We looked up this week and found fall.  In Southern Indiana, we found cool weather and rain and well…Halloween weather.

These are fall scenes around our house this weekend:

The Sycamore trees along Blue River.

The corn field at the entrance of Riparian Way.

Beyond our driveway and our standard Indiana issued basketball goal in the driveway.

Also today, on the way to preaching, Carrie, my dear wife, and I happened on this:

Somebody got it.  Well, we know who got it and a neighbor down from this place as well.  That is what happens, I suppose, when you have high school students in the house.

That is the way it was when I was a kid.  I should know.  My practice of throwing a football gave me a reputation of being a guy with a good arm when it came to tossing a roll of toilet paper in a tree.

Valerie King was the youth pastor at my church when I was in high school.  Thank God she was there for me.  She was a fabulous influence and talked to me, when she was 36 and I 17 like she believed I had good sense.  It was her gift by the grace of God, I suppose.  I really did learn a great deal from Valerie.  I have written about her on these very pages and offered up high praise she so richly deserves.  But in the fall of 1984, she asked me, as the Halloween season was upon us, if I ever took part in “rolling” a house.  I had no idea of what she was talking about.

Know that Valerie grew up around Washington, DC.  In fact, she saw The Beatles at RFK Stadium.  The Mid-Atlantic vernacular was different than the Midwest vernacular when it came to throwing toilet paper into trees.  Valerie called it “rolling”.  We called it T.P.ing…as in toilet papering a house.  What you did was acquire a large sum of toilet paper.  Under the supervision of a relative of the store that was part and parcel of our youthful indiscretions,  my friends and I backed a truck up to the loading doors of a local mercantile and helped ourselves, thanks to someone who had a legitimate key, to the toilet paper supply that was at the ready.  If there was a toilet paper shortage in Palmyra in late October and early November of 1984, I think I know why.

On a night when two of my friends, Mick and Marc, went to a few friends houses to ceremonially toss toilet paper into some trees, we also stood on the roof of one of our friend’s houses and waited on a car load of young ladies to T.P. the house and when the girls got there we threw M-80 firecrackers toward them and scared the crap…among other things… out of them and they drove off.  It was a simpler time.  As I was speaking with Carrie this evening about these days gone by, she told me she always packed dog biscuits to the toilet papering events to keep the dogs in check.  What can I say?  My wife is brilliant.

That same night, after the toilet papering fun was over, though we still had a great deal of toilet paper under a tarp in the Ford F-150 truck that my friends and I were travelling in on Highway 62 West of Corydon, Mick and Marc and I were just cruising around.  We were drinking.  We were drinking a gallon of 2% percent milk.  Hey, we swigged from the same water bottles back in the day during football practice.  Why not share a gallon of milk?  It is what we did.  If there was a gallon of milk involved there was also a bag of mini powdered doughnuts in play as well.

So there we were, Mick, Marc, and myself.  We were cruising around and it was probably close to ten o’clock at night.  The truck’s tarp concealed a great deal of toilet paper and we were eating powdered doughnuts and drinking milk.  After we had our fill, Marc, who was driving, pulled a piece of Juicy Fruit gum from his pocket and fiddled with the wrapper as he held the bottom of the steering wheel of the truck and happened to weave across the center line of Highway 62 in the process of getting a piece of gum.  We drove on a few seconds and and Marc looked in his rear view mirror.  “Is that an LTD?” Marc asked.  “Nah” I said.  The state police were driving Ford LTDs back then.  “I think it is” , Marc said.  Before he could get his last syllable out there were red lights flashing behind us.  It was an LTD.  It was a State Trooper.  And we were drinking…milk.

The officer came to the driver side window and asked what we were doing.  Marc told him we were just out taking a cruise, driving around.  The officer raised his VERY bright flashlight, pointed it at each of the three of us in the cab of the truck and asked his obligatory question, “Have you boys been drinking?”  Of course, at this point, I could not help myself.  I reached down to the floorboard, grabbed the jug of milk and said, “Yes we have, officer, 2 percent (as I held up the jug of milk), you want a swig?”  “Oh, and we have some doughnuts too if you are interested.”

