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March 28, 2003 - "If we want to be leaders, then we have to lead." Eddie Robinson   2003 CLINIC NEWS & SCENES : CHICAGO - ATLANTA   click here for info ----->>>>> <<<<<-----click here for info THIS PAST SEASON'S WEEK-BY-WEEK GAME REPORTS FROM ASSORTED DOUBLE-WING TEAMS ( "WINNER'S CIRCLE")  AS PROMISED.... READERS' FRENCH JOKES (updated as we get them)   THE DOUBLE-WING AND THE US ARMY- A WAVE OF STEEL A LOOK AT OUR LEGACY: A native of Charlottesville, Virginia, Roosevelt "Rosey" Brown played his college football at Morgan State, and in 1953, although only 20 years old, he was the 27th player selected in theNFL draft. Chosen by the New York Giants, he started as a rookie and played for 13 seasons, all with the Giants, and he was a standout on a team loaded with such big names as Frank Gifford, Kyle Rote, Andy Robustelli, Emlen Tunnell, Charley Conerly, Rosey Grier and Sam Huff, to name some of them. An offensive lineman, by coincidence he shared his same somewhat distinctive first name with an equally distinguished teammate on the other side of the ball. He was quite big for his time, 6-3 and 245 pounds, with an incredible upper body - he had a 32-inch waist. (Contrast that with today's physical specimens!) Considered by many to be the premier pass protector in all of pro football, he was chosen to the All-NFL team eight times, and in 1956 he was named NFL Lineman of the Year. Roosevelt Brown was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1975. Correctly identifying Roosevelt Brown: Joe Daniels- Sacramento... Mark Kaczmarek- Davenport, Iowa... Dave Potter- Durham, North Carolina... Keith Babb- Northbrook, Illinois... John Reardon- Peru, Illinois... John Muckian- Lynn, Massachusetts... Alan Goodwin- Warwick, Rhode Island... Mike O'Donnell- Pine City, Minnesota... John Zeller- Sears, Michigan... Adam Wesoloski- Pulaski, Wisconsin... Don Capaldo- Keokuk, Iowa... *********** Jon McLaughlin has been head coach at Rich Central High in Rich Township (Olympia Fields) Illinois for seven years now, and for the last five he's been a Double-Wing coach. Prior to coming to RC, though, Jon was a defensive guy, the defensive coordinator at Waukegan, Illinois under longtime head coach John Neff. Jon was blessed to have worked under a coach like John Neff, and he shared Coach Neff's philosophy of coaching with the coaches at the Chicago clinic. I thought that it captured the essence of a leaders' responsibilities so well that I've reprinted it here: No player is more important than the team... No coach is more important than the staff... No game is more important than the season... No season is more important than the program. *********** Several coaches have noticed the number of football analogies being used by our military leaders. In an interview in Thursday's Portland Oregonian, retired Air Force General Merrill McPeak, former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, used a couple of good ones. On the one hand, he cautioned Americans against be too hasty to declare the war a disappointment: "We're only a week in here. If we were at a football game, then we're in the first quarter here, and we haven't scored yet, but we're down to the red zone. The fans don't boo at that point. So we've go right booing what is really quite remarkable progress so far." But on the other hand, he questioned our leaders' strategy: "This has all the aspects of a slapdash pickup fight. You always call audibles in war, but we're drawing plays on the ground in a huddle. We don't have a playbook." Now, I'm in no position to say whether General McPeak is right or just another out-of-work coach saying, "back in my day..." But the main point is that he used football to make his point. He could have used baseball - it's got some useful expressions ("Those first missiles were designed to be a bursh-back pitch"). So does basketball ("Looks like we're putting on a full-court press."). Not soccer, though. Can't you just hear it? "The United Nations gave Saddam a yellow card, but that wasn't enough, and now, we've got to go into Baghdad and give him a red card." *********** Through my involvement in the Black Lion Award, I have come to know many Army people and many West Point grads. Now, I am an admirer or Service Academy football, and I suffer almost as much as they do from the sight of a once-proud program that his hit rock-bottom, and it is safe to say that these West Point grads - many of the former football players - are pissed. Many of you remember how new Army AD Rick Greenspan gave the heave-ho to former coach Bob Sutton. Gave it to him after 16 years at West Point, first as an assistant to JIm Young, then as head coach. Gave it to him on the streets of Philadelphia, immediately following the Army-Navy game. And then, without so much as a search, hired his former coach at Illinois State, Todd Berry. Could have had JIm Tressel. Could have had Paul Johnson. But no... To put it bluntly, Todd Berry and his wide-open passing game have both been miserable failures in his three years at West Point. The final straw for most Army fans was "Pearl Harbor Day," the December 7 58-12 whipping by Navy, worst defeat in academy history. (It could have been worse were it not for a show of class on Navy coach Paul Johnson's part.) So West Point alums were aghast to learn a month or so ago that Coach Berry had told his team that he'd been given a contract extension, and evidently the Academy Superintendent caught so much flak in the aftermath that he found it necessary to write to alumni and friends of Army football that it was all a misunderstanding - there was no extension. Which left grads considering all sorts of possibilities - did the coach tell a fib to the players? did Rick Greenspan tell his coach that he was giving him an extension, only to find that he couldn't slip it past the Supe? Either way, as one grad has put it to me, "the natives are getting restless." A web site, unfortunately titled www.firetoddberry.com but otherwise very well done, with none of the usual ugliness found on such sites, has already secured more than $109,000 in pledges to buy out Todd Berry's contract. This essay from the site will give you an idea of what it's all about: "The Time is Now" Army fans are not known for making an unfavorable opinion known to the masses. You will not hear an Army fan "boo" an opponent, player, or individual associated with the Academy at a game. Desperate times call for desperate measures. At the core of our discontent is the arrogance, lack of accountability, and constant finger pointing at players (especially those recruited by Bob Sutton), and consistent blame of the program's problems on its previous coach. Cadets are taught leadership and accountability at West Point. They do not make excuses. Their football coach makes a living with his excuses and the excuses need to stop. The Army Football team has become progressively worse over the past 3 years. Players are not being taught the fundamentals. The most disappointing aspect of the 2002 season was Army actually looking like they we regressing instead of improving from week to week. The supporters of this site believe in the players and believe that it is the responsibility of the Academy to provide a coach that exemplifies good leadership. It's bad enough that these kids have to leave their hearts on the field with each loss the team accrues, but they then have to listen to their coach publicly criticize them while taking no responsibility for his own decisions. This can't go on anymore. The breaking point came on December 7, 2002, 5 minutes before the Army-Navy game even started. Coach Berry was interviewed before the kickoff and you could see the defeat in his eyes. Before the players stepped on the field, it was evident that this was going to be a long day. Each camera shot on Coach Berry throughout the game showed how little he could muster to rally his troops. Army needs a new coach. Plain and simple. These kids can compete, they just need the proper guidance and teaching. *********** John Zeller, who is charged with starting a football program at a private Christian school in MIchigan, writes, "We are hoping to affiliate with an organization called the Christian Football League in Grand Rapids, Michigan(www.wmcaa.com). I was talking to the guy in charge, and he told me that their player fee is $125.00. It sounded kind of steep, until he told me that it included all equipment. I asked him where they managed to get their hands on all of that equipment. He told me that when the XFL folded, he got their equipment!" *********** William Safire writes in the New York Times that Saddam Hussein's overall military strategy is simple: "America can't take casualties." He is wise enough to know that ours is a society so feminized that we would rather postpone the unspeakable future horror than risk any harm whatever to our young people right now. He is wise enough to know that ours is a society so soft and conditioned to luxury that few Americans have an idea of the price others have paid for their prosperity. So, says Safire, look for Saddam not to risk all in a "mother of all battles," but instead to resort to guerilla-type harassment, eventually demoralizing us and forcing us to sit down a negotiate a peace with him. Says Safire, "He's no fool. Every U.S. casualty or prisoner is fully reported in America's media. Television interviewers eager to match the human interest of gutsy frontline journalists exploit the suffering of relatives. Grief-stricken responses make for riveting television and ratchet up calls to stop the war." Hell, not only can't we take American casualties... we can't take Iraqi casualties! We seem willing to expose our own service people to danger rather than risk harm to Iraqi civilians. Did you catch the squawk over 14 people killed in a marketplace supposedly hit by a US missile? Did you hear Amnesty International squealing because we bombed Baghdad's TV station? THIS IS WAR, FOR GOD'S SAKE! Writes safire, "our concern about inflicting civilian casualties causes us to pull our punch at military targets, despite Saddam's abuse of women and children as human shields, and use of hospitals and mosques as military supply depots." We seem to be worried about public opinion in the Middle East. As if they don't already hate us. We are catching hell from the Arab press anyhow, even though some of the civilians are being killed by their own troops, wearing US uniforms. In for a penny, in for a pound. Might as well do whatever it takes. Get the job done and accept nothing less than total, unconditional surrender. President Truman understood the importance of pounding the opposition into submission - of utterly removing its power to make war. He got the job done.. Many of the problems we face today trace back to the fact that we failed to finish the job in Korea, in Vietnam and in the Gulf. It is important to remember the words of General Douglas MacArthur: "It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it." *********** To support the previous article... According to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, the experts out there on the streets have decided that the war is not going well. The percentage of Americans saying they expected a "quick and successful" war against Iraq dropped to 43 percent on Monday night from 62 percent on Saturday. And those who said the war was going "very well" dropped 12 points, to 32 percent, from Sunday night to Monday night, after hearing of allied casualties and the capture of several Americans.  I can only imagine how today's news media would have covered D-Day: In 24 hours: 1,465 killed, 1,928 missing, 26 captured, 3,184 wounded. And that's just Americans. That doesn't count heavy losses among British and Canadians. All told, 10,000 to 12,000 "casualties" - on our side alone. ("Sometimes we think," wrote the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, "that if today's media were alive in 1863, we'd all have southern accents.") *********** It must gall the lefitst media to think that for all their efforts to tell us how we should think, they have been unable to sway mainstream American opinion: the latest Fox News survery shows 78 per cent of Americans support the war effort in Iraq. And an amazing 68 per cent "strongly support" the effort. *********** The NFL owners voted, 17 to 14, with the Oakland Raiders abstaining, not to change the current "sudden death by field goal" overtime format. Some league officials argued that too many overtime games were being decided by the coin flip, after which the receiving team moved the ball 30 or 40 yards and kickd a a winning field goal. The proposed rule change would have required that each team have at least one possession, with the team that scored the most points winning. If they were still tied after one possession each, then sudden death would have applied. Bill Polian, Colts' GM and a member of the competition committee, said that the owners didn't want to take a chance on depriving the fans of the thrill of sudden death by field goal. He really did. I swear. "it keeps people on the edge of their seats because they never know when the game is going to suddenly be over," Polian said. *********** Retired generals are just as free as retired coaches to make money going on TV and criticizing their successors and their former bosses, although the although war is a bit more important than a football game. But I had to laugh when one General Barry McCaffrey, Military Advisor to NBC, pretty much ripped Donald Rumsfeld for not having committed enough troops to Iraq. Now, General McCaffrey's military record appears, overall, to be solid, and while I deplore what he is doing these days to hustle a buck, that is his right. I have no idea how much he knows about Iraq strategy, and his patriotism is beyond question. But let's look at his record - in his most recent outing, it is fair to say, he got his ass whipped pretty good. You be the judge of how effective he was in his last go, the "War on Drugs," which he headed as President Clinton's "Drug Czar." Hmmm. Thanks to General McCaffrey, America is drug-free, with no more of drugs crossing our borders. Drug dealers are gone from our street corners, and all the players in the NBA have switched from pot to MGD Light. So what was that you were saying about Donald Rumsfeld, General? *********** Coach Wyatt- Thanks again for all the help at the Atlanta clinic. It was a real joy and a lot of fun to meet with you and the other fine football coaches from various parts of the country. As a youth coach, it is a humbling experience to be considered part of the DW fraternity, and you and the other HS coaches have always offered great help and advice, for this I am very appreciative. It is truly a wise HS coach who can build a relationship with his area youth coaches, I really believe that. I look forward to continue to learn more about the DW offense, I came away with a lot of information that I think can help us improve this coming season. We will be facing a particularly brutal schedule this year against many organizations with different philosophies than our own. That is to say, teams with controlled rosters of hand picked studs, as opposed to our own "come one come all" rosters that give more kids a chance to play and learn this great game. Working within that framework, it is difficult to be competitive while trying to get all those kids playing time, but it is a challenge we enthusiastically accept. I realize I am not the only coach to face this or a similar situation with their teams, but I will say that if we work very hard the DW system will give us a chance to compete and hopefully give our opponents some fits. Good luck at the rest of the season's clinics, I will be keeping up with your website and will surely be sending more email questions your way! Sincerely, Lee Griesemer, Chuluota, FL *********** I received an e-mail from Don Capaldo, in Keokuk, Iowa, asking me if I had heard that Sears is taking the unusual step of paying the difference between military pay and Sears pay for all of its employees who are called up for military duty. In addition, he had heard, Sears is continuing all benefits - and bonus eligibility - for up to two years. All the law requires companies to do is hold their jobs for them. I haven't seen any confirmation of this, and I'm sure that Sears is reluctant to make a big thing of it for fear that people might accuse them of capitalizing on the war news, but if it is true, Sears is to be applauded. And patronized. *********** Coach: Enjoyed the Atlanta clinic immensely. Thank you for letting me share information about our program to the other coaches. It was a great opportunity for me to get some new ideas to work on in our upcoming spring practice. Thought you might enjoy this letter that my mother-in-law forwarded to me. A California mother whose son is now in Kuwait wrote him to ask how he would feel if she joined other relatives of service members in an anti-war demonstration in Hollywood last month. After reading her son's response, she elected not to participate. Saturday, March 08, 2003 Dear Mom, It's really your decision to march if you want to or not. You are the one who has to decide if what we are doing out here is right or not. My opinion is not yours. I do, however, have things I would like for you and Grandma and everyone else at home to know. I am a United States soldier. I was sworn to defend my country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. People may not agree with the things we are ordered to do. I would like to address those people by telling them that terrorism is not only a threat to us as Americans, but to many other innocent people in the world. What type of country would we be if we didn't defend the rights and freedoms of others, not because they're Americans, but how about just because they're human? We live in a country where people feel secure with their daily lives. They do business like usual and don't worry about the thought of terrorism actually happening to them. The people of 9-11 thought the same thing. We now know that it can happen to anyone at any time. Yet as Americans we're afraid of losing our soldiers to defend our security. I can only speak for myself when I say that my life is an easy expense to ensure that my family and friends can live in peace. I strongly believe in what we are doing and wish you were here to see for yourselves the honor and privilege that American soldiers aboard this ship are feeling, knowing that we are going to be a part of something so strong and so meaningful to the safety of our loved ones. Then you would know what this potential war is about. We will stand tall in front of terrorism and defeat it. We as soldiers are not afraid of what may happen. We are only afraid of Americans not being able to understand why we are here. I ask for your courage as Americans to be strong for us; I ask for your understanding in what we believe is right. I ask for your support in what we are sworn to do: defend our country and the life of all. We will succeed in our task and will end the threat of terrorism in our back yard. We will also end the threat of terrorism to our neighbors. We have to remind ourselves of what this country stands for: life, liberty and justice for all. In order to maintain those rights we have to stop the threat of terrorism. I am proud to be here. I will be coming home, but not until I know that it's going to be safe for all Americans and for everyone I love. My family is first. My country is where they live. I will defend it. Lonnie J. Lewis, Navy corpsman C Co. 1/4 WPN PLT UIC 39726 FPO AP 966139726 P.S. Mom, please send this to everyone who has a hard time understanding why we are here. Ask the paper to put what I've said in a column so that others will know why we are here and what we are here for. I love you all and will be home soon. I left my address so that if people feel like writing to let me know how they feel, they can. Thought this was well written and I plan on writing this young man. Please feel free to share with anyone. Thanks again. Ron Timson, Umatilla, Florida *********** Coach Wyatt - An Outstanding "News you Can Use" this week , as expected. 1) That is the great Rosie Brown. 2) Coach Crump from Ownensboro does bring up some valid points about Bill Curry's tenure at Kentucky. We can question Coach Curry's personal,strategic,organizational,and overall decisions making until we're blue in the face,BUT I would like to remind Coach Crump that Bill Curry did not exactly take over the '62 Packers when he became coach at Kentucky. This is Kentucky Football, forcrissake!!!!! They are a dolphin in a tank full of sharks (playing in the SEC). Coach Curry did the best he could do with what he had. 3) I try not to wish bad on anyone, Coach Wyatt, but I wish nothing but the absolute worst on that "Human piece of fecal of matter" Michael Moore, that NO GOOD BUM!!! That nitwit thought he was speaking to "his crowd." You know you have sunk to the deepest depths of slime when the rest of the Hollywood left-wing,phonies, A#$$holes, boo you off the stage - see ya Friday Coach , John Muckian Lynn,Ma. *********** Got the week off this week for spring break. I could do without, preferably so we could get out of school a week earlier, but a break is nice. I get to listen to Limbaugh at least for this week. On his program I heard that Portland fire engines have to remove the flags, because the city beauracrats are afraid of confrontations from anti-war protestors and firefighters? I wouldn't worry about any of Portland's Bravest in a "confrontation" with even the stoutest anti-war protestor. Mick Yanke- Dassel-Cokato, Minnesota Can you believe those idiots? I heard it this morning and I was so discouraged. I was ready to call in napalm on my own house, if need be. But - Rush to the rescue! Once he got the word out, the city's switchboard was swamped, and the stupid order was quickly rescinded. I mean, get serious - the firefighters can't protect themselves? Try arming them. Can't expect the police to help, though - they're too busy shepherding the peace marchers, trying to keep them from climbing onto the Interstate and lying down in the roadway, as they did in Portland this past weekend, stopping traffic on Interstate 5. I'm told it's best to have four-wheel drive if you're planning on doing any driving over demonstrators, although I'll bet studded tires would work almost as well. *********** Coach Wyatt, These protesters have me pissed. They are into the civil disobedience faze now. I wonder if any of the thought about the police resources they are using that could be used to help keep us safe from potential terrorist attacks. I doubt it seriously. Instead of working catching real bad guys, they are having to carry these worthless pieces of sh-- out of the street. Protesting is one thing. They were interviewing the assbag that organized the protest in NY and I was thinking why wasn't he getting himself arrested for his cause? Greg Stout, Heritage Middle School, Thompson's Station, Tennessee *********** Dear Coach Wyatt: I've been thinking about the liberal trash in this country. They've been whining and bleating for months about how "President Bush doesn't listen to the American people!" but don't all the damn surveys-- I've seen nine in the past two weeks that support the President's decisions by a clear margin-- show that he HAS listened to the American people? Don't these surveys demonstrate, clearly and effectively, that our people support the president and believe that what he is doing is the right thing to protect our country? I've noticed that liberals are quick to point to surveys and statistics when it supports their causes ("Slobodan Milosovic is executing 20,000 people a day!!!!") but when the statistics, photographs, and surveys point out their delusions, they just shriek louder that THEY aren't being listened to. You said on your web site that the president probably thinks they're full of crap, but I think the reality is that they are simply bad losers. They don't understand, or even care, how democracy works. It's SUPPOSED to mean government by the will of the people. It's SUPPOSED to mean that you vote for the man you want, but if he loses, then you honorably support with good faith the man that won and try again to get your guy in the office in the next election. Democracy, even representative democracy, does NOT mean getting your ass kicked in elections, being outvoted by a 3-1 margin, and then crying that no one is listening to YOU specifically. That's an awful lot like a coach that loses a homecoming game whining that the officials gave it to the other team. My response: "You should have coached a better game and then the officiating would have had less of an impact." My response to the liberals is the same. You failed. Get over it. Stop undermining our military, stop acting as terrorists. You are doing the same thing the 9-11 attackers did: you're using our own freedoms to attack our country. You hide behind the first amendment and holler about your rights without ever once giving thought to the idea of your RESPONSIBILITIES. Jerkoffs like Michael Moore are still fighting a battle that was lost THREE YEARS ago. Everyone 'just wants to be heard'. Perhaps, just perhaps, they should look into having something worth saying. I just don't understand it. How can any person be more willing to believe Saddam Hussein than their own country's government? This goes beyond simply anti-Americanism. It makes no sense at all. Saddam has lied over and over and over and over again, but our own people are willing to defend him, and turn their backs on their own country to do so. He has raped, murdered, and brutalized his own people for nearly three decades, and the same people that cry during Sally Strother's "Ten cents a day can feed a child in an African village for a week," won't lift a finger to help free the Iraqi people. Sheer hypocrisy! I was so happy to see the ratings for the Oscars be the lowest in history. That's what Hollywood gets for defacing this great country. It kind of sucks, because I really wanted to see a couple of the movies that are coming out this summer, but before I hit the theater, I hit the "Not in Our Name" group's web site and compare the names of the actors. I see the name on the NION list, and that actor doesn't get my money. They don't deserve it. (How about Bruce Willis, though. Say what you like about him, but the word I heard is that he tried to ENLIST a couple of weeks or months ago, but was told he was too old. Now that's a pair of stones!) On one final note, I am greatly enjoying the civil disobedience in San Francisco. Every time a moderate Democrat ends up 45-minutes late for work thanks to a punk lying in the street, every time a fence-sitter steps in vomit or feces, every time a middle-of-the-road moderate finds his car windows broken because of the American flag sticker on his car, that person bends a little towards reality. How likely are these peace protests to help a 2004 Al Gore presidential race? So, I'd like to encourage civil disobedience. Keep crapping on the sidewalks, keep breaking windows and spraying paint. Every time you do, you push away the very people you're trying to convert. Heck, if I didn't have that annoying code of honor and integrity I would love to dress up like some of these wackjobs and take to the street with a sign. The problem is, there's nothing that I could do that would give these idiots a worse name for themselves than the one they're already making on their own. As always, Coach, I hope you and your family are doing well and I only wish you had the time to update your site more often. When you live as close as I do to the lice in San Francisco, a web site like yours becomes a lifeline to reality. As a member of the Armed Forces, I can say unequivocally that these idiots that claim to be anti-war but support our troops are NOT supporting our troops. They have drastically affected my morale, personally, and I know they've hit the hearts of many of the people I work with, who have to ask themselves every day why we should risk our lives for the rights and freedoms of people like the scum in 'Frisco. The bottom line is that we aren't doing it for them; we're doing it for you. I can never thank you enough for the support you have shown us. Very respectfully, Derek Wade, Tomales, California *********** From my daughter, Cathy Tiffany, who lives in Houston, and just got back from a trip to New Orleans with her husband, Rob: Hi there! While you were out of town, we were, too. I just had to write you to tell you to get to New Orleans as fast as you can. The D-Day museum is amazing! It was an incredible museum. And the experience is profoundly moving. We were there for about 2 and 1/2 hours, watching an amazing movie on the Pacific theater as well as one on the Normandy invasion. Then we roamed around, reading extensive summaries included with all of the exhibits. Needless to say, there were a lot of veterans present. At a time in our country when our press is idolizing these freak show protesters, it was heartwarming to see so many people paying tribute to the real heroes. Love, Cathy P.S. In the gift shop, they had postcard and poster replicas of various wartime posters, the funniest of which Rob and I could not get over... A young woman looks out at you, saying "I wish I were a man so I could enlist", and the bottom of the poster states, "Be a man and enlist in the Navy" (at least I think it was the Navy)...how would THAT go over in our PC times?!   *********** NFL Europe is going to go on as scheduled. In Europe, and not in Florida, as had been suggested as a possible Plan B. Nothing to worry about. Said John Beake, N.F.L. Europe's Managing Director, "One thing I've known from my travels there is that European countries take security very, very seriously. They have been dealing with this a lot longer than we have." Yup, Sure Germany sure did deal a long time with those September 11 terrorists who did so much of their planning in Hamburg. Not effectively, unfortunately. But they did deal with them for a long time. *********** Coach- here is something I thought applied to the dw toss/pitch/superpower play....watching CNN one of the military guys says "there is an old saying in war 'the main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing' and I just thought it was sort of a good way of thinking so we don't go crazy adding stuff to the point of getting away from what the offense was designed to do." Steve Calande, Newsmantown, Pennsylvania *********** Coach, Before I ask this question, I'd just like to make one thing clear. I have not taken part in any peace protests. I have much better things to do with my time. Also, I don't agree with the protesters. But assuming protesting the war is the worst thing some of those people have done in their whole lives, exactly how bad a person does that make them? Are they just as much, if not more, deserving of our outrage as murderers, rapists, child molesters, drug dealers and wife beaters? NAME WITHHELD Actually, ----, I'm not sure what you're getting at, but I have a suspicion, so here goes- those people are welcome to protest the war. That is their right. There are usually public plazas and parks where they are free to speak and chant and wave their signs and banners. But their right, according to the Constitution, is "peaceably to assemble," and that is where I draw the line. When they go beyond that, when their avowed purpose is to shut down "the system," and they block streets, roads and even Interstate highways, when they attempt to shut down businesses and bar entrances to public buildings and attack police, they are lawbreakers. Their rights do not supersede the rights of others. I don't believe I have heard anyone yet equate them with "murderers, rapists, child molesters, drug dealers and wife beaters," but when their actions endanger someone else (what, for example, if an ambulance is delayed because of their obstruction of traffic?) or deprive someone else of their property or their freedom , they are saboteurs, and should be treated the same way. I'm sorry, but the hard core organizers, at least out here in Portland, live to disrupt if not overturn "the system," and do not fall into the "that's the worst thing they've done in their whole lives" category. "Peace" is their pretext of the moment, but not so long ago it was blowing up SUV's and before that it was rioting against Globalization. They are passive friends of the environment, squatting in trees to save the forest, but they are also experienced eco-terrorists, and have driven spikes into trees to prevent logging. Also to possibly kill loggers and sawmill workers. Those who do fall into the category you described ought to know whose purposes they're actually serving in their well-intentioned massing for "peace". When the great majority of Americans gets tired of watching the police mollycoddle the masses, the gray-haired grandmothers and the naive, innocent kids will get hurt along with the professional rioters - the "activists" and anarchists. Hugh Wyatt *********** COACHING VACANCY: I am wondering if you would be willing to post our vacancy on your website. I would be very grateful. It would be great if I could get a coach with DW experience (or at least someone who is interested in the DW), and your website obviously attracts those people. Greg Koenig - Las Animas, Colorado (I know Coach Koenig and I'm familiar with his program. Both are first-rate. If you're looking to coach football in the West, you ought to get in touch with Coach Koenig. POSITION: Assistant High School Football Coach SCHOOL: Las Animas High School in Las Animas, Colorado (80 miles east of Pueblo) POSSIBLE TEACHING P0SITIONS: middle school/high school PE (including weightlifting); high school science; middle school English OTHER POSSIBLE COACHING OPPORTUNITIES: girls basketball; track; wrestling INTERESTING INFORMATION: We have been running the double-wing for the past four seasons and have qualified for the playoffs two of the past three seasons. We are among the state leaders in rushing and total offense each year. We play in a very competitive 1A (smallest 11-man schools in the state) league with some great rivalries. We have great kids in the program who are dedicated to the weightroom and to winning championships. We use the Bigger Faster Stronger program and have three class periods of weightlifting each day. The community is very supportive of the football program and the other athletic programs. SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION: Las Animas High School has a current enrollment of 168 students in grades 9-12. We have adequate facilities (a better weight room than most schools our size). The principal is a former football coach, and the head football coach is the AD. The current population of Las Animas is about 2500. We are the county seat of Bent County, and we have a rich history and heritage along the historic Santa Fe Trail. Interested parties should contact either Coach Greg Koenig or Mr. Mike Miller, principal, at 719-456-0211, or they could send an email to gregory.koenig@lasanimas.k12.co.us.   *********** For years, General Jim Shelton, one of my Black Lions friends, worked on a book on his experiences in Vietnam, with special emphasis on the bloody Battle of Ong Thanh, in which so many Black Lions died, Don Holleder along with them. It is now in print.   It is entitled, "The Beast Was out There," by James M. Shelton. Its subtitle is "The 28th Infantry Black Lions and the Battle of Ong Thanh Vietnam October 1967" and it is published by Cantigny Press, Wheaton, Illinois. to order a copy, go to http://www.rrmtf.org/firstdivision/ and click on "Publications and Products") All monies after costs go equally to the Black Lions and the 1st Infantry Division Foundation, (sponsors of the Black Lion Award).   General Shelton is shown at left at West Point, at a book signing. (He does a lot of autographing - he personally signs every Black Lion Award certificate.)   You can get an autographed copy of General Shelton's book for yourself or for a friend - send him a check for $25 per book, and tell him who the books are for, and he'll personally autograph them and mail them back to you. His address is General James Shelton, 6610 Gasparilla Pines Blvd #118, Englewood FL 34224   I have my copy. It is well worth the price just for the "playbooks" it contains in the back - "Fundamentals of Infantry" and "Fundamentals of Artillery," as well as a glossary of all those military terms, so that guys like you and me can understand what they're talking about.   THE PHOTO AT THE LEFT is what the Black Lion Award is all about - connecting outstanding young men of today with the men who've served. Shown here is Cody Allen, of Las Animas High in Las Animas, Colorado, and Mr. Ernesto Vargas, a Black Lion. Las Animas coach Greg Koenig contacted Mr. Vargas, who was happy to take part in the award ceremony. Mr. Vargas, by the way, was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. On the left front of his jacket, from bottom to top, are badges of the Black Lions (28th Infantry Regiment), the Big Red One (1st Infantry Division) and the Combat Infantryman.     YOU WANNA SEE SOMETHING COOL? http://www.jackson.army.mil/228th/index.htm       --- THE BLACK LION AWARD --- HONOR BRAVE MEN AND RECOGNIZE GREAT KIDS IT'S NOT TOO EARLY TO START SIGNING UP FOR 2003 "NO MISSION TOO DIFFICULT - NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT - DUTY FIRST" inscribed on the wall of the 1st Division Museum, at Cantigny, Wheaton, Ilinois THE BLACK LION AWARD (FOR MORE INFO) ARE YOU A BLACK LION TEAM? (FOR MORE INFO)

