July 18, 2013
$25 TRIVIA QUESTION
We recently passed the 2,000 circulation mark for JonFineProductions.com Newsletter. In fact, this newsletter is being sent out to 2,030 people! To commemorate this landmark journalistic achievement (LOL), we resurrect the most convoluted, unfair, preposterous sports trivia question in the history of the world. We harken back to a question posed on SportsGumbo (a morning drive sports-talk show I co-hosted and produced back in the day), perhaps 12 or 13 years ago, that antagonized and alienated many listeners. Now, we try to do the same with our newsletter readers!:
He was the number 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. He was selected by the Patriots, yet never played a down for them. Can you name him?
We’ll give you until Sunday, Midnight, CST, to e-mail your guesses. Anyone with the correct answer will have his/her name put into a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to the restaurant of their choice in the greater Baton Rouge area—must be a present Jon Fine Productions sponsor. We’ll announce the winner in next week’s newsletter. Winner must be one of the 2,030 people who subscribe to JonFineProductions.com Newsletter.
Former SportsGumbo co-host Tommy Krysan is ineligible.
Great Guests
This week’s The Central Sports & Business Report will have co-host Steve Johnson joined by new Central Private Principal Dr. Theilbar, new Central HS assistant Principal Nathan Corley, Central DB coach Brandon O’Neal and Wildcats star senior playmaker Gary Triplett. Plus, Me’ Pa’s Diner owner Melissa Dykes joins the program. There’s The Leader Report and the debut of our CousinBoudreaux.com’s Cajun Joke of The Week
We’ll be broadcasting live from Me’ Pa’s Diner, Sullivan Road, next to Chase Bank.
Co-host Matt Price will miss this week’s program.
Monday night on The Central Story, it’s Destined to Win, with Rocky Bezet, Pastor, The Rock Church.
The Central Story airs Monday and Thursday nights, 5:30pm—6:30pm, on WPFC, 1550AM, Baton Rouge and on the Net at JonFineProductions.com.
2 WEEKS AWAY: The Dru Nettles Show, Cox 4 Television, Thursday, August 1 (6pm—7pm) with a replay on Friday, August 2 (10:30am—11:30am).
--Sanity prevails. No signage on Jon’s belly. And, more pertinent information: at this writing, Coach Nettles and Jon are slated to be tattoo free for the second straight season
Dr. Kevin Pope, President of Denham Springs Athletics Association and former Jackets Basketball Coach, will appear on the first program. No word on his tattoo status
A second replay of The Dru Nettles Show will often appear on Cox 4. When there is such a second replay, its time will vary from week to week. We’ll do our best to keep you abreast of all replays of the the program.
6 WEEKS AWAY: Denham Springs HS Football radio broadcasts
Plaquemine HS Football radio broadcasts
St. John HS Football radio broadcasts
--We thank all businesses that Jon solicits for their time and consideration of sponsoring our broadcasts. A portion of the proceeds benefits these school’s football programs. Also, kindly do your best to tolerate any of Jon’s indiscretions (see next segment.)
--Oops. You might have read a veiled undeserved shot taken at a Plaquemine business in last week’s newsletter. I apologize to this business and to readers on so many levels:
1. As Ma Fine always told me: If you don’t have anything nice to say about someone, then don’t say anything at all. But, as Jon Fine now revises this aphorism and postulates: If you have something that is not nice to say about someone and choose to say it, then say it
Somewhere, Yogi Berra must be smiling
If I’m going to criticize someone, I need to name names and give at least a brief explanation. A half-baked allusion to someone anonymous to most readers, in a negative light, is cowardly on my part and confusing to readers, who are left wondering what I meant. (Sorry about the run-on sentence)
2. Bad day as a salesperson. My role is to try to make a sale. When given a No, I need to smile, say Thank you, get out of the business and move on to the next prospect. I’m not supposed to debate the person telling me No.
3. The store involved, Don’s Sportsmen in Plaquemine, has been doing business in Plaquemine since 1984. They have a good reputation. A good reliable source who has worked with Don Braud throughout the years and speaks highly of him. It was Don’s wife that I took to task.
4. I don't believe this newsletter is the proper forum to be critical of businesses. Ephiphany: It probably is not in Jon Fine Productions best business interests to critique area businesses it is soliciting.
To Mrs Braud (and Don), I’m sorry. I am not entitled to one penny of your money, nor one second of your explanations. I acted unprofessionally in my last visit to your store and compounded matters with a cheap shot in last week’s newsletter.
--Oops II: I made reference to No Strings Attached being this month’s positioning statement of The Central Story. 98% of people, conservatively, had no earthly idea what this meant. Horrible journalism.
It would be counter-productive to my best business interests to elaborate on No Strings Attached at this time. At a more propitious moment, I hope to offer you a comprehensive explanation.
Because I choose not clarify its meaning at present, No Strings Attached should never have made it to publication. It will be dropped as our positioning statement.
I apologize to readers. who at this point, might want to string me up.
BROADCASTING SCHEDULE:
MONDAYS & THURSDAYS: 5:30PM—6:30PM The Central Story
WPFC, 1550AM, BR
JonFineProductions.com
Thursday, July 18: The Central Sports & Business Report… with Steve Johnson & Matt Price… broadcasting live from Me’Pa’s Diner—Sullivan Road, Next to Chase Bank, in Central.
Monday, July 22: Destined To Win
Pastor Rocky Bezet, Pastor, The Rock Church
SportsRadio—1310-KEZM-Lake Charles Programming of Interest (also heard on KEZMOnLine.com)
Monday, July 22: 3PM—5PM: Bayou Blitz with Alex Hickey and Miguel Gauthreaux
WE THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR UTMOST TO PATRONIZE SPONSORS OF OUR PROGRAMMING. THIS HELPS US TREMENDOUSLY IN SUSTAINING OUR WEEKLY LINE-UP AND WILL ASSIST US IN ADDING MORE PROGRAMS IN THE FUTURE. KINDLY MAKE AN EFFORT TO LET SPONSORS KNOW YOU HEARD THEIR BUSINESS MENTIONED ON OUR BROADCAST(S).