The officer was not amused.  Neither was Marc…he was the driver.  I was just trying to lighten up the situation.  I think it worked out.  When I saw the toilet paper hanging from those trees today I was quick to remember that night in 1984.  It was fun.  It still is.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

In more capacities than I will sit here and launch, I have seen my share of football.  It has just turned out that way.  My Dad coached the game.  I played the game.  I remember the game.  Today, as my dear wife, Carrie, and I were driving to Salem to buy paint, sundries, and groceries, I looked around at the changing leaves left on the trees, inhaled the cool air through my nose, and drove north up Indiana Highway 135.  Up that same road on a similar day 29 years ago to the day, I rode up to Bloomington with my Mom and Dad to watch the Indiana Hoosiers play the Iowa Hawkeyes in a what I still call the most entertaining college football game I have ever seen in person.  Final score:  Indiana 45 Iowa 34.  It was a classic.

Speaking of classics…it has been a long time since I was so impressed with a game that I witnessed the night before that I spent much of the next day reliving some of the moments from the previous night.  I would say it is safe to say that most of folks in Ramsey, Indiana attending the high school football game I attended last night did the same thing today.

North Harrison 20  Batesville 19  Final.

The Cougars won the game in the most dramatic finish I have ever seen in a high school football game…ever.  You never expect a season or a game to come along to allow you to declare such a thing.  For it to happen twice in one season is nuts. I thought the same thing earlier in the year when the NH Cougars bested Brownstown with a field goal on the last play of the game.  In that game North got the ball with 9 minutes and 43 seconds remaining in the game and they kept the ball the entire time on a meticulous, solid-blocking, in your face…we own your field tonight against the home-standing Braves.  That drive featured two fourth down conversions and ended with a Ben Waynescott field goal.  I was so inspired by that play, I got an 8X10 photo of the kick matted and had the snapper, Garrett Gunter, the holder, Zane Armstrong, and Ben sign it for me.  Last night, it was even better.

With a 14-13 lead, the Cougars gave up a touchdown in the 4th quarter with 26.3 seconds left.  Batesville  19  North Harrison 14.  North got the ball back with no timeouts remaining.  A few pass plays later NH finds itself making progress.  The Cougars are on the 25 yard line of Batesville with 1.5 seconds remaining and an NH ball boy with the good sense to reach into the ball dry bag during the drive and pull out a ball that resembles a football instead of a water-logged cantaloupe.  The way the offensive line was protecting the quarterback during the last drive, you would have thought they were trying to protect a weak-kneed Joe Namath.  But on the last play, with 1.5 seconds left, Avery Blocker took the snap and stood tall taking a five step drop as Skyler Wetzel made his way downfield trudging through the mud (it rained the whole night) along the NH side of the twenty-five yards between the line of scrimmage and the goal line along the East end zone.  Avery threw it toward Skyler and folks… Avery paid for it.  He got stuck.  I doubt he saw the reception.  Reception?  Yes, there was one at around the 2 yard line and Skyler, in a blue jersey, is the one who caught it.  Immediately after he caught it, Drew Kuerzi was there  to help aid him across the goal line on the game’s final play.  Hollywood could not have produced a better script.  North Harrison 20  Batesville 19.  The North faithful went crazy.  Hugging each other, crying, cheering, trying to catch their breath.  A friend of mine in Brownstown listening to the radio advised me via text message to get some heart pills during the final drive.

What did I learn?  Well, nothing.  I made the comment last night that Carrie, who was on the fence close to the scoring play…and she was feeling it too.  The comment?  I was never in doubt.  Neither was she.  As long as NH had time Carrie and I knew NH had a chance.  That is a great lesson.  But that is what this year’s resilient NH Cougar football team has given us.  They have given us a reason to believe until the end.  If I could give you all the symbolism value this means to me we would be here for a week.  The thing is this team has risen to the occasion on defense when they needed a stop. The offense showed us how to control a clock and keep it away from the Braves for that victory.  This time it was just the offense’s turn in a time of urgency.  It was the offense’s turn to find a way.  I never doubted they would.  That kind of faith is hard to come by.  Thanks to Coach Williamson and his staff, these players have that.

