The last high school football game I played in was on November 1, 1985.  Only recently have I looked at 1985 to feel like that was a long time ago.  It was, I suppose.

Last Friday I had the opportunity to hang out at a Regional High School Football Game between the Evansville Memorial Tigers and the Brownstown Central Braves.  My was it ever cold.  I had five layers of clothes on and I the wind chill in the 20s was not what I was hoping for when I realized that I would be attending this game.  Did I say it was cold?

I knew the Braves would have an uphill battle.  I did not expect to see Memorial to be as strong as they really were and are.  That was one of the most explosive high school offensive units I have ever witnessed.

What drew me to the game, of course, was my history with Brownstown Central.  Before the game I saw a few old friends, but during most of the game I was watching in  corner of the end zone one the Memorial side of the field.  I was there to watch and I was there to take the game in.  I did not feel a great desire to socialize.  That is why I kept to myself.

Barry Hall and me in pregame.  Barry played for my Dad at Brownstown from 1974-1977.  I have written proudly about knowing and appreciating Barry Hall as a friend and as a man.  I am proud to know him.  In addition to being a coach for the Braves, Barry has two grandsons on the team.

Braves warming up before the game.

Historic Enlow Field was the site of the game.  1926 was the year the first game was played here.  It is a great football venue.  The Evansville folk I had speaks with were friendly and this is a place I would like to visit again.  I’d rather it be 65 degrees.

Brownstown Central on offense.

Of course I am always drawn to the kickers.

As the Evansville Memorial kicker warmed up on the side line, I thought I would try to capture a unique image or two or three.

Teeing it up.

Walked it off.

Putting it through.

Two plays later, I took this picture:

One of 8 extra points for the Tigers.  They defeated the Braves 56-14.  BC ended their season with 11 wins and 2 losses and not a thing to be ashamed of.

In an effort to motivate players, I heard the axiom that “the games you remember are played in November”recently.  I get it.  You do what you do to get guys going.

I am glad I played a high school game in November.  It was better left forgotten, much like the pasting BC took last Friday.  But I was glad to be there.  I have more fun thinking about games we won that season.  In 1985 Sectional play was introduced to Indiana high school football.  My team won our school, North Harrison’s, first ever sectional game in October.  I kicked a field goal in that one.  That is one I like to remember.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

I don’t have have much battery in the old computer and I have not looked around for a plug-in.  The important thing is…I am warm right now!

I found a plug.

I was in Bloomington earlier today filling up the gas tank after a meeting and I thought I was going to pass out.  It was cold and it was windy.

This week I took a few nice photos as I was walking in the mornings.  It helps with the time change to capture some nice images.

And this one out of my office window…

The BEST photo I have seen in a while is this one…

Carrie sent it to me today  I so regret that I missed our school corporation’s Veteran’s Day Program.  It is always first class and I can’t sat THANK YOU enough to the dedication our veterans have given all of us.  God Bless you all!  I know Carrie was delighted to see Jarrett and Cody, as she was not expecting them.  I wish I could have been there to share that.

At this moment I am in a McDonald’s across the road from Evansville Bosse High School where Evansville Memorial will host Brownstown Central for a Class 3A regional title in a couple hours.

Go Braves!

The picks…

Indiana beats Maryland…and I am in hope so stage.  The Hoosier season has been a disappointment this year thus far.  I don’t see it much better and I think as close to a bowl this Hoosier team will get will be in the locker room toilet.

Penn State beats Wisconsin…Can’t pick Bucky for anything.

Duke beats North Carolina…Duke is having a nice season.

Virginia beats Liberty…I need a cupcake too.

Kentucky beats Tennessee…They need this one in Knoxville.  Keep that Rocky Top noise to a minimum.

Michigan beats Rutgers…Cupcake #2.  I need two to survive the cold tonight.

Alabama beats Mississippi State…This may be the closest any team gets to Bama there is interesting history in this rivalry for sure.

Iowa beats Northwestern…Only cos the Hawkeyes are at home for this one.