March 25, 2003 - "None of the wars that started in my lifetime started because we were too strong." President Ronald Reagan   2003 CLINIC SCENES : CHICAGO (ATLANTA CLINIC SCENES ON FRIDAY)   click here for info ----->>>>> <<<<<-----click here for info THIS PAST SEASON'S WEEK-BY-WEEK GAME REPORTS FROM ASSORTED DOUBLE-WING TEAMS ( "WINNER'S CIRCLE")   AS PROMISED.... READERS' FRENCH JOKES (updated as we get them)    THE DOUBLE-WING/THE US ARMY/A "WAVE OF STEEL" A LOOK AT OUR LEGACY: A native of Charlottesville, Virginia, he played his college football at Morgan State, and in 1953, although only 20 years old, he was the 27th player selected in theNFL draft. Chosen by the New York Giants, he started as a rookie and played for 13 seasons, all with the Giants, and he was a standout on a team loaded with such big names as Frank Gifford, Kyle Rote, Andy Robustelli, Emlen Tunnell, Charley Conerly, Rosey Grier and Sam Huff, to name some of them. An offensive lineman, by coincidence he shared his same somewhat distinctive first name with an equally distinguished teammate on the other side of the ball. He was quite big for his time, 6-3 and 245 pounds, with an incredible upper body - he had a 32-inch waist. (Contrast that with today's physical specimens!) Considered by many to be the premier pass protector in all of pro football, he was chosen to the All-NFL team eight times, and in 1956 he was named NFL Lineman of the Year. He was named Outstanding Lineman in the Giants' decisive win over the Bears in the NFL title game that year. In 1975, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the first player from a historically black college to be so honored. *********** How'd you like to have a sportswriter "embedded" in your football team? You're down, 14-0 at the half, and one of these simpletons is standing outside your locker room talking into a TV camera saying, "things don't look good. I've been in the huddle and heard players questioning the calls. Players on the sidelines claim they're better than the people who are playing. I've spoken to at least one parent who think his son isn't being used properly. A survey shows that 52 per cent of all fans thought the game would be won by now, and many of them think the team needs to open things up and throw. Yet the coaches persist in saying that their conservative Double-Wing offense can still work..." *********** I had a nice chat last week with Mike Lude, at his home in Tucson. Mike is a former athletic director and Kent State, Washington and Auburn, and, you may remember, since he was Dave Nelson's line coach, and it was he who refined the blocking rules and techniques that are so essential to the game that we Double-Wingers play, it is fair to call him the co-inventor of the Delaware Wing-T. He is definitely not an advocate of push-and-grab blocking and told me again that he wished he had stayed on the NCAA rules committee. Mike is currently working with a former sports editor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on an autobiography, and based on the stories I've heard him tell, it will be a great read. He grew up on a farm in western Michigan, and he was so country that he wore bib overalls to high school. He told me about his Grandpa Lude, a German immigrant and dairy farmer, and "the toughest man I ever knew." He said that one day while cleaning our the bull's pen, the bull turned on Grandpa Lude and busted him up pretty good. The first thing he said when he came to was, "I'm gettin' back in there with that son of a bitch." *********** I received an interesting phone call today, from a guy named Dan Palozotto. He's starting a football magazine - restarting it, actually, and he's willing to pay me rather well for an article on "How to Stop the Double-Wing." Just kidding. Dan is a 38-year-old computer programmer/youth coach/high school assistant who acquired the name and the publishing rights to the old "Gridiron Coach" magazine back in December. Once a decent coaching magazine, it hadn't been published for almost a year and a half, until Dan brought it out of dormancy with an issue this February. Published every two months, it will next come out again in April, then June, August, October, etc. I believe very strongly that there is a market for a real meat-and-potatoes football magazine. Without naming names, I am disappointed in those that try to be all things to all sports and wind up neglecting football for the sake of soccer and volleyball, and in others that feature beautiful full-color photos that are nothing more than eye candy, and articles by big-time college coaches that are of minimal use to the average high school coach and no use whatever to a youth coach. I am not getting a nickel for writing this. I have no idea what sort of magazine Dan will wind up with, but I admire his guts in trying to get one started, and I will probably be writing some articles for him (no, none on how to stop the Double-Wing). Introductory subscription price will be $25. Personally, I don't think that's too much to pay for what could turn out to be a very useful collection of articles, plays and features every couple of months. I have convinced Dan to send out a free sample issue to anyone who reads this and e-mails him requesting one - e-mail him at editor@gridironpublications.com and tell him you saw the offer on my site. Bear in mind that it is his first issue, and remember that a new magazine is just like a team - it gets better as it gets experience. *********** A few reasons why the NFL is in a pickle in trying to revise its overtime setup: (1) it is a given that it won't copy the college/high school overtime. The fact that it works and the college and high school fans like it makes no difference to the NFL - they know that most NFL fans are not football fans. They are pro football fans, period, and have no idea what's happening on Friday nights and Saturdays, so they have no idea what they're being cheated out of; (2) in hopes of restoring excitement to the kickoff, the NFL keeps moving the spot of the kickoff back, meaning that it is easier and easier for a sudden-death game to be decided by a field goal kicker, because (3) field goals are now so routine that even on attempts of over 50 yards, kickers make good on 52 per cent of them. *********** When UCLA upset Number One Arizona in the first round of the Pac-10 tournament, people noted that it was the fourth straight year that UCLA had knocked off a Number One team. Why, some of them went on, for all the problems Coach Lavin has had at UCLA, he actually defeated more Number One teams than the great John Wooden, the man by whom all UCLA coaches are measured. Not so fast, guys. The fact is that Coach Wooden seldom got to play against a Number One team. How come? Well, for most of his career, UCLA was the Number One team. *********** While high school kids all over the country, encouraged by their left-wing teachers, are using anti-war protests as excuses to skip classes, a 16-year-old Duluth, Minnesota high school girl named Sidney Whityer has put them all the shame.(If any ot them even understand the concept of shame.) She organized a Pro-America Rally that drew 3,500 people Saturday. An anti-war demonstration earlier in the day drew about 500 but shared the headlines. "I'm ashamed of the protesters and proud of the troops," Duluth's mayor told the patriotic rally. "Those who oppose the war are gaining a voice that is out of proportion to their numbers." "I never realized I could actually make a difference,"Sidney told the crowd. "That's exactly what America is all about. It's what our troops are all about." MY visit to the home of the Black Lions... I try not to make a secret of my admiration for the men and women of our armed forces. I have been accused of a "near-worship of the military." To those people, I respond, "Near?" So it was a great thrill for me, while I was in the Southeast for the Atlanta clinic, to be able to drive up and visit Fort Jackson, South Carolina, home of the Black Lions, at the invitation of the Battalion Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Phil Kaiser. (That's Colonel Kaiser in his office at the upper right, then below that with me in the room named for Ray Neal Gribble, to whom General Jim Shelton's book is dedicated, and at the bottom right, standing proudly in front of the sign.) In the photo on the left, third from the top, I'm posing next to the Wall of Honor plaque recognizing Tom "Doc" Hinger, winner of the Silver Star for Bravery as a Black Lion in Vietnam. Tom is very modest and self-effacing, and he will be pissed to find that I have exposed him to this sort of publicity. I would be proud any time to associated with the sort of people I met there, but it was an especially poignant moment, because we were at war, and there I was with professionals. The men and women I met were dedicated to their job of preparing a batallion of approximately 1,000 young men and women for the worst that an enemy can throw at them. I felt proud but at the same time a bit awkward when they thanked me for the Black Lion Award. I mean, I'm basically just a civilian, sitting on my ass back in Washington. I can only pass on to those of you coaches who participate in the Award program that the Black Lions appreciate what you are doing. I urge all of you to sign your teams up as a way of recognizing all our armed forces. POINT/COUNTERPOINT ON BILL CURRY... *********** "I don't like to disagree with your choice of Bill Curry, but his seven years in Kentucky make him a highly suspect legacy in my very biased opinion. Any body that thinks that Tim Couch is an option quarterback is a first class moron. It makes me wonder how he won all those games at Georgia Tech and Alabama. He certainly didn't show any flashes of brilliance here in the Commonwealth. We called him the philosopher coach. All he ever did here was spout philosophy whenever he got his butt kicked. "At clinics he spouted philosophy. I don't know about his merits with ESPN. I'm not on cable and have never heard his analysis of a game. I'll take your word on that one. I'm glad he found something that he could do! He sure lost it as a football coach!" David Crump, Owensboro, Kentucky (I do think that regardless of how his final stop went, Coach Curry is an important figure in our sport, but I really had absolutely no idea how the Curry era was looked on at Kentucky. I respect Coach Crump's knowledge of Kentucky football, and I respect his right to register his opinion. HW) *********** Coach Wyatt, I met Bill Curry on Friday. Pretty neat when you get to meet one of your boyhood idols and he did not disappoint. Although I didn't get a picture with him I did give him a copy of your "News And Views." Coach Curry says he does a lot of public speaking. I can believe it. He is one of the best speakers I have EVER heard. He was funny, yet moving, entertaining, but poignant. Here's a man who played for Bobby Dodd, Vince Lombardi and Don Shula and yet told us about the great influence of his own high school football coach and his son's youth hockey coach. I was able to meet Coach Curry afterwards and was able to talk with him about his book (written more than twenty years ago, "One More July" of which I have a copy), discuss the number of times he's been on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" he said, "twice, allowing Starr and Unitas to share those covers with me," but I pointed out to him that I had a 1969 copy of SI in which he was on the cover with Tom Matte running over the Browns into the end zone. "That's right," Coach Curry exclaimed, "that's the one where I'm holding Walter Johnson," and we briefly commiserated over the loss in Super Bowl III (a Baltimore Colts fan talking with a Baltimore Colts player!). All class and a great man. It was an all to brief moment but one I'll never forget. (Kinda cool when your heroes don't let you down.) Dave Potter, Durham, North Carolina *********** "The reason the WWF does not come to Oregon is they are considered a sport there, and would have to test for steroids. So instead of beibg caught the WWF has not been to Oregon for over 10 years. They changed the name to "sports entertainment" and have gotten away from "wrestling is real" and have a stance of "we're a 'male soap opera'" or as Vince McMahon has said, "we make movies." Bruce Eien *********** The NFL, following the lead of the NHL, NBA and Major League Baseball, whose regular seasons are so-o-o-o-o important, and of such significance in weeding out the handful of teams that don't make the playoffs, is considering explanding its playoff field with the addition of at least two more wild-card teams. Sorta like the Pac-10 at bowl time - which three teams won't go to a bowl? Wow. Two more mediocre NFL teams that don't belong in there, two more teams that don't have a chance of moving on, two more teams that get to play one more week, in useless games that the NFL can sell to TV. *********** Last week was spring break for West Pointers, and I had a chance to have lunch with Cadet Joey Snowden, a former student who is now a yearling (sophomore) at the United States Military Academy. In all my years of teaching, Joey is just the second student I've taught who's gone on to a service academy. The other was Joey's older brother, Mike, now a West Point grad and currently a second lieutenant in the Army at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Joey was a freshman when I taught him, and I never had the privilege of coaching him in football, but I coached against him on three occasions, since by the time he was playing varsity ball I was coaching at La Center High and then Washougal High. He was a tough kid - a hands-down Black Lion Award winner (if we'd had the award then) - and he has played "sprint football" (under 170 pounds) at West Point. He was as upset as I was by Army's performance against Navy, and he wondered (just as I do) how much longer Army can continue to pursue the insanity of attempting to run a "spread-it-out" offense when you can't recruit "spread-it-out" type athletes. *********** Have you noticed how President Bush has kept the lefties off balance, forcing them to keep scrambling to find a negative in everything America does right? I was in my hotel room in Atlanta, channel surfing, when I came across poor, pathetic old liberal Bill Moyers, interviewing some guy named last name of Wolfe, a professor at Boston College. Other than the fact that he had taken the time to change into a sport coat and tie, he was probably fresh from marching in a peace protest, because he was not happy at the thought that American missiles might possibly have taken out Saddam, and at that very moment American armour was plowing into Iraq - a "Wave of Steel." This is terrible, he said. Beating up on a ragged army like Iraq's! We are starting to look like bullies! "Well, hell," I said to myself, remembering quite vividly all the trash talk - all the evil things that Saddam had said awaited anyone who dared try to invade Iraq - "I would certainly hope so!" *********** We may never know how much damage Al Gore and the Demos did to our country with their nonsensical fight over the Hanging Chads of Florida, and their convenient dismissal of the Constitution in their claim that Gore's winning the "popular vote" somehow entitled him to the Presidency. The results of the recent Washington Post-CNN poll are instructive: it shows that 70 per cent of the American people support President Bush's decision to invade Iraq. Digging under the surface, however, the poll further discloses that support for the President among Republicans in 93 per cent. Among Democrats, it's 50 per cent. It is ironic that the libs, the ones who now scream loudest about "democracy," are doing their damnedest to undermine it. They ignore the fact that democracy fails when losers won't accept its results. ***********"Feels good," said an American Marine as he ran a dagger through the canvas banner bearing a larger-than-life likeness of Saddam Hussein. "I wish he were here in person." Hmmm. Maybe we could get a peace protester to stand behind the banner while the Marine repeats the performance. *********** As I have mentioned, David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "When Pride Still Mattered," a great biography of Vince Lombardi, has recently finished a book dealing in large part with the Black Lions and the Battle of Ong Thanh, in Vietnam, where Don Holleder and so many brave Black Lions lost their lives, and so many others who survived displayed acts of incredible bravery. Read what Doug Moe of the Madison (Wisconsin) Capital Times had to say about David's upcoming book: THE COMPLETED manuscript of David Maraniss' new book, "They Marched Into Sunlight: War and Peace in Vietnam and America," much of it set in Madison in October 1967, was sent to the publisher today and is scheduled for publication in early fall. "It's 28 chapters plus an epilogue," Maraniss told me Thursday, "and I think it is the best work I've done, but who knows?" It is certainly eagerly anticipated here in David's old hometown. This new work by the author of the best-selling Vince Lombardi biography, "When Pride Still Mattered," is set here during the Dow Chemical anti-war riots on the UW campus. The Madison chapters are juxtaposed with chapters on a bloody battle that was raging concurrently in Vietnam, involving the U.S. First Infantry and in which 56 Americans died. With his wife, Linda, Maraniss spent the summer of 2001 in Madison doing research for the new book. On Thursday David said the couple may also come back for the upcoming summer, this time "just for the pure joy of it." In any case the author, who said he "can't quite believe" his new work is actually done, also said he would definitely be in Madison on his tour for the book, most likely in October. ... *********** I was flying from Minneapolis to Atlanta, when a guy across the aisle from me began conversing loudly (loudly enough for me to hear, anyhow) about President Bush. He got on the subject of how he was undeserving of admission to Yale. Uh-oh. Hold on, asshole, I thought. You and me's gonna tangle. "That's a lie," I said, loud enough to interrupt him, and it was hilarious to watch his take. He wasn't sure at first that I was talking to him. I informed him that the President's uncle (President George H. W. Bush's brother) had been a classmate of mine, and the President was a few years behind me, and that that business about preferential admission and whether it took place did not obscure the fact that he was qualified. "He only got C's in high school," the guy said, pleased with himself for being able to repeat the Demos' favorite line. Perhaps so, I told him. I really didn't know what grades he got in "high school", but I was pretty sure that whatever college this guy had attended, the President's "high school", Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, was its academic superior. Andover is called a "prep" school because its purpose has always been to "prep" (prepare) young men for the most selective of colleges. Now, I graduated first in my class from a decent private school, but when I got to Yale I was blown away by the academic level of the guys from Andover and a few other such prep schools, who had already studied stuff that I was struggling to decipher. So confident were the Yale admissions people of the ability of Andover graduates to do Yale-quality work that in my freshman class of approximately 1,000, there were more than 30 of them. Yes, they were for the most part wealthy and well-connected, but to a man they were very smart and very well-prepared. They were in another league from guys like me. One of them, Bart Giamatti, went on to become president of Yale and, later, Commissioner of Baseball. There was a standing joke back then: "Did you graduate from Andover or did you just happen to come to Yale?" That wasn't enough for the guy, though. It wasn't enough that Bush had sneaked into Yale - then all he could manage was a "gentleman's C", a reference to the fact that at one time in the long ago, the sons of the wealthy could cruise for four years. Trust me - there was no such thing by the time George W. Bush arrived, because it was long gone when I attended. Sure, you could shop around for the occasional "gut" (easy) course, but if you could get a "C" without any work, you were one smart dude. Yale scored on the percentage basis back then - a 75 was a "C," an 85 was a "B" etc. Your overall average was determined by adding up all your grades and dividing by the number of classes you were taking. I once dropped out of a calculus class with an average in the 20's (no harmless "withdrawals" in those days) and those bastards figured that grade into my overall average! Well, said the guy the guy across the aisle, Bush couldn't get into Texas Law School. Hmmm, I said, I wonder if you could have. Anyhow, I went on, he did somehow get into Harvard Business School, the most prestigious and easily the most difficult to get into of any business school in the US. And he did manage to graduate with his MBA degree. I guess, I told the guy, the folks at Harvard must have seen something in that guy that you haven't. It's not very often that I play the Ivy game, but this time I just couldn't resist. By the way, I asked the guy, where did you go to school? End of "discussion." And then that night, on arrival in Atlanta, I was sent this by Matt Bastardi, of Montgomery, New Jersey, who I guess got it off the Net. The Hollywood group is at it again. Holding anti-war rallies, screaming about the Bush Administration, running ads in major newspapers, defaming the President and his Cabinet every chance they get with names like "stupid", "morons", and "idiots". Jessica Lange went so far as to tell a crowd in Spain that she hates President Bush and is embarrassed to be an American. So, just how ignorant are these people who are running the country? Let's look at the biographies of these "stupid", "ignorant" , "moronic" leaders, and then at the celebrities who are castigating them: President George W. Bush: Received a Bachelors Degree from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He served as an F-102 pilot for the Texas Air National Guard. Vice President Dick Cheney: Earned a B. A. in 1965 and a M. A. in 1966, both in political science. Secretary of State Colin Powell: Educated in the New York City public schools, graduating from the City College of New York (CCNY), where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in geology. His further academic achievements include a Master of Business Administration Degree from George Washington University. Secretary Powell is the recipient of numerous U. S. and foreign military awards and decorations. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld: Attended Princeton University on Scholarship (AB, 1954) and served in the U. S. Navy (1954-57) as a Naval aviator. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge: Raised in a working class family in veterans' public housing in Erie, he earned a scholarship to Harvard, graduating with honors in 1967. After his first year at The Dickinson School of Law, he was drafted into the U. S. Army, where he served as an infantry staff sergeant in Vietnam, earning the Bronze Star for Valor. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice: Earned her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Denver in 1974; her Master's from the University of Notre Dame in 1975; and her Ph. D. from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1981. (Note: Rice enrolled at the University of Denver at the age of 15, graduating at 19 with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science (Cum Laude). So who are these celebrities? What is their education? What is their experience? Barbra Streisand : Completed high school. Career: Singing and acting Cher: Dropped out of school in 9th grade. Career: Singing and acting Martin Sheen: Flunked exam to enter University of Dayton. Career: Acting Jessica Lange: Dropped out of college mid-freshman year. Career: Acting Alec Baldwin: Dropped out of George Washington University. Career: Acting Julia Roberts: Completed high school. Career: Acting Sean Penn: Completed High school. Career: Acting Susan Sarandon: Degree in Drama from Catholic University of America in Washington, D. C. Career: Acting Ed Asner: Completed High school. Career: Acting George Clooney: Dropped out of University of Kentucky. Career: Acting Michael Moore: Dropped out first year University of Michigan. Career: Movie Director Sarah Jessica Parker: Completed High School. Career: Acting Jennifer Anniston: Completed High School. Career: Acting Mike Farrell: Completed High school. Career: Acting Janeane Garofalo: Dropped out of College. Career: Stand up comedienne Larry Hagman: Attended Bard College for one year. Career: Acting While comparing the education and experience of these two groups, we should also remember that President Bush and his cabinet are briefed daily, even hourly, on the War on Terror and threats to our security. They are privy to information gathered around the world concerning the Middle East, the threats to America, the intentions of terrorists and terrorist-supporting governments. They are in constant communication with the CIA, the FBI, Interpol, NATO, The United Nations, our own military, and that of our allies around the world. We cannot simply believe that we have full knowledge of the threats because we watch CNN. We cannot believe that we are in any way as informed as our leaders. These celebrities have no intelligence-gathering agents, no fact-finding groups, no insight into the minds of those who would destroy our country. The silence was deafening from the Left when Bill Clinton bombed a pharmaceutical factory outside of Khartoum, or when he attacked the Bosnian Serbs in 1995 and 1999. He bombed Serbia itself to get Slobodan Milosevic out of Kosovo, and not a single peace rally was held. When our Rangers were ambushed in Somalia and 18 young American lives were lost, not a peep was heard from Hollywood. Yet now, after our nation has been attacked on its own soil, after 3,000 Americans were killed by freedom-hating terrorists while going about their routine lives, they hold rallies against the war. It is time for us, as citizens of the United States, to educate ourselves about the world around us. If future generations are going to enjoy the freedoms that our forefathers bequeathed us, if they are ever to know peace in their own country and their world, to live without fear of terrorism striking in their own cities, we must assure that this nation remains strong. We must make certain that those who would destroy us are made aware of the severe consequences that will befall them. Yes, it's a wonderful dream to sit down with dictators and terrorists and join hands, talking of world peace. But it is not real. We did not stop Adolf Hitler from taking over the entire continent of Europe by simply talking to him. We sent our best and brightest, and with strength and determination defeated the Nazi regime. President John F. Kennedy did not stop the Soviet ships from unloading their nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962 with mere words. He stopped them with action and threat of immediate war. We did not end the Cold War with conferences. It ended because of the strong belief of President Ronald Reagan...PEACE through STRENGTH. *********** Thanks to Adam Wesoloski- Pulaski, Wisconsin- The Difference Between The Liberal, the Conservative, and the Texas Conservatives Responses to the "Debate" Over Armed Defense. Question: You're walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, a dangerous looking man with a huge knife comes around the corner and is running at you while screaming obscenities. In your hand is a Glock .40 and you are a decent shot. You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family. What do you do? Liberal Answer: Well, that's not enough information to answer the question! Does the man look poor or oppressed? Have I ever done anything to him that is inspiring him to attack? Could we run away? What does my wife think? What about the kids? Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand? What does the law say about this situation? Is it possible he'd be happy with just killing me? Does he definitely want to kill me or would he just be content to wound me? If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me? This is all so confusing! I need to debate this with some friends for a few days to try to come to a conclusion. Conservative Answer: BANG! Texas Conservative Answer: BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! click... (sounds of clip being ejected and fresh clip installed) Wife: "Sweetheart, he looks like he's still moving, what do you kids think?" Son: "Mom's right Dad, I saw it too..." BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Daughter: "Nice grouping Daddy!" *********** Just read some responses about Buck Nystrom. Oh My God!!!!! I'll never the first Clinic that I saw him. Chris Thompson and I were at the Coach of the Year Clinic in Sea-Tac and after a night of HEAVY drinking we actually made it to the 8:00 am first session (damn Marine) The session was Buck Nystrom and the Drive Block. He talked for 2 hours on the Drive Block. I never knew of anyone who could talk for over 15 to 20 minutes on the Drive Block and keep it interesting. Boy was I wrong. In less than five minutes Buck had everyone in the session on the edge of their seats paying attention to what was being screamed at them (Buck don't use microphones) Chris and I were right up front and after Coach Nystrom beat up the second and third helper from the audience we started to get a little worried about our own health. It is still to this day the BEST performance at a Football or Baseball Clinic I have ever seen. ( and I've been to a few) What an inspiration to the game. I learned a little about the finesse of football that day. I thought about how bored I was going to be listening to a two hour lecture on just the Drive Block. Coach Nystrom taught me how little I actually know about "the simple" Ha, Ha, Drive Block that day. Coach, he never took one break that day. He was amazing!!!! We also sobered up really fast. To this day he is remembered to Chris and me as "Corch" because we remember that's how he always pronounced the word "Coach" when he used it. When you see Chris next time ask him about Buck Nystrom (Corch) and I'll promise you he will get a big smile on his face. See you later! Ossie (That's my old friend Ossie Osmundson, the former coach at Ridgefield, Washington for whom I once worked as offensive coordinator. You've seen some of his teams play in "Dynamics of the Double Wing." Chris Thompson was head coach at Ridgefield before Ossie, and was the principal when I arrived there. He is a former Marine infantryman and Vietnam combat vet, and I went to Ridgefield specifically because I wanted to work for a principal like that. HW) *********** Hugh, I told you my company was sending me overseas. I am setting up an oil spill clean up operation here in Chania (silent C), Crete, Greece. Or as the people over here call it the "Big Gas Station." Just to let you know your site is looking good here in Crete. However, otherwise it is total torture - , soccer, soccer, and more soccer. I'm really pissed that I will miss your Philly clinic. I didn't want to come over here but with the money offered and the fact that it gives me some satisfaction that I'm doing something to help the cause, I agreed to come for 30 days, to get it set up. We had to have about 30 MPs on the base dock yesterday. The French carrier Charles DeGaulle came in for fuel and we refused to refuel them. Our boys were fired up and yelling sh-- back and forth (nothing got started). The Navy told them we could not afford to spare the fuel- that we needed it for our ships that were in the war. They got a little pissed off because they will have to bring it in on tank trucks. It will take then quite a while. F--- them. I know you a busy, probably at a clinic on the weekend say hi to Connie, and the guys on the News. I will be reading it in Chania, Crete, Greece. Frank Simonsen, Cape May, New Jersey, on TDY in Crete *********** Coach Wyatt; Thanks for letting some of us coaches blow off some steam about the anti-war demonstrators. None of us likes to see war but none of us likes the fact that people like Saddam and bin Ladin are a threat to our homeland. They have to go... no matter what it takes, no matter what anyone thinks. We have our troops fighting for our freedom and safety and these anti-war people are over here protesting without a clue. These "peace advocates" are now causing riots. Attacking cops for god's sake. I'm glad they are being arrested. I wish the media would quit making such a big deal out of it. Just a tiny portion of our population is actually involved in the protesting but they get a pretty good share of the media coverage. (I heard on the radio the other day that protesters on college campuses actually only make up about 1 tenth of one percent of campus populations - with the exception of the Evergreen State Zoo.) I heard another protestor actually say she was protesting the war for her children. What the hell does she think President Bush is doing? He's the one who will some day get the credit for creating a peaceful civilization - a safe place for our kids and grandkids. Someday he'll be considered as one of the most important leadership figures in the history of the planet. Just thought I would mention that one of my former players is a Navy Seal who at this time is hunting down Osoma bin Ladin. (One hell of a great kid whom I am just a tad bit proud of.) I hope he brings back his scalp. I hope he gets back here in one piece. Thanks for letting me vent. Mike Voie, Winlock, Washington *********** No sooner had the words "fictitious election results," and "fictitious President" escaped the lips of Oscar-winner Michael Moore than the boos began to cascade from the audience at the Academy Awards. They were not pleased at his attempt to use the stage as his own personal soap box. Imagine! Too far left for even those lefties! The socialist weasel raised his voice even louder, shouting, "Shame on you, Mr. Bush!" when to the everlasting credit of the people running the show, the band started to play, drowning out the rants of the pathetic Mr. Moore. Lord, it was beautiful! In one of the great old traditions of vaudeville, when a performer whose act was bombing was removed from the stage physically by means of a long hook wielded by someone offstage, Michael Moore was "given the hook." Just to show what a show business pro she really is, Barbra Streisand, after seeing poor Mr. Moore get booed off the stage, must have torn up whatever long anti-Bush rant she had planned on giving and switched to Plan B, a very, very short and almost apologetic talk about how this was America, where everybody had a right to express their opinion - even performers. Not surprisingly, I couldn't find a thing in any of the papers the next day reporting what had happened to Michael Moore. *********** Screw the liberals. Charlie Daniels should sing the National Anthem at the next Super Bowl! *********** Coach,   I have some thoughts on our war effort. I am angry. We look incompetent. There's nothing I hate more especially when it comes to our lives.   - our people get treated brutally - makes sense as we are dealing with a brutal regime. Do we have to be "nice" back? - we're so eager to be nice that we allow ourselves to be shot up from behind with the fake surrender deal? - get these effing reporters out!! This is not a damn football game! There is nothing to be gained by having them around! What the    hell is our brass thinking? - thanks to Senator and former President Clinton for gutting our military for 8 years. We have equipment that doesn't work and a   military that is partially a jobs/social program which includes a "Whahabi" sect Muslim Sgt that killed our own men. Yes that's the   same sect that is working so hard to convert men in our prisons and cities. FOX News   had a great discussion about this on Saturday night. They were pointing out the problems with this while the other stations were   being PC. Of course, now they are all being PC about it. (Do we say he's Muslim? do we say he was "unhappy" or "disturbed"?   Do we show his face? - How about this, let's put him on America's Most Wanted!) - I'm worried we've been sold a bill of goods on technology that conquers all when the simple fact of the matter is, it's your will that   conquers all. I hope we have some will left. Judging by some of the antiwar crowd, there doesn't seem to be alot left in our country.   I cant believe I saw a guy with a sign that read something like "We support you troops - shoot your officers in the back."  - By the way, I heard some idiot ask, "What town was the Geneva convention in?" I think the Iraqis missed that memo on those  "rules". Donald Rumsfeld got sandbagged with that video on Sunday morning but his response about following the Geneva   convention irked me. - BTW, thanks to the Russians for their help to the Iraqis and I see the French and Chinese are owed a serious amount of money   from Iraq as well. Looks like Vladimir Putin is not the friend we thought he was.     Coach, I'm ill!   Matt Bastardi, Montgomery, New Jersey (We've got to hang tough. We're not even over there. Our job is easy. All we have to do is deal with a relatively small but loud and boisterous bunch of cowardly weenies who cover their faces and march in the streets. There's not a damn one of them who's ever been in an honest fistfight. Never forget, the Revolutionary War was fought by - and supported by - 1/3 of the people. 1/3 favored independence, 1/3 favored remaining loyal to the crown, and 1/3 remained on the fence. Washington's troops went without food because local farmers refused to take his worthless currency; they had no compunctions about selling to the British for real money. Washington's men starved and froze their asses at Valley Forge while the British partied away the winter in Philadelphia, entertaining - and entertained by - the local ladies. Remember what Tom Paine wrote about people with a lack of resolve. In December, 1776, shortly after independence was declared but far from achieved, when things were going really, really bad, he wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country..." I am getting sick of hearing how our people are over in Iraq "fighting for the right to say whatever you please." Bullshit. They are fighting out of a sense of duty and they are fighting for the guy on their right and guy on their left. Find me one person over there who's putting his (or her) life on the line so these creeps - who have never had to fight for anything in their lives - can tie up our cities and say the vilest of things about their Commander-in-Chief. We are fighting on two fronts. We are having to deal with a traitor class spawned in the Vietnam era and nurtured in our leftist colleges. When they get out of those anti-capitalist places, the idea of getting a job in management is the furthest things from their minds. They're not going to get their hands dirty, and they're certainly not going to join the military, so their job options are "public service," is education, and journalism. And, of course - and I can't for the life of me figure out how they make a living doing it - "activism." This explains why they dominate areas that enable them to seem more numerous than they really are. Get pissed off at them. But don't lose heart. And screw tolerance. There's a lot more of us than there are of them. An important lesson to be learned from the Revolutionary War, though, was that there was little tolerance for that 1/3 who sympathized with the British. They were called "Tories," and life was not easy for them. many of them fled to Canada. (Which may account for some of the strange sentiments being expressed up in the Great White North, eh?) Remember, it only took 1/3. We've got a lot more than that. HW) *********** Hugh: The liberal media and the television coverage has forced me to unplug the television. I find it incredible that liberals think we should pack up and leave Iraq because some soldiers lost their lives..........geez, if CNN was in WWII, the brits would have packed it in after losing thousands of men during Operation Market Garden and no doubt we would have all come home after Bastogne.........it is so depressing watching the weak minded people in this country. Hope all went well in Atlanta. Bill Lawlor,Hoffman Estates, Illinois *********** Dear Coach Wyatt, I have a short story about students addressing teachers by correct title. When I began my student teaching, many of the students at both the high school and middle school kept asking me for my first name or they would call me 'Grims' or other short versions of my last name. I wrote on the blackboard, call me only "Mr. Grimsley" or "Sir." I would not answer to any other name. Thus after a few days, the students got the point. The amazing thing was that most addressed me as Sir. When I began coaching freshman football I saw that the players would never say 'yes sir' or 'no sir', they would answer 'yeah' and such. I ran laps in my high school days for answering my coaches with 'yeah'. I asked the head freshman football coach why the no use of sir. He said that they weren't that old school. I said okay, but I would tell the players I worked with to use 'sir'. I would rather be old school. My fathers still addresses his high school coach by the name of coach. This man is in his late 70's but is treated by great respect by my father, his brothers, and cousins who all played for him back in the 50's & 60's. I wanted to just share with you my experiences. Have a wonderful weekend coming up. Yours, John Grimsley, Gaithersburg, Maryland (We do not do our kids any favor if we fail to use the opportunity football provides to teach impoprtant life skills, one of the most important of which is showing respect. Those kids who are being allowed to act like louts because their coach takes some sort of touchy-feely pride in not being "old school" are being deprived of a very important lesson. HW) *********** For years, General Jim Shelton, one of my Black Lions friends, worked on a book on his experiences in Vietnam, with special emphasis on the bloody Battle of Ong Thanh, in which so many Black Lions died, Don Holleder along with them. It is now in print.   It is entitled, "The Beast Was out There," by James M. Shelton. Its subtitle is "The 28th Infantry Black Lions and the Battle of Ong Thanh Vietnam October 1967" and it is published by Cantigny Press, Wheaton, Illinois. to order a copy, go to http://www.rrmtf.org/firstdivision/ and click on "Publications and Products") All monies after costs go equally to the Black Lions and the 1st Infantry Division Foundation, (sponsors of the Black Lion Award).   General Shelton is shown at left at West Point, at a book signing. (He does a lot of autographing - he personally signs every Black Lion Award certificate.)   You can get an autographed copy of General Shelton's book for yourself or for a friend - send him a check for $25 per book, and tell him who the books are for, and he'll personally autograph them and mail them back to you. His address is General James Shelton, 6610 Gasparilla Pines Blvd #118, Englewood FL 34224   I have my copy. It is well worth the price just for the "playbooks" it contains in the back - "Fundamentals of Infantry" and "Fundamentals of Artillery," as well as a glossary of all those military terms, so that guys like you and me can understand what they're talking about.   THE PHOTO AT THE LEFT is what the Black Lion Award is all about - connecting outstanding young men of today with the men who've served. Shown here is Cody Allen, of Las Animas High in Las Animas, Colorado, and Mr. Ernesto Vargas, a Black Lion. Las Animas coach Greg Koenig contacted Mr. Vargas, who was happy to take part in the award ceremony. Mr. Vargas, by the way, was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. On the left front of his jacket, from bottom to top, are badges of the Black Lions (28th Infantry Regiment), the Big Red One (1st Infantry Division) and the Combat Infantryman.     YOU WANNA SEE SOMETHING COOL? http://www.jackson.army.mil/228th/index.htm       --- THE BLACK LION AWARD --- HONOR BRAVE MEN AND RECOGNIZE GREAT KIDS IT'S NOT TOO EARLY TO START SIGNING UP FOR 2003 "NO MISSION TOO DIFFICULT - NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT - DUTY FIRST" inscribed on the wall of the 1st Division Museum, at Cantigny, Wheaton, Ilinois THE BLACK LION AWARD (FOR MORE INFO) ARE YOU A BLACK LION TEAM? (FOR MORE INFO)

March 21, 2003 - "Great leaders inspire ordinary people to do extraordinary things." General Charles Krulak, USMC, former Commandant of the Marine Corps   2003 CLINIC SCENES : CHICAGO   click here for info ----->>>>> <<<<<-----click here for info THIS PAST SEASON'S WEEK-BY-WEEK GAME REPORTS FROM ASSORTED DOUBLE-WING TEAMS ( "WINNER'S CIRCLE")   AS PROMISED.... READERS' FRENCH JOKES (updated as we get them)    A LOOK AT OUR LEGACY: Bill Curry learned from the best. He is a graduate of Georgia Tech, where he played under the legendary Bobby Dodd. He played under two Hall-of-Fame NFL coaches, Vince Lombardi and Don Shula. He snapped the ball to two different Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks, first to Bart Starr and then to John Unitas, he and snapped in two of the first three Super Bowls. He played a total of 10 seasons in the NFL, for four different teams. "He's the best center I've ever coached," said Baltimore Colts' offensive line coach, Lou Rymkus, in 1970. "I saw him in the film belt Dick Butkus twice and each time he really hit him, drove him back. Anyone who can do that has to be great. Someone else must have thought so, too, because he was an all-pro center in 1971 and 1972 with the Baltimore Colts. After his playing career ended, he was an assistant coach for the Green Bay Packers under Head Coach Bart Starr from 1977-79, and wound up spending 17 years as a major college head coach. His first job was at his alma mater, Georgia Tech. So successful was he in his seven years there that he had the good - or bad - luck to be the second man to try to succeed America's best-known coach at one of the nation's highest-profile programs. He didn't last - possibly nobody could have. Nothing wrong with the job he did, but first of all, the shadow cast by the legend was too great for any man to have to work under, and second of all, he was a Georgia Tech guy, at a place that never could forgive Bobby Dodd for dropping them from its schedule. From there, he moved to a team in the same conference, where he coached for seven years. He was named ACC Coach of the Year in 1985, SEC Coach of the Year in 1987 and 1989 and the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year in 1989. Now, he works for ESPN, where, in my opinion at least, he is one of the best college football TV analysts in the business. Dating back to his college days, he has remained active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He serves on the executive committee of the National Consortium for Academics and Sports, established in 1985 by Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society.. To join the NCAS, a college must agree to allow former student-athletes who competed in revenue sports and were unable to complete their degree requirements to return to school, tuition-free. In exchange, the former student-athletes must agree to participate in the school's outreach and community service programs. Correctly identifying Bill Curry - Bert Ford- Los Angeles.... Joe Daniels- Sacramento ("One of the 10 best centers to ever play the game...a damn good coach and after reading some of his writing about ethics in coaching I'm gonna guess he would be a guy I would buy a cold one for, sit down and glean any amount of information I could. This guy has seen and done it all in football") .... Tom Hinger- Auburndale, Florida ("Even I know Bill Curry when I see him")... Kevin McCullough- Culver, Indiana... Mike Framke- Green Bay, Wisconsin... Don Capaldo- Keokuk, Iowa ("This week's legacy guy IS the best commentator of college football and he isn't afraid to go against the other commentators that suck money from ESPN with their less than expert commentary! He is a breath of fresh air and is most often right on the money with his commentary. He's also (and I've heard this from many who have played with him and agin him) one of the toughest offensive lineman to ever play the college or pro game. I guess I didn't realize that he was that good a college coach but I will stack him up with the best at understanding the college game and being true to his understanding of coaching. He doesn't kowtow to those other charlatan commentators. He is all one would expect - a southern gentlemen though. He never bashes his contemporaries. He all class!")... Adam Wesoloski- Pulaski, Wisconsin... Mike Benton - Colfax, Illinois... Greg Stout- Thompson's Station, Tennessee... Mike O'Donnell - Pine City, Minnesota... John Bothe- Oregon, Illinois... Norm Barney- Klamath Falls, Oregon... Bill Nelson- West Burlington, Iowa... Dave Potter- Durham, North Carolina ("All I had to do was see the pic. I haven't even read the question, yet. BTW--I will be attending the Duke Football Coaches Clinic this Thursday through Saturday and their keynote speaker will be none other than Bill Curry. As a Baltimore Colts fan, this is huge for me! Can you imagine Curry played for Lombardi AND Shula and his quarterbacks were Starr and Unitas! Amazing.")... Jon McLaughlin- Oak Forest, Illinois ("Seeing that I never get involved in this....I thought I would try my hand at it.")... JOhn Zeller- Sears, Michigan ("he didn't succeed Bryant at Alabama, did he? NO- I thought that was Ray Perkins. YOU ARE CORRECT- I remember in 1985 when Georgia Tech was playing Michigan State in a bowl game, he suspended a player or players for some reason, caught some heat for being a hard nose, and I called that bowl "The Integrity Bowl." I also like hearing Coach Curry's insights on the Mike and Mike show on ESPN radio.")... Scott Russell - Potomac Falls, Virginia... Sam Knopik - Kansas City... Scott Russell- Potomac Falls, Virginia... John Muckian- Lynn, Massachusetts ("That is Bill Curry, great "under rated" coach, did a great rebuilding job at Ga.Tech when the entire athletic dept. was in a state of "decay" also he was an outstanding player. Even though I like him as a T.V. analyst, I would love to see him take one more crack at coaching at a place where he would be appreciated.")... Jack Tourtillotte- Boothbay Harbor, Maine ("great analyst and I agree with you - no one could have lasted at Alabama -not even the great 'Rock'.")... Mark Kaczmarek- Davenport, Iowa (As a loyal Packer fan Cheesehead Bill Curry was an easy call.")... Mike Foristiere- Boise, Idaho... Michael Morris- Huntsville, Alabama... Joe Gutilla- Minneapolis ("In my estimation the BEST center the NFL game has ever seen, and more importantly, one of the most decent men in the game, period. I would rather watch a college game with him doing the analysis than anyone else. He knows what the hell he's talking about, and what he says always makes the game more interesting, and makes a whole helluva lot of sense!")... John Grimsley- Gaithersburg, Maryland ("I also agree that he is one of the best on ESPN. My father thinks he is the best").... John Reardon- Peru, Illinois... David Crump- Owensboro, Kentucky... *********** A LESSON IN LEADERSHIP Hmmmm. The protesters keep saying they just want to be heard. They say that President Bush doesn't listen to the people. Of course, there is the possibility that he has listened to them - and he thinks they're full of sh--. A Washington Post-ABC poll taken Monday revealed that 70 per cent of the people surveyed support the President's call to go to war without the approval of the United Nations. I have an idea that it's not about the President listening to the people in the streets. He was saying the same thing when the polls showed the people 50-50. By sheer fore of leadership, he has brought us around. Sounds as if the American people have been listening to the President, instead of the other way around, the way the weenies would have it. Not that those whining fools would know anything about leadership. I JUST KNEW THAT ALL I HAD TO DO WAS MENTION BUCK NYSTROM - ACTUALLY, I DIDN'T, JOE GUTILLA OF MINNEAPOLIS DID - AND I'D GET MAIL *********** Coach, Just read the News. On behalf of single wing coaches everywhere, would you kindly ask Coach Torres to not use the terms "Michael Jackson" and "spin" in the same sentence? Its an insult to the verb we (single-wingers) love! Also, I just got a copy of a Buck Nystrom tape clinic tape.  ohmygod... Words do him no justice. I have heard the stories of 1st row coaches (young, naive, massive) waking up the following morning with a bruise the shape of Buck's hand on their chest. Also, from what I've heard, I guess the after hour demonstrations at the local watering hole actually tended to get a little physical... Todd Bross, Sharon, Pennsylvania *********** Holy crap! I just got to the section in the news about Joe Gutilla talking about seeing Buck Nystrom at a clinic and had to stop and email you. I saw the exact same thing (him beating the hell out of a volunteer) at a clinic I attended once. The funny thing was, I tried to be the volunteer! After he beat the hell out of this guy (some young, foolish assistant like me) for about 5 minutes talking about toughness and drills, I went to the back of the room because I thought he was going to need another body and I was the closest thing available! I mean this guy that went up there was bleeding and everything!! Matt Bastardi, Montgomery, New Jersey PS just got the Fine Line tape. another Wyatt masterpiece! *********** Coach Wyatt, I went to a Buck Nystrom camp put on by Menominee High School. Menominee is a powerhouse in Wisconsin having won 5 or 6 state championships in the past 10 years. They have won with some smaller offensive linemen but they have been taught in camps by Buck Nystrom. A friend of mine told me that if I ever got the chance I had to go see this guy. On our way to a vacation in Toronto I made my wife stop at Menominee High School, (she dropped me off and then went shopping) so I could go and sit in on a two hour morning session of a Buck Nystrom camp. I walked in to the gym and found a spot off to the side along with some other coaches who were just there to watch. Coach Nystrom came out and introduced himself and talked about what was going to happen at the camp. Then he got everyone out of the bleachers and lined up and started going through his drills. He at the time must have been at least 70 years old. He was coaching with more enthusiasm than I have seen from anyone. His shirt was drenched with sweat and spit was flying it was great. A few of us were watching when Coach Nystrom yelled to either get in line for the drills or start coaching. For the next 1 hour or so I along with the others helped coach and Coach Nystrom went up and down the lines coaching the kids and the coaches. I remember him constantly talking about "demand and confront", demand excellence and confront anything less. It was a great experience. Keith Lehne, Grantsburg, Wisconsin *********** From Doug Parks, in Milford, Michigan, comes a pair of gems: Coach Wyatt, saw the article where Buck Nystrom was mentioned. I work with his nephew (Vince Nystrom) in Lansing, MI, and showed him the story. I asked him if he had any good stories to relay. Following is what he sent me: "Ha ha!!!! That is perfect! You never, ever, ever sit in the front row. If he does grab you and beat the crap out of you, he will spit tobacco on you and possibly spit his teeth at you also. More than once I've seen those teeth fly out. I was always going to the NMU (Northern Michigan University) football camps as a youngster and was a favorite target. "My uncle is fun to be around. He is a Jeckyl & Hyde. Off the field he is a fairly quiet, interested, and fun to be around guy. In his coaching mode you never knew if he was going to walk up behind you and literally bite you in the ass. There are lots of fun stories out there. One time at NMU he went one on one w/ a lineman that was not doing the drill right. Buck took the worst of it being undersized and not having any equipment. He ended up with a bit of a concussion and a head gash that required stitches. He got all pissed off about that and ended up taping a potato chip bag to his head and continued the practice. "Another time he got so pissed off at Mandarich at MSU that he flew into a multi-minute rage calling him big, fat, lazy, stupid, etc. People say you could literally see the steam coming out of Mandarich's ears. Perles walked up to him after and asked him that he never do that again in fear that Mandarich would snap and break Buck into pieces. "He is a bit famous in the coaching world. There was a time in the 80's that he was considered the best O-Line coach in the country college or pro. I'm not sure if this was true, but he is probably one of the very best for straight up drive blocking schemes. Fit MSU's Perles offense perfectly. He still does some consulting on the side during the Spring. He usually spends a week at LSU w/ Saban. They were very close friends at MSU. He will probably also go to TCU to visit my cousin (his son, who is an assistant there). I know he was at Florida State a few years ago." Here's another good Buck story. "Around 1984, MSU built a brand new indoor football facility. It was state of the art and was probably the nicest in the Bigten at the time. On a side note, UofM finished their facility the following year and made theirs one foot longer for bragging rights. Nice rivalry. Anyway, the indoor facility of course had a brand new turf field. As the weather turned sour later in the season, MSU moved their practice indoors. Soon there became noticable little black splotches on the turf and ban was issued against chewing tobacco. Buck had a difficult time adapting to this rule and a war was raged between Perles and the unknown spitter. Finally, Buck was busted and could no longer spit on the carpet so he started wearing a rain coat and would spit in the pockets. This is all fine and clever, but he never washed the damn thing. The coat soon stunk and would slosh around and spill anyway. Every now and then he would get involved in a drill, collide with a player, and a week's worth of spit would shoot out over everybody. A few players finally broke into his locker and stole the coat."   *********** "We are not going to let a tyrant lead our lives," said Myles Brand, President of the NCAA, in announcing that Saddam Hussein or no Saddam Hussein, the NCAA basketball tournament would go on as scheduled. Now I'm confused. Or did he say that when he was president of Indiana University, and he fired Bobby Knight? *********** "Hope you don''t mind I have used some of your editiorial comments concerning the war - I always give you credit and I enjoy pissing off some of our more liberal staff members - including one who is a flaming liberal - she and I have had some very animated discussions and enjoy the opportunitites to get under each other's skin. I do think Iam winning though and your editorials have tipped the balance in my favor - thanks" NAME WITHHELD (To anyone out there - feel free. I am flattered. This is one of the main reasons I write. For a long time, I've dedicated myself to helping high school football coaches arm themselves against the liberals on the faculty. Those pseudo-intellectuals love to look down their noses at football coaches, but when you get past the liberal slogans and superficial "facts" that they love to pass along - George Bush's stupidity, for example - and pin their asses to the wall, they are surprisingly uninformed. They think that merely calling themselves "liberal" gives them a pass in any argument, and excuses them from having to deal in facts. They have controlled the faculty room for too long, and it's time to take it back. HW) *********** Coach, How about the show of sportsmanship put on by Cleveland's Ricky Davis? Here's a guy I want on my team. He has already been fined and suspended for two games this season for fighting with his team mates and being selfish. Being from Pittsburgh this could not happen to a better city, an a-hole like Davis and a team like the Cav's (12 - 53) makes the Pittsburgh winter a little warmer. Maybe the Cav's coach Keith Smart should start running the DW, to teach his players some team work. Rick Stiffey, Brighton Twp., Pennsylvania (I assume you mean his stunt of taking a wild shot at the other team's basket, in order to get a 10th rebound, which would give him a "triple-double." Damn shame that the rules, already anticipating a f--king selfish idiot like him, don't award a rebound to the "shooting" team. He finished with nine rebounds. What an ass. HW) *********** Still on the subject of the NBA... How much is Rasheed Wallace paying Ron Artest to keep up that act of his? Artest is the best thing that's ever happened to 'Sheed's image. *********** Still on the Trail Blazers... Bonzi Wells was suspended for a game for "conduct detrimental to the team?" Now, what do you suppose he did that would be considered "detrimental" by Trail Blazers' standards. ********** The rest of the Blazers accepted the fact that in suspending Wells, coach Maurice Cheeks had to do what he had to do. Said one of them, "He the boss." *********** Coach, I do not want to take anything away from southern hospitality, but.... I was born and raised in Nebraska where I developed the habit of addressing all adults by Sir and Ma'am. Even today I call teachers who I meet and respect, "Coach". In fact I was in an interview last week where I accedentally called the principal, "Coach"! So, I think this issue could be more accurately be attributed to those raised with a sense of respect for others, not just a geographical attribute. (Although I agree that those who do not use coach, sir, and ma'am may not be disrespectful at the same time.) Good post. Sam Knopik, Kansas City (Coach- It has been my observation that if the average kid in other parts of the coountry routinely called teachers "Sir" and "Ma'am," he would be the exception. If the average Southern kid failed to do so, he would be the exception. You obviously had the benefit of good upbringing. HW) *********** Not condoning any sexual assault and certainly not condoning rape. NO, NO, NO, NO. NOT FOR ONE MINUTE. RAPISTS SHOULD BE STRUNG UP BY THE COJONES! BUT.... With all the talk about the "sexual assaults" that have "allegedly" (that makes me sound more like a professional journalist, don't you think?) taken place at the Air Force Academy - and possibly been covered up - I have a few questions to ask: (1) Did it ever occur to the proponents of "fairness", the feminist members of Congress, both male and female, who pushed coeducation on the service academies that, although they choose their students from among some of America's finest young people, they are still young people, with, uh, sex drives? (2) Did it ever occur to them that off-campus socializing, including alcohol, while good for morale, is on a collision course with the academies' zero tolerance for sexual assault? (3) Does it really make sense that at the Air Force Academy - the Air Force Academy, for God's sake - there are coed dorms? ARE YOU SH---ING ME????? (4) Aren't these women taught self-defense? How would a male cadet who got out of line expl;ain the fact that he couldn't stand up straight the next day? (5) What, exactly, is the truth regarding today's liberated women? On the one hand, we're constantly fed the line that a woman can do anything a man can do. On the other, there seems be an admission in this case that she can't - at least, not when it comes to defending herself against an aggressive male. (Unfortunately, most of our country's enemies seem to fit that description.) (6) If they can't defend themselves, how can they defend us? *********** In answering this week's Legacy question, John Zeller, of Sears, Michigan, referred to BIll Curry as "Coach Curry," and then said, "Oops, there I go, calling him 'Coach' and it's been a few years since he coached. I still have former athletes who call me "Coach," including one who calls me every few months just to get my take on things. We have a man in our community who is in his late 60's and is a retired teacher and coach. He's "Coach Bennett" to one and all." (My position is, once a coach, always a coach. If you have proved yourself a coach, you are entitled to be called "Coach" for the rest of your life. It is a title you have earned, just as a retired military officer has earned the right to be addressed by his title HW) *********** With President Bush following a form-over-substance creep like Clinton, it's like one of us having to follow behind a coach that people liked, who kissed all the boosters' asses and ran all sorts of successful fund-raisers and was a very good PR guy. But when you arrive and look behind the scenes, you find that the program is really in a shambles. The equipment is a mess, you can't find the game tapes because he's lent them all out, and he hasn't taught the kids any of the basics. And then he has the gall to sit in the faculty room and drink coffee and criticize you. And stand up in class and tell your second-stringers that if he were still coach, they'd be playing more. On Friday nights he sits up in the stands with his booster buddies and tells them what he'd have done differently. Which is probably just as well, because what he'd really like to be doing is taping your games and selling the tapes to your opponents. *********** Coach -- loved your News today -- especially the "first shot fired" historical reflection! those were pure men, the type of guys I'd like to hang with! Austin talked with me last week, inquiring about what I thought of him becoming a Navy Seal! Wow - big lump! I have such mixed emotions about this -- from 2 respects -- 1st, as a dad -- thinking of my son in harm's way, without me there to protect him isn't my idea of a "happy thought". 2nd, as a Marine myself - NAVY!!! are you SHI--ING ME!? but then I relax and think about how proud I am that he is even considering such an option. In today's world, to have a kid stand up and say "I'll fight for your rights" is one of the most admirable things I can imagine. It's funny, because we've never really spoken about the military before, other than me telling exaggerated tales of my adventures. I will tell you that my advice to him was to a) stay focused on his education -- he's a straight A kid -- and then, if he is really serious, then he should plan on an Academy school (Annapolis, of course) and b) be an Officer! I'm an old E-5, but I ain't dumb! Those zeros lived large! ha.. Dixie Chicks -- I was planning on attending their concert this year -- Joan and I were in the car when we heard about what that bitch said about our President -- She looked at me and said, "I guess we won't be going to see them in concert, huh?" -- She knows me REAL well! Yeah -- my kids might call me "Scott" once -- they can do whatever they want their last day on earth! My mom would still slap me if she heard me call one of her friends by their first name! Or if I didn't answer her "yes ma'am" --- it's all about parenting, Coach. The shields are the perfect size for 7-8 yr olds -- up to probably 11 or 12 actually. Take care Coach -- sitting in the middle of a snow storm in Denver --- Scott Barnes, Rockwall, Texas *********** "The Evergreen State protestor will not be down for breakfast, so to speak. "My question is, why the hell does the state of Washington sponsor this sort of countercultural crap? Given what's come out of there I can't even imagine what's going on inside those walls. (Remember Mumia Abu-Jamal's taped commencement speech?) Chistopher Anderson, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Native Washingtonian) (Mumia Abu-Jamal is the Philly cop-killer - convicted - who has become a darling of the left-wing liberals. Evergreen is so leftist-lame that it allowed him to "deliver" a commencement address taped from behind bars. Like you kill a cop and get sentenced and that makes you Nelson Mandela. HW) *********** By now most of you have heard of the young heroine of the peace movement who was run over by an Israeli bulldozer. She naively (one thing about these peace activists - they're naive as hell) thought she could keep it from levelling a Palestinian house if she stood in its way. Damn shame. She had a bright future as a human shield. Among all the loving tributes being paid to her by her fellow travellers (a term once used to describe communists), this one impressed me the most- Said Therese Saliba, a professor at Evergreen State (whose salary is paid by my f--king taxes!!!) and a self-described "Fellow activist" in something called Oympians for Peace in the Middle East, "She was the heart and soul of the local resistance and a light of inspiration in an unjust world.. She was killed by a bulldozer paid for by US tax dollars." Did you catch that "resistance" bit? Interesting choice of words. I doubt that it was by accident that she used a term normally used to refer to "an opposition force in a conquered country, seeking to overthrow the government by acts of sabotage." "Resistance?" "Overthrow?" "Sabotage?" Man, that isn't a state college. That's a terrorist training camp. Hey, General Franks - with all those bombs you're planning on dropping on Iraq, couldn't you spare just one for Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington, 98505? I can get you the coordinates if you'd like. By the way... Before you start feeling too sorry for Rachel Corrie, the dear little "activist" who was run over by the Israeli bulldozer - would it affect your thinking if you knew that back in February, she was photographed doing a little "peace" work, part of which entailed using the hospitality of the nation of Israel to "educate" the murderous Palestinian bastards in the proper eitquette of anit-Americanism by, as shown here, burning a replica American flag?         *********** On the subject of "human shields," Beth Chapman, the State Auditor of Alabama, said it beautifully at a "Stand Up For America" Rally: "If America's movie stars want to be human shields, let them shield the gang-ridden streets of Los Angeles, or New York City, let them shield the lives of the children of North Birmingham whose mothers lay them down to sleep on the floor each night to shelter them from stray bullets. "If they want to be human shields, I say let them shield the men and women of honesty and integrity who epitomize courage and embody the spirit of freedom by wearing the proud uniforms of the United States Military. Those are the people who have earned and deserve shielding!" *********** Is Tom Daschle saying he would like a do-over? He voted for the use of the military in Iraq and is now saying Bush failed in diplomacy. What a poor excuse for a leader. Brad Knight (That man is a snivelling, treacherous weasel, the strongest argument I've ever seen against the Great Compromise, which gave even the smallest of states two senators. To think that a few months ago he actually stood up and told us with a straight face - which is twice as hard when you have two of them - that he wasn't going to be running for president. Haw! Fat f--king chance, Tommy. HW) *********** I have a 2 1/2 hour inservice today. The person who moderates it has a tendency to put her political views in to things. For example, in the fall, she called the President, "Mr. Bomb Iraq," and proceded to launch into an anti-war (read pro-Saddam) speach. I've already warned one of the people I team with that I won't be able to sit there and let something like that go. I'm so disgusted with these people. The brilliant media superstars are calling this the worst case of failed diplomacy in U.S. history. The truth is, most of the world can't stand someone with moral clarity. That's why they hate Bush, he knows what he believes, and believes it's right (which would make the other side WRONG). The Libs are hoping for failure, so they can grab back the power. I have two guys that were in my Sunday School class just three years ago who are there and are probably in the first wave. Yes, I'm concerned for their lives, and yes, war is scary, messy, and hellish for those who have to be involved. But boy am I proud of those two guys, and all the other guys and gals who are over there, and am I anxious to see the great job they'll do! John Zeller, Sears, Michigan *********** It makes you wonder - when you think Colorado, Wisconsin, and Michigan, they're pretty leftist college cities. But they've all made a name for themselves with defense and a running game. So leftism is no excuse for crappy Cal football. Schembechler was told in 1969 that his conservative program might not go over well, and he replied "well, I won't be here very long if that's the case, cause that's the way we're going to do it." Christopher Anderson, Cambridge, Mass. *********** This should make the femmies happy... Division II Michigan Tech has announced that it is giving up football. Finally! Gender equity at Michigan Tech!. *********** I just heard on TV that Matt Suhey is making a comeback, although I guess it's as a baseball player. Sounds as if the Yankees are looking at him in the outfield.. *********** The Oregon state legislature is being asked to drop the "Wrestling" from the Oregon Boxing and Wrestling Commission, on the grounds that wrestling isn't really an athletic event, and professional wrestlers are more actors than athletes. Is that true? *********** A coaching friend of mine works his ass off in order to be able to send his daughter to St Mary's Academy, a private, academically-stringent all-girls school in downtown Portland. He called me on Tuesday morning, furious. He'd just got off work (he works graveyard) and he'd just seen the morning paper. On the front page of its "Metro" section was a photo of some of the 250 St. Mary's students who had walked out of class Monday and staged a "peace rally" on ther school steps. Boy, was he pissed. His daughter wasn't in the picture, but one of her friends was, and he feared the worst. Oooh, boy, just wait till she gets home, etc. I tried to calm him down, telling him that lots of well-intentioned kids get caught up doing in stupid things like that, etc., etc., but, if it made him feel any better, I told him, I'd seen footage of the protest on the TV news the night before, and there were some girls actually speaking in favor of the president's decision. "WHAT?" He said. "IT WAS ON TV???" Uh-oh. Now, instead of calming him down, I'd gotten him really pissed. But ah, the virtue of keeping thinking before acting. Instead of calling the school's principal and blasting him, he called his wife at her work. She informed him that when asked to take part in the protest, their daughter had called her, asking for her advice. Mom had told her, "don't you go near that protest!" So, instead of being swept along with the tide, she turned to a parent for guidance, listened to Mom's advice, and remained in class. Man, I would be so proud of my son or daughter for having the confidence in me - or my wife - to call for advice in a case like that. And three cheers for my friend's wife for gving her daughter good advice. There's way too many of the other kind of parents. The kind whose kids grow up and get run over by bulldozers.   *********** For years, General Jim Shelton, one of my Black Lions friends, worked on a book on his experiences in Vietnam, with special emphasis on the bloody Battle of Ong Thanh, in which so many Black Lions died, Don Holleder along with them. It is now in print.   It is entitled, "The Beast Was out There," by James M. Shelton. Its subtitle is "The 28th Infantry Black Lions and the Battle of Ong Thanh Vietnam October 1967" and it is published by Cantigny Press, Wheaton, Illinois. to order a copy, go to http://www.rrmtf.org/firstdivision/ and click on "Publications and Products") All monies after costs go equally to the Black Lions and the 1st Infantry Division Foundation, (sponsors of the Black Lion Award).   General Shelton is shown at left at West Point, at a book signing. (He does a lot of autographing - he personally signs every Black Lion Award certificate.)   You can get an autographed copy of General Shelton's book for yourself or for a friend - send him a check for $25 per book, and tell him who the books are for, and he'll personally autograph them and mail them back to you. His address is General James Shelton, 6610 Gasparilla Pines Blvd #118, Englewood FL 34224   I have my copy. It is well worth the price just for the "playbooks" it contains in the back - "Fundamentals of Infantry" and "Fundamentals of Artillery," as well as a glossary of all those military terms, so that guys like you and me can understand what they're talking about.   THE PHOTO AT THE LEFT is what the Black Lion Award is all about - connecting outstanding young men of today with the men who've served. Shown here is Cody Allen, of Las Animas High in Las Animas, Colorado, and Mr. Ernesto Vargas, a Black Lion. Las Animas coach Greg Koenig contacted Mr. Vargas, who was happy to take part in the award ceremony. Mr. Vargas, by the way, was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. On the left front of his jacket, from bottom to top, are badges of the Black Lions (28th Infantry Regiment), the Big Red One (1st Infantry Division) and the Combat Infantryman.     YOU WANNA SEE SOMETHING COOL? http://www.jackson.army.mil/228th/index.htm       --- THE BLACK LION AWARD --- HONOR BRAVE MEN AND RECOGNIZE GREAT KIDS IT'S NOT TOO EARLY TO START SIGNING UP FOR 2003 "NO MISSION TOO DIFFICULT - NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT - DUTY FIRST" inscribed on the wall of the 1st Division Museum, at Cantigny, Wheaton, Ilinois THE BLACK LION AWARD (FOR MORE INFO) ARE YOU A BLACK LION TEAM? (FOR MORE INFO)

 

March 18, 2003 - "The United Nations has not lived up to its responsibilities... so we will rise to ours." President George W. Bush   SCENES FROM 2002 CLINICS- ATLANTA - CHICAGO - SOUTHERN CALIPH - BALTIMORE - DURHAM - TWIN CITIES - PROVIDENCE - DETROIT - DENVER - SACRAMENTO - PACIFIC NORTHWEST - BUFFALO CHICAGO 2003 SCENES ON FRIDAY, MARCH 21   click here for info ----->>>>> <<<<<-----click here for info THIS PAST SEASON'S WEEK-BY-WEEK GAME REPORTS FROM ASSORTED DOUBLE-WING TEAMS ( "WINNER'S CIRCLE")   AS PROMISED.... READERS' FRENCH JOKES (updated as we get them)   CORRECTION- DESPITE WHAT YOUR MAILER-BROCHURE SAYS, THE RALEIGH-DURHAM CLINIC IS APRIL 5, AND THE PHILADELPHIA CLINIC IS APRIL 12 A LOOK AT OUR LEGACY: He learned from the best. He is a graduate of Georgia Tech, where he played under the legendary Bobby Dodd. He played under two Hall-of-Fame NFL coaches, Vince Lombardi and Don Shula. He snapped the ball to two different Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks and snapped in two of the first three Super Bowls. He played a total of 10 seasons in the NFL, for four different teams. "He's the best center I've ever coached," said Baltimore Colts' offensive line coach, Lou Rymkus, in 1970. "I saw him in the film belt Dick Butkus twice and each time he really hit him, drove him back. Anyone who can do that has to be great. Someone else must have thought so, too, because he was an all-pro center in 1971 and 1972 with the Baltimore Colts. After his playing career ended, he was an assistant coach for the Green Bay Packers under Head Coach Bart Starr from 1977-79, and wound up spending 17 years as a major college head coach. His first job was at his alma mater, Georgia Tech. So successful was he in his seven years there that he had the good - or bad - luck to be the second man to try to succeed America's best-known coach at one of the nation's highest-profile programs. He didn't last - possibly nobody could have. Nothing wrong with the job he did, but first of all, the shadow cast by the legend was too great for any man to have to work under, and second of all, he was a Georgia Tech guy, at a place that never could forgive Bobby Dodd for dropping them from its schedule. From there, he moved to a team in the same conference, where he coached for seven years. He was named ACC Coach of the Year in 1985, SEC Coach of the Year in 1987 and 1989 and the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year in 1989. Now, he works for ESPN, where, in my opinion at least, he is one of the best college football TV analysts in the business. Dating back to his college days, he has remained active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He serves on the executive committee of the National Consortium for Academics and Sports, established in 1985 by Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society.. To join the NCAS, a college must agree to allow former student-athletes who competed in revenue sports and were unable to complete their degree requirements to return to school, tuition-free. In exchange, the former student-athletes must agree to participate in the school's outreach and community service programs. *********** I keep hearing about the "fact" that we've never fired first in any of our wars. Also that if we do, we will cause all manner of terrorism to be unleashed on us. May I remind those amateur historians that we certainly did fire the first shot - in the Revolutionary War. April 19, 1775, if you must know the date. At Lexington, Massachusetts, and then at Concord. You think that didn't take guts? You think those Massachusetts farmers didn't know what they were in for, once they'd fired on the troops of the world's most powerful country? You think they didn't know that from that point on, it was fight or die? You think it didn't take a strong man to fire that first shot? One hundred years later, in his famous poem, "Concord Hymn," written to commemorate the heroism of those farmers, Ralph Waldo Emerson called it "the shot heard 'round the world." "By the rude bridge that arched the flood, their flag to April's breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood - and fired the shot heard 'round the world." *********** Gays may amount to 10 per cent of the population - although I doubt it - but there's enough to make businesses walk on eggs for fear of offending the so-called gay "community." Why? Because we live in a free country and a capitalist society, and any time we offend a significant group of people, we run the risk of losing their business. So what it is about these a**holes in the entertainment business that makes them think they are free to ridicule the President of the United States - especially as war approaches - without getting smacked in the pocket book? I mean, nobody said it didn't take guts to speak out. *********** So a little girl from Washington's Evergreen State College, one of the most lefty colleges in America, was over in Israel. Trying to help Palestinians. The same people whose national pasttme is blowing up Israelis. So, trying to play human shield, she stood in front of a bulldozer that was fixin' to level a Palestinian home, and - whoops - got run over and killed. Sh-- happens. Pity. I'm sorry for her family. Really, I am. Of course, at the same time I'm awfully sorry about all those innocent Israelis who've been killed by Palestinian bombings of shopping centers and buses, and I'm sorry that so many other young Americans in uniform are having to endure hardships in the sands of Kuwait because of idiots like the Palestinians she was trying to help. I mean, damn, man - I've had enough of these spoiled American brats, these self-styled "activists" who think that the world revolves around them, and that if they hold their breath long enough, the world will come to a stop just for them. I have seen the little pukes sitting up in trees trying to stop logging, and sitting on railroad tracks to keep trains with nuclear waste from passing through. So call me hard-nosed. But if I were a logger, watch me crank up the old chain saw. And if I were a locomotive engineer, look out . "Toot! toot!" - clear the tracks. *********** While waiting for Charlie Daniels to weigh in on the Dixie Chicks issue... "One of the nicest things about America is you're free to voice your own point of view." Natalie Maines, a Dixie Chick. "Yup. And one of the nicest things about living in a capitalist society is that we're free to boycott you and your music." Hugh Wyatt, a typical American. *********** I consider Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times to be one of the great defenders of the purity that should be a part of high school sports. He has a simple idea that may help young coaches, generally hired solely for their experience as players, learn the art of coaching. He writes: "School districts have mentor programs for young teachers, in which they are observed and trained by master teachers. The same idea can work with coaches. There's an endless reserve of mature, knowledgeable retired coaches who'd be willing to help if asked. Their wisdom is sorely needed. . . . Old coaches don't fade away and disappear. They keep going to sporting events as spectators, waiting and wishing someone would call for advice. It's time to make the call." Sad to say, most young guys will never make that call. For some of them, it's because they know they don't have the answers, but they're insecure about exposing themselves to a wise old coach. They'd rather go without the answer than have to admit that they don't know it. But for far too many of them, it's even worse: they think they already have all the answers. They are clueless. "They don't know, and they don't know that they don't know." *********** I thoroughly enjoyed your commentary about social studies and education today. Awesome! I think I am a classic case of a student (Class of '90) who learned the 'basics' of history and other social studies in school. Everything was glossed over. Sure you pick up the chronology and important events, but I would've loved to have had in-depth study of the subjects you wrote about in today's issue. Any recommended books? Adam Wesoloski, Pulaski, Wisconsin It is difficult nowadays to find anything in the way of a useful textbook, because in the same number of pages, they keep having to cram in more events, but also, to appease various pressure groups, who take an intense interest in how they are depicted, the textbook adoption committees of the key adoption states - California and Texas, mainly, because in order to make a book a commercial success, it has to be adopted there - have crammed all sorts of "diversity" into them. It is "zero sum" - if something about a suffragette goes in, something else has to come out, and usually it is a "dead, white male." Doesn't matter if it's Benjamin Franklin. If he's male and he's white, he's fair game. (When you get right down to it, for all the admitted advantages those founding father guys had, you can't hide the fact that they really did accomplish a lot.) There is a definite politically-correct spin to today's textbooks, and it often takes pains to be "fair", portraying American in a less-than-favorable light. I think a really good way of getting one's feet wet in an introduction to American history is a book written by a foreigner. It was written by Alistair Cooke, who for years and years was the BBC's man in America. It is called "Alistair Cooke's America," (Alfred A. Knopf, 1976) and it is an admiring look at our history from the point of view of an educated outsider who became a very good friend of his home-away-from-home. Mr. Cooke was an exceptional storyteller, and it is a very good read, likely in several places to send you off in search of more information on a topic (which is really what a good study of history is all about). It is difficult for me to determine whether Mr. Cooke's point of view is liberal or conservative. I don't particularly want to know. He is more interested in telling you the story than in bending your mind, and he is a marvelous writer. Don't worry about the fact that it was written 27 years ago. Most serious historians consider events any more recent than that as "current events" and not history, anyhow. To me, the study of history should be like driving on a "blue highway" (in the words of author William Least Heat Moon), one of those secondary roads on the map, whereas most history study in schools nowadays is more like speeding along the New Jersey or Pennsylvania Turnpikes, seeing only what you're allowed to see, high sound barriers shielding off things they don't want you to see, and being permitted to stop only at specified intervals and only at designated "rest areas," which contain only those dining places approved for our use. The first time through, of course, you pretty much have to take the Turnpike. My objection is to what they allow you to see along the way and what they make you swallow when you stop.  *********** Just so you know, there ARE those of us, MANY of us, who support our president, our leaders, and our troops. We are also not naive enough to believe that Saddam Hussein or Kim Jong-Il can change into nice people overnight, and that many innocent people will continue to suffer for it, and untold thousands WILL in the future if we don't do something about it now! And if it does happen, who do you think everyone will coming running to for protection? Joe Gutilla, Minneapolis (Our President faces a situation very similar to what Lincoln faced. In fact, check out most news reports nowadays, and you won't hear, "The United States (did this or that)..." but instead you'll hear "The Bush Administration." It is very important that a man facing the problems he's facing knows that there are good people who support him. HW)  *********** Coach Wyatt, Good morning sir. Hope all is fine in your neck of the woods. I finished reading your news page and every time I read something about how some of our own feel about our Commander in Chief, I get so frustrated like many others who understand just what kind of man he is. That is a man who stands up for his religious beliefs and a man who will not take any crap from any country because he has us to protect. I still remember quite vividly, the images of the Pentagon burning, and two towers falling to the earth with thousands inside. How quickly they've forgotten how our leader rallied all and stood strong against an enemy unseen to many. It really doesn't matter to some people because they have never put on a uniform and defended that which they so freely enjoy. Having a family with strong military ties (WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam -1 uncle KIA w/ posthumous Purple Heart, Persian Gulf, Somalia, and now again Persian Gulf) makes me feel all the more angry because we've sacrificed, fought hard and stood strong for what America represents and for what people all over the world are struggling to get. Not everybody will understand that what they enjoy today is a product of what so many gave before. You know what I mean? My prayers go out to all the men and women of the Armed Forces who are standing strong and proud. If I could tell George W. Bush just one thing it would be this: "I am proud to have you as our leader and may God be with you." Thanks for letting me share my thoughts. Marvin Garcia, Albuquerque, New Mexico *********** Big discussion in the Chicago papers about the opinion of most Big Ten people that they'd rather have the tournament in Indianapolis, where it's downtown, where all the restaurants are - instead of out at the United Center, a decent can fare from downtown Chicago - and where it's a much bigger deal than in a city several times the size of Naptown. *********** Going on the road, and spending a lot of time on airplanes, I get a chance to read lots and lots and lots of newspapers. Everywhere, sportswriters throwing in the towel - saying it's time to clean house in college athletics. And by the way, I don't know whether this is true, but the president of St. Bonaventure, the one who brought the school to disgrace by overriding the decision of the admissions people not to admit a kid whose only "academic" credential from a JC was a welding certificate, the one whose son was an assistant basketball coach, is said to be the same asshole who as president of Mt. St. Mary's tried to fire Jimmy Phelan, one of the most decent men ever to coach a college sport. *********** My eye was caught by the name of a kid playing in one of the Illinois high school basketball tournaments. QuoVadis. Man, talk about creativity! Maybe the person naming him didn't know Latin, and just thought the name sounded cool, but I studied Latin for eight years, and I know that Quo Vadis means, "Where are you going?" Now, if there are any other kids coming along in the family and they're looking for a name may I suggest - my Latin is a bit rusty - Quis Accidit? ("Wuss happenin'?") *********** Q. Coach - I am looking to buy an external hard drive. I remember you recommending it be a particular speed.  What was that speed?  I am looking at a 5400 RPM HD for $150 and 120 Gigs at CompUSA.  You need 7200 rpm to handle video without dropping frames. And you need a FireWire connection for the speed of data transfer. I just bought a 120 gig hard drive made by LaCie for $269. I am very pleased with it. It is smaller than the ones I've been buying (I've got five), and much quieter, too. LaCie sells a 60 gig hard drive for $190. I bought this latest one in Oregon (no sales tax) but I have bought others at a mail order house (macwarehouse.com) (Answers to this and other Video questions: www.videoq&a.com ) *********** Hi Coach, My presentation on the double-wing at this year's Mega Clinic went very well. I look forward to seeing you in Philly. Thanks for a great offense. By the way, the first time I ran 2-Gun 88-O it went for a 86 yard TD. Bob Harris, McCorristin Catholic HS, Trenton, New Jersey PS are you in Philly on 4/5 or 4/12? Coach Harris- Glad it went well. I knew it would. People have asked me if I was afraid that you might give away the farm. I tell them not to worry - it's like an old sign that I saw years ago that has stuck with me all that time. When were in high school, we'd travel to Easton, PA twice a year to play the Lafayette College frosh, in basketball and baseball. I vividly remember a sign over the door of the equipment room: "WE FURNISH EVERYTHING BUT THE GUTS" You could talk all day and not give it away to most people. You could let most people inside your head for an entire season and they still wouldn't have the stones to run it. I'm in Philly on April 12. My brochure is WRONG! My "Clinic" page is RIGHT! *********** Hello Coach Wyatt, We won in our 2nd game of the season by a score of 46-28. We were even better than the score suggests, as we played all our remaining players for a large portion of the second half after building up a 36-8 lead early in the third quarter, however the opponent kept all their players in, trying to make a comeback. So far we have used Power, Super Power, Wedge and 47C-INSIDE exclusively. We had two 50+ yard Wedge's go for touchdowns in this game (we made the first touchdown on our third play, without ever having made a first down). While Power games have been quite successful - at least in this game - 47-C seems to be our big yardage play, such that I find myself calling it quite often (It was even relatively successful in our 1st game where we couldn't execute the power plays). Our C Back scored three of our touchdowns in this game. We were also able to successfully execute 47C-XX and even had a TD on a pass to TE(Y). We have been practicing 3 TRAP 2, 38 G-O DOWN, 6-G and 5-X, and will try to call these plays more in the next game (All our opponents have been heavily scouting us trying to figure out what we are doing, and we want to be able to provide something extra when it gets tougher). One problem was that the opposing team used the exact same illegal tactics you specified after the game was out of reach. They were expecting to win this game, since our team had not won a game against them in recent years. In the end they apparently got very furious (had quite a lot of unsportsmanlike fouls called on them), they started grabbing our linemen from their legs (for 4-5 plays). Unfortunately refereeing is still very poor in our league (our play is very amateur, referees are basically players and coaches from other teams, non-paid of course) and they did not see this being done. I did go over these before the game, but I will try to make a much bigger deal of it in the next game. We did have problems with our defense though. We play a 4-4 Stack, mostly Zone (except Trips formation etc. are automatic M2M). We gave up some very easy passes, and long passes at that, where our CB's continually let receivers behind them, or just ended up giving the easy touchdowns while going for the interception. But we have been very good against the run, which was our main concern coming into the season, and I think we will be able to correct the mistakes on defense. I apologize for this long letter. It's probably because we're very excited about our win right now. Your playbook/tape has helped us a great deal, and - hopefully - I'll be writing similar letters in the coming weeks. Thank you for all your help. Regards, Kerem Ates, Gazi Warriors, Ankara, Turkey *********** Coach Wyatt, I read in the 'news' section of your website that you are selling blocking/tackling shields.  