Now NH is hosting Lawrenceburg in the Sectional Final next Friday.  The Tigers come calling to Ramsey at 7:30PM.

My game day was special.  I will share it with you in pictures.

On most mornings before school, as I get there by 7 AM without much fail, I meander out to the track to get a few steps in.  Usually there is a mile involved.  Long before the skies clouded up and then opened up with buckets of rain, the day was quite pleasant.

A little after 7:30 AM, we were a little late this morning, given we had no kids in the building on Parent-Teacher Conference Day, this was the first photo I took.

Early morning may be my favorite time of the day when I am outside.  There is something so optimistic about the start of the day.  The goal line is in sight.

See what I mean.

Later, around mid-day, I went out with Athletic Director Extraordinaire, Hal Pearson, and helped him set up for the game.  This was a great opportunity to take a few more pictures.

From the top of the press box.  What a lovely day!

The field “was” in great shape early in the day.  In fact, as much rain as it took on from later afternoon until the final play, it held up rather well.

A great look from behind the East end zone.

My hand on one of the game balls that Hal and I tossed around for a short while.  Hal has a good arm.  I was impressed.

Yes.  It rained and the field was a sight.  The teams handled the conditions very well.

North setting up for a successful extra point.

The preceding touchdown that brought on the PAT.

After “THE PLAY” that won the game, there was a celebration.

Brett Rudolph came looking for his Dad, Jeff.  Jeff Rudolph is the guy I will always refer to as the greatest Cougar of them all.  “Root” hit me harder back in the day than anyone else.  He was like a piece of iron.  The iron melted a little…and for good reason.

This is what it is all about.

My brother, Darrell, and his million dollar grin.  He loved it too.  He understands.

For me, it continued on Saturday morning when I shared the video of the game with my parents.  I hope and pray I can get Dad to the game against Lawrenceburg on Friday night.

There is plenty of work to be done for this North Harrison Cougar Football team.  The season is far from over.  Dad and I watched the Greensburg-Lawrenceburg video and hammered out a few things between the two of us.  That too was fun.

We know what it is about.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

It is late this Thursday evening.  I am not a happy camper because a thumb drive I thought was cooperating with me is not doing so and I had some important writing on it.  Half of this writing was saved elsewhere.  I have learned my lesson.  Back it up again and again.

I can’t believe this is week 8 off the college football season.  Wow.  My dear wife, Carrie, and I have not been to a college game this season.  This far into the season, I think that is a record.  We had planned to go see the Herd in Huntington this weekend but we have decided against it. Bad weather may have played a role.

This week’s college football picks.  Last week was an all-time low.  5 winners and 7 losers.  It was bad.  I must do better.  We’ll see.

Ole Miss beats Arkansas….The Rebs are at home and they need a win badly.

Miami beats UNC…The boys from Chapel Hill are in a world of hurt.  Won’t get better this week.  Coach Richt has the Canes back.

Louisville beats Wake Forest…The folks in Winston-Salem are very nice on Saturdays.

UGA beats Florida…The Bulldogs may be better than any of us can imagine.

Marshall beats FIU…Coach Doc has the Herd back.  They are rolling and will roll past FIU.

Indiana beats Maryland…The Hoosiers are playing some Defense for a change.  This is encouraging.  The Hoosiers need this one to keep bowl hopes steady.

NC State beats Notre Dame…The Irish are better this year.  NC State wants this one more the Domers do…at least I think so.

Ohio State beats Penn State…If the Indiana Hooisers can hold Barkley to 56 yards rushing at Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions will lose at the Horseshoe.  And I am for Penn State!

South Carolina beats Vandy…Cocky has his way against the Commodores.