Oklahoma beats OK State….I’m a man!  I’m fifty!

Purdue beats Minnesota…The loss Pete took against Eastern Michigan looks worse all the time.  At least THEY turned it around.

Georgia Tech beats Miami…RUN RUN RUN

Notre Dame beats Florida State…The project for Willie Taggart will take a while.

USC beats California…The USC-UCLA game next week needs all the wins it can get.  I hope they kickoff early in Pasadena next week.

Though I will be trying to act dignified tonight as I scribble about the game tonight, know I will be pulling for the BCHS team for sure.  And they sure have their work cut out for them tonight.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

The Fall.  It is my favorite time of the year.  The last couple of weeks have been very memorable.  Carrie and I saw a concert.  I played golf with my buddies.  Two weeks ago we saw Indiana play Penn State in Bloomington.

This was the kickoff two Saturdays ago as Indiana hosted Penn State.

I always enjoy a good field goal.

As usual, IU dropped the ball when it came to honoring the players of 1986, 1987, and 1988.  They were all Bowl Teams.  These guys were given a short mention and not enough time for us to appreciate their efforts.  IU should have given each team a proper mention at different breaks.  Instead, it was a scene right out of the movie, that came out in 1988, ironically, called Everybody’s All American.  Back to be honored by the old LSU crowd, the hero thinks the crowd is cheering for him during a halftime celebration, only to realize the crowd noise was for the team entering the stadium for the second half.  It was sad like that.  During the same timeout, the old bowl teams were a quick mention so they could play another on-field promotion.  It was just sad.

Carrie and I saw Boz Scaggs at The Palace Theatre this week.  Boz gets the award for the most well preserved voice of any singer I have ever heard.  He is 74 years old and it might as well have been 1977.  That is the year I was introduced to Boz Scaggs.  His 1976 release Silk Degrees was a Brownstown Central football locker room mainstay.  I call still hear the late Tommy Cockerham saying how he enjoyed listening to Boz.  Tommy was a running back and a kicker.

The fall of the year is always beautiful around here.

Out of my office window today.

The Jackson County paper ran a yesteryear photo recently.  This is the 1967 Brownstown Central Brave football team.  On our right, my Dad is on the back row next to Jim Blevins , the man the stadium is named after.

Last Saturday I played the 19th Annual Corner King Classic with these guys.  Left to right:  Kelly Samons, me, Mick Rutherford, and Gus Stephenson.

This week’s College Football Picks…last week was a season worst 7 winners and 6 losers.  It has to get better this week.

Clemson beats Louisville…The Cards are done.

Memphis beats East Carolina…The Tigers are fun to watch.

Michigan State beats Maryland…Sparty needs to rebound.

Ohio State beats Nebraska….Should not be close.

Ole Miss beats South Carolina…My couch will be a busy spot tomorrow starting with this one.

NC State beats Florida State…Still like Ryan Finley’s QB play for Wolfpack.

Kentucky beats Georgia….It may be UK’s time.

Purdue beats Iowa…It is at Purdue and should be a classic.

Minnesota beats Illinois…the Illini just are not that good.

Tennessee beats Charlotte…and Gus hears Rocky Top many times at the game.

Duke beats Miami...Don’t have it in me to go against Coach Cut.

Northwestern beats Notre Dame…My upset of the year.

Alabama beats LSU…Can’t call it against the Tide…though I hope LSU wins for fun.

Enjoy this wonderful November!

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

And so it goes.  The last weekend of October is upon us and I have to say this may be my favorite weekend of the year.  Football season is in full flower.  The trees in Southern Indiana are looking beautiful.  The weather is cool but not cold.  The World Series is being played.  Do I need to go on?

It is indeed a special time in my neck of the woods.

Tomorrow I will meet up with Mick Rutherford, Kelly Samons, and Gus Stephenson for the 19th Annual Corner King Golf Classic.  Played in memory of our friend Malcolm “Corner King” Lincoln, the classic is a great deal of fun.  The golf is awful.  The fun is priceless.