I'm coaching 7-8 year olds this year.  Would these be the right size for them?  Are there any color options?  I've been studying your videos for over a year in preparation for using the offense with this age group.  I'm also sending in my application for the Detroit clinic and look forward to meeting you. Doug Parks, Milford Mustangs, Milford, Michigan Good question - I can't say that the shields are the "right size" for your kids, but at 16x20x3 they're considerably smaller than anything the major suppliers offer, which are high school sized. Like the Ford Model-T, you can get them in any color - as long as it's black. *********** A large anti-war protest drew thousands to Baghdad West, sometimes called Portland, Oregon, on Saturday. Organizers (whose major source of income, if not straight from the pockets of working American taxpayers must come from subversive sponsors) claimed there were as many as 45,000 people gathered along the waterfront. But wait - the Oregonian newspaper hired an organization called Bergman Photographic Services, a local company that does specialized aerial photography for private companies and government agencies, using a camera fixed in the floor of an airplane. Bergman came up with, uh, maybe 14,200 anti-war protesters. The organizers say 45,000. Bergman Photographic Services says more like 14,200. What's a fella to believe these days? Well, according to owner Bruce Bergman, his company's photography is so accurate that a government agency interested in counting terns (birds that eat migrating salmon) at the mouth of the Columbia River was able to do so - by counting the birds' beaks! *********** This is one of my proudest moments. It was taken in the library of Ridgefield , Washington, High School, in 1995. At left is Mr. Gino Merli, of Peckville, Pennsylvania, and at right, Mr. William Lawley, Jr. of Montgomery, Alabama. Hanging from the light-blue ribbons around their necks, you may be able to see their Medals of Honor. The two men were in Vancouver, Washington for the annual convention of the Medal of Honor Society, and my principal, a former Marine grunt named Chris Thompson, was able to arrange to have those two gentlemen come out to Ridgefield to talk to my classes. The two gentlemen have since passed away, Mr. Lawley on May 30, 1999 at the age of 78, Mr. Merli on June 12, 2002, also at 78. Mr. Merli, the sone of an Italian immigrant, once said, "Not everyone can be a Medal of Honor recipient. But everyone can take pride in himself, have pride in his heritage. We must always keep trying to better ourselves and our surrounding and we must never quit. Always remember - America is you and me." *********** Last year, President Bush visited a Michigan elementary school and described it as "excelling". Just three months later, the same school was declared "below standard." The formula used to identify underperforming schools is, to say the least, difficult to figure out. The federal No Child Left Behind Act says that every racial and demographic group in a school must score higher on standardized tests every year. Should any single group in a school fail to advance for two consecutive years, regardless of how the rest of the kids are doing, the school will be labeled "needing improvement." A school that does not shed that label by showing improved students' scores may have its principal and teachers replaced. (Hah! Those fools in the Department of Education don't know how tough it is going to be to find teachers and principals - especially better ones - to replace them.) *********** Coach Wyatt,   I want to make a comment about how coaches are addressed.  It seems to be a southern thing but when people address or talk about a coach they use "Coach" with the name.  Being a youth coach now at a middle school, the kids and even their parents call me Coach Stout.  I notice when I talk to northern people they call the by name.  Either just the first name or last name.  Is it just a southern thing or not?  There seems to be a reverence for coaches and they are treated respectfully here.  I have kids I coached 5-6 years ago that still call me Coach Stout.  I hate it when someone refers to a coach by their last name only. Greg Stout, Thompson's Station, Tennessee. This is a very interesting point you bring up. I think about it a lot. It is a cultural thing. My observation is that southern kids in general are more respectful, more deferential to people in authority. I have seen kids transfer into my classes from the South and for the first couple of weeks everything is "Yes Sir" and "No Sir", until they begin to see that that's not the way it's done in the Northwest. Peer pressure quickly brings them in line. It is also my observation that coaches everywhere are accorded far more respect than most anyone else in society, and this is especially so in the South. (Which I define as a large crescent from Virginia around through Texas, and including Arkansas and Oklahoma.) Perhaps it is because football itself is more important there. Elsewhere in the country, it seems to be a matter of what coaches teach their kids, or what they are willing to tolerate. The Northwest is a very, very informal society. People who have never met me look at my credit card and feel entitled to call me "Hugh" right away. I wasn't brought up that way. It's just a formality, I know, and you can call it a hang-up if you want, but I think the breakdown of this sort of civility is symptomatic of an overall breakdown of civility in our society. In attaining informality, we have peeled away the outer coating that serves as our first line of defense against the insult that leads to injury. I was brought up old school - to me, a man I don't know is still "Mister" such-and-such until he says, "call me Bob (or Bill, or whatever)." If we've been talking a while, I'll say, "Do you mind if I call you Bob (or whatever)?" I know adults who tell their little children to call other adults, friends of the parents, by their first names. I still believe that children are not small adults, and they have to earn the right to treat an adult as a social equal. When we first moved to Baltimore, in 1961, you could still detect heavy traces of the old South - for good and bad. One of the things I thought was neat was the way little kids called me "Mr. Hugh," and my wife "Miss Connie." That's what we taught our kids when they were little. The general practice where I was growing up - Philadelphia - was that if you knew somebody your age, you only called them by their full, given name if you didn't know - or like - them. As a sign that you had let your your guard down, as a sign of friendship , you always used a person's nickname. Always. And everybody had one. Nobody ever used his full name, as mothers insist on nowadays. No kid went by "Michael," or "James," or "Nicholas". Michael was "Mike," James was "Jim," and Nicholas was "Nick." Your full name was only used by teachers on your report card. And by your parents when they were pissed. (Then, they often threw in your middle name as well.) But it went even further than that. As a real term of endearment, you called Mike "Mikey," Jim "Jimmy" and Nick "Nicky." This wasn't written down anywhere. Like most cultural things, we just picked up on the way things were done. Oh- and never, never, never call a guy by his last name. If you did, you'd better have your lunch packed, because that was a sign of disrespect. Them were fighting words. So it galled me no end when I found myself, raised on the East Coast, on the other side of the country where kids referred to teachers not as "Mister Shope," or "Mister Wyatt" but just "Shope," or "Wyatt." Kids would say, "Hi, Wyatt." I couldn't believe my ears. But those kids weren't being disrespectful - they just had never been taught the basics of civility. They had to be taught to say "please," and "thank you," as well. God knows what it was like in their homes. But I figured, "somebody's got to teach them, and it might as well be me." I have taught and coached with the philosophy that kids basically want to please, but we sometimes fail to let them know exactly what it is that pleases - and displeases - us. So I had to make it a class rule that I was "Mister Wyatt," and kids were to use courtesy titles when referring to other teachers while in my classroom (even in the cases of those teachers who allowed - encouraged - kids to call them by their last - or first - names). And I had to make it a team rule that coaches would be referred to as "Coach Benson," or "Coach Wyatt." I never noticed that that posed a particular hardship for any kid. (I only had to straighten out one assistant.) My observation is that most coaches insist on this, and their kids comply. There does seem to be a trend in certain sports to call a coach by his first name. (Soccer comes to mind.) I know of some football coaches who are on a first-name basis with their kids. That is their business. I'm not comfortable with it but it's their team. I do think, though, that their kids are missing out on an important lesson - that it is an essential life skill to know how to show proper respect. I have always told kids that if they don't acquire that skill at some point, they are placing an invisible ceiling over their career prospects. Someday, I've told them, it could cost them a job. Maybe even a nice girl, if her father doesn't appreciate loutish behavior. The ironic thing to me is that there was a time in America when most black people were deprived of the most basic of dignities, including being referred to by courtesy titles. A black man, no matter how old, no matter how educated, no matter how distinguished, was not given the courtesy of being addressed as "Mister" by any white person, of any age. He went by his first name only. Conversely, the black man, however distinguished, was expected to address even a 10-year-old white boy as "Mister." The irony is that black people fought for and earned the right to be shown the same respect as white men, yet now it seems that outside of the military and certain sports - and the South - basic civility in our culture has taken a hike.   *********** For years, General Jim Shelton, one of my Black Lions friends, worked on a book on his experiences in Vietnam, with special emphasis on the bloody Battle of Ong Thanh, in which so many Black Lions died, Don Holleder along with them. It is now in print.   It is entitled, "The Beast Was out There," by James M. Shelton. Its subtitle is "The 28th Infantry Black Lions and the Battle of Ong Thanh Vietnam October 1967" and it is published by Cantigny Press, Wheaton, Illinois. to order a copy, go to http://www.rrmtf.org/firstdivision/ and click on "Publications and Products") All monies after costs go equally to the Black Lions and the 1st Infantry Division Foundation, (sponsors of the Black Lion Award).   General Shelton is shown at left at West Point, at a book signing. (He does a lot of autographing - he personally signs every Black Lion Award certificate.)   You can get an autographed copy of General Shelton's book for yourself or for a friend - send him a check for $25 per book, and tell him who the books are for, and he'll personally autograph them and mail them back to you. His address is General James Shelton, 6610 Gasparilla Pines Blvd #118, Englewood FL 34224   I have my copy. It is well worth the price just for the "playbooks" it contains in the back - "Fundamentals of Infantry" and "Fundamentals of Artillery," as well as a glossary of all those military terms, so that guys like you and me can understand what they're talking about.   THE PHOTO AT THE LEFT is what the Black Lion Award is all about - connecting outstanding young men of today with the men who've served. Shown here is Cody Allen, of Las Animas High in Las Animas, Colorado, and Mr. Ernesto Vargas, a Black Lion. Las Animas coach Greg Koenig contacted Mr. Vargas, who was happy to take part in the award ceremony. Mr. Vargas, by the way, was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. On the left front of his jacket, from bottom to top, are badges of the Black Lions (28th Infantry Regiment), the Big Red One (1st Infantry Division) and the Combat Infantryman.     YOU WANNA SEE SOMETHING COOL? http://www.jackson.army.mil/228th/index.htm       --- THE BLACK LION AWARD --- HONOR BRAVE MEN AND RECOGNIZE GREAT KIDS IT'S NOT TOO EARLY TO START SIGNING UP FOR 2003 "NO MISSION TOO DIFFICULT - NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT - DUTY FIRST" inscribed on the wall of the 1st Division Museum, at Cantigny, Wheaton, Ilinois THE BLACK LION AWARD (FOR MORE INFO) ARE YOU A BLACK LION TEAM? (FOR MORE INFO)

March 14, 2003 - "Both houses of Congress, by substantial margins, granted the president authority to use force to disarm Saddam Hussein. That is all the authority he requires. ." Senator John McCain, of Arizona   SCENES FROM 2002 CLINICS- ATLANTA - CHICAGO - SOUTHERN CALIPH - BALTIMORE - DURHAM - TWIN CITIES - PROVIDENCE - DETROIT - DENVER - SACRAMENTO - PACIFIC NORTHWEST - BUFFALO   click here for info ----->>>>> <<<<<-----click here for info THIS PAST SEASON'S WEEK-BY-WEEK GAME REPORTS FROM ASSORTED DOUBLE-WING TEAMS ( "WINNER'S CIRCLE")   AS PROMISED.... READERS' FRENCH JOKES (updated as we get them)  A LOOK AT OUR LEGACY: Although his last name didn't reflect it, Tony Mason was pure Italian. He was stocky and boisterous. He loved people, he loved to laugh, and he loved to tell stories. He had few peeers as a speaker. He also was a pretty doggone good coach. He was a native of Sharon, Pennsylvania who played his college football at Clarion State (now Clarion University). He served in the Infantry in the Korean War, and then embarked on his coaching career. His first job was at Brookfield, Ohio High School, where he compiled a 40-6-1 record that included a 28-game win streak and three unbeaten seasons. From there he went to Niles, Ohio, where at Niles McKinley High he won two state titles and at one point had a 47-game win streak. He spent nine years in the Big Ten as an assistant, five at Michigan and four at Purdue, before being named head coach at Cincinnati. On his staff at Cincinnati were two future Pitt coaches, Foge Fazio and Mike Gottfried. From Cincinnati, he moved to Arizona, where he piloted the Wildcats in there transition from the relative national obscurity of the WAC to the national prominence of membership in the Pac-10. Sadly, he lasted only three years there, and left amidst a scandal following the biggest game in the school's history, a 16-10 Fiesta Bowl loss to Pitt and Dan Marino. He never coached again. Didn't need to really, because he was able to make a very good living as a speaker. But the shame of it is that until his downfall, he was on his way to greatness. He died of a heart attack in 1994. He is a member of the Ohio High School Hall of Fame, and, for some reason that escapes me, is believed to be the first non-Texan ever inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association. Correctly identfying Tony Mason- Adam Wesoloski- Pulaski, Wisconsin... Greg Stout- Thompson's Station, Tennessee (They're getting tougher every week. Toughest yet).... Mark Kaczmarek- Davenport, Iowa( That's Tony Mason. What a speaker and clinician. Always a treat to hear him speak. I still use after 20+ years his prayers before and after games.")... Joe Daniels- Sacramento... Mike O'Donnell- Pine City, Minnesota... Kevin McCullough- Culver, Indiana... Ronald Singer- Toronto, Ontario ( "I heard him speak once in person - he was amazing. I still have one of his video tapes.")... Bill Nelson- West Burlington, Iowa... Joe Gutilla, Minneapolis ("Just finished the latest edition of the "news", and read about your legacy, Coach Tony Mason. Tony Mason had to be one of the best motivational speakers I ever had the privilege of listening to. I first heard him at the old Kellogg's Coach of the Year clinic in San Francisco back in 1979 B.N. (Before Nike), and then again at a clinic in So Cal. At both of those clinics he had those coaches so charged up they could have all run through a wall of fire! His messages were always to the point and he never pulled any punches. He also could make you laugh till it hurt.")... Dave Potter- Durham, North Carolina... Alan Goodwin- Warwick, Rhode Island... John Reardon- Peru, Illinois. *********** Joe Gutilla, head coach at Benilde-St. Margaret's High in Minneapolis, wrote above about hearing Tony Mason at a clinic in San Francisco. He went on to tell about another all-time great clinician: "That SF clinic was a classic for me for not only did I get a chance to hear Tony Mason but it was also the first time I heard (and saw) Buck Nystrom give a "clinic" on O Line play. I learned very quickly that when you went to a Buck Nystrom presentation you didn't want to sit in the front row. He never asked for volunteers, hell, he'd just grab guys out of the front row to demonstrate his drills, and proceed to beat the piss out of them! What a riot!" (The man is a coaching legend. Anybody else know any Buck Nystrom stories? HW) *********** General Tommy Franks, our man in Kuwait, used a football analogy to describe what the US plans to do it Iraq: "Linebackers, when they make a tackle, go right through their target." Somehow, I just can't think of an appropriate soccer analogy. IN RESPONSE TO NUMEROUS REQUESTS - I will be selling tapes at clinics and if they are bought at the clinic they will sell for $4.95 off. However, I am limited in the number of tapes I can carry, so if I should run out, I will still sell "rain checks" at the clinic price and ship the tapes when I return home. The clinic prices only apply at the clinic to people who are registered. http://www.charliedaniels.com/soapbox/soapbox.html --- that's worth a link!!! *********** Who says that the NFL is too proud to learn from the high schools? Why, just check out the way they're dealing with their officials. Maybe you've been in this position: We're going in another direction.. We're going to make a change in your area... We're not going to renew your contract. You can resign or be fired. How do you want it? That's pretty much the Hobson's Choice (which is no choice at all) that the NFL has given to eight officials, who were told last week that they have until March 20 to resign or be fired. A lawyer representing the officials said it is the largest number of referees who have ever been asked to step down at one time. In the past, said a representive of the officials' union, when an official was let go, he received an explanation. But taking a further cue from high school administrators, the NFL is refusing to give reasons for the forced terminations. There was a huge uproar last season over several calls, including the failure of a crew to call pass interference on the final play of a playoff game between the Giants and the San Francisco 49ers, but interestingly, none of the eight officials believed to have been told to resign were involved in any of those controversial calls, according to other game officials who remained anonymous. (Officials are prohibited from speaking to reporters without permission from the league.) Maybe that's because the NFL is scared to death of age- or-weight-related issues. All of the eight officials asked to resign are in their 50's and 60's, and most have been in the league a decade or more. Many, it is believed, may be less than trim. Last July, head linesman Sanford Rivers became the first official to be dismissed for being overweight. Although his firing was later changed to a suspension, and he is eligible to return to officiating next fall, game officials said, his firing was an example of the N.F.L.'s desire to employ leaner officials "who are more attractive on television." (Hmmm. Can you smell a lawsuit coming?) The N.F.L. for its part insists that its new weight guidelines were intended solely to protect the health of its officials. Hmmm. You and I should undergo the physical exams those officials have to pass every year. So make me laugh, who don't you? Talk about hypcrisy. There are hundreds of 300-pound players running around (well, jogging) every Sunday, ticking time bombs all of them, and the NFL is worried about the weight of its officials. And as for attractiveness on television, I can't think of many sights on an athletic field that are less attractive than a grossly overweight NFL offensive lineman. *********** Oh, if only the Pope had moved as quickly on accusations of child molestation back in the 1980's as he has on the war against Iraq. *********** John Torres sent me an article in TIME magazine about young kids frequenting health clubs that cater to them, exercizing and working out on "Mini-Weight" machines. Great. We've run PE out of elementary schools because (1) it's too costly and (2) it takes time away from test preparation. As a result, now the kids who are good athletes and the kids whose parents can afford a health club will get exercize, and the non-athletic poor kids will go home after school and plop in front of the TV and drink pop and munch on Cheetos until it's time for dinner. Hell, we've even got people saying that little kids don't need recess! And then, really piling on, he sent me another article in the same vein, about parents signing up kids as young as two and three for competitive sports. One Virginia mother of a three-year-old says, "I think you have an edge starting at three with all her friends starting at four and five. "It seems that it's gotten so competitive in this area that you have to start them younger." Pathetic. What do you suppose it's going to be like coaching those kids when they get to high school? Of course, a lot of them will be such little pussies that they'll never go near a football field, so maybe we don't have to worry. If I thought I was going to be around when these kids are in their 20's and off on their own, I would make a lot of money selling "Camp Childhood" franchises. They would get all the things they missed out on the first time around. When they entered, they'd have to check their Game Boys and Walkmen. We would have sandboxes, wooden blocks, seesaws, slides, monkey bars, swings, jump rope and hopscotch.If they wanted, they could play marbles (for keeps) or mumble-de-peg (with real knives!). There would be trees to climb on, a hill to roll down, a huge mud puddle to push each other into. There would be tricycles and bikes - but no helmets. If the "kids" wanted to - but only if they wanted to - they would be free to get up their own games - tag, hide-and-seek, red rover, dodgeball. At the end of the day, they'd be allowed to run through the sprinklers, and they'd each be given a glass of Koolaid, poured out of a big pitcher with a smily face drawn in the condensation on its outside by somebody's finger. At night, after a dinner of what everybody would learn to call "SOS", they'd play until dark, and then they'd sit around a campfire while an older person told a scary story. When it was time to go to bed, they'd all stand around the fire and play "fireman," extinguishing it by urinating on it. (No, I don't think we'll allow any girls.) Coach Torres wrote back, "We can use the "Michael Jackson" spin on this. See the similarities? Miss your childhood and then act like a complete moron (and criminal) when you are in your 30 and 40's? Sign me up for a franchise." *********** School districts everywhere are whining and complaining that they need more money. I keep hearing that "Bush" isn't doing enough. But what are the schools doing to deserve any money? How about, in the cases of some of them, subverting their own government? Their budgets may be bleeding and they may be doing a pathetic job overall of educating children,, but school districts in San Francisco and Los Angeles nevertheless are spending thousands in an effort to bypass a federal law. The law in question requires public high schools to give military recruiters the names and phone numbers of juniors and seniors. If school officials don't comply, they risk the loss of millions of federal dollars. But there is a catch to the law: schools are not required to provide the information if students' parents say no. So the San Francisco and Los Angeles school districts are engaged in an active campaign to let parents know they have the right to decline. "We are complying with the law, but we are also making clear to our parents that … they have the opportunity to opt out of it, to choose not to have private information provided to the military," said Jill Wynns, a San Francisco Board of Education commissioner. Calling the actions deplorable, Hugh Hewitt, a syndicated talk radio show host, said, "San Francisco has decided to feel good about their own anti-war bias. They're going to try to impede the military's access to the students and spend scarce dollars doing so. That is a shameful sacrificing of the students' best interest to serve their own political end." *********** At the news that 33,000 pairs of Nike basketball shoes were floating in the North Pacific, the result of a container's having fallen off a ship, one sportswriter noted that by the time they washed ashore, they might actually fit the people who made them. *********** "IUPUI knocks off Valpo," read the headline, and my first thought was that the Asian gangs were moving in on the old-time mobsters. *********** That Moab (Mother of All Bombs) bomb set off in the Florida Panhandle Monday weighed 21,500 pounds and had to be transported in a C-130 cargo plane and pulled our the rear cargo door by a parachute. One comforting thing to think about is that it will be hard as hell for a terrorist to strap one of those to his body. *********** A friend wrote that he is working on plans to combat what he calls the "soccerites." Not that he shouldn't make the effort but... Good luck fighting the soccer people. It goes a lot deeper than just a sport. Soccer is just a representive of the total change that has taken place in our culture. Soccer didn't cause it - although soccer helps it along. Soccer is its poster child. I'll bet you would find that overall (mind you, I said "overall"), opposition to Bush correlates with support for soccer, and support for Bush correlates with support for football. *********** Not minutes after I heard about it from Rush Limbaugh, alert reader Mick Yanke, of Dassell-Cokato, Minnesota, sent me a link to the same story, one which could only have come from a blue county. A West Coast "blue county" (Gore country) at that. Fortunately, although the left-wing American press can't stand to admit it, there's an awful lot of America where this just wouldn't have happened. It seems that on Saturday in La Habra, California, antiwar protesters burned and tore up flags, flowers and patriotic signs at a memorial that residents put up on a fence along Whittier Boulevard shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks and have maintained ever since. There were witnesses, though. Police officers. Time to bask some heads, right? Wrong. This is Southern California, remember, where the memory of Rodney King is still vivid. So even though police officers witnessed the vandalism Saturday afternoon, they did not arrest the three people seen damaging the display. Why not? Because, said La Habra Police Capt. John Rees, who sounds as if he is as bad a constitutional lawyer as he is a police officer, they were "exercising the same freedom of speech that the people who put up the flags were." Digging himself ever deeper into his consitutional hole, he went on. "For this to be vandalism, there had to be an ill-will intent," he said. (Wow. That'll sure make it easy to nail vandals in La Habra. Perhaps a majority of the city council are skateboarders.) Rees said in order for police to take any action, the owner of the fence would have to file a complaint. Jeff Collison, owner of an RV center, has allowed residents to add patriotic symbols to a fence on his property, and said he just might do that. "Their free speech stops at destruction of private property,," Collison said. "If they are allowed to come on my property and burn flags, does that mean I can go to City Hall or the police station and light their flags on fire because that is freedom of speech? To me, this is vandalism." "It's unbelievable," said Tracey Chandler, a Whittier mother of four who has maintained the memorial since it was created by other area residents, "because there were absolutely no political messages on this fence. It was all about supporting our troops, which could mean bringing them home, and about remembering 9-11." *********** Mark Kaczmarek, of Davenport Iowa (he coaches across the river in Illinois) a former Wing-T purist who converted to the Double-Wing, writes, "I spoke at a Wing-T clinic with Denny Creehan last Saturday in Wisconsin. My biggest fear that with all the things we do he would pull my card and prayer rug." (Denny Creehan, Wing-T coach and clinician, was just hired as special teams coordinator at Army.) *********** Coach, I finished reviewing the tape (A Fine Line) last night.  It is well done.  It also gave me some ideas that could be used with the Wishbone. There are two major differences between the two offenses; 1.  The Qb/Fb mesh and read of an unblocked defender. 2.  The line splits--ours need to be bigger so that we can insert the Fb with space between the Fb and the unblocked defender. The similarity is the blocking scheme/philosophy: The blocking schemes for the Wishbone, in my opinion, are very similar to your Doublewing/Wing-T concepts.  You use down block and/or double team and pulling guard to create an opening for your Fb.  We use down block and/or double team with a read of the defender you would trap.  Our offense also uses a lot of backside scoop/"shoeshine" blocking to cut off back side pursuit. Mike Farley, who was a long time Wishbone coach at the University of River Falls/Wisc. explained the Triple this way, "The Triple(Inside Veer) is simply a trap play with a Qb read instead of a pulling guard."  I heard that statement in the spring of 1989.  On the trip home from the clinic I argued with my head coach that since we were reading/trapping a 5 technique for the Inside Veer in our offense and we trapped a 3 technique(Fb Trap)--why couldn't we read the 3 technique?  We argued for five hours.  The argument continued for about three weeks and then Coach Radtke had our kids work on this during PE class.  We read the 3 that spring and in the 1989 season ran Midline about 35 times.  