STRAIGHT TALK

* Will Brett destroy the Vikings ?
The Vikings made a great move in picking up Favre. A move that could mean a trip to the Super Bowl if Brett does what he is there for. Favre's job is to throw enough to keep the defense from loading up on the run. Give the ball to Peterson, throw just enough to keep the defense from ganging up.
Old # 4 threw over 50 times in the loss to Pittsburg. Brett ,You are not the focus of this offense . The running game is ! Peterson is the Sheriff You are the Deputy. Forget that & Forget Super Bowl.

*Are the Feds going to get Willie ?
I doubt it . Looks like they would have moved before now if they had the goods on the King. It would take Willie several years at Club Fed just to tell them how great he is.

* Want some money in your pocket ?
Here are a couple of almost sure things:
Packers will beat the Vikings. The Purple Gang is tired & battered, the Pack is rested & playing at home. Favre will not be able to resist the emotion & will try to win the game himself. Brett will forget about the running game & go all out gunslinger.
Hold on to your Drawers ! Georgia will cover vs the Gators . Georgia is coming in off a bye week while Florida is stumbling in. The Gator have needed help from the Zebras two weeks in a row. Superman is tired & a bit Whizzed . I am picking the DAWGS straight up!!

*MEDICAL ALERT FROM THE MEDINA MEDICINE MAN
Are you one of many who suffer from constipation ? Just can't find relief ? The Medina Medicine Man has help for you. Each day eat a double handful of peanuts . That should bring regular relief. You can sing along with Otis Redding "sitting on the dock on the bay"

THIS AND THAT

* Ken Hoover is running for the school board .
*Board Members Ernest Chism & Diane George attended Hoover's campaign rally
* Hoover is running against Board chairman David Pickler.
* It is unusual for board members to be involved in another district election other than their own.
* It would be hard for a body to work smoothly when they have tried to prevent each others election.
* This election is August 2010. Until then Chism & George must work with Chairman Pickler. It may be a tad tense in the meeting room.
* Is this an in-house rebellion ? Are the other Board members tired of Pickler's control ? Pickler has been a Board member & chairman for 12 years during which time he has greatly expanded the power of the chairman.
* This will be the first opposition Pickler has faced in 12 years . Pickler is the most high profile school board chairman ever. The Dude wears a letter jacket with chairman of the board embrioded across the front.
* The bottom line: Are the people tired of Pickler ? The question will be answered by the election.

MEMPHIS FOOTBALL

* Hero Tommy is taking his high wire act to a new level . This Dashing Devil has left no margin for error in his attempt to lead the Tigers to another toliet bowl. Millionair Tommy must win these last four for the Tigers to Roar.
* If Tommy decides to take the money and run, how about KIPPY BROWN for coach ?

MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING

1. I was watching Florida & Mississippi State when struck by dejavu. The Florida offense ,I had seen it all before. 1972,-Marked Tree Arkansas,- Coach Charlie Stevens .
Coach Stevens coached the ninth grade team at Marked Tree for many years. Coach Stevens called his offense the Short Punt formation. Charlie had his fastest big guy 5 yards deep taking the snap with one to three blockers in front of him.
There you have it ; Tim Tebow almost 40 years ago. There is nothing new in football just things revisted.
Urb the Turd ; you didn't invent anything Old Charlie was there 40 years ago.

2.What a great job Insane Lane & Daddy Kiffin are doing. Lane has the offense playing as well as possible. The last two games Crompton looks like a real QB. Daddy- K is taking names & kicking butt with the Orange defenders.
Give the K- Gang a year or two to get players then look out SEC.

3. Dan Mullen needs a mental evaluation. He has the DAWGS playing exciting ball & staying close every game. But Big Dan has gone Ape- Doo on some play calls.
You do not throw jump passes with midgets, you don't run reverses on the goal line & you don't fake punts inside your thirty trailing by three.
Big Dan needs some RISK/REWARD training.