Corner King Lincoln was a dear friend of mine.  He died in 1997.  I have written about it many times on these pages.  One of those things you don’t get over.  You just get through.  I still miss Corner King.  I think of him very often.  Twenty-one years have gone fast.  Too fast.

The Corner King and I look into the distance on my wedding day.  I loved this picture when I first saw it.  It soon meant more.

My annual golf competitors.

On to this week’s College Football Picks.

Heading into this week the season tally is 77 winners and 25 losers.  It could be worse.  I think it has been.

Clemson beats Florida State…Clemson impressed last week for sure.

Purdue beats Michigan State…PU has an incredible offense and a credible defense.

Wake Forest beats Louisville…When I made this pick I thought they were at Wake.  Sticking by it.

UVA beats UNC…Wahoos have impressed of late.

Colorado beats Oregon State…Buffs are looking good.

USC beats Arizona State…Trojans are improving as the season goes.

Maryland beats Illinois…This is going to be a tussle.

Kentucky beats Mizzou…UK will get the offense in gear.

Texas A&M beats Mississippi State…I never pick the Cowbell Ringers.

Notre Dame beats Navy….They usually do.

Georgia beats Florida…It should be a good one.

Texas beats Oklahoma State…Horns are improving.

Stanford beats Washington State…Hope I am bad wrong.  Go Cougars.

Have a good last October Weekend and when you get the chance, Speak the Rights.

Danny Johnson

Sad.  That is what I say… sad.  I mean it.  Sometimes we hear politicians say “sad” and they don’t know what the heck they are talking about.  I say sad and I do indeed know what I am talking about.

I am sad because we are this ALREADY this far into the college football season.  I can’t believe it.  It is sad.  I don’t want to see the college football season to go this fast!  College Football is so much better than pro, in my eyes.

I digress…on to this week’s picks.  I was 9-4 last week.  I did pick a few with my heart last week and I will do so again this week!  I don’t care.

Ole Miss beats Auburn….Hotty Toddy!

Iowa beats Maryland…Go Hawkeyes.

Michigan State beats Michigan…I’ll take D’Antonio any day.

Northwestern beats Rutgers…Not close.

Duke beats Virginia…Go Dukies.

Alabama beats Tennessee…One day this game will matter again.  Had fun there two years ago.

Washington beats Colorado….Huskies are tough.

Nebraska beats Minnesota…Finally, Coach Frost gets a Big Red W.

NC State beats Clemson…I am a Ryan Finley believer!

IU beats Penn State…My dear wife, Carrie, and I are going to this one.  The last time I saw Penn State, Joe Pa was the coach.  We were there in 1994 when Penn State came calling to IU the first time and Indiana ruined the Nittany Lions National Championship hopes.  Penn State finished 12-0 that year with Kerry Collins and KiJana Carter leading the offense.  But…they only beat IU 35-29.  That cost them and that is why we have the playoff we have now.  Well, partly.  That 1994 Penn State team was the best college football team I ever saw.  I have seen a few.  Am I partial with this pick?  Yes. The heart leads here.

LSU beats Mississippi State…Hail Tigers!

Kentucky beats  Vanderbilt…UK needs this one.  They will get it after a week to prepare.

UCLA beats Arizona…The Bruins picked up a W last week.  They need this one too.

I don’t know how time gets away.  It has been over a week since my last post.  Lat week my dear wife, Carrie and I were spent most of the time in Pompano Beach, Florida.  That is a long way from Harrison County.  We drove to Key West.  That is over 1200 miles from our home.

One night at Pompano Beach we went to a nice restaurant.

We had a great time!

I am a blessed man.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

This is my view as I speak the rights.  The pond ahead was once a par 3 golf course.  Apartment buildings are all around.  Pompano Beach, Florida, some four miles from “the beach” where the Atlantic Ocean can be seen.  My dear wife, Carrie, and I saw it and it is a beautiful sight.  There is a peace that one finds next to the water that I can’t begin to describe.