Iowa beats Minnesota…This is a game I would like to see one day.  I have always had a soft spot for both of these teams.

Kentucky beats Tennessee…I sure hope they do.  I am going to see the Ole Miss Rebels play at Kentucky next week and I don’t want a mad bunch of Wildcats.  The last time the Rebs were in Lexington it did not work out well.

Washington State beats Arizona…Coach Leach keeps swinging his sword.  Love his style of play.

The North Harrison Cougars play the Batesville Bulldogs in round 2 of the sectional Friday night.  Kickoff is at 7:30 PM.  It is supposed to rain, I have heard.  That bodes well for the Cougars I think.  North Harrison plays like a mule trying to advance a turnip and it does nothing but frustrate their opponent.  They way they hold the ball for hours at a time on their successful touchdown drives is epic poetry.  I love it.

The Batesville team likes to throw it.  They spread the field and toss it around.  One back behind the QB goes in motion as the field widens and that QB might try to find a hole and run it.  Good luck to him.  I think NH will play well disciplined assignment football, as they usually do, and will be fine.  I know that the likes of Batesville is a different brand of football than the Cougars have faced all year.  I suspect the Bulldogs will unload the bus looking forward to the ride home.  North Harrison will have something to say about that.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

I just got finished with 31 minutes on the elliptical.  The resistance setting on the thing goes to 20.  I always use 14.  That is plenty.  I made the comment to an old friend recently that I need to think about some self-preservation measures.  No, I am not admitting my age is a factor.  Not having an age is.  Fortunately I enjoy working out once I get there and do it.  I know the end result is favorable.  I will be doing it more often.

My mother’s old high school alma mater, Forest High School in Forest, MS, beat Morton last Friday night.  North Harrison plays Corydon Central around these parts for pride and the Big Cat Classic Trophy.  Forest and Morton play for the Golden Chicken.  Chicken processing means a great deal in Scott County, Mississippi.  It is a great place filled with wonderful people.

The North Harrison Cougars host the Batesville Bulldogs Friday night.  We finally have some football weather.  Cool damp nights.  You see your breath.  You might have to stomp your feet a little to remind your toes to warm up.  You roll your eyes when you see kids with what you deem as not enough clothes on to stay warm.  You are glad the Batesville bunch has to drive down to us instead of us having to make the trek to Columbus then hang a right on 46 to get to finally get to Batesville.  Nothing against those folks, I can tell you.  When Gus and I did the sectional final game on radio there many years ago the folks in the press box were gracious in the extremist.  In fact, Gus still brings up the pumpkin roll they offered and we ate.

With North Harrison’s recent success on the gridiron, I am asked now and again what happened.  How did the Cougars get so good at football?  I remember when I moved to North Harrison in 1979 the folks in this part of the county that didn’t know if a football was filled with air or stuffed with feathers.  Then I tell them that North had the good sense to hire me as a school counselor and their football fortunes turned around.  Since I have been back on campus the Cougars are 27-4 and still counting on more this season.  This I say in jest.  I had nothing to do with it.  It is just a wonderful, humorous, ironic circumstance that I can sit here and type about.  What happened?  Well, North Harrison finally decided to make football a priority.  What do I mean?  I’ll give you one prime example of how we have come a long way, baby.

In 1990 the head coach was a teacher in the middle school and all of his assistants were what we call “lay” coaches.  Translation:  they did not work at the school.  Today we have a head football coach in the school working closely with athletes on a daily basis.  There is another football coach in the high school building.  There are two other coaches working next door in the middle school.  They are not “lay” coaches.  A newer kinder school administration, God Bless Them, finally decided football should be given a chance to succeed as other sports had.  It is pretty simple, actually.  Plus the administration stuck in their thumb and pulled out a plumb when they came by way of Coach Mark Williamson.  He is a great football coach.  There is not enough room on this page for me to go on about the difference he has made and has been allowed to make.  We got the right guy.  I am so very thankful for that.  I know what I am talking about.