4. Are the Zebras taking care of top teams Bama & Florida ? It would cost the SEC big dollars for these two to fall from the top ranked spots. Just watching it seems close calls always go the Tide & Gators way.

FRIENDS, FOES, & HEROS

BOB KNIGHT
* best teacher of basketball ever
* self - destructed due to abusive behavior
* believed he could overcome lack of talent with his coaching

LOU HOLTZ
* top coach of the eighties
* master of turning around a program
* after five or six years had wore out his welcome
* magician who had multiple personalities

JOE GIBBS
* a fine man of character
* won 3 Super Bowls with 3 different Quarterbacks
* introduced the one-back offense to the NFL

AL MCQUIRE
* had understanding of game & players far different from others
* very complex person
* believed in great personel executing simple schemes
* collected tin soldiers and clowns
* rode motorcycle
* maybe the best ever game coach

BUM PHILLIPS
* his intelligence hidden by cowboy dress & folksy language
* creator of defensive numbering system used by most of football
* one of the first to use zone blocking in 1956
* one of the first to use 34 defense in the NFL
* could get the most out of his players

THINGS IN COMMON
* all have complex multiple personalities maybe even bi-polar
* all believed in simplicity & execution
* all knew that player talent trumped schemes
* all were able to get the maximum from their players


ANOTHER SUBJECT
I was not a real tough guy but I did get into more than my share of fights. To survive I became a master of the pre-emptive strike. That means when I felt threatened I sucker punched the dude
This brings us to ISRAEL / IRAN. To survive Israel must use the pre-emptive strike which they have done several times in the past.
Israel sees it as a choice between Strike or be Struck. Do or Die if you will. Israel knows the longer they wait the more danger Iran becomes. Look for a punch in a few months.

RANDOM SHOTS

Performance Enhancing Drugs
The Sports world is over-run with PED's. They are present on every level. It is very expensive & impossible to test for all PEDs. The drug makers stay one step ahead of the testing posse.
I thought a Free Market philosophy would control PEDs. Everyone knows the dangers of using PEDs so who would run the risk ?
I was wrong. I did not compute the proper Risk/Reward Ratio. In other words the Money is so much that players think it is worth the Risk.
Think about it . You are offered 50 million for 5 years . 10 million a year. So you take the PED to get the extra edge to seal the deal. Would you do it ? More are than not in the sports world.
What if the Rocket had said " I make 28 millon a year . I took that stuff to keep that gig. " Understood & Forgiven.
Where ever there are games there are PEDs . From Little Leauge to Major Leauge the Juice is flowing.
What can we do about it ? Not much. If someone is willing to take the risk it is impossible to stop them. It is their body , health , life & future. It is a simple decision. Is what I am going to get worth the price I am going to pay .

WHOLE LOTTA FOOTBALL

CHILLI PEPPER asked me ,"Do you love me more than football"? I asked in return, " College or NFL'? It was not the correct response.

1. According to the EYE test Alabama is the best team in the nation. The Tide sure looks the best. I think Bama would beat anyone if the championship game was this weekend. Nice Guy Nicky has the Tide Rolling.

2. The Gators look shaky right now. Superman appears used up. I don't think the Gators could beat Bama today .Urb the Turd needs to try that Wildcat thing. Florida has the right personnel , Demps & Rainey at the fly backs & Tebow taking the snap.

3. I don't care what fertlizer salesman Mack Brown says. Texas is not one of the top five teams in the nation. Mack needs to go to the Rodeo to throw that Bull.

4. Look to the West young man ! The USC Trojans are on the march .The boys from the coast are getting better weekly as their Freshman QB gains experience. Has anyone seen Mitch Mustain ?

5. Memphis Mayhem continues. I hear Lee Majors will coach the Tigers next year . The Six Million Dollar Man should be twice as good as Three Million Tommy. A Dude who hung out with Linda Evans & Farrah shouldn't find football a big step. Think about that R.C. & Plastic Priscilla.

6. Here is to the Titans for keeping it close. 59 - 0 !! There is no mercy in the NFL. In fairness to Beli - cheat the Titans did quit. Last years 13 - 3 dream is this years horrible nightmare. Will Jeff & the boys mail it in for the rest of the season?