This week’s College Football picks and then some more sight-seeing.

Last week saw nine winners and four losers.  The worst week of the season until this week perhaps.  I got some iffy ones for sure.  In week seven, you can’t ignore your heart.  The season is too deep.  For the year the record stands at 59 winners and 19 losers.  We’ll see how things go.

Indiana beats Iowa…I wish I could be there.  Finally some football weather in Bloomington and the Hoosiers will respond.

Duke beats Georgia Tech…I know my love for Duke has little limitation.  They are the IU of the south during football season.

Auburn beats Tennessee…War Eagle and all that crap.

Northwestern beats Nebraska…I know folks are saying the Huskers gotta win sooner or later.  And yes, I do feel badly for Coach Frost.  But, he asked for it.

Boston College beats Louisville…I witnessed the game that put Louisville into the Fiesta Bowl in 1990 when BC came calling to Louisville in November.  BC wins this one.  The Card team is a mess.

Notre Dame beats Pitt…Health is on the side of the Irish.  A soft schedule can do that for you.  Then come playoff time, they get blown out.

Penn State beats Michigan State…Oh my.  This could get ticklish.

Miami beats Virginia…How can I not pick the Canes when I drove past their stadium yesterday?

Ole Miss beats Arkansas…I sure hope the hotel I stay in Saturday night gets the SEC Network.  It might be worth a call just to make sure!

Marshall beats Old Dominion…No offense, but am the only one that thinks that is a corny name for a school full of kids?

Bama beats Mizzou…I heard in Tuscaloosa they polished up a new spot in the trophy case already, despite Nick Saban’s poor-mouthing about how weak the 10th string punter is.

Purdue beats Illinois…The Boilers are not a bad bunch to look at.

USC beats Colorado…The Buffs are better.  But beating USC?  C’mon man!

My dear Carrie and I drove down to Key West yesterday.  185 miles from where I type these words right now is how far the drive was.  Was it ever worth it.  Carl enjoyed the trip too.

Carrie and I are fortunate in that we have been a place or two.  Had our second home in North Carolina not been blown up by Florence so, we would be there now.  But we aren’t.  We are here in Pompano Beach with Cody and Jarrett and Jarrett’s lady friend Sarah.  We are all having a great time.

Yesterday was special in that Carrie and I got to discover and visit places we had never been.  To hang out at Sloppy Joe’s was a treat.  You hear about the place.  You read about it.  Being there was even better.  We all know it doesn’t always turn out that way.

Chickens are everywhere in Key West.  They run the place.

At Sloppy Joe’s our new friend, Brian, played a Moodies song for us.  He sang “Your Wildest Dreams”.  He did a fine job.  Justin would approve.

We did not go in, but I snagged a photo of Ernest Hemingway’s house.  We will tour that when we get back one day.

Along the way, we took a few photos.

The place was beautiful.

We got our photo taken by a nice man.  As south as you can go.

Today, Cody took us to a place south of where we are staying called Tree Tops Park.  You can climb this tower for a good look from the tree tops.

There were some great sights here as well.

This was one of them.

Back home starts tomorrow.

Say a few prayers for the folks in the Florida panhandle.  That was some unreal devastation they were handed.  They got what I feared for my beloved North Carolina shore…so I have a sense of how much hurt is there.  It is heartbreaking.  God Bless them and their resolve.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

Pompano Beach, Florida

On the way to Florida we made a stop at Moreland, Georgia.  It was an unscheduled stop.  It was a good stop.

Here is what happened.  Took a look at the map and saw the letters arranged together

A-T-L-A-N-T-A

I read T-R-A-F-F-I-C J-A-M.

