July 12, 2012
PRESS RELEASE: 7/9/12
The Dru Nettles Show turns largely to girls sports this week as a former state championship coach, a present standout coach and a 2 year returning starter on the Lady Jackets Basketball team join the program. Also, a top assistant on Coach Nettles football staff will come on the show.
The Dru Nettles Show, a Jon Fine Production, is co-hosted by Denham Springs HS Athletics Director Dru Nettles and long-time Jackets play-by-play announcer/producer Jon Fine. It airs Thursday nights, 6pm-7pm on Cox 4 Television, with a replay on Friday mornings, 10:30am--11:30am.
Robbie Spangler coached a number of different sports for the Jackets and won 2 state championships in softball for Denham Springs. Since retiring from Denham Springs, she has stayed active with the Denham Springs athletic program, including a stint as President of the Denham Springs Athletics Association.
Shelly LaPrarie was an assistant coach under Brenda Lowe when the Lady Jackets won the state championship in 1996. As head coach, her Lady Jackets Basketball teams have gone to 3 Lady's Top 28 tournaments (formerly Sweet 16).
Brianna Ensminger will be a senior on the Lady Jackets in the 2012-2013 campaign. She has been a starter for Denham Springs HS for the past 2 seasons and contributed as a Freshmen, years in which the Lady Jackets have had a lot of success.
The Dru Nettles Show continues to feature assistant coaches on Coach Nettles Football staff on a weekly basis during the summer. This week, veteran defensive backs coach Lynn Ducote will be on the program. Ducote is also the head track coach of the Jackets.
The Sponsors of the Week are Denham Springs attorney Michael Betts (a one-time LSU Baseball player on Skip Bertman's first team) and Billy Armstrong of American Eagle Insurance ( which is giving away numerous $1,500 scholarships to upcoming high school seniors from Denham Springs, Walker and Live Oak).
For more information on The Dru Nettles Show, you can visit JonFineProductions.com or go to Facebook and Like TheDruNettlesShow.
BROADCASTING SCHEDULE:
MONDAY—FRIDAY: 5:30PM—6:30PM: THE CENTRAL STORY Internet: JonFineProductions.com Radio: WPFC, 1550AM, BR App: Central Now App
Thursday, July 12: The Sid Edwards Show (from Zoe’s Pizza Buffet) Sid Edwards, Steve Johnson
Friday, July 13: KandiLand (from Romero’s Food Mart—Joor & Lovett) Kandi Jones
Monday, July 16: From Me And My House (from The Jambalaya Shoppe) Steve Johnson
Tuesday, July 17: The Central Chamber C-4 Power Hour (from Café’ Delphi Greek & Lebanese Restaurant) Ron Erickson/Matt Price
Wednesday, July 18: Central Speaks Radio Hour (Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt) Dave Freneaux
THURSDAY, July 12: 6PM—7PM: The Dru Nettles Show Television: Cox 4, Baton Rouge
Dru Nettles, Jon Fine
FRIDAY, July 13: 10:30AM—11:30AM: replay of Thursday night’s The Dru Nettles Show
SportsRadio—1310-KEZM-Lake Charles Programming of Interest
Tuesday, July 17: 8AM—9AM: The Locker Room Radio: KEZM, 1310AM, LC Internet: KEZMOnLine.com John Goodman (featuring Jon Fine as a weekly interview a little before 8:10AM)
Thursday, 8AM—9AM: Sports On The Bayou Radio: KEZM, 1310AM, LC Internet: KEZMOnLine.com Richard Dow
Friday, 8AM—9AM: The Locker Room
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AFTER HOURS
Late-Night Musings From A Former LSU Beat Writer
By Carl Dubois, Sports Editor, (McMinnville, Oregon) News-Register
THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY, Ore. — The offseason has been pretty much quiet in college football compared to a year ago. Oh, we did learn about the four-team playoff coming soon to a major elite near you, and a few headlines here or there, but on the whole this hasn’t been the scandal-and-drama offseason of 2011. Of course, it’s still early. Coaches everywhere are holding their breath, worried that each call or text message could bring unwanted news, such as a player being arrested for speeding while driving without a valid license, a who-you-gonna-believe bar-vicinity brawl, and so on and so forth. That includes the coaches brushing up on their acting skills in the offseason, such as LSU’s Les Miles.
The EA Sports commercial featuring Miles and Mike the Tiger (human mascot version) touting the ability to put Robert Griffin III on any team in College Football 13 is the latest example that Miles shouldn’t hurt for work when his coaching days are over. In the ad, Miles walks into a room in the LSU football operations facility and comes across Mike, who is playing the game. In it, RG3 scores a touchdown for LSU. “Heisman, here we come,” the announcer says. Miles rips the LSU jersey off Mike, who is seated on a couch. “You were like a son to me,” Miles says. “A Tiger son.” And then, walking out the door, he adds, “Put some pants on.” It’s not the laugh riot we saw when Miles played backyard hoops against his kids, swatting away his youngest daughter’s shot with extreme prejudice, but it’s a cute spot with perfect comedic timing. I doubt there will be a sequel poking fun at the egg LSU laid in the BCS national championship game, but we can all imagine the possibilities.
With each passing week this summer, I keep wondering if we’ll get to kickoff without having a major unflattering headline or something that stirs up people. Miles hasn’t called out USC that I know of, nor have he and Snoop been working the room at Baton Rouge Rotary meetings, but Miles also hasn’t had to release a statement through Michael Bonnette about one of those things all coaches hate to have to deal with at any time, offseason or otherwise. When your name is out there because of your latest star turn for a video game commercial, life can’t be all that bad.
Championships, or a good piece of them, have their foundation in offseason work, in team commitment, in the discipline it takes to eschew distractions and instant gratification for the sake of team goals (OK, they are also won by teams with absurd loads of talent). Taking care of business in the dog days of summer can go a long way toward winning and achieving major goals. For all of the offseason and early-season turmoil LSU had last year, though, the Tigers still had one of the greatest seasons in college football history and were one win away from an unbeaten national championship season. Given a choice, I think most coaches would prefer this type of offseason, with the occasional Twitter sparring session and bravado but lacking any major embarrassments, than the kinds of things that made the offseason during 2011 one that was hard to forget.
After seeing Miles’ latest commercial acting, I think it would be fascinating to eavesdrop on his agent and see the proposals that come across his desk but are rejected. That list must have some really goofy stuff on it, stuff I’d love to see come true. But hey, there is always next offseason. What will it be? Wait, what am I thinking? Summer is nowhere near over. Stay tuned.
See you next week.
THE WIZARDRY OF OS
The big news this week has to be the “Art of Negotiation.” We have three examples reaching their climax in the next week.
The first example is the most recent and surprising news from Kevin Gausmann. The news that an underclassman draft pick is “thinking” of returning to school is the oldest trick in the book. Nevertheless, the ploy is a little surprising from Gausmann since MLB has a new system that was suppose to make negotiations less complicated. If he decides to return to LSU, it would be the best off season baseball news since Blake Dean returned for his senior year. The next season, LSU won it all. With that being said, I fully expect to wake up Friday morning and read how much Gausmann signed for at the last minute.
The next and worst example comes from Eric Gordon. Gordon is showing either his immaturity or ignorance. Say whatever you want to try to force the hand of the other side, but the goal is to always look good in public. Gordon has made himself look very bad in a situation where he should realize that there is a 97% chance he will stay in New Orleans. The Hornets are going to match the Suns offer because there is no plan B, and Gordon received a reasonable deal from the Suns.
While some Hornets fans are upset with the lack of love shown to New Orleans from Gordon, their bigger worry should be if Gordon has the makeup to lead a NBA team. The Hornets have said repeatedly, that Gordon is the one they want to rebuild around. There are many talented players in the NBA, but few players that can lead an organization. I thought Gordon could be that guy, but I am not so sure now.
Let me put it another way. Think of a NBA player that led his team deep in the playoffs in the last 20 years. Now ask yourself if that player has missed over 20 games in three consecutive seasons. Then ask yourself if that player has ever milked an injury for most of the season, and only come back in the last 7 games to “showcase” his ability. The guys that do that, and make themselves look bad in negotiations don’t lead NBA teams to glory because they lack the qualities that go beyond basketball skill a NBA player needs to be in the elite category… to be a leader.
