May 22, 2014
STATE CHAMPIONS!!
Congratulations to the Class 5A Louisiana State Champion Barbe Buccaneers Baseball Team. Hopefully, many of you heard their playoff broadcasts on SportsRadio-1310-KEZM-Lake Charles and on the Net at KEZMOnLine.com
A special thanks to the sponsors of these broadcasts, most of whom were solicited and bamboozled by marketing superstar (Editor’s note: biased assessment that is falsely immodest) Jon Fine.
CENTRAL’S WEEKLY SPORTS SHOW
The Central Sports & Business Report airs tonight, 5:30pm—6:30pm, broadcasting live from Johnny’s Pizza House, Wax Road, in Central, on WPFC, 1550AM, Baton Rouge and on the Internet at JonFineProductions.com. Host Steve Johnson will be joined by Central HS Coaches Mike Forbes and Frank Fresina and Senior Football player Jarrad Hayes.
BROADCASTING SCHEDULE:
Thursday, May 22: 5:30pm—6:30pm… with Steve Johnson … broadcasting live from Johnny’s Pizza House in Central
WPFC, 1550AM, BR
Internet: JonFineProductions.com
SportsRadio 1310 Radio, Lake Charles Programming of Interest (also heard on KEZMOnLine.com:
Saturday, May 24: 9AM—10AM: All Things Football with Scott Holtzman
Monday, May 26: 8AM—10AM: The Locker Room with John Goodman and Jim Gazzolo
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 and Head Swimming Coach at Central High
At this point, Roy Kramer is looking like Pete Rozelle and I am starting to wonder how long the SEC will remain the best football conference.
For those too young to remember
STOP! WAIT! Before I go any further I have to acknowledge what I just typed. That phrase I just used is suppose to giving me perspective on what it was is like before cable, when the NBA Finals were televised tape delay, and the NFL draft was not televised. Now, I am USING that phrase to discuss something I experienced. It is just sad.
Back to those who are too young to remember, there was a time when other conferences had a legitimate argument that they were the best in college football. Then Roy Kramer made the SEC the first conference to have a championship game in football and the rest is history.
The SEC is no longer staying ahead of the curve. In fact, the SEC is falling behind in the critical area of scheduling. The SEC has not figured out a way to maintain tradition in football, while creating quality, balanced competition. Amazingly, the ACC has found the solution, and the solution is one the SEC already uses in baseball.
The solution is to create a balanced, competitive schedule without concern for rivalries. On years when rivals do not play, allow those teams to play their rivalry games as non conference games. Poof. Problem solved. The SEC already does this baseball, and it is unimaginable to me why they would not do the same in football. Why have conferences if you are only going to play half the schools once every 6 years?
Speaking of conference championships, I will be amazed if LSU is able to pull off another SEC Tournament Title this week (and I am writing that statement before the first game has been played. I know the Tigers had a great week last week. In addition, Paul Mainieri’s teams have shown the ability to get hot and stay hot.
Nevertheless, the format simply does not set up well for this year’s team. The formula for this year’s team is win the game that Aaron Nola pitches, and then find a way to win one of the next two games. This year’s team is a best 2 of 3 team. Four or more games will be a chore.
The Tigers remind me of last year’s Oklahoma team that came to The Box for the Super Regional. That team relied heavily on Jonathan Gray, and when LSU pulled out the close win to beat Gray, the series was over.
The lesson from last year is not that you have to play the exact style of UCLA to win it all. It is simply as with other sports that you must take advantage of opportunities to score when they arise and win close games. I am looking forward to a fun post season.
HEY REF
Just how will New Orleans’ failed attempt to land Super Bowl 52 affect you? If you’re like me it most probably will hit you in your wallet. If you are one of those that read the “fine print” and the “handwriting on the wall” then you know the NFL owners have made a very bold statement when it awarded Minneapolis the rights to its championship game in 2018. And that statement of course is “If you want to host a Super Bowl in the future then you’d better have a BILLION dollar stadium in which to play the game or we’re going elsewhere”.
They didn’t come right out and use those exact words but what they did say should send shock waves through each and every person that has to work for a living. The owners came right out and said the two things that gave the edge to the Minneapolis was (A) A new BILLION dollar stadium and (B) Taxpayers footed half the bill of its construction cost which came to roughly $500 million or as I like to say half a BILLION DOLLARS!!