We went around Atlanta to the west and along the way we found Newnan and Moreland again.  Many years ago I was on the local television station in Newnan singing a song i wrote called The Lewis Grizzard Highway.  Lewis Grizzard died in 1994.  I never met him.  I have read every word he published in book form.  He was a human interest columnist for the Atlanta paper for a number of years.  His column was syndicated to some 600 papers at the heighth of its popularity.  It did not run in the Courier-Journal.  The Bingham’s, I would say, had something to do with that.  Lewis spoke his mind.  He was a bit on the conservative side when conservatives had more sense than they do today.  Many of us whom were considered conservative back then have been left behind by a progressive movement we don’t recognize as being conservative.  Conservatives think for themselves I believe.  That is in short supply since State Television a.k.a Fox News has seemingly high-jacked so many minds with fear speech and division.  When this Republican deems Fox News worse than CNN, the country is in trouble.

I think Lewis Grizzard would still be hanging with me and others like me in the minority as we sit, watch, and wait (there are not enough of us to make a difference), and hope to live long enough to see America rally in the name of  Republic goodness instead of hearing about rallies where a president is making fun of people.  What good does that do?  Who does that help?  Hard to take for a guy who spent a dozen years telling elementary kids to “Be Nice!” And why are gas prices so high?

I digress.

Lewis Grizzard was 47 years old when he passed away.  He had heart trouble for a long time that caused multiple surgeries.  He did not survive the last one.

Moreland, Georgia was Lewis’ hometown.  In Moreland there is the Lewis Grizzard Bar-B-Cue Pavilion.

It is a nice little place.

I think Lewis would be proud.

In Newnan you will find Sprayberry’s, a fine bar-b-cue joint.  I ordered what I always ordered:

The Lewis Grizzard Special.  That and a glass of unsweetened tea and you got it made.

Lewis is remembered on the side of the Sprayberrymobile.

On the wall in Sprayberry’s.

Before we left for our trip, I grabbed a book not knowing we would be heading to the land of Grizzard.  It was a gift from Paula Lincoln when I graduated from college.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

Had a good week picking the games last week with 12 winners and 1 loser.

The season picks so far are 50 winners and 15 losers after 5 weeks.

Don’t have much time here.  Will check in with a good story about a Great American tomorrow.

Ole Miss beats NLU….I still call them NLU

Iowa beats Minnesota…The Hawkeyes come to Bloomington next week.

Auburn beats Mississippi State….Should be a good one.

Bama beats Arkansas…And everyone else.

Michigan beats Maryland…But it may be close.  The Wolverines play more like squirrels.

Northwester beats Michigan State…like IU should have.

NC State beats BC…Wolkpack is tough.

Clemson beats Wake Forest…But Wake will give them some resistance

LSU beats Florida…And Coach O will be spitting joy at the post game presser

UK beats Texas A&M…I am a believer

Notre Dame beats VA Tech…Wake up the echoes

Georgia beats Vandy…Do the Dawgs still wear silver britches?

Stanford beats Utah…in a good one.

Lastly…Sadly…

Jessica Cobb died this morning.  She is the daughter of Vicki Dean.  Vicki and I worked at Medora together.  Jessica worked there on occasion as well.  Vicki is a good friend.  Jessica leaves behind nine young’uns.  God Bless them all.  Jessica had cancer.  She suffers no more.  We are sad.  She would want us to press onward and be the best we can be.  Which means being more like her.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

A prayer from my maternal grandfather.

Last night was wonderful.  My dear wife, Carrie, and I shared dinner with our son Jarrett and his lady friend, Sarah.  Pizza and salad made the menu.  Thanksgiving made for the dessert.

Jarrett just got back to the U.S.of A Thursday.  He has been working as a body guard for the Iraq Ambassador in Baghdad.  His flight schedule was Baghdad to Dubai to London to Chicago to Louisville.  That is a long road home.  He had a long stretch at the Embassy and is back home for some time off.  His stories are interesting and he goes about it all very nonchalantly.  He is as cool as the center seed of the cucumber.