Lastly, the most important example we have is the Drew Brees situation. A situation that Gordon should be taking notes on, since Brees has demonstrated why he is elite. You let your agent do his job, like leak it to the Chris Mortenson that Brees will not play without a long term contract. Meanwhile, the Saints are leaking information that they are the ones who have shown the best faith are have made concessions.
Both sides are doing what they do best which is waiting till the last minute in order to get the best deal for their side. My guess is that the Saints will cave on giving Brees more up front guaranteed money than they have offered so far, and Brees will relent on having an average of over 20 million dollars over the life of the contract. This way the Saints won’t have to be the first team to pay a player 20 million a year, and Brees will get more money before the 5th year since that year will probably be terminated anyway.
In the end, most of what we have read in the paper is posturing and a bunch of bull, but it makes for good discussion and stories.
HEY REF
A story not getting much attention if any at all is the NFL Referees Association’s unfair labor practice suit filed the last week of June. Once again grown men are using the legal system in an effort to resolve issues that should stay in the board room and not the court room.
The last time things got this bad the owners hired replacement officials at the beginning of the 2001 season. I know you haven’t forgotten how one of these replacements asked Jerry Rice for an autograph! Look for more of the same ridiculous behavior if things don’t get ironed out.
I don’t look for any “give” by the owners simply because they’ve lost just about every time they took on the players. It’s time they win one and who better to screw over since no one likes officials. I know for a fact that each and every NFL Official can and will be replaced simply because there’s a line of “wanna-be’s” that stretches from sea to shining sea.
I’ve yet to meet a college official that wouldn’t jump at the chance to move up onto the big stage. During my twenty years of running up and down the field I met so many of these guys that expected to advance simply because they wanted to and not because they were qualified.
During my career Baton Rouge’s Association was the number one place for the top officials state wide. The reason we kept the no. 1 spot was due to our assignment secretary, Charles Dunaway and president Clyde Messenger. Those two men put knowledge and performance above everything else.
Mr. Clyde (as we all called him) expected the covering official to explain the infraction, where to mark off the yardage and what will be the down and distance after enforcement. If he could get all three correct we’d proceed giving the offended captain his options.
Mr. Dunaway was one that made you earn a spot in a crew for Friday night. A minimum of four years calling BREC, 9th grade and JV ball before you’d get a chance for one varsity game in your fifth year. That’s the key that is missing in today’s world; EARN!
I’m sure there are plenty of officials worthy of moving up but it should come without a “gun up against your head”. The owners are smarting from losing their latest fight with the players and I feel the officials are gonna be the ones that’ll have to pay the price. But it will be the game itself that’ll suffer.
On May 31st the referee’s contract with the league expired. There was an attempt to go into ‘round-the-clock negotiations but it was about as sincere as members of Congress trying to settle issues. The owners decided that instead of going back to the negotiations it announced it will begin to hire replacements.
The league is now training replacements thou they don’t want any press coverage simply because it would look as if charges by the officials that the league isn’t serious about averting a lockout. Well, in all actuality that’s exactly what we have; a lockout.
A report by Adam Schefter states the league will be hiring some retired NFL officials along with some from small college conferences and even the Arena League. The BCS conferences have warned the NFL to stay away from their officials whom I’d assume would naturally be the best in the NCAA.
So, if you aren’t going after the best officials to hire then what are you doing recruiting second and third best candidates? Easy answer, this argument with its officials association is a blatant attempt to break that one union the owners have a good chance at destroying. No matter if you get unqualified individuals, no! You can finally claim a victory!!
The owners have big egos no doubt. They’ve been fighting the players and losing time after time so they’re just trying to get one in the victory column and it looks as if the men in stripes are going to pay for all those loses. The game may suffer if things don’t get worked out in time but we’ve got plenty of time, don’t we?
I usually end each week’s edition with “Till next week… ” but in this case it’ll be in three weeks as I’m off to Israel for vacation and won’t be back home till Aug. 4th… …
So, till Aug. 4th… … …
JON IS PROUD TO WORK AS A MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE FOR SPORTSRADIO-1310-KEZM-LAKE CHARLES, IN ESTABLSHING THE “DOLLAR A HOLLER” MARKETING PROGRAM AND HELPING SELL SULPHUR HS FOOTBALL BROADCASTS.