THE WIZARDRY OF OS
Assistant Basketball Coach/Head Swimming Coach at Central High School
The middle of July is a great time for list making. ESPN is the master at making lists. Beyond their vast number of top 10 lists, they have ranked the top sports states, cities, and college towns in past summer months. This year they have Ron Jaworski ranking NFL quarterbacks.
Locally, nola.com has many lists going as well. The one that interests me at this time is they are ranking the Saints top 25 players. I think they have done an excellent job on the list and my purpose is not to argue their rankings. My purpose is to point out where the pleasant surprises will need to come from in order for the Saints to have a great season.
On the nola.com list, Ben Watson is listed as the 24th best player on the Saints roster. I think he was a good pick up by the Saints. Nevertheless, he is ranked ahead of all the players in contention replace Devery Henderson as the third wide receiver. For the Saints offense to stay in the top 5, I believe either Nick Toon, Joe Morgan, or Kenny Stills will have to be better players than Watson who will be the second tight end. I think the best hope would be that Morgan develops into that role and makes his way into the top 25 next year as a result.
As for the rest of the list, I think the Saints have a lot of good players. With injuries, NFL teams need to have quality depth beyond their first 25 players. Consequently, I am not going to bump anybody from the current list. Instead, I will make the case for three players that need to make the list next year off of this year’s performance.
The first player is Akiem Hicks for the simple reason that I believe he can make the biggest jump because he has All-Pro potential at a position the Saints have struggled to find play makers. If he could make that leap, or come very close, he would cover up for some other deficiencies on the defense.
The next player was understandably left off the top 25 because he hasn’t played a down. But Kenny Vaccaro needs to be an instant impact player that competes for Rookie of the Year. He has the ability, and it is not like he has to lead the defense. Jenkins and Harper will play and make the calls. That should take some of the mental pressure off Vaccaro and allow him to hopefully play on instinct.
Finally, I am going to say Jason Smith, but I am really referring to whoever plays left tackle. The person who plays that position must play it better than whoever is considered the 25th best player on the roster. Otherwise, the passing game will suffer because either Drew Brees will be hit or Sean Payton’s ability to get receivers out in good timing will suffer.
With 2 weeks until training camp and 4 weeks until the first preseason game, those are the positions and players I will be hoping to hear good news about. If we don’t hear good news on them, then we can start a top 10 list for reasons the Saints missed the playoffs.
HEY REF
We are now another week closer to the start of the 2013 High School Football Season. Each year brings all kinds of surprises but this year will not only be full of surprises but will also be a learning one for each and every school playing under the watchful eye of the L. H. S. A. A.
As we all are very much aware the majority of PRINCIPALS voted to expand to nine from five the number of championships to be contested at the end of the year in the Super Dome. While some in the minority are upset at the splitting of the schools into “select” and “non-select” status to determine their playoff seeding I have to admit I’m for once with the majority and have just one question “Why has it taken so long to right this situation”?
For too long private or tuition based schools have ruled the party held each year in the “Big Easy”. These schools have always been able to use a “trump” card when it came down to recruiting the biggest and best players entering the high school ranks. Public schools were tied to attendance zones to gather their players while rich schools were able to draw from just about anywhere they could afford to cast a net.
I can’t blame these schools nor the players for wanting to play at private schools since their facilities and curriculum were for the sake of argument most of the times much better than what public schools could offer. Let’s face it that old saying of what talks and what walks is so very true in today’s society and when it comes down to where star athletes will ply their trade most public schools have been forced to tuck their tales in and walk away from these future collegiate and pro prospects.
It’s going to be a very interesting season and one I’m very much looking forward to getting started. Last week I touched on a rule change concerning “intentional” pass interference and this week I’d like to pass along a couple of new changes so when it comes time to line up and start playing for keeps we may be able to eliminate some confusion. At least that’s my hope so let’s look at what changes we’ll be playing with in ’13… …
This year we will no longer award the offense with an “automatic” first down after the defense has been flagged with pass interference nor will the offense be penalized with a loss of down if they are guilty of forward pass interference. Both carry a 15 yard walk-off but under HIGH SCHOOL RULES this year we no longer have either an automatic first down or a loss of down.
A difference from Friday night football too is the ONLY team that can score on a “try for point” (after a touchdown) is the team that scored the touchdown. Once a kick try is UNSUCCESSFULL the play is DEAD! So, if the kick is blocked no defensive player may run it back for two points. Key here is the term “once” because that will tell how a penalty will be enforced and where from during the action of the try.
The Federation rules committee added a 15 yard penalty to existing options a team can exercise after accepting an awarded fair catch for kick-catching interference. A team may still try to score with a “free kick” after accepting an awarded fair catch. Just a little something extra to offer the offended team although I’ve never myself had this option (free kick for points) ever in a game in over 21 years. But we, the officiating crew, must be aware of this option to be sure that team has all of its options explained to it before we next put the ball in play.
There is still time to all those that would like to “come on down” and blow a whistle. Candidates can still register with the Baton Rouge Official’s Association for the upcoming football season by contacting either Terry Macon, President at: tmacon12@gmail.com or Assignment Secretary, John Langlois at: John. Langlois@sunbeltsupply.com. You must be in good physical shape and pass the rules test to be eligible to call all levels of Varsity games… …
Till next week… …
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 AND BARBE HS BASEBALL PLAYOFF BROADCASTS.