As we were celebrating Jarrett’s return last night, the North Harrison Cougars football team lost a close one at Silver Creek.  14-13 was the final score.  Silver Creek is no slouch.  I have seen some of the video from the game and it looks like the field was a sloppy mess.  That is not good.  Still, both teams have to play on it.  The game put the Cougars at 4 wins and 3 losses for season and makes complete sense of Coach Mark WIlliamson’s declaration that NH is still “new money” as he put it, after being queried about Cougars status in the hierarchy of Mid Southern Conference.  Coach Williamson is a smart man.  I am glad he is our coach.  North should win the last two of the regular season and gain some momentum heading into the playoffs.

Week Five College Football Picks.

8 winners and 5 losers last week.  Season record 38-14.

I knew I was setting myself up for a couple clunkers last week.  In earnest, I was shocked I got 8 the way the afternoon was playing out.

Indiana beats Rutgers…A trip to Piscataway is no picnic.  Might as well make the most of it.  Look for huge offense from the Hoosiers today.

Alabama beats Louisiana L…What was The Pelican State thinking when they changed the names of those state schools?  Louisiana Monroe will always be NLU to me!

Clemson beats Syracuse…The land of whiny quarterbacks does not discriminate against the powerful.  Clemson should be glad they are at home this week.

Boston College beats Temple…May lose this one.  I still think BC will rebound.

NC State beats Virginia….Ryan Finley should have a big game as NC State is back home for the first time since Florence hit.  The Wolfpack will be ready for the home folk.

Florida State beats Louisville…It has to improve for FSU.  U of L is having a hard time.

Marshall beats Western Kentucky.…

Michigan beats Northwestern…Hope Ryan Field is unkind to the Wolverines…but I doubt it.

Duke beats Virginia Tech….The Dukies start 5-0 for the first time since 1994 when they began the season 7-0.

Kentucky beats South Carolina…The Stadium is sold out in Lexington and for good reason.

Notre Dame beats Stanford…At South Bend under the lights, those golden domes look great.

LSU beats Ole Miss…Eventually Ole Miss will get 11 defenders on the field.  Hurts me.  Go Rebs!

USC beats Arizona…You just never know.  USC is finding itself. Both are 2-2.  Could be a Wildcat win.

No, I did not touch the Penn State-Ohio State game.  I would pick Penn State cos I want to see the Buckeyes get beat 100-0.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

We made it back.

Carrie and I made it to the Joan C. Edwards Stadium on the campus of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia last Saturday.    The Thundering Herd took on the North Carolina State Wolfpack.  NC State won 37-20.

It is a big deal when a school from a “power conference” comes calling to The Joan.  Carrie and I watched the Herd beat Purdue a few years ago.  That was fun.  We were in West Lafayette a couple years earlier  to watch the Herd get bested by the Boilers.

I have written in detail on these pages our affinity for games in Huntington.  Yes, there was a movie we appreciated.  There are people in Huntington we appreciate more.  I have been to more football stadiums than I can remember at the moment.  Not a one of them is as memorable as the Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington.  Going to the game is a combination of celebration and homecoming each week.  There are some rounders there for sure.  They started selling beer at The Joan recently and I don’t like the idea…not at a college game.  That is not necessary.

Carrie and I had a sense of that celebration and relief.  It was good to be back.  We have been to at least one Herd game in Huntington the last 11 seasons.  One year we had season tickets.

Saturday in pictures…

Always the first view of The Joan when we get there.

I never met a goalpost that did not make me feel good.

Enjoying the game with a girl that knows what football is about.  Thank you Lord!

We were humbled to be in the presence of 1971’s Young Thundering Herd…yes, those guys that were depicted in the ashes to glory movie We Are Marshall.  They were here to honor their quarterback, Reggie Oliver.  Reggie died due to complications from a fall he took in August.

Young Reggie.

A Marshall legend, he will be missed.

The Joan.

It was Stripe the Stadium night.  Glad we were in the Green section 111.

Remember the name Ryan Finley.  He is the NC State qb and he will be playing on Sundays one day.  His downfield accuracy is as good as I have ever witnessed.  I have seen many good ones.

I will leave you with a field goal…it was good!

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson