following sets: 2009 MLB Ballpark Collection (currently out), SP Authentic (early October); Sweet Spot Materials (end of October); and MLB Ultimate (mid-Dec.).
I hope to have some more card news in the future.

Thrashers win season opener

2009-10-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

This is for the hockey fans out there, and I know there are a couple.

THRASHERS 6, LIGHTNING 3

OCTOBER 3, 2009 at PHILIPS ARENA

Thrashers Scoring Summary

Per(Time) Goal(Assists)

1(8:20) Kovalchuk(1)(Little(1),Kubina(1))EV

1(11:23) Salmela(1)(Boulton(1),Thorburn(1))EV

2(9:01) Bogosian(1)(Peverley(1),Enstrom(1))EV

2(12:42) Peverley(1)(Kane(1))EV

3(11:52) Peverley(2)(Kovalchuk(1),Afinogenov(1)PP

3(13:15) Kovalchuk(2)(Little(2),Enstrom(2))EV

Scoring by Period

ATL: 2 – 2 – 2 –- 6

TB : 0 - 2 – 1 -- 3

Shots by Period

ATL: 8 - 10 – 19 –- 28

TB : 12 – 13 – 14 –- 39

Special Teams

ATL: PP – 1/2 PK – 2/3

TB : PP – 1/3 PK – 1/2

* The Thrashers opened their 2009-10 NHL regular-season schedule tonight, defeating the Southeast Division-rival Tampa Bay Lightning 6-3 in front of a sold-out crowd at Philips Arena … The Thrashers have now won two straight season-opening games and hold an all-time record of 4-5-1 on opening night.

* Captain Ilya Kovalchuk (2g,1a) and forward Rich Peverley (2g,1a) led the way for the Thrashers offense, earning three points apiece in the victory … Kovalchuk opened the game’s scoring in the first period and put the finishing touches on the Lightning with the game’s last goal midway through the third.

* Forward Bryan Little and defenseman Tobias Enstrom tied for the team lead with two assists each … Little assisted on both of Kovalchuk’s goals.

* Rookie forward Evander Kane picked up the lone assist on Peverley’s first goal, becoming the first Thrasher to record a point in his NHL debut since Bryan Little scored a goal in the first game of the 2006-07 campaign.

* Several other Thrashers found their way on to the score sheet tonight, including: Zach Bogosian (1g), Anssi Salmela (1g), Chris Thorburn (1a), Eric Boulton (1a), Maxim Afinogenov (1a) and Pavel Kubina (1a).

* Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec made the first opening-night start of his NHL career and stopped 36-of-39 shots en route to being named the game’s Third Star … Mike Smith allowed six goals on 28 shots in the defeat for Tampa Bay.

* The Thrashers will return to action on Thursday, Oct. 8 when they begin a five-game road stretch in St. Louis (8 p.m., 680 The Fan, SportSouth (HD)).

I forgot to mention in my last post...

2009-10-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

A lot of folks have asked me what do I do on Friday nights now.
Well when I am not covering a Tiftarea home football game, I am here at office trying to find out scores of games in the area, while I finish my work on the Saturday news pages.
I like my current role as the news editor, but I must admit I do miss going to a game each Friday night. There is nothing more exciting and emotional than a high school football game, and it is something that always made my job...well not seem like a job.
But even though I am here at the office, I would still appreciate hearing reports from the teams in the Tiftarea. I am here every Friday night, and anyone can call me with reports on their team.
The number is 382-4321, and my extension is 1911.