Over the next two seasons Midline and Inside Veer made up 60% of our offense and helped us to the first winning seasons in ten years. I believe that we were one of the first high schools in the country that used the Midline on a regular basis. I also believe that the similarities in philosophy and blocking schemes is why the Delaware Wing-T people have added both the Triple and Midline to the offense over the past 8-10 years. Again---thanks for a great product and continue to fight the good fight promoting football and "old-fashioned" values! Dennis Metzger, Connersville, Indiana Coach - I have often looked at a defense and said, "If this guy is trappable, then why do we even need to trap him? He'll run upfield and by the time he knows what's happened, the ball carrier will be five yards downfield. That sounds like a veer to me." I have on occasion run a dive with veer blocking against a 5-2, but when I do I have had the tackles split a bit. It's barely noticeable. Our fullback is so close that we really don't have to time to read the way a true wishbone QB does, but with a called dive, the fullback hits so quick that the defensive tackle has no chance. The true triple-option wishbone at the HS level is now about as common as the single wing - still being run, but by a relative handful of true believers. The major factor in its demise was the rule prohibiting blocking below the waist. That was a pretty significant factor in the lead halfback's block to protect the pitch man. I heard Pepper Rodgers once say that the philosophy of the Wishbone was to seal off the inside and spread out the outside. *********** It is time to call an end to it. I am getting so f--king sick of thugs getting into colleges just to play sports, universities debasing academically in order to admit the thugs and keep them eligible, coaches making more than university presidents, and parents grooming kids from the age of two or three to get the edge on the competition for a college scholarship that I think it's time for an end to all athletic scholarships. The Big Ten went to a need-based aid formula back in the 50's or 60's, and I seem to remember that the only argument against it was that other conferences didn't go along, and Big Ten recruiting suffered. Even at an age when I don't have that many years left, and as much as I love college sports, I am personally willing to make the personal sacrifice of going without college sports on TV for as long as it takes to purge our colleges of this corrupt system of semi-professionalism. Even if that means no more scholarships for women to play softball. Or row. *********** The latest New York Times/CBS News Poll, released Tuesday, found that 58 percent of Americans said the United Nations was doing a poor job in managing the Iraqi crisis. That was a jump of 10 points from a month ago. (Who says that nothing good has come from the delay?) And 55 percent of those responding would support an American invasion of Iraq, regardless of the Security Council's vote. Hmmm. Maybe George Bush's real agenda here is to finally expose the United Nations to the American people as the anti-American organization it has long been. Worried about how we're going to rebuild Iraq without the help of our "allies" in Europe? We're gonna save a lot of money when we pull out of the UN, folks. Frankly, I'd rather put it into rebuilding Iraq than in the pockets of UN diplomats, anyhow. *********** In the mail was a letter from my friend Mike Kent, in England: "Dear Hugh, Here is another article from my favourite journo (English slang for journalist), Richard Littlejohn of The Sun , I think you will like it" CELEBRITIES against the war pretend they care about the Iraqi people. I've always thought that if they really cared about the Iraqi people they'd be supporting the war. Glenda Jackson, ex-luvvie( luvvie is slang for actor/ess. MK ) turned Labour MP, gave the game away on Sky News's 3D programme this week. She ranted and raved about America, Israel and her own Government. Her venom was reserved not for Saddam but for George Bush. Opposite her in the studio was a young Iraqi woman living in exile in London, who tried patiently to explain that her people welcomed war if it meant getting rid of Saddam and returning freedom and democracy to her country. Jackson wasn't interested. She kept interrupting and shouting the poor girl down. Like all socialists who love "The People" she wasn't in the slightest bit interested in what a real person had to say. Jackson won the shouting match, but lost the argument. The celebrity opponents of the war are so consumed by their irrational hatred of the USA that they couldn't give a stuff whether millions of Iraqis continue to be tortured and murdered by Saddam. Mind you, these are the same clowns who, up until the fall of the Berlin Wall, thought Stalin got a bad press, even though he liquidated more people than Hitler. These luvvie demonstrators like to think they wear their hearts on their sleeves. The truth is they're a bunch of vain, heartless bastards.     *********** For years, General Jim Shelton, one of my Black Lions friends, worked on a book on his experiences in Vietnam, with special emphasis on the bloody Battle of Ong Thanh, in which so many Black Lions died, Don Holleder along with them. It is now in print.   It is entitled, "The Beast Was out There," by James M. Shelton. Its subtitle is "The 28th Infantry Black Lions and the Battle of Ong Thanh Vietnam October 1967" and it is published by Cantigny Press, Wheaton, Illinois. to order a copy, go to http://www.rrmtf.org/firstdivision/ and click on "Publications and Products") All monies after costs go equally to the Black Lions and the 1st Infantry Division Foundation, (sponsors of the Black Lion Award).   General Shelton is shown at left at West Point, at a book signing. (He does a lot of autographing - he personally signs every Black Lion Award certificate.)   You can get an autographed copy of General Shelton's book for yourself or for a friend - send him a check for $25 per book, and tell him who the books are for, and he'll personally autograph them and mail them back to you. His address is General James Shelton, 6610 Gasparilla Pines Blvd #118, Englewood FL 34224   I have my copy. It is well worth the price just for the "playbooks" it contains in the back - "Fundamentals of Infantry" and "Fundamentals of Artillery," as well as a glossary of all those military terms, so that guys like you and me can understand what they're talking about.   THE PHOTO AT THE LEFT is what the Black Lion Award is all about - connecting outstanding young men of today with the men who've served. Shown here is Cody Allen, of Las Animas High in Las Animas, Colorado, and Mr. Ernesto Vargas, a Black Lion. Las Animas coach Greg Koenig contacted Mr. Vargas, who was happy to take part in the award ceremony. Mr. Vargas, by the way, was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. On the left front of his jacket, from bottom to top, are badges of the Black Lions (28th Infantry Regiment), the Big Red One (1st Infantry Division) and the Combat Infantryman.     YOU WANNA SEE SOMETHING COOL? http://www.jackson.army.mil/228th/index.htm       --- THE BLACK LION AWARD --- HONOR BRAVE MEN AND RECOGNIZE GREAT KIDS IT'S NOT TOO EARLY TO START SIGNING UP FOR 2003 "NO MISSION TOO DIFFICULT - NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT - DUTY FIRST" inscribed on the wall of the 1st Division Museum, at Cantigny, Wheaton, Ilinois THE BLACK LION AWARD (FOR MORE INFO) ARE YOU A BLACK LION TEAM? (FOR MORE INFO)

March 10, 2003 - "You're born with two strikes against you, so don't take a third one on your own." Connie Mack, legendary baseball manager and owner of the Philadelphia A's   SCENES FROM 2002 CLINICS- ATLANTA - CHICAGO - SOUTHERN CALIPH - BALTIMORE - DURHAM - TWIN CITIES - PROVIDENCE - DETROIT - DENVER - SACRAMENTO - PACIFIC NORTHWEST - BUFFALO   click here for info ----->>>>> <<<<<-----click here for info THIS PAST SEASON'S WEEK-BY-WEEK GAME REPORTS FROM ASSORTED DOUBLE-WING TEAMS ( "WINNER'S CIRCLE")   AS PROMISED.... READERS' FRENCH JOKES (updated as we get them)   A LOOK AT OUR LEGACY: He was pure Italian. His last name didn't reflect it, but he was. He was stocky and boisterous. He loved people, he loved to laugh, and he loved to tell stories. He had few peers as a speaker. He also was a pretty doggone good coach. He was a native of Sharon, Pennsylvania who played his college football at Pennsylvania's Clarion State (now Clarion University). He served in the Infantry in the Korean War, and then embarked on a coaching career. His first job was at Brookfield, Ohio High School, where he compiled a 40-6-1 record that included a 28-game win streak and three unbeaten seasons. From there he went to Niles, Ohio, where at Niles McKinley High he won two state titles and at one point had a 47-game win streak. He spent nine years in the Big Ten as an assistant, five at Michigan and four at Purdue, before being named head coach at Cincinnati. On his staff at Cincinnati were two future Pitt coaches, Foge Fazio and Mike Gottfried. From Cincinnati, he moved to Arizona, where he piloted the Wildcats in their transition from the relative national obscurity of the WAC to the national prominence of membership in the Pac-10. Sadly, he lasted only three years there, leaving amidst a scandal after leading the Wildcats to the biggest game in their history, a 16-10 Fiesta Bowl loss to Pitt and Dan Marino. He never coached again. Didn't need to really, because he was able to make a very good living as a speaker. He died of a heart attack in 1994. He is a member of the Ohio High School Hall of Fame, and, for some reason that eludes me, is a member of the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He took great pride in claiming - rightly or wrongly - that he was the first non-Texan to be so honored. *********** The radio station I listen to - this is Portland, Oregon, mind you - did a poll Friday morning: "Should the US pull out of the United Nations?" By 6 AM, the results were 54 per cent "Yes." By 7 AM it was 83 per cent! I suppose that at that hour, the only people up and listening to the radio are working stiffs. The Support-the-UN types were probably sleeping in after a late night smoking dope and painting "Down With Bush" signs for Saturday's peace rallies. *********** Coach Wyatt, With all of this talk about an "international coalition," I remembered a story from Bo Schembechler's autobiography. Bo was coaching alongside Coach Bryant at the Shrine Bowl (or somesuch all star game). Their side won; they went to the banquet, and as Bo was picking at the food, Bryant implored him to join him at a steak restaurant or something by saying "Bo! We're winners! We don't have to eat that sh*t!" Christopher Anderson, Cambridge, Massachusetts *********** Hi Coach, The situation at St. Bonaventure is a disgrace to coaches, players, schools, student body's, the league and communities as far as I'm concerned. When a student/athlete puts on the uniform of a school they represent all those people. Put the team before yourself. That is a phrase that allows teams to survive when crap hits the fan. Life is full of setbacks and tragedies and unfortunately the players from St. Bonnies mistakenly believed that forfeiting six games and missing out on their league tournament was one of life's tragedies. Losing a loved one to a drunk driver is a tragedy, losing a game is not. The tragedy lies here in, to where the administration and coaches allowed this to happen. Unfortunately this attitude is the rule and not the exception in toadies world. Maybe putting an M-16 in their hands and sending them to Iraq will demonstrate to the "Team" what putting the team before yourself means. Thanks, Norm Barney, Klamath Falls, Oregon *********** On the "Student-Athlete" front: What price basketball success? Thanks to its basketball coaches' recruitment - and its administration's admission - of a player who COULDN'T EVEN GET AN A.A. FROM A JUNIOR COLLEGE (but was 6-7 and could take it to the hoop) St. Bonaventure, a school that deserves better, finds itself in a shambles, with its basketball team AWOL, its president (who overruled the school's compliance office in in allowing the kid to play) fired, its AD, its head basketball coach and an assistant basketball coach (the son of the president) "on leave." It is to the everlasting credit of the school's Board of Trustees that it took a stand for its values. Villanova will play in the Big East tournament without 12 players, suspended after getting hold of - and making liberal use of - a university phone credit card. The Wildcats will play the rest of the way with their remaining seven players. Wait a minute - twelve plus seven - that's 19 players! On a frigging basketball team! And how many assistant coaches? (Probably four or five.) And the women are making all that noise about how much money the men spend? Hard to argue with them on this one. Rodney Woods - and Oregon - got their wish. A California judge reduced the assault charge against him from a felony to a misdemeanor, so the Ducks were able to sign him. The kid who was told to leave the party, the one who was beaten and kicked by Woods' buddies while Woods stood aside and limited his participation to beating up the guy's buddy, is still dead, of course, but it must be a little more reassuring to the other people on the Oregon campus to know that Mr. Woods is no longer a felon. Oh - but if he asks you to leave a party - I suggest you leave. And if he asks if he can come into your party, welcome him. Same with Rich Alexis and Reggie Williams. The two Washingon Huskies got into a rather serious scuffle with a security person when they were refused admission.to a fraternity party. Witnesses said that the two, on being turned away, asked, incredulously, "Do you know who we are? We're football players." No doubt, Rick Neuheisel told them during recruiting that that was the password that would get them anything they wanted.   *********** Did you catch that worthless piece of sh-- Bill Clinton on "CBS 60 MInutes" Sunday night? It says a lot about the state of our values that it's harder to believe that a former President is openly criticizing his successor than it is to believe that an American TV network is paying him a million dollars a year to do it. The night before, Dan Aykroyd returned to "Saturday Night Live" to do a send-up of the "debate," and used his line of years ago when he played James Kilpatrick to Jane Curtin's Shana Alexander, the original "Point/Counterpoint" debaters. Aykroyd could always count on laughs back then when he'd lead off a rebuttal with, "Jane, you ignorant, misguided slut..." This time, though, to bring the act up to date, he replaced the "Jane" with "Bill." *********** "My faith sustains me, because I pray daily. I pray for guidance and wisdom and strength... there are thousands of people who pray for me that I'll never see and be able to thank... it's a humbling experience to think that people I will never have met have lifted me and my family up in prayer." *********** Only in Portland... A group of women gathered Saturday in a protest called (as Dave Barry would say, "I am not making this up") "Breastfeeding for Peace." Its slogan: "Make Milk, Not War." *********** With all the talk about war, I went back and read "The Unknown Soldier." In America, it might as well be called The Unknown Book, because, although it is a masterpiece, it was written in Finnish, and English translations are very hard to come by over here. In Finland, though, it is an all-time best-seller, said to be exceeded in sales only by the Bible. Written by a combat veteran named Vaino Linna, its title in Finnish is "Tuntematon Sotilas." It tells the story of a group of men caught in the "Continuation War" against the Russians from 1941-1944. (After Russia violated a non-aggression pact and invaded Finland in 1939 - the so-called "Winter War" in which tiny Finland fought mighty Russia to a standstill, the Finns sided with Germany as their best chance to get back at the Russkies.) "The Unknown Soldier" is brutally honest. There is quite a bit of the sort of humor that anyone who's been in the service or, for that matter, a member of a football team would recognize, but at base, it is horrifying in its frankness and directness, and there is no sentimentality, no good-guys-win-in-the-end conclusion. I support and pray for our president, our troops and their leaders, and I trust in the judgment of people who know a lot more than I do about what is best for our nation's security. But anybody who thinks that this war, even in this day of push-buttom technology, is going to be a bloodless matter of kicking ass and taking names would give it a second thought after reading "The Unknown Soldier." *********** I read where bus trips from Baghdad to neighboring Syria have increased to 20 a day, from the usual four. It seems that Iraqi civilians are getting the hell out of Baghdad while the getting's good. And that's when it occured to me that there must be some way that all these peace organizations, who - rightly - don't want Iraqi innocents to be killed in war could channel their efforts into something useful. How about, I thought, "Buses for Baghdad?" They could hold walkathons and rallies - they could probably get a Hollywood star or two to make an appearance. No doubt our many friends in the United Nations would kick in, too.. Under the UN flag, thousands of buses and drivers would be airlifted in French jets to Baghdad, to help relocate any Iraqis who chose to leave. Then, after the last bus had pulled out, we would bomb the sh-- out of the place. *********** The thing that pisses me off about people like Jerry Tarkanian and Jim Harrick is that they give "Second Chance" a bad name. It seems to me that they are making it tough for people in positions to hire to even consider hiring someone whose had a questionable past. *********** Karl Marx is reported to have said, "From each, according to his ability... to each, according to his need." That's socialism, exactly the way it's practiced by your friendly state high school athletic association. They're all pretty much the same: they run football and basketball - and in some cases, wrestling and ice hockey - playoffs and tournaments as profit-making ventures, and with the milk they get from those cash cows, they subsidize state playoffs in the sports that nobody else gives a rip about. Like most state associations, Oregon's operates that way. The OSAA, which used to stand for Oregon School Activities Association is, by and large, a good organization, and I have a lot of respect for its executive director, Tom Welter, who was once the AD at Portland Central Catholic when I taught and coached there. Oregon's problem is that attendance has been off at its girls' and boys' state basketball tournaments, so Oregon has decided to change from its 16-team, five-day format to an 8-team, three-day format. Oregon was one of the last states to employ the all-week tournaments, which not so very long ago were so popular that superintendents of schools whose teams "made it to state" would just cancel school because so many of their kids would take off to go to the big city and attend the games. Ah, but today's kids have got way too many other things going on. And nobody likes to admit it, but the growth of the girls' game has certainly resulted in a lessening of interest in the boys' tournament. Whatever, if your revenue is declining, and you need the funds to support other sports, the answer is simple - cut costs. And by cutting down on travel by holding earlier rounds at various schools, and then only bringing eight teams to the tournament site - and only feeding and lodging them for three days at that - the state will cut costs. The question really is, is it fair to destroy a long-standing basketball tradition so that you can provide money for a soccer playoff? Or would it be more appropriate to tell the soccer people that if they want a playoff they can come up with the money for it? Hah. Every good socialist knows the answer to that one. *********** Hi coach, I just wanted to pipe in on the anti-war, anti-Bush garbage going on in our country. I am proud to have George Bush as our president. He showed a huge set of stones last night during the press conference. I saw a man set in his decision display a calm, confident demeanor. Seems like he has his game plan in place with all contigencies covered. I am appalled that people have actually compared Pres. Bush to Adolf Hitler. Let me tell you a story: My late grandmother came to America from Germany in 1924(16 years old) Her mother and 2 sisters and 1 brother stayed behind. (Her brother eventually fought in the German Army and died in a Russian gulag, ten years after he was captured in Poland-1945) Anyway, my grandmother went back to Eigeltingen,Germany in 1938 to visit her family. She took my aunt along(10 years old at the time). Lo and behold, everyone told my grandmother what a great guy Hitler was. My grandmother disagreed, after seeing the Brownshirts on every city corner and the Achtung-Juden! signs on the Jewish stores. My grandmother warned her relatives and friends that this "great leader", Hitler, was about to lead them into a war. She was laughed at. Also, my great-grandmother wanted a dress that was sold at a Jewish store, but couldn't go there to buy it. My grandmother did........a bold f**k You, Adolf. To compare our society to what the Nazis did in Germany is insane. As a side note, Hitler did parade through the city during my Grandmother's visit. I'll never forget how she described how people were totally hypnotized by Hitler as the motorcade went through. My ten year old aunt, caught up in the crowd's fervor, gleefully shouted "Heil Hitler''! to my grandmother's shock! Mike Framke, Green Bay, Wisconsin *********** If you want to know how a typical Middle American (like us) thinks: http://www.charliedaniels.com/soapbox/soapbox.html *********** After the Wizards' disappointing one-point loss to the Knicks the other night in a game that was crucial to both teams' playoff chances, Michael Jordan told Chris Broussard of the New York Times something along the lines of what I recall Magic Johnson saying when he tried his hand at coaching - that it's "disappointing" when a 40-year-old plays with more desire than players in their 20's. "Diving for loose balls, busting his chin, doing everything he can to get this team to the playoffs," he said. "And that's not reciprocated from the other players on this team. And that's very disappointing. I can look and see a couple of guys willing to do those things, but I can look at a lot more that won't do that. Until guys let go of that macho, that cool attitude and all of that and do the necessary things it takes to play the game of basketball, it's going to be tough for Washington to make anything." *********** Don't know whether you've ever noticed, but NOBODY plays the run-it-up game harder and better than the gals. A major reason, of course, is the sometimes enormous disparity in programs - in the levels of talent and in the intensity with which different teams approach competiive sports. You would think, though, that by now, 25 years after Title IX, you wouldn't see scores such as the one posted in Michigan between two girls' high school basketball teams - 115-2. Somehow, it must be the fault of men. *********** "The best book in my collection is Coaching Football successfully by Bob Reade, hands down. I always am picking new thing out that I had missed before. "We did the pancake drill at one of our pep rallies after I saw someone else had, and it was the talk of the school for weeks. We had grades 6-12 there and the place was rockin' after the first few hits. Teachers came up to us saying that was the best thing the FB players had done in a very long time. It will be an annual event at Forest City." Jason Sopko, Forest City,Iowa. (Glad the Pancake went over so well. That was a coach in Vienna, Virginia, Gordon Leib, of James Madison High, who told me about doing it at a pep rally. He said they got the same reaction you did. Pep rallies can be real snoozers sometime, and that can really get kids fired up! Idea for a great fund-raiser - put your money in the jar to vote for your favorite faculty member to hold the shield! I'm only half kidding. HW) *********** Dad...thought you'd like this...observations from Mike King, a New Zealand comedian who happens to be Maori and happens to have some strong views on kids' competition. The comments below are from "NZ Rugby World" magazine...love, Ed (Melbourne, Australia) "It all started to go wrong after the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. We won a few gold medals and Australia won none. What did they do? They set up the Institute of Sport to recognize young champions - using former champions - and taught them how to be champions. What did New Zealand do? We started the Hillary Commission (My note: don't know what it is, but thought you'd enjoy the irony of the name!) and taught our kids how to participate. What a crock of sh--. We now have a generation of kids who have been playing sports since they were five who have been taught to suppress their skills because they have been taught to not show up the little fat kid out on the field with them because that's not good for team morale and spirit. So now, at 16, we pick them in adult teams and say "Win" and they don't know how to win."   *********** For years, General Jim Shelton, one of my Black Lions friends, worked on a book on his experiences in Vietnam, with special emphasis on the bloody Battle of Ong Thanh, in which so many Black Lions died, Don Holleder along with them. It is now in print.   It is entitled, "The Beast Was out There," by James M. Shelton. Its subtitle is "The 28th Infantry Black Lions and the Battle of Ong Thanh Vietnam October 1967" and it is published by Cantigny Press, Wheaton, Illinois. to order a copy, go to http://www.rrmtf.org/firstdivision/ and click on "Publications and Products") All monies after costs go equally to the Black Lions and the 1st Infantry Division Foundation, (sponsors of the Black Lion Award).   General Shelton is shown at left at West Point, at a book signing. (He does a lot of autographing - he personally signs every Black Lion Award certificate.)   You can get an autographed copy of General Shelton's book for yourself or for a friend - send him a check for $25 per book, and tell him who the books are for, and he'll personally autograph them and mail them back to you. His address is General James Shelton, 6610 Gasparilla Pines Blvd #118, Englewood FL 34224   I have my copy. It is well worth the price just for the "playbooks" it contains in the back - "Fundamentals of Infantry" and "Fundamentals of Artillery," as well as a glossary of all those military terms, so that guys like you and me can understand what they're talking about.   THE PHOTO AT THE LEFT is what the Black Lion Award is all about - connecting outstanding young men of today with the men who've served. Shown here is Cody Allen, of Las Animas High in Las Animas, Colorado, and Mr. Ernesto Vargas, a Black Lion. Las Animas coach Greg Koenig contacted Mr. Vargas, who was happy to take part in the award ceremony. Mr. Vargas, by the way, was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. On the left front of his jacket, from bottom to top, are badges of the Black Lions (28th Infantry Regiment), the Big Red One (1st Infantry Division) and the Combat Infantryman.     YOU WANNA SEE SOMETHING COOL? http://www.jackson.army.mil/228th/index.htm       --- THE BLACK LION AWARD --- HONOR BRAVE MEN AND RECOGNIZE GREAT KIDS IT'S NOT TOO EARLY TO START SIGNING UP FOR 2003 "NO MISSION TOO DIFFICULT - NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT - DUTY FIRST" inscribed on the wall of the 1st Division Museum, at Cantigny, Wheaton, Ilinois THE BLACK LION AWARD (FOR MORE INFO) ARE YOU A BLACK LION TEAM? (FOR MORE INFO)

March 7, 2003 - "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." Mark Twain   SCENES FROM 2002 CLINICS- ATLANTA - CHICAGO - SOUTHERN CALIPH - BALTIMORE - DURHAM - TWIN CITIES - PROVIDENCE - DETROIT - DENVER - SACRAMENTO - PACIFIC NORTHWEST - BUFFALO   click here for info ----->>>>> <<<<<-----click here for info THIS PAST SEASON'S WEEK-BY-WEEK GAME REPORTS FROM ASSORTED DOUBLE-WING TEAMS ( "WINNER'S CIRCLE")   AS PROMISED.... READERS' FRENCH JOKES (updated as we get them)   A LOOK AT OUR LEGACY: You may not remember Bill Battle as a coach, but if you wear a jacket or a hat that says North Carolina, or Michigan, or UCLA, or Texas or Tennessee - you get the idea - you have almost certainly done business with him.  A native of Birmingham, Bill Battle was a member of coach Bryant's first freshman class at Alabama, where he played from 1959 through 1962, and started on the Tide's 1961 national championship team. After graduation from Alabama, he earned his master's degree from Oklahoma while serving as a graduate assistant under Bud Wilkinson. In 1964 and 1965 he was an assistant coach at West Point. In 1966 he was hired as an assistant to Doug Dickey at Tennessee, and when Dickey moved to his alma mater, Florida, after the 1969 season, he took over as head coach of the Vols. At 28, he was by far the youngest head coach of a major college. In his seven years head coach at UT, directed the Vols to a record of 59-22-2 (.710) , five bowl game appearances and three top 10 finishes. Unfortunately, after beating his old mentor, Coach Bryant, 24-0 in his first season in Knoxville, Coach Battle went six years without beating him, and that, combined with a 6-5 season in 1976, and pressure to hire UT alum Johnny Majors, architect of a national championship at Pitt, was enough to get him fired. He never coached again. Instead, he turned his ample energy to business, and formed the Collegiate Licensing Company, an Atlanta-based firm of which he is CEO that enables colleges to make money through sales of items bearing their names and logos.   The story is that he sensed opportunity in the sports licensing field when Coach Bryant called on him to see what couold be done with the licensing of Alabama merchandise. Bama was his first client. Correctly identifying Bill Battle - Joe Daniels - Sacramento... John Bothe- Oregon, Illinois... Keith Babb, Northbrook, Illinois (But Tennessee Orange to the core) ("As soon as I saw the picture, I knew this week's subject is Bill Battle. There was never a more class act in the way he handled things that happened to him. I remember when some enterprising alumni rented a moving van to be parked in front of his house. I'll also never forget his quote, "When you're being run out of town, make it look like you're leading the parade." One of the reasons that Coach Battle was fired was because favorite son, Johnny Majors was doing so well at the time. The talking points around Knoxville was that Coach Battle was a good coach, he just couldn't recruit. Well Coach Majors had recruited well at Iowa State and Pittsburgh and the alumni wanted him to come home. Unfortunately for Coach Majors, the NCAA scholarship limits were imposed about that time, so Coach Majors couldn't stockpile blue chips as he'd done at his previous stops. As such, it took him a little longer to build Tennessee back to prominence.")... Adam Wesoloski- Pulaski, Wisconsin... Kevin McCullough- Culver, Indiana... Tom Hinger- Auburndale, Florida... Norm Barney- Klamath falls, Oregon ("The 1st school he signed for CLC was his alma mater Alabama and Coach Bear Bryant. My high school football coach played for coach Bryant at Kentucky")... Greg Stout- Thompson's Station, Tennessee ("Hard to find a lot of info on him. The same is not true for his successor Johnny Majors.")... John Muckian- Lynn, Massachusetts ( in 75' or 76' after a loss to BAMA , the UT alums pitched in and sent a moving van to his house, talk about a "rough crowd" - see ya' Friday.")... John Zeller- Sears, Michigan ( "I remember those Tennessee teams of the early 70's. They had an exciting little quarterback by the name of Holloway. He had to be one of the first black quarterbacks for a southern team, although I don't remember people making a big deal out of his being black." - Yes, Condredge Holloway, twice named SEC offensive player of the Year, was co-captain of the Vols in 1974. He was one of the first black quarterbacks to play in the South, and, no, I don't remember people making that big a deal of it. I'd like to think that some of that is to Coach Battle's credit. HW)... David Crump - Owensboro, Kentucky ("A very good coach who deserved better from the people at Tennessee. The coaching profession lost a good coach when he was fired at Tennessee. You couldn't blame him for going into business for himself. I heard some terrible stories about death threats, for sale signs in the front yard, wife and children harassed out in public. It was a very ugly chapter in Tennessee football history. Coach Battle and his family didn't deserve that kind of treatment!")... John Reardon- Peru, Illinois... Mike O'Donnell- Pine City, Minnesota ("I remember reading an article about him where he discussed the differences between being an assistant football coach and a head coach at the college level. One point that stood out was the following: Coach Battle stated that when he was an assistant, he played racquet ball every day for five years; when he became head coach, he never played racket ball once in five years.")... Alan Goodwin- Warwick, Rhode Island ("This one was a challenge. How did we ever do research before the Internet?")... ***********Coach, I think you should mail one of your T-shirts to George W. Bush, Jr., because he certainly showed on his press conference tonight he has a "set of stones."  I thought he did an excellent job of handling the media's bleeding heart questions about "why now," "give the inspections a little more time," etc., throughout the conference.  I was proud to say he was the leader of my country.  I don't want to put our troops in harms way anymore than anyone else does, but it is time we stood up to this cowardly dictator and his terrorist friends.  