November 12, 2020
GOD BLESS AMERICA.
VS WALKER
Denham Springs hosts Walker HS this Friday night and we’ll have it for you on the radio and/or Internet. Josh Ward and Andy Duckworth are on the call. I’ll contribute to pre-game, half-time and post-game shows. The broadcast starts at 6pm with Sport-N-Center Jackets Warmup on Family Radio, 91.9 FM, Baton Rouge and on the net at JonFineProductions.com
A special thank you to the Denham Springs business community, who, en masse, stepped up big time, in troubled times, to sponsor our broadcasts. YOU’RE THE BEST!!!
FINALE UP IN THE AIR
Next week’s (11/20) game, slated to be the regular season finale for Denham Springs HS, is questionable. The Jackets were originally slated to host Scotlandville. However, the Hornets are in quarantine and will not be available next Friday night. Jackets Coach Brett Beard is looking for an opponent to replace Scotlandville. If he finds one, we’ll bring you the game. See next week’s newsletter for an update on the status of a prospective Jackets football game for Friday, 11/20.
GOD BLESS
Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone adversely effected by Hurricane Delta… and My heart goes out to my friends in the Lake Area who endured major destruction at the hands of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta. My thoughts and prayers are with you. We strongly urge readers of this newsletter to donate to a worthwhile Hurricane oriented charity in the Lake Area.
TODAY’S COLUMNS:
Scott assesses the Who Dats
Dennis writes about things he does not understand…
Please scroll down below.
OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO ONE AND ALL AS WE TRY TO MAKE OUR WAY SAFELY THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. WE STAND WITH THOSE THAT ARE PEACEFULLY PROTESTING AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY AND RACISM.
LSU, SAINTS AND MUCH MORE
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THE WIZARDRY OF OS
I promise you I wrote the next sentence last Saturday. When are the Saints going to look like a team that can make a Super Bowl run?
I had no idea the answer was going to be the next day against Tompa Bay (not a typo). I figured the sentence would work either way. If the Saints continued to look like they had the first 7 games of the year, they would have lost to the Bucs and this question would have been completely appropriate.
Again, I did not expect the answer to come so soon, but I am glad and relieved it came in the affirmative this week. I know the stats and score will catch the attention of the NFL world, but it is the small things that we saw for the first time this year.
For the first time this year, the Saints defense tackled with their arms and held on to get ball carriers to the ground. Also, we went the whole game without a tight end running completely free off a bootleg or a receiver running behind the secondary.
Offensively, we saw Payton get creative. He brought the fullback in jet motion in order for him to lead Taysom Hill on a running play. That was nifty. So was the fake wide receiver screen to Kamara that the Saints have run time and again in the red zone and on third down this year. This time, breaking the tendency got Tre'Quan Smith wide open for the first touchdown.
Breaking other strong tendencies led to chunks of yardage the whole game. The Saints have run Taysom Hill so much that nobody can blame defensive coordinators for daring the Saints to just throw the ball. Well, Payton finally let Hill throw the ball and it looked easy.
Of course, nothing is perfect. Jared Cook had one of his worst games, and Payton should give up on trying to run screens to Kamara against Devin White. There are simply going to be some defensive pass interferences or illegal contact penalties against the Saints, but at least they were not blatant this game. Those calls were borderline that just happen every once in a while and not the result of panic or being horribly out of position. We can live with that.
It is not really my concern, but why on earth was Brady in the game down 38-0 with 7 minutes left in the game? I just had to ask.
We knew the Saints had this potential, but we had barely even seen a glimpse of it this year. This game reminded me of a few games over the last few years. At Buffalo in 2017, at Cincinnati in 2018, and at Chicago last year jump to mind. I have no idea why it normally happens on the road for this team. More significantly, those games were not against playoff teams. None of those teams had a defense like this Tampa Bay defense.
The question now whether this team can stay healthy and continue to look like a Super Bowl team. Nobody can or should expect games where the Saints lead 31-0 at halftime. Instead, something between that and needing a great two minute drive at the end of the first half to score the first touchdown of the half and cut the deficit to 3 would be good.
I had a great take on LSU hosting Bama this weekend, but darn it… the covid.
HEY REF
I hate repeating myself and for the life of me I don’t understand how an individual can say they don’t understand when I say “THIS WRITER WILL NEVER REVEAL HIS SOURCES”! Am I confusing some people? I don’t understand how anyone would/could think that I’d be dropping the names of anyone that contributes facts or their thoughts/feelings on any chosen subject to this writer. So, I hope by the time you finish absorbing these carefully pieced together words that I’ve convinced everyone that I’d NEVER print their names, etc. If I sound as though I’m letting off some steam let me assure you that I am.
So, with that done here comes some steam. I don’t understand how some officials will make a statement how they feel on a certain situation/subject before the first meeting of a new season then flip-flop once organized meetings take place. Once again summer 2020 brought out much unhappiness within the ranks. Once again some officials said they wanted some changes made then called me to voice their displeasure at how things aren’t being discussed among their members. Simply put they fear reprisals that are certain to come from those on top of the mountain at LHSAA headquarters on Old Hammond Hwy. It’s very sad to see so many football officials sitting on their hands during the entire season but will bring up their grievances the week of January 1…
Case in point; there is a huge displeasure statewide among the membership when the subject of the Louisiana High School Official’s Association (LHSOA) is front and center. Many feel they were sold a bunch of promises that haven’t panned out. And of course the one thing everyone agrees upon is the camp attendance requirement. The only advice I can share with the unhappy ones is to set formal meetings in the off-season to discuss their grievances. Form a committee with a minimum of one member from each association to bring those grievances to light among all the associations statewide and notify LHSAA’s executive Ed Bonine that you want a “sit-down”.