some things never change

2009-10-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

I have been writing about high school sports for 26 of my 42 years or 61.9 percent of my life (thank you calculator on computer).
During that time I have seen countless homecoming football games, and some things never change about them.
Take Friday night's game between Tiftarea Academy and Southwest Georgia Academy, for instance.
I get to the stadium and first thing I notice is the smell of charcoal in the air as the grills are going for tailgates and for concession stands. I walk up and there is a line stretching around the Tiftarea field house to get into the game. (Mind you this is maybe 10 minutes before the game actually begins.)
Walk into the stadium and you see parents and cheerleaders selling raffle tickets (this time for a 12-layer chocolate cake), and as usual I can't afford to buy one. Like I told the folks though hit me up again at the next home game.
The home team then comes out and is all fired up and ready to go. That usually means they will run over the hapless opponent that some teams always schedule for homecoming. But, it also can mean the home team is ready to roll against a very good team that sometimes is scheduled for homecoming due to a scheduling conflict or just the fact there are no Charleston Southerns a high school team can schedule.
In Tiftarea's case Friday, SGA was a very formidable homecoming foe. The game itself saw the Warriors of SGA run out to a big 21-6 lead. But the homecoming crowd put a spark into the Panthers and Tiftarea came back to within one point in the second half.
Oops wait I almost forgot something the halftime crowning of the queen(s), depending on the school.
The ladies all come out in spectacular dresses and most of the time their fathers are all beaming with pride as they escort them on the field. (Friday did see a nice touch as a little brother was the escort.)
The queen from the previous year then comes out and presents the new queen with her sash and tiara. Friday saw Lynley Grace McCullough give the new queen, Sam Koran, the title.
Then there is countless pictures, and you can always see what great jobs the dentists of the queens do as the smiles are always perfect.
Anyway, back to the game, the Panthers did stage a strong comeback, but the Warriors emerged with a 35-26 win at the end.
Tiftarea was down, but the Panthers still have a lot of season left, and who knows there could be a playoff rematch down the road.
But the Panthers' comeback attempt was a great one, and I am sure all of the Tiftarea alumni that came home were happy that the 2009 team showed a fighting spirit.
Unfortuately for me I won't see another Tiftarea (or high school period) play again until the regular season finale at home against Valwood on Oct. 30.
But, I am sure there will be more charcoal burned and more cakes raffled that night, as well.

I promise...!!

2009-10-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

Things have been hectic for me in the past couple of months, but I will be on here more in the future.
I hope to keep you informed on things going on around the Southeast, and I will also put my two cents worth in on other stuff, as well.
One thing I do want to mention is that I will be helping the Atlanta Falcons in choosing their high school football coaches of the year again. It's a honor, and fun too.
Anyway I will have more stuff up in the next couple of days, including stuff from Disney World, Universal and (I hope) Sea World.
I am also going to try to get some info on the new movie Zombieland, since it was filmed just down the interstate in Valdosta at Wild Adventures.
Horror movies aren't exactly my cup of tea, so I probably won't see it, but it is still neat to know things I have seen in person will be on the big screen.
Anyway I will talk to you more soon.

big events coming to Universal Orlando

2009-10-01T20:40:00.002-07:00

I would love to go down one more time this year, so if anyone needs an extra guy I work cheap :-)

NEW HOLIDAY CONCERT SERIES AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT COMBINES WITH GRINCHMAS, MACY’S HOLIDAY PARADE TO CREATE MORE HOLIDAY ENTERTAINMENT THAN EVER

Concert Series Features Mannheim Steamroller, Chris Isaak, Natalie Cole

Holidays Begin Dec. 5 and Run Through Jan. 1

ORLANDO, Fla.(October 1, 2009)– Universal Orlando Resort brings music home for the holidays this year as it kicks off a brand-new holiday concert series featuring Christmas-music mega-sensation Mannheim Steamroller and chart-topping artists Natalie Cole and Chris Isaak.
The concerts are an entirely new way to experience the holidays at Universal – and add to the already beloved Grinchmas celebration at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and the Macy’s Holiday Parade at Universal Studios.
“Music is a powerful part of the holidays – and we are creating a great, new way for families to enjoy the holidays together,” said Jim Timon, senior vice president of entertainment for Universal Orlando Resort. “Whether it’s an exciting parade, a heart-warming Grinchmas show or a joyful concert – there will be something for everyone to enjoy this holiday season.”
Holidaycelebrations at Universal Orlando Resort begin Dec. 5 and run through Jan. 1. Mannheim Steamroller – the iconic holiday music masters who have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide – performs at Universal Studios on Dec. 5. Chris Isaak performs on Dec. 12 and Natalie Cole performs on Dec. 19. Each concert begins after that night’s Macy’s Holiday Parade. Natalie Cole and Chris Isaak will perform a mix of holiday classics along with their most popular hits.
The performances will take place at the new Music Plaza – a brand-new, state-of-the-art, outdoor permanent concert venue located in the heart of the Universal Studios theme park.
The Macy’s Holiday Parade at Universal Studios features the world-renowned balloons and floats from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. In addition to the parade, Universal Studios guests can enjoy performances by marching bands from across the country, a nightly Christmas tree lighting, andspecially themed holiday shows including The Blues Brothers, Woody Woodpecker’s Kidzone and Barney.
At Islands of Adventure, the popular Dr. Seuss book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is brought to life in Grinchmas, a live stage show featuring an original recorded musical score by Mannheim Steamroller. During the show, six songs are performed by a live cast, including The Grinch and The Whos from Whoville. As a part of the Grinchmas celebration, guests will also have the opportunity to meet The Grinch.
The celebration continues at the three on-site hotels at Universal Orlando–Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific Resort–all of which will glisten with holiday decorations. Hotel guests will be immersed in the spirit of the season with tree-lighting ceremonies, special musical performances, holiday “dive-in” movie presentations and holiday dining events. Loews Portofino Bay Hotel kicks off the season on Friday, November 27 with 'Holiday Harbor Nights', a wine tasting, food and jazz celebration on the piazza. Hard Rock Hotel welcomes Santa to the Kitchen restaurant on Fridays in December and Loews Royal Pacific Resort rings in the new year with ALOHA 2010, a New Year's Eve celebration.
Guests can also enjoy the holiday cheer at CityWalk with decorations, live music on the plaza stage and strolling entertainment on select dates throughout the event.
All holiday entertainment – including the Mannheim Steamroller concert, is included as part of admission to Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure.
All holiday entertainment – including the Mannheim Steamroller concert, is included as part of admission to Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure.

this is for the folks out there that like the Thrashers

2009-10-01T20:40:00.001-07:00

Atlanta Thrashers Announce 2009-10 Team Captains

Kovalchuk Returns as Captain; Bogosian and Hainsey join Armstrong and Kozlov as Alternates

The Atlanta Thrashers have announced their captains for the 2009-10 season. Ilya Kovalchuk, who was named Captain on Jan. 11, 2009, will begin his first full season in that role. Forwards Colby Armstrong and Vyacheslav Kozlov return as Alternate Captains and are joined by defensemen Zach Bogosian and Ron Hainsey.

Kovalchuk, selected first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, enters his eighth NHL season with 557 career-points (297 goals, 260 assists) in 545 NHL games, including 105 career power play goals and 37 career game-winning goals. The three-time NHL All-Star holds multiple franchise records, including goals (297), games played (545) assists (260) and shots on goal (1,999).

Bogosian, who was selected fourth overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, tallied 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 47 games last season. He led the NHL rookie defensemen with nine goals and finished third overall in points among rookies, despite missing significant time due to injury. He also finished the season with a rookie-leading plus-11 rating.

Hainsey signed with the Thrashers in July 2008 and set career-highs in assists (33) and points (39) in 81 games last season. He has tallied 124 points (26 goals, 98 assists) in 326 NHL games with the Canadiens, Blue Jackets and Thrashers.

Kozlov is a 17-year NHL veteran with two Stanley Cup Championships with the Detroit Red Wings. He has registered 827 points (348 goals, 479 assists) in 1,127 NHL games with the Red Wings, Sabres and Thrashers. Since coming to Atlanta on June 22, 2002, Kozlov has appeared in 482 games with the Thrashers, tallying 390 points (137 goals, 253 assists).

Since joining the Thrashers on Feb. 26, 2008 in a trade with Pittsburgh, Armstrong has tallied 51 points (26 goals, 25 assists) in 100 games. Armstrong set a career-high last season with 22 goals and matched his career-high in points with 40. He has appeared in five playoff games, all with Pittsburgh, and recorded one assist.

Atlanta Thrashers Season Tickets for the 2009-10 regular season start as low as $10 per game and are available by visiting atlantathrashers.com or calling (866) 715-1500.

New Upper Deck cards on the way

2009-06-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

With the NBA draft Thursday, Upper Deck has already made plans to release a new set of basketball cards which will contain the rookies of many of the players selected. Here is a news release for the new product that will hit hobby stores in Tifton sometime next month.

Slam-DunkCity: Upper Deck to Produce Draft Edition

Basketball Trading Card Set Releasing in July

Many of this year’s top lottery picks as well as Kobe, LeBron and MJ will have special autographed inserts sprinkled throughout product

North Las Vegas, NV (June 26, 2008)– The Upper Deck Company will be releasing an impressive Draft Edition Basketball trading card set in July, one in which many of this year’s top lottery picks will be appearing complete with autographed inserts. Several of the top players selected during yesterday’s 2009 NBA Draft will be featured in the set including James Harden, the No. 3 pick overall; Ricky Rubio, No. 5; Jonny Flynn, No. 6; and Stephen Curry, No. 7.

“We are very exited about this set,” said Brandon Miller, Upper Deck’s Basketball brand manager. “Collectors always expect great basketball cards from Upper Deck and this collection will include a great mix of players past and present, and a terrific amount of autograph cards from some of the league’s best talent.”

Beyond the inclusion of several of this weekend’s top NBA Draft picks, the 133-card overall set will also include Upper Deck’s “Big Three” of exclusive basketball spokesmen: Kobe Bryant of the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers; reigning league MVP LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers; and soon-to-be-inducted Basketball Hall of Fame nominee Michael Jordan who earned six NBA titles during his tenure with the Chicago Bulls. All three spokesmen will have autographed cards appearing in Draft Edition’s “Alma Mater” insert collection. Other basketball greats who will be appearing in this set include Magic Johnson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. What’s more, even golf sensation Tiger Woods will have a card inside the Alma Mater lineup.

Upper Deck’s 2009-10 NBA Draft Edition set is scheduled to land on store shelves July 28.

Let's see if I have anyone reading these blogs

2009-06-25T20:23:00.001-07:00

As you know I love pro wrestling. I received three new DVDs this week to review. However, I saw one of the pay per view DVDs, 2009 Backlash, already.
That show was excellent with a lot of great matches. I especially loved the ending of the Matt Hardy-Jeff Hardy match.
Since I have already witnessed Backlash, I am going to give it away.
The first person to e-mail me at steve.carter@gaflnews.com and say hi I want the Backlash DVD can have it.
The other two DVDs I received this week was for Judgement Day and a DVD on the great tag teams — Allied Powers: The World's Greatest Tag Teams. I will talk about them when I get a chance to watch them this weekend.

Halloween Horror Nights coming shortly

2009-06-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

I told you I was going to use my blog to try to keep you informed on things that I think you would enjoy.
Even though I am not a big fan of horror movies, I went to Universal Studios in Orlando several years ago for the Halloween Horror Nights. I am the first to admit I am too chicken to have go into the haunted houses, but I enjoyed the atmosphere tremendously.
This year's HHN will feature three horror movie icons, Jigsaw from the SAW movies, Chucky and The Wolfman. The following is a news release on the details.

June 25, 2009 RIPPED FROM THE SILVER SCREEN: UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT’S HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS 19 TO BRING MODERN DAY HORROR FILMS TO LIFE

Experience to Feature Upcoming Release and Hugely Popular Horror Series

The Wolfman, Jigsaw and Chucky Will Wreak Havoc at Nation’s Most Frightening Halloween Event

Event Tickets, Vacation Package On Sale Now

ORLANDO, FL (June 25, 2009) – For the first time ever, guests at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights will live a mega-horror movie before it even hits the big screen. They will also experience two modern day blockbuster horror franchises as Universal Orlando devotes its entire Halloween Horror Nights event to bringing horror films to life.

Universal Orlando is partnering with Universal Pictures to bring one of the year’s most highly anticipated films, “The Wolfman,” to life so guests can experience it firsthand before it hits theaters on November 6. It is also partnering with Lionsgate® and Twisted Pictures to bring the most profitable horror franchise, “SAW,” to Halloween Horror Nights 19: Ripped From the Silver Screen. Universal Orlando is also using its partnership with Universal Pictures to bring the popular “Chucky” film series to life at the event as well.

Lionsgate is expected to release the sixth installment of the powerhouse franchise in theatres nationwide on October 23rd in its traditional opening weekend slot leading into Halloween; the “Chucky” films have become a favorite among horror film and pop culture enthusiasts.

Never before has Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights featured such a catalog of horror. Everyone knows these films. And now everyone will get to live them in person. Guests will experience the physical and psychological horror that Jigsaw, Chucky and The Wolfman have inflicted on the silver screen. They will become victim to the mental games of “SAW’s” maniacal killer Jigsaw. They will come face to face with “Chucky’s” wrath. And they will be there as “The Wolfman’s” alter-ego, Lawrence Talbot, discovers a primal side of himself he didn’t know existed.

“Halloween Horror Nights is the perfect launch for ‘The Wolfman,’” says the film’s producer Scott Stuber. “The horror audience is one of the most enthusiastic and loyal so we are so pleased they are experiencing it first at Halloween Horror Nights.”

“Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights provides a unique platform which allows horror fans to experience Jigsaw’s terrifying labyrinth firsthand. Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures couldn’t have asked for better partners to bring the world of SAW to life,” said SAW producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules of Twisted Pictures.

From house and character design to costuming and prosthetics, work is already underway on this year’s event. Additional details will be revealed leading up to opening night of Halloween Horror Nights 19. A SAW attraction will also be included in the Halloween Horror Nights event at Universal Studios Hollywood.

“We have an exciting opportunity to bring our guests into the world of some of the most popular horror films,” said Jim Timon, senior vice president of entertainment for Universal Orlando Resort. “If you thought you were scared watching these movies, wait until you experience this year’s Halloween Horror Nights.”

For 23 select nights this fall, modern horror films are “Ripped from the Silver Screen” to frighten guests at what promises to be the most feared Halloween Horror Nights ever. Other horror films and characters from the movies, including completely re-imagined Frankenstein and Dracula concepts, will also be integrated into this year’s event.

Halloween Horror Nights 19 will feature all-new horrifying haunted houses, inescapable and chilling scarezones, live shows and hundreds of frightening “scare-actors.” Event dates are September 25-26, October 1-4, 8-11, 15-18, 21-25 and 28-31.

Tickets and vacation packages for the event are on sale now. Regular admission to any night of the event is $69.99 plus tax. Guests can purchase tickets at www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com or by calling 1-888-467-7677 (HORROR-7). Because of the event’s popularity, tickets for weekend nights are expected to sell out and should be purchased well in advance.

The Gory Getaway Vacation Package includes two-night hotel accommodations at an Orlando area hotel, one 1-Day/2-Park theme park admission and Halloween Horror Nights Combo ticket, one 5x7 souvenir photograph and free access to select live entertainment at Universal CityWalk. The Gory Getaway Vacation Package begins at $228 per adult, and rates are also available at the world-class on-site Loews hotels. The Gory Getaway package can be booked online at www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com or by calling 1-888-467-7677 (HORROR-7).

