June 22, 2017
GET ARRESTED
ArrestedDevelopmentMediaGuides, our EBay store, sells media guides. programs and baseball cards. Please visit JonFineProductions.com and click on icon to get to the store. Check out a full array of New Orleans Saints media guides and LSU media guides and programs. Over 1,900 publications listed.
BATON ROUGE AREA BROADCASTING SCHEDULE:
THURSDAY: SPORTSCENTRAL: 5pm—6pm: Central First Facebook Page… … Les Bueche, Sid Edwards, Frank Fresina
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
By the time you read this article, the LSU baseball season may be over. Let me be more exact. If LSU isn’t able to discover the quality of play they had during the SEC Tournament, the season will be over by the time you read this article.
You might be thinking I made a mistake in the last sentence. LSU had won 17 games in a row before the loss to Oregon State, the SEC Tournament was weeks ago, and LSU swept their Regional and Super Regional. All of that is true, but look closer. To the Tigers credit, they have been winning, which is the name of the game in the postseason. But, they have not played as well as they need to play to win in Omaha since Hoover.
LSU peaked in Hoover. All three starting pitchers were dominant. Not just good, dominant. The bullpen was lights out. The defense actually stumbled at the end, but was spectacular the rest of the time. At the plate, LSU had some great at bats. Fouling pitches with two strikes, making pitchers work extra, and forcing walks or hitting mistakes.
If LSU does not get back to that kind of baseball, they will not get a rematch with Oregon State. Florida State gave LSU the game in the opener. I am sure the Seminoles will not be that kind again. LSU will have to outplay Florida State to keep the season going.
It is hard to imagine a scenario where LSU turns things around without Eric Walker getting healthy and pitching well. At this point the top of the lineup has got to get crazy hot like it did during the SEC Tournament to overcome. It happened at the beginning of the year, it happened in Hoover, and maybe it can happen one more time in Omaha.
I would love for my next article to be about the legendary performances it will take for LSU to just get to the championship series. Pat Garrity against A&M in 1989. Todd Walker against A&M in 1993. Ray Wright, Ryan Theriot, Will Hodges, and Brad Cresse in 2000 against Stanford. Those types of performances will be needed.
Either way, I will have the opportunity to recap the season next week, so let me take a moment to mention the Saints. Injuries are ruining what is supposed to be my time of the year to be overly optimistic about the season. Fairley is doubtful at this point, Unger might be ready for the opener, but now Armstead will miss a majority of the season as best. As we have seen, you need to be good up front to win in the NFL and all three injuries are up front.
I guess I need to apologize for criticizing the Ramczyk selection at the end of the first round. Hopefully, the Saints were right in their talent evaluation. As a result, instead of having a first round pick sit on the bench as the 6th offensive lineman during the season, Ramczyk should start. If he doesn’t, then I am going to go back to throwing a conniption fit.
I could be overly optimistic and think that Fairley could be cleared, Unger should be back, and as long as we have Brees we seem to overcome offensive line issues. But, it sure is taking a lot of fandom to hang on to these dreams and it is only June.
HEY REF
A “FORMER” friend of mine just happened to see me as I was about to enjoy a hot breakfast at a just opened pancake establishment and I invited him to join me. I mean what was I to do? Get up and leave after waiting nearly 20 minutes just to get a seat? I think not as I just said to myself “don’t let him spoil the start of my day”! We all have those “former” friends and maybe, just maybe he’d understand the reasons we are “former” friends. But to no surprise of mine he confirmed the reason we’ll remain “former” friends.
He started off trying to make me at ease but the only thing I could see in the back of my mind was a stop watch and a little birdie saying it’ll be sooner rather than later that he’ll no doubt throw some gas onto the fire that now divides us and will keep us from ever getting back to being friends. Here was a guy that came over to me for only one reason; to piss me off!
We’d started calling high school football games at about the same time and both of us had that burning desire to do things the right way. But somewhere along the way he changed his outlook and I couldn’t see myself doing the things that he was doing just to benefit myself and not be true to the game. I lost contact with him during those ten to twelve years that I was just trying to survive because of a massive infection that almost killed me.
Once again as he relived what he’d gone through to “make the big show” (he was now calling NCAA football in a major conference) all I could think of was to let him talk as much as he wanted because I hate cold hash-browns. In fact “brown” was the color that his nose took on because he couldn’t have made it past a class B high school game of darts much less major collegiate football. I won’t go into detail because he’s just not worth getting all riled up about.
After hearing all this once again I sure was relieved when the waitress came over and asked him if he wanted to order anything. And he dashed any hope I had that he’d only want coffee as he ordered a full breakfast. So as much to my unhappiness I was gonna be there for the long haul. I felt like Charlie Brown when his teacher starts to talk and all you see is the “WHA-WHA-WHA” because that was about all that I heard through all the noise from the waitresses barking out more breakfast wishes and new customer orders.
He told me he just couldn’t figure out why I never “advanced” to the college and/or pro ranks since he knew how dedicated and serious I was about working football games. So, when he allowed me to finally say something I had to let him know what I never told him or anyone else for that matter. I said “Joe, I’m glad you got where you are but I don’t agree one bit at how you got there. When I was in my tenth year of high school ball I was approached not once but twice and asked if I wanted to move up. But I graciously declined the offer.
Then the year after again I was asked if I’d like to move up. Again, I declined the offer. I decided not to move up simply because at the time my Union Hall had no work and to put bread on the table and support my family I had to leave Louisiana to find work. At that time I was working up and down the east coast six, seven, eight months a year and sometimes longer. In fact I missed a few seasons because my job took me away during the fall. If I accepted the offer then I’d be away from my young family for no other reason than to do something that I considered as just a hobby.
All these years he and a bunch of other officials couldn’t understand why I didn’t make the move up. For me the job of officiating is one of love and enjoyment. But it was never bigger than my family, my wife and my daughter. I’ve seen too many times where buddies will get together and call games without that love for the job or the love of the game. I can tell they’re in it for either the few dollars they’ll make on any given Friday night or the shallowest insecurity of power they derive from wearing stripes.
So, as we get closer and closer to the start of a new season all I want everyone to get from this little history lesson is this; if you want to officiate football (or any sport) do it for the love of the game and not as if you’re on a power trip. The kids, schools, parents and coaches deserve individuals that love what they do. Nobody buys a ticket to watch you run up and down a field throwing gold colored rags. And I’ll get off my soap box by saying this last little thing, if you can’t leave your ego at home then find something else to do on Friday nights!
Till next week…
DENHAM SPRINGS HS FOOTBALL RADIO BROADCASTS ARE A JON FINE PRODUCTION.
OUR EBAY STORE, ArrestedDevelopmentMediaGuides, SELLS SPORTS PUBLICATIONS. YOU CAN LINK TO IT BY VISITING JonFineProductions.com.
JON IS PROUD TO WORK AS A MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE FOR SPORTSRADIO-1310-KEZM-LAKE CHARLES
AND WORKS AS A MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE FOR SPORTSCENTRAL ON THE CENTRAL NOW FACEBOOK PAGE.