And whatever you do bypass the Louisiana High School Officials Association (LHSOA) as they don’t represent you, it’s an association run by the LHSAA. In my opinion IT IS NOT NEEDED! It’s a waste of your money and time. And what I’ve been told is that many want to see them go away. They (LHSOA) claim they’re in existence to help educate the officials, etc., etc., etc. I find that very hard to believe because of the circus in New Orleans just a few years ago. I was told the LHSOA promised to all its officials that if they attended this “training camp” then they wouldn’t be made to take the yearly rules test. I find it unbelievable and obscene to say on one hand you’re teaching individuals to become a better official yet on the other hand you give them “an out” to keep from taking a yearly rules test. Does that make sense to you?
DON’T LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS COLUMN TO FIND THE ANSWER!
In closing I’m going to pass along something I learned from the two official’s camps I attended at UCLA… An NFL referee asked this question “HOW CAN YOU TELL AN OFFICIAL IS WORKING HARD TO BECOME A BETTER OFFICIAL”?
It’s easy; If his rulebook looks like it was just printed that says he’s not using it. He would look at guys whose rulebooks looked a few hundred years old! He said it told him it was being used often and hard.
Till next week…
DENHAM SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL IS BACK ON THE AIR!
Our silver anniversary! The 2020 school year marks the 25th season that Jon Fine (Sports) Productions will have the privilege of producing and calling play-by-play for Denham Springs HS Football radio broadcasts. In 2020, the broadcast slate will include all 8 regular season Denham games, and every playoff game. Broadcasts will air on Family Radio-91.9 FM-Baton Rouge, starting at 6:00 pm Friday nights. All broadcasts can also be heard on the Internet at JonFineProductions.com (click Listen Live on the Denham Springs Football PBP page). The first broadcast is Friday, October 2, when the Jackets travel to St Amant HS.
Denham Springs HS grad Josh Ward will be the play-by-play announcer of the Jackets. He will be joined by Andy Duckworth as the color commentator. Jon Fine will contribute to the pre-game warmup, half-time report and post-game show.
This year’s broadcasts will be dedicated to the memory of Jackets Football player Remy Hidalgo. Ward, Duckworth and Fine will each be wearing broadcasts shirts which feature a #77. Throughout the broadcasts, there will be mentions of ways that Jackets fans can contribute to a charity in memory of Remy.
“Sport N Center Jackets Warm-Up” will feature an interview with Jackets Football Coach Brett Beard conducted by Josh Ward. Jon Fine will speak with a prominent Denham Springs community and/or sports figure. Josh Ward and Andy Duckworth will also offer a preview of that night’s game and other pertinent information.
The “North Oaks Health System Half-Time Report” will include Fine interviewing another Denham Springs personality. In addition, Ward and Duckworth will provide a recap of the first half and a look ahead at the second half of action.
During the “Ralph Sellers Chevrolet Post-Game Show”, there will be an extensive game recap, final stats and a look ahead.
When Denham Springs picks up a first down, they’ll achieve an “Ollie’s Car Wash First Down”. When the Jackets score, you’ll get the particulars on the “Big Mike’s Sports Bar & Grill Jackets Scoring Drive”.
Sport-N-Center owner Stacy Phipps (Baseball) and Big Mike O’Neal (Football) were athletes at Denham Springs HS. Ward was an assistant basketball coach with the Jackets.
Ralph Sellers Chevrolet Parts Manager Jim McChristian says he was an athlete at Denham Springs HS, but we have had a difficult time verifying this claim! LOL
Fine expressed that he is especially appreciative of the loyal commercial and name mention sponsors the broadcasts have had on Jon Fine Sports Productions’ Denham Springs HS play-by-play broadcasts throughout the years. Many have been with the broadcasts on a year-in, year-out basis. Fine expressed hope that listeners will have the opportunity to patronize these businesses and let them know they heard about them on DSHS Football radio broadcasts.
Josh Ward not only graduated from Denham Springs HS, but served as an assistant basketball coach under Coach Paul Smith. He has called Redemptorist HS and Central HS Football games for Jon Fine Productions in years’ past. He is presently the Traffic Manager at Guaranty Broadcasting. Ward is a native of Denham Springs and is single.
Andy Duckworth grew up in Mississippi, played high school football, basketball and baseball and was a 4 year baseball letterman at Belhaven. He is a former radio station manager and sports-talk host in Mississippi. In this capacity, he hosted a sports talk show and did play-by-play for Mississippi College Athletics and Madison Central HS. He presently works as a financial advisor. Duckworth is married and has 2 children.
Jon Fine co-hosted and produced daily 2 hour drive-time radio sports-talk programs in the Greater Baton Rouge area for close to 20 years. His programs (first SportsTalk, which changed its name to SportsGumbo), aired, at times, in New Orleans, Lake Charles, Monroe and Alexandria, in addition to the Baton Rouge market. His company, Jon Fine Productions, has produced numerous Denham Springs HS and area HS sports programming on television, radio and internet. In addition to his Denham Springs broadcasting chores, Fine has an EBay internet store--ArrestedDevelopmentMedia Guides, and is a marketing representative for SportsRadio-1310AM-KEZM-Lake Charles/Sulphur. Fine is a native of Valley Stream, New York and a graduate of Penn. He is single.
For more information on Denham Springs HS Sports programming and Jon Fine Productions, please visit JonFineProductions.com.
DENHAM SPRINGS HS FOOTBALL RADIO BROADCASTS ARE A JON FINE PRODUCTION ON FAMILY RADIO, 91.9 FM, BATON ROUGE and JonFineProductions.com.
JON IS THE OWNER OF AN 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-SULPHUR/LAKE CHARLES.