February 18, 2016
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SportsCentral returns to the airwaves tonight, 5pm—6pm, on Radio Amour, 91.9FM, Central. Hosts Steve Johnson and Sid Edwards are scheduled to be joined by Central Wrestling coach Steve Johnson, with state champion Austin Gouedy and 3rd place finisher Tyler Fontenot… plus Girls Soccer coach Victoria Eskola and a couple of her players.
BATON ROUGE AREA BROADCASTING SCHEDULE:
Thursday, February 18: 5pm—6pm: SportsCentral
Radio Amour 91.9 FM, Central WILL NOT AIR THIS WEEK DUE TO TECHNICAL ISSUES AT THE STATION.
SportsRadio 1310 Radio, Lake Charles Programming of Interest (also heard on KEZMOnLine.com):
Saturday, February 20: 9AM—10AM: All Things Football with Scott Holtzman
Monday, February 22: 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 School
This time of the year can be pretty exciting if you are the fan of a good college basketball and good college baseball team. As luck has it, I am just that kind of a fan.
There is always great excitement for the start of the LSU baseball season. When I was growing up in New Orleans I always looked forward to the Busch Challenge/Winn Dixie Showdown. Unfortunately, events like this don’t take place anymore and the non conference schedule is anything but “must see.” This is the reason why it is great to also be a fan of a good college basketball team. LSU basketball games are providing the intense feel of a post season run, while the LSU baseball team is providing the interest of a less intense, but intriguing hopeful start of a season.
In contrast to last year, we are all expecting great production from LSU’s pitching staff while hoping for stardom from new players in the field and at the plate. Much of the attention for the start of the season is in the batter’s box. Naturally, the lineup will need to produce runs for LSU to win in the SEC, but that would not be my biggest concern at this point.
LSU will get some hits and score some runs, but the strength of this team is the pitching. Pitching needs defense more than it needs a bounty of runs from the offense. The pitchers must have the confidence that routine plays will be made, and ground will be covered if they throw strikes.
Alex Bregman had the best defensive year of any shortstop I have seen at LSU. The outfield was tremendous. Those aspects of LSU’s success last year cannot be overlooked. I do not have high expectations for this offense. My guess is the offense will be a little above average when all is said and done. Not because of a lack of ability, but because of their lack of experience and the great pitching in the SEC. LSU can still be very successful with the great pitching staff we know they have, if there is solid defense behind that staff.
As for basketball, the Tigers are starting to show the characteristics necessary to win at this time of the year. Hopefully, the toughness and competitiveness of Hornsby and Victor start to rub off on the rest of the team. I am glad the Tigers have found a way to win with Victor getting in foul trouble every game, but that foul trouble early in each game has to stop soon.
At the same time, I am super excited to see Brian Bridgewater contribute. The Baton Rouge product has proven to be more active and productive than Elbert Robinson or Darcy Malone despite being around 7 inches shorter.
The stretch run will be challenging. LSU needs to win all of their home games as their games at Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky will be very challenging to say the least. Like most fans, I know the tendency of this team to lay and egg at the worst possible time. As a result, I will not take one second of any of these remaining games for granted.
Whatever happens, the weather is warming, LSU basketball is heating up, and LSU baseball is finally here. What a great time of the year!
HEY REF
This may well be my last column simply because I’m addressing the 900 pound gorilla in the room. I saw and read reports of how the NAACP will be protesting and boycotting the Oscars in Hollywood claiming they are biased against black actors. I’m also constantly watching our national news with stories on how racist this country is.
One of my favorite TV shows is called “The First 48” which takes you along as detectives investigate murders. New Orleans is one of the cities in this series along with other big cities such as Dallas, TX., Memphis, TN., Detroit, MN. And so on. Every one of these big cities have large black populations and the vast majority of the murders are young black men killing other young black men.