MEDINA SAYING OF THE WEEK
When the MESS gets out of the Bull it is hard to get it back in!!

JABS, HOOKS, & CROSSES

1. I told you a couple of weeks ago A.C. Wharton would be the new Mayor. The outcome was decided when the power boys told Willie to drop out. Things will not get any better. A.C. is controlled by the same guys who pulled Willie's strings. The same people are still in power ,just a different front man. No Hope & Change for Memphis until the power boys are replaced.

2. Why doesn't Memphis dominate the conference they are in? I have no answer for this Question. I understand why Memphis can not compete with the SEC & the other power conferences. Before Memphis can move to a BCS conference they must dominate the C-USA. The Big Boys are not going to take a poor team from a very weak conference. If you bloom where you are planted maybe someone will transplant you to a better garden.

3. Why does a person run for office when they must know they have no chance to win ? Willingham,Lawler,Halbert, Whalum,& others had to know they had no chance to win. Is it an ego thing ? Chumney ,on the other hand, had no clue she was not going to win. Carol needs to visit the real world. Carol,you are not going to be Mayor of Memphis in this life. MOVE ON !

4. SAVIOR NEEDED ! That is what the job descripton should read. For some positions the expectations are so great it is not possible to measure up. President,Mayor,Superintendant,Pastor, & Coach are some of those where it is almost impossible to meet the demands.
LIKE BILLY HICKS & THE HOT LICKS used to sing
"When You try to make chicken salad out of chicken doo
it will only make you sad & blue.
That little ditty was top of the charts in Medina.

WHY I DON'T GO TO GAMES

I DON'T GO TO GAMES ANYMORE ,NOT EVEN IF YOU GIVE ME A TICKET. HERE IS WHY;

1. The drive to & from the stadium . This can take from 1 to 12 hours depending on where the game is. This is time I could be reading, doing Sudoku, or napping with Bud.

2. Parking & walking to & from the stadium. I have walked 2 miles from car to stadium. Some of the places you park, the walk back is the most exciting part of the night. Sometimes seeing your car still there is like winning the lottery.

3. Karma of Density - I have too much butt for my seat & tend to spill over a bit. Karma says I sit next to the biggest person at the stadium. So here is me & Jumbo trying to fit three 1/2 behinds in seats made for two narrow butts. We have a critical case of MBO. Major Butt Overload.

4. Jumbo has to go to the concession stand/restroom twice a quarter. This means I'm catching about 8 STINKY FACES a game.

5. There are long lines & high prices at the concession stand & restrooms. Waiting in line to pee at my age is dangerous.

6. People keep jumping up & down. To see I must jump up & down. When old Dudes jump up & down they must go pee, which brings us back to #5

7. You are hot, cold or wet or a combination there of.

WHY I WATCH AT HOME

1. No drive time , just turn on & off when the game begins or ends.

2.No parking or walking

3. I sit in my Lane Rebel recliner all by myself. No Jumbo.

4. I have never gotten a STINKY FACE in my den.

5. No lines at the restroom or the fridge. Low prices too.

6. No jumping up & down . No one between me & 52" wide screen. No dangerous waits at restroom.

7. Weather is always perfect.

LAST SATURDAY I WATCHED GAMES FROM 11 TO 11. WATCHED ABOUT 8 OF THEM . NO MUSS NO FUSS .KEEP THOSE TICKETS.

FOOTBALL ROUND - UP

1. What in the world got into Jonathan Crompton ? I think the Vols were playing a ringer named Peyton. Up to this point Crompton had been one of the worst QBs ever to play in the SEC. It must have been a dream. Crompton hallucinated being a real QB the entire game. The Vols will roll as long as the hallucination lasts.

2. If you want your QB to be outstanding :play Georgia. The Bulldogs have made every QB they faced look like Joe Montana. Could be the answer to the Tiger's problem . Forget C-USA get Georgia schedule.