I am going to bed tonight more proud to be an American. Ron Timson, Umatilla, Florida (Well put. I don't recall a man in my lifetime (I was seven when Harry gave the go-ahead to drop the A-bomb) in a tougher spot, and I really admired the way President Bush basically said that where American security is concerned, he doesn't need the permission of the United Nations to act. Screw those men in skirts. I, too, would prefer that there be no war, and I would rather we didn't have to risk a single American serviceman (or woman), but I can't for the life of me figure out how people can forget what has already happened to us. Or that we have already given Saddam Hussein 11+ years to disarm. HW)  *********** DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION, AND MAYBE THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO GET YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS SO THEY CAN SEND YOU SPAM BUT IT'S WORTH A TRY - WePledge.com is trying to secure ten million signatures for the Constitutional Amendment to save the Pledge of Allegiance and our National Motto. This would be the most people to sign a petition in history! Help save our Pledge of Allegiance and National Motto! Please sign the petition and forward it on to others. To sign the petition and for more information, go to www.wepledge.com (This Web site is an official supporter of God.) *********** Coach Wyatt, I am an assistant coach here at Walnut Ridge H.S. in Walnut Ridge, AR. Joe Fisher, our offensive coordinator, recently bought some of your videos and we have been watching them almost daily in the coaches office. I also have the duty of coaching the schools youth teams (the job that the low man gets) and last year I introduced the single wing offense. I did so for two reasons: 1 We had NO talent so I was forced to try something that was deceptive and could keep defenses guessing, and 2 We couldn't get a snap under center with a better that 50% success rate. The outcome was a 5-1 season. Now I've been studying your "Wildcat" series and I really like it. I started sketching some stuff out of it mixing your theories with our terminology. We practiced it for the first time yesterday and the kids just picked right up on it. You would have thought they had run it last year as well as they did! So I just want to say "thanks" for the inspiration and I can see the double wing in my playbook for a long time. Coach Jacob Kersey, Asst. HS, head youth coach, Walnut Ridge Schools, Walnut Ridge, Arkansas *********** Arizona coach Lute Olson, who lost wife of 47 years, Bobbi, to cancer a little over two years ago, announced Wednesday that he plans to remarry on April 12, five days after the NCAA championship final game in New Orleans. (His Wildcats could very well be in it.) Olson told those gathered at a news conference that he and Christine Jack Toretti met at an NCAA Foundation dinner at last year's Final Four. Ms. Toretti, is a Republican national committeewoman and CEO of S. W. Jack Drilling Company, one of the country's largest independent oil and gas exploration companies. The company was started in 1954 by her late father, S.W. Jack in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and she inherited it after his death in 1990. (Mr. Jack was a major benefactor of the Indiana community, and of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a major Division II football power.) Although she will retain her home in Pennsylvania, the couple will live in Tucson during basketball season. Olson said his five children support him.. "Bobbi and I spent a lot of time together -- recruiting, team trips, everything. ... It's been a very difficult two years and three or four months," Olson said. "When I talked with my family about it, they just said, 'Dad, we want you to be happy, and we can see the difference that Christine has made in your life.' " *********** St. Bonaventure, a tiny Catholic school in a tiny town tucked away in a remote corner of New York State, lives for its basketball. Monday, its basketball died. Turns out the Bonnies were told by the NCAA and the Atlantic 10 Conference that they would be forced to forfeit six conference games and be ineligible for postseason play because they had been using a JC transfer who was ineligible. According to the Buffalo News, the guy "earned" a certificate in welding from a place called Coastal Georgia Community College. But not he did not earn an associate's degree, as required by the NCAA. Did you catch that? The guy had a certificate in welding, for God's sake. (Not to devalue the usefulness of welding or the difficulty in obtaining a certificate, but was everybody in the St. Bonaventure's admissions department up in Buffalo for the weekend when this guy's transcript came through?) So the rest of the Bonnies' players, in one of the truly shameful episodes in modern sport, decided to pack it in. They voted not to play the team's final two games. And - get this - university officials say they "understand." Bullsh--. That school has an obligation to its opponents and to its Conference to put a team on the floor. What a dreadful precedent. We're not going to be in the playoffs, so we quit. But the wussie commissioner of the Atlantic 10 didn't sound upset, either. Maybe it would help if I told you her name was Linda. See, she knows how those poor kids feel. "It wasn't spite or because they didn't care about the conference or playing the rest of the games," she said. "I think it was a feeling of young people being disappointed and very hurt and not being motivated." Well, now, isn't that just tough sh--? They didn't feel like playing. They were "disappointed...very hurt... not motivated." The school didn't sound that upset, either. "With all the attention this has gotten, and the series of decisions that have taken place, (the players) just felt angry, frustrated and confused, and they just didn't have the enthusiasm or the motivation to concentrate on a game," a school spokesman said. Why, the poor dears. You couldn't expect them to have "the enthusiasm or the motivation to concentrate on a game," now, could you? (Overlooking, of course, the fact that all these kids, do, every day of their lives, is play basketball.) So what else could they do, then, but quit? I mean, you couldn't expect their coaches to have taught them any of life's lessons - like how to suck it up, to deal with it, to get over it - now, could you? Meantime, St. Bonaventure (if there's anyone in charge there) - You're the ones who corrupted your academics for the sake of a basketball program. Now do something for the rest of us. In the interests of sport as it is still known in most of the rest of America, you should immediately revoke the scholarships of those recalcitrant players and send them home to wherever they live - which I suspect for most of them is a long, long bus ride from Olean, New York - and put a team on the floor, one made up of recruits from the student body, for your final two games. Your team will get its ass whipped, but it will be playing with honor, and for the integrity of sport, which is more important than any damn playoff. Wouldn't you say? I mean, many's the high school coach who's had his varsity starters kicked off the team for breaking training rules, and still had to play the next game with totally inexperienced underclassmen. That's life, Bonnies. Sports is supposed to teach you about it. Oh - and start over fresh next year, with new guys. (Are you telling me you were planning on having those same guys back?) *********** This is how we get the kind of leadership we do... All hell is breaking loose in San Francisco, where some cops are accused of beating up some other guys while off-duty, and assorted members of the police department, right on up to the top, are accused of a cover-up. The whole thing takes on even more importance because the chief, who's only been on the job since July, is one of those accused. He is an appointee of Mayor Willie Brown, and Brown's political opponents are siezing on the issue to attack him. Meanwhile, with the chief out on medical disability, reportedly suffering from high blood pressure, the acting chief is someone named Heather Fong. Her main qualification for the job seems to be that she was one of the few higher-ups not implicated in the cover-up. But otherwise... according to the biography furnished to the media by the department, Chief Fong was born and raised in San Francisco and held a variety of positions in the department, including child abuse investigator, grant writer, station watch commander and training officer, before being named a deputy chief of the field operations bureau nearly three years ago. At the present time, she oversees the department's administration bureau. Did you also happen to notice that she got to where she is without having spent a day on the f--king streets? "Grant writer?" Are you sh---ing me? She's probably never had to bust in a door or put an arm-bar on a perp and shove him into a patrol car. Anyone who's ever had to work for an AD who's never coached or for a principal who's never taught (or, I suppose, for a general who's never fought) will sympathize with the police officers of San Francisco. *********** Greg Stout, of Thompson's Station, Tennessee, noted that is was hard to find a lot of info on Bill Battle. So true - the first several pages of a Google search on "Bill Battle" refer mostly to "battles" over "bills" in various legislatures. *********** Think they don't respect the law out here in Washington? State lawmakers are seriously proposing allowing illegal aliens to pay instate tuition. The bill passed the House by a 75-20 vote. That means that instead of having your ass turned in for breaking the f--king law, you're going to be rewarded for breaking the law. Of course, you might not feel so warm and fuzzy about it if you're a legal citizen and a resident of Washington and you get refused admission to, say, Washington State while one of these illegals gets in.And, of course, even if you're an American citizen, if you have the misfortune to live in Idaho or Oregon, you pay out of state tuition, about $5000 a semester more - to attend a Washington college, chump. (Question - how come schools view Title IX with awe and fear, as if it were handed down to Moses and enforced by Hitler's SS, while feeling free to flout our immigration laws?) Moving right along... In the Evergreen State, where judges have ruled it is still legal to videotape up a woman's skirt, you can go to jail for calling someone a "faggot." And, while the state was promoting a "Click It or Ticket" campaign to make us all feel safer und get us all to be gut little Germans und wear our zeat beltz, it turns out that a state "safety" group was offering police officers an incentive to nail unbelted drivers - for every 40 tickets they wrote, they'd be given a nice scale model of their police cruiser. Wow. Won't the kids be proud. ("Daddy, tell us again how you won the car.") Oh - and a Seattle-area driver recently sideswiped a car but did not stop, continuing on until being pulled over by an alert witness. She blew three times the legal limit. She is a state supreme court judge. Her associates have all expressed their "support" for her. If you were a football coach and you had done the same thing, you would lose your job. She will not lose hers, you can be sure. *********** TWO KINDS OF COACHING by Michael Josephson What do you think? Does competitive sports build character? I think the fair answer is: it depends on the coach. Great coaches, coaches who care about their athletes as people and honor the traditional spirit of sport as the pursuit of team and individual excellence, are inevitably character builders. They are, first and foremost, teachers who measure their success not in victories or records but in their ability to help youngsters reach their highest potential. Sure, they teach techniques and strategies, but by their words and actions they also teach vital life skills and virtues like integrity, fairness, perseverance, courage, self-discipline and all the graces associated with good sportsmanship. The people they coach not only become better performers but better human beings, people you'd feel comfortable dating your own children. On the other hand, coaches who have a narrower view of their role and measure their success primarily in terms of the won/loss record or the number of all-star athletes they produce, often do more harm than good. Under these coaches, athletes often become more selfish, self-absorbed, arrogant and unscrupulous in the pursuit of personal glory and achievements. Even the coach wouldn't want to hang out with them. It's no small danger to the future of our society and the welfare of our children that so many coaches fall into the second category. The recreational and educational goals of youth sports are too often undermined by volunteer as well as professional coaches who are living out their own fantasies or advancing their own careers at the cost of character. Our children deserve better and it's the job of parents and school principals to see that they get it. Reprinted with permission, Josephson Institute of Ethics, copyright 2003; (Michael Josephson's nationally syndicated radio commentary is heard in 181 countries around the world on American Forces Radio. For further information visit www.charactercounts.org. To subscribe to the weekly commentaries, send an email to commentary@jiethics.org and write "Subscribe" in the subject line.)  *********** Dear Coach Wyatt; I've been a little out of touch lately. The gear-up for combat hasn't yet affected me personally in my job, but it's sent a few of my friends overseas. Several Cutters are either in the Persian Gulf or are en-route right now. I've got to tell you, though. I really hate living here in Northern California. I haven't been so mad in twenty years. I'm so damn tired of seeing protestors- ignorant, unwashed masses with no clue what reality even smells like- waving their banners and wearing their insulting slogans. None of them had to identify a loved one by a severed body part on September 14th, 2001, and none of them care one whit about this country or our way of life except to bleat constantly about their 'rights'. I feel like telling them, "You don't have any f__king rights! You have privilages! And they were bought and paid for with the blood of men whose boots you aren't fit to clean." Three weeks ago I went to Santa Cruz for a camping trip with my wife. On the way into town I discovered that it was protest weekend. By the time I got to the other side of the city my steering wheel was damn-near bent into the shape of a taco shell. I passed one poor police officer that had the un-enviable task of keeping order among the pot-smoking jackasses. He was sitting on his motorcycle in the middle of an intersection wearing the saddest face I've ever seen. I passed him with my open window about six feet from him and said, "I feel for you, sir," and he simply replied, "My brother died in 'Nam." I can't even imagine the torture he had to endure, watching that filth, that utter DREK parade around with their, "Make art not war!" signs. I've been looking all over this damned county for some pro-America bumper stickers, and I've been unable to find anyplace in this area that sells them. As a result, I made my own. Feel free to post these slogans for others, and I'd be honored if you'd consider placing one or two of them on your own vehicle. In a 72-point bold font, across a background of 'Old Glory' I have the following statements, one in each rear window of my jeep: "People in IRAQ don't have the right to protest! -- THINK about it!" "He's the PRESIDENT! Show him some respect!" My two favorites, in the back window: "Why do you have a bumper sticker that says, 'No War in Iraq' right above one that says, 'Free Tibet'?" and: "Proud member of the United States Armed Forces- Bleeding and dying to defend the rights of an ungrateful population since 1774!" On the plus side, our idiot governor down here in California (highest taxed state in the land-- continually operating in the red) is about to get himself recalled. He stated, and I quote, "You couldn't beat me fairly, so now you want to try to recall me?" To which my reply can only be, "Sounds a lot like a liberal tactic used in the 2000 Presidential Election, doesn't it, guv?" Thank God for the young men I coach. I'd probably give up if I didn't have them to look forward to every year. Very Respectfully; Derek Wade, (US Coast Guard) Tomales, California *********** Taking their cue from the sort of young women who decide the next day, after having said "yes" the night before, that what they really meant to say was "no," and then cry "DATE RAPE," a pair of the Title IX panel members, swimmer Donna de Varona and soccer player Julie Foudy, first voted for two of the provisions unanimously approved, , then afterward asked to withdraw their votes, citing "misunderstanding." The recommendations would: 1) place more weight on surveys of women's interest in individual sports, and 2) encourage the Department of Education to explore other ways of demonstrating equality in sport (than proportunality). The two grandstanding witches have received a lot of unwarranted publicity for their "dissenting report". *********** Some soldiers aren't going to like this but... in view of Germany's hostility in the UN to our position on Iraq, and also because of the simple fact that there really is no longer any need to protect West Germany from East Germany (there no longer being two Germanies), the Army has announced that plans are afoot to move some US troops from Germany, where the living has often been very, very good, to Poland and Bulgaria. There are at the present time 78,000 American troops in Germany, many of them with families. In Heidelberg and other towns such as Kaiserslautern, near the Ramstein Air Base, they are an important part of the local economy. To which I would say, "T-S." There are closed bases all over America, and plenty of towns whose economies suffered grievously from the closings. The model for any new bases may well be the Marine Corps' use of Okinawa in conjunction with Camp Pendleton in California. Marines serve four-month hitches in Okinawa, without their families, and then are rotated back to Camp Pendleton, their home base. *********** Former Michigan State coach Duffy Daugherty once introduced John Majors as "the only coach in the country with a father named Shirley and a mother named John." Greg Stout, Thompson's Station, Tennessee *********** I read almost all of the material on the site because it's brutally honest in a whimsical, politically correct era. (I loved your "Outcome Based Football") My wife is a 6th grade teacher and it seems she is a loner in trying to instill values, teach character, and work ethic. People actually have a problem with that, isn't that amazing. The saving grace is that every year her class results are excellent and the kids realize that hard work pays off. Isn't that what we coach in football? Maybe we will start to swing the pendulum back to personal responsibility, but boy it's bad. Akis Kourtzidis, Brea, California *********** Monday, wrote Adam Wesoloski of Pulaski, Wisonsin, was Casimir Pulaski Day. It is worth remembering, at a time when Poland risks admission to the European Union by its backing of the United States, that it was not the first time Poland has come to our aid. Casimir Pulaski was a Polish nobleman who fought bravely in the War for our independence. He fled his native Poland after fighting in an unsuccessful rebellion against its Russian rulers, and while in France made the acquaintance of Benjamin Franklin, who gave him a letter of introduction to George Washington. Coming to America, he fought bravely as a volunteer in the Battles of Brandywine and Germantown and was commissioned to head his own cavalry corps, known as Pulaski's Legion. He was killed in 1779 in the siege of Savannah. *********** Looking for your opinion here.  Topic: "A" back.  I've got a kid who is probably the best all around athlete in our new school.  Good size for a freshman 6'0 205lbs.  Above average speed and strength.  Exceptional toughness, coachability and team mindset. Last year we played him at Defensive end where he was dominating and TE where I felt like he was under-utilized.  Starting forward on basketball team. Lifting during spring season.  3.4 GPA fall semester. I'm seriously thinking about having him be our "A" back.  What do ya think?  do you need more information to form an opinion.  Without having seen him run, I would say that making a stud like that one of your running backs - wherever you put him - sounds like a no-brainer. In reality, he will probably get more carries if you put him at A. To make him most effective, though, you are going to want to work hard on B-Back plays, counters, and play action. If he turns out to be as good as he could be, you might also take a look at a little Over-I and Under-I. *********** Years ago, 1974 I believe it was, when Marv Levy won the Grey Cup with the Montreal Alouettes, he had a linebacker named Mark Kosmos, and I'll never forget the way their Highlights tape ended - they are in the lockerroom after the game, and Kosmos looks into the camera and says, "I've said it before and I'll say it again - every good football team should have a Greek on it!" *********** To make a comment on the title IX recent events. I completely agree with you about Sec. Ed Paige. He didn't have the stones to take needed action. A bureaucrat will always check which way the wind blows. There is still hope though, the National Wrestling Coaches Association lawsuit will be slowly working its way through the federal court system. If you want some excellent reading material, here is their homepage, and they have a Title IX update at the bottom left of their front page. http://www.nwcaadmin.bluestep.net/my/shared/home.jsp These coaches have the stones, to actually put material from the NWLC on their page. Take care, looking forward to the BSM clinic, Mick Yanke, Dassel-Cokato, Minnesota *********** I look forward to your new "News" every week. Just a thought about our constitution. The framers should have included freedom to be an idiot, dumbass and just a plain-stupid-SOB. Thanks, Norm Barney, Klamath Falls, Oregon (I think that's one of those "unalienable rights" that Thomas Jefferson referred to in the Declaration of Independence. We don't need a Constitution to give us the freedom to be a dumbass. With that, Mr. Jefferson would argue, people are "endowed by their Creator.") *********** Coach, just wanted to tell you that I recently got a hold of your Dynamics of the Double Wing tape and am very impressed - have seen many tapes over many different offenses and defenses over the years and what seperates yours is how you take us through the offense step-by-step, explaining coaching pointers and thoroughly explaining everything - I just want to tell you that it is by far the best put together teaching tape I have ever seen and now you have me really thinking - we ran the wishbone last year, but after a few games went to the straight t formation with double tight ends with hardly any splits - got this offense from 2A Comfort in Texas in the mid-90's - we ran the trap, buck sweep, qb keep off of hand sweep, hand power, and the dive - we had some success with it, but had the problem of having 9-10 people in the box - our passing game was very limited - with the double wing though, I have noticed that you create more gaps for the defense to defend and it does slightly spread them out more - also, you were able to run many of the basic wing-t style play action passes out of the double wing - it allows you to get 3 or 4 people in the route quickly from the LOS if you choose - my dilemma is whether to run the wing-t or the double wing - I also like the different formations that you run and I can see how the wing t is woven into your philosophy - please let me hear your opinions when you have time - Coach McWilliams, Eden High School, Eden, TX. Coach McWilliams- First of all, thanks for the compliments. It is always nice to hear things like that from a fellow professional. I think that you have been very astute in your analysis of the double-wing's strengths relative to other offenses. We have a stack-I package which allows us to run most of the offense, but you are so right about the way your passing potential is limited when all four backs are inside your tackles. You also have noticed the "hidden" wing-T. I will tell anyone who asks that this is a wing-T. There are for more similarities than there are differences, and if we wanted to run Delaware Wing-T we could do an acceptable job in week. In some ways, it is tougher to run than the Delaware Wing-T. Things are more compressed, which means that backfield action takes place a little faster, and your QB has to be well-trained to get out of the way of the pulling guards. On the other hand, blitzing and gap penetration are kept to a minimum, and I haven't worried about whether my wingback could make his down block (on the buck sweep) in years. Overall, though, I think the biggest advantage is the way your balanced front forces defenses to balance up, too. Eventually, after your've seen them and they've seen you a few times, they start to become very predictable. I wouldn't attempt to persuade you to run our system, because you are the one who knows Eden football best, and you have to decide what is best for your program. But I hope I've answered some questions or at least raised a few new ones. *********** Well you scooped the Wall Street Journal with your comment about the captured Al Qaeada guy. Today's Journal has a story on that very subject. Keith Babb, Northbrook, Illinois (The question in the Journal was whether to torture the bastard. Well, duh.) *********** George Crume is a former football coach and, like me, an "associate" Black Lion. His stepson, Joel Stephens, is an Air Force Academy grad. Joel (Captain Stephens, actually) pilots a C-130 Hercules, and he just returned from a deployment in late January. Now, he is off again. He wrote home Thought I'd drop a note letting you know, everything is fine and at least for now I have an e-mail and regular mail address. Can't say much about where I'm at or what is next, or for that matter how long. But for now where I'm at is better than where I was over Christmas...Love to hear from you all...will write more later...Joel For those of you who remember how nice it used to be to get mail while you were away from home and would like to drop Joel a line: Stephens, Joel 772 EAS/OPS Unit 73001 APO, AE 09350-3001 *********** General Jim Shelton's grandson, Army Ranger Lt. Matt Rasmussen, writes from Kuwait, "The task force is training hard, getting ready for whatever mission we are called upon to do. Our morale is high and we are confident in our abilities. As always, all of you continue to be in our thoughts and prayers." Matt's address, should you care to write, is Rasmussen, Matthew S. 1LT A CO 1-325 AIR, 82nd Airborne Division APO AE 09368 GOT A LOVED ONE WHO'D LIKE HEARING FROM A COACH IN THE STATES? SEND ME HIS/HER ADDRESS. (AND IF YOU ARE A COACH OR FUTURE COACH STATIONED OVERSEAS WITH THE ARMED FORCES, SEND US YOUR ADDRESS.) *********** Coach Wyatt, Your News article about the boss getting upset when meeting are disrupted because of cell phones made me remember a boss I had. When we had meetings where I worked, they never started or finished on time. People would come in late or presenters would not start on time. We got a new boss and meeting promptness was one of his pet-peeves. His orders were that the meeting started at the prescribed time and finished at the prescribed time. He locked the door when it was time to start and he appointed someone in the meeting to be the time keeper. At the time the meeting was scheduled to be finished, the time keeper was to get up and unlock the door and leave. Everyone else would then leave. It did not matter who was talking. You got up and left. It is funny how quickly the meetings moved along after that. Greg Stout, Thompson's Station, Tennessee "GREEN ON TOP" - Remember the ethnic joke in which the foreman of a crew of stupid (you name the group) workers laying sod had to keep shouting that to them? Shown here is a claymore mine. It is one nasty weapon. As described in General Jim Shelton's book, "The Beast Was Out There," it is "an explosive, directional mine. Shaped like a car's brake shoe, it fires ball bearings along the ground with devastating impact, especially when individuals are in the blast path." Now, I'm not saying that the Army was being overly cautious, but when Tom "Doc" Hinger sent me the photo, he was careful to point out to me the embossed lettering across the face. It reads, "FRONT... TOWARD ENEMY." *********** Could we exchange Links if you have a Link page? I operate a brand new coaching website for my Dad, the address is: www.coachfootballnow.com I also have a weight training website, it is www.bigguysgym.com Thanks and I hope to hear from you soon. Dan Haege - (Dear Dan: I do not have a "links" page because (1) I do not want to indiscriminately post links, since I want to be able to say that I recommend anything I post on here, which means that (2) I would find myself picking and choosing between good and bad sites, which is a big pain in the ass, and (3) lots of links wind up going out of existence after a while, and I don't care to have to keep checking on them. But I have visited your dad's, and I will publlish it on my NEWS page fro anyone who might be interested. HW) *********** Skyview High School, in the north end of Vancouver, Washington, should be one of the choicest football coaching jobs in the state. It is large and growing, with the sort of affluent, upwardly mobile population that produces talented kids (and, offsetting that somewhat, overly ambitious parents). Skyview is now about five years old, and while its football teams have done okay, evidently some people felt that they have underperformed. So Skyview is now looking for a new head football coach. As you might expect, there has not been a shortage of good applicants. And after the first sort, word is that final interviews are now underway. Before you decide to go through with your interview, though, I thought I should tell you a little something about the kind of school leadership you can expect... The interview committee consists of the girls' gymnastics coach, the girls' volleyball coach, and the girls' track coach. *********** CBS has announced the return of the "Point-Counterpoint" feature to "CBS 60 Minutes," after a hiatus of nearly 25 years. H. L Mencken, the Sage of Baltimore, once said , "nobody ever went broke underestimating the tast of the American public," and as if to prove Mr. Mencken right, CBS has hired Bob Dole, the Walking Ad for Viagra, and Bill Clinton, the Walking Ad for Saltpeter, to take opposing sides. What a pair. Bob Dole, a man who sold his dignity, against Bill Clinton, a man who knows no shame. A couple of old tarts painted up for a night at the Old Man's Home. *********** Coach Wyatt, I attended a football clinic this past weekend, and noticed three double-wing classes given by the same coach. I sat in on the class to see this particular coach's version of the double-wing. I was a bit surprised to see your double-wing given word for word along with the play book, nor did I see any form of permission from you. I don't mind who runs your double-wing, but most all of the coaches in my league now have the play book with no intention of using your double wing. Could you please shed some light on this matter? Thank you. NAME WITHHELD Coach- I have been asked for permission to use some of my materials - and I have given it - to exactly three coaches: Chris Davis, of Slayton, Minnesota, Bob Harris, of Trenton, New Jersey, and Jon McLaughlin, of Oak Forest, Illinois. The coach you mentioned was not one of them. Coaches Harris & McLaughlin will both be speaking at Glazier MegaClinics, Coach Harris this weekend in Atlantic City, and Coach McLaughlin later in March in South Bend. I am pleased any time men like that are given an opportunity to address clinics, and I am happy to help them with their presentations, including giving permission to use my materials in their presentations. I ask only that they (1) not give away the farm for the rest of us, which is unlikely in three hours anyhow, and (2) credit me and mention my Web site. All my materials, it should be noted, are copyrighted, and it is illegal to use any of them without my permission. That would certainly include using them on overheads or in clinic handouts. I might add that as a result of all the problems the music and movie companies have had with piracy, the penalties for copyright infringement are now rather severe. I prefer not to go that route, but it does piss me off that someone would try to pass off my work as his - and profit from it - and in such cases, I have no choice but to defend my copyright if it is to have any value. That means I have to bring my attorney into play. (Yes, there are plenty of good uses for lawyers in this world.)   *********** For years, General Jim Shelton, one of my Black Lions friends, worked on a book on his experiences in Vietnam, with special emphasis on the bloody Battle of Ong Thanh, in which so many Black Lions died, Don Holleder along with them. It is now in print.   It is entitled, "The Beast Was out There," by James M. Shelton. Its subtitle is "The 28th Infantry Black Lions and the Battle of Ong Thanh Vietnam October 1967" and it is published by Cantigny Press, Wheaton, Illinois. to order a copy, go to http://www.rrmtf.org/firstdivision/ and click on "Publications and Products") All monies after costs go equally to the Black Lions and the 1st Infantry Division Foundation, (sponsors of the Black Lion Award).   General Shelton is shown at left at West Point, at a book signing. (He does a lot of autographing - he personally signs every Black Lion Award certificate.)   You can get an autographed copy of General Shelton's book for yourself or for a friend - send him a check for $25 per book, and tell him who the books are for, and he'll personally autograph them and mail them back to you. His address is General James Shelton, 6610 Gasparilla Pines Blvd #118, Englewood FL 34224   I have my copy. It is well worth the price just for the "playbooks" it contains in the back - "Fundamentals of Infantry" and "Fundamentals of Artillery," as well as a glossary of all those military terms, so that guys like you and me can understand what they're talking about.   THE PHOTO AT THE LEFT is what the Black Lion Award is all about - connecting outstanding young men of today with the men who've served. Shown here is Cody Allen, of Las Animas High in Las Animas, Colorado, and Mr. Ernesto Vargas, a Black Lion. Las Animas coach Greg Koenig contacted Mr. Vargas, who was happy to take part in the award ceremony. Mr. Vargas, by the way, was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. On the left front of his jacket, from bottom to top, are badges of the Black Lions (28th Infantry Regiment), the Big Red One (1st Infantry Division) and the Combat Infantryman.     YOU WANNA SEE SOMETHING COOL? http://www.jackson.army.mil/228th/index.htm       --- THE BLACK LION AWARD --- HONOR BRAVE MEN AND RECOGNIZE GREAT KIDS IT'S NOT TOO EARLY TO START SIGNING UP FOR 2003 "NO MISSION TOO DIFFICULT - NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT - DUTY FIRST" inscribed on the wall of the 1st Division Museum, at Cantigny, Wheaton, Ilinois THE BLACK LION AWARD (FOR MORE INFO) ARE YOU A BLACK LION TEAM? (FOR MORE INFO)