Once in the early 80’s I was working in Washington, D. C. On the local news one night came the story of a black 16 year old high school student that was murdered while waiting for the bus. His friend (also black) was also shot but survived. While waiting the two students were harassed by two other 16 year olds that wanted what they were wearing.
The student that died was wearing an Oakland Raider jacket and his friend had a pair of “Air” Jordan’s on. Even though they didn’t put up a struggle both were shot. The police did arrest the youths involved in the murder; both were black; one was 16 while the other was 17 years old. The whole thing is just one huge sad affair but one that’s not unique to just our nation’s capital.
So thirty some odd years later the killing goes on and no one seems to have an answer. I then started thinking what could we try to make a dent in this horrible daily occurrence? I needed a big time black athlete with a high profile to bring my ideas to. That would make people listen so I started my search for someone that had to be listened to. When I made a decision on who to bring my plans to it just so happened that at that time his younger brother had started officiating high school ball with me. He gave me a couple numbers and I started to call, try to make contact and have him agree to a meeting.
After a couple days of calling I was able to talk to “BIG” brother. He agreed to see me at his office which was a short drive to a local high school where he was the head coach. I made the hour ride and was really looking forward to sitting down with him. He seemed happy to see me, we shook hands and he led me to his office. I sat down with this local former black Super Bowl MVP quarterback and presented my ideas. I had high hopes and was anxious to hear what he thought. His answer though floored me.
After my fifteen minutes of talking at him (because he never looked at me) he asked me “Do you see these sweats”? Yes I answered and he concluded our meeting by telling me that he gets $10,000.00 a year just to be seen wearing them. And by the way he told me it “wasn’t his job to get kids out of ‘da hood since he had gotten himself out. It’s their job, if I can do it so can they”.
I did leave with my “tail tucked between my legs” but as I drove back I was so disgusted by his lack of concern or empathy for these poor black kids that will never play beyond the high school level. Many will drop out and never get a HS diploma and will no doubt turn to drugs and robbing their way through life.
Here’s another instance that has my blood pressure soaring. I believe it was last summer or later that I watched an episode of a ten to twelve year old basketball team going through preseason workouts while being coached by a black woman. Out of the blue the coach tells her team something to the effect that if they don’t succeed in sports then there’s nothing left for a black man to do in America to support himself. I’m still waiting for the NAACP to jump all over this coach but alas they’ve been silent.
Last week as I’m looking at the 24 players signed by LSU 23 out of those 24 players are BLACK! The ONLY WHITE PLAYER SIGNED IS A KICKER. So how can this be going on when you have an organization like the NAACP? They supposedly stand for getting a fair representation for BLACK people yet will go and do the exact same thing WHITE SUPREMACIST are guilty of.
How can this be going on? It’s 2016 in America? Simply put all that matters is wining. I’ve heard conversations where a segment of our society will just blast away at blacks and call them every name in the book. Yet, these very same people will spend thousands of dollars and even more hours watching a predominantly black football team from a “WHITE” University!
For two weeks before the last Super Bowl many people were claiming fans were racist for not liking Cam Newton. But I don’t see it since the NFL must have close to 90% black players. I don’t like Cam because he’s arrogant and immature. Things won’t get better until the way we think changes.
The powers that be within the NAACP are very happy and want to keep things the way they are since it makes them relevant. But they should be doing more of what their organization boasts “Advancement for Colored People”. The way things are those black athletes are nothing more than modern day entertainers. We’ve all seen actors, dancers and singers fade away when they can’t sell tickets.
I’m sorry if by me addressing that 900 pound gorilla has upset some but I call ‘em like I see ‘em. But the very sad thing is nobody really cares about these kids. In today’s billion dollar sporting industries they throw away yesterday’s stars instead getting them prepared for the real world. Not the Politically Correct World where no matter the color of your skin you’re only there to make money. The vast number of athletes are sought after to do one thing; make a team a winner. If you’re not there to do that then you’re just a political pony for the NAACP!!!
Till next week…
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