Let me know if you go :-)

feeling a little sad tonight

2009-06-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

Two symbols of my childhood passed away today — Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.
I knew of Farrah Fawcett when I was a young boy, because she was very popular when I first discovered girls. My family loved Charlie's Angels, and I discovered her early on.
I remember finding out she was married to Lee Majors aka The Six Million Dollar Man, and that made her even more special as I thought that made her even cooler.
As I grew older I realized she was more than just a pretty face and a great head of hair, she could also act. I always had a crush on her, even as I grew older, and that will always continue.
While unfortunately most folks think of the child molestation charges when they think of Michael Jackson, I think of my daddy and I watching him way back in 1983 performing Billie Jean on the Motown 25 special. I still get goose bumps thinking of watching him moonwalk for the first time that night.
My daddy was also a big fan, as I remember him excited because (if I remember right, CBS) premiering the music video for BAD, and my daddy saying, "Michael has another hit on his hands."
By the way, my daddy was a very hip guy. He took me to see Huey Lewis in Albany for my 16th birthday, after all.
Anyway God bless Farrah and Michael. I am glad to have been blessed to have witnessed your talents during my lifetime.

Some reviews

2009-06-20T21:14:00.000-07:00

as promised, here is some reviews as I begin a new thing on my blog.

I know a lot of you like wrestling. You need to check out the Wrestlemania 25 DVD.
The match between the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels would be the worth the price of the entire DVD. These two veterans put on probably a 30-minute show that has to be seen to believe. If you like the show and art of professional wrestling, these two made Wrestlemania an event in itself.
I also enjoyed the Money in the Bank match, as well as the three-way match between John Cena, Edge and Big Show. Cena performs a feat of strength that would draw a "WOW!" even from those of you who don't love 'rasslin.
With Father's Day here, the Randy Savage DVD is also special. There are several matches from the 80s, that I remember watching with my daddy. We were big fans of the Macho Man and Miss Elizabeth.
Maria and Matt Stryker's commentary between the matches is also quite good.
You can purchase both DVDs at any store in the area that sell wrestling DVDs. If your store doesn't, ask why?

On the movie front, I went to see "UP" with my sister, niece and nephew this week.
It is a very sweet story of how you are never too old to start life anew. There are a lot of cool moments for young and old alike.
There is some romance in it at the very start, adventure in the middle and adventure at the end. Throughout there is also a lot of love.
Just one thing if you have a fear of heights, there are some scenes even for a cartoon that will take your breath away.
UP is still playing at the Cinema 6 here in Tifton.
Transformers 2 will be here Wednesday, I will talk more about that later in the week.

I hope to have some information on new Upper Deck trading cards, as well as some new Topps releases as well, coming shortly.

so far so good

2009-05-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

Martin Cederqvist got a win on the first day of the NJCAA national tournament Monday. that means everyone for ABAC will be in action Tuesday. check my last blog for the remainder of today's schedule, but Martin will be in action today against Matt Davis of Collin County (Texas) in the fourth singles flight.

check periodically for more details.

the seeds are out

2009-05-10T21:24:00.000-07:00

ABAC ended up with one No. 1 seed in the national tennis tournament.
That's Rainer Leemann at No. 5 singles. He will play his opening match Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. local time.
Rasid Winklaar was the second seed at No. 1 singles. His first match will be Tuesday at 8 a.m.
Romain Vieillard is the fourth seed at No. 2. He will play his opening match at 9:15 a.m. Tuesday.
Evandro Rosindo will be the third seed at No. 3 singles. His first match is set for 9:15 a.m. Tuesday.
Martin Cederqvist is unseeded at No. 4 singles. His first match is today (Monday) at 10:30 a.m. against Ricardo Garcia of Mesa (Ariz.).
Matt Holland is the second seed at No. 6 singles. He will face Jimmy Dunseith of Vincennes (Ind.) University Tuesday at 1 p..m.

Cederqvist and Winklaar are the second seed at No. 1 doubles. Their first match will be Tuesday at 2:15 p.m.
Olly Smith and Vieillard are the second seed at No. 2 doubles. They will open up at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday.
Finally, Leemann and Rosindo will be the fourth seed at No. 3 doubles. They will open up against Andrew Dobbs and David McKinney of the home team, Collin County (Texas).