March 4, 2003 - "Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on." Winston Churchill   SCENES FROM 2002 CLINICS- ATLANTA - CHICAGO - SOUTHERN CALIPH - BALTIMORE - DURHAM - TWIN CITIES - PROVIDENCE - DETROIT - DENVER - SACRAMENTO - PACIFIC NORTHWEST - BUFFALO   click here for info ----->>>>> <<<<<-----click here for info THIS PAST SEASON'S WEEK-BY-WEEK GAME REPORTS FROM ASSORTED DOUBLE-WING TEAMS ( "WINNER'S CIRCLE")   AS PROMISED.... READERS' FRENCH JOKES (updated as we get them)   A LOOK AT OUR LEGACY: You may not remember him as a coach, but if you wear a jacket or a hat that says North Carolina, or Michigan, or UCLA, or Texas or Tennessee - you get the idea - you have almost certainly done business with him.  A native of Birmingham, he was a member of coach Bryant's first freshman class at Alabama, where he played from 1959 through 1962, and started on the Tide's 1961 national championship team. After graduation from Alabama, he earned his master's degree from Oklahoma while serving as a graduate assistant under Bud Wilkinson. In 1964 and 1965 he was an assistant coach at West Point. In 1966 he was hired as an assistant to Doug Dickey at Tennessee, and when Dickey moved to his alma mater, Florida, after the 1969 season, he took over as head coach of the Vols. At 28, he was by far the youngest head coach of a major college. In his seven years head coach at UT, directed the Vols to a record of 59-22-2 (.710) , five bowl game appearances and three top 10 finishes. Unfortunately, after beating his old mentor, Coach Bryant, 24-0 in his first season in Knoxville, he went six years without beating him, and that, combined with a 6-5 season in 1976, was enough to get him fired. He never coached again. Instead, he turned his ample energy to business, and formed the Collegiate Licensing Company, an Atlanta-based firm that enables colleges to make money through sales of items bearing their names and logos. *********** Remember the mauling that Navy and its ground game administered to Army this past fall? Well, it certainly didn't go unnoticed at West Point, and just in case you thought the powers that be have been taking it sitting down... As part of a two-step process whose overall mission is achieving "long-term success of the football program while working within the mission of the Academy," West Point's Superintendent announced last week the members of an "advisory panel" set up to conduct "a strategic analysis of the factors affecting the competitive success of the Army's football program." The panel is expected to begin work immediately. Among its members are former Nebraska head coach and current U.S. Congressman Tom Osborne, and new Dallas Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells, who served as an assistant coach at West Point under Tom Cahill from 1967 to 1969. Cedric Dempsey, former president of the NCAA, will serve as the panel's chairman. As the first step in the process, the panel will "evaluate objectively the administrative and support components that will influence the competitive success of the football program and provide recommendations that will assist in the implementation of potential changes." The second step will consist of a study of the panel's analysis by a senior review committee, consisting of General (Ret.) Frederick Franks (USMA '59), Brigadier General. (Ret.) Pete Dawkins (USMA '59), General (Ret.) Tom Schwartz (USMA '67), Lt. Col. Darryl Williams (USMA '83) and Capt. Mike McElrath (USMA '93). All but General Franks are West Point football letter winners. (Football fans will recognize General Pete Dawkins as the 1958 Heisman Trophy winner.) Following its study, the committee will pass along its final recommendations directly to Superintendent. A summary of the recommendations is expected to be made public at a later date. The entire process is expected to take three to four months. (Those of us who care deeply about all service academy football will be following the matter.) *********** This Al Qaeada guy they caught? Gosh, I hope nobody's considering torturing him, just to get information out of him. I mean, that's not the American way, is it? If we were to do that, we'd just be lowering ourselves to his level, wouldn't we? I say we bring him here to the United States, where he can be a hero for tens of thousands of Americans who hate their own country, and he can have all the rights of the same American citizens whose deaths he planned. *********** The chief executive of an accounting firm in the Twin Cities, calls a halt to any management meeting there if a cellphone rings. and fines the perp $50. "If you want to disrupt your life," he says, "Fine. But don't disrupt everybody else's."   Executives all over the country have begun cracking down on cell phone interruptions, not only on the grounds of rudeness, but also because of the way the waste time and money.   Says the New York Times, "Short of getting drunk at the office holiday party or whipping the boss at golf, there may be no faster way to anger a top executive these days than to let your cellphone trill during an important meeting."   And now, with one problem nearing solution, come the laptops. With more and more companies now offering wireless access to the Internet, they are beginning to notices employees shecking e-mail and surfing the Web on their laptops.   College professors have been complaining of similar problems, as students sit in lecture halls - equipped for wireless access - and inattentively surf their way through lectures.   *********** Word comes from Iraq that the mindless twits who made their way there in hopes of preventing war by acting as "human shields" are leaving - because they fear for their safety.   *********** Living in America gets wierder and wierder by the day.   Let's take a suburb of San Diego, where a woman is suing a doctor for violating her civil rights in refusing to treat her. Now, we are not talking about someone bleeding to death, or choking on a chicken bone. We are not talking about removing an infamed appendix or sewing up an open wound.   We are talking about the doctor's refusal to help the woman conceive through artificial insemination. The woman is a lesbian. The doctor is a Christian.   So why didn't she just go to another doctor? Because this doctor's medical group was the only one authorized by her health insurance plan.   Did you read that the same way I did? Did you get the idea that this lesbian's "virgin birth" was going to be paid for by f--king medical insurance?   (And we wonder why our health-care system's costs are out of control.) *********** Curt Daniels was a baseball guy. His dad, "Big Al" Daniels, was a high school baseball coach and driver's ed teacher and a part-time major-league scout. He was Curt's high school coach in Pasco, Washington. Curt played college ball at Oregon State, and resisted the temptation to turn pro because he'd promised Al and his mom, Barb, that he'd finish college. After college, Curt messed around in the minors, and finished up playing for an independent class A team called the Portland Mavericks. The "Mavs" were owned by an actor named Bing Russell, and for a while Curt roomed with Bing's son, Kurt (the same). Actually, Curt didn't exactly end his career with the Mavs, because at one point he disagreed rather strongly with the strategy of the manager, a guy named Frank "The Flake" Peters, and he found himself traded, between games of a Sunday double-header, to the Walla Walla Padres. Meanwhile, Dad Al and Mom Barb had moved to Vancouver and gotten jobs in the school district there. Curt decided it was time to settle down, and he, too, got a job teaching school in Vancouver, along with his bride, Pam. That's where the Wyatts came in. We moved to Vancouver in 1975, and two of our daughters who were in junior high at the time used to come home talking about "Mr. Daniels," and what a cool guy and what a great teacher he was. My son, in high school, took driver's ed from Big Al. But Curt was still a baseball guy, and when he finally got his break - a job coaching at Vancouver's Columbia River High - it took him only four or five years to win a state title. When Big Al died of a heart attack some 18 years ago, we all remember what a hard time Curt had. Curt was only 35 at the time, and he worshipped his dad. He broke up several times at the funeral, trying to tell us how much his dad had meant to him. Meanwhile, Curt's wife, Pam, taught with me at Vancouver's Hudson's Bay High. What a great woman. She was (is) good looking, friendly, sharp, and totally devoted to Curt and their two boys. She and Curt and the boys made baseball their lives, spending their entire summers travelling the Northwest, as Curt became involved first in Senior Babe Ruth, and then American Legion ball. (You know how it is with baseball coaches.) He also found time to do a little scouting. After a few more years at Columbia River, Curt moved to Hudson's Bay, where he not only put together a great high school program but, using mostly Hudson's Bay kids, took his Vancouver Cardinals team to the finals of the 1987 American Legion World Series. Thanks to Curt and his drive, Hudson's Bay was the beneficiary of a large gift from a local businessman which made possible one of the best high school baseball ballparks in the US. We said good-bye to Curt on Saturday. It was very sad. There were more than a thousand people in the Hudson's Bay High gym on Saturday to honor him, to listen to his friends, rivals, former players and fellow coaches talk about him, to watch a poignant slide show of his life pass before our eyes, and watch a little bit of our own athletic lives slip away. After a year of battling cancer, Curt Daniels, great guy, great baseball man, great teacher, great son, great dad and great husband, finally left us last week. He was 53.   *********** It wasn't so long ago that schools - sometimes entire state athletic associations - banned high school varsity players from playing on outside teams, at least during their seasons.   But pressure from ambitious parents has resulted in situations, in some states at least, where in some sports where the athletes depend heavily on outside coaching, it is not unusual for kids to compete in a school meet on Friday and a club meet hundreds of miles away over the weekend.   Inevitably, there are conflicts. Many's the high school coach who has had to present an athlete with an ultimatum - choose.   There was an article recently in the Portland paper about a swimmer at one of the high schools, who had decided to swim for her school after having been faced with just such a choice. By her club team's coach.    IN CASE YOU WONDERED.... To paraphrase the great Samuel Johnson, the wonder is not that young kids can run the Double-Wing - the wonder is how well they can do it with good coaching. This shot shows the South Orange County Patriots, 13-0 for the season and winners of the Orange County 9-10 year-old Super Bowl, in the process of running one good-looking 88 Super Power. In the center of the photo, the B-Back is drawing a bead on his man. To the right, the backside guard, #75, is in good position to turn upfield (notice that he does not have too much shoulder turn.) The QB has made his toss while making his turn and is "falling backward" to make sure he stays with the blockers. If you look carefully at the right you will see the Cowboys' defender being double-teamed. Need to work on those hips coming apart, but it isn't going to matter here, because the post blocker - the Patriots' TE - has knocked the defender backward with a good shoulder block. I have seen tape of these kids, and I must say that they ran the Double-Wing about as well as I would think kids that age could run it.   Here's what Coach Al Bellanca of the Patriots wrote, following the Super Bowl win:   Coach Wyatt, Last Saturday, the SOC Patriots completed their dream season (13-0) by beating the Mission Viejo Cowboys (12-1) in the Superbowl by the commanding score of 24-6. We dominated the Cowboys in much the same way as we have all of our tough Southern California opponents at the Clinic level (9-10 year olds). We scored on the first drive of every game this season and Saturday was no exception. The ball was spread around pretty evenly amongst 4 different backs and as always, our passing was there when we needed it. We scored with the 88 SP, the 47-C XX, the 3 Trap @4 and the Wedge. The blocking was incredible. There were over 2000 fans in attendance and I doubt more than a quarter of them could figure out where the ball was. Our offense controlled the ball so effectively this season, it turned out to be our best defense. We outscored our opponents 352 to 43. In most games we doubled or tripled the number of plays run by our opponent, which explains how we managed 7 shut-outs. We never had to punt, which was fortunate, since we only practiced it a few times. This was our first year running your offense and we made very few modifications to it. We run the no huddle and I am proud to say, that despite quite a bit of initial resistance, we did not run even one single play out of any formation other than the Double Wing. Thanks again for all your help! Without the seminars, the materials and the support, this would not have been possible.   ************ All sorts of well-known college basketball coaches wore bow ties on Saturday. Roy Williams of Kansas wore one. So did Bob Huggins of Cincinnati and John Calipari of Memphis. Ditto numerous other coaches around the country, including Jim Phelan, of little Mt. St. Mary's, in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Of course, Phelan wore his bow tie because that's what he's worn since he started coaching at "The Mount" back in 1954.   The other guys wore theirs in tribute to Coach Phelan, who after 49 years, coached his last game Saturday. Jim Phelan, 73, coached in 1354 college games - all at the same school - and his 830 career wins put him behind only Dean Smith and Adolph Rupp among college coaches..   By eastern big city standards, Emmittsburg, Maryland, about two hours northwest of Washington, D.C., is rural and remote, yet Coach Phelan, a Philly guy himself originally, somehow managed to convince city kids to come play basketball at the small, Catholic school in the beautiful hills of western Maryland. His best-known player was Fred Carter, also a Philly kid, who enjoyed a great career in the NBA and is now a broadcaster with ESPN.   "I am who I am because of him," says Carter of Coach Phelan.   Coach Phelan said he's worn a bow tie since his first game. He decided to wear one then because that's what his college coach, Ken Leoffler of LaSalle, had worn. After winning that first game, he decided to stay with the bow tie for the next game. And he won that game... and so it went.   *********** *********** I did not see Coach Charlie Tate in Heritage section until today. I played my High school Football at Miami Senior High School. Graduated in 1977.When I got there I saw trophies, and he was still talked about as possibly the best football coach ever in that area. We won District my SR year. Since then, no other team has gotten any further.Not any Coaches even close to the caliber of Coach Tate. So I kind of have a little legacy myself.   Past life before 1997 (and coming to Roanoke) - City of Miami Police officer. Still in IRR,but I think them Iraquis don't have enough COJONES for us to have to send in the 3rd string.   Keep in touch.Blessings,Coach Armando Castro, Roanoke, Virginia   *********** I have actually purchased TWO copies of your tackling video (one for me/one for my assistants). Last year (2002) our 7th grade defense gave up a total of FOUR touchdowns in 7 games! Our season scoring record was 225 to 28 ! Thanks for all of your great help!! Todd Stair, Waukesha, Wisconsin  *********** A general during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) described his strategy in attempting to conquer Madrid: four army columns would march on Madrid, while his supporters within the city would work to undermine the government from the inside. He called them his "fifth column" - And so we get the term "Fifth Column," meaning home-grown sympathizers or supporters of the enemy, who take part in various subversive acts inside their home country's borders. You think we ain't got a Fifth Column in America? Actually, we have dozens of them, from PETA to socialists to anarchists to earth-firsters to fundamental Islamists, etc., etc. Wait till we bomb Iraq and watch 'em hit the streets. Some of you, if you are public school teachers, are already well-acquainted with them. You almost certainly work with some. Remember what I wrote last week about America's public school teachers? About the way our left-wing colleges have indoctrinated impressionable young prospective teachers, so they could go out as fifth columnists, undermining our culture by swaying the minds of even more impressionable, even younger students? In Conifer, Colorado, west of Denver, a middle school teacher has been wearing a button that says "He's Not My President." The teacher not been wearing it in her classroom, but she was spotted wearing it on her coat during a field trip. A parent complained, but Jefferson County School District officials rejected her request that the teacher be prevented from wearing the button, saying that she has a right to wear it. Well, of course she does. But not when she's performing her public - and taxpayer-paid - role as a school teacher. On that particular subject, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, then a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, said it best, when he ruled in 1892 that a policeman "may have a constitutional right to talk politics, but he does not have a constitutional right to be a policeman."   Make sense to me. She has a constitutional right to say anything she damn well pleases. What she doesn't have is a constitutional right to be a school teacher and do it. *********** The same Jefferson County School District invited parents, as part of the renovation of Columbine High School following the April 20, 1999 attack by teenage gunmen that killed 12 students and a teacher, to create tiles to line the school's corridors on the walls above the kids' lockers. But first... district officials made sure to lay down some ground rules, saying that the tiles were not be a memorial - that might "remind students of the killing." And further, they stipulated that no tiles should carry a religious theme, in compliance with what they called "the constitutional requirement that church and state remain separate." (NOTE: nowhere in the Constitution can one find such a requirement, or even such wording as "separation of church and state.") So Brian Rohrbough, whose son Danny was killed in the massacre, filed suit, claiming school officials had no business telling him what to say on his two 4-inch tiles. But a court ruled against him, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the lower court ruling, leaving in place the district's rules, and preventing families from having tiles making reference to God placed on the school walls. Said Mr. Rohrbaugh, "If you asked me to create a memory of my son, it is always going to include a reference to God because it is a core value." Said attorney James Rouse, who represented Rohrbough and the parents of Kelly Fleming another student killed in the attack, "It is all a pretext to keep religious symbols out of the schools.'' *********** Back in January, a young Australian couple, relatives of our daughter-in-law, paid us a visit. They are delightful people, and the week or so they spent with us went really fast. One thing that really struck me, though, was their reaction when for some reason the subject of Bill Clinton came up. They were amazed - shocked, actually - at the intensity of my, uh, "dislike" (it's actually a lot stronger than that) for the Man From Hope. Maybe it's because I was cleaning my rifle at the time. (Just kidding.) They had no idea that any American might feel the way I did. I assured them that if they gave me five or ten minutes, I could fill a gymnasium with people who felt the same way I did. Even in the Northwest. I was just as amazed, though, at the distorted impression they'd been given. Being Australian - and having spent the previous six or seven months living in Canada - they'd evidently seen only what the international media chose to portray, which was William Jefferson Clinton, world statesman. And critic of his country's government. Forget the outrages, too numerous to mention, of his vile amdinistration. Forget that he can't even practice law in his own home state. Now, the scummy bastard trots around Europe openly criticizing his successor, in violation of the unwritten rule of former presidents that they take the high road and keep their lips buttoned. (You think George H. W. Bush, as decent a man as ever served, and one who served his country with distinction in World War II, never had the urge to rip Willie a new one?) Hell, the fact that Clinton is admired in Europe ought to give you some idea of how much the "world opinion" that we're supposed to be worried about is actually worth. Back in 1994, a Pennsylvania farmer by the new of Shughart spoke for an awful lot of us. That was nearly ten years ago. Damn shame we're only now hearing about it. Mr. Shughart was in Washington, D.C. for the posthumous presentation of the Medal of Honor to his son, SFC Randall D. Shughart, killed in action in Mogadishu, Somalia on October 3, 1993. (Think "Black Hawk Down.") Sergeant Shughart grew up on the family farm near the small town of Newville, in central Pennsylvania. As a boy, he learned how to use a rifle, and when he wasn't busy working on the family farm, he was hunting. By the time he enlisted in the Army and set his sights on the Rangers, he was already an expert marksman. On that fateful October day, with two choppers down in the streets of Mogadishu and their crews under attack by hostile mobs, Sergeant Shughart and MSG Gary Gordon, of Lincoln, Maine repeatedly requested permission to jump in to assist. Finally given permission, they dropped into Mogadishu, pulled the crew from a chopper, established a defensive perimeter, and, putting themselves in the most vulnerable positions, protected the downed crews with rifle and sidearm fire. Both men fought until they ran out of ammunition, whereupon they were set upon and killed. For their heroism, serving others while knowing full well the extent of the dangers they faced, both men, SFC Randall Shughart and MSG Gary Gordon, were awarded the Medal of Honor. Perhaps you recall the ugliness of the scenes from Mogadishu, and the almost criminal act by our government of putting our troops in harm's way without providing the force necessary for them to carry out their mission - whatever it was. Secretary of Defense Les Aspin - and by extension, the President, Mr. Clinton - chose not to provide the armored reinforcements requested by our military commander there, because he was reluctant, as he explained later, to "increase our presence" in Somalia. (The commander was left to run an offense without blockers, so to speak.) Sergeant Shughart's mother, as you might imagine, had a very tough time of it. She told a Wall Street Journal reporter that she started to read "Black Hawk Down" and just couldn't finish it. "I got to the part where the helicopter comes down," she said. "I shut the book right there. I never opened it again." At the Medal of Honor ceremony, Mrs. Shughart thought at first that she wouldn't be able to shake Aspin's hand, but "I finally did. I just couldn't do that." Mr. Shughart, though, was not so forgiving. Refusing to shake Clinton's hand, he told him, "You are not fit to be president." Amen to that. *********** Hugh, Just got through reading the news. I'm seething at that Title IX B.S., and that spoiled little brat at Manhattanville College. Anyway, I've been giving Title IX a lot of thought. Obviously because of what just occured there doesn't seem to be anything left for us to do to change Title IX. Shouldn't we be trying to AMEND it? Is that what this latest attempt was? I'm not clear on that. Could you shed some light on it? We all agree that the original intent and purpose of Title IX was good. It provided our daughters an equal opportunity. However, we also know that the feminist man haters in our society did everything they could to twist its meaning and provide their own interpretations to turn it into what it is today. A fiasco. Since Title IX WAS a measure to stop gender discrimination, and NOW discriminates, why wouldn't an amendment to Title IX or an addendum that prohibits its infringements on the opportunities for men be in order? Our great constitution is one of checks and balances. Well, we have the check, but where's the balance? Joe, Title IX got out of control in the same way so many of these vaguely written laws and directives do, and now it is very difficult to reel it in. The committee set up to "review" it was stacked with feminists, so right from the start there was no chance of any repeal or even radical change. And most of the time when the committee attempted to debate things rationally, the feminists on it kept leaking word to the media that certain people on the committee were out to "gut" Title IX. And the feminists in the media - male and female alike (and there are a lot of male feminists in the media) - took up their cry. Finally, that Manhattanville female basketball player better think twice about what she's doing. First, she better get on her hands and knees and kiss the ground she stands on while she pulls that stunt for having the privilege of living in a country that allows her to exercise her "rights", and second, she better kiss every star and stripe on that flag in tribute to the thousands of Americans who gave their lives, and the thousands more who will, for fighting for the freedom she has. By turning her back on that flag she's basically saying "f--- you" instead of "thank you!" I'd bet my house there are a lot of soldiers who would like to meet with her and exercise THEIR freedom of expression (the middle finger) along with THEIR right to free speech! I think it is very important that this time around, whatever the government does in Iraq, we do not let people elsewhere in the world (like, say, Saddam) think that idiots like that girl at Manhattanville in any way speak for the American people. I think the protestors have already increased the likelihood of bloodshed by encouraging Saddam to hold out. Did you hear that almost two-thirds of those so called "human shields" are returning to the U.S.? Guess they're the cowards we all thought they were after all. Treason is bad enough, but to be a coward on top of it? If it were up to me I wouldn't let 'em back in! Isn't that hilarious????? Look forward to seeing you at the end of the month! You like barbecue? Have I got a place for you! (Do I like barbecue? Whoa.) Talk to you soon. Joe Gutilla, Minneapolis *********** "I found another person who runs your system for youth, but in my opinion he has mutilated it. He has an animated PowerPoint Presentation he gives out and I think he took the flexibility out of the system and made it harder to learn. Example: Yours: Tight Rip 88 Super Power His: Super Power Right With yours you tell everyone what is to be done....only a few little things need to be remembered that aren't stated in the call. His does not reference formation or motion so that has to be remembered for every play, and the kids have to remember where the ball is going and where the fullback is going etc. In making it more simplistic, I think he makes his kids have to remember more, which reduces the number of plays you can install. Well that is my belief...maybe I'm not seeing what he might see. What do you think? " TEXAS First of all, I have no objection to a "mutilated" version as you call it - every coach must determine what is the best thing to teach his kids and the best way to teach it to them, and we all make modifications. And it is certainly that coach's right to offer his system to others. But I really don't think that people should somehow get the idea that they are going to learn "the Double-Wing" as well as possible from a Cliff's Notes version of it. I will stand behind what I have learned in 30+ years of coaching and 20 years of developing a proven play-calling system that hundreds and hundreds of coaches - and thousands and thousands of kids - have been readily able to understand and put into use. The problem is that what might work just fine for that coach is not necessarily fine for others, because, frankly, they are not likely to have all the success they could have if they were to learn it exactly as we all teach it. They could wind up bad-mouthing the offense themselves and, just as bad, serving as examples for the nay-sayers who say that the Double-Wing "doesn't work." Frankly, I believe the biggest advantage to what we are doing lies in its terminology. Anybody can look at a tape of a team running the Double-Wing and "reverse-engineer" to draw up a playbook. But as a multiple-offense guy, it took me a long time to work this system out, and I had it in place long before I ran the Double-Wing. It's the numbering system and terminology that makes the system so flexible, and frees you from having to stay in one formation for the rest of your life. I really think I have managed to arrive at the best possible compromise between detailed instructions for every man, which would allow us to run anything we wanted but simply couldn't be relayed to the field, and brief, coded instructions in terms so simple ("Play Number 1") that everyone has to memorize a list of plays and assignments. Based on the premise of the phone company, back in older, simpler days - that most people could readily remember a seven-digit phone number - I worked to try to give as many individual instructions as possible without using more than seven discrete bits of information. (Example: Tight Rip Lead Criss-Cross 47 - C - that's six bits, and anyone who understands our system realizes that linemen only have to know two of them. They only have to know that the play is going to "7" and it is a "C" block.)   Again, people are free to tweak as they wish, but those who try to learn any offense from those people, second- or third-hand, are likely to find themselves in the same position as the golfer who's never taken a lesson. They are doomed to be constantly getting swing tips from the other guys in their foursome, and they will keep trying out all the tips, and wondering why they have trouble consistently hitting the ball straight.   *********** For years, General Jim Shelton, one of my Black Lions friends, worked on a book on his experiences in Vietnam, with special emphasis on the bloody Battle of Ong Thanh, in which so many Black Lions died, Don Holleder along with them. It is now in print.   It is entitled, "The Beast Was out There," by James M. Shelton. Its subtitle is "The 28th Infantry Black Lions and the Battle of Ong Thanh Vietnam October 1967" and it is published by Cantigny Press, Wheaton, Illinois. to order a copy, go to http://www.rrmtf.org/firstdivision/ and click on "Publications and Products") All monies after costs go equally to the Black Lions and the 1st Infantry Division Foundation, (sponsors of the Black Lion Award).   General Shelton is shown at left at West Point, at a book signing. (He does a lot of autographing - he personally signs every Black Lion Award certificate.)   You can get an autographed copy of General Shelton's book for yourself or for a friend - send him a check for $25 per book, and tell him who the books are for, and he'll personally autograph them and mail them back to you. His address is General James Shelton, 6610 Gasparilla Pines Blvd #118, Englewood FL 34224   I have my copy. It is well worth the price just for the "playbooks" it contains in the back - "Fundamentals of Infantry" and "Fundamentals of Artillery," as well as a glossary of all those military terms, so that guys like you and me can understand what they're talking about.   THE PHOTO AT THE LEFT is what the Black Lion Award is all about - connecting outstanding young men of today with the men who've served. Shown here is Cody Allen, of Las Animas High in Las Animas, Colorado, and Mr. Ernesto Vargas, a Black Lion. Las Animas coach Greg Koenig contacted Mr. Vargas, who was happy to take part in the award ceremony. Mr. Vargas, by the way, was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. On the left front of his jacket, from bottom to top, are badges of the Black Lions (28th Infantry Regiment), the Big Red One (1st Infantry Division) and the Combat Infantryman.     YOU WANNA SEE SOMETHING COOL? http://www.jackson.army.mil/228th/index.htm       --- THE BLACK LION AWARD --- HONOR BRAVE MEN AND RECOGNIZE GREAT KIDS IT'S NOT TOO EARLY TO START SIGNING UP FOR 2003 "NO MISSION TOO DIFFICULT - NO SACRIFICE TOO GREAT - DUTY FIRST" inscribed on the wall of the 1st Division Museum, at Cantigny, Wheaton, Ilinois THE BLACK LION AWARD (FOR MORE INFO) ARE YOU A BLACK LION TEAM? (FOR MORE INFO)