3. The "Trust in Gus" banners changed to "Gus is a bust" as the Hogs rolled it up on the Return of Malzohn. Auburn crash - landed back in the real world while the Hogs kicked butt. "Get us Gus" became "Off the Gus Bus"

4. Mississippi State can't win for losing. The Dawgs fix their awful offense, then the Defense comes apart. In the last three games which should have been wins the Dawgs have failed to stop a Spread team,an Option team ,& a team with no offense. State has to learn to play on both sides of the ball.

5. I tried to warn you about Buster Nutt. He does not deliver when exspected. Ole Miss fans can stop singing High Hopes & come back to earth now. What kind of trophy for Jevon ?

6. Superman did not look the same, did he . I cringed every shot Tebow took. I am concerned Urb the Turd has wore Superman plumb out.

7. Think they are happy in Valdosta today ? The Nation's winningest high school football team just got their drawers dusted for the fifth straight year by crosstown rival Lowdens County. 57 to 13 was the latest beat down . Wildcat fans can't believe this is happening. Where are Wright Bazemore & Nick Hyder when you need them ? I bet coach Rick Tomberlin gets a new adress.

THE GREATEST TEAM THAT NEVER WAS - THE 1966 HORNETS

Here is a look back at the greatest team of their mind,er, time. The Hornets running their futuristic STING N SHOOT offense. Here are those who made it possible.
Coach - Harris " Whiskey Man " Palmer
drank a half pint of whiskey each day before practice ,great under pressure , sometimes had to wake him up to make game decisions, player's coach, called off practice when fish were biting.
QB - Billy Clyde Oakley
great leader , respected by team , made out with every cheerleader , highly dedicated ,cut back to two packs a day during season.
FB - Rocky Joe
triple threat player, threatened to quit three times, strange dude ,sat around reading Fun with Factorials & SUN TZU.
SBs - Ricky Ron & Dicky Don
twins,great speed, could run & catch ,were bad to steal ,had to take shower with money in hand.
WR - Dingle Queen
smartest guy on team ,scored academic double double, scored double digits on ACT & IQ test, great Dad , still friendly with both Moms.
WR - Jesse Tuggle
great possession receiver, in fact arrested three times for possession junior year.
C - Al "Dumper " Carter
great blocker , had trouble with snap count ,surprising since it never changed in the eight years he played
LG - Merle Hurley
comeback player after bad hunting accident, peed on electric fence while bird hunting, often had far away look in eyes.
LT - Charles " Big Junior" Cash
MVP, his Dad paid for uniforms, if Whiskey Man didn't do what Senior said we would have to play naked,great looking sister.
RG - Shannon O'Bannion
RT - Vannon O'Bannion
yeah buddy , more twins & 716 pounds of 'em ,both over 5'9'',members of century club ,they ate over 100 Krystals each in 20 minutes. bad to pass gas in huddle & at the line. confused Dumper who thought it was the snap count.
The Hornets played every Sunday at Barnfall Feild except when it was too hot or rained a lot . Most games were at Barnfall because probation officers would not let some of the boys leave the county.
Some of the games ended at half due to the Mercy Rule. After half with the cheerleaders no one feldt like playing anymore. A couple of games were called due to smoke.
Yes ,the Hornets were a ledgend in their own mind.
Thanks to Dan Jenkins for some of this memory of the Medina Mystic.

THOUGHTS I'VE BEEN THINKING

1. I think Israel will hit Iran a heavy lick . Israel can not permit Iran to get the big bomb. Israel knows they must strike or perish.

2. I think we are in big trouble. Obama is a narcissist. Clinton & Herendon are also. I guess narcissist disorders are common in the political world. They are dangerous Dudes.

3. I think the auto bail-out was a bad ideal. The auto makers will fail again because they have not changed any of the factors that lead to the first failure. The Auto industry needs to reform with changes in product models & Union contracts to be successful again.

4. I think Bobby Bowden should retire . He has had a wonderful run at FSU. It is sad to have a bad end to a great story. GO before the posse gets you Bobby. Joe Paterno should go also. Both Bowden & Paterno are destroying their legacy to chase a record.