We will keep you informed as the tournament progresses.

well I am in Texas

2009-05-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

Forgive the first post from Texas taking so long, but after a 14-hour bus ride, and some much needed sleep and some much needed time with my extended Texas family, this is my first opportunity.
The trip out with the ABAC Stallions was relatively tame. Unfortunately for me though, I got very little sleep.
When I was a sophomore in high school I worked as the scorer for the basketball team. One night we were coming home and the bus driver temporarily dozed off. I am meaning no offense to the countless buses I have ridden on since, but I think I have always had a phobia about the bus driver falling asleep again. With that, I have always had trouble sleeping on a bus, even if it is a 14-hour trip.
I did get to hear snoring in several different accents though, and that was somewhat entertaining. Also every time I did seem to doze for a few seconds, I would wake up and think someone was standing in front of me. The someone was always coach Alan Kramer's suit jacket which he had hung to keep from getting wrinkled.
Also early on I did get to hear Kramer, coach Red Hill and coach Dale White discuss strategy. That is always fun for me to hear how coaches plan to operate.
One good thing about the trip was that it was noticeably shorter than last year. The drivers were good, and they knew what they were doing.
Well things did begin to stir around 6 our time when we pulled into Vicksburg, Miss. The rest area we stopped at was right on the Mississippi River and the view was spectacular in the early morning light.
We would then stop in Tallulah, La. for breakfast.
Everyone woke up for breakfast, but quickly fell back to sleep until we got close to Dallas.
Plano is a northern suburb of Dallas, and that is where this week's national tournament is being played. After eating lunch, the team went to practice some at the Collin County Community College courts, and they then went to check in at the Southfork Inn.
For those of you that remember the old "Dallas" television show, yes the Southfork Inn is named after the Ewing ranch on that show. There is memorabilia from the show in the hotel.
It is a very nice place and putting on my travel hat for a moment if you ever come out to visit, I would recommend it as a place to stay.
As most of you know I have friends in this area, and I stayed last (Saturday) night with them. While I was waiting at the hotel for them to pick me up I noticed something that may be one of those things only I would notice, but also could tell you what school pride some of these schools show.
Several of the ABAC players had some sort of Stallion T-shirt on. But as I noticed other teams checking in to the hotel, the only way you could tell what school they were representing is when the front desk clerk would ask the coach.
The only school I noticed that had several players with school shirts on was Laredo - the Texas school that I believe has won the past four national titles, and features the two top-ranked players in the nation this season.
(Note here: believe it or not even though you may think of tennis as an individual sport, it could very come down to the team this week for appropriately enough the team championship. That is because depth could play a big role in who wins the national title. A team has to be solid from top-to-bottom to earn points in every flight. That means if a team has a player that's dominant in one flight, but may be less than strong in other flights will be at disadvantage.)
Anyway for those of you that don't know, Laredo's nickname is the Palomino and their colors are green and gold. I know none of you that know of a junior college that features a type of horse for a nickname and has green and gold for team colors, do you? :-)
Well I would later go with my friends to see Wolverine, a good movie by the way if you are into that sort of thing. The team was supposed to have an early night, and have a full day of work today (Sunday) highlghted by the national awards banquet tonight.
Play hopefully begins tomorrow with ABAC hopefully having a light day as most of the low seeds will see action. The seeding will be later tonight, and that will also be a big part of the week in how a national champion is determined.
The reason I said hopefully the tournament will begin today is the weather forecast is similar to last year's. That tournament was delayed several times due to rain.
Anyway I am sitting in a Dairy Queen in Denton, Texas just down from North Texas State University. My friends work here and believe it or not I am trying to help out some.
But I will be back later tonight with I hope some seeding news from Coach Kramer.
Until then I want to wish all of the moms out there a great and special day.

Taking a break

2009-05-08T16:06:00.001-07:00

for a second while I finish my work here for tonight. Any suggestions on what I should take with me on my trip? LOL

Watch this spot for ABAC tennis information

2009-05-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

I will be going to Dallas (well technically) Plano, Texas tonight with the ABAC tennis team. Coach Alan Kramer thinks the Stallions have a shot at the school's first national championship since 1999. I will be with them the entire way, and I hope I can give you some interesting information.