The World Series begins tonight and I am so glad that we will finally see a World Series game that looks like most of the rest of season does: hot!  I always thought it was ironic that baseball players spent 3/4 of their season deciding on who would make the playoffs while they played in the summer heat sweating their noodles off.  It is supposed to be 100 degrees today in Los Angeles as the most anticlimactic World Series between what I still see as National League West foes go at it in the World Series.  By choice, my MLB acumen is planted in a time warp on purpose.  Maybe I need to take it with me on the elliptical.

Lastly, Anthony Thompson nearly won the Heisman Trophy in 1989 whilst playing on a 5-6 Indiana University Football team.  Had he not been tackled from behind on the punt return late in the 4th quarter and had scored against Purdue, he probably would have.  He should have won.  The guy that did win was playing on an 9-2 team that was on probation and inflated his stats with a victory over the newly reformed back from the death penalty SMU Mustangs.  Houston scored 95 points on SMU and their QB threw for an obscence amount of yardage and TD passes.  And to think that the Northeastern curmudgeon, Dick MacPherson, said at the time that Anthony Thompson being a front-runner for the Heisman was a joke.  Shame on him.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

I must be dreaming.  The North Harrison Cougars Varsity Football Team made it.  Double digit wins.  The Cougars are 10-0.  I must be dreaming.  It was surreal at Corydon Central tonight.  The Cougars won 50-14.  The Panthers should not have scored 14.  The Cougars, upon looking at the tape, will have plenty to work on.  Batesville’s kickoff return team will be excited.  North will take care of that.  I am certain.

I am SOOOOOOOO glad Mark Williamson is the head football coach of the North Harrison Cougars.  In the Spring of 2012 when Athletic Director Hal Pearson and Principal Steve Hatton were interviewing candidates for the job, they picked the right guy.  That is a sincere compliment coming from a guy who also interviewed for the job.  For North Harrison, it has certainly worked out.  This includes me.  I could not be more proud of a group than I am of this team and its coaching staff.

Now…let’s go get Batesville!  They are a formidable foe and my scouts say they throw it all over the lot.  I know they play a tough schedule.  I also believe in the resolve of North Harrison.  This is going to be fun!  See you on the hill Friday Night!

Tonight I spent time with an old friend I have not seen in nearly two decades.  Russell Harrell, one of the greatest NH Cougars of all time, was with me tonight at the game.  Time meant nothing.  The years melted away as soon as I hugged Russ and told him how much I was glad to see him.  The rest of the night was gravy.  We laughed.  We told stories.  We laughed some more. We watched football.  We saw other friends.  And guess what?  We are going to do it again next Friday.

The College Picks.

Last week’s speaktherights.com picks were 10 winners and 2 losers.  For the season we are at 64 winners and 20 losers.

This week…

Iowa beats Northwestern…and not just because I like Iowa.

Florida State beats Louisville…a nod to my friend Brian Smith who asked me not to pick U of L this week.

Purdue beats Rutgers…The Boilers are much improved.  Look out Rutgers.

Indiana beats Michigan State…The Hoosiers got bad calls at home last week.  They can do it.

Kentucky beats Mississippi State….Shut those cowbells up!

Minnesota beats Illinois…Goldy comes through.

LSU beats Ole Miss…I think.  If Patterson can break the Tiger secondary the Rebs might win.

Auburn beats Arkansas….Auburn still stinging from LSU loss is ready to come back.

USC beats Notre Dame…Two great school songs.

Michigan beats Penn State….Saquon gets bottled up.

Washington State beats Colorado….Coach Leach gets the team back again.

Alabama beats Tennessee…3rd Saturday in October will be a nightmare for UT.

Take care everyone.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

I am on the couch tonight mashing between TV channels.  Football, politics, and more football.  Thank God for football.  That we can still depend on.

I was glad to see former Presidents speak up today and give us a reminder of what is Presidential.  I have been asked on occasion why I am not a Donald Trump fan.  My answer to that is simple.  I work as a high school counselor and in the past I worked in other administrative positions that included being the chief school disciplinarian.  I still hold true to my efforts in all facets of my school work.  When I am asked about why I, a Republican in waiting for another Republican to believe in, don’t like Trump my answer is simple.  I can’t support a guy I would send to the principal’s office.  That is what I have heard out of the guy.  Foul mouth.  Social media bullying.  Double meaning king.  Nasty pot-stirred. Nothing to depend on.   Things we can depend on…  that is what I work for.

I don’t enjoy not liking the president.  I am a Republican.  These are not good days for me.  What I believe in is fading away…so it seems.  I will say what I have said before.  I look forward to my old age.  The thirty-somethings of today that I believe are a much smarter bunch than the arguing children of the 60s that are holding up progress now will have us in a better place when I am looking back a final time at this country.  I am depending on that.

Right now the Kansas City Chiefs are ahead of the Oakland Raiders 10 to 7.  This is so much better than speaking about political nightmares.  Amari Cooper just scored for the Raiders.  Oakland 14  KC 10.

Tomorrow I am meeting up with a dear old friend.  His name is Russell Harrell.  We played football together in high school.  We were great friends.  We spent a great deal of time together back in the day.  For whatever reason Russell and I lost track of each other.  I could not tell you the last time I saw him.  I am talking nearly 20 years now.  Guess what?  It matters not.  Russell and I will just pick up and carry on.  I already know it.  Time is kinder to some than it is to others.  I know it will be kind to Russell and me.

In earnest, I told an old friend of mine that I am depending on Russell to help me through a few self preservation issues.  My back is not all that great and I am not  in as good of shape as I was a few years ago.  I know my decades old back ailments that showed up in en mass last year have slowed me down.  Russell, a physical therapy expert, needs to show me how to use my exercise equipment so that it helps me the best it can.  I am depending on him.    He never failed me before.

The Week 8 College Football Picks are on the way.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

Heading out the door this Saturday morning.  Have to get these down quickly…though I would just as soon stay to watch the sun rise one more time over the water.  Alas, we will be back some day.

Mississippi State beats BYU…Strange week 7 match up.

Michigan beats Indiana

NC State beats Pitt

Louisville beats Boston College

Ole Miss beats Vandy

LSU beats Auburn

Georgia beats Mizzou

Alabama beats Arkansas

South Florida beats U of Cincy.

UCLA beats Arizona

USC beats Utah

Michigan State beats Minnesota

Gotta go.

And drive as I we speak the rights.

Danny Johnson

I was walking on the beach this morning.  The sun was not to be found.  Too cloudy.  This is not always a bad thing.  Sometimes the light that is not so blinding is one that gives use the greatest clarity on what we are thinking about.  The right light comes in all sorts of shades.  Thanks be to God for that.  This morning the light was right and I was able to capture this…

I was almost nervous when I took it.  It may not be impressive to some.  I thought it was great.

Here are some other photos from this morning’s walk:

Looking to the South.

Looking to the North.

The beach was rather lonely and peaceful this morning.

During my walk a lady commented on my intelligence.  While I appreciated it, this was not warranted.  She was just impressed that I had good sense to take my coffee cup with me while I was walking.

Last night we had a good old fashioned fish fry.  It was wonderful and went by way too fast.

From the shrimp boat to the frying pan via Thomas’ Fish Market, we had some good vittles.  Shrimp, flounder, onion rings, and I am sure there was a salad and some vegetables…delicious roasted squash of all variety from the NC Farmer’s Market in Raleigh.   Carrie, my dear wife, just set me straight on the vegetables.

Sharing in the meal were my sister, Lynn, my niece, Katie, a friend of Katie’s, my dear old friend Kelly Samons and his wife Nancy.  We had a great time.

A fine time was had by all.

It is not hard to do with family and friends and fine vittles.