5. I think the government should get out of the school business. No more public schools. Use Vouchers & Free Markets to educate. Then parents can decide the best school for their child. The Free Market is unforgiving. A bad school will not last long.

6. I think to know you have enough is to be truely rich.

7. I think the joy is in the journey not the destination.

RANDOM SHOTS

1.The Refs decided the LSU -Georgia game. I did not think any of the celebration calls were necessary. Next thing the Refs will start calling celebration penalties on the crowd. Everyone must stay in their seat and only clap when the Jumbo-tron says Appause.
2. Florida is the best team in the SEC - East. The other 5 are in a jumble. Georgia & Carolina are next , then Kentucky. Tennessee & Vandy will have to play a week before anyone scores.
3. Bama is the Best -N- West,followed by Auburn , Ole Miss,LSU,Arkansas,& State. The West is pretty tough.
4. Insane Lane ,your QB is the worst to ever start in the SEC. I feel bad for him but as Elvis used to say "We can't go on like this". Lane-o you need to go "WILDCAT" full time . Get you 3 runs & 2 passes & Let Her Rip Tater Chip. It worked for South Panola.
5. Dandy Dan down at State must have an up-grade at QB . Your QB is not good enough to win in the SEC. The DAWGS go down with much more excitement than they did with Croom.
6. The Memphis Tigers should be 4-1 not 1-4. TW said this was his most talented team. What is wrong ? RC & the Tiger Brass better do something fast . If the Tigers lose their small fan base there may be no getting it back.
7. Olive Branch; your offensive line is hugh . Has anyone suggested Power football to you ? If you get tired of getting your tail kicked try some real big boy football. If you are going to get all those players you should win with them.
8. RC's new market plan "If you want to watch football real bad, we have some real bad football."

WHY THE TIGERS CAN'T WIN

The Memphis football program is on life support. The Tigers could be down for the count . This could be the end of football at the University.
What is wrong? Why can't the Tigers win ? One reason & one reason only. The Tigers do not have the Players . That is all there is to it, Simple as that. Players win games ! You don't out-coach people you out-recruit them.
Bear Bryant won a few games .He said recruiting was 99% of the game. Why can't the Tigers recruit great players ?
Research in recruiting indicates four major factors determine a player's decision:
1. Recent Success of the Program - It is what have you done lately. Anything before 2000 is meaningless to these kids. Nebraska's past does not mean much to would -be Huskers today.
2. BCS Conference membership - Kids want to play for the National Championship & go to Mega - Bowls. Unless you are in a BCS conference you have little chance of this.
3. TV Exposure - Players want to play on TV. Coast to Coast Major network CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, & ESPN. Not the Millington - Munford cable channel.
4. Stadium & Facilities - Players are not signing up to play at Halle Stadium. Players spend most of their time at the football complex . They are not interested in changing in the PE lockeroom.
Now ,we know why Players chose the schools they do let's see how Memphis stacks up:
1. The Tigers have won less than half of their games in Tommy's time. Won no conference championships & no Big - Time Bowls.
2. Tigers are in C-USA ,one of the weakest in America. The conference winner goes to the Liberty Bowl to play # 6,7, or 8 from the SEC. C-USA has never won this game.
3. Come to Memphis , play on national TV 3 times in your career. The Tommy West show is seen from Forrest City, to Coldwater, to Somerville. How's that for exposure!
4. Go to any SEC school & compare to Memphis. Where would you choose ?

Now you know why the Tigers can not win . Change the Coach will not help unless you change the players. The Tigers have had 6 coaches in the last 30 years & it has made little difference. IT IS WHAT IT IS.
I do believe the next coach can fail just as well at 250K as TW did at 1M.
Untill Memphis changes the factors in recruiting players the on -field performance won't change.

King Berrong used to say " At Sweetwater it is not how we line up but who we line up"
BIG ROCK says "The faster the players the smarter the Coach"