The claim that TAXPAYERS invested in the game, aka half a BILLION dollars, is ludicrous. I believe that as much as I do that all of us down here in Louisiana called our stock brokers and demanded shares in the Saints franchise. We had no choice; the legislature in its limited wisdom took it upon themselves to subsidize a private business with public funds. If the criteria for getting the championship game were public funds being invested in private businesses then the Bayou State would be hosting the game each and every year.
With every investment those putting up capital are doing so in the hopes of getting some type of dividend also known as a return, CASH, on that investment. I’m not aware of a single taxpayer getting much return in their investment of a private business aka the New Orleans Saints; a professional sports team. Now, before anyone makes the claim of so called jobs that are produced by having a professional team I’d like to take a look at all those so called jobs.
The first jobs that come to mind are those that are a direct result of visitors to the city, namely hotels, restaurants and transportation jobs. Hotels will need more workers to clean rooms, make beds, and setup a breakfast buffet. Low paying, service industry jobs. Now, what about places to dine? The need will be cooks, servers, dishwashers and cleanup crews. Again, 90% low paying service style jobs.
Transportation is a bit different because not everyone can fly a plane. The jobs left are taxi drivers and valets to park cars; again mostly low paying service jobs. But “Hey Ref” what about the number of jobs generated? Sure, during the couple of days fans are in town the number of jobs does increase. Kinda like during Christmas when there’s also a spike in the number of jobs created. And just like during the Holidays when they’re over so are the jobs.
Too many cities are being led down the road of fiscal irresponsibility by the “fat-cat” owners of sport’s teams. So much so that now these multi-billionaires are demanding taxpayers go without and invest BILLIONS in new stadiums with luxurious suites to satisfy their twisted needs.
Presently Dallas, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Miami, San Diego, Tampa, Washington, Seattle, Jacksonville, San Francisco and Atlanta have plans or are in the process of putting in a bid for future Super Bowls. So competition for bringing the game to your neighborhood is getting very competitive and throwing BILLIONS of TAXPAYER dollars in the hopes of landing a game are just getting harder and harder.
And when will we see the cost of newer bigger and stadiums get to $2 BILLION and more? I believe in the not too distant future so cities need to ask themselves “when is too much gonna be too much”? Shouldn’t we as a people and a country be more concerned with getting our fiscal house in order, pay off the massive debt that our great-grandchildren will inherit? Or should we continue to pour BILLIONS of TAXPAYER dollars so millionaires can play a game in comfort while the masses try to survive on unemployment and handouts?
Till next week… …
The Rotary Club of Livingston Parish
Rotary Bull
By Ivy Graham
“Service Above Self”
Please visit our website at www.rotaryclublp.org.
This week’s meeting:
• This week’s meeting will be held at Big Mike’s. Fellowship begins at 11:30. The meeting is from 12:00-1:00. What is going to happen at Rotary this week? I don’t know. Will we have a guest speaker? Will we have fun and games? Will we have seriousness and lectures? Guess you better get to the meeting on Friday to find out!!
Last week’s meeting:
• Our club met and knocked out our goals for the 2014-2015 year. Man, is this going to be an exciting year for Rotary!
• Our club has a brag jar. Better bring your dollars folks!
• Supply list for animal shelter was distributed. We need a builder!!!
• Veteran’s house almost done!
Upcoming Events/Projects:
• Choices
• Service Above Self Award May 30th
Note from the President:
• May is District 6200 month. What is District 6200? That is the district our club is organized under with Rotary International. Did you know we are in one of the top districts in the world? Yes! Yes, we really are an award winning district!
Guest Speakers and General Membership Meeting Dates:
• June 13 – Guest Speaker, Bobby Fletcher
• July 11 – Guest Speaker, Casie McMurray
• July 25 – Guest Speaker, Public Service Commissioner
• Aug 8 – Guest Speaker, Livingston Parish Arts Council
Brags:
• Beer, Bands, and BBQ will be held on June 5th from 5:30 – 8pm at the Rural Life Museum in Baton Rouge. Please get your tickets today to support our fellow Rotarians and their projects!
Members:
• Your quarterly dues have been distributed. Please kindly and timely submit your payment to Lisa Casas.
• Shirts for sale only $7.00 for members. These things are selling like hotcakes!
JON IS PROUD TO WORK AS A MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE FOR SPORTSRADIO-1310-KEZM-LAKE CHARLES, IN ESTABLISHING THE “DOLLAR A HOLLER” MARKETING PROGRAM AND HELPING SELL SULPHUR HS FOOTBALL BROADCASTS AND BARBE HS BASEBALL PLAYOFF BROADCASTS.