THE MOODY BLUES

My band The Moody Blues have FINALLY been nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  They have been eligible for induction since 1989.  It is about time.  At first, when I heard this news, my attitude was the same as it has been for many years.  Who needs the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?  Well, The Moody Blues don’t.  I know many American fans have been clamoring for some time to get The Moodies in this hall.  I was not one of them.  But…here we are.  They are finally nominated and should be inducted in, I think it is, February.  I could be wrong.

What changed my mind?  I still was not buying in even after The Moodies had issued their formal appreciation and having read the personal sentiments given by John Lodge and Graeme Edge in particular.  They seem honored.  Maybe they are.

What changed my mind was me taking my own advice.  Over ten years ago I wrote a song called “Reason to Remember”.  The last line delivers the sentiment of the song.

“And when the book is written in December, I hope I leave a reason to remember.”

The Moodies will certainly be remembered if they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, providing the place doesn’t go bankrupt.  Yes, I know, it won’t take a building to keep The Moodies’ music alive and well in people’s hearts for a long long time.  It is just that this induction will give that remembrance another strong vehicle to keep The Moodies musical legacy alive and well.  At least I hope it does.  Me, I don’t need it.  But if it means that someone will one day be visiting the place and come across a piece of Moodies memorabilia and think to themselves that this might be worth giving a listen to…they won’t regret it and they will in turn pass it on to someone else.  I know I have subtly made many Moodies fans over the years.  I have taken many folks to Moody Blues concerts and no one has ever indicated that was a bad thing.  All have thanked me…even many years on.

So let’s get The Moody Blues into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, no matter how overdue.

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson

I am about to make my way out the door for my morning paper run.  The Wilmington Star-News and The Jacksonville News are the two dailies I can easily get my hands on where I am right now.  During the summer time you can add the Raleigh News Observer.  Either way I am better off here reading any other daily than the one I am relegated to reading back home.  Some paper is better than no paper at all.  That is what I keep telling myself.  After looking at some others on the road this past week, I am ready to call a meeting with an editorial board to ask a few pointed questions.  They won’t listen of course.

Don’t let me use this moment without taking my hat off and saying a thousand thanks to The Corydon Democrat for doing an exemplary job with news, sports, and features.  When I read the weekly Topsail Post I think about my local weekly and it is good to know they have it figured out.

Football picks.  I picked 10 winners and 2 losers last week on College Football Picks.  Maybe I should be in a restaurant and be in a hurry to make my picks more often.  I only bring this up because I am always one week away from going 5 and 7 instead of 10 and 2.  For the season we have 54 winners and 18 losers.

I held up Ben Waynescott’s jersey in my office as he took a picture with my antiquated cell phone.  It worked out.  I reiterate…I wish I could have been there Friday night.  The Cougars are shelling the corn.  8 wins 0 losses so far this season.  Clarksville is next on Friday night.  The Generals have fallen on hard times.  I feel for them.  I don’t want to see any school lacking the competition they strive for.  They have lost more games in a row than I want to report here.  Still, Go Cougars!

North Carolina is a FRIENDLY place.  They have my favorite ice cream to prove it.

Carl is enjoying himself on the trip.

He was all about getting a cup of coffee this morning.

He was truly enjoying the sun rise.

There is always more emphasis on the new day when you see the sun come up over the water.  We are told in classes as we look at maps that water covers 3/4 of the earth.  Perhaps that is part of it.  We are so small and the water is so big.  I just don’t know.  I do know I am blessed and impressed each time I see the sun come up over a solid horizontal line.  There is just something I can’t explain about it.

A peek at the last three mornings.

Well, Mitchell Trubisky finally made his start as quarterback of the Chicago Bears.  I was pining for his time to take the helm during the pre-season.  He is a rookie.  Most rookies don’t start at quarterback their first season.  Tom Brady did not.  Aaron Rodgers did not.  Peyton Manning did.  Well, of course he did.  Eli Manning rode the pine when he got to New York.  He might wish he was riding it now…for self-preservation purposes.  Anyway, I think Mitchell Trubisky will be my new favorite player.  I just like the way he plays.  For me choosing your favorite player is like choosing the type of music you like to listen to…you just do.  Or should I say…I just do.  Trubisky played at UNC.  I was never a Tar Heel fan.  He hails from Ohio originally.  Don’t ask my opinion about Ohio.  I will forgive him.  I just like to watch him play.  I always contended that my preference of NFL is player first and team second.  I rooted for Ken Anderson and when he left the Bengals so did I.  I was a free agent until Peyton Manning came along.  Then Eli came from Ole Miss and I so enjoyed watching him in college.  I rooted for and still root for the G-Men.  I have a feeling when Eli is done I will be a Bears fan.  I was wondering if I would ever find someone else to root for.

Rooting for the NFL is tough these days.  I wish the Giants would go ahead and get rid of Odell.   He is out for the season.  I don’t want any player to get hurt.  I am glad he is gone from the team now.  The Giants could use a team.  They have not had one yet this year.

I have said it before.  Any wide receiver making the noise he makes is bad for the team.   Ever heard of Reggie Wayne?  Ever heard of Marvin Harrison?  They were great receivers that were steady at their craft.  They caught EVERYTHING that was thrown their way.  Odell might drop three easy balls before he makes a GREAT catch that produces a touchdown and enables him to make a fool of himself in the end zone and then run to the sidelines to jump on a bleacher to face the crowd like he was Donald Trump at one of his self-serving rallies.  Talk about needing to go!

I was reading a story about Pat Conroy and how a couple of his books were being banned from schools in Charleston, WV in 2007.  Pat said thank you.  A banning of books will only make folks want to go out and read them more.  If you are familiar with Conroy’s work you too know that the school leaders from this West Virginia school district did not get enough of what they are there for.  I liken this to the flag controversy.  Political leaders that should have kept their mouths shut and let things be wanted to stir up their “base” with flag rhetoric and that in and of itself is disgraceful to what the flag stands for.  I will be so glad when political leaders put their country ahead of their “base” again.  Do I think folks should stand for the flag?  You damn right I do.  I don’t like it when they don’t.  Just like I don’t like it when politicians use the flag for political leverage and divide this country even more.

Well, it is paper time.  I will be back later to…

Speak the Rights.

Danny Johnson

It is Friday night.  My dear wife, Carrie, and I are eating at a TGI Fridays in Cross Lanes, West Virginia not far west of Charleston.

I am a bit sad still.  I wish we had made the NH Cougars football game tonight.  The last I heard they were ahead of Crawford County 35-0.  It was not a final yet.  Had I known this morning that Ben Waynescott was going to present me with his jersey to wear today, an honor senior players bestow on staff members of their choosing in the high school, we would not have packed the car last night and this morning and we would have made our drive to North Carolina a one day affair tomorrow.  I apologized to Ben.  I was honored.  Still am.  He is a good guy.  I am proud of him.  He is the best kicker to wear a North Harrison uniform in a long time.

College Football Picks before our vittles get here… I will be brief.

Oklahoma beats Iowa State…The Cyclones have improved…but?

Penn State beats Northwestern…Scurvy cat it for real.

Iowa beats Ilinois…Go Hawkeyes.

TCU beats West Virginia…I type this at my own risk in the land of couch burners.

Notre Dame beats North Carolina….UNC is down.

Duke beats Virginia….With an early kickoff we will have something to listen to on the radio.

Indiana beats Charleston Southern…Gave that was not supposed to be.  Hope they have a few there.

Alabama beats Texas A&M….Why isn’t the BAMA QB in Heisman talk?  He should win it.

Kentucky beats Mizzou…Move to 5-1 and brace for the rest of the schedule.

Marshall beats Charlotte…The Herd is much improved.

Washington State beats Oregon…Mike Leach is amazing.

Southern Cal beats Oregon State…Look for Darnold to throw for 400 yards.

We have Carl with us on this trip.

Just saw the NH Cougars game is a final…42-0.  PATs were true it appears!

Have a great weekend everyone and, if get the chance…

Speak the Rights